Thompson: True or false? Do you know your tips?

I haven't given a tip quiz in a while. It's time! I'm actually making this quiz a little easier than ones in the past. All of the questions are true or false. If you don't get at least eight out of 10 correct, you'll need to send me your duct tape, rubberized shelf liner and WD-40. I'm serious. Scroll down for the answers, but no cheating! Good luck! 1. You can clean smelly socks by soaking ...

November 23, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Try office storage items in your kitchen

Here's a great kitchen storage tip. Use a slotted metal file holder from your office to store thin items like baking sheets and cutting boards. It actually looks kind of cool on your kitchen counter. Just make sure you remove it before your boss comes to visit.

November 17, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Safe hunting requires a harness

If you're a deer hunter, please make sure you wear your safety harness when climbing, hunting and descending a tree. Each year a number of hunters fall and suffer injuries from broken legs, paralysis and even death. It happened to a friend of mine last weekend; for the rest of his life he'll now have a steel rod in one of his legs. Be careful out there!

November 10, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Stomach can’t take the sea? Try ginger

What's the best way to prevent motion sickness? Take ginger. Several recent studies have shown the effectiveness of ginger as compared to other motion sickness solutions. The reason I like it is because it won't make me drowsy like over-the-counter medications. I personally learned of this when I was sailing near Hawaii several years ago. The captain of the boat had us take some ginger tablets right before some rough weather hit; we were all fine.

November 02, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Project your Halloween spirit this year

Halloween is less than two weeks away. If you're still trying to come up with a really clever way to decorate your house for the holiday, I've got a suggestion for you. Raise your garage door and cover the entrance with a large white sheet. Use duct tape to hold it in place. Borrow a computer projector from your office and hook it up to a laptop computer. With the computer projector inside the garage, ...

October 26, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Nifty device gives you a hand when shaving your head

As you can tell from the picture to the right, I'm not bald. However, a lot of guys are, and this tip is for them. Instead of shaving your head with a regular razor, use the Head Blade. It's basically a razor that attaches to your hand. You can find it on line at www.headblade.com. Some local drugstores have started carrying it as well. If you're not sure about trying it out, check out some ...

October 19, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Freezer holds answer for smelly trash

If you suffer from "bad-smelling-trash-can-itis," I have a solution for you. Instead of throwing your food scraps in your trash can, wrap them up and put them in your freezer. Just make sure to throw them away on your trash pick-up day. A co-worker, Kevin Eicher, shared this one with me. Kevin was having trouble with pine straw building up on his roof, especially in the valleys of the roof. He didn't want ...

October 12, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Check your eyes with this little test

Do you see the numbers 25 and 45 embedded in the pictures at left? If not, you might suffer from color blindness. (What other columnist will give you an eye test?)

October 05, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: It’s the little things that bring us joy

One of the reasons I enjoy writing this column is because I truly believe I'm helping people. I suppose that sharing another duct tape tip may not radically change a person's life. However, I've found that it's the little improvements that you make in your life and the lives of others that over time leads to great happiness. I'd like to defer to the patron saint of tips, Benjamin Franklin, and what he had to say on the subject...

September 28, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Keep your sheets matched with this simple method

This has got to be one of the simplest and most common-sense tips I've ever written about. In fact, I often wonder why most people don't know about this tip. After you wash a set of linens, store them in one of the pillowcases. By doing this you'll ensure that you never have mismatched linens. (It's the simple tips that I love the most).

September 21, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Duct tape serves as an able protector

OK, here's your weekly duct tape tip. If you're going to be working with fiberglass insulation, you need to wear gloves and a long-sleeve shirt. In addition to that, wrap duct tape around your shirt sleeves and connect them to your gloves. By doing this, you'll keep glass fibers from getting on your wrists and irritating them. Trust me on this one.

September 07, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Make popcorn for one in a paper bag

Here's an interesting tip that you've probably never heard before. You can cook regular popcorn in the microwave without having to buy the more expensive microwave popcorn. Simply put a small amount of popcorn in a paper lunch sack, fold the top down twice and then put two staples in the top to hold it in place. (No, the two staples will not cause the microwave to explode. The mass of the two staples is ...

August 31, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Welder’s gloves stand up to serious oven heat

If you do a lot of cooking in the kitchen, you need this: A pair of welder's gloves. I'm serious. Don't waste your time with the low-quality pot holders and oven mitts. Welder's gloves are designed for extreme heat and are seriously durable. You can find them at any of the home improvement stores and they're cheap.

August 24, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Save your spray foam with this trick

I need to start off by giving kudos to reader Daniel Franklin. He solved an age-old dilemma that home repair people have had for years. He discovered the secret of how you can get multiple uses from one can of spray insulating foam. (OK, for those of you who don't know what spray foam is, it's basically an aerosol can that sprays out a foam that expands and hardens. It's great for filling cracks and ...

August 17, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

Thompson: Shoe holders get new life for kids’ clothes

Rachael Reksten has four young kids younger than 6. I admire, respect and pity her all at the same time. She told me that the hardest thing she used to have to deal with was getting her kids dressed in the morning.

August 06, 2008 | Tim Thompson | Columnists

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