Precisely one Kraft caramel and one Hershey’s Kiss will fit into an artfully folded paper cup, which is terrific news if you’re planning a children’s birthday party. The children will be so distracted by the delightful paper cup that they won’t notice that they’ve been limited to two treats for an obvious reason: Any more… Continue reading Origami Madness: One Paper Cup and Two Paper Airplanes Later

  A thick pink blob of strawberries hit the mall when I was eleven years old and I willingly threw myself in its path every chance I got. After slipping quarters into the Ms. Pac-Man game, adjusting my leg warmers, and spraying my hair with an entire can of Aqua Net, I was ready to… Continue reading Make a Scurvy-Slashing Strawberry Smoothie

If mermaids and unicorns frolicked wildly in pixie-sprinkled waters, AND I dipped my nails into the aftermath, the results would be stunning. In fact, I’d venture to say that they’d be very similar to the effect you see on my nails here, in this photo: No, I didn’t get a professional manicure. I did my… Continue reading DIY Manicure: Sparkly Nails and Mermaid Tales

When clogged toilets and swim meets threaten to ruin the romance between you and your loved one, make scented heart-shaped soaps—fast. This project will have you gazing into your lover’s eyes in no time and saying things like: “This is easy and fun!” “Should we put it in the freezer?” To start steaming things up,… Continue reading Romantic Heart-Shaped Soap for Valentine’s Day

A humid, sticky, crud-ridden land of dinginess lurks beneath my kitchen sink, so conditions are ripe for angry creatures to form in the space between the trashcan and the dish soap. For this reason, I’m not going under the sink alone to fix an urgent leak. I’m taking Nate and Alex with me. It seems… Continue reading Conquering a Kitchen Sink Leak and Other Beasts

In the crowded hallways of a new planet, a male subject, age 15 approaches a group of females his age. (The male subject happens to be this researcher’s son, Alex.) The female subjects he approaches appear to be outgoing, intelligent, attractive, and funny. Alex: So, how’s your day going? Female Group Leader: Oh, my gosh!… Continue reading High School “Planet” Dance Notes: Tips for Survival

“Hold my beer; I’m going to Zumba®,” I tell Nate before driving to L.A. Fitness to take a very, very public Zumba® class. (Why do group exercise rooms in gyms have glass walls? Why?) No, this isn’t my first Zumba® rodeo. Back in 2002, I attempted to samba and salsa some post-delivery baby weight away… Continue reading I Just Zumba’d!

The bow-on-the-butt-ship has long since sailed for me, but it’s trying really hard to make a comeback in various stores. At least, that’s the conclusion I’ve reached after shopping all last weekend. It could be that outfits with large bows and crazy dart-like patterns that somehow emphasize the nipples, really aren’t in style. They just… Continue reading Shop, Drop, and Roll: Clothing Sales and Cautionary Tales

If inspiring nuggets of wisdom can truly nestle into acts of “zoodling around” and “Prancercising,” then it’s with great humility that Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks accepts the Mystery Blogger Award nomination. Thank you, North Liza Lane—a truly inspiring blog absolutely full of gorgeous artwork and talent! This award is “for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts.… Continue reading Mystery Blogger Award

“Oodles of ‘zoodles’ come out the other end when I do this!” I shouted at Nate and Alex, when they came home from a swim meet Saturday night. Nate bought me a “spiralizer” for my birthday and I was using it to shove chunks of zucchini into the machine. That zucchini was then transformed into… Continue reading Zoodling Around and a Pad Thai Recipe