10 things to do in an elevator

25 Awesome Keyboard Shortcuts

This is a list of the most useful default Photoshop keyboard shortcuts that you can use them to speed up your workflow. Some of them are rarely mentioned, some are more common and some are only available in Photoshop CS5. I hope everyone will find some new and useful shortcuts in this article. So let"s get started!
1. Drag-Zoom
Command/Ctrl + Space + Click and Drag Left or Right. Fastest way to zoom in and out with one keyboard shortcut (only in CS5 and only with GPU enabled).
2. HUD Color Picker
Alt + Shift + Right Click (Win) or Control + Option + Cmd + Click (Mac). Gorgeous color picker with a color wheel (only in CS5 and only with GPU enabled). Preferences are under General tab.
3. Bird’s Eye View
Hold Down H + Click, Reposition View and Let Go of the Mouse to Zoom Back). Works great with large images, when you need to work closely. Fast way to fit the image to screen and then zoom back into another area with the previous zoom ratio quickly.
4. Brush Size & Hardness
Ctrl + Alt + Right Click (Win) or Control + Option + Click (Mac). Drag your mouse to right/left to change the size and up/down to change the hardness. It only works with CS5 in both directions. In CS4 only the size change works. You can change the color of the brush preview under Preferences/Cursors. You also need GPU turned on under the Performance tab to be able to see the brush preview.
5. Draw Straight Lines
Hold Down Shift. Works with nearly every drawing tool.
6. Move
Hold Down Command/Ctrl. Fastest way to move something quickly and then switch back to the previous tool.
7. Pan (Shift + Space) and Zoom Simultaneously in all Documents
Shift + Ctrl + Space (Win) or Shift + Command + Space (Mac). Best way to compare or work on more than images at the same time.
8. Hide Panels
Hit Tab. You can always show them again by pressing Tab once more, or just simply hover over the edges to show the panels and toolbar temporarily.
9. Full Screen Preview of Files From Mini-Bridge
Space and Then Arrow Keys. It works the same way as in Bridge. Make sure that you deselect the images in MiniBridge or collapse the panel when you continue working in Photoshop.
10. Text Size
Command/Ctrl + Shift + . or , you can use it for selected text. It won’t work by only selecting the text layer.
11. All Caps for Text
Command/Ctrl + Shift + K. Quick way to switch between lowercase and uppercase text. Make sure you type without Caps lock to be able to use this.
12. Tracking and Kerning
Alt/Option + Left and Right Arrow Keys. Useful way to make equalize the distance between characters. If you select a word, a line or a whole paragraph then you change the Tracking. If you click between two characters you change the Kerning.
13. Leading
Alt/Option + Up and Down Arrow Keys. Quickly change the distance between selected lines.
14. Baseline Shift
Alt/Option + Shift + Up and Down Arrow Keys. Easy way to use one text layer but have different positions for the text.
15. Fill
Command/Ctrl + Backspace – Foreground Color, Alt/Option + Backspace – Background Color, Shift + Backspace – Fill Options. Great way to fill color into selections or change the color of text and vector shape layers.
16. Reset Any Dialog Box
Alt/Option + Click on Cancel. Instead of canceling a dialog box and returning to it try Reset and save time and effort.
17. Changing Opacity and Fill Opacity
Numeric Keys, Shift + Numeric Keys. This will change the opacity and fill of the selected layer (or even more than one layer at the same time in CS5) and it will change opacity and fill of the tool if you select a drawing tool.
18. Invert Colors of Selected Layer or Layer’s Pixel Mask
Command/Ctrl + I. This is a fast way to invert visible parts of a layer if you invert the colours of the layer mask.
19. Switch to Precise Cursors for Drawing Tools
Hit Caps Lock. If you don’t want to see the edges of the brush you can switch to precise mode easily by having Caps lock on.
20. Reset Preferences
Ctrl + Alt + Shift (Win) or Command + Option + Shift (Mac) When Loading Photoshop. If you want to start with the default settings and user interface hold down these buttons while Photoshop is loading.
21. Switch Foreground/Background Colours
Press (X). Fast way to switch between the selected colour.
22. Mask View
Alt/Option + Click on a Layer Mask. Great way to clean up the mask after you save it from a selection. Using it again will switch back to normal view again.
23. Disable Mask
Shift + Click on a Layer Mask. You can quickly show the original contents of the layer with this keyboard shortcut. Using it again will enable the mask again.
24. Intersection of Selections
Alt/Option + Shift + Click With a Selection Tool Over Another Overlapping Selection. Easy way to keep only a specific part of a selection.
25. Merge All Visible Layers to a New Layer
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E (Win) or Command + Option + Shift + E. If you want to keep all your layers but you also need to merge them together to be able to use something you can convert them all into one Smart object or use this keyboard shortcut to make a duplicate merged layer.
Bonus (Easter-Egg) Keyboard Shortcut
Alt/Option + Click on Panel options under the options of Layers panel.
Conclusion
Of course you can use Photoshop without keyboard shortcuts, but you can be much faster and productive if you spend a little time on getting used to have one of your hands over the keyboard all the time and memorize some of these combinations. Feel free to include some other useful shortcuts in the comments section.

24 Tips and Tricks for Coffee Filters

Coffee filters .... I couldn't believe all the things you can use these for. You can buy them at the dollar store and save lots of $$$.  I haven't tried all of these but have tried many and it really works. 1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers. 2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling. 3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish. 4. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust. 5. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter. 6. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter. 7. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale. 8. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods. 9. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes. 10. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter. 11. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters. 12. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease. 13. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers." 14. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics. 15. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors. 16. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews. 17. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car. 18. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills. 19. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash. 20. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage. 21. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls. 22. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout. 23. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book. 24. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc. 10 New Uses for Coffee Filters About 100 years ago, a German housewife named Melitta Bentz punctured the bottom of a brass pot, lined it with blotting paper, and―voilà!―made the first coffee filter. Almost a century later, a perfected version of Bentz’s design is still used. “Coffee filters aren’t as likely to crumple or dissolve in water as typical paper because they have better ‘wet strength,’ thanks to longer fibers,” says Melinda McDonald, communications manager for Bunn, a beverage-equipment manufacturer. “Additionally, the fluted sides and cupcake shape allow substances to flow through the filter freely and prevent grains from flowing over the sides.” Use Coffee Filters to: 1. Diffuse the flash on a camera. When you’re taking a close-up, soften the brightness by placing a coffee filter over the flash. 2. Strain wine from a bottle with a broken cork. Place the filter over a pitcher or a carafe and slowly pour the wine into it. 3. Serve popcorn or other snacks. The filters act as disposable bowls, so there’s no dishwashing. 4. Make yogurt dip. Use a rubber band to secure a paper coffee filter over the mouth of a deep cup or jar. Slowly pour 8 ounces of plain yogurt onto the filter. Let drain for one hour. In a bowl, mix the thickened yogurt with 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers. 5. Heat up leftovers in the microwave. Use a filter as the protective covering over a bowl or a plate. 6. Prevent soil from draining out of flowerpots. When repotting, place a filter at the bottom, over the drainage hole, then add the soil. 7. Prevent scuffs and scratches on fine china. Use flattened coffee filters as spacers when you stack your dishes. 8. Protect hands from Popsicle drippage. Slide the wooden stick of an ice pop through a coffee filter so your hands stay mess-free. 9. Serve pita sandwiches. A circular filter is the perfect size for carrying a sandwich on the go. 10. Clean windows and glass when you’re out of paper towels. Coffee filters leave no lint or other residue.

10 Family Road Trip Activitie

1.  The Alphabet Game. Pick a topic – animals, for instance – Start with A, and let each person in turn name an animal that begins with a letter of the alphabet. To make things more challenging, ask each person to recite all the animals that have been named so far, as they go along. When you reach Z, begin again with a different topic.

2. The License Plate Game. See how many different state license plates you can spot on your trip. Keep a list of your sightings or before your trip, print out a map of the U.S., and check off each state when you see a vehicle with that plate.

3. Picture it. Give each child an inexpensive disposable camera, and allow them to take photos of anything of interest they see along the way. After the trip, have the photos developed and let each child create their own homemade storybook about their travels.

4. Aluminum foil art. Take along a roll of aluminum foil and let your kids use it to craft their own creations. They might try making jewelry, animal sculptures, hats, cars… the possibilities are as endless as their imaginations!

5. Travel bingo and other games. Pick up a set of travel bingo boards at the local dollar store… the ones with the little red windows that slide across each square as the letters and numbers are called. Or look for other travel games with magnetic pieces that won't get lost.

6. Counting games. Assign each member of the family something specific to count along your route. Think cows, fire trucks, trains, police cars, horses, American flags, etc. Tally up each person's score at every rest stop to see who has the most points.

7. The Drawing Game. Pass around a piece of paper, and let everyone add one line until it forms a picture. When the picture is complete, let the kids color it in.

8. 20 Questions. In this classic game, Player 1 thinks of an object; then the other players, in turn, ask one question at a time to try and guess what it is. But the limit is 20 questions. If they haven't guessed by then, Player 1 wins!

9. Travel totes. This one takes a little advance planning, but it's worth it! Pick up an inexpensive tote bag for each child and fill it with books, crayons, coloring books, a note pad, their favorite portable snacks and treats, and a favorite toy. Each child having their own bag will eliminate back seat battles over whose turn it is to use the crayons next!

10. Roadside attractions and tacky tourist traps. Factor in a little fun along the road by stopping at one offbeat spot: a quirky souvenir stand; a local advertising oddity like a gigantic chicken statue, an unusual roadside museum, or maybe even a diner in the shape of a hot dog. Even a quick pit stop in a fun spot can refresh and revive everyone, and inspire lively conversation for the rest of the trip.

What are some of your family's favorite road trip activities? 

5 quick exercises for flatter abs

BLAST BELLY FAT

33 Fixes For An Empty Stomach

33 Fixes For An Empty Stomach

When you’re trying to lose weight, a growling tummy is like a best man’s speech: the longer it lasts, the more dangerous it gets. But hormones, not your gut, are to blame for binges, and preventing them from going haywire is the key to reining in kilojoules without feeling ravenous. So dig in – we’re giving you 33 ways to fill up.

1. Choose surf over turf: Fish is more satisfying, per kilojoule, than beef or chicken, according to Dr Susanna Holt’s Satiety Index, a rank of different foods’ ability to satisfy hunger.
2. Turn up the heat: The cooler a room, the more people tend to eat – which is why restaurants often keep thermostats low.
3. Can the juice: Whole fruit contains fibre that makes you feel fuller than juice.
4. Bulk up: [ Fibre expands in your GI tract to make you feel full, so make sure you get your RDA of 30g.
5. Love your bread: Dodge the wonder white and go for wholemeal – it’s 5½ times more filling.
6. Pass on diet labels: A study found that after eating full-fat muffins, subjects ate less in the next 24 hours than after a fat-free version.
7. Hold your nose: Just smelling a fresh-baked cupcake can induce insulin secretion that makes you think you’re hungry. Bet you’re not.
8. Munch raw carrots: Irish researchers found carrots are more filling when they’re raw. Get crunching!
9. Down vitamins: Research suggests your body may compensate for a lack of nutrients by increasing your appetite so you’ll eat more.
10. Be pro protein: A study found people ate 1846 less kilojoules a day on a 30 per cent protein diet versus a 15 per cent protein diet.
11. Shape up: Wedge-shaped foods like pizza and cake make it difficult to estimate proper portions.
12. Have some avo: Your body burns carbs in about an hour, so eat healthy fat to buy time before hunger pangs hit.
13. Graze like a cow: Five evenly spaced, mini-meals (of around 1465kJ) a day will regulate your appetite and ward off sugar cravings.
14. Get nutty: Nosh on pine nuts – they have the most protein of any nut or seed, and their pinolenic acid stimulates powerful hunger-suppressing hormones.
15. Listen to Jack Johnson: Eating while listening to mellow music slows you down. Your stomach takes 20 minutes to tell your brain it’s full – that’s almost half of Sleep Through the Static.
16. Go ambidextrous: Switch your fork to your non-dominant hand to eat slowly and give yourself time to recognise you’re full.
17. Don’t eat by candlelight: Dim light can spark overeating, says a US study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
18. Bag dried fruit: Go for 2 cups of grapes over ¼ cup raisins – both are 420kJ, but the grapes’ water content makes them feel more filling.
19. Slurp a smoothie: Make it with low-fat yoghurt and fruit for a satiety trifecta: protein (to decrease hunger), fibre (to fill you up without many kilojoules), and calcium (to help burn fat).
20. Whey your options: Boost that smoothie with 1 to 2 tablespoons of whey powder. New studies suggest that in addition to a protein punch, whey may affect the hormones that make you feel full.
21. Go fruity: Mixed fruit can curb a sweet tooth, and it has plenty of fibre, which helps regulate your blood sugar.
22. Have a seaweed spritzer: When you mix agar-agar, a fibre-rich thickening agent derived from seaweed, with fruit juice, it soaks up the liquid, making you feel full.
23. Go for cocoa: Participants in a study were significantly more satisfied 30 minutes after they drank low-fat chocolate milk than after a soft drink.
24. Be antisocial: People who eat with one other person consume about 35 per cent more than when they dine alone; at a table of four, that rises to 75 per cent more; and in a party of eight you’ll almost double your intake.
25. Go blue: Studies show blue to be an appetite suppressant. Use blue plates, napkins and placemats.
26. Boost your bean count: High-fibre beans cause glucose to release slowly into the bloodstream, preventing sudden slumps that cause hunger spikes.
27. Dig pop culture: It’s mostly air, so popcorn’s twice as filling as chockie, with fewer kilojoules. Try Riviana Air Popped Popping Corn (380kJ per 25g).
28. Skip soft drinks: High-fructose corn syrup, the main sweetener in soft drink, doesn’t spur insulin production to make the body process kilojoules, or trigger leptin, which tames appetite.
29. Start a pack-a-day habit: Chewing gum suppresses your sweet tooth. (But if you prefer chips, banish the gum – it may make salty cravings worse.)
30. Trade your corkscrew for a stubbie holder: Participants in a study ate more while drinking wine than while drinking beer.
31. Watch horror films: Nausea is responsible for a lack of appetite.
32. Find berry treasure: Raspberries are one of the most fibre-rich fruits, packing 8g into a cupful – that’s more than a quarter of your RDA.
33. Make miso: When your metabolism drags and energy dips, you crave things that give you a quick lift. New research reveals that protein-rich miso soup boosts metabolism.
    
    
    
    

    And in the near future…

    1. Pop a pill: Italian scientists looking to make a more absorbent nappy lining ended up creating a cellulose pill that expands in your stomach to ward off hunger for up to seven hours. Pending safety trials, it should be around from May 2008.
    2. Chew on this: London researchers found that moderate doses of the “feeling full” hormone, pancreatic polypeptide, reduces the amount of food eaten by 15 to 20 per cent. They’re working on a chewing gum, but a finished product is about five years away.

April Fool's Day- 33 HARMLESS, PESKY PRANKS

Pesky pranks

1. Spray nozzle or taped faucets- this one's kind of sentimental for me... THIS is the VERY PRANK that fueled my fire and love for this holiday! The first April we were married, my husband took a rubber band and wound it tightly around the kitchen sink's spray nozzle and left it aimed at where my face would be. When I turned on the water, it DRENCHED me! Haha! Of course he knew that meant war!!! Twelve years later, we're still going strong!

2. Fingernail polish spill- take a piece of wax paper and a bottle of fingernail polish that you don't mind ruining. Spill out contents onto paper, let dry, peel paper off, and leave on victim's clothing or an important document.

3. Blue teeth/ numb mouth- put a small drop of food coloring in center of toothbrush. Make sure to use the same color as the bristles. ALSO, you could put some oragel numbing gel deep in the base of the bristles... one of my FAVE'S!

4. Superglue shampoo lid shut. It will make them have to unscrew the lid.
off so you can't tell it's there. TRUST ME, it doesn't take much for it to work! You could also line toilet seat with thumb tacks! Dun dun duuuuuun!

5. Icy Hot/Bengay or thumbtack toilet seat- smear a small amount of Icy Hot or Bengay on toilet seat and wipe it mostly 

DISCLAIMER- Okay, so this one's only harmless if you're ABSOLUTELY SURE your victim will see the tack-lined seat BEFORE they sit. It's meant to be more of an inconvenience (as they have to remove the tacks before they sit) than a super-pokey encounter. Haha!

6. Block the remote signal with a piece of opaque tape.

7. Soap that won't lather- paint soap with clear fingernail polish and leave in the shower!

8. Glue end of tiolet paper roll onto itself so victim can't find it!

9. Glued-shut card- make a nice card for someone you owe a "thanks" to. Glue it shut so they can't open it.

10. Taped light switch- My kids LOVE this one! They seem to forget I do it every year, too! Just tape it down so they can't turn the light on.

11. Vaseline door knob- place a glob under the bottom of door know so you can't see it.

12. TP the bed- While victim is sleeping, roll TP under and over bed so when they wake up, they're stuck!

13. Place piles of confetti on top of ceiling fan blades so when it turns on, surprise! This one would be fun for someone's birthday, too! I have to say, it's much better than the big old globs of lotion I used to squeeze onto the fan blades! My mom was NOT thrilled about the mess that one made! Haha!

14. Plastic wrap shampoo/salt shaker- Unscrew lids, place a small piece of plastic wrap over opening, replace lid, and tear off the excess evidence.

15. Karo syrup towel- It's clear, so you can't tell it's on there until it's too late!

16. Hair gel hand soap- replace your liquid hand soap with the same color of hair gel.

17. Can't use-it gel/hairspray/cologne- using a temporary glue or double-stick foam, stick most frequently-used items to counter top or bathroom cupboard so they're hard to pick up!

18. Whoopi cushion on chair... you could also use bubble wrap!

19. Shoe surprise- you can stick either legos, small water balloons, or frozen coins inside victims shoes.

20. Cereal box/candy bag swap-out in original packaging

21. Bedroom doorTug of War- This prank can be pulled on two victims who have bedroom doors directly across the hall from each other (dorms usually work well for this). Use a rope to tie both door knobs to each other, with just enough slack to allow one door to open a crack. Then knock loudly on both doors at the same time. The victims will end up in a tug of war trying to get out.
22. Take a needle and thread and run it through every pair of underwear in the victim's drawer, so that they are attached in one long string. When they get dressed, they will grab one pair but end up with them all!
23. All Sewed Up- This prank has to be done to a very sound sleeper. While they are sleeping, sneak in and use a needle and thread to sew their pajamas to the bed! I did this one to my husband last year and it was HI-LAR-IOUS watching him try to get out of the bed! I, of course had to set him free. We both had a good laugh over this one!
24. Have A Cold One- If your victim wears the same hat every day, take it the night before, get it wet, and put it in the freezer. Right before the victim gets ready to leave, place the hat in the normal place. They will get a chilly surprise! You can also do this to a woman's bra!
25. Out is the New In- Turn your victim's backpack inside out. Wait until they're not around, then take everything out of their bag, turn it inside out and replace the items. Then wait for their surprised reaction! I'm soooo doing this to my kids this year!
26. Blast 'Em- Set the victim's TV to an obnoxious channel like Cartoon Network or the heavy metal channel, and turn the volume up to max volume. Now turn off the TV set. When your victim comes back and turns on the TV they will be surprised by a blast of loud programming!
27. Going Buggy- This one takes some prep time, but I think it would be cool. Take a picture of the top part of the kitchen counter. Go on the internet and search for a picture of a cockroach. Then, copy it on to the picture of the counter. Print out a few copies (cut off any extra white space), and place them on the counter. At first glance, your victim will think the kitchen is infested! This would be AWESOME if you did it to a germ-a-phobic friend!
28. The Run Around- Set this prank up ahead of time by letting the kids know you're planning on having some painting done in the house. Then, before they come home from school, put up two signs: on the front door - "Wet Paint - Use Back Door," on the back door - "Wet Paint - Use Front Door." Then see how many times they'll run around the house trying to get in.'
29. Set your friends/family up to think you've prepped a whole bunch a pranks for them... them do nothing and watch them nervously anticipate tricks that never happen all day. This is the lazy-holidayer's approach. Oh well, at least it's something!
 30. While You Were Sleeping- Carefully paint the toenails/fingernails or draw eyeliner mustaches on your victim while they are sleeping. We did this to our kids last year. It was so awesome because they had no idea (about the mustaches) until they went in the bathroom to get ready! One of them didn't discover their pretty toenails until after school that day! Haha, got ya!
31. Job/Chore Chart Switch- If you have a job/chore chart in your home, change it up! Instead of their usual jobs, have them do things like:  Bark like a dog 10 times, Pay the bills, Drive the kids to the park (great for young kids), Mow the lawn using scissors, Wash your clothes by hand, Sweep the driveway with a toothbrush, Jump on the trampoline without stopping for 20 minutes, Touch your nose with your tongue, Tickle Elmo, Count your toes, Sing an opera song--mom's choice, and more. Of course they know you're joking, you decide if you want to use things they can really do or not. My kids didn't end up doing any of them, but sure got the giggles while reading them! You can get creative and come up with whatever is funny to your family!

**This one was suggested by a viewer...
32. Have you ever heard of the Mento's and Diet Coke explosion experiment? Well, HERE'S a video showing how to turn it into a prank! So awesome! Just make sure it's done OUTSIDE! Maybe at an outdoor BBQ or something. Too funny!
(**Thanks, Emily!)

LAST, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, 

33. Set alarms & clocks ahead an hour- this one is probably the most important one! If you plan to do a bunch of time-consuming pranks, DO THIS FIRST!!! You don't have to do it to all the clocks, just the alarm or cell phone, and the bathroom/bedroom ones they see first.