One day, when I went outside in the morning, something didn’t seem right,  it took me a minute to realize that my lovely cherry tomato plant was missing, gone, stolen under the cover of the night. I was somewhat shocked and a bit confused as to who would steal a cherry tomato plant, but in a typical Pollyanna attitude hoped that the tomatoes found a good home and people who’ll take care of them and that it won’t happen again. However, like the characters of a cheesy teen horror movie, all of my plants went missing one by one.

For a while there I lost faith in urban gardening and the human race, but then I watched IdealBite’s gardening competition, The Golden Hoe,  and got inspired all over again. In these videos Hanah, Mike and Heather try to grow vegetables in their different San Francisco home settings: indoor, backyard, and rooftop.  And the Golden Hoe goes to:

Personally I’ve witnessed a great and usually sensible man, who will remain anonymous,  shave down an entire garden just because he enjoyed using the electric hedge trimmer. Not to mention all the times I dragged home pieces of dirty old furniture for the pure joy of using the electric sander.

In these two amusing DIY Network videos you’ll see why Halloween is the best time to take out your tool box:

Ahmed Hassan shows us that carving a pumpkin is a totally different experience once you do it with a drill and a saw.

And in this video Jason Cameron a.k.a  “Jason the Crazed Carpenter” goes all out and creates a truly gory pumpkin.

In this video P. Allen Smith, the outdoor living expert, takes you to where the giant pumpkins grow:

If you have kids, you’ll probably find that many of your holiday activities revolve around pumpkins: taking a trip to a pumpkin patch, carving some of your finds, turning the others into delicious pumpkin pies and roasting the seeds. Yes, this is probably the biggest holiday for your kids and a great chance to enjoy some quality time with them. In this next video P. Allen Smith shows you how you can safely include even your younger children in the pumpkin carving party:

Unfortunately, every year you can see many girls who seem to see Halloween strictly as an opportunity to be a naughty-something (nurse, nun, cop or cow-girl),  but don’t give their makeup any special thought. In that sense I think we can all learn something from Heidi Klum:  The super-model/Project Runway host throws a glamorous Halloween party every year with her husband Seal. Though you’d have to look hard to find a better looking lady, she usually goes for bold, over the top looks that are not necessarily flattering.

But even if Kali is a bit much for you, don’t be afraid to try something new and creative this Halloween. In this Style Network video you can see the best way to apply glitter – a key part of any Halloween look, or as Heidi would put it, help you get that “Wow Factor”.

The sand Mandala is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition in which a group of monks creates a concentric diagram of colored sand. The Mandala is a microcosm representing various divine powers at work in the universe, and as such usually depicts figures of deities, Buddhist symbolism and structure. The process is in fact a form of meditation, similar to the idea of repeating a mantra. As soon as it’s completed the Mandala is destroyed in a specific order, the sand gets placed in a jar and scattered in a river.

This meditation on impermanence might seem cruel or pointless, but perhaps that just shows how unwilling we are to accept the temporariness of life. The obvious example that comes to mind is the recent financial crisis;  the hardest part to grasp was how billions of dollars just disappeared. People’s life savings, pension plans and charity funds vanished into thin air.

In this video from Vat19.com you can learn how to start making your own sand Mandala.  If you’re not quite ready to destroy your work, don’t worry, just use glue.

Chenrezig Sand Mandala created and exhibited at the House of Commons for the visit of the Dalai Lama on 21 May 2008.

As for me, if you put cockroaches aside, and please do or I won’t be able to sleep tonight, my biggest fear has always been math and numbers. If I had to choose between jumping off a plane or solving a complex equation you can bet I’d be reaching for that parachute in a heart beat. It’s enough for someone to start talking about Logarithms or Exponential Growth in order to get my pulse beating just a little faster, and not in a good way. Don’t even get me started on the Sudoku plague that took over the world and left me utterly puzzled as to why anyone would choose to do math on their free time.

Fortunately, the kind people of StudyBeat.com realize that not all of us were born like John Nash or Will Hunting. In their videos they break down all of the math basics in such a clear, funny and visual way that even the numerically challenged can understand how to factor Quadratic Equations or how to add and subtract fractions with common denominators.

Personally, I enjoy a good DIY project from time to time, but just like when it comes to cooking, watching others do it is even better.  How can you ever get tired of  good home improvement shows? Especially the ones that do complete makeovers. Watching the transformation of an old, messy or boring house into a fun and welcoming space makes me happy every time. Just seeing what can be done with a little bit of paint, wood and enthusiasm.

In this video Dean and Derek, the friendly experts from the DIY network will show you everything you need to know in order to prepare for a delivery of construction materials. You’ll see that, just like my grandmother says, the key to a successful project is in the little details.

Except that like too many things in this world, these dangerous looking devices are not quite what they appear to be. The disappointment I felt when I realized that the seemingly miraculous display has in fact a very simple scientific explanation can only be compared to the time I found out that donations can be tax deductible.

In this easy to follow Thinkwell video you can watch the famous Physics experiment step by step. Professor Ephraim Fischbach demonstrates the difference between force and pressure using a nectarine, a bed of nails and a young man willing to sacrifice himself in the quest for knowledge.

You’re going to love it.

In this video from Everwell, Dr. Charlotte Grayson explains why is it that someone else can tickle you, but you can’t tickle yourself:

Basically, what brain scientists have studied and can tell us now is that the part of the brain which is responsible for preventing us from hours of self-tickled joy is the cerebellum as the part of the brain that prevents us from self-tickling. The cerebellum is a region located at the base of our brain, which monitors movements and sensations. Being quite brainy, the cerebellum can actually set apart expected sensations from unexpected sensations, effectively killing the element of surprise.

Yes, summer vacation, short and sweet if you’re a kid, long and expensive if you’re a parent, is just about over.

While the first day of school has never been a favorite of mine, I fondly remember the preparations that preceded it each year. Besides the fact that everyone in my family suffers from an acute office supplies addiction (markers and post-its and pens! oh my!) there’s something optimistic about the whole ritual.  Every year is a new leaf, a second chance, a do-over.  This year you’ll take nice, neat notes,  keep your books in order and finish all of your homework before watching TV.

But even if you won’t,  you can still enjoy making some pretty new book covers. As parents, this is a chance to spend some quality time with your children. A few stamps, stickers,  stencils and some glitter can turn the book wrapping chore into a fun arts and crafts afternoon.

This helpful ON Networks video shows you how to make DIY Back-to-School supplies for less: