Top 5 tips for a rainy day

We've all spent an afternoon stuck inside, as the rain poured down - hoping for a brief reprieve so that we could go out and do... outside stuff... the kind of stuff you never want to do until it's raining and you can't do it. Well here are my top 5 suggestions for something to do;

 

5. Jigsaw

4. Rain drop races

3. Hot chocolate

2. Drain Generator

1. Old tin Karaoke

5. Jigsaw

Jigsaws are under-rated. If you're an adult with no kids you might not even own one. You can cheaply rectify this by taking a picture and chopping into lots of small asymmetric pieces and then rearranging them on a flat surface. Use sticky tape if you wish to make the repair permanent. A good motivational tool is to cut up a favourite picture although this may make you unpopular - especially if it's someone else's favourite picture.

 

 

4. Rain drop races

Droplets are forming on the windows and pretty soon they'll be heading south. Pick two and choose which one will move first. Hours of entertainment can be had. But don't get too attached, or give them names, because they'll be gone as soon as the sun comes up and this may lead to depression.

 

 

3. Hot chocolate

Grab the biggest mug you can find and fill it with delicious and sweet hot chocolate. Then go stand and look wistfully out of the window, clutching the mug to your chest and staring into the middle distance. I have never tried this but they do it in films all the time so it must be good. Combine with tip 4 for even more fun!

 

 

2. Drain generator

This one takes some careful planning and preparation but might just be worth it. Simply rearrange the drainpipe  on your house so that instead of simply running down a pipe into the ground it forces the water over a small wheel or turbine assembly.  Depending on how much it rains where you live you could power something very weak for a short or slightly less short period of time and lessen the burden on fossil fuels.

 

1. Old tin karaoke

An advanced tip this ...and you'll need props - so maybe prepare in advance. You'll need at least one old biscuit tin, even better if there's more and different shapes. Then simply toss them outside and listen to the rhythm of the raindrops on the metal. Close your eyes and try to think of a song that goes to the rhythm and then sing it. But open your eyes when you do because singing with them shut makes it look like you're too into the song.

Tips for giving speeches

It's not normal to be comfortable standing up in front of a group of strangers but it's become a necessary part of many people's lives.  This guide is to try and help people deal with giving speeches and is based on my own methods for speaking in public. If your experiences differ and you have advice to offer the world, then leave me a comment and I'll add it to a user's tips section at the bottom of the page.

 

 

5. Know your subject

4. Practice

3. Family or friends

2. Attitude

1. Enthusiasm

 

5. Know your subject

 If you've been asked to make a speech, you probably know all about the subject in question but it never hurts to make sure you know it inside out. If you're making a speech for school, pick a subject you know about, a hobby or favourite thing and then research it - the internet is a wonderful tool.

 

4. Practice

Once you've written it out, practice. Keep doing it until you feel you know it without the script. That way, when you come to perform in public, having the script will give you a little extra confidence.

 

3. Family or friends

Technically this is part of tip 4. but I wanted to emphasis the importance of practicing in front of people.

You're family or close friends are probably the best audience  for the nervous speech giver but it is often still difficult to feel completely at ease. Ask them to be patient and supportive and keep at it until you can do it with confidence.

 

2. Attitude

Try to approach the lectern with confidence and remember to pick a point at the back of the room, just above the audiences heads and talk to there. If you make a mistake make light of it and carry on.

 

1.Enthusiasm

 Put enthusiasm into what you're saying. Enthusiasm is infectious and most people are happy to listen to someone who is passionate about their subject. Try to make the audience see what is so great about what you're telling them.

 

 

Things you need when stuck up a hill

The full title of this top 5 tips article should read - things you need when stuck up a remote hill somewhere surrounded by fog for 2 days running... and no idea where you are - but I felt this wasn't pithy enough so I shortened it a little. AS you can probably tell, this article is based on my own experiences so may not be all that useful, but I hope to write a few articles that will apply to more generic camping situations at a later date. Anyway, here are the tips;

 

5. Entertainment

4. Don't look outside

3. Conserve energy

2. Take a GPS

1. String

5. Entertainment

The wind is howling and you have nothing to do until daybreak so you may as well catch up on a good book or listen to your favourite M.C Hammer song on mp3.

 

4. Don't look outside

Once you have erected your tent, get inside. Your bleak surroundings will only depress you.

 

3. Conserve energy

Try not to eat all the energy bars and beef jerky you brought along on the first day. These are excellent camping foods btw as they boost your energy, fill you up a little and you can fit loads in your bag.

 

2. Take a GPS

It's all well and good being able to read maps but if you can't see your hand in front of your face there's no way of knowing where you are. So consult your beautiful GPS (hardcore GPS only please - no mobile phone based systems) and pray that some country hasn't invaded and forced the defence department to shut down the satellites - or possibly worse, alter them to give false readings.

 

1. Essentials

Always carry  two metres of string. I didn't use it in my experience but it's always comforting to have when camping.

If you have any suggestions for tips for this subject then leave them in the comments section and the best 5 (in my opinion) will  get added to a Users tips section to appear here.