eHow Articles by Virginia Allain

I made a good career choice when I picked librarianship. It kept me fascinated for 30 years. All aspects of library work from children's librarian to reference librarian, middle management to library director, offered new challenges and rewards.

Even though I'm retired, I still "brake for libraries." There's some irrisistable draw to an old Carnegie library building filled with books. Our whole family loves to read. Here are my articles on books, reading and libraries:

• How to Expand the Mind through Reading


• How to Save an Old Bible


• How to Make Bookmarks from Greeting Cards


• How to Use Reading to Exercise Your Mind


• How to Become a Top 500 Reviewer on Amazon


• Book Addicts


• Give the Gift of Reading


• Notes from a Reader


• Love Between the Covers


• Giving My Opinion


• How to Cope with Reading Addiction

My family has a number of articles about their love of reading. Take a look at these:

How to Personalize a Bookshelf by Gail Martin ...My Wall of Books ...Look Who I Met In The Archives ...A lot of Lincoln is on our bookshelves ...My Parents Had Bookshelves Too ...

From the Bookshelf Indeed by Carol Garriott ...Life Behind the Circulation Desk ...What is it About Harry ...New Book Out ...

Life Without Georgette by Shannon Hyle ...Falling in Love Among the Bookshelves ...My Bookshelves ...

She Was a Woman Before Her Time by Cynthia Ross ...Books, Books & More Books ...

I've never considered myself much of a cook, but now I find that I've gradually developed a repetoire of tasty meals. I guess, by age 59, I should have learned something about making food. Here are the links to my step-by-step recipes.

How to Make Very Vegetarian Pasta Sauce

How to Turn Canned Soup into a Gourmet Experience

How to Make Chicken and Noodles the Easy Way

How to Make Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Butter for Sweet Potatoes

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

How to Make Bread Pudding in the Microwave

How to Make a Chocolate Banana Shake That's Heart-Healthy

How to Serve Tomato Slices with a Gourmet Touch

How to Blend a Cocoa Mix with Cappuccino and Vanilla Soy

How to Make a Root Beer Float That's Fat Free

I've dabbled a bit with making things. Last winter I started covering cardboard boxes with fabric, lace and ribbon. It was a good way to use up some of my hoarded supplies from when I used to make little quilts. Here's How to Cover a Box with Fabric.

Before that, I tried making a trivet using wine corks. It turned out pretty good. My friend, Janet Sanford, served as inspiration for this project. She makes bulletin boards using corks. Here's How to Make a Cork Trivet Using a Picture Frame.

I've always loved making packages pretty. My aunt Carol and my former mother-in-law inspired me with their elegantly wrapped and ribboned presents. I even gave some demonstrations on gift wrapping when I lived in Baltimore. Here are my articles on this topic: How to Make Personalized Gift Wrap ...How to Wrap Gifts for Free...How to Make Gift Bows from Scraps of Paper

Some of my other crafts involved using my photographs, How to Make Cards from Photos , or recycling things into something useful: How to Make a Fan from a Pleated Window Shade ...How to Make a Fabric-Covered Jewelry Board ...How to Turn Old Candles into New Ones ...How to Make a Pine Cone Pixie Christmas Ornament

Since I live in Florida, it naturally ends up as the topic for some of my articles on the eHow website. Here's what I've written so far:

• How to Identify Florida Wildflowers


• How to Prevent Mildew in a Florida Home


• How to Avoid Buying Useless Florida Swampland


• How to Decorate a Florida Christmas Tree


• How to Learn about the Florida Cracker Horse


• How to Take an Airboat Ride


• How to Register Emergency Contacts in Florida for the Police


• How to Plant a Palm Tree From Seed
  
• How to Photograph Alligators on a Florida Vacation


• How to Avoid Alligator Attacks


• How to Remove an Alligator from a House

I grew up in the country. Having greenery around is very soothing, so I'm always planting things. Here are my articles about plants and growing things.

• How to Transplant Rhubarb Plants


• How to Transplant Ornamental Grasses


• How to Stop Cottony Cushion Scale on Potted Citrus Plants


• How to Renew a Planter with Fresh Plants


• How to Plant a Palm Tree From Seed


• How to Keep Birds Away from Blueberries


• How to Grow Food for a Food Bank


• How to Grow Container Plantings with Pizazz


• How to Grow Cleome


• How to Garden Without Injury


• How to Divide a Banana Plant

Flowers

How to Find Flowers to Photograph

Now that I'm retired, we're playing golf three or four times a week. It's great being outside, seeing all the wildlife, getting fresh air, and occasionally getting a good shot that keeps me coming back to this difficult game. Here's what I know about golf:

• How to Clean a Golf Cart


• How to Decorate with a Golf Theme


• How to Play Golf So You Get Invited Back


• How to Personalize a Golf Cart


• How to Play a Feral Golf Ball


• How to Prevent Loss of Golf Clubs


• How to Add Storage in a Golf Cart


• How to Keep Warm Playing Golf (for women)


• How to Tend the Flag in Golf


• How to Play a Goofy Golf Game (String and Throw)


• How to Avoid Losing Your Temper on the Golf Course


• How to Decorate a Golf Cart for Christmas


• How to Have a Good Attitude for Golf


• How to Choose a Gift for a Golfer

I wanted to gather together a list of all my articles on health topics.

• How to Decide If Cataract Surgery Is for You


• How to Fall Asleep Using Relaxation Techniques


• How to Make the Most of a Health Fair


• How to Increase Your Chances of Skin Cancer


• How to Prevent Cold Sores


• How to Keep Babies from Suffocating


• How to Find Nursing Home Ratings


• How to Stop Biting My Nails


• How to Stop Picking at Sores or Scabs


• How to Sand Feet with a Rotary Tool


• How to Improve Safety in the Workplace


• How to Garden Without Injury


• How to Walk Off Thanksgiving Calories


• How to Reduce Stress by Making Three Changes


• How to Warm Up Cold Feet in Bed


• How to Find a Doctor While on Vacation


• How to Find a Dentist While on Vacation


• How to Survive Getting a Crown


• How to Avoid Problems with Teeth Whitening Products


• How to Eat More Fruit Every Day


• How to Find Support Groups for Caregivers Who's Spouses Have Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries

Whatever the holiday, it gives a lift to our routine lives. I think everyone loves holidays. Here are my articles on eHow about the different holidays:

VALENTINE'S DAY

• How to Collect Valentines


• How to Decorate a Valentine Tree


• How to Make a Valentine Craft Kit for Children


• How to Make Valentines for Special People in Your Life


• How to Make Valentines from Altered Cards

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

• How to Throw a St. Patrick's Day Party

EASTER

• How to Make an Easter Basket for a Lady Golfer

HALLOWEEN

• How to Keep a Jack-o'- Lantern Safe from Vandalism


• How to Make an Adult Tinkerbell Costume

THANKSGIVING

• How to Celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia


• How to Decorate for Fall or Thanksgiving


• How to Walk Off Thanksgiving Calories

CHRISTMAS

• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree on a Budget


• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree with an African Theme


• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree with an Australian Theme


• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree with an International Theme


• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree with Baskets


• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree with Seashells
  
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• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Without Stress


• How to Decorate a Florida Christmas Tree


• How to Decorate a Golf Cart for Christmas


• How to Have a "Little House on the Prairie" Christmas


• How to Have a Homemade Christmas


• How to Make a Pine Cone Pixie Christmas Ornament


• How to Make a Star Ornament from a Paper Bag


• How to Make a Victorian Christmas Stocking


• How to Make Christmas Bookmarks


• How to Make Fan Ornaments for Christmas


• How to Make Snow Flakes Online


• How to Start a Holiday Ornament Tradition

NEW YEAR

• How to Be Lucky in the New Year


• How to Have HOPE in the New Year

GENERAL HOLIDAY ARTICLES

• How to Fly Without Problems During the Holidays


• How to Keep a Seasonal Decorating Notebook


• How to Use Half-Price Candy after a Holiday


• How to Get Remembered When Missing Family Gatherings

I used to decorate with the shabby chic style. It was lots of fun. Here are my articles about decorating and home topics.

DECORATING

• How to Have a No-Cost-Makeover Party for a Room in Your House


• How to Decorate with a Golf Theme


• How to Make a Craft Work Area in a Small Space


• How to Make a Fabric-Covered Jewelry Board


• How to Make a Bookshelf


• Use Staging Techniques for House Guests or Parties


• How to Make a Fan from a Pleated Window Shade


• How to Display a Miniature Basket Collection


• How to Display a Tin Collection


• How to Display Australian Souvenirs


• How to Keep a Seasonal Decorating Notebook


• How to Decorate for Fall or Thanksgiving


• How to Make an Outdoor Party Room

HOUSECLEANING AND CLUTTER ARTICLES

• How to Clean a Dishwasher


• How to Improve Your Housekeeping


• How to Wash a Sliding Glass Door That's Really Dirty


• How to Get Mildew off Window Blinds


• How to Keep Food from Spoiling in a Refrigerator


• How to Increase Kitchen Counter Space


• How to Save Money and Time on Laundry


• How to Know You Have Too Much Stuff


• How to Eliminate Clutter That Has Emotional Links


• How to Keep THINGS from Taking over Your Life


• How to Clean a Closet and Help Women Find Jobs at the Same Time


• How to Keep Windows from Breaking in High Winds


• How to Organize a Shed for Storage


• How to Organize Manuals and Warranties


• How to Avoid Unlabeled Key Problems


• How to Stop Throwing Clothes on the Floor


• How to Get Rid of One Hundred Things


• How to Clean the Patio after Vacation


• How to Afford a Maid


• How to Keep the Cleaning Person Happy


• How to Prevent Water Disasters in the Home


• How to Prevent Mildew in a Florida Home


• How to Keep the Workplace Tidy


• How to Set up a Workshop in a Shed

VACATION HOME

• How to Decorate a Lake Cottage on a Budget


• How to keep a Vacation House from Being Musty (Cottage, Cabin, Lake House, Beach House)


• How to Give Back to the Community (for summer visitors)


• How to Clean up after a Lobster Feast

HOME TIDBITS

How to Estimate a Home's Current Value

How to Get a Certified Deed Easily and at Low Cost

I've written a number of articles for the eHow site about photography. The photo of the sunflower is one that I took.

How to Take Photos at Colonial Williamsburg

How to Photograph Spring Flowers

How to Have a Photo Scavenger Hunt

How to Take an Alphabet of Photos

How to Take a Photo a Day for a Year

How to Take Food Photos to Go with Recipes

How to Take Photos at Magic Kingdom

How to Take Photos at Epcot

How to Take Animal Kingdom Photos That You'll Love

How to Photograph Alligators on a Florida Vacation

How to Find Flowers to Photograph

How to Take Photos From a Car

How to Photograph Mushrooms

How to Add Photos That Enhance an eHow Article

How to Take Spider Web Photos

Here's a few more:

How to Look Better in Snapshots

How to Make Cards from Photos

How to Write Family Memories Triggered by Photos

How to Save Wedding Photos to a Group Website

How to Make a Family Memory Book using Photoworks or Other Print-On-Demand Sites

I noticed that a number of my writings fall into the category of positive thinking. It must be from reading Pollyanna at a young and impressionable age. Actually I've found positive thinking helpful throughout my career and even in retirement.

• How to Appreciate What You Have


• How to Succeed (Lessons Learned from My Father)


• How to Find 100 Things That Make You Happy (Besides Money)


• How to Spread Good Feelings


• How to Be Nice to Yourself


• Random Acts of Kindness

I've plunged into self-publishing to get my family's writing into print. It's been quite a learning experience, but I'm enjoying it hugely. I have seven more books underway at the moment using Blurb.com's Booksmart software. Here's what I've learned so far about publishing a book and getting some attention for it:

• How to Promote a Book Using Library Thing


• How to Use Wearable Book Promotions


• How to Make a Webpage to Promote a Book


• How to Promote a Book Using Smilebox


• How to Promote a Book that's Self-Published


• How to Use the Internet to Promote Your Writing


• How to Save a Child's Art in a Book


• How to Publish a Book of Family Memories on Blurb


• How to Make a Wedding Photo Book for a Gift


• How to Learn Bookbinding


• How to Make a Family Memory Book using Photoworks or Other Print-On-Demand Sites

A booklist I created on Amazon (books about promoting your book)

I have lots of articles on the eHow site about handling your personal finances or how to do things on a budget or for free. Here are the links to those:

FRUGAL LIVING

• How to Find Fun Things to Do with Kids for Free


• How to Turn a Can of Soup into a Filling Meal


• How to Eat Restaurant Meals and Keep Costs Down


• How to Have a No-Cost-Makeover Party for a Room in Your House


• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree on a Budget


• How to Decorate a Lake Cottage on a Budget


• How to Wrap Gifts for Free


• How to Save Money and Time on Laundry


• How to Find Cheap Gas


• How to Find Lobster Rolls at a Bargain Price


• How to Clear Up Library Fines


• How to Use Bits of Soap


• How to Cook Restaurant Meals at Home


• How to Save Money Using a Public Library

HANDLING MONEY

• How to Build a Cash Reserve for a Rainy Day


• How to Know Where Your Money Goes


• How to Get Debt Collectors to Stop Calling


• How to Quit Overspending


• How to File for Social Security Benefits Online


• How to Find People Who Give Away Money


• How to Quit Obsessing Over Bad Economic News


• How to Estimate a Home's Current Value


• How to Decide if You Should Postpone a Divorce During Hard Times


• How to Change Your Thinking about Spending


• How to Afford a Maid


• How to Find 100 Things That Make You Happy (Besides Money)


• How to Get Help Before Foreclosure

FUNDRAISING

• How to Raise Money with a Friends of the Library Group


• How to Fundraise for Dog Shelters

Losing weight and feeling great!
I'm not sure whose slogan that is, but it rhymes nicely. Here it is January already, so we're all thinking of ways to take off the holiday pounds. It's amazing what happens when we're faced with lovely nibbles and major feasts for most of November and December.

Here are some recipes and tips that you might find useful:

Make a Chocolate Banana Shake That's Heart-Healthy

How to Make Very Vegetarian Pasta Sauce

How to Learn to Eat Foods You Don't Like

How to Serve Tomato Slices with a Gourmet Touch

How to Make a Root Beer Float That's Fat Free

How to Eat More Fruit Every Day

How to Make a Banana Shake That's Low Fat

How to Eat in Restaurants Without Gaining Weight

How to Control Meal Portions for Weight Loss

How to Cut Calories Wasted on Drinks