About Today: Free Online Games 1/21/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor Welcome to Friday, International Day of Wasting Time on the Computer. This is a much beloved pretend holiday, because it happens once a week, which is about as often as we need holidays during the winter.

Free Online Games  The best way to waste time on the computer is playing games. And the best games are free ones. No sense in wasting money while you're wasting time. Free Action Puzzle Games Top Online Game Trends of the Decade

Play Scrabble Online  This is my personal favorite. Playing Scrabble online makes me feel slightly more virtuous than other games, because it almost feels like I'm reading at the same time. Where to Play Checkers Online Before You Buy a PC Graphics Card See More About:  scrabble  playing games online

Fun Facebook Games That Aren't Farmville  If you don't use Facebook, you probably haven't gotten a party invitation since 2008. So it makes sense that the site that's running our social lives outside of the computer is taking over our fake social lives inside it. OK, Fine: More About Farmville Top Internet Games See More About:  facebook games  farming games  country story

Who Gets Addicted to Online Games?  And of course there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Here's how to tell if your online gaming habit is an innocent time waster or a real problem. What Is Video Game Addiction? Is Video Game Addiction Real? See More About:  gaming addiction  addictive behavior characteristics

About Today: Home Repairs You Can Do Yourself 1/20/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor I want you all to know that if anything happens to me, my apartment did it. Yesterday, the sink flooded - a clear attempt to drown me. A few weeks ago, the living room light blew out - obviously trying to zap me from afar.

How to Unclog a Drain  Another theory, of course, is that when you never fix anything, stuff tends to break more spectacularly. (I mean, if you want to be serious about it.) How to Unclog a Tub Drain Top 10 Plumbing Repairs You Can Do Yourself

How to Wire and Install an Outlet  One thing we know for sure is that the living room light isn't a light bulb situation. We are geniuses, and tried that first. Why Do Fuses Blow? 6 Ways to Prevent Electric Shock See More About:  wiring outlets  outlet installations  electrical wiring

Video: How to Paint a Wall  This is why we're glad I work at About.com. It enables me to look up DIY home repair tutorials, and do my job at the same time. How to Paint a Room Video: How to Tape Walls for Painting

DIY Clothes Washer Repair  I have never been more impressed, though, than the day my Dad fixed the clothes dryer by himself. For years afterward, I was convinced he was some kind of wizard. Of course, I was five at the time, but hey. DIY Clothes Dryer Repair Avoiding Mold in the Laundry Room See More About:  appliances  green laundry

About Today: How to Deal With Picky Eaters 1/19/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor When I was a kid, I was a picky eater. My mom still talks about how I refused to eat anything except spaghetti, peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, and American cheese.

Why It's Normal for Kids to Be Picky Eaters  Naturally, she was a bit concerned about the possibility that I might wind up with scurvy, making me the only toddler in town who had anything in common with 18th century sailors. 10 Recipes for Picky Eaters Free E-Course: Coping With Picky Eaters See More About:  picky eaters  vegetables for kids  healthy eating

10 Ways to Feed Picky Eaters  Eventually, through the cunning use of vitamins shaped like animals and gradually introducing more foods, she managed to round out my diet. How to Model Healthy Eating Habits for Kids What's the "50-Exposures" Rule?? See More About:  nutrition  feeding your preschooler  picky eaters

Video: Feeding Picky Eaters  And now that I'm allegedly grown up, I'll eat anything that isn't still actively mooing. Are Your Words Making Them Picky Eaters? Quiz: How Well Do You Deal With Your Picky Eater?

Developing Healthy Eating Habits for Toddlers and Babies  So probably the best advice is not to panic: The picky stage generally doesn't last forever. The Power of Family Meals to Help Picky Eaters Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters See More About:  feeding your toddler  picky eaters  toddler nutrition

About Today: A Few of Your Favorite Things 1/18/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor A few years ago, I realized that the absolute best way to start a conversation at a party was to either claim to love a popular product ... or to hate it. Within two minutes, the gathering will separate into distinct (possibly armed) camps.

Readers' Choice Awards 2011  This is because we all firmly believe that our favorite things (products, services, even blogs) are the secret to our happiness. And woe betide anyone who says any differently. 2011 Awards: Autos 2011 Awards: Cities & Towns

FAQs About the Readers' Choice Awards  With this in mind, About.com has created an annual Readers' Choice Awards, to allow you to nominate your favorite things in a variety of different areas, from technology to hobbies to sports. 2011 Awards: Careers 2011 Awards: Style

2011 Awards: Health and Family  You can visit any of our categories on our Awards page, here. Or just click on a category in this newsletter. 2011 Awards: Food & Drink 2011 Awards: Hobbies

2011 Awards: Gadgets & Electronics  Fun trivia fact: All of this started on the Instant Messaging site in 2008. Because if there's one thing people are sure about, it's that their favorite tech products are the best in the world. 2011 Awards: Sports 2011 Awards: Travel

About Today: Remembering Dr. King 1/17/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor When I was a kid, Martin Luther King Day was a big deal, and not just because we got a day off of school. Whole units of social studies were organized around the civil rights movement and Dr. King's contributions to it.

History of Martin Luther King Day  Now, as an adult, I have to remind myself to take a moment out of my day off to remember. First up: Reread a bit of biographical information, while trying to see it all with a fresh eye. (Amazing to think that historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. actually existed.) A Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Lesson Plans for Martin Luther King Day See More About:  martin luther king  ronald reagan  civil rights movement

Get Ready to Celebrate Martin Luther King's Day of Service  Perhaps the best thing we can do to remember Dr. King is to give back to the community. Today is the 25th anniversary of the Day of Service. Martin Luther King Day Events in New York Phoenix Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King's Legacy

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Events in Washington, DC  If you're in DC today, you're in luck: There's plenty to do to celebrate. If not, your town might have its own festivities. Martin Luther King Day Celebrations in Dallas Martin Luther King Day Events in Memphis See More About:  martin luther king  civil rights  washington dc holidays

Craft Projects for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday  If you've got kids, you can make these Martin Luther King Day crafts, and pretend it's for their benefit. Martin Luther King Day in Cleveland Martin Luther King Day Celebration in Los Angeles See More About:  january holidays  making toys