Q: Memory wire is a special type of wire that keeps its "ring" shape. There are lots of different sizes of memory wire, ranging from ring to bracelet to necklace size. You want to get the smallest size, which is the ring size. Anything larger will slide off the base of your wine glass. Look for something that is between ¾ and 1-inch (1.91 and 2.54-centimeter) wide. Memory wire is very difficult to cut, so you want to use a pair of heavy-duty wire cutters for this. Do not use your good jewelry wire cutters. They are too delicate for this task, and the memory wire could dull the blades down. Use a pair of round nose pliers to pinch the end of your memory wire. Twist the pliers upwards, against the curve of the memory wire, until you have a small loop. Pull the pliers out and set them aside. You can add one big bead or a bunch of small beads. You can also do a combination of the two: a big bead with small beads to either side of it. Be sure to leave about ¼ to ½ inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) at the end of the wire so that you can make another loop. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to open up a jump ring. Pull the ends of the jump ring past each other rather than away from each other. Slip the jump ring through the loop at the top of your charm, then close the jump ring. After this, you can slide the jump ring onto the memory wire.  You can use a charm just by itself or with some small beads to either side of it. If the ends of the jump ring aren't touching, you can pinch the jump ring to push them towards each other until they touch. Some charms may already have a jump ring attached to the top loop. If you have a charm like this, simply slip it onto the memory wire. Like before, use your round nose pliers to pinch the end of the memory wire. Twist the memory wire against the curve of the memory wire, then slide them out. To attach the charm, simply pull the ring apart slightly, and push it onto the stem of your wine glass. The memory wire will naturally keep its shape, so you do not need to use the loops you made to close the ring.
A: Get some ring-sized memory wire. Measure out 1¼ to 1½ loops, then cut them with a pair of heavy-duty wire cutters. Twist one of the ends of your memory wire into a small loop. Add your bead(s), if desired. Consider adding a charm instead of beads. Make another loop at the end of the memory wire to secure the beads. Use the wine glass charm.

Q: When the whole family is having fun outside the home, kids won’t miss the TV. Plan exciting outdoor adventures in your local community, such as a treasure hunt in the park, a festival, or a tour of a nearby museum. Make art supplies available to your children in a special place in your home. Let them have free reign of these materials to make crafts, paint, color, or write imaginative stories. On occasion, sit down together and do creative activities that involve the whole family. That way, kids will see these activities as fun rather than a sad replacement for television. You know how important regular exercise is for health and wellness. Counteract the couch potato syndrome by getting your kids up and moving. Take a Frisbee out into the yard. Lace up your trainers and walk to a nearby park. It may also be fun to run a kids’ “exercise boot camp” on the weekend.  Getting your children involved in sports at school or in the community is also a great way for them to stay active. Being active also lessens the amount of time they have to spend watching TV.  Start a fun family tradition of going on a picnic, hike, or other outdoor adventure every few weeks. During cold weather, encourage your kids to go out and sled, ice skate, or have a friendly snowball fight. Reading can be just as fun and vivid as watching a TV show or movie. Introduce your children to stories that help them escape from everyday stress into imaginary worlds. Load everyone into the car for a weekly visit to your local library.  Make reading all the more interesting by telling your kids about the books you enjoyed as a kid. Try to find them in your library or online. Plan an outing at your local library. Many libraries offer story hours and other fun activities and events. Make it even more fun by treating your kids afterwards (e.g., you might take them out for ice cream or to their favorite park). Time spent with parents and siblings is rich and enjoyable. Your kids will soon learn this as they spend more time away from TV. Another way to promote non-screen time is by scheduling a family game night. Take a vote on which board game to play and have at it. Make sure you select games that are appropriate for all of your children.
A: Go on fun outings. Encourage creativity. Suggest physical activities. Read books. Play board games.

Q: To start a log cabin fire, you’ll need to create a set-up similar to a teepee fire. Center your tinder in the fire pit, and use  kindling to create a teepee shape around it. Make sure to start with smaller pieces of kindling and then add a second layer of larger kindling. Your teepee lay doesn’t have to be as large as it would if you were planning a teepee fire. Two layers of kindling are usually enough. Collect four pieces of firewood to set around the teepee. Take the two largest pieces and place them on opposite sides of the teepee. Next, set the two smaller pieces on the other sides to form a square with the wood. Make sure that the smaller pieces rest over the two larger pieces. Be sure to leave an opening on the side of the structure that is upwind, so you can reach the tinder when it’s time to light the fire. Over the four pieces of wood that form the base, lay smaller and shorter pieces of firewood in the same pattern. The goal is to create a cabin-like structure around the original teepee. The process of laying the wood around the teepee is similar to building with the Lincoln Log toys that you may remember from your childhood. Once you’ve built up the cabin for the fire, place some of your lightest kindling on top to close off the structure. Use a match or lighter to light the tinder inside the cabin.  For best results, light the tinder from several sides. Until the external walls of the cabin catch fire, continue to add kindling to the inside in order to feed the internal fire. A log cabin lay typically offers up a longer-lasting fire, so it's an ideal choice if you need warmth for an extended period.
A:
Create a small kindling teepee over the tinder. Place four pieces of firewood around the teepee. Continue laying firewood to build a cabin. Top with the lightest kindling and light.