Some folks opt for a home theatre, but in this case, a home entertainment geek opted to wire up his party space so that at the touch of the big red "Emergency Party Button", the lights are dimmed, the party lights come on, the dried ice machine kicks in, and the music starts. Awesome home automation job (we'll overlook the dodgy choice of music). :)

The creator kindly put up a website detailing the equipment used, how it was put together and the cost of materials ($US634).

Emergency Party Button [via Make]

Having a washer and dryer in your home doesn't always translate to having an organised system for cleaning and storing clothes. When the piles start climbing out of their baskets, the Unclutterer blog recommends making a visit to your local laundromat—the one you probably wrote off as an artifact of the past. By doing all your laundry in one shot, and saving some serious time while you're at it:

Go once to the laundromat, get all of your clothes washed, and then get started on your new laundry routine at home with a clean slate. To complete the laundry bankruptcy plan you can do your laundry yourself, or you can use the Fluff-N-Fold service that most laundromats offer.

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Trying to cut back on your use of that energy sucking air conditioner (or maybe just don't have one)? A tipster at the Natural Living blog suggests this simple hack to get the most out of your standing fan instead:

"You need a fan, and a plastic bottle of water.
Fill the 3/4 of the bottle with water and put it in the freezer.
Once deep frozen, put the plastic bottle in front of the fan, and tadaa! Fresh air!"

Given that it's been a bit on the chilly side in Sydney for the past couple of days, I haven't tried this tip myself, but I reckon it's worth filing away for those upcoming hot summer days!

Climatization replacement [Natural Living]