One of my college apartments had a small lot that filled up fast during the day because it was unregulated and close to campus. One day, the entire middle section of the lot was taken up by a station wagon that was parked in such a way as to prevent just about anyone getting in or out until they left. I stuck a note…

A Google Image search for "weird us civil war uniforms" got me the answer very quickly.

At age 30, my "I thought it was a good marriage" fell apart, I had to rethink how I did relationships. Much happier now.

@PeterNincompoop: I do this systematically. When I hang my clothes, I put them in the middle of the closet, with pants on the right, shirts on the left. Stuff I don't wear precipitates out to either side.

Having my daughter. We don't watch TV in the evenings until she's gone to bed, and that combined with the other things we have to get done in that time period means that I really only have time for about 6 hours of TV a week, if that, and I can easily get that with broadcast and Netflix streaming.

I have a similar system. Pants on the right, shirts on the left, and freshly washed clothes go in the middle. Over time, the clothes I don't wear precipitate out to either side.

@MikeT: Second proudest was the exact opposite: a new railing for an existing open staircase where the new part looks like it's always been there:

My wife was reorganizing the bedroom, and expressed displeasure with the pile of small electronics next to the TV. I surveyed the top of the TV, took a couple of measurements, disappeared to the basement, and was back in 10 minutes with a great looking shelf.

For cookies and such, you can pop up some plain popcorn to use as a packing material. It prevents crushing and crumbling, but is nontoxic and biodegradable.

Climbers ID their ropes and other gear with colored tape overlapping to create stripes. A friend, for example, was yellow, blue, yellow, and he could always find his gear that way. If you're looking for ways to differentiate similar-looking cords, that might be an easy way to go.

I wanted in-ear headphones for my iphone 3GS, but didn't want to pay $70 for them, so I pulled out my soldering iron and performed an earbud transplant, putting JBL heads on the iPhone wires.

I live within walking distance of a 200 acre nature preserve, and only a few miles from dozens of state parks, but this site only found one option within 25 miles of my zip code. Must be pretty coast-centric.

I picked up a kitchen measuring tape years ago with a similar chart printed on it. It's got a magnet on the back, and lives on the fridge. It's nice being able to measure the pans to be sure I've got the right size.

Local credit union because I got tired of having a good deal at some chain bank, then the chain gets acquired, and my fees start inching up. It happened to me three times before I finally got wise and went the credit union route.

VOTE: Hipster PDA

If you really want to ramp up your lemonade, use the same ingredients as the Real simple recipe, but with the technique Cook's Illustrated uses:

I know that I've personally found looking for productivity hacks online to be a bit of a procrastination trap when I've got too much to do and don't really want to start any of it. Being conscious of that tendency is a very good thing.

I do think it's worth evaluating your recurring expenses from time to time, which is why we ditched Netflix, downgraded our cable, and ditched the landline. But we kept the Tivo and most of our magazines because they're just that worth it.

I've been tempted, but seeing how my mother in law is confounded by my entertainment system, I decided to give it a pass. I have automated a few things, but in very uncomplicated ways. The upstairs bath that is rarely used has a motion detector switch, and the light over the driveway has a motion and light detector…

For most veggies, I use a nonstick skillet with a tight fitting lid, toss in a little butter, add the just washed veggies and cover, over medium high heat. Keep it moving, and the veggies will steam quickly and self-sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.