Hi there! I’m John Green, and welcome to my fun video adventure where we try out some cool life hacks from the internet. Let’s see which ones work and which ones don’t!
We ordered some pizza, and guess what? They added cookies to it—what a surprise! I found a hack online that says you can turn a pizza box into plates by ripping off one side and folding it. I tried it, but it wasn’t as easy as it looked. So, that hack didn’t work out!
Pizza goes great with a drink, right? I heard you can use a coffee lid on a mason jar to take your drink on the go. I tried it, but it didn’t fit. Another fail!
Have you ever struggled to open a jar? My grandmother told me that using a rubber band can help. Let’s see if it works!
We put some onions in the freezer for 15 minutes to see if it helps with cutting them without crying. I used a sharp knife, but it was still tough. I tried rubbing olive oil on the knife to see if that would help.
Now, let’s try some fruit hacks! I have a mango, kiwi, orange, and an apple. For the mango, I tried sliding it down a cup to peel it, but it didn’t work. For the kiwi, I sliced off the top and bottom and tried scooping it out with a spoon, but that didn’t go as planned either. I attempted to break an apple apart with my hands, but ended up cutting it instead.
Here’s a hack to keep your phone sand-free at the beach using a Ziploc bag. It seems to work, but I couldn’t use my phone while it was in the bag.
Let’s make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! I added extra peanut butter around the edges to stop the jelly from leaking out. It worked!
To reduce mess when mixing ingredients, I attached a paper plate to the mixer. There was a little splatter, but it was manageable.
I heard that microwaving granola bars for 30 seconds can make them less crumbly. I tried it, and they were definitely warmer and less crumbly—success!
Finally, I attempted to cut a watermelon using a quarter. I made a small cut and tried to chop it in half, but it didn’t go well at all!
Thanks for joining me on this life hack adventure! If you have any hacks you’d like us to try, let us know in the comments!
Try turning a pizza box into plates by following the steps in the article. Work in pairs to see who can create the most stable plate. Discuss why this hack might not always work and suggest improvements.
Bring a stubborn jar from home and test different methods to open it, including using a rubber band. Record which method works best and share your findings with the class.
Test the hack of freezing onions before cutting them. Work in small groups to see if this reduces tears. Try other methods like using olive oil on the knife and compare results.
In teams, race to peel and prepare different fruits using the hacks mentioned. Discuss which methods were effective and which were not, and brainstorm better techniques.
Simulate a beach environment in the classroom and test the Ziploc bag hack to protect a phone. Discuss the pros and cons of this method and think of alternative solutions.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any inappropriate language and making it more concise:
—
Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon! This is a Mental Floss video, and we ordered some pizza. Oh, they put cookies in my pizza—what a surprise! We don’t want to wash a bunch of dishes, so I found a hack online: I can rip off one side of the pizza box, fold it, and create disposable pizza plates. Well, that wasn’t as easy as it looked, so I’ll call that a fail.
Today, I’m testing various life hacks from the internet, brought to you by Geico. Hopefully, some of them will be useful!
Nothing goes with pizza like a drink from a mason jar, but sometimes you want to take it to go. I heard a coffee lid should fit perfectly on top, but it doesn’t quite work. Fail!
Next, I’m told a rubber band can help open a tricky jar. This is actually a tip from my grandmother. Let’s see if it works.
Right before we started filming, we put some onions in the freezer for about 15 minutes to see if it helps with cutting them without tearing up. I’m using a sharp knife, but it’s still a challenge. I’ll try rubbing olive oil on the knife to see if that helps.
Now, let’s move on to fruit. I have a mango, kiwi, orange, and an apple. I’ll start with the mango. I’m supposed to slide it down a cup to peel it, but that didn’t work.
For the kiwi, I’ll slice off the top and bottom and scoop it out with a spoon. That didn’t go as planned either.
Now, for the apple, I’ll try to break it apart with my hands. That didn’t work out well, so I’ll cut it instead.
Next, I’m going to try a hack with a Ziploc bag to keep my phone sand-free at the beach. It seems to work, but I can’t use my phone while it’s in the bag.
Let’s make a PB&J sandwich. I’ll add extra peanut butter around the edges to prevent jelly leakage. That seems to work!
Now, I’m going to try a hack to reduce mess when mixing ingredients by attaching a paper plate to the mixer. There’s a little splatter, but it’s manageable.
I also heard that microwaving granola bars for 30 seconds can reduce crumbs. Let’s see if that works. They’re definitely warmer and less crumbly—pass!
Lastly, I’ll attempt to cut a watermelon using a quarter. I’ll make a small incision and try to chop it in half. That didn’t go well at all!
Thanks for watching this episode of Mental Floss, brought to you by Geico. If you have a life hack you’d like us to try, leave it in the comments!
—
Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Hacks – Simple and clever tips or tricks to make tasks easier or more efficient. – Sarah learned some cool hacks to organize her desk using empty jars and boxes.
Pizza – A popular dish made of a flat round base of dough baked with a topping of tomato sauce and cheese, often with added meat or vegetables. – For our DIY pizza night, we each chose our favorite ingredients to create our own unique pizzas.
Jar – A container, typically made of glass or plastic, with a wide mouth and a lid, used for storing food or other items. – We used an empty jar to store the homemade granola we made in class.
Cutting – The act of using a tool to divide something into pieces. – During the cooking class, we practiced cutting vegetables safely with a knife.
Fruit – The sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food. – We made a colorful fruit salad using apples, bananas, and grapes.
Phone – A device used for communication, often equipped with a touchscreen and internet access. – Using a phone, we looked up a video tutorial on how to make a DIY birdhouse.
Sandwich – A food item consisting of two pieces of bread with filling such as meat, cheese, or vegetables between them. – For lunch, we made sandwiches with turkey, lettuce, and tomato slices.
Ingredients – Items or substances that are combined to make a particular dish or product. – Before starting the recipe, we gathered all the ingredients we needed to bake cookies.
Granola – A breakfast food and snack consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey, or other sweeteners, baked until crisp. – We made our own granola by mixing oats, almonds, and honey, then baking it in the oven.
Watermelon – A large fruit with a hard green rind and sweet, juicy, usually red or pink flesh. – On a hot summer day, eating a slice of watermelon is refreshing and delicious.
