The White Stuff

Start (or update) the family blog. Time magazine said it: You are the person of the year, which means that if you haven't started blogging, you have a lot of work to do. Fortunately, free Web sites such as Blogster let you bring family and friends up to date on your dating disasters, that ugly workplace spat or the frustrations of living in an apartment beneath someone who likes to dance in clogs at 3 a.m. Don't forget to include that photo of your latest hijinks. Whatever you want -- it's all about you.

Put a freeze on the gadgets."Have the nerve to say, 'No TV, no video today,' " suggests Penny Glass, a developmental psychologist at Children's Hospital. The result: You'll spend quality time with your kids, and they'll be encouraged to play in ways that help them think beyond the mere push of a button.

Feeling Crafty?

Make some weird science. Your home probably isn't equipped with Bunsen burners or racks of test tubes, but that doesn't mean you can't relive some of the excitement of 10th-grade science class. Build a working volcano, create a vortex or make a bubble bomb. Directions abound on the Internet. Just don't blow up the house.

Fancy fiction? Got an urge to get writing? Go for it. Write a short story about being snowbound or mentally escape the cold and set your tale in the heart of the jungle. Be as imaginative as possible. Send it to us.

News you can reuse. Put this paper to good use with a papier-mache project. If you're short on inspiration, consider sculpting a life-size model of yourself. You can even send him in to work the next day. Just don't be offended if it's hours before your co-workers notice.

Peep this. Start your Peeps diorama. Yes, a Peeps diorama. With pop culture (Peeps culture?) as your inspiration, create a dramatic scene in a shoebox using those marshmallow chick things as characters.

Need ideas? How about a scene from "The Peeple vs. Larry Flynt"? Or "Ordinary Peeple"? Or "Peep Goes the Weasel"?

Then take a photo of your diorama, and send it to us at sundaysource@ washpost.com. If we like what we see, we might ask to view it in person. Next month we're going to make a bigger announcement about this contest -- it'll culminate in April -- but here's your chance to get a head start.