url
stringlengths 27
124
| title
stringlengths 10
107
| summary
stringlengths 15
6.15k
| article
stringlengths 0
117k
| step_headers
stringlengths 0
5.75k
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
https://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Barley | How to Cook Barley | If you want to cook barley, combine 2 to 3 cups of water with 1 cup of barley. After you've brought the water to a boil, let the pan simmer for 30 minutes. Then, leave the barley to sit for 15 minutes so it can absorb excess water. If you want to bake barley instead, preheat your oven to 375 °F and boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Pour the barley into a baking dish and add the boiling water, then mix in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bake for 60 minutes. | Place the water and barley in a large pot. Combine both ingredients in a large saucepan, making sure the water covers the barley completely. You can also substitute broth for water and add salt (to taste) for enhanced flavor, but neither option is necessary. Bring the water to a boil. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover the saucepan with a lid. Note that the barley may produce a lot of foam and threaten to boil over the saucepan. Stirring the barley and watching it closely should help minimize the risk of accidental spills. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Pearl barley may finish within 25 minutes, while hulled barley will usually require up to 45 minutes. If the water boils away prematurely, add more about 1/2 cup (125 ml) at a time. Cook until all of the water has been absorbed. The barley should triple in volume and be soft, yet chewy. You may need to test the barley every 5 minutes or so near the end of the cooking process until it reaches your desired consistency. Turn off the heat. Allow the barley to sit for 15 minutes without stirring, so that it can continue absorbing any excess water. If there's still excess after letting the barley sit, you may need to drain the water away. Enjoy. Add the cooked barley to salad or soup, or toss with spices and oil for a delicious side dish. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grab a 1-1/2 to 2 quart (1-1/2 to 2 L) oven-safe baking dish. A glass or ceramic one with a lid is ideal. Pour two cups of water into a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil on the stove over high heat. Note that you may also boil the water in a tea kettle. Place the barley in the baking dish. Pour the boiling water over the barley. Stir to combine. Stir in the butter and salt. Make sure that it is well-combined, then cover the dish with its lid. If you do not have a lid for your baking dish, cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 60 minutes. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for one hour. Place it on the center rack for best results. Remove the dish from the oven. Lightly fluff the finished barley with a spoon or fork. Spoon it into a serving dish and serve alongside a main course. Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables. Prepare the onions, carrots, and celery by chopping them into bite-sized pieces. Prepare the mushrooms by soaking them in hot water. Note that this should be done about 30 minutes in advance. Strain the water, the chop the mushrooms. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about five minutes. Stir in the minced garlic. Cook the mixture for two minutes more, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the mushrooms. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are soft. This should take another five minutes or so. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium-low, and sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables. Stir the mixture every 30 second for roughly five minutes or until everything seems sticky, thick, and well-coated. Gradually pour the broth into the pot. Turn the heat to medium high and add the broth about 1 cup (250 ml) at a time, stirring to combine well. Bring the soup to a slow boil once all of the broth is added. Adding the broth gradually should make it easier for the flour to incorporate itself into the liquid, thereby thickening it. Adding the broth all at once may result in clumps or an unevenly thin consistency. Stir in the barley and the salt. Allow the liquid to reach a boil again, then cover the stockpot. Reduce the soup to a simmer. Allow it to cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. The soup is ready to serve when the barley is tender and the soup has thickened. If desired, you can adjust the seasonings near the end of the cooking time. Consider adding more salt or sprinkling in some chopped parsley as desired. Enjoy. Serve the finished soup while it is still fresh and hot. Cook one cup of barley. Follow the instructions for "Basic Barley." Combine 1 cup (250 ml) uncooked barley with 3 cups (750 ml) water over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the barley for 30 minutes, or until soft. Drain, then let the barley cool to room temperature before continuing. Place the cooked barley in a bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, and feta cheese. Toss well to combine. Combine the red wine vinegar, oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place these ingredients in a separate mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients for one minute, or until the dressing appears evenly combined. Pour the vinegar dressing over the barley. Mix well with a spoon, making sure to coat the salad evenly with the dressing. Serve. For the best taste and texture, enjoy the barley salad immediately after preparing it. You can also wait for up to two hours before serving the barley salad. Leave it out at room temperature, and serve it at room temperature. | Place the water and barley in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook until all of the water has been absorbed. Turn off the heat. Enjoy. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour two cups of water into a saucepan. Place the barley in the baking dish. Stir in the butter and salt. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven. Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Stir in the minced garlic. Add the mushrooms. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Gradually pour the broth into the pot. Stir in the barley and the salt. Reduce the soup to a simmer. Enjoy. Cook one cup of barley. Place the cooked barley in a bowl. Combine the red wine vinegar, oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the vinegar dressing over the barley. Serve. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Secretly-Open-a-Sealed-Envelope | How to Secretly Open a Sealed Envelope | To open an envelope without anyone knowing, start by boiling water inside a tea kettle. Once steam starts shooting from the spout, grab the envelope with a pair of tongs and hold the seal under the steam for about 20 seconds. With the glue loosened, carefully lift the envelope flap with a letter opener. Remove the contents and let the envelope dry. When you're done snooping, replace the contents and reseal the envelope with a small amount of glue. | Place a tea kettle on the stove. Boil water in a tea kettle until steam begins to shoot through the spout. The steam is what you'll use to loosen the glue in the envelope you want to open. Keep in mind that the steam method can get a little messy and potentially warp the paper, so if it's imperative that the envelope looks fresh and new, you might want to just use a new envelope instead. If the steam is coming out in a strong, steady stream, stick a spoon in the spout to diffuse it. That way it won't be as likely to warp the paper with a thick stream of moist heat. If you don't have a tea kettle, simply boil a small pot of water until it produces steam. Place the envelope seal in the steam. Steam is hot, so you'll probably want to use a pair of tongs or an oven mitt to hold the seal of the envelope under the steam so your hand doesn't get burned. Hold the envelope there for about 20 seconds to give the steam time to loosen the glue. If your envelope is a long business-sized envelope, run the entire thing over the stream of steam to make sure each portion of the glue gets loosened. Don't hold the envelope in the steam for more than 20 seconds, or the paper will begin to warp. Use an envelope opener to lift the flap. Lay the envelope on a table and carefully run an envelope opener under the flap to loosen it. Open the flap so that you can remove the contents of the envelope. You want to open the envelope slowly enough that you don't accidentally rip it, but quickly enough that the glue doesn't begin to reseal. If the flap doesn't seem to be giving, and it tears slightly instead of easily lifting, place it back under the steam so you don't end up ripping it. Let the envelope dry. After you've finished removing and replacing the contents of the envelope, let the envelope get completely dry before you seal it back up. In order to prevent wrinkling, lay a sheet of waxed paper over the envelope and put a heavy book on top. Pressing the envelope flat while it dries will keep it looking fresh. You could also iron the envelope flat to prevent it from wrinkling. If you choose to do this, be sure not to leave the iron on the paper for more than a few seconds, since the concentrated heat can cause the paper to turn yellow or burn if you're not careful. Reseal the envelope. The glue will have lost its tackiness after coming into contact with the steam, so you'll have to use a different method to reseal the envelope. To reseal the envelope so that it looks as though it was never opened in the first place, try one of the following techniques: Use a gluestick. Since the glue in a gluestick is relatively dry, you can use it to reseal the envelope quite discreetly. Apply glue to the edge of the flap and close the envelope. Good as new. Use a wet glue. White school glue, superglue, or another type of wet glue is fine to use if you don't have a gluestick. Just make sure you use as little as possible, so the envelope doesn't get wrinkled with moisture. Place the envelope in a plastic freezer bag. Protecting the envelope from ice and moisture is essential, since these elements can cause it to warp. When an envelope gets wrinkled, it's a dead giveaway that it was tampered with. Place the envelope in the freezer for several hours. The very cold temperature in the freezer will cause the glue to lose its stick. You can keep it in the freezer for as long as you need to. Make sure it's in there for at least a few hours, or the glue might hold fast when you try to open the envelope. In order for this method to work, you must use the freezer, not the refrigerator. The refrigerator's temperature isn't cold enough to make the glue unstick. If you don't have a freezer available, try placing the envelope in a plastic bag, then submerging it in a bowl full of ice water. This is quite risky, since a leak in the bag could cause water to flow inside and ruin the envelope and its contents. Open the envelope. After a few hours in the freezer, you might be able to simply open the envelop with your fingers. If it doesn't easily pop open, use an envelope opener or a knife to gently open the flap. If the flap still won't budge, put the envelope back in the freezer overnight and try again. Reseal the envelope. When you use the freezer method, the frozen glue loses its stick, but it gets tacky again when it thaws. To reseal the envelope, simply wait a few minutes for the envelope to warm up to room temperature, then press the flap shut. The envelope should now be sealed with no sign that it was ever opened. If the flap won't stick when you try to reseal it, use a gluestick to keep it shut. If you don't have a gluestick, use a very light application of white school glue or superglue to close it. | Place a tea kettle on the stove. Place the envelope seal in the steam. Use an envelope opener to lift the flap. Let the envelope dry. Reseal the envelope. Place the envelope in a plastic freezer bag. Place the envelope in the freezer for several hours. Open the envelope. Reseal the envelope. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Put-a-Friend-or-Relative-out-of-Your-House | How to Put a Friend or Relative out of Your House | To put a friend or relative out of your house, explain in a reasonable, respectful manner that it's time for them to move on. For example, you might say “We've enjoyed having you, but we unfortunately need our space back and have to ask you to leave in the next 2 weeks.” If your houseguest insists on knowing why they need to leave, give them 2 to 3 specific reasons, but try to avoid focusing on their flaws. So, instead of saying “Because you're lazy,” say “We can't afford to keep you here any more.” To part on the best terms possible, try to share some ideas about where your friend or relative might go after they leave your house. | Determine why you want them to leave. You need to be clear with your own reasoning before diving into the conversation. Review any agreements you made when they moved in, or any promises that have been made/broken. Assess the situation and their current behavior, grounding your reasoning in fact. While "I don't like living with them" is an acceptable reason to ask someone to move, you want concrete details, like "they never do the dishes," "they said they would leave months ago," etc. before talking to them. Write down the issues as they occur, along with the date. You want a detailed, specific record of their behavior in case things get difficult. This conversation will not be easy, and it will more than likely damage your relationship. However, living together with serious differences or issues will also hurt your friendship, so you need to take a stand if they've been there too long. Speak with a reasonable and respectful tone of voice. Although you may be feeling violated, fed up, or sick and tired, it is important not to explode and make unreasonable demands. Lay out your reasons for asking them to leave, and let them know that you understand how hard this is. Speak to them as you would a co-worker, sticking to the facts and not emotional outbursts. Say, "We've enjoyed having you, but we unfortunately need our space back and have to ask you to leave in the next two weeks." Depending on the reason why they are staying with you, you may need to gather information on community assistance services to help them move out in time. If they are at risk for living in their car or on the streets, help them get in contact with emergency homeless-prevention services. They may even be able to get temporary housing. Stick to the reasons you drafted earlier. If they've been a problem or broken promises, remind them that they have not held up their end of the bargain and need to move on to a new environment. Provide detailed, impersonal examples of why they need to leave. Do not respond with "because I hate you," or "because you're lazy." Give them tangible examples instead of insulting them. This is where a list will come in handy. If they are a constant source of issues, write down each incident and the date as they arise. When they ask "why," mention 2-3 specific times where they broke a promise or caused you trouble. Focus on your reasons for asking them to leave, not all of their flaws, whenever possible. "We need more space," "We can't afford to keep you here anymore," etc. Provide a firm date they need to leave by. Telling them that they need to leave that night may cause incredible stress and tension, and your friend or relative may not have anywhere to go. Instead, choose a date they need to leave by and let them know that this is a firm deadline. In general, try and give at least 1-2 weeks, or until the end of the month, so that they have some time to prepare for their next move. "I'd like you completely moved out by April 20th." If there is a legitimate reason why that date is bad, you can talk with them to find a better day. However, don't shift by more than 3-5 days. Seek out information or alternatives as a good will gesture. If you have the resources, compile some ideas to help your guest's relocation process. You can even bring these with you to the discussion, letting them know that they need to leave but that there are options available. They may reject your ideas, but showing that you still care about their well-being can soften the blow. Be firm, clear, and consistent about your decision. Once you've decided to put them out, hold your ground. This conversation could get messy, and emotions will flair up no matter how prepared you are. You need to stand firm, however, and stick to your decision. If your housemate convinces you to change your mind, they'll realize that they can continue breaking rules and promises without ever changing. If things are so bad that you're going to put them out, you need to be ready to really put them out. Understand that this may damage or ruin your relationship. Putting out a friend or relative is stressful, and will most likely lead to lingering hard feelings. Ultimately, however, you need to remember that keeping them in your house for too long can damage your relationship just as much. If you are constantly in conflict, your friend/relative is taking advantage of you, or you are simply incompatible living partners, then your relationship will only turn toxic if you stay under the same roof. That said, there are ways to try and keep your friendship alive. You can: Help them find their new place or job. Avoid insults, even in tense situations. If they are angry, stay calm and reiterate why it is important to you that they find a new place to live. Don't start slinging insults. Set up times to meet, have them over for dinner, and continue seeing each other as friends. If you get into a big fight, or have serious disagreements, then it may be best to cut them off completely. Send a certified letter asking them to leave in 30 days or less. While a house guest is not technically a tenant, certain tenant-landlord laws still apply to the relationship if they've been with your for more than 30 days. Talk to an attorney who will help you draft and send an eviction notice. Giving this advance warning, in writing, is essential to protect your liability. This warning will legally establish them as an "at-will tenant." You need this status if you have to pursue legal action, so do not skip it. Be wary how you word the letter so that they can't use tenant laws to prevent you from evicting them. Check your individual state's policies, and make it clear what type of living arrangement you had with the person, especially if they are not paying any rent. File an official tenant eviction order with your local courts. If they still won't leave, you can take them to court. If they paid for groceries or any bills, they may legally be an "at-will tenant," making it much harder to kick them out legally. If they ignore the first written warning, you'll need to file a formal eviction proceedings with your local district court in order to get them out. Generally, your letter will outline a place for them to receive their belongings in the event that they don't move, as well as the specific date their stuff will be removed from your house. Do not change the locks unless you are worried about your safety. If you suddenly lock out an at-will tenant, especially if their belongings are still in the house, you could be the target of costly civil suits and legal action. Changing the locks on a guest, if it causes problems or cuts them off from their property, can even get you jail time in the wrong circumstances. Moreover, it often inflames already high tensions and can lead to further issues. Once you have a court order, and/or have notified the police that you are worried about your safety, you can safely change your locks. Call the police if they still refuse to leave. Unless they are a legitimate resident of the house, usually determined if they receive mail or are on the lease, they can be removed from your property as a "trespasser." Obviously, involving the police is for the most extreme cases, and even the mentioning of 911 is often enough to finally get someone out the door. Some police offices will refuse to get involved in a matter like this. However, if you've sent the letter and/or filed for eviction with a court, they will come remove your guest as a trespasser. Set your rules and boundaries early on. If you start to get the feeling someone is becoming more of a roommate and less of a visitor, set some ground rules as soon as possible. This gives you something to stand on when you eventually need to kick them out -- you can point back to the concrete rules laid down earlier instead of getting emotional. Set your expectations within the first week. Do they need to pay rent? Do they have to be pursuing job interviews? Have clear benchmarks for them to meet if they want to stay in the house. A written and signed informal contract is the best way to set the rules and guidelines and what each of you expects. It's even better to have the document notarized. Most banks offer free notaries to those who bank there. Make a timeline for their departure. Before formally asking them to leave, sit down and ask when they plan on moving out. Put the ball in their court, which makes it easier to stick to this move-out date as it approaches. If they don't have a timeline in mind, you should make one together. Come up with something concrete, such as "when they get a job," or "after 6 months." If they need a job, work together to come up with specific goals to reach for -- applying to one job a day, rewriting their resume, etc. Make sure they are actually trying to get a job and not just enjoying the free bed. Make notes of issues and problems as they arise. If your friend or relative is breaking the rules, being disrespectful, or going back on their promises to you, write down the incident along with the date and time in a small notebook. Again, this gives you specifics to bring up when you talk to them about leaving, instead of vague generalities or emotional appeals. Keep this as impersonal as possible. Asking them to leave doesn't have to ruin a friendship, especially if you base your reasons in facts instead of feelings. Help them get back on their feet. Some people will get out on their own with a bit of careful nudging. Read over their resumes and cover letters as they apply to jobs, visit open houses with them, and encourage them to spread out and become independent. If you can help someone become self-sufficient, they may leave without causing a conflict. Review their goals and promises together regularly, working together to make them a reality. If you can help finance their new move, this may be all they need to get going. | Determine why you want them to leave. Speak with a reasonable and respectful tone of voice. Provide detailed, impersonal examples of why they need to leave. Provide a firm date they need to leave by. Seek out information or alternatives as a good will gesture. Be firm, clear, and consistent about your decision. Understand that this may damage or ruin your relationship. Send a certified letter asking them to leave in 30 days or less. File an official tenant eviction order with your local courts. Do not change the locks unless you are worried about your safety. Call the police if they still refuse to leave. Set your rules and boundaries early on. Make a timeline for their departure. Make notes of issues and problems as they arise. Help them get back on their feet. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Rehydrate-Cigars | How to Rehydrate Cigars | If your cigars are dry and brittle, there are a few tricks you can try to rehydrate them without a humidor. One way is to keep your cigars in a damp or humid place like a cellar or greenhouse. If you're keeping your cigars in a box, leave it open so they can breathe. Leave your cigars for up to a month, rotating them every 2 or 3 days so they rehydrate evenly. Alternatively, seal them in a bag to rehydrate them. Just poke a few holes in a sealable bag and seal your cigars inside with a damp sponge. Every 2 days, rotate the cigars a quarter-turn and wet the sponge again if it's turned dry. | Find a suitably humid environment to store the cigars. Store the cigars somewhere with abundant natural moisture in the atmosphere. Damp or humid places like cellars and greenhouses make ideal environments for exposing dried out cigars to constant, steady levels of humidity. Be sure that the place you choose is room temperature, or only slightly warmer or cooler. Never leave cigars in places that receive direct sunlight or are near any kind of heat source. Leave the cigars inside the box with the lid open. Crack open or remove the lid of the cigar box and make sure the cigars are evenly distributed inside. Leaving the top of the box open will allow moisture to more easily infiltrate the box and penetrate through to the tobacco inside the cigars. If the cigars aren't completely dried out, leaving the lid propped open will be sufficient for allowing moisture to enter the box. For thoroughly desiccated cigars, leave the lid off. A warm, damp towel can be folded and placed beneath the stored cigar box to provide an extra boost of moisture for especially dry cigars. Just be careful to change the towel out frequently, or it might mildew. Allow cigars to sit for up to a month. Leave the cigars in the humid location for a couple weeks to a month. Make sure the cigars are situated where they won't be knocked over, become wet or be exposed to direct heat or cold. This is the simplest method of rehydrating dry cigars, but also the slowest, as rehydration will occur at a very gradual rate. Though it takes time, slow rehydration works best, as moisture is returned to the cigars little by little, which keeps the cigars from becoming overhydrated. Overhydration is essentially irreversible, and can result in deadening the cigar's flavor, making it difficult to keep lit and even causing mold to grow on the tobacco. Rotate the cigars every 2-3 days. Check back on the progress of the cigars regularly. Rotate each cigar a quarter turn inside the box every few days; this will ensure that the entire outer edge of each cigar receives the same amount of moisture so that they hydrate evenly. Poke holes in a large Ziploc bag and place the cigar box inside. Take a Ziploc bag spacious enough to fit the entire cigar box inside and poke small holes in both sides of the bag to ventilate it. Insert the open cigar box inside the bag and seal it. A quart-sized bag will probably be sufficient for most smaller cigar boxes; anything bigger will likely require a gallon-sized bag. Don't make the holes too large, or the cigars may become oversaturated as they sit. A paperclip or the point of a knife should work fine for poking small holes. Take a second bag and place a damp sponge inside. Wet a sponge and ring out the excess water. Place the sponge at the bottom of a second, larger Ziploc bag. This will provide an artificial source of moisture from which the cigars can be revived. Make sure to use a new sponge, and, if possible, wet it with bottled or distilled water. Old, used sponges and tap water are filled with bacteria and chemicals that can cause your cigars to mold. Re-wet the sponge every couple of days when you rotate the cigars. Seal the bag with the cigars inside the second bag. Slide the ventilated bag containing the open cigar box into the second bag containing the sponge. Seal the second bag to lock in the moisture of the sponge, which will slowly diffuse through the ventilated bag and into the dry cigars. Rehydration with this method will probably take a week or longer. Don't let the cigars become wet. A wet cigar is a separate problem. Find an out of the way place to leave the two bags to take effect. Take a look at the bags every couple of days to re-wet the sponge and test to see if the cigars are absorbing moisture. Rotate each cigar a quarter turn for even moisture distribution; switch up their positions inside the box if necessary. Leave the cigar box in your bathroom. Store the cigar box on a shelf or inside a cabinet in the bathroom where you take your daily shower. The cigars will become a fixture in your bathroom for a week or two while they undergo the rehydration process. If you prefer, you can store the box of cigars out in the open. Many cigar boxes are of rich, ornate construction and will just look like eye-catching decorative pieces while they're being salvaged. Take the box out and open the lid while you shower. Every day before showering, take the cigars box out and open the lid. Place the box on the sink or toilet seat somewhere within a few feet of the shower. Once you're done showering, close the lid of the box and return it to where it's being stored. The humidity from the shower will be trapped inside the box and begin seeping into the cigars. Be extremely careful not to let the cigars get wet. It may be best to keep especially hot showers down to 10-20 minutes, as the temperature of the water will produce a higher concentration of steam. Turn the cigars intermittently. Every other day when you bring the cigar box out before your shower, rotate the cigars. As you do, take note of the appearance and feel of the cigars. Shuffle them around in the box every 3-4 days so that any layer or section of the box doesn't receive more or less moisture than another. As they soak up moisture, most cigars will feel supple and slightly sticky to the touch, and may darken in color somewhat. Be careful not to overhydrate the cigars. It's important not to allow them to remain in the exceptionally humid bathroom environment for long than necessary, as an overhydrated cigar is an equally difficult and time-consuming fix. Inspect the cigars regularly to see how they're coming along. If storing the cigars near your shower seems to be hydrating them too rapidly, employ an alternate method, like leaving them open in a damp cellar. You should check on the cigars and their rehydration environment frequently to make sure that storage conditions haven't changed unexpectedly. Once cigars are rehydrated, they should be moved to humidity-controlled storage or smoked right away. | Find a suitably humid environment to store the cigars. Leave the cigars inside the box with the lid open. Allow cigars to sit for up to a month. Rotate the cigars every 2-3 days. Poke holes in a large Ziploc bag and place the cigar box inside. Take a second bag and place a damp sponge inside. Seal the bag with the cigars inside the second bag. Find an out of the way place to leave the two bags to take effect. Leave the cigar box in your bathroom. Take the box out and open the lid while you shower. Turn the cigars intermittently. Be careful not to overhydrate the cigars. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Help-Victims-of-the-Kilauea-Volcano-Eruptions | How to Help Victims of the Kilauea Volcano Eruptions | The quickest way to help the victims of the Kilauea eruption is to donate money online to GoFundMe campaigns and organizations like the Salvation Army and Hawaii Food Basket. To donate items in need, deliver clothes to the nearest Salvation Army store on the Big Island or take water and non-perishable food items to food banks and distribution centers. If you're interested in volunteering in person, sign up on the Salvation Army's website. | Donate to the Salvation Army to make an immediate impact. The Salvation Army is helping at shelters and distribution centers near the areas of lava flow. Donating money can ensure that they have enough food and supplies to care for those displaced by the eruptions. Use this link to donate: https://fundraise.salvationarmyhawaii.org/give/181684/#!/donation/checkout You can also set up a monthly donation if you want to continue giving throughout the year. Give to the Hawaii Food Basket to provide supplies for those affected. The Hawaii Food Basket is a Hawaii-based good bank that is aiding victims by providing food, supplies, and disaster relief operations. To make sure your contribution goes to those affected, mention it in your donation. To donate, go to https://www.hawaiifoodbasket.org/donate. You can write, “For those affected by the Kilauea eruption” to make sure your donation reaches the people you want to help. Donate to the Red Cross online or by phone. To donate to the Red Cross, you can give money directly through their site or by phone, or use a texting hotline if you're an AT&T customer. A $10 donation will be given immediately, and you'll get charged on your monthly bill. To donate to the Red Cross Hawaii Chapter, go to https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation?donateStep=2&itemId=prod60003 or call (808) 739-8109. To use the AT&T text-to-donate line, text REDCROSS to 90999. Contribute to GoFundMe campaigns to help individual recovery efforts. Over 25 homes and several other structures have been destroyed by the lava flow, and affected families, individuals, and communities have begun raising money to aid in recovery. You can read their stories on GoFundMe and choose to donate to a campaign you feel strongly about, or donate to a more general fund. For a list of approved, legitimate campaigns, see https://www.gofundme.com/cause/hawaii-volcano. Make sure to give to legitimate charities. Unfortunately, people often take advantage of natural disasters to create fake charitable organizations that pretend to help victims as a way to get money for themselves. To avoid this, only donate money to organizations that you've heard of before. If you're set on donating to an unfamiliar group, do some research into their background before sending money. If you're not sure, call and ask details about the organization, like their address, where the money goes, if it's tax deductible, and what percentages go to different causes. If they can't answer these questions, or if the information isn't readily available online, choose a different organization. You could also type the name of the organization into a search engine, followed by the word “scam.” News reports and articles about the charity will often come up if it's fake. Donate food and clothes to the Salvation Army. If you're on the Big Island, you can donate at a any of the Salvation Army's 3 stores on Hawaii. Call the Salvation Army beforehand to make sure you're bringing the items that are in the highest demand. Local restaurants and certified kitchens can also help by donating meals to shelters. You can reach the Salvation Army at (808) 756-0306. If you're not in Hawaii, call your local Salvation Army donation branch to see if your donations can be sent there. Drop off donations in Pāhoa if you’re on Hawaii. A new organization, Pu'uhonua o Puna, has set up a center on Highway 130 to coordinate donations and send along important information to residents. You can help by donating clothing, spare beds or cots, water, and non-perishable food. You can visit the center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the corner of Highway 130 and Pahoa and Kapoho roads. Give food and bottled water to Food Basket. Hawaii Food Basket is a food relief organization run on the Big Island that has been funneling food and water to affected residents. To donate, call them and see where you can drop off goods and what items are the highest priority to bring. Volunteer if you’re already on the island. Travel to Hawaii can be long and expensive, so if you're interested in volunteering in-person, it's best if you're already on the island and can drive to the sites on your own. If you're set on helping, try to volunteer through an organization and ask if there's an opportunity to fly to Hawaii and help. Sort donations through the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army's distribution center in Pahoa needs volunteers to help sort through and give out items to those affected by the volcano. If you're interested in helping, you can sign up by calling 808-756-0306 or going to https://hawaii.salvationarmy.org/. Sign up to be a Red Cross Volunteer if you live in the area. The Red Cross accepts volunteer applications through their website. Log on, then enter your area code and select “Disaster Services” as your interest to have the best chance of being assigned to help evacuees from the volcano. Apply to be a volunteer here: http://www.redcross.org/local/hawaii. You'll need to be older than 13 to sign up. To stay updated on current volunteer needs, follow the Red Cross's local social media accounts. Volunteer at a national park. The Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park was temporarily closed during the eruptions and earthquakes, allowing the rangers to evaluate the safety of the trails. With the park now back open, you could sign up to be a volunteer and work to help the park recover. To view open volunteering opportunities and sign up, go to https://www.nps.gov/havo/getinvolved/volunteer.htm. | Donate to the Salvation Army to make an immediate impact. Give to the Hawaii Food Basket to provide supplies for those affected. Donate to the Red Cross online or by phone. Contribute to GoFundMe campaigns to help individual recovery efforts. Make sure to give to legitimate charities. Donate food and clothes to the Salvation Army. Drop off donations in Pāhoa if you’re on Hawaii. Give food and bottled water to Food Basket. Volunteer if you’re already on the island. Sort donations through the Salvation Army. Sign up to be a Red Cross Volunteer if you live in the area. Volunteer at a national park. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Check-Your-Car%27s-Differential-Gear-Oil | How to Check Your Car's Differential Gear Oil | The gears inside of your car's differential let the drive wheels spin at the right speed when you step on the gas. These gears are coated with a film of oil that protects them from wear. You'll need to check the differential gear oil every 30 to 50 thousand miles to make sure there's enough to protect the differential. Park your car on a level surface, jack up the wheels, and place stands under them so the car is off the ground. To check the rear differential, look for the pumpkin-shaped metal object between the rear wheels. Use a drive ratchet to open the service port. Put 1 finger into the port to see if you can feel the gear oil. If the fluid doesn't reach the port, it's too low. | Park the car on an even, solid surface. Checking your car's differential oil will require jacking it up to a height that you can work on. It also has to be completely level in order to get an accurate idea of how much fluid is inside it. Find an even surface that is strong enough to support the weight of the vehicle beneath a jack and jack stands. Concrete or black top are the best surfaces to use.. Never jack up a vehicle on grass, dirt or gravel as the jack may topple over. Jack up one rear wheel. Slide a scissor or trolley jack beneath one of the designated jack points on the rear of the vehicle. Lift the vehicle up high enough for you to access the rear differential comfortably and safely. If you are unsure where to locate your car's designated jack points, refer to the owner's manual for guidance. The height required to comfortably access the differential will vary from vehicle to vehicle. Place a jack stand beneath the car. Once you have jacked up one side of the car high enough to work beneath it, you'll need to place a jack stand beneath it so you can lift the opposite side. Slide the jack stand under one of the vehicle's jack points and raise it to the appropriate height to come into contact with the bottom of the car. Lower the car slowly onto the jack stand, to ensure it is placed properly and will support the weight of the vehicle. Jack up the other side of the car. With the jack stand in place on one side, find the designated jack point on the other side of the car and raise it as well. At this point, the rear of the vehicle should be in the air. Place another jack stand beneath this side of the vehicle to support it as you did on the other side. While you can sometimes raise the entire rear end of the vehicle from jacking it up from a mid-point, there is a higher likelihood of the vehicle tipping off of the jack and getting damaged when doing so. Be sure the jack stands are holding the vehicle and that it is stable. Repeat the process on the front of the vehicle. The entire car will need to be off the ground and level in order to accurately check the level of gear oil in the differential, so all four wheels will have to be off the ground. Jack up the front of the vehicle and place jack stands beneath it to support its weight. Be sure all of the jack stands are set to the same height so the vehicle is as close to level as possible. If you have access to a lift, it is a much faster and easier way to raise the vehicle at an even height. Locate the rear differential. Only vehicles that are powered by their rear wheels or all four wheels will have a rear differential. You can locate it by following the drive shaft that travels the length of the car, from the transmission to the rear differential, or by looking for the pumpkin shaped metal object mounted between the rear wheels. The rear differential is easy to identify, as it connects the transmission to the wheels. Because of its vaguely pumpkin-like shape, rear differentials are often referred to as a car's “rear pumpkin.” Find the fill/service port on the differential. Once you find the differential, visually inspect it for signs of damage and to locate the drain and filler plugs. The drain plug is located on or near the bottom of the differential while the filler/service plug will be on the side and closer to the top. If the rear differential has been damaged, it will require service from a professional. The fill/service plug is usually not a traditional looking bolt, but rather has an opening for a 3/8 inch drive ratchet. Clean the area around the service port. When you open the fill/service port to check the fluid levels, dirt and debris surrounding the port could fall into it, potentially causing damage to the gears inside. To prevent this, clean the area surrounding the service port with brake cleaner and a steel bristled brush. The brake cleaner will evaporate quickly, leaving a dry surface. Use the brush to remove large deposits of stuck on dirt. Open the fill/service port. Insert a 3/8 inch drive ratchet (without a socket) into the hole in the service port and turn it counter clockwise (left) to loosen it. It may require a fair amount of force to loosen, as some of the road grime may have caked into the gap between the plug and the differential. In some applications, the plug may be a bolt. In these cases, find the appropriate sized socket to remove the bolt. Be extremely careful not to strip the bolt. Be sure to use the correct size socket. Check the fluid level with your finger. The gear oil in the rear differential should reach the bottom of the service port hole. Insert one finger into the open service port. Bend your finger downward slightly to see if it comes into contact with gear oil. If your finger touches gear oil, there is enough fluid inside. If the fluid level doesn't reach the service port, it is low. Purchase the correct type of gear oil. It is absolutely imperative that you refill the gear oil in your car's rear differential with the correct type of fluid. Refer to the owner's or service manual for your car in order to find the correct type of gear oil to purchase. You can also ask the clerk at your local auto parts store to assist you in finding the right gear oil. Purchase gear oil that comes in a squeezable plastic bottle with a spout unless you have an oil pump to use. Insert the spout into the filler/service port. Open the container of rear differential gear oil and insert the end of the long spout into the open filler/service port. Squeeze the bottle slowly to push the oil out of the bottle and into the differential until fluid begins to leak out of the hole. Make sure to wipe up any fluid that leaks out of the open service port. If the differential takes an entire bottle of gear oil, you may want to have the differential looked at by a mechanic to address any possible leaks. Replace the filler plug. Once the differential is full, reinsert the plug for the filler/service port and turn it clockwise (to the right) until it is tight. Use the appropriate wrench to tighten it enough to ensure it won't vibrate loose as you drive. Do not overtighten the plug, it needs only to be tight enough to be secure. Remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle back to the ground. | Park the car on an even, solid surface. Jack up one rear wheel. Place a jack stand beneath the car. Jack up the other side of the car. Repeat the process on the front of the vehicle. Locate the rear differential. Find the fill/service port on the differential. Clean the area around the service port. Open the fill/service port. Check the fluid level with your finger. Purchase the correct type of gear oil. Insert the spout into the filler/service port. Replace the filler plug. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Prepaid-Credit-Card-at-an-ATM | How to Use a Prepaid Credit Card at an ATM | To use your pre-paid credit card at an ATM, visit an ATM that displays any of the network brands marked on the back of your card. Then, insert your card and enter your pin. After doing this, you'll see the amount the machine will charge if you withdraw money. Decide whether you want to continue with the transaction, then select checking account. Finally, enter the amount you want to withdraw and take your money. Remember not to check your balance at an ATM, since many ATMs charge balance checking fees. Instead, log-in to your account online to check your balance for free. | Visit an approved ATM. Use your prepaid credit card at an ATM operated by the bank that issued it. You can also visit any ATM that displays one of the network brands displayed on the back of your card. Enter your PIN, and complete your transaction. Look at your card and the ATM to determine if the network brand matches. For example, if you have a Visa prepaid card, you would look for ATMs that accept Visa or have the same Visa logo that is on your prepaid card. Many cards have a limit on the amount of money you can withdraw each day. Check your Cardholder Agreement to see what the limit is. Visiting ATMs associated with your card will also cut down on the amount of withdrawal fees. Insert your card. Insert your card into the ATM and enter your PIN. The machine will then tell you how much the withdrawal fee is. At this point, you can decide to continue or cancel your transaction. Select “checking” when asked what account you wish to use. If you are withdrawing $20, but are required to pay a $3.50 fee, your withdrawal amount is $23.50. Be aware of additional fees. Avoid using the ATM to check your card's balance. Use online banking or your card issuer's app to check the balance on your card. Some cards will charge a balance inquiry fee if you check your card balance at the ATM. In addition to the withdrawal fee you pay to your card issuer, the ATM owner may also charge a fee for using the ATM. If your prepaid card has in-network ATMs, you will not have to pay the additional ATM owner fee if you use one of them. If you use an out-of-network ATM, you will have to pay the fee. Shop around for a card. Prepaid cards come with various fees, withdrawal options, and funding options. Research different cards and find out which one works best for you. Because you want to use your card at an ATM, find a card that gives you access to many ATMs and has free withdrawals or small withdrawal fees. You do not want to have to pay money every time you use your card at the ATM. Some of the best prepaid debit cards are the Walmart MoneyCard, PayPal Prepaid Mastercard, Direct Express, upside Visa, Green Dot, and American Express Serve. Some of the lowest rated prepaid debit cards are the NetSpend Fee Advantage Plan, NetSpend Pay-As-you-Go Plan, and the AccountNow Gold Visa Prepaid card. These cards have higher fees compared to other cards. Apply for a card. Once you find a card that fits your needs, go to the card issuer's website and fill out an application. You should be instantly approved. The card issuer will then mail you your card. If your card does not arrive when you expect it, contact the company to be sure that the card was sent and did not go to the wrong person. Activate your new prepaid credit card when it comes in the mail. You will not be able to use it until it is activated. Follow the instructions to activate your card. Typically, you will just call the number found on the sticker on the front of the card to activate it. Choose a 4-digit PIN. When you activate your card, you need to choose a PIN. The PIN will allow you to use your card at the ATM. A PIN will also provide extra security if you ever lose your card. No one will be able to use your card at an ATM if they do not know the PIN. For some cards, you may not enter a PIN until you make your first transaction. Whatever PIN you enter will be used for future transactions as well. Make sure your PIN is a 4-digit number you can easily remember but cannot be easily guessed by others. Sequential PINs such as 1234 or 1111 can make you an easy target for identity theft if someone obtains access to your card. Use direct deposit. Your employer likely has an option for your paychecks to be directly deposited into your bank account. Get a direct deposit form from your employer and provide your bank routing number and credit card number to your employer. You will be able to receive your money much faster than waiting for a check to come in the mail. Your funds should be available the same day your employer deposits them. Check with your employer and prepaid card issuer to be sure that you have completed all of the necessary paperwork. There usually are no fees for loading money through direct deposit. Direct deposit can also be used for government benefits and tax refunds. Put cash to your card. You can add cash to your card by visiting a loading location. Common locations include MoneyGram, Western Union, Reloadit, Rapid Reload at Walmart, or GreenDot Reload. For some locations, you will need to fill out a service form and give the form and the cash to the agent. At some locations, you can give the cash and your card to the cashier, and the cashier will load your money. There is usually a fee for loading cash to your card. Fees are typically between $3 and $5. Your funds should be available within minutes. Add checks to your card. You can use your mobile phone to add checks to your card. You will typically use some sort of phone app to do this. Take a picture of the check with your phone to load the check to your card. Ask your card issuer which app is compatible with your card. There may be a fee depending on how quickly you want access to your check. If you want your check available within minutes, you are more likely to pay a fee. There may not be a fee if you are willing to wait a few days. Always check the fees before you use this option. | Visit an approved ATM. Insert your card. Be aware of additional fees. Shop around for a card. Apply for a card. Choose a 4-digit PIN. Use direct deposit. Put cash to your card. Add checks to your card. |
https://www.wikihow.life/Fade-Freckles | How to Fade Freckles | To fade freckles, apply fresh lemon juice to your freckles with a cotton ball every few days for several months, which will gradually bleach your skin so your freckles fade. You can also apply sour cream or buttermilk to your face and leave it on for 15 minutes once a day, which can help fade freckles because of the lactic acid in the sour cream and buttermilk. To make a peel-off face mask that will fade freckles, blend strawberries, papaya, cucumber, and pineapple and apply the mixture to your face. Once it's dry, peel it off or wipe it off with a rag. | Use lemon juice. Lemon juice works well as a bleaching agent, and just like it works to bleach your hair, you can also bleach your freckles with it. Lemon juice won't completely remove your freckles, but over time it should fade them as it bleaches your skin. Apply lemon juice by squeezing the juice out of fresh lemons, and then using a cotton ball to dab it on your freckles. Continue this process, applying lemon juice every few days for several months. Overtime you should see that your freckles have faded. However, because it is only a temporary solution, you will have to continue applying lemon juice to keep your freckles a lighter shade. Any exposure to the sun during this time can erase any progress you've made, so make sure you apply sunscreen when going outside and wear protective clothing. If your freckles are exposed to the sun, even if you have been treating them with lemon juice, they will likely reappear. Apply sour milk, sour cream, or buttermilk. All of these dairy products contain lactic acid, which may help to bleach your skin, thus fading your freckles. Use sour milk as a facial cleanser, applying it to your skin and then washing it off with water. Sour cream or buttermilk should be applied as a face mask, once a day for about 15 minutes. Then, wash your face with water. When treating your face with sour cream, begin by applying the sour cream once a day, and as fading begins, reduce treatment to once or twice a week. Buttermilk not only has lactic acid, but also has a peeling effect which may allow you to remove layers of skin with sun damage. It may be better to soak a cheesecloth in buttermilk and lay it across your face, at five minute increments, re-soaking after each five minute mark. Purchase a bleaching or fading cream. You can often find these at your local drug store in the cosmetics department, and they help reduce melanin in your skin. Look for a bleaching or fading cream that has kojic acid and arbutus, if you want a more organic product. Make sure you buy a cream that won't irritate your skin. Some popular products are Meladerm, Revitol, and SkinBright. Create a fruit peel. These peels will dry on your skin, and once peeled off will peel off the top layer of your skin, thus removing the skin affected by the sun. You can use many types of fruits, but some of the best to create a dry mask are strawberries, papaya, cucumber, and pineapple blended together. Once applied, let it dry and then peel or wipe the mask off with a damp rag. To create a fruit peel blend two strawberries, a small piece of papaya, and a few pieces of cucumber and pineapple. When these fruits are blended together they create a gummy mask, which will glue to your skin as it dries. So, when you wipe away the mask the layer of skin underneath it will be wiped away also. Use a self tanner. One way to fade freckles is to help them blend in with the rest of your skin. You can use a sunless tanner to help darken skin and achieve a natural glow without damaging your skin. Choose a shade that is somewhat close to your natural skin color, so that as your skin gradually gets darker it will look natural. Visit a laser resurfacing clinic. A somewhat expensive treatment, laser freckle removal is a satisfactory way to remove or fade freckles from your face. The laser essentially removes the melanin pigment in your skin that causes freckles. Following the treatment you may experience crusting or bruising on your skin, but after a week or two your skin should recover. Although not completely permanent, laser treatments do a better job of fading or removing your freckles than other treatments or creams, but before you have laser removal it could be beneficial to talk to a dermatologist or doctor. Use chemical peels. Chemical peels also do a decent job of removing or fading freckles. Usually these treatments are not a one-time treatment but occur over a period of time. The chemical peels use intensive exfoliation techniques to remove the top layer of skin. After the treatment has been applied and the top layer of skin peeled off, a new layer of skin will grow that has little to no sun damage. These peels can be very harsh on your skin, and it may prevent you from going out in public for a time as your skin heels. Also, after your new skin has grown back, your freckles can easily come back with a small amount of sun exposure. Try Intense Pulse Light Therapy. This treatment is relatively new, but has proven to help remove or fade freckles from your face. Light pulses penetrate the skin, creating heat in your skin tissue. You body then removes the tissue through natural processes, and this results in a more even skin tone and appearance. These treatments usually last one to two sessions, and you may experience some redness a few hours after your treatment. The beneficial thing about these treatments is they only last 15 to 30 minutes. Moisturize your face. Before you apply any makeup to your face it's important to moisturize your face. Choose a lotion that is suited for your skin type to help restore natural oils to your face and to keep it from drying out. You might try a anti-aging moisturizer or tone correcting moisturizer to help begin fading those freckles and evening out our your skin tone. Apply concealer to heavy areas. Taking a concealer that is a slight shade darker than your skin tone, swipe lines of it under your eyes, across your forehead, on your chin and cheeks, essentially wherever you have a lot of freckles. Gently dab it into your skin by using your middle finger to smooth it out. You don't want to use too much force here, because if you rub it in too much it won't be able to cover up your freckles. You want the concealer to look as natural as possibly while still doing the job it is intended for. Using a corrective concealer may be more helpful than a generic concealer as it is designed to even out your skin tone. Use an airbrush makeup. After you have applied your first layer of concealer, to better cover up your freckles, try using a concealer or foundation in liquid form that can be used with an airbrush. Lightly spray the makeup onto your face for even coverage. This type of makeup is helpful because it won't create a "caked on" look like it might if you used a thick layer of concealer. If you don't want to add any more concealer to your face you can choose to use a bronzer here, which will also be effective in fading those freckles as it should darken your skin a little. Make sure that when you apply concealer and makeup to your face that you apply some to your neck as well, especially if your neck has freckles. You can also do this step before you apply the first layer of concealer if you prefer to apply your foundation first. Set your makeup with powder. The final step to fading those freckles is applying powder to your face. Choose a powder that is a similar shade to your natural skin color. Then, taking a thick makeup brush, dab it in the powder, and gently brush over your face, including your eyelids and your neck area. This will help the powder blend in with the rest of your skin. Apply makeup as usual. After you have concealed your freckles you can proceed to apply your eye makeup and blush as usual. Your freckles may still be noticeable, but with concealer and powder you should have been able to fade them somewhat. Avoid sun exposure. Because freckles often appear when the skin has increased exposure to the sun, the best way to avoid getting freckles, or to at least prevent your freckles from becoming more pronounced, is to avoid too much sun. When going outside, try to wear a hat and clothing that will cover up areas of your body that are prone to freckles. Of course, if you are someone who has a redhead complexion or whose skin always has freckles, you can't avoid them completely, but to keep from getting more freckles and from damaging your skin, avoid the sun when you can. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., so during these times seek shade. Use sunscreen. This is the obvious answer to keep your skin from being damaged, but it is often neglected when it shouldn't be. No matter what your skin type, you should always wear sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30 and is water resistant. Your sunscreen should also be broad-spectrum protection, protecting against both UVA and UVB rays. People often neglect sunscreen on cloudier days, but even on those days your skin can be penetrated by up to 80 percent of the sun's rays. Be careful around sand, snow or water because they can easily reflect the sun's rays, increasing the risk of damaging your skin. Reapply sunscreen about every two hours, or according to the directions on the bottle. If you are swimming, make sure you leave enough time for the sunscreen to dry on your skin before you get into the water. Be careful when using treatments. Many treatments and some natural products like lemon juice make your skin more susceptible to sun damage, as the pigmentation is affected. If you are receiving a treatment from a clinic, always consult with your dermatologist about how to best care for your skin. When possible, avoid going outside shortly after treatments so your skin can heal before exposed to the sun. Love your freckles. If you have freckles because of genetics or fair skin, as opposed to sun damage, then you should learn to love them and embrace them. Don't feel ashamed by your natural skin -- you'll deal with a lot less hassle if you just accept them as they are, rather than trying to find ways to cover up your freckles. Also, freckles tend to fade over time so if you feel yours are too dark, take comfort in knowing that as you get older their color tends to fade. | Use lemon juice. Apply sour milk, sour cream, or buttermilk. Purchase a bleaching or fading cream. Create a fruit peel. Use a self tanner. Visit a laser resurfacing clinic. Use chemical peels. Try Intense Pulse Light Therapy. Moisturize your face. Apply concealer to heavy areas. Use an airbrush makeup. Set your makeup with powder. Apply makeup as usual. Avoid sun exposure. Use sunscreen. Be careful when using treatments. Love your freckles. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Break-Away-from-Sleeping-Medication | How to Break Away from Sleeping Medication | To break away from sleeping medication, talk to your doctor about how you can safely stop taking the medicine, since some pills may require an adjustment period. Following your doctor's instructions, make a plan to stop taking the medication. Because different people have different sleeping needs, try to determine how many hours of sleep you actually need and implement your preferences into your plan. Keep in mind that you may experience withdrawal symptoms, including excessive sweating, irritability, and vivid dreams. You may also experience rebound insomnia, which is when you have even more trouble sleeping now than you did before taking medication. However, keep in mind that this is simply part of the process and can often be alleviated with self-relaxation techniques, like meditation. | Speak to your doctor first. If you're currently taking sleeping medication and it's playing havoc with your sleep and general health and wellbeing, you should notify your doctor and explain what is happening. Your doctor will be able to advise you as to whether or not you can quit the pills outright or whether there needs to be an adjustment period. Don't presume you're stuck taking pills. Be adamant that you wish to minimize or stop using the sleeping medication altogether and make your doctor your ally in achieving this outcome. Discuss lifestyle changes that can help improve your sleep. You may wish it ask about weaker sedatives or natural alternatives such as the natural sedative valerian tea , or melatonin supplements, but keep in mind these can interact with other medications, and you should speak with your doctor before use. Make a plan to stop taking the sleeping medication. Don't throw the pills away just yet; they are insurance to prevent you from panicking and they are still available for those terrible nights when you really do feel like you need them. At the same time, you need to commit to giving them up permanently as carefully and as thoroughly as possible. If your doctor has suggested a gradual withdrawal program, stick with it. This will greatly increase your chances of success, as quitting sleeping medication too suddenly can throw your body totally out of balance. Believe in your own ability to sleep naturally and accept your own sleep needs. Some people need more sleep while others need less hours of sleep in order to function optimally; know your own needs and nurture them. Also be sure to implement the remaining suggestions in the following steps; each is a practical means by which you gain control back over your sleeping routine and, in turn, make your plan more likely to succeed. Know what to expect. Depending on the type of sleep medication, withdrawal symptoms can occur. You may feel anxious, edgy, irritable, and depressed, and you may find yourself sweating, experiencing tremors, and increased heart rate, and nausea. You may experience "rebound insomnia," which means you may experience great difficulty falling asleep after you come off the sleeping medication — possibly worse than what caused you to start taking sleeping pills in the first place. Rebound insomnia often causes people to relapse and start taking sleeping meds again, but you must remember that is it temporary, and side effects should go away after about two weeks. Speak with your doctor about how to handle rebound insomnia, or if you are experiencing depression or anxiety that lasts several weeks or months after you stop. You may also experience vivid, strange, and disturbing dreams. Again, this is a normal part of withdrawal and it will go away. Implementing self relaxation techniques such as deep breathing , meditation , or progressive muscle relaxation can assist you in getting through this time. Remember that this is temporary. Get into a regular sleep routine. When you break away from your sleeping medication, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to set up a healthy, regular sleeping routine. Although you will still likely experience withdrawal symptoms from the medication in the first few weeks, practicing what is called "sleep hygiene" can help to counterbalance the withdrawal and to set you up for lasting success with your new sleep pattern. The first step in sleep hygiene is to set a wake-up time that is the same every day. Even on weekends, you should be getting up at the same time that you do on weekdays. If you find that you are tired, the best strategy is to go to bed earlier rather than changing your wake-up time. Therefore, if the alarm goes off, make sure you get up; if you remain fatigued throughout the day, you can go to bed earlier and eventually your body will adapt. Try making your bed time earlier in 15-minute increments. An additional benefit to this strategy is that your body naturally becomes more tired at night. When you know that "sleeping in" past your alarm is not an option, you learn to listen to your body as it naturally gets tired in the evening and to use this as your signal of when it is time to go to sleep. Avoid using the bedroom for activities other than sleep or sex. Many people have a television in their bedroom, or use their laptop computers, their tablets, or their cellphones in the bedroom prior to falling asleep at night. This is one of the most counter-productive things you can do for your sleep, because the light from the screens (called "blue" light) changes the chemistry in your brain and causes you to be more awake and less likely to fall asleep. Melatonin is the natural chemical produced in your brain that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It is produced in larger quantities prior to falling asleep. The bright light from computer, television, or cellphone screens counters the effects of melatonin, as the brain's natural production of melatonin is related to the natural light or darkness of the surrounding environment (it is what causes us to feel sleepy when it is dark out). It is advisable to diminish (or cut out altogether) screen time right before bed. It is also advisable not to use these devices in the bedroom as psychologically you want your bedroom to be associated with sleep. If you use your phone as your alarm to wake up, purchase an actual alarm clock so that you are not tempted to spend time on your phone when setting your alarm before bed. Avoid mentally or emotionally engaging activities right before bed. For instance, avoid having a difficult or frustrating conversation with anybody in person or over the phone or Internet. Also, resist the temptation to start anything that requires fired-up thinking processes, such as trying to solve a work problem at 11pm at night. Your best bet is to leave it until the morning. Go to bed immediately when you're feeling drowsy and when you have the need to sleep. Avoid forcing yourself to stay awake. Unfinished chores can be completed the next day after a refreshing night's sleep. Your body breaks away from the natural cycle when its sleepy state is overcome by other distractions, and it can become very difficult to fall asleep again. Ensure that adequate amounts of darkness are present in your sleeping space. Any light source from the outside creates a distraction and can easily awaken you. Block out these light sources if they create a distraction when you are trying to fall asleep. Heavy curtaining and blankets will do the trick. The same is true for external noise; do your best to muffle it and consider closing the window to prevent external noises from filtering in. Interestingly, "white noise" (such as the sound of a fan or sound machine) can help you fall asleep, because the ambient noise helps mask other sounds, such as car alarms or people moving about the house. Exercise regularly. Exercise will help induce nightly sleep through giving your body a proper workout. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise five days a week and include one to three days of strength training. Avoid drinks and beverages high in sugar and caffeine. Any foods high in sugar will increase your energy levels thus making it difficult to fall asleep naturally. Caffeine is also a stimulant that makes sleeping difficult. If you are thirsty, warm milk or plain drinking water is the best option for getting a good night's sleep. Avoid having caffeine after mid-day. Make all drinks caffeine-free from this point until you awaken the next morning. Remember that chocolate contains caffeine and sugar, so try to avoid eating it too close to bedtime. Take a hot bath or warm shower before going to bed. A hot bath works wonders and is known to relax and soothe tired and aching muscles. A relaxed body is able to sleep better. Add soothing scents such as lavender , neroli, rose, frankincense or sandalwood essential oils to calm the mind. If you plan on washing your hair, allow sufficient time to for your hair to dry. If you have to wait half the night for your hair to dry, you'll add to your sleep deprivation. Not everyone has or likes a bath. If you'd rather take a shower, don't hesitate; it still works by soothing you with warmth and the relaxing rhythm of the water falling over you. Choose lavender or similar scented shower gels that help to calm you. Seek cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) remedies if you're still experiencing an inability to break from sleeping medication through practical modifications to your lifestyle. CBT can make a difference in how you view the utility of the pills and can help you to discover your own way of overcoming insomnia. | Speak to your doctor first. Make a plan to stop taking the sleeping medication. Believe in your own ability to sleep naturally and accept your own sleep needs. Know what to expect. Get into a regular sleep routine. Avoid using the bedroom for activities other than sleep or sex. Avoid mentally or emotionally engaging activities right before bed. Go to bed immediately when you're feeling drowsy and when you have the need to sleep. Ensure that adequate amounts of darkness are present in your sleeping space. Exercise regularly. Avoid drinks and beverages high in sugar and caffeine. Take a hot bath or warm shower before going to bed. Seek cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) remedies if you're still experiencing an inability to break from sleeping medication through practical modifications to your lifestyle. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Christmas-Tree-Decorations | How to Make Christmas Tree Decorations | If you want to make easy DIY Christmas tree decorations, spray-paint pine cones either gold or silver, then use ribbon to hang them from the tree. You could also thread popcorn and cranberries onto a long piece of strong thread to create a pretty garland that you can wrap around your tree, hang on the walls, or place outside. If you'd prefer a more fragrant decoration, tie bundles of cinnamon sticks together with red or green ribbon and hang it from your tree instead. | Spray paint pine cones. Collect some pine cones - large or small - and spray paint them gold or silver. Attach a piece a ribbon to the top and hang from your tree. Alternatively, roll the pine cone in some glue and then in some glitter for a sparkly finish! . Make a popcorn and cranberry garland Take a needle and some strong thread (nylon or waxed cotton), a bowl of air-popped popcorn and a cup of cranberries. Thread the needle, making a large knot 6 inches (15.2 cm) from the end. Begin sewing the popcorn and cranberries onto the thread, alternating between each, or using any pattern you like. Make a large knot at the end of the string. Hang on your indoor Christmas tree or, even better, on an outside tree to provide a tasty treat for the birds! Make Lego presents. This is an easy one for kids to make! Assemble some large Lego pieces to form a square or rectangular present shape. Take a length of colored ribbon and tie it around the Lego, making a bow on top. Place your Lego presents under the tree or hang them from the branches! Make a gumdrop snowflake. Take one large, ball-shaped gumdrop and stick six toothpicks into it, at regular intervals. Stack a selection of smaller gumdrops onto each toothpick until they are full. Attach a ribbon for hanging on the Christmas tree, or simply balance the gumdrop snowflake on a branch. Make a jigsaw Rudolph. Grab five jigsaw pieces (two of which slot into each other) and paint them light brown. Take one piece of jigsaw to form the base, and glue the two attached pieces to the bottom half. This will be Rudolph's face. Take the remaining two jigsaw pieces (unattached) and glue them to the top half of the base piece to form the antlers. Glue a circle of red felt (or a red gumdrop) to the bottom of the jigsaw to form a nose, along with two googly eyes. Attach a ribbon to the back for hanging. Make cinnamon bundles. Take five or six cinnamon sticks and form a bundle. Tie with a piece of red or green ribbon and make a bow on top. Hang from the branches of the Christmas tree for a pretty and fragrant ornament! Make a photo cube. Buy a wooden/foam/cardboard cube, then print out six christmas photos (you, friends, trees, etc.) Cut the photos to the right size for each side. Using glue (hot glue is best), paste the photos onto each side of cube. Attach a string to hang. If you want, you can write on one side. Gather the ingredients and equipment. To make your salt dough ornaments, you will need one cup of plain flour, half a cup of salt and half a cup of water. You will also need Christmas themed cookie cutters (stars, Christmas trees, angels, wreaths, etc.) a cookie sheet, a rolling pin, some toothpicks, ribbon, and acrylic paints and glitter glue for decorating. Make the salt dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and water and stir until it forms a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour -- though not too much, as this will cause the dough to crack. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is about ⁄ 4 inch (0.6 cm) in thickness. Use your Christmas themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the dough. Place each shape on a floured surface as you cut out the rest of the dough. Make holes in each ornament for hanging. Before you bake your ornaments, you will need to make a little hole at the top of each where you can thread a ribbon to hang the ornament from your tree. Use a toothpick to make punch a hole near the top of each ornament, rotating the toothpick a little to make the hole wide enough for your ribbon to fit through. Bake the ornaments. Place your salt dough ornaments on a floured cookie sheet and place on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 250 °F (121 °C). Bake for two hours, then remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Decorate. Once the salt dough ornament have cooled, you can decorate them using the acrylic paints and glitter glue. Depending on personal preference, you can use a small paint brush to paint on intricate details, or you can simply cover the decoration in one block color. You can also glue on sequins, button and crystals for extra decoration. Thread the ribbon. Cut a length of ribbon - preferably in red, green or white - and thread it through the hole at the top of the ornament. Secure with a knot and hang from the tree. If you like, you can write the date on the back of the ornament to remember when you made it! Gather your materials. To make your felt snowman ornament you will need pieces of felt in white, brown, orange and black. You will also need a piece of white ribbon (approximately 5 inches in length), a sewing needle and thread (in colors matching the felt), a pen, a scissors, some polyester fiberfill and a sheet of paper. Cut out the body of the snowman. Draw the outline of a snowman onto the sheet of paper. Make the snowman whatever shape you like -- two snowballs high, three snowballs high, fat, skinny -- it's up to you. Cut the paper snowman outline, then place it on a piece of white felt. Use your pen to trace the outline of the snowman onto the felt, then cut it out with the scissors. Trace another snowman outline onto a second piece of felt and cut that one out too. You should now have two identical snowman outlines. Cut out the snowman's arms and facial features. Cut out five small circles from the piece of black felt. These will form the snowman's eyes, along with his three coal buttons. Cut out a small triangle from the orange felt. This will form the carrot for the snowman's nose. Cut out two stick shapes from the brown felt. These will be the snowman's arms. Sew on the snowman's eyes, nose and buttons. Take one of the white felt snowman outlines and hand-stitch the eyes, carrot nose and coal buttons into place. Use thread of a corresponding color for each piece, i.e. orange thread for the nose, and black thread for the other pieces. Assemble the snowman. Take the two white felt body pieces and line them up, placing the piece with the sewn-on features on top. Take the brown felt arms and place them between the two body pieces, sticking out at an angle. Take the length of white ribbon, fold it over, and insert the end between the two body pieces at the top of the snowman's head. This will form the hanging loop for the finished ornament. Sew it all together. Take your needle and some white thread and hand-stitch the two body pieces together, leaving a seam allowance of only ⁄ 8 inch (0.3 cm). As you're stitching, make sure to catch both of the snowman's arms and the looped thread in a stitch, in order to secure them in place. Don't stitch the entire snowman closed just yet; leave a space of about ⁄ 2 inch (1.3 cm) to an inch open at the bottom. Stuff the snowman. Take your polyester fiberfill and stuff it into the snowman, making him nice and plump. Once you've done this, you can finish the snowman by stitching the snowman closed. Hang your jolly felt snowman on the Christmas tree and admire your handiwork! Collect some clear glass ornaments. They can be any size you like, just make sure that they have easily removable tops. Remove the tops and pour in a little floor wax. Gently remove the tops from the glass ornaments (you don't want to damage them) and pour a small amount of floor wax or floor finish into the glass ball. This may sound strange, but this is what allows the glitter to stick to the inside of the ball. Just make sure the product you use is acrylic based and clear drying. Gently swirl the product around the inside of the ornament, making sure the entire inside surface is coated in floor wax. Once you're done, you can pour the floor wax back into the bottle. Waste not, want not! Grab a selection of different colored glitters. Pour a substantial amount of your chosen glitter into the glass ornament and swirl it around until the glitter completely covers the interior of the ornament. Shake any excess back into the container of glitter. You can choose any colors you like --gold, silver, red, blue, green, purple -- whichever ones go with the color scheme for your tree. If you want to be really wild, you could even try mixing a few different colors for a real disco ball effect. Replace the top. Once the glitter has dried, you can replace the top of the ornament. Use a little to secure it in place if it feels in any way loose. Decorate the outside. If you like, you can leave the glitter ball ornaments as they are. Alternatively, you can decorate the outsides using snowflake- or star-shaped scrapbook stickers and some diamante sequins. Take eight wooden clothespins. Eight wooden clothespins will make one snowflake ornament. Carefully separate each clothespin, removing the metal springs. Glue the two halves of each clothespin together. Take some hot glue or wood glue and stick the flat sides of each clothespin together. Take a piece of ribbon, fold it in half, and insert both ends between two of the wooden pieces before you glue them. This will allow you to hang the ornament later. Make the snowflake. Assemble the snowflake as follows: Take two of the glued-together pieces and align the flattened edges at the top to form a right-angle. Attach two more pieces to form an X shape. Take the remaining four glued-together pieces and stick one in between each right angle. You should now have a snowflake. Paint the snowflake. Paint the snowflake using white or gold spray paint. Paint with a slight, glittery shimmer can look very nice. Stick sequins or jewels onto the ornament as you see fit. | Spray paint pine cones. . Make Lego presents. Make a gumdrop snowflake. Make a jigsaw Rudolph. Make cinnamon bundles. Make a photo cube. Gather the ingredients and equipment. Make the salt dough. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Make holes in each ornament for hanging. Bake the ornaments. Decorate. Thread the ribbon. Gather your materials. Cut out the body of the snowman. Cut out the snowman's arms and facial features. Sew on the snowman's eyes, nose and buttons. Assemble the snowman. Sew it all together. Stuff the snowman. Collect some clear glass ornaments. Remove the tops and pour in a little floor wax. Grab a selection of different colored glitters. Replace the top. Decorate the outside. Take eight wooden clothespins. Glue the two halves of each clothespin together. Make the snowflake. Paint the snowflake. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Wear-a-Headband | How to Wear a Headband | To wear a headband with your hair down, start by brushing out your hair and parting it if you want to. Then, put the headband on over your hair so it's about ½ an inch past your hairline. If you have bangs, you can leave them pulled back under the headband, or pull them loose if you like that look better. To dress up your ponytail or braid with a headband, first put your hair up the way you want it. You can then put the headband on, pushing it back a bit farther on your head. You can also pull out your bangs or leave a few strands of hair free around your face for a softer look. | Choose the right hairstyle to pair with your headband for your occasion. Three ideas of hairstyles to wear with a headband are: an updo, with your hair down, or in a braid or ponytail. Choose the appropriate headband. When you're wearing a headband with an updo, choosing the right style is key. When you're going casual, it's best to choose a thin, delicate headband that won't overwhelm your look with your hair all pulled up and back. If you're wearing your updo to a formal event, pair it with an embellished headband that features pearls, rhinestones, crystals, or other beads for a more sophisticated look. Pull your hair into your favorite updo. After you've selected a headband, brush your hair and pull it up into your chosen updo. You can opt for a simple top knot bun, a fancy French twist, a sophisticated chignon, or whatever style you prefer. It's often easier to do an updo if your hair has some texture to it. That's why it's best to start with hair that hasn't been washed in a day or so. If you have washed your hair, use some dry shampoo or a texturizing spray to add some texture. Add the headband to your hair. Once your hair is pulled up into the updo, place your headband in your hair. As with a ponytail or braid, you don't necessarily have to position it just behind your hairline. Depending on the design of your headband, you may want to push it forward to create a tiara effect or push it back further so the embellished details are closer to the updo itself. If you're wearing a fabric or stretchy headband with your updo, you may way to use a few bobby pins to pin the band in place at the sides of your head or the nape of your neck to secure it. Spritz your hair with hairspray to keep it in place. It's easy for strands of hair to slip loose from an updo, so it's a good idea to use hairspray before you leave the house. Opt for a flexible hold spray, though, so you hair won't feel stiff or crunchy. Consider your headband options. When you're wearing a headband with your hair down, virtually any style will work. You can opt for a traditional horseshoe style headband made of plastic or metal or a stretchy fabric headband, and you can choose a thin headband for a delicate look or a wide headband for a bolder look. Embellished headbands, such as those with large bows or flowers attached, work very well when you're wearing your hair down. You can find all headband styles in a variety of colors and patterns, so it's easy to find an option that will match your outfit. Wear a headband based on the length of your hair. If you have a short haircut, opt for a skinnier headband. If you have long, thick hair, try putting on a thicker headband. Consider the proportion of your face when you get a headband. For example, if you have a rounder face, you may want to choose an angular headband. Brush through your hair to remove tangles. To ensure that your hair looks neat when you place the headband, you should brush it before hand. Brush your hair all the way down to the ends so it's smooth and entirely free of tangles. You may prefer to use a wide-tooth comb to brush through your hair because they don't tug at your hair as much as a brush does. If you aren't happy with the natural texture of your hair, you can use a flat iron to straighten your locks or curling iron to add curls or waves after you brush it. Decide whether you want a part or not. After you've removed any tangles from your hair, you can choose to add a part or not before you put the headband on. If you don't want a part, just comb your back and away from your face. If you want a part, choose a side and carefully comb your hair over to that side. Wearing a part with a headband typically looks best if you have bangs. After parting your hair, place the headband right where your bangs separate from the rest of your hair for the most flattering look. Place the headband on your hair. Once your hair is neatly combed and parted as you want, slide the headband into over your hair. Position it so it rests approximately ½ inch (1.27 cm) from your hairline, and adjust your hair as you like, such as pulling it over your ears or pushing it behind them. If you have bangs, you can use the headband to push them back and hold them off your face or you can pull the bangs loose from the headband, depending on the look that you prefer. Find a complimentary headband. When you're pairing a headband with a ponytail or braid, the look tends to be more casual. Look for a bohemian-inspired headband to coordinate with the more relaxed style, such as one that features artificial flowers or leaves. A woven or feathered headband also works well with a ponytail or braid. Gather your hair back into a ponytail or braid it. Once you've settled on a headband, pull your hair back into the ponytail or braid of your choice. Use a hair elastic or clip to secure your hair, and apply some flexible hold hairspray if you're concerned that it might come loose. You can pull your hair into a traditional ponytail at the middle of the back of your hair, opt for a high ponytail at the crown of your head, or go for a low pony right at the nape of your neck. A side pony also looks cute with a headband. You can also put your hair in pigtails if you aren't a fan of ponytails. French braids look especially good with a headband, but you can do your any braid that you like, such as a traditional rope or fishtail braid. Arrange the headband in your hair. After you've finished putting your hair into a ponytail or a braid, place the headband in your hair and push it into place. You don't necessarily need to position it ½ inch (1.27 cm) from your hairline as you would with your hair down. Depending on the placement of your pony or braid, you may want to push it further back in your hair. You may want to pull some strands of hair free from the headband around your face for a softer look. You can also pull your bangs free if you prefer. | Choose the right hairstyle to pair with your headband for your occasion. Choose the appropriate headband. Pull your hair into your favorite updo. Add the headband to your hair. Spritz your hair with hairspray to keep it in place. Consider your headband options. Brush through your hair to remove tangles. Decide whether you want a part or not. Place the headband on your hair. Find a complimentary headband. Gather your hair back into a ponytail or braid it. Arrange the headband in your hair. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Jump-on-a-Skateboard | How to Jump on a Skateboard | To jump on a skateboard, put your front foot near the middle of the board and your back foot on the tail. Next, get the board rolling at a comfortable speed and bend your knees. Then, push down with your back foot to pop the tail and straighten your legs to jump up into the air. Finally, slide your front foot along the surface of the board, bring up your back foot, and level the board with your feet as you reach the high point of your jump. Don't forget to land with your knees bent! | Find a good spot. To begin with, find a flat space to practice this trick. If you are not experienced with skateboarding, you will want to do this in a place where the board will remain completely still (e.g. will not roll). If you are concerned about falling, you might even want to start in the grass or even a carpeted surface. Position your feet. Place your front foot near the middle of your board, about two inches from your bolts. Put your back foot on the tail. Your front foot should be completely on the skateboard, just behind the front bolts. The ball of your back foot should align with the center of the board. This means your heel will stick out, off the board's surface. Both feet should face straight ahead. Do not angle either foot on the board. Bend your knees. You'll need to bend your knees so you can both pop the tail and jump up. Pop the tail. Rapidly and forcefully push down hard on the tail of your board with your back foot The downward force you apply to the tail of the skateboard will cause it to strike the ground, resulting in powerful upward momentum on the board as it "pops" up. Think of this as a light-footed flick downwards with your ankle. Be careful not to push too hard down on your tail, because then your weight will prevent the board from going up in the air. Jump up. Immediately after popping the tail, straighten your legs to jump up into the air. Sweep your front foot along the board. Slide the side of your front foot along the surface of the board as the front end comes up. The friction of your foot rubbing against the rough grip tape will help drag the board upward along with your body. Level out. Bring up your back foot and level the board underneath you with your feet as you reach the high point of your jump. You may need to push down slightly on your front foot to get the board level with your shoulders. Land. Extend your legs to the ground as you drop, keeping your knees bent to absorb the shock of landing. Keeping your knees bent is important both for avoiding knee injury and keeping control of the board. Work on the pop. Determining the right amount of force to apply on the tail to make the pop happen the way it should is one of the trickiest parts of learning this maneuver. You need to push down hard and fast enough to not only lift the front end of the board, but also cause the tail to strike the ground with enough force to cause it to bounce upward off the ground. The harder you slam the board down, the higher up it will bounce. That said, when you are first trying to master this, keeping control is more important than a high jump. Experiment with different amounts of force until you get to the point where you can pop the board without losing control, and then work on increasing the height of the pop. Work on your sweep. Equally difficult is the sweep of your foot that pulls the board upward with you as you jump and also keeps it pointed in the direction you want it to go. This will likewise require a fair amount of trial and error. You need to keep your front foot relaxed enough to roll the ankle slightly. Your first impulse might be to tense up these muscles, and you will need to learn to resist that urge. To keep control, you must use the friction between the edge of your shoe and the board as you execute the sweep, which should take your foot all the way to the front edge of the board. Work on the timing. Another challenging part of doing this trick correctly is getting the timing right. Although the steps should be carried out in the order described in Part 1, you need to carry these steps out very rapidly, in just a fraction of second. In particular, the pop and the jump need to be carried out at almost the same time, essentially in one motion. The timing is everything here, and will take practice. To get a better sense of the timing, you can watch slow-motion videos of people performing the trick so you can carefully observe the details of what you need to do. Work on your landing. Lastly, landing without falling off the board can be a real trick. The key here is to both keep your knees bent and get your board level before it lands. Ideally, you want to land all four wheels at the same time. Keep your shoulders level throughout the process. Resist the temptation to lean forward as you perform this maneuver, as doing so may cause you to fall off the front of the board when you land. Start rolling. Once you've go the basic technique down, you can start working on making this trick look a little more impressive. The first step is learning to execute the ollie while the board is moving. Get your board rolling at a comfortable speed and give it a try, executing the move in the same way and with your feet in the same position as you did when the board was stationary. Crouch down low. The next step is learning jump higher after the pop. Keeping your center of mass low will allow for a more impressive jump, so the lower you can crouch will still keeping control of the board, the better. Do not twist your hips or lean your shoulders forward. Keep your center of balance between your feet to keep control. Raise your arms as you jump. Try rapidly raising your arms as you execute the jump to increase your upward momentum. Delay the sweep. If you can delay your sweep by just a fraction of a second, you can achieve a higher jump. Determining the right amount of delay to really master this will take some trial and error. Pull up your knees. For the most impressive ollie, pull both of your knees up toward your chest as high as you can as you reach the high point of your jump, and level the board in this position. Keep rolling as you land. Your forward momentum should keep rolling forward as you land. Again, not falling off at this stage will take some practice, but once you've mastered the fundamentals, this is the icing on the cake. | Find a good spot. Position your feet. Bend your knees. Pop the tail. Jump up. Sweep your front foot along the board. Level out. Land. Work on the pop. Work on your sweep. Work on the timing. Work on your landing. Start rolling. Crouch down low. Raise your arms as you jump. Delay the sweep. Pull up your knees. Keep rolling as you land. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Fake-a-Facial-Piercing | How to Fake a Facial Piercing | To fake a facial piercing, try using a fake gemstone from a craft store. Just apply a small amount of eyelash glue to the back of the gemstone, hold it onto your face where you want your piercing to be, and let it dry. You can also use metallic liquid eyeliner to draw on a fake facial piercing. Apply a dot of the eyeliner to your face where you want your piercing to go, like your nose. Another option is to make a fake barbell piercing. Just cut a barbell in half with pliers, trim off the ends, and use eyelash glue to stick the halves on the top and bottom of your eyebrow. | Purchase some jump rings. You can find jump rings at your local craft store or Walmart. Jump rings are small and made of metal. They usually have a small gap between the two ends of the ring. Jump rings are the best decision if you want your hoop piercings to look as realistic as possible. Buy a large pack of different sizes so you can keep using them for fake piercings, or if you make a mistake and need a back up. Decide where you want your piercing. Where you want your piercing will affect how large or small of a jump ring to use. You will have to make sure the gap in the jump ring is wide enough to fit your skin. Hoop piercings are usually worn on the lip, nose, septum, or eyebrow. If you use the jump ring for a nose piercing the gap is going to be smaller than if you used a jump ring for an eyebrow piercing. Pry the jump ring apart with pliers. Jump ring gaps start very small, so you will not be able to fit your skin inside unless you make the gap wider. The metal is usually not easily pliable, so pliers are the best tool. Use two pairs of flat pliers to grasp both ends. Twist the ends apart until you have your desired gap. Keep checking the jump ring against where you want your piercing to see how much wider the gap needs to be. Make sure the jump ring is snug on your skin. Brush clear nail polish on the ends. Jump ring ends are usually sharp and can be harmful, especially if you are putting a good amount of skin between them. Clear nail polish will make a protective layer on the sharp ends, so they will not cut into your skin. Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Once the nail polish has dried, apply a small amount of eyelash glue to the ends of the jump ring. Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful. Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator. Let the glue set on the ends of the jump ring for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin. Use tweezers to place your jump ring. Tweezers are the most effective when handling jump rings. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your jump ring on where you want your hoop piercing. Find some paper clips. Look around your house and find some paper clips of different sizes. You can go to your local craft store, convenience store, or office depot to find more paper clips if you ran out. Use different color paper clips to make your hoop piercing more creative. Depending on how thick you want your piercing, you may want to use multiple paper clips. Two paper clip hoops can be placed together to create a thicker hoop. Straighten the paper clip out with pliers. With one pair of flat nose pliers, pull the paper clip out of its original shape. Then use the pliers to help you straighten it out completely by pulling each end flat. Cut the straightened paper clip using scissors or diagonal cutting pliers, if you want to make it smaller. The length of the straightened paper clip will affect the size of the hoop piercing. Roll it with a cylinder object. The size of the cylinder object depends on how wide you want your hoop piercing. Pens, markers, and highlighters can work for this step. Take one end of your straightened paper clip and curve it around your cylinder object. Roll the object to make the entire straightened paper clip curved into a hoop. Depending on how long your straightened paper clip was, you may have to gently pull apart the ends of your “hoop” so you have a gap for your skin. Decide where you want your piercing. Figuring out where you want your piercing will help you decide how wide of a gap to leave between the two ends of the paper clip, so your skin can fit inside. Hoop piercings are usually worn on the lip, nose, septum, or eyebrow. Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Apply a small amount of eyelash glue to the ends of the paper clip(s). Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful. Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator. Let the glue set on the ends for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin. Use tweezers to place your piercing. Tweezers are the most effective when handling paper clips. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your paper clip hoop where you want your piercing. Decide where you want your piercing. You may be restricted on where you can draw your piercing if you want to make it look as realistic as possible. Hoop piercings are more difficult to draw on because of the depth perception usually made by the hoop shape. You may not be able to draw a realistic hoop on your eyebrow, but it should work for the nose or lip. Fake septum hoop piercings are not achievable if drawing on the hoop. Apply a white base. A white base will guarantee that your liquid liner pops out in the light, you want your piercing to be noticeable. Use a cream formula, this will hold more to the skin and last longer. Use a white eyeliner pencil. Use a thin makeup brush and dip it into your leftover white Halloween makeup. Pick a liquid eyeliner. A liquid liner will be more effective in faking a facial piercing because it is more vibrant than gel or charcoal liners. Choose any color you want for the eyeliner, be creative with it! Metallic colors such as silver or gold will definitely look the most realistic when compared to actual piercings. Apply the liquid liner. Do not use the applicator that comes with the liquid liner because it may go on too thick to start, which might not be what you want. Use a thin makeup brush or a thin paintbrush to apply your liner. Dip your thin brush into the bottle of liquid eyeliner and apply as much or as little as you want, depending on how thick you want your “fake” piercing to look. For a fake hoop lip piercing, try applying your liner vertically down the center of your bottom lip. Acquire multiple beads or crystals. Look to see if you have any beads around your house or stop by your local craft store and pick up a pack of multiple colors and sizes. You can also use gems or crystals for surface piercings. Get fake gems and crystals at a craft store, or use real crystals that are from your necklaces or rings. Fake surface piercings can be as small or as large as you want. Decide where you want your piercing. Surface piercings are piercings that are only visible on the surface of your skin. The part of the piercing visible is usually a stud or crystal. Surface piercings can be on your cheek, nose, above the eyebrow, and above or below your top or bottom lips, respectively. Try putting a fake surface piercing in only one place first to see how you feel, then add more if you want a bolder look. Apply eyelash glue to one side. Since you are not forcing any skin between two ends for these fake surface piercings, you only have to apply eyelash glue to one side of your bead, gem, or crystal. Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful. Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator. Let the glue set on the ends for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin. Use tweezers to place your piercing. Tweezers are the most effective when handling beads, gems, or crystals, especially considering their small size. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your bead, gem, or crystal where you want your surface piercing. Decide where you want your piercing. Surface piercings are piercings that are only visible on the surface of your skin. The part of the piercing visible is usually a stud or crystal. Surface piercings can be on your cheek, nose, above the eyebrow, and above or below your top or bottom lips, respectively. Try putting a fake surface piercing in only one place first to see how you feel, then add more if you want a bolder look. Apply a white base. A white base will guarantee that your liquid liner pops out in the light, you want your piercing to be noticeable. Use a cream formula, this will hold more to the skin and last longer. Use a white eyeliner pencil. Use a thin makeup brush and dip it into your leftover white Halloween makeup. Pick a liquid eyeliner. A liquid liner will be more effective in faking a facial piercing because it is more vibrant than gel or charcoal liners. Choose any color you want for the eyeliner, be creative with it! Metallic colors such as silver or gold will definitely look the most realistic when compared to actual piercings. Apply the liquid liner. Do not use the applicator that comes with the liquid liner because it may go on too thick to start, which might not be what you want. Use a thin makeup brush or a thin paintbrush to apply your liner. Dip your thin brush into the bottle of liquid eyeliner and apply as much or as little as you want, depending on how thick or wide you want your fake piercing to look. With your thin brush, draw a circle “stud” where you want your piercing. You can decide to draw something other than a circle, i.e. diamond or triangle. For a nose surface piercing, draw your “piercing” on one of your nostrils. Purchase a barbell piercing. If you want to fake a barbell facial piercing, your best bet is to buy an actual barbell piercing. You can get these piercings at a tattoo shop where they also do piercings, or at a jewelry store such as Claire's. Barbell piercings usually come with rounded silver studs. But, you can choose from different colors and shapes. Decide whether you want a straight or curved barbell. This may be dependent on where you want to place the fake piercing on your face. Decide where you want your piercing. Barbell piercings are usually used for eyebrow, bridge, and septum piercings on the face. The middle bar pierces through the skin and the two studs or “bells” at either end are visible outside of the skin. Sometimes the actual bar can be visible as well, depending on whether it is straight or curved. Bridge barbell piercings are located at the top of your nose, between your eyes. Eyebrow barbell piercings can be both vertical and horizontal. Cut the piercing using pliers. With an actual barbell piercing, the bar would be going through your skin. Since this is a fake piercing, you need to cut the barbell into three parts. Use diagonal cutting pliers to cut the barbell. Do not just cut it in half. You want to be able to make an illusion that the barbell is going through your skin. Cut the barbell closer to each end stud, instead of right down the middle. This will leave you with three parts. The middle piece is the part of the barbell that would have been in your skin. The two end pieces are what you are gluing to your skin to make your fake barbell piercing. Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Apply a small amount of eyelash glue to the ends of of both pieces of barbell. Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful. Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator. Let the glue set on the ends for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin. Use tweezers to place each part of the barbell on your face. Tweezers are the most effective when handling these two barbell pieces. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your two barbell pieces where you want your piercing. | Purchase some jump rings. Decide where you want your piercing. Pry the jump ring apart with pliers. Brush clear nail polish on the ends. Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Use tweezers to place your jump ring. Find some paper clips. Straighten the paper clip out with pliers. Roll it with a cylinder object. Decide where you want your piercing. Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Use tweezers to place your piercing. Decide where you want your piercing. Apply a white base. Pick a liquid eyeliner. Apply the liquid liner. Acquire multiple beads or crystals. Decide where you want your piercing. Apply eyelash glue to one side. Use tweezers to place your piercing. Decide where you want your piercing. Apply a white base. Pick a liquid eyeliner. Apply the liquid liner. Purchase a barbell piercing. Decide where you want your piercing. Cut the piercing using pliers. Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Use tweezers to place each part of the barbell on your face. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-a-Sore-Throat | How to Prevent a Sore Throat | The easiest way to prevent a sore throat is to wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water and avoid sharing food and drinks with anyone. Additionally, make sure to clean your phone with alcohol wipes regularly to kill any germs that could cause a sore throat. If your throat is already sore, you might try some home remedies like sucking on a hard candy or drinking Chamomile tea, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, you can try gargling with saltwater 3 times a day to soothe your throat. To make a saltwater mixture, simply add ½ teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water. | Wash your hands frequently. Viral and bacterial infections cause most sore throats, so proper hygiene is an essential part of prevention. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water for at least 30 seconds. Always wash your hands after going to the bathroom and before eating. It's also a good idea to wash your hands if you sneeze or cough into them. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you when you're in public so you can clean your hands after touching things like grocery carts and ATMs. Avoid sharing food, beverages, and utensils. Since germs usually cause sore throats, you shouldn't share anything that comes into contact with someone's mouth. You can still kiss your special someone, but try not to smooch when either of you are sick. If you live in a community that shares plates and utensils, like a college campus, consider buying your own so you don't have to share. Clean phones, remote controls, and keyboards regularly. Phones, remote controls, and keyboards are often overlooked during routine cleaning. However, they're some of the germiest surfaces you'll encounter. Wipe them down with alcohol-based wipes or use an aerosol cleaning product. Doorknobs are often overlooked, too, so don't forget to work them into your cleaning routine. If you're out in public, use a tissue to punch in door codes and your ATM pin so you're not directly touching buttons other people have touched. Harsh household cleaners like Pinesol and bleach can irritate your nose and throat, so try using natural cleaning products instead. Avoid crowded places. It's easier to get sick in crowded places like buses, trains, and movie theaters. Avoid these places whenever you can if possible, especially during flu season. If you can't avoid these places, try to find a spot to stand or sit that's far away from other people. Rest your voice. If you're a singer or frequently use your voice, your vocal cords might become strained, hoarse, and sore. To save your voice, try to avoid speaking or singing whenever possible. Before you have to sing, speak, or shout, try humming gently for a few minutes to warm up your voice. After warming up for a couple of minutes, rest your voice for 10 to 15 minutes before you sing or speak. Keep hard candies or lozenges handy. A dry throat can lead to or worsen soreness. Keep your throat lubricated by sucking on hard candy or a medicated lozenge. Give popsicles to children who are too young for hard candies. Drink chamomile tea and other warm beverages. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties. If you feel a sore throat coming on, drinking chamomile tea can reduce the inflammation that causes soreness. You can also try drinking warm water with lemon and honey, or a mixture of turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger. See if licorice root tea works for you since it can help treat pain and infection. Gargle 3 times a day. Get a diluted iodine gargling solution from your local drug store, and gargle with it 3 times a day. Gargling with a diluted iodine solution can reduce your risk of getting sick. If you don't want to use diluted iodine, you could gargle with saltwater. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water. Flush your sinuses if you feel a post-nasal drip. Allergies or infection can send mucus production in your nose and throat into overdrive. This leads to a post-nasal drip , which can cause or worsen a sore throat. If you feel excess mucus in your sinuses or back of your throat, use an irrigation device to flush your nasal passages. Mix a half teaspoon each of salt and baking soda with distilled water. Fill your nasal irrigation device with the solution, tilt your head to one side, insert the device's spout into your nostril, then release the solution. Tilt your head to the other side then repeat on the other nostril. Snort the solution out to clear your nose. Repeat until your sinuses feel clearer. You can also buy a pre-made saline solution from the pharmacy if you don't want to make your own. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking causes a variety of health issues, including sore throats. Even if you don't smoke, try to avoid smokers, since secondhand smoke can also cause sore throats. Avoid spicy and acidic foods, especially before bed. Spicy and acidic foods can cause acid reflux, which is when acids from your stomach make their way up to your throat. Sleeping or reclining can worsen acid reflux, so it's especially important to avoid irritating foods at night. Swap harsh household cleaners for natural cleaning products. Bleach, ammonia, and other harsh chemicals can irritate your nose and throat. If you notice your throat is sore after you clean, try using natural products instead. Vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and other natural cleaners can sanitize your space without causing discomfort. You can also buy natural cleaning products at your local grocery store. Try to avoid vehicle exhaust, smog, and other environmental irritants. Try to stay indoors if you live near an oil refinery, landfill, or paper mill, or if there's a wildfire nearby. Pay attention to air quality reports, and avoid spending time outdoors when the air quality is poor. Use a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier. Dry air can cause and worsen a sore throat. Purchase a vaporizer or humidifier to improve your home's air quality. Set up a humidifier in your bedroom if you regularly wake up with a sore throat. You're more likely to breathe through your mouth while you sleep, and breathing in dry air through your mouth can irritate your throat. | Wash your hands frequently. Avoid sharing food, beverages, and utensils. Clean phones, remote controls, and keyboards regularly. Avoid crowded places. Rest your voice. Keep hard candies or lozenges handy. Drink chamomile tea and other warm beverages. Gargle 3 times a day. Flush your sinuses if you feel a post-nasal drip. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Avoid spicy and acidic foods, especially before bed. Swap harsh household cleaners for natural cleaning products. Try to avoid vehicle exhaust, smog, and other environmental irritants. Use a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Your-Skin | How to Clean Your Skin | Before cleaning your face, figure out what kind of face skin you have, such as oily skin or dry skin, so you know which products to use. Then, choose a scrub, like a treatment mask or mild scrub, designed to suit your skin type. To keep your face clean and free of blemishes, wash your face with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser twice a day. Finally, rinse your face with water, pat it dry with a soft towel, and apply a moisturizer to help retain your skin's water. | Figure out what type of face skin you have. Your skin changes as you age, especially during puberty, and looking for products in the skincare aisle at the drugstore can be confusing. There are so many options! Which should you choose? To find the right cleanser for your skin, it is important to first determine your current skin type: Normal skin is not too oily and not too dry, with minimal blemishes and no severe sensitivity to products or weather. Oily skin often appears shiny or greasy, even if you recently washed your face. Oily skin is also prone to blemishes and larger pores. Dry skin is often flaky, with more visible lines and some reddish patches of skin. Sensitive skin is often mistaken for dry skin because it typically appears dry and red; however, the difference is that sensitive skin is often a result of a particular ingredient in a skin care product. Combination skin is when you have patches of skin that are oily in some areas and dry or normal in others. Combination skin is typically oily around the T-zone (the T-shaped area created by your forehead, nose, and chin) and normal to dry on the rest of the face. Wash your hands first. Before you start cleansing the skin on your face, be sure to wash your hands with warm water and soap to kill all the germs and remove dirt and grime. You wouldn't want to rub more germs all over your face, would you? Wash your face twice a day with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser. Even if your skin looks clean, it's probably not. It is very important to cleanse your face every morning and every night before bed, especially if you wear makeup or are prone to breakouts. Keep in mind: Don't use water that is extremely hot or extremely cold since this can damage your skin and trap grease and dirt inside your pores. Gently massage your face with slow, circular motions. Don't scrub! Scrubbing will cause skin irritation, redness, or breakouts. Treat the skin around your eyes extra gently, as it is the most delicate, sensitive skin on your face. Plus you don't want to end up with cleanser in your eyes! Don't over-wash your face! Even if you have oily skin, over-washing can cause dryness, and your skin will produce more oil to compensate, which means you could end up with oilier, more blemished skin. Find out if exfoliation is right for your skin. For some skin types and conditions, exfoliating can be helpful, such as those with sun damage. However, for other skin types, such as those with cystic acne, exfoliating can damage your skin. Check with a dermatologist to be sure if exfoliating is right for you. Choose a scrub that's designed for your skin type and that is not too harsh. Some varieties include: Mild scrubs containing beads, sugar, salt or other types of natural exfoliators. Soft skincare brushes. These can be manual or oscillating brushes that you squeeze your cleanser or a mild scrub into before gently rubbing the brush on your face. Treatment masks that include mild acids like alpha-hydroxy acid or beta-hydroxy acid to slough off dead skin. Be very careful with this option and be sure to read the directions! Rinse your face thoroughly after cleansing or exfoliating. Using lukewarm water, gently rinse the cleanser from your face either with a clean washcloth or by cupping your hands under the sink and carefully splashing water onto your face. Be sure all of the cleanser is removed, as any remaining cleanser can clog your pores and cause irritation and blemishes. Pat your face dry with a clean, soft cloth. Never dry your skin with a dirty hand towel in the bathroom or the same towel you use to dry off your body; you will just transfer new, fresh bacteria onto your clean face. Also, it is important to pat, not rub, your face dry in order to treat the skin as gently as possible. Moisturize your face. Apply moisturizer to your face after you dry it off. Many people skip this step, but applying a moisturizer designed for your particular skin type is very important post-cleansing. Moisturizers seal in the existing water in your skin so it doesn't evaporate, which dries out your skin. You may need more moisturizer, or a thicker moisturizer, during the winter months. Shower or bathe every day using warm-to-hot water. In addition to removing dirt and oil that can cause body acne, showering or bathing once a day will help wash away the bacteria that causes body odor. While very hot water should be avoided because it strips the skin of important oils, use warmer water when cleaning your body than you would on your face in order to kill the bacteria. Cleanse your body in the shower or bath safely. As with cleaning your face, it is important that your hands and the products you use to clean your body are hygienic. Bar soap and body wash are sanitary, but loofahs, scrubbers, and washcloths, especially ones that are shared, are not. Be sure every member in your house only uses their own products and wash or replace these regularly! Exfoliate your body once a week, focusing on acne-prone areas. Since the skin on your body produces more sweat and oil than the skin on your face, you may want to invest in a body scrub to use at least once a week. Using a clean washcloth or loofah, focus your gentle, circular motions on areas that are prone to breakouts, like the chest, neck, and back. Don't exfoliate too much because this can make body acne worse and irritate your skin. Pat your body dry with a clean towel and apply lotion. The skin on your body is less delicate than your face, but it is still important to only use a clean towel to dry off. Stay in the humid, steamy bathroom and towel off until you are only a bit damp, and then apply moisturizer to your entire body before exiting. The steam helps with long-lasting hydration because the moisturizer sinks into your pores while they are still open. Wash your hands well and wash them often. Cleaning the skin on your hands multiple times a day is extremely important for your health and for the health of others. Germs are everywhere, and some can make people very sick so it is important to wash your hands often, but especially: After using the bathroom or changing a diaper After playing outside Before and after visiting anyone who is sick After blowing your nose or coughing, especially if you are sick Before eating, serving, or helping to make any food If your hands look dirty Use warm water and a mild soap. You can use an antibacterial soap if you prefer, but regular soap will work just as well. Just be sure to use soap every time you wash your hands! Rinsing with water might make your hands look clean, but they will still be covered in germs. This is important to do whether you are in a public restroom or at home, as germs and bacteria are everywhere. Clean all the surfaces of your hands. Don't just cup the soap in your hand and pass it back and forth between your palms. To really clean the skin on your hands, it is important to lather the soap onto both sides of the hands, in-between the fingers, under and around the nails, and up onto your wrists. You should do this for at least 20 seconds. Pat dry with a clean towel or fresh paper towel. If you are at home or a friend's house, be sure the hand towel is clean. If you are using a public restroom, use the paper towel to dry off your hands and then, still using the towel and not your bare hand, open the door and throw the towel away outside of the bathroom. A shocking number of people don't wash their hands after using the bathroom, and those handles collect a lot of germs. Moisturize your hands as needed. The skin on your hands might not need to be moisturized after every hand washing, but they can get chapped just like any other type of skin post-cleansing. Try carrying around a small tube of hand-specific moisturizer, which tend to be less greasy and sink in faster than other moisturizers, so you can keep your hands clean and soft. | Figure out what type of face skin you have. Wash your hands first. Wash your face twice a day with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser. Find out if exfoliation is right for your skin. Rinse your face thoroughly after cleansing or exfoliating. Pat your face dry with a clean, soft cloth. Moisturize your face. Shower or bathe every day using warm-to-hot water. Cleanse your body in the shower or bath safely. Exfoliate your body once a week, focusing on acne-prone areas. Pat your body dry with a clean towel and apply lotion. Wash your hands well and wash them often. Use warm water and a mild soap. Clean all the surfaces of your hands. Pat dry with a clean towel or fresh paper towel. Moisturize your hands as needed. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Firearm-in-Virginia | How to Buy a Firearm in Virginia | To buy a firearm in Virginia from a private seller, all you'll need is a piece of photo ID, like a driver's license. Once you've shown them your ID, negotiate the price and submit to a background check if required. Background checks are not legally required in Virginia, but police officers are often on hand at gun shows to carry them out if the seller requests. If you're buying from a licensed dealer, you'll need to fill out a firearms transaction record form and show them your ID. The dealer will then run a background check online or over the phone before you complete your transaction. Remember that you need to be at least 18 years of age and a Virginia resident to buy a firearm. | Confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements to purchase a firearm. While Virginia doesn't have its own eligibility requirements to purchase a firearm, you must meet the federal requirements. The Virginia State Police has an eligibility test, available online at https://www.vsp.virginia.gov/Firearms_PurchaseEligibility.shtm , that you can use to quickly determine if you're eligible to purchase a firearm. Generally, you must meet the following requirements: Be at least 18 (21 to purchase a handgun Never convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of 2 years or more Under indictment for a felony, subject to an active warrant, or under a restraining order US citizen or lawful permanent resident of the US Not convicted of use or possession of illegal drugs within the past year Not acquitted of a charge by reason of insanity, or found by a court of law to be insane, incompetent, or mentally incapacitated Not dishonorably discharged from the US Armed Forces Not convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge Visit a licensed firearms dealer. Licensed firearms dealers are licensed by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Virginia doesn't have its own licensing or registration requirements. You can search the list of federal firearms licensees (FFLs) at https://www.atf.gov/firearms/listing-federal-firearms-licensees if you need help finding a dealer near you. Many of these FFLs have websites you can visit to learn more about the shop before you make the trip. Fill out the firearms transaction record forms. Once you find the firearm (or firearms) you want, you must fill out both a state and federal firearms transaction record form. These forms require you to provide identification information as well as answer questions about your criminal background. Answer all questions and fill out the form completely. Do not lie on the forms. It is a felony offense and could result in the loss of your right to purchase firearms indefinitely. You must also pay a small fee (as of 2019, $2 for Virginia residents and $5 for non-residents) for completion of your background checks. This fee is nonrefundable. Present identification to verify your identity and residence. To purchase a firearm, you must provide at least 2 forms of ID. For your primary ID, bring a valid, government-issued photo ID that includes your full name, address, and date of birth. Your primary ID must have been issued at least 30 days before the date you purchase the firearm. Your secondary ID is to prove your residence. The address shown must be identical to the one you provide on the transaction form. This ID could be a copy of your lease, a current utility or telephone bill, voter registration card, car registration, or a hunting or fishing license. If you are buying an assault weapon, you must also bring identification that proves your citizenship status, such as a US birth certificate, valid passport, permanent resident card ("Green Card"), selective service registration card, or voter registration card. Wait for the results of the background checks. The dealer will either transmit your information over the internet or by calling a phone number. The results typically come in a matter of minutes. You'll get a response of "approved," "delayed," or "denied." If your background check comes back as delayed, the dealer may need to collect additional information from you before selling you a firearm. If the status remains "delayed" for 3 days, the dealer has the discretion to go forward with the transaction. Complete the purchase of your firearm. Once the transaction is approved, you can buy your firearm and take it home. If you live in another state, you may need to have the firearm transferred to a licensed dealer in your state. Virginia does not restrict the number of firearms you can purchase in a single transaction. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID if you're going to a gun show. If you want to purchase a gun at a gun show from a private seller, you'll still have to be able to prove that you are over the age of 18 (21 to purchase a handgun). You must have a driver's license or state ID that lists your name, gender, and date of birth. If you're using a driver's license issued by the Virginia DMV, it must have been issued to you at least 30 days before the day of the gun show. If you aren't a resident of the state of Virginia, you can buy a rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer, provided you bring a secondary form of ID to prove your residence. Discuss your purchase with the individual selling the firearm. Provided you're a state resident, there aren't any significant legal requirements if you want to buy a gun from a private seller, whether at a gun show or elsewhere. All you need to do is agree on a price and the terms of the sale. Virginia also doesn't have any requirements regarding the manufacture or composition of a firearm, so you likely want to look it over carefully and make sure it suits your needs and doesn't have any glaring defects. Provide your complete name and address to the seller. While it isn't legally required, the Virginia State Police recommends that private sellers keep a logbook that lists the name and address of anyone they sell a firearm to, along with the make, model, and serial number of the firearm and date of purchase. Keep in mind that because you're buying the gun from a private individual, your name will not show up in the chain of ownership for the gun. This means if the gun is found at the scene of a crime, the seller will come up as the last owner of the gun with that serial number. The log is primarily to protect the seller, but also protects you in case the gun is stolen. Comply with a background check if the seller requests one. While there is no law in Virginia that requires an unlicensed private individual to run a criminal background check before they sell a firearm to someone else, private individuals are restricted from selling a firearm to someone they know is ineligible to purchase a firearm. If you're at a gun show, Virginia State Police will be on hand to conduct background checks for anyone who asks for one. You can also order your own background check ahead of time by going to the nearest Virginia State Police headquarters and completing an application. However, these do take approximately 15 days to complete, so plan in advance if you want to bring along your own background check. If you don't want to go through with the background check, simply find an individual who is willing to sell to you without one. Complete the purchase of your firearm. There are no further legal requirements if you want to purchase a firearm from a private seller. All you have to do is make payment and leave with your firearm. However, you want to make sure you comply with Virginia laws regarding the carrying of firearms as you transport the gun home. Generally, you can open-carry any firearm as long as it isn't loaded. If you also have ammunition, it's a good idea to store the ammunition separately. If you purchase a handgun, you can put it in the glove compartment or a similar concealed area of your vehicle for transport, even if you don't have a concealed carry permit. Confirm that you're eligible to get a concealed handgun permit. Generally, if you can pass the background check to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer, you'll likely be eligible for a concealed handgun permit. There are, however, a few additional prohibitions. Specifically, you will not be eligible for a concealed handgun permit if you: Have been convicted of 2 or more misdemeanors in the last 5 years Have been convicted of assault, assault and battery, sexual battery, discharging a firearm in a public place, or brandishing a firearm in a public place within the last 3 years (or have one of these charges pending) Have been convicted of stalking or have a stalking charge pending Have received inpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment in the past 5 years Have been convicted of drunk driving or public drunkenness in the past 3 years Complete a firearm safety training course. You must demonstrate competence with a handgun by taking a training course approved by a state government agency or conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor. Your county circuit court may have a list of qualified courses you can take. Online, electronic, or video courses are acceptable. There is no live training requirement. If the course issues a certificate of completion, a photocopy of that certificate is sufficient to demonstrate your competence. If the course doesn't issue a certificate, you can also use an affidavit from the instructor of the course. Fill out the concealed handgun permit application. The concealed handgun permit requires you to provide information about yourself and your criminal background. The questions on the application are similar to those you answered when you filled out the firearm transaction record to purchase your handgun. You can download the application at https://www.vsp.virginia.gov/Firearms_ResidentConcealed.shtm#ApplicationforaConcealedHandgunPermit or pick one up at your local circuit court. If you answer yes to any of the questions about your criminal background, you are required to provide an explanation of your answer and attach any documentation you have regarding that item. Failure to provide complete information could result in denial of your application. Take your application to your nearest circuit court. Concealed handgun permits are issued by circuit court judges. Submit your application to the court clerk's office and pay the fee. As of 2019, the total application fee for a concealed handgun permit is $50 or less, including a $10 fee to issue the permit and fees of up to $40 to cover the cost of background investigations. These fees vary depending on the city or county where you live. To find the circuit court nearest you, go to http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/maps/home.html and click on the appropriate part of the state map. You must submit your application at the court in the city or county where you live. There is no requirement that you live there for any specified length of time before applying for a concealed handgun permit. Wait to receive your permit in the mail. Provided you meet the eligibility requirements for a concealed handgun permit, Virginia law requires the judge to issue the permit to you. It will be sent to you at the address you provided on your application. While the background investigations may take up to a month, Virginia law requires permits to be issued within 45 days of the date you submit your application. If the 45-day period passes and your permit hasn't been issued, the court clerk will certify a copy of your application and send that to you. The certified application works as a temporary concealed handgun permit for up to 90 days, as long as you also have a valid government-issued photo ID. Keep your permit on you whenever you're carrying a concealed handgun. Once you have a concealed handgun permit, you're entitled to carry a handgun concealed on your person. However, you must always have your permit with you. Although you aren't required to show the permit to law enforcement, it's a good idea to do so. For example, if you get pulled over for a traffic stop, you might hand over your concealed handgun permit along with your driver's license and let the officer know that you are carrying. If you are convicted of being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while carrying a concealed handgun in public, your permit will be revoked and you will be barred from applying for a new permit for 5 years. Submit a new application to renew your permit after 5 years. A concealed handgun permit is valid for 5 years. At the end of that period, you can fill out a new application to renew your permit. You don't have to take any additional firearms training. Provided you still meet the eligibility requirements for a concealed handgun permit, your permit will be renewed. Given that it can take up to 45 days to get the new permit, you may want to apply for a renewed permit a few months before your old one expires if you want to continue to carry. | Confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements to purchase a firearm. Visit a licensed firearms dealer. Fill out the firearms transaction record forms. Present identification to verify your identity and residence. Wait for the results of the background checks. Complete the purchase of your firearm. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID if you're going to a gun show. Discuss your purchase with the individual selling the firearm. Provide your complete name and address to the seller. Comply with a background check if the seller requests one. Complete the purchase of your firearm. Confirm that you're eligible to get a concealed handgun permit. Complete a firearm safety training course. Fill out the concealed handgun permit application. Take your application to your nearest circuit court. Wait to receive your permit in the mail. Keep your permit on you whenever you're carrying a concealed handgun. Submit a new application to renew your permit after 5 years. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Prep-a-Car-for-Paint | How to Prep a Car for Paint | To prepare your car for paint, you'll need to sand away the old finish and add a few coats of primer. If you're only touching up a small patch, use a sanding block, but if you're painting the whole car, you'll want to use an electric sander. Buff the surface in small circles until you can't see any shiny patches or lines. Then, wipe away the debris left over from sanding with a clean, wet rag. Once the car's clean, cover the areas you don't want to get paint on with masking tape. After you've protected those areas, apply a base coat of automotive primer using a paint sprayer to help the paint adhere. Wait 20-60 minutes for it to dry, then apply another 1 or 2 coats. | Pull out large dents using a dent repair kit. If the car you're painting is heavily dented, the first thing you'll need to do is to remove as many dents as you can to smooth out your painting surface. Glue an appropriately-sized suction cup to the center of the dent using a hot glue gun and wait 1-2 minutes for the glue to harden. Then, pull firmly yet gently on the retractable tab until the metal returns to its original shape. You can pick up a dent repair kit from any auto supply store for just a few dollars. In certain places, like the hood, trunk, and rear panels, it may be possible to pound out dents from the inside of the body using a hammer and dolly. Fill in gouges, dings, and depressions with body filler putty. Mix your filler material to a cream consistency on a mixing board or piece of scrap cardboard. Then, spread it over any irregular areas in the body of the car using a clean spreader or buffing pad. It will help fill in these areas, resulting in a smooth, level painting surface. Make sure you use enough putty to fill in each damaged spot completely. To deal with smaller imperfections like pinholes, try a glazing putty. Glaze putties are thinner than ordinary fillers, which allows them to penetrate into places that thicker products can't. Wait for your filler material to harden. This will typically take 10-30 minutes, depending on the product you're working with and the amount you've applied. In the meantime, avoid handling the putty. Otherwise, you may accidentally smudge an area you just repaired. Body filler materials don't technically “dry,” they cure via chemical reaction. For this reason, a heat lamp or hair dryer can come in handy to help speed things along. Some body filler materials double as primers, which means you can paint right over them as soon as they've cured. Be sure to read the specifications on the product you're using—it could end up saving you a lot of time. Sand the edges around the hardened filler to smooth it out. Once your putty has had time to cure completely, go over it with a sheet of sandpaper 150-180-grit sandpaper. Be sure to sand in all different directions, using vertical, lateral, and circular strokes to produce a seamless finish. While sanding your filler material, it's especially important to feather the edges to minimize the chances of lines or ridges showing up in the finished paint. A block sander can make smoothing large areas easier and more comfortable. Go over your car with a sanding block to prepare it for minor touch-ups. If you only plan on freshening up your car's paint in a couple spots, you can use a fine sanding block or Scotch-Brite pad to get it ready. Glide your sanding block in small circles over each section you want to paint to scuff up the outer surface. This will give it just enough texture to accept a fresh coat of paint. Make sure the block you're using is no more than about 1,200-grit. Any smaller and it may not be able to rough up the existing paint properly. Use an electric orbital sander to remove paint from large areas. Fit your orbital sander with a piece of 500-1,200-grit sandpaper or a sanding pad. A high-speed sander will allow you to work as quickly and efficiently as possible. In fact, it's all but impossible to sand down to the base metal by hand, so having one is a must. If you don't own an orbital sander, you may be able to rent one from your local hardware store or home improvement center for a small daily rate. Even with an electric sander, it may take hours to remove all the paint you need. This is one of the most time-consuming steps in preparing a car for paint, so be patient and don't rush. Run your sander in a circular motion over each area you’ll be painting. Apply consistent pressure to make sure you're removing the same amount of paint from each part of the car's exterior. You should see the existing paint fading a little more with each pass. Work your way over the entire painting surface in 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) sections. If you're going to be painting your car a different color, you'll need to sand all the way down to the bare metal to prevent the old color from showing through. Continue sanding until there's no visible gloss or seams remaining. After sanding a given area, turn off your sander and give it a quick look. If you still see shiny patches or edged paint lines, it means you haven't taken off enough of the old finish. Fire up your sander and go over the area again to ensure that your new paint will be able to take hold. It's important to make sure that the entire area has been scuffed evenly. Automotive paint and primer have a hard time sticking to smooth, glossy surfaces. Wipe your painting area with a clean, wet rag to remove debris. Once you've finished stripping away the old finish, wet a lint-free shop cloth and run it over your vehicle's exterior to clear away the dust generated by sanding. Then, pat the surface dry with a clean microfiber cloth or chamois. If you proceed without cleaning your vehicle, you could end up with small particles trapped in the fresh paint. Mask any parts of the vehicle you don’t want to get primer on. Cover the areas surrounding your painting surface with newspaper or plastic sheeting and use strips of low-adhesive masking tape to secure the edges. Strategic taping will keep you from having to deal with messes as a result of drift and overspraying. If you're painting one of the car's back panels, for example, you'd want to make sure the rear wheel, trunk, and windows are all sealed off. It may also be a good idea to move your vehicle outside or park it on top of a dropcloth to prevent making a mess in your work area. Apply a base coat of automotive primer using a paint sprayer. A sprayer will speed up the application process and help distribute the primer better. Hold the nozzle of the sprayer 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) away from the surface of the vehicle and pull the trigger to begin releasing the primer. Move the sprayer back and forth slowly over the area you're painting, aiming for even coverage. Make sure your primer is properly thinned and mixed before you begin spraying. A standard epoxy or acid-etch primer will be the best choice for most projects. If you're going to be painting over plastic, you'll need to use a plastic-specific type primer instead. A thin base coat may be all you need if you're just doing some touching up. Wait 20-60 minutes for the initial coat of primer to dry. It's important that your first coat have enough time to set completely before you move on to sanding and applying follow-up coats. Most automotive primers are formulated to dry in 30-45 minutes, and will be ready to sand in about an hour. Sanding primer while it's still wet will just cause it to rub off, undoing all your hard work. Exact drying times will vary depending on the product used and how heavily you apply each coat. Block-sand the base coat to smooth out inconsistencies. If you happen to notice any rough or uneven spots in the dry primer, sand these out manually with a 1,200-grit fine sanding block. Use smooth, swirling motions and light pressure to wear down the area until it matches the surrounding surface. If you don't find any glaring differences in texture, you can skip straight to applying your next coat of primer. Prime and sand 1-2 more times to ensure a uniform finish. Be sure to allow each of your follow-up coats to dry for a full hour before sanding or starting the next coat. Once you've put on 2-3 even coats and factored in the recommended drying time, your vehicle will be ready for paint! | Pull out large dents using a dent repair kit. Fill in gouges, dings, and depressions with body filler putty. Wait for your filler material to harden. Sand the edges around the hardened filler to smooth it out. Go over your car with a sanding block to prepare it for minor touch-ups. Use an electric orbital sander to remove paint from large areas. Run your sander in a circular motion over each area you’ll be painting. Continue sanding until there's no visible gloss or seams remaining. Wipe your painting area with a clean, wet rag to remove debris. Mask any parts of the vehicle you don’t want to get primer on. Apply a base coat of automotive primer using a paint sprayer. Wait 20-60 minutes for the initial coat of primer to dry. Block-sand the base coat to smooth out inconsistencies. Prime and sand 1-2 more times to ensure a uniform finish. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Always-Be-in-a-Good-Mood | How to Always Be in a Good Mood | If you want to be in a good mood all the time, try exercising or taking a brisk walk at least once a day, which will release endorphins that make you feel good. You should also make sure to get enough sleep, which helps your body better manage stress. Besides taking care of your body, you can introduce happiness into your life by smiling more, even if you don't feel like it, as this has been proven to positively impact your mood. Additionally, try listening to upbeat music, especially in the morning, to start your day in a great mood. | Exercise your way to a good mood. Exercise stimulates the release of the biochemicals endorphins and norepinephrine. Endorphins decrease the sensation of pain and norepinephrine may contribute to the regulation of mood. In addition to the chemical effects of exercise, regular workouts will help you feel good about yourself. Workout for at least half an hour, at least five days a week, to maintain the mood-elevating effects of exercise. There's no need to join a gym or hire a trainer. A brisk walk is usually all it takes to get your chemicals flowing. Eat a healthy, well balanced diet. A healthy diet also contributes to general feelings of wellbeing, but some vitamins and minerals especially may help to boost mood. B vitamins may help improve mood, so load up on green vegetables, like asparagus. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and eggs, may protect against the effects of stress. To satisfy your sweet tooth, eat two ounces of dark chocolate each day. Chocolate with at least 70% cocoa has been shown to reduce the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Sleep well. Sleep deprivation can contribute to irritability and poor mood regulation. Quality sleep will increase energy and help you manage stress. The optimum amount of sleep varies for individual, but for most adults it's between seven and nine hours. Sleeping more than this generally will not improve your mood and may actually make you feel depressed or tired. Learn to reframe negative thoughts. Notice when your self-talk or thoughts become pessimistic, abusive, defeatist, or negative. Then consciously take that thought and reframe it in a positive way. This corrects faulty thinking and gives you a better chance of being happy and successful. If you catch yourself thinking, "This project is too huge. I'll never finish it by the due date," try reframing your thinking to set yourself up for success. Instead, say "This is going to be a challenge, but if I break the assignment down into smaller parts and manage my time, I will get it done." If your friend snapped at you and you immediately think, "She hates me," reconsider. Reframe with something like, "I know she's going through an extremely stressful time and probably isn't aware of her attitude and demeanor. That response had nothing to do with me." Reframing takes a conscious effort on your part, but it can help you change the tone of your self-talk into something positive, supportive, and kind. Smile, even if you don't feel like it. Facial expression seems to have a moderate effect on mood, though scientists don't fully understand why. The act of smiling may induce feelings of happiness, so smile frequently. The more you smile, the more others will smile at you. This will also improve mood and make social interactions more pleasant. Listen to upbeat and inspirational music. Happy music can instantly improve your mood and increase awareness of positive attributes of others and your environment. Try starting each day by listening to upbeat music while you get dressed. Keep headphones with you so you can give your mood a boost periodically throughout the day. Find a hobby you love. Spend a little time each day doing something you enjoy. This will give you something to look forward to and provide a brief escape from stress. For added benefit, start hobbies that require you to go outside. Spending time in nature will contribute to positive mood. Meditate regularly. Meditating helps to manage stress and improve mood. Schedule 20 minutes each day to maintain the benefits of meditation, and take breaks for additional meditation during times of stress. Meditating takes practice, so be patient. Find a quiet place to practice meditation. Close your eyes or focus on a central object, like a candle flame, to reduce visual distractions. Focus your attention on your breathing. If you struggle with distractions, counting the duration as you inhale and exhale may help. Consider taking a class for guided meditation to improve your technique. Local yoga studios may offer classes. Keep a gratitude journal. Take time each day to acknowledge all of the things you have to be grateful for. This will help you maintain a positive attitude and a pleasant mood. Share your good mood by sharing entries of your gratitude journal with those whose actions made it into your journal. Engage your social network. Connecting with others increases self-worth and establishes a sense of belonging, contributing to general wellbeing. Maintain and strengthen relationships with friends and family through regular contact. Schedule time to make phone calls and visits each week. Schedule walks with friends to combine outdoor exercise and social interaction. Serve others. Volunteering to help others will improve your self-esteem and help you gain a little perspective. Realizing you are in a position to offer something to others will help you to focus on your strengths and resources, improving your mood. Contact your local community center or look up volunteering opportunities online. Join a club or team. Combine a new hobby or exercise and socializing by joining a club or community sports league. This will improve mood by fostering a sense of belonging, and provide the added benefit of spending time doing something you enjoy. You can find descriptions of local clubs and social groups online, with a list of scheduled events. Perform random acts of kindness. Random acts of kindness are a great way to boost your mood quickly, without requiring ongoing commitment. The acts don't need to be grand. Consider small gestures like buying coffee for the person behind you in line at a coffee shop, or giving a homeless person your lunch. Commit to performing a specific number of acts of kindness each day or each week. Write down each act and how it made you feel for an additional boost to your mood. | Exercise your way to a good mood. Eat a healthy, well balanced diet. Sleep well. Learn to reframe negative thoughts. Smile, even if you don't feel like it. Listen to upbeat and inspirational music. Find a hobby you love. Meditate regularly. Keep a gratitude journal. Engage your social network. Serve others. Join a club or team. Perform random acts of kindness. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-an-Uninterested-Puppy-Excited-for-Training | How to Get an Uninterested Puppy Excited for Training | To get your uninterested puppy excited for training, first bring it to a location that's quiet and distraction-free, like a bedroom, so it can focus. Keep in mind that puppies have short attention spans, so it's helpful to break up training sessions into short, 3-5 minute sessions a few times a day. As you train your puppy, make sure to give it treats when it follows a command which will keep its interest and reinforce the good behavior. If your dog isn't interested in treats, try scheduling training sessions right before meal time so it'll be more motivated for food. Besides giving out treats, make sure you reward your puppy with verbal praise, like 'good job!” to make a positive training environment. | Ensure there is no medical issue present. Puppies tend to have more energy than their adult counterparts, though their energy levels vary depending on factors like their breed, age, and health. If your puppy seems to be significantly more distracted or disinterested in training than they usually are, you'll need to eliminate any potential health factors. Your puppy might be lethargic, uninterested in food, or over-stimulated. If you have any concerns about your puppy's health, take them to the veterinarian as soon as you are able to. While most puppy boredom is a result of their environment, better safe than sorry applies here. Control the training environment. Like children, puppies learn the best in controlled environments. When you are getting ready to train your puppy, you should select an area that is relatively quiet and comfortable. For instance, you may decide to train your puppy indoors in your living room. This room should be quiet, free from visual and auditory distraction like the TV. It should just be the two of you. If you have other pets or small children, keep them outside of the room and dedicate this time to training your new puppy. While you won't be able to control for every factor, it is better to train in a quieter and more secluded environment early on. As your puppy becomes more confident in their training, you can start introducing other stimuli. This will challenge your puppy to pay attention and not be distracted. Set an appropriate training schedule. Puppies, like small children, have short attention spans and are unable to stay focused on tasks for very long. The younger the puppy, the shorter their attention span. An 8-week puppy can only be expected to train for 3-5 minutes a few times a day, while a 4 month old puppy can train for 10-15 minutes a few times a day. Remember that every dog is different, and that some puppies will respond to training more quickly than others. Training is a process that will go on throughout your puppy's lifetime. As your puppy ages and reaches adolescence, usually around 6 months of age, their training capacity will change and grow, and your schedule should reflect these changes. Prepare your own mental state. During these training sessions, you also need to be in the right frame of mind. If you are angry, frustrated, or feel rushed, your puppy will pick up on your cues and won't engage in training. You should be calm and neutral during these training sessions, so your positive reactions will be understood clearly as praise. When you are stressed, your puppy will pick up on your cues. They may become fearful or unwilling to participate in training when they sense you are displeased with the situation. Manage your expectations. Training is an important aspect of your relationship with your puppy. However, you need to be cognizant of the limitations of training. Your puppy is young and they are not able to participate in training the same way an older well-trained dog would be. They can learn basic commands, like sit and stay, but will struggle to follow more advanced commands like tricks, because of their mental capacity. Keep your expectations in mind if you find yourself starting to get frustrated at your less interested puppy. Sometimes, you may need to pause the training session for your own benefit. It is better to revisit the training session at a later time than for you to get angry that your puppy isn't cooperating like you think they should be. Be consistent in your training and reactions. During training sessions, your puppy might seem uninterested or hesitant to participate if they feel like they don't know what to expect. This can cause stress and lead to them avoiding future training sessions. Being consistent in your tone, mood, and approach to training will help your puppy associate training with a positive activity. In turn, your puppy will become more interested in training for future sessions. If you live in a household with other people, make sure that everyone is on the same page about training. Multiple trainers can confuse a puppy but you also want the dog to respond to each person's commands. Consistency is key in this scenario. Use appetizing and high reward treats. While most people assume that all dogs are inherently food-motivated, this may not be the case with your pup. Some breeds, like Labradors and beagles, are very food-motivated and will do anything for a treat. Other breeds are pickier with their treats, like herders and terriers, and will only respond to treats that they find truly appealing. Use high reward treats to motivate puppies who seem disinterested in training. High reward treats are special treats that your puppy doesn't get often, like a cube of steak or chicken, where a regular treat would be a piece of their kibble or regular food. Train when your dog is hungry. Even the most food-motivated dogs will not respond to treats when they're full. While you shouldn't starve your puppy, they'll be more interested in training and the prospect of treats when they're a little hungry than they would be if they just finished a big meal. A puppy that is a little hungry will be much more willing to work for treats than a full puppy will be. Feeding your puppy on a consistent schedule is also very helpful for other training endeavors, like for housebreaking. Wait at least two hours after feeding to train your puppy, or train right before meal time. Give out immediate rewards. Puppies, and dogs in general, do not have the same perception of time as people do. They do not understand delayed gratification and need immediate rewards to reinforce good behavior. This can be challenging at times, but it is important to be consistent. Reward them with a treat or praise as soon as they complete the command that you have just given. For example, when you are teaching the sit command, it is important to reward the puppy while they are still sitting rather than when they stand back up again. If you wait until they are standing again, they will think that you are rewarding them for standing rather than for sitting and following the command. This is why you need to have treats handy during your training and be quick to give verbal praise. Use verbal reinforcement and praise. Puppies, especially working breeds, want to please their owners. Verbal praise, like “good job” and “good girl” when they follow your commands will help to cement the good behavior into their minds. Puppies that aren't interested in training will most likely be more excited and motivated by food, but verbal praise is a good way to complement your training and to make training sessions positive environments. You should use praise the same way as you use treats, as an immediate reward for good behavior. Be sure that you offer the praise as soon as the puppy completes the command. Use toys to motivate your puppy. Some dogs are more toy-motivated than they are food or praise driven. This means that they'd rather focus their attention on a favorite ball or plush toy than on a treat. You can incorporate toys into your training routine by holding on to their favorite toy while you give commands. This ensures that their attention is focused on you and they are willing to follow your commands for a chance to play with the toy. You may find that your dog is more motivated by toys one day and treats another. This is fine, just be prepared to switch up your positive reinforcement methods to ensure your puppy stays excited and focused. | Ensure there is no medical issue present. Control the training environment. Set an appropriate training schedule. Prepare your own mental state. Manage your expectations. Be consistent in your training and reactions. Use appetizing and high reward treats. Train when your dog is hungry. Give out immediate rewards. Use verbal reinforcement and praise. Use toys to motivate your puppy. |
https://www.wikihow.pet/Measure-a-Dog-for-a-Harness | How to Measure a Dog for a Harness | To measure a dog for a harness, wrap a fabric measuring tape around the broadest part of the dog's chest. Typically, this is right behind its front legs. Pull the measuring tape so it's snug, but not tight, and write down the measurement. Then, weigh your dog and write down its weight, as well. Look for a harness that is about 2 inches larger than the measurement you took. When you find one, double-check that it's rated for your dog's weight, as well. | Get a measuring tape. While harnesses are often sold by the weight of a dog, it is good to use a measuring tape to get a more exact measurement. Combining your dog's weight and measurement in inches or centimeters will allow you to find the best possible harness size for your dog. If your dog wiggles around a lot, then you may want to ask someone to help you. Have someone hold the dog's collar to keep him still while you take the measurement. Measure the broadest part of the chest. The broadest part of a dog's chest is usually right behind the armpits. Wrap the tap measure around the chest and over the back. Make sure that you do not pull the measuring tape around your dog too tightly. It should be snug, but not tight. Use the measurement and your dog's weight to find the right size. Write down your dog's measurement and weight and take this information with you to the pet store. You will need this information to figure out the best harness size for your dog. First, look for a harness that is about two inches larger than the measurement you took. Then, check the weight range. If your dog's weight also falls into the weight range on the package, then that is ideal. If your dog is between sizes always get the bigger size. You can always adjust the harness to make it fit tighter, but if it is too small then you may not be able to use it at all. Place the harness on your dog and adjust the fit as needed. First, open the clasps on the harness. Then help your dog put his legs through the two openings. After your dog's legs are through the harness, pull it up and close the clasps. You may have to adjust the harness to tighten or loosen it after you get it on your dog. Loosen or tighten the straps as needed until the harness is snug, but not tight. To make sure that the harness is not too tight, try to put two fingers under each of the harness straps. If you can do so with ease, then the harness is a good fit. If not, loosen it up a bit. You will need to adjust and re-adjust the harness a few times in order to get the best fit. Get a back clip harness if your dog does not pull during walks. With a back clip harness, the leash clips to a ring midway along the back and is easy to attach a leash to. This keeps pressure off the throat and is ideal for dogs with tracheal collapse problems. Some people think that this type of harness causes dogs to pull and ignore their owners, so only choose this type of harness if your dog is well-trained to walk beside you and not pull. If you have a dog that is difficult to control on a walk, then a back clip harness is not the best harness choice. Choose a front clip harness to prevent your dog from pulling. The front clip harness has a ring on the front (chest strap) where the leash will attach. This type of attachment will prevent your dog from pulling on the leash and to keep his attention on you. One con of this type of harness is that its location in the front of the chest may make it difficult to attach the leash. The leash may also get tangled in the dog's legs sometimes. Select a tightening harness if you are an experienced dog trainer. A tightening harness applies pressure to the dog when it pulls. These types of harnesses vary in how much pressure they apply. Some can even produce pain, which is counterproductive and cruel. This type of harness should only be used by experienced trainers. Tightening harnesses may cause a dog to become fearful or aggressive if the harness causes pain. | Get a measuring tape. Measure the broadest part of the chest. Use the measurement and your dog's weight to find the right size. Place the harness on your dog and adjust the fit as needed. Get a back clip harness if your dog does not pull during walks. Choose a front clip harness to prevent your dog from pulling. Select a tightening harness if you are an experienced dog trainer. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Look-Pregnant | How to Look Pregnant | If you need to look pregnant, you'll want to choose the right clothing and belly padding to make it realistic. Maternity clothing will be the best choice to help shape your body in the right ways. You can also pick a shirt or dress with an empire waist, a tent dress, drawstring pants, or a loose skirt with an elastic waist. For your belly, look in novelty or costume stores or make your own belly out of fabric or latex. Another way to look pregnant is to move like you're expecting. Walk with your shoulders thrown back and stand with your hands pressed on your lower back. You can also rest your hands on your belly, use your arms to support yourself when getting in and out of chairs, and act like your feet are tired or sore. | Look for maternity clothing. Even though it's possible to look pregnant with some other styles of clothing, maternity clothing is best suited to the shape you need to be. Check thrift stores for maternity clothing, which will probably be the cheapest. If you don't have any luck, both Walmart and Old Navy sell cheap maternity clothing. Modify existing clothing. Some of your own clothing might work for looking pregnant. If you have a pair of pants you're willing to sacrifice, you can even convert your pants into maternity wear. Look through your closet and choose pieces with the following attributes, all of which could be worn successfully with a fake belly: Shirts or dresses with an empire waist Tent dresses or muumuus Drawstring pants Loose skirts with an elastic waist (that can be pulled below the belly) Try on the clothing with a fake pregnant belly. If you haven't gotten yours yet, consider taking some clothing to wad up under the maternity clothing as you try them on. If you're at a store that sells new maternity clothing, it's possible that they will have a fake belly. You can then try on the clothing with the belly underneath to get a sense of how it's going to fit. Since your weight is going to be in the belly and breasts, those are the areas that need to be loose. Think about buying a belly. If you're going to purchase a belly, you're going to have a number of choices. On the cheaper end, many novelty and costume stores have cheap pregnant bellies that you can get. They're easy to find around Halloween. If you're wanting to spend more – if you are working for a costume shop and know it's going to be used multiple times in different productions – there are a few different options. If the belly is going to be seen, it's probably best to purchase a silicone model. It will look realistic and be the right texture and color. If it's going to be under clothing and worn for long periods, a fabric belly will probably most comfortable. Gather material for making a belly. If you work in a costume shop and are familiar with sewing and/or modeling, you can make a very convincing belly. If you've decided you'd rather make a belly, you have a few options available. Sewing a fake belly model is a good option if you're handy with a sewing machine. If you are skilled at making latex models, it might be easy for you to make a fake belly yourself. Make a belly out of items around the house. One way to do this is with a tank top that's a few sizes too big and a basketball. It's not going to stay in place that well but can work if you're not moving around much and just need a brief sight gag. Place a basketball under the singlet Stretch the singlet to cover the whole basketball Pull your pants up and stretch it completely over lower part of the singlet containing the basketball Wear a shirt over the singlet and top part of pants containing ball Create easy pregnant breasts for men. An Australian rules football can make a realistic set of breasts. To use the football, tie up the singlet with string or elastic in between the Australian Rules football and the basketball, to secure the Australian Rules football. If you can't find a football, use a large-sized bra to stuff with fabric or polyester filler. This can also make very convincing pregnant breasts. Get the physicality right. Watch pregnant women for clues. If you don't know any, check out some online videos of pregnant women. Depending on how far along they are in their pregnancy, women may have some of the following traits: Walking with shoulders thrown back for balance Standing with hands pressed to the lower back (because of lower back pain) Hands often resting on the top of the belly Difficulty getting in and out of chairs, couches Swollen and painful feet and ankles Work on acting out the hormonal changes. Pregnancy affects women's mental and emotional states, and this will be key to your portrayal. For some women, pregnancy is a nine month-long emotional high leading to the birth of a baby. For others, hormonal changes can make small problems seem huge, anything sentimental worth crying about, and just exaggerate emotions in general. Consider your role and whether pregnancy and its mental and emotional challenges might be an integral part of the character. Practice while wearing your pregnant belly. Get other people to watch you and offer suggestions. If the part calls for specific physical gestures that might be difficult or different for pregnant women, practice those parts with more frequency and consider videotaping yourself to critique your performance. Wear the belly at every rehearsal. You need to get used to the way it feels and how it physically changes you. As rehearsals continue, you need to become more and more comfortable with it. The others actors need to work on their own reactions to it and its physical presence on your body can help. | Look for maternity clothing. Modify existing clothing. Try on the clothing with a fake pregnant belly. Think about buying a belly. Gather material for making a belly. Make a belly out of items around the house. Create easy pregnant breasts for men. Get the physicality right. Work on acting out the hormonal changes. Practice while wearing your pregnant belly. Wear the belly at every rehearsal. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Lose-5-Pounds-in-5-Days | How to Lose 5 Pounds in 5 Days | If you want to lose 5 pounds in 5 days, limit your caloric intake to about 1200 calories per day, but do not go below this, or your body may not get adequate amounts of the nutrients you need. Avoid processed carbs, refined sugars, and foods that are high in saturated fats. Instead, opt for lean proteins like fish and chicken and 1-2 servings of fruits and veggies, like leafy greens, at every meal. You should also aim to drink 8-13 glasses of water a day, which will keep you hydrated and also will help you feel more full. | Cut calories. In order to lose weight, you'll need to cut out some calories from your diet. Typically, cutting out about 500 calories daily will result in a 1-2 pound weight loss per week. However, if you're aiming to lose 5 pounds in 5 days, you may need to cut out more calories. Most health professionals recommend not limiting calories to less than 1200 daily. When you consume less than this amount is difficult to get adequate amounts of the required nutrients you need each day. However, if you want to follow a very low-calorie diet just for a few days, you most likely will not have many adverse side effects. Typical side effects of very low-calorie diets (diets that are about 800 – 1,000 calories daily) include tiredness, fatigue, headache, mental fogginess, and lack of energy. Always consult your physician first. Do not start a very low-calorie diet without medical supervision. Restrict carbohydrates. Studies have shown that one of the quickest diets for weight loss is a low-carb diet. It helps you lose more fat mass and also helps you lose some water weight. Although this is not recommended as a long-term diet, following this plan for five days should be safe. A low-carb diet is one that limits or restricts foods that contain carbohydrates. These types of foods include grains, starchy vegetables, dairy products and fruits. It's not healthy or smart to avoid all foods containing carbohydrates. You'd be limiting four out of the five food groups and be unable to consume the vital nutrients your body needs to function. Limit foods that are mostly carbohydrates and do not provide a significant amount of other nutrients. These include grains and starchy vegetables. Nutrients from these foods can also be found in other food groups. If you choose to include some carbs, aim to only have one to two servings daily. This would be 1 ounce or ½ cup of grains , ½ cup of fruit or 1 cup of starchy vegetables. Make your meals lean and green. For fast weight loss, limit carbs and make most of your meals “lean and green.” This means focusing mostly on lean proteins and green or non-starchy vegetables. Include a serving or two of lean protein at every meal. One serving is typically about 3 – 4 oz or the size of a deck of cards. Lean protein foods include eggs, poultry, lean beef, pork, nuts, and seafood. Low-fat dairy products and legumes can also count as lean protein, but you may be limiting these due to their carb content. The other half of your meal should be a non-starchy vegetable. Aim for one to two servings at each meal. One serving is 1 cup or 2 cups of leafy greens. Examples of meals fitting the “lean and green” criteria include grilled salmon over a spinach salad, stir-fry vegetables and grilled chicken or zucchini spaghetti and meatballs. Drink adequate fluids. It's very important to stay adequately hydrated – especially when you're trying to lose weight quickly. The myth is that dehydrating the body is a good way to lose water weight, but limiting salty foods and cleansing out the body with plain water is what can help reduce excess "water weight." Hydration plays a very important role in your overall health. It helps maintain your body temperature, protect your organs and even lubricates your joints. Most health professionals suggest consuming about eight to 13 glasses of water or other hydrating fluids daily. This amount will vary depending on your age, gender and activity level. In addition to maintaining adequate hydration status, drinking fluids can also aid in weight loss. It's been suggested to drink one to two glasses of water before a meal to help cut down on your portions or if you're feeling hungry. Aim to only consume no-calorie, hydrating beverages like water, flavored water, unsweetened coffee and tea. Pass on drinks like juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, sodas, and alcohol. Limit snacking. If you're interested in losing 5 pounds in five days, it's best to cut out or significantly limit snacking. Although snacks can be a part of a healthy diet, they may not allow you to lose the 5 pounds in five days. If you're choosing to snack, stick with your focus of “lean and green.” Choose foods that are higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. Also, keep snacks to 150 calories or less. This will help keep you on track with your overall calorie limit. Appropriate snacks include 1 hard boiled egg, 3 oz of beef jerky, 2 ounces of cheese or 1 high-protein bar/shake. Limit gas-producing foods. Some foods are more prone to causing gas or bloating. Although this doesn't necessarily account for weight loss on the scale, limiting these foods can help you feel slimmer. When digested, some foods create excess gas. This may make you feel or look bloated and make it more difficult to fit into or feel comfortable in a tighter pair of pants or skirt. Gas-forming foods include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, beans, lentils, garlic, and onions. Chewing gum or drinking carbonated beverages can cause also unwanted gas or bloating. Go for 150 minutes of cardio weekly. In addition to cutting calories, you can use cardio exercise to help increase your overall calorie burn or deficit for the day. The USDA recommends performing a minimum of 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercises each week, or working out for about 30 minutes five days a week. Aim to do moderate-intensity activities. These are exercises that should cause you to sweat, be slightly out of breath and feel tired when you're finished. Depending on your current fitness level, there may be a variety of activities that could be considered moderate intensity for you. Examples of exercises include walking, jogging/running, swimming, using the elliptical or rowing machine, doing an aerobics class or dancing. You can increase this to 300 minutes weekly if you can. There is no safe upper limit for exercise; however, note that if you're following a very restricted diet or a very low-calorie diet, you may feel too tired to exercise or fatigue quickly when you're exercising. If you notice these side effects be mindful and take care. If you're feeling pain or any discomfort, ease off on the intensity of your exercise. If the pain is severe, seek medical assistance. Increase your baseline activity. In addition to cardio exercises, it may also be helpful to increase your baseline activities. These are things you do every day and can increase with minor changes. Baseline activities (like doing household chores or walking to and from your destinations) do not burn many calories by themselves; however, if you ramp up your baseline activity all day long you may see significant increases in your total daily calorie burn. Think about ways you can move more and be more active. This might mean parking farther away from your destination, taking the stairs, standing or doing exercises during TV commercial breaks or standing at your desk. Try HIIT workouts. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a newly popular type of exercise. It burns a large quantity of calories in a shorter time and also helps increase your overall metabolic rate. Typical HIIT workouts are shorter in duration than steady cardio (like going for a jog) and involve short bursts of very, very high-intensity activity, followed by short bursts of more moderate-intensity activity. HIIT workouts are typically only geared towards those individuals who are already maintaining a fitness level to support higher-intensity activities or are active on a regular basis. You can do a variety of cardio activities for an HIIT workout. For example, on a treadmill you could alternate between jogging and sprinting or running uphill. Recover in the steam room. Many gyms now offer a steam room or sauna for their customers. This may help you relax and recover from your workout but also support a quick weight loss. As you sweat you may lose excess water weight. This can help the numbers on the scale drop more quickly and may make you feel less bloated. Relax in the steam room for 10 – 20 minutes. Spending more time than this may cause you to become dehydrated. Be very careful when using the steam room, especially for weight loss. This is not a recommended method for weight loss and should be used with caution. In addition, excess sweating can lead to dehydration which can be dangerous. Always follow a steam room sensation with plenty of hydrating fluids. | Cut calories. Restrict carbohydrates. Make your meals lean and green. Drink adequate fluids. Limit snacking. Limit gas-producing foods. Go for 150 minutes of cardio weekly. Increase your baseline activity. Try HIIT workouts. Recover in the steam room. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Sleep-When-You-Are-Not-Tired | How to Sleep When You Are Not Tired | The best way to sleep when you're not tired is by relaxing your body. Start by lowering the temperature in the room, and turn off the lights. Adjust the sound level to whatever you're comfortable with, like white noise or complete silence. When you get in bed, find a comfortable position and do some breathing exercises to relax your mind and body. If it takes you longer than 15 minutes to fall asleep, do a low-impact task, like having a cup of herbal tea, reading a magazine article, or simply sit up in bed. | Adjust the temperature. The temperature in the room should be slightly cooler than what is comfortable for you. A slight drop in temperature induces sleep. This will really help. Do not let yourself get too cold, however, most especially your feet; cold feet can be disruptive to sleep. It is best to put on some socks. You may wake up and remove the socks in the middle of the night, but that is better than letting cold feet keep you awake. It can take several hours for your body temperature to cool down after exercise or exposure to excessive heat, so try to ensure that your body is at normal temperature when you get ready to go to sleep. Adjust the lighting. If you prefer a completely dark room, cover all lights such as digital alarm clocks, or any other electronic device in your bedroom that has a light on it and use room blackening curtains or blinds. If you prefer to sleep with dim lighting, wear an eye mask or lower your lights until you are comfortable enough to sleep. Do not sleep with your lights on, as this disrupts sleep and makes it difficult to become tired and relaxed. Adjust the sound level. Consider putting on some white noise (sound machine, fan blowing, for example), which has been shown to help people fall asleep quicker. Also, people find the ticking of a watch or clock soothing. If you prefer everything quiet, turn off anything that causes noise. You can also consider wearing earplugs before you go to bed. It can take some time to get used to them, but they can help block out sounds you were not even aware of that kept you from sleeping. They can also be particularly useful if you share a bed with a partner who can wake you up. Adjust your sleeping position. Keep your back straight, and make sure that your neck is not resting too high or too low. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, as forcing your head to one side is hard on the spine and neck. If you sleep on your side, put a narrow pillow or rolled-up towel between your knees to keep your hips in a neutral position. Even turning from your right side to your left can help you fall asleep if you are feeling wide awake in the same old position. Make your bed more comfortable. Swap your over or under-stuffed pillows for the ones you keep in the guest room. If your mattress is lumpy, flip it over or cover it with a foam pad or other blankets. The more conducive your bed is to your sleep, the more likely you will be ready for bed. We have all laid in a nice, cozy hammock in the sunlight and fallen asleep when we were not even feeling particularly tired, have we not? Well, a cozy bed can have the same effect. Choose silky, thin sheets if you are too hot at night. Opt for thicker, flannel sheets if you find yourself too cold at night. Also, always pick single-ply sheets over double-ply, because single-ply threads are softer and more durable. If you can't afford a completely new mattress, buy a memory foam mattress topper to provide a layer of support and plushy softness. Add a quilted mattress cover, which can both protect your mattress and make your bed feel softer. Throwing your sheets in the wash can work wonders to make them feel more comfortable. Get some exercise at least 3 hours before bed. Go for a run, hit up the gym, take a long walk, or do some stretches to help you get your heart rate going before you ease into bed. This will work out your body and will make you more tired; doing this at least 3 hours before bed will keep your adrenaline from pumping right before bedtime and keeping you awake. If you work out shortly before bed, then you will feel more awake than ever. Avoid alcohol or caffeine right before bed. Though a glass of wine may initially make you feel drowsy, consuming alcohol right before bed will disrupt your sleep cycle and make you fall into a less deep sleep. If you do like to have a nightcap, just have it 2 to 3 hours before bed, so it does not keep you up. As for caffeine, you should avoid caffeine after 2-3 pm, or ideally even afternoon, because it can take up to 8 hours for the caffeine to fully leave your system. This can definitely make you feel awake, even when you want to fall asleep. Drink cherry juice. Another option is to snack on a variety of other foods that are rich in melatonin, which is known to help you to feel sleepy and drift off more quickly. Though you should avoid eating right before bed or you may be up with indigestion or general discomfort, eating some of these foods a few hours before bed can help you drift off: Other fruits that can boost your melatonin levels are tart cherries, tomatoes, grapes, and pomegranate. Rice, rolled oats, barley are grains that are rich in melatonin. Add some veggies that boost melatonin as well like asparagus, corn, olives, cucumber, and broccoli. You could also snack on some sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, walnuts, flaxseed, or peanuts to boost your levels as well. Curl your toes. When you get in bed, curl your toes upward for a few seconds, relax them, and then repeat. This can help you relax your mind and body, so performing a series of 10 of these if you are feeling way too alert for your own good can help you fall asleep when you are not tired. Drink herbal tea. Herbal tea, whether it is chamomile or peppermint, has been shown to calm your body and mind and to help you feel tired and relaxed. Have a cup 1 to 2 hours before bed; you do not want to drink too much liquid right before bed or you will be more likely to have to get up to urinate in the middle of the night. If you make a cup of herbal tea part of your pre-bed routine, this will help you fall asleep even faster. Eat a healthy, lighter dinner. Get a healthy dose of carbs, proteins, and fruits or veggies with your daily dinner. Avoid spicy or overly heavy meals that are rich in fat or sugars, or your body will be more alert and uncomfortable throughout the night. A healthy, balanced dinner will do the trick in making you feel more tired. Make sure to eat it at least three hours before bedtime, so that your body has time to digest the food. Here are some great dinner options that can help you feel tired while still feeling healthy: Lighter pasta with cheese Tofu with couscous A glass of warm milk with oatmeal A kale salad, salmon, and rice noodles Try taking a magnesium supplement. Taking a magnesium supplement may also help you to feel more relaxed. Being deficient in magnesium can contribute to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Try taking a daily 400 mg supplement of magnesium and see if that helps you. Recreate boredom. This varies from person to person, but whatever that activity is, it should lull your brain, not engage it. Do whatever you think is the most boring thing possible. Listen to slow, calming music or read something that is completely uninteresting to you. Do puzzles, like Sudoku or Solitaire Listen to a very dry podcast. Try playing a game like tic-tac-toe with yourself. Perform breathing exercises. Try abdominal breathing , yogic pranayam , or a one-minute breathing exercise. Close your eyes and focus on the breath falling in and out of your body. As you do this, picture each part of your body relaxing, one at a time. Focusing on your body will keep you from thinking about anything else from the outside world. Visualize something relaxing and repetitive. For example, think of small, warm waves washing over your body at regular intervals to coincide with your breathing. Meditate to calm yourself and clear your head. Do not pick anything too exciting or thrilling, something that may work yourself up. Picture a calming beach, a gorgeous, lush forest or a beautiful rose garden. Imagine yourself walking through it all. Think of one of the most beautiful and calming places you have ever been to (a clear stream of running water in a field of wildflowers in the mountains, a peaceful lake, a beautiful beach with a slight breeze in the air). This should help you relax. Read. Reading can help calm your mind and take your thoughts off of anything that might have been troubling you that day. Read something light and not too gripping, such as the local news, a paperback, or a piece of historical non-fiction. If you read a gripping thriller or an emotionally disturbing news story, that will keep you up even longer and will make you feel even more awake if you just cannot stop reading. Challenge yourself and read the most boring thing you can find, from your old chemistry textbooks to a dry report about the state of another country's economy. Turn off all visual stimuli at least an hour before bed. Put away the iPad, phone, computer with Netflix all queued up, and turn off that television. Your eyes should begin to start to rest and to stop seeing all of the images that will make you feel more awake, jumpy, and less able to relax. Stop being the person who drifts off while watching television or with a cell phone in her hand. Get rid of all of those high-sensory distractions, which are guaranteed to make your mind feel more alert when it is time for bed. Listen to recorded meditation. There are plenty of recorded, guided meditations that you can listen to in order to relax in the evening. See what's available on YouTube, for example. Alternatively, you might check out apps like Headspace or Calm, which are digital services that, for a subscription fee, offer guided meditation sessions. Stick to the fifteen-minute rule. This rule is simple: if you have been lying in bed for more than fifteen minutes and are unable to fall asleep because you are not tired, then try something else. If you continue to lie there, your mind will continue churning, and you may even work yourself up and feel even more awake than you did when you first closed your eyes. Once fifteen minutes have passed and you are no closer to catching those zzz's, do something else that is not very taxing. Read a magazine. Pace around your room. Drink some herbal tea. Hum to yourself. Sit up and stare at your hands. Do something new and you will start to drift off. Whatever you do, though, make sure to keep the lights dim - even reasonably dim if you are reading. Avoid intense conversations before bed. Five minutes before bedtime is not the time to get into a big fight with your significant other or to call up your best friend and complain about all of the stress you are facing at work in great detail. If you live with someone and have to talk right before bed, make sure you do not bring up anything more intense than the type of herbal tea you are going to buy at the store tomorrow. Otherwise, the conversation will make you feel even more alert and awake, and it will take you even longer to fall asleep. If you live with someone who loves intense conversations right before bed, talk to them about having these conversations two to three hours before bed instead. When they learn of the issues that you have with sleep, they will (hopefully) be happy to make that concession. Think about everything you did that day. Another way to calm your mind is to go through everything you did that day, up to the most boring little detail. Start with how many blackberries you placed in your morning oatmeal and end with which quadrant of your teeth you decided to brush last. Try to break it down hour by hour and see how specific you can get and how many things you can end up remembering. Unless you are a superhero or an ER doctor for a living, chances are that this alone will be boring enough to put you to sleep. If you have gone through your whole day and still feel wide awake, try going through your entire week. Surely that should be boring enough to make you drift off. Use aromatherapy. Pleasant scents, such as lavender can help your body to relax by triggering your brain to release serotonin and endorphins. Try keeping a scented candle in your bedroom, add a few drops of essential oil to your bath, or use some scented pillow mist before you go to bed. Find your sleepy time routine. If you want to feel tired when you want to go to bed, then you have to find a routine that helps you decompress and fall right into bed that starts at least half an hour before it is time to get some shut-eye. This can include some light reading, listening to classical music, reading the newspaper, or doing whatever light, low-intensity activities that may help you forget your problems and start to recognize that your body needs rest. Once you find this routine, stick to it. If you know you have to get to bed a little earlier one night though you are not tired, start the routine earlier and you can trick your mind into feeling tired a bit faster. Go to bed around the same time every night. You may not be feeling tired because you are trying to go to bed earlier than you normally do, maybe because you have to start waking up earlier. If you want to make it easier for yourself to fall asleep, then you have to get used to falling asleep at around the same time every night and waking up around the same time every morning. That way, your body will get used to feeling tired at the same time every night or more alert at the same time every morning. Only use your bed for sleeping. Even if you are not tired, do not watch TV in bed, do your homework in bed, talk to friends on the phone in bed, or do anything but sleep in your bed. It will be easier for you to drift off when you close your eyes, because it will tell your body that your bed is solely for sleeping. Find a space in your home or room that is designated for "work only." This will help you save the relaxing stuff for your bed. Get out in the sunlight as soon as you wake up. Once you roll out of bed, head for the window or the balcony as soon as you can. The bright light from the sun will tell your body's biological clock that it is wakey-wakey time, and this same clock will help you get to bed in about 14–16 hours, helping you stabilize your waking up and going to bed routine. Set aside a "worry time" for earlier in the day. If one of the reasons you do not feel tired when you go to bed is because you stay up for two hours worrying about your relationship, your health, your status at work, that kind of thing. Then you need to work on setting aside a "worry time" earlier in the day so that there is nothing on your mind by the time you are ready to hit the hay. It may sound silly, but if you say, "I'm going to worry from 5-5:30 PM every day" and do nothing but worry, write down your worries, or say them aloud during that time, then you will get them off your chest. If you wait until bedtime to slow down and really think about your troubles, then yeah, you're bound to feel wide awake for a long time. Try taking a warm bath or shower before bed. Either of these will raise your body's core temperature some. After your shower or bath, move to your cooler bedroom. This will cause your temperature to drop, which is the cue that tells your body it is time to sleep. Get all the pets out of the room. Another way to develop a healthy routine that keeps you from staying awake for longer than necessary is to stop letting your dog or cat share the bed with you. Though you may love nothing more than the feeling of this furry, cuddly creature sleeping beside you, studies show that people who sleep with their pets have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep because those cuddly creatures can wake you up in the middle of the night. You may think that having your dear pet next to you will help you fall asleep when you are not feeling tired, but it will actually make you even more awake. | Adjust the temperature. Adjust the lighting. Adjust the sound level. Adjust your sleeping position. Make your bed more comfortable. Get some exercise at least 3 hours before bed. Avoid alcohol or caffeine right before bed. Drink cherry juice. Curl your toes. Drink herbal tea. Eat a healthy, lighter dinner. Try taking a magnesium supplement. Recreate boredom. Perform breathing exercises. Visualize something relaxing and repetitive. Read. Turn off all visual stimuli at least an hour before bed. Listen to recorded meditation. Stick to the fifteen-minute rule. Avoid intense conversations before bed. Think about everything you did that day. Use aromatherapy. Find your sleepy time routine. Go to bed around the same time every night. Only use your bed for sleeping. Get out in the sunlight as soon as you wake up. Set aside a "worry time" for earlier in the day. Try taking a warm bath or shower before bed. Get all the pets out of the room. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Parsnips | How to Cook Parsnips | To cook parsnips on the stovetop, first place 6 parsnips in a pot and fill it with enough water to cover them. Boil the parsnips over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until they're tender. Drain the pot and set the parsnips aside. Next, add ¼ cup (30 g) of all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt to a resealable bag. Then melt ½ cup (110 g) of butter and dip the parsnips into the butter and place them in the bag. Shake the bag to coat the parsnips with the flour mixture. Heat the leftover butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, and add the parsnips to the skillet. Finally, cook the parsnips, turning them every so often, until each side is golden brown. | Preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC). Prepare the parsnips. Trim the root and leaf ends of 1-1/2 lbs. of parsnips. Scrub them with a vegetable brush as you rinse them under cool water. Peel the parsnips and julienne them, cutting them into long thin strips similar to the shape of long French fries. Place the parsnips in an ungreased 2-qt baking dish. Dot them with 1/4 cup of melted butter. Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. The parsnips should be submerged in the water, which will cook them once it boils in the oven. Sprinkle the parsnips with the spices. Sprinkle the parsnips with 1/2 tsp. of dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. of dried parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp. of salt, and 1/8 tsp. of pepper. Cover the baking dish and bake the parsnips for 45 minutes or until they are tender. After 35 minutes or so, you can check to see how tender they are by poking them with a fork. Serve. Enjoy these parsnips while they are hot. You can enjoy them on their own or as a side to a meat or vegetable-based dish, such as chicken or eggplant. Prepare the parsnips. Trim the root and leaf ends of 6 parsnips. Scrub them with a vegetable brush as you rinse them under cool water. Then, peel them and use a knife to quarter them lengthwise. Cover the parsnips with water in a large saucepan. Cover the saucepan. Boil the parsnips over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Boil them until they are tender. After 7 minutes, you can check them by poking them with a fork. When they are boiled, drain them to remove the water. Combine the flour and seasoning salt in a plastic bag. Place 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp. of seasoning salt in a sealable plastic bag and shake it to combine the ingredients. Dip the parsnips into 1/2 cup of melted butter and place them in the bag. To coat the parsnips, shake the bag to toss them with the seasoned flour. Heat the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. It should take about one minute for the butter to be heated enough to sizzle. Add the parsnips and cook them until they're golden brown. After 2-3 minutes, turn them over with a spatula to cook both sides evenly. If they still need more time to be tender and golden brown, keep flipping them over or gently turning them with a fork until they are ready. Serve. Enjoy these fried parsnips while they are hot. You can use them as a replacement to French fries and pair them with a sandwich. Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Prepare the parsnips. To prepare the parsnips, wash 2 lbs. of medium parsnips under cold water, peel them, and cut them diagonally into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) slices. The result should resemble uneven medallions. Toss the parsnips, olive oil, and salt together in a bowl. Toss 2 lbs. of medium parsnips, 2 tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 tsp. of Kosher salt together in a bowl. Spread the parsnips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Dot them with 2 tbsp. of melted butter. Roast the parsnips for 20 minutes. Use tongs to turn the parsnips and roast them for another 15 minutes. Roast them until they're brown and tender. Then, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a plate. Season the parsnips. Season the parsnips with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle them with 2 tsp. of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley. Serve. Enjoy these parsnips while they are hot. Boil the parsnips. Boiling parsnips is a simple and quick way to enjoy their natural flavor. Here is what you should do to boil the parsnips: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water if desired. Trim the root and leaf ends of the parsnips. Scrub the parsnips with a vegetable brush while rinsing under cool water. Peel any part of the outer parsnip that is not favorable to eating. Place the parsnips into the boiling water and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 - 15 minutes, until the parsnips are tender. Steam the parsnips. Steaming the parsnips is another quick and easy way to cook them that does not require the use of butter or other spices during the process -- you can add any butter, salt, pepper, or other spices later. Here is how you can steam the parsnips: Trim the root and leaf ends of the parsnips. Scrub the parsnips with a vegetable brush while rinsing under cool water. Peel any part of the outer parsnip that is not favorable to eating. Put the whole parsnips into a steamer and place over boiling water. Steam for 20 - 30 minutes. Microwave the parsnips. Once you've trimmed the root and leaf ends of the parsnips and scrubbed them under cool water, there are only a few things you need to do to cook the parsnips in the microwave. Here is how you do it: Quarter the parsnips lengthwise. Put 2 tbsp. (28.56 ml) of water into a microwave safe dish. Place the parsnips into the dish and cover. Microwave on high for 4 - 6 minutes. | Preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC). Prepare the parsnips. Place the parsnips in an ungreased 2-qt baking dish. Dot them with 1/4 cup of melted butter. Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. Sprinkle the parsnips with the spices. Cover the baking dish and bake the parsnips for 45 minutes or until they are tender. Serve. Prepare the parsnips. Cover the parsnips with water in a large saucepan. Boil the parsnips over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Combine the flour and seasoning salt in a plastic bag. Dip the parsnips into 1/2 cup of melted butter and place them in the bag. Heat the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the parsnips and cook them until they're golden brown. Serve. Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Prepare the parsnips. Toss the parsnips, olive oil, and salt together in a bowl. Spread the parsnips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the parsnips for 20 minutes. Use tongs to turn the parsnips and roast them for another 15 minutes. Season the parsnips. Serve. Boil the parsnips. Steam the parsnips. Microwave the parsnips. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Combine-Songs-on-Your-Computer-Using-Audacity | How to Combine Songs on Your Computer Using Audacity | To combine songs on your computer using Audacity, start by launching Audacity on your computer and starting a new blank project. Then, copy and paste the two songs you want to combine into the project. Next, click a spot all the way at the end of the first song, where there are no waves. Finally, click the “control”, “command," and “v” keys at the same time to paste the second song and combine it with the first one. | Download and install Audacity. Audacity is a free, open source audio editing program. You can download it from audacityteam.org. The Audacity website will detect the operating system you are using and provide the correct installer automatically. If your operating system is not properly detected, click the "All Audacity Downloads" link and download the correct version for your operating system. Run the installer after you have finished downloading it and follow the prompts to install Audacity. If you download from the official website, you shouldn't have to worry about installing adware. Download and install the LAME MP3 encoder. This software is required if you want Audacity to be able to export the finished file as an MP3. Visit the LAME page at lame.buanzo.org/#lamewindl. Download and run the proper installer for your operating system. If Windows warns you that the source is unknown, you can safely proceed with the installation. Launch Audacity. When you start Audacity, you'll be greeted with a blank new project. Open the songs you want to combine. Click "File" → "Open" and browse for the first song that you want to join. Repeat for each of the songs you want to add. Start a new project. Click "File" → "New" to create a new blank project. You'll be using this new project to combine all of the files so that the originals stay unchanged. Copy the first song. Select the window containing the song you want to start with. Press Ctrl + A (Windows/Linux) or Command + A (Mac) to select the entire song. You can also click "Edit" → "Select All". Press Ctrl/Command + C to copy the selected track, or click "Edit" → "Copy". Paste the song into the new project. Highlight the empty new project and press Ctrl/Command + V to paste the copied track. You'll see the track appear in the Audacity window. Add a second audio track to the new project. Click "Tracks" → "Add New" → "Stereo Track". This will create a second blank track underneath the first song you pasted. Copy the second song. After creating your new audio track, open the window for the second song and repeat the selection and copy process. Move your cursor to the end of the track in the new project. Scroll all the way to the right in the new project to find the end of the first track you pasted. Click a spot in the new blank audio track at the end where there are no waves, indicating silence. Paste the second track. After placing your cursor in the new audio track at the end of the first track, press Ctrl/Command + V to paste the second song. Your new project will now have the first song in the top audio track, and the second song in the track beneath, starting when the first ends. Repeat this process for each additional track that you want to combine, creating a new stereo audio track for each one. Make the window full-screen to see the project better. Insert silence between tracks. You can use the Silence Generator tool to insert silence if your tracks jump from one to the next too quickly. Place your cursor at the spot between songs where you want to insert silence. Click "Generate" → "Silence" to open the Silence Generator. Change the value to the amount of silence you want to add. Many CDs put two seconds of silence between tracks. Click "OK" to generate the amount of silence you set at the location that you placed your cursor. Add fade between tracks. You can have your songs fade into each other by using the Cross Fade In and Cross Fade Out effects. These will require a little experimenting to get it sounding right for your songs. If at any time you aren't happy with the change you've made, press Ctrl/Command + Z to undo your last change. Select the portion of the song that you want to fade out. Use your mouse to select the last few seconds of a song. Click "Effects" → "Cross Fade Out". You'll see the waves of the music adjust as the effect is applied to your selection. Click the Play button to playback the selected part. If you're unhappy with the fade, undo the command. Select the beginning few seconds of the next track. Click "Effects" → "Cross Fade In". Listen to the whole project. Before you finalize your project, give the whole thing a listen to make sure it sounds good. Make sure that nothing is selected and click the Play button to hear the whole thing. You can then go back and make spacing and fading adjustments based on what you hear. Save a copy of your project. Click "File" → "Save Project As" to save your new project for later editing. You won't be able to play this version on anything, but it will let you come back and make more changes later if you want. Click "File" → "Export Audio". Select "MP3 files" from the "Save as type" drop-down menu. Click the . Options... button and select a quality setting. Higher bit rates will result in better quality but a larger file size. 320 kbps is the closest you can get to the original quality of the files. Give the new file a name and choose where you want to export it to. Click Save when you're satisfied. Click . OK when informed that your tracks will be mixed down. This essentially collapses each of your additional tracks so that they are all on one stereo track. Fill out any metadata that you want to save. You can enter Artists, song names, and much more, or just leave everything blank. Click OK when you're done. Wait for the export to complete. The time this takes will vary depending on how many songs you are combining. | Download and install Audacity. Download and install the LAME MP3 encoder. Launch Audacity. Open the songs you want to combine. Start a new project. Copy the first song. Paste the song into the new project. Add a second audio track to the new project. Copy the second song. Move your cursor to the end of the track in the new project. Paste the second track. Insert silence between tracks. Add fade between tracks. Listen to the whole project. Save a copy of your project. Click "File" → "Export Audio". Click the . Give the new file a name and choose where you want to export it to. Click . Fill out any metadata that you want to save. Wait for the export to complete. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Photograph-Lightning | How to Photograph Lightning | To photograph lightning, you'll need a camera with manual focus and remote shutter release. First, find a spot that's around 6-10 miles away from the storm you want to photograph. Then, mount your camera on a tripod or something else sturdy, and turn on your camera's manual focus. Next, switch the focus to "infinity," set the ISO to around 200, and set the shutter speed to "B" or "Bulb." Finally, use a remote control to open the shutter, and use the remote to close the shutter after lightning strikes. | Pick the right camera. Purchase or borrow a camera that is good for use in landscape photography. The camera must have the capability for manual focus and remote shutter release. A digital display is also useful for lining up your shot and for correcting unforeseen image quality issues mid-shoot. Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are ideal for photographing lightning. Compact "point and shoot" cameras often respond too slowly and don't always have the required features. If you would like to use a compact camera, test it out first. Attach an optional specialty lens to your camera. While not necessary, a wide-angle zoom lens works best for lightning photography. The wide angle will allow you to fit more into the shot, maximizing your chances of catching an interesting lightning strike. Meanwhile, a zoom lense will give you the ability of adjusting the focal length to target a specific area. This option is especially useful in case the storm shifts position or you decide to focus on an interesting nearby object instead of the horizon. Find a suitable location. Not only is trying to take photographs in the middle of a storm dangerous, but it is also unlikely to produce quality photos. The optimal distance for lightning photographs is somewhere between roughly 6 and 10 miles from the storm. Any closer is too dangerous. Any further will likely give you small, blurry lightning strikes that look relatively unimpressive. Figure out which direction the storm is moving. It's best to position yourself so that the storm moves across your field of view rather that towards or away from it. This will ensure that the storm will remain an optimal distance from you for as long as possible. There are a few ways to determine a storm's direction. If the storm is moving fast enough, you can easily see its pattern of movement and use a compass. However, if you have access to the Internet, the most accurate way is to check your local meteorologist for details or use a storm tracking application. Pick an interesting vantage point. The best lightning photographs are usually framed in such a way to include something else that's visually interesting, such as a city skyline or a natural monument. This gives the viewer a frame of reference for understanding the storm's large size. Set up some type of camera support. For lightning photographs, you will be using camera settings that cause the slightest movement to ruin an otherwise great shot. Don't try to hold your camera in your hands. You can use any object that keeps still to mount your camera. While a traditional tripod can work great, you can place your camera on something as simple as a bean bag chair for greater flexibility. No matter what you use for support, try to skew your camera's field of view up towards the sky. Stay safe. It is important to have a good view of the storm, but don't get too close. Successive lightning strikes often occur two to three miles apart, so keep in mind that you will need to stay a significantly larger distance away. Even so, lightning can also strike far from a storm's center and certain additional precautions should be taken: Don't use an umbrella. When using a tripod, you should also use an extra long shutter release cable. A metal tripod can act as a lightning rod, and you want to be as far away from a potential lightning strike as possible. If possible, stay inside a building or a car with the windows rolled up. Stay at least 50 feet away from water and tall structures like trees and buildings. Set your camera for manual focusing. Lightning strikes are too fast for your camera's autofocus to follow. Keeping autofocus turned on will probably give you blurry photos, since the autofocus will continuously "hunt" for an object to focus on between shots. Many cameras have an external physical switch to change between automatic and manual focus. If your camera doesn't, try looking through the camera's advanced settings via its digital display. Switch your camera's focus to "infinity. " You will not have time to focus on an individual lightning strike, so it's best to keep your camera focused on a static position. Infinity focus will keep your camera focused where lightning is likely to strike. Infinity focus will bring everything past a certain point on the horizon into focus. The infinity focus setting is typically indicated by the infinity symbol, which looks like a sideways figure 8. When using a detachable lens, the infinity focus setting is usually part of its focus ring. Infinity focus is becoming less common of a feature on newer model cameras. Many of these cameras have lenses that can focus beyond what was previously termed infinity. When photographing lightning with these cameras, try shifting the manual focus as far away as possible at first. You may need to take a few test shots to find the perfect focus for capturing lightning on film. Set your camera's ISO to a medium one. ISO is essentially a measurement of how sensitive your camera is to light. If you're working under brighter conditions, a lower ISO is appropriate. For darker situations, you will need a higher, more sensitive ISO. The exact ISO best for your particular situation will vary, so it's best to find it through trial and error with a few test shots. An ISO of around 200 is often recommended as a good place to start for lightning photography. Most DSLR cameras have a physical button for ISO settings, while compact cameras typically have them under a digital menu. The lower the ISO or film speed, the less noise you will have. Because of this, it's best to use the lowest ISO that gives you a clear picture. Set the shutter speed to "B" or "Bulb. " This setting will allow you to manually control your camera's shutter and, consequently, its exposure time. Tripping the shutter on a camera at the exact moment that lightning strikes is nearly impossible to do. Using the bulb setting keeps the shutter open until you manually close it again. If your camera does not let you manually control the shutter, set its speed to the longest available, which should be between 10 to 30 seconds. Use a remote control to open the shutter. Once your setup is perfect, you can finally start to photograph lightning. Start the process by opening the shutter. A remote shutter will both keep you out of harm's way and eliminate blurriness caused by manually pressing a button on the camera. Close the shutter after lightning strikes. Wait a few seconds for lightning to strike. After it does, close the shutter using your remote control. When fairly close to a storm, exposure time should be no longer than 15 seconds. For storms that are further away, exposure time can be anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes. In photography, "exposure time" is the length of time that light is allowed to enter the camera, creating an image. It's the time period between when you open and close the shutter. Most lightning photography techniques use long exposure times. Review your photos and change settings if needed between strikes. When it comes to photographing lightning, there is no one size fits all list of settings that will get you perfect pictures every time. Every situation is unique, so you will need to use your own judgment. Because most cameras now have screens that let you immediately see your shots, you can check to see if your image quality is acceptable during your shoot. If the photographs seem overexposed or too noisy, try reducing the ISO. If the photographs are too dim, try increasing the ISO. If the lightning seems out of focus, try adjusting your lens. If the lightning isn't sharp and adjusting the focus doesn't help, try increasing the shutter speed. The less time the shutter is left open, the sharper your pictures will be. | Pick the right camera. Attach an optional specialty lens to your camera. Find a suitable location. Set up some type of camera support. Stay safe. Set your camera for manual focusing. Switch your camera's focus to "infinity. Set your camera's ISO to a medium one. Set the shutter speed to "B" or "Bulb. Use a remote control to open the shutter. Close the shutter after lightning strikes. Review your photos and change settings if needed between strikes. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Banana-Ice-Cream | How to Make Banana Ice Cream | To make banana ice cream, start by peeling ripe bananas and freezing them overnight. Once completely frozen, use a sharp knife to cut the bananas into small pieces. Put the banana chunks into a food processor and pulse for 45-60 seconds. If you like, stir in extra ingredients such as chocolate chips, vanilla extract, or peppermint oil. Then, pour the mixture into a bowl and enjoy! | Peel the bananas. Make sure you have ripe bananas. They should have a few brown spots on the peels. Once you have the ripe bananas, peel them and set them aside. Freeze the bananas. Take out 1-2 freezer safe plastic zipper bags. Place your bananas evenly in the bags. Freeze the bananas overnight. The bananas will be solid once they are frozen completely. Process the bananas. Once they are completely frozen, take the bananas out of the freezer and bags. Lay them on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the banana into small pieces. Throw the pieces into a food processor. Pulse the bananas for 45-60 seconds. The bananas should be smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and enjoy! Don't over pulse the banana mixture. If you pulse it for too long, the friction from the blades will start to melt the banana. Add extra ingredients. Although this ice cream is fantastic on its own, you can add extra ingredients to this mixture and process the banana mixture for a few additional seconds to make an even more amazing dessert. Add a few drops of peppermint oil or extract and a handful of chocolate chips for mint chocolate chip ice cream. For cherry vanilla ice cream, add a few frozen cherries and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Add a tablespoon or two cocoa powder and nuts for a chocolaty, nutty ice cream. The banana takes on other flavors really well. Once you add a few ingredients, the other flavors take over and the banana becomes a background flavor. Prepare the bananas. Peel the bananas. Take each banana and cut it into small, 1/2 inch sized pieces. Line a freezer safe pan with parchment paper. Place the slices side by side in a single layer on the parchment paper. Freeze for 2 hours. You can also use wax paper. Process the bananas. Once the bananas have been frozen for 2 hours, put them in the food processor. Pulse the bananas for a few seconds. Check the consistency. They need to be a course crumb texture. Continue to pulse for a few seconds at a time until they reach this consistency. Make sure you use the chopping blade in your food processor. Incorporate the other ingredients. Pour the vanilla and chosen milk into the processor. Process the ingredients together until they are smooth and the consistency of creamy soft serve ice cream. You may have to spatula off the sides of the processor to get the ingredients to fully mix together. Freeze the ice cream. Pour the mixture into a freezer safe container. Use the spatula to scrap the sides of the bowl. Cover the container and freeze for 2-4 hours, then enjoy. The time in the freezer will depend on the consistency you want out of your ice cream. Check it after two hours to see if it is creamy and hard enough for you. Heat the mixture. In a heavy saucepan, heat the half and half to 175 degrees over low heat. Add in the sugar and salt while it cooks. Stir it until the sugar dissolves. Start the custard. Break your eggs into a bowl. Beat the eggs well. Next, take a small amount of the hot mixture and pour it into the eggs. Whisk them together. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking the mixture constantly. Cook the mixture over low heat until it reaches 160 degrees. It should coat the back of a metal spoon. Finish the custard. Remove the pan from heat. Cool the pan down quickly by placing the pan in a large bowl of ice water. Stir the mixture while it rests in the bowl for 2 minutes. Stir in the whipping cream, vanilla, and milk. Put plastic wrap over the saucepan and place it in the refrigerator. Leave it in for several hours. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight. Make the ice cream. Take the mixture out of the refrigerator. Mash the bananas with a fork. Stir the bananas into the custard mixture. Take the cylinder of an ice cream freezer and fill it 2/3 the way full with your mixture. Let the ice cream make to the freezer's specifications. Place the remaining mixture back in the fridge while you wait for the first batch to make. Once the ice cream is frozen, transfer it from the ice cream cylinder to a freezer safe container. Make the remaining mixture. Place the ice cream in the freezer for 2-4 hours before serving to get the desired consistency. This recipe makes 3 quarts of ice cream. Make a variation. If you don't like custard or cannot have eggs, you may want to try a variation on this recipe. Blend 4 ripe bananas, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream in a blender until smooth. Place the mixture in an ice cream freezer and make according to the directions. Serve and enjoy. This recipe makes 4 servings. You can put this mixture in a freezer safe bowl and freeze it if you don't have an ice cream freezer. Stir the mixture every few hours until it is the desired texture you want. Finished. | Peel the bananas. Freeze the bananas. Process the bananas. Add extra ingredients. Prepare the bananas. Process the bananas. Incorporate the other ingredients. Freeze the ice cream. Heat the mixture. Start the custard. Finish the custard. Make the ice cream. Make a variation. Finished. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Swim | How to Swim | To learn to swim, first understand safety before you get in the water. You should never try to learn to swim on your own. Always make sure an adult, instructor or lifeguard is watching you or helping you learn. Next, get comfortable by learning how to hold your breath. To hold your breath, take a long inhale and wait to exhale. Once you learn to hold your breath, you can try to float. Start by making your body parallel with the surface of the water while lying on your back. Ask an adult to spot you as you find your balance in the water. Try to maintain your parallel posture on your back for a few moments unassisted without submerging your face. Always practice in the shallow end, so you can stand up when you need to. When you're comfortable floating, grab onto the edge of the pool and practice gently kicking your legs up and down in the water. Try keeping your head face-down in the water for a few seconds while holding your breath, but always come up for air when you feel that you need it. To learn how to swim the freestyle, breast, butterfly, and back strokes, try working with a qualified instructor. | Let go of your fear. A lot of people put off learning how to swim because they're afraid of drowning. While drownings do occur, most of them could have been prevented by simple safety measures. Follow these guidelines whenever you're swimming, and the odds of drowning will decrease dramatically: Don't swim alone. Always go swimming with one other person who is a strong swimmer, if not several other people. An area with a lifeguard is usually the best place to swim. Don't start out swimming in moving water. If you're learning to swim in an ocean or river, you'll need to be more aware of the motion of the water. If you must learn to swim this way, try to make sure you're with someone who knows what he or she is doing, and be sure to read the step about getting out of a riptide or a rushing river (below). Stay within a depth you can handle. When you're first learning how to swim, don't venture into water that's too deep for you to stand in. That way, if something goes amiss, you can simply stand up and breathe. Avoid swimming during inclement weather conditions. Swimming in a light rain shower should be fine, but if you see or hear a storm approaching, get out of the water immediately. This rule is to be followed regardless of how well you can swim. Don't swim in water that's too cold. Moving your limbs to paddle can become suddenly difficult if you're in frigid water. Get used to floating. When you're in the water, hold on to the side of the pool or a dock, and let your legs float out behind you - they should lift easily if you let them. But, for some people, they like to sink to the bottom, while your upper body floats. Don't worry; just retry the method again. Practice doing this on your stomach and on your back, until you're used to letting half of your body float. Try floating on your back or your stomach as soon as you're ready. Stay in a shallow depth so that you can simply stand up if it's not working out. It might feel weird to have water around your ears while your nose and mouth are in the air, but you'll get used to it. For extra stability, put out your arms at a right angle so that your body is in a "T" shape. When floating for the first time, you can try taking a deep breath and then floating. If your lungs are full of air, your body will float for sure. Do this until you're more experienced. Don't panic. Always remember that you have a fallback if you're in an unmanageable depth or you simply can't move your limbs - floating on your back. Don't flail around or start breathing quickly if you can't swim; simply lie back as flat as you can, and let the water carry you while you regain your composure. A good tip for floating on your back is to hold your breath and have lungs full of air. Another good tip is to stick your stomach out. Practice exhaling underwater. While you're still in a shallow depth, take a deep breath and put your face underwater. Slowly exhale out your nose until you're out of breath, then come back up. Bubbles should come out. You can also exhale out of your mouth, but usually in big bubbles until you finally let out a stream of bubbles. If you're uncomfortable exhaling through your nose, you can hold it closed or wear a nose plug and exhale through your mouth. (optional). Wear goggles Wearing goggles can help you feel more comfortable opening your eyes underwater, and might allow you to see more clearly. Find a pair with spongy circles around the eyes and dip them in the water, so that they'll stick to your skin. Tighten the strap around the back of your head so that the goggles fit snugly. Practice kicking your legs. Whether you're floating on your back or still holding on to the side of the pool, you can practice kicking. (To see how far each kick can propel you, practice it using a kickboard. This allows you to focus on your kicking technique without worrying about keeping your head above water.) Try a flutter kick. Point your toes out like a ballerina, keep your legs mostly straight, and alternate legs as you make small kicks. You should feel the most flexion in your ankles. Try a whip kick. Keep your legs held tightly together from your hips to your knees, and from your knees to your ankles. Bend your knees so that your shins come up to about a 90-degree angle, then quickly bring your shins apart and move them in a circular motion, keeping your thighs together the whole time. (That is, trace half a circle with each leg, moving your right leg to the right and your left leg to the left.) Bring your shins back together at the bottom of the circle, and lift them up again to restart the kick. Try an eggbeater kick. This kick is commonly used to tread water, and stay in a vertical position with your head and shoulders above water. Start with your knees bent and your legs slightly wider than hip-width apart. Then "pedal" each leg as you would on a bike, only they'll go in opposite directions: while one leg pedals "forward," the other leg should pedal "backward." This one takes some practice to get used to, but it's handy for "resting" when your feet can't touch bottom. Learn how to do a crawl. Crawls are great strokes to learn as a beginner, and they'll move you pretty quickly. Here's how to do them: Try a backstroke first. Float flat on your back, and do a flutter kick with your legs. With your arms, do the "crawl" motion, lifting one arm straight into the air and keeping it straight as it re-enters the water next to your head. Once it's underwater, bend it to bring it back to a straight position next to your side, and repeat. Alternate arms as you swim, and try to keep your fingers together and your hands as flat as possible. Try a front stroke (also known as a freestyle or American crawl). Floating on your stomach, do a flutter kick with your legs and use your arms to "crawl" forward. Bring one arm out of the water so that it's "reaching" forward, then bring it back down and use your cupped hand to "push" the water behind you. Alternate arms. To breathe, turn your head to one side under the arm that's currently crawling, lifting enough for you to take a breath. Take a breath under the same arm each time, so that you're breathing once every two strokes. Tread water. Treading water can help you catch your breath and keep your head up without actually swimming. Do the eggbeater kick listed above, and use your hands to keep your balance by "sculling" - keep your forearms flat on the surface of the water, and imagine they're butter knives spreading on a piece of toast. Move one arm in a clockwise circle, and the other arm in a counterclockwise circle. Use your arms to come up from the bottom. If you're below water and would like to come up, use your arms to propel yourself. Put them straight up above your head, and quickly bring them down to your sides. This should push you up a few feet. Repeat until you break the surface. Try some more advanced strokes. Once you're more comfortable in the water, you can start learning new strokes that will move you more quickly or with less energy. Try these: Learn the dolphin stroke. The butterfly stroke. Swim the breaststroke. Do the sidestroke. Try swimming laps. Try diving. Dives can be a fun way to get into the water and start a stroke. Start with a basic dive , and move on to more complicated swan dive , back dive , and rolling dive. Always make sure the water is deep enough before you dive. At a bare minimum, the water should be 9 or 10 feet (2.7 or 3.0 m) deep; if you're a tall person, make it at least 11 or 12 feet (3.4 or 3.7 m). Know how to get out of a rip current. If you're swimming in the ocean, you might get caught in a rip current. Knowing what to do can save your life, so try to memorize these steps before you get into the water. Do not panic. This is, by far, the most important step of all. By flailing and panicking, you could actually keep yourself under the water. Swim sideways. Do not try to swim directly to shore or directly out further into the ocean. Instead, try to swim in a line that's exactly parallel to the shoreline. Swim in a stroke that allows you to breathe. Swim with the strongest stroke you can do that also allows you plenty of room to breathe. This might be a sidestroke, front crawl, or breaststroke. Keep swimming until you're out of the rip current. You might have to swim quite far before you're safely out of the rip current, but keep going. You don't want to undo the good work you've done so far by heading for shore at the wrong time. If possible call out for help. If you can, motion to the lifeguard or yell "Help!" as soon as possible. However, don't do this if it means sacrificing a breath or if you have to stop swimming - it's better to keep yourself moving. Know how to get out of a river current. If you're caught in a river that's flowing too quickly or pushing you under, follow these steps to get out: Don't flail or panic. As with a rip current, panicking and flailing your limbs can push you deeper into the water. Try to take even breaths and remain calm. Aim to swim diagonally toward the shoreline. Swimming toward the shoreline at a 90-degree angle will force you to fight with the current too much, and might cause you to become exhausted quickly. Instead, plan to get to the shoreline at a diagonal angle that goes with the current. Don't try to swim upstream. You'll spend too much energy for not enough results. Only try to swim upstream if there's immediate danger downstream, such as sharp rocks or a waterfall. If you are being rapidly carried downstream by the current, point your feet in the direction you are being carried. This may prevent you from striking your head on a rock or other obstruction. | Let go of your fear. Get used to floating. Don't panic. Practice exhaling underwater. (optional). Practice kicking your legs. Learn how to do a crawl. Tread water. Use your arms to come up from the bottom. Try some more advanced strokes. Try diving. Know how to get out of a rip current. Know how to get out of a river current. |
https://www.wikihow.life/Cut-an-Onion | How to Cut an Onion | To cut an onion, start by cutting off the stem. Then, cut it in half from top to bottom, through the root and peel the skin off. If you want to dice or mince your onion, place it on a cutting board so that the root is facing away from you, and carefully slice into it lengthwise, from the cut end to the root. However, don't cut all the way to the root, since you want your onion to remain intact. Then, turn your knife so it's parallel to the cutting board and slice into the onion. Just like the first cuts, stop before you hit the root so the onion is still held together. To finish, chop the onion into small pieces by cutting from the stem side to the root. If you'd prefer to cut your onion into slices, place one of the halves cut-side down on a cutting board. Starting at one end of the onion, cut it into thin slices. Then, repeat with the other half and separate all of the slices. As always, be sure to exercise caution when handling a knife to avoid injury. | Slice an onion in half lengthwise. Stand an onion on its root end. Use a sharp knife to cut it from the top, stem end down towards the root. You will be left with two halves, each containing half of a root and half of a stem. Use this technique if your recipe calls for any of the following: "French-cut," "julienned," "thinly-sliced," or "thin-cut." Cut away the stem end. Do not cut away the root end. It will give you something to grip onto and help hold the onion together as you cut it. Peel away the papery skin. Some onions have several layers of this thin, papery skin. Keep peeling until you reach the thicker, moist, tender skin. Cut the onion into thin slices. Take one of the onion halves, and set it down on the cutting board, like a dome. Begin cutting at one end and finish cutting at the other. You can cut the onion widthwise or lengthwise. How thick or thin you cut the slices is up to you, but something between ⅛ and ¼-inch (0.32 and 0.64-centimeter) thick would be idea. Cutting an onion widthwise, or against the grain, will give it a sharper taste. Cutting an onion lengthwise, or with the grain, will give it a milder flavor. Repeat the process for the other half, then separate the pieces. If you cut your onion lengthwise or with the grain, the pieces may still be attached to the root end. In this case, hold the onion by the sides, then slice off the root end. Use your fingers to pull apart the pieces. Find the root ends, then discard them. Slice an onion in half vertically. Stand an onion down on its root end. Pick up a sharp knife, and slice it down the middle, from top to bottom. Pull apart the two halves. Each half should have a root at one end, and a stem at the other. Chopping, dicing, and mincing all requires the same technique; the differences is only in how small you cut the pieces. Trim the stem away. Place one of the onion halves down so that it looks like a dome. Slice off the stem end and discard it. Leave the root end intact. Repeat this step for the other onion half. Peel the skin away. Some onions have several layers of thin, papery skin. Keep peeling until you reach the thicker, moister skin underneath. Slice the onion lengthwise. Push the tip of the knife into the root end and slice downwards towards the stem end. Work your way from one side of the onion to the other. Hold the onion by the root end, and avoid cutting through it. Here is how thick you should cut the pieces based on different cooking terms: "Minced": cut it into ⅛-inch (0.32-centimeter) thick slices. "Finely-chopped or diced": cut it into ¼-inch (0.64-centimeter) thick slices. "Medium-cut": cut it into ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) thick slices. "Coarsely-chopped": cut it into ¾-inch (1.91-centimeter) thick slices. Slice the onion in half widthwise. Cut straight across the cuts you made in the previous step. Start at the cut, stem end, and work your way towards the root end. The closer together you make the slices, the smaller the pieces will be. Cut your widthwise slices the same thickness as you did your lengthwise slices. Chop the onion widthwise. Cut the onion from the top down, just like you did for the lengthwise cuts. This will cause the pieces to detach from the root, so start at the edge and work your way towards the root. When you're done, you'll have a thinly cut onion! Repeat the process for the other half. Chop, mince, or dice up the other onion half. When you're done, use you fingers to pull apart and separate the pieces. You should end up with lots of tiny chunks of onion. Find the root pieces, and discard them. Cut a ¼-inch (0.64-centimeter) thick slice from the side of an onion. Set the onion down on its side, with the root and tapered ends sticking out to the sides. Use a sharp knife to slice off one of the curved sides by ¼-inch (0.64-centimeter). Do not cut off the root or tapered end just yet. Peel off the papery skin. Use your fingers of a knife to pry the dry, papery outer layer from the onion. Grab it from the side you just cut, and pull it away. You may have to peel away several layers. Set the onion down onto the side you just cut. This will help keep the onion steady and prevent it from rolling around as you cut. The root and tapered ends should still be sticking out to the sides. Place your non-dominant hand on the tapered end of the onion. Leave the stubby, root-end exposed. You will be cutting from this end first. Slice the onion into rings, from one end to the other. Begin slicing the onion at the root end, and finish slicing at the tapered end. Make sure that the knife is very sharp. You can slice the onion as thick or as thin as you want to. Something between ⅛ and ¼ inch (0.32 and 0.64 centimeters) would be ideal. Thicker slices are great for frying, while medium ones are ideal for burgers. Slice the onion as thin as possible if you are making a salad. Discard the ends and pull apart the rings. Once you have finished slicing the onion, discard the root and tapered ends. Use your fingers to gently pop the rings out of each other. Trim off both ends of the onion. In most cases, you will want to leave the root end on the onion. When you are cutting an onion into chunks, however, you want to cut off both the root end and the stem end. This method is ideal for roasting and grilling onions. Cut the onion in half, lengthwise. Stand the onion up on one of its cut ends. Use a very sharp knife to slice it in half, from top to bottom. Peel away the outer skin. Most onions will have a 1 to 2 layers of thin, papery skin; some may have more. Use your fingers to peel this skin away. You are ready for the next step once you reach the moist, tender skin underneath. Cut the onion in half again lengthwise. Take one of the onion halves and set it down so that it looks like a dome. Cut it in half from one cut end to the other. Cut the onion further into wedges, if required. Continue cutting the onion lengthwise, but this time at an angle. Cut the onion in half horizontally. Hold the onion by the curved side edges. Rotate it so that the cut root/stem ends are pointing up and down. Cut the onion in half horizontally. Cut the onion half, then separate the layers, if desired. How much you separate the layers is up to you. If you are roasting the onion, you might want to separate all of the layers into individual flakes. If you are making kabobs, you might want to keep the pieces about two layers thick instead. You can also leave the onion quarters/wedges as they are, and roast them. | Slice an onion in half lengthwise. Cut away the stem end. Peel away the papery skin. Cut the onion into thin slices. Repeat the process for the other half, then separate the pieces. Slice an onion in half vertically. Trim the stem away. Peel the skin away. Slice the onion lengthwise. Slice the onion in half widthwise. Chop the onion widthwise. Repeat the process for the other half. Cut a ¼-inch (0.64-centimeter) thick slice from the side of an onion. Peel off the papery skin. Set the onion down onto the side you just cut. Place your non-dominant hand on the tapered end of the onion. Slice the onion into rings, from one end to the other. Discard the ends and pull apart the rings. Trim off both ends of the onion. Cut the onion in half, lengthwise. Peel away the outer skin. Cut the onion in half again lengthwise. Cut the onion in half horizontally. Cut the onion half, then separate the layers, if desired. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Give-a-Small-Dog-a-Bath | How to Give a Small Dog a Bath | To give a small dog a bath, start by choosing a warm location that's free of drafts, since small dogs tend to get cold easily. Then, fill a tub or sink with warm water and gently lower your pet into it. Next, massage a dog-safe shampoo into its fur, and use the shower head or the spray attachment on your sink to make sure you rinse out all the shampoo. Finally, dry your dog as much as you can with towels, and follow up with a blow dryer on the cool setting if your dog will tolerate it. | Gather your basic materials. Depending on how much energy you want to put in, you can give your dog a basic bath or a more thorough cleaning. While thorough cleanings are recommended from time to time, you may just have a muddy pup on your hands who needs a little rinsing. Before getting started, gather these materials so you have everything in one place: Towels: enough to both dry the dog and protect the ground from splashing water Dog shampoo: shampoo formulated for humans will dry out a dog's skin, so buy dog shampoo at the pet store, vet, or online. If your dog has any skin conditions, consult your vet for recommendations. Sponge Comb or brush Small cup or bucket (for pouring water) Doggy treats (optional, but can comfort stressed dogs) Consider optional materials for thorough cleanings. While bathing a dog too often will cause dry, flaky skin, you should still give him a thorough cleaning every once in a while. When you notice your dog getting smelly, it might be time for a cleanup. You'll need everything listed in the last step, plus as many of the following optional materials as you'd like: Dog conditioner: this will keep his fur soft and smooth after shampooing Toothbrush and dog toothpaste Cotton balls for ear cleaning You don't have to do all these things at once the first time. If you feel your dog is getting overwhelmed, just work on the bath-time first. Then, you may add in more extensive things, like nail trimming, later. Decide where to bathe your small dog. Since your dog is small, you have the option of choosing a bathtub, sink, or even a plastic tub or bucket outside. Choose a location where you can stand, sit, or kneel comfortably without straining yourself. The bath area should be warm and free of drafts — only bathe a dog outdoors on hot days, so he won't get cold. If there's any chance your dog will get skittish and jump away from you, bathe him in a bathtub. Don't risk a fall from the sink! Consider taking your dog with you right into the shower. You'll get wet no matter what, so this can be an effective time and mess-saving approach. Put cotton in your dog's ears if you take him into the shower. This prevents water from getting in the ears and causing an ear infection. Place a rubber mat or towel in the sink or tub. You know from experience how slippery a tub can get once you lather up the soap and shampoo. To keep your dog from slipping on the wet surface, give him a mat or towel that will help keep his feet under him. He'll feel more comfortable and secure, making it easier for you to proceed with the bath. Prepare your dog for the bathing process. If your dog is already comfortable with baths, you can skip this step. But whether you have an adult or puppy, the bathing process might scare your dog, so take things slowly. Help him associate the tub or sink with pleasant things by going through several dry runs. Depending on the dog, this might take a few days, a few hours, or just a few minutes — let your dog set his own pace. Help your dog into the dry tub. Speak reassuringly in a soothing voice, petting and praising him while he sniffs around and explores. Give him treats for being calm inside the tub. Touch and rub him all over while he's in the tub, so he knows how the bathing process will look. When he's comfortable with that, try splashing a little water on him and continue praising and treating. Let him hear the sound of the running faucet while he's not in the tub until it's no longer frightening. Rub him down with a dry towel after every session, to get him used to the drying process. Place him in a tub or sink that has enough water to just cover his paws, then gradually work up to a full, immersive bath. Groom your dog's coat before bathing. Brush it out to remove any loose dirt, mats, and snarls that will be harder to handle once the coat is wet. If the fur is too matted, take your dog to a professional groomer, then groom him more regularly in the future to avoid matting. Even professionals can knick the skin handling severe mats — you might do serious damage trying to do it yourself. Make it routine to brush your dog's coat at least once per week. To remove small mats, place your fingers between your pet's skin and the mat, then snip it away a few hairs at a time. Check under the tail for fecal mats ("dingleberries") that need to be trimmed off. If the stool is too hard, you can wait until after it's soaked in the bath to work it out of the hair. After the bath, put diaper rash or hemorrhoid cream on any irritated skin around the anus after the mat is removed. Consider protecting the eyes with eye ointment. If you intend to wash your dog's face , you can buy ointment that will prevent stinging from soap. This is especially important for breeds with protruding eyes. You can buy this ointment from your veterinarian's clinic. You can also use a drop of mineral oil instead of prescription ointment. Use a dropper to place the ointment or mineral oil onto the eyeball without touching the eye itself. Let the dog blink several times (or push the eyelid open and shut yourself) to spread the ointment or oil around. Never use your finger to wipe ointment onto the eye, and don't let the tip of your container touch the eye. Protect the dog's ears with cotton. If water or shampoo gets into your dog's ear during the bath, it can result in an ear infection. To prevent this, gently tuck a small piece of cotton ball into each ear, but be careful not to push it in too far. You should be able to see it and pull it out easily. If in doubt, skip the cotton ball and use a washcloth to wash the dog's head instead of pouring water over it. Run your shower head away from your dog. Even if your bathtub doesn't have a shower head, then bath your dog outside with a hose on an easy setting. Never fill it up with water as this will dry the dog's skin. Keep your hand in the water to make sure the water temperature remains correct. Lift your dog gently into the tub if he can't get in on his own. Shampoo your dog thoroughly. Work from the front to back of the body, but save the head for last so shampoo doesn't have time to drip into his eyes. Work the shampoo into a gentle lather, moving from the neck down the back to the rear, then on to the belly and legs. Make sure to get between the pads and toes and over the tail and genitalia. Combine your rubbing with soothing praise — your dog should be enjoying your caring touch! Examine your dog carefully. Skin problems can often indicate more serious health concerns, so take this hands-on opportunity to inspect your dog. Look for strange marks on the skin, rashes, flaking, redness, lumps or bumps, hair loss, or change to skin color. Your vet can perform tests to figure out if these things are skin issues, or whether there may be internal problems. Rinse the shampoo out of your dog's coat thoroughly. If you're using a kitchen sink, you can use the spray attachment if you have one. Never use a cup or bucket to rinse as it's not effective enough to get under the coat of a long-haired or double coat dog. Either way, use a wet washcloth on the face so you don't overwhelm the dog. If you can still see bubbles on the dog, you need to rinse a couple more times. Any soap, shampoo or conditioner residue left on the dog will attract dirt, defeating the purpose of the bath. Soap residue can also irritate your dog and cause itching. To check if residue is still there, gently pull some fur in between your fingers and if it feels squeaky then you are done. A dog conditioner is a good idea for dogs with long fur. Apply after thoroughly rinsing out the shampoo and follow the instructions on the bottle. You can buy a bathtub spray attachments at the pet store or online. Brush the dog's teeth (optional). Make sure you're using a toothpaste formulated for dogs, not humans. If a dog swallows human toothpaste, he's likely to get an upset stomach. Make sure your dog is used to you handling his mouth before brushing his teeth, so you don't get nipped on the hand. Lift his lips and brush the teeth at the front and sides of the mouth. Give praise and speak in a soothing voice throughout, taking frequent breaks for petting. Clean his ears with cotton balls and a dog ear cleanser (optional). Dog ear cleansers pH balanced to help prevent ear infections. Apply it to a clean cotton ball or an ear-cleaning pad bought at a pet store. Wipe the cleanser first over the outside of the dog's ears, then over the inside of the dog's outer ear. You can move a little way into the ear canal, but don't poke your finger into the dog's ears. Do not pour anything, including water, into your dog's ears, as it can get trapped down by the eardrum and cause infection. Dry off your dog. Place your dog on a dry towel, then wrap him in another towel to absorb most of the water. Change towels as needed to continue drying your dog's coat. Let his coat air dry once you have blotted up as much water as you reasonably can. Dry the insides of the ears with cotton to prevent infection. Blow-dry the coat to speed up the process, if he tolerates it. Make sure to keep it on a cool setting so you don't burn the dog's skin. If your dog is scared of the blowdryer, don't push him. Put in the extra time needed for a towel-drying. Chamois towels are thin fleece like towels that are great at drying dogs when used first. It's best used with normal towels and blow drying for faster drying time. Reward your dog for getting through the bath. Shower him with praise and give him a tasty treat, even if he had trouble getting through the experience. He'll quickly learn that getting a bath is not a frightening experience, but one that leads to treats! Let the coat dry before trying to brush it. It's very important to brush your dog after every bath so his hair doesn't get matted. As with humans, brushing or combing is a lot harder when the hair is wet, and you run the risk of damaging the fur. Furthermore, you risk building up an unpleasant association between baths and painful skin-tugging. Wait for the coat to finish air-drying before you brush it out. | Gather your basic materials. Consider optional materials for thorough cleanings. Decide where to bathe your small dog. Place a rubber mat or towel in the sink or tub. Prepare your dog for the bathing process. Groom your dog's coat before bathing. Consider protecting the eyes with eye ointment. Protect the dog's ears with cotton. Run your shower head away from your dog. Shampoo your dog thoroughly. Examine your dog carefully. Rinse the shampoo out of your dog's coat thoroughly. Brush the dog's teeth (optional). Clean his ears with cotton balls and a dog ear cleanser (optional). Dry off your dog. Reward your dog for getting through the bath. Let the coat dry before trying to brush it. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Own-a-Pet-Wolf | How to Own a Pet Wolf | To own a pet wolf, start by researching your local laws to make sure it's legal to own one where you live. Then, talk to an expert or volunteer at a wolf center before you buy one so that you know what to expect when trying to raise a wolf as a pet. If you are still up for it, buy your wolf from a reputable source, and have it checked out by an expert since there's no real way to prove a wolf's pedigree. Once you've bought a wolf, expect to spend a lot of time training it to be docile and establishing yourself as the leader of its “pack.” | Know what a wolf hybrid is. A wolf hybrid, also called a wolf-dog, is an exotic animal that is a mixture of a domesticated dog and a wild wolf. Most consider an animal a wolf hybrid if they have a pure wolf ancestor. This wolf should be at the most 5 generations back to be considered a wolf hybrid. However, consider why do you feel the need to own a wild animal in a domesticated setting. They are mostly considered companions instead of pets. Low Content (LC) hybrids only contain 1-49% wolf content. Mid Content (MC) hybrids contain 50-74% wolf content. High Content (HC) hybrids are 75%+ wolf. HC hybrids are almost indistinguishable from a pure wolf. They may only contain 1-3 dog traits. While a LC hybrid won't act like a dog, they are better for someone new to wolf-dogs. They are more outgoing, easier to train, though they still have the wolf stubbornness and independence. Investigate your local laws. Wolf ownership is not legal everywhere. In the United States, the legality of owning a wolf varies from state the state. Some states completely ban private ownership, some ban only certain exotic animals, others require a license, and others have no laws. Look up your state, region, or country's laws to make sure it is legal for you to own this type of animal. Some states allow up to 98% wolf; others draw the line at 75%, 25%, or "no first generation crosses". Consider the price. Wolves and wolf hybrids are not cheap. They average around $1500 and can go over $2000. This is more expensive than most purebred dogs. Decide if that is the kind of money you would like to spend on an animal. There is no way to prove the animal's pedigree. Experts at Wolfdog Rescue Resources, Inc. state that over half of the wolf hybrids being kept actually possess no wolf DNA. Other experts claim that the majority of wolf dog breeders are selling "hybrids" that actually are only dogs. When buying a wolf or wolf dog, make sure to get it checked out by an expert if at all possible. This can save you from dropping thousands of dollars on a fake. Remember that wolves are not domesticated animals. Dogs have been bred to be submissive and to assist humans; they have been bred to be pets. This process has taken 10,000 years. Wolves, on the other hand, have spent the last 10,000 years being wild. Though people keep wolves as pets when they've raised them from a puppy, they are still instinctual animals that can't completely be tamed. They're more elusive, more intelligent (which means that they can easily outsmart you), more ferocious, have a stronger prey drive and significantly more unpredictable. Consider that during breeding season your wolfdog will become incredibly agitated and may even be aggressive towards you. Consider that they often and easily destroy furniture as well as attack (and kill) dogs and other canines (since they're not domesticated, they still view them as competition for resources). There are multiple resources on owning wolfdogs - including YouTube channels, blogs and informative websites. Go to multiple and make sure they have a credible understanding of how a wolf works. Do not take a wolf from the wild. If you are interested in owning a wolf, do not get one from the wild. Instead, adopt one from a wolf sanctuary. Taking wolves out of the wild can be very dangerous and might end in injury or even death. Wild wolves also have a natural fear or wariness around humans that captive-born pups lack. Talk to an expert. If you are still interested in owning a wolf or wolf hybrid, visit a wolf sanctuary. Many sanctuaries have both wolves and wolf dogs that you can observe. Before getting one of these exotic animals, talk to an expert at the sanctuary. They can help answer your questions, give you more information, and help you understand the responsibility that goes into owning a wolf or wolf dog. Try volunteering at a wolf center where you can get insight into how a wolf's mind works and how they act around humans. Many wolf sanctuaries all over the world have several wolfdogs because of uneducated people believing that they'll act like dogs and then dropping them off as soon as their new pet destroys their car, tries to kill something or marks territory. Wolfdogs are difficult animals to manage even for experts who've raised wolfdogs or worked with wolves for years and spending time with them will give you a good idea about what it takes it to raise one. Try finding wolf and wolf dog owners in your area. Contact them and arrange a meeting. They can be a valuable source of information since they own an exotic animal. Some of these sanctuaries rescue wolf hybrids and may let you adopt one from them. Train the wolf. You cannot get away with buying a wolf or wolf hybrid and hoping it will figure out how to be a good pet. Wolves are not dogs. They need a lot of training to become suitable as a companion, which takes a lot of time and effort on the owner's part. These animals are cunning and extremely intelligent. They pose a much greater challenge than dogs. Some wolf hybrids are docile, while others are essentially wild. If you don't have the patience or time to train and care for the wolf, don't get one. If you have never owned and trained a dog, do not attempt to get a wolf or wolf hybrid. Many owners who aren't prepared for their wolf or wolf dog end up either dropping them off at sanctuaries, which are already overcrowded, or taking them to the animal shelter where they will likely be put to sleep. Letting them go into the wild almost guarantees they will die. Adopting a wolf then getting rid of it does irreparable harm to the wolf. Since they are pack animals, being split from their home and pack can cause the wolf to get extreme anxiety and even fall ill. Know that affection might be confused with aggression. Wolves show affection differently than dogs. Sometimes this affection can be confused with aggression. Wolves greet each other with affection, but since they can't give hugs, they use their mouths. Wolves will chew on pack-mates' faces in greeting or as affection. Wolves may do this to people, too. Most of the time, the wolf will approach you, touch its nose to yours, and then lick your teeth. However, if you get scared and pull away, the wolf will grab your face with its teeth to bring you back so it can greet you and show its affection. Wolves love small children, but they might get excited, jump on them, and try to carry them with their teeth by the head or arm. This could cause injury to the child when the wolf was only showing affection. These demonstrations of affection can easily be confused for attacks. Build the proper living conditions. Wolves like to roam, and they will hop fences, break off chains, and dig their way out of yards. This can be very dangerous, because the wolf might be mistaken for a wild wolf or coyote and be shot. Or it might kill neighbors' livestock or pets. Never let the wolf roam free. LC and some MC wolves can exist in a normal fence without breaking free. MC and HC wolves are most likely to try to break free. They need 6-8 feet fencing, along with other security measures. The fence cannot have any footholds for the wolf to climb because they can climb out of fenced in enclosures. You also need to dig-proof the area you will keep the animal in. Some LC will break free while some HC will stay in the fence. It depends on how bad the animal wants to be free, how bored they are, and how much outside the fence excites them. A large fenced in enclosure is ideal. Wolves and wolf dogs need a lot of room to run and play. Socialize the wolf dog. Wolves are social, pack animals, so they require canine companionship. Just as important is socializing your wolf or wolf dog to people and places at a very young age. This starts training the wolf or wolf dog to be around people in a domesticated setting. The wolf dog needs to be taken from its mother at 2 weeks old and bottle fed. They need to immediately start being socialized to both male and female humans so they will be used to humans for the rest of their life. Wolves need another canine for companionship and to meet their emotional needs. You need to place the wolves with another canine of the opposite sex around the same size. This ensures the wolf or wolf dog will not be lonely. Become the Alpha. You have to be the Alpha of your wolf. When the animal is a puppy, start training them to submit on cue. This doesn't mean that the adult will always submit - wolves are very independent and self-assured. But the wolf or wolf dog will know you are the Alpha and the one in charge. While training the pup, never hit, bite, shout, or pin or shake the puppy by the scruff. Wolf parents don't punish their pups for chewing and biting; they are very tolerant parents. Try to refrain from physically dominating the wolf, because this could damage the relationship. Feed them the right food. Wolves exist on a meat diet. Pure wolves and HC hybrids won't be able to exist on dry dog food. Most wolves and wolf hybrids eat 2-5 pounds of meat daily. Venison is great for wolves. You can feed them fresh road-kill deer, but this requires a permit. Provide entertainment for the wolves. Wolves can get very bored, which could result in them breaking free from their enclosure to find stimulation. Build things inside their enclosure area to keep them active, like platforms. Wolves need to be mentally stimulated on a regular basis. Make sure there are trees around and use old logs to hide treats inside. Another good idea is providing swimming areas, like water troughs, swimming pools, creeks, or ponds, for them to lay in and to dig inside. Sandboxes or dirt piles are great for them to dig in. Leash train them as pups so you can take them out on a leash. You should use two leashes when you walk them - one on the collar or harness, the other a slip leash. You should walk them every day. Make sure you have available veterinarian care. Most vets don't know how to care for wolves or wolf dogs. Many will even refuse to provide treatment on these types of canines. Make sure to find a vet who will care for your wolf before you purchase one. | Know what a wolf hybrid is. Investigate your local laws. Consider the price. Remember that wolves are not domesticated animals. Talk to an expert. Try volunteering at a wolf center where you can get insight into how a wolf's mind works and how they act around humans. Train the wolf. Know that affection might be confused with aggression. Build the proper living conditions. Socialize the wolf dog. Become the Alpha. Feed them the right food. Provide entertainment for the wolves. Make sure you have available veterinarian care. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Print-Your-Own-Fabric | How to Print Your Own Fabric | To print your own fabric by hand, create a stamp by carving your design into a linoleum block. Next, buy oil-based or fabric paints in the colors you want to use. Then, brush the paint onto your stamp and give it a few trial runs on a piece of scrap fabric to make sure everything looks good. Finally, press the stamp straight down onto your chosen fabric and lift it straight up to evenly disperse the paint. Be sure to let the fabric dry completely before using it! | Create a stamp to create a design. Sketch out an image or design onto a linoleum block with a pencil. This gives you the option of tweaking the design before you start to carve. Then, use a carving knife or a carving tool from a craft supply store to whittle away the block until only your design is left. The deeper you cut away the excess linoleum, the less likely you'll end up with smudges on your fabric. Keep your first trial run simple. Use an image with few colors and clear lines so that you can determine how your printer places ink on your fabric before moving on to more complicated patterns and images. Common designs for beginning to block print can be squares and triangles since they can overlap and repeat in geometric designs, or abstract images since it requires less accuracy with carving straight lines. Remember that if you carve a design, the raised part will be what is printed on your fabric so be aware of negative space when drawing up your design. Linoleum is the most common material for block printing. Other options include a piece of wood, a large rubber eraser that can be carved into like wood, or any kind of household item that could leave an interesting print. Pick out paint for your project. You'll first want to decide if you want to use one color or more in the overall design. Then, make sure you have paints that are oil-based or are meant for fabric. Oil-based paints will take much longer to dry but they have a much richer texture. Oil-based paint stains are also notoriously difficult to get out of fabric which is why a solvent is required, but that's good news for your fabric because it will not wash out easily or quickly. If you're going to use oil-based paint, make sure you have a solvent on hand that can help clean up any stains. Fabric paints can work as well but they do not apply to fabrics as smoothly as oil-based paints. Both kinds of paints can be washed, but it's best to treat your fabric after printing and read the instructions for care for your particular paint. Brush the paint onto the block or stamp. You can dip your block in paint and paint try but using a foam brush or foam roller to lightly coat the surface is better. This way you'll get a more even coverage and won't end up with large globs of paint. Excess paint can drip and create an uneven design, but you may find that you want a more uneven design that looks more natural rather than a uniform pattern. You can also you a finer tipped paintbrush to apply paint. With this method you can use more than one color paint as well since you'll have more control over where the paint is on your stamp. Make sure that you keep any different paint colors that you use separate so that you can avoid mixing and keep the colors crisp. Be careful to avoid getting too much paint on the rest of the stamp when coating it. If you press the stamp off-kilter you could end up with random splotches of paint within your design. Practice first. Use a scrap piece of fabric or paper to make sure that you can align your stamp correctly or that you get the impression you wanted. This is where you can check for imperfections in your stamp design. You also should practice how you want to space out your stamps if you are aiming for a repeating pattern. Press your stamp on to the fabric on a flat surface. Place some cardboard or drop cloth underneath the fabric so that if any paint bleeds through it won't ruin your surface underneath and any excess paint will be absorbed. When block printing on a double-sided material, protect the other side by slipping a piece of cardboard in between. You can choose to create a uniform pattern or not. For example, you can alternate shapes or colors in a repeating pattern that covers the whole fabric, or you could sporadically stamp and leave large blank spaces. Stripes are an easy-to-replicate pattern as well as polka-dots. But as you go, make sure to press the stamp straight down on the fabric and lift up straight up as well. Pressing or lifting on an angle will disperse the paint unevenly. Additionally, stamping with different amounts of pressure will create a distressed look which you may or may not desire. This is where you can truly customize your fabric based on how you utilize the stamp. Allow your fabric to dry. Do not handle it immediately or the ink may bleed. For best results, place the fabric gently over a cooling rack used for baking or dry ground before folding or handling. The fabric will need anywhere from a day to a few days to dry completely before it will be completely set. After the paint dries, you can use your fabric for anything. For best color-staying results, soak your printed fabric after it dries in a vinegar bath for 10 minutes. You can rinse with water to get rid of some of the vinegar smell but it does fade on its own. Buy fabric that can be printed on by an ink-jet printer. You'll want either a 100% cotton or silk with a tight fiber weave for best resolution so the ink will stick and your image will be clearer. You can find pretreated and precut fabric for printing at craft stores. These are usually already stiffened for printing. This method will save you other steps in preparing your own fabric pieces but can also be more expensive. You will also need a fabric stabilizer. Fabric will not feed as easily into a printer as regular paper does so you will need to attach a stabilizer to guide it through your printer without it jamming. Options include freezer paper ironed shiny side down to the back of the fabric, 8.5"x11" office stickers stuck to the back of the fabric, cardstock with spray adhesive or tape, or fusible webbing. Attach a stabilizer and cut your fabric to size. Iron out your fabric on a dry setting so that you don't have any bumps or wrinkles while attaching the stabilizer. Then, lint roll the fabric to pick up any stray fibers that will get in the way of printing and produce a smudged image. Use a craft cutting mat with a grid printed on it for accuracy to measure out a piece of fabric that will fit through your printer. Most printers have the capacity to print on 8.5"x11" pieces. For freezer paper, cut a piece of paper to the size your printer takes and iron it shiny side down onto the fabric, then cut the fabric to size using scissors or a rotary blade. Or, you can cut the fabric to size, iron an uncut piece of freezer paper to the fabric, and then trim the sides of the freezer paper so that the edges line up perfectly. It can help to leave about 2 inches of stabilizer to feed through the printer rollers to catch the material. Office supply stickers or labels are also efficient to use. You can peel off a label and stick it to your fabric and then trim as needed. These labels won't leave much residue if any and they come pre-sized for printing. If you use spray adhesive or a spray-on chemical to stiffen the fabric, make sure you have a drop cloth or other protective surface beneath it. Don't oversaturate the fabric or it will become too stiff to use once it's printed. After spraying, let it dry completely before feeding through your printer so it doesn't get jammed. Check your printer and ink cartridges to make sure they are compatible with fabric printing. The best kind of at-home printer to use unless you are looking to print commercially is an ink-jet printer that can use both dye and pigment ink cartridges. Dye ink is not water-resistant on its own but if you want to print with it, you can pretreat your fabric to be waterproof with chemical solutions like Bubble Jetset found at craft supply stores. Pigment ink is the best option and will be water-resistant with only a little leakage when its first washed. To find out what kind of ink cartridge you have or want to buy, look up the serial number online or use a search engine to find specific brands to use. Start out with a simple design for your first project. Chances are you have an idea in mind for what you want to put on your fabric. You can use different mediums to create your design: Photos you have taken Drawings or paintings scanned into the computer Images or text pulled from the internet Use a photo-editing computer program or other website to edit your design. Whether you start out with a rough design on paper or a photo that you scan into the computer, you will want to upload it into an editing program to make it fabric-ready. There are several free programs, such as GIMP, PicMonkey, Aviary, and Inkscape, that are available online as well as software that you can buy for a more professional finish to your images such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Check your computer settings before printing. In many editing programs you can select different picture resolutions in the settings. You can always test out your design by printing on a normal piece of printer paper to make sure that everything is aligned correctly. Whichever measurement your computer uses for image resolution, whether it's pixels or DPI (dots per inch), select the highest setting so that you get the best quality print. Additionally, check the color settings for your printer and computer and make sure that they are aligned. You can use sites that translate hex and RGB color codes (two different ways to indicate to computer programs the color you want to use) to color correct your design. Choose the highest resolution possible to ensure the best quality image for your design. Most computers have an option for "Printer Preferences" where you can select different options and for many, the option you should select is "Best Photo" quality. Scout out other fabric printing websites for ideas and suggestions. There are several websites that provide printing services that also exhibit their client's designs in galleries so you can look through other's people's projects and gather ideas for your own fabrics. Popular sites include Spoonflower, Digital Fabrics, Woven Monkey, and Fabrics on Demand. Place the fabric in your printer and feed it through gently as it prints. Watch carefully as it prints to make sure that nothing gets snagged in the process. As the fabric prints out from the machine, catch the edge of it and keep it raised off of the printing tray so that any damp ink doesn't smudge or smear. Let the fabric sit out to dry on a flat surface before handling. | Create a stamp to create a design. Pick out paint for your project. Brush the paint onto the block or stamp. Practice first. Press your stamp on to the fabric on a flat surface. Allow your fabric to dry. Buy fabric that can be printed on by an ink-jet printer. Attach a stabilizer and cut your fabric to size. Check your printer and ink cartridges to make sure they are compatible with fabric printing. Start out with a simple design for your first project. Use a photo-editing computer program or other website to edit your design. Check your computer settings before printing. Place the fabric in your printer and feed it through gently as it prints. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Business-Plan-for-a-Startup | How to Write a Business Plan for a Startup | To write a business plan for a startup, break your plan up into several sections, including an executive summary, a description of your company, an industry analysis, market and competition information, your products and services, your marketing and sales plan, operations and management information, your financial forecasts, and finally, an appendix. To format your business plan, use a professional font, like Times New Roman, and include a cover page with your company's name and logo on it. | Describe your mission and objectives. Under the heading “Company Description” you should describe your company in more detail. This section fleshes out some of the information provided in the executive summary. For example, you can mention the following: Your mission. What is your driving goal every day? Don't simply write, “Make money.” Identify how you will make money. For example, you can write: “Our mission is to offer residents of the Lakeview neighborhood the best day spa experience in the Near North Side of Chicago. We are committed to providing value and quality in a fun atmosphere that is never predictable.” Your goals. For example, a day spay might have the following goal: “To attract a minimum of 35 customers each day in the first year of operations.” Make your goals as concrete as possible. Description of the industry. Explain whether the industry is growing or poised for growth in the short and long term. The factors that will drive your success. How will you set yourself apart? For example, “You All Day will separate itself from the pack based on the owner's deep experience running a day spa in Seattle for ten years. This experience includes familiarity with successful marketing techniques and trends analysis.” Your legal form. Are you a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation? Also explain why you selected this form. Discuss your industry. Include a section under the heading “Industry Analysis” and talk about your industry at a high level. For example, discuss whether the total industry is growing and how quickly. Also talk about trends in consumer preferences. You'll need to do research, so go to the library and ask your librarian for help finding information about the industry. You can search for industry information in other places. For example, talk to people in your industry at trade shows. Also search online. Many industries have trade associations, which have websites with information. For example, when analyzing the day spa industry, you might want to talk about how it is growing because more upper-income men in urban areas are visiting. (If that's true). By analyzing the industry, you gain insight as to your likely target market and how you can reach them. Identify your target market. Although it might be nice to think the entire world is your market, businesses usually service a niche. You need to identify that niche. For example, think about the following characteristics of your target market: Age. What is the average age of your likely customer? If you don't know, then visit similar businesses and note the ages of the clientele. Gender. Will men or women—or both—primarily use your products or services? Location. Generally, your market will be located near your business. However, if you have a web-based business, your target audience could have no geographic boundaries. Income level. Occupation. For example, a day spa might target stressed-out white collar professionals. Education level. There is often a link between education, income, and occupation—though not always. For example, a discount bookstore might target an educated audience that nevertheless has a lower income. Scope out your competition. Who will you be competing with? Identify your competitors. For most businesses, your competitors will be located nearby. However, if you have an Internet-based business, your competitors could be any business offering similar products or services. To find competitors, look in the phone book and do a general Google search. Make sure to read their website and stop into the business. If you're opening a restaurant, you'll want to see a sample menu, as well as the hours of operation. Also identify indirect competitors. For example, a day spa is competing with more than other spas. You also compete with any business that offers relaxation, such as massage parlors or meditation centers. Draft a competitive analysis. Once you've studied your competition, explain in your business plan how you will stack up. You can create a chart, which should contain the following: Name of your competitor. What you offer that they don't. Think about products and services, but also location, ease of ordering, etc. What will make the consumer experience different at your business? What they offer that you don't. Identify why you don't offer their products or services. For example, they may be serving multiple niches while you are focused on only one. Alternately, they may have a favorable location. Describe your products and services. Go into detail about what products or services you will offer and how you will offer them. For example, if you are starting a pizza shop, then you will want to include the following: Whether you will sell pizza by the slice, as whole pies, or both How big your pizzas will be What toppings your customers can offer If you will have take-out and delivery options What other food items will be sold Devise your marketing plan. After identifying your market, you should explain how you will reach it. Consider the following and include it in your business plan under the marketing section: What type of advertising or promotion will you use? How often will you use paid promotion? What other promotion other than paid advertising will you use? For example, you might use social media, professional networks, etc. Will you create a logo and use it on cards, letterhead, websites, etc.? How large will your promotional budget be? Explain your daily operations. Give your reader some idea of how many people will be working for the startup. You should identify their positions. If you have 10 or more employees, then create an organizational chart. This chart should identify the hierarchy in the business. State how much you expect to pay each employee in your first three years of business. Also name your professional support, such as your business lawyer, accountant, and insurance agent. Professionals are independent contractors you use but don't employ. Calculate how much you expect to spend on each professional. Identify management. If you're running a sole proprietorship, this is easy. However, larger startups will need to identify who will run the business and provide a little information about their backgrounds. For example, you should identify the daily manager, support staff, etc. You might write: “Lisa Jones is the sole proprietor of You All Day and will run day-to-day operations. As a certified massage therapist, she ran the Relax! chain of day spas in the Greater Seattle area for ten years. A former accountant, Lisa has an MS in accounting from the University of New Hampshire and worked as a CPA briefly before going into the spa business.” If you are asking for a loan, then include resumes for each owner. You can put them in the appendix at the end of the document. Provide personal financial statements. As a startup, banks will look at your personal credit history and financial situation when deciding whether to make a loan. Accordingly, you'll need to include information for each business owner. You should create professional-looking financial statements using a spreadsheet. You'll have to gather quite a bit of information to make the financial statement. For example, you will need information on your assets, investments, and personal debts. You might also want to get a free copy of your credit report and review it as you draft your business plan. Explain your start-up costs. You'll need to research how much it costs to start your business. If you've created a similar business before, then you can rely on that information. If not, you should talk to other business owners. Be conservative when estimating startup costs. Generally, everything will cost more than you expect. Common startup costs include insurance, licenses, equipment, advertising, and employee expenses. Also identify the source of the startup capital. For example, if your startup has three initial owners, state how much each is contributing to the business and their ownership percentage. If you need financing, state how much. Include the terms of any proposed loan. Forecast profits for the first year. As a startup, you have no financial information you can provide. Accordingly, you need to estimate your sales based on your research, industry data, and marketing strategies. You should provide “best case” and “worst case” scenarios. Use spreadsheets so that your forecasts look professional. You'll need to make some assumptions in order to come up with a forecast of sales. You should explain these assumptions in your business plan. For example, you can write, “We assume continued interest in day spas in the Chicago area.” Another assumption is the overall health of the economy. “Although the Chicagoland economy has grown more slowly than other regions of the country, we assume that the Chicago economy will grow on par with other large metropolitan areas in the coming decade.” You can also include a four-year projection, though this is optional. Identify expected cash flow. You need cash on hand to make payments and cover anything unexpected. You will need positive cash flow, otherwise your business might go under. As part of your cash flow analysis, you need to project the cash coming in each year and how much cash is spent on expenditures, such as sales tax, bill payments, and purchasing assets. Also talk about how you will build up your cash reserves. For example: “In addition to normal cash flow, we will focus on obtaining sufficient cash reserves for emergencies. These reserves include a line of credit with a bank, which we can use when business is slow. We will also invest excess cash in certificates of deposits at our bank.” Provide a break-even analysis. Your “break even” point is the moment when your revenue equals all of your business costs. There are many business costs you need to account for: Fixed costs: these don't vary depending on your sales volume. For example, your rent, employee salaries, and insurance are fixed costs. Variable costs: these fluctuate depending on your sales and include shipping, inventory, and manufacturing costs. Format your document. Make the business plan look as professional as possible. Open a word processing document and set the font to Times New Roman or Garamond. Add a cover page to your document. You can title it “[Company Name]'s Business Plan” or “Business Plan for [Your Name].” If you have a logo, include that too. Draft your executive summary. In the first section, you should summarize your business as briefly as possible. For example, you should mention what products or services you offer and where you are located. You should also briefly explain why you think you will succeed. You might want to write this summary last, but it goes first. For example, you can write, “You All Day is a start-up dedicated to providing men and women in Chicago a high-quality day spa experience at an affordable price. We specialize in pedicures, manicures, massage, and herbal aromatherapy. The Near North Side of Chicago has grown substantially over the past 20 years, with young, educated millennials settling in to start families. This area is currently under served, and we hope You All Day can meet the demand of the local market.” Assemble the pieces. You might write bits and pieces of your business plan over several months. However, you need to put it all together into one document. Arrange the business plan sections in the following order: Executive Summary Company Description Industry Analysis Market and Competition Products and Services Marketing and Sales Plan Operations and Management Financial Forecasts Exhibits/Appendix Add attachments in the appendix. This material should go in the back of the business plan. Make sure to clearly label each attachment. For example, if you include a resume then identify it: “A: Lisa Jones Resume” or something similar. Make sure your label is the same as what is mentioned in the body of the business plan. Review your business plan. Once you've finished a draft put it aside for a few days. When you take it back out, review with a critical eye. Does the business plan make sense? Is it too repetitive? Is it hard to read? Review for typos and other errors. An accountant should check your numbers to make sure they are accurate. Analyze the overall presentation. Is the information crammed in so that the document is tiring to read? If so, spread out the information so that there is a lot of white space on each page. You can also show the plan to a business adviser. If you live in the U.S., you can show it to someone at your nearest Small Business Development Center, which provides help drafting business plans. You can find your nearest SBDC by visiting this website: https://www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance/sbdc. Print and bind the plan. Use quality paper—the brightest white you can find. If you have pie charts or other graphics, you'll want to print in color. Bind the plan using a three-ring binder or more sophisticated methods of binding available at Staples or other printers. You might want to include tabbed partitions between each section of your business plan. This will make it easier for someone to flip through it and find what they are looking for. | Describe your mission and objectives. Discuss your industry. Identify your target market. Scope out your competition. Draft a competitive analysis. Describe your products and services. Devise your marketing plan. Explain your daily operations. Identify management. Provide personal financial statements. Explain your start-up costs. Forecast profits for the first year. Identify expected cash flow. Provide a break-even analysis. Format your document. Draft your executive summary. Assemble the pieces. Add attachments in the appendix. Review your business plan. Print and bind the plan. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Read-a-Book-in-a-Week | How to Read a Book in a Week | It might be hard to read an entire book in a week, but if you pick a book that's interesting and you're dedicated to reading some every day, you can do it. Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed, and try to spend at least 10 minutes reading before you take a break. Schedule some time each day to read, and carry the book with you so you can read in your free time, like when you're waiting for the bus or when you would normally watch TV. | Choose a reasonably sized book. Once you have an idea of how many hours per week will be required to complete your book, you'll be more likely to choose a book that can be reasonably read within a week. Don't choose a short story that can be read in 30 minutes; likewise don't read an 800 page book that will take 13-14 hours to complete if you don't have the time nor patience. Timing is especially relevant when you have a deadline such as an assignment for school. Also consider your history with reading. If you are used to reading only one 400 page book per month, try to choose a book that is a fraction of that size, like 150-200 pages. This allows your goal to be realistic while still challenging. Pick a high-interest book. If you have a choice, pick a book that will really pique your interest instead of choosing a boring book that will only make you want to stop reading. Try one from your favorite author, read a review online, choose based on recommendations from others, or choose based on your personal interest in subjects. Many people read a variety of subjects as a means to get better at being a human and being a life-long learner. Try keeping a reading list of books that you want to read. Whenever you come across a book that interests you, update your list so you always have something interesting from which to choose. Read because you have to. There are many times people are unable to choose their reading material because it has been assigned to them for school, work, or other projects. Even if you find yourself hating the material, set a plan in motion to keep reading. Keep in mind that even if you don't like something, you can always learn from it, which is usually the goal. Not only will it be preparing you for an immediate gain (like a good grade on a test), but it will also provide you with knowledge of a person or topic of which you were previously unaware. Even if you feel the text doesn't keep your attention, you can always focus on what worked or didn't work, what the author did well and what they didn't. Not only will this show a deep analysis of the text, but it will also help you in determining what books you prefer to read. Commit to your goal. If you are forced to read an assigned book within a week's time, prepare yourself by truly committing to the goal. Always remind yourself of what depends on your completion of the book (a grade, a report, a presentation, etc.). Make a routine. This is especially helpful if you have an assignment due date or if you consider yourself a weak-willed individual. Having a routine in place will help you to stick with reading and help you reach your goal. Learning your reading speed will help you determine how many hours it will take you to complete the book. ] Learn how fast you read. Determining how many words per minute (wpm) you are able to read will help you to determine what size book to choose as well as how much time per day should be spent reading. Time required can fluctuate based on the difficulty of the text, but having an idea of how long it will take will give you a measurable goal to work with. Choose the right time of day to read. You should always choose the time of day when you have the most energy so you'll be more focused and more prepared to learn. Try treating it like an appointment and schedule time with yourself each day to read. Wake up, take a shower, and read while eating breakfast; or stop at your favorite coffee shop on the way to work and spend 30 minutes reading while enjoying your coffee. By putting everything in its “proper place,” you'll be more likely to stick to your assigned task Start reading. The more you read, the more you will enjoy reading. Try to sit alone and read for at least 10 minutes before taking a break. Before you know it, those 10 minutes will have passed and you'll be hooked. The more you learn to read for pleasure, the easier it becomes. Keep in mind the number of pages or chapters you need to read daily to meet your goal. After your goal of 10 minutes, aim for reading one to two chapters. By then, your interest will have been piqued and you'll want to continue reading without checking the time. Use all your free time. Aside from your scheduled time, use your free time to read a few extra pages or chapters. Instead of checking Facebook or playing games on your phone, use the extra 5-10 minutes to catch up on your reading. Depending on how often you read, you can add an extra 30 minutes to 1 hour each day. This equates to an increase of about 5 hours per week. Carry your book anywhere you go so you will always be prepared to read. Use your phone or an electronic reading device such as a Kindle to always have a book at your fingertips. If you're on a deadline, remove distracting apps from your phone for the week. Even if you're only able to read ahead a few pages, you'll still be ahead of your goal which can boost your confidence and give you a rewarding feeling. Skim if needed. If you are falling behind in your reading and have a deadline to meet, feel free to skim over a few pages. Read the first few pages of the chapter and look for the main idea of the chapter and how it fits into the flow of the book. Look for any important plot points or new characters that will be helpful in later chapters. Skim headings and subheading to search for organization and main ideas. Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. If you are able to abstract the meaning, move on; otherwise, it may be necessary to read the entire paragraph. Stick to it. No matter what happens, don't stop reading. If your deadline is approaching and you feel like you won't reach your goal, continue pushing and read as much as you can. If you don't have a deadline, continue your routine and determine how long it actually takes you to finish reading the book. This will help you in being able to realistically set future reading goals. Listen to your book as an audiobook. If you have a tough time keeping your eyes glued to the page, listen to your book instead. It may feel like cheating, but it's not--you're still getting the same information and activating the same language centers in your brain. You might just find it more fun, too! Avoid falling behind. Once you fall behind in your reading it is hard to catch up. Try not to “owe yourself one” or think that you'll double up on time later. This can cause people to feel overwhelmed and helpless, and can cause people to give up instead of pushing forward. Try sticking to a schedule and routine to avoid falling behind. If you do fall behind, make a realistic plan about how to get back on track. Give up television for one evening or take your book to the gym to make up time. Be sure to control your emotions if you find yourself behind in your goal. Keep from feeling overwhelmed and hopeless by putting a realistic plan into action. The best way to avoid this feeling is to stay ahead of your reading at all times. Limit distractions. Get rid of any outside source that has the potential to steal your attention away from your book. Turn off your laptop, close yourself in your bedroom, turn off the television, and leave your phone on the charger. Make this time an important priority over everything else. Don’t read when sleepy. If you read while tired, you'll either fall asleep within a few pages or you won't retain any important information. Instead of reading at the end of the day when you're drained, try reading as early in the day as possible when your mind is still fresh and fully functioning. Being comfortable is a major part of reading; but being comfortable and tired is usually a recipe for disaster. Avoid reading in bed unless it has become habit or part of your winding down routine for bedtime. Avoid going into it without practice. Attempting to read a book in a week without previous practice can be a difficult task. By reading and sharpening your learning skills, you are able to practice your "meta-skills" and become more proficient in learning, reading, remembering and thinking. If possible, try to increase your reading skills before setting your goal to read a book in a week. This practice can be equated to cutting wood. If you have wood to cut you must first sharpen your saw when cutting the first log, not the last. You can build your skills by reading more (not just books), reading often, or trying a speed reading program. | Choose a reasonably sized book. Pick a high-interest book. Read because you have to. Make a routine. Start reading. Use all your free time. Skim if needed. Stick to it. Listen to your book as an audiobook. Avoid falling behind. Limit distractions. Don’t read when sleepy. Avoid going into it without practice. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Tripwire | How to Make a Tripwire | To make a tripwire bang alarm, you'll need fishing line, a mouse trap, ring caps, tent pegs, nails, screws, and rubber bands. First, screw the mousetrap to the top half of a tent peg so you can put it in the ground later. Then, drill a hole through the middle of the mouse trap's bait pedal for the fishing line to go. When you've done that, hammer two nails into the corners where the trap's pedal hits the wood. Once you're ready to set up the trap, tie the fishing line to a second tent peg and run it across your path into the back of the hole you made in the mousetrap. Wrap a rubber band around the trap to secure the wire. Then, cut individual pop caps from the ring and attach them to the nail heads on your mousetrap. Finally, pull the pedal down to arm the trap and wait for it to go off. | Gather your materials. You'll need fishing line, a mouse trap, ring caps, tent pegs, nails, screws, and rubber bands. Screw the mousetrap to the tent peg. Use a drill to screw through the mousetrap onto the top half of the tent peg. Use a screwdriver and wood screws to screw them together. Screw through the trap behind bait pedal. The bait pedal is the metal rectangle part that the mouse steps on to release the trap. Drill a hole behind it through the mouse trap. You'll tie a knot over the bait pedal later. Cut out the pop caps. If your pop caps are in a ring, cut out individual ones. One should fit over a small nail head. Instead of pop caps, you can use a glow stick. Release the trap several times. You need to see where it's hitting the wood when it releases. Hammer in two nails. Where the bow hits the wood along the sides, drill a small hole on each side. Hammer a nail in each hole. The head of the nail should face the bow as it swings down. In other words, the bow should come down and hit the nail on the head when the trap releases. If you're using a glow stick, drill four holes. Tie the glow stick on so that the bow hits it when the trap releases. Paint the tent pegs and the mouse trap. If you want to camouflage your trap, paint the mousetrap and the pegs to match the surroundings. You can also paint the tent pegs before you attach the mousetrap. Tie the fishing line to the other tent peg. Securely tie the line to the other tent peg. Hammer the peg into the ground. Run the fishing line to the bait peg. Make sure the wire is taut across the path. Run it into the back of the trap to the front, and tie it to the bait pedal. Use a rubber band. Rubber band the tripwire onto the peg and the mousetrap. The rubber band will secure the tripwire. Arm the mouse trap. Add a pop cap to each nail head. Pull the bow down to arm the trap. Leave it to secure your campground or area. When the tripwire is triggered, the mousetrap will hit the pop caps, making a loud bang. It will tell if a person is walking in the area. If you used a glow stick, the glow stick will light up when hit. Clean out a sturdy water bottle. A standard 20 or 24 ounce bottle is fine for this purpose. Cut the water bottle in half. Mark the middle of the bottle. Use a hacksaw or scissors to cut the bottle in half. You'll use the top half of the bottle for this trap. Smooth out the edges. Use sandpaper to smooth the edge of the bottle. Also, tape over the edges with duct tape. Cut the small end off of a balloon. Stretch the rest of the balloon over the bottle opening. It doesn't have to go over all the edges. It just needs to stretch across the middle in a single band. Cut out a small piece of wood. Part of a Popsicle stick would work well for this project. It should be shorter than the balloon band is wide. Round the edges. Add hot glue and a string. Place hot glue on the piece of wood. Glue down a strong piece of string across the wood. Line up the wood on the balloon. The balloon should go across the width of the balloon band. Let the strings go down on either side. Pull the ends through the mouth of the bottle, going from the inside of the bottle to the outside. Tie a knot in the thread. Tie a knot in the thread that rests partway down the inside of the bottle. Attach stakes. Use three pieces of sharp wood that are longer than the half bottle. Glue or tape them them on to each side. They should stick out past the mouth but not out past the other end. You'll use these to stick the tripwire in the ground. Create the trigger. Use a small piece of wood that barely reaches across the mouth of the bottle. Tie a long string to the end. Create the tripwire. Tie the other end of the string to the top of a small stake. A Popsicle stick will work for this part as well. Pull out the knot through the mouth of the bottle. Place the small stick under the knot. Angle the wood across the mouth of the bottle. Set the bottle in the ground. Push the stakes in the ground, being careful not to pull the trigger. To truly prank your friends, you need to disguise the trap somehow. However, you can't hide the top of the bottle, as that will release your trap. Stretch out the string. Stretch the string out to the stake. Shove the stake in the ground. Add flour to the trap. Tip flour or water into the balloon trap. Wait for someone to trip the wire. When the wire is tripped, the balloon will throw the flour or water into the air, getting it all over your friend. Gather your materials. You'll need a clothespin, an electronic buzzer, a lithium battery, two-sided adhesive pads, a twist tie, fishing line, and a small piece of copper tape. Keep the clothespin open. Use the twist tie to squeeze the ends together. You want to hold the clothespin open. Wrap the copper tape around one of the open ends. Use the copper tape to cover one of the open ends, wrapping it around the top. Smooth it down to the wood. Attach the red wire. Use the adhesive pad. Use one sticky side to stick the red wire to the copper on the top of the clothespin. Stick the buzzer down. Use the other sticky side to stick the buzzer to the top of the clothespin. Stick the black wire down. Place the stick pad on the inside of the clothespin mouth. Put it on the side without the copper. Stick the black wire to the top of it. Place the battery on top of the black wire. With the negative side towards the black wire, stick it down to the black wire. Center the wire on the battery. Make a hole in a small piece of cardboard. The cardboard should be thin and about an inch wide and long. Poke a hole with a needle. Tie a string in the hole in the cardboard. Use fishing wire. Tie a string around the hole. Place the cardboard inside the clothespin mouth. Release the twist tie at the back of the clothespin. The string side should be near the mouth of the clothespin. Pull out the cardboard to test the clothespin. See if it buzzes. Place the cardboard back inside the mouth. Attach the tripwire to the wall. Use adhesive pads to stick up the clothespin. Run the tripwire across the doorway. Tape it up on the other side of the doorway. Make sure it's taut but not taut enough to pull out the cardboard without much pressure. Let someone trip the alarm. When someone crosses the tripwire, it pulls out the cardboard. The clothespin will close, connecting the circuit. The buzzer will sound. | Gather your materials. Screw the mousetrap to the tent peg. Screw through the trap behind bait pedal. Cut out the pop caps. Release the trap several times. Hammer in two nails. Paint the tent pegs and the mouse trap. Tie the fishing line to the other tent peg. Run the fishing line to the bait peg. Use a rubber band. Arm the mouse trap. Leave it to secure your campground or area. Clean out a sturdy water bottle. Cut the water bottle in half. Smooth out the edges. Cut the small end off of a balloon. Cut out a small piece of wood. Add hot glue and a string. Line up the wood on the balloon. Tie a knot in the thread. Attach stakes. Create the trigger. Create the tripwire. Pull out the knot through the mouth of the bottle. Set the bottle in the ground. Stretch out the string. Add flour to the trap. Wait for someone to trip the wire. Gather your materials. Keep the clothespin open. Wrap the copper tape around one of the open ends. Attach the red wire. Stick the buzzer down. Stick the black wire down. Place the battery on top of the black wire. Make a hole in a small piece of cardboard. Tie a string in the hole in the cardboard. Place the cardboard inside the clothespin mouth. Attach the tripwire to the wall. Let someone trip the alarm. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Plant-Sugar-Cane | How to Plant Sugar Cane | To plant sugar cane, select healthy sugar cane plants with long, thick stems and split the stems into foot-long pieces, leaving 3 to 4 joints per piece. Next, select a location that gets full sun and dig 4-inch deep furrows that are wide enough to plant the canes horizontally on their sides. Then, lightly moisten the soil, place the stems horizontally into the furrows, and cover them with soil. You should see the new plants breaking through the soil in the spring! | Select healthy sugar cane plants. Sugar cane is easiest to find during the harvest season, in late summer and early fall. If you can't find sugar cane plants at your local garden center, it can often be found at roadside stands and farmer's markets. Asian groceries also often stock sugar cane plants. Look for long, thick stems, which are more likely to produce healthy new plants. The stems have joints, and a new plant will sprout from each one. Keeping this in mind, buy as many stems as you need to produce the size crop you want. Split the sugar cane stems into foot-long pieces. Leave three to four joints per piece, to make it more likely that each piece will produce a few sprouts. If the stems have any leaves or flowers, go ahead and remove them. Dig furrows in a sunny planting spot. Sugar cane stems are planted horizontally on their sides, in four-inch deep furrows, or trenches. They need full sun, so choose an area that isn't shaded. Dig furrows long enough to fit each piece of cane you're planting, and space the furrows one foot apart. Use a spade or hoe, rather than a shovel, to make it easier to dig the furrows. Moisten the furrows. Use a hose to lightly moisten the furrows to prepare them for the sugar cane. Make sure the water has drained and there are no remaining puddles before you plant. Plant the sugar cane. Place the stems horizontally into the furrows. Cover them with soil. Do not plant stems upright, or they will not grow. Wait for the sugar cane to grow. In the spring, usually in April or May, shoots will start to grow from the nodes of the stems. You'll see them breaking through the soil to form individual sugar cane stalks, which will grow quite tall by summer's end. Fertilize the sugar cane with nitrogen. Since sugar cane is a type of grass, it thrives on nitrogen-rich fertilizers. You can fertilize the sugar cane plants with standard grass fertilizer, or go for an organic option: chicken manure. Fertilizing just once, when the sprouts first emerge, will help the sugar cane grow strong and healthy so you'll have a good harvest in the fall. Weed the plant bed regularly. Sugarcane requires little maintenance except for weeding. Weeds could choke the new sprouts before they have the chance to grow. Constant weeding is necessary until the canes grow large enough to produce shade and choke harmful weeds on their own. Monitor for pests and disease. A number of pests and diseases can impact sugar cane. Pests such as borers and insects are more likely to impact a crop when they experience waterlogged conditions, while diseases can cause fungal growth and rot stocks. Check your sugar cane regularly for pests or rotting, and take preventative measures to discourage pests and diseases whenever possible. Selecting sugar cane varieties that are resistant to diseases and viruses known to affect crops in your area is one of the best pest management strategies. The application of controlled amounts of appropriate fungicides or pesticides may help prevent the propagation of a pest or disease within your crop. If you do spot a plant that appears to be infected with pests or a disease, remove it immediately. Wait until fall to harvest. Sugar cane plants should be left to grow for as long as possible before the first frost of the year. If they are left in the ground after the first frost, you will not be able to use your plants to make sugar syrup. If you live in a place with long, cold winters, play it safe and harvest your sugar cane by the end of September. If you live in a place with mild winters, you may be able to let your sugar cane grow until late October. If you live in the United States, you can check your area's frost dates by visiting http://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/states. Use a machete to cut the canes close to the ground. The mature stalks will be tall and thick, similar to bamboo, so simple garden shears won't cut it. Use a machete or a saw to cut the sugar cane as close to the ground as possible, so you'll be able to make use of as much of the plant as possible. Don't hack into the ground. You don't want to damage the roots of the established sugar cane plants. If you leave the roots in the ground, your sugar cane will come up again next year. Strip the leaves from the cut sugar cane. Be sure to wear gloves since the leaves are quite sharp. Use them to cover up the planting bed. The leaves will act as an organic mulch that will protect the sugar cane roots over the winter. If you don't have enough leaves to cover the whole bed, use some extra straw to finish the job. Scrub the stems. After a season outside, they'll have mildew and dirt on them. Use warm water and a scrub brush to scrub dirt and debris from the stems until they're completely clean. Chop the stems into one-inch sections. The stems will be quite stiff, so a meat cleaver is a better tool for the job than a knife. Chop the stem into small sections, then chop those in half so you have a pile of small pieces of sugar cane. If you had a commercial sugar cane press, chopping the stems wouldn't be necessary. On large farms, juice is extracted from sugar cane using huge, heavy presses. There is no equivalent machine suitable for home use, so the chop-and-boil-method is used instead. Boil the sugar cane pieces in a large stockpot filled with water. The sugar is extracted through a long process of boiling the pieces down for about two hours. The sugar water is ready when it has the same flavor as a piece of raw sugar cane. You'll have to taste-test it to determine when it's ready. Another clue is to look at the sugar cane pieces. After a few hours, the color will turn to a light brown, which indicates the sugar has been extracted. Check the pot every half hour or so to make sure that the pieces are still covered with water; if not, add more. Pour the sugar water through a strainer into a smaller pot. Use the strainer to catch all the fibrous pieces of sugar cane. You don't need these anymore, so you can discard them. Cook down the sugar water to turn it into syrup. Boil the sugar water until it cooks down significantly and takes on the texture of thick syrup. This can take anywhere from one to two hours, so be sure to monitor the pot to make sure you don't overcook it. To test whether the syrup is ready, dip a cold spoon in the pot and check the texture. If you like your syrup on the thin side, you can remove it from heat when it still easily slides from the back of the spoon. For thicker syrup, remove it from heat when it coats the back of the spoon instead of slipping right off. Pour the syrup into a glass canning jar. Place a lid on the jar and allow the syrup to cool completely before storing it in a cool, dry place. | Select healthy sugar cane plants. Split the sugar cane stems into foot-long pieces. Dig furrows in a sunny planting spot. Moisten the furrows. Plant the sugar cane. Wait for the sugar cane to grow. Fertilize the sugar cane with nitrogen. Weed the plant bed regularly. Monitor for pests and disease. Wait until fall to harvest. Use a machete to cut the canes close to the ground. Don't hack into the ground. Strip the leaves from the cut sugar cane. Scrub the stems. Chop the stems into one-inch sections. Boil the sugar cane pieces in a large stockpot filled with water. Pour the sugar water through a strainer into a smaller pot. Cook down the sugar water to turn it into syrup. Pour the syrup into a glass canning jar. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Curry-Sauce | How to Make Curry Sauce | To make a classic British curry sauce, sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger for 5 minutes, then stir in your spices and cook for 6 more minutes. Next, stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes, until it begins to thicken. Finally, stir in 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, then slowly stir in 1½ cups of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Continue to cook the sauce for a few more minutes until it thickens. | Grate the onion and mince the aromatics. Peel one medium onion and grate it against the large holes on a box grater. Peel two medium cloves of garlic and a one-inch (2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger. Mince the garlic and ginger. Saute the onion with the aromatics for five minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, stir in the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir the mixture constantly and cook it for five minutes. Stir in the spices and cook the curry sauce for six more minutes. Keep stirring the curry sauce while you stir in all of the spices. Cook the spiced onions for six minutes. You'll need to stir in: 1 1/2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cumin 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon (1 1/2 g) ground coriander 1 teaspoon (3 g) paprika 1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder (such as Madras) 1 pinch of red pepper flakes Stir in the tomato paste and cook the curry sauce for three minutes. Turn the heat to medium and stir in 1 tablespoon (16 g) of tomato paste. Keep stirring and cooking the curry sauce for three minutes. It should begin to thicken a little. Thicken the curry sauce with flour and liquids. Add 1 tablespoon (8 g) of all-purpose flour and stir it until the curry sauce absorbs it. Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of water and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice. Continue to stir and cook the sauce until it thickens. This should take a few minutes. Taste and use the British curry sauce. Taste the sauce and season it with kosher salt and ground pepper. If you'd like a smoother sauce, you can puree it in a blender or food processor. To use the curry sauce as a base for sauteed meat or vegetables, just stir the sauce into your prepared meal. If you'd like a soupy curry to serve over rice, you'll probably want to double the recipe. You can also make a single batch of curry to pour over fries. One batch of British curry sauce will make about 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of sauce. Store leftover curry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. and garlic. Mince the onion Peel an onion and use a sharp knife to mince it. You'll need 3/4 cup (115 g) of minced onion. Peel 4 large cloves of garlic and carefully mince them. Saute the onion with the aromatics for six to eight minutes. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of vegetable oil into a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium-low. Once the oil is shimmering, stir in the minced garlic and onion. You'll also need to stir in 1/4 cup (60 g) of Thai red curry paste and 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt. Saute the mixture for six to eight minutes and stir it occasionally to prevent it from sticking. The onion should soften and become clear. Stir in the coconut milk and reduce the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. Shake a few cans of unsweetened coconut milk and open them. Stir the coconut milk well and pour in 2 1/4 cups (532 ml) of the milk into the onion mixture. Stir every once in a while as some of the liquid in the pan evaporates. This should take 20 to 30 minutes. Keep the lid off of the pan so the liquid can evaporate and the sauce can thicken a little. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Turn off the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of lime juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml) of Asian fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) of sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 to 1 g) of cayenne, and 1/2 cup (25 g) of chopped cilantro sprigs (optional). Taste the sauce and add extra salt according to your taste. Use the Thai coconut curry sauce. To create a quick stir fry or curry, saute vegetables and your choice of protein in a large pan. For example, saute carrots, potatoes, and sliced beef. Pour the sauce into the pan and serve the dish with rice or flatbread. One batch of Spicy Thai coconut curry sauce will make about 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of sauce. You could use it to make a small serving of curry or double it to make a large serving. Store leftover curry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. and heat the oil. Slice the onions Peel 1 pound (453 g) of onions and use a sharp knife to slice them as thinly as you can (about 1 mm thick). Set the sliced onions aside and set a large pot on the stove. Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of sunflower or vegetable oil into it and turn the heat to medium high. Stir in the sugar and add the sliced onions. Set a wooden spoon in the oil. Once you see bubbles around the spoon, add 1 teaspoon (4 g) of sugar. Stir the sugar so it dissolves and starts to turn dark. Stir in the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon (5 g) of salt. Cook the onions for ten minutes and prepare the aromatics. Stir the onions occasionally and let them cook for ten minutes so they soften. Get out 15 cloves of garlic and a five-inch (12 cm) stem of fresh ginger. Peel the garlic and ginger. Mince all of the garlic and mince enough fresh ginger to measure 5 tablespoons (30 g). Stir in the aromatics and cook the mixture for ten more minutes. Stir the minced garlic and ginger into the softened onions. Stir the mixture every once in a while and cook it for ten more minutes. The mixture (masala) should become dark or golden in color as it cooks. Dice and stir in the tomatoes with the spices. Wash 2 pounds (906 g) of ripe tomatoes and dice them into small pieces. Stir all of the tomatoes into the masala along with 2 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) of turmeric powder and 2 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) of chili powder. Stir the sauce occasionally and let it cook for 15 minutes. The tomatoes should break down as they cook. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for five minutes. Turn the heat down to medium so the sauce still bubbles quite a bit. Put the lid on the pan and simmer the masala for five minutes. You should see oil start to glisten on the surface of the curry sauce once it's finished cooking. Taste and use the Indian curry sauce. Taste the curry sauce and stir in more salt according to your taste. To use the curry sauce, saute a pound (453 g) of shrimp in the sauce and stir in a little yogurt. Serve the dish over rice. Or stir about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the sauce into two cups (150 g) of cooked lentils and serve it with your favorite flatbread. Portion the leftover curry sauce into 1/2 cup (120 ml) portions so you can defrost and use them easily. Freeze the curry sauce for up to two months or place it in the fridge to use within three or four days. | Grate the onion and mince the aromatics. Saute the onion with the aromatics for five minutes. Stir in the spices and cook the curry sauce for six more minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook the curry sauce for three minutes. Thicken the curry sauce with flour and liquids. Taste and use the British curry sauce. and garlic. Saute the onion with the aromatics for six to eight minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and reduce the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Use the Thai coconut curry sauce. and heat the oil. Stir in the sugar and add the sliced onions. Cook the onions for ten minutes and prepare the aromatics. Stir in the aromatics and cook the mixture for ten more minutes. Dice and stir in the tomatoes with the spices. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for five minutes. Taste and use the Indian curry sauce. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Operate-a-Scientific-Calculator | How to Operate a Scientific Calculator | To operate a scientific calculator, locate the primary functions, like square root, sine, and tangent, since you'll be using these frequently. Additionally, familiarize yourself with the secondary functions above the primary keys, which can be accessed by pressing the “Shift” or “2ND” key. When dealing with longer problems, use the answer function to recall the last displayed answer to an equation. If you need to clear the screen, press the “Clear” button near the top of the keyboard. | Find the important functions. There are several functions on the calculator that will be essential for Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Calculus, and more. Find the following functions on your calculator: Basic Operations Operation Function + Addition - Subtraction (not negative) x Multiplication (There is often an x key for variables as well) ÷ Division ^ Raise to the power of y y to the power of x √ or Sqrt Square root e Exponential sin Sine function sin Inverse sine function cos Cosine function cos Inverse cosine function tan Tangent function tan Inverse tangent function ln Log to the base of e log Log base 10 (-) or neg Denotes negative number () Parentheses for denoting order of operations π Inserts pi Mode Switches between degrees and radians Familiarize yourself with secondary functions. While the bulk of the most common functions will have their own keys (e.g., the SIN key), things like inverse functions (e.g., SIN-1) or less-common functions (e.g., the square root √) will be listed above other keys. Some calculators have a "Shift" key instead of a "2ND" key. In many cases, the color of the "Shift" or "2ND" key will match the color of the function's text. Always close your parentheses. Whenever you type a left parenthesis, you must close it with a right one; similarly, if you type a total of five left parentheses, you'll have to close them with five right ones. This is important when entering larger calculations, as leaving out a parenthesis can cause the equation to return a far different answer than you should have. Switch between degrees and radians. You can change between displaying values in terms of degrees (fractions of 360) or radians (decimals using pi as the basis) by pressing the MODE key, using the arrow keys to select RADIANS or DEGREES , and pressing the ENTER button. This is important when performing Trigonometry calculations. If you notice that your equations are returning decimal values instead of degrees (or vice versa), you'll need to change this setting. Learn how to save and restore. Saving your results and pulling them back later is an essential skill for dealing with longer problems. There are a couple of different ways to use stored information: Use the Answer function to recall the last displayed answer to an equation. For example, if you just entered 2^4 , typing in -10 and pressing ENTER would subtract 10 from the solution. Press STO after retrieving your preferred answer, press ALPHA , select a letter, and press ENTER. You can then use that letter as a placeholder for your answer. Clear the screen. If you ever need to exit a menu or remove several lines' worth of equations from the calculator screen, you can press the CLEAR button near the top of the keypad to do so. You can also press the 2ND or Shift key and then press whichever button has "QUIT" listed over it (in most cases, this is the MODE key). Try a simple square root. Test out the button order on an easy and quick problem. For example, you might try taking the square root of 9; you should already know that the answer will be three, so this is a great tip to use in the middle of a test if you forget which order you're supposed to be pressing buttons: Find the square root (√) symbol. Either press the square root key or press the SHIFT or 2ND button and then press its key. Press 9 Press ENTER to solve the equation. Take the power of a number. In most cases, you'll do this by entering the first number, pressing the carrot ( ^ ) button, and entering the number to which you want to raise the first number. For example, to calculate 2 , you would type in 2^2 and then press ENTER. To ensure the number order is correct, try performing a simple test, such as 2. If you get 8 as the answer, then you did it in the right order. If you got 9 , then you actually did 3. Practice the trigonometry functions. When you are using the SIN, COS, or TAN functions, you will have to keep in mind two different things: the order of the button presses, and radians versus degrees. Perform a simple SIN function with an easy to remember answer. For example, the sine of 30° is 0.5. Determine if you need to enter 30 first or press sin first. If pressing SIN and then typing in 30 gets 0.5 as an answer, then your calculator is set to display in degrees. If your answer is -.988 , then your calculator is set to radians. Practice entering longer equations. Things can get a bit more complicated when you start entering longer equations into your calculator. You will need to take order into consideration, and will often make use of the () keys. Try entering the following equation into your calculator: 3^4/(3+(25/3+4*(-(1^2)))) Note how many parentheses are necessary to keep the formula intact. Proper parentheses use is essential to successfully using the calculator. Look for complex functions in the MATH menu. While things like SIN, square roots, inverse exponents, and pi are often either represented by keys or secondary text above keys, you can find more advanced functions (e.g., factorials) in the MATH menu. To use the MATH menu, do the following: Press the MATH button. Use the up and down arrows to scroll up and down through a category of equations. Use the right and left arrows to scroll right and left through the different categories. Press ENTER to select an equation, then enter the number or formula to which you want to apply the equation. Press ENTER to calculate the whole equation. Understand that not all scientific calculators allow graphing. If your calculator doesn't have a Y= button on it, you most likely can't use the calculator to graph a standard "y=mx+b" (or similar) plot. You can check your calculator's documentation to determine whether or not it supports graphing, or you can just look for the Y= button near the top of the calculator's keypad. Press the "Y=" button. It's typically at the top of the calculator's keypad. Doing so brings up a list of Y values (e.g., "Y1", "Y2", etc.) which represent different graphs. Enter your equation. Type in the equation (e.g., 3x+4 ), then press ENTER. You should see the equation appear to the right of the "Y1" value. For the X part of the equation, you'll press the X,T,Θ,n key (or similar). Press GRAPH. This button is usually at the top of the calculator's keypad. Review the results. After a moment, you should see the graph's line appear on-screen. This will show you the curve of the graph and its general position. You can view the graph's individual points by pressing the TABLE (or Shift / 2ND and then GRAPH ) button and then scrolling through the resulting table. | Find the important functions. Familiarize yourself with secondary functions. Always close your parentheses. Switch between degrees and radians. Learn how to save and restore. Clear the screen. Try a simple square root. Take the power of a number. Practice the trigonometry functions. Practice entering longer equations. Look for complex functions in the MATH menu. Understand that not all scientific calculators allow graphing. Press the "Y=" button. Enter your equation. Press GRAPH. Review the results. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Anyone-Fall-in-Love-With-You | How to Make Anyone Fall in Love With You | While you can't make someone fall in love with you, there are some things you can do to increase the chances of it happening. As long as the other person is comfortable with it, plan an exciting date like seeing a scary movie or going to an amusement park since doing thrilling things together can strengthen your attraction. You can also set a more romantic mood by going on dates at night or in places with dim lighting like dinner at a nice restaurant. Another way to develop more intimacy with someone is to let them do nice things for you since being affectionate could make them feel more positively about you. For example, let your love interest open doors for you and allow them to do you favors like giving you a ride home. | Lock eyes with your love interest. Before you can get someone to fall in love with you, you have to make sure s/he knows you exist and you are interested in him or her. Making eye contact is a simple, effective way to indicate your interest to someone. Research has shown that prolonged eye contact can increase feelings of attraction between two people. Use eye contact to flirt with your love interest to get him or her interested. Try gazing into the person's eyes for a few minutes and then slowly turn your gaze elsewhere. Or, if a long gaze does not seem appropriate yet, try checking in with the person with frequent, quick glances. Stand or sit in a way that mirrors your love interest's body position. Mirroring body position can also indicate your interest in a person and provide opportunities for him or her to do the same. For example, if the person is leaning in towards you with one arm on the table, you can lean in with the opposite arm so that you look like a mirror image of the person. Make sure that you don't overdo this one or make it too obvious that you are trying to mirror their body position. You may even find yourself mirroring the other person without trying, which is even better because it will seem more natural. Smile and be friendly. Smiling is an easy way to show that you are interested in someone and it can also make you seem more attractive. Make sure that you smile at your date now and then to indicate your interest. Try to keep your smile as natural and relaxed as possible. Don't force it or smile in a way that is unusual for you. Determine if the person is interested in you. As you show your interest in someone, watch for signs that s/he is also interested in you. If you notice that the person is also smiling, making eye contact, and facing you when s/he talks, then this might be a good sign. Watch for other positive body language as well, such as playing with the hair, touching your arm, or fidgeting with clothes. If someone does not seem interested in you, don't take it personally or get discouraged. Just keep looking! Ask for a date. If the person seems interested, ask if s/he would like to go out with you sometime. Asking someone out can be a bit scary, but if you don't ask, you might never know if s/he is interested in you. Take a deep breath and just let him or her know that you'd like to get together sometime. Try taking an even more casual approach if you are nervous. Say something like, "What have you got going on this weekend?" If the response is something indefinite like, "I was thinking about going to the beach on Saturday," use it to your advantage. Try saying, "That sounds fun. Maybe later that evening we can grab some dinner together." Allow your love interest to do nice things for you. Doing nice things for someone creates more positive feelings in the person who does those nice things than it does for the person who benefits from them. For example, if you buy coffee for someone, you will have more positive feelings towards that person than s/he will towards you. Therefore, you should allow your love interest to do nice things for you to increase feelings of affection. Just make sure that you do not take advantage of his or her kindness or forget to repay the favor now and then. For example, you can let your love interest open doors for you and give you gifts for a while without reciprocating. Or, ask your love interest for a favor, like giving you a ride home or helping you with a problem. Take your love interest on some exciting dates. Research has shown that putting yourself into a thrilling situation can increase your feelings of attraction for someone. Use this to your benefit and plan a thrilling date with the person you want to fall in love with you. Keep in mind that this strategy may not work if the person is not fond of thrilling activities. For example, you could go to see a scary or action movie together, spend a day together at an amusement park, or go bungee jumping. Of course, respect the person's fears and don't try to force him or her into doing something that s/he is not comfortable with. Consider playing hard to get. Some research has shown that people may be more likely to find others desirable if they have to work harder to spend time with them. Try spending some good quality time with your love interest while you are just getting to know each other, then make yourself unavailable for a few days. Or, you could try acting a bit distracted on one of your dates to increase the other person's desire for you. Keep in mind that this strategy can backfire if you don't know the person very well. This strategy is best used on someone that knows you fairly well and likes you. Dim the lights or go on more dates at night. A dimly lit environment may increase the chances of someone falling in love with you because research has shown that large pupils make people seem more attractive. Our pupils react to things that we are interested in, so it may also be a good indicator of how much your love interest likes you. Ask your love interest to go for an evening stroll with you or pick a restaurant that uses dim lighting and candlelight. Consider answering the 36 love questions with your love interest. If the person you are dating is willing, you could try Arthur Aron's intimacy enhancement questions. These questions have led to love matches and feelings of intimacy for some people who were perfect strangers when they met. Just make sure that the other person is willing to try the activity with you. Don't trick or coerce them. Try saying something like, “Hey, I read this weird article the other day about these 36 questions that are supposed to make any two people fall in love. Do you want to answer them with me, just for fun?” Figure out who you are and what you want. Before you can find someone who will meet your needs, you need to get to know yourself really well. Take some time to do a personal inventory of your core values and figure out what your emotional needs are. Write them down so that you can consult your list as you search for your future partner. Some good questions to consider include: What is most important to you? Family? Career? A hobby? Your friends? Honesty? Loyalty? Or something else? List your values and then rank them in order of their importance. What do you want from a partner? Understanding? A sense of humor? Kindness? Strength? Encouragement? List the things that you want your future partner to provide in order of importance to you. Identify the traits that you want your future partner to possess. Before you go out looking for someone who you would like to fall in love with you, think about what you really want in a partner. Make a list of all of the qualities that you would like your future partner to possess before you embark on your love quest. What traits do you want your future partner to have? Do you want someone who likes to read? Enjoys cooking? Is close to his/her family? Has a sense of humor? Treats you like a queen/king? Find someone that shares your interests. People are more likely to fall in love with people who share their interests, so consider looking for someone at a club that you belong to or through some other group that you participate in. While you may be attracted to someone physically, it may not be a love match if you have nothing in common with the person. For example, if you volunteer at the local hospital, try getting to know your fellow volunteers. If you love to work out, try talking to people who frequent your local gym. You might also consider an online dating site. These sites can match you with people who share your interests, which may make it easier for you to connect with the person on your first date. | Lock eyes with your love interest. Stand or sit in a way that mirrors your love interest's body position. Smile and be friendly. Determine if the person is interested in you. Ask for a date. Allow your love interest to do nice things for you. Take your love interest on some exciting dates. Consider playing hard to get. Dim the lights or go on more dates at night. Consider answering the 36 love questions with your love interest. Figure out who you are and what you want. Identify the traits that you want your future partner to possess. Find someone that shares your interests. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Shear-a-Sheep | How to Shear a Sheep | To shear a sheep, start by turning it over onto its back so its shoulders rest against your knees. Next, shear the wool on the belly starting from the top of the breast bone. Then, move to the side of the sheep to shear the hind left leg and tail before moving behind the sheep to shear the chest and neck. When you're done, slide the sheep onto its right side and cut the wool from its back. Finally, swing your right leg around so the sheep's nose is between your knees and shear its right side. | Understand why the sheep needs to be sheared. Shearing is done for two main reasons: to collect sheep's wool for sale, but more importantly to relieve the sheep of heavy wool which may cause them to overheat in summer. In some parts of the world, sheep shearing is even considered a sport! If the sheep are not sheared, they will become uncomfortable and possibly unhealthy, due to the dirt that can become matted up in their wool. Therefore, even if you do not plan on selling the wool for profit, your sheep will still need to be sheared at least once a year. Due to its warmth and the ease with which it can be spun into yarn, the wool from certain breeds of sheep is a valuable commodity. These animals are often raised differently and fed a special mineral-rich diet to improve the quality of their wool. A single sheep can produce 8 to 10 pounds of wool. Choose the right time of year. Most sheep only need to be sheared once a year, although some breeds with faster-growing wool will need to be sheared twice. The best time of the year to shear your sheep is in early spring, before the lambing season starts and the hot summer weather sets in. Shearing ewes before lambing season is a good idea for many reasons. It will help to keep them cleaner while giving birth, and make it easier for the lambs to find their mother's teats for feeding. If the animals are kept in a barn during lambing season, the sheared sheep will also take up less space. Another reason shearing before lambing season is a good idea is that sheared ewes will often eat more grass in order to produce more body heat. This provides them with the extra nutrition they need before giving birth. Try to shear the sheep about a month before they give birth to the lambs. This will give them time to get over the stress of shearing. If you own a breed of sheep with fast-growing wool (such as Cotswolds, Icelandics and Lincolns) aim to do the shearing in late summer or early autumn. Sheep will need at least six weeks to grow their wool before the winter weather sets in. Consider calling an experienced sheep shearer. Although it may not seem like it, shearing a sheep is very hard work. It requires confidence, skill and strength. Therefore, it might be a good idea to call in a professional shearer to perform (or at least help out with) the shearing. An inexperienced shearer can cause injury to the sheep or to himself. It can also stress the animal, therefore affecting its health. In addition, an unskillfully sheared sheep can cause damage to the wool, thereby making it less valuable for selling. In certain areas, professional sheep shearers can be booked out months in advance, so it's a good idea to call well ahead of shearing time. Other options include bringing the sheep from a number of smaller farms to a central location to be sheared. Here a hired shearing crew can shear all the sheep and process the wool simultaneously. If you're adamant about shearing the sheep yourself, you can learn the proper skills by attending a sheep shearing school. Many sheep-farming states hold annual shearing classes that are open for any shepherds to attend. Gather the right equipment. It's very important to have good quality shearing equipment. This will make the whole process much easier and is safer for both the shearer and the sheep. These days, electric cutters are used almost exclusively. Electric shears have three main parts - the handpiece, the comb and the cutters. Look for shears with a higher number of teeth on the comb, as these tend to cut closer to the skin. You can expect to pay $250 to $500 for a good quality electric shears. It's important to ensure that your cutters are still sharp before you begin shearing. Dull cutters will be more difficult to use and could be dangerous for both you and the sheep. Luckily, it is very easy to just replace the cutters on your shears. New cutters will cost between $10 and $15. In years gone by (and in places with limited access to electricity) shearing was done using hand shears. This method of shearing is much more time-consuming and leaves more wool on the sheep. Herd the sheep into a pen. Before shearing, the sheep should be rounded up and gathered into a pen. If possible, separate the sheep into groups, keeping any lambs, yearlings, ewes and rams separate from each other. You could also separate the sheep according to breed or grade. Don't allow the sheep to get wet. Make sure that the sheep are not exposed to rain before shearing, as wet sheep cannot be sheared. This is because the shearer or the sheep could receive an electric shock (from the shears) and wet wool cannot be rolled up and sold. Fast the sheep for a day before shearing. Sheep should not be given any food for the day prior to shearing. This will reduce the amount of waste they produce and help to keep the shearing floor clean. It will also minimize their discomfort when rolled on their backs for shearing. Get the sheep in position. The first step in shearing a sheep is to get it in the correct position. There are five main positions you will need to use throughout the shearing process. The first involves gently tipping the sheep over onto her back, then propping her shoulders between your knees for support. Her belly should be exposed and her four legs should be in the air. Keep in mind that the more comfortable your sheep is during shearing, the less she will struggle - making your job easier as a result. Start shearing the belly. The wool on the sheep's belly is normally the dirtiest and is not valuable for selling. This is why it is a good place to start. Using long, confident blows (this is the correct term for shearing strokes), shear the wool from the top of the brisket (breast bone) all the way down to the open flank area. Make your first blow on the right hand side, your second on the left, then shear off the wool in between. Make sure the first and second belly are set wide enough apart. This will make the rest of your job easier down the line. Shear the inside of the hind legs and crotch. The next step is to the wool from the inside of the hind legs and the crotch. To do this: Lean further forward (still holding the sheep firmly between the knees) and bring the shears up along the inside of the right leg. Then bring the shears across to remove the wool along the crotch. This blow may need to be repeated to ensure all the wool is removed. Now run the shears down the inside of the right leg. The most important thing to be aware of here is the ewe's teats. It's advisable to cover the teats with your left (or non-dominant) hand to prevent yourself from accidentally shaving them off. Change position and shear the left hind leg and tail. Turn approximately 90 degrees so that your right knee is in front of the brisket and the sheep's right foreleg is in between your legs and her left side is exposed. First shear the wool from the sheep's left hind leg, starting at the toe and working your way up towards the hind quarters, finishing on the near side of the backbone. Shift your right leg a few inches backwards to gain better access to the sheep's tail. Position the comb of the shears so it will enter the wool at the top of the tail. Make a blow from the top of the tail upwards along the backbone. Repeat once or twice to clear all the wool from the tail. Since you have easy access to the sheep's head in this position, you can take this opportunity to shear the topknot of fleece from the sheep's head, if necessary. Shear the chest, neck and chin. Before you continue, you will need to move into the third position. To get in position: Place your right foot in between the sheep's hind legs and your left foot at the base of her spine, holding her body firmly between your knees. Use your left hand to grab the sheep below the chin and stretch her head backwards. Bring your clippers from the brisket towards the neck, ending your blow just below her chin. This is one of the most satisfying parts of the process, as it feels like you are "unzipping" her fleece. Continue to make long parallel blows along the left side of her neck, ending first beneath her eye and then beneath her ear. Use your left hand to hold her ear back so you don't nick it. Shear the left shoulder. Shift your weight and maneuver the sheep slightly, so you have better access to her left shoulder. As the skin on the shoulders can be quite wrinkled, use your left hand to pull the skin taut. This will make your blows a lot smoother and help you to avoid nicking or cutting the sheep. Starting from her left knee, shear upwards towards her left shoulder, using one or two blows to clear the wool. You should also use this as an opportunity to clear the wool from the inside of her left foreleg. Change position and start shearing along the sheep's back. Move into the fourth position by sliding the sheep down along your shin until she's lying on her right side. Keep your right foot between her hind legs and your left foot under her shoulder. Now it's time for the long blows, which extend all the way along the sheep's back. Position the shears at her tail and make a long straight blow all the way to her head, staying parallel to her spine. Continue making these blows along the back until you've gone one blow past the backbone and her entire left side is cleared of wool. Change position and shear along her right side. Now it's time to move into the fifth and final position. Swing your right leg around so you're standing upright with the sheep's nose between your knees. Shear along the right side of the sheep's head, neck and shoulders, using three or four separate blows. Remember to use your left hand to hold the wrinkly skin around the shoulder taut. Once the neck and shoulder are cleared of wool, shear the wool from her right foreleg, from the shoulder to the toe. Next, make a series of diagonal blows along the sheep's flank to clear the wool from this side. Use your left hand to put pressure on the sheep's right shoulder joint to keep her steady. Shear the right leg and hindquarter. The last step is to shear the wool from the sheep's right leg and hindquarters. Shift your right foot forward slightly so you can reach and place your left hand on the sheep's right flank, applying firm pressure. This forces the sheep to keep her leg straight (making it easier to shear) while also stretching the skin. Shear in a curved motion from the sheep's flank to her right hind leg. When the leg is cleared, make the final few blows to clear the last of the wool from the sheep's hindquarters. Congratulations - you've sheared your first sheep! Skirt and roll the fleece. Once the sheep has been sheared, you will need to skirt and roll the fleece (if you plan on selling the wool). Skirting means removing any dirty or "incidental" wool which is not valuable and therefore not used for selling. To skirt the wool, place the fleece flesh-side down on a flat table or other surface. Spread it all out til it forms a single layer. Remove any dirty or contaminated wool from the outside edges of the fleece - this includes any off-color wool, tags or matted wool. These bits are mostly found on the wool that was on the belly, legs and rear end of the sheep. Once the contaminated wool has been removed, you can roll the fleece. The best way to do this is to fold the long sides of the fleece towards the center, then roll the fleece from one end to the other, so the flesh side is facing outwards. This creates a neat package that can be easily transported for sale. Do not tie the rolled fleece, as this can lessen the value of the wool. Make long, confident blows. One of the most important aspects of becoming a good shearer is to be confident with your blows. Try not to second guess yourself or fumble with the shears, this will only increase your chances of making a mistake. Try to develop a rhythm as you shear, this will help you to move easily from one section to another. Avoid making second cuts. Sometimes when a blow is performed incorrectly, you will need to make a second pass with the shears to remove the remaining wool. The small bits of fleece that result from this second pass are known as second cuts. Second cuts are undesirable as they cannot be included in the rolled fleece. This is because they make yarn weaker and cause it to pill more easily. The more experience you have, the less likely you are to produce second cuts. Being confident with your blows will help you to avoid them. Use your left hand to keep the skin pulled taut. The shears will move more easily and get a closer cut when the sheep's skin is pulled taut. Therefore, it is important to constantly use your left (or non-dominant) hand to stretch the skin you are about to shear. This is particularly important for sheep with finer wool, as their skin is more wrinkled and harder to see through the excess wool. Know your sheep. Being familiar with your sheep will make a world of difference when it comes to shearing. Knowing whether she's fat or skinny will help you to navigate her body shape and move the shears at the right angle over her hips, shoulder and spine. Knowing how many teats she has (some sheep have two, others have four) will help you to avoid them while shearing, and prevent you from accidentally shaving any off. Being familiar with the overall health of your sheep is also useful. Healthy sheep produce plenty of lanolin (a wax-like substance produced in the sebaceous glands) which melts and lubricates the clippers on the shears, helping the wool to come away more easily. The lanolin on unhealthy sheep tends to stay thick, clogging up the clippers. | Understand why the sheep needs to be sheared. Choose the right time of year. Consider calling an experienced sheep shearer. Gather the right equipment. Herd the sheep into a pen. Get the sheep in position. Start shearing the belly. Shear the inside of the hind legs and crotch. Change position and shear the left hind leg and tail. Shear the chest, neck and chin. Shear the left shoulder. Change position and start shearing along the sheep's back. Change position and shear along her right side. Shear the right leg and hindquarter. Skirt and roll the fleece. Make long, confident blows. Avoid making second cuts. Use your left hand to keep the skin pulled taut. Know your sheep. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Cash-a-Check-Made-Out-to-Two-People | How to Cash a Check Made Out to Two People | To cash a check made out to 2 people, first look at the “Payable To” line to see how the check is written. If the names are separated by a comma, “or,” “and/or,” or nothing at all, you can endorse and cash the check yourself. To cash a check with 2 names separated by “and,” contact your bank or financial institution, since every bank has its own rules about this. You probably will have to endorse the check and get the other party to endorse it, too. Also, you and the other person may have to go to the bank together to cash the check. | Check the pay to line for the word “or. ” If the payer wrote “or” or “and/or” between the names, then cashing the check won't be a problem. Banks treat these kinds of checks as payable to either name listed. In most cases, you don't even have to do anything special to get the check cashed. Treat it like a check made out to a single person. If the payer listed the names without any word between them, then it gets a little more complicated. Generally, banks let either person cash the check, but the rules can vary from place to place. Sign the back of the check. Write your name in the endorsement section on the back of the check. Only one of the people listed on the pay to line needs to sign it to make it valid. Once that person signs it, they can cash it whichever way they prefer. Before trying to cash the check, you may want to clear the air with the other person listed on it. They may feel entitled to a portion of the money. Take the check to the bank to exchange it for cash. You can cash the check at your own bank or the bank the check was drafted from. The teller will be able to clarify the bank's rules before approving the check by hand and giving you the money. Bring a government-issued ID along, such as a driver's license or passport. Make sure it includes your portrait and signature. Expect the teller to ask for it to verify that you are the person listed on the check. When you get a confusing check, such as one where the names are separated by a comma, cash it in person. Let a teller verify it so you don't end up with unexpected fees from an ATM. Use an ATM or mobile app to deposit the check. If you don't need the money right away, you can deposit the check instead of cashing it. Head to your bank to deposit the check through an ATM or use your smartphone to deposit the check online. To use a mobile app, you need to have an account with the bank. Make sure the account name matches the one on the check. The app deposits the check into the account. Look at the pay to line to see if the names are separated by “and. ” If the word “and” is present, then the check belongs to both people listed. You cannot cash this kind of check on your own. That means you have to get in touch with the other person listed to arrange a visit to the bank. There are no alternative ways to cash this kind of check. Be careful about trying to cash checks the wrong way. If it is specifically made out to both people, expect banks to be vigilant about fraud. They won't approve the check. Have both people endorse the check. Both people need to sign their names on the back of the check. Make sure both names are legible and positioned in the endorsement section at the top. The names have to match the ones written on the front or else the bank may reject the check, forcing you to ask the payee to write out a new one. If your name is misspelled, sign your name with the misspelling first, then sign it a second time the correct way. Schedule a joint visit to the bank to cash the check. If you don't have a joint account to work with, you will need to go to the bank. Both people have to go together or else the bank won't cash it. Speak with a teller directly to avoid any potential issues and fees. If both people aren't able to be in the bank at the same time, then you can't cash the check. Usually, the best solution is to ask the payer to rewrite the check. Show your ID to the teller if necessary. Each person on the check needs to have a government-issued ID. Pick one with your name, portrait, and signature on it to help the teller verify your identity. Try using a driver's license, for instance, or a passport. After the teller verifies the information, they then deposit the check into the account you chose. You can't bring in the other person's ID. They have to be there with you to present their ID to the teller. Some banks may even ask you to endorse the check in person. This is uncommon, but it happens sometimes with confusing or valuable checks. Deposit the check into a joint account as an alternative. Choose an account both you and the other person share, if possible. It's the simplest way to handle the check. Since both names are on the account, the bank accepts the check automatically. Many banks and credit unions also let you deposit joint checks through mobile apps or ATMs this way. Keep in mind that you have to have a joint account. It doesn't matter what bank you choose, but pick an accessible one and take the check there. Remember any special rules your bank has. For example, large banks have regulations stating that you have to have a joint account in order to cash a tax refund. Keep in mind that anyone with access to the account can withdraw the money. You won't be able to cash it at the bank. It has to be deposited. Call the bank if you have any questions. If the check was written in a confusing manner or you're not sure where to cash it, reach out to the bank. Read the teller the information on the "pay to" line to find out if the other person needs to be there when you cash the check. Ask what kind of proof of identity you need to bring, as well. You can reach out to the bank that drafted the check or the bank you have an account at. Ask the payer to rewrite the check if you can’t cash it. The main way to fix the issue is with a fresh check. Have the payer write the word “or” between the names this time. If that isn't possible, convince the payer to split the amount and write separate checks addressed to each person. Getting the check redone can be a hassle, especially if you're dealing with something like a tax refund from the government. However, it's the only way to ensure the bank accepts the check. For example, if the other person listed is in jail, incapacitated, or you no longer have contact with them, then you're better off asking for a new check. Get a notarized power of attorney if the other person is unable to sign. This is a possibility if the other person is unable to cash the check for physical or medical reasons, among other issues. To obtain power of attorney , download a power of attorney form and have the other person sign it. Submit it to your state's finance and taxation department to legalize it. The power of attorney gives you permission to handle financial matters on the other person's behalf, which includes cashing checks. For example, if the other person is elderly or in jail, then having a power of attorney can give you the right to cash a check with their name on it. The power of attorney form needs to be signed and notarized by another adult. Contact a lawyer to help take care of this part. | Check the pay to line for the word “or. Sign the back of the check. Take the check to the bank to exchange it for cash. Use an ATM or mobile app to deposit the check. Look at the pay to line to see if the names are separated by “and. Have both people endorse the check. Schedule a joint visit to the bank to cash the check. Show your ID to the teller if necessary. Deposit the check into a joint account as an alternative. Call the bank if you have any questions. Ask the payer to rewrite the check if you can’t cash it. Get a notarized power of attorney if the other person is unable to sign. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Cube | How to Make a Paper Cube | If you want to make a paper cube, start by drawing a long rectangle on a piece of paper. Divide the rectangle into 4 2-inch squares, then draw another 2 squares on the right and left of the second square from the top.Then, add flaps to the right side of the 3 top squares, the bottom side of the bottom square, the top and bottom of the square on the left side, and the left side of the top square. After you've added the flaps, use scissors or a hobby knife to cut around your squares. Finally, fold the sides inwards to form your cube and apply glue or tape the sides to hold them in place. | Draw an 8 in × 2 in (20.3 cm × 5.1 cm) rectangle on a sheet of paper. If you want to make a cube that's 2 × 2 × 2 in (5.1 × 5.1 × 5.1 cm), use a pencil and a ruler to create a rectangle that's 8 in (20 cm) long and 2 in (5.1 cm) tall. For a cube of this size, your paper should be at least 8 in × 6 in (20 cm × 15 cm). Construction paper is best for this project because it's sturdy, but you can also use standard copy paper. If you want to make a cube that's a different size, start with a rectangle with a length-to-width ratio of 4:1. For instance, if you want to make a cube that measures 4 × 4 × 4 in (10 × 10 × 10 cm), draw a 16 in × 4 in (41 cm × 10 cm) rectangle to start. Divide the rectangle into 4 squares. Use your ruler to measure exactly 4 in (10 cm) across the long side of the rectangle, which should be the halfway point. Mark that spot, then, draw a vertical line to divide the rectangle in half. You should see two rectangles that measure 4 in × 2 in (10.2 cm × 5.1 cm). Divide each of these rectangles in half again so you have 4 2 in × 2 in (5.1 cm × 5.1 cm) squares. If you chose to make a cube that's a different size, adjust the measurements to divide the original rectangle into 4 even squares. Add a new square on top of the second box in the rectangle. Find the second vertical line in your rectangle, which is the left side of the second box. Use your ruler and pencil to extend that line upward by 2 in (5.1 cm). Do the same thing above the third vertical line, or the line that runs down the center of the rectangle. Then, connect the tops of the two new lines with a horizontal line. This will create a new 2 in × 2 in (5.1 cm × 5.1 cm) square just above your original rectangle. Try to keep your lines as straight as possible, or the sides of your cube may not connect. Draw another square just below the third square in your rectangle. Find the center line of your original rectangle again, and extend this line downward so it reaches 2 in (5.1 cm) below the rectangle. Do the same to the line to its right, which is the fourth vertical line in your rectangle. Connect those lines at the bottom. You should now have a total of 6 boxes that measure 2 in × 2 in (5.1 cm × 5.1 cm). Draw 7 parallelograms to create the flaps for your cube. Starting on the far left side of the far-left box, draw 2 lines that angle in toward each other at about 45°. The lines should be about ⁄ 2 in (1.3 cm) long. Then, connect the angled lines with a straight vertical line to make your flap. You'll also need flaps on either side of the top box, a flap on the bottom of the box just below that, one on the bottom of the very bottom box, and a flap on the top and bottom of the far-right box. The only box that won't have a flap is the third box on your original rectangle. The very top and far-right boxes will have two flaps each, and the far-left, second-from-the-left, and bottom boxes will each have one flap. This will be 7 flaps total, and you'll use them to glue your cube together. Cut out the cube template. Using a pair of scissors, carefully cut along only the outside lines of your template, including the flaps. Don't cut along the lines that divide the boxes from one another, or the lines between the flaps and the boxes. Your template should be 1 big piece when you're finished. If you accidentally make the wrong cut, either tape the template back together or draw a new one. Fold the template along the lines you drew. Start by folding each flap inward along the line that separates it from the box it's connected to. Then, fold the template along the lines separating the squares. The four squares from your original rectangle will make the sides of the cube, and the top and bottom squares will become the top and bottom of your cube. All of your folds should be in the same direction. For instance, you might fold upward along all the lines. Be sure to press each fold tightly to make a crisp crease. Add glue to each flap as you put the cube together. Place a small line of glue on one of the flaps, then hold the flap tightly against the corresponding side for several seconds. Continue doing this until you've glued down all of the flaps, then leave the cube alone for several minutes to give it time to dry. You can use tape to fasten the flaps, if you prefer. Start with 6 sheets of 6 in × 6 in (15 cm × 15 cm) origami paper. If you want to make a larger or smaller cube, just use larger or smaller square sheets of paper. You can find origami paper at most craft stores or online. If you don't have origami paper, you can use regular copy paper that's been cut into squares instead. Fold one sheet of paper in half and open it back up. Place one of the sheets of origami paper in front of you on a flat surface, then fold it upward. Line up the top and bottom edges carefully, then press down on the paper to make a fold. Crease the fold, then reopen the paper. Since the paper is square, it doesn't matter whether you make this fold from side-to-side or top-to-bottom, but the crease will need to be arranged from top-to-bottom as you continue. Crease the paper into fourths by bringing the edges to the crease you made. After you reopen the sheet of paper, the crease you made will be running down the center. Bring the bottom edge of the paper up to the center fold and crease the paper again. Repeat for the top edge of the paper. Do not unfold the paper after you make these folds. Flip the paper over and bring the bottom left corner to the right edge. Position the paper so that the center opening is facing the table, but turn the paper so the fold is vertical. Grasp the bottom left corner of the paper and fold it up to the paper's right edge. Make sure the bottom edge of the paper is aligned with the right edge, then press down to crease the fold. The new fold will create a triangular edge on the bottom of your paper. Take the top right corner over to the left side of the paper. Next, repeat the same fold, except this time, you'll fold the top right corner down to the left side of the paper. The folded sheet should now be shaped like a parallelogram. Fold the top corner down and over to the right corner. Grasp the top corner of the parallelogram and fold it so the tip of the triangle is touching the very right corner of the shape. This move will fold the top triangle in half. Crease the folded edge tightly. It's okay if the corners of the folded square pop back up. Move the bottom corner up and to the left. Next, fold the bottom triangle in half just like you did with the top triangle. Bring the point of the triangle up to the left angle of the parallelogram and crease the fold tightly. Once you do this, you'll end up with a small square shape. Repeat all the above steps with the 5 other sheets of paper. Start by folding each sheet of paper in half. Then, continue making the folds until you end up with a small folded square. You should have 6 small squares when you're finished. Fit the pieces of folded paper together. Each of your squares will have 2 end flaps and a center fold. Slide the end flap of 1 piece of folded paper into the center fold of another piece. Then, slide the end flap of a third piece of paper into the other side of the center fold. As you continue adding the other pieces, you'll see the shape of a cube starting to emerge. Continue until you've connected all of the end flaps from each piece of paper, and you'll have a cube! You may need to bend the flaps to fit them into the center fold. | Draw an 8 in × 2 in (20.3 cm × 5.1 cm) rectangle on a sheet of paper. Divide the rectangle into 4 squares. Add a new square on top of the second box in the rectangle. Draw another square just below the third square in your rectangle. Draw 7 parallelograms to create the flaps for your cube. Cut out the cube template. Fold the template along the lines you drew. Add glue to each flap as you put the cube together. Start with 6 sheets of 6 in × 6 in (15 cm × 15 cm) origami paper. Fold one sheet of paper in half and open it back up. Crease the paper into fourths by bringing the edges to the crease you made. Flip the paper over and bring the bottom left corner to the right edge. Take the top right corner over to the left side of the paper. Fold the top corner down and over to the right corner. Move the bottom corner up and to the left. Repeat all the above steps with the 5 other sheets of paper. Fit the pieces of folded paper together. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Eyebrows-Thicker | How to Make Eyebrows Thicker | If you want to make your eyebrows thicker, stop plucking, waxing, or threading your brows completely for about 6 weeks. During this period, use a soft toothbrush or a washcloth to exfoliate the skin around your eyebrows to encourage the hair to grow. A supplement with zinc and vitamin B can also help encourage hair growth. If you need to, you can use foundation and powder to hide any stray eyebrow hairs as they grow in. | Comb your eyebrows. Use an eyebrow brush or a clean mascara wand to sweep your eyebrow hairs up and to the sides, from the inner edge to the outer edge. This will help you determine the natural shape of your eyebrows, so you'll be able to identify places where you'd like more thickness and places that need to be trimmed back. Measure your inner brows. Take an eyebrow pencil or another straight object and line it up from the edge of your nostril to the inside corner of your eye. The place where the pencil passes over your brow is typically where the brow line should start. If your brow starts to the inside of this line, you may want to grow in the hair or fill it in. Repeat on the other side. If your brow starts to the outside of the line (toward the center of your nose), you have the choice to either pluck the hair outside the line or leave it in place for a fuller style. Measure your outer brows. Now take the pencil and line it up from the edge of your nostril to the outside corner of your eye. The place where the pencil passes over your brow is typically where the brow line should end. If your brow doesn't extend all the way to the line, you may want to grow out the hair or fill it in. Repeat on the other side. If your brow extends past the line (toward your temple), you have the choice to either trim the hair outside the line or leave it in place for a fuller style. Find the arch in your brows. Face the mirror and keep your eyes starting straight forward. Hold the pencil to your face and line it up from the corner of your nostril right past the pupil of your eye. The end of the pencil should pass over the place where your natural eyebrow arch is located. Fill in the thinner ends of your brows. As you reach the arch, start adding less density. Repeat on the other side. Many people pluck the hair on the underside of the arch to create a more defined look. The choice is yours, but if you're aiming for a thicker look, you may not want to pluck anything but stray hairs in the area. Select a brow filler. You have the choice to use an eyebrow pencil, powder or cream to fill in the gaps where your eyebrow hair is sparse. Choose a filler that is 1-2 shades lighter than your eyebrows, so the final look will be as natural as possible. If you don't have a special brow filler, choose a matching eyeliner pencil or eyeshadow. Powders will create a softer, natural look. Use an angle brush, and make quick strokes to mimic the shape of hairs. Pencils create a more defined look. If you have fair hair and want a bolder brow, choose a filler that's a shade or two darker than your eyebrows. Outline your brows with pencil or powder. Use tip of the pencil (or a liner brush dipped in powder) to faintly and carefully outline the shape of your eyebrows. Use quick, light strokes to make it look more natural. Connect the three points you identified: the inner brow, the arch, and the outer brow. Make sure the line stays close to your natural brow so you don't end up with a "drawn-in" look. This may take a bit of practice, so don't be afraid to wipe off the outline and start over. Remember to use a light hand; even just a bit of color will make your brows look thicker. Fill in the gaps with quick, short strokes. Use the pencil, powder or gel to go back and fill in the areas with sparse hair that fall inside the outlines you made. Make small dashes so that it looks more like natural hair. Take a step back to ensure that your brows look natural and evenly filled, and that both sides are the same shape and size. Set the look with gel. Use a clear eyebrow gel to hold the powder or pencil marks in place so they don't wipe off during the day. Use an eyebrow brush to brush the gel through your eyebrows, then let it completely dry. The gel helps to distribute the color evenly and creates a beautiful final appearance. Stop plucking, waxing and threading. Many people are afraid to stop, since the grow-out period for brows can be a little uncomfortable during that awkward in between stage. Eyebrows can take up to six weeks to grow in, so you'll have to practice patience to get the thicker brows you want. Do what it takes to wait it out, since removing those hairs will never help you reach your goal. You may be tempted to pluck a hair here or there in order to keep things looking neat, but it's advisable to grow out all of your eyebrow hair to see what you've got to work with before you resume plucking or waxing. Deal with the grow-out period. When your hair starts growing back in, it may have the appearance of stubble. If you're worried about how it looks, try the following trick to mask the baby hairs as they're growing in: Apply a layer of wet foundation or concealer over the hair that's growing in. Apply powdered foundation in the same color. The powder will stick to the moist surface and provide a double-layered masking effect. Exfoliate your brows to stimulate hair growth. Thinning or patchy brows can be the result of overplucking. You can encourage your brows to grow back in by using a soft toothbrush or washcloth to gently exfoliate the area. Wet the brush or cloth and move it over your brows in a circular motion to stimulate circulation and improve growth. Eat a diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Protein, Vitamin B, iron, and zinc are all important to growing hair, even on your eyebrows. Look for foods high in protein, such as eggs, beans, and nuts. Foods like kale, spirulina, fish, and whole wheat can help you get the vitamins and minerals you need. You can always take supplements with zinc and Vitamin B if you're not getting enough from your diet. | Comb your eyebrows. Measure your inner brows. Measure your outer brows. Find the arch in your brows. Select a brow filler. Outline your brows with pencil or powder. Fill in the gaps with quick, short strokes. Set the look with gel. Stop plucking, waxing and threading. Deal with the grow-out period. Exfoliate your brows to stimulate hair growth. Eat a diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Wish-Someone-Good-Luck | How to Wish Someone Good Luck | If just saying “Good luck” doesn't cut it, try giving someone a good luck symbol, like a rabbit's foot, a wishbone, a four leaf clover, or a horseshoe. If you want to say “Good luck” to someone who doesn't speak English, you have tons of options! For Spanish, say “Buena suerte.” Say “Good luck” in German with the phrase “Alles Gute,” and in French with the phrase “Bonne chance!” Try “Gokoūn o inorimasu” for Japanese, or “Bi't-tawfiq!” in Arabic. You can also send someone a personalized good luck card. | Keep it simple – say ‘Good luck! ” One of the best and simplest ways to wish someone luck is use that very phrase. “Good luck!” is straightforward, heartfelt, and almost impossible to get wrong. Make sure that you sound sincere. If said in the wrong tone, this phrase can be interpreted as sarcasm. So make sure that the person understands your sincerity when you express the sentiment. Some people dislike the phrase because, they feel, it carries a note of negativity. “Good luck” for them implies that you have little to do with your own success. Use the phrase at your discretion. Use another phrase. If you are dealing with someone who dislikes “Good luck!” or if you want a more creative English expression, there are other sayings that essentially mean the same thing. Try one of these depending on the situation. “Best of luck” or “hoping for the best” both carry the sentiment and are subtle variations. Crossing one's fingers is often done to express a wish for luck, so you can also wish good luck by saying, “I'm keeping my fingers crossed.” Some actors feel that it is bad luck to say “Good luck!” before a performance. For this reason, it is traditionally better in the situation to “break a leg,” which refers to taking a bow at curtain call. While not an exact match, people sometimes borrow the phrase “May the force be with you” from Star Wars to wish people luck with a challenging task. Other English variants include, “Knock them dead!” “You'll do great,” or “Blow them away!” Express yourself in another language. English is not the only language that has expressions for “Good luck,” of course. One way to stay fresh is to wish someone luck in a foreign language. This works especially well if the other person speaks that language or has some connection to its culture. In Spanish, wish someone “¡Buena suerte!” Both “Viel Glück!” and “Alles Gute!” can be used to express well wishes in German, while “Bonne chance!” works in French. In Italian, try “Buona fortuna!” or “In bocca al lupo!” “Jūk néih hóuwahn” (祝你好運) is the Cantonese Chinese way of wishing luck, while “Gokoūn o inorimasu” (ご幸運を祈ります) is the formal way to wish good luck in Japanese. “Ganbatte ne” (頑張ってね) is the informal expression. Wish someone luck in Greek with “kalí tíhi” (Καλή τύχη). “İyi şanslar” or “Bol şans!” work in Turkish. "Saubhāgya" (सौभाग्य) is the Hindi way of wishing good luck. In Arabic, try “Bi't-tawfiq!” Choose a charm from the natural world. Most good luck charms and symbols are derived from objects in nature. Give the actual object itself when possible, or look for a visual representation of that charm when you are unable to use the charm itself. Four leaf clovers are rarer than their three-leaf cousins and therefore lucky. The first leaf symbolizes “faith,” the second symbolizes “hope,” the third symbolizes “love,” and the fourth symbolizes “luck.” Acorns represent good luck, youthfulness, prosperity, and spiritual growth. The Norse once placed acorns on their windowsills to protect a house against lightning. Rainbows are considered lucky for several reasons. Many cultures see them as bridges or paths used by spirits. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, God created the rainbow as a promise to never again destroy the world with a flood. Some people believe that amber – that is, fossilized tree sap, brings good luck, balances emotions, and eliminates fear. Stars are often used to symbolize luck because many ancient cultures believed that one's fortunes could be predicted and controlled by stars. Shooting stars are especially lucky. Small bamboo plants known as “lucky bamboo” are often kept for the sake of longevity and strength. Bamboo is fast-growing and resilient, which is why it is a symbol of strength in Chinese culture. Choose a symbol from the animal kingdom. There are a few animals specifically tied to the idea of luck or various applications of luck. Try using one of these to express your wishes to a person. Additionally, there are certain parts of various animals that are considered lucky. The rabbit's foot is a popular choice, for example. Rabbits were considered lucky since they were associated with spring, the season of new life. Since the back feet touch the ground ahead of the front feet, they are considered especially lucky. Some people think that wishbones from a turkey or chicken grant wishes when broken in two. The person who gets the bigger half is the one who can make a wish – just don't tell anyone! The wish won't come true if you share it. Goldfish are symbols of prosperity, wealth, wisdom, power, longevity, and peace. They are also one of the eight symbols of Buddha, and are thus symbolic of fertility and harmony. Dolphins are symbols of luck and protection, as well. This comes from the belief of ancient sailors, who would see dolphins around their ships when they neared land. The “maneki-neko” or “beckoning cat” is a specific cat figure in Japan believed to usher in good fortune and wealth. Use a made-made charm. Not every good luck charm comes entirely from the natural world. There are also some that are made by human hands. Many of these charms are easier to give than nature-based charms, so consider one when you want to express your hopes of good luck. For example. horseshoes are sometimes hung inside homes to protect the household and usher in good fortune. Originally these were made by blacksmiths, which was considered a lucky trade. Coins, for instance, are considered lucky in many cultures. The exact coin you need for luck can vary, however. In the United States it is usually the “lucky penny,” particularly those that you find facing heads up. In Britain, it was the sixpence coin. Three keys kept together symbolize the keys of health, wealth, and love. Think in religious terms. Some religions have symbols related to good luck. While these symbols may have greater significance than mere charms, they are sometimes used to express sentiments dealing with well wishes. If you or the individual you are wishing luck has a tie to one of these traditions, a religious symbol might be a good idea. For example, dream catchers figure in some Native American spiritual beliefs and are supposed to keep evil from entering dreams while you sleep. The “Laughing Buddha” or Pu-Tai is used in Chinese culture to symbolize happiness, health, abundance, and contentment. While a cross primarily serves as a symbol of faith for Christians, it served in ancient times as a token of good luck and protection. Some Christians today also use medals, statues, and similar representations of saints to express an earnest desire for protection or guidance in a certain area of life (usually the one under the saint's patronage). Remember to be careful about giving a religious symbol. People often feel strongly about faith, and could take offense if given one in the wrong spirit. For example, a Christian might gladly accept a cross with wishes that “God bless you.” But they might be offended if told that the cross is for “good luck.” Cast a luck spell. Some religious traditions believe that spells and incantations can grant good fortune. For example, there are a number of appropriate magical spells in Wicca, which draws on ancient European pagan beliefs. If you are comfortable with the idea – and your recipient is, as well – you might try one of these spells. The Wiccan good luck spell involves oil and a black candle. With a drop of oil on its tip, move your finger up and down the candle while visualizing the person's fortune and good luck and chanting, “Black candle, turn X's luck around / Let prosperity and joy abound.” Another spell can be said before bed. With a candle and pen and paper, write your wish clearly on the paper and then put the paper underneath the candle. Then clear your mind. Light the candle and concentrate on what you want to come true – good luck for your friend – and visualize it. Give the gift of food. There are even a few foods that can be used to express good luck. Give one of these foods to the person in question or cook them a meal using one or more of these foods. Long noodles are eaten in various Asian countries to bring a long life, but know that you can't break the noodles before they reach your mouth. Black-eyed peas are eaten in the southern Unities States, where, traditionally, they are the first food eaten in the New Year for good luck. Cabbage is connected to luck, especially of a monetary nature, since the green resembles paper money. This is especially true in Germany, Ireland, and parts of the United States. Lentils look similar to coins and are thus eaten for good fortune in parts of Italy. Pomegranates are connected to abundance and fertility in Mediterranean countries, like Turkey. Fish is considered lucky in parts of North America, Asia, and Europe since fish "swim forward" toward new goals. They also swim in large schools, so they represent abundance. Send a card. One of the easiest ways to express your wishes is to give the person in question a greeting card. Greeting cards typically have their own “good luck” messages written inside, but you can express more personalized wishes in a blank card, as well. Personalize the message by expressing your wishes in further detail or by saying “good luck” with another saying or in another language. If words are not enough for you, consider taping a small good luck charm—a penny, a four leaf clover, etc.—to the inside of the card. Give a box or jar of good luck. Some people that jar or boxes filled with spices, herbs, or symbols can “attract” good luck. Fill a container with small, inexpensive tokens and give it to the person to whom you want to express your wishes. In essence, you are handing over a care package of luck. The package can include an excess of one symbol or a variety of several. For instance, you could hand someone a jar of shiny pennies to wish him or her luck. Alternatively, you could pack a small box with a lucky bamboo plant, three skeleton rings looped on the same key-ring, a plush dolphin toy, a few star decals, and a few acorns—or any other assortment of symbols. Herbs that go well in these jars include chamomile, clover, dandelion, mistletoe, rose hips, sandalwood, spearmint, anise, and thyme. If giving small trinkets or herbs does not appeal to you, write out your wishes on slips of paper and tuck them into a jar. You can then give this jar to those needing a bit of extra luck. Instruct them to open it and draw out a slip whenever they need a dose of well wishes. Write different expressions meaning “good luck” on each slip. Similarly, you can write your own specific wish on each slip. Vary these expressions, as well. Make use of products that already use the concept of luck. A cute, whimsical way to wish someone good luck is to send them a product with “luck” in the name or description. One of the easiest, most inexpensive examples is the “Lucky Charms” cereal. Give a charm bracelet or piece of jewelry. Since many good luck symbols are difficult to give in their true forms, jewelry manufacturers tend to use these symbols and their likenesses in metal charms. You can give a piece of jewelry with a single charm on it or give a charm bracelet adorned with many symbols of luck. Birthstones are also considered lucky, so giving someone an accessory with his or her birthstone is another way to wish good luck. For someone who doesn't wear jewelry, you could still give an accessory—like a key chain—with a symbol of luck attached to it. Ward off bad luck. Some gestures, while not exactly wishing good luck, try to ward off misfortune. These are called “avoidant actions” and, some people think, are effective ways to ensure neutral or good luck. Studies show that they really do bring people peace of mind. One avoidant action is to “knock on wood.” Knock on a nearby piece of wood is meant to avoid “tempting fate” – that is, jinxing an observation about one's fate or a desired outcome. Throwing salt over one's left should plays on the association of salt with lies and treachery. It is supposed to “blind” the devil waiting behind you. Keeping your fingers crossed, as said, is another way that people “avoid” undesired outcomes. | Keep it simple – say ‘Good luck! Use another phrase. Express yourself in another language. Choose a charm from the natural world. Choose a symbol from the animal kingdom. Use a made-made charm. Think in religious terms. Cast a luck spell. Give the gift of food. Send a card. Give a box or jar of good luck. Make use of products that already use the concept of luck. Give a charm bracelet or piece of jewelry. Ward off bad luck. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Contact-Iyanla-Vanzant | How to Contact Iyanla Vanzant | To contact Iyanla Vanzant, visit her official website and fill out a contact form. You can also reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. If you'd prefer to write Iyanla a letter, send it to her company at Inner Visions Institue for Spiritual Development, P.O. Box 8517, Silver Spring, MD 20907. Or, you can try calling her company at 240-839-4260 and leaving her a message. | Fill out the contact form on her official website. Search for her official website online. Then, click the Contact tab and fill out the contact form on her site, or access it here: http://iyanla.co/contact/. You will need to provide your name, your email, and note how Iyanla can support you. On the contact page, you can choose from reasons like, “Prayer Request,” “Speaking Engagement,” “Media inquiries,” or “General Comment/Question.” You can then submit the form online. Connect with her on her Facebook page. Search Facebook for “Iyanla Vanzant” to find her official Facebook page or access it here: https://www.facebook.com/DrIyanlaVanzant/. You can then post on her Facebook page so she can read it.You can also comment on posts that Iyanla makes on her Facebook page. For example, you may write, “Thank you for all your wisdom and guidance, Iyanla, keep it up!” or “Iyanla, I am struggling with several issues at home, would love your help.” Make sure you like her Facebook page so you can stay connected to her. Reach out to her on Twitter. Iyanla Vanzant uses Twitter regularly so it is a good way to connect with her. Search for her name on Twitter @IyanlaVanzant or access her official account here: https://twitter.com/iyanlavanzant. You can then tweet a message to her using your Twitter account by putting @IyanlaVanzant at the beginning or end of your message. For example, you may write, “@IyanlaVanzant Loved your new book, Trust. Thank you for your wise words” or “Really feeling clear and purposeful about my life, thank you @IyanlaVanzant.” Make sure you follow Iyanla Vanzant on Twitter so you can read her tweets regularly. Message her on LinkedIn. Iyanla Vanzant has an active LinkedIn profile as the CEO of Inner Vision Institute. Search for her name on LinkedIn for her official profile. Click on the “Connect” button on her profile and add a personal message to your note before sending it to her. You will need to have a LinkedIn account to connect with her through the site. Write a letter to Iyanla. Start with a friendly greeting like “Dear Iyanla” or “Dear Mrs. Vanzant.” Then, include any questions, concerns, or thoughts you may have for her. Keep your letter one page long and include the most important details. End the letter with a sign off like “Your devoted fan” or “Your dedicated viewer.” You may type up the letter so it is easier to read. Or you may handwrite it for a more personal touch. Make sure you write clearly and legibly so Iyanla can read it. Send the letter to Inner Visions, her company. Put the letter in an envelope. Then, address the letter to Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development, P. O. Box 8517, Silver Spring, MD 20907. Make sure you include a return address in the upper left corner of the envelope. Put the correct postage on the letter so it can be delivered to Inner Visions. Call Inner Visions. You can also call Iyanla Vanzant's company, Inner Visions, at 240-839-4260. You can then speak to a representative, who can deliver a message to Iyanla Vanzant directly. You can also get more information on workshops and services offered at Inner Visions. Enroll in an Inner Visions workshop or retreat. Iyanla's company Inner Visions puts on workshops and retreats where she will offer council, guidance, and advice to participants. Look at the Inner Visions website for more information on retreats and workshops. Most workshops and retreats will cost money to attend. You will also need to take time off work and other commitments so you can focus on the retreat. Book her for a speaking engagement. If you want Iyanla Vanzant to speak in your area or at an event you are organizing, you can book her through her official website or through the All American Speakers website, accessible here: https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/booking-request.php?SpName=Iyanla-Vanzant. You will need to pay a fee to book her for events and you may need to pay for her accommodations and transportation as well. Specify the date and location of the event as well as the target audience of the event when you send in the booking form. Buy tickets to her speaking engagements or events. You can also connect with Iyanla Vanzant by getting tickets to one of her upcoming speaking engagements in your area. Look at her official website for a list of speaking engagements and events. You may decide to travel to see Iyanla Vanzant speak at an event so you can connect with her face to face. | Fill out the contact form on her official website. Connect with her on her Facebook page. Reach out to her on Twitter. Message her on LinkedIn. Write a letter to Iyanla. Send the letter to Inner Visions, her company. Call Inner Visions. Enroll in an Inner Visions workshop or retreat. Book her for a speaking engagement. Buy tickets to her speaking engagements or events. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Trim-Evergreen-Bushes | How to Trim Evergreen Bushes | Evergreen bushes make a beautiful addition to any yard, and trimming them properly will keep them looking great year-round. Use small, hand pruners rather than large shears, since this will allow you to keep the natural shape of the plant. Start by cutting off any damaged or dead branches at the base of the stem. You should also shorten any overly long branches. To shape the bush, start at the top and work your way down. In general, the branches at the top should be shorter than the ones at the bottom, and the middle branches should be longest. This will ensure your bush keeps its rounded shape. | Prune in the spring. The best time of year to trim evergreen bushes is before new growth occurs. Early spring is usually most convenient, but you can also trim the bushes in late winter if it's not too cold for working outside. Choose hand pruners instead of larger shears. Some people are tempted to use large shears to trim evergreens, but this does not usually lead to the best results. Small hand pruners enable you to tend to specific areas better and keep the natural shape of the plant. Using large shears generally makes people cut off more than they should. Sharpen your pruners if necessary. Dull pruners can make the process take longer, and they can lead to ugly, uneven cuts. Secure the pruners into a vise. Then, run a file along the blade of the pruners until the edge becomes sharper and more defined. Wipe the shears down with linseed oil when you're done to help prevent rust. Lay down a tarp around the bushes for easy clean up. By catching your clippings with a tarp, you'll be able to easily gather them together at the end. Alternatively, work with a bag next to you at all times, so you can simply discard your clippings into the bag as you work. You can purchase bags specifically made for disposing of yard waste from any home improvement store. Put on gardening gloves. Purchase gloves specifically designed for gardening at any gardening or home improvement store. These protect your hands and keep them relatively clean while you work. Cut off any damaged or dead branches. Any branches that are discolored, bare, or limp need to be removed. Take the branch in 1 hand and use your other hand to cut it off at the base of the stem with your pruners. If the base of a stem is particularly thick or tough, try using larger shears or a small hacksaw. Wipe down the blade of your pruners with rubbing alcohol after you cut off a diseased branch. This will help prevent the disease from spreading to other branches. Shorten overly long branches. Some branches of the bush will most likely have grown quite a bit longer than the others. Use the pruners to trim these back significantly, so that they're closer to the size of the adjacent branches. Once all the overly long branches have been trimmed, you should be able to see the natural shape of the plant more clearly. Remove one third of the old wood at the ground level. There will probably be some areas that look overcrowded with branches, especially near the bottom of the bush. By removing about one third of this wood, you'll give your bush a cleaner look. This also makes room for new branches to grow in. Start at the top and work your way down. In general, this will help you to shape the bush properly. Branches at the top should be shorter than branches at the bottom. If you start at the bottom, you might accidentally make those branches shorter than they should be. When you're done, the bush should appear wider at the bottom than it does at the top. Trim all the branches on the top to roughly the same length. However, don't focus on making them all exactly the same size. To keep the natural shape of the plant, allow some variation between the branches. Cut the branches in the middle so that they're longer than those on top. To make sure your plant gradually flares out towards the bottom, leave the branches in the middle slightly longer than the branches on top. Leave the branches on the bottom longer than the others. Evergreen bushes should taper towards the top and flare out at the bottom. As you move down the bush, allow the branches in each section to be slightly longer than the branches above them. When you're done, the bottom of the bush should appear wider than the top. The shape should be somewhat like a cone or a trapezoid. Avoid cutting the bushes so that their sides look flat. In most cases, evergreens should have a natural shape rather than a flat or geometric one. Never try to cut all branches so that they're the same length. This is why small hand pruners are more effective than larger shears. Fertilize your bushes after pruning. Now that you've cleared the old branches and shaped the bush, help the plant grow by adding some fertilizer to the soil around its base. Use a fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Purchase fertilizer at your local gardening store or home improvement store. | Prune in the spring. Choose hand pruners instead of larger shears. Sharpen your pruners if necessary. Lay down a tarp around the bushes for easy clean up. Put on gardening gloves. Cut off any damaged or dead branches. Shorten overly long branches. Remove one third of the old wood at the ground level. Start at the top and work your way down. Trim all the branches on the top to roughly the same length. Cut the branches in the middle so that they're longer than those on top. Leave the branches on the bottom longer than the others. Avoid cutting the bushes so that their sides look flat. Fertilize your bushes after pruning. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-School-Bullies | How to Stop School Bullies | Stopping a bully at school can be scary, but stay calm and tell the bully to stop if you can. For example, say something like, "Stop doing that. I don't like it." If they don't stop bullying you, tell an adult you trust, like your parent or teacher, so they can stop the bully for you. When you see someone else being bullied at your school, try to make friends with them and be nice so they don't feel alone. You can also help stop bullying in your school by making anti-bullying posters and hanging them up around school. For example, you might write a sign saying, “Just be kind. Let's stand up to bullying.” | Tell the bullies to stop, if you can. Use a calm, firm voice when you speak, but don't shout. This lets them know that their behavior is not okay. After you say “stop,” you can either stay or walk away, depending on what you want to do. Don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you're feeling too nervous to talk to the bully, that's normal and totally okay. Instead, tell a trusted adult who can handle the situation for you. If someone is threatening you or your friend physically, it's better to move to a safe place and then report them to someone you trust. Try saying something like, "Stop calling me that," or "Stop making jokes about my friend." Walk away to a safe place if you feel threatened or upset. No one should ever make you feel unsafe or upset at school. If you feel this way, move away from the person or group that is causing those feelings. Go somewhere you feel safe and then tell someone what's happening. You don't need to say anything to the bully before you go. Just walk away. If you're worried the bully won't let you leave, try making an excuse. For instance, you might say, “I forgot something in my locker that I need to go get.” You could also say “I forgot to turn in my library book,” or “I need to see the nurse.” Talk to an adult you trust to get help for yourself or others. Speaking up is one of the best things you can do to stop bullies at your school. Tell your parent or guardian, a teacher, the principal, or a school counselor. You can even talk to several adults. They'll be able to deal with the bully and cope with what's happening. If you see anything mean posted on social media, tell your parents or an adult you trust immediately. Show them the post or a screenshot of it. They can help you determine if the post may be cyberbullying. If it is, the adult can help you take the next step to get help, whether it's for you or someone else. Stay close to your friends or an adult to minimize bullying. If you're constantly around others, it makes it harder for someone to bully you. Create a support system for yourself so that opportunities for bullying are minimal. Not only will you be safer, your friends will also have support. This only works for bullying that happens in person. Be nice to students who are bullied. You can create a better school environment and minimize bullying by supporting students who are bullied. Invite these students to be friends and show them kindness both in and out of school. Also, encourage others to reach out a helping hand. In addition to helping the bullied student feel better, this shows the bully that you don't support their behavior. By supporting victims, you may get the bully to realize that what they are doing is wrong. For example, you might invite the bullied student to sit with you, give the bullied student a compliment, or ask the bullied student if they want to join your club. Start or join an anti-bullying club at your school. Anti-bullying clubs offer students a place to support each other at school. Additionally, they work to stop school bullying through educating students, doing school events, and finding ways to help students who feel bullied. If your school doesn't have a program like this, ask a teacher, principal, or counselor to help you start one. For example, the club might attend new student orientation to ensure everyone feels welcome at the school. They might also do awareness events to educate other students about what bullying is and how to prevent it. Make posters to support a positive, welcoming school environment. Use poster board or large sheets of paper to make your signs. Before you post them, get approval from your teacher or principal. Then, hang your signs all over the school, such as in the classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, and cafeteria. To make this extra fun, invite your friends to make signs with you. Keep your messages positive. You might write things like, “Just be kind,” “Let's stand up to bullying,” or “KHS is a place for friendship.” Talk about bullying so students understand what it is. Students need to know what you expect from them when it comes to bullying, so talk about it. Being open about what behaviors are considered bullying will help students recognize when they or their classmates are bullying others. Additionally, it helps bullied students feel like it's okay to speak up. It's possible that some students may bully others without even realizing it, especially if they've grown up around someone who behaves that way. These students need to be taught that what they're doing is considered bullying so that they know it's a problem. Incorporate topics related to bullying into classroom assignments. This can include information about what bullying is, ways to prevent bullying, how to respond to a bully, and how to support people who've been bullied. This helps students gain a better understanding of what bullying is so they can spot it or avoid doing it themselves. Additionally, it can empower them to confront bullying. For example, students might do the following: Research topics related to bullying for a project. Write a paper about bullying or how to deal with it. Create something, such as a short story, skit, or artwork, based on bullying. Give a presentation about a topic related to bullying, such as how to prevent it or how to deal with it. Use role playing to teach students how to respond to bullies. This might involve doing short skits or watching a play or video about bullying. The role playing exercise should portray a student getting bullied, who then responds to it. If you can, have students suggest ways the person could respond, then discuss them. You might also do a role playing exercise where bystanders respond to witnessing bullying. Establish pathways for students to report bullying. Although it's important for students to speak up, it's often hard for them to tell someone. They may feel embarrassed, threatened, or fearful they are wrong about what's happening. You can make it easier for students to report bullying by offering them several ways to tell you or their administrators. For example, your school can set up an email account to receive reports of bullying, or they can use an app that lets students report bullying, like Anonymous Alerts or Speak Up! As another option, you can let students drop notes in a designated mailbox. Some students are more likely to report bullying if they can do so anonymously. Be a support system for kids who are bullied. Act as a mentor or counselor to students who are being bullied so they know they have someone they can trust. Check in with them daily and help them deal with any emotions they might be feeling. If you can, help them become involved in school programs so they feel more connected to the school culture. For example, you might help them join a club or make a new friend. Make your classroom a safe space for students by confronting bullies in your classroom, hanging encouraging posters, and being accepting of all students. Create anti-bullying clubs at your school to support students. Work with your fellow teachers and other administrators to run a student club to address bullying. The club can encourage positive peer relationships, work to solve your school's specific bullying issues, and conduct awareness events to educate other students about bullying. For instance, a great way to educate students about bullying and encourage positivity is to hang signs and posters around the school. These posters can say things like, “Be a friend, not a bully,” “You're wonderful the way you are,” and “Our school is nice.” Attend trainings on how to deal with school bullying. Stopping school bullies can be very challenging, and each situation requires a different response. Trainings can help you learn more about what you can do to take action. Talk to your administrators about what kinds of trainings you can attend, and encourage them to offer more sessions for all school staff. Recognize when your child is being bullied. It's often hard for kids to tell you they're being bullied. They may feel afraid, embarrassed, or worried about your reaction. However, there are ways you can tell your child may be bullied. Look for signs like these: Notice if your child's mood changes or they're having trouble sleeping. Monitor their communications on social media to watch for harmful posts directed at them. Talk to them about their day to watch for signs that they're being excluded or teased. Look for physical injuries, such as a black eye or bruises. Notice if they seem to lose items often, like school supplies, lunch money, or clothing. Talk to your child about bullying. This will help your child understand what bullying is so they can spot the behavior in themselves or others. Let them know that bullying is not okay, and ask them to tell you if they see it happening or experience it themselves. If your child is reluctant to open up to you, watching TV programs or movies that feature bullying can make it easier to bring up the subject. As another option, you might read a book about bullying with your child. Listen to your child calmly and praise them for telling if they're bullied. It's normal to feel upset when your child is being bullied, and you likely want to take immediate action. However, this can make your child feel more anxious and afraid, as they must now deal with your emotions. Instead, keep your responses supportive and empathetic, and ask them what they want to do about the situation. From there, you can help them make the best choices for dealing with the problem. To stay calm, Take a deep breath and let go of your tension. Talk to a school administrator that your child trusts. Before you go to the school, ask your child who they think you should tell. They may have a better relationship with a certain teacher or administrator, or they may worry that certain people won't believe them. Let your child direct the process so they feel comfortable. You might start with the teacher if the bullying is happening in a particular class, or you might talk to the school counselor if it's happening all over the school. If you think it's a serious disciplinary issue, you might go directly to the school principal. Ask for a parent-teacher conference if you want to talk to the bully’s parents. Sometimes talking to the bully's parents can help, especially if going to the school alone didn't. However, it's best to avoid approaching them yourself. Instead, meet with them at the school where you can work with an impartial mediator, like the school counselor. This will help you have a positive, productive discussion. If you approach them yourself, the parents may not believe you. Additionally, they may have a negative reaction to your claims, which can make the situation worse. Start an anti-bullying club at your child’s school, if there isn’t one. Many schools have anti-bullying programs in place, but this isn't always the case. If your school doesn't have one, invite other parents to help you establish a club. Additionally, invite the school's teachers and staff to be a part of the effort. Your club can offer peer support, prevention strategies, and anti-bullying awareness events. Your local Parent Teacher Association (PTA) could be a great resource for starting the club. Hang or pass out flyers to advertise the club to students. | Tell the bullies to stop, if you can. Walk away to a safe place if you feel threatened or upset. Talk to an adult you trust to get help for yourself or others. Stay close to your friends or an adult to minimize bullying. Be nice to students who are bullied. Start or join an anti-bullying club at your school. Make posters to support a positive, welcoming school environment. Talk about bullying so students understand what it is. Incorporate topics related to bullying into classroom assignments. Use role playing to teach students how to respond to bullies. Establish pathways for students to report bullying. Be a support system for kids who are bullied. Create anti-bullying clubs at your school to support students. Attend trainings on how to deal with school bullying. Recognize when your child is being bullied. Talk to your child about bullying. Listen to your child calmly and praise them for telling if they're bullied. Talk to a school administrator that your child trusts. Ask for a parent-teacher conference if you want to talk to the bully’s parents. Start an anti-bullying club at your child’s school, if there isn’t one. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Breed-Turtles | How to Breed Turtles | To breed turtles, start by making sure you have a sexually mature male and female turtle. Keep your turtles at a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-12 weeks before you breed them and feed them well during this time. Next, place the male and female together in a spacious area and let nature take its course. Then, create a soft nesting area for the female to lay her eggs. It's best to remove the male after they mate, since male turtles can be aggressive and demanding. | Be sure you have a male and a female turtle. Typically, a male turtle will be more colorful and more outgoing than a female. Males have a flat or concave plastron (bottom shell), and females have a flat or convex plastron, which allows more space for eggs. Females will also almost always be larger. Among water turtles, size is also a good indicator: males are smaller than their female counterparts. Also, male sliders have long claws on their front legs. When it comes to box turtles, males generally have bigger, fatter tails, and a vent (cloaca) that's further from the shell than the female's. Be sure your turtles are sexually mature. Turtles are not able to breed until they've reached sexual maturity. When it comes to water turtles, males should be at least three years old, and females need to be about five years old. Neither male nor female box turtles will breed before they're at least five years old. Don't plan to breed a recently acquired turtle. Wait at least a year. Cool your turtles. To increase the chances for successful breeding, it's suggested that you cool your turtles. Nesting season can run from March through June, so the cooling period actually needs to take place January into February for water turtles and December through February for box turtles. Keep turtles at a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit for six to eight weeks for water turtles and eight to 12 weeks for box turtles. Leave the turtles alone during this period. You can make food available, but they'll eat little or nothing at all. If your turtles live in an outdoor pond, you can take advantage of the natural cooling that wintertime offers and allow them to hibernate. After the cooling period has ended, return your turtles' habitat to its regular temperature. Feed your turtles well. It's particularly important that your turtles eat well during the breeding season. In addition to their regular diet, be sure the females get enough calcium and Vitamin D3. A healthy diet for a water turtle will contain some combination of: earthworms, snails, well-washed butter lettuce, melon, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, vegetable scraps, peas, tomatoes, cooked sweet potatoes, dandelion flowers and leaves and mulberry leaves. A box turtle has the same basic diet as a water turtle, but the menu could also include whole feeder goldfish, crickets, kale, boiled egg, corn on the cob, chopped and steamed broccoli and lots of green leafy vegetables. You can meet your turtles' need for calcium but putting a Cuttle fish bone to be nibbled on in the their habitat, or you can feed them calcium supplements. Turtles that are kept outdoors don't need additional Vitamin D3; they make plenty of their own. But indoor turtles need exposure to a full spectrum reptile light or a D3 supplement. Give your turtles some space. There's not much you can do to try to get your turtles to mate. You simply have to put your sexually mature turtles together and let nature take it's course. It is important, though, that they have room to move around freely. Give them plenty of space and create a nesting area (see below) where female turtles can lay their eggs. If you have several different species of turtles, consider separating the smaller from the larger during mating season as some turtles become more aggressive during this time, and larger turtles can bite the heads off of smaller breeds. Check your male to female ratio. It may be in the best interest of your turtles to be sure you have more females than males. Sexually motivated males can make such great demands on females that their health will suffer. Males may also fight with one another over a female. When your turtles are done mating, remove the males or they might constantly bug the females. Create a nesting area. Provide an area for the females to lay eggs that has shelter and soft soil. This area should have 6" to 12" of soft, slightly moist soil as well as some rocks and logs so the female will feel safe laying and hiding her eggs there. If you already have an outdoor pen for your turtles, create the area within your established pen. If you're putting your turtles in a larger area just for mating, you can create a nesting area in a box and make it easily accessible to your turtles. Most water turtles lay several clutches, each containing between two and 10 eggs. Laying usually takes 24-48 hours per clutch, and a few weeks will pass between clutches. Purchase an incubator. You can buy an inexpensive incubator to house your turtle eggs. What's important is the temperature control an incubator provides. Be sure to use the thermometer that comes with your incubator or purchase a thermometer to monitor temperature. You do not have to have an incubator to hatch turtle eggs. Keeping them at normal summer room temperatures should do. On particularly hot days, move them to a cooler spot and be sure the eggs are moist. Do not put them in the sun; you'll risk overheating. If you're not using an incubator, be sure to put the nest(see below) somewhere you'll see it and not forget about it. Create a nest. The nest for your turtle eggs will sit inside your incubator. It's very simple to make one with a container you may already have at home and a few things from the garden supply store. Container. Find a sturdy container with a lid and punch air holes in the lid. Simple take-out containers from the deli and plastic containers you may have in your kitchen can make perfectly good nests. Be sure the lids you use are not too tight. If the lids are hard to open, you can end up jarring the delicate eggs when you check on them. Loosely set the lids on the containers until it gets closer to the time for the turtle eggs to hatch. As hatching time arrives, tighten the lids enough to contain the babies. It's important to use lids so that the incubator heat source does not overheat the eggs. Nesting material. To your container, add a mixture of one part vermiculite, one part peat moss and one part sphagnum moss. Soak the mixture and squeeze out the excess water. Vermiculite, peat moss and sphagnum are usually easy to find at garden supply stores and some hardware stores. If you can't find all three, you should be fine creating a mixture of water and only one or two of the materials. Incubate the eggs. Once the female has laid her eggs, pick them up very carefully. Do not turn them over or you will kill the embryo. Make small depressions in the vermiculite mixture and gently position the eggs inside. Keep the lid on and the temperature between 75 degrees and 85 degrees. Use a magic marker or a piece of charcoal to mark the tops of the eggs so that you don't accidentally turn them over. If eggs stick together when you pick them up, try very gently to separate them. If they don't come apart easily, leave them alone. Find out what determines the sex of your turtle. For many turtles, the sex of the hatchlings is determined by temperature not genetics. In those cases, higher temperatures (maximum 85 degrees) will yield mostly females. Eggs incubated slowly in temperatures around 75 degrees will yield mostly males. An incubation temperature of about 80 degrees will yield an equal number of males and females. Avoid letting your incubator temperature reach into the 90's; the eggs will spoil and the hatchlings will die. It's better to allow the eggs to incubate slowly than to risk killing your turtles. Check the eggs. For the first month and a half, plan to check your eggs once a week. You want to make sure they're moist but not moldy or deteriorating. After 45 days, check them more frequently to see if they're hatching. Do not try to hurry things along. A baby turtle has what's called an "egg tooth" that it uses to break open its shell and is perfectly capable of hatching on its own. If mold does appear on your eggs, gently wipe it off with a cotton swab. Never pick the eggs up to clean them; they are particularly fragile once the babies begin developing inside. Depending on the temperature of your incubator, turtles typically will hatch in 50 to 120 days. Discard bad eggs. Once one turtle hatches, the others should soon follow. Give eggs that don't hatch plenty of time, but know that you may have to discard some eggs that have gone bad or simply never hatch. An egg could have some dents but be perfectly fine. Other times, an egg will look perfect, but has been leaking out the bottom and is no good. If an egg collapses, it's bad. At about four to six months in, examine any eggs that remain and come to a decision about discarding them. Remove the shells. Once your turtles have hatched, remove the empty pieces of shell so that they don't contaminate the container for those turtles who have yet to hatch. Relocate your hatchlings. A turtle may lie in its eggshell for several days after breaking it open. During this time, it's absorbing the last of the egg yolk sack attached to its belly. Place your hatched turtles on a moist paper towel in a new container outside the incubator. Keep them here for several days until they've fully absorbed the yolk sack. Once they have, move them to a vivarium or give them a home in a pan of shallow water. Feed them. Feed young turtles at least once a day. Hatchlings are mostly carnivorous but be sure to offer them some fruits and vegetables. People have successfully raised baby turtles on and almost exclusive diet of the commercially available food Reptomin. An excess of protein in a baby turtle's diet will cause its shell to deform. If you make this mistake, catch and correct it as soon as possible, and your young turtle will be fine. Unfortunately, once your turtle gets bigger, the deformity will be permanent and cause the turtle a lot of discomfort. Be prepared for failure. Even with the very best of care, a significant number of captive-bred hatchlings also will not survive their first year. In nature, many young turtles don't survive, and the same is true for turtles bred in captivity. Enjoy the process, and, if you've done your best, don't blame yourself if eggs don't hatch or babies die. | Be sure you have a male and a female turtle. Be sure your turtles are sexually mature. Cool your turtles. Feed your turtles well. Give your turtles some space. Check your male to female ratio. Create a nesting area. Purchase an incubator. Create a nest. Incubate the eggs. Find out what determines the sex of your turtle. Check the eggs. Discard bad eggs. Remove the shells. Relocate your hatchlings. Feed them. Be prepared for failure. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Cope-With-Separation | How to Cope With Separation | If you're coping with a temporary separation, try to take some time with your loved one to establish expectations about children, communications, and other things important to you both. For example, set up a schedule for the children's visits or sharing petcare. And during this uncertain time, be reassured that it's perfectly normal to feel upset and confused, so try journaling, spending time in nature, or decluttering your home to take your mind off of it. Additionally, try mapping out any potential solutions, like getting mediation or seeing a therapist, as you wait for a resolution. | Set expectations with your loved one. If you are going through a temporary separation, you will need to redefine the ways you handle your shared life. You will also need to understand what the other person thinks of the separation. If your separation is deliberate, make sure you both agree on what the goal of the separation is. Take the time to sit down with a third party mediator if possible and discuss what you each want out of the separation. For instance, if one of you wants to consider permanent separation, while the other wants to take a break and come back, you need to reconcile those differences! Communicate about shared responsibilities. If you have children, pets, or share a car or home, you will have to rise above any animosity and talk about those needs. If necessary, hire a mediator to help coordinate your schedules and ensure that all responsibilities are covered. Plan what to say to children. If you and your partner have children together, you will want to discuss how you are going to talk to them about your separation. Again, it is important you put aside any conflict with your partner and focus on making this transition as easy as possible for your kids. Make a plan with your partner about how you want to tell your kids. They will benefit from open, honest communication about the upcoming changes. Try to give your children time to adjust to the separation. Try to wait a few weeks before moving them to a new home or before your partner moves out or is deployed. Schedule your conversations. Whether you and your partner are taking a break or are separated by circumstance, you will feel better if you know when you are going to talk next. Make a schedule and keep it. Make sure the communication does not eat up your private or social life, however. If you are doing a trial separation, space the talking out. You might go a few weeks without communicating, then introduce meetups at neutral locations, then gradually move to seeing each other more frequently. If you are separated by necessity, make regular dates to talk. Your talking should not make other socializing or responsibilities impossible! Set firm limits — don't talk for hours, and don't cancel other dates to talk to your loved one. It is important to still have a life beyond these conversations. Plan extra activities for yourself. When you are temporarily separated, holes open in your schedule. You might spend less time eating meals, or not have a date for the events you normally attend in a pair. Connect with your friends and plan special dates with them. Plan solo activities that you will enjoy doing alone, such as seeing a movie or cooking an elaborate meal. Sign up for a class or a club that meets regularly to meet more people in a low key way. Take time to grieve. Regardless of the length of the marriage or who initiated the divorce, you will experience a sense of loss. Let the pain and the sadness have their way in the first weeks after a separation happens. Your heartbreak is real, and acknowledging your feelings will bring you relief. When you feel a wave of sorrow coming up, stop what you're doing and greet it. You will deal with loss in your own unique way — give yourself permission to grieve. You may experience a physical response to the loss, such as shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia and fatigue. Emotional responses to loss may include denial, numbness, sadness, anger, anxiety, guilt, relief, hopelessness, confusion, helplessness, longing, or being distracted or preoccupied. Find appropriate outlets to deal with these emotions. Writing in a journal, going for a long walk, painting, and exercising are all ways you might be able to express your feelings and find relief. Take care of your body. Anyone you spend a lot of time around becomes linked to your biorhythm. You may experience cravings similar to those of an addict, and feel actual pain. You may also have trouble eating, sleeping, and exercising like you used to. Take care of this by setting new routines for yourself. Remind yourself to eat at least three meals a day, with snacks in between. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep. Aim for seven to nine hours each night. Reinforce your old exercise routine, or start a new one. Avoid turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain. Though it may be appealing to lose yourself in mind-altering substances, you can end up feeling more depressed or numb and unable to work through your feelings. Reduce your stress. The decision to divorce can be very stressful, not to mention the sometimes long, difficult process that follows. This is guaranteed to be a stressful time, and it is important you find healthy ways to reduce your stress as much as possible. Try meditation, spending more time with supportive friends, or removing items that remind you of your partner. Consider joining a support group. Divorce is common, and it may help to talk with other people going through it, too. Think through the separation. It probably hurts to think about what went wrong and how it went down, but thinking it through will help you process your emotions and regain your sense of self. Write in your diary, talk to yourself, and open up to others as soon as you can. The more you open up, the more likely you will find yourself again. Open up to loved ones. Talk about what happened and how you are feeling to your nearest and dearest. Vent a little, and admit any feelings of ambiguity or regret you are feeling. Get outside help. Consult a therapist to help you readjust and embrace your new life. Your therapist will help you understand what happened and what is still happening to you. If your sorrow is long lasting, intense, and interfering with your ordinary life, you may be experiencing complicated grief. Get a referral from your doctor to see a therapist immediately. Do new things. Start new routines. Because you might crave your ex after a separation, a wise move is to disassociate for a while from the places and things you shared with them. Try taking a new route on your walks and journeys. Shop somewhere new. You will help yourself break the addictive cravings you feel after heartbreak. Get back to activities, people, and places you loved that maybe fell by the wayside when you met your ex. Reconnect with your old self to help bridge your past and future. Try things you have never done. Break the mold! Sign up for classes, or take a trip. Consider your new options. Don't make any drastic moves in the initial weeks or even months after the breakup, but do start thinking about the opportunities that open up to you after a separation. Have you dreamed of going back to school? Could you make a promotion at your current job? Would you like to live closer to your family? Dream big, but move slowly. What needs to change in your life? Do you have a tendency you have been meaning to break for a long time, such as smoking, failing to exercise, or self-isolating for weeks at a time? Date when you are ready. There's no set timeline — when you feel ready to date again, you're ready. Try dating or getting out there as soon as it sounds fun — and don't shy away from starting a new relationship. It's actually good for your ability to cope. Rebounds aren't doomed, either. You may end up with a new steady partner before you know it. | Set expectations with your loved one. Plan what to say to children. Schedule your conversations. Plan extra activities for yourself. Take time to grieve. Take care of your body. Reduce your stress. Think through the separation. Get outside help. Do new things. Consider your new options. Date when you are ready. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Strong-Burning-Charcoal-Fire-Without-Lighter-Fluid | How to Create a Strong Burning Charcoal Fire Without Lighter Fluid | The easiest way to create a strong burning charcoal fire without using lighter fluid is with a chimney starter. Load the bottom of the chimney starter with balled up newspaper and fill the top of the starter with charcoal briquets. Next, light the newspaper in several places from the bottom, set the paper on your grill, and allow the paper to ignite the bottom coals. Then, once the top pieces of coal turn gray, dump them on the grill and open the vents so oxygen can fuel the fire. | Know that inexpensive chimney starters are the easiest way to get a strong fire every time. Usually sold for under $30, chimney starters use newspaper and heat convection to evenly light up your charcoal briquets. You can then safely dump them into your grill and get cooking within 15-20 minutes. Load the bottom of the chimney starter with lightly balled newspaper. Between 2 and 4 pieces of paper, depending on the size of the starter, should do. Don't ball it up very tightly, simply crumple it into loose balls so that hot air can fill in the spaces. These will eventually light your charcoals. If your chimney doesn't have a solid bottom, place the paper on the charcoal grate of your grill and lower the chimney on top of it. Fill the top of the starter fully with charcoal briquets. Take you favorite charcoal and fill the chimney starter all the way to to the top. You should be able to access the paper from the bottom. Light the paper in several place from the bottom and set it on your grill. The paper will quickly heat up, and the hot air and burning paper will ignite the bottom coals. Once the paper burns out, the coals will light each other, as hot air is pulled through the bottom of the chimney and through the coals. The chimney will quickly heat up, so place it on a flame-proof, sturdy surface as the coals heat. The grill, already prepared for you to dump your coals, is a great place, as is a brick patio (though it will potentially leave burn marks). Dump the coals on the grill when the top pieces are covered gray. This usually only takes 10-15 minutes. Once you dump the coals, you'll be ready to grill. Most chimneys are dumped by carefully turning them upside down over the grill, but higher-end models may have a release switch which dumps the coals from the bottom. Dump the coals where you want them instead of dumping in the middle then trying to move them -- they may break up and lose heat if they are constantly picked up and moved. If you plan to grill for more than 30 minutes, add 2-3 handfuls of charcoal now to keep the fire going when you need it. Make sure the vents are open for a larger fire. Open vents send more air and oxygen to the fire, helping it grow quickly. Keep the lid open as you position the coals and sear anything your want to grill, then close it to smoke the meat or cook it more slowly. Open the bottom vents and clean out the ash. You need good, consistent airflow to get your fire going, as the charcoal needs oxygen to burn. Make sure to dump any ash, as this takes up space needed for proper airflow, and to leave the vents completely open. Crumple up 4-5 pieces of newspaper and place them in the center grill. Make a small pile of newspaper in the middle of the charcoal grate. You can also use the paper of the charcoal bag too. Paper lights quickly, and the flame from the paper will help the charcoal catch. If you are struggling to light your fires with newspaper alone, soak half the paper in olive, canola, or vegetable oil. The oil will cause the paper to burn slower, which may give the charcoal more time to catch. This DIY solution, though far from perfect, has a lot of proponents as a natural alternative to lighter fluid. Place small, dry sticks on top of your newspaper. Kindling, which is small wood pieces used to start a fire, has a higher flaming point than paper, which will help light the charcoal. Place a handful of kindling on top and around your paper, making a little nest of sorts. The paper will light the kindling, and the kindling and paper together will light the briquets. If the sticks easily snap in your hands, making a loud popping sound, they are dry enough to use. Have a spare handful of kindling nearby as well, in case the fire needs extra fuel. If you don't have any stick around, use extra paper. You may have to keep feeding it into the fire until the briquets catch, however, so have several pieces handy. Place 3-4 pieces of charcoal on top of your pile. These are going to start the fire for the rest of your charcoal. Place them near the center and rest them on the sticks. As the paper crumbles below, you want to still have some flames beneath the briquets. While briquets (the small square pieces of charcoal) will burn for longer, hardwood charcoal is easier to catch and burns hotter initially. Ignite the paper from several places. Use a match or a fire-starter to light several corners of the paper, getting a nice bright fire going. You should notice the kindling starting to catch in the big, leaping flames created by the paper. If the stick haven't quite caught as the paper is dying out, loosely crumple up 1-2 more pieces and places them on the edges, near the sticks. Get the charcoal smoking. If you see gray or white edges of ash on the briquets and the pieces are smoking, you're in business. This process is slow, but it will eventually start a fire. Keep your lighter fire of kindling and newspaper going until you've got some ash on the outside of the pieces. Slowly add more pieces of charcoal to the fire you've made. Once you've got the first few briquets smoking you can start adding more pieces, one after the other. A strong charcoal fire does not look like a wood fire -- if you see white or gray ash developing on the outside of the squares, you should be good to go. You will not likely see, however, large licking flames. Keep adding briquets until you have a large pile in the center of the grill. The inner briquets, for now, will be the only hot ones. You should see smoke coming up from the center of your pile. Depending on the size of your grill, you'll need a different amount of briquets: Small, personal grills can usually get by with 25-30 pieces. Medium size grills, like the most common 22" grill, should have roughly 40 briquets. Large grills may need anywhere from 1-2 bags of charcoal, and will take a long time to get hot using this method. Wait to distribute your coals for cooking until they are mostly covered in white/gray ash. The inside of the pile will be glowing bright red with heat. This means you are ready to cook. Add any more briquets you might want if they fire has gotten small, and then place the charcoal in it's desired location with a pair of long-handled tongs. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Keep your coals close together for a strong burning fire. You want to keep the coals packed together, where they will conserve heat and burn hot. That said, they also need some airflow to burn best, so don't crowd them so much that they are tightly in a line. A loose pile is perfect. There are several methods of grilling to keep your fire burning strong: Even Grilling coats the entire bottom of the grill with 2 layers of briquets. There are no spaces and everything is added evenly, allowing the whole grill to reach a consistent, even temperature. Use this if you need to cook a lot of food quickly. Two-Zone Grilling Allows you to keep half the area open for indirect cooking or warming food. You need to shuffle half the charcoals into an even pile on one half of the grill, making sure there are 2-3 layers of briquets on the "hot half" of the grill. Add more coals regularly to keep your grill burning. The coals will be hot enough, if they are red, glowing, and covered white, to get fresh charcoal burning. Do no wait until you're almost out of briquets. Instead, add the rest of the charcoal when you have roughly half of your charcoals remaining. You may have to wait 5-10 minutes, when the new coals are covered gray/white, to start cooking again, but this is better than reigniting the grill from scratch. If you plan on cooking for a long time, you should add 2-3 handfuls of coals every 30 minutes after the first set ignites. Keep the top and bottom vents open for maximum heat. The more air you get to the fire, the hotter it will cook. Fire needs oxygen to burn, so the more oxygen you provide the hotter you can get your charcoal fire. If you need to control the temperature, close one or both of the vents partially, usually the upper vent. Empty the ash as it builds up. There is a small lever that lets you open and close the bottom vents on your grill, and this same lever can be used to remove ash through the vents. Ash takes up space for air and will smother the coals as it builds up. Consider adding hardwood for added flavor and a hotter fire. Chunks of hickory or applewood add fantastic BBQ flavors, and the wood should catch quickly on the hot charcoals. While wood burns quicker and hotter than charcoal briquets, a combination of charcoal and wood or wood chips is often the best way to a professional fire. Seal up any unused briquets. If you don't use a full bag of charcoal, use a clip to seal the top of the bag. The additives in the charcoal can evaporate, making them harder to light next time, especially without lighter fluid. | Know that inexpensive chimney starters are the easiest way to get a strong fire every time. Load the bottom of the chimney starter with lightly balled newspaper. Fill the top of the starter fully with charcoal briquets. Light the paper in several place from the bottom and set it on your grill. Dump the coals on the grill when the top pieces are covered gray. Make sure the vents are open for a larger fire. Open the bottom vents and clean out the ash. Crumple up 4-5 pieces of newspaper and place them in the center grill. Place small, dry sticks on top of your newspaper. Place 3-4 pieces of charcoal on top of your pile. Ignite the paper from several places. Get the charcoal smoking. Slowly add more pieces of charcoal to the fire you've made. Wait to distribute your coals for cooking until they are mostly covered in white/gray ash. Keep your coals close together for a strong burning fire. Add more coals regularly to keep your grill burning. Keep the top and bottom vents open for maximum heat. Empty the ash as it builds up. Consider adding hardwood for added flavor and a hotter fire. Seal up any unused briquets. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Install-Granite-Countertops | How to Install Granite Countertops | Before you install a granite countertop, you'll need to cut a piece of plywood to the same size as the granite and screw the plywood to the top of your cabinet to reinforce it. Next, move your granite countertop into position and draw lines to indicate any cuts you need to make. Then, you'll want to trim the edges of the granite with a wet saw and smooth them out with a wet grinder. Finally, put the sink into the hole and apply a bead of caulk around the edges on top of the countertop and underneath the sink. | Use kraft paper or cardboard to create a template of the countertop. Lay a large piece of kraft paper or cardboard on top of your cabinet. Trace the countertop and cut away any excess paper or cardboard to make an exact template of the surface. Precisely mark the location of the sink hole and any other cuts in the granite. Take your time doing this to ensure that you get precise measurements. Decide what size of overhang you want and add it to your template. The standard overhang on a granite countertop is 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) beyond the face of the cabinets below. Avoid choosing an overhang longer than 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) , which will require the installation of steel braces to support it. Adjust your template to add the additional measurement for the overhang. Choose a type of granite slab. Granite can be purchased from local fabricators, home centers, or kitchen showrooms. Ask your vendor for a catalogue, or browse their selection in store or online. Select a style and color that matches your kitchen or bathroom. Granite comes in colors ranging from blue, black, brown, deep red, and vibrant white. Expect to pay a minimum of $75 per square foot of granite slab, to more than $250 per square foot, depending on the granite color and type. You may opt to order a granite slab with pre-finished edges, or cut and smooth the edges on your own. Cut a piece of 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) plywood to reinforce the top of your cabinets. Purchase a large piece of plywood that is the same measurements as your countertop template. Lay it on top of your countertop and push it flush against the wall, then measure it again, marking any parts that need to be trimmed. Use a circular saw to trim the plywood to size and to cut out a hole for the sink.. Be sure to factor in the overhang measurements on the edges of the countertop when measuring and cutting the plywood. Attach the plywood to the cabinets by drilling screws through the cabinet. Get underneath your countertops and position an electric drill at one corner of your cabinet braces. Insert screws upwards to secure the plywood to the countertop. Space screws every 8–10 inches (20–25 cm). Make sure the plywood sets level on all the cabinets before drilling. Wear safety goggles when using an electric drill. Be sure to hold your body in a stable position while using the electric drill to avoid an accident. Add a coat of waterproofing membrane to the plywood as a precaution. Pour a waterproofing membrane into a paint tray and coat a small paint roller. Apply the membrane to the entire surface of your plywood. Let it sit overnight to dry before continuing your installation. The waterproofing membrane will keep moisture from permeating the plywood, which could cause it to swell. Dry fit the granite countertop to make sure it fits. Position your granite slab on top of your countertop to see how it will fit. Be very careful to avoid damage or breakage. Note cuts or adjustments that need to be made, if any. If the granite slab is not the size or type that you ordered, contact the vendor immediately to arrange a return. Use a whiteout pen or painter's tape to trace the cuts you need to make. Lay your countertop template on top of the granite slab. Mark any adjustments to the outside edges that you may want to make. Use scissors to cut out the paper or cardboard outline of your sink and use it to trace the area that needs to be cut from the granite. For more money you can order a granite slab with pre-finished edges, and in some cases, a pre-cut hole for your sink as well. If you are making your own sink hole, it is best to install a drop-in sink so you don't have to worry about making a perfectly smooth cut. Use a handheld wet circular saw to cut the granite slab as needed. A wet saw is the best choice to cut granite because it cuts down on the large amount of dust that would otherwise be created. Attach the small saw to a garden hose as indicated in the manufacturer's instruction manual. Position the saw just outside the lines you drew and gently drag the blade across the granite until you cut all the way through the slab. Cut just outside of the lines you traced to leave some room for the granite to be grinded down and smoothed on the edges. Buy or rent a handheld wet circular saw from your local hardware store. Wear gloves, goggles and a face mask to protect yourself while cutting the granite. Have someone catch the sink cutout so it doesn't fall through the counter and break. Use a wet grinding wheel to smooth the edges of the granite slab. Attach your wet grinding wheel tool to your garden hose as indicated by the manufacturer. Turn on the grinder and position the round part of the tool next to the edge of the granite you want to smooth. Slowly drag the grinder back and forth along the edge on the slab until you are satisfied with its smoothness. You can use this tool to make rounded corners on your granite countertop if you wish. Run a clean wet cloth over the granite after cutting and smoothing it to remove dust, dirt, and debris from the surface. Install the sink and apply caulking around the rim on the bottom and top. Place your sink into the sink hole and make sure it fits properly. Run a bead of caulk around the top perimeter of the sink, where it sits om the granite. Climb under the sink and run another bead of caulk around the underside of the sink, where it hangs inside the cabinet. Be careful when applying the caulk to the top part of the sink to ensure a smooth presentation. | Use kraft paper or cardboard to create a template of the countertop. Decide what size of overhang you want and add it to your template. Choose a type of granite slab. Cut a piece of 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) plywood to reinforce the top of your cabinets. Attach the plywood to the cabinets by drilling screws through the cabinet. Add a coat of waterproofing membrane to the plywood as a precaution. Dry fit the granite countertop to make sure it fits. Use a whiteout pen or painter's tape to trace the cuts you need to make. Use a handheld wet circular saw to cut the granite slab as needed. Use a wet grinding wheel to smooth the edges of the granite slab. Install the sink and apply caulking around the rim on the bottom and top. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Rabbit-Cage | How to Clean a Rabbit Cage | To keep your rabbit happy and healthy, start by removing soiled bedding and scooping out litter daily to minimize the risk of your rabbit getting a bacterial infection. After you've cleaned the cage each day, replace your pet's old water and food with new water and fresh greens. Once a month, remove your pet from its habitat to wipe down the entire cage and thoroughly clean the food and water dishes. | Remove leftover food. It's important to the health of your rabbit to keep its food dish refilled and clean. Remove any old or leftover food every day to prevent bacteria growth that could harm your rabbit. At least once a week, you should wash the dish with soap and hot water. Remove stale or wilting bits of food and any other material, like fur or feces, from the dish. Wash the food dish in hot, soapy water or in your dishwasher at least once every week and more often if necessary. For example, if your rabbit urinated or defecated in the dish, it's important to wash it. Dry the dish completely before using it again, which can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Refill your rabbit's food as needed, giving it just enough food to prevent hunger. Refresh the water bottle. It's also important to your bunny's health to have fresh water daily. Refill the water bottle at least once daily and wash it at least weekly in hot water and soap to kill and prevent bacteria growth. Pour out water at least once a day and replace it with fresh water. Take out any material floating in the water before refilling it. If the floating matter has begun to dissolve, wash the bottle in hot, soapy water. Make sure that water is flowing once the bottle is refilled. Place your finger under the bottle and press on it to ensure proper dispensing. Put the water bottle in the dishwasher or wash the bottle in hot, soapy water once a week or more often if necessary. Scoop the litter area. Your rabbit will urinate and defecate usually in one corner of its habitat. In fact, your rabbit may even have a litter box. You should remove soiled litter, hay, or newspaper every day. Replace all of the litter, hay, or newspaper at least once a week or more often if necessary. Doing this prevents bad odors from circulating through your home as well as minimizing the risk of infection from bacterial buildup. Focus your daily maintenance on the litter box or corner in which your rabbit urinates or defecates. Wipe any soiled walls or floor spaces as needed. You can use a disinfectant or a vinegar and water mixture. Allow the habitat to dry thoroughly before you replace any bedding, toys, or dishes. This prevents the growth of bacteria or ammonia that can harm your rabbit. Put your rabbit in a safe space if you have to remove and replace all of the bedding. This can make the process easier on you—and your rabbit. Give it a few food pellets or a piece of lettuce to keep your rabbit occupied while you clean. Avoid using pine or cedar shavings and clay cat litter as litter for your rabbit. These can cause illness. Stick with pelleted litter, hay, or old newspaper as litter. Leave any particularly large and moist droppings behind. These are likely cecotropes, which are pellets that need to be eaten by the rabbit in order to maintain bowel health. Throw away old toys. Because rabbits love to dig and chew, many people fill cardboard boxes with paper or give their rabbit old paper, such as a phonebook, with which to play. Check these toys at least once a week and replace them as needed. Check any other toys for defects or to see if they're broken. If so, throw the toys away and replace them with new ones. Remember that moisture can be harmful to a rabbits health, so replace any paper that appears or smells moist or like mildew. Sweep and clean the habitat area. Although rabbits love cleanliness, they can be very messy. Rabbits may kick food, bedding, or litter outside of their cage. Sweep any material from areas around the habitat at least weekly and more often if necessary. Wipe any areas of the floor or walls on which your rabbit sprayed with a disinfectant to prevent odor and hinder bacteria growth. Gather cleaning supplies. Every two weeks to a month, you'll need to deep-clean your rabbit's cage. You'll likely need more supplies than you used in your daily and weekly maintenance. Having the following supplies on hand can help speed up the process: Sponge Disinfectant or a mixture of four parts water to one part vinegar Paper towels Trash bag New litter and bedding New toys Broom and dustpan Vacuum. Put your rabbit in a safe place. Take your rabbit out of the cage and put it in a safe place while you clean. This can allow you to safely deep-clean the cage without traumatizing your rabbit or exposing it to harmful fumes or chemicals. Allow your rabbit to hop freely through your home if it uses the cage only as a home base. If not, make sure your rabbit is in an area that is secured from other animals or potential escape. You can also put your rabbit in a different cage or your bathtub. Just make sure the drain is covered. Avoid letting your rabbit roam outside, which can expose it to harm from other animals. Give your rabbit leafy greens or food pellets while you clean. Make sure it has a toy like an old phonebook or chew toy to satisfy natural urges to dig and chew. Empty the cage. It's very important to your rabbit's health and happiness to deep-clean your rabbit's cage at least once a month and more often if necessary. This requires cleaning the interior and exterior of the cage, from the walls and floor to the litter pan and toys. Removing every item in the cage before you start can help you clean more effectively. Have your trash bag ready and throw away leftover food, litter, newspaper, or other bedding. Empty the water bottle into a sink. Set aside anything you are going to keep such as toys, blankets, food dishes and the litter box until you are ready to individually clean these items. Wipe down the cage walls. A mixture of vinegar and water is the safest disinfectant for your rabbit as commercial chemicals can be toxic. Using either the vinegar mixture or another disinfectant, wipe down each of the habitat's walls as well as the floor and ceiling until the cage is clean. Scrub any stains until they are gone. You may find that using a bit of baking soda and vinegar paste can help lift stains more easily. Make sure to wipe any areas scrubbed with the paste until there is no residue, which could harm your rabbit. Let the cage to dry thoroughly before replacing any items. This inhibits the growth of bacteria or fungus. In addition, it can protect your rabbit from the effects of moisture-related illness such as alopecia. Consider allowing the cage to dry in the sunshine, which can further inhibit bacteria growth and may speed up drying time. Wash the food dish. You should be washing your rabbit's food dish at least once a week. This is important so that your rabbit won't get sick from old food, fungus, or other bacteria that can grow in food dishes. If you do not wash the food as a part of weekly cleaning, then do it at least bi-monthly or monthly. Check the dish to make sure there are no cracks or other defects that may harm your rabbit. Wash the dish in hot, soapy water or in your dishwasher. Consider sterilizing it in boiling water to kill bacteria and mold or mildew. Let the dish dry thoroughly before refilling it to inhibit bacteria growth that can harm your rabbit. Sterilize the water bottle. As with the food dish, you should be washing the water dish or bottle at least one a week. However, if you don't, do this during your bi-monthly or monthly cleaning session. In addition, sterilize the water bottle to kill any bacteria or other organisms. Wash the bottle in hot, soapy water or in your dishwasher. Afterwards, boil it in a separate pan. Allow the bottle to dry thoroughly after washing it to inhibit bacterial growth that can harm your rabbit's health. Refill the dish or bottle and check to make sure the water flowing properly. Soak the litter pan. A litter box or pan can be the site of heavy odors and bacterial growth in the cage. Soaking the litter box in a mixture of vinegar and water can clean and disinfect it as well as get rid of any stains. In turn, this promotes your rabbit's health and happiness. Wipe out the litter pan with a sponge, old rag, or a paper towel before soaking it. Mix 4 parts water to one part vinegar and let the litter pan soak while you are cleaning the rest of the cage. Make sure to let allow the litter box to dry thoroughly to prevent bacterial growth. Refill the litter pan with fresh litter, hay, or newspaper. Wash bedding. If your rabbit has blankets, sheets, or other fabric as bedding in its cage, wash it in your washer. Use hot water and an unscented detergent for sensitive skin. This can ensure that your rabbit's delicate skin isn't exposed to harsh chemicals or scents. Make sure to wash and thoroughly dry all of the bedding at the highest temperatures possible. This can kill bacteria, remove stains, and prevent illness because of lingering moisture. Disinfect and replace toys. Just as other areas of your rabbit's cage can get soiled, so can its toys. Inspect all of your rabbit's toys and throw away any defective items that may harm your rabbit. Wash all of your rabbit's plastic toys and replace any paper toys such as telephone books or paper boxes. Use the same mixture of vinegar and water to clean your rabbit's toys. Wipe off each toy with the mixture, re-inspecting each toy as your wash it. Allow the toys to dry thoroughly before putting them back in your rabbit's cage. Throw away all of the paper toys and replace them to prevent bacteria growth that can harm your rabbit. Clean around the cage. Remember that bunnies can be messy, even in areas outside of their cages. Wiping down any soiled spots on walls and floors and vacuuming the general habitat vicinity promotes cleanliness and can remove lingering bacteria. Return your rabbit to its cage. Once you've cleaned and dried your rabbit's habitat, reintroduce your pet to its home. Give your bunny a treat for behaving while you cleaned. | Remove leftover food. Refresh the water bottle. Scoop the litter area. Throw away old toys. Sweep and clean the habitat area. Gather cleaning supplies. Put your rabbit in a safe place. Empty the cage. Wipe down the cage walls. Wash the food dish. Sterilize the water bottle. Soak the litter pan. Wash bedding. Disinfect and replace toys. Clean around the cage. Return your rabbit to its cage. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Learn-to-Sing | How to Learn to Sing | If you want to learn how to sing, practice singing a series of vowels, letting your voice come from your diaphragm, or deep within your chest. If you want to practice a song, try singing along to a song that you like with a voice recorder nearby. Make sure the music is quiet so the recorder can pick up your voice, then listen to the recording to see if you are singing on key and articulating your words. | Begin with breathing exercises. Breathing exercises will allow you to better control the pitch and duration of your singing. It's no surprise: singers who can breathe deeply and consistently get better mileage out of their voice. Practice opening your throat opening. Relax and open the jaw like a fish might out of water. Start flexing your facial muscles a little bit in between. Try the following breathing exercise before you warm up: Begin by inhaling a couple deep breaths of air. Imagine that the air is really heavy as you breathe it in. Let the breath fall below your belly button, into your diaphragm. Exhale and repeat several times. Get a light pillow-feather and practice keeping it in the air, sort of like you're juggling a feather with your air stream. Gradually blow the feather really high up, and try keeping it there. Don't let your chest collapse as you keep the feather in the air. Try to keep the air stream coming from your diaphragm. Commence warming up. Your vocal chords are a muscle, just like your biceps, and need to get stretched before you do any heavy lifting. You can warm up in a variety of ways. Try humming or singing up as high as you can comfortably go, then down as low as you can go. When you go higher, your vocal cords stretch longer, and when you go lower, your vocal cords get shorter. As you sing up and down your range, you'll stretch your vocal cords, making them more pliable. Practice your major scales, starting with the middle C, moving down in half-steps before moving up. Don't push yourself before you're actually singing, and try to move slowly. As you continue to warm up, you'll get better at articulating all the notes in the scales. The notes that you will hit start off as C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C and move either up or down one half-step for each new scale. Find your range. Your range is the measure of pitches you can sing between your lowest and highest notes. Try any number of classical musical scales (you can easily find them with a simple online search) and see which notes on the bottom and which notes on the top are impossible for you to clearly sing. To find your vocal range, warm up your voice, then hum down and drop your voice as low as it can go. The lowest note you can hum that still sounds clear is the bottom of your range. Then, hum up as high as you can go. The highest note that you can hold for 3 seconds is the top of your vocal range. Keep in mind that your range might vary a little bit from day to day, especially if you're ill or tired. Try singing along to a song that you like with a voice recorder nearby. Make sure the music is quiet and your voice is the real thing that the recorder picks up. After you're done singing, check if you are singing on key. Also check to see if you are: Articulating words, especially vowels, clearly. In the beginning, over-articulate the words; really practice on getting them right. Breathing correctly. Hard vocal parts will require you to stretch your voice out over a longer period of time. You'll need to be a strong breather for this. Drink plenty of water. Drink lukewarm water for best results, as this will loosen your vocal chords. Give your body time to absorb the water. Avoid dairy products or thick drinks such as smoothies immediately before singing. Practice daily. Every day, practice your breathing exercises, warm-up routine, and recorded singing. Listen for parts that you don't hit with your voice and keep chugging. It could take several weeks of practice just to get a single song down pat. If you notice your voice shaking when you sing, try taking in a deep breath down into your ribs, and hold your rib cage out. That can stabilize your breath and therefore your voice. Learn to use your nose. Good singing involves partial nasal placement; it is our body's soundboard. To avoid sounding nasal to others, however, your throat must be wide open with your tongue out of the way (slightly forward, touching the backs of bottom teeth when singing vowels). Nasality can often be heard in country singing and some R&B/Gospel, but can be unappealing to listen to. Learn to "cover the voice" for a fuller sound. Resonant, rounded sound is formed by opening the throat and by limiting the nasality. This is called "covering the voice." Be careful, however. If you cover it too much, it may become to airy and mushy sounding. Practice singing your vowels. Again, try to vocalize by using your diaphragm. The vowels, not the consonants, are what you really have to pay attention to. Do not involve your neck muscles in your singing. Try to keep your neck upright but relaxed. Practice keeping the back of your mouth open when you vocalize the vowels. Practice voicing the "ng" sound in training; the back of your mouth is closed. Now practice voicing the "ah" sound, like you're opening your mouth at the dentist. The back of your mouth is now open. Practice hitting the high notes. High notes are the icing on top of the cake: not always necessary, but really wonderful when done right. You probably already know your range by now, so you also know which high notes you can hit and which ones you can't. Be sure to practice hitting the ones you can't yet reach. Practice will make perfect. Envision jumping as you hit the high note. Perhaps you're jumping onto a trampoline, or maybe you're just jumping up into the air. Imagine hitting your highest point as you reach the high note. Take an adequate breath and keep your mouth open. Hitting a high note doesn't mean you need to increase how loudly you sing. Continue your breathing exercises. Make breathing exercises an ongoing training opportunity. The better you get at breathing, the easier your vocal training will be. Try this breathing exercise where you breathe in and hiss out. Make sure your hiss is very even and consistent. The goal is consistency: Breathe in for 4 seconds, and then hiss the same breathe out for 4 seconds. Breathe in for 6 seconds, and hiss out for 12. Breathe in for 2 seconds, and hiss out for 10. Breathe in for 4 seconds, and hiss out for 16. Breathe in for 2 seconds, and hiss out for 16. Breathe in for 4 seconds, and hiss out for 20. Breathe in for 2 seconds, and hiss out for 20. Enter a local singing competition. Be reasonable about how you expect to perform; if you've been singing for less than 3 months and have no formal training, it'll be difficult — but that's what you want, right? If you're serious about becoming a singer, you'll have to get used to singing in front of a large crowd of people, and in stressful situations. It's one thing to sing to yourself in your bedroom; it's another thing entirely to sing in front of dozens or maybe hundreds of people. Be sure to get a good teacher if you're serious about developing your skills. Voice coaches will be able to give you really good feedback in real time, as well as tips and tricks. They will set a schedule for you and help you meet goals that you set for yourself. A voice coach is absolutely essential for anyone who wants to seriously become a singer. Perform a song unaccompanied, once you are confident. Upload your video to YouTube. The positive feedback you get will most likely far outweigh the negative feedback. | Begin with breathing exercises. Commence warming up. Find your range. Try singing along to a song that you like with a voice recorder nearby. Drink plenty of water. Practice daily. Learn to use your nose. Learn to "cover the voice" for a fuller sound. Practice singing your vowels. Practice hitting the high notes. Continue your breathing exercises. Enter a local singing competition. Be sure to get a good teacher if you're serious about developing your skills. Perform a song unaccompanied, once you are confident. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Hard-Cider | How to Make Hard Cider | To make hard cider with heat brewing, start by pouring apple juice or apple cider into a large saucepan over a medium heat. Heat the juice to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, cover the saucepan, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Every few minutes, check the juice to make sure it isn't boiling, which will result in a cloudier cider. Next, fill a large tub or container with cold water and ice, and place the covered saucepan in the ice water to bring the temperature down quickly. Once your cider reaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit, bottle it and allow it to rest for 2 weeks to several months. | Choose your ingredients. Apple juice and yeast are the only essential ingredients, but there are a few other ingredients that can be added in order to alter the final product. You can either use apple juice or apple cider. Many prefer the taste of pasteurized, sweet apple cider, but you could use fresh apple juice just as easily. Note, however, that unpasteurized juice will need to be sanitized before you can ferment it. Dry wine yeasts are affordable and effective. Beer yeasts are also affordable, and many beginning cider makers find them easier to work with. Specialized yeast packages specifically labeled for use with hard apple cider are also available but tend to be more expensive. Pectic enzyme helps clear cloudiness and is often used with heat-brewed cider. Adding sugar to the cider will product a higher alcohol content. The extra apple juice is only needed if you plan to use a starter. Sanitize your supplies. All of your supplies need to be washed with hot water and mild dish detergent before use. Rinse well to remove any soapy residue. Let the supplies dry completely before use. Wild bacteria can cause the cider to taste bad and can even turn your batch of hard cider into vinegar. Make a starter the day before. This step is only optional, but creating a starter allows you to verify that your yeast is alive and active and begins the fermentation process quicker. Pour your apple juice into a resealable container with a tight lid. Pour half of your yeast into the apple juice, seal the container, and shake well for a few seconds. When bubbling occurs, release the pressure inside the container by opening the lid. Note that it may take five to six hours before bubbling starts. Reseal the lid and place the container in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the starter a few hours before you brew your cider. Know the pros and cons of heat brewing. Using heat to brew your hard cider is the safest, most common method. If starting with unpasteurized juice from an unknown source or juice from imperfect apples, the heat method is the safest one to use. Heat does reduce the aroma of the cider, however. The heat is also more likely to lead to a cloudy cider. Pour your juice into a large saucepan. Place the saucepan of cider on the stove and heat over medium. Do not allow the juice to boil. The high temperatures required for boiling to occur will cause the pectins in the apple juice or apple cider to set. As a result, you will end up with a cloudier cider. Monitor the heat of the juice using a food-grade thermometer that clips onto the side of your saucepan. Make sure that the thermometer take the temperature of the liquid, not the temperature of the side or bottom of the pan. Heat the juice to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius). Once the juice or cider reaches this temperature, cover the saucepan with a lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Peek at the juice through the lid frequently to make sure that it has not begun to boil. Cool the juice in an ice bath. Fill a large tub or container with cold water and ice. Place the covered saucepan in the ice water to quickly bring down the temperature. Your juice is ready for the next part of the process once it reaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). Understand when and why to use this method. This is an alternate brewing method and should be used if you do not intend to heat your juice before fermenting it. You should not use both brewing methods. Sulfites come in the form of campden tablets. The sulfites are fairly mild and are usually neutralized by the time the cider is ready to enjoy. You will need to let the juice sit for a while after adding the sulfites in order to reduce the strength of the sulfites. Otherwise, the sulfites may kill some of the yeast. Pour the juice into your fermenter. Pour the juice or cider directly into the container you intend to ferment the cider in. A professional-grade fermenter leaves the smallest room for error, but you can use five 1-gallon (4-L) empty milk jugs for a cheaper option. Crush the campden tablets. Use the back of a spoon to crush the tablets into a fine dust. Crush the tablets on a plate or other surface that you can easily remove the powder from. Stir the campden tablets into your juice. Add the crushed campden tablets to your juice or cider and stir slightly with a spoon to mix. Let set for two days. Cover the fermenter and allow the sulfites to sit in the juice for a full two days before you ferment the cider. You will ferment the juice with remnants of the sulfites in it. These sulfites will not get filtered out. Heat the water the boiling. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn the heat off once the water boils. You only need to boil the water if you plan on using a yeast nutrient, and you only need to use a yeast nutrient if you do not plan to use a starter. A starter essentially serves the same purpose as the yeast nutrient, so you only need to use one or the other. Add the yeast nutrient. Stir the yeast nutrient into the hot water until dissolved. Let the water cool until it reaches a range between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (27 and 38 degrees Celsius). Note that it is perfectly normal for the mixture to smell bad after you add the yeast nutrient. Add pectic enzyme. If desired, stir the pectic enzyme into the mixture once it drops to room temperature. Pectic enzyme is used to clear cloudiness. If using a starter instead of the yeast nutrient, combine the pectic enzyme with the starter just before adding the starter to the fermenter. Make sure that the starter is at room temperature. Combine mixture with brewed juice in the fermenter. Pour your juice into the fermenter if it is not already inside. Add the nutrient mixture or starter to the juice and stir slightly to combine. A professional-grade fermenter may work best, but you could use five 1-gallon (4-L) empty milk jugs for a cheaper option. Make sure to leave at least 2 inches (5 cm) of empty headspace at the top of the fermenter. Add your sugar, if desired. The sugar is not necessary, but adding sugar to the juice before you ferment it will create a cider with a higher alcohol content. Moreover, hard cider with sugar in it will continue to improve the longer it ages. Add your yeast. Gently stir any remaining yeast into your cider. Cover the fermenter and attach an airlock. Gases will build up inside the container as the cider ferments, but a plastic airlock will permit these gasses to escape while sealing off the inside of the container. Fit the airlock into the top of the fermenter. Note that instead of an airlock, you could use a piece of plastic wrap stretched over the top of the fermenter and held in place with a rubber band. This method does not work quite as well, but is usually effective. Let sit for several weeks. Place the cider out of direct sunlight in an area that reaches between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 24 degrees Celsius). The cider should ferment over the next two weeks. During this time, expect to see activity through the clear sides of the airlock. Once you no longer see any activity in the airlock, wait another 3 to 5 days before bottling the cider. Check the cider with a hydrometer. This is not absolutely essential, but it is the best way to verify that the fermentation process has been completed. The hard cider should also taste quite dry. Bottle the cider now. Your hard cider is ready to bottle as soon as the fermentation process is finished. Attach a plastic spigot to the fermenter if it does not already have one on it. Fix food-grade tubing to this spigot, and pour the cider directly into clean, food-grade bottles. Seal the bottles. Within two weeks, the cider should be ready to drink. Wait for several months if you want it to be fizzy. Alternatively, let the cider clarify. If your hard cider is too cloudy for your liking, clarify it by putting it through a second fermenter before bottling it. Siphon the cider into a second fermenter using a spigot and food-grade tubing. Allow the cider to ferment in this container for an extra month. Bottle the clarified cider using the same method you would use to bottle hard cider immediately, as outlined above. Note that clarified cider will not have any bubbles. Enjoy. Store your hard cider for months and enjoy as desired. | Choose your ingredients. Sanitize your supplies. Make a starter the day before. Know the pros and cons of heat brewing. Pour your juice into a large saucepan. Heat the juice to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius). Cool the juice in an ice bath. Understand when and why to use this method. Pour the juice into your fermenter. Crush the campden tablets. Stir the campden tablets into your juice. Let set for two days. Heat the water the boiling. Add the yeast nutrient. Add pectic enzyme. Combine mixture with brewed juice in the fermenter. Add your sugar, if desired. Add your yeast. Cover the fermenter and attach an airlock. Let sit for several weeks. Check the cider with a hydrometer. Bottle the cider now. Alternatively, let the cider clarify. Enjoy. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Win-a-Girl-Back | How to Win a Girl Back | Before you can win a girl back, give her some space to let her recover from the breakup. While you distance yourself, try to stay busy so you can work on being independent and pursuing your own interests. When she sees you having a great time on your own, it's likely that she'll realize what she's missing out on. Once you've piqued her interest, try talking to her one on one to explain how you feel. Make sure to apologize if you ended things on a bad note, and tell her how lucky you were to have her. If she doesn't want to get back together, don't worry too much. It may feel hard at first, but eventually you'll find the right person! | Give her some space. The first thing you need to do is give the girl some space. If you start knocking down her door and calling her every five minutes she'll only pull further away from you. The amount of space and time you give her depends on what happened when you tried to date her. If you ended a serious relationship, you'll need to give her more space than you would if you had just dated a few times. Don't call her, chat with her at parties, or email her just to see how she's doing. If you see her socially, be polite and say hi, but make it clear that you're not going to bother her. Just don't give her too much space. If you leave her alone for a few months, that will give her plenty of time to find someone new. Give yourself some time to reflect. Not only should you give her some space, but you should give yourself some space to reflect and think about what went wrong in the relationship. Take the time to sit down and ask what you did to make her not want you; were you too attentive, too moody, or too distant? Whatever you did, you have to make sure never to do it again if you want a moment of her day. Write down the things that went wrong. Consider what you can do to improve this kind of behavior. Don't date anyone else during the reflection period. Focus on self-improvement and working on not repeating the same mistakes. Don't pursue her until you've figured out what went wrong and know how to change it. Stay busy. Though you should avoid getting busy in the bedroom while you're trying to win your girl back, you should try to live a busy and active life so you can work on being independent and pursuing your interests. If you're just sitting around waiting for enough time to pass to start trying to hang out with her again, she'll know. Continue pursuing your hobbies and interests. Don't stop doing all of the things you love because your heart is aching. Spend time with your friends. They'll cheer you up and lend you a fresh perspective. Work out. Your self-esteem will improve if you exercise a few times a week, and all the better if she sees you out running. Let her see you having a great time. Once you've given her some space and have worked on self-improvement, she'll be much closer to wanting you. But now you have to put all the pieces together and let her see what an amazing guy you are and how much fun it is to be around you. Be strategic. Without looking like a stalker, make sure you're hanging out in some of the same places so she can see what a blast it is to be around you. Laugh it up. If she sees you, try to laugh with your friends as much as you can without being too obvious about it. Be animated. If she's around, be very animated and interested in the conversations you're having, showing that you're a passionate guy who loves to talk to his friends. Don't ignore her when she sees you. Give her a small wave and go back to the great conversation you were having. Dance. That's right. Chances are she was mad that you didn't dance with her more. Let her see you getting down on the dance floor and having a great time. Let her see you being your best self. There was obviously something she liked about you, so use your assets to your advantage. Make her jealous (optional). This is an optional move because it depends on the situation. If your relationship ended because she was so jealous that you were always hanging around with other girls, then you shouldn't make her jealous or she'll just be reminded of the reason why things didn't work out between you. But if your relationship ended because she thought you were just too into her, or that she was bored by you, then making her jealous is a great move. Here's how to do it: If you're on speaking terms, casually mention other girls. You can mention one girl a few times, leading her to wonder, "Who is this girl?" Or you can just talk about a group of girls, mentioning that you were at a party that was filled with mostly girls but that you were "okay with that." Let her see you with other girls. Chat with her for a few minutes before moving on to flirt with another girl that's nearby. Make sure you're close enough for her to watch it happen. Don't overdo it. If she hears you talking about other girls and sees you flirting with others, she may want you even more, but if you're all over every girl at every party, you may look desperate or sleazy. If it was too easy the first time, make her chase you. If you can't think of what went wrong in the relationship because you smothered her with love, then chances are that this was exactly what went wrong. She must have felt that your love and relationship was too easy, so you should try to make it more of a challenge. Be aloof. You should still give her some attention, but act busy or distracted and like you're not giving all your attention to her for once. This will confuse her and will make her want you more. Be sparing with the compliments. If you did nothing but compliment her 24/7 when you were together, give her just one compliment to show that you're not obsessing over her. Let her come to you. She was probably used to having you come up to her, touch her, and talk to her all the time; now, it's time for some role reversal. If you're at a party, let her approach you instead of stopping everything you're doing to head her way. If it was too hard the first time, make it easier. If you broke up because she felt that you didn't give her enough affection or time or that you spent too much time flirting with other women, it's time to do the exact opposite and to make yourself available to her and have no other women on your radar. Show her that your schedule is free and that you're up for hanging out whenever. She'll no longer have to hang out with you during the one hour you're free. Don't make her jealous. In your case, you should stay away from the other ladies as much as possible to show that you only have eyes for her. Take the time to listen. If she thought you didn't care about her feelings before, maintain eye contact and let her talk without interrupting. You can mention something she said in the conversation a day later to show that you really do hang on to her every word. Compliment her. If you never complimented her before, she'll see that you changed. If you hurt her, apologize. If you really want her back, you have to be the man and apologize for what went wrong. If she was hurt by you, she'll want to stay away from you for fear of getting hurt again. So man up and tell her you made a mistake. Make sure to do this in person. It won't do if you just send her a text message or an e-mail; it has to be in person otherwise she will see that you are not very serious about this apology and so she won't take it seriously either. So own up and go apologise for what you did to her. Be sincere. Maintain eye contact when you talk to her and keep a calm, even tone. She won't believe you if it sounds like you're apologizing just because it's what you should do. Be specific. Don't just say, "I'm sorry for everything." Say, "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you really wanted to talk. I should have been much more attentive." She will appreciate this, and it will make you seem more self-aware. Don't be disappointed if she doesn't accept your apology right away. If she doesn't accept it, she's probably still working through what happened but still appreciates your effort. Just say, "You can't blame me for trying" instead of arguing her into accepting your apology. Show what a better, more mature person you've become. She should be able to see how much you've changed without you having to say it yourself or to convince her that you're completely different. Face it -- many girls are more mature than their male counterparts, so wow her with your ability to be rational and mature. Don't be moody. Act even-keeled and calm, and she'll be impressed. Be confident. Show her that you're happy who you are and what you do, and she'll be happier with who you are too. Be responsible. Show her that you can manage your finances, hold down a good job, and take care of your dog at the same time. Don't be jealous. Don't ask her about that guy she's been talking to; this will only encourage her to talk to him more, and will make you look insecure for caring. Tell her how you feel. Once she wants you a bit more and can see that you're a different person, it's time to stop playing games and to tell her how you really feel. How else can you get the ball rolling? If it ended badly, she's not going to ask you to pick things up again, so you need to get your act together and open up. Tell her at the right place and time. Pick a time when she's not too busy and you can be alone, ideally at night or in a semi-secluded location. Maintain eye contact when you tell her. No looking around, no checking your phone. No more Mr. Tough Guy. It's time to be open and honest and to share your true feelings. First, acknowledge what went wrong, and apologize for it again if you haven't already. Then, tell her how much you've changed and how much you'd love to give it another try. Say, "I can't believe what an idiot I've been. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and I really screwed it up. Let me make it up to you." Don't sound like you're begging and pleading; instead, make it sound like barely a question at all. Let her know that you're going to try again, and hopefully you'll get the answer you were looking for. Take her out. If she agrees to go out with you, you better do it right this time. You're lucky enough to be getting a second chance, and third chances are hard to come by. Make the most of your time together and make sure to treat her right. Here's what to do: Turn up the romance factor. Bring her flowers and take her to a romantic restaurant. Now, you shouldn't overdo it to the point that she feels uncomfortable. Just add a little bit of the romance that was probably missing before. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5a\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5a\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet1.jpg\/aid359468-v4-728px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":288,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"455","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Compliment her. Let her know she looks nice when you pick her up, and compliment her throughout the date. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b0\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b0\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet2.jpg\/aid359468-v4-728px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":288,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"455","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Let her know how much you've missed her. Find one or two moments during the date when you tell her how glad you are to have her in your life. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/af\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet3.jpg\/v4-460px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/af\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet3.jpg\/aid359468-v4-728px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":288,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"455","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} In the end, be yourself. You can become a better listener, a more attentive person, or just learn to understand her needs, but in the end, you're still you, and you should make sure she likes who you really are. Don't try so hard to show that you've changed that there's nothing left of the old you. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7e\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet4.jpg\/v4-460px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7e\/Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet4.jpg\/aid359468-v4-728px-Win-a-Girl-Back-Step-11Bullet4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":288,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"455","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Keep the girl this time. If the date went well, and if there are more dates to follow, you need to make sure the relationship doesn't end for the same reason if you really want to stay with this girl. If she's a keeper, you must remind yourself that you have to continue making her feel special. Remind yourself what happened the last time, and vow not to do it again. Look at it as starting fresh. You don't have to rehash the old relationship, but work on building something completely new and much better. Relax. Just enjoy being with the girl instead of worrying about not screwing up again all the time. | Give her some space. Give yourself some time to reflect. Stay busy. Let her see you having a great time. Make her jealous (optional). If it was too easy the first time, make her chase you. If it was too hard the first time, make it easier. If you hurt her, apologize. Show what a better, more mature person you've become. Tell her how you feel. Take her out. Keep the girl this time. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Give-Your-Hamster-a-Bath | How to Give Your Hamster a Bath | You should not bathe a hamster unless it's absolutely necessary, like if it has something stuck in its fur or it came in contact with a toxic chemical, because bathing it could do more harm than good. If you must bathe your hamster, fill a basin with 1 cup of room temperature water and a drop of unscented pet shampoo. Wet a washcloth with the soapy water and rub the hamster in the direction of its fur, as if you're petting it. Then rub the hamster dry with a soft, dry towel and return it to a clean cage, in a spot that's a little warmer than usual. | Avoid bathing your hamster if possible. Only bathe your hamster if there is something stuck in its fur or if he has come in contact with a toxic chemical. Bathing your hamster in water washes out their natural oils and can seriously harm them ! Hamsters can't swim very well and therefore can drown, they will be extremely stressed during the process as well and this can lead to stress-related illnesses such as Wet Tail which can kill a hamster. The rapid temperature changes can also give your hamster a cold which can make them seriously ill. During estrus, female hamsters can also have a different odor when they are in heat. Clean the hamster cage more frequently. The best way to address a smelly hamster is to clean out his cage more frequently. Before attempting a bath, change your cage-cleaning habits and see if the smell improves. Touch up problem areas up daily and change all of the bedding weekly. Ensure that your hamster really needs a bath. The only time you should give your hamster a bath is if there is something on its coat that could harm him, e.g. something toxic or sticky on his coat or something stuck to him that he could choke on if he tried to clean himself. If you've spilled something harmful on your hamster, you will probably wish to bathe it. Try a sand bath first. If your hamster is not life-threateningly dirty, a sand bath should be sufficient.The hamster will roll around in the sand, and the sand will cause most dirt to fall off naturally. Buy chinchilla sand at the pet store and put it in a little bowl for your hamster. Make sure to buy sand, not dust, as dust can cause respiratory problems for your hamster. It is like inhaling smoke as a human every day. Try to buy children's play sand from a hardware store. You can sterilize it by baking it in the oven at 400 °F (204 °C) for 15 minutes. If the sand is a permanent fixture in your hamster's cage or playpen, make sure to check it daily as your hamster may start using it as a litter box. Make sure there is no other way to remove the problem substance. For example, if your long-haired hamster has gum in its fur, you can simply cut it out. Fill a basin with one or two cups of room temperature water. Add one drop of unscented pet shampoo. Wet a washcloth and in the basin and wring it out. Then rub gently on your hamster. If there are suds or any kind of lather, you've used too much shampoo. Start over. Swab your hamster with the cloth. Very carefully rub in the direction of its fur, like you would when you're petting it. Wipe your hamster off with a soft, dry towel. Gently wipe your hamster with a very soft towel in the direction of its fur to remove water and dampness. Place your hamster back in its cage. Be sure the cage is clean and fresh , and place the cage in a place that is a little warmer than normal if possible. Make sure there's absolutely no cold air draft. Consider whether a bath is absolutely necessary. Only consider this if your hamster has come in contact with a toxic substance that can't be spot cleaned, and you can't bring it immediately to the vet. It is not uncommon for hamsters to die from being bathed, either by drowning or because they got sick after the bath. Some situations that might warrant a bath include: It fell in something that was potentially dangerous or toxic such as neat disinfectant, white spirit, corrosive substances such as an acid, nail polisher remover The coat got covered in something that would be toxic or cause a stomach upset if the animal groomed and swallowed it (non-food substances such as those mentioned, or chocolate, jam, honey) The hamster was covered in something really sticky which could irritate the skin (chewing gum that could not be removed by spot cleaning or cutting fur) or that would cause a bowel obstruction if the hamster chewed it off the skin (blue tac, putty, wax) or a substance that would damage the skin such as urine Fill a bowl with a couple centimeters water. If you absolutely must bathe your hamster as a last resort, get a bowl and fill it with a couple centimeters of lukewarm water. Bathe your hamster very gently with plain water. Moisten your hamster, taking care to keep the water away from her face. You can also use a cloth or an old toothbrush with soft bristles to gently clean the hamster. Again, make sure not to get water on or near the hamster's face. Add unscented pet shampoo if necessary. If water alone will not remove the toxic or sticky substance, you can use a very small amount of the mildest unscented pet shampoo you can find. Be very careful to keep the shampoo and water away from your hamster's face. Rinse the hamster. If you used any shampoo, be sure to use plain lukewarm water to rinse the hamster off and completely remove any shampoo residue. Pat your hamster dry with a soft, clean towel. Place your hamster on top of a dry towel and use the other end of the towel or a second towel to gently pat your pet dry. If you rub, be sure to do so very gently in the direction of its fur. Place your hamster back in its cage. Make sure to get most of the water off before putting your hamster back in its cage to sleep off its agitation. Make sure your hamster has plenty of substrate to dry itself on and to keep it warm. | Avoid bathing your hamster if possible. Clean the hamster cage more frequently. Ensure that your hamster really needs a bath. Try a sand bath first. Make sure there is no other way to remove the problem substance. Fill a basin with one or two cups of room temperature water. Swab your hamster with the cloth. Wipe your hamster off with a soft, dry towel. Place your hamster back in its cage. Consider whether a bath is absolutely necessary. Fill a bowl with a couple centimeters water. Bathe your hamster very gently with plain water. Add unscented pet shampoo if necessary. Rinse the hamster. Pat your hamster dry with a soft, clean towel. Place your hamster back in its cage. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Mini-Flyable-Hot-Air-Balloon-with-Candles | How to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles | If you want to make a mini flyable hot air balloon with candles, cut a 4 inch square from a sheet of aluminum foil and draw a dot about 1 inch inside each corner. Cut 2 birthday candles in half and peel the cut pieces so the wick is revealed, then melt the bottom of each candle and stick them to the dots on the foil. Fold up the edges of the foil to make a basket. Make a frame out of straws, then tape the candle tray to the frame. Next, tape the opening of a thin plastic bag to the frame. When you light the candles, the bag will fill up with hot air and the balloon should fly. | Find a thin, plastic bag. The best bag for this is a thin, cheap, trashcan liner. It should be translucent or clear. Do not use a regular trash bag; it will be too heavy. You can also use a dry cleaning bag instead. If you do, make sure that it is the short kind used for shirts; be sure to tape the hole at the top of the bag. Do not use plastic grocery bags. They are too small and too heavy. Make sure that the bag does not have any holes by putting it in front of a small fan. Place the opening of the bag in front of a small fan. Make sure that there are no gaps. Turn the fan on. The bag should fill up like a balloon. If it does not fill up, it may have some holes. Find these holes and cover them with a piece of scotch tape. Check the weather if you are planning on flying outside. The day should be cool; the balloon will not fly well on a hot day. Make sure that there is no wind; even the slightest breeze will keep the balloon from flying. The best time to fly would be at dawn or dusk as the weather is the most still. Cold, winter days with high pressure are the best for flying. Choose a large, empty room if you are planning on flying inside. You can also fly your balloon inside. Make sure that there is a lot of space, and that there are no curtains or carpets inside. If the balloon lands close to one of those, you could start a fire. A great place to fly is in a garage or a school gym. Keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher near by. You will be working with fire, so you want to be safe. If you are a child, make sure that you have an adult with you at all times. Cut a 4 inch (10 centimeter) square from a sheet of aluminum foil. This will be your basket. The edges will be sharp, so be careful. Make four dots inside the square using a marker. Each dot should be 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) away from each corner. You will be placing your candles on these dots. Take two birthday candles and cut them in half. This will make the balloon lighter and easier to fly. Peel the wax away on two of the candles to expose the wick. You may have noticed that two of the candle pieces still have the wick sticking out, and two do not. Using your fingernail, crumble the tip of those two candles until you have some wick showing. You want to end up with four mini birthday candles. Melt the bottom of each candle and stick it onto a dot. Use a lighter to melt the bottom of a candle. Let some of the wax drip onto the dot. Once you have a small pool of wax, stick the candle down onto it. Hold the candle still until the wax hardens. Do this for the other three candles. If you are a child, ask an adult to help you with this step. Fold up the edges of the square by ¼ to ½ inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) to make a basket. Be careful not to bump the candles while you are doing this. They will pop off easily. This will help catch any melted or dripping wax from the candles. Measure across the bag's opening. Lay a ruler across the opening of the bag. Write down the length. This will be how long you will be making the sticks for the frame. Make two sticks out of straws according to that length. To connect two straws together, cut a small slit into the bottom of a straw. Side the cut part into another straw. Wrap a piece of tape around the joint. Keep doing this until the stick is the same width as the bag. If you are using bendable straws, cut the bendy part off. Make a cross or X out of the two sticks. Find the middle of one stick. Place the other stick on top of it. Tape the two sticks together. Do not use too much tape, or the frame will be too heavy. The best tape to use is clear scotch tape. Masking tape will be too heavy. Consider using balsa wood sticks instead. Purchase some thin balsa wood sticks from an arts and crafts store. They look like squares or rectangles when you look down at them from the top. Cut the sticks down to the right length. Put a drop of wood glue in the middle of one stick. Place the other stick on top of it, making a cross or X shape. Wait for the glue to dry. Try to get the thinnest stick possible. It will be the lightest and easiest to fly. Do not buy dowels; those are not balsa wood and will be too heavy. Put the candle tray on top of the straw frame. If you look down on the frame and tray, the candles should be between the straws. This is very important. If the candles are over the straws, the heat will burn and melt the straws. It will also distribute the weight the wrong way. Secure the tray to the frame with tape. Take a piece of tape and put it under one of the arms of the X. Press the tape against the bottom of the tray. Do this for the other three arms and sides of the tray. Tape the opening of the bag to the frame. Tape one corner of the bag to one of the ends of the frame. Tape the opposite corner of the bag to the other end of the frame. Do this for the other two sides. You are making a square-shaped hole. Attach a long piece of string to the frame and hold onto the string. You can also tie the string to a table, chair, or fence. This is very important. If you do not do this, the balloon may fly out of reach and get caught. Choose a thin, light string, such as thread. Place the balloon on a flat surface and hold the bag up over the candles. Try to keep the bag as loose as possible, It might be easier to do this step and the next step with a friend. Light the candles. Be careful so that you do not knock or push any of the candles over or burn the bag. A long, stick lighter might work best for this step. If you are a child, ask an adult to light the candles for you. Keep holding the bag until it fills up and stands on its own. This will take about a minute or so. Let go of the bag. It will not fly at first, but after a few more moments, it will start to rise on its own. Be sure to keep holding onto the string, or attach the string to something. The balloon will float for as long as the candles are lit. | Find a thin, plastic bag. Make sure that the bag does not have any holes by putting it in front of a small fan. Check the weather if you are planning on flying outside. Choose a large, empty room if you are planning on flying inside. Keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher near by. Cut a 4 inch (10 centimeter) square from a sheet of aluminum foil. Make four dots inside the square using a marker. Take two birthday candles and cut them in half. Peel the wax away on two of the candles to expose the wick. Melt the bottom of each candle and stick it onto a dot. Fold up the edges of the square by ¼ to ½ inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) to make a basket. Measure across the bag's opening. Make two sticks out of straws according to that length. Make a cross or X out of the two sticks. Tape the two sticks together. Consider using balsa wood sticks instead. Put the candle tray on top of the straw frame. Secure the tray to the frame with tape. Tape the opening of the bag to the frame. Attach a long piece of string to the frame and hold onto the string. Place the balloon on a flat surface and hold the bag up over the candles. Light the candles. Keep holding the bag until it fills up and stands on its own. Let go of the bag. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Chewing-Gum-from-a-Car-Exterior | How to Remove Chewing Gum from a Car Exterior | If you need to remove chewing gum from car exterior, park the car in a shaded area so the gum doesn't melt while you're trying to remove it. Use your fingers to pull as much gum off the car as possible, then soak a cotton ball in body solvent, which is a chemical designed to dissolve substances without harming car paint. Press the cotton ball to the gum for about a minute, then try to wipe away the gum with a soft cloth dipped in more body solvent. Repeat until the gum is gone. | Prepare your car before trying to remove the gum. It's very important that you not rub, scrub or scrape too hard or you might scratch the car exterior. However, you should still do some prepping of the car. Pull as much of the gum off as you can before applying any products to it. Move the car into a shaded area so that the gum doesn't melt while you're working on it. Clean the spot around the gum. It might be a good idea to wipe the area of the car where the gum is stuck to remove any obvious dirt. All you need is a bucket full of hot water and dish soap. You just need a squirt of dish soap in two cups of water. Dip a cloth into the bucket, and wet it. Then, gently wipe away any easily removable residue from the car's exterior. You want to avoid using anything too abrasive. It's best to use a soft cloth when rubbing on a car exterior. You will want to repeat this process after you remove the gum too to get rid of any lingering residue. After removing the gum, you may need to apply a new coat of protective wax. If the water is hot enough, it may be possible to remove the gum using only soap and water. Try body solvent. Take a cotton ball, soak it in body solvent, and let it sit on the gum for about a minute to soften it up. Then, take a soft cloth with body solvent on it. Wipe it off. You may need to repeat the process a second time if it doesn't all come off. Body solvents are specifically designed to be used on paint, so they are a good choice for cleaning a car exterior without damage. You can also try this with rubbing alcohol. Spray the gum with bug and tar remover. If you wet the gum with bug remover and tar remover, it should come right off the car. You might need to wax the car after you use this, though, as it can remove some of the wax. The good thing about bug and tar remover is that it's designed specifically not to harm a car exterior because people usually use it to get rid of bugs that have flown into the car's outside or tar that's ended up on the vehicle. You could also apply the bug and tar remover to the gum by using a soft cloth. Rub the remover into the gum, until it starts to come off. Purchase a commercial product designed to remove grime. Goo Gone is one product that is widely used to remove gum from car exteriors. Goof Off also has a product that can be used on car paint. Goo Gone advertises that its product is safe for use on a car exterior if you follow the instructions for hard surfaces. To use either product, apply the product and wait three to five minutes. Pull the gum off. Use a clean cloth to wipe off excess gum. Wear safety goggles and solvent-resistant gloves when working with chemicals. Purchase gum remover. Believe it or not, there is a product designed to remove gum. It's often used by industrial cleaners, so look for it in such a store. Spray the remover on the gum, and then remove the gum from the car. Some people also use WD-40 oil to remove gum, bugs, and other grime from a car exterior. Try a can of compressed air. Spraying compressed air on the gum ma harden it enough for you to remove the wad. This method is usually very effective. You can find these cans in most hardware stores. Usually, people use compressed air to clean other things, such as removing residue caught inside a computer keyboard. However, they work on a car exterior too. Use ice to harden the gum. You might be able to peel the gum off the car exterior if you harden it. You can do this with ice cubes. Take a small towel and wrap the ice cubes in it. Hold it on the gum for about five minutes. Once you remove it, the gum should be hard. Try to gently peel off the hard gum. You may need to repeat the process. You could also put the ice cube in a Ziploc bag. Wrapping it will keep it from dripping too much once it starts to melt. Use peanut butter. The oil in the peanut butter can help remove the gum from your car. It's not designed to clean your car, but some people still use it, and they say it can work. Smear the peanut butter on the gum. Let it sit for three minutes, and then wipe it off with a damp rag. Peanut butter causes the chewing gum to lose its stickiness, and it becomes easier to pick out. You could also try putting body oil on the gum with the same principle in mind. Some people have also tried using eucalyptus oil with some success. | Prepare your car before trying to remove the gum. Clean the spot around the gum. Try body solvent. Spray the gum with bug and tar remover. Purchase a commercial product designed to remove grime. Purchase gum remover. Try a can of compressed air. Use ice to harden the gum. Use peanut butter. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Popcorn-in-a-Pan | How to Make Popcorn in a Pan | If you want to make popcorn in a pan, drizzle a small amount of oil on the bottom of a large saucepan with a lid. Add 2 small handfuls of dried popcorn kernels to the pan and turn the stove to medium heat, then quickly cover the pan with a lid. Soon, you'll begin to hear the popcorn popping, but do not lift the lid to check. When the noise dies down to 1 or 2 pops every few seconds, remove the pan from the heat, uncover the pan, and enjoy! | Buy a bag of dry maize kernels. You can get this from most supermarkets nowadays, and it's easy to find at ethnic stores too. The bigger bag you buy, the more money you'll save in the long term. Select your biggest saucepan with a lid (a see - through one makes all the difference! ), put it on the stove and drizzle a small amount of oil on the bottom. If you have an oil spray pump, spray the sides too. Work out how many kernels you'll need. Remember how big your average piece of popcorn is and use that to work out how many will comfortably fit in your pan. Add your kernels to the pan (about 2 small handfuls is usually about right) and turn the stove to medium heat. Put the lid on quickly. You will soon begin to hear the kernels popping and hitting the sides and lid of the pan. DO NOT TAKE OFF THE LID WHILST THE HEAT IS ON AND POPCORN IS POPPING. When the noise dies down to only 1 or 2 pops every few seconds, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the stove. Carefully take a peek under the lid. Your popcorn should be good and done, so take off the lid. You will smell the buttery aroma. If you want sweet popcorn, take sugar or Splenda and sprinkle it over the popcorn (still in the pan). Put the lid back on and give it a gentle shake. The oil should allow the sugar to stick well to the kernels. If you prefer cheddar flavoring, do the same thing as you did with the sugar! Serve. Finished. | Buy a bag of dry maize kernels. Select your biggest saucepan with a lid (a see - through one makes all the difference! Work out how many kernels you'll need. Add your kernels to the pan (about 2 small handfuls is usually about right) and turn the stove to medium heat. Put the lid on quickly. You will soon begin to hear the kernels popping and hitting the sides and lid of the pan. Carefully take a peek under the lid. If you want sweet popcorn, take sugar or Splenda and sprinkle it over the popcorn (still in the pan). If you prefer cheddar flavoring, do the same thing as you did with the sugar! Serve. Finished. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Copy-Formulas-in-Excel | How to Copy Formulas in Excel | "To copy a formula into multiple adjoining cells in Microsoft Excel, type the formula into a cell, and then press Enter or Return to calculate it. Hover your mouse cursor over the bottom-right corner of the cell so the cursor turns to a crosshair, then drag the crosshair down to copy the formula to other cells in the column. If you'd rather copy the formula to cells in a row, drag the crosshair left or right. To copy a formula to cells that aren't touching the formula cell, click the cell once to select it, and then press Control + C (on a PC) or Command + C (on a Mac) to copy the formula. Now, select the cell or cells you want to copy the formula to, then press Control + V (on a PC) or Command + V (on a Mac) to paste it into the selected cells. | Enter the formula into one cell. As with any formula, start with an = sign, then use whichever functions or arithmetic you'd like. We'll use a simple example spreadsheet, and add column A and column B together: Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C row 1 10 9 = A1 + B1 row 2 20 8 row 3 30 7 row 4 40 6 Press enter to calculate the formula. Once you hit enter on your keyboard, the formula will be entered and calculated. Only the result (19) will be displayed, but the spreadsheet will still have the formula stored. Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C row 1 10 9 19 row 2 20 8 row 3 30 7 row 4 40 6 Click on the lower right corner of the cell to be propagated. Move your cursor to the lower right corner of the cell you just edited. The cursor will become a bold + sign. Hold and drag along the column or row you're copying to. Keep your mouse button held down, and drag your cursor down the column, or across the row to be edited (highlight). The formula you entered will automatically be entered into the cells you've highlighted. Relative cell references will automatically update to refer to the cell in the same relative position. Here's our example spreadsheet, showing the formulas used and the results displayed: Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C row 1 10 9 = A1 + B1 row 2 20 8 = A2 + B2 row 3 30 7 = A3 + B3 row 4 40 6 = A4 + B4 Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C row 1 10 9 19 row 2 20 8 28 row 3 30 7 37 row 4 40 6 46 Double click the plus sign to fill the entire column. Instead of click-and-dragging, move your mouse to the lower right corner, and double click when the cursor turns into a + sign. This will automatically copy the formula to the entire column. Excel will stop filling out the column if it sees an empty cell. If the reference data contains a gap, you will have to repeat this step to fill out the column below the gap. Enter the formula into one cell. As with any formula, start with an = sign, then use whichever functions or arithmetic you'd like. We'll use a simple example spreadsheet, and add column A and column B together: Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C row 1 10 9 = A1 + B1 row 2 20 8 row 3 30 7 row 4 40 6 Press enter to calculate the formula. Once you hit enter on your keyboard, the formula will be entered and calculated. Only the result (19) will be displayed, but the spreadsheet will still have the formula stored. Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C row 1 10 9 19 row 2 20 8 row 3 30 7 row 4 40 6 Click on the cell to be propagated and copy it (CTRL+C). Select the cells you want to copy the formula to. Click on one and drag up or down using your mouse or the arrow keys. Unlike with the corner drag method, the cells you are copying the formula to do not need to be adjacent to the cell you are copying from. Paste (CTRL+V). Use this method to quickly copy a formula without changing the cell references. Sometimes, you have a large spreadsheet full of formulas, and you want to copy them exactly. Changing everything to absolute cell references (as described in the section on cell references) would be tedious, especially if you just want to change them back again afterward. Use this method to quickly move formulas with relative cell references elsewhere without changing the references. Here's our example spreadsheet, which needs to have column C duplicated to column D: Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C Column D row 1 944 Frogs = A1 /2 row 2 636 Toads = A2 /2 row 3 712 Newts = A3 /2 row 4 690 Snakes = A4 /2 If you're just trying to copy the formula in a single cell, skip to the last step ("Try alternate methods") in this section. Open the Find window. On most versions of Excel, you can find this by clicking the Home tab at the top of the Excel window, then clicking Find & Select in the "Editing" portion of the tab. You can also use the keyboard shortcut, CTRL F. Find and replace "=" with another character. Enter "=", click "Find All," then enter another character into the "Replace with" box. This will automatically turn all formulas (which always begin with =) into text strings beginning with some other character. Always use a character that you have not used in your spreadsheet. For example, replace it with # or &, or a longer string of characters, such as ##&. Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C Column D row 1 944 Frogs ##& A1 /2 row 2 636 Toads ##& A2 /2 row 3 712 Newts ##& A3 /2 row 4 690 Snakes ##& A4 /2 Do not use the characters * or ?, since these will make later steps more difficult. Copy and paste the cells. You may now select any cells you wish to copy, then paste them into another location. Since they are no longer interpreted as formulas, they will be copied exactly. Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C Column D row 1 944 Frogs ##& A1 /2 ##& A1 /2 row 2 636 Toads ##& A2 /2 ##& A2 /2 row 3 712 Newts ##& A3 /2 ##& A3 /2 row 4 690 Snakes ##& A4 /2 ##& A4 /2 Use Find & Replace again to reverse the change. Now that you have the formulas where you want them, use the "Find all" and "Replace with" options to reverse your change. In our example, we'll look for the character string "##&" and replace it with "=" again, so those cells become formulas once again. You can now continue editing your spreadsheet as usual: Example Spreadsheet Column A Column B Column C Column D row 1 944 Frogs = A1 /2 = A1 /2 row 2 636 Toads = A2 /2 = A2 /2 row 3 712 Newts = A3 /2 = A3 /2 row 4 690 Snakes = A4 /2 = A4 /2 Try alternate methods. If the method described above does not work for any reason, or if you are worried about accidentally changing other cell contents with the "Replace all" option, there are a couple other methods you can try: To copy a single cell's formula without changing references, select the cell, then copy the formula shown in the formula bar near the top of the window (not in the cell itself). Press esc to close the formula bar, then paste the formula wherever you need it. Press Ctrl ` (usually on the same key as ~) to put the spreadsheet in formula view mode. Copy the formulas and paste them into a text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit. Copy them again, then paste them back into the spreadsheet at the desired location. Press Ctrl ` again to switch back to regular viewing mode. Use a relative cell reference in a formula. In an Excel formula, a "cell reference" is the address a cell. You can type these in manually, or click on the cell you wish to use while you are entering a formula. For example, the following spreadsheet has a formula that references cell A2: Relative References Column A Column B Column C row 2 50 7 = A2 *2 row 3 100 row 4 200 row 5 400 Understand why they're called relative references. In an Excel formula, a relative reference uses the relative position of a cell address. For example: cell C2 has the formula “=A2”, which is a relative reference to the value two cells to the left. If you copy the formula into cell C4, then it will still refer to two cells to the left, now showing “=A4”. Relative References Column A Column B Column C row 2 50 7 = A2 *2 row 3 100 row 4 200 = A4 *2 row 5 400 This works for cells outside of the same row and column as well. If you copied the same formula from cell C1 into cell D6 (not shown), Excel would change the reference "A2" to a cell one row to the right (C→D) and 5 rows below (2→7), or "B7". Use an absolute reference instead. Let's say you don't want Excel to automatically change your formula. Instead of using a relative cell reference, you can make it absolute by adding a $ symbol in front of the column or row that you want to keep the same, no matter where you copy the formula too. Here are a few example spreadsheets, showing the original formula in larger, bold text, and the result when you copy-paste it to other cells: Relative Column, Absolute Row (B$1): The formula has an absolute reference to row 1, so it always refers to row 1. Column A Column B Column C row 1 50 7 = B$3 row 2 100 = A$3 = B$3 row 3 200 = A$3 = B$3 row 4 400 = A$3 = B$3 Absolute Column, Relative Row ($B1): The formula has an absolute reference to column B, so it always refers to column B. Column A Column B Column C row 1 50 7 = $B1 row 2 100 = $B2 = $B2 row 3 200 = $B3 = $B3 row 4 400 = $B4 = $B4 Absolute Column & Row ($B$1): The formula has an absolute reference to column B of row 1, so it always refers to column B of row 1. Column A Column B Column C row 1 50 7 = $B$1 row 2 100 $B$1 $B$1 row 3 200 $B$1 $B$1 row 4 400 $B$1 $B$1 Use the F4 key to switch between absolute and relative. Highlight a cell reference in a formula by clicking it. Press F4 on your keyboard, and $ symbols will automatically be added or removed. Keep pressing F4 until the absolute or relative references you'd like are selected, then hit enter. | Enter the formula into one cell. Press enter to calculate the formula. Click on the lower right corner of the cell to be propagated. Hold and drag along the column or row you're copying to. Double click the plus sign to fill the entire column. Enter the formula into one cell. Press enter to calculate the formula. Click on the cell to be propagated and copy it (CTRL+C). Select the cells you want to copy the formula to. Paste (CTRL+V). Use this method to quickly copy a formula without changing the cell references. Open the Find window. Find and replace "=" with another character. Copy and paste the cells. Use Find & Replace again to reverse the change. Try alternate methods. Use a relative cell reference in a formula. Understand why they're called relative references. Use an absolute reference instead. Use the F4 key to switch between absolute and relative. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Put-up-Shelves | How to Put up Shelves | To put up shelves, pick out an open spot along the wall, use a stud finder to locate 2 wall studs, and lightly mark the 2 spots with a pencil. Next, hold up one of your mounting brackets at the desired height and mark the bracket's screw holes on the wall, making sure that the holes are in line with the studs. Then, drill the pilot holes for the bracket screws and fasten the brackets to the wall. Finally, put your shelves in place on top of the brackets. | Pick out an open spot along the wall to situate your shelves. The exact position of your shelves is mostly a matter of preference. However, there are a couple important factors you'll want to consider when choosing a mounting site, such as proximity to the nearest wall studs and the size of your shelves in relation to nearby objects. If the shelves you've picked out are especially deep, for example, it may not be a good idea to mount them near doors or high-traffic areas where someone might bump into them. A good rule of thumb is to mount display shelves at around eye level (5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 m), in the majority of cases) to enable easy access and make them a focal point of the room. If you're going to be stacking multiple shelves, it's best to do it in an area where you have enough room to space them about 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) apart. Use a stud finder to locate the 2 wall studs closest to your chosen spot. Turn on your stud finder and hold it flat against the wall about 1 foot (0.30 m) to the left of where you want to put your shelves. Once it's in position, press the button on the thumb side to activate it and begin slowly sliding the tool to the right. When it flashes or beeps, it means it's detected a stud underneath. You can get a basic stud finder at your local hardware store or home improvement center for around $30. More advanced models with multiple modes and precision features may run you closer to $60-70. The term “stud” refers to one of the vertical boards that comprises the inner structure of the wall. It's important to locate your wall's studs anytime you're putting up shelves, as drywall isn't meant to support much weight and in time may collapse under strain. Perform a tap test to find your studs if you don’t have a stud finder. In most homes, wall studs are spaced 16–24 inches (41–61 cm) apart. One thing you can do to track down a stud without tools is simply measure this distance outward from an adjacent doorframe, then tap along the wall in a 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) radius with your knuckle until you hear a difference. A stud will make a dull thud when struck, unlike the hollow drywall, which tends to produce a louder, deeper sound. Light switches and electrical outlets are almost always mounted to a wall stud. If you're not having any luck finding a stud, try measuring 16–24 inches (41–61 cm) from a nearby switch or outlet, then tap the surrounding area until you get a hit. Mark the location of the studs with a pencil. Once you've successfully pinpointed your stud or studs, put a small dot or “X” at each site. The marks you make will serve as a visual guide for when you begin drilling. They'll also function as a helpful reminder so you won't have to hunt for the studs again if you happen to lose track of them. Only make your stud marks in pencil, and avoid bearing down so hard that you have trouble erasing them later. If you don't want to draw directly on the wall, press a strip of painter's tape to the wall and mark the tape instead. Hold up one of your shelves’ mounting brackets at the desired height. Eyeball the placement of the bracket to see how it looks and adjust it by moving it higher or lower if necessary. Again, where you put your shelves is largely up to you, so long as you stay between the studs. The brackets are the supportive frame pieces that actually attach to the wall. Once they're mounted, they'll cradle the shelves from underneath, bracing against the wall studs at an angle. Most shelf brackets are mounted somewhere between chest and eye level, but you could also hang your shelves higher or lower depending on the specific use you have in mind for them. Don't rush the decision on where to hang your shelves—it's a lot harder to move them after you drill the holes. Mark the position of your bracket’s screw holes on the wall. Make sure the screw holes are in line with the studs. When you're satisfied with the placement of your first bracket, insert the tip of your pencil into the screw hole on the backside and scribble a dot on the wall. You'll be using this mark as a reference point for drilling your first pilot hole, and to line up your second hole. If your shelf brackets have more than one screw hole, go ahead and mark them as well for greater precision. For stacked shelves, mark all of your pilot hole locations vertically along the same stud at one time, making sure they're spaced consistently. Draw a line from your first pilot hole mark to the opposite stud. Hold a carpenter's level out horizontally beside your first pencil mark, taking a moment to make sure it's centered correctly. Run your pencil along the top of the level until you reach the mark you made to indicate the position of your second stud. This line will correspond to the top of the shelf. Stop and reset the level when you run out of room. Remember to check its orientation to ensure that your line is straight and uniform. Repeat this step at a different height for each set of shelves you plan on installing. Make a second mark where the other pilot hole will go. You've now clearly marked where you need to drill each pilot hole for your shelf bracket and connected the 2 points with a straight line that will help you make sure your shelves are level. At this point, you're ready to begin drilling. Drill the pilot holes for the bracket screws. Center the tip of each screw with its corresponding pilot hole mark. Use a power drill or screwdriver to drive the screws into the underlying wall stud to a depth of about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Then, remove the screws from the wall carefully. Use the screws that came packaged with your shelf brackets. If your brackets didn't include their own fasteners, 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wood screws will be a good fit for most average-sized shelves. Boring pilot holes is easier, neater, and more precise than trying to screw directly into the bracket holes in one shot. Fasten the brackets to the wall using the pilot holes you just drilled. Align the screw holes of each bracket with your pilot holes and reinsert the screws. Tighten the screws with your drill or screwdriver until they're seated snugly in the wall. Be sure to double-check that your brackets are straight and even before you cinch them down. Avoid overtightening your screws. Doing so could damage the surrounding surface and weaken their connection as a result. Hold off on putting up your shelves until you have all of your brackets in place. If any of the brackets are misaligned, it will be much easier to fix them if you haven't already installed the shelves. Put your shelves in place on top of the brackets. Depending on the style of your shelves, you may be able to simply rest them on top of the brackets and call it a day. If your shelves are designed to be anchored to the brackets, insert screws in the appropriate slots and fasten them down. Most of time, these slots will be located along the tops of brackets where the shelves sit. Use your level to make sure your shelves are even. If they're off level by more than a small amount, it may be necessary to drill a new pilot hole for one of your brackets. As long as the brackets are seated securely in the wall studs and you're using anchors of an appropriate strength rating, your shelves should have no problem supporting the amount of weight indicated in the product specifications. Erase any visible pencil marks left on the wall. Inspect the area around your newly-mounted shelves for traces of the markings you made while searching for your wall studs and positioning your shelf brackets. If you find any, rub them out gently with the eraser end of your pencil. Afterwards, congratulate yourself on a job well done! If you opted to put up painter's tape to protect your wall, simply peel it off and throw it in the trash. | Pick out an open spot along the wall to situate your shelves. Use a stud finder to locate the 2 wall studs closest to your chosen spot. Perform a tap test to find your studs if you don’t have a stud finder. Mark the location of the studs with a pencil. Hold up one of your shelves’ mounting brackets at the desired height. Mark the position of your bracket’s screw holes on the wall. Draw a line from your first pilot hole mark to the opposite stud. Make a second mark where the other pilot hole will go. Drill the pilot holes for the bracket screws. Fasten the brackets to the wall using the pilot holes you just drilled. Put your shelves in place on top of the brackets. Erase any visible pencil marks left on the wall. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-GED | How to Get a GED | To get a GED, start by finding a local testing center and registering for the class several months in advance. Then, spend the next few months studying for each of the sections on the exam, which include math, reading, and social studies. If you need more help studying, consider taking a prep course at a community college or signing up for a class online. On the day of the test, arrive on time and closely follow the instructor's directions to get the best possible score. | Review your state's requirements for taking the GED. In most states you must be at least sixteen years of age and not currently enrolled in a high school. The requirements are different for every state. Know what the GED entails. The GED tests your knowledge in four subject areas: language arts (reading and writing), mathematics, social studies and history, and science. The language arts section is composed of three parts.The first section tests your skills in grammar, word usage, spelling and capitalization, and the second section is a written essay in response to a prompt or question. The reading portion tests sentence structure, reading comprehension and language usage. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/76\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/76\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet1.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The mathematics section covers arithmetic, measurement, basic algebra, geometry, number relations, trigonometry and data analysis of charts and graphs. It is also split into two parts. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/43\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/43\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet2.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The social studies portion includes geography, civics and government and economics. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet3.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet3.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The science section tests life science, physical science and earth science. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a5\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet4.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a5\/Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet4.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-2Bullet4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Know how long you have to take each subject test. The GED is taken over the course of 7 hours and 45 minutes. Depending on which testing center you choose, you may be able to divide the test into parts taken on separate days, rather than sitting for the entire test at once. The first writing section contains 50 questions to be answered in 80 minutes, and the second writing section gives 45 minutes to plan, write and edit an essay. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/bb\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/bb\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet1.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Each mathematics section contains 50 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1a\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1a\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet2.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The social studies component contains 50 questions in 70 minutes. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet3.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet3.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The science portion of the test contains 50 questions to be answered in 80 minutes. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/04\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet4.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/04\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet4.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The reading portion of the test contains 40 questions to be answered in 65 minutes. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/9e\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet5.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/9e\/Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet5.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-3Bullet5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Understand the scoring system. The scores for each subject test range from 200 to 800. In order to pass the test, you must have a total score of at least 2250, and you must score at least 410 in each individual subject area. Start studying. Several months you plan to take the GED, begin studying for the test using a GED preparation book or online resources. Begin by taking a practice test. This will show you which areas you should target for further studying. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Get-a-GED-Step-5Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-5Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Get-a-GED-Step-5Bullet1.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-5Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Retain good study habits. That is the main key to GED success. Every day at the same time, sit down at the same place and study hard! Consider getting outside help. Most communities have adult education programs that are often connected to finding employment or entering a certification program or college. GED preparation courses are available at many community colleges and literacy centers. They provide tips on how to study for the test, more information on what to expect, and additional practice tests. Search http://www.acenet.edu/resources/GED/center_locator.cfm to find preparation courses in your area. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/ee\/Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/ee\/Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet1.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} If it isn't convenient for you to sign up for a GED preparation class in person, consider taking one online. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/19\/Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/19\/Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet2.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-7Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Develop a test-taking strategy. It's not easy to concentrate for over seven hours straight. It's important to strategize ways to get through the test before you walk into the testing center. Practice, practice, practice. Get used to the feeling of sitting down and taking the tests while you time yourself. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/86\/Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/86\/Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet1.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Talk with people who have taken the GED about what to expect, and ask them for tips. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5e\/Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5e\/Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet2.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Most importantly, be prepared. If you've studied for each subject test and done well during your practice tests, you'll be just fine on testing day. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/35\/Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet3.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/35\/Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet3.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-8Bullet3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Sign up for a test. Find a local GED testing center and sign up for a time that is available to you. The GED must be taken at a testing center in person. It is not available online. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/66\/Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/66\/Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet1.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Make sure that you give yourself enough time to adequately prepare for the test. You may want to schedule the test several months in advance. In some cases you can pre-register online or download forms to print, fill out and mail in. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet3.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet3.jpg\/aid28807-v4-728px-Get-a-GED-Step-9Bullet3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} If you have special needs, be sure to indicate that on your registration form. Your needs will be accommodated by your testing center. Take the test. Arrive promptly on testing day and use the techniques you practiced to take the complete test. If you arranged to take the test on several different days, make sure you complete each portion of the test. Follow the test administrator's instructions closely so you don't disqualify yourself from taking the test that day. Receive your score. Every testing center handles giving out scores differently. In some cases you may have to contact the testing center to receive your score, and in other cases it may be sent to you. Take the test again. If you didn't pass, you may take the test again after a specified waiting period. Check your state's requirements and ask your testing center when you may schedule a second test time. | Review your state's requirements for taking the GED. Know what the GED entails. Know how long you have to take each subject test. Understand the scoring system. Start studying. Retain good study habits. Consider getting outside help. Develop a test-taking strategy. Sign up for a test. Take the test. Receive your score. Take the test again. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Sandpaper | How to Use Sandpaper | To use sandpaper, start by choosing an abrasive type and grade that suits your project, such as ceramic abrasive for power sanding or a fine-grit paper for very smooth surfaces. Then, wrap a piece of sandpaper around a wooden or cork block with the abrasive side facing outward and staple it into place. Next, hold the covered block on the surface you want to sand and apply pressure as you move it back and forth along the surface, making sure you're sanding with the grain. Finally, vacuum up the accumulated dust from the sanded surface. | Buy the abrasive that’s best for your project. Sandpaper comes in different materials. Each material works best with particular types of sanding. Your options are: Garnet. Garnet is a natural abrasive used for sanding any kind of bare wood. Garnet is versatile, but it dulls faster than other sandpapers. Silicon carbide. Silicon carbide is best used for sanding down joint compound (the thick mix used to plaster over seams in drywall) and getting out specks of dust that get trapped under your wood finish. Aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide can be used to sand down wood, metal, and paint. It's duller than silicon carbide, but it lasts longer. Ceramic. Mostly used for power sanding, ceramic is one of the most durable and expensive abrasives. Alumina zirconia. A hard and durable abrasive. Use alumina zirconia if you're using a machine with a disc or belt. Get your sandpaper in three different grades. Sandpaper comes in three grades: coarse, medium, and fine. Sandpaper grades are measured in “grit.” The higher the grit of a sandpaper, the smoother it will make the surface it's used on. Check the packaging the sandpaper comes in to see what its grit is. Buy some sheets in each grade for your project. Coarse-grade sandpaper has a grit of 40 to 80. An 80-grit sandpaper should be coarse enough unless you have significant defects in the surface you'll be sanding. Medium-grade sandpaper has a grit of 100 to 150. Fine-grade sandpaper has a grit of 180 to 220. A 220-grit sandpaper should be fine enough for your project, but there are higher grits if you want a smoother finish. Use open-coat for durability or closed-coat for strength. Closed-coat sandpaper is completely covered in grain, meaning it's a stronger abrasive. Open-coat sandpaper has less grain on it, so it's not as effective, but the extra space on the sheet prevents buildup, which makes it last longer. Use closed-coat sandpaper for harder surfaces and open-coat sandpaper for softer surfaces. Use a sanding block for better and faster results. A sanding block is a block you wrap your sandpaper around. A sanding block can be anything -- a piece of cut-out foam, a wooden block, or a block of cork. Fold your sandpaper around your sanding block, with the abrasive side facing outward, and staple or glue it into place. You can also buy a sanding block at your local hardware store if you don't want to make your own. Start with your lowest grit sandpaper to remove obvious imperfections. This will be the coarse-grade sandpaper you purchased. Don't use a really low grit sandpaper on your surface unless it's necessary. For example, you wouldn't need a sandpaper with 40-grit (very coarse) to sand a surface with minimal defects. In this case, you'd be fine using a sandpaper with 80-grit to start. Save the coarsest sandpaper for surfaces with large gouges and bumps. Hold your sandpaper on the surface you want to sand. Apply pressure to the sheet of sandpaper or the sanding block with your hand. If you're standing up, lean your weight into your hand holding the sandpaper. Use both hands for more pressure. Run the sandpaper across the surface. If you're sanding wood, make sure you're sanding with, and not against, the grain. The grain of a wood is the lines and patterns that run through it. For example, if you're sanding the surface of a wooden desk and the grain runs from the front-facing side of the desk to the back-facing side, you'll want to move the sandpaper from the front of the desk to the back and vice versa. Sanding against the grain or sanding in circular motions will create unnecessary scratches in your wood. Move the sandpaper back and forth in a straight motion. Continue to apply pressure to the sandpaper with your hands and don't lift the sandpaper up unless you need a break. Gradually make your way across the entire surface you're sanding. You should start to see piles of dust accumulating. Don't forget to sand the edges. When you get to the edges of the surface you're sanding, stop and take a moment to sand the edges and corners. Vacuum the accumulated dust when you’re finished. Don't worry if you still see scratches or defects in the surface you're sanding. You'll smooth them out with your finer-grade sandpapers later. Move on to your medium-grade sandpaper. Attach it to your sanding block if you're using one. Repeat steps 4 through 6. Make sure you sand down all of the surfaces you're working on, including the edges. Finish sanding with your finest-grade sandpaper. Your surface should be perfectly smooth, with no scratches and dings. Start the process over, beginning with a coarse-grade sandpaper, if you still see scratches or you're not satisfied with the smoothness. Use a random orbit sander for speedier, less tiresome sanding. A random orbit spinner is an electric sanding tool that spins a sheet of sandpaper in random directions on a flat surface. Just attach the sandpaper, hold the tool by the handle, and move it across the surface you want to sand. They also suck up accumulating dust as you sand. Buy a random orbital spinner online or at your local hardware store. Random orbital spinners use circular sandpaper sheets that come with holes used to attach them to the device. Get these sheets wherever you get your device. Get a package of sheets in each grade: coarse, medium, and fine. Use a belt sander for larger projects. Belt sanders use a fast moving belt made of sandpaper to sand down surfaces. Belt sanders are useful if you have a lot of excess material to remove from a piece and you want to do it quickly. Attach a sandpaper belt made of your selected grade to the tool and, while holding it by the handle, run it across a surface. Buy a belt sander online or at your local hardware store. You'll need to buy sandpaper sheets designed specifically for a belt sander. Belt sanders are powerful and they sand down surfaces fast. Avoid using a belt sander for smaller projects or you could ruin your piece. Use a bench top sander to quickly sand curved edges. Bench top sanders are large electric tools with a spinning sandpaper blade that sits perpendicular to the workbench it's on. Next to the blade is a small shelf where you hold the piece you want to sand and guide it into the sandpaper. You can easily sand detailed or curved edges using a bench top sander. Buy one online or at your local hardware store. | Buy the abrasive that’s best for your project. Get your sandpaper in three different grades. Use open-coat for durability or closed-coat for strength. Use a sanding block for better and faster results. Start with your lowest grit sandpaper to remove obvious imperfections. Hold your sandpaper on the surface you want to sand. Run the sandpaper across the surface. Move the sandpaper back and forth in a straight motion. Vacuum the accumulated dust when you’re finished. Move on to your medium-grade sandpaper. Finish sanding with your finest-grade sandpaper. Use a random orbit sander for speedier, less tiresome sanding. Use a belt sander for larger projects. Use a bench top sander to quickly sand curved edges. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Fluffy-Slime-Without-Borax | How to Make Fluffy Slime Without Borax | For fun, fluffy slime without borax, mix 4 oz of glue and 4 ounces of water in a bowl. Mix in 2 drops of food coloring, then add more if you want a brighter color. Add a good pump of shaving cream and stir it until the texture is like marshmallow cream. Mix in a few pumps of lotion and a bit of liquid laundry detergent, then rub and knead it with your hands to make it less sticky. Once you have your stretchy, colorful slime, store it in an airtight container so it doesn't dry out. | Pour the glue into a bowl[2]
X
Research source
. Combine the warm water with the glue. Don't add too much water or it'll be very runny. Add in your food colouring and mix thoroughly. If the food colouring is a particularly potent one, start by adding two drops, so you don't stain your hands. Add in the shaving cream and mix thoroughly. When it's fully combined in, the texture should resemble marshmallow cream. Add in a few pumps of lotion for a stretchier slime. Add in the liquid laundry detergent. Don't add it all at once - you risk your slime hardening. Knead your slime. Once the slime has become too solid to stir, use your hands to start kneading it to make it less sticky. Play with your slime! Store it in an airtight container. | Pour the glue into a bowl[2]
X
Research source
. Combine the warm water with the glue. Add in your food colouring and mix thoroughly. Add in the shaving cream and mix thoroughly. Add in a few pumps of lotion for a stretchier slime. Add in the liquid laundry detergent. Knead your slime. Play with your slime! |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Platinum | How to Clean Platinum | To clean platinum, start by lining a pan with tin foil and placing your platinum inside of it. Then, mix together 1 cup of boiling water, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of sugar, and pour the mixture over your platinum in the pan. Next, pour 1/2 cup of vinegar into the pan, and let your platinum sit for 5-10 minutes while the solution bubbles and cleans it. Finally, take your platinum out of the mixture and rinse it off with water. | Purchase a cleansing solution for platinum or fine jewelry. There are several products available which are made for cleaning fine metals and jewelry. These contain polymers which buff out small blemishes in your platinum while being gentle enough not to damage the metal. Consult your local jeweler about which cleansers he would recommend. You can also use warm water and mild soap if the platinum is not terribly tarnished. Use a cleanser for a deeper clean. Brush the platinum with a soft bristled brush. A good choice is an old soft-bristled tooth brush. Dip the brush in your cleanser and gently scrub any tarnish from your platinum. Apply cleanser in the direction of the grain of the metal. Rinse the platinum clean. Run some lukewarm water and rinse the platinum until all of the cleanser has been removed. If you notice some spots which still need cleaning, run the brush over these areas and rinse again. It is a good idea to stop the drain in the sink while you are rinsing your platinum so you don't lose anything if it slips out of your hand. Dry the platinum with a lint-free cloth. Avoid cotton cloths and towels, which could leave residue on your jewelry. For a really clean, dry finish, wipe the platinum clean with a microfiber cloth or a chamois to give it a nice shine. Avoid cleaning precious stones set in platinum. While it is safe to clean your platinum with a commercial cleaner, any diamonds or precious stones set in the platinum could be more susceptible to damage. Check with your jeweler before you use cleanser on a piece of platinum that is mixed with other metals and precious stones. Line a pan with tin foil. A cookie sheet should work as long as it is deep enough to fit your platinum and have it completely covered in the solution. Make sure the foil has the shiny side facing up. Wrap the foil all the way around the edges of the pan to secure it. Spread your platinum pieces on the foil. Mix your base solution. Combine one cup of boiling water with one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of baking soda. Stir the ingredients together until they are thoroughly mixed. Pour the solution over your platinum. Carefully pour the the baking soda, salt and water solution into the pan. If your platinum moves when you pour over it, you can use a spoon to reposition the jewelry so it is flat. Add vinegar to the pan. Pour half a cup of white vinegar to into the pan. The vinegar will activate the base solution and cause the it to begin bubbling. Leave the platinum in the bubbling solution for five to ten minutes. Rinse and dry your platinum. Remove your jewelry from the pan. Run some lukewarm water and rinse each item until the solution and tarnish has been completely removed. Dry each piece with a lint-free towel for a nice shine. Remove your jewelry before performing tasks which could damage it. Certain tasks and chemicals can take a toll on your jewelry. It is best to remove it before you do something which could scratch your jewelry or expose it to harsh chemicals. Avoid wearing jewelry while cleaning the house with chemicals, or swimming in a chlorinated pool. Take off rings when you will be using your hands in manual labor like gardening or going to the gym. Put your makeup on first, then your jewelry. There could be chemicals in your makeup, lotions and hairspray which can build up on your jewelry. It is best to put jewelry on last. Store your platinum in it’s own fabric-lined place. You can use a fabric pouch or a jewelry box with dividers and compartments to separate your jewelry. The main concern here is multiple pieces scratching each other when they are jumbled together in one box. Separate each item into its own space. You can also try wrapping the item in tissue paper if it is in a box with other pieces. Clean your platinum every six months. This will keep any tarnish from having time to build up on your piece. You can do this yourself at home. Also consider taking it to a jeweler for a professional cleaning once a year. When you visit the jeweler have him check for any other issues like loose prongs or scratches. Have a jeweler polish out any scratches. Platinum is an incredible durable metal, but it is still possible that you may end up with a visible scratch. Your jeweler can repolish the area leaving it looking as good as new. | Purchase a cleansing solution for platinum or fine jewelry. Brush the platinum with a soft bristled brush. Rinse the platinum clean. Dry the platinum with a lint-free cloth. Avoid cleaning precious stones set in platinum. Line a pan with tin foil. Mix your base solution. Pour the solution over your platinum. Add vinegar to the pan. Rinse and dry your platinum. Remove your jewelry before performing tasks which could damage it. Store your platinum in it’s own fabric-lined place. Clean your platinum every six months. Have a jeweler polish out any scratches. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Simple-AM-Radio | How to Create a Simple AM Radio | To create a simple AM radio, start by coiling up 15-50 feet of 20-22 gauge insulated wire to create an antenna. Then, tightly wrap a non-metal cylinder in another thin wire to create an inductor to receive the transmissions. Next, connect those two devices, your speaker, and batteries to your breadboard that has all of the other components on it. If assembled properly, your radio should start working as soon as you turn it on. | Gather your supplies. You likely already have many of the parts you'll need for this project, excluding some of the electrical components. These can be bought at most hardware stores, home centers, and electronics stores. You'll need: 1 megaohm resistor (x1) 10nF capacitor (x1) 15–20 inches (38–51 cm) of red insulated wire 15–20 inches (38–51 cm) of black insulated wire 45–60 feet (14–18 m) of 26 AWG (0.4 mm) enamelled wire (for the inductor) 200pF variable tuning capacitor (160pF will do. Up to 500pF works) 22uF electrolytic capacitor, (10v or higher) (x1) 33pF capacitor (x1) 50–100 ft (15–30 m) insulated wire (any color; for the antenna) 9-volt battery (x1) Electronics breadboard Electrical tape Operational amplifier, type 741 or equivalent (also called an op-amp ; x1) Toilet paper tube, or small, non-conductive cylinder, 1.75–2 inches (44–51 mm) in diameter (glass bottle, cardboard/plastic tube, etc.) Speaker Wire strippers (or a similar item, like sharp scissors or a knife) Small knife or medium grit sandpaper Make an antenna. The antenna is one of the simplest parts of a homemade radio: all you need is a long piece of wire. Ideally, the wire should be 50 feet (15.2 m) long, but if you don't have that much, you can use as little as 15 or 20 feet (4.6 or 6.1 m). When choosing wire for your antenna, prioritize small diameter insulated wire (like ones in the 20- or 22-gauge), as these work best. Boost the reception of your antenna by looping its insulated wire into a coiled circle. You can keep the coil from unraveling with zip ties or electrical tape. Loop 50 feet (15.2 m) of wire about 5 times. Cut and strip jumper wires. Jumper wires will connect components installed on the breadboard later. Cut one piece of black wire and one piece of red wire so that each is about 5 inches (12.7 cm) long. Use wire strippers (or a sharp knife) to remove about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) of insulation from both ends of each piece of wire. Jumper wires can always be cut down to size if they turn out to be too long, so you may want to cut these a little on the long side at first. Make a coil to serve as an inductor. When you wrap wire around a cylinder with no space in the windings of the wire, it allows the wire to pick up radio waves as electromagnetic energy. This process sounds complicated, but making one is simple. Wrap 90 turns of enamelled wire into a tight coil around a cylinder 1.75 to 2 inches (44 to 51 mm) in diameter. Start winding your inductor at one end of the cylinder. Leave about 5 inches (12.7 cm) of slack where you fasten the wire with electrical tape to the lip of the cylinder. Wrap leaving no gaps in the windings. Aim for cylinders 1.75 to 2 inches (44 to 51 mm) in diameter. Avoid metal cylinders, because metal will throw off your signal. Wrap the cylinder completely to finish the inductor. The more windings your inductor has, the more inductance it has and the lower the frequency it will tune to. Continue wrapping until the whole cylinder is completely coiled with wire. Fasten the end with electrical tape, then measure another 5 inches (12.7 cm) of slack and cut the wire off at this point. Since the wire is covered with enamel, scrape the ends with a small knife to reveal 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) of bare copper so that we can connect it to the circuit. Alternatively, use medium sandpaper to sand the ends. The windings of your inductor can also be held in place with a liberal application of hot glue or a similar adhesive. Position the breadboard. Lay your breadboard on the table in front of you lengthwise, so its long edge faces you. Which side faces up won't influence how the breadboard works. The five holes in a column are electrically connected to each other, but not to any other column. Circuit components (like capacitors and resistors) are connected by being inserted into adjacent holes in a column on the breadboard. There is one exception to the connections on a typical breadboard: the long, connected rows at the top and bottom of it connect left-to right, not up-and-down like the rest of it. There are usually two rows on the top and two on the bottom, we will use only one row on the top and one row on the bottom. Place your op-amp on the breadboard. Notice that the op-amp has a small semi-circular divot on one edge, which is used to orient it properly. If there is no divot, there should be a small circular depression or dot on one corner. Hold the op-amp so that the divot or dot is on your left. The printed logo, letters and numbers on the device are the right way up when viewed this way. Most breadboards have a long trough running across the middle, separating the board into two equal halves. Place your op-amp (with the divot on the left) centrally on the board so that four pins are on one side of the trough and four are on the other. This will allow an uncluttered layout, with the input (the antenna and tuning capacitor) on one side of the breadboard and the output (the speaker) on the opposite side. The pins of amplifiers are numbered. To identify the pin numbers, place the divot the left of you, pin 1 is the first pin on the left of the bottom row. Sometimes in addition to, or instead of, the divot, pin 1 has a circular depression or dot above it. The pins are numbered consecutively from 1 starting on the bottom row and continue counter-clockwise on the other side of the device. Confirm the numbering of the legs of the amplifier after installation is as follows: on the bottom row, moving left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4. From the leg opposite 4, moving right to left: 5, 6, 7, 8. The only pins used in this radio are: pin 2 = inverting input pin 4 = V- pin 6 = output pin 7 = V+ It is important not to reverse the polarity to the op-amp as it will destroy it. The op-amp is now oriented so that the top and bottom row match the polarity of the V+ and V- pins, when they are connected to the battery later. This layout avoids crossing the jumper wires and possibly causing a short circuit. Put your 1.0M Ohm resistor over the op-amp. Current flows both ways over a resistor, so you don't have to worry about its orientation on the board. Place one lead into the hole directly above the op-amp's 6 pin. The opposite lead should be connected to pin 2 of the op-amp. Place the 10nF capacitor. Insert the short lead of the 10nF capacitor into the hole directly below the connecting lead of your 1.0M Ohm resistor in the bottom row of op-amp pins. Next, place the long lead of the 10nF capacitor in a hole four columns to the left. Hook up the 22uF electrolytic capacitor. Stick the short lead (negative side) of the 22uF capacitor in the hole directly above the lead connecting your 1.0M resistor to the top row of op-amp pins. The long lead can be put into a hole four columns to the right of the short lead. Electrolytic capacitors only accept voltage going in one direction. Electricity must enter in through the shorter lead. Applying voltage incorrectly can cause the capacitor to fail in a puff of smoke. Add the jumper wires to the circuit. Use the red jumper wire to connect the hole directly above the 7 pin of the op-amp and the nearest free hole of the long, connected rows at the top. The black jumper wire connects pin 4 of the op-amp to the nearest free hole of the bottom, long, connected rows. Place your 33pF capacitor. In the hole above the lead for your 10nF capacitor that isn't yet connected anything, insert one lead for your 33pF capacitor. The other lead of the 33pF capacitor can go in an empty hole four columns to the left. This capacitor, like the first one you placed, isn't polarized, so current can pass through it in both directions. It won't matter which lead goes in which spot. Attach the antenna. The antenna, yet unused until this point, is now ready to attach. Insert one end of the antenna into the hole directly above the empty lead of the 33pF capacitor. This is the same lead you just placed out of the way four columns away to the left. You can improve reception by spooling the wire of your antenna across the room as far as possible, or by winding it into a coil as described in the step on making the antenna. Connect your variable capacitor. Insert one lead of the variable capacitor into the hole above the rightmost lead of the 33pF capacitor. The other lead connects with the black jumper wire in the long, connected row at the bottom. Attach the inductor coil. Use the 5 inches (12.7 cm) of slack on either side of the coil to fasten it with the variable capacitor and black jumper wire in the long, connected bottom row. The remaining lead attaches at in the hole below the junction of the variable capacitor, the 10nF capacitor and the 33pF capacitor. Plug in the speaker. Place your speaker on the table to the right of the variable capacitor. The red lead goes into the topmost row of the board to connect with the red jumper wire. The black lead goes into the hole directly above the unused lead of your 22uF electrolytic capacitor, on the right side of the capacitor. In many situations, you'll need to untwist the wires for the black and red leads attached to your speaker so they can be tied in to the radio circuit. Attach your power source. Now that your circuit is finished, all it needs is some juice. Use electrical tape to attach wires to the positive and negative sides of the 9-volt battery. Then: Add the positive wire (usually red) to any hole on the topmost row of the breadboard so it connects the speaker and the red jumper wire. Add the negative wire (usually black) to any hole on the bottommost row of the breadboard to supply the black jumper and variable capacitor with current. Listen to the speaker for noise. Once the circuit has power, the electricity will begin to flow to the amp and the speaker. The speaker should now be making sound, though it might only be faint noise or static. This is a good indication that all of your components are correctly connected. Turn the variable tuner to adjust the frequency. Turn the variable tuner slowly to shift the frequency your radio is reading and find audible radio stations. The further away from AM radio stations you live, the weaker the signals will be. Be patient and turn the knob slowly. With a little patience, it's likely you'll be able to pick up an AM radio station. Troubleshoot the circuit. Circuits can be touchy, and many require troubleshooting, especially if this is the first circuit you've ever built. All leads need to be firmly inserted into holes, and each part of the circuit needs to be hooked up in the right fashion for it to operate. Sometimes you may have thought that you've pushed the lead all the way in to the board without it actually making a good connection. Inspect your connections on the breadboard to see if you have not connected a component in an adjacent column. The adjacent columns are not connected, therefore that component will not be connected to the others and may even be connected to the wrong item. The rows at the top and bottom on the breadboard are separate, make sure that the holes where the jumper wires are plugged in belong to the same row, not adjacent rows. Some breadboards have the top and bottom rows split into a left side and a right side. This is used when there are 2 different voltages in a circuit. In this radio, there is only one voltage is used. If the jumper wires are connected such that one is in the left side of a row and one is in the right side of a row, the radio will not work. The solution is to connect the jumpers in the same group of 5 holes of the same row, or to bridge the two rows with a small jumper wire at the middle of the rows. Adjust connections until you can hear audio when power is supplied. If this fails to work, you may need to rebuild the circuit from scratch. | Gather your supplies. Make an antenna. Cut and strip jumper wires. Make a coil to serve as an inductor. Wrap the cylinder completely to finish the inductor. Position the breadboard. Place your op-amp on the breadboard. Put your 1.0M Ohm resistor over the op-amp. Place the 10nF capacitor. Hook up the 22uF electrolytic capacitor. Add the jumper wires to the circuit. Place your 33pF capacitor. Attach the antenna. Connect your variable capacitor. Attach the inductor coil. Plug in the speaker. Attach your power source. Listen to the speaker for noise. Turn the variable tuner to adjust the frequency. Troubleshoot the circuit. |
https://www.wikihow-fun.com/Care-for-Your-Pet-Rock | How to Care for Your Pet Rock | Having a pet rock is a fun way to learn how to take care of a pet for the first time. Once you find a rock you like, you should give it a name. You can name it anything, like Star, Diamond, or Rocky. To keep your rock from getting lonely, bring it to school, on vacation, or wherever else you go. Carry it in a small cardboard box filled with newspaper so it can be comfortable. When it's time to bathe your rock, prepare a cup of warm water and add a couple of drops of liquid soap. Place your rock in the water, and use a sponge to scrub it clean. Then, use a dry cloth for a towel. You can easily make a small house for your rock out of a cardboard box. Just use scissors to cut holes for the window and doors. | Pick a rock. This is a crucial step as every rock is different and unique! You can find different rocks at the park, your garden, at a beach, etc. Make sure you pick a good one! Determine whether its size is convenient for your purpose. If it's for a traveling companion, pick a small one. If it's for a friend, a larger size is best. But you can adjust to what you want. If you want one that's medium or extra small - pick it! It's up to you. It's your special rock. Bath your pet rock. Bathing for your pet rock always need patience, as some kinds of rocks like to bath on their own. This is different for every single kind. For bathing, you need at least 1½ (one and a half) room bigger than the rock itself, as the rock might not bath inside if it's smaller. You'll need to bath the rock with water and soap, and bath it slowly. You can't bath it too quickly as your pet rock wouldn't be too clean. Congratulations! Now you are a responsible owner of your best friend pet rock! Give your rock a name. Before you do anything else, you should name your rock. You could give your rock simple names like Rocky, or settle with an exotic name, like Star or Diamond. Make sure it suits you and your rock. Be creative and maybe name your rock a type of berry or a flower. Like for example the name Lemon, it might have little yellow cracks or be yellow. You may call it Blossom, if it is slightly tinted pink or a white color.You can also name it after a character from a movie or tv show.Or you can give it two names and have a cool nickname for your rock You should also determine your pet's "gender". If you can't decide, think of whatever name you like, boy or girl. Look at your rocks appearance. If It's bumpy or smooth, give it a name that suits it. Maybe you have a brown rock? Get to know it's appearance to ensure you've picked the right name. Look to baby name sites for inspiration for a name. For example, you can search "baby names" in Google. It will give you plenty of names to look through. Consider this advice: Make a list of all the names you want, then narrow it down. Remember, you can always give the rock a middle name and a last name! Feed your pet rock! It can't eat physical objects, so provide it with food for its other senses, such as sight, touch, smell, and hearing. You can play sweet music, paint or print of a nice image, find something soft, that kind of thing. If you can't print or find anything that smells nice, try to see if your rock is interested in looking at your food. If you are comfortable with it, your rock could even smell your food. Make a potpourri for your rock to smell. This is only if you can. If you're a young child, ask an adult to assist. Add some lemon or orange peels to a handful of cloves. You can also add rose petals, mint, or lavender. Paint or print a pretty picture. Again, you can just let it see what you do for snacks. Play some music. Classical music will do nicely. If you don't like classical music, your rock can still be comfortable with catchy pop. Despite their name, pet rocks don't normally like rock music. Make a texture board by gluing pieces of different materials to a piece of cardboard. Rub your pet rock over these different textures. This is a good idea for if your rock gets a bit rough. Prepare a cup of warm water. You'll want a nice wide bowl. Add some liquid soap. Stir it together, and carefully place your rock inside the mix. But before you do, check the rock's type. Some rocks may not be able to go in water. Use a sponge or a cloth to scrub your pet rock inside with the soap-water mixture. If you can't use any of these, use your hands. Scrub for 2-4 minutes. Make sure it rubs all over, under any crevices. Dry your pet rock with a small cloth. Now, let your pet rock rest. Bathing is very important when "pet rocking", and rocks like to contemplate their day after a relaxing bath. You may need to redo any text/pen that you may have drawn on. Take a cardboard box and cut a small window in the side with sharp scissors. If you are a child, ask and adult to help. Remove the lid and place a small box (for example, a matchbox or Altoids box) against a corner of the box. Fill it with a soft material, such as cotton, felt, or some cloth. Newspaper shreds will do nicely. Create a rug. Do this by cutting a piece of fabric or material and gluing it to the bottom of the box. Make sure it fits the whole area. Make a beanbag couch. Either purchase one or stuffing a small drawstring purse with cotton or crumpled newspaper will work as well. Make a litter-box. Place newspaper shreds in a matchbox. Create a lounge. Make a couch-shaped 3D piece of cardboard and place tiny pillows from a dolls house on it. If you don't have doll pillows, try sewing a little pillow. Set the beanbag couch on the side, and make a table by setting a piece of sturdy material over four pebbles. You could glue them on. Make a dining room. Place a mini potpourri in the corner. You can also play some music. Discover your rock's favorite color. It can depend on your pet's breed. Use this color for the carpeting in the house. Travel with your pet rock! Bring it to school, on a vacation or just take a nature walk with your pet. Make a little house for traveling by following these steps: Use a box big enough for your rock. You can add an attachment for its belongings. Cut two opposite flaps on the box. The remaining flaps are to be folded about 3-4cm away from the ends. Make a slit in the folded part of the flap. Please ensure that when you close the box the slits are lined up. Cut out a long piece of cardboard from the leftover flaps. Remember to make the width a tad smaller than the slit, so that it slides in effortlessly. Fold it. Shred some newspaper (although tearing it up is more fun). Fill the box halfway with shredding and it's ready for use! Protect your rock when going into new or foreign places. Rocks can get sick too! They may pick up moss, fungi, lichen, and other unwanted diseases. Create a spa day, using the instructions below: Throw dried flower petals into some hot water and mix in very little bubble mix. Massage your pet rock! Rub the nooks and crannies with Vaseline or baby oil. You could also get some other rocks to come. Throw a sleepover with your pet rock: Invite some friends, whether they have pet rocks or not. If they don't, you may wish to surprise them some. Grab some of your favorite snacks, and feed your pet rock as well. Remember they must use the senses other than taste! When it's time to go to sleep, bring your pet rock's bed with you in your sleeping bag. Tonight, you sleep with your special pet. If you don't want to, put the rock in it's home. If your friends brought or have been given pet rocks, place them in as well. Remember which rock belongs to who, though! Have a birthday party! If you remember the day you found your pet rock, a birthday party is a great way to celebrate each year you and your pet spend together. If you don't, host it whenever you like! A few ways to remember your rocks birthday is by writing it down somewhere safe, like on a fridge, or adding it to a calendar. Make a special meal for you and your rock. Keep in mind it can't eat your food, but you can eat yours. Spend some alone time together. Maybe play a game. Make a home cinema! It's a great way for you and your pet rock to spend some quality time together. First of all, find a thin card (this will be used as a wall so find a box with walls the same size, if needed cut to size) or buy one. Measure your phone or tablet. Cut out a hole in the card the same size as the screen. Ensure the screen is visible. When complete, cut out one side of the wall on your box and glue your cut out wall in its place. Make sure that you are happy with it, Create a support for your iPhone/iPod on the back of the wall. Cut and glue a piece of card (preferably rectangular) to the back of the support. Slip your phone onto the support. Put your favorite movie or video on, pop some corn. And of course give your fellow friend a little beanbag to relax on, sit back, relax, and enjoy! | Pick a rock. Determine whether its size is convenient for your purpose. Bath your pet rock. Congratulations! Give your rock a name. Look at your rocks appearance. Look to baby name sites for inspiration for a name. Feed your pet rock! Make a potpourri for your rock to smell. Paint or print a pretty picture. Play some music. Make a texture board by gluing pieces of different materials to a piece of cardboard. Prepare a cup of warm water. Add some liquid soap. Use a sponge or a cloth to scrub your pet rock inside with the soap-water mixture. Dry your pet rock with a small cloth. Take a cardboard box and cut a small window in the side with sharp scissors. Remove the lid and place a small box (for example, a matchbox or Altoids box) against a corner of the box. Create a rug. Make a beanbag couch. Make a litter-box. Create a lounge. Make a dining room. Discover your rock's favorite color. Travel with your pet rock! Make a little house for traveling by following these steps: Cut two opposite flaps on the box. Make a slit in the folded part of the flap. Cut out a long piece of cardboard from the leftover flaps. Shred some newspaper (although tearing it up is more fun). Protect your rock when going into new or foreign places. Create a spa day, using the instructions below: Throw a sleepover with your pet rock: Have a birthday party! Make a home cinema! Measure your phone or tablet. Ensure the screen is visible. Create a support for your iPhone/iPod on the back of the wall. Cut and glue a piece of card (preferably rectangular) to the back of the support. Slip your phone onto the support. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Go-from-Blonde-to-Red | How to Go from Blonde to Red | Dying your hair from blonde to red is a relatively easy process. Look for a shade of dye that goes well with your skin tone. The darker your skin is, the darker shade of red you should go for. There's no need to bleach your hair unless it's dirty blonde, since dye shows up well on light hair. If you have platinum-blonde hair, you'll need to dye it medium-brown first, otherwise it will turn out pink. Once you've dyed your hair, use cool water whenever you wash and rinse your hair, since heat can cause the dye to fade quicker. Only wash your hair 2 or 3 times a week, as washing it can also make the color fade. | Choose a color that works with your skin. You can dye your hair any shade of red you want, but there are some tricks that you can use to make the color look even better on you. In general, the darker your skin is, the darker shade of red you should go for. For example, if you have very pale skin, try a strawberry blonde or pale ginger. If you have a darker skin tone, a darker red, such as auburn, might look better on you. Match the shade of red to your skin's undertone. Much like skin, red hair has both warm or cool undertones. If red tends to look awful on you, you might be looking at the wrong shade of red. Instead, determine your skin undertone, then choose a shade of red that matches. For example: If you have cool undertones, choose a cool red with purple tints to it. Burgundy is a great example. If you have warm undertones, try a warm red with yellow tints to it. Copper is a good example. Test the color against your skin. Red hair can look stark against fair skin, especially if you are going dark red. Find something that is the same color that you want to dye your hair, such as a piece of cloth from the fabric store or a wig from a wig shop. Drape the cloth over your head or put the wig on , and decide whether or not you are happy with the look. If the color looks too harsh on you, consider going a bit lighter. Many wig and costumes shops will allow you to try wigs on, but you will have to purchase a wig cap first. These typically range $1 to $2. Don't worry about how the style of the wig looks on you — just focus on how the color looks against your skin tone. An alternative to this is to use an image editing program, such as Photoshop, or use a makeover program. Purchase a red hair dye. You can use an at-home dye kit, or your can buy the dye and developer separately from a hair salon or beauty supply store. If you are buying the dye and developer separately, you will also need to purchase a bottle of color-safe conditioner, plastic dyeing gloves, a plastic bowl to mix the dye in, and a tinting brush. You don't need a high developer for this. A 10 volume developer will work the best. Get brown dye if you want to dye pale blonde hair dark red. This is very important. If you are starting with platinum-blonde hair, regular dye won't be dark enough to cover it up; it will end up pink! You will need to dye your hair brown first. Choose a medium-brown dye for best results. Avoid dark-brown dye, or the red won't show up. You will need to do the entire dyeing process twice: once for the brown dye and once for the red dye. Mix your dye and developer using a 1-to-1 ratio. Pour enough 10 volume developer into a non-metal bowl to saturate your hair. Add an equal amount of dye into the developer, then stir it with a non-metal spoon until no streaks or swirls remain. If you are dyeing your hair brown first, prepare just the brown dye. Don't touch the red dye yet. If you are using a dye kit, prepare the dye according to the instructions that came with it. Add a protein filler if you bleached your hair blonde. While not necessary, this will help even out the color more. It will also help seal the color in. For best results, choose a red-based protein filler, and use the amount recommended on the bottle. In most cases, this will be half a bottle. You can buy it at a salon or beauty store. If your hair is naturally blond, you may not need a protein filler. If you are dyeing your hair brown first and then red, you only need to add the protein filler to the brown dye. Bleach your hair instead if it is dark and you want to go lighter. Blonde hair can range from very pale, platinum-blonde to very dark, dirty blond. The lighter color you start out with, the easier it will be for you to get the color that's on the box. If you have very dark blonde hair that borders on light brown, however, you may need to bleach it first. After all, hair dye is translucent, so it only adds to what color is originally there. If you have dark blonde hair and want to go dark red, you don't need to bleach your hair. The dark hair dye will cover it up. If you have dark blonde hair and want to go pale, strawberry blond, then you need to bleach your hair first, otherwise the lighter color won't show up. Because of how light your hair is, you probably don't need to use higher than a 10 or 20 volume bleach. Follow the instructions on the package, and never leave the bleach on longer than needed. Protect your skin, clothing, and work surface. Cover your work surface with newspaper or plastic bags; it might be a good idea to cover your floor too. Next, put on a hair dyeing cape or drape an old towel around your shoulders. Apply petroleum jelly to the skin around your hairline, the back of your neck, and the tips of your ears. Lastly, pull on a pair of plastic hair dyeing gloves. Brush your hair, then part it horizontally at ear-level. Use your thumbs or the handle of a tinting brush to create a horizontal part running across the back of your head at about ear level. Gather all of the hair above the part into a bun and clip it out of the way. Leave the rest of your hair hanging loose. If you have very short hair, try a half-up ponytail instead. If you have very thick hair, make the part a little bit lower; you'll have to work in thinner sections. Apply the dye, starting from the ends. Gather a 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) section of hair from one side of your head. Apply the dye to the ends, then work it towards the roots of your hair; reapply more dye as needed to the mid-lengths. Work your way across the back of your head towards the other side. If you prepared the dye in a bowl, apply it to your hair with a tinting brush. If you used a kit, apply the dye to your hair using the applicator bottle, then work it into your hair with your fingers or a tinting brush. Let down another section of hair and repeat the process. How thick these sections are does not really matter, as long as you can easily saturate your hair with dye. When you reach the top of your head, be sure to apply the dye to your hairline and part. You can twist and clip the previous section of hair out of the way, or you can leave it hanging loose. You should be able to feel the difference between your dyed (wet) and undyed (dry) hair. Allow the dye to process for the time recommended on the packaging. Gather all your hair and twist it into a loose bun. Cover your hair with a plastic shower cap, then wait for the time stated in the instructions that came with the dye. The shower cap will not only protect your surroundings against dye stains, but it will help the dye process faster. The processing time will vary from brand to brand, but it is typically 20 to 25 minutes. Rinse the dye out with cool water, then follow up with conditioner. Do not use any shampoo, or you will wash the dye out. Use the conditioner that came with the dye kit. If you did not use a dye kit, use a conditioner formulated for dyed or color-treated hair. It would be a good idea to put the plastic gloves back on for this step, just in case the dye stains. Let your hair air-dry if possible. If you must use a hair dryer, apply a heat protectant first. Wait at least 3 days before washing your hair with actual shampoo. This 3-day break will allow the hair cuticle to close and seal the color in. Repeat the process with red dye if you dyed it brown first. After you have rinsed the brown dye out with cool water and conditioner, let your hair dry completely. Repeat the entire dyeing process, but with red dye. Let the dye develop, then rinse it out with cool water and conditioner. Let the hair air-dry. You can do this immediately after dyeing your hair brown. You don't have to wait 3 days. Use cool water when washing and rinsing your hair. The water doesn't have to be ice-cold, but it should be the coldest temperature that you can withstand. Warm or hot water will cause the dye to fade faster, causing all of your hard work to literally go down the drain. Use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner. Look for labels such as "for dyed hair" or "for color-treated hair." If you can't find such products, choose a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. Most shampoos and conditioners will say on the label if they are sulfate-free, but double-check the ingredients list. Sulfates are harsh cleaning agents added to many shampoos that can strip color from your hair. Every 2 to 3 washes, consider using a color-depositing conditioner instead of your usual one. This will help revitalize your color. Wash your hair no more than 2 or 3 times per week. Even if you use cold water, your hair color will still fade a little each time that you wash your hair. Instead, wash your hair no more than 2 or 3 times a week. You can also consider co-washing on the days that you don't wash your hair. If your hair tends to get greasy, consider using some dry shampoo. Co-washing is where you wash your hair using just conditioner. Limit the heat styling and use a heat protectant when you do heat style. This includes hair dryers, flat irons, and curling irons. Let your hair air-dry whenever possible, and try to find heat-free ways to straighten or curl your hair. Better yet, learn to embrace your natural hair texture! Heat not only damages your hair, but also causes hair dye to fade faster. If you must use a hair dryer, flat iron , or a curling iron , apply a good heat protectant first. Protect your hair from sunlight and chlorine. Sunlight causes hair color to fade, especially red hair. Always wear a hat, scarf, or hood whenever you step out into the sun. More importantly, never let your hair get chlorine on it. If you want to go swimming, put all of your hair under a swim cap. If you don't like to wear things on your head, apply a UV protectant spray instead. It's like sunscreen, but for hair. Dyed hair is fragile, so chlorinated water will damage it further. It can also change your hair color. | Choose a color that works with your skin. Match the shade of red to your skin's undertone. Test the color against your skin. Purchase a red hair dye. Get brown dye if you want to dye pale blonde hair dark red. Mix your dye and developer using a 1-to-1 ratio. Add a protein filler if you bleached your hair blonde. Bleach your hair instead if it is dark and you want to go lighter. Protect your skin, clothing, and work surface. Brush your hair, then part it horizontally at ear-level. Apply the dye, starting from the ends. Let down another section of hair and repeat the process. Allow the dye to process for the time recommended on the packaging. Rinse the dye out with cool water, then follow up with conditioner. Repeat the process with red dye if you dyed it brown first. Use cool water when washing and rinsing your hair. Use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner. Wash your hair no more than 2 or 3 times per week. Limit the heat styling and use a heat protectant when you do heat style. Protect your hair from sunlight and chlorine. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Tell-Your-Child-You-Are-Separating | How to Tell Your Child You Are Separating | Telling your child you're separating can be a difficult conversation, but if you plan ahead and reassure them, it'll be a bit easier. If the news is still fresh to you, take a few days to come to terms with your separation before telling your child. Decide with your partner what you're going to tell them, like the reason why you're separating and what the new living arrangements will be. That way, you can minimize any confusion your child might feel. Tell your child together so you can both be there for them. Once you've broken the news, reassure them that you love them and that you'll both take care of them. However, avoid going into details about what went wrong in your relationship. If in doubt, just say, “We're not getting along well anymore, so we decided it's best to separate.” | Gain control of your emotions first. If your spouse just recently broke the news of a separation to you, or you are still coming to terms with the decision, you should probably wait before talking to the kids. You'll want to be able to emotionally support your kids, depending on their reaction. Doing so will be a challenge if you're still a wreck yourself. Ask for some time and/or space before having the talk. You might say, “Is it okay if you give me a week before we tell the kids? I need to wrap my head around this first.” In the meantime, lean on friends and family. Be gentle with yourself as you come to terms with the separation. Get on the same page. Both parents should present as a united front. Therefore, you need to be clear about what you're telling the kids. Have a discussion beforehand about the details. Once the two of you have agreed on what you'll say, stick to the script. For instance, you might say, "Your father and I are going to separate." Your spouse can follow up by saying, "We aren't getting along anymore." Then, echo one another by both letting the child know, "We love you." Plan to do it together. It will be confusing if you break the news to the children on your own. They need to see you and your spouse working together as a reminder that you are both still their parents. That much, at least, hasn't changed. Coordinate with your spouse on a time and place to schedule the talk. Pick a time when you're both free and relatively relaxed. Clear the remainder of your day or evening, so you can offer reassurance or support to the children as needed. Also, if the separation isn't happening for some time, you might choose to delay the discussion until closer to the planned date. Otherwise, the children might become confused and think it's no longer happening. If one of the parents is unable or unwilling to participate in this conversation, try to remain as objective as possible. Do not badmouth the other parent. Just stick to the facts. Be straightforward and brief. Talking about separation is not a fun subject, but get to the point rather than trying to dress up the discussion. You might say something like “Mom and Dad aren't getting along very well anymore. We'll be taking some time apart and living separately.” Offer a soft and empathetic tone as you deliver the news. Don't be defensive or accusatory about your spouse, either. Keep the details to a minimum. Even if there has been obvious tension in your marriage, your kids don't need to know all the ugly details. Simply say what you need to say and keep the focus on them, not on you. For instance, it would be entirely inappropriate to mention cheating, abuse, or financial troubles. It will only complicate matters if you introduce your children to adult problems. Instead of going into complex details, keep it short and simple. Say, "Mom and Dad will both feel happier by living apart." Be reassuring. Kids may react to the news of divorce in many different ways. Your role should be to reassure them that, although things are changing in your marriage and household, your parenting role stays the same. Both parents should convey that you love your children and will be there for them as best you can. For instance, remind them “This is happening because we can't get along. You did nothing wrong. We love you and we always will. We won't be living together, but we will both be taking care of you.” Describe how it will affect them logistically. Most children will immediately wonder about how a separation impacts their lives, so address this as soon as possible. Give them some basic information about how their lives will change due to this new reality. For example, you might say, “Dad will continue to stay here with you guys, and Mom will be leaving. I'll be getting an apartment nearby and you will spend weekends with me.” Answer questions honestly but age-appropriately. Your child may suggest reasons they think you are splitting. To enhance their trust, don't lie. Don't go into details either. Agree that the suggested behavior is a part of the problem, but that there are other issues as well. Make sure you keep any explanations appropriate for your child's age. For instance, younger children of preschool age may think, because one parent is leaving, that they are leaving them, not the other parent. Correct these misconceptions and reassure them it's not their fault. Older children may have fantasies of getting their parents back together. You might validate their intentions, but let them know that these decisions are out of their control. Your child may have ideas of who they want to live with, but you should explain that there are other factors in this decision. Try to stick to the custody plan that both parents have developed together. Encourage them to talk about their feelings. Invite a discussion (both during and after the initial talk) about what your children are thinking and feeling in response to the news. Keep in mind that this will not be one single conversation, but rather an ongoing discussion. You might say to one child, “You've been very quiet over the past few days. I can imagine that this is all very confusing. I want you to know that you can talk about what you're feeling. I'm here to listen.” Keep them out of the marital squabbles. Although you might approach the initial conversation as a unified front, it's easy to drop your guard and start pulling the children into conflict. Avoid this by setting clear boundaries with your spouse. Agree to not discuss one another with the children, or question what's happening in the other's household. Keep contact to a minimal when dropping off and picking up. Resist the urge to send messages through the kids. Communicate through written messages like an email or a text message. Maintain their schedule. The reality of a separation can be a lot to handle as a child. Try your best to maintain some semblance of normalcy by keeping to the kid's usual routines as much as possible. Try to follow the same homework and bedtime schedule across households. And, set the same (or similar) limits and guidelines. Consider family therapy. Coping with a separation can be hard for all involved. It may be wise to seek the support and guidance of a marriage and family therapist during this time. Such a professional can offer emotional support to the parents and the children. They can also offer direction about how to navigate your new reality. Don't be afraid to ask your therapist any questions you may have. They can also give you feedback on your plans for custody, visitation, and life after separation. | Gain control of your emotions first. Get on the same page. Plan to do it together. Be straightforward and brief. Keep the details to a minimum. Be reassuring. Describe how it will affect them logistically. Answer questions honestly but age-appropriately. Encourage them to talk about their feelings. Keep them out of the marital squabbles. Maintain their schedule. Consider family therapy. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Home-Internet-Business | How to Start a Home Internet Business | Starting your own home internet business can be super rewarding, but it also takes some careful planning. Conduct some market research to make sure there's a demand for your products or services and that you can compete in the market. You'll need to write a business plan for what you want to sell, which sites you'll sell them on, and how you'll market your products or services. Work out your expenses, like website hosting and design and marketing, and write a budget for starting your business. Before you start trading, make sure you register and license your business so you can start turning a profit. You'll also need to get reviews for your products or services to win the trust of new customers. | Decide on the products or services your business will provide. Consider your unique abilities, training, or experience. Then, ask yourself how you can use these skills to create a product or service that provides value to your potential customers. For example, let's say you're a trained graphic designer with experience in web design. You might use these skills to start a web-design business. Determine how much time you can spend on your business daily. First, decide if you want your business to be your full-time job or a part-time job. Then, consider how much time you have available in your day to dedicate to the business. Additionally, consider how much time the products or services you plan to offer will take to do well. Since it will likely take time for your business to become successful, it may be best to start out part-time. Some businesses may be more flexible than others. For instance, freelancing as a web designer or selling crafts may allow you to work when you want, while jobs like consulting may require you to work around a client's schedule. Do market research to find out if there’s demand for your product or service. Read about the current trends in the field you want to enter, and look at the number of possible competitors. Additionally, it's helpful to survey your potential customers, either by phone or in person, to find out if they'd be interested in what you have to offer. This will help you determine if your business can fill a need that's not currently being met. For instance, you might call local businesses to ask if they'd be interested in hiring a freelance marketing consultant to run their social media accounts. If you're selling a product, you could show it off at a local market or to friends you think would be interested in it to see what type of response it receives. You don't need to do marketing research to start a business, but it can help you increase your chances of success. Make sure your products and services are a good fit for an internet business. Not all businesses can exist in as an online or home-based business. For instance, if your business requires you to meet with clients or do extensive manufacturing, you may not be able to do it out of your home. However, some businesses are easy to operate out of a home, such as the following: Accounting Financial planning Selling your own art, jewelry, or crafts Creating gift baskets Blogging Consulting Doing graphic design Offering editorial and writing services Being a virtual assistant Developing websites Set a budget for starting and continuing your business. The costs of starting your business will vary dramatically depending on the specific type of business being offered. For example, a home-based online book store requires inventory that you need to purchase. Alternatively, a service-based business may require little start-up capital. Estimate how much money you'll need to get the basic materials for your business. Additionally, there are a few general costs that are central to most online businesses, which you need to add to your budget: Website hosting – Chances are good your business will require a website. Web hosts are the services that keep your website up and running. They usually cost $7-$19 per month, depending on how much technical support they offer and the size of your site. Website design – This cost can vary because you can use an inexpensive template, build the site yourself, or hire a designer. You can create a basic site yourself or using a template for less than $100, but a designer may charge $1000-$5000. Shopping cart – If you are selling products and services that can be bought online, you will want an online shopping cart for your customers to put them in. You may be able to get a service that only charges you when you complete a transaction, but many services charge $5 per month. Email Marketing Service – Building an email mailing list is key to advertising your product and making money. The typical service costs about $20 per month. Materials costs – If you're selling a product, this includes the cost of your materials to make them, as well as any manufacturing equipment you'll need. If you are offering a service, this includes things like software or supportive services. Website maintenance and security – You'll need to make regular updates to your website, which may bring added costs. Additionally, you may need to pay extra to protect your client's data, especially if you're completing payment transactions. Write your business plan. A strategic business plan will help you stay on track to reach your goals, so even a small business needs a plan. Your business plan includes everything about your business, such as the following: Business concept : Describe your business and its structure, including the products or services you'll offer. Additionally, briefly discuss the market for your business. Market research : Describe the market you are entering, including your major competitors, your target market, and the needs of your target market. Marketing plan : Explain how you plan to enter your market, how you will communicate with customers, and how you will distribute your product or service. Operations plan : Explain your day-to-day operations, including steps involved in the production of your product or service. Financial plan : Outline how you will finance your business, what your expected costs are, and how much estimated revenue you expect to make. Determine the legal structure of your business. This will have implications for how you file taxes and how much you will need to pay. Most small businesses are sole proprietorships which are the easiest to set up and require the least paperwork. If you are considering another legal structure, you may wish to consult a lawyer who specializes in internet law and who can help you pick the structure best for you. Sole proprietorship – A sole proprietorship is owned and run by one person, and there is no legal separation between the individual and the business. As a result, all profits, losses, debts and deeds of the business are your responsibility. This is an easy option for a home business. Partnership – A partnership means 2 or more people share ownership. Typically, a lawyer helps negotiate a partnership agreement. Each individual partner is liable for the full debts of the business but share profits, losses, or liabilities. You might choose a partnership if you want to work with someone else. Limited liability company (LLC) – To start an LLC, choose a name and file articles of organization with your state, which requires a fee. LLC owners pay taxes on their profits through their individual income tax returns and have to pay self employment tax, but they're protected from personal liability for the decisions and actions of the company. Corporation – This is an independent legal entity owned by shareholders. To register your corporation, choose a company name and file articles of incorporation with your state. You will also need to register with the IRS and get a tax ID. Corporations file taxes separately from their owners. It's best to speak with a lawyer or accountant to see if this form of business will benefit you. This structure is generally not appropriate for smaller businesses. S Corporation – This is an independent legal entity owned by shareholders, like a typical corporation, except that to avoid double taxation, profits and losses are passed through to the owners' personal tax returns, instead of the company paying taxes. Register your business name with your state government, if necessary. A DBA (Doing Business As) is needed whenever you are doing business under a name other than your own. If you are working as an independent contractor under your own name, you don't need one. If your business has a name other than your own, you will need to register that name as a DBA. Registering a DBA name is typically done through your state government or county clerk's office. Since the procedure for registering varies between states, it is wise to search the specific requirements of your state online beforehand. The registration process typically only takes a few minutes to complete. Keep in mind that a DBA name is still required if you are starting a corporation. Determine if you need to get a tax identification number for your business. Corporations that must file tax returns will need one, as well as partnerships, which don't file taxes, but do have to file business information annually with the IRS. While the IRS does not generally require a tax ID number for sole proprietorship, as you can use your Social Security number instead, you will need a separate tax ID if the following apply: You have employees. Your company will be responsible for half their payroll taxes, and must thus have a tax ID with which to pay them. You file employment, excise, or alcohol, tobacco and firearms tax returns related to your business. You withhold taxes on income other than wages paid to a non-resident alien. You have a Keogh plan (a tax-deferred pension plan for self-employed individuals or unincorporated businesses). You are involved with trusts, estates, real estate mortgage investment conduits, non-profit organizations, farmers' cooperatives, or plan administrators. Obtain the necessary licenses and permits to run your business. You may not need any special licenses or permits, but it helps to check. Otherwise, you may be fined or penalized for not having the correct documentation. For example, if you are offering accounting for financial services, you will need a license in most states. Check here to see you need a state permit or license: https://www.sba.gov/content/what-federal-licenses-and-permits-does-your-business-need You may also need a permit or license from your city or county, so check with your local government ot be sure. The best way to find out if your particular business requires any unique permits is to contact your city, describe your business, and inquire about any requirements. For example, many cities require "Home Occupation Permits", which enable you to operate a business from your home. Register your trademarks and other proprietary information. Although you'll need to pay required fees, your ideas can help you make more money in the long-run. Additionally, they can give you an edge against your competitors, so make sure you protect them with a trademark or patent. You can register a trademark or patent through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. You can find the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office here: https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics It's best to work with a lawyer to protect your intellectual property. Decide if you want to hire a professional web designer or do it yourself. A professional can create a polished website, but their services can also be expensive. Consider what you can afford, as well as what you need your site to do. From there, you can decide if you want to use a template or hire a designer. If you have web developing skills, you might decide to just build the site yourself. Web designers build your site and take care of registering your domain name and selecting a web-host. The more you pay, the more input you will have in creating a unique site. The cost of web design varies depending on whether you use a solo developer in the US ($25-$100/hr), an offshore web company ($10-$40/hr), or an established US agency ($60-$200/hr). E-commerce sites typically cost more. To get around this, you can use your site for marketing but then link to a site like Amazon or Etsy to complete the transaction. Select a web host if you’re building your website yourself. A web host provides the space and support services necessary to run your website. They own the physical servers that your site exists on. For instance, WordPress, Go Daddy, HostGator, Bluehost, and Wix are all web hosts. Research different web hosts before making your decision. Additionally, read client reviews to get a feel for how satisfied people are with each web host. Choose a company with good tech support. That means if your site goes down, you should be able to call someone to get answers. Since your business is dependent on being online, an issues need to be promptly resolved. Pick a site that backs up your website and provides technical patches automatically. Register your domain name either on your own or through your web host. Your domain name is the web address of your online business. Domain names must be registered with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). You will pay a registration fee ranging from $10-$35 in order to register your name for a year. You will need to renew it annually at the same cost. However, most web hosts register your domain for you, so you may be able to skip this step. Check with your web host to see if they register your domain for you. This will be explained in your user agreement. If you plan to register your domain yourself, visit here: http://www.internic.net/regist.html Decide how you will build your website if you’re doing it yourself. There are multiple options available for creating a website, and the option you choose will vary based on your web-design abilities, time, and level of quality demanded. Here are some alternatives: Use a template – Sites like WordPress, Square Space, and Wix all offer templates that help you build a professional-looking site. Some templates are free, while others carry an additional charge. Free business website services – Services like Moonfruit, Weebly, Qapacity, Jimdo, and Yola offer website construction where all you have to do is pick a format and provide content. Many are free, with inexpensive upgrades for premium services. Ask local or state business office for help – Many states will assist you in building a business website for free. Check here for a list of state business offices. Organize your site and provide content. Whether you build your site yourself or use a designer, you will still need to create the content that fills the site. Your content will likely include: Photos and descriptions of products/services A company tagline or motto A business history and/or personal bio A blog Reviews from customers Improve your website's placing in searches with search engine optimization (SEO). Search engine optimization will help your website to show up near the top of searches. You can hire a company to do it for you, or try some of the following on your own: Put keywords in the copy on your webpage. Think of words or phrases customers might use to search for your product, then use the Google Keyword Tool to find similar phrases. Include these phrases on your home page and throughout your site. Add links to sites your customers might be interested in. Links into and out of your site are another factor in how high you rank in search engines.#*Update your site regularly. This will push your website higher in the search rankings. Consider writing a blog twice a week, and use keywords whenever possible. If you can't write a lot, add pictures regularly. Use website analytics such as Google Analytics to see the effectiveness of your website's search engine optimization. Decide whether you want to use e-commerce software or have transactions handled by a 3rd party. A 3rd party site, such as Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon, may be easier to set up. Plus, these sites may provide more technical support. Alternatively, you can install an e-commerce platform directly on your website with services like Squarespace, Magento, Bigcommerce, Woocommerce, or Webs. These services are more powerful and customizable, but also require much more time and technical know-how. For most newcomers to internet business, a hosted solution is your best option. These services are easier to use and maintain, and work well for small purchases. Make sure your website is polished and user-friendly. As you build your website, keep in mind that it serves two main purposes: to advertise your product or service and to facilitate sales. It should do both as simply and as clearly as possible. Here are the best practices for creating a professional site: The site is simple and looks professional. The site loads quickly and is viewable on all browsers and devices. The site is easy to navigate in order to find necessary information and purchase goods or services. The site features attractive photography, particularly if you are selling tangible objects that can be photographed. The site provides contact information, such as your phone number. Explore pay-per-click advertising. Buying traffic is the quickest way to bring people to your site, and vendors will allow you to target specific geographical areas with keyword searches. Make sure you are targeting the right audience. Clicks cost you money, and if tons of visitors leave without purchasing your services or product, you can lose money. There are two major advertisers: GoogleAds – Your ads appear in the sidebar when someone enters certain search terms that you select. Facebook – Your ads appear in the newsfeed for an audience that you select according to location, sex, age, and interests. The more specific your audience, the more successful you will be. Make contacts and establish affiliate sites. Find quality sites related to your business and ask if you can advertise on their site, in return for their advertising on yours. Affiliate sites bring high quality traffic that often translates into sales. As an example, if you are operating a business to teach English to non-English speakers, perhaps consider reaching out to a high-quality site that provides services to recent immigrants. Advertising through a site like that could bring in traffic for you, whereas by advertising on your site, their business could access your customer base. Create a social media presence. Americans spend 1 out of every 7 minutes on social media, and this represents a tremendous marketing opportunity. Start by focusing on the platform your customers are most likely to be on and build a presence there. Create a Facebook page. Every business should have one, even if this isn't your main social media outlet. Get on Twitter. You can use twitter to connect with customers and share information about your products or services. Use Instagram. Post photos of your products or photos related to the services you provide. Post videos on Youtube.com. Youtube can be an effective way to create content that can simultaneously work to market your services and to educate customers. For example, if you offer a membership-based site that provides investing advice to customers, use Youtube to create free advice content, which can then link to your product or service. Publish an e-newsletter. A weekly or monthly newsletter is one of the best ways to use your email list. Make sure to provide value-added content that people want to read, instead of intrusive sales pitches. For example, if you are a graphic designer, offer helpful information about how graphic design and branding solutions can work to attract new customers. Consider writing a blog as a replacement or in addition to an e-newsletter. Every published blog post has the potential to increase your search engine ranking, therefore making it an excellent way to draw in new customers via the internet. As mentioned before, try to make your content useful, rather than a simple sales pitch. For example, if you offer computer training, you might review a newly released computer, or if you're an accountant, you might discuss some new rules impacting this year's taxes. Consider guest blogging. Contributing quality content to related blogs shows off your expertise and can bring people to your site. Use press releases. A quality press will be picked up by major search engines and hundreds of websites and posting one is relatively inexpensive, typically $200 to $300. There are several wire services to choose from, including PR Newswire and PR Web. Promote your website in the real world. Mention your site to customers and friends, and make sure your web address is printed on everything, including your letterhead, business card, and any brochures you might have. Keep in mind that simply because your business is online does not mean you cannot benefit tremendously from traditional advertising methods, and this is especially true if your online or home-based business relies on or markets to local customers. A graphic design service, for example, can benefit tremendously not only from internet traffic, but also from relationships with local businesses and organizations. If your business fits this profile, consider taking out advertisements in newspapers or on radio, or attending local networking events related to your product or service. Keep up with reviews on sites like Yelp and Kudzu. Good reviews are a great way to get business, and the best way to get them is to provide friendly, quality service and great products. However, you should also keep an eye out for negative reviews so that you can post your side of the story. | Decide on the products or services your business will provide. Determine how much time you can spend on your business daily. Do market research to find out if there’s demand for your product or service. Make sure your products and services are a good fit for an internet business. Set a budget for starting and continuing your business. Write your business plan. Determine the legal structure of your business. Register your business name with your state government, if necessary. Determine if you need to get a tax identification number for your business. Obtain the necessary licenses and permits to run your business. Register your trademarks and other proprietary information. Decide if you want to hire a professional web designer or do it yourself. Select a web host if you’re building your website yourself. Register your domain name either on your own or through your web host. Decide how you will build your website if you’re doing it yourself. Organize your site and provide content. Improve your website's placing in searches with search engine optimization (SEO). Decide whether you want to use e-commerce software or have transactions handled by a 3rd party. Make sure your website is polished and user-friendly. Explore pay-per-click advertising. Make contacts and establish affiliate sites. Create a social media presence. Publish an e-newsletter. Use press releases. Promote your website in the real world. Keep up with reviews on sites like Yelp and Kudzu. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Lips-Bigger | How to Make Your Lips Bigger | To make your lips bigger, drink plenty of water, since your lips appear thinner when you're dehydrated. You should also apply a lip balm or other moisturizer to your lips, which will stop them drying out and looking smaller than they are. If you want to make your lips plumper for a limited period, apply a plumping gloss or lipstick, which will make your lips seem fuller for a few hours. However, remember not to use these products too regularly, since dermatologists warn that they can dry out your lips. For a longer-term approach, try following along with an online video with lip exercises, which some people say can help plump your lips. | Invest in a lip-plumping product. Lip-plumping products come in many forms: glosses, balms, sticks, gels, and pots. Applying these to your lips can temporarily make your lips look fuller, often by irritating them. The plumping effect will only last for a couple of hours, but you can renew it by reapplying the product to your lips. Note that the effects won't be as drastic as those achieved through cosmetic surgery. Know which lip-plumping ingredients to look for. Ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, mint, wintergreen, and capsicum will boost blood flow to your lips, causing them to redden and swell — i.e., to look fuller. Use a lip plumper as a primer. If you wish to combine your lip-plumping product with a lipstick or gloss, apply the plumper to your lips first for maximum effectiveness. Don’t overuse lip plumpers. Dermatologists recommend against overusing lip-plumping products, as these may cause your lips to become dry and scaly. Try to save the lip plumpers for special occasions. Look into treatment plumpers. If you want more from your lip-plumping products, consider trying a treatment plumper. Manufacturers claim that treatment plumpers can stimulate your lips into producing more collagen and elastin, making your lips fuller for a longer period of time. Treatment plumpers are available for purchase online and in person at shops that carry beauty products. They may be more expensive than traditional plumpers. Common ingredients in treatment plumpers include peptides, marine collagen, and human growth factors. Gather your materials. To make your lips look bigger using makeup you'll need a lipliner or lip crayon; a lipstick or lip crayon that is the same color as the lipliner, but a shade lighter; a lip gloss; a highlighting balm or powder; and a lip exfoliator (a toothbrush will do). For a more natural look, use two nude shades of lipliner and lipstick; for a more dramatic look, use vibrant reds or pinks. Dramatic colors will immediately make your lips look fuller and more prominent. Some makeup manufacturers sell double-sided lip crayons in complementary shades of the same color. These are great options. You may find that matte lipsticks and crayons are easier to work with, particularly when going for a naturally bigger lip. Exfoliate your lips. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, spend approximately 20 seconds gently massaging the dead skin off your lips. This will cause your lips to swell up a bit; it may also cause them to feel dry. You can also exfoliate your lips with a damp washcloth or sugar. Some dermatologists advise against exfoliating one's lips, as this can cause them to become dry and chapped over time. Exfoliating your lips is fine to do once in a while if your lips are flakey and you need to wear lipstick (for example, if you're going somewhere formal); just avoid it whenever you can! Apply a moisturizing lip balm to your lips. Any balm will do: just be sure to avoid waxes or anything too heavy, which will not moisturize your lips, but only seal in existing moisture. Be sure that you've saturated your lips with the balm, and that you let it sit for a couple of minutes before applying the liner. Line your lips with the darker colored lip pencil. Lining your lips is a great way to make your lips look larger. To keep it looking natural, line the outer edges, or just outside of the outer edges, of your lips. Don't go too far outside the natural lines of your lips otherwise you may look like a clown! Fill in your lips. Use the darker pencil to fill in the corners of your lips, and the lighter shade of lipstick/crayon to fill in the middle part of your upper and lower lips. Some people recommend filling in your entire lips with a lip pencil to create an even base. Experiment with different ways of lining your lips to see what you like best! Blend the light and dark colors together. You don't want an unattractive border around your lips. Blend everything together so that it looks more natural. You can do this with your finger, a cotton swab, or a lip brush. Apply a lip gloss over your entire lips. You can use a clear gloss or a gloss in the same color range of the color you've put on your lips. Apply a small amount of highlighter on the middle of your upper and lower lips. Place a small amount of highlighting cream, balm, or powder on your finger and dab it lightly on to the middle of your upper and lower lips. A shimmery eyeshadow will also work as a highlighter. After dabbing the highlighter on to your lips, rub your finger lightly over the dabs so that they're nicely blended. Enjoy your plump pout! Drink enough water. When your lips are dry and chapped, they will appear thinner. You can make your lips appear plumper and healthier simply by taking better care of them; the first step to doing this is to drink enough water. A popular method for calculating how much water you should drink each day is to take your weight in pounds and divide it in half; the result is how many ounces of water you should drink each day. You would need to drink more water if you lived in a hot climate or exercised — in other words, if you were sweating more than normal. A 150-pound woman should drink roughly 75 ounces (about 2,200 ml) of water each day. Don’t lick your lips. When you lick your lips, your tongue spreads acidic saliva on them. This can remove your lips' natural oils and cause them to become irritated. Don't smoke. Smoking can irritate and discolor your lips; it can also cause wrinkles around your mouth. If you smoke and do not want to quit, at the very least try switching to an e-cigarette, which will not be as toxic to your lips as a regular cigarette. You may be able to reduce smoking-related discoloration by massaging almond and coconut oil on your lips each day. Apply a moisturizing balm to your lips. If your lips are dry or chapped, use a lip balm regularly. Even if your lips are not chapped, consider using a lip moisturizer that contains an SPF to protect your lips from the sun's damaging rays. If your lips are sensitive, it may take some trial and error to find a lip balm that works for you. Some people use natural balms containing ingredients like coconut oil and honey, while others find that medicated balms containing menthol are best. Unless your lips are already well-hydrated, avoid beeswax lip balms. Beeswax lip balms are too heavy to actually impart moisture to your lips; they can only seal in the moisture that's already there. Wear SPF on your lips. If you only put one thing on your lips, it should be SPF. The sun's rays can cause your lips to chap and become dry, making them look smaller than they are. Shiny products such as lip glosses can actually magnify the sun's rays, causing them to harm your lips more than if you had nothing on your lips at all. Dermatologists warn that wearing lip gloss without an SPF can do more than damage your lips: it can actually cause skin cancer. Don’t exfoliate your lips. Exfoliating your lips might help them feel smooth in the short term, but it can actually damage your lips if you do it regularly. Instead of exfoliating your lips, work on keeping them hydrated. Unlike your regular skin, your lips are made of a sensitive mucous membrane. When this membrane is healthy, it's naturally smooth. Avoid products that may cause allergic reactions. If you are taking good care of your lips and they are still always chapped, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to something you're using on or near your lips: Citrusy and salty foods can irritate lips. Some toothpastes can irritate lips. If you think your toothpaste may be causing problems for you, try switching to one that doesn't contain sodium laurel sulphate or alcohol. Be mindful of heavily scented facial products, which can wind up on your lips and can cause irritation. Commit to exercising your lips every day. It may take up to 4 weeks for you to see a difference, so be prepared to wait for results. You may find it useful to take a “before” pic: tracking your progress might help keep you motivated. Aim for at least a few minutes of lip exercises 1 to 2 times per day. You can pick and choose from the exercises in this article, or do an online search for more exercises. There are many instructional videos on lip-plumping exercises, if you'd like someone to follow along with. While many people swear they've seen a difference, there is insufficient scientific research to suggest that lip exercises actually work. Ensure that your lips are well-hydrated. Doing lip exercises with dry, chapped lips, will likely cause them to tear and/or bleed. If your lips are quite chapped, drink lots of water and apply a good lip moisturizer, then wait a few days until they're in better shape before starting lip exercises. Blow a kiss. Holding your hand close to your face, press your lips against it as if you're about to blow someone a kiss. Hold your lips against your hand for several seconds. Repeat 5 to 10 times. Smile and kiss 5 times. Sitting upright with your mouth closed, smile as broadly as you can. Do this for 15 seconds, then relax. Next, pucker your lips, pushing them out as far as you can into an exaggerated kissy face. Do this 10 times. After smiling and puckering your lips, hold the puckered position for at least 30 seconds, then relax and pull your lips inside your mouth, letting your teeth gently clamp down on them. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat the whole process 5 times. Smile with your lips folded inward. Fold your lips inward over your teeth, then lift the corners of your mouth into a smile. Hold this position for at least 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Do 10 lip presses. Press your lips together into a straight line. Create a resistance to this movement by imagining that there's something trying to prevent you from pressing your lips together. Work on holding your lips together against this resistance for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Pretend to rinse with mouthwash. Close your mouth and lightly pucker your lips. Gently move your lips from left to right as you inflate each cheek with air. It should look kind of like you're using mouthwash. Repeat this process 10 times. Try to move your lips in the shape of a figure 8, in both directions. Make an exaggerated duck face. Press your lips together and lift them up toward your nose. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Breath out. Inhale deeply, then puff up your cheeks and form your lips into an “O” shape as you prepare to exhale. Exhale gradually, taking 2 to 3 blows to get all of your air out. Pretend to blow out a candle. Do this in an exaggerated motion, stretching your lips out as far as you can. Relax your lips and repeat 5 times. Take a break. If your mouth, face, or lips become sore from these exercises, take a break. As with any muscles, the muscles in your face can become fatigued; if you push your muscles too hard when they're already tired, you might even injure yourself. Think before you buy. If you're determined to have bigger lips and nothing else is giving you the results you want, it may be time to look into lip augmentation. Before choosing lip augmentation, read about the different methods, read online reviews and personal experiences, and consult a few different doctors. Because lip augmentation is a relatively short and non-invasive procedure it may be tempting to make the decision lightly. As with any cosmetic procedure, however, it's a decision that needs to be well thought out, as it can have lasting effects on your health and appearance. Know what lip augmentation is. Lip augmentation usually involves the injection of a dermal filler into your lips and around your mouth. The most commonly used dermal fillers today contain substances similar to hyaluronic acid, which occurs naturally in your body. Collagen was once the most common dermal filler, but it is no longer the No. 1 choice as there are now safer and longer-lasting options. Fat grafting involves transferring fat from one part of the body to the lips through liposuction. It requires a longer healing time than other methods, as it is the most invasive. Know what lip augmentation involves. Augmentation is a relatively quick procedure that can be completed in your doctor's office with little to no downtime: Your lips will likely be numbed before the injections. The doctor will then mark the areas that he/she will inject before injecting them with fine needles. After the injections, ice may be applied to ease discomfort and swelling. You'll need to avoid putting any products on your lips immediately after the procedure. Ask your doctor for advice on what's okay to put on your lips, and when. The exception to quick lip augmentation procedures is fat injection, which requires some liposuction to remove fat from one part of your body before injecting it into your lips. Know the risks. Hyaluronic acid fillers are unlikely to cause allergic reactions because they're made from substances similar to those found in the body; however, reactions are still possible. Common side effects include bleeding, redness and tenderness at the injection sites, and swelling and bruising. More serious side effects include severe and prolonged swelling and bruising lasting longer than a week; lip asymmetry; lumps and irregularities in the lips; infections; and ulcers and scarring that can cause the lips to become stiff. The specific ingredients contained in your dermal filler will depend on the product used. Some contain lidocaine, which can cause an allergic reaction. Discuss any possible allergies with your doctor. If you think you might be allergic to a filler ingredient, discuss this with your doctor before the procedure. | Invest in a lip-plumping product. Know which lip-plumping ingredients to look for. Use a lip plumper as a primer. Don’t overuse lip plumpers. Look into treatment plumpers. Gather your materials. Exfoliate your lips. Apply a moisturizing lip balm to your lips. Line your lips with the darker colored lip pencil. Fill in your lips. Blend the light and dark colors together. Apply a lip gloss over your entire lips. Apply a small amount of highlighter on the middle of your upper and lower lips. Enjoy your plump pout! Drink enough water. You would need to drink more water if you lived in a hot climate or exercised — in other words, if you were sweating more than normal. Don’t lick your lips. Don't smoke. Apply a moisturizing balm to your lips. Wear SPF on your lips. Don’t exfoliate your lips. Avoid products that may cause allergic reactions. Commit to exercising your lips every day. Ensure that your lips are well-hydrated. Blow a kiss. Smile and kiss 5 times. Smile with your lips folded inward. Do 10 lip presses. Pretend to rinse with mouthwash. Make an exaggerated duck face. Breath out. Pretend to blow out a candle. Take a break. Think before you buy. Know what lip augmentation is. Know what lip augmentation involves. Know the risks. Discuss any possible allergies with your doctor. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Wear-a-Lace-Bodysuit | How to Wear a Lace Bodysuit | To wear a lace bodysuit, try an elegant look for a night out. For example, you could match a blazer with the color of your bodysuit for a minimalist outfit, or make a statement by pairing your bodysuit with leather pants and high heels. You can also dress more casually. Wear a denim jacket over the bodysuit for a fun twist. Alternatively, wear a denim or brightly patterned high waist skirt with a plain bodysuit. Accessorizing your outfit can help give it the extra edge. Go for a statement belt if you're wearing high-waisted jeans or a skirt, or try a matching choker. If you want to wear minimal layers, opt for a bodysuit with lined cups for better coverage. Otherwise, you might want to wear a bra or bralette underneath. | Pick a bodysuit with lined cups if you want to wear minimal layers. Bodysuits often have different levels of transparency within the piece. A lace bodysuit with lined cups is great because you can enjoy wearing the transparent or sheer lace without feeling too exposed. A lace bodysuit with lined cups is great if you want to wear just 1 color. Pick a black, white, or neutral toned bodysuit if you are looking for something that can work with many different outfits, or pick a bright color such as red or blue if you want to stand out. Wear a thin, triangular bra if the bodysuit doesn’t have lined cups. If your bodysuit already has lace detailing or patterns, stick to a plain bra so that it doesn't clash. However, if your bodysuit is quite plain, then try a detailed or patterned bra to create a statement outfit. Avoid wearing a strappy bodysuit with a detailed bra as this may look overcrowded. For a minimalist look, match either a black bra and bodysuit, or a white bra and bodysuit. Alternatively, pick contrasting colors for the bra and lace bodysuit, such as black and white, or red and black. Wear a bralette underneath the bodysuit if you want more coverage. If your bodysuit is sheer or transparent, you might feel more comfortable wearing a bralette. Pick a matching color to the lace bodysuit, or pick a bold, contrasting color such as a red bralette and a black bodysuit, for a more statement look. Try a scoop neck style bralette to feel more comfortable, or opt for a v-neck style if you are happy with less coverage. Pull a blazer on over the bodysuit to create a more elegant look. Match the blazer to the color of the lace bodysuit to form a chic, minimalist outfit. Wear this on a night out, and keep the blazer unbuttoned so that you can see the detailing of the lace. Alternatively, pick a blazer that contrasts the color of your lace bodysuit to create a statement outfit. For example, wear a black bodysuit with a white blazer. Match the lace bodysuit with a denim jacket for a fun, casual look. A light denim jacket matched with a dark or black lace bodysuit goes well. This idea also works if you feel too exposed in the bodysuit, and you want to tone your look down. A cropped denim jacket works especially well if you are wearing high-waisted bottoms. A dark-wash denim jacket contrasts nicely with a white lace bodysuit. Wear the bodysuit under a half-buttoned shirt to add detail to your outfit. Pick a contrasting shirt and lace bodysuit, such as a white shirt and a black bodysuit. Button the shirt from the bottom up, and leave the top half of the buttons undone so that you can see the detailing of the lace. Tuck the bottom of the shirt in to make the look more tidy. A lace bodysuit with a half-buttoned shirt looks best with high-waisted jeans. Wear an open back sweater over the bodysuit for a casual daytime look. The back of bodysuits can often be just as stylish and detailed as the front. Pick a sweater with a deep scoop in the back to show off the detailing of the lace. This style works especially well if you don't feel comfortable exposing the front of the lace bodysuit. If the weather is too warm, wear a blouse with a low back instead of a sweater. Match the lace bodysuit with leather pants for a bold, evening look. A belt and high-waisted leather pants can transform the lace bodysuit into a fierce evening outfit for a night out. A black bodysuit with black leather pants is a classic look. High-waisted leather pants and black high heels go well together to create an elegant outfit. Wear the lace bodysuit with a high-waisted skirt for a flattering look. A denim, leather, or patterned high-waisted skirt with the lace bodysuit can create many different styles depending on the occasion. Midi high-waisted skirts are the most popular to wear with bodysuits. A bright or bold patterned high-waisted skirt looks great with a plain lace bodysuit. If you have a very detailed bodysuit, try to stick to a plain skirt to avoid any clashing patterns. A denim skirt matched with a lace bodysuit creates a casual, day look, while a leather or patterned skirt is the best for making a fun, evening outfit. Wear the bodysuit with high-waisted jeans for a casual, effortless look. Choose slim, high-waisted jeans for a slightly tidier look, or pick boyfriend jeans with a few small rips for a more fun, carefree outfit. Light colored jeans with a white or cream lace bodysuit go especially well. Similarly, a dark bodysuit goes well with dark jeans. Wearing high heels with this outfit can transform it into a fun, evening look. High-waisted jeans are the best to wear with bodysuits because they prevent your hips from being exposed, which can easily happen with low rise pants. Wear a statement belt with your bodysuit to create a bold outfit. If you are wearing high-waisted leather pants or jeans with your bodysuit, a statement belt will help you to pull off your outfit. Choose a belt with a large, contrasting buckle that stands out. A black lace bodysuit with high-waisted leather pants works well with a black belt that has a large, silver buckle. Similarly, a white bodysuit with white jeans also works well with a statement belt. Try a silver, gold, or rose gold buckle to see what you prefer. Create an edgy look by wearing a choker with your bodysuit. A black choker is a great accessory to wear with a black, lace bodysuit. Try this out matched with a denim or leather jacket on as well to create a fun, casual outfit. Wear a necklace with your lace bodysuit if it has a low neckline. A statement or simple necklace works well with a plunging or v-neck lace bodysuit, depending on the tone that you want your outfit to set. For example, pair a plain lace bodysuit with a statement necklace for a night out, or if you are wearing the bodysuit under a blazer, opt for a short, simple necklace instead. If your bodysuit has a halter-neck style, don't wear a necklace as there is already enough detail in that area, and you don't want to draw attention away from the bodysuit. Add a bracelet to your outfit to compliment your lace bodysuit. A bold, silver or gold bracelet goes well with a lace bodysuit for a night out. For a more casual, day outfit, stick to a delicate, thinner bracelet. Bracelets go especially well with lace bodysuits that are either sleeveless or have short sleeves. Pick high heels to help create an outfit with a lace bodysuit. High heels can really transform an ordinary outfit into something special. Wear high heels with your lace bodysuit and either a skirt, leather pants, or jeans to make a special outfit for a fun night out. If your lace bodysuit is part of an evening outfit, wear either black boots or black strappy heels. However, if you are aiming for your outfit to be more casual, experiment with high heels in bold colors. | Pick a bodysuit with lined cups if you want to wear minimal layers. Wear a thin, triangular bra if the bodysuit doesn’t have lined cups. Wear a bralette underneath the bodysuit if you want more coverage. Pull a blazer on over the bodysuit to create a more elegant look. Match the lace bodysuit with a denim jacket for a fun, casual look. Wear the bodysuit under a half-buttoned shirt to add detail to your outfit. Wear an open back sweater over the bodysuit for a casual daytime look. Match the lace bodysuit with leather pants for a bold, evening look. Wear the lace bodysuit with a high-waisted skirt for a flattering look. Wear the bodysuit with high-waisted jeans for a casual, effortless look. Wear a statement belt with your bodysuit to create a bold outfit. Create an edgy look by wearing a choker with your bodysuit. Wear a necklace with your lace bodysuit if it has a low neckline. Add a bracelet to your outfit to compliment your lace bodysuit. Pick high heels to help create an outfit with a lace bodysuit. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Project | How to Do a Project | To do a project, start by brainstorming ideas for your project and discussing things with anyone else you'll be working with. Then, plan out any research you need to do for your project, and establish a project timeline with daily, weekly, or monthly targets that you want to hit. Once you've done all the planning, start conducting research for your project, using reliable and up-to-date sources. | Try mind mapping. To brainstorm and organize ideas for your project, make a mind map to stimulate new thoughts. Use a plain piece of paper, poster board, or whiteboard for your mind map and write the goal of your project in the middle. Write down related topics, subtopics, and relevant concepts around the goal, and branch out from them to create and follow different tangents. For instance, if your goal is to “provide a comprehensive account of the history of the fur trade in North America”, subtopics and tangents could include “relations with Natives”, “history of European fashion”, and “the cultural significance of fur”. Discuss things in a group. If you are doing a group project, brainstorming things together will allow each group member to feed off of the ideas of others and gain new insight. Schedule a brainstorming session in a quiet place with few distractions. If you are working on a project on your own, group discussion with friends or colleagues can help you gain a new perspective on the topic you're covering. Remember to include everybody in any decision-making. Plot out your research. Plan out the process of your research by using the gap filling brainstorming technique. To do this, identify where you are starting from in terms of your knowledge and resources (i.e. Point A), and identify where you want to go with your project (Point B). Make a list of all of the things missing between Point A and Point B and make a plan for filling in this gap. For instance, if Point A is starting a project about electric cars with limited knowledge on the topic, and Point B is completing a PowerPoint presentation about them, you can fill the gap by conducting research (online and in a library), outlining the history, technology, and possible future of electric cars, and procuring pictures and news articles about them. Make a project timeline. Completing a successful project requires a significant amount of time and work, which means evaluating your priorities and planning your course of action. Schedule specific research time and plan daily, weekly, or monthly targets for your progress (e.g. completing a detailed project outline by the first week). Keep track of your schedule with a smartphone app such as Schedule Planner, a free iPhone app that organizes your tasks and deadlines. Use reliable sources. When looking up books, news articles, or websites, always look for the credentials of the author or creator of a text. Search for the name of the writer(s) to see if they have already been published, or cited in the work of others. Avoid anonymously-written text or any sensational writing that may be geared towards attracting readers rather than conveying facts. Find up to date material. When researching a topic, check the date of publication of all of the reference materials that you use. Current information is always ideal, but it is imperative to find the most recent data in dynamic fields such as the sciences. Historical texts, on the other hand, would be an exception. Draft a thesis statement. Start with a simple question about the topic of your project and begin your research. Once you grow more familiar with the material, make a statement that you can argue for as a project goal. Ask yourself if the thesis statement needs to be researched, and make sure that it is only expressing one main idea. Start writing early. Fight the inclination to save the writing step of your project until after your research is complete. Start writing notes from the beginning of the process to help you engage with the material you're studying and to record ideas as they come to you. Writing in the early stage of research will also give you content to get feedback on from family, friends, group project co-members, or from a project supervisor. Add flair to your project. Make your project stand out by adding dynamic elements to it. Wherever possible, add auditory, visual, or tactile components to the project material to make it more interesting and accessible. Different approaches to the project will add a new dimension to the topic covered. Add an auditory component like a taped interview or recorded radio broadcast to liven up the project. Add visual aids like charts, pictures, and maps to enhance the project. Add a tactile part to your project, like a short video. Review the project rubric to make sure you’ve hit your requirements. Double check the rubric provided to you by your teacher and do a self-assessment of your project. Did you meet all the requirements you needed or are some areas still lacking? Make any adjustments or additions to your project if you need to. | Try mind mapping. Discuss things in a group. Plot out your research. Make a project timeline. Use reliable sources. Find up to date material. Draft a thesis statement. Start writing early. Add flair to your project. Review the project rubric to make sure you’ve hit your requirements. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Cope-With-Death | How to Cope With Death | An important part of coping with death is allowing yourself to let your feelings out in a way that feels natural instead of holding them in. If you need to cry, let yourself cry and know that those feelings are a natural response to death. After the death of a loved one, you might instinctively try to eliminate any free time by working more hours or sleeping in. Instead, you should make time to process your loss rather than bury the feelings of grief. For example, expressing your emotions through an artform or writing can help make your feelings tangible and easier to manage. It's also important to resist the urge to use drugs and alcohol to cope, as this will only inhibit your ability to cope and can cause a number of physical and mental health problems. | Know that your feelings of grief are natural. Do not become discouraged or upset at yourself, or worry that you will be unable to continue living. After the death of a loved one it is normal to feel sad, upset, and lost. You should not tell yourself to "get over it," or move on rapidly. Instead, accept your feelings as a natural response to death -- it will make it easier to address your grief as time passes. Common emotions include: Denial of the death Shock or emotional numbness Bargaining or rationalizing how you could have "saved" the deceased. Regret for things done while the person was alive. Depression Anger Allow yourself to let your feelings out. When you first find out about a loved one's death it's going to hurt. Instead of avoiding those feelings you should try to let them out however feels natural. Crying, silent reflection, or the wanting to talk about death should be encouraged if you need. Don't resist crying because you think it "looks weak." If you need to cry, let yourself cry. Don't feel like you need to grieve in a certain way. This process if personal and you should accept the feelings and expressions that feel right to you. Frame your memories in a positive light. It is all too easy to let negative emotions of death overwhelm us and drown out the wonderful memories of someone while they were alive. Think of the funny, quirky traits of your loved one and share them with others. Celebrate a person's accomplishment's and life, finding the good in a difficult time. Many studies show that our mindset while coping with grief profoundly affects how we feel 1-2 years later, so positive feelings now will help you stay positive in the future. "Healing from grief is not the process of forgetting, it is the process of remembering with less pain and more joy." -- Marie José Dhaese Make time to process your loss. Oftentimes our reaction to tragedy is to eliminate free time-- working more hours, going out often, and sleeping in late. This is an attempt to "bury" feelings of grief, keeping busy to avoid unpleasant or sad feelings. Coping with death, however, takes time. Resist urges to use drugs and alcohol to cope with death, as this not only inhibits your ability to cope but can lead to other physical and mental problems. Talk about your feelings with loved ones. You are not alone in your grief, and sharing your thoughts, memories, and emotions with others can help everyone understand what has happened. Shutting out others not only hinders your ability to cope with death, but it creates rifts between people when they need each other the most. While talking is difficult, there are ways to begin the conversation: Bring up your favorite memories of the deceased. Plan the funeral service, burial, or rituals together. Admit when you need someone to vent your feelings of anger or sadness to. Express your emotions in art or writing. Even if you only jot your thoughts down in a journal, finding a way to express your thoughts helps you to face them head on. By writing or forming your thoughts through art, you make them tangible and easier to manage. Take care of your body while grieving. There is a strong correlation between our physical and mental health, and taking care of one will always benefit the other. Continue to eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep, even if you feel sluggish or uncomfortable. Find a support group. Finding other people who understand you pain can be a valuable tool to help your learn about your feelings and cope with death. Know that you are not alone in your pain, and that a simple internet search for "Death Support Groups" in your area can help you find a group near you. There are often specific groups for different types of death -- groups for those who have lost a spouse or parent, groups for those dealing with cancer, etc. The US Health Department has a detailed list of support groups and ways to contact people. Talk to a psychiatrist if you feel intense grief or sadness. There are trained professionals who can help you cope with the death of a loved one, especially if you feel like you cannot function or have lost the will to keep living. Guidance counselors, school therapists, and mental health professionals can all offer guidance and support while you cope with the death of a loved one. Manage your grief on your own timeline. There is no "correct" amount of time to deal with grief -- sometimes it takes a month, sometimes it takes over a year. When a loved one dies there is no telling exactly how it will affect you, so do not try to rush yourself to feel better. With time, you will learn to cope with death in your own way. The "stages of grief" are only guidelines for common emotions felt after the death of a loved one. They are not a series of boxes a grieving person must check off to move on. Talk with your doctor about care and support options. Regardless of whether you or your loved one has a terminal diagnosis, you should talk to your doctor about hospice (end of life care) and palliative (incurable disease care) options. You should be informed of the timeline of your diagnosis and what you can do to ensure your safety and comfort. Tell your loved ones when you are ready. This is often incredibly difficult, so take your time and think about what you would like to say in advance. It often helps to tell one person first, a trusted friend or close loved one, and ask them to help support you as you tell others. If you find it difficult to discuss with friends and family, consider starting with a counselor or support group. People will have many reactions to this news, from anger to sadness, but understand that this is because they love and care for you. Find a support group of patients going through similar issues. Finding other people who understand your pain can be a valuable tool to help your learn about your feelings and cope with death. Know that you are not alone in your journey, and other people will have advice and perspective that might benefit you. There are often specific groups for different types of death -- groups for those who have lost a spouse or parent, groups for those dealing with cancer, etc. The US Health Department has a detailed list of support groups and ways to contact people on their support group website. Look at your life in smaller, manageable sections. Don't try to deal with your prognosis all at once, thinking constantly of how to manage the last year of your life. Instead, think of small goals over the course of a week or month, enjoying each moment to the fullest. Don't feel like you have to tackle everything at once. Enjoy your life to the fullest. Spend your days doing what you love. Talk to those you care about and spend time with your family. Even on days when you feel weak or tired, find something to do that gives you joy. Ask friends and family to help you move around if you feel weak. Talk to your doctor about pain management solutions if you become too uncomfortable to enjoy your life. Arrange for your death. Make sure your will is up to date and you have made any final wishes clear to family, loved ones, and doctors. While you should certainly do this when you feel prepared, neglecting to put your life in order before death can make things difficult for your loved ones when you are gone. If someone you love is terminally ill, give them love and support. While you may feel like you can cure them or fix their disease, they best thing you can do for a terminally ill friend is be by their side. Take them to medical appointments, help with the chores, and be there to talk to them. While you will have your own emotions to deal with, you should focus on being a friend however you can. Do not try to be a "hero." You are there to support your friend, but know that there is only so much you can do. Know that different aged children deal with death differently. The older a child gets the better prepared they are to cope with death. Very young children, such as preschoolers, may have a hard time understanding death, instead viewing it as a temporary separation. High schoolers, on the other hand, can understand the finality of death and its causes. Some younger children may generalize death to understand it. For example, after learning about 9/11, some younger children might associate death with walking into tall buildings. Let your child guide the conversations about death, as they will ask the questions important to them and help your decide what tone and language to use. Talk to your children about death. Especially for young children, death is often a foreign concept. The idea that our loved ones will not be around forever needs to be learned, and parents can provide love and support while kids learn to cope with death. While this conversation is difficult, you should be yourself and be there for your child. Answer questions with simple and direct questions, not with euphemisms like "lost" or "passed on." Be truthful -- minimizing negative emotions will only confuse your child later on and hurt their trust in you. Tell your child about the death of the loved one in simple, plain language. Don't whisper, make up stories, or wait to tell them "at the right time." If a child overhears about the death of a loved one from someone else it is confusing and hurtful, and they child won't know where to turn for advice. A trusted loved one should tell a child about a death whenever possible so that they feel protected. Encourage your child to open up to you. Just like adults, children can have a hard time expressing themselves or knowing when to speak. Be sure to encourage them to talk about how they feel, but respect their wishes if they are quiet or uncomfortable -- feeling pressured will only confuse them more and make it harder to comprehend their grief. Help solidify positive memories. Talk to children about the good memories they have with the deceased, look at pictures from happy moments, make an effort to stay positive. While this is difficult when you are going through grief as well, it can help everyone cope with negative emotions. Let your child take part in funeral rituals. Letting a child recite a poem at the funeral, help pick out flowers, or tell a story about a loved one lets them become a part of the family grief process. They feel like they have some control over their feelings and can contribute to the memory of the deceased in a meaningful way. Be yourself while grieving. While parents should always be supportive for their children, they will take cues from you as well. If you resist showing emotion, crying, or talking about the death of a loved one your child will likely do the same. Know if your child needs further help. While most children can learn to cope with death over time, there are cases when a death hits a child particularly hard and the advice of a trained mental health professional may be necessary. Keep an eye open for any of the following symptoms: Trouble performing basic tasks Sudden bedwetting Persistent irritability, mood swings, or sadness. Low self-esteem and confidence Sudden provocative or sexual behavior. | Know that your feelings of grief are natural. Allow yourself to let your feelings out. Frame your memories in a positive light. Make time to process your loss. Talk about your feelings with loved ones. Express your emotions in art or writing. Take care of your body while grieving. Find a support group. Talk to a psychiatrist if you feel intense grief or sadness. Manage your grief on your own timeline. Talk with your doctor about care and support options. Tell your loved ones when you are ready. Find a support group of patients going through similar issues. Look at your life in smaller, manageable sections. Enjoy your life to the fullest. Arrange for your death. If someone you love is terminally ill, give them love and support. Know that different aged children deal with death differently. Talk to your children about death. Tell your child about the death of the loved one in simple, plain language. Encourage your child to open up to you. Help solidify positive memories. Let your child take part in funeral rituals. Be yourself while grieving. Know if your child needs further help. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Fractions | How to Do Fractions | To do fractions, first remember that the top number in a fraction, called the numerator, represents the number of parts you're working with. The bottom number, called the denominator, represents how many parts there are in total. For example, if you have 1/4 of a pizza, you have 1 of the 4 pieces of pizza. If you need to add or subtract fractions, first you need to find their common denominator so that their denominators are the same. | Know that a fraction is a way of indicating parts of a whole. The top number, called the numerator, represents the number of parts you're working with. The bottom number, called the denominator, represents how many parts there are in total. Keep in mind that you can write fractions on the same line using a slash; the left number is the numerator and the right number is the denominator. If you are working with fractions that are on the same line, it's helpful to rewrite them so the numerator is on top of the denominator. For example, if you have 1 piece of a pizza that was cut into 4 pieces, you have 1/4 of a pizza. If you have 7/3 pizzas, you have two whole pizzas plus 1 piece of a pizza that was cut into three pieces. Understand that a compound fraction has a whole number and a fraction, such as 2 1/3 or 45 1/2. Usually, you must convert a compound fraction to a simple fraction before you can add, subtract, multiply or divide it. Convert compound fractions by multiplying the whole number by the denominator of the fraction and then adding the numerator. Write a new fraction with the total as the numerator and the same number as the denominator. For example, 2 1/3 becomes 7/3: 2 times 3, plus 1. Change a simple fraction to a compound fraction by dividing the numerator by the denominator. Write down the whole number you get by dividing and make the remainder the numerator of the fraction. The denominator is the same. For example, for the fraction 7/3, divide 7 by 3 to get 2 with the remainder of one; the compound fraction is 2 1/3. You can only do this if the numerator is larger than the denominator. Find the common denominator of the fractions you are adding or subtracting. To do this, you can multiply the denominators together, then multiply each numerator by the number you used to find its denominator. Sometimes you can find a common denominator that is a smaller number than you would get if you simply multiplied denominators together. For example, to add the fractions 1/2 and 1/3, you first make the denominators the same by multiplying them together to get 6. Multiply 1 by 3 to get 3 as the new numerator for the first fraction. Multiply 1 by 2 to get 2 as the new numerator for the second fraction. Your new fractions are 3/6 and 2/6. If you study the fractions, you'll see that 3 is half of 6, which is the same as saying 1/2, and 2 is one-third of 6, which is the same as saying 1/3. The fractions 1/3 and 1/6 would have a common denominator of 6, because 3 goes into 6 2 times. Therefore, 1/3 becomes 2/6. Add the numerators together and keep the same denominator. For example, 3/6 and 2/6 becomes 5/6; 2/6 and 1/6 becomes 3/6. Use the same technique to subtract fractions as you did to add fractions by finding the common denominator first, but instead of adding, subtract the numerator of the second fraction from the numerator of the first. For example, to subtract 1/3 from 1/2, first rewrite the fractions as 3/6 and 2/6, then subtract 2 from 3 to get 1. The result is 1/6. Reduce the fraction if you can by dividing the numerator and denominator by the same number. For example, a fraction such as 5/6 can't be reduced, but 3/6 can be reduced to 1/2 by dividing both halves by 3. Convert the fraction to a compound fraction if the numerator is larger than the denominator. Multiply the numerators and denominators separately to get the result. For example, when you multiply 1/2 and 1/3, you will get 1/6 (1 times 1 over 2 times 3). It's not necessary to find a common denominator when multiplying. Reduce or convert the result if you can. To divide fractions, turn the second fraction upside down, the multiply them together. For example, if you want to divide 1/2 by 1/3, first rewrite the equation so the second fraction is 3/1. Multiply 1/2 by 3/1. The result will be 3/2. Reduce the fraction or convert it to a compound fraction if you can. Work out all fractions in the same way, no matter how complicated they look. To add and subtract more than two fractions, you can find a common denominator for all of them or you can work with them in pairs from left to right. For example, to add 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4, you can change them 6/12, 4/12, and 3/12 to get 13/12 or you can add 3/6 and 2/6 to get 5/6, then add 5/6 to 1/4 (10/12 plus 3/12) to get 13/12. Convert this to 1 1/12. | Know that a fraction is a way of indicating parts of a whole. Keep in mind that you can write fractions on the same line using a slash; the left number is the numerator and the right number is the denominator. Understand that a compound fraction has a whole number and a fraction, such as 2 1/3 or 45 1/2. Convert compound fractions by multiplying the whole number by the denominator of the fraction and then adding the numerator. Change a simple fraction to a compound fraction by dividing the numerator by the denominator. Find the common denominator of the fractions you are adding or subtracting. Add the numerators together and keep the same denominator. Use the same technique to subtract fractions as you did to add fractions by finding the common denominator first, but instead of adding, subtract the numerator of the second fraction from the numerator of the first. Reduce the fraction if you can by dividing the numerator and denominator by the same number. Convert the fraction to a compound fraction if the numerator is larger than the denominator. Multiply the numerators and denominators separately to get the result. To divide fractions, turn the second fraction upside down, the multiply them together. Work out all fractions in the same way, no matter how complicated they look. To add and subtract more than two fractions, you can find a common denominator for all of them or you can work with them in pairs from left to right. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Sign-Autographs | How to Sign Autographs | Good autographs are unique, consistent, and usually fairly short. Before you start autographing, decide on which part of your name you'll be using when signing. For instance, many celebrities use just their first and last initial or just their first name when autographing. You could also add a unique flourish to your autograph to make it stand out. Try adding a line under your autograph or a heart on an “i.” To make your autograph more elegant, spell your name out in cursive. Whatever autograph style you choose, make sure to practice it often so it will look the same every time you write it. | Use a separate signature from your official one. Once you sign an autograph, you have no idea where it might end up! It might be sold at an auction or on an auction site, like eBay, it might be awarded as a prize or reward to someone in your fan club -- in the worst case scenario, it might even fall into the hands of someone disreputable. You should have two separate signatures, one for autograph signing and one for signing official documents. This will cut down the chances on your signature being forged. Now that you're famous, your name, signature, and reputation are in the spotlight. This means you'll have to be even more careful protecting yourself from identity theft and fraud. Determine what you want your signature to communicate to fans. There are many different kinds of signature you might use, and each of these will signify something different to your fans. An elegant signature penned in flowing cursive may give your fans the impression of breeding, culture, and manners. A quick scrawl might make it appear as though you're hurried, driven, and certain of yourself. You may have to experiment with various kinds of signatures before you find one that best suits you. See how loops, flourishes, tall letters, short letters, narrow and wide scripts look with your signature. You may want to include a symbol that is significant to you in your signature. For example, if you associate yourself with an eagle or lion, or if you have a family crest that uses these symbols, you might weave a simplified version of this image into your signature. Look to others in your industry for inspiration. You may find that other famous people in your industry use similar signatures. You may want to imitate this style and add your own flourish, or you might want to ignore the conventions of your peers completely and make something uniquely your own! When viewing the signatures of others in your profession, you might want to ask yourself why a certain style is being used. A basketball player, for example, may have a very simplified style to make it easier when signing basketballs. Select the parts of your name you'll use when signing. To further differentiate your official signature with your autograph, you may want to abbreviate your name or use an initial. An abbreviated name can be a huge benefit if you think you might be signing a lot of autographs; shortening your first and middle name to initial letters will cut down on the writing you do considerably. You may not want to limit your first name to its first initial, but you may want to use a more casual form. For example, you might use a nickname, like "Tony" in place of "Anthony" or "Ly" instead of "Lyla." Add a paragraph to your signature. A paragraph is a special mark or flourish that you add to your signature to make it unique. Some examples of this include using the tail of a letter to cross a "t" or two crossing lines at the beginning or ending of your signature. A paragraph can make your signature harder to duplicate, and can also give it more character, setting it apart from others. You might add a thick, half moon stroke to a section under you signature that you wish to make more prominent. The first president of America, George Washington, did so under the middle part of his last name. You could separate the last letter of your name from the rest of your signature, and either simplify the letter or add a flourish. An example of this can be found in the signatures of American president John F. Kennedy. Napoleon Bonaparte, while only usually signing his first name, would often use the tail of the last letter to add a bold underline to his signature. You might do the same in yours! If you want an especially elegant signature, you should experiment with using the tails of the initial and ending letters in the parts of your name to make looping designs below it. Queen Elizabeth I of England would extend first "E" in her name, using the bottom strokes to entwine with the tail of the "z," which she also enlarged so the bottom could loop in an intricate paraph. Use various surfaces when practicing. You never know what you'll be asked to sign. Presidents, for example, have signed novels, hats, golf balls, pictures and more! You should have a practiced hand when it comes to signing autographs so you can do so easily and without hesitation when the time comes -- even if you're surprised by a request to autograph something odd. You might want to spend a few weeks doodling your autograph wherever you can for a few weeks until you are completely comfortable with it. You might even turn your practice into a game with a piece of chalk! Simply write your autograph wherever you go. Identify likely objects you'll sign. If you're an author, it's likely you'll mostly be signing books. If you're a rock star, you may find that you spend most of your time autographing albums and maybe even fans themselves! It's good to practice your signature on various surfaces, but you'll need the most practice signing the thing you are known for or an item in the industry you are associated with. Sports players, especially, are often asked to sign the equipment of their sport. Many fans have sought the autograph of boxers on boxing gloves, hockey players on sticks and pads, and basketball player on jerseys and balls. Practice your official signature and your autograph back to back. You don't want to confuse your official signature with your autograph! This could result in fan frustration. For example, what if a fan waited patiently for your autograph only to get your official signature? This might result in that person being accused of forgery by other fans who have never seen your official signature! Arrange instances for signing. You may be accosted by fans as you're leaving the stadium, or if you are a notable personality, you might be stopped on the street for an autograph. However, many famous people dislike being bothered during their free time. Having specific times for autograph signing gives you a polite excuse to decline. For example, if you are stopped on the street by a fan you can let them down easy by saying, "I'm sorry, this is my personal time. I don't sign autographs in my free time, but I do have a signing coming up. I'd love to see you there!" By taking time for your fan base and signing autographs, you'll also be doing good PR for yourself. The connection your fans feel after getting your signature and meeting you face to face can do wonders for your reputation, popularity, and sales. Treat your fans with dignity and social grace. It's easy to get overwhelmed by overexcited fans, or to get frustrated by repeated interruptions during your personal time. However, many fans have difficulty thinking of their idol as a person outside of the idol's celebrity identity. It's up to you to be polite and gracious even when your fandom is thoughtlessness. By acting with politeness and grace, you'll earn even more points with your fandom! This can translate to greater popularity, and can win you respect from fans and non-fans alike. Equip yourself to autograph. In some cases, a fan might request an autograph but have forgotten to bring along an item for you to sign or a pen for you to sign with! The can result in disappointment that is easily preventable on your part. Carry a ballpoint pen and a felt tipped market with you whenever you are out and about. This way you'll be able to easily sign most items brought to you for signing. In the event a fan has forgotten to bring something to sign, you can use your felt tipped marker to sign an article of clothing. | Use a separate signature from your official one. Determine what you want your signature to communicate to fans. Look to others in your industry for inspiration. Select the parts of your name you'll use when signing. Add a paragraph to your signature. Use various surfaces when practicing. Identify likely objects you'll sign. Practice your official signature and your autograph back to back. Arrange instances for signing. Treat your fans with dignity and social grace. Equip yourself to autograph. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Bread-Machine | How to Use a Bread Machine | To use a bread machine, start by adding all of your ingredients to the bread pan, including yeast, flour, salt, sugar, and whatever liquids and fats you'll be using. Then, snap the bread pan into place and choose a cycle, like white or whole wheat, by pressing the select button until you get to the cycle you want. Finally, close your bread machine and press the start button so it starts making your bread. | Get to know your machine. Take some time to inspect it. There is a hinged lid, which can be lifted and shut; there may be a window in it, and probably a small vent too. Next to the lid, you should see a control panel with a few buttons (and maybe a light or two if you have a fancy version). Inside the bread machine, there is a bread pan or bucket. There should be a handle on it, which is probably folded down so the lid will close. The bread bucket works as both the mixing bowl and the baking pan. In the center of the bread bucket will be a little bread paddle or kneading blade. It is responsible for kneading and mixing the dough. When the dough bakes, it bakes around the kneading blade. You must remove the blade from the bottom of the loaf after the bread is baked. You must have all three parts to make bread. The machine itself, the bread bucket, and the kneading blade. If any one of these parts is missing, you must replace it. The kneading blade is the smallest part and the one most likely to be missing. It is also the least expensive to replace. If you need replacement parts then do an Internet search to find the manufacturer of your machine. Go to their website and email them about what you need. The bread bucket and kneading blade are removable. To take the bread bucket out, your machine may require you to pull hard, depending on how it snaps in. Look it over, grab the handle, and pull. Don't worry; you are not breaking it. After you get the bread pan out, examine it. If you turn it upside down, the kneading blade will fall out. There will be a peg inside the bread pan the kneading blade fits over. To put the bread bucket back into the machine and snap it into place, you may have to shove down hard. Yours may go in easily or you may have to turn the gear under the bread bucket just slightly to get it to fit into the machine the right way. Find out your bread bucket capacity. Take the bread bucket out set it next to the sink. Get a measuring cup and fill it with water. Pour the water into the bread bucket. Do it repeatedly, until the bucket is full. Count how many cups of water you are adding to the bucket, until you get a total. This part is important, so measure carefully. When you choose a recipe, it is important that you match it up to the size of the bread bucket you have. You would not want to make a 2 lb recipe in a 1 lb machine. It would result in a big mess. If your bread bucket holds 10 cups of water then you can make 1-1/2 pound loaves of bread. If your bread bucket holds 12 cups or more than you can make 2 pound loaves of bread. If your bucket holds less than 10 cups then you can make 1 pound loaves of bread. Become familiar with the settings. Have a good look at the buttons and display screen on the control panel. You will probably find a Select button, a Stop/Start button, Crust Color and Timer or Arrow buttons. Unplug your machine. Plug it back in. The machine will be on its Basic (or default) setting now. Close to the select button you will see several choices. The most common ones are White or Basic; Whole Wheat; French; Sweet; Rapid, & Dough. To set the machine to a particular cycle you have to keep pressing the Select button until it gets to the cycle you want. Sometimes a number identifies each cycle. For instance, White or Basic is usually 1. Whole Wheat is 2. French is 3; and so on; you get the idea. Each cycle takes a different amount of time to mix and cook the bread. The crust setting is not available on all machines. If you do see a button labeled Crust then it will have 3 settings available: Light, Medium & Dark. The default setting is medium. When you unplug the machine and then plug it back in, it will automatically set itself to the medium setting. If you prefer a light or dark crust instead, then you press the Crust button to change the setting. Usually the Crust button will not work until after you select the dough cycle and before you press Start. Using the timer is described in a separate section, below. Get your ingredients. There are a few basic ingredients you need to make bread in a bread machine. They are yeast, flour, salt, sugar, liquids and fats. Yeast used in a bread machine should always be labeled “Active Dry” on the label. Sometimes you can buy yeast in a jar that says it is specifically for bread machines. Packets of yeast, available in the baking aisle of the grocery store, usually hold 2-1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast. You may use one packet of yeast to replace 2 teaspoons of yeast in most bread machine recipes. The extra 1/4 teaspoon of yeast won't make that much difference. Don't use rapid rise yeast. It's not worth the extra cost, and the time savings is negligible once you get the hand of making bread. Bread flour makes better bread. Bread flour is made from hard wheat so it has more gluten, or wheat protein, in it than regular all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat. This makes it serviceable for biscuits , cakes and quick breads, which prefer soft wheat flour; and serviceable for yeast bread, which prefers hard wheat flour. It is called all-purpose flour because it is designed to be used for all baking purposes. Bread flour is made for yeast bread. If you do not have bread flour then you may use all-purpose flour for most bread recipes. Your results will not be the same as if you had used bread flour, but you will still have good results, and you will still get good bread. Sometimes you will need to add a tiny bit more flour to your dough if you use all-purpose flour. This is not always true but it is sometimes. Salt is a necessary ingredient in machine made bread. It regulates the rising process so the bread dough does not spill over the bread bucket into the machine. Salt also adds flavor to the bread. Bread made without salt does not taste as good as bread made with some salt. Sugar, honey and other sweeteners soften the texture of the dough and the finished loaf. They also contribute to the browning of the bread and the crispness of the crust. The main role they play, though, is as easy-to-use-food for the yeast. Yeast can use the starch in flour for its food but it is much happier if it gets an easy to use food like sugar or honey. Most bread machine recipes call for at least a small amount of sugar. However, bread machine breads do best if they do not have too much sugar added to them. When making sweet dough from scratch it is not unusual to add a full cup of sugar to the dough. When making sweet dough in the machine,, though it is better to use 1/4 to 1/2-cup of sugar or honey at the most. This is because the dough rises faster and higher in a bread machine than it does when prepared by hand. Too much sugar is too much food for the yeast and it gets over-excited. This can result in a machine made mess that is unpleasant to clean up. Liquids used in a bread machine should be room temperature or a little bit warmer. You should never use hot liquids in a bread machine. Liquids that are too hot will kill the yeast. Room temperature liquids make the yeast happy. If you are using tap water then warm tap water is fine. If you are using yogurt or buttermilk you may want to take it out of the fridge to warm up a bit before you use it in the bread machine. (This is not strictly necessary, especially for breads baked on the Basic Cycle or longer. If you are using the Rapid Cycle though it is important the liquids be warm or at least at room temperature.) Fats make the finished loaf richer, softer, and keep the dough from sticking to the non-stick surface of the bread pan. Usually between 1 and 4-tablespoons of fat are used in a 2 lb loaf of bread machine dough. You can use most fats interchangeably in a bread machine. Margarine, oil, shortening, lard, chicken fat, bacon grease or butter will all give you the same results. Some of the fats will add a different flavor, and the texture of the bread will change slightly, depending on which type of fat you use. Solid fats do not have to be melted before adding them to the bread machine. It helps if they are at room temperature, but this is not always practical. Add the ingredients in the right order. If you are going to mix and bake the dough right away then it does not matter which order you add the ingredients. If you want to program the machine with the Delay Cycle to start while you are away, then the order becomes important. The ingredients must be added in a way that will keep them inert until the machine begins its mixing. Therefore it is a good idea to get in the habit of adding the ingredients in this way from the beginning. Put the liquids into the machine first. Next add the flour. As you are adding the flour, urge it out over the top of the water so it seals the water in. Then you can add the other dry ingredients like salt, sugar, dry milk powder and seasonings. The last thing you should add is the yeast. Most recipes suggest that you make a shallow indentation or well in the center of the flour and sprinkle the yeast into it. This is important because it prevents the yeast from touching the liquid until the machine begins mixing. If the yeast and liquid get together before the machine is scheduled to begin, then the yeast will become active and likely make a big mess out of the machine. Put your ingredients in the bread pan and snap the bread pan into place. Use a recipe that you have already tested and that you trust. Place the ingredients into the bread bucket in the correct order, as described above. Select the cycle you prefer. Using math, figure out how much time before you want the loaf to be finished baking. Use the arrow buttons to adjust the time on the display screen to match the number of hours you figured out above. Close everything up and press Start. Walk away now, and let it do its magic. | Get to know your machine. Find out your bread bucket capacity. Become familiar with the settings. Get your ingredients. Add the ingredients in the right order. Put your ingredients in the bread pan and snap the bread pan into place. Select the cycle you prefer. Using math, figure out how much time before you want the loaf to be finished baking. Use the arrow buttons to adjust the time on the display screen to match the number of hours you figured out above. Close everything up and press Start. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Catch-Mewtwo-in-Pok%C3%A9mon-FireRed-and-LeafGreen | How to Catch Mewtwo in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen | If you want to catch Mewtwo in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, first collect the ruby from the cave in Mt. Ember on island 1. To do this, battle the Pokemon you find there and make your way down to the lowest level. Once you've found the ruby, go to the Dotted Hole on Island 6 with a Pokemon that knows Cut. Follow the signs in the cave to go to the bottom, where you will see a super nerd steal the sapphire. Then, make your way to the Rocket Warehouse on Island 5, battle all members of Team Rocket, and retrieve the sapphire from the super nerd. After you've gotten the sapphire, travel to Island 1 and give both of your gems to Celio, who will open the way for you to get to Mewtwo. In order to find Mewtwo, go to the open cave in the top left corner of Cerulian city, use a Pokemon to surf to the entrance, and make your way through the maze. At the end, you will see Mewtwo. | Beat the Elite Four. You cannot get Mewtwo until you defeat the Elite Four and become the Pokémon champion, you can catch Mewtwo after fulfilling the quest in One Island.. Obtain the National Pokedex from Professor Oak. You will need to have captured sixty Pokémon before he will give it to you. Fix the Network Machine by finding the Ruby and Sapphire (see below). If you are playing Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, or HeartGold, SoulSilver, then you can go directly to the cave in Cerulean City. Go to Island 1. You will need a Pokémon who knows Surf to do this. Speak to Celio and he will explain that you need to find an item for his machine. Go to the entrance of Mt. Ember. On the lower right side of the area, you will see some Team Rocket members. You will hear the first password to the Rocket Warehouse. Battle them, and enter the cave. Proceed all the way down to the bottom level. You do not need to read any of the braille charts. You will need a Pokémon with Strength to get through the cave. Pick up the Ruby and exit. You can either use an escape rope, use "Dig" or exit the way you came in. Go to Island 6 and find the Dotted Hole, which can be seen on the Town Map. At the entrance, read the braille sign. It will say "Cut," so you make sure you bring a Pokémon who knows Cut. If you have not yet saved Lorelei from Island 4, a scientist will be blocking the way. Inside the cave, look at the braille signs. They will tell you which hole to fall down. If it has 2 symbols, it means go up. If it has 5, then it's right. If it has 4, then it is either left or down. If you mess up, you will have to start over again. On the bottom level, you will see the Sapphire. Don't get too excited; a super nerd will take it first. He will then give you the second password for the Rocket Warehouse. Go to the Rocket Warehouse, found on Island 5. You will need to defeat all the Team Rocket members to get to the boss. In the final room, you will find the super nerd who stole the Sapphire. Battle him. When you beat him, you will get the Sapphire. Travel to Island 1. Give the gems to Celio, the man who operates the machine on the island. He will connect the regions of Kanto and Hoenn by signal and open up the way to Mewtwo. Go to Cerulean City. At the top left corner of the town, you will see a cave that is now open. Travel north to Route 24 and use a Pokémon to Surf to the entrance. Inside the cave, you will need to navigate the maze to the bottom floor. Make sure your Pokémon team is at a high level; there are a lot of strong Pokémon here (levels 46-70). At the end, you will see Mewtwo. Save your game before battling him, as this is your only chance to catch him and he is very powerful. See the Tips section for some methods of catching Mewtwo. You should bring at least 50 Ultra Balls. | Beat the Elite Four. Obtain the National Pokedex from Professor Oak. Fix the Network Machine by finding the Ruby and Sapphire (see below). Go to Island 1. Go to the entrance of Mt. Proceed all the way down to the bottom level. Pick up the Ruby and exit. Go to Island 6 and find the Dotted Hole, which can be seen on the Town Map. Inside the cave, look at the braille signs. On the bottom level, you will see the Sapphire. Go to the Rocket Warehouse, found on Island 5. In the final room, you will find the super nerd who stole the Sapphire. Travel to Island 1. Go to Cerulean City. Inside the cave, you will need to navigate the maze to the bottom floor. At the end, you will see Mewtwo. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Heal-a-Nose-Ring-and-Take-Care-of-Infections | How to Heal a Nose Ring and Take Care of Infections | To heal your new nose piercing, leave your nose ring in for at least 6 to 8 weeks and always wash your hands before touching it. During that time, regularly clean your piercing by soaking it in a saltwater solution, which you can purchase at a pharmacy, for 5 to 10 minutes a day. You can make your own saline solution at home by dissolving ¼ teaspoon of iodine-free sea salt in a cup of warm distilled water. If you think your piercing is infected, look for symptoms like itchiness, redness, and soreness that won't go away. You might also notice a bad smell or yellow-green pus coming out of the hole. While many infections go away with proper cleaning, you should see a doctor for treatment if it doesn't clear up within a week. | Get your piercing done by a professional. It's common knowledge among those in the body modification community that there is a right way and a wrong way to get a piercing done. You want to go to a place that has a good standing reputation with experienced piercers. If you take the time and effort to visit a professional, your piercing has a much better chance of healing correctly and faster. Also, professional piercers will offer expert advice to help you take care of your piercing after you leave. Some things to ensure you have a safe piercing include: A hollow piercing needle. Professional body piercers use these needles because they're hygienic and easy to control, for straight and properly-placed piercings that heal quickly. Avoid piercing guns. Using a nose piercing gun is likely to cause more pain and aren't normally used for nose piercings because they can be less accurate. Besides, since piercing guns are sometimes harder to clean, they can easily transfer blood-borne infections. Use clean hands to handle your piercing. You want to wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap anytime you touch and handle your piercing. Your face already has oils on it, and those oils, along with the secretions coming from your freshly pierced nose (clear fluids, sometimes blood), and dirt on your hands, can lead to an infection. Leave the jewelry in the piercing. Once you are pierced, you shouldn't remove the jewelry from your nose for at least 6-8 weeks, which is considered the normal healing time. The only time you should remove the original jewelry, is if there is something wrong with the size or material of the jewelry. If you want to change your jewelry while your piercing is still healing stage (6-8 weeks after the initial piercing), you should contact your piercer and have them do it for you. Clean your piercing regularly. You want to be gentle with your new piercing. First, your should use a cotton ball or q-tip with water to wipe off any built up crust that may have formed. While initially you might think cleaning with alcohol or peroxide would kill all of the bacterial cells, they also happen to kill the healing cells in and on your nose, so don't use those harsh cleaners. A safe and easy way to clean a new piercing is by using a saline solution. Sea salt dissolved in water is a gentle and effective saline solution. You can soak a cotton ball or q-tip in the saline solution, or you can soak your nose piercing in a bigger bowl of the saline solution. If you soak your nose piercing, you should soak it for 5-10 minutes at least once a day. After your soak, you can rinse your nose with clean water to remove any leftover saline solution. To make this saline solution at home you will need: 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt. 1 cup (8 oz.) of warm distilled or bottled water. Look for signs of infection. Sometime a piercing will obviously be infected. Other times, the infection might not be so easy to identify. When you first get a piercing done, there might be some initial bleeding, swelling around the piercing site, sensitivity, bruising, itchy irritation, and a whitish-yellow discharge (which is not pus) coming from the piercing. This discharge can form some crust on the jewelry, but that crust formation is okay and normal. Knowing the difference between normal side effects after having a piercing done, and infection side effects, can help you treat your infection better. Some of the most common signs that your piercing is infected is: Persistent itchiness and/or redness that continues after the normal healing period. Persistent soreness and tenderness that continues after the normal healing period. A hot, burning sensation. Yellow-green seepage of liquid, such as pus or blood, from the hole. Bad smells coming from the piercing site. Check your symptoms. An infection and an allergic reaction have similar symptoms, so the best way to distinguish between the two is to know how they differ from one another: An allergic reaction is different from an infection, in that an allergic reaction includes a severe burning feeling, a bigger hole from the initial piercing (as if the skin is trying to move away from the metal stem of the piercing), and a clearish-yellow discharge rather than a discharge that is yellow-greenish. If you think you are experiencing an allergic reaction, you should have your piercer change out the piercing jewelry immediately, and visit a doctor. Some metals can cause an allergic reaction, so it is best to use quality metal studs made from things like surgical steel, titanium, platinum, niobium, and gold if it is 14k or higher. Maintain your cleaning regimens. Continuing to clean your piercing with soap and water or a saline solution will help to wash out the bacteria causing the infection. A nose piercing infection can be caused by a number of things such as the entry of outside pathogens (bacteria and fungi), wearing very tight jewelry, or unhygienic ways of living. Just be sure to keep cleaning your piercing regularly until it fully heals, (normally 6-8 weeks after getting it pierced). Try some at home remedies. If your infection site doesn't seem to be too bad, you can try curing it yourself at home before you visit the doctor. You can try things like: Warm saline compresses promote blood flow to the infected area (more blood means more infection fighting cells) which can promote healing the infection quicker. Cold compresses can help reduce swelling, aches, and pains near the infected piercing. Just like when you bang your knee on the corner of a coffee table, a cold compress can also help reduce bruising. Be sure to never apply ice directly to the site of your piercing. Direct contact with ice can cause skin damage. Be sure to always wrap a paper towel or some sort of cloth around the cold compress before putting it on the piercing area. Chamomile tea bag compress. Make a chamomile tea compress by dipping a chamomile tea bag into warm water. Let the bag steep in the water for about 20 seconds, and then apply the tea bag to the area of your piercing. Hold it there as a compress for about 10 minutes, or until the bag cools. Once the tea bag cools, dip the tea bag back into the warm water, and apply it as a compress again. Aspirin paste. Place a some aspirin into a glass (about 4-6 tablets) with very little water and allow some time for the aspirin to dissolve in the water and turn into a paste. Apply the aspirin paste onto the infection site before you go to bed every night, and look for signs of improvement with the infection. Since aspirin is an anti-inflammatory drug, it can reduce the swelling, help heal your infection without much of a risk for irritation, and it still lets the infection site drain fluids. Avoid using strong disinfectants. With regular cleaning you want to avoid harsh cleansers, but even more so with an infected piercing. People who have infected piercings should steer clear from substances like alcohol, tea tree oil, betadine, hydrogen peroxide and methylated spirits, because scar and bumps are more like to form around the infected piercing site with the use of these substances. The chemical strength of these substances can cause even more discomfort with burning sensations, and they kill off the good cells trying to fight the infection. Other anti-bacterial ointments can possibly prevent air flow from getting to the infected area and slow down healing, so if you use them, use them sparingly. Seek medical attention. If your infection doesn't clean up or get any better within a few days (a week maximum), the best thing you can do for your infected piercing is to take the details of your problem to a doctor. Dermatologists and general-practice physicians are your best choice; however, if you can't afford to visit a doctor's office or clinic, speaking to the person who did your piercing is your next best choice. Be careful not to irritate your piercing. Be careful when getting dressed and undressed. It can be very painful to catch a new piercing on your clothes when you're putting them on or taking them off. Give yourself an extra couple of minutes to get dressed so you can take your time, move carefully, and avoid snagging your nose ring on your clothes. Some people try to sleep on their opposite side of where their nose piercing is, or use a neck pillow so they don't irritate it in their sleep. Keep makeup away from the piercing site. While your piercing is trying to heal, be sure to stay away from using lotions, makeup, or any face washes that could get into, and build up in the piercing hole. If you do get any products in the piercing, rinse the piercing with warm salt water or a saline solution. Avoid contact with non-sterile water. Water sources like lakes, public or private swimming pools, and hot tubs are all areas that could contain contaminants that can develop an infection for a newly pierced nose. If your nose piercing must come in contact with these potentially dangerous water sources, try to use a bandage that is fully water-proof, and completely seals the piercing. Bandages like these can be found at any local drugstore. | Get your piercing done by a professional. Use clean hands to handle your piercing. Leave the jewelry in the piercing. Clean your piercing regularly. Look for signs of infection. Check your symptoms. Maintain your cleaning regimens. Try some at home remedies. Avoid using strong disinfectants. Seek medical attention. Be careful not to irritate your piercing. Keep makeup away from the piercing site. Avoid contact with non-sterile water. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Eat-a-Crawfish | How to Eat a Crawfish | To eat a crawfish, start by twisting the head off of it with your fingers. If you're interested in eating the contents of the head, place the open end between your lips and suck out the meat. Otherwise, discard the head after you take it off. Next, pull the shell off of the tail and separate the tail from the rest of the body to expose the digestive tract. Discard the digestive tract and then eat the meat from the tail. Finally, crack open the claws and suck out the meat that's inside of them. | Remove the head from the tail. Pinch the head between two finger with one hand, and hold the tail with your other hand. Give the head a twist until it comes off. The head should twist off easily. If it doesn't, the crawfish may not be fully cooked. Suck the head. Place the open part of the head between your lips and suck out the juices. This part of the crawfish is considered a delicacy in the Southern United States. The head may be discarded if you are squeamish about eating it. Crack the tail's shell. Pinch the shell that covers with the tail with your fingers to crack it all over. Remove the shell and discard it. Devein the crawfish. Hold the tail with one hand and peel back the outer layer of skin from the top of the crawfish with your other hand. The digestive tract will be pulled off with the tail. Discard it. Eat the tail meat. The tail meat is the most substantial part of the crawfish, and can be eaten right away or used to make other crawfish dishes. Crawfish étouffée, a traditional Cajun dish, and crawfish pizza are popular in the South. Suck the claws. Most crawfish have small claws that can be cracked open and sucked for their meat and juices. Larger crawfish have large claws with pieces of meat that can be pulled out and eaten. Invite your family and friends to a crawfish boil. Plan to host it in your backyard, a park or another outside area. Crawfish boils are traditionally fun outdoor parties. To set up for the party, you will need the following: An outdoor eating area A 60 gallon (227.1 L) pot A large metal strainer with a handle Outdoor cooking facilities, such as an outdoor cooking burner Order crawfish. Depending on the size of the party you're having, you'll need 20 to 30 pounds of crawfish. Plan on ordering 2-3 pounds per person. Most of the weight will be in the parts of the crawfish that are discarded. If you're in the US South, crawfish is seasonally available in seafood and grocery stores, in addition to crawfish trucks. Other states, such as California, have locally-harvested crawfish. Check with your local fishmonger. Crawfish can also be purchased online. Live crawfish should be kept cool and away from light and heat until they're ready to boil. Wash the crawfish. This process is also called purging the crawfish. Place them in a large bucket and fill it with clean water. Use a paddle to stir them around for a few minutes. Rinse them and put them in another clean container. Don't let live crawfish sit in water for too long, as they will drown. Some people add a box of salt to the water to help purge the crawfish. Dead crawfish will float to the top, and should be discarded. Set a 60 gallon (227.1 L) pot over medium high heat. Fill it halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Stir in the following ingredients: The juice of 8 lemons, and the lemon peels. 1 pound crawfish boil seasoning. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Throw in the following ingredients and allow them to boil for ten minutes: 8 onions, peeled and sliced in half 10 pounds new potatoes 20 ears of corn, shucked and cut in half 5 heads of garlic, split in half Bring the water back to a boil. Place the crawfish in a wire basket with a handle, or a strainer, and lower it into the water. Let the mixture boil for five more minutes. Turn the burner off and cover the pot. Allow the crawfish to sit and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove the lid and take the strainer full of crawfish out of the pot. Allow them to drain. Serve the boil. Spread newspapers over picnic tables or other outdoor tables you have set up. Dump the vegetables directly onto the table, then dump the crawfish on top. Allow your guests to serve themselves on paper plates. Provide extra spices, butter, and other condiments if desired. If you would rather not serve the boil in the traditional Cajun style, scoop the vegetables and crawfish directly onto plates. Give your friends a lesson on how to eat crawfish. Since many people may be new to the experience, give a demonstration on how to twist off and suck the head, peel the shell from the tail, and eat the delectable meat. | Remove the head from the tail. Suck the head. Crack the tail's shell. Devein the crawfish. Eat the tail meat. Suck the claws. Invite your family and friends to a crawfish boil. Order crawfish. Wash the crawfish. Set a 60 gallon (227.1 L) pot over medium high heat. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Bring the water back to a boil. Serve the boil. Give your friends a lesson on how to eat crawfish. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Pour-Exposed-Aggregate-Concrete | How to Pour Exposed Aggregate Concrete | Before you can pour exposed aggregate concrete, you'll need to build a wooden box to hold the concrete in place. Once you stage the box, hammer stakes into the perimeter to hold it securely in place. When your area is fully prepped, call to order your concrete from a local company. On the day you're having the concrete poured, have a strait board ready to level it. You'll also need to bull float the concrete to make it nice and smooth. Additionally, be prepared to hand float and hand edge your concrete to give it round, sealed edges. | Build a wooden box. This box will hold the concrete in place until it is fully cured. It is important it is symmetrical and nailed together properly because your concrete pad will resemble this box. Use 2x4s in order to obtain 4 inch thick concrete. Use 2x6s in order to obtain 6 inch thick concrete. To make a curved shape pad, you must use a more flexible kind of wood. Place the box in the designated area. This area must be relatively flat. Hammer stakes in along the perimeter. The stakes will hold the box in place. It is best to put a stake at each end of the board, then fill in the middle with stakes at roughly 4 feet apart. To make sure your board is strait, run a string from one end of the board to the other end. Bring the box to the appropriate height and nail it to the stakes. The box must be level, but if it is a large surface it is best to lower one side of the box slightly so rain will run off the edge once it is finished. To make the surface of the concrete even with the ground, you must dig down 4 inches. To make the concrete pad above ground, just nail it into the stakes. Level and compact the surface within the box. Now since the forms are set, make sure all of the ground within the box is at least 4 inches deep, and compact it by using a compactor or stamper. To check depth, run a string across from the top of each form and measure down making sure it is 4 inches. This is also referred to as "Grade". Now would also be the time to add steel mesh or re-steel, if you have it (for strengthening purposes). Call and order concrete from your local concrete company. Call and ask for exposed aggregate concrete. They will inform you on what it is and different options they offer. As for amount, concrete is purchased by the yard. If you have trouble figuring out how much is needed, tell the concrete company your square footage and thickness. One yard of concrete is the equivalent to 81 square feet per 4 inch thick concrete. The equivalent for 6 inch thick concrete is 54 square feet. To figure out the square footage of a rectangle or square the equation is length times width. Pour the concrete into your forms. This step can be tricky depending on where your pad is. It is easy if a concrete truck can reach the pad with its' chute, but if not you will have to use a wheel barrow or power buggy to move the concrete from the truck to the forms. The concrete must be poured quickly so you have time to move it into place while it is still wet. Screed the concrete. Essentially, screeding is leveling out the top of the concrete. Run a strait board on the top of your forms across the concrete, if there is a large pile-up, have someone rake back the pile so you can proceed with the screed process. It is best to have one person on each side of the screed board and pull back the concrete simultaneously. If your pad is too large or not in a position to be screeded from the outside, one person or both people must stand inside the pad and do your best to run the board along the 2x4s. If you cannot perform these two methods for screeding, it is suggested you seek help from a more advanced concrete finisher. Bull float the concrete. Bull floating is the first step of smoothing out the concrete. It will knock down all of the rocks and bring the "creamy" concrete mix to the surface. Doing this correctly should leave your pad flat and smooth with no holes. The "wetter" the concrete is, the easier it will seal all the holes up; if you wait to long to bull float, it will be hard to seal the surface. If some holes will not close up, you can sprinkle some water to aid in the process. Hand float and hand edge along the outside. Hand edging the concrete will create a nice rounded edge as opposed to a sharp rigid one. It will also seal the edge. If an error is created in the edging process, use the hand float to clean up along the edge. The hand float should be used to seal up any holes that are reachable. Finish bull float and edging. After the first round of sealing the surface by bull floating and edging, it is generally time to do the process over again. The objective is to get the bull float lines and edger lines to go away, while the top remains smooth. This may take some time depending on weather, if the sun is out it it will dry up quicker. There is a video tagged in these instructions that will help you learn how to properly finish concrete. Spray the surface with retarder. Once you have finished the top and it is smooth with no lines or air holes, it is time to spray it with a chemical retarder. The retarder chemical will keep the top layer of concrete wet while it lets the core harden. Try to disperse it evenly amongst the surface. Making one spot wetter than another will cause that spot to give away faster and potentially cause holes in the washing away process. Cover the whole surface with nylon plastic. The surface must be covered after the retarder is sprayed in order to lock in moisture, prevent wind from drying out the top, and to keep it out of direct sunlight. Make sure your plastic is big enough to cover the whole pad with some wiggle room so you can weigh it down along the edge. Gently lay the plastic down on the surface of the concrete so you do not create any smudges. Let it harden. Now you must wait for it to harden. Depending on when you poured it and how wet the concrete was at that time, you generally need to wait roughly 10-24 hours for the core to harden. Do not wait to long to check, because the retarder and plastic cover can only keep the top from hardening for so long. It is best to let it sit over night and check it in the morning unless you poured it very early, in which case you can check it later that day. Remove the plastic and hose off the top. Removing the plastic should be no problem. It should be safe to walk on now. Start hosing off the top evenly amongst the surface. The creamy top layer should start to wash away exposing the pea stone gravel underneath. Use a broom to help brush off the top layer if it is not washing away easily. Be careful to not focus in one area for too long, doing so can create rivets. Pea stone should be exposed evenly throughout the surface. Remove the forms. Removing the forms while the concrete is still wet can cause trouble so as long as it has hardened, removing them is an easy process. Just remove the stakes and take out any nails and the 2x4 boards should pop right off. Forms can be reused for future jobs. Saw cut the pad. Concrete WILL crack. It is unknown when it will crack but it WILL crack. Saw cutting it essentially says to the concrete "Crack Here". So instead of an obscure crack throughout the whole surface, it will crack along the specific saw cut lines you have set out for it. Which will make it look better and last longer. Make the saw cuts symmetrical. Square pads are cut into squares for symmetry, do not let the saw cut lines extend for more than 10' by 10'. Seal the surface. Sealing the surface with a sealant spray solution will make the surface more weather resistant and prevent erosion. It will also bring out the true colors of the pea stone and generally make a shinier surface. Make sure the surface is clean and free of any stains before hand. Disperse the spray evenly amongst the surface for best results. | Build a wooden box. Place the box in the designated area. Hammer stakes in along the perimeter. Bring the box to the appropriate height and nail it to the stakes. Level and compact the surface within the box. Call and order concrete from your local concrete company. Pour the concrete into your forms. Screed the concrete. Bull float the concrete. Hand float and hand edge along the outside. Finish bull float and edging. Spray the surface with retarder. Cover the whole surface with nylon plastic. Let it harden. Remove the plastic and hose off the top. Remove the forms. Saw cut the pad. Seal the surface. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Ice-Fish | How to Ice Fish | Ice fishing requires a lot of forethought — before getting started, make sure you get a state permit, and ask a friend to come with for safety. Then, head out onto the ice and use an auger to drill a hole, and make sure the ice is at least 5 inches thick before you choose your spot — thinner ice can't support your weight for a long period of time. Once you have a hole, bait your hook with a minnow or leech and put your line in the water. When a fish bites, reel in your line and lift the fish out of the hole. | Get a fishing license. Before you can go fishing you need to get a fishing license. Each state has its own set of requirements, but it is generally pretty easy to get one. Plus, the money for your license goes toward natural resource conservation and education. Some people prefer to take a fishing course before trying out ice fishing. Some of them are even free. Make sure you know your state's regulations before any type of fishing to avoid a fine. Certain fish species are off limits, size limited, or catch-and-release only. Find someone to go with you. It is not a good idea to ice fish alone, for your safety. If you fall into the ice and there is nobody else there to pull you out or call for help, you are in a lot of danger. This is especially important if you are fishing somewhere remote. Ask a friend to go with you, or go with a group. Decide where to ice fish. Most state-owned lakes allow ice fishing. You may want to check before heading out to any county-owned bodies of water, as those are often ice fishing prohibited. Lakes, ponds, or any other large body of water should have enough fish under the ice. Popular species for ice fishing are Walleye, Trout, Crappie, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, Pike, and Sunfish. Check around to see if anyone knows where these fish are swimming around. If you don't know anyone, ask the local bait and tackle shop. Online forums are a great resource for finding good ice fishing locations. Once you have a location in mind, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. That way, if they do not hear from you when you expect to be back they can call for help. Check the weather. As ice fishing generally takes place in the winter, weather conditions can be variable or unpredictable. This is important if you are not used to cold temperatures, or spending long periods of time on ice. Make sure you know what time the sun goes down. Walking across the ice can be dangerous at night and it is easier to get caught in the dark during short winter days. Educate yourself in safety. As with any outdoor activity, make sure you know proper safety procedures. Bring a first-aid kit that includes hypothermia supplies, flotation devices, and rope. More importantly, know how to use everything in your kit. There are other things to consider beyond knowing how to use your first-aid kit. You should not fish alone. Be careful where you step on the ice, make sure the ice has a blue tint, is not cracked, and is very thick. The people in your party should spread out as you walk across the ice, rather than all walking together in the same spot. If you are going to be somewhere remote, you might consider investing in a GPS device. If you want to verse yourself in safety beyond the basics consider taking an outdoor safety course. Wear proper clothing. The most effective way to shield yourself from the elements while you are out there will be to layer. You will want to bring a backpack or duffel to carry any layers you put on or take off. With the right layering, you should be able to stay warm throughout the day. Your first layer will be a thin moisture-wicking layer. Make sure your bottom layer is not made from cotton. Polypropylene, high-tech polyester, or wool materials work best. This is true for your shirt, pants, socks, and glove liners. Your second layer should be a thicker layer. A wool sweater or fleece would both work fine. Your top layer will be a waterproof or down jacket. It will protect you from the cold temperatures and any possible rain. Make sure your boots are warm and waterproof. If you plan on doing a lot of walking to get to your fishing spot, break your boots in before your trip. Bring a warm hat to wear (like a knit beanie), and gloves or mittens. You want to make sure your extremities are warm. A lot of people will bring a pair of goggles to protect their eyes in case there is a snow blizzard. Metal spikes that wrap onto the bottom of your shoes can make your trip along the ice a safer one. They help grip the ice better than just walking with the soles of the boots alone. Bring the right gear. Wearing weather appropriate clothing is just one category of gear you need for ice fishing. Depending on conditions, you may need more gear for your safety and comfort throughout the day. You need gear to drill your hole, ensure your comfort, and catch your fish. Many ice fishers bring an ice spud with them to check the ice as they walk along it. They use the rod to tap the ice in front of them, listening to make sure it is safe to take another step. Ice shanties can provide a lot of comfort while you are sitting out there for many hours. They are small shelters you can set up near your ice hole that help protect you from the wind. It is also nice to have a chair to sit on so you do not have to stand all day. Some ice fishers bring hand warmers just in case the temperatures dip. You can find hand warmers at most outdoor gear shops. You will need an auger (or ice chisel) to drill your ice hole once you find a good spot. This tool drills through the ice into the water below. An ice scoop is handy for removing excess ice from your hole once you have drilled through it. This is how you get a clean ice hole to fish in. You will need a rod and reel to catch your fish. Some rods and reels are better for ice fishing. Check your local outdoor store and ask someone if they have any special sets for ice fishing. If not, any rod and reel will work. Bring bait, tackle, and a tackle box. You will need this gear to lure your fish. If you are not sure how to use bait and tackle, most tackle shops will explain it to you. Use the right bait and tackle. The bait and tackle you use will depend on which species you are trying to catch. Some fish species respond better to live bait, and some respond better to fake bait. Decide ahead of time which species you want to catch so you know what bait and tackle to bring with you. Most fish aren't as aggressive in the winter, so use lighter tackle for ice fishing. Common tackle ice fishing are jigging rods, hooks, ice flies, jigs, and tip-ups. Common live bait in ice fishing are minnows, leeches, and night crawlers. If you aren't sure what to use, ask someone at a local tackle shop. Bring enough supplies. Since you will be ice fishing most of the day, bring enough food and water to keep you satiated and hydrated. It will behoove you to bring hot drinks as well, to help keep you warm. Bring extra since you burn more calories in cold temperatures. Bring a bucket in case you catch something! You can bring a bucket for yourself, or one big enough to share with your fishing party. A lot of people will carry their food out in the bucket and then carry the fish back in it. Choose your spot. Every ice fisher has their own way of choosing where they want their spot. Many ice fishers will scout the lake in the fall to see where the fish are hanging out so they know where to go in the winter. Others will go back to their favorite fishing spots from before. Make sure the ice is thick enough. The most important part of setting up your ice hole is making sure the ice is thick enough to hold your weight. Since you will be sitting there all day it is necessary that you make sure you will not fall through the ice. Four inches of ice thickness will support one ice fisher and their gear. Of course, you do not want to go fishing by yourself, so you should make sure your ice is at least five or six inches thick. You can measure the ice after cutting it, or check the ice fishing reports from your wildlife district office. Drill your hole. Once you have selected your ice fishing spot you will need to drill your fishing hole. Using your auger, place it perpendicular to the ice so that the tip is touching the surface. Push the auger down onto the ice and turn it clockwise until the blade begins to cut into the surface. Keep turning until the chunk of ice releases and you see the water below. If you mess up your hole, just start over in another spot nearby. It is very common for an ice fisher to drill several holes in a day. You can spend a day practicing using your auger until you are comfortable using it. Scrape away the excess ice. Use your ice scoop to remove any excess ice that remains. Place the scoop into your hole below the level of the ice so that it is in the water. Lift it back up, bringing with it any snow or ice that may have fallen into the hole when you drilled it. You can do this throughout the day if any ice or snow gets into the hole. Cover the hole. If it is snowing hard, or you think you will leave your hole at any point in the day you can cover it with your bucket or a catch cover. This will prevent more snow or ice from getting in while you are away. Determine the depth of the water. First, you need to know how deep the water is, so you know how far to sink your line. You can do this by putting a sinker at the end of a hook and dropping it into the water. Let the reel unreel until the sinker reaches the bottom. Bring it back up a few feet from the bottom and place a bobber where the surface of the water is. Place your bait on your lure. Depending on what species you want to catch, select bait from your collection and place it at the end of your lure. Once your bait is on the lure you can put the line back into the hole. Wait for your fish to bite. Now is your time to wait. If you are using a tip-up, you will place that over the hole so that it is resting on the edges. Otherwise, you can prop your rod up somewhere so that it is in a sturdy location should a fish bite your line. This is a good time to play games with your fishing pals, converse, or just enjoy yourself in the great outdoors. If you do not get any bites on your line after a few hours, drill another hole. You can drill another hole in the location you are in, but you will fare better to move to another location at least few hundred feet over and drill a hole there. If that does not work, try using live bait if you are not already. Reel your fish in. When the fish bites, reel your line in or lift your line out of the hole, lifting the fish along with it. Unhook the fish from the line. You can drop the fish into your bucket to clean later. Keep fishing! | Get a fishing license. Find someone to go with you. Decide where to ice fish. Check the weather. Educate yourself in safety. Wear proper clothing. Bring the right gear. Use the right bait and tackle. Bring enough supplies. Choose your spot. Make sure the ice is thick enough. Drill your hole. Scrape away the excess ice. Cover the hole. Determine the depth of the water. Place your bait on your lure. Wait for your fish to bite. Reel your fish in. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Report | How to Write a Report | It can seem really hard to write a report, but it will be easier if you choose an original topic that you're passionate about. Once you've got your topic, do some research on it at the library and online, using reputable sources like encyclopedias, scholarly journals, and government websites. Use your research write a thesis statement that sums up the focus of your paper, then organize your notes into an outline that supports that thesis statement. Finally, expand that outline into paragraph form. | Read the report prompt or guidelines carefully. If your teacher, professor, or boss gave you guidelines for your report, make sure you read them thoroughly to make sure you understand the assignment. Generally, the prompt will give you information such as whether your report should be informative or persuasive, who your audience should be, and any issues your report should address. The guidelines will also typically tell you the requirements for the structure and format of your report. If you have any questions about the assignment, speak up as soon as possible. That way, you don't start working on the report, only to find out you have to start over because you misunderstood the report prompt. Choose a topic you find interesting. Typically, you'll have some leeway in what your report will be on. If you pick a subject you're interested in, you'll be more engaged during the research and the writing process. This often results in a report that's more fun to read, so you'll likely get better feedback or a higher grade. For instance, if your report is supposed to be on a historical figure, you might choose someone you find really interesting, like the first woman to be governor of a state in the U.S., or the man who invented Silly Putty. If your report is about information technology , you could gather information about the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data or information. Even if you don't have the option to choose your topic, you can often find something in your research that you find interesting. If your assignment is to give a report on the historical events of the 1960s in America, for example, you could focus your report on the way popular music reflected the events that occurred during that time. Try to pick a topic that is as specific as possible. If you write about too broad of a topic, your report will seem disorganized, since you'll be trying to cover too much information all at once. On the other hand, your topic shouldn't be so narrow that you can't find anything to write about. Try to find one aspect of the topic that has a lot of supporting details. If you're not sure what to write about at first, pick a larger topic, then narrow it down as you start researching. For instance, if you wanted to do your report on World Fairs, then you realize that there are way too many of them to talk about, you might choose one specific world fair, such as the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, to focus on. However, you wouldn't necessarily want to narrow it down to something too specific, like “Food at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition,” since it could be hard to find sources on the subject without just listing a lot of recipes. Include a variety of reputable sources in your paper. If the report guidelines give you a number of sources to use, or a limit on how many of a specific type of source you can use, be sure to follow those guidelines carefully. No matter how good your writing is, if you don't source your report properly, you won't get good feedback. Any sources you need should be authoritative, like books, newspapers, or scholarly articles written on the subject. If you don't have guidelines on how many sources to use, try to find 1-2 reputable sources for each page of the report. Sources can be divided into primary sources, like original written works, court records, and interviews, and secondary sources, like reference books and reviews. Databases, abstracts, and indexes are considered tertiary sources, and can be used to help you find primary and secondary sources for your report. If you're writing a business report, you may be given some supplementary materials, such as market research or sales reports, or you may need to compile this information yourself. Visit the library first if you’re writing a report for school. Even if you're allowed to use online sources, the best place to start doing research is the library. Visit your school's library, a public library in your area, or even a nearby college or university library when you're getting ready to start your report. Search the library's database to gain access to books, scholarly journals, periodicals, and other sources that might not be available online. Librarians are an excellent resource when you're working on a report. They can help you find books, articles, and other credible sources. Often, a teacher will limit how many online sources you can use. If you find most of the information you need in the library, you can then use your online sources for details that you couldn't find anywhere else. Use only scholarly sources if you do online research. Since anyone can write something and put it online, it can be hard sometimes to sift through all of the material on the internet to find authoritative sources. To ensure you're getting high-level sources, start by using an academic search engine, like Google Scholar, Lexis Nexis, or your school's recommended search engine, which may require a username and password. Examples of authoritative online sources include government websites, articles written by known experts, and publications in peer-reviewed journals that have been published online. Cross-reference your sources to find new material. Often, if you come across an article on the subject you're researching, you can use the sources that the author used to help you with your own report. For instance, if you're reading an article that mentions a previous publication on the same subject, see if you can find that one as well. You might find some new information that will help you have a better understanding of your subject. If you're using a book as one of your sources, check the very back few pages. That's often where an author will list the sources they used for their book. Keep thorough notes as you research, including citation information. If you find something helpful in a book, article, or another source, write down everything you might want to remember for your report. Then, write down all of the information you can find on the source, including the author, the date of the publication, the page number, and the publisher. This will help you easily create your bibliography later, since the citation information will be listed right in your notes. Remember to number each page of your notes, so you don't get confused later about what information came from which source! Remember, you'll need to cite any information that you use in your report; however, exactly how you do this will depend on the format that was assigned to you. Use your research to help you craft a thesis statement. As you're researching your paper, you should notice a main theme emerging in your notes. Use this theme to write a strong thesis statement for your report. Your thesis statement should summarize what you want to prove in your report for your reader, and all of the body paragraphs should tie back to this idea. For most reports, your thesis statement should not contain your own opinions. However, if you're writing a persuasive report, the thesis should contain an argument that you will have to prove in the body of the essay. An example of a straightforward report thesis (Thesis 1) would be: “The three main halls of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition were filled with modern creations of the day and were an excellent representation of the innovative spirit of the Progressive era.” A thesis for a persuasive report (Thesis 2) might say: “The Panama-Pacific International Exposition was intended as a celebration of the Progressive spirit, but actually harbored a deep racism and principle of white supremacy that most visitors chose to ignore or celebrate.” Organize your notes into an outline. Once you've decided on the thesis statement for your report, it's time to start organizing your notes into the main structure you'll use for your report. Begin with your thesis statement, then pick 3 or 4 major ideas related to your thesis statement that you will want to cover in your essay. Write down details from your notes that support each of those main ideas. The purpose of an outline is to help you to visualize how your essay will look. You can create a straightforward list or make a concept map , depending on what makes the most sense to you. Try to organize the information from your notes so it flows together logically. For instance, it can be helpful to try to group together related items, like important events from a person's childhood, education, and career, if you're writing a biographical report. Example main ideas for Thesis 1: Exhibits at the Court of the Universe, Exhibits at the Court of the Four Seasons, Exhibits at the Court of Abundance. Format the report according to the guidelines you were given. It can be helpful to format the font, margins, and spacing of your report before you start writing it, rather than trying to go through and set it all up at the end. Then, as you're writing out paragraphs, go ahead and put in a citation every time you include information from one of your sources. That way, you don't forget to do it after you're finished. Try to follow any formatting instructions to the letter. If there aren't any, opt for something classic, like 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced lines, and 1 in (2.5 cm) margins all around. You'll usually need to include a bibliography at the end of the report that lists any sources you used. You may also need a title page, which should include the title of the report, your name, the date, and the person who requested the report. For some types of reports, you may also need to include a table of contents and an abstract or summary that briefly sums up what you've written. It's typically easier to write these after you've finished your first draft. State your thesis in the introduction. Your intro is where you introduce your topic and state your thesis. Your introductory paragraph should be engaging, since you want the reader to be interested in reading the rest of your report. You should provide some background information on your topic, then state your thesis so that the reader knows what the report is going to be about. Example Intro for Thesis 1: “The Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) of 1915 was intended to celebrate both the creation of the Panama Canal, and the technological advancements achieved at the turn of the century. The three main halls of the PPIE were filled with modern creations of the day and were an excellent representation of the innovative spirit of the Progressive era.” Start each paragraph in the body of the report with a topic sentence. The body paragraphs are where you state the evidence that supports your thesis. Each body paragraph consists of a topic sentence and evidence supporting the topic sentence. The topic sentence introduces the main idea of the body paragraph and links the paragraph back to the thesis. Typically, you should present the most important or compelling information first. Example topic sentence for Thesis 1: At the PPIE, the Court of the Universe was the heart of the exposition and represented the greatest achievements of man, as well as the meeting of the East and the West. Support each topic sentence with evidence from your research. After you write your topic sentence in the body paragraph, provide evidence found in your research that supports your topic sentence. Incorporate this research using a mixture of paraphrases and direct quotes. By linking the text of each body paragraph to the topic sentence, you'll keep your report well-organized, and it will flow better. Paraphrasing means restating the original author's ideas in your own words. On the other hand, a direct quote means using the exact words from the original source in quotation marks, with the author cited. For the topic sentence listed above about the Court of the Universe, the body paragraph should go on to list the different exhibits found at the exhibit, as well as proving how the Court represented the meeting of the East and West. Use your sources to support your topic, but don't plagiarize. Always restate the information in your own words. In most cases, you'll get in serious trouble if you just copy from your sources word-for-word. Also, be sure to cite each source as you use it, according to the formatting guidelines you were given. Follow your evidence with commentary explaining why it links to your thesis. Commentary is your own ideas about your topic and the evidence. Analyze the evidence to explain how it supports the ideas presented in your topic sentence, then clearly link it back to your thesis. This helps the reader follow your train of thought, which makes your argument stronger. Your commentary needs to be at least 1-2 sentences long. For a longer report, you may write more sentences for each piece of commentary. Summarize your research in the conclusion paragraph. This paragraph both summarizes your thesis again and provides your final thoughts on your topic. It should reiterate to the reader what they should be taking away from your report, and should reinforce the significance of the information you've presented. Avoid presenting any new information in the conclusion. You don't want this to be a “Gotcha!” moment. Instead, it should be a strong summary of everything you've already told the reader. Scan the report to make sure everything is included and makes sense. Read the report from beginning to end, trying to imagine that you're a reader that has never heard this information before. Pay attention to whether the report is easy to follow, and whether the point you're making comes across clearly. Also, look for whether your evidence supports your thesis. A good question to ask yourself is, “If I were someone reading this report for the first time, would I feel like I understood the topic after I finished reading? Check carefully for proofreading errors. No matter how good your information is, your report will seem amateur and messy if it's full of spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Writing your report in a word processor with a built-in spell checker can help you catch mistakes as you're writing, but there's no substitution for thorough proofreading. Try reading the report to yourself out loud. Hearing the words can help you catch awkward language or run-on sentences you might not catch by reading it silently. Read each sentence from the end to the beginning. No matter how carefully you think you've read through your report, sometimes you can accidentally skim over text that you've already read several times. After you've finished proofreading your report, try reading it again, but this time, read it backward. Start with the last sentence of the report, then the one before that, and so on. This is a great trick to find spelling errors or grammatical mistakes that your eye would otherwise just scan over. Have someone else proofread it for you. Having a second pair of eyes can be helpful when you're proofreading, especially after you've already read the report several times. If you can find someone willing to proofread the report for you, ask them to point out any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and awkward language, as well as whether your point is clear. Ask your helper questions like, “Do you understand what I am saying in my report?” “Is there anything you think I should take out or add?” And “Is there anything you would change?” Compare your report to the assignment requirements to ensure it meets expectations. All of your hard work deserves to be rewarded, so don't risk losing points because you didn't do the assignment correctly. Go through the assignment checklist or rubric to make sure your paper meets the requirements for full credit. If you have any questions about the assignment requirements, ask your instructor. It's important to know how they'll be grading your assignment. | Read the report prompt or guidelines carefully. Choose a topic you find interesting. Try to pick a topic that is as specific as possible. Include a variety of reputable sources in your paper. Visit the library first if you’re writing a report for school. Use only scholarly sources if you do online research. Cross-reference your sources to find new material. Keep thorough notes as you research, including citation information. Use your research to help you craft a thesis statement. Organize your notes into an outline. Format the report according to the guidelines you were given. State your thesis in the introduction. Start each paragraph in the body of the report with a topic sentence. Support each topic sentence with evidence from your research. Follow your evidence with commentary explaining why it links to your thesis. Summarize your research in the conclusion paragraph. Scan the report to make sure everything is included and makes sense. Check carefully for proofreading errors. Read each sentence from the end to the beginning. Have someone else proofread it for you. Compare your report to the assignment requirements to ensure it meets expectations. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Store-Carrots | How to Store Carrots | To store carrots, start by using a sharp knife to remove the green tops, which can deplete the moisture and nutrients from your carrots. Next, roll the carrots in bubble wrap to keep them from drying out or becoming rotten. Then, keep the carrots in the vegetable drawer of your fridge for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, if you grow your own carrots, consider leaving them in the ground throughout the winter to keep them crisp and fresh for the spring. | Remove the greens from your carrot. Greens deplete the carrot of both moisture and nutrients. Use a cutting board and sharp knife to cut the greens from the carrot. Always use caution when handling sharp knives. Roll up the carrots up in a sheet of bubble wrap. Use the bubble wrap with the small textured bubbles. The bubble wrap will enable the perfect amount of moisture to stay close to the carrots, but the texture of the bubble wrap will prevent that moisture from gathering right on the surface of the carrots. The bubble wrap will add up to two extra weeks of freshness to your carrots. Plastic bags lead to rotting. Place your wrapped carrots in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. It is best to use carrots within one to two weeks, as this will provide you with the best nutrients and taste value. Leave some carrots in the ground if you grow your own carrots. A little snow covering will keep them from freezing and in the spring you will be able to pick some lovely crisp carrots. Make your carrots into juice. Carrot juice is packed full of nutrients and is delicious. Combine it with fruit juices to get all of your daily vitamins. Purée your carrots. Puréed carrots can be added to many different recipes including sauces, meatloaf, and casseroles. It is also a nutritious food to give your baby. Julienne your carrots. Julienne carrots, also called matchstick carrots, add a delicious crunch that will make your meals pop. Add them to everything from salads to desserts. Make carrot Halvah. In Arabic, “halvah” means “sweetmeat” or “sweet treat”. Carrot Halvah is a sweet pudding that is delicious when served as a dessert or as a sweet treat in between meals. Turn your carrots into a delicious carrot cake. Carrot cake is a perfect, decadent dish to serve guests. It is creamy, sweet, and may even improve your eyesight! . Make salt and pepper carrots Salt and pepper carrots are a delicious and healthy snack. They act as a great alternative to chips. | Remove the greens from your carrot. Roll up the carrots up in a sheet of bubble wrap. Place your wrapped carrots in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Leave some carrots in the ground if you grow your own carrots. Make your carrots into juice. Purée your carrots. Julienne your carrots. Make carrot Halvah. Turn your carrots into a delicious carrot cake. . |
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Dog-Lice | How to Get Rid of Dog Lice | If you've noticed your dog has lice, try shampooing your dog with flea shampoo and combing it with a nit comb afterwards. Alternatively, consider using insecticidal products like Revolution in the US or Advantage in the UK, but bear in mind that they need to be applied every 2 weeks. Regardless of the option you choose, be sure to treat all of your dogs as lice are highly infectious. For the same reason, keep dogs infected with lice quarantined for 4 weeks after treatment, and clean your home regularly to remove lice from household surfaces. | Look for symptoms that your dog has lice. Lice cause itchiness, so you will probably first notice that your dog is scratching itself excessively. There will probably also be more than usual dandruff visible on the dog's coat. Lice do bite the dog and suck blood, so heavy infestations can also cause anemia. Learn what lice look like. Similar to human head lice, dog lice are small creatures that can barely be seen with the naked eye. They have six legs, each equipped with gripping claws, which enable the lice to cling tightly to hairs. Lice spend their entire life cycle on the pet. Dogs can be infected by one of two kinds of lice, the common biting louse (Trichodectes canis) or the sucking louse (Linognathus setosus), which is less common. Treatment for both types is the same. Look for lice in your dog's coat. Use a nit comb, a very fine-toothed comb, to look at the base you your dog's hair follicles right at the skin. The lice attach themselves to hair shafts and can be seen as tiny glistening dots. You may also see the nits or eggs, which the parasite glues onto the hair shafts and also look like tiny glistening specks. These parasites are slow moving, so examination with a nit comb of the dog's coat will usually show up either the lice themselves or nits glued to the hair shafts, if your dog is actually infected. Use a lice and nit comb to remove lice. This option depends on physically removing the lice using a comb with narrow teeth. The advantage is that it is chemical-free; however, it is extremely time consuming and labor intensive. This could be an option for a short-haired Chihuahua but is impractical for a Bernese Mountain dog. Lice and nit combs are best used as an aid to getting rid of lice, rather than a solo strategy. You need to be 100% certain you have combed the entire dog and gotten into all the nooks and crannies. It's very important to focus a lot of your attention on the armpits, groin, and ears. Lice also cling onto hair pretty tightly, so it's possible to comb the entire dog and not remove all the lice. Repeated daily combing is necessary for several weeks (around 4 - 6 weeks) in order to catch and remove nymphs as they hatch out from eggs. Kill the lice you have removed by immersing them in boiling water for a few minutes. Shampoo your dog with flea shampoo. Many flea shampoos containing pyrethroids or organophosphates are effective against lice when backed up with a nit comb directly after the bath. However, the treatment does not continue working once it is dry, and no shampoo can penetrate the eggs, so expect the next generation of lice to hatch out within 2 - 4 weeks. Thus regular weekly shampooing is required for at least 6 weeks. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully. This is especially important with regard to how long the product needs to stay in contact with the skin before being thoroughly rinsed off. Not sticking to the recommended contact time can lead to lack of effectiveness. Use insecticidal products. There are no parasitic products that are licensed to kill lice in dogs however several are known to be effective. These include products containing fipronil (Frontline, Effipro) Permethrin, Phosmet, fenthion, and selamectin (Revolution US, Advantage UK). However, be aware that while most of these products have directions for monthly application when treating lice application every two weeks is advisable. This is because there is a drop-off in effectiveness after 2 weeks. Since no product can penetrate the tough louse egg, it is essential to keep the persistent level of active drug high enough to kill off the hatching nymph. Treat all the dogs in the house. Lice are highly infectious to other dogs but can survive off of one dog alone. Whether you have one dog or many dogs, every dog needs the same treatment. Just assume that all the dogs in your home are infected to some degree and treat them all for lice with the same diligence. Keep the dog quarantined. Because of the highly infectious nature of lice infections, the dog should not mix with other dogs (including at doggy daycare) while on treatment. In order to prevent spreading this nasty infection, quarantine your dog for a period of around 4 weeks after treatment. Clean all items associated with the dog. For example, wash pet bedding on a hot cycle in the washing machine. Repeat this every time the dog has a treatment so that it goes back onto clean bedding and does not reinfect itself with contaminated bedding. Take special care to disinfect grooming utensils. These provide the perfect way for lice to spread between pets. Disinfect brushes and combs after use on one dog, by immersing them in boiling water and leaving for 10 minutes. Treat your home. Adult lice are not particularly hardy and can be killed by steam cleaning. This is a good option for soft furnishings and carpet. However, the eggs or nits are hardier. You will need to wait for those to hatch out and then retreat with the steam cleaner in order to kill the more vulnerable adult stage. Alternatively, use an insecticidal environmental spray product such as Nuvan Staykill, Acclaim, or RIP Fleas, which are designed to kill fleas, larvae, and eggs. The advantage of these sprays is that they have a persistent action of several months, so the hatching eggs are killed with just one treatment. The disadvantage is that they are strong chemical products and not suitable for use in rooms where there are birds, reptiles, or fish, as they are toxic to these species and will cause death. Repeatedly clean your home. It can be difficult to predict when lice eggs will hatch, so regular cleaning is the answer. The entire process of going from egg to adult takes between 2 - 4 weeks. With that in mind, a suggested minimal steam cleaning regime would be weekly for around 6 weeks, although there is no harm in treating more often (weekly) and for longer. Prevent future outbreaks by keeping a clean, sanitary home. Make sure the dog is kept in clean living conditions and is not overcrowded with other dogs. Lice thrive in dirty conditions with lots of dogs all kept in close confines, as they can then transfer between hosts easily. | Look for symptoms that your dog has lice. Learn what lice look like. Look for lice in your dog's coat. Use a lice and nit comb to remove lice. Shampoo your dog with flea shampoo. Use insecticidal products. Treat all the dogs in the house. Keep the dog quarantined. Clean all items associated with the dog. Treat your home. Repeatedly clean your home. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Successful-Poet | How to Become a Successful Poet | To become a successful poet, submit your work to literary magazines, or enter your manuscript for a book prize if you have a large number of poems. Literary magazines normally don't charge a fee, but book prizes may require a small reading fee. As you work on getting published, find a job in order to pay for your living expenses. No matter what job you choose, keep reading, writing and revising your poetry in your free time. | Study poetry from every era. If you don't know Keats from Kerouac, you're not going to be a successful poet. Try to learn about the different periods and movements in poetry, from the Romantic era to the Beats, as well as contemporary poetry being written by people who are still alive. If you're going to write poetry in the 21st century, you need to read other poets living in the 21st century. Poetry anthologies are good ways of learning about different poets you might want to read more of. Norton anthologies are full of historical poetry, while each year the "Best American" series publishes a selection of great poems published over the course of the last year. Getting a basic Norton and a recent "Best American" would be a great way to have literally hundreds of great poets at your fingertips. Online, the Poetry Foundation is a great database of poetry both old and new, featuring the monthly magazine "Poetry" in full on the website. Brand new poetry for free? You gotta. Write constantly. A successful poet is one who is constantly engaged with poetry, reading, writing, and revising their work. Successful poets don't wait until "inspiration" strikes to write a poem, they get to work at their desk, computer, or journal, treating the writing of a poem as the work that it is. Like a successful businessman heads to the store and a successful doctor heads to the office each day, the successful poet heads to the poem. Many successful poets write early in the morning, while other night-owls find it more effective to stay up late and madly dash out their wild verses. Whatever works for you is appropriate, but it's important to develop a writing routine and stick to it. You don't need to write every day, necessarily, but learn what routine will allow you to produce the most good poetry. Keep a poetry image journal. Carry it everywhere you go, so that if you come up with a poem or idea, you can jot it down. You don't have to write a full poem every time you sit down to write, as many successful poets build their poems like sculptures, by collaging together little fragments of lines, images, and found language from their image journals. Keep an ear out for weird turns of phrase and nice bits of language that might sneak into your poems. May poets keep a portfolio or journal of all the poems they're currently working on, to have them in a convenient place for gradually editing and finalizing. Kill your darlings. A successful poet revises their work. Aggressively. A poem isn't finished just because you typed it up and printed it out, or because it rhymes, or because you like it. An effective poem moves a reader outside of yourself, and communicates. An effective poem is difficult to write, and will only come with great effort and careful revision. Invest in a good craft book and read lots of poetry, finding out what you like and learning from the tricks of the masters. Let poems sit in the drawer for a few weeks, or even months before you return to them with fresh eyes and reevaluate them. In the meantime, keep writing new poems, and keep reading poems you like. Kim Addonizio's "Ordinary Genius" is a wonderful and practical craft book that makes the writing of poetry a daily exercise, and it's full of tips and tricks that'll help you write the poems you want to write. Share your work with good poets and accept criticism gracefully. Some people will like your poetry, others won't. Don't dwell on what the haters say, but take advice graciously and continue writing and revising your work constantly. Learn everything you can from people who know more than you. Study forms. A successful poet needs to learn about traditional poetic forms and be comfortable writing within strict guidelines as well as free-verse. Can you write a couple lines in iambic tetrameter if the poem calls for it? What about a villanelle? Studying traditional forms will make you a better reader and a better writer. Consider studying poetry formally. Many schools, community centers, and libraries offer after-school poetry workshops as an extra-curricular activity for reasonable prices, where you can read others' work, study poetry, and participate in a poetry workshop. In a workshop, you'll all share new work and critique everyone's work in a welcoming environment. It can be a great way to improve drastically, both by getting an experienced teacher and other poets' feedback. At the college level, studying poetry is a fundamental part of any creative writing program, and most English departments offer a wide variety of poetry courses that a successful poet would be foolish not to pursue. Research venues that will publish your work. It's a sad truth: more poetry is published every successive year, and less of it is read by the average reader. There are literally hundreds of high-quality literary magazines publishing poets like you, people who engage with poems, love reading them, and want their voice to be heard. Book prizes are also common, for a small reading fee. If you've got enough poems to put a book together, try entering your manuscript and seeing what happens. You might even win some money. Figure out how you're going to make money. Walt Whitman worked as an ambulance driver and a nurse while he wrote his classic American poems, while Frank O'Hara worked at an art museum and wrote poems on his lunch break. Many poets seek careers in academic fields, while others become musicians, truck drivers, or parents. Whatever you do, keep writing your poems, and take your art seriously. "Read your poems to a construction worker on his lunch break. " Amiri Baraka, mid-century American Poet and performer, famously offered the advice that poets should read their poems to construction workers on their lunch break, and that if they didn't get beaten over the head, they might actually have something. It's good advice. There's a lot of noise in the world, and your rhyming poem about a bird on your windowsill might have a hard time cutting through the noise. A successful poet finds some way to do just that. | Study poetry from every era. Write constantly. Keep a poetry image journal. Kill your darlings. Share your work with good poets and accept criticism gracefully. Study forms. Consider studying poetry formally. Research venues that will publish your work. Figure out how you're going to make money. "Read your poems to a construction worker on his lunch break. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Smoke-Trout | How to Smoke Trout | To smoke trout, start by mixing 1 quart of water and 1/2 cup of salt to make a brine. Then, soak your trout filets in the brine for 3 hours before rinsing them off with cold water and spreading them out on a baking sheet, skin-side down. Next, refrigerate the filets for 24 hours to dry them. After 24 hours, transfer the filets to the smoking rack in your smoker and add a handful of soaked wood chips. Finally, smoke the trout for around 3 hours at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. | Rinse the boneless trout fillets and rest them in a glass baking dish. As you rinse the boneless fillets under cool water, use your fingers to remove any remnants that are stuck to the fillet from the gutting and bone removal process. Gently shake excess water from the fillets, and place them into a glass baking dish. Place the fillets skin side down into the baking dish to make it easier to marinate. Marinate the fillets overnight in olive oil, chopped garlic, and dried rosemary. Coat the fillets with 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of olive oil, 4 cloves of chopped garlic, and 1 1/2 tbsp (2.55 g) of chopped, dried rosemary. Use your fingers to rub the seasonings into the meat. Then, cover the baking dish and set it in the refrigerator so the fillets can marinate overnight. If you do not want to season your fillets before smoking them, then proceed to soak the fillets in brine after rinsing them. Mix 1 US quart (950 mL) of water with 1/2 cup (150 g) of kosher salt. Pour the water into a large container that can hold about 4 US quarts (3,800 mL). Add the kosher salt, and use a spoon to stir the water for 1-2 minutes or until the salt is completely dissolved. This will create a basic brine that will moisten and add flavor to the trout. Sweeten the brine by stirring in 1/2 cup (100 g) of brown sugar. Submerge each of your fillets in the brine and refrigerate them for 3 hours. Arrange your trout fillets so that all of them are submerged within the brine. Then, place a cover on the container and set it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 hours. Rinse the fillets under cool water to remove the brine. Take a fillet out of the container with the brine, and rinse it under cool water until any excess brine has been removed. Then, use a paper towel to gently dry off the fillet. Discard the brine by pouring it down your kitchen sink, and then thoroughly rinse your sink with hot water. Spread the fillets out on a baking rack, placing the skin against the rack. Take each fillet and place them on a baking rack. Make sure the skin side of the fillet is against the rack, as this will help expedite the drying process. If you do not have a baking rack large enough to support all of the fillets, use 2 smaller baking racks instead. Smaller baking racks might also be easier to place inside your refrigerator if it is filled with food. Refrigerate the fillets on the baking rack for 21-24 hours to dry them. Rest the baking rack in a spot of your refrigerator where the fillets won't be disturbed. Leave the fillets overnight or for a full 24 hours so they can dry. The skin on the fillets will be shiny or slightly sticky when ready. If the skin does not seem shiny or sticky, then continue to refrigerate the fillets until the skin appears shiny. The tackiness is key to getting the smoke flavor to adhere to the meat. To make the baking rack easier to transport, set it inside of a baking sheet. This will also keep the raw fish from contaminating other items in your refrigerator. Turn on your smoker and bring the temperature to 150 °F (66 °C). Use charcoal or whatever means required to heat your particular smoker. Refer to the manufacturing directions on how to heat and use your specific smoker. You can purchase a smoker in the outdoors section of your local department store, or online with major retailers. Soak approximately 1 lb (0.45 kg) of wood chips in cold water for 30 minutes. Use a scent of wood chips that appeals to your particular tastes. Then, pour the wood chips into a large bowl filled with cold water and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes. The water will saturate the wood chips and help produce smoke when heated. For a mild smoky flavor, use alder, pecan, oak, or apple wood chips. For a strong smoky flavor, use mesquite, hickory, or maple wood chips. Rest the fillets on the smoking rack so the skin is against the rack. Do not overcrowd the smoker. Otherwise, the trout may not smoke properly. Leave about ⁄ 4 in (0.64 cm) between each fillet. Season the fillets with freshly, ground black pepper to taste if desired. To help create a natural separation between the fillets, individually rest your fillets into a small well or dish made out of a piece of aluminum foil. Then, place the fillets onto the smoking rack. The aluminum foil will also conduct heat around the meat. This is not necessary, but it can be useful if you have a lot of fillets to fit on the smoking rack. Add a handful of the soaked wood chips into the smoker to flavor the meat. Place a handful of the chips into your smoker as directed by the manufacturing instructions. This usually includes dispersing the wood chips over the hot coals or rocks in the smoker, or filling a heat box or pan with the wood chips. You can add more wood chips throughout the smoking process to increase the amount of smoky flavor produced. Smoke the covered trout for 2.5-3 hours to cook and flavor the meat. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the fillets. When cooked, the internal temperature will be 165 °F (74 °C), and the meat will have darkened in color. Avoid smoking the trout longer than 4 hours. Otherwise, you may dry out the meat. Remove the fillets from the smoker and let them rest for 20 minutes. Carefully, use a pair of heat-resistant tongs to transfer the smoked trout from the smoker and onto a serving plate. Then, allow the trout to rest for approximately 20 minutes before serving or eating. Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the smoked trout before serving. The tart flavor of the lemon will complement the smokiness of the trout. Store any leftover smoked trout in the refrigerator for about a week. Place the leftover smoked trout into a sealable container. Then, store the container in the refrigerator and enjoy eating it over the next week. Reheat the trout in a pan over a medium heat or enjoy eating it chilled. | Rinse the boneless trout fillets and rest them in a glass baking dish. Marinate the fillets overnight in olive oil, chopped garlic, and dried rosemary. Mix 1 US quart (950 mL) of water with 1/2 cup (150 g) of kosher salt. Submerge each of your fillets in the brine and refrigerate them for 3 hours. Rinse the fillets under cool water to remove the brine. Spread the fillets out on a baking rack, placing the skin against the rack. Refrigerate the fillets on the baking rack for 21-24 hours to dry them. Turn on your smoker and bring the temperature to 150 °F (66 °C). Soak approximately 1 lb (0.45 kg) of wood chips in cold water for 30 minutes. Rest the fillets on the smoking rack so the skin is against the rack. Add a handful of the soaked wood chips into the smoker to flavor the meat. Smoke the covered trout for 2.5-3 hours to cook and flavor the meat. Remove the fillets from the smoker and let them rest for 20 minutes. Store any leftover smoked trout in the refrigerator for about a week. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Design-a-Costume-for-a-Superhero | How to Design a Costume for a Superhero | To design a superhero costume, start by selecting a maximum of 2-3 colors for your hero's costume, because too many colors can act as a distraction. Design the base layer of the hero's uniform first so you have a blank slate to add the logo and other accessories to. Next, try to create a few striking features, like a mask or utility belt, and keep the rest of the uniform simple. For example, think of Superman's blue bodysuit, red boots, and "underwear." Finally, add some finishing touches like gloves and weapons. | Figure out the colour scheme of the costume. Usually, the whole costume should include 3 or fewer colours/shades only. This helps ensure that the costume does not distract from your superhero. It will also make it easier for you to replicate the look in a comic. Think of your superhero's powers, motivations, and backstory. Lighter colours tend to indicate heroism, while darker colours indicate a conflicted nature; rich colours point toward sophistication, while bright colours tend to reveal youthful energy. Classic superheroes tend to dress in some combination of red, blue, and yellow, which can denote energy and determination. A mix of black, grey, and green, though, could denote mysterious and naturalistic qualities. Nail down the basic costume before accessorizing it. Design the actual outfit first, before figuring out the logo, or whether it will include a mask, cape, etc. Once you have designed your base costume, it gives you a blank slate to work with. Feel free to take cues from iconic superhero costumes, but be sure to refine them into your own creation. Skin-tight, full-coverage bodysuits tend to be the standard base layer for male superheroes, while female heroes often show a bit more skin. You don't have to follow in this tradition, but body-hugging base layers do provide a clean palette for accessorizing. Consider if a cape is right for your hero. While capes are often considered synonymous with superheroes, plenty of famous ones — like Iron Man and Wolverine, for instance — go without them. Capes can help accentuate motion or indicate flight (think Superman), or add a layer of mystery (as with Batman). However, they can also be an unnecessary complication for a well-designed costume. If you can't think of a good reason why your hero should have a cape — either for practical (e.g., concealment, protection) or expressive (e.g., flair, royalty) purposes — it may be best to exclude it. Create a memorable logo or other distinctive element. Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man are arguably the 3 most famous superheroes, and each has a simple chest emblem — the 'S' shield, bat, and spider — that immediately identifies them. Don't obsess over the small details of a totally-awesome costume before you've nailed down the iconic logo, symbol, colour, etc. Make sure it's easy to recognize and repeat, and that it can adapt to variations on your design. Brainstorm logo ideas based on the hero's name, origins, or powers: in the last case, for instance, consider the lightning bolt used for the Flash. Fans and other designers can use an iconic emblem as a jumping-off point to create their own distinctive interpretations of the design. Consider this: Do you have an iconic element that would be immediately recognizable on a t-shirt, or even as a tattoo? Decide on a mask. What kind of mask will your hero wear? Will it cover the whole face, or only the eyes? The colour should go along with the characteristics of the hero. For example, Batman has a black mask because his name has the word bat in it, which is related to the dark. Alternatively, will your hero even have a mask at all? As with capes, if there is no real reason for your hero to have one (i.e., unless there's no other way for them to hide their identity), you may be better off skipping the mask. A mask that covers the entire face can make it more difficult to show emotions, and emotions help to humanize your superhuman creation. Think about footwear and gloves. Some superheroes (like Superman) work with ungloved hands, but very few go around in their bare feet! Heavy duty gloves can give your hero a more industrial, rough-and-tumble vibe, as opposed to sleek and form-fitting gloves. Likewise, big, heavy-duty boots indicate a different personality than slimmer, heeled boots, especially on a female superhero. Contemplate adding a utility belt and gadgets. Many superheroes carry a utility belt with them. If you think your character needs one, you'll have to decide how it looks and what it contains. Consider giving your superhero a signature weapon that they carry with them in their utility belt. Batman, for example, probably has the most iconic gadget-filled utility belt. A utility belt can make a superhero feel more practical, realistic, and human. However, a superhero can have gadgets unconnected to a utility belt, or iconic weapons that they carry. Consider, for instance, Thor's hammer or Aquaman's trident. Aim for striking simplicity. The best superhero costumes don't try to tell you everything there is to know about a character, but they also don't keep everything a mystery. Decide on a handful of critical design elements that speak to the character's essence, then fill out the rest of the costume with simple elements that won't be distractions. For instance, Superman's classic costume is quite simple — blue bodysuit, red boots, cape, and “underwear,” and the indelible 'S' logo on the chest. Yet these simple elements evoke his powers (flight, strength), principles (justice, patriotism), and characteristics (such as the determination and compassion his unmasked face can reveal). Balance functionality and fantasy. Skintight pants, flowing capes, and cumbersome masks aren't the most practical gear, not to mention the heeled boots and revealing tops that female superheroes often sport. But these heroes are “super” for a reason, so they also don't need to look like they're on the SWAT team. The trick is to balance some degree of practicality with the supernatural nature of the hero. For instance, classic comic depictions of Iron Man depict an armored suit that somehow manages not to conceal the human form beneath it. Often, the more "human" and less "super" the superhuman hero is, the more practical their costume should be. Compare the very human Batman to the nearly all-powerful Superman, for example. Use a form-fitting costume to reveal the hero's humanity. Even if your hero comes from another planet (like Superman), you want to make them relatable by showing their human elements as well. Superhero costumes aren't typically skin-tight just to show off biceps or breasts; they also emphasize the (near-perfect) human bodies of these superhuman figures. Design a costume that reveals, rather than conceals, muscles and movement. Think of it this way: for movie versions of Batman, body armor makes sense as practical protection for the human we see on screen. In comics, though, a form-fitting outfit reminds readers that there's a real human being beneath the cape and cowl. Start with a bold vision, then adjust it as needed. Generally speaking, it's easier to tone down a costume design that's too outrageous than to fix one that's too dull. With your first drafts, go for the boldest colours, the ornate mask, and the big tools or weapons. As you revise your design, decide which elements are essential to your vision of the character, and which can be toned down or removed to streamline the costume's look. Design more than one costume. Once you nail down your hero's essential look, consider also creating variations on your primary costume design. Make each variation suitable for different circumstances (Batman, for instance, often wears different gear based on the situation but still is easily recognizable). This will also give fans, cosplayers, and marketers more leeway in transforming your core costume design to suit various uses. | Figure out the colour scheme of the costume. Nail down the basic costume before accessorizing it. Consider if a cape is right for your hero. Create a memorable logo or other distinctive element. Decide on a mask. Think about footwear and gloves. Contemplate adding a utility belt and gadgets. Aim for striking simplicity. Balance functionality and fantasy. Use a form-fitting costume to reveal the hero's humanity. Start with a bold vision, then adjust it as needed. Design more than one costume. |
https://www.wikihow.pet/Skim-Surface-Scum-from-Your-Fish-Tank | How to Skim Surface Scum from Your Fish Tank | To skim surface scum from your fish tank, slowly scoop out debris with a net daily so it doesn't cause build-up. If the glass of your fish tank has also become dirty, drain a few inches of water with a siphon, and use a tank scraper or a sponge to wipe the gunk off. Alternatively, if you're dealing with an oily film floating on the top of the tank, take a single piece of paper towel, lay it on the surface of the water, and allow it to soak through. Repeat this process until the surface is clear. | Scoop out debris with a net daily. Old fish food, waste, algae, and other debris can collect on the surface of the water. Using an aquarium net, gently scoop up waste from the surface of the water. Do this slowly so that you do not disturb your fish. Empty the net into a trashcan between each scoop. Don't let debris sit in your tank. While you can use a net to clear debris floating in the water, you should be careful when scooping along the bottom of your tank. If you scrape the gravel, you could release more dust and debris (called detritus) into the water. Wipe down the glass weekly. The glass of your fish tank may become dirty over time from debris, algae, or dirty water. Clean the glass weekly to clear the built-up grime. First, drain a few inches of water with a siphon so that you do not spill water during cleaning. Using a tank scraper or a sponge, reach down into the tank, and wipe off the debris from the glass. You may need to clean your tool between wipes to ensure that more debris does not enter the water. If you have an acrylic tank, you should use a sponge marked as safe for acrylic. Soak up oily films with a paper towel. If you notice a milky or oily film on top of the water, you have a build-up of dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) in your tank. This is normal, but you will not be able to remove it with a net. Instead, take a single piece of a paper towel. Lay it on the surface of the water until it is soaked through. Then, remove the paper towel. The DOCs will come off with the towel. Repeat with fresh towels until the surface is clear. Choose a good protein skimmer. There are different types of skimmers available. These skimmers will filter your water to prevent the build-up of protein and other organic compounds in your water. First, decide if you want an internal or external skimmer. Usually, an internal skimmer is best. Then, decide if you want a recirculating skimmer or one that flows through a cone or cylinder. Check the label to determine which model is best for your tank needs. An internal skimmer goes inside your sump, while an external skimmer is attached outside the tank. Install the skimmer. Most skimmers go inside the sump or refugium. However, you can find skimmers that hang on the back of your tank, though these can be loud. Follow the instructions for the model you purchase. Read the instructions before you get started. The electrical cord should sit above the surface of the water line. Make sure that the electrical cord does not touch the water. Keep the cord high above the skimmer, and plug it into an outlet where water cannot drip on it. This outlet should ideally be above the aquarium or sump. Empty the collection cup once or twice a week. No matter what type of protein skimmer you have, it will move its waste into a collection cup. This cup needs to be emptied or cleaned every few days or once a week. In most models, the cup is attached to the top of the skimmer. It can be unscrewed, and the waste can be dumped out into the trash. Perform regular maintenance. Skimmers need special care to ensure that they are working properly. You should check your skimmer frequently to make sure that there is no debris pumping up in it. If you have a water pump (such as a venturi pump), you will need to check it weekly to make sure that there is no debris blocking the pump. If you find any debris, hook an air line to the venturi and run reverse osmosis water through the line to rinse it. This can remove calcium carbonate or salt crystals that may collect there. Replace the water monthly. Monthly water replacements will keep your water fresh and clean. This is especially important if you have algae in your tank. You only want to replace one-third of your tank's water at any time. Stick a siphon into the tank to remove water into a prepared bucket. You can then refill the tank with tap water using the same siphon. To clean the gravel, insert a rigid tube below it. You can buy a water changing system to ensure you have the right products to do your monthly water changes. To make sure that you remove the right amount of water, use a bucket that only holds one-third of the amount of your tank. For example, you can use a three-gallon bucket for a ten-gallon tank. When the bucket fills up, you should stop draining. You can use a special water changer to help with this process. A water changer attaches to your kitchen faucet. When it drains the water, the water is sent down the sink's drain. You can flip a switch to then refill the tank. Invest in algae eating fish. There are certain types of fish and marine animals that can help control algae in your tank. While they cannot eliminate all of the algae, they can help keep it under control. If you have crabs, fish, shrimp, or other filter feeders in your tank, you may not need a mechanical filter as the debris in the tank will provide nutrients to your filter feeders. Some algae feeders you may want to consider include: Dwarf bush nose pleco Rubber nose pleco Chinese algae eater Otocinclus catfish Apple snail (not preferable if you have live plants in your tank) Avoid overfeeding. Some of the scum in your tank might be excrement or old food. Not only can this waste cloud your tank, but it can also encourage the growth of algae. If you notice extra food floating in your tank, consider feeding your fish only once a day or in smaller doses. Control the light. Algae use photosynthesis, which means that they thrive on light. Make sure that your lighting in your tank is only on for 6-10 hours a day. This will mimic natural conditions and prevent the growth of bacteria and algae. Turn your light on while you're at home or during the day. Turn it off at night or when you're not at home. | Scoop out debris with a net daily. Wipe down the glass weekly. Soak up oily films with a paper towel. Choose a good protein skimmer. Install the skimmer. Empty the collection cup once or twice a week. Perform regular maintenance. Replace the water monthly. Invest in algae eating fish. Avoid overfeeding. Control the light. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Lobster | How to Eat Lobster | If you want to eat lobster, pull each claw down and away from the body to remove it. Break the claws at the joint, then use a lobster fork to remove the meat from the arms and thumb joints. Use a lobster cracker to crack the larger part of the claws and remove the meat as well. Next, separate the tail from the body, then crack the tail open and remove the meat in one piece. Find and remove the black vein in the tail before you eat it. | Decide between a hard shell or a "shedder. " If you go to a restaurant that offers you the chance to choose your own lobster, you may be asked whether you want a hard shelled lobster or one that has recently shedded. Hard shell lobsters have matured enough that their shells are a little tough to break. The meat inside is firm and flavorful. Shedders have softer shells, since they have recently moulted. Soft-shelled lobster are much easier to get through. However, they usually aren't as "full" and consequently have less meat. Choose between a male and a female. If you like tail meat, choose a female lobster, since the females' tails are larger to accommodate the transportation of eggs. Choose one that looks healthy and lively. Now's not the time to go for the runt of the litter, or the underdog - choose a lobster that twitches its antennae and moves around inside the tank. Its color should be bright (though not red - that happens after it's cooked) and its eyes should be shiny. Avoid lobsters that look lethargic or sickly. Lobsters with visible shell damage or cloudy eyes might be contaminated. Lobsters with tails that are curled under are likely already dead, so avoid them. Dress appropriately. Lobster are often served in fine restaurants, but the experience of eating them can get a little messy. Small bits of lobster may fling from your fork as you eat, and you may get drops of butter on your clothing. Bibs are often provided, but you might want to wear something that isn't easily stained just in case. Be prepared to use your hands. It's very difficult to eat lobster without handling the various parts. Expect to touch the lobster's shell, legs, claws, tail, and insides with your fingers. By the end of the meal, you'll be quite familiar with lobster anatomy. Know the tools. Lobster is served with the following equipment, used to make the experience of eating it a little easier: A lobster cracker, which is similar to a nutcracker. Without this, you'd have trouble getting through the lobster's tough shell to reach the meat inside. A lobster fork, or lobster pick, which is a tiny metal fork used to dig into the lobster's crevices for meat. A bone dish, used as a receptacle for lobster shells. Hand wipes are often dispensed after the meal, so you can wipe the lobster juices from your fingers. Eat it as you go, or dismantle it first. Some people like to eat the lobster part by part, eating the meat from each piece as it is detached from the body. Others prefer to dismantle the entire lobster and enjoy the meat all at once, after the work is out of the way. The choice is yours - both are equally acceptable, etiquette-wise. Twist off the claws. Pull each claw down and away from the body to remove it. Twist at the base of each claw, so you're left with two lobster "arms" with claws attached. Eat the arm meat. Use a lobster fork to dig out the meat from the arms. There's not much, but it's worth digging it out. Remove the thumb off the claws, breaking the claws at the joint. You'll see meat inside the thumb section. Use your lobster fork or pick to take it out. Use the lobster cracker to crack the larger part of the claws then use the lobster fork to remove it. The claw meat may be hefty enough to cut into smaller pieces using a knife. Discard pieces of shell and cartilage in the dish provided. Pull the legs off the lobster. It is easy to simply suck the meat out of the legs. Some people don't bother as a lobster has skinnier legs than a size zero model and considerably more of them. Separate the tail from the body. Crack the tail open and using your fork or pick, remove the meat from the tail in one piece. Twist the "flippers" from the tail and pull out the small morsels of meat inside. Find and discard the large black vein in the tail meat as this is the bowel and not highly prized. Cut incisions in the underside of the body. Pull the shell of the main body open, and pick out any pieces of white meat that you can find. Eat the tomalley. This is the lobster's liver, avoided by some but loved by diehard lobster fans. It's a gray substance found in the body of the lobster among the innards. Find the coral. If you have a female lobster, you may see red eggs, or roe, inside the body. These are edible, but not the most delicious part of the lobster. | Decide between a hard shell or a "shedder. Choose between a male and a female. Choose one that looks healthy and lively. Dress appropriately. Be prepared to use your hands. Know the tools. Eat it as you go, or dismantle it first. Twist off the claws. Pull the legs off the lobster. Separate the tail from the body. Cut incisions in the underside of the body. Eat the tomalley. Find the coral. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Read-CBD-Oil-Labels | How to Read CBD Oil Labels | CBD isn't well regulated, so it's important to carefully inspect CBD oil labels to make sure you're getting a high-quality product. Check the label to find out how much CBD is in the product, which should be listed on the front in milligrams. To figure out how much CBD is in each serving, just divide the total number of milligrams by the number of servings listed on the back of the label. You can also check the label to see how much THC is in the CBD oil. If there's less than 0.3 percent THC, the CBD oil won't cause a high feeling. If there's over 0.6 percent THC, the CBD oil may be illegal depending on where you live. CBD oil labeled as "full-spectrum" contains other cannabis compounds in addition to CBD, and it may have THC in it. If an oil is labeled as an "isolate," that means it is pure CBD oil without any other compounds. Also check the label to see how the CBD oil was extracted. CBD oil extracted with CO2 or ethanol is generally safe to use, but you should avoid CBD oils that use other extraction methods or that don't list an extraction method since they may contain harmful contaminants. Use the batch number or QR code printed on the label to look up the lab reports for the CBD oil to verify that it's been tested by a third-party. If it hasn't been tested, or if there's no batch number or QR code, the CBD oil is probably low-quality. | Find the amount of CBD in the oil listed in milligrams. The amount of CBD will be clearly labeled on the front of the package so you can easily find it. Check next to the number to see if it's the amount in the entire package or per serving. If you're trying CBD for the first time, choose an oil with less CBD so you can get used to how it affects your body. The amount of CBD in the package is not the same as the package size. Some CBD oils may be mislabeled and could contain more or less CBD. Research the CBD oil's manufacturer and pick one that lists accurate amounts. Compare the package’s size to the amount of CBD to learn the concentration. Look near the bottom of the label to find the total amount of oil in the package. Divide the amount of CBD by the size of the package so you know the oil's potency. Compare the potencies of multiple oils so you can choose one that works best for you. For example, if a 15 mL bottle contains 500 mg of CBD, then the equation would be 500/15 = 33.3 mg of CBD per mL. CBD oil affects everyone differently. While it may only take you 1 dose of oil for you to feel it, another person may need multiple doses or a higher potency to feel the same effect. Make note of the serving size on the nutritional label. Check the supplement information listed on the back or side of the package to find the serving size. CBD oils usually have serving sizes of 0.5 or 1 mL, but it may vary depending on the product you're using. The label will also list how many servings are included in the package. Don't use more than the serving size listed until you know how CBD oil affects your body. Too much CBD can give you adverse reactions and make your conditions feel worse. Check if the CBD oil contains any THC. Since CBD oil is extracted from hemp or marijuana, it may contain trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the chemical that gets you high. Look on the label near the amount of CBD or on the nutritional panel on the back of the package to find the amount of THC. Usually, high-quality CBD oils will have less than 0.3% THC and will not give you a high. If you can't find the amount of THC listed on the package, avoid getting the oil since it may be low-quality. Check the laws and regulations on CBD in your area since they may vary. Look for full-spectrum or isolate to determine if the oil uses the whole plant. Full-spectrum oil contains other chemicals from hemp plants to help enhance the effects of the CBD. Isolate oils only use pure CBD from the plant, but they may be less effective. Check the front of the package or near the nutritional information to see what kind of CBD oil you have. Some labels may say “whole-plant” instead of “full-spectrum.” Full-spectrum oils may contain trace amounts of THC while isolate oils will not. If you are drug-tested on a regular basis, choose an isolate oil instead. Check for the oil’s extraction process to make sure it’s safe to consume. There are multiple ways to extract CBD oil, but some of them use toxic chemicals that aren't safe to use. Check near the nutritional information to see if they list the extraction process on the package. If they list CO2 or ethanol as an extraction process, the oil will be safe for you to use. However, if they use a chemical like butane, then it may not be safe to use. If you can't find the extraction process on the label, look on the product's website to see if it's listed there. Don't buy CBD oil if you aren't able to find the extraction method. See if the label lists the percentages of each ingredient. Check on the nutritional panel for a list of the ingredients included in your CBD oil. If you have a good-quality oil, then each ingredient and their amounts should be on the package. If you don't see an ingredients list on the package, then there may be additives in the oil that could be harmful. If you don't see cannabidiol in the ingredients or it only says “hemp oil,” then there it may have a lower amount of CBD than what's listed on the package. Search for the batch number so you can check lab reports on the oil. Manufacturers usually have third-party labs test the CBD oil to check the purity and make sure it's safe to consume. Check for a batch number printed or stamped onto the package. Look up the product and the batch number online to see the lab results so you know what's in the CBD oil. If you don't find a batch number or third-party lab testing listed on the package, then the CBD oil may be low-quality. Pay attention to the expiration date. The expiration date is usually printed on the side or bottom of the CBD oil package. If you're close to the expiration date, avoid getting or using the oil since it will start to lose its effectiveness. Only buy the CBD oil if you think you'll use all of it before the expiration date. If you don't see an expiration date on the package, then don't use the CBD oil since you don't know if it's still effective. | Find the amount of CBD in the oil listed in milligrams. Compare the package’s size to the amount of CBD to learn the concentration. Make note of the serving size on the nutritional label. Check if the CBD oil contains any THC. Look for full-spectrum or isolate to determine if the oil uses the whole plant. Check for the oil’s extraction process to make sure it’s safe to consume. See if the label lists the percentages of each ingredient. Search for the batch number so you can check lab reports on the oil. Pay attention to the expiration date. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Thicken-Your-Hair | How to Thicken Your Hair | To thicken your hair, minimize damage by washing it only 3 times a week with a natural, sulfate-free shampoo. After you wash your hair, use a wide-tooth comb to remove tangles instead of a brush. Try to avoid bleaching, coloring or heat-styling it, since these things can damage your hair and make it thinner. Then, focus on eating foods with a lot of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, such as sardines, walnuts, and avocados. | Select chemical-free hair products. Sometimes the main culprit that causes hair to thin is the shampoo you use every day. Hair cleansers, conditioners, and styling products often contain chemicals that wear down the hair, dry it out and cause it to fall out more easily than healthy hair. Immediately improve the health of your hair by making the following changes in your bathroom: Swap shampoo with sulfates for sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfates are harsh cleaners that are effective at stripping away the oils in your hair. The problem is that without the protection of natural oils, hair gets easily damaged and frayed. Choose a shampoo made with oils and natural cleansers that won't be too harsh for your hair. Replace commercially-manufactured conditioner with something made with natural ingredients. Conditioners can contain sulfates, too, and they also contain other chemicals that can be hard on your hair. Replace your conditioner with one that is made with coconut oil, aloe, and other natural conditioners. You can also try substituting an apple cider vinegar solution - it makes hair soft, supple and shiny. Toss out hair sprays, gels, and pomades containing a lot of chemicals and alcohol. Applying these to your hair can dry it out and damage it over time. Use them sparingly or replace them with hair products containing natural ingredients. Handle your hair gently. Hair is soft and fragile, and if you're trying to grow it as thick as possible, it's important not to treat it too roughly. Certain hair-handling habits can cause hair to fall out, break off, or fray. Change up your routine in the following ways: Wash it less frequently. Washing your hair every day doesn't give your scalp time to produce the natural oils that coat your hair and keep it healthy. Wash it three times a week at most. Use dry shampoo to freshen it up between washings. Blot your hair dry. Instead of wringing it out and roughly toweling it, use a soft towel to gently squeeze your hair and blot it dry. Use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush. Brushing your hair can pull it out, and especially never brush your hair when it's wet. Use a wide toothed comb to work out the tangles gently by starting from the ends and working up the hair shaft. If you do use a brush, then make sure to brush your hair gently. Stop using heat. Styling tools like hair dryers, straightening irons, and curling irons are tough on hair. Use them sparingly or forego them altogether. If you absolutely must straighten or curl your hair, try straightening without heat or using sponge rollers to curl it. Let your hair be its natural self. Bleaching, highlighting, and coloring your hair can cause it to fall out or become dry and brittle. Chemical straighteners and permanent curls are also extremely damaging to your hair. Embrace your natural color and texture to promote hair growth and preserve the health of your hair. Get regular trims. Trimming your hair gets rid of dull, damaged ends and adds new life and volume to your hair. Shorter cuts and layered cuts, especially, can make your hair appear to be thicker than it looks when it's long and untrimmed. Eat a nutritious diet. If you have a diet devoid of essential nutrients, it shows in the volume and texture of your hair. Thick, voluminous hair depends on a healthy diet filled with vitamins and minerals that cause your hair to grow strong. Get plenty of protein. Protein makes hair thick and shiny. Make sure you're getting enough in your diet by eating a lot of fish, lean meat, nuts, and eggs. Eat omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fatty acids promote hair growth. Eat sardines, walnuts, avocados, and pumpkin seeds. Eat spinach and other leafy greens to get enough vitamin C. Take vitamins. Prenatal vitamins, especially, contain ingredients that help thicken your hair. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Protect your hair from environmental damage. Everyday activities you don't think about may be causing your hair to become brittle and thin. Take the following measures to protect your hair from outside factors: Keep it out of the sun. Direct sunlight can damage your hair just like it can damage your skin. If you're out in the sun a lot, start wearing a hat or a scarf to keep your hair safe. Protect it from pollution. Do you have a morning commute that involves walking near heavy traffic? Pollution from cars, buses and other automobiles can cause your hair to dry out. Consider wearing a hat when you're in areas with traffic. Don't expose it to chlorine or salt water. Chlorine in swimming pools and salt water in the ocean are a common cause of dry, damaged hair. Over time it can cause your hair to become thinner. Wear a swim cap in the pool. Rinse your hair before exposing to chlorine or salt water. When you don't wear a cap, be sure to wash out the chlorine as soon as you get out of the pool. Relieve your stress. Stress from work, family issues and any number of factors can take a physical toll that manifests as hair loss. Becoming aware of this problem can help you figure out how to eliminate the problem that might be causing your hair to thin. If possible, remove the stress from your life or deal with it using healthy methods like meditation, exercise and getting plenty of sleep. Knowing that your hair is thinning can itself become a source of stress. Ease your worry by employing new strategies to help your hair grow thick, like using natural products, skipping chemical treatments and eating a nutritious diet. Try a hair thickening product. Beauty stores sell a variety of serums, balms, and other products designed to help hair grow thicker. Decide which type of product is right for you. Growth-stimulating shampoos replace your normal shampoo with substances that are said to promote growth. Products like Rogaine are applied to the head over the course of several sessions, after which new hair growth will hopefully appear. Get extensions or weaves. Adding volume to your hair could be as simple as going to the salon and paying for it. Extensions, weaves, and clip-ins are a natural, effective option for getting thicker hair without having to wait. Hair extensions, weaves, and clip-ins can be a great way to add length, volume, and color to your hair. Look into getting hair transplants. Getting hair transplants involves having individual hair follicles surgically implanted in areas that are thinning or balding. This method is often expensive, but it can be quite effective. Research the treatment and talk with a doctor to decide whether hair transplants might be the right treatment for you. | Select chemical-free hair products. Handle your hair gently. Stop using heat. Let your hair be its natural self. Get regular trims. Eat a nutritious diet. Protect your hair from environmental damage. Relieve your stress. Try a hair thickening product. Get extensions or weaves. Look into getting hair transplants. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Dribble-Like-Cristiano-Ronaldo | How to Dribble Like Cristiano Ronaldo | To dribble like Ronaldo, learn some of his moves such as the Step over/scissor. First, swing your foot around the ball, and then do a body feint at the same time to send the defenders the wrong way. To do the Ronaldo Chop, jump on 1 foot while using the inside of your other foot to head in the opposite direction. | Increase your speed. To dribble like Cristiano Ronaldo, you need to be very fast. To improve on your speed, do some sprinting every day. More importantly, do stretches before a game or a run. You need stamina, so go for a jog around a field. Run through speed ladders and cones, along with sprints to develop speed and agility. Learn how to dribble. Before you get into flicks feints and step overs, train until you can dribble very fast between cones, keeping the ball under tight control and close to you all the time. Perfect the basics before you try to play like Ronaldo. Learn how to do the step over/scissors move. This is done by swinging your foot around the ball and doing a body feint at the same time to send the defenders the wrong way. Learn how to do the Ronaldo chop. This is done by jumping with one foot and in the same time using the inside of your other foot to go the other way. I prefer jumping with my left foot and using the inside of my right foot to go the other way. Be able to cross the ball in the box. Use your speed and tricks to beat the full-back and whip the ball into the box! Develop good close control. When you dribble, don't hit the ball 5 meters away from you because you will get tackled and teammates might even think it's a pass. Keep the ball close to you, like if it was glued to your feet! Dribbling around the house will help the moves become second nature. Don't get too close to the defender. If you're too close, the defender can easily swipe the ball away from you. Try to get the ball between the legs of the defender. Don't do a move too far away from a defender. If you're too far away, the defender will not get off-balanced and can still approach you. Perform moves such as the "Ronaldo Chop" or "Step-Overs" at speed. Do them approximately 3 feet away from a defender. | Increase your speed. Run through speed ladders and cones, along with sprints to develop speed and agility. Learn how to dribble. Learn how to do the step over/scissors move. Learn how to do the Ronaldo chop. Be able to cross the ball in the box. Develop good close control. Don't get too close to the defender. Don't do a move too far away from a defender. Perform moves such as the "Ronaldo Chop" or "Step-Overs" at speed. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Ask-for-a-Favor | How to Ask for a Favor | If you need to ask someone for a favor, try to find a time when they're not busy or distracted. Say something like, “Hey, can I ask you for a favor?” so the person knows your intentions right away. Clearly explain the situation, then ask the person directly what you would like for them to help you with. For example, you might say, “I have a really big math test next week, and you're great at math. If you're not busy, can you come over tomorrow night to help me study?” | Approach your helper at an appropriate time. If you ask someone for a favor at an inconvenient time, you can embarrass or even anger him or her. You also might decrease the chances he or she will say yes. If you're going to ask your teacher for help with your math homework, don't ask in the middle of his lecture. Definitely don't ask right after he's learned his house has burned down! In general, try not to interrupt someone's work nor their moments of joy or sadness. Depending on the favor, you might also want to move to a private location when you ask your person. If your favor's embarrassing to you or this other person (for instance, if you need help removing a wedgie), don't ask him or her in front of other people. Tell them you're looking for a favor. The sooner you mention your intentions, the better. It's polite to be up-front about you want, but it's also a smart use of your time. If you ask for a favor at the end of a long conversation and your helper says s/he can't help you, you've wasted time you could have spent looking for another helper. It's simple - all you need to say is something like, "Hey, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor" within your first few sentences. Then, simply launch into your request! Your potential helper will probably appreciate that you weren't sneaky about what you wanted! Word your request for a favor carefully. You want to be polite and gracious while also being crystal clear about what you want. Explain the facts of the situation. Leave nothing to guessing. Then, without dallying, explain what you need this person's help with. Ask them plainly if they'll help you in the form of a simply-worded question. Don't allow any chance of misunderstanding. If this issue is important enough to require a favor, you should address it head-on. Say "Do you think you can help me with my math homework for an hour tomorrow?", not "Hey, if you want to show me some math stuff, that's cool!" Specify any relevant deadlines or qualifying information up front. For instance, in our math homework example, if you've got a test at the end of the week, be sure to include this information so the person will know s/he will have to free up time before then. Don't try to coerce or guilt someone into doing you a favor. A favor isn't a favor unless it's given genuinely and willingly. Get to the point. Don't procrastinate - the longer you wait before bringing up your need for a favor, the bigger chance you have of losing your nerve and leaving the conversation without even having asked. If you let this happen, you'll be back to square one! Make your greeting, exchange one or two short pleasantries, move to a quiet area if you need to, then immediately tell this person that you're looking for a favor. Don't let him or her get away before you gather the courage to ask! Flatter your helper. Let this person know that they're the only person who's good enough for the job - even if they're not. Compliment this person's abilities - in our example, we might say something like, "Could you please help me with my math homework? You're crazy good at trigonometry - didn't you get an A on the last test?" Your praise can range from subtle to gushing, depending on how desperate you are for help! Offer this person a reason to help. People who are reluctant to help you can be swayed if you tell them the consequences (for you) if they don't grant your favor. Tell them the worst-case scenario of what will happen if they won't help you out. In our example, you might tell your potential tutor that if you can't get help with your math homework, you'll definitely fail math! You don't have to be over-the-top or maudlin to get your point across, but if you're desperate, it can help! Give your helper an "out. " If you're desperate for a favor, it can be quite tempting to shoot down a potential helper's excuses for not being able to help. If you do this, though, you'll regret it as soon as the favor's done. For peace of mind and to avoid lingering awkwardness or hurt feelings, it's a good idea to include a subtle "exit strategy" for your helper when you ask for a favor. Mention a potential reason why your helper might not be able to grant your favor - they'll probably take this excuse if they don't want to help. In our homework example, we would say something like, "Hey, I'd really appreciate it if you can give me a hand with my homework, unless you're busy or something. " Accept refusals politely. The act of asking for a favor implies that there's a possibility they'll say no. Prepare for this possibility! Don't get upset if this person can't help you - instead, be happy that s/he was honest about his or her capacity to help you. If, out of guilt, they had offered to help you, only to withdraw their help later, they would have cost you valuable time. By being up front, they've given you a better chance to find help elsewhere. Tell them that you understand and don't ask them for a favor again. You can, however, ask them if they know anyone else that can help. With luck, they'll be able to recommend someone you hadn't considered. Don't take it personally if someone can't do you a favor - it's not a reflection of their opinion of you. If you suddenly start ignoring this person, s/he will think you only cared about his or her ability to help you. Have a backup plan. Asking someone a for favor doesn't necessarily mean they'll agree to help you! They may be too busy to help or may not know how. They may simply not want to. In any case, don't be too emotionally invested in your first choice - have a few alternate options in mind in case you need to look for help elsewhere. In our math homework example, for instance, we would first plan to ask the girl in class who gets straight A's for help. If she can't help, we'd then ask the boy who answers the most questions in class. If he can't help, then and only then will we approach our standoffish teacher. Thank your helper. A good rule is to offer your sincere gratitude three times - when your helper agrees to help you, when they've finished helping you, and the next time you see them after that. Remember that this person had no obligation to grant your favor - s/he did it out of personal kindness. Your thanks doesn't have to be flowery and complicated. "Thank you so much" is simple and effective. Most people can tell if your thanks is genuine, so a small but heartfelt "Thank you" is better than an overwrought thank you speech. If the favor was a big one, consider writing this person a thank-you note or buying him or her a gift. Remember that when giving gifts, sincerity and emotional weight mean much more than the material value of the gift. Follow through with your end of the bargain. If this favor requires your participation, provide it. Nothing is worse than asking someone for a favor, then not offering that person the full attention and participation the person needs to help you! For instance, in our math homework example, if we ask a fellow student to tutor us before the test, it's very unfair to show up unprepared or to text during our tutoring session. If the favor requires the use of certain items, do your best to provide these to your helper. If your friend takes time out of the day to help you with your homework, try to show up with paper, pencils, a calculator, etc. Be ready to help others when they need it. If you accept someone else's help, you should, in turn, try to help someone else. You might try asking your helper if s/he needs help with anything as soon as s/he's done helping you. If not, simply go on with your life, keeping an eye open for people in need. Remember that the initial reaction when someone asks you a favor may be reluctance or hesitance. Try to overcome these feelings. If you can (realistically) help someone, do it. Think about how relieved you felt when this person agreed to help you. By helping others, you're giving them that same feeling of relief. Don't only help other people after someone's done you a favor! Strive to help others whenever you can - it'll make you feel great! | Approach your helper at an appropriate time. Tell them you're looking for a favor. Word your request for a favor carefully. Get to the point. Flatter your helper. Offer this person a reason to help. Give your helper an "out. Accept refusals politely. Have a backup plan. Thank your helper. Follow through with your end of the bargain. Be ready to help others when they need it. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-Airflow-in-a-Room | How to Create Airflow in a Room | The simplest way to help cool down your room with airflow is to prop open a door or window to allow the hot air to get out. Additionally, a box or ceiling fan is a cost-effective way to circulate the air going in and out of your room. To create cross-ventilation, place a window-mounted box fan facing inward in one window and a second fan facing outward in another window. As the hot air rises in your room, the second fan will suck it out. Alternatively, install a reversible fan, which will let you change the direction of the fan based on the wind in your area. | Open the door to easily increase airflow. If you can, prop open a door to allow the hot air that's building up in your room to flow out and balance the temperature around your house. If the room has multiple doors, prop them all open to increase air flow across the room. Open a window if you want to keep your door closed. If you have air blowing into the room, opening a window will help draw it out, creating airflow. You can use this method with a closed door, as long as you have air blowing in from the A/C. You only need to open the window 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) in order to start drawing the hot air out of the room! Make sure the air conditioning vent is open if you have A/C. An air conditioner can help create airflow even if you don't want to set it to "cool." Simply make sure the vent is open and put in on fan mode, so you can have air circulating through the room and cooling you down! Use ceiling and box fans to generate circulation. If you don't have air conditioner, purchase a box or ceiling fan for a cost-effective way to circulate air. Place a window-mounted box fan facing inward. Ideally, try placing the box fan in a window that faces the wind. Install the box so that it faces inside the room and pushes cooler air into the space. To make your box fan most effective, close the window as much as possible after you place the box fan in the window. Place a second window-mounted box fan across the room facing outside. Put the second fan in a higher window if possible, as hot air rises, and set it to blow outwards. Place it in a window that's not facing the wind. Pull the window down to the top of the fan. This process creates a vacuum, drawing air through the room and cooling it down. Use reversible fans if the wind in your area changes direction frequently. Reversible fans give you the option of turning the fans around with little to no heavy lifting, so that you can have the coolest room possible. Add extra fans in the middle of a large room. If the space is large, encourage air movement by placing another fan in the middle of the room. The fan should blow towards the fan facing outward to encourage the air to go out. Cut a 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) opening in the door. A small 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) home in your door can create airflow and cool down the room. You can leave the door as-is or insert a transfer grill to make the cut less obvious. Install a return duct. Return ducts push air back to the air conditioner, allowing it be used again. That helps increase airflow because the cool air coming into the room has somewhere to go. If you don't already have these in your home, they can be expensive to install. One basic way to create return air ducts is to cut a hole in the floor in the wall cavity. Connect it to the room and the return air with metal sheeting. Use jump ducts to allow air flow in and out of the room. Jump ducts are u-shaped tunnels that create the same effect as leaving the door open, as they allow air to flow back out of the room when it comes in through the AC vent. For best results, install jump ducts in the attic. To install: Cut holes in the ceiling drywall. Place the jump duct above the rooms, and connect the registers on the duct to the beams. Seal the registers to the drywall using caulk. Then seal the registers to the duct using the approved ties and metal tape. In the rooms, place a ceiling grill under the duct. | Open the door to easily increase airflow. Open a window if you want to keep your door closed. Make sure the air conditioning vent is open if you have A/C. Use ceiling and box fans to generate circulation. Place a window-mounted box fan facing inward. Place a second window-mounted box fan across the room facing outside. Use reversible fans if the wind in your area changes direction frequently. Add extra fans in the middle of a large room. Cut a 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) opening in the door. Install a return duct. Use jump ducts to allow air flow in and out of the room. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Mac-Makeup-Brushes | How to Clean Mac Makeup Brushes | To clean your Mac makeup brushes, first, rinse the bristles in lukewarm water until they are slightly damp. Next, fill a bowl with lukewarm water and add a little bit of cleaning agent, such as unscented white soap, baby shampoo, or a tiny amount of olive oil. From here, you should swirl the tips of your brushes in the cleaning solution to work up a lather, then rinse them with lukewarm tap water. If the water runs clean, gently squeeze excess moisture from your brushes and set them on a clean paper towel to dry. Otherwise, make a new cleaning solution and repeat this process until your brushes are clean. | Rinse the brushes in lukewarm water. Before you begin the cleaning process, you want to rinse out any makeup stuck on the brush. Run each brush under lukewarm water until they're all slightly damp and there is no makeup stuck on. Just run the edges of the bristles under the water, as this is the area where there is likely makeup caked on. Do not get the part of the brush where the bristles meet the handle wet. Choose a cleaning agent. There are a variety of cleaners you can use to clean your brushes. You can purchase Mac cleaner online or at a mac store, but this can be pricey. Household products can also be used to clean makeup brushes. If you use soap, make sure to select unscented white soap. You can also use baby shampoo, which may be more gentle on the bristles of a brush. Olive or almond oil can also be used on brushes, but should only be used on brushes that are heavily coated in makeup. If you choose to use oil, only use a very small amount. Fill a bowl with water and your cleaning agent. Take a small bowl from your kitchen. Fill this bowl up with lukewarm water and add a small amount of your cleaning agent. Remember, if you're using oil as a cleaning agent, you should only use a small amount. Swirl the brush in the bowl. Take your brush and swirl the tip gently in the cleaning solution. Keep swirling until the brush has worked up a slight lather. Rinse the brush and repeat the process. Run the brush under lukewarm tap water to rinse. Then, empty out the bowl, refill it with water and your cleaning agent, and repeat the process. Keep rewashing the brush until the water runs clean when you're rinsing it. How many times you need to wash a brush depends on how dirty it is. If you wash your brushes regularly, it may be clean after only a couple of cycles. If you haven't washed your brushes in awhile, you may have to do quite a few cleaning cycles before they come clean. Dry the brushes. Gently squeeze out the brushes to get out excess water. Then, set all your brushes down on a clean paper towel. Leave them alone until they dry completely. Brushes can take as long as 24 hours to dry. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel. You can clean the handles of brushes with rubbing alcohol. The handles of brushes build up a lot of bacteria over time, so you want to clean them after cleaning the bristles of the brushes. Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel. You do not need a lot of rubbing alcohol. The paper towel should be damp, but not dripping wet. Swab the brush with the paper towel. Gently run the paper towel over the handle of the brush. Swab it lightly to remove any bacteria. Make sure you clean the entire handle. Do not leave any portions uncleaned. Protect the numbers and labels with nail polish. Brushes often contain labels and serial numbers. These are important, as they let you know what the brush is for. They can rub off during the cleaning process, but you can easily protect them with clear nail polish. Simply apply a small amount of makeup over the numbers and labels of your brushes. Set the brushes aside and let them dry. Once dry, they should provide a protective covering that keeps the labels from fading. Clean brushes after using them. You should not wait until your brushes are very dirty to clean them. In addition to getting makeup caked on, dirty brushes can carry bacteria. Give your brushes a light cleaning after each use. Always give the bristles of your brush a light cleaning with antibacterial soap and water after each use. You can use brush cleaner as well, but it's expensive and not entirely necessary to the cleaning process. Antibacterial soap and water can disinfect a brush just as well. Dry wooden brushes at an angle. You can do a lot of damage to wood brushes if you they get wet during the drying process. If exposed to water, especially overnight, they may crack. You always want to dry wooden brushes at a slight angle to avoid damage. When setting wood brushes down to dry, roll up the end of the paper towel slightly. Then, set the wooden ends of the brushes on the rolled up end, so they're tilted downward slightly. This will allow the water to drip out of the bristle end of the brushes. The water will not roll downward and get onto the wooden portion of the brushes. Use conditioner if your brushes feel stiff. Oftentimes, brushes get slightly stiff after washing them. You can use a small amount of conditioner to get the brushes soft again. Massage a tiny amount of conditioner onto the bristles of the brushes. Then, rinse the brushes completely in lukewarm water. Set the brushes aside to dry. | Rinse the brushes in lukewarm water. Choose a cleaning agent. Fill a bowl with water and your cleaning agent. Swirl the brush in the bowl. Rinse the brush and repeat the process. Dry the brushes. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel. Swab the brush with the paper towel. Protect the numbers and labels with nail polish. Clean brushes after using them. Dry wooden brushes at an angle. Use conditioner if your brushes feel stiff. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Design-a-Backyard | How to Design a Backyard | If you want to design the perfect backyard, start by making a list of the features that are most important to you. For instance, you might want a grilling area, a place to sit and eat, and somewhere for your kids to play. Measure the size of your backyard and double-check your property lines, then make a rough sketch of where you want each area, incorporating it into your yard as naturally as possible. Remember to include walkways, lighting, and borders, such as fencing and shrubs. | Embrace your natural landscape instead of trying to change it. Even if it's hard to see the potential in your backyard, chances are it just needs a little love. Spend some time sitting in the yard during the design phase, and really familiarize yourself with the layout of your land. Pay attention to different areas, and envision yourself relaxing and enjoying the space. Then, try to incorporate the features you want into the land as naturally as possible. Great backyard design should enhance the natural beauty of your environment. For instance, if you have a really cool tree, you might want to place a table and chairs beneath it to create a shady spot for afternoon tea! You can use the design to fix areas that are naturally less desirable, too, like putting a rock garden in an area where grass is patchy. Take into account the sun and wind patterns in your yard. As you're planning out your backyard, pay attention to how the sun and wind will affect you when you're spending time outside. Keep in mind, though, that these will change throughout the year, so the only way to really understand them is to spend a lot of time outside through all of the different seasons. For example, If the sun beats down on a certain section of your yard during the summertime, that wouldn't be a good place to set up a kids' play area. Similarly, an area where wind gets funneled through, like between 2 buildings, would be a bad location for a fire pit or a grill, since you'll probably have trouble keeping the fire lit. Leave trees in place if they don't pose a danger to your home. Trees add beauty to your yard, and they're great for the environment. They also provide a home to local wildlife. If you have the option, try to leave as many trees in your yard as you can, and design your landscaping around them. If a tree doesn't pose an immediate damage to your home, but some of the branches are growing near your roof or power lines, have the tree trimmed rather than removing the whole thing. Some trees, like tall pines, are a danger to a home because they could snap during periods of high winds. If that's the case, hire a professional to remove the tree for you. Even dead trees can provide a home for wildlife. In some places, you may need permission from the city before you can remove certain trees from your property. Work with natural slopes whenever possible. It's very rare for a piece of land to be perfectly flat, so you probably have some hills or dips in your backyard. While you might need to dig out a flat surface if you're building a structure like a deck or a patio, it's probably not practical to level the whole yard. Instead, use stone steps, raised or lowered garden beds, and retaining walls to make the slopes part of your design. This will often result in a beautiful, natural-looking landscape, whereas trying to flatten out your whole yard can result in a very artificial look. Leaving the natural slope of your land may also help drain water away from your home. However, if the slope directs water toward your home, it may be worth having a professional landscaper evaluate your property. Allow 5 ft (1.5 m) for main walkways. To ensure you can safely navigate through your yard, it's a good idea to include walkways in your design. If you use paving stones , choose a slightly coarse material so they won't be slippery when it rains. Also, when you install the materials, set them at a 1-2% slope so water will run off of them. Stone, brick, gravel, and concrete are all popular materials for walkways, and depending on the design you choose, they can be a relatively inexpensive investment that add a big dose of comfort and style to your backyard. Secondary walkways, like those leading out into a garden, should be at least 3 ft (0.91 m) wide. Create borders from rock walls, fences, and shrubbery. If you have a small backyard and you already have a fence, you might not need to add any extra borders to your space. However, if you have a larger backyard, you can help make it feel more cohesive by creating defined spaces. For instance, you might plant a wall of shrubs at the outside edge of your play area so it feels more enclosed. Rock walls and wooden fences are a great way to get extra privacy from neighbors or passers-by, and they'll also add a beautiful touch to your backyard. Include flower gardens to add pretty pops of color throughout your yard. A flower garden is a simple way to add big impact to your backyard. Depending on your gardening experience and your budget, your flower garden can be anything from a simple bed running along the side of your patio to an extensive network of exotic plants. For the most low-maintenance option, choose perennial plants that will come back year after year! Plant nectar-producing flowers to attract butterflies to your backyard. Grow vegetables and herbs in your garden to enjoy your own home-grown food. If you live somewhere where bugs are a constant outdoor nuisance, consider planting lavender near your seating areas. The scent will repel insects. Add shrubs if you want extra greenery. Create the feel of a lush escape by including shrubbery throughout your yard and gardens. Once a year, either in the spring or the fall, prune your shrubs with shears to maintain their shape and size. Create a topiary by pruning your shrubs into unique shapes. Good shrubs for topiaries include boxwood, yews, and holly. In addition to being beautiful, shrubbery will give your yard an extra layer of privacy and security. Plant trees for a long-term addition to your backyard. If you're designing a backyard that you can enjoy now and into the future, trees can be a wonderful addition. Plant trees that will have a sprawling canopy, like maple, oak, or aspen, if you want to add shade to your yard. If you're more interested in decorative trees, opt for a smaller flowering variety, like magnolias or the Eastern redbud. Fruit trees are a beautiful way to enjoy fresh produce you grew yourself! Opt for native plants and grass for a healthier ecosystem. By choosing plants which are native to your area, you'll cut down on how much time you have to spend caring for the plant. That's because native plants are typically the best-suited for your soil and climate, so you usually won't need to worry much about adjusting the soil and constantly adding fertilizer. Native grass is also a more low-maintenance option if you're reseeding your lawn. Use planters to add greenery to a small space. There's no need to skip gardening just because you have a small backyard. Planters will allow you to make the use of your compact space, and the planters themselves often add a nice decorative touch. Tiered planters are a great way to make the most of vertical space. Try placing matching planters on either side of a small patio to make it feel cohesive. Include plenty of comfortable seating. Whether you're planning to entertain often or you just want a cozy place to hide away, the seating will be one of the most important aspects of how comfortable you'll be. The types of seating you'll choose will depend on how you plan to use the space. If you'll have a lot of people over, consider folding chairs that you can hang from pegs when they're not in use. If you don't have a lot of space, you might opt for an outdoor couch or bench that conceals a storage compartment. Other options for seating might include lounge chairs, bistro chairs, or even outdoor daybeds. For long afternoons relaxing in the shade, you might want to string up a comfy hammock ! Leave 3 ft (0.91 m) of space around your patio furniture to ensure you have plenty of room to walk around it. Choose a large outdoor table if you'll be dining outside. If you love the idea of eating a freshly-grilled burger on your back patio, you'll need a sturdy outdoor table. Pick a table that has room for an extra person or 2, so you'll always have room for guests! For instance, if you have a family of 4, you'd probably want an outdoor table with room for about 6 people. If you don't care to eat outdoors, you may still want some smaller accent tables for your space, so you'll have a place to set your drink, book, or anything else you take outside with you. Add a fire pit for a fun way to stay warm. To enjoy your outdoor space when the weather gets chilly, consider adding a fire pit to your backyard. These provide a safer way to contain a fire than just having one in the open. You can buy pre-made fire pits, or you can make one yourself from fire-safe materials like brick or field stone. You can even arrange your seating around the fire pit so everyone can enjoy the warmth. For instance, you could build or purchase a large circular Of course, always prioritize fire safety ! Don't light a fire on a day with high winds, and keep children and pets at a safe distance from the fire pit. Also, never throw anything combustible into the fire pit. Build a deck or a patio to keep your feet out of the dirt. If you place your lawn furniture directly in your backyard, you'll have to deal with dirt, mud, and insects when you're relaxing. To avoid that, you can pour a concrete patio or build a wooden deck near your home, then use that space for entertaining, grilling, and more. You can even make a patio out of stone pavers, if you'd like. Create a grilling area if you love to cook outside. It's best to have a designated area for your grill, since you'll need to store it when it's not in use. If you use your grill a lot, you might even want to make a built-in grilling area where you can store your grilling tools and any other supplies you might need while you're cooking. You may want to build a small awning over this space to protect your grill from the elements. Don't forget to include lighting in your design. If your entertaining area is close to your house, a porch light might be adequate. If not, you'll have to use outdoor lighting in order to be able to enjoy your backyard after the sun goes down. Place solar-powered lights along a walkway for an eco-friendly way to light your path at night. Drape string lights across a patio or wrap them around the base of a tree for a festive touch. Use motion-activated flood lights for added security in your backyard. Build a pool in your backyard if you love to swim. A pool will take up a lot of space, so you should decide early on whether you want to have one. Pick a sunny spot for your pool, away from any trees or shrubs. This will lessen the amount of leaves you have to clean out of your pool each day. You could also include a hot tub if you'd prefer to have a warm, relaxing soak. These typically take up less space than a pool. Pools take a lot of maintenance , and they're an expensive addition to your backyard, so don't feel like you have to include one! If you love water but you don't want to swim, you could add a koi pond or a fountain instead! Make an area for the kids to play if you have children at home. No matter what your budget, you can create a fun place for your kids to play outside. For instance, you could hang a rope swing from a sturdy tree branch or build a sandbox for next to nothing! If you have a larger budget, you could build a playhouse or a treehouse for your kids. Kids love to play outside, and it's a great way for them to get exercise! By creating a special space for them, you'll be encouraging them to be active and healthy. To keep animals out of your sandbox, build or make a cover to go over it when the kids are finished playing. Leave space for outdoor games if you're athletic. When you're planning your outdoor space, sometimes it's best to leave a wide-open area in your yard. That way, if you want room to toss a ball around, run sprints, or build an obstacle course, you won't risk crushing your flower garden, and you'll lessen the chance of accidentally hurting yourself or damaging your home. If you have enough space and you really love sports, you could even build a ball court! Prioritize the features that are most important to you. Before you get started building or even sketching your backyard design, you'll need to decide what features you feel are the most essential for you to enjoy your space. Make a list of what's most important, then include those priority features first when you start planning the layout. For instance, if you love to grill on the weekends, you'd want to include space for grilling high on your list. Other features might include a play space for children, a vegetable garden, an entertaining area, or a pool. The number of features you can include will depend on the size of your backyard. If you have a large, open space, you might be able to include everything you want. For smaller backyards, you might choose 2 or 3 elements to focus on. Sketch out your backyard plan to see how everything fits together. Once you've decided which backyard features are most important to you, draw a rough sketch planning where everything will go. You don't have to spend a lot of time on this sketch, since you might change your mind or want to rearrange something later on. You can even use simple circles as shrubbery, a square for your outdoor table, wavy lines for a flower bed, and so on. You can also use a backyard design tool on the computer or your phone, such as SmartDraw, Garden Planner, or Garden Visualizer, if you prefer. This is a good time to measure your yard so you'll know exactly how much space you have to work with. Create multi-functional areas if you have a smaller backyard. If you don't have a lot of free space in your backyard, try designating spaces that you can use in different ways. For instance, use tiered planters along a wall to combine your entertaining space with room for an herb garden. Look for ways to make use of out-of-the-way spaces, as well. A small gap between the edge of your deck and the corner of your house might be the perfect spot for a storage bench, for instance. Incorporate repeating elements to make a larger backyard feel more cohesive. If you have a lot of land, it can be hard to make your backyard feel like an intentional space. To make everything feel like it belongs together, try to find a way to bring similar colors and shapes to different areas of the yard. This can be through landscaping , structures, or even decorative items placed throughout your space. For instance, you might plant groups of the same type of flower or bush in gardens throughout the yard, or you might build a pergola and a patio from the same type of wood. You could also use the same pavers to create a network of walkways through the backyard. Start small if you're doing the work yourself. Unless you can afford a landscaping company to come in and build your backyard for you, you'll probably end up doing a lot of the work on your own. To make the process easier, break your backyard design into smaller projects, and take them on one at a time. If you try to take on the whole project at once, you'll probably end up with a big, overwhelming mess on your hands, and you might end up rushing through projects just to get done. Planting a flower bed is a great place to start. It's typically a relatively inexpensive project, and depending on the size, you can usually complete it over the course of 1 or 2 weekends. Then, seeing the finished result can help motivate you to take on the next project, and so on until you finish. | Embrace your natural landscape instead of trying to change it. Take into account the sun and wind patterns in your yard. Leave trees in place if they don't pose a danger to your home. Work with natural slopes whenever possible. Allow 5 ft (1.5 m) for main walkways. Create borders from rock walls, fences, and shrubbery. Include flower gardens to add pretty pops of color throughout your yard. Add shrubs if you want extra greenery. Plant trees for a long-term addition to your backyard. Opt for native plants and grass for a healthier ecosystem. Use planters to add greenery to a small space. Include plenty of comfortable seating. Choose a large outdoor table if you'll be dining outside. Add a fire pit for a fun way to stay warm. Build a deck or a patio to keep your feet out of the dirt. Create a grilling area if you love to cook outside. Don't forget to include lighting in your design. Build a pool in your backyard if you love to swim. Make an area for the kids to play if you have children at home. Leave space for outdoor games if you're athletic. Prioritize the features that are most important to you. Sketch out your backyard plan to see how everything fits together. Create multi-functional areas if you have a smaller backyard. Incorporate repeating elements to make a larger backyard feel more cohesive. Start small if you're doing the work yourself. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Vision-Board | How to Make a Vision Board | To make a vision board, start by collecting some inspirational images that are related to your goals. For example, if your goal is to get into your dream college, you could use pictures of the campus and photos of students at the college. Then, write out some positive affirmations to go along with your images, like "I will get into the college of my dreams." Next, arrange all of your images and affirmations on a poster board or cork board. Finally, place your vision board somewhere you'll see it every day. | Reflect upon your goals. Most of us have some general or vague idea about what we want out of life, what our goals are, and what makes us happy. Nonetheless, when asked directly about our conception of the good life, we may struggle to come up with specifics. To make sure that we're on track, and that we won't look back on our lives with regret, it's a great idea to regularly set time aside to clearly identify our goals and aspirations in as much detail as possible, and to then come up with plans with concrete steps for achieving our aims. Creating a vision board can be one way to help us with this important task. Think about the big questions. Before you get started making your vision board, spend some time thinking about the following general questions: What, in your view, is a good life? What makes a life valuable or worth living? When you are on your deathbed, what will you have hoped to have accomplished? Break down the big questions. To help you answer these big questions (which can be overwhelming!), break them down into smaller questions: What activities do you want to learn how to do? What hobbies and activities do you already do, but want to continue doing or get better at? What are your career goals? What steps will you have to accomplish along the way to be able to eventually land your dream job? (For example, do you need a particular degree, or will you need to secure an internship?) What are your relationship goals? Don't think just in terms of whether or not you want to be married, be in a long-term relationship or have children: think more specifically about what kind of person you want to be with, how you'd like to spend time with your partner, etc. How do you want to be remembered by others? For example, do you want to write the next great American novel? Do you want to head a charitable organization that positively impacts the lives of others? Choose your theme. Based upon the discoveries you've made after completing the above steps, it's now time for you to decide what you want the focus of your vision board to be. Don't feel as though you must limit yourself to creating just one vision board to reflect all of your dreams. You can make as many separate vision boards as you want, each with a different focus. You can decide to make a vision board which focuses on a very specific goal that you have. For example, if want to be able to afford your dream vacation within the next year, you can design a Jamaica-themed dream board. You can also make dream boards which have a more general theme. Perhaps after reflecting about the type of person you want to be remembered as you determined that you want to work on becoming a kinder, more generous person. Your dream board can be devoted to this theme. Among the things you include can be pictures of inspiring role models. Decide upon the format of your vision board. Now that you've chosen a theme for your dream board, you'll want to decide the format that it will take. Most people who make vision boards make physical boards out of poster-board, cork-board, or on any material that can be hung on or propped against a wall. When placed in a prominent position, you'll be able to view your vision board regularly and reflect upon it daily. However, there's no reason to limit yourself to just this style of vision board. You can also make an electronic version of a vision board. You can design your own webpage or blog, use sites like Pinterest, or even just create a private document on your computer where you'll collect your inspirational images and affirmations. Choose the format that you're most comfortable with, and which you'll be the most likely to actually look at and update regularly. Collect inspirational images for your vision board. Now it's time for you to find positive images that correspond to your chosen theme. Obvious sources are the internet, magazines, and photographs, but don't forget to keep your eyes open while out and about for funky, inspirational postcards, newspaper clippings, labels, etc. When choosing your images, select them with a careful eye, making sure to closely examine the entire image. For example, if your goal is to get into your dream college, be sure to include an image of the campus, but select shots that are taken during your favorite season, or which show students engaged in activities you hope to enjoy while enrolled as a student. Collect inspirational words for your vision board. You want your vision board to be very visual, and to contain plenty of images which appeal to you and which demand your focus. Don't forget, though, to pepper your board with plenty of inspiring sayings or affirmations. An affirmation is a positive saying or script which you can repeat to yourself as a mantra. You can of course write your own affirmations , or you can search online for examples or visit your local bookstore or library for inspiration. Your aspirations should be positively focused. For example, perhaps your goal is to be selected as first violin in your orchestra, but in the past you've struggled to practice every day, in spite of making resolutions every New Year's Eve. Don't include the following: “I won't quit practicing daily after just one month, like I always do”. This just highlights your previous shortcomings, and has an overall negative tone. Instead, consider something like “I'll fill my home with joyful music daily”. This is so much more positive, and makes practicing an activity to look forward to, as opposed to describing it as something to be endured. Put your vision board together. Once you've selected your images and inspiring phrases, it's time to get creative with your arrangement. Experiment with different designs—you can find fun examples through online searches, but don't feel as though you have to match anyone else's style. Consider choosing a colored background for your vision-board. Select this color carefully depending upon the nature and content of your theme. For example, if you want to stay pumped-up about being able to accomplish a difficult physical goal (like being able to bench press your own weight), choose a strong color, like red. If, on the other hand, you are working on achieving peace and calm in your life, choose colors that are likewise soothing, like a soft blue. Think about including a photo of you in the center of your vision board and surrounding yourself (literally!) with your inspiring images and words. Once you've settled upon a design and arrangement that appeals to you, secure the components with glue or staples (if you are making a physical vision board; if you're making an electronic version, be sure to save your file!). Place your vision board where you will see it every day. Your goal in creating this vision board is to create a visual reminder of what you are hoping to accomplish and to be able to view it regularly in order to maintain your focus and motivation. Don't hide your vision board in a back closet! You may prefer that your vision board be a private source of inspiration, which is fine. If this is the case, don't feel as though you must hang your vision board in your living room. Similarly, if you are using an electronic vision board, you don't need to make it public. Most webpages and/or blogs can be set to private, or you can limit the people who can view your work. The point is that your vision board should be accessible to you, and shouldn't be placed where you'll fall out of the habit of looking at it. View your board regularly. Commit to viewing—really viewing, not just glancing at—your vision board at least once a day. Commit to spending at least five minutes studying the contents and focusing on the images. Don't just read the inspirational sayings and affirmations silently to yourself: repeat them out-loud and with conviction. It's one thing to silently say to yourself “I will become a successful designer,” but it's yet another thing to hear yourself say that with confidence. If you don't believe in yourself, who will? Don't be taken in by false promises of what a vision board can guarantee. Creating a vision board can be a good way for you to find inspiration, identify and shape your dreams, and keep you focused and motivated. If, however, you are thinking about this project because you've heard promises that making a vision board in the “right” way, and changing your thinking in the “right” way will guarantee that the universe will deliver what you want—think twice. There's absolutely no scientific evidence that creating a vision board and visualizing your success at achieving your goals will cause the universe to deliver. While you shouldn't give up your dreams before you start, understand that life throws roadblocks at us, and that sometimes, try as we might, we simply won't be able to achieve everything that we desire. If you go into this project thinking that you'll get results if you do it correctly, and if you then aren't able to get everything you want, you're only setting yourself up for self-blame and disappointment, which can lead to depression or lowered self-worth. Use your dream board to visualize the process, not just the result. Your dream board can provide you with a tangible point of focus to help you visualize your goals. However, you should know that there's debate within the scientific community as to how large of a role visualizing ought to play in our strategies towards achieving our goals. Some recent studies have suggested that people who spend more time visualizing and imagining themselves having obtained success actually under-perform once the time comes. For example, students who were asked to spend time imagining how great it would feel to perform well on an exam did worse than those students who instead visualized their study process and those who did not visualize at all. The lesson to be learned from this and other similar studies seems to be that, while it's good to specify your goals and spend some time envisioning what your life will be like if and when you reach them, it's both more effective and better for your mental health to focus on the specific steps you'll need to take along the way. For example, there's probably nothing wrong with day-dreaming about how awesome you'll feel once you cross the finish line of your first marathon. However, you may actually be less likely to ever actually complete the grueling run if all you ever do is visualize this moment of success. What time you do spend visualizing would be better spent focused upon your training process. Make sure that your vision board has plenty of images and inspirational sayings related to the minutia of training and not just the moment of success. And of course, don't forget to actually strap on the running shoes and get out there! | Reflect upon your goals. Think about the big questions. Break down the big questions. Choose your theme. Decide upon the format of your vision board. Collect inspirational images for your vision board. Collect inspirational words for your vision board. Put your vision board together. Place your vision board where you will see it every day. View your board regularly. Don't be taken in by false promises of what a vision board can guarantee. Use your dream board to visualize the process, not just the result. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Deadmau5-Head | How to Make a Deadmau5 Head | To make a Deadmau5 head, start by buying a plastic lamp globe from a department store with a hole in the bottom for your head. Then, cut 2 circular ears out of cardboard and glue them pointing slightly backwards onto your globe. For the eyes, cut a styrofoam ball in half and glue both halves to the front of the lamp globe. Additionally, decorate your head by painting it an apple red color, or look up previous Deadmau5 designs online for inspiration. | Inflate a beach ball. In this method, we'll use a beach ball as a sort of "mold" for our papier mâché Mau5head. If following the dimensions above, you will want a ball that's 14" in diameter when inflated. Inflate your ball so that it's nice and firm and make sure it's securely plugged - you don't want your ball to lose any air during the lengthy drying process. Note that a beach ball isn't absolutely necessary - any spherical object will work as long as it's rigid and about the right size. Coat the ball with papier mâché. Next, we'll create a rigid "shell" from papier mâché that will form the central spherical portion of our Mau5head. There are several different ways to make papier mâché. Any method that works for you is fine, though we are partial to wikiHow's own papier mâché recipe. Once you've made your liquid mixture, soak thin strips of torn newspaper in it, then lay them flat on the beach ball. Continue until your ball is completely coated (leaving a clear area around the air nozzle) and you cannot see its design through the paper. Let dry overnight. You will want a strong, rigid Mau5head, so it's generally a good idea to plan on laying down several layers of papier mâché. Some online methods recommend as many as nine layers. Add more papier mâché as needed, then remove the beach ball. The initial papier mâché layers may not be as thick or rigid as you desire. If not, add more as you see fit. Each time you add additional layers, you'll want to let your Mau5head sit for another night. Finally, when your Mau5head is just how you want it, undo the beach ball's plug and allow it to deflate. Once it is deflated enough to fit through the hole, pull it out. Be careful when you pull the beach ball out, as it's likely that it's stuck to the inside of the mask. Be gentle to avoid tearing. Cut a hole for your head. Next, you'll want to enlarge the hole that you left for the beach ball's plug so that you can get your head into the mask. As you work, make small, conservative cuts and test the size of the opening frequently - it's always possible to cut more , but not to undo cuts you've already made. Obviously, everyone's head is a different size. While a circular hole of about 7-8" (17.78-20.32 cm) in diameter will fit most people, you may find that your hole needs to be bigger or smaller. Cut a mouth hole. What good is a Mau5head without an enormous, creepy grin? Use a pen or pencil to draw an outline for your Deadmau5 - you'll want your mouth to be about 50 degrees wide with the top edge roughly horizontal and the corners of the mouth reaching to the sides of the mask. In other words, the corners of the mouth should align on a 180 degree angle. Use a knife to start a cut in the middle of the area of where your mouth will be. Then, use scissors to carefully cut along your lines until your mouth is completely cut out. Cut two cardboard circles (with tabs) for your ears. Deadmau5 has big, circular ears - about 13" (33.02 cm) in diameter. To replicate these, cut two equally-sized circles from a cardboard box, leaving a small "tab" of material on each ear to fit into slots you'll cut to hold the ears in place. Your ears don't have to be exactly the same size as the ones on the real Mau5head - anything from 12-15" (30.48-38.1 cm) should be fine. Fit the ears into slits on the head. Next, use a knife to cut small, thin slits in the top of your mask's head. These slits should be just wide enough to accommodate the "tabs" on your cardboard ears. Your slits should be angled toward the back of the head at an angle of about 15 degrees and the tops of the slits should be about 3.5" (8.89 cm) apart. Insert the ears' tabs into these slits and secure with plenty of tape and/or glue. Finally, papier mâché the ears to the head. Add thin layers of papier mâché to cover the ears, taking special care to add plenty around the ears' tabs to secure them in place. You may even want to add papier mâché around the tab inside the mask as well. Allow to dry overnight. Cut a Styrofoam ball in half. Small styrofoam balls, which can be found at most craft stores, are a perfect low-cost solution for making Deadmau5's eyes. You'll want a styrofoam ball about 4.5" (11.43 cm) in diameter. Cut your sphere in half as precisely as possible. Use a knife, rather than scissors. Optionally, tape colored lights to the back of your styrofoam eyes. If you're feeling really artsy, you can tape electric lights to the rear "flat" portion of each eye for an awesome effect in low-light conditions. You may even want to carve a notch in each eye so that your lights can be embedded within the eyes themselves. When done, your light it should shine through the styrofoam, making the whole eye appear to light up. Glue your eyes to the head. The bulging eyes on the Mau5head should sit about 2" (5.08 cm) above mouth and 5" (12.7 cm) apart from each other. If you're not using colored lights for the eyes, you can attach your eyes directly onto the head. If you are using colored lights, you may need to make small holes in the head to accommodate the lights' wires. Tape or glue your eyes in place. If using colored lights, feed any wire(s) through two small holes beneath the eyes. If your lights are switch-activated, make sure you have easy access to the switch. For instance, when you wear the Mau5head, you may want to snake the wire down the back of your shirt and into your pocket so you can activate the switch inconspicuously. Use a thin mesh to cover the inside of the mouth opening. Stretch a thin fabric mesh (think panty hose material) across the inside of the mouth to form the Mau5head's "teeth". Either hot glue or tape it from the inside to secure it in place. If the mesh you use isn't already white, paint it a whitish color. You want as thin and tight of mesh as possible, as you'll look through the mesh to see where you're going when you wear the mask! Trial-fit the mask. Once every part of your mask is in place, put on your mask to make sure it's comfy. Now is your chance to make any last-minute adjustments to make your mask look or feel better. You may want to ask someone if s/he can see your face. If you get a "not really", "kinda", or "no", then you're probably fine. If not, you may want to paint your mesh more thickly or get another layer of see-through fabric to place behind it. Use caution, however - it's more important that you're able to see than it is that your face is hidden Paint and decorate your mask to your liking. Congratulations, you Mau5head is done! All that's left now is to decorate the outside exactly how you want to. You may want to look up some of the different masks Deadmau5 has actually used over the years for inspiration. When all else fails, a single, bright color (like candy apple red) always looks great. Use fabric, rather than paint. If you're a decent tailor, fabric may be a better choice for the outside of your Mau5head than paint. Fabric is strong, durable, and looks great. Even better, though, is the fact that fabric coverings are interchangeable, allowing you to rock several different Deadmau5 looks without having to re-paint your mask! Use a lamp globe, rather than a papier mâché sphere. If you're pressed for time, waiting several days for a papier mâché mask to dry can be a non-starter. If you can get your hands on one, you may want to instead use a thin yet sturdy plastic lamp globe as the central "head" portion of your mask. Acrylic plastic lamp globes work well. Obviously, you'll want one roughly the same size as the mask above (14" (35.56 cm) in diameter)). Lamp globes are often available from specialty home furnishers and at some department stores. Bonus points if it already includes a hole at the bottom that's big enough for your head! Mount a bike helmet or hard hat inside the mask for added comfort. Finally, you may find that your Mau5head is more comfortable if you secure a sturdy piece of headgear to the inside of the mask so that you can comfortably "wear" the mask on your head. You can do this with superglue (or, if you're worried about damage to your headgear, lots of tape). Heavy pieces of headgear, like hard hats, can put stress on the mask when you're not wearing it. Make sure your mask is strong and rigid enough to support the weight of any headgear you install inside it to keep your mask from imploding! | Inflate a beach ball. Coat the ball with papier mâché. Add more papier mâché as needed, then remove the beach ball. Cut a hole for your head. Cut a mouth hole. Cut two cardboard circles (with tabs) for your ears. Fit the ears into slits on the head. Finally, papier mâché the ears to the head. Cut a Styrofoam ball in half. Optionally, tape colored lights to the back of your styrofoam eyes. Glue your eyes to the head. Use a thin mesh to cover the inside of the mouth opening. Trial-fit the mask. Paint and decorate your mask to your liking. Use fabric, rather than paint. Use a lamp globe, rather than a papier mâché sphere. Mount a bike helmet or hard hat inside the mask for added comfort. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Garden-Salad | How to Make a Garden Salad | To make a garden salad, cut a head of lettuce into bite-sized pieces. You can use Romaine lettuce or whatever kind of lettuce that you like. After you've chopped the lettuce, rinse it well by soaking the leaves in a bowl of water and then drying them off. Then, slice a tomato into wedges and slice a red onion, using your fingers to separate the rings. Cut up a cucumber and a carrot and put all of your veggies into a bowl. Mix in your dressing and enjoy! | Cut the leaves off the lettuce. Unless you bought your lettuce already cut into bite-sized pieces, you will need to cut the leaves off the lettuce head. Simply lay the lettuce down on its side and cut the base off where all of the leaves are gathered. Cut the lettuce into smaller pieces. Place a few leaves on top of each other and start chopping the lettuce horizontally. You can also simply tear the lettuce into smaller pieces using your fingers. If the lettuce you are using has a thick stem in the middle, be sure to cut it out and discard it. Wash and dry the lettuce. Fill a clean sink or bowl with cool water and place the leaves inside. Gently move the leaves about to dislodge any dirt. Once the lettuce is clean, dry it using a salad spinner, or set the leaves down on a clean towel and pat them dry with another towel. The leaves must be dry, or else the dressing will not stick to them. Cut the tomato into wedges. Place the tomato down on the cutting board with the stem facing you, and cut it in half using a serrated knife. Take one of the halves and place it cut-side-down on the cutting board. Cut it in half again, going from the top of the tomato (where the stem is) to the bottom. Cut each half into wedges. Start from the domed part of the tomato and cut down towards the middle, where the stem was. Repeat the process for the other half. You can also use whole cherry or grape tomatoes. You can use them whole or cut them in half. Slice an onion. Take ¼ of a purple onion and slice it into thin rings. Use your fingers to gently separate the rings. You can also dice the onion instead. Slice a cucumber. You can peel the cucumber first, or you can leave the skin on. Make sure that the slices are thin. You can also chop the cucumber into cubes. Chop up a carrot. You can chop the carrot up into thin slices, or you can grate it. You can also use whole baby carrots as well. Place all the vegetables into a bowl and toss them together. Use a pair of salad serving spoons to gently scoop up some salad and drop it back into the bowl. Pick up some more salad and drop it into the bowl. Keep tossing the salad like this until all o the vegetables are evenly dispersed throughout the salad. Add a salad dressing of your choice. You can use a store-bought, pre-made dressing, or you can make your own from scratch. If you wish to make your own, refer to the section in this article on making basic salad dressing. Pour some dressing into the salad and toss it. You can add as much or as little dressing as you like. In general, the greens should be lightly coated with the dressing, and not drenched so much that the dressing pools at the bottom of the bowl. Find a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. You will be mixing your salad dressing in this jar. If you do not have a jar, you can use a glass bottle instead. Avoid using plastic, as that can affect the flavor. Pour all the ingredients into the jar. You will need 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) of olive oil, 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) of white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper. For a heavier dressing, use extra virgin olive oil. If you want a lighter dressing, use light olive oil instead. You can also use canola, grape seed oil, or vegetable oil instead of olive oil. These will give you a more delicate flavor. Instead of white wine vinegar, you can also use apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or rice vinegar. Consider adding in some extra flavor. You can customize your salad dressing by adding some fresh herbs, honey or sugar, or garlic. Here are some options for you to choose from: For a fresh, herbal touch, add 1 - 2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, or thyme. For a sharper flavor, add 1 finely-mined garlic clove. You can also use a garlic press instead. For a cheesier option, add 2 tablespoons of finely grated or crumbled cheese, such as parmesan. Add some spice with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard. Add a little sweetness with ½ to 1 teaspoon of 1/2 – 1 honey or sugar. Shake the jar. Close the lid tightly and shake the jar until all of the ingredients are combined. If any of the dressing has seeped out from beneath the lid, wipe it off with a damp towel. You can use this dressing on your salad and store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Store the dressing properly. If you have any salad dressing left over, close the jar tightly and store it in the refrigerator. Use it within two to three days. Consider customizing your salad. Garden salads are easily-customizable. You can add more vegetables, use completely different vegetables, or even change the dressing. This section will give you some ideas. Use different vegetables. You can substitute the vegetables in your salad for other ones. You can also simply toss more vegetables into your salad in addition to the ones you already have to make it more colorful and flavorful. Other vegetables often found in garden salads include black olives, mushrooms, onions, radishes, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers. Use a different salad dressing. If you don't like basic salad dressing, you can use a different instead, such as French, Italian, red wine vinaigrette, or ranch. You can also forgo the dressing altogether and lightly season your salad with some olive oil and a drizzle of lemon juice or vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add some toppings. You can give your salad some more flavor or crunch by adding shredded parmesan cheese on top, or some of your favorite croutons. Add a Greek spin to your salad. Keep the cucumber, onion, and tomatoes in the salad, but switch out the carrot for some chopped red and green peppers and sliced black olives. Add some crumbled feta cheese and crumbled oregano. Toss everything into a bowl and mix together. Finish off with some Italian salad dressing. You can make the salad with lettuce, or omit it completely. Make an East Asian salad. You will need a ½ cup (125 grams) of corn kernels, 1 diced tomato, ½ cup (75 grams) of diced cucumber, 3 tablespoons of diced pineapple, and a few sprigs of dried coriander. You will also need ½ cup (50 grams) sprouted mung beans (drained) and 3 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds. Toss everything into a bowl. At this point, you can some salad dressing, salt, and pepper, or keep it simple with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. | Cut the leaves off the lettuce. Cut the lettuce into smaller pieces. Wash and dry the lettuce. Cut the tomato into wedges. Slice an onion. Slice a cucumber. Chop up a carrot. Place all the vegetables into a bowl and toss them together. Add a salad dressing of your choice. Find a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Pour all the ingredients into the jar. Consider adding in some extra flavor. Shake the jar. Store the dressing properly. Consider customizing your salad. Use different vegetables. Use a different salad dressing. Add some toppings. Add a Greek spin to your salad. Make an East Asian salad. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.