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https://www.wikihow.com/Handle-Emotionally-Needy-Parents	How to Handle Emotionally Needy Parents	It can be stressful if you have emotionally needy parents, but if you learn to set boundaries and communicate well, you'll have an easier time handling it. If your parents want to see you all the time, explain that you have responsibilities to tend to, like your kids or work. Or, if they often stop by unannounced, let them know that it's not okay. You could say, “Mom, I love you but I have my own life and responsibilities. Can you call me before you come by?” You might also set up regular meeting times, like getting lunch once a month. That way, your parents will be less stressed about when they're going to see you next. Or, if you live far away, agree to call weekly or send an email. If your parents don't honor your boundaries or are hurting you emotionally, consider taking a step back for a while. It may seem harsh, but you should do what's best for your mental health.	Ask yourself if you always feel like the parent. Do you often feel like you are the only grown up when dealing with your parents? Are they fixated only on their needs, asking you to help fulfill them instead of taking care of themselves?? Has it been this way for a very long time If this is the case, then your parents may be emotionally immature and you will need to set strong boundaries, work on your own reactions, and stop expecting them to change. If you feel like your parent has become more needy due to declining heath and being unable to functionally take care of themselves, then you will need a different approach. This will require greater sensitivity, and you will likely need the support of siblings and any other family members, as well as outside help. Think about their health. If your parents' neediness is something new, you need to take their overall health into consideration. New behaviors indicate that something has changed in their lives. Ultimately, your parents may want or need extra emotional support because of their deteriorating health. When thinking about this, consider: Do they have a medical problem? A recent diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening disease may cause a parent to seem more emotionally needy. In the end, they may just want to spend more time with you, or they may need extra support. Have they been diagnosed with a cognitive or psychological problem? Parents with Alzheimer's or other cognitive problems may need extra help and may come off as needy. Do they have mobility limitations? For instance, are they wheelchair-bound or have a related problem? If a parent is unable to move themselves around, they may feel frustrated and want more emotional support. Consider logistics. When putting together your plan of how to deal with your emotionally needy parents, you need to consider basic logistical facts. Ultimately, logistics will determine a large part of how you'll deal with your parents. Consider: How close you live. If you live far away, you may have to attend to your parents over the phone and via email. Let them know that you simply can't visit them as often as they'd like. Let them know this by saying “Mom, we live so far apart and my responsibilities make it so I can't visit as much as you want.” If they can travel independently. If they can't travel independently (and you live far away), you'll have to be up front about the limited amount of visiting you'll be able to do. Say something like, “Dad, I want to visit more often, but I can't get away as often as you would like.” If you have siblings or other family members who can help out. Work out a schedule with your siblings to ensure that your parents needs are being met without any one sibling doing all the work and getting burned out. Reflect on your responsibilities. After logistics, your personal responsibilities will help determine the level of attention you can devote to your parents. Ultimately, you simply may not be able to provide the attention they demand. Do you have dependent children? If so, you may be limited in the amount of time and care you can offer your parents. Let your parents know that your parental responsibilities limit the amount of time you can share with them. Are you financially restricted? If you don't the financial resources, you may not be able to visit your parents as much as you like – tell them. Do you have substantial work obligations? If you work a lot, hold several different jobs, or travel frequently for work, you may not be able to dedicate as much time as they want. Your parents should know this fact. Decide whether you've made substantial effort. Once you've assessed the situation, spend a little time thinking about whether you've acted as a caring and responsible child. This will help you determine if you're partly to blame or if your parents are indeed needy. Before deciding, ask yourself: Do you visit or contact your parents as much as your siblings or your peers? If you don't, you might be neglecting your parents. Do you respond to your parents in a caring and loving way? For instance, if you seem annoyed or rushed when you talk with them on the phone, they may feel neglected. Is the contact you have with your parents mutual? For instance, if your parents are always calling you, and you don't call them independently, they may feel taken for granted. Avoid letting them control or manage your life. While it may seem mean or callous to limit the information your parents have about what you're doing, you may need to do so to stop them from turning into ever-present and overbearing figures in your daily life. If you have ruled out a medical cause as the reason for increased "neediness," or this has been an ongoing issue, you may need to set very clear limits, or boundaries, with your parents. All contacts should be mutually-agreeable. Don't let your parents dictate what or where you do something. Don't let your parents know every detail of your daily schedule. If they do, there is a chance they could be present much more than you're comfortable with. If you're an adult, make it clear that you don't want to micromanaged. Let them know that it is not okay to stop by your house, apartment, or dorm randomly. For instance, say “Mom, I love you, but I'm an independent person with my own life and responsibilities. I'd appreciate it if you'd give me some personal space.” Accept emotionally immature parents. If your parents have a long history of being needy and interfering in your life, then you may need to simply accept that this is who they are. Instead of trying to change them, focus on how to protect yourself. Decide what you will and will not accept from them, and let them know that there are consequences for violating those boundaries. For instance, you might say, “Mom, I'm happy to go shopping with you once a month, but I don't have time to do it every weekend.” Or you might say, “Dad, I love seeing you, but you cannot continue to let yourself into my house whenever you feel like it. You need to call first and we can agree on a time and place to meet. If you do it again, I am going to ask for my emergency key back.” If your parents try to draw you into arguments, set a boundary by walking away. Say, “I'm not willing to discuss this any further.” Talk to them about how their emotional needs are problematic, if necessary. There may come the time when you need to sit down with your parents and have a serious and prolonged conversation about their emotional needs and your life. If this happens, you need to explain how their actions and neediness interfere with your need to be an independent person. Schedule a time to talk with them, like over a coffee or a meal. Explain to them that while you love and care for them, their neediness or behavior is causing problems for you. For example, say “Mom, while I love you, the amount of time you want to spend together is causing me to neglect my own duties as a parent and a professional.” Allow them to explain how they feel. For instance, say something like “Mom, am I misunderstanding your needs?” Ask your parent if there is any underlying problem they want to talk about. You might discover that there is something like a recently diagnosed medical issue that has been influencing their behavior. Make sure to explain to them the importance of your personal boundaries. Limit contact, if you need. At some point you may need to limit contact with your parents. Ultimately, this is a final and extreme step if communication and other ways of interacting with them have failed. Limiting contact may be necessary when you have parents that are mentally ill or abusive. If your parents are ill, then this may require an initial period of increased contact. For instance, as you work out their care (for instance, dividing the work between family members, hiring a nurse or other outside help, or moving them to a nursing home). You want to make sure their basic needs (including company and human contact) are being met and that they are getting the necessary medical care for their illness. If your parents are simply overbearing and refuse to honor your boundaries, then you may need to call them and explain that their actions have driven a wedge between you. For instance, say "Mom, I've explained to you how your actions are negatively impacting my life. I think we need to both take a step back. Limiting contact needs to be a unilateral step — you take it on your own without input from your parents. Don't allow them to try to negotiate with you. Explain that limiting contact will last a certain amount of time, or until you think they will permanently change their behavior. For instance, say "Dad, I'm very busy over the next month. If you can respect my autonomy, I'd like to get together next month." As part of limiting contact, you may need to recommend that your parents seek psychological help or support from a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Be polite. Whenever you talk to your parents, you should be polite and loving. While their neediness and actions might frustrate you, you need to remember that they love and care about you. Use this opportunity to return the favor by showing them politeness and respect. Don't be abrupt or short when you answer their phone calls or emails. Instead of saying something like “I don't have time for this now, mom” say “Hi mom, I'd love to chat right now but can't. Can I call you back later?” Avoid snapping at them. While you may be very frustrated with their neediness, do your best to never snap at them. Never say things like “Mom, I just can't handle your neediness anymore!” Remember that you can't take back mean things once you say them. Share how much you care about them. Under almost all circumstances, you should make sure that you share your feelings about your parents with them. Ultimately, by letting them know that you care about them, too, you may relieve some of the stress and anxiety they are suffering that is causing them to be needy. Tell your parents you love and care about them whenever you talk to them. For instance, whenever you call, say something like “Mom, I was thinking about you and wanted to touch base.” If your parents end a conversation with “love you,” you should reciprocate. This probably means a lot to them. Have a complete and productive conversation. Parental neediness problems may be resolved simply by having complete conversations with your parents. By having complete, full, and productive conversations, you'll show that you care. Ask them about their lives. For instance, ask them about their parents or their experiences as children. Demonstrate that you care about their opinions. For example, ask them advice about parenting, budgeting, or home improvement. Let the conversation progress naturally. For instance, try not to wind down a conversation or end it prematurely. Your mom may simply enjoy talking about many seemingly insignificant things with you. Make time to talk, so your conversation is not rushed. For instance, set a one hour block aside to talk to your parents every Sunday afternoon, and avoid calling when you're doing something else, like driving your kids to an activity. Initiate regular contact. A great way to deal with emotionally needy parents is to head them off by making sure you keep in contact with them. By calling them on a regular basis, you'll let them know that you care about them. You'll also take control of the situation and establish a routine. Call them once a week around the same time. By calling at say, Friday at 5pm, you'll establish a regular time during which you can call. This way, they'll know when to expect your call and might feel better about it. Send them a greeting card occasionally, especially if they don't use a computer. Even if you only write a few lines, it is a gesture that can say a great deal with a few words. It's also something they can look at and re-read if they need reassurance. Consider sending them emails, if they can access them. Don't underestimate the impact that a thoughtful email may have for your parents. Send them text messages, if they can access them. While text messages are easy to send off, they might mean a whole lot to your parents. Try to establish a regular schedule when you'll visit with your parents. For instance, if you live in the same city, try to visit with them every Sunday, or more regularly if you want. Notice any significant changes in your parents' speech, ideas or approach to you. This may indicate a shift in their mental or physical well-being. Don't be too quick to assume they are just being annoying or demanding — really listen to what they are saying. Make the most of your visits. The best way to make your parents feel attended to is to use every visit as an opportunity to spend quality time with them. By making the most of the time you spend with them, you'll potentially reduce their neediness. In-person visits are perhaps the most impactful way to show that you care. If you don't visit your parents regularly, they'll begin to feel as if you don't care about them. Make sure you focus your attention on them and ask them questions about how they're doing when you visit them. For instance, say something like "Anything new in your neighborhood?" Ask them questions about their interests, their friends, and their health.	Ask yourself if you always feel like the parent. Think about their health. Consider logistics. Reflect on your responsibilities. Decide whether you've made substantial effort. Avoid letting them control or manage your life. Accept emotionally immature parents. Talk to them about how their emotional needs are problematic, if necessary. Limit contact, if you need. Be polite. Share how much you care about them. Have a complete and productive conversation. Initiate regular contact. Make the most of your visits.
https://www.wikihow.com/Qualify-for-a-Mortgage-with-Bad-Credit	How to Qualify for a Mortgage with Bad Credit	It can be tricky to get a mortgage with bad credit, but there are ways around it. If you're in debt, try to reduce or eliminate this before you apply for a mortgage to lower your interest rate. If you're in a hurry to secure a mortgage, you may be able to get one with bad credit, but expect to pay a high interest rate. Talk to many different lenders to find the best quote. If you can't get a mortgage with any of them, you might be able to apply for a Federal Housing Administration loan with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. If you know someone with good credit who's happy to co-sign a mortgage with you, this could be a good option too.	Get your credit score. To qualify for a mortgage, you will need your credit score. Your credit score is a three digit number derived from your credit history. It is used by lenders when you apply for a credit card and is a key factor in receiving a mortgage from a lender. You can get your credit score for free by contacting your credit card company. Your bank can also provide your credit score, for a small fee or for free during promotional times of the year. Avoid using online credit score services, as they may be scams trying to steal your personal banking information. If using an online free credit report, make sure that you are using a legitimate company, such as Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, or Mint. If you are unsure, you can contact a credit counseling agency, bank, or lender that can recommend you a legitimate and reputable site to use. Understand what qualifies as a bad credit score. In general, lenders will be more willing to approve a mortgage if a person has a credit score of at least 620. The best credit score is around 850, but it can be difficult to achieve such a high number, especially if you are in a younger age bracket and are trying to purchase your first home. If your credit score is 600 or lower, you will likely have a more difficult time qualifying for a mortgage. But a low credit score does not mean you cannot qualify for certain loans, such as a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan, which usually approves individuals with credit scores of 600-500. You may also qualify for a VA loan if you're a veteran. Keep in mind your credit score is only one factor to qualifying for a mortgage. Your current income, your ability to pay your bills on time, your credit history, and your current debt will also be major factors to getting a lender to approve your mortgage application. Maintain a steady income. When lenders look at your mortgage application, they will take into account your ability to pay your current expenses (rent, utilities, credit card payments) on time every month. They will also check that you have been employed with a steady income for at least two years and are making enough money to pay all your bills every month. If you are self employed, you should try to maintain a steady yearly salary. Being self employed and having a low credit score can lead to some frustration when applying for a mortgage. But maintaining a strong income will give you a leg up, and make it easier for a mortgage broker to find lenders willing to give you a mortgage. Reduce or eliminate your debt. Debt from student loans or overdue credit card payments will affect your credit score, as about 35 percent of your credit score comes from your payment history. Focus on reducing your existing debt by always paying the minimum amount of your credit card payment and your student loan payment on time. If possible, put down more than the minimum amount each month to further reduce or eliminate your debt. Look at your credit report for any past due accounts or late payments. If you have accounts, like a student loan payment, that is 90 days or more overdue, pay those off first. Accounts that are 60 to 30 days late will have a less negative impact than accounts that are 90 days or more late. Lenders will see that you have been making an effort to pay off overdue accounts and reduce your existing debt. This will bring your credit score up and help improve your chances of qualifying for a mortgage. If your credit report is showing that an old bill is unpaid, you should not pay it unless you are able to pay it back in full. A partial payment may make the debt more relevant, which can hurt your credit score. Adjust your debt to credit ratio. To qualify for a mortgage with poor credit, you may want to adjust how much money you owe (debt) so it is significantly lower than how much credit you have available. Improving your debt to credit ratio is one of the fastest ways to improve your credit score and make you more attractive to lenders. You can improve your debt to credit ratio by: Keep paying down your revolving debt, like credit cards and lines of credit. Though paying down installment loans, for example student loan payments, can also help your credit score, revolving debt should be your first priority to improve your credit, since revolving debt requires high interest payments. Consolidate your credit card debt into a personal installment loan. A personal installment loan can be taken out through your bank and will allow you to address all your debt in one place. This type of loan generally has a lower interest rate than revolving credit card balances. Adjust how you pay your credit card payments. You can do this by asking for a credit increase from your credit card company, as this will improve your debt-to-credit ratio. Credit increases are valid for helping improve debt to credit ratios, but not if you use the extra credit. You can also move some of your existing credit card balances to other credit cards. However, both options can be risky as they can lead to overspending and more debt if you are not disciplined or smart about your credit card payments. The best way to address credit card payments is to pay off the minimum balance every month and try to reduce your credit card debt as soon as possible. Be prepared to pay more interest on your mortgage. When you have bad credit or a low credit score, lenders may offer you a sub-prime mortgage. Lenders charge higher interest rates on sub-prime mortgages to compensate for the higher loan default risk they are taking on the mortgage. This works the other way too: the better your credit score is, the lower your interest rate on your mortgage will be. According to a study, the difference in interest rates for someone with a 760 credit score and someone with a 620 credit score could be 1.6%. If you apply this number to a 30 year mortgage of $200,000, that's a $68,000 difference over the lifetime of the mortgage. Speak to a lender. Before you start looking at properties, start shopping around for mortgages. Talking to lenders before you find a home will let you know how much you qualify for in a mortgage. This number will be the maximum amount you can get in a mortgage. This will help you find a home that you can afford. You are under no obligation to sign a contract with a lender when you visit them. Even if you are not ready to purchase a home yet, you can still consult a lender to understand what state your finances are in, how much of a mortgage you currently qualify for, and how you can work on your financial situation to get a better deal. If you have a bad credit score, a lender can help you find ways to improve the score. They can also give you advice on how to qualify for a mortgage. Look into a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is a division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If you don't qualify for a conventional mortgage, you may want to consider getting a mortgage through the FHA. FHA loans can have down payments as low as 3.5% and are often available for individuals with credit scores between 500-620. You can only have one FHA loan, and you can only get the loan on a property that is occupied by the owner. Keep in mind the lending banks make the final decision to grant you a loan, not the FHA. The FHA partners with banks to insure part of your loan. In the event you default on the loan, the FHA is required to pay the guaranteed portion. This is meant to entice banks to offer loans to high risk borrowers with low credit scores. In order to qualify for an FHA loan you will need to maintain a credit score of 500-620 and maintain a handle on your debt. You should also establish a steady income over a period of two to three years. You can also look into getting a VA loan if you are a veteran. Check \| here to see if you qualify. Provide an explanation for your bad credit to lenders. Another option is to talk to your bank about your low credit score and try to explain your credit history. Bring in proof of on time payments of your rent and your utilities for at least 12 months. If you have a steady income, you should also provide proof of this to your bank. Go over your credit history with the lender, especially if there are small late charges that may have affected your credit score. Lenders can be more amenable to borrowers who can show they will be able to pay their mortgage on time in the future, despite a rough credit history. Your bank may also view issues in your credit history on a descending scale. A late medical bill or student loan payments are common issues that can cause your credit score to drop and can lead to bumps in the road to getting a mortgage. But your bank will likely view defaulting on a car loan as a much worse credit issue than student loan payments or one late medical bill. Ask your Realtor about a lease to own agreement. If your credit score is too low to qualify for a loan from a traditional lender, or you cannot afford a 3.5% down payment on an FHA loan, you may consider a lease to own or rent to own agreement. A lease to own agreement is made between a homeowner or landlord and a tenant or renter. As part of the agreement, a portion of your monthly lease payment goes towards purchasing the home and the rest is considered a rent payment. Lease to own agreements can be difficult to find and you may need to consult with a Realtor to find a homeowner who is willing to enter into an agreement. Most lease to own agreements are done with homeowners who can't sell their home at the asking price or when the housing market is a buyer's market. Most lease to own contracts last for two to five years. These contracts can be good for people with low credit as it provides time to save for a down payment, repair the credit score, and try out the home before buying it. Some contracts give you the option to walk away from the home while still under contract, but this may mean the homeowner keeps all the money you have paid them as a down payment. You may also want to look into a seller-financed loan. In this case the seller extends credit to the buyer, and a mortgage agreement is filed. A seller is more likely to offer this arrangement if the seller's mortgage has already been paid off. Be extremely careful with these loans, as there are many scams that take advantage of them. Always employ an attorney when negotiating such contracts. Find a co-signer for the mortgage. If you have family members or a partner with good credit, consider asking them to co-sign a mortgage for you. However, be wary of co-signing for a home you cannot afford. If the monthly mortgage payments are too high for your budget, you may end up entering into a co-sign agreement for a home you will lose in a year. Co-signing can also be risky as you are involving family with money, and you may end up putting those relationships in jeopardy if you can't afford your mortgage payments. Any person who co-signs on the mortgage must have good enough credit to qualify for the loan themselves. Consider waiting until your credit improves to apply for a mortgage. If your current financial state needs improvement, or if your credit score is too low to qualify for an FHA loan, it may be a good idea to hold off on applying for a mortgage. Take some time to improve your credit score and re-build your credit history. Then, apply again for a mortgage in five months with a better credit score, a steady income, and a stronger handle on your debts. If you have had a recent bankruptcy, foreclosure, or a high debt-to-income ratio, you may need to wait as long as two or three years before your credit is repaired.	Get your credit score. Understand what qualifies as a bad credit score. Maintain a steady income. Reduce or eliminate your debt. Adjust your debt to credit ratio. Be prepared to pay more interest on your mortgage. Speak to a lender. Look into a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan. Provide an explanation for your bad credit to lenders. Ask your Realtor about a lease to own agreement. Find a co-signer for the mortgage. Consider waiting until your credit improves to apply for a mortgage.
https://www.wikihow.com/Win-Informal-Arguments-and-Debates	How to Win Informal Arguments and Debates	To win informal arguments and debates, first, decide on your position and learn as much about the issue as you can. The greater your understanding of the issue, the better you will be able to argue it and respond to objections. Start your argument by stating a thesis, which is a short statement of your position and your reasons behind it. For example, you could say, “I believe the moon was once part of the Earth for the following reasons,” As the argument develops, refute each objection raised by your opponent by either showing that evidence doesn't support their claim or by exposing a logical flaw. During the debate, remain calm and reasonable, as becoming emotional will be seen as a weakness.	Decide on a position you feel capable of arguing for. Ideally, your position will cover a subject you really believe in. If you're passionate about something, you most likely know a lot about it and can come up with a few convincing arguments. However, during some informal debates, you may not get a chance to choose your position. When this happens, keep your assigned position in mind while you come up with arguments for it. If you're part of a debate group, you may be randomly assigned a position and told to debate it with a partner. For instance, you might be asked to support school uniforms even if you don't think they are a good thing. Some debaters find that working with unfamiliar subjects is easier than ones you're passionate about. You may not know as much about the position you're arguing for, but you will also be less emotionally invested in it. Become well-informed about the position you are supporting. If you have time to prepare, the points you make will be much more effective. Make sure you understand not only your own position, but the opposing one as well. Read the evidence for both sides to formulate strong arguments. Search for good examples and statistics you can use to help make your point. Knowing your opponent's position allows you to anticipate objections and respond with more effective counterpoints. In a formal debate, you must state your argument, followed by supporting facts with plenty of evidence. Informal debates don't require this same sort of order or evidence, but having supporting examples will still make your point much stronger. Begin a debate by clearly stating a thesis. A thesis is a brief statement of your position and usually includes your reasons for supporting it. Starting out with your thesis tells your opponent and anyone else exactly what you're arguing for. Informal debates can be a little messy, so if you don't state your point, people may get confused and side against you. For example, you might say, “I believe school uniforms are bad because they take away individuality, which is an important part of developing a personal identity in childhood.” Try following your thesis with a quick summary of your points. Use your strongest evidence-based points. For instance: “I believe the moon was once a part of the Earth because geological data shows that the moon's rocks are similar to those found on Earth.” If you can get your opponent to agree with your basic premise, you will be in a much better position during the debate. Go through your debate points in a logical order. Try to mentally order your points in your head before the debate begins. Plan on leading with a strong point and building upon it. Lead into each point you make afterward and make sure they all illustrate your thesis. If you have time to do so before a debate, jot down a quick list of the points you plan on making. Check that they flow well in an order that is easy to understand. For example, you could start off by criticizing the effect school uniforms have on individuality. You might then illustrate how they prevent children from developing and point out studies showing that uniforms don't improve grades or reduce bullying. Mention only the strongest points supporting your argument. Weaker points leave your argument open to criticism. If you're not well-versed in a point you're trying to make or don't have an opportunity to include it in your argument, don't bring it up. Informal debates tend to move quickly and can be a little chaotic, so don't expect to have time to describe all possible points you could make. Focus on the ones that best represent your position. For instance, you may wish to talk about how school uniforms cost money, are a burden on poor families, or feel uncomfortable. It's difficult to work these points in while you're talking about individuality. Informal debates aren't scripted. Even if you make a list of points, you may not get a chance to talk about all of them. Keep in mind that your opponent may also give you an opportunity to talk about points you didn't intend on bringing up as well! Attempt to resolve each point before moving to the next issue. If you're stuck disagreeing with your opponent on a certain point, it can come up repeatedly throughout the argument. Ultimately, you end up having to “agree to disagree” and no one wins. Say all you have to say on the subject, respond as best you can to your opponent's objections, and then introduce the next point. If your opponent tries to divert your attention, bring the discussion back to the original topic. One way to reach a resolution is to get your opponent to agree on some point. You could say, “We can all agree that school uniforms are very restrictive, right?” If you sense a diversion coming, you could say something like, “Let's go back to your last point.” Listen carefully while your opponent talks. Look for opportunities to build upon the arguments they give you. Debates are about responding and, if you don't respond in a way that makes sense, you won't convince an audience that you're in the right. Occasional interruptions are okay when warranted, but try to avoid talking over someone else. For example, you could say, “That's not true” or “That logic doesn't check out.” You may have a chance to stop a bad argument before your debate partner has a chance to make it sound convincing. Most of the time, you're better off listening and waiting. Let your opponent say their piece, including faulty arguments, as you plan out a response. Answer objections raised by your opponent. In most cases, your opponent will listen to your reasoning and come up with reasons why it isn't valid. If you are well-informed about your position, these objections may already be familiar to you. Use logic and evidence to show your opponent why their objections do not work. The common ways to refute objections is by showing that the evidence doesn't support them or by exposing logical flaws in them. For instance, you might hear that school uniforms promote school safety and togetherness. You might then say, “This study shows that fights actually doubled after a school introduced uniforms.” To take a logic-based approach, you could argue, “The fact that school uniforms look the same does not mean they succeed in making people feel like part of the group. There are many other factors that make people feel different.” Build on your opponent’s objections, if possible. If you have an opportunity to do so, turn your opponent's arguments around on them. Instead of pointing out why they are wrong, illustrate it as best you can. Start with logical facts, including studies or any hard evidence you have supporting your critique. Add examples and descriptive scenarios if they apply. For example, if your thesis is that uniforms are bad, your opponent might point out how they are meant to reduce barriers between students. You could mention, “Barriers like wealth, status, and ability still exist. Since your point is that these barriers exist in the first place, uniforms aren't the solution.” Ask questions about your opponent’s arguments. Many people assume that the person with the most knowledge of a topic will win in a debate, but it's not true. If you are able to challenge your opponent's points efficiently, you can level the playing field. Identify weak or unclear points in their arguments, then ask your opponent for clarification. Sometimes a good question can leave even a knowledgeable debater flustered. One simple question to ask is, “Do you have evidence for that claim?” You could also try asking something like, “What would happen if everyone did that?” Call out poor reasoning your opponent uses as a distraction. Informal debates are often full of poorly-reasoned, illogical arguments called fallacies. They are often used to distract from a good point or the main topic of the argument. They can be very persuasive if you let them distract you. When you hear a fallacy, be sure to note it and explain why it doesn't make sense. One of the most common ones is a red herring, which is when your opponent tries to distract you with something irrelevant. For example, if you're talking about choosing your own outfit, your opponent might say, “I like uniforms. They make kids look like they're going to work.” A straw man is when your opponent attacks an argument you didn't make. For instance, they might say, “So you don't want kids to dress properly for school. That just means you support immoral behavior and don't care about kids getting laughed at for dressing poorly.” A slippery slope argument confuses by bringing up irrelevant consequences. Your opponent might argue, “If kids can dress any way they please, first they'll dress like they're at home, and soon no one in the world will dress appropriately.” Another common tactic is called begging the question, where they pretend that a conclusion is true because of another argument. One example is, “School uniforms are good because I wore one and look how I turned out.” Remain calm, rational, and reasonable at all times. Informal debates often get heated, especially when people disagree on positions they are very passionate about. Shouting or insulting your debate partner helps them in the end. It makes you look unfriendly, out of control, and incapable of coming up with quality arguments. Even if you did a good job stating your case up to this point, it could lead to your defeat. Remember that you are not here to attack your opponent. You may feel like they are failing to understand your position, but keep trying to convince them instead of losing your cool. Getting upset may be taken as a sign of weakness and cause your opponent to conclude they have you on the ropes. It can make your opponent feel more confident in their position. Use effective speech and grammar when speaking. You don't need to talk like a university professor to be effective and convincing. Instead, focus on organizing your thoughts into complete, flowing sentences. Stay away from big or confusing words in an attempt to sound more intelligent. Avoid words the audience may not understand and explain your points as needed. One of the most important parts of debating is being able to speak clearly and confidently. For instance, during a debate about school uniforms, don't go overboard explaining specific school policies or technical details that will be confusing. Keep it simple and understandable. If you're debating in front of an audience or a judge, look to them for signals. If they look confused or are shaking their heads at a point you made, then change your tactics. Practice patience during the debate. As long as both you and your opponent debate in a respectful manner, be willing to spend time explaining your position. Changing someone's mind is not easy. People don't enjoy feeling like they are mistaken or losing an argument. They may also be very passionate about what they believe, so don't expect to convince anyone right off the bat. Be aware that many debate topics don't have easy answers. School uniforms, for instance, are controversial and have both positive and negatives to them. Your goal is to be as convincing as possible, even if you don't personally agree with the position you may be forced to take. Stay humble and prepared to lose a debate. A skilled debater understands that sometimes the other person's arguments are stronger. If you find yourself unable to refute points, be honest and reasonable about it. Congratulate your opponent and move on. If you happen to win a debate, don't try to rub it in. Take both wins and losses as an educational experience that makes you better equipped for the next debate. If you lose a debate, it doesn't mean you're obliged to change your opinion. You might use it as an opportunity to figure out new ways to respond to criticisms of your beliefs.	Decide on a position you feel capable of arguing for. Become well-informed about the position you are supporting. Begin a debate by clearly stating a thesis. Go through your debate points in a logical order. Mention only the strongest points supporting your argument. Attempt to resolve each point before moving to the next issue. Listen carefully while your opponent talks. Answer objections raised by your opponent. Build on your opponent’s objections, if possible. Ask questions about your opponent’s arguments. Call out poor reasoning your opponent uses as a distraction. Remain calm, rational, and reasonable at all times. Use effective speech and grammar when speaking. Practice patience during the debate. Stay humble and prepared to lose a debate.
https://www.wikihow.com/Unclog-Arteries-Naturally	How to Unclog Arteries Naturally	To unclog your arteries naturally, avoid unhealthy foods and maintain a balanced diet. Try to avoid foods high in fat, sugar, and salt as much as possible, which are bad for your blood and arteries. If you smoke or drink regularly, try to cut down on the habit. Instead, eat a healthy, balanced diet, including plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat. Foods high in fiber, like beans, apples, cauliflower, and carrots, can help to control your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. You can also help unclog your arteries by exercising about 3 and a half hours a week. That doesn't need to be running or hitting the gym though. You could also pick up a new sport you've always wanted to try!	Avoid saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fat is one of the primary culprits in raising your cholesterol. Equally, avoid trans fats, which appear on food labels as “hydrogenated” oils and fats. Butter, margarine, cheese, full-fat dairy products, red meat, and processed meats are a few examples where you can expect to find excessive levels of these fats. Check saturated fat levels on food labels and limit your daily caloric intake to less than 10% of your caloric intake per day. Cook with healthier oils. Since butter, lard, and margarine are all high in unhealthy fats, you should choose healthier cooking oils when preparing food. Some alternatives are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can actually have the opposite effect and help reduce cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation associated with atherosclerosis. These options include: Olive oil Canola oil Peanut oil Sunflower oil Increase your intake of omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats (so-called “good” fats) help to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. You can find these fats in many foods and especially fish. Salmon, tuna, and trout are all excellent sources of these fats, so try to eat around 2 servings a week. Other foods rich in omega-3 fats include: Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil Walnuts Chia seeds Soy products and tofu Legumes Leafy green vegetables Avocados Choose whole grains. Processed grains cut out the fiber and other healthy components found in grains. Instead of foods made with white flour (white rice, white bread, semolina pasta, etc.), choose whole grain options. You should try to eat 3 servings of whole-grain options each day. These include whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, brown rice, oats, nine-grain bread, etc. Cut out sweets. Sweets are a major source of simple carbohydrates, which can have an impact on several factors related to atherosclerosis such as high blood pressure and obesity. Eliminate sugary foods and drinks from your diet to help promote heart health. Limit yourself to a maximum of 5 sugary items a week (and fewer when you can). Increase your fiber intake. High-fiber foods help to control both cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Add lots of fruits, vegetables, and legumes to your diet to increase fiber. Some of the best options include: Beans Apples Citrus fruits Oats and barley Nuts Cauliflower Green beans Potatoes Carrots Generally speaking, try to eat 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day if you're a woman and 30 to 38 grams each day if you're a man. Decrease your sodium intake. Sodium (found in salt) has an impact on your blood pressure, and high blood pressure also puts you at a higher risk for artery hardening and damage. Choose low-sodium options at the store and restaurants and limit your intake to a maximum of 2,300 mg a day. If your doctor has already diagnosed you with high blood pressure, then you should set even stricter limits around 1,500 mg daily. Stop smoking. The chemicals in cigarettes and other tobacco smoke damage your blood cells, as well as disrupting the function of your heart and blood vessels. Each of these things leads to the buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis). Quitting smoking is one of the best steps you can take for the health of your heart and lungs. Quitting cold turkey often proves too difficult for many. Take advantage of smoking cessation aids such as nicotine patches and gums, support communities, etc. as you undertake the process of cutting out tobacco use. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise has a cascading effect that helps with a variety of conditions that lead to clogged arteries. Regular exercise helps you lose excess weight, relieves high blood pressure, and lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. If you're new to an exercise regimen, you may need to start slower. Consult your doctor to set up an exercise plan appropriate for you. Once you acclimate to an exercise routine, aim to complete 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (such as jogging or cycling) 5 times a week. If you prefer high-intensity workouts (such as CrossFit routines), then aim for 75 minutes a week. Aerobic exercise is anything that gets your heart rate up. It can include high-impact running or sports or low-impact exercises such as swimming and biking. Maintain a healthy weight. The changes to your diet and physical activity will go a long way toward bringing you down to a healthy weight. You can set an actual goal for your weight using the body mass index (BMI) , which uses your weight and height to estimate your body fat percentage Aim for the normal range, which is between 18.5 and 24.9 on the index. Medical professionals consider 25 to 29.9 overweight and consider 30 or higher obese. Manage your stress levels. Experiencing high levels of stress releases stress hormones in your body that can have a chronic inflammatory effect, ultimately increasing your risk of atherosclerosis. If you experience high stress levels at work or at home, then it's important to have proper coping mechanisms to relax and reduce this risk. Steps you can take to reduce stress include: Increasing your level of physical activity Meditation Calming activities such as yoga or tai chi. Enjoying music, movies, or other art that you find calming and peaceful Channeling the energy into some of your favorite relaxing hobbies Reduce your alcohol intake. Alcohol abuse puts you at a higher risk for atherosclerosis. Generally speaking, men should limit themselves to 2 alcoholic beverages a day, and women should limit themselves to 1. The measurement size for a drink varies by alcohol type. Use this guideline: Beer: 12 ounces Wine: 5 ounces Liquor: 1.5 ounces Manage your diabetes if you are diabetic. Having type 2 diabetes puts you at an increased risk of atherosclerosis. If you are diabetic, stay on top of the disease by performing your blood glucose testing, managing your diet, and staying physically active. Consult your physician about the most appropriate plan for your specific case. Take fish oil supplements. If you don't like fish or don't have access to fish, you can simply take fish oil supplements to help get omega-3 fats. Look for fish oils that contain EPA and DHA oils. Be sure to read the label on your fish oil supplements so you know how many to take each day. Take them as recommended. Add psyllium supplements. If you have difficulty getting enough fiber from foods, you can take psyllium supplements. Psyllium is a water-soluble fiber available in pill and powder forms (Metamucil). Read the label to check the dosing, then take this supplement as recommended. Increase soy protein through supplements. Soy proteins are commonly available as powders that you can mix into a variety of foods and beverages (juices, smoothies, etc.). Several studies have shown that soy protein supplementation can have a beneficial effect on your cholesterol levels. Read the label on your supplement and take it as directed. Take niacin supplements. You can also take niacin (vitamin B3) to help lower cholesterol levels. However, talk to your physician and monitor niacin supplementation closely. High doses of niacin may increase your risk of the following: Stroke Infection Bleeding Liver damage Eat garlic. Garlic may decrease the risk of atherosclerosis and positively affect blood pressure. You can simply add more fresh garlic to your food or take garlic supplements if you don't enjoy garlic in foods. If you're taking a supplement, read the label first so that you know how much to take. Take plant sterol supplements. Beta-sitosterol and sitostanol are two additional supplements that may have a positive impact on cholesterol. You can find these options in supplement form at most vitamin shops or health food stores. Be sure to check the label for proper dosing. Take coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplements. CoQ10 is an essential nutrient used to treat a variety of heart and blood vessel conditions. It can also counteract muscle pain resulting from other cholesterol-lowering medications called “statins.” Only take CoQ-10 if your doctor recommends it. Make sure you're taking your supplement as directed on the label. Get immediate care if you experience the symptoms of a heart attack. Try not to worry, as other conditions can mimic a heart attack. However, it's best to get treatment right away if you suspect a possible heart attack so that you can make a recovery. Get a ride to the emergency room or call for help if you have the following symptoms: Crushing pressure in your chest Pain in your shoulder or arm Shortness of breath Sweating Pain in your neck or jaw (especially for women) See your doctor for regular wellness visits, especially if you have risk factors. Go for an annual appointment to make sure you're in good health, or visit your doctor as often as they advise to monitor any medical conditions you may have. At your visits, your doctor will check your blood pressure and do a complete blood count (CBC). This allows them to test your cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar to make sure they're in a healthy range. Then, your doctor can make treatment recommendations to help you be as healthy as possible. If you have risk factors for clogged arteries, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, tobacco use, obesity, inactivity, or family history, then your wellness visits are extremely important. Your doctor can help you manage your conditions and take steps to support your artery health. Ask your doctor if you need a medication to help lower your cholesterol. While dietary changes can help lower your LDL cholesterol, they don't always work. If this happens to you, it's not your fault. It's possible for your cholesterol to be high due to genetics, and your doctor can prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drug to help bring it down. Take your medication while also maintaining your healthy dietary changes. The medications usually only work if you're also eating well, so be sure to keep up your positive changes. Additionally, you might ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian to get a healthy eating plan designed to meet your needs and food preferences. Discuss surgical options with your doctor if your health is at risk. If your arteries are very clogged, your doctor might recommend a procedure to open them up. Don't worry, as you'll be under anesthesia and won't feel anything. In most cases, your doctor will insert a small tube into the artery to clear the plaque, then they'll insert a stent to keep your artery open. This will effectively unclog your artery. After you have this procedure done, you'll need to stick with your healthy diet and lifestyle changes to keep your artery clear. If an artery in your heart has a severe clog, your doctor may decide to do a heart bypass, which helps the blood go around the clog so that you can recover. However, this is only done in severe cases, so you likely don't need to worry about it.	Avoid saturated fats and trans fats. Cook with healthier oils. Increase your intake of omega-3 fats. Choose whole grains. Cut out sweets. Increase your fiber intake. Decrease your sodium intake. Stop smoking. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Maintain a healthy weight. Manage your stress levels. Reduce your alcohol intake. Manage your diabetes if you are diabetic. Take fish oil supplements. Add psyllium supplements. Increase soy protein through supplements. Take niacin supplements. Eat garlic. Take plant sterol supplements. Take coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplements. Get immediate care if you experience the symptoms of a heart attack. See your doctor for regular wellness visits, especially if you have risk factors. Ask your doctor if you need a medication to help lower your cholesterol. Discuss surgical options with your doctor if your health is at risk.
https://www.wikihow.com/Size-a-Radiator	How to Size a Radiator	Sizing a radiator is easy once you know the dimensions of the room. If you don't already know the dimensions of the room, use a tape measure to record the length, width, and height. Once you have these measurements, search for a radiator sizing calculator online, which will calculate how many BTUs of heat you need. There are some heat adjustments you'll want to make before picking a radiator. For instance, if you have foam-filled cavity walls, you'll need less heat. Or if you have French windows, you'll probably need a bit more heat. After figuring out which size radiator you need for each room, combine these to come up with a boiler size. The boiler should have enough BTUs to cover each room in your home. When in doubt, you can always call a heat expert for help.	Use an online calculator. Plenty of websites have calculators to help you figure out your heat need. Search for a radiator sizing calculator. Most of them can do the math in both feet and meters. You'll need to know your room dimensions as well as its features, such as the type of windows and insulation. These calculators use the same math you can do by hand. They're good for saving time or checking your calculations. Measure out the room. Get a tape measure if you don't already know the dimensions of the room. Measure the length, width, and height of the room. Write down the measurements so you don't forget them. Multiply the room measurements together. Multiply together the length, width, and height of the room. This gives you the cubic volume of the room. For example, a room 13 feet (4 m) wide, 12 feet (3.7 m) long, and nine feet high has a cubic volume of 1,404 cubic feet. You can measure your room in either feet or meters. Multiply the cubic volume to account for room size. Multiplying by a room factor is the easiest way to estimate the heat needed for a type of room. For lounges, living rooms, and dining rooms, multiply the cubic volume by five. For bedrooms, multiply by four. For common areas and kitchens, multiply by three. This gives you the needed radiator output in BTUs. When measuring in meters, you can multiply the cubic volume by 153. This gives you a general idea of the heat you need for any room. For example, a 1,404 cubic foot living room requires about 7020 BTUs. Adjust the heat requirement for room features. Some rooms hold more heat than others. For rooms facing north, add 10% to the BTU score. For rooms with French windows, add 20%. Subtract 20% for foam-filled cavity walls and 5% for double glazed windows. Continue making adjustments until you have an estimate for the number of BTUs your room needs. There are plenty of other factors that determine heat loss and retention. For example, outside walls raise the BTUs needed by 15-40%. Having a bedroom above the room lowers the score by 15%. Add all room heat requirements to come up with a boiler size. To figure out how big a boiler you need, you have to calculate the BTU requirement of every room. Follow the same steps you used for the first room. Total all the BTU measurements together. This number is the amount of BTUs the boiler needs to put out to heat your home. Add 20% to the BTU total to account for a hot water circulating tank. Add on 10% to account for heat loss. Convert BTUs to watts. Divide your final BTU measurement by 3.41. The heating power of radiators is often calculated in watts. Keep both numbers on hand in case you need them while picking out a radiator. Consult a heating contractor. When in doubt, it's always best to get the opinion of a heating expert. They'll be able to figure out your heating needs for you. In addition, they can help you change your heating system. Since water is used in radiators, some plumbers may also be able to do this. Determine the amount of heat you need per hour. The radiator you choose has to pump out enough heat to warm the room. Think about the kind of climate you live in. For a climate with frigid winters, such as the area in the US from New England to the upper Midwest, your radiator needs to put out 40 BTU per square foot of floor area. To figure out the floor area, multiply the floor length by its width. For example, a room 25 feet (7.6 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide has an area of 500 square feet. You can convert meters to feet by multiplying the number of meters by 3.28. Determine the amount of space you have available for a radiator. Pick a spot on the wall for the radiator. Take your tape measure and measure out the length and width of this area. Write it down so you can use it for later. Remember, more space means larger radiators, and larger radiators can give off more heat. Calculate the heat output your radiator can provide. Find your BTU per hour measurement from earlier. Divide it by the length of your wall space. If you are looking for a vertical radiator, divide the BTU per hour number by the height of the wall space. This gives you the BTU output you need per foot for every hour. Horizontal radiators are measured by length. Vertical radiators are measured by height. Find a radiator within 10% of your measurement. Check the packaging of a radiator before you buy it. It'll say how much heat the radiator creates. Try to match the BTU measurement you came up with in the last step. Most likely, you'll have to choose one within 10% of your heating needs. A stronger radiator can be turned down, but a weaker radiator cannot give off more heat. Pick a panel style. Available space matters when picking a radiator. A double panel radiator gives off more heat than a single panel radiator of the same size. Switch to a double panel option when you need a stronger radiator. For example, a single panel radiator 20 inches (50.8 cm) (about 500 mm) long and 20 inches (50.8 cm) wide puts out 1333 BTUs of heat. A double panel radiator the same size puts out 2597 BTUs of heat. Get multiple radiators for larger rooms. Room greater than 18 feet (5.5 m) (six meters) long on any side are tough to heat. Larger rooms benefit when you make space for two or more radiators. Adding a second radiator splits the heat output needed from one radiator in half. This means you can keep smaller radiators that will maintain an even temperature throughout the room. The radiators should be placed on opposite sides of the room. This way, they heat the room evenly. Get an iron radiator for gradual heating. Iron radiators aren't in wide production, but some companies still offer them. In addition to their old-school appeal, iron radiators heat and cool slowly. Modern panel radiators tend to be all hot or all cold, which can be uncomfortable. Iron radiators are often found in older homes. Hot water iron radiators give off 170 BTUs per hour per square feet. Steam iron radiators give off 240 BTUs per hour per square feet.	Use an online calculator. Measure out the room. Multiply the room measurements together. Multiply the cubic volume to account for room size. Adjust the heat requirement for room features. Add all room heat requirements to come up with a boiler size. Convert BTUs to watts. Consult a heating contractor. Determine the amount of heat you need per hour. Determine the amount of space you have available for a radiator. Calculate the heat output your radiator can provide. Find a radiator within 10% of your measurement. Pick a panel style. Get multiple radiators for larger rooms. Get an iron radiator for gradual heating.
https://www.wikihow.com/Whitewash-Wood	How to Whitewash Wood	To whitewash wood, start by cleaning the wood with soap and water and smoothing any rough areas with sandpaper. Next, mix equal parts water and latex paint until it's semi-transparent. Then, use a clean rag, foam roller, or paint brush to apply the whitewash in long, even strokes. Once you're done, allow the paint to set for a few minutes before removing any excess with a paper towel or rag.	Clean and sand the wood. Remove any stickers or unwanted nails from the wood. If it is dirty, wash the wood with gentle soap and water. If the wood is very rough, use sandpaper or a hand sander to smooth it. A smoother surface will make it easier to apply the whitewash. If you need to use soap, make sure the wood dries completely before you begin to whitewash. Consider staining the wood to make the grain more visible. Staining the wood a medium or dark brown, will help the texture and knots of the wood to shine through. The paint and water technique works best on new lumber or wood with a very smooth surface. Staining the wood can help the final product to appear more weathered and aged, if that is the look you desire. The darker the stain you use, the more visible the wood will be under the whitewash. Let the stain dry completely before you begin to whitewash the wood. Mix equal parts paint and water until the paint is semi-transparent. Add more water if the paint is still too thick or opaque. Thinning the paint with water will allow the wood grain to show through after you apply the white paint. A latex (water-based) paint is usually the easiest type of paint to use for whitewashing; you can also buy white stains at your local paint or hardware store. However, these may still need to be diluted with water to allow the wood grain to show. The ratio of paint to water can be changed depending on how transparent you want the whitewash to be. If you want a lot of the wood to show through, add 2 parts of water to 1 part of paint. You might want to start with a 1:1 ratio, and then add more water if the paint is not as transparent as you desire. Use a clean rag, foam roller, or paint brush to apply the whitewash. Use long, even strokes to spread the whitewash on the wood. Because the whitewash has been diluted with water, it will dry much quicker than normal paint. If you have a large piece of wood or furniture, you should work on small sections rather than attempting to cover the entire area at one time. Apply the whitewash in the direction of the wood grain. This will help the wood grain to show through. Remove the excess whitewash with a paper towel or clean rag. Allow the paint to sit for 3-4 minutes, and then wipe the excess paint off with the paper towel or rag. You should wipe in the direction of the grain. Use long, fluid, and even wiping motions to remove the paint. The longer you leave the paint on the wood before wiping the excess off, the whiter the wood will become. If you want the wood to be mostly white with only a bit of wood showing through, leave the paint on for longer than 3-4 minutes. The exact amount of time that you leave the paint on the wood can vary depending on the type of wood, the age of the wood, and the weather. Use the 3-4 minutes as a guide, but check the paint frequently. As soon as it begins to feel tacky, the paint should be removed. Add additional layers of paint if necessary. Let each layer of paint dry completely, before adding another whitewash layer. The number of layers depends on how much coverage you desire. If you want a bright, very white finished product, you may need 4-5 layers. If you want more of the wood to shine through, 1-3 layers will be sufficient. Try the paint and wax technique for a distressed, vintage look. With this technique, you apply wax to certain areas of the wood before applying the paint. The paint will not stick to the areas where you have applied wax. It is an easy way to create a shabby-chic, whitewashed look. Use a candle to apply the wax. Instead of wax, you can also apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Sand the wood if necessary. Since the goal of this technique is to create a distressed look, the wood does not need to be very smooth. However, if the wood is extremely rough, a light sanding may make it easier to apply the whitewash. Use a clear or white candle to rub wax onto the wood. Rub the side of the candle along the surface of the wood. Remember, the wax will prevent the paint from absorbing into the wood, so wherever you apply wax will not be covered by the paint. If there is a particular knot in the wood grain that you want to highlight, rub the candle over it. Rub the wax randomly over the wood. The goal is to make the wood look like it has aged naturally, so you don't have to apply the wax in an organized pattern. Paint the wood with white paint. Use a latex paint, and apply it to the wood, painting in the direction of the wood grain. Use long, even strokes. Depending on the size and use of the wood, you can also use spray paint. Spray paint is not recommended for walls, flooring, or larger pieces of furniture. However, if you are whitewashing a small piece of wood, using spray paint may be easier and faster than using a paint brush. Wipe the wood to remove the paint from the areas where you applied wax. Use a rag and vigorously wipe the wood. The paint will come off the areas where you applied the wax. You can also use 220 grit sandpaper on the wood. Lightly rub the sandpaper over the wood, particularly to the areas where you applied the wax. This will remove the paint from these areas, and will also add to the overall distressed, vintage look of the piece. Use the paint and drag technique to create a rustic look. This technique works great with rough or reclaimed wood. The finished product will look rustic, and will look like the wood of a barn. Because this technique is designed to create a rustic look, you almost never have to sand. The roughness of the wood actually adds to the final, barn-like, product. The wood does not need to be perfectly clean, but if it's very dirty, wash it with soapy water. Let it dry completely before you begin painting. Pour a small amount of paint directly onto the wood. It is best to pour the paint on the center of the wood. Start with a small amount, and add more if necessary. You can use any type of paint with this technique, although most people find latex paint the easiest to work with. Add water if the paint is too thick. Adding water will also make it easier to drag the paint across the wood. Use a wide putty knife, or scraper to drag the paint across the wood. Spread the paint across the wood, into the grain, and let it soak into the grooves. If you want a light coat of paint, you can spread the paint out thinly. For more coverage, don't spread the paint as widely. Repeat this step to fill in blank areas. Let the wood dry for at least 12 hours. Let the piece sit overnight, and then check it. The paint may take longer to dry in areas where you applied thick layers of paint. Make sure it is completely dry, and not tacky to the touch, before you move the wood. Repeat as necessary. If you want the wood to have more coverage, or a brighter finish, add more paint and scrape it across the wood. Add as many layers as you like, but remember that the more paint you apply, the less the wood will show through.	Clean and sand the wood. Consider staining the wood to make the grain more visible. Mix equal parts paint and water until the paint is semi-transparent. Use a clean rag, foam roller, or paint brush to apply the whitewash. Remove the excess whitewash with a paper towel or clean rag. Add additional layers of paint if necessary. Try the paint and wax technique for a distressed, vintage look. Sand the wood if necessary. Use a clear or white candle to rub wax onto the wood. Paint the wood with white paint. Wipe the wood to remove the paint from the areas where you applied wax. Use the paint and drag technique to create a rustic look. Pour a small amount of paint directly onto the wood. Use a wide putty knife, or scraper to drag the paint across the wood. Let the wood dry for at least 12 hours. Repeat as necessary.
https://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Present-for-Your-Ex	How to Buy a Present for Your Ex	Buying a present for your ex can be tricky, but you can get the perfect gift and send the right message with a little forethought. If you want to show your ex that you still care about them, get them a gift that fits with their interests or hobbies. For example, if your ex wants to be a writer, get them a nice notebook, a fancy pen, and a book of writing prompts. You can also give them something that reminds them of the good old days, like a seashell from the beach where you first said “I love you.” On the other hand, if you need to buy a gift for an ex who you're now friends with, get them something practical, like a book, housewares, or coffee. Another choice is to get them a gift card to ensure that your gift isn't seen as romantic.	Choose a gift that fits in with their interests or hobbies to show you care. As their ex, you have intimate knowledge about them, such as their favorite things to do and what they want in life. Use your history together to find a gift that only someone who really knows them will get. This will show your ex that you really care about them and see them for who they really are. For example, let's say your ex wants to be a writer. You might buy them a nice notebook, a fancy pen, a book of writing prompts, and a sticker that says, “I write.” This shows them that you were listening to their dreams and are supportive. As another example, you might buy them memorabilia from their favorite band or a movie still from their favorite movie. Pick out something small that represents something special from your relationship. This is a great way to give them a meaningful gift without breaking your budget. Think about your best times together or a special memory you made with them. Then, look for a gift that will remind your ex of that time in your relationship. The memory may make them feel nostalgic about their time with you, which could lead to a second chance. For example, you might give them a seashell from the beach where you met or postcard from the amusement park where you first said “I love you.” Surprise them with something they’ve always wanted. Think about the things they talked about having or doing while you were together. Were they saving up to buy something? Have they always dreamed of going to a certain place or event? Do they have a favorite band? Giving them what they've always wanted will show them you will go out of your way to make them happy. For example, you might buy them concert tickets to see their favorite band or a record player so they can start collecting records. Make sure your gift won’t remind them of past disagreements. Unfortunately, your gift may backfire if it triggers painful memories. Think about the hard times in your relationship, such as fights you had or times you broke up. Where were you located at the time? What were you doing? Being aware of these things will help you avoid making things worse with your gift. For instance, let's say you and your ex broke up because you got both them and your friend red roses on Valentine's Day. In this case, anything involving red roses or Valentine's Day would likely make your ex mad. Pick the right time to give them the gift. Timing is really important when it comes to gift-giving. Choosing the wrong time can make your gift fall flat or might make your ex uncomfortable. Here are some things to consider: Don't give your ex a gift right after you broke up if they asked for space. Doing this will make them feel like you aren't honoring their wishes. If your ex is in a new relationship, hold off on trying to win them back. It's rude to try to break up a couple, and it might create more tension between you and your ex, as well as you and their new partner. If your gift is really special and meaningful, try to give it to them alone. For instance, you might pull them aside at their birthday party instead of putting your gift with the other presents. Get them something practical. Pick a nice gift that they can use but isn't typically considered romantic. This shows them you still care about them as a person but aren't thinking of them as a partner. For example, you might get them a book or a blender. If you're in doubt, ask yourself if you would buy this gift for a relative. If it's something you would buy for Uncle Earl, then it's likely a safe gift to give your ex. Choose something impersonal. This is a great option for when you can't think of anything they really need. Look for something you might buy a coworker or boss. Good options might include prepared gift baskets, holiday-themed items, food, or alcohol. As an example, you might get them a holiday treat box or a snack sampler. During the holiday season, your local department store might have an entire aisle dedicated to these types of gifts. Give them a gift card to ensure your gift isn’t seen as romantic. A gift card is a simple, easy solution to your gift-giving dilemma. Choose a store that you know they like, then pick an amount that you typically spend on their gift. This ensures they'll enjoy the gift but shows that you're not putting too much thought into it. Think about how they will feel when they receive the gift. In some cases, gifts can stir up trouble, especially if there are unresolved feelings. Be careful that you don't buy your ex a gift that may make them think you still love them or may make them feel manipulated by you. Make sure your intentions are purely focused on friendship, and pick a gift that is appropriate for one friend to give another. For instance, do not buy them anything a partner would normally get, like jewelry, perfume, or lingerie. If your ex is mad at you for something you did, don't try to get them a gift to say you're sorry. This can be perceived as manipulative. Help your children choose age-appropriate gifts, based on the kids’ age. Your kids should give your ex gifts that make sense for a child of their age. For instance, a 6-year-old might give their mom a box of candy and a teddy bear on Mother's Day, not a ring. Let your kids pick out something they want to give their other parent, then help them pay for it. Give older kids a budget and let them pick out the gift. Keep your involvement in the gift-giving process to a minimum. As soon as your kids can pick out and purchase a gift on their own, encourage them to do it. Not only will this help you feel more comfortable about helping your kids buy a present, it will also make the gift more special because it comes directly from your child. For instance, you might give your 12-year-old child $20 and let them pick out a gift at your local department store while you make other purchases. Opt for a keepsake gift to stay focused on the kids. This can include something like a hand-painted coffee mug, a photo of your child with Santa, or a painting made by your child. These types of gifts are clearly from your child, so they're a great way to avoid awkwardness when buying for an ex. As an added bonus, giving a keepsake gift may also allow you an opportunity to make memories with your child. For instance, you might take your child to a shop that lets you paint your own pottery to paint gifts together. Similarly, taking your child to see Santa will be a great memory for you and the perfect gift for your ex. Have your kids make a homemade gift for a budget-friendly option. It's okay if you can't afford to buy your ex a present, especially if you're going through hard times. It's not necessary to buy a gift, but your kids feel like they missed out if they can't give their other parent a gift. The best solution to this is to let them make something special, even if it's just a card. Let your kids use whatever craft supplies you have on hand, like paper, crayons, and glitter. You might also look for tutorials on wikiHow, YouTube, or Pinterest to help your kids create something really special. Avoid giving your ex a gift that feels like it’s from you, like nice jewelry. Once you've split up with your ex, gifts that might seem nice may suddenly be upsetting to them. Your ex may not react well to a gift that feels like it's from you, so it's a waste of your time and money. When in doubt, let your child pick out the gift.	Choose a gift that fits in with their interests or hobbies to show you care. Pick out something small that represents something special from your relationship. Surprise them with something they’ve always wanted. Make sure your gift won’t remind them of past disagreements. Pick the right time to give them the gift. Get them something practical. Choose something impersonal. Give them a gift card to ensure your gift isn’t seen as romantic. Think about how they will feel when they receive the gift. Help your children choose age-appropriate gifts, based on the kids’ age. Give older kids a budget and let them pick out the gift. Opt for a keepsake gift to stay focused on the kids. Have your kids make a homemade gift for a budget-friendly option. Avoid giving your ex a gift that feels like it’s from you, like nice jewelry.
https://www.wikihow.com/Give-Selective-Serotonin-Reuptake-Inhibitors-to-a-Cat	How to Give Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors to a Cat	Once your vet has cleared your cat to take Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors, try giving the pill to your cat by crushing it into its food. The medicine has a flavor that your cat might not like, so be sure to mix it into something with a strong smell, like canned fish. A sneakier method is to hide the pill in the center of a Pill Pocket, which is a special treat that can hold a medication tablet and can be found at pet stores. A small meatball with a pill pushed into the center does the job as well, just make sure to give your cat a treat or meatball without a pill first to see if it will eat it whole.	Rule out potential medical issues. SSRI are often prescribed to treat aggression, urine spraying, and compulsive behaviors; however each of these can result from an underlying medical condition. Aggression could indicate hyperthyroidism, central nervous system issues, and painful conditions like arthritis or dental disease. Urine spraying could indicate urinary tract inflammation, kidney disease, thyroid problems, or diabetes. The vet should give your cat a physical examination and blood screenings to rule out potential underlying issues before prescribing an SSRI. Have your cat’s kidneys and liver tested before giving them an SSRI. A cat's liver and kidneys process an SSRI, so you should make sure these organs are in good health before giving your cat an SSRI. Have the vet test your cat for kidney and liver disease and overall metabolic function. If your cat takes an SSRI long-term or will take one for the rest of its life, you should have its kidneys and liver screened at least once a year. Have your vet assess your cat’s current medications. Make sure your vet reviews any medications that your cat is taking before prescribing an SSRI. SSRI's can be dangerous if taken alongside certain medications. Your cat should not take an SSRI if they are already taking drugs from the MAOI family, such as selegiline, anticonvulsants, or aspirin. Discuss the costs of brands, generics, and dosage forms with the vet. Medication costs depend on the type of SSRI, brand, dosage strength, and dosage form. If cost is an issue, talk to the vet about ways of reducing treatment cost. Many generic SSRI are available, so if the vet recommends a more expensive brand, ask if there's a less costly generic option. If you have trouble administering pills but other dosage forms are more expensive, ask the vet for a pill dispenser or crusher. Ask if they can recommend a liquid or gel form that's more affordable. Combine medication with behavior modification. An SSRI is not a substitute for behavior modification and training. If you're dealing with a fearful or aggressive cat, combine medication with desensitization training for best results. For example, if your cat is afraid of or acts aggressively around people, try having someone stand in the next room within visual range of your cat. Pet it, use positive verbal reinforcement, and offer treats to encourage it to re associate other people with good things. Over the course of several training sessions, have the other person stand gradually closer to the cat until they can offer the cat a treat. If you need help modifying your cat's behavior, ask its vet to recommend a certified animal trainer or behaviorist in your area. Combine medication with pheromones to treat urine marking. SSRI are often prescribed to treat indoor urine marking. You'll have the best success treating this problem by using feline pheromones with medication. Have your cat wear a Feliway collar or spray pheromones around your house. Your cat won't feel such a strong urge to mark areas where it can already detect pheromones. Be sure to stop your cat immediately if you catch it marking and clean up soiled spots with a pet odor neutralizer to deter future marking. Ask the vet if the SSRI should be taken with or without food. You can typically give your cat an SSRI with food to make administering it easier and prevent stomach upset. However, you should always ask your cat's vet if they recommend administering any medication with or without food. Crush the tablet and mix it with food. Try crushing the tablet and mixing it with a small amount of your cat's favorite food or treat. Go for something with a strong taste and aroma, like canned fish, to disguise the medicine's flavor. Before crushing the tablet, ask the vet, “Is it ok to crush or split the tablet or capsule and mix it with food, or does it need to be ingested whole?” Ask the vet if they can give you a pill crusher, or purchase one from your local pet store. Put a tablet in a Pill Pocket or meatball. Pill Pockets are special treats into which you insert a medication tablet. They are available at your nearby pet store and a good choice if your vet advises against giving your cat crushed pills. You can also try forming your cat's wet food into a small meatball with the pill at its center. Give your cat a medicine-free treat or meatball before you give it the one with the tablet. This will let you observe whether your cat likes eating food in this form and whether it eats the meatball whole or breaks it apart. If it breaks the meatball apart, you might need to try another method, since your cat will likely notice the tablet and just eat the food around it. Hold the cat’s mouth open to administer a pill without food. Give your cat a tablet by hand if it won't take a pill with its food or if the vet tells you to administer the pill without food. Hold the cat's cheekbones and tilt its head back with one hand. In the other hand, hold the tablet between your index finger and thumb, and use your fourth finger to lower and hold open your cat's mouth from its chin. Keep your fourth finger between your cat's canine teeth as you hold its mouth open. Insert the pill onto the back of the tongue, close the cat's mouth, and massage its neck to encourage it to swallow. Then, slowly syringe 5–10 milliliters (0.17–0.34 fl oz) of water into the cat's mouth, giving the cat a chance to swallow each mouthful. This prevents the pill from getting stuck, which can lead to ulcers. Try using a pill dispenser. Pill dispensers are also available if you have trouble manually inserting the pill into your cat's mouth. Insert the pill onto the tip of the dispenser, tilt your cat's head open, and place the dispenser into your cat's mouth so the pill sits on the back of its tongue. Press the dispener's plunger to release the pill, close your cat's mouth, and massage its neck to encourage it to swallow. Follow up by syringing your cat's mouth, as described above. Reward your cat after giving it medication. Once you've given the cat its medication, calm it down by giving it a reward or reassuring it. If you've given the cat a pill by hand, offer it a favorite treat. Gently pet it and give it plenty of calm, positive praise. If your cat just needs some space, give it time to calm down on its own. Ask the vet about other dosage forms if you have trouble with tablets. The first choice of dosage forms for SSRI is the pill, since it's generally considered the safest and most efficient method. However, many SSRI also come in liquid and transdermal gels. If you have trouble administering an SSRI in pill form, ask the vet to prescribe another dosage form. Drip liquid medication between the teeth and cheek. You can administer an SSRI in liquid form using a syringe-like dispenser. Insert the dispenser between your cat's cheek and teeth, then pull the plunger to drip the medication into its mouth. Massage its neck or blow onto its nose to encourage it to swallow the medicine. Liquid medication is more likely than a pill to enter a cat's windpipe and pose a choking hazard. Don't hold your cat's head back when administering liquid medication to prevent accidental inhalation, and be sure to drip between its cheek and teeth. Apply a transdermal gel to your cat’s skin or inner ear. While absorbed much less efficiently than tablets or capsules, a transdermal gel might be the only safe and feasible option if you have trouble with other dosage forms. To use the applicator, rotate the nozzle to measure out the proper dosage amount. Depending on the vet's instructions, apply the medication either in your cat's ear or directly onto its skin. Use your hand to part your cat's fur when applying a transdermal gel to its skin. Your cat might experience a rash at the application site. Avoid stroking your cat or touching the area afterwards, or you may absorb some of the medication. Work with the vet to determine the best SSRI and dosage. An SSRI can require several weeks to take effect, so you'll need to monitor your cat's behavior to gauge how well it's working. Generally, you won't see any improvement until after the first two weeks. After four to six weeks, you might need to bring the cat back to the vet to discuss switching medications or dosage. It usually takes no more than two tries to find an effective medicine and dosage. A vet's first or second choice of prescribed medication is effective about 75 percent of the time. Report any side effects to the vet. Call the vet and schedule an appointment if you notice any side effects after starting your cat on an SSRI regimen. SSRI can cause decreased appetite, lethargy, and stomach upset. More serious side effects include seizure, hyperactivity and, in some cats, hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to a drug. Consult the vet before you stop giving your cat an SSRI. Because of its effects on neurotransmitter levels, stopping SSRI treatment can be hazardous to your cat's health. You should wait at least four weeks after starting treatment before discussing cessation with the vet. Work with the vet to gradually lower dosages to wean your cat off of an SSRI. SSRI are often prescribed on a short-term basis. In many cases, dosage is gradually decreased and eventually eliminated without recurrence of any behavioral issues.	Rule out potential medical issues. Have your cat’s kidneys and liver tested before giving them an SSRI. Have your vet assess your cat’s current medications. Discuss the costs of brands, generics, and dosage forms with the vet. Combine medication with behavior modification. Combine medication with pheromones to treat urine marking. Ask the vet if the SSRI should be taken with or without food. Crush the tablet and mix it with food. Put a tablet in a Pill Pocket or meatball. Hold the cat’s mouth open to administer a pill without food. Try using a pill dispenser. Reward your cat after giving it medication. Ask the vet about other dosage forms if you have trouble with tablets. Drip liquid medication between the teeth and cheek. Apply a transdermal gel to your cat’s skin or inner ear. Work with the vet to determine the best SSRI and dosage. Report any side effects to the vet. Consult the vet before you stop giving your cat an SSRI.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Plum-Jam	How to Make Plum Jam	To make plum jam, start by pitting and chopping your plums, and tossing them in a bowl with lemon juice. Next, simmer the plums in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. Then, stir in sugar, butter, and pectin, and return the mixture to a boil. After 1 minute, remove a spoonful of jam and let it cool to see if it's thick enough for canning. If it's too thin, boil the jam for another minute.	Wash the plums. Rinse the plums under cool running water, scrubbing gently with your fingers to remove any surface debris. You should also sort through the plums and remove any small bits of stems, leaves, or other contaminants. Toss out any soft, mushy fruit. Only use plums that are fresh and ripe for your jam. Blanch the plums. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over high heat, then quickly dunk the plums in the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the blanched plums to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. You only need to blanch the plums if you plan on removing the skins. Skins can be included in the jam, if desired, but may give your preserves a chewier texture. Peel off the skins. Pinch the skin of each plum in between your fingers and slide it off the fruit. If the plums are ripe, you should be able to remove the skins without difficulty. Unripe plums may need a longer blanching time before you can remove their skins. Pit and chop the plums. Cut the plums in half and dig out the pits with a spoon. Continue chopping the plums into small pieces. As you chop up the plums, discard any brown spots or mushy portions. Note that you could also grind the fruit or chop it into slightly larger pieces if you would prefer the jam to be smoother or chunkier, respectively. Toss the plum pieces with lemon juice. Place the plum pieces in a large mixing bowl and add the lemon juice. Toss the plums with the lemon juice until well-coated. The lemon juice isn't strictly necessary, but using it will help prevent the plums from browning as you work. Place the plums in a stockpot or large saucepan. Place the plums in a 6-qt to 8-qt (6-L to 8-L) pot, then cover the fruit with 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water. Set the pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Stir the contents of the pot as they heat up to prevent the plums from burning. If you prefer thinner jam, you can use up to 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) of water. Adding too much water could prevent the jam from setting properly, though. Simmer the plums for 5 minutes. Once the water reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Allow the plums to simmer for 5 minutes. Note that it will usually take 5 to 10 minutes for the water to reach a steady, rolling boil. Only reduce the heat after this "full boil" stage has been cleared. Add the sugar and butter. Sprinkle the sugar into the pot and add the butter. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and allow the contents to reach another full boil. Leave the pot uncovered and stir its contents continuously to prevent the plums from burning. The use of butter or margarine is only optional. Adding it can help reduce the amount of foaming, but if the mixture hasn't developed much foam by this point, the butter probably won't be necessary. Add the pectin. Add the pectin to the contents of the pot, stirring it into the mixture as quickly as possible. Boil the entire mixture for an additional minute. Continue stirring the contents of the pot continuously during this final minute. You should also skim off any foam that develops using a large metal spoon. You don't need to use a cooking thermometer to test the jam, but if you do opt to use one, the temperature of the jam will need to reach approximately 220 degrees Fahrenheit (104.4 degrees Celsius). Test the jam. Test the consistency of the jam by removing a spoonful using an ice-cold metal spoon. Let the jam cool on the spoon and note its texture. Remove the jam from the heat source while testing it to avoid accidentally over-cooking it. Keep the metal spoon submerged in ice water before the test so that it is thoroughly cold by the time you use it. Wait until the mixture cools to room temperature on the spoon. If the jam thickens to your desired consistency, it's ready to use and ready to can. If it's still too thin, boil the jam for another minute and test again. Sterilize the jars and lids. Wash the jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water, then rinse them off with warm water. Pour boiling water over the flat lids, cleaned jars, and cleaned bands, then allow them to soak for at least five minutes. Note that you can also wash the jars in your dishwasher if your machine has a “sterilize” setting, but the lids and bands should still be washed by hand. You can prepare the jars after the jam is finished, but to improve efficiency and reduce the total amount of time, you may wish the sterilize the jars, lids, and bands before or while you work on preparing the jam. Boil water in a hot water canner. Fill a boiling water canner halfway with water. Set it on your stove and allow the water to reach a full boil. If you don't have an actual boiling water canner, you can use a large stockpot. Place a metal rack at the bottom of the stockpot before adding and boiling the water. This rack should prevent the glass canning jars from coming into direct contact with the heat source. Meanwhile, ladle the jam into your prepared jars. Fill eight 8 half-pint (250 ml) jars with your plum jam, leaving 1/4 inch (1.25 ml) empty head space at the top of each jar. After filling the jars, wipe away any spilled jam using a clean, damp towel, then secure the lids and screw bands over the top of each jar. Note that pint-sized (500-ml) jars may also be used, but you'll only need about four of them. Leave the same amount of headspace regardless of the jar size. The headspace prevents the jam from expanding and cracking the glass jars. Carefully place the jars in the boiling water. Use jar tongs to lower the filled, sealed jars into the boiling water of the canner. Keep at least 2 inches (5 cm) of space in between the jars to prevent them from hitting each other as they process. Note that there should be at least 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water covering the tops of the jars. If there isn't enough water in the canner, add more boiling water before you begin processing the jars. Process 5 to 15 minutes. Cover the canner and process the jars of jam for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your altitude. Keep the water boiling throughout this entire time. For altitudes between 0 and 1000 ft (0 and 305 m), process the jars for 5 minutes. For altitudes between 1001 and 6000 ft (305 and 1830 m), process the jars for 10 minutes. For altitudes above 6000 feet (1.83 km), process the jars for 15 minutes. Also note that these processing times should remain the same for both half-pint (250-ml) and pint (500-ml) jars. Let the jars cool. Carefully remove the processed jars of jam from the hot water. Transfer them to a cloth-covered surface and allow them to cool to room temperature. Make sure that the jars do not hit the canner or each other on the way out. The glass may break if this happens. It will usually take several hours for the jars to completely cool. You may even need to wait overnight depending on when you started the process. Test the seal. Once the jars are completely cool, test the seal by pressing down on the button at the center of each lid. That button should not move up and down when pressed. Test the seal on each jar. Do not assume that all seals are fine just because the first one or two seem secure. If the jar has not been sealed correctly, transfer it to the refrigerator and use the jam within a few weeks. If you do not want to use any unsealed jam immediately, you could also try reheating the jam, placing it a new jar with a new lid, and processing it again. Store the finished jam. Label the jars with their contents and the current date, then store the finished jam in a cool, dry, and dark place for 6 to 8 months. After opening a jar of plum jam, store it in your refrigerator and use it within three weeks.	Wash the plums. Blanch the plums. Peel off the skins. Pit and chop the plums. Toss the plum pieces with lemon juice. Place the plums in a stockpot or large saucepan. Simmer the plums for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and butter. Add the pectin. Test the jam. Sterilize the jars and lids. Boil water in a hot water canner. Meanwhile, ladle the jam into your prepared jars. Carefully place the jars in the boiling water. Process 5 to 15 minutes. Let the jars cool. Test the seal. Store the finished jam.
https://www.wikihow.mom/Clean-a-Baby%27s-Nose	How to Clean a Baby's Nose	To clean your baby's nose using a bulb syringe, start by squirting 1 to 2 drops of nasal saline into their nose to help break up the mucus. After a few minutes have passed, squeeze the air out of a bulb syringe to create a vacuum. Then, place the tip of the syringe against your child's nostril and let go of the bulb to pull the mucus into it. After you've cleared one of your baby's nostrils, remove the bulb and clear it out before moving onto their other nostril. Repeat the process until your baby can breathe properly through their nose.	Use a damp cotton ball. If your baby has a runny nose or crust around their nose, you should gently remove the mucus and crust. Dampen a cotton ball with warm water. Carefully, wipe the debris away. If the mucus is crusted underneath, soften it with the moist cotton ball before removing. This helps reduce discomfort. Make sure to wipe away from the nose, not towards the nose. Clean around the nose during the bath. If your baby has congestion and mucus around or under their nose, clean this area during a bath. Rub a small amount of bath water or gently apply a wet washcloth around the nose area. This helps clear out the nose and remove any mucus under the nose. Spread protectant under the nose. If your baby's nose is irritated around the nose, you can soothe that with some kind of skin protectant. Make sure you use a skin protectant that is made for babies. You can use petroleum jelly, lip balm, or a product designed to help a baby's chapped skin. Avoid sticking anything in your baby’s nose. You should never stick anything in your child's nose to clean it. Never stick cotton swabs, tissues, or cotton balls into your baby's nose. This can damage your baby's nose. When you use a syringe, you are not sticking the tip into your baby's nostril. You are only resting it at the opening of the nostril. Squirt nasal saline into the nose. To help the break up the mucus, use nasal saline. Place your baby on their back and their chin tilted. Use a dropper to drop one to two drops into their nostrils. If the saline comes in a bottle with a pump, use the squirt pump to place one to two squirts into the nostrils. Try to let the saline solution stay in the baby's nose for 10 seconds. You can buy unmedicated nasal saline at a pharmacy. You may also make your own saline solution. Dissolve ¼ teaspoon of salt into eight ounces of warm water. If you make your own, throw the solution out at the end of the day and make a new solution the next morning. Store it in a covered clean glass jar during the day. Don't use saline drops on your baby for more than four days in a row. This can dry out their nasal passages. Wait a few minutes. After you put the saline solution into your baby's nose, wait for around two to three minutes. Hold your baby with their head lower than their feet. This helps the solution get down into the nostrils. The baby's congestion may break up and the nostrils may clear. However, if after a few minutes your baby's nose is not any better, then you need to clean it out. Place the end of the bulb against the baby’s nose. Take the rubber bulb syringe and squeeze the air out. This creates a vacuum to suck out the mucus. Carefully place the tip of the syringe against the nostril. It should fit snugly to create a seal. Gently let go of the bulb to pull the mucus into it. If your baby resists this process, stop and try again later. Make sure not to stick the tip too far into your baby's nose. This can cause an injury. Clean out the bulb between each nostril. Before you do the same thing to the other nostril, you must remove the mucus from the bulb. Remove the syringe from the baby's nose. Squeeze the syringe to clean the mucus out of the bulb. You may have to use some force when you squeeze to get it out. Then clean out the second nostril. Place a tissue around the tip to catch the mucus you expel from the tip. Repeat if there is still congestion after a few minutes. Your baby should be breathing better after cleaning the mucus out of their nose. However, if their nose is still stopped up after five to ten minutes, repeat the entire process again, including the saline solution. Make sure you only clean out your baby's nose two to three times each day. More than that may irritate their nose. Your baby may get the most benefit before eating or going to sleep. Wash the syringe. When you are finished, wash the syringe with soap and warm water. Place the tip of the syringe in the soapy water and squeeze the bulb to suck water into it. Shake the syringe to get soap all around the inside. Then squeeze it out. Rinse the syringe by squeezing warm clean water into the syringe multiple times. Continue to rinse until the water you squeeze out is clear. Even with regular cleaning, some bulb syringes can be prone to mold growth. Look for one that twists apart for easier cleaning and drying. Let the syringe dry by placing it with the tip down in a glass. Position the tip in the child’s nose. Place the tapered end of the aspirator into your baby's nose. The tapered end is connected to a long, cylindrical tube that will collect the mucus from your baby's nose. Make sure not to stick the tube too far into your child's nose. Place it just inside the nostril. Suck on the mouthpiece to clear the mucus. At the other end of the tube is a mouthpiece that you place into your mouth. With the piece securely between your lips, suck on it to pull mucus from your baby's nose. The intensity with which you suck will control how much suction is in your baby's nose. The mucus will not be sucked into your mouth. The tube in your baby's nose has a filter that will keep any mucus and germs from getting into your mouth. Wash the unit when finished. Once you are finished cleaning your baby's nose, you need to clean it. Take it apart and wash the main tube, the nose tip, and the mouth piece. Use hot soapy water to wash the parts. Rinse well to make sure you've removed all of the soap. Don't wash the long tube that connects the mouth piece with the main tube. If you need to wash it for some reason, or it get water in, make sure to let it dry completely.	Use a damp cotton ball. Clean around the nose during the bath. Spread protectant under the nose. Avoid sticking anything in your baby’s nose. Squirt nasal saline into the nose. Wait a few minutes. Place the end of the bulb against the baby’s nose. Clean out the bulb between each nostril. Repeat if there is still congestion after a few minutes. Wash the syringe. Position the tip in the child’s nose. Suck on the mouthpiece to clear the mucus. Wash the unit when finished.
https://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Absolute-Error	How to Calculate Absolute Error	To calculate the absolute error, use the formula, “Absolute Error = Measured Value - Actual Value.” Begin by plugging the actual value into the formula, which will either be given to you or is the standardly accepted value. Then, make a measurement and put the measured value into the formula. Finally, subtract the actual value from the measure value to calculate the absolute error. If there are any negative signs, ignore them when you record your answer.	Set up the formula for calculating the absolute error. The formula is Δ x = x 0 − x {\displaystyle \Delta x=x_{0}-x} , where Δ x {\displaystyle \Delta x} equals the absolute error (the difference, or change, in the measured and actual value), x 0 {\displaystyle x_{0}} equals the measured value, and x {\displaystyle x} equals the actual value. Plug the actual value into the formula. The actual value should be given to you. If not, use a standardly accepted value. Substitute this value for x {\displaystyle x}. For example, you might be measuring the length of a football field. You know that the actual, or accepted length of a professional American football field is 360 feet. So, you would use 360 as the actual value: Δ x = x 0 − 360 {\displaystyle \Delta x=x_{0}-360}. Find the measured value. This will be given to you, or you should make the measurement yourself. Substitute this value for x 0 {\displaystyle x_{0}}. For example, if you measure the football field and find that it is 357 feet long, you would use 357 as the measured value: Δ x = 357 − 360 {\displaystyle \Delta x=357-360}. Subtract the actual value from the measured value. Since absolute error is always positive, take the absolute value of this difference, ignoring any negative signs. This will give you the absolute error. For example, since Δ x = 357 − 360 = − 3 {\displaystyle \Delta x=357-360=-3} , the absolute error of your measurement is 3 feet. Set up the formula for relative error. The formula is δ x = x 0 − x x {\displaystyle \delta x={\frac {x_{0}-x}{x}}} , where δ x {\displaystyle \delta x} equals the relative error (the ratio of the absolute error to the actual value), x 0 {\displaystyle x_{0}} equals the measured value, and x {\displaystyle x} equals the actual value. Plug in the value for the relative error. This will likely be a decimal. Make sure you substitute it for δ x {\displaystyle \delta x}. For example, if you know that the relative error is.025, your formula will look like this:.025 = x 0 − x x {\displaystyle.025={\frac {x_{0}-x}{x}}}. Plug in the value for the actual value. This information should be given to you. Make sure you substitute this value for x {\displaystyle x}. For example, if you know that the actual value is 360 ft, your formula will look like this:.025 = x 0 − 360 360 {\displaystyle.025={\frac {x_{0}-360}{360}}}. Multiply each side of the equation by the actual value. This will cancel out the fraction. For example:.025 = x 0 − 360 360 {\displaystyle.025={\frac {x_{0}-360}{360}}}.025 × 360 = x 0 − 360 360 × 360 {\displaystyle.025\times 360={\frac {x_{0}-360}{360}}\times 360} 9 = x 0 − 360 {\displaystyle 9=x_{0}-360} Add the actual value to each side of the equation. This will give you the value of x 0 {\displaystyle x_{0}} , giving you the measured value. For example: 9 = x 0 − 360 {\displaystyle 9=x_{0}-360} 9 + 360 = x 0 − 360 + 360 {\displaystyle 9+360=x_{0}-360+360} 369 = x 0 {\displaystyle 369=x_{0}} Subtract the actual value from the measured value. Since absolute error is always positive, take the absolute value of this difference, ignoring any negative signs. This will give you the absolute error. For example, if the measured value is 369 ft, and the actual value is 360 feet, you would subtract 369 − 360 = 9 {\displaystyle 369-360=9}. So, the absolute error is 9 feet. Determine the measuring unit. This is the “to the nearest” value. This might be explicitly stated (for example, “The building was measured to the nearest foot.”), but it doesn't have to be. To determine the measuring unit, just look at what place value the measurement is rounded to. For example, if the measured length of a building is stated as 357 feet, you know that the building was measured to the nearest foot. So, the measuring unit is 1 foot. Determine the maximum possible error. The maximum possible error is 1 2 {\displaystyle {\frac {1}{2}}} the unit of measure. You might see it listed as ± {\displaystyle \pm } a number. For example, if the unit of measure is a foot, the maximum possible error is.5 ft. So you might see that the measurement of a building is 357 ±.5 f t {\displaystyle 357\pm.5ft}. This means that the actual value of the building's length could be.5 ft less or.5 ft more than the measured value. If it was any less/more, the measured value would have been 356 or 358 feet. Use the maximum possible error as the absolute error. Since absolute error is always positive, take the absolute value of this difference, ignoring any negative signs. This will give you the absolute error. For example, if you find the measurement of a building to be 357 ±.5 f t {\displaystyle 357\pm.5ft} , the absolute error is.5 ft.	Set up the formula for calculating the absolute error. Plug the actual value into the formula. Find the measured value. Subtract the actual value from the measured value. Set up the formula for relative error. Plug in the value for the relative error. Plug in the value for the actual value. Multiply each side of the equation by the actual value. Add the actual value to each side of the equation. Subtract the actual value from the measured value. Determine the measuring unit. Determine the maximum possible error. Use the maximum possible error as the absolute error.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Candy-Bouquet	How to Make a Candy Bouquet	To make a candy bar bouquet, start by gluing boxes of candy, such as Hot Tamales, Sno-Caps, and M&Ms, to the sides of a brick-sized Styrofoam block. Then, glue a variety of candy bars, like Snickers, Butterfingers, or Crunch bars, to popsicle sticks, so they cover the top 2 inches of each stick. When the glue is dry, put at least 6 to 8 of the popsicle sticks into the top of the block, mixing them up so they'll look more interesting. Finally, glue tissue paper around the top edge of the block to cover the Styrofoam.	Choose a container for your candy bouquet. Be creative and personalize the container to fit the person you're making the bouquet for. A sand pail makes a great container for a child's bouquet. Use a parfait cup, coffee cup, or a soup mug for a friend, co-worker or teacher; a vintage tin for an antique collector; a small tackle box for an angler; a clay or plastic flower pot for a gardener or a popcorn bucket for a movie buff. Stock up on a good supply of candy. Choose candy that you or the giftee loves, as well as candy that looks visually appealing and stands out. You should stock up on a variety of wrapped candies such as bubble gum, small candy bars, toffees, or chocolate kisses. Any securely wrapped candy will work. Choose colors appropriate for the occasion, such as bright primary colors for a young child, pink and blue for a baby shower, gold or silver for an anniversary, black and orange for Halloween, red and white for Valentine's Day, green and white for St. Patrick's day or red and green for Christmas. Use a glue gun to secure a chunk of Styrofoam to fit tightly in the bottom of the container. Trace the bottom of the container onto the chunk of Styrofoam and then cut out the shape you've made and glue it to the bottom of the container, putting glue on the sides and the bottom of the shape. Wait a few minutes for the Styrofoam to dry completely before you put the candy in -- unless you'd also like to glue the candy to the sides of the container. Wrap a wooden skewer with green floral tape and stick it in the center of a Styrofoam ball. You can also use a thick popsicle stick instead of a skewer. Anything that is long and thick enough to hold up the candy will do. Insert the skewer into the center of the Styrofoam base, securing the skewer with a dab of glue. Put a small amount of glue on the other end of the skewer, then poke the glued end into the center of a Styrofoam ball. Use a Styrofoam ball appropriate for the size of your container. As a general rule, a ball the size of a tennis ball or baseball works well for most arrangements. You can also wrap the Styrofoam ball with green tape or paint it green, for an added effect. Use floral pins to attach the wrapped candy to the Styrofoam ball. Pin one or both ends of each wrapped candy. Continue pinning the candy to the ball one at a time until it is completely covered with wrapped candies. When you've done this, you can also stick the skewer into the Styrofoam at the bottom of the container. Pin silk leaves between a few of the candies. Alternatively, use small bows and loops tied from narrow, ¼-inch ribbon. Pick any design that would make the candy bouquet look even more festive and visually appealing. Camouflage the top of the container with shredded paper or dried sphagnum moss. This will make the bouquet look more finished and will hide the Styrofoam bottom. You can also stick a few candy canes or pieces of candy appropriate to the occasion into the bottom of the basket. Finish your candy bouquet by tying a big, colorful bow around the container. Use a glue gun to glue boxes of candy around each edge of a Styrofoam block. Get a Styrofoam block that is about the size of a brick and glue a box of candy around each of its four sides. Put the glue on the block and then stick the boxes to the glue. Using boxes of candy like Hot Tamales or the boxed M&Ms or Sno-Caps you can find at the movies are perfect for covering the Styrofoam block. Turn the box sideways, so the long way is facing up, and make sure that the top and bottom do not have candy bars glued to them. Glue at least 6-8 candy bars to popsicle sticks. Glue a variety of candy bars, like Snickers, Hershey's, Crunch bars, or Butterfingers, to popsicle sticks so that about 2 inches (5 cm) of the popsicle stick is glued to the candy bar. Stick the popsicle sticks into the top of the Styrofoam block. Once the glue on the Styrofoam block has dried, you can stick the popsicle sticks into the top of the block so that the candy bars are evenly spaced. Glue tissue paper around the edge of the block. Glue some tissue paper around the top edge of the block so that all of the Styrofoam is covered and the candy block has a more bouquet-like feel. Glue a Styrofoam bottom into a large mug. Pick a mug that is festive for the occasion, whether it's around Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Valentine's Day. Trace the bottom of the mug over a piece of thick Styrofoam and cut the Styrofoam and place it snugly into the bottom of the mug. You can even try to glue the Styrofoam into the bottom of the mug, but then you -- or the person you're giving it to -- won't be able to use it once all the candy is eaten. Bake a tray of cookies on popsicle sticks. Make the dough for chocolate chip, gingerbread, oatmeal raisin, or any other cookies that you like. Before you put them into the oven, cut a small hole in the bottom of the cookies and insert a wooden popsicle stick in each one. It's a good idea to bake a few extra cookies in case some of them break or don't stay on the popsicle stick. Give the cookies at least 10-15 minutes to cool off and harden before you try placing them in the bouquet. Stick the popsicle sticks with cookies on them into the Styrofoam at the bottom of the mug. Spread the cookies out evenly so they stick out neatly above the mug. They can stick out at different angles and heights, as long as the bouquet looks visually appealing. Fill the mug with candy and brown tissue paper. Place wrapped candy that goes well with the cookies, such as Reese's peanut butter cups or individually-wrapped Milky Ways, into the bottom of the mug, and place some brown tissue paper on top to cover the candy and Styrofoam.	Choose a container for your candy bouquet. Stock up on a good supply of candy. Use a glue gun to secure a chunk of Styrofoam to fit tightly in the bottom of the container. Wrap a wooden skewer with green floral tape and stick it in the center of a Styrofoam ball. Use floral pins to attach the wrapped candy to the Styrofoam ball. Pin silk leaves between a few of the candies. Camouflage the top of the container with shredded paper or dried sphagnum moss. Use a glue gun to glue boxes of candy around each edge of a Styrofoam block. Glue at least 6-8 candy bars to popsicle sticks. Stick the popsicle sticks into the top of the Styrofoam block. Glue tissue paper around the edge of the block. Glue a Styrofoam bottom into a large mug. Bake a tray of cookies on popsicle sticks. Stick the popsicle sticks with cookies on them into the Styrofoam at the bottom of the mug. Fill the mug with candy and brown tissue paper.
https://www.wikihow.com/Prune-a-Juniper-Tree	How to Prune a Juniper Tree	Start pruning your juniper tree by removing dead limbs and branches with loppers. Once all of the visibly dead branches have been cut, shape the tree by pruning protruding branches at the top of the tree and on the sides. Cut the protruding branches to a junction where the branch splits into 2 branches to encourage new growth. Be careful not to trim the branches too close to the center of the tree!	Prune junipers annually to correct their shape. The best time to prune your junipers is in the winter or early spring. In the springtime, it's easier to see the general shape of the tree and cut the branches without having to worry about accidentally harming new growth. Winter pruning is a great option because it ensures that the plant is pruned before new growth begins. It's important to work before new growth begins so that you don't have to worry about damaging new branches. This will give you the freedom to trim as needed to attain the perfect shape. Trim the bushes as needed in the summer if the tree loses its shape. After you've corrected the shape of the bush in the spring, you may notice that the juniper grows faster and wider during the summer. You can re-shape the tree at any time during the summer. Junipers can be trimmed any time from spring until the first freeze of the year. Do not trim new growth during the summer. When working with the tree, be careful not to cut the new growth growing from the junctions. The new growth will be soft, light green, and pliable compared to the hardwood of the old growth. Always be gentle when touching new growth, as it's extremely delicate. If you are working during the springtime, there likely won't be much new growth to avoid. Avoid pruning healthy branches into the “dead zone” at the center. The center of the shrub doesn't get much light, so most of the greenery in this area dies to conserve energy for the outer portion of the shrub. On a mature juniper, nothing will grow from this area, so you have to be careful not to cut too close unless you do not want the branches to grow back. It's easier to see the dead zone in the early spring when there isn't much new growth. Sometimes, if the juniper is very mature, the dead zone will be extremely large. If the dead zone makes up the majority of the plant, dig up the juniper and replant a new shrub in its place. Make cuts at the junctions of the branches. In all varieties of junipers, new growth comes from points in the tree where the branches split into 2-3 smaller branches, called junctions. When pruning the tree, try to make cuts as close to the junctions as possible to encourage more new growth throughout the year. After you trim the branches to the junctions, keep an eye out for new growth. Cut out dead or damaged limbs using loppers to encourage new growth. You may notice that some of the branches of the tree are brown and stiff. Take a pair of loppers, which are a type of gardening scissor with long handles, and cut all dead or damaged limbs into the dead zone. This will give new growth space to form! In this case, it's okay to cut into the dead zone because the branches are already dead, and there will be more space for new growth to expand on the outer area of the bush. Thin out creeping junipers by removing center branches. Creeping and semi-upright junipers can have very thick dead zones that need to be thinned out. Use a pair of pruners or loppers to cut 30% of the central limbs out of the tree, opting for the most mature branches. Cut these branches into the dead zone to prevent them from growing back. Doing this helps to prevent disease in the bush and allows more light to reach the buds at junctions toward the center of the tree. After the initial thinning, creeping and semi-upright junipers can be pruned as normal. Trim top branches using loppers to shape the tree. Many junipers grow laterally, with branches shooting off to the sides, but some may have branches growing upwards. Use the loppers to cut the branches to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) outside of the dead zone to encourage more upward growth. If you can't find a junction, simply cut the branch to match the overall shape and height of the bush. Prune side branches by 1/4 of their length if they stick out from the bush. The side branches take up the most space on an overgrown juniper. Use pruning scissors or hand pruners, which have shorter handles than loppers, to shorten the branches to a junction where the branch splits. You can cut up to a third of the branch without damaging its growth. For example, if the length of a protruding branch is 24 inches (61 cm), you should prune 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) off of the branch. Tie sagging branches to the center of the shrub to secure them. Even after pruning the side branches by a quarter or third, they can still sag and stick out from the tree. Use twine or tree ties to secure the branches to the center of the tree. Tie the twine around the branch and then secure it to the middle of the shrub. Do not use wire to do this unless you are also using tree straps around the branches. Wire will rub against them. Tree ties tend to be sturdier than twine, but they're more expensive. You can find them at most home improvement stores or garden centers. After a year, you will need to remove the ties, and the branches should remain in place without the ties.	Prune junipers annually to correct their shape. Trim the bushes as needed in the summer if the tree loses its shape. Do not trim new growth during the summer. Avoid pruning healthy branches into the “dead zone” at the center. Make cuts at the junctions of the branches. Cut out dead or damaged limbs using loppers to encourage new growth. Thin out creeping junipers by removing center branches. Trim top branches using loppers to shape the tree. Prune side branches by 1/4 of their length if they stick out from the bush. Tie sagging branches to the center of the shrub to secure them.
https://www.wikihow.com/Give-Up-Sugar	How to Give Up Sugar	To give up sugar, always read the ingredients list and nutrition fact panel on foods you buy at the grocery store since sugar can be in foods you wouldn't expect, like bread, salad dressings, and sauces. In general, try to avoid processed and packaged foods, like frozen meals, packaged snacks, and canned soups, since they usually contain sugar. Also, stick with unsweetened and plain varieties of food since they're less likely to have sugar in them.	Decide to go cold turkey or taper. When you're deciding to give up any food you'll have to decide if you're going give it up all at once or slowly taper it out of your diet. Regardless of which option you choose, there will likely be some withdrawal symptoms. If you consume large quantities of sugar or have been consuming it for a long period of time, going cold turkey might come with more intense withdrawal symptoms. It might be best to slowly remove sugar from your diet over a few weeks. If you only consume small amounts of sugar you may be able to go cold turkey with minimal symptoms. If you choose to taper down the amount of sugar you're including in your diet, make sure to be honest about your choices. Don't indulge in a sweet treat just to have a source of sugar in your day. Journal. Letting go of sugar may not always be an easy task. In addition, finding foods to replace sugar in diet may also be difficult or time consuming. Start journaling your foods, diet plan, and how you're feeling as you cut sugar out of your diet. Come up with a strategy and make notes in your journal. You might start by writing down a food diary to get an idea of how much sugar you consume in any given day or week. Then you can start making a plan of how to reduce sugar in your diet. Also include different healthy swaps you are thinking about using. You might need to try a few different things before you find something that works. You can also include notes on your mood or how you're feeling about your progress. Journaling is a great way to manage any stress related to this task. Plan for symptoms of withdrawal. Like many food addictions, when you give-up the offending food, you may have some side effects. These symptoms are normal and to be expected. Remember that sugar is essentially a drug. With any drug, quitting can lead to withdrawal and cravings. These will pass but the initial withdrawal phase may be a bit tricky. How long you experience withdrawal symptoms depends on how much sugar you've been eating each day and for how long you've been consuming sugar. The more sugar you've been consuming and the longer you've been doing it may mean more intense or long-lasting side effects. In general, for the first week or two after giving up sugar, you might feel nauseous, have a headache, and feel cranky. Your body has come to rely on its daily sugar boost, and taking that away will have an effect until you get used to it. Journal about your symptoms and write down positive thoughts of giving up sugar to get you through the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. It'll be worth the discomfort in the end, when your mood levels out and you feel healthier and more energetic than you did when you were addicted to sugar. Write a plan to get through cravings. You might dream of cupcakes, ice cream, and candy for the first few weeks, but rest assured that your cravings will eventually go away. In the meantime, curb them by trying the following: Dilute sweet beverages. Mix regular sodas with water or unsweetened seltzer. Dilute juices and other sweetened drinks with water as well. Keep doing so until you feel comfortable switching to only water or other sugar-free beverages. Reach for fruit. If you're craving a sweet treat, trying reaching for sweet fruit. Good ideas to try include: pineapple, mango, and bananas as these are slightly more sweet than other fruits. Stick to low-calorie. If you're really craving something sweet and fruit or other tricks won't do it, go for a calorie-controlled option. Sticking to a treat that's less than 150 calories is a smart move. Try buying small, portioned controlled items to help keep you in control. Join a diet program or support group. Giving up sugar isn't easy, and it can help to have support from other people who are going through the same thing. Instead of trying to do it all alone, sign up for a group program or support group. Groups are either in person or online. You'll be able to share motivational stories and tips for making the process go more smoothly. It's nice to have people with whom you can share your achievements, too! Tell your friends and family what you're up to. The fact that you're giving up sugar may have an impact on other people you regularly eat with. Explain to them why you're giving it up, what foods you can no longer eat and what foods you can. Ask them to help you on your journey to giving up sugar, and perhaps even join you. Telling others you have set a goal to give up sugar gives you accountability and support. It also lessens the risk that friends and loved ones will offer you sugar-filled items. Prepare for slip-ups. Birthday parties, holidays, and other special occasions are celebrated with sugary treats, and it can feel next to impossible not to indulge. If you overindulge, that's OK. Get right back up and start back on your sugar-free diet as soon as you can. Try journaling about what you ate and why you ate it. Many times it might be stress or other emotional factors playing a part into why you slipped up. If you can, limit yourself to just one piece or one cookie so you don't end up throwing yourself off too much. Afterward, get right back on your sugar-free diet. You might experience increased cravings for a few days afterward, so you'll have to be extra careful to keep sugar away. Read food labels every time. Eliminating sugar requires paying very close attention to what you buy at the grocery store since sugar is added to many types of food. The nutrition fact panel will let you know how many grams of sugar is in each serving of your food. However, this doesn't tell you if it's natural or added sugar. Be mindful when you shop! You most likely expect to find added sugars in something like cookies, but you might be surprised to see it's also commonly added to savory foods like salad dressing, bread, and tomato sauce. Check labels carefully and avoid foods that contain sugar. Read the ingredient list to figure out if there's any added sugar to your foods. Remember, some food will have sugar listed on the nutrition fact panel, but there is no added sugar to the products. For example, plain yogurt or unsweetened applesauce both contain naturally occurring sugar. Added sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, beet sugar, cane sugar, molasses, agave syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, turbinado, honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, fruit juice concentrate and many more. Replace added sugars with naturally occurring sugars. Added sugars that are mixed with food to sweeten them and contain no nutritional value on their own. Naturally-occurring sugars in fruit and milk come with vitamins, minerals, and fiber making them much more nutritious. Naturally-occurring sugars include fructose (found in fruit) and lactose (found in milk). All fruit, fruit products (like unsweetened applesauce) and dairy products (like yogurt, milk or cottage cheese) contain varying amounts of naturally occurring sugars. You can make a variety of healthier swaps by substituting foods that contain natural sugar for added sugar. When you're craving something sweet, go for naturally sweet items like fruit or yogurt. Avoid highly processed foods. Sugar is commonly added to processed and packaged foods to improve the taste, texture, and shelf life. Frozen food, packaged snacks, canned soup, sauces, salad dressings, and marinades often have added sugar. Try making some of these items from scratch if you can. Go for unsweetened and plain varieties whenever possible. For example, consume unsweetened applesauce or plain yogurt. Flavored items generally contain added sugars. Even fruit can be loaded with sugar when it's processed. Fruit juice has been stripped of fiber and water that helps you feel full. If you're including fruit in your diet, go for whole fruit. Pass on sweet treats and desserts. One of the most common and obvious sources of added sugars are in foods like candy, cookies, cakes, pastries, and other dessert-type foods. Most know that there is a large quantity of added sugars in these foods when they're made. Giving up on these can help cut out a large portion of added sugar in your diet. As mentioned before, you can choose to cut out these foods cold turkey or taper them slowly out of your diet. If you're going cold turkey, you may not be interested in healthy swaps. If you're tapering them out of your diet, you may find it helpful to plan some naturally sweetened, healthy alternatives into your day. Create delicious sugar-free swaps. Sweet treats provide a lot of enjoyment in our diets. When you're trying to give up sugar, it'll be helpful to find low-sugar or naturally sweetened alternatives when you're in the mood to indulge. Use fruit instead. You can try a small bowl of fruit plain or sprinkled with a little cinnamon after dinner. If you're allowing yourself a small amount of sugar, you can try serving your fruit with a small amount of low-fat whipped cream or dipping fruit into dark chocolate (which contains small amounts of sugar). If you like baked goods like muffins, pancakes or sweet breads, you can try using sugar-free baking techniques. Many recipes can be made with unsweetened applesauce, sweet potato puree or pumpkin puree for a naturally sweetened sugar source. If you don't like cooking or preparing foods, you may want to consider buying low sugar treats. Many foods that are made for diabetics or are diet foods may be helpful. Do note that these may contain higher amounts of artificial sweeteners. Cut back on alcohol. Alcohol also contains sugar. In addition, it doesn't come with any nutritional benefits. Eliminate alcohol altogether or stick to "light" or low-carb options. All alcoholic beverages have some sugar. It's not just the sweetened mixed drinks like margaritas. If you're in the mood for a beer, choose light or low-carb for the least amount of calories and sugar. If you're in the mood for a glass of wine, make it a "spritzer." This is a mix of wine and seltzer which cuts the sugar and calories in half. If you typically want a mixed drink, ask for unsweetened mixers like seltzer or diet sodas to help cut down on sugar and calories. Choose all natural sweeteners. If you are going to include some sugars, it might be wise to choose more naturally occurring, less processed forms of sugar. Try honey, agave syrup, molasses, or maple syrup for a touch of added sweetness. All of these sweeteners are natural and may even contain some vitamins and antioxidants. Make sure that if you choose to use these types of sweeteners that they are not mixtures. For example, some companies sell honey that's a mixture of honey and corn syrup. Make sure you purchase 100% honey or 100% maple syrup. Order wisely in restaurants. It's easy to consume hidden sugar in restaurants, since the meals don't come with nutrition labels for you to examine. You can always ask the server to tell you what's in a dish, but it's often better to have a good strategy for ordering food with the least amount of sugar. Try doing the following to keep your restaurant meals sugar-free: Get your salads dressed with plain oil and vinegar, rather than choosing a pre-made salad dressing. Also, always ask for dressings to be served on the side. Ask for main dishes to be made without sauces and gravies that might have added sugar. Again, ask for these to be served on the side. When in doubt, order steamed vegetables or plain grilled meats instead of casseroles and other mixed dishes that contain a lot of ingredients. Look for the most simple items on the menu. These will most likely have the least amount of added ingredients. For dessert, opt for a plain bowl of fruit or skip it altogether. Beware of artificial sweeteners. Since many people are giving up sugars and have become more health conscious, scientists have developed different artificial sweeteners as low-calorie replacements. Aspartame, saccharin, sugar alcohols, and other sweeteners have a variety of different side effects and could potentially be harmful to your health. Studies have shown that when you're trying to give up sugar, the sweet taste of artificial sweeteners may make you crave sugar even more. Avoid processed food that's been sweetened with artificial sweeteners e.g. diet drinks and any typically sweet item that's labeled sugar-free, like candy, ice cream, cake, etc. Artificial sugar might be listed as aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, neotame, sucralose, maltitol, sorbitol, or xylitol. Avoid these if you'd like.	Decide to go cold turkey or taper. Journal. Plan for symptoms of withdrawal. Write a plan to get through cravings. Join a diet program or support group. Prepare for slip-ups. Read food labels every time. Replace added sugars with naturally occurring sugars. Avoid highly processed foods. Pass on sweet treats and desserts. Create delicious sugar-free swaps. Cut back on alcohol. Choose all natural sweeteners. Order wisely in restaurants. Beware of artificial sweeteners.
https://www.wikihow.fitness/Get-Big-Calves	How to Get Big Calves	To build bigger calves, start by performing training exercises to focus on your calf muscles, like seated calf raises or jump squats. Try exercising without shoes to allow your calves to move more and make sure you use the full range of motion for these exercises so the muscles get a proper workout. When planning your workout routine, aim to work on your calves 2-3 times a week. Finally, push yourself as far as possible when you exercise, because calf muscles are used to daily activity so need a lot of exertion to grow.	Do jump squats. Place yourself in a position for a squat, holding your arms at your sides. Bend your knees to lower your body, moving to the balls of your feet and toes as you squat. Now jump upward explosively, keeping your hands at your sides. Land on the balls of your feet and squat again upon impact. Don't use a barbell or dumbbells with this exercise. You need to be able to jump freely and explosively, and a barbell or dumbbells would inhibit this movement too much. Do box jumps. Stand in front of an exercise box that you can easily jump upon. Your toes should be pointed toward the box. Jump explosively so that you land on the box with the balls of your feet. Jump back down to the floor, then repeat. Be sure the box you use is anchored to the floor so that it doesn't slide and cause you to fall. Don't use dumbbells during box jumps, since you might need to use your hands to catch yourself if you fall. Jump rope. Jumping rope is one of the easiest and fastest ways to get bigger calves. Do seated calf raises. This movement targets the soleus calf muscles. Sit on the machine with your toes on the lower portion of the platform and your heels extending off. Your lower thighs go under the lever pad, and your hands go on top of the lever pad to keep it in place. Lift the lever by pushing your heels up, then slowly lower your heels by bending at the ankles. Now extend the ankles as high as possible, contracting the calves, and hold. Repeat at least 10 - 20 times. Add weight to increase the difficulty of the exercise. You can also change the way in which the muscles are targeted by changing the angle of your feet. Perform a set with the toes pointed inward, then perform a set with your toes pointed 45 degrees outward. Do standing calf raises. You can do this exercise with a machine or a calf block. Stand under the machine or with the balls of your feet on the calf block, starting with your heels about 3 inches (7.6 cm) below the block. Raise up on the balls of your feet as high as you can, then contract your calf muscles at the peak. Hold the position, then lower yourself back to starting position. Do leg press calf raises. This exercise is also known as the donkey raise. Sit on a leg press machine. Hold the footplate with your toes and the balls of your feet. Press it by raising your heels and breathing out. Extend your ankles as high as possible as you flex your calf. Your hips and knees should remain stationary at all times. Hold the position, then lower your heels as you bend your ankles. The key is to make sure all of the weight is put on your calf; be sure you don't bend your knees or use other muscles to press. You can increase the difficulty of this exercises by adding weights. Use the full range of motion during reps. Bodybuilding experts say that doing half-reps is useless when it comes to building calf muscles. It's necessary to complete the full range of motion with every rep to engage the entire muscle. Your calves are already used to getting a little workout every time you climb the stairs or go for a walk. To make them grow, you need to put them through a workout they don't get on a daily basis. Make calf workouts a regular part of your routine. You should be working on your calves two to three days a week for maximum gains. Calf muscles need time to recover, just like any muscle group. Allow them time to heal and focus on other strength training or cross-training exercises on your non-calf days. Don't bother with fancy exercises. Doing the standard calf exercises, over and over, is the best way to get bigger calves. The standard calf exercises - seated and standing calf raises, leg presses, and jumps - are designed to engage the muscles without injuring them. You can try other exercises if you become bored with the old standards, but you might just slow yourself down on your quest to get bigger calves. Go as hard as you can. Calves won't grow unless you put them through some pain. Again, since you use your calves every day, especially if you are physically active, your calves are already used to having strain put on them. That means that when you're working out you need to go all in and keep exercising until they burn. Some bodybuilding instructors advise that you shouldn't worry about counting reps when you're working your calves. For each exercise, do as many reps as you can before they burn too much to keep going. You can extend a set by shaking out your calves after performing several reps, then resuming. Exercise without shoes. Training without shoes allows your feet, legs, and most importantly calves to engage in a greater range of motion. Without the aid of shoe padding and springs, your calves are forced to do more work. Going without shoes and socks also helps your feet get a better grip on the mat, so you won't be as prone to slipping when you're lifting heavy weights. Be persistent. Bodybuilders who are big everywhere else often have the most trouble getting bigger calves. It can take months, and sometimes years, to build calves, especially if your legs are naturally on the skinny side. If you keep up your routine and make sure to get plenty of calories, you will eventually see the results you want. Don't give up too quickly. Do take into account that genetics play a role in how large your calves can get. You can build muscle through exercise, but know that genetics might predetermine that you have smaller or larger calves. The important thing is health and function, not size. Eat healthy foods that are part of a balanced diet. Building bigger muscles, no matter what part of the body you're targeting, requires fueling yourself with a balanced diet. Make sure you are getting your daily recommended amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, and providing your body with fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid eating calories in the form of saturated fats and sugars. Don't eat a lot of fried foods, snack foods, fast foods, and desserts. Avoid white flour and sugar. Foods containing these will make you feel run down instead of energized. Eat a lot of protein. Protein is key to building big, healthy muscles. Make sure you're getting it by eating beef, chicken, fish, lamb, and other sources of animal protein. If you are a vegetarian, eat eggs, legumes, leafy greens, and tofu, are potential sources of protein. Supplement with creatine. Creatine is a nitrogenous acid that is created naturally in the body and helps to supply energy to muscle cells. Taking a create supplement has been shown to have the same effect, and it is not harmful if you take the recommended dosage. Try supplementing your meals with creatine to get bigger calf muscles. Creatine comes in a powdered form and is mixed with water just before you take it. Read the directions on the creatine package and take no more than the recommended dosage of 20 grams per day.	Do jump squats. Do box jumps. Jump rope. Do seated calf raises. Do standing calf raises. Do leg press calf raises. Use the full range of motion during reps. Make calf workouts a regular part of your routine. Don't bother with fancy exercises. Go as hard as you can. Exercise without shoes. Be persistent. Eat healthy foods that are part of a balanced diet. Eat a lot of protein. Supplement with creatine.
https://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Narrative-Essay	How to Start a Narrative Essay	If you're struggling to start your narrative essay, find a way to encourage your reader to keep reading and introduce your main characters. Since opening lines can pull a reader in, choose something catchy that's related to your story. For example, if your essay is about loss, you could open with a question like, “Have you ever faced losing something that's important to you?” Then, add some details about your story's setting that will interest the reader, such as describing how your trainers squeaked as you dribbled across the court if your story is about sports. You should also include enough information about the main character to peak the reader's interest, like “She was a tall, lean 12-year-old,” but not too much so they know everything.	Read your assignment to identify the prompt and expectations. It's best to read over the assignment more than once so you know exactly what it's asking you to do. Note if there's a prompt or a question you need to answer. Additionally, review the listed requirements for receiving full credit. If your instructor provides a rubric, read over it thoroughly to identify the expectations for full credit. Later, you can measure your essay against the rubric before turning in the assignment. If you have questions about the assignment, ask your instructor for clarification. Brainstorm potential story ideas for your narrative. At first, let your ideas flow freely without trying to narrow your topic. Choose whether you want to write a personal or fictional narrative. Once you've got a good list of potential topics, you can choose one that works for you. For example, you might write about the first time you slept over at a friend's house, the day you brought home your first puppy or a fictional story about a boy who is struggling to build a fire for his campsite. Here are some ways to brainstorm ideas: List the first thoughts that come to mind when you think about the prompt or question. Make a mind map to sort out your ideas. Use freewriting to uncover story ideas. Simply write whatever comes to mind without worrying about grammar or making sense. Make an outline to help put your ideas in order. Choose a single meaningful event to detail in the story. Review your list of ideas to find an event that fits the assignment. Then, narrow down your topic to a single, specific incident so the event fits into a single essay. Don't try to cover too much in one essay, as this will be too hard for your reader to follow. For example, let's say the prompt reads: “Write about a setback that taught you perseverance.” You might want to write about an injury you overcame. To narrow down your story, you might focus on the first time you exercised your injured limb after the accident, as well as the difficulties you faced. Decide on a theme or message for your story. Relate your story idea back to the prompt, and think about how the story makes you feel. Additionally, consider how you want the reader to feel after they read your essay. Based on the answers to these questions, identify a core theme or message for your story. For instance, the story about recovering from an injury might have a theme of overcoming hardships or persevering to reach a goal. You might want your reader to finish your story feeling inspired and uplifted. To achieve this feeling, you'd want to focus on your successes throughout the process and end the story with a positive thought. List and describe the characters in your story. Start with your main characters, writing out their name, age, and description. Then, identify the characters' motives, desires, and relationships with each other. After you've created this character sketch for your main characters, create a brief list of any side characters you'll include, as well as the important details about them. If you are a character in your story, you will still need to complete this step. It's up to you how much detail you want to write down about yourself. However, it's helpful to take note of your description, interests, and desires at the time the story takes place, especially if a lot of time has passed. A main character description might look like this: “Kate, 12 - An athletic basketball player who suffers an injury. She wants to recover from her injury so she can return to the court. She's the patient of Andy, a physical therapist who is helping her recover.” A side character description might read like this: “Dr. Lopez is a friendly, fatherly middle-aged doctor who treats Kate in the emergency room.” Describe the setting of your story in a few brief statements. Identify the different locations where your story takes place, as well as the time period when they occur. Write down every setting you'll include in your story, though you may not describe them all in the same amount of detail. Then, jot down a few descriptors that you associate with the location or locations. For example, a story about overcoming a sports injury might include a few settings, such as the basketball court, the ambulance, the hospital, and a physical therapy office. Although you want to show your reader each setting, you'll spend the most time on the main setting of your story. You might list the following descriptors about the basketball court: “squeaky floor,” “roar of the crowd,” “bright overhead lights,” “team colors in the stands,” “smell of sweat and sports drinks,” and “wet jersey sticking to my back.” Your story may feature several different settings, but you don't need to provide the same level of detail about each one. For instance, you may be in an ambulance for a brief moment in the scene. You don't need to fully describe the ambulance, but you might tell the reader about "feeling cold and alone in the sterile ambulance." Map out the plot of your story with a beginning, middle, and end. A narrative essay usually follows a typical story arc. Begin your story by introducing your characters and setting, followed by the incident that hooks readers into the action of the story. Next, present the rising action and climax of your story. Finally, describe the resolution of the story and what your reader should take from it. For example, you might introduce a young basketball player who is about to make a big play. The incident that kicks off the story might be her injury. Then, the rising action is the basketball player's efforts to complete physical therapy and get back into the game. The climax might be the day of tryouts for the team. You might resolve the story by having her find her name on the team list, at which point she realizes she can overcome any obstacle. It's helpful to use Freytag's triangle or a graphic organizer to plan your essay. Freytag's triangle looks like a triangle with a long line to its left and a short line to its right. It's a tool that helps you plan out your story's beginning (exposition), an incident that starts your story's events, the rising action, a climax, the falling action, and the resolution of your story. You can find a Freytag's triangle template or a graphic organizer for your narrative essay online. Write out the climax of your story either in detail or as an outline. The climax is the highest point in your story. The beginning and most of the middle of your story will build up to this point. Then, the end will resolve the conflict that drives your climax. The most common types of conflict include person vs. person, person vs. nature, and person vs. self. Some stories will have more than one type of conflict. In the story about the young athlete who gets injured, her conflict might be person vs. self, as she's having to push through her pain and limitations. Choose a point-of-view for your story, such as 1st person or 3rd person. Your point-of-view is going to depend on who is telling the story. If you're telling a personal story, your point-of-view will always be 1st person. Similarly, you might use a 1st person point-of-view if you're telling a story from your character's perspective. You'll use a 3rd person point-of-view if you're telling a story about a character or another person besides yourself. In most cases, a personal narrative will use the 1st person “I” point-of-view. For example, “Over my last summer with my grandfather, I learned more than how to fish.” If you're telling a fictional story, you might use the 3rd person point of you. Use your character's name, as well as the appropriate pronouns like “he” or “she.” For instance, “Mia picked up the locket and opened it.” Begin your essay with a hook to engage your reader. Open your story with a sentence or 2 that pull in your reader. To do this, craft a hook that introduces your story's topic and suggests what you'll say about it. Here are some techniques to hook your reader: Start your essay with a rhetorical question. For instance, “Have you ever faced losing something that's important to you?” Give a quote that fits your essay. You might write, “According to Rosa Gomez, 'You don't know how strong you are until a setback breaks you.” Provide an interesting fact that's related to your story. As an example, “About 70% of kids will stop playing sports by the age of 13, and I was almost one of them.” Use a short anecdote that relates to the larger story. For your essay about overcoming an injury, you might include a short story about your best moment playing sports before your injury. Start with a shocking statement. You might write, “As soon as they loaded me into the ambulance, I knew I might never play sports again.” Introduce the main characters in your story. Your reader needs a clear idea of who the story is about. Name and briefly describe the main characters in your story. You don't need to tell every single detail about them in the introduction, but your reader should have a general idea about who they are. Let's say your main character is you. You could write, “As a tall, lean 12-year-old, I easily outplayed the other girls on the court.” This gives the reader a picture about what you might look like, as well as your interest in sports and athletic ability. If you're telling a fictional story, you might introduce your character like this: “As she walked toward the high school debate podium, Luz exuded confidence from her Kate Spade headband down to her thrift shop Betsey Johnson pumps.” Not only does this help the audience picture Luz, but it also shows that she puts effort into her appearance. The fact that she shops at thrift stores might indicate that her family isn't as wealthy as she portrays. Describe the setting to set the scene for your story. The setting includes the when and where of the story. Specify when your story takes place. Additionally, provide sensory details to help the reader experience the location. You might write, “It was my 7th-grade year, and I knew I had to make varsity if I were going to get attention from the high school coaches.” Sensory details trigger your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. As an example, “My shoes squeaked across the court as I dribbled toward the goal line, the red basket in sight. Sweat made the ball feel slippery against my fingertips, and its salty taste coated my lips.” Include an overview of the story and its theme in the last sentence. You might also preview the events in the story, depending on what works best for your narrative. This statement will act as your thesis for your narrative essay. It tells your reader what to expect from your essay but doesn't spoil the story. For instance, you might write, “I never expected that pass across the court to be my last for the season. However, recovering from my injury taught me I'm a strong person who can accomplish anything I set out to do.”	Read your assignment to identify the prompt and expectations. Brainstorm potential story ideas for your narrative. Choose a single meaningful event to detail in the story. Decide on a theme or message for your story. List and describe the characters in your story. Describe the setting of your story in a few brief statements. Map out the plot of your story with a beginning, middle, and end. Write out the climax of your story either in detail or as an outline. Choose a point-of-view for your story, such as 1st person or 3rd person. Begin your essay with a hook to engage your reader. Introduce the main characters in your story. Describe the setting to set the scene for your story. Include an overview of the story and its theme in the last sentence.
https://www.wikihow.com/Prune-Hibiscus	How to Prune Hibiscus	To prune hibiscus, wait until early spring so you don't disrupt the plant's growing season. When it's time to prune, cut off the tips of each branch to encourage new growth. You can also prune off larger sections of your plant to maintain its shape. If you notice any dead or diseased branches, cut those off as well. When you're pruning your hibiscus, make your cuts a 1/4 inch above a node, which is where the leaves grow off of.	Know why you prune. Hibiscus plants grow with terminal flowers; this means that each flower on a hibiscus plant grows at the end of a branch. Pruning a healthy hibiscus bush will encourage growth and tell the plant to grow more branches, thus producing more flowers. You can also prune a damaged or dying tree to prevent future decay and to promote new, healthy growth. Learn when to prune. Pruning must be timed to line up with the natural growth patterns of the hibiscus plant. You should never prune hibiscus in the late fall or winter, as this will prevent new growth in the Spring. Exact times will vary depending on your location, but generally full/major prunes should be done in the early spring, with minor pruning done up till the beginning of fall around September. If you keep your hibiscus plants inside during the winter, wait until you move them outside to prune. Sterilize your pruning tools. To do damage-free pruning, you'll need to get a very sharp knife, a pair of sharp gardening shears, a pair of sharp lopping shears, and a hand saw for anything too big to be cut with your smaller tools. Sterilize all tools before starting and between pruning each plant, to prevent the spread of disease. You can sterilize with rubbing alcohol, hand sterilizer, or horticultural disinfectant. Your tools must absolutely be sharp; a dull knife, shears, or saw will cause more harm than good if you try to prune with them. Take the time to sharpen your tools, or buy new ones if yours are too old. Know where to prune. Keeping in mind that the location you prune is the location of new growth, you always want to prune your hibiscus on branches facing outwards. You'll make all cuts ¼-inch from the top of a node (the location of a leaf/twig) at an upwards 45-degree angle. The lower end of each cut should be near the center of the bush, while the higher end of the cut should be nearer to the outside of the bush. This helps water run off the cut surface instead of pooling, which reduces the risk of infection. Know how much to remove. Although the amount of the plant that you prune will vary from situation to situation, the general rule is that you should never cut more than ⅔ of any one branch off. Cutting off too much of the plant is no longer considered pruning, but simply damaging the hibiscus. Consider a 'pinch' prune. There are several approaches you can use to prune hibiscus. One light approach is to "pinch" the plant by cutting off just the ends of the branches near the top, so as to stimulate a bit of growth without losing the bulk of the plant. This is the mildest form of pruning and is the safest for beginners to accomplish. Pinching should be done primarily on young or small plants, as they don't need much pruning early in their life to promote lots of new growth. Cut the tips of each branch off at the top-most node or higher. Try selective pruning. This is the next step up from 'pinching' your hibiscus and involves cutting off larger sections of your plant, but only in certain locations so as to maintain the general size and shape of the bush. In selective pruning, you should find nodes that are ⅓ of the way from the top of the branch, and cut just above these. Do this for most or all of your branches to develop locations for new growth. Do a full prune. Full pruning is the process of cutting back an entire hibiscus plant early in the season, so that you produce the loveliest crop of flowers available. Full prunes are bittersweet, as although they do cause your bush to produce the most flowers, they require cutting back nearly all of the hibiscus plant to start. Cut each branch on the hibiscus bush so that only 2-3 nodes remain per branch. Remember that you should never cut off more than ⅔ of any portion of a branch. Try corrective pruning. As the name implies, corrective pruning is done when you need to fix an issue on the plant. Typically corrective pruning must be done on damaged or diseased portions of a hibiscus plant. Cut down as far as you must on damaged branches, until green wood is exposed after a cut. If you prune the branch but the wood is hard and white, it is dead and will not recover with new growth. Do a hard prune. A hard prune is done only in the most drastic of situations when a hibiscus bush is nearly entirely dead or damaged. A hard prune involves cutting down all the branches to expose living growth, hopefully causing the plant to start growing again over time. A hard prune may not work if the plant is already dead, but by accomplishing it you'll at least know what the final state of your hibiscus is. Only hard prune in spring, never at other times of the year.	Know why you prune. Learn when to prune. Sterilize your pruning tools. Know where to prune. Know how much to remove. Consider a 'pinch' prune. Try selective pruning. Do a full prune. Try corrective pruning. Do a hard prune.
https://www.wikihow.com/Find-the-X-Intercept	How to Find the X Intercept	To find the x intercept using the equation of the line, plug in 0 for the y variable and solve for x. You can also use the graph of the line to find the x intercept. Just look on the graph for the point where the line crosses the x-axis, which is the horizontal axis. That point is the x intercept.	Identify the x-axis. A coordinate graph has a y-axis and an x-axis. The x-axis is the horizontal line (the line that goes from left-to-right). The y-axis is the vertical line (the line that goes up and down). It is important to look at the x-axis when locating the x-intercept. Find the point where the line crosses the x-axis. The x-intercept is this point. If you are asked to find the x-intercept based on the graph, the point will likely be exact (for example, at point 4). Usually, however, you will have to estimate using this method (for example, the point is somewhere between 4 and 5). Write the ordered pair for the x-intercept. An ordered pair is written in the form ( x , y ) {\displaystyle (x,y)} and gives you the coordinates for the point on the line. The first number of the pair is the point where the line crosses the x-axis (the x-intercept). The second number for will always be 0, since a point on the x-axis will never have a value for y. For example, if a line crosses the x-axis at point 4, the ordered pair for the x-intercept is ( 4 , 0 ) {\displaystyle (4,0)}. Determine that the equation of the line is in standard form. The standard form of a linear equation is A x + B y = C {\displaystyle Ax+By=C}. In this form, A {\displaystyle A} , B {\displaystyle B} , and C {\displaystyle C} are integers, and x {\displaystyle x} and y {\displaystyle y} are the coordinates of a point on the line. For example, you might be given the equation 2 x + 3 y = 6 {\displaystyle 2x+3y=6}. Plug in 0 for y{\displaystyle y}. The x-intercept is the point on the line where the line crosses the x-axis. At this point, the value for y {\displaystyle y} will be 0. So, in order to find the x-intercept, you need to set the y {\displaystyle y} to 0 and solve for x {\displaystyle x}. For example, if you substitute 0 for y {\displaystyle y} , your equation will look like this: 2 x + 3 ( 0 ) = 6 {\displaystyle 2x+3(0)=6} , which simplifies to 2 x = 6 {\displaystyle 2x=6}. Solve for x{\displaystyle x}. To do this, you need to isolate the x variable by dividing both sides of the equation by the coefficient. This will give you the value of x {\displaystyle x} when y = 0 {\displaystyle y=0} , which is the x-intercept. For example: 2 x = 6 {\displaystyle 2x=6} 2 x 2 = 6 2 {\displaystyle {\frac {2x}{2}}={\frac {6}{2}}} x = 3 {\displaystyle x=3} Write the ordered pair. Remember that an ordered pair is written in the form ( x , y ) {\displaystyle (x,y)}. For the x-intercept, the value of x {\displaystyle x} will be the value you calculated previously, and the y {\displaystyle y} value will be 0, since y {\displaystyle y} always equals 0 at the x-intercept. For example, for the line 2 x + 3 y = 6 {\displaystyle 2x+3y=6} , the x-intercept is at the point ( 3 , 0 ) {\displaystyle (3,0)}. Determine that the equation of the line is a quadratic equation. A quadratic equation is an equation that takes the form a x 2 + b x + c = 0 {\displaystyle ax^{2}+bx+c=0}. A quadratic equation has two solutions, which means a line written in this form is a parabola and will have two x-intercepts. For example, the equation x 2 + 3 x − 10 = 0 {\displaystyle x^{2}+3x-10=0} is a quadratic equation, so this line will have two x-intercepts. Set up the quadratic formula. The formula is x = − b ± b 2 − 4 a c 2 a {\displaystyle x={\frac {-b\pm {\sqrt {b^{2}-4ac}}}{2a}}} , where a {\displaystyle a} equals the coefficient of the second-degree term ( x 2 {\displaystyle x^{2}} ), b {\displaystyle b} equals the coefficient of the first-degree term ( x {\displaystyle x} ), and c {\displaystyle c} equals the constant. Plug all of the values into the quadratic formula. Make sure you substitute the correct values for each variable from the equation of the line. For example, if the equation of your line is x 2 + 3 x − 10 = 0 {\displaystyle x^{2}+3x-10=0} , your quadratic formula will look like this: x = − 3 ± 3 2 − 4 ( 1 ) ( − 10 ) 2 ( 1 ) {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3\pm {\sqrt {3^{2}-4(1)(-10)}}}{2(1)}}}. Simplify the equation. To do this, first complete all of the multiplication. Make sure you pay close attention to all positive and negative signs. For example: x = − 3 ± 3 2 − 4 ( − 10 ) 2 ( 1 ) {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3\pm {\sqrt {3^{2}-4(-10)}}}{2(1)}}} x = − 3 ± 3 2 + 40 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3\pm {\sqrt {3^{2}+40}}}{2}}} Calculate the exponent. Square the b {\displaystyle b} term. Then, add this number to the other number under the square root sign. For example: x = − 3 ± 3 2 + 40 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3\pm {\sqrt {3^{2}+40}}}{2}}} x = − 3 ± 9 + 40 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3\pm {\sqrt {9+40}}}{2}}} x = − 3 ± 49 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3\pm {\sqrt {49}}}{2}}} Solve for the addition formula. Since the quadratic formula has a ± {\displaystyle \pm } , you will solve once by adding, and once by subtracting. Solving by adding will give you your first x {\displaystyle x} value. For example: x = − 3 + 49 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3+{\sqrt {49}}}{2}}} x = − 3 + 7 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3+7}{2}}} x = 4 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {4}{2}}} x = 2 {\displaystyle x=2} Solve for the subtraction formula. This will give you the second value for x {\displaystyle x}. First calculate the square root, then find the difference in the numerator. Finally, divide by 2. For example: x = − 3 − 49 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3-{\sqrt {49}}}{2}}} x = − 3 − 7 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-3-7}{2}}} x = − 10 2 {\displaystyle x={\frac {-10}{2}}} x = − 5 {\displaystyle x=-5} Find the ordered pairs for the x-intercept. Remember that an ordered pair gives the x-coordinate first, then the y-coordinate ( x , y ) {\displaystyle (x,y)}. The x {\displaystyle x} values will be the values you calculated using the quadratic formula. The y {\displaystyle y} value will be 0, since at the x-intercept, y {\displaystyle y} always equals 0. For example, for the line x 2 + 3 x − 10 = 0 {\displaystyle x^{2}+3x-10=0} , the x-intercepts are at points ( 2 , 0 ) {\displaystyle (2,0)} and ( − 5 , 0 ) {\displaystyle (-5,0)}.	Identify the x-axis. Find the point where the line crosses the x-axis. Write the ordered pair for the x-intercept. Determine that the equation of the line is in standard form. Plug in 0 for y{\displaystyle y}. Solve for x{\displaystyle x}. Write the ordered pair. Determine that the equation of the line is a quadratic equation. Set up the quadratic formula. Plug all of the values into the quadratic formula. Simplify the equation. Calculate the exponent. Solve for the addition formula. Solve for the subtraction formula. Find the ordered pairs for the x-intercept.
https://www.wikihow.com/Accessorize-a-Dress	How to Accessorize a Dress	To accessorize a dress, start by matching your accessories to one of the colors in your dress to balance the outfit. If the dress is bright or has an intricate pattern, consider neutral jewelry so that it doesn't become too much. Alternatively, try wearing a bold bracelet with a dress that has a halter or one-shoulder neckline, since a necklace would take away from the unique style of the dress. When you are going for a formal look, only wear a few accessories so you don't detract from the elegance of the dress.	Match your accessories to the color of your dress. This is one of the easiest ways to accessorize. Color is one of the most important aspects of your dress, and if you pick accessories that are similarly colored to your dress, it will make your outfit look balanced and well put together. If you are wearing a light pink dress, choose pink or rose-colored accessories to go along with it. Matching doesn't have to be exact. For example, you can still wear dark pink shoes with a light pink dress. This adds some funkiness to your matching. Match your accessories to a detail in the dress. Instead of matching your accessories to the overall color of the dress, match them to a secondary color in your dress. This works especially well with patterned dresses, because there is more than one color you can match with. If you are wearing a white dress with pink and blue flowers, wear pink or blue accessories. This is a great way to match with your dress in a more nuanced way. Wear neutral accessories with a bright dress. If your dress is an extremely bright color like bright yellow, wear neutrals to offset it. If you match your accessories directly with your brightly colored dress, you may look eccentric rather than put together. White, black, tan and brown are all neutrals that look good with almost any color. If you prefer some bling, try gold or silver jewelry instead. Wear subtle or solid-colored accessories with a patterned dress. A patterned dress already has a lot going on. If you throw in accessories that are patterned or intricate, the look becomes too much. Your shoes, bag, belt, and/or jewelry should all be solid-colored. These accessories will help your dress make its statement. Try bright, red pumps with a blue-and-while polka dotted dress. If your dress has a floral pattern on it, a pair of simple, stud earrings would look especially cute. Pair it with black or leather flats to complete the look. Wear a boldly–colored accessory with a neutral dress. If your dress is a neutral color like white, beige or tan, adding a bright accessory gives your outfit oomph. Whether it be a statement necklace, a handbag or your shoes, try to make one of your accessories a bright color. If your dress is a solid color, try wearing a patterned handbag or shoes. For example, you could wear a polka dotted bag with a white dress. Match your jewelry to the tone of your dress. Every color has a tone. Red, orange, and yellow all have a warm tone. Green, blue and purple are all cool toned. Similarly, gold has a warm tone to it while silver has a cool tone. Don't be afraid to experiment, however; gold can look quite striking with green. White and black are considered neutral tones, so you can wear gold or silver jewelry with them. Brown and tan come in cool and warm undertones. In this case, match the jewelry to the undertone. Wear a necklace with V or U neck dress. The cut of this dress is perfect for wearing a necklace. Try to pick a necklace that is above the neckline of the dress and that matches the curve of the neckline. You can opt for a simple pendent necklace or a more elaborate style. If you love the look of a certain necklace, but it's too long, simply switch the chain out for a shorter one. Some necklaces come with adjustable chains in the back. This is great, because you can wear them with more dresses. Avoid necklaces with halter necks. Halter neck dresses already have a lot going on in the neckline, so to wear a necklace or big earrings would make the outfit seem too busy. When you are accessorizing a halter neck dress, try wearing a bracelet or even layered bracelets. This emphasizes your arms and balances out the top of the dress. Match the style of the jewelry to the style of the halter, however. A rustic pair of wooden earrings won't pair well with an elegant, velvet evening gown. Wear long necklaces with crew necks. If you are wearing a dress with a high neck, wear a long necklace to make the look more interesting. Because a crewneck is a simple design, you can wear bigger accessories without it looking overdone. A necklace will bring attention up to your face and it will tie the outfit together. Balance the look of a one-shoulder dress with a bracelet. One-shoulder dresses make a bold statement. To balance the asymmetry, wear a bracelet or cuff on the opposite side of your body as the strap of the dress. This is a great way to compliment this style of dress. For example, if your dress only has a strap on the left shoulder, wear the bracelet on the right. Pair chunky cuffs with thick straps, and delicate bracelets with thin straps. This will help create even more balance. Wear earrings with strapless dresses. Strapless dresses showcase your arms and your shoulders. Wearing a necklace breaks up this area and doesn't allow the dress to shine. Instead, try wearing earrings with a strapless dress. Simple stud earrings gives the outfit a classy and sophisticated look. Long, dangly earrings will bring focus to your face. They work especially well with elegant updos. Wear the right shoes. It may sound like the kind of advice your mother gives you, but it also applies to fashion! Make sure your shoes match your dress in terms of formality. If you're wearing a gown because you are going to a formal event, wear heels. If you're wearing a sun dress for the beach, wear sandals instead of close-toed shoes. Make sure the quality of your jewelry is appropriate. If you are wearing a cocktail dress and heels, don't wear rubber bracelets or jewelry that is low quality. Likewise, if you are wearing a casual dress for brunch with friends, don't wear a diamond necklace. These may be extreme examples, but you want to be sure that your accessories match the occasion. Bring the right bag. You want your handbag to compliment your dress but also to be appropriate for whatever you are doing. Many women overlook the impression that a handbag can make! If you're going to a formal event, do not use a large or bulky handbag. Bring a simple clutch instead. Save straw or cloth bags for the beach or informal events. You can never go wrong with a basic black leather handbag. It's versatile and can go with virtually any dress or level of formality. Wear less rather than more with a formal dress. If you are wearing a professional or elegant dress, try not to wear too many accessories. Accessories would detract from the elegance of your dress and would downplay your outfit. Don't wear layered or chunky jewelry. Instead, wear one or two simple pieces. Be careful with accessories like hats or scarves. Only wear them if they add to the elegance of your look. Match your metals. If you are wearing multiple pieces of jewelry, try to match your metals. For instance, wear either all silver or all gold jewelry. It is possible to get away with mixing, but it is harder to pull off. For this reason, many choose to just wear one type of metal per outfit. You can mix-and-match metals with other types of jewelry. For example, you can layer a short silver necklace with a long pearl necklace. Wear only one statement piece. You definitely want to make a statement, but you don't want to look like a Christmas tree. If you have a piece like a large necklace or a patterned handbag, compliment it with smaller or simpler accessories. This will give your outfit a focal point and will make it more cohesive. Wearing too many statement pieces will make your outfit look tacky and won't lead the eye around; there will be no focus. Pick bright and neutral shades. If you are wearing multiple accessories, make sure they are not all brightly-colored. Doing this can overwhelm your dress or make your outfit seem cluttered. Choose either all neutral or a mix of neutral and bright accessories. For example, if you want a boho look, layer a necklace made from large, colored glass beads with a necklace made from small, brown, wooden beads. Pick only one or two bright colors for your accessories. If you want to wear more than one brightly-colored accessory, make sure they are the same color. This way your accessories will look like they all belong together and the look won't be overwhelmed by multiple bright colors. For example, if you're wearing a blue-and-white polka dotted dress, pair it with a bright red belt and a matching pair of bright red pumps. Wear sophisticated accessories with a chic dress. If you are wearing a sleek black dress or a more professional looking outfit, wear classy jewelry like pearl earrings or a pair of pumps to compliment your look. You can also try wearing a watch or a black handbag. If you're going for a chic look, try to pick accessories that are simple and high-quality. Avoid loud patterns and chunky jewelry. Stick to neutrals if you are wearing a flowery or bohemian style dress. Neutrals are a great compliment to a patterned dress and they help to create a bohemian feel. Wear leather sandals and a suede bag to compliment a flowered dress. You can add accessories like a hat, scarf or feather earrings if you want to take the look a step further. Avoid wearing bulky accessories like heavy black boots or rhinestone earrings if you're wearing a floral dress. These kinds of accessories will look out of place. Wear edgy accessories with an edgy dress. If you are wearing a dress with cutouts, or one that really makes a statement, make sure your accessories do the same. Try wearing a spiky necklace or stiletto heels to emphasize your rock star look. Several silver rings or a choker can also add to this look. Orchestrate your look with a basic dress. A solid-colored dress or a little black dress is the perfect clean slate to create your look with your accessories. Your choice of accessories will influence the feel of the whole outfit. For a funky look, wear one or two chunky or brightly colored accessories. For a girly look, wear sparkly jewelry and a clutch. For a tomboy look, wear flats or cloth sneakers with minimal jewelry.	Match your accessories to the color of your dress. Match your accessories to a detail in the dress. Wear neutral accessories with a bright dress. Wear subtle or solid-colored accessories with a patterned dress. Wear a boldly–colored accessory with a neutral dress. Match your jewelry to the tone of your dress. Wear a necklace with V or U neck dress. Avoid necklaces with halter necks. Wear long necklaces with crew necks. Balance the look of a one-shoulder dress with a bracelet. Wear earrings with strapless dresses. Wear the right shoes. Make sure the quality of your jewelry is appropriate. Bring the right bag. Wear less rather than more with a formal dress. Match your metals. Wear only one statement piece. Pick bright and neutral shades. Pick only one or two bright colors for your accessories. Wear sophisticated accessories with a chic dress. Stick to neutrals if you are wearing a flowery or bohemian style dress. Wear edgy accessories with an edgy dress. Orchestrate your look with a basic dress.
https://www.wikihow.com/Wash-a-Longchamp-Bag	How to Wash a Longchamp Bag	To wash a Longchamp bag, first remove everything inside of it and place it in your washing machine. Add a mild detergent, which should be dye-free and fragrance-free if possible, so you don't damage the bag. Set the machine to the “delicate” setting and use cool or warm water which will be gentler on the bag. After the cycle is done, remove the bag and hang it from its straps on a hanger to air dry. Finally, use a soft rag to buff leather conditioner in the leather portions of the bag, which will keep it in good condition	Apply Longchamp colorless cream to the leather areas. Use Longchamp's colorless cream or another colorless cream-based leather cleansing product on all leather portions of the bag. Use a soft brush to lightly scrub the leather portions of the bag with the cream. After cleaning the leather, wipe any excess cream with a clean, soft cloth. Use small, circular motions to buff the bag clean. Clean any canvas with soap and water. Some Longchamp bags are partially made of canvas material. Clean this material with a soft cloth or brush, along with a little warm water and neutral soap. Use a soap that is mild and free of dyes or perfumes. Do not let water spill onto the leather portions of the bag. Water can damage leather. You can clean both the outside and inside of the bag using soap and water. Make sure that the contents of the bag have been removed before you clean it, though. Let it dry. If you cleaned canvas portions of the bag using soap and water, let the bag sit in a well-ventilated room for a few hours until it completely dries. Hang the bag up by its handles. Keep it in an upright position using a clothing hanger, and place it in a sunny area to speed up the drying process. Protect the leather with a waterproofing agent. Since water can damage leather, it is advisable to apply a leather conditioner to the leather portions of the bag after cleaning it. Place a small amount of waterproofing agent on a clean, dry rag and gently buff it into the leather using small circular motions. Continue buffing until the product you applied has disappeared into the material. Remove heavy surface stains with alcohol. For surface stains that cannot be scrubbed away with a cloth, like ink stains, rub the stain with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol. Many surface stains, like grease stains, will be removed when you clean the entire surface of the bag with soap and water later on. Dip the cotton swab into the rubbing alcohol, then rub the surface of the bag with the swab until the stain disappears. Focus on the area of the stain only. When finished, let the bag air dry. Remove deep stains with a cleansing cream. When you are dealing with a stain that has set deeply into the material, use a paste made from cream of tartar and lemon juice. Deep stains can include blood, wine, and many food or drink stains. Combine one part cream of tartar and one part lemon juice, mixing until a thick paste forms. Apply a generous amount of this paste to the stained area of the bag and let it rest for 10 minutes. After the paste has had a chance to sit, wipe it off with a clean, dry rag. Mix a mild soap solution. Combine 2 cups (500 ml) of warm water with just a few drops of mild, dye-free liquid soap. This soap solution can be used to clean light dirt from a leather bag, or from a bag with leather components, as often as once a week. Use the mildest soap possible to minimize the risk of dehydrating or damaging the leather. Use a soft cloth to gently scrub the bag. Dip a soft, clean cloth in the soapy water. Wring out the excess moisture, then gently wipe away all the dirt and grime from the bag. Use this solution to clean the outside and inside of the bag. Make sure that everything in the bag has been removed before you clean the inside, however. Only allow the leather parts of the bag to get slightly moist. Do not soak or submerge them. Buff dry. Use a dry, soft cloth to lightly buff the surface of the bag while it is still moist. Continue buffing until the surface feels dry. After drying the bag with a cloth, allow it to continue air drying for an hour or so, especially if you cleaned the inside. The inside of the bag should be thoroughly dry before you return anything to it. Recondition the leather parts using a vinegar solution. To prevent the leather parts of the bag from drying out and cracking, you should condition it. You can make a conditioning paste from white vinegar and linseed oil. A conditioner will also make the leather more stain resistant in the future. Mix one part white distilled vinegar with two parts linseed oil until well combined. Dip a clean, soft cloth into this solution and rub a generous amount over the entire surface of the leather bag. Work in small, circular buffing motions. Allow the solution to soak into the leather for 15 minutes. After the solution has rested, buff the leather of the bag with a dry, clean cloth. Place the bag in your washing machine. Remove everything from the inside of the bag and place it in an empty washing machine. You can clean the bag by itself or with other items, but make sure that the other items you place in the washing machine can bleed or otherwise damage the bag. Add mild detergent. A standard liquid laundry detergent should be fine, but opt for one that is dye-free and fragrance-free if possible. The detergent should be as mild as possible to minimize the risk of damage. If you want to be especially caution, skip the detergent and opt for a more gentle, natural cleansing product, like Murphy's oil soap or liquid castile soap. Only use about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of soap for this process. Set the machine to a gentle setting. Both the agitation and temperature settings should be mild, so choose one of the gentlest settings on your machine and set the water temperature to "cool" or "warm." After making your selections, start the machine. A "wool" setting should work well, but a "delicate," "gentle," or "hand wash" cycle might be better. The temperature of the water should be somewhat cool, approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). Let the bag air dry. After you remove the bag from the washing machine, hang it from its straps on a clothes hanger and let it air dry for four to five hours, or until it is completely dry. To speed up the drying process, you could toss the bag into a drying machine and run the dryer on its lowest heat setting. Make sure that there are other items in the dryer, like large towels, to further reduce heat exposure. Dry the bag this way for five to ten minutes, then finish hang drying it for another hour or so. You can also speed up the drying process by placing it in a sunny spot as it hangs. Apply a coat of leather conditioner. Place a little commercial leather conditioner on a clean, soft rag and buff the conditioner into the leather portions of the bag. Conditioner softens the leather and protects it from further stains and possible water damage.	Apply Longchamp colorless cream to the leather areas. Clean any canvas with soap and water. Let it dry. Protect the leather with a waterproofing agent. Remove heavy surface stains with alcohol. Remove deep stains with a cleansing cream. Mix a mild soap solution. Use a soft cloth to gently scrub the bag. Buff dry. Recondition the leather parts using a vinegar solution. Place the bag in your washing machine. Add mild detergent. Set the machine to a gentle setting. Let the bag air dry. Apply a coat of leather conditioner.
https://www.wikihow.com/Spot-a-Fake-Coach-Bag	How to Spot a Fake Coach Bag	To spot a fake Coach bag, look for common indicators like low-quality or synthetic leather and poor or uneven stitching. Next, make sure the Cs in the CC pattern are all horizontal, facing each other, and touching. If the pattern has any variation, the purse is fake. Real Coach bags should also have Coach labels, hardware engraved with the Coach logo, and matching leather logo tags attached to the purse with a beaded chain!	Examine the craftsmanship. There should be little wear to the bag and the material should be sturdy. Coach products are made from expensive and authentic materials. For example, they use real, high-quality leather. So if the bag appears overly smooth and plastic-y, or seems to be made from canvas, it's likely to be made from a synthetic like pleather, which would make it a fake. If the bag is flimsy or it appears to stretch a lot, these are also red flags. Look at the stitching. The seams and stitching of Coach bags are even and clean. Each stitch should be the exact same length. They should also be straight and not over-stitched (i.e., stitches sewn over an edge to prevent fraying or loosening). This means you will see only one line of thread, not multiples stitched over each other. Check the lining. Most Coach purses will have a solid-color, satin lining. However, bags without the 'CC' print on the exterior may have it on the interior instead. This may not always be the case, though, as some bags may not have the CC pattern on either the outside or the inside. Keep in mind that a Coach bag should never have the CC pattern on both the inside and outside. Look at the 'CC' pattern. Bags with the signature C design follow a very set arrangement. For example, both Cs should be horizontal, facing each other, and touching. They should also start in the center of the front panel on the bag, and be structured to where you could cut the bag in half down the middle and have matching patterns on each side. There should also be no breaks in the pattern, even at the seams and pockets. Bags with the 'C' pattern are usually the ones that are faked, so be sure to inspect the bag carefully. There shouldn't just be Cs all over the place. Also make sure the Cs are actually Cs and not Gs. From a distance, the difference may not be noticeable. Look for labels. Labels are commonly found on the hardware, outside of the bag, and on the inside of the bag. For example, each bag should come with the Coach leather creed, which is a leather patch embossed on the inside containing the bag's serial number. If there isn't a leather patch, the serial number for the bag should at least be stamped on the inside, not printed. Keep in mind that some Coach bags like the clutch, swingpack, and mini will not have a serial number. Bags from the 1960s will also not have a serial number, and bags from the 1970s and 1980s will have a serial number with only numbers, not letters and numbers like current bags. A few Coach bags (such as those in the Legacy series) will have their serial numbers stamped and inked in a gold-tone ink. If the number is only inked, that's a red flag. Check the logo tags. Many Coach purses also come with logo tags. These are leather tags attached to the purse with a beaded chain. The trim of the tag should match the trim on the bag, and the COACH logo should be raised, not imprinted. Take a look at the zippers. Zippers on a real Coach bag will have a pull made of either leather or rings. Some, but not all, Coach bags will also have the letters "YKK" engraved into the metal of the zipper. Pulls made of another material are typically indicators of a fake. Compare the bag to pictures on the Coach website. If anything about the bag seems off to you, comparing it to an image of an authentic version is a good idea. It can help you determine where the labels should be on that particular bag, as well as how the bag should look; what the pattern should be, the inside lining, and the logo tags. Determine if the deal is too good to be true. While they aren't the most expensive bags comparatively, Coach bags can still be anywhere between $200-$600. Even the used bags can retail for a hefty price. If a new Coach bag is selling for a cheap price, that's a good sign that it's a fake. Keep in mind the actual pricing of the bag you want and compare it the one you're considering buying. Are they similar? Pay close attention to the vendor. If a vendor avoids your questions, looks guilty, or gives vague answers when you ask about the authenticity of a bag, it's a good sign that you should be wary. Ask if they accept returns. If they don't, they may not be credible. If the vendor has a lot of the same type of bag, this is also a red flag as it usually means they're replicas. Inspect the material in this instance. Are the bags made of fabric or cheap leather? If the seller is advertising Coach bags that are labeled as "designer-inspired" or "Grade A replicas", they're fake. This terminology is used so that the producer of the fake bags won't get in legal trouble. Mall vendors and street vendors, as well as online auction sites (such as eBay), will often sell fakes. Department stores are more likely to have genuine Coach bags in the purse section. Look at the wear once the bag is broken-in. If the bag holds up and wears nicely, it shows that the bag is authentic or at the very least well-made. A broken, torn bag by the end of a few weeks shows that the bag is most likely a fake. Coach bags are made from quality materials, so frayed threads, cracked leather, and warping from use are going to take a while -- probably a few years.	Examine the craftsmanship. Look at the stitching. Check the lining. Look at the 'CC' pattern. Look for labels. Check the logo tags. Take a look at the zippers. Compare the bag to pictures on the Coach website. Determine if the deal is too good to be true. Pay close attention to the vendor. Look at the wear once the bag is broken-in.
https://www.wikihow.fitness/Use-Lifting-Straps	How to Use Lifting Straps	To use lifting straps, start by threading the ends of the straps through their loops to make circles. Then, slide your hands through the circles and pull on the ends of the straps so they fit snugly around your wrists. Next, wrap the ends of the straps around the bar holding the weight. Start by going under the bar from back to front, then wrap the straps over the top and under again. When the straps are completely wrapped around the bar, put your hands over the straps. You can then roll the bar toward you, which will tighten the straps, and lift the weight.	Use lifting straps for the right exercises. If you are looking to increase muscle size and strength in your upper back, trapezius, and hamstring muscles, lifting straps may be right for you. They allow you to lift more weight to work these muscles than your natural grip might allow. Specifically, they are good for the following exercises: Dumbbell or barbell rows Shrugs Deadlifts Romanian deadlifts Rack pulls Avoid using lifting straps for the wrong exercises. First, it is important to note that lifting straps are not allowed in power lifting competitions. If you are training to power lift, don't use straps all the time, because you need a strong natural grip. Make sure to do at least some reps with your natural grip, even if it means you can't lift as heavy a weight. Additionally, these straps are only helpful for lifts in which gravity is working against your ability to hold on to the weight. Lifting straps do not aid in bench presses or similar exercises. Using them for these lifts may result in ridicule from other weight lifters. Select the right lifting straps. Lifting straps are sewn from heavy-duty cotton, nylon, or leather.The varying materials and styles of these straps provide different advantages to the lifter. Here are some guidelines in choosing straps. Make sure they are well stitched and strong. Cotton and nylon straps are firmer than leather straps and are less easily bent out of shape. Leather straps have a little more give. This makes them a better choice if you plan to wear them to clean, though many weightlifters don't believe straps should be used for this lift anyway. Nylon straps allow you to release the dumbbell the most quickly. Olympic/speed straps are shorter. These allow for easier and faster release of the barbell, but a less firm grip, because the strap wraps around the barbell fewer times. Although you can buy padded straps, straps with hook-and-loop fasteners, and weightlifting gloves with straps or hooks built in, these don't offer much improvement in function or comfort and are more expensive. Further, hook straps don't fit all barbells and can negatively affect your technique for some lifts. Thread the ends of the straps through the loops. This will form a circle at 1 end of the strap. If using another type of strap (e.g. hook-and-loop straps or Olympic straps), skip this step. Put the straps on. Slide your hands through the circles or attach the straps with the hook-and-loop fasteners so the end of the straps hang down along your fingers. Pull on the ends of the straps or adjust the fasteners until the straps fit snugly around your wrists. Wrap the ends of the strap around the bar (or bars) holding the weight. Start by going under the bar from back to front, and then wrapping the strap over the top and under again. Wrap the strap completely around the bar. Some weight trainers prefer to wrap the straps in a figure-8 configuration. This can lead to a better grip on the barbell, but some people complain that after many reps, it can make the bar less comfortable to hold on to or even lead to friction burns. Place your hands over the straps. Close your palm and fingers over the area where the straps are wrapped around the barbell. This is what holds them in place. When you let go, they should slide off easily. If you're uncomfortable, re-wrap the straps to tighten or loosen as necessary. Roll the bar toward you. Rolling the bar will tighten the strap. Do this until the straps pull on your wrists. Do not start lifting before the straps are tight--you will not get the full benefit of using lifting straps and may increase the risk of injury. Lift the weight. Take care not to force your wrists to hold the entire weight as you lift. The lifting straps should let your wrists assist you in maintaining your grip on the bar, not do all the work. You can injure your wrists by relying too heavily on them to lift the weight, so use your grip as well. Strengthen your grip. Use hand grips, squeeze the barbell during reps, do fist or fingertip push-ups, climb ropes, or hang from the pull-up bar to strengthen your grip so you don't have to rely too much on your lifting straps. Lifting straps often cause weight trainers to ignore the need to strengthen their grips. This can be a real problem, especially if you compete in a sport that doesn't allow you to use straps.	Use lifting straps for the right exercises. Avoid using lifting straps for the wrong exercises. Select the right lifting straps. Thread the ends of the straps through the loops. Put the straps on. Wrap the ends of the strap around the bar (or bars) holding the weight. Place your hands over the straps. Roll the bar toward you. Lift the weight. Strengthen your grip.
https://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Qigong	How to Practice Qigong	Qigong is a popular Chinese form of mindfulness and exercise that can help you relax, focus your mind, and live a more spiritual life. When you start each session, concentrate on your breathing. Slow your breath down to a count of 6 for each inhalation and exhalation. Once you're connected to your breathing, scan down your body from head to toe, focusing on each part of the body and imagining the tension dissolving. Qigong involves a variety of postures to help stretch and relax different parts of your body. These include sitting upright in a chair, sitting cross-legged on the floor, and lying flat on the floor with your arms straight by your sides.	Focus on rhythmic breathing. As you prepare for Qigong, settle into a full, relaxed rhythm of breath before your begin your practice. The quality of your breath is directly related to the quality of your practice. For the vast majority of people, breath is bound by habitual patterns and stored tension. Your goal is a state where the breath rolls in and out smoothly, like calm waves. No rushed exhales, no gasped inhales. However, do not force it or you will only generate a new form of tension and distract yourself from the practice. Stretch your breath. It is beneficial to stretch the breath before you begin your practice, but forget about it while you practice. Stretching your breath will help you relax more and will help you commit yourself better to Qigong. To stretch the breath start with a simple inhale for a slow count of six, hold for three, exhale for six, hold for two, repeat. Anytime you become short of breath or tense let the pattern go until comfortable and then return to the holds. As this becomes easier expand the breath to a count of eight, ten, etc. holding for half at the top of the inhale, a third at the bottom. After working the breath for ten minutes or so relax into a natural rhythm again. Settle the mind. Settling your mind is one of the most important things before you practice Qigong. If our focus is scattered, our energy will be scattered, too. In addition, settling the mind is one of the most important skills that Qigong will help you cultivate. This is a skill that will not only bring you peace, but potentially help reduce blood pressure and stress levels – prolonging your life. Don't waste time and create tension by trying to force the mind to be silent. Instead, look for silence underneath the noise of random daily thoughts. Focus your attention on watching your breath. As thoughts come up, no matter how clever or seemingly prevalent, notice that you are thinking them and turn back to the breath. Gradually, the mind will become quieter. You can settle the mind as you are stretching your breath. Relax the body. After mental relaxation, you need to relax your body. Bodily relaxation is key to Qigong and key to promoting good overall health. Relaxing your body, though, is a very mental activity, too. Make sure to: Scan very slowly through the body, head to toe, releasing tension as you go. Repeat three times. Every part of your body should feel at ease and heavy--don't stay rigid and tensed up. Any tension or muscle anxiety should vanish. Your body should feel as if you are sinking toward the ground. Move and breathe in unison. Qigong is movement and breath in unison. In general, unless specifically trained to do otherwise for certain movements or forms, you should maintain deep, relaxed, even breaths. Because the breath and movements are linked, the moves should be slow, and maintain that deeply rooted relaxation. Practice sitting posture. Once you've mastered body and mind regulative techniques, you'll be ready to start completing Qigong sets of postures. The sitting posture is one of the most common and one you can practice extremely often depending on your situation and environment. The sitting posture will improve your overall posture and promote a feeling of confidence. Sit upright in a chair with your feet on the ground. Your legs should be separated. Your torso will be a right angle to your thigh. Rest your eyes and mouth by closing them. Do not try to smile, but allow your mouth to take a natural shape. Try the standing posture. The standing posture is one that you can work on at various times throughout the day. It is a relatively easy posture to practice and master and will build on other postures and promote confidence and overall well-being. Stand upright. Your feet should be parallel and separated by shoulder width. Allow your knees to bend slightly. Raise your arms so that your hands are even to or just slightly lower than your shoulders. Your elbows should be allowed to bend slightly. Your hands should be about a foot length apart and your palms should be pointed downward. Allow your fingers to be separated and slightly curved. Pretend you are holding a ball in a relaxed manner. As with sitting posture, your eyes and mouth should be closed in a natural and unforced way. Work on the walking posture. The walking posture is one you can practice in your spare time and will help relax you. The walking posture definitely requires a larger space to practice then the sitting or standing posture, so plan accordingly. When working on your walking posture, make sure to: Always lift your feet up heel first. Move forward with your left foot first. Your body and hands should sway rightward as you move. Only move forward with your right foot as your left is completely on the ground. Practice for thirty minutes or longer. Try other postures. There are a wide variety of other postures you can learn and work on when practicing Qigong. Different postures will focus on different parts of the body. They will also help you hone different mental techniques and promote spiritual awareness. All of them will demand that you rely on breathing techniques and mental relaxation techniques. Consider: The supine posture. This is a laying down posture. Lie on your back and put your legs straight out and your arms straight by your sides. This posture is intended to relax you. The sideways lying posture. Lie on your side. Keep your upper body straight, but make sure to bend your legs slightly. Put your upper hand on your hip and your lower hand by your head. This posture is intended to relax you. The half-lotus posture. In this posture, you will sit up. Your left foot will rest on your right thigh, which will be under your left knee. Also, make sure to rest your hands on your knees. This will stretch your legs and lower body. The cross-legged posture. Sit upright and cross your legs. Rest your hands in front of your stomach. This will help stretch your legs and relax you. Learn about Qigong. Qigong is an ancient Chinese exercise and health system that uses physical exercise, breathing, and mental techniques to promote overall health. Qigong dates back to at least 300 BCE, and probably before. Over the last 2300 years, it has developed into a complete wellness regimen with a variety of derivations and practices. Here are a few basics about Qigong: ”Qi” pronounced “chee” is often translated to mean “life force.” Qigong is an all-encompassing approach that addresses mental, physical, and spiritual improvement. Qigong not only improves physical health but mental and spiritual as well, as it can reduce stress and increase your ability to focus mentally. Familiarize yourself with how you will practice Qigong. After learning about Qigong, you need to know exactly what Qigong practice entails. This will enable you to prepare for practice and to better commit yourself to the comprehensive health program that Qigong represents. Know that when you practice Qigong, you will: Practice breathing techniques. Practice different postures. Meditate. Engage yourself in guided imagery. This guided imagery will help you focus and help you put your mind on the goals you want to complete in life. Practicing Qigong could take as little as 30 minutes a day or much longer. Determine if Qigong is right for you. After you've learned about Qigong and know what it entails, you should think about whether Qigong is right for you. In order to figure this out, you need to think about your goals and what you want to accomplish with Qigong or in your life in general. Think about the following: Are you solely interested in physical improvement? If so, Qigong might not be able to help you build substantial muscle tone or bulk up. However, it could be a great supplement for a larger exercise and weight-training regimen. Do you have the time to practice Qigong? While you can practice Qigong in as little as 30 minutes a day, you'll have to commit a decent amount of time to really understand and perfect your form and figure out how to meditate (if you have no previous experience). In addition, Qigong has its best results if you commit to practicing it over the long-term – for years. Do you have patience? One of the most important things in determining if Qigong is right for you is your level of patience. With Qigong, results don't come instantaneously. Instead, you'll have to concentrate, focus, and practice in order to see results. While some results might come quickly (such as a feeling of relaxation after meditation), overall results will require work. Find a teacher. Seek out a skilled teacher—someone who can train you on a full system. While you can learn and succeed at Qigong, teachers are extremely helpful in making sure you are perfecting certain techniques and have the knowledge to advance and master new forms. The best teachers are those who strongly encourage individual practice. They should also be able to offer exercises and meditations to develop the right state on being mentally and otherwise. What you want to avoid is someone who just has a form to show you, or even a few forms. Forms are just one piece of the whole and many are of limited use unless you've done the exercises to support them. Additionally, if the teacher spends too much time speaking about grand theory or what the form will eventually do for you, this is a negative mark. The focus should be on the practice and where you are at now. Theory is good, but avoid those who rely too heavily on words.	Focus on rhythmic breathing. Stretch your breath. Settle the mind. Relax the body. Move and breathe in unison. Practice sitting posture. Try the standing posture. Work on the walking posture. Try other postures. Learn about Qigong. Familiarize yourself with how you will practice Qigong. Determine if Qigong is right for you. Find a teacher.
https://www.wikihow.com/Advertise-Dog-Walking	How to Advertise Dog Walking	If you want to advertise your dog walking business, create a flyer with your name and contact information. Once you've designed your flyer, post copies of it around town, including on street light poles and on bulletin boards in your local pet stores and vet offices. Along with physical ads, you can post ads on the internet, like on Craigslist. The more people who know about your business, the more help you can get with advertising, so ask your friends and family if they know anyone who might be interested in hiring you to walk their dog. You can even ask veterinarians in your area if they could recommend you to their clients.	Post ads on the internet. You could try posting your advertisements on Craigslist or another website like MerchantCircle, GoogleMaps, or PetSitter.com. You can post ads by creating an online account, which allows you to revise or edit any online ads you post. If you post an ad without an account, it is more difficult to manage your personalized ads. Include a small paragraph of information about yourself to let new customers know your background and love for animals. State in your ad how long you have been doing this type of work, and why they should choose your services over another dog walking service. Make your listing stand out from others. You can accomplish this in many different ways. One way is to capitalize important words and frame these words with asterisks. Use a catchy headline to grab the reader's attention. A good example would be, "New Customers RECEIVE 50 PERCENT off DOG WALKING Services." Repost your ad every two days. Craigslist has rules and regulations to keep spam posts limited. This is why you are advised to post only once every two days. If you are underage, you might want to have a parent or trusted adult answer the replies so that they can talk to the person and decide if it is safe for you or not. Make variations of your ad. Change your advertisement up by adding different worded ads to attract different kinds of customers. Keep specific types of customers in mind as you design different ads targeted towards different people. For example, make ads for new customers, different ads for returning customers, and ads for people with more than one dog. Be sure to edit your ads for different target audiences. If you are writing an advertisement for PetSitter.com, you might want to emphasize your diverse pet watching skills, rather than just mentioning dog walking. If you are writing an advertisement for customers for with more than one pet, you should consider offering a discount. Make yourself a website to advertise your services. The website is a great way to showcase your pet-loving nature and walking/pet care service. Describe yourself and let potential dog owners get to know you. You should also upload a picture of yourself and several of you with some furry companions to show how much you love animals. Make sure to include some information about yourself like, “Hi, my name is Joe. I am 14 years old and I love taking care of my family's black lab, Buddy. I have been taking care of Buddy and taking him on walks for several years. I would love to share my love for animals with you and your family by being hired to walk your dog.” Optimize your website to local search results. This Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be time consuming, but it guarantees that your website will be shown higher in the organic search results when someone searches for your targeted keywords. Call your local newspaper. Ask for the "classifieds" advertising department and place a classified ad in the services advertising section of the newspaper. Depending on how much money you want to spend on your ad, you can have a large or a small ad; however, the key component to attracting customers is to make your ad short, concise, and catchy in order to grab the attention of potential customers. A good example of a successful ad would be, "Have a dog? Need your dog walked? Call xxx-xxxx for fast, reliable, low-cost dog walking services." Run the ad for at least a few months. This is the length of time it usually takes to attract customers. Depending on how large your newspaper ad is, the cost could get very expensive. However, if you choose a small ad size, you can probably spend less than $40 – depending on how widely distributed your newspaper is. Switch your ads every couple of weeks. Run varying ads to attract different customers. Check to see when there is a correlation between ads and customers. Once you determine which ad is more successful at attracting customers, use the remaining time you have left for the newspaper ad to post this particular ad. Use your computer to create a flyer. Make a hand-bill or flyer as an ad that you will post, hand-out, and place around town. This is a great way to increase visibility and get new clients. Include your name, your phone number or email address, and a brief introduction. You could even include a picture of yourself walking a dog. Make different sized ads. Use bright colored paper to catch the attention of onlookers. You can also create simple tear-off flyers that include your advertisement at the top, with your phone number on little strips at the bottom that people can rip off to take home with them. Post your flyers around town. You can create small flyers and hang ads on street-light poles facing traffic. You can also post these ads on the windshield wiper blades of cars in parking lots, though this is intrusive and not allowed everywhere. In order to reach your target customer base, it might be a good idea to visit pet store parking lots and veterinarian offices. Go inside these places of business and ask if they have a bulletin board for professional services. Place one of your ads on this bulletin board. Keep in mind that not all places will allow you to post flyers. So be careful not to break any rules by checking ahead of time. Try posting flyers near the mailboxes at apartment residences. Ask your parents to put the word out. Your parents can be a great asset for you in advertising your dog walking business. Ask them to tell their friends, colleagues, and acquaintances that you are trying to make money by walking dogs so that they can see if anyone is interested. Ask your parents to say something like, “My daughter has started a dog walking business. I know that your family has a dog. Would you be interested in hiring her to walk your pet a few times a week?” Your parents probably have a much bigger network than you have of people they know, so this is a great situation for you to take advantage of. You should also ask other family members if they need their dog walked or if they know of anyone who might be interested in your dog walking services. Tell your friends. Ask your friends if they would be interested in hiring you to walk their dog. Maybe their family or someone they know has a dog that needs walking too. Working for your friends can be complicated sometimes, so make sure you establish clear guidelines about what you both expect from the situation – how much money they will pay you and how long or how frequently you will walk the dog. Let your community know. There are people you interact with every day who would benefit from your services as a dog walker. You need to find them and let them know you are available. Network within your existing community because people are usually more willing to hire people they already know and trust. This means talking to your teachers at school, members of your church, your neighbors, or even family friends. Ask your veterinarian to recommend you. If you have a good relationship with your pet's veterinarian (or a family friend who is a veterinarian), ask them to recommend you to their clients. This would be a great (and safer) way to get the word out to fellow pet owners. You could even ask if you could hang one of your flyers in the vet's office.	Post ads on the internet. Make variations of your ad. Make yourself a website to advertise your services. Call your local newspaper. Use your computer to create a flyer. Post your flyers around town. Ask your parents to put the word out. Tell your friends. Let your community know. Ask your veterinarian to recommend you.
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-License-Plate	How to Remove a License Plate	With a screwdriver or a wrench, you can remove the fasteners that hold your license plate in place. If you have screws attached to your license plate, take a screwdriver and turn them counterclockwise, or to the left, to loosen and remove them. Remove all of the screws and your license plate will come right off. If there are bolts connected to it, take a wrench and loosen the bolts by turning them counterclockwise until you can remove them. Keep your screws or bolts, since you can use them the next time you put on a license plate.	Examine the bolts holding the license plate to see what tools you need. Depending what kind of bolts are holding it in place, you may need a wrench, a flathead screwdriver, or a Phillips head screwdriver. Once you have the correct tool, make sure it is the right size and fits snuggly on the bolt so that you don't strip it. It may be possible to remove some bolts with multiple methods, for example a hex head bolt may also have a slot for a flathead screwdriver. Unscrew the license plate bolts by turning them to the left. Attach your wrench or screwdriver to the bolt and turn the tool in a counterclockwise motion until the bolt comes completely lose. Set aside the bolts that you removed in a safe place so that you don't lose them. Start with removing either both the top two or bottom two bolts, then stabilize the license plate with one hand, or have someone hold it for you, while you remove the last two bolts so it doesn't fall and scratch any paint on your car. Remove the license plate and set it aside. Once you have removed all of the bolts you can take the old license plate off and save it. If you just want to get rid of the license plate you should recycle it instead of just throwing it in the trash. There are lots of cool ideas online to make old license plates into art if you want to give it new life! Put the new license plate into place and attach it using new bolts. Your new license plate should come with bolts to attach it. Hold it in place with the holes aligned or have someone help you out to keep it steady while you screw the new bolts in. It's a good idea to use stainless steel bolts to avoid rust problems in the future! Make sure to put any new registration tabs on the new license plates, and always keep the appropriate registration documents in your car. Spray any rusted bolts with penetrating oil and let them sit for 15 minutes. Get as close to the rusted bolts as you can with the nozzle of the spray can. Thoroughly douse all exposed parts of the bolts in penetrating oil. After 15 minutes try to unscrew the bolts. If the bolts still don't come loose after letting the oil sit for 15 minutes, spray on more and let them sit for an hour. You can get penetrating oil at an automotive repair shop. If you can, spray behind the license plate to reach the back of the bolts, do this as well. You want to give the oil as much contact with the bolts as possible. Try soaking the rusted bolts with white vinegar. Pour white vinegar over the rusted bolts or soak a cloth with vinegar and hold it over the bolts. The acidity of vinegar will dissolve the rust. Once you get some of the rust off, try removing the bolts with a wrench or screwdriver. After you have dissolved some of the rust with vinegar, you can try to scrub off as much of the rust as you can with steel wool or a steel brush before attempting to loosen the bolts. Attempt to loosen the bolts by hitting a wrench with a hammer. Attach the wrench to the bolt in a tightening position and hit it on the end of the handle twice with a hammer to deliver a shock and break the rust. Adjust the wrench to a loosening position and try to unscrew the bolts. You don't want to actually tighten the bolt, so if this doesn't work the first time don't keep hitting the wrench in the tightening position. Use an impact wrench if you have one to break the bolt free of the rust. An impact wrench is a powered wrench that you can use as a last resort if the bolts won't come loose. Choose the correct impact socket, attach it to the bolt, and pull the trigger of the impact wrench to exert force on the bolt. Use safety glasses and gloves when you operate an impact wrench. This method may just simply break the rusted bolts, so use it once you have exhausted all other options. Replace the rusted bolts with stainless steel ones. Once you have successfully removed the bolts, replace them with stainless steel ones to avoid problems with rust in the future. You can also coat the threads of the bolts with anti-seize lubricant to make it even easier next time you want to remove the plate. You can find anti-seize lubricant at an auto repair shop.	Examine the bolts holding the license plate to see what tools you need. Unscrew the license plate bolts by turning them to the left. Remove the license plate and set it aside. Put the new license plate into place and attach it using new bolts. Spray any rusted bolts with penetrating oil and let them sit for 15 minutes. Try soaking the rusted bolts with white vinegar. Attempt to loosen the bolts by hitting a wrench with a hammer. Use an impact wrench if you have one to break the bolt free of the rust. Replace the rusted bolts with stainless steel ones.
https://www.wikihow.com/Convert-Mph-to-Kph	How to Convert Mph to Kph	To convert miles per hour, or mph, to kilometers per hour, or kph, multiply the miles per hour by 1.60934. This is because one mile is equal to 1.60934 kilometers. If you needed to convert kph to mph, you would multiply the kilometers per hour by 0.6214.	Learn the length of a mile. The mile is a unit of length actually based on the Roman “mille passus” or “thousand paces.” Though the exact length of the unit varied over time, it is now set at 5,280 feet. Learn the length of a kilometer. A kilometer is a common unit of measurement for length in the metric system. The metric system is a system of measurements in which each unit is a multiple of ten from the previous unit. The meter is the base unit, and a kilometer is equivalent to 1,000 meters. Understand the distances over time. Each unit of distance doesn't mean anything by itself. In order to calculate each distance as a speed, there must be a time component added. The most common way of measuring miles and kilometers as speeds is in how many miles or kilometers an object travels in one hour—hence per hour, which is the equivalent of saying X number of miles or kilometers divided by one hour. Convert a mile to a kilometer. Since miles and kilometers are two separate units of measurement, one must first convert one mile of distance to one kilometer of distance before converting them as a distance over time. 1 mile = 1.6093440 kilometers. Alternatively, if you want to convert kilometers to miles, you would need the inverse. 1 kilometer = 0.6214 miles. Get the speed in MPH. Now that you know the basics of the distances, you're ready to convert them as speeds. The only other piece of information you need is the MPH speed that you want to convert. For example, let's say it's 95MPH. Multiply by 1.60934 (the kilometer equivalent). Once you have the correct speed in miles per hour, you can convert it to kilometers by multiplying it by 1.60934. For the example of 95MPH, 95 x 1.60934 = 152.887KPH. If you are making the conversion for KPH to MPH, then you would instead use the opposite distance conversion (1km = 0.6214 miles) and multiply the KPH x 0.6214. For the previous example, if you take 152.887KPH, 152.887 x 0.6214 = 95MPH.	Learn the length of a mile. Learn the length of a kilometer. Understand the distances over time. Convert a mile to a kilometer. Get the speed in MPH. Multiply by 1.60934 (the kilometer equivalent).
https://www.wikihow.com/Straighten-Beard-Hairs	How to Straighten Beard Hairs	To straighten beard hairs, apply beard oil after you shower when your beard is still slightly damp, which will help soften and straighten the hairs. You can also work beard wax into your beard every day to hold the straightened hairs in place. Or, you can use a blow dryer with a straightening attachment to style your beard every day. If you have a long enough beard, you can use a mini straightening iron to straighten your hairs.	Apply beard oil after your daily shower. Beard oil moisturizes your hair, which helps make it straighter and easy to style. Tap out the oil into your palm and then rub your hands together about 5 times. Afterward, rub your hands across the sides and front of your beard with your fingers closed. Open your fingers slightly and run your fingers through the sides and front of your beard, working from the roots to the tips. The amount of oil depends on the length, texture, and density of your beard. Apply beard oil to slightly damp hair. Beard oil can be purchased from most big-box stores and barbershops. Condition your beard once a week during your shower. Like beard oil, conditioner helps moisturize your facial hair so it's easier to style and straighten. Use the palms of both of your hands to gently lather your beard with the conditioner. Afterward, massage it in with the tips of your fingers. Leave it in for 1 to 5 minutes before rinsing it out and drying it with a towel. Purchase organic beard conditioners when possible. These products can be purchased from big-box stores, pharmacies, and popular online suppliers. Apply beard wax with the palms of your hands. Beard wax helps you sculpt your beard and hold the hairs in place so they stay straightened. Scrape a dime-sized piece of beard wax out of its container with the top of your thumbnail. Place it into in the palm of one hand and then rub it into both palms until it's a smooth, buttery consistency. Rub the palms of your hands along the sides of your beard to apply. Always rub your hands downward in the direction of beard flow. Comb your beard using a blow dryer with a straightening piece. Attach your straightening piece and set the blow dryer to low speed and medium heat. Gently brush your hair outward from the center of your face to separate clumps, focusing on the messiest areas first. Continue brushing until the straightening piece flows smoothly through your beard. Use your fingers to untangle tough areas. You can also dry your beard using a blow dryer with a nozzle attachment and a boar-bristle brush. Increase speed and heat as you wish. The faster the speed and higher the heat, the straighter your hair will come out, but the higher the risk of damaging your hair or burning your face. If you straighten your hair often, stick to low speed and moderate heat. Apply texture paste prior to blow drying to give yourself more control. Rub a dime-sized drop into your hands and apply it using your palms on the sides and front of your beard. You can purchase straightening pieces from most appliance and electronics stores that sell straightening irons. Switch to the open dryer attachment and continue straightening. After combing your hair for 2 to 3 minutes with the straightening piece, switch to the open attachment for more heat flow. Aim the dryer outward from the center of your face. At the same time, drag all of your fingers but your thumb down your beard in the direction of the airflow. Always drag your fingers in a gentle scratching motion. Comb your beard down with a fine comb to promote a straight flow. Always move outward from the center of your face. Brush gently to avoid pulling harshly on any remaining tangled areas. Every now and then, drag your fingers down your beard. If you're going to straighten your beard with a mini-straightening iron, fluff out your beard upwards and toward the center of your face prior to doing so. Apply a mini-straightening iron to your beard for a final touch. Pull down sections of your beard with your thumb and two fingers, with about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of hair between your fingers and chin. Starting from the top, pinch along the length of your hair from top to bottom with your straightener 1 time in a slow motion. Mini-straightening irons are designed for short hair and can be purchased from most beauty product suppliers. Avoid using standard-sized straightening irons. Clip up 2 sections of your beard to open your face. Once you finish straightening all of the other portions of your beard, remove the clips from the remaining sections and straighten them. Run a small comb through your beard for 15 minutes daily. A key part to retaining straight beard hair is keeping it neat and untangled. Set aside a bit of time each day to run the fine end of a small, plastic comb through your beard outward from the center of your face. If you're busy, comb your hair during any downtime you have, such as when watching a television show or before bed. Use beard oil and a boar-bristle brush to smooth and soften your beard. Small plastic combs are cheap, easily transported, and can be purchased everywhere from big-box stores to convenience stores. Wash your beard once a week to preserve natural oils. Without natural oils, your hair gets dry, which leads to curls. Massage and rub beard shampoo through your beard during showers for a few minutes at a time. Be sure to rinse it all completely out when you're done. Wash every other day if you're exposed to dirty environments on a daily basis. For example, if you work in the construction industry, in a factory, or outdoors. Avoid regular hair shampoos and those with harsh chemicals, especially sulfates. These are strong detergents that strip your hair of its natural oils. Other chemicals to avoid are parabens, synthetic colors, and synthetic fragrances. Purchase a showerhead water filter to remove unwanted chemicals. Hard water has high levels of minerals, which tangle your beard and reduce the effectiveness of shampoos and soaps. Look into a showerhead water filter at your local home hardware store to keep your water ideal for straight hair. Purchase water hardness strips from hardware or big-box stores to test your water's hardness. Keep an eye out for chalky residue around regions of high water exposure—this is a sign of water hardness. If you want to make a bigger investment, consider a water softener. Snip off unruly hair using small-sized trimming scissors. For tough spots that don't seem to straighten properly, you might have to remove the problem hairs. Focus on patches of hair that are giving you the most trouble. You can also use electric clippers, although this is a bit more difficult to remove smaller hairs and hair clusters. For electric clippers, start by trimming your hairs with a guard in place. Afterward, remove the guard from the clippers and gently drag it along the outside of your beard with the clean edge. If trimming still isn't working, consider shaving off your beard and trying a different style. After all, there are plenty of types of beards to choose from, some that are better suited to your face than others.	Apply beard oil after your daily shower. Condition your beard once a week during your shower. Apply beard wax with the palms of your hands. Comb your beard using a blow dryer with a straightening piece. Switch to the open dryer attachment and continue straightening. Comb your beard down with a fine comb to promote a straight flow. Apply a mini-straightening iron to your beard for a final touch. Run a small comb through your beard for 15 minutes daily. Wash your beard once a week to preserve natural oils. Purchase a showerhead water filter to remove unwanted chemicals. Snip off unruly hair using small-sized trimming scissors.
https://www.wikihow.com/Wear-High-Waisted-Jeans	How to Wear High Waisted Jeans	To wear high-waisted jeans, pair them with a tucked-in top to show off the waistband, and the front and back of your jeans. Alternatively, try tying the bottom of your shirt so that it sits just above your waistband and emphasizes your waist. For a business casual look, wear a fitted blazer and a colorful blouse tucked into your jeans. When choosing your shoes, opt for high heels or boots, which will elongate your legs when paired with high-waisted jeans.	Go for skinny jeans with a 29 inch (73 cm) inseam if you are petite. If you are petite, you will have shorter legs or a shorter torso. Try high-waisted jeans that have a 29 inch inseam or lower, as they will elongate your legs. The inseam is the length of the jeans along the inside of your thighs. Try skinny high-waisted jeans if you are petite, as they will make your legs look longer and slimmer. Do not go for flared high-waisted pants, as they will swallow up your petite frame. Try boyfriend style jeans with a wide waistband if you are pear shaped. Pear shaped means you carry weight in your hips, thighs, and bottom. High-waisted jeans with a wide waistband will give you full coverage from in front and behind. Look for high-waisted jeans that are boyfriend cut or bootcut denim to balance out your proportions. Avoid high-waisted jeans with no give in the waist, as this will squeeze your stomach and you will feel uncomfortable wearing them. Go for flare style jeans if you have an athletic build. An athletic build will be straight up and down. You can create curves by wearing flare style high-waisted jeans. Look for wide cut or full flare cut jeans that curve outward at the knee. If high-waisted jeans tend to flatten your butt, look for flare pants that have pockets that sit higher up on your butt to help add shape to this area. Get jeans with a 35 inches (88 cm) or higher inseam if you are tall. If you are above 5 feet 10 inches (1.5 metres 25 cm), you may struggle to find high-waisted jeans that fit your height. Look for high-waisted jeans that have a long inseam so they fit correctly. You can try high-waisted jeans that are wide-leg, skinny, or boyfriend cut as long as they have a 35 inches (88 cm) or higher inseam. Hem the jeans to your height. To ensure the jeans fit your body, consider getting them hemmed to fit your height. Hem the bottom of straight or flared high-waisted jeans to just at the top of your toes. For skinny high-waisted jeans, get them hemmed just at the ankles. Do not hem skinny high-waisted jeans any higher than your ankles, as this will cause them to bunch up at your legs and make you look shorter. Get dark wash for versatility. Dark wash jeans are a good option if you want a pair that will go from day to night easily. You can wear dark wash jeans to work and then transition them easily to a night out. Dark wash jeans will appear dark blue or almost black. Try light denim for a spring or summer look. Light colored denim is a fun option for a spring or summer day. Light wash jeans will appear pale blue or classic true blue. Light wash jeans pair well with spring and summer tops. You can also pair light wash denim with sweaters for fall or winter. Do black high-waisted jeans for a night out. Black jeans are always a solid option for a night out on the town. Get high-waisted black jeans for a night out dancing or for a dinner date. You can also pull out black high-waisted jeans for days when you want to put minimal effort into your look but still want to feel put together. Go for jeans made with spandex for stretch. Some jeans will be 100% cotton and others will be a blend of cotton and other materials like spandex. Jeans that are only made of cotton may look great, but they have very little to no stretch. This means you may find it painful to sit down for a long period of time in the high-waisted jeans. Getting jeans with spandex will ensure they have some give when you sit down and move around. Read the label of the jeans to check that it is partly made of spandex. Some high-waisted jeans that have a stretch waistband will already contain spandex. Tuck in your top. Don't hide the great high waist of your jeans. Tuck in a t-shirt or a blouse into the waistband of the jeans and get an instant outfit. Show off the front and back of the jeans by tucking in your top. You can also tie your top so it sits just above the waistband of your jeans. Loop the two sides of a long t-shirt or a button up shirt together and tie them in a knot right above the top button of your jeans. Wear crop tops. Crop tops are a great pair with high-waisted jeans as they allow you to show off the top portion of the jeans. Go for crop tops that hit just above your hips. Try cropped t-shirts and blouses. You can also wear cropped sweaters with high-waisted jeans. Wear short sleeve or long sleeve cropped sweaters. Pair skinny high-waisted jeans with a blazer. For a business casual look, wear skinny high-waisted jeans with a tucked in blouse and a fitted blazer. Try wearing a colorful blouse with a blazer in a neutral color like black, dark blue, or beige. You can also wear a tucked in t-shirt or cropped shirt with a longer jacket and high-waisted jeans for a more casual look. Belt the high-waisted jeans. Some high-waisted jeans will come with a denim sash that acts like a belt. If the jeans have belt loops, be sure to throw on a fun belt for added style. Look for belts in a neutral material like brown or black leather. Try a skinny belt for a more sleek look or a wider belt for a more statement look. You can also try belts in bold colors, like a red or green leather belt. Colored belts tend to look good on dark wash or black high-waisted jeans. Wear high heels or low boots with the jeans. High-waisted jeans that are skinny or flared look great with high heels as the height will elongate your legs. Try patterned heels for a fun look or heels in a neutral color to offset jeans in a dark wash. You can also wear bootcut or boyfriend style high-waisted jeans with low boots with a slight heel. Low boots are a good way to appear put together without dealing with heels. Try sandals or wedges. You can also pair skinny high-waisted jeans with sandals that are flat or have a slight heel. Try sandals made of leather for a more casual summer look, or sandals with a heel for a night out. Flared high-waisted jeans look best with wedges or heeled sandals, as the height will help to elongate your legs at the widest point of the flare. Go for flats for a casual look. Basic flats are a good option for a casual day look. Pair fabric or leather flats with the high-waisted jeans. Try patterned flats in a fun color with dark wash high-waisted jeans or black high-waisted jeans. Avoid wearing sneakers with high-waisted jeans. Sneakers or athletic shoes tend to look too casual with high-waisted jeans, especially if they are flared. Avoid them and opt for nice sandals or low boots instead. You may be able to pull off sneakers with skinny high-waisted jeans that are a light wash for a spring day out. Just make sure the sneakers elongate your legs and your proportions are balanced.	Go for skinny jeans with a 29 inch (73 cm) inseam if you are petite. Try boyfriend style jeans with a wide waistband if you are pear shaped. Go for flare style jeans if you have an athletic build. Get jeans with a 35 inches (88 cm) or higher inseam if you are tall. Hem the jeans to your height. Get dark wash for versatility. Try light denim for a spring or summer look. Do black high-waisted jeans for a night out. Go for jeans made with spandex for stretch. Tuck in your top. Wear crop tops. Pair skinny high-waisted jeans with a blazer. Belt the high-waisted jeans. Wear high heels or low boots with the jeans. Try sandals or wedges. Go for flats for a casual look. Avoid wearing sneakers with high-waisted jeans.
https://www.wikihow.com/Lighten-Your-Hair-Dye-With-Vitamin-C	How to Lighten Your Hair Dye With Vitamin C	To lighten your hair with Vitamin C, start by putting white Vitamin C tablets in a plastic bag and crushing them into a powder with a rolling pin. Next, mix the powder with a dye-free clarifying shampoo to form a thick paste. Then, apply the mixture to your damp hair and massage it in from the roots to the tips. Once all your hair is coated, put on a shower cap and let the paste sit for 2 hours before rinsing it out. Repeat this process until you get your desired hair color.	Use white Vitamin C tablets for the best results. You can get white Vitamin C tablets at your local health food store or online. Look for ones with a white, rather than orange or red, coating, as this will ensure the color does not bled onto your hair when you use the tablets. Put 10-30 tablets in a resealable plastic bag. If you have longer hair, you may need to use 20-30 tablets. If you have shorter hair, 10-15 tablets should be enough. Make sure the bag is sealed tightly and properly after you put the tablets in. Crush the tablets with a rolling pin. Put the bag of tablets on a flat surface like a table or countertop. Roll the rolling pin over the bag to crush the tablets until they form a fine powder. Another option is to put the tablets in a spice grinder and grind them that way. Mix the crushed tablets and 3 to 4 tablespoons (44 to 59 ml) of shampoo in a bowl. Use clarifying shampoo that does not contain any dyes. If you have very long hair and crushed a higher number of Vitamin C tablets, you may need to use 5 to 6 tablespoons (74 to 89 ml) of shampoo. Combine the crushed tablets and the shampoo with a spoon until it forms a thick paste that has the consistency of glue. Wet your hair with water and apply the paste. Use a spray bottle filled with warm water to wet your hair until it is damp to the touch, but not soaking wet. Apply the paste to your hair with clean fingers, massaging it in from root to tip. Make sure you cover your entire head with the paste. If you have a lot of hair or long hair, you may need to apply the paste in sections to ensure every strand is covered. Just part your hair into 4-8 sections before beginning. Do at least 1 coat of the paste on your entire head so your hair is well covered. Put a shower cap over your hair and let it sit for at least 2 hours. This will give the Vitamin C paste enough time to absorb into your hair. You can also sit under a hooded dryer or direct heat from a blow dryer at your hair to speed up the process. Rinse out the paste with water for at least 5 minutes. Put your head over a sink or stand in the shower. Make sure you rinse out the paste completely, as this will help the Vitamin C strip the color out of your hair. Apply moisturizing conditioner to your hair if it tends to get dry or frizzy. If you notice your hair feels dry once you rinse out the paste, you can massage in moisturizing conditioner to give it a bit more moisture. This can also be a good precautionary measure if your hair tends to get frizzy when you dry it, especially when it is dyed. Dry your hair. If you usually use a blow dryer to dry your hair, use it to dry your hair so you can assess how light the dye faded due to the paste. If you prefer to let your hair air dry, let it hang loose for several hours or overnight. If you blow dry your hair, use a heat protectant product to limit heat damage. Repeat the process again if you want your dyed hair to appear lighter. You can apply the Vitamin C paste again if you want to lighten your hair further. It is safe to apply it 3-4 times in a row to lighten your hair, though the paste may dry out your hair and cause your scalp to flake or itch. Always follow up the paste with a moisturizing conditioner if you are using it multiple times in a row to protect your hair and scalp. You can also try leaving the paste on your hair for longer than 2 hours at a time, though this can cause irritation if your have a sensitive scalp. Finished.	Use white Vitamin C tablets for the best results. Put 10-30 tablets in a resealable plastic bag. Crush the tablets with a rolling pin. Mix the crushed tablets and 3 to 4 tablespoons (44 to 59 ml) of shampoo in a bowl. Wet your hair with water and apply the paste. Put a shower cap over your hair and let it sit for at least 2 hours. Rinse out the paste with water for at least 5 minutes. Apply moisturizing conditioner to your hair if it tends to get dry or frizzy. Dry your hair. Repeat the process again if you want your dyed hair to appear lighter. Finished.
https://www.wikihow.pet/Handle-Irritability-in-Older-Dogs	How to Handle Irritability in Older Dogs	If you notice your senior dog becoming more irritable, have your vet check it for underlying conditions that may be causing it pain or discomfort. These might include arthritis, cancer, dental disease, or canine dementia. If your dog is physically healthy, its irritable moods might be caused by fear or anxiety, particularly if it feels disoriented due to hearing or eyesight loss. Watch your dog carefully to notice if there are any specific triggers that irritate it, like other pets or loud noises. If so, put your dog in a quiet place, like in its kennel with some blankets and its favorite toys. As dogs age, their senses weaken, causing them to get startled more easily, so be careful to approach your dog slowly and from the front to avoid scaring it.	Tell your vet about any behavioral changes in your dog. When dogs age, they experience a lot of physical and behavioral changes. One change may be increased irritability. You should tell your vet about all changes you see in your dog. This can help keep your vet from missing any medical conditions your dog may develop. Behavioral changes may be a symptom of a medical condition that can be treated. Determine if your dog has an underlying disorder. When you notice that your senior dog has started to get irritable, you should have your vet check them for underlying conditions. Many conditions can cause irritability due to pain or discomfort. Examples of conditions that can lead to irritability in your dog include arthritis, dental disease, cancer, impaired senses, or urinary tract diseases. In addition, physical changes — such as diminished eyesight and hearing — can make an older dog fearful or less engaged with their family. Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), or dog dementia could be the source of your senior dog's irritability. Watch for signs of CCD, which include confusion/disorientation, decrease in responsiveness or recognition, changes in activity level, disturbances to the sleep/wake cycle, house soiling. CCD can be treated with the drug selegiline hydrochloride and should be combined with behavioral therapy. Consult a professional behavioral expert. If your senior dog's irritability is getting too difficult to handle, you may consult a behavioral expert. These experts include trainers, pet therapists, certified professional dog trainers, and applied animal behaviorists. You can get private sessions with an expert to help you address your dog's irritability. If your dog's irritability is significantly affecting your dog or their health, consider consulting a behavioral expert with academic training and practical experience. Talk to your vet about any experts in your area, or search online for a behavioral expert near you. Determine if there is an underlying reason for the irritability. Sometimes, your senior dog's irritability may not be caused by a physical medical reason, but by a mental or emotional reason. Monitor your dog to see if there are any emotional reasons they are irritable, or talk to your vet. For example, many senior dogs experience an increased sense of fear or anxiety. This distress can cause your dog to be irritable. Loss of hearing or sight can cause disorientation and distress, which could lead to irritability. Try to identify the irritating factor. Often, there is some stimulus that causes your older dog to act more irritable than usual. This may be a new puppy, a lack of mobility, new people in the family household, or moving to a new home. Try to find the factor that irritates your dog so you can deal with it. Consult a qualified animal behavior expert to help you evaluate the situation. Examine your life for any recent changes. Did you get a new dog, move, or have someone new move into the family? Watch your dog for a pattern. Are there certain things or situations that irritate your dog? Reduce the irritant. Once you determine what is causing the irritability in your dog, you can try to reduce the dog's exposure to it or eliminate it completely. You may be able to separate your dog from other dogs in the house, limit the dog's interaction with a new family member, or get rid of noises that bother them. Not all irritants will be able to be controlled. If you have recently moved, your dog may be irritable because their routine and comfort zone has changed. You will have to find alternate methods to handle your dog. Remove the dog from stressful situations. Watch your dog closely in situations where they may become irritable. You will probably start to see signs that they are getting more irritable. When this occurs, remove the dog from the situation and put them somewhere else. An irritable dog may be more likely to bite, so you will need to take steps to keep both your dog and other people safe. Keep a particularly close eye on your dog if there are children around. Children can be loud, careless, and move quickly, which may stress your dog out. You may want to place your dog in their kennel with some blankets and toys, in a comfortable, quiet room where they have somewhere to lay, or to temporarily place them outside. Avoid startling your dog. One thing that might cause irritability and aggression in your aging dog is being startled. When dogs age, their senses weaken. They can't see, hear, or smell as well as they used to. This can cause them to get scared or startled easier than they used to. You may try always approaching your dog from the front instead of behind. This helps them see your before you touch them. Try speaking and stopping right in front of them before touching them if that causes them to be irritable. Maintain your dog’s routine. Senior dogs get set in their ways and react negatively to stress. To help reduce your dog's stress and irritability, try to keep their routine as close to normal as possible. Try to do things around the same time each day, and don't try too many new things with your senior dog. For example, keep feeding times and walks as consistent as possible. Each day should be around the same as before. Try not to take your dog to unfamiliar places because it could upset them or confuse them. Discuss using a head halter with a behavioral expert. If your older dog's irritability leads to aggressive behavior, such as snapping or biting at others, consult a behavioral expert on the proper use of a head halter. Head halters and leashes can help you maintain some control over your dog and let them stay with you. Note that this will not prevent the dog from biting, but it can give you more control over the dog's actions. Never leave a dog wearing a head halter alone. This can be dangerous for your dog.	Tell your vet about any behavioral changes in your dog. Determine if your dog has an underlying disorder. Consult a professional behavioral expert. Determine if there is an underlying reason for the irritability. Try to identify the irritating factor. Reduce the irritant. Remove the dog from stressful situations. Avoid startling your dog. Maintain your dog’s routine. Discuss using a head halter with a behavioral expert.
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Sad-Song	How to Write a Sad Song	Writing a sad song is all about drawing on your own sad experiences to write lyrics and finding the right chords to express your emotions. Start by writing some notes on things that make you sad, like your memories or fears. When you start seeing a pattern or connection between your notes, choose one theme you want to explore, like grief, heartbreak, or regret. Then, you can start to turn your ideas into lyrics. Try throwing in a few metaphors to express your emotions. Use words associated with sadness, like “Cold,” “Rain,” and “Deserted.” Once you've got some lyrics you're happy with, try out some different chords on a piano or guitar while you sing them. Minor chords work great for conveying sad emotions. If you get stuck, listen to your favorite sad songs for inspiration.	Learn how songs are composed. Lyrically, songs are made up of verses, choruses, and lyrics. Familiarize yourself with these different parts of a song. This will help you establish the basics and begin the songwriting process. The verses of a song usually have the same melody but different lyrics. For example, in "Eleanor Rigby" the verses all follow the same melody, detailing the lives of various lonely people. If you listen closely, you'll notice all these stories follow the same melody and have roughly the same number of syllables. The chorus is a part of a song that is repeated three or four times, each time using the same melody and lyrics. In Eleanor Rigby, the chorus is, "Ah, look at all the lonely people." A chorus is often used to sum up the theme or main point of a song. The bridge of a song has a different melody and lyrics than the verse or chorus. It provides a break from the usual progression of the song and the lyrics may reveal a hidden insight in the song. Not all songs have bridges, so including one is optional. Most songs follow this basic structure: verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. However, there are many variations. Using a basic structure at first, however, can help give you direction creatively. You can always make alterations to the basic structure as you write your song. Be open to a simple melody. If you're a beginning songwriter, a simple melody is important. You do not need an elaborate melody to convey a sad feeling. A simple melody, using a few notes or chords, is the best option for a beginning songwriter. To start, practice some popular that are also fairly simple. Use a guitar or piano to play songs like Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" or Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." You'll notice that the melodies are not very complex and yet the songs still convey deep feeling. Experiment. Sit at the piano for a few hours or strum on your guitar. Play a variety of note and chord progressions, feeling around for the right sound. If you're a beginner, it might be best to stick to the 12 basic notes without incorporating flat or sharp notes into your song. Study chord progressions of a variety of sad songs. This may help you get a sense of how musicians compose. Look up the sheet music for your favorite sad songs online and try to play them at home. You do not have to have your melody completely established before you write your lyrics. Both your melody and lyrics will have to be tweaked accordingly as you move through the songwriting process. Just try to get a sense of the general length of your verses, choruses, and lyrics to help guide you as you compose your lyrics. Use the minor third, if possible. When setting your song to music, you'll need to focus on music that conveys a sad feeling. A recent study shows songs written in a minor, the minor third especially, tend to better convey feelings of sadness. If you are writing a sad song, consider switching to minor third at certain points during the song to help your listeners experience sad emotions. However, listen to a variety of songs that incorporate minor third first. Switching dramatically to minor third may be jarring to listeners. Look up the sheet music for a few songs that use minor third and see how the songwriter's build up to introducing the minor third. If you're a beginner at the piano or guitar, you may not know the minor third. That's okay. While it can help convey a sad feeling, you do not need to use it to write a sad song. The most important thing is to find a melody you're comfortable playing. Listen to your favorite sad songs. If you want to write sad music, take some time to listen to your favorite sad songs. One of the best ways to find inspiration is to expose yourself to the work of other artists. This can also help you pay attention to things like melody and structure, providing you insight on how to write your own lyrics. Make a list of your favorite sad songs. They could be break up songs, songs about death and dying, songs about sad events, and so on. Spend an hour or so listening to your sad songs. As you listen, pay attention to the music and lyrics. Ask yourself why the song makes you feel sad. What does the music do to convey a feeling of sadness? How does the speaker's voice sound? What is the pacing of the song like? Try to break the song up into verses, choruses, and bridges. Identifying the different parts of a song's structure can help give you guidance as you write your own lyrics. It can also help to read the lyrics. You can look up lyrics to most songs online. Read the lyrics as if they were poetry and try to analyze them. What is the song about? How does the speaker engage with the subject? Pay close attention to all the words the speaker uses and how they work to convey a feeling of sadness. Do a free write. A quick free write is a great way to start getting creative. Get out a pen and paper, go to a quiet space, and just write for about 10 minutes. Focus on things that make you sad. What upsets you? What makes you cry? What have been some of the saddest moments in your life? Why were these moments sad? How were you feeling during these times in your life? Try not to work too hard at censoring yourself. Just write down your thoughts as they come. Sometimes, the raw emotions you find when free writing can be used in songwriting later on. Make an outline. Before you begin composing your lyrics, make a brief outline. Decide how many verses you will have, whether you'll have a bridge, and how long your chorus will be. Then, write the barebones of what you'll be discussing in your song. An outline does not need to use full sentences. You're just trying to convey the basics of what you'll be writing about, how many verses you'll need, and so on. Jot down your title on the top of the page. Then, write "Verse One" and provide a sentence fragment about your first verse. For example, "Verse One, about the sad feeling of change." Then, inject your chorus if you're including one. For example, "Chorus expressing sadness about moving away from Michigan." Then, outline what you want to discuss in your second verse. Keep going until your song is fully outlined. You can also take note of roughly how many syllables each verse should contain. This can help provide you structure as you begin composing your lyrics. Consider connotation as you write. When doing any kind of creative writing, you need to consider the connotation of the words you use. Connotation is a second meaning that is associated with a word alongside its literal meaning. For example, the word "cold" literally means low temperature. However, cold also carries connotations of closed off, mean spirited, and emotionally distance. As you write your lyrics, pause after each line and evaluate the words. Pick out the most powerful, striking words in any given line and consider what these words could potentially mean for other people. If the connotations do not convey sadness, you might want to find other words. Say you're writing about a recent breakup. You have a line that says something like, "When you left, I stood in the sun waiting for your return." Sunshine is generally associated with happy memories. If you were left in the sun, the listener might conclude this person's absence had a positive effect on your life. What is a different way you could phrase this? What types of weather do people associate with sad emotions? Consider replacing "sun" with something like "rain" or "cold." Try simile and metaphor. Simile and metaphor are figures of speech used frequently in songs. Similes and metaphors compare two different subjects to show their similarities. A simile is a metaphor that uses "like" or "as" ("You lived your life like a candle in the wind") while a metaphor simply states one thing is another ("Your love is a red dress."). First, get specific. What type of sadness are you trying to convey? Grief? Heartbreak? Loss? Regret? Once you've picked the specific type of emotion you're going for, write down some images and ideas that could be associated with that image. For example, say you're trying to write about grief as your song discusses a lost loved one. Think of images that convey a sense of death, like a barren field, a light flickering out, a decaying plant, and so on. From there, make a metaphor or simile. Say something like, "Your death was a rose stomped out in its prime." Songs do not always make metaphors explicit. Many songs use extended metaphors, using symbolic language throughout a song to talk about one thing when they're really getting at another. Regina Spektor has a song called "Field Below" in which she describes a barren landscape. Between Spektor's descriptions, there are lines like, "But you don't live downtown no more, and everything must come and go." This indicates the landscape is a metaphor for a personal loss. Pay attention to the musical arraignment in your favorite sad songs. Return to the sad songs you were listening to while hunting for inspiration. Look up the sheet music that goes along with these songs and pay attention to what notes and chords the songwriters used. Do these songs use a fast or slow tempo? How do you feel when you hear these songs? Why? How does the music push for feelings of sadness and pain? It can also be helpful to look up the sheet music for these songs. Learn to play your favorite sad songs on a piano, guitar, or other instrument. This will help you get a sense of how to compose your own melody. Adjust your melody and lyrics. After studying various sad songs, play around with your guitar, piano, or other instrument. Strum or play along as you mouth your lyrics, trying to find the right chords, keys, and tones to match the song. It might take some practice and dedication before you find something that works for you. You may have to adjust your lyrics and melody as you go to get the song to work. For example, the melody may not have enough beats for all the lyrics to fit. You'll either have to shorten your lyrics or add to the melody a bit. Remember, a melody does not have to complex, especially if you are a beginning songwriter. Try to keep the melody simple, using a few basic chords or notes throughout. As you write more songs, you can experiment with more complex music. Sing your song and see if there's room for improvement. Once you've written the musical accompaniment, sing your song. You might want to make a recording and play it back to yourself. Ask a friend or family member for feedback. Specifically, ask how your friend or family members feels when he or she hears the song. If the song is not coming off as sad, you may have to tweak some of the lyrics or melody a bit to better convey the feeling. It can take quite a few drafts before you get a song where you want it.	Learn how songs are composed. Be open to a simple melody. Use the minor third, if possible. Listen to your favorite sad songs. Do a free write. Make an outline. Consider connotation as you write. Try simile and metaphor. Pay attention to the musical arraignment in your favorite sad songs. Adjust your melody and lyrics. Sing your song and see if there's room for improvement.
https://www.wikihow.com/Cure-Toenail-Fungus-with-Vinegar	How to Cure Toenail Fungus: Can Vinegar Help?	To cure toenail fungus with vinegar, first trim your toenails with nail clippers so the vinegar will be more effective. Once your toenails are trimmed, pour equal parts vinegar and hot water in a big bowl. Then, soak your feet in the bowl for 10-20 minutes to kill the fungus. After soaking, allow your feet to dry completely before putting on socks, since having wet feet will allow more fungus to grow. After 1-2 weeks, you should start to see some improvement. If your fungus doesn't go away, make sure to see a doctor so they can prescribe a stronger treatment.	Trim your nail back before soaking your foot. If your nail is covering the fungus, then topical treatments won't work very well. Take a clipper and trim your nail back as far as you can. This helps the vinegar reach the fungus and kill it. Don't try to cut your nail passed where the white section ends. You could cut yourself. If you have trouble cutting your nail, try softening it with a urea cream first. This is a common cosmetic treatment for skin irritations, and is available at most pharmacies. Disinfect the clipper as soon as you're finished so you don't spread the infection. Soak it in isopropyl alcohol for 30 minutes to kill all the fungus. Mix 1 cup (240 ml) each of warm water and white vinegar into a bowl. Find a bowl or bucket that you can fit your foot into. Pour both vinegar and warm water in, then stir them together. You could also use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. Both contain similar amounts of acetic acid. Soak your foot for 10-20 minutes. Place your foot into the bowl and make sure the water covers your infected toe. Then keep it there for 10-20 minutes so the vinegar can soak into the fungus. If you have any cuts on your foot, the vinegar may sting a little. This isn't dangerous. Dry your foot thoroughly when you’re done. Fungus grows in moist conditions, so always dry your foot off as soon as you soak it. Take a clean towel and pat your foot dry before putting your shoes and socks back on. Don't use this towel again before washing it because it could spread the fungus. Repeat this soak twice a day until your symptoms disappear. Nail fungus is tough to get rid of, so it'll take a while. Soak your foot with vinegar and water twice every day. If you see some improvement after a few weeks, then you can continue. If you don't see any improvement, then see a podiatrist for further treatment. If your nail grows, trim it back again so the vinegar can reach the fungus. This could take several months to work. If you can't keep up with soaking your foot twice a day or the fungus doesn't seem to be getting better, then see a podiatrist instead. Apply an over-the-counter antifungal cream for an easy treatment. Specialized antifungal creams might work better than a vinegar soak. Try getting some from a local pharmacy and applying it exactly as directed. For many creams, you have to apply them every day for a few weeks at least. Follow the directions and see if this helps the infection clear up. Approved antifungal creams include Amorolfine, Ciclopirox, Efinaconazole, and Tavaborole. Keep your nails short so the cream can reach the fungus. Creams usually don't work as well for nail fungus because they can't penetrate the nail. Don't be surprised if you don't see much improvement and have to see a foot doctor. Take prescription oral medication from your podiatrist. Oral medication is usually the go-to treatment for nail fungus because it works internally. If your infection isn't clearing up with home treatments, then make an appointment with a podiatrist. The doctor will probably examine your toenail, then prescribe a medication to fight the fungus. Take the medication as directed for 2-3 months to clear the infection entirely. Some common antifungal medications include Lamisil and Sporanox. Don't stop taking the medication early. If you stop before all the fungus is dead, the infection could come back. At the initial appointment, the podiatrist may also trim your nail a bit to remove some of the fungus. This can help, but probably won't cure the infection entirely. Antifungal medications can be powerful, so your doctor may want to test your blood periodically to make sure the levels in your system are correct. Too much could cause liver damage. Try medicated nail polish to penetrate your nail. Your podiatrist may try this approach along with oral medications. A medicated nail polish, usually Penlac, can soak through your nail and treat the fungus. In most cases, you brush it onto your nail and leave it there for a week. After that, you wash it off with alcohol and apply a fresh layer. Continue this application process for as long as the podiatrist tells you to. The application procedure might be different depending on what medication your podiatrist prescribes. Follow the instructions that they provide.	Trim your nail back before soaking your foot. Mix 1 cup (240 ml) each of warm water and white vinegar into a bowl. Soak your foot for 10-20 minutes. Dry your foot thoroughly when you’re done. Repeat this soak twice a day until your symptoms disappear. Apply an over-the-counter antifungal cream for an easy treatment. Take prescription oral medication from your podiatrist. Try medicated nail polish to penetrate your nail.
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-Head-Shy-Horse-To-Trust-You	How to Get a Head Shy Horse To Trust You	To get a head shy horse to trust you, first try placing a hand close to its head for a couple seconds. If your horse signals it doesn't want to be touched, like turning its head, walk away and try again later. If your horse responds well, give it a treat and say “Good girl” to reward it for its trust. Keep practicing this, gradually moving your hand closer to its head each time until your horse is totally comfortable.	Teach your horse that your touch can be trusted. A head shy horse has learned to avoid a human touch, whether because of maltreatment or accident. Your horse must be taught that human touch is a good thing. Behavioral training teaches this by associating the desired behavior with a reinforcement, or reward. The steps of behavioral training require time and patience. Teaching your horse to keep her head quiet when approached is the observable behavior that you can work on. Trust is something that can only develop over time. Don't engage in behavioral training unless you're feeling calm and confident. If you lose your temper during this process, all the efforts you've put into training will be useless. It's essential that the behavior training is done in a consistent manner. Bring your horse to a round enclosed field or small paddock. Lead your haltered horse with a soft rope or lunge line. Once inside the field, take the lead off and place it outside the fence. 35-foot diameter paddock is the minimum safe area for working with your horse, though it can be as large as 60 feet. Keep the paddock free of other distractions, loud noises, other animals, etc. The horse should feel safe and comfortable. Approach your horse from the side. Walk at a steady rate of speed, neither fast nor slow. Keep your body relaxed. If you're tense, the horse will likely pick up on that. Do not make eye contact with a nervous horse. Instead, place your gaze near her knee or lower body. Wait until the horse shows that she's open to being touched. She might turn towards you, lick her lips or soften her eyes. If your horse gives signs of not wanting to be touched, such as turning her head away or walking away, respect this. Never force touch on an animal. Put your hand to your horse's neck or shoulder gently but firmly. This isn't a rub or a pet, but simply a light touch. If your horse tenses or shies away, drop your hand and walk away. This is done for purposes of assessment. If, at the end of this assessment, your horse easily allows you to touch her, move your touch closer to her head. If she doesn't allow you to touch her closer to her head, go back to the area where she was comfortable with your touch. The trick is to go at her rate of speed in order to develop trust. Only allowing brief touches will encourage your horse to trust you. She may be overwhelmed by longer touches. She will learn that you respond quickly to her pulling away from an unwanted touch. Stroke your horse gently. With your fingers, follow the direction of her hair in a rubbing motion. This is a brief petting, about 3 seconds. Then walk away, as before. Again, you're teaching your horse that you are a safe person. Your touch is safe, but firm. Through repetition, you can move your hand closer and closer to the areas of her head she may not have allowed you to touch before. Over time, you can keep your hand on your horse for a longer time. 3 seconds can increase to 4 seconds, then to 5. If she shies away, you'll know you've gone too fast. Go back to the amount of time she's comfortable with and try again. Give her a treat to reward her trust. As soon as you feel her relax beneath your touch, remove your hand and offer her a treat.With one hand on her head, say, "Good girl!" or whistle to her softly. You'll want to reinforce the trusting behavior while it's happening, so that the behavior and the reinforcer are strongly connected. The sound of your affirming whistle or voice serves as a way to draw the horse's attention to what's happening at that moment. If she's relaxed, even for a very small time, you can draw her attention to that relaxation. Hold a treat in the hand that's not touching the horse. If the horse tenses, even briefly, do not pursue her. Pause, or walk away. Teach your horse to associate your presence with treats. At this point, do not attempt to touch her. Simply stand in front of her, slightly to her left, and offer her a treat with your open hand. Desensitization starts with simply being present in the vicinity of your horse's face. She will learn to associate your presence with something positive. Work slowly, and allow the horse to direct the speed of progress. This will build trust. After doing this several times, bring the treat within six inches of her muzzle. Then, drop your hand. She'll likely follow your hand with her head. Say "Yes," or "Good Girl," and offer her the treat. Do this several times, so that she learns to connect your hand and your words (or, to her, sound) with the treat. Pause before giving her the treat. When she has made the connection between your hand and the treat, she will expect it. You are teaching her to desire your hand, because it contains the treat. Hold this hand, palm down, fingers wrapped around the treat. When your horse lowers her head toward your other hand, let her have the treat. Raising the head can be a sign of anxiety, and reinforcing a lowered head teaches her to be calm. Lift your other hand, palm open, towards her head. Do not touch your horse, but simply hold your hand in place. This will teach your horse that having your hand in this area, close to her head, isn't dangerous. Although currently, this is something fearful for your horse, she can learn that having someone's hand here isn't always bad. Repeat this many times over several days, until you're sure that your horse is aware of your hand and yet not bothered by it. Continue to wait until she lowers her head to reward her with a treat. Touch your horse as she eats. When your horse has gained comfort with your hand near her head, you can start to touch her on her muzzle. Put your raised hand on the bridge of your horse's nose, below her eyes, as she eats her treat. Speak to her in a gentle, reassuring voice. As your horse finishes eating, she may try to pull away. Try to keep your hand on her muzzle until she relaxes. At the moment she relaxes, say, "Yes" and pull your hand away. Repeat this step until your horse seems relaxed with your hand on her muzzle. Touch your horse before offering the treat. Follow the same procedure as before, gently but firmly setting your hand to your horse's muzzle. Continue to keep the hand containing the treat low, so that she must lower her head to accept it. When she relaxes, say, "Yes," and give her the treat, and release your touch. Move your touch to other parts of your horse's muzzle and head. Continue to wait for her to relax before offering the treat with your other hand. When she relaxes, say, "Yes," and offer her the treat. Move slowly, gradually expanding the range of your touch, as you teach her to trust you on all areas of her head. Start to stroke or massage your horse's head for a few seconds below her muzzle, before she gets her treat. Vary your training sessions. Horses, like other animals, don't necessarily generalize well. For best teaching, train your horse in these steps on different times of the day, and in different places. Lowering her head should continue to be met with a treat in your palm. Don't offer her a treat unless her head is lowered. When your horse is comfortable with your hand, start to teach her to trust the feel of cloth, or grooming instruments. Use the same training procedures as before. Be a leader for your horse. This will further your horse's sense of trust in you. Horses are a pack animals, and require a leader to feel safe and protected. Establishing leadership isn't about being dominant, but about establishing yourself as leader of the herd. Correct your horse when she tests boundaries. Your goal is to make sure your horse knows who is in charge. When your horse is confident that you're in charge, she'll likely stop testing boundaries. When your horse is fearful, encourage her to lower her head. A lowered head automatically relaxes a horse. Your horse may then learn to associate the feeling of relaxation and safety with you. Be positive. Your horse is sensitive to your emotional state. She'll be quick to pick up on your irritability or frustration. If you've decided that your horse is difficult, then she will be. Instead, approach your horse with a feeling of optimism and trust. This will increase the chances that she'll respond in the same way! Talk to your horse frequently, whenever you're in the pen. Give her a nickname that describes the best way she can be, rather than focusing on her more difficult qualities. Remember that a relationship, whether with a horse or with a person, always has two partners. Knowing your own weaknesses as a trainer will help you from blaming your horse for behaviors which are yours. Spending more time with your horse will help develop a positive relationship. Hang out with your horse, even if you're just reading a book in her stall, or cleaning the barn nearby. She should get used to your presence, and associate it with good things. Talk to your horse frequently and reassuringly. Use a kind voice with your horse. When talking with your horse, your voice should always be kind and positive. Never shout at your horse in an angry voice. Communication happens verbally and nonverbally. All communication with your horse should be kind. An violent yank on a halter, or a jerk on the reins, communicates angrily to your horse. This erodes trust, and should be avoided. Make sure your communication with your horse is clear, concise and consistent. Good grooming for your horse provides a daily opportunity to bond. Brushing your horse, caring for her hooves, combing her mane are all opportunities to practice positive communication. Build credibility through consistency. Developing consistent patterns of behavior will help increase your horse's ability to trust you. If you're predictable to your horse, your horse will be more likely to trust you. Pay attention to the praise you offer your horse. Is your praise being consistently directed? Or are you more often praising your horse based on your own good mood? If you are directing corrections to your horse, does it make sense to your horse? Make sure you're using consistent directions when asking your horse to do something. Remember, even though your horse may be learning to respond to your commands, your horse does not - and never will! - be fluent in spoken language! Use consistent commands, both verbal and nonverbal, to get consistent results. Ask for professional help. Even the best trainers can sometimes get stuck. Sometimes the most effective way to work through a situation with a head shy horse can be to ask a friend, another trainer, or a professional instructor for help. Another person may be able to see a pattern that we couldn't. There are support groups for horse owners. Many horse owners will have come across the same challenges you face, and they're eager to share their experience. Search online for local area groups, or participate in online groups. Ask at your local stables or horse clubs. Volunteer to help others. It's easier to have a clear perspective on situations you're not emotionally involved in. Helping another horse owner with their situation may result in fresh insights regarding your own pattern of behavior with your horse.	Teach your horse that your touch can be trusted. Bring your horse to a round enclosed field or small paddock. Approach your horse from the side. Put your hand to your horse's neck or shoulder gently but firmly. Stroke your horse gently. Give her a treat to reward her trust. Teach your horse to associate your presence with treats. Pause before giving her the treat. Lift your other hand, palm open, towards her head. Touch your horse as she eats. Touch your horse before offering the treat. Move your touch to other parts of your horse's muzzle and head. Vary your training sessions. Be a leader for your horse. Be positive. Use a kind voice with your horse. Build credibility through consistency. Ask for professional help.
https://www.wikihow.com/Treat-an-Infected-Nose-Piercing	How to Treat an Infected Nose Piercing	If you notice symptoms, like fever, redness, or tenderness, you may have an infected nose piercing and need to visit your doctor. To treat your infection at home, apply a warm compress to your nose with gentle pressure, so it can relieve some of the swelling. You should also make sure to remove any dried pieces of skin or debris from around the area, as well as wipe away any discharge you notice. As long as your nose piercing is infected, you should wash the area 3 or 4 times a day with either soap and warm water or a sea salt solution, which can serve as a natural antiseptic. Because nose piercings close very quickly, do not remove your piercing unless your doctor recommends it, or your nose could develop an abscess.	Look for symptoms of infection. If you think you have an infection, you should visit your doctor. Left untreated, an infection could quickly become serious. Although there are treatments you can try at home, it's best to seek medical attention when you suspect an infection. Symptoms of an infection include: Fever Redness Swollen skin around the piercing Pain or tenderness Yellow or green discharge from the piercing site Apply a warm compress if there’s swelling. A warm compress can help relieve swelling by draining away the fluid. You can make a compress by soaking a clean rag in warm water and then laying it over the area. Hold the rag in place, applying gentle pressure to the site. Don't press down too hard. If you feel any pain from the light pressure, stop using the warm compress and talk to your doctor. Make sure that you leave enough of a gap under the rag for you to breathe comfortably. The warm compress also softens any discharge so that it can be wiped away. Wash the piercing 3 or 4 times a day while it’s infected. After washing your hands, use soap and warm water to cleanse the piercing area. Afterwards, blot the area dry with a clean, dry cloth. You may want to use a disposable paper towel or napkin to make sure that the cloth does not harbor germs or bacteria. You can use a sea salt solution instead of soap for a natural antiseptic. Use a sea salt solution to cleanse the piercing as an alternative to soap. A sea salt solution is a natural antiseptic that isn't too drying. Mix about.25 teaspoons (1.2 ml) of sea salt into 1 cup (0.24 l) of warm distilled or bottled water. Hold your face over the sink with your nose pointing down. Slowly apply the sea salt solution, careful not to get any in your nostrils. If you are using a spray bottle, angle the nozzle downward as you spritz the piercing. If you are using a glass or dish, pour slowly so that the solution trickles down over the piercing. Use only sea salt, never table salt, which contains iodine. The best time to do this is after you take a shower or bath. Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are not recommended for use on piercings, as they make it harder for skin to heal. Unless a doctor tells you to use them, stick to soap and water. Remove any dry pieces of skin or debris from around the area. After you wash the area, look for dry pieces of skin or discharge that are around the piercing. It's best to do this while the skin is still wet, which minimizes the chance of damaging the skin or causing tears around the piercing. Gently wipe away the dry pieces or debris using a clean cloth. Leave your piercing in your nose even if it's infected. Nose piercings close very quickly, which means that the infection cannot drain. Keeping your piercing in will allow the infection and discharge to drain through the piercing, preventing buildup that could become an abscess. Always follow your doctor's instructions. If they believe the piercing should come out, then remove the nose ring. See a doctor if symptoms continue for more than 2 weeks. Sometimes people experience just one or two symptoms of infection that they hope will go away with proper at-home cleaning. If these symptoms remain after 2 weeks, you should see a doctor immediately. Medical treatment may be necessary to fight the infection. Nose piercing infections can become very serious, even life threatening. They can also lead to disfigurement. Staph infections are a huge risk with nose piercings, as staphylococcus naturally occurs inside the nose.These infections can quickly become dangerous. See a doctor if you're experiencing strange or unusual symptoms. If you suspect your nose piercing is infected, it's best to see a doctor right away. However, there are times when it's absolutely essential that you seek medical care right away to prevent further complications. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or visit an urgent care clinic: Severe pain around the piercing. Throbbing or burning sensation around the area. Severe redness or heat near the piercing site. Excessive discharge that is grey, green, or yellow. Discharge that smells. High fever with dizziness, confusion, or nausea. Use an antibiotic to treat the infection. Bacterial infections are the biggest threat with nose piercings, so your doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic. A cream can be used to treat minor infections, but an oral medication may be necessary for a more serious infection. Follow all of your doctor's instructions. Use your antibiotic for the length of time prescribed by your doctor. Even if symptoms improve, continue to use your antibiotic for the entire treatment window. Your doctor will tell you for how long you need to apply or take the medication. If you discontinue use early, the infection could come back stronger. Get immediate care for an abscess. An abscess is a buildup of pus than can occur around the piercing site. Not only is it a health risk, but it could also lead to scarring. Ask your doctor for an appointment that day, or visit an urgent care clinic. The doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic and determine if the abscess can drain on its own. Using a warm compress will help the site drain, which can help alleviate the abscess if used alongside an antibiotic. If it's severe or left untreated, an abscess will eventually get to the point where the doctor must drain it, often leaving a scar. Follow-up with your doctor if necessary. If your doctor recommends it or your symptoms persist, schedule a follow-up appointment. Remember, nose piercing infections can quickly turn serious, leading to health risks and disfigurement. Seeing your doctor can help you keep your nose healthy. Clean the piercing twice a day to limit infection risks. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before cleansing the piercing. You can simply wash the piercing with warm water or soap. Afterwards, pat it dry with a clean, dry cloth. Wash the piercing slowly so that you don't accidentally inhale water through your nostrils. Some people prefer to use a saline solution, which is a natural antiseptic. This is usually only used when the piercing is healing. Avoid applying products near the piercing. When applying face lotion, acne cream, or similar products, avoid the area around your nose piercing. These products can harbor bacteria and potentially infect the piercing. Do your best to keep the piercing as free and clear of products as possible. Products to avoid include the following: Lotions SPF creams Acne creams Hair products Face masks Cleansers with fragrances or exfoliators Keep your hands off the piercing. Your fingers carry dirt, germs, and bacteria, all of which can infect the piercing, resulting in another infection. Do not touch or play with your jewelry. If you feel tempted to touch it, loosely cover the piercing with a sterile gauze while it heals from the infection. This will help prevent reinfection. Avoid swimming until the infection is completely gone. Pools and other bodies of water are a haven of germs and bacteria, which makes them a danger to piercings. Until your nose piercing is completely healed, you should stay away from pool, hot tubs, and bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds, and oceans. Since the piercing is on your nose, you may be tempted to go swimming but not put your head under. However, splashing and touching your face with wet hands can still reinfect the piercing, so it's best to stay dry. Make sure your jewelry is hypoallergenic to prevent allergic reactions. An allergic reaction is not the same thing as an infection, but it can make it hard for your nose to heal properly. Not only that, but allergic infections can cause your piercing to swell and have discharge just like an infection. It's best to use hypoallergenic jewelry to minimize your risk. Luckily, most reputable piercers already use these products. Check with your piercer to see if your jewelry is hypoallergenic. If you've already changed your nose ring to an item you bought at a store, check the packaging. The best metals to use include surgical steel and titanium.	Look for symptoms of infection. Apply a warm compress if there’s swelling. Wash the piercing 3 or 4 times a day while it’s infected. Use a sea salt solution to cleanse the piercing as an alternative to soap. Remove any dry pieces of skin or debris from around the area. Leave your piercing in your nose even if it's infected. See a doctor if symptoms continue for more than 2 weeks. See a doctor if you're experiencing strange or unusual symptoms. Use an antibiotic to treat the infection. Use your antibiotic for the length of time prescribed by your doctor. Get immediate care for an abscess. Follow-up with your doctor if necessary. Clean the piercing twice a day to limit infection risks. Avoid applying products near the piercing. Keep your hands off the piercing. Avoid swimming until the infection is completely gone. Make sure your jewelry is hypoallergenic to prevent allergic reactions.
https://www.wikihow.com/Be-Discovered-As-a-Singer-(Teens)	How to Be Discovered As a Singer (Teens)	If your biggest dream is to be discovered as a teen singer, start by practicing your singing at home each day so you can develop your unique singing skills. If it's possible, get singing lessons to help you perfect your singing voice under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Once you feel ready to sing in public, go to auditions for bands, shows, and musicals, which will provide you with opportunities to be discovered. Even if you don't get the gigs, keep trying because it's great training and you never know who might notice your talent. Since social media is another important way to get known, share your singing on YouTube and Facebook. Before uploading your songs though, give yourself a competitive edge by recording your songs in an affordable studio, so they sound professional.	Understand what a professional singer actually does. A lot of people who want to be discovered as a singer really mean that they want to be discovered as a super star. But there's a difference, and a timeline, between the two. Think about this: A professional singer is someone with substantial experience and usually musical education under her or his belt. A professional singer is someone who sings and performs on a very regular basis, from one to five times a week and several hours per night. Her or his success can remain local or go global. A superstar might come out of a great singer, but that person didn't necessarily have to be a professional singer previously. A superstar usually achieves international and sometimes global success. Dig deep and find out why you want to be a singer. Much like any other career path, passion is key in paving your road to success. But if that passion is based solely on the desire for money and fame, your career (and happiness) might be short lived. Try to think about the following questions: What do you get out of singing? Where/what venues are your favorite performance sites? In what particular field do you want to earn respect and appreciation? Do you enjoy large or small audiences? Is recognition of your talent more important to you than the actual performing? Don't base your goals on other people's ideas. Maybe your parents want you to be the next Pavarotti and insanely wealthy. Always ask yourself if that is also what you truly want. Be realistic about how much time you can devote to your goal. As in most other professions, lots of practice is absolutely necessary. Not just for the quality of tone, but also for your own comfort level. Make it a goal to practice at least a few times a week, and ideally every day. Hold yourself accountable by entering your planned practice times in a calendar or planner. Be patient. Remember the saying, "all good things come to those who wait"? As in many other aspects of life, being patient can make a big difference in the final outcome. Don't rush things. And take time to refine your skills. Find a comfortable and quiet place to practice. Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. As previously mentioned, allot some time on a daily or weekly basis to polish your talent. Here are some suggestions on where you might want to practice: Find a place where you can be alone and undisturbed for your entire practice. Bathrooms, stairwells, and the hallway can provide great acoustics. Sing in your car on your way to work, shopping, or any destination. If you need any instruments or tools to accompany your practice, make sure to leave them set up for the next time. Figure out what time works best for your practice. Are you a morning person? Or do you prefer to work late into the night? Understanding your internal clock and lifestyle can make a big difference in how effective and satisfying your singing practice will be. Any time is a good time as long as it fits your lifestyle. Some things to consider might be: Is your home very crowded/loud during the day? Do you entertain guests at night on a regular basis? Do you have commitments during certain hours that might derail your practice? Try to practice for at least 15 to 60 minutes at a time. Meditate on a regular basis. Research has shown that consistent and mindful awareness can help you reap benefits in many situations and for many objectives. Going to a guided meditation session can be very useful at first, especially if you have little to no experience with this practice. Consider private singing lessons or enrolling in a formal training program. While some singers achieve great success without ever taking lessons, it certainly never hurts and can only improve your skills. Plus, you might meet important people in the industry. Be humble. At an early stage, you can't afford to say no to any offer. Yes, even if it's singing at a children's birthday party or at your school event. Remember, these are all great opportunities to practice your singing and to become comfortable on stage. Consider auditioning for local bands. There are many benefits to not starting off solo, one of which is the camaraderie and networking opportunities you might get from joining forces with other like-minded musicians. Know where the action is. You won't need to move right away, but you do eventually want to put yourself in the right field of vision. In other words, stay on top of where music is produced and where people tend to be discovered. This might also depend on your chosen music field. For example: Nashville is the place to be if you're aiming to be in the country music industry. Los Angeles or New York are general centers for music and entertainment. Use social media. If you're like most teens today, you're probably completely comfortable using social media to communicate with peers and friends. Take it to the next level by applying your tech know-how to promote yourself and your music. Create a Business Facebook Page to keep people and potential fans posted on what you've been doing, and where you'll be performing next. Ask people to "like" you on your Facebook Page (yes, even if it's super uncomfortable for you). Keep your Facebook Page up-to-date. This is very important, and something that a lot of people neglect. Link your new Facebook Page to your Twitter account for additional exposure. Print out fliers and ask appropriate locations to post them in their lobby. Appropriate spaces might be bars, clubs, and/or restaurants, to only name a few. You could also post your fliers in coffee shops, and anywhere that will allow you to. Record music on your own. You shouldn't have to wait until a record label signs you in order to get your music heard. At this stage, you need to find a music studio that will engineer your music with you. There are, most likely, many options out there. Focus on finding a studio with affordable rates. Keep some of the following things in mind: Visit as many studios as you can. Inquire about who exactly will be working with you on your recording. Research the studio to get a feel of other artists' experiences. Though the cost matters, it's crucial that the studio of your choice has the newest technology. Check that their technology actually works. Try singing in their recording booth to get a sense of the acoustics. Decide exactly what song(s) you want to record. Most studios record 2 hours a session, and they're usually not cheap, so make sure you know what piece(s) you want out first. Keep in mind that most labels only listen from 20 to 30 seconds of what you submit, so you need to record the absolute best song(s) you have. Sign up to offer your music on iTunes. Once you've gotten your music recorded, consider selling it on iTunes. It can be an excellent way to get your music out faster, and see how people like it. It's free to sign up, though additional terms of sale apply for any music you sell directly through it. Here are some pointers: Have your Universal Product Code (UPC) and International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) at hand. Have your tax I.D. ready. It's required for the verification process through iTunes. Don't give up. Even if you don't achieve the success you want after multiple attempts, keep trying. Remember, nothing worthwhile comes quickly or easily.	Understand what a professional singer actually does. Dig deep and find out why you want to be a singer. Don't base your goals on other people's ideas. Be realistic about how much time you can devote to your goal. Be patient. Find a comfortable and quiet place to practice. Figure out what time works best for your practice. Meditate on a regular basis. Consider private singing lessons or enrolling in a formal training program. Be humble. Consider auditioning for local bands. Know where the action is. Use social media. Print out fliers and ask appropriate locations to post them in their lobby. Record music on your own. Decide exactly what song(s) you want to record. Sign up to offer your music on iTunes. Don't give up.
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-CBD-Oil-for-Nausea	How to Use CBD Oil for Nausea	There is some evidence to suggest that CBD oil can help alleviate nausea. If you'd like to try using CBD oil to help with your nausea, talk to your doctor first to make sure it's right for you and won't interfere with any medications you're taking. You can use CBD oil spray or drops to treat nausea, which usually kick in within 15 to 30 minutes. There are also CBD oil capsules if you don't like the taste, which usually take 30 to 90 minutes to start working. Start with a low dose, like 10 milligrams per day, and gradually increase your dosage if needed. Always buy CBD products that have been lab-tested so you know how much CBD you're getting, since CBD products aren't regulated. If CBD oil isn't helping your nausea, or if your nausea gets worse, talk to your doctor about other alternatives.	Work with your doctor to identify the cause of your nausea. There are many different medical conditions that can cause nausea. If you have been experiencing nausea on a regular basis, and you have not yet seen a doctor to determine the cause, make an appointment right away. Some of the most common causes of nausea include: Chemotherapy Gastroparesis Intestinal obstruction Anesthesia Morning sickness (due to pregnancy) Migraine Rotavirus Motion sickness Stomach flu Ask your doctor if CBD oil might be a good option for you. There is some evidence that taking CBD oil may help to reduce nausea and prevent vomiting. If you suffer from regular bouts of nausea, taking CBD oil could be helpful. However, it's important to talk with your doctor about it first. Let them know that you're considering taking CBD oil for nausea. Try saying something like, “I've heard that CBD oil can be beneficial for nausea and I'd like to try it. What do you think?” Tell your doctor about any medications you are taking. CBD oil can react negatively with certain medication. It may increase or decrease the level of a drug that's in your system. This can be dangerous in some situations or cause your medications to be less effective. Don't take CBD oil without consulting your doctor first if you take a medication that may react with it. Some of the medications that are known to react with CBD oil include: Antidepressant medications, such as fluoxetine, citalopram, and other selective serotonin inhibitors Anti-epileptic medications, such as clobazam, topiramate, and rufinamide Anti-psychotics, such as risperidone Blood thinners, such as warfarin Antacids, such as omeprazole NSAIDs, such as diclofenac Antifungals, such as ketoconazole Try other options for controlling nausea if CBD oil is not an option. If your doctor does not recommend taking CBD oil, then there are several other strategies you can try. You may also want to integrate these strategies along with using CBD oil. Some strategies that may help to reduce or prevent nausea include: Eating bland foods and avoid salty, fatty, and spicy foods Drinking small sips of clear liquids often Munching on saltine crackers Having small, frequent meals Avoiding strong odors Seek emergency medical attention for severe symptoms. In some situations, nausea and vomiting can indicate a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Don't delay if you have any serious symptoms! Call emergency services or go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital right away if: You think you might have been poisoned There's blood in your vomit You've been vomiting for more than 24 hours You have severe abdominal pain You have a severe headache or stiff neck You appear to be dehydrated, such as with dry mouth, dark urine, and infrequent urination Ensure the product states "meets ISO 17025 standards" on the manufacturer’s COA. Always do this before you buy any CBD oil product. CBD oil manufacturers share their Certificates of Analysis (COAs) as proof that they have a quality product. If the COA states that the product meets “ISO 17025” standards, this indicates that the lab was one that has high scientific standards for their testing practices. The COA includes information about the product's CBD and THC levels as well as any additional contaminants were found in the product. Don't buy CBD oil from a manufacturer without a COA or from a manufacturer who refuses to share their COA. Take a low dose of CBD oil to start and increase it only if needed. See what the manufacturer of the CBD oil product you've chosen recommends, but try to find a low dose product, such as 10 mg. Take the lowest suggested dose and see if this relieves your nausea. If it doesn't, increase the dose the next time you take it. Keep increasing the dose a little each time until you find the amount that works for you. Once you find a dose that works for you, stick with it. Avoid high doses of CBD oil—between 150 to 600 mg—if you do not want a sedative effect. Use sublingual CBD oil spray or drops to avoid further stomach upset. CBD oil is available in sublingual (under the tongue) drops and sprays. Administering CBD oil in this way may allow you to feel the anti-emetic (anti-nausea) effects quickly, such as in about 15-30 minutes. Taking drops under the tongue rather than in food also poses a lower risk of upsetting your stomach. You may need to repeat the dose every 4-6 hours or as indicated by the product's label to maintain the anti-emetic effects. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for how many drops or sprays to use in each dose. Inhale vaporized CBD oil with a vape pen for quicker relief. Vaping with CBD oil is the fastest way to get it into your system. Taking a dose in this way should produce effects within a few minutes. However, you will need a vaporizing device if you don't have one already. Inhale 1 time and wait for a few minutes. If your nausea does not subside within 5 minutes, repeat the dose. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for how much CBD oil to use. Be aware that inhaled CBD oil leaves your system more quickly than with other methods. Take a dose every 2-3 hours to maintain the anti-emetic effects. Take a CBD oil capsule for an ingestible option that’s not flavored. If you'd rather swallow a CBD oil capsule than placing it under your tongue or vaping it, be aware that it will take 30 to 90 minutes for it to take effect since it will have to pass through your digestive system first. This might not be the best option if you are nauseous and looking for quick relief. Avoid edibles that might upset your stomach. CBD oil also comes in the form of edibles like candy, baked goods, and beverages. Edibles make taking CBD oil easy, but certain foods and drinks may irritate your stomach even more. If you're too nauseous to eat, try sublingual drops or vaping CBD oil instead. Keep in mind that you may not feel the effects of CBD oil for 30 to 90 minutes after ingesting it. If you need quick relief, try a different delivery route. Stop taking CBD oil and call your doctor if your nausea gets worse. Although it's rare, CBD oil may worsen nausea and even lead to vomiting in some people. If this happens to you, stop taking it and call your doctor. You should also stop taking CBD oil and call your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms: Diarrhea Dry mouth Drowsiness Loss of appetite and weight loss Fatigue Abdominal pain Stay in touch with your doctor whether or not CBD oil helps. If CBD oil stops your nausea, this is a great result. However, it's important to stay in touch with your doctor regarding your condition. Tell them if CBD oil is not helping, and ask about your other options for relieving nausea. There have not been any long-term studies of the effects of CBD oil on people, so adverse effects are possible. Your doctor may want to monitor your health more closely while you take CBD oil.	Work with your doctor to identify the cause of your nausea. Ask your doctor if CBD oil might be a good option for you. Tell your doctor about any medications you are taking. Try other options for controlling nausea if CBD oil is not an option. Seek emergency medical attention for severe symptoms. Ensure the product states "meets ISO 17025 standards" on the manufacturer’s COA. Take a low dose of CBD oil to start and increase it only if needed. Use sublingual CBD oil spray or drops to avoid further stomach upset. Inhale vaporized CBD oil with a vape pen for quicker relief. Take a CBD oil capsule for an ingestible option that’s not flavored. Avoid edibles that might upset your stomach. Stop taking CBD oil and call your doctor if your nausea gets worse. Stay in touch with your doctor whether or not CBD oil helps.
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Plunger	How to Use a Plunger	To use a plunger, start by submerging it in the water-filled sink, tub, or toilet so it's covering the drain. Then, tilt the plunger to the side to release any air bubbles that are trapped underneath. Next, move the handle of the plunger up and down for about 20 seconds, which will push pressure in and out of the drain so it unclogs. After 20 seconds, lift the plunger out of the water and see if the water drains. If it doesn't, repeat the process.	Add some water to the sink or tub basin. The major key to removing clogs with a plunger is suction and pressure, and you need water in the basin to create a vacuum seal. For sinks, tubs, showers, and other basins, fill the basin with 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10 cm) of water, or enough to submerge the cup of the plunger. For drains that are only partially clogged and still draining slowly, add a bit more water to compensate for what will be lost to drainage. Remove some water from a toilet. For clogged toilets that are full of water, use a bucket to remove half the water from the bowl. This will give you enough water to create a proper vacuum seal without having so much water that it'll spray and splash everywhere when you plunge. For toilets that are empty, fill the bowl halfway with water from a nearby tap. Plug the overflow hole. Most sinks and bathtubs have overflow holes that allow water to drain out if the basin fills with too much water. Soak a wet rag with water, and wring out the excess. Stuff the rag into the overflow hole to prevent air from getting in. Overflow holes in bathtubs and sinks allow air into the pipes, and this will prevent you from forming a proper vacuum seal with the drain, meaning you won't be able to plunge out the clog. Plug nearby drains. The plumbing lines in your house are all connected, so air in one pipe can prevent you from forming a proper seal with a clogged drain. To prevent this, stuff wet rags into other nearby sink, tub, and shower drains. For instance, if you have to unclog the toilet in the bathroom, plug the drains in the shower and sink as well. If you have to unclog the sink drain, plug the drain in the shower. Choose the right plunger. There are two styles of plungers, and each one is suitable for different types of drains. The flange plunger has an extra flap attached to the inside of the cup that makes it ideal for toilets. A plain cup plunger doesn't have this extra rubber flap, and is best for creating seals with drain openings in: Sinks Bathtubs Showers Submerge the plunger. For sinks, tubs, and showers, place the cup plunger into the bowl or basin so that the cup of the plunger is submerged in the water. For a toilet, pull the flange out from inside the plunger and submerge it in the toilet bowl. The cup on either plunger should be fully or at least mostly covered by water. Burp the plunger. When you insert the plunger into the water, the cup will likely trap air inside, and this will reduce the pressure created when you plunge. You need lots of force to remove a clog, and air trapped in the cup will stop this from happening. To burp the air from the plunger: Rest the cup on the bottom of the basin or bowl Tilt the cup to one side Allow the air bubbles to escape With the cup tilted, plunge once or twice to push air from the cup Position the plunger. In a sink or tub, right the plunger so the cup is flush with the bottom of the basin. Position the plunger over the drain hole. In a toilet, insert the flange into the drain opening in the bottom of the toilet. For toilets and basins, hold the plunger vertically. Holding the plunger vertically over the drain opening will ensure that you form a proper seal when you start to plunge. Plunge using a vertical action. Hold the handle of the plunger with both hands. For the first plunge, gently press straight down on the handle so the cup forms a seal with the drain opening. Pull up on the handle and start plunging by pulling up and pushing down on the handle in a vertical fashion. Don't tilt or angle the plunger, or you'll break the seal. Continue plunging like this for about 20 seconds. As you pull up and down on the handle, the suction will push pressure in and out of the drain and dislodge the clog. Release the plunger. After 20 seconds of plunging, pull up on the plunger handle and lift it off the drain hole. Some debris might come up from the drain when you release the plunger, and it's important to remove this from the sink or bowl before it drains back down. Put on a pair of gloves and pick up the debris. Throw the debris in the garbage. Repeat the plunging. Add more water to the basin if necessary. Repeat the burping and sealing steps, and plunge for another 20 seconds. After this time, pull the plunger away. Remove any debris that comes up from the drain. It's especially important to plunge a toilet twice, because you want to be sure the clog has been removed before you try flushing. Flush or rinse. Once you've removed debris from the second plunge, flush the toilet or rinse out the sink, tub, or shower with clean water. The toilet should flush normally, and the sink should drain properly. Stay close so you can turn off the water if the clog hasn't been removed. In case water starts backing up in the toilet bowl, shut off the water by turning the valve beside the toilet to the right (clockwise). For a sink, simply turn off the taps if the water doesn't drain properly. Try plunging again if the clog hasn't been removed. You can also try a drain snake, or call a plumber. Clean and dry the plunger. You should always keep your plungers clean and dry, because moisture and cleaning products can cause the cup to crack or rip. If this happens, you will have to buy a new plunger next time you have a clog. To clean a cup plunger, fill a bucket with hot water and add some liquid dish detergent. Swish the plunger around in the water. Remove the plunger, rinse it with clean water, and lay it on a rag to dry. To clean a flange plunger, rinse the plunger in the clean toilet bowl. Flush the toilet. Add a few drops of liquid dish detergent and a capful of chlorine bleach to the water. Swish the plunger around in the water. Remove the plunger, let it drip dry for a minute, and then lay it on a rag to dry with the flange out. Don’t put food down the drain. Drains are only meant to handle water, so putting food down the drain can lead to clogs. This includes, scraps coffee grounds, grease, bones, and even bread crumbs and rice, which will expand in the drain as they absorb water. All food and scraps should go in the composter, green bin, or garbage. Grease will cool and coat the walls of your pipes, narrowing the passage and causing clogs. Instead of pouring grease down the drain, transfer it to an old can or milk carton. Let it congeal and then compost it or throw it in the garbage. Don’t flush garbage or waste. Similarly, your toilet drains are only meant to handle water, small amounts of paper waste, and some soft organic matter. You should never use your toilets to dispose of any garbage or waste. Not only does this waste water, but it can also lead to clogs. Never flush: Medical supplies like adhesive bandages or gauze Cotton swabs, balls, or pads Cosmetics and lotions Wrappers and packaging Diapers and wipes Clean out drains regularly. Every week, remove the stoppers from the drains and pull up any debris that's caught on the stopper. Throw the debris in the garbage rather than washing it down the sink. For shower drains, pick hair and soap scum from the drain covers. Clean out the inside of all drains every two weeks: With baking soda: Pour ½ cup (110 g) of baking soda down the drain, followed by enough white vinegar to make the soda foam. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, and then pour 2 quarts (1.9 L) of boiling water down the drain. With enzymes: Run some hot water down the drain to preheat the pipes. Spray five to ten sprays of enzyme cleaner down the drain. Let the cleaner sit overnight. In the morning, run hot water to flush the drains. Use a wet/dry vacuum hose on drains to suck out any hair or debris that may be stuck inside. Install mesh drain screens. Mesh screens are a great way to trap food, hair, and other debris before it gets into your drains. You can install these in showers, tubs, and kitchen and bathroom sinks. Clean the screens every one to two days to keep water flowing properly down the drain.	Add some water to the sink or tub basin. Remove some water from a toilet. Plug the overflow hole. Plug nearby drains. Choose the right plunger. Submerge the plunger. Burp the plunger. Position the plunger. Plunge using a vertical action. Release the plunger. Repeat the plunging. Flush or rinse. Clean and dry the plunger. Don’t put food down the drain. Don’t flush garbage or waste. Clean out drains regularly. Install mesh drain screens.
https://www.wikihow.com/Alleviate-Boredom-at-Home	How to Alleviate Boredom at Home	To alleviate boredom at home, try listening to new music and downloading any songs you like to add to your collection. Or, you can put on a good podcast while you tidy up around the house, play with your pet, or cook a delicious meal. Alternatively, if you're feeling creative, you can try drawing, painting, or writing a short story. You could also exercise to release endorphins and improve your mood, or you could do some yoga if you're looking for something a little more relaxing.	Start a craft project. Maybe you aren't in the mood to straighten up your house, but you want to do something a little more fun. Start by looking around your home and seeing what decorations you could add to the walls. You can also be inspired by going online and searching for do-it-yourself craft projects. Try to find a project that uses things you have lying around the house so you won't have to travel to the store and spend money. Learn to finger knit. Sew a blanket , a dress , or make some new pillows for your bed or couch. Make photo coasters , Scrabble coasters , or map coasters for your home. Design and create your own jewelry. Create some homemade candles to freshen up your home. Design and make cute magnets for your fridge. Craft a wreath for your front door. Start on your Halloween costume. Make some Christmas ornaments or decorations for the upcoming holiday season. Cook a new recipe. Experiment with baking or cooking by finding a new recipe online, or one that you've been wanting to try from your favorite cookbook, and spend part of the day making the food. If you are by yourself and the recipe makes a lot, consider halving it, or bringing the leftovers to your neighbors. Bake homemade chocolate chip, sugar, or peanut butter cookies. Make a cake and decorate it beautifully. Prepare freezer meals for the week. Make candies like caramel, toffee , or rock candy. Start a blog, journal, or write a story. When you have a lot of time on your hands it's a great time to pick up the writing project you have been wanting to start. Maybe you could start a blog about your favorite topic, or you could start a journal letting it be an outlet for emotions or thoughts that you've been feeling. You could also take this time to write a short story or begin a novel. Pick up painting. Find an image online that you would like to replicate on a canvas or paint a still life. If you aren't an expert painter it could be good to start with something simple and work your way up to something more advanced. You can also watch online painting tutorials that instruct people how to paint certain scenes. You can also try out different styles like water colors , acrylics , oils , pastels , etc. It could be fun to pick your favorite painting and try to copy it yourself. Start or add to a scrapbook. Pick some of your favorite pictures and have them printed out, and then create a scrapbook with them. You can create a digital scrapbook online, or you can take scrapbook paper or construction paper, put it in a binder, or make it into a book. Then, cut out your pictures and glue them onto the paper, adding any text or embellishments on the pages to go along with the pictures. Try out gardening. Gardening can be a fun skill to have because you can grow your own fruits, vegetables , herbs , or spices. If you already have a garden, take this time to tend to your garden, removing any weeds , watering your plants , and adding any new plants that you want to your garden. If you want to start a new garden , first decide what plants you want to grow and then choose an area of your yard you think would be best. When choosing plants , it's helpful to look up what grows best in the area where you live. Some plants grow better in dry, arid climates or in lots of sunlight, while others may grow better in shaded, more humid areas. Do research on the type of soil and tools you'll need and pick them up at your local gardening or hardware store. Then, start your garden by preparing the land, adding the soil, and then planting your new plants! Have a spa day. Some days you just need to relax and de-stress, and a day when you have no obligations weighing on you is a perfect day to enjoy a spa. Start by creating a calming environment by turning out some lights and lighting candles. You can also put on some spa or classical music to further help you relax. You can take many different approaches with your spa day. You can fill up a bath with nicely scented bubble bath and soak in the tub until you are wrinkly, make a facial mask and relax as your pores are cleansed, do a pedicure or manicure (or both!), or apply some homemade facial and body scrub. Use essential oils in your bathtub, in a hot pack for sore muscles, or in a body scrub for more relaxation. Exercise. This may not seem relaxing, but when you exercise your body releases endorphins which can improve your mood. Visit your local gym to do some cardio or strength training, or find some workout videos online. If you are looking to really relax , yoga is a great alternative to extreme cardio or strength training workouts. You can also go on a long walk, which can be refreshing and a form of exercise all at the same time. Develop an exercise routine. Learn how to burn fat and build muscle. Do Pilates if you are looking for a combination between yoga and strength training. Focus on a certain area of your body, like your abs , legs , arms , etc. Read a book. When you have extended time on your hands it lends for a great opportunity to pick up a book and get through a good portion of it. Read that book you've been meaning to get into for a while, or find a new book online at a library. You can visit Goodreads online for some book recommendations, and you can often check books out from your local library online and read them on a Kindle or Nook , so you don't even have to leave the house! Create a cozy corner in your home to snuggle up while you read your books. Make a cup of tea or a hot drink to go with your cozy afternoon. Binge watch TV or movies. Start a new show on Netflix or Hulu and binge watch an entire season, or watch that movie that you've been wanting to see that just came out on DVD. Sitting in front of a TV with some popcorn and candy can kill at least a couple hours of your time, if not more. Find some free movies on the internet. Create tasty snacks for movie watching. Invite a friend over to watch a scary movie. Do a puzzle. You can find cheap puzzles at a dollar store, or if you live with your parents your mom or grandmother likely has one lying around the house. Start an advanced puzzle , or spend an hour or two doing an easier puzzle. Then, once you have completed the puzzle, apply some puzzle glue and frame your puzzle. Puzzles can make cool paintings or pictures for decoration. Instead of a picture puzzle, why not try a logic puzzle or word puzzle ? You could do something more creative and make your own puzzle. Listen to a podcast or music. There are endless podcasts online covering hundreds of topics that you can download to your phone or computer. Take some time to explore the different categories to find an interesting podcast and do some things around your home as you listen to it. Or you can take time to relax by listening to some music. Find new music on Spotify. Subscribe to a new podcast and download it to your phone to listen to later. Spend time with your pet. Loving on your animals and spending time with them is one of the best ways to relax, and your pet will love the extra attention. Dogs have actually been used in therapy and to help assist with depression, so it's clear that they can often help lighten your mood. How can you not smile when your dog or cat climbs into your lap or sits at your feet, eager for attention? Take your dog on a walk. Teach your pet a new trick. Snuggle with your pet. Give your pet a needed grooming. Play with your pet. Research ways to make money from home. If you don't have a regular job and are looking to earn some extra income, there are a lot of different avenues online to make some cash. You can sell items you have made on Etsy , make some money taking online surveys , or do freelance writing or editing. Learn a new language. While this seems like a difficult task to do on your own, there are a lot of resources that can help you get started learning a new language. You can purchase software like Rosetta Stone, visit a website like Memrise , or you can download a free app like Duolingo. Catch up with an old friend. You have lots of time on your hands so why not call up that old friend you've been meaning to chat with? If it's during the day and they aren't available, you can always shoot them an email or write them an old fashioned letter. Because letter writing is few and far between, sometimes it can be really exciting to receive a handwritten letter -- and it shows thoughtfulness because it takes more effort than sending someone a text. You can also send them a postcard. Create a budget. While you are organizing your home, why not organize your finances as well? Creating a budget can seem constricting to some, but having an idea where your money is going can be freeing and stress relieving. Come up with some common categories like rent, food, gas, miscellaneous, etc. and apportion the amount of money you usually spend on each of these things to those categories. If you are unsure how much money should go in each category, look at your bank statement from the past two months and see how much you spent on each category. You can also find budget helpers online if you need some more ideas for different categories or how to apportion your funds. Look up ways to volunteer. If you constantly have extended time on your hands, this is a great way to use it -- by helping others out. You can usually find a lot of volunteer opportunities just by researching online. Maybe you like working with animals or the elderly, or you'd rather volunteer to promote the arts. Either way, there are likely some opportunities in your area to spend your time helping others. Volunteer at your local animal shelter. Serve at a nursing home. Pick up trash on the road. Work at a food kitchen or homeless shelter. Write a to do list. Take time to think through everything you'd like to get done around the house, whether that's cleaning, organizing, or other household tasks. Then, go down the list and check off things as you do them. It can feel great to check things off a list that have been piling up for days or weeks. Deep clean your house. Cleaning often gets neglected when busyness takes over, so it's possible that your home could use a really good, deep cleaning. Start by straightening up your home, putting things into their places, and then bring out the heavy duty cleaning supplies. Give your bathroom and kitchen a heavy scrub down, vacuum and dust the living room and bedrooms, and sweep and mop your floors. Depending on how dirty your home is, these tasks could take an entire day! If your place is really dirty, don't overwhelm yourself by trying to get it done all at once. Spend a few hours cleaning, and then reward yourself with a break while doing something fun. Reorganize your closet. Another way to pass your time is to clean out your closet and organize its contents. Rearrange your clothes in order of season and color, and arrange your shoes by style and color. This is also a good time to clean out any junk or random items that you have stored in your closet that don't belong there or could have a better place to stay. As you are organizing your closet, this could be a good time to get rid of clothes you don't wear anymore or that don't fit anymore. A good way to figure out how often you wear something is to turn the hangers of all of your clothes backwards, and then when you wear that piece of clothing turn it the right direction. Then, after a few months you should see which clothes you haven't worn. Reorganize your books. If you have a large collection of books, and it's difficult to find the book you are looking for, take time on this day to organize your books. You can organize them by author, title, or genre. This is also a good time to get rid of old books you won't read again or copies of books, as well as to dust your bookshelves, as you'll be moving books off the shelves to rearrange them. Get rid of old things. As you are cleaning and reorganizing things, create a pile with things that you don't use or want anymore to give to Goodwill, donate to a friend, or have a garage sale. Along with clothes and books, go through any furniture, supplies, or other items around your house and donate or sell the things that you think could benefit someone else. . Do laundry Laundry often piles up, just like dirt around the house, and a day where you have nothing to do is a great time to knock out a few loads. Separate your laundry by colors if you like, and afterwards you can even take time to iron items if necessary. Organize different rooms. As you go through each room to clean it, why not organize it as well? Clean out your fridge and throw away old leftovers, organize the pots and pans in your kitchen, rearrange the items under your bathroom sink, etc. There's bound to be many areas in your home that could use some reorganization, so take some time on this day to organize and restructure your life. It will likely help remove any stress that you are feeling too!	Start a craft project. Cook a new recipe. Start a blog, journal, or write a story. Pick up painting. Start or add to a scrapbook. Try out gardening. Have a spa day. Exercise. Read a book. Binge watch TV or movies. Do a puzzle. Listen to a podcast or music. Spend time with your pet. Research ways to make money from home. Learn a new language. Catch up with an old friend. Create a budget. Look up ways to volunteer. Write a to do list. Deep clean your house. Reorganize your closet. Reorganize your books. Get rid of old things. . Organize different rooms.
https://www.wikihow.com/Find-the-Maximum-or-Minimum-Value-of-a-Quadratic-Function-Easily	How to Find the Maximum or Minimum Value of a Quadratic Function Easily	To find the maximum or minimum value of a quadratic function, start with the general form of the function and combine any similar terms. For example, if you're starting with the function f(x) = 3x + 2x - x^2 + 3x^2 + 4, you would combine the x^2 and x terms to simplify and end up with f(x) = 2x^2 + 5x + 4. Now figure out which direction the parabola opens by checking if a, or the coefficient of x^2, is positive or negative. If it's positive, the parabola opens upward. If it's negative, the parabola opens downward. In the function f(x) = 2x^2 + 5x + 4, the coefficient of x^2 is positive, so the parabola opens upward. Next, find the x value of the vertex by solving -b/2a, where b is the coefficient in front of x and a is the coefficient in front of x^2. In the function f(x) = 2x^2 + 5x + 4, b = 5 and a = 2. Therefore, you would divide -5 by 2 times 2, or 4, and get -1.25. Finally, plug the x value into the function to find the value of f(x), which is the minimum or maximum value of the function. The function f(x) = 2x^2 + 5x + 4 would become f(-1.25) = 2(-1.25)^2 + 5(-1.25) + 4, or f(-1.25) = 0.875. If the parabola opens upward, your answer will be the minimum value. If the parabola opens downward, your answer is the maximum value. In this example, since the parabola opens upward, f(-1.25) = 0.875 is the minimum value of the function.	Set up the function in general form. A quadratic function is one that has an x 2 {\displaystyle x^{2}} term. It may or may not contain an x {\displaystyle x} term without an exponent. There will be no exponents larger than 2. The general form is f ( x ) = a x 2 + b x + c {\displaystyle f(x)=ax^{2}+bx+c}. If necessary, combine similar terms and rearrange to set the function in this general form. For example, suppose you start with f ( x ) = 3 x + 2 x − x 2 + 3 x 2 + 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=3x+2x-x^{2}+3x^{2}+4}. Combine the x 2 {\displaystyle x^{2}} terms and the x {\displaystyle x} terms to get the following in general form: f ( x ) = 2 x 2 + 5 x + 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=2x^{2}+5x+4} Determine the direction of the graph. A quadratic function results in the graph of a parabola. The parabola either opens upward or downward. If a {\displaystyle a} , the coefficient of the x 2 {\displaystyle x^{2}} term, is positive, then the parabola opens upward. If a {\displaystyle a} is negative, then the parabola opens downward. Look at the following examples: For f ( x ) = 2 x 2 + 4 x − 6 {\displaystyle f(x)=2x^{2}+4x-6} , a = 2 {\displaystyle a=2} so the parabola opens upward. For f ( x ) = − 3 x 2 + 2 x + 8 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3x^{2}+2x+8} , a = − 3 {\displaystyle a=-3} so the parabola opens downward. For f ( x ) = x 2 + 6 {\displaystyle f(x)=x^{2}+6} , a = 1 {\displaystyle a=1} so the parabola opens upward. You can remember this concept by thinking about smiles and frowns. If someone is positive they smile, and if someone is negative, they frown. Similarly, a positive number will have an upward-facing parabola, and a negative number will have a downward-facing parabola. If the parabola opens upward, you will be finding its minimum value. If the parabola opens downward, you will find its maximum value. Calculate -b/2a. The value of − b 2 a {\displaystyle -{\frac {b}{2a}}} tells you the x {\displaystyle x} value of the vertex of the parabola. When the quadratic function is written in its general form of a x 2 + b x + c {\displaystyle ax^{2}+bx+c} , use the coefficients of the x {\displaystyle x} and x 2 {\displaystyle x^{2}} terms as follows: For a function f ( x ) = x 2 + 10 x − 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=x^{2}+10x-1} , a = 1 {\displaystyle a=1} and b = 10 {\displaystyle b=10}. Therefore, find the x-value of the vertex as: x = − b 2 a {\displaystyle x=-{\frac {b}{2a}}} x = − 10 ( 2 ) ( 1 ) {\displaystyle x=-{\frac {10}{(2)(1)}}} x = − 10 2 {\displaystyle x=-{\frac {10}{2}}} x = − 5 {\displaystyle x=-5} As a second example, consider the function f ( x ) = − 3 x 2 + 6 x − 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3x^{2}+6x-4}. In this example, a = − 3 {\displaystyle a=-3} and b = 6 {\displaystyle b=6}. Therefore, find the x-value of the vertex as: x = − b 2 a {\displaystyle x=-{\frac {b}{2a}}} x = − 6 ( 2 ) ( − 3 ) {\displaystyle x=-{\frac {6}{(2)(-3)}}} x = − 6 − 6 {\displaystyle x=-{\frac {6}{-6}}} x = − ( − 1 ) {\displaystyle x=-(-1)} x = 1 {\displaystyle x=1} Find the corresponding f(x) value. Insert the value of x that you just calculated into the function to find the corresponding value of f(x). This will be the minimum or maximum of the function. For the first example above, f ( x ) = x 2 + 10 x − 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=x^{2}+10x-1} , you calculated the x-value for the vertex to be x = − 5 {\displaystyle x=-5}. Enter − 5 {\displaystyle -5} in place of x {\displaystyle x} in the function to find the maximum value: f ( x ) = x 2 + 10 x − 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=x^{2}+10x-1} f ( − 5 ) = ( − 5 ) 2 + 10 ( − 5 ) − 1 {\displaystyle f(-5)=(-5)^{2}+10(-5)-1} f ( − 5 ) = 25 − 50 − 1 {\displaystyle f(-5)=25-50-1} f ( − 5 ) = − 26 {\displaystyle f(-5)=-26} For the second example above, f ( x ) = − 3 x 2 + 6 x − 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3x^{2}+6x-4} , you found the vertex to be at x = 1 {\displaystyle x=1}. Insert 1 {\displaystyle 1} in place of x {\displaystyle x} in the function to find the maximum value: f ( x ) = − 3 x 2 + 6 x − 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3x^{2}+6x-4} f ( 1 ) = − 3 ( 1 ) 2 + 6 ( 1 ) − 4 {\displaystyle f(1)=-3(1)^{2}+6(1)-4} f ( 1 ) = − 3 + 6 − 4 {\displaystyle f(1)=-3+6-4} f ( 1 ) = − 1 {\displaystyle f(1)=-1} Report your results. Review the question you have been asked. If you are asked for the coordinates of the vertex, you need to report both the x {\displaystyle x} and y {\displaystyle y} (or f ( x ) {\displaystyle f(x)} ) values. If you are only asked for the maximum or minimum, you only need to report the y {\displaystyle y} (or f ( x ) {\displaystyle f(x)} ) value. Refer back to the value of the a {\displaystyle a} coefficient to be sure if you have a maximum or a minimum. For the first example, f ( x ) = x 2 + 10 x − 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=x^{2}+10x-1} , the value of a {\displaystyle a} is positive, so you will be reporting the minimum value. The vertex is at ( − 5 , − 26 ) {\displaystyle (-5,-26)} , and the minimum value is − 26 {\displaystyle -26}. For the second example, f ( x ) = − 3 x 2 + 6 x − 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3x^{2}+6x-4} , the value of a {\displaystyle a} is negative, so you will be reporting the maximum value. The vertex is at ( 1 , − 1 ) {\displaystyle (1,-1)} , and the maximum value is − 1 {\displaystyle -1}. Write your quadratic function in standard or vertex form. The standard form of a general quadratic function, which can also be called the vertex form, looks like this: f ( x ) = a ( x − h ) 2 + k {\displaystyle f(x)=a(x-h)^{2}+k} If your function is already given to you in this form, you just need to recognize the variables a {\displaystyle a} , h {\displaystyle h} and k {\displaystyle k}. If your function begins in the general form f ( x ) = a x 2 + b x + c {\displaystyle f(x)=ax^{2}+bx+c} , you will need to complete the square to rewrite it in vertex form. To review how to complete the square, see Complete the Square. Determine the direction of the graph. Just as with a quadratic function written in its general form, you can tell the direction of the parabola by looking at the coefficient a {\displaystyle a}. If a {\displaystyle a} in this standard form is positive, then the parabola opens upward. If a {\displaystyle a} is negative, then the parabola opens downward. Look at the following examples: For f ( x ) = 2 ( x + 1 ) 2 − 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=2(x+1)^{2}-4} , a = 2 {\displaystyle a=2} , which is positive, so the parabola opens upward. For f ( x ) = − 3 ( x − 2 ) 2 + 2 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3(x-2)^{2}+2} , a = − 3 {\displaystyle a=-3} , which is negative, so the parabola opens downward. If the parabola opens upward, you will be finding its minimum value. If the parabola opens downward, you will find its maximum value. Identify the minimum or maximum value. When the function is written in standard form, finding the minimum or maximum value is as simple as stating the value of the variable k {\displaystyle k}. For the two example functions given above, these values are: For f ( x ) = 2 ( x + 1 ) 2 − 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=2(x+1)^{2}-4} , k = − 4 {\displaystyle k=-4}. This is the minimum value of the function because this parabola opens upward. For f ( x ) = − 3 ( x − 2 ) 2 + 2 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3(x-2)^{2}+2} , k = 2 {\displaystyle k=2}. This is the maximum value of the function, because this parabola opens downward. Find the vertex. If you are asked for the coordinates of the minimum or maximum value, the point will be ( h , k ) {\displaystyle (h,k)}. Note, however, that in the standard form of the equation, the term inside the parentheses is ( x − h ) {\displaystyle (x-h)} , so you need the opposite sign of the number that follows the x {\displaystyle x}. For f ( x ) = 2 ( x + 1 ) 2 − 4 {\displaystyle f(x)=2(x+1)^{2}-4} , the term inside the parentheses is (x+1), which can be rewritten as (x-(-1)). Thus, h = − 1 {\displaystyle h=-1}. Therefore, the coordinates of the vertex for this function are ( − 1 , − 4 ) {\displaystyle (-1,-4)}. For f ( x ) = − 3 ( x − 2 ) 2 + 2 {\displaystyle f(x)=-3(x-2)^{2}+2} , the term inside the parentheses is (x-2). Therefore, h = 2 {\displaystyle h=2}. The coordinates of the vertex are (2, 2). Start with the general form. Write your quadratic function in general form, f ( x ) = a x 2 + b x + c {\displaystyle f(x)=ax^{2}+bx+c}. If necessary, you may need to combine like terms and rearrange to get the proper form. Begin with the sample function f ( x ) = 2 x 2 − 4 x + 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=2x^{2}-4x+1}. Use the power rule to find the first derivative. Using basic first-year calculus, you can find the first derivative of the general quadratic function to be f ′ ( x ) = 2 a x + b {\displaystyle f^{\prime }(x)=2ax+b}. For the sample function f ( x ) = 2 x 2 − 4 x + 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=2x^{2}-4x+1} , find the derivative as: f ′ ( x ) = 4 x − 4 {\displaystyle f^{\prime }(x)=4x-4} Set the derivative equal to zero. Recall that derivative of a function tells you the slope of the function at that selected point. The minimum or maximum of a function occurs when the slope is zero. Therefore, to find where the minimum or maximum occurs, set the derivative equal to zero. Continue with the sample problem from above: f ′ ( x ) = 4 x − 4 {\displaystyle f^{\prime }(x)=4x-4} 0 = 4 x − 4 {\displaystyle 0=4x-4} Solve for x. Use basic rules of algebra to rearrange the function and solve the value for x, when the derivative equals zero. This solution will tell you the x-coordinate of the vertex of the function, which is where the maximum or minimum will occur. 0 = 4 x − 4 {\displaystyle 0=4x-4} 4 = 4 x {\displaystyle 4=4x} 1 = x {\displaystyle 1=x} Insert the solved value of x into the original function. The minimum or maximum value of the function will be the value for f ( x ) {\displaystyle f(x)} at the selected x {\displaystyle x} position. Insert your value of x {\displaystyle x} into the original function and solve to find the minimum or maximum. For the function f ( x ) = 2 x 2 − 4 x + 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=2x^{2}-4x+1} at x = 1 {\displaystyle x=1} , f ( 1 ) = 2 ( 1 ) 2 − 4 ( 1 ) + 1 {\displaystyle f(1)=2(1)^{2}-4(1)+1} f ( 1 ) = 2 − 4 + 1 {\displaystyle f(1)=2-4+1} f ( 1 ) = − 1 {\displaystyle f(1)=-1} Report your solution. The solution gives you the vertex of the maximum or minimum point. For this sample function, f ( x ) = 2 x 2 − 4 x + 1 {\displaystyle f(x)=2x^{2}-4x+1} , the vertex occurs at ( 1 , − 1 ) {\displaystyle (1,-1)}. The coefficient a {\displaystyle a} is positive, so the function opens upward. Therefore, the minimum value of the function is the y-coordinate of the vertex, which is − 1 {\displaystyle -1}.	Set up the function in general form. Determine the direction of the graph. Calculate -b/2a. Find the corresponding f(x) value. Report your results. Write your quadratic function in standard or vertex form. Determine the direction of the graph. Identify the minimum or maximum value. Find the vertex. Start with the general form. Use the power rule to find the first derivative. Set the derivative equal to zero. Solve for x. Insert the solved value of x into the original function. Report your solution.
https://www.wikihow.com/Stand-Up-to-Bullies	How to Stand Up to Bullies	If you want to stand up to a bully, you should look them in the eye and calmly but firmly tell them to stop. You may be tempted to insult them back, but try not to since that may just give them more ammo for bullying you. By being confident and standing tall, you may make your bully lose interest in you since most bullies just want to pick on easy targets. Bullies are also less likely to pick on a group of people, so try to stay in a pack with your friends. That way they can help you stare your bully down too! You may feel nervous to tell someone that you're being bullied, but you should always let your parents or a teacher at school know when it happens so they can help.	Look them in the eye and tell them to stop. If a bully is getting in your face, put your hand out like a crossing-guard, creating a barrier between you and the bully. Look them in the eye and say, calmly but firmly, "I want you to stop right now." If they continue encroaching on your territory or continue mocking you in some way, simply repeat your sentence. "Stop. I want you to stop right now. Stop." Don't say or do anything else but hold your ground and repeat yourself. Learn how bullies think. Bullies tend to pick on those who they identify as being unwilling or unable to stand up for themselves. Bullies choose easy targets to "test" by needling with words and actions. The quickest and best way to end bullying is to stand up for yourself and tell the bully firmly to stop and repeat the action until they comply. Negotiating, trying to befriend, or showing that it bothers you will give them more ammunition and make it worse. Don't whine, try not to cry, and stay firm. They'll get bored and lose interest when you stand up for yourself and don't give them anything to bully. There's nothing funny to say about "Stop." There's nothing to mock in someone who is confident. Stand tall and stare them down. Pay attention to the way you hold yourself physically in the presence of bullies. Even if they're bigger than you (which they often are) stand up straight and look them straight in the eye. Hold their gaze icily. Look through them. Look as if you know something they don't. Think of your favorite strong-willed characters from movies. Picture Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Clint Eastwood standing up to your bully as you stare them down: "Go ahead, punk. Make my day." Cast yourself as Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada Angelina Jolie in Wanted , or even Wednesday Adams from the Adams Family. Be unflappable. Close your ears. Don't listen to the things bullies say or take them seriously. Bullies say things in order to get a rise out of you, not because they believe these things, not because they are true, and not because they're trying to help. They're trying to break you down as a way of holding themselves up, because bullies are insecure and bullies are weak at heart. Develop a mantra to recite if you're consistently bullied, and continually run it over in your mind while your bully is talking. A good mantra might be a set of lyrics that you like, or a prayer, or a quote that holds you up. If they get in your face, tell them to stop and hold your icy stare. Stay calm. Repeat your mantra. Defend yourself with smarts. Don't allow yourself to get sucked into an insult-exchange with a bully. You'll almost always lose any kind of verbal head-to-head, even if you're wittier, funnier, and smarter (which you are). Bullies rig the game. Don't try to come up with better come-backs and cutting insults, which can do more to make it worse. Don't play the bullying game. Don't give them more ammunition. Tell them to stop, stand tall, and give them a target they'll be uninterested in. Alternatively, play dumb. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the professional wrestler, used to interrupt other wrestlers who tried to talk trash by shouting, "What?" and acting confused when they talked. It took the wind right out of their sails. Ignore bullies online. The best thing you can do to stand up to faceless online bullies is to ignore them. If someone is bullying you online, whether it be through email, text, Facebook, or other social networking, you need to disengage from the bully as much as possible. Avoid getting sucked into an exchange of insults or arguments on any web platform, especially one in "public." As tempting as it may be, avoid the temptation to sling mud back. If necessary, change your privacy settings, "unfriend" the bullying party, or start new accounts, if necessary. Just because it's not in person doesn't make it less dangerous. Learn to throw a punch. It's not advisable to let bullies draw you into a fight, but you'll be able to carry yourself with more confidence and character if you're confident that you'll be able to defend yourself if it comes to that. Learn to throw a proper punch and hold your own. Stand properly. Put one foot forward and balance your weight with your legs shoulder width apart. Maintain a solid center of gravity and keep moving, bouncing on your toes. They can't hit you solidly if you keep moving. Make a fist. Wrap your thumb around the bottom of your fingers, not inside your fist and not on the side of your fingers, as if you were holding a bug you didn't want to escape. Make a loose fist. Aim for the soft spots. If you've got to throw a punch, aim for a place that'll do the most damage. Smashing your fist into someone's jaw will hurt you more than them. Aim for the nose. Keep your elbows tucked in. Throw straight punches and jabs, not wild uncontrolled hay makers. More power comes from vertical straight-ahead punches, so keep your elbows in. Play defense. Hold your non-writing hand near your chin to guard your face and hold your writing hand up nearer your cheek. When playing defense, leave your fists relatively loose to swat away punches. Gather evidence. Any time you're bullied, write it down as specifically as possible. Record who was involved, where, and at what time. If you're physically injured, take pictures of any cuts, scrapes, or bruises you receive. If your clothes get torn, save them. If anyone saw the bullying take place, talk to them and get them to come forward with you and report the behavior. Save any evidence of cyberbullying you receive by making a copy, taking a screen shot, or printing out hard copies for your records. Use these as evidence. Report bullying behavior to an authority. As soon as you feel you've been bullied, report the behavior, with your good evidence and your witnesses, to the appropriate authority in charge of the situation. Be sure to use the word "bully," say that you feel unfairly singled out and that you're intimidated and frustrated by this person's behavior. Tell your parents. Whether you've encountered a bully at school or elsewhere, it's always best to start by telling your parents.Your parents are always there for you so tell them the details. It's still on you to stand up for your own self, but having the back-up of your parents is important. Tell your teacher, principal, or school counselor. Wait and present your case calmly to the correct authority. If you're getting bullied at lunch, telling the exhausted and overworked lunch lady probably won't get much done. If the student is in your class, tell your teacher. If the student that's bullying you is in another grade, consider making any appointment with the guidance counselor or an assistant principal. Tell law enforcement if the behavior continues. If you're not in school, or if the behavior continues and won't stop, contact the police. Provide your evidence and follow their instructions. Tell the truth. Don't leave anything out to make yourself look better. It's better to be honest and try to get action to occur, rather than trying to make yourself look good. If you said something mean back to the bully, own up to it. If you threw the first punch, say so. Your word will mean more in this situation. Be kind to anyone being bullied. Bullies select targets who they perceive as being weak. People with fewer friends, or people who are physically smaller are more readily targeted by bullies. Because bullies lack confidence, they will only select targets they can intimidate and dominate. By befriending those who are likely to be bullied, you'll take away the ammunition and find safety in numbers. It can be tempting and misguided to want to pile on a kid getting bullied to get the attention away from yourself. "Hey, if that kid's getting it, it means I'm not getting it!" Never do this. Instead, stick up for the bullied and everyone will end up being better off. Look for evidence of bullying. As you roam the halls of your school and neighborhood, keep an eye out for the signs of bullying. Any time you see a bigger kid picking on a smaller kid, or any time you see a classmate who seems beat down and nervous, start paying attention and learn to fight bullying. Buddy up. Travel the halls with friends, and walk home with other kids in your neighborhood to stay safe in numbers. Bullies will be less likely to pick on a group of kids. If you are confronted by a bully, stay solid in a pack. Stick with the plan. Tell them to stop and stare them down. Tell your friends to do the same. Stay confident. If a bully starts picking on a friend in your group, never laugh or join in the bullying. Don't try to deflect the bullying elsewhere, or you're engaging in bully-type behavior yourself. Show respect to earn respect. Spread goodwill and be friendly to more people as a way of earning respect widely. If you're known as a person of character and confidence, someone who is unshaken by confrontation, you won't be bullied. Be kind to everyone, the popular and the unpopular, even if you're not best friends. Don't take cheap opportunities to exploit or tease other people for your personal gain. Freeze out the bullies. When you've got a network of people built up around you, use that network to ignore people who would bully and would use bullying tactics to intimidate others. Freeze them out. If a bully confronts you about not talking to them or including them in activities, be up front about what you're doing: "We don't like the way you act. If you stop insulting everyone and bullying everyone, you'll be welcome. Get involved. Stand Up to Bullying is an organization that commonly holds rallies and events in support of bullying victims. They seek to educate teachers, students, and other communities about the effect of bullying and end bullying for good. Reach out to an organization like SUTB Stand Up To Bullies or seek out other local anti-bullying organizations and share your experiences. Seek help. See if you can help. Take the next step to fight bullying.	Look them in the eye and tell them to stop. Learn how bullies think. Stand tall and stare them down. Close your ears. Defend yourself with smarts. Ignore bullies online. Learn to throw a punch. Gather evidence. Report bullying behavior to an authority. Tell your parents. Tell your teacher, principal, or school counselor. Tell law enforcement if the behavior continues. Tell the truth. Be kind to anyone being bullied. Look for evidence of bullying. Buddy up. Show respect to earn respect. Freeze out the bullies. Get involved.