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https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Ready-in-the-Morning | How to Get Ready in the Morning | If you're having trouble getting ready in the morning, start by trying to get up the moment your alarm goes off. To resist the temptation to hit the snooze button, make sure you're getting enough sleep at night. Most people need 8-10 hours of sleep, on average, per night. If you're still having a hard time squeezing everything into your morning, try waking up 15 minutes earlier, or save time in the morning by showering and laying out your clothes the night before. | Go to bed at a reasonable time. Most studies suggest that teenagers should get between 8-10 hours of sleep per night in order to function best. It mostly depends on you. Some people can function on 7 hours while others need 11 hours of sleep. Set your alarm. A lot of people like radio alarm clocks. It's always great to have your favorite song to wake you up in the morning. A lot of people need about an hour to get up, get dressed and eat breakfast. If you take a shower in the morning, reserve at least 30 minutes to an hour for showering and blow drying your hair. Gather what you need for the next day. You'll probably need different items to get through your day. A purse, a backpack, homework, books, paperwork: you name it. Make sure that you've gathered everything that you need. Staying organized is very important. It can help a lot to make a list of everything that you'll need daily and then leave yourself post-it notes for the unusual items that you need to remember (like a class project). Wake up. Try to get up as soon as your alarm sounds. It's hard, but try. Use the bathroom first. Do everything you need to do in the bathroom before you get dressed. It's less messy. Take a shower if you didn't shower the night before. Get dressed. Wrap a towel around your hair to get it started drying and then start getting dressed. Pick out your outfit for the day and then put it on. If you have to share a bathroom with a lot of people, it might be a good idea to get dressed in your room, so that someone else can have a turn with the bathroom. Try to choose a layered outfit, if you can, because that will let you easily adjust to temperatures throughout the day. If you need help choosing what to wear, wikiHow can help. Commence your grooming routine. With your clothes on, start going through the rest of your grooming routine. This is what takes the longest for most people, so it's important to look for ways to reduce the amount of time you spend grooming. Look for products that will save you time, like a combined moisturizer and foundation cream. You should also think about what grooming activities you can cut. Some things might seem important, but are really unnecessary, like applying a lot of makeup. To get ready, you can do things like: Brush your teeth. Take care of your skin. Do your hair. Do your makeup (if you wear makeup). Shave your face if you are a guy or you can pluck your eyebrows if you are a girl and, if you wear it, apply makeup after getting dressed. Do your hair Some people object to applying makeup before getting dressed, because you might get makeup on your clothes, but as long as you're careful you should be okay. Besides, you'll smudge your makeup pulling your shirt on. Eat breakfast. If you have time to (and you should make the time), eat breakfast before you start to get ready. Telling you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is clichéd and actually wrong , but eating a healthy breakfast will help wake you up and get your mind nice and sharp for the day. Eat something simple like a cereal bar to save time. Get out the door! You're ready to go. Try to leave a few minutes earlier than you think you need to. This will help keep you from getting stressed and keep you prepared for when things don't go according to plan. One trick is to set the clock next to your front door, so that it is about 10 minutes fast. This will help motivate you out the door. Wake up earlier. If you really want your morning to run smoothly, one of the best things that you can do is to wake up earlier. This sounds awful, but it doesn't have to be as bad as it sounds. Even waking up just 15 minutes earlier can buy you that extra time you need so that you are not reenacting a 1980s teen movie every morning. If you can manage to get yourself up even earlier you might have time for a nice slow breakfast or even some entertainment to help you wake up. All in all, you will find that waking up earlier can lead to a much less stressful day. Move the alarm clock if you are finding it hard to stop hitting the snooze button. Plug your alarm clock in across the room or get an alarm clock that is harder to turn off. Both will help you in getting out of bed. Fit in exercise. If you can save yourself some time in the morning, it's a good idea to ease into exercising as soon as you get up. Just a little light activity can get you feeling more awake and alert than a cup of coffee and it won't have the crash feeling that comes with caffeine. Now, if you don't get a lot of sleep, you might need to adjust for this by going to bed earlier too. However, if you get the recommended 8 hours a day or more, you might actually want to consider sleeping less. Did you know that oversleeping can make you feel tired and groggy all day too? Eat breakfast in the car. Eating breakfast in the car can save you time, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting in traffic. “But what about driving” you ask? Just be sure to take travel-friendly foods and only eat them when you are stopped at a light or in traffic. Choose a healthy option with lots of protein and you will have a great start to your day. You can try making apple and cheese quesadillas. Place a whole grain tortilla on a plate and top with cheese and thinly sliced apples. Top with another tortilla and place in the microwave for 30 seconds, to melt the cheese. Slice and your breakfast is ready to go. You can also make a healthy smoothie. Mix low-fat milk, vanilla yogurt, apples, and a little bit of kale into a blender. Stick it in a to-go cup and you're road ready. This is a healthy meal and you can make 2-3 days worth of smoothie at once. Try showering at night. Showering at night can save you time in the morning. This is especially helpful if a lot of people share your house. You'll have less of a fight for the bathroom and you can sleep in just a little later in the morning if you want to. You can even style your hair a little before bed, which means your hair will only need a little fixing when you get up in the morning. You can also use dry shampoo either at night or in the morning if you want to buy yourself some more time. You should still shampoo your hair at least once or twice a week, but dry shampoo can save you some time, especially on particularly busy days. Switch to waxing or stop shaving altogether. Shaving your legs or face can take a lot of time. You might want to consider not doing these things, especially when you know you're going to have a really busy few weeks or months. For men, keeping a well-groomed beard is just as professional as a clean-shaven face. For women, even skirt weather does not have to mean hair-free legs. Just wear opaque tights or leggings. You will be perfectly stylish and you can save yourself that extra 15 minutes in the morning. Double up where you can. Find opportunities to double up on morning activities. For example, you can brush your teeth while the water for you warms up. You can put on some clothes and do some grooming activities while you sit on the toilet. Do some of your makeup while your hair straightener heats up. There's lots of chances to make use of the time during your morning routine. | Go to bed at a reasonable time. Set your alarm. Gather what you need for the next day. Wake up. Use the bathroom first. Get dressed. Commence your grooming routine. and, if you wear it, apply makeup after getting dressed. Eat breakfast. Get out the door! Wake up earlier. Eat breakfast in the car. Try showering at night. Switch to waxing or stop shaving altogether. Double up where you can. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Flirt-Girl-to-Girl | How to Flirt Girl to Girl | To flirt girl to girl, smile, compliment her, and make her feel special. You can show your interest by asking her questions about what she likes doing and what she thinks about different things. If you're unsure of her sexuality, ask her about her dating history or who she generally finds attractive. Make eye contact with her and smile a lot. If you like her hair or she has a great taste in music, let her know! If she tells a funny joke, laugh and lightly touch her on the arm. | Be friends with her, if you see her regularly. If possible, before you start any flirting with her, get to know her and become friendly with her. If she's a girl you like at school, begin by talking to her in class and saying hello in the halls. If that goes well, text her, call her, or ask her to hang out. If you don't like her as a friend, then you probably shouldn't be flirting with her. This is also a way to know what her romantic preferences are. Ask about her preferences. If you don't know what her preference is, then try to find out. You can begin flirting with her, but it may not end up well for you if you find out she is interested in another gender. Have a friend tell her that a girl likes her (no naming names of course) and see what her reaction is. If her reaction doesn't answer your question, then ask her yourself. To learn her preference on your own, you can first ask if you may ask her a personal question. Then, politely ask what her romantic preference is. If she doesn't want to answer, don't push the question. Respect what she says and don't push it no matter what her answer is. Learn what type of person she is interested in. Keep in mind that just because she might be interested in girls, it doesn't necessarily mean that she will be interested in you. Ask her about past relationships. You can also ask what she looks for in a romantic interest. Be observant about the type of person she seems to like and notice. You can ask what type of person she is interested in by asking if she likes qualities that describe you. For example, if you have red hair and brown eyes, ask if she's interested in people with red hair and green eyes. Or, if you play soccer, ask if she's interested in people that play soccer. Don't change yourself if you don't appear to be the type of person she's interested in. Just because you're not her usual “type,” doesn't mean she won't be interested in who you are individually. Tell her about yourself. Being open with the person you're interested in is important. Let her know about your past, home life, and childhood. Tell her what your interests are and try to include her in some of them if possible. Talk to her on a daily basis about what you're doing and how you're feeling. Suggest that having her as a friend is one of the interesting parts of your life that you like. For example, take her to a movie with you if you are interested in film. Make eye contact. Never underestimate the power of eye contact. Eye contact can be used to flirt. First, eye contact is simply a polite thing to do to show a person that you are paying attention to them. Letting her know that you are giving her your full attention will show your interest in her. If the girl is across the room, make eye contact with her. Look at her, catch her eye, and then quickly look away. Look the girl directly in the eye anytime she is talking, or even if she isn't talking. Smile at her. Smiling is another polite gesture that can also be used to flirt. You don't have to overdo it, but smiling at her will give her reassurance that you like her. Look her in the eyes and smile at her while you are conversing with her. If you happen to catch her eye while you are in the same room, give her a friendly smile. Touch her arm or shoulder. When you are talking or walking next to each other, touch her gently. You can touch her arm, back, or shoulder. Touch her just for a moment, or keep it there for a few seconds. Some people don't like being touched, so if she expresses that she doesn't like it, refrain from doing it. Hold her hand. Hand holding is a sweet and simple gesture that never goes out of style. You can hold hands at any point in a relationship. If the flirtation is very new, wait until you are confident that she will enjoy holding hands with you. Take her hand when you are walking together. Hold her hand when you're sitting next to her. If she wasn't sure that you were flirting before, this will make it obvious. Hug her. Move on to physical affection if she seems to be comfortable with the flirting or has stated that she likes you too. Give her a hug when you see her and when you say goodbye. Put your arm around her when you sit next to her. Comfort her with a hug when she's upset, and hug her when something good has happened to her. Stop the physical contact if she seems uncomfortable or tells you that she doesn't like it. Compliment her. Telling people what you like about them can go a long way. This often comes across as friendliness, but it will at least bring you closer to her. Compliment both her physical attributes and her personality traits. Tell her what you like about her hair, eyes, clothes, smile, etc. Let her know that you enjoy her sense of humor, interests, or how kind she is to everyone. When she does something good, let her know. Compliment an achievement by saying something like “I'm not surprised you did so well because you're great, but I'm still impressed and happy for you." If she is a funny person, compliment her by saying “You really know how to make me laugh. I appreciate that quality in a person.” The compliments may come across as friendly at first if you haven't established your interest, but she may catch on after a while if you compliment her enough. Do her a favor. Go out of your way to do her a favor, or surprise her by doing something unexpected for her. Oblige if she asks you to help her with something. Look for ways that you can make her life easier. For example, carry something for her when she is carrying a lot. Or, offer to run an errand for her. You can also surprise her with flowers, chocolates, or a small, but thoughtful gift. A small and thoughtful gift could be something like a drawing of yours, or a book by an author you think she'd like. Let her know about your preferences. Your romantic and sexual preferences will have to come up as some point, especially if you make your flirting obvious. Let her know that you are lesbian/bisexual/pansexual. You can bring it up in a casual conversation without telling her you're interested in her. Or, you can let her know about your preferences and your interest at the same time. You can tell her your preference by saying something like “I am interested in women (or whatever your specific preference is), and I am especially interested in women like you." It is no fault of your own if she reacts negatively. It speaks of her character, and if she makes you feel bad about your preference, then she shouldn't be a person you want to flirt with. Let her know what your intentions are. You can wait until you have flirted with her to let her know that you're interested in her if that's what you feel more comfortable with. It is, however, good to tell her that you're interested sooner rather than later to avoid heartbreak later on. She may be waiting for you to make the first move. Accept her reaction and try to continue the friendship if both you and her want to do so. Tell her simply by saying “I like you as more than a friend.” Write her a note expressing your feelings. Ask her out. You can take this step fairly soon into the flirtation, or you can wait until you're sure she likes you back. If you want it to be casual, ask her to visit the park with you. If you want to make it clearly romantic, ask her out for dinner and a movie. Bring flowers with you and don't be afraid to tell her how you feel. Even when you are in a relationship, you can always continue to ask her out on dates. | Be friends with her, if you see her regularly. Ask about her preferences. Learn what type of person she is interested in. Tell her about yourself. Make eye contact. Smile at her. Touch her arm or shoulder. Hold her hand. Hug her. Compliment her. Do her a favor. Let her know about your preferences. Let her know what your intentions are. Ask her out. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Polyurethane-Floors | How to Clean Polyurethane Floors | To clean spills on polyurethane-coated wood floors, wipe up the liquid with a damp cloth as quickly as possible. If the spill has already dried onto the floor, spray it with some glass cleaner before wiping with a damp cloth. When the floor gets particularly dirty, mop it with a solution of warm water and mild dish soap. However, make sure to squeeze out as much water as possible from the mop to prevent water damage to the wood. Additionally, move the mop in the direction of the grain to avoid streaks and scratches. | Vacuum the floor. The first step in everyday cleaning is to remove debris from the floor. Vacuuming can do the trick, but a vacuum cleaner designed for cleaning the floor is best. If you don't have a vacuum cleaner like that, you can turn off the interior rotation brushes (if possible) to make the vacuum for your floor. If you can't turn off the interior rotation brushes of your vacuum, check that it doesn't scratch the floor before you use it to vacuum the entire room. You could also use the vacuum's brush attachment as an alternative to the vacuum itself. Dust mop or sweep the floor. Instead of vacuuming, you can simply sweep the floor. A broom with synthetic fiber tips (exploded tips) is often the best solution. You can also run a dust mop over the floor instead. Remove spills with a damp cloth. If you spill something on polyurethane hardwood floors, use a damp cloth to clean it up as quickly as possible. If the spill has dried and isn't easily cleaned up, you can try a bit of glass cleaner to help clean it up. Mop with mild soap and water. You can also mop the floors if they get particularly dirty. However, you want to stick to just a damp mop, not a sopping wet mop. Add a small cap- or spoonful of a mild cleaner, such as dishwashing soap or a wood floor cleaner, to clean water. Use one cap per bucket of water. Dip the mop in the solution. The mop should only be damp, so squeeze out as much water as you can. When you mop the floor, go in the direction of the grain. Change out the water as needed. Make sure you don't use more cleanser than is recommended. This can mess up your floor. Treat concrete polyurethane as you would tile. Polyurethane on concrete floors creates a durable surface. For the most part, you can treat it like you would any durable floor. In fact, it's often used in warehouses and other industrial areas, where heavy machinery is used. Sweep or vacuum first. Like wood floors, you can simply vacuum up debris. Set the vacuum to the hard surfaces setting to vacuum this type of floor. It doesn't hurt to set it to hardwood if you have that on your vacuum. Otherwise, use a broom or dust mop to remove debris. When using a vacuum, you can protect your floors by using the brush attachment instead of the vacuum itself. The brush attachment will clean your floor without risking scratches. Wipe up spills. Most spills won't stick to this coating. Therefore, if you get them up as quickly as possible, it won't take much work to clean them up. Use a soft cloth to wipe them up quickly. You can also use a little glass cleaner on the spill if it won't come up easily. Use a mild cleanser. Even though polyurethane is durable, it's still a good idea to use a mild cleanser. If possible, read the directions for the particular coating you have. However, mild dish soap in a bucket of water or a mild floor cleaner should be just fine. Wait a few minutes for the cleanser to treat grime and buildup before you mop it up. However, don't let it dry on the floor, as this can damage it. You can also use a cleaner like Simple Green (one part Simple Green to eight parts water) if you are trying to clean up grease spills, such as if you're cleaning a garage. Alternatively, you can use half a cup of ammonia in a gallon of water. Skip acidic cleaners, such as ones with vinegar or citrus, as they can damage the coating. Wet mop the floor. Unlike hardwood, concrete polyurethane can be wet mopped. However, you still shouldn't flood it with water. Simply dip the mop in and wring out most of the water. Scrub the floor gently with the mop until clean. The best mop for the job is a hard foam mop. | Vacuum the floor. Dust mop or sweep the floor. Remove spills with a damp cloth. Mop with mild soap and water. Treat concrete polyurethane as you would tile. Sweep or vacuum first. Wipe up spills. Use a mild cleanser. Wet mop the floor. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Paint-a-Cooler | How to Paint a Cooler | Before you paint your cooler, spackle and sand any logos or indentations, then spray on a plastic primer and let it dry for 24 hours. Then, apply 1 coat of acrylic paint, and let it dry for another 24 hours. Next, draw or trace the design you want onto carbon paper, and use the carbon paper to transfer the design onto the cooler before using acrylic paint to outline or fill in your design. When the paint is dry, apply 2 coats of Mod Podge to seal your cooler, and a coat of polyurethane to waterproof it. | Fill in any logos or indents on the cooler with spackle. Spackle is a putty used as a filler. It hardens when it dries, so you'll be able to paint right over it later on. Use a putty knife to fill the indents with spackle. Scrape the edge of the knife over the top of the spackle so it's flush with the rest of the cooler. Don't worry if it's not perfect — you can sand it down later. Let the spackle dry for several hours. The exact amount of time it will take the spackle to dry depends on how deep the indents you filled in were — the deeper the indents, the longer it will take to dry. After a few hours, try touching the spackle with your fingers. If it's hard and has a chalky texture, it's dry. Sand the surface of the cooler once the spackle is dry. Sanding the cooler will make it easier for the paint to stick to it. You want to sand the cooler just enough to take away the shine and give the surface a little bit of a grit. Don't forget to sand over the spackle, so it's flush with the rest of the cooler. Give the cooler a hard sand using 120-grit sandpaper. This will scuff the surface enough that the primer will be able to adhere to the surface of the cooler. For a smoother finish, start sanding the cooler with a coarse grit sandpaper (40-50 grit) and finish with a fine grit sandpaper (120-220 grit). Using 2 kinds of sandpaper will help you make your cooler as smooth as possible. If the cooler came with a smooth finish, you still want to sand it down to remove the top layer of the plastic so the paint sticks. Apply a spray-on plastic primer to the surface of the cooler. A plastic primer will help the paint adhere to the surface of the cooler better. Spray the primer on the cooler so there's an even coat over the entire surface. You can find a spray-on plastic primer at your local home improvement center or paint store. If the cooler has handles or wheels that you don't want to paint, cover them with painter's tape before you spray the primer on. Let the cooler dry in a well-ventilated area for 24 hours. Place the cooler on a tarp or sheets of newspaper while it dries so the primer doesn't get on your floor. After 24 hours, the cooler should feel dry to the touch. If it's not, let it finish drying. Paint the cooler background with acrylic paint. Before you add designs or personal touches, you should create a solid base to work on. Cover the sides and top of the cooler with paint using a large paintbrush. To use multiple colors for the background, paint 1 color at a time and let the paint dry in between colors. One coat of acrylic paint should be enough for the background. For a harder finish, try using enamel paint, rather than acrylic. Let the paint dry for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the cooler should feel dry to the touch. If you're doing additional colors for the background, paint them on one at a time and let the cooler dry for 24 hours in between each coat. Print out any designs or lettering you want to put on the cooler. While you can definitely draw designs on the cooler freehand, using designs printed off the computer will make the cooler look cleaner and more professional. Keep in mind that you'll be tracing the outlines of the designs onto the cooler and filling them in with paint, so stick with simple images and fonts. Trace the designs and lettering onto the cooler using carbon paper. To use carbon paper, trace the outline of your design onto the paper. Then, hold the carbon paper on the cooler and draw over the lines to transfer the design onto the cooler. You can find carbon paper online or at your local art supplies store. Use printer paper to transfer your designs if you don't have carbon paper. Start by tracing your design onto a sheet of printer paper. Then, shade in the back of the paper with pencil. After the back is shaded in, place the paper on the cooler where you want the design to go and trace over the lines with a pencil to transfer it. Try tissue paper if you don't have carbon printer paper. Trace your design onto a piece of tissue paper. Then, position the tissue paper on the cooler where you want the design to go and draw over the outline with a fine-point permanent marker. The marker will bleed through the tissue paper and transfer onto the cooler. Fill in the designs and lettering with acrylic paint. Use small paint brushes to apply the paint so you can be more detailed. If you want to do multiple colors in the same design, do 1 color at a time and let the paint dry in between colors — otherwise, the colors might smudge together. It may be easier if you lay the cooler on its side so the side you're painting is facing up. If you do this, you'll need to paint 1 side at a time and let the paint dry in between sides. Let the painted designs and lettering dry for several hours. The thinner the coat of paint, the less time it will take to dry. After a few hours, touch the paint to see if it's completely dry. If it is, you can add additional colors to your designs, start on a new side of the cooler, or move on to sealing the cooler. Apply a coat of spray-on Mod Podge to the surface of the cooler. Mod Podge is a sealer and finisher that will help prevent the paint on the cooler from chipping or peeling. Once the paint on the cooler is dry, spray the surface of the cooler with a thin, even coat of Mod Podge. You can find Mod Podge online or at your local arts and crafts store. Let the first coat of mod podge dry for 15-20 minutes. After 15-20 minutes, the Mod Podge should feel completely dry to the touch. If it doesn't, let it finish drying before you move on. Apply a second coat of Mod Podge and let it dry. Two coats of Mod Podge should be enough to protect the paint on the cooler from chipping or peeling. After you spray the second coat, let the cooler dry for another 15-20 minutes before moving it. Cover the cooler with a thin layer of clear polyurethane to waterproof it. Since coolers have a tendency to get wet, it's a good idea to waterproof your cooler so the paint doesn't come off. Use a clean paintbrush to apply a thin, even layer of clear polyurethane to the entire outer surface of the cooler. You can find polyurethane online or at your local home improvement center. Let the cooler dry for 24 hours before you use it. After 24 hours, the cooler should be completely dried, sealed, and ready to go. If you covered the handles and wheels with painter's tape, you can take the tape off now. | Fill in any logos or indents on the cooler with spackle. Let the spackle dry for several hours. Sand the surface of the cooler once the spackle is dry. Apply a spray-on plastic primer to the surface of the cooler. Let the cooler dry in a well-ventilated area for 24 hours. Paint the cooler background with acrylic paint. Let the paint dry for 24 hours. Print out any designs or lettering you want to put on the cooler. Trace the designs and lettering onto the cooler using carbon paper. Use printer paper to transfer your designs if you don't have carbon paper. Try tissue paper if you don't have carbon printer paper. Fill in the designs and lettering with acrylic paint. Let the painted designs and lettering dry for several hours. Apply a coat of spray-on Mod Podge to the surface of the cooler. Let the first coat of mod podge dry for 15-20 minutes. Apply a second coat of Mod Podge and let it dry. Cover the cooler with a thin layer of clear polyurethane to waterproof it. Let the cooler dry for 24 hours before you use it. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Treat-Dog-Flu | How to Treat Dog Flu | To treat dog flu, add extra layers of padding to your dog's bedding so it doesn't develop bed sores. Additionally, wipe your dog's eyes and nose with a cool, damp cotton pad to keep them clean and comfortable. You should also offer your dog plenty of water so it doesn't become dehydrated. Alternatively, consider using a syringe to squirt water into it's mouth in small, frequent doses. If its symptoms don't improve within a week or get worse, bring your dog to the vet. | Understand that there is no medical "cure" for canine influenza. Rather, your dog's veterinarian will offer what is called "supportive care." Supportive care is basically a combination of symptom management and rest, so that your dog's immune system is optimized and best able to fight off the virus. Your dog's immune system is the only thing that can actually fight off the bug itself. Keep your dog's eyes and nose clean. Wipe these areas down with a cotton pad soaked in water that has been boiled, then cooled to room temperature. Make sure your dog's bed has plenty of padding. If your dog isn't moving very much, they can develop bed sores. Provide additional padding with a few extra blankets. Keep your dog indoors and make sure it is not too hot or too cold. Give your dog fluids. The vet may offer your dog extra fluids, sometimes via an IV, if your dog has become dehydrated as a result of fighting off canine influenza. If the dehydration is only mild, encouraging your dog to drink more water orally may be sufficient. A dog needs to drink 50 milliliters (1.7 fl oz) of water for every kg body weight (so, if your dog weighs 22kg or 50 lbs, they need 1,100 ml of water daily). If your dog is not motivated to drink, you can syringe water in through the side of their mouth in small, frequent doses throughout the day. Encourage your dog to eat. A sick dog may not have much interest in eating, but it is important for your dog to keep their strength up. If your dog will not eat, try warming some wet or canned food and offering it to them. The dog may allow you to hand-feed them or may be interested in eating their favorite treats. If nothing seems to be working, ask your vet about Oralade, a liquid food that you can give your dog via syringe. Ask about medications for symptom management. While it is never wise to try and give your dog human medications (such as Tylenol, Advil, or other cold and flu medications), your vet can advise you as to pet-friendly alternatives that can help to decrease the bothersome symptoms for your dog, as his or her immune system works to fight off the virus. Speak to your vet if you would like medications to help with pain, fever, and/or runny nose and congestion symptoms in your dog (all of which are often present in cases of canine influenza). Opt for antibiotics for your dog. Although canine influenza is a viral infection, many veterinarians will offer your dog antibiotics in order to prevent what is called a "secondary bacterial infection." What this means is that, while your dog's immune system is busy fighting off the virus, it can become weakened and susceptible to bacterial infections. The antibiotics help to prevent this, and to ensure that your dog has the quickest recovery possible. Prevent the spread of infection to other dogs. While your dog is recovering from canine influenza, it is important to keep them at home and isolated from other dogs. The virus can be spread through droplets, so if your dog sneezes around other dogs, the infection can spread. Avoid public places with other dogs such as doggy daycare, doggy boarding places, and public dog parks. Although it can be a hassle to keep your dog at home, you would appreciate the same done by another dog owner if his or her pet was infected. Make sure you wash your hands after touching your dog or anything that might be infected (your dog's food bowl, toys, bedding, etc.) and before you touch another dog. If you work during the day and need care for your dog, consider hiring a dog walker for the duration of the illness. They can stop in during the day to check in on your dog, and walk your dog while avoiding the need to go to a public place where other dogs could become infected. Monitor your dog's progress. Your dog should begin to feel better over the course of a few days to a week or so, and symptoms should begin to dissipate and ultimately disappear. If you find that your dog is getting worse, or failing to show any signs of improvement after one week, bring them back to the vet for a follow-up examination. It could be that your dog needs additional care, and/or hospitalization in the more severe cases. Although this is rarely needed, it is best to see your vet and to be safe rather than sorry. Watch for signs of dehydration , especially if your dog does not seem to be drinking much water. Check to make sure your dog is not soiling themselves, especially if they are not moving from their bed. Check your dog's temperature twice daily. A normal temperature is between 100 and 102.5°F (37.7 and 39.4°C). If your dog has an underlying health conditions, such as heart or kidney disease, then you will need to take extra measures to support them as they fight the infection. Work with the vet to ensure they are getting the necessary care, which may include staying at the veterinary clinic. | Understand that there is no medical "cure" for canine influenza. Give your dog fluids. Encourage your dog to eat. Ask about medications for symptom management. Opt for antibiotics for your dog. Prevent the spread of infection to other dogs. Monitor your dog's progress. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Defrost-Burgers | How to Defrost Burgers | To defrost burgers, try leaving them in the fridge. Leave the burgers in their original packaging or put them in an airtight container. They'll need 5 hours for every pound of weight to defrost. After they've defrosted, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. For a faster solution, defrost your burgers in the microwave. Take them out of the packaging, place them on a microwave-save plate, and choose the defrost option. If your microwave doesn't start automatically, enter the weight of your burgers so it can calculate how long it needs to defrost. If your microwave has no defrost setting, turn the heat to 50 percent and check the burgers after 5 minutes. | Place the burger patties into the fridge. Leave the burger patties in the original packaging. If the packaging is damaged, transfer the burger patties into an airtight container. Place the packet or container onto any of the refrigerator shelves. Try to keep the burger meat away from fruit and vegetables. Allow the burgers to thaw for 5 hours per 1 lb (0.45 kg). Touch the burger patties to check if they have thawed. If they are still hard and icy they will need more defrosting time. If the patties are squishy, this indicates that they have defrosted. Keep the defrosted patties in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. Unlike other thawing methods, patties that have been defrosted in the fridge can be stored for a few days before they are cooked. If you decide not to cook the patties, put them back in the freezer within 2 days of thawing. Cook the burger patties on the cooktop or in the oven. Pan fry the burger patties or grill them in the oven. Add your favorite burger buns, vegetables, and sauces to create a delicious burger. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patties. Beef and lamb patties need to reach 160 °F (71 °C) and chicken patties need to be 165 °F (74 °C). This ensures that the patties are safe to eat. Store leftover burger patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer the burger patties into a watertight plastic bag. Exposure to water or air will damage the texture of the burger patties. Transfer the burger patties into a plastic bag so that they don't get wet. Ziplock bags are a cheap and effective option. Purchase Ziplock bags from the grocery store. Place the bag of burger patties in cold water. Fill the sink, or a large bowl, with cold tap water. Submerge the bag of burger patties in the water. Don't use hot water as that will heat up the outer layer of the patties which can cause harmful bacteria to multiply quickly. Replace the water every 30 minutes until the burger patties are thawed. The water will warm up over time, allowing bacteria to breed quicker. Replace the water every half hour to keep the patties cool. The patties are thawed when they are soft to touch, rather than hard. If you are defrosting less than 1 pound (0.45 kg) of patties you may not need to change the water as the patties will likely defrost within 30 minutes. Fry or oven bake the burger patties. Cook the patties as soon as they are defrosted. Assemble your burger using your favorite sauces, buns, and vegetables. Lettuce, tomato, and mustard is a great combination with a beef patty. Cook beef and lamb patties to 160 °F (71 °C) and chicken patties to 165 °F (74 °C). Use an instant-read food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patties. Continue to cook the patties until they reach the specified temperatures. If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you want to eat the burgers at a later date, store them in the freezer for up to 4 months. Transfer the burger patties to a microwave-safe plate. If possible, separate the burger patties before putting them on the plate. This will help them to thaw faster. Spread the patties out on the plate so that they aren't touching each other. Check the bottom of the plate to make sure it has a “microwave-safe” label. If in doubt, use a glass or ceramic plate. Put the patties in the microwave and select the “defrost” option. If your microwave automatically defrosts, simply press the defrost button and then press start. The microwave will automatically decide the amount of time that the burger patties require to defrost. If your microwave requires you to enter the weight, check the weight of the patties on the packet or use kitchen scales. Enter the correct weight into the microwave and press start. If the microwave doesn't have a “defrost” setting, set the heat to 50% and check the burger patties every 5 minutes. Cook the patties as soon as they are defrosted. Pan fry or oven bake the burger patties. Assemble the burgers using your favorite burger ingredients. Lettuce, cucumber, and tomato is a great combination with a beef or lamb patty. Use a food thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the patties. Cook beef and lamb patties to 160 °F (71 °C) and chicken patties to 165 °F (74 °C). Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. | Place the burger patties into the fridge. Allow the burgers to thaw for 5 hours per 1 lb (0.45 kg). Keep the defrosted patties in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. Cook the burger patties on the cooktop or in the oven. Transfer the burger patties into a watertight plastic bag. Place the bag of burger patties in cold water. Replace the water every 30 minutes until the burger patties are thawed. Fry or oven bake the burger patties. Transfer the burger patties to a microwave-safe plate. Put the patties in the microwave and select the “defrost” option. Cook the patties as soon as they are defrosted. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Down-or-Remove-a-Ceiling-Fan | How to Take Down or Remove a Ceiling Fan | To remove a ceiling fan, you'll need to unscrew it from its mounting bracket, disconnect the wires, and remove the bracket. First, make sure you turn off the power at the electrical panel so there's no risk of the fan spinning while you work. Once you've turned off the power, remove any lightbulbs from the fan. If your fan has detachable blades, you should also unscrew them at this point. Then, unscrew the fan from its ceiling bracket. Disconnect the wires attaching the fan to the bracket and set the fan aside. To remove the bracket from the ceiling, unscrew the 2 screws securing it to the ceiling. It's best to put the screws back into the ceiling once you've removed the mounting bracket so you can use them in the future. | Assess whether you have a ball-in-socket style ceiling fan, also known as a down-rod mounted ceiling fan. These type of fans are distinctive in that the body of the fan hangs a bit away from the ceiling on a pole. The pole connects at the ceiling at a canopy, which is just a small metal enclosure that covers the mounting bracket and wires for the fan. This type of ceiling fan can usually be easily removed in a few steps. Always turn off the power at the electrical panel before working on anything electrical. An easy way to make sure you have turned off the power is by keeping the fan on when you go to switch the breaker. If you have successfully turned off the correct breaker, the fan should be coming to a stop when you return. Place your ladder under the ceiling fan. You may want to place it a little to the side of the fan so you can easily reach around the paddles to the canopy at the ceiling. Remove the metal canopy that covers the mounting bracket by loosening the screws on either side. You may need to use a very short screwdriver to get between the housing at the ceiling and the main body of the ceiling fan. Once the canopy is unscrewed, simply lower it down so it rests on top of the fan body. Now you should be able to see how the ball at the top of the fan pole slips easily in and out of the bracket. You should also be able to see the electrical connections between the fan and the wires in the ceiling. If you cannot get into the space between the housing and the fan body, you may want to follow method two below, as it will tell you how to take more parts off the fan apart in order to remove it. Retest that you have no power coming to the fan. This is most easily done with a non-contact voltage tester, which tests for magnetic fields around wires quickly and easily. Remove the wire nuts that are connecting the wires from the fan and the wires from the ceiling together. You may need to pull all the wires out a bit to access the wire nuts but once you have them in hand, turn them counterclockwise and they should unscrew. Once you have detached the fan wires from the wires coming from the ceiling, be sure to put the wire nuts back onto the wires coming from the ceiling. This way, if you need to turn the power back on before you install a new fixture, your wires will be safely capped off. Grab a hold of the whole light fixture and slide the ball at the top of the fan pole out of the mounting bracket. This connection might vary slightly, but should slip out relatively easily no matter the exact style. Remember to keep a good hold of the fan, as once its out of the bracket you will need to support its whole weight. Lower the fan to the ground. It may be helpful to rest it on the top of your ladder momentarily, so that you can readjust your grip and get down your ladder with the fan safely. You now have removed your ceiling fan but you are not quite done! Detach the mounting bracket from the ceiling. It should be attached with two screws the electrical box in the ceiling. It is a good idea to put the screws back in the electrical box once the bracket is removed so that they are there for the next fixture you want to attach. Even if you are going to put up a new ceiling fan, you should still remove the mounting bracket. Every ceiling fan comes with its own mounting bracket that is made specifically for that model. Assess whether you have a flush mounted ceiling fan, also known as a bracket mounted ceiling fan. This type of ceiling fan is obviously flush mounted, meaning that the motor of the fan sits right up at the ceiling. These ceiling fans require a bit more disassembly to remove, as the fan itself needs to be taken apart to get to the attachment bracket. However, they are good fans to have in rooms with low ceilings, as they do not hang down as far as ball-in-socket type ceiling fans. Always turn off the power at the electrical panel before working on anything electrical. An easy way to make sure you have turned off the power is by keeping the fan on when you go to switch the breaker. If you have successfully turned off the right breaker, the fan should be coming to a stop when you return. Remove all light bulbs and any bulb covers from the fan, if your ceiling fan has a light kit attached to it. The light kit is simply the portion of the fan that is the light. On most ceiling fans with lights, the light kit is a separate section of the fan that can be removed separately. On many styles of ceiling fans the lightbulbs are simply accessible by climbing up a ladder and unscrewing them but some models require you to take off a cover that encloses the bulb. Be gentle when removing the lightbulbs. If they happen to break, you should be cautious when removing a broken lightbulb from the socket. Remove the light kit, if your ceiling fan has one. While some models will allow you to take the fan body off the ceiling without removing the light kit, most flush mounted ceiling fans require that it is removed, so that you can get to the screws that attach the whole fan to the ceiling. This step will require unscrewing the screws that hold the light kit to the fan body. Inside, you will most likely have to disconnect the wires that connect the light kit to the fan. These should simply be connected with wire nuts, which you turn counterclockwise to unscrew. It is a really good idea to retest that you have no power coming to the fan once you have opened up the light kit. This is most easily done with a non-contact voltage tester, which tests for magnetic fields around wires quickly and easily. Remove the fan blades with a screwdriver. Ceiling fan blades are connected to the body of the fan with metal brackets that screw into the fan body, basically the housing for the fan's motor, and into the fan paddles themselves. It's easiest to keep the fan blade brackets and the fan blades attached and just unscrew the screws that attach the brackets to the fan body. This way, you aren't removing twice as many screws while up on your ladder. If you plan on re-using the fan, be sure to keep all the parts. Placing all the parts in a marked bag or envelope is a good idea. Loosen the screws that hold the fan body to the bracket on the ceiling. Be sure to have a good grip on the fan body while doing this. On most modern ceiling fan models the body is attached to the bracket with a screw on one side and a hinge on the other side. This makes it so that when you unscrew the screw, the body of the fan can hang off the hinge while you disconnect the wiring. Once the screw is unscrewed, simply allow the body of the fan to hang from the hinge on one side. Otherwise you would have to hold the whole fan in one hand and disconnect the wires with the other. Remove the wire nuts that are connecting the wires from the fan and the wires from the ceiling together. You may need to pull all the wires out a bit to access the wire nuts but once you have them in hand, turn them counterclockwise and they should unscrew. Once you have detached the fan wires from the wires coming from the ceiling, be sure to put the wire nuts back onto the wires coming from the ceiling. This way, if you need to turn the power back on before you install a new fixture, your wires will be safely capped off. Remove the fan body from the hinge on the mounting bracket. It should simply have a piece that slips out of the bracket. Often, there will be a safety chain coming from the fan attached to a joist in the ceiling. If so, unhook the safety chain to free the fan. Detach the mounting bracket from the ceiling. It should be attached with two screws the electrical box in the ceiling. It is a good idea to put the screws back in the electrical box once the bracket is removed so that they are there for the next fixture you want to attach. Even if you are going to put up a new ceiling fan, you should still remove the mounting bracket. Every ceiling fan comes with its own mounting bracket that is made specifically for that model. | Assess whether you have a ball-in-socket style ceiling fan, also known as a down-rod mounted ceiling fan. Always turn off the power at the electrical panel before working on anything electrical. Place your ladder under the ceiling fan. Remove the metal canopy that covers the mounting bracket by loosening the screws on either side. Retest that you have no power coming to the fan. Remove the wire nuts that are connecting the wires from the fan and the wires from the ceiling together. Grab a hold of the whole light fixture and slide the ball at the top of the fan pole out of the mounting bracket. Lower the fan to the ground. Detach the mounting bracket from the ceiling. Assess whether you have a flush mounted ceiling fan, also known as a bracket mounted ceiling fan. Always turn off the power at the electrical panel before working on anything electrical. Remove all light bulbs and any bulb covers from the fan, if your ceiling fan has a light kit attached to it. Remove the light kit, if your ceiling fan has one. Remove the fan blades with a screwdriver. Loosen the screws that hold the fan body to the bracket on the ceiling. Remove the wire nuts that are connecting the wires from the fan and the wires from the ceiling together. Remove the fan body from the hinge on the mounting bracket. Detach the mounting bracket from the ceiling. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-DBQ-Essay | How to Write a DBQ Essay | Document-Based Questions, or DBQ essays, are often used in social studies classes to test your ability to do historical work rather than simply memorize facts. Start by spending some time reviewing the documents and developing an argument. Pay special attention to keywords in the prompt that will help you construct your argument. For example, if the prompt includes the words "compare and contrast," you'll need to include 2 different viewpoints in your essay and compare them. Then, as you read your sources, note the authors, points of view, and other key details that will help you figure out how to use the documents. Once you've reviewed all of the material, come up with your response. Sketch out a tentative thesis that encapsulates your argument and make an outline for your essay. You can then draft your essay, starting with an introduction that gives context and states your thesis, followed by supporting body paragraphs. | Review the documents for 10 to 15 minutes. If you're taking an AP exam, you'll have 15 minutes to review the prompt and document. During this initial reading period, you'll carefully read the essay prompt, analyze the included documents, and develop your argument. For an AP exam, you'll then have 45 minutes to write your essay. Exact times may vary for other exams and assignments but, for all DBQ essays, document analysis is the first step. For an AP exam, you will also need to include a thesis, set the prompt's historical context, use 6 documents to support an argument, describe 1 piece of outside evidence, and discuss the point of view or context of at least 3 of the sources. Label these elements as you review and outline so you don't forget something. Identify the prompt’s keywords and assigned tasks. Ensure you understand what evidence to look for in the documents and what your essay needs to accomplish. Circle or underline task-oriented words such as “evaluate,” “analyze,” and “compare and contrast.” Additionally, note keywords such as “social,” “political,” and “economic,” as well as information regarding the time period and society in question. A prompt might ask you to analyze or explain the causes of a historical development, such as, “Explain how the Progressive Movement gained social, political, and cultural influence from the 1890s to the 1920s in the United States.” You might need to use primary sources to compare and contrast differing attitudes or points of view toward a concept, policy, or event, such as, “Compare and contrast the differing attitudes towards women's rights in the United States from 1890 to 1920.” Keywords in these examples inform you how to read your sources. For instance, to compare and contrast differing attitudes, you'll need to identify your sources' authors, categorize their points of view, and figure out how attitudes changed over the specified period of time. Note your documents’ authors, points of view, and other details. Read the sources critically instead of simply skimming for information. For each document, identify the author, their audience, their point of view, who and what influenced them, and their reliability. Underline key phrases and take notes in the margins, and refer to your notes when you write your essay. Suppose one of the documents is a suffragette's diary entry. Passages in the entry that detail her advocacy for the Women's Rights Movement are evidence of her point of view. In contrast, another document is newspaper article written around the same time that opposes suffrage. A diary entry might not have an intended audience but, for documents such as letters, pamphlets, and newspaper articles, you'll need to identify the author's likely readers. Most of your sources will probably be written documents, but you'll likely encounter political cartoons, photographs, maps, or graphs. The U.S. Library of Congress offers a helpful guide to reading specific primary source categories at https://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/guides.html. Place your sources into categories based on the essay prompt. Determine how each document relates to your prompt, and figure out how to use the sources to support an argument. For instance, if you're comparing and contrasting differing attitudes, categorize your sources based on the opposing ideologies they represent. Suppose you have a letter sent from one suffragette to another about the methods used to obtain the right to vote. This document may help you infer how attitudes vary among the movement's supporters. A newspaper article depicting suffragettes as unpatriotic women who would sabotage World War I for the United States helps you understand the opposing attitude. Perhaps other sources include a 1917 editorial on the harsh treatment of imprisoned suffragists and an article on major political endorsements for women's suffrage. From these, you'd infer that 1917 marked a pivotal year, and that the role women played on the home front during World War I would lead to broader support for suffrage. Think of relevant outside information to include in your essay. For an AP exam, you'll need to include at least 1 piece of evidence beyond the provided documents. Rather than merely make a reference, you'll need to describe how that event, policy, publication, person, or other piece of historical evidence supports your claims. For instance, perhaps you read that the National American Woman Suffrage association (NAWSA) made a strategic shift in 1916 from focusing on state-by-state suffrage to prioritizing a constitutional amendment. Mentioning this switch to a more aggressive strategy supports your claim that the stage was set for a 1917 turning point in popular support for women's suffrage. When you think of outside evidence during the planning stages, jot it down so you can refer to it when you write your essay. A good spot could be in the margin of a document that relates to the outside information. Review the prompt and form a perspective after reading the documents. After you've learned more on the topic, return to the prompt and come up with a response. Keep in mind you're not simply forming an opinion based on gut instincts. Use the information you've gleaned from the documents to form a well-reasoned opinion supported by evidence. For example, after reviewing the documents related to women's suffrage, identify the opposing attitudes, how they differed, and how they changed over time. Your rough argument at this stage could be, “Those in opposition saw suffragettes as unpatriotic and unfeminine. Attitudes within the suffrage movement were divided between conservative and confrontational elements. By the end of World War I, changing perceptions of the role of women contributed to growing popular support for suffrage.” Refine your rough argument into a tentative thesis. A thesis is a concise statement that encapsulates your argument. Be sure that your thesis is a defensible claim that responds to the prompt, but doesn't simply restate it. Suppose your DBQ is, “How did World War I affect attitudes toward women's suffrage in the United States?” A strong tentative thesis would be, “The roles women played in the workforce and in support of the war effort contributed to growing popular support for the suffrage movement.” A weak thesis would be, “World War I affected how Americans perceived women's suffrage.” This simply restates the prompt. Make an outline of your argument’s structure. Start with your tentative thesis, then list roman numerals (I., II., III.) or letters (A., B., C.). For each numeral or letter, write a claim, or a step in your overall argument. Under each claim, list a few bullet points that support that part of your argument. For example, under numeral I., write, “New Woman: perceptions shift in the 1890s.” This section will explain the 1890s concept of the New Woman, which rejected traditional characterizations of women as dependent and fragile. You'll argue that this, in part, set the stage for shifting attitudes during and following World War I. You can start your planning your essay during the reading portion of the test. If necessary, take around 5 minutes out of the writing portion to finish outlining your argument. Plug your document citations into the outline. You must support your argument by citing the documents included in the prompt. For a quick reference, make notes in your outline where you'll discuss a source. If you're taking an AP exam, you'll need to include 6 out of the 7 documents, so it's important to stay organized. For instance, under “I. New Woman: perceptions shift in the 1890s,” write “(Doc 1),” which is a pamphlet praising women who ride bicycles, which was seen as “unladylike” at the time. Beneath that line, write “(Doc 2),” which is an article that defends the traditional view that women should remain in the household. You'll use this document to explain the opposing views that set the context for suffrage debates in the 1900s and 1910s. Refine your thesis after making the outline. Go back and make sure that your argument structure and supporting evidence indeed support your tentative thesis. Double check that your thesis is clear, doesn't include any fluff or unnecessary words, and completely responds to the prompt. Suppose your tentative thesis is, “The roles women played in the workforce and in support of the war effort contributed to growing popular support for the suffrage movement.” You decide that “contributed” isn't strong enough, and swap it out for “led” to emphasize causation. Keep your eye on the clock and plan your time strategically. If you're taking an AP exam, you'll have 45 minutes to write your DBQ essay. Times may vary in other settings but, in any case, plan out how much time you can spend on each section of your essay. Do your best to leave at least 2 or 3 minutes at the end to make revisions. If you have 45 minutes to write, take about 5 minutes to make an outline. If you have an introduction, 3 main points that cite 6 documents, and a conclusion, plan on spending 7 minutes or less on each of these 5 sections. That will leave you 5 minutes to proofread or to serve as a buffer in case you need more time. Check the time periodically as you write to ensure you're staying on target. Include your thesis and 1 to 2 sentences of context in your introduction. If you're taking an AP history exam, you'll lose 1 point (out of 7) if you don't relate the prompt to its broader historical context. Setting context is a natural way to start your essay, so consider using the first 1 to 2 sentences of your introduction to discuss context. To set the context, you might write, “The Progressive Era, which spanned roughly from 1890 to 1920, was a time of political, economic, and cultural reform in the United States. A central movement of the era, the Women's Rights Movement gained momentum as perceptions of the role of women dramatically shifted.” If you'd prefer to get straight to the point, feel free to start your introduction with your thesis, then set the context. A timed DBQ essay test doesn't leave you much time to write a long introduction, so get straight to analyzing the documents rather than spell out a long, detailed intro. Write your body paragraphs. Your body paragraphs should be placed in a logical order, and each should address a component of your argument. For instance, you might discuss the attitudes toward women's suffrage in the decades leading to World War I, then explain how women joined the workforce and supported the war effort. Finally, assess how these new roles gave further credibility to advocates of women's rights and led to broader popular support. Each body section should have a topic sentence to let the reader know you're transitioning to a new piece of evidence. For example, start the first section with, “The 1890s saw shifts in perception that set the stage for the major advances in women's suffrage during and following World War I.” Be sure to cite your documents to support each part of your argument. Include direct quotes sparingly, if at all, and prioritize analysis of a source over merely quoting it. Whenever you mention a document or information within a document, add parentheses and the number of the document at the end of the sentence, like this: “Women who were not suffragettes but still supported the movement wrote letters discussing their desire to help (Document 2).” Make sure to show how each body paragraph connects to your thesis. You won't receive points if you just mention sources or add quotes arbitrarily. You must make logical connections between the documents, the inferences you've made, and your thesis. Additionally, demonstrate that you've developed a critical understanding of your sources by focusing on what they mean instead of what they say. For example, a private diary entry from 1916 dismissing suffrage as morally corrupt isn't necessarily a reflection of broader public opinion. There's more to consider than just its content, or what it says. Suppose a more reliable document, such as a major newspaper article on the 1916 Democratic and Republican national conventions, details the growing political and public support for women's suffrage. You'd use this source to show that the diary entry conveys an attitude that was becoming less popular. Weave together your argument in your conclusion. While you should sum up your argument, your conclusion shouldn't merely restate or rephrase your thesis and introduction. Remind the reader of how you've proved your claims, and take the opportunity to connect your argument to a broader historical context. In your essay on World War I and women's suffrage, you could summarize your argument, then mention that the war similarly impacted women's voting rights on an international scale. Proofread your essay for spelling and grammatical mistakes. Try to leave about 5 minutes after writing your essay to proofread and make final edits. Look for misspelled words, grammatical errors, missing words, and spots where your handwriting is sloppy. If you're taking an AP history exam or other timed test, minor errors are acceptable as long as they don't affect your argument. Spelling mistakes, for instance, won't result in a loss of points if the scorer can still understand the word, such as “sufrage” instead of “suffrage.” Make sure you’ve included all required elements. If there's time, and if it's feasible, try to add any elements you're missing. Rewriting a section or making major organizational changes with 3 minutes left isn't practical, so check off your criteria as you outline and write. If you're taking an AP exam, you'll need to include these elements to receive 7 out of 7 points: A clear thesis statement. Set the prompt's broader historical context. Support your argument using 6 of the 7 included documents. Identify and explain 1 piece of historical evidence other than the included documents. Describe 3 of the documents' points of view, purposes, audiences, or context. Demonstrate a complex understanding of the topic, such as by discussing causation, change, continuity, or connections to other historical periods. Check that your names, dates, and other facts are accurate. Ensure you've accurately cited names, dates, places, and points of view as they appear in the provided documents. For each reference, double check that you've cited the right document and accurately presented its content. As with spelling and grammar, minor errors are acceptable as long as the scorer knows what you mean. Little spelling mistakes are fine, but you'll lose points if you write that a source supports suffrage when it doesn't. | Review the documents for 10 to 15 minutes. Identify the prompt’s keywords and assigned tasks. Note your documents’ authors, points of view, and other details. Place your sources into categories based on the essay prompt. Think of relevant outside information to include in your essay. Review the prompt and form a perspective after reading the documents. Refine your rough argument into a tentative thesis. Make an outline of your argument’s structure. Plug your document citations into the outline. Refine your thesis after making the outline. Keep your eye on the clock and plan your time strategically. Include your thesis and 1 to 2 sentences of context in your introduction. Write your body paragraphs. Make sure to show how each body paragraph connects to your thesis. Weave together your argument in your conclusion. Proofread your essay for spelling and grammatical mistakes. Make sure you’ve included all required elements. Check that your names, dates, and other facts are accurate. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Balance-Chemical-Equations | How to Balance Chemical Equations | To balance a chemical equation, first write out your given formula with the reactants on the left of the arrow and the products on the right. For example, your equation should look something like "H2 + O2 → H2O." Count the number of atoms in each element on each side of the equation and list them under that side. For the equation H2 + O2 → H2O, there are 2 hydrogen atoms being added to 2 oxygen atoms on the left, so you would write "H=2" and "O=2" under the left side. There are 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom on the right, so you would write "H=2" and "O=1" under the right side. Since the number of atoms in each element isn't identical on both sides, the equation is not balanced. To balance the equation, you'll need to add coefficients to change the number of atoms on one side to match the other. For the equation H2 + O2 → H2O, you would add the coefficient 2 before H2O on the right side so that there are 2 oxygen atoms on each side of the equation, like H2 + O2 → 2H2O. However, subscripts can't be changed and are always multiplied by the coefficient, which means there are now 4 hydrogen atoms on the right side of the equation and only 2 hydrogen atoms on the left side. To balance this, add the coefficient 2 before H2 on the left side of the equation so there are 4 hydrogen atoms on each side, like 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O. Now the number of atoms in each element is the same on both sides of the equation, so the equation is balanced. Remember that if there's no coefficient in front of an element, it's assumed that the coefficient is 1. | Write down your given equation. For this example, you will use: C 3 H 8 + O 2 --> H 2 O + CO 2 This reaction occurs when propane (C 3 H 8 ) is burned in the presence of oxygen to produce water and carbon dioxide. Write down the number of atoms per element. Do this for each side of the equation. Look at the subscripts next to each atom to find the number of atoms in the equation. When writing it out, it's a good idea to connect it back to the original equation, noting how each element appears. For example, you have 3 oxygen atoms on the right side, but that total results from addition. Left side: 3 carbon (C3), 8 hydrogen (H8) and 2 oxygen (O2). Right side: 1 carbon (C), 2 hydrogen (H2) and 3 oxygen (O + O2). Save hydrogen and oxygen for last, as they are often on both sides. Hydrogen and oxygen are both common in molecules, so it's likely that you'll have them on both sides of your equation. It's best to balance them last. You'll need to recount your atoms before balancing the hydrogen and oxygen, as you'll likely need to use coefficients to balance the other atoms in the equation. Start with single elements. If you have more than one element left to balance, select the element that appears in only a single molecule of reactants and in only a single molecule of products. This means that you will need to balance the carbon atoms first. Use a coefficient to balance the single carbon atom. Add a coefficient to the single carbon atom on the right of the equation to balance it with the 3 carbon atoms on the left of the equation. C 3 H 8 + O 2 --> H 2 O + 3 CO 2 The coefficient 3 in front of carbon on the right side indicates 3 carbon atoms just as the subscript 3 on the left side indicates 3 carbon atoms. In a chemical equation, you can change coefficients, but you must never alter the subscripts. Balance the hydrogen atoms next. Since you have balanced all atoms besides the hydrogen and oxygen, you can address the hydrogen atoms. You have 8 on the left side. So you'll need 8 on the right side. Use a coefficient to achieve this. C 3 H 8 + O 2 --> 4 H 2 O + 3CO 2 On the right side, you now added a 4 as the coefficient because the subscript showed that you already had 2 hydrogen atoms. When you multiply the coefficient 4 times by the subscript 2, you end up with 8. The other 6 atoms of oxygen come from 3CO 2.(3x2=6 atoms of oxygen+ the other 4=10) Balance the oxygen atoms. Remember to account for the coefficients that you've used to balance out the other atoms. Because you've added coefficients to the molecules on the right side of the equation, the number of oxygen atoms has changed. You now have 4 oxygen atoms in the water molecules and 6 oxygen atoms in the carbon dioxide molecules. That makes a total of 10 oxygen atoms. Add a coefficient of 5 to the oxygen molecule on the left side of the equation. You now have 10 oxygen atoms on each side. C 3 H 8 + 5 O 2 --> 4H 2 O + 3CO 2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/63\/Balance-Chemical-Equations-Step-7Bullet3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Balance-Chemical-Equations-Step-7Bullet3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/63\/Balance-Chemical-Equations-Step-7Bullet3-Version-2.jpg\/aid221334-v4-728px-Balance-Chemical-Equations-Step-7Bullet3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are balanced. Your equation is complete. Write down the given equation. For this example, we will use: PCl 5 + H 2 O --> H 3 PO 4 + HCl Assign a letter to each substance. a PCl 5 + b H 2 O --> c H 3 PO 4 + d HCl Check the number of each element found on both sides, and set those equal to each other. a PCl 5 + b H 2 O --> c H 3 PO 4 + d HCl On the left side, there are 2 b atoms of hydrogen (2 for every molecule of H 2 O), while on the right side, there are 3 c + d atoms of hydrogen (3 for every molecule of H 3 PO 4 and 1 for every molecule of HCl). Since the number of atoms of hydrogen has to be equal on both sides, 2 b must be equal to 3 c + d. Do this for each element. P: a = c Cl: 5 a = d H: 2 b =3 c + d Solve this system of equations to get the numeric value for all the coefficients. Since there are more variables than equations, there are multiple solutions. You must find the one where every variable is in its smallest, non-fractional form. To quickly do this, take one variable and assign a value to it. Let's make a=1. Then start solving the system of equations to get the following values: Since P: a = c, we know that c = 1. Since Cl: 5a = d, we know that d = 5 Since H: 2b = 3c + d, we can calculate b like this: 2b = 3(1) + 5 2b = 3 + 5 2b = 8 b=4 This shows us the values are as follows: a = 1 b = 4 c = 1 d = 5 | Write down your given equation. Write down the number of atoms per element. Save hydrogen and oxygen for last, as they are often on both sides. Start with single elements. Use a coefficient to balance the single carbon atom. Balance the hydrogen atoms next. Balance the oxygen atoms. Write down the given equation. Assign a letter to each substance. Check the number of each element found on both sides, and set those equal to each other. Solve this system of equations to get the numeric value for all the coefficients. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Guy-Stop-Bothering-You | How to Make a Guy Stop Bothering You | The key to making a guy stop bothering you is being clear and firm with him. You might think it's rude to shut someone down when they're bothering you, but you'll be doing him a favor if you're honest with him. You don't need to explain why you don't like him, but tell him simply and clearly that you're not interested. Say something like, “I'm not interested in you that way.” If he keeps approaching you in public, or calling and texting you, ignore him until he gets the message that he's bothering you. If he starts harassing you in public, loudly tell him to leave you alone, which should draw attention to him and get him to go away. | Be honest. Honesty is almost always the best policy. Be honest with a guy who likes you that's bothering you. Don't say, “I don't know” if you know you don't like him. Tactful honesty will help you say what you feel and not hide anything. If a guy makes an effort to see you between classes or waits to catch up with you yet you don't like this, let him know. He might feel hurt, but he would feel hurt at some point once he realizes you don't like his presence. Keep it simple. If you're telling the guy you don't like him or you want to stop talking for the first time, keep it simple. Don't focus on telling him why or making excuses. Simply tell him you're not interested and don't feel the need to apologize. For example, if a guy keeps calling or texting you, respond with, "I'm really not interested in you. Please stop contacting me." Say clearly that you don’t want to be bothered. You have the right to feel respected. If you feel like someone is bothering you, you can tell them directly and not have to sugar-coat it. If you've tried being indirect by being nice or hinting yet it didn't work, you might want to be more direct. It'll be clear what you mean and will minimize misunderstanding. For example, he might keep asking you to go on a date or go to an event together If you've already let him down but he hasn't got the hint, say, “I don't want to go with you” or, “I'm not interested in you that way.” Stop giving him any attention. If a guy likes you and you don't like him back, be clear and don't give him any mixed signals. If you've been clear that you don't like him yet he still texts you, calls you, or wants to talk to you, stop responding to him. You might feel mean, but remember that he hasn't gotten the hint. For example, stop responding to his texts and don't pick up his phone calls. If he seems upset, tell him you don't want to hear from him. Speak firmly if you want to say something. If you feel harassed, look the person in the eye and look disapproving. If you choose to say something, use a clear and firm voice. Don't insult the guy or fire back an insult. Say what you need to say to feel empowered. For example, if someone harasses you on the street, say, “Do not speak to me that way” or, “Stop bothering me, that's harassment.” Don’t engage if you want to avoid more harassment. Sometimes, it's best to keep walking or not say anything. This is especially true if someone is verbally harassing you. Keep your head up without acknowledging the person or the comment. While you may feel empowered in responding back, it can lead to further remarks, teasing, or other abusive behavior. Quickly walk away. If you're in public or you have an escape route and you'd rather not be bothered, get away from the person. Whether you respond back to their comments or you ignore them, walk away quickly. The harasser doesn't deserve your time, attention, or company. Keep moving. If you're worried about the guy following you, dart into a building with people in it nearby or go somewhere quickly where you feel safe. You can also grip your keys in your hand to use as a weapon if needed. If your car has an alarm, then you could also press the panic button on your keys to set off the alarm. Remove their hands if they are inappropriately touching you. If you feel physically or sexually violated, move away from the guy or take his hands off of your body. You do not deserve to have your personal space invaded. Do what you can to reclaim your space and ensure your safety. For example, if a co-worker touches you in a way that feels inappropriate to you, move away and show your disgust. Keep in mind that this could put you into an unsafe situation if you are alone. Take note of your surroundings and who is around. Try to stay close to a friend or someone else you trust. If you are alone, then you might also call a friend and put them on speaker phone as an additional measure for safety. Get help. If you feel threatened, get help. Go to a crowded place and find someone to help you or call emergency services for you. You can also find a security officer if you're in a public place. If you're too shaken up, ask someone to help you or contact security or the police. Go to one person and ask, “Will you help me? There's someone following me and I feel unsafe.” Consider whether you have a routine route that you frequently take home or that you use to get to and from other places. If you do, then change it up. Changing the route you take will confuse someone who is stalking you and knows your route. This will make it more difficult for him to follow you. If the situation is severe, then place a restraining order on the person as soon as possible. Make sure to call the police immediately if there is any violation of the restraining order. Make a scene. If you feel threatened or scared by the guy, bring attention to yourself. Yell, scream, or make some noise. When you speak out, other people may be alerted and come to see what's happening. They will either intervene or report him. If they report him, then they might even restrain him before they do this. You can say what's going on. For example, “Get away from me, you perv! Stop touching me!” | Be honest. Keep it simple. Say clearly that you don’t want to be bothered. Stop giving him any attention. Speak firmly if you want to say something. Don’t engage if you want to avoid more harassment. Quickly walk away. Remove their hands if they are inappropriately touching you. Get help. Make a scene. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-the-First-Move-As-a-Girl | How to Make the First Move As a Girl | It can be intimidating to make the first move if you're a girl, but if you're confident and show off your best side, you might just be able to bag a catch. The next time you see your crush, try flirting a bit to test the waters. Smile at them, play with your hair a little, and make plenty of eye contact. If you've only spent time together in groups, make the leap and ask them to hang out one-on-one. You could invite them to a concert, get lunch together, or go see a new movie. Before you make a move, get closer to them to see if there's a spark. For instance, you might greet them with a hug or let your legs brush against each other when you sit. When you're ready, move a little closer to them, smile, and look at their lips. Then, lean in and give them a kiss. | Make eye contact and smile. If you've spotted someone cute at a party, event, restaurant, or bar, making the first move means simply introducing yourself and striking up a conversation. First, catch their eye and hold their gaze for a few seconds. Give them a small smile before you look away. Glance back a few more times and try to make eye contact at least once more, so the person knows it wasn't just a fluke. The eye contact might feel uncomfortable at first. Count out 2 seconds in your head to distract yourself from the awkwardness, then glance away naturally. Casually move closer to them. No need to make a beeline straight for them! Make it seem like you're wandering over, talking with a friend or playing on your phone as you go. If they're sitting at another table, grab a friend and walk nonchalantly in that direction, chatting to each other to make it seem natural. Strike up a casual conversation. This might feel like the hardest part, but it's also the most important! Sip your drink or take a bite of your food, then take a deep breath. Have a couple of easy conversation-starters in your back pocket to rely on. Say, “Could I get your opinion on something?” Follow up with an easy question, like “Do you know of anything else fun to do around here?” or “What do you think of the music they're playing? I'm not sold.” Compliment them casually. Stay away from general comments, like “You're really cute.” Instead, try something more concrete and unique, like “Your socks are amazing,” or “That book is great! Good choice.” Ask for their number if you’re hitting it off. This is another tough step, but one that's essential if you really want to see them again. Remind yourself that if they say no, you'll never have to see them again! You can say something like, “This is pretty out of character for me, but I really liked talking to you and would love to hang out more. Could I get your number?” If you still feel like you're testing the waters, say, “We should definitely hang out again,” and then pause. If they feel the same, they'll take this as permission to ask for your number. Don’t be afraid to text them first. Send something relaxed and low-pressure. Touch on something you talked about to remind them of how well you connected, and to prompt even more conversation! For example, you could say, “Hey, this is Rachel from the restaurant last night. It was really cool to meet you. I wish everyone could talk that much about dogs with someone they just met ;)” Flirt like they’re already attracted to you. Start small, by looking into their eyes when you talk, or lowering your gaze and then looking up at them through your eyelashes. Smile slowly while maintaining eye contact. Play with your hair a little and touch their arm when you talk or laugh. Research suggests that acting and flirting like you already know the person is interested in you is more likely to make them actually have feelings for you. Have confidence and go for it! Look your best whenever you’re around them. You don't have to dress extremely fancy, but make sure your hair looks neat and that your face is fresh and clean. In relaxed situations, wear a cute and comfy tee and some leggings or jeans, and a little makeup if you want. If you're going to an event the person will be at, step it up a little more. Make them jealous by talking about other people you’re interested in. This will create some competition, which might make the person realize they don't want you spending time with other people. You can also spend a little less time with them to make them miss you. You'll notice them start to get a bit jealous, which means they're starting to think of you as someone they could be interested in! Invite them out for one-on-one time. Go to a movie or concert, get lunch, or swim at the pool or beach. This is especially important if you've only spent time together in a large group. Showing them that you want to hang out with just the 2 of you will tell them you want to get closer. When you ask them, make it obvious that it's not a date. Say, for example, “You're the only person I know who will sit through this new horror movie with me. Don't make me go alone!” Hug them and get closer physically. Let your legs brush when you're sitting next to each other. Casually lean against them while you're watching a movie. Hug them when you say hello and goodbye, and don't be afraid to linger a little or even kiss them on the cheek. Make an excuse to get closer to see how they react. Say, for example, “It's so cold out!” Wait to see if they take the opportunity to lend you their jacket or even wrap their arms around you. Try a kiss when you’re ready. Move a little closer to them. If it feels natural, lean against their side, or touch their arm or hand. Try touching their face or hair, then smile a little and look at their lips. Lean in and close your eyes, staying calm and relaxed. Do what feels natural to you, and don't overthink it! Go somewhere private and quiet where you can focus on each other. Try setting up a movie night on your couch, or going for a walk in the park. Poke fun at them. Make a light-hearted joke out of something you see on their profile, like a ridiculous picture or a cheesy description. This will help you connect with each other right away, and you can also get an idea of how well your senses of humor will match up. Say something like, “You're just holding that dog so girls will talk to you! I'm onto you…” Ask them a funny, personal question. Try something light, random, interesting and unique to make yourself stand out. You'll get the conversation flowing naturally and start getting to know them right away. Say, for example, “What's the most embarrassing thing you did when you were little?” or “Tell me about the weirdest date you've ever had.” You could also ask something specific, like what their favorite movie or TV show was in the past year, the best meal they ate over the past month, or their favorite book of all time. Send a random emoji with no context. If he doesn't respond at all, say, “No?” to make a little bit of mystery. If he asks what's going on, say, “It was a test. You failed. But you can earn back some points by going out to dinner with me.” Play a flirty game. Skip the introduction and go right into a game like Truth or Dare or Would You Rather. They'll see you as playful, and competitive in a good way. Start off with something funny and random, like, “I have a burning question for you. Would you rather have unlimited sushi until the day you die, or a lifetime supply of tacos?” Ask them out right away. This is an especially great strategy on an app like Tinder or Bumble, where both people have to like each other to be able to message. You already know you're attracted to each other, so there's no need to beat around the bush! Maintain a playful tone so they know you're joking, but that you're also very interested. Say something playful, like, “So about that fancy dinner we're going to get…” Use online dating sites safely. Be honest on your profile, but don't give out personal information online. Arrange to meet in a crowded public place, like a popular restaurant or cafe, and have your own transportation to and from the date so you don't have to rely on them to provide it. Never tell your full name, address, or other personal or financial information to someone you've only met online. Finding date on an app or website can be fun if you use them correctly. Use common sense and follow your gut instincts! | Make eye contact and smile. Casually move closer to them. Strike up a casual conversation. Ask for their number if you’re hitting it off. Don’t be afraid to text them first. Flirt like they’re already attracted to you. Look your best whenever you’re around them. Make them jealous by talking about other people you’re interested in. Invite them out for one-on-one time. Hug them and get closer physically. Try a kiss when you’re ready. Poke fun at them. Ask them a funny, personal question. Play a flirty game. Ask them out right away. Use online dating sites safely. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Truck-Dispatcher | How to Become a Truck Dispatcher | Start your career as a truck dispatcher by getting your high school diploma if you don't already have it. Then, enroll in a truck dispatcher course or take college classes in logistics and transportation to make sure you get a good foundation for your career. It can also help if you get experience by working for a shipping or transportation company so you can learn more about the industry. Once you've got plenty of experience, find a job as a truck dispatcher or work for yourself as a freight broker. | Graduate from high school or obtain a GED. This job doesn't necessarily require higher education, but you do need at least a high school diploma. You likely won't be considered at all if you don't have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Enroll in a truck dispatcher course. While you don't need higher education, taking a short course in truck dispatching could give you an edge in the field, though it's optional. You can find courses online to take or look up a course in your area. There are schools specifically for training truck dispatchers. Work on a degree in logistics and transportation. While you don't need a degree for this job, it can help to have an associate's or bachelor's degree in logistics and transportation. Some companies may even require it. Check for schools in your area that offer this degree, or work on an online degree. Gain experience in the shipping or transportation industry. Often, experience is not necessary for this position, but it certainly doesn't hurt. If you gain experience, you'll be able to learn the state and federal laws that determine load limits and safety regulations. Working in another position in the shipping and trucking industry can help you gain beneficial experience. Develop customer service skills. A large part of being a truck dispatcher is dealing with customers and their needs. That means you need to develop your customer service skills so that you can assist your customers effectively. You can develop customer service skills in a variety of ways. For instance, working retail or even a call center job can help you develop these skills. Work on empathy by spending time with people who are different from you. Have conversations where you learn about them and what makes their lives unique. You can also try taking an acting class, as that makes you put yourself in other people's shoes. Work on your communication skills. Communication skills are absolutely essential in this job, as you'll be talking and writing to both customers and drivers throughout the day. You have to be able to say things so that the listener understands what you're saying on the first try if possible. When communicating, put the most important information first. List the rest of the information in chronological order if appropriate. Also, be concise and to the point; avoid adding extraneous details. The best way to improve your skills is to put these tactics to use in your daily life. Also, make sure you listen carefully when talking to people, and respond to what they're saying instead of just continuing on with what you were saying. Move to a state that pays more for this position. If you're looking to make as much as you can in this position, consider moving to an area that pays more. As of 2016, the areas that paid the highest salaries for truck dispatchers were North Dakota, Illinois, Washington, Alaska, and New York. You can check the statistics for the current year on the website for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pick a state that hires more dispatchers to help you find a job. Another option is moving to an area that hires the largest number of dispatchers. As of 2016, the states with the highest employment in this position per 1,000 jobs were North Dakota, Alaska, Louisiana, Nevada, and Texas. Work as truck dispatcher for 1 company. If you want to be a truck dispatcher, you can simply look for a job with a single company. You would apply to that company, and then you would coordinate loads with trucks owned by only that company. Work from home if you don't want to move. In some cases, you can do this job from the comfort of your own home. Many companies hire remote dispatchers. All you'll need is basic office equipment, such as a computer, a printer, and 2 computer monitors. Usually, you are just hired on by a single company, and you move loads with trucks from that company. Think about being a freight broker to work for yourself. Another option is moving loads for more than 1 company, in which case you're a property broker/freight broker. For this option, you must register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association and get an active US Department of Transportation number. You can also work under the license of another registered freight broker. Once you're registered, you can set up a company and advertise your brokering services. Search for jobs. You can use major job searching sites, such as Monster, Indeed, and Yahoo!. You can also search for jobs on the websites of major trucking companies and shipping companies. Use words like "truck dispatcher," "shipping dispatcher," and "freight dispatcher" to help find positions. Customize your resume for these positions. The main traits a hiring manager is looking for are customer service skills, management skills, and calmness in stressful situations. Phone-routing experience is also very helpful. If you have any of these skills, try highlighting them on your resume. Also, tailor the application to the job as well, if you're required to fill one out. Show your skills in the interview. Try to make your points clearly and directly, so you show you can communicate well, for instance. Discuss how other jobs have prepared you well for this job. For instance, if you managed a work scheduling system for other employees at a previous job, that could be something that could transfer to this position, as it requires managing drivers' schedules. Know the software inside and out. Most companies use computer software to help you match loads with trucks to haul them. To be efficient at your job, you need to learn the software as well as you can. You may need to spend some extra hours outside of work fiddling around with it and reading about it, so that when you're on the job, you know exactly what to do. Learn to stay calm. This job is demanding, and you'll likely be dealing with calls and emails from both your truck drivers and your customers constantly. In other words, you must learn to handle the stress of dealing with people all day, every day in a high-demand job. Add some deep breathing tricks to your daily routine. If you find yourself getting stressed, take just a moment or 2 to close your eyes. Breathe in deeply to the count of 4. Hold the breath for 4 counts, and then breathe out to the count of 4. Repeat a few times until you feel yourself calming down. Build good relationships with your drivers. Your drivers are on the road delivering products while you're coordinating their efforts. It will help things run better if you get to know them and work hard to make things go as smoothly as possible for your drivers. When your drivers are happy, they'll be more willing to go the extra mile when needed. Plus, happy employees are more likely to stick around, and your boss will appreciate you keeping turnover low. Make sure you know all your driver's names to start. Also, when your drivers make a request or have a need, do your best to fulfill it or fix the issue to help keep them happy. Work on using positive language. When working with customers and drivers, certain language will cause the listener to get angry or upset, such as "I don't know," "We can't," or a plain "No." The key is to use phrasing that comes across better to the customer or driver. Rephrase it into positive language to leave the person feeling better about the interaction. For instance, instead of saying, "I don't know," you can say, "I need to check with the technician to find that information for you." Instead of "No, you can't do that," you could try, "That may not be the best option, but here's something you can try instead." Listen carefully to what your drivers and customers are saying. When you're working with people, they may not always communicate in the most direct way. That means you need to pay attention to what they're saying underneath their words, which will help you address their needs. For instance, maybe you keep hearing drivers say things like "There never seems to be a plan when it comes to routes," or "Why is there another change?" They are essentially saying that they want a better planned schedule, but they're not coming out and saying it directly. | Graduate from high school or obtain a GED. Enroll in a truck dispatcher course. Work on a degree in logistics and transportation. Gain experience in the shipping or transportation industry. Develop customer service skills. Work on your communication skills. Move to a state that pays more for this position. Pick a state that hires more dispatchers to help you find a job. Work as truck dispatcher for 1 company. Work from home if you don't want to move. Think about being a freight broker to work for yourself. Search for jobs. Customize your resume for these positions. Show your skills in the interview. Know the software inside and out. Learn to stay calm. Build good relationships with your drivers. Work on using positive language. Listen carefully to what your drivers and customers are saying. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-an-Aries-Man-Interested | How to Keep an Aries Man Interested | If you're dating an Aries man, you'll need to learn how to keep him interested since he'll likely have a short attention span and crave adventure. Since Aries men tend to lose interest the moment a relationship becomes routine, keep things fresh by trying new activities together or going to new and exciting places. Most Aries guys thrive when they're being active, so plan at least some of your outings around things like rock climbing, hiking, or a game of basketball. You'll also want to give your Aries some space to do his own thing since he'll need to feel free and independent to be satisfied. While your Aries guy may seem confident and adventurous, most also seek reassurance and acceptance, so give your guy some loving tenderness to seal the deal. | Avoid routine. Simply put, an Aries man will lose interest the moment his relationship with you becomes too routine or burdensome. If you sense yourself falling into a routine with him, mix things up to prevent him from getting bored. Realistically speaking, there is no way that every day you spend with him can be completely unlike any other. If you see each other on a daily basis, though, you should try to do something new with him at least once or twice a week to throw off any routine you've developed. Keep up with his pace. If you haven't realized it already, your Aries guy tends to like dates full of variety and adventure. If you want to keep him interested, you need to keep up. On the off chance that your Aries asks what you would like to do, opt for a night on the town instead of a night in. If you absolutely must have a night in, make it as interesting as possible. Cook a meal using exotic and unfamiliar ingredients or rent an instructional DVD on Latin dance. Move fast. If your relationship is still in an early stage, you need to keep the momentum going. The Aries man is not a fan of taking things slow. Get ready to make him fall fast or not at all. Of course, you also need to be honest with yourself about how ready you are to advance the relationship. He might be ready to take you to bed, but if you don't feel likewise, don't let his eagerness push you into something you don't want. If, however, you are ready to move forward, do so confidently and without hesitation. Surprise him. Even though the Aries man will usually take the lead, he will enjoy a relationship with a woman who can keep him on his toes, as well. When he least expects it, surprise him with something new and exciting. If he gets a buzz of energy from being with you, he will want to be with you for as long as possible. One weekend, you could suggest trying something like bungee-jumping or rock climbing , especially if your Aries sweetheart has demonstrated an interest in similar activities in the past. You do not need to drag him there blindfolded, but simply suggesting the idea can be a nice enough surprise. Give the gift of experience. When you want to give your Aries guy a great gift, take him out on an adventure instead of buying him something tangible. He is far more likely to appreciate the excitement of adventure more than some dull trinket. Front-row seats to watch his favorite sports team or a long weekend camping trip will usually make a better present than something like a new CD. Let him do his own thing. An Aries man needs to feel free and independent, so he might not always invite you to take part in his latest and greatest adventure. Try not to hold him back, though. A clingy woman is a turn-off for most Aries men. Try not to be too discouraged if it seems like he would prefer a night out with the guys rather than with you. An Aries man is not likely to beat around the bush and drop hints that things are over; if he loses interest, he will be honest about it. As such, you needn't worry that his sudden interest in hanging out with friends is a subtle indication that things are over between you. Be easygoing. Many Aries men have a tendency to be extremely bossy and do not appreciate being told what to do. In other words, you will need to let him take the lead most of the time. If you want to have your way in the relationship, you need to suggest things in a way that can allow your sweetheart to claim credit for it later. Resist the temptation to fence him in. Unfortunately, many Aries men have wandering eyes. They might flirt with other women they meet regardless of whether or not the two of you are an official item. This might tempt you to keep him home or latch onto him when you head out, but doing so is more likely to drive him away than keep him looking in your direction. If his eyes do start to roam, skip the direct confrontation and focus on making him look back in your direction, instead. Try making eyes at another guy and letting your Aries man catch you doing so. His competitive nature will kick in and he will invest his energy back into wooing you. Challenge him to win your attention. If an Aries man feels smothered by your attention, he may lose interest. On the other hand, if you challenge him to hold your attention instead of worrying about keeping his, he will probably respond to the challenge more than adequately. It is important, however, to let him ultimately win once he accepts the challenge. Act disinterested at first, but once he starts trying to get your focus back on him, let him know that his efforts are working. Stay active overall. Most Aries guys will thrive in a relationship if their partner is active both in and out of the bedroom. Athletic activities are a good way to bond with him, especially if those activities involve some level of challenge. Engage in a one-on-one race, game of basketball, or similarly competitive game. Keep in mind that Aries men hate routine, so your physical activities should not adhere to a strict schedule. In other words, a daily jog after work might not be the best thing to hold his attention. Mix up the activity and time a little each time. Match him play for play. In terms of physical intimacy, the Aries man rarely needs much coaxing. Whether you've reached the bedroom stage or not, you can expect him to put the moves on fast and to heat things up in the blink of any eye. You'll need to keep pace with him if you want to avoid boring him. For your own sake, you might want to stay physically fit. Otherwise, you'll find yourself exhausted well before he wears out. Be a tease. Unfortunately, the Aries man can be a little selfish regarding acts of physical intimacy and quickly takes over. If you want to have any say in the experience, you may need to act unimpressed from time to time. Doing so can trigger his love for a good challenge, and as a result, he may end up paying more attention to you in the pursuit of his conquest. Hint around this his moves just aren't doing anything for you. Once he catches on, he will be eager to figure out what will and likely won't stop trying new approaches until he reaches his goal. Don't be afraid to try something new. As with all other aspects of his life, and Aries man needs variety. If he wants to try something new in the bedroom, let him. If he gets nothing but "the same old thing" with you, he might get bored quickly. If you are uncomfortable with something, though, you need to be straightforward and directly tell him to stop. Once he gets an idea in his head, he will go through with it, even without direct permission. Only direct denial will be enough to put the brakes on things. Support him on his latest and greatest adventure. Since Aries men crave excitement and variety, they tend to get involved with more new things than most other guys do. He may or may not invite you along for the trip, but either way, you should let him know that you're cheering for him the entire time. This means being involved in other aspects of his life, whether they be new business ventures or new hobbies. If he welcomes you into the adventure, join him confidently. If he doesn't, show as much interest as possible without pressuring him into inviting you. Engage in the occasional debate. Even though your Aries man needs to be right, he needs to be given the opportunity to prove how right he is in order to feel fully satisfied. You can and should challenge him on occasion, but keep in mind that you also need to let him win more than lose. Of course, if you feel strongly enough about something, you don't need to let him have his way or walk all over you. Being timid will not go over well, nor will letting him win when it's obvious that you have the upper-hand. Never put him down. The ego of an average Aries man needs tender loving care. If you have a habit of embarrassing or correcting him in public, you are probably causing a good deal of damage to his sense of self-importance and causing his feelings for you to wane as a result. Making fun of his junior high photos is a definite no-no, and laughing about a mistake he made with his buddies or families will almost always start a huge fight and lead to seriously hurt feelings. In spite of how assertive the Aries male can be, he's actually rather sensitive and easily hurt. Coax him with loving words and gestures. It is true that most Aries guys are impatient and independent, but in order to make the relationship last for a long time, you need to encourage him to grow emotionally. The best way to do so is with obvious, tangible gestures of affection. Deep down, he fears rejection, and continual reassurance of your acceptance will go a long way. Don't be afraid of coming on too strong. A frequent “I love you” or “I can't wait to see you” text is perfectly acceptable, as long as he hasn't told you to back off or stop. Likewise, letting him know that he's been on your mind all day will be a major compliment and will usually go over quite well. Be open. If you really want to hold his attention, you'll need to be honest with your Aries man. Giving him a challenge from time to time is important, but he won't be fond of guessing games, so you need to be decisive and confident when called for and honest about what you want when asked. Now is not the time to get into arguments and expect him to know what you're upset about. Similarly, you should also avoid asking trick questions like the classic, “Does this make me look fat?” He won't appreciate being backed into a corner, even if he knows how to get himself out of it. | Avoid routine. Keep up with his pace. Move fast. Surprise him. Give the gift of experience. Let him do his own thing. Be easygoing. Resist the temptation to fence him in. Challenge him to win your attention. Stay active overall. Match him play for play. Be a tease. Don't be afraid to try something new. Support him on his latest and greatest adventure. Engage in the occasional debate. Never put him down. Coax him with loving words and gestures. Be open. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Talk-Louder-if-You%27re-Shy | How to Talk Louder if You're Shy | To talk louder even if you're shy, start by standing with once foot slightly forward, your shoulders back, and your neck straight, which will help project your voice and give you confidence. Even though it's challenging, try to speak slowly and clearly, so it's easier for people to understand you. When you feel ready to speak, inhale quickly and exhale slowly just before you begin, so that your voice will sound louder and more commanding. | Adopt a confident position. If you're shy, standing or sitting in a confident position may help boost your self-esteem. Some positions can help you project your voice better, but ultimately you should stand or sit in whatever position makes you most comfortable and confident. If you're standing, put one foot slightly in front of the other and rest your body's weight on the back foot. Keep your neck straight, your head high, pull your shoulders back, and angle your torso slightly forward. If you're sitting, keep your back straight and lean forward slightly. Put your elbows and forearms on top of the table and look directly at the person you intend to speak to. Breathe in a way that maximizes voice projection. If you're not used to projecting your voice, focusing on your breathing may help. Regulating your breath and maintaining an erect posture will open up your chest and facilitate a louder, more commanding voice. Inhale silently and quickly, then exhale slowly just before you begin to speak. Try to relax your abdominal region as you inhale. Keep your shoulders and chest as still as possible. Pause at the end of a sentence just before you're about to run out of breath. Then inhale so that your next phrasing feels natural. Start out speaking at a comfortable volume. If you're nervous about speaking loudly, it may be easier if you start out at a more comfortable tone. Spend a little time conversing at whatever volume you're comfortable with and work your way up to a louder volume gradually. Remember that speaking softly and timidly is better than not talking at all. You don't have to rush into speaking loudly. Stick with what you're comfortable with until you get warmed up, then begin pushing yourself. Slow down your speech. Many people speak rapidly when they're feeling nervous or anxious. However, speaking too fast can affect the clarity of your speech. Fast speech may also increase the chance of stumbling over your words or losing track of your thoughts. Try practicing with a recording device and listening back to the speed and clarity of your speech. You can also ask a friend to help you practice projecting your voice. Your friend can tell you whether you need to change the volume, pitch, or speed of your speech. Listen to what others are saying. If you want to carry on a conversation with others, it's important to actually listen to what they're saying. Try not to spend too much time planning what you'd like to say, and focus on what others are saying while they speak. Make eye contact with whoever is speaking and pay attention to what's being said. React appropriately to what's being said. Smile at something funny, frown at something sad, and nod politely to show that you're still listening. Include yourself in the conversation. If you wait for someone else to ask you to participate in the conversation, you might be waiting a long time. It may be difficult, but by chiming in on what's being said you'll let others know that you're interested in participating. Don't cut anyone else off. Wait for a brief pause in which no one is speaking, then chime in. Say something relevant to the conversation and build off of something that someone else said. For example, you might say something like, "I agree with what Dave said, but I also think _______." Work on regulating the volume of your voice. Controlling the volume of your voice can help you speak more clearly and audibly. Try to maintain some awareness of how you sound as well as what you're saying. This is another instance in which practicing with a friend or recording device may help. Instead of using a monotone voice, vary the pitch of your voice and the pace of your words. Start out using a mid-range pitch, then inflect your voice up or down as needed. Gauge your volume. You want to be loud enough to draw the attention of others, but not so loud that you make others uncomfortable. Pause after you say something important, and enunciate your words slowly and clearly so that everyone can hear what you're saying. Drink water before you plan on talking. Many people experience a dry mouth or dry throat during moments of fear, which may make talking difficult. If you're shy or anxious, you might want to try keeping a glass or bottle of water on hand so you can have a drink before you speak. Avoid caffeine or alcohol if you're already nervous/anxious. Caffeine can make you more stressed, and alcohol can lead to dependence. Release some of your stress. Shyness and fear often result in feelings of stress and pent-up energy. If you're too nervous to speak loudly, you may find it helpful to release some of that built-up stress beforehand. Try excusing yourself to the washroom and using that moment alone to stretch and move your muscles before you return to your group and speak up. Stretch your neck forward, backwards, and side-to-side. Stretch your mouth open as wide as it will go. Lean against the wall and stretch your hamstrings, then stretch your adductor (groin) muscles by spreading your legs and leaning side to side. Stand about two feet from a wall and do five quick wall push-ups. Use deep-breathing exercises to manage your symptoms. Many people experiencing extreme shyness, fear, or anxiety suffer from unpleasant physical symptoms. These may include rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, light headedness, and feelings of dread. No matter what physical symptoms your shyness causes, deep breathing can help calm you down and reduce the symptoms of fear/anxiety. Inhale slowly while counting to four. Breathe deeply into your diaphragm (below your ribs), rather than shallow chest breaths. Hold the breath in your diaphragm for four seconds. Exhale slowly while counting to four. Repeat several times until you feel your heart rate and respiration slow down. Challenge your nervous thoughts. If you're shy or nervous, you might experience fearful thoughts during moments of panic. These thoughts can feel very real, but by stepping back and challenging those thoughts you can help break out of your cycle of self-doubt and shyness. Ask yourself the following questions: What am I afraid of? Is this fear realistic? Are my fears grounded in reality, or am I manufacturing/exaggerating this fear? What is the worst possible outcome? Would it be so bad, or could I handle that outcome and bounce back from it? Try to think encouraging thoughts. Once you've broken the chain of self-doubting thoughts, you'll want to replace those thoughts with something more positive and encouraging. Remember that you have the ability to change the way you think, which in turn can alter the way you feel. Try releasing your shy, nervous thoughts by telling yourself, "Shyness and fear are just feelings. They may feel bad, but I can cope with these feelings until they pass." Tell yourself, "I'm an intelligent, kind, interesting person. I may feel shy, but people will be interested in what I have to say." Remind yourself that you've felt shy or nervous before and things turned out okay. Try thinking about times you've succeeded or overcome your fears in the past to empower yourself. Do something you enjoy before every social gathering. Doing things you enjoy can release endorphins, relieve stress, and soothe anxiety. If you know you'll be in a situation where you will have to interact with others and you'll be attempting to speak louder than you're comfortable with, take a little time beforehand to do something fun and relaxing. You don't need a lot of time or effort to squeeze in some down time. Even going for a short walk, listening to soothing music, or reading an engrossing book can all help you calm down and relax. | Adopt a confident position. Breathe in a way that maximizes voice projection. Start out speaking at a comfortable volume. Slow down your speech. Listen to what others are saying. Include yourself in the conversation. Work on regulating the volume of your voice. Drink water before you plan on talking. Release some of your stress. Use deep-breathing exercises to manage your symptoms. Challenge your nervous thoughts. Try to think encouraging thoughts. Do something you enjoy before every social gathering. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Join-the-Mormon-Church-(Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-Day-Saints) | How to Join the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) | To join the Mormon church, you'll need to learn about the religion, go to church, and get baptized. Start by researching Mormon beliefs online and reading the book of Mormon to see if their beliefs align with your own. To be a Mormon, you'll need to start living by these principles, like abstaining from sex before marriage and substances like caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol. If you agree with the Mormon beliefs, head to a Sunday service at your local church to join them in worship. Once you've gone to a few services, speak to a church representative about getting baptized. You'll then need to have an interview, get baptized, and take on Mormon responsibilities, like educating others and donating a tenth of your income to the church, to become a member. | Learn more about what Mormons believe. You should feel like you have a solid grasp on the beliefs of the Mormon Church before becoming a member. You can get literature about Mormonism directly from the LDS Church website to begin with. Once you feel like you know what the religion is about, you can move on to talking with people about the religion. The best source is a member of the Mormon Church or their missionaries. Seek opinions outside of the church. It's also important to ask about the LDS Church from those who are outside of the religion. This way, you will get a more complex and rounded view of Mormonism. If they are willing, you can talk to people who were in the religion but left it. You can also speak with those who know about the religion, but were never a part of it. You can ask those who left the religion what originally brought them to Mormonism, what their experience was like, and why they left. A religious studies professor would be another person to talk to about Mormonism. the Book of Mormon. Read This book is central to Mormon beliefs. Read it with an open mind, and compare its teachings to the Bible. There are always manuals about it available on the LDS Church website in a variety of formats if you're having difficulty understanding the Book of Mormon. Although these were designed for children, they are helpful for adults, too. You can download the Book of Mormon App in the app store. You can also request a physical copy of the book on Mormon.org and local missionaries will drop it off at your house free of charge. If you know someone who is a member of the church they would be glad to get a copy for you. Meet with Mormon missionaries. These missionaries devote up to two years of their lives to teaching others about Mormonism. Approach them on the street when you see them or invite them in when they knock on your door. They can tell you more about the Church and invite you to visit it. You will usually be required to take lessons from these missionaries once you've expressed interest in becoming a member. If you don't see them around, invite them to come to you using the Mormon church's website. Take lessons from the missionaries and members. Once you've expressed your interest, you will become an “investigator.” An investigator is invited to take lessons and learn more about the church. This period of learning could take a few weeks or a few months. The lessons conducted by the missionaries are called “discussions.” The discussions are usually pretty formal. The missionaries discuss their personal feelings about Mormonism, ask questions, and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The “investigation” period depends on the individual's rate of preparation for the baptism. These lessons are often taught in a home setting to a small group. Make commitments during your study. As an investigator, you will be asked to make commitments during your time of study. The commitments range from daily prayer, learning about scripture, and prayerful study of the Book of Mormon. You will also be encouraged to start living the LDS lifestyle. Begin to follow the LDS lifestyle. The LDS lifestyle means following a Christlike attitude in your behavior and actions. You will be asked to attend church meetings and serve those in need. You will also be expected to maintain chastity and abstain from harmful substances—like coffee, tea, tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. You can ask a missionary and member for advice if you aren't sure if a certain item is considered harmful. Attend Sunday worship services. You will be expected to attend worship services and meetings. When you're attending the services, listen to the messages that are taught, talk to members around you, and try to speak with the bishop/branch president or his counselors. Take notes during the services so that you can review them later. Review what you have been taught. Take some time to reflect on what you have learned as an “investigator” as you draw closer to your baptism interview. Find a quiet place in your home or in a park. Reflect on what you have learned so far. If you feel the need, pray about your experience and ask for guidance on whether or not you should become a member. Ultimately, the decision is up to you. A missionary, member, or official will likely pull you aside to have a discussion with you when they think you are ready for the baptism interview. You can also reach out to a missionary about some lingering thoughts and questions. Have a baptism interview. You will need to have an interview before the baptism once it has been decided that you are prepared for it. The interview is typically conducted by an official Church representative. As a baptismal candidate, you will be asked if you have a heartfelt testimony of the fundamental doctrine of God. You will also be asked if you follow and will continue to follow God's commandments as long as you live. You can review what you've learned, but don't worry too much about the interview. The interview is simply meant to make sure you're ready to be baptized, to make a sacred covenant, and fully become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Get baptized. If the Church representative feels that you are ready, you will be given an invitation to be baptized as a testimony to others and to God that you have accepted Jesus Christ. Baptism is one of the requirements for membership. Baptism is symbolic of the washing away of sin and rebirth, as well as eternal life. Members of the congregation will sing hymns, pray, and offer words of support during the baptism. You can invite friends and family members to witness this special event. The requirements for baptism are described in Doctrine and Covenants 20:37. Be confirmed a member of the LDS Church. The confirmation will happen directly after the Sunday afternoon baptism. A Priesthood holder will lay their hands upon your head and confirm you a member of the LDS Church. You will also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Once you are confirmed, you will be presented for acceptance and as a member in full fellowship. You are officially a member of the worldwide church in both the spiritual and physically tangible senses at this time. Being confirmed also entails that your personal information will be added to the Mormon Church's records. Take responsibility within the church. Becoming a member of the LDS Church means taking part in it. This means attending sermons and serving within the church. You could also serve by teaching Sunday school classes, organizing social activities, and coordinating emergency preparation, among other responsibilities. Serve in whatever activity you feel called to. If taking part in these activities is too much for you, simply being there for others is enough. All adults are asked at some point to serve as a home or visiting teacher. This means visiting members' homes to ensure that they are being cared for and taught. Talk to other members about culture shock. Being a Mormon means having a unique cultural and ethnic identity. Not every new member of the LDS church experiences culture shock, but it is a common occurrence. Speak with other members, both new and old, about what you're experiencing and any problems you may be having. Culture shock doesn't mean you've made the wrong decision. It just means that you're experiencing something unlike anything you've experienced before. | Learn more about what Mormons believe. Seek opinions outside of the church. the Book of Mormon. Meet with Mormon missionaries. Take lessons from the missionaries and members. Make commitments during your study. Begin to follow the LDS lifestyle. Attend Sunday worship services. Review what you have been taught. Have a baptism interview. Get baptized. Be confirmed a member of the LDS Church. Take responsibility within the church. Talk to other members about culture shock. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Fix-Chemically-Burnt-Hair | How to Fix Chemically Burnt Hair | To fix chemically burnt hair, start by combining 2 tablespoons of honey with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Next, apply the mixture to your hair and scalp, then wrap your hair in a towel. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then wash out the residue with a mild shampoo. Alternatively, you could try using a deep penetrating reconstructor shampoo, along with an intense hydration conditioner to help restore your hair back to health. | Wash your hair with a good quality shampoo. This means a salon-quality shampoo made with high-quality active ingredients. Spend some time looking at the list of ingredients and choose one based on the contents, not just the name brand. Avoid ingredients like sulfates (ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, and sodium lauryl sulfate), isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, and propylene glycol. These ingredients will dry out your hair, break down healthy hair proteins, and leave your hair prone to more damage in the future. Look for ingredients like sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate, and disodium laureth sulfosuccinate. These compounds are gentler than the sulfates used in many cheaper shampoos and are derived from more natural ingredients like coconut oil. You can also choose shampoos that contain glycerin and panthenol. Glycerin helps fortify your hair by creating a protective barrier and panthenol allows your hair to retain more moisture and thickens the hair follicles. Apply a deep penetrating reconstructor shampoo. This kind of shampoo will help fortify your hair by creating a barrier between the hair and any heat you may apply to your hair (through blow drying, straightening, etc.). Leave it in your hair for five minutes and then rinse it out. Alternate between using this shampoo and your other high-quality shampoo. Don't use both during the same shower. Over-washing your hair can leave it drier and damaged in the long run. Gently towel dry your hair. You want to make sure you allow your hair to fully absorb the products in each of these steps. Towel drying your hair will help it soak up the benefits of the shampoo treatments before moving on to the conditioning steps. Apply an intense hydration conditioner. These kinds of conditioners will work to restore the hydrolipidic barrier and prevent future dehydration in your hair. Normally, these are not leave-in conditioners. You will typically apply the conditioner to your hair while it's wet, massage the conditioner into your scalp, and then rinse it out. Use a hot oil treatment with a plastic wrap. These kinds of treatments can help your hair regain some its original shine and moisture. But using too much oil in your hair can make your hair look greasy, so be careful not to overdo it. Usually, 1-3 times a month is enough for this kind of treatment. Heat up ⁄ 2 cup (120 mL) of an essential oil, such as olive oil or coconut oil, so that it is warm to the touch, but not boiling, and massage it into your hair. If you don't heat the oil right away, apply it to your hair, put on a shower cap, and you sit underneath a hairdryer. Cover your hair with a plastic wrap (or even a shower cap if you don't have a plastic wrap) and leave it in for 30-45 minutes, depending on the severity of your hair's damage. When you are finished, rinse the oil out of your hair with lukewarm water. Use a conditioning oil mask to moisturize your hair. Mix together one tablespoon of a protein-enriching shampoo, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of a moisturizing conditioner. Massage the mixture into your scalp and leave it in as a mask for your hair. Cover your hair with a plastic bag, then wrap it all up in a towel. Leave the mixture in for 20 minutes, then rinse your hair clean. Use honey and olive oil to help damaged hair. Combine 2 tablespoons (14 g) of honey with 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of extra virgin olive oil. Apply the mixture to your damp hair, making sure to rub it into your scalp completely and pull it down towards the ends of your hair. After you have saturated your hair with the mixture, wrap it in a towel. Leave it in for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the amount of damage your hair has. Then rinse with warm water. Wash out any remnants with a mild shampoo. You can adjust the measurements of the ingredients based on the length of your hair. For example, if you have longer hair you may want to use 4 tablespoons (28 g) of honey and 6 tablespoons (89 ml) of extra virgin olive oil. Make a hair mask out of banana and honey. This particular mask will work to restore dry and damaged hair and is mild enough to use twice a week. In a bowl, mix together 1 mashed banana, 1 raw egg, 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of milk, 3 tablespoons (21 g) of honey, and 5 tablespoons (74 ml) of olive oil. Apply the mixture to your hair thoroughly and leave it in for 15-30 minutes. Rinse your hair with cool water and a mild shampoo. Change your hair care products. Switching it up can help your hair recover from existing damage and prevent future damage. Try using products that hydrate your hair – like a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. You can also try products with a protein or keratin reconstructor to help fortify your hair. Avoid coloring your hair or using other harsh chemicals treatments. If you are serious about preventing future damage to your hair from harmful chemicals, you should avoid them altogether when possible. While they may look nice for a while, they only cause damage in the end. Avoid using these damaging chemical treatments to help prevent future trouble for your hair. If you have to dye your hair, try using a more natural dye like henna or tea. This will cause much less damage. Trim your hair regularly. Getting frequent trims for your hair can help prevent future damage and minimize or restore existing damage. Take the time to maintain your hair's health by trimming it regularly, usually every 6 to 8 weeks. | Wash your hair with a good quality shampoo. Apply a deep penetrating reconstructor shampoo. Gently towel dry your hair. Apply an intense hydration conditioner. Use a hot oil treatment with a plastic wrap. Use a conditioning oil mask to moisturize your hair. Use honey and olive oil to help damaged hair. Make a hair mask out of banana and honey. Change your hair care products. Avoid coloring your hair or using other harsh chemicals treatments. Trim your hair regularly. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Install-a-Wall-Safe | How to Install a Wall Safe | To install a wall safe, start by locating the studs behind the wall with a stud finder and marking their locations with a pencil. Next, choose a position between 2 studs and use a drywall saw to cut out space in the wall according to the dimensions of your safe. Then, slide the safe into the hole and secure it to the studs on either side with drill. Finally, install any shelving that came with your wall safe before storing your items inside. | Budget for your safe. Wall safes cost between $50-$350 on average but some will be even higher priced. For a decent safe you can budget between $150-300 but the actual price will depend on the features and size you want. Different security features and fireproofing abilities can increase the cost of your chosen safe. Figure out the correct size. Most homes are built from two-by-fours (44 x 94mm) spaced 16 inches (40.5 cm) apart. This means that the typical safe will have to fit in this space. Look for a wall safe with a width of less than 16 inches (40.5 cm) and depth of 3.5 inches (9 cm). You can then chose the height that you prefer in which to fit your belongings. Check the size of your walls if you feel they do not agree with these average measurements by finding the studs in your walls. with fire resistance. Choose a wall safe Fire resistant safes will protect your valuables and papers in the event of a fire. Both Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Intertek (ETL) are independent organizations that rate wall safes according to fire resistance. If you want a fire resistant wall safe choose one that will protect your goods for at least 30 minutes because most fires move through a room in about 20 minutes. UL and Intertek rate wall safes according to the type of material they will protect and the length of time they will provide protection. Look on the safe itself or the packaging for these ratings. Choose the wall safe with a fire protection rating according to what you would like to protect. Papers should not get hotter than 350 degrees F (176 degrees C), old tape recordings or 35mm slides no hotter than 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) and CDs/DVDs no hotter than 125 degrees F (52 degrees C). In Europe the Eurograde system evaluates wall safes. Decide which access control features you would like. Access control features may include a combination, a key, both a key and pin code or biometric data such as a fingerprint. All access methods are fairly effective and depend on the user to maintain their effectiveness. If you are using a wall safe as a gun safe then it might be preferable to choose biometric access to prevent a key or code from falling into the hands of children. Check theft resistance ratings. Some but not all wall safes have been tested for burglary resistance. Again check for the UL label. A safe rated B4 then it would be able to withstand an attack of at least 15 minutes using common tools. Most burglaries take around 8-12 minutes so a wall safe with this rating would be safe during this time. Ratings of B1, B2 or B3 mean the safe provides very little security and resistance to tools. A B5 rating means the safe can withstand 30 minutes of a typical attack with common tools while a B6 rating means the safe can withstand 30 minutes of attack with common tools, torches and carbide-tipped tools. Decide if you want water resistance. Water resistance ratings are also performed by Intertek and will be marked “verified” if they meet criteria. These safes would protect valuables in case of a flood or broken water line. Buy your safe from a store that specializes in safes. Safes can be purchased from many hardware stores as well as online marketplaces. Buying a wall safe from a shop that specializes in safes can give you the opportunity to speak to an expert regarding the options that would work best for you. Find the right location. Choose a location that is accessible so that you can use the safe effectively. Additionally the safe should be out of the regular traffic pattern of the house such as a closet, the laundry room, behind a heavy piece of furniture, behind a bookcase filled with books or in a child's room. This makes the wall safe less noticeable and obvious to potential intruders. The location will also depend on the studs in your wall. Make sure you choose a location which will be able to make use of the space between studs. Locate your studs. You will want to fix your safe between studs to allow it to be recessed inside your wall and thus less noticeable. Use a stud finder to locate the studs behind the wall by running the stud finder across your wall. The tool will have an indicator to show when it has found a stud. Stud finders can be purchased from your local hardware store. If you don't have a stud finder you can knock on the wall and listen for a hollow or solid sound. If the sound is hollow then the location is probably between studs; if it sounds solid then there is likely a stud in this location. Knock a nail into the wall. As you hammer you will be able to feel if you hit a stud by the way the nail goes into the wall. These holes will be covered once you have installed your wall safe. Mark your studs. Use a pencil to mark the locations of the studs on the wall. This will help orient your lines when you cut out the section of the wall. Cut out a small square of space using a drywall saw. After you've found a good safe and a place to install it between studs, you are ready to cut into your wall. Cut out a small square of space big enough for your hand to fit through. Reach into the space with your hand to feel for electrical wiring or plumbing. If you find wires you need to be extra careful to go around them or reroute them. If you find plumbing in the way you may need to find a new location. If the wall is clear, you are ready to cut out a space for your safe. If something is in the way and you are not confident in your ability to safely move or go around it, the best option is to find a new section of wall. Measure the wall to mark the size hole needing to be cut for the safe. Mark the four corners of your square hole using a pencil. Use a level to make level lines between the four corners. It is essential that the top and bottom are parallel with the ground while the sides are parallel with your studs. The hole should be close enough to a stud so that you can attach it to your safe later. Make sure to measure and level correctly so that you don't end up with an uneven or wrongly sized hole. Cut along the marks to create a hole in the wall. Use your drywall saw to cut along the marked lines. Start with the bottom edge of the opening and then cut the sides. You should cut the top line last to make sure the piece does not fall out beforehand, creating an uneven line. Slide your safe into the hole. Put your safe into the hole, remembering to keep it help up with your hand. The door is the heaviest part of the safe due to the locking mechanism so be careful to hold up the corner so that it doesn't fall out on you. Fix the safe to the studs by drilling through the holes in the sides of the safe. Drill holes into the sides that match with the holes on the interior of your safe. Drill in each screw and then tighten them firmly. This is an important step that prevents burglars from simply cutting your safe out of the wall and walking away with the whole thing. Insert the shelves. Place the shelves inside the safe in their desired locations, making sure you line them up correctly. Some shelves will have cutouts to make space for the door locking mechanism and door hinges; make sure these cutouts are in the correct locations. | Budget for your safe. Figure out the correct size. with fire resistance. Decide which access control features you would like. Check theft resistance ratings. Decide if you want water resistance. Buy your safe from a store that specializes in safes. Find the right location. Locate your studs. Mark your studs. Cut out a small square of space using a drywall saw. Reach into the space with your hand to feel for electrical wiring or plumbing. Measure the wall to mark the size hole needing to be cut for the safe. Cut along the marks to create a hole in the wall. Slide your safe into the hole. Fix the safe to the studs by drilling through the holes in the sides of the safe. Insert the shelves. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Jojo-Bow | How to Make a Jojo Bow | If you want to make a JoJo bow by hand, start by cutting a long strip of wide ribbon. Bend the ribbon in half, fold it, and crease the ends. Next, fold the ribbon in half again, crease the ends, and unfold it to create 5 evenly-spaced creases. Overlap the first 2 creases on the right, angling them down, and bring the third crease from the right back over to the second crease. Then, rotate the ribbon bundle so that it's vertical and tuck the second-to-last crease into the stacked layers of ribbon. Bring the final crease to the top of the stack to create a 4-looped bow. Finally, scrunch the middle of the bow like a fan or accordion and tie a piece of thin ribbon or thread around the middle to secure it. | Cut a long strip of wide ribbon, with the ends slanting in the same direction. Choose a 2 ⁄ 4 in (5.7 cm) wide ribbon in a color that you like, then cut it down to 36 to 40 in (91 to 102 cm). Trim the ends so that they both go in the same direction: // or \\. Grosgrain ribbon works great for this, but you can use satin ribbon too. Chiffon ribbon would give you a nice, delicate look. If the ribbon is wired, scrunch the end down to expose the wires, then pull the wires out—just like you would a straw. For a nicer finish, ask an adult to help you singe the cut ends of the ribbon with a lighter or candle flame. Bend the ribbon in half, then fold and crease the ends by 3 in (7.6 cm). Fold the ribbon in half first, so that the cut ends match up and make a V-shape. Next, fold the ends over at the same time by about 3 in (7.6 cm). Run your fingernail across the folded edge to create a crease. This crease is important because it will help you figure out where to overlap the ribbon later on. If you can't crease the ribbon, don't worry about it. You'll just have to eyeball the placement instead. Fold the ribbon in half again, crease the ends, then unfold it. Bring the bottom folded edge up to the top folded edge. Run your fingernail across all folded ends to sharpen the creases, then unfold the ribbon completely. When you unfold the ribbon, you'll have 5 evenly-spaced creases, starting and ending 3 in (7.6 cm) from the cut ends. Overlap the first 2 creases on the right, angling them down. Orient the ribbon horizontally. Take the first crease on the right and place it on top of the second crease. Angle the end down so that it sticks out over the bottom edge of the ribbon. Keep the angle at about 45 degrees. If you couldn't crease the ribbon, bring the last 3 in (7.6 cm) of the ribbon over by about 4 in (10 cm). You can start from the left side of the ribbon if that's more comfortable for you, but you'll have to reverse everything in this method. Bring the third crease from the right back over to the second crease. Take the next crease over, and pull it back towards the previous (second) crease. Set it down on top of the already stacked layers of ribbon. Make sure that the rest of the ribbon is hanging down over the bottom edge of the stacked layers. The 2 ends of the ribbon should overlap one another, like an X, and pointing downward. Rotate the ribbon bundle so that it's vertical. Hold the bundle in your left hand and rotate it so that the tails are sticking out to the right. If you started out on the left side of the ribbon, then hold it in your right hand and rotate it so that the tails are on the left side. Tuck the second-to-last crease into the stacked layers of ribbon. Take the ribbon tail and slide it into the stacked layers of ribbon. Stop pulling when the second-to-last crease is right inside the stack, sandwiched between the top and bottom layers of ribbon. Bring the final crease to the top of the stack. Take the last crease appearing on your ribbon. Pull it upward and set it down on top of the stacked ribbon layers to create a 4-looped bow. Do not tuck the end of the ribbon into the stack. Scrunch the middle of the bow, like a fan or accordion. Fold the middle of the ribbon by pinching the edges together. Next, fold the top edges down to meet the bottom edge so that you have 2 folded edges in the front of the ribbon and 1 in the back. You can also just scrunch the middle of the ribbon up randomly, but doing an accordion fold will look much neater. Tie a piece of thin ribbon, wire, or thread around the middle. You can also use a zip tie, but be sure the cut off the excess. Don't worry about how the thin ribbon, wire, or thread look like; this is just to hold the bow together as you finish it. If you're using thin ribbon, make sure that it's no wider than ⁄ 8 in (0.32 cm). Zip ties can be difficult to cut. If you used a zip tie, ask an adult to help you cut it. Wrap a piece of narrow ribbon around the middle to hide the thread. Cut a 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) piece of ⁄ 8 in (1.6 cm) wide ribbon. Tie a loose knot in the middle, then hot glue the knot to the center of the bow. Wrap the ends to the back, then overlap them and hot glue them together. Alternatively, skip the knot, and hot glue the ribbon to the bow. Next, hot glue a large, fancy rhinestone to the middle of the ribbon. Rather than gluing the ends of the ribbon directly to the back of the bow, glue them to each other instead. This will allow you to slide the clip under them. Hot glue an alligator clip to the back of the bow. For a nicer finish, open up the alligator clip, and slide it under the ⁄ 8 in (0.32 cm) ribbon that you wrapped around the bow. Purchase and assemble a JoJo bow maker. Set the rectangular base on a flat surface. Place 4 rods into the 4 holes that are grouped together like a box in the center. Next, insert 2 rods into 2 of the holes on the left side of the base, and 2 more rods on the right side of the base. The left and right sides of the base both have 3 holes each, but you only need to insert rods into 2 of them. Place the side rods next to each other to make a small bow, or further apart to make a big bow. Place a piece of string between the rods in the middle of the board. Orient the board horizontally, with 1 of the long edges facing you. Drape the string vertically across the board, placing it right into the square formed by the 4 central rods. Cut the string about 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) long so that it's long enough to wrap and tie around the ribbon. Baker's twine words great for this, but you can also use yarn or thin ribbon. If you choose to use ribbon, pick something that's no more than ⁄ 8 in (0.32 cm) wide. Weave the ribbon across the left half of the board. Place the end of the ribbon behind the bottom-right rod in your square, with the back facing you. Pull it in front of the bottom-left rod in your square. Finally, wrap it behind the rod in the bottom-left corner of your board. The front of the ribbon is shiny, the back of the ribbon is not shiny. Keep in mind that grosgrain ribbon is the same on both sides. The ribbon in your kit should already be cut to the right length. If you lost the ribbon, cut a 40 to 36 in (102 to 91 cm) long piece of 2 ⁄ 4 in (5.7 cm) wide ribbon. Pull the ribbon back towards the end and secure it with a clip. Wrap the ribbon across the front of the bottom-left rod on your board. Pull it across the front of the bottom edge of the square and towards the rod in the bottom-right corner of the square. Hold it against the end of the ribbon, and clip them together. Use a hair clip, bobby pin, or a clothespin to clip the ribbons together. If the end of the ribbon is too short, pull on it to make it longer. Don't worry, you'll still have plenty of ribbon to work with. Wind the ribbon around the bottom-right rod and behind the top-left rod. Pull the ribbon in front of the bottom-right rod. Pull it upward, the drag it to the left, going across the top edge of the square. Continue pulling the ribbon towards the top-left rod, then stop when you're behind it. Wrap it around the top-left rod and pull it back towards the right side. Pull the ribbon across the front of the top-left rod. Bring it right through the middle of the square, and land it between the top-right and bottom-right rods on the side of the board. Make the ribbon run horizontally through the middle of the square, between the top and bottom set of rods. Thread the ribbon under the already-wrapped ribbon on the right side. By now, there are 2 rows of ribbon wrapped around the rods. Take the top layer of ribbon, thread it under the bottom layer of ribbon, and pull it to the right again. Don't pull the ribbon off the rods. Just thread it under the bottom layer of ribbon. Make sure that the ribbon is between the top-right and bottom-right rods on the edge of the board. Bring the ribbon around the top-right rod, then pull it to the left side of the board. Pull the ribbon up and wrap it around the top-right rod. Bring it towards the left side of the board, placing it right between the top-left and top-right set of rods. Don't thread this ribbon under the already-wrapped ribbon. Pull it across the top of the already-wrapped ribbon. Tie the string around the bow, then pull the bow off the rods. Use another clip to hold the ribbon in place first, if necessary. Next, take the ends of the string from the very beginning, and tie them into a tight, double-knot in the center of the ribbon bundle. Carefully slide the bow off the rods. Be sure to remove the clips before you pull the bow off the rods! When you're done, flip the bow over, wrap the string to the back, and tie it into another double knot. Adjust the bow's loops, then trim off any excess ribbon or string. Gently pull the loops apart to create a boxy-bow shape. Cut the string down as close as possible to the knot. If you have any ribbon hanging off the side of your bow, cut it down so that it's flush with the edge of the bow. If the cut ribbon is fraying, ask an adult to singe it with a flame, or seal it yourself with some super glue or fray check. Tie a thin ribbon around the middle, then glue the ends to the back. Cut a 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) length of ⁄ 8 in (1.6 cm) wide ribbon. Tie a knot in the middle, then hot glue it to the front of the bow. Wrap the ends to the back, overlap them, then hot glue them to each other to form a loop. Be careful not to actually glue the ribbons to the back of the bow. Gluing them together instead creates a tight loop for you to slide the clip into. Open up an alligator clip, then slide it under the loop. If you accidentally glued the ribbons to the back of the bow, or if you're having trouble sliding the clip through, just hot glue it to the back of the bow instead. | Cut a long strip of wide ribbon, with the ends slanting in the same direction. Bend the ribbon in half, then fold and crease the ends by 3 in (7.6 cm). Fold the ribbon in half again, crease the ends, then unfold it. Overlap the first 2 creases on the right, angling them down. Bring the third crease from the right back over to the second crease. Rotate the ribbon bundle so that it's vertical. Tuck the second-to-last crease into the stacked layers of ribbon. Bring the final crease to the top of the stack. Scrunch the middle of the bow, like a fan or accordion. Tie a piece of thin ribbon, wire, or thread around the middle. Wrap a piece of narrow ribbon around the middle to hide the thread. Hot glue an alligator clip to the back of the bow. Purchase and assemble a JoJo bow maker. Place a piece of string between the rods in the middle of the board. Weave the ribbon across the left half of the board. Pull the ribbon back towards the end and secure it with a clip. Wind the ribbon around the bottom-right rod and behind the top-left rod. Wrap it around the top-left rod and pull it back towards the right side. Thread the ribbon under the already-wrapped ribbon on the right side. Bring the ribbon around the top-right rod, then pull it to the left side of the board. Tie the string around the bow, then pull the bow off the rods. Adjust the bow's loops, then trim off any excess ribbon or string. Tie a thin ribbon around the middle, then glue the ends to the back. Open up an alligator clip, then slide it under the loop. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Memory-Foam-Pillow | How to Clean a Memory Foam Pillow | To remove a stain from a memory foam pillow, mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. If you want to cut the vinegar smell, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the mixture. Remove the pillowcase to directly spray the stain. After 5 minutes, use a damp cloth to blot the affected area. If the stain doesn't lift immediately, repeat the process until it does. Finally, to deodorize and disinfect your pillow, hang it on a clothesline in the bright sunlight! | Remove the pillowcase and wash it as directed. As soon as you've spilled something, remove the pillowcase and check its care instructions label. Soak it in cool water or wash it according to its care instructions immediately to prevent staining. Using a liquid-proof pillowcase or pillow protector will help keep your memory foam pillow clean. Since washing it is not as simple as throwing it in a machine, stain prevention will save you the hassle of more frequent cleanings. Soak up liquid with towels as soon as possible. With the pillowcase removed, blot the spill area with dry cloths or paper towels. Try to soak up as much of the spilled liquid as possible. Use blotting motions instead of hard scrubbing or rubbing. Less gentle motions can damage the pillow's foam structure. Dab the spill area with a moist cloth and mild detergent. Once you have soaked up excess liquid, dab the area with a cloth or paper towel moistened with cool water. If you have trouble getting out the spill out, squirt a drop or two of mild, alcohol-free dish soap onto the damp cloth and use it to blot the spill area. Hot water causes stains to set, so cool water is your best option. Have patience and keep gently blotting instead of scrubbing hard. Use as little moisture as possible to clean the spill, as water can damage memory foam. Blot and air dry the pillow completely. After cleaning up the spill, blot the area with a dry towel. Avoid wringing out the pillow, or you'll risk damaging the foam structure. Once you've removed as much dampness as possible using the towel, let the pillow air dry completely before replacing the pillowcase. You can use a blow dryer to quicken the drying process, but be sure it is on a cool setting. Avoid using a dryer or you'll risk melting a memory foam pillow. Mist the pillow with a fabric freshener. A fabric freshening spray, such as Febreeze, is a good quick fix if you need to neutralize an odor. While it might not deal with tougher odors, it'll work as an easy first line of defense. You should spray the pillow lightly with fabric spray and avoid saturating it. Sprinkle baking soda onto the pillow. With the pillowcase removed, sprinkle baking soda liberally over both sides of the pillow. Let it sit for up to 15 minutes for basic odor removal. For tougher jobs, let it sit for at least 30 minutes. You can also sprinkle the pillow with borax if you prefer it or don't have baking soda on hand. Vacuum up the baking soda after letting it sit. Use a handheld vacuum cleaner or a hose attachment on a floor vacuum to remove the baking soda. Vacuuming will also remove dust, skin cells, and other particles from within the pillow. It's wise to invest in an inexpensive handheld vacuum that you use only for your bedding. That way, you won't use the same appliance for both your floors and places you rest your face. Try leaving the pillow out in bright sunlight. Using sunlight to disinfect and deodorize is an old fashioned technique that many manufacturers now recommend. Hang your pillow outside on a clothesline on a warm, sunny day for natural odor removal. To keep it from picking up allergens, choose a day with a low pollen count to air out your pillow. Give it a quick vacuuming after hanging it outside. Try dabbing it with water and a mild detergent first. If a stain has set, your first course of action should be to try cool water and mild soap. Use blotting and dabbing motions and avoid hard scrubbing. Remember to use as little water as possible when cleaning spills and stains. Spray the stain with an enzymatic cleaner. If your first attempt is unsuccessful, try a slightly stronger cleaner. Find an enzyme cleaner in a spray bottle at a nearby home, grocery, or department store. Spray the stained area or, to remove heavy duty odors, the entire pillow. Let the cleaner stand for five minutes after spraying. Spray the pillow lightly and avoid saturating it. Use a vinegar solution if you don’t have an enzymatic cleaner. You can make a quick vinegar solution if you need to remove a stain right away but don't have an enzyme cleaner on hand. Mix together one part cool water and one part white distilled vinegar, then transfer the solution to a spray bottle. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the solution to help cut the vinegar smell. Spray the pillow lightly with the vinegar solution then let it stand for five minutes. Blot the area with a damp cloth. After letting the cleaner stand for 5 minutes, dampen a clean cloth or paper towel with cool water. Use it to blot the affected area and gradually work out the stain. Repeat the spray, let stand, and blot process until you have removed the stain. Avoid ruining your pillow to get out a stubborn stain. If you cannot remove a stain, remember that the pillow will be covered by its case and the stain won't be visible. Don't scrub or soak the pillow or use a harsh cleaner. If there's no bad odor, it's better to have an invisible stain than a ruined pillow. Dry the pillow completely before replacing the pillowcase. Give the pillow 12 to 24 hours to air dry completely or use a blow dryer on a cool setting. Replacing the pillowcase while the pillow is still wet could encourage mold growth. Using the pillow while it's still wet could damage the foam. | Remove the pillowcase and wash it as directed. Soak up liquid with towels as soon as possible. Dab the spill area with a moist cloth and mild detergent. Blot and air dry the pillow completely. Mist the pillow with a fabric freshener. Sprinkle baking soda onto the pillow. Vacuum up the baking soda after letting it sit. Try leaving the pillow out in bright sunlight. Try dabbing it with water and a mild detergent first. Spray the stain with an enzymatic cleaner. Use a vinegar solution if you don’t have an enzymatic cleaner. Blot the area with a damp cloth. Avoid ruining your pillow to get out a stubborn stain. Dry the pillow completely before replacing the pillowcase. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Relieve-Wrist-Pain-from-Lifting | How to Relieve Wrist Pain from Lifting | If your wrists hurt from lifting, take some time to rest and relieve your pain. Apply an ice pack for 10 minutes at a time every hour for the first 2 days, which will reduce swelling. After 2 days, you can switch to applying a hot pack to promote healing and circulation. You can also gently massage the inner parts of your forearms to give you some relief. Additionally, take over-the-counter pain relievers to reduce inflammation. | Avoid lifting or other heavy activity for several days. If you feel pain after lifting, exercising, or stretching, avoid putting pressure or stretching your wrists until the pain goes away. This can take several days depending on how injured your wrists are. Resting the wrists can reduce inflammation and prevent more damage to the muscles around your wrists. Some movement may help your wrists, however, by maintaining your range of motion. You can do normal daily activities, such as typing or cleaning. Do wrist circles to keep your wrists flexible. As long as you do not have any fractures or tears in your wrist, wrist circles can improve your range of motion, reduce stiffness, and promote healing. To do wrist circles, slowly roll your wrist clockwise up to 10 times. Next, go counterclockwise for 10 times. If you need support, wear wrist splints while you do normal daily activities to prevent re-injury. Buy wrist splints from a pharmacy or supermarket. Avoid wearing them for too long, as they could reduce your wrist's mobility. Apply ice packs to your wrists. Place ice packs on your wrists and hold them there for 10 minutes. You can do this once every hour for the first 1 to 2 days that your wrists hurt. If you don't have ice packs, wrap ice cubes in a wet dish towel and hold these over your wrists. Avoid placing ice directly on your skin. Apply heat to your wrists if the pain continues. While ice is best right after an injury, heat can promote healing and reduce pain a day or 2 after the injury. Put heat on your wrists for 15-20 minutes. Turn on a heating pad or soak a towel in hot water. For the most benefit, alternate heat and ice on your wrists. Get a massage or rub your forearms. Professional massage therapy can relieve wrist pain, reduce swelling, and relieve inflammation. A massage therapist will focus on the muscles in your forearms since these control your wrist movements. You can also rub the inner parts of your forearms near the elbows to get quick relief. Take over-the-counter pain relievers. Buy a pain reliever that will reduce inflammation in your wrists and make you more comfortable. Follow the manufacturer's dosing instructions to take ibuprofen or acetaminophen. You may need OTC pain relievers for a few days after injuring your wrists. Get medical treatment, if necessary. If you've rested your wrist and taken steps to relieve the pain, but it still hurts after 1 to 2 weeks, contact your doctor. If you have a physical therapist, you can also schedule an appointment with them. You should also get medical treatment if: You have sharp pain. The pain is too severe to treat with OTC pain relievers. Your wrist swells up. Wrap your wrists with a strap or tape. When you're ready to lift again, protect your wrists from injury before you begin. Wrap your wrists with athletic tape or put wrist straps on before you lift. These can relieve some of the pressure you'll be putting on your recovering wrists. Do bending stretches to strengthen your muscles. Prevent tension from building up in your muscles by gently stretching before you lift. Keep your forearms and elbows straight while you bend your wrists up. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Bend your wrists in the opposite direction and hold the stretch for 30 to 60 more seconds. You can also do this stretch throughout the day to improve your wrists' range of motion. Alternatively, try wrist curls, which can strengthen the muscles around the joint of your wrist. Hold a 5 to 7 lb (2.3 to 3.2 kg) dumbbell with your palm facing downward and flex your wrist up and down for 20 to 50 repetitions. You can then do the reverse with your palm facing upward. Practice rotating your wrists 3 times a day. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle and keep the palms of your hands facing down towards the ground. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds. Then turn your hands over so your wrists and forearms twist around. The palms of your hands should now be facing up. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds. Do 10 repetitions of these twists about 3 times a day. Reduce the amount you lift. Start with lighter weights than you're used to lifting and gradually add weight as your wrists become stronger. If you add weight and start to feel wrist pain, take a break and use less weight when you start lifting again. Keep your wrists in a neutral position when you lift. Pay attention to how you use your wrists as you lift. They shouldn't be curling or taking on the bulk of the weight. Instead, your wrists should be straight or neutral. Keep the back of your hand lined up flat with your forearm. For example, if you're doing bicep curls, keep your wrists straight as you bring the weights toward you. If you feel any pain as you lift something, change grips to a better position that doesn't hurt. This might mean holding an object from different sides or using one hand or arm to do more of the lifting. | Avoid lifting or other heavy activity for several days. Do wrist circles to keep your wrists flexible. Apply ice packs to your wrists. Apply heat to your wrists if the pain continues. Get a massage or rub your forearms. Take over-the-counter pain relievers. Get medical treatment, if necessary. Wrap your wrists with a strap or tape. Do bending stretches to strengthen your muscles. Practice rotating your wrists 3 times a day. Reduce the amount you lift. Keep your wrists in a neutral position when you lift. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Taste-Tester | How to Become a Taste Tester | If you're interested in becoming a taste tester, look online for places that might be hiring near you by using “taste tester” as your search words. Or, if you know about local food manufacturers or restaurants, check out their websites! When you find an opening, read carefully to be sure you meet the requirements, like being 18 or older, or not having any food allergies. Time for your first taste test? Don't eat or smoke at least 30 minutes before, and hold off on the perfume or cologne until after the test. | Research consumer taste testing opportunities. A variety of organizations (food manufacturers, restaurants, consulting companies, governments and universities) hire consumers to test food products. Being a consumer taste tester is not a full-time job, so you'll want to look for an opportunity close to where you already live. The best place to start is with a Google search for "taste testers" in your area. Consumer taste testers get paid approximately $15/hour or up, but sometimes are paid per test, instead of per hour. If you know of a specific organization in your area, start your search on their website. Some examples of where to look include the following: McCormick & Company is located in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The Consumer Product Testing Centre via the Government of Alberta is located in Edmonton, Alberta. The National Food Lab is located in Livermore, California. The North Carolina State University Sensory Service Centre is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Check eligibility requirements. Organizations require that, as a taste tester, you be at least 18 years old to participate in their programs. And you cannot have any existing food allergies. You will also be required to complete taste tests during weekdays and during work hours. Each organization may have their own, specific requirements as well. You can confirm these requirements on their website when you complete an application. Also be aware that some organizations may have a limit on the number of times you can participate in a consumer taste test in a given year. Submit an application. Complete the required application or registration form from the organization's website. Most applications can be completed and submitted online, but a few are still require a paper application to be submitted via mail. Applications will require basic items like your name, address, phone number, email address, gender, and birthdate. You may also be asked about your food preferences, including whether you are a vegetarian or vegan. Answer more detailed screening questions. All the information you provide to a taste test organization is stored in a database. The organization then uses the database to find the right people to participate in each taste test - based on the information you've provided to them. In order to ensure they can find the right testers for each opportunity, the organization may send you questionnaires asking very specific questions about food. Be sure to answer any questions that are asked honestly, as your answers will impact what tests you'll be asked to participate in. For example, some tests may require males who are 20 to 35 years old. The organization will query the database to find all testers who are male and who are between the ages of 20 and 35. They will then reach out to some of those testers to see who may be interested in participating. Sign-up for taste test opportunities. In addition to reaching out to you on a proactive basis, some organizations have an online portal for testers only. You'll be able to sign into this section of the website to view potential testing opportunities. Keeping track of potential opportunities on your own will help ensure you're able to participate in more tests. Organizations, like FPI Testers, also post available tests on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. In order to make sure you don't miss any great opportunities, follow the accounts for the organization for which you're a member and keep track of what they post on social media. Prepare yourself for tasting. Once you're all setup with an organization, it's time to prepare for an actual taste test. Information about what to expect at a taste test can be found on the organization's website, and, if anything specific is required, they'll send that information to you directly. Before a taste test, the organization will send you information about the ingredients in the items you'll be testing. Review this information to ensure you won't have an issue with any of them. Some additional ways to prepare are included below: Be on time, or a little early. Do not eat or smoke within the 30 minutes before your test. Do not wear fragrant items like perfume or cologne. Do not bring children with you. You will also be required to turn your cell phone off when in the test. Depending on the type of test, you may also be required not to speak to anyone else while at the test. Determine if a food science or sensory analysis career is right for you. Among other things, one thing many food scientists (or sensory analysts) do is help develop new food products, or make existing food products better. In order to make sure the food meets consumer expectations, they spend time organizing taste tests with consumers and analyzing the results of those tests. Food scientists also get to taste test their own food, before it is tested by consumers. At a minimum, food scientists require a Bachelor's of Science degree from a post-secondary school, normally in a food science-related major. Many food scientists go onto pursue graduate degrees as well, especially if they're interested in academic research. Food scientists earn approximately $58,000 per year. Obtain the appropriate level of education. If you decided to pursue a career in food science or sensory analysis, and you don't already have the appropriate education, you will need to enroll in a Bachelors of Science program at a university. All major universities have a science faculty where you can earn a Bachelors of Science in a general area like biology or chemistry. But some schools have special food science departments where they teach you more specific skills pertaining to food production. Examples of some North American options are as follows: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has an undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology. North Carolina State University has undergraduate programs in Food Science, Bioprocessing Science, Nutrition Science, and Applied Nutrition. The Culinary Institute of America has undergraduate programs in Culinary Arts, Applied Food Studies, and Culinary Science. The University of Florida has undergraduate programs in Dietetics, Food Science and Nutritional Sciences. The University of Alberta has undergraduate programs in Nutrition, Food Science, and Dietetics. Think about taking an after-degree program. Some universities, in addition to degree programs, also offer after-degree or certificate programs in more specific subjects associated with sensory analysis. If you already have a Bachelors of Science, but did not major in food sciences or something related, consider taking a certificate program to increase your skills in sensory sciences. Some options to consider are as follows: The University of California-Davis offers an Applied Sensory and Consumer Science certificate program, which can be completed online. The Culinary Institute of America offers a Wine and Beverage graduate certificate program at their Napa Valley, California campus. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers a Food Safety and Defence graduate certificate, which can be completed online. Join a food industry organization. Like any major industry, food scientists have professional associations for members of that industry to join. Members of the association are able to keep up-to-date on industry news and events, and research developments. Food scientists, or sensory analysts, have a couple options for associations:: The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has several membership levels to choose from, including “regular” member, professional and student. The Food Institute, which is part of a non-profit organization called the American Institution of Food Distribution, offers memberships for anyone. Memberships offer access to a large variety of information pertaining to the American food industry. Review food science and sensory analysis job postings. University career centres, the Institute of Food Technologists and other career websites will post jobs associated with the food industry. You can also review the career websites of food manufacturers or governments if you know of a specific organization where you'd like to work. Search for “food scientist,” “sensory scientist,”“sensory analyst,” or “sensory technologist" in order to find these specific positions. Make yourself stand out as a food scientist or sensory analyst. While a specific educational background is required, chances are most, if not all, applicants will have the same degree as you. To make yourself stand out, consider enhancing the following skills via further education and practice: critical thinking and problem solving active listening and learning technical and scientific writing knowledge of industry standards and regulations data and quality control analysis cooperative and collaboration within a team environment | Research consumer taste testing opportunities. Check eligibility requirements. Submit an application. Answer more detailed screening questions. Sign-up for taste test opportunities. Prepare yourself for tasting. Determine if a food science or sensory analysis career is right for you. Obtain the appropriate level of education. Think about taking an after-degree program. Join a food industry organization. Review food science and sensory analysis job postings. Make yourself stand out as a food scientist or sensory analyst. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Book-Drake | How to Book Drake | Drake is a highly in-demand musician, but if you offer the right price at the right time, you'll have a better chance of booking him to perform at your event. Start by searching online for a professional booking agency with good reviews that has booked big-name acts in the past. Then, call them and ask if they can help you book Drake. They should come back to you with a quote, which will probably be over a million dollars. This is a lot of money, but it will cover expenses for Drake's transport, accommodation, production costs, booking fees, and staff wages on top of his personal profit. Don't pay any fees before you've signed a contract to make sure it's not a scam. | Search for booking agencies that will assist you in hiring Drake. Booking agents work directly with artists and their teams to schedule events and appearances, such as concerts and private parties. In order to land a major talent like Drake for your next event, you must go through a booking agent. To find a booking agent that works with Drake, conduct a quick internet search. Use the following key phrases in your search: ”Book Drake” Booking Agency AND Drake” ”Hire Drake” Celebrity Booking Agent AND Drake” Your search should produce at least three verifiable booking agencies. Assess the booking agencies. After locating booking agencies, you should assess each company. Your careful evaluation of each organization should include reading the content provided on the company's website and searching for independent reviews of the company. Remain on high alert for potential scams and hidden fees—if a booking agency seems too good to be true, it probably is. Well-established companies should at least have a phone number, fax number, and mailing address. Read reviews on a third party website. Do not contact companies that require fees to process your inquiries or a deposit before you've signed a contract. Contact the booking agency or agencies of your choice. After thoroughly examining each booking agency, select one or more to contact. Many booking agencies have an online contact form on their website. These forms are confidential. They are used by the booking agency to get a better sense of your needs and budget. Fill out all of the required information, including your desired artist, answer all required questions, and include any comments or concerns you may have about the process. A booking agency may require you to provide your target budget for the event. This allows the agency to know 1) if the inquiry is legitimate and serious and 2) if you can afford to book Drake. If Drake's fees fall outside of your desired price range, the agent may recommend other artists. Instead of filling out the online form, you may call the booking agency. Determine how much it will cost to book Drake for your event. As Drake's fame continues to increase, so does the cost of hiring him for a private concert or event. In 2011, he was paid $250,000 to sing at a Bar Mitzvah in New York City; in 2014, it was estimated to have cost between $350,000 and $600,000 to book Drake for your party. Understand the pre-production and onsite production costs. In addition to covering the entertainer's fee, you will also be responsible for paying the pre-production and onsite production costs. Included in this fee are the cost of: Airfare Ground Transportation Hotel accommodations Sound Lights Emergency Equipment Staging elements Independent event planner fees (if you prefer not to book everything through the booking agency) Examine the rider. A rider is a list of additional requirements made by the artists. It is always attached to or RIDING the event contract. The rider may include requirements, such as specific flight numbers, expected hotel and green room amenities, as well as the types of food and beverages Drake would like available to him and his team. You may be expected to pay for any items or services requested in the rider. Determine the booking agency’s fee. In addition to paying Drake for his time, you must also pay the booking agency for its time and service. Many agencies will not charge your for a quote. Instead, they will only charge you a service fee and commission if you choose to book through them. The booking agency's fee and/or rate of commission should be clearly listed in the quote and later the contract. This fee will be significantly greater if you choose to let the booking agency manage the pre-production and production details. This level of service is often called a “turn-key” package. Read through the written agreement, sign the contract, and pay the deposit. Once you have selected a booking agency, an agent will provide you with a comprehensive contract and rider, or list of additional requests made by Drake. Read through this contract carefully. When you speak to the agent, ask any questions and highlight every concerns you may have with the legal document. After settling on terms you, Drake, and the booking agency can agree to, sign the written agreement and pay the required deposit. Never pay the deposit before signing the contract. If you are not given a copy of the contract, request one. Work with the booking agency to plan your event. Throughout the event planning process, remain in close communication with the booking agency. The company should keep the booking agency will keep you informed of any conflicts regarding Drake's performance. A good agency will work with you to ensure that the event runs smoothly based on your business agreement. Great booking agents are resourceful, organized, and responsible. Their job is to make sure Drake, you, your guests, and the vendors have the best experience possible. If your contact person at the booking agency is acting in an unprofessional manner, contact their supervisor. Watch Drake perform at your event. After weeks or months of planning, the day of the event finally arrives. Instead of stressing about the party, allow your event planner or booking agent to take care of all the last minute details so that you can have a wonderful time experiencing Drake's phenomenal live-performance. The superstar will make your event remarkable and memorable. | Search for booking agencies that will assist you in hiring Drake. Assess the booking agencies. Contact the booking agency or agencies of your choice. Determine how much it will cost to book Drake for your event. Understand the pre-production and onsite production costs. Examine the rider. Determine the booking agency’s fee. Read through the written agreement, sign the contract, and pay the deposit. Work with the booking agency to plan your event. Watch Drake perform at your event. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Sore-Toe | How to Treat a Sore Toe | A sore toe can be inconvenient, but with the right home treatment, you can relieve your pain and help it heal as soon as possible. Rest your toe and refrain from exercising until it's better. While you're resting, keep your foot elevated above your heart to help reduce any swelling. To reduce pain and inflammation, hold an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel on your toe for 10 minutes. You can also soak it in a bath or tub of hot water and Epsom salt for 20 minutes to help soothe your toe. If you experience severe pain or swelling or your toe gets worse, visit your doctor so they can rule out any underlying issues. | Rest your foot. The best way to treat a sore foot is simple rest and relaxation. This is especially helpful if you believe your sore toe is due to injury or overexertion. Try and stay off your foot for a few days and see if you notice any improvement. Do not engage in strenuous exercise and avoid walking and jogging until your pain passes. Ice your toe. Applying ice on a sore toe can help speed up healing time. You can make your own ice pack at home or buy an ice pack at a drug store. If you buy an ice pack at the store, make sure you do not apply it directly to your skin. An ice pack should always be wrapped in a towel or rag before applying it to an injury. You can also place ice cubes in a plastic bag or use something like a bag of frozen vegetables. Take over-the-counter painkillers. Over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen can help ease foot pain. Take any over-the-counter meds as directed on the package. Make sure you talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you're on any medication currently or have other medical problems. You want to make sure over-the-counter medication will not negatively interacting with any existing medications. Try an Epsom salt soak. While there is limited scientific evidence as to the benefits of Epsom salt soaks, many people find them soothing for foot pain. You can purchase Epsom salt at many drug stores. Fill a bath or basin with lukewarm water and then add a small handful of salt to the water. Soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes and see if you notice any improvement. Elevate your toe. Elevation can help reduce soreness and swelling in sore feet and toes. Try elevating your foot slightly above your heart whenever possible. See if this improves your symptoms. Decide when to see a doctor. A sore toe usually heels on its own within a few days and is not a cause for medical intervention. However, you should see a doctor if you have the following symptoms: Severe pain or severe swelling An open wound Any signs of an infection, such redness, warmth, tenderness, or a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or pus coming from a wound or the area that's sore. Are unable to walk Are unable to put any weight on your foot Familiarize yourself with possible causes. Toe pain can be caused by a variety of medical conditions. See if you have other symptoms that may point to some common causes of toe pain. An injury such as dropping something on your toe, kicking something with your toe, or stubbing your toe can cause acute toe pain. See your doctor if you have suffered an injury of your toe and have severe pain, swelling, or other severe symptoms. Gout, a type of arthritis, can be a cause of toe pain. In addition to toe pain, you may notice redness, warmth, and tenderness near your toes. Blisters, corns, and callouses are common foot ailments that can sometimes cause toe pain. You will usually notice fluid-filled sacks, pimple-like marks, and hard, rough areas of yellowish skin. Blisters tend to heal naturally on their own while callouses and corns may require medical removal. Ingrown toenails are a common cause of foot pain. These occur when the sides of your toenails grow into the surrounding skin. The toenails pierce the skin, causing it to become red, swollen, or tender. You may also notice brown discoloration of the toenails. Rule out serious causes of toe pain. While many causes of toe pain are easily treatable, some conditions can be somewhat serious and difficult to treat. Evaluate whether you're at risk for any serious conditions related to toe pain and see a doctor to rule out such conditions. Diabetes can cause tenderness in the feet and toes. Other symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent urination, frequent hunger, and cuts and bruises that are slow to heel. If you're concerned you may have diabetes, your doctor can diagnosis you with a routine exam and blood test. Arthritis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the joints. If you have arthritis, you will probably notice pain throughout your body in addition to your feet. You are more likely to have arthritis if you are a senior. If you're worried about arthritis, talk to your doctor. Ask your doctor about treatment options. If your sore foot does not improve with at home treatments, see if your doctor can offer any treatment options based on your condition. Your doctor will perform an examination to determine the cause of your foot pain and recommend treatments from there. If you have a broken toe, your doctor may use medical tape to secure the bones in place so they can heal. Usually, the injured toe is taped to the uninjured toe allowing that toe to act as a splint. Your doctor may also provide a cast or a stiff bottom shoe to promote heeling. In very rare cases, surgery is used to treat a sore toe. For the most part, over-the-counter medications are ideal for the treatment of a sore toe. However, if your pain does not improve with over-the-counter meds your doctor may recommend prescription medication based on the suspected cause of your condition, your medical history, and your existing medications. Get a referral to a podiatrist, if necessary. A podiatrist is a foot doctor who can give you another opinion about your toe, especially if the pain is lingering and becoming a chronic problem. The podiatrist will examine your foot and toes for trauma and look for any benign growths or tumors. Your regular physician will refer you to a podiatrist if he or she feels it is necessary. Change your footwear. High heels and shoes that are too small or tight can cause soreness of the feet and toes. Make sure you select comfortable footwear that fits your feet. If you have a job that requires a lot of walking, opt for comfortable flat shoes over high heels or tight, pinchy dress shoes. Consider a shoe insert. If you are prone to foot soreness, consider purchasing shoe inserts. You can either ask a doctor for customized shoe inserts or purchase over-the-counter inserts at a local department store. Shoe inserts are flat, gel-like material inserted inside your shoe to help ward off discomfort than can lead to soreness down the road. Take precautions when trimming your toenails. As ingrown toenails can cause toe soreness, make sure you trim your toenails properly. Always cut your toenails flat across and avoid cutting into corners. This can cause ingrown toenails.<ref? https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ingrown-toenail/ </ref> | Rest your foot. Ice your toe. Take over-the-counter painkillers. Try an Epsom salt soak. Elevate your toe. Decide when to see a doctor. Familiarize yourself with possible causes. Rule out serious causes of toe pain. Ask your doctor about treatment options. Get a referral to a podiatrist, if necessary. Change your footwear. Consider a shoe insert. Take precautions when trimming your toenails. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Dry-Cleaning-Business | How to Start a Dry Cleaning Business | To start a dry cleaning business, start by researching the competition and amount of people in your area to see if you'll be able to get customers. Then, shop around for a storefront you can rent to open your business in so you'll know how much it will cost to keep your doors open. You'll also need to rent or buy equipment, which is cheapest when you get it from another business that is closing. Finally, hire staff if you need them and start marketing your service on social media. | Gain experience. Before opening your own business, try working in an existing dry cleaning shop for a few months to a year. This will help you determine if the dry cleaning business is right for you, and can teach you valuable skills that you can bring to your own business. You may also learn a lot about what kind of equipment you will need, how much money you can expect to spend starting up your business, and how to interact better with customers. If working in a dry cleaning business isn't an option, do some thorough research. Read online to learn what it takes to run a dry cleaning business, borrow books from the library, and ask questions to people who work in the industry. Research the market. Chances are you will have a difficult time starting up a dry cleaning business if you've never worked in that market before. Check census data to determine the population in your area. Use a phone book or search online to determine how many dry cleaning businesses exist in your community. You don't want to start a new business in an over-saturated market. Decide on a location and model. You'll want to know in advance where you plan on opening your business, so you can factor in the cost of renting a storefront. You may also want to brand yourself as an alternative dry cleaning business that offers home delivery or uses environmentally sustainable cleaning methods. This may help you appeal to potential customers, and could fill a vacant niche in your community. If you choose to make your business a delivery service, you'll need reliable transportation, as well as reliable drivers. This also requires you to decide whether or not you will hire a staff, and how big your staff will be. Consider opening a "green" dry cleaning business. Many traditional dry cleaning businesses use harmful chemicals known as perchloroethylene. Green dry cleaners use healthy, environmentally-friendly chemicals like harvested carbon dioxide. Write a business plan. This should be a formal declaration of your professional goals and your plans for attaining those goals. It will serve as a template for your business, and may be necessary to secure funding if you intend to take out a loan. Start with organization and management. This is a good place to begin your business plan, as it lays out your company's managerial structure, the professional qualifications for each member of your business, and your plans for maintaining ownership of the company. Next, describe your service in great detail, including any factors that separate your business from existing dry cleaning businesses. You should also incorporate a description of how your service works, and include any existing, pending, or predicted filings for copyrights or patents related to your business. Lay out your proposed marketing strategy, including how you plan to enter the market, how you plan on growing your business, what your channels of distribution might be, and how you plan on marketing your business to customers. Develop a sales strategy that includes your proposed sales force and your projected sales activities. Draft up a funding request, if necessary. This should include your business's current financial needs, projected financial requirements over a period of five years, how (specifically) you will use funding upon receipt of financial assistance, and strategic financial plans for the future. After you or an accountant has analyzed the market you intend to enter, you will need to draft up a financial projection. This includes historical financial information if you've been in business before, as well as projected financial data (anticipated earnings, losses, etc.) for the next five years. Secure funding. Once you've set a budget and calculated your projected profits and losses, you'll need to secure funding to get your business off the ground. How much you will need will depend on where you intend to operate your business, as well as what kind of equipment you intend to use. It's possible to start a dry cleaning business for under $2,000, but some high-end, industry-specific equipment can cost $40,000 or more. Some start-up dry cleaning businesses require as much as $500,000 in capital just to get the business off the ground. Consult with an accountant or financial advisor to determine how much money you will need to secure. You may be eligible for a small business loan. Contact a financial institution in your area, or read more about small business loan qualifications at https://www.sba.gov/content/7a-loan-program-eligibility. Consider opening a franchise location, rather than starting a business from scratch. A franchise has several advantages, including name/brand recognition and an existing, successful business model. Obtain the necessary permits and licenses. You'll need a special permit and license to operate a dry cleaning business, and you'll probably need to renew your license and permit on a regular basis. Contact your local and state officials to obtain and file the necessary paperwork to start your dry cleaning business. If you plan on hiring a staff, you may also need to contact the Internal Revenue Service to register your business and receive an Employer Identification Number. Rent or purchase equipment. You can't run a dry cleaning business without dry cleaning equipment. This part of the process can be quite expensive, but if you buy cheap equipment it could end up increasing your costs to pay for repairs or replacements. Buy from reputable equipment manufacturers and dealers, or consider buying equipment in good working condition from a dry cleaner who is going out of business. Hire a staff. It's best if your staff has relevant experience, and knows how to work at a dry cleaning business. Keep in mind that you will have to pay your staff competitive wages. Hourly wages for this occupation range from $8.13/hour to $14.67/hour, but in some cities the minimum wage may be as high as $15/hour. Even with a staff, expect to spend much of your time at the store. You will probably need to work at cleaning clothes quite a bit, especially to help keep costs down (doing your own work instead of paying extra employees to do the work you could be doing). You'll also need to spend a lot of time at the store to be the face of your business, networking with customers and ensuring that clients are satisfied with the work you've done on their clothes. Market your business. Marketing your new dry cleaning business is essential in bringing in the customers to keep it running. A phone book advertisement may be expensive, but could bring in a lot of clients. However, social media allows businesses to advertise for free, and lets customers reach out directly to business owners. You can even offer special discounts or coupons through social media, which would encourage customers to follow your business online. | Gain experience. Research the market. Decide on a location and model. Write a business plan. Secure funding. Obtain the necessary permits and licenses. Rent or purchase equipment. Hire a staff. Market your business. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Ignore-People-You-Don%27t-Like | How to Ignore People You Don't Like | To ignore people you don't like, avoid places where they usually hang out so you can spend as little time as possible around them. If you have to be in the same space, avoid looking at them so they don't come over or start a conversation with you. You can also hang around other people you like, so you don't have to be alone with the person. If you can't avoid speaking to them, be as polite as you would be with a stranger so they don't have any reason to be mean to you. However, if they start treating you badly, don't be afraid to walk away! | Stay away from the person. Avoidance is sometimes the easiest way to ignore someone. If someone is getting on your nerves, try to keep your distance as much as you can. You can avoid places they're likely to hang out. If an annoying co-worker always eats lunch at noon, try eating lunch outside of the office or taking a later lunch. Avoid social situations where you're likely to see that person. If annoying person from school is going to be at party this weekend, try making other plans. Avoid eye contact. When you're in the same room with someone who annoys you, be aware of your eyes. If you accidentally glance at the person, this could result in eye contact. This can be misinterpreted as an invitation to come over and talk. When you're around the person, try not to look at them. This will help minimize interactions. Communicate through others. If you work with someone, you sometimes have to communicate with them. It may be easiest to do it through others. You don't have to be rude about this. Do not, for example, say within the person's earshot something like, "Could you tell Jeff, who I'm not speaking to, to put his dirty dish in the sink?" You can, however, ask others to deliver information when necessary. For example, you're working in a group for a work project. The annoying person is in your group. You may ask one of your group members to talk to the person, or you might only reach out to them via email or text message. Curtail your responses. You can't completely avoid talking to someone, especially if you see them at work or school. You don't want to give a complete silent treatment when someone's talking to you, so work on curtailing your responses. When someone talks, give curt responses like "Hmmm" and "Okay." This will hopefully send the message that you want some space. Tune out negative behavior. If someone is pessimistic or highly critical of things, try to ignore it. Ignoring it may help you stay positive without their negativity affecting you. For example, if your office mate constantly complains about how much work they have, try ignoring them so that you don't feel bad about your own work. You shouldn't ignore everything. If a co-worker always teases you to the point you feel uncomfortable around them, confront them. You can say, "Would you mind not joking about my outfit? I enjoy what I wear, but it makes me feel bad when others criticize how I dress." Find strengths in numbers, if necessary. If the annoying person is very aggressive towards you, adopt the buddy system. Try to have friends or co-workers accompany you places you're likely to see the person. Friends can, for example, walk with you between classes or eat lunch with you to keep the annoying person away. Be formal with the person. There is no reason to be rude simply because you're ignoring someone. In fact, being rude will only escalate the situation. When you have to talk to the person, do so with formality. Say things like, "Please," "Excuse me," and "Thank you." Show the person basic manners while maintaining a somewhat stiff demeanor. This will show the person you're not being hostile but you don't want a lot of interactions with them. Do not taunt the person. Ignoring someone should not be an aggressive act. Do not make faces at the person, roll your eyes when they talk, or blatantly pretend not to hear them when they address you. You are now being annoying in return, which is not a good way of dealing. Never taunt someone while you're ignoring them. Acknowledge their presence when necessary. You cannot completely tune someone out, especially if you work with that person. When necessary, acknowledge their presence in a manner that's polite but not overtly friendly. For example, offer a brief wave or nod when you pass them in the hallway. Reply to their question of, "How are you?" with "I'm fine. Thanks." Whenever you speak to this person, keep your sentences short and to the point. This will prevent any awkward or uncomfortable chatter. Walk away when necessary. Sometimes, people may not take the hint. If someone continues to annoy you, even when you've tried to subtly indicate you don't want to talk to them, it's okay to make an excuse and walk away. For example, a co-worker is being very critical about an aspect of your personal life. Even though you're giving non-comital responses, they keep at it. Say something like, "Okay, I appreciate the input, but I don't really need it and I have somewhere to be." Then, leave the situation. Stand up for yourself in the moment. Sometimes, an annoying person may cross a line to the point you feel uncomfortable or threatened. In these scenarios, it's okay to stand up for yourself in the moment. Be assertive and address the situation. Calmly tell the person they crossed a line. Let them know you do not tolerate this type of behavior. For example, "Don't talk to me like that. I don't need unsolicited advice." Document negative behaviors at work or school. If you feel uncomfortable because of an annoying person at work or school, document this. You want to make sure you have information to give to a higher authority if it comes to that. Each time the person gets on your case, briefly jot down what was said, who saw it, and the date and time. If you ever need to raise a formal complaint, you'll have a lot of information from which to pull. Talk to the person about their behavior calmly. If someone is consistently annoying you, it's okay to calmly address the behavior. Wait until you can get a moment alone with the person and calmly and collectively explain what they are doing wrong. For example, "I know you don't mean anything by it, but I don't love getting teased about my outfits." Let the person know how the behavior makes you feel. "It makes me feel uncomfortable at work, because people are always pointing out my looks now." Lastly, tell the person where to go from here. For example, you can say, "I really don't want you to make comments like that anymore. Do you understand?" Instead of criticizing the person, tell them what types of actions you won't tolerate. This will help prevent conflict. Instead of saying, "You're so annoying," you might say, "I really need quiet time to get my work done." Bring in an outside authority figure. If someone's behavior does not improve after a direct confrontation, call in a higher authority. If you're in school, let a teacher or principal know. If you're at work, talk to someone in the HR department. You have a right to feel comfortable at your place of work or your school. | Stay away from the person. Avoid eye contact. Communicate through others. Curtail your responses. Tune out negative behavior. Find strengths in numbers, if necessary. Be formal with the person. Do not taunt the person. Acknowledge their presence when necessary. Walk away when necessary. Stand up for yourself in the moment. Document negative behaviors at work or school. Talk to the person about their behavior calmly. Bring in an outside authority figure. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-a-Pet-Rat-Clean | How to Keep a Pet Rat Clean | To keep your pet rat clean, first fill a sink with an inch of warm water. Then, lower your rat into the water and keep hold of it so it doesn't try to escape and fall out. Once your rat is comfortable, use your other hand to scoop water and run it over its back, neck, and belly. Then, wash its fur with a pet or baby shampoo to avoid irritating its skin. You should also gently wipe its face and tail with your clean fingers to avoid getting soap in its eyes. When your rat's all clean, refill the sink with fresh water and rinse it off. Finally, dry your rat with a clean towel to remove any excess water from its fur. | Fill the sink with an inch of warm water. The water temperature should be a comfortable warm temperature similar to what you would want in a bath — not too hot and not too cold. Since rats are fairly small, you only need to fill the sink with about an inch of water for the bath. Make sure the water stays warm throughout the bath. If the water starts to cool off too quickly, add some more warm water to the bath. Place your rat inside the water and allow them to get comfortable. Just like other animals, some rats like baths and some do not. When you place your rat into the bath you'll want to keep a good hold on them unless they love the water and are not trying to get out. Some rats may not like the loud sound of running water, but may calm down once you turn off the tap. Pour water over your rat’s body and fur. Once your rat is comfortable in the water, hold them firmly with one hand to keep them steady. Use your other hand to scoop up the water and run it over your rat's back, neck and belly. Avoid getting any water directly in their ears or eyes. Shampoo your rat’s fur. Once your rat is sufficiently wet, squirt a small amount of shampoo on your rat's back. Use your free hand to scrub the shampoo across your rat's back and belly. Use your nails to gently scrub the shampoo into their fur and remove any stains. You will want to use very gentle and natural shampoo on your rat. Shampoos designed for kittens and puppies will work as long as they do not contain any flea medications or other additional chemicals. One great option for shampoo is a gentle and natural baby shampoo, as it will have very limited ingredients in it. Another great option for shampoo is pure castile (vegetable-based) soap. Wipe your rat’s face with your fingers. In order to avoid getting water and soap in your rat's eyes and ears, use the tips of your fingers to wipe water around their face gently. This will help clean their nose and mouth. Clean your rat’s tail. Use your fingers to gently wipe your rat's tail from base to tip. Go in the direction of the scales, not against them. Don't scrub the tail, just wipe. Because your rat is always dragging its tail behind it, the tail can get dirty before the rest of your rat. If your rat doesn't need a complete bath, you can just use a damp cloth to clean the tail. Replace the dirty bath water with clean, warm water. Once you're finished shampooing your rat, empty the dirty water from the sink. Refill the sink with clean, warm water — the same temperature as before. Rinse your rat off thoroughly in the clean water. Use the clean bath water to completely rinse all shampoo from your rat's fur and skin. As an alternative, you can rinse off your rat using running water instead of refilling the sink — if your rat is comfortable with the loud noise. Dry off your rat in a clean towel. Wrap a clean towel completely around your rat. Gently massage your rat all over to remove any excess water and start the fur drying. You won't need to get your rat completely dry before placing it back in its cage. Once your rat is fairly dry, it will finish the process on its own. If your rat isn't scared of the noise, you can also use a blow dryer on a low heat setting to dry your rat. You might also consider brushing your rat's fur while it is drying, if they enjoy the extra attention. Fill the sink with an inch of warm water. Put the stopper in your sink and fill it with comfortably warm water. You only need about an inch of water in the sink. Squirt pure castile soap onto a washcloth and soak in the sink. Squirt a small amount of pure castile soap, of any fragrance, on a washcloth. Soak that washcloth in the warm water until it's completely wet, then wring it out. Massage your hairless rat. Unfold the washcloth and place it on your rat like a blanket. Hold your rat steady with one hand and use your other hand to gently massage your rat all over. Your hand should be on top of the washcloth while you massage your rat. Adjust the location of the washcloth to ensure you get your rat's belly and legs. Rinse the washcloth and your rat. Rinse all the pure castile soap off the washcloth under warm water. Wring out the washcloth once it's rinsed. Use the same process to massage your rat a second time with the rinsed washcloth. Wipe your rat’s cage on a daily basis. One of the worst smells a rat can generate is from urine that's been left sitting somewhere too long (e.g. a blanket, bottom of the cage, etc.). In order to ensure this smell doesn't start, wipe the surfaces of your rat's cage on a daily basis (e.g. bars, floors, ramps, etc.). This daily cleaning can easily be done with baby wipes or even a damp cloth. Nothing fancy or in-depth is required. Check your rat’s fabric items regularly. Most rat cages will contain several fabric-based items, like blankets and hammocks, for your rat to rest and relax. Inspect and smell your rat's fabric items on a daily basis (or every two days) to make sure they still smell fresh. If they smell bad, or are starting to smell bad, replace them with clean items. Replace your rat’s litter and bedding every day. Depending on how you have your rat's cage setup, you may have both bedding (for the bottom of the cage) and litter (for the actual litter box). Spot clean soiled litter every day, and scoop out and replace bedding that's been soiled with urine and pellets. Daily cleaning will help reduce and eliminate bad odors. Depending on the type of litter and bedding you use, you can either sweep it out of the cage with a small broom and dust pan, or you can use a vacuum. Once the old bedding and litter have been removed from the cage, you should wipe the cage floor and litter box before putting in new litter and bedding. Clean the area around your rat’s cage regularly. Chances are your rat isn't going to always keep their dirty litter and bedding and poop inside the cage. Therefore it is a good idea to wipe the areas around the outside of your rat's cage regularly to remove stains and smells. One tip for cleaning the area around the outside of the cage is to use a mixture of water and vinegar and a clean cloth. Don't forget to clean the outside surfaces of the cage, the floor under the cage, and the walls around the cage. Disassemble and clean your rat’s cage on a monthly basis. At least once a month, completely take apart your rat's cage and clean every square inch of it carefully. You may find it easier to do this monthly cleaning in your bathtub or laundry sink. This type of cleaning requires slightly more heavy duty cleaner, like diluted bleach. But if you use bleach, make sure the cage pieces are completely rinsed before putting your rat back inside. Soak non-fabric items in a bucket of diluted bleach monthly. While you have your rat's cage in pieces to clean it, take any smaller plastic or metal pieces and soak them in a bucket of diluted bleach. This might include shelves or toys. Remember to completely rinse and dry these items off before putting them back in the cage. Wash fabric items as required in the washing machine. Chances are you will have more than one of each fabric item you use (e.g. hammock, blanket, etc.) so you can replace these items and put the dirty ones aside until you have enough for a laundry load. Once you have a load, you can wash the items with pure castile soap, or with a gentle/mild laundry detergent. It probably doesn't matter if you use the dryer or hang the items to air dry, just don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets. | Fill the sink with an inch of warm water. Place your rat inside the water and allow them to get comfortable. Pour water over your rat’s body and fur. Shampoo your rat’s fur. Wipe your rat’s face with your fingers. Clean your rat’s tail. Replace the dirty bath water with clean, warm water. Rinse your rat off thoroughly in the clean water. Dry off your rat in a clean towel. Fill the sink with an inch of warm water. Squirt pure castile soap onto a washcloth and soak in the sink. Massage your hairless rat. Rinse the washcloth and your rat. Wipe your rat’s cage on a daily basis. Check your rat’s fabric items regularly. Replace your rat’s litter and bedding every day. Clean the area around your rat’s cage regularly. Disassemble and clean your rat’s cage on a monthly basis. Soak non-fabric items in a bucket of diluted bleach monthly. Wash fabric items as required in the washing machine. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Sail-Around-the-World | How to Sail Around the World | To sail around the world, start by planning your route and getting any necessary travel documents, like a passport and visas. Additionally, see a doctor to be sure you're healthy, and get any vaccinations suggested for the areas you'll be sailing in. Then, get your boat checked out by a mechanic and load up on non-perishable foods, water filters, and water purification tablets. You should also make sure to pack for a variety of weather conditions, and remember to include emergency supplies, such as a life raft and a first-aid kit. | Volunteer to be on a crew. If you didn't win a boat in a contest or inherit one from your rich uncle or decide on an impulse buy at your local boat store, a good way to get on a vessel that can circle the globe is to be on a crew. Contact or visit the nearest marina to you to find out if any boat owners are seeking workers on their boats. Generally your work will pay your way. However, you could also obtain a position on a cost-sharing boat. Such a boat has a crew that shares the costs, which are typically $20 to $70 per day per person. But beware of boat owners that advertise cost-sharing arrangements that will cost you more than $1,000 per week. Typically, this is a very high amount and the boat owner is trying to make a profit off of you instead of having you simply share some of the costs. Get on a friend's boat. Sometimes those already spending their lives sailing just want companionship. If you're lucky, you may be able to find someone you trust who can give you a free ride just for being the charmer that you are. It might not last forever, but would they want company for a few months? You can help out as needed, of course. Just make sure you're not jumping on just anybody's boat for the free ride. When you're in the middle of ocean with someone, you are literally in the middle of the ocean with them. You're completely stuck with nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. So before you sign up, make sure you can at least tolerate them willingly. Be a teacher or nanny. Another way to get on a boat that's already sailing the seven seas is to help out with children. There are families that find themselves living on the water, needing help with raising their children and keeping them on track for when they resume a "normal" school schedule. Whether it's a private yacht or a corporate vessel, the kids still need to learn and be taken care of while the adults are sailing the ship. Get on a research ship. Organizations like Green Peace and Dolphin Trust are constantly going to sea to conduct research. They don't only need scientists and researchers – they also need deck hands, administrative workers, maids, etc. It's essentially a business on the ocean, and you could be part of it. These mostly pertain to environmental groups. If there's a specific cause you care about, do some research online. Many positions will be volunteer, for the record – they pay you get is the experience. Be handy with activities like cooking. Most teams going to sea need able individuals to cook, clean, provide entertainment, interpret, bartend, instruct, and more. If you have a skill, why not take it to sea? It could be anything from a large cruise line to a family's private super yacht. You just have to find the gig. Gigs on a cruise ship are easy enough to find with today's technology. Getting a position on a smaller boat can be a little harder. Stick to your local port and keep an ear to the ground. A lot of it is networking, knowing the right people, and timing. Or just buy your own boat and learn how to sail. If you have $75,000 to spend, you could just buy your own boat and get it up to snuff – provided you have the sailing skills, of course. If you're a newbie to the global sailing community (and most of us are), speak with others in your sailing community who have taken long journeys on their boats. Ask for their recommendations on which types of boats work best and what you can do to join the elite. In general, you'll want to purchase a boat that is 35 to 45 feet (10.7 to 13.7 m) (10.67 to 13.72 m) long. The boat should be a sailboat. Using the wind instead of fuel will save a lot of money on a journey of this length. That being said, you need a boat that fits your needs. Cruisingworld.com has a nice website full of information on this topic that can help you get to researching. Plan your route and destinations. When you're planning your route, make sure you choose a destination that you can sail to easily and that you can navigate depth-wise. You'll also need to take into consideration the prevailing winds, ocean currents, and tropical storm systems. Entire books are written on this topic, but for now let's just touch on a few things: The route from Panama to the Torres Strait is believed to contain some of the most attractive cruising destinations in the world, and there are a whole bunch of variations you can take even within this route. Many sailors yearn to visit Tahiti. Over the years, Tahiti's capital, Papeete, has turned from a quiet seaside refuge to a bustling city taken over by traffic. That being said, old Tahiti still survives if you know where to look for it. If you've planned a stop in Bora Bora, you can either taken a northern route to the northern Cooks, Tonga, and Samoa, or a southern route to the Cooks, Tonga, and Niue. Take your time and do your research online and by reading books. Jimmy Cornell has some great references on the matter; reading a couple of his books will help you make your decisions and leave no doubt for room in your mind that you've made solid, safe , choices. Figure out your timeline. As you start planning your trip, decide how long you're planning to be gone, and where you'll be at each stage of the journey. Again, figuring out when to sail is a wikiHow article (or six) within itself. You need to account for wind, weather, pirates, your own schedule, etc. Most boats will choose to transit the Panama Canal before the onset of the hurricane season in the Caribbean (June to November), with most arriving in February and March. This is the same time boats sailing from Mexico and Central America should leave for the South Pacific. If you're coming from the West Coast of North America, most boats travel it downward to South America, working their way to Tahiti via Easter Island and Pitcairn. The winds make it easier to sail this direction; trying to go back toward the east coast will likely prove troublesome. If you're leaving from Australia, you have two choices in crossing the Indian Ocean: the northern route to the Red Sea and Suez Canal or the southern route to South Africa and Cape Horn. The southern route is more challenging and has bigger seas, but the northern route has pirates. Research the areas you'll be sailing in. Research any area that you intend to stop in thoroughly before you decide to stop there. Be sure to take safety and expenses into account. How much does it cost to port? What's their infrastructure and government like? What are the odds you'll be taken advantage of in the best of scenarios and seriously hurt in the worst? Research the health laws of any country you plan to stop in. Obtain any necessary medical certifications prior to embarking on your journey to make sure you don't get sick while thousands of miles away from home. Research what you can't get, too. If you need a specific medication or other item and can't get it at your next destination, stock up from the one prior. What part of life will be difficult in this area of the world, if any? Cover all the necessary paperwork. Speak with an insurance agent to make sure your trip is covered – after all, this is your entire life. Be sure that you have all of the required visas for your trip, too. Whether you come in by sea, by land, or by air, the rules and regulations are all still the same. If you want to visit other countries, you've got to play by their rules. Get any required inoculations. Contact the relevant healthy agency in any country you plan to stop in for further information and do your research online. You'll be glad you got the necessary vaccinations when the time rolls around. Being sick when you're away from good doctoral care could mean the end of your trip. Get a physical exam from a licensed physician before you leave. If you have any issues at all, they can be taken care of and you can start on preventative medication. Stock up. Stock up on non-perishable foods, water purification tablets, and water filters, just to start. Make sure your boat has everything intact from radar to anchors to chartplotters. Bring things to do and methods to document your trip. Take into consideration what you can buy from place to place, too. Remember, you'll need to provide enough food and beverages for the whole crew to last the entire trip. Be sure to make sure all of the equipment in the galley is working so people can cook. You want to travel light, but not too light. Keep a running list of everything you're bringing, adding to it as ideas come to you. What's more, keep a list of what'll be easily available and what won't be to determine your budgeting priorities. Take care of everything at home. Thought you could just up and do a French leave, it's probably best if you take care of loose ends before you go off the map for a couple of years. Here's a few things to cover: Make sure your bills are paid up to date. Arrange a way for them to stay in the black while you're gone through a friend or an automated billing system. If you plan to stay at certain locations for extended periods, have your mail forwarded to each location for the duration of your stay. Have someone check your home regularly and alert you if anything important arrives in the mail. Always give someone on shore your float plan before you leave the dock. Include where you'll be going and for how long, along with a list of the people on board. That way, if the boat doesn't come back, they'll be able to provide that information to the search and rescue teams. Have a boat mechanic check the boat and complete all necessary repairs. Even the Titanic sunk, so be sure to get your boat checked out and given the "all-clear" before you take it to sea. Never skip any of the maintenance parts, even if it takes you off schedule. It could mean the difference between life and death. In some cases, your boat will have to be "refit." This could cost as much as the initial cost of your boat, if not more. Be prepared to shell out a chunk of change if need be. Prepare yourself (and your crew) for emergencies. Things will happen in the ocean that you never, ever would've been able to account for in your wildest imagination. Someone will get a contagious rash, a tribe of natives will think you're their savior, you'll wake up to feel the bow wake of a massive ship, leaving you seconds from death, etc. These things will happen. Though you can't prepare yourself for everything, you can get yourself prepared as much as possible. Carry a firearm and bullets with you if you have them. Keep them in a safe but accessible location. Better safe than sorry. Make sure your boat is equipped with all the necessary supplies to successfully either A) get you to shore quickly or B) get you off the boat quickly. Keep a fire extinguisher, a life-raft, flares, and a first-aid kit handy. Keep a list of whom to contact in case of an emergency handy, like 112 to reach emergency personnel in Europe. Pack for all extremes of weather. It's easy to think to yourself that you'll be sailing around the Southern Hemisphere and everything is going to be tropical birds, turquoise waters, and pearly-white sands. That'll be true some of the time, and then there will be other times when you dip so far south or north that you'd be freezing your limbs off if you didn't pack some long underwear. Do your research about the climates you'll be in (or could be in if things go wrong). Your life requires you to be ready. You'll need foul-weather gear, fleece, long johns, gloves, hats, and socks if you're going far north or south. Two of your highest priorities should be staying warm and staying dry. Determine standard procedure for just about everything. Quick – if there's a hurricane, what do you do? If there are pirates, what do you do? If the waves are crashing onto your stern, what do you do? If a man has gone overboard, what do you do? In any imaginable situation, you have should a procedure mapped out and everyone on board should know it. So when you call, "Fire!" everyone knows the job they have to do. Run practice drills routinely, especially if you know you're coming upon an area that's prone to big gusts of winds/storms/pirates, etc. The more ready you and your crew are, the better your experience will be. Make final preparations before you embark on your journey and then go. Months, potentially years , of hard work are about to pay off. You've put in the money and the time and now all that's left is going. Take one last look at your situation – is there anything you could have possibly forgotten? Throw a party, say your goodbyes, stock up on champagne – however you want to give yourself one last hurrah on land. Check your boat for mishaps, check the weather, gather all your documents, and get excited. It's time to set sail. Limit your exposure to dangerous areas. As you're in the open water, it cannot be stressed enough that you have to be careful. Pirates are not just old folk tales made up as scary bedtime stories. Crazily enough, they are real. Stick to areas where you know you'll be safe. Pirates roam the seas, especially in areas off of the African and Indian coasts. They can even be found in the questionably boundary-less waters around the Philippines and Malaysia (few know who monitors what). For the latest piracy hotspots, visit the ICC's website. Limit your time in other areas due to dangerous sea conditions or threats from other people. These areas include Cape Horn, the Malacca Straits, the Bering Sea, Southern Ocean, Cape Hatteras, the North Atlantic, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Andaman Sea. Stay legal. When approaching the coast of any country, you are within that country's territory when you are within 12 nautical miles (22.22 km) of it. Otherwise, you are generally within your home country's jurisdiction when at sea. When you are within this range, you have to abide by that country's rules. Everything will be easier if you meet their requirements. Check your boat routinely and at every port. Just like how you need to keep an eye on your health when at sea, you also need to keep an eye on your boat's health. At every port, give her a look. Any minute mishap should be addressed immediately. And the great part is that you'll be surrounded by people who can help, too. If you're traveling solo or almost solo, this can be a bright spot in an otherwise lonely existence. There are usually day laborers that hang around marinas just waiting to help out. For that day, you could meet some interesting people, spicing up your stories and upping your morale. Check the equipment, too. The last thing you want is a malfunctioning radar or emergency telephone gone haywire. It's a pain now, but it could save your life later. Have a plan for coming back. After years at sea, you're either going to be ready for some time on solid ground or think that a normal lifestyle is unfathomable. That being said, living your entire life at sea is pretty hard to do, so you'll need some time of after-plan to make ends meet. After you've sailed around the world, what next? Hot air balloon, maybe? Try to come up with a budget of how much money you'll need post-trip. You'll need time to live and find a job, housing, and to get situated in your new life. Having at least six months of financial padding will make the transition much less stressful. | Volunteer to be on a crew. Get on a friend's boat. Be a teacher or nanny. Get on a research ship. Be handy with activities like cooking. Or just buy your own boat and learn how to sail. Plan your route and destinations. Figure out your timeline. Research the areas you'll be sailing in. Cover all the necessary paperwork. Get any required inoculations. Stock up. Take care of everything at home. Have a boat mechanic check the boat and complete all necessary repairs. Prepare yourself (and your crew) for emergencies. Pack for all extremes of weather. Determine standard procedure for just about everything. Make final preparations before you embark on your journey and then go. Limit your exposure to dangerous areas. Stay legal. Check your boat routinely and at every port. Have a plan for coming back. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Prove-Legal-Guardianship | How to Prove Legal Guardianship | In order to prove legal guardianship of a child or an adult, you'll need to present the proper documents based on the situation. If you were appointed as guardian by a court, you can simply provide a copy of the order or the letter of guardianship that was signed by the judge as proof. If you were appointed as guardian by the parents of a child and it was executed by an affidavit of guardianship, the affidavit itself is enough proof. In some circumstances, a power of attorney, or POA, can grant guardianship for limited activities. If that's the case, then you can present the POA as proof of legal guardianship. | Show your order or letter of guardianship signed by a judge. If you were appointed as guardian by a court, simply provide a copy of your order or letter of guardianship that the judge signed. Show the will appointing you as guardian. A will does not provide guardianship, but it is proof of the decedent's wishes. This should only be used during the while waiting for an actual order appointing you as guardian. Some places may not accept the will alone as proof of guardianship. If that happens, you may want to consider requesting a temporary order from the court. Provide copies of your court document. If a person or organization needs a copy of your order, provide them a copy. Do not give them your original. It is likely that you will need it more than once. Organizations that ask for copies include: Schools Daycares Medical Providers Mental Health Providers Banks Keep your guardianship status current. So long as the ward continues to need your services and the court has not released you from your appointment, you will need to maintain certain forms with the court. You can find these requirements in your state's probate code, or sometimes in the domestic relations statutes. These requirements include: Providing an annual accounting of how you managed the ward's assets Informing the court if the ward's needs change Undergoing periodic training and re-investigation of your background Show your power of attorney. In some states and circumstances, a parent or court-appointed legal guardian can grant a third person rights to act as a parent for limited activities. Be sure the power of attorney (POA) is properly executed according to the laws of your state. These laws are most likely a part of the state's probate code. Appropriate activities to designate by POA include: Enrolling a child in a particular school Obtaining medical care for the child Managing the child's financial position Provide copies of your POA. If a person or organization needs a copy of your POA, provide them a copy. Do not give them your original. It is likely that you will need it more than once. Organizations that ask for copies include: Schools Daycares Medical Providers Mental Health Providers Banks Inform the above organizations when the POA is terminated. If your POA is terminated, you should inform anyone who has been relying upon it that you are no longer the appropriate point of contact. This may mean that you also no longer have the right to receive any of the information regarding those issues. In general, POAs terminate by: Death of the principal or agent Incapacity of the principal or agent Revocation by the principal By the terms of the POA The purpose of the POA has been fulfilled Show your affidavit of guardianship. If the parent(s) appointed you as guardian for a short period of time, they may have executed an affidavit of guardianship. This document should clearly spell out the effective time period and the types of things the temporary guardian may and may not do. Provide copies of your affidavit. If a person or organization needs a copy of your affidavit, provide them a copy. Do not give them your original. It is likely that you will need it more than once. Organizations that ask for copies include: Schools Daycares Medical Providers Mental Health Providers Banks Act as a guardian. During the effective period of the affidavit, you will need to conduct yourself as the substitute parent. Unless specifically prohibited by the guardianship affidavit, you will do such tasks as: Make immediate medical decisions for your ward Be responsible for accessing and providing daily care for the ward Be responsible for accessing any necessary educational facilities for the ward | Show your order or letter of guardianship signed by a judge. Show the will appointing you as guardian. Provide copies of your court document. Show your power of attorney. Provide copies of your POA. Inform the above organizations when the POA is terminated. Show your affidavit of guardianship. Provide copies of your affidavit. Act as a guardian. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Have-a-Balanced-Lifestyle | How to Have a Balanced Lifestyle | The best way to start leading a more balanced lifestyle is to eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and proteins. Try a variety of healthy foods, like salads, steamed veggies, smoothies, lean meats, and whole grains. The next crucial element to a balanced lifestyle is exercise. Aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity, such as jogging, swimming, dancing, or even brisk walking. In addition to physical health, keep your lifestyle balanced by tending to your mental health. Start by developing a daily stress management practice, either with yoga, meditation, self-massage, or something that works for you. | Eat a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and proteins. Proper nutrition can impact everything from your how your body functions to how your brain functions. Aim to eat a balanced diet every meal by filling half your plate with vegetables and fruits, getting plenty of lean protein, and avoiding processed sugars. Try to get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. This can include anything from salads and steamed veggie sides to things like smoothies and the kale in a kale pesto sauce. Go for whole grain and whole wheat bread, pasta, and other starch products whenever possible. These foods contain more fiber, as well as more vitamins and minerals. Eating a balanced diet does not necessarily mean that you are looking to lose weight. Even if you are at a healthy weight, you may still benefit from refining your daily diet. Start by adding just one serving of fresh produce a day to get started. You'll be surprised at how little changes like that can impact your diet. Always talk to your doctor before radically changing your diet. They can help you figure out the healthiest nutritional plan for your personal needs. Get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. Try different exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, or playing sports, and find one that you enjoy. Remember, to get the most from your cardio workout your pace should be moderately vigorous. This means that you can hold a conversation at the pace you're going, but just barely. Exercise doesn't have to be hard to be effective. Start out by taking a brisk walk, dancing around your house, or doing anything you enjoy that gets your heart pumping. There are even apps made for people who are complete beginners. To get even more from your exercise routine, try to strength train all major muscle groups at least 2 times a week. You can manage this by lifting weights, or by doing bodyweight exercises like squats and push ups. Exercise helps keep your body strong and able, which is why it's an important part of a balanced life. You want your body to be able to handle the things you want to do. Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Develop a sleep routine that you stick to every night before bed. Start by picking a consistent bedtime. About an hour before that time, disconnect from all gadgets, take some time to relax your mind and body, put on some comfortable pajamas, and get into bed. This kind of routine will help calm your mind and let it know that you're getting ready to rest for the night. The exact recommended amount of sleep you need can vary by age. For school-age children, it is recommended they get around 9-11 hours of sleep per night. Teenagers need 8-10 hours, while adults over 65 need at least 7-8 hours of nightly sleep. Avoid bright screens an hour before bed. This includes phones, tablets, computer screens, and televisions. The blue light from the screen can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Relax your body with meditation, yoga, or self-massage. Mental stress can take a physical toll on your body, so it's important to find a little time every day to relax. Activities like yoga, meditation , taking a warm bath, or giving yourself a massage may help you relax your body from the stress of the day. Even if you don't feel like you have a lot of time to spend on relaxation, try to take just 5 minutes each day to help your body unwind. For a simple relaxing practice, try a progressive muscle relaxation. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and slowly tense the muscles in your feet for a count of 3 breaths. Then, let the muscles relax completely. Continue this pattern up your body, focusing one-by-one on your legs, glutes, core, chest, arms, hands, shoulders, jaw, and face. Use apps like Headspace or Insight Timer to guide you through meditation. These are great resources for beginners. Meditation helps grow the muscle that allows you to better react and respond to the stuff of life. Plan out your daily tasks to keep you motivated. Planning out what you have to do over the course of the day can help keep you on-task and motivated. At the beginning of each day or the night before, take a few minutes to write out your plan for the day. Include work tasks and duties, errands, hobbies, and chores, as well as personal time, family time, and time for relaxation. Don't worry if you can't accomplish everything you plan. Having a schedule helps keep you on task, but there are things like traffic jams and work emergencies for which you can't easily account. If you don't get to something the day it is scheduled, reschedule it for later. You can even consider assigning priorities to different tasks. Picking your kids up, for example, would be a high priority, while washing the car might be a low priority. That way, if you have to reschedule items, you can see what absolutely needs to be done and what can wait. Set achievable goals that you can work toward every day. Setting goals for both the short and long-term can help you plan what you are doing and where you are going. Try writing down one or two large life goals. Then, break that goal down into several smaller goals. After that, break those goals down into actionable steps. For example, if one of your goals is to be healthy, two of your smaller goals may be to run a 5K and get a 6-pack. You can then break each of those down into individual workout plans to achieve those goals. Try to keep your goals reasonable. It's okay to dream big, but saying you want to be the richest person on earth is a lofty goal that's out of reach for the vast majority of people. Instead, try setting a goal like saving enough that you can buy a house or retire comfortably. Use a journal to help you keep track of your goals. Using a journal lets you write them down, reflect on them, and adjust them periodically. Setting and working towards goals can help give you confidence. Goals may even be beneficial for your mental health. Do something that brings you joy every day. Find some time each day to do at least one thing that makes you happy. This can include practicing a hobby, going out with friends, spending time with your family, or anything else that helps you disconnect from the stress of the day. If you don't have something you regularly enjoy, try picking up a new hobby like crafting, dancing, playing sports, or collecting something. If you can, alternate a few different fun activities. That way, if you can't go out with friends you can still practice your hobby or watch your favorite show. Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself when you're learning new hobbies or just going through life and making mistakes. You're a whole, complete person, and you should feel secure in your inherent self-worth as a flawed but wonderful human being. Learn a new subject. Mental growth and stimulation is an important part of keeping your mind healthy. Keep your mind engaged by challenging yourself to learn a new subject or expand your knowledge in an area that interest you. Consider things like learning a new language, taking time every day to read, learning to play a new instrument, or learning how to program. Challenging your mind doesn't have to take up a lot of time. Spending even 5 minutes a day focusing on learning a new thing can help keep you sharp. See to your spiritual well-being. If you are a religious person, make time in your schedule to practice your religion. This could include daily prayer or attending weekly religious services. If you are not religious, you may still consider activities like meditation or taking a quiet walk in nature to help keep you grounded and focused on appreciating the moment, rather than worrying about the future. You do not need to be a religious person to live a balanced life. If religion is important to you, though, part of your personal balance should include making time for your faith. Develop a network of friends. Friends are a critical part of a social network, which is why it's important to maintain a friend group. Make an effort to reach out and connect with your current friends. Stay in touch, and try to see them when you can. If you don't feel supported by your current friend network or if you're in a new area, work on making new friends. There is no set number of friends and acquaintances that you should have. If you're more introverted, you may choose to keep a small group of close-knit friends. If you're more extroverted, you may have a couple close friends and many casual friends. Both are okay. Use local meetup sites and message boards to find people in your area with similar interests. Maintain a healthy relationship with your family. A healthy family dynamic should allow you to spend time with your kids, take time with just your partner, and stay connected to your parents and relatives. If you have children, spend some bonding time with them every day. If you have a partner, schedule a weekly date night with them. Have a standing phone call with your parents once a week. Connecting with your family will help keep your relationships strong. If your relationship with your biological family isn't strong, you may choose to focus more on your close personal friends. People who are family by choice instead of blood are just as important. Practice effective communication. Communicating clearly and effectively helps enhance almost any interpersonal relationship. Improve your communication by practicing clear, concise speaking as well as active listening. Practice these skills with everyone in your daily life from your friends and family to your coworkers to the check-out clerk at the grocery store. When your actively listening, the speaker has your full attention. Focus on both the words they are saying, as well as their body language and emotion. Offer confirmation that you understand their message with statements like, “I understand that you want us to spend more time together.” If you find you are becoming stressed or overly-emotional in a situation, ask to excuse yourself or put the subject on pause until you are able to clear your head. Get involved in your community. Civic engagement can help you connect with other members of your community, give back, and foster gratitude. Look for areas where you can volunteer or get involved, such as coaching a local sports team, working at a food pantry, or working with your local community theater. If you have a particular skill or talent, see if you can use that in your community work. If you knit, for example, consider knitting mittens or scarves for a local shelter. Develop a personal financial plan. Healthy finances are just as important to a balanced life as physical and mental health. Start simple by creating a budget that enables you to cover your current cost of living. Once your budget is in place, think about tackling other financial goals such as saving for retirement, buying a home, or paying off your debt. Your budget should account for all your cost of living expenses including your rent or mortgage, household bills, groceries, car payments or transit passes, credit card and student loan payments, and any other recurring charges you may have. Even small financial changes can add up. Investing just $5 a week in your debts, for example, can help reduce them by an extra $260 by the end of the year. If you are struggling to get your finances in order, you can consider using a free app like Mint to help you track your spending and develop a budget. You may also look into a class on budgeting or financial planning at your local community center. Reduce how much work you do at home whenever possible. Having a physical boundary between your work life and your home life can help reinforce a healthy work-life balance. Try to keep your job, including your work computer, documents, and anything else from your office, away from your personal living space. If you telecommute or work from home, set up distinct work and home spaces. You may designate a bedroom as your office, for example. If that's the case, leave your work computer in your office instead of open on the dining room table. Try to unplug from technology when you are home from work. Avoid taking work-related calls. Spend time doing activities off the computer, like crafting, reading, or cooking. Set boundaries with both your work and personal social circles. Even if you have a flexible schedule, it's important to communicate when you are and aren't available to handle work-related issues. Let your boss and coworkers know if you cannot or will not respond to a 3 a.m. text asking for a report by 6 a.m. Your personal social circles should have a similar boundary during your workday. Let them know that between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (or whenever you work), your first duty is your job. Catch up with them during a break or during your lunch if you want to chat during the workday. By the same measure, you can set aside certain times that are specifically for non-work activities. If you run every day, for example, you could make 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. your designated running time. During that time, avoid checking work emails and just enjoy the jog. Talk to your office about renegotiating your work duties if necessary. If you find your job makes it difficult to have the work-life balance that you want, talk to your supervisor or HR person about new terms. Items you could bring up include things like working from home 1-2 days a week, or adjusting your hours to something that better fits your schedule. You don't need to provide a lot of detail, but be prepared to provide some context for your request. Most jobs won't give you a new schedule for no reason. They may be more receptive to letting you work a new schedule because you need to pick your child up from daycare, though. If you find that your job is overwhelming or so inflexible that it prevents you from taking care of yourself or your family, it may be time to find a new job. Look for a place that offers the sort of flexibility you need to ensure that you can manage your daily life. If your feelings towards work are less than ideal, thinking about why that is can lead to potential avenues for improvement. For instance, if you want to feel more connected to your coworkers you can go grab coffee with them, or if you want to feel more creative you can ask for more independence in carrying out a project. Delegate tasks to others whenever possible. Trust coworkers and colleagues to help out with large projects. At home, share chores with family members to reduce the burden. | Eat a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and proteins. Get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Relax your body with meditation, yoga, or self-massage. Plan out your daily tasks to keep you motivated. Set achievable goals that you can work toward every day. Do something that brings you joy every day. Learn a new subject. See to your spiritual well-being. Develop a network of friends. Maintain a healthy relationship with your family. Practice effective communication. Get involved in your community. Develop a personal financial plan. Reduce how much work you do at home whenever possible. Set boundaries with both your work and personal social circles. Talk to your office about renegotiating your work duties if necessary. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Dry-Parsley | How to Dry Parsley | To dry parsley, start by removing the leaves and chopping them up into small pieces. Then, blanch the leaves in boiling water for 20-30 seconds before rinsing them under cold water to stop them from cooking. Next, line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag and spread the parsley out on it in an even layer. Finally, dry the parsley in the oven on the lowest temperature setting for 2-4 hours or until it crumbles easily in your fingers. | Wash fresh parsley in cold water. Pick out the woody bits of stem and separate the tender leaves and chop the parsley into 1/4" pieces. Then, blanch the parsley in boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds. Place brown paper across a baking sheet. Arrange the blanched parsley across the tray. Try to keep it flat and evenly spaced, with no big clumps of parsley sticking together. Place in the oven. Turn the oven on to the lowest possible setting. The best time to do this method is after the oven has been turned off, following other baking. Otherwise, always err on the side of taking longer than having it too warm and burning the parsley. Dry the parsley for 2-4 hours. The exact time will vary based on the relative humidity in your area and the altitude. Keep an eye on it, because it might dry more quickly. It's ready when it crumbles easily in your fingers. Remove from the oven. Crush the parsley with your hands or in a mortar and pestle. Remove any remaining stalks. Place the crushed, dried parsley into a storage container. Store in a dry, dark place, or even the freezer. Parsley dried this way can be good for long periods of time, but will start to lose its flavor after several months. Pick the parsley in the morning. If you're going to air dry parsley, you want to make sure you gather it at its most tender point, which is early in the morning, but enough after sun-up to have burned off the dew from the night before. Don't worry about washing the parsley if you've picked it. It should be as dry as possible to start out with. Gather the parsley in bundles. Keep them fairly loose so that air can circulate around the leaves as they dry. You can make bundles as big as your hand or you can keep the bundles smaller if you wish. Just make sure they're not too tight when you tie them. Secure the bundles with twine or rubber bands. Rubber bands are easiest if you have bigger bundles. Secure the stems of the parsley, letting the larger, leafier portion fan out while it dries. Place the bundles in brown paper bags. Storing the drying bundles in bags will keep them dust free and won't allow sunlight to bleach the color from the parsley. Cut some holes in the bags to allow air to circulate, and keep the bundles nice and dry. Store the bags in a cool, dry place with good air circulation. Stacking them on a drying rack, or an old clothes rack can be a good method of storing them. Alternatively, you can leave them out of the bags and tie them with string to hang in your kitchen and dry. Hang the bundles upside down for a more decorative, but equally effective, method of drying. Remove the bundles after two weeks. The parsley is dried when it becomes easily crumbled in your fingers. Spread the bundles on the counter on a piece of wax paper or a cutting board, and crumble the bunches, taking care to remove the woody stems. Store the parsley in an airtight container. Save old herb containers to reuse for your dried parsley, keep them in mason jars, or other containers. Store in a cool dry place in your kitchen. Consider using a food dehydrator. While they can be pricey, dehydrators can offer lower heat and more drying control than the oven. If you want to be able to dry parsley quickly, this can be an effective method. Usually, food dehydrators will have an herb setting. Clean the parsley as you would to dry it in the oven, spread the parsley on the drying trays, and follow the instructions on your dehydrator. Use the power of the sun. All you need to dehydrate parsley is a good hot day without much cloud cover and a baking sheet. You need to make sure that it isn't too humid, or the parsley won't dry properly. Old window screens can make excellent drying racks to separate the parsley from the cookie sheet or baking tray. Cut the old screens to fit the size of the tray, and place the parsley on top to keep air flowing evenly around the parsley as it dries in the sun. Over the course of the day, turn the parsley over so it gets evenly tanned on both sides. Depending on where you live and the amount of sun available, it may take a few days or be perfectly dry by lunchtime. Keep an eye on it and make sure to bring it in when it gets dark, to avoid dew. Use the microwave. You can dry parsley in the microwave, but you can also burn it very quickly, and its difficult to get the parsley dried evenly (as with most microwaved things). If you want to use the microwave, spread your cleaned parsley out on a paper plate in a single layer and nuke it for a minute or two at a time. Keep close watch. If it starts getting dark, or smoking, take it out. Finished. | Wash fresh parsley in cold water. Place brown paper across a baking sheet. Place in the oven. Dry the parsley for 2-4 hours. Remove from the oven. Place the crushed, dried parsley into a storage container. Pick the parsley in the morning. Gather the parsley in bundles. Secure the bundles with twine or rubber bands. Place the bundles in brown paper bags. Remove the bundles after two weeks. Store the parsley in an airtight container. Consider using a food dehydrator. Use the power of the sun. Use the microwave. Finished. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Algae-from-a-Fish-Tank | How to Remove Algae from a Fish Tank | Algae is a green plant that can grow on the glass and surface of items in your fish tank. While algae can be a good food source, if there's too much of it, it can cause water pollution. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to get rid of algae. If your tank is growing too much algae, it may have too much sunlight, so move it to a more shaded area. For a tank pollution issue, take out 30 to 50 percent of the water, fill a bucket with water and agar, then gently pour it into the tank. Change your water weekly to prevent algae from growing. You can also use a filter to keep the algae from growing again. | Decide if you want to keep new pets in your tank. Bottom feeders are fish that live on the floor of a tank and like to scavenge for food such as algae. They are a fantastic and natural way to clean algae off of your tank walls without adding chemicals to the water. Of course, you do need to take care of them. Luckily, they are very low maintenance pets and are great for people who just don't have the time themselves. Some benefits of bottom feeders are: They are good at their job and are quite important and useful to an aquarium for maintaining a clean environment by constantly eating the scraps. Most bottom feeders e.g. plecos, cory catfish, and shrimp are gentle and non-aggressive towards other fish, creating the perfect tank mate. Some species such as plecos and cory catfish are quite beautiful and add a little something to your tank. Most bottom feeders do not mate too often so you will not have to worry about overpopulation. Go to a well-known aquarium/pet shop that knows what they are talking about. Purchase the bottom feeder of your choice. Get the right number and ratio. Bottom feeders like male plecos can become aggressive towards each other when fighting over females which can lead to the injury and death of your fish. Introduce your bottom feeders carefully. Turn your aquarium lights off to reduce stress, and float the bag in the water. Once the temperature of the bag water and the tank water feel the same, release the fish into your aquarium, making sure you try not to pour any bag water in there. Consider putting the fish in quarantine before adding it to your main tank, as it could be carrying disease or parasites. Feed them daily once they've eaten most of the algae. Although bottom feeders are very useful, once they have cleaned your algae off, you will need to feed them at least once a day along with the scraps they eat. You can use algae wafers to feed them. Try feeding them when their lights go out, as they are more active during night time. Look at your tank positioning. The reason your tank is growing algae is that it is either in too much sunlight or it is polluted. If your tank is in an area where the sun is always hitting it, then move it into a more shaded area. Fish like to have areas of shade so they can relax from the sun. Tackle any pollution issues with a water change. If your tank is polluted, then perform a water change and siphon the gravel using these simple steps. Take out 30 - 50% of the water in your fish tank using a siphon. Fill a bucket with water (making sure that the water temperate is the same as the water temperature inside your tank ). Stir in the required amount of water ager into the water (it should say it on the back of the bottle or under the label). Gently pour it in or use a siphon instead. Try to be gentle so your fish won't stress out. Repeat this until your tank is full (but not completely to the top). After this, use your siphon to suck out any poo or excess food from the gravel. Make sure you perform a water change at least once every week. To prevent algae from growing on the glass, buy a magnetic aquarium cleaner. This way you can clean the glass without getting your hands wet and disturbing your fish. Keep a filter in your tank to help prevent algae from growing in your tank again. Make sure the filters are cleaned as well, as they may be the cause of algae growth. Use solutions carefully, and avoid them with sensitive fish. An algae solution is an unnatural liquid, powder or tablet that is put into fish tanks to clear away algae. Solutions are not as gentle to your fish as hand cleaning your tank or adding bottom betters, but they do work very well and are fast. Avoid using a solution if you own a fish that is sensitive to chemicals such as an axolotl. Place the amount needed into your fish tank. (The instructions should be on the back of the bottle or under the label.) Use the exact amount of solution. If you don't put enough, it will have little to no effect, and if you put too much, it may kill your fish. Wait until the algae goes away. It may only take a couple of days! Perform a water change. The water change will get rid of any extra chemicals in the water. | Decide if you want to keep new pets in your tank. Go to a well-known aquarium/pet shop that knows what they are talking about. Introduce your bottom feeders carefully. Feed them daily once they've eaten most of the algae. Look at your tank positioning. Tackle any pollution issues with a water change. Make sure you perform a water change at least once every week. Keep a filter in your tank to help prevent algae from growing in your tank again. Use solutions carefully, and avoid them with sensitive fish. Place the amount needed into your fish tank. Wait until the algae goes away. Perform a water change. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-a-Cockatiel-Is-Male-or-Female | How to Tell if a Cockatiel Is Male or Female | To tell if your cockatiel is male or female, look at its head, since males usually have vivid orange spots and a bright yellow face, while females generally have lighter spots and grey or faded yellow faces. If you have a grey cockatiel, check its plumage, since males tend to have darker grey feathers and females tend to have lighter grey ones. You should also pay attention to how much your cockatiel talks, since males generally speak a lot, while females are often quiet and favor hissing or screeching to talking. Another way to check your cockatiel's sex is to give it a mirror, as males generally like to admire themselves, while females lose interest quickly. | Wait until the bird gets its adult plumage. Male and female cockatiels look identical when young. After approximately six to nine months, the bird will molt for the first time and grow a new coat of plumage, typically more colorful and with more variation between the sexes. A dull coat or faded colors can be a sign of poor nutrition, although sometimes it just takes a couple molts for the full, bright adult plumage to develop. Do not provide a nest-box for juvenile birds, as this can stimulate over-early egg-laying or breeding, which harms the female. Check whether your cockatiel has standard plumage. Normal grey cockatiels without mutations have grey bodies with a yellow head and orange cheek circles. These can be identified using the steps below. If your cockatiel doesn't match these descriptions, its ancestors have been bred for unusual plumage, and you have a bigger challenge ahead of you. A few identifying characteristics for these breeds are mentioned below, but you will often have to rely on behavioral cues. Examine the tail closely. In normal grey cockatiel breeds, adult females (and all juveniles) have markings on the underside of the tail feathers. These are often horizontal stripes alternating grey/dark grey or white/grey or yellow/grey, but some females have dots or irregular patterning on a grey background. If you don't see any, hold the cockatiel up so its tail is in front of a bright light and examine closely. If you still don't see any markings, the cockatiel is probably a male. Lutino breeds, or pale yellow and pale white birds that still have cheek circles, can be identified by the female's yellow spots under the wings and yellow marks under the tail. You may need to use a bright light in order to see these. Compare the faces. In normal grey cockatiel breeds, the male typically has more striking facial feathers, with vivid orange spots standing out from a bright yellow face. The female face has lighter orange spots, generally on a more muted yellow or grey backdrop. In some breeds, only the males develop a yellow face after molting, while the female keeps her juvenile grey or brownish face. Cockatiels with the white face mutation but non-white bodies sometimes have males with no cheek spots at all, and females with faint cheek spots that match the body plumage. Compare the body plumage. Cockatiel breeds with grey body plumage tend to include darker grey plumage on males, and lighter grey on females. This is one of the less reliable methods, but it may help confirm suspicions raised by earlier tests. Breeds with non-grey body plumage are rarely identifiable this way. In some breeds, the female also has faint yellow spots on the underside of the wings. In pearled cockatiels, which have white dots on a non-white body, the male loses these "pearls" after the first molt, while the female keeps them. Take the cockatiel to a veterinarian. The last test that relies on physical anatomy should only be done by a veterinarian. Inexperienced people could seriously hurt the cockatiel during the attempt, and are unlikely to be able to tell the difference anyway. Ask the veterinarian to sex your cockatiel, and he will probably examine the shape of the pelvic bones, which tend to be wider in the female. Even this is not a completely reliable method, as there is a great deal of variation between individuals. The older a cockatiel is, the more likely this method is to work, especially if the bird belonged to a breeder as an adult and may have laid an egg in the past. If you want to be completely certain, ask for a DNA test. Observe vocalizations. While not a hard and fast rule, a cockatiel that learns to talk is usually a male. Whether or not they learn any phrases, males tend to be more vocal and spend more time whistling, whereas females tend to be quieter, and favor hissing and screeching more often the males. Give the bird a mirror. Male cockatiels are more likely to spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, strutting, calling, or investigating it. If your bird loses interest quickly, it's more likely the bird is a female. Watch for male courtship rituals. Male cockatiels are generally the ones actively trying to woo a partner, but they will sometimes exhibit these behaviors even without another bird around: Tapping his beak loudly against objects to get a female's attention. Strutting around while whistling or beak tapping, involving hopping motions and/or quick head dips. Wing tips lifted away from body, forming a heart shape when viewed from behind Watch for female courtship rituals. Females are generally less active leading up to bonding or mating, and typically do not display these behaviors unless a male is present: Sitting on a low perch, peeping quietly, with her tail up in the air. Attempting to feed the male cockatiel she has bonded with or is trying to bond with. Notice masturbation methods. Most experienced bird owners have noticed a bird rubbing its vent (bottom) on perches, objects, or even its owner's hand. Some birds will do so daily or even more frequently. This type of habitual masturbation is most commonly seen in males, but there are exceptions. Male masturbation generally involves humping the object or standing over it and rubbing its vent on it. Female masturbation can be similar, but could also involve backing up against an object with the tail up and body bent forward. Check up on egg laying. It's no surprise that only females lay eggs, but this won't help you if you discover an egg in a cage with multiple birds. If you want to be certain of the sex identification, provide each bird with a separate cage and nesting box, or point a video camera on the nesting box to record future behavior. Females under 18 months should not be given a nesting box, as egg-laying often causes serious health problems in young birds. Removing the egg will stimulate additional egg-laying. Keep in mind that the egg may be fertilized, although in that case pair-bonded activity between two birds should be obvious. | Wait until the bird gets its adult plumage. Check whether your cockatiel has standard plumage. Examine the tail closely. Compare the faces. Compare the body plumage. Take the cockatiel to a veterinarian. Observe vocalizations. Give the bird a mirror. Watch for male courtship rituals. Watch for female courtship rituals. Notice masturbation methods. Check up on egg laying. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Help-Someone-Who-Self-Injures | How to Help Someone Who Self Injures | It can be scary if you know someone who self-harms, but if you're honest with them, you can make sure they get help. If you notice unexplained injuries, scars, bloodstains, or burns, sit down with your friend to talk. Start the conversation by telling them you care about them and have been worried about them lately. Then, ask your friend if they are injuring themselves. You can say something like “John, you're such an important friend to me and I really care about you. You've been acting differently lately though, and I'm worried. Are you injuring yourself?” Keep in mind that your friend is probably trying to hide their self-harm, so they may be sensitive about it. Try to show them empathy and don't judge or shame them in any way. If they're willing, suggest they get help from a doctor or counselor. You can also simply be a source of support for your friend. You could spend time with them when they're down or be an emergency contact when they feel the urge to self-harm. | Trust your instincts. If you begin to have suspicions that someone you know is causing harm to themselves, don't ignore those suspicions. Rely on your history with the individual and your own ability to read people to determine whether something is going on. Think about whether your friend may be trying to: Manage or reduce severe anxiety and distress and provide an immediate sense of relief Provide a distraction from painful emotions through feeling physical pain Have a sense of control over their body, feelings, or life, particularly if they are a perfectionist Feel anything at all. Sometimes, self-injurers feel so emotionally empty and numb that seeing their own blood helps them feel alive. Express unbearable feelings in an external way and communicate distress and emotional pain to the outside world Punish themselves for their perceived faults Have physical signs and scars to show for their emotional pain Watch for signs of self-injury. Self-injuring is usually done to the arms, legs, or torso, as these are the most easily hidden areas. If you are watchful, however, you may be able to catch a glimpse of injured areas. You should be respectful, however, and not spy on someone to try to see parts of their body that he keeps hidden; it would be better to just come out and ask them if they are self-injuring. Some signs that a friend or loved one is self-injuring may include: Unexplained injuries or scars Covering up constantly, even when the weather or situation calls for other clothing choices Claims of frequent accidents (to explain injuries or scars) Blood stains appearing on clothing, tissues, or other places Mood or behavior changes such as isolating or seeming irritable or depressed Long periods of silence Consider the various methods of self-injury. While the specific means of self-injury can vary, self-injurers often use one or more of the following methods: Cutting or making scratches on the skin Burning the skin (with lit matches, cigarettes, or hot objects) Carving words or symbols into the skin Piercing the skin with sharp objects Breaking bones, hitting or punching themselves, or head banging Biting themselves Pulling out their own hair Picking at scabs or interfering with wound healing Drinking something poisonous, such as bleach or detergent Try to understand self-injury. Learning about self-injury can help you understand why it occurs, how to relate to the self-injurer, and how to compassionately support them in getting help to stop this behaviour. Self-injury is related to psychological pain and distress, difficulty expressing emotions, and harbouring negative feelings towards oneself, such as guilt, rejection, sadness, self-hatred, worthlessness, loneliness, panic, anger, or sexual confusion. Do not equate self-injury to suicide attempts. Most self-injurers do not wish to kill themselves. Self-injury brings the person a momentary feeling of peace and calm and a release of tension. These immediate feelings of relief are usually followed by guilt, shame, and more painful emotions. Self-injury is a short-term solution that can lead to a long-term problem. Self-harm may be tied to psychological illnesses such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Self-injury often starts in the teenage years, when emotions are more volatile and can be tied to other impulse control issues, such as alcohol or drug abuse. Deal with your own feelings first. Before you try to confront someone about self-harming, you should try to neutralize and deal with your own feelings about the practice of self-injury. If you do not have personal experience with it, it might disgust or shock you, but you should try not to communicate those feelings to the person who self-injures. Prepare to talk to the self-injurer. You should have a neutral environment without distractions. Turn off any electronic devices, silence your cell phone or turn it off completely, get a babysitter if you have children, and try to make the environment as comfortable and friendly as possible. You may want to provide tissues if you think that you or your friend may cry during the conversation. Tell the self-injurer that you care about them. Remind them that they are not alone and you are there to help and support them. Take a little time to review your relationship with the person and tell them how much and why you care about them. This will help show that you are approaching them from a place of love. For example, you might say, “John, we have been friends for 3 years now, and when we met, I was struck by your easygoing personality and your ready laugh. Lately, you haven't been quite the same, and I am really worried about you. I'll be your friend no matter what—laughing, crying, happy, sad- whatever. But I want you to know that I am here for you and that I care about you.” Another example is, “Jane, you are my sister. We have been through so much together in our lives, and even when we disagree or don't get along, I still love you unconditionally. We have a long history and a lasting bond that can help us get through anything. Lately, I've been worried about you.” Ask your friend if they are injuring themselves. Many people fear confronting someone who is having emotional problems or self-injuring, often fearing that such a confrontation could lead to the problem worsening or escalating to a suicide attempt. However, this is unlikely to be the case. This is not an easy conversation to have, but it is an important one. Talk frankly yet gently to the person about their self-harm. Your friend may be relieved to share their secrets. You do not have to try to sugar-coat your approach; just be clear and direct. You may say something like, “I have noticed some unusual scars on your body. Those, combined with the fact that you have seemed sad lately, have led me to worry that you are hurting yourself. Are you self-injuring?” Listen with an open mind. It can be very difficult to hear someone you love talking about hurting themselves, but if you can get them to open up to you, you're more likely to be able to steer them towards getting help. Let them lead the conversation as much as possible; ask open questions, and let them say what he wants to say. Try to get the person to focus on the feelings rather than the cutting itself. Show empathy in your conversation. Remember that you are talking to the person to provide him with help and with an outlet for expressing his feelings. Do not judge, shame, criticize, or get angry. Yelling at them for their behaviour, threatening to not be friends, or making accusations about their behaviour may increase his risk of self-injuring behaviours. Tell the person that you want to understand what they are going through. Even if you can't fully understand it, showing that you wish to empathize can communicate how much you care. Identify why the person self-harms. There are different reasons for causing self-harm, and the solutions for alleviating or offering alternatives for self-injury vary based on the reason for the self-harm. The most common broad reasons that individuals self-harm are: to express pain or other intense feelings to soothe themselves or feel better to make themselves feel less numb or disconnected to release anger or tension from their body Suggest emotional management options. Helping someone develop more emotional awareness and coping techniques that don't involve self-harm can help minimize self-injurious behaviors. This could be something as simple as maintaining a journal that is dedicated to expressing and processing emotions, or something more complex, like going to psychotherapy sessions to learn about processing emotions. Practicing mindfulness through meditation or yoga may help self-injurers be in touch with and process their emotions in a calmer, healthier way. Additionally, the discipline and strength required to achieve advanced yoga positions may help some people experience a release similar to that felt during self-injury. Help identify triggers. The self-injurer likely has specific triggers: events, situations, or emotions that cause him to feel the need to self-harm. If they become aware of those triggers, they can develop more strategies for coping, avoiding the triggers, or making the conscious choice to engage in an alternate activity. It may help if you talk to the person who is practicing self-harm about your own emotional triggers and how you deal with them without injuring yourself. Be sure to approach such a conversation from a position of caring and offering alternatives, not judging or dividing yourself from them. Offer alternatives to self-harm. Based on the reason that the person self-harms, you can offer some alternative strategies for dealing with the feelings. Not every alternative will work for every person, but suggesting some specific alternatives to try may help your friend find something that works for them. Someone who self-harms to deal with emotions may feel a similar release through moderate to vigorous exercise, making loud noises, destroying something (such as ripping paper or breaking sticks in half), writing poetry or songs, or writing in a journal. Someone who self-harms to calm down may be able to substitute the self-harm with self-care in the form of luxurious baths, massages, spending time with beloved pets, or cuddling in a soft, warm blanket. Someone who self-harms from a feeling of numbness may be able to reach out to friends to feel more connected. They may also be able to feel less numb by replacing the self-injury with less harmful behaviors such as eating foods with very intense flavors, holding an ice cube tightly until it melts, or even taking a cold shower. Don’t keep the secret. Particularly if you and the self-injurer are both teenagers, you should encourage your friend to talk to his parents, a teacher, a school counsellor, or another trusted adult about their self-injury. Tell them that you will go with them if they are afraid to go by themselves. Do not promise to keep this a secret. Keeping quiet enables your friend and gives him permission to keep injuring themselves. Tell someone trustworthy yourself if necessary. Be honest with your friend and tell them whom you will be telling. Choose wisely and tell someone who will maintain confidentiality and act in a professional manner to get your friend the help they need. Prepare for anger. Your friend might be ashamed or embarrassed and not want anyone to know. Let your friend know you care about them. You might be afraid of betraying your friend's confidence and losing a friend, but your friend needs professional help and their health and safety is the most important factor. Most friends will understand your decision in time. Do not give in to threats of further self-harm. Your friend may be angry and threaten to hurt themselves further if you say you want to tell someone about their behaviour. Remember that you are not to blame and the only person that has control over their injuries is the self-injurer themselves. Get medical help for the self-injurer. While there is no specific diagnostic test for self-injury, you can encourage your friend to see a physician or mental health practitioner who can evaluate, diagnose, and create a treatment plan. Hospitalization may be required for severe, short-term crises. Some self-inflicted wounds may require medical treatment. Extensive scarring may be able to be covered or reduced with cosmetic surgery. Help your friend find emotional help. Counselling, or psychotherapy, can help your friend identify and manage underlying issues resulting in self-injuring behaviours. There are several types of therapy that can be helpful, such as: Cognitive behavioural therapy. This helps identify negative beliefs and behaviours, and replace them with healthy, positive coping strategies. People create plans to better identify and react to their triggers, tolerate distress, and identify safe people and places to go to when they have the urge to self-injure Psychodynamic psychotherapy. This focuses on identifying past experiences, traumatic memories, or interpersonal issues to get at the root of emotional problems Mindfulness-based therapies. These help individuals learn to live in the present and understand intentions, to reduce anxiety and depression, and improve general well-being Family therapy. This is a group-based therapy which may be recommended in some cases, particularly for young individuals who self-injure Be a source of support. Remember to treat your friend the same way that you did before you knew he was self-injuring. Continue to spend time together doing things that you both like to do. In addition to continuing to be a good friend, you may offer to: Be an emergency contact if your friend has an urge to self-injure, or take them to medical appointments or clinics as necessary. Become an exercise buddy. Physical activity and relaxation techniques can help with anxiety, depression, and general wellness. Plus, you'll have fun together. Encourage expansion of social networks. Many people who self-injure feel lonely, isolated, and disconnected. Support your loved one in taking medications. Anti-anxiety, anti-depressive, or anti-psychotic medication maybe prescribed by the physician or psychiatrist treating the person who self-injures. Some people associate taking such medications with feelings of shame or failure. This can be counteracted by your loving support; be sure to encourage your friend to stay on his medication and to embrace a more positive life after self-injury. Take care of yourself, too. You can spend a lot of energy on helping someone who self-harms. You may be worried, confused, shocked, conflicted, sad, and angered. These feelings are normal and can be draining. Take time to be good to yourself and enjoy your hobbies. Get enough rest and exercise. See a counsellor to cope with your feelings, too. Remember you are not responsible for your friend's actions. You cannot make your friend stop hurting themselves. You can only play a supporting role in their journey to healing. | Trust your instincts. Watch for signs of self-injury. Consider the various methods of self-injury. Try to understand self-injury. Deal with your own feelings first. Prepare to talk to the self-injurer. Tell the self-injurer that you care about them. Ask your friend if they are injuring themselves. Listen with an open mind. Show empathy in your conversation. Identify why the person self-harms. Suggest emotional management options. Help identify triggers. Offer alternatives to self-harm. Don’t keep the secret. Get medical help for the self-injurer. Help your friend find emotional help. Be a source of support. Support your loved one in taking medications. Take care of yourself, too. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Body-Hair-Growth | How to Reduce Body Hair Growth | To reduce the growth of body hair, try drinking spearmint tea, which can help reduce body hair by decreasing your testosterone levels. Additionally, try eating more soy products, such as edamame, soy milk, or soy burgers, since they act similar to estrogen in your body. Alternatively, apply a gram flour and curd mask once a day to reduce the appearance of body hair. You can also wax the area every 2 weeks, which will make the hairs grow back finer and thinner. | Follow a healthy diet and exercise to lose weight and reduce body hair. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you lose weight, which can lower your androgen levels that may be causing your excess body hair. Follow a well-balanced diet and try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 days a week to lose weight healthily. Talk to your doctor before you make sudden changes to your diet and lifestyle to make sure they're safe for you. Focus on eating lean protein sources such as chicken and tofu, whole grains, and lots of fruits and veggies. Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks such as soda. Drink spearmint tea to decrease hair growth. Studies have shown that drinking spearmint tea can decrease the levels of androgens in your body, which may be causing your excessive body hair growth. Get some spearmint tea or fresh spearmint leaves, steep them in 1 cup (240 mL) of hot water for about 3-5 minutes, then strain out the leaves. Try drinking spearmint tea once or twice a day to see if it helps reduce your body hair growth. Eat more soy products to help reduce body hair growth. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which act similarly to estrogens in your body. Excess body hair can be caused by having a lower amount of estrogen, so eating soy products such as edamame, soy milk, or soy burgers may help increase your estrogen levels. Try adding a soy product to at least 1 of your meals each day. Take birth control to reduce androgens if you’re a woman. Oral contraceptives, also known as birth control, have been shown to reduce body hair growth. The estrogen works to counteract androgens in your body, which can cause excessive growth. If you're not taking birth control, talk to your doctor about getting a prescription. Avoid taking birth control without first talking to your doctor to make sure it's safe for you. Talk to your doctor about anti-androgen medications. Anti-androgen medications work to reduce the amount of the hormone androgen in your body, which can help reduce facial and body hair growth. Talk to your doctor about taking anti-androgen medications to see if they're safe and effective for you. If you're a transgender woman, talk to your doctor to see if anti-androgen medications can help reduce your body hair growth. They'll be able to discuss the best options for you. Use vitamin D supplements to reduce body hair. Studies suggest that taking up to 50,000 IU of vitamin D every 2 weeks can help reduce body hair growth. Talk to your doctor about taking vitamin D supplements to make sure they're safe for you, and follow the dosage on the packaging to avoid negative side effects. Side effects of vitamin D supplements include muscle weakness, confusion, extreme thirst, nausea, and fatigue. Vitamin D can also affect your blood sugar levels, so make sure you talk to your doctor before you take it, especially if you have diabetes. Try reducing your androgen levels with peony supplements. Peony is used in traditional Chinese medicine and may reduce the level of androgens in your body, which can cause excess body hair growth. The amount of peony you can take depends on your age, health, and other conditions, so talk to your doctor before you use it. You can find peony supplements at your local nutrition store, and by ordering them online, but talk to your doctor about what an appropriate dose is for you to take. Get electrolysis to stop body hair from growing permanently. Electrolysis is a procedure where a small needle is placed into a hair follicle to zap it with an electrical current, which stops hair growth. These treatments are usually suited for small areas, but larger areas can be treated over multiple treatments. Look for a qualified electrologist in your area and make an appointment to start treatment. An electrolysis session can cost between $50 and $125 USD per hour, and you may need between 8-12 treatments to fully remove the hair. Your skin may be swollen and tender after a treatment, but it should clear up within a few days. Moisturizing lotion can help soothe your skin and keep it from drying out. If you have a hormonal disorder, such as PCOS or hirsutism, these treatments will help, but your hair may grow back if you stop getting treated. Use laser hair removal for a less painful, more affordable option. Laser hair removal is a faster process than electrolysis, but your hair may grow back between treatments. Typically, you would need 4-6 treatments spaced over a few weeks for noticeable, long-lasting results. Search online for dermatologists or skin specialists near you that offer laser hair removal treatments, or ask your doctor for a referral. The average cost of a laser hair removal session is $285 USD and it usually takes about 4-6 treatments to remove about 80% of the hair from the area. During laser hair treatments, your body's natural hair production is reduced, but you may experience a few side effects such as dry, irritated, or painful skin. But, most side effects clear up on their own after a few days. It's possible to permanently stop hair growth in certain areas with laser hair removal, but it some cases, the hair may grow back after you stop getting treatments. Apply an eflornithine cream to keep hair from growing. Eflornithine is a medication used to slow down hair growth by blocking the production of a natural enzyme in the skin that causes hair to grow. This effect can make hair grow slower and may make the remaining hair lighter and finer. As long as you continue applying the cream, you can reduce body hair growth. Eflornithine cream can cost around $200 USD and is only available with a doctor's prescription. Side effects of eflornithine cream include redness, rash, headache and skin that burns or itches. Shave your body hair to temporarily remove it. Shaving is a simple and effective way to remove body hair. Although there is a persistent myth that shaving makes hair grow back thicker and faster, there is no scientific fact behind this claim. Apply shaving cream to the area and use razors designed for body hair to help reduce skin irritation. Shave in the direction of your hair growth to reduce the risk of cutting your skin and to make it easier to cut the hairs. Shaving an area will reduce the amount of hair for the time being while you wait for the hair to be reduced by other means. Shaving can lead to ingrown hairs, but you can help prevent them by massage the area with soap or cleanser before you wax or shave, which will help bring the hair out of the follicle. Wax your body hair to remove it and reduce its growth. Waxing can be painful, but it's really effective at reducing body hair growth. Since the hair is removed from the root, the hair grows back finer, thinner, and slower. You can either buy wax to apply yourself at home or go to a spa or salon to get a professional wax treatment. If you're waxing at home, use hard wax for sensitive areas such as your face, underarms, and bikini area. Soft wax can be used on other areas, such as your legs, back , chest, and arms. You can buy wax you heat in the microwave and fabric strips in most major retailers. You can also buy premade wax strips if you don't want to deal with melting your own wax. Wax about once every 2 weeks for the best results. Do not use wax on damaged skin. If you have open sores, pimples, or a skin infection, wait until the area is completely healed. Waxing can lead to discoloration if you have darker skin. Tweeze the hairs away to reduce their appearance. Use a pair of tweezers to pluck out individual hairs, or visit a salon or cosmetologist for a professional tweezing. Pulling the hairs out by the root will slow down their growth and reduce the appearance of your body hair. Tweezing can be painful and can cause skin irritation. Apply depilatory creams to dissolve body hair and lighten it. Depilatory creams are chemical creams that dissolve the hair above the skin. Although your hair may grow back a little faster than with waxing, the hair may be finer and lighter due to the bleaching qualities in many of these creams. Apply the cream according to the directions on the packaging to remove your body hair. This method also hurts much less than waxing and doesn't cause skin irritation like shaving can. Popular brands of depilatory creams include Nair, Veet, and Neomen. You can find the creams at your local department store, or by ordering them online. You can also buy creams specially designed for specific areas of your body, such as your face, bikini area, and your legs. Bleach your body hair to make it finer and less visible. Use a bleaching kit specifically designed for body hair, and look for one that matches your skin and hair type as well. Mix the ingredients and apply the bleaching solution as described on the packaging to turn your body hair a lighter color, which can make it less noticeable. Bleaching may sting while it's on your skin and it can cause irritation, but if you use moisturizing lotion for a few days, it should clear up just fine. Focus on applying the bleach over areas where the hair is darker, such as your forearms and legs. Avoid taking a hot shower after you bleach your hairs to prevent drying out your skin. | Follow a healthy diet and exercise to lose weight and reduce body hair. Drink spearmint tea to decrease hair growth. Eat more soy products to help reduce body hair growth. Take birth control to reduce androgens if you’re a woman. Talk to your doctor about anti-androgen medications. Use vitamin D supplements to reduce body hair. Try reducing your androgen levels with peony supplements. Get electrolysis to stop body hair from growing permanently. Use laser hair removal for a less painful, more affordable option. Apply an eflornithine cream to keep hair from growing. Shave your body hair to temporarily remove it. Wax your body hair to remove it and reduce its growth. Tweeze the hairs away to reduce their appearance. Apply depilatory creams to dissolve body hair and lighten it. Bleach your body hair to make it finer and less visible. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Catch-Ants-for-an-Ant-Farm | How to Catch Ants for an Ant Farm | To catch ants for an ant farm, look for an ant bed around your yard or another grassy area near your home, especially during spring and summer when ants are most active. Once you find a bed, scoop up some of the ants with a hand shovel and quickly place them into a glass or clear plastic container. Be careful, since some ants have a painful sting. Place the lid on the jar and close it tightly so the ants can't escape. | Gather your materials. You won't need much to collect ants, but you'll want to make sure you have the necessary tools on hand before you begin. You'll need a small hand shovel to dig and scoop up ants, as well as a container to store them in. A clear, plastic food storage container or glass jar will work well for storing and transporting the ants that you collect back to your home. Find an ant colony. If you want to collect ants, you'll need to find a thriving ant colony. Start by searching the yard immediately surrounding your home. If you can't find an ant colony there, you may need to venture out into a more wooded area or try again during a more active period. Spring and summer are the best times to seek out and collect ants. You won't find very many (if any) ants in the winter. Ants can live in a variety of different habitats, depending on the type of ant. Good places to look for ants include in soil, in little mounds close to the ground, underneath rocks and other large objects in the dirt, or inside old wood. Enter the ant colony and collect worker ants. Once you've found an ant colony, you'll need to enter it using your hand shovel. When you're finished, try to restore the environment back to the way it was when you found it. Return all rocks and other objects to their original location and position so that other organisms can still use these habitats. If you're entering a colony built in the soil or in a dirt mound, simply dig about six inches (15 centimeters) into the entrance of the colony. If you're entering a colony hidden under some object (like a rock), choose a large object approximately the size of a loaf of bread. Flip the object over to find the scurrying ants underneath. Scoop up ants with a hand shovel and put them into your glass or clear plastic container. Make sure the lid is on tight, as ants can climb very quickly and escape. Watch out for stinging ants. Some ants are capable of stinging you and may do so if you enter the colony or attempt to collect them. Not all ants sting, but you should be able to clearly see a stinger protruding from the rear abdominal area on ants that will sting. Exercise caution as you collect your ants until you know whether or not they pose a threat. Fire ants can cause an allergic reaction if they sting you. Be very careful when searching for and collecting any insects in the wild. Wait for a summer rain. Most queen ants take flight following a summer rain, which triggers their mating period. This is when they are most active and most likely to leave a colony. Even if you can't find a queen ant ready to take flight, you will be able to find one relatively close to the surface for several days after a rainy period. Some ant species will have mating flights in late spring or after winter rains, depending on the region you live in, but the summer mating flight is the easiest and most likely time to find and catch a queen. Be sure to bring a hand shovel in case you need to dig and a container to store and transport your queen. Dig down into the colony. Once you've spotted a colony in the days immediately following a summer rain, you may be lucky enough to spot a queen at the entrance to the colony. If not, you'll have to do a little digging to find the queen. She will usually be fairly close to the surface during this time frame. Most of the time, the queen will be less than 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) deep in the soil. Be careful as you dig so as not to injure the queen or any other ants with your hand shovel. Collect the queen and her eggs. As soon as you find a queen, carefully scoop her up into your glass jar or food storage container. A test tube will also work well, if you have one, since you'll be primarily collecting the queen and not a whole colony of worker ants. Be sure to collect any eggs the queen might have with her as well, as these will hatch if brought back to the ant farm. Check your ant farm for holes. Ants are highly skilled at escaping from containers, no matter what precautions you may take. A store-bought ant farm will probably be safe, but if you've made your own ant farm at home you'll want to check it for any tiny gaps that might allow ants to escape. An easy way to tell if your ant farm is secure is by filling it with water, wiping the outside dry, and turning it upside down to see if anything drips out. Only fill your ant farm with water if it's empty. Do not attempt to test your ant farm in this way if you've already filled it with dirt and/or ants. Slow down the ants so you can add them to the ant farm. When you are ready to add your ants to the ant farm, they may attempt to rush out of their storage container. You can slow them down to more easily transfer them to the ant farm by placing them in a refrigerator for a very brief period of time. Store the transportation container full of ants in the refrigerator at a low setting, but only for a minute or two. This should slow the ants down sufficiently. Anything longer than two minutes might kill the entire colony, so be sure that you don't leave them unattended for long. Care for your ant farm. Once your ants are in their farm, they should begin exploring their new habitat and digging an extensive network of tunnels. Like all living things, your ants will have some basic needs that must be met if the ants are to survive. Ants need a source of clean drinking water, but not too much or they will drown. Use an eye dropper to add just a few drops of clean water every other day. Give your ants fresh food every two to three days, depending on how quickly they're eating. Small insects and tiny scraps of kitchen meat are an ideal food source for young ants, while older ants will enjoy some sweet and sugary crumbs. Keep your ants out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. Try to maintain a steady room temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 degrees Celsius). | Gather your materials. Find an ant colony. Enter the ant colony and collect worker ants. Watch out for stinging ants. Wait for a summer rain. Dig down into the colony. Collect the queen and her eggs. Check your ant farm for holes. Slow down the ants so you can add them to the ant farm. Care for your ant farm. |
https://www.wikihow.life/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker | How to Use a Pressure Cooker | To use a pressure cooker, start by putting the food you want to cook inside the pot, including meat, vegetables, and enough liquid to cook it properly. Next, remove the safety valve and close the lid securely. Then, place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to high. Once steam starts coming out of the nozzle, replace the safety valve and lower the heat to a simmer. When the food is done, remove the cooker from the heat and allow the pressure to release over the next 20 minutes before opening it. | Know what a pressure cooker does. When the pressure cooker is turned on, heat produces steam which cooks food faster by raising the boiling point. There are two types of pressure cookers. The first is the old style pressure cooker which has a “jiggle top” or weighted pressure regulator that sits on top of the vent pipe on the lid. The second type is the newer style that uses spring valves and a closed system. Check to make sure there are no dents or cracks in your pressure cooker before using it. Also check that the pressure cooker is clear of leftover food. Pressure cookers that have cracked can be dangerous as they could release hot steam and burn you. Know how to fill the pressure cooker. There must always be some sort of liquid in your pressure cooker before you cook anything in it. Most recipes call for water to be used. The cooker should never be more than ⅔ full of liquid as there needs to be room for the steam to accumulate. For a jiggle top cooker : There must always be at least one cup of water in a jiggle top pressure cooker. This amount of water is generally sufficient for 20 minutes of cooking. For a valve cooker : The minimum amount of liquid used in a valve cooker is ½ cup. Understand the steamer basket and trivet. Pressure cookers come with a steamer basket that vegetables, seafood, and fruit are generally cooked on in the pressure cooker. The trivet is the basket's stand. The trivet is placed in the bottom of the pressure cooker and the basket is placed on top of it. Prepare your food for pressure cooking. The box that your pressure cooker came in may have a guide for preparing different kinds of food. Preparing meat and poultry : You can season your meat before putting it in the cooker. Brown the meat first for maximum flavor. You can do this by heating a small amount of oil, such as canola oil, in the pressure cooker on medium high. Do not put the lid on during this process. Put the meat in the cooker and brown it. You can also brown meat in a pan before cooking it in the pressure cooker. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet1.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Preparing seafood : Wash seafood. Place seafood on a pressure cooker steamer basket on the support trivet with at least 3/4 cup (175 ml) of liquid. Always put some vegetable oil on the steamer basket when you cook fish so that it does not stick to the basket. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e3\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e3\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet2.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Preparing dry beans and chickpeas : Soak beans in water for four to six hours. Do not add salt to the water they are soaking in. Drain them and place them in the pressure cooker. Add one to two tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of vegetable oil to the water you add to the pressure cooker if you are using an old jiggle top cooker. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/21\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet3.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/21\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet3.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Preparing rices and grains : Soak wheat grain berries and pearl barley in lukewarm water for four hours. Do not soak rice and oats. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d2\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet4.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d2\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet4.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Preparing vegetables (both fresh and frozen) : Defrost frozen vegetables. Wash fresh vegetables. Place veggies in the steamer basket. Most vegetables are cooked with a 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker when the vegetable only needs to cook for 5 minutes. Use 1 cup (250 ml) of water if the cooking time is 5 to 10 minutes. Use 2 cups (500 ml) of water if the cooking time is 10 to 20 minutes. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet5.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet5.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Preparing fruit : Wash all fruit before using the pressure cooker. Place the fruit in the steamer basket. Use 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water for fresh fruit. Use 1 cup (250 ml) of water for dried fruit. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/64\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet6.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/64\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet6.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-5Bullet6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Determine how much water you should put in the cooker. Consult the manual that came with your cooker for a guide of food items and water amounts. You can also find guides online. Each amount of food has a different amount of water needed to go with it. Place the food to be cooked inside the pressure cooker. Add the amount of water needed to properly cook the specific food you are making in the pressure cooker.' Take off the safety valve or weighted pressure regulator off and close the lid properly. Make sure to lock the lid. Place the cooker on a larger burner on your stove. Set the heat to high. The cooker will start converting the water to steam. Wait for the pressure cooker to gain pressure. The pressure will begin to rise inside the cooker. When the pressure reaches the designed safety limit, the cooker will begin to simmer the food. In old jiggle top valves, this will be when steam comes out of the vent and the weighted pressure regulator will begin to jiggle (hence the name jiggle top). Place the safety valve on the nozzle when you see steam coming out of the nozzle. In new pressure cookers there are marks on the valve stem that indicate the pressure inside the cooker. The marks will appear as the pressure rises. Reduce the heat to a lower level so that the cooker continues to simmer and does not whistle. Begin timing the cooker at this point as per the recipe you are following. The idea is to maintain the pressure throughout cooking time. If the heat supply is not reduced the pressure may continue to rise and the dead weight or safety valve opens (blows a whistle), releasing steam and preventing the pressure from rising any further. The safety valve is provided to prevent possible rupture of the cooker itself. It is not an indicator of cooking time. Turn off the heat when your food has cooked for the amount of time given in your recipe. If you cook the food for longer, it is more than likely develop into the consistency of baby food. You do not want this to happen. Lower the pressure inside the cooker. Do not attempt to lift the lid off of the cooker. Recipes will specify how you should release the pressure. There are three ways to do this. The Natural Release Method : This method is used for long cooking foods like roasts to continue to cook while the pressure reduces on its own. This takes the longest of any of the methods and generally takes 10 to 20 minutes. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b4\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b4\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet1.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The Quick Release Method : Most old pressure cookers, and all new pressure cookers, have a quick release button the lid. When this button is released, the pressure is slowly released from within the cooker. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c2\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c2\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet2.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} The Cold Water Release Method : This is the fastest way to release pressure. Do not use this method if you have an electric pressure cooker. Take the pressure cooker and place it under the sink faucet. Run cold water on the lid until the pressure drops. Do not run the water directly on the pressure regulator or vent. This is the fastest way to release pressure. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/12\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet3.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/12\/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet3.jpg\/aid472946-v4-728px-Use-a-Pressure-Cooker-Step-12Bullet3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Check to make sure that all of the pressure has been released. On jiggle tops, move the pressure regulator. If there is no sound of escaping steam, all of the pressure has been released. On a new model, move the valve stem. If there is no sound of escaping steam, there is no pressure left. Remove the lid carefully. Take the cooked food out of the pressure cooker. | Know what a pressure cooker does. Check to make sure there are no dents or cracks in your pressure cooker before using it. Know how to fill the pressure cooker. Understand the steamer basket and trivet. Prepare your food for pressure cooking. Determine how much water you should put in the cooker. Place the food to be cooked inside the pressure cooker. Take off the safety valve or weighted pressure regulator off and close the lid properly. Wait for the pressure cooker to gain pressure. Reduce the heat to a lower level so that the cooker continues to simmer and does not whistle. Turn off the heat when your food has cooked for the amount of time given in your recipe. Lower the pressure inside the cooker. Check to make sure that all of the pressure has been released. Remove the lid carefully. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Diagnose-Ear-Mites-in-Rabbits | How to Diagnose Ear Mites in Rabbits | To diagnose ear mites in rabbits, first look for signs of infection like scratching or shaking ears from irritation. Also look at the ears for more severe symptoms like wax buildup, crusty discharge, ear infections, and hair loss around the ears. Additionally, since ear mites cause a lot of discomfort, a rabbit that seems unhappy and stays hunched up in one place might be suffering. If you think your rabbit has ear mites, take it to the vet for a proper diagnosis. | Look for the first symptoms of infection. In a fresh infection the signs are all about irritation. The mite's saliva and feces are extremely irritating and they inflame the ear canal. The rabbit then scratches at the ear to soothe the irritation and makes it bleed. This blood then provides additional food for the mites and encourages them to breed. The symptoms of a new infection include: Irritation: The rabbit will shake its head and seem troubled by its ears. One or both ears may be affected. Depression: The irritation may be severe enough for the rabbit to feel depressed and lose interest in what's going on around it. It could even lose interest in eating. Scratching: The rabbit may scratch its ears with its back legs or front paws. Keep an eye out for the physical symptoms of a more established infection. These symptoms are more extreme and need to be treated as soon as possible. Indications of a severe infection include: Wax buildup: Wax and debris build up in the ear. The wax may be a tan or coffee color, and as the infection progresses the quantity increases. Sometimes so much wax is produced that it plugs up the ear canal. Crusty discharge: The wax becomes flakey and crusty, and may even stain paws where the rabbit has rubbed at its ears. The ear is filled with flaky crusty debris, which extends onto the ear flap and around the base of the ear. Ear infection: A secondary bacteria or fungal infection can invade the ear canal when your rabbit has ear mites. You can tell this is happening if your rabbit has a thick, white discharge coming from the ear. Spread of Infection: Scratching and rubbing with its paws spreads the mites to places beyond the ears. The crusting starts to affect the outside of the ears, the head, shoulders, and the forelegs or hind paws. Hair loss: Scratching causes hair loss around the ears. Pay attention to the behavioral symptoms as well. Because the infection causes such discomfort, your rabbit may act differently than normal. Above all, it may be uncomfortable and resent having its head or ears touched. The rabbit may be very dull and unhappy. Sick rabbits tend to stay in one place, hunched up, and not moving. Keep a possibly infected rabbit away from other rabbits and clean your rabbit hutch. The mites are easily passed between rabbits, or can survive outside of a rabbit for a couple of weeks. This means that direct contact between rabbits is not necessary to set up infection. Take your rabbit to a veterinarian. If you suspect your rabbit has ear mites then take it to see a vet. Call your vet and tell the person scheduling the appointments what your rabbit's issues are. They will give you an appointment to bring the rabbit in. Go over the diagnosis with the veterinarian. The vet will perform a thorough head to tail examination of the rabbit. This is to look for other health issues that might be weakening the rabbit's immune system and making it more vulnerable to a mite infection. If another problem is identified, then both issues need to be treated in order for the rabbit to fight off the ear mites. Next the vet examines the ears. If there is crusting, the vet may flake off a piece of crust and place it on a microscope slide. Alternatively, if there are no flakes, the vet may take a piece of clear adhesive tape and press it against the ear in an attempt to capture mites and put them onto a microscope slide. The vet then examines these slides under a microscope to identify the mite. The vet will look down into the ear canal if it is not blocked by debris. It is sometimes possible to glimpse the mites as tiny bright white blobs that scurry away from the light. The physical changes in the rabbit's ear, along with a sighting of mites under the microscope will allow the veterinarian to diagnose ear mites in rabbits. Follow your veterinarian's suggestions for treatment. The vet will prescribe a course of treatment, usually an ivermectin-based drop that is applied to the back of the neck once per week for 3 treatments. Any secondary infection will probably be treated with antibiotics. The scabs and scales should be left in place. To make your rabbit more comfortable, try softening them by applying mineral oil with a cotton swab. This will give hopefully eliminate the rabbit's discomfort enough so that the scabs can peel away naturally. | Look for the first symptoms of infection. Keep an eye out for the physical symptoms of a more established infection. Pay attention to the behavioral symptoms as well. Keep a possibly infected rabbit away from other rabbits and clean your rabbit hutch. Take your rabbit to a veterinarian. Go over the diagnosis with the veterinarian. Follow your veterinarian's suggestions for treatment. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Order-at-Philz | How to Order at Philz | Philz is a coffee shop native to Northern California. They have some very unique custom blends that can overwhelm visitors, but learning how to order isn't as hard as it seems. If you're new to Philz, choose a drink from their extensive menu. For example, if you like dark roast coffee, try a Tantalizing Turkish, which is a rich and dark brew that has a touch of cardamon. If you prefer a light roast, order a Greater Alarm, which is strong, sweet, and highly caffeinated. You can also go for one of their specialty drinks, like a Gingersnap Iced Coffee. Or, opt for tea instead, like a smoky Yerba Mate. You'll also want to pick a size, if you want your drink hot or cold, and what kind of sweetener or creamer you'd like added. When your order is ready, the barista will call it out, so make sure to listen for your drink's name. | Find a Philz near you. Unfortunately for you non-Californians out there, Philz only has locations in San Francisco and East Bay areas. Locate the order line. At Philz, you order first and pay second, which is opposite most traditional coffee shops. There will usually be a big sign directing you to the proper place. Wait to be called up. Your coffee is made-to-order by the baristas, and they can only handle 4 cups at a time. Wait in line until you hear someone say they can take the next person. Choose your drink. If you're new to Philz, ask the barista for a recommendation. They'll figure out what kinds of flavors you prefer and find you the perfect blend. If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, you can also experiment with their extensive menu: Dark roasts Jacob's Wonderbar Brew: Nutty and chocolatey, without bitterness Tantalizing Turkish: Rich and dark, with a touch of cardamom Ether: Dark and oily, with a hint of charcoal Julie's Ultimate: Classy and floral Aromatic Arabic: A full-bodied Arabian coffee Code 33: Strong, rich, and oily Medium roasts Tesora: The classic Philz blend, and strongly recommended for beginners Philharmonic: Warm, with a hint of cardamom Ambrosia Coffee of God: Warm and sweet, with nutty undertones Anesthesia to the Upside: Oaky and sharp, with a caramel finish Silken Splendor: Warm nutty tones Filtered Soul: Sweet and chocolatey, with traces of hazelnut It's the Best: Soft and smooth Dancing Water: Smooth and delicate Half-Caff: Half Tesora, half decaf Sumatra Light roasts Sooo Good: Smoky and sweet Greater Alarm: Strong, sweet, and highly caffeinated Canopy of Heaven: Complex flavors New Manhattan: Earthy and distinctive Decaf Decaf Dark French: Bittersweet and full-bodied Decaf Ethiopian: Rich and silky smooth Decaf Sumatra: Sweet and earthy Decaf Organic Swiss Water Peru: Sweet, silky, and decaffeinated using the Swiss water method Specialty drinks Ecstatic Iced Coffee Mint Mojito Iced Coffee Gingersnap Iced Coffee Mocha Tesora: A chocolate lover's dream Jamaican Blue Mountain: Full-bodied and smooth Hot chocolate Teas Black Tea: Strong, but not too acidic Green Tea: Floral and nutty notes Chamomile Tea Yerba Mate Tea: Smoky Istanbul Treat Mint Tea Herbal Mint Tea Chai Pick a size. You have two options: small or large. Decide whether you'd like your drink hot or iced. Pick a sweetener. Your options are sugar, Splenda, Equal, Sweet'n Low, stevia, or honey. Tell the barista how sweet you want your drink: not sweet, light, medium, or extra. Pick your cream or milk. Your options are cream, whole milk, 2% milk, 1% milk, low-fat milk, almond milk, non-fat milk, soy milk, or vanilla soy milk. Tell the barista how creamy you'd like your drink: light, medium, or extra. Pay for your coffee. Let the person at the register know what blend you ordered and what size. Most blends range from $3 to $4 a cup. Wait for your order to be called. It's important to remember which barista you ordered from and what you got because they'll call out your order and not your name. Give it a taste. Most baristas will ask you to taste your drink while you're at their station—just so they can make sure they got everything perfect. Don't hesitate to ask your barista if your drink isn't quite to your liking. They can tweak your drink until it's just right. | Find a Philz near you. Locate the order line. Wait to be called up. Choose your drink. Pick a size. Decide whether you'd like your drink hot or iced. Pick a sweetener. Pick your cream or milk. Pay for your coffee. Wait for your order to be called. Give it a taste. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Treat-Molluscum-(Molluscum-Contagiosum) | How to Treat Molluscum (Molluscum Contagiosum) | Although molluscum contagiosum usually disappears on its own, you may be anxious to remove the lesions. If this is the case, ask your doctor about cryotherapy. This technique involves using liquid nitrogen to freeze the lesions, removing them from the skin, along with the virus that causes them. Other treatment methods include curettage, which involves scraping the lesion, and laser therapy. Each of these treatments may cause scars. Topical creams including salicylic acid or antiviral medications may also be used to heal the lesions. | Learn about the virus. Molluscum contagiosum is an infection that is caused by a virus that results in noticeable skin lesions that can appear anywhere on the body. These lesions are small, raised, and white or pink in color. They are usually no smaller than the size of a pinhead, but no bigger than the size of a pencil eraser. Molluscum outbreaks should eventually clear up all on their own (usually within six to 12 months, but in some cases it may take up to four years). There are three main groups that are affected by molluscum: include children, sexually active young adults, and those with compromised immune systems. One of the biggest reasons that people choose not to let this condition clear up on its own is if the lesions are located on or around their genitals and they want to continue being sexually active. Determine if you have visible lesions that bother you. Since the lesions will usually go away on their own, there is often not a pressing need to get them removed or treated; however, if the lesions are located in an obviously visible location on your body (like the face, neck, or arms), you may choose to look into treatment options because that will make you more comfortable. Visible lesions in the genital area may be an indication of another kind of sexually transmitted disease, so it's important to get these lesions checked out by a doctor. Decide if you want to be proactive about preventing transmission. If you are especially anxious about transmitting this disease to others, you should consider treatment options. If you are sexually active, have children, or otherwise feel like contact with others is unavoidable, you may want to consider treatment. Transmission of the molluscum virus occurs through direct person-to-person contact or by touching an infected object. The virus lives inside the top layer of skin of the lesion (not inside your body), so researchers believe that contact with the material inside the lesions is what causes transmission of the disease. Discuss your options with your doctor. Whatever you decide, you should discuss your choices with a medical professional so they can help guide you to the right course of treatment and answer any questions you may have. It is never a good idea to try to remove a molluscum bump yourself. Doing so may cause the virus to spread, cause unnecessary pain, create a serious bacterial infection, or cause scarring that might have otherwise been avoided. Discussing your options with a doctor is important, especially since there are treatments advertised on the Internet to treat molluscum that do more harm than good. Look into cryotherapy. This method (freezing the lesion with liquid nitrogen) is the same process often used to remove warts from the skin. This method may leave scars. This kind of treatment is often good at eliminating the top lesion itself. And since that is where the virus lives in the body, this can help get rid of the outbreaks altogether. Consider curettage. This is where the fluid from the bump is removed by piercing the core and scraping the underlying material. This method can also leave scars. Again, do not consider doing this yourself. While it may sound easy to do, you might unintentionally infect other parts of your body with the lesion fluid or transmit it to others in the process. You could also cause a bacterial infection in the skin by scratching or scraping yourself. Use lasers on the lesions. With this kind of treatment, a dermatologist uses a specialized laser to target and eliminate the bumps on your skin. Though effective, this treatment can sometimes be painful. This could also be an effective method of treatment for people with weakened immune systems. Use topical creams. There are creams containing certain chemicals (i.e., salicylic acid, podophyllin, tretinoin, and cantharidin) that may be used to remove the bumps effectively. The creams are applied directly to each lesion. The cream Imiquimod helps strengthen the skin's immune system. This is sometimes used to treat the lesions. These creams do not always remove the bumps and they may be harmful. So be sure to consult with your doctor before using any of them. Apply an antiviral medication to the skin. Using retinoid or another kind of antiviral medicine on the skin can help cure the molluscum outbreak in most healthy patients. This kind of topical treatment helps eliminate the virus, thereby reducing the lesions over time. Make sure to follow your doctor's instructions for application. Use cimetidine. This is an oral medication prescribed by a doctor and most often given to children because it is less painful and can be performed at home where the patient is more comfortable. Unfortunately, facial lesions don't respond as well to this type of treatment as lesions in other parts of the body. As with most medicines, cimetidine may cause unwanted side effects such as headache, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, or depression. Choose a different course of treatment if you have a weakened immune system. Many of the standard treatment therapies aren't effective for immunocompromised patients because their immune systems are not able to respond normally to the treatments. Widespread facial molluscum have become a common marker for severe HIV infection because the low CD4 cell counts in these types of patients create the perfect host environment for the molluscum virus. Get therapy to improve your immune system function. There are many therapies used to restore immune system functionality in patients with compromised immune systems. Some of these treatments include stimulating cytokines (chemical messages that enable communication within the cells of the immune system), introducing Interleukin-2 to help increase CD4 cells, or antiretroviral therapy. Use intralesional interferon therapy. This kind of therapy aims to eliminate the ability of the virus to reproduce itself within its host. In many cases, this helps eradicate the virus altogether. This type of treatment often has severe side effects including flu-like symptoms, tenderness around the site of the lesion, depression, and lethargy. | Learn about the virus. Determine if you have visible lesions that bother you. Decide if you want to be proactive about preventing transmission. Discuss your options with your doctor. Look into cryotherapy. Consider curettage. Use lasers on the lesions. Use topical creams. Apply an antiviral medication to the skin. Use cimetidine. Choose a different course of treatment if you have a weakened immune system. Get therapy to improve your immune system function. Use intralesional interferon therapy. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Divining-or-Dowsing-Rods | How to Make Divining or Dowsing Rods | Divining rods, also known as dowsing rods, have been thought to help people to find things like underground water sources, lost objects, and energy lines. You can use either a forked tree branch or 2 bent wires as dowsing rods. If you're using a branch, look for one shaped like the letter Y so you can hold the 2 forked sides and point the other end at the ground. If you're using wires, you'll want to bend the ends of each one into an L shape and wrap the small ends in rags or cloths to make handles. You'll need to hold one wire in each hand. In folklore, the way to use dowsing rods is to hold your stick or wires in front of you and let them guide you to lost or valuable things. | Find a forked (Y-shaped) branch. This branch can stem from a tree, a bush – any substantial wood source. Search for a branch that is at least a foot long, from tip to tip. Make sure that the forks are relatively equal in length; otherwise, your dowsing rod may be unbalanced. Scan the ground for forked twigs that have already broken – perhaps by the passing of a deer, or perhaps by something more mysterious. If you see a perfect Y-shape that is still growing from a tree, feel free to break it off and use it. If you break the forked branch from a tree, do it with intention. Don't blindly blunder about, smashing trees to bits. Think about the tree, the surrounding area, and why you are commissioning this dowsing rod. Consider leaving something of your own behind to replace what you have taken from the tree. Try to find the branch in the same area that you'll be using it. If you're going to be using this dowsing rod to, say, explore an unfamiliar stretch of woods, or look for water in a mysterious valley, try to find your dowsing rod nearby. Look at the brush at the edge of the woods; look for a tree at the rim of the valley. Some dowsers prefer to use branches from particular trees, and many dowsers prefer that their rods are freshly cut. Hazel and witch-hazel branches are commonly used in Europe and the U.S., respectively – as are willow and peach-tree cuttings. Most of these branches are popular because they are light and porous: many believe that rods from these trees can better absorb vapors rising from buried metals or water, which weighs down the un-forked end so that it points toward the source. Decorate the dowsing rod. You can use the forked branch as you find it, but you may also consider putting your own mark onto the rod. This is especially fruitful if you plan to use it more than once, or if you plan to give it to someone as a gift. Consider carving patterns into the dowsing rod (carefully!) with a knife, wrapping beads or charms around the wood, or even painting portions of it. Consider wrapping fabric around the forks of the rod to make it more comfortable to hold. This can also function as decoration. Hold one fork in each hand. Point the dowsing rod (the bottom section of the Y) away from you at arm's length. Make sure that the fork is parallel with the ground or tilted very slightly downward. Learn How to Use Dowsing or Divining Rods to get into the right headspace! Acquire two equal lengths of wire, each about 20 inches (50.8 cm) long. The wire can be brass, copper, steel – any sturdy but bendable material. For an easy divining rod, try cutting a wire coat hanger into two equal pieces – or straightening two coat hangers by untwisting their hooks. Choose the rod material based on purpose and availability. Brass and copper are especially popular because they don't rust. If you have wire fencing or coat hangers readily available, however, it won't hurt to work with what you have. Use a strong pair of wire cutters to trim the metal to size. There is no hard, fast rule that the wires must be 20 inches long. Make sure that they are long enough to dip of their own accord, and short enough to hold comfortably. Bend each wire into an "L" shape. If your wires are 20 inches (50.8 cm) long, make the twist about 5 inches (12.7 cm) from one end. The bend should create a 90-degree angle in the wire. The short leg will become the handle of each rod. The longer legs will dip, cross, and guide you as you approach what you are looking for. Make handles. The handles should cover the smaller legs of the L-shaped rods – 4-5 inches of the wire, or whatever is comfortable. These handles protect your hands and give you a firmer grip. There is no one way to make a usable handle, so work with what you have available. Use a length of 1 inch (2.5 cm) dowel rod, with a hole through the center. Alternately, glue several cotton reels together into a cylinder. Use a pen. Remove the innards and caps of two cheap plastic pens, then thread the wire through the pen body. You may also pass the wire through a couple of drinking straws. Wrap a rag, a cloth, or a piece of felt around the shorter leg of each "L". Tie the cloth in place with tightly-stretched rubber bands, a piece of twine, or even a safety pin. Hold one rod in each hand, when dowsing. Hold the wire by the handle (the shorter leg of the "L") so that the long part is parallel with the ground. Make sure to hold the dowsing rods loosely enough that they can swing freely from side to side. Hold the rods at arms length away from the body and about 9 inches apart. Remember to keep the rods parallel with the ground or tipped very slightly downward. Learn How to Use Dowsing or Divining Rods to find what you need to find. The rod should rest flat over the index finger, while the butt of the handle should fit into the heel of your hand. Do not grip the handles, as the rods must float freely to work. You may, however, close your hand slightly to improve stability. | Find a forked (Y-shaped) branch. Try to find the branch in the same area that you'll be using it. Decorate the dowsing rod. Hold one fork in each hand. Acquire two equal lengths of wire, each about 20 inches (50.8 cm) long. Bend each wire into an "L" shape. Make handles. Hold one rod in each hand, when dowsing. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Register-As-a-Native-American | How to Register As a Native American | To register as a Native American, you'll need to prove your ancestry and apply for a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood card. You'll need to be able to draw your lineage on the Dawes Commission Rolls, which you can access through the National Archives or Tulsa Library websites. If you can't trace your full family tree, check public records for your family's birth certificates. For example, if you have an ancestor who was adopted, you may be able to find their court adoption order, stating which tribe they came from. Once you can prove your connection to Native American ancestors, fie an application for your Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood card with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. | Set up an account on an online genealogy research service. Online genealogy research services provide tools that will help you access records and organize the information you find. While these services typically require you to purchase a subscription, many public libraries have accounts that allow you to access them for free and set up your own profile. Online genealogy research services also may have access to digital records that you wouldn't be able to get otherwise. This can be particularly helpful with older records. Start with yourself and work backward through your family. Search for records dealing with your parents, then move on to your grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. Closed adoptions may seem like a dead-end but there are ways you can work around them to trace your ancestry. Many Native American children were adopted by white families. The location where the person was adopted can give you some insight into the tribe you might be associated with. DNA tests can also help you find your biological ancestors. Keep in mind that if someone was adopted, their adoptive parents would not be considered your biological ancestors. You need to find their biological parents or other biological relatives, such as aunts or uncles, who can help you trace your lineage. Some adoption records also include information about tribal membership. Talk to family members about your Native American ancestry. Often, family stories will be the source of your belief that you have Native American ancestry. Digging into those stories can help you uncover details about family members that you may not have known. Those details, in turn, can help you fill out your family tree. If you have access to older family members, they're more likely to have documents, photographs, and other information that may lead you to uncover the identity of your Native American ancestors. Check local court and other public records. You may not be able to fill out your full family tree online. Public records can help you connect ancestors, particularly those who lived locally. Many of these records you'll also need to register as a Native American. For example, if you have an ancestor who was adopted, you may be able to find the court adoption order for them. That adoption order may include information about the tribe they came from. If you had ancestors who live in a different area, check the court's website or the state's public records office. You might be able to order records online or over the phone, which would save you a trip to search in person. Search for your ancestor on the Dawes Commission Rolls. Finding a Native American ancestor isn't enough if you want to register as a Native American. You must also be able to point to their name on the Dawes Commission Rolls. Many online genealogy research services have access to the Rolls. You can also access the Dawes Rolls on the National Archives website at https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/dawes. The Tulsa Library has a searchable index of the Dawes Rolls, as well as other resources for researching your Native American ancestry, at https://www.tulsalibrary.org/research/genealogy-center/american-indian-research. Fill out your CDIB card application. The CDIB card application requires you to recreate your family tree, tracing your lineage back to your Native American ancestors. If any of your ancestors were adopted, you will need to list the names of their biological parents if you know them. Include as much information as possible. Your application is more likely to be approved if you have complete information about your ancestors. You may have ancestors who were enrolled in different tribes. If so, you must list each of these tribes on your CDIB card application. However, you can only apply for tribal membership with one tribe. Order certified copies of birth and death certificates for everyone listed. The family tree you create on your application must be supported by documentation. You can expect to pay between $15 and $30 for each certificate you order. These certificates will not be returned to you. Most birth and death certificates can be ordered online through the VitalChek service at https://www.vitalchek.com/certificate-selection. If there's a certificate you can't get online, check with the vital records department of the state where the person lived. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a list of state vital records offices at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm. Submit your CDIB application and supporting documents to the BIA. Once you have your certificates, mail them along with your completed application to the BIA Agency Office that serves your tribe. There are no fees to apply for a CDIB. It's a good idea to make a copy of everything for your records before you mail it. BIA agency offices are included on the tribal leaders directory, available online at https://www.bia.gov/bia/ois/tribal-leaders-directory/. If you are potentially eligible for citizenship in more than one tribe, you'll need to pick the one you want to enroll in. If you need help figuring out which BIA agency office you need to send your application to, call the Office of Indian Services at 202-513-7640. Wait for your CDIB to arrive in the mail. Once the BIA receives your application and supporting documents, it will initiate an investigation into your ancestry. Expect this process to take several months depending on the complexity of your family tree. Once the investigation is complete, you'll get a CDIB in the mail at the address you provided on your application. Your CDIB card renders you eligible to apply for tribal citizenship. However, many tribes also require you to meet additional criteria before you will be awarded citizenship. Search the tribal leaders directory. The tribal leaders directory, maintained by the BIA, provides contact information for the leadership of each of the federally recognized tribes. Scroll the list for the tribe that your ancestor was a member of to find the information you need. The tribal leaders directory is available online at https://www.bia.gov/bia/ois/tribal-leaders-directory/. Contact the tribe to find out citizenship requirements. The federal government doesn't regulate citizenship requirements for the tribes. While some tribes only require the ancestry information contained in your CDIB application, others require additional work with the tribe or knowledge of tribal customs and rituals. Most tribes have this information available on their website. Otherwise, you can write to the tribal leadership using the information you found in the directory. Complete a membership application. Each tribe has its own application process, which typically begins with an application similar to the one you filled out to get your CDIB. However, depending on the citizenship requirements, you may have to provide additional information. Applications are typically available online or you can call the tribal leadership office and request a paper application in the mail. If you're eligible for citizenship in more than one tribe, you typically have to sign a form rejecting citizenship in any other tribe. Make sure you're applying for citizenship in a tribe you can prove your affiliation with and meet any other citizenship requirements. Provide documents to support your application. Just as you did with your CDIB application, you'll need birth and death certificates for each of the ancestors you listed on your application. You may also need marriage certificates or adoption orders. The tribal citizenship application will have a list of documents you're required to provide. Some tribes accept photocopies, while others require certified copies. If you made photocopies of the documents you submitted to the CDIB, this can save you having to order additional certified copies. Submit your application to tribal leadership. Once you've completed your application and gathered your supporting documents, mail the entire package to the address listed in the tribal leadership directory. Before you mail it, make a copy of everything for your records. You'll typically also have to include a copy of your CDIB card. You may want to mail your application using certified mail with return receipt requested, so you'll know when the tribal leadership has received your application package. Wait for the tribe's decision on your application. Each tribe has its own process for reviewing and considering applications for citizenship. Typically, the tribe conducts its own investigation into your lineage, then the tribal leadership votes on whether to accept your citizenship. You'll typically receive a letter in the mail letting you know of the tribe's decision. Some tribes may require you to attend an interview with tribal leadership before your application is finally approved. Many tribes have ceremonies you can attend to be officially welcomed into the tribe. You'll also get information about any services you are now eligible for by virtue of your tribal membership. | Set up an account on an online genealogy research service. Start with yourself and work backward through your family. Talk to family members about your Native American ancestry. Check local court and other public records. Search for your ancestor on the Dawes Commission Rolls. Fill out your CDIB card application. Order certified copies of birth and death certificates for everyone listed. Submit your CDIB application and supporting documents to the BIA. Wait for your CDIB to arrive in the mail. Search the tribal leaders directory. Contact the tribe to find out citizenship requirements. Complete a membership application. Provide documents to support your application. Submit your application to tribal leadership. Wait for the tribe's decision on your application. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Pionus-Parrots-Groomed | How to Keep Pionus Parrots Groomed | To bathe your Pionus parrot, mist it with room-temperature water from a spray bottle 2-3 times weekly. You can also place a shallow ceramic dish filled with water in the cage a few times a week so your bird can bathe itself. Once the weather gets cold, bathe your parrot no more than once a week, and provide a heat lamp or other source of warmth to prevent chills. After bathing, you can help your parrot dry out by putting it by a sunny window or a bird-safe heat lamp. Don't use a blow-dryer, and keep your bird away from drafts. | Mist your parrot with a spray bottle two to three times per week. Fill a spray bottle with room temperature water, about 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 22 degrees Celsius). Place the spray bottle on the mist setting. Spray the mist up and over the bird, mimicking a rain shower. Try to limit misting to the daytime hours, unless you have a bird-safe heat lamp. Never spray your bird directly or in the face. Do not use cold or warm/hot water. Cold water may cause your bird to become cold and sick, while warm/hot water can irritate its skin. Provide a bath two to three times a week. Fill a planter saucer (or a flat ceramic dish) with room temperature water. Place the saucer in your parrot's cage to encourage your parrot to bathe. Your parrot may not bathe immediately. However, once your parrot bathes, remove the saucer from the cage. Provide a bath during the daytime hours only, unless you have a bird-safe heat lamp. Take the bath away after an hour so your bird doesn't drink contaminated water out of it. Minimize misting and bathing during the winter. Since it is colder during the winter, reduce misting your parrot to once a week. Also reduce bathing to once a week. Make sure to provide enough warmth after misting and bathing by placing the cage near a sunny window, or by providing a bird-safe heat lamp. Limit bathing to the daytime hours as well. Place its cage near a window. Your parrot will be wet after misting and bathing. Place its cage near a sunny window to help it dry faster. Once your parrot is dry, remove the cage from the window to avoid overheating it. It is normal for a parrot to ruffle its feathers or shiver a little while it is drying. A little shivering is ok as long as your parrot is near a heat source. Don't leave your bird unattended in direct sunlight. Birds can overheat quickly in the sun and potentially have a heat stroke. Provide a bird-safe heat lamp. If a sunny window is not available, then a bird-safe heat lamp will help keep your bird warm while it dries. Place the lamp at a comfortable distance away from the cage, and place it on a low setting. This way the cage will not overheat. Once your parrot is dry, turn off the lamp. Avoid using a blow dryer to dry your parrot. Some blow dryers contain coils with a non-stick coating. Coils with non-stick coating can be deadly to parrots. Additionally, since blow dryers can get very hot, they may burn or overheat your parrot. Place the cage away from drafts. Air blowing on your parrot while it is wet can cause it to become cold and sick. Place its cage away from air vents and off the ground. If this is not possible, then cover the part of the cage facing the air vent with a bird-safe cage cover. Clip your parrot's wings only if it's absolutely necessary. Many owners clip their parrot's wings to prevent them from flying out of open doors and windows. However, clipping your parrot's wings is not necessary, and it may cause your bird to crash land into something and hurt itself. Instead of clipping your parrot's wings, you can train it to come back to you when it's called so it doesn't fly away. If you do choose to clip your parrot's wings yourself, only clip the primary flight feathers. Clip the same amount of primary flight feathers on both wings. The primary flight feathers are the outermost (and longest) feathers underneath the primary covert feathers. Use specialty scissors that you can find at your local pet store to clip your parrot's wings instead of regular scissors. Avoid clipping the primary and secondary covert feathers. The primary and secondary covert feathers are the row of feathers above the primary flight feathers. Additionally, do not cut the secondary flight feathers. The secondary flight feathers are the shorter, inside feathers next to the primary flight feathers. Avoid clipping blood feathers. Blood feathers are any new or immature feathers that contain a blood shaft. They are typically the shorter feathers closest to the parrot's body. Keep a styptic powder nearby just in case you clip a blood feather. Apply the styptic powder and pressure to the wound. Then bring your parrot to the vet immediately. If you are unsure about clipping your parrot's wings, then have your veterinarian do it for you. Provide concrete perches to keep its nails trimmed. Concrete perches are a great way to keep your parrot's nails trimmed without having to trim them yourself. However, periodic trimming may still be necessary. Use a bird nail trimmer to clip your parrot's nails. Only clip the very tip of the nail to avoid clipping the quick. Have styptic powder nearby just encase you clip the quick. The quick is the part of the nail that contains the blood vessel. If you are unsure about clipping your parrot's nails, then have your veterinarian do it for you. Since concrete perches can be tough on birds' feet, make sure you also provide other kinds of perches for your bird to rest on. Provide mineral blocks to keep its beak trimmed. Your parrot's beak only needs to be trimmed if it becomes overgrown or grows abnormally. Mineral and lava blocks are a great way to keep your parrot's beak trimmed. Place these in your parrot's cage near its food and water dishes. Since abnormal beak growth can be a sign of serious illness, take your parrot to the vet immediately if you notice any abnormal growth. | Mist your parrot with a spray bottle two to three times per week. Provide a bath two to three times a week. Minimize misting and bathing during the winter. Place its cage near a window. Provide a bird-safe heat lamp. Avoid using a blow dryer to dry your parrot. Place the cage away from drafts. Clip your parrot's wings only if it's absolutely necessary. Avoid clipping the primary and secondary covert feathers. Avoid clipping blood feathers. Provide concrete perches to keep its nails trimmed. Provide mineral blocks to keep its beak trimmed. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Ollie-While-Moving | How to Ollie While Moving | To ollie while moving, start out at a slow to moderate speed. Next, position your front foot in the middle of the board just behind the truck screws, and your back foot on the tail end of the board. Then, pop the tail to the ground with your back foot while simultaneously jumping up and forward with your body. Lift up your back foot to level out the board and straighten your legs, keeping your knees slightly bent. Finally, land on the bolts of the board with both feet landing as close to the same time as possible. | Work on your foot placement. When you're riding properly, your front foot should be just behind the front truck screws, and your back foot should be on the back tail. This foot positioning offers the most stability and safety. Popping the board up in the air is actually the easiest part of the ollie. Before you try to ollie while moving, make sure you're riding properly and using smooth, even foot placement at all times when you skate. Practice riding smoothly. Doing a stationary ollie is sometimes actually a lot easier than learning to ride a skateboard comfortably at speed, without doing much at all. Depending on the board you're using and your sense of balance, it's important to devote a considerable amount of time to just getting comfortable on the board, riding, turning, and stopping without falling down. Check out this article for more tips about starting out and riding comfortably. Learn to fall properly. When you fall, it's important to use your wrist pads to brace yourself, protecting yourself with your hands and your arms to protect your head as much as possible. If you feel the board slipping, bail out and take a bump on your butt or your hands at the expense of your head. Only skate in safe and designated areas for skating to be safe, and try to scout for pebbles and cracks that'll mess you up while you're skating. Always use proper safety equipment when you're skateboarding, and especially when you're attempting to ollie in motion. Never skateboard without wearing a helmet. Even the best skaters are going to fall on a regular basis. No shame. Learn to fall properly and pick yourself back up. Find a level area of ground to practice on. While it may seem safer to try on grass, it's pretty hard to actually ollie on grass, so just look for a smooth, flat, even slab of concrete. This will be a lot safer and yield better results than other surfaces. Make sure everything is even and that you've got enough open space to do an ollie safely. Always practice ollies on the ground first before trying them in motion. When you can stick ten consecutive ollies while stationary, then it's time to move on to an ollie in motion. Practice popping the board back. While standing still, practice flexing your knees slightly to lower your center of gravity, and staying level. Then practice staying on the board while you pop the tail back. Do this a few times, staying even and level. Stand next to the board and use your back foot to pop the tail down, as well, as you would in an ollie. Feel how much pressure is required to do it. Try doing 10-15 of these, or as many as it takes to get you to do it without thinking about it. A common beginner mistake is to push down too hard on the tail, which prevents your board from going up in the air. You should be doing more of a light-footed flick down with your ankle that bounces the board off the ground. Try jumping slightly while you pop it. When you're comfortable popping, pop the tail down and jump slightly. It's kind of hard to describe, because you should be doing it all in one smooth motion, moving your front foot forward to control the board as you pop it with your back foot. With some practice, you should get a basic ollie down. When your tail pops off the ground, then you should slide your front foot up so the rest of your board can come up too. If you need to bail out, bail out. You're just practicing. Try to land it if you can, but just try getting the board to pop at first. Try a full-on ollie. Snap the tail back and jump, pushing the board back level and landing on it. Keep practicing this basic motion, trying to get your stand-still ollie as high as you can, while maintaining stability and control of the board. Don't try to do it in motion until you can consistently do these and land them safely. Try to land with your feet even with the truck bolts in the board, pushing the board back down toward the ground with your feet. Practice getting your ollie higher. Flex your knees before you ollie, squatting down if you're able to do it with balance. Lower your center of gravity and try moving your front foot slightly back when you ollie if you want to get a little more height. The more comfortable you are popping the board up and keeping it under control while you're on the ground, the more you'll be able to control the board while you're moving. Try lifting your legs up with the board as well, after you pop it. Scoop the board up with it to get more height. If you hope to eventually ollie over obstacles, this will be an essential skill to develop. Start at a slow to moderate speed. When you're feeling comfortable, get started at a relatively slow speed, but fast enough so that you'll be able to keep your balance when you get back on. Practice at your own speed and don't be afraid to bail out at first. It's usually a little easier to land if you're going a little faster. If you're moving very slowly, the board has a tendency to slip from under you, while if you're moving along, you'll just go along with it. Move your feet into the proper position. When you're moving and ready to pop, make sure your feet are balanced properly and comfortably, your front foot just behind the truck screws and in the middle of the board, your back foot resting on the tail and ready to pop. It's good to lower your center of gravity slightly, but you don't need to crouch down really low to jump, even though it might look way cool. It does help you to pop the board up if you flex your knees slightly, maintaining your center of gravity and your control of the board. Pop the tail back. It's tough to break this down, because it's really one smooth motion. Think of it as "scooping" the board up into the air with you, by popping the tail to the ground with your back foot while simultaneously jumping up and forward with your body to allow the board to pop as you do it. Some people find it helpful to use something like a crack in the sidewalk to use as a eye-guide for timing the jump, but it's not necessary. Control the board with your front foot. The back foot is used to pop the board, and the front foot is used to control it. Drag the side of your front foot up to the nose of the board, this will control the board, and allow you to get more air. The scooped nose of the board can be excellent for catching the board and keeping it from getting away from you. Don't be afraid to move your foot pretty far forward to catch it. Lift your back foot. Once you have dragged your foot all the way to the nose, start to lift up your back foot, which should bring the board into the air with you. As you lift your back foot, the board should start to level out. Straighten your legs, but keep them flexed. Knees always need to be bent as you're completing an ollie to give yourself stability and balance as you land. At the same time, you want to push the board gently back down to the ground with both feet simultaneously, before it gets away from you. As soon as your wheels make contact with the ground, make sure your knees are bent to absorb the impact. Land on the bolts of the board. The most stable place to land is on the front and back truck bolts of the board, with both feet landing as close to the same time as possible. You should just keep rolling smoothly. Put your arms out as you bring the board down, both to control your balance and to catch yourself and protect yourself if you start to fall. Stick with it. Too many skaters give up after getting frustrated and not getting a trick the first afternoon. The only way to learn to ollie in motion is to practice. If you can't do it at first, keep working on your basic skating and board control, which is as important a part of skateboarding as pulling off an ollie. Don't rush it. Keep working. Eventually you can work your way up to doing Ollies over objects like small sticks or even a curb. | Work on your foot placement. Practice riding smoothly. Learn to fall properly. Find a level area of ground to practice on. Practice popping the board back. Try jumping slightly while you pop it. Try a full-on ollie. Practice getting your ollie higher. Start at a slow to moderate speed. Move your feet into the proper position. Pop the tail back. Control the board with your front foot. Lift your back foot. Straighten your legs, but keep them flexed. Land on the bolts of the board. Stick with it. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Proposal | How to Write a Proposal | To write a proposal, start with an introduction that clearly states the purpose of your proposal. Then, explain the problem at hand and why it needs to be solved right now. Go on to detail your proposed solutions to the problem and why you've chosen those solutions. Also, don't forget to include a schedule and budget. To conclude your proposal, briefly summarize the key points you want readers to walk away understanding. | Define your audience. You need to make sure that you think about your audience and what they might already know or not know about your topic before you begin writing. This will help you focus your ideas and present them in the most effective way. It's a good idea to assume that your readers will be busy, reading (or even skimming) in a rush, and not predisposed to grant your ideas any special consideration. Efficiency and persuasiveness will be key. Who will be reading your proposal? What level of familiarity with your topic will they have? What might you need to define or give extra background information about? What do you want your audience to get from your proposal? What do you need to give your readers so they can make the decision you want them to make? Refine your tone to meet your audience's expectations and desires. What do they want to hear? What would be the most effective way of getting through to them? How can you help them understand what you're trying to say? Define your issue. It is clear to you what the issue is, but is that also clear to your reader? Also, does your reader believe you really know what you are talking about? You can support your ethos, or writing persona, by using evidence and explanations throughout the proposal to back up your assertions. By setting your issue properly, you start convincing the reader that you are the right person to take care of it. Think about the following when you plan this part: What is the situation this issue applies to? What are the reasons behind this? Are we sure that those, and not others, are the real reasons? How are we sure of it? Has anyone ever tried to deal with this issue before? If yes: has it worked? Why? If no: why not? Define your solution. This should be straightforward and easy to understand. Once you set the issue you're addressing, how would you like to solve it? Get it as narrow (and doable) as possible. Your proposal needs to define a problem and offer a solution that will convince uninterested, skeptical readers to support it. Your audience may not be the easiest crowd to win over. Is the solution you're offering logical and feasible? What's the timeline for your implementation? Consider thinking about your solution in terms of objectives. Your primary objective is the goal that you absolutely must achieve with your project. Secondary objectives are other goals that you hope your project achieves. Another helpful way of thinking about your solution is in terms of "outcomes" and "deliverables." Outcomes are the quantifiable results of your objectives. For example, if your proposal is for a business project and your objective is "increase profit," an outcome might be "increase profit by $100,000." Deliverables are products or services that you will deliver with your project. For example, a proposal for a science project could "deliver" a vaccine or a new drug. Readers of proposals look for outcomes and deliverables, because they are easy ways of determining what the "worth" of the project will be. Keep elements of style in mind. Depending on your proposal and who'll be reading it, you need to cater your paper to fit a certain style. What do they expect? Are they interested in your problem? How are you going to be persuasive? Convincing proposals can use emotional appeals, but should always rely on facts as the bedrock of the argument. For example, a proposal to start a panda conservation program could mention how sad it would be for the children of future generations to never see a panda again, but it shouldn't stop there. It would need to base its argument on facts and solutions for the proposal to be convincing. Make an outline. This will not be part of the final proposal, but it will help you organize your thoughts. Make sure you know all of the relevant details before you start. Your outline should consist of your problem, your solution, how you'll solve it, why your solution is best, and a conclusion. If you're writing an executive proposal, you'll need to include things like a budget analysis and organizational details. Start with a firm introduction. This should start out with a hook. Ideally, you want your readers enraptured from point one. Make your proposal as purposeful and useful as possible. Use some background information to get your readers in the zone. Then state the purpose of your proposal. If you have any stark facts that shed some light on why the issue needs to be addressed and addressed immediately, it's a safe bet that's something you can start with. Whatever it is, make sure what you start out with is a fact and not an opinion. State the problem. After the introduction, you'll get into the body, the meat of your work. Here's where you should state your problem. If your readers don't know much about the circumstance, fill them in. Think of this as the "state of affairs" section of your proposal. What is the problem? What is causing the problem? What effects does this problem have? Emphasize why your problem needs to be solved and needs to be solved now. How will it affect your audience if left alone? Make sure to answer all questions and cover them with research and facts. Use credible sources liberally. Propose solutions. This is arguably the most important part of your proposal. The solutions section is where you get into how you will address the problem, why you will do it in this way, and what the outcomes will be. To make sure you've got a persuasive proposal, think about the following: Discuss the larger impact of your ideas. Ideas that seem of limited applicability aren't as likely to spark enthusiasm in readers as ideas that could have widespread effects. Example: "Greater knowledge of tuna behavior can allow us to create a more comprehensive management strategy and ensure canned tuna for future generations." Addressing why you will do something is as important as stating what you will do. Presume that your readers are skeptical and will not accept your ideas at face value. If you're proposing to do a catch-and-release study of 2,000 wild tuna, why? Why is that better than something else? If it's more expensive than another option, why can't you use the cheaper option? Anticipating and addressing these questions will show that you've considered your idea from all angles. Your readers should leave your paper assured that you can solve the problem effectively. Literally everything you write should either address the problem or how to solve it. Research your proposal extensively. The more examples and facts you can give your audience, the better -- it'll be much more convincing. Avoid your own opinions and rely on the hard research of others. If your proposal doesn't prove that your solution works, it's not an adequate solution. If your solution isn't feasible, nix it. Think about the results of your solution, too. Pre-test it if possible and revise your solution if need be. Include a schedule and budget. Your proposal represents an investment. In order to convince your readers that you're a good investment, provide as much detailed, concrete information about your timeline and budget as possible. When do you envision the project starting? At what pace will it progress? How does each step build on the other? Can certain things be done simultaneously? Being as meticulous as possible will give your readers confidence that you've done your homework and won't waste their money. Make sure your proposal makes sense financially. If you're proposing an idea to a company or a person, consider their budget. If they can't afford your proposal, it's not an adequate one. If it does fit their budget, be sure to include why it's worth their time and money. Wrap up with a conclusion. This should mirror your introduction, succinctly wrapping up your general message. If there are consequences to your proposal not being undertaken, address them. Summarize the benefits of your proposal and drive home that the benefits outweigh the costs. Leave your audience thinking ahead. And, as always, thank them for their consideration and time. If you have extra content that doesn't exactly fit into your proposal, you may want to add an appendix. But know that if your paper is too bulky, it may scare people off. If you're in doubt, leave it out. If you have two or more appendices attached to your proposal, letter them A, B, etc. This can be used if you have data sheets, reprints of articles, or letters of endorsement and the like. Edit your work. Be meticulous in writing, editing, and designing the proposal. Revise as necessary to make it clear and concise, ask others to critique and edit it, and make sure the presentation is attractive and engaging as well as well organized and helpful. Have another set of eyes (or two) read over your work. They'll be able to highlight issues your mind has grown blind to. There may be issues that you haven't completely addressed or questions you've left open-ended. Eliminate jargon and cliches! These make you look lazy and can get in the way of understanding. Don't use a long word when a short word will do just as well. Avoid the passive voice whenever possible. Passive voice uses forms of "to be" verbs and can make your meaning unclear. Compare these two sentences: "The window was broken by the zombie" and "The zombie broke the window." In the first, you don't know who broke the window: was it the zombie? Or was the window by the zombie and just happened to also be broken? In the second, you know exactly who did the breaking and why it's important. Use strong, direct language and avoid muddling your proposal with qualifiers and extra phrasing. For example, instead of using phrases like "I believe that...," or "this solution may aid...," say, "The proposed plan will significantly reduce poverty rates." Proofread your work. Editing focuses on getting the content as clear and concise as you can make it. Proofreading makes sure that your content is free of mistakes. Go over your proposal carefully to catch any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Any mistakes on your end will make you look less educated and less credible, reducing your likelihood of getting approved. Make sure that your formatting is in line with whatever the guidelines require. | Define your audience. Define your issue. Define your solution. Keep elements of style in mind. Make an outline. Start with a firm introduction. State the problem. Propose solutions. Include a schedule and budget. Wrap up with a conclusion. Edit your work. Proofread your work. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Transport-Cut-Flowers | How to Transport Cut Flowers | It's important to package your flowers carefully when transporting them so they don't get damaged. One easy way is to store them in a bucket. You'll need to fill it halfway with water and put the flowers upright in the water. Place heavy items on either side of the bucket in your car to prevent it from tipping over. Alternatively, you can wrap the flowers to keep them moist. To do this, you'll want to wrap a bunch of the flowers' stems with rubber bands. Then, soak cotton wool in cool water and wrap the flowers and cotton wool in plastic bags to keep them secure. Place the flowers flat in a box to stop them from rolling around. Make sure you keep your vehicle cool so the flowers stay fresh. | Store your flowers in a cool place. The recommended temperature is between 34 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 24 degrees Celsius). You can keep your flowers in the fridge before your event or at a venue to keep them fresh longer. If you do this, make sure the temperature of the fridge is cool but not close to freezing. Also, be sure to remove any fruits or vegetables from the refrigerator, as they emit a gas called ethylene that can harm your cut flowers. Recut the flowers. Cutting one or two inches off the stems of your flowers or other cut plants can help to extend their life and keep them fresh as you transport them. When you cut the flower stems, do so while they are submerged in water. You can fill up a shallow basin of water for this purpose. Cutting them in water ensures no air gets into the stem. Use very sharp shears or scissors to avoid pinching the stem instead of slicing it neatly. You want to cut each stem at around a 45-degree angle. You will need to recut the flowers every 24 to 48 hours to maintain freshness. Trim off any lower leaves. You want your stems to be free from leaves that don't serve a purpose in your arrangement. You want to trim these leaves because leaves that stay damp could rot and cause mold or bacteria to grow around the base of your arrangement. Wrap your flowers’ lower stems with rubber bands. If your flowers are already arranged, you can wrap rubber bands around each arrangement. If they aren't, you can simply wrap according to flower type. The rubber bands just keep your flowers in manageable bundles as your transport them and assure you don't lose any of the arranging you've already done. Wrap the flowers to keep them moist. For this, you should use cotton wool that you've soaked in room temperature water. You want to use a material that will hold the water for a long period of time. If you want, you can add a small amount of a floral preservative to the water that you soak your cotton wool in. Cover the cotton wool with plastic. You can use any kind of plastic wrap or plastic bag for this to seal in moisture and keep your flowers in place. Once you've wrapped around the cotton wool with plastic wrap, secure over it with a rubber band. Lay flowers flat in shallow boxes. This method works best for flowers with hardier blooms or for greenery that will accompany the flowers in your floral arrangements. Gently lay flowers flat in the boxes. Make sure all the blooms face the same way. If you plan on stacking your boxes, close them well, first, so that your flowers don't get crushed by the boxes above them. Use cardboard boxes with cut-outs. This works best for more delicate flowers and arrangements that are already complete. Find cardboard boxes with lids that are the same height as the stems of your arrangements. In the lid of each box, use a box cutter to cut a hole just large enough for your bouquet to fit into. Put each of your bouquet arrangements into a hole, making sure they fit snugly and won't fall over as you drive. Transport flowers in buckets. If you're transporting in buckets, you don't need to wrap the stems of your flowers with cotton wool and plastic. Fill five-gallon buckets halfway with water, and put your bouquets in them upright. To keep the bucket upright, place heavy items on each side of the bucket. of bleach per 1 US quart (0.95 L) of water in the flower vase or bucket. Alternatively, use 3 drops of bleach and 1 teaspoon (4 g) of sugar per 1 US quart (0.95 L) of water.”|}} Keep your flowers shaded and cool. In your vehicle, don't place flowers in an unventilated trunk or in the direct sunlight from the windows. Place them on the floor to keep them upright. Keep the inside of the vehicle cool, so the flowers remain fresh. | Store your flowers in a cool place. Recut the flowers. Trim off any lower leaves. Wrap your flowers’ lower stems with rubber bands. Wrap the flowers to keep them moist. Cover the cotton wool with plastic. Lay flowers flat in shallow boxes. Use cardboard boxes with cut-outs. Transport flowers in buckets. Keep your flowers shaded and cool. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Treat-Asthma-Attacks | How to Treat Asthma Attacks | To treat an asthma attack, seek medical treatment right away if you experience severe symptoms like audible wheezing, shortness of breath, or bluish lips, as it may be a medical emergency. If you have symptoms, but they aren't severe, use your inhaler to clear your airways. If you don't have an inhaler, sit down and rest until you feel better. As you sit, try leaning forward and placing your hands on your knees to relieve pressure on your diaphragm, which will make it easier to breathe. While you wait for your attack to subside, do your best to stay calm since anxiety can worsen your symptoms. | Recognize early symptoms of an asthma attack. People with chronic asthma may wheeze occasionally and require the use of their asthma medication to control symptoms. An attack is different in that it results in more severe symptoms which last longer and require immediate attention. Early symptoms that an attack may be imminent include: Itchy neck Feeling irritable or short-tempered Feeling nervous or edgy Fatigue Dark circles under the eyes Recognize the onset of an asthma attack. An asthma attack can deteriorate into a life-threatening situation that requires immediate medical attention. Know how to identify an asthma attack so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible. Although signs and symptoms of an asthma attack vary depending on the person, the most common symptoms include: Wheezing or whistling while breathing. Most often the wheezing is heard when a person is breathing out (exhaling) but can sometimes also be heard when they are breathing in (inhaling). Coughing. Some sufferers may cough in an attempt to clear the airway and get more oxygen into their lungs. This may be especially aggravated at night. Shortness of breath. People suffering from asthma attacks will complain of being short of breath. They may be breathing in short shallow breaths that appear to be faster than normal. Chest tightness. Attacks are often accompanied by a feeling that chest feels tight or that there is pain on the left or right side. Low peak expiratory flow (PEF) readings. If the person uses a peak flow meter, a small device that measures the maximum speed of expiration in order to monitor a person's ability to exhale air, and the measurements range from 50% to 79% of your personal best, this is indicative of an asthma flare-up. Know the symptoms of asthma in a child. Children will often have the same symptoms as adults with asthma, such as wheezing or whistling when breathing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness or pain. Fast breathing is common in an asthma attack in children. Children may show 'retractions' where you can see their neck pulling, belly breathing, or their ribs when they breathe. In some children a chronic cough can be the only symptom of an asthma attack. In other cases, symptoms of asthma in children are limited to coughing that is made worse with viral infections or when they are sleeping. Evaluate the specific situation. Assess what is happening to determine if emergency medical attention is needed and what treatment should be done at the scene. Individuals who are having mild symptoms may be able to use their medication which should work immediately. Those individuals in greater distress should be seen by emergency medical personnel. In the case of a severe asthma attack, call or have someone nearby call emergency medical services before proceeding to treat the attack. Know how to distinguish which situation you have on your hands: People with asthma who need their medication but may not require immediate medical attention will: be wheezing slightly but not appear in distress may be coughing to clear their airway and get more air have some shortness of breath but able to talk and walk do not appear to be anxious or in distress will be able to tell you they have asthma and where their medication is located People who are in significant distress and will require immediate medical attention: may appear pale or even have a bluish color to their lips or fingers have the same symptoms as above but intensified and more severe strain their chest muscles to breathe experience severe shortness of breath, which results in short panting breaths wheeze audibly with inspiration or expiration have increased anxiety about the situation possibly be confused or less responsive than normal have trouble walking or talking because of shortness of breath demonstrate persistent symptoms Have an action plan in place. Once you are diagnosed with asthma, create an asthma action plan with your allergist or physician. This plan is basically a step-by-step process of what to do when you face an acute attack. The plan should be written down and include emergency phone numbers as well as those of family and friends who can meet you at the hospital if needed. When you get the diagnosis, consult with your doctor to identify your particular symptoms of worsening asthma and what you should do when they flare up (e.g. take medication, go to the emergency room, etc). Make sure you know how to use your rescue inhalers. Write this plan down and keep it with you at all times. Avoid your asthma attack triggers. In general, note that prevention of symptoms is the best way to manage and treat asthma. If you know what situations trigger your asthma attacks (such as being around furry animals or extremely hot or cold weather), then try to avoid these when possible. Get the inhaler prescribed by your physician. There are two different type of rescue medications that you may have been prescribed your doctor, a Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) or a Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI). MDIs the are most common inhalers. They deliver asthma medication through a small aerosol canister equipped with a chemical propellant that pushes the medication into the lungs. An MDI can be used alone or with a breathing chamber ("spacer") that separates your mouth from the inhaler, and which can allow you to breathe normally to receive the medication and help the medication get into the lungs more efficiently. A DPI inhaler means of delivering dry powder asthma rescue medication without propellant. Brand names of DPI medications include Flovent, Serevent, or Advair. A DPI requires you to breathe in quickly and deeply, which makes them difficult to use during an asthma attack. This makes them less popular than the standard MDIs. Whichever you have been prescribed, make sure you are always carrying it with you. Use a MDI. Note that when suffering an asthma attack, you only want to use an MDI filled with the rescue medication, bronchodilators (such as albuterol) , and not corticosteroids or long-acting beta-2 agonist bronchodilators. Shake the inhaler for five seconds to mix the medication in the canister. Before using the inhaler, push out as much air in the lungs as you can. Lift your chin and seal your lips around the air chamber or the end of the inhaler. Using an air chamber, you would breathe normally and slowly to get the medication. Using the inhaler, start to breathe in and press the inhaler once. Keep breathing in until you can't get in any more air. Hold your breath for 10 seconds and repeat at least one time, but often more, allowing at least one minute between uses. Always follow the instructions on your asthma plan. Use a DPI. DPIs vary consistently from manufacturer to manufacturer, so care should be taken in reading the instructions before using. Breathe out as much air as possible. Seal your lips around the DPI and breathe in strongly until your lungs are full. Hold your breath for 10 seconds. Remove the DPI from your mouth and exhale slowly. If more than one dose is prescribed, repeat after one minute has passed. Recognize an asthma emergency. If your asthma symptoms worsen even after taking your medication, you may need to get emergency medical assistance. If you can call emergency services, you should do so. However, if your breathing is too labored and you cannot speak clearly, you may need someone to call for you, such as a friend or family member nearby or a passersby. A good action plan will include the local number for emergency services. In addition, your doctor will have helped you identify when your symptoms are becoming more severe and when you are entering an emergency situation so that you'll know when to get help. Call your local emergency number if your attack is not significantly relieved by your rescue inhaler in several minutes. Rest while awaiting emergency personnel. Sit and rest while emergency personnel are coming to your aid. Some asthmatics find sitting in the "tripod" position—leaning forward with their hands on their knees—to be helpful because it can relieve pressure on the diaphragm. Try to stay calm. Becoming anxious can increase your symptoms. Ask someone in the vicinity to sit with you to help you stay calm until emergency help arrives. Help the individual find a comfortable position. Most people with asthma will be more comfortable sitting and not standing or lying down. Keep the person upright to assist with lung expansion and ease of breathing. Let the person lean slightly forward onto you or a chair for support. Some asthmatics may sit in a "tripod" position by leaning forward with their hands on their knees to relieve pressure on their diaphragm. Asthma is exacerbated by anxiety but it is not triggered by anxiety. This means that during an attack the individual will respond more rapidly when he is calm. Anxiety releases cortisol in the body which constricts the bronchioles, the passages by which air passes through the nose and/or mouth to the air sacs of the lungs. It's important that you stay calm and reassuring as this can assist the person in maintaining calm. Calmly ask "Do you have asthma? " Even if the person cannot verbally answer due to wheezing or coughing, he may nod or gesture towards his inhaler or an instruction card. Ask the person if he has a written asthma emergency action plan. Many individuals who are prepared for asthma attacks will carry a written emergency plan with them. If the person has one, take it out and help him follow the plan. Remove all known triggers in the immediate area. Asthma is often exacerbated by specific triggers or allergens. Ask the individual if something in the immediate area might be triggering an attack and if the person communicates a response, try to remove the trigger or remove the person from the trigger if it is environmental (like pollen or weather-related). Animals Smoke Pollen High humidity or cold weather Inform the person that you are looking for his inhaler. Do this to keep the person calm and reassure him that you are working with him, not against him. Women may keep their inhaler in their handbags and men in a pocket. Some asthmatics, especially children or the elderly, may have a clear plastic tube called a spacer that attaches to the inhaler. A spacer delivers the medicine into the mouth with less force, making it easier to inhale. Children and elderly people who suffer frequent asthma attacks may also carry nebulizers, which deliver asthma medication through a mouthpiece or mask. They are easy to use, because the patient breathes normally and are thus ideal for the young and old, but are somewhat bulkier than the MDIs and require electricity to work. If the person does not have an inhaler, call emergency medical services, especially if the asthmatic is young or elderly. People suffering from asthma attacks without inhalers are serious risk of asphyxiating. Prepare the person to receive medication from the inhaler. If the person has his head resting downward, temporarily lift his upper body back. If there is a spacer for the MDI, attach it to the inhaler after shaking. Remove the cap from the mouthpiece. Help the person tilt his head back if necessary. Have the asthmatic exhale as much as possible before using the inhaler. Allow the person to administer his own medication. Inhaler dosages must be appropriately timed, so allow the asthmatic control of this process. Help the person support the inhaler or spacer against his lips if necessary. Most asthmatics will pause for a minute or two between puffs. Call emergency services. Monitor the asthmatic until paramedics arrive. Even if the asthmatic seems to get better after using their inhaler, it is best if a paramedic or healthcare professional can assess the person. If the person does not want to go to the hospital, he can make that decision after being informed of his health status. Continue to help the person with their inhaler if necessary; even if the asthma attack does not decrease in severity the medication will help keep it from worsening by relaxing the airways. Call emergency services. If you or another person do not have an inhaler, it is important to call your local emergency phone number. There are also other steps you can take while awaiting emergency services. However, you should always ask emergency services what they advise while you're on the phone with them. Run a hot shower. If at home, running a hot shower or bath can transform the bathroom into a good recovery zone due to the steam. Practice breathing exercises. Many people get anxious and panic when they suffer an asthma attack and this can increase breathing. However, panicking usually aggravates the asthma attack because it restricts the amount of oxygen that the lungs get. Try to do slow, conscious breathing. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four and then out for a count of six. Try pursing your lips as you exhale. This can help slow your exhales and keep the airways open for a longer time. Find a drink with caffeine. Caffeine's chemical structure is similar to common asthma medications, and a small amount of coffee or soda can help relax the airways and reduce respiratory problems. The drug in question here is called theophylline, which can help prevent and treat wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. There may not be enough theophylline present in coffee or tea to counteract the asthma attack, but it is one alternative option. Make use of common household drugs. Certain drugs may help relieve the effects of an asthma attack in the case of emergency, although they should never be taken in lieu of getting emergency assistance. Administer a fast-acting antihistamine (allergy medicine) if you or the asthmatic thinks an allergen has triggered the reaction. This may be the case if you are outside on a day with a high pollen index. Antihistamines include: Allegra, Benadryl, Dimetane, Claritin, Alavert, Tavist, Chlor-Trimeton, and Zyrtec, to name a few. Echinacea, ginger, chamomile, and saffron are all natural antihistamines. If you can find any teas that contain these ingredients, this might help relieve some symptoms, although the effect of antihistamines in general is likely to be minimal. Be careful when using natural herbs or supplements as some people are allergic to the ingredients. Use a over-the-counter pseudoephedrine like.Sudafed. Sudafed is a nasal decongestant, but it could help during an asthma attack when an inhaler is not present because it can help open the bronchioles. It's best to break the pill down with a mortar and pestle and dissolve in warm water or tea before administering to limit the risk of choking. Note as well that while it does work, it can take up to 15 to 30 minutes to be effective. Keep in mind as well that pseudoephedrine can increase the heart rate and blood pressure. | Recognize early symptoms of an asthma attack. Recognize the onset of an asthma attack. Know the symptoms of asthma in a child. Evaluate the specific situation. Have an action plan in place. Avoid your asthma attack triggers. Get the inhaler prescribed by your physician. Use a MDI. Use a DPI. Recognize an asthma emergency. Rest while awaiting emergency personnel. Help the individual find a comfortable position. Calmly ask "Do you have asthma? Remove all known triggers in the immediate area. Inform the person that you are looking for his inhaler. Prepare the person to receive medication from the inhaler. Call emergency services. Call emergency services. Run a hot shower. Practice breathing exercises. Find a drink with caffeine. Make use of common household drugs. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Hide-an-Ear-Piercing | How to Hide an Ear Piercing | To hide newly pierced ears, wear hats and scarves as much as possible. If you have long hair, let it hang down in front of your ears. Make sure to give yourself a few inches past the piercing height to give yourself coverage as you move around. For small piercings, buy a pair of inexpensive post earrings and cut off the balls with wire cutters. With the balls off, keep the post even with your skin when you wear them so it will seem like a small mole from afar. Once you've passed 6 weeks and can take your piercing out, apply a small dab of concealer or foundation to the hole and blend until your piercing is hidden. | Keep your first earrings in continuously for six weeks. If your ears have only recently been pierced, you should not remove your earrings for any reason. Doing so before the aforementioned six-week period is over risks bruising, bleeding, piercing closure, and an increased risk of infection. This point cannot be emphasized enough! If you believe you will be unable to keep your earrings in for this long, consider waiting to get your ears pierced until the circumstances of your life allow it. Clip-on earrings are one temporary possibility available to you which require no such time commitment, and magnetic earrings are even available to try on cartilage piercings. Cartilage piercings, however, often require a much longer time to properly heal, taking anywhere from three to twelve months. Cut the ball off of a small, inexpensive post earring. If you elect to have your ear pierced with the smallest post available, you can remove the earring's back, push the post as far forward as possible (while keeping it in your ear) and snip the ball off of the post with wire cutters. After pushing the post back into its normal position and replacing the earring's back, the post may resemble little more than a tiny mole It is recommended that you enlist the help of a parent, and take extreme caution when using wire cutters near your ear. Cover them with flesh-colored band-aids. The notable word here is “cover.” This will not make any secret of your ears being pierced, but it will obscure the actual jewelry. Try this if secrecy is less of an issue than coverage. Useful for playing sports or engaging in any athletic activity. Double-check that the leagues you're a part of will actually allow this method before getting your ears pierced, though. Various combinations of sports tape and bandages can be used to achieve the same purpose. Wear your hair long and down. Longer hair (anything past the piercing site on your ear, for our purposes here) is extremely advantageous for hiding earrings. Consider growing your hair longer before getting your ears pierced, if you believe you will have need to hide the earrings. Give yourself at least a few inches past the piercing height for consistent coverage as you move around. Generally effective for hiding cartilage piercings regardless of gender, as shorter hairstyles can still effectively cover that part of your ear. For occasions where you need to tie longer hair back, put it in a low ponytail and let the hair hang down over your ears while it's pulled back. Don scarves and hats when appropriate. While these won't work in every situation (good luck explaining why you've got a scarf wrapped around your head at the dinner table), they can be useful in colder weather jobs, or when trudging to and from school. Beanies, headbands, and fur trapper hats can be pulled low over your ears to get the job done. Baseball caps can also help simply by pushing voluminous, springy hair downward, to better cover your ears. Take proper care of your newly pierced ears. For several day after the act, both earring and lobe should be gently cleaned with rubbing alcohol, applied twice daily by a cotton swab or ball. Your earrings will become quite noticeable if the area becomes inflamed! Always wash your hands before cleaning your earrings and piercing site. Recommendations vary when it comes to the issue of whether or not to rotate your earrings; while some suggest rotating them slightly at night before bed, others suggest abstaining entirely. Adhere to the instructions of the professional who pierced your ears, but sources agree in their advisement against perpetually twisting and fidgeting with your earrings. Remove your earrings when necessary. A bit of a no-brainer, perhaps, but once you're past those first six weeks, simply remove your earrings when the situation calls for it. Bodies can close their piercing sites at unpredictable rates, but it's highly unlikely for them to close over a day or weekend. Most piercings will close without anything in them, taking anywhere from a few days to several weeks. A thin membrane may grow over the hole, without the hole actually closing; jewelry can typically be pushed back through this with minimal pain. Try lubricating the area with antibiotic ointment if you encounter any difficulty. Reopening the closed piercing is also possible, if the earrings must remain out of your ears for extended periods of time. Cartilage piercings, as opposed to lobe piercings, can remain without jewelry for a much longer time without closing. As was mentioned in part one, though, the healing process for these is also much longer compared to lobe piercings. Use quartz retainers. Clear, quartz jewelry can be worn to keep the earring tunnel open with discrete results. While far from invisible, clear jewelry requires fairly close inspection to detect. Clear acrylic is less recommended for its quality issues, but it's also a viable option. Clear jewelry is not recommended for your very first earrings; your first earring should be 14-carat gold or stainless steel, as these are less likely to cause infection or swelling. Other metals can also induce allergic reactions. Choose flesh-colored jewelry. Small, flesh-colored posts work similarly to clear ones, but may be even less noticeable. Stretched ears in particular—while difficult to hide—will have more success with flesh-colored plugs. These can be found in a variety of materials, including acrylic and various silicones. Apply concealer to your piercings. If you'd like it to be secret that you have your ears pierced at all, remove your earrings and apply a small dab of concealer or foundation to the hole. Make sure to choose the right shade for your skin tone. Take advantage of perspective with multiple piercings. If you wish to draw less attention to a second piercing, for example, try choosing a much bigger stud, jewel, or hoop for your first piercing. With the first piercing drawing the eye, your second piercing will be less noticeable. Pick your battles. For as much as you may want to wear a certain style of earring, or to go for something more stylish like a rook, conch, industrial, or daith piercing, consider the environments you'll be wearing these in. You may not have to expend so much energy hiding your earrings or arguing with your boss if you opt for minimalist jewelry, or more conservative piercing styles. At the same time, these are your ears you're adorning. You should simply ensure that you're aware of the situations in your life which may be less amenable to more adventurous ear choices. | Keep your first earrings in continuously for six weeks. Cut the ball off of a small, inexpensive post earring. Cover them with flesh-colored band-aids. Wear your hair long and down. Don scarves and hats when appropriate. Take proper care of your newly pierced ears. Remove your earrings when necessary. Use quartz retainers. Choose flesh-colored jewelry. Apply concealer to your piercings. Take advantage of perspective with multiple piercings. Pick your battles. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-Permanent-Hair-Straightening | How to Get a Permanent Hair Straightening | To get a permanent hair straightening, start by applying a deep conditioning mask to your hair. Then, pin your hair up so the ends are exposed and sit close to a steaming hot shower without actually getting your hair wet. After 30 minutes, rinse the conditioner out of your hair. To keep your newly straightened hair nice and sleek, apply a smoothing serum or natural oil whenever you get out of the shower, which will protect against frizziness. | Choose Japanese straightening if you have loose to medium curls. Japanese straightening, also called thermal reconditioning, involves your stylist applying a solution to your hair that breaks the bonds that make your hair curly. Your stylist will then blowdry and flatiron your hair until it is pin-straight. The process can take up to 8 hours, and it will leave your hair sleek, shiny, and straight. If you choose Japanese straightening, your hair will be unable to hold a curl, even if you use a curling iron. The difference between your straightened hair and your new hair growth will be obvious, so plan to go in for a touch-up after 6-12 weeks. A Japanese straightening treatment can cost more than $500, depending on the length and thickness of your hair. Opt for a relaxer if you have coarse, tight curls. Like Japanese straightening, relaxers permanently break the bonds in your hair. The chemicals used in this process are harsh, since they're designed to be used on thick, coarse hair, but if it's done right, you will be left with straight hair that's easy to manage, even if you live in a humid climate. Your hair will still be able to hold curl after a relaxing treatment, so you can use a curling iron to style it if you want. Expect to go in for a touch-up in 6-12 weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows. Relaxing treatments can cost $45-$100. Go with a keratin treatment for smooth hair that you can still curl. Keratin treatments, like the Brazilian Blowout, smooth the surface of your hair, but they don't permanently break the bonds. Over time, your hair's natural texture will return. This usually takes about 2 months. Since the structure of your hair isn't changed, you can still curl it if you choose to. Some keratin treatments contain formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. A keratin treatment can cost $200-$300. Find a qualified professional to perform the treatment. The chemicals used in permanent straightening are extremely caustic. In the hands of an inexperienced stylist, your hair may become severely damaged and it may even break off. Ask your friends for recommendations or read online reviews to find an experienced stylist with a good track record performing these treatments. Your stylist should examine your hair and make a recommendation about the type of straightener they think would work best for your hair. Ask your stylist about the chemicals in the treatment. Some permanent hair straighteners can contain formaldehyde or chemicals which release formaldehyde when they're put on your hair. This is a dangerous chemical which can irritate your skin, eyes, and lungs, and it may cause cancer after prolonged exposure. Talk to your stylist about formaldehyde-free options. Ask if there are any pre-treatment instructions you should know. Before your appointment, call your stylist and ask if there is anything you should or shouldn't do to your hair before you sit in the chair. Depending on the treatment, your stylist might tell you not to wash your hair for a few days before you come in, or they might tell you to wash with a clarifying treatment the night before your appointment. You may also be advised not to scratch or comb your scalp too hard. Be honest with your stylist about your hair history. If you've been coloring your hair for years or you tried an at-home relaxer a few months ago, your stylist needs to know that. Hair which has been chemically processed may be too damaged to undergo chemical straightening. It could lead to your hair being dry and brittle, or it could even break off during the process. Request a strand test. During a strand test, your stylist will apply a small amount of the straightening solution to a strand of your hair in an inconspicuous spot, perhaps near the nape of your neck. This will allow the stylist to see how your hair reacts to the chemicals and will let them know if it is safe to proceed with the treatment. Bring a book or download a game so you don’t get bored. Most permanent hair straightening treatments will take at least 2-3 hours, and Japanese straightening may take as long as 8 hours for the first treatment. Bring a book with you or download a game on your phone so you'll have something to entertain you while you sit in the chair. Follow aftercare instructions. It's important to follow your stylist's aftercare advice carefully to protect your hair. If you choose Japanese straightening, you will be advised not to wash your hair for 2-3 days after treatment. Depending on the treatment, you may also be told to avoid using heat styling, which can increase the risk of breakage on your fragile hair. For keratin treatments, you may need to refrain from wearing your hair in a ponytail for 2-3 days to avoid setting a permanent crease into your newly-straight hair. Use a deep conditioner and steam to straighten your hair. First, apply a deep conditioning mask to your hair, focusing especially on the ends. Turn your shower on as hot as you can get it, then pin your hair up so the ends of your hair are exposed. Sit as close to the steam as you can without touching the hot water and relax for 20-30 minutes. When you're done with the steam treatment, adjust the shower to a comfortable level, then rinse the conditioner out of your hair. This is a great method to help restore moisture to your hair after a professional straightening treatment. The reason this is so good for your hair is because the steam opens the cuticles on your hair, allowing the conditioner to penetrate the strands. Try a store-bought smoothing serum or cream to blow dry your hair straight. You can find straightening products at any drugstore or beauty retailer, most of which come in the form of a serum or a cream. If you want to get the look of a sleek salon blowout at home, look for a heat-activated formula that will protect your hair from damage caused by the blow dryer. Apply the straightening product while your hair is still wet, then blow dry your hair in sections with a round brush. Serums and creams will not straighten your hair permanently, but they can help keep your hair looking sleek in between keratin treatments or when your roots start to grow out from Japanese straightening or a relaxer. Apply a natural oil to your hair. Natural oils can deeply penetrate your hair, which helps your hair maintain moisture. This helps protect your hair from damage, which can cause frizz. Try these to nourish your hair after a chemical straightening treatment. Natural oils also help your hair fight humidity, so your hair will look more smooth no matter what the weather is like. Look for natural oils that are rich in vitamins and minerals to nourish your hair, like coconut oil, argan oil, macadamia oil, and almond oil. Try an at-home keratin treatment. There are a number of keratin treatments that you can apply yourself at home to get smooth, straight hair. Most keratin products are applied to damp hair before blow drying, although some should be applied to dry hair. These claim to last anywhere from 1 wash up to 30 days, depending on the brand you choose. Ask your stylist before you try an at-home keratin treatment on hair which has already undergone a chemical straightening process at a salon. | Choose Japanese straightening if you have loose to medium curls. Opt for a relaxer if you have coarse, tight curls. Go with a keratin treatment for smooth hair that you can still curl. Find a qualified professional to perform the treatment. Ask your stylist about the chemicals in the treatment. Ask if there are any pre-treatment instructions you should know. Be honest with your stylist about your hair history. Request a strand test. Bring a book or download a game so you don’t get bored. Follow aftercare instructions. Use a deep conditioner and steam to straighten your hair. Try a store-bought smoothing serum or cream to blow dry your hair straight. Apply a natural oil to your hair. Try an at-home keratin treatment. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-up-Broken-Glass | How to Clean up Broken Glass | To clean up broken glass, use a broom and dustpan to sweep up the broken shards. For small pieces of glass, try wiping the area with a damp paper towel folded in half. Alternatively, press the area with a slice of bread or a piece of duct tape. Avoid using a vacuum, since the glass can end up damaging your machine. | Clear the area. If there are any pets, children, or others in the area where the glass broke, move them out of the area. Close any doors leading to the area where the cut glass is located, and block any open entrances. If there are any children or animals near the glass, get them out of the area where the broken glass is. Make sure to check children and pets for cuts and scratches. Protect yourself. Broken glass is sharp and will cut through your skin. To clean up broken glass, make sure you're wearing rubber gloves. Always wear shoes when you're near broken glass. Never kneel on areas where broken glass is located. Glass could cut your knee. If you don't have gloves, pick up glass using tongs or forceps. Never try to pick up glass with your bare hands. Remove the big shards individually. Carefully put each piece of glass into a empty coffee tin, or a plastic container thick enough so that the glass doesn't cut through. If you don't have anything that glass won't cut through, such as a plastic bag, wrap the pieces of glass into thick layers of newspaper, then put the wrapped glass into a plastic bag. The newspaper needs to be thick enough so that the glass doesn't cut through it, reaching the plastic bag. Get a broom and dustpan. Once you've picked up the individual shards, you'll need to sweep or vacuum the smaller pieces from the floor. If you don't have any larger pieces, this might be your first step in cleaning up broken glass. Be sure and shake your broom well into a paper bag to release any smaller pieces of glass that might linger. Some experts recommend not using a broom, as tiny shards of glass can linger in the bristles of the broom. Consider trying one of the broom-less methods below to clean up your glass if you are wary of using a broom. Be aware that sweeping doesn't remove the small, sharp fragments of glass from most floors. Sweeping can offer the illusion that the glass is gone, when sharp fragments still remain. Continue to keep pets and children out of the area until additional steps are taken to clean the broken glass off the floor. Avoid using a vacuum cleaner. Sucking up pieces of glass with a vacuum cleaner may seem tempting, but it may ruin your machine. In addition, if any glass fragments remain in the vacuum hose, they may fall back out when the vacuum is turned off. If the broken glass comes from a broken CFL or other mercury-containing lightbulb, then vacuuming might spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor. If you do use a vacuum, cover the hose with a stocking or sock. The air sucking in will collect the glass fragments, and then you can carefully dispose of the glass-covered cloth. Clean up broken glass from a carpet. If you've broken glass onto a carpeted surface, you won't be able to use the methods above. Once you've cleared the area of larger glass fragments, use a small scrubbing brush to agitate the carpet fibers. This will result in glass pieces rising to the surface of the carpet. When you're finished scrubbing the area well, use duct tape to lift any remaining glass pieces. You should carefully dispose of the duct tape in a double-wrapped plastic or paper bag. Wipe the area with a potato. Cut a potato in half, and then press the cut tuber against the floor. Any stray pieces of glass will be caught in the potato's flesh, and you can throw the potato away. Any root vegetable can be used to collect glass shards from the floor, but potatoes have a good amount of surface space, are easy to grip and are relatively affordable. The potato also works well to clean up broken glasses inside a dishwasher. Start by shining a flashlight into the dishwasher to see where the broken glass is. When you see the reflective glint of glass against the beam, press a cut potato gently but firmly onto the shiny surface. Throw the potato away when you're finished, and run the dishwasher again to rinse away any stray pieces of glass. Use a slice of bread to collect the glass shards. A few pieces of white bread make excellent sponges to collect any stray pieces of glass that might remain after you've cleaned the area of the larger fragments. Take a piece of bread, and press it down on the area where you suspect the broken glass is. The glass will embed itself into the soft bread. Bread works well in hard-to-reach spots where broken glass can be found. When your bread is getting hard to hold safely, throw it away and use another piece. Repeat until you're sure you've covered the entire area. Clean the area with duct tape. To use this method, it's a good idea to tear off about 12 inches of duct tape. Holding each end of the tape, lay the tape against the surface where the glass fragments are found. Press down on the tape gently, as if you're trying to apply it to the surface. Then, remove the tape. Any glass fragments that had been on the floor will be stuck to the underside of the tape. Any tape will work for this method, but duct tape is ideal for its sturdy texture. The width of duct tape also means it will cover the surface area more quickly than other tapes. Fold the tape onto itself, and then throw it away into a plastic or paper bag. Repeat as often as you need to until the whole area is clear of glass. Fold a damp paper towel in half. If it's a thin towel, consider folding the paper towel in half again so that it's extra thick. Then carefully wipe down the area where the glass fragments might linger, and throw the paper towel away. Because paper towels vary greatly in their thickness, it's particularly important to wear heavy gloves when using this method to clean up glass fragments, so that you don't cut yourself. Disposable "wet wipes" will also work for this method. Consider if you need to replace your window. If your window is only cracked, you can use a small knife to score a small arc just beyond the end of the crack. This will keep the crack from expanding. If the crack is only a small hole, as from a BB gun or tiny rock, you might be able to patch it. Simply apply clear fingernail polish or shellac to the area and allow to dry. For best results, apply several coats. Don't put off replacing or repairing a broken window. A broken window isn't just dangerous because of the glass, but also lets in bugs, rain, cold weather, and water. Patch the window. If the glass is broken, but still intact enough to keep out the elements, you may be able to patch it until you can replace it. Possible options for patching the window include: Using super glue to patch a long crack in the glass. Start by cleaning the window with acetone, then apply super glue to cover the crack. Allow the glue to dry, and then apply another layer. Repeat this process until the crack is covered with 2-3 layers of dried glue. Masking tape makes a good patch for broken glass. Clean your window well with acetone so that the tape will adhere to the glass, then tear off a section of tape the length of the crack. Repeat this process on the other side of the window. Staple a piece of wood or a piece of thick plastic against the broken window. Double thickness trash bags can also be used to cover the broken pane. Secure the area. As with broken glass inside, you'll need to make sure no children or pets can accidentally come into contact with any shards of glass that may have fallen into the yard, inside the house, or anywhere in the environment. Make sure you're wearing heavy shoes (not sandals or flip-flops) and safety gloves. You can pick up broken glass with newspaper, as above. Wrap it in the newspaper and place directly into a double-bagged leaf or heavy-duty trash bag. Remember that glass may have fallen into furniture, shrubbery, or elsewhere. Remove the pane from the window. You may be able to extract the broken glass from the window by lifting out each broken piece from the putty that holds it in place. If your window is largely intact, you might have to chisel the putty from the window's edge to remove the glass. Make sure you're protecting your hands and arms from the broken glass. Remove the putty from the window frame. You can use a wood chisel, a putty knife, or even an ordinary table knife. The old putty will break into smaller pieces as you remove it. Try to get every bit of putty from the window frame, as this will help when you replace the broken glass. Be careful not to try to remove the putty too quickly, or you might split the window frame on the window. Remove the small metal triangles driven into the frame beneath the putty. These are glazier's points, and hold the glass in place. If you come across any putty that's difficult to remove, applying heat might help soften it. Replace the window glass. You'll have to have a replacement glass that's exactly the same size as your broken glass, slightly smaller than the wooden frame. Hold the glass in place with one hand while you insert glazier's points into the frame to secure the glass in place. Glazier points should be placed about every 4 inches around the periphery of the replacement glass. You can press glazier's tips into the wood with your thumb. Apply putty around the edges of the pane. You'll need to knead the putty until it's soft, then roll it into a pencil-length cylinders. Press the rolls of putty around the window frame to seal in the replaced glass. When the new window is in place, smooth the putty with your putty knife. Scrape off any excess putty on the window pane. | Clear the area. Protect yourself. Remove the big shards individually. Get a broom and dustpan. Avoid using a vacuum cleaner. Clean up broken glass from a carpet. Wipe the area with a potato. Use a slice of bread to collect the glass shards. Clean the area with duct tape. Fold a damp paper towel in half. Consider if you need to replace your window. Patch the window. Secure the area. Remove the pane from the window. Remove the putty from the window frame. Replace the window glass. Apply putty around the edges of the pane. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-a-Selfish-Mother | How to Deal With a Selfish Mother | Having a selfish mother can be frustrating and lonely, but the more mature you are, the easier she'll be to deal with. Although your relationship with your mom is important, remember that her opinion doesn't determine your value. If she never comforts you when you feel down, try talking to your friends, other family members, or your school counselor instead. If being around your mom makes you feel bad, try to spend as much time as you can with other people. For instance, join a sports team or play at the park with your friends. When you're at home, focus on your hobbies, like doing something creative or learning a musical instrument. | Acknowledge that selfishness is not the same as not giving you what you want. When we say a person is “selfish,” what we often mean is that “She isn't giving me what I want.” For example, if you ask your mother for a Playstation 4 and she says no, but spends money on new shoes for herself, you may think “She's just being selfish.” However, this isn't necessarily true; perhaps she actually needs new shoes to go to work, whereas your Playstation 3 doesn't really need an expensive upgrade right now. Most people don't like not getting what we want; that's natural. But take the time to consider whether this is actually the result of selfish behavior from your mother, or if it is due to something else. You may also interpret behavior as selfish if it doesn't meet your needs as you define them. For example, if you want your mother to do your homework with you every night and she can't several nights because she has to work, you might feel that she's being selfish to not meet your needs. You have the right to want your mom to help you with homework, but you should also acknowledge that she has other responsibilities that sometimes mean she can't help you. In contrast, if you ask your mother to buy you a new pair of sneakers because you've outgrown yours and she says no, but then spends money to buy herself something frivolous, this may be an example of selfish behavior because she is not meeting your real needs. Look for “Win-Lose” outcomes. Selfishness often results in “win-lose” situations, where one person always comes out ahead and the other behind. Sometimes, this outcome is unavoidable: if you ask your mother to buy you alcohol when you're underage and she says no (which she should do), you're going to be in a win-lose situation because she has decided the outcome she wants and you haven't gotten the outcome you want. However, in most cases, compromise can help the two of you come to an agreement that works okay for both of you. If your mother is never or rarely willing to compromise, she may be behaving selfishly. For example, if your mother never allows you to use the car to go see friends because she wants you to spend time with her, this could be an example of selfishness. However, if she only allows you to use the car on weekends because she wants to you to be in bed early on school nights, this is a compromise: you get to socialize with your friends sometimes, and she gets to make sure that you're staying healthy and productive when you need to be. Another example of selfish mothering might be if she returns home from work and demands that you stop whatever you're doing and talk with her, regardless of whether you have other responsibilities or commitments. Her desire to talk with you about your day is healthy, but demanding attention on her own terms all the time is not. She may say that you are “ungrateful” if you do not respond to her demands in the way she wants. However, a desire to talk with you itself isn't necessarily selfish, nor is expressing that desire in an unhelpful way. If your mom asks you to stop your homework and talk with her, and you tell her that you can't because you have to get it done, she should acknowledge that and ask for an alternate time. This is a healthy compromise and acknowledges your needs as well as her own. This isn't selfish, even if her initial communication felt irritating or self-centered. Remember that in some cases, one of you may “lose” (or not get what you want), but in general, healthy relationships -- even between parents and children -- are marked by mutuality and compromise. An example of a win-lose outcome for someone who no longer lives with her mother would be a mother who always asks to borrow money from her child but never pays her back and uses the money to gamble. Watch for emotional manipulation. Emotional manipulation is another hallmark of selfish behavior. A classic example of this is the parental “guilt trip.” The guilt trip may be unintentionally selfish -- your mother may feel like she's just expressing her love for you -- but it is coercive and unhealthy, and can lead to resentment of her. For example, if you are looking at colleges and considering a few that are far away from where you live, your mother might attempt to emotionally manipulate you into staying closer to home by saying things like, “Fine, go to college in Wisconsin. I guess you don't care that I'll be lonely.” As another example, she might become easily offended if you tell her no. For example, if she asks you to do something and you say you can't, she may remind you “But I do so much for you. Nobody does as much for you as your mother.” She may try to make you feel like you take her for granted, or she may compare you unfavorably to someone who “loves” his mother. Guilt trips and other types of emotional manipulation are selfish because they don't consider both people's needs as valid. An emotionally manipulative or selfish mother will put her needs before yours, all or most of the time. If your mother guilt trips you, it's very likely that she doesn't realize that this type of interaction can cause real harm. Studies suggest that people who use guilt tripping are often so focused on getting what they want through this technique that they don't realize it not only harms the other person, it can come back to haunt them later by encouraging you to disconnect. Look for signs of neglect. Believe it or not, sometimes parents can be selfish by giving you too much freedom to do what you want. Your mom's rules may seem overly strict or pointless to you, but she has likely instituted them to give you a framework to keep you safe, healthy, and happy. If your mother lets you do whatever you want, whenever you want, without talking to you about boundaries or consequences, she could be being a selfish parent by not giving you the structure you need to develop. For example, if your mother lets you smoke and drink underage because she doesn't want to have to discipline you or help you end these bad habits, this is actually selfish behavior. Emotional neglect is another sign of selfish parenting. If you often feel like you walk on eggshells around her because she is easily impatient, angry, or controlling, or you feel desperate to please her in the hopes of getting some validation or approval, your mother may be a narcissistic parent. This means that your relationship, in her mind, is all about her. Narcissists behave selfishly because they have difficulty empathizing, or putting themselves in someone else's shoes and understanding their feelings. Another sign of emotional neglect is that you don't feel acknowledged by her. Perhaps she asks about your feelings, but then doesn't really listen and blows through them to talk about herself. Perhaps she dismisses you when you try to talk to her about your feelings or concerns. These are signs of a selfish, narcissistic mother. Consider your own actions. You may think your mother is being selfish but be sure this judgment is not being driven by the fact that you just aren't getting your own way. Think about whether what you are after or expecting from your mother is justified and reasonable. This is not to undermine or take lightly your opinion on thinking your mother is selfish. However, when we get upset we can view others in a way that we later decide is inaccurate or irrational. A relationship between parent and child is very significant, so it should not be taken lightly; extra caution is needed to evaluate the situation and decide how to move forward. For example, you may feel that your mother is selfish because she keeps pressuring you to choose a particular major in college that she enjoys, but isn't something you're interested in. It's possible that this is selfish, motivated by her desire to feel accomplished through you at any cost. It's also possible that she believes she is doing the best for you by encouraging you to do something she thinks you will succeed at. Think about your role in the situation. Have you expressed that you respect her opinion but will make your own choice? Or have you just been quiet and nodded your way through the 87th suggestion? She may not understand that she's harassing you if you haven't communicated your own ideas. Get social support. If your mother is self-absorbed and does not give you the attention or emotional support that you feel you need, turn to others for that social support instead. Although no one can replace your mother, you do not need a replacement to feel better about yourself. Reach out to friends and other family members to counteract the stress that can result from having a selfish mother. Having social support can protect against stress and can make you feel better in general and about yourself in particular. Reach out online or through friends who have also have selfish mothers. It can help knowing that you are not alone in your struggle and it may be fruitful, too; you can put your heads together to figure out solutions to your shared problems. Define your own self-worth. If your mother does not care when you achieve something, care that much more yourself about your achievements. If your mother makes you feel bad about yourself because she needs you to be “perfect” in order to feel good about herself, remind yourself that this is her problem, not yours. Do not let other people, even your mother, define how you feel about your own sense of worth. How you feel about yourself ultimately matters most as you are the one ultimately in charge of your life and your future. No one will care more about yourself than you, and so your opinion of you should matter most. Focus on achieving goals larger than yourself and not worrying about your situation with your mother, as much as possible. There are a couple of types of self-esteem. Global self-esteem is your attitude toward your whole self, who you are as a complete person. Specific self-esteem is your attitude about elements of yourself, such performance in school or at work, or your appearance. Both of these are important to feeling good about yourself. Adaptive self-esteem is about being true to yourself; with this type, you feel authentic, and that makes you feel good about yourself. Maladaptive self-esteem is external: it comes from meeting standards that aren't your own, or by comparing yourself to others. If you have a selfish mother, you may have low self-esteem because you have been taught to compare yourself to others or to external standards that aren't meaningful to you. Try to reorient your focus on achieving goals and building traits that are meaningful to you and haven't been dictated to anyone else. This will help you care less about what others, including your mother, think about you. For example, if your mother has always told you that you need to lose weight and look more attractive, you may have low self-esteem about yourself. Try to find what is meaningful to you instead. If you decide you want to lose weight to feel more fit and healthy, go for it. If you decide that you like just where you are, be proud of that. The goal is to accept yourself and set your own standards for yourself, not allow anyone else to do it for you. As another example, if you told your mother that you got a job promotion and work and she fires back with an envious response saying that what you do for a living is nothing to be proud of, think about her motives for saying something so nasty. Also think about what doing well at your job means for you, and you alone! Your mother does not have nearly as close to an idea, compared to you, about what goes on at your job and the impact you have. Keep in mind that you are the expert on your life, not her! Support yourself. You will be less influenced by, and thus better able to deal with, your mother's selfishness if you support yourself more instead of relying on her for things. You may even find that your relationship becomes more adult-like as you develop a better sense of autonomy and maturity; her selfishness may come to bother you less and this may help you deal with your relationship with her. You can support yourself in multiple ways. Start by working toward making your own decisions more often. You may find that you can make decisions fine on your own but just never gave yourself the chance. Another way to support yourself is to work toward meeting your own needs. In particular, learning how to comfort yourself will make you less reliant on your mother. Think hard about what comforts you and makes you happy. For example, you may find that you really calm down by listening to a specific song. If you feel yourself getting upset, acknowledge those feelings and address them by engaging in what calms you down. Treat yourself when you need it. If you have a selfish mother who does not show you enough love, show some love to yourself. Take yourself to the movies or a nice dinner. Pamper yourself with a manicure, or go shopping. Just make sure you don't allow material “stuff” to take the place of affection -- then it's an unhelpful crutch, rather than the occasional treat. Distance yourself. If your mother won't listen to you or change the things that are causing you pain and upset, do what you can to remove yourself from her sphere of influence as much as possible. Try to become less dependent on your mother; if she is self-absorbed she is not someone you want to be depending on, after all. Although it may be difficult at first, in the long run you will likely feel better for it. If you no longer live with your mother, try limiting your contact with her to special occasions or family gatherings. Do not give into guilty feelings for distancing yourself from your mother if you truly believe she is selfish, self-absorbed, or narcissistic and cannot or is not willing to change. Although guilt motivates us to repair relationships, keep in mind that some relationships, even sometimes with your mother, are not worth repairing. That said, it is key that you have honestly assessed and accurately assessed your situation and have little reservation about the idea that your mother's selfishness is corrosive to your well-being. Talk to your mother about what concerns you. If she is willing to listen, make sure not to be too aggressive, confrontational, or blaming; otherwise she will be less likely to consider changing. Always talk in a calm collected manner, even if she begins to yell, keep your cool. Keep in mind that it is very difficult to change others' behaviors and ways of thinking, particularly if they are self-absorbed or narcissistic. Understand where she is coming from. Think hard about what is motivating your mother to act selfishly. Perhaps your mother is going through hardships of her own and is not meaning to be 'selfish'. If your mother is elderly and is in poor health, she may genuinely need more attention and help; her selfishness may be a necessity of her new station in life. If she was neglected as a child, she may be insecure in her relationships with others and this may be contributing to her selfish, self-absorbed personality. If you understand where she is coming from, you may change your mind on how selfish she is actually being; or if not, you will at least have some sense on how to confront her when the time comes. For example, if you think she is selfish because she was neglected as a child you may remind her that you also feel neglected and that you two should work together to break the family cycle by improving your relationship, not letting her parents' and her past determine your shared future. Focus on her behaviors, not her character. Instead of saying things like “you are selfish,” phrase your complaints more along the lines of “I think that sometimes you act selfishly by doing ____”. This puts the emphasis on specific behaviors and refrains from directly making a character judgment. Judging her character will just put her on the defensive and make her upset; if you isolate her specific actions she will more easily see how she has been acting inappropriately; calling her selfish doesn't give her anything to work with. Use “I”-statements. Saying things like “You're selfish” or “You aren't being a good mother” justly put people on the defensive. If you use “you”-statements with your mother, she is likely to shut down and feel attacked, even if otherwise she would have been open to listening. Use “I”-statements to keep the focus on your feelings. Remember: you can't know your mother's intentions, but you can know your own feelings. For example, instead of saying, “You're inconsiderate and selfish,” use a specific “I”-statement: “I feel neglected when you rush past my day to talk about your own all the time. I would feel more valued as your child if you asked me questions about my life.” Avoid should/ought statements, too, such as “You ought to listen to me more” or “You should be a better mother.” Keep the focus on yourself and how you feel: “I don't feel heard when you brush my concerns off” or “I feel upset when you don't acknowledge my accomplishments.” Keep the hyperbole out of it. If your mother is selfish, it can feel like she is literally the most selfish person in the world and is ruining your life. Even if that feels like the truth, you will have much better success in talking with her if you avoid hyperbolic and overemotional language. For example, avoid statements such as “Your selfishness is ruining my life.” Instead, go for something calm and balanced, such as “I have a hard time socializing with my friends when you do not let me use the car, even on weekends.” The facts are the same, but the latter statement is less blaming and judgmental, and may get a better response. Emphasize your own needs. Your mother's selfishness may be driven by a lack of awareness about what you need. There is a chance that she would be willing to change but that she just is oblivious to her own behavior. Tell your mother what you need out of your relationship with her; focus on the things that you can't do without. For example, you may need her to listen to you sometimes, or you may need her to be more encouraging, or less critical and judgmental, or you may need her to quit making all of the things that happen in your life ultimately about her. When telling her a list of your needs, also let her know about other things you would like from the relationship some day but that are not necessary to focus on right now. This will let her know that you are willing to compromise and that you are not being unreasonable by expecting her to immediately adopt changes in every way that you would like. For example, you could say, “Mom, I could really use a pep-talk from you every now and then. I feel hurt when you don't acknowledge any of my accomplishments and don't want to hear about my day. I'd like you to put some time aside every week to listen to what's going on in my life.” Set boundaries. If your mom is being selfish in an intrusive way, such as by showing up to your house unannounced when she is not wanted there, or by failing to give you privacy if you live with her, let her know this is inappropriate.Tell her that her behavior is very frustrating and unacceptable. Start by setting small boundaries. The trick is to start small, like getting your foot in the door, and then building up to bigger boundaries once she is used to the smaller boundaries. Here's an example: if your mom shows up at your apartment most nights without being invited and then acts angry or hurt when you're busy, setting a small boundary would be to say that you need her to call you before she comes over to visit. Setting a bigger boundary might be saying that you want to spend time with her, but that she has to call before she comes over and she can only visit you on Thursdays. Remember that your mother wanting to spend time with you or do things with you isn't inherently selfish. It is only selfish if she refuses to acknowledge your needs and desires when you talk to her about them. Often, some clear communication will make both of you happy. Speak assertively. Let your mom know that you mean business when you talk to her about her selfish behavior so that she can better understand the gravity of the situation. Assertive communication is not the same thing as aggressive communication. Rather, it involves being direct and open about your feelings, thoughts, and beliefs in a way that is respectful of others' needs and points of view. Don't say something less assertive such as "Mom, sometimes you may do things that seem to focus more on you than on other people, I could be wrong but it seems that way to me. Maybe we can talk about it sometime?" Instead, be more assertive with something along the lines of: "Mom, I feel hurt when you make inflexible demands of me even when I have other plans. I want to talk to you about this. I think we can have a better relationship than we currently do. I am willing to put in the effort if you are." You can avoid being unassertive by changing the way you think prior to speaking. Avoid thinking things such as "I should keep quiet because I don't want to burden Mom with my thoughts" or "It could be embarrassing or awkward if I say what I think"; instead, think more assertive thoughts such as "I have the right to say disagree with what Mom thinks". Suggest family counseling. Sometimes family problems are too difficult to solve on their own and it can be much easier, more efficient, productive, and helpful to get outside assistance to deal with the underlying issues. If you suggest family counseling, bring it up with your mother as the family having relationship issues that you think could use improvement; do not put the entire blame or emphasis on her. Threaten distance. Selfish people fail to remember that relationships are not destined to permanency. Relationships, of any nature, involve some give and take, some reciprocal back and forth. If your mother is selfish, let her know the specific ways she treats you that you dislike and tell her that if she does not change you will not be able to be around her or treat her like a mom anymore. This may work better if you are an adult or no longer live with your mother. Cut your losses and move on. Save this as a last result, assuming it is an option for you. Sometimes you cannot salvage a relationship, even with your own mother. Keep that in mind as you attempt to navigate the tricky situation that you are in. If you live at home and do not have the means to move out, rather than letting your selfish mother get you down, make a focused plan for how to move out of the house or do well in school so that when the time comes, you can position yourself in a way that will allow you to remove yourself from the negative situation you are in. If you are a parent and have a family of your own, cut your losses with your mother and focus instead on being the most loving parent to your children that you can be. Turn her negative into your positive. Let yourself grieve. If in evaluating your situation it seems that your relationship with your mother is dead or dying, allow yourself time to process this. Losing a mother to her own selfishness, self-absorption, or narcissism is a very real and painful experience. Do not deny the idea that it is a serious issue; instead, allow yourself to feel sorry but then focus on actionable, goal-directed change and improvement for how to improve your situation and your feelings. | Acknowledge that selfishness is not the same as not giving you what you want. Look for “Win-Lose” outcomes. Watch for emotional manipulation. Look for signs of neglect. Consider your own actions. Get social support. Define your own self-worth. Support yourself. Distance yourself. Talk to your mother about what concerns you. Understand where she is coming from. Focus on her behaviors, not her character. Use “I”-statements. Keep the hyperbole out of it. Emphasize your own needs. Set boundaries. Speak assertively. Suggest family counseling. Threaten distance. Cut your losses and move on. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Lotus-Flower | How to Grow Lotus Flower | To grow a lotus flower from a tuber, fill a large, round container with 60% clay and 40% river sand. Leave about 3-4 inches between the top of the soil and the rim of your container. Press the tuber into the top of the sand, but don't bury it in the soil completely or it will rot. Lower the container 6-12 inches below the surface of the pond. Once your lotus plant has developed at least 6 leaves, drop a pond tablet, which is a fertilizer for aquatic plants, into the water near the plant. You will need to repot the lotus every year. | Scrape the seed with a file. Using a standard metal file, scrape the hard seed casing to reveal the cream-colored core. Do not file any of the core away or else your lotus will not grow. Filing away the outer casing allows water to reach the core. If you don't have a metal file handy, you can use any sharp knife or even rub the seed against concrete. Just be careful not to scrape away too much of the seed. Place your seeds in warm water. Use a glass or transparent plastic container so that you can see when the seeds start to sprout. Fill the container with dechlorinated water between 75 and 80 °F (24 and 27 °C). After a day of soaking, the seeds will sink to the bottom and swell to nearly twice their original size. Seeds that float are almost always infertile. Remove them or they will cloud up the water. Change the water daily, even after the seeds have started to sprout. When you remove the seedlings to change the water, treat the sprouts with care – they are very delicate. Fill a 3 to 5 US gal (11 to 19 L) container with 6 in (15 cm) of deep soil. This size typically provides enough room for a young lotus to grow. A black plastic bucket will retain heat to better warm the seedlings. Ideally, your soil should be 2 parts clay and 1 part river sand. If you use commercial potting soil to topsoil for houseplants, it will float to the surface once you submerge your tub in water. Make sure the container you choose does not have any drainage holes. The plant may gravitate toward the drainage hole and begin growing outside of it, causing the plant to underperform. Remove seedlings from water once they are 6 inches (15 cm) long. Your seeds should start to sprout after 4 or 5 days of soaking. However, if you transfer them to the potting container to early, they will likely fail. If you wait too long, your seedlings will start to grow leaves. You can still plant them – just take care to keep the leaves free of the soil. Press the sprouted seeds into the soil about 4 inches (10 cm) apart. You don't have to bury the seeds in the soil. Set them just on top, then brush a light layer of soil over them to secure them. They will take root on their own. It can be a good idea to wrap a small amount of modeling clay around the bottom of each seed to anchor it with a little weight. When you lower your container into the pond, an unanchored seed may find its way out of the soil and float up to the surface of the water. Lower the pot into your pond. Lotus are aquatic plants, so the soil should always have at least 2 to 4 inches (5.1 to 10.2 cm) of water above it. If you have taller plants, the water can be up to 18 inches (46 cm) deep. Dwarf lotus need water between 2 and 12 inches (5.1 and 30.5 cm) deep. The water should be at least 70 °F (21 °C). If you live in an area with a relatively cooler climate, shallower water will provide extra warmth for your lotus. Lotus grown from seed rarely bloom in their first year. You should also keep fertilizer to a minimum during this first year. Allow your lotus to acclimate to its environment. Purchase tubers in early spring. You can buy lotus tubers online, or at a local nursery or garden center. Because of difficulty shipping, they are typically not available after they break dormancy in late spring. However, you may be able to buy some that have been grown locally. For rarer hybrids, you may have to shop online. If there is a water gardening society with a chapter near you, ask them for recommendations. Some societies also sell plants themselves. Float the tuber in a bowl in water between 75 and 87 °F (24 and 31 °C). Place your tuber gently on the surface of the water. Place your bowl near a warm, sunny window, but out of direct sunlight. If you're planning on moving the lotus to a pond, use water from the pond (as long as it's warm enough). Change the water every 3 to 7 days, or if it starts to appear cloudy. Choose a round container 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) in diameter. If set loose, a lotus will grow as large as the area in which it is planted. Your container reins the lotus in and keeps it from taking over your whole pond. A deep container will decrease the chance that your lotus spills over the top and spreads across the pond. Round containers keep your lotus from getting jammed up in a corner, which can stunt or kill the plant. Fill your container with dense soil. A good potting medium for lotus is a soil mixture about 60 percent clay and 40 percent river sand. Leave about 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) between the top of the soil and the rim of your container. You can also use amended soil, with a separate layer of sand 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) deep on top. Make sure there is still sufficient space between the top of the sand layer and the rim of your container. Press the tuber into the top of the soil. Embed your tuber slightly in the sand, then carefully weigh it down with rocks so that it won't float up to the surface of the water before it takes root. Do not bury the tuber completely in the soil – it will rot. Make sure it's embedded only slightly at the surface. Lower your container 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) below the surface of your pond. Choose a sunny spot for your lotus that is away from flowing water and will give your lotus enough room to grow. Once your tuber is secured in place, you can lower it into the location you've chosen to plant your lotus. Once seated in the pond, the tuber plants itself by turning downward into the soil mixture and growing roots. Maintain a water temperature of at least 70 °F (21 °C). Active growth begins when the surface water reaches this temperature. Your lotus needs warm water to grow to its fullest potential. Ideally, the air temperature should be at least 70 °F (21 °C) as well. The lotus will start to send up leaves after a few days in water above 70 °F (21 °C). It blooms after 3 to 4 weeks in water above 80 °F (27 °C). Check your water temperature every other day. If you live in a cooler climate, you may need a heater for your pond to maintain the appropriate temperature. Keep your lotus in direct sunlight. Lotus plants thrive in full sun, requiring at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. If your pond is partially shaded, you may want to prune or remove surrounding foliage that blocks out the sun. In North America, the lotus typically blooms from mid-June or mid-July through early autumn. The blossoms open early in the morning and start closing mid-afternoon. Individual blossoms last 3 to 5 days, then molt. The process repeats through the remaining months of active growth. Prune dying blossoms and yellow or damaged leaves. If your lotus starts to take over your pond, you can also cut away new growth, but keep in mind it will grow again until the lotus is repotted in spring. Never cut flower or leaf stems below water level. Roots and tubers use stems for oxygen. Use pond tabs to fertilize your lotus. Pond tablets are fertilizer made especially for aquatic plants. Wait until your tuber has developed at least 6 leaves before fertilizing it, and don't place the fertilizer directly against the tuber itself. Small lotus varieties only need 2 tablets, while larger varieties may need as many as 4. Add fertilizer once every 3 or 4 weeks, stopping in mid-July. If you continue to fertilize your lotus past this point, it won't be able to prepare for dormancy. If you grew your lotus from seed, don't fertilize it during its first year. Watch for pests. While pests vary depending on your geographic location, aphids and caterpillars may be attracted to lotus leaves. Applying a small amount of powdered pesticide directly to the leaves will protect your lotus plant from these pests. Liquid pesticides, even organic ones, have oils and detergents that can damage your lotus. Move your lotus to deeper water in the fall. Lotus plants can spend the winter in ponds as far north as Michigan or Minnesota as long as the pond is deep enough to protect the tubers from ice. The tuber should at least be below the frost line, a depth that varies depending on where you live. If your pond is relatively shallow, you can remove the container and leave it in a garage or basement until spring. Mulch around any above-ground pots to keep the tubers warm. Repot the tuber every year. In early spring, when you spot the first sign of new growth, give your lotus fresh soil and return it to the original container (unless the container is damaged). Replace it in your pond at the same depth it was before. If your lotus took over your pond the previous year, inspect the container for cracks. You may want to get a larger container to better hold the lotus, if it grew over the rim. | Scrape the seed with a file. Place your seeds in warm water. Fill a 3 to 5 US gal (11 to 19 L) container with 6 in (15 cm) of deep soil. Remove seedlings from water once they are 6 inches (15 cm) long. Press the sprouted seeds into the soil about 4 inches (10 cm) apart. Lower the pot into your pond. Purchase tubers in early spring. Float the tuber in a bowl in water between 75 and 87 °F (24 and 31 °C). Choose a round container 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) in diameter. Fill your container with dense soil. Press the tuber into the top of the soil. Lower your container 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) below the surface of your pond. Maintain a water temperature of at least 70 °F (21 °C). Keep your lotus in direct sunlight. Prune dying blossoms and yellow or damaged leaves. Use pond tabs to fertilize your lotus. Watch for pests. Move your lotus to deeper water in the fall. Repot the tuber every year. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Realize-Your-True-Potential | How to Realize Your True Potential | Reaching your full potential is all about trying to make what you do in life correspond to your beliefs and values. That's why you should decide what's most important to you. Perhaps you want to master the violin, earn a higher income, or embrace a particular lifestyle. Once you know your ultimate goal, create a series of objectives to get there. For example, if your goal is to earn more money, your objectives could be taking on new projects at work, attending extra training, or working overtime. As you work on your objectives, challenge common thought traps, like mental filtering, which is when you only see the negative parts of a situation. Instead, work with the idea that you can learn from your mistakes so that you become a better person. | Determine your core values. In order to realize your full potential, you must know and live according to your core values. These are the things that shape how you view yourself, others, and the world around you. Studies suggest that you will find your life more meaningful, and feel a deeper sense of well-being, if you live a life that is “value-congruent,” or in line with what's most important to you. Ask yourself some questions to get started: Think of two people you really admire. What do you admire about them? What do you find inspiring? Why? How do you think these things could manifest in your own life? Think about a moment in your life when you felt very satisfied or fulfilled. What was it? Why did you feel that way? If you could change just one thing in your community, what would you change? Why? If your house was on fire (and your family and pets were all safe), what three things would you try to rescue? Why? Examine your responses for themes. Once you've answered the above questions, examine your responses to see if any themes or patterns emerge. For example, perhaps you really admire your mother's selflessness and empathy and your brother's work ethic. Maybe you would save your family photos, your wedding dress, and a cherished family memento. These would suggest that one of your values is relationships, especially with your family. Your values are yours, and no values are “superior” or “inferior” to any others. Some people may value Competitiveness while others value Collaboration more highly. There is nothing “wrong” with either of these values. Identify areas that are not consistent with your values. If you don't feel like you're living up to your true potential, it could be because parts of your life are currently not value-congruent. For example, perhaps you were raised to be self-effacing and not take credit for your achievements, but a core value for you is Acknowledgement. You probably wouldn't feel like you were realizing your true potential if you were not acknowledging your accomplishments, and if others didn't occasionally acknowledge your work too. Think about areas in which your life doesn't match up with your values, and see whether these are areas in which you'd like to change. Decide what realizing your true potential looks like. Once you have a good idea of your core values and what areas of your life could use a little development, take some time to sketch what you envision as realizing your true potential. Is it personal improvement? More success in your career (or even changing careers)? Realizing your potential in your relationships? If you have identified areas of your life that are not currently value-congruent, this could be a good place to start. For example, perhaps you really value family, but your job demands so much of your time that you aren't getting the quality time with your loved ones that you really need. Realizing your full potential in this case could mean finding a less-demanding job so that you can become the spouse/parent/friend that you really want to be. Or, perhaps you feel stuck in a mid-level job with no hope of advancement, even though ambition is a core value for you. If this is the case, realizing your true potential could mean changing careers to something that allows you to challenge yourself and grow in new ways. Visualize the person you want to be. Reflect on what realizing your full potential means to you. Is it a way of being? Achieving a certain level of income? Mastering the violin? Most people will have different definitions of potential. It is important that you have some sense of what your potential means to you. The Best Possible Self exercise is a research-backed way to figure out what's most important for you. Begin by imagining that you have been given the power to make your deepest hopes and dreams for your future come true. What does the life of future-you look like? What do you do? Who are you with? How do you feel? Imagine this in as much detail as possible. For example, if you see someone who has just opened her own bakery, think about where it is, how many employees you have, what people think of your business, and how you feel to be your own boss. Examine the character strengths and skills that future-you has used to get to this place. For example, if you own your own bakery, you have some business savvy, you're good with people, you're self-motivated, you have a strong work ethic, you have baking skills, etc. Think about which of these strengths and skills you already have, and which you need to further develop. For example, perhaps you are an excellent baker and willing to work hard, but don't have a clue what it takes to start a small business. Decide how you can develop the areas you identified. In this example, you could read some books on business, talk to other small business owners, and visit the U.S. Small Business Administration's website for guidance. It is OK to change your mind as you learn more about yourself. Take a step back and ask yourself why you are entertaining a particular version of your full potential and whether it is achievable in theory. If you do not at least consider this, you may be missing out on the chance to re-define your potential and all the joy and meaning that may come along with doing so. Be patient and kind to yourself. Achieving your true potential will take time and effort. More importantly, it will take self-compassion. Acknowledge your strengths and skills as well as the areas in which you need to grow. Honor the efforts you make each day toward realizing your true potential. Recognize and challenge generalization. Generalization happens when you take one experience and generalize it to the whole world. It can keep you from realizing your true potential because it totalizes you: when you generalize, you're not a person who makes mistakes, you're a “failure.” How could you feel motivated to realize your true potential when you feel that way? For example, perhaps you are trying to invent the next great technology and it hasn't worked yet. You've tried 7 experiments and all of them have failed. You could generalize from this instance and say, “I'll never get this work because I'm such a loser.” A better way to handle this would be to think, “This experiment didn't work. That's okay, now I have even more information on what doesn't work, so I can try something else that might.” You are not a failure. You are a person who is learning from her mistakes so she can keep developing. Recognize and challenge mental filtering. This thought trap can hold you back by distorting your focus. When you filter, you focus only on the negative aspects of a situation, ignoring the positives. For example, you might get comments back on a school essay that are 70% positive, but you can only focus on the three things that your teacher said needed work and ignore the rest. Challenge yourself to look at the situation as an outsider might. Try to list the facts of the situation as objectively as you can. In this case, you could remind yourself: “Out of the ten comments my teacher gave me, seven of them were complimentary. The three things that need work are things that I can work on. These negative comments don't discount the positive ones.” Watch for all-or-nothing thinking. All-or-nothing thinking often means death to achievement, because achievement usually isn't perfect straight out of the gate. When you give in to all-or-nothing thinking, you don't allow yourself any middle ground. Either your effort is perfect or it's a failure. For example, if you want to master the violin, all-or-nothing thinking would accept nothing less than perfection. It doesn't allow you room to celebrate your growth as you get better and better at playing a piece; it just judges you for all the mistakes you make along the way. Instead, remind yourself that perfection is an unrealistic standard that no one can meet. A single negative experience or mistake doesn't negate your progress. Extend this generosity to yourself and to others. Stop catastrophizing in its tracks. Catastrophizing is another thought trap that can keep you from realizing your true potential. When we catastrophize, we allow our thoughts to spiral out of control. We expect that the absolute worst will happen. This can make us so afraid that it keeps us from allowing ourselves to be vulnerable enough to truly succeed. For example, realizing your true potential might mean leaving an unhappy relationship. But, you think, what if I never find anyone else to love? I'll wind up living alone. I'll be unhappy the rest of my life. I'll wind up getting eaten by my cats when I die alone in my apartment that nobody visits me in. One way to challenge catastrophizing is to require yourself to find evidence for each “leap” you make. Is it really likely that you will never find anyone to love? No. There are billions of people in the world, so chances are there is more than one you could be happy with. Is it true that if you live alone you must end up lonely and eaten by cats? No. Plenty of people live by themselves and still have full, rewarding social lives. Stop "shoulding" yourself. This thought trap makes you feel as though you have to live up to others' standards. It can hold you back from your true potential because you're basing your actions on what you feel you “should” do rather than what feels right for you to do. For example, perhaps you have been told that you “should” have children by a certain age. You might feel like you're a failure if you have passed that age and have not had children. But consider: do you actually want to have children, or have them right now? Or were you allowing that “should” to make you feel bad about yourself? As long as you are living according to your values, others' “shoulds” don't matter. When you find yourself thinking things that involve should/must/ought, think about where that thought is coming from. If you find it coming from a fear or pressure from someone else, challenge that thought. For example, if you think, “I shouldn't have that cookie today because I should lose weight,” think: do you feel like you should lose weight because your doctor has told you it would be healthy? Or do you feel pressured by society's standards? If it's the former, reframe it as a positive goal: “I won't have that cookie today because I'm working toward getting healthier.” If it's the latter, show yourself kindness: “I will have that cookie because I love myself just as I am, and I don't need to conform to anyone else's expectations.” Make a list of goals. Once you have visualized the type of person you want to be, it is time to figure out how to become that person. You will be greatly aided in achieving this giant task by breaking down into more digestible, manageable, and concrete parts. The trick to setting personal goals is to make sure they're meaningful to you and to break them down into things you can actually accomplish. For example, if realizing your full potential means mastering the violin, that's an overall goal. You will need to further break this down into objectives (actions you can take) and tasks (specific, small things to do) to accomplish it. So, if your goal is to master the violin, objectives could be learning vibrato, studying the works of various composers and taking lessons. Breaking those down, you could set tasks for yourself. Breaking down “taking lessons” into tasks could include tasks such as locating a violin teacher in your area, determining how to afford lessons, buying a violin, etc. Organize your goals by importance. Figure out which of your goals are most important to you. Which goals would you be most excited to accomplish first? Which are attainable based on your current time, financial, and/or other resources? Do certain goals need to be accomplished before others? Focusing on improving one or two areas will keep you from feeling overwhelmed. When you feel overwhelmed, you may be tempted to abandon pursuing your goals because you think they can't be achieved. For example, if for you mastering the violin meant accomplishing the goals of learning vibrato, learning all the Vivaldi songs, and learning how to tune the violin, you might place tuning the violin as the most important goal, followed by learning vibrato, then learning all the Vivaldi songs. In some cases, some goals are necessary to learn before you can tackle the others. Since Vivaldi songs make use of the vibrato skill, you need to know vibrato before you can fully play Vivaldi. As you get started, be sure to rank highly a goal that is somewhat easily attainable so you can have an early success that will help you to stay motivated. For example, you could set learning how to tune the violin as the first goal you tackled, since this would be easier to tackle than learning a Vivaldi song, and it would help you to further learn and play the violin (since it would be properly tuned for when you practice). Create a list of actionable objectives. After you have organized your list of goals by importance, choose the first two or three most important goals and create a to-do list of daily tasks or objectives that will help you to accomplish, over time, these broader goals. An example of an objective would be to practice vibrato exercises and learn Vivaldi pieces. Make sure not to pursue too many objectives at once, or your goals will come into conflict as they compete for your time, and you may end up being less productive. Break these objectives down into smaller tasks. A task is a small, specific thing that you can do to achieve your objective. For example, a task could be to practice a vibrato exercise for 15 minutes a day, or to practice 10 bars of a Vivaldi piece for 30 minutes a day until you feel that you have it down and can move on to the next 10 bars. Accomplish your objectives. Keep a written list of your daily tasks and cross them off each day that you finish. Repeat this process until you feel that you have mastered the objective, and replace it with another. For example, each time you practice your song, cross the song off your list of daily tasks. When you've mastered that song, it's time to add a new one to the list. Adopt a growth mindset. Believe that you can work hard to improve your ability and skill level. Take mistakes and criticism and learn from them. Do not believe that abilities are fixed or unchangeable. Adopting a growth mindset leads to improved performance and motivation in a number of contexts. Reframe “failure” as a learning experience. You will undoubtedly make mistakes and experience setbacks on your quest to realize your full potential. However, thinking about these in terms of what you can learn from them to take into the future will keep them from holding you back from progress. For example, if “become a writer” is how you want to achieve your full potential, you will need to realize that there are many challenges you'll have to overcome to accomplish it. Don't beat yourself up for these challenges. If, for example, a novel you submit is rejected, don't take it as proof that you're a failure and should stop pursuing your goal. Some of the 20th century's biggest writers were rejected many times at first. Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind was rejected 38 times. Frank Herbert's Dune was rejected 23 times. J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times. These authors finally succeeded because they had a growth mindset, and continually improved their work until it found a home. Think realistically. It's important to realize that achieving your full potential will not happen overnight. Keep your expectations realistic. For example, if you want to eventually become President of the United States, it won't happen in a few months or even a few years. You'll probably need to run for a smaller public office, become a Senator or Representative for a few years, and raise a lot of funds to campaign before you even get to the election. This doesn't mean you shouldn't set your goals high; it means you have to keep your focus realistic and your expectations achievable as you work toward those goals. Focusing on your smaller objectives and tasks as you work toward your overall goals will help you keep yourself motivated and energized. You'll be able to cross smaller things off your list as you work toward the biggest goal. Think of it this way: if you decided that climbing Mt. Everest was what you needed to do in order to fulfill your potential, you wouldn't just go there and try it the next day. (That would be a very quick recipe for disaster.) You'd get in shape, collect your gear, practice and train rigorously, and find a guide well before you ever set foot on the mountain. Think positively. As you work hard toward your goals, think optimistically about your progress. Positive thinking will help you stay on track as you work toward realizing your potential. Monitor the way you think. When you talk to yourself about your goal progress, take note of whether you are being optimistic or pessimistic. If you catch yourself saying things about your goals like "this will never work," try thinking more positive and rational thoughts, such as (if this is true of your goal) "other people have accomplished this so maybe I can, too" or, "I will have fun giving this a try!" Studies have even showed that thinking positively affects your physical brain. Thinking positively stimulates parts of the brain associated with the imagination, motivation, empathy, and “big-picture” thinking. Look up to others and be inspired. Look to those who, in your eyes, have realized their full potential or are the kind of person that you want to be; study the way they behave and the way they think and adopt those aspects that you like. The inspiration they give will help you to realize your own potential. If you can, talk with your role models about how they've gotten where they are. For example, if your dream is to be a small business owner, talk with other people who own their own businesses. Ask them how they did it and what skills and strengths they used to accomplish their goals. Try not to idealize role models. It's especially easy to do this with people you've never met, such as celebrities and athletes. While their success may inspire you, remember that you usually don't see the mistakes and setbacks that these people encounter. Don't let them become so perfect in your imagination that you judge yourself for not being perfect yourself. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. You are in charge of whether you reach your potential or not. Rather than making excuses about why something was in your way, think productively about how you could overcome or circumvent that obstacle on your way to realizing your potential. How you interpret what happens in your life is called your locus of control. An external locus of control places responsibilities for things that happen on other people. For example, if you fail a test, you would be relying on an external locus of control if you blamed the teacher for making the questions too hard. This way of thinking can hold you back from realizing your full potential because you're always shifting responsibility onto someone or something else. An internal locus of control is where you accept that things that happen are partially in your own control. While you cannot control the outcomes of your actions, you can control your actions. For example, if you fail a test and acknowledge that you could have studied more instead of going out with your friends, you would be using an internal locus of control. This way of thinking helps you move forward because you're owning your decisions, both wise and less so. Show your grit. Accomplishing your goals will not be easy. Maintain passion about your goals and continue to work toward them in times of challenge. Gritty people are more likely to succeed because their passion fuels them and they do not give up or give in! If you are losing your passion, remind yourself why reaching your full potential is important to you and why you were initially passionate about accomplishing your goals. Ask yourself what positive effects realizing your potential will have on yourself and others. Have patience and don't be discouraged. It takes many hours of practice at something to become an expert; realizing your full potential may take even longer than that. While the “10,000 hour rule” has been recently challenged by studies, it is true that you cannot accomplish mastery of something without consistent practice and work. Instead of only thinking of your end goal, focus on the progress you make day to day or week to week. To avoid becoming discouraged, think about others, such as Henry Ford or Dr. Seuss, both of whom faced initial failures and hardship yet persisted and achieved their goals. To have patience, remind yourself that realizing your full potential is a long process and that the end goal is not the only thing that matters. If you find yourself becoming too impatient or discouraged, try taking time off and resting up. In taking time off you may ultimately be more productive than if you had continued working at a lesser capacity while facing burnout. Combat fear. Avoid worrying too much about failure. “Failure” assumes that a lack of success is permanent and says something about you as a person. This is not true. Instead embrace the idea that you can learn from your mistakes. Success often comes from a series of tries. That twentieth try or even your hundredth try could be the time when you achieve success. Consider the example of inventor Myshkin Ingawale, who wanted to develop technology to help reduce the maternal death rate in rural India. It took him 32 tries, and 32 failures, to accomplish his goal, but now his technology has cut the death rate of his target population in half. Ask yourself what is the worst thing that is likely to happen if you try but fail to accomplish a goal? Most likely the outcome of failure will not be that bad. So, what is there to be afraid of? In fact, people tend to overestimate how badly they will feel after failing to achieve a goal; keep that in mind if you are worried about trying but not succeeding. Feel proud of your accomplishments. You are working towards being a better person and you should be proud of that. When times get tough, take a moment to feel pride about your hard work and the progress you have made toward reaching your potential; in doing so you will be more likely to hold fast and persevere through any tough times you encounter on your journey. If you have trouble feeling proud of your own accomplishments, try writing yourself a letter as if you were writing to a friend. Imagine that your friend has been doing the work that you have. You would feel proud of her, right? You'd probably encourage her to keep going and tell her what great work she's doing. Why would you treat yourself with any less kindness? Find social support. By increasing your sense of belonging and well-being, family, friends, and others in your social network help to counteract against the stress that can arise from struggling to achieve your goals. Humans can “catch” emotions just as we do colds. Surround yourself with people who are positive and working toward their own goals. Their ambition and positivity will “rub off” on you. | Determine your core values. Examine your responses for themes. Identify areas that are not consistent with your values. Decide what realizing your true potential looks like. Visualize the person you want to be. Be patient and kind to yourself. Recognize and challenge generalization. Recognize and challenge mental filtering. Watch for all-or-nothing thinking. Stop catastrophizing in its tracks. Stop "shoulding" yourself. Make a list of goals. Organize your goals by importance. Create a list of actionable objectives. Accomplish your objectives. Adopt a growth mindset. Think realistically. Think positively. Look up to others and be inspired. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Show your grit. Have patience and don't be discouraged. Combat fear. Feel proud of your accomplishments. Find social support. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Tame-Animals-in-Minecraft | How to Tame Animals in Minecraft | To tame horses, donkeys, or mules in Minecraft, go up to them with nothing in your hand and keep clicking on them until you see red hearts appear. If you want to tame an ocelot instead, slowly approach one with a raw fish in your hand and then wait for it to come to you. When it does, repeatedly click on it until it turns into a cat. To tame a parrot, approach one with 5 seeds in your hand and keep clicking on it until hearts appear around it. | Find optional resources. While you don't need either of the following items to tame a horse, donkey, or mule, they will help: Saddle - A saddle allows you to control a horse after you tame it; you can ride—but not control—unsaddled tamed horses. Saddles may spawn in village blacksmith chests or chests in dungeons. You cannot craft a saddle. Apples - Having around 20 apples on hand will allow you to feed the horse before attempting to tame it, which will significantly improve your chances of taming the horse in one or two tries. Golden Apples will expedite this process further. Find a horse, donkey, or mule. These animals are most often found in the Plains and Savanna biomes, though you may find horses in NPC villages as well. Approach the animal with nothing in your hand. Horses, donkeys, and mules are nonviolent, but you'll need your hand to be empty in order to attempt to mount them. If you want to feed the animal, equip the apple instead. Select the animal. Right-click the animal (PC), use the left trigger (consoles), press the "Mount" button when you get close to the animal in PE. You will automatically mount the animal. If you want to feed the animal, select it with the apple until the animal refuses to eat anymore, then select the animal with your empty hand. Wait until the animal bucks you off. The horse, donkey, or mule will support you for anywhere from a second to several seconds before kicking you off and beginning to walk away. Continue selecting the animal until you see red hearts appear. Once the animal finally stops trying to buck you off, you should see red hearts appear around it; this signifies that the horse, donkey, or mule has been tamed. Saddle the tamed horse, donkey, or mule. If you want to saddle the tamed animal, mount it, press E , and then move the saddle into the "Saddle" spot in the animal's inventory. On Minecraft PE, mount the animal, tap ⋯ , tap the saddle, and tap the animal's "Saddle" icon. On console editions of Minecraft, mount the animal, tap Y or triangle , select the saddle, and then select the "Saddle" icon in the upper-left corner. Gather raw fish. You'll need several raw ( not cooked) fish in order to tame an ocelot: Make a fishing rod. Find a body of water. Equip the fishing rod. Select the body of water. Repeat until you have at least 10 fish. Find an ocelot. You can most often find ocelots in Jungle biomes, though their spawn behavior dictates that they'll be found near sea level (or higher) grass blocks. Ocelots can be elusive if you spook them, so you may have to search for quite a while before you find one. Avoid rushing up to the ocelot. You may approach the ocelot carefully while it faces away from you, but the second it turns to face you, you must stop. A good rule of thumb is to keep around 10 blocks of space between you and the ocelot. Equip the raw fish. The raw fish should be in your hand before you proceed. Let the ocelot come to you. A few seconds after you equip the fish, the ocelot should begin to approach you. It's very important that you don't move at this point. Repeatedly select the ocelot until it turns into a cat. Once the ocelot is in range, right-click (PC), left-trigger (consoles), or tap-and-hold the ocelot until it changes into a cat. At this point, the ocelot has been tamed. Kill a Skeleton to get a bone. Skeletons be found anywhere with a low-light level, such as in caves or at night. Be careful when doing this; Skeletons can easily kill you if you aren't properly equipped with a sword. You may need to kill multiple skeletons before one will drop a bone. Find a wolf. Wolves are most often found in any Taiga variant, as well as in forest biomes on Java and Legacy Console editions of Minecraft. Equip the bone. Make sure that the bone is in your hand before proceeding. Approach the wolf. Walk up to the wolf with the bone equipped. Wolves aren't naturally hostile, though they will attack you if you first attack them. Select the wolf until a collar appears around its neck. Right-click, left-trigger, or tap-and-hold the wolf until the collar appears. You should only have to do this a few times. If you accidentally hit the wolf in the process, that wolf will attack you and cannot be tamed afterwards. The wolf will also cock its head to the side and sit down once you've tamed it. Tamed wolves will not despawn. Gather at least five seeds. You can gather seeds by breaking grass tufts, though you'll most likely need to break several grass tufts in order to get one set of seeds. Once you have around five seeds, you can proceed. On the console editions of Minecraft, seeds are called "wheat seeds". Find a parrot. Fittingly, you'll find parrots in Jungle biomes. They're small, multicolored, and often fly short distances. Equip the seeds. Make sure that the seeds are in your hand before proceeding. Approach the parrot. If the parrot flies away before you reach it, simply chase it—parrots can't fly very far, and they aren't fast. Select the parrot until hearts appear around it. Using the seeds, right-click, left-trigger, or tap-and-hold the parrot until the red hearts appear around it. This signifies that you've successfully tamed the parrot. Place the parrot on your shoulder. Walking "through" the parrot will cause it to hop up onto your shoulder, where it will remain until you sleep in a bed or mount a horse (or similar). | Find optional resources. Find a horse, donkey, or mule. Approach the animal with nothing in your hand. Select the animal. Wait until the animal bucks you off. Continue selecting the animal until you see red hearts appear. Saddle the tamed horse, donkey, or mule. Gather raw fish. Find an ocelot. Avoid rushing up to the ocelot. Equip the raw fish. Let the ocelot come to you. Repeatedly select the ocelot until it turns into a cat. Kill a Skeleton to get a bone. Find a wolf. Equip the bone. Approach the wolf. Select the wolf until a collar appears around its neck. Gather at least five seeds. Find a parrot. Equip the seeds. Approach the parrot. Select the parrot until hearts appear around it. Place the parrot on your shoulder. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-Cute | How to Dress Cute | Dressing cute is all about building a versatile wardrobe and wearing it with confidence. Instead of chasing the latest trends, invest in a few classic items that every girl should own, like a little black dress, white button-up shirt, pencil skirt, blue jeans, and a shift dress. Don't forget a pair of black pumps and a trendy pair of sneakers, which will cover you for any casual or formal events. Complete your outfit with a cute purse, clutch, or backpack depending on the occasion. Whatever you wear, be proud of your fashion choices and let your confidence shine. | Accentuate your hourglass figure. If you have an hourglass figure, your voluptuous curves contrast with your tiny waist. The key to dressing cute is to accumulate a wardrobe that highlights your figure, not hides it. Consider purchasing the following pieces to complement your curves: Belted jackets Crop tops Pencil Skirts Wrap dresses Wide-legged pants with a belted waist Complement your apple shape. If you carry weight around the midsection and have a slim lower body, your body is apple shaped. The key to dressing cute is to wear clothing that emphasizes your slim legs and narrow shoulders, thus minimizing your midsections. Consider adding the following pieces to your wardrobe: Swing jackets Flowy peasant tops High-waisted circle skirts Shift dresses Low-waisted straight-legged pants Accentuate your pear shape. If your body is pear shaped, the widest part of your figure is around your hips. The key to dressing cute and flattering your shape is to accentuate your torso in an effort to elongate and balance your figure. Consider adding the following essentials to your closest: Structured jackets Embellished tops A-line skirts Fit-and-flare dresses Boot-cut pants Complement your banana shape. If you are banana shaped, you carry weight around your midsection while maintaining a slim lower and upper body. The key to flattering your figure and dressing cute is to don garments that create the illusion that your hips and bust are proportional to the rest of your body. This is accomplished by highlight the narrowest part of your waist. Consider filling your closet with the following pieces: Cropped jackets with a banded bottom Ruffled tops Mini skirts Dresses with side cut-outs Tapered pants Purchase the basics. Wardrobe staples, such as the little black dress, are classic, timeless, and never go out of style. The basics provide you with a chic canvas on which to accessorize. You can dress them up or dress them down. As you accumulate your cute, basics wardrobe, consider purchasing the following items in styles that complement your figure: Little black dress White button-up shirt Pencil skirt Tailored trousers Shift dresses Jeans Trench Coat Cashmere sweaters Invest in high-quality basics. Skip the trends. Trendy does not always translate into cute. Instead of attempting to keep up with the never-ending cycle of fashion trends, be selective when it comes to purchasing this season's runway inspired looks. If a trend complements your figure, embrace it; if a trend highlights the parts of your body you wish to minimize, skip it. Asses your current clothes and new purchases. A well curated, versatile wardrobe of eclectic pieces, trendy clothes, and timeless garments will supply you with an endless combination of cute outfits. To amass such a collection, you must assess your current collection of clothing, selectively shop for new items, and splurge on occasion. As you plan ahead for the next season, take a moment to examine your closet. Remove the pieces you can omit from your collection. Make a list of the pieces you need to replace and pieces that are missing from your wardrobe. Make a shopping plan and stick to it. Instead of making superfluous purchases, spend your money on high quality items that you can dress up, dress down, and easily incorporate into your wardrobe. Wear your clothes with confidence. Your sense of style is a reflection of your personality, experiences, and opinions. Don't apologize for your look—be proud of your fashion choices and wear your clothes with confidence. When you combine hot trends with classic styles and colors that accentuate your features, you will always look cute. Let your personality shine. A positive, unique, and genuine personality is always in vogue. While your clothing and accessories reflect your personality, your personality does not consist solely of these material items. Rather, your words, actions, opinions, experiences, and environment combine to form your identity. Discover and express your true self in a cute outfit that you can rock with confidence. Enhance your look with cute jewelry. The right jewelry can instantly elevate your look from drab to adorable. Invest in high-quality necklaces, earrings, bracelets that complement your wardrobe. Mix-and-match classic pieces with trendy jewelry to add pizzaz to your cute outfits. Wear a necklace to add interest to an open neckline. Stack bangles and bracelets on your wrists. Wear a fashionable watch instead of a cuff. Put on a pair of statement earrings and keep the rest of your jewelry to a minimum. Complement your look with a cute purse. Your accessories are a representation of your taste, personality, and creativity. Invest in a variety of purses, such as totes, cross-body bags, clutches, and backpacks, that represent your individual aesthetic. When you pair a purse with an outfit, consider if it complements your look, is appropriate for the occasion, and is an extension of your personal style. Complete your look with the perfect pair of shoes. Shoes are more than an accessory; they are a fashion statement. While you should consider your shoe choices carefully, don't be afraid to elevate the cuteness of your outfit by taking a shoe risk. You may choose to select a pair of shoes that perfectly matches your outfit or opt to wear the wrong pair. For example, you could wear elegant black pumps with your little black dress or a trendy pair of fashion sneakers. Consider adding a few additional accessories. Elevate your custom cute look with a few additional accessories. A fabulous pair of sunglasses complements every look. Add texture to your outfit with a scarf. Belts not only highlight your waist, but they can also add a pop of color to you look. | Accentuate your hourglass figure. Complement your apple shape. Accentuate your pear shape. Complement your banana shape. Purchase the basics. Skip the trends. Asses your current clothes and new purchases. Wear your clothes with confidence. Let your personality shine. Enhance your look with cute jewelry. Complement your look with a cute purse. Complete your look with the perfect pair of shoes. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Coconut-Laddu | How to Make Coconut Laddu | To make coconut laddu, start by roasting ghee and fresh coconut gratings in a pan for 1 minute. Then, add 1 tin of condensed milk and cook the mixture over low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring it continuously. Next, stir in some cardamom powder and let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. Finally, shape the mixture into small balls with your hands and roll them in dried coconut before serving. | In a heavy bottomed pan, add ghee & then fresh coconut gratings. Roast for a minute. Add Milk maid. Cook over low flame mixing it continuously for about 4-5 minutes. The coconut cooks in the condensed milk. Add cardamom powder. When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, remove from flame & let it cool down for about 5-10 minutes. Apply ghee on your palm & shape the mixture into small laddus. In a plate or any other flat base, add dried coconut & roll each laddu in it, so that the dry powder coats well onto the laddu. Finished. | In a heavy bottomed pan, add ghee & then fresh coconut gratings. Add Milk maid. Cook over low flame mixing it continuously for about 4-5 minutes. Add cardamom powder. When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, remove from flame & let it cool down for about 5-10 minutes. Apply ghee on your palm & shape the mixture into small laddus. In a plate or any other flat base, add dried coconut & roll each laddu in it, so that the dry powder coats well onto the laddu. Finished. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-First-Day-of-School-Jitters | How to Get Rid of First Day of School Jitters | To get rid of first day of school jitters, try taking some long, deep breaths whenever you're feeling nervous by inhaling, holding for 3 seconds, and then exhaling. Also, try to smile throughout the day, even if you're feeling a little shy, since smiling can help you feel happier and more confident. Think positive, encouraging thoughts throughout the day, like "I can do this" and "I'm a likable, fun person." If you feel overwhelmed, remember that everyone gets nervous on their first day of school! | Locate your classes on the school map. If you are going to a big school or college, it's really useful to know where all your classes are. Print out a map and highlight where your classes are. This will stop you from having to search for them on your first day. Don't be scared about being late to your classes or not knowing where your classes are. On the first day of school teachers understand that you don't yet know your schedule and will be understanding if you are late. If you are having trouble finding your classes, ask a staff member for help. You will be able to find a map of your school on their website. Take the map to school with you so that other people can point you in the right direction if you get lost. Check your school’s website for information about your classes. Some high schools and colleges have websites where students can log in and find messages and materials from their teachers. Log into your school's website before the first day to see if there are any messages or special materials you will need to review. For example, your teacher may have posted the syllabus for the class online. This will tell you more about the class, including your required textbooks, assignments, and the teacher's policies. Prepare some answers to popular icebreaker questions. On your first day of school, you will most likely be asked to participate in icebreaker games. These are a great way to get to know other people in your class but can be a bit nerve-wracking if you feel shy. Practice saying your name, 2 facts about yourself, and where you are from. Say it a few times in front of the mirror, or practice saying it to your parents. This will help you feel more confident about talking in front of your class. Contact your friends and see if you have any of the same classes. If you already know someone at your school, ask if they have any of the same classes or lunch periods. If they do, organize to meet up before class or lunch. Having someone you know will help you to feel more comfortable in a new environment. Send your friends a picture of your schedule so they can compare it with their own. Go to bed early the night before. This will give you less time to worry about the next day. If you have a good sleep you are more likely to feel alert, energized, and ready to face the day. Try to have a relaxing evening and go to bed at a reasonable time. Don't try to go to bed too much earlier than usual, otherwise, you may end up lying in bed feeling anxious. Wake up early to give yourself plenty of time to get ready. Set your alarm slightly earlier than necessary so that you don't have to rush and can take your time getting ready. That way, you can start the day feeling relaxed. Set your alarm the night before so that you can sleep peacefully, knowing that you will be woken at the right time. Leave early to ensure that you arrive on time. Arriving on time will save you embarrassment and will give you time to find your classroom. Leave 10 minutes early to allow extra time to navigate unexpected traffic or parking difficulties. If you arrive early, take the opportunity to take some deep breaths before walking inside. If your parents are taking you to school, explain to them that you would like to arrive a few minutes early. If you are running late, try your best to stay calm. Most people are understanding if you are a little late on your first day. If you are catching the bus, make sure you arrive at the bus stop on time so that you don't miss the bus. Pick an outfit that makes you feel confident. Wearing something that you feel good in can help to calm your jitters and make you feel good about yourself. Choose one of your favourite shirts, or wear shoes that you love. If your school has a dress code, make sure that your outfit fits the requirements. Check the school website to find out if there is a dress code. If there is a uniform, this makes your outfit decision easy. Pack your bag with everything you will need for your first day. Channel your nervous energy into preparing for your first day. Being prepared will give you peace of mind that you haven't forgotten anything. Get your bag out and write a list of everything that might be helpful for your first day. This is a great way to help ease the fear of forgetting something. Consider packing: a notebook, binders, folders, a planner, pens, a laptop or tablet, paper, a drink bottle, lunch, snacks, and a jacket. Organise your bag so the things you need most often (like pens) are easy to reach. Listen to some calming music on the way to school. Classical piano and jazz music are shown to reduce anxiety and lower your heart rate. Turn on some calming music, or music that makes you feel positive. Focus on the music to shift your attention away from your nerves and help your mind to relax. Prepare a playlist of songs that make you feel great. This is a good way to boost your mood. Smile, even if you feel shy. Smiling will help you to feel more confident and positive. It will also help make you look friendlier and more approachable to others. Whenever you meet someone new, try to greet them with a smile. Take some long, deep breaths when you get waves of nerves. Breathing deeply slows down your heart rate and relaxes your muscles. This is a great way to help manage your nerves. Breath in deeply and push out your stomach. Hold the breath for 3 seconds before you breathe out. Keep breathing deeply until you feel more relaxed. Try not to focus on feeling nervous. Instead, focus on your breathing. Think positive and encouraging thoughts. Positive and encouraging words are a great way to help you feel good about yourself and calm your anxiety. If you notice yourself feeling anxious, think some positive, encouraging thoughts in your head to help calm yourself down. Try phrases such as: “I'm a likable person and can make friends easily” or “I can do this”. Remember that everyone feels nervous on their first day. It's easy to think that you are the only one who is nervous. However, most people feel pretty nervous when they are going somewhere new. Remember that everyone has experienced what you are feeling, and most people will be sympathetic to your nerves. Even teachers have had a first day. Don't be afraid to ask them for help or advice. | Locate your classes on the school map. Check your school’s website for information about your classes. Prepare some answers to popular icebreaker questions. Contact your friends and see if you have any of the same classes. Go to bed early the night before. Wake up early to give yourself plenty of time to get ready. Leave early to ensure that you arrive on time. Pick an outfit that makes you feel confident. Pack your bag with everything you will need for your first day. Listen to some calming music on the way to school. Smile, even if you feel shy. Take some long, deep breaths when you get waves of nerves. Think positive and encouraging thoughts. Remember that everyone feels nervous on their first day. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Pendulum | How to Use a Pendulum | If you want to use a pendulum, it's easy to make one using common household objects so you can see how they work! Grab a yardstick or pole, some string, and a battery, then tie one end of the string to the yardstick and the other end to the battery. Rest the yardstick between the backs of two chairs of the same height, then pick up the battery, pull the string taut, and let it go. | Know that a pendulum is a weight hanging freely at the end of a string. Before you start using a pendulum, you need to know what it is and how it works. Luckily, a pendulum is no more than a hanging weight allowed to swing back and forth. The string is attached to a fixed point so that only the weight and string are moving. Hold the end of pendant necklace or yo-yo between your fingers and move the "weight" at the bottom. You've made your first pendulum! A common example of a pendulum is the large swinging weight in a grandfather clock. To use a pendulum, pull the weight back and let go. Make sure you keep the string taught and release the weight without pushing it. The weight will swing back and forth, returning to roughly the same height you dropped it from. A pendulum will swing forever if nothing happens to slow it down or change its direction. In reality, outside forces like friction and air resistance will slow down a pendulum. Build a simple pendulum with string, a battery, and a yardstick for better understanding. If you learn through hands-on activities or want to teach children how pendulums work, you can quickly build a pendulum to experiment with: Tie one end of a string to the middle of a yardstick or poll. Tie the opposite end to a battery or other small weight. Balance the yardstick on the backs of two identical chairs so that the battery hangs freely between them and can swing without hitting anything. Pick up the battery, keeping the string taut, and release it so that it swings back and forth. Recognize the scientific vocabulary for pendulums. Like most scientific pursuits it is only possible to understand and use pendulums if you know the words that describe them. Amplitude : The highest point the pendulum reaches. Bob : Another name for the weight at the end of the pendulum. Equilibrium : The center point of a pendulum; where the weight rests when it is not moving. Frequency : The number of times a pendulum swings back and forth in a set amount of time. Period : The amount of time it takes a moving pendulum to return to the same spot. Know that pendulum experiments are a great way to teach the scientific method. The scientific method has been the backbone of scientific research since the ancient Greeks, and pendulums are easy to tinker with and see instant results. When conducting any of the following experiments, take the time to formulate a hypothesis, talk about which variable you are testing, and compare the results. Always do the experiment 5-6 times to make sure your results are consistent. Remember to only try one experiment at a time-- otherwise you won't know what changed the pendulum's swing. Change the weight at the end of the string to teach about gravity. One of the simplest ways to learn about gravity's effects is through a pendulum, and the results may surprise you. To see the effects of gravity: Pull back the pendulum 10 centimeters and release it. Use a stopwatch to time the period of the pendulum. Repeat 5-10 times. Add a heavier bob to the pendulum and repeat the experiment. The period and frequency will be exactly the same! This is because gravity affects all weights equally. A penny and a brick, for example, will fall at the same speed. Change where you drop the weight to learn about amplitude. When you pull the string higher you've increased the amplitude, or high point, of the pendulum. But does that change how fast the pendulum returns to your hand? Repeat the above experiment, but pull the pendulum back 20 centimeters this time instead of changing the weight. If you did everything correctly, the pendulum period will not change. Changing amplitude does not change frequency, a fact that will come in handy in trigonometry class, the science of sound, and many other fields. Change the length of the string. Repeat the experiment above, but instead of changing how much weight you've added or how high you've dropped it, use a much shorter or longer string. This time you will definitely notice a change. In fact, changing the length of the string is the only thing that will change the period and frequency of a pendulum. Dive deeper into pendulum physics to learn about inertia, energy transfer, and acceleration. For older students or aspiring physicists, pendulums are a great way to learn the relationships between acceleration, friction, and trigonometry. Search for "pendulum equations," or devise your own experiments to find them. Some questions to consider: How fast is the bob moving at the lowest point? How do you find the speed of the bob at any point? How much kinetic energy does the bob have at any point in the pendulum? For help, use the equation: Kinetic Energy =.5 x Mass of Bob x Velocity How can you predict the period of a pendulum based on the string's length? Adjust the length of the string to measure time. While pulling the string back farther and changing the weight doesn't change the period, lengthening or shortening the string does. This is how old clocks are made -- if you change the length of the pendulum perfectly you can make a period, or full swing, take two seconds. Count the number of periods and you know how much time has passed. Pendulum clocks are attached to gears so that every time the pendulum swings the second hand of the clock moves. In a grandfather clock, the weight swinging one way makes the "tick" and swinging back makes the "tock." Use your pendulum to measure nearby vibrations, including earthquakes. Seismographs, machines that measure the intensity and direction of earthquakes, are complex pendulums that move only when the earth's crust moves. Though calibrating a pendulum to only measure tectonic plates is incredibly complicated, you can turn almost any pendulum into a basic seismograph using a pen and some paper. Tape a pen or pencil to the weight at the end of your pendulum. Place a piece of paper under the pendulum so that the pen touches the paper and can leave marks. Gently shake the pendulum, but not the string. The harder you shake the pendulum, the larger the marks on your piece of paper. This corresponds to a larger "earthquake." Real seismographs have a rotating piece of paper so that you can see the earthquake's power over time. Pendulums were used to measure earthquakes as early as 132 AD in China. Use a special pendulum called a Foucault Pendulum to prove that the earth rotates. Though people knew that the earth spun on it's axis, Foucault's Pendulum was the earliest visible proof of the concept. To replicate it you'll need a large pendulum, at least 16 feet long with a weight over 25 pounds, to minimize outside variables like wind or friction. Put your pendulum in motion, moving enough so that it can swing for a long time. As time progresses, you will notice that the pendulum is swinging in a different direction than you started it. This happens because the pendulum moves in a straight line while the earth beneath it rotates. In the northern hemisphere the pendulum will shift clockwise and in the southern it will shift counter-clockwise. Though complicated, you can use a Foucault Pendulum to calculate your latitude using a trigonometric equation. | Know that a pendulum is a weight hanging freely at the end of a string. To use a pendulum, pull the weight back and let go. Build a simple pendulum with string, a battery, and a yardstick for better understanding. Recognize the scientific vocabulary for pendulums. Know that pendulum experiments are a great way to teach the scientific method. Change the weight at the end of the string to teach about gravity. Change where you drop the weight to learn about amplitude. Change the length of the string. Dive deeper into pendulum physics to learn about inertia, energy transfer, and acceleration. Adjust the length of the string to measure time. Use your pendulum to measure nearby vibrations, including earthquakes. Use a special pendulum called a Foucault Pendulum to prove that the earth rotates. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Negatives | How to Clean Negatives | To clean negatives that have accumulated dust, fingerprints, or watermarks, start by putting on clean cotton or nylon gloves to keep additional fingerprints off the negatives. Next, gently wipe the negative with a dry anti-static cloth, which you can get at photography supply stores. If the cloth alone doesn't do the trick, spray one squirt of anti-static film cleaner onto the cloth and wipe the negative again using light back-and-forth strokes until the surface looks clean. If you're dealing with dirt, rust, or mold, try wiping the negatives with a cotton ball dampened with 98 percent isopropyl alcohol. | Wear clean cotton or nylon gloves. Gloves will keep additional fingerprints off your negatives. Make sure the gloves are free of lint and dust. This will prevent your negatives from getting scratched during the cleaning process. You can buy these gloves in your local photography supply store. Use a dry antistatic cloth. Static attracts dust, so it's important to avoid other kinds of cloths. The cloth should be soft and clean. Softness and cleanliness will protect your negatives from scratches. Anti-static cloths are available at photography supply stores. Clean the negatives. Take the cloth in your dominant hand. Drape it over your palm and fingers. Partially close your hand to form a C. Hold each negative in your non-dominant hand. Gently rub the negative over the cloth until it's free of dust. Spray the negatives with antistatic film cleaner. If the cloth didn't do the trick, spray one squirt of cleaner onto a nonabrasive antistatic cloth. Gently move the cloth over the surface of the negative. Use light back-and-forth strokes until all dust, watermarks, and/or fingerprints are gone. The cleaner will dry immediately. You can buy it at your local photography supply store. Antistatic film cleaner emits potent, potentially toxic, fumes. Make sure your workspace is well ventilated. Wear a mask for extra protection. Purchase 98 percent isopropyl alcohol. Avoid regular rubbing alcohol from the medicine cabinet, which will leave streaks on the surface. Make sure the product is free of additives, which could damage your negatives. You can buy a higher concentration at the hardware store or at the gas station. If you're shopping at the gas station, 98 percent isopropyl alcohol might be sold as “dry gas.” Find a well-ventilated space. Isopropyl alcohol in high concentrations emits fumes. Work in a room with an open window. If possible, place a fan in the window so that it faces the outside. This will draw fumes out of your workspace. Wet a cotton ball or static-free cloth with the alcohol. After putting on your gloves, uncap the alcohol. Place the cotton ball or cloth over the top of the bottle. Turn the bottle upside down for about a second. Return the bottle to an upright position and replace its cap. Wipe the negative. Holding the negative in your dominant hand. Use your other hand to clean the surface. Move in a gentle back-and-forth motion until the gunk is completely gone. Allow the negative to air dry. Place negatives in protective containers. These can be acid-free paper sleeves or polyethylene pocket pages. Once you've sorted your negatives, store them in fire-proof metal slide boxes. You can buy all of these at your local photography supply store. Store the negatives in a cool location. Heat can discolor and disfigure negatives. Choose a room with an ambient temperature no higher than 70 °F (21 °C). Keep the negatives away from heat sources such as vents, radiators, and windows receiving direct sunlight. For contemporary color negatives, the temperature should be no higher than 40 °F (4 °C). Control the storage room humidity. Humidity can trigger the growth of mold and rust. Too much moisture in the atmosphere can lead to watermarks on the negatives. Don't allow the relative humidity to rise above 30-40 percent. If your negatives are heirlooms or antiques, you should consider investing in a hygrometer, which measures ambient humidity. | Wear clean cotton or nylon gloves. Use a dry antistatic cloth. Clean the negatives. Spray the negatives with antistatic film cleaner. Purchase 98 percent isopropyl alcohol. Find a well-ventilated space. Wet a cotton ball or static-free cloth with the alcohol. Wipe the negative. Place negatives in protective containers. Store the negatives in a cool location. Control the storage room humidity. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Smoke-Smell-out-of-Your-House | How to Get Smoke Smell out of Your House | To get the smell of smoke out of your house, remove any cigarette butts or ashtrays from your home. Open all of the windows and doors to air out the house and wash or dry clean any fabric items in the house, and steam clean the carpet. Then, clean non-fabric surfaces around your home with a mixture of one part water and one part vinegar. Be sure to clean everything from the floors to the ceilings, including walls, window screens, and ceiling fans. | Wear disposable gloves. You may want to wear disposable gloves or other protective clothing when handling tobacco products or using cleaning chemicals. This helps to prevent unpleasant contact as well as skin irritation due to the chemicals in certain cleaners. Remove all sources of smoke. Remove cigarette butts, ends of cigars, ashtrays, etc. from your home and outside space. Leaving these items in your home will lead to continual absorption of the smell of smoke. Dispose of these items after they have been completely extinguished. Place them in a grocery bag and tie it closed before putting it in an outdoor trash bin. Open all windows and doors to air out the house. Do this frequently throughout the cleaning and deodorizing process. You can place fans strategically throughout your home for increased airflow. Point your fans in corners of the room that may not have good airflow to push air out of the room. Or, point fans toward doorways and windows to help stale air leave the home. Purchase deodorizing products. Some products will advertise things such as odor control or odor removal. However, it's important you use products that have a cleaning agent included. Products that simply mask odors will not get rid of the smell of smoke. Look for products that have: Baking soda. Baking soda naturally neutralizes odors and does it by bringing acidic and basic odor molecules into a more neutral pH or state. Activated charcoal. Charcoal is used often to filter dirt and particles from water but it also acts as a great deodorizing agent that absorbs odors and smells. Hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide deodorizes by giving oxygen to a contaminated or smelly area. However, this chemical can act like bleach and should be used carefully and only on certain surfaces. Do a test run on a small area before using it extensively. Also, wear gloves and old clothing when using hydrogen peroxide in case it bleaches the fabric. Be sure to seal the peroxide tightly for storage. Gather all your clothing, duvets, pillows, and curtains. Anything that is cloth or linen and can be washable should be gathered into bags to be washed. You may think a certain item doesn't smell, but you may have gone noseblind to it. This means you have gotten used to the smell of smoke and can't distinguish it from the environment anymore. It's safe to say that if something in a home smells of smoke, most or all items will probably smell like smoke. Wash or dry clean all items. It's important to clean your clothes as well as cloths, linens, and pillows before you plan to clean the rest of the home. Cloths and linens are able to soak up odors more effectively than other types of materials. By getting them out of the way, it makes cleaning other surfaces easier. Consider washing and storing your clean cloths and linens outside of the home. Bringing them back into the home after cleaning runs the risk of your items soaking up smoke odors left in the home. Remember to clean, wash, or replace your curtains and shades. Many people forget to clean curtains and shades which are prime spots for tar and resin to settle and permeate into. Take down your curtains or shades and wash them. You can also buy new shades if yours are particularly old and smelly. Certain wall hangings may also be made of fabric or canvas material. Remember to take these down as well and clean them with mild soap, water, and a wash cloth. Simply wipe them down and store them outside of the home until you finish the deodorizing process. Survey your carpet. If it is extremely dirty and the smoke smell is intense, consider replacing it. If you cannot, clean it by: Shampooing it. You can rent a carpet steam cleaner and shampoo the carpet yourself. Or you can hire a professional to clean the carpet for you. Sprinkling baking soda. Sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda on top of your carpet surfaces and leave it to soak for a day. The baking soda will absorb the smell of smoke and any moisture in the carpet. Then vacuum the carpet to remove the baking soda. You can do this several times a week until the smell disappears. Sprinkle your fabric-covered furniture and carpets with baking soda. You may also choose to use a strong chemical cleaner like OdoBan. This deodorizing product is used by professionals who are trying to improve houses after a fire. If you can remove the cushion covers, wet them and wash by hand or in a washing machine with a baking soda mixture. Let them dry a little, then place them back on the cushions when they are still slightly wet. This allows them to stretch to the appropriate size without causing mildew. Use vinegar or diluted bleach to clean non-fabric surfaces. Bleach, and especially vinegar, do well to break up the tars and resins in cigarette smoke. The smell of bleach and vinegar may be off putting at first, but unlike smoke, these odors will dissipate in time. Mix equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water to create a cleaning solution. Mix 1/2 cup (115 mL) of chlorine bleach to 1 gallon (4 L) of water to clean surfaces like sinks, showers, bathtubs, countertops, glazed tile, vinyl, and floors. Always rinse surfaces with water thoroughly after cleaning, before use. Do not use bleach on the same surface that you applied the vinegar mixture to. Wash the floors, ceilings, window screens, walls, and other fixtures. You may need a ladder to reach all the washable surfaces in your house. Don't forget to wash down interiors of closets and cabinets as well as the walls of the basements, hallways, cupboards, and drawers. Wipe all the wood, plastic, and metal furniture and appliances with distilled white vinegar. Put the vinegar in a spray bottle and wipe it clean with a rag. Follow up by rinsing with water and drying with a clean rag, if the furniture is delicate. Place several drops of lavender, citrus, or rosemary essential oil to offset the smell of the vinegar. If you do not choose to do this, the vinegar smell will dissipate as it deodorizes furniture. Dust or rinse all your knick knacks. Simply wipe them or wash them in mild soap. You may want to remove them from the home until all surfaces are clean and deodorized. Wash your walls. You can use a variety of products or cleaning solutions to wash your walls and remove dirt, grease, and odors. Most professional painters use TSP, or trisodium phosphate, to clean walls Just mix 1 cup of TSP to 20 cups of water or buy a TSP spray to apply to your walls and wipe with a washcloth. Be sure to use gloves when you're using TSP. Use a deodorizing primer on washed walls. Products like Zinsser Bullseye and Kilz are an essential step to removing smoke odors that have been around for a long period of time. Simple repainting will not remove the smell and will just trap smoke odors within the paint. Consider painting other parts of your home. For example, if an old piece of furniture smells smoky, you can wash it, prime it with a deodorizing primer, and paint it to get rid of the smell. Replace your air filters, furnace filters, and air conditioning filters. Air that is forced through your home will still contain smoky smells, so replacing any and all filters will begin to purify the air and move clean, fresh air into the home. You can clean filters in TSP solutions. While wearing gloves, simply soak the filter in a TSP solution and agitate it for no more than an hour. Use a brush to further rid of any dirt or remaining odors. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning. Buy an air purifier. You can choose to install an air purifier in your home's forced air system or you can buy purifiers that can be placed in a single room. Make sure to take into consideration the size of the room or home, and purchase equipment that is the right size and strength for the area. Note that most air purifiers won't remove gaseous pollutants created by smoke. While those equipped with HEPA filters may reduce certain airborne particles created in relation to the smoke, this won't be 100 percent effective. If you do decide to try this option anyway, do some additional research into the options presently available to find out which, if any, are proven to be effective at removing the odor of smoke. Place bowls of activated charcoal around the house. Activated charcoal works to absorb odors over time. Place bowls of charcoal around places within your home that cannot be aired out, such as a windowless room or cupboard space. Over time, the charcoal should soak up the odors. | Wear disposable gloves. Remove all sources of smoke. Open all windows and doors to air out the house. Purchase deodorizing products. Gather all your clothing, duvets, pillows, and curtains. Remember to clean, wash, or replace your curtains and shades. Survey your carpet. Sprinkle your fabric-covered furniture and carpets with baking soda. Use vinegar or diluted bleach to clean non-fabric surfaces. Wash the floors, ceilings, window screens, walls, and other fixtures. Wipe all the wood, plastic, and metal furniture and appliances with distilled white vinegar. Dust or rinse all your knick knacks. Wash your walls. Use a deodorizing primer on washed walls. Consider painting other parts of your home. Replace your air filters, furnace filters, and air conditioning filters. Buy an air purifier. Place bowls of activated charcoal around the house. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Preserve-a-Cedar-Fence | How to Preserve a Cedar Fence | To preserve your cedar fence, apply an oil-based, semi-transparent wood stain to it, which will stabilize the wood and protect it from UV rays. A semi-transparent stain will show off the natural beauty of the wood, but if you want a paint-like finish, opt for a solid stain. Before staining the wood, make sure to check the forecast and choose a rain-free day, since you'll need to give it 24 hours to dry. Once you're ready, use a 2 to 4-inch brush to apply the stain, making sure to “back brush” against the grain so you fill in any gaps or crevices. After your fence has completely dried, apply a coat of anchorseal to the exposed ends of the fence post to keep water from soaking into the grain. | Take a surface area measurement of your fence. Use a tape measure to measure the length and height of your fence, then multiply these numbers together to get the surface of your fence. Measure the length of your fence and the height, and multiply these numbers together to get the surface area. Multiply the surface area by 2 if you're treating both sides of the fence. Buy an oil-based, semitransparent wood stain for a basic treatment. Oil-based stains penetrate the cell walls of wood and stabilize their surfaces much better than water-based acrylics. A stain that's semitransparent will have enough pigment to protect wood from UV rays, but not enough to conceal the wood's natural beauty. Semitransparent oil stains are the most commonly used stains for cedar and can be found at your local hardware store. The can or container of stain will list how much surface area the product covers. Choose a solid stain if you'd prefer a paint-like finish. Solid stains hold up the longest out of the three main types of stains. They also hide the wood grain much like paint does. Solid finishes may also build up a film after several coats, which can peel, crack, and chip like paint. Use clear sealer instead to show off all the fine details of wood grain. Another option you have is to use clear sealer on your entire fence. Clear sealers show off all the natural grain of wood. If you use a clear sealer, your fence may turn gray over time. You may also have to treat a clear sealed cedar fence more frequently. Apply the stain to a small area of your fence with a pump sprayer if you have one. Some wood stains for outdoor decks and fences come in a pump sprayer container for your convenience. Hold the nozzle of the pump sprayer about 1 foot (0.30 m) from the fence surface and spray an even coating on an area of about 2 square feet (0.19 m ). Follow any other instructions or safety precautions listed on the pump sprayer container. If you don't have a pump sprayer, you can brush the stain on instead. Brush or roll your sprayed surface immediately if you pump sprayed it. First, roll your brush or roll with the grain. Then, "buckbrush" to make sure you're getting the stain into all of the corners, gaps, and crevices with your brush or roller. Stain starts to soak into the wood pretty quickly, so do this step immediately after you spray the stain. Use a clean or new brush or roller that is between 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) for the best results. Brush your stain on if you don't have a pump sprayer. If your stain doesn't come in a pump sprayer or you don't have access to one, you can use a 2–4 in (5.1–10.2 cm) brush or roller to apply your stain. Dip your brush in the can, shake off any excess drips, then apply your stain using brush strokes with the grain before "back brushing" against the grain. "Back-brushing" helps get the stain into any gaps and crevices. If you're using a roller you will need a paint tray to pour the stain into so you can soak the roller in stain. Lightly shake any excess drips of stain on the roller before applying it to your fence. Continue staining your entire fence. Working in these small 2 square feet (0.19 m ) sections, repeat the stain application steps for your entire fence. Most semitransparent oil stains last 2-5 years. You should plan on recoating your fence with stain in about 3 years. Allow 24 hours for your stain to dry. Try to stain your fence on a clear day without rain in the forecast. Do not allow anything to touch your wet fence for at least 24 hours. Buy sealer for the end grain of your posts. The cut end grains of your fence posts can soak up water more readily than the sides and lead to the posts rotting. Most oil stains contain a protective sealant, but for your ends, you will want some extra water protection. Look for a sealing product such as Anchorseal at your local hardware store for sealing your posts. Apply your sealer to ends of your fence posts with a brush. Using a 2 in (5.1 cm) brush, apply a light coat of sealer to the tops of your fence posts where you can see the end grain design. Allow your sealer to dry for 24 hours. It's best to apply sealer on a clear day when there is no rain in the forecast. Don't touch the fence posts where you applied sealer for at least 24 hours to be sure that it's completely dry. Test your fence to see if it's ready for retreatment. A fence that was stained in the past will need to be retreated every 3-5 years. Use the “sprinkle test” to determine if your fence is ready to be restained. Sprinkle some water onto your fence and watch to see if the water beads up and runs down the sides, or if it soaks into the wood. If the water beads up and runs down the sides, you're safe to wait a while before retreating. Test your fence again in a couple of months, or sooner if the fence is exposed to a lot of precipitation. If the water soaks into your fence, it's time to restain it. Power wash your fence. Connect your garden hose to a power washer and pull the trigger of the high-pressure hose tip until water comes out. Then start up the power washer engine and hold the tip of the power washer wand about 18 inches (46 cm) away from your fence. Move it along the length of the boards, constantly moving it to avoid gouging the wood of your fence. Spray your entire fence, using different angles to get into inside corners. Allow your fence to dry for 24 hours after power washing, before moving on to the next step. Glue damaged pieces and tighten any loose boards on your fence. If you find any broken pieces on your fence, replace the pieces and apply wood glue and clamp or tape them into place until completely dry. If you use wood glue, allow the glue to dry for 24 hours before staining your fence. Use weather-resistant screws to tighten or replace any loose or sagging boards in your fence. When tightening boards or screwing new boards into place, recess the screw head ⁄ 4 inch (0.64 cm) into the wood and fill it in with a light colored caulk. Apply wood preservative to your base posts. The areas that rot first in a fence are always the posts near where they enter the ground. Brush a small amount of wood preservative, such as Cuprinol, along the wood of your base posts near where they enter the ground. A product like Cuprinol was most likely used on the wood below the ground when your fence was installed, if it was installed properly. You're just reinforcing the extra protection above ground. | Take a surface area measurement of your fence. Buy an oil-based, semitransparent wood stain for a basic treatment. Choose a solid stain if you'd prefer a paint-like finish. Use clear sealer instead to show off all the fine details of wood grain. Apply the stain to a small area of your fence with a pump sprayer if you have one. Brush or roll your sprayed surface immediately if you pump sprayed it. Brush your stain on if you don't have a pump sprayer. Continue staining your entire fence. Allow 24 hours for your stain to dry. Buy sealer for the end grain of your posts. Apply your sealer to ends of your fence posts with a brush. Allow your sealer to dry for 24 hours. Test your fence to see if it's ready for retreatment. Power wash your fence. Glue damaged pieces and tighten any loose boards on your fence. Apply wood preservative to your base posts. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Interact-with-Your-Conure | How to Interact with Your Conure | To interact with your conure, let it out of its cage for several hours a day so it can be around you while you go about your daily activities. While you're spending this time together, familiarize yourself with the sounds it makes and learn what they mean. For example, whistling usually means your conure is happy, while it could be trying to get your attention when it chatters loudly. You can also teach your bird certain words or phrases like “Come on out” by looking them in the eye and using the phrases consistently and often. | Handle the bird with care. Conures love being held and picked up, but they need a gentle and firm hand. You can put your hand out and let the conure step up onto your hand. Then it may climb your arm or move to your shoulder. You can grab it by its body with your whole hand and hold it in this manner for short periods of time. Make sure that you instruct young children on how to properly interact with the bird before you allow them to pick it up. Never squeeze or hit your bird. Let the conure out of its cage for several hours every day. Conures are very interactive birds who need quite a bit of attention and engagement to be happy. You should consider leaving the bird's cage door open for much of the time that you are home with it. This will give it the freedom to move around and to interact with you. Conures enjoy being around their humans, so let the bird perch on your shoulder while you're watching television, surfing the internet, or doing other activities around the house. If conures are neglected, they will develop bad behaviors – like screeching, inappropriate chewing, or even nipping at their owners. Make sure you have enough time to devote to a conure each day before you decide to get one. Provide a variety of toys. Conures are incredibly intelligent birds that require a lot of stimulation to stay happy. Choose a variety of toys to put inside your bird's cage. Pick various colors, textures, shapes, and sizes. This will help keep your bird happy and entertained. Consider challenging toys like ladders and puzzles to stimulate your bird. Make sure your bird has plenty of chewable toys. This will keep your bird from developing inappropriate chewing habits. Your conure will play on its own if you provide it with a sufficient number of toys. However, the bird will also benefit from interactive playtime with you. Recognize the different sounds your conure makes. Conures are well known for their communication skills. They love to engage with their humans and other birds. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the various sounds your conure makes and figure out what each sound means. If your conure is signing or whistling, it means that your bird is happy and healthy. A chattering bird is usually happy, though loud chattering could be a sign that your bird is trying to get your attention. Tongue-clicking often means that the bird is simply entertaining itself, though it could be a sign that it wants you to pet it or pick it up. If your conure seems to growling, this usually means that it is feeling threatened or bothered in some way. Notice beak grinding and head bobbing. Your conure will also communicate with you via its body language. If your conure is grinding its beak back and forth, this is usually a sign of contentment. Repeated head bobs are typically another sign of contentment, but could also be a request for attention. Monitor the movements your bird makes with its head to show that it is happy. Pick up your bird if you see it pacing. If your conure is pacing back and forth in its cage, this probably means it wants to be picked up. On the other hand, a lack of movement can also indicate happiness. Standing on one foot indicates that your bird is happy, relaxed, and may be ready for a nap. Watch for ruffled feathers and tail movements. Ruffled feathers can mean that your bird is cleaning itself or that it is cold. If the feathers seem to remain ruffled for a long period of time, this could indicate that your bird is sick and should be taken to the veterinarian. A tail shake can be a sign that your bird is ready to play. But a fanned out tail could be a sign of aggression. Make eye contact and speak slowly. Since some conures learn to speak over time, you should treat your conure like a child who is learning language for the first time. Look directly at the bird and speak slowly. Enunciate your words clearly. Conures often try to communicate through eye pinning, which means that their pupils dilate and then return to their normal size. This is your bird's way of responding to stimuli and by telling you that it is happy or excited about something. However, if combined with ruffled feathers or an aggressive stance, eye pinning can also be a warning. Monitor your bird's behavior and, over time, you'll learn what its movements mean. Be consistent. If you expect your conure to learn certain words or phrases, you need to be consistent when you speak to the bird. Use the same words and phrases over and over. Always identify objects in the same way. This will help your bird learn. For example, if you want your bird to know it's time for playtime outside of the cage, use the same phrase each time. You might consider saying, “Let's go, birdie!” or “Come on out!” But don't use different phrases interchangeably. Pick one and stick with it. Birds are quick learners and can internalize unintended lessons quickly. For example, let's say you ask your bird to step onto your hand. It pecks you, so you withdraw. The bird may quickly learn that pecking is an effective way to get what it wants. Monitor your own reactions to help your bird learn what you intend. Use positive reinforcement. When training your conure, it's important to use positive reinforcement as a training tool. Don't punish your bird for bad behavior by yelling or withholding food or affection. Instead, give your bird a reward every time it behaves in a desirable way. Possible rewards can include treats, physical affection, or access to a favorite toy. Try clicker training. This kind of training teaches the bird to respond in a certain way when it hears the sound of a clicker, usually in combination with some kind of positive reward. This method requires repetition and patience, but is quite effective in the end. If you want your bird to fly to your shoulder when you click for it, you should start by clicking and placing the bird on your shoulder. Then give it a treat. Repeat this action over and over until the bird begins associating the clicker noise with the action of being on your shoulder and getting a treat. Over time, the bird will start to do the action when it hears the clicker sound, even if the reward is just a head rub. Teach your conure to do a flip. Once your conure is comfortable being held on its back, try teaching it to do a flip by pushing its tail up from behind while it is lying on its back. Then stick your finger out so that the bird is encouraged to step up onto your finger and spin around. To get a conure comfortable being held on its back, you just need to take some time and allow the conure to adjust and trust the new position. Begin by holding the conure to your chest with your other hand across its back. After a little while, you can begin to lean forward until the conure is upside down, but still supported by your chest on the top and your hand on the bottom. After some time, the bird should learn to trust you to hold it on its back. | Handle the bird with care. Let the conure out of its cage for several hours every day. Provide a variety of toys. Recognize the different sounds your conure makes. Notice beak grinding and head bobbing. Pick up your bird if you see it pacing. Watch for ruffled feathers and tail movements. Make eye contact and speak slowly. Be consistent. Use positive reinforcement. Try clicker training. Teach your conure to do a flip. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Bottle-Cap-Table-with-Resin-Surface | How to Make a Bottle Cap Table with Resin Surface | To make your own resin bottle cap table, you'll just need super glue, duct tape, a box cutter, and some high gloss resin. First, layout your bottle caps on the surface of your table. When you're happy with the layout, glue the bottle caps in place. Then, build a barrier around the table with duct tape to prevent the resin from dripping out. Follow the instructions for mixing the resin, then slowly pour it over the tabletop. Make sure it spreads between the bottle caps so there are no gaps. Finally, let the resin dry for at least 8 hours before cutting away the duct tape barrier. | Assess your collection. For full coverage, you will most likely need a vast collection that that will provide full coverage. When using bottle caps look for caps that are not rusted and still in decent shape. Consider only using bottle caps that hold meaning or significance to you--or just look really cool. Find the right table. Depending upon your collection you may be either looking for a table that can simply display your collection or you may be looking for pure decorative function and plan to cover a piece of necessary furniture. Either way, your collection must be able to completely cover the table top. Purchase glue to hold bottle caps or your collection in place. Liquid Nails or Super Glue work well or you could use contact cement for a very permanent solution. Assemble supplies that will help you build a barrier around the perimeter of your table. When you pour the resin, you don't want it to run off the sides of the table so building a barrier is imperative. Barrier materials can include heavy cardboard, aluminum foil, duct tape and/or any other material that will help you keep the resin on the table and off the floor. Also, locating an exacto knife or box cutter will help you trim away the barrier once the resin has dried. Purchase resin. Most hardware or home improvement stores will carry pourable resin. Look for something with high gloss in order to give the table that polished finish. Lay out collection on clean tabletop surface. Make sure the table is free of debris, dust or dirt before beginning the project. Lay out bottle caps or your collection so you can determine if you like the design. Glue bottle caps and/or your collection in place. Once you are happy with the design, glue the caps in place so they won't move when you pour the resin. Allow ample dry time before proceeding to the next step. Build a barrier around the perimeter of the table. Secure the base of the barrier with duct tape and/or painter's tape. You don't want any gaps so the resin could drip out. Make sure the barrier is high enough around the sides to hold the poured resin. Mix and pour resin. Follow the instructions on the resin box for mixing and then slowly pour over the tabletop. If the resin is not getting between the bottle cap gaps, use a knife to gently spread it over the tops and in between the gaps. Allow the resin to set and dry for up to eight hours (or according to the resin box directions). Remove barrier and tape using your knife. Carefully run the knife around the edges of the barrier to release the tape. Be careful not to scratch the table as you remove the tape and barrier. | Assess your collection. Find the right table. Purchase glue to hold bottle caps or your collection in place. Assemble supplies that will help you build a barrier around the perimeter of your table. Purchase resin. Lay out collection on clean tabletop surface. Glue bottle caps and/or your collection in place. Build a barrier around the perimeter of the table. Mix and pour resin. Remove barrier and tape using your knife. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Pronounce-Les-Miserables | How to Pronounce Les Miserables | To pronounce “Les Miserables,” start by saying the first word as “lay.” Then, begin the next word by saying “me” with a long “e” sound — just like the English word “me”! Next, add on the syllable “zeh,” with a soft z sound (like in the word “zero”) and a short e sound (like in “bed”). Continue on by saying “rhab,” focusing on making the “r” sound very airy — almost like a combination between the English “r” and “h” sounds. Bring it all together with the soft “bluh” syllable at the end. | Say "lay. " In this section, you'll see how to pronounce every syllable of "Les Miserables" like a true French person. Start by saying the English word "lay", which is very close to the pronunciation of the French word "les." Congratulations — you've already mastered one word! If you want to be extra-accurate, try to pronounce "lay" a little "breathier" than you normally would as an English speaker; almost as if it's a puff of air. French is a very "breathy," nasal language. Listening to a native French speaker can help you imitate this quality. Say "me. " In French, the i can be pronounced with a long e sound, so the first syllable of "miserables" will sound very much like the English word "me." Again, keep your pronunciation short and "airy" here. Say "zeh. " The second syllable of "miserables" is pronounced similarly to how it would be in English. You want to use a soft s or z sound (as in the word "zero") and follow it with a short e sound (as in the word "bed"). This shouldn't be too difficult. Say "rhab" with an airy r sound at the top of the mouth. The r sound in French can be difficult for non-native speakers to master — if English is your first language, this will probably be the hardest syllable. Forget about changing the standard English r sound into French. You want to make an entirely new sound here. See below for practice instructions: After saying "zeh" (the previous syllable), let air keep flowing through your throat. Without stopping, move the middle-back part of your tongue to the top of your mouth. Let the flow of air get narrow, but don't block it completely. Move your tongue back down. The sound you made should have sounded like a light, "airy" combination between English r and h sounds. After the r, the rest of the syllable is easy. Use the short o sound (like in the English name "Rob"), then end with a b. Say a soft "bluh. " The final part of the word isn't as hard as dealing with the r, but it can still be a challenge. You want to sound out the syllable "bluh," but, as before, very briefly and lightly. You can also let your lips "bounce" off of each other a little here, giving the sound a "jowelly" quality (almost like the way Droopy the famous cartoon dog talks). It takes some getting used to, but once you get it, it's not impossible, even for someone who's never spoken anything but English. Note that, as with "Les," the final s in "Miserables" is not pronounced. Put it all together! Congratulations — you've just made your way through all of "Les Miserables" (the title, not the 530,000 word novel). Now, all that remains is to practice stringing the syllables above together until you get it perfect! Listening to a native French speaker can really help here. Luckily, there are many pronunciation clips available online. For instance, PronounceItRight.com has an excellent one. Don't pronounce the s at the end of either word. When anglophones (the French term for "English speakers") try to say "Les Miserables," they usually make one of a few mistakes. Knowing these ahead of time can be a big help. For example, it's important to note that you should not pronounce the s at the end of either "Le s " or "Miserable s." It's "lay meezerhabluh," not "lez meezerhabluhs." This is a "rookie mistake" for new French speakers, so don't give yourself away by falling for this easy slip-up. In French, an s at the end of a word is silent if the letter before it is a consonant or an e without an accent. This means that there are other French words (like "vis") where you will pronounce the s at the end, so don't get too caught up on this rule. Don't use a standard English r sound. The French r sound is discussed above, but this bears repeating: don't use the "hard" English r sound for "miserables." This sound doesn't exist in French, so putting it in "Les Miserables" will immediately out you as a non-French speaker. If you need more help with the French r sound, don't worry — it's usually the thing that English speakers have the most trouble with, so there are lots of help materials online. For example, try this French pronunciation guide. The r sound examples are about halfway down the page. Don't pronounce the ending "bleh" very heavily. This mistake is a little subtler than the ones above, but it's still something to look out for. French words have lots of endings that sound strange to English speakers. In "Les Miserables," the final "bluh" syllable sounds like something should come after it to an English ear because in English words almost never end with "bluh." This can lead English speakers to emphasize the "bluh" a little too much when it should remain light and airy. Remember, you want it to sound like a jowelly puff of air — not like Dracula. Another good example is the French word "chèvre" ("goat"). It's tempting to pronounce it "shever" because in English words end with an "errr" sound, not a light "ruh" sound. In fact, the correct pronunciation is the latter one: "shevruh." Say "lay. " If you don't care about sounding like a real French speaker and you just want to be able to describe the book and musical in English without embarrassing yourself, your job is much easier. The first step is the same for this alternate pronunciation: just say "lay." Say "mizz. " This sounds like the word "miss," only with a soft s sound. The syllable should rhyme with the word "whizz." You can omit the long e sound you'd normally use in French here. Say "er. " This syllable should rhyme with "whirr" or "burr". Feel free to use the standard English "hard r" sound here. Say "obb. " The last syllable should rhyme with "blob" or "mob." Don't bother with the "les" at the end this time — at this point, you've already established that you're not a native French speaker, so trying to add it back in won't help. Put it all together! That's all you need to pronounce "Les Miserables" in the anglicized way. Simply string the syllables above together and sound them out: "lay mizzerrobb." Unless you're actually trying to speak proper French, there's no need to be ashamed of this anglicized pronunciation, as it's the way most English speakers choose to say the words. Even with this easier pronunciation in wide use, some English speakers still use different pronunciations of "Les Miserables." See this video for a humorous rundown of the ways that Americans, British people, and actual French speakers pronounce the word. | Say "lay. Say "me. Say "zeh. Say "rhab" with an airy r sound at the top of the mouth. Say a soft "bluh. Put it all together! Don't pronounce the s at the end of either word. Don't use a standard English r sound. Don't pronounce the ending "bleh" very heavily. Say "lay. Say "mizz. Say "er. Say "obb. Put it all together! |
https://www.wikihow.com/Restart-Your-Life | How to Restart Your Life | Restarting your life can be a refreshing experience, and you can set yourself up for success in your new life by understanding your principles and setting goals. Before you change your life, take some time to think about your values and how you can live as your best possible self. To help you direct your path, visualize who you want to be in 5 or 10 years and take note of the job and relationships you have. Once you know what you want to do, set realistic goals that will act as stepping stones to your perfect life. For example, if you visualize yourself as an entrepreneur, break that down into “develop a business plan” and “secure investors” so you can accomplish smaller, positive actions every day. | Define your personal values. If you have a desire to reboot your life, it may be because you don't feel like you are living according to your principles. Values are the beliefs, opinions, and ideas that drive your decision-making and serve as a foundation for your life. To ensure that your life reset gets off on the right foot, figure out your values. Perform a self-assessment in order to pinpoint your personal values. Ask yourself: What kind of things get you fired up talking about? What would you be willing to sacrifice your life for? If your home was on fire, assuming all living beings had been rescued, what three items would you want to take with you? What aspects of your community or the world would you like to change? Envision your best possible self. To further direct your path, do a visualization exercise. Visualization can be a powerful tool to clarify our desires and move us closer to obtaining them. Spend some time imagining who you would like to be in 5, 10, or 15 years. Go someplace quiet where you can sit without distractions. Close your eyes. Picture in your mind's eye yourself at a specific point in the future (e.g. 1 year or 5 years). Imagine that you are at the peak of success during this time. You have realized all your goals. What are you doing in this vision? What is your career? What kind of lifestyle do you have? Who are you surrounded by? What do you do for fun? Absorb this image fully. Then, grab some paper and write out some details about it. What skills or strengths do you need to make this vision a reality? How can you gain these skills? Take a look at your daily choices. It's often said that most people overestimate what they can do in a year, but underestimate what they can do in a day. True enough, life consists of weeks, months, and years. However, you get there day by day. Think about the kinds of things you do daily. Do these actions or habits line up with your ultimate goals? Set realistic goals. After you have spent time envisioning your dreams and assessing what you are doing daily, you can develop an action plan to bring you closer to where you want to be. What can you do today to get you closer where you want to be tomorrow? Set SMART goals that you can break down into smaller steps. That way, you can take some positive action towards reaching your goals every day. For example, perhaps in the visualization exercise you saw yourself running your own business. Your ultimate goal may be to “Be an entrepreneur,” but that's a lofty goal to take on all at once. Break your goals down. You might need to “Develop a business idea/plan,” “Secure investors,” or “Rent a location” to house your business. These steps may serve as starting places to move you closer to the larger goal. Go on a retreat. One small way to hit the reset button is by participating in a retreat. Depending on your specific circumstances, there are retreats to suit virtually every preference. A retreat offers you the chance to depart from your everyday environment for a few days or longer in order to regroup and gain a new perspective or sense of inspiration for your life. Retreats can serve a general or specific purpose. For example, a retreat may be hosted especially for writers, married couples, fitness enthusiasts or those looking to improve their diets. Learn something new. If your daily life feels uninspiring, you may need to invigorate your brain cells with a challenge. A pick-me-up in the form of a new skill or hobby could be just what you need to refresh your schedule. Sign up for an evening class to learn a new language, ballroom dancing, master French cuisine, or train in martial arts. Maybe you once enjoyed running or sewing, but stopped. Reflect on passions you used to enjoy and pick them back up. Whatever you do, find some way to challenge yourself and jazz up your routine. Play. Life can start to feel colorless if you spend all your time working or attending to responsibilities. Burnout from work or caregiving can cause chronic stress that threatens not only your mindset, but your health, too. Assess your daily schedule to see what tasks you can cut out or cut down to make more room for fun. Include some time each day for play. This may translate to throwing a ball to your dog, tickling your kids, playing a video or board game, or watching a comedy film. Take note of how you feel when you make more time for fun in your life. Clean up your diet. Indulging on processed or fast foods, sodas, caffeinated beverages, or alcohol can worsen your mood and outlook on life. These foods and beverages make you cranky and affect your sleep quality—two things that contribute to how you feel in day-to-day life. Counteract the negative effects of poor dietary choices by making a commitment to eat cleaner. This small change could have resounding benefits on your health and well-being. Cut out salty, sugary, and caffeinated foods for a plant-based diet. Make fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains the foundation of your diet. Also, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day to properly hydrate your body. Spruce up your home. Your environment impacts your mood. If your home is cluttered, dull, or decorated in a way that does not reflect your personality, you may want to hit the reset button on home décor. Let the light in by opening blinds or hanging up sheer curtains. Organize clutter by researching creative storage solutions. Donate old clothes, books, records. Paint the walls if you can, and hang up artwork that inspires you. Read more. Technology is the top choice for entertainment these days. Too much TV, web-browsing, or social media can jeopardize your health if you are sedentary. Plus, making comparisons on social media often leave people feeling depressed about their own lives. Take a detox from these sources of information. Visit a library or bookstore and select a book in your favorite genre. Or, if you prefer, download a book on your tablet or ereader. Make a vow to read for at least 30 minutes each night before bed. Compliment yourself. If you view your life as dull, there's a chance you've been engaging in self-defeating thought patterns. When you feel uninspired by your life, instead of looking outward to the possibilities, you may beat yourself up for not being where you want to be. You can instantly feel better about yourself by taking time to acknowledge the positives. Take a few minutes each day—whether in the morning or at night—to compliment yourself. You might say things like “You are such a caring person” or “I love my smile.” For extra points, do it in front of a mirror. Volunteer. Perhaps you feel like you have been behaving selfishly or are taking your good fortune for granted. A wonderful way to reboot your inner humanity is by giving. Seek out opportunities in your community where you can be of service to others. Volunteerism can equate to many different actions. It could mean starting a regular commitment with a non-profit organization, or it could simply be doing kind things for others when you have spare time. Read for children at the library. Offer to walk your neighbor's dog. Help your disabled family member keep their home tidy. Think of ways you can help those around you. Meditate daily. Sometimes, a life reset means slowing down and enjoying the present moment. You may feel like you are always running from place to place and never have time to just be. Mindfulness meditation is a beneficial practice that helps you become more aware of the present moment. Start by setting aside just 5 minutes each day to sit in silence. Close your eyes or focus on a neutral spot a few feet in front of you. Breathe in deeply through your nose. Hold the breath for a few seconds. Then, exhale slowly through your mouth. Focus on your breath or the spot in front of you. If you notice your attention wandering, bring your focus back and continue breathing. Drop unhealthy or unproductive habits. If you are in the market for a major life overhaul, you may want to start with some of your habits. Habit change is a serious undertaking. However, when you replace negative habits with positive ones, you will notice your life starting to change for the better. Pick out a habit that has been holding you back from reaching your goals or being the best version of yourself. Poor habits may include swearing, lying, cheating, excessively drinking alcohol, smoking, watching too much TV, drinking too much alcohol, being late, or procrastinating. The best way to break a bad habit is to find a positive one to replace it. For instance, if you want to stop watching so much TV, you might find another activity you could do during this time like reading, coloring, or working on a puzzle. Create a reward system so that you reinforce you choosing the other activity over TV. For more serious habits like drugs, alcohol, or binge-eating, you may need to seek professional assistance. Go back to school or change careers. Suffering from burnout or lack of inspiration at work can lead to dissatisfaction in many other areas of life. If you don't like what you are doing for a living, come up with a feasible plan to advance in your chosen field or switch fields altogether. Career counseling may help you narrow down a career path of interest. You might also learn information about your career aspirations by reexamining your values and the best possible future self exercise. Move to a new place. If your hometown lacks opportunity, culture, or other features that are important to you, it may be time to relocate. Or, maybe you love your current job, but don't enjoy the daily commute. Talk with your family, partner, or close friends to help you decide whether moving could be the right choice for you. Improve your appearance. If you feel like you are stuck in a style rut, pressing the reset button may include a makeover. It's up to you how big you want the change to be. If you feel like your wardrobe is out of date or colorless, go shopping for some newer pieces that flatter your body. Include some pops of color to brighten things up. On the other hand, an appearance change could also involve getting a haircut, losing weight, getting your teeth whitened, or wearing makeup. End toxic relationships. Rebooting your life also includes your social connections. If you are surrounded by unsupportive people who mistreat you or fail to appreciate you, it's time to nix those relationships. A spouse that verbally abuses you, a friend who always cancels at the last minute, or a boss who fails to recognize your contributions can all affect your life satisfaction. Think carefully about how each person in your life makes you feel. Cut out negative influences and expand your circle to include positive people. If you aren't able to completely terminate certain relationships, get as much distance as you can. Meet new people by joining clubs or organizations, taking a class, or connecting with people at work. Develop a financial wellness plan. If you have been spending exorbitantly, or are struggling to meet your basic needs, you may need to reboot your relationship with money. Start by developing a monthly budget that factors in all of your expenses and luxuries to figure out where your money is going. Then, devise a plan to either cut back on spending or increase your income to save more. | Define your personal values. Envision your best possible self. Take a look at your daily choices. Set realistic goals. Go on a retreat. Learn something new. Play. Clean up your diet. Spruce up your home. Read more. Compliment yourself. Volunteer. Meditate daily. Drop unhealthy or unproductive habits. Go back to school or change careers. Move to a new place. Improve your appearance. End toxic relationships. Develop a financial wellness plan. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Galaxy-Shirt | How to Make a Galaxy Shirt | With a little creativity and some basic painting supplies, you can make your own galaxy shirt that's completely unique. You'll need a black T-shirt, bleach, fabric or acrylic paint, plastic bags, and plastic gloves. Lay your T-shirt on a few of the plastic bags and put another bag inside the T-shirt to stop the paint from spreading. To make a galaxy design, mix 3 parts water and 7 parts bleach in a spray bottle and spray it randomly on your shirt. For a star cluster, twist the center of your T-shirt and spray it generously with bleach. You can also add stars by flicking white paint on your T-shirt. Make sure you wear protective gloves when working with bleach and paint to protect your skin. | Pick a black cotton shirt so your galaxy shows up. Outer space is mostly black with specks of stars and planets. To make your galaxy shirt realistic, pick out a mostly cotton T-shirt that's all black. If your shirt is a blend of fabrics, just make sure it's mostly cotton so the bleach shows up well. You can also use a navy blue shirt or a really dark green one. Line the inside of your shirt with a sheet of cardboard. Cut out a piece of cardboard that's about as wide as your shirt, then slide it in between the front and back of your T-shirt. This will protect the back of the shirt from getting bleach on it if it bleeds through. If you don't have any cardboard, you can also use a sheet of plastic. Spread your shirt out on a plastic bag or drop cloth. Making a galaxy shirt can get kind of messy. Protect your surroundings with a plastic bag, drop cloth, or a tarp so you don't get bleach or paint on anything. You may also want to wear old clothes that you don't mind getting stained with bleach or paint. Mix 1 part bleach with 2 parts water in a spray bottle. Bleach on its own is a little too strong for a cotton shirt. Carefully pour 1 part bleach to 2 parts of water into a spray bottle and shake them together to mix them up. For example, if you are using ⁄ 2 cup (120 mL) of bleach, mix it with 1 c (240 mL) of water. Use caution when working with bleach, and try to work in a well-ventilated area with lots of windows. Twist the middle of your shirt slightly to create a spiral galaxy. With your shirt flat still, grab the center of the shirt and twist it clockwise to create a spiral in the center. This will create the shape of your galaxy that you can build upon with your design. You don't have to twist your shirt in the front if you don't want to, but it helps to center the design and make it more galaxy-like. Mist the front of the shirt with bleach spray in a random pattern. The bleach will show up as a slightly orange, light color. Make sure your spray bottle is on the “mist” setting and spray the front of your shirt in a thin layer. Make some sprays close together and others further apart. Try to keep the mist of bleach in a loose circle shape on the front of your shirt to make it more galaxy shaped. Spraying the bleach near other bleach spots will create the appearance of connected star clusters, while spraying them further apart helps to create the illusion of depth and distance by making it appear as though there are other star clusters in the distance. Dry your shirt for about 30 minutes. Before you move on, make sure the bleach on your shirt is completely dry. Leave your shirt spread flat for at least 30 minutes, or until it's dry all the way through. The bleach will turn a dark orange color as it dries. Wash and dry your shirt to stop the bleaching process. Run your shirt through a cold water cycle in your washer, then put it in the dryer to dry it completely. This will stop the bleach from lightening your shirt anymore so it stays the color that you want it to. You can also hand wash your shirt in cold water with a few drops of detergent. Then, you can either hang it to dry or put it in your dryer. If you don't wash your shirt after bleaching it, the bleach could eventually eat through the material of the shirt. Sponge on colored fabric paints to create a galactic effect. Dip a sponge into some colorful fabric paint of your choosing. Gently dab the paint in random patterns all over your shirt to create the colors in the galaxy. Use your creativity here, and don't be afraid to mix colors! You can pick any colors that you'd like to. Think about pictures of outer space that you've seen to think about what kind of color scheme you're going for. For a more feminine look, you can use shades like magenta, deep purple, and lighter pink. If you don't have any fabric paint, dilute some tie-dye with water and use that instead. Blend the colors together with a sponge or paper towel. A real galaxy has a fluid blend of all the colors it contains. Use a damp sponge or paper towel to blur the edges of your colors and mix a few of them together. You can lighten up some of the colors by dabbing more white paint on them to add more shades. The goal is to make your colors look like clouds, so the more blended they are, the better. Dab white fabric paint onto the shirt with a toothbrush. Dip the bristles of a dry toothbrush into some white fabric paint. Hold the toothbrush over the front of your shirt, then flick the bristles to create droplets of white paint. Use the paint to create stars all throughout your galaxy. The closer you hold the toothbrush to the shirt, the bigger the stars will be. Try to concentrate the flecks of paint around the bleached star clusters you created. A few stray stars are okay, but the majority should be near the bleached portion of the shirt rather than the empty portion. Leave your shirt out to dry overnight. You can keep your shirt spread out where you were working on it, or you can hang it on a clothesline outside. Once the paint is dry, you can show off your new galaxy shirt to your friends and family! You can always add more paint after the shirt is dry. Wear your new shirt to show off your creation. Style your shirt with some blue jeans for a classic look, or go bold with a printed skirt or shorts. Paint your nails to match the galaxy on your shirt and have fun displaying your new DIY project. If your shirt gets dirty, you can wash it in the washing machine using cold water. To make sure your shirt doesn't fade, hang it up to dry instead of putting it in the dryer. | Pick a black cotton shirt so your galaxy shows up. Line the inside of your shirt with a sheet of cardboard. Spread your shirt out on a plastic bag or drop cloth. Mix 1 part bleach with 2 parts water in a spray bottle. Twist the middle of your shirt slightly to create a spiral galaxy. Mist the front of the shirt with bleach spray in a random pattern. Dry your shirt for about 30 minutes. Wash and dry your shirt to stop the bleaching process. Sponge on colored fabric paints to create a galactic effect. Blend the colors together with a sponge or paper towel. Dab white fabric paint onto the shirt with a toothbrush. Leave your shirt out to dry overnight. Wear your new shirt to show off your creation. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Have-Fun-Alone | How to Have Fun Alone | To have fun alone, try doing something artistic, like painting a picture or creating a comic strip based on your friends or family. You can also watch videos online to learn a new skill like playing an instrument or easy carpentry projects. Alternatively, go for a hike in a nature preserve or take a bike ride in your neighborhood. If you're stuck at home, binge on your favorite guilty-pleasure TV shows or have your own movie marathon, complete with snacks. | Enjoy the freedom. To use your alone time to its fullest, you need to begin by embracing it. Learn to love the benefits being alone brings and resolve yourself to have a positive attitude about it. Embrace being able to do, say, think, or act however you want. When you're by yourself, you don't have to worry about the thoughts or judgments of others. You can be utterly and unabashedly yourself and never think twice about what someone else might think or say. Love the independence that comes with having time to yourself. You don't have to take anyone else's tastes, preferences, or desires into account when making your decisions. If you want to watch terrible reality television, no one can whine about it or beg you to change the channel. If you want to go for an extra-long walk or jog, no one can complain about how long you were out or hijack your plans. Savor not having to look good for anyone. If you want to spend all day in your pajamas with messy hair and unbrushed teeth, do it! No one will be the wiser and no one can look at sideways at your unicorn slippers. Revel in the lack of awkwardness. Being around people usually means enduring at least some degree of awkwardness some of the time. Being alone, on the other hand, means never having to dodge awkward questions about your dating life or listen to someone tell you all about their cat's agoraphobia. Love yourself and all your quirks. Having time to yourself gives you the chance to step back from all the frantic activity of daily life and interactions. You have time to actually be with yourself--and appreciate your own company. To fully enjoy your time alone, decide to let yourself truly be who you are. Embrace your quirks--talk to yourself, talk to your chair, do a weird dance while you brush your teeth, slide rather than walk whenever possible, etc. And then take time to really appreciate what an awesome and unique person you are. Start defining yourself by your own unique qualities rather than by your relationships or other people's opinions. Being alone gives you the chance to really consider yourself for who you are, apart from other people. Appreciate small things. Another big part of enjoying your alone time is starting to notice and appreciate small things in your life. Being away from the distractions of others lets you pay attention to small details you might otherwise overlook or forget to notice. Take time to look around you. Notice as many small, fine details as you can. Be aware of the small things that bring you pleasure and then take a moment to really absorb and enjoy that pleasure. Be observant of yourself. Pay attention to small shifts in your mood, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. Try to pinpoint what led to that shift and how it affected you physically and emotionally. As you get more tuned in to yourself and what makes you tick, you'll start to gain insights into yourself you may have never realized before. Start a blog. It could be about your favorite movies, games, bands, books, computers, celebrities--anything that piques your interest. Do a search for “free blogging platforms,” choose a design that fits with the theme of your blog, and come up with a creative title. If your blog features content that's fun to gather and write, chances are it will be fun for others to read. Put a link to your first post on Facebook so your friends can leave comments. The great thing about starting a blog is that it can provide endless amounts of entertainment. Update it with new posts every time you find yourself with some time to spare. Experiment in the kitchen. There's no pressure to make something perfect, since you're only cooking for one. Make a recipe you've always wanted to try or cook up something simple and satisfying like an omelette or pasta alfredo. Try creating your own unique dish without using a recipe at all. Start with a base like pasta or rice and add in your favorite ingredients or things you've wanted to try, like kale, tomatillos, buffalo meat, or chia seeds. Try making a single chocolate chip cookie and savor the chance to make a cookie that's only for you. Make a painting or a drawing. Go to a craft store and buy a few supplies or just use pencil and paper that you have around the house. If you aren't artistically inclined, get a paint-by-number set. They're fun and satisfying to complete, and when you're done you'll have a new decoration for your room. Make a comic strip or a web comic. Use yourself, celebrities, family, or friends as inspiration for the characters. You can make your comic artistically detailed or use messy stick figures. Put them into funny and ridiculous situations, and then show them to your friends. Make a scrapbook. If you have boxes full of photographs, ticket stubs, restaurant menus, and other random knick-knacks, take some time to make a scrapbook. Buy a blank scrapbook from an art store or a drugstore. Lay out the items you want to save by date and category. Arrange the items artfully and then paste them into the scrapbook. Consider adding witty or sentimental captions. Write a book. The time may never come again when you will have such perfect loneliness--so make the most of it. The silence may help you concentrate. If writing a book seems like too much to take on, try something smaller but equally expressive: Write a journal entry or start a new journal. Write a letter to someone you haven't seen in a long time. Make a list of your goals for the next month or year. Take yourself out for a meal. There's no reason to be shy about going out to eat alone. In fact, it can be pretty nice to go wherever you want, order whatever you want, drink whatever you want, and have a whole table to yourself. If you feel like being a bit social, sit at the bar to eat. People sitting at the bar tend to be friendlier and more open--and to have better stories. Go to one of your favorite restaurants and order the meal you've been craving. Bring a book along if you'd like, or enjoy your meal while people-watching. Take a long bath or shower. If your house is usually full of people waiting to use the bathroom, take this time to spend as long as you want in the bathroom. Use all of your favorite bath and body products. Draw a bath and pour in some bubble bath or your favorite essential oil. Light candles, turn on music, and allow yourself to relax or have a leisurely shower. Get your nails done. Make an appointment at a salon or walk in for a spur-of-the-moment treat. If you don't want to spend money on a manicure, give yourself one at home. Don't just paint your nails, give yourself the works: file your nails, soak them, and use several coats of polish. If you still have time and supplies left over, give yourself a pedicure, too. Get some sleep. Having time all to yourself offers a great opportunity for sleep--take advantage! Indulge in an afternoon nap, or go to bed as early as you want. If you're alone in the morning, sleep in or wake up, make breakfast and go back to bed. Breakfast in bed! Catch up on responsibilities. The best thing about "me time" is that you're not going to have any interruptions. Catch up on school work, study for an upcoming test, clean your room, get your finances squared away, etc. Use this time to your advantage. Reorganizing a room can be a lot of fun. Once everything is clean, rearrange the furniture to give the room a new look. Put up new decorations to freshen things up. Create a new color-coded filing system to organize your papers, or make a calendar and fill it in with all your plans for the next few months. Learn a new skill. If you make time to practice a skill every time you're alone, you may end up getting quite good at it. Is there a guitar lying around the house or a piano that rarely gets played? Put it to use! Try your hand at logic games and puzzles. There are plenty to choose from online and a number of logic puzzle apps available for smartphones. Or you could get a little retro with a Rubik's Cube and work your way towards genius. Take a class. Learn a skill you've always wanted to develop or find a topic you're curious about and take a class on it. Many free and low-cost classes are available online as well as at many community centers. Free courses often don't require any homework or tests, so if the grading part of taking a class puts you off, take one where you don't have to worry about it. Call someone you haven't talked to in a while. Catch up on phone calls to your relatives and friends who live in other places. Email or text them if you don't want to make a phone call. Having time alone is a great opportunity to reconnect with people you've fallen out of touch with. Meditate or simply take some time to think. Having time to yourself away from other distractions allows you to slow down and turn inward--giving you a perfect chance to let yourself do some quiet reflecting. Think through decisions that have been weighing on you lately. What are the pros and cons of the options before you? Write them down if that helps you sort through your thoughts. Use your imagination. Go to a different place in your head and imagine a different world. Allow yourself to daydream. You may even come up with a great new idea for a story or a blog post. Meditate. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and pay attention to the sounds, smells, and sensations around you. Let your mind go blank and concentrate on your breathing. Go outside and enjoy nature. A solo walk or hike allows you to observe nature without any distractions, and you may be surprised by how enjoyable some alone time in nature can be. Visit a nearby park, lake, river, or nature preserve, especially if you've never been before. Take a picnic! Go for a bike ride. There's a surprising freedom in seeing the world from the seat of a bike. Find a quiet, scenic place or look up bike trails in your area and go explore. Exercise. You've got time to yourself, so use it to get in shape. It's an excellent way to pass the time while also improving your overall physical and mental well-being. Jog around the neighborhood or do a bit of running on the treadmill. Look online for exercise videos, like yoga or pilates, and follow along with the instructor. Turn on some music and dance in front of the mirror. Better yet, make up a dance, and teach it to your friends and family later. Take up a sport you've never played before. Research the equipment you'll need and find local clubs or teams you can join. Join a gym. Going to the gym will help keep you fit while also giving you a social outlet. Have an adventure. You're beholden to no one, so find a spot on the map where you've never been and go there! Drive to the beach and spend your day getting a tan or swimming. Drive to a town you've never seen or visit a park you've never been to. Take pictures so you can show people later. Go fishing and catch some fish to show people or try cooking and eating what you catch. Consume loads of your favorite media--especially the guilty pleasures. Have a movie night with all your favorite movies, read a stack of books and magazines back to back, or relax with your favorite TV-show marathon. Make a movie/TV/music night. Pick a theme and make your own marathon around that theme, like werewolves, 80s heartthrobs, Broadway musicals, or whatever entertains you. After you've indulged in all your favorites, start researching new bands, movies, and TV shows to try. Check out music blogs and podcasts, see what Spotify or Pandora recommends, or seek out the under-explored corners of Netflix. Get gaming. If you're not a gamer, give it a try. If you're already a gamer, broaden your horizons. Try playing a new video game or seeking a new video game store. Look for older or lesser-known titles in thrift stores or online. Set up a video game tournament if you have the supplies--many platforms allow for cooperative virtual gaming, so if your friends aren't around, you can play with new and different people from around the world. Try new types of non-video games, like role playing games, L.A.R.P.ing (Live Action Role Playing), etc. Revert back to your childhood self and bring out your favorite old board games. But what if you need multiple players? You can play for all of the players! Compete against yourself and take joy in knowing that you'll win no matter what. Reminisce. Get out your old photo albums, scrapbooks, and yearbooks and spend some time reminiscing about old times. You may even be inspired to look up old friends or family members with whom you've lost touch. If you are, go on an information hunt and see if you can track them down. Use the memories that come back to you as inspiration--write them down into short stories, autobiographical snippets, blog posts, comics, etc. Explore the wonders of the internet. Time to yourself opens up all kinds of avenues for exploration, including digital exploration. And there's a lot of digital world to explore. Go for a virtual information walk. Start by opening a web page--any page--and then start exploring where it takes you. Look for terms or ideas mentioned or linked on the page and follow them. Do the same for each new page you come to and see how far away from your starting point you can get. Then revel in all the obscure knowledge you're accumulating. Go tutorial crazy by visiting various tutorial and how-to sites--and then trying them out. If you're into experimenting with hair and makeup, find the craziest hair/makeup how-to you can and be your own experimental subject. If you like making things, look up tutorials on making or building things (birdhouses, crème brûlée, pillows, whatever) and give it your best shot. You may uncover some hidden talent. | Enjoy the freedom. Revel in the lack of awkwardness. Love yourself and all your quirks. Appreciate small things. Start a blog. Experiment in the kitchen. Make a painting or a drawing. Make a scrapbook. Write a book. Take yourself out for a meal. Take a long bath or shower. Get your nails done. Get some sleep. Catch up on responsibilities. Learn a new skill. Take a class. Call someone you haven't talked to in a while. Meditate or simply take some time to think. Go outside and enjoy nature. Exercise. Have an adventure. Consume loads of your favorite media--especially the guilty pleasures. Get gaming. Reminisce. Explore the wonders of the internet. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-Exterior-Wood-for-Painting | How to Prepare Exterior Wood for Painting | Preparing exterior wood for painting isn't difficult, but it does require some prep work to ensure that your new paint has a smooth, stable surface to adhere to. Clean the entire surface with soap and water or a pressure washer to remove any dirt and grime that's built up over time. Once the surface is clean, patch any holes or cracks with a wood filler. This is also a good time to scrape any old, flaking paint off and to sand down old paint lines. You can then sand the entire surface to give it a more textured surface that your paint will easily stick to. When the wood is clean and smooth, use a latex-based primer especially made for exteriors to prepare the surface for a new coat of paint. | Mask any doors, windows, or other openings with plastic. Before you begin scrubbing, scraping, and sanding, take a few minutes to make sure your work area is protected. Cut sheet plastic to fit over each opening and secure the edges using painters tape. Not only will this keep the areas you don't want to paint covered, it will also help protect more delicate fixtures from damage. It may be a good idea to lay some sheeting at the base of the structure as well to catch wood shavings or flecks of paint that come loose during the project. Clean the wood surface thoroughly. Use a long-handled scrubber brush and a mild detergent to gently scrub away accumulated dirt, grime, mold, and other residue. When you're satisfied with the wood's appearance, rinse the exterior from top to bottom with a garden hose. Give the surface a full day to dry before moving on. Whatever you're painting has to be clean of any grease, dirt, or debris before you can paint it. Remember to check for things like vine roots that might be growing along the surface, as well. Pressure washing may be a more efficient option for renewing larger surfaces, especially areas like fences that may have algae, moss, or mildew growth. Pressure washers are typically available to rent at hardware stores and home improvement centers. Avoid using stiff brushes or scrubbers like steel wool. It's possible for these tools to leave behind permanent scratches in softer woods. Patch large holes and gouges with wood filler. Apply the filler material using the tip of a putty knife or hand trowel, then go over it with the flat edge to smooth it. Smaller spots can be treated the same way, or you can purchase an exterior spackling compound, which won't require any additional mixing. For most basic applications, the wood filler will dry in a few hours. Two-part resin systems tend to stick to exterior wood better than ordinary fillers. Repairing damaged and uneven areas to ensure that the surface you're painting is uniform and structurally sound. Fill visible nail holes. While you've got your wood filler handy, spread a small glob into any recessed nail holes you come across, then carefully blend the material into the surrounding surface. Bringing the holes to level will keep them from being visible under the new paint. If there are any nails sticking out of the exterior, remove them (if they're not necessary) or drive them ⁄ 4 inch (0.64 cm) into the face of the wood to get them out of the way before filling the holes. Scrape off flaking paint. If you're going to be refinishing a surface that's been painted previously, it will first be necessary to take off any worn patches of paint that might interfere with the new coat. Run a hooked scraper along the places where the old paint is peeling to shave it away. Make sure you keep your strokes moving with the grain—otherwise, you run the risk of splintering the wood. Continue scraping until there are no protrusions on the face of the exterior. The sharper the scraper, the easier it will be to remove the failing paint. For best results, equip yourself with a scraper that has a hardened steel or carbide edge. Sand down the edges of bare spots. After scraping, you'll notice that the remaining paint forms a ridge around the exposed wood. You can do away with these imperfections easily using a handheld power sander. Start with a low-grit sandpaper of around 60-grit or so to grind down sharper edges. Then, switch to a high-grit paper (100-grit or higher) and smooth the paint down to the underlying wood. It's not necessary to sand the contours all the way down to the wood—just “feather” them lightly so that the edges gradually disappear. If ignored, old paint lines can create seams under the new topcoat, which can become prone to cracking as a result. Treat exposed wood knots separately with a preliminary primer. Certain types of wood, like pine and cedar, give off sappy resins that can bleed through thin and light-colored paints. These spots should be brushed with a special resin-blocking primer to prevent discoloration. Apply the primer over any sections of the wood where the grain looks particularly dark or wet. Even with a resin-blocking primer, it's advisable to use 2-3 coats to conceal potential bleeding when it comes time to paint the surface. Sand the entire surface. Sweep an orbit sander over the wood in wide circular strokes. The light scuffing action will produce a more textured surface that promotes proper paint adhesion. Be sure to hit corners, recesses, molding, and any other features you intend to paint, as well. Be sure to sand away any wood splints, as well. It's not necessary to remove the old paint. A thorough sanding should rough up the exterior enough to help fresh coats stick. Wipe the surface clean. Sweep the wood with a stiff-bristled brush or dry cloth to remove the dust generated by sanding. Blow sharply to force lingering dust out of narrow cracks and holes. The surface should be totally free of debris when you're finished. A shop vacuum with a brush attachment might help you collect more dust from broad areas. Drag your finger along the wood to make sure no traces of dust remain. Paint has a hard time adhering to surfaces that are coated with lots of fine particles. Choose a latex-based primer designed for exterior use. These products hold up better to the sort of heat, moisture, rubbing, and swelling that outdoor wood surfaces are often subjected to. They have the ability to flex a little, which makes them less likely to crack than paints that dry into a hard shell. As a result, your paint job will look better and last longer. You should be able to cover about 400 square feet (about 37 square meters) with a single gallon of primer. Make sure it's between 50–90 °F (10–32 °C) outside when you apply the primer. If it's too hot or too cold, it may not dry with the right consistency. Brush on a coat of primer. A roller will make it easier to spread the primer over broader areas. For smaller surfaces and tricky structures like railings, a handheld brush will offer the greatest amount of control. Apply the primer in an even layer thick enough to completely conceal the wood grain underneath. Use the tip of the brush to work the primer deeper into dips and divots in rich wood grain. Start at the top of the structure and work your way down. That way, any drips will be erased as you go back over them. Touch up missed spots. When you're done priming, inspect the surface for any spots, seams, or bare patches you may have overlooked. A few strokes with a handheld brush will make them disappear. Paint may peel or wear away faster in places without a primer foundation. Allow the primer to dry completely. Most primers will take from 2 to 6 hours to dry to the touch. After about 12 hours, the primer will have set enough to paint over with a followup coat, if desired. To minimize the chances of smudges and transfer, avoid handling the wet primer during this time. Leave the primer to dry overnight before applying your first coat of paint to ensure that it has time to absorb into the wood. Use caulk to fill any visible openings. Once the primer is dry, walk around the structure and look for any gaps or cracks that might cause an issue down the line. Seal each opening using a caulk gun loaded with silicone sealant. The caulk will harden within an hour, keeping the structure off-limits from rain, mold, bugs, and drafts. The caulk you use should be paintable, able to withstand both high and low temperatures, and suitable for the materials it's binding. Pay close attention to potential problem areas, like the spaces beneath board laps, around window frames, and in-between trim and siding. | Mask any doors, windows, or other openings with plastic. Clean the wood surface thoroughly. Patch large holes and gouges with wood filler. Fill visible nail holes. Scrape off flaking paint. Sand down the edges of bare spots. Treat exposed wood knots separately with a preliminary primer. Sand the entire surface. Wipe the surface clean. Choose a latex-based primer designed for exterior use. Brush on a coat of primer. Touch up missed spots. Allow the primer to dry completely. Use caulk to fill any visible openings. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Seek-Sponsorships | How to Seek Sponsorships | Start seeking sponsorships by identifying companies that are involved in the same industry as your event or project. Once you have a list of potential sponsors, draft an executive summary of your venture, outlining the overall goals and how the sponsor will benefit. Then, put together personalized packages for each sponsor on your list, including the summary, a packet describing the suggested levels of sponsorship, and a form for contacting you for more information. | Look for companies that sponsor other events or activities similar to yours. Use the research that other organizations have done before you to help give you an edge. If you are looking for a special event sponsorship for a walk or running event, look at other runs in your area and look at who the sponsors were. This could be a good place to start. If your event is athletic in nature, consider Nike, Adidas, Livestrong, and other sports-related organizations as possibilities. If you're holding a music event or concert, consider local radio stations, music publications, and other ventures that have similar interests. If you're holding a food event, consider Gourmet magazine, the Food Network, and other big food conglomerates. Aim high. Create a list of potential sponsors. A big list of potential sponsors is great, but you don't want to simply ask every person and company that you know to be a sponsor. Your list needs to be a list of actual potential sponsors, meaning people or companies that you think will actually consider your sponsorship request. Include companies that have been sponsors for you in the past, companies that have sponsored other ideas similar to yours and people or companies that you have a personal connection with that would be able to be a sponsor. Research every company or person on your list. Having background information on the potential sponsor will go a long way in helping you gain a sponsorship. Look for reasons why it would benefit the potential sponsor to sponsor you. Anticipate the needs of each potential sponsor. If you learn the demographics, business model, and the goals of your potential sponsors, you can start developing some sense of the way you might pitch the sponsorship. For this reason, more localized businesses are often a safer bet than larger corporations like Nike. While Nike's certainly got the coin to throw around, they're also probably getting several hundred sponsorship requests in a given week. The local radio station or sporting goods store? Probably much less. And if your customer base overlaps, that's potential earned income for them. Consider leveraging potential sponsors against one another. If one sporting goods store from the West side of town has already pledged at a certain level, mention that to the sporting goods store on the East side of town. They'll get the hint. Write an executive summary. A sponsorship packet must always start out with an executive summary, or mission statement about the event or venture you hope to have sponsored. This should be around 250-300 words that describes in detail what a sponsorship will fund, why you seek sponsorships, and how being a sponsor will benefit them. Your executive summary is your one chance to get the potential sponsor to continue reading, so don't write a cookie-cutter form letter. Write an individualized note to make the potential sponsor feel like you really took the time to learn about them and their company. This will also demonstrate to the potential sponsor that you will hold up your sponsorship promises throughout the partnership. Remember to thank the sponsor for considering your offer. Use a friendly and professional working tone in your letter, illustrating your level of seriousness and professionalism. List the different sponsorship levels. If you haven't already, outline your budget among the business or venture, and decide what it is you hope to acquire from sponsors. Create different "levels" of sponsorship that potential sponsors may commit to and explain what you are asking for at each level and why you need sponsors for each level. Explain what's in it for the sponsor. Entice the potential sponsors by using your knowledge of their business model, audience, and goals, explaining how their sponsorship will benefit them. You might include arguments about press coverage and other promotional opportunities. Provide a call to action. Your call to action can be a form they fill out and send to you or your contact information asking them to call you to set up the sponsorship. Make sure that the sponsor has a specific task to fulfill in order to move the process forward. Keep the ball in their court. The easier it is for them to complete the task you're requesting, the more likely it is that they'll say yes. Cut to the chase. You're writing to marketers, entrepreneurs, and business people, not academics. This isn't the time to pad out your writing with lofty diction and fluff in an effort to sound smart. Make your argument, outline the business advantages for the sponsors, and end it quickly. Short and sweet. Avoid the scattergun approach. It may be tempting to send out as many packets as possible to as many different places as possible, using a bland broadcast designed to reach as many different avenues as possible. Wrong. Be judicious in sending out packets, sending packets only to the companies you honestly think will work with your venture. Send the potential sponsors on your list your individualized sponsorship packets. Personalize every single email, packet, and correspondence you send out. Taking the lazy way out will only ensure that your project never gets the sponsorship it deserves. Follow up with a phone call. Wait a few days and then call the people you sent sponsorship packets to. Ask them if they have received your request. Find out if they have any questions. Make sure they know where to reach you when they make a decision. Customize your approach to each sponsor as they get on board. If you've got one company contributing $10,000 to your event, how will you treat them differently than the other company contributing a couple hundred bucks? The difference should be notable and substantial, from the perks you offer to the publicity to the way you talk with them on the phone. It's the time to wine and dine to make sure you keep them happy and on the hook. | Look for companies that sponsor other events or activities similar to yours. Create a list of potential sponsors. Research every company or person on your list. Anticipate the needs of each potential sponsor. Write an executive summary. List the different sponsorship levels. Provide a call to action. Cut to the chase. Avoid the scattergun approach. Send the potential sponsors on your list your individualized sponsorship packets. Follow up with a phone call. Customize your approach to each sponsor as they get on board. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Your-Name-from-the-Organ-Donation-Registry | How to Remove Your Name from the Organ Donation Registry | The simplest way to remove your name from the organ donation registry is to fill out the necessary forms found on the website of your state's Department of Motor Vehicles. In most states, all you need to do is give your name, address, and drivers license number and either submit the form online or through the mail. If you'd rather do it in person, go to your local DMV and request the proper forms to have your name removed. Whether you do it in person or online, request to get a replacement ID so your wishes are clear in the event of an emergency. | Conduct an online search. The simplest way to remove your name from the organ donor registry is to do so through your state's Department of Motor Vehicles. In many states, you can complete at least a portion of this process online. Do an internet search containing the words "remove my name from organ donor registry" along with the name of your state. In many states, you will be able to submit a form online that removes you from the registry. You'll need to know basic information about yourself, such as name, address, and driver's license or ID number. You'll simply fill the form out and submit it. In other states, you'll have to print out a form, fill it out, and mail or fax it to the DMV. Go to the DMV in person. If you prefer, visit your local DMV in person. Depending on what state you live in, you might have to fill out a special form to remove your name, while in other states, you'll just request an updated driver's license or ID card. Get a replacement ID. Regardless of whether you remove your name from the registry through an online form or have to send a form in, you need to get an updated ID so that your wishes are clear in the event of an emergency. Depending on your state's policy, you may have to pay for a replacement. Let your family know about your wishes. While your family can't override your wishes not to be an organ donor, you should let them know about your decision anyway. That way, in case you die without identification, there will be no confusion about what you want done with your organs. Go to the Donate Life website. Donate Life is a nonprofit organization that maintains organ donation registration information for many states across the country. As a matter of fact, many DMV websites will actually redirect you to a Donate Life site in order for an individual to modify or change registration information. If you have the option (and you probably will), go to your state's Donate Life site rather than the national site, http://www.registerme.org. The state sites are usually more accurate, up to date, and functional. Go to the registration section. There will be section on the webpage that will say "update my donor profile," or "edit registration." Click this link. After you follow the link, there will be a space for you to enter your name, date of birth, zip code, and driver's license number. Once you enter that information, it takes you to a page where you'll see all your donor information. There you can remove your name from the registry completely or prohibit certain organs from being donated. Get a new driver's license or ID. Although there's a low probability it would be an issue, in an emergency situation, you don't want to take any chances you'd be mistaken for an organ donor. So even if you've updated your information with the registry itself, you need to update your ID. Depending on your state's policy, you may have to pay for a replacement ID card. Let your family know about your wishes. Just to be clear, your family can't override your wishes not to be an organ donor. Nonetheless, you should let them know about your decision. That way, in case you die without identification, there will be no confusion about what you want done with your organs. Go to the US Living Will Registry's website. Although there are a number of ways to craft an advance directive or living will, using the services of the US Living Will Registry is by far the simplest. It is also cheaper than using the services of an attorney. Advance directive and living wills are legal documents that make a formal declaration about your wishes for end of life care (should you be unconscious), including life support and organ donation. The US Living Will Registry keeps a record of your advance directive or living will and puts it in a national database that health care providers across the country access. Find a form for your state. The Living Will Registry maintains a list of advance directive forms for all fifty US states. You can find them at http://uslwr.com/formslist.shtm. Pick the form for your state, fill it out according to your wishes, and have it notarized. Pay for a registry. Although the advance directive you filled out is perfectly valid all by itself, it will be a much more effective document if it is uploaded to the Living Will Registry's database, because health care providers across the country will access it in the event of your death or incapacity. The cost to purchase a spot in the registry is $59. It gives you a place in the registry for five years, meaning that it's just a little more than $10 per year. | Conduct an online search. Go to the DMV in person. Get a replacement ID. Let your family know about your wishes. Go to the Donate Life website. Go to the registration section. Get a new driver's license or ID. Let your family know about your wishes. Go to the US Living Will Registry's website. Find a form for your state. Pay for a registry. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Money-With-Affiliate-Programs | How to Make Money With Affiliate Programs | There are many ways to make money from affiliate programs, which vary widely but typically pay per commission, referral, or click. If you have a website or blog, search online for programs that could fit into your niche and sign up to receive affiliate links you can add to your site. Then, when someone clicks or buys something through your link, you'll earn money. However, if you don't have your own website, you can also make money from affiliate programs by writing articles for other sites, or maybe even by writing an e-book on a topic relevant to your affiliate. | Understand affiliate marketing. Companies create affiliate programs to help push their products. When you become a program member—which is usually free—you can make links to promote the products on your website or another site. When people buy the products through your links, you will get a piece of the profits. As a member of an affiliate network, you can choose to promote any of several thousand products. It is possible to make up to 50–75% of the profit on each sale that results from your promotion. Know what sets each program apart. Affiliate programs are everywhere online, and it can be hard to tell them apart. Each program distinguishes itself by the products it sells. Some affiliate programs only require you to post links; others will ask you to pay money to learn about how to sell the product you are selling. As the latter type of affiliate, you can make commissions by getting others to pay—by bringing other marketers into the fold. Be wary, however, of any program that asks you to pay. Understand the usual pay models. There are a few ways that you can make money from online affiliate marketing: Cost-per-click: you get paid a very low amount every time someone clicks from your content onto the advertiser's site. This is good for high-traffic content. Cost-per-lead: you get paid a low amount (but slightly more than cost-per-click) every time someone signs up or fills a form with the advertiser using a link from your content. Cost-per-acquisition: you get paid a fixed or percentage-based commission every time someone buys from the advertiser using a link from your content. Cost-per-acquisition marketing is good for focused, high-quality content. Choose an affiliate program. First, you must decide which affiliate program to join. Affiliate programs often have a theme, such as gardening or weight loss, and you should find a theme that interests you. Look for a network with a lot of product codes that are relevant to your topic. Consider networks like Commission Junction, LinkShare, ShareaSale, Clickbank, and Amazon. Remember, it isn't really about the network – it's about whether the network is relevant to the content of your website. Research a topic or niche. Choose a popular trend or market – something that a lot of people are searching for, and something that a lot of online readers will find interesting ( See Google Trends ). Use the Google Keyword Research Tool to break down your chosen niche into more specific niches. Weight loss is a popular topic, but it is too broad. People want to lose weight for many reasons: vacations, weddings, summer, the new year, birthdays, and other special events. Choose a specific niche, such as "weight loss for summer" or "weight loss for weddings." Consider the search volume for your chosen topic. Find out how many people are searching for that topic by running a web search for, say, "quick weight loss." The quotes will make your search specific, so that the only results will be sites that mention the exact phrase "quick weight loss." Your search engine should list the number of search results that turn up for your query. Try to find a topic that turns up fewer than 5,000 results. Create a website about the topic that you have chosen. The key to succeeding with affiliate programs is to build a content-rich website with useful information built around a specific theme. Don't just lazily throw up a quick site or blog and string a bunch of affiliate links all over your pages. You have to start by building credibility, and the best way to do that is to write about something you know a lot about. If you know a lot about the newest smartphones and tech products, try setting up a site that reviews and catalogs new products. It's also a good idea to own the products you promote so that you can appear more credible to your audience. Find affiliate codes and paste them into your site. Once your site is well-established and respected for its content, you can begin to link out to affiliate programs. Search the various affiliate networks and look for products that relate to the theme of your website. Grab the affiliate code from your account and paste it into your site. As people visit your site and click these links, you can begin earning money from the referrals in your articles. Mention products in your articles or blog posts, and use the affiliate code to link out to each product. Use your articles to subtly convince readers that these products or services are worthwhile. Do not sell too hard. Send out an email newsletter with product links. You can set up a pop-up that prompts visitors to your website to sign up for your newsletter. Avoid sending out spam. If you send out daily newsletters or aggressive messages, your emails may be flagged by spam filters, and your visitors may even unsubscribe. Avoid hard-selling. The key is to subtly recommend products and services that fit in with what you are writing about in your content. If you try to market your affiliate products too aggressively, you may mar the credibility of your site. Try not to come off as a salesperson. Present yourself as a knowledgeable, trustworthy third-party reviewer. Readers can be wary of online marketing tactics, and they may be more likely to click links if they don't think you're trying to sell them anything. Let the interested folks click, and don't force anyone to click on the ad. Promote affiliate programs through article marketing. Write articles on a given product and find free places online to post them, such as review sites and article directories. Be sure to check if you are allowed to include an affiliate code link to the product you're promoting. Some sites only allow you to link out to a non-commercial website. Use strategic keywords in your articles. Place links in the headline, the first few sentences, and throughout the body of the article to attract the search engines. Research long-tail keywords to target. If you are selling a weight-loss product, the phrase "weight loss" will pair you with tons of competition. Instead, break your topic down into more specific phrases like "lose weight in two weeks" or "lose weight for wedding." Locate online communities relevant to the affiliate you are promoting. This might include forums, discussion boards, chat rooms, and blogs. Post often on the forum, and build a good reputation among the community members. Once people trust your judgment, you can start to include affiliate links in your posts. Do not simply spam the forums with product codes. You should sprinkle the affiliate links within genuinely useful content. Review member policies on every community website. Verify whether you are allowed to post affiliate links to a site. Some online communities may prohibit affiliate links and consider the links advertising spam. Review your account settings on every website. If you belong to a forum or discussion group that requires you to register for an account, you may be able to take advantage of a signature box in which you can post affiliate links. You can choose to display the signature box each time you reply to or write a post on the website. Write an e-book on a topic that is related to your affiliates. For example, if you team up with an affiliate that sells fitness equipment, you may want to write an e-book about different workout techniques that involve the fitness equipment. Embed affiliate links into sections of your e-book. For example, if your e-book is about fitness, you can write about the importance of wearing appropriate running shoes during your workout, then embed affiliate links for a specific brand of running shoes that you recommend to your readers. Choose a topic you are knowledgeable about. You may earn more from your affiliates if readers gain value from the information you are providing. Include affiliate banners and pictures within your e-book. Banners and pictures that contain affiliate links may catch the eye and draw clicks. | Understand affiliate marketing. Know what sets each program apart. Understand the usual pay models. Choose an affiliate program. Research a topic or niche. Use the Google Keyword Research Tool to break down your chosen niche into more specific niches. Consider the search volume for your chosen topic. Create a website about the topic that you have chosen. Find affiliate codes and paste them into your site. Avoid hard-selling. Promote affiliate programs through article marketing. Locate online communities relevant to the affiliate you are promoting. Write an e-book on a topic that is related to your affiliates. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Cut-a-Grapefruit | How to Cut a Grapefruit | To cut a grapefruit, the cleanest, easiest method is to set the fruit on its side and cut it in half with a chef's knife. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the fruit inside. To cut grapefruit into whole slices for cocktails or recipes, first place the fruit on its side and cut the stem off with a knife. Then, cut the fruit widthwise into 1 inch (2.5 cm) slices. Move your knife back and forth for each cut and keep your lines as vertical as possible. To cut quarter pieces, cut each whole slice in half twice. Try to cut along the white membrane that holds the fruit together so you don't lose any juice. If you want to cut the skin off of a grapefruit, first cut the stem and bottom ends off. Then, cut into the skin from one of the cut ends at an angle so you don't puncture the membrane of the fruit. Cut through a portion of the skin and discard it. Work in small sections and cut carefully to avoid damaging the fruit as you cut around it. Rotate the grapefruit in your hand and continue carving until the skin is completely removed. | Cut off both ends of a grapefruit. Place the grapefruit on its side on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut about 1/4 inches (.6 cm) away from the round points at the end of each grapefruit. This will make the grapefruit easier to section. Turn the grapefruit so one of the cut ends faces you. The other end can rest on one of the ends you cut off for extra cushion. Make several 1/4 inch (.6 cm) slices into the outer edge of the grapefruit. Use a knife to make these slices all the way around the edges of the grapefruit. This will make it easier to peel the grapefruit. Turn the grapefruit about 1/8 of a turn each time you cut into another section. Keep doing this until you've made the cuts all the way around the grapefruit. Use the knife to peel the grapefruit. Now that you've made the slices, it'll be a bit easier to peel the grapefruit. Just run the knife along the skin of the grapefruit, peeling off every little cut section at a time until all of the skin is peeling off. If there's any remaining skin after you've gone around the entire grapefruit, slice the remaining white part off before you continue. Cut off each section with the knife. Now that you've peeled off the skin, you can use a knife to cut out each individual section until you've separated the grapefruit by sections. You can enjoy the grapefruit on its own or in a fruit salad or a variety of other salads. Turn the grapefruit on its side. The ends of the grapefruit with the small circles on them should be across from each other, on either side of the grapefruit. Place it on a cutting board. Cut the grapefruit in half. Use a sharp knife to cut the grapefruit in half, from top to bottom. Cut around the diameter of the grapefruit. Use a sharp knife, or even a grapefruit knife to cut throw the circular area between the grapefruit and the rind. While you cut the circular path, try to move the knife under the pieces, so you're slicing through the bottom of the grapefruit, too. This will help separate the grapefruit sections from its rind. Cut through each segment of the grapefruit. Each segment of the grapefruit will have a roughly triangular shape. Use a thin knife, a spoon, or better yet, a grapefruit spoon, to cut around the area between each slice and its thin skin. Once you've separated each segment, you can either use a spoon to move each segment into a bowl, or just eat the grapefruit right out of each of its halves with a spoon. Sprinkle some sugar on top for added sweetness. Turn the grapefruit on its side. The ends of the grapefruit with the small circles on them should be across from each other, on either side of the grapefruit. Make sure to place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the grapefruit from top to bottom. Imagine that the "poles" of the grapefruit are on either side, like a globe turned on its side. Now, slice the grapefruit on its equator, creating lines that are parallel to the small circular "poles" on each end of the fruit. Cut each slice so its about 1/4 inch (.6 cm) When you're done, you should have about a dozen circular slices, depending on the size of the grapefruit. Cut the slices (optional). If you'd like to cut the grapefruit further, you can cut each round slice into halves or fourths, like you were cutting off pieces of a pie. This method can be ideal for using the grapefruit in fruity drinks. You can also just cut one slice into the middle of the grapefruit and use it as a garnish on the side of a bowl of fruit salad or on a large pitcher of grapefruit juice. Or you can just rip the slice apart and eat it right from the slice without using a spoon or fork. | Cut off both ends of a grapefruit. Turn the grapefruit so one of the cut ends faces you. Make several 1/4 inch (.6 cm) slices into the outer edge of the grapefruit. Use the knife to peel the grapefruit. Cut off each section with the knife. Turn the grapefruit on its side. Cut the grapefruit in half. Cut around the diameter of the grapefruit. Cut through each segment of the grapefruit. Turn the grapefruit on its side. Use a sharp knife to slice the grapefruit from top to bottom. Cut the slices (optional). |
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Amethyst | How to Clean Amethyst | To clean amethyst, start by soaking your gem in soapy water for 15-20 minutes to loosen up any dirt. If your amethyst is too large to submerge, use a wet, warm washcloth and some dish detergent to wipe down the gemstone. Next, use a toothbrush to remove any grime stuck to the amethyst. Then, rinse it off in warm water, and allow it to air dry completely before using it or putting it away. | Place a kitchen towel on a flat surface. To start, set a flat towel down on a flat surface such as a counter. You should place your amethyst here to dry it and also to scrub it after soaking it in the water. Move heavier pieces of amethyst in a towel. Small pieces amethyst can be moved easily by hand. However, if you're washing large pieces of amethyst, wrap them in an old towel and use this as a dolly to transport amethyst from place to place. If your pieces of amethyst are very large, it may be easier to wash them outside with a hose. You may not be able to soak large pieces of amethyst. Prepare a sink or bowl with soapy water. Choose a sink or bowl big enough to submerge your amethyst. Fill it with water to begin the washing process. Opt for warm water over hot or cold water. Extreme temperatures can cause amethyst to crack. Use a mild dish detergent to clean your amethyst. Soak or wipe down your amethyst before scrubbing. Small pieces of amethyst can be submerged in soapy water for 15 to 20 minutes. This helps loosen up the dirt, making it easier to scrub off dirt and grime. If your geode is too big to submerge, soak a washcloth in warm water and add a small amount of dish detergent to it. Work up a lather and wipe down the sides of your amethyst with the cloth. If your cloth gets dirty while scrubbing, rinse it off and add more soap. You are only trying to loosen up the dirt at this point, so don't worry too much if you're not getting everything off the amethyst. Just make sure to get the amethyst as wet as possible before moving on to the scrubbing process. Brush off any remaining gunk and rinse your amethyst. Amethyst should be rubbed down with a toothbrush after soaking. Use the toothbrush to remove any grease or grime stuck to the amethyst. Work the toothbrush into any unusual cracks and crevices in the amethyst, making sure to scrub harder on dirtier areas. Rinse the amethyst in a bowl of clear water as you brush it off. This helps remove any dirt or grime you dislodged. For a piece of amethyst that's very dirty, this process can take as long as 30 minutes. Have patience and get in a comfortable position as you scrub your amethyst. Amethyst jewelery may not require as vigorous scrubbing, as it is likely not as prone to built up dirt. Something like a geode will require more time commitment, while a piece of jewelery may only need a quick wipe down. Rinse your amethyst. Once the amethyst has been soaked or scrubbed, rinse it off completely. Stick to using warm water for the rinsing process. Remember, hot or cold water can damage amethyst. Smaller pieces of amethyst can be soaked in clear water or under the sink. Make sure to rinse the amethyst until water runs clear. Left on soap can cause damage to your amethyst. Large pieces of amethyst may have to be rinsed with a hose. Make sure to use warm water and do not turn the hose on a high pressure setting. Spray down the amethyst until the water from the hose runs clear. Allow amethyst to air dry. You should never attempt to dry an amethyst manually, especially not with heat. After washing your amethyst, set it aside. Allow it to air dry completely before using it again. Clean jewelry once a week. If you wear amethyst as jewelry, it will require more frequent cleaning. This helps protect you from exposure to germs. Amethyst worn as jewelry can be cleaned once a week. Avoid using too much heat. Amethyst is very sensitive to heat and extreme temperatures in general. Hot water should never be used on amethyst. You should also never dry amethyst with heat treatments, like a hair dryer. Be patient and allow amethyst to dry on its own. Opt for natural light when drying your amethyst. Amethyst dries best in natural light. If possible, place amethyst in natural light to dry. You can dry it on your porch or near the window. Store amethyst in an area with a consistent temperature. Amethyst is sensitive to changes in temperature. After washing amethyst, find an area with a consistent temperature to store it. | Place a kitchen towel on a flat surface. Move heavier pieces of amethyst in a towel. Prepare a sink or bowl with soapy water. Soak or wipe down your amethyst before scrubbing. Brush off any remaining gunk and rinse your amethyst. Rinse your amethyst. Allow amethyst to air dry. Clean jewelry once a week. Avoid using too much heat. Opt for natural light when drying your amethyst. Store amethyst in an area with a consistent temperature. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Eliminate-a-Flea-Infestation-in-Your-Home | How to Eliminate a Flea Infestation in Your Home | To get rid of a flea infestation, bathe your pets with a mild shampoo before combing them with a flea comb. Follow up the bath by giving your pets flea medication, such as Capstar or Nexgard, and washing their bedding. Next, treat yourself by spraying your socks, ankles, and the bottoms of your pants with a mosquito spray containing DEET so fleas can't feed on you. Finally, vacuum carpeted areas and mop smooth floors before applying a flea control spray in every room to kill flea eggs. | Start with a good bath. Bathe your dog or cat using a gentle shampoo or a citrus-based dishwashing liquid. You can also use a commercial flea dip. Fleas don't grasp onto your pet's hair shaft, so they will fall into the water and drown. Bathing is unfortunately not enough to stop a flea infestation. Other fleas in the environment may jump back onto your pet once they are dry. It is important to follow the bath with medication as well. After the bath, comb your pet with a flea comb. You'll also want to use a flea comb every time your pet is treated for fleas. Ask your groomer to clip your pet's hair or shave it shorter prior to other treatments. That way, the insecticide can reach your pet's skin where the fleas live and can make the flea comb more effective. Talk to your vet about sprays and spot on that you can apply to your pet's skin. Treat all your pets using either oral or topical medications. Different medications will come in different forms (oral medication your pet must swallow or topical treatments you apply to their fur) and they will do different things. For instance, Program doesn't kill fleas but prevents them from breeding, and is therefore best for a mild infestation. Oral products such as Capstar and Nexgard kill fleas, but Capstar only works for 24 hours, whereas Nexgard is effective for 30 days. Ask your vet which treatment is best for your pet. Be sure to use the correct dosage made specifically for your pet, as your pet can have a serious reaction to an overdose. Never use dog flea prevention on a cat, as a cat's nervous system can only handle feline flea preventative. Give the flea preventative on the same day that you treat your house and yard for fleas for maximum effectiveness. Wash your pet's bedding as well as any cloth items that have been on the floor. Washing will significantly reduce the number of flea eggs and larvae on the bedding and cloth items and will make your insecticide more effective. The wash cycle will not kill the fleas, but it may eject some of the eggs through the drain. The dry cycle, on normal for over 30 minutes, will kill the eggs and any fleas remaining on the cloth. Do this all at the same time, removing everything at once and wrapping it in tied-up sheets. Keep the clean items wrapped in clean sheets or garbage bags until 12 hours after you've treated your house and your animals to prevent fleas from crawling onto the clean items. Allow your pets to roam freely around your house after treatment. Fleas will smell your pet and will jump onto their fur, and they will be eliminated soon after they bite your pet's skin. Consider keeping your pet indoors as much as possible for the first 30 days. This may help you bring an infestation under control. If your animal must go outside, keep it away from long grasses, fallen leaves, gravel areas or sandy patches. If you have a dog and you need to walk the dog, try to stick to pavement for this first month. While your dog or cat is toxic to fleas jumping on them, you are trying to eliminate a nasty infestation, and you don't want to introduce new fleas to your pet when you are trying to kill off the old ones. If possible, keep pets inside during the winter months, especially cats. Quarantining your animals can save you money because after your infestation is eliminated, you don't need to re-treat them unless you notice more fleas. Continue treating your pets with flea preventative every 30 days. If your pet stays inside, then you can probably stop the flea preventative treatments after four months. However, if your pets are going outside, you need to continue the treatments. Use mosquito spray containing DEET. Apply the spray to your socks, ankles and the cuffs of your pants every single day to prevent flea bites. If you've treated your pet, the fleas will be killed on contact with its blood. However, you haven't been treated with flea preventative, so your blood will still make a tasty snack. Fleas only need a single blood meal to lay more eggs, so you want to deny them their food. After 30 days, you can probably stop worrying about applying the DEET mosquito repellent to your ankles. If you no longer see fleas jumping around, then you are definitely safe. However, if you still see visible fleas or have bites on your ankles, then continue spraying with mosquito spray. Clean your floors thoroughly. This cleaning should include carpeted surfaces as well as smooth surfaces. Vacuum all carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Place one entire complete flea collar (chopped up) in the vacuum bag. Vacuuming not only sucks up fleas, eggs and larvae, but the vibrations from the vacuum cleaner also cause fleas to hatch from their cocoons. Since insecticides can't kill fleas in the pupa stage, getting as many of them to emerge as possible gives you a great chance of killing more fleas. Throw the vacuum bag away in an exterior garbage container after you're done. Follow this up with turning the vacuum over and spraying the roller head with a spray lysing agent Mop smooth floors. Use a cleaning agent like Pine-Sol or undiluted apple cider vinegar to cause the fleas to emerge from holes and cracks so that they are more exposed when you spray or fog your house. Carefully use a flea control spray or fogger. Read the instructions and make sure you have enough to completely bomb your entire square footage of every room. You need to make sure that the product kills flea eggs, so look for one of these active ingredients: methoprene, fenoxycarb or pyriproxyfen. Spray your carpets, rugs, furniture, baseboards, along walls and on your pet's bedding. Make sure to follow the directions on the can. Don't miss door edges, corners, floors with cracks and underneath furniture and furniture cushions. Flea larvae love to hide in dark places even if your pet is too large to crawl under your furniture. If you use a fogger, you still need to spray the areas that the fogger can't reach. Follow the instructions very carefully, making sure you and your pets leave the house while the fogger is working. Consider treating your house one room at a time and stay out of that room for at least several hours. Treat your yard if your pet spends more than five percent of its time outdoors. Remove debris like fallen leaves, grass clippings or other organic items before treating your yard. Also, mow your lawn before you spray. Make sure to spray all shaded or partially shaded areas. These can include inside dog houses, beneath trees, shrubbery, and bushes or beneath your deck or porch. Spray your house again two weeks after the first treatment. Many of the fleas in your house may still be in cocoons, or in the pupal stage, where insecticides can't reach them. Spraying a second time ensures that you'll catch the fleas that were in cocoons during your first spray. You may also consider asking your vet about environmental products that have a persistent action for six to 12 months. When the cocoon hatches, the larvae come into contact with the chemical and die, and you will only have to repeat the application every six to 12 months as necessary. Keep your home as cold as possible when you are not around. Fleas don't survive well in cold environments. Keeping your house as cold as possible while you are not there will force the fleas to migrate to your pets, where they will die. Purchase an electronic programmable thermostat that can turn your heat down or off while you are at work or asleep. Leave windows wide open while you are out of the house whenever possible. Place covers on your furniture after you treat your house. Doing this will keep fleas from hiding inside your cushions, under pillows or under throw blankets. Rub your pets' fur with citrus. Squeeze the juice out of an orange or a lemon and rub the rind over your pets' fur. Your pet will smell great, and your pet won't be harmed if it licks the citrus juices from its fur. Note that concentrated citrus oil is toxic to pets if licked, so only use the juice — never essential oils. Use natural predators in your yard. You can purchase "beneficial nematodes" from a pet shop, a gardener's supply store or a store that focuses on organic lawn care. Beneficial nematodes consume flea larvae, which prevents the next generation of fleas from invading your home. Don't worry — these aren't the nematodes that can cause your pet to have heartworms. Use apple cider vinegar. Add one teaspoon of vinegar for every four cups of water in the dog's water bowl. As your dog drinks the water, the vinegar gets into their system and make their blood taste bad to the fleas. It will take two to three bowls of water before you start to notice a difference, but it works great once the vinegar gets into the dog's system. There is no scientific evidence to back this method, though some people report having luck. | Start with a good bath. Treat all your pets using either oral or topical medications. Wash your pet's bedding as well as any cloth items that have been on the floor. Allow your pets to roam freely around your house after treatment. Consider keeping your pet indoors as much as possible for the first 30 days. Continue treating your pets with flea preventative every 30 days. Use mosquito spray containing DEET. Clean your floors thoroughly. Carefully use a flea control spray or fogger. Treat your yard if your pet spends more than five percent of its time outdoors. Spray your house again two weeks after the first treatment. Keep your home as cold as possible when you are not around. Place covers on your furniture after you treat your house. Rub your pets' fur with citrus. Use natural predators in your yard. Use apple cider vinegar. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Poverty | How to Overcome Poverty | To overcome poverty, one of your first priorities should be to pay off any outstanding debts so you can stop paying interest every month. Additionally, while payday loans can be tempting during unforeseeable events, avoid them as they'll only make your financial situation worse. Instead, though it may be difficult and take some creative budgeting, create an emergency fund that you can turn to when needed. You'll also want to avoid rent-to-own stores since you'll pay way more in interest in the end. Instead, wait until you have the money to make purchases, or buy used, when possible. | Educate yourself. Research shows that you stand to make more money if you have a higher level of education. If you want to get out of poverty and stay out, one of the best things you can do is get the right education and training. Some careers only require a two-year degree, and offer $50,000-60,000 a year. Go to your local community college and see what programs they offer. They should be able to help you find careers in high demand. Talk to the financial aid office about programs to help you pay tuition. Depending on your circumstances, you may not need to take out student loans. Examine your housing options. Finding affordable housing can be difficult if you're living on or below minimum wage. If you're renting, try to find a roommate. Sharing the cost of housing can make things much more affordable. If you have a house, see if you can find a way to lease one of the rooms. Make sure to do a background check on any potential roommates. Be especially thorough if you have children. Consider moving to a state with a lower cost of living. If it is particularly difficult to find inexpensive housing, you may need to move. Do some research and compare the cost of living in different cities. If you do decide to move, make sure you have a job lined up before setting out. Look for better work. Chances are, if you're living in poverty, you already work multiple jobs. Working two or more jobs is not a permanent solution to overcoming poverty, and may cause more stress than it relieves. If you don't have access to the internet at your house, use the public library. Make searching for a better full-time job part of your daily routine. If you have a few hours in the morning before you go to work, use that time to search for jobs. Don't apply to every job you come across. Be selective in your job search and find something that will improve your situation. Build a LinkedIn account to help you with your job search. Build your profile to attract potential employers. Include a professional photograph and a catchy headline. Fill out as much of the profile as you can. Treat it like an overflow for your resume. If you have a lot of volunteer experience but can't fit it on your resume, include it in your profile. Try to negotiate a raise. Depending on how long you've been in your current job, you may be able to persuade your manager to give you a raise. However, make sure you have a reason to ask for a raise before scheduling a meeting with your boss. Do a little research and see what other people in your field are getting paid. Don't ask your coworkers how much they make, but check online and see what the average pay rate is for your job. Don't demand more money from your boss because you think you deserve it. Stay calm and try to work with your boss to reach a decision that is beneficial for both of you. Look for ways to help your boss. You may have to take on more responsibilities for higher pay. Pay off any outstanding loans. If you have any debt at all, pay it off as soon as you can. You cannot afford to be in debt if you're making minimum wage or less. Getting debt-free should be your top priority. Look into banking alternatives. Some banks charge fees if you don't have a minimum amount in your account. This can make it difficult to save money. However, there are banking alternatives that may help you get on your feet. Services such as American Express Bluebird are almost completely free. While Bluebird does not help you build credit, it does prevent you from paying any fees for not carrying a minimum balance. Start a budget. Without a budget it can be hard to keep track of your expenses. You're more likely to overspend, and less likely to set aside money for savings. Examine your income, your bills, and how you spend any extra money you may have. Make goals and keep track of your spending. The sooner you learn how to budget, the quicker you can reach financial independence. Make a list of your needs and your wants. Needs are things like food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Wants are things like pets, entertainment, computers, and TV. Some things may be harder to give up than others, but it's important to determine what you can and can't live without. Don't rely on payday loans for emergency funds. Payday loans can be tempting, but they are never a good idea. Relying on payday loans will only make your financial situation worse. It may be difficult, and will likely take some financial creativity, but try to start an emergency fund. A good goal for a starting emergency fund is $500. That may seem like a lot of money, but start small. Try to set aside around $10 per paycheck. The best thing you can do to avoid turning to payday lenders is to stick to your budget. If you stick to your budget and you still come up short, don't immediately turn to lenders for help. Try to work out payment arrangements if possible. See if you can delay payment until your next paycheck arrives. However, be cautious when working out late payments. Ask about any fees for extended payments, and don't get behind. Continual late payments can hurt your credit score. Avoid shopping at rent-to-own stores. Rent-to-own stores are appealing on the surface. You see something you want to buy, but can't afford, and they give you a way to afford it. But, if you shop at these stores you will end up paying far more in interest than the item is worth. Rather than shop at a rent-to-own store, wait until you have the money for the item in question. If you find a TV for $400 and decide to lease it from a rent-to-own store, you could end up paying over $1000 in interest. Shop for used goods. There is no reason to buy everything new. If you have a little extra money, it can be tempting to splurge and treat yourself to something nice. However, if you do this too often, you run the risk of creating bad spending habits. If you can find it used, take that route and save yourself some money. Clothes, tools, books, and even fitness equipment are all easy to find used. Buying your large appliances and cars used can also help you save some money. Find ways to pay for health insurance. Health insurance is not always affordable, but there are ways to get coverage if you are living in poverty. Maintaining your health is important, especially if you are living in poverty. People living in poverty are more susceptible to health problems, and medical bills can be devastating. If you have health insurance through the federal or state government, you may be eligible for a subsidy. The requirements for eligibility are usually based on household income and family size. Healthcare.gov can help you determine if you qualify for a healthcare subsidy. If you have outstanding medical bills, try to negotiate with the hospital. Review your bills and look for any charges that don't belong. Sometimes errors will slip through the cracks and you may find yourself overcharged. If you can't pay any of your medical bills, and you've talked with your doctor, try looking online for support. There are plenty of crowdfunding resources available for people living in poverty. Save your change. Starting a change jar isn't going to make you rich overnight, but it will help you save small amounts that you can add to your savings account. Put your loose coins into a jar at the end of each day. When you fill the jar, roll your coins and put them into a savings account. Learn to barter. You can barter for goods or services. If you have a particular skill set that you feel comfortable advertising, try using it to barter for things you need. To start bartering, decide what good or service you need. Then, think about what goods and services you can offer. You may be able to trade an hour of housekeeping, or a small household repair, for example. Find a partner you're willing to trade with, and negotiate the terms of the agreement. Don't feel pressured into taking goods or services that you do not need. You can always walk away from a barter if you don't like the terms of the agreement. Save as much as you can. You may not have a lot of extra money if you're making minimum wage. Even with a second job, most of your money is probably going towards paying bills, or paying down your debt. Still, if you have any extra money at all, put it aside. Find small ways to save money by cutting back on your utilities expenses. Turn off the lights when you aren't in a room. Seal any leaks you can find in your doors and windows. Rather than turn the heat up when it gets cold at night, throw on an extra blanket. These tricks may only save a little at a time, but it could add up. Any extra money you get, whether it's through a tax refund or a gift, is money you should save. It will be tempting to spend it on something new, but until you're in a better financial position, avoid the temptation. Avoid the temptation to spend by thinking through the purchase. Is it something you can live without? Do you only want it because it's on sale? Depending on how you answer these questions, you may be considering an impulse buy. Don't give in to impulse purchases. Consider waiting 24 hours before making the purchase. If you wake up the next day and your first thought is about buying the item in question, wait a little longer. See how long you can go without the item. Ask for help with child care. If you have kids, talk to your local community center about their drop-in programs. Some Community Centers offer low-cost or free programs for kids. You may even be able to find free activities for your kids to attend, as well as support groups for people struggling to make ends meet. If you can't find any programs, ask a family member or close friend if they are willing to help you with your kids. Get help from a Financial Opportunity Center. If you're struggling with changing your financial behavior, seek help from a Financial Opportunity Center (FOC).x An FOC will help you increase your income and decrease your expenses. FOCs work with low-income individuals to help them overcome poverty and secure financial independence. Surround yourself with positive people. Don't let poverty isolate you from your community. It's important to be a part of a supportive community when things get tough. Being a part of a community will encourage you to stay on track and meet your goals. Find ways to engage with your community in a meaningful way, such as through support groups, social events, and learning circles. Get credit counseling. If you're struggling with getting out of debt, it may be helpful to get some financial advice. While getting help from a credit counseling organization may not be free, they may be able to help you get on your feet. When searching for help, avoid scams. If you find an organization that you want to do business with, make sure they are legitimate. Pay attention to any contracts or paperwork involved. Check with your state Attorney General to verify the legitimacy of any credit counseling organization. You can also check with local consumer protection agencies. If consumers have filed complaints with the organizations, look into them. Just because you can't find complaints, doesn't mean the organization is legitimate. Conduct an interview with any potential candidates. Ask what services they offer, what their fees are, and what qualifications they have. Make sure that the organization provides resources for you to get out of debt, such as debt management classes and budget counseling. Try the "shift-and-persist" approach. It's no secret that living in poverty is stressful. Studies have shown that people living in poverty deal with higher levels of stress, but have fewer resources to fight it. One method, known as the "shift and persist" method, may help you deal with stress. The shift-and-persist method of dealing with stress is a way to examine your stressors and find ways to cope with them. Rather than trying to get rid of the stressor, accept your situation and adjust your outlook. The key to making shift-and-persist work is to keep working towards future goals. Don't become resigned to the situation you are in, and don't give up. Practice self-affirmation. Recognize that you have value and don't let poverty get in the way of your feeling of self-worth. Think of times in the past when you were successful. Remind yourself daily that you have what it takes to solve your problems. Follow a healthy diet. Living in poverty is often associated with a poor diet and unhealthy habits. Processed foods are inexpensive, but contribute to poor health. Find foods you can use in multiple meals. By buying a select few staple ingredients, you can ensure that you're always able to make a meal. Keep things like flour, spices, garlic, and lemons on hand. If you can, buy items in bulk to save money. You may not always be able to afford to stock up on certain pantry items, but when you can, it's worth it. Try setting aside a little money each month for more expensive pantry items. Find time to exercise. Along with a proper diet, exercise is one of the best ways to defend your body from stress. You may not have the resources to join a gym, but you can still find ways to stay active at home. Go for walks. If you have a pet or kids, this is a great activity. Walking is a good way to increase your heart rate, not to mention get out of the house. If you're stressed about something, take a walk to clear your head. You can also use this opportunity to catch up with your family members. Try to spend at least 30 minutes a day doing some kind of physical activity. Jog in place while you watch TV. Do push-ups or sit-ups during commercials. You don't have to spend a solid 30 minutes exercising. You can split it up into two 15 minute segments if you need to. Set personal goals. Think about what you want to accomplish in life, both short-term and long-term. Write your goals down, and remind yourself daily why you're pursuing them. It can be easy to lose sight of long-term goals, especially if you know it could be years until you reach them. To avoid neglecting your long-term goals, set aside time to work on them. Don't let your short-term goals get in the way of your long-term goals. Develop good habits to help you reach your goals. Wake up early, read books related to your goals, and pursue activities that will benefit you. You may have to replace some bad habits that occupy your time, such as watching too much TV. | Educate yourself. Examine your housing options. Look for better work. Try to negotiate a raise. Pay off any outstanding loans. Look into banking alternatives. Start a budget. Don't rely on payday loans for emergency funds. Avoid shopping at rent-to-own stores. Shop for used goods. Find ways to pay for health insurance. Save your change. Learn to barter. Save as much as you can. Ask for help with child care. Get help from a Financial Opportunity Center. Surround yourself with positive people. Get credit counseling. Try the "shift-and-persist" approach. Follow a healthy diet. Find time to exercise. Set personal goals. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Hearts | How to Play Hearts | Hearts is a card game that's traditionally played with 4 people. The goal of the game is to have the lowest score out of all 4 players when the game ends. Hearts is played over several rounds until one player scores 100 points or higher. To start the game, first choose one player to be the dealer. Then, have the dealer deal out 13 cards to each player. Each player should organize their cards by suit, then choose 3 cards to pass to another player. On the first deal, pass the cards to the right. On the second deal, pass them to the left, and on the third deal, pass them straight across. Players don't pass any cards on the fourth deal. Whoever has the 2 of clubs goes first, and they play a card in a suit of their choice face-up. The player to their left must follow with a card in the same suit if they have one. Otherwise, they can play any card in their hand. Once everyone's had a turn, the person who played the highest card in the suit that led wins the trick and collects all 4 cards. That player leads next. Keep in mind that a player can't lead with a heart card until hearts have been broken. For hearts to be broken, a player must follow with a heart card because they don't have a card in the suit that led. As you're playing, try to pass off any hearts in your hand, as well as the Queen of Spades, to the other players since you don't want to win those cards. Once all of the cards have been played, each player adds up the points in the cards they collected that round. Heart cards count as 1 point, and the Queen of Spades counts as 13 points. If a player manages to take all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in one hand, called "shooting the moon," they score 0 points and add 26 points to everyone else's score. Keep playing rounds until one player scores 100 points or higher. At that point, whoever has the lowest score wins! | Grab a standard deck, a few friends, and some scratch paper. Hearts is a versatile game - it can be played by 3-7 players, though 4 is the standard number. Hearts uses a normal 52 card deck (minus Jokers). Other than your cards, all you'll need is some scratch paper (or something else to write on) and a pen to record your score. Players are all dealt the same number of cards - usually by having one player deal in a circle until no cards remain. The first dealer is either pre-determined or selected via some other method -- for example, having players draw cards at random, the lowest being the first to deal. The deal proceeds to the original dealer's left at the start of each hand. Note that, if you're playing with a number of people other than 4, you may have leftover cards at the end of dealing. These are called "hole" cards. Once you're sure everyone has the same number of cards, remove the leftovers from the game without looking at them and shuffle them back into the deck before the next hand. Pick up your cards, and pass three cards as follows: First round - left Second round - right Third round - across Fourth round - you keep your cards Fifth round - left Sixth round - right Seventh round - across Pick up the cards the opponent passed. Do not pick up the cards until everyone has passed the cards. See if you have a two of clubs (2♣), as this will start the game. Play the two of clubs to start the game, and play continues clockwise. Hearts ( ♥ ) are worth one point, the queen of spades (Q♠) is worth thirteen points, and points are bad, like golf. Play "tricks" by attempting to "follow the suit" of the card that led. In Hearts, play proceeds in a circle, each player playing one card from his or her hand at a time, face up. The cards from one such "cycle" are called a "trick". In Hearts terminology, whoever plays the first card of a trick is said to "lead" the trick. This person can play whatever card s/he wants (with exceptions - see point below). The players following this leader must play cards of the same suit as the leading card if they have them - if not, they may play cards of another suit. The one exception to the lead card being able to be anything is that the lead card cannot be a Heart until Hearts have been "broken". Hearts are broken when a player is unable to follow the suit of a lead card and plays a Heart instead. Avoid taking tricks by trying not to play the highest-ranking card during the trick. After all players have played a card, the highest-ranking card that matches the suit of the card that led the trick "wins" and the person who played that card takes all the cards in the trick and keeps them face down in a pile in front of him or herself until the end of the hand. Whoever wins the trick leads the next trick - play proceeds in this way until all players have no more cards in their hands. As we'll see below, usually, you don't want to win tricks. In each suit, the cards are ranked from the Ace (the highest value) on down, with 2 being the lowest value. For example, the Ace of Clubs is the most powerful Club, followed by the King of Clubs, the Queen, and so on. So, for example, if the person who led the trick played a Queen of Diamonds and we have an Ace of Diamonds and a Five of Diamonds in our hand, we have to play one of these Diamonds. The Ace will win the hand for us because it's the highest card of the same suit as the lead card, while the Five won't beat the Queen. In most cases, since we usually don't want to win hands, we'll probably play the Five. Avoid Hearts and the Queen of Spades. In Hearts, like in golf, all players want to gain the lowest amount of points possible - whoever has the fewest points at the end wins. The cards that are worth points are the Hearts [worth 1 point each, regardless of value] and the Queen of Spades [worth 13 points by itself]. These are the only point cards. All other cards are worth no points, so you may collect these without fear. Since it's difficult to tell whether another player will play a Heart or the Queen of Spades after you, usually, you want to avoid taking tricks altogether, even if no point cards have been played yet. There is one important exception to the goal of avoiding points. If, in a given hand, a player manages to collect ALL the points from that hand (this is called "Shooting the Moon" or "Running"), s/he receives a score of 0 and all other players receive 26 points. So, if a player is losing badly and has collected every point card in the hand so far, he or she may risk an even-worse score by trying to collect every Heart and the Queen of Spades. If he or she can do it, he or she will have scored a major victory, but if one of his/her opponents gets just one of the point cards, he or she will be left with a bad score for the hand. Calculate your score at the end of each hand. When all players have played their last card, the hand is over. Players look through the cards from the tricks they took during the hand and calculate a score for the hand based on the number of point-scoring cards they took. As noted above, each Heart is worth 1 point and the Queen of Spades is worth 13 points. The players add their score from the most recent hand to their cumulative score from previous hands and, finally, the person to the left of the last dealer deals a new hand. Play continues in this fashion until one player reaches some agreed-upon number of points (often 100 points). When one (or more) players reach this point limit, the game stops and whichever player has the fewest points wins. Be aware of common rule variations. The rules outlined above constitute the most "basic" version of Hearts. Though these rules are accurate and perfectly acceptable for play, in reality, many variations on these standard rules exist. You may or may not want to incorporate these into your game. Listed below are some of the most common rule variations. After being dealt cards, each player passes three cards of his choosing to another player. Usually, in a 4-person game, players pass to the player to the left at the start of the first hand, then to the right on the second hand, then across on the third, then refrain from passing on the fourth, then repeat this cycle. The player who is dealt the Two of Clubs (or is passed it) starts each hand, rather than the player to the left of the dealer. This player must lead with the Two of Clubs as her first play of the game. The "hole" cards leftover after dealing the deck out to a number of players other than 4 are given (face down) to whoever takes the first heart. On the first trick of each hand, no point card may be played. In some variations, if a player shoots the moon, he has the option to subtract 26 points from his score rather than adding 26 points to the other players'. This is a good idea if adding 26 points to everyone else's scores would put one or more players over the score limit, ending the game and causing the shooter to lose. Start the game by passing your highest cards. After the cards have been dealt, each player looks at their cards and then chooses three cards to pass to an opponent. When everyone has selected their three cards, everyone passes at the same time. Usually, since you want to avoid taking tricks, it's a smart idea to pass your highest-ranking cards to another player. This minimizes your trick-winning potential. Another passing strategy is to "short-suit" yourself (see below). Passing direction changes every hand. On the first hand, pass to the player left of you. On the second hand, pass to the right. On the third hand, pass to the player across from you. On the fourth hand, no cards are passed. At the fifth hand, the cycle starts again. There may be different house rules on passing depending on where you play. Begin playing, following suit when you can. The player with the Two of Clubs must lead with this card as the first play of the game. Each player after the lead must follow suit if he can. If a player cannot follow suit (on any trick), they may play a card in any other suit. A player wins a trick when he or she plays the highest card of the suit that is led. The winner of the trick leads the next. On the first trick of each hand, no points (Hearts or the Queen of Spades) may be played, even by a player who can't follow suit. Such a player must play a card of a non-scoring suit. If you lead a trick, try to play a card that is likely to be beaten. It's "tricky" to have to lead a trick. Unless you're starting a hand off by leading with the Two of Clubs, most of your cards are valid possibilities, so it can be difficult to decide how to proceed. When in doubt, go low - play a low-ranking card from a suit that hasn't been played heavily in the current round. Odds are that most, if not all of the players will have cards of this suit in their hands. If you play a low-ranking card, most of the time, someone will be forced to play a card of the same suit that's higher, ensuring that you don't take the trick. There are exceptions to this generality - for instance, if you're trying to shoot the moon, you may want to play high cards, or if you've been keeping track of the cards being played and think it's likely that everyone has at least one card of a certain suit, you may want to lead high. You also may be forced to lead high as you run out of cards. As noted above, you can't lead with a Heart until Hearts are broken when a player lacks a card in the suit that has been led, so he or she throws down a heart instead. As also noted above, most common Hearts variations don't allow Hearts to be broken on the first trick. The exception to these rules is when a player has voided all other suits and possesses only Hearts. If you don't lead a trick, follow suit with a card lower than the lead card. If someone else leads the trick and you have one or more cards that are the same suit as the lead card, you have to follow suit. If you can, play a card lower than the lead card so that you won't take the trick. This is especially important if other players have yet to play their cards, as you have no way of knowing whether they'll play hearts or the Queen of Spades, leaving you to pick up the points If you don't have cards of the same suit as the lead card, you usually want to either play a point card so that whoever wins the trick will gain points or get rid of a high-value off-suit card so that you're less likely to win tricks in the future. Try to "short-suit" yourself. Generally, it's a good idea to get rid of all of the cards of one or more suits in your hand as quickly as possible. This is called "short-suiting" yourself. Once you've eliminated all the cards of one suit from your hand, you'll be able to play whatever you want when other players lead with cards of this suit. This can give you an opportunity to get rid of high-ranking cards, "dump" point cards on other players, and so on. One way to short-suit yourself (or, at the very least, prepare to do so) is via the "pass" at the beginning of the hand. If you have, for instance, four Clubs in your hand and you pass three to another player, you'll have only one Club left to get rid of before you're short-suited (assuming another player doesn't pass you any additional Clubs). Only try to shoot the moon when you have a reasonable chance of doing so. Shooting the moon can completely upend the dynamic of a game of Hearts, allowing you to move up several places in the rankings. However, shooting the moon is very risky, so you'll want to think carefully before you do it. Obviously, you won't want to try to shoot the moon if someone else has already gotten at least one point. You also won't want to shoot the moon if you have lots of low-ranking cards, as the likelihood that you'll be able to win every trick with such a hand is quite low. Generally, you should only try to shoot the moon when you have lots of high-ranking cards (not necessarily Hearts), especially if you're already well on your way to winning all the points in a round or most of your cards are of one suit. Remember that if no one can follow the suit of the lead card, the player who leads wins the trick automatically. Use this to your advantage. If it seems like everyone is out of a certain suit, lead with cards of this suit, starting with your highest and working to your lowest, and you'll collect tons of points. | Grab a standard deck, a few friends, and some scratch paper. Pick up your cards, and pass three cards as follows: Pick up the cards the opponent passed. Play "tricks" by attempting to "follow the suit" of the card that led. Avoid taking tricks by trying not to play the highest-ranking card during the trick. Avoid Hearts and the Queen of Spades. Calculate your score at the end of each hand. Be aware of common rule variations. Start the game by passing your highest cards. Begin playing, following suit when you can. If you lead a trick, try to play a card that is likely to be beaten. If you don't lead a trick, follow suit with a card lower than the lead card. Try to "short-suit" yourself. Only try to shoot the moon when you have a reasonable chance of doing so. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Hypnosis | How to Learn Hypnosis | To learn hypnosis, watch performer videos to see how practitioners use basic techniques, such as tone of voice and commands, to hypnotize someone during a street performance. In order to develop basic techniques, focus on learning about direct commands by telling someone, “You feel your fingers tingling and you will cluck like a chicken when I snap my fingers.” Once you have gained a few skills, ask willing friends or family members to let you try and hypnotize them. When you start a session, get them to focus on you, such as by telling them to close their eyes or look at their palm. Alternatively, tell them a story with a lot of images and descriptions, which distracts their mind and allows you to reach their unconscious. When you see that your subject is relaxed, try to direct their behavior by adding commands or suggestions to your storytelling. | Choose an area of hypnosis to study according to your goals. All hypnosis involves the same basic education, but each type of hypnosis has a different aim and focus. You need to tweak your practice to be good at hypnotherapy instead of performance hypnotism, for instance. The field you choose also determines what outside skills you need. To help others overcome fears and achieve goals, hypnotherapy is the way to go. You will need to know how to speak to patients and guide them during practice. For performances, look into street or stage hypnosis. Street hypnosis requires you to talk quickly and sound convincing. Performers often work in front of larger audiences, sometimes hypnotizing many people at a time. Study self-hypnosis if you're into self-improvement. It is a lot like hypnotherapy, but you guide your own conscious attention to fall into a trance. Study direct hypnotic suggestions for more straightforward work. Direct suggestions are the traditional way hypnotism is used, so you have probably seen it in movies or on TV. In this method, you tell a subject what to do through direct commands. If this sounds like ordering someone around, you've got an accurate idea of how direct suggestions work. Many street performers use direct commands. Watch them and you will see how forceful they sound. The downside is that not everyone responds well to forceful commands. Examples of direct suggestions are, “You feel your fingers tingling” and, “You will cluck like a chicken when I snap my fingers.” Master indirect suggestions for more conversation-based hypnosis. Indirect suggestions involve a lot of metaphors and story-telling. The process is a lot more drawn out than direct suggestions. You need to build a rapport with the other person, defusing their conscious attention to catch their unconscious mind off-guard. This method is newer and often works well on people who don't benefit from direct suggestions. An indirect suggestion is something like, “You might feel yourself relaxing now. As you go deeper into the trance, I wonder if you feel your body lightening.” For an example of story-telling, read Milton H. Erickson's “my friend John” induction. He offers suggestions by describing what his friend John would do, like relaxing in a chair and losing track of time. Read books and articles about the field of hypnotism you wish to study. Jump online or go to your local bookstore or library to find out what hypnosis is all about. Search for terms like “hypnotherapy” and “indirect hypnotic suggestions.” There are plenty of training academies, professionals, and related websites out there with in-depth information about how hypnosis works. Use these sources to get a better understanding of the fundamentals before you buy anything. Some good resources to try include the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis and the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. For books, look for Hypnotic Induction and Suggestion and Manual for Self-Hypnosis by D. Corydon Hammond, Trancework by Michael Yapko, and Hypnotherapy by Milton Erickson. Watch videos to study how hypnotists behave in front of subjects. There are no better resources for studying street performances than live videos. They are available on both practitioner websites and video-sharing websites. Use these videos to learn some basic techniques and master the tone of voice required to put someone into a trance. Practitioner videos on hypnotherapy are a lot less common than performance work due to privacy issues. You will find videos from practitioners describing their techniques or working with volunteer clients. Take a live training course to become a more effective hypnotist. Live sessions have way more to offer than books and videos. At a live session, you meet with a professional for hands-on training. You may even get a chance to practice what you have learned on volunteers or other students. To find training courses, read about training organizations and practicing hypnotists online. Find one you like that fits your goals. Also, check your area's community events for potential opportunities. Many people offer training, but not all of them are legitimate. Type the person's name into an online search engine. Look for credentials like certification from a training institution, written work, and user reviews. Take the time to form connections at training courses. Keep in touch with the instructor, if possible, to increase your education. Practice hypnotism as often as possible. Hypnotism is a skill, and like any other skill, you improve through practice. Start out by hypnotising yourself with a few practices like controlled breathing and meditation. Then, practice with willing friends, families, or other practitioners. You may be able to get certified through a week of classes. This means you know the technique, but you still need to get real-world experience in order to perfect it. Gain the other person’s attention with a story or task. Before you can put someone in a hypnotic trance, you need to get their attention. Find a way to engage them. Many hypnotherapists do this through conversation or by having the subject look at an image. Another easy way to do this is by asking someone to close their eyes. For example, a way to do an induction, which is bringing someone into a quick trance, is to make them focus on their palm. You bring their palm up in front of them, then move their hand towards them as they stare at it. People go into trance-like states every day. You do this when you're meditating, focused on your favorite song or when you don't remember driving home. Reach the person’s unconscious mind with a story. Your unconscious mind is the part you don't control and it becomes accessible once your conscious focus is distracted. Many practitioners do this by telling a story with a lot of powerful images and descriptions. Your goal is to get your subject to relax, tuning into the story so they fall into a trance. For example, start out by saying, “Close your eyes and relax. As you relax, imagine yourself on a calm beach. Your muscles become loose as you relax.” Words like “relax” and “imagine” are considered powerful words that conjure up strong images to engage your subject's conscious focus. Keep the images relatively vague to so the other person stays focused on the image. They probably aren't imagining a fiery, pink beach, so the image draws them out of the trance state. Watch for your subject’s body to relax. Monitor your subject for some subtle cues showing they are in a relaxed state. Many people stop fidgeting and their breathing slows down. Look for their pupils to dilate or their muscles to grow limp. If you're hypnotising yourself, notice when you feel loose and relaxed. Your breathing will feel slow and steady as well. Getting someone into a relaxed state isn't always easy or foolproof. Some people are less suggestible than others. Keep trying to capture their attention or work quickly if they're in a semi-relaxed state. Direct the person’s behavior by describing a meaningful scene. This is when hypnotists suggest ways for their subjects to act. The easiest way to establish a suggestion is by continuing the scene you created while bringing the person into a trance. Pick a behavior you want them to learn, then repeat it a few times as you describe the scene. For example, say, “Focus on my voice. As you relax into the trance, imagine an enjoyable day at the beach. As you relax, you notice the color of the water. Relax more deeply as you feel the sand between your toes. You relax and feel more optimistic.” The scene needs to be meaningful to the subject. For instance, describe gaming or gardening if those are relevant interests. A beach scene isn't helpful if you never go to the beach. Tell the subject to move again so they exit the trance. End the trance with a final command. Try counting to 3, instructing the subject to open their eyes once you reach 3. Before you begin counting, tell them they will feel relaxed and revitalized when they open their eyes. Then, end the trance and see the results yourself. Other ways to break trances include telling someone to open their eyes, move parts of their body, or suggesting that waking up is safe and their body feels completely normal. Counting and open your eyes also works for bringing yourself out of a self-induced trance. Work in a quiet environment to eliminate distractions. No matter who you're hypnotising, a successful session depends on capturing the subject's attention. Distractions draw focus away from you. When someone focuses on a loud noise or moving, they aren't listening to you speak and will be less likely to reach a trance state. This applies to self-hypnosis as well. You're going to have a hard time reaching a relaxed state with the TV on, your phone buzzing, and the dogs barking. Street or stage hypnotists create a quiet atmosphere by drawing eyes to themselves. With practice, they learn how to do this even in public. For example, the hypnotist may describe a beautiful scene or have you do a simple task like join your hands together. Ask for permission before hypnotizing others. Hypnotism must only be performed on willing participants. For hypnotherapists, consent also involves discovering what a client needs to gain from the session. Then, you tailor your session to suit the client's needs. For example, some common goals for hypnotherapy are quitting smoking, gaining confidence, and achieving goals. With performance hypnotism, you need consent, but you don't need to spend time discussing the session. Your goal is to get someone to do something like lock their hands together, not work through deep personal issues. Speak in a strong voice with confidence. Hypnotism is all about convincing people. If you don't sound convincing, do not expect someone else to believe what you're saying. Describe scenes with clear, crisp language and offer suggestions with authority. For example, when using a direct suggestion, you say, “You will feel happy and positive when you wake up.” Master keywords that make hypnotic suggestions effective. Read up about hypnotic language and find words to adapt in your practice. In particular, look for “power” words or “hot” words that pack plenty of emotion. By bringing up strong emotions in a subject, you engage their unconscious mind more, leading to more effective hypnotism. Some powerful words are “imagine,” “you,” and “because.” When you're describing a scene to draw a subject's focus, use these words to make the image more vivid. Choose words that pack a descriptive punch. Phrases like “beautiful lake” and “strong mountain” are a few examples. Keep them vague so you don't interrupt trance states. Simplify your practice for speedy public performances. Street and stage hypnotists need to get audience members into a trance very quickly. After you master the basic techniques, work on simplifying them to move quickly from inducing a trance state to suggesting an action and ending the trance. Performers often are in environments with lots of distractions, so dragging out the hypnotism increases the likelihood of it being unsuccessful. They perform hypnotisms in 60 seconds or less. For quick hypnotism, approach the other person with energy. Use concise sentences to induce the trance, deepen it, then provide the hypnotic suggestion before ending it. | Choose an area of hypnosis to study according to your goals. Study direct hypnotic suggestions for more straightforward work. Master indirect suggestions for more conversation-based hypnosis. Read books and articles about the field of hypnotism you wish to study. Watch videos to study how hypnotists behave in front of subjects. Take a live training course to become a more effective hypnotist. Practice hypnotism as often as possible. Gain the other person’s attention with a story or task. Reach the person’s unconscious mind with a story. Watch for your subject’s body to relax. Direct the person’s behavior by describing a meaningful scene. Tell the subject to move again so they exit the trance. Work in a quiet environment to eliminate distractions. Ask for permission before hypnotizing others. Speak in a strong voice with confidence. Master keywords that make hypnotic suggestions effective. Simplify your practice for speedy public performances. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Be-Happy-After-Losing-a-Competition | How to Be Happy After Losing a Competition | It's natural to feel emotional after losing a competition, but with the right mindset, you can be happy about it and embrace the positive side. Although you might not have won this time, remind yourself of what you gained from participating, like the experience, exercise, and social skills. Remember that every loss gets you closer to winning and maybe next time you'll take it home. If you're still feeling down after a little while, try distracting yourself by doing something you enjoy, like watching TV, listening to music, or taking a relaxing bath. Don't be afraid to talk to someone about it, since expressing your feelings can help you process them. | Congratulate your opponent(s). Commending your opponent for a game well-played is a classy way to handle defeat, and a good habit to develop for all competition. While you might have a knee-jerk reaction to loss at first, losing gracefully is a valuable life skill that can apply to many aspects of life. Offering a handshake, high five or simple congratulations to someone who beat you is an excellent show of sportsmanship and a positive step in processing a loss. If you can, ask them about what they did to win, or how they practice. This can help you become more competitive, or find a weak spot in their strategy. Talk about the loss. Success in competition means enjoying, and benefitting from, your participation in a game or event; this success requires certain mental skills, including people skills, and the ability to deal effectively with emotions. Discussing your loss- with friends, family, teammates, a coach, or anyone else who will listen- is a healthy way to acknowledge your feelings after a competition, and to reinforce your commitment to the game itself. Approach the topic by saying something simple, like, "I'm feeling down about losing, can I talk to you about it?" Make a list of the things you gained from participating. It is important to remember that competition is about more than just a win and a loss. Performance, mastery of skill and sportsmanship are all vital components of the experience that do not hinge on beating an opponent. To help you focus on the good, write down some of the benefits that your participation in the competition provided, such as: Mental and physical exercise Perseverance and determination Social interaction and friendship Coping skills Enjoy some funny, lighthearted entertainment. Losing a competition may inspire negative thoughts and emotions, which can contribute to problems of mental health if they are dwelled upon for too long. To avoid overthinking your loss, look for fun distractions that will boost your spirit and promote a more optimistic outlook. A fun diversion might be: going to the movies going to a stand up comedy show watching a sitcom or animated T.V. show looking up cute and funny video clips online Give yourself a consolation prize. Whether or not you win a competition, your hard work and participation deserve to be rewarded. If you are sad about losing, treating yourself is an excellent way of boosting your mood and acknowledging your merit. “Retail therapy” has been shown to promote happiness by providing a stronger sense of control over a person's environment and alleviating sadness. Write down a list of great things about yourself. Everyone needs a self-esteem boost every once in a while, and it is important to remind yourself what a valuable person you are. If a loss or other perceived failure has you down, make a list of your best features, skills and traits, and recall some compliments you received in the past that made you feel good about yourself. The act of writing these things down will force you to acknowledge just how awesome you are! Establish your game plan or strategy. Mental preparedness is a crucial component of competing, especially when you are coming back from a loss. Self-doubt and second-guessing may blur your focus and prevent you from bringing your "A game" to the competition. Committing to a plan or strategy beforehand, particularly one that implements things that you learned from your last competition, will allow you to perform in a decisive and confident manner. In a swimming competition, for example, a swimmer's strategy might involve considering whether to go as fast as possible right after the dive, break out mid-race, or alternate between high and low speed. Psych yourself up with music. Music is an excellent way to get back into the rhythm of competition after loss. It has been shown that music can improve performance by lowering a competitor's perception of effort, steering their mind away from the perception of fatigue and quelling feelings of anxiety before a competition. Choose a playlist or album that puts you in the right frame of mind and helps you feel good about competing. For example, a playlist for basketball might be fast-paced and sharp, so that you can get your heart pumping. On the other end, if it's a diving or target shooting competition, consider a calming soundtrack to steady your breath. Find a lucky charm or pre-game ritual. Good luck charms or rituals have been proven to improve performance by boosting competitors' belief in their ability to accomplish a task. Choosing a special keepsake or tradition of your own might be especially useful if your self-assuredness is shaken after a losing a competition. While overemphasis on superstition is not ideal, it might be a positive move to add a fun, confidence-boosting element to your routine while competing, such as: a fun accessory to wear while competing a song to play or sing before a competition a favorite, pre-game meal, or snack a handshake, hug, or other ritual with friends | Congratulate your opponent(s). Talk about the loss. Make a list of the things you gained from participating. Enjoy some funny, lighthearted entertainment. Give yourself a consolation prize. Write down a list of great things about yourself. Establish your game plan or strategy. Psych yourself up with music. Find a lucky charm or pre-game ritual. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Motion-Sickness-on-Rides | How to Deal With Motion Sickness on Rides | To prevent motion sickness on a roller coaster, find a seat that offers the most stability to reduce movement, which is usually somewhere in the middle. Keep your neck and head straight to keep from becoming disoriented, and focus your eyes on a fixed point, like the car in front of you. Additionally, take medication designed to treat motion sickness beforehand, like Dramamine. You can also eat foods that often settles the stomach, like crackers or ginger ale. | Get some over-the-counter dramamine. Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, but brand names vary) is an antihistamine drug that can be purchased at most grocery stores and pharmacies. These drugs block receptors in the brain associated with nausea and vomiting. You can purchase dramamine in two tablet forms — drowsy and non-drowsy. Non-drowsy is best for amusement parks. If you are taking a train or a plane long distance and can sleep, the drowsy kind will work well. To prevent motion sickness, the first dose should be taken 30 minutes to one hour before you go to the amusement park. Adults and children older than age 12 can usually take dimenhydrinate every four to six hours as needed to prevent or treat motion sickness. Children under 12 can usually be given dimenhydrinate every six to eight hours or as needed to prevent or treat motion sickness, but talk to your child's doctor before using medications on young children. There are a few other similar medications used for motion sickness. check with your doctor or pharmacist on which medication may be best for you. Acquire a scopolamine patch. You'll need to see a doctor to get a prescription for this medication. Generally, this medication is saved for those who aren't helped by dramamine. Most of the time, scopolamine is administered in a patch form. Talk to your doctor about potential side effects of this medication, which can include drowsiness, disorientation, dry mouth, or hallucinations. People with glaucoma or certain other medical problems may not be able to use scopolamine, so make sure to tell your doctor about any medical problems you have. Apply a scopolamine patch. The patch should be applied as directed on the package. Normally, it should be placed on the back of the ear, at least four hours prior to when it is actually needed. Wash behind your ear before applying. Remove the patch from the protective packaging. Place on the skin. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Leave on for as long as you need it or as long as the package prescribes. Try some ginger supplements. Ginger (zingiber officinale) is cheap and effective. You can consume ginger raw or in lozenge/pill form. You can purchase ginger at any grocery store or pharmacy. If you want to take raw ginger before you get on a ride, just peel it and dice it into a small cube. Picture a piece of gum and try to make your raw ginger resemble that size. Know that many find the aftertaste of ginger to be pungent and generally unpleasant. If this is you, choose the pill or lozenge form. Eat something to settle your stomach. Either before you get on the ride or when you get off the ride, find somewhere to eat something that will soothe your stomach, like crackers or ginger ale. Bland food, high in carbohydrates and low in fats are best for motion sickness. Eat foods with ginger in them or breads, cereals, grains, or fruits. Spicy and acidic foods can irritate the stomach lining, making your whole system more susceptible to problems. Sit in the most stable part of the ride. Depending on the vehicle, this will change. Generally, the most stable part of a roller coaster is the middle. The back and front of the ride tend to whip around more than the middle. In cars, the most stable part is the front seat. On boats and planes, the most stable part is the middle again. Keep your head and neck straight. Since motion sickness is often caused by conflicting signals from various parts of your body, try to keep your head and neck straight at all times. By keeping your body in a straight line, you'll keep your head from bouncing around more. On roller coasters, this is especially important if you want to avoid head and neck injuries. Keep your eyes on a fixed point. You are more likely to get dizzy if your eyes are swirling around in front of you. Keep your eyes on a fixed point wherever you are. If you are on a roller coaster, it helps to stare at the car in front of you or simply to close your eyes. If you are on a boat, stare at the horizon. This will reduce sea-sickness. Reduce your activity. Simplicity is best for motion sickness. Obviously, this doesn't really apply to amusement park rides, where multitasking is nearly impossible. But on planes, trains, boats, or in cars, try to do less. Stop reading your book or watching a movie. Just sit back and relax to cure motion sickness. Apply pressure to your P6 point. The acupuncture point known as Pericardium 6 is said to relieve general nausea. It is on the inside of the wrist, a little more than an inch up the arm from the center of the wrist crease. Many travel stores sell wristbands with built in buttons that apply pressure to this point. Scientific studies have shown the effectiveness of this method on motion sickness. There is still some debate as to whether the pressure point or the act of pressing the point helps reduce nausea. Either way, give it a try. | Get some over-the-counter dramamine. Acquire a scopolamine patch. Apply a scopolamine patch. Try some ginger supplements. Eat something to settle your stomach. Sit in the most stable part of the ride. Keep your head and neck straight. Keep your eyes on a fixed point. Reduce your activity. Apply pressure to your P6 point. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Treat-Acne-with-Cucumber-Juice | How to Treat Acne with Cucumber Juice | Cucumber juice can be a great aid to help hydrate your skin and fight inflammation. To treat your acne with cucumber juice, first crush or blend a small cucumber. Then, soak a cotton ball in the juice and apply it to your acne. Leave it to soak for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing it off. Alternatively, make a face mask using cucumber juice. You can mix cucumber and yogurt to make a mask, or cucumber, oatmeal, and honey. Or, blend cucumbers with other fruit and vegetables to make a refreshing and nourishing smoothie. This won't be as effective as applying it directly to your skin, but it'll still help keep your skin healthy. | Use cucumber slices. Take a fresh cucumber from the refrigerator. Cut off the skin. Slice the cucumber into thin slices. Put the slices on the affected area. Let the juices sink into your skin for 20 minutes. Rinse your skin and repeat as desired. Use pure cucumber juice. Grate or crush a one small cucumber. Use a cotton ball to apply the juice directly to your skin. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse. Make a face toner. You'll need cucumbers, water, and witch hazel or vodka. Juice the cucumber or blend it and then use a strainer to separate the juice from the solids. Mix the ingredients and store in the refrigerator. Use a cotton ball to apply the toner after washing and drying your face. ¼ cups peeled cucumbers 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons witch hazel or vodka. Make a cucumber and yogurt facial mask. Yogurt contains acne fighting germs and helps reduce dark spots on the skin. It is also said to moisturize and soften the skin without clogging pores. However, there are no clear scientific studies that link topical yogurt to acne treatment. Blend the yogurt and cucumber into a paste. Wash your face with warm water. Apply the mask for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse your face with warm water and then cold water. ½ cucumber 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Make a honey-oatmeal mask. Oatmeal will exfoliate your skin and remove excess dirt and oils from the surface. Honey has antibacterial properties. Such properties may help fight acne causing bacteria although medical studies are lacking in this area. Blend the cucumber until it has a paste-like consistency. Mix in the honey and the oatmeal. Gently massage the mask into your face. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. ½ cucumber 1 tablespoon ground oatmeal 1 tablespoon honey Make a lemon juice and rosewater rinse. Mix equal parts lemon juice, rosewater, and cucumber juice. Apply to the skin and leave it on for a few minutes. Rinse your face and pat dry. Rosewater as desired Lemon juice as desired Cucumber juice as desired Make an apple and baking soda mask. Try this thick mask two or three times a week for acne. Mix the baking soda in warm water to form a paste. Add the mashed apple, cucumber, and honey. Leave in the refrigerator for one hour before applying to your skin. Leave it on the skin for 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing. 1 cucumber (mashed) 1 apple (mashed) 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons water This mask contains baking soda which serves to exfoliate and to balance the pH of the skin. Test the mask on a small patch of skin before proceeding, as baking soda does not work well with all types of acne. Make a mask with mint and tomato. This mask acts a gentle exfoliant while promoting refreshed and glowing skin. Peel and chop the cucumber. Blend the cucumber, tomato, and mint leaves. Add the gram flour until a paste is formed. Apply the mask to your face and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse with water. ½ cup cucumber 1 tomato, chopped ½ cup mint leaves Green gram flour as needed Make an aloe vera mask. Aloe vera is excellent for the skin. It removes bacteria while repairing damaged skin cells.This can both prevent acne and fade acne scars. Tea tree oil has also been known to be useful in the treatment of acne. Remove the skin of the aloe vera leaf to use only the gel. Mix the gel with equal parts cucumber juice. Add a few drops of tea tree oil. Apply the mix to your acne for 20 minutes. Massage another layer of the mask into your skin and rise. Repeat daily to treat acne. 1 medium sized aloe vera leaf 1 cucumber (juiced or mashed) Tea tree oil (a few drops) Make a mask for acne on the back. You'll need to extract the cucumber and onion juice first. Next, add the cooked oatmeal or fenugreek seed to the mix. Apply this on the back for 30 to 40 minutes before rinsing. 1 cucumber 2 onions 1 tablespoon cooked oatmeal or fenugreek seeds. Acknowledge a lack of evidence. Many people successfully use fruits and vegetables, like cucumber, for healthy skin and overall wellness. However, medical research has not thoroughly examined or demonstrated clear anti-acne benefits from applying or consuming cucumbers. Don’t underestimate a healthy diet. Although current scientific research on cucumbers and skincare is insufficient, maintaining a healthy diet and staying hydrated is recommended by most doctors. Cucumbers contain vitamins, minerals, and water, making them a generally safe addition to your meals. Add cucumber to your juices and smoothies. Cucumber has a mild flavor and is mostly composed of water. This makes it a great ingredient to add to your vegetable or fruit smoothies. Peel the cucumber and add as much as you desire. Add cucumber to your meals. Cucumber adds a nice texture to your daily meals. It can be added to salads, sandwiches, or rolls. Peel and chop the cucumber in the desired size. Eat it raw. Cucumber is an excellent snack. It is crunchy and refreshing, especially on a warm day. Eat it raw or add a little bit of olive oil and salt for extra flavor. | Use cucumber slices. Use pure cucumber juice. Make a face toner. Make a cucumber and yogurt facial mask. Make a honey-oatmeal mask. Make a lemon juice and rosewater rinse. Make an apple and baking soda mask. Make a mask with mint and tomato. Make an aloe vera mask. Make a mask for acne on the back. Acknowledge a lack of evidence. Don’t underestimate a healthy diet. Add cucumber to your juices and smoothies. Add cucumber to your meals. Eat it raw. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Tapioca | How to Cook Tapioca | If you want to cook tapioca boba, place 1 part boba and 8 parts water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Stir continuously so the boba doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When the boba starts floating, turn the heat to medium and continue cooking for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the time is up, remove the pan from heat and cover it, then let the boba steep for another 15 minutes. Sweeten the boba to taste, then enjoy plain or with a splash of cream! | Put the water and boba in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Keep stirring! You don't want the boba to stick to the bottom of the pan. And be sure to keep a 8:1 ratio of water to boba; in other words, if you have 1/4 cup of boba, use 2 cups of water. Only need 1/8 cup? Then 1 cup of water will suffice. Some recipes call for pre-soaking your boba. This depends on the brand and type of pearls you've bought. Some will start disintegrating in the soak, while others might benefit from it. If you can, buy boba that only has one ingredient: tapioca. Those are the best quality, soak or no soak. When the boba start floating, turn the heat to medium. Continue cooking the boba for another 12-15 minutes, stirring every 5 or so. When the time is up, remove the pan from heat, cover, and let the boba steep for another 15 minutes. Sweeten to taste, and eat alone or with cream. Boba can be enjoyed by themselves, but they're also a great addition to just about anything, though the first image that pops into mind is tea. If you're looking to make bubbles for bubble tea, create a simple syrup for the bubbles to soak in. 1/2 cup boiling water with 1/2 cup sugar will create a sweet gel for them to sop up more flavor. Use immediately. Boba are best within a few hours. Place them in your simple syrup, if need be, in the fridge and let cool for about 15 minutes. That should be just the right amount of time to gain some sweetness and yet still have the right consistency. Or just eat them when they're cool out of the pan! In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt to a boil. Stir it constantly over medium heat. Once it hits a boil, reduce the heat to low, stir, and cook 5 minutes longer. If you don't have the quick-cooking kind of tapioca, you can soak your tapioca overnight in water. Then throw this mixture into a slow cooker for 2 hours to get the tapioca to the right consistency. Whisk 1 cup of the milk mixture into the beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons at a time. Keep whisking until it's fully combined. Then, stir the egg-milk-tapioca mixture back into the rest of the tapioca until it's well mixed. Simmer the pudding over medium-low heat. Once it's simmering, cook it, stirring regularly, for a couple of minutes longer until the pudding becomes thick enough to evenly coat the back of your spoon. Basically, when it starts looking like pudding. Take your pudding off the stove and stir in the vanilla. Then it's ready to go! It can be served hot or poured into serving dishes and refrigerated several hours until cold. Garnish it with whipped cream, pistachios, walnuts, or raisins if desired. You can keep a skin from forming on top if you press plastic wrap onto the surface while chilling. And it won't dry out! If the pudding's too stiff when serving, add a bit of milk or cream to make it be more palatable. Use as a thickener. The possibilities are nearly endless: tapioca can thicken everything from pie fillings to soups and stews. And as for desserts, it can keep them fluffy without adding too much extra sugar and carbs. Just make sure to allow the tapioca time to soak in the flavor of whatever dish you're adding it to. Quick-cooking tapioca is ideal for an addition to these dishes. Old-fashioned tapioca has a starker flavor that might end up contrasting with the flavor you're intending for. Stir into jams and jellies. If you'd like to add an interesting twist to your jam or jelly, tapioca is where it's at. It can absorb the fruity sweetness and add interesting texture and volume. Add in the tapioca near the end of your cooking cycle so the tapioca doesn't overcook but yet still retains flavor. Make bubble tea. Because who doesn't love bubble tea? It's like eating and drinking your meal all at once, which is totally killing two birds with one stone. It's cheaper and healthier when you make it yourself, too! Use it as substitute. Turns out quick-cooking tapioca can serve as a substitute for cornmeal or flour. The ratio for cornstarch is 1:1, but the ratio for flour is 2:1; that is, 2 parts tapioca to 1 part flour. For diet restrictions and taste preferences, this can be quite the lifesaver! | Put the water and boba in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. When the boba start floating, turn the heat to medium. Sweeten to taste, and eat alone or with cream. Use immediately. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt to a boil. Whisk 1 cup of the milk mixture into the beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons at a time. Simmer the pudding over medium-low heat. Take your pudding off the stove and stir in the vanilla. Use as a thickener. Stir into jams and jellies. Make bubble tea. Use it as substitute. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Buy-Olive-Oil | How to Buy Olive Oil | To buy olive oil, look for products labeled "extra virgin olive oil" if you'll be consuming the oil since that's the highest grade. You can still consume other kinds of olive oil, but they may not be as flavorful or pure. However, if you're going to be using the oil for frying food, get a cheaper, low-grade olive oil since the flavors will be lost in the frying process anyway. Whichever kind of olive oil you choose, make sure you get one that comes in a dark-colored bottle or tin since olive oil degrades quickly when exposed to light. | Learn about the different kinds of olive oil. The olive is a stone fruit, and thus olive oil is actually the juice of the olive fruit. Trying to select a tasty, quality olive oil can be quite overwhelming. There are over 700 different kinds of olives, grown in moderate climates throughout the world, with multiple factors such as growing conditions, soil type and quality, and seasonal weather patterns all affecting the taste and quality of the final product. There are many different types of olive oil. For example, you'll find products labeled “extra virgin,” “virgin,” “olive oil,” or “pure olive oil”. If you're planning on using your olive oil for consumption, experts recommend selecting products labeled “extra virgin olive oil”. To merit this designation, the olives are either pressed—or more typically spun using a centrifuge—without the use of heat or other chemicals. This is the highest grade of olive oil. Products labeled “olive oil,” “pure olive oil,” or “light olive oil” are processed oils that are more similar to simple vegetable oil. They are not harmful to consume, but will lack the fruity, spicy complexity of a fine extra virgin olive. oil. Be open to trying new products. Particularly if you are searching for an extra fine (no pun intended!) extra virgin olive oil, you should not feel as though you must remain committed to one particular brand. Just like wine, the product of a particular label can vary from year to year. Thus, even if you find a brand that you like this year, know that the taste of the product may differ next year. You should be open to frequently sampling and trying different varieties. Be open to trying olive oils in different price ranges from different regions. Just as wines are sampled and rated by experts, so too are olive oils. You can stay on top of new trends and leaders in taste-tests by searching for excellent olive oils online. Think about how you will use your olive oil. Different oils are better-suited for different purposes. As noted above, extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade. If you are looking for an olive oil to use for salad dressings, finishing dishes, or perhaps to use with fresh-baked bread, you'll want to select this type. If you are looking for a general cooking oil, you may be satisfied with a lower-grade olive oil (or even regular vegetable oil), particularly if the flavor of the oil will be lost under the other flavors of the dish. There is conflicting advice about whether or not olive oil is well-suited for frying. You'll read many claims that olive oil has a low smoking point, but high quality extra virgin olive oil remains stable up to 365–400 °F (185–204 °C). Because the ideal frying temperature is usually cited as 356 °F (180 °C), there is thus no apparent risk to using olive oil for frying. However, because of its high cost, and because you need such a high volume of oil to fry, it tends not to be very cost effective to use olive oil for frying. Also, any subtlety in the olive oil's taste will be lost in the frying process. You'd most likely be better off with vegetable oil. Decide how much you can spend. Becoming a true olive oil connoisseur can quickly prove to be an expensive hobby. Once you've determined how you want to use your olive oil, your budget will point you towards the products that will best serve your cooking goals. As a general rule of thumb, more expensive olive oils tend to rate higher among the experts. Producing high quality extra virgin olive oil is an expensive process, and the cost is passed on to consumers. Nonetheless, it's possible to find quality olive oils to fit any budget. If you want to splurge, select an extra virgin olive oil and use it sparingly on dishes where it will shine as the star of the dish. Be sure to comparison shop (both in different stores and from online merchants) to be able to snag the best deal for your final choice. Read the labels. While the International Olive Council (IOC) sets the standards for labeling olive oils as extra virgin, virgin, or ordinary virgin, it should be noted that the US has not adopted these standards. Nonetheless, spending some time reading the labels of your potential purchases will be time well-spent. Again, look for a label that indicates the product is extra virgin. This will help ensure that you are not purchasing lower-quality olive oil. Look as well for a harvest date on the label. Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better with age. It is a perishable product (a natural fruit juice), and will deteriorate within a few months of being harvested. Try to choose products with relatively recent harvest dates. If a harvest date is not indicated, then look for a “best-buy” date. Avoid products which are quickly approaching this date. Look for an estate name on the label. This is not a guarantee of a quality product, but is typically a good sign that the oil was grown and pressed by a small producer. If you don't see an estate name on the label, look for an olive oil with a PDO or DOP (Protected Designation of Origin). This status is granted by the European Union to designate agricultural products which are produced, processed, and prepared within a geographical area which specializes in that product and which have been handled according to specific industry standards. You may also find labels with PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), which is a similar, yet slightly less strict designation. You may also consider looking for a certified organic seal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which guarantees that at least 95% of the product is made from olives grown without the use of pesticides or other synthetic fertilizers. Keep in mind, though, that many organically grown products will lack this label, as it is expensive for growers to pay for this certification. Sample your olive oil. Because olive oils can vary so much in flavor even within the same brand from season to season, you'll be assured of choosing the best oil for your own palette if you can sample the product before buying. You may need to go to a higher end supermarket or cooking store to be able to sample olive oils before purchasing. Farmers markets can also be a good place to sample selections. Don't base your selection solely upon the color of the olive oil. You may think that a darker colored oil indicates that it is less pure, but the color of the oil is primarily a result of the particular olive variety and the point at which it was harvested during the growing season. For example, if the olives were harvested earlier in the season, the final product will tend to be greener in color with a more peppery flavor; conversely, if the olives were picked and pressed later in the season, the oil tends to be more golden with a mild, even buttery flavor. Choose any olive oil that appeals to your tastebuds, but know that typically a light, fruity olive oil will pair well with lightly sauteed vegetables, while stronger, peppery, or even fruity olive oils complement meat dishes. Select dark-colored bottles or tins. Because olive oil degrades quickly, and because it will degrade even more quickly when exposed to light and heat, it is recommended that you select an olive oil that is packaged in a dark bottle or in a tin. This is an especially important guideline to keep in mind if you haven't been able to sample the oil before purchasing it. Use your olive oil quickly and liberally. Unlike many wines, olive oil does not get better with age. It is a perishable product (a natural fruit juice), and will deteriorate within a few months of being harvested. Thus, there's no good reason to hoard your olive oil for special occasions only. This may mean that you will want to purchase your olive oil in small amounts, particularly if it is an expensive, high-end extra virgin olive oil. Store your olive oil in a dark container away from heat. We've explained how you should ideally choose an olive oil that was packaged in a dark container (who knows how much heat and light the product was exposed to while it sat on the shelf awaiting your selection!); you should also be careful with how and where you store your olive oil at home. If the bottle you purchased is not dark or opaque, consider transferring the contents into a darker container once home. Even though it makes intuitive sense to store your olive oil right next to the stove-top for easy access, it's best to keep it in a cool, dark space in your kitchen. This will keep it fresher tasting for longer. Experiment with different dishes. Once you've selected an olive oil that appeals to you, don't be afraid to look for new ways to incorporate it into your meal planning. Olive oil is featured prominently in many Italian and Mediterranean style dishes, but it is a flexible and tasty oil for many other cuisines as well. You'll be sure to find hundreds of recipes (if not more!) which feature olive oil online. Be sure to scope out recipes which feature olive oil by browsing titles at bookstores and your local library (often a surprising source for excellent cookbooks). | Learn about the different kinds of olive oil. Be open to trying new products. Think about how you will use your olive oil. Decide how much you can spend. Read the labels. Sample your olive oil. Select dark-colored bottles or tins. Use your olive oil quickly and liberally. Store your olive oil in a dark container away from heat. Experiment with different dishes. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Steak-in-the-Oven | How to Cook Steak in the Oven | While you're preheating your oven to 450 °F, heat cooking oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat. Cook one side of the steak in the skillet for 2-3 minutes. Then, flip the steak and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Finally, put the cast iron skillet in the oven and cook the steak for 6-8 minutes. | Preheat your oven to 450° F (232° C). You'll want a very hot oven to cook the perfect steak. Start off with relatively thick steaks. Steaks that are an inch to an inch and a half thick work best for this method. That's because thicker steaks get more time to develop a wonderful outer crust before the inside cooks. Generally speaking, the thinner the steak, the quicker it becomes as dry and hard as it cooks. Wipe away any moisture from all sides of the steak. Excess moisture left on steaks will cause them to steam, not sear. Take a paper towel and wick away any moisture that's present on your steak. Salt your steak. There are several opinions about how and when to salt your steak. If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, salt your steak immediately before you place it in the pan. Salt draws moisture from the inside of the steak to the outside. If you have more than 45 minutes to spare, try salting the steak three quarters of an hour in advance. The salt will draw salt out to the surface of the steak, but after 30 to 40 minutes, the steak will draw back the salted moisture in a process called osmosis. This gives the steak a wonderful taste and, some say, actually tenderizes it. Oil a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe pan with a nice coating of neutral oil and begin to heat it on a burner over high heat. The steak will start off over the burner, but the bulk of the cooking will be done in the oven. This method is used by chefs, cooks and restaurateurs the world over. Use a neutral oil such as pine nut or canola oil instead of a pungent oil like olive oil. This helps respect the natural intensity of the steak's flavor. You'll know the pan is ready to cook with when the oil starts smoking. Place the steak in the cast iron skillet. To avoid any oil splatter, tip the bottom of the pan up slightly by lifting the skillet's handle up in the air. The oil should gather in a small reservoir near the very tip of the pan. Place the steak gingerly inside the pan and lower the skillet's handle back down. Adjust the steak with tongs to ensure that it's getting equal coverage on the pan (for a better crust), but don't press down on the steak with your tongs in an attempt to "sear" the steak. The steak will sear perfectly well on its own, given time. Continue cooking the steak on high for 2-3 minutes. Cook the steak just long enough to develop some nice color (i.e. flavor) on the first side. Flip the steak and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes over high heat. You won't need as much time on the second side of the steak because it will continue to develop color (from contact with the bottom of the pan) in the oven. Add a little butter to the pan right before you're ready to put the steak into the oven (optional). This step is optional, but a tablespoon or two of butter right before the steak goes into the oven gives the steak a wonderfully rich, nutty taste, along with a richer jus to serve alongside the steak in the end. Keeping the steak in the same cast iron skillet, place it in the oven and cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes. The time spent in the oven depends on the thickness of the steak (the thicker the steak, the longer cooking time it will require) and your desired level of doneness (after 6 minutes, the steak is probably still medium-rare; after 8 minutes, it's about medium). Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak and leave in for a few moments to obtain a reading. Refer to the following temperature to tell whether your steak is done. 120° F (48.8° C) = Rare 130° F (54.4° C) = Medium rare 140° F (60° C) = Medium 150° F (65.5° C) = Medium well 160° F (71.1° C) = Well done Be sure to let your steak rest for 7 to 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. As the outer layers of the meat cook, they contract. This sends the juices of the steak further into the center, where they accumulate. If you choose to cut up your steak immediately upon removing it from the oven, the juices will run all over the place because they've been trapped in one place. If, however, you let the steak "rest" for about 8 or 9 minutes after it's done cooking, the outer layers of meat will relax, allowing the remaining juices to travel back into the entire piece of meat. This creates a much juicier piece of steak. You can rest your steak under a tent of aluminum foil to retain a little extra heat, but if you're eating it indoors, the amount of extra heat loss will be minimal if you leave the foil off. Plus, tenting foil over the steak may cause the skin to become less crispy. Enjoy your perfectly cooked steak. Serve with classic steak fare, such as a roast potato , steamed asparagus , and a simple salad on the side. | Preheat your oven to 450° F (232° C). Start off with relatively thick steaks. Wipe away any moisture from all sides of the steak. Salt your steak. Oil a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe pan with a nice coating of neutral oil and begin to heat it on a burner over high heat. Place the steak in the cast iron skillet. Continue cooking the steak on high for 2-3 minutes. Flip the steak and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes over high heat. Add a little butter to the pan right before you're ready to put the steak into the oven (optional). Keeping the steak in the same cast iron skillet, place it in the oven and cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Be sure to let your steak rest for 7 to 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. Enjoy your perfectly cooked steak. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Collect-Coins | How to Collect Coins | To collect coins, keep your eyes open for flat, non-dented coins with few scuffs and scratches and, if possible, purchase coins that have been graded for quality and authenticity. Make sure any specialty coins you buy come with a certificate of authenticity from the original mint. If you're interesting in meeting other collectors and swapping coins, consider joining a numismatic club! | Find a type of coin to collect. There are thousands of different coin styles out there ranging in size, denomination, origin, age, and rarity. Though it may seem daunting at first, picking a style of coin to search for will keep you focused and make the hunt far more enjoyable. Remember, there's no right way to collect, so pick a type of coin that speaks to you. Some ideas include: A penny from each year you've been alive. One of every coin available in the US since World War II. One of every country's lowest-valued coin from the year you were born. Find a good price range for you. Old, rare, misprinted, and uncirculated coins are cool, but they are also incredibly expensive. Cheaper alternatives include generally circulated coins, which can be found by digging through pocket change and bank rolls, or special currencies released in the recent past, like the US State Quarters line. Many foreign coins sell for far less than their US counterparts. For budget collecting, look for 5 cent pieces from the Netherlands (1913-40), Canada (1922-36), and France (1898-1921) or coins from small countries like Luxembourg. Look for coins with little wear. When looking for collectibles, keep your eyes open for flat, non-dented coins with few scuffs and scratches. Look for coins that have retained most of their reflective properties, meaning they have not changed hands often. Even if a coin is 500 years old, collectors should expect it to be in reasonably good condition. Look for coins that have been verified by outside sources. When possible, purchase coins that have been graded for quality and authenticity by groups like the American Numismatic Association. For specialty coins, make sure they come with a certificate of authenticity from the original mint. Feel free to swap. Once you have a few coins in your collection, you can begin to swap coins with other collectors. You can either swap online on sites like Numista or you can swap with a local coin collector near you. When swapping online, most of the time you will send and receive the coins via the mail. Visit a local coin shop. Though coin collecting is an incredibly niche hobby, many cities have at least one coin shop nearby. These stores offer a wide range of coins at competitive price-points, making them a great place for new collectors. Most shop owners are collectors at heart and can help you assess the value of individual coins, connect with other sellers, and find valuable, updated collecting resources. Some coin shops will purchase coins directly from consumers while others buy only from trusted retailers. Expect dealers to charge up to 20% more than individual sellers. Go to coin auctions and expos. Though sporadic and not always local, coin auctions, expos, and other events are a great place to pick up new coins. Websites like AuctionZip can help you find upcoming auctions, while the American Numismatic Association keeps a list of upcoming coin and money expos on their website. Though eBay and other major marketplaces can yield good results, it is nearly impossible to check or ensure the quality of a coin before purchase. Instead, try specialty sites like Great Collections or Heritage Auctions. Join a coin club. In the short term, numismatic groups are a great way to meet fellow collectors, learn about upcoming events, and gain advice on how to expand your knowledge and collection. In the long term, club members who decide to sell their coins often give priority and lower prices to friends made through the organization. Organizations like the American Numismatic Association offer online directories that can connect you with local and regional clubs. Order from a national mint. Many countries allow you to order specialty and commemorative coins directly from the national mint. Though mints charge above face value, they often include a certificate of authenticity and quality guarantee. Mints also sell uncirculated and proof coins, which are worth far more than their used counterparts. Buy the book before the coin. This is a common numismatic saying that means you should learn about a coin before spending money on it. Consult current pricing guides, like the printed Handbook of United States Coins or the web-based Professional Coin Grading Service, before committing to any purchases. These will allow you to find and compare the current market price of different coins and grades. For foreign coins, look at nation-specific guides and databases like Numista. For ancient coins, consult specialty books like Ancient Coin Collecting. Avoid underpriced coins from professional sellers. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If a coin is underpriced, check to make sure it's real and hasn't been buffed or polished to hide faults. If you found it at a garage sale, flea market, or similar establishment, the seller may not know the actual value of their merchandise, but specialty sellers and collectors certainly do. Learn how coins are graded. Coins are graded differently depending on the country and individual appraiser, but a good starting place is the Official A.N.A. Grading System for United States Coins. Here, coins are ranked on a scale from 0 to 70, with extra points being given to uncirculated coins. Letters are added to denote quality, like MS for Mint State or VG for Very Good. In this system, the highest quality coin is listed as MS-70. In general, US appraisers are more lenient than UK ones, so be aware that a perfect coin in one country may be considered flawed in another. Some people overgrade their own coins to make them more market friendly. To avoid being conned, make sure to double-check all coins using an official “by the book” standard. Remember that grading, even by a professional service, is subjective and that grading standards change over time. Buy a magnifying glass. For serious collectors, purchase both a low powered and a high powered magnifying glass. This will allow you to look for small imperfections and signs of forgery, like coins with incorrect fonts or askew visual elements. Pay close attention to shiny coins, as details may have been buffed away to appear glossier. Buy a scale. A portable electronic scale is an important investment for collectors making expensive purchases. Weighing a coin and comparing it to collecting guides can help you spot counterfeits made from cheaper materials. Additionally, weighing a coin can help you figure out its melt value, or how much it would go for if melted down into its raw materials. Purchase a safe to put your coins in. For committed collectors, purchase a water and fireproof safe that can be bolted to the ground. This will protect your investment from floods, fires, and burglars, something especially important when dealing with expensive items. If you are collecting particularly rare or expensive coins, upgrade to a safe-deposit box at your local post office or bank for extra security. If you have homeowners insurance to cover your coins, make sure to keep an updated inventory with pictures to prove quality. Avoid extreme temperatures, sunlight, and humidity. Like many other collectibles, coins should be kept in a comfortable, room-temperature environment with little moisture. Avoid attic or basement rooms, areas exposed to direct or indirect sunlight, and humidity, since all have the potential to damage your coins. Purchase coin flips for individual coins. Coin flips are 2x2 holders generally made of vinyl or cardboard. Similar to record or trading card sleeves, they keep your coin away from the elements while allowing you to display them. Avoid poly vinyl (PVC) holders, as they can damage the coin over time, even etching the coin surface. Purchase coin folders, boards, and albums for full collections. Like flips, coin album sleeves contain individual compartments that are bound together on binder-sized sheets. They can be purchased with a binder or separately. Coin folders and boards are specialty, cardboard containers with holes to push coins into. These are usually sold by type, with different folders for quarters, pennies, and the like. | Find a type of coin to collect. Find a good price range for you. Look for coins with little wear. Look for coins that have been verified by outside sources. Feel free to swap. Visit a local coin shop. Go to coin auctions and expos. Join a coin club. Order from a national mint. Buy the book before the coin. Avoid underpriced coins from professional sellers. Learn how coins are graded. Buy a magnifying glass. Buy a scale. Purchase a safe to put your coins in. Avoid extreme temperatures, sunlight, and humidity. Purchase coin flips for individual coins. Purchase coin folders, boards, and albums for full collections. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Egg-Noodles | How to Make Egg Noodles | To make egg noodles, combine 3 cups of sifted flour and a teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Then, make a well in the middle of the mixture, and add 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk. Next, whisk with a fork until half the flour is mixed in with the eggs, then pour in 1/4 cup of water and mix everything together. Afterwards, knead the dough until it forms a soft ball, then roll it out into a rectangle and cut it into long, thin noodles. Finally, cook the noodles in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. | Sift 3 cups of flour into a large bowl. If you don't have a sifter, use a fork or small whisk to break up any clumps so that it is an even powder throughout. Add a teaspoon of salt to the flour and whisk in. You can adjust this to taste, adding another pinch for a slightly saltier pasta, but don't add less. Salt, in small quantities, is a flavor enhancer, bringing out the richness of the eggs. Whisk to mix in evenly. Crack 2 eggs and 1 yolk into the cone-shaped well. Clear a small hole with your fingers in the middle of the flour to make a cone-shaped well. This will make it easy to mix the wet ingredients into the dough evenly. Then add your egg. Want a richer pasta? Add more egg yolk and less whole egg. This will develop a deeper yellow color and the richness some people crave with egg noodles. Use a fork to whisk up the eggs in the well, slowly incorporating the flour. As you whisk, you'll notice the flour slowly adding in as the fork catches the edges of the well. Keep making bigger and bigger swipes to get more and more flour into the egg, then pause about halfway through. Add a quarter cup of water and mix everything with the fork. You want to mix until you have a shaggy, loose dough. Depending on your environment, you may need more water, adding more if it is dry and less if it is humid. Your goal is this loose, shaggy, Play-Doh-like dough. Ditch the fork and knead the dough until it forms a soft, slightly sticky ball. Take the dough and fold it on itself, then press firmly into the top with the heel of your hand to kneed it. Rotate the dough and repeat this 4-5 more times. You'll know the dough is ready when it comes to the texture of wet Play-Doh. If you don't quite like the texture of the dough, you can adjust now: Dough is too sticky: add a tablespoon more flour, sprinkled evenly, as you kneed. Dough is too dry: add a touch of water, slowly, and kneed in. The dough should be a little wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for an hour. This allows the glutens to relax, leading to a more tender noodle This will make it easier for you to work, as well. Leave it in a cool, dry place. In a rush, this step is optional. Still, even 20 minutes will make the dough easier to work with. Lightly flour a large, open counter. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour onto your rolling surface. This will keep the noodle dough from sticking to your work surface. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to your desired thickness. Try and keep the ball of dough at least vaguely rectangular, allowing you to cut out nice long noodles. Keep rolling until the dough is almost paper thin-- when held up with your fingers, you should be able to see the outline of your fingers peeking through the dough. If you want thicker egg noodles, so be it! There is nothing that says you can't have big, beefy noodles. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut noodles. Be quick yet firm with the cutter, getting nice long, even noodles. Many cooks then cut all the noodles in half to make them easier to cook and eat. Cook the noodles in boiling water or chicken broth until they float. This should only be 2-3 minutes as fresh noodles cook incredibly quickly. After the finish, drain immediately and serve. Hang and dry the noodles overnight if you want to save them. The noodles are best fresh, but you can also dry them out if you want to save them to cook later. Simply hang them over the back of a clean chair, on wire hangers, or a dedicated pasta drying rack overnight, then break into smaller pieces and store in an airtight bag the next morning. Use a different liquid in place of water. There are not a whole lot of options here, but you do have some variability when choosing liquids. Try out a low-fat milk for a slightly denser pasta, or use a dry white wine (like a Chardonnay) for a subtle, snappy pasta that goes well with Italian dishes. You could also try out lemon juice, though it should be cut halfway with water to avoid being too acidic. Add a light dusting of black pepper or finely ground herbs for flavored pasta. The most important thing to remember is to make sure they are finely ground, which will avoid lumps or broken pasta when cooking. Try out 2 teaspoons of: Black pepper Thyme Lemon zest Oregano Adjust a ratio of whole eggs and just yolks to make richer or lighter pasta. There are a lot of different theories about how to make the perfect egg noodles, and most of them vary in the number of eggs. When using 3 cups of flour, you have several options -- experiment to find your favorite: 3 yolks, one egg 4 whole eggs 2 whole eggs, 1 yolk, + 1/4 cup milk. Add a tablespoon of melted butter to get a little bit of added flavor. Simply pour the butter into the eggs and liquid mixture before fully blending everything together. This goes especially well if you've substituted milk for water in the earlier stages. | Sift 3 cups of flour into a large bowl. Add a teaspoon of salt to the flour and whisk in. Crack 2 eggs and 1 yolk into the cone-shaped well. Use a fork to whisk up the eggs in the well, slowly incorporating the flour. Add a quarter cup of water and mix everything with the fork. Ditch the fork and knead the dough until it forms a soft, slightly sticky ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for an hour. Lightly flour a large, open counter. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to your desired thickness. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut noodles. Cook the noodles in boiling water or chicken broth until they float. Hang and dry the noodles overnight if you want to save them. Use a different liquid in place of water. Add a light dusting of black pepper or finely ground herbs for flavored pasta. Adjust a ratio of whole eggs and just yolks to make richer or lighter pasta. Add a tablespoon of melted butter to get a little bit of added flavor. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Respond-to-a-Job-Offer | How to Respond to a Job Offer | To respond to a job offer, start by promptly answering, using the same method that you were contacted by, and asking for a few days to consider and review the position. Then, look over the offer carefully, taking into consideration your needs in terms of salary, time off, and advancement opportunities. If you decide you're truly interested in the offer, negotiate any terms of the offer that you're unsatisfied with. Finally, when you're ready to accept the position, confirm the details, such as the job title, pay rate, work hours, and benefits. | Respond to the job offer. Receiving a job offer requires you to respond, whether or not you accept or reject the position in the end. Keep the response positive and inform them that you will return your final decision by a certain date. Respond promptly, but ask for a few days to consider and review the position. Respond using the same method you were contacted by. Review the job offer. Take careful note of exactly what is being offered to you. Pay careful attention to the details to make sure they are acceptable. Consider your needs. Ask yourself if the positions requirements, duties, and compensations are right for you. Consider key aspects of the position such as: Will the proposed salary meet your financial needs? Is the new job in a good location? Will you need to relocate? How far is the commute? Are you able to commute? What benefits, such as insurance or bonuses, are being offered to you? Think about who is offering the position. Research more about the entity offering you the job. Judge if you would be a good fit with the culture. Do you share the same goals as the organization? Do you think you would work well with your potential new coworkers? Are the work conditions safe and professional at the new position? Make your choice. Decide if the position is right for you or not. Choose whichever you feel is best and act on that decision. Understand what you need. Clearly and reasonably think about what you would like to negotiate for and why. You will need great reasons and to be able to explain just why you should get what you are asking for. Consider aspects that you want to discuss such as: Adjusting salary. Flexible hours. Advancement opportunities. Be honest and relatable. Don't come across as greedy or pushy. Express your needs clearly, honestly, and politely. Stay positive and don't highlight negatives. Don't lie in response to any questions you are asked. Answer in a way that still leaves you desirable by your potential employer. Negotiate only if you want the job. Don't make it seem like you could go elsewhere. Make it clear that you can and will accept the proposal if your terms are considered. Only discuss issues of importance to you. Don't negotiate for the sake of negotiating. Understand who you're talking with. Know your contacts personality and work with them. Keep in mind that if you do take the job, you might be working directly with this person. Know that the person you are negotiating with might have their own limits. Work with them as you negotiate, not against. Make contact. Reach the person extending the job offer to you by their specified means. Express your excitement and interest in the company and the position. Confirm details. Review the specifics of your new position. Politely confirm the job title, pay rate, work hours, and benefits you are being offered. Ask for any documentation that details this information. Inquire about your first day. Learn what material you will need to bring with you on your first day. Take notes of these items so you can be best prepared. Always bring a pen and paper at the very least. Ask about the dress code. Find out if you need to bring any forms of identification. Double check your information. Review your contact information and the address of your new position. Make sure you have this information stored somewhere. Confirm your contact details. Make sure that you have all the information you need in order to reach your contact. Know who you will be reporting to the first day at your new position. Ask for their name and phone number at the very least. Learn the names of your immediate supervisor, person training you, and the HR contact person. Plan your first day. Learn the best routes to your new place of work. Check for any possible obstacles such as construction, detours, or poor weather. Think of any other details that will make your first day a success. Leave early so you have plenty of time to arrive. Write down any questions you might have for your first day. Get a good nights rest before your first day. Make your response. Contact the person who extended the job offer to you. Ignoring a job offer will reflect poorly on you. Know that companies might share information about you and that maintaining a good image is key. Respond as soon as you make your decision. Remain courteous and professional. Keep a positive tone. Do not cause a bad impression as you may wish to work with this employer at a later time. Do not highlight any negative aspects you perceive with the offer. Declining a job offer is not the same as ending the relationship. Keep it simple and direct. Thank them sincerely for the offer, time, consideration, and close on something positive. Share, if you wish, your reasons for declining the position. Don't give lengthy reasons for declining the job. Be genuine in your expression. Leave the impression that you would have been a great fit. | Respond to the job offer. Review the job offer. Consider your needs. Think about who is offering the position. Make your choice. Understand what you need. Be honest and relatable. Negotiate only if you want the job. Understand who you're talking with. Make contact. Confirm details. Inquire about your first day. Double check your information. Confirm your contact details. Plan your first day. Make your response. Remain courteous and professional. Keep it simple and direct. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Fake-a-Thick-Russian-Accent | How to Fake a Thick Russian Accent | If you want to fake a thick Russian accent, make sure to roll any “r” sounds, which will make your accent sound more authentic. Additionally, replace “th” sounds with “d,” unless it is at the end of a word, which should be pronounced like “t.” For example, instead of saying “this,” say “dis.” As you work on your pronunciations, say stressed syllables with a higher pitch and for a longer period of time than you would in English. To get a better idea of how to say certain phrases or work on your flow, watch videos and listen to speeches by Russians. That way, you can practice along with them and learn different nuances. | Roll your /r/. As with many European languages, the /r/ is rolled or trilled in Russian. So, when you are speaking English with a Russian accent, make sure you roll your Rs. Doing this consistently will make the accent sound more authentic. Don't trill your /r/ for too long, as this will make the accent sound fake. For instance, when you say the word "very," you will roll the /r/. It may come out sounding like a "d" at first, but with practice you can get the rolling sound down. Replace the sound /th/ with the sound /d/. So instead of saying "this", say "dis". If you do this, it will help enhance your thick Russian accent. Don't do this if you want to portray a lighter Russian accent. This is not true at the ends of words, as in Russian, consonants are not voiced at the ends of words. Instead pronounce /th/ as /t/. For instance, you would say, "cot" for the word "cod" (the fish) instead of "coth". Pronounce ending consonant sounds /d/, /v/, and /z/, as /t/, /f/, and /s/. In Russian, the consonants at the ends of words are not voiced. You would pronounce 'breeze' as 'breese.' Doing this will make your accent sound thicker. For instance, "love" becomes "lof" and "clod" becomes "clot". Pronounce the vowel sound used in words like "In" more like the vowel in "Seen". "I will make this thing bigger" would become "I weel make thees theeng beegger." This is because the long "i" vowel sound occurs infrequently in Russian, so a native Russian speaker who is new to English will be more likely to say "ee" instead of the long "i" sound. Pronounce the short "o" sound in a clipped way. In English, the sound is a diphthong, and you actually pronounce the sounds of "o" and "u," though the latter is very soft. For instance the word "boat" becomes much shorter, more like "bote". As we don't use the sound in English often, it is important to listen to native speakers of Russian. Pronounce initial /w/ as /v/ or vice versa. Because the /w/ sound is not frequent in Russian, it can be difficult for Russian ELLs (English Language Learners) to pick up. While a lot of people usually only change the /w/ to /v/, the error can go both ways. Therefore, a more passable accent should contain both types of errors. For instance, you could say, "Vere is my west?" for "Where is my vest?" Pronounce stressed syllables with a higher pitch and for longer periods of time than in English. With stressed syllables ("stressed" in the word "distressed"), you should raise your pitch and lengthen the syllable just a bit. It shouldn't last forever, but should be noticeable to achieve the Russian accent. Make your tone rise from the beginning and then fall at the end of declarative sentences. This is practically the opposite of intonation we have for questions (interrogative, not declarative sentences) in English where our tones are lower toward the beginning and higher toward the end. Practice this to help your overall speech sound Russian. Slow down. As with most non-native speakers who are fairly new to speaking regularly, a Russian accent in English should be pronounced slower than a typical native English speaker. However, this shouldn't be drawn out so that it becomes ridiculous, just slow enough that it emphasizes the accent. Listen closely to the way they pronounce each sound. It can help to have a transcript to mark up, especially if you are learning the accent for a script. You may want to listen to the recording several times to pick up the specific sounds. You may only concentrate on the 's' in one listening or you may focus on the vowels in another listening. Mimic Russian cadence. Cadence, or the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, affects the way an accent sounds as much as the individual letters. Without the right cadence, you may sound like someone from a completely different area. Take Tom Kaine's impression of Donald Trump—he sounds nothing like Trump's New York accent. Listen for tone. Tone can affect the way a sentence sounds as well. You can read about a tone should shift, but because of subtle differences between accents, it is important to hear it for yourself. Choose a recording or video with a lot of sentence variety so you can hear the way declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences sound in a particular accent. In Russian, declarative sentences should be much more monotone than in English. Instead of emphasizing a word to give it meaning, such as "I do NOT want to go" (with all-caps represented heightened stress on a word," you would say "I do not want to go." For questions, the emphasis should fall on the word that is in question. For instance, instead of "Have you seen the new moVIE?," you would say, "Have you seen the NEW movie?" This can make the sentence seem rude to native English speakers. Listen to a variety of Russian accents. Choose an accent that works for your character. Accents reflect not only region but class and historical period. For instance, in 19th-century Russia, the upper class was very familiar with French, and they often threw French terms into their dialogue. This kind of detail will allow you to perfect an accent. Watch a video. This will help you see the way a Russian moves their mouth when speaking English. Oftentimes it can be easy to ignore this facet, but it can make the difference between a convincing and an unconvincing accent. | Roll your /r/. Replace the sound /th/ with the sound /d/. Pronounce ending consonant sounds /d/, /v/, and /z/, as /t/, /f/, and /s/. Pronounce the vowel sound used in words like "In" more like the vowel in "Seen". Pronounce the short "o" sound in a clipped way. Pronounce initial /w/ as /v/ or vice versa. Pronounce stressed syllables with a higher pitch and for longer periods of time than in English. Make your tone rise from the beginning and then fall at the end of declarative sentences. Slow down. Listen closely to the way they pronounce each sound. Mimic Russian cadence. Listen for tone. Listen to a variety of Russian accents. Watch a video. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Unpop-Your-Ears | How to Unpop Your Ears | If you need to unpop your ears, open your mouth in an O shape and try to yawn. If that doesn't work on first few tries, tilt your head back and thrust your jaw forward. This may open your Eustachian tubes and relieve the pressure in your ears. If you're still feeling pressure, chew a large piece of gum, or 2 pieces at once if you need to. | Open your mouth slightly and yawn. Open it about as far as you would to say "ahhh," and attempt a yawn. Keep open your mouth slowly with your mouth in an "O" shape, until you break into a full yawn. Stop when you have felt your ears un-pop. Repeat if the first yawn didn't work. You will know it when the pressure re-balances. You'll not only hear and feel a pop, you'll suddenly hear much more clearly than you did when your ears were clogged. Tilt your head back and thrust your jaw forward. Looking to the sky will put your Eustachian tubes into the proper position. Thrusting your jaw forward may help promote a yawn, and may open your Eustachian tubes and relieve the pressure. Chew a piece of gum. If yawning doesn't work, chewing gum—or even mimicking the act of chewing gum—might. The movement helps equalize the pressure between the inside and outside of your ear. You can also chew gum to prevent your ears from becoming stuffed up. Start chewing a stick of gum when you know you'll be dealing with altitude changes, and head the blockage off at the pass. Chew a large piece of gum. The chewing motion needs to be large enough to open your throat and equalize the pressure in your ears. If you don't have anything to chew, make exaggerated fake chewing motions, as if you'd bitten off more than you could chew. Literally. Suck on hard candies or lozenges. Sucking for a while on a hard candy, mint, or some kind of lozenge can equalize the pressure. Don't chew it–you're not just eating candy!–but suck on it for a while to create the pressurizing effect. Drink a large glass of water. The drinking motion combines many of the already-effective techniques all in one. Pour yourself a large glass of water, tilt your head back to position your Eustachian tubes, and take large gulps to help equalize the pressure in your ears. If done correctly, you should feel your ears unpop and any pain should be relieved. Create some pressure, very carefully, if you've got water in your ears. If you've just gotten out of the water and feel that irritating water-pressure-pain, you can use gravity by bending over at the waist with the popped ear parallel to the ground. Place the pad of one of your fingers across–not in–your ear, moving it on and off, like a toilet plunger. This can help to gently change the pressure in your ear and unpop them or change the pressure enough to expel any water that's gotten caught. Never stick your finger into your ear. You're not trying to dig the water out, you're just trying to change the pressure. Sticking your finger too far into your ear can cause hearing damage. Perform the Valsalva maneuver. Sounds complicated, but it's simple. The concept of the Valsalva maneuver is to apply counter pressure to the Eustachian tubes by exhaling gently. Pinch your nose, close your mouth, and gently attempt to exhale through your nose. This should open your ears up and allow the pressure to equalize. Be extremely gentle. The Valsalva maneuver does not need to be forced. If done too hard and too frequently, it can irritate and inflame the Eustachian tubes, which will make it that much harder to clear them. For some people, it helps to bend over while doing this to get it to work. Bend down as if you were stretching by touching your toes. Alternately try the Valsalva maneuver, then release the pinch on your nose and suck in a big breath of air. Continue alternating these two things, while bent down, to help relieve pressure and pop your ears. Don't be afraid to call the doctor. If your ears frequently feel stuffed up or like they need to be popped, your condition could be from a more serious sinus problem which is causing persistent inflammation. See your doctor, who may suggest that you take an over-the-counter pain medication, a nasal spray, or an antibiotic. In the meantime, take steps to reduce your ear pain or infection. If you think the pain might be a result of TMJ pain (a problem with the joint that connects your jaw to your cranium), it might also be useful to visit a dentist, oral surgeon, or ear-nose-throat specialist. Get a prescription ear popper from a doctor. If you still can't un-pop your ears, talk to your doctor about an ear popper. The ear popper helps to equalize pressure on the inside and outside of your eardrum, thus un-popping it. While it's expensive, and may need to be acquired by prescription, it may be just what the doctor ordered. Flush your sinuses regularly. If you're experiencing congested sinuses as a result of cold or allergy, your ears can become plugged and throw your equilibrium off balance, making them feel as if they need to pop. To correct the issue, address your congestion by flushing your sinuses regularly and gently with warm salty water. Using sinus rinses as directed can be safe and effective, but keep in mind that they need to be cleaned and used properly to avoid infection or other complications. Neti-pots are widely available and can be used by filling with warm, distilled water mixed with a little salt. Tilt your head over the sink and pour water into one nostril, so it flows through your sinus cavity and out the other nostril. It feels kind of funky the first time, but offers serious relief to a clogged sinus. If your sinuses are so plugged the water has trouble making it all the way through, the change in pressure might still be enough to relieve the congestion and relieve the clogged sensation in your ears. Make sure you clean your neti-pot after each use and use only distilled or sterile water to avoid introducing any harmful bacteria into your system. Take an antihistamine or decongestant before your symptoms worsen. Be proactive in protecting yourself against clogged sinuses and plugged-up ears. If you regularly struggle with your sinuses, don't wait until you've got a powerful pain and pressure in your ears to figure out how to unpop them. Head that pressure off at the pass by addressing your sinus issues with over-the-counter medication. Take a warm bath and submerge your ears. If you're sick and want some relief for clogged ears, draw a warm bath and lay back with your ears under the surface of the water. Tilt your chin back and swallow hard a few times to see if your ears can unpop that way. The change in pressure can help to equalize your ears, and the steam from the hot water can also help to relieve your congestion issues. After you get out of the bath, if you're still feeling pressure, bend over so your ear is parallel to the ground and press your finger over the entrance to your ear canal to create some pressure. If you have an ear infection or swimmer's ear, skip submerging your ears, as this can make the infection worse. However, the steam from a warm bath or shower may still help reduce your congestion and open up your ears. Blow your nose gently. Blowing your nose is essentially a version of the Valsalva maneuver, with the added benefit of relieving a stuffed-up nose. Use a tissue and plug one nostril at a time, blowing very gently out of the other. This should help to equalize the pressure in your ears. It's important to be extremely gentle. Making a big nose trumpet into a tissue can make it worse, potentially rupturing your eardrums or making your pain worse. Be very gentle. Gargle warm, salted water. Try to get the water you gargle as warm as possible without burning the inside of your mouth. Add about a teaspoon (5 ml) of salt to a coffee mug of water and dissolve. Gargle repeatedly, taking one minute breaks in between gargles. Finish the entire mug of warm water and then take at least a 30 minute break before trying again. Unplug your ears with vinegar and rubbing alcohol. If you suspect that the pressure imbalance in your middle ear is due to a buildup of earwax, it could be helpful to unplug your ear before trying other methods. If you suspect an ear infection, consult a doctor before trying this method. Here's how you do it: Mix equal parts vinegar and 70% isopropyl alcohol. This solution will help loosen up the wax in your ear and unblock it. Lean your head gently to the side and apply a few drops of the vinegar solution into the ear with a medicine dropper. Keep your head tilted for a short while and then return it to its normal position. You may feel the vinegar solution run back down out of your ear. Repeat with the other ear. Flush your ear out with water after using vinegar and alcohol. While the vinegar solution will evaporate because of the alcohol content, it's probably a good idea to flush the ears afterwards. Apply a few drops of water in a medicine dropper to the ears while your head is tilted sideways before tilting the head over to encourage discharge. Eat something super spicy, like a jalapeno pepper. It's not the most pleasant taste or sensation, but it sure will get your mucus running. Blow your nose and move your jaw around when the mucus really starts flowing. You may experience a popping in your ears. Try craniosacral therapy. Developed at the turn of the 20th century, craniosacral therapy seeks to re-balance the "natural rhythm of cerebrospinal flow." Although it's used for a wide range of disorders and therapies, it may be helpful in correcting the pressure imbalance in the Eustachian tubes that creates congestion in ears. Many of craniosacral therapy's claims are unproven. If you're desperate for alternatives though, it can't do any harm. Visit a chiropractor. If your ear discomfort stems from a problem in your neck or jaw, a good chiropractor may be able to make adjustments that will help. Consult with a licensed chiropractor, and tell them that you are looking for help with ear pain or discomfort. Try acupuncture. Acupuncture can be used to treat everything from ligament pain the foot to jaw discomfort and even ear inflammation. Visit an acupuncturist and talk to them about your problem if you've tried every trick in the book and still can't get your ears to pop. | Open your mouth slightly and yawn. Tilt your head back and thrust your jaw forward. Chew a piece of gum. Suck on hard candies or lozenges. Drink a large glass of water. Create some pressure, very carefully, if you've got water in your ears. Perform the Valsalva maneuver. Don't be afraid to call the doctor. Get a prescription ear popper from a doctor. Flush your sinuses regularly. Take an antihistamine or decongestant before your symptoms worsen. Take a warm bath and submerge your ears. Blow your nose gently. Gargle warm, salted water. Unplug your ears with vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Flush your ear out with water after using vinegar and alcohol. Eat something super spicy, like a jalapeno pepper. Try craniosacral therapy. Visit a chiropractor. Try acupuncture. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Replace-a-Texas-Driver%27s-License | How to Replace a Texas Driver's License | If you live in Texas, replacing your lost or stolen driver's license is relatively simple. You'll need to fill out an application form for a new license, which you can find on the department of motor vehicles website or at their local office. Submit your application in person so you can also present acceptable proof of ID, like a passport or military ID. If you don't have either of these documents, bring 2 secondary forms of ID, like your birth certificate and health insurance card. If you only have 1 form of secondary ID, bring 2 supporting documents, like a voter registration card and a social security card. There's also an 11 dollar processing fee that you'll need to pay at that time. The DMV agent will give you instructions for getting your picture taken and having a thumbprint taken to confirm your identity on the card. | Find a DMV office near you. To replace your lost or stolen license, you will have to show up to a DMV office in person. Use your city or postal code to search online for the nearest Texas location. For searchable listings of all Texas DMV offices, visit the DMV website at https://www.dmv.org/tx-texas/dmv-office-finder.php. Check the operating hours of each office before visiting one, as they can vary between locations. Fill out form DL-43 to apply for a replacement license. You will need to submit a completed application for the renewal, replacement, or change of a Texas driver's license when you go to the DMV. Fill out your personal and contact information and answer all of the questions below by indicating "yes" or "no." Print out this form from the Texas Department of Public Safety website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-43.pdf. If you don't have a printer you can obtain a copy of this form at the DMV and complete it in person. Form DL-43 is available in English and Spanish. Do not leave any fields on the form blank. Present acceptable proof of ID or supporting documents. To confirm your identity, bring a primary document that proves who you are, such as a passport or military ID. If you do not have one of these forms of identification, bring 2 secondary forms of ID, like your birth certificate and health insurance card. If you only have 1 form of secondary ID, bring 2 supporting documents, such as a voter registration card and social security card. To view a complete list of all of the acceptable documents for both primary and secondary forms of ID, visit the Texas Department of Safety website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-57.pdf. Note that photocopies of these documents will not be accepted. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will need to present a valid U.S. passport, permanent resident card, or foreign passport with an attached temporary I-551. Pay the $11 processing fee to complete your application. Once your application form and ID have been reviewed and accepted by a DMV agent, pay the $11 fee for a replacement license. You can pay by cash, check, money order, or major credit card. Hold onto your receipt for proof of this payment. Have your picture taken and submit a thumbprint. Once you have paid for your new license, you will need to provide visual proof of identification for your new card. Follow the DMV agent's instructions for getting your picture taken. Submit a thumbprint that will also confirm your identity on the card. If you are required by law to wear glasses while driving, wear them for your ID photo as well. Access the the Texas Driver License Renewal and Change of Address system. If you want to replace your Texas driver's license to update the address, do so on the official website of the state. To use this online service you will need a copy of your current driver's license. To access this service, visit the Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License Division's page at https://txapps.texas.gov/tolapp/txdl/. This online service can't be used to replace a lost or stolen license. Enter information from your current license to login to the service. To access the Driver License Renewal and Change of Address system, type enter your date of birth and the last 4 digits of your social security number when prompted to. Refer to your current license to enter your license number. Enter the audit number that appears towards the bottom of your license as well. Note that all of these fields are required. if you are missing any of this information, you will have to present yourself at DMV office to change your address on your license. Type in your new address. Once you are logged in, select the option for changing your driver's license address. Type in your new address in full. Double check the information before proceeding to the next step. Pay a $25 fee with a valid credit card. Once you have updated your address and confirmed it, you will have to pay for your new card. Use a valid Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express card to pay the $25 fee. Carefully enter the credit card number as well as the cardholder's name and 3-digit security number. Print a temporary license to use until your new license arrives by mail. Once you renew your license with the correct address, you can print a temporary license to use. This temporary license will be valid for 45 days. Use your temporary license until you receive the new one by mail, which should arrive within the same 45 day period. | Find a DMV office near you. Fill out form DL-43 to apply for a replacement license. Present acceptable proof of ID or supporting documents. Pay the $11 processing fee to complete your application. Have your picture taken and submit a thumbprint. Access the the Texas Driver License Renewal and Change of Address system. Enter information from your current license to login to the service. Type in your new address. Pay a $25 fee with a valid credit card. Print a temporary license to use until your new license arrives by mail. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Your-C-Section-Scar | How to Care for Your C Section Scar | If the delivery of your baby involved a C section, look after your scar so it can heal quickly. For the first 24 hours, keep it covered with a sterile bandage to reduce the risk of infection. You'll also want to stay in bed for the first 12 to 18 hours to let the site begin to heal, but after that, it's important to stand up and try to walk around to increase circulation. Once the bandages are removed, expose your incision to air by avoiding tight clothing. When your doctor gives you the go-ahead, clean the area with mild soapy water, but avoid scrubbing the area, which could cause irritation. Check your scar daily to make sure there's no bleeding or discharge, which could indicate an infection. | Listen to and follow your doctors instructions. Following your C section the doctor will likely give you a list of instructions on how to properly care for the incision scar. It is very important that you listen to your doctor and follow all of the instructions carefully. You don't want to end up back in the hospital dealing with an infection that could have been avoided. Cover the scar with a bandage. For the first twenty fours after your C section, your scar will be covered with a sterile bandage to reduce the chance of an infection. Your doctor will put on the bandage immediately following the procedure. These bandages will then be removed by your doctor or a nurse about 24 hours after the surgery. Take anti-inflammatory medication. Immediately following the procedure you will be given anti-inflammatory and pain medications to help reduce the swelling and pain caused by the surgery. These medications do not impact your ability to breastfeed and should be taken to help with your recovery. Make sure that your follow the directions carefully. Some hospital staff may encourage women to hold an ice pack to the incision area for the first day to help reduce swelling. Stay in bed for 12-18 hours after the surgery. You will need to stay in bed for anywhere from 12 to 18 hours following the surgery. During this time, you will be hooked up to a catheter so you will not need to get up to go to the washroom. This rest time is necessary to allow your body to recover. Once the catheter has been removed, you should stand up and try walking around. This can begin to promote healing in your scar because it will help increase your blood circulation. Have any staples removed before leaving the hospital. Prior to being discharged from the hospital, which will usually be about four days after delivery, your doctor will remove the staples from the incision. If your doctor used stitches instead of staples they will fall out on their own and do not need to be removed. Expose the incision to air. Once the bandages have been removed, it is important that you expose your incision to the air. This will help promote healing. This does not mean that you have to walk around all day in a state of undress. Instead, avoid wearing tight clothes so that air can reach the scar. Do not lift heavy objects. For the first few weeks after the surgery you should avoid lifting heavy objects. It is recommended that you not lift anything that is heavier than your newborn baby. This is so that you do not irritate your incision or cause tearing from over exertion. Hold off on any rigorous physical activity for at least 4-6 weeks to allow the scar to heal. Ask your doctor about applying creams to the incision. Some doctors recommend applying anti-bacterial ointments to the scar tissue to help with healing. Other doctors believe that the best way to heal the incision is to avoid putting anything on the wound. Ask your doctor what is best for your particular incision. About 6 weeks after the surgery you can begin to moisturize the area with creams. Avoid taking a bath. Immediately following the C section, you should avoid fully submerging the scar in water. This means you should not take a bath or go swimming. Ask your doctor how long you should wait before taking a shower. Wash with a mild soap. You can still take a shower and clean the scar by allowing mild soapy water to wash over the incision area. Do not scrub the area. This could cause irritation and may lead to tearing. Once the incision starts to heal, usually after a few weeks, you can resume your regular cleaning routine. Dry the area after showering. Once you have finished taking a shower, you should gently pat dry the area around the scar. You do not want to rub it to aggressively because this may cause irritation. Check the scar daily. You should get in the habit of checking the incision area daily. Make sure that the incision does not separate. If you notice any bleeding or if the incision has a green or pus-coloured discharge, you should see your doctor immediately. This could signal that your scar has developed an infection. Feel the scar. When you leave the hospital your incision will feel soft to the touch, but over the next few days you may begin to notice that if feels hard. This is completely normal and is called the healing ridge. Monitor your scar for the first year. Your scar may appear slightly darker approximately one month after delivery. This is normal and the colour will begin to fade. At some point, approximately 6 months to a year after the procedure, your scar will stop changing. Typically incision scars are small and not noticeable. | Listen to and follow your doctors instructions. Cover the scar with a bandage. Take anti-inflammatory medication. Stay in bed for 12-18 hours after the surgery. Have any staples removed before leaving the hospital. Expose the incision to air. Do not lift heavy objects. Ask your doctor about applying creams to the incision. Avoid taking a bath. Wash with a mild soap. Dry the area after showering. Check the scar daily. Feel the scar. Monitor your scar for the first year. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Flip-a-Coin | How to Flip a Coin | If you want to flip a coin, make a fist with your thumb pointing up toward the sky, then tuck the tip your thumb beneath your index finger. Place the coin over the gap between your thumb and index finger so it's sitting on top of both fingers. To flip the coin, quickly snap your thumb upward. This will push the coin into the air, causing it to flip over and over. Watch the coin in the air and either catch it or pay attention to where it rolls after it hits the floor. Whoever called the side that's facing up is the winner of the toss. | Choose the right coin. There isn't really a "best" coin for tossing. It's really about personal preference and hand size. Newer coins with more defined markings can make it easier to call your toss. On newer coins you can feel the faces and edges a bit better. If you are flipping the coin as part of a trick, it's good to have a specific coin in mind. Not necessarily because it will make any difference, but because it gives you something to talk about as part of your misdirection. Make a fist with your thumb facing up. Your thumb is the finger that will push the coin into the air. You'll want it facing up so that the coin will go up. Put your thumb under your index finger. You don't want it sticking all the way through between your first two fingers, just get the edge of your thumb under there. When you bring your thumb up for the toss, this will give you a little resistance, helping create a quick move to strike the coin. Place the coin over the gap created by your thumb and index finger. It should sit on top of both fingers, and not fall off when you don't hold it in place. You won't be holding the coin in place when you flip it, so it needs to sit there without help. Quickly pull your thumb up. This snap motion will push the coin into the air, causing it to flip over and over. You can also push your hand upwards as you do this. Gently doing so will give you a softer toss, meaning the coin will spin fewer times. Watch the coin in the air. This isn't to track the flips, just so you either can catch it or track it down if it rolls after hitting the floor. Flipping the coin won't do you any good if you can't find it to see which side came up. Decide how the toss will end. You need to know what you will be looking for when you toss the coin into the air. Will you catch it, or let it hit the ground? If you catch it, do you reveal the coin as is, or flip it over to place somewhere else (giving it one final flip)? If you are using it to make a decision with another person, making these decisions clear will prevent either of you from complaining about the result afterwards. On the other hand, if you are comfortable with the steps below, and can set the coin and get the toss off quickly, you can put the other person off guard, and maybe get a more favorable result. Be the chooser. If possible, make sure you are the one choosing heads or tails, so you can see the tossing conditions and make your guess accordingly. Alternatively, you can also make sure you are the one tossing the coin. That way you'll be able to control the conditions to give yourself an edge. See which side is facing up. While a coin toss is generally considered a 50-50 proposition, the different designs on each face actually make it more of a 51-49 possibility in favor of the side facing up. That may not seem like a big difference, but when you are trying to guess right, every little bit helps. This works best with new coins. The older a coin is, the more it has been scuffed up or otherwise gained imperfections, which changes the physics behind each toss. Take into account how the toss will end as well. If the tosser (you or the other person) is going to catch the coin and flip it over onto another surface (their hand, a table), then pick the side facing down. The extra flip after the coin lands will account for the difference. If you are the tosser, and want a little extra degree of sneakiness, you can judge the side of the coin by the feel. The "Tails" side usually has a more ornate design, so should feel rougher on your finger than "Heads." Keep your tosses soft. A softer toss will cause the coin to flip fewer times, meaning you can track it's movement more easily. Practice your flipping. Like any skill, flipping a coin is something you can improve with practice. The more you do it, the more consistent you can make your tosses, which can make you a better judge of how many times the coin will flip in the air. | Choose the right coin. Make a fist with your thumb facing up. Put your thumb under your index finger. Place the coin over the gap created by your thumb and index finger. Quickly pull your thumb up. Watch the coin in the air. Decide how the toss will end. Be the chooser. See which side is facing up. Keep your tosses soft. Practice your flipping. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Balut | How to Eat Balut | To eat balut, start by finding the stamped end of the egg if there is one, or the fatter, more rounded end if there isn't. Then, tap that end of the egg with the bottom of a spoon to break the shell, and pick away the cracked pieces to make a small opening. After that, make sure you pick away the layer of skin just below the shell, so you have access to the broth. Next, season the broth to taste before you suck it from the hole. When you finish the broth, peel off the rest of the shell, season the egg, and enjoy it in a couple of big bites! | Find a vendor who sells raw balut eggs. Balut eggs may be difficult to find, but check with Filipino restaurants, Asian grocery stores, specialty delis, and even local duck farmers to find a supplier of raw, fertilized duck eggs. Balut eggs are usually incubated for about 16 to 18 days before they're boiled and eaten. Look for eggs with thick shells and no cracks. Boil a pot of water. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, use tongs or a slotted spoon to gently place the egg in the water. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and boil the egg for 30 minutes. Remove the egg from the water. When the 30 minutes is up, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the egg and immerse it in a bowl filled with ice water. This will stop the cooking process and help cool the egg faster. Serve with beer. If you're serving balut at a party or to a group of people, it is traditionally served as a snack that's paired with beer. Simply place the eggs in a basket or bowl and serve them with your desired seasonings. Make sure each person has an egg cup, shallow bowl, and spoon. Locate the rounded end. Some balut eggs will come with a stamp on one end, and that is the end you're supposed to open. If your egg isn't stamped, find the fatter, rounded end of the egg (as opposed to the more pointed end). Place the egg in an egg cup or ramekin with the pointed side down. If you don't have these items, use a small cup or plate. The pointed end of the egg contains the egg white, while the rounded end contains the yolk and broth. Break the shell with a spoon. Use the bottom of a spoon and tap the rounded side of the egg three times to break the shell. Pick away the cracked bits of shell to form a small opening in the top of the egg, being careful not to let pieces of egg shell fall into the broth. Create an opening in the egg about the size of a bottle cap. Use your fingers to pick away at the layer of skin protecting the egg just beneath the shell. This will release the broth. Prepare your seasoning. Balut is often eaten with salt, pepper, vinegar, chili pepper, or diced green onion. Take your desired seasonings and mix them together in a small, shallow bowl. Season and drink the broth. Take a small spoonful of seasoning and drop it into the hole you made in the egg shell. Use the spoon to gently stir the seasoning into the broth. When the broth has been seasoned to your liking, put the egg up to your mouth and suck the broth out from the hole in the shell. Break apart the remaining shell. Once you've slurped the broth out of the egg, use your fingers to pick at the shell and peel it away to expose the rest of the egg. Eat the egg. There are two basic ways you can eat the egg from this point on. For the first way, season the egg by sprinkling it with seasoning or rolling it around in your seasoning bowl. Then, eat the egg yolk and embryo together in one or two bites. To savor the egg a little more, use a spoon to break away bites of the yolk, and dip each bite in your seasoning bowl. When you've eaten the yolk, move on to the embryo and eat small bites in the same fashion. The balut egg white is edible, but some people choose not to eat it because it's tough and rubbery. | Find a vendor who sells raw balut eggs. Boil a pot of water. Remove the egg from the water. Serve with beer. Locate the rounded end. Break the shell with a spoon. Prepare your seasoning. Season and drink the broth. Break apart the remaining shell. Eat the egg. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Groom-a-Horse | How to Groom a Horse | To groom a horse, start by using a hoof pick to remove any debris. Next use a curry comb in a vigorous circular motion against the grain of the hair to bring up loose hair and dirt. Then take a dandy brush and work in short, straight, flicking motions to take the dirt and hair off your horse. Once you've removed the debris and dirt, use a soft brush to remove any remaining dust and hair. You can use a washcloth to then clean your horse's face and under the tail. Finally, brush the mane and tail with a wide-bristled comb to get tangles out. | Secure your horse. Although some horses are trained well enough to stand still while grooming, many will feel the natural need to move their feet and shift around. Keep your horse in place by tying the lead rope above the height of his withers. Use a quick-release knot , securing him to a post, or have a friend or colleague hold the rope. If you're tying your horse to a ring or post, always use a quick-release knot. A horse that spooks while he is tied often tries to escape by pulling back against the rope with all of his force. This is dangerous for both you and the horse. He may break his neck and you may be seriously injured. You may wish to keep a Marlinspike in your grooming kit, which is a tool that can loosen too-tight knots or cut a rope in an emergency. Pick your horse's hooves. To pick up her foot, run your hand down her leg and gently squeeze her tendon. If she doesn't lift her foot, lean against her shoulder, squeeze her leg, and use your other hand to quickly grab your horse's hoof. Using a hoof pick, start at the heel of the foot and pick forward to the toe, carefully removing all rocks, dirt and debris. Make sure to clean the grooves on either side of the frog, the V-shaped part of the hoof. You should neither pick the horse's frog or dig deeply into the grooves. If the frog is unhealthy, that is, it is very black, squishy, soft and foul-smelling, be very careful with the hoof pick and have your farrier or veterinarian advise you. By picking out your horse's feet, you can help prevent lameness by removing stones or foreign objects like a nail or screw that could pierce the frog or cause bruising. Picking the hooves out before riding is essential, especially if your horse is wearing shoes. A shod foot does not clean itself when a horse moves, so cleaning can make walking much more comfortable for your horse. Picking your horse's feet can also help remove and prevent thrush, a sticky black fungus that develops around the frog. The best times to pick your horse's feet are before and after a ride. Use a curry comb to remove loose hair from the horse. Rubber curry combs are made to loosen up dirt, mud, and bits of things caught in your horse's coat. Currying should always be performed before brushing for the best results. Use the curry in vigorous, small circular motions over the horse's muscles, and be extremely careful on bony areas like the face, spine, and legs. Most horses enjoy currying, since it is kind of like a massage. On one side of the horse, work your way from the neck, to the barrel, and all the way to the rump. Then, repeat on the other side of the horse. If your horse is a riding horse, remember to to brush well in your horse's girth area. The curry comb should be rubbed in a circular motion in the direction opposite of the hair growth. This will pull up loose hairs and dirt that otherwise would just be brushed over. If you find “itchy spots” on your horse, he may make a funny face, pushing his nose away from his lips, or he may even try to groom you. Be careful; if he wiggles his nose on you, he may also try to nip you just the same way horses groom each other. A horse doesn't understand that grooming you could hurt you, but your skin is much thinner than a horse's. If he tries to groom you, just push his nose away and know you found an “itchy spot” and he really enjoyed that good scratch. Use a dandy brush (also called the hard brush). A dandy brush is a hard-bristled brush used to take off the dirt and hair brought out by the curry comb. Brush in short, straight, flicking motions to allow the bristles to get all the way through the coat and whisk the dirt out. Start at the neck and work towards the tail. It's not recommended to use a hard brush on the horse's legs, as they are much more sensitive than the body. The legs are bony and narrow and it is uncomfortable for the horse if brushed too hard with the dandy brush. Do not use on the face, ears, mane, tail, legs, or any clipped area, as this can cause the horse to be in immediate discomfort. If necessary, use a soft cloth or sponge on any sensitive parts of the horse where the dandy seems to bother or irritate her. Clean up with a soft brush (also known as the body brush). The soft brush, as its name suggests, can be used on all areas of the horse as a result of its texture. You should still be careful and gentle around the face and around the eyes, ears, and muzzle. The soft brush removes any remaining surface dust and hair. Finish up your body-grooming by brushing down the entire body, including sensitive areas like the face and legs. If you want to use a separate brush for the face, use a face brush. They are designed for brushing horses' faces. They look like miniature soft brushes and are much easier to fit on a horse's face. Clean the horse's face. Take a damp sponge or washcloth, wipe your horse's eyes, and clean out his nose. Use a different sponge/cloth/wipe for the dock area (under the tail). Because these areas are constantly moist, dirt and mucus build up and need to be cleaned out. Always remember to be gentle when doing this; these areas are sensitive. Use different brushes, sponges, and cloths for each horse if you are grooming multiple horses. Infection and skin fungus, like ringworm, can be spread by sharing grooming tools. Brush out the mane and tail. Use a wide-bristled mane comb or brush to get tangles out of the mane and tail. Before you start, use your fingers to separate the hairs caught in large tangles. Hold the whole tail/large section of mane in one hand (to avoid tugging) and brush it out with the other. Continue taking small pieces from the side of the tail until you have brushed the whole tail. When brushing the tail, stand to the side of the horse. This way, if the horse kicks out, you are in a safer position and less likely to be hurt. Make sure to talk to the horse and keep your hand on the horse to keep her attention on you. If you want to use a hair product, use natural mane/tail sprays that are all-natural rather than silicone-based. Spray it on and work it in; other than helping with the detangling, it will moisturize and make the hair look shiny. If it is summer or hot out, you may want to spray the horse with fly spray. Flies can be a major irritant to your horse. They can build up around the face, spread infections, and large flies, called horse flies, can bite and cause pain. The flies will most likely annoy you, too. Just spray the solution on the horse, being careful to avoid the face. There are both natural and chemical fly sprays on the market. Never stand directly behind your horse while grooming. Stand always to one side of the legs. If he begins kicking or moving, you will not be in danger of getting kicked. If you must be behind his back end or hind legs, keep a hand firmly touching him and speak to him so knows you are there. You can also cross behind him by simply crossing well beyond the reach of his legs. Don't ever try to cross in front of a horse. You can get tangled in his rope, trip, or be crushed or kicked if he jumps or moves forward. Approach your horse at an angle. Your horse has blind spots directly in front of and behind her. To avoid surprising her, make sure you approach from an angle or the side so she can see you, and announce your presence in a calm voice. Move calmly and deliberately. Your horse will be reassured by calm, slow, deliberate movements. This also gives you a chance to watch for his reaction — if your horse shows signs of agitation when you touch a specific spot, you know to be more gentle or leave that spot alone. Wear the proper shoes. Your horse may accidentally step on your foot, and if you are barefoot or wearing sneakers or sandals, your foot will get crushed (horses generally weigh over 1,000 pounds). Wear sturdy boots that will protect your toes. Be ready to move. Your horse has the nature and speed of any prey animal when startled or frightened, and you need to be ready to get out of the way if she gets scared. Sitting, kneeling, or lingering around your horse's feet may not only make her nervous, it may make it more difficult for you to move to safety. Instead, you can crouch, squat, or bend over if you need to get low on your horse's body. | Secure your horse. Pick your horse's hooves. Use a curry comb to remove loose hair from the horse. Use a dandy brush (also called the hard brush). Clean up with a soft brush (also known as the body brush). Clean the horse's face. Brush out the mane and tail. If it is summer or hot out, you may want to spray the horse with fly spray. Never stand directly behind your horse while grooming. Approach your horse at an angle. Move calmly and deliberately. Wear the proper shoes. Be ready to move. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-a-Heavy-Period | How to Deal With a Heavy Period | The best way to deal with a heavy period is to use high absorbency pads or tampons and change them out every 3-4 hours. If you overflow, stay calm, take a shower, and change into clean, dark clothes. If your heavy flow bothers you, talk to your doctor about making your period lighter with birth control or getting tested for medical problems that may be causing your heavy flow. | Discuss your period with your doctor. If your heavy period bothers you, talk to your doctor about ways to make it better. If it's right for you, they can give you medicine (usually birth control) to make your period less heavy. When you go for your visit be ready to tell them how often you get your periods and how long they last, and about how many pads or tampons you use in a day. Sometimes a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) can help with heavy periods. It depends on which kind of IUD is used – non-hormonal IUDs may increase bleeding. Have a blood test to check your hormone balance. Sometimes, heavy menstrual bleeding is caused by an imbalance in your hormones. If heavy bleeding is a consistent problem for you, ask your doctor about getting your hormone levels checked. This can be done with a simple blood test. Your doctor can give you medication, usually birth control, to regulate any unbalanced hormones. Get checked for uterine growths if you develop heavier periods. Uterine polyps and uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) growths that can occur in the uterus and cause heavier bleeding. These usually develop in your 20's-30's. If you had normal periods in the past that have become heavier, ask your doctor about the possibility of uterine growths. Another condition called adenomyosis causes heavy bleeding and painful cramps. Ask your doctor about this if you're middle-aged and have had children – that's when this condition most commonly occurs. Consider other medical issues as a possible cause for your heavy periods. Some women just have heavier periods than others; in some cases, however, medical conditions cause heavy menstruation. These can be diagnosed with a physical exam, ultrasound, biopsy, or other procedure. If you want to understand your heavy period, work with your doctor to rule out the following possible causes: A bleeding disorder that you inherited from your parents; you will probably have other signs of easy bleeding other than your heavy period Endometriosis Pelvic inflammatory disease Thyroid disfunction Kidney or liver problems Cancers of the uterus, cervix, or ovaries (rarely) Watch out for anemia. Iron deficiency anemia can occur if you have really heavy periods. This is when you lose so much blood that it depletes how much iron you have in your body. You will likely feel tired or fatigued. You might also have pale skin, a sore tongue, headaches or dizziness, or a fast heartbeat. If you think you're anemic, go to your doctor to get your iron level checked. Preempt your blood loss by taking a multivitamin that has iron in it, or ask your doctor whether you should take an iron supplement. It can also help to eat iron-rich foods like red meat, seafood, spinach, and fortified cereals and breads. Get enough vitamin C to enhance how your body absorbs iron. Eat foods like oranges, broccoli, leafy greens, and tomatoes. If you feel dizzy or notice that your heart pounds whenever you get up, it is a sign that you may have low blood volume. Drink more fluids including something salty, such as tomato juice or a salty broth. See your doctor if you have a missed, irregular, or extremely heavy period. An extremely heavy flow is one where you soak nine to 12 tampons or pads during your period. Periods come in all shapes and sizes, but some issues suggest you should talk to your doctor about what's going on. Make an appointment to see your regular doctor or your gynecologist if you have any of the following problems: You miss your period, if you've been having them regularly. Your period lasts longer than 7 days. You bleed so heavily you need to change pads or tampons more than every 1-2 hours. You have debilitating cramps. Your period goes from being regular to being irregular. You have bleeding in between your periods. Seek emergency medical care if you have signs of toxic shock syndrome. Be sure to change tampons at least every 8 hours – leaving one in for longer can increase your chances of infection or toxic shock syndrome (TSS). TSS can be a serious medical problem, so go to the hospital or see your doctor right away if you're using a tampon and have symptoms of TSS, such as: Headache Sudden fever Vomiting or diarrhea A rash like a sunburn on your hands or feet Muscle aches Confusion Seizures Keep track of your period. Write down what day it starts, how heavy it is each day, when it stops, and how you feel each day. This record can help you predict your next period so you'll be prepared for it. The average cycle is 28 days long, though this varies from person to person. A cycle may last anywhere from 21 to 35 days in an adult, or 21 to 45 days in a teen. Look back over three months of your notes and count how many days it is between when your period started one month to the next – taking the average of three months will give you a good idea of when to expect your next period. It takes some time for your period to get regular – the first few months or even the first year of your period might not be very consistent. It can be helpful to show this record to your doctor or gynecologist if you ever want to discuss your heavy period with them. Carry a day’s worth of products with you. Keep enough pads or tampons in your purse, bag, inner jacket pocket, or backpack to last you an entire day. You probably will have to carry more menstrual products than others, because your heavy period requires extra protection for your clothes. When you need to change your product, excuse yourself and go to the bathroom – you'll already have what you need with you. If people ask you why you keep going to the bathroom, just say that you drank a lot of water earlier. You can also say, “I am not feeling too well today,” or something else vague. Stash extra products in several secret places. Keep extra tampons, pads, and panty liners in your car, your locker at school, your purse, or that spare pocket of your backpack. If you have extra products in several different places it's unlikely that you'll be caught without one, even if you have overflow. You can make a small period travel-kit with a couple of pads and tampons, some ibuprofen for cramps, and even a spare set of underwear – just in case. If you have limited space, just put 1-2 pads or tampons in your secret spots. They don't take up much space and can at least get you through a few hours. If you happen to run out, many school and office bathrooms have machines that sell tampons cheaply. The school nurse might have supplies, too. Some schools may even have a free tampons and pads program. Manage your cramps with over-the-counter medicine. Often, people with a heavy period get painful, long-lasting cramps. It's appropriate to take pain medicine for uncomfortable cramps. Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and naproxen (Aleve) can minimize cramp pain. Start taking medicine when you first start noticing symptoms, and take it regularly for 2-3 days or until your cramps subside. If you regularly get painful cramps, you can preemptively start taking medicine as soon as you get your period. For severe cramps, your doctor can prescribe stronger pain medicine, like Ponstel. Only take medicine as directed by your doctor or the label. Talk to your doctor before using any medicine if you have health problems. Treat your cramps with natural remedies. If you don't want to take medicine for your cramps, try natural solutions for pain relief. Take a hot shower or put a hot water bottle on your abdomen. Distract yourself with a good book or puzzle to take your mind off your discomfort. Elevate your legs and get some rest. Other ideas for minimizing cramps naturally include: Take a walk or do some light exercise, like yoga. Meditate to lower your stress. Avoid caffeine. Change your menstrual hygiene products often. A normal flow requires 3-6 pads or tampons per day on average, but for a heavy flow you may need to change your hygiene product every 3-4 hours – or more. You'll learn your flow and be better able to gauge how regularly you need to change your hygiene product. Learn to use a variety of menstrual hygiene products. Sometimes with heavy periods using a pad can make you feel nervous or dirty. Nobody else will know if you're using a pad or not, but if you feel uncomfortable with them then try to learn to use other methods. Tampons and menstrual cups can help keep you dry throughout the day and are probably more comfortable if you're being active. If you change your tampon regularly enough, you can even swim during heavy flow days. Consider using a menstrual cup. Some of them have a greater capacity than pads or tampons and you don't need to carry any supplies throughout the day. A lot of young people have trouble with tampons and cups at first, so don't be embarrassed if you find it difficult. Ask your mom, other female relative, friend, or doctor to give you advice on using them. You can also ask male relatives if you feel they'll be understanding - or use WikiHow! Use the right absorbency for your flow. Tampons and pads come in different shapes and absorbency. Make sure you're using the right ones for your heavy flow. “Super” tampons and “overnight pads” offer more protection to your clothes and linens. If you don't have overnight pads – which are generally longer and thicker – try using two pads when you go to bed, one in the front and one in the back of your underwear. Stay calm if you overflow. Sometimes, overflow happens. In fact, it's happened to most at one time or another. If you bleed through onto your sheets at night, rinse the sheets in cold water and then immediately put them into the wash. If you bleed into your underwear, you can try washing them (separately or with dark colors), or just throw them away at the end of the day. Worst case scenario is that you bleed into your pants or skirt – do what you can to get through the day by tying a sweater around your waist or, if you must, going home early. Shower, change, and move on with your day stress-free. Talk about your accident with someone you trust. Remember that 50% of the world has dealt with periods – it's likely that someone you know has had an overflow accident, too. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it and how you feel. Wear dark clothes and underwear while on your period. If you've experienced overflow bleeding, be prepared for next time. When you're on your period, wear black underwear and pants. If you do have some spotting, it won't be noticeable. You can even set aside a set of dark undies to wear only when you're on your period. Double up on your hygiene products. Using more than one type of menstrual hygiene product can be really effective in minimizing overflow bleeding. If you sometimes bleed through your tampons, use a panty liner or pad, too. That way you have some backup in case you don't get to change your tampon in time. THINX period panties can also be a good backup method to a cup or tampon. THINX are made so that you can bleed right into them, then wash them out and reuse them. They hold anywhere from ½ to 2 or 3 tampons worth of blood depending on the style, and are available to purchase online. Be vigilant. Get used to “checking on things” every hour or two. Make a quick bathroom stop in between classes or as a short work break. Check your underwear and pad, and do a wipe test if you're using a tampon – if there's blood on the toilet tissue after you urinate, you may be about to bleed through your tampon. Protect your bedding with towels. Put a dark towel down on your sheets while you sleep to protect your bedding and mattress from accidental leaking. You can also try using overnight pads that have wings; these offer more protection from spillage. | Discuss your period with your doctor. Have a blood test to check your hormone balance. Get checked for uterine growths if you develop heavier periods. Consider other medical issues as a possible cause for your heavy periods. Watch out for anemia. See your doctor if you have a missed, irregular, or extremely heavy period. Seek emergency medical care if you have signs of toxic shock syndrome. Keep track of your period. Carry a day’s worth of products with you. Stash extra products in several secret places. Manage your cramps with over-the-counter medicine. Treat your cramps with natural remedies. Change your menstrual hygiene products often. Learn to use a variety of menstrual hygiene products. Use the right absorbency for your flow. Stay calm if you overflow. Wear dark clothes and underwear while on your period. Double up on your hygiene products. Be vigilant. Protect your bedding with towels. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Smokey-Eyes-With-Makeup | How to Get Smokey Eyes With Makeup | To get a smokey eye with makeup, start by choosing 3 shades of the same eyeshadow color so you have 1 light shade, 1 medium shade, and 1 dark shade. You can use any color, but black and gray are the most common. Once you have your 3 shades, use an eyeshadow brush to sweep the medium shade over your entire eyelid, stopping when you get to the natural crease on your lid. Then, apply the light shade to the inside corner of your eyelid and underneath your brow. Next, apply the dark shade to the outside corner of your eyelid, sweeping it on in a "C" shape so it goes halfway down your lash line and crease. Finally, use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend all of your eyeshadows together. | Apply eyelid primer. Eyelid primer creates a smooth base for your eyeshadow. Just dab a thin layer onto your eyelids using your fingers before you start doing your eye makeup. Not only will the color go on more easily, but it will last longer and the colors you use will be more vibrant. You can find eyelid primer wherever beauty products are sold. If you don't have eyelid primer, you can use regular face primer instead. For a fun way to create a long-lasting smokey eye, try using colored eyeliner as your eyeshadow base. Smudge the eyeliner where you want it, then blend it out with your finger or an eyeshadow brush. Then, layer on a little eyeshadow to set the pencil. However, avoid using waterproof eyeliner for this, because it will dry quickly and won't smudge well. Sweep your medium shade all over your eyelid. Take your middle eyeshadow shade and apply it over your entire eyelid. However, stop when you get to the natural crease on your lid, rather than brushing the color all the way up to your brows. A dome-shaped eyeshadow brush is perfect for applying color all over your lids. You might also want to stop just before the inner corners of your eyes, since that's where your highlighter will go. For example, if you're using a brown palette that contains dark espresso, warm honey, and a shimmery gold shade, you'd use the honey all over your eyelid. To pick out the right color for you, consider which colors will complement your eye color and skin tone. For instance, green eyes look particularly good with a gray and plum smokey eye, while blue eyes pop with gold or copper. Brown eyes look great with shades of navy and gray. Apply the lightest color to the inner corner of your eyes and under your brow. The lightest color in your palette is known as the highlighter. Using your eyeshadow brush, dab the highlighter on the inside corner of your eyelid on both your upper and lower lids. Sweep it directly under your eyebrows as well, from the beginning to the end of your brows. Then, use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend the highlighter into your middle shade. A small, flat brush is great for getting eyeshadow into the inner corners of your eyes, but you can use the same brush you used for the medium shade, if you want. Just be sure to use a cloth to wipe off any of the old color before you switch to a new shade. If you're using the brown palette from above, this would be the warm honey shade. Figuring out exactly where to place your eyeshadow is the tricky part of a smokey eye, since everyone's eye shape is different. Just practice and have fun! Begin layering your darkest color onto the outer corner of your eyes. Starting at the outside of your eyes, sweep on the darkest color in a 'C' shape. The dark color should go about halfway down your lash line, out to the corner, and back in about halfway down the crease of your eyelid. Whenever you need to apply more of your dark shadow, start at the outer corner of your eye and blend it inwards or upwards. For the best results, work in thin layers, rather than applying a lot of product all at once. A small, flat brush is good for applying color to the crease, although you might prefer a fluffier brush that's tapered at the ends. Don't apply the shadow to the too far in. Depending on the shape of your eyes, the inner third or half of your eyelid shouldn't have any dark shadow at all. This will help your eyes look open and bright. In the brown palette, this would be the dark espresso color. Blend your eyeshadows together. Swirl a fluffy eyeshadow brush from the outer corner of your eye in along your crease, then along the bottom of your eyelid, and all the way up to your brow bone. Keep blending until the shadow fades gradually from the darkest color all the way to your skin tone without any obvious or harsh lines. It can take a little while to get a fully blended eyeshadow look, so be patient. Blend all the way up to your brow bone, and all the way from the outer corner to the inner corner of your eyelid. If you need to, you can apply more color while you're doing this. If you don't have a separate blending brush, use a cloth to wipe off all of color from your eyeshadow brush before you start blending, so you don't transfer the colors. Add dark eyeliner along your lash line if you want. To make your smokey eye more dramatic, apply pencil , cream, or liquid eyeliner from the inside corner lash line all the way to the outer corner of your eye. To create a cat eye, which is often paired with a smokey eye, add a small upward flick of eyeliner at the outside corner of your eye, pointing up to the outside edge of your eyebrow. For a smudgy look, draw a thick line across the top of your lash line, and then use your fingertip or a small eyeshadow brush to smudge and blur the line. To add more drama to your smoky eye, tightline your eyes. This is when you use your eyeliner to draw a line on the inner-rim of your eyes, located directly under your upper lashes and above your lower lashes. This can be difficult for some, as it involves using eyeliner very close to your eyeball. To line along your lower lash line, either apply your eyeliner or use an angled brush to sweep a little of your dark shadow along your lashes. You may want to only put the dark shadow on the outer half of your lower lashline, so it mirrors the dark color on your upper lids. Add mascara to define your lashes. Carefully apply your mascara, wiggling your brush between your lashes to help define them. Add no more than two coats to avoid clumps and an unnatural appearance. Apply a single coat to your bottom lashes, as well. Try curling your lashes to make your eyes appear bigger and more open. You can even heat your curler with a blowdryer first to get a more dramatic, long-lasting curl. Replace your mascara every 2-3 months. When it starts to dry out, it can flake off while you're wearing it, which can irritate your eyes. Clean up any fallen eyeshadow or smudged mascara. If any eyeshadow or mascara fell onto your cheeks below your eyes, use a large, fluffy makeup brush to sweep it off in quick, broad strokes. If any of your mascara smeared along your eyelid or cheeks, use a q-tip dipped in makeup remover to take it off, and then use your blending brush to fix any extra makeup that may have been removed. Once you're finished, you're ready to rock your smokey eye! Apply a thin coat of eyeshadow primer. Eyeshadow primer is great because it helps lock your eyeshadow in place, creating a longer-lasting look. In addition, you'll get a more intense color payoff, and the color will go on more smoothly, so it will be easier to blend. If you don't have eyeshadow primer, use regular face primer instead. Place the lightest color on the insides of your eyes and under your brow. Use a small eyeshadow brush to pat the lightest color, also called the highlighter, onto the inside corners of your eyes. Then, sweep the highlighter directly under your eyebrow, above your crease, as well. If you'd like, you can also sweep the highlighter underneath your eyes a bit on the inside corner. This will make your eyes look wider and more open. This color can be a pearlescent shimmery shade, a pastel hue, or a color that's close to your natural skin tone. Blend your darkest color along your upper and lower lashline. Take your darkest eyeshadow and use your brush to sweep it along the entirety of your upper lash line. Swirl your brush up toward your crease to blend out the dark shade. Your eyeshadow should be the darkest near the roots of your lashes, especially the outer corner, and then blend upwards toward your crease. Apply a little of the darkest color on the lower lash line, but only near the outer edge. Use a small, angled or flat brush to sweep the eyeshadow about halfway across your lower lashes. You might use black, dark brown, forest green, plum, or navy blue as your darkest shade. Add your middle tone along the center of your eyelid. Take your medium shade of eyeshadow, sometimes called a transition shade, and apply it starting about halfway up your eyelid. Sweep the middle color up toward your crease, and blend it down so it creates an ombre effect with the darker shade. You can blend this color upwards beyond your crease and into your highlighter if you want. The goal is for your eyeshadow to get gradually lighter from your lashes to your brows. You can also use a little of this middle shade to blend the dark shadow on your lower lash line. If you want, you can even add it on the inner half of your lower lashes, all the way to the inside corner. If you do this, you don't need to wear eyeliner on your bottom lashes. This color might be gold, light gray, taupe, or peach, for instance. Blend your colors with a fluffy brush. Take a small, fluffy blending brush and sweep it in soft, broad strokes across your lid at the places where the different shades of eyeshadows meet. Keep sweeping and swirling the brush until there are no harsh lines between the colors. Make sure that your lash line is the darkest part of your eyelid, and if necessary apply a bit more of your darkest shadow directly to your lash line as you blend upwards. Blend out, toward the edges of your eye, so that your shadow softly fades into your natural skin tone. The same should be done for the color that has been placed underneath your eyes. Add your eyeliner. For an ultra-dramatic smokey eye, it is best to use a smudged eyeliner look. Use a chunky eyeliner pencil to draw a thick line across your upper lash line only. Then, use your makeup brush or fingertip to blur the edges upwards. Tightline the inside rims of your eyes to add extra darkness. To do this, draw a line on the part of your eyelid that is nearest your eyeball, directly under your upper eyelashes. If you add eyeliner on your bottom lashes, only bring it as far in as the dark color goes on your lower lashes. Be sure to taper the end of the line though, and blend it into the shadow so that it doesn't look too harsh against the color. Add your mascara. Carefully apply your mascara to avoid getting any on your eyelid. Wiggle the brush between your lashes to help separate and define them. Avoid using more than two coats of mascara so that you don't create unsightly clumps and lumps in your lashes. Apply it to your upper lashes first, and then a quick coat to your bottom lashes. Clean off any excess makeup from your cheeks. If any of the eyeshadow or mascara spilled onto your cheeks, sweep it away with a large makeup brush. Use big, fast strokes to avoid smearing it into your skin. If you do happen to accidentally smear your eyeshadow, use a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover to erase the mistake, and then use your blending brush to fix any lines in your makeup. | Apply eyelid primer. Sweep your medium shade all over your eyelid. Apply the lightest color to the inner corner of your eyes and under your brow. Begin layering your darkest color onto the outer corner of your eyes. Blend your eyeshadows together. Add dark eyeliner along your lash line if you want. Add mascara to define your lashes. Clean up any fallen eyeshadow or smudged mascara. Apply a thin coat of eyeshadow primer. Place the lightest color on the insides of your eyes and under your brow. Blend your darkest color along your upper and lower lashline. Add your middle tone along the center of your eyelid. Blend your colors with a fluffy brush. Add your eyeliner. Add your mascara. Clean off any excess makeup from your cheeks. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Napkin-Into-a-Rose | How to Fold a Napkin Into a Rose | A paper napkin rose can make a fancy table decoration that's sure to impress, and it's actually quite simple to do. Start by unfolding your paper napkin fully. Then, fold the top down about 2 inches to make the head of the flower. Hold the upper left corner between your fingers, and wrap the napkin around your fingers until there are only 2 inches left. Fold the flap in the upper right corner diagonally to the top edge to make a small triangle on top of the flap. Wrap the corner around your fingers to make a cylindrical shape. Twist the base of the rose tightly to form the stem, then find a corner at the bottom of the napkin and pull it gently so it sticks out to create a leaf. | Unfold the napkin completely. Then, fold the top down about two inches (5 cm). Press the fold with your fingers. The folded portion at the top will be used to make the head of the flower. Using a table or flat surface to work will make this step easier. Hold the upper left corner between your fingers. Pinch the napkin between your index and middle finger tightly. You fingers should be pointed in the same direction as the fold. Wrap the napkin around your fingers. Start by going behind your fingers. Make sure the bottom wraps evenly with the top. Continue wrapping the napkin tightly around your fingers until there are about two inches (5cm) left, then stop. Fold the flap in the upper right corner diagonally to the top edge. This will create a small triangle on top of the flap. The fold will help to shape the rose and create a little separation between the layers of petals. Wrap the corner around your fingers, and hold under your thumb. The napkin should now be cylindrical in shape. Make sure the top and bottom are about even in size. Twist the base of the rose tightly to form the stem. Keep your fingers in the head of the flower. Hold the coils around your fingers in place. Use your free hand to work on the stem. Pinch the napkin just below the two inch fold and begin twisting with your free hand. Once the base is secure, pull your fingers out gently. Keep twisting until you get about halfway down the stem, then stop. Find a corner at the bottom of the napkin and pull it gently so it sticks out. This will create a leaf for the stem. Pinch the leaf between your fingers to keep it loose as you continue twisting the stem to the bottom. Display your rose, or give it to a special someone to make them smile. Making a paper rose out of a napkin is a great trick to know. If you're ever in need of a flower and don't have time or money to spend at a floral shop, this simple trick can save the day. Unfold the napkin. Open it up all the way so it looks like a large square. The creases in the napkin should form four smaller squares on the fabric. Place the napkin flat on top of your palm. Pinch the center of the napkin between your index and middle finger. Place your index finger in the center crease on the top side of the napkin and your middle finger on the bottom side. The palm of your hand should be facing you. Fold the far portion of the napkin over your index finger so that it rests on top of the other half of the napkin. The top of the napkin should be slightly shorter than the bottom. Hold the edges closest to you with your free hand to keep the napkin in place. Turn your hand so the napkin folds around the inside of your index and middle finger. Hold the fold in place with your thumb. Then turn your hand back over so you are holding it with thumb on the bottom and your index and middle finger on top. This will leave just your pinky and ring finger free. Fold the napkin under your middle finger. Pinch your middle finger and ring finger together to hold the remainder of the napkin between them. The remainder of the napkin should now be sticking up on the backside of your hand. Wrap the remainder of the napkin around your ring finger and pinky. Use your thumb to hold the end of the napkin in place. If you look at the back of your hand you should only see your middle finger on the exterior of the napkin. All of your other fingers should be inside the coil of the napkin. Pinch the napkin to form the flower head. With your free hand, squeeze the napkin just beyond the tips of your fingers. Once you have firmly pinched the napkin you can remove your other hand from the flower head. Twist the napkin to form the stem. Follow the direction of the folds you created to form flower head when twisting the stem. After about one inch of the stem is formed, stop twisting. The top of the flower should be able to remain firmly in place now. Twist from the bottom of the stem. Leave one of the corners free and begin to twist the napkin to form the base of the stem. The free corner will be used to make a leaf for the stem. Twist until you reach the desired size for the leaf. Twist both ends of the flower stem. The more you twist the thinner the stem will be. Just be careful not to twist so hard you tear the napkin. Once you reach the middle you can adjust the flower stem a bit so it looks natural. Display your rose. It makes a great centerpiece for a table. You can also give it to a special someone. It's a simple and sweet gesture. Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to make a paper napkin rose in just a few minutes. They cost less money than real flowers and they won't ever wilt or lose their petals. | Unfold the napkin completely. Hold the upper left corner between your fingers. Wrap the napkin around your fingers. Fold the flap in the upper right corner diagonally to the top edge. Wrap the corner around your fingers, and hold under your thumb. Twist the base of the rose tightly to form the stem. Find a corner at the bottom of the napkin and pull it gently so it sticks out. Display your rose, or give it to a special someone to make them smile. Unfold the napkin. Pinch the center of the napkin between your index and middle finger. Fold the far portion of the napkin over your index finger so that it rests on top of the other half of the napkin. Turn your hand so the napkin folds around the inside of your index and middle finger. Fold the napkin under your middle finger. Wrap the remainder of the napkin around your ring finger and pinky. Pinch the napkin to form the flower head. Twist the napkin to form the stem. Twist from the bottom of the stem. Twist both ends of the flower stem. Display your rose. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Catch-a-Gerbil-on-the-Loose | How to Catch a Gerbil on the Loose | To catch a gerbil on the loose, start by trying to corner the gerbil in one room. If the gerbil escaped in a room that contains food, look in these areas first. Next, lay down on the floor and look under furniture, in piles of clothes, or in corners. Continue your search by looking for signs of where it's been, such as urine, feces, or chewed items. Once you spot your gerbil, corner and approach it slowly with treats like seeds or pellets in your hand. After the gerbil approaches the food, pick it up and put it back in its cage. | Contain the gerbil in 1 room. If your gerbil escapes in front of you, don't let it get out of the room you are in. If you spot the gerbil as you are trying to find it, shut the door of the room that it is in. Cornering the gerbil in a single room will make catching it much easier. If you don't see the gerbil escape and you don't know where it is, then you can't assume it is in the same room that you last saw it in. Ask someone to help you. It can be a lot easier to catch a gerbil on the loose if you have someone to help you do it. Another person can help you search for the animal, corner it, and close off cages or traps before the gerbil escapes again. Check a wide variety of places. Gerbils that escape often look for a nook or cranny to huddle in. This means you often need to search all over the room they escaped into before you can find them. If the gerbil escapes in a room that contains accessible food, such as the kitchen, look in food areas that the gerbil could reach first. Lay down on the floor and look under all of the furniture in the room. Look in piles of clothes and other areas where gerbils might think they can comfortably nest. Look for signs of the gerbil's movement. To track down a gerbil that is missing and has not been spotted, you should look for signs of where it has traveled. Look for feces, urine, or chewed items, basically anything that shows that the gerbil has traveled through an area. This will narrow down your search area. Eliminate areas as you search. As you narrow down the search area, block off areas that have no sign that the gerbil has traveled through them. By closing off areas, you will ensure that the gerbil cannot get into those areas as it tries to evade you. Check the stairs. Gerbils may be found upstairs, as they can jump very high to climb the stairs, but then are often too scared to jump down stairs. This means that they can get caught on individual stairs. Try to keep the gerbil away from hazards. If you see the gerbil and are trying to corner it, don't move it towards hazards, such as steep drops, toxins, or wires the animal can easily chew through. Cornering it towards these types of areas might create a risk to its health. A gerbil cornered towards a steep drop could go off a ledge by accident just because it is scared and confused. Also, be sure to keep possible hazards away from the gerbil. For example, keep other pets out of the area. Keep the gerbil contained, even if you need to take a break. If you need to leave while your gerbil is still on the loose, be sure that you keep it as contained as possible. Close doors and windows and make sure that anyone else that lives in your home knows not to let the gerbil out. If you just need to leave the room to get tools for catching the gerbil, try to find someone to watch the animal while you are gone. Having someone stay in the room will allow you to keep track of where the gerbil is. Corner and approach the gerbil slowly. Once you spot your gerbil, you need to strategically approach it. Make sure that it has nowhere to run past you and nowhere to hide. Then move very slowly towards it, so that it doesn't feel threatened. The natural response at this point is often to work quickly, but this often backfires. Gerbils have prey instincts, and a large predator-type creature quickly approaching will cause the natural response of scurrying away. If the gerbil is new to you and doesn't really know you, it may run just at the sight of you. If it is acclimated to you, your presence will most likely not scare it off. Put treats in your hand and offer them to the gerbil. If the gerbil is tamed, it probably knows that you are the person that brings it tasty treats. Put a food that it likes a lot in your hand and slowly move that hand towards the gerbil. It is likely to climb right into your hand. You can use the pellets, seed, or vegetables that you usually feed to your gerbil. However, pick what the animal likes to eat best. If you have several options, use a food that has a strong smell. This will allow your gerbil to smell it and be lured to it more easily. Take hold of the gerbil once it is near you or in your hand. As your gerbil approaches the food, pick it up with a swift but gentle movement. Scoot your fingers under its body, as grabbing it from above can scare it away. Then lock your thumb around the top of its body, so that you have a secure grip on it. Be sure to be gentle when grabbing it, but also make sure that you don't let it slip out of your hand. Cover the gerbil to minimize its chance of getting away. If you can't get the gerbil to come all the way into your hand, you may need to grab it when it gets near. Have your helper use a small net or piece of fabric to cover the gerbil so it can be more easily grabbed and can't run away. This is especially important if the gerbil is not acclimated to you. Lure the gerbil back into its cage. Get some gerbil food and make a trail from the gerbil's general location to their cage. Put extra treats inside the cage. Make sure the cage doors are open and that there is nothing preventing the gerbil from easily entering. Then, when you see the gerbil going into the cage, close the cage doors quickly. You may need to move the cage to a place where the gerbil can easily get to it. Use a bucket trap to catch your gerbil. If you can't get your gerbil to go into its cage or into a box while you are around, you may need to use a trap that will hold the animal until you get it out. To make a simple trap like this you will need a 1 gallon (3.8 l) bucket, a ramp up to the bucket, a towel, and some gerbil food. To set up the trap put the towel and the food at the bottom of the bucket. Then put the ramp up to the side of the bucket. The gerbil will be lured towards the smell of the food. It will go up the ramp and then leap into the bucket to get the food. Once in the bucket, it won't be able to get out. The towel at the bottom of the bucket will cushion the gerbil's fall. You can make the ramp out of stacks of books or a piece of wood. Alternatively, use a child's fishing net or butterfly net on a pole. Place a treat on the net and gently scoop up the gerbil when they wander over the net. Use a commercial humane trap. Instead of using a homemade bucket trap, you can use a commercial version. A humane trap will lure the gerbil into it with the smell of food, and then keep it contained until you can move the animal back into its cage. There are a variety of humane traps available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Hire a professional. If you can't catch your gerbil alone, you may need to call an animal catcher to get it for you. This is an extreme solution that is typically only used if you have tried all other options. A pest control professional may be able to place a variety of humane traps around your home that can catch your gerbil safely. Make sure you shut the door securely. Gerbils often escape when their cage doors are accidentally left open. To prevent this, check the door every time you interact with your gerbils, making sure it is closed and latched. There are a wide variety of types of cage doors. If you have the type that simply swings closed, make sure that it is latched as well, as gerbils can push against these doors and open them. Check for possible escape routes. If you have no idea how your gerbil escaped, you should inspect every inch of its cage. Look for bars that have been chewed through and broken pieces that could provide an escape route. Gerbils can squeeze through holes as small as ⁄ 2 inch (1.3 cm). Make sure all holes this size are filled or blocked off. Gerbils can also jump quite high, so if you are using an open top cage, make sure that the gerbil can't jump out of it. Get a stronger cage. Gerbils are chewers, so they need strong cages. For instance, plastic cages are not good for use with gerbils, as they can easily destroy one. Also, if you use wood or mesh doors, note that gerbils can chew through these rather quickly. Glass aquariums work well for gerbils, as the animals are not able to chew through the glass. Keep your gerbils occupied. If gerbils are bored, then they will try to escape and find some fun things to do outside of their cage. To prevent this, provide them with a variety of toys and foods. You should also provide your gerbil with enough bedding so that it can burrow. If it can't create a sheltered place of its own, it may try to get out of the cage to find one. | Contain the gerbil in 1 room. Ask someone to help you. Check a wide variety of places. Look for signs of the gerbil's movement. Eliminate areas as you search. Check the stairs. Try to keep the gerbil away from hazards. Keep the gerbil contained, even if you need to take a break. Corner and approach the gerbil slowly. Put treats in your hand and offer them to the gerbil. Take hold of the gerbil once it is near you or in your hand. Cover the gerbil to minimize its chance of getting away. Lure the gerbil back into its cage. Use a bucket trap to catch your gerbil. Use a commercial humane trap. Hire a professional. Make sure you shut the door securely. Check for possible escape routes. Get a stronger cage. Keep your gerbils occupied. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Dry-Herbs | How to Dry Herbs | To quickly dry herbs for cooking, pick the herbs you want, wash them gently in water, and lay them out on a towel. Allow them to dry in a warm kitchen for at least 30 minutes before use. Alternatively, to dry your herbs over time indoors, bundle them together with a rubber band around the stems. Then, pick a drying surface, like a rack, screen, clothes hanger, or ladder, and hang up the herbs. Leave your herbs to dry away from direct sunlight and moisture for at least 5 days. | Choose herbs for drying. Some herbs are easier to dry than others owing to their stronger leaves and oils. However, almost all herbs can be dried in one or another. Trial and experiment is the best way to find out which herbs dry best for you, with the expectation that some herbs will shrivel up and look like a brown mess when dried, while others will retain color and texture well. Strong leaved herbs tend to be the easiest herbs to dry. These include bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and sage. A dried bay or rosemary leaf will usually retain its color and shape without any difficulty. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet1.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Tender broad leaved varieties can be a bit trickier, as they are easily affected by moisture and can quickly turn moldy if not dried properly. The types of herbs in question include basil, parsley, mint, tarragon, cilantro and lemon balm. These need to be dried quickly to prevent molding. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/52\/Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/52\/Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet2.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-1Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Harvest herbs for drying just before their flowers open. There will be plenty of buds to signify that flowering is about to occur. As for the time of day, generally it is best to harvest herbs after the dew has evaporated but before the sun has had a chance to evaporate the volatile oils in the herbs. This is usually early morning, give or take a bit for the specifics of your location. Although generalist advice is to harvest herbs before the flowers open, it pays to experiment. Sometimes it's better to harvest after. It all depends on which form will allow the herbs to hold their shape and flavor best. And if you actually want flowers, then it makes sense to wait until the herb flowers first. Prepare for drying as soon as you've harvested the herbs. The herbs will preserve best if they're dealt with immediately; allowing them to wilt or sit around and gather moisture or dust will spoil their flavor, color and appearance. Clean the herbs if needed. Some herbs may need rinsing first, and a pick over to remove debris such as dried grass or weeds. Herbs can be gently rinsed under cool water, and given a minimal shake to remove excess moisture. Discard leaves with blemishes, bruising or imperfections. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b7\/Dry-Herbs-Step-4Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-4Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b7\/Dry-Herbs-Step-4Bullet1.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-4Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Pick the herbs for cooking with. Lay a clean tea towel out flat on a suitable surface. A kitchen bench or the sink are ideal spots. Alternatively, use a dish drying rack. Lay the tea towel on the rack; this will allow for greater air circulation. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/93\/Dry-Herbs-Step-6Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-6Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/93\/Dry-Herbs-Step-6Bullet1.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-6Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":300,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"474","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Wash the herbs gently. Use the least amount of water possible to avoid crushing or bruising the herbs. Perhaps lay herbs in a colander under running water, or just hold the herbs under the water. Finish with a gentle shake over the sink to dislodge as much of the water as possible. Lay each herb stem/stalk or sprig on the tea towel. Lay across the tea towel if you have more than one. Try to prevent too much overlapping. Let dry in a warm kitchen. Touch to feel if the herbs are dry. When the herbs are dry enough, use in the recipe as required. Cut the herbs when the dew has dried off them. Tie into a bundle with a rubber band. Keep the leaves and flowers facing downward. Hang somewhere on the porch or off a hanger in a spot that gets full sun. Leave for several days to dry, checking every now and then. Be sure to tie on securely in case of windy days. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/14\/Dry-Herbs-Step-12Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-12Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/14\/Dry-Herbs-Step-12Bullet1.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-12Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Dry outdoors inside a paper bag. After bundling, tie a paper bag around the bundle. Hang the whole bag outside. The bag will provide more protection against the sunshine. It will also catch any seeds that dry too, if you want to collect them. Remove when dried. The herbs are dried when they just become crisp and no moisture can be felt. Bundle the herbs into a bunch. Tie a rubber band around the stems of the herbs. Any flowers on the herbs should face downward. Drying times will likely vary if bundling together different types of herbs, so consider only making bundles of a single type of herb until you're more experienced and can mix the herbs knowing the drying times specific to each. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/94\/Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/94\/Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet1.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} If you're doing a set of herb bundles, you might consider keeping the bundles sizes similar, so that the drying times coincide. This makes it easier when it comes time to store or used the dried herbs, so that you don't have to wait for the next bunch to dry. But it all depends on what you're doing with the herbs and your immediate needs. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/28\/Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/28\/Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet2.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-15Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Choose whether or not to use a paper bag. The paper bag can speed up the drying process and catch falling seeds, leaves, etc. On the other hand, having no bag means you can have some lovely bunches of herbs on display in your home. Select a suitable drying hanger. All sorts of items can be used to hang herbs from, including ladders, ceiling beams, coat hangers, a nail, etc. Herbs can also be dried on a rack or screen. An old window screen can be used if clean and in decent shape. Position such a screen to allow the air to move freely both sides of the screen. If using a screen, you'll need to turn the herbs daily to prevent curling. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/db\/Dry-Herbs-Step-17Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Dry-Herbs-Step-17Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/db\/Dry-Herbs-Step-17Bullet1.jpg\/aid2862681-v4-728px-Dry-Herbs-Step-17Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Leave to dry. Herbs should dry away from direct sunlight and moisture or they will spoil. Drying times will take anywhere from 5 days to a few weeks, depending on the types of herbs you're drying. Remove when dried. The herbs are dried when they just become crisp and no moisture can be felt. Use for culinary, medicinal, display or craft purposes. Many dried herbs will crumble readily, making them easy to turn into herb mixes such as bouquet garni. Dried herbs are often great additions to potpourri too. Set the oven to a very low temperature, the lowest it will go. Leave the door open. Arrange the picked herbs across a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the lowest level of the oven. Let dry but turn the herbs frequently. When they appear a little crisp, remove from the oven. For those with a wood oven, screen racks can be placed on top of the wood stove. Lay the herbs across it to dry in their own time. Sprinkle a thin layer of silica gel on the base of a microwave-safe container. Add the herb leaves or flowers to this layer. Spread evenly and avoid touching leaves or flowers between each herb piece. Microwave the herbs. Use a lower power setting, such as the half power or defrost power settings. Dry for 2 minutes, then let sit for 10 minutes. Check for the level of dryness. If it is sufficient, then use the herbs as required. If not, do another dry for about 1 minute. If the drying of 2 minutes proves too long and the herbs have dried out too much, use a new set of herbs and reduce the drying time by 30 seconds. Keep experimenting to reach the right timing, depending on the type of herb. Herbs that tend to air dry well with little shrinkage (such as thyme) will need less time in the microwave than herbs that don't air dry as well (such as basil). Use for craft and display projects only. As already noted, the silica use means that the herbs are no longer safe for consuming. Choose a desiccant. A desiccant is a substance that draws moisture out. Suitable desiccants for herbs include cornmeal, sand, orris root, borax, silica gel and even kitty litter. Silica gel is popular because it is light and won't crush the herbs; it is easily obtainable from craft stores. However, when working with it, wear a mask to avoid breathing in its fumes. Pick the herbs. Pick when moisture won't affect the herbs or their flowers. Sprinkle 2.5cm/ 1/2 inch of desiccant across the base of a glass or plastic container. Glass and plastic won't create moisture. Place the herbs onto the desiccant. Keep any flowers separate from one another (not touching). Leaves and petals that are close together will require pulling apart to ensure the desiccant goes in between gaps and dries out every part of the herb. If the shape of the petals or leaves is important, check for any that get bent out of shape and realign them as you're rearranging the desiccant. You can layer desiccant and herbs if wished; just be aware that the more weight on top, the more the plant matter beneath risks being crushed. Remove from the desiccant as soon as they have dried. This will only take a few days. Desiccant will leave herb leaves and flowers bone-dry and therefore somewhat brittle. To remove desiccant, use a small brush or a camera cleaning bellows to shift desiccant off the plant matter without damaging the plant. Handle with care. Avoid over drying the herbs or they may simply fall apart when handled. Use for craft and display projects only. The herbs are not suitable for consumption. Choose an appropriate herb for drying in place. Not all herbs will dry well in this manner but some leaves and flowers will dry this way, such as yarrow, fennel and rosemary. Use the fresh herb to add to the position where you want it to dry. For example, in a vase/bouquet with other plants being arranged or add to a craft project such as a wreath or a woven plant object. Place in a dry area without moisture. Allow to dry as is, but do check on it regularly. If you see signs of mildew or anything else that doesn't look right, remove the herbs. For information on pressing plant material, see further How to press leaves. Pressed herbs can be used to decorate craft projects such as scrapbooks, framed prints, bookmarks and collages. Finished. | Choose herbs for drying. Harvest herbs for drying just before their flowers open. Prepare for drying as soon as you've harvested the herbs. Clean the herbs if needed. Pick the herbs for cooking with. Lay a clean tea towel out flat on a suitable surface. Wash the herbs gently. Lay each herb stem/stalk or sprig on the tea towel. Let dry in a warm kitchen. Cut the herbs when the dew has dried off them. Tie into a bundle with a rubber band. Hang somewhere on the porch or off a hanger in a spot that gets full sun. Dry outdoors inside a paper bag. Remove when dried. Bundle the herbs into a bunch. Choose whether or not to use a paper bag. Select a suitable drying hanger. Leave to dry. Remove when dried. Use for culinary, medicinal, display or craft purposes. Set the oven to a very low temperature, the lowest it will go. Arrange the picked herbs across a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the lowest level of the oven. For those with a wood oven, screen racks can be placed on top of the wood stove. Sprinkle a thin layer of silica gel on the base of a microwave-safe container. Add the herb leaves or flowers to this layer. Microwave the herbs. Use for craft and display projects only. Choose a desiccant. Pick the herbs. Sprinkle 2.5cm/ 1/2 inch of desiccant across the base of a glass or plastic container. Place the herbs onto the desiccant. Remove from the desiccant as soon as they have dried. Use for craft and display projects only. Choose an appropriate herb for drying in place. Use the fresh herb to add to the position where you want it to dry. Place in a dry area without moisture. For information on pressing plant material, see further How to press leaves. Finished. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Coconut-Flour | How to Make Coconut Flour | To make coconut flour, start by breaking open a fresh coconut, removing the white flesh, and peeling away the brown skin. Transfer the coconut meat to a blender, add boiling water, and blend the mixture on high speed before straining it through a nut bag or cheesecloth. Next, bake the pulp at a low heat for 45 minutes to dehydrate it, then use a food processor to reduce the dehydrated pulp to a powder. You can store the coconut flour in an airtight container for up to a year! | Drill a hole into the coconut. Cut a hole through one of the eyes or indentations of the coconut. A power hand drill is one of the easiest ways to cut a hole into the coconut, but if you do not have one, you could also use a corkscrew, screwdriver, or metallic skewer, instead. Worst case scenario, you can use a hammer and a nail. Pound the nail into the coconut using the hammer. Then, using the back end of the hammer to lift the nail back out, creating a hole. Create your hole in one of the three "eyes" of the coconut. These spots are the thinnest spot on the outer shell and the easiest to drill through. It may help to hold the coconut on a non-slip surface, like a cutting board or kitchen towel, to prevent it from slipping around as you attempt to drill through it. Drain the coconut water. Tip the coconut upside-down so that the liquid in the center drains out. Coconut water can be used for cooking purposes or served with ice as a beverage, but if you have no plans for the coconut water, simply discard it by pouring the water down the drain. Break the coconut open. Place the coconut in a large plastic bag or wrap it securely in a kitchen towel. Strike the coconut through the bag or towel using a wooden rolling pin or hammer until it breaks in two. For best results, place the coconut on a cement floor, sidewalk, or other equally hard surface. Do not use a kitchen counter since you may accidentally damage the counter as you strike the coconut. Use as much force as possible to strike the coconut in the direct middle. Some will open quickly, while others may take more effort. You could also open the coconut by striking its center on a sharp rock or by sawing it in half with a hand saw. If using a saw, saw down the center seam that passes in between the eyes of the coconut. Cut out the coconut flesh. Use a standard butter knife or small paring knife to cut the white meat away from the hard outer shell. Cut through the meat by making a cut from the inside all the way through to the shell. Use your fingers or the tip of the knife to pry the meat off the shell in chunks. To make the process easier, cut the meat into v-shaped sections or cross-hatched sections, creating pieces inside the shell that can be readily removed. You might be able to wedge a metal spoon or dull knife in between the meat and the shell without making any slices through the center of the meat. If you can, try lifting the meat away from the shell after wedging the utensil in the gap. Peel off the brown skin. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin layer of brown skin on the outside of the white coconut meat. If you successfully removed all of the flesh from the shell, there will be a brown skin on the portion of the flesh that touched the shell. This part needs to be removed before you can prepare the coconut for flour or any other use. Transfer the coconut meat to a blender. If the pieces of meat are too large to fit into your blender, cut them into smaller portions using the same butter knife or paring knife used to cut the meat from the outer shell. If desired, you could use a food processor instead of a blender. Make sure that the food processor is large enough to hold both the coconut and the water you will be adding to it, however. Add 4 cups (1 L) of boiling water. Fill a tea kettle or saucepan with 1 quart (1 L) of water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Pour this water into the blender. The water should completely cover the coconut. Strictly speaking, the water does not need to be boiling, but boiling water will soak into the coconut quicker than cool or room temperature water. To accomplish the same level of absorption using cool or room temperature water, let the coconut meat soak in the water for 2 hours before pressing forward. Blend on high speed. Pulse or blend the water and coconut for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pulp is fairly smooth. The pulp will not be "puree" smooth, but there should be no large chunks of coconut remaining or any soupy areas. The water and coconut should be evenly blended and dispersed throughout. Let cool slightly. Wait another 3 to 5 minutes to allow the pulp time to cool to the touch. If you do not give the pulp time to rest, you may burn your fingers when you try to strain it. Note, however, that this is not an issue if you used cool or room temperature water. In that instance, the pulp can be strained immediately. Strain the coconut milk out through a nut milk bag. Pour the contents of the blender through a nut milk bag. Collect the milk in a bowl placed beneath the bag and save the pulp retained inside of the bag for your flour. If you do not have a nut milk bag, you could use a cheesecloth. Arrange the cheesecloth into a mesh strainer and pour the contents of the blender through the cheesecloth and strainer. As before, collect the milk in a bowl placed beneath the bag and use the pulp for your flour. You will not need the coconut milk any longer for this particular project. The coconut milk can be discarded, if desired, but you can also drink the milk or use it for cooking purposes as a substitution for dairy milk. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius). Meanwhile, prepare a large cookie sheet by laying a sheet of parchment paper over it. The oven needs to be set to a very low temperature. The objective is to dehydrate the coconut pulp without toasting or burning it. The only way to do this in your oven is to bake the coconut at as low a temperature as possible. Do not use cooking spray. The surface of the cookie sheet needs to be dry. Do not use aluminum foil. The delicate coconut taste can be affected by the metallic taste of foil. Transfer the coconut pulp to the baking sheet. Spread the strained coconut pulp out over the parchment paper, forming it into a flat, even layer. Use a fork to break up any large chunks of pulp. The layer of coconut should be as thin as possible. Bake the pulp for 45 minutes. Cook the pulp until it feels completely dry to the touch. After pulling it out of the oven, let it cool off for 1 or 2 minutes. Carefully touch it with your hands. If it feels perfectly dry, the coconut is ready. If you can still feel some moisture, you should put it back into the oven for a few more minutes. Coconut can burn even at low temperatures, so you need to monitor the coconut closely as it dehydrates. Pull it out of the oven at the first sign of toasting or burning. Transfer the dehydrated pulp to a food processor. Scrape all of the dry coconut into a food processor or blender. Do not add any water or other ingredients. It is crucial that the coconut be completely dry as it goes into the food processor or blender. Make sure that the food processor or blender is completely dry, as well. If you are using the same blender used during the coconut milk part of the process, you will need to wipe the bucket dry using paper towels before you can add the dry, dehydrated pulp back into it. Blend on high. Pulse or blend the coconut for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it appears finely ground. You may need to use a dry spatula to stir the coconut flour so that all the pieces are exposed to the blades and thoroughly ground up. If you do this, however, pause the pulsing or blending process whenever you put the spatula into the machine. Store the flour in an airtight container until ready to use. You can use the coconut flour immediately, but if you plan to save some of it for later use, transfer it into an airtight container and keep it stored in a cool, dry area. When stored properly, coconut flour can last up to one year on the shelf. That said, fresh coconut flour usually tastes better than old coconut flour. | Drill a hole into the coconut. Drain the coconut water. Break the coconut open. Cut out the coconut flesh. Peel off the brown skin. Transfer the coconut meat to a blender. Add 4 cups (1 L) of boiling water. Blend on high speed. Let cool slightly. Strain the coconut milk out through a nut milk bag. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius). Transfer the coconut pulp to the baking sheet. Bake the pulp for 45 minutes. Transfer the dehydrated pulp to a food processor. Blend on high. Store the flour in an airtight container until ready to use. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Market-Survey | How to Make a Market Survey | The best way to make a market survey is to come up with specific questions to ask your participants that will help you learn about their preferences in regards to your products or services. Decide whether you want your survey to be a questionnaire, online form, interview, or group questionnaire. Get in touch with participants online, over the phone, or on the street. Make sure you gather a statistically reliable sample size of at least 500 people, and then analyze your results. Keep a special eye for memorable quotes that you can put on future advertising! | Clarify the goal of your market survey. Before starting any planning, be certain what the goal of your market survey is. What do you want to find out? Do you want to try to assess how well your market will accept a new product? Maybe you want to figure out how well your marketing is working or reaching its designated audience. Whatever it is, be sure that you have a clear goal in mind. For example, imagine that you own a company that sells and repairs computer equipment. Your goal with a marketing survey might be to figure out how many students at a local college know about your business and how likely they would be to buy from you for their next computer purchase or repair. Determine and define the nature, extent, and size of your market. Before conducting a survey in a given market, you need to know what market you're targeting. Choose geographic and demographic parameters, identify customers by types of product, and get an idea of how many people there are in the market. Narrow your market research to a short list of desired data: buying habits, for example, or average income. For the computer repair business's situation mentioned above, this is fairly simple. You would be looking at college students. But, you could potentially try to focus on higher-income or more tech-focused students that could afford to buy more from you. Determine what aspects of the market you want to investigate. This will depend entirely on your marketing goals and there are a large variety of options here. If you have a new product, you may want to figure out how well it is recognized or desired in a given market. Alternately, you may want to know about the specific buying habits of your market, like when and where and how much they buy. Just be sure to have a clear idea of what you want to find out. Also clarify what type of information you want. You can ask qualitative questions, which ask for information that cannot be directly measured in numbers, like if the customer has any suggestions to improve a product or service. Alternately, you can ask quantitative questions, which ask for a numerical or quantifiable input, like asking for a rating from 1 to 10 of the effectiveness of the product. You may also wish to figure out specifically what drove your previous customers to buy your product. In this case, be sure to ask recent buyers (within the last month) specific questions about their buying experience and how they heard about your product. You can amplify what these buyers found successful and fix any issues they experienced. For the computer repair example, you could focus on how likely your previous customers are to return to you or how likely new customers would be to come to you rather than a competitor. Find out where and when you can reach customers in your market. You might conduct a survey at the mall or on the street, via telephone, online, or through the mail. Your results may change based on the time of day and year. Choose a method and time that best suits your research. When reaching out to customers, consider who your audience is. It can be either the goal demographic you determined earlier or just a group of your past customers. Be sure to keep your target audience in mind, especially with online surveys. Your target market, especially if they are older, may not be accessible through online channels. For example, the computer repair business might decide to interview students in person in a central location on campus or online through a commonly-visited website. Determine what type of survey to use. Surveys can be split into two different general categories: questionnaires and interviews. The only difference is who does the recording of the respondents' information; in the questionnaire, the respondent records their own answers to the questions, whereas in the interview, the interviewer writes down what the respondent says. Beyond that, there are other options as to how the survey is administered, whether that's online or in person. Surveys can also be done individually or in groups. Questionnaires can be administered either in person, through the mail, or online. Interviews can be conducted in person or over the phone. Questionnaires are effective for market research and obtaining answers to closed-ended questions, however they might be expensive to print and can limit the respondent's capacity to express their thoughts. Interviews allow the interviewer to develop follow-up questions to explore the respondent's thoughts more clearly, however they are more time-consuming for the interviewer. Group questionnaires can be an effective way to attain results as respondents can collaborate to come up with more informative responses to your questions. Consider online survey platforms. Online survey platforms offer a cost-effective way to organize your survey and survey results. Simply search for these platforms online and compare several that you find to assess which one offers the right tools for your survey. Just make sure that your choices are reputable survey platforms. You should also consider whether or not your target market is computer-savvy enough for online surveys to be effective. Some of the most reputable and well-known platforms include SurveyMonkey, Zoomerang, SurveyGizmo, and PollDaddy. Choose a sample size. Your sample size should be statistically valid to produce reliable results. You may want to create sub-samples—e.g., "males," "18-24 year-olds," etc.—to decrease the risk of biasing your results towards certain types of people. Your sample size requirements depend on how accurate you would like your results to be. The larger the survey size, the more reliable your results become. For example, a survey size of 10 participants leaves you with a very large margin of error (about 32 percent). This would mean that your data are essentially unreliable. However, a sample size of 500 gives you a more reasonable margin of error of 5 percent. If possible, have your participants report demographic information on your survey. This can be as general or specific as you like. And make sure to put these questions at the beginning of the survey. Be warned, though, that many people avoid surveys that ask for personal information. For example, as the owner of the computer repair business mentioned above, you would want to interview a statistically significant number of students, perhaps splitting them up by major, age, or gender. Prepare a list of questions with answers that will provide the data you need for your market research. Your questions should be pointed and specific. Try to make each question completely clear in as few words as possible. If your goal is to get your customers' real thoughts, focus on creating open-ended questions that customers can respond to with their actual thoughts, rather than with a rating or a multiple-choice response. However, if you want numerical results, be sure that your answers in some way reflect that. For example, you could have participants rate products or services from 1 to 10. Devise a way to quantify the answers you receive. If you are asking about preferences, you may want to ask respondents to rank their feelings numerically or using keywords. If you are asking about money, use ranges of values. If your answers will be descriptive, decide how to group these responses after the survey is complete so that they can be grouped in categories. For example, your computer business could ask students how likely, from 1 to 10, they are to visit your store or what type of computer accessories they want most, depending on the type of information you need. Identify variables that might affect your results. These usually include characteristics of people who are more likely to answer surveys. In order to get unbiased results, you need to figure out how to reduce the influence of these people. For example, as the computer business owner, you could do this by screening participants before the survey. If you think you primarily do business with engineering students, only accept surveys from them, even if history or english majors are more likely to respond to your survey. Have someone else look over your survey. Don't conduct a survey unless you've already given your forms to practice cases, perhaps friends or coworkers, to ensure that your questions make sense, the answers you receive are easily quantifiable, and the survey is easy to complete. In particular, ask your practice cases to make sure that: Your survey isn't too long or complicated. Doesn't make irrational assumptions about your target market. Asks questions in the most direct way possible. Set a time period and location for your survey. Be sure to choose the combination of the two that is most likely to result in the largest sample size. Alternately, if your survey is being done online, be sure to post it where you think it will get the most targeted traffic or send it to the best possible email recipients. For an online survey, this would be the time period that your survey is open for (how long respondents have to complete the survey). For example, imagine that for your computer business, your target market of engineers are busy all day with labs. You would want to schedule your survey either before or after this period. If you are using a questionnaire, double check your survey forms. Be careful to proofread your forms several times and then have someone else do the same. Keep in mind that the survey should not be any longer five minutes and should have questions that are very simple to respond to. Conduct your survey, maximizing sample size and accuracy of responses. Keep in mind that you may have to run your survey more than once in or several different places in order to get complete results. Just make sure that your survey remains exactly the same between times and places or your results may vary. For example, as the computer business owner, you may choose several locations and days to survey students with different schedules. Analyze your results. Record and tabulate numerical responses, being sure to calculate averages and analyze outlying responses (particularly low or high ones). Read through and analyze open-ended responses to get an idea of how your participants responded and what their thoughts are. Compile your information in a report that summarizes your findings, even if the report is for your personal use only. Scan through your responses for really great quotes from customers. Anything particularly memorable, creative, or positive can be recycled for the company's future advertising. | Clarify the goal of your market survey. Determine and define the nature, extent, and size of your market. Determine what aspects of the market you want to investigate. Find out where and when you can reach customers in your market. Determine what type of survey to use. Consider online survey platforms. Choose a sample size. Prepare a list of questions with answers that will provide the data you need for your market research. Devise a way to quantify the answers you receive. Identify variables that might affect your results. Have someone else look over your survey. Set a time period and location for your survey. If you are using a questionnaire, double check your survey forms. Conduct your survey, maximizing sample size and accuracy of responses. Analyze your results. |
https://www.wikihow.com/Add-Potassium-to-an-Organic-Garden | How to Add Potassium to an Organic Garden | To add potassium to an organic garden, cut up banana peels into small pieces and bury them 1 to 2 inches in the soil. Alternatively, mix in a few handfuls of dried kelp meal, or spray the soil with a liquid seaweed spray. If you're adding potassium to decrease the soil's acidity, use 1 to 2 pounds of hardwood ash per 100 square feet of soil. Additionally, start a compost pile with fruit and vegetable waste such as banana peels, orange rinds, spinach, and tomatoes for a constant supply of potassium for your garden. | Mix in muriate of potash or sulfate of potash. Muriate of potash, or potassium chloride, and sulfate of potash, or potassium sulfate, are natural minerals. Muriate of potash tends to be cheaper, but the chlorine it contains can hurt the helpful microbes living in your garden's soil. Sulfate of potash is safer, but it's a bit more expensive. Check your product's label for specific instructions on how much to add per square foot or meter. Make sure the product you purchase is certified organic by the Organic Minerals Review Institute (OMRI). Try kelp meal or seaweed. Kelp and other types of seaweed are rich in potassium, and quickly release it into soil. You can either mix a few handfuls of dried kelp meal into the soil or by spray it with a liquid seaweed spray. Mix in a pound of kelp meal per square foot of soil (about 450 grams for 9 square meters). Try Sul-Po-Mag. Also called langbeinite or sulfate of potash-magnesia, Sul-Po-Mag is your most affordable option. It's best to use it if a soil test reveals your soil is low in both potassium and magnesium. Check your product's label to ensure it's OMRI certified and for recommended amounts per square foot or meter. Add hardwood ash only if you need to increase the soil’s pH. Sprinkle 1 to 2 pounds of ash per 100 square feet (450 to 900 grams per 9 square meters). Wood ash raises soil pH, or decreases the acidity. If you use wood ash to supply the garden with potassium, it's best to regularly test the pH to make sure that the soil is balanced. Don't use wood ash around acid-loving plants, like azaleas or blueberries. Add greensand to your soil. Use about 5 pounds (2.25 kilograms) per 100 square feet (9 square meters) of soil. Greensand releases potassium at a slow rate, so it's better for long-term soil maintenance than quick adjustments. It also works as a conditioner and helps soil retain water. In addition to digging greensand into your soil directly, you can also add it to your compost pile to improve the potassium content of your compost. Add granite dust. Granite dust is mined from natural granite quarries and is fairly inexpensive. Like greensand, it releases potassium slowly, so it won't work well if you need to make a quick fix. Bury banana peels in your soil. Cut up peels into small pieces and bury them an inch or two (4 or 5 centimeters) in your soil. The peels will take time to rot, so they'll release potassium more slowly than other amendments. Adding banana peels directly to your soil will also help deter aphids. Beef up your compost with banana peels. To increase your compost's potassium content, add fruit and vegetable waste to the pile. Banana peels are your best bet, but orange rinds, lemon rinds, beets, spinach, and tomatoes will make excellent additions, too. Keep in mind you'll need to give your compost weeks or months to mature. Keep your compost covered to prevent potassium leaching. Use a lidded container or cover your compost heap with a tarp when you're not using it. Potassium compounds are water soluble, so rainfall can easily wash them out of your compost. Have your soil tested every one to two years. For most gardeners, it's recommended to have your soil lab tested every two years. If you're a serious gardener and want to maximize your crop, test your soil every season before you plant. The results will let you know if your soil contains low, medium, optimum, or high levels of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients. Search online for a nearby university or other soil-testing lab, or contact your local extension agent. Add potassium when your crop starts to flower and fruit. If you're growing fruits and vegetables, prevent potassium deficiency by giving your plants a potassium boost when they start to flower. When they flower and fruit, plants can deplete their potassium supply in a matter of days. Add potassium if you spot signs of deficiency. Signs of deficiency include yellow leaves and brown leaf edges. Discoloration usually occurs in older leaves first, or those closer to the bottom of your plant. In fruiting plants, like tomatoes, you might see uneven ripening or yellow patches on the fruit. Monitor your plants more closely if you have sandy soil. Because of its high solubility, potassium can easily leach out of soil, especially in coarse, sandy soils. Keep a close eye on your plants if you know leaching could be an issue. If possible, test your soil more frequently. Amending your sandy soil with manure and well-rotted compost can help prevent leaching. Check for signs of magnesium deficiency. Adding more potassium can lower the amount of other nutrients that the plant absorbs. Potassium competes with magnesium most directly, so look for yellowing between leaves' veins. The veins themselves stay green, but the the spaces between them turn yellow. If you add potassium but notice yellowing occurs or worsens, just purchase an organic calcium-magnesium supplement or magnesium sulfate. Depending on your product, you'll either mix it into the soil or spray it onto your plant's bottom leaves. | Mix in muriate of potash or sulfate of potash. Try kelp meal or seaweed. Try Sul-Po-Mag. Add hardwood ash only if you need to increase the soil’s pH. Add greensand to your soil. Add granite dust. Bury banana peels in your soil. Beef up your compost with banana peels. Keep your compost covered to prevent potassium leaching. Have your soil tested every one to two years. Add potassium when your crop starts to flower and fruit. Add potassium if you spot signs of deficiency. Monitor your plants more closely if you have sandy soil. Check for signs of magnesium deficiency. |
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