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https://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Social-Skills-in-Children	How to Improve Social Skills in Children	To help your child improve their social skills, give them opportunities to interact with other kids and demonstrate good social skills yourself. Children learn by imitation so use good manners, make eye contact, and speak in a calm tone of voice whenever you're around them. If you take your kids grocery shopping, make polite conversation with the cashier so they learn how to talk to strangers. Have staring contests with your child to encourage good eye contact while having some fun! You can also host regular playdates with other kids so they can practice social interactions. Another great way to improve their social skills is to sign them up for a sports team or a club they enjoy, which will help teach them cooperation and communication.	Explain personal space. One of the basics of social skills involves personal space. Young children may fail to understand everyone has a personal space bubble that should be respected. Explain to kids that personal space varies from person to person, and from culture to culture. People they are closer to, like relatives and siblings, may be more open to hugging and touching than strangers. Likewise, people from other cultures may prefer more or less personal space. Tell kids how to read body language. Teach them that people tensing up, crossing their arms, and backing away is a sign their personal space is being invaded. You should also let kids know they're entitled to their own personal space. Do not pick them up without their permission, or hug them if they do not want to be hugged. Let them know they have authority over their own bodies. Teach children to do the same in return. Have them ask permission before hugging people, sitting in people's laps, and so on. Teach empathy. Empathy is another important basic of social skills. A young child's perspective is limited. Children may struggle to understand how to put themselves in another person's shoes. Try to make an effort to help kids understand empathy. Encourage kids to use their imagination. Have them picture themselves in a variety of different scenarios. Look for learning opportunities throughout the day. For example, if your child tells you he or she saw someone getting picked on in school, encourage your child to imagine how they would feel in a similar scenario. When watching TV or movies, ask your kids how they think a character is feeling and why. Encourage them to imagine themselves in a similar scenario and think about how they would feel. Help kids understand how to have a conversation. Basic conversation skills are vital to social development. Young children are often unsure of how to converse, and may be prone to interrupting conversations or ignoring what's being said. Talk to your kids about basic conversation skills. Talk to kids about how to enter a conversation. Explain basic greetings. Instruct children to greet others by saying things like, "Hi!" and "How are you?" Explain non-verbal cues as well, like waving, smiling, nodding, and hand shaking. Explain to children they should take their turns speaking in conversation. Tell them it's important to wait until someone else finishes talking before interjecting. Also, teach kids about listening. Explain that, in a conversation, you should respond to what the other person is saying rather than simply talking about yourself. Teach your children how to be assertive when they talk to people as well. Explain to your child that being assertive is not the same as being aggressive. It means asking for what you want in a direct, honest way. People who communicate in an assertive way do not use threats, insults, or excuses to get what they want. Teach about basic manners. Children often do not know basic manners, so these are important to teach as well. Explain to kids it's very important to say please, thank you, excuse me, and other forms of common courtesy. Make a rule in your home about remembering pleases and thank-yous. This will show children how to convey positive manners. Talk about expressing wants and needs. Children may often accidentally say insulting things when trying to express wants and needs. For example, your daughter may tell her older brother he's mean if he doesn't give her a turn during a game. What she's trying to communicate is that dislikes feeling left out. Teach children how to appropriately tell others what they want and need. Catch children in the moment. You may hear your son tell your daughter that she's hogging a toy. Interject with something like, "Mason, what you really mean is that you want Charlotte to give you a turn. Tell her you want to feel included as well." Teach children to be upfront with other people about behaviors that make them uncomfortable. A preschool age child may kick and hit when he feels he's being made fun of. Instead, teach him to use his words. Tell him, when he's met with mockery, to say something like, "It hurts my feeling when you talk like that and I need you to stop." Have children stop and think when they're upset. If a child is not sure what he or she wants or needs, ask questions to help that child figure this out. Ask something like, "Why does that make you angry? Why do you react that way?" Read to your kids. Reading fiction has been shown to help foster feelings of empathy in both children and adults. Go for high-quality literary children's stories over popular fiction, as characters are often less developed in works designed for a mass audience. Classic children's stories, like The Little Prince and Charlotte's Web , may help children develop empathy. This can help kids learn better social skills throughout life. Model good behavior. A great way to help your kid understand social skills is to simply model good behavior yourself. Be respectful of others during your day-to-day life. If your take your kids grocery shopping, make polite conversation with the cashier. When you pick your child up after school, be kind and courteous to other parents, teachers, and school officials. Children look up to their parents and will pick up on good habits from observing you. Play emotional charades. Emotional charades is a great game designed to teach children to read non-verbal social cues. To play the game, you can write down a variety of emotions on pieces of paper, like happy, sad, scared, etc. Then, place the slips of paper in some kind of container. Take turns drawing slips and acting out the emotions. This can help teach kids to recognize what someone looks like when they're experiencing a certain emotion. You can also play a variation that's like pictionary. Have your kids draw pictures of people or animals conveying a certain emotion and try to guess that emotion. Play games that encourage eye contact. Eye contact is also an important social skill. In western culture, the ability to maintain eye contact shows someone that you're listening and paying attention. Play games that teach kids how to maintain eye contact. Staring contests can be a fun, playful way to teach your kids about eye contact. You can play a game called "Eyes on the forehead." Place a stick of a pair of eyes on your forehead and instruct your kids to keep an eye on the sticker. This won't be eye contact, exactly, but it will give kids a sense of the direction they should look when talking to someone. When playing on a swing, encourage your child to make eye contact with you. Make sure that you teach your child that not all cultures value eye contact and some cultures even consider making eye contact to be rude. Support friendships. Friendships are important to a child's social development. In order to help your child develop social skills, support his or her friendships. Help them blossom and develop. Host playdates. Talk to parents of your children's friends and offer to have the kids over for a day. Take your kids to events where he or she will see friends. School events, birthday parties, and trips to places like the park can be a great way to assure your child sees his or her friends regularly. Help your child deal with rifts with friendships. Explain that it's normal for friends to fight or get angry with one another. Encourage your child to apologize if he or she hurts a friend's feelings. Have your kids play team sports. Research shows important social skills, like leadership and empathy, can be learned through team sports. If your kids are interested in sports, consider enrolling them in a little league team of some kind. In addition to having a positive effect on overall social skills, playing sports encourages physical activity and healthy habits. Kids who engaged in team sports during their youth are less likely to smoke and also may have better self-esteem. Keep in mind, however, that not all kids enjoy sports. If your child is very resistant to sports, don't force it. There are many other extracurricular activities that promote teamwork and togetherness. These can be just as beneficial as team sports to your child. Get your kid involved in extracurriculars. Extracurriculars can be a great way to encourage kids to develop social skills. Encourage your kids to join clubs at school or get involved in local organizations. Cater to your child's interest. If your kids are interested in writing and art, have them take classes at a local art center or sign up for the school paper. Think about clubs like Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts. Many children learn vital skills through such organizations. See a therapist, if necessary. If your child does not seem to be developing socially, this could be indicative of an underlying mental health disorder. If you have concerns about your child's social development, talk a child psychiatrist or therapist. You can ask your child's regular doctor for a referral or find a therapist through your insurance provider. Recognize social delays in children. If your child is not developing socially, this can be a sign that something is different. A variety of conditions, like genetic disabilities or autism, can cause your child to develop at a slower or uneven pace. Seek help from a pediatrician or child psychiatrist if your child seems to have difficulties in the following areas: Between 19 and 24 months, your child may not interact with others. Your child may not smile when looking at you or give reaction. A child may also not engage in play or recognize pictures of familiar objects. These symptoms can indicate that your child may be autistic. With autism , as a child gets older, social development may continue to move slowly or at an uneven pace. A child may not engage in brief conversations, follow simple directions, listen to stories, make friends, initiate conversations, or express physical states. This means, your child may not say things like "I'm hungry" or "I'm hurt." Talk to your child's teachers. You should make a point of talking to your child's teachers regularly. Make sure you ask the teacher about your child's social development. You also want to make sure your child is not getting bullied or harassed in school. Bullying can set a child back slightly in social development. Having a healthy relationship with your child's teacher can help you keep your eye out for issues like bullying.	Explain personal space. Teach empathy. Help kids understand how to have a conversation. Teach about basic manners. Talk about expressing wants and needs. Read to your kids. Model good behavior. Play emotional charades. Play games that encourage eye contact. Support friendships. Have your kids play team sports. Get your kid involved in extracurriculars. See a therapist, if necessary. Recognize social delays in children. Talk to your child's teachers.
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-on-Family-Feud	How to Get on Family Feud	To get on Family Feud, submit an application for your family. You must have 5 family members who are related by blood, marriage, or law, and all members must be either U.S. citizens or have permission to work in the U.S. Make a 3-5 minute video that introduces all 5 of your family members, and try to make the video as entertaining as possible to increase your chances of getting picked. You can either upload the video and email the link, or you can burn it to a DVD and send your application through the mail.	Submit an application when ready. Family Feud accepts applications on a rolling basis, so you can mail your family's application in whenever you are ready. Your chances of being accepted or noticed do increase if you mail in an application while the show is actively seeking out contestants. You can determine when the show is seeking out contestants based on when the show holds its live auditions. Usually, the time frame is between the middle of January through the middle of April. You can also call the show's contestant department hotline to verify whether or not sending an application would be wise. The phone number for the hotline is 323-762-8467. Know the rules. If you do not meet the show's basic contestant requirements, your application will be automatically rejected. You must have five family members, including yourself. The members must be related by blood, marriage, or law. All members of your family must either be U.S. citizens or have permission to work in the U.S. No one on the proposed team can be related to or personally acquainted with someone who works for Family Feud, Fremantle Media, Debmar-Mercury, or Wanderlust Productions. No one can be related to or know an affiliate that carries the show, either. No one on the proposed team can be actively running for political office. No one on the proposed team can have been on more than two game shows within the past year. Anyone who has appeared on the show within the past ten years is ineligible. There is no age requirement, but the show's producers recommend that proposed teammates are at least 15 years old. You should note your eligibility in your application by re-stating each requirement and stating that your family meets each one. You can either include this information in the video or in written form when you submit the video. Prepare a video. Make a short video that introduces your family in the most informative, innovative way possible. The video should be three to five minutes long. Begin your video by introducing each member of your proposed team. All five members should appear on the video, and each person should introduce himself or herself. When making your introduction, state something interesting about yourself. You can talk about your place within the family, your job, your hobbies, or anything else that makes you stand out. The idea is to be informative but unique. Do your best to make yourself stand out. Consider playing a mock round of the game or using props. Be energetic, but also be yourselves. You need to let the casting directors know how enthusiastic your family is about being on the show because enthusiasm makes for greater entertainment. Mail your application to the appropriate source. You can either e-mail your video as a YouTube link or mail the video through the postal system as a DVD. Upload the video to YouTube and email the link to: [email protected] Burn the video to DVD and mail it to: Fremantle Media NA, 4000 West Alameda Ave, Burbank, CA 91505, attn: Family Feud Casting Dept. Include the city and state you are from in all correspondence. Find out the where and when. Auditions are usually held between the middle of January and the middle of April, but you should find out more specific information by checking Family Feud's official auditions website. Auditions usually take place shortly before the new season starts. Auditions are typically held in four to six cities across the United States. They take place over the course of one weekend at each location. Know the eligibility requirements. No team can audition if its members violate the show's basic rules. Your prospective team must consist of five members, and everyone must be related by blood, marriage, or law. All family members must be U.S. citizens. Anyone who is not a citizen must at least have permission to work within the U.S. No team member can be related to or acquainted with someone who works for the show, Fremantle Media, Debmar-Mercury, Wanderlust Productions, or any of the show's affiliates. No one on the team can be running for political office. Anyone who has appeared on more than two game shows within the past year is ineligible. Similarly, anyone who has been on Family Feud within the past ten years is ineligible. The show has no strict age requirement, but it is recommended that the teammates should be at least 15 years of age. Schedule your audition. To ensure that your family has a chance to audition, you should send an e-mail to the appropriate casting department for the city you will be auditioning in. The e-mail address for each city can be found on the show's auditions page, but it is usually the name of the city followed by "@familytryouts.com." For instance: The e-mail address for Austin, Texas try-outs is [email protected]. Phoenix, Arizona try-outs go to [email protected]. Boston, Massachusetts try-outs go to [email protected] San Francisco, California try-outs go to [email protected]. Indianapolis, Indiana try-outs go to [email protected]. Be prompt. Your family will be assigned a time slot on the date of the audition. It is best to show up at least an hour early to make sure that you will have time to make it through the check-in line. Fill out the forms. After checking in, your family will be given forms to fill out before the actual audition. Families who turn in the forms first will audition first. Prepare to fill out basic information, such as name, age, and other eligibility factors. Write down an "interesting fact" about yourself. The fact can concern your job, hobbies, or anything else that makes you stand out. Prepare a narrative about your family. Again, the more unique it is, the more appealing your family will be to the casting directors. Explain what you would do with the money if you won. Families that have a purpose or plan in mind are more likely to be accepted than those who do not. Play a practice game. After turning in your applications, the moderator will have you play two rounds of a practice game. In one round, you will do the face-off while the other team prepares for the steal. In the other round, another team does the face-off while your team prepares for the steal. Winning or losing the rounds has nothing to do with who passes the audition. The practice game is played in front of an audience consisting of other auditioning families. Be energetic and natural. As a whole, your family needs to be enthusiastic in order to catch the attention of the casting directors. If one member of your family is a little more subdued, however, let that person behave naturally instead of trying to force a bubbly personality that does not exist. As long as the rest of the family has the excitement to make up for the one person who lacks it, you might still have a chance. Don't stress out about right and wrong answers. You need to take the game seriously, but at the end of the audition, the casting directors will care more about the families whose members stood out than those whose members had all the answers. Being an entertainer is more important than being a genius. Wait for a response. If the casting directors like what they saw on your audition or in your application, you will receive a card in the mail. You should receive a card within a month or two of auditioning. If you mailed in an application during an off-season, you may not hear back until several months after the next round of auditioning ends. If your family does not receive a card in the mail, you were not accepted. You will not receive a formal rejection notice. Let the show make your travel arrangements. If your family is accepted, the show's producers will book your airfare, hotel, and transportation to Atlanta, Georgia, where the show is filmed. The show will also pay for all the expenses. The date of the filming will be determined without asking your permission, but if you have extenuating circumstances that prevent your family from flying out on a certain date, you may request that those dates be excluded from selection. For best results, do so before a filming date is chosen for your family. Re-apply if desired. If your family is not selected to be on the show, you can still re-apply the following year or any year after. The only time you cannot re-apply is if one of your teammates appears on the show on another team. No team can have a member who has been on the show within the past ten years.	Submit an application when ready. Know the rules. Prepare a video. Mail your application to the appropriate source. Find out the where and when. Know the eligibility requirements. Schedule your audition. Be prompt. Fill out the forms. Play a practice game. Wait for a response. Let the show make your travel arrangements. Re-apply if desired.
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-Lyrics-to-a-Rap-or-Hip-Hop-Song	How to Write Lyrics to a Rap or Hip Hop Song	To write lyrics to a rap or hip hop song, start by coming up with a theme for the song that's personal and real to you, like something that's happened to you in the past or an issue you're thinking about. Next, come up with a story with rhyming lyrics around your theme and structure it with a beginning, middle, climax, and ending. Then, tie your song together with a catchy hook or chorus like the one in Chance the Rapper's “Cocoa Butter Kisses” or 50 Cent's “In Da Club.”	Come up with the theme for the song. The subject may be something that has recently happened, something that has happened in the past, an issue you are thinking about, etc. It may be a dance-type song, a song where you talk about yourself, or it may be something that happened in a dream. There are no wrong themes, as long as they come from personal experience somehow. The title of the song is a good indicator of its theme. However, you can always come up with the title later. Come up with the "story" of your lyrics. You don't have to tell an actual story, though story-raps have been popular since the birth of hip-hop (Immortal Technique's "Dance with the Devil," most Ghostface Killah songs). Telling a story just means your song or verse has a beginning, middle, and end. You want to take the listener on a journey, even if it is just a journey about how great and steezy you are. Some rappers write out their songs as paragraphs first, then write the songs and rhymes to follow the general structure. Having a structure to your song helps you build a coherent idea out. For example, your best point of biggest rhyme wouldn't come at the very beginning of a song, it would come near the end, like the climax of a good movie. This will help you engage and hold listeners. At the very least, try and end your song on a different place than where you started. This is why even "material rap" about gold and girls often starts by mentioning how little the rapper had when they first started working. Get to know your beat. Make sure that the beat you choose is one you're comfortable with. For example, if you can't rap very fast, you may not want to choose a fast beat, as you won't be able to rap over it without losing your breath or stuttering. Listen to the beat 4-5 times to get comfortable with the rhythm and the mood of the song. Get a feel for the speed and energy of the song as well as the mood. Uptempo songs (Das Racist, "People are Strange") usually require fast verses with lots of words, while slower beats (50 Cent, "P.I.M.P.") usually have laid back verses. This rule is not hard and fast, however (see Twista on "Slow Jamz," for example). When lyrics matches the beat, great songs are born. Think about how the beat makes you feel-- is it tense and atmospheric, like Jay-Z's "Renegade," or is it upbeat and celebratory, like Kanye's "The Glory?" Notice how the lyrics in these songs match the beat. Listen again to A$AP Rocky's "One Train," where five unique rappers have verses over the same beat. Note how each one approaches the song differently: some urgent (Kendrick), some joyful (Danny Brown), some angry (Yelawolf), some contemplative (Big K.R.I.T.). All of them, however, fit into the beat. You do not need to have a beat to start writing raps. It can help to write your lyrics without a beat in mind, then save them until the right beat comes along. Write a catchy hook or chorus. This is the repeated phrase in the middle of the song, separating each verse. They are not strictly necessary (see A$AP Rocky's "One Train"), but almost any rap song that wants to gain radio play or traction needs a good catchy hook. It can range from something very deep to something that's just catchy, and it almost always reinforces the theme of the song. Many hooks are sung, not rapped. 50 Cent is a master hook writer, and songs like "P.I.M.P." and "In Da Club" have hooks that are still sung over 10 years later. For an easy, classic hook, try coming up with 1-2 separate, simple, rhyming phrases. Repeat them each twice, back to back, for the "classic" chorus. Like this catchy hook, repeated in its entirety twice: Cigarettes on cigarettes my momma think I stank I got burn holes in my hoodies all my homies think it's dank I miss my cocoa butter kisses... cocoa butter kisses. -- Chance the Rapper, "Cocoa Butter Kisses" Figure out how many bars you have to rap on. A bar is simply one line of your song. Most raps are built out of 16 or 32 bar verses though they can be as short as 8 or 12 bars as well. If you're writing the whole song yourself you might have 2-3 verses and a hook. You might also have a short 8-10 bar bridge, which is a short verse with a slightly different beat or structure. You can write your rap without knowing the bars as well. Simply write until you feel like your verse is finished, then edit the beat to fit the desired length. Understand rhyme inside and out. Raps are written around rhymes. Rhyme connects to lines so that they flow smoothly together, pulling the listener through the song. While all lines of your rap don't need to rhyme, and probably should not, you need to have a firm grasp of rhyme techniques to become a rapper. Luckily, this doesn't require any studying, just an ear for what sounds good to you. Still, it can help to know the different types of rhyme common in rap: Simple Rhyme: When the last syllables of two lines rhyme, like "Can" and "man." This is the most common and basic form of rhyme. Multi-syllabic rhyme: One of the best ways to show your lyrical skills is to rhyme multiple syllables at once. This can stretch across multiple words as well, such as Big Daddy Kane in "One Day:" "Ain't no need for wondering who's the man / Staying looking right always an ex clus ive brand. " Slant Rhyme: Rhyming two closely related, but technically non-rhyming, words. Usually, they have a common vowel sound. This is incredibly common in rap, because how you say/sing the words can make them sound much more similar. Examples include "Nose" and "go," or "orange" and "porridge." Internal Rhyme (In-Rhyme): Rhyming words that do not come at the end of a line but in the middle of it. For example, Madvillains' "Rhinestone Cowboy:" "Made of fine chrome alloy / find him on the grind he's a rhine stone cowboy." Write "punchline raps" in reverse. Punchlines are the big lines, jokes, or rhymes that elevate the song from good to great. There are thousands of great examples, but they are mostly a matter of personal preference. To write them, try to think of the punchline first then build the rhyming lines around it. If your punchline is "I'm stepping over competition, so expect to be trampled," you might try to write a line leading into it that ends with a word rhyming with "trampled." For example, "They see me in the booth so they know they should scramble/ I'm steppin' over competition so expect to be trampled"). Organize your lines into a rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme is simply how the song is structured. The most common way to do this is with alternating couplets, which are two lines that rhyme at the end. The next two lines also rhyme at the end, but with a different set of words. That said, there are many, many ways to write out rhyme schemes, such as alternating (the first line rhymes with the third, and the second with the fourth), or rhyming 4-6 lines with the same word (like the beginning of "Get 'Em High"). The best way to learn is practice. If you're a rapper that raps with a lot of flow (smooth, quick words) you may want to have every bar end with the same amount of syllables or almost the same amount of syllables. If you're a rapper that raps fast you may want to have lots of internal rhymes in every bar, like " the industry's gettin' clean and I've seen what them haters mean/ if you thought I was lettin' up setting up the terrain was dreamed". If you're a story rapper you can have the first verse be your intro, your second verse your problem, and your last verse your conclusion. To match this, you might play with a different rhyme scheme in every verse to show growth or use a similar one to indicate that there is no growth. Make sure your song is personal and real. Make sure you mean every word and every word comes from your soul. Let the music come to you. To start writing good lyrics, you should throw on a beat that juices your brain start thinking of some insane rhymes. It's all about the state of mind. Specifics from real life will always make a better song. The reason Nas' Illmatic is one of the all-time great albums is because it feels lived in, not made up. If you don't have a theme or rhyme scheme yet, just start writing lines that you like. Eventually, these lines will come together to tell a full song, and this can be a great way to practice rhymes. The best rappers are able to tell stories from real life, connecting to their audience's memories and emotions. They are successful not because they tell crazy or unbelievable stories, but because they make a simple story connect with practice and well-written rhymes. Practice rewriting your favorite raps. This is one of the best ways to learn rapping technique. Take your favorite songs and learn them forwards and backward. Then rewrite the rap, using the same rhyme scheme but with your own verses. This is how mixtapes first became popular, with rappers like Curren$y and 50 Cent taking popular songs, flipping them, and making them their own. Even if you never share the song, this is a great way to learn rap techniques naturally. Learn poetic techniques to up your game. Rap is poetry -- using words, sounds, and rhymes to create beautiful art and ideas. As such, it is no surprise that the best rappers have taken inspiration from the best poets. Eminem, for example, famously used Shakespearean meter and rhyme in many of his famous songs. Other examples include: Alliteration/Assonance: Words with similar sounds that are placed close together, like "Two tip-top teachers" or "apple attitudes." Listen to Joey Bada$$'s "Waves" for a great example. Simile/Metaphor: Closely connected, this is when writers compare two objects that aren't usually alike to make a point. For example -- "I put the metal to his chest like Robocop" works on multiple levels, bullets are made of metal, Robocop's chest is covered in metal armor, and the biggest target when shooting someone is their chest. This is a much more poetic way to imply "I might shoot him." Refrain: A line that is repeated at various points for emphasis. The more you hear the line, the more it changes, evolves, and gains power. For a master class in how to use a refrain, see Kendrick Lamar's "The Blacker the Berry." Anaphora: When the first half of a line repeats, but the rest of the line changes, like in Eminem's "If I Had" where ever line begins with "Tired of...." This is a great way to show how difficult, constant, or trying something may be, or overwhelm the listener intentionally. Use specific imagery in your lyrics. Great imagery puts visuals behind the listeners' eyes, engaging multiple senses to create complex, engaging raps. The best rappers all conjure images up in your mind, telling stories and making their lyrics come alive. To do this, focus on being specific-- use adjectives and adverbs to make the images your own. This doesn't have to be purely visual imagery. Action Bronson uses foods and scents in his raps to give them an entirely new dimension. The kings of imagery, Andre 3000, Ghostface Killah, Eminem, etc. are often those rappers that gain the greatest followings. Work on the flow, or delivery, of your lines so that they work together to tell your story. Good lines become great lines with good flow. Flow is how you deliver the words in relation to the beat. Are you slow, holding back, or are you attacking the beat with speed and intensity. Do you waver up and down, picking up and slowing down depending on the line? Flow takes practice and patience, so put a beat on and practice. You don't have to have the same flow throughout the whole song. Nas's incredibly "NY State of Mind" flows like a great jazz solo -- stopping, starting, pausing and pushing forward around the incredible rhymes. Read the great rappers for inspiration. Much like a burgeoning writer needs to study the best poets, a growing rapper needs to read to the best. Reading a rap lets you see it on the page, much like the rapper when they wrote the lyrics. This will help you comprehend rhyme schemes and little tricks. Sites like RapGenius, for example, even have annotated lyrics that explain metaphors, rhymes, and references. Listen to what you enjoy, but a small selection of essential verses (in addition to the other songs referenced in the article) to start with includes: AZ's, first verse on "Life's a B---", off of Nas's album Illmatic. Notorious B.I.G, "Notorious Thugs." Black Thought, "75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction). Rakim on "As the Rhyme Goes On," on Paid in Full. Kendrick Lamar, "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst." Lupe Fiasco, "Murals." Eminem, "Lose Yourself."	Come up with the theme for the song. Come up with the "story" of your lyrics. Get to know your beat. Write a catchy hook or chorus. Figure out how many bars you have to rap on. Understand rhyme inside and out. Write "punchline raps" in reverse. Organize your lines into a rhyme scheme. Make sure your song is personal and real. Practice rewriting your favorite raps. Learn poetic techniques to up your game. Use specific imagery in your lyrics. Work on the flow, or delivery, of your lines so that they work together to tell your story. Read the great rappers for inspiration.
https://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-a-Bird-Egg-Is-Infertile	How to Tell if a Bird Egg Is Infertile	To tell if a bird egg is infertile, hold it up to a strong light or candle and examine the embryonic development inside the egg. If the inside looks fairly clear with no blood streaks, rings, or vessels, the egg is most likely infertile. Alternatively, see if the egg floats in a bowl of warm water, which is a common sign of infertility. You can also observe the egg for 14 to 21 days. If nothing happens to the egg past this period, it's either infertile or the embryo has died during its development.	an egg to look inside for embryonic development. Candle If a you or a hen has been incubating an egg for a few days, you can candle an egg to see if it is fertile or not. Hold your egg up to a candle or strong light like an incubator light and observe what you see inside: A fertile egg will have clear signs of development such as networks of blood vessels present, an opaque shape of an embryo at the larger end of the egg, and even movement within the egg. A fertile egg with an embryo that has stopped developing will have a blood ring or blood streaks observable in the egg. Since the embryo is no longer viable, the blood vessels that once supported it have pulled away from it. An infertile egg or yolker will look fairly clear, with no blood streaks, rings, or vessels. Observe if your eggs float. Floating eggs are often infertile as the volume inside of the egg is not large enough for it to sink. As embryos form, eggs become heavier. Check for floating eggs: Wait until your bird eggs are a few days old and all possible embryos have developed. In practice, it is best to only move possibly fertile eggs every once in a while and never too often. Taking an egg from its incubator too early can stunt development and taking an egg too late in its development can hurt the chick inside. Get a bowl of warm water. Be sure to use warm water in case your bird egg is fertile. Carefully place the eggs in the water. Be gentle, as some eggs are very fragile. Observe if your eggs float or sink. Return your fertile eggs back to the incubator as soon as possible. Crack open an egg to check for fertility. The most accurate way to see if an egg is fertile or not in its early stages is to crack the egg open. When cracked, look for the blastodisc to see if it has turned into a blastoderm. For obvious reasons, cracking open an egg means you are not planning to breed or incubate chicks. If you're are cracking eggs for consumption, infertile eggs and fertile eggs have no taste difference. Fertile eggs will have a blastoderm that looks like a white bullseye or circle. The white colour of the blastoderm will be quite opaque and its edges solid and pronounced. A lighter, almost transparent, outer later will surround the denser spot. Infertile eggs will have a blastodisc that will have an irregular shape and its white colour is very faint and foggy. All eggs will have a white spot or blastodisc whether or not it is fertile. Separate your female birds from your male birds. In order for an egg to be fertile, a female bird must mate with a male to produce an egg with both male and female genetic material to create an embryo inside the egg. If you only own female birds, then all eggs laid by them will be infertile. An unfertilized egg or an egg only containing female genetic material is called a blastodisc. In fertile eggs or eggs that contain both female and male genetic material, the blastodisc is then term a blastoderm. The blastoderm is also called the first stage of embryonic development. Observe eggs for 14 to 21 days. The time it takes for a chick to hatch in incubation varies between different species of birds. Most lovebird eggs hatch in 2 weeks while chickens take up to 21 days to hatch. If nothing happens to the egg past this period, the egg was most likely infertile or the embryo died and stopped its development. This method is not recommended for consumption if you are checking chicken eggs. If your egg has been in an incubator for 21 days or left out in room temperature for more than 7 to 10 days, the egg will have most likely gone bad or is beginning to rot.	an egg to look inside for embryonic development. Observe if your eggs float. Crack open an egg to check for fertility. Separate your female birds from your male birds. Observe eggs for 14 to 21 days.
https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Song-for-a-First-Dance	How to Choose a Song for a First Dance	To choose a song for your first dance, think about the kind of music that suits you as a couple and reflects your relationship. For a more traditional first dance to a classic song, try “At Last” by Etta James. If you want something more up tempo, see if a song by Paula Abdul or Salt-n-Pepa would fit. If you and your partner are film buffs, think about “In Your Eyes” from Say Anything or “I Want to Grow Old With You” from The Wedding Singer.	Call on your shared memories. Think about what songs are significant to your relationship. Did you attend a concert together? Was there a song playing on the radio when you had your first kiss? You may not agree on one of these songs, but pay attention to the genres and lyrics that come up in your list Ask loved ones what songs remind them of you and your partner. Even if you don't use them, the songs they suggest might be a good jumping-off point for your own musical exploration Select a song that a relative used for their first dance. It will flatter them greatly. If you do this, it's a good idea to make a note of it in the wedding program Take your personal style into account. If you are an upbeat couple, try dancing to something by Paula Abdul or Salt-n-Pepa. If you're a more refined pair, think about dancing to a jazz standard by Tony Bennett or Diana Krall Look to classic first dance songs. If you are a more traditional couple, you can show off your good taste with a classic tune. These songs are always in style. Some possibilities include: "At Last" by Etta James "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole "Stardust" by Billy Ward & His Dominoes Have your song fit your wedding's venue. Your location can be a wonderful source of inspiration. Choosing a song that matches your setting will ensure that your song is in keeping with your wedding's theme If you are getting married on a farm, you may want to choose an acoustic, country, or folk tune, like “Easy to Love” by Ivan and Alyosha, or “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. For a wedding in a museum or historical building, you might pick a classic like “You're All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye,“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, or “Come Rain or Shine” by Ray Charles. For an unconventional location, such as a brewery or an art gallery, you might opt for a song like “I Do” by Meiko, “I Found You,” by Alabama Shakes, or “May I Have This Dance” by Francis and the Lights. Listen to your music libraries. Play songs from your iTunes and Spotify playlists on shuffle. Write down any tracks that you think you think would make good dance songs. To get a sense of whether or not the song might work, play it right there in your home and give your partner a whirl. Listen to see if the pace is good for your preferred style of dance. Screen the lyrics carefully. Often songs that appear to be about love are really about heartbreak or unrequited love. Make sure that you listen to the song all way through so you have a sense of what story the song actually tells. Play your favorite movie soundtracks. If you have a favorite film in common, consider selecting a song from the soundtrack. Many romantic scenes are musical moments, so movies offer a wealth of great options For example, think about the moment in The Wedding Singer in which Adam Sandler sings "I Want to Grow Old With You" to Drew Barrymore in the middle of the flight Another memorable music moment happens in Say Anything, when "In Your Eyes" plays loudly from John Cusack's boombox Borrow celebrities’ first dance songs. Look up the first dance songs of your favorite musicians, actors, and politicians to get ideas. George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin danced to "Why Should I?" by Cole Porter. Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel chose "A Song for You" by Donny Hathaway. Barack and Michelle Obama boogied to "You and I" by Stevie Wonder. Consult your band or DJ. They are in the music business, so they will most likely be able to help you choose the song that will set the right mood for the event. Choose an uptempo song if you can dance. A fast song with a solid beat gives you a great opportunity to show off your moves. It will also get your guests clapping and dancing along with you. Some example of tunes you might choose include: "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison "Feel So Close" by Calvin Harris "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers "Happy" by Pharrell Williams "Happy Together" by The Turtles "You and Me Song" by The Wannadies "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. Opt for a slow song if you don't dance. There is no shame in sharing a tender moment, swaying together to a romantic piece of music. Here are some ideas for slower choices: "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John "Hello Again" by Neil Diamond "Saving All My Love for You" by Whitney Houston. "Hero" by Mariah Carey "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison "Always" by Atlantic Starr "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion Find out if your band can play the song. If you have a jazz band, they may not be able to play a country song. Many bands will know the more common first dance songs, but yours may not be in their repertoire.You can ask the band if they are able to learn the song for you. Alternatively, you can use your iPod or a CD to play the song. Another option is to invite a musical friend or family member to perform the song for you Send a copy of the song to your DJ. If you have a DJ, make sure they have the correct version of the song. They may have a newer version, older version, or a remix. Make sure your DJ has a copy of the song exactly as you want it played Keep your song under three minutes. You will want to keep the moment short and sweet. If your song is longer than that, consider editing it.	Call on your shared memories. Ask loved ones what songs remind them of you and your partner. Select a song that a relative used for their first dance. Take your personal style into account. Look to classic first dance songs. Have your song fit your wedding's venue. Listen to your music libraries. Screen the lyrics carefully. Play your favorite movie soundtracks. Borrow celebrities’ first dance songs. Consult your band or DJ. Choose an uptempo song if you can dance. Opt for a slow song if you don't dance. Find out if your band can play the song. Send a copy of the song to your DJ. Keep your song under three minutes.
https://www.wikihow.com/Dispose-of-Industrial-Chemicals	How to Dispose of Industrial Chemicals	Disposing of industrial chemicals improperly can harm the environment and cause illness, but fortunately there are a variety of safe disposal methods to prevent that. When you need to get rid of a chemical, always read the product label first to see if it has disposal instructions. For example, the label might tell you to take the chemical to a special recycling center or that it's safe to pour down the drain. Many home improvement stores offer special recycling facilities for substances like paint and automotive fluids. If you need to get rid of a household chemical, like bleach or hydrogen peroxide, dilute it with 10 parts water. Let the solution sit for at least an hour, then pour it down the drain.	Read the product label. Some chemical products come with disposal instructions right on the label and following those instructions should be enough. Even for products without disposal instructions, you should still read the labels so you can be aware of the warnings and cautions concerning said products. Items such as batteries and light bulbs have to be recycled at special recycling centers. Never mix cleaning products together. If you only have a small amount of cleaning product left in each bottle, it may be tempting to mix them into one bottle for disposal. Different chemicals can react with each other to form very hazardous fumes and noxious gases. Read the material safety data sheet. In addition to the product label, you want to read the MSDS for industrial chemicals. The MSDS gives you important information about the chemical: its toxicity, reactivity, and disposal considerations. Every chemical product you buy should come with an MSDS sheet. However, you can also use the online MSDS database to look up the MSDS for the specific formulation of the chemical you wish to dispose. Search the list of hazardous wastes. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has many resources on determining if your waste is considered hazardous and what kind of special disposal is necessary. The EPA regulates hazardous waste using the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. Determine if your waste is hazardous by referring to this EPA flow chart. If your waste is classified as hazardous by the EPA, you will need to contact the EPA for proper disposal. You can contact the EPA online or by looking up your local EPA office and contacting them directly by phone. Use proper safety precautions. When dealing with any chemicals, you should always wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts, pants, goggles, and closed-toe shoes. You want to minimize skin exposure as much as possible. Chemicals often emit noxious fumes, so you want to work in a well-ventilated area. Also, make sure to tie back your hair if it is long. Never breathe deeply and inhale chemical fumes, particularly if you are unsure of what the chemical is. Read all safety information for a chemical before working with it or disposing of it. If you get a chemical on your skin or in your eye, seek medical attention right away. You should also immediately rinse the affected area with water for at least 15 minutes. Dilute bleach and hydrogen peroxide to pour down the drain. Make a very dilute solution of bleach or hydrogen peroxide by adding at least 10 times the amount of water. Let the dilute solution sit for at least an hour before disposal. Store solvents for special collection. Solvents such as paint and varnish must be disposed of at a special recycling center or collected by a hazardous waste company. Many home improvement stores have paint recycling centers as well. Latex paints can be disposed of at home. Stir in an equal part of cat litter to match the amount of paint. Stir until the paint thickens and allow the mixture to sit for one hour. You can throw the hardened paint away in the garbage. Recycle automotive fluids. Car-related fluids such as antifreeze, motor oil, and transmission fluid can be collected and recycled. None of these items can be thrown away or disposed of down the drain. Collect the fluid and bring it to a nearby recycling center. Use a recycling locator to help you find a location near you. Drain all aerosol canisters. Do this by turning them upside down and spraying them into an absorbent material, like paper towels, rags, or a sponge. Once the can has lost all of its pressure, wrap it in several layers of newspaper and throw it out with regular household trash. Alternatively, you can dispose of partially filled cans by taking them to a Household Hazardous Waste collection center. Return pool chemicals back to your local pool store. Most pool stores will take pool chemicals and dispose of them properly. Alternatively, you can check with the community pool and see if they have any need of your unused chemicals. If you must dispose of them in the garbage, make sure the chemicals are dry, stored in their original containers and double-bagged to prevent contamination. Submit industrial chemicals to a hazardous material collection system. If you are unsure of the proper method of disposal for a potentially dangerous product, like a car battery, seek out a hazardous material collection service nearby and see if they will take your waste. Most communities should have such a service. Laboratories have specific waste disposal departments that take care of this. Once you have a full container, schedule a pick-up for disposal. Store the used chemical in a proper container for disposal. A sealed plastic container is generally sufficient. Know the acids and bases that cannot be neutralized. There are some acids and bases that cannot be neutralized and disposed of down the sewer drain. Disposal of the following should be done through the proper hazardous waste collection channels: perchloric acid concentrated nitric acid fuming (concentrated), sulfuric acid hydrofluoric acid acids or bases with dyes or surfactants acids of bases with heavy metals organic acids and bases that remain toxic after neutralization Identify the strength of the acid or base. Strong acids (pH < 2.0) and strong bases (pH > 12.0) must be neutralized before dilution and disposal down the drain. The strength of the acid or base can be determined using a pH meter or pH strips. Strong acids and bases must be neutralized to a pH range between 6.0 and 9.0. A pH meter directly measures the pH of the solution. pH paper has a color indicator that tells you the strength of the solution. Neutralize strong acids with sodium hydroxide. Work in a fume hood (or well-ventilated area) because this process emits noxious fumes. Keep the solution constantly stirring and slowly add sodium hydroxide. This reaction will release heat so it is important that the sodium hydroxide is added slowly. Keep adding sodium hydroxide until the acid is neutralized. Placing the container in a second container of ice will help avoid overheating and potential injury. You should also wear goggles and a mask to protect yourself from noxious fumes. Neutralize strong bases with hydrochloric acid. The process of neutralizing a strong base is the same as neutralizing a strong acid except you use hydrochloric acid instead of sodium hydroxide. Slowly add the hydrochloric acid to the strong base while constantly stirring the solution. This reaction also releases heat, so add slowly and keep the container in a bucket of ice to avoid superheating the container. Check the pH again. After neutralization, the pH should be in the range between 6.0 and 9.0. Use the pH meter or pH paper strips to ensure the proper neutralization of the acid or base. If the pH is not in the correct range, continue adding the neutralizing acid or base to the solution until the correct pH is reached. Acid-base indicator solutions can also be used to test the pH of the solutions. As the pH of the entire solution changes, the color of the indicator will change. If you have access to an indicator, it can make your neutralization process easier. Dilute by adding acid or base to water. To dilute the solution, always add the acid or the base directly to the water. Adding water to the acid or base can superheat the water and lead to explosions. Diluting the acid or base is an exothermic reaction, meaning it will give off heat. Place the container in an ice bucket to avoid superheating the container. You can calculate the amount of water needed to dilute the solution based on the strength of the acid or base. Pour it down the drain. Once the solution has been neutralized and diluted, it can be poured directly down the drain. Keep the water running while you pour the solution down the drain to further dilute. If the waste contains a heavy metal such as copper, lead, zinc, cadmium, or mercury, you cannot dispose of it down the sink. It must be disposed of as hazardous waste by an environmental health and safety office.	Read the product label. Read the material safety data sheet. Search the list of hazardous wastes. Use proper safety precautions. Dilute bleach and hydrogen peroxide to pour down the drain. Store solvents for special collection. Recycle automotive fluids. Drain all aerosol canisters. Return pool chemicals back to your local pool store. Submit industrial chemicals to a hazardous material collection system. Know the acids and bases that cannot be neutralized. Identify the strength of the acid or base. Neutralize strong acids with sodium hydroxide. Neutralize strong bases with hydrochloric acid. Check the pH again. Dilute by adding acid or base to water. Pour it down the drain.
https://www.wikihow.com/Sprout-Lentils	How to Sprout Lentils	To sprout lentils, first rinse them thoroughly to remove any debris. Then, soak the lentils overnight in a jar of lukewarm water covered with either muslin or cheesecloth. Next, drain the water from the jar and set it on its side in a warm place. As the lentils sprout, continue to rinse and strain them daily. Finally, once the sprouts have reached around 1 inch in length, they're ready to use!	Choose the lentils for sprouting. Any of the brown, green or whole red lentils will work. Wash the lentils thoroughly. Place them in a sieve or fine-holed colander and wash under running water. Remove any debris. Place the lentils into a large, clean jar. Fill the jar with lukewarm water. Cover the jar. Cover the top of the jar with muslin or cheesecloth. Secure it in place using a rubber band or tightly tied twine. Absolutely do not cover the jar with the solid lid. Soak the lentils. Leave the jar in a warm place, overnight. The lentils must soak for at least 8 hours. Your hot water cupboard or in the kitchen near to where to cooking is happening can make nice warm places to encourage germination. Drain the lentils. Pour off the water the next day. Leave the muslin cover in place while pouring (this keeps the lentils in there). Turn the jar upside down and drain well. The easiest way to do this is to sit it in a colander or similar kitchen tool. Let the sprouting begin. Once drained, turn the jar on its side and leave in a warm place. Keep it away from direct sunlight. Rinse and drain regularly. Each day remove the lentils from the jar and rinse well. This moistens them and helps them to continue germinating, then growing. Remove any lentils that haven't germinated (begun to sprout) and return the sprouts to the jar to keep growing. Use when they have sprouted enough. The sprouts are ready to eat when they're about 3cm/1 inch in height. Usually this will be achieved after 2 to 3 days of growing. Use as wished. Lentil sprouts can be used in a variety of ways, such as adding them to stews and soups, tossing into stir-fries, plumping out a salad or part of a salad sandwich. Or, you can just snack on them as you like.	Choose the lentils for sprouting. Wash the lentils thoroughly. Place the lentils into a large, clean jar. Cover the jar. Soak the lentils. Drain the lentils. Let the sprouting begin. Rinse and drain regularly. Use when they have sprouted enough. Use as wished.
https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-Swords	How to Take Care of Swords	To keep your sword free from scratches, avoid knocking the blade into hard objects like wood. Natural oils can harm your sword, so handle it as little as possible and clean your hands with soap and water before you do. To give your sword a mirror-like finish, rub metal polish over the blade. You can remove rust and scratches by rubbing an abrasive pad over your sword, but you should take it to a professional polisher for serious modifications, improvements, and blade work.	Use a lint-free cloth to remove factory grease. When you purchase your sword from a factory producer or even a collector, it will likely be shipped with a thick coating of oil or grease. Once you receive your sword, immediately remove this grease with a lint-free, cotton cloth. Always wipe your blade in straight, one-directional strokes to prevent injury. Move from the bottom of the sword toward the tip, putting less pressure on the tip. When cleaning Japanese swords, use rice paper instead of lint-free cotton cloths. Coffee filters will also work as a cheap alternative. Apply lacquer thinner to swords for stubborn gunk. Your lint-free cloth may not be enough to remove some dirt, dust, or gunk. This could include the factory grease. Pour a very small amount of lacquer thinner onto a different cloth and rub the gunk off, using the same straight, one-directional motions. Use another lint-free cloth to remove any remaining lacquer thinner. Use lacquer thinner with benzene to wipe gunk off Japanese swords. Japanese swords sometimes require slightly different cleaning materials than steel swords. Ensure that your lacquer thinner contains benzene when cleaning these items. Wipe the blade dry to prevent moisture damage. Using a fresh cloth, piece of rice paper, or coffee filter, completely dry your blade. This will remove any remaining dust and cleaning solution. Having a dry, clean blade before you oil the metal is essential for preventing moisture damage. Choose sewing machine oil for a basic and cheap oiling material. All swords are highly prone to rusting. In order to protect the metal, these items need routine application of a protective coat of oil. Sewing machine oil, which is a type of mineral oil, is an easy-to-find and cheap option for preserving your swords. Pick choji oil for traditional oiling of Japanese swords. When oiling Japanese swords, you may choose to use more traditional cleaning and preservation materials. Choji oil is a type of mineral oil that also contains clove oil. This solution might be difficult to find and more expensive. Sewing machine oil will also work for these items. Put a small amount of oil on a lint-free cloth. For both Japanese and steel swords, use a lint-free cotton cloth for oiling. Pour or spray a very small amount of oil on the cloth. Apply just enough oil to make a small circle on the cloth. To avoid over-oiling, you can also apply the oil directly onto the sword with an eye dropper. Wipe the oil onto the entire length of the blade. Use the same one-directional, straight motions as during cleaning when applying oil. Make sure the entire metal portion of the sword is covered in oil. Work slowly and carefully to avoid injury. Avoid over-oiling the blade by wiping away excess oil. Aim for a light coat of oil that just barely gleams when exposed to light. Oil should not be dripping off the sword. Ensure that your coat is thin and even by using a fresh cloth to cover any remaining bare spots and remove any excess oil. Repeat oiling every ten days with new swords. It's important to constantly check and see how new swords react to your climate. Continue this process for about six months to protect the sword and allow it to adjust to your area. If it appears that your oil is wearing off, re-apply the layer immediately. Continue oiling each week in humid climates. If you live in an area that receives constant rain or high-humidity weather, take extra care with your metal. These regions put your swords at higher risk for developing rust. Rust can form quickly, so you may want to check the metal every couple of days, especially after you first make your purchase. Repeat oiling monthly in dry, temperate climates. Rust is a slightly less scary enemy in regions that don't receive too much moisture. Still, water is everywhere! Don't get too relaxed in these regions, and continue oiling your sword about once a month. Coat wooden sword handles lightly with lemon oil every six months. While these pieces of your sword don't require quite as much care as the metal, they may crack if they're not properly maintained. To keep the wood protected and supple, apply a very light layer or lemon oil to the wood using a soft cotton cloth. You should only need to do this every six months or so. Increase the frequency if you notice any small cracks in the material. Use leather wax paste on leather hilts to prevent cracking. Just like wooden handles, leather handles may crack if they don't receive a bit of routine care. Maintain this part of your sword by rubbing a small amount of leather wax paste onto the material with a soft cloth. As with wooden handles, you shouldn't need to do this more than once or twice a year. Ensure that the oils you use to protect the metal on your sword don't touch the leather handle. This can cause the leather to rot. You may want to protect the leather with plastic wrap whenever you oil the blade. Coat your sword in Vaseline and wrap in rags to store. If you're not displaying your sword by hanging it on the wall, you may want to put it away in storage. To safely store swords for long periods of time, keep them out of their scabbards. Instead, apply a think coat of Vaseline, wrap the sword in several layers of rags, and tie the rags to secure them. Choose Renaissance wax for professional-grade storage. If you're worried about Vaseline damaging your sword, you may want to try Renaissance wax. This material is used by museums when they store their sword collections. It's more expensive, but you don't need to use as much when coating the metal. Wrap the sword in rags and tie once you've applied the wax. Renaissance wax can also provide long-term protection for swords on display. Keep the sword in a cool, dry place when storing. Extreme temperatures may damage your sword. Your sword will store best in an air-conditioned, dry space. These conditions will help avoid any rust from forming on the metal, and they should also prevent your handles from cracking. Do not store your swords in leather scabbards. This will quickly cause the blade to rust. While wooden scabbards are a better option than leather, they, too, will not protect the blade as well as well-secured rags and ties. Prevent scratches by gently handling your sword. While you may want to test your sword out by cutting trees or banging it against hard objects, this will damage the material. If you want to prevent scratches, do not engage in these practices. You may cause damage that even a professional sword polisher can't fix. Some people choose to purposefully buy sturdier swords so they can handle them with less fear of damaging the metal. Even if you buy one of these swords, exercise caution and be prepared for damage. Avoid overhandling to minimize damage from your skin’s natural oils. Any time you touch your sword, you're exposing it to any natural oils or foreign material on your skin. While you should always clean and dry your hands before handling your sword, this will provide only minimal protection. If you're worried about damaging the metal, you can wear cotton gloves when handling the sword. Don't wear these gloves when cleaning, oiling, or polishing the sword, as they won't provide you with the mobility you need to safely complete these processes. Remove rust and scratches with metal abrasive pads. These pads come in coarse, medium, and fine grit. Attack small scratches or rust spots with the medium and fine pads, and use the coarse pads on deeper damage. You'll want to slowly move through this process: Lay the sword down on a flat, secure surface. The tip of the blade should be facing away from you. Rub the sandpaper over the damaged area in one-directional, straight motions. Focus on small areas, moving through them one at a time. Finish with the fine abrasive pad to provide a satiny, scratchless metal surface. Clean any rust dust off the metal with a soft cloth, and oil the blade as you normally would. If rust develops on more expensive swords, call a professional. You don't want to cause further damage to valuable items by trying to fix them yourself. Polish steel blades with Scotch-brite pads and metal polish. If you want to create a mirror-like finish on your blade, put a small amount of metal polish on a Scotch-brite pad. Rub this solution onto the blade, moving only in straight motions. You'll be tempted to buff the metal in circles, but resist this urge! Apply high pressure to the pad to receive the proper polish. Finish by cleaning and oiling the blade as you normally would. Polish Japanese blades with an Uchiko ball. Japanese blades require a unique polishing process. When you purchase your blade, it may include an Uchiko ball, or a silk ball on a stick that contains stone powder. Gently tap the Uchiko ball against the blade every 1-2 inches (2-4 cm) to release a light film of stone powder along the entire length of both sides of the blade. Then wipe the powder off the blade with a clean cotton cloth, moving from hilt to tip in straight, one-directional swipes. Use flour for a cheap alternative to the Uchiko ball. If you don't have access to this traditional Japanese tool, flour from your kitchen cabinet works as well. Simply sprinkle flour over the blade using your pinched fingers. As with the Uchiko ball, wipe the powder off the blade with a clean cotton cloth, moving from hilt to tip in straight, one-directional swipes. Use a professional for deep nicks or extensive rust damage. Any time that your blade becomes extensively damaged, get in touch with a professional. If you attempt to fix this damage yourself, you may end up ruining the item. Professional polishers can be found online, although they may require you to ship your sword to them. You may also be able to rely on local knife shops for repair, which may ease any shipping woes.	Use a lint-free cloth to remove factory grease. Apply lacquer thinner to swords for stubborn gunk. Use lacquer thinner with benzene to wipe gunk off Japanese swords. Wipe the blade dry to prevent moisture damage. Choose sewing machine oil for a basic and cheap oiling material. Pick choji oil for traditional oiling of Japanese swords. Put a small amount of oil on a lint-free cloth. Wipe the oil onto the entire length of the blade. Avoid over-oiling the blade by wiping away excess oil. Repeat oiling every ten days with new swords. Continue oiling each week in humid climates. Repeat oiling monthly in dry, temperate climates. Coat wooden sword handles lightly with lemon oil every six months. Use leather wax paste on leather hilts to prevent cracking. Coat your sword in Vaseline and wrap in rags to store. Choose Renaissance wax for professional-grade storage. Keep the sword in a cool, dry place when storing. Prevent scratches by gently handling your sword. Avoid overhandling to minimize damage from your skin’s natural oils. Remove rust and scratches with metal abrasive pads. Polish steel blades with Scotch-brite pads and metal polish. Polish Japanese blades with an Uchiko ball. Use flour for a cheap alternative to the Uchiko ball. Use a professional for deep nicks or extensive rust damage.
https://www.wikihow.com/Say-Hello-in-Polish	How to Say Hello in Polish	To say hello in Polish, say “cześć,” which is pronounced like "cheh-sh-ch.” For a more formal way to say hello, say “dzień dobry,” which means “good day.” Pronounce this phrase by saying “jayn DOH-bry.” You should use this greeting whenever you're meeting someone for the first time, you're in a professional setting, or you're unsure of how casual you can be. If you're close friends with the person you want to greet, use a casual greeting like “hej,” which you pronounce just like the English “hey.” Since showing respect is important in Polish greetings, remember to address people by their proper titles until they invite you to call them by their first name.	To say "hello" in Polish, say "cześć. " This very common, albeit somewhat informal greeting, is pronounced roughly like "cheh-sh-ch." Non-Poles may find it difficult to pronounce this word correctly. Following a "sh" sound with a "ch" sound is something that is almost never done in English. "Cześć" is a little informal to use in serious social situations. While it's fine for friends and family members, some etiquette-conscious Poles may be offended if you use it the very first time you meet them. "Cześć" may also be used to say "bye." To say "good day," say "dzień dobry. " This greeting, which literally translates to "good day," is pronounced as "jayn DOH-bry." The first syllable in this phrase sounds almost like "Jane." The final "y" sounds like the "i" in "fin," "dinner," and "sick." This is a more formal way to say "hello," and is suitable for situations where you're dealing with people that you don't know, or that you know in a professional context (e.g., customers, bosses, teachers, etc.) "Dzień dobry" can also mean "good morning." To say "good evening," say "dobry wieczór. " This is pronounced as "DOH-bry VYEH-choorh." "Dobry" is pronounced the same way as in "dzień dobry." The W at the beginning of "wieczór" is pronounced like a V, not an English W. As in English, this greeting is used when meeting people after the sun has begun to go down but before it has gotten completely dark. "Dobry wieczór" has the same level of formality as "dzień dobry." To say "hey," say "hej. " This is pronounced exactly like the English "hey." It is a very familiar and informal greeting. You won't want to use it for formal situations or people that you're interested in maintaining a professional relationship with. It is best used among close friends. "Hey" in Polish works the same as saying "hey" in English. Say "witam" when you are greeting guests and you are the host. This word is pronounced as “vee-tahm.” The W in the first syllable is pronounced like the English V. The second syllable has a soft "ah" sound, as in "apartment." "Witam" is not always an appropriate greeting, especially to strangers. It can subtly imply that you occupy a higher social station than the person you're talking to. It is best reserved for when you are greeting guests to your home. When in doubt, opt for semi-formal/formal greetings. Unlike what is common in many English-speaking countries today, for Polish people, it's not typical to greet someone you've never met before as if you are already friends. Greetings are more reserved and formal than what many English-speakers are a little used to. Thus, it's often best to use the more formal greetings at your disposal, such as "dzień dobry," rather than risking an informal "hej" or "cześć." Of course, once you've gotten to know someone, you can usually progress to the informal greetings for casual conversations. However, unless you're a confident Polish speaker, you may want to play things safe and follow the lead of the person you're talking to. Use "Pan" or "Pani" when addressing a man or woman by last name. Respect is an important concept when it comes to greetings in Polish society—especially those occurring in a business/formal setting. Because of this, you will want to address the people you meet by their proper titles until you are invited to address them on a first-name basis. If you don't know the honorific for the person you are talking to, use "Pan" for men and "Pani" for women. "Pan" has a soft "ah" sound to it, as in "apartment." "Pani" starts out just like "Pan," but has a long "e" sound at the end, as in "bee" or "see." Polish last names ending in "ski" change depending on gender. Polanski would be used for a man, while Polanska would be used for a female. Don't be offended if you don't get invited to address someone by his or her first name. Getting invited into this "inner circle" is a big social step to Poles. Many business and professional relationships go on for years before "making the jump." Greet everyone at social events, but greet women first. When attending a social event, such as a party or a business meeting, it's important etiquette to greet everyone that you encounter in the room. Passing someone over, or not acknowledging him or her, can be seen as rude and disrespectful. Traditionally, women are greeted first in Polish society. Usually, your host will handle the introductions, so you probably won't have to worry about this. Shake hands upon greetings, and maintain eye contact. You will also want to shake hands (again, with eye contact) upon leaving as well. If you are male, and the woman you are greeting extends her hand to you (palm down), you may take it, bow down, and give it a delicate kiss; never lift the woman's hand to your lips. This is a little old-fashioned, but still considered good etiquette. Know that close friends and family members often greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. While adult males and teenagers who aren't well acquainted typically greet with a handshake, people who know each other well will often greet one another with a friendly kiss on the cheek. This isn't a sign of romantic affection at all. It can be done innocently by almost any combination of two people as long as they're close (e.g., people of different sexes, people of the same sex, siblings, parents and their children, and so on.) In Poland , it is customary to use two to three kisses: first on the right cheek, then on the left, then on the right again. Hugs are almost common among Polish people. Don't be alarmed if an overly friendly host gives you one as though you were an old friend. Get into the spirit of giving and receiving. When visiting someone's home, it is not uncommon for the guest to bring a small gift, such as cut flowers, sweets, or alcohol. Flowers are the most common and expected, however. If you are bringing flowers, try to pick out an odd number instead of an even one. Do not bring chrysanthemums, which are often used for funerals. Skip on the very expensive gifts, as this might embarrass the host. Do not be offended if you are a host and do not receive a gift. On the other hand, if you do receive a gift, be sure to thank your guest, and to open the gift. Don't be "prymitywny"! In Polish, a rude person who ignores social etiquette is called "prymitywny" (literally, "primitive.") Luckily, avoiding this label is simple: just give an honest effort to greet the people you meet with respect and treat them with the courtesy and kindness you'd want for yourself. Unless you're an excellent Polish speaker, you'll probably make a few minor breaches of etiquette in during your time in a Polish-speaking community. As long as you do your best to be polite and acknowledge your mistakes, you'll be fine. Anyone who gives you grief for minor slip-ups in a language you're not familiar with is prymitywny. To say "goodnight," say "dobranoc. " This is pronounced as "doh-BRAH-nohts." The "oh" sounds are soft, as in "ocean." The a is a soft "ah" sound, as in "apartment." This word is used similarly to the way you'd use "good night" in English—you can say it to someone as you depart at night, right before you go to bed, and so on. To say "how are you? " say "jak się masz?" In many languages, it's customary to ask how someone is after saying "hello." Polish is no different. This phrase is pronounced as “yahk sheh mash.” Both of the "a" sounds are soft "ahs," as in "apartment. This is also informal, and is best used after "cześć" or "hej." It's not suitable after more formal greetings, such as "Dzień dobry" or "dobry wieczór." To say "goodbye," say "do widzenia. " When it's time to leave, use this phrase, which is pronounced "doh veed-ZEN-yah." The only item of note here is that the W here receives the customary V pronunciation. The rest of the word is fairly easy to sound out. It's pronounced almost how it would be if it were an English. Say "thank you" when asked how you're doing. If you want to really impress your Polish hosts, offer this up when someone asks you how you are doing after the initial greetings. The implication here is that, by asking about you, someone has shown an interest in your affairs. By saying "thank you," you are graciously acknowledging their interest and paying them a social courtesy in return. "Dziękuję" is pronounced like "jen-KOO-yeh." "Proszę" (prosh-eh) means "please." It can also mean "you're welcome" if it follows "dziękuję." "Dobrze" (doh-b-jeh) means "good." "Bardzo dobrze" (bard-zoh doh-b-jeh) means "very good."	To say "hello" in Polish, say "cześć. To say "good day," say "dzień dobry. To say "good evening," say "dobry wieczór. To say "hey," say "hej. Say "witam" when you are greeting guests and you are the host. When in doubt, opt for semi-formal/formal greetings. Use "Pan" or "Pani" when addressing a man or woman by last name. Greet everyone at social events, but greet women first. Shake hands upon greetings, and maintain eye contact. Know that close friends and family members often greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. Get into the spirit of giving and receiving. Don't be "prymitywny"! To say "goodnight," say "dobranoc. To say "how are you? To say "goodbye," say "do widzenia. Say "thank you" when asked how you're doing.
https://www.wikihow.com/Stay-Motivated-to-Lose-Weight	How to Stay Motivated to Lose Weight	If you want to stay motivated to lose weight, avoid fad or crash diets that are hard to stick with and ask for support from friends or family, since everything is easier when you're not doing it alone. You should also try to limit unhealthy foods you want to avoid, rather than banning them completely, so losing weight doesn't feel like punishment. To maintain your diet, consider keeping a food journal, where you log everything that you eat, so you are more likely to stick with your goals. Additionally, make sure to stay active, but only invest time and money into fitness activities that you really enjoy. When you get bored with your exercise routine, try incorporating new activities or find a workout buddy to keep things interesting.	Avoid fad or crash diets. When you put yourself on a diet of maple syrup and chili powder, it's pretty obvious that you're not going to stick with it. Even diets that are carb-free or all-protein are recipes for non-committal. When something isn't natural and doable, it's bound to be short-lived. There's no quick fix for long-term weight loss. If your diet involves severe calorie limitations, self-induced vomiting, cutting entire categories of foods (or only consuming 1 category), using laxatives or weight-loss medications or products, it's not healthy. You'll be better off (and more motivated) with a diet that makes you look good and feel good—for a long, long time. Never set foods off-limits. The older we get, the more we think we're not like children, but we still are. If you set 3 toys in front of a child and tell them they can't have the third one, which one will they want to play with? The same goes with your food. If you can't have dessert, you'll want it all the more. So instead of eliminating it, just limit it. Let yourself have a bite. Otherwise you'll just eat everything else! Telling yourself you can't have something just feels terrible. It's a punishment and it starts the negative thinking train rolling down the tracks. The truth is a bite of that cake won't make you gain weight—but 3 pieces will. So load up on your steamed veggies for dinner and sneak a taste of your friend's dessert while she's not looking. The massive amount of cauliflower you just ingested proves you deserve it. Find alternative ways to cope with emotions. When friends gather, be it in celebration, commiseration, or just to kill time, what do they do? They eat (or drink). When we're happy, we eat. When we're sad, we eat. When we have nothing better to do, we eat. Unfortunately, that's not good for anyone. Alternative methods of feeling must be had! Start thinking about when and why you eat, not just what. Maybe you always eat mindlessly when you're watching television, or maybe you go straight to the fridge when you're stressed. When you become aware of your patterns, it becomes easier to determine the cause. Start by keeping your hands busy— knitting , reading, or doing a word puzzle can keep you from grabbing the popcorn. Ask for support. Everything is easier to do when you're not doing it alone. Even if all your family/friends/roommates/strangers you live with couldn't care less about their own health or weight loss, they can make your path to success a bit easier. If they know what your plan is, they'll be less likely to tempt you to the dark side with cookies. A super easy way to find support from like-minded people is to join a group like Weight Watchers. If no one in your own social network is fighting the weight battle (which would be hard to believe since practically everyone is), joining a group like this can be infinitely beneficial in staying on track. Keep a food journal. Those who write down everything they eat are often more successful at losing weight than those who don't. Concretely facing what you're eating puts it in a new light—you'll notice patterns and be forced to look at your bad habits. Get a food journaling partner if at all possible. Eating 4 Snickers bars is a lot more embarrassing when you have to tell someone else of the dirty deed. The more responsible you have to be, the more likely you'll stick to it. Reassess your diet plan. As you diet and lose weight, your body gets used to your new habits and needs fewer calories with each pound you lose. You'll notice that that 1700-calorie diet you're on just isn't giving you the results you once had. Bummer. If it's not working, why stick with it, right? Because of this, you'll need to reassess and adjust your diet plan. The skinnier you are, the fewer calories you need to consume. At a point, this becomes quite difficult. You could cut back the calories a bit (not too much—just an extra hundred or so a day), but the easier way would be to add on more physical activity. Find a workout buddy. It's harder to hit the snooze button if you know there's someone waiting for you to meet them at the gym or at the start of a jogging route. When "you" isn't motivating enough, it's time to enlist the help of others! Don't wanna feel guilty, do ya? Friends and family can be excellent motivators as you continue to lose weight. Not only can they offer you support along the way, they can also become participants alongside you. Gyms will often post listings for fitness partnerships or classifieds for training partners. Inquire at the front desk as to how you can be paired up with someone who is at a similar level of fitness. Be an equal motivator to your workout partners. Energize them, just as they energize you - the benefits should go both ways! Think of being active, not just working out. Not every form of fitness geared towards weight loss is contained within a workout. Maintaining or pursuing a healthy body weight includes making physical activity a part of everyday life. Simply choosing to take the stairs over the elevator can help you reach your goals faster. In addition to the benefit of your waistline, moving frequently can alleviate feelings of sluggishness, and inspire you to continue moving throughout the day. Sometimes it's the getting going that is the hardest part. Get geared up. For most of us, shoveling out a chunk of change is a good way to get us feeling obligated to put that chunk of change to good use. Spending some of your hard-earned cash on workout clothes and gear can get you going in multiple ways: With new stuff, you'll feel obligated to use it, especially to get your money's worth. You'll feel more entertained—a new iPod, new music, a new water bottle—even the smallest stuff can excite an otherwise drab workout. You'll look good. New clothes can make us feel like a thousand bucks. When we feel good, we're more likely to reach for our goals. Stick to what feels right. Even if what you prefer doesn't quite go along with fitness trends or expectations, do it anyway. While it's great to challenge yourself, it's also great to pursue your strengths. By allowing yourself to be flexible in the way you pursue your weight loss, you'll be more likely to hit your ideal stride. Little switch-ups can make a big difference. For example, consider basic questions like: Are you more likely to work out in the morning or in the evening? Do you like to work out in large groups, in smaller groups or by yourself? Are you motivated by rewards, or are they easy to turn down? Go slow when starting out. Once in a while—especially when we just get started—it's easy to think, I'm gonna run 10 miles (16 km) a day and stick to 500 calories for each meal and I'm gonna lose 30 pounds in 30 days. Well, for starters, no. Just no. That's not how things work. Go easy on yourself—you don't want to throw up the "Closed for repairs" sign on your doors just yet. A healthy weight-loss goal is 1 to 2 pounds (0.45 to 0.91 kg) per week, for a total of up to 8 pounds (3.6 kg) per month. Biting off more than you can chew is, aside from not good for your motivation, bad for your health. Don't aim for ridiculous workout (or diet) goals right off the bat. Only increase your workout by 5 or 10% each time, regardless of whether or not you feel you can do more. You may wind up hurting yourself or wearing yourself out so much you don't get back at it tomorrow. Mix it up so you don’t get bored. Running 3 miles (4.8 km) a day to stay in shape and lose weight is a great idea. It will be effective and get the job done. Until you get bored out of your mind and stop. Do yourself a favor and switch up your routine. Your mind and your body is getting bored stiff. Don't think of it as taking a day off, because you're not. If you trade a day at the gym for a hike or a day at the pool, great! You're still staying active. Then when you get back at the gym, it'll feel that much better having taken a break. You'll feel rejuvenated and re-energized. Cross training is a great idea. It's basically the idea of doing a whole bunch of different types of workouts. Not only does it keep you mentally in the game, but it balances you out, too. Just running doesn't make you in shape, nor does just strength training. Cross training means you'll be ready for anything. Use pictures to stay motivated. Sometimes we need little reminders of why we're doing what we're doing, and pictures can do just that. Get some pictures and post them around your office, the kitchen, or on your desktop. What kind of pictures? Glad you asked. There are 2 ways to think of this: Find old pictures of you that remind you of what you want to look like. Knowing that you had it once lets you know you can have it again! Find pictures of others whose bodies you want to emulate. Being bombarded with something you want and are working toward can be great motivation. Remember though, that many models, movie stars, and celebrities may be too thin. Many have had surgery to change their bodies and/or have their photos edited and retouched. Sign up for a class or a race. Having some concrete activity to do or work toward keeps you training and keeps you in line. If it's a race, you have a definite date you're working toward, literally putting a deadline on your training. Nothing is up in the air anymore, floating around in a "I'll get in shape when I get in shape" sort of way. Don't know of any races coming up? The Internet is right in front of you right now. You have no excuse! Runnersworld.com and Active.com have fairly comprehensive lists of upcoming races being held all over the place. Work with a registered dietitian. A registered dietitian can help you through your weight loss journey. They can even work with your healthcare provider to ensure that you stay on track! Dietitians use evidence-based scientific strategies to help you lose weight safely. To find a registered dietitian in your area, go to http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert. Set reasonable goals. Some of the main deterrents to following through with weight loss are unreasonable expectations. If you set goals which are unrealistic or unattainable, you'll more likely be frustrated than motivated. Talk with your doctor or a professional (like a trainer) before you begin your journey to find a realistic and healthy weight for your height and age. You can expect to safely lose up to 2 pounds (0.91 kg) per week. Though it may not seem like much at first, it adds up over time. Safe and healthy weight loss happens over a longer period of time, and a realistic schedule will help you to spread out your goals accordingly. Make allowances and rewards for yourself. Limit treats, but don't eliminate them entirely. If you deprive yourself of some of your favorite things, you might overindulge later. Learn to live with the foods you love, rather than avoid them entirely. And as for rewards, don't just think big picture. You need rewards for those checkpoints, too. Have you exercised every weekday for two weeks? Great -- reward! Lost that first 10 pounds (4.5 kg)? Reward yourself, but not with food. Take a nap, go shopping, purchase concert tickets or do whatever would motivate you to keep going. There's always punishments, too. If you miss a workout, that's $5 put in the jar that's going toward your husband's/son's/best friend's beer fund. No excuses! Log your progress so you can see how far you've come. If your weight loss is necessary for your health, it can be useful and motivating to compare your stats as you go along. Write down your diet and workout goals to come face to face with the hard work you've put forth. It'll feel really, really satisfying. Your daily weight can fluctuate due to water retention. Instead of basing your progress on daily weigh-ins, pick a set day and time each week to log your weight. Then, add the cumulative numbers of your weigh-ins and average them at the end of the month. This will offer you a more realistic showcase of your progress. Muscle weighs more than fat, so a scale may not always reflect the progress in your level of fitness. If you feel comfortable doing so, take photos of yourself on a monthly basis. Pictures can provide a great visual motivator as you consider your progress. Start a blog so you stay on track. Whether it's just for you or you actually have readers, starting a success blog can give you a feeling of commitment—heck, you have an entire blog dedicated to the thing, so you better not slip up! And if people do read it, it's a great forum for support! What's more, read the blogs of others! There are dozens of great success stories floating around on the web to keep you going. By dozens, we mean hundreds and they have great names like "Feed Me, I'm Cranky," and "The World According to Egg Face." Maybe yours will be the next great one! Expect and accept setbacks. Being a perfectionist when it comes to weight loss is definitely not ideal. You're human—we all are—and setbacks are going to happen. The Cheesecake Factory is going to have free samples eventually, work will make you stay late and miss that workout, and Tina will come over with a gallon of Ben & Jerry's after her boyfriend breaks up with her. These things are normal and they will happen. Know it and accept it. It's fine. Setbacks aren't the problem—it's getting back on the horse that is. Missing a workout is fine; it's when you end up missing a week that it becomes an issue. So when a setback happens, do yourself a favor and make a point to get right back up. Stay conscious of what you're up against so you can fight back. Remember that numbers aren't everything—weight loss is only the beginning! Though it's tempting to base success entirely on your actual weight loss, feeling positive about the changes you've made overall, rather than just your changes in weight, can be a huge motivating factor. Don't be too hard on yourself. Whether you fall behind in your workout schedule, or indulge in an unplanned ice cream cone, little hiccups along the way are natural and to be expected. If you feel you've slipped up, accept the fact and continue as planned with your weight loss routine. Keep in mind that your health, both physical and mental, is the most important motivating factor in the process. Losing weight is 1 benefit of a fit and healthy lifestyle but so is a more energetic outlook! Be proud of your accomplishments. Tell your friends and family when you've reached your goals, or completed a task that you're particularly proud of. As you share your milestones, you'll be more more likely to set new ones. And you'll get to celebrate openly! Be proud of your accomplishments, no matter how small. Losing that last 5 pounds (2.3 kg) is an incredible feat thousands are failing at as we speak. And remember—just improving your fitness is great for your health, your quality of life, and the quality of the lives of those who care about you.	Avoid fad or crash diets. Never set foods off-limits. Find alternative ways to cope with emotions. Ask for support. Keep a food journal. Reassess your diet plan. Find a workout buddy. Think of being active, not just working out. Get geared up. Stick to what feels right. Go slow when starting out. Mix it up so you don’t get bored. Use pictures to stay motivated. Sign up for a class or a race. Work with a registered dietitian. Set reasonable goals. Make allowances and rewards for yourself. Log your progress so you can see how far you've come. Start a blog so you stay on track. Expect and accept setbacks. Remember that numbers aren't everything—weight loss is only the beginning! Be proud of your accomplishments.
https://www.wikihow.com/Build-Character-Through-Integrity	How to Build Character Through Integrity	Maintaining your integrity, or sticking to your ethical code despite challenges, is a great way to build your character. It's important to stay true to what you believe in so you don't get tempted by other people and situations. Go out of your way to help other people, whether you're raising money for charity or helping your friend fix their car after a long day. Try to think about situations from other people's perspectives so you'll understand how you can help them best. You should also avoid situations that might pressure you to compromise your ethics. For example, if you're against drugs, avoid hanging out with people who get high around you.	Understand what character and integrity are. The definitions of these words are often stretched or misrepresented. Learn what they truly mean: In this use, character is the sum of qualities shown up in a person or group, moral or ethical strength, and the description of a person's attributes, traits, and abilities. Character is who you are. It defines you and guides your actions, hopefully in a positive way. Integrity is steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code, being unimpaired, sound, whole and undivided. Integrity can be summed up simply as doing the right thing for the right reason even when no one is watching. Learn about different codes of ethics. Some people turn to the ethics of a particular religion for their moral principles, others turn to moral philosophy, or develop their own sets of ethics based on their own experiences. Two main codes of moral conduct are utilitarianism (or consequentialism) and deontology. Utilitarianism refers to the idea of maximizing the greatest good. For example, a utilitarian may not think it is wrong to do property damage if it meant helping chimpanzees who were being experimented on unethically. In contrast, a deontological view holds that some things are just plain wrong, regardless of the ultimate consequences. Someone with this view may view property damage as wrong, no matter what. You do not need to adhere to one set of principles from one source; as you get a sense of what feels right and wrong for you, in any given circumstance, you can adjust your sense of right and wrong accordingly. Examine your past. Look at the choices you have made before, and observe how much you have or have not lived by those principles. However, don't waste time feeling regretful or guilty. Think about your mistakes, acknowledge them, and do your best to change for the future. Look up to others. There is no need to start from scratch when deciding how to live with integrity. Take note of people who have come before you, both in your own personal life, as well as known figures from history who have lived a life full of integrity. You may find that looking up to others motivates you to live with integrity, yourself. If there is someone in your life who is a moral exemplar, set up a meeting to talk together. Ask about how to manage life your way. Specifically, you might ask questions on how to maintain a great attitude. What does he/she say about feelings of receding (withdrawing), giving in and compromising values and not holding facts higher than anyone's self-serving opinion? Do not emulate others. Keep in mind that you are a unique individual with a unique life, and you should not try to emulate anyone else's personality or character; instead, learn from others' character and apply what rings truest for you. Be persistent but patient with yourself and others. You have embarked on a lifelong journey and there are many hurdles. Give yourself credit when you act with integrity, and acknowledge when you don't, but don't give up on your goals and purposes when you slip or fail. Just as you probably forgive others over time for their mistakes, don't forget to also forgive yourself. Decide on your code. Choose a set of rules, morals, or principles that you believe will lead to a happy, satisfying, and righteous life, and to a better world. Be willing to update your code as you gain more experience in life. It is ok to adjust your sense of right and wrong and your moral reasoning. Most people change how they think about right and wrong across their development. The code you live by will depend on what your values are. Determine your values. To figure out the type of broad moral code that you want to live by, it is time to think about what values are important to you. You may be aided in figuring out your values by asking yourself some questions: Think of two people that you admire highly. What is it that you admire about them? Is it the fact that they are always honest, even when it makes them look bad to be so? Is it that fact that they are generous with their time? What do they do that you find inspiring? If you could change just one thing in your local community (or your country), what would you change? Why is that important to change, and more so than other things you might have picked? For example, would you make some part of your community more fair? Would you want people to respect their country more? Think about a time or moment in your life when you felt very satisfied or fulfilled. What was happening at that time or in that moment? Why do you think that you felt that way? What global issues get you the most excited or the most upset? Why do you think they affect you in that way? Is it space exploration that excites you? If so, maybe you value improving humanity through science. Is it reading about starvation that makes you the most upset? If so, maybe you value caring for others and using your empathy. Look for patterns in your responses. Once you have answered the questions, check to see if any patterns or moral principles have emerged. For example, perhaps you admire a friend who never speaks negatively about others, and you also felt very fulfilled when you had the chance to gossip about someone but you refrained from doing so.Or, perhaps you look up to someone who is devoutly religious; this likely suggests that you value such things as well and can help you to determine the type of code you want to live by. Decide to change. Look at how you ideally want to behave, based on the values you have identified, and how you currently behave and take steps to change your behavior to align your life more closely to what you believe living with integrity involves. You can do this by actively seeking out opportunities to show your integrity, and also by trying to prioritize integrity change in your life and being aware of opportunities to behave how you want to in circumstances that happen upon you. For example, say you want to be a more generous person. Do not sit around waiting for opportunities to be generous. The things you want in life may pass you by if you do not make active attempts to seek them out. You could, right now, research a worthy charitable organization and offer some of your time or money. You could go outside and give a few dollars to a homeless person for a warm meal, or you could pay it forward and pay for the person's movie ticket behind you. Believe in yourself, and in change. Tell yourself that you can make decisions that you want to make. They may be difficult and you may stumble, but you will also have more control over your behavior if you believe in yourself and believe that you can change and improve yourself. To believe yourself, think about past successes that you have had. This will provide concrete evidence to you that you can succeed in being the kind of person you want to be, as you have done so in the past. Also think about how you have changed for the better in some way and use that information to remind yourself that you can change in the future, too. Foster your self-esteem. Integrity and self-worth go hand in hand. Going against your integrity can damage your sense of self-worth, and having high self-worth can make you feel like you can live up to challenges and live with integrity by doing the difficult thing. There are a number of ways to improve your self-esteem. Start by setting realistic expectations for yourself and allowing yourself to fall short sometimes. If you set your expectations for yourself too high, you will always fall short of the mark, and in your eyes you will be a 'failure' when the reality is probably very few people if any could accomplish the goals you set for yourself. You can also improve your self-esteem by being willing to change your self-image, that is, how you view yourself as a person. You can do this by adjusting your beliefs about yourself as you change. For example, perhaps you were once actively involved in sports and part of your self-esteem came from your self-view as an athlete. However, times change and responsibilities in life can change our priorities such that we no longer have time for sports. Think instead on how you might define yourself today. Rather than thinking of yourself as a 'washed up' or 'no good' athlete, think of yourself in a more positive light based on what you actively do at present. Maybe you are a great father or sibling, or a hard worker at your job. Incorporate that information into your self-view and you may find that your self-esteem improves, which might make living with integrity all the easier. Be conscious of the decisions you make. No matter how big or small, or how close they bring you to being the person you really want to become, be fully aware of the decisions you make and their implications. Part of this involves being cognizant of the consequences of your decisions, both for yourself and others. Take an example where even a small decision has implications for one's integrity. Say you are eating dinner with friends and you want the last piece of pizza, but you can tell that your friend really wants it, too; you also know that he didn't have lunch that day. Think about the consequences of taking the last piece of pizza for yourself and your friend. Your friend will be hungrier than if he had the last slice of pizza. If you knew your friend needed it more but you ate the last slice anyways, this may affect your sense of character. That is to say that, when you compromise your integrity, even in small ways, it can change your own and others' perception of the kind of person you are. Place yourself in a facilitating environment. It will be easier to live a life with integrity if you take steps to avoid spending your time in environments that can drag you down. For example, if you have friends who do drugs and this violates your sense of integrity, consider removing yourself from that environment by finding new friends. You will be less likely to do drugs, and violate your integrity if your drug-using friends are not around! Avoid succumbing to peer pressure. Living with integrity means living by your code of ethics despite what others think. Do not give into others who try to get you to do things that you don't want to. If someone tries to get you to do something that you do not want to do try reminding yourself that you alone have to live with the consequences of your behavior for the rest of your life. Be polite. Do not be rude in your interactions with others. Follow social norms like not burping at the table or playing loud music at night when others are trying to sleep. Do not talk about other people behind their backs. Empathize. Think about others from their perspectives. This can be difficult to do, but it will make you more likely to act in ways that are pro-social (i.e., in ways that will likely be aligned with your definition of integrity). To empathize with another person, think about the situation that she is in. Ask yourself if you have ever been in that situation. If yes, imagine how you felt about it. Think about her particular circumstances and how they differ from yours, though, and how that may result in her having different feelings to the situation, compared to yours. If you have not been in the situation you are trying to empathize with, imagine how you might feel in that circumstance. For example, if someone is homeless and asking for a dollar for food, think about how you would feel if you were hungry and cold and did not have a roof over your head.	Understand what character and integrity are. Learn about different codes of ethics. Examine your past. Look up to others. Be persistent but patient with yourself and others. Decide on your code. Determine your values. Look for patterns in your responses. Decide to change. Believe in yourself, and in change. Foster your self-esteem. Be conscious of the decisions you make. Place yourself in a facilitating environment. Avoid succumbing to peer pressure. Be polite. Empathize.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Porridge	How to Make Porridge	To make porridge on the stove, combine 1 cup (90 grams) of rolled oats and 3 cups (750 ml) of water in a pot over medium heat until the water starts to boil. Then, turn the heat down to low and let the oats simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. To make your porridge sweeter, add a dash of brown sugar or honey while it's simmering. After 5 minutes, transfer your porridge to a bowl, add your favorite toppings, and serve!	Place the oats and water in a large pan over medium heat. Using water is easiest as milk can easily scorch on the bottom, ruining your porridge and smelling up the kitchen. You can, however, add milk towards the end if you're concerned about your porridge not being creamy enough. Rolled oats are best as they're whole, natural, and haven't been through much processing. However, steel-cut or quick oats are okay, too – they just might not have the exact taste you're going for. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Use a wooden spoon to stir – some people even use the top of the spoon like they're stirring their porridge with a pencil. Keep stirring until it starts to bubble. Never use metal on a non-stick pan. The metal can scrape away the sides, resulting in microscopic bits of the pan getting into your food. Always use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Bring to a steady simmer for 5 or so minutes. Once it reaches that bubbling point, bring the heat down to low (this is especially important if you're using milk to prevent it from scorching). Stir as often as you can to get it to a smooth and creamy consistency. If you like runny porridge, add a splash of more milk or water until it looks like you pictured it. If you're making for a group, let each person add more liquid as they see fit to their individual serving once it's all in bowls. Add in a dash of brown sugar and honey, if you’d like. Most people like to start out with a sweet base to work with. Some people even add butter! As your porridge is finishing, consider adding a few touches to everyone's dish. Just a tablespoon or so of each ought to do it. If you're trying to watch your sugar intake or prefer a more savory dish, skip this part. You can always add in whatever you like, later, too. Flavor with toppings and serve. There are dozens of ways to spruce up a plain ol' dish of porridge so breakfast can be easy but still delectable. Here are some ideas: Drizzle with honey and Greek yogurt Add blackberries and raspberries, stewed to bring out their juices Slice up a banana or two and add some maple syrup Add in a tablespoon or two of cocoa and peanut butter Place leftover cooked rice into a large pot. This recipe can also be made with uncooked rice, though it takes much longer. Just make sure there's enough room in the pot for plenty of water, too. You can also make this dish with a rice cooker or in the microwave. With those, times may vary. Essentially, congee is just cooked rice with much more water, allowed to stew. Cover with water or broth by about one inch. As most rice porridge is used to get rid of leftover rice, measurements are not a standard of this timeless recipe. However, with cooked rice, you want about twice as much water – enough to cover the rice and then about an inch more. If the rice is uncooked, you'll need about 4 times as much water. The rice expands and absorbs the water while cooking. Broth is good if you're looking for a richer, more savory taste, but it's hardly necessary. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Keep stirring to nudge the grains apart and to give it a smooth consistency from the get-go. Once it reaches a boil, bring the heat down to low and let simmer. Cover your pot, resisting the urge to check it more than once or twice. The more you open it, the more the steam and heat escapes, slowing the process. Add the eggs. Be sure to break up the eggs with a fork or you might end up with bits of yolk floating around in your porridge. In traditional rice porridge, the eggs are blended right into the porridge, giving it flavor instead of texture. Congee, or rice porridge, isn't about rice porridge with bits of scrambled egg floating about. To be sure it'll turn out smooth, whisk up the eggs beforehand and then add to your porridge. Keep stirring until the porridge is gelatinous and smooth. As the broth or water breaks down the rice, slowly it will start to congeal and become one mass. The grains will smooth out and the water will seem the thicken. If you see this, you're on the right track! Be sure to keep stirring – it's best that it's all cooked evenly and nothing is left to harden on the bottom of the pan. Add soy sauce or other condiments, if you’d like. Soy sauce is a very common addition to congee, and some people like to add a little kick with chili sauce or Sriracha. Combine 2 cups barley with 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring these ingredients to a boil in a large pan over medium heat. Once they reach a boil, bring down the heat to low. Keeping the temperature up too high will result in the barley burning and the water evaporating too quickly. If you don't have 4 people to serve, this recipe is easily cut in half. However, don't necessarily modify the toppings too much – if you like it sweet, you may need just as much sugar! Simmer until the barley is tender, about 45-60 minutes. Barley is a tough nut to crack (figuratively, of course. Literally barley is a grain with just a nutty flavor). Because of it's tougher consistency, it takes longer than oats or rice to make tender. Stir every 10 minutes or so, checking on how it's doing. Every pot will differ slightly in the time needed to cook. Keep the lid on as much as possible. When 10 minutes is up, take it off and give it a few stirs with a wooden spoon. When the water is mostly gone, the barley is done. Drain the cooked barley. Even if you're looking for a runnier porridge, drain the cooked barley. The water that's left probably won't taste as good and rich as a cup of milk will. This is easiest to do with a plastic or metal colander. If you're in a bind, hold the lid up the edge of the pan and tip it over into the sink to dispel the water. Combine the cooked barley and the rest of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon will turn your plain barley into a regular breakfast feast. Modify the sweetness as you see fit, of course. The milk is necessary (the fatter the milk, the creamier the taste), but you can experiment with the brown sugar and cinnamon and explore other things like honey, fruit juice, or yogurt, too. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 more minutes. This is generally how long it takes until the milk has almost been entirely absorbed. What's more, the barley will take on some of the sweet, cinnamon-y flavor. When it has a thick, glutinous, porridge-like consistency, it's done! You can add more milk if you'd like it a little thinner. Divide the porridge between four bowls. Right now you just have basic barley porridge. To spice things up, top each dish with walnuts, a drizzle of heavy cream, and fruit, if desired. There's no getting tired of that! If you're the curious type, try yogurt, peanut butter, cocoa, honey, or any other addition that you think would make the porridge a breakfast of champions. Put skimmed milk on to boil in a pan. Add two bananas (reasonably ripe). Add a touch of vanilla essences, nutmeg and cinnamon (or other spices that you like). Add cheap porridge. Keep stirring for 4-5 minutes whilst it simmers. Put in two bowls. Add a mix of your favourite nuts and seeds on top with a little extra milk. Try cashews, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, linseed, pumpkins all of which you can roast in the oven, when the oven is in use for something else. Finished.	Place the oats and water in a large pan over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Bring to a steady simmer for 5 or so minutes. Add in a dash of brown sugar and honey, if you’d like. Flavor with toppings and serve. Place leftover cooked rice into a large pot. Cover with water or broth by about one inch. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the eggs. Keep stirring until the porridge is gelatinous and smooth. Add soy sauce or other condiments, if you’d like. Combine 2 cups barley with 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the barley is tender, about 45-60 minutes. Drain the cooked barley. Combine the cooked barley and the rest of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 more minutes. Divide the porridge between four bowls. Put skimmed milk on to boil in a pan. Add two bananas (reasonably ripe). Add a touch of vanilla essences, nutmeg and cinnamon (or other spices that you like). Add cheap porridge. Keep stirring for 4-5 minutes whilst it simmers. Put in two bowls. Add a mix of your favourite nuts and seeds on top with a little extra milk. Finished.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Slime-Without-Any-Glue-or-Borax	How to Make Slime Without Any Glue or Borax	To make slime without any glue or borax, mix equal parts body wash and cornstarch in a bowl. If the slime is too thick, add water to thin it out. You can also make slime by mixing equal parts shaving cream and 3-in-1 body wash with a little bit of salt. Then, chill the mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes and voila! Your slime is finished.	Start with a kid’s 3-in-1 body wash. There are several brands that make a 3-in-1 body wash and they are, for the most part, no more than a few dollars. These washes contain body wash, shampoo, and conditioner in one mix. Pour 1 cup (0.24 L) of 3-in-1 body wash into a large plastic bowl. The more body wash you use, the more slime you will make. Squirt in some shaving cream. Shaving cream will help to give the slime a good texture. You want to use a 1:1 ratio of shaving cream to body wash. So, for 1 cup (0.24 L) of 3-in-1 body wash, add 1 cup (0.24 L) of shaving cream to the bowl. If you choose to use more or less body wash, use the more or less shaving cream to keep the 1:1 ratio for consistent texture. Mix well. Use a spoon or whisk to blend the ingredients together. Continue mixing until there is a smooth, consistent texture throughout the whole mixture. Once the ingredients are evenly mixed, you can finish making the slime. Sprinkle in some salt. Add a tablespoon of salt to the mixture. The salt will help give the mixture a slimy consistency. You can change the consistency by adding more or less salt as needed. Stir your slime. Use your spoon or whisk to stir in the salt. As you stir, you can add more salt if desired. Stir the mixture for 20-30 seconds or until it is evenly mixed. Chill the slime. Place the slime in your freezer for 15 minutes. This thickens your slime. When you remove the slime from the freezer, it is ready to play with! Pour body wash into a mixing bowl. This recipe calls for regular body wash as opposed to the 3-in-1 variety. You can use any brand or fragrance that you prefer. Pour 1 cup (0.24 L) of body wash into a large bowl. You can color the slime by adding food coloring to the body wash. Thicken your slime with cornstarch. Cornstarch will help your slime to achieve a thick, viscous state. Start by adding cornstarch in a 1:1 ratio. You can add more if needed. Knead the ingredients. The best way to mix the ingredients is to knead them with your hands. If you do not want to get your hands dirty, you can use a spoon to mix them. Mix until the slime has a steady consistency throughout. Thin your slime with water. If your slime is too thick, you can use water to thin it. If you accidentally make the slime too thin, adding more cornstarch will thicken it. You can experiment with different ratios of cornstarch to water for different kinds of slime. Combine cornstarch and water. Mix one box of cornstarch with 1 to 2 cups (0.24 to 0.47 L) of water. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until you achieve the consistency of honey. Using different amounts of water will change the consistency as needed. If you want to color the oobleck, add food coloring to the water before mixing it with the cornstarch. It's also possible to make oobleck without cornstarch. Dump the oobleck onto a cookie sheet. Once you have a good consistency, pour the oobleck from the bowl onto a flat surface. Observe how the oobleck behaves compared to other liquids. As you pour, it becomes a slimy and sticks to itself. Experiment with the slimy material. Oobleck slime (also called magic mud ) changes depending on the forces present. Try picking up the slime and hitting it. You'll notice that applying force to the slime makes it harden.	Start with a kid’s 3-in-1 body wash. Squirt in some shaving cream. Mix well. Sprinkle in some salt. Stir your slime. Chill the slime. Pour body wash into a mixing bowl. Thicken your slime with cornstarch. Knead the ingredients. Thin your slime with water. Combine cornstarch and water. Dump the oobleck onto a cookie sheet. Experiment with the slimy material.
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Pennies	How to Clean Pennies	To clean pennies, start by combining 1 tsp (4.2 g) of salt and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of vinegar together in a large bowl, then stir the mixture thoroughly to dissolve the salt. Place your pennies into the bowl a small batch at a time, taking care not to stack them on top of each other. Let the pennies soak in the mixture for about 5 minutes, then drain the water and scatter the pennies on a clean towel to air-dry. Don't do this with collectible coins, though—it might lower their value.	Put 1 tsp (5 g) of salt into 1/4 c (2 oz) of vinegar. For many pennies, one tablespoon (15 g) of salt in 1/2 cup (4 oz) of vinegar will get the job done. Stir the mixture to dissolve the salt. If you don't have vinegar, use lemon or even orange juice. Copper oxide (the gunk on your pennies) dissolves in weak acid, and that's just what all three of these liquids are. Place your pennies in the vinegar or the lemon juice. Make sure they are not directly on top of each other. Leave the pennies for around five minutes in the glass of vinegar or lemon juice. If they're extra dirty or if you're cleaning a lot simultaneously, give them a few more minutes for good measure. For those especially nasty pennies, scrub them with a scrubber or toothbrush after they've been resting in the solution for a bit. Take the pennies out, and wash them off. Let them dry for around five minutes so they will no longer be wet. They will now sparkle. If you don't wash them off, a blue-green sheen will develop on your pennies. That's what happens when the copper, oxygen, and chlorine (from the salt) combine (called malachite). Locate a cup and some ketchup. This method also works with Tabasco sauce. Both are acidic, just like the salt and vinegar method (ketchup is salt and vinegar, with tomatoes!). Put enough ketchup in the cup to cover up the coin or coins. For the record, with this method, you may be able to smell the ketchup on the penny when you are finished. Tabasco, on the other hand, may leave an orange tint. However, they will be clean! Put the coin in and wait three minutes. If you have a toothbrush handy (preferably your roommate's), after the three minutes are up, scrub the penny, working into the little ridges. Wash the coin off in hot water. And if you used your roommate's toothbrush, wash that off, too! If the pennies are clean, but not shiny, mix a paste of baking soda and water and rub into the pennies. Wash it off and tada! Get a can or bottle of Coca Cola. It doesn't have to be Coke per se; a generic brand will work, too. Set the pennies in a dish so they are not sitting on top of each other. The acid in the Coca-Cola needs to work into each penny directly. Put just enough Coca-Cola in the dish to cover the pennies. More is not necessary, so grab a straw! Let sit for about 4-5 hours. For best results, flip over halfway through the process. While this method works well, the downside is that it takes much, much longer than the others. Take the pennies out and wash them off with warm or hot water. Obtain some Bar Keeper's Friend. This cleaning solution works on all copper quickly, like pennies and copper bottom cookware. If you don't have this brand, another metal cleaner (like Brasso) should work as well. Wet the coins and put on some Bar Keeper's Friend. The oxalic acid takes away the gunk. Let it sit for a few minutes. Rub lightly and rinse off. Your pennies should now be so shiny you could signal planes, call Batman, or invoke temporary blindness. Doesn't get much easier than that! Grab a dirty penny and an eraser. While this method should work on any penny, it's safe on the more recent ones, while the previous methods are not. The acidity of methods 1-4 will turn your zinc pennies black. After 1982, copper became too expensive to justify using on a coin just not worth anything. Therefore, zinc (a much cheaper metal) started being used. Rub the penny with the eraser as if you were trying to erase a mark on paper. If you are handy (or if you have a thousand pennies to clean), you could attach a pencil (with an eraser) to a drill and have it do the work for you. There is also, incredibly, such a thing as electric erasers. Who knew?! Flip the penny and repeat above steps as needed. This will take about 10 seconds per penny. The only downside to this is at the end, your hand may be tired, and you will be out a pencil or two! Other than that, it is a quick and easy path to shiny riches.	Put 1 tsp (5 g) of salt into 1/4 c (2 oz) of vinegar. Place your pennies in the vinegar or the lemon juice. Leave the pennies for around five minutes in the glass of vinegar or lemon juice. Take the pennies out, and wash them off. Locate a cup and some ketchup. Put enough ketchup in the cup to cover up the coin or coins. Put the coin in and wait three minutes. Wash the coin off in hot water. Get a can or bottle of Coca Cola. Set the pennies in a dish so they are not sitting on top of each other. Put just enough Coca-Cola in the dish to cover the pennies. Let sit for about 4-5 hours. Take the pennies out and wash them off with warm or hot water. Obtain some Bar Keeper's Friend. Wet the coins and put on some Bar Keeper's Friend. Rub lightly and rinse off. Grab a dirty penny and an eraser. Rub the penny with the eraser as if you were trying to erase a mark on paper. Flip the penny and repeat above steps as needed.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Chocolate-Martinis	How to Make Chocolate Martinis	To make a classic chocolate martini, first prepare the garnish by placing chocolate liqueur and cocoa powder in separate dishes. Next, dunk the rim of a martini glass into the liqueur and then the cocoa powder to coat the rim. Then, add ice, liqueur, vodka, and half and half to a cocktail shaker and shake for 20 seconds until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Finally, pour the martini into the rimmed glass and serve while chilled.	Place some chocolate liqueur and cocoa powder in separate dishes. To prepare garnish for the martini glass, pour a splash of chocolate liqueur in a small rimmed dish. Place a separate small dish beside the liqueur, and sprinkle a little cocoa powder in it. If there are any lumps in the cocoa powder, use a whisk to quickly break them up. Dip the rim of a glass into the liqueur and then into the cocoa powder. After you've set out the chocolate liqueur and cocoa powder, dunk a martini glass in the liqueur to wet the rim. Next, press the glass into the cocoa powder to coat the rim. Set the glass aside for the moment. Add the ice, liqueur, vodka, and half-and-half to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and pour 2 parts chocolate liqueur, 1 part vodka, and 1 part half-and-half over it. Cover the shaker, and shake the contents for 20 seconds or until they're thoroughly combined. Pour the martini into the rimmed glass and serve. Once the martini is properly shaken, strain the martini into the glass coated with cocoa powder. Serve the martini while it's still chilled. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. To mix the martinis, you'll need a cocktail shaker. If you don't have a shaker, you can substitute a mason jar. Add enough ice to the shaker to fill it completely. Add all of the ingredients to the shaker and shake well. After the shaker is filled with ice, pour 1 ounce (30 ml) of whipped cream flavored vodka, ½ ounce (15 ml) of creme de cocoa, ½ ounce (15 ml) of creme de menthe, and 2 ounces (60 ml) of half-and-half to it. Cover the shaker and shake the contents vigorously for 5 to 10 seconds. Pour the martini into a glass and garnish as desired. After you've mixed the martini, strain it into a martini glass to remove the ice. You can top it with a dollop of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and/or mint leaves to garnish it before serving. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. To ensure that the martini is properly chilled, it's important to mix it with ice. Add enough ice cubes to a cocktail shaker to fill it before you mix in the liquids. Add the vodka, white chocolate liqueur, and white creme de cacao and shake well. Pour 1 ounce (30 ml) of vodka, 1 ounce (30 ml) of white chocolate liqueur, and ¾ ounce (22 ml) of white creme de cacao. Shake the mixture well for 10 to 15 seconds or until it's very cold. Strain the martini into a glass. Once the martini is mixed, use a cocktail strainer to pour it into a martini glass and remove the ice. Serve it while it is still chilled. If you like, you can drizzle a little chocolate syrup over the top of the martini as a garnish.	Place some chocolate liqueur and cocoa powder in separate dishes. Dip the rim of a glass into the liqueur and then into the cocoa powder. Add the ice, liqueur, vodka, and half-and-half to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour the martini into the rimmed glass and serve. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients to the shaker and shake well. Pour the martini into a glass and garnish as desired. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, white chocolate liqueur, and white creme de cacao and shake well. Strain the martini into a glass.
https://www.wikihow.pet/Introduce-Your-Cat-to-Your-Partner	How to Introduce Your Cat to Your Partner	If you're concerned about your cat being aggressive or scared of your partner, you can try introducing it to their smell first by bringing over an item of your partner's clothes for it to get used to. Then, when you bring your partner into the house, give your cat space and let it approach when it's ready to avoid stressing it out. Have your partner offer it a treat to reassure it. You should also reward its good behavior with praise and a treat yourself. If your cat behaves aggressively, leave the room and ignore it to let it calm down before trying again.	Introduce the cat to your partner's smell. If you have a fearful cat you should begin introducing your partner to it before the partner even comes over. This can be done by bringing something with your partner's smells on it into your home. This will allow your cat to get used to the smells and will potentially make the cat more comfortable when your partner shows up in person. You can simply use a piece of clothing that your partner has worn or a pillowcase that your partner has slept on. Basically anything that your partner has had a lot of direct contact with. Discuss the situation with your partner. Your partner should know what they are walking into before they show up at your home, and you should be clear with them about what you need them to do when they are there. This will allow the introduction to go as smoothly as possible and set a good foundation for the relationship to develop in a good way. If you have an easygoing cat that loves new people, these instructions could be as simple as explaining how your cat likes to be petted or what its favorite game is. If you have a fearful cat then you will need to explain that to your partner and be very clear about what they should and shouldn't do when meeting the cat. This could be as extreme as needing to completely ignore the cat and not make eye contact with it. While this can be embarrassing or difficult to explain to someone, it is better that they know before entering the situation. Work on reducing bad cat behavior. Introducing your partner to a cat that is aggressive due to fear or skittish will be more difficult than introducing your partner to a cat that is friendly and sweet. If you have a very fearful cat that has a hard time meeting and adjusting to new people, you should spend some time and effort at curbing that behavior before it is introduced to your partner. Cats that are very fearful can respond well to behavior modification techniques and clear discipline, especially if done under the supervision of a qualified animal behavior specialist. Talk to your veterinarian about getting a referral to an animal behavior specialist in your area. You can also potentially get help for this behavior from your veterinarian, who may be able to prescribe a medication that could curb your cat's anxiety and fear. Don't force interaction right away. When a cat is meeting a new person it is likely to be a little standoffish, especially if it is a skittish cat. This hesitance to interact with a new person will only be increased if you force the cat to interact right away. For example, do not pick up a cat that is fearful of new people and foist it onto the lap of your partner. This will not create warm feelings in your cat for this new person. The cat may bite or scratch if forced into someone's arms Additionally, forcing interaction will likely make the cat more fearful and make acclimation to this new person even harder in the long run. Give the cat space. If you want to introduce your partner to your cat, you need to make the cat feel safe and in control. This is done by giving the cat space and allowing it to keep its distance. Not forcing the cat into a situation it doesn't want to be in will show the cat that it is safe in the company of this new person. However, this means that a first introduction may include little to no interaction between the cat and your partner. What space will do is allow the cat to know that your partner is not a threat and it will allow the cat to get used to your partner's unique smells. Wait until the cat comes to them. It is key that you allow the cat to come to your partner, and not the other way around. Have your partner spend a good chunk of time at your home and let the cat roam the home freely. In many cases, if your partner ignores the cat, the cat will become intrigued by this new person and begin to investigate. This is especially important if you have a skittish cat that is weary of strangers. Have your partner offer the cat a treat. In order to lure the cat towards your partner and to create good feelings between them, give your partner a cat treat that you know your cat loves. Have your partner hold it out and wait for your cat to come to them. Even a cat that is fearful of new people may find the treat irresistible. If your cat is especially fearful, make sure to tell your partner to avoid eye contact with the cat while it is getting its treat and to avoid trying to pet it after the treat is given. Showing the cat that nothing bad will happen when it interacts with this new person is key to having a successful first introduction. Be consistent. It may take multiple visits with your partner for the cat to engage with them. During these visits your partner should act consistently, allowing the cat to come to them and providing treats to the cat when it does show interest. Consistency will teach the cat that your partner is trustworthy and will not act in a way that is threatening to it. Do not reinforce fearful behavior. If your cat is skittish or aggressive with new people you should not reinforce that behavior. While your partner is there, or after your partner leaves, do not give the cat attention or console it. You need to show the cat that its behavior was wrong, not right. In fact, it may be a good idea to leave your home with your partner after this first introduction. This will help to show the cat that there is nothing to fear from this person. Do not tolerate aggressive behavior. As your partner tries to build up a relationship with your cat, you need to be clear with the cat that aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. This means that you cannot calm or reassure a cat after it bites, growls, or hisses at your partner. Instead, you should leave the room the cat is in and give it no further attention. You should not, however, punish the cat physically. Hitting or swatting at a cat will only increase its anxiety and aggressiveness. Do not pick the cat up and move it to another room. Just picking it up gives it physical contact, which can be read by the cat as a comforting and reaffirming act. Reward good behavior. Just as you should not reward bad behavior, you should reward your cat when it has good behavior. This means if it is friendly towards your partner or takes interest in them, give your cat a treat. If your cat sniffs at your partner but will not get close enough to take a treat from them, you can give the cat a treat. While it would be better to have the cat take a treat from your partner, reinforcing any positive interest is most important. Give the cat its own space. Your cat should be given a space all its own where it can get away from your partner and take some alone time. Giving your cat its own space in which it can decompress and destress will go a long way towards improving its attitude when it chooses to interact with your partner. This space could be a whole room or just a cat tower or cat bed that is tucked away in a corner. Do not ever block off the cat's access to this area, in case it needs to retreat to a safe space. Try calming pheromones. If your cat is stressed out due to a new person in your home, treating them with pheromones may prove helpful. Speak to your vet about using a pheromone spray or collar to help your cat adjust to the new person in your life.	Introduce the cat to your partner's smell. Discuss the situation with your partner. Work on reducing bad cat behavior. Don't force interaction right away. Give the cat space. Wait until the cat comes to them. Have your partner offer the cat a treat. Be consistent. Do not reinforce fearful behavior. Do not tolerate aggressive behavior. Reward good behavior. Give the cat its own space. Try calming pheromones.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Saddle-Soap	How to Make Saddle Soap	To make saddle soap, start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Then, add grated soap and wax to the water, and stir everything until the soap and wax are melted. Next, take the pot off the heat, and stir in some neatsfoot oil, continuing to stir until the mixture starts to thicken. Finally, pour your saddle soap into a jar or sealable container for storage.	Grate 0.75 cups (96 g) of bar soap and 0.75 cups (64 g) of wax. You can use a grater with small, medium or large sized holes. Whichever size grater you choose, grated pieces of soap and wax will melt more quickly and evenly than bars. You can use scented or unscented bar soap in any color. Beeswax or paraffin wax will help seal your leather, making it more resistant to water. Bring 3.5 cups (830 mL) of water to a boil over high heat. In a large pot you no longer use for cooking, bring the water to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium once it begins boiling. Melt the 0.75 cups (96 g) of soap and 0.75 cups (64 g) of wax in water. Stir the grated soap into the water until it is melted. Once the soap has melted in the water, add your grated beeswax or paraffin and stir again until it has melted with the rest of the mixture. Remove the pot from heat and add 0.25 cups (59 mL) of neatsfoot oil. Take the pot off your stove and place it onto a heat-safe surface. Stir in the 0.25 cups (59 mL) of neatsfoot oil. Keep mixing until the oil has combined with the rest of the mixture. An animal-based oil like neatsfoot oil will soak into your leather and soften it. Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken. Stir your soap mixture continually, mixing in any soap buildup along the sides of your pot. When the soap mix begins to cool after a few minutes, it will start thickening. As soon as it starts thickening but remains easy to pour, it is ready to store. Pour the saddle soap mix into a jar or sealable container. A wide mouth glass jar or container works for easy pouring and storage. Make sure it has cooled for an hour or two before sealing it with a lid or adding labels. Your saddle soap is set and ready to use when it is hard to the touch. Store your saddle soap in a cool, dry place to make it last longer. This saddle soap can be applied with a damp cloth to the leather surface, then buffed dry with a clean cloth. Saddle soap can clean leather boots along with leather tack when used properly. Cut a 2 lb (0.91 kg) block of glycerin in half. Glycerin is often sold in supermarkets, craft stores, and beauty stores in a 2 lb (0.91 kg) block. Once you have the 1 lb (0.45 kg) block of glycerin you need for this recipe, you can save the other half for another saddle soap mixture in the future. If you're storing extra glycerin for future use, you can wrap it in plastic wrap or wax paper, and store it in a cool, dry area. Cut the 1 lb (0.45 kg) block of glycerin into smaller chunks. The small chunks of glycerin you cut do not have to be perfect or even. Cut the block into small chunks the size of your thumbnail. These smaller pieces will melt more quickly in your microwave. Melt the 1 lb (0.45 kg) of glycerin in 30 second intervals. Place the small chunks of glycerin in a microwaveable bowl. Heat the glycerin on medium power for 30 seconds in your microwave, then remove and stir. Keep microwaving in 30 second intervals until the glycerin has melted. A 1 lb (0.45 kg) piece of glycerin will make approximately 2 cups (470 mL) of liquid when melted. Stir the 0.25 cups (59 mL) of milk or cream into your mixture. Stir continuously to combine. To make a scented version of saddle soap, replace the milk or cream with 0.25 cups (59 mL) leather cleaner (not leather conditioner). Stir in a few drops of scented essential oils. Cream-based saddle soap made with animal fats and protein, like milk, condition leather well. Stir your soap mixture until it begins to thicken. Make sure you scrape any buildup from the sides and mix it in as well. It will begin to thicken as it cools. Once your soap mixture is becoming harder to stir but still able to be poured, it's ready for storage. Pour the mixture into your jar or container. Let your saddle soap cool for an hour or two before sealing the jar or container. When it is hard to the touch, it has set and is ready to use. The glycerin will prevent the milk or cream in your soap from going rancid. Make your saddle soap last longer by storing it away from water in a cool, dry place.	Grate 0.75 cups (96 g) of bar soap and 0.75 cups (64 g) of wax. Bring 3.5 cups (830 mL) of water to a boil over high heat. Melt the 0.75 cups (96 g) of soap and 0.75 cups (64 g) of wax in water. Remove the pot from heat and add 0.25 cups (59 mL) of neatsfoot oil. Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken. Pour the saddle soap mix into a jar or sealable container. Cut a 2 lb (0.91 kg) block of glycerin in half. Cut the 1 lb (0.45 kg) block of glycerin into smaller chunks. Melt the 1 lb (0.45 kg) of glycerin in 30 second intervals. Stir the 0.25 cups (59 mL) of milk or cream into your mixture. Stir your soap mixture until it begins to thicken. Pour the mixture into your jar or container.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Briquettes	How to Make Briquettes	You can make your own briquettes at home with simple materials like sawdust and paper. Start by soaking shredded paper in water for a few days to soften it. After a couple of days, use your hands to knead the pulp until it gets a porridge-like consistency. Now, you're ready to add your organic material. You can use sawdust, pine needles, rice husks, leaves, or grass. Mix it in with your hands and add a little water at a time until the mixture becomes easily moldable. To form the briquettes, first, cut the top quarter off a 2-liter soda bottle. Punch drainage holes in the bottom, then insert a plastic bag to act as a liner. Scoop the mixture into the plastic bag until it's full, then, use a can to push it into the bottle and squeeze out excess water. Take the briquette out and let it dry for 3-7 days before burning it.	Put on old clothes and wear gloves. Making briquettes is an incredibly messy process. Before you begin, you should wear gloves to protect your hands and also put on old clothing. Shred scrap papers into small pieces. Find scrap paper around your home. Old mail, flyers, and work papers work well. Shred them into tiny pieces. Soak your paper for a few days. Place the papers in a bowl or bucket and cover them with water. Let the papers soak for two days. This allows the papers to soften and also releases fibers from the papers, which act as a binding agent for your briquettes. Reuse old scrap paper, such as mail, to make briquettes. This way, you're reusing old waste during the process. Work the paper into a porridge-like paste. After two days have passed, use your hands to knead and squeeze the paper. Keep going until you have a porridge-like mixture. The precise amount of time this will take depends on how much paper you're using. Add in your organic material. Organic material must be mixed into the paper to make briquettes. You can use saw dust, pine needles, rice husks, or chopped leaves and grass. Mix one part soaked paper with three parts of your organic material. Most organic material will already be fine enough that it should not require shredding. If you're using larger leaves, however, it can't hurt to break them up a bit. Add water. Start with a small amount of water and mix it into the paper mixture using your hands. Keep adding water until the paper mixture becomes easily moldable. When squeezed, your mixture should hold together easily. Cut off the upper quarter of a soda bottle. Use a 2-liter soda bottle to make your briquette mold. Use an x-acto knife, or any sharp knife from your kitchen, to cut off the upper quarter of the bottle. Make drainage holes in the bottom. Turn the bottle over so the bottom is facing upward. Use a sharp knife to cut a dozen small holes circling the bottom of the bottle. These are drainage holes, where the water will leak out as your briquettes set. Punch holes in a small plastic bag to create a liner. Take any small plastic bag you have on hand, such as a bag from the grocery store. Use a twig or something similar to punch a dozen holes in the bottom of the bag. These are also drainage holes. Add your briquettes to the mold. Take a handful of your briquette mixture and place it in the plastic bag. Then, place the bag in the soda bottle. If necessary, add more briquette mixture to fill the soda bottle to the brim. Squeeze out excess water with a can. Place a can of some kind of food, like beans, over the briquette mixture inside of the mold. Place the mold on the ground and put your foot over the can and press down with your foot. Keep pressing the can until you can't move the mixture down any further. Water will seep out during this part of the process, so you should press the mixture outside. Remove your briquette from the mold. Take hold of the sides of the plastic bag. Slowly pull the bag upward, removing the briquette from the mold. Then, remove the briquette from the plastic. Your briquette should now be in the form a small, cylinder shape. Set your briquettes in a dry place. Briquettes need time to dry before you can use them. Find a dry place, either in your home or outdoors, where the briquettes will not be disturbed. For example, store the briquettes in a closet in your living room. Avoid humid areas of the home, like the bathroom or kitchen. If you store the briquettes outside, do not leave them in the open air in case it rains. Instead, you could store them in a shed. Let the briquettes dry for three to seven days. Once the briquettes are stored safely, simply let them sit for three to seven days. When done, briquettes should be completely dry to the touch and compact. After they're finished drying, you can burn your briquettes.	Put on old clothes and wear gloves. Shred scrap papers into small pieces. Soak your paper for a few days. Work the paper into a porridge-like paste. Add in your organic material. Add water. Cut off the upper quarter of a soda bottle. Make drainage holes in the bottom. Punch holes in a small plastic bag to create a liner. Add your briquettes to the mold. Squeeze out excess water with a can. Remove your briquette from the mold. Set your briquettes in a dry place. Let the briquettes dry for three to seven days.
https://www.wikihow.com/Fax-Without-Using-a-Fax-Machine	How to Fax Without Using a Fax Machine	To fax without using a fax machine, you can use FaxZero, which is a free online service that allows you to send faxes from your computer. However, FaxZero has a 3-page limit per fax you send, and you can only send 5 faxes per day. If you need to send more than that, you can use MyFax instead. MyFax requires a credit card to sign up, but it offers a 30-day free trial. After the free trial is over, you'll be charged $10 a month unless you cancel your subscription.	Go to the FaxZero page. Go to https://faxzero.com/. Enter your sender information. In the upper-left side of the page, fill out the following fields: Name - Enter your name here. Email - Type in a working email address here. You'll need to access this email address later, so make sure you can log into it. Phone # - Enter your phone number here. Enter your recipient's information. In the upper-right side of the page, fill out the following fields: Name - The name of the person receiving the fax goes here. Fax # - The number of the fax machine that will be receiving your fax. Click Choose Files. This grey button is below the "Fax Information" section. There are three Choose Files options in case you want to upload multiple documents. Select a Word or PDF to send. Click on a document that you want to send. You may first have to navigate to the document's location by clicking one of the folder names on the left side of the File Explorer or Finder window. Your document must be three or fewer pages in length. Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Doing so will upload your file to the FaxZero window. Add cover page text. Type a message into the text box in the middle of the page to display it on the front of your fax. The cover page doesn't count toward the three-page limit. Enter the confirmation code. In the "Confirmation Code" field that's below the cover page area, type in the five-character code displayed just below the field. Click Send Free Fax Now. It's at the bottom of the page. Open your email account. Go to the email address that you entered as part of your sender information. Your email inbox should open. You may have to log into your email account with your email address and password before you continue. Open the email from FaxZero. Click on the email from "FaxZero.com" to open it. Be sure to check your inbox's "Spam" folder (also check the Updates folder on Gmail, or the Other folder in Outlook). Click the confirmation link. There will be a link below text that says "Please click on the URL below..."; click this link to send your fax. You can send up to five faxes every 24 hours with FaxZero. Go to the MyFax page. Go to http://www.myfax.com/. This will open the MyFax home page. Click FREE 30 DAY TRIAL. This green button is on the left side of the page. A free trial with MyFax includes 100 free sent pages. Select a state. Click the State drop-down box, then click the state to which you'll be sending your fax. Select a city. Click the City drop-down box, then click the city and area code to which you want to send your fax. Click Next Step. It's an orange button in the lower-right side of the page. Enter your name and an email address. Do so in the text fields in the middle of the page. Make sure you use a working email address since you'll need to use it to log in later if you keep your account. Click Next Step. Enter your billing information. This will include your card name, number, expiration date, security code, and billing address. MyFax will bill (and then refund) a $0.99 deposit to ensure that your payment details are correct, but you won't have to pay for your account for as long as the free trial is active. Check the "I have read" box. It's near the bottom of the page. Click Start Trial. This orange button is at the bottom of the page. Doing so creates your MyFax account. Click LOGIN. It's in the middle of the page. Click SEND FAXES. You'll find this option on the left side of the page. Enter your fax recipient's information. Fill out the following fields at the top of the fax form: Name - Your recipient's name goes here. Company Name - Your recipient's company's name should go here. Fax Number - The number of the fax machine to which you're sending the fax goes here. You may see the country code listed here instead of Fax Number. Add a subject and message. Type the subject of the fax into the "Subject" field in the middle of the page, then enter a personal message (if needed) in the "Message" field below it. Add your fax's attachment. Click Choose Files , click the item that you want to fax (e.g., a document), and click Open. The free trial of MyFax allows for 10 documents or 20 MB in one fax, whichever comes first. Click Send Fax. It's in the lower-right side of the fax window. Doing so will deliver your fax to the specified machine. You can call 1 (866) 563-9212 at any time during the free trial to cancel your membership free of charge.	Go to the FaxZero page. Enter your sender information. Enter your recipient's information. Click Choose Files. Select a Word or PDF to send. Click Open. Add cover page text. Enter the confirmation code. Click Send Free Fax Now. Open your email account. Open the email from FaxZero. Click the confirmation link. Go to the MyFax page. Click FREE 30 DAY TRIAL. Select a state. Select a city. Click Next Step. Enter your name and an email address. Click Next Step. Enter your billing information. Check the "I have read" box. Click Start Trial. Click LOGIN. Click SEND FAXES. Enter your fax recipient's information. Add a subject and message. Add your fax's attachment. Click Send Fax.
https://www.wikihow.com/Wear-Cardigans	How to Wear Cardigans	To wear a cardigan in a casual setting for an everyday look, start by putting on a fitted, solid-colored tank top or T-shirt. Next, layer a chunky knit cardigan over the shirt if the weather is cold, or a long, thin cardigan for warmer weather. Then, add a matching belt and choose between skinny jeans or leggings, depending on your preference. Complete your cute outfit with your favorite pair of knee-high boots or ankle booties!	Take a solid-colored tank top or tee shirt. It should be relatively tight-fitting in order to accent the cardigan. Choose a chunky knit cardigan with a fun pattern for wintertime, or a long, flowy, thin cardigan for summer. Always adapt your style to fit the weather on a particular day. Belt your cardigan with a thick leather belt if using a thick cardigan, and a thin one if your cardigan is sheer. Woven or shiny leather belts, or even imitation leather belts, work as well. Wear with skinny jeans or leggings depending on your preference. Pair with high-kneed boots in cold weather, or with short booties with a small heel in warm weather. Cover up a cute strappy tank top or strapless top with a colorful cardigan for school. Many middle and high schools ban spaghetti strap and strapless tops, and layering with a lightweight cardigan is a great way to sport your favorite tops without getting suspended. Button the cardigan almost all the way, leaving at least the two top buttons open to show off your shirt underneath. Couple with your favorite pair of distressed jeans for a laid-back, casual look. Finish off with sneakers such as Converse or a pair of flip-flop sandals. Find a blouse with some sort of embellishment on the bust, such as a bow or an embroidered pattern. Take a solid-colored, V-neck cardigan and place it over your blouse, buttoning all the buttons. If your blouse has a bow, tie it just above the point in your cardigan's V-neck so that it drapes beautifully over the cardigan. Complete the professional look with flared slacks or a pencil skirt. If you choose a pencil skirt, tuck in the blouse but not the cardigan. Accessorize with a fun stiletto or pump heel. Pick out a pretty high-waisted skirt or high-waisted pants. Choose a patterned fabric for your skirt or pants if possible. Take a solid-colored shirt that matches your bottoms and tuck it in. If your bottoms are a solid color, opt for a patterned top. Put on your cardigan and either leave it unbuttoned or button a single button in the middle of the cardigan. Make sure the point where your shirt tucks into your bottoms is not hidden by the cardigan. Accessorize with chunky vintage jewelry, gladiator sandals, or ballet flats. Wear a fitted graphic tee or band tee. This can be a top with any sort of printing, lettering, or design on the front. Add a solid colored cardigan on top and leave it unbuttoned. Roll up the sleeves two times. Tuck the tee into a pair of black or regular skinny or boot-cut jeans. Add a belt that stands out and compliments the color of the cardigan you are going to wear. Pair with fun sneakers like Converse or Vans or short ankle booties. If you wear glasses, rock them with this punk-inspired look. Wear a lacy white or light-colored top of any sleeve length. Pair with a brightly colored cardigan such as red or blue. For a bit of extra country flair, tie the cardigan into a loose knot at the base of the buttons. Choose a pair of leggings, super skinny jeans, a jean skirt, or cut-off jean shorts. All four options look great with this rodeo-inspired outfit. Put on cowgirl boots and you're ready to jump on a horse or accompany your date to the Sadie Hawkins dance in style.	Take a solid-colored tank top or tee shirt. Choose a chunky knit cardigan with a fun pattern for wintertime, or a long, flowy, thin cardigan for summer. Belt your cardigan with a thick leather belt if using a thick cardigan, and a thin one if your cardigan is sheer. Wear with skinny jeans or leggings depending on your preference. Pair with high-kneed boots in cold weather, or with short booties with a small heel in warm weather. Cover up a cute strappy tank top or strapless top with a colorful cardigan for school. Button the cardigan almost all the way, leaving at least the two top buttons open to show off your shirt underneath. Couple with your favorite pair of distressed jeans for a laid-back, casual look. Finish off with sneakers such as Converse or a pair of flip-flop sandals. Find a blouse with some sort of embellishment on the bust, such as a bow or an embroidered pattern. Take a solid-colored, V-neck cardigan and place it over your blouse, buttoning all the buttons. Complete the professional look with flared slacks or a pencil skirt. Accessorize with a fun stiletto or pump heel. Pick out a pretty high-waisted skirt or high-waisted pants. Take a solid-colored shirt that matches your bottoms and tuck it in. Put on your cardigan and either leave it unbuttoned or button a single button in the middle of the cardigan. Accessorize with chunky vintage jewelry, gladiator sandals, or ballet flats. Wear a fitted graphic tee or band tee. Add a solid colored cardigan on top and leave it unbuttoned. Tuck the tee into a pair of black or regular skinny or boot-cut jeans. Add a belt that stands out and compliments the color of the cardigan you are going to wear. Pair with fun sneakers like Converse or Vans or short ankle booties. Wear a lacy white or light-colored top of any sleeve length. Pair with a brightly colored cardigan such as red or blue. Choose a pair of leggings, super skinny jeans, a jean skirt, or cut-off jean shorts. Put on cowgirl boots and you're ready to jump on a horse or accompany your date to the Sadie Hawkins dance in style.
https://www.wikihow.com/Be-Girly	How to Be Girly	If you want to be girly, try wearing more dresses and skirts in bright colors, like pink or pale blue. If you're not a fan of dresses, go for a pair of skinny jeans or pants that show off your waist. You can combine them with tops made out of lace or velvet. Then, top off your outfit with a small purse or leather tote bag. You could also add makeup to your look, including foundation or lip gloss. Additionally, develop a feminine hairstyle by wearing your hair in braids or buns.	Embrace colors like pink, lavender, and red. Go for clothing in shades of pink, purple, and red. Bright colors that are light and soft are considered girly. If you are not a big fan of pink, go for other colors like light blue or pastel yellow to appear girly. Wear dresses and skirts. Look for dresses that cinch at the waist so they define your figure. You can also wear dresses that are A-line or more flowy for a soft, feminine look. Long skirts and short skirts are also good options. Style flowy dresses with structured pieces, like a leather jacket or a fitted coat. Wear long skirts with a tailored top or collared shirt for a polished, feminine look. Get pants in flattering cuts. Being girly doesn't mean you can only wear dresses or skirts. Invest in pants that sit at your waist and elongate your legs. Get skinny jeans as well as pants with a flare. Avoid tapered jeans or pants that make you appear boxy, as they may be too masculine for a girly look. Look for pants in fabrics like leather, velvet, linen, and denim for a fun, girly look. Look for tops made of lace and velvet. Lace and velvet are classic fabrics for a girly look. Get crop tops or blouses made of lace. Look for sweaters and button ups made of velvet. For a dash of femininity, look for tops with lace bows or velvet detailing. Tops made of sheer fabrics like chiffon and tulle are also fun for a girly look. Try wearing heels. For a girly look, invest in high heels to elongate your legs and give you some height. Look for platform heels or heels with cushioning inside to make them more comfortable. If you are new to wearing heels, you may go for a lower heel first so you can get used to wearing them. Keep in mind you can still be girly if you prefer wearing flats. Flats that are have detailing like rhinestones, bows, or bright patterns can give you a more feminine look. Carry a purse, clutch, or tote bag. Get a purse that fits comfortably on your shoulder or in your hand. Invest in a clutch for a night out in materials like velvet, leather, or pleather. You can also wear a tote bag made of leather or cotton for a more relaxed, girly look. If you prefer wearing a backpack, get one that is girly in color or design. Look for backpacks in colors like pink, purple, or red, with detailing like studs, bows, or floral prints. Put on jewelry and other accessories. Go for minimalist jewelry , such as a simple pendant necklace or stud earrings. You can also wear big jewelry , such as a statement necklace, big earrings, or big rings. Play around with other accessories like scarves. Look for scarves in light, feminine colors like pink, blue, and yellow. Try wearing hair accessories like barrettes and Wear-a-Headband\|headbands for a girly look. Go for barrettes and headbands with bows or rhinestones. Have fun with makeup. Start with the basics, like foundation , lip gloss , and eyeshadow. Pick makeup based on your skin tone. Only wear as much makeup as you feel comfortable with, as being girly does not necessarily mean you have to wear a ton of makeup every day. Watch online tutorials to learn how to apply makeup in different ways. Ask friends who wear makeup to teach you how to apply it. Go to your local cosmetics store and play around with different foundations, bronzers, blushes, and eye shadows. Ask a makeup artist at the store to help you learn how to apply makeup. Style your hair in buns or braids. Play around with styling your hair in a top bun , where you leave some of your hair down and put the top layer of your hair in a small bun. You can also do a top knot, where you put all your hair up in a high bun on your head. Braids are also a fun way to be more girly. Do a french braid , a side braid , a fishtail braid , or a crown braid. Maintain good posture. When you sit or stand, keep your spine straight and your chin up. Roll your shoulders back and your chest forward. Avoid slouching or curving your back. You can also try crossing your legs when you sit or sitting with your legs close together, especially if you are wearing a skirt or dress. Have good personal hygiene. Take care of your hair by washing and conditioning it regularly. Keep your nails trimmed and get manicures at a nail salon, or give yourself a home manicure. Make sure you smell nice by having regular showers and using bath wash or perfume that smells floral and sweet. Maintain your facial and body hair. Get your eyebrows waxed or plucking them at home. Remove hair on your upper lip at home or get it done professionally at a salon. You may also remove hair on your legs and armpits. Try shaving or waxing these areas at home. See an esthetician if you are nervous about waxing these areas yourself. Read up on current fashion and beauty. Stay in touch with the latest fashion trends by reading fashion magazines, blogs, and newsletters. Talk to your girlfriends about what they are wearing and look at street style images online for ideas. Pay attention to the newest beauty looks by following models and insiders on social media and blogs. Staying in touch with current fashion and beauty can also give you ideas on how you can be girly in a modern way. Femininity and what is considered “girly” in fashion continues to evolve and change so make sure you keep up to date on the latest trends. Follow blogs and magazines written by women. Search online for content written by women, for women. Follow popular female centered blogs and publications online. Subscribe to women's magazines. Stay informed on important women's topics and learn about the different ways that women are expressing themselves in politics, fashion, beauty, and the arts. Ask your girlfriends what publications they are following or reading. Look at what female publications your favorite female celebrities are reading and following. Go shopping with girlfriends. Have fun shopping for girly clothing and accessories at the mall or your local clothing store. Invite girlfriends along so you can make a day of it. Shopping is a fun way to bond and hang out with other girls. Going shopping does not mean you have to spend a lot of money or have a lot of cash on hand. Try things on, browse, and window shop with your girlfriends so you can spend quality time together. Have a girls' night with friends. Invite your closest girlfriends for dinner or drinks at a favorite restaurant. Go dancing at the hottest club or attend a fun music show. See a movie that features female actors. For a fun girls' night in, you can do home manicures or pedicures. You can also do spa treatments like homemade face masks or massages. Listen to music or watch a movie at home with your girlfriends.	Embrace colors like pink, lavender, and red. Wear dresses and skirts. Get pants in flattering cuts. Look for tops made of lace and velvet. Try wearing heels. Carry a purse, clutch, or tote bag. Put on jewelry and other accessories. Have fun with makeup. Style your hair in buns or braids. Maintain good posture. Have good personal hygiene. Maintain your facial and body hair. Read up on current fashion and beauty. Follow blogs and magazines written by women. Go shopping with girlfriends. Have a girls' night with friends.
https://www.wikihow.com/Lighten-up-Your-Bikini-Areas	How to Lighten up Your Bikini Areas	To lighten your bikini area with home remedies, mix the juice from ¼ of a lemon into a tablespoon of yogurt, and apply it to the area for a mild bleaching. Alternatively, pour some milk into a bowl and dip cotton balls into it. Dab the cotton balls onto your skin since milk is a natural skin lightener. Another method is to apply peroxide to the area several times a day. After 15 minutes, wipe the peroxide off and apply a little almond or coconut oil to soothe the area. If you prefer to see a dermatologist for treatment, ask them about mild skin bleaching treatment or hair removal.	Use Papaya Soap. Papaya soap is natural and using it regularly will help to lighten the skin. Use it at least twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, until you see results. Keep your skin moisturized because it can dry out your skin. You can also mash up a chunk of ripe papaya, and apply a big dollop on the areas. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then wash it off. In a couple of week's time, you should see significant lightening. Apply glycolic or salicylic acid acne pads. These two ingredients are the lightening agents used for acne treatments and can also be used for this purpose. Dab a pad on the areas and then get into the shower. Let the steam sink in for a couple minutes and wash off. Don't do this treatment immediately after shaving, however, as it could irritate it. Use a lemon juice, yogurt mix. Mix juice from 1/4 lemon into a tablespoon of yogurt, and apply to the area. It acts as a mild bleaching solution that will safely lighten it. Apply aloe vera gel afterwards to keep your skin moist and hydrated. Don't do this treatment immediately after shaving, however, as it could irritate it. Apply almond paste. Soak several almonds for 24 hours. Then slide the skins off, and add a couple drops of milk to make a paste. Put on the bikini areas, and leave on for an hour. Wash off with warm water. If used regularly, it works as a mild lightener and also exfoliates and softens the skin. Try using milk to lighten and moisturize your skin. Pour some milk into a bowl and dip into with a cotton ball. Dab onto your skin. Milk is a natural skin lightener, and it also won't dry it out. It's not going to happen overnight but with regular use, you will see some slight results. Apply peroxide onto the area. Wipe off after 15 minutes. Do this a couple of times a day until you see results. Peroxide is highly acidic, so you may want to apply a little almond or coconut oil on the area after washing it off. Don't do this treatment immediately after shaving, however, as it could irritate it. Ask the doctor about using a skin bleaching cream containing hydroquinone. This kind of cream works by preventing melanin from being produced in the skin. It's one of the most popular lightening treatments. However, if the concentration is too high or if it's used for too long, it could worsen the discoloration or reverse the effects. It can also be toxic to the liver. Talk to your dermatologist about a milder skin bleaching treatment. Some alternative, fading creams that are known to have less side effects are azelaic acid, kojic acid and one containing only 2 percent hydroquinone. All of these are known to help with persistent or residual skin discoloration problems. They work by preventing keratin, a hair protein, from being produced in the skin. Find out from your doctor if you're a good candidate for using a bleaching agent, such as chlorine, to lighten the areas. This is a mix formulated by the medical professional doing the treatment. Due to the concentration of bleach, dermatologists and medical doctors are the only ones allowed to administer it. Opt for laser hair removal. If the darkening is caused by waxing, shaving, and/or you can see dark hair stubble as it's growing back, then laser hair removal may be a good solution for you. Though it's considered semi-permanent, the hair usually doesn't come back. However, you have to make sure to complete the recommended number of treatments and the ongoing, but infrequent, touch-ups. Exfoliate the area. Old skin cells don't just build up on your knees and elbows but on other areas of the skin as well. When they accumulate, they can make the skin appear darker and duller. Prior to shaving, lightly exfoliate the region using a loofah, scrub or exfoliating brush. This will remove the dry skin and will also help to prevent skin irritation and ingrown hairs in the bikini areas. Use sunblock. When going in the sun, use a sunblock to keep the sun from penetrating those areas of your skin that you don't want getting darker. Choose a sunblock with a high SPF number (Sun Protection Factor) such as SPF 45 on that region. Also when you come out of the sun, apply olive oil to the area, as it's also known to be a natural skin lightener. Wear breathable, cotton clothing that is loose and comfortable. Sweating in the bikini areas are known to cause darkening. Avoid polyester clothing and other synthetic fabrics, as they don't allow the skin to breath. Also tight clothing sometimes causes chafing and could also darken these areas. Use a quality razor, and shave gently in the direction of the hair growth. If shaving irritates the skin, it could darken it. Basically, dark spots are caused by constant friction. If you shave every day, your skin attempts to protect it so it darkens up. Any type of injury to your skin will either create a stain or keloid. Waxing can also cause darkening if it's too hot. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Fruits, oranges and berries, in particular, and green, leafy vegetables have lots of antioxidants that assist in reducing discoloration of the skin. Drinking water also helps to flush toxins out of the body. Drink more water. It is one of the best ways to detoxify. There is no one-size-fits-all to how much water a person should drink. As a general rule, though, women should drink 128 ounces a day, and men should consume 128 ounces of water a day.	Use Papaya Soap. Apply glycolic or salicylic acid acne pads. Use a lemon juice, yogurt mix. Apply almond paste. Try using milk to lighten and moisturize your skin. Apply peroxide onto the area. Ask the doctor about using a skin bleaching cream containing hydroquinone. Talk to your dermatologist about a milder skin bleaching treatment. Find out from your doctor if you're a good candidate for using a bleaching agent, such as chlorine, to lighten the areas. Opt for laser hair removal. Exfoliate the area. Use sunblock. Wear breathable, cotton clothing that is loose and comfortable. Use a quality razor, and shave gently in the direction of the hair growth. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Drink more water.
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-White-Furniture	How to Clean White Furniture	To clean white furniture, wipe it down with a microfiber cloth dampened with water and dish soap. If you need to remove stains, blot the area with baby wipes, or with a soft cloth dampened with cold water and mild laundry detergent. For stubborn stains, blot with undiluted white vinegar or vodka. Alternatively, cover the stain with a paste of baking soda and water, then wipe off the paste after 5 minutes with a damp microfiber cloth. After cleaning, let the furniture air dry for up to 48 hours.	Vacuum the furniture to prevent ingraining loose dirt and debris. Use a soft brush attachment to protect the fabric while cleaning. Pay close attention to gaps, corners, nooks, and crannies. Dirt and debris often accumulate in these places. Using wet cleaning measure before vacuuming can cause loose dirt and debris to become ingrained in the fabric, making it more difficult to clean. Removing loose debris from your furniture will make it easier to find and remove stains. Light stains often hide underneath thin layers of dust. Verify the safe cleaning recommendations for the furniture. Some furniture may be damaged by certain cleaners or methods of cleaning. Check the tag on your furniture to learn which cleaners and methods to avoid. In the event your tag is damaged or lost, look up this information online. For example, when cleaning leather furniture, you should avoid using water. Use steam cleaners or specially formulated leather cleaning solutions instead. Abbreviations on the furniture tag, called “cleaning codes,” indicate how to safely clean dirty furniture. The most common of these are: W: clean with a water based cleaner. S: use a waterless cleaner, like a dry cleaning solvent. WS: use either a water based cleaner or a waterless product. X: vacuum and brush the furniture, but only use a professional service otherwise. Inspect stains, if necessary. Some stains, like those from coffee , red wine , and blood , may require special treatment to remove. If you do not know the source of the stain, examine its shape and color to try and determine its cause. Before cleaning stains generally accepted as difficult to remove, like coffee, red wine, and blood, look up the proper cleaning procedure online to prevent yourself from accidentally ingraining it in the fabric. Spot clean as the need arises. Wipe spots gently in a blotting motion with baby wipes. If you don't have baby wipes, similarly clean spots with a clean microfiber cloth dampened with cool water and a small amount of mild laundry detergent mixed together. Always test cleaning agents on an out of sight part of your furniture before cleaning visible sections. If the fabric is discolored or negatively impacted by the cleaner, refrain from using it. In most cases, the cleaning agents in baby wipes will be gentle enough to clean your furniture without damaging it. When spot cleaning, refrain from soaking the fabric all the way through. This could cause the quality of the fabric to deteriorate. Wipe upholstery with soapy water for general cleaning. Fill a bucket with cool water. Add a small amount of dish soap. Stir the water until bubbles form. Wet a clean microfiber cloth in the solution. Wring out excess water. Lightly wipe the furniture to clean its fabric. Avoid over saturating the fabric of the furniture when cleaning in this fashion. Only a light to moderate amount of water should soak into the furniture fabric. While wiping the furniture, follow the natural grain (direction) of the fabric. Going against the grain could damage its appearance. Clean removable covers in a washing machine, if applicable. The machine wash instructions for your furniture should be listed on its label. Use a cold cycle and an appropriate amount of detergent. Avoid machine washing too frequently, as this can sometimes cause fabric to break down more quickly. If your label has fallen off or is impossible to read, look up machine washing instructions by searching for the furniture name and manufacturer online. Unless otherwise indicated, do not dry your furniture covers in a dryer. Doing so may cause the quality of your fabric to deteriorate. For an even higher quality cleaning, take your furniture covers to a dry cleaner. Dry cleaning information should be indicated on the furniture's label. Use a steam cleaner. Some fabrics used in white furniture, like leather, shouldn't be exposed to water if it can be helped. Water can stain or damage these kinds of fabrics. A steam cleaner is usually an effective and safe upholstery cleaning tool in these cases. The operation of your steam cleaner will depend on its make and model. Follow the instructions that came with your steam cleaner for best results. For small areas that need additional cleaning power, use the “Steam” function of an iron to apply a burst or two of steam before using general cleaning measures. Allow furniture to air dry completely after cleaning. Air drying is the gentlest way of removing moisture from furniture fabric. Position the cleaned furniture somewhere it won't be touched and re-dirtied. Some furniture may take up to 48 hours to dry. In some cases, you may need to repeat certain techniques, like wiping the fabric with cool, soapy water, several times before dirt is fully removed. To prevent the furniture from being over saturated with water, allow it to dry completely after applying each cleaning technique. Speed up the drying process by opening windows. Though the natural drying option is always best, you could also speed up drying by blowing on wet spots with a hairdryer. Eliminate stubborn stains with white vinegar or vodka. Target stains that remain after spot cleaning or general cleaning with undiluted white vinegar or vodka. Similar to spot cleaning, dampen a clean microfiber cloth with vinegar or vodka and blot the stain. Do not over saturate the fabric. Although the smell of vinegar and vodka may be strong when first applied, when these liquids dry the smell should disappear. Apply a baking soda paste for coffee and wine stains. These kinds of stains can be removed from many fabrics with a thin layer of paste made from a small amount of baking soda and water. Cover the stain completely with the paste. Wait five minutes, then blot the paste from the fabric with a clean, water dampened microfiber cloth. After the majority of the wine stain has been removed, use a general cleaning measure to remove anything that remains. Remove blood stains from your furniture. Dampen a microfiber cloth with mild hand soap or dish soap and cold water. Lightly work this mixture into the stained fabric in a blotting motion. With a clean microfiber cloth dampened with cold water, blot the stain to remove the soap. When the stain has faded, wash the fabric as you would normally. Avoid applying heat to blood and other protein stains, as it will usually make them more difficult to remove. In some cases, you might not be able to clean blood stains that have set in the fabric of the furniture. For severe stains, you may need to use soap and cold water several times before the stain fades sufficiently. Allow the fabric to dry naturally in between applications. Use a suitable upholstery cleaner on remaining stains. Specially formulated upholstery cleaner can be found at most general retailers, like Walmart and Target, and hardware stores. Each cleaner will be different, so you should use it according to its label directions. Read the usage instructions of cleaners carefully before purchasing them. Some may be intended for certain fabrics or stains. Some upholstery cleaners may use harsh chemicals that can break down the fabric of your furniture if used too often. Repeat cleaning measures as necessary. You may need to repeat general cleaning measures after the fabric dries from its upholstery cleaner treatment. If the stain remains after the second round of general cleaning, allow the fabric to dry and repeat the upholstery cleaner treatment. Repeat this process as necessary. Call a cleaning professional. Professional furniture cleaners have tools and techniques that allow them to remove dirtiness from deep inside the fabric. Schedule a professional cleaning for your furniture about once a year to keep your white furniture in the best condition. If your furniture is especially old or valuable, to prevent accidental damage, you may want to only use a professional service. When a professional cleaner visits, ask them about ways you can maintain and clean your furniture on your own.	Vacuum the furniture to prevent ingraining loose dirt and debris. Verify the safe cleaning recommendations for the furniture. Inspect stains, if necessary. Spot clean as the need arises. Wipe upholstery with soapy water for general cleaning. Clean removable covers in a washing machine, if applicable. Use a steam cleaner. Allow furniture to air dry completely after cleaning. Eliminate stubborn stains with white vinegar or vodka. Apply a baking soda paste for coffee and wine stains. Remove blood stains from your furniture. Use a suitable upholstery cleaner on remaining stains. Repeat cleaning measures as necessary. Call a cleaning professional.
https://www.wikihow.com/Check-Vehicle-History-for-Free	How to Check Vehicle History for Free	If you want to check a vehicle's history for free, first find its Vehicle Identification Number, or “VIN,” on the driver's side door jamb. You can then go online and enter the VIN to get a free vehicle history report from a service like AutoCheck or CARFAX. If you want to be sure the vehicle isn't stolen, you can also run the VIN through the National Insurance Crime Bureau's online database. This will give you some assurance that the vehicle has a clean transfer record for the last 5 years, at least.	Find your car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). You can find your car's VIN in several places. In addition to appearing in the manual and on several important documents, the VIN is also printed on a sticker and adhered to various parts of the car. Check the door jamb on the driver's side, the front of the engine block, underneath the spare tire, and the rear wheel well. Select a service. A number of online services offer free basic VHRs. If you intend eventually to purchase a VHR, run your free report with a trusted and reputable service, such as AutoCheck. AutoCheck, as well as CarFax, are trusted auto data providers that car dealers and auto auctions use. This will allow you to assess the company and become familiar with the site's interface before purchasing a complete VHR. Several dealerships will list a used car with a link to a free CARFAX VHR report. You may also search for used cars on CARFAX's website. Each listing comes with a free CARFAX VHR. Enter the required information and run the report. When running a free VHR, you will need to enter the VIN. You may also need to provide a zip code, license plate number, or the state in which the car is registered. After providing all of the requested information and accepting any terms and conditions, click “Submit” or “Run.” The site will automatically load your free VHR. A complete VHR will separate information into the following sections: vehicle history and report summary, value calculator, ownership history, title history, additional history, and detailed history. A free report will contain components of each section, but the information will not include as many details. Since the free VHR is vague, it may also be harder to interpret. When you get the vehicle history report, confirm that the title on the car is clear, meaning it isn't listed as a salvaged vehicle and doesn't have a lien against it. Demonstrate your interest in a car. Before requesting that the dealership or previous owner pay for a VHR, demonstrate that you are a serious buyer. Devote your attention to one car instead of several cars on the lot. Talk to the salesperson about the vehicle and your financing options. Take the car for a test drive. Have the car looked over by a trusted mechanic. Request that the dealership pay for the VHR. Dealerships often subscribe to a VHR service. This allows them to run VHRs economically on every car in their inventory. After demonstrating your interest in a vehicle, express your interest in the car to the salesperson and indicate that you have a few reservations. Indicate that the dealership's willingness to pay for the VHR would ease your remaining concerns about making the major purchase. When talking to the salesperson, you could say: “I really love this car, but I have a few reservations. My last car was in the shop all of the time and I want to make sure this vehicle doesn't have a long history of repairs. In order to commit to the car, I need to see a detailed vehicle history report. This would really ease my concerns. Would you be willing to provide me with one?” Wait until you are close to purchasing the car to request a VHR. A dealer is unlikely to run these reports on a number of vehicles. Even if you're buying the car from a private seller rather than a dealership, they may be willing to purchase a full VHR and share it with you. Assess the dealership's response. If the salesperson willingly runs the VHR for you, thank them! If the salesperson refuses to run the VHR or hands you an outdated VHR, proceed with caution. These red flags indicate that the dealership is hiding something about the car's history. Walk away from the sale or pay for a complete VHR. Search for the National Insurance Crime Bureau. To avoid purchasing a stolen vehicle, always run the VIN through the National Insurance Crime Bureau's database. You can access this database at www.nicb.org. The NICB offers a free VIN check, which offers information about the car's history based on the Vehicle Identification Number. For example, you can use this service to find out if your car has ever been reported stolen or reported as a salvage vehicle. Navigate to the “VIN Check” page. Locate the “Theft and Fraud Awareness” tab on the top navigation bar. When you hover your cursor over the tab, a drop-down menu will appear. Move your cursor to the “VIN Check” tab. After clicking on the tab, you will be redirected to the VIN Check Page. Enter the required information. Type in the VIN number. Verify the terms of service and enter a captcha code. Click "Submit." View any history of car theft or other police reports related to the car. VinCheck keeps 5 years of history that will help prevent fraudulent vehicle transfer. You are allowed 5 searches from the same IP address. Know the limitations of the information you can get for free. The Internet has many commercial sites that provide VHRs. The free information, however, is limited. For example, CarFax advertises a free “myCarFax.com” report, which provides your car's service history, upcoming service alerts, and information about recalls. Other sites with free reports provide similar information that is based generically on your car's make and model, but is not specific to the car's VIN. Free reports typically provide the following generic information: Manufacturer Model Manufacturing details, such as chassis type, engine size, country of assembly, and engine power A general summary of what the full report would contain if you choose to purchase it Understand the contents of a full report. The 5 most commonly used sources for purchasing a VHR are CarFax, AutoCheck, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), and the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which has 2 different sources. A full VHR, which you can usually purchase for a fee that ranges between $10 and $40, includes the following information about the specific car, based on its VIN: Ownership history Clean title/ownership verification Periodic odometer readings Maintenance records History of rental or lease Accident repair history Flood repair history Investigate a free report from VehicleHistory.com. Until recently, full VHRs have only been available for purchase. As of December 2015, however, a source called Vehicle History (web address www.VehicleHistory.com) is offering a full VHR for free. The report from Vehicle History contains the following information: Vehicle ownership records Vehicle information Government records Public records Background history Historical records State records Decide if you need to purchase a full report. If you are considering the purchase of a used car, the information that is available in a full report is generally worth the cost of the purchase. Purchasing a full VHR is usually less than $50, which is very small compared to the price of the car itself. As Consumer Reports points out, even if a mechanic tells you that the car is in good condition, the history of an accident, flood damage, or some similar incident in the car's history can greatly reduce its value. VehicleHistory.com appears to offer a full report for free. However, this is a relatively new resource, and less has been written about the validity of VehicleHistory.com than the other sources. Consumer Reports recommends that buyers consider comparing reports from multiple sources.	Find your car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Select a service. Enter the required information and run the report. Demonstrate your interest in a car. Request that the dealership pay for the VHR. Assess the dealership's response. Search for the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Navigate to the “VIN Check” page. Enter the required information. Know the limitations of the information you can get for free. Understand the contents of a full report. Investigate a free report from VehicleHistory.com. Decide if you need to purchase a full report.
https://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Balance	How to Improve Balance	The easiest way to improve your balance is to begin strengthening your legs with squats. Try leg shifts by balancing on one leg and then the other. Add in single leg balances by lifting one leg and bending it in the air. Continue working on your balance by taking a yoga, pilates, or tai chi class.	Do squats. The first step to improving your overall balance is to strengthen the muscles in your legs, calves, and thighs. This can be done through doing squats on a weekly basis. Stand with your hips and knees wide apart. Keep your arms out, abs tight, and your back straight. Bend your knees and hips and slowly lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. If you're not used to doing squats, you may not be able to get your thighs quite parallel so just get as close as possible. Slowly rise back up, contracting your glutes. Try to do three sets of 10, with a one minute break after each set. Try weight shifts. Weight shifts are another exercise that address improving balance. It's a good exercise to start with if you're just beginning to work on improving your balance. Stand, keeping your feet hip-length apart, and distribute your weight equally between both legs. Shift your weight to the right and lift your left foot off the floor. Hold this position as long as you can, aiming for around 30 seconds. Return to the original position and then repeat the exercise on the other side. Do as many repetitions as you can without getting sore. As time goes on, you should be able to gradually increase the number of repetitions. Try a single leg balance. Once you get used to doing squats and weight shifts, move on to move complicated exercises. A single leg balance will help you work on strengthening your lower body and improving overall balance. Begin in the same position you used for the weight shifts, with legs hip-length apart and weight equally distributed. Place your hands on your hips, lift your left leg to the side, and bend your leg back at the knee. Hold this for 30 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Do as many repetitions as you are comfortable with and, with time, increase the number of repetitions. Incorporate a dumbbell. You can add strength training aspects to your exercises, which should further improve your balance and form. Using a dumbbell, you can do bicep curls. The weight of the dumbbell depends on your fitness level. If you're not used to lifting weights, pick something in the five to 10 pound range to start off with. You can always add weight with time if this feels too easy. Hold the dumbbell in your left hand, keeping your palm facing upward. Stand with your legs hip-length apart and weight equally distributed. Lift your right leg off the floor and bend it back at the knee. Hold this pose for about 30 seconds. Return to the original position and then repeat on the other side. You can increase the number of repetitions and amount of weight as you become more fit. Join a class. There are a variety of activities that promote good balance. Joining a yoga , Pilates , or tai chi class can help you improve balance. Tai chi is a form of movement training that promotes coordination, strength, and balance. Many fitness and community centers offer tai chi classes. See what's available in your area by browsing the yellow pages, checking online, and looking for ads in the local paper. If there aren't classes offered in your area, you can buy or rent DVDs or find videos on YouTube that teach basic tai chi poses. Yoga and Pilates are both forms of exercises that promote strengthening core muscles by moving between a variety of poses. Yoga has the added benefit of teaching mindfulness and meditation. In addition to improving balance, yoga could reduce overall stress. Like tai chi, fitness and community centers may offer yoga and Pilates classes. You can also buy or rent DVDs or find instructional videos online. Practice balancing in your downtime. While you're doing day-to-day activities, practice balancing. Try to stand on one foot while brushing your teeth, waiting for a bus or train, doing your makeup or brushing your hair, and other daily activities. Get stronger. Your balance will improve greatly if you strengthen your buttocks, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Aerobic activities, like running and jogging can help. You can also engage in low impact weight training, like lifting weights at home or doing push ups, sit ups, squats, and other easy exercises to do without heavy equipment. Try incorporating a medicine ball into your workouts to build core strength.	Do squats. Try weight shifts. Try a single leg balance. Incorporate a dumbbell. Join a class. Practice balancing in your downtime. Get stronger.
https://www.wikihow.com/Entertain-Yourself	How to Entertain Yourself	To entertain yourself, start a fake social media account for your pet, or a character from your favorite movie. For example, create a Twitter account for your cats, and regularly post tweets from their point of view. Alternatively, make a video, such as “What's in my purse” or “My top 5 favorite TV shows” and post it on YouTube. If you'd rather write about your thoughts and opinions, post reviews about a store or product on sites like Yelp and Amazon.	Find a local labyrinth and explore it. Want to find an outdoor maze to explore? The Worldwide Labyrinth locator can be found by clicking here. Wherever you are in the world, you can find the closest local labyrinth to you. Plan an expedition with your friends and bring supplies. If you can't find a close enough labyrinth, go exploring a part of your town you're unfamiliar with, or explore the woods, or walk around your own neighborhood and look for birdhouses, funny dogs, or dumb mailboxes. Become a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society. It's a real thing and it's not boring. According to the manifesto of the Cloud Appreciation Society, members pledge to fight 'blue-sky thinking' wherever it is found. If you think life would be dull if we had to look up at cloudless monotony day after day, consider linking up with your kindred spirits by clicking here. You can learn to distinguish between the specific types of clouds, form stories about the different cloud shapes, or just relax sitting in the grass and gazing up at them. Train for the Backyard Olympics. Tired of hearing your parents tell you to go outside and play? Spice it up a bit. You don't have to sit, idly playing in the dirt. Treat your backyard like an Epic Arena for Ultra Athletic Sport. To the Backyard Olympics! The first event, solo tree climbing, features a field of one. Race the clock and climb the limbs of your favorite climbing tree. Make it your personal best. For the next event, you have to complete a magic trick that involves throwing a spherical rubber ball behind your head and making it fly through a hoop that's 12 feet in the air. You get ten tries. In some cultures, this is called "basketball." For the third event, you have to defy physics. Make a Frisbee disc fly through the air and strike a variety of targets, including trees, upside down cans, a deck chair, and no windows whatsoever. You get ten throws. Best score wins. For the final round, it's a parkour for the ages. That means you run around like crazy and jump off stuff and under stuff and over stuff. Style points are all that counts. To the winner goes the popsicle. Look for four-leaf clovers. If you've got a big yard or field nearby, check out the grass in a close way, looking for the white whale of foliage. The four-leaf clover. If you do, press it into your favorite book and keep it for good luck. Or give it to your crush. Or just look at it and leave it there. Start a fake social networking account. Is your dog Biscuit on Facebook? Does Vilos Cohaagen, the Mars Administrator villain from the movie Total Recall have a Pinterest presence? If you're feeling bored online, all you need is a free email account to start a new Facebook fan page or some other kind of social networking account. As long as you're not using it to slander, there's nothing wrong with starting a tribute or fan page. Try to make it as accurate as possible. Update your dog's Twitter account regularly, every time he seems to be thinking something ridiculous: "who's foot is that oh yeah it's mine. #four is a confusing number of feet" Make a video and put it on YouTube. Got a YouTube account and access to a webcam? Think of a cool video to put on YouTube and start making one. Rummage through your purse and record a "What's in my purse" video, or review a recent candy that you brought, or a television show you watched, or a trailer you saw. Or start vlogging and vent to the camera. Be sure that the camera isn't shaky and offers good clarity. Don't forget to edit the video that you're going to make for the right effect that you need. Write Amazon or Yelp reviews. Do you have opinions? Even if you don't, there's an outlet for venting them online. Open a Yelp account and review something absurd, like Walmart. How many stars is the local Gas Station out of five stars? What about that recent used DVD copy of Jean Claude Van Damme's "Bloodsport" you got? Write up a serious review and post it on Amazon. From Gummy Bears to Banana Slicers, there are viral review topics on a regular basis. Find something that's getting trolled currently and chip in. Skype an old friend. Have a conversation with an old friend online if you're feeling bored. In all seriousness, this can be a great way to "Window" shop. If you're stuck at home and have an itch to go shopping, you can window shop just as you might at the mall. Check out your favorite clothes retailers, record stores, or other retailers online and just never click "buy." It can be a fun way to daydream. Rock out. Easy way to pass the time? Cue up some of your favorite tunes and start banging your head. Cue some of the latest up on iTunes or YouTube or start a Pandora account to listen to new sounds that you might not have heard yet. Make play dough. Want to try a fun project at home? Mix up your own play dough, with some help from your parents. Mixing up some flour and water and food coloring, you can have your own varieties of customizable colors to play with. Get your parents to help you if you need to use the stove. All you need to mix together to make play dough is: 2 cups of white flour 2 cups of water 1 Tsp. cream of tartar 2 tablespoons of canola oil 1 cup of salt Erase things from an old book. You can always read, or you can that an old book you're tired of to make an art project. If you've got a ratty old magazine or school textbook that you're done with, go through it and cross everything out but a couple of words to make new sentences, or color on the pictures and give everyone a mustache. Make a new story. Always make sure you get permission to cut up or color on any old books, to make sure you won't get in trouble after the fact. Take a bunch of different magazines and cut out a variety of pictures, making collages for fun. Stick the pope next to a chicken McNugget and a bunch of flamingoes. Weird is fun. Try cooking something new. If you're allowed to be in the kitchen, try experimenting with some new recipes. If you're bored, a batch of cookies is a great result. Check out these wikiHow resources for great cooking projects: Pie from scratch Chocolate chip cookies Vegan pudding Sauerkraut Toast Scrambled Eggs Dance. There's no better way to spend time than cranking up some tunes and flailing around for fun. You don't have to be a great dancer to have fun dancing in your room by yourself. It's good exercise, quick, and easy. You don't even have to annoy your parents or your neighbors if you've got some headphones. Put your earbuds in and listen in private. Have a dance party of one.	Find a local labyrinth and explore it. Become a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society. Train for the Backyard Olympics. Look for four-leaf clovers. Start a fake social networking account. Make a video and put it on YouTube. Write Amazon or Yelp reviews. Skype an old friend. "Window" shop. Rock out. Make play dough. Erase things from an old book. Try cooking something new. Dance.
https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Dog-Bed-for-a-Senior-Dog	How to Choose a Dog Bed for a Senior Dog	If you're looking for a dog bed for a senior dog, opt for an orthopedic or foam bed to provide the most support. You should also make sure to consider your older dog's specific physical needs when choosing a bed style. For example, if your dog has back problems, look for a flat supportive mattress instead of the typical beanbag-style bed, which doesn't offer back support. Furthermore, you can alleviate your dog's joint pain and keep it from overheating by choosing a raised bed design, which keeps your dog's bed off the floor.	Determine if your dog is a “senior. ” Most dogs can be categorized as senior when they reach between 5-10 years of age. Size is a determining factor in how quickly dogs age. You can apply the seven dog years to one human year measurement to small or medium dogs (between 20-40 pounds), but large ones have a tendency to age faster. It is also a good idea to consult a vet for guidance. You can also look for physical signs of aging such as slowness of movement. This will help you to determine if a “young” dog needs senior care. The label “geriatric” is different from senior and refers to older animals with noticeable health concerns. Pay attention to the size and weight of your dog. A bed should fit your dog comfortably without being too snug or restricting movement. It is a good rule to measure your dog's length from rump to nose and then add one foot (30.5 cm) to come up with a bed size. Pay attention to a bed's weight limits as well, as oversize dogs (over 150 lbs.; 68 kg.) may require a specialty purchase. Also, purchase a bed with an appropriate height as well, if raised. After all, a very small dog may have a great deal of difficulty climbing onto a high raised bed. This can be especially dangerous with a senior dog who may be more prone to falling injuries. Compare dog bed prices. Caring for a senior dog can get expensive and you'll want to factor in the cost of a new bed. You generally get what you pay for with dog beds, so you can spend under $10 for a floor cushion model to over $500 for a memory foam luxury raised style. It is a good idea to comparison shop online once you have an idea as to the style that you prefer. Look for specials and member deals at pet stores. If you end up purchasing a cheaper model you might want to add some blankets underneath to make it softer for your dog. Just be careful to set up the bed so as to avoid your dog slipping. Check out reviews. Look online for reviews by searching “senior dog beds” and “reviews.” Many sites will show you rankings, price points, photos of the product, and pros/cons lists. Keeping your budget and size parameters in mind, sort through this information to narrow down your bed options even more. Pay particular attention to any reviews describing cleaning or quality issues. With a senior pet the bed will need to be able to withstand a bit of abuse without falling apart. Get a warranty. Some online pet companies and brick-and-mortar pet stores will offer extended warranties or guarantees on their dog beds. This is especially the case with beds that are more expensive. Memory foam beds, for example, often come with guarantees and assurances against flattening or lumpiness. Some companies have more gimmicky sounding warranties that are valid nonetheless. For example, one pet bed manufacturer guarantees that your dog bed will last 19 years or more. Know your style options. Not all dog beds are the same. There are pod beds for small dogs. Pillow beds that resemble a bean bag. Mattress beds that are totally flat. Travel beds that fold up for quick carrying. For a senior dog, an orthopedic or foam bed is generally the best option as it provides the most support and ease of access. So, any time that you see orthopedic in the bed's description, take another look. Consider your dog's physical needs too. If your dog has a back problem, for example, look for a flat, supportive mattress as opposed to a beanbag style, which doesn't support the back. Consider a raised design. A raised bed literally keeps your dog from laying on the floor by positioning the bed above the ground via four legs. Senior dogs prefer these beds as they maintain a warmer temperature, which is soothing for pained joints. They are also often easier to get into as they do not require stooping down low. Raised beds can also minimize the growth of bacteria by allowing air to flow under the bed area. This will reduce foul smells as well. It is better to choose a bed with galvanized metal or aluminum legs. PVC tubing beds don't hold up to chewing very well and can lead to choking if pieces break off. To prevent joint strain, it is best to choose a bed that is no more than 10 inches (25 cm) off of the ground. Think about adding bolsters. Bolsters are a medium-firm raised ridge that can extend along part of the upper area of your dog bed. These provide a soft area for your dog to rest its head. It can also lessen anxiety in older dogs who may be worried about having their back exposed when laying down. Younger dogs may prefer beds with all-around bolsters, but these can provide access issues for older dogs who can't step over them easily. Instead, go with a partially bolstered bed. Look into memory foam. This is a thick type of polyurethane cushion that is noted for providing firm and consistent support to both dogs and humans alike. Look for a foam that has a 3+ density measurement for the best quality. With this density even a memory foam pad that looks rather thick can actually provide a great deal of comfort for a senior dog's aching joints. The best quality memory foam beds are made from one single slab. However, if you are looking for a cheaper version you can find beds that are made from multiple slabs stuck together. If memory foam is not an option you can always look into egg-crate foam as an alternative or even the traditional poly-fill pillow style beds. Be aware of possible allergens. Foam beds are generally hypoallergenic; however, be careful when purchasing 'combination-material' beds. These are beds that may have a foam base supplemented with a feather topper. The feathers can trigger an allergic reaction in older dogs, especially if they are already suffering from respiratory issues. Purchase extra padding. If you own a large dog you may need to add supplemental padding to whichever bed you choose. This is because the weight and size of your dog may compress the regular padding down to almost nothing, leaving little support for joints. When purchasing the bed see if the manufacturer sells additional padding. If not, you may want to simply put a slab of memory foam underneath the entire bed. Again, try to keep slipping issues in mind. Pay attention to the accessory options. Try to purchase a bed that comes with a wide variety of accessory options that will allow you to customize everything to your dog's particular needs. You may be able to purchase an additional cover to help with cleaning. Or, perhaps a hair-repellant cover if your older dog sheds heavily. Get a washable bed. Cleanliness should be a determining factor in your dog bed purchase. You'll need to clean the bed at least twice monthly and more so in the event of any accidents. Cleaning helps to prevent any skin or smell issues while also removing potential parasites. Look for a bed that is fully machine washable or one that allows for heavy spot cleaning. Buying a waterproof under cover or sheet is also a good idea. This is a plastic-like cover that can go underneath the soft top cover. If your mattress starts to accumulate odors, try spot cleaning it with a vinegar and water mixture. Sun can also help to sanitize the bed, but it can also cause damage to foam. Consider a heated model. Cold is often a senior dog's nemesis. Look for a dog bed that comes with a built-in body heat retention option or a space for a heating blanket attachment. Some beds even come with separate microwaveable heating pads. This is especially comforting for dogs suffering from arthritis. Make a bed on your own. If nothing on the market suits your tastes or parameters you might try to make your senior dog's bed yourself. There are various guides online to help you design a bed that combines both form and function. Just keep your dog's safety and comfort in mind. You can make a bed by weaving nylon fabric strips through a raised frame. Another option is to convert a piece of furniture, such as an old open-front TV stand.	Determine if your dog is a “senior. Pay attention to the size and weight of your dog. Compare dog bed prices. Check out reviews. Get a warranty. Know your style options. Consider a raised design. Think about adding bolsters. Look into memory foam. Be aware of possible allergens. Purchase extra padding. Pay attention to the accessory options. Get a washable bed. Consider a heated model. Make a bed on your own.
https://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Adobong-Manok	How to Cook Adobong Manok	To cook adobong manok, start by cooking garlic and onion in oil over medium heat until it's golden brown. Next, add chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, salt, sugar, water and bay leaves and stir it all together. Bring the dish to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. When the chicken is tender, remove the chicken from the heat and serve it with rice or potatoes.	Heat the garlic and onion in oil on medium heat. Add the garlic first and cool until lightly brown. Then add the chopped onions and cook until it becomes translucent. Be careful not to burn the garlic and onion. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to keep the ingredients moving. Add the chicken and stir. You don't have to use a whole chicken. Instead, you can use parts of the chicken you like the best instead. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, peppercorn, salt, sugar, water, and bay leaves. Stir and mix everything together. Bring the chicken to a boil. Once everything begins to boil, turn your stove to low heat. Add more water to the mixture if you think the dish is too dry. Let the chicken simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Cover the skillet and let the chicken simmer until it is tender. After 15 minutes, spoon the sauce over the chicken. Let it simmer for the rest of the remaining time. If you like your chicken dry, let it simmer for a little longer. Serve and enjoy. You can serve the adobon manok on top of rice, with potatoes, or with bread. And pair it with a refreshing glass of cold soda or fresh juice. Place the chicken in a bowl, container, or pan. You will be placing the bowl, container, or pan in the refrigerator so ensure that it is both big enough to fit all the chicken and fit inside your fridge. Place the chicken in a pan for convenience. You will be using the pan later on to cook. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, onion, peppercorn, salt, and bay leaves into the pan. Then cover and toss the chicken until it is completely covered with the sauce. Cover and place the dish in the refrigerator. Let it marinate overnight for the best results. If you need to make the adobo in the same day, you can let your chicken marinate for 2 to 3 hours instead. However, it is always best to let your chicken marinate overnight to bring out the most flavour from the dish. Cook the marinated chicken on the stove. Transfer your marinated chicken to a pan or to the stove and cook on medium heat. Add water. Bring the chicken to a boil. Once everything begins to boil, turn your stove to low heat. Add more water to the mixture if you think the dish is too dry. Let the chicken simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Cover the skillet and let the chicken simmer until it is tender. After 15 minutes, spoon the sauce over the chicken. Let it simmer for the rest of the remaining time. If you like your chicken dry, let it simmer for a little longer. Serve and enjoy. You can serve the adobon manok on top of rice, with potatoes, or with bread. And pair it with a refreshing glass of cold soda or fresh juice.	Heat the garlic and onion in oil on medium heat. Add the chicken and stir. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, peppercorn, salt, sugar, water, and bay leaves. Bring the chicken to a boil. Let the chicken simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy. Place the chicken in a bowl, container, or pan. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, onion, peppercorn, salt, and bay leaves into the pan. Cover and place the dish in the refrigerator. Cook the marinated chicken on the stove. Bring the chicken to a boil. Let the chicken simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
https://www.wikihow.com/Stay-Safe	How to Stay Safe	To stay safe at night, act confident, walk with purpose, and stay aware of your surroundings to avoid getting the attention of predatory people. Try to stick with a group when you're in social situations, especially if you're out drinking at a bar or in an unfamiliar part of town. Also, make sure you're prepared for anything by programming emergency phone numbers into your cell phone and keeping enough money for transportation on you at all times.	Do not act like a victim. The perfect victim for predatory people is timid, weak, unobservant, willing to compromise him or herself to "do the right thing". It is even easier to take advantage of such a person if they are alone, in an isolated place, or intoxicated. Act confident. Make appropriate eye contact with people in your surroundings. Walk with purpose. Be polite and helpful, but do not compromise yourself. Sometimes predators will try to lure people by appealing to them for help. For instance, if someone in a car asks for directions, by all means help them - from a safe distance. Do not come to the car window. Be with friends or a crowd. It is harder to commit a crime if people have someone with them. Victims are easier to victimize if they are alone. Even having other people nearby make it less likely a crime will occur. Partake responsibly. If you do drink, or use other drugs, do not do so to excess. Having one's mind impaired makes it more difficult to sense danger, make safe choices, or react appropriately to a situation. If possible, do not drink at bars alone. Always have a safe way to get home if you are too buzzed to drive, whether friend, Uber, bus or cab. Pay attention to your drinks at bars, parties, even with a date. "Date rape drugs" slipped into unwatched drinks can lead to assault, rape, or the like. Be aware of your surroundings. You do not need to be obsessively vigilant on every little detail or go into paranoid fantasies. However, being aware will keep you from accidents and show potential criminals that you are paying attention. Avoid constantly texting, talking on your phone, or otherwise allow devices to make you oblivious to your surrounding. Do not have your earbuds on blasting music. Pay attention to the people who are around you. If a drunk person is yelling obscenities down the street, you can notice him or her and avoid trouble. Wear brightly colored or reflective clothing. While this may seem counterproductive -- after all aren't you supposed to not draw attention to yourself? -- it actually helps you out in a couple different ways. Be visible. Brightly colored, reflective clothing and lights (such as a headlamp or bicycle lights) helps lessen the danger from car accidents. Wearing dark clothes at night can make you practically invisible. And traffic accidents are far more likely to happen than any crime. It also can make you less of a target. Bright colors have a correlation with confidence and it can make someone who was going to mess with you, less likely to do so, because you're so visible. Avoid walking in unlit areas with little foot traffic, such as alleys or parks. While unfortunate things can happen even in well-lit areas, someone can attack you much more easily in a darkened area and it will be much harder to get help should you need it. Stick to well-lit, public thoroughfares, roads, and paths for walking. The more people around, the better. Make sure someone knows where you are and what you are doing. If something happens to you, you definitely want to have at least one person who knows what you were doing and where you were going. If you have to walk somewhere at night, make sure that a friend or trusted person knows the route that you took. This way if something does happen to you they know where to start looking. Have emergency phone numbers memorized. In this day and age your phone contains so much information that it's tempting not to memorize any of those numbers. You need to make a contingency plan in case you lose your cell phone, it gets stolen, or it runs out of batteries. Along with the obvious emergency numbers (like the police or fire department) you should have a friend or two that you can call if you run into difficulty. If you can, try to have these numbers be people who live in your area. While it can be tempting to call mom, she might live thousands of miles away and not be able to help you out at all. Follow the buddy system. if you're going out at night, especially if you're going out clubbing or drinking, try to go with your friends. Make a plan before going out at night designating who is buddied up with whom. This way you'll only have to keep track of one other person and you'll know that someone is looking out for you, too. If there is a designated driver, have them be in charge of making sure that all the friends are okay. You should also make sure that they get everyone's keys, so no one else tries to leave without them. Keep track of your how much you drink. If you have to go to the bathroom, go outside for a smoke, or something, and you haven't finished your drink, leave it with a trusted friend. You can't tell if someone has tampered with your drink (like if it has been roofied). Just remember that even if someone does tamper your drink, it isn't your fault. It's the fault of the person who tampered the drink. Try to always have money for transportation. Whether it's cab fare to get you back home, or it's money for the bus or subway, make sure that you always have the right amount to get you back from wherever you are. Keep your backup money separate from the money you're spending at night. This way you won't decide to spend your money on the night out, rather than on getting home. This is important even if you're just coming back from work at night. If something makes you uncomfortable or nervous you want to have enough money to get yourself out of the situation by taking a cab or bus, if you need to. Know when the last bus leaves. If you're out late and you need to catch a bus, or subway make sure that you know when the last one leaves. This way if you do miss it you don't have to wait around at the bus stop or tube station. Make sure to have a contingency plan for if you do get stranded. Keep the number of a local cab company with you, or have a friend that you can call if you need to. If you do take a bus late at night, sit near the driver. It's much more likely that you'll be robbed or harassed if you sit in the back of the bus than if you sit near the driver. Have emergency numbers easily accessible. If you're at home, especially if you're by yourself, you need to make sure that you have any emergency phone numbers as accessible as possible, that way if something happens you don't have to go on the hunt for them. Have the numbers of emergency responders like the police, the fire department, or an ambulance. You might also have poison control centers, or a local consulting nurse number in case of an accident or illness that you're not sure constitutes an emergency. Have the number of a trusted neighbor or local friend that you can contact if something happens. Place emergency devices in an easily accessible place. If there's been a fire or an accident, or so on you don't want to have to dig through a bunch of stuff to find your emergency devices. Make sure everyone in the house knows where they're located. Keep the first aid kit in the bathroom in the same place so that you don't have to hunt for it if it's needed. Make sure that you have one or more fire extinguishers in the right places around the house: in the kitchen and by a fireplace are two good places. Also, you want to ensure that you and the people in your household know how to use the fire extinguisher in case there's an emergency. Place a flashlight in an obvious place. If the lights go out or there's a problem, you'll know exactly where the flashlight is. Make emergency plans. While you can't plan for everything, it's a good idea to have an emergency plan for the major problems that could happen while you're at home, especially if you're at home alone. Have multiple escape routes for if there is a fire. Make sure that everyone in your household knows what to do and where to go. Depending on where you live you might have an emergency plan for a tornado, a hurricane, an earthquake, and so on. You might also try to make an emergency plan for if you ever had a home invasion: you might also figure out escape routes out of the house, where you might hide in the house, where you would go for help, and so on. Install an alarm system. It's really important that you have an early alert system for any problems that might happen while you're in the house. This could be anything from a fire, a carbon monoxide leak, or a home intruder. There are a variety of different alarm systems. Figure out which one works for you, or what your needs are. If carbon monoxide isn't a problem in your home, for example, then you won't need an early alert system for it. Always make sure that your alarm system is set and that it has all the appropriate batteries and wiring. There's not much point in having an alarm system that's never functional. Keep doors and windows locked. Unless you live in a place where no one locks their doors (many small towns) then you should keep these locked, especially if you're home alone. This is particularly important on the ground floor which can create easy access for any burglars or intruders. Depending on the area you live in, you may need to install bars on your windows, especially at the ground floor. Never tell someone that you’re home alone. If someone comes to the door and asks to speak with you about something, avoid telling them that you're the only one there. If you live in an apartment building and someone you don't know wants to buzz you in, avoid doing so unless you're absolutely sure of them. You also don't want to post on Facebook or other social media how you're home alone. This is especially important if you're a kid and you're at home alone. While things rarely happen the way they do in movies (like Home Alone, for example) you don't want to risk anyone deciding your house is vulnerable because you're the only one there. Make sure the spare key is difficult for a potential intruder to find. The best thing to do with a spare key is give it to a trusted neighbor and get it from them if you lock yourself out. Otherwise you should make certain to hide the key really well. This means, don't hide it under the front mat, or a nearby flowerpot. That's the first place a potential intruder will look. An example might be hiding a key to the shed on a hook beneath the back porch and having to use the key to the shed to get the house key from a hiding place in the locked shed. Don’t go into the house if it looks like it's been broken into. If you get home and see a broken window or the door open when it shouldn't be, then you should not go and investigate. Instead go to a neighbor's house and call the cops. If a light is on that shouldn't be on, call the home phone and check that it isn't a family member back when you didn't expect them. Checking to see if the intruder is still in your home can lead to bad consequences for you, so it's best to call the cops and let them handle it. Make duplicates of important documents. If something happens to your passport, or any important travel documents (like an identification card, any visa information, etc.) you want to have duplicates of those to show to police or to a consulate. Keep your duplicates in a different place than your actual documents. For example, if you have a purse you're keeping all the important documents like passport and so on, keep your duplicates in a different bag. You should also leave duplicates of everything with a trusted friend or family member. That way if everything gets lost or stolen you can contact them and get the copies of the documents from them. Do research before you go. Know as much about the area you're traveling to as possible. Find out what places are safe and what places aren't safe, so that you know what areas to avoid. Make sure you're aware of local customs so you don't offend people. There are certain gestures in the U.S., for example, that are extremely rude in other parts of the world. Ask locals where is safe to go. The locals are the ones who are the most likely to recommend good places to go, as well as where to stay away from. There are lots of websites (like the one for Couchsurfing) where you can connect up with people from the area over the internet and they should be able to give you information. Learn something of the local language. While you're probably not going to be able to become fluent, you should at least make sure you can access enough of the language to communicate if you get into trouble. Have a sheet of important phrases (not just "Where's the bathroom?") with things like: how to get to the train/bus station, where is the nearest police station/home country consulate, internet cafe, and so on. Knowing enough to make basic communication with local people will make locals more likely to help you, because you have made an effort to be more than just a tourist. Inform a trusted person about your itinerary. This is especially important if you're traveling alone. Somebody who is responsible should know where you are supposed to be and what you're supposed to be doing. This way, if you don't show up at the place you're supposed to be, someone will be able to start making inquiries. If your itinerary changes make sure that you connect with your trusted person and let them know that it has changed. Have a decoy wallet and phone. A decoy wallet is basically a wallet that has an expired credit card, maybe an old i.d. card, and a few smaller denominations of whatever country's currency you're using. If you have a decoy wallet and someone robs you, they'll only get the decoy wallet. Do not bring your fancy phone or wallet packed with money with you traveling. You'll be far more likely to be robbed. Do not flaunt valuables while travelling. While you can be robbed just as easily at home, it's more likely to happen when you're an obvious tourist in a place that you don't know well. Local ne'er do wells know to target tourists, because they are often well off, distracted by the fun of vacation, and possibly a little naive. Local police may be badly equipped to help you out, too. Valuables can mean jewelry, phone, laptop or wallet...but it may be less obvious things like a denim jacket or designer purse. You also want to not stand out too strongly as a tourist by wearing T-shirts from your hometown, keeping your camera out constantly for photos, or dressed like a stereotypical tourist. If possible, don't bring your expensive jewelry, watch, cell phone, laptop, and so on with you at all when you go traveling. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/91\/Stay-Safe-Step-23.jpg\/v4-460px-Stay-Safe-Step-23.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/91\/Stay-Safe-Step-23.jpg\/aid1672572-v4-728px-Stay-Safe-Step-23.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>"} Keep an eye on your important items. Always stay alert when you're traveling. It can be easy to drop your vigilance for a moment, but that's the moment when someone can snag your camera, or your purse. Make a mental checklist of your most important items (like your wallet, your phone, your passport, etc.) and pause every now and then to make sure they're still there. It's easy to get flustered or in a rush while traveling and that's when you tend to lose things. Check around your area if you've been sitting somewhere for awhile or before you get off something like a bus. Separate your cash. Never, ever, keep all your cash in one place. Spread it out through your things. Keep some in your decoy wallet, some in your actual wallet, some in your bag, in your sock, in your other bag. This way, if one thing gets stolen or you get robbed, you won't be completely without money. Stay aware. When you're traveling it's easy to get into a different headspace, one that isn't very aware. You're stressed, you're hurrying, you're wanting too look at lots of things, it's totally understandable. The reason people tend to be robbed while they're traveling isn't because other countries are more crime-ridden than your country. It's because you're more likely to be paying attention when you're home and you're more likely to notice when something is out-of-place. Thieves can orchestrate or take advantage of a chaotic situation to rob you. If a bunch of people are swarming around you, pay attention for any little hands in your pockets. The more alert you look, the less likely you are to be pinpointed as an easy target. Be skeptical of anyone who is being overly nice. Thieves can orchestrate situations where they distract you by "helping" you while a confederate robs you. Be wary of anyone who is too nice. Unless everyone in the area is super nice, then you should be skeptical of anyone who is going above and beyond, or is incredibly insistent about offering you some assistance that is very distracting.	Do not act like a victim. Be aware of your surroundings. Wear brightly colored or reflective clothing. Avoid walking in unlit areas with little foot traffic, such as alleys or parks. Make sure someone knows where you are and what you are doing. Have emergency phone numbers memorized. Follow the buddy system. Keep track of your how much you drink. Try to always have money for transportation. Know when the last bus leaves. Have emergency numbers easily accessible. Place emergency devices in an easily accessible place. Make emergency plans. Install an alarm system. Keep doors and windows locked. Never tell someone that you’re home alone. Make sure the spare key is difficult for a potential intruder to find. Don’t go into the house if it looks like it's been broken into. Make duplicates of important documents. Do research before you go. Learn something of the local language. Inform a trusted person about your itinerary. Have a decoy wallet and phone. Do not flaunt valuables while travelling. Keep an eye on your important items. Separate your cash. Stay aware. Be skeptical of anyone who is being overly nice.
https://www.wikihow.com/Bump-a-Volleyball	How to Bump a Volleyball	The easiest way to bump a volleyball is to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees bent. Lean forward and place one hand on top of the other, with your palms up and your thumbs touching. Stretch your arms out and lift them upward to bump the ball.	Get into position. You should stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart and should lean forward a bit. Your knees should be bent a little bit, ready to spring your legs into action. Your hands should come together in the last moment before the ball comes to you; when you approach the ball, you can keep your hands about half a foot apart, and bring them together when the ball comes toward you. Otherwise, it'll be hard to maneuver yourself to get in the right position to hit the ball. Create a platform with your arms. The platform is the area between both your wrists and elbows which is the "sweet spot" for hitting the ball. To create your platform, the most important thing you need to do is to clasp your hands together correctly while holding your arms straight in front of you, slightly below your waist, with your shoulders arched. Clasp your hands in front of you, with your thumbs together, side-by-side. Don't lace your fingers together, for this will make you lose control of the ball. You can either make a fist with one hand and wrap the other around it (the ball method), or you can bend one thumb down to its palm, and rest it on the other hand (the cup method), thus cupping it with the other hand. If you're using the cup method, then your thumbs should be parallel with each other, and your four fingers on each hand will be parallel with each other as well. Remember to keep your elbows locked and your knees bent. Use your legs. Using your knees, and your arms, push through the ball. If you're a younger player (12 and under), you can benefit from bending your knees and using them to power your legs and get momentum to guide the ball. Hit the ball with both arms. Position yourself so that you hit the ball with both. Otherwise, you won't be able to aim the ball correctly and could be fouled. This can be a bit tricky, when the ball is coming at you at an unexpected angle, but it's always important to position yourself so that your ball hits your arms with equal force so you can aim and hit it correctly. Move to the ball so that it will come down squarely in front of you. You can bump the ball backwards, of course, but you still want to make sure that you make contact with the ball right in front of you (you may need to turn away from the net). You should face the direction the ball is coming with your shoulders and the front of your body for best results. If you don't need the ball to go back, swing your arms or bring them above your shoulders. If you do need it to go back, carefully swing your arms backward, as much as is needed. Pass the ball. Keep your eye on the ball. Follow the trajectory of the ball as it comes down and even as you hit it. Make contact with the ball at about waist-level. When the ball is right above your forearms, straighten your legs so that your arms move up to meet it. Try to contact the ball on your forearms (above the hand but below the elbow joint.). At the same time, move your arms forward and up slightly, but do not swing your arms. Contrary to what a lot of people think, the majority of the force should come from your legs. Aim the ball. Dip or twist your shoulder to aim the ball. You can't really aim with your forearms, because you need to keep them flat in order to provide a good platform for the ball. Instead move from the shoulders so that both arms stay together and move as one unit. Ideally, you can square up with the ball (point your feet at the target) so you can just hit it straight forward. Remember to aim the ball slightly to the right of the center of the net, since that is where the setter should be standing. You should drop the shoulder and put the weight on the ball that is moving towards the target. Use your platform to help you aim the ball. Keep your eye on the ball after you bump it. Watch the ball with your eyes, not your whole body, try to keep your chin down, because it gives you more control of the ball. Some coaches will even have you put the collar of your shirt in your mouth to keep your chin down. Once you release the ball, separate your hands, but still keep them half a foot or so apart, anticipating the ball's next movement and get ready to hit the volleyball.	Get into position. Create a platform with your arms. Use your legs. Hit the ball with both arms. Move to the ball so that it will come down squarely in front of you. Pass the ball. Aim the ball. Keep your eye on the ball after you bump it.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Slushie	How to Make a Slushie	To make a slushie in a blender, start by allowing the sugar to dissolve in the water as this will help prevent your drink from being grainy. Add the flavored extract of your choice, like raspberry or lemon, then stir in 5 drops of food coloring. To blend, add the sugar water and ice cubes to your blender and blend until the cubes are crushed. If you don't have a blender, pour the sugar water into a freezer safe container and freeze it for 3 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes to break up the ice.	Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 4 cups water. Pour the sugar and water into a bowl and stir the mixture until the sugar is no longer visible. This way your slushie won't taste grainy after it freezes. In place of the sugar and water combination, you can use 4 cups of your favorite drink. Try making a slushie out of any type of soda, fruit juice, chocolate milk, and even coffee! Mix in flavored extract and food coloring. You need 1 1/2 teaspoons extract and 5 to 10 drops of food coloring. Taste the mixture and add more or less according to your preference. If you want a creamy slushie, stir in a tablespoon or two of cream. This pairs especially well with orange or vanilla extract. To make it a little fancier, try adding a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of lemon zest. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. The sides should be a few inches high so the liquid won't spill out. Cover the dish with plastic wrap. You could also use a lid if your dish comes with one. Freeze the mixture for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Each time you stir, you'll break up the frozen ice that has formed. Over time this creates the classic slushie texture. After doing this for about 3 hours, your slushie should be just right. Scoop the slushie mixture into glasses. You'll have enough for two large or four small slushies. Enjoy your delicious concoction. Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 2 cups of water. Dissolving the sugar before you begin will help you avoid a grainy texture. Pour the sugar and water into a bowl and stir until you no longer see individual grains of sugar. Add flavor and color. To imitate the classic slushie, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite flavored extract (like raspberry, strawberry, lemon, lime, coconut or vanilla) and 5 or more drops of food coloring. Use a long-handled spoon to stir it all together. You can add a little more flavored extract or coloring to taste. Do you love soda-flavored slushies? Make one by freezing you favorite soda to make ice cubes. Replace the water and ice with cold soda and soda ice cubes, and leave out the sugar. Don't have time to buy flavored extract? You can use a packet of Kool-Aid powder in place of flavor and food coloring. Blend the sugar water with 2 cups of ice. Just pour the sugar water into your blender and add 2 cups of whole ice cubes. This method works best if your blender is powerful enough to grind ice finely, creating the classic slushie texture. You might want to test-grind some ice cubes to make sure your blender can handle it; if not, just try another method. If you like your slushies thinner, add another 1/2 cup of water. If you like a thicker, icier texture, reduce the water by 1/2 cup. Blend the mixture on high speed. Depending on the strength of your blender, it can take just a few pulses or several minutes to get the texture of a slushie. Keep going until the ice has been crushed and the mixture takes on the right consistency. It can help to periodically stir the mixture with a long-handled spoon to help the ice circulate. If your blender isn't quite powerful enough, transfer the mixture to a food processor and process it in batches. Taste the slushie. If you're happy with the flavor and level and sweetness, the slushie is ready. Add more sugar, flavoring, or food coloring to make the slushie just right. If you add extra ingredients, be sure to blend the slushie thoroughly. Enjoy the slushie. Divide the mixture into glasses and drink it through a straw for an authentic slushie experience. You'll have enough for two large or four small slushies. Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 4 cups water. Pour the sugar and water into a bowl and stir until you no longer see individual grains of sugar. This will improve the texture of your slushie. Mix in flavored extract and food coloring. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite flavored extract and 5 to 10 drops of food coloring to match. The following color and flavor combinations result in deliciously appealing slushies: Raspberry extract and blue food coloring A combination of cherry and vanilla extract and red food coloring A combination of lemon and lime extract with yellow and green food coloring Orange extract with orange food coloring Process the mixture in your ice cream maker for 20 minutes. Since you don't want the slushie mixture to freeze as solid as ice cream, just pour it into your ice cream maker and process it for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the slushie mixture to see if it's the right consistency, and keep processing if necessary. Ladle your slushie mixture into glasses. You'll have enough for two large or four small slushies. Enjoy them with a straw for the classic experience.	Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 4 cups water. Mix in flavored extract and food coloring. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Freeze the mixture for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Scoop the slushie mixture into glasses. Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 2 cups of water. Add flavor and color. Blend the sugar water with 2 cups of ice. Blend the mixture on high speed. Taste the slushie. Enjoy the slushie. Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 4 cups water. Mix in flavored extract and food coloring. Process the mixture in your ice cream maker for 20 minutes. Ladle your slushie mixture into glasses.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Cream-Spinach	How to Make Cream Spinach	To make cream spinach, start by melting a stick of butter in a small saucepan and whisking in flour to make a paste. Then, cook the paste until it's golden brown before adding chopped onions, garlic, and milk and simmering the sauce until it starts to thicken. Next, sauté spinach with butter in a skillet until it's wilted, then add it to the cream sauce. Finally, mix everything together and season the cream spinach with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.	Set out your ingredients. If you are using frozen spinach, you will need to let it thaw. The cream cheese needs to soften slightly as well. In a medium size saucepan or pot, prepare the spinach according to directions on the bag or box. If there are none, just throw 3 tablespoons (45 g) of butter in with your spinach over medium heat to get it going. Add in the cream cheese one box at a time. Stir well, adding the second box only once the first half of the cream cheese has mostly melted. Switch to low heat and allow the cream cheese to blend in well with the spinach, while stirring continuously. Remove from the heat, stir, and serve! Have this dish alone, with hot dinner rolls, or as a great side dish with a meal. Prep your ingredients. That's code for grabbing your cutting board, knife and veggies. Cut the onion in half. Make vertical slices very close together. Then, rotate it and cut it the other way to dice it. Mince your garlic finely. Once you think it's small enough, do it a teeny bit more. Grab a pot for your cream sauce. Put in 1 stick of butter over medium-low heat. If your stove runs a bit colder, put it on medium. Once the butter is melted, add in 8 tablespoons (90 g) of flour. Immediately start whisking and cook for five minutes. It should turn golden brown. Add garlic and onions to your roux. Stir together to combine and cook for another minute. Slowly add in 2 cups (475 ml) of milk. Whisk constantly. Cook it for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. It should start to thicken. Sauté the spinach. If you have another pair of hands at your disposal, make him or her whisk the cream sauce while you do the spinach. Put 3 tablespoons of butter into a pot and let it melt. Throw in as much of the spinach as you can. As it heats, it will shrivel and shrink and you'll be able to add more. This may take a few additions. Stir it well, flipping it to cook it evenly. You want to stop cooking the spinach when it's completely wilted but not mushy and overcooked. Grab a leaf from the pan and give 'er a taste test. It should be cooked and wilted, but still have a tiny bit of crunch to it. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to your cream sauce. By now it should be thick like gravy. Spoon the spinach into the cream. Stir it gently to entirely incorporate the greens into the creaminess. Try it before you deem it too creamy or to vegetable-y. Also, if you want to spice it up, add some cayenne. Then serve! Finished.	Set out your ingredients. In a medium size saucepan or pot, prepare the spinach according to directions on the bag or box. Add in the cream cheese one box at a time. Remove from the heat, stir, and serve! Prep your ingredients. Grab a pot for your cream sauce. Sauté the spinach. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to your cream sauce. Finished.
https://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-Natural-Blonde-Hair-from-Darkening	How to Prevent Natural Blonde Hair from Darkening	If you want to prevent your natural blonde hair from darkening, use a purple shampoo when washing your hair, which will restore its blue tones and prevent brassiness. For a home remedy, mix equal parts pure lemon juice and water. Then, apply it to your hair and sit in the sun for an hour, which will give the lemon juice time to lighten your hair naturally. Remember to follow up the lemon juice treatment with conditioner, since lemon juice can dry out your hair. You could also install a filter on your shower head, which will reduce your exposure to color-changing chemicals, like iron and chlorine. If your hair is already taking on a brassy tone, purchase a toner from a drug store and apply it at home. Alternatively, visit your hair salon to have it applied professionally.	Use purple shampoo. A number of purple shampoos--literally, the shampoo is purple--are available at salons and drugstores, and they work to counteract brassiness in blonde hair. ”Brassiness” is when blonde hair takes on an unflattering yellow or orange tone. It results when the blue molecules in hair begin to fade and leave the yellow and orange molecules to shine through more strongly. Purple shampoos work by restoring blue tones to the hair, helping to prevent brassiness. Install a shower head filter. The minerals in tap water can contribute to changing blonde's natural tone into a brassier color (from iron deposits) or into a greenish color (from the chlorine in the water). Installing a filter on your shower head will help prevent those color-changing minerals from being absorbed into your hair and will help keep your hair its natural shade. Use a toner. If your hair is taking on a brassy tone, make an appointment at the hair salon to have toner applied or buy toner at a drugstore and apply it yourself. Toner increases the blue and purple tones in your hair and mutes the orange and yellow ones, counteracting brassiness. You can typically expect to pay about $40 or more for a toning treatment at a salon. A drugstore toner will typically cost around $10, but may not be as effective as a salon treatment. Get hair wet before going in the pool. Spraying your hair down with tap or filtered water before going in the pool will help prevent it from soaking up chlorine in the pool water. Be sure the water you're spraying your hair with isn't already highly chlorinated, or it will defeat the purpose. Use an acidic hair rinse to counteract green tones. If your hair begins to take on a greenish cast after swimming in a pool or because your shower water contains higher levels of copper or chlorine, you can help tone down the green by using an acidic hair rinse. An acidic hair rinse will remove the buildup left behind by styling products and mineral deposits that can cause changes in your hair color. Mix 1/2 cup (for shorter hair) to 1 cup (for longer hair) of apple cider vinegar with 16 ounces of water. After shampooing, rinse your hair with the vinegar mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Rinse your hair again and style as usual. Dissolve 6-8 aspirin tablets in a glass of warm water and rinse your hair with the solution. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse out the solution. Apply lemon juice and sit in the sun. To keep your hair from darkening, mix equal parts pure lemon juice and water or olive oil and spray it into your hair. Diluting the juice with water or olive oil will help keep hair from drying out, though it may also cause the juice to take longer to work. Sit outside in the sun for about an hour and the lemon will help lighten your hair naturally. Follow the lemon with a conditioning treatment, as lemon juice can be drying to your hair. Repeat several times a week until your hair reaches the desired shade. Apply hydrogen peroxide and sit in the sun. Like lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide can help lighten hair, particularly when exposed to the sun. Fill a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide. Spray the peroxide through your hair. Go outside and let your hair dry in the sun. Apply a conditioning treatment afterward, as hydrogen peroxide can be drying to hair. Repeat weekly until you reach your desired shade. Use a camomile tea rinse. Camomile tea--the same stuff you drink--will give a warm golden glow to your hair when you use it as a rinse. Boil about 16 ounces of water and add about 5 camomile tea bags. Steep the tea bags for 15-20 minutes. Allow the tea to cool. After shampooing and conditioning your hair, pour the tea through your hair, or, alternatively, fill a spray bottle with the tea and spray through your hair. Leave the tea rinse in and let your hair air dry. Repeat each day until your hair is the desired shade. Use a camomile tea mask. If you prefer a slightly more intensive treatment, you can use a camomile mask on your hair rather than a rinse. Boil about 1 cup of water and add about 4 camomile tea bags. Steep the tea bags for 15-20 minutes. Allow the tea to cool. Mix about 2 tablespoons of plain natural yogurt into the tea (2 tablespoons is best for medium-length hair; if your hair is shorter, use less; if your hair is longer, use more). Apply the mask and cover your hair with a shower cap, saran wrap, or, if you have neither of those, a towel. Leave the mask on for an hour, then shampoo and condition as usual. Repeat once or twice a week until your hair reaches the desired shade. Add cinnamon to your conditioner. Cinnamon can naturally lighten your hair without any damaging effects. Grind up 3 tablespoons of cinnamon. Freshly ground cinnamon is optimal to use, but if you can't grind your own, you can use commercially ground cinnamon. Mix the cinnamon with a few tablespoons of conditioner. Mix in the cinnamon thoroughly. Spread the mix throughout your hair. Cover your hair with a shower cap, saran wrap, or, if you have neither of those, a towel. Leave on for four hours (or overnight). Shampoo and condition the following day like normal. Repeat several times a week until you achieve the desired shade. Add honey to your conditioner. Honey can naturally lighten your hair without damaging it, and, as a bonus, honey's beneficial to both your hair and scalp. Honey, however, lightens hair more slowly than many other methods. Combine 1/3 cup honey with 1/4 cup conditioner. Mix well. Apply the mixture through your hair. Cover your hair with a shower cap, saran wrap, of, if you have neither, a towel. Leave on for four hours or overnight. Shampoo and condition the following day like normal. Repeat to achieve desired shade.	Use purple shampoo. Install a shower head filter. Use a toner. Get hair wet before going in the pool. Use an acidic hair rinse to counteract green tones. Apply lemon juice and sit in the sun. Apply hydrogen peroxide and sit in the sun. Use a camomile tea rinse. Use a camomile tea mask. Add cinnamon to your conditioner. Add honey to your conditioner.
https://www.wikihow.com/Smooth-Talk	How to Smooth Talk	Smooth-talking is all about being confident and a good listener, which will make other people feel comfortable around you. If you want to smooth talk a potential date, start with a big, open, flirty smile. You'll also want to make eye contact, stand tall with your shoulders back and your chest out, and keep your chin up. When you start talking, use a calm, confident tone to ask questions like “What do you love to do that is not work?” Or, “What brings you here?” Listen carefully to their answers so you can figure out what their interests are. After a few questions, make sure to share some information and stories about yourself to create an open, honest dialogue.	Think ahead about what you want, and what you think your boss or teacher wants. Don't just go into the talk blind. Ask yourself what you're hoping for out of the interaction, making a clear goal before you start talking. Even better, ask yourself what they might want out of the talk? Can you find a way to make sure everyone gets what they want? Having something to offer the other person, even if it is small or meaningless, is a great smooth talking tactic. Are you trying to get out of trouble, and know the teacher or boss believes you should be punished? Find a way to fix the problem or remedy the solution, a plan to make things better later. Are you asking for a favor? Find a way to make the request personal to them, showing how helping you helps them as well (you'll pay them, the project affects their neighborhood, etc.) Empathy, or the ability able to imagine things from another person's perspective, will make you an exponentially better smooth talker. Know what they want, and it is much easier to get what you want. Don't start the conversation immediately with "business," unless you know your boss or teacher is in a rush. Spend some time talking, building a personal relationship, before launching into the professional one. People are much kinder to those they feel close with, and smooth talk is the art of bringing out the best, happiest, and friendliest of everyone to make it more likely they'll help you. Jumping right into business makes many people feel used, the exact opposite of a good smooth talker's goal. Respect and honor their authority. Coming out with a challenge will turn things into an argument instantly. Instead, remain polite, submissive, and kind. This doesn't mean you let yourself get pushed around. Rather, it lets them feel in control, and thus more open to compromise and kindness. The key to smooth talking -- never get noticed. It's easiest if you don't rock the status quo. Listen intently when they talk. Nod along and add phrases like "that's a good point," "I hadn't thought of that," and "I respect that opinion." "I love my job," or "I really love this class!" shows that you're not trying to attack, you're trying to improve. Remember that a smooth talker works with someone, not over them. Offer to let speak first and thank them for the chance to share your side. Remember, you're not trying to outrank them, you're trying to talk them on your side. Always use proper titles, like Mr. and Mrs, or sir and ma'am, when appropriate. Add careful flattery. This can quickly go from kind to creepy if you over do it, so limit yourself to a few short, quick compliments, well-separated apart. A good rule of thumb is that, whenever you need to say anything negative, sandwich it between two short compliments. For example: "I understand why you run such a tight ship at work, and it really makes us so productive! I'm still not sure it is fair to make us all come work on Saturday. But I understand you're thinking about it because you want us to keep being such a great, powerful company." In your compliments, watch for telltale signs of comprehension and relaxation, such as crinkles in the corners of the eyes (a sign of a hidden smile), unclenching fists, and shoulders becoming less tense and drooping slightly. This often means you're getting somewhere positive. Keep your own discussion short and to the point. You don't want to seem evasive, leaving out large chunks, but they don't need to know what shirt you were wearing or exactly what you did when you played hooky and got caught. Just tell your story in a basic, no-frills way, letting them ask questions if they have them. If you're requesting help or a favor of any type remember this simple 3-part request: Tell them the problem that needs to be solved. If possible, show them how the problem affects them. This could be "I cant afford to get in trouble" or "there is no product for young users." Show them a proposed "solution." Again, show how they can make it a reality, coming with ideas, not just issues. Give them proof of your future "success." Let them see why supporting, helping, or not punishing you will lead to a better world for both you and them. Keep the mood light, even in difficult conversations. Again, smooth talk is about easing your way in and out of the conversation, not rocking the boat and making a scene. A few jokes, light laughs (even at your own expense), and small smiles will keep everyone at ease and make it much easier to make your request, ask forgiveness. "Okay, I admit that I may have had a temporary case of "bone headedness," but we both know that I have been reliable, professional, and helpful ever since I started." Remember to make eye contact when talking -- this builds trust and companionship. Thank them for any help they do offer. If your smooth talking works, then thank them profusely and let them know that they should come to you if they need any help. Building up strong, lasting relationships now makes smooth talking easier in the future, so don't just take your "victory" and dash -- it will come back to bite you next time you're around. Begin with open, flirty body language and a big smile. These are the real keys of successful smooth talking and flirting -- a genuine smile and open body language. Some researchers even believe that the single most effective move you can make is to look a girl or guy in the eye and smile. To keep things smooth, also focus on: Keeping your chin up. Shoulders back, chest out. Spine up straight when either sitting or standing. Use a calm confident tone, instead of trying to find the "perfect words. " There is no script or playbook that you can use every time to be a smooth talker. What actually matters is not what you're saying but how it's said, and that is luckily easy to control. You should: Use clear sentences. Speak slowly to avoid mumbling. Hold solid eye contact, smiling, and nodding when listening or talking. Keep up a slight smile up when speaking, unless the conversation turns to something more serious. Talk to everyone around you, not just him/her. Confident people happily chat with everyone. Ask questions and listen intently to find out what conversation they care about. Conversation is about finding common ground and building a good relationship from there. Smooth talk is no different -- you just want to take a step back and let him/her show you their interests. Once you know what they are interested in, you can start tailoring your conversation to fit both of your shared interests. In reality, smooth talk for dating is much more about listening than saying anything. "What do you love to do that is not work?" "What brings you here?" Share information and stories about yourself, creating openness and honestly. You shouldn't tell everything, but you do need to give a little information to get a little. More than not, this happens naturally, but when you're trying to smooth talk it often gets tempting just to keep on talking. While you should feel free to be yourself and tell stories, try to limit yourself to under a minute of talking at any one time -- smooth talking is about listening, remember. When you wrap up stories, try to turn them into questions: "Have you ever heard of something like that?" "That's my embarrassing middle school band story -- did you ever play any instruments?" "Anyway... that's my job, and it feel really fulfilling. But I want to hear more about you!" Give him or her space instead of lunging in for the romance immediately. The biggest problem when most people "smooth talk" dates is that they come off as creepy, desperate, or for better or for worse, "practiced." Real smooth talkers never appear to want anything at all -- they are relaxed, calm, and in control -- and this is a really appealing quality when so many people use pick-up lines and weird tactics to meet dates. So hold back, focus on the conversation and don't feel like you need to "make a move" or risk losing him or her. Keep some distance -- you should be able to hear each other talk, but you don't want to press up close right off the bat. If he or she is scooting closer as you talk, and you feel comfortable moving forward, you should feel free to move closer as well. Know when to make a move. Smooth talking a date is about getting to know her and searching for a spark. But how do you know when you've found it? While everyone is different, and this list is by no means exhaustive, the following cues generally mean you should ask her to dance, tell him that he should kiss you, or offer to exchange numbers. A general feeling of connection or "gut feeling", though hard to describe, does mean something, so trust yourself! Looking at your lips Breaking the "touch barrier" by stroking your arm, shoulder, back, etc. Asking if you've got plans soon, or are free later "I'm having a really great time getting	Think ahead about what you want, and what you think your boss or teacher wants. Don't start the conversation immediately with "business," unless you know your boss or teacher is in a rush. Respect and honor their authority. Add careful flattery. Keep your own discussion short and to the point. Keep the mood light, even in difficult conversations. Thank them for any help they do offer. Begin with open, flirty body language and a big smile. Use a calm confident tone, instead of trying to find the "perfect words. Ask questions and listen intently to find out what conversation they care about. Share information and stories about yourself, creating openness and honestly. Give him or her space instead of lunging in for the romance immediately. Know when to make a move.
https://www.wikihow.health/Apply-for-Disability-Benefits-with-Depression	How to Apply for Disability Benefits with Depression	To apply for disability benefits with depression, you'll need to check that your total household income is below the federal benefit rate. You should also ensure that you have a medical record of depression for at least a year before you'll be considered for disability benefits. If you're eligible, fill out the application at your local SSA office, online, or call in to do it over the phone. Once your application has been processed, you'll need to attend a disability interview to answer any other further questions and provide any documents they ask for.	Assess your income and work history. To qualify for SSI, your income and assets must be below a certain threshold. To qualify for SSDI, on the other hand, you have to have earned a certain number of work credits before you became disabled. Income for SSI purposes includes any money being paid to you such as wages, rental income, investment income. Other benefits you're receiving such as worker's compensation are also included in your income. Compare your household's income to the Federal Benefit Rate. To qualify for SSI disability benefits, your income must fall below the FBR, which in 2015 was $733 a month for individuals or $1100 for couples. All income of anyone living with you is considered, not just yours. Appraise and total your assets. SSI allows a single person to have $2,000 in resources, while a couple can have up to $3,000 in resources. Resources include property such as land, vehicles, or stocks and bonds that can easily be converted to cash. You're allowed to exclude the house you live in and the land it sits on, as well as one vehicle. Everything else should be listed and appraised if necessary so the claims representative has all the information she needs to assess your qualifications. Make sure you've earned enough work credits to be eligible for disability benefits. To be eligible for SSDI, you have to pass both a recent work test and a duration of work test. These tests prove you've worked long enough before filing to have contributed a specific amount of money to the Social Security system. You can earn a maximum of four work credits each year, or one per quarter. The amount of money changes each year, but in 2015 you earn one work credit by earning at least $1,220 in a quarter. The older you are, the more work credits you need to be eligible. For example, if you're 31 years old or more, you won't be eligible unless you've worked at least five of the last 10 years before you became disabled. However, if you are between the ages of 24 and 31, you are eligible for benefits if you worked at least half the time between the onset of your disability and when you turned 21. In addition to the recent work test, you must also meet the duration of work test, which requires you to earn a certain number of credits for a certain number of years of work. For example, if you're between 31 and 42 years of age, you need to have earned at least 20 work credits over the course of five years of work. If you haven't earned enough work credits to qualify for SSDI, you may still qualify for SSI if your income and assets fall below the benefit limits. Provide all documentation required to prove any statements made in the application. You must meet the financial need and work history eligibility requirements before your application can move forward in the process. Your claims representative won't send your application on for a disability determination unless these requirements are met. Fill out the application. The SSA allows you to apply for benefits in person at your local SSA office , over the phone, or online. The SSA requires all SSI applicants to meet with a claims representative, so if you're also filing for SSI it would be more efficient for you to apply over the phone or in person than to apply online. You can apply over the phone by calling 1-800-772-1213. You don't have to call ahead and make an appointment before you go to apply in person, but doing so could decrease your wait time. Gather the necessary documents. The SSA requires you to submit certain documents to prove statements you made in your application. You will be required to show a birth certificate, Social Security card, or other proof of identity and U.S. citizenship. You should also bring any medical records or doctors' reports you already have in your possession. If you don't have all your medical records, you can still apply for benefits. The SSA will help you get the documents you need to complete your application. If you're applying for SSI and need proof of income and assets, bring financial documents such as bank account statements and pay stubs, as well as tax documents such as tax returns and W-2s or 1099s. Prepare for your disability interview. Before the SSA grants you SSI benefits, you must meet with a claims representative who will ask you questions about your medical treatment, work, and personal finances. If you're also applying for SSDI, the same claims representative will review both applications at the same time. If you have problems with memory or concentration, write down information about your work history and medical treatment so you'll be able to answer any questions the claims representative has. You should also write down dates and locations of important life events, such as marriages or the births of any children. Make a list of all your doctors and their addresses and phone numbers, as well as the dates of all your appointments with them and what treatment you received on each occasion. Attend your disability interview. Meet with your claims representative when your interview is scheduled and bring along any documents or other information that could support your application or anything you plan to say to the claims representative. The claims representative will ask questions about your previous work history, what duties you performed at work, what you were paid, and how your disability has affected your ability to perform those duties at that level. She needs to determine if you also are unable to do any other types of work for which you may have applicable education or experience. You will also be asked basic questions about yourself such as your name and address, gender, and age. You'll go through a basic biographical history, including a summary of your marital history, education, and work background. Wait for a decision from the SSA. Every application for disability benefits is different, so there are no guarantees as to when you'll hear back on your application. The initial application process could take anywhere from a month to two years. Document your history of depression. Even if you meet the income or work requirements, you must have been disabled for at least one year before you are eligible for disability benefits for depression. Be wary of notes in your medical records where your doctor says your condition has improved or that you are feeling better. These are points where you may want to ask your doctor for more explanation, so it's understood that your condition is ongoing despite the fact that you had a few good days. Review the treatment recommendations provided by the medical professionals who've worked with you and make sure you've been following their advice, or that you had a legitimate reason for not following it. For example, if your psychiatrist tells you to attend weekly therapy sessions but you are unable to comply with that advice because therapy is expensive and not covered by your insurance, SSA probably would consider that a legitimate reason. Get medical opinions on your degree of disability. You won't get disability benefits from depression unless you are seeing a medical professional such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist who has diagnosed you with and is treating you for clinical depression. You must show more than a diagnosis, however. Your doctor must testify regarding the severity of your depression and the ways in which it prevents you from working. The opinion will be stronger if she can provide medical explanations for each event. For example, if you miss work several times in one week because of your depression, go see your doctor and get a report from her on your mental status at that time. Meet the requirements for benefits based on an impairment listing. The SSA handbook lists disability criteria for affective disorders including depression. These listings are for disabilities that are so severe they automatically warrant benefits without further review. To meet the criteria for automatic benefits, you have to show medical evidence that proves your symptoms of depression caused at least two of the following: a marked limitation in your ability to perform everyday tasks of living such as getting dressed or bathing yourself, a marked limitation in your ability to relate to others, and a marked limitation in your ability to focus and maintain a regular work pace. A claims examiner associated with SSA determines whether you meet the SSA impairment listing. If you do not, that claims examiner will forward your application to a medical consultant for further review. If you've only seen a social worker or a therapist, understand that the claims examiner who reviews your application will give their opinion less weight than a doctor's opinion. For this reason, you should consider getting another opinion from a psychologist or a psychiatrist before applying for disability. Your doctor's medical opinion should include a psychiatric evaluation with a formal diagnosis, a detailed list of prescribed medications and dosage amounts, and an evaluation of your ability to perform work. If true, your doctor should also make a statement that drug or alcohol dependency were not a factor in your disease. If depression coincides with drug or alcohol dependency, the SSA often uses that as a reason to deny disability benefits. Meet the requirements for benefits based on a medical-vocational allowance. If you don't qualify under the SSA disability listing for depression, you can still qualify if your residual functional capacity is significantly diminished as an effect of your disability. At this stage of the process, your disability and treatment history is analyzed by a doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist working as a consultant for SSA. Most disability applicants are approved through a medical-vocational allowance rather than through the disability listings. Your residual functional capacity (RFC) is an analysis of how your depression limits your ability to perform the tasks normally required in a work environment. You would be considered disabled if all of your limitations meant there was no work available that you could reliably do. The medical consultant looks for evidence that your disability causes such a significant restriction of your capacity to function that you are essentially prohibited from working as a result. Once the medical consultant has evaluated your RFC, your file will be returned to a claims examiner, who will evaluate your work history to determine if there are any jobs out there that you could reasonably do, or if your disability truly keeps you from working. The claims examiner will analyze your RFC in light of your age, work experience, and education to make a final determination of whether you are disabled enough to qualify for benefits. Claims examiners make final determinations of disability using a complex system of grid rules that are defined by the age of the applicant. These rules also are subject to a number of exemptions, such as the "worn out worker" rule, that grants disability for applicants who've done many years of hard labor and have little to no education. Understand the overall process. Most applications for disability benefits are denied after the initial application, and this is especially likely if depression is your only disability. Hiring or consulting with an attorney who specializes in disability will help you understand what sorts of information you need and what you can do to stand a better chance of approval on appeal. Nearly half of all appeals for denial of disability benefits result in benefits being granted on further review, but it takes time. File a request for reconsideration. You must file your request for reconsideration within 60 days of receiving the letter denying your application. It is in your best interest to file your appeal as soon as possible. Reconsideration involves a second review of your application by an SSA employee who hasn't seen it before. Typically you don't need to be present, although you can meet with someone if you want, or if you are having trouble understanding the reasons for your denial. You can file your initial appeal online. If you choose to file a paper form instead, you must also include the disability report form and the disclosure form. Expect to wait three to four months after you file your request to hear back from SSA about your reconsideration. File for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. If your claim is denied after being reconsidered, you can request a hearing before an ALJ, an independent government officer outside the SSA. The ALJ's office will let you know the date and time of your hearing, which is typically held within 75 miles of your home. This hearing is more formal, and the ALJ will ask you questions about the information in your application and the documents you've submitted to support your application, including your medical records. You may bring witnesses, including doctors who've treated you and anyone else who has an understanding of your depression and how it effects your life. After the hearing, the ALJ will make a decision based on all the information presented to her before and during the hearing. The SSA will mail you a letter summarizing the decision along with a copy of the ALJ's full decision for your records. The total decision time varies from state to state, but ranges from seven months to nearly two years from the date you request a hearing. File for review of the ALJ’s decision by the Appeals Council. If the ALJ doesn't rule in your favor, you can have his decision reviewed by the Appeals Council. If you're unsure how to request this review and you don't have an attorney, the SSA will help explain the process and ask for a review. The Appeals Council will review your request and make a preliminary decision whether the ALJ's decision was correct. If the Council finds no fault with the ALJ's decision, it will deny the request for review. You will receive a letter from SSA explaining this decision. If the Appeals Council finds something in your case merits further review, it will either review your case and make a decision itself, or it will return your case to the ALJ who decided it with instructions to correct the problems. Since the Appeals Council is a national body located in Washington, D.C., your presence is not required at their review. If the Appeals Council decides to review your claim, it can take up to a year for them to render their decision. File a lawsuit in federal district court. If the Appeals Council affirms the ALJ's decision, you can file a federal lawsuit. You have 60 days from the date the Appeals Council made its decision to file a civil complaint with your local district court. The SSA can't help you with your federal court case. At this point, if you haven't already done so, you should find an attorney who specializes in Social Security disability to help you with your case. Federal rules of procedure are exceedingly complex and difficult to navigate without experience. When your complaint is filed, the court issues a summons that you must serve on the SSA along with a copy of your complaint. When the SSA has notice of your case, one of the agency's attorneys will file an answer explaining why the agency was correct to deny you benefits. Both you and the SSA will then file briefs with the court that outline your respective positions. Sometimes the court also will schedule an in-person argument. Generally, a federal district court takes about eight months to decide a disability appeal from the date you file suit.	Assess your income and work history. Compare your household's income to the Federal Benefit Rate. Appraise and total your assets. Make sure you've earned enough work credits to be eligible for disability benefits. Provide all documentation required to prove any statements made in the application. Fill out the application. Gather the necessary documents. Prepare for your disability interview. Attend your disability interview. Wait for a decision from the SSA. Document your history of depression. Get medical opinions on your degree of disability. Meet the requirements for benefits based on an impairment listing. Meet the requirements for benefits based on a medical-vocational allowance. Understand the overall process. File a request for reconsideration. File for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. File for review of the ALJ’s decision by the Appeals Council. File a lawsuit in federal district court.
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-Blackhead-from-Your-Forehead	How to Remove a Blackhead from Your Forehead	To remove a blackhead from your forehead, start by washing your face thoroughly to avoid infections. Then, take a hot shower to open your pores, which will make removing the blackhead easier. Next, apply pressure to the skin on either side of the blackhead with your index fingers to squeeze the blackhead out. Alternatively, apply an adhesive blackhead removal strip, which you can buy from the pharmacy. You should also wash your face twice a day to prevent blackheads from forming. Additionally, use an exfoliating scrub once a week to get rid of dead skin cells.	Consider seeing a professional. Extracting blackheads at home can cause irritation, infection, scarring, and discoloration of the skin if you don't do it correctly. For this reason, it may be a good idea for you to see a dermatologist or an esthetician to have stubborn blackheads professionally extracted. In addition to extractions, skin care professionals can also provide services such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels, which can reduce the appearance of blackheads. Some people have skin that is naturally more prone to inflammation and scarring. If this is the case for you, it is even more important that you do not attempt to manually extract blackheads by yourself. Prepare your skin for extraction. If you choose to attempt extraction at home, no matter which method you choose, you will need to prepare your skin properly for the best results. You will want to make sure that your skin is clean and your pores are opened. Always wash your face thoroughly before attempting any kind of blackhead extraction. Make sure any makeup is completely removed from your skin. Use steam to open your pores. You can do this by applying a warm, wet washcloth to your face for several minutes, by placing your face over a vessel of hot water and covering your head with a towel to prevent the steam from escaping, or by taking a hot shower. If you plan on doing this often, you may want to purchase a facial steamer. Whichever method you choose, be very careful not to burn yourself! Use your fingers. Once you have properly prepared your skin, you can attempt to extract a blackhead from your forehead by applying pressure with your fingers. The key to this technique is to be gentle. If you use excessive force when attempting to extract a blackhead, you may cause your skin to become inflamed, and you may even end up with a permanent scar, though this is rare. When using this method, apply pressure from opposite sides of the blackhead using your two index fingers. If your first attempt is unsuccessful, try moving your fingers to another position. Make sure your fingers are not touching the blackhead. You want to apply pressure around the blackhead, not on top of it. Wrap your fingers with a tissue to protect your skin. It is very important to not use your fingernails to extract a blackhead, as this can damage your skin and introduce bacteria into the pore. If the blackhead does not come out after two attempts using gentle pressure, it's time to give up. If you really want to extract that stubborn blackhead, it's best to see a skin care professional. You should also stop your attempt if your skin becomes red at all. Use a comedone extractor tool. This is a small metal tool with a loop at the end that can be used to extract blackheads from your skin. Comedone extractors can be purchased at most beauty stores or pharmacies. These tools must be used with extreme caution in order to prevent scarring. If your tool comes with directions, follow them precisely, or ask your dermatologist to show you how to use it properly. Before using the comedone extractor tool, make sure it is sterilized. A good way to do this is to place it in boiling water for five minutes. Make sure to let it cool down before using it. Position the loophole of the comedone extractor carefully around your blackhead. Apply gentle pressure to one side of the comedone extractor at a time. If the blackhead does not come loose, do not use excessive force. Instead, try again in a few days or see a skin care professional for a professional extraction. Some comedone extractors have a lancet on one end, which is used by professionals to puncture the skin in order to remove whiteheads. This part of the tool is not necessary for the removal of blackheads because they are not covered by a layer of skin. Furthermore, it is extremely easy to damage your skin with this tool, so it is best to leave it to the professionals. Use blackhead removal strips. These strips are widely available at beauty stores and pharmacies, and are made by a variety of manufacturers. They work by pulling the oil and bacteria from the pores in your forehead when you peel the adhesive strips away from your skin. They are much less likely to cause damage to your skin than other extraction methods, but they are also less likely to remove the entire blackhead, so they may not be a good long-term solution to your blackheads. Be sure to dampen your face before applying the strip. This allows it to fully adhere. Make sure to read the directions on the package and leave the strip on your skin for the specified amount of time in order to achieve the best possible results. Treat your skin after extraction. After you have finished extracting blackheads from your forehead, it is important to clean your skin using an antibacterial cream or toner. This will help prevent infection and, hopefully, the recurrence of the blackheads. If these products are too harsh for your skin, you can also try apply tea tree oil after an extraction. While skin care products that contain acids are generally recommended to help prevent blackheads, it is best to avoid these products for 24 hours after you manually extract a blackhead. Wash your face twice a day. Washing your face regularly will help get rid of excess oil, dirt, and makeup, all of which can clog your pores. Face washes that contain salicylic acid are ideal for skin that is prone to blackheads, as they help to exfoliate your skin, kill bacteria, and reduce inflammation. Take some extra time to massage the face wash into areas where you have the most blackheads. Hair care products may clog your pores, so try washing your face after you wash your hair. Don't use products that contain salicylic acid if you are allergic to aspirin. Exfoliate. Facial exfoliating scrubs help fight blackheads by unclogging your pores and removing dead skin cells. Most of these products are designed to be used approximately once a week. Do not use exfoliating facial scrub more often than recommended because it may irritate your face and cause redness. Use a mask. There are a variety of masks you can buy to help keep your pores clear and reduce inflammation. Clay masks and facial peeling masks are especially helpful for individuals suffering from oily skin and blackheads. Apply the mask once a week, or as often as recommended by the manufacturer. Applying a mask too often may dry out your skin. Apply acne creams. Look for products that contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, retinoids, or azelaic acid as active ingredients. There are many over-the-counter options available, but if these do not work for you, your doctor may be able to prescribe a stronger medication. These products may cause skin irritation, especially if you use more than one of them. If you experience irritation, try using the product less often or using a different product each day instead of using all of them every day. Try natural acne treatments. If you want to avoid using harsh chemicals on your face, you may be able to fight your blackheads with ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Try massaging lemon juice, slightly diluted with water, into your face for an effect similar to that of a salicylic acid wash. Mix baking soda and water together to create a paste. Then scrub your face with the solution to gently exfoliate. Keep oil off your face. Do your best to keep your hair off of your face, especially if you tend to get blackheads and pimples in areas that typically come in contact with your hair. Avoid touching your face. Your pillowcase is another source of unwanted oil, so change it often. Not all skin care products are created equal. Products that contain oil can clog your pores, leading to worse problems with blackheads and other types of acne, so be sure to look for oil-free moisturizers and makeups.	Consider seeing a professional. Prepare your skin for extraction. Use your fingers. Use a comedone extractor tool. Use blackhead removal strips. Treat your skin after extraction. Wash your face twice a day. Exfoliate. Use a mask. Apply acne creams. Try natural acne treatments. Keep oil off your face.
https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Copepods	How to Grow Copepods	To grow copepods, place them alone in a 10-gallon saltwater aquarium. Keep the water salinity between 25-35 ppt. Before you add the copepods, add a few drops of phytoplankton to the water, which you can order online or purchase from a local fish store. You want the water to be light green. Allow your copepod container to reach room temperature, then pour them into the aquarium. Change the water in the tank every 4 weeks.	Purchase an aquarium or small container. The best way to grow copepods is in a separate culturing container. Copepods prefer large containers, so an aquarium is ideal. However, if you don't have room for another aquarium, no worries. You can also use a small container, like a Rubbermaid plastic jar. If you're using an aquarium, a ten gallon tank works best. Here's a cool hack: divide the tank into two halves using a piece of plexiglass, creating two separate cultures. Now, you have a backup in case one culture fails! Keep your copepod container at room temperature. Copepods are pretty hardy, but you should avoid temperature extremes. This means it may not be the best idea to keep your container in direct sunlight in July or in the drafty, uninsulated attic in winter. Pick a room in your house that you maintain at a moderate temperature. Adjust the airflow. Gentle aeration will help keep your copepods happy and healthy. Buy an air pump and attach it to a gang valve using rigid air tubing. Place the end of the tube in the water, and use the gang valve to adjust the airflow into the tank or container. It should be flowing at a rate of one bubble every three seconds. If you're using a small container, drill a hole into the lid to allow the the tubing to pass through. Maintain the proper salinity. Keep the salinity of your tank around 25-35ppt (1.018-1.025+). You can measure salinity using a number of different tools, including refractometers, hydrometers, and conductivity probes. Follow directions on the packaging for an accurate measurement. It's best to keep your culturing container at the same salinity as your main tank. That way, when you feed your copepods to your fish or coral, the copepods won't go into shock. Select a phytoplankton to feed your copepods. Copepods eat phytoplankton, a teeny tiny marine algae. Check to see what type of phytoplankton is best for your species of copepod. You can buy phytoplankton at your local fish store or order it online. Nannochloropsis is a common phytoplankton that's pretty easy to find. Add a few drops of phytoplankton to your container. Add phytoplankton, drop by drop, until the water turns a nice light green color. As the copepods eat the phytoplankton, the water will turn lighter. Your goal is to keep the water light green. You may be tempted to clean up the “gunk” that collects at the bottom of your tank, but leave it until you do your monthly cleaning. It's completely normal, and actually healthy for copepods! Add the copepods to the container. Finally, it's time to add the key ingredient to your culturing container: your copepods! Allow your copepods to reach room temperature before dumping them in. Don't worry too much about acclimation. These guys are tough! Harvest your copepods. When it's time to feed your copepods to your fish or coral, take a cupful of water from your culturing container. Then, pour the water over a 100 micron screen. This will catch the adult copepods while letting the little guys go. Use some salt water to wash the copepods from the screen into a new container, and add them to your main tank. Wait a week in between harvests to allow the adult population to regrow. Change the water regularly. Drain the water over a 55 micron fine mesh screen to collected the copepods, and then place the screen in a clean, saltwater-filled container so they don't dry up. Wipe the tank down with paper towel, rinse it out with a bit of fresh water, then add clean, fresh saltwater to the tank. Finally, add your copepods and fresh phytoplankton. If you're using a tank, you should change the water every four weeks. Change the water weekly for a small culturing container, like a jar or a large cup. Keep an eye out for contaminants. Sometimes, your copepod culture may become contaminated with other organisms, like ciliates, rotifers and brine shrimp. If this happens, you may need to start a new culture. The contaminants can scarf down all of the copepods' food, eventually killing off the population. Get a refugium. A refugium is an area that shares water with the main tank but is partially separated to protect small or delicate organisms, like your little copepods. There are several different types of refugiums, so talk to an employee at your local fish store to find one that works with your price point and aquarium size. An in-tank refugium is the simplest and cheapest type. It's a small container that allows water to flow through but keeps bigger critters, like fish, out. A hang-on refugium is a separate container that hangs off the back of the main tank, while a sump-based refugium is a second tank that is placed under your main tank. Set up the refugium with a habitat for the copepods. Add live rock, sand, and macroalgae like ulva to give the copepods food sources and areas to hide and breed. All of these items are available at local saltwater fish stores. Don't overclean your refugium--leave algae and detritus so your copepods can graze. You should trim your macroalgae occasionally to prevent overgrowth. Remove predators from your refugium. If you have other critters in your refugium, like emerald crabs or bristle worms, they may munch on your copepods, so remove a few of them before starting to grow your copepods. If removing predators is too difficult or you simply don't want to, raise your copepods in a separate container. Add copepods to your refugium. Let them reach room temperature and dump them into the refugium. Turn off the pumps before you add them so they have a chance to swim away from the fish and filter feeders. Monitor your fish population. If you're trying to grow copepods in the same tank as your fish, you'll need to make sure they're reproducing faster than they're being eaten in order to maintain the population. If you have too many copepod-eating fish, it could throw off the balance. Be aware that certain fish species that don't rely copepods as their main food source, like clown fish and line wrasse, still like to snack on them. To see how many copepods are in your tank, shine a light in your tank at night. The copepods will look like tiny white specks swimming towards the light. You may also be able to find these little critters behind live rock or collected in tank corners. Research the type of copepods best for your fish or filter feeders. Copepods are typically used to feed marine fish, like mandarin dragonets and scooter blennies, or filter feeders, like coral. Different organisms feed on different types of copepods, so do your research to make sure you pick the right species. Tigriopus californicus is one of the most common species of copepods, and should be used to feed adult fish. These critters are pretty hardy and can survive at high population densities and varying water temperatures. Because Tigriopus are a larger species, they should never be used to feed fish larva. They can claw at the larva, causing distress and death. Tisbe and Nitokra are best for feeding coral and other filter feeders. They reproduce more quickly than Tigriopus and are smaller, which might make them a little harder to see. Like Tigriopus , they are tough. Purchase live copepods. You may be able buy bottles of live copepods at your local fish store. Otherwise, order them through online retailers like https://www.LiveAquaria.com or https://www.Algaebarn.com. Observe how your fish respond to the copepods. Larger copepods like Tigriopus may be too big for some fish to handle. In fact, Tigriopus can sometimes fight their way out of a fish gut using their strong mouthparts! If this happens, you'll need to select a smaller species of copepod.	Purchase an aquarium or small container. Keep your copepod container at room temperature. Adjust the airflow. Maintain the proper salinity. Select a phytoplankton to feed your copepods. Add a few drops of phytoplankton to your container. Add the copepods to the container. Harvest your copepods. Change the water regularly. Keep an eye out for contaminants. Get a refugium. Set up the refugium with a habitat for the copepods. Remove predators from your refugium. Add copepods to your refugium. Monitor your fish population. Research the type of copepods best for your fish or filter feeders. Purchase live copepods. Observe how your fish respond to the copepods.
https://www.wikihow.com/Contest-a-Will	How to Contest a Will	Losing a loved one is always hard, but those emotions can be even more complicated if you feel you need to contest the will. First, check the laws in your area to make sure you have standing to challenge the will. If you do have standing, there are certain circumstances in which you can challenge the validity of the will, such as if it wasn't signed by 2 witnesses, if you believe it was signed under duress, or if the person signing the will lacked the mental capacity to agree to the will. You may also have a claim if you believe the will was forged or you were unintentionally excluded.	See if you have standing to challenge a will. Only certain people can challenge a will. This list will vary from state to state, but it may included anyone who would have been an heir if the person had died intestate (W/o will), anyone mentioned in the will, anyone was in a previous or later will (i.e. an earlier will was submitted to probate), creditors, and so on. Check if the will was properly signed. Each state has signing requirements. Typically, a will is valid only if it was signed in the presence of two witnesses. Some states also require that the witnesses not be beneficiaries under the will. Check with your state law to find the precise signing requirements. Find out if the will was signed under duress. A will signed under duress will not be valid. A prime example of duress is an elderly person who creates a will in favor of a caretaker so that the caretaker will not abandon her. Uncover if the will was procured by fraud. Fraud is rare. But if the testator was told that she was signing a contract, then the will she actually did sign would not be valid. Determine if the testator lacked mental capacity. One of the most common challenges to a will is that the testator lacked mental capacity either because of mental illness, senility, or dementia. If challenged, sufficient mental capacity can be established by showing that the testator knew the objects of his bounty, understood the kind and character of the property, and made a disposition based on a plan in his mind. Discover if you have been unintentionally excluded. Unintentional exclusion means that you would normally be considered an heir, but were born, married or recognized/discovered by the testator after the will was executed. Unless you are explicitly excluded from the will, you may have recourse to contest it. If the will was drafted before you were born, you have a strong case for unintentional exclusion. If you have been explicitly excluded then you have no recourse. Determine whether the will was forged. If you have reason to believe the will was forged, it should be submitted to probate, and court discretion. Make sure you contest the will while you still have time. Most states have time limits for challenging wills. States laws will vary. Additionally, the dates for these challenges will differ depending on whether or not you were served the petition as well as other factors. Calculate what you would receive if the will were invalidated. You might be better off not challenging the will. Absent a valid will, a testator's estate will pass through probate and be divided among the heirs. If you are not an heir, you will not receive anything. Accordingly, you probably should rethink challenging the will. State law varies, but generally an estate is divided between the surviving spouse and the remaining children. If you are one of three surviving children, you would take a third of the estate (provided there is no surviving spouse). If you are unhappy that you only received half under the will, then you might not want to try to invalidate it as your share will decrease. Check for a “no contest” clause. Under this clause, if you contest a will and lose, you will receive nothing. You might be better off just accepting your portion of the estate. Not all states enforce “no contest” clauses. In Michigan, for example, a “no contest” clause will not apply if there was probable cause to initiate proceedings. California also allows no-contest clauses. Evaluate the costs. If you file suit, you almost certainly will want an attorney. Attorney's fees range considerably depending on location. But you can expect to spend upwards of $200 an hour for competent legal representation. You can mitigate cost by doing initial fact-finding on your own. However, you should not expect pro bono representation for a suit challenging a will. Perform preliminary fact gathering. In order to file a suit in court, you must base your complaint on something more than gossip or speculation. For example, if you believe a will was fraudulently procured, you should have at least spoken to the witnesses at the signing. You can be sanctioned for filing a frivolous or harassing lawsuit. A suit without a basis in fact will be deemed frivolous. As a result, you may have to pay the defendant's attorneys' fees. You should take notes of all your meetings. If possible, you should record the conversation (with the witness's permission). Draft a complaint. A formal complaint starts a lawsuit. Ask for a blank complaint form at the probate court. In some states it called an objection rather than a complaint. The complaint does four things: Identifies the parties: plaintiff and defendant. You would be the plaintiff and the executor of the estate is the defendant. Depending on state law, you should also list all people who are beneficiaries under the will. States the legal basis for bringing the complaint. You would argue that the will was invalid and cite the appropriate statute. Explains the facts of the case. You will need to explain the facts that support your legal argument that the will is invalid. Asks the court for relief. Here you explain that you want the court to invalidate the will. File the complaint. You file in probate court, in the same place where you picked up your blank complaint form. There will probably be a filing fee, which could run up to $200. If you cannot afford that, then you should inquire about filing as an indigent. The clerk should have the form. Serve notice on the estate administrator. The estate administrator as well as all other beneficiaries named under the will should be served. You can serve the complaint using a process server or by paying to have the sheriff do it. Again, if you cannot afford this then you should mention so in your application to have fees waived. Process servers can cost upwards of $100 per document served. Be aware you may face demurrers or motions to dismiss after you file your complaint or objection. Unlike in most civil suits, a demurrer or motion to dismiss may represent a bigger hurdle than normal in this type of action. Gather your evidence. Before filing your complaint, you should have interviewed key witnesses so that your complaint would have a basis in fact. Now you can follow up on any other leads. You should speak to any health care providers, to inquire about the testator's state of mind. If the testator suffered from memory loss or mood swings, you might use this information to show lack of testamentary capacity. Speak to anyone who lived with the testator, including other residents of senior housing. They may have observed the testator on a daily basis and can be a good source of information. Speak to the people who witnessed the will signing, if you haven't already done so. They are the best witnesses as to the testator's state of mind. You should try to speak to the attorney who drafted the will. Unfortunately, attorney-client privilege may limit what she can tell you. But it can't hurt to try. Tread carefully when interviewing other family members, especially those who are beneficiaries under the will. They may resist working with you or could lie to you. Receive and read the answer. The defendant must answer the complaint. Typically, he will deny the allegations. Seek discovery. If the defendant has documents that you need, then you will file a discovery motion to request them. Ask the clerk for a blank motion and list the category of documents you would like. Feel free to request broad categories of documents, such as “Anything relating to testator's mental fitness” or “correspondence relating to the will.” You can request discovery from anyone who might have relevant documents. Attend pretrial hearings. You or your attorney must attend pretrial hearings and conferences to discuss the status of the case. If you have not reached a satisfactory settlement with the defendant, then you will schedule a trial date. Summon witnesses. Look over the witnesses you have interviewed and identify the ones who help you make your case. Then issue them a summons, printing the day and time of the trial, as well as its location. Sample summons forms can be found at the courthouse. You must mail them to the witness or have them served by a process server. Prepare an opening statement. An opening statement lays out what you intend to prove. By itself, an opening statement is not evidence. Acknowledge bad facts up front. If the defense will put up the defendant's doctor to testify that the testator had sufficient mental capacity, then you should acknowledge that fact so that the jury isn't surprised. Be brief. The average adult's attention span is now only five minutes. Call witnesses. In a court case, parties produce evidence and then argue at the close of evidence that the facts support their side. Your attorney will call the witnesses who best support your argument that the will is invalid. As the person challenging the will, you will go first. The defense is able to cross-examine your witnesses. Introduce documents into evidence. You might have documents that support your argument that the testator was senile. Your attorney will introduce these documents into evidence by having a witness authenticate what the document is. For example, if the testator was taking medication for Alzheimer's, then you would want the prescription (maybe even the bottle) introduced into evidence. The jury can then consider this evidence. Cross-examine the defense witnesses. Just as the defense can cross-examine your witnesses, you get a turn to poke holes in the testimony of defense witnesses. You should try to diminish their credibility. A good way to challenge a witness's credibility is to show that she was not at the event she claims to be testifying about. You can “impeach” her testimony, for example, by showing credit card receipts that place her at a shopping mall when she claims to have been witnessing a will signing. You can also impeach someone with a felony conviction. The judge will consider someone's criminal history in determining their credibility. Present closing argument. At the close of evidence, your attorney will argue that the evidence supports your argument. A good closing argument links evidence in the case to the legal issues. For example, if you are arguing that the testator lacked mental capacity, then you need to explicit tie how the medicine for Alzheimer's supports your point. Closing arguments should not be read from a prepared script but instead should feel spontaneous, even though they have been carefully prepared.	See if you have standing to challenge a will. Check if the will was properly signed. Find out if the will was signed under duress. Uncover if the will was procured by fraud. Determine if the testator lacked mental capacity. Discover if you have been unintentionally excluded. Determine whether the will was forged. Make sure you contest the will while you still have time. Calculate what you would receive if the will were invalidated. Check for a “no contest” clause. Evaluate the costs. Perform preliminary fact gathering. Draft a complaint. File the complaint. Serve notice on the estate administrator. Be aware you may face demurrers or motions to dismiss after you file your complaint or objection. Gather your evidence. Receive and read the answer. Seek discovery. Attend pretrial hearings. Summon witnesses. Prepare an opening statement. Call witnesses. Introduce documents into evidence. Cross-examine the defense witnesses. Present closing argument.
https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-Emo-(for-Girls)	How to Dress Emo (for Girls)	If you want to dress emo, building up a good wardrobe of vintage clothes is a great place to start. Look for clothes in dark or understated colors, but don't feel restricted to wearing all black! Jewel tones and primary colors are good choices, too. To create a simple and casual emo outfit, pair a tunic, A-line dress, or comfy t-shirt with leggings. Don't forget to finish off your look with some cool converse shoes and a few cute accessories, like a studded belt or a headband with a bow.	Shop vintage. Vintage cuts and patterns fit well with the cerebral emo image, so thrift stores are a great place to shop (and you'll save money!). Look for prints like polka dots, plaid or a checkered design. Look for 70's style jackets. Those are very popular amongst emo girls, and they go with everything from jeans to dresses. Also look for 50's style vintage dresses, especially halter dresses or dresses in an A-line cut. Choose your colors. Look for understated colors, rather than flashy neons or pastels. Black is usually a big component in an emo wardrobe, but you can still wear color. Look for classic primary or jewel-toned items. There really are no hard and fast rules about colors, though, so if you like something, get it. You can always accessorize to include different colors, too. Stock up on dresses. Emo dresses usually come in two different cuts: jersey or tunic dresses or fuller, A-line dresses. Try to buy dresses that fit into one of these two categories. Dresses can and should include cool details, like a corset bodice or shoelace detailing. If you prefer skirts, try to buy them short and pleated. Add leggings. Wearing dresses can be hard, especially in the winter. To make your look more seasonally appropriate, add leggings or tights. These should be brightly colored or striped and can include cool textures, like fishnets. If your tights or leggings have a tear in them, even better! You can also wear leggings or tights under cut-off shorts or miniskirts. Wear comfortable t-shirts. Emo girls love to express themselves, and graphic tees are a great way to do this. Buy a t-shirt with a band you like or quote that is meaningful to you. Hoodies are also a great (warm) way to express yourself. Tees and hoodies should fit well and should not be oversized to the point where you're swimming in them. Pair your tees and hoodies with a slightly faded, fitted pair of jeans. To add a bit more flair, wear a pair of striped socks over your jeans. Wear the right shoes. A pair of Converse shoes are the perfect touch to complete any emo kid outfit. Converse are the most popular shoes for emo girls, but Vans are a close second. Either pair of shoe is great to wear with pants or skirts and dresses. Ballet flats are also a good option if you want to go a little more girly. To make your shoes more fun, try switching out the original laces for something more colorful. Accessorize. Emo style is all about mixing cute with hardcore. Buy a headband with a bow on it, or a studded belt. For maximum effect, wear more than one belt at a time. If you have piercings, feel free to rock them. Chunky bracelets are also very popular in the emo girl community. If you're wearing denim, try ironing on or sewing on patches to give your look a little more flair. Dye your hair. You don't have to change your hair color just because you want to start dressing emo, but if it's important to you, there are lots of colors to choose from. Most emo hairstyles center around jet black hair, bleached blonde hair or some combination of the two. If you have naturally dark hair, try adding some very light highlights. If you have naturally light hair, try adding very dark lowlights. You can also experiment with dying your hair different bright colors. Purple, red and pink are currently very popular, but you can dye your hair any color you'd like. If you aren't ready to commit to a big color change right now or if your parents say you can't, try experimenting with wash out dye. You can also try streaking your hair, so the color is less aggressive. Or buy colored clip-ins and layer them amongst your natural hair color. The possibilities are endless! Get a dramatic haircut. Yet again, you don't have to get a haircut, but you can if you want to look even more emo. There are certain haircuts that are strongly associated with emo culture. These haircuts include straight hair with very sharp cuts or hair cut with very dramatic layers. If you have short hair, try a sharply angled bob cut. If you have long hair, try adding long layers on both sides. There is a misconception that you can only be emo if your hair is straight. This is not true. Curly haired girls can be emo too. Tease the crown of your hair. This is a popular emo hairstyle you can pull off even without getting a haircut. To do this, take a section of your hair from the back. Using your comb, backcomb or tease the bottom of this section until the crown of your hair has a little more volume. Be careful not to tease too hard, or you might damage your hair. When the back of your hair is fully teased, wear your hair down, or throw it up into a casual ponytail. Get bangs. Bangs are a signature emo look for women. Bangs should be heavy and thick or styled into a fringe. Regardless of how they are cut, you'll want them long enough to touch your eyebrows or possibly to hang over and cover part of your eyes. This will allow you to hide behind your bangs when you feel sad. Enhance your eyes. Your eyes are the windows to your soul, and for emo girls, you want them to be a focal point of your face. Use eyeliner or kohl to heavily line your eyes, almost to the point where you look like a raccoon. To apply liquid eyeliner, start at the top of one eyelid and draw a line from one corner of the lid to the other. Try to draw your line at ½ a centimeter and allow it to air dry so it doesn't smudge. Draw over the liquid eyeliner with a black crayon or pencil eyeliner to make your eyes extra dark and dramatic. If you're not allowed to wear makeup to school, don't worry! Save it for a special event or Halloween. You can still dress like an emo girl without all the makeup. Leave the rest of your face neutral. Because the eyes are such a focal point in emo makeup, the rest of your face should be left relatively untouched. Try adding pale or neutral lipgloss to make your lips pop a little. You can also add a little blush to give your cheeks a little color. Have fun with your nails. Nails are a big deal for emo girls, so go crazy here. Paint them dark or bright colors or alternate between the two. If you have a little money laying around, splurge for a gel manicure so they'll last a little longer. Try making your fourth finger on each hand a different color than the rest. Use nail decals or stickers to attach fun images like cartoon characters or skulls to your nails. Mix and match for a cool combination.	Shop vintage. Choose your colors. Stock up on dresses. Add leggings. Wear comfortable t-shirts. Wear the right shoes. Accessorize. Dye your hair. Get a dramatic haircut. Tease the crown of your hair. Get bangs. Enhance your eyes. Leave the rest of your face neutral. Have fun with your nails.
https://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Kidney	How to Cook Kidney	If you want to cook kidney, start by using a sharp kitchen knife to trim the fat. Next, slice the kidney vertically, and cut off the tough membrane in the center. Once you've discarded the fat and membrane, slice your kidney according to your recipe, and prepare it for cooking. To cook, add 2 tablespoons of butter to a skillet, then sauté on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, until both sides are golden brown.	Trim the fat off of the kidney and discard it. Once you have the kidneys and are ready to cook them, you must first rid them of the thick, white sections of fat. Put the kidney on a cutting board and use a sharp kitchen knife to trim off these sections. Instead of discarding the fat, you could set it aside to render it down to use with other recipes. Rendering fat takes several hours—you can do it in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. Put the fat into your slow cooked or into a pan on the stovetop, turn the heat to low, and stir and check it every 20 minutes. It's ready once the fat has liquidized. Strain the fat to remove any bits of cracklings or gristle, and store it on the counter in a covered container, like a mason jar. Remove the grisly membrane from the center of the kidney. Slice through the kidney vertically (retaining the kidney shape) to access the tough, white membrane. Use your knife to trim the organ meat from around the membrane to remove it. Put the membrane to the side to discard it later. The membrane is especially tough and hard to cut through, which is why it's recommended to remove it before cooking the kidneys. Cut the kidney into strips or small pieces, depending on your recipe. Try your best to cut similar sized pieces to help them cook at the same rate. Strips of kidney are generally used for a quick sauté and diced kidney is usually used in different stews. Kidney can be tough to cut through, so using a sharp kitchen knife is important. If you don't have a sharp knife, consider buying one from a home goods store or even purchasing a whetstone or honing rod to sharpen your knives at home. Store raw kidney in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer for 4 months. If storing it in the fridge, keep the kidneys in the original packaging or in a clean, air-tight container until you're ready to prep it for your recipe. If freezing the kidneys, keep them in their original casing and wrap that in foil or plastic wrap. Write the purchase and use-by dates on the package when freezing kidneys to help you remember how long they will be good for. Trim the fat and membrane from the kidneys and slice them in half. Use a sharp knife and a clean cutting board, and set aside the fat and membrane to discard of later. Be careful when cutting away the tough membrane to not cut your fingers. You can reserve the fat from the kidneys to render down later, but the membrane needs to be discarded. Rendering fat takes several hours. Put the fat into your slow cooker or into a pan on the stove, turn the heat to low, and stir and check it every 20 minutes. Let it cook until the fat has turned to liquid. Strain the fat to get rid of any gristle, and store it on the counter in a covered container. Marinate the kidneys in an olive oil and herb mixture. In a small bowl, mix ⁄ 2 cup (120 mL) of olive oil for each pair of kidneys you have, and add whatever herbs you prefer (sage, garlic, rosemary, and thyme all go well with kidneys). Use ⁄ 2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) to 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of herbs. Place the halved kidneys into the marinade and let them sit for at least 2 hours and no more than 6 hours, as kidneys are best prepared and served the same day they are trimmed. You can leave them on the counter or put them back into the fridge. If you will be marinating the kidneys for more than 2 hours, put them into the fridge. Try tossing the kidneys in the marinade with a spoon a few times to make sure each side is coated. Remove the kidneys from the marinade and place them on a hot grill. You can also use a griddle, a cast iron pan, or a grill pan if you don't have a charcoal or gas grill at home. For these alternate grill methods, heat them to 350 °F (177 °C). Avoid putting the kidneys onto a grill that hasn't fully heated yet, as they won't cook properly and will probably burn by the time the grill is fully heated. Test the temperature of your grill by using the hand test: put your hand 6 inches (15 cm) about the grill, and count how many seconds it takes for your hand to get hot. A fully heated gas or charcoal grill will make you pull your hand away in about 3 seconds. You don't need to spray the grill or pan with any cooking oil—the marinade will provide some oil so the kidneys don't stick to the grill. Cook each side of the kidneys for no longer than 2 minutes. Kidneys are easy to dry out and overcook, so you just want to get a good char on the outside while leaving the inside pink. You can check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure it is reaching the 150 to 160 °F (66 to 71 °C) range. Depending on the size of your kidneys, you may need to add or take away a minute of cooking. The best rule to remember for kidneys is that the pinker the meat, the tastier it will be. Take the kidneys off of the grill and transfer them to a serving plate. You can top the kidneys with salt and pepper and serve them with many different side dishes, like rice , salad , potatoes , or pasta. Kidneys taste the best when they are fresh and just cooked, so don't wait too long to serve them! If you're trying kidneys for the first time, you could serve them as the side dish rather than the main component of the meal. Try serving them along with a shepherd's pie or a potato soup. Store the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or toss them in a hot pan with some oil until they are warm all the way through. They are best when fresh, so make sure to use them quickly or discard of them after the 3-4 days have passed. Set a reminder in your phone or label the container with the “use by” date so you don't forget how long the kidneys will be good for. Cut off the fat and membrane from the kidneys. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears and a clean cutting board, and set aside the fat and membrane to throw away later. You can leave the kidneys whole, slice in half lengthwise, or cut them into small bite-size pieces. Save the kidney fat if you want to render it down to use later on, which can take several hours. Use a slow cooker or a saucepan on the stove. Put the fat into the slow cooker or saucepan, turn the heat to low, and stir and check it every 20 minutes. Once it has become a liquid, it is finished. Strain the fat to remove any gristle or cracklings, and store it on the counter in a covered container. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Use 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of butter for 2 kidneys. Watch the butter closely until you see it start to bubble. Continue turning the skillet to coat the bottom of the pan with the butter until the bubbles start to go down. Be careful to not burn the butter. If you notice the butter is disappearing or turning brown, lower the heat. Add the kidneys to the pan and cook them for 3-4 minutes per side. If you notice the butter on the bottom of the pan starting to burn, reduce the heat from medium to medium-low. Keep an eye on the exterior of the kidneys—they should be a light brown color but should not burn. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure it is reaching the acceptable 150 to 160 °F (66 to 71 °C) range. Try tossing the kidneys in the butter when you first add them to the pan to coat them evenly in the butter. You can sprinkle the kidneys with salt and pepper when you add them to the skillet, too, if you like. Remove the kidneys from the skillet and put them on a serving plate. Sautéed onions and mushrooms complement the flavor of the kidneys well, and serving them with rice or on top of toasted bread are popular options, too. You can pour the leftover butter on top of the kidneys, too. Kidneys are best when eaten soon after preparing them, so don't wait too long to serve them. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat kidneys on the stovetop until they are warmed all the way through, or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Just be aware that it is easy for them to get dried out and tough when reheated, so you may want to eat leftovers with some kind of sauce, like a simple gravy. Label the container with the date the kidneys were prepared so you don't forget how long they've been in the fridge. Remove the fat and membrane from the kidneys and slice them in half. Use a sharp kitchen knife to trim off the white, fatty sections and to remove the thick membrane. You can set these aside to discard later, or you can reserve the kidney fat to render. Rendering fat can take several hours. Use a slow cooker or a pan on the stovetop. Put the fat into your chosen vessel, turn the heat to low, and stir and check it every 20 minutes. It's ready once the fat has become a liquid. Strain the fat to remove any bits of gristle, and store it on the counter in a covered container. You could also use kitchen shears to trim away the fat and the membrane. Dust the kidneys with the seasoned flour. Use 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of flour mixed with a pinch each of salt and pepper. You can either place the kidneys in a bowl with the flour and toss them around, or simply sprinkle the flour overtop of the kidneys while they're still on your cutting board. Make sure to coat both sides of the kidneys. A “pinch” of salt and pepper is generally how much seasoning you can pick up between your thumb and first finger. If using a shaker, just use 1 or 2 shakes. Mix the butter with the dry and wet ingredients. You will need 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of soft butter, ⁄ 2 tsp (2.5 mL) each of cayenne pepper and mustard powder, and 1 tsp (4.9 mL) each of Worcestershire and anchovy sauce. Combine all these ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. You can also use 2 mashed or pureed anchovies in lieu of the anchovy sauce. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add the butter mixture. Let the butter melt in the pan for 1-2 minutes, rotating the pan periodically to coat the bottom. Taste-test the butter and adjust the seasonings to match your taste preferences. If the butter starts to brown, reduce the heat. Add the kidneys to the pan and cook for 2 1/2 minutes per side. As you pick up the kidneys to put them into the pan, give them a quick shake to disperse any excess flour. When your kidneys are finished, they should be seared on the outside and warm all the way through. If you want, use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is in the 150 to 160 °F (66 to 71 °C) range. Avoid overcooking the kidneys as they will become tough to chew. the bread while the kidneys are cooking. Toast Use a toaster or another skillet on the stovetop. You can use regular sandwich bread, but something a little heartier would work best since you'll be loading the bread up with the kidneys and the sauce from the pan. A multi-grain bread or french loaf will toast well. Instead of toast, you could serve the deviled kidneys with white rice. Top the toast with the cooked kidneys and the butter sauce. You can eat the toast by hand, or place it on a plate and cut it with a fork and knife for a tidier eating experience. Kidneys are quick to cook and make a nice lunch or dinnertime meal. Garnish the toast with fresh parsley for a burst of green. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat them, simply put them into a skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until they are heated through. Kidneys are best served fresh and right after they've been cooked, so try to use leftovers quickly. Use a piece of masking tape on the airtight container to write the date you cooked the kidneys—that way, you will remember how long they'll be good for.	Trim the fat off of the kidney and discard it. Remove the grisly membrane from the center of the kidney. Cut the kidney into strips or small pieces, depending on your recipe. Store raw kidney in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer for 4 months. Trim the fat and membrane from the kidneys and slice them in half. Marinate the kidneys in an olive oil and herb mixture. Remove the kidneys from the marinade and place them on a hot grill. Cook each side of the kidneys for no longer than 2 minutes. Take the kidneys off of the grill and transfer them to a serving plate. Store the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Cut off the fat and membrane from the kidneys. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the kidneys to the pan and cook them for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the kidneys from the skillet and put them on a serving plate. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Remove the fat and membrane from the kidneys and slice them in half. Dust the kidneys with the seasoned flour. Mix the butter with the dry and wet ingredients. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add the butter mixture. Add the kidneys to the pan and cook for 2 1/2 minutes per side. the bread while the kidneys are cooking. Top the toast with the cooked kidneys and the butter sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.