How to Do Something Your Don Know: November 2019

Saturday, 30 November 2019

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

A decorated Christmas tree makes for a very jolly home during the holidays. Make your home festive by following these easy steps.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Putting the Lights on your Tree

Test your Christmas lights before you hang them on your tree. Plug your Christmas lights into an outlet. Ensure that you don't have any burnt-out bulbs.
Put lights on your tree. Make sure to do this before putting ornaments on your tree. LED lights are best for live trees as they do not heat up too quickly.^[1]
- The Around-and-Around Wrap: Wrap strands of lights around the top of the tree and work your way down to the base of the tree. For a 6-foot tall tree, you will need about 6 strands of lights with 100 bulbs each.^[2]
- Put your first light at the very top of the tree to begin. This light will shine on the star, angel, or snowflake that you will add later.
- Secure your light strands by weaving them in an out of the tree’s branches.
- The Vertical Wrap: Divide your tree into 3 sections. Each section will have its own lights.
- Begin at the base of the tree and weave the lights up through the branches to the top of the tree and back down to the base. Repeat.
Connect your light strands to an extension cord and plug it into a nearby outlet.

[Edit]Hanging the Ornaments on your Tree

Wrap the base of the tree in plastic. The plastic will collect any needles that fall off your tree. Cover the plastic with a festive Christmas tree skirt.
- These skirts add to the beauty of your tree and also keep the tree’s needles from collecting on your floor.
Hang your ornaments on the tree. Look for branches that are wider apart so that your ornaments won’t rest on lower branches.
Hang heavier ornaments further up on branches, closer to the trunk of the tree. The tree is strongest near the trunk and can bear more weight.
Hang ornaments near lights to highlight certain ornaments. This works particularly well with shiny bulb, glass, or metal ornaments as these types are the most reflective.
Spread ornaments evenly throughout the tree. Make sure not to hang too many ornaments on each branch.
- If a branch starts to get too weighed down, ornaments could fall off or the branch could break.
Add additional decorations. These extras can include bows, strands of popcorn and cranberries, and candy canes.
Add tinsel (optional). Tinsel makes your tree glitter. Hang tinsel near lights for the shiniest look possible.
- Be mindful with the amount of tinsel you place on your tree. Too much tinsel could take away from the beauty of your ornaments.
- For a more modern look, buy colored tinsel rather than the traditional gold and silver.
Add the star (or decoration you wish to have at the top of your tree.) Make sure that it is secure and not crooked.
Turn off the lights in your house. Admire the festive tree you have created and be jolly.

[Edit]Gathering Ideas for Themed Christmas Trees

Create a traditional look with solid red, white, silver and gold orbs. The orbs can be glass or plastic.^[3]
- Add fake winterberries and silver bells to complete a traditional tree.
Place silk flowers throughout your tree for a blooming theme. Hang white lights instead of colored lights to accent the flowers.^[4]
- Silk roses, magnolias, and hydrangeas are good options for a wintery feel.
- Add richly colored ribbons and little silver orbs or glittering glass ornaments for a twinkling, flowery look.
Create a nature-inspired look with rustic metal or glass ornaments. Place pine cones throughout the tree.^[5]
- Mix bird ornaments in with fake leaves.
- White lights are best for this natural look.
Hang red, white, and blue ornaments for a patriotic look. Mix glass and plastic ornaments alongside white lights for a tree that could rival the White House's own.^[6]
- To get even more patriotic, hang red, white, and blue lights on your tree.
Hang large, brightly colored orbs for a more modern look. Mod colors include lime greens, purples, bright blues, and hot pink.^[7]
- Light strands with large light bulbs mixed with bright small and large ornaments will give your tree a contemporary, edgy feel.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

When buying a live Christmas tree, look for trees that have even branches all the way around. Avoid trees with large bald spots where no branches are growing because you will be able to hang less ornaments (and it will look awkward.)
Craft stores such as Hobby Lobby may have different ornaments that you may like to add to your tree.
Pick colors that complement each other. Blue and silver, red and gold, silver and gold, and purple, gold, and silver, are some color combinations that look great. Combinations like blue and pink, pink and gold, and red and blue may not look work as well on your Christmas tree.

[Edit]Warnings

Never hang candles on the tree as they are dangerous and can cause a fire.
Do not overload the power outlets! This is a common occurrence at Christmas time and can lead to a fire.
Make sure you turn off incandescent lights before you go to bed, especially on a live tree. You can unplug the lights or use a timer.
Be careful with broken ornaments. The shards can be very sharp. It is best not to use glass decorations on a tree if you have pets or young children who could break them and get cut.

[Edit]Things You'll Need

Christmas tree (live or fake)
Christmas tree stand
Small plastic tarp
Tree skirt
Ornaments
Strings of lights
Beads and extra decorations (optional)
Bows (optional)
Star or other topper to place on the top of the tree.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

How to Fix Leaking Pipes

Leaking pipes can cause a lot of damage to your home if they’re left untreated. There are many temporary fixes for leaking pipes you can use, such as epoxy putty or pipe clamps, while you wait for a plumber. If you want to fix the pipe yourself so it’s up to code, you can use a slip coupling to make the process easy. No matter what you use, be sure to turn off your water supply so your pipes don’t leak while you’re working!

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Turning off Your Water Supply

Shut off the water supply to your home. Locate your main water supply, which is typically in your basement or crawl space. Turn the dial clockwise to shut off the water going into your home so the leak stops and doesn’t cause more damage.^[1]
- In an emergency, call your water company and see if they can shut off the water leading to your home.
Turn on the faucets connected to the pipe to drain them. Start by turning on the lowest faucet in your home, such as an outdoor hose pipe or a sink in the basement. Let the water run until the pipe is completely empty. If the leak is on a pipe leading to a specific fixture, then turn on that faucet to drain it.^[2]
Dry the leaking area on the pipe. Once all of the water is drained from the pipes, use a cleaning cloth to wipe the area around the leak completely dry. That way it won’t be slippery while you’re trying to work on it.^[3]
- Set a cloth or bucket underneath the leak in case any stray drops of water come out of the leak.

[Edit]Applying Epoxy Putty for a Temporary Fix

Put on latex or nitrile gloves. Epoxy putty heats up while you’re working with it and could cause pain on bare skin. Make sure the gloves are thin enough where you can still work intricately. Wear the gloves any time you handle the epoxy putty.^[4]
- You can buy latex or nitrile gloves from any hardware or big box store.
Mix plumbing epoxy putty by hand to combine it. Rip off a small ball of epoxy putty from the tube and knead it together between your fingers. The darker epoxy will mix with the lighter exterior to activate it. Once the putty has a consistent light grey color, you can stop kneading it.^[5]
- You can buy plumbing epoxy putty from your local hardware store.
Wrap the putty around the leaky area. Mold the putty around the leak on your pipe so it wraps completely around it. Make sure the putty forms a layer that’s about thick around the leak so it holds in place. Taper the edges of the putty onto the pipe so it makes a watertight seal.^[6]
- Epoxy putty works on straight lengths of pipes as well as joints.
Let the putty set for 5-10 minutes before turning your water on. Once the epoxy putty is mixed, it will set quickly so you can use your water again. Leave the putty alone for at least 5 minutes while it sets so it can solidify. Once the epoxy sets, you can turn your water back on.^[7]
- Epoxy putty is a temporary fix, so be sure to fully replace your pipe or contact a plumber the next day.

[Edit]Clamping Small Leaks

Buy a pipe clamp that's the same size as the leaky pipe. Pipe clamps use rubber gaskets create a tight seal to secure a small leak on your pipe. You can purchase these in the plumbing section of your local hardware store, but make sure to buy a pipe clamp that is the same size and at least as long as the pipe that’s leaking so you have a tight fit when you secure it.^[8]
Align the rubber gasket on the pipe with the leak. The rubber gasket is the rectangular piece inside of the clamp that makes your pipe’s water-tight. Set the rubber gasket on top of the hole in your pipe so it seals the leak completely. If the leak is on the bottom of the pipe, hold the clamp in place until you secure the clamp.^[9]
Fit the clamp around the gasket and tighten the bolts. Close the clamp around your pipe so it fits tightly on it and feed the bolts provided with the clamp through the holes. Turn the nuts using a wrench to secure them to the bottom of the bolts. Continue tightening the bolts until the clamp stays in place and doesn’t turn any further.^[10]

[Edit]Putting a Slip Coupling on Your Pipe

Get a slip coupling that matches the size and type of your pipe. Slip couplings are small, watertight connections that connect 2 different pieces of pipe. Look for a slip coupling has the same diameter as the pipe you need to fix and is long enough so you can cut out the leak. Before you purchase one, make sure the coupling is the same material as your pipe, such as PVC or copper.
- You can buy slip couplings from your local hardware store.
- Slip couplings can be a permanent solution to fixing your pipes and they are up to code.
Mark the length of the slip coupling on your pipe. Hold the slip coupling up to the leaky spot on your pipe so the coupling extends out from each side. Use a marker to draw a line on your pipe at the end of the slip coupling. This will help ensure that you cut out the right length of pipe so the coupling can still fit.^[11]
Use a pipe cutter to cut out the leaky area on the pipe. Pipe cutters are small devices that easily slice through a pipe as you rotate them around. Set the edge of your pipe cutter inside the line you drew and tighten the screw on the bottom of the device. Rotate the pipe cutter around the pipe completely and tighten the screw again. Keep spinning and tightening the pipe cutter until it makes a clean cut through the pipe. Repeat the process in from the other line you drew.^[12]
- You can buy pipe cutters from your local hardware store.
- Pipe cutters work on metal and PVC pipes.
- Some PVC pipe cutters look like a pair of scissors. Put the blade over the pipe and slowly squeeze the cutters shut.
Scrape the inside and outside of the pipe with a deburring tool. A deburring tool is a special tool used to scrape the inside and outside of the pipe to help reshape it after you make your cut. Hold the pipe steady with your nondominant hand and set the blade edge of the deburring tool inside the pipe. Scrape around the inside edge of the pipe with your tool to deburr it. The take the tool out of the pipe and scrape the outside edge.^[13]
- You can buy deburring tools in the plumbing section of a hardware store.
- Make sure you deburr both sides of the cut pipe to prevent future leaks.
Slide the slip coupling onto the ends of your pipe. Take your coupling and slide an end over one side of your pipe. Push the coupling on far enough so you’re able to line it up with the other side of the cut pipe. Line up the other end of the coupling with the pipe and pull it over so the 2 pipes are connected by the coupling. The coupling will hold the pipes together so water can flow between them.^[14]
- Some couplings may make you tighten them by hand or with a wrench. Follow the directions on the packaging carefully to see if there are any additional steps.

[Edit]Warnings

Contact a plumber if you don’t feel comfortable cutting or replacing your own pipes or if the leak is difficult to reach.

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Applying Epoxy Putty for a Temporary Fix

Latex or nitrile gloves
Epoxy putty

[Edit]Clamping the Leak Shut

Pipe clamp
Wrench

[Edit]Putting a Coupling on Your Pipe

Pipe slip coupling
Pipe cutter
Measuring tape
Deburring tool

[Edit]Related wikiHows

Temporarily Deal with a Water Leak

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

How to Use Makeup to Make Eyes and Lips Appear Larger

There are some great tips and tricks you can use to make both your eyes and lips look bigger without having to resort to a medical procedure or injections! Use a subtle hand to apply your makeup so that the effects look as natural as possible. Once you know what works for you, you’ll be able to add these techniques to your daily routine with ease.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Creating Bigger Eyes

Cover dark circles with concealer to brighten your eyes. When you want to make your eyes look bigger, think “lighter and brighter.” Dark circles make your eyes look smaller. After you’ve applied the rest of your foundation, use a concealer underneath your eyes to fully mask any dark circles.^[1]
- For the best results, use concealer that is a shade lighter than the rest of your foundation.
Fill in your brows to create a more defined border for your eyes. Darker, bolder brows create an outline for the rest of your eye makeup and can help define your eyes so that they are more expressive. Opt for a brow filler that is the same shade or slightly darker than your natural hair color for the most natural looking effect.^[2]
- Don’t forget to pluck any stray eyebrow hairs before you fill them in.
Create dimension on your eyelids with eyeshadow. Choose a shade of eyeshadow that is slightly darker than your skin tone and sweep it over the crease of your eyelid with a makeup brush. Brush the eyeshadow up toward your eyebrows and out toward the end of your eyebrow line to create a smokey look that will enlarge your eyes. Use a lighter shade of shadow for your actual eyelids.^[3]
- You could also apply eyeshadow along your lower lash line from just the middle of your eye out to the outer corner.
- Make sure to blend the eyeshadow into your skin so there are no discernible lines.
- Stick with lighter, neutral shades of eyeshadow to make your eyes look bigger. Beiges, tans, browns, and bronzes are your friend!
Make your eyes pop by using a flesh-toned liner on your bottom waterline. You may be tempted to line your eyes on the top and bottom with brown or black liner, but that can actually make your eyes look smaller. Use a flesh-toned liner to brighten and lighten your eyes along your waterline.^[4]
- Apply the liner as quickly as you can, otherwise, your eyes will start to water and the liner will smudge.
Keep darker eyeliner as close to your upper lash line as possible. Use black or brown eyeliner on your upper lids to create definition. Do your best to draw a thin line that adheres close to your actual lash line. A thick, dark sweep of eyeliner will make your eyes look smaller, but a thinly applied line will open up your eyes.^[5]
- Liquid eyeliner or a pencil that you can sharpen are the best tools for this process. They give you more control over the thickness of the line.
Extend eyeliner out and up past the corners of your eyes to elongate them. This is basically the same as creating a cat eye, just with a focus on making that line a little bit thinner than usual. When drawing the winged tip, make it a little bit thicker than the line on your eyelid and bring the end upwards at a slant rather than straight out from your eye.^[6]
- If your cat eye tends to crease and smudge when you smile, try using a setting spray to keep it in place for longer.
Widen your eyes by adding a nude iridescent shadow to your tear ducts. Rather than using a brightly colored eyeshadow, stick to a skin-tone, like beige, tan, bronze, or brown. Simply dab an eyeshadow brush into the shadow and pat it over top of your tear ducts. You could also use a Q-tip for the same effect.^[7]
- Try to use a shade of eyeshadow that is slightly lighter than your skin tone for a gentle contrast. If you want a sharper contract, use a white eyeshadow.
Use a lash-lengthening mascara to make your eyes look bigger. Once the rest of your eye makeup is done, apply a single coat of mascara to all of your top lashes. Then, on the second coat, focus on applying a thicker layer to the center lashes only. For your bottom lashes, just a single coat of mascara will do to make your eyes pop. Opt for a formula that is lash-lengthening rather than thickening, as the longer your lashes are, the bigger your eyes will look.^[8]
- If you don’t want to mess with mascara, consider getting false lashes.

[Edit]Plumping Your Lips

Use a plumping balm to give your lips extra definition and hydration. There are tons of plumping products to choose from, so picking one is mainly a matter of preference. Look for a product that has ingredients like cinnamon, peppermint, or ginger.^[9]
- Even if you don’t plan on wearing any lipstick, just applying a simple plumping balm can puff up your lips a little and make them appear fuller.
Opt for lighter colored lipsticks to make your lips appear bigger. Nudes, pale pinks, and shades similar to your skin tone will actually make your lips look larger. Darker shades can flatten your lips and make them look smaller.^[10]
- If you can, pick lipsticks and glosses that claim to be “hydrating.” Keeping your lips moisturized and hydrated is a huge part of helping them look big. Dry lips get wrinkled and look smaller.
Make your lips bigger with concealer and lip liner. Add a light layer of concealer over your lips and extend it above and below your actual lip line a little bit. Use the liner to draw your lip line larger than it actually is, and then fill in your lips with a matching lipstick.^[11]
- Be careful when doing this to blend the concealer in with the rest of your makeup.
Give yourself ombre lips to make your lips look larger. You’ll need 2 shades of lipstick and a lip liner that matches the darker shade. Apply your lip liner like you normally would, and then use a lipstick brush to apply the lighter shade of lipstick to your lips, but avoid getting it around the outer edges where the liner is. Use the darker shade of lipstick around the edges of your lips, and then use the lipstick brush to blend the edges of the darker and lighter shades so the gradient has a natural transition.^[12]
- Be careful to not smudge your lips or rub them together, otherwise you’ll ruin the ombre effect.
Get a natural pout by dabbing lipgloss on the center of your lips. After applying your lipstick, add a dab of a clear gloss or of a gloss that matches your lipstick to the center of both your bottom and upper lips. Avoid rubbing your lips together so it doesn’t smear.^[13]
- If too much gloss gets transferred from the wand to your lips, try putting a dab of gloss on your fingertip and applying it that way.
Emphasize your cupid’s bow with highlighter to make your lips pop. Your cupid’s bow is where your top lip dips down in the center. Add a really small dab of highlighter right in the crease of the bow above where your lipstick starts. This will add a little juxtaposition between your lips and your skin and will give the appearance of bigger lips.^[14]
- Do your best to not get the highlighter on your actual lip or mixed in with the lipstick.
Add bronzer below your bottom lip to create a “shadow". Don’t extend the bronzer fully from one end of your lips to the other. Instead, just put a light dab right below the center of your bottom lip. Make sure it’s blended in so it looks natural.^[15]
- You could also use eyeliner for the same effect, just make sure to choose a subtle brown color rather than black.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

Figure out which tricks work the best for your eyes! Once you know what works and have experimented a little, it’ll be easy for you to do your makeup and look great every day.
Keep these techniques as subtle as possible so that they look natural and not overdone.

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Creating Bigger Eyes

Concealer
Eyeshadow
Brow pencil
Flesh-toned eyeliner
Brown or black eyeliner
Mascara

[Edit]Plumping Your Lips

Plumping lip balm
Lipstick
Lip liner
Lipgloss
Concealer
Highlighter
Bronzer
Lipstick brush

[Edit]Related wikiHows

Make Lips Look Bigger

[Edit]References

Friday, 29 November 2019

How to Stay Healthy Living in a City

Staying in a city is a great way to live a safer and more environmentally friendly lifestyle.^[1] Aside from sporting a happier population, city living also provides you with plenty of opportunities to stay healthy.^[2] To begin, try finding ways to stay active in your everyday life, such as biking and running. If you’re looking to improve your diet, try meal planning and looking for healthy grocery store and restaurant options in your neighborhood. Finally, take advantage of the city’s resources to keep regular tabs on your health and wellness. You’re only a few steps away from being your healthiest self! This article will tell you how to.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Staying Active

Travel by bike instead of car to get places. Invest in a bike to save time and money traveling. While cars seem faster, you can have more mobility by riding a bike. Check and see if your city has any bike routes or bike lanes built into the street that allow you to travel more safely.^[3]
- See more of the city on a bike! For example, if you live in New York City, try biking across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Join a local gym to stay healthy. Search online or look through your local newspaper advertisements to see if there’s a gym or fitness club near you. While gyms are a bit more expensive, you get constant access to special equipment. Don’t worry about the facility being too crowded—if anything, exercising in a busier place can help you feel more motivated.^[4]
- Use an online review site to figure out the nearest and cleanest gyms in your area.
- See if you can find a yoga studio in your area or within walking distance to increase mindfulness and stay fit.^[5]
Run to stay in shape. Use the abundant amount of sidewalks around you to get some exercise around some nearby city streets. If you don’t feel like driving or biking, running can also be a great alternative for getting from place to place. Whenever you go out, make sure that you’re running in comfortable shoes and wearing a reflective shirt or vest.^[6]
- You can also run in the wintertime—just remember to adjust your wardrobe to the elements.
Participate in citywide activities to meet new people. Look online or at your local community center to see what events are going on, like yoga sessions or cooking classes. Look for opportunities that are free of charge—just keep in mind that these events might fill up fast due to popular interest.^[7]
- For instance, San Diego has a partnership with Scripps Health that sponsors free, healthy events each month.
Search for green spaces to spend time regularly. Check the area in walking distance from your home to see if you have any urban green spaces, such as public parks, nature preserves, or sports fields. Try to visit urban green spaces at least once a week to increase your happiness and be active.^[8]
- Urban green spaces also include community gardens, tree cover, and yards as well.

[Edit]Choosing Healthy Foods

Plan healthy meals for each week. Create a calendar specifically for mealtime, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Decide ahead of time what you’d like to eat throughout the week, so you can shop for what you need early on. If you’re going to be busy on a certain day of the week, opt for a frozen meal instead.^[9]
- Planning your meals allows you to adjust your lifestyle to meet more of your nutritional needs.
- Meal planning is also helpful for people who are vegetarian or vegan.
Save time by using simple cooking devices. Opt for a slow cooker if you’d prefer the taste of a home-cooked meal. Prepare any recipe earlier the day by adding a healthy combination of vegetables, proteins, and other ingredients into the appliance. If you’d prefer a more instant meal, try microwaving a healthy frozen dinner, instead!^[10]
- When using a slow cooker, remember to use less liquid than you would in the traditional cooking process. Additionally, consider cutting your produce into larger pieces if you want your food to be even more flavorful.
- Avoid using cookware that has Teflon or non-stick properties since they could create fumes that are harmful if inhaled.
Order from healthier restaurants instead of going for fast food. Download apps like DoorDash so you can get a variety of food delivered to your front door. By using these services, you can try a more customized delivery service that gives you the freedom to choose healthier options.^[11]
- If you have an issue with your order, companies like DoorDash and Postmates are very easy to contact.
Figure out where your closest grocery store is. Use a navigational app or website to find out what grocery stores are in your area. Before you go shopping, look up some reviews of the stores. Additionally, look at convenience stores to see if they sell any healthy snacks or entrees.^[12]
- When shopping, try to avoid processed foods, as these are less healthy.^[13]
- Look for farmer’s markets as well. You can purchase a lot of fresh and delicious produce for a great price at these kinds of places!^[14]
- While at a grocery store, be sure to check out the freezer section. Frozen fruits and vegetables are easy and healthy options that last for a long time in your home.
Take advantage of healthy places that are open late. Look up the opening and closing times for restaurants, convenience stores, and other eateries and shops. If your work schedule causes you to arrive home at a later time, knowing your options can be useful for grabbing a late-night snack or meal. See if any stores or healthy restaurants near you work with a third-party delivery app, like Postmates.^[15]
- Some stores also have online grocery shopping options that let you ship food to your door. If you don’t want to deal with an extra shopping trip or a late-night grocery run, opt for this program instead.^[16]
- Ideally, try having a set mealtime. In the long run, this can help contribute to healthier eating habits!^[17]
Participate in a community garden. Ask your landlord or neighbors to see if there’s a community garden in the area. If there is a plot near you, consider using a section of it to grow your own produce. Some apartment complexes and other condensed living spaces (e.g., condos, flats) already have plots that you can join or contribute to. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a garden already, try starting one instead!^[18]

[Edit]Managing Your Health

Schedule regular doctor’s appointments to keep tabs on your health. Live each day of your city life to the healthiest and fullest by checking in with the doctor on a regular basis. If you’re ever feeling under the weather, look up an urgent care clinic that can examine your symptoms right away.^[19]
- If you don’t have insurance or have a plan that won’t cover the cost of your visit, try looking up free clinics in the area. While they might be difficult to find, most cities have places that are willing to see you for little to no charge.
- Bring a notebook in case you’re worried that you’ll forget what your doctor says later on.
Stay up-to-date on the latest vaccines and flu shots. Ask your doctor if you need any new vaccines, be they for new illnesses (e.g., the flu) or longstanding sicknesses (e.g., chicken pox, measles, polio, etc.). Since cities are more densely populated than other regions, illnesses can spread more rapidly. Protect yourself and those around you by getting all of the immunizations that you need.^[20]
- For example, the United States has had an increase in reported measles cases over the past year.^[21]
- If you do feel sick, wear a face mask to prevent spreading the illness to others or being exposed to more disease.
- You can also get an online doctor instead of going out if you feel very bad.
Practice good hand hygiene while you’re in public. A lot of people touch door handles, shopping carts, and other items in public, so germs can spread easily between people. Do your best to avoid touching handles with your bare hands, using a tissue or paper towel instead. Don’t touch your face so you avoid transferring bacteria near your nose and mouth.
- Many stores offer sanitary wipes for shopping carts so you can wipe them before you use them.
- Always wash your hands before you touch your face or eat so you don’t spread germs.
Meditate regularly to reduce your anxiety levels. Keep your mind clear by practicing meditation each day. Spend a few minutes each day to focus on your breathing, which will help distract you from many of the major stressors in your life. Ideally, try meditating for about 20 minutes each day.^[22]
- Meditation has other positive side effects, like lowering your blood pressure and current heart rate.
Use a HEPA air purifier in your room to filter out harmful particles. High-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) air purifiers have special filters that can remove small particles, such as dust, dirt, and smog. Keep an air purifier in your bedroom, and run it while you sleep so you can breathe clean air.^[23]
- Not every city will have bad air quality. You can check the air quality index of your city online.
Get a healthy night’s sleep. Cities can be bright and noisy, which can make it difficult to sleep well through the night. Close your windows if you’re able to and use blinds that block out light so your room is completely dark while you’re sleeping. If you can’t fall asleep due to the noise, wear ear plugs while you sleep to block out annoying sounds.^[24]
- Use a white noise generator or app to help you block out ambient city sounds if you aren’t able to use ear plugs.
- Wear a sleep mask to cover your eyes if your blinds don’t entirely block out light.
- Avoid using your phone or electronics right before bed so you aren’t kept awake from the blue light.
Spend time with nature to improve your mental health. Give yourself some room to think and breathe by spending time at a park or other natural area. While these spaces can be hard to come by in cities, try to look for places with a lot of trees. Although it may seem mundane, you can get a lot of mental health benefits from walking through areas with a lot of foliage, like lowered anxiety.^[25]
- Search online to find a park near you.
Find a supportive community to help boost your mental health. Spending time with other people has positive effects on your mental health and helps you get to know your community. Find a meditation group, a book club, church, or local meet-up in your area so you can branch out and make more friends. Seek people that have similar interests as you so you can have fun together.
- You can find local meet-ups and groups using apps like Facebook and Meetup.
- Check your local library to see what events and groups they host.
Even if it’s just for a few minutes, set aside some time to focus on your dental hygiene. A little time in the morning and before bed is all it takes to take care of your teeth!^[26]
- Brush your teeth two times every day with fluoride toothpaste. This will help prevent cavities.
- Using an electric toothbrush will be even more beneficial for your teeth.
- Remember to floss! To floss, put the floss between two teeth, and make it into about a C shape. Shake it there to cause friction and remove plaque.
- You can also try a waterpik to wash your teeth even better.

[Edit]References

How to Be Frugal on Black Friday

On the day after Thanksgiving, also known as “Black Friday,” retail stores entice customers with special offers and deep discounts on gifts for the holidays. If you’ve been putting off doing your Christmas shopping, you might decide that it would be a good idea to take advantage of Black Friday sales and snatch up as many coveted items as you can at one time. But be careful—though the goal is to save money, it can be easy to fall into the trap of spending much more than you intended during the frantic holiday rush. For this reason, it’s important to keep a few guidelines in mind before you set off on your Black Friday shopping spree.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Planning Ahead

Set out with a goal in mind. Before you pull on your scarf and mittens and prepare to wait in line for hours first thing in the morning, have a clear idea of what you’re shopping for and whether it’s worth it. If you’ve already got a Christmas list for reference and you’re trying to check off items at bargain prices, Black Friday sales may save you a substantial amount of money. If you’re simply intoxicated by the idea of discounted goods, however, or you’re just shopping to see what’s out there, you may end up parting with more money than you planned to.^[1]
- Black Friday sales are most favorable to shoppers when they can identify a few things they need, that they can score for significantly less, and only buy these items.
- If there’s nothing you absolutely have to have, and you’re feeling tempted to shop purely for its own sake, you may be better off finding something else to do with your time.^[2]
Preview Black Friday deals. Traditionally, Black Friday sales ads have run in the newspaper on Thanksgiving day. Nowadays, though, it may be possible to take a look at upcoming specials through store websites or even smartphone apps a few days in advance. Browse through early listings to see how things are being priced, and whether a particular store has what you’re looking for on sale.^[3]
- Being able to look at products and prices in advance will help you calculate a realistic shopping budget, another must for saving during the Black Friday frenzy.
- Go through reputable channels (such as official sites like Macy’s and Brookstone, or bargain shopping apps like Flipp and Slice) to guarantee that the sales you find are legit.^[4]
Look over merchandise before you buy it. If you’ve scanned through previews of Black Friday sales and something has caught your eye, take a scouting trip to the store that’s selling it and give it a closer look. This way, you’ll be able to inspect the product for quality and see if it suits your budget and personal tastes before committing yourself to buying it. Some basic recon will also familiarize with where to find the item before the store is overrun with swarming crowds.^[5]
- Browsing before doing the bulk of your shopping can provide an opportunity to learn about exclusive in-store deals.
- Devise a “battle plan” by plotting your path through a store that you expect to be busy.
Limit yourself to a handful of stores. Instead of just darting aimlessly from one sale to another, come up with a few stores in particular to visit. In the interest of time and expense, try to keep this number around five or six at most. Settle on stores that stock a wide range of items to get as much done in as few locations as you can, or stores that provide specialty products you can’t get anywhere else.
- If possible, have a shopping buddy to go deal-hunting with. The two of you can split up and cover more ground, getting to hot items faster and eliminating the need to trek all over town.^[6]

[Edit]Getting Organized

Set a budget. Decide on a realistic amount that you’re willing and able to spend. Don’t deviate from this figure. You’ll be much more careful about comparing prices and making necessary compromises if you know you can’t exceed a strict total. Having a fixed budget in mind might also force you to get more creative about picking out gifts, which means you could end up with more items than you originally expected for the same amount.^[7]
- Make sure your primary finances are in order before you set aside money for shopping.^[8]
- Be conservative. It’s always better to spend less now and not have to worry about financial security later on.
Make a list of must-have items. Write down everything you know you need and prioritize necessities over casual purchases before you start looking at other things. For instance, if your daughter has asked for a new winter coat, and you want to get your best friend a toaster as a housewarming gift, pick these items out first. After your main shopping is done, you can start browsing freely if you have some spending money leftover.^[9]
- If you’re not shopping for anything in particular, think of what you could personally use in your wardrobe or around the house.
- Write down the price beside each item on your list and make sure it corresponds with your budget.
Compare prices. Don’t take sale advertisements at face value. You can find some remarkable bargains on Black Friday, but you might be able to track down an even better one somewhere else. Pore over newspaper ads, mailer promotions, store websites and shopping apps to find out who is offering what for how much. That way, you’ll know exactly where to go once it’s time to get shopping.
- For the sake of business, most stores are willing to match low prices with competitors, saving you money and the need for an extra trip uptown.^[10]
- Pay attention to less obvious stores that might be offering deals on the same products. For instance, you can find a variety of name-brand goods at drugstores, which are likely to be less crowded than mall shops and more popular destinations.^[11]
Collect coupons. Check the mail around Thanksgiving and sign up for store newsletters for a chance to receive coupons that could save you even more on Black Friday purchases. Coupons are an often overlooked way to be thrifty, and, when combined with slashed rates on promotional items, can help keep a little bit of extra money in your pocket. Tuck some coupons in your wallet or checkbook before you head out for your first stop of the day.^[12]
- To prevent overspending, only use coupons for the limited number of stores you decided on ahead of time.
- In addition to coupons, there are websites where you can go to buy discounted gift cards that will allow you to save a few more bucks on Black Friday purchases.

[Edit]Showing Restraint

Stay home. One option for Black Friday shopping that a lot of people tend to forget about is simply not participating. Decide whether saving $30 or $40 is worth the tedium, exhaustion and stress of surrendering your whole day for a chance to make mad grabs at the local mall. Remember, your time is valuable too. The hours you give up waiting in line or fighting your way through angry mobs could be spent enjoying the holidays with your loved ones.^[13]
- If you just can’t let a bargain pass you by, avoid the chaos and capitalize on Black Friday savings by doing your shopping online through participating sites. It’s a win-win situations.
- Keep in mind what’s really important during the holidays: warmth, comfort, and making loving memories with the people you care about.
Avoid the temptation to impulse-buy. Sure, that all-in-one coffee maker/juicer/smoothie machine might look nifty, but is it something you really need? If an item isn’t on your list, and you can’t justify buying it, keep moving. The irony of Black Friday is that prices are often so low that people are tricked into buying things they have no real use for. In doing so, they end up spending more than they would have on a typical outing.^[14]
- Stay focused and practice a little self-control when you run into attractive but unnecessary deals.
- Having concrete items and figures in mind, like making a list or setting a budget, can keep you from dropping money on extra purchases you may regret later.
Stick to advertised deals. The items that comprise your shopping list should all come from Black Friday savings offers. The whole point of Black Friday shopping is to secure goods at markdown, so ignore non-sale items for now. The more you spend on regularly-priced goods, the less you’ll have available to buy more of the things that end up saving you money. If you’re not careful, you’ll just end up racking up added expenses that set you back, defeating the purpose of the commercial holiday.^[15]
- Sometimes, stores will advertise products at prices that aren’t much lower than what they ordinarily cost. Take advantage of the biggest discounts you can and bypass the rest.^[16]
- You can always come back later and buy other items with the money you saved doing your Black Friday shopping.
Look into each store’s return policy. Hold onto your receipts in case you decide to bring something back and be aware of how individual stores handle returns and exchanges. It may be that you give someone something they already have, or you get home only to be confronted with immediate buyer’s remorse. In these cases, making use of returns can put some of that hard-earned holiday cash back in your hands.^[17]
- Stash your receipts in your wallet or pocketbook to help you keep up with them, or file them away in a separate folder back home.
- Some return policies may be subject to change on Black Friday. Be sure to read the fine print and don’t miss your window to take an unwanted item back.

[Edit]Tips

Keep an eye on sales advertised in the weeks leading up to and following Thanksgiving to see how much shopping you can get done before and after the rush.
Once you get home, look over everything you’ve bought and decide whether it’s all worth keeping or whether there are some items you’d be willing to return.
Stores are opening earlier than ever for Black Friday. If you don’t want to miss out, plan to do your shopping as early as the midnight after Thanksgiving day.
Eat before you set out so that you don’t have to negotiate busy restaurants and food courts in the middle of the day.
Wait for other commercial holidays, such as Cyber Monday, to look for deals on electronic goods.
Return unwanted items for store credit. You may be able to find something else on your list without an additional trip or transaction.

[Edit]Warnings

Guard your wallet, shopping bags and other belongings closely. It’s common for thieves to prey on distracted Black Friday shoppers.
Be wary of “free” offers. These usually come with unadvertised payment plans or some other catch.

[Edit]References

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