How to Stay Awake While Driving Late at Night

More automobile accidents that occur worldwide each year are related drowsiness than to alcohol consumption.  If you have no choice but to drive late at night, here are some tips to stay awake.

Open the windows and let the wind blow through the car.  If the weather is too bad, adjust the air conditioning to cold and turn it on full blast.  If anyone in the car complains about being too cold, point the closest vents towards the driver and close the rest.  Ask them to cover up with something or if they are old enough and wide awake; let them take a turn driving.

Turn on some loud music.  Don’t choose soft piano music or talk radio.  Find some heavy-hitting rock and roll; something that you will want to sing along with.  Keep the beat on the steering wheel so that your body keeps moving.

If you are fortunate enough to have passengers in the car, do not let them sleep, but instead have them talk to you or play some travel games that require you to stay alert but nothing that distracts you from watching the road.

Shake your head every now and then and scream out loud.  Try drinking drinks that contain caffeine, like coffee or sodas.  If you still feel tired, find somewhere to pull over.  Get out of the car and do some exercises, like jumping jacks to increase your heart rate.  If you can find somewhere that is open late at night, go inside and splash some cold water on your face.  Buy a fountain drink with ice.  Keep a piece of ice in your mouth until it melts and then replace it with another.

How to Promote a Small Business Using Free Online Tools

Promoting a small business on the Internet seems straightforward, but many small business owners and marketing managers overlook important online tools that can transform a simple web presence into a powerful Internet traffic generating instrument. The most useful online tools available for promoting small businesses are easy-to-use and completely free, with the exception of the time invested. Save your advertising dollars to use on printed publications and real-world trade shows and discover surprising opportunities that are just a few mouse-clicks away.

Register for a free Google account by visiting the Google home page and providing the necessary personal information. Provided with the free Google account are several key items that will be useful for promoting your business. Gmail is a free web-based email service that may be accessed from anywhere an Internet connection is available and it has a great anti-spam filter. Google Documents is an important application because it includes a word processor which may be used to create and save documents online. For the best results using Google Documents, try the free Google Chrome web browser, which may also be downloaded from Google's home page.

Write simple, but informative articles about your small business using Google Documents. Articles may be about products, services and any interesting news or updates that are taking place within the company. Save each article as its own document. These articles are very important and will be used to provide content for other websites. Because the articles were created and saved online, each will be easily accessible when needed. Write several articles every day in order to build a collection of information, and have someone proofread each one for spelling and grammar errors.

Take pictures in and around the company using a digital camera. Photograph products, employees (with permission) and services as they are being provided by the company. Upload the photos from the digital camera to Picasa, which is also accessible through a link in your free Google account. These pictures may be used in conjunction with the articles to present a powerful representation of your small business and what it can do for the customer. Content is crucial to attracting visitors; it will be useful to have this collection of articles and pictures to draw upon as you build an online presence for the company.

Register a free Facebook account for your business. Sign up for a business page using the link toward the bottom of the page, which says "Create a page for a celebrity, band or business." Be creative and personalize the Facebook profile page for the business using your collection of pictures and articles. Refer new and existing customers to the company's Facebook page both over the phone and through links in email messages so that you will slowly build a following of loyal friends and customers. Designate time each week to update the company's profile page in order to keep the content fresh and relevant.

Create a personalized blog using a free blogging website. The same Google account login information may be used to access Blogger, which is owned and operated by Google. Tailor the topic and content of the blog to closely match the message that you feel will convince visitors to contact your company. If you already have a company website, use links from the blog to direct visitors to that site; otherwise direct them to the company's Facebook page, which should present all of the necessary contact information.

Promote both the Facebook profile page and the company blog using other free online resources such as Reddit, Twitter and Squidoo. Regardless of how many online accounts are created for the company, the most important component is always the content provided. Without premium content, your company's online presence is just another obstacle in the customer's way to finding the information they seek.

Warning:
Do not create empty profile pages and on-line persona that leave visitors with too little information. Consumers search for products on the Internet because they want to learn more about them. If you can satisfy a visitor's need for information, your company stands a better chance of converting that visitor into a paying customer.

How to Automate a Haunted House Using Sensors

You've built a creepy haunted house and it's the scariest one around. How do you take it to the next level? Automate it using non-contact infrared photoelectric sensors to control electronic scare devices.

Haunted houses are designed to be very creepy and with enough volunteers, they may be loaded with frights around every corner. What if there are not enough volunteers available to haunt the house? Infrared photoelectric sensors are the perfect device to detect guests and to trigger electronic gadgets, such as noise makers or motorized animatronic characters, giving visitors a scare they won't soon forget.

Sensors are used every day in various industries ranging from food processing to automotive assembly lines. Some of the top commercial haunted houses in the country are now using the very same sensors to automate their haunted attractions, providing a far creepier presentation. Industrial sensors are available to the general public for less money than you might expect, giving the average Joe an opportunity to built a haunted house that rivals even the ones presented by major theme parks.

The easiest type of photoelectric sensor to use in a haunted house attraction is one that uses a mechanical relay switch. This type of sensor is as easy to wire and operate as a light switch. Also be sure that the photoelectric sensors use infrared light and do not display a visible light which would draw attention to them. Arrange the photoelectric sensors across from each other in a hallway or door jamb, or anywhere that a guest will pass between them. The guest will break the infrared beam of light, causing the mechanical relay switch in the photoelectric controller to close, which will provide power to a noise maker or animatronic device. Each time a guest passes the sensors, the same action will occur repeatedly without operator intervention. This allows volunteers in the haunted house to spend time mingling with the guests and not hiding behind walls, just making noise.

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Telecommuting: Bringing the Work Back Home

The Industrial Revolution brought people out of cottage industries and into the public workplace. Years of long commutes back and forth to work and the stresses of dealing with heavy traffic and with strange office politics have left much of the workforce in search of a well-deserved break. Many people have discovered a path back to their cottages. They are the telecommuters.

In recent history, technology has opened a door of opportunity to employees that allows them to work from home. These employees are evolving into telecommuters. Modern communications technology and a drastic improvement in computer capabilities now allow workers to perform their jobs from home instead of requiring them to commute to and from the workplace.  In years past, if someone wasn't working from home, it meant that they didn't have a home and they were typically labeled a nomad. As time went by and people began congregating in centralized locations to perform their work duties, the idea of working from home became synonymous with being a nomad. It was even rumored that a person working from their home would likely wander from job to job. In present times, it seems that history is repeating itself and workers are making their way back home. (Whitford, 44)

A telecommuter, or "distance worker", as they are often called, is an employee who opens a channel between their place of work and their home to conduct business away from the office. (Wiscombe, 18) This channel may be a telephone line with a modem, a cable line with a broadband modem, or even a T1 line. Using this channel, an employee gains access to files on their computer and other company resources including, but not limited to, internal company servers and mainframes. Some businesses even offer a connection to their servers through a secure website on the Internet. There are many other contributors to the increase in telecommuting. Rick Howell, the vice president of human resources for The Heathman Group, a Portland Oregon based chain of hotels and restaurants, says, "The Internet has certainly helped speed things along, but there are many other forces driving the trend toward telecommuting. Email is a big factor and cell phones, laptops, fax machines, and wide area networks play a big part, too." (Whitford, 44)

Making Your Car Safe for Children

Your children are precious and you go to great lengths to make your home safe for them. Don't forget about making your car safe too.
Inspect your car, both inside and out on a weekly basis. Follow all routine maintenance schedules for your car as advised by the manufacturer, including oil changes, and tire rotations. Keep your state vehicle inspection up-to-date. Check the tread on your tires and also check the tire pressure regularly. Look for puddles under the car that may be indicators of serious problems. A puddle of water from the A/C is normal, but a puddle of oil or transmission fluid is not. While you are spending some quality time with your car, go ahead and wash it and clean all of the windows to provide maximum visibility.
 

Remove or secure loose objects in the car. In the event of a wreck or roll-over, loose objects will become projectiles and can seriously injure you and your children. This includes toys, tools, mp3 players, and anything that would hurt if thrown at your face with force. All of these things can either be stored in the glove box or in the trunk.
 
Have your car checked immediately if it begins to handle differently or make any strange noises. Extreme heat and cold are hazardous conditions for young children. Always crank your car several minutes prior to letting your children get in and let the temperature adjust to a comfortable level. Check all metal belt buckles and wait until they are cool to the touch before allowing your children to come in contact with them. Do not, under any circumstances, leave your child unattended in the car for any length of time!

Buy a new car seat or booster seat from a retail store. It's perfectly acceptable to buy second-hand clothes and toys for your child from a consignment sale, but car seats are constantly being recalled for safety issues. You don't have to buy the most expensive seat available, but if you buy a used one, you have no information about the history of the seat or whether it has been involved in a crash. Read the instructions for the new seat and install it to the best of your ability. Then, before placing your child in the seat, drive to the nearest fire station and ask if one of their "car seat certified installers" will give your seat a proper inspection. Keep all instruction manuals that came with the seat and check periodically for recall notices from the manufacturer. Many manufacturers will now let you register the seat and they will send an email alert to you if a recall is issued.

Talk to your children about being safe while riding in and exiting the car. Don’t allow fighting or yelling or anything that is distracting to the driver of the vehicle. Buckle your children’s safety belts or harnesses the moment they get into the car and do not let them unbuckle themselves until they are exiting the car. This may sound extreme, but there is a possibility that another car could impact your car, even while you are parked, and if your children are not buckled, they could sustain bad injuries. If you parallel park your car, tell your children to stay in the car and then let them exit on the side opposite the street. Do not allow children to run around in parking lots or parking garages!

Practice safe driving habits and make good choices. Always drive at or under the speed limit and constantly check your mirrors. If you identify a bad driver approaching you, do everything that you can to allow them to pass you and go on their way. Avoid causing or participating in road rage. Don’t speed up to try and make it through yellow traffic lights. Always leave early enough to make it to your destination on-time without driving fast. If you are going to be late, then just be late. If you cause an accident and hurt your children because you were in too much of a hurry, you will look back and wish you had just taken your time, so always think proactively in order to avoid all of that. If you will be driving with your children in the car at any point in a given evening, don’t drink alcohol at all!

Evaluate the cars of anyone else who will transport your child. Give them a safety checklist and see that they follow it. As a parent, it is your responsibility to keep your children safe, regardless of other people’s opinions or bad habits. If someone else’s vehicle or driving habits are unsafe for your children, do not let them ride with that person, regardless of what they say or whether it hurts their feelings. If this person loves and respects your children, they will make the effort to keep them safe too.

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How to Equip Amusement Rides with the Right Sensors

The best types of sensors in an amusement park are the ones you don’t think about until maintenance time. Find the most reliable products and they will save you money and headaches all year long.

Evaluate each amusement ride individually. What type of sensing solution is currently in place? How well does it work? If it is possible to replace contact switches, otherwise known as limit switches, with a non-contact solution, it will greatly improve the uptime for that ride. Contact switches with moving parts wear out quickly, whereas non-contact sensors only need to be replaced in the event that they are destroyed by collision, Mother Nature, or extremely rough handling. Consult with a manufacturer or distributor of industrial sensors and ask them for assistance with your application. Any sensor company who is interested in doing business with you should be able to support the products and answer your questions.

If a new sensor is what you desire, the next decision is which type of sensing technology to implement. There are many sensors to choose from, but in the amusement industry, the top picks are infrared photoelectric sensors and inductive proximity sensors. A transmitter photo eye projects an infrared beam of light, which is invisible to the naked human eye. A receiver photo eye reports when it sees the beam and when it doesn’t and will pass a signal to the appropriate controller. Rides that require objects to be detected from a distance or in harsh conditions, like log flume rides, river rapids, and dark, smoky theme rides are great places for photoelectric sensors.

Try an inductive proximity sensor in areas where metal objects must be detected at close range. These sensors will only detect metal and their sensing distance is limited, but they are extremely tough and can take a beating. Rides like roller coasters, where the sensor may be mounted on the track and detect the metal in the train are good applications for inductive proximity sensors. Inductive proximity sensors are excellent replacements for limit switches.

Develop a routine maintenance schedule and replace all sensors in the amusement park at least once a year. This will ensure proper function and will keep the rides operating at their peak performance. Visitors will appreciate the ride availability and you will notice improved uptime and fewer replacements throughout the year.

Supplier of Industrial Photoelectric Sensors

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How to Secure Your Home While Away on Summer Vacation

Summer is the perfect time to go away for a relaxing vacation. An unguarded home, however, is a perfect target for thieves. Take a few precautions before you leave for vacation to provide you peace of mind and true relaxation.

Secure your important information. Purchase a removable or external hard disk drive for your computer. Save all important files and financial records on this hard disk drive only and not on your primary hard drive. This portable drive should be removed from your home when you are away for extended periods and may be stored in a safe deposit box. All important hard copies of deeds, licenses, birth certificates, social security cards, unused credit cards, etc. should be kept secure in an off-site safe deposit box as well.

Secure the perimeter of your home. If you have a sliding glass door, place a broom handle or stick in the track of the door to prevent it from being opened. The latch on a sliding glass door is very easy to bypass. Drill holes in the upper right or left corner of all lower panes of your wooden windows and insert a long nail, which will make opening the window difficult from outside the home.

Ask a friend or trusted neighbor to collect your mail each day while you are away. Ask them to also walk around your home and look for anything strange. If possible, leave at least one car parked in your driveway and leave a few lights on inside the home. Purchase several timers and set them to turn on at dusk and turn off around the time you would normally go to bed. If a thief is watching your house, this may fool them into believing that someone is home.

Perform a walkthrough of your entire home and film everything using a video camera. Store the tape along with all other important items in your safe deposit box. This evidence will be useful to provide to the police and your insurance company if someone does manage to break in and steal or damage items in your home.

Inspect both the inside and outside of your home one last time before you leave. Unplug any dangerous or energy inefficient appliances and raise the temperature slightly on the thermostat. Check that your oven is turned off. Close all blinds or curtains, making it difficult to see into the home from outside. Make sure all exterior doors are locked and place padlocks on all gates, storage buildings, and crawlspace doors.


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How to Fix the Center Console Armrest Cover in a Ford Explorer

When the center console armrest cover in your second generation (1995-2001) Ford Explorer has become cracked and ugly from years of sun damage, don't spend a lot of money replacing it. With a little effort, you can restore it and make it look brand new for under ten dollars.

Cut or tear off a piece of the damaged armrest cover. Visit a piece goods store and find the upholstery section. Show them the old material and ask them if they have anything similar in texture and color. For my repair, I purchased a yard of marine grade vinyl, which is used to recover boat seats, for under $8.00. In retrospect, a third of a yard should be plenty of material unless you are prone to accidents.

Lift the armrest cover to expose the inside of the console storage compartment. On the hinge in the back, you will see three Phillips head screws. Remove all three and place them in a cup holder. You won't need these screws again until you re-install the armrest cover.

Place the armrest cover with the bottom side facing up on a hard, flat surface. Around the perimeter of the cover, you will see nine Phillips head screws. Carefully remove each of these and place them in a safe location. Remove the plastic panel to expose the interior of the armrest cover. You should see a series of small staples that hold the vinyl material firmly in each of the corners.

Very carefully pry these staples out of the plastic armrest base. If the plastic base is old, it may have become brittle and you don't want to crack it. When all staples are removed, throw them away and remove the outer vinyl cover. Inspect the underlying foam material. If it looks OK, don't worry about replacing it.

Spread out the new vinyl material faced down on the flat surface and place the old vinyl material on top of it. Stretch it out as much as you can and trace the outline onto the new material using a pencil or pen. As long as you can recreate the basic shape of the original material, it should work. Don't worry if your new design is not as perfect as the original. It would actually benefit you to add up to an inch along the longer sides. Try to make the front and back of the new material match the original as closely as possible, though. Don't worry about cutting holes for the screws. They will punch through the material when you screw them back in. Using a pair of sharp scissors, cut out the shape that you traced.

Cut two inch-long pieces of double stick tape and apply them to the plastic base, just inside the rear section. Lay the plastic base upside down on the new material and stretch the piece that corresponds to the back of the armrest so that it sticks to the tape. Now, place two small pieces of tape inside the front of the base. Lift the entire base and stretch the material towards the front. When the material is as tight as you can get it, fold it firmly onto the tape.

Flip the armrest right-side up and inspect your work so far. Does it feel tight? Are there any wrinkles? If there is anything that doesn't pass your inspection, remove the material and adjust it. After the next step, it will be harder and more aggravating to fix earlier mistakes.

Place the armrest upside-down again and apply pieces of tape just inside each corner. Stretch and fold the corners of the material so that they overlap and contour the corner very tightly. Fold each one so that they stick firmly to the tape. When the corners are done, apply tape to the sides and repeat the procedure.

Inspect the armrest cover once last time from above. The material should be stretched tightly around the entire perimeter of the armrest. The front corners should look round. Make sure there isn't any material sticking out that could interfere with the cover's opening and closing. If everything looks good, place the plastic panel back onto the underside of the cover and replace each Phillips screw.

Take the newly-covered armrest back to the Explorer and replace the three Phillips screws that you left in the cup holder back into the hinge. Open and close the armrest cover to make sure it has clearance on both sides.

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How to Install an Electric Iron and Ironing Board Holder

A hot iron sitting on an ironing board is an accident waiting to happen when there are small children running around your home. Install a device that may be used to store the iron and board safely away and also free up needed space.

Choose the best place for the iron and board to be stored. This may be in a closet or bathroom area, but it should be a room with a door that can be closed in order to prevent access to it by small children. It is also a good idea to store the iron and board in a low-traffic area that is not frequently accessed by guests.
 

Using an electronic stud finder, locate the left and right edges of a wooden stud inside your wall. Mark the edges lightly with a pencil so that you will know where the middle of the stud is. These marks should be made in close proximity to the position on the wall where you will mount the holder.
 

Position the plastic holder on the wall in the area where you would like it to be permanently mounted. Firmly hold the plastic holder with one hand and with your other hand, hang the ironing board on the holder to be sure the holder is positioned high enough for the board to clear the floor. If there is a door nearby, check it for clearance too. Remove the board from the holder and align the holder so that that center mounting holes are between the pencil lines that you made to mark the wooden stud. Mark these holes using your pencil. It is a good idea to also check the sides of the holder using a level. If the holder is level, the board will hang level when the installation is complete.

Remove the holder from the wall and drill small pilot holes for each mounting hole. The pilot holes should be just smaller than the screw that will occupy the hole. If any of the screws do not match up with the wooden stud, insert a wall anchor to provide extra support. Place the plastic holder back onto the wall and apply screws to each one using your Phillips screwdriver. Do not over tighten the screws!

Insert the iron and wrap the cord so that it fits underneath. Insert the board and inspect the installation from all sides. Pull on the board and make sure the holder doesn't budge.


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How to Confirm that Your Daughter is Dating a Good Guy

There are a number of things that a concerned parent can do to evaluate the character and intentions of their daughter's new boyfriend.

Plan an evening to meet your daughter's new boyfriend soon after you discover his existence. Make the event very casual and insist that the entire family is present. A nice dinner followed by an exciting board game or two will serve your purpose nicely. Whatever activity you choose, be sure it is one with lots of interaction between your family and the new guy. Note the appearance of the boyfriend when he shows up for dinner. Evaluate how he dresses and whether he shows signs of proper hygiene. Make him wait awhile before seeing your daughter to see if he grows impatient. Remember when you are talking to him, that you are dealing with someone from a different generation, so his interests may not be the same as your own. There are certain things that should transcend the generation gap, though, like good manners, good common sense, and respect for elders. Watch carefully for these things. This is his first test.

Ask plenty of questions throughout the evening and watch his body language closely. Does he seem comfortable with your daughter? Are they overly affectionate in front of the family? Watch how he interacts with everyone and whether he makes eye contact when you speak to him. These things are all important because if he does become a part of the family for an extended period of time, it will be nice to know that he is someone you can trust and who you will want to have around your family.
Keep a notebook and pen hidden in a separate room. Excuse yourself from time to time and write down your observations about the boyfriend's appearance and behavior. Also try to collect information like his name, where he lives, where he works, and how long he's lived in your area, but don't let it seem like you're interrogating him. At some point in the evening, discretely take a few "group" photos that include the new boyfriend so that you will have a permanent record of what he looks like, just in case. Tell him that you want photos to remember the evening and to post in your blog.

Use the resources available to you after he leaves to do a thorough background check. There are many websites available that you can use to search for criminal records and to find registered sex offenders. Don't assume that you can tell whether someone is decent or not by their outward appearance. Find out for sure. Have a serious discussion with your daughter about sex and about your dating rules if you have not already done so. Express to her the seriousness of the rules and be very clear of the consequences for breaking those rules.

Plan another evening with the new boyfriend out in public at a nice restaurant. Watch for signs of chivalry from the young man. Does he hold the door for your daughter and for other people? Is he polite to waiters and waitresses? Whether he ends up paying for his meal or not, does he offer? Try to spend some time alone with him, away from your daughter, and see if he tries to make conversation with you. Always be nice, but throw a few curve balls at him and see how he responds.

Keep very open communication with your daughter about her social life and be familiar with her friends, their interests, and where they like to hang out. Encourage her to always talk to you when she has a problem or when she needs advice. If you decide that her new boyfriend is not right for her, tell her your reasons, but let her make her own decisions. She may not take your advice, but if you demand that she no longer sees him, you can rest assured that you will quickly push her towards him. On the other hand, if you discover good things about the new boyfriend, tell your daughter and commend her on choosing a good guy. Whether she acknowledges it or not, she does value your opinions and by communicating both good and bad information with her without interjecting strong emotions, you encourage her to confide in you no matter what. Above all, enforce the rules established about dating with her whether you like the new boyfriend or not so that your daughter does not lose respect for your authority.



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How to Spend a Relaxing Day at the Beach by Yourself

A day at the beach with the whole family is fun, but a day at the beach by yourself is an entirely different experience.

Do some research online and find a quiet, secluded beach that is appealing to you. The best beaches to visit when you are searching for a little peace and quiet are the more natural ones without an overabundance of hotels and residential homes. Believe it or not, beaches like this do still exist and they're not that hard to find. You may have to drive a long way to get there, but it will be worth the journey. Even beaches in close proximity to you may be less populated in the off-peak season and during the week. Take plenty of supplies with you so that you are comfortable. Pack a first aid kit in case you find yourself too far from civilization to acquire medical assistance.

Explore the beach and admire the awesome beauty of nature. Take lots of pictures with your disposable camera, but leave everything else untouched so that the next person to visit the beach can enjoy its natural beauty as well. If you were brave enough to bring an expensive camera, be very careful to protect it from sand and moisture. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon are the best times to get dramatic beach photographs.

Find a secluded spot and spread your beach towel or bamboo mat. Enjoy the soft, peaceful sounds of the waves crashing and the birds chirping. Immerse yourself in that good book that you've wanted to read. Don't forget to apply sunscreen several times throughout the day. You can still be burned by the sun's ultraviolet rays on a cloudy, overcast day.

Do not swim in the ocean while you are alone. If you are pulled away from shore by a strong rip current, there will be no one to save you. Save swimming for your next visit to the crowded public beach with lifeguards. Never turn your back on the ocean!

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How to Get Through Airport Security Checkpoints Quickly

Seeing the airport security checkpoint is intimidating for those who don’t travel by air very often. Long lines and frustrated travelers make the checkpoint seem like an unfriendly place. Security screenings don’t have to be an overwhelming experience if you are prepared.

Visit the website for the airport where your flight will depart. They should have a list of regulations for passengers. These rules are subject to change, so don't assume if you've flown before that you know what to do and what not to do.

Dress appropriately. Don't wear shirts with offensive messages or outfits that are too revealing. Think comfort and simplicity. Check all of your pockets before leaving for the trip and remove all metal objects and anything that could be considered dangerous or questionable. Sandals or flip flops are great footwear for flights because they can be slipped on and off quickly and easily. Carry a backpack or duffle bag and put your loose change, keys, mobile phone, and anything metal in your bag. This will be your carry-on bag. Make sure there is nothing dangerous in the bag. Pack all liquids, toiletries, razors, etc. in the luggage that you check at the counter when you receive your boarding pass. You don't need any of those things on the plane, so why let them slow you down? If you require medication during the flight, have all of the necessary information about the medicine with you and be sure the name on the bottle is your own.

Arrive at the airport least an hour and a half before your flight boards. Be serious when passing through the security check point and pay attention to everything going on around you. There will be plenty of time for jokes and horseplay once you get to the gate. Watch the security agents for cues, respond when they talk to you, and follow all directions. If they select you for additional screening, don't get angry or ask why. It's a random procedure that is enforced in order to keep us all safe and it usually only takes an extra few minutes at most. Be polite to everyone around you and speak in a normal voice.

Have your boarding pass and ID in your hand because it will be reviewed by several security agents as you advance through the check point. Remove your sandals or flips flops and put them in a plastic bin. Place your backpack or duffle bag in a separate plastic bin. If you have a laptop computer, remove it from its carrying case and place it in a plastic bin. All of these items should be placed on the moving belt. Be sure to remove your belt if the buckle activates the metal detectors.

If you are selected for extra screening or if someone traveling with you is, then watch each other's belongings as you wait. Following these simple tips will make passing airport security check points faster and easier and it will increase the chances of you making your flight if you're in a hurry.


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How to Host a Successful Baby Shower

A close friend or family member is having a baby and you want to host a memorable baby shower for them, but you’re low on ideas. Here are some ideas to help you plan for the special day.

Decide who will be involved in hosting the shower. Organize a group of people and decide who will be in charge of keeping the shower planning on-track. The main host of the shower should be a friend and not a family member, as etiquette dictates, but family may certainly be actively involved in the entire process. Good communication is essential to success. The "lead planner" should coordinate with the expectant parents and determine the best date for the shower. Most people throw baby showers in close proximity to the due date of the baby, but don't wait too long as some babies do come early. At least one month before the due date should be fine as it allows time for the parents to evaluate the gifts they receive and determine which ones to keep and what they will still need to buy for the baby.

Keep all receipts for the money that everyone involved in hosting the party spends on the shower so that all expenses can be equally divided. Choose the cutest invitations you can find and try to decide on an overall theme for the shower. Knowing the sex of the baby in advance is helpful, but not required. Buy a bouquet of balloons and enough separate balloons to tie in strategic locations throughout the shower. Be sure to have enough balloons to tie a few to the mailbox in front of the house where the shower will be held. Request a guest list with mailing addresses from the expectant parents and mail the invitations no later than six weeks before the event. Include an RSVP as it will help you to plan the necessary food and refreshments more carefully.

Arrange several activities for the shower and have a few back-ups just in case the shower lasts longer than expected. Some fun games to play are baby trivia, unscrambling words that refer to baby terms, writing cute messages on diapers for the baby, and creating custom outfits for the baby using white onesies and fabric paint. If the shower includes both men and women, have two baby dolls and some props, like diapers, clothes, bottles, etc. and make the men try to care for the baby while the women shout instructions to them. Simulate all of the distractions that would normally happen during the day, like preparing a meal, a phone ringing, or a visitor at the door. This is almost always amusing.

Set up for the shower early in the day to allow time for someone to go pick up anything that was overlooked. The day of the shower should be fun and completely stress-free for the hosts, the expectant parents, and the guests. While the expectant parents are opening gifts, have someone write the names of the gifts as well as the gift givers on a sheet of paper. This will be a great help to the couple when it's time to write thank you notes. After the shower, each host should total the amounts that they spent and report them to the lead planner. They can determine who owes money and who gets a refund.


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How to Choose a Great Date Movie

Dating is fun and easy, but sometimes we all need a little help planning the details. How about going to see a good movie? But which movies are the best date movies?

Research the types of movies will appeal to your date. Whether you are a girl or a guy, you should be able to tell which subjects would be of interest your companion. If you're not sure, ask them. You don't want to buy tickets to see a horror movie and then find out that they are terrified by them and have a horrible time.

Don't take your date to see a romantic movie, whether it's funny or not, if this is a first date and you're unsure whether you will want to have subsequent dates. That may give them the wrong idea. Action movies or comedies are usually pretty safe. There's nothing wrong with going as a group to see a movie. If nobody is available to go with you and you want to be sure there are plenty of people around, choose the most popular movie that you can, go see it on a weekend night, and be sure to be a few minutes late. Usually the back row of the theater is taken by the time the movie previews begin and you will be forced to sit closer to the front.

If you want to have a romantic and exciting movie date, choose a film that is not very popular and one that has been in the theaters for several weeks. Plan your date night during the week, choose the latest show time, and get to the theater early. This will almost guarantee you seats in the coveted back row of the theater. If the movie is unpopular enough, you may discover that you are the only ones in the theater. Have fun, but stay alert and watch out for the ushers who often check the theater at some point during the movie. They usually carry flashlights.


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How to Prepare Your Home for Overnight Visitors

Your home is your comfort zone; a place where you can unwind at the end of a long day, but is your home ready to accept overnight visitors? Follow these easy steps and be prepared for them.

Perform a thorough cleaning of the entire house. Vacuum every inch of carpet and rugs and sweep and mop all the other floor coverings. Use disinfectant to clean all counter tops and bathrooms. Change the air filter in the hallway return. Make sure each room of the house is as clean as it can possibly be. Adjust the thermostat temperature to the most comfortable setting for the current season. If you have pets, find out whether your guest has any pet allergies so that you'll know whether or not to keep them separated.

Wash and fold your best towels and leave enough stacked in the bathroom for each day that your visitor will be there. Prepare a basket with soap, shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste, and shaving supplies, in case they forget a few things. Buy plenty of snacks and drinks and have them chilled well in advance. Rent a few movies as back-up entertainment and leave them near the television. If your visitor has given you any special gifts in the past, find them, dust them off, and leave them out on display to show how much you appreciate the gift.

Create a guest account on your computer and be sure to leave the computer logged into that account so that your visitor may check their email and use the Internet without having access to your personal files and information. It is a good idea to create a restore point on computers running Windows operating system and back up any important files to external storage devices. Lock all filing cabinets and search the house for documents like bank statements or personal mail and put all of it away. Now is a good time to shred any old documents that you no longer need.

When your guest arrives, give them a short tour of the house and show them to their room. Keep the house quiet and give them plenty of time to unpack and relax. Offer them refreshments and tell them where to find you when they are ready. If you will be eating out, prepare a list of restaurants in advance and allow your guest to choose their favorite type of food. Enjoy your time together without worrying about the condition of your home and without the stress of making last-minute decisions.


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How to Start a Blog for Your Baby

As a new parent, it’s not always easy to find time to record a baby’s early life in their baby book. Create a blog for your baby to help you to complete the missing information in their baby book later and give them an interactive window into their early childhood as an adult.

Choose a blogging website and sign up for a free membership. There are many blogs to choose from. Find a blog that is easy to use and one with enough features to suite your tastes. Consider making the blog private and only sharing it with your spouse. Keep the whole project a secret from your child until they are much older. It will be a sweet and unexpected surprise for your son or daughter to receive access to so much information about their childhood. Verify that you are able to download backups of the blog to your computer and do so frequently.

Take lots of digital photographs of your baby. A mobile phone with a built-in camera is extremely handy for this. Remember that pictures taken with a camera phone will typically be low resolution and perfect for displaying on the blog, but will not make good printed photographs. If you wish to print many of the pictures that you take of your baby, buy a decent digital camera and keep it close by at all times. If you take mostly high resolution photos of your baby, use a photo editing program to make lower resolution copies to post to the blog because they will take up far less space and load faster in your web browser.

Post interesting and detailed blog entries every day. Write as though you are speaking to your child directly. Don't write, "Ate applesauce for the first time today." Make the post interesting and discuss things that were happening, not just with your child, but also with family members and friends whom they will be able to relate to later in life. Don't share any negative or personal feelings about anyone and don't talk about your problems or worries. Keep the experience positive and upbeat. You can also add brief clips of current events, but remember not to just link to other web sites. Most websites change constantly, so you'll want to make snapshots of pages or find files that you can save on the blog or link to. PDF files are a great format to use for capturing pictures and text in a single document because they display the same way, no matter which browser you use to view the file.

Upload short, compressed video files or sound clips to the blog. This will require additional equipment, like a digital video camera and the appropriate editing software, but the results are well-worth the investment. Your child will one day have the ability to watch their first steps or hear their first words by simply logging into the blog, which will be far more interactive than their baby book could ever be.


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How to Build a Kid Friendly Computer

Do you worry about your children using your computer? What trouble can they get into on the Internet? What harm could they do to your important data? Why not build them a computer of their own?

Build your children a computer using some inexpensive parts that you buy online or recycle an older computer. The child's computer doesn't have to be very powerful or loaded with memory. Just build something functional that they can call their own. If the hard drive is used, format it in order to wipe it completely clean. Install an operating system that you are familiar with. For this example, we will use Windows XP. Once the operating system is installed, remove all applications that your child doesn't need. This should free up quite a bit of space and remove a lot of distracting icons. Install some fun children's learning games and create shortcuts for them on the desktop.

Customize the computer to match your child's tastes. Apply cool stickers to the computer case or even paint it a wild color. Adjust the screen resolution so that the text and icons are larger and easy to see. Change the background on the desktop to a colorful splash with some familiar cartoon characters that your children will recognize. Once you have everything set the way you like it, create a store point using System Restore. This is found by clicking the "START" button and going to All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore. Chose the option for creating a restore point and name the restore point description something easy to identify, like the current date. Now, if your child changes a critical setting by accident, you can restore the computer to perfect working order.

Take control of your child's online experience. Buy a router and configure it with policies that restrict the times that they can access the Internet. For even more control, purchase Internet monitoring software that will block websites based on your criteria. Use Windows Remote Assistance software or one of many available remote access programs to monitor your children's activities if they are located in another room or if their monitor isn't visible to you. You can also configure your router to save a log file of the pages they visit that they cannot delete unless they have access to the router.

Password-protect your own computer and leave it logged off when you are away from it to encourage your children to use their own computer. Check the permissions on your computer and turn off sharing to the root of your hard drive. You will not have to worry about them accidentally deleting your files or infecting your computer with any malicious viruses. Let them have all the fun they want with their computer and if they mess it up, just reformat it and start all over.


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How to Shop for Less Money at the Grocery Store

Don’t pay more money than you should for food and necessary household products when you shop at the grocery store. Use these helpful tips to save some money.

Prepare for your trip to the grocery store by evaluating exactly which foods and household products you need to buy well in advance of visiting the grocery store. Carefully planning the meals that you will prepare for your family is a very important first step to saving money. Make a detailed list of all required items, but do not list them by popular brand names. Use phrases like "laundry detergent, steel wool pads, and toilet paper." It is convenient to pick up brand name items at the store when you see them on your list and then look up and identify that same name on the shelf. This is known as brand recognition and it does not happen by accident. Only choose brand names if you are able to find a discount coupon for the product that makes the price comparable to generic or store-branded items. This also applies to recipes. Just because a recipe calls for a certain type of ingredient, there is most likely a cheaper alternative that will produce the same taste and the same results.

Do not go to the store on an empty stomach. If you shop while you are hungry, you will be tempted to buy unnecessary food items that you would not ordinarily want. Visit the store in the evening after you've eaten supper and after the crowds have dispersed. Anxiety over being surrounded by too many other shoppers or knowing that you have to hurry home to prepare a meal will impair your ability to choose the best items for your money. You need plenty of time to stand still and calculate price versus quantity of each item before you commit to placing it in your cart. If you have trouble performing mathematical calculations in your head, be sure to take a small calculator with you. When you place the item in your cart, check the item off your list, but also write down the current price. This information will be useful for your next visit to the store.

Choose the store where you will shop carefully. Don't shop somewhere just because it is convenient to do so or because you know other people who shop there. Compare prices on as many items as you can and look for weekly specials. If you have a membership to a store that sells items in bulk, evaluate whether the savings that you get from buying the larger quantity makes it worth buying that much. If you know other people who use the same items, offer to split bulk items into smaller parts and each person chips in their portion of the price.

Shop alone if possible. Having children or other people with you is distracting. When shopping with friends, they often want to tell you which products are best and they will encourage you to buy things that you would usually avoid. The exception to this is if you associate with individuals who shop aggressively for bargains. These people are your allies. Watch them closely and learn from their habits.

Sign up for one of the store's "preferred shopper" cards. These cards allow you access to discounts that are not available otherwise. Most stores will post specials for card holders on each aisle beside the products. If you do not have your card, many stores can search for your member number by referencing other information, like your telephone number. If they cannot, ask the person in line behind you if they mind you using their card. Most decent people have no problem with this.


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How to Enhance Your Freelance Articles Using Google Documents

As a freelance author writing articles for eHow, it is important to constantly improve your writing skills with each new project so that your work stays fresh and relevant. Use Google Documents as a tool to help you enhance your articles in several important ways.

Sign up for a Google account if you do not already have one. Google offers a valuable collection of free products that may be used to enhance your experience on the Internet in several crucial ways. One tool specifically, Google Documents, is a handy resource for eHow article writers. Create an account with Google Documents. Once your account has been set up, you may access Google Documents by visiting the main Google website and signing in. To the upper left of the Google logo, you will see several links and the word "more" with an arrow pointing down. Click "more" and then select "Documents" to access your Google Documents account.

Create a new document with the title, "Article Ideas" or something similar. As you think of new ideas for articles, type the proposed title into that document, one title per line, and save it. When you have time to write the article in its entirety, you can use the list that you compiled to remind yourself about your earlier ideas. When the article is published, remove the title from the list. Spend some time brainstorming ideas for a rainy day when you may have more time to write than you do creative topics. Set a goal to have at least one hundred article ideas on that list.

Create a second document with the title, "Article Categories." This document will contain the title and URL of each article that you write for eHow. Copy and paste the article title first, and then on the next line, paste the URL. Leave a blank line between articles so that they may be easily distinguished from one another. Once you have all of the titles and links entered into the document, arrange them into categories and type the category title in bold above each section. Some examples are "Family, Automotive. Financial, Technology, etc." This list will be valuable when it's time to add resources to your articles. If you write a new article about an automotive topic, paste that title and URL at the end of the existing titles for that category and then choose at least three relevant titles and links to add to the "Resources" section of your article. If you use a web browser like Google Chrome which utilizes tabs, it is very easy to switch back and forth between your Google Documents account and the eHow website.

Maintain copies of all of your articles by pasting them individually into Google Documents. This will provide you peace-of-mind in knowing that you have a backup copy of each article stored safely online where you can access it at any time. Create a folder in Google Documents called "My Articles" and move them into it. You could also create sub folders based on the articles categories. By grouping your articles into categories, you can see which topics you write about most frequently. This will help you to determine your strengths and also show you areas where you may want to produce more content in order to achieve maximum exposure. Only do this, however, if you're knowledgeable in those areas and you have something important to share.

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