MTips

How to Estimate the Age of a Mink Coat
By Sara Ipatenco
How to Estimate the Age of a Mink Coatthumbnail Mink coats come in many styles.

Mink are small animals prized for their pelts that are used to make coats. If you have a coat that is made from mink, it can be quite valuable. Mink coats are often prized possessions and often are passed down from generation to generation. While the condition of your coat can affect its value, appearance alone will usually not help you determine the age of your coat. There are many ways to find out the age of your mink coat, however, and with the proper care and treatment, your coat might last your lifetime no matter how old it is.
Topic To Estimate the Age of a Mink Coat:

• Fur Accessories
• Coat Mink

To Estimate the Age of a Mink Coat Difficulty:

• Easy

To Estimate the Age of a Mink Coat You’ll Need:

• None

To Estimate the Age of a Mink Coat Instructions:

• Examine the Label – The label on a mink coat reveals the manufacturer and the country of origin, and can provide you information about the age of the coat and the type of mink used to make the coat. You can start your search by looking for the date the coat was made. Certain mink coat manufacturers print or sew the year the coat was made on the label, but not all manufacturers include the detail. Some manufacturers include a serial number on their labels, which is another piece of information that can help you find out the year your mink coat was made. If the year or serial number is not included on the label and the manufacturer still exists, call the company and see if it can provide more detail about your coat. Otherwise, a fur expert or fur dealer might be able to help you place the age of your coat.
• Visit a Fur Dealer – A fur dealer or fur specialist might reveal clues that help narrow down the age of a coat. Because United States law requires these experts to examine the fur in person rather than by photograph, you need to bring your coat to the dealer. He will examine the coat to find out if anything can be determined about the age based on the manufacturer. Fur experts might also use information, such as the inclusion of leather in the construction of the coat, type of buttons, embroidery or stitching details, to estimate how old the coat is. The phone book, an online search or a store that sells mink coats, can help you find a fur dealer in your area.
• Use the Internet – Many online retail stores that sell used items might be able to help you estimate the age of your mink coat. Look for coats from the same manufacturer or that look similar to your coat, then examine the details to see if you can find any additional information about your coat. An online website dedicated to mink coats and their manufacture might also have additional information about your coat. The Fur Information Council of America and the International Fur Trade Federation each have several resources that you might check for additional information about your mink coat. Fur Commission USA is a website dedicated to mink farmers, and might provide additional information about the type of mink coat you have.
• Research the Market – The color, style or make of your mink coat can be useful information about the age of your coat. For example, the shape of the collar on a mink coat can change from year to year, as can the stitching detail or style of buttons and other types of closures. The color might also provide details to help you estimate the age. Certain colors are often trendy for two or three years before another color becomes more popular. The International Fur Trade Federation provides information about mink coat trends by year, and includes pictures. Browse through the pictures to see if you can find a coat similar to the mink coat you have. You might be able to estimate the age of your mink coat from there.

How to Get Rid of Ice Without Shoveling
By Diane Perez
How to Get Rid of Ice Without Shovelingthumbnail Enjoy more free time by getting rid of ice without your shovel.

Slipping and sliding down the driveway is a fun activity for kids on a sled, but not for people trying to go to work or the store. Ice is difficult to shovel, as you first need to stab it with an ice pick several times to break it into manageable pieces. You can avoid this strenuous work and get rid of ice without shoveling.
Topic To Get Rid of Ice Without Shoveling:

• Ice Dams
• Roof Ice Damage

To Get Rid of Ice Without Shoveling Difficulty:

• Easy

To Get Rid of Ice Without Shoveling You’ll Need:

• None

To Get Rid of Ice Without Shoveling Instructions:

• Fireplace Ashes – Fireplace ashes absorb sunlight to melt ice faster than sunlight alone. Once the ice has melted, sweep the soot into your garden to repel slugs in the spring. You can also add it to the compost pile or directly into the tomato patch. The ashes do not damage concrete driveways or sidewalks.
• Calcium Magnesium Acetate – Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) is another environmentally friendly choice to melt ice. It does not contain the salt that damages plants and soil. Mix CMA with an equal amount of sand to increase traction while walking on the ice.
• Magnesium Chloride – Magnesium chloride melts ice quickly and does not damage older concrete surfaces. Do not use it on driveways less than 1 year old as it might damage new concrete that has not fully cured. It can cause moderate damage to grassy areas, such as yellow patches where the mixture runs off the driveway. Magnesium chloride is not safe for brick or stone walkways.
• Radiant Heat System – Radiant heat is an expensive, but completely labor-free, solution to get rid of ice without shoveling. You can use rolls of cable for sculpted or rounded areas and existing driveways, or radiant heat mats for newly constructed driveways and sidewalks. Some radiant heat systems have a snow sensor for automatic activation. You do not have to worry about chemical runoff into expensive or sensitive garden plants.
• Heavy Plastic – Avoid slipping and falling as you leave the house by covering the step with heavy black plastic. If you cannot find a large enough plastic sheet, then buy the large, thick bags used in the construction industry. Cut it large enough that you can anchor the ends with a flowerpot on each side of the step. This will give you a good grip on one side to lift and flip the plastic to the other side of the step. This method only works in small areas due to the weight of ice.

How to Make a Sterile Irrigation Solution
By Meg Butler
How to Make a Sterile Irrigation Solutionthumbnail Flush out a wound before wrapping it.

Sterile irrigation solutions are used to flush out wounds and prevent infection. These simple solutions use the natural desiccating power of salt and a flush of sterile water to clean without irritation. Basic first aid knowledge should include knowing how to make your own sterile irrigation solution at home. The process is straightforward. But to make a usable solution, you must take care to keep the solution sterile until it is ready for use.
Topic To Make a Sterile Irrigation Solution:

• Cleaning Solution
• Heat Solution

To Make a Sterile Irrigation Solution Difficulty:

• Easy

To Make a Sterile Irrigation Solution You’ll Need:

• Filtered water
• Pot with lid
• Non-iodized salt
• Sterilized teaspoon
• Sterilized spoon
• Sterilized container and lid

To Make a Sterile Irrigation Solution Instructions:

• Fill a pan with enough filtered water to flush the wound.
• Turn up the heat to bring the water to a steady, slow, rolling boil.
• Put a lid on the pan and leave it to boil for five minutes.
• Turn the heat off.
• Remove the pot’s lid. Add 1 level teaspoon of non-iodized salt for every 2 cups of sterile water. Stir until the salt dissolves. Replace the lid.
• Leave the water in the pot to cool down to room temperature. Leave it on the stove or place the lidded pot in the refrigerator or freezer to accelerate cool-down time. Do not place ice in the water to cool it down. The ice is unlikely to be sterile.
• Use the sterile irrigation solution immediately or store it in a sterile container. Write the date on the container. Store the unopened container in the refrigerator for no more than three days. After three days you must make a new solution and re-sterilize the container.

• Put an item through a full dish-washing cycle or boil it for 10 minutes to sterilize it.
• Throw out any sterile irrigation solution that has been open for longer than 24 hours.
• Acceptable filtered water is filtered through a carbon filter or reverse osmosis machine with a 0.2 micron filter. Bottled water labeled “filtered” is also acceptable.

• Keep germs out of the sterile water and sterile saline.
• Do not dip anything, even a syringe, into the container.
• Instead, pour some into a clean paper cup and put the syringe into the saline in the cup.

How to Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding
By Jessica Bruso
Adding Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleedingthumbnail Dark jeans are more likely to bleed.

When you purchase jeans in a dark wash, the dye sometimes bleeds. This can be a problem, leaving you with faded jeans and staining other clothes in the wash. Some people recommend adding salt to your wash to minimize this problem, but it does not always work.
Topic To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding:

• Laundry Washing
• Wash Clothing

To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding Difficulty:

• Moderate

To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding You’ll Need:

• None

To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding Instructions:

• Salt and Dye Bleeding – The purpose of adding salt to the wash with brightly colored or dark clothing is to make the dye less soluble. This may help keep the dye from bleeding a lot. However, salt is only potentially useful when washing clothing made from natural fabrics, such as denim and cotton, and has no effect when washing synthetic materials, such as Lycra or polyester. Most jeans are made of either natural fabrics or a combination of natural and synthetic materials.
• How to Use Salt in Wash – While the water is filling the washing machine, you can add 1 tablespoon of salt to the machine for each brightly colored item in the wash load. Do this each time you wash the jeans, because salt doesn’t permanently affect the colorfastness of dyes in jeans.
• Other Steps to Minimize Bleeding – Adding vinegar to your wash may also help make your jeans less likely to bleed, as can washing them inside out in cold water on the gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Washing your jeans by hand is even better for preserving the color of your jeans and keeping them from fading.
• Considerations – Many more expensive brands of jeans recommend you limit the number of times you wash them to help them keep their color and shape. This means not washing your jeans every time you wear them. Spot treat any stains, or hang the jeans near the shower to steam clean between washes to minimize stains and odors.

How to Braid Fishbone & Lace Plaits
By Alice Godfrey
Braiding hair does not require special skills, but it does take practice and the ability to follow a set of procedures in a straightforward manner. You can braid fishbone and lace plaits in a person’s hair by tackling each as a separate project. You’ll need some household supplies as well as some common tools found around the home.
Topic To Braid Fishbone & Lace Plaits:

• Hair Thinning
• Fine Hair

To Braid Fishbone & Lace Plaits:

• Moderate

To Braid Fishbone & Lace Plaits You’ll Need:

• Hair clip
• Wire hair comb
• Hair clippers

To Braid Fishbone & Lace Plaits Instructions:
Braiding Fishbone

• Have the person sit on a chair. Stand behind the chair so you see the back of the person’s head.
• Grasp a section of hair near the nape of the neck. Separate the hair being held into two strands. Grasp a section of hair on the right side of the head. Run the hair over to the strand at the left and combine them together.
• Grasp the two combined strands of hair with your right hand, and grasp a section of hair from the left side of the head. Run the hair over to the strand still being held in your left hand and combine them together. Hold these two strands of hair in your left hand. Repeat the procedure of combining hair from the right and from the left sides of the head until there is no more hair to grasp.
• Grasp both the left and right combined strands of hair in your left hand. Run the index finger on your right hand up through the right combined strand from the side closest to the neck.
• Pull a section of the hair from the strand. Combine this section of hair with the combined strand in your left hand. Repeat this procedure, only starting with the combined strand in your left hand. Alternate between the two combined strands until there is no more hair to braid. Place a hair clip at the end of the combined strands that are now in a fishbone pattern.

Braiding Lace Plaits

• Have the person sit on a chair with her back facing you. Part the person’s hair from just in front of the crown up to the tip of the ear. Clip the back of the hair to separate it from the front.
• Fluff the hair on the top of the head. Grasp a section of hair by its end and separate into three strands. Braid the left and the right strands over the middle strand.
• Hold the braided strands in your left hand. Insert a finger into the braid on both sides of the center strand to create some slack.
• Grasp another section of hair at the front of the head by its end. Braid the hair over the strand closest to your pinky finger and around the strand next to it. Braid the hair around the strand at the middle and release it.
• Braid the strand closest to your thumb over the middle strand. Grasp a section of the hair on the side closest to your thumb. Braid the hair over the strand closest to your thumb and around the middle strand. Continue this procedure until there is no more hair to braid.

How to Grow Taller With Release Growth Hormones
By Lucy Natek
How to Grow Taller With Release Growth Hormonesthumbnail Human growth hormone treatment is the most successful with children.

The human growth hormone has been used for treating growth deficiency for more than 50 years and today is also used to prevent AIDS patients from losing muscle mass as the disease progresses. Bodybuilders and athletes use the hormone to increase their performance and it has been advertised as an anti-aging hormone, although these effects have not been scientifically confirmed. In the past, the hormone was produced from human brain tissue, but today scientists can create it synthetically.

Topic To Grow Taller With Release Growth Hormones:

• Grow Eyebrows
• Grow Eyelashes

To Grow Taller With Release Growth Hormones:

• Moderately Challenging

To Grow Taller With Release Growth Hormones You’ll Need:

• None

To Grow Taller With Release Growth Hormones Instructions:

• Consider your age. The growth hormone treatment has successful results only while the growth glands in the body are open. These glands usually close around the age of 15, although this differs from person to person. However, growth hormone treatment is usually only practiced on children, as best results are achieved on the very young.
• Go for the injections. This is the most common way of receiving growth hormone treatment. The injections are taken daily or several times in a week. Depending on the doctor’s instructions, you may be required to go to the hospital for treatments, or you are shown how to inject yourself.
• Watch out for false advertisements for pills and sprays that claim to contain the human growth hormone. This is not possible. The human growth hormone can only be administered into the body by injection, as the molecules of the hormone are too big to insert in any other way.
• Try the homeopathic approach. Scientists believe that there are specific herbs and plants that encourage the glands to produce more human growth hormones and help people grow taller. The HGH for Height website lists the royal jelly, bee pollen, bee propolis and alfalfa plants as natural agents that affect growth.

• Consult your personal physician about all the possible side effects of using growth hormones. People can react differently to hormone treatment. Only after testing will your doctor be able to tell you about all the possible consequences of this type of treatment.
• Use of the growth hormone has been linked to the Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, a serious affliction that causes brain deterioration.

How to Elevate Serotonin Naturally
By Kaitlin Meilert
How to Elevate Serotonin Naturallythumbnail Keep your serotonin levels elevated to avoid the blues.

If you suffer from depression, insomnia or anxiety, you may have low levels of serotonin — a neurotransmitter in the brain that influences mood, sleep patterns and appetite. A normal to high balance of serotonin promotes a good mood, healthy appetite, relaxation and a good night’s sleep; while low levels result in the opposite. While certain medications, such as Prozac, can increase serotonin levels and may be recommended for severe cases of depression, you can naturally elevate serotonin levels and give your mood a boost with a few changes and additions to your lifestyle and diet.

Topic To Elevate Serotonin Naturally:

• Dopamin Serotonin
• Natural Memory Boost

To Elevate Serotonin Naturally:

• Moderately Easy

To Elevate Serotonin Naturally You’ll Need:

• Tryptophan
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• B vitamins
• Healthy fats

To Elevate Serotonin Naturally Instructions:

• Exercise regularly, performing a good balance of moderate cardiovascular activity and strength training — for 30 to 60 minutes — three to five days a week. A natural anti-depressant, exercise significantly increases levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, such as endorphins and dopamine, that influence mood.
• Get at least seven hours of sleep each night, as little or no sleep reduces the serotonin production that occurs during sleep. To make sure you get quality sleep, avoid exercise and stimulants, such as caffeine, a few hours before bedtime and turn off the TV and computer and dim the lights one hour before bedtime.
• Eat foods that are high in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin. You can only get tryptophan from your diet, as your body does not produce it naturally. Foods containing tryptophan include red meat, chicken, turkey, tofu, eggs, tuna and other fish — nuts, seeds, peanut butter, soybeans and soy products — as well as bananas and cheese, milk and other dairy products.
• Take vitamin B supplements and eat foods rich in vitamin B, such as whole grains, green vegetables and dairy products. B vitamins not only provide energy, but elevate serotonin levels. Vitamin B6 in particular, is essential for tryptophan’s ability to increase serotonin.
• Take calcium and magnesium supplements or include more calcium- and magnesium-rich foods in your diet, such as dairy products and nuts. Both calcium and magnesium help your body produce serotonin; while magnesium increases energy levels.
• Add essential fatty acids, or healthy fats to your diet. Healthy fats are essential for effective brain functioning, in addition to hormone and neurotransmitter production. Good sources of healthy fats include butter, avocados, nuts and seeds and flax seed, olive and coconut oils.
• Avoid or limit your intake of stimulants and other chemicals, such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol and artificial sweeteners — and avoid smoking. Stimulants may provide a quick mood boost, but the temporary effect can result in unbalanced serotonin levels with frequent stimulant consumption.
• Head outside to soak up the sun, for at least 30 minutes a day. Sunlight stimulates serotonin production and increases energy levels, by decreasing your body’s production of sleep-inducing melatonin, a nighttime version of serotonin.

How to Increase Natural Serotonin
By Kiran Gaunle
How to Increase Natural Serotoninthumbnail Serotonin makes you feel content.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for that “satisfied” feeling one gets — such as after a hearty meal. Like endorphins and dopamine, it is a feel-good neurotransmitter and a major determiner of mood and emotion. It helps you relax and fall asleep. Low levels of serotonin is known to cause depression and suicidal tendencies, in addition to other disorders like insomnia, eating disorders and anxiety attacks. Most anti-depressants prescribed by doctors, such as Prozac, contain chemicals to prevent depletion of serotonin in the body. There are, however, natural ways to increase serotonin, although their effectiveness is still being tested.

Topic To Increase Natural Serotonin:

• Dopamine Brain
• Dopamin Serotonin

To Increase Natural Serotonin:

• Easy

To Increase Natural Serotonin You’ll Need:

• None

To Increase Natural Serotonin Instructions:

• Stay outdoors as much as possible, since lack of sufficient exposure to sunlight reduces the level of natural serotonin in the body. Our ancestors worked outside in daylight most of the time in hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies, until the industrial revolution.
• Visit a light cafe and soak-in some bright light. They’re common in places that receive little sunshine in the winter, such as the Scandinavian countries.
• Exercise for at least 15 to 20 a minutes a day. Vigorous physical activity releases natural endorphins and serotonin, two important feel-good neurotransmitters.
• Drink a glass of milk before going to sleep. Natural serotonin is formed from tryptophan, a compound found in milk and other dairy products.
• Eat candy, sweets and carbohydrates to temporarily boost serotonin level. Remember that a carbohydrate-induced spike in serotonin level lasts no more than two hours, and that excess carbohydrate may lead to side effects such as weight gain. Note also, that according one of the leading serotonin researchers in the U.S., Dr. John Mann of Columbia University, it is not proven scientifically that dietary changes lead to a sustained increase in natural serotonin levels.
• Consult a doctor for medical advice, if you think low serotonin levels are making you feel depressed. Depression is a medical condition and neurotransmitters are complex chemicals, trying to manipulate them on your own can lead to more harm than good.

• Do not rely on a diet to boost serotonin level, it is not a substitute for exercise.

How to Treat GHD
By Ashley Gray
How to Treat GHDthumbnail GHD is a condition in which the body does not create sufficient growth hormone.

Growth Hormone Deficiency, GHD, is a condition in which the body does not create sufficient growth hormone for the normal human growth process. The deficiency is typically present at birth, but may begin in early childhood. In rare cases, it is acquired in adulthood. Treatment consists of growth hormone injections administered on a set schedule, and it is generally given over the course of a few years.

Topic To Treat GHD:

• Treat Bags
• Growth Hormone

To Treat GHD Difficulty:

• Moderately Challenging

To Treat GHD You’ll Need:

• None

To Treat GHD Instructions:

• Visit a specialist who can make a formal diagnosis of GHD before proceeding with treatment, since the series of injections is an invasive and expensive process. These injections are not intended to treat mere short stature. Growth hormone therapy is approved for non-GHD children who are well under average height — only when they are among the shortest 1.2 percent of children.
• Discuss the treatment plan with the prescribing physician and with the patient. In most cases, the person receiving growth hormone therapy is a child, and special consideration should be given to their emotional well-being during the treatment process. According to the Human Growth Foundation, children receive injections from several days per week up to once a day until the child achieves an acceptable adult height or maximum growth potential is reached. Adults will typically require daily hormone treatment for a longer period of time, although improvement of symptoms can be evident after just one injection.
• Know what to expect when it comes to treatment success and efficacy. The patient and/or guardian should be clear on realistic short-term and long-term expectations; just as normal growth does not happen overnight, it takes a few months for increased growth rate to be visible after starting the hormone therapy. The ability to reach normal height is also related to how early the treatment is started in growth-deficient children, and growth hormone injections are not effective in all patients with GHD.
• Follow up with the prescribing physician on a regular basis. The Hormone Foundation says, “Follow-up is important to assure compliance with daily injections, to detect and manage possible side effects, monitor growth process, and to adjust dosage periodically.”

• Side effects like joint pain and fluid retention are prevalent in adults, and hormone therapy can cause adverse changes in mood and cognitive abilities.
• Side effects in children are less common, but increased intra-cranial pressure and hip disorders are the most severe.
• Diabetics taking growth hormone should be vigilant of their blood sugar levels, as it has been known to cause glucose fluctuations.

The Effects of Workplace Conditions
By Jagg Xaxx
All workers want to believe that they work in a safe and non-toxic environment, but unfortunately this isn’t the case. Many workplaces, particularly those involved in manufacturing, present multiple hazards to workers. Workplace conditions have definite short- and long-term effects on both workers and the quality of their work.
Topic To The Effects of Workplace Conditions:

• Grout Cleaning
• Makeup Tips

The Effects of Workplace Conditions Difficulty:

• Moderately Easy

The Effects of Workplace Conditions You’ll Need:

• None

The Effects of Workplace Conditions Instructions:

• Health – Workplace conditions can have a major impact on the health of people who spend many hours every week in the workplace. People who work with hazardous materials can have their health adversely affected through immediate injury or through disease brought on through long term-exposure. People who work in less evidently toxic environments, such as office workers who are exposed to everything from unhealthy lighting to stressful interpersonal relations, can also have their health adversely affected by workplace conditions. In the most severe cases, thousands of workers lose their lives every year in the workplace.
• Morale – Conditions ranging from unhealthy substances to poor management can affect workers’ morale. The ability of individuals to simply do their work unaffected by their surroundings varies widely, but most people are susceptible to some extent to the conditions around them. Healthy, supportive and pleasant workplaces tend to build positive morale as workers feel appreciated and valued, while workplaces plagued with negativity can cause workers to feel as though they are wasting their time, leading to low levels of morale.
• Productivity – Workplace conditions have a major impact on productivity, for reasons ranging from the mental state of workers to the basic efficiency of the physical plant. Conditions such as lighting, traffic flow, traffic access and the condition of equipment all have practical effects on productivity. If poor quality in these areas is combined with low morale, productivity can suffer, which can cut into profits and cause problems to worsen, creating a vicious cycle of decline.
• Turnover – Many workers, when confronted with less-than-ideal conditions, will attempt to better their lot by leaving the workplace and seeking employment elsewhere. Superior workplace conditions will convince workers to stay, while unsafe, unpleasant or stressful conditions will cause more workers to leave. Turnover is a major expense for employers, who must pay for the search and training required to replace departed workers. It is in the financial interest of employers as well as employees to foster positive workplaces that minimize turnover.