MTips

How to Make Mustache Hairs Thinner
By Christopher John
You can style the hairs of your mustache to give it the appearance you want. This is important because certain styles go better with thinner mustaches instead of thicker ones. How thick your mustache grows depends on genetics, but you can trim the hairs in such a way as to make your mustache thinner.

To Make Mustache Hairs Thinner You’ll Need:

• Rag
• Mustache comb
• Electric mustache trimmer
• Trimmer guards

To Make Mustache Hairs Thinner Instructions:

• Moisten a rag with hot water, and wet the mustache with it. Use a small mustache comb to comb through the mustache hairs in the direction the hairs grow. This reveals any hairs that are longer than others.
• Trim the bottom edge of the mustache, shortening and aligning the hairs with an electric mustache trimmer. Make sure you remove the hairs that cross the top of the upper lip. Trim the mustache’s top edge, also.
• Install a shallow guard on the mustache trimmer blade.
• Trim the mustache hairs by holding the trimmer with the blade facing down. Trim from the top down, using short strokes. Start in the middle and work out toward the corners.
• Install a shallower guard on the trimmer if the mustache is not thin enough. Use the same short strokes, working from the top down.
• Hold the trimmer with the blade facing up, if you want to taper the mustache. Use short upward strokes from the bottom up, and work from the middle out to the corners.
• Remove the guard and trim the bottom edge of the mustache with the trimmer blade, if necessary.

How to Make Boots Fade
By Donna Tinus
How to Make Boots Fadethumbnail You can make shiny leather boots appear faded.

New leather boots are durable and flexible. When you purchase them, they are usually shiny and bright. Often people would prefer the worn look of faded leather boots. Wearing your boots frequently will help them to fade, but you may not want to wait that long. You can use some techniques to distress your new leather boots to give them a rugged look and help them feel softer and more comfortable.

To Make Boots Fade You’ll Need:

• Wire brush
• Extra-fine sandpaper
• Alcohol
• Toothbrush
• Clothes dryer

To Make Boots Fade Instructions:

• Rub a wire brush across the boots. Rub gently so as not to rip the leather but just distress it.
• Rub extra-fine sandpaper up and down the leather boots to create a worn look. Rub back and forth and around in circles to make the wear appear more even. Rub more around the toe and heels to make them look naturally worn.
• Soak a toothbrush in rubbing alcohol and brush it against the boots. This will fade the leather. Do not saturate the boots, but allow them to become slightly damp.
• Place the boots in a clothes dryer and tumble on a cool setting for five minutes. This will soften the leather.

How to Make a Drop Leg Sheath Strap
By Eric Cedric
Drop leg knifes are those knives that are strapped to the side of the leg, most frequently for tactical or combat purposes. A drop leg sheath allows the knife to be strapped to the leg and waist, keeping it within reach should circumstances dictate its use. Getting it to stay secure on the leg requires an added strap that goes around the thigh. You can quickly fashion such a strap with nylon webbing and a slider buckle, all found at most climbing stores or outdoor outfitters. No sewing is required.

To Make a Drop Leg Sheath Strap You’ll Need:

• 30 inches of 1.5 inch nylon webbing
• Slider buckle
• Cutter
• Lighter

To Make a Drop Leg Sheath Strap Instructions:

• Attach the sheath to your waist belt and place the knife into the sheath. Strap it to your leg.
• Thread the 1.5 inch nylon webbing through the two bottom loops off the sheath and wrap it around your lower thigh. Mark where the strap ends connect.
• Add a slider buckle to one end of the strap and thread the opposite end through the sliders. Pull the strap so it is snug, but not tight. Do not over-tighten and cut off circulation.
• Cut off any excess strap. As a rule, keep no more than three extra inches on the strap. This extra allows adjusting in the field should you be wearing more than one layer (such as pants along with long underwear). Melt the cut end of the nylon webbing with a lighter flame to prevent frays.

Oscillating Techniques for Isometric Stabilization
By John Shields
Oscillating Techniques for Isometric Stabilizationthumbnail You can strengthen your joints.

The oscillating technique for isometric stabilization is an exercise technique. It is a way of strengthening and stabilizing joints in humans. It also helps with the improvement of endurance and proprioception. It is used both in post-rehabilitation programs and home daily home exercise programs. This technique involves the use of a round device that oscillates back and forth with the help of weights.

Oscillating Techniques for Isometric Stabilization Instructions:

• Device – The device used to perform oscillating exercises for isometric stabilization is a round plyometric tube with a handle spanning the diameter of the circle. Inside the tube are some weighted steel bearings that revolve through the tube around the center of the circle via controlled planar movements. The frequency at which the weights oscillate depends on the amount of strength used by the person performing the exercise.
• Approach – The oscillating technique for isometric stabilization is performed through a course of progressive dynamic and static exercises. The approach is particularly useful for patients with acutely dysfunctional joints. This is because the device allows for the effective stimulation of joints using a minimum amount of qualitative movement without putting tissue homeostasis at risk.
• Excercises – Particular exercise techniques associated with the oscillating technique for isometric stabilization include slowly moving joints into particular positions, performing repetitive movement patterns with varying degrees of strength and integrating therapeutic modalities such as Swiss balls. One particular exercise involves the user lying down on a mat with knees bent, gripping the device at its handle with one hand. Extend your arm out to the side and bend at the elbow so that your arm forms a right angle. Extend your arm up into the air so your arm is straight, hold for a few seconds, allow your arm to return to the right angle position and repeat.
• Availability – You can buy these devices online. As of August 2011, they are available for approximately $70.00. The device comes with a manual that details more than 100 exercise techniques for both injured and healthy joints.

How to Wear a Newborn in a Pouch
By Kathryn Hatter
How to Wear a Newborn in a Pouchthumbnail Carry your newborn in a pouch for close contact.

Newborn babies often prefer being snuggled close in a parent’s arms. Keep a baby happy but free your hands by wearing a newborn in a pouch. The fabric of the pouch is strong enough to support and hold the baby safely, while being comfortable for you to wear. As you spend time wearing your newborn, you can develop a close bond that will help make the baby feel loved and secure.

To Wear a Newborn in a Pouch Instructions:

• Choose the shoulder on which you wish to wear the pouch. Place the pouch on your body, diagonally over one shoulder and under the opposite arm with the rail edges (the open edges) facing up and the curved bottom facing down.
• Hold your newborn against your chest on the shoulder opposite the pouch shoulder. Position your newborn’s feet inside the pouch while you hold him on your shoulder.
• Shift your infant down from your shoulder and into the pouch with her head against your upper chest in the pouch. Keep a layer of pouch fabric between your body and your infant’s body and position the baby’s body snugly inside the pouch.
• Adjust the baby’s body inside the pouch so his backside sits snugly against the bottom curve of the pouch. Tuck his arms inside the pouch and adjust his torso for comfort. The baby should feel completely supported and secure inside the pouch with his face peeking out from between the fabric edges near your upper chest.
• Bounce and sway your body for a moment or two to help your baby settle into the pouch.

• Switch back and forth between shoulders each time if you wear the pouch often to balance your baby wearing.

How to Disguise a Jowl
By Steve Sparkes
How to Disguise a Jowlthumbnail Don’t despair about newly discovered jowls — take action.

Skin loses its elasticity as people get older, and the muscles under the skin also tend to sag with age. This can cause unsightly jowls to form at the jawline. Disguising a jowl with make-up alone is impossible, but resorting to surgery is a drastic, expensive measure that may not even work very well and carries inherent risks. There are other tactics you can use to disguise a jowl, however. Launch a multipronged attack on your facial sagging using non-invasive and healthy methods and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

To Disguise a Jowl You’ll Need:

• Skin care products or banana and vitamin E
• Bronzing powder
• Make-up brush

To Disguise a Jowl Instructions:

• Exercise the facial muscles responsible for your sagging jawline. A regular facial exercise routine can reap wonders over even relatively short periods of time. You can start to notice a difference in just three weeks. Pull both sides of your mouth downward so that you are making a “fish face.” Hold this facial expression for 5 to 6 seconds. Repeat 10 to 20 times every day. Also, repeatedly tilt your head back and jut your chin out. Do 10 to 20 repetitions of this move every day. Other exercises that can help include repetitions of an exaggerated kissing motion. Pucker your lips and extend them forward each time. Repeat throughout the day whenever you have a private moment. Talking and gum chewing are also beneficial to the jawline muscles.
• Take care of your skin so that it remains as supple and elastic as possible. Commercial moisturizers and other skin care products may be helpful. A homemade treatment that you can use to nourish your skin is a mixture of vitamin E and mashed-up banana. Add a dash of lemon juice to the mix if your skin is oily. After your routine facial exercises, massage this mixture onto your face, avoiding the eye area. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then rinse it off. Dry your face with a towel.
• Use a large, soft brush to apply a subtle layer of bronzing powder underneath your chin when you apply your make-up. Brush some down your neck too. This make-up trick will help to reduce the appearance of jowls and double chins.

• It is important to have a hairstyle that doesn’t draw attention to your jowls. Many women think that styling their hair close to their face is the trick to covering jowls, but these styles tend to draw more attention to the area, thereby exacerbating the problem. Shorter layers on the crown of the head will add some height, which offsets drooping lower on the face, hence reducing the appearance of jowls.