One simple solution for a zipper that's hard to close is a bar of soap. It doesn't really matter what kind you use. Anything you have on hand is fine. Rub the soap on the teeth of the zipper with the zipper open. Once you've rubbed some in, zip it up and down to get it lubricated well.  The soap will help the slider move up and down more easily on the zipper. Another easy option is petroleum jelly. You can also use a bit olive oil, but be careful, as it could stain your clothes. Graphite works as a lubricant, making it easier to zip up stubborn zippers. Rub a graphite pencil along the inside of the zipper and the teeth. Make sure to hit all of the zipper, trying to get into the teeth as much as possible, as well as the back of the zipper. Move the zipper up and down a few times to help get the graphite in place. Powders can also act as lubricants for zippers. You can use most common household powders, such as talcum powder or baby powder. You can even use cornstarch. Just sprinkle a little on the zipper, and move it up and down to lubricate it. You may need to wash your clothes after using this method, if you're not careful where you sprinkle the powder. You can use wax paper, paraffin wax, or even candle or crayon wax. Basically, the wax will lubricate the zipper, making it easier to pull up and down. You'll need to lubricate both sides for this step to work.  For the wax paper, tear off a small sheet of wax paper. Make sure it's wax paper, not parchment paper. With the zipper open, rub it on both sides of the zipper. Test to the zipper to see if it helped. If it didn't try it again. For other types of wax, rub the wax onto the zipper with the zipper open. Wipe off any excess wax from the fabric. Blow over it with a really hot hair dryer, making the wax melt and allowing it to penetrate the teeth better. Once it cools, run the zipper back and forth to test it. One of the most basic and common lubricants is window cleaner. It's also not oil based, meaning it won't harm your clothes. Simply spray a bit on your zipper, then move the slider up and down to lubricate it.

Summary: Try a bar of soap. Use a graphite pencil. Try powder. Rub the zipper with wax. Use window cleaner.


There are two popular methods to salting the rim of your glass. One method is to simply place the mouth of your glass onto the saucer and give it a twist — as you would use a cookie cutter. The other method is to hold the rim of the glass parallel to the saucer and, letting it lightly touch the salt, turn the glass in your hand so that only the outer rim is covered in salt. This method ensures that the salt only ends up on the outside of the glass so that no additional salt winds up in your drink.

Summary: Salt the rim of your glass.


Look for symptoms such as an inability to eat or sinking immediately after swimming to the top of the tank. This will be difficult to watch, but you should treat your fish like any other companion animal. Sit by the aquarium. Talk to your fish, if that's what you usually do. Clove oil is a sedative and is the most humane way to end the suffering of a dying fish. You can buy it in most drug stores. Place only the dying fish in 1 litre (0.26 US gal) of water. Add 400 mg of clove oil to the water. Within 10 minutes, the fish will lose oxygen and die peacefully. Use an aquarium net to scoop out the dead fish. If you can't find the body, don't worry. The body itself won't harm the other fish and will decompose naturally. Fish parasites and diseases require living hosts. If you think your fish died of a disease, their tankmates might already be infected. Monitor them for symptoms. If they don't look sick or develop symptoms after a few days, they were strong enough to fight off the disease. A dead fish flushed into a non-native habitat could harm native marine life. Dispose of a dead fish in the garbage or bury them outside. If the fish is large, burial is usually best. Check your local laws to make sure they'll allow you to bury a pet fish.

Summary: Spend time with your dying fish. Euthanize a suffering fish. Remove any dead fish from the tank, if you can. Don't flush the fish down the toilet.


Put forth effort into the relationship and work hard to make it work. Communicate openly with your partner about your goals for the relationship and where you see it going. If you're only interested in a short-term fling, be honest. If you've got an eye toward serious long-term love, be honest. There's nothing wrong with either kind of love, but you need to make sure that your partner is equally committed to the same version of love that you are. Commit to the person and to the relationship. Put in work to make your partner feel special, and work toward making the relationship work. The word "intimacy" is often associated with sex, but being emotionally intimate is a huge part of a loving relationship. Emotional intimacy involves allowing yourself to feel and express vulnerability around your partner. Avoiding vulnerability can look like withdrawal, attack, or accusations. On the contrary, intimacy can look like sharing fears, discomfort, and disappointment with your partner. Feelings or situations that previously felt unsafe feel safer in an intimate relationship because of the vulnerability and trust that has been developed.  When you begin to feel vulnerable (like experiencing fear, sadness, shame, or hurt), take a moment and pause. Acknowledge whatever feelings come up and allow yourself to feel them; don’t avoid them. Take compassion on the feeling and be gentle with it. Share your vulnerable moments and let your partner support you. If you’re concerned that the initial attraction and strong feelings of love are wearing off, realize that love can occur in waves. Sometimes you feel overwhelmingly in love with someone, and other times you experience less love to or from that person. Just because you hit a low point doesn’t mean that the feelings will last forever. Life happens in cycles, and it’s okay that love experiences highs and lows.  Lots of things can create peaks and troughs in love, such as having children or growing older. You can work through them. You don’t have to be the one in control of the love in your relationship; let your partner express love toward you. Receiving love can feel vulnerable to some people because it requires letting go of control.  Be open to receiving gifts, accepting compliments, and warm gestures toward you. You may feel like you now owe something back, but let that go and enjoy the experience of receiving. Love does not have debts but multiplies. Touching does not need to be sexual, but engaging in a long, supportive hug or reaching out for your partner’s hand is a way to stay connected. Express your love for your partner by initiating and sustaining physical contact. Affection is one way to express care, appreciation, and other connecting, positive emotions.  Affection is a way to make your partner feel loved and for you to feel loving. Sometimes the way we communicate with a partner can be lost in translation, but gratitude is always understood. Affirm your appreciation of your partner by expressing gratitude. Thank your partner for showing that you notice the effort put into the relationship. Show appreciation for the things your partner does, and also for the qualities that your loved one embodies. The whole point of going through life with people you love is so that you can tackle life’s challenges together. Work together to find solutions, solve problems, and comfort each other when times get tough. We can’t solve everything on our own, we can’t know everything there is to know... but a whole bunch of people getting together out of love can solve just about any problem.
Summary: Commit. Be intimate. Accept that love is dynamic. Be open to receiving love. Touch your partner. Express gratitude to your partner. Be partners in life.