INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you breathe through your mouth during the day, you may be doing the same during your sleep. To change this habit, be aware of how you breathe throughout the day. If you find yourself breathing through your mouth, close your mouth and try to consciously breathe through your nose. Before you go to sleep, put an extra pillow below your head. Raising the height of your head while you sleep may help keep your mouth from opening. A daily walk or run will increase your body’s need for oxygen, and your body will naturally respond by taking in air through your nose. Exercising regularly will also help reduce stress, which is itself a cause of mouth breathing. If you do not exercise on a regular basis, making this simple change to your daily routine could help you sleep with your mouth closed. You can also practice yoga or meditation as a way to reduce stress and focus on your breathing. Dust mites, pet dander, and other airborne allergens may be clogging your nasal passageways during your sleep, forcing you to open your mouth to breathe. To reduce the amount of these allergens in the air, regularly wash your bedding in hot water, vacuum your floors, and dust. Use a vacuum with a fine filter, like a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, for best results.

SUMMARY: Practice breathing through your nose during the day. Elevate your head during sleep. Exercise regularly to change your natural breathing patterns. Clean your bedroom regularly to reduce airborne allergens.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Winter vegetables don’t need as much water because of the moisture they get from winter rain and snow. Also, since there’s less sunlight during the winter, the soil doesn’t dry out as quickly. Water your vegetables occasionally if you’re experiencing a winter dry spell, or if the soil they’re in is particularly dry. Avoid watering your vegetables when it's below 40 °F (4 °C). If you live somewhere that has freezing temperatures all winter, make sure you thoroughly water your vegetables in the fall before winter starts. Winter vegetables don't need regular applications of fertilizer to grow. Instead, apply a fertilizer to the soil when you're planting your vegetables and then avoid adding any more for the rest of the winter. Your vegetables will be able to survive the winter off of the initial application. Some organic fertilizers you can use are blood meal, bone meal, and cottonseed meal. The right time to harvest your winter vegetables depends on what kind they are and when you planted them. Check on your vegetables regularly and harvest them from their winter shelters so they don’t spoil.  Root vegetables like carrots, radishes, and beets can be harvested whenever they reach a usable size. Harvest leafy greens when the leaves are small or medium-sized and tender. Don’t let them grow too large or they could develop a bitter taste.  Brassicas can take 10-14 weeks to mature, depending on the vegetable and variety.

SUMMARY: Water your winter vegetables sparingly. Give your winter vegetables just one application of fertilizer. Harvest your vegetables throughout the winter.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Know where they stand with each other. Find out whether their split was amicable, bitter, or somewhere in between.  If their current relationship is openly vicious, brace yourself for the extra drama and stress that this will undoubtedly add to your own relationships with the father and his child.  If their current relationship is quite friendly, politely but firmly establish yourself as the father’s new partner. Appreciate the fact that the two have a prior intimacy that may inform their interactions, but don’t be afraid to speak up when you believe either one has crossed a line. Remember that she’s the child’s parent. Understand that she will always occupy a space in the child’s life, and vice versa. Accept the fact that, to some degree, you will have to hold yourself accountable to her as a presence in her child’s life. Even if she’s a negligent or otherwise poor parent, remember that her status as mother will never change. Don’t feel obligated to respect the woman, but do respect the fact that she will always play some sort of role in both the father and child’s life. Even if you can’t stand each other, make a point of being civil. Earn respect and/or the moral high ground by showing respect in order to better ensure a positive atmosphere for all concerned, especially the child. Also be aware that the child will feel more loyalty toward their mother than they will toward you. Earn their respect by always treating their mother with courtesy. If the father is a widower, accept the mother’s continued presence in both his life and the child’s. Allow them to speak freely of her so they can honor her memory and so you can evaluate how each is coping with their loss. Although a jealous twinge here and there may be a perfectly natural knee-jerk reaction, avoid poisoning your relationships by making the father and/or child feel like they must suppress her memory in your presence.

SUMMARY: Ask the father about their relationship. Respect her role. Be polite. Honor the deceased.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you feel that another person is being rude or disrespectful, speak up about it. For example, if a person is continuously making rude jokes, let him know how you are feeling. He might not realize how hurtful or aggressive he seems and how his comments are affecting you. “I” statements convey that you are willing to take responsibility for your own thoughts and behaviors. This puts the focus on you and your feelings, so that the other person doesn’t feel like you’re attacking them. Nonviolent communication can be a useful technique.    Not an "I" statement: “You are very rude and you are trying to purposefully hurt me!”  "I" statement: “I feel hurt when you say things like that.”  Not an "I" statement: "You are a terrible person who is too immature to see that your friends never see you anymore!"  "I" statement: “I'm feeling sad because I feel like we don't hang out much anymore, and I would like to see you more often.” Attacking the other person is will most likely not be very productive. Rather, keep your calm and explain that you are trying to have a dialogue. You want to communicate how you feel instead of fighting with the other person. When you communicate assertively, pay attention to how you hold your body. Keep your voice calm and your volume neutral. Maintain eye contact. Relax your face and body position. Most people will respond constructively to "I" statements and peaceful, non-aggressive discussion. Some people may get upset, so if the conversation is going nowhere, it's time to walk away. You may choose to try again later, or simply distance yourself from that person. They may use emotionally abusive tactics, such as humiliating you, blaming you for everything, or invalidating your feelings. You may feel scared, exhausted, uncomfortable, threatened, or bad about yourself when you are around this person. If this is the case, the person is highly toxic and you should limit contact with them as much as you can.   Imagine that someone else were being treated the same way that you're being treated. How would you feel about them going through that? What might you say to that person? Apply that same compassion and care to yourself. If you are uncertain about the situation, or if you have a condition (e.g. autism) that affects your social judgment, ask for advice. Confide in someone you trust, and research abuse on the internet.

SUMMARY:
Speak up. Use "I" statements. Approach the discussion calmly. Use appropriate body language. Recognize when you aren't getting anywhere. Be aware that some people are abusive.