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Keeping your bag tightly stuffed or rolled for long periods of time will make it lose loft, which is what traps hot air to keep you warm. While you want to roll your bag tightly to travel with, you should never store your bag compressed or jammed in a stuff-sack. Loosely roll your bag, or let it rest, lightly folded, when it is not in use. The layering on the outside of these bags is great at keeping air out when you need to stay warm, but it can keep air in when you need it to escape for packing. Turn these bags inside out, zip them up, and then roll them as normal. These bags come with several straps and cinches that let you pull down on the top of the bag and get it even smaller. They are usually waterproof, and you can often get a large enough bag the lets you stuff several other items, like shirts or camping pillows, in with the bag. Always start packing by the tail if you use a stuff sack -- this allows the air in the bag to escape through the top. While you should never stuff your bag and store it fully compressed, good bag care requires brushing out any dirt, twigs, and leaves and letting the bag dry out completely when your trip is over. Mold and mildew will grow if your bag is allowed to be stored wet, and it is tough to remove once it grows. Let the bag rest outside on a dry day for several hours and brush out any debris. UV light can damage the sleeping bag fibers, so take care not to leave the bag in the sun all day. A few loose pieces of down is not uncommon in new sleeping bags. Gently work the quills back into the bag, pulling from the back side whenever possible. The holes will close back up and the insulation should settle with time.

summary: Know that prolonged compression will make your bag less effective. Turn wind or water resistant bags inside out. Use a stuff-sack for tighter packing. Air out your bag when you return from your trip. Gently pull any leaking down feather back into the bag.


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Tie or pin up the majority of your hair, and leave a small section of hair free. Once you detangle that section, start a new bun or ponytail to keep the detangled hair separate, and move on to a new section of tangled hair. On the first section of hair, start near the tips and run your fingers through your hair to remove knots and tangles. Combs can actually make knots tighter, so untangle what you can with your fingers first. As you detangle the bottom of that section of hair, move up the strands and continue removing knots until you reach the top of your hair. When you encounter particularly nasty knots, apply some watered down conditioner to the area. Let it sit for a couple minutes, then go back to detangling with your fingers. Once you’ve removed all the knots you can with your fingers and can easily run your fingers through the entire length of your hair, gently comb through the same section with a wide-tooth comb. Like before, start at the bottom and work your way to the top.  Divide the section of hair into even smaller sections if you have trouble running the comb through. Add more conditioner as needed to help loosen knots. If you come across a knot that you can't loosen with your fingers or the comb, insert the needle of a safety pin into the center of the knot and move it around to loosen the knot. In case you come across a knot that you absolutely cannot remove with conditioner, your fingers, the comb, or the safety pin, you may have to trim it off. Use sharp barber scissors, and make sure you remove as much excess hair from the knot as you can before making any cuts. Try to work the knot down toward the tip of the hair as far as you can to minimize the amount of hair you have to trim.

summary: Work in small sections. Finger comb your hair. Apply water and conditioner as necessary. Repeat with a comb. Use a needle on tough knots. Trim the knot as a last resort.


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Introduce yourself to your teenager’s teachers and school administration. Make it clear that they can get in touch with you if they have any questions or concerns involving your child’s education. Volunteer at the school or make an appearance at school functions. Your teenager might be more motivated to stay on top of their schoolwork if they know that you are active in their school community.  Schedule a parent/teacher conference. If your job or schedule doesn’t allow you to actively participate, be sure to attend at least one conference yearly and stay up to date with the school newsletter. Instead of fighting and creating a tense environment regarding school work and performance, consider working with them to develop a plan. Offer your advice and allow them the space to develop a work plan that works for them. Instead of arguing about the results, provide constructive criticism to see if they can solve the problem themselves. This will make the teen feel more grown up and respected.   For example, your teenager just received their midterm grade in math and they have a D. They have three weeks to bring their grade up before their next report card. Have a conversation with your teen by asking them what they need to do to bring their grade up. If they say that they need to study more, suggest that they bring home their math book each day and spend at least 30 minutes studying what they went over in class that day. Ask your teenager if they have any missed assignments or tests. Teenagers often need prompted or reminded to do something, especially things that they don’t want to do. Try to remember that you are the adult and they are still a child. Teenagers do not need to be prompted as regularly as an elementary student, but they do still need to be reminded to stay on track from time to time. Consider using technology to set reminders for your teenager. Set calendar reminders on your phone and sync it to their phone. There are also several family management apps that may help.
summary: Make a presence at their school. Collaborate with your teen. Provide reminders.