Find a way that you can make a positive contribution to your friend’s life. Doing this may help the person pay more attention to you. Create a sense of community or even family with this friend. Being able to find ways to help a friend out also establishes a relationship based on the need to give and take from the friendship instead of just taking all of the time. Offering to help a friend out in a role that establishes you as an expert can also lend to your credibility and improve the level of attention you get in the future from this friend. For example, if you are really good at math, offer to help with homework, and show your friend how useful your math skills are. Knowing that you are the best person to turn to for math help will probably increase the amount of attention you get from this friend beyond just math homework as well. Instead of talking about the same old things, look for some new and interesting topics to discuss with your pal. If you always talk about the same thing you make it too easy for others to ignore or even predict what you are going to say. Keep a little bit of mystery in what you talk about or parts of you that you share with friends. That way, they will be sure to listen as to not miss a thing. In the same vein, take the time to really listen to the interests of your friends so you can contribute in a meaningful way in conversations about subjects they like. Most people enjoy knowing that they are truly being heard and appreciated. You can surprise your friend with anything—a gift, a gathering or a lunch date out. This does not need to cost a lot of money either. The point is not to buy their affection. Instead, you are making it a point to show that your friend is special to you. A thoughtful gift can actually be free or cost very little, but still carry a lot of meaning. Show your friend you listen to what they talk about by remembering a special day or even just sending them a new song from a favorite artist. Again, it’s the thought behind the gesture not a price tag or dollar amount that matters. Act like you deserve attention and maybe your friend will pay you in kind. Make sure your friend knows you want to spend time with them. Put in the work to be a true friend and make it known that you expect that to be returned to you as well. Make a commitment to yourself to not settle for anything less than being a priority in your friend’s life. You have to believe you are deserving of this type of connection and love.

Summary: Offer your helping hand, if needed. Shake up your usual conversations. Surprise him or her with something. Expect to be a priority.


Go to https://www.proxfree.com/ in your browser. If this site is blocked on your computer, try using the HideMe proxy instead. It's near the bottom of the page, to the right of the padlock icon. Type in the address of the website that you want to access. You can select a different country to use by clicking the "Server Location" drop-down box and then clicking a different country's name. It's a blue button to the right of the search bar. Doing so will search for your website. If you selected a country significantly outside of your own for your IP address' location, the search results may take several seconds to a minute to display. Once the website loads, you should be able to use it like usual. Keep in mind, however, that your website's load times will likely be significantly slower than usual.

Summary: Open the ProxFree site. Click the search bar. Enter your website's address. Click PROXFREE. Browse your site.


Many types of cloth products will be advertised to you as a new parent. Restocking items like disposable wipes is an unending process which can cost you hundreds of dollars. Instead, use old towels and a water spray bottle. Don’t bother buying a portable changing table. You already have a bath towel. You probably have handfuls of old T-shirts at the bottom of your drawers ready to be scooped up and repurposed. Use one of these instead of buying a new bib. Also, find a pair of scissors to cut up a few shirts into reusable wipes, or even cloth diapers. New parents are a cash cow for marketers. There are warmers for items like bottles and wipes. Instead of buying these, consider all of the warming elements around your house already. Instead of a bottle warmer, for example, start with warm water to mix formula. A wipe warmer will not make your baby happy. It could actually dry out the wipes. Changing a diaper simply isn’t a fun process for either of you, so it’s best to just use things you already have. Rather than spending up to $100 a month on baby formula, it could be worth the time and effort to breastfeed. Some new moms who decide to go this route are tempted to purchase nursing gear, but be aware that many hospitals and birthing centers rent out breast pumps to nursing mothers.  The La Leche League is a non-profit organization that provides free support for nursing mothers. Visit www.llli.org for information about free lactation classes near you, podcasts, FAQs, and more. It could be more convenient to simply hold your baby up in a regular bathtub or a sink than to own an extra baby accessory. Many new parents find baby bathtubs to be cumbersome to the point where they end up in a yard sale a month or two later. Not every room must be limited to a single use. Your baby will not feel slighted if they must share a room with a few storage items or a bookshelf. Spend valuable parenting energy on baby-related tasks other than painting and repainting rooms.
Summary: Use old towels and a water spray bottle as an alternative to pre-moistened wipes. Find new uses for old clothes. Avoid specialty warming products. Breastfeed if it is an option. Use the sink instead of a baby bathtub. Partition a section of a room for a nursery.