The pine flooring should be completely clean of all dust, dirt, and small rocks. Depending on the size of your flooring, run a damp mop or a rag over the surface of the floor. Make sure to clean in the corners of the room and remove dust from any nooks or crannies. If your floor has just been installed, it won’t be covered in outside dirt. Instead, you’ll need to mop off leftover sawdust from the installation process. Your pine flooring will have many nails driven into each of the wooden planks. Use one corner of the putty knife to scoop a fingernail-sized dollop of putty out of the jar. Apply the putty into the countersunk nail hole, and use the flat edge of the putty knife to smooth the hole flush with the flooring. The filled holes will level the floor and provide a uniform stained finish. You can purchase both a putty knife and the hardening putty at a local hardware store. If the store offers different colors of hardening putty, select the color that most closely matches your floor. Wait until the putty is fully dry before you begin to sand and finish the flooring. Gently press on the filled countersunk nail holes to make sure that the putty is firm. Whether your flooring is freshly installed or has been in place for years, it’s bound to have minor scuffs, marks, and scratches on it. Clear these unwanted marks by sanding the entire floor. Sand on your hands and knees using broad, straight strokes. Sand along the lines of the wood grain. Coarse 120-grit sandpaper will remove unwanted marks without adding scratches to the pine wood.  If you’re sanding a large area of flooring and prefer not to sand on your hands and knees, you can rent a sanding machine from a local hardware store.  To protect your lungs from the sawdust produced by sanding, wear a bandana or protective face mask over your mouth. After you’ve sanded the floor, it will be covered with tiny pieces of wood dust. Remove these by dampening your mop and running it over the floor. Alternately, you could dampen a clean, lint-free rag and use it to clean up the floor.

Summary: Clean all dust and debris from the floor. Fill countersunk nail holes with hardening putty. Give the putty 3 or 4 hours to dry. Sand the pine flooring with 120-grit sandpaper. Clean the floor with a damp rag or mop after sanding.


When you smile, your brain activates neural messages that actually make you feel more positive. Even if you're feeling kind of "blah," make your face do the work of brightening up your day. It works.  An added bonus? When you smile, you'll spread positivity around to other people, putting other people in good moods as well. It's good for everyone. If you're not in a great mood, complaining about it won't make it any better. Practice forcing yourself to smile, and it'll become second nature. It's easy to say things that can accidentally bring you down. Using positive words, as opposed to negative words, has a proven effect on your mood and your attitude. Don't identify yourself with your feelings. Don't say, "I am sad" or "I am frustrated." Instead, put the negativity elsewhere. Say, "That movie made me feel sad" or "This task is difficult and frustrating." Not having a great day? That doesn't mean you have to act like it. Choose to spread positivity around, and the smiles you get in return will do a lot to make you think more positively. Here a few little ideas for things you can do to brighten someone else's day:  Clean up the house before your partner or roommate gets home Pick up coffee or donuts for your office Mow your neighbor's yard, or shovel their driveway in winter Just say hello and compliment a stranger If you want to think positively, surround yourself with other positive thinkers, and with people who bring out the best in you. Hang out with people who are supportive, friendly, and like you for who you are. If you don't like hanging out with someone because they put you in a bad mood, stop hanging out with them. One great way to keep your outlook bright is to keep little quotes or sayings that you like in your pocket, on your phone, or otherwise in your mind as you go about your day. Subscribe to positive affirmation feeds on Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook to keep your social networking more positive an influence in your life. If you sometimes end the day on a sour note, train yourself to turn that around. Instead, pour yourself a cup of tea, or another beverage of your choice, and sit down with a journal and write it out. Just sit down and start writing about your day. What happened? What went right? What went wrong? Put it all down.  Write down three things that went well and explain why they went well. Write down three things that didn't go well, and explain why they didn't go well. Be as specific as possible in describing the events. Read back over what you wrote. Sometimes, what seems super-dramatic in your mind will suddenly seem much more minor when you actually read it out. Was it really worth all that negativity?

Summary: Start smiling more. Make little changes in the words you use. Do nice things for others, even if you don't feel like it. Be with people you enjoy. Find positive quotes or mantras to keep with you. Keep a journal and record each day.


You can use any web browser on your Windows or Mac computer. If you aren't signed in automatically, click "Sign in" in the top-left corner of the page and log into your eBay account, or click "Register" to create a new account. Once logged in, your name is in the top-left corner of the webpage.  This opens a drop-down menu with some account options. It's just below your profile picture in the drop-down menu in the top-left corner. It's in the sidebar to the left in the center. It's in the seller preferences section. The seller preferences section isn't available until after you list your first item and have created a Seller Account. It's across from "Payment preferences". It's near the bottom of the Payment Preferences page. It's at the bottom of the Payment Preferences page.  This allows you to accept credit and debit cards to your merchant account.
Summary: Go to https://www.ebay.com in a web browser. Hover the mouse cursor over your name. Click Account Settings. Click Site preferences. Click Show next to "Payment from buyers". Click Edit. Click the checkbox next to "Accept credit and debit card payments". Click Save.