Get an identifying microchip inserted below your pitbulls skin and put a collar with an identification tag around his neck. These will make it easier to locate your puppy if he gets lost. Pitbulls are good at escaping their yards, so microchipping is important. Consider asking humane societies to microchip, since some offer low-cost microchipping. Make sure your yard is secure, ideally with at least a six foot solid fence. Chain link fences can be climbed and they are not a visual deterrent to other animals or humans bothering your pet. Talk with your veterinarian about choosing a high-quality food for your puppy. Avoid commercial foods that list low-quality ingredients like meat by-products and grains. Instead, choose one that immediately lists a meat. Offer your puppy several regular meals throughout the day instead constantly leaving a full dish of food out. Read the package or ask your vet about a specific amount of food to feed your puppy each day. Talk with the veterinarian about spaying or neutering your puppy to prevent unexpected litters and ask about treating your puppy for worms. Your puppy will also need the basic vaccinations that all puppies get, starting at 8 weeks old. A booster should be given 3 or 4 weeks later. Any other vaccines that your vet recommends will need to be boosted every year.  Your puppy should have his first veterinary exam before you bring him home. After that, make sure he sees the vet every year. Check local laws to determine a rabies vaccine requirement. Most rabies vaccines are started at 12 weeks old and Lyme disease vaccines begin at 9 weeks followed by a booster 3 to 4 weeks later. Try to take your puppy for short walks (less than 15 minutes) if he's less than 3 months old. You'll want to walk him at least twice a day, even as a puppy. Exercise is important to keep him healthy, burn energy, and make him happy and engaged. If you can, let your puppy exercise in an area with lots of space. This gives him the freedom to run around. Playing fetch is a great way to interact with your puppy while he gets some exercise. Offer your puppy kibble, toys, and treats while you do training exercises. For example, you might bury treats and let your pitbull dig them up. This will let him use up energy and engage his brain. Or, you can let him play with puzzle toys that release kibble. This will keep your pitbull from becoming bored and destructive. Pitbulls are highly intelligent and can become destructive if left with nothing to do. Don't leave your puppy alone for too long. If you must, leave him in an enclosed area like a crate or pen with plenty of toys.

Summary: Microchip and place a collar on your puppy. Feed your pitbull a nutritious diet. Get your puppy regular medical care and vaccinations. Get your puppy plenty of exercise. Keep your puppy mentally stimulated.


Don't try to brainstorm with just a cold start. This is like breaking out into a full run without a light jog first! Do a quick exercise that gets your head in that space, such as making a menu for your next week's worth of dinners, or coming up with a wish list of things you'd like to accomplish in work, school, or whatever it is you're doing. Put yourself in the shoes of your competitor, looking at what you're doing now and trying to figure out how to be better than you. How would they look at what you're doing and do things better? What would they change? Where would they go next? Giving yourself new roadblocks to reaching your goals, such as a lower budget, a new deadline, or a specific material to be used, can make you more creative and innovative. It may even give you an idea if you couldn't come up with one before. Mind maps are one of the most popular brainstorming techniques. This is where you write down an idea (or several!) on a notecard. Pin the notecard to a wall and then build on the idea. Write down every little thing you think of and start connecting the ideas. Create three categories: easy ideas, tough ideas, and crazy ideas. Try to come up with at least five ideas for each category. Usually, in coming up with ideas we think we can't or shouldn't actually carry out, we find ourselves with ideas that we actually can use. , analysis, or review. Write a poem that describes what you're trying to do. You can also write a theoretical analysis or review of the thing you're hoping to create. By outlining what you're hoping to get out of the project, you may have an easier time thinking of ways to do it. Take something you've done before, a long time ago, and find a way to update it. You can also take old concepts that aren't yours and find a way to bring them into this era. For example, Twitter was basically telegrams for the internet. Some of the most popular products right now make use of classic designs. Online idea generators can be really helpful in getting you started, even if it's just used as a warm-up. Don't feel burdened by or tied to the ideas that it gives you, but try to use them as a jumping-off point. Try this: http://ideagenerator.creativitygames.net/ Always ask questions. Ask questions of yourself. Ask questions of the people you're brainstorming with. Ask questions of your friends and family members. Questions lead us to really think through things that we might have glazed over in our minds. Ask detailed questions and questions that really get at the heart of the issue. And don't go for the short, obvious answer.  Why do I want to paint with oils? Why does my customer want this product? You can even incorporate these questions into your mind map. You won't have all the answers yet because you're just starting your project, but you will be able to chart your thoughts. There are lots of little exercises, like mind maps, that can be really useful. But a lot of the time they're also a distraction and can hold you back from really getting work done. Don't waste too much time on brainstorming activities, and instead try to just get down to business as quickly as possible. Freewriting is where you start writing and you just don't stop. This also involves some free association, where you naturally follow the course that your thoughts take instead of trying to direct the current. Just write down a sentence that deals with the topic you're trying to brainstorm on and then follow your brain, writing down every word that ambles through your internal dialogue without stopping to think. You never know where it will lead you!

Summary: Warm up. Change your perspective. Introduce roadblocks. Make a mind map. Create idea categories. Write a poem Bring an old technique into the new age. Use an online idea generator. Keep asking questions. Don't waste time. Do some free-writing.


Green tea can decrease your body's ability to absorb iron. The catechins in the tea block some of the iron from being absorbed in your body.  Know the risks. If you have anemia, drinking green tea can make it worse.  Iron-deficiency anemia is caused by not having enough iron in the blood, which in turn lowers either the red blood cells or hemoglobin. Anemia can cause fatigue because not enough oxygen is being carried throughout your body. One cause of anemia is excessive menstrual bleeding. If you think you may be anemic, talk to your doctor about taking an iron supplement and eating iron-rich foods. Green tea can increase pressure in the eye for an hour or more.  Know who's at risk. If you suffer from glaucoma, you can increase the risk of the disease. Glaucoma is an eye disease. It affects the optic nerve. It can impair your vision over time. Instead, drink your tea between meals to give your body a chance to absorb the iron.  Eat foods rich in iron and vitamin C. Iron can help with anemia, while vitamin C increases your body's ability to take in iron.  Iron-rich foods include meats, beans, and greens, to name a few.  Foods rich in vitamin C are things like citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, and peppers. Green tea increases the pressure in your eye within 30 minutes of drinking it, and the effects can last beyond an hour and a half of drinking the tea.
Summary: Understand the problem with iron. Know the problem with glaucoma. Avoid drinking green tea with meals if you have an iron deficiency. Avoid green tea altogether with glaucoma.