Check your candle the next day. If you can see the candle through the paint, apply another coat. Let it dry again, then remove the tape. To prevent the paint from chipping and give it a glossy appearance, you can dab an even coat of varnish over the entire candle.
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One-sentence summary -- Let it dry overnight and use varnish to give it a shiny finish.


The world is divided into 24 different time zones, meaning that daytime for you may be the middle of the night for someone in another country. When planning international calls, you have to consider both what time it is where you are and the time in the country and region you're calling. Portugal falls into Western European Time. The United States, however, span six separate time zones, including Alaska, Hawaii–Aleutian, Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern Times. This means that depending on where you're calling in the United States, the time there could be anywhere from five to 10 hours behind the time in Portugal. Some countries use what’s called a trunk prefix, and this is a digit that gets added to the beginning of a phone number when it’s being called domestically. However, these won’t work when you're calling the number internationally, so the code must be dropped. Trunk prefixes are often 0, so if you're having trouble calling an international phone number that starts with a 0, don’t dial the 0, and instead start with the next digit. Toll-free numbers are phone numbers that you can call for free because the subscriber takes on the charges on behalf of the caller. They are usually used by businesses so that customers can contact them without incurring long-distance fees.  Toll-free numbers are often set up to only accept calls originating in the same country, and this means they cannot be called from international locations. If you're trying to get a hold of a company or organization in a different country, you will likely have to call their regular local line and incur the long-distance charges yourself. While all phone providers are different and have their own rates, calling long distance and internationally is always more expensive than making local calls. Depending on your carrier, international calls could range from a few cents to over a dollar per minute.  Some providers divide days into peak and off-peak hours, and it’s cheaper to make long-distance and international calls at these times. Off-peak hours are usually hours when businesses don’t operate, such as very early in the morning and late at night Talk to your phone provider before making any long distance calls if you're unclear about your phone plan. Otherwise, you could end up paying extremely high rates if you don’t have a long distance plan in place. Calling cards aren't always cheaper than long distance plans, but they can be if you get a good rate on the card or don’t make international calls often. Calling cards are prepaid cards that you purchase to make phone calls, and often require the caller to punch in a series of numbers before placing a call.  Calling cards are usually designed for specific countries, so if you're looking for one to call the US from Portugal, make sure the card you buy is for calling North America. Note that while some calling cards have great rates, they may charge service fees that eat into the amount of money available on the card for phone calls.
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One-sentence summary -- Pay attention to different time zones. Recognize when you have to drop a digit. Realize that you may not be able to call toll-free numbers abroad. Call at different times to save money. Call with a calling card to save money.


Maintaining a good, healthy relationship with your girlfriend where you treat her well is important when trying to have a good relationship with her mom. When you make your girlfriend happy, it means that nothing but positive things will be said about you to her mom, which will help the mom get a better sense of how great of a choice you are for her daughter.  Show your girlfriend how much you love her on a daily basis by giving her the attention she craves. Designate time to spend with your girlfriend at least once a week and talk to her in some form daily. Tell her she’s beautiful and compliment her on positive attributes and successes. Let her know that you love her as often as possible through words and through actions.  Keep in mind that it is the negative things that stick with people longer. If you do something unforgivable and it gets back to her mom through word of mouth, it will be hard to win back her mother’s affection. So treat her daughter right to live and lead a happy life. Making your girlfriend’s mom feel like her words of wisdom matter can help her grow to like you. Ask her for her opinion on things and show her that you respect her thoughts and ideas by giving them consideration. Ask for advice about her daughter or about your life in general to make her feel special and like her opinion and her knowledge matters. Whether you find her to be annoying or amenable, bear in mind that there are always good things that can be associated with people. As the younger person trying to enter her family, you have to be the one who is more flexible in your attitude, meaning you have to see the light at the end of the rainbow and appreciate that light. Show her you value her and encourage gentleness by being appreciative of the contributions she puts forth in you and your girlfriend’s lives. Show her she’s included in your life by making routine calls or routine visits to her home. You don’t have to visit her every week, but factoring face to face interactions in once every couple of weeks or so is a great way to show your consideration and that you’re thinking of her.   If you don’t want to do lengthy visits, drop off a cup of her favorite coffee or mention that you’re on your way to run an errand and just wanted to peak your head in for a bit to check in on her. If you feel like your efforts are being taken for granted, scale things back to a level that you’re comfortable with. Do things for the mother when your girlfriend makes requests specifically or make visits only when you and your girlfriend have plans to go there together. There’s no need to over exert yourself if your efforts are not proving to be fruitful. In all honesty, a parent not liking you or approving of you might cause a little strain in your relationship, especially if your girlfriend has a tight bond with her parent. But it can be overcome, even if the issues between you and her mother remain. Show her mom you two are a united front and aren’t going to back down just because she wants to be petty.  Continue to be respectful so that the girlfriend doesn’t feel like she has to make a choice between you and her mother. As long as she views the mother as a problem in the both of you guys’ dynamic, your relationship will survive. Don’t feel pressured to feel that you have to keep a closed mouth if you feel disrespected by her mother. There is a way to confront someone older in a respectful matter. For example, say something like, “With all due respect, I don’t appreciate the way you speak about me to your daughter. I would appreciate it if you didn’t do that again.”
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One-sentence summary --
Treat her daughter with respect. Reach out to your girlfriend’s mom. Appreciate her good attributes. Make it a point to visit her. Show her that her attitude will not make you go anywhere.