It's not always possible to dispose of food immediately, such as if garbage collection is weekly. Leaving it in the garbage until then can generate smells, attract animals, and breed flies. Ideally it should be made of glass, such as a pickle or spaghetti sauce jar, with a tight-fitting lid.  Plastic jars can also be used, but may leak some odor. Sealable metal cans, such as coffee cans, can be used, but may create a rust ring if left in sink. Cardboard containers, like the cylinders oatmeal comes in, should be avoided.  They may leak when they get wet from decomposing food. Ideally the jar should be small enough for a single use.  Don't reopen it later, as this will let odor and potentially flies or fruit flies out, unless it has been kept frozen.  (It's also possible to dump the contents in the garbage and then rinse and reuse the slop jar, but this is messy, and should be done outside.) This will halt the decomposition process and kill any insects or larva.  This method can either be used in conjunction with a slop jar, or else large items, like a watermelon rind, can be placed in the freezer whole.  However, it's easy to forget these items on garbage day, so a Post-it note on the trash can is a good reminder.

Summary: Be careful about putting out waste for disposal too early. Use a "slop jar". Chop the food up into small enough pieces to fit into the jar. On garbage day, throw the entire slop jar out. Alternatively, freeze items for later disposal.


. Take a deep breath. It helps a lot of people if they tense up their entire body and keep it that way for a few seconds.  Then, just relax all your muscles. "Box breathing" is also a good method. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and then breathe out for 4 seconds. The overall effect will calm you down. There are entire techniques and classes dedicated to movement for performers and for good reason. They'll help you utilize your "space" to the best of your ability and take command of the stage. Acting is not just in your voice or in your face, but on all planes. Feel free to give your character quirks. Does he walk with a slight limp from a war? Does she constantly play with her hair? Is he a leg twitcher? Does she pick at her fingernails? It doesn't have to be in the script! Think about how your character would act in daily living. How do you see them sitting in a waiting room? What would they be found doing? . Talk louder than you usually would so everyone can hear you and the camera can catch the sound. There's nothing more irritating than being in the audience and catching every third word.  Don’t talk absurdly – just make sure that your voice carries and that you are not mumbling or talking in an indoor voice to your fellow actors. If you’re in a play, you need to make sure that the people in the back of the audience can hear you, so stand up straight, project your voice and make sure you’re turning slightly towards the audience. You don’t want to be speaking to the back wall. Do not speak too fast. This often garbles your words and makes it difficult to hear what you’re saying. . When you are on stage or in front of the camera, you have to say your words clearly and make sure all the sounds are well defined. This is especially important at the ends of words, which are easy to swallow and lose acoustically.  Make sure all your consonants are present. This should just slow you down enough to be easily understood by all. Don’t overdo your enunciation since this could come across sounding unnatural. You want to make sure your voice sounds clear, but not like you’re overacting. If you are uncertain about whether or not you’re over or under-enunciating your words, ask the director and your fellow actors. Even if your character doesn't have an accent, there are still other aspects of their idiolect to consider that may not be in the script. Consider their age, race, social status, beliefs, and income. In a review of the semi-recently revived "The Pajama Game," one writer said that the main character was great...apart from not being believable. She played a simple Midwestern girl who pronounced "either" EYE-thurr. Wrong. Dead giveaway. So close, too. Avoid being that girl and analyze your character's dialogue.

Summary: Relax Be aware of your body. Project Enunciate Talk like your character.


While you are exploring the great outdoors, bring a small trail book with you to help easily identify flowers as you find them. This is a fun, exciting way to spend time in nature. Wildflower books are often sorted by region, color, and leaf type. They usually include colored photos or illustrations to help you pick out the flowers you find. You can also snap a photo of the flower and use a book when you get home. In addition to book reference guides, you can also easily use Internet references. Search for “wildflower identification sites” and browse your options. Some sites allow you to click the color, petal number, and location to help narrow down your choices. This is a great idea if you have used a reference book and are still unsure of the flower you found. Search on your app store to find an app to use. There are both free and paid versions available for most smartphone devices. Ensure the app you select covers the area where you live, as some of the apps have regional plant databases. Then, snap a photo, upload it to the app, and instantly find out the flower type.  While this is a growing option, most apps do not have information on every type of wildflower. Make sure your lens is clean when taking the photo. It is helpful to get the entire flower in the shot. If you don’t have any reference guides on you while in the woods, use your smartphone to take a reference photo. Try to capture petals, stem, and leaves of the plant in your photo. Then, visit a search engine, and drag and drop your image into the search bar and select "Search for this image." If the photo is recognized, the type of wildflower will display in your search results.  You can do this from a computer or a smartphone device. For example, snap a picture of that pinkish purplish flower you find when hiking in Greenland. Then, upload the image to a search engine. You'll find the name of the flower as well as information and facts about the species, like that it is the national flower of Greenland.
Summary: Use a wildflower identification book to find the species while in nature. Search online for a plant database to identify the flower from home. Use an app to identify various flowers on the go. Do a reverse-image search to instantly and easily identify the flower.