INPUT ARTICLE: Article: A number of purple shampoos--literally, the shampoo is purple--are available at salons and drugstores, and they work to counteract brassiness in blonde hair.  ”Brassiness” is when blonde hair takes on an unflattering yellow or orange tone. It results when the blue molecules in hair begin to fade and leave the yellow and orange molecules to shine through more strongly. Purple shampoos work by restoring blue tones to the hair, helping to prevent brassiness. The minerals in tap water can contribute to changing blonde’s natural tone into a brassier color (from iron deposits) or into a greenish color (from the chlorine in the water). Installing a filter on your shower head will help prevent those color-changing minerals from being absorbed into your hair and will help keep your hair its natural shade. If your hair is taking on a brassy tone, make an appointment at the hair salon to have toner applied or buy toner at a drugstore and apply it yourself.  Toner increases the blue and purple tones in your hair and mutes the orange and yellow ones, counteracting brassiness. You can typically expect to pay about $40 or more for a toning treatment at a salon. A drugstore toner will typically cost around $10, but may not be as effective as a salon treatment. Spraying your hair down with tap or filtered water before going in the pool will help prevent it from soaking up chlorine in the pool water. Be sure the water you’re spraying your hair with isn’t already highly chlorinated, or it will defeat the purpose. If your hair begins to take on a greenish cast after swimming in a pool or because your shower water contains higher levels of copper or chlorine, you can help tone down the green by using an acidic hair rinse. An acidic hair rinse will remove the buildup left behind by styling products and mineral deposits that can cause changes in your hair color.  Mix 1/2 cup (for shorter hair) to 1 cup (for longer hair) of apple cider vinegar with 16 ounces of water. After shampooing, rinse your hair with the vinegar mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Rinse your hair again and style as usual. Dissolve 6-8 aspirin tablets in a glass of warm water and rinse your hair with the solution. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse out the solution.

SUMMARY: Use purple shampoo. Install a shower head filter. Use a toner. Get hair wet before going in the pool. Use an acidic hair rinse to counteract green tones.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: There are lots of different foods that can help boost your brainpower. Conversely, some foods — foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, "junk food" and soda — dull brain processes and make you foggy and sluggish.  Try foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts and salmon (although eat this sparingly because of the possibility of a higher mercury content), ground flaxseed, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans. Omega-3 fatty acids improve blood circulation, and boost the function of neurotransmitters, which help your brain process and think. Foods high in magnesium are important (such as chickpeas or garbanzo beans) because they help with message transmission in your brain. Scientists have linked a diet higher in blueberries with quicker learning, better thinking and better memory retention. Choline, which occurs in vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, has the potential to help with the growth of new brain cells, as well as boosting intelligence longer in older adults. Complex carbohydrates give your brain and body energy over a longer period of time. Try eating food like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, high-fiber cereal, lentils, and whole When you aren't getting enough sleep, everything that your brain does is worsened because of it. So creativity, thinking, cognitive functioning, problem-solving, memory, all these are tied to getting enough sleep. Sleep is especially necessary for memory functions, so make sure you're getting to the deeper stages of sleep to allow for memory processing.  Turn off any electronics at least 30 minutes before going to bed. That means cell phones, computer, iPod, etc. Otherwise your brain will be over-stimulated as you're trying to sleep and you'll have greater difficulty in falling asleep and getting to the necessary stages of sleep. For adults it is best to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Physical exercise can do things like enhance the oxygen flow to your brain, which will help it better process and function. It also releases chemicals that enhance your overall mood, as well as protect your brain cells. Scientists have found that exercising actually helps spark the production of more neurons in the brain.  Dance and martial arts are especially good ways to boost your brainpower, because they stimulate a wide variety of brain systems, including organization, coordination, planning, and judgment. You're having to move your body (and various parts of it, too) in synch with the music. . Meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, can help to retrain the brain to work better and to not go down certain negative neuro-pathways. Meditation both reduces stress (which helps the brain function better), but it also increases memory, as well.  Find a place to sit quietly, even if only for 15 minutes. Focus on your breathing. Say to yourself as you breathe "breathing in, breathing out." Whenever you find your mind wandering, gently draw it back to focusing on your breath. As you get better at meditating, notice what is going on around you, feel the sun on your face, notice the sound of the birds and the cars outside, smell your roommate's pasta lunch. You can also do mindfulness activities — when you're having a shower, focus on the feel of the water, the smell of your shampoo, etc. This will help keep your mind attentive and help reinforce your mindfulness to the moment. Getting enough liquid in your system is super important since your brain is about 80% water. It won't function as well if you're dehydrated. So make sure to keep drinking water all day, at least 8 6-ounce glasses. It's also a good idea to drink fruit or vegetable juice. Polyphenols, which are the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, can help protect brain cells from damage and keep your brain at a high-functioning level. Chronic stress can do things like destroy brain cells and damage the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that helps retrieve old memories and format new ones. Dealing effectively with stress is something that is incredibly important to learn, since it's impossible to cut it out of your life entirely.  Again meditation is key in helping to manage stress, even if you take only 5 or 10 minutes out of your day to do it, that will help your brain. Also, deep breathing can help, as it will cut down on your immediate stress and alleviate your anxiety. Learning something new gives your brain a workout in the same way that you would do a physical workout to increase your strength and endurance. If you stick to the well-worn paths of the stuff you already know your brain isn't going to keep developing and growing.  Learning a language stimulates lots of different parts of your brain and helps make new neuro-pathways. It takes mental effort and will help expand your knowledge base. You could take up cooking, or knitting, or learning an instrument, or juggling. As long as you're enjoying yourself and learning new things your brain will be happier and function better! Enjoyment is an important part of learning and maintaining your brain's health and boosting its power. If you like what you're doing there is more likelihood that you'll continue to be engaged and to learn.
Summary: Eat brain-boosting food. Get enough sleep. Get enough exercise. Learn to meditate Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Cut down on stress. Learn something new.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: At first, it's generally easiest to grip the needle between the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand. Hold the thread comfortably between the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand. Raise the needle and the thread up to your eye level, about two inches apart. Make sure that there's plenty of light to see everything clearly! Consider pinching the thread between your fingers so that only the tiniest tip is visible. If you're having trouble, this technique might help you steady the thread.

SUMMARY:
Hold the thread in one hand and the needle in the other.