Many places that sell paint and home decor items have websites or apps that will let you sample different colors virtually.  There are also free apps that can do the same thing.  These kinds of tools are great for getting a sense of how things will look overall, but keep in mind the digital version is only an approximation of how colors will coordinate in the actual space. Places that sell paint will have printed cards that show different paint colors and color families.  These samples will be organized by paint brand as well as by tone and color.  This is a really good way to start the process of choosing a color.  Take a handful home and see how they look in your room. People working in the paint department can help you decide on paint finishes as well as colors and tones.  Some places have decorators on staff to advise customers about getting different looks by using different paint colors and finishes. Ultimately there is no substitute to putting paint on the wall in your room.  You can get the most accurate sense of how a color will look from seeing it in your specific space.  Always put two coats up when testing paint color. Put paint on two or three different walls to get a feel of the overall effect in your room. Make the test area big enough to be able to really see how the color will work.  A 2’ x 2’ square at eye level should be adequate. Paint a thick stripe near the flooring to be sure it works with your floor color and texture. Sit with the paint color for 3 days to give yourself time to decide if it really works for you. Check the color in different lighting throughout the day so that you get a good idea of what it will look like once it's on your walls. If it isn't possible to put sample colors up on your walls, try making a foam core board substitute.  You can get a pretty accurate sense from this method as well.

Summary: Use your smartphone or tablet to “try” colors. Pick up paint color chips. Ask for advice. Test paint colors on your walls. Test paint color on a foam core board.


Turn on the water long enough to just get yourself wet, about 30 seconds. Make sure you get your hair and whole body wet in this amount of time, then shut the shower off. With the water off, proceed to lather up your body. Put shampoo in your hair, and rub it in well. Soap up your body. Keep going until you've got your whole body covered in soap suds. While the water is off, take the time to shave. If you need a little water to rinse off your razor from time to time, fill an old cup with water. Then just agitate it in the water to clean it off before moving on. Turn the water back on. Starting with your hair, begin rinsing off the soap. Rinse from the top down so you're not adding soap back to areas you've already rinsed. Leave the shower on just long enough to rinse off your whole body. If you need to use conditioner, turn off the water again, and lather up with conditioner. Once you're done, turn the water on again to rinse it out. Alternatively, use a leave-in conditioner that doesn't need to be rinsed out.

Summary: Turn the shower on for 30 seconds. Turn off the shower, and lather with soap. Shave as needed. Turn the water on, and rinse with soap. Repeat the process for conditioner.


Cilantro grows very quickly no matter how you start it. It only takes around 4-6 weeks for cilantro to go from seed to harvest. However, seedlings in starter pots or grow kits may be ready to harvest in only 2 weeks.  That said, cilantro grown from seeds rather than transplanted seedlings usually grows better and lasts longer. This is because cilantro has long taproots that don’t like being disturbed (as happens during re-potting).  Therefore, you have to decide whether it's worth saving 3 weeks or so of waiting in return for cilantro that may be less abundant and flavorful. At this height, the seedlings have a nice head start toward their ideal harvesting height of 6 inches (15 cm), but the taproots still aren’t too large. This makes the chances of a successful re-potting much higher. Add enough indoor potting mix to the new pot to make up for the depth difference between it and the cilantro’s current pot (make your best guess). Try to pop out all of the soil in the current pot, if possible—work around the edges with a plastic knife to loosen the soil if needed. Place the soil and cilantro seedling in the new pot, then add potting mix around the sides to fill in the gaps. Spray the soil to moisten it after the transfer.
Summary: Plant seedlings instead of seeds to get fresh cilantro even quicker. Buy starter pots or grow kits with 2 to 3 in (5.1 to 7.6 cm) seedlings. Transfer the seedling and soil to a 12 in (30 cm) deep pot.