If you’d rather not go the handmade route and prefer the clean simplicity of a computer design, you can use a simple editing program to create your notebook cover page. Programs like Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop or the online editor Pixlr are perfect for this sort of project, although an even simpler program like Microsoft Paint will also do the trick. A photo editor will allow you to produce a more precise design by lining up text, giving you the freedom to choose fonts and adding professional borders. You can even import pictures to use as part of the design.  Word processors make it easy to format text the way you want it and add pictures to go with it, while one advantage of photo editing programs is that they give you greater control over how to alter pictures and let you drag, layer and angle bits of text for better customization. You don't have to limit yourself to just one method—try designing a cover page with the necessary basic information on your computer, then printing it out and finish decorating it by hand. Put down all the information you need for your cover page: your name, the notebook’s subject, teacher, grade and homeroom. With a editing program you’ll have the freedom to choose the way you want your text to look and where exactly you want it positioned on the page. Decide how you want to lay out the information on your cover page. You could list it all down the left hand side to save the middle of the page for pictures, or center it and arrange pictures around it. Use the “import” or “paste from” option in the editing program to use pictures from the internet as part of your cover page. Pictures can be shrunk or enlarged to better fit the page, or their individual properties can be adjusted. Find pictures or clip art related to the subject you’re studying, or get funky and decorate your notebook with pics of your favorite sport or celebrity. It’s all up to you! Don’t use photos that are graphic or offensive. Remember, your notebook is part of your scholastic materials. Instead of just using the text bar to type your name and class information, make use of the word processor's text capabilities, like choosing different fonts and colors, as part of your design. Spell out a couple of lines of song lyrics, or maybe highlight a favorite quotation to keep you motivated to study. Typed text doesn't have to be boring. Play around with text features and see if you can come up with fun new ways to add a few words to your cover.  Fonts like Impact, Comic Sans and Wingdings come preloaded on most word processors programs and are more playful than ordinary professional fonts.  If you enjoy writing creatively, challenge yourself by coming up with a personalized slogan to act as an introduction for what you'll find in your notebook. Once you’ve come up with a design you like, print it and use it for the new cover of your notebook. If you use a 3-ring binder, you can slide the printed page right into the plastic cover and you’re done! If you use a different type of notebook, you’ll have to attach the cover page to your notebook by using tape, glue or staples.  Taping or stapling around the edge of the cover page will hold it in place and allow it to be changed out at a later time with little difficulty, while glue will hold better but is messier to work with and isn’t easily removed. Be careful: watch your fingers while you’re stapling.
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One-sentence summary -- Use a photo editor or word processor to design a cover page. Type your name, subject and other information. Include pictures. Take advantage of the text editor. Print your cover page.


The most practical way to do this is to make a list of herbs you routinely use while cooking. This could be anything from garlic to basil to chives. Only choose herbs that you feel you would use, or that you could dry for later use. Culinary herbs fall into the following three categories:  Annual herbs, like dill, cilantro and basil, die after they flower and usually need to be replanted each year. Herbaceous herbs, like mint, chives, oregano, tarragon and sweet fennel can be cut regularly and they usually grow back the next year. Evergreen herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme should be pruned at least once per year, and they are also perennial. Most of these herbs do well in a variety of climates as long as they are cared for properly. If you want to plant a particular herb that needs special care, you can always plant it in a pot and keep it indoors to control the surrounding temperature.  Certain perennials, such as rosemary, do best in climates with mild winters and long, dry summers. You can still plant rosemary if you live in a place with cold winters, but you may have to treat it as an annual and replant again the following year. Consider using pots for herbaceous plants that may be invasive in your area. Mint, lemon balm and comfrey plants. These plants can be invasive, multiplying easily, taking up space and competing with other plants for nutrients. Place the pots on the corners of your herb garden, so that you can water them together. Choose the number of herbs you will plant according to how often you use the herb. For example, if you love cooking with rosemary, you might want more than one plant so you can use it as often as you'd like. If you cook Italian food a lot, you would want to plant more basil and parsley plants.  Different herb varieties produce different-sized plants. For example, some rosemary varieties grow into large bushes, while others remain quite small. Take this information into account when you're planning your garden. If you like making pesto, plant at least two or three basil plants. Pesto requires a large amount of basil leaves, and picking too many from one plant can cause it to die. If there's an herb you use as an occasional garnish, one plant should suffice. For example, if you like to sprinkle chives over your potatoes or omelets, one or two plants will be sufficient. The easiest way to quickly jumpstart your garden is to buy young plants you can transplant into the ground. The roots will immediately begin to grow, and you'll have the herbs you need for cooking right away. If it's too early to plant full-grown plants, you can try growing them inside. You might consider choosing seedlings or seeds instead. If you plant from seeds, start the seeds about two weeks before the outdoor temperature is warm with no chance of another frost. Moisten the seeds for 2 to 4 hours, as indicated on the package. Plant herb seeds in a seed tray and keep them on a warm windowsill. Keep the soil moist, and you should see seedlings within 7 to 14 days.Place a sheet of plastic wrap over them to create a "greenhouse effect" if the room is chilly.
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One-sentence summary --
Decide what herbs to plant in your garden. Research what varieties thrive in your area. Decide how many herb plants to grow. Buy herb plants, seedlings or seeds.