Problem: Article: It may fall on you to begin a savings plan for college expenses, the first car, and helping to find that first job. Be actively involved in working out what is needed for the child's future, talking to the mother first and then including the child where appropriate. Smoking, excessive drinking, and recreational drugs have no place in a home with children in it. This may not be the politically correct position, but from the effects of secondhand smoke on young lungs, to the acceptance of illegal drugs as a "norm", these are not good behaviors to model for children. If you have problems with addiction to substances, seek help. If you must smoke, always smoke outdoors, away from the child. Accept the unique qualities of each team member, the limitations, even the eccentricities.  There will be good times, even great times, but there will be conflict, disagreements, and letdowns. Patience, love, and a sympathetic view should help you through these challenges. You are the adult, no matter what the situation, you should remember that, and that problems may seem huge, but often will be forgotten in tomorrows rush, or laughed about next year.  Be yourself. It is almost impossible to set up pretense of doing, being, enjoying, or acting in ways that are not you. You may impress your stepchild for a while, but the real you will emerge sooner or later. You chose to enter into a relationship with a woman with children, so you ultimately chose to be a role model and a parental figure to her child or children. It is a good idea to keep a good rapport with your stepchild's biological father, except in cases where he is not welcome in your stepchild's life. A large proportion of stepfathers are good friends with the biological fathers of their stepchildren––both men are acting in the best interest of the child and collaborate. If both men are reasonable, impasses are uncommon. Never pass up an opportunity to tell you stepchild that you love him or her. Sometimes always thinking about it would make you feel uneasy and unnatural around your child. Just treat him/her as you would your own child: if you love your spouse so much, why shouldn't you love her child?
Summary: Help plan the future of the stepchild. Be a good example to your stepchild. Remember, being a step-dad is a leadership role as part of a team. Try to forget that he/she is not your biological child.

Problem: Article: Use a 2-inch (5.1-cm) craft hole punch to cut 5 to 6 circles from the front of a Christmas card. Fold the circles in half, with the design facing in. Glue the front of each folded circle to the back of the next circle to make a ball. Poke a hole in the top of the ornament, then thread a piece of string through it. Tie the ends together to make a loop. Use the step above to make several 3D ornament balls. Use a tapestry needle to thread them onto a long piece of string. Tie a knot to either side of each ball to keep it in place. Tie a loop at each end of the string, then hang the garland up. You can use this method to create garlands for other occasions, such as Halloween or Easter. Simply use cards from that occasion or holiday. Use a pen to trace a cookie cutter onto the front of a Christmas card, then cut the shape out. Poke a hole in the top of the shape, then thread a short piece of string or ribbon through the hole. Tie the ends of the string or ribbon together to make a hanging loop. Reindeer and gingerbread men make great, festive shapes, but you can use others too, such as hearts, stars, or Christmas trees. Cut a 2-inch (5.1-cm) circle from colored cardstock, and a 1 3⁄4-inch (4.4-cm) circle from white, gold, or silver cardstock. Finally, cut a 1 1⁄2-inch (3.8-cm) circle from the front of a Christmas card. Stack and glue the circles together, then poke a hole in the top. Thread thin ribbon through the hole, then tie the ends together to make a hanging loop.  Use circle-shaped craft hole punches to make your circles nice and neat. For a fancier touch, use a scalloped circle punch for the 1 3⁄4-inch (4.4-cm) circle. Embellish your ornament with glitter glue or tiny rhinestones. Choose a set of cards that come from the same holiday or occasion. Cut the front of the cards into 4 1⁄2-inch (1.3-cm) triangles. Glue the bottom edge of each triangle to a 1-inch (2.5-cm) wide ribbon; for a more durable finish, sew across the top with a zigzag stitch.  How long the ribbon is depends on how many triangles you cut and how long you want the garland to be. Leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between each triangle. Glue a flat, 2-hole or 4-hole button between each card for a rustic touch. For a nicer finish, glue the triangle cards to slightly larger triangles cut from colored cardstock. Alternatively, punch a hole in the 2 bottom corners of each triangle, then weave the ribbon up and down through the holes.
Summary: Turn cards into 3D ornaments. Make several 3D ornament balls, then string them together for a garland. Use cookie cutters to make Christmas card ornaments. Layer cut Christmas cards with cardstock to make fancier ornaments. Cut cards into triangles, then glue them to a ribbon to make a garland.

Problem: Article: It may seem self-evident, but knowledge is the key to writing a successful manual. For example, if you’re writing a camera manual, knowing that an f-stop and the shutter speed are not just 2 separate functions—they are—but knowing how they interact with each other will make it much easier for you to describe each function as it relates to the whole. If your role is simply the writer rather than the subject matter expert, involve knowledgeable people throughout the process and make sure they review your work. Their knowledge and advice is invaluable. If possible, doing the thing you are writing about will, at the very least, give you a feel for what the user will want to learn. Learn to talk the talk, and become conversant in the product you are writing about.  Manuals of similar products will show you how other writers have tackled the subject.  Look for similarities among the writers, which indicates both common functionality and common approaches to describing something. Look for differences that stand out. Those are likely to be functions that are unique to a given product. Your product may or may not include those functions, or may have alternate ways of solving the problem that you can describe, enhancing the value of your product. While your job may be writing a how-to, showing the customers the value of their purchase is a great way to encourage them to continue reading.   Devour trade magazines. Find out how the people who use the products work with them day-to-day. They may wish there was a function that solved their particular problem, and if your product is the solution, that needs to be highlighted.
Summary: This is key. Talk to experts. Try a hands-on approach. Read up on the subject.

Problem: Article: Aero can be a little taxing on your system, so you'll want to be sure you meet the following requirements before enabling it. You can see what your current hardware setup is by pressing ⊞ Win+Pause.  1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 1-GHz 64-bit (x64) processor 1 GB of system memory DirectX 9 graphics card with 128 MB memory Windows Vista Home Premium or better (Home Basic and Starter do not support Aero)     Apply.
Summary:
Ensure your computer meets the requirements. Right-click on your desktop. Select "Personalize". Click the "Windows Color and Appearance" link. Select "Windows Aero" from the list of schemes. Click .