The longer it takes for water to make its way through the hose and into your pool, the warmer that water will be. While fifty feet of hose is generally sufficient, additional length means the water will have even more time to warm up. The added surface area of the hose collects more heat, as well. If you use a dark-colored hose, the water can get even warmer because dark colors absorb more solar energy.  A black rubber hose is ideal and relatively inexpensive. You can also use a black garden irrigation pipe, because it’s thin walls allow for a faster heat transfer. While it is inexpensive, it will also kink easily. Both of these are available in most home supply stores. When filling your pool, make sure the hose gets full sun exposure to absorb as much energy as possible. Point the hose directly towards the sun or mount your hose on a board that can be angled toward the sun for even more exposure. You may want to consider mounting the hose on a board and attach it to a sun-facing roof. This is not recommended unless you have a suitable low roof, such a shed, or are skilled at working at roof height. A thinner stream of water will heat more quickly when filling your pool. Use a hose that is ⅝ or ½ inch in diameter to slowly fill the pool. Try keeping the stream around half an inch in diameter to allow it to take in heat while still filling the pool at a decent rate. Always fill up your pool on a sunny day to take the most advantage of the sun’s energy.
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One-sentence summary -- Use a long, dark-colored hose to fill up your pool. Make sure the hose is in direct sunlight. Fill the pool slowly with a thin hose.


Enter your crush’s first and last name, along with a few identifying details to narrow the search -- for instance, their hometown, school, or workplace. If you don’t know their full name or don’t have any identifying details, you may have to sort through several pages of search results. Try switching to Google Images to see if any pictures of your crush come up. If you have access to a picture of them, like a Facebook profile pic, you can  do a screen capture and search for their picture online. Click the camera icon on the Google Images home page and upload your screen capture, and Google will look for matches online. If your Google search comes up short, or if you’re still looking for additional information, you might want to try a search engine designed specifically for looking up people. Pipl, 123People and PeekYou are some specialized search engines that may be useful. Be aware that you can’t believe everything these search engines pull up. If you find any information that seems unlikely or doesn’t add up, keep in mind that it could be inaccurate. It’s easiest to find someone on Facebook if you know their first and last name, or if you have mutual friends on Facebook. How much you can see of their profile will vary depending on what their privacy settings are. However, you can also search for “[their name] + photos,” which will show you other people’s photos that they are tagged in. Instagram is a little harder to find people on, unless you happen to know their Instagram handle. If you have mutual friends, try looking at your friends’ followers to see if you can spot them. If you found their Facebook profile, you can look for Instagram photos in their Photos section, which should link to their Instagram account. You won’t necessarily find a lot of personal information on Twitter, but reading your crush’s tweets may give you an idea of what they care about and what their sense of humor is like. This is also easier if you happen to know their handle, as many people don’t use their real names on Twitter. Try looking at mutual friends’ followers again, or search for their Instagram handle if you know it, as it may be the same as their Twitter handle. You can learn a lot about someone from what kind of music they like, and you may be able to see what they’ve listened to most recently or what playlists they have. it will also give you a chance to see if you like any of the same bands, which could be a great conversation starter. If you do decide to talk to them about bands you both like, don’t let on that you already know what they listen to. Find a natural way to bring it up in conversation, like, “I can’t stop listening to this new album by the National. Have you heard of them?” While whatever information you might find online about your crush is technically public, they may not appreciate having details about their life shared with people they don’t know very well. Keeping these things to yourself can also save you the embarrassment of having to admit to your crush that you were looking them up!
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One-sentence summary -- Start with a simple Google search. Try a search engine that’s just for people. Look up their Facebook profile. Find their Instagram account. Search for them on Twitter. Check out their Spotify profile. Keep what you learn about your crush to yourself.


Measure the height and width of the space you want to cover, such as under a bed or desk. Sew a curtain panel according to these measurements, then slide it onto a tension rod. Insert the tension rod under the bed or desk legs, then adjust the curtain to your liking.  Instead of sewing 1 long panel, sew 2 to 3 narrower panels. This will make it easier to access the things you need. This works great for bunk beds, shelves, and entertainment cabinets. You can even use it in place of closet doors. If you have a cat, place the litter box under a table, then cover the sides of the table with your makeshift curtains. Slide small metal pails onto a tension rod, then place the rod into a sunny window. Place potted herbs into the pails for an instant, mini herb garden! Don't plant the herbs directly into the pails as they don't have good drainage. Put them into smaller plastic pots first, or leave them in the pots that they came in. Place 2 tension rods inside a deep drawer, 1 on each side. Get some hanging file folders meant for a filing cabinet, and place them inside the drawer; the hooks will sit right on the rods.  Place the rods down the length of the drawer on the left and right sides. Don't place them towards the front and back. The rods need to be high enough so that they can hold up the folders. About 10 inches (25 cm) from the bottom should be enough. Thin, slender rods will work the best for this. Don't use thicker ones, or they will create too much bulk. Decide on the height of your pet barrier, then sew a curtain panel that has a pocket on both the top and bottom edges. Slide a tension rod through each pocket, then insert it into your doorway. If you need to, use thumbtacks to secure the sides of the curtain to your doorframe.  The bottom edge of the curtain must have a pocket and be attached to the bottom rod, otherwise your pet will just crawl under it. Use 1 panel for this, not 2, otherwise your pet will find a way to crawl between the panels. The barrier needs to be tall enough so that your pet can't climb over it, but low enough so that you can step over it. Simply close all of your drawers, and slide your tension rod vertically down through all of the handles. Keep in mind that this only works with drawers that have C-shaped handles, and not with knobs.  This is best for drawers that you don't use regularly, as you will need to remove the tension rod each time that you want to open them. This is also a great solution for nosey pets who have learned how to open drawers.
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One-sentence summary --
Hide clutter with custom curtains. Place a tension rod in a sunny window and hang plants from it. Convert a deep drawer into a filing cabinet with 2 tension rods. Attach a tension rod to both sides of a curtain to create a pet barrier. Slide a tension rod through the handles of drawers to baby-proof them.