Article: Combine peppermint, rosemary, thyme, and clove oils in a bowl or cup, using 4-5 drops of each one. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle with water in it before shaking it all together. Spray the water and oil mixture onto plants that aphids have been eating. Designate 1 spray bottle as your essential oil sprayer. The oils tend to perfume and permeate the plastic, making them less than ideal for other uses going forward. Do this by chopping up 3-4 cloves of garlic before mixing them with 2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of mineral oil. Leave the mixture alone for 24 hours before straining out the garlic chunks. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle with 16 ounces (450 g) of regular water and 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of dish soap before spraying the garlic concoction onto the plants. You can also make a tomato leaf spray to use on the plants. By mixing neem oil with a little bit of water, you’ll create an organic concoction that helps repel aphids. Pour the water and neem oil into a spray bottle and apply it to sections of the plant that are affected by aphids.  Find neem oil at a home and garden store, some big box stores, or online. Note that neem oil will perfume any sprayers for a long time. It’s best to designate a particular bottle for this use. You can also use horticultural oil to spray onto the plants. These soaps can be bought from a gardening supplier or online. Read the instructions to find out how much of the soap to mix with water before spraying it on the plants to help fend off aphids.  These soaps are designed to kill the aphids. Insecticidal soaps are less toxic to mammals (humans and pets) than chemical insecticides. That said, follow the manufacturer’s directions about any safety precautions or gear you should wear when using them.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Mix together essential oils to use on the plants. Create a homemade garlic spray to use on the aphids. Spray neem oil onto plants affected by aphids. Enlist an insecticidal soap to help control aphids.
Article: Don’t be too modest. A performance review is your opportunity to single out those things you did that are most worthy. Tout them. Be proud of them.  Focus the report around the things you did best during the year that had the most impact on the company. You want to choose things you did that most closely matched the company's mission and that were specifically mentioned in your last performance review. You don't need to discuss everything you did during a year. Do show diplomacy and professionalism in how you highlight your own accomplishments, though. Stay positive, and don’t insult or put down colleagues. Stay focused on the merits of your own work. Don’t forget to mention the achievements you made early on in the performance period. Sometimes people focus on the things they did toward the end. Anyone can write a report filled with a bunch of platitudes and generalities. If you back up what you say with evidence, it’s more persuasive.  Fill your performance review with facts, figures, and specific dates. For example, let’s say your job is to run social media accounts for a company. It would be a good idea to include metrics with your review (new likes achieved, engagement, things like that.) Figure out what metric you can use to add some credibility to your claims. Compare your results back to the company’s goals and overall mission. That way, you are demonstrating your value as an employee. The review should be very specific when it comes to listing performance goals that you want to accomplish during the next year. You should also talk about developmental goals, which are things you strive to accomplish.  Explain how you will accomplish those goals. Include an assessment of the specific performance goals outlined at the beginning of the review period, and how well you met them. If you were also asked to do work outside your job description or showed initiative to go above and beyond the call of duty, it’s good to mention that too. Most likely, your company has a set of core competencies that it expects you to meet on the job. You should outline those, and discuss them in some depth.  Focus on how you demonstrated the competencies expected specifically and mention how you went above and beyond the expectations. Using the words of the company’s own competencies is important because it will concretely link your achievements back to the company’s expectations. So speak the company’s lingo. Some performance reviews will ask you to rate yourself. You should understand very clearly what the ratings you are choosing mean.  A 5 rating usually means you showed leadership and are a change agent at the company. A 4 rating usually means you exhibited behavior that has exceeded the company’s standards and provided role modeling. A 3 rating means you have met the behaviors expected (generally). But you should check with your company to make sure how the company defines and perceives each rating score. To some companies, a 3 rating might mean average and not perceived as good enough. A 1 or 2 would be a poor self-review, which is not going to get you very far. Sometimes companies will ask for the review in a pre-set order. If they don’t, the way you organize the review can be very important.  Start with a very strong, positive opening statement. This statement should provide the bottom line summary of your year.  List your accomplishments next, including the details to back them up. For every accomplishment, ask yourself “so what”? This helps you focus on evidence that shows how your contribution was relevant or valuable. You would never want to start a performance review with a negative. If there is a goal you didn’t meet or an area you acknowledge you need to improve, don’t put it at the end of the report either. That’s because you want to start with a positive and end with a positive. The ending matters because it’s sometimes what people remember most. Put the things you need to improve in the middle.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Emphasize the highlights of your performance most. Outline tangible benefits from your performance. Outline and discuss performance goals. Discuss core competencies. Choose ratings carefully. Organize the review for greatest effectiveness.
Article: Buy rhinestones or plastic jewels at a craft store and use super glue to attach them to your candle. Arrange them in a cool pattern or fun design, or simply sprinkle them across the candle randomly. Use matching colors on a plain candle for the best look. You can also buy rhinestones with sticky backs that can attach directly to the candle. Buy enough cinnamon sticks to surround the candle. Place a small dot of hot glue on the back of each and press it against the candle, placing it vertically with the bottom in line with the bottom of the candle. Continue all the way around the candle, then tie a piece of ribbon around them for decoration. You can embellish it even more with a sprig of holly or cranberries. For a simple, pretty decoration, use matching ribbon to tie a real or fake flower to the outside of your candle. You can even layer on multiple ribbons for a fancier look. Consider removing the flowers or cutting them shorter as the candle burns down. Choose a ribbon or yarn that matches or offsets your candle color, then twirl it around the candle to create a striped, candy cane effect. Tilting the ribbon at an angle, so that the stripes are slanting diagonally across the candle, makes it look even more professional. Use a paintbrush to spread Mod Podge or liquid glue on the bottom half or third of your candle. Roll it through beach sand, then let it dry overnight. When it’s done, glue a shell just above the sand, or tie it on with twine or string.  This method looks best with a plain white or cream candle. You can add as many seashells as you like.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Bedazzle your candles with plastic jewels. Ring your candle with cinnamon sticks for a homey look and sweet scent. Use a ribbon to tie flowers onto your candle. Wind bright yarn or fabric around the candle for a striped look. Glue on seashells and sand for a beachy vibe.