Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Verbalize your gratitude. Receive with open body language. Resist the urge to deny the gift. Don't get carried away. Give credit where credit is due. Follow the appropriate protocol. Avoid competing with the giver.

Answer: When receiving a gift of any kind, you should absolutely tell the giver “thank you” for it.  "Thank you" is the best response you can offer no matter what you receive. Expressing thanks demonstrates your desire to accept the gift, compliment, or sentiment while still being humble about it. If simply saying "thanks" feels awkward to you, follow the phrase with a secondary phrase that continues to express gratitude. Try something like, "I appreciate the compliment," or, "That's very thoughtful of you." Your nonverbal response is just as important as your verbal response. At minimum, you should receive the vast majority of gifts with a smile.  Smiling indicates happiness, and the point of any gift is to make the receiver happy. Smiling when you receive something allows the giver to know that the gift was appreciated, regardless of whether the smile is shy and polite or huge and enthusiastic. Aside from smiling, you should also do things like maintaining eye contact and leaning in toward the giver. Even if you feel uncomfortable, you should avoid crossing your arms, looking away, or appearing disinterested. If you have a hard time receiving, your natural reaction might be to deflect or reject a gift that is offered to you. Doing so is actually more likely to cause a negative reaction than receiving the gift would cause, however. Put yourself into the giver's shoes and think of how it feels when someone denies a compliment or suspiciously rejects a gift. Most people will either be saddened when they realize the receiver doesn't know his or her own value, or frustrated by the implication that the gift or sentiment was somehow dishonest. It is also possible, of course, to seem conceited when you receive something. Failing to express genuine gratitude may make you appear egotistical, which can also cause a negative response from the giver. Appearing egotistical can usually be avoided as long as you stick to the standard “thank you” script. You should still avoid following your thanks with words of self-promotion, though. For instance, if someone compliments your appearance, avoid replying with, “Thanks; I get that all the time,” or, “Thanks; I know.” A fair, appropriate way to demonstrate humility when you receive something like a compliment or a reward is to acknowledge others who put you into a position to receive the gift. For instance, if you receive a compliment about a project that was successfully completed as part of a team effort, tell the giver something along the lines of, "The entire team put in a lot of effort, and it wouldn't have been possible without everyone's input. Thank you for acknowledging us." Depending on the situation, it might be socially appropriate to follow up with a more formal thanks or return gift. This principle won't always apply, but following it when convention deems it appropriate can help you feel more comfortable with the gift you received. This is a big issue to consider when receiving gifts for formal occasions, like weddings and baby showers. As you receive the gift in person, a quick “thank you” is appropriate. Later on, you should also follow up with a more formal thank you note acknowledging the gift in greater detail. No matter what the circumstances are, you should never turn the practice of giving into a competition. Giving and receiving are two sides of the same action, and there is no shame in being on either side of that action. This can be especially tempting when receiving compliments. If someone compliments your work, don't return the praise by offering higher praise. For instance, you shouldn't reply with, "Thank you, but you could've done a better job." Even if you believe such a statement, it is best to accept the praise without argument.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Verify that the cat is actually a stray. Take the cat to the local vet to be scanned for a microchip. Try to find the cat's owner.

Answer: Of course it might be you are followed home by a stray and the cat really needs a home. However, you may have been followed home by a cat that is simply lost and needs to find its way home. If is important to determine which is the case before you move forward. The vet can scan for the presence of a microchip that gives an id number for the cat. If the microchip is present, you can contact the database with the cat's number and reunite the lost kitty with its owners. It might be the cat got lost and has been living rough but is really a much loved family pet. If the cat is not chipped and appears to be a stray, you should still take steps to find the owners. It is ideal to reunite it with its family but it is also important to look for the owners in order to comply with local regulations, which vary from place to place.   Consider methods such as putting up posters describing the cat, contacting all vet clinics in the area and asking them to take the details, informing local shelters, and even asking the local radio to put a call out for the owners to come forward. After 7 days of real effort to find the owner, the cat is considered adoptable.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Identify plants spider mites are attracted to. Recognize the signs. Check for spider mites.

Answer: Spider mites are attracted to many plants, including indoor and outdoor, with some of those being strawberries, melons, beans, tomatoes, eggplant, pea pods, ornamental flowers, trees, and most houseplants. When checking for spider mites, you'll be able to identify plants they have infested by the state of the plant. Spider mites suck the sap from the plant, which causes damage to its leaves. Some noticeable signs of spider mites are:  Yellow, tan, or white spots on the leaves Very small white or red spots on the leaves that move (these are the spider mites) White, cottony webbing that appears on the underside of the leaves Eventually leaves may curl up after changing color and fall off Before you begin treating spider mites, it's good to be familiar with what they look like and the harm they cause. If you are unable to see them on the leaf, hold the stem of your plant over white paper and gently shake, causing the spider mites to fall on the paper.   Spider mites are very small, so they can be difficult to see, but with a magnifying glass you will be able to make out a small body with eight legs, and a red, brown, yellow, or green coloring. Spider mites are most common in hot, dry and dusty conditions and most prevalent in places where they have no predators, such as plants that have been treated with insecticide.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Calculate the cost of your materials. Determine your labor cost per hour. Consider compensating yourself for any commission you’ll have to pay. Research similar quilts on auction sites if you’re selling vintage quilts.

Answer:
Quilting-quality fabric can easily cost around $13 USD a yard, but that’s only a fraction of the cost of crafting a quilt. You will also need to factor in the cost of backing fabric, thread, batting, binding, fusible web, and anything else you used in the fabrication of your quilt.  You may even want to factor in the depreciation of some of your equipment, like your sewing machine and needles. The materials needed for a 68 by 94 inches (170 cm × 240 cm) quilt will likely cost at least $150 USD. Only you can decide how much your time is worth. Some quilters sell their work for just the cost of materials, but this makes it harder for other quilters who feel they deserve to be compensated for their time. For the most part, the more experience you have making quilts, the more you should charge per hour.  If you’re selling the very first quilt you ever made, you may want to use your local minimum wage (for instance, $7.25 in most areas of the U.S.) to determine your rate. If you’ve been making quilts for years and you know your work is high-quality, you should compare your rate to that of other skilled craftsmen. Skilled carpenters, for instance, earn around $23/hour in the U.S.  Once you come up with your hourly rate, keep track of how long it takes you to create the quilt, then multiply your rate by the number of hours to get your final labor cost. Most online shops charge the seller a commission in exchange for listing their items. If you’ll have to pay a commission, you may want to include this in the price of your quilt.  Some quilters consider this one of the costs of doing business, and opt to cover the commission out of their own pockets. The commission for a sale on Etsy, for instance, is 3.5%.  Most sites charge the buyer for shipping separately from the total cost of the item. If you’re selling a quilt that you didn’t make yourself, it can be harder to calculate the value. Look online for quilts from the same time period or made in a similar pattern, then compare the prices of several different options to try to come up with a base price. If you know who made the quilt, try searching for other quilts by the same person or region to determine their value.