Article: . Choose an appropriate mulch to help reduce erosion and suppress weeds. Organic, wood-based mulch will also retain moisture. As it decomposes, it will improve the soil over time, but it needs to be replaced regularly. A stone or gravel mulch, on the other hand, does not need to be replaced, but can retain a good deal of heat in sunny areas, which can damage delicate plants. Whichever mulch you choose, apply it to a thickness of 2-4 inches (5–10 centimeters) around shrubs, trees, and flower beds. Do not put it in direct contact with plant stems. Avoid plastic mulch and other mulch that does not allow water and air to pass through. Develop a water thrifty drip irrigation system if necessary to minimize evaporation and run-off. If using a sprinkler system instead, use low volume emitters, preferably with a rain sensor that automatically switches the sprinkler off on rainy days If you're watering by hand or using a timed watering system, water deeply and infrequently to encourage the development of deep roots that can make use of water in the soil. Always water between 6pm and 10am, to minimize loss from evaporation. Slow-release fertilizers are less effort for the gardener, and reduce the chance of over-fertilization. If you apply fertilizer in too large a quantity, you might be encouraging tall, straggly growth that root development cannot keep up with, making the plant more resource-intensive. Use organic composts and topdressing mulches as well. Regular maintenance is a core value of xeriscaping plans. Check on your garden often, and you'll be able to address problems before they get out of hand. Here are some basic tips to keep your garden attractive and maximize its  water use:  Remove weeds by hand before they get established. Reduce water and fertilizer if your plants have weak, straggly growth. When mowing your lawn, remove no more than 1/3 of the grass height, and use a sharp mower blade.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Mulch Consider irrigation. Time your watering. Fertilize sparingly. Handle your garden's upkeep.
Article: Try to answer the door yourself so that you can greet your guests and also keep a mental note of how many people have shown up. That way, you can turn people away at the door if the party starts to get out of hand.  If you are throwing a large party, try and speak with everyone who arrives and not just your close friends. If more people start showing up to your party than you initially invited, don’t be afraid to turn them away. You are responsible for the people you let into your home, so only allow people you are comfortable with to join the party. Even if you have the lights dimmed in your home, the number of people inside your house will be on display through an open window. Make sure that all of the curtains and blinds in your home are closed.  This is especially important if you have flashing lights set up for your party, as strobing or colored lights will quickly draw outside attention. Avoid having your neighbors file a noise complaint with the police by keeping the music volume down. If you can hear the music word-for-word outside of your house, then it is too loud. Remember, the louder your music is, the louder your guests will have to be to talk over it. This is especially important if you are hosting your party on a weekday. Neighbors will tend to be more forgiving about noise levels on the weekends, like on a Friday or Saturday night. However, since most people work on the weekdays, they might be less tolerable on a Sunday through Thursday night. Smaller get-togethers are fun but may require more of your attention to keep everyone engaged. An easy way to keep your friends chatting is through simple team games or activities. Most games, like “Never Have I Ever” and “TrueAmerican” can be arranged last-minute with household items and will provide hours of laughs and entertainment. If you or a friend has a fun card game, like “Apples to Apples” or “Cards Against Humanity,” have that nearby to play with everyone. If you catch anyone attempting to light up inside of your home, quickly ask them to smoke outside. The smell of cigarettes and other vaping substances will linger long after the party is over. After the party, make sure to check outside of your home for cigarette butts and dispose of them. If your parents see them, it may draw unwanted suspicion. If you indicated an end time for the party verbally or on your invitations and your guests aren't leaving when the time comes, you may need to nicely inform them to start filing out. If there are a lot of guests, enlist some of your friends to help you encourage people to leave when you need them to. Don't be afraid to tell people to leave! If it makes it easier, you can always say something like, "My parents will be home soon, so I need to clear everyone ASAP." As your guests start to filter out, make sure that anyone who was drinking alcohol has a ride home. Do not let your friends walk home alone in the dark intoxicated, and do not let them get behind the wheel. If needed, arrange a ride home for your intoxicated friend with someone at the party who is sober or through a local shuttle service. If you can’t find a ride for your intoxicated guests, allow them to sleep over. Just make sure that you wake them up early enough, so they are gone by the time your parents get home.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Greet people as they arrive to keep tabs on the number of guests. Close any curtains to reduce the amount of attention drawn to your house. Keep the music volume at a respectable level to avoid alerting your neighbors. Initiate group activities to engage everyone during smaller parties. Keep your house smelling fresh by having your guests smoke outside. Ask guests to leave if you need to end the party at a certain time. Do not let your friends drive home under the influence.
Article: Just like with your physical files, you'll want to start with the broadest categories that your files fit into. For example, if you are an independent contractor, you might want to organize your files by employer. That is, create one folder for each of them. Then, you should split your files up within each broad category into smaller ones. This means that your employer folders could be further split into different folders containing information about each project with that employer.  Consider staying consistent within each broad category. This will make your files easier to find. For example, you could have the subfolder for each project contain files like "project documents", "billing," and "communications."  You can also organize folders broadly by year if that seems easier or more relevant to your files. It can be beneficial to have all of your files saved electronically in one place. Despite the time required, you should try to scan in as many of your physical documents as possible so that they can be electronically saved and backed up. In addition, make sure to download any files held online in other places, just in case the hosting website becomes inaccessible when you need the files again. Organize these files as you would any others. File names should be easily understandable and unique. That is, you should be able to look at your file names and immediately know what is contained in them. Try including a date, a signifier of the folders that will contain the file, and an individual descriptor. For example, a billing file created in June of 2016 for your client X Corp might be called "0616_XCorp_Invoice_2." This will allow you to know exactly what the file contains without taking the time to open it. Whatever system you use to name your files, just make sure to do so consistently. Once you've chosen a system, stick with it; it will be hard to go back and rename all of your files later. The primary danger of electronic file keeping is that your information is susceptible to loss through a computer crash. Be prepared for this by regularly backing up your files to an online backup service, CDs, or an external hard drive. Be sure to label these storage devices as clearly as you have labeled your files. If you have an external drive or CDs, consider keeping them in a safe place away from your primary residence to avoid a total loss from a fire or natural disaster.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Start with broad categories then get more specific. Scan or download files you don't already have electronically. Give your files specific names. Back up your files regularly.