INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Ice baths may help you get a burst of energy or might help you improve your mood. However, they aren’t appropriate for everyone, especially if you have an underlying health condition. Talk to your doctor about why you want to try cold therapy and if it’s right for you. For instance, taking ice baths can be dangerous if you have a heart condition. Your doctor can help you determine if you have any risks that might make it harmful to take an ice bath. Don’t fill up your tub because the ice and your body will raise the volume of the water. Turn on the faucet that controls the cold water and wait for the water to rise about halfway up the tub. Then, switch off the water faucet. Use cold water because warm water will melt your ice too quickly. Use store-bought ice or ice from your freezer, whichever is most convenient to you. Drop a few handfuls of ice in the tub, then check the temperature with a thermometer. Continue to add ice in small amounts until the water reaches about 68 °F (20 °C). If you like, it’s okay to lower your temperature so that it’s colder. However, don’t lower it below 55 °F (13 °C), which can harm your skin or your health. Sit back against the back of your tub and try to enjoy your soak. Breathe slowly in and out, drawing the air deep into your lungs. You might also count your breaths to help you relieve any tension in your body. Set a timer for 5 minutes and try to stay in the bath until it goes off. Get out of the bath early if you feel too uncomfortable or feel like your heart is racing. Don’t push your body further than it’s ready to go. You can still get the benefits you want without soaking in a tub. Instead, stand under a cold shower for at least a minute. If you can stand it, stay under the water for a full 3 minutes. For a daily energy boost, end your morning shower with a blast of cold water. Take your bath or shower early in the morning to improve your mood for that day. If you like, take another bath or shower later in the day. Continue using it as long as you feel like it’s helping you have more energy or to cope with your anxiety or depression. Cold therapy isn’t a substitute for working with a therapist or taking medication for anxiety or depression. Don’t stop any of your prescribed treatments unless your doctor says it’s okay.

SUMMARY: Check with your doctor before using cold therapy to treat yourself. Fill your tub halfway with cold water. Add ice to lower the temperature to about 68 °F (20 °C). Relax in the tub for about 5 minutes by taking slow, deep breaths. Take a 1-3 minute cold shower for an easier option. Use cold therapy once or twice a day to improve your mood.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use a hammer and chisel to break off the damaged stucco and lath from the sheathing of the wall, but you must leave some lath around the damaged area, as the new lath will be tied to the old. The stucco should fall off fairly easily. If you wet down the wall, it will reduce the dust that comes off at this step. from the non-damaged stucco in the outside of the patch area. This is the lath previously described as important that should not be removed. Pulling it back will allow you to work it a little more comfortably. Cut it as big as the uncovered portion of the lath. Use the hammer tacker to stick the piece on the sheathing.  It is best to have the new piece go behind the old tar paper at the top (so if any moisture gets inside the wall, it will run out and away from the wood) and to have the new tar paper in front of the old tar paper at the bottom (so that is any moisture gets in the wall, it will run outside, away from the wood). Use as few staples as possible because holes in the tar paper can let water in. Use the rubber membrane to seal of the outside edge of the lath. The rubber membrane may not stick well to the area being sealed off. In that case, tack a few staples in or improvise in order to keep it in place. Instead of rubber membrane, which is quite expensive, you can use a tube of Polyurethane sealer, which costs less and was used by builders for this purpose prior to the invention of rubber membrane. Cut the piece size to fit into the patch area. The metal lath should be large enough to fit beyond where the metal lath from the good stucco on the outside edge can fit over the cut piece. Place the lath in the patch and place a few nails in that will keep it in place. Place nails in places that will provide a good anchor to the lath. Don't worry about hitting studs because it is only a patch. The nails should be spaced about 6 inches (15.2 cm) apart. Take the old lath that you bent outwards and bend it over the new piece of lath you installed. Place nails where the two pieces overlap.

SUMMARY: Chop the Stucco. Pull back the old metal lath. Cut a piece of the double D tar paper. Seal the outside edge of the metal lath. Cut a piece of metal lath. Seat the lath. Nail in the lath. Overlap the lath.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Conserving energy sometimes requires making small sacrifices, and getting more familiar with the heat of summer is one of them. Leaving the air conditioner on all the time is a great way to use loads of energy and keep your electricity bills high.  Turn off the air conditioner when you aren't home. There's no reason for your house to stay cool while you're at work. Use the air conditioner in just one or two rooms where you spend the most time. Close the doors in the air conditioned rooms to keep the cool air inside. Cool off in other ways. Take a cool shower in the heat of the day, go to the pool, or spend time under a shade tree. Try to limit your use of the air conditioner to just a few hours a day. Heating a home is another big energy drain. It's possible to reduce the amount of energy you use by simply lowering the thermostat by a few degrees in the winter. Keep warm by wearing multiple layers of clothing and  throw blankets over you. Keeping the cool or warm air in, depending on the season, is an important way to save energy. If a window gets left open, your air conditioner or furnace has to go into overdrive to keep things at a steady temperature.  Hire a contractor to take a look at your home and determine whether better insulation is required around the basement, foundation, attic, and other areas. Use caulk and seals to seal the cracks around your doors and windows. Use plastic sheeting over your windows during the winter to keep drafty air out of the house. Taking shorter, cooler showers reduces the amount of water your water heater needs to heat on a daily basis. Washing your clothes on the cold setting is another way to avoid using too much hot water.

SUMMARY:
Turn off the air conditioner. Keep your house a few degrees cooler in the winter. Insulate your house. Use less hot water.