This will be your first line of defense if a burning log falls out of the fireplace, or a piece of furniture catches fire. Familiarize yourself with how the fire extinguisher works when you purchase it. Also check the expiration date; if your fire extinguisher has expired, purchase a new one at your local hardware store immediately.  To extinguish a fire without using a fire extinguisher (say, if you need to leave the house or want to go to bed), you can “collapse” the fire on itself—push the logs down to remove the airflow under the blaze, which will smother the fire. This is not an immediate process and it may still take about 30 minutes for the fire to be reduced to coals, which you can then shovel extinguished ashes on top of to put out. In case of fire, always have a smoke alarm in each room of your house. Make sure that the detectors work by checking them once a month, and change the batteries annually. Also install carbon-monoxide detectors in your home. You may not need a carbon monoxide detector on every room, but you house should have one on every level or floor. If you have children, make sure they realize that these alarms are important devices and not to be tampered or played with. In order to reduce the risk of a house fire, keep the area within 5 feet (1.5 m) of your fireplace clear, otherwise you'll risk these items catching on fire. Don't set any furniture, animal beds, or pillows in this area. If you have a rug near the fireplace, make sure that it's nonflammable.  If you store firewood and kindling inside your house, make sure that these flammable supplies are set back from the fireplace. It would cause immediate danger if a burning spark were to ignite your entire firewood supply indoors.
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One-sentence summary -- Keep a fire extinguisher near the fireplace. Install smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. Keep the area clear.


The introduction will set the tone for the rest of your speech, so try to express gratitude and connect with the audience right away. A light-hearted joke to open your speech is fine, but avoid sarcasm or joking about the merits of the award itself. The exact length of your introduction will depend on how much time you're allotted to speak, but generally, you should try to keep it brief. For example, you could write “I am so honored to be standing here today to receive this community leadership award. Serving my community has been a joy and a privilege that I am grateful for every single day. I wouldn't be able to do it if it weren't for all the amazing people in this city." The bulk of your speech should be devoted to showing gratitude and thanking the people that helped you get the award. Reference the list you made of people you want to thank and include them in the body of your speech. You want to give thanks to those who deserve it, but be selective about who you include. You probably don't need to thank all twenty members of your extended family or name off every person in the organization that is honoring you. You don't want your audience to grow impatient as you read through a long list of names. Only thank people involved with the award you're receiving and your immediate support system (your spouse, your children, your parents, etc).  You don't have to say someone's name to show you're thankful for them. For example, instead of thanking all of your coworkers individually, you could say “I can't express enough how grateful I am for all of my amazing colleagues.” You can thank the members of the organization giving you the award without listing off their names by saying something like “Thank you so much to the team at the New York Nonprofit Conference for recognizing me with this incredible award.” There's nothing wrong with briefly mentioning a cause or issue you care about during your acceptance speech, but make sure it's relevant and not something that will offend the audience or event organizers.  For example, if you're winning an award in recognition of your volunteer work with kids, you could mention how you think more work needs to be done to combat childhood illiteracy. Don't use your acceptance speech as a time to rant about your political viewpoints or talk heatedly about a controversial topic (unless it's directly connected to the award you're receiving). You'll likely alienate members of the audience and upset the organization that gave you the award. Keep the conclusion to your speech brief and optimistic. You want the audience to feel inspired by your accomplishments. If you received an award for your work with an organization, highlight a few of the organization's achievements and mention how you're looking forward to further helping them fulfill their mission. If the award is for work, end your speech by saying how you can't wait to get back to work and continue to help the company grow. Devote the last line of your speech to offering one final thank you to everyone in the room.
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One-sentence summary -- Write a brief introduction. Write the body of your speech, focusing on the people you want to thank. Avoid thanking too many people in your speech. Be careful using your speech as a platform. Conclude your speech on a positive note.


Use a time-tracking computer app, such as Rescue Time, to understand how you’re spending your time online. You might be losing a lot of hours you could be studying chatting with guys. Keep track of your time to make sure you’re spending enough time on your schoolwork. An hourly study target can help you sideline boy distractions. Consult your planner and prioritize the assignments for the coming week. Use the distraction-free time when everyone else is consumed with a party to get a head start on the most difficult tasks. Doing this will make your school week easier, as you’ll have gotten the most difficult work out of the way. In the evenings, take 5 minutes to set an academic goal for the next day. It may be reading 3 chapters of your history lesson, understanding a hard math problem, or talking with your teacher about your writing skills. Naming a concrete thing you’d like to achieve keeps your attention focused on the goal rather than on boys. It may help to write your goal down in your day planner to keep it at the top of your mind. You can refer back to it when you’re feeling distracted. While setting small goals can keep you going from day to day, you need a bigger purpose to keep you motivated about school. Whether you’ll be the first in your family to attend college or you have a particular job in mind, think about some long-term achievements your studies are building towards. Staying connected to your dreams will make it easier to ignore the background drama of boys, dances, and crushes. Focusing on school is easier when you know you’ll get a break to indulge in your boy-craziness occasionally. You might reward yourself with social time when you hit an academic goal. Find a way of being social that works for you and helps you achieve balance with your studies.  For example, you might make a deal with yourself that you can go to a dance if you finish your social studies paper early. You may even work harder on your paper because you really want to go to the dance. Remember that most high school relationships don’t last. While it may feel like focusing on your studies takes you out of some social loop, what you learn in school is way more enduring and useful than any boy could be to you.
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One-sentence summary --
Track how you spend your time for more balance. Plan for the week ahead on the weekend instead of going to parties. Set a goal for school every day. Set long-term goals to stay motivated. Set aside time to be social.