Sample Content Preview

51 Ways to Create a Great Home Office

More and more people these days have home offices, but it can be hard to separate the “home” from the “office.” This ebook is designed to help you make a wonderful home office that will be efficient, appealing, and comfortable.

MAKE A PLAN

If you’re building an office from scratch, the first thing you need to do is make a plan. This first set of tips will get you thinking about where to start.

1. Define Your Space

The first thing you need to do is decide where your office is going to be. Do you have a whole room to dedicate to it? Or maybe just a corner of a room? Whatever the case, it’s important to clearly define your office space.

2. Questions to Ask

You’re going to want to ask yourself some important questions while considering your home office. Questions like:

- What furniture do I already have (desk, chair, lamp)?
- Will clients need to come in my office??
- Is my space big enough that I won’t feel crowded?

3. Draw Your Work Area

It’s a good idea to plan out your work area. Where is your desk going? Do you have room for shelves? If you can see everything on paper, It’ll be a lot easier when you move things to where they need to be.

4. Measure

After drawing your office, get out a measuring tape and measure everything. Be sure you measure your office space and all of your furniture. Even if you don’t yet have all the furniture that you need, at least you’ll have the measurements of what will fit.

5. Give Yourself a Space to Write

When planning your office, make sure you give yourself room to write. With all of your computer equipment, lamps, printers, etc., you can easily forget to give yourself space to write. Even the most technology-savvy individual needs to simply jot down an idea sometimes.

CREATING SPACE

Many people don’t have room for a home office, so they need to make room. All it takes is a little creativity. This next set of tips will give you some ideas and hopefully get those creative juices flowing.

6. Using Long, Narrow Spaces

If you have a long wall, you can use it as a make-shift office. Just look around for a narrow desk, and you’re halfway there. You can even use some cinder blocks and a sturdy piece of wood.

7. Use a Wall Separator

Wall separators do wonders for would-be-rooms. They’re not very expensive and can make any corner look like a real room. You also can use the extra “wall” for calendars, sticky notes, etc.

8. Look For Nooks

You’d be surprised at the little nooks and spaces you can use for an office. Look for things like:

- Under stairs
- Entryway
- Laundry room corner
- Walk-in closet

9. Garage or Basement

Don’t forget to consider your garage or basement for a make-shift home office. You may need to do some temperature and lighting control, but in the end, either could make a great office.

ROOM LAYOUT

There are several types of room layouts for your home office. This next set of tips will help you get an idea of what yours might look like.

Sample Content Preview

51 Tips for Greenhouse Gardening

Greenhouses can be a very fulfilling investment. This ebook is designed to give you some great ideas about how to start an awesome greenhouse garden.

WHY A GREENHOUSE?

This first set of tips will discuss some of the great reasons to start a greenhouse.

1. Winter Plants

Many people have greenhouses so that they can grow plants to use in the winter. It’s easier to grow smaller vegetables for this purpose than bigger ones.

2. Early Start

Having a greenhouse is a great way to get an early start for tender plants seedlings. You can protect these young plants better in a greenhouse, thus having better success.

3. Experiment

Having a greenhouse can be a fun hobby. With a greenhouse, you can experiment with different plants, or to develop new varieties.

LOCATION

This next set of tips will tell you some of the factors that you need to consider when choosing a location for your greenhouse.

4. Sunlight

Your greenhouse should be in a place where it gets maximum sunlight. Sunlight all day is ideal, but morning sunlight on the east is best for plants.

5. Direction

It’s a good idea to face the long side of your greenhouse south. There are two reasons for this:

- The angle of the roof is made to catch he maximum amount of the sun's rays
- If you use shadecloth, you will need to shade only one side, instead of both sides.

6. Trees

Maple and oak trees can shade your greenhouse from the afternoon summer sun. Keep in mind though; these trees should not shade your greenhouse in the morning.

7. Water Source

Your greenhouse will need a reliable water source. Either bring in a whole separate watering system, or have a hose that can reach the entire length of your greenhouse.

8. Drainage

Good drainage is also very important for your greenhouse. If you can, build your greenhouse above the surrounding ground, so rainwater and irrigation water will drain away.

STRUCTURAL TYPES

There are several types of greenhouses. This next set of tips will go over some of the structural options that there are.

9. Lean To

Lean -to greenhouses usually attach directly to a wall of your home or garage. Here’s a picture:

10. Quonset Hut

Quonset hut greenhouses are sometimes referred to as “hoop style.” They’re domed shaped, inexpensive and easy to heat. Here’s a picture:

11. Gothic Arch

Gothic Arch greenhouses are a lot like the Quonset style, except that the sides are usually straighter and the curved roof is pointed on top. Here’s a picture:

12. Classic A-Frame

Classic A- Frame greenhouses have high, slanted sides. They’re a bit harder to heat because of this. Here’s a picture:

13. Modified A-Frame

Modified A-Frame greenhouses are different from the classic, because they’re built with Gable roofs, which are usually not as steep. Here’s a picture:

14. Barn Style

Barn-Style greenhouses, like their name implies, looks like a barn. They have straight walls; therefore make very good use of space. Here’s a picture:

15. Even-Span

An even -span greenhouse is a full-size structure that has one end attached to another building. Here’s a picture:

SIMPLIFYING

This next set of tips will give you some ideas on some shortcuts that you can do to simplify your greenhouse.

16. Cold Frames

If you don't have much space, cold frames are the way to go. They are small, boxed in gardens, covered with glass or Plexiglas. It’s like a miniature greenhouse.

Sample Content Preview

51 Tips for Coping with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy affects approximately 800,000 children adults in the United States. This ebook will help give you information, resources and tips for helping to live with this debilitating condition.

BASICS

This first set of tips will go over some of the basics of cerebral palsy.

1. Definition

Cerebral palsy is a chronic condition that affects body movements and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development, or during infancy.

2. History

Cerebral palsy was considered a distinct condition in 1861. Dr. William John Little, published the first paper describing the neurological problems of children with spastic diplegia (also known as cerebral palsy). This is still sometimes called Little's Disease.

3. Statistics

Two children out of every thousand born in America have cerebral palsy. At least 5000 infants and toddlers and about 1,400 preschoolers are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year.

TYPES OF CEREBRAL PALSY

There are 4 types of cerebral palsy. This next set of tips will discuss these types, and their differences.

4. Spastic

Spastic cerebral palsy is characterized by stiff or permanently contracted muscles. 70-80 percent of people with CP have this type.

5. Athetoid

Athetoid cerebral palsy is characterized by uncontrolled, slow movements. 10-20 percent of people have this type of CP.

6. Ataxic

Ataxic CP is characterized by a lack of coordination and balance. This type of CP accounts for 10 percent of all cases of CP. Ataxic CP (or any kind of CP) is not degenerative.

7. Mixed

Mixed CP is when one person has two or more types of CP. The most common type of mixed CP is Athetoid/Spastic-diplegic or Athetoid/Spastic-hemiplegic.

DIAGNOSIS

This next set of tips will discuss how cerebral palsy is diagnosed.

8. Symptoms

Diagnosing children with CP at a young age is important. Here are some of the symptoms to look for in a newborn child:

- Lack of alertness
- Abnormal cry
- Trembling arms and legs
- Problems sucking and swallowing
- Weak muscle tone
- Favoring one side of the body
- Abnormal reflexes
- Seizures
9. Muscle Tone

Abnormal muscle tone is very common in people with cerebral palsy. Even as newborns, their muscles may change from low tone to high tone. They can also go from floppy to very stiff.

10. Developmental Delays

If you’re concerned that your child may have cerebral palsy, look for developmental delays such as:

- Rolling over
- Sitting up
- Crawling
- Talking
- Walking

11. Time

Understand that it takes time to diagnose cerebral palsy, especially specifying the type of CP. If it’s for a child, his doctor will want to take time to do tests and examine him several times before making the diagnosis.

RISK FACTORS

There are several factors that put you at risk of having a child with cerebral palsy. This next set of tips will explain a few of these risks.

12. Age and Race

According to research, the following people have a higher chance of having a child with CP:

- A mother or a father under 20 years old
- A mother over 40 years old
- African-American ethnicity
13. Blood Type

There is a rare circumstance where the mom’s and child’s blood is incompatible. This is called Rh or ABO blood type incompatibility, and it puts you at risk of having a child with cerebral palsy.

14. Micro-Organisms

In rare cases, your infant’s central nervous system can be attacked by micro-organisms. This will put him at high risk of developing cerebral palsy.

15. Doctor Error

Unfortunately, there are some cases of cerebral palsy where the doctor was at fault. There are now a ton of lawyers that are dedicated to bringing these doctors to justice. If you think a doctor was at fault for your child’s CP, you can contact www.cerebralpalsy.ws to talk to an attorney.

Sample Content Preview

51 Babysitting Tips

Babysitting can be a fun and rewarding experience. It can also be competitive. This ebook is designed to give you some great tips to make you the best (and safest) babysitter on the block!

RESPONSIBLITIES

This first set of tips will outline what your responsibilities are as a babysitter.

1. Love Kids

To be a good babysitter, you have to love kids. Children are smart. They’ll know whether you like them or not. Parents will watch you closely as well to make sure you’re going to love their child.

2. Maturity and Self Confidence

It’s important to be mature when you’re babysitting. Be sure of yourself, and calm at all times. Self confidence will play a big role in how the children and parents react to you.

3. Treat it Like a Business

Parents will respect you more if you treat your babysitting jobs like a business. Make sure you and the parents are clear on the wage that you expect. Tell them your plans for caring for their children.

4. Be Adaptable

Chances are, you’ll be babysitting for a variety of different families. They will have different routines, rules, and beliefs. You need to be able to adapt, and fit in with the family's usual pattern or routines.

5. Stay Calm

It’s important to stay calm, even in stressful situations. If you panic, the kids will too. It’s a good idea to review safety tips before each babysitting job, to prepare for any emergency situations, just in case.

6. Learn CPR

It’s a great idea to learn CPR. You can usually certify for free at your local Red Cross. Being certified will also look really great on your resume.

SAFETY

This next set of tips will discuss things that you can do to keep yourself and the kids safe while babysitting.

7. Lock Doors and Windows

Keep all the doors and windows locked while you’re babysitting. This is important not only to keep people out, but to also keep the kids from going outside when they’re not supposed to.

8. Put Away Anything Dangerous

Right after the parents leave, quickly go through the house and put away anything that may be dangerous. These can be things like cleaners, appliances, medications, and anything that could be a choking hazard.

9. Phone and Door Safety

When answering the phone, don’t tell strangers that you’re alone with children. If someone unexpected comes to the door, don’t answer it.

10. Never Leave Them Alone

This is an important rule. Never ever leave the children that you’re tending alone. Accidents can happen in a split second. Even if they’re sleeping, check on them often.

11. Food Safety

If you’re preparing food for the kids, make sure to use safety precautions. When cooking, keep the kids away from the stove, and stay in the kitchen at all times. If you’re tending toddlers, make sure to cut up their food well so that they don’t choke.

12. Call For Help

Never be afraid to call for help. If anything doesn’t feel right, or you’re worried about the children, call the parents. You can even call your own parents for any advice or questions you may have.

13. Outdoor Safety

If the parents say it’s ok to go outside, make sure that you and the kids know all of the rules. Give the kids a clear idea of their boundaries, and make sure that you can see them at all times.

14. Pools

There are thousands of accidental drownings each year. If there’s a pool at the home that you babysit, make sure that there’s no way for the kids to access it.

15. Never Walk Alone

Never walk home alone at night, even if it’s just a few blocks. Make arrangements before you babysit to be driven or walked home when your job is done.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Before the parents leave, you need to get some important information. This next set of tips will go over this information that you need to ask for.

Sample Content Preview

51 Tips to Help with Excessive Sweating

Excessive sweating is a real and problem some condition. This ebook is designed to inform you of what excessive sweating is, and some ways to treat it.

DEFINITIONS

This first set of tips will go over some of the definitions that are associated with excessive sweating.

1. Hyperhidrosis

Excessive sweating is a condition known as hyperhidrosis. Many people suffer from hyperhidrosis, and there are lots of different forms of it.

2. Primary Hyperhidrosis

The most common form of hyperhidrosis is Primary focal hyperhidrosis (PFHH). This is excessive sweating that is not caused by any kind of physical activity. PFHH most commonly affects the underarms, hands and feet.

3. Secondary Hyperhidrosis

Secondary hyperhidrosis is where the body sweats everywhere. This is usually caused by long-term conditions such as illness or chronic infection. This type of hyperhidrosis does not respond very well to surgery.

4. Locations

People with hyperhidrosis can have excessive sweating in specific parts of the body, including:

- Hands
- Feet
- Armpits
- Face
- Trunk
- Thighs

5. Eccrine Sweat Glands

Eccrine sweat glands are distributed all across the body, especially in the feet, hands, and forehead. They are made up of ducts and secretory coils deep in the skin. Together, they create the sweat.

6. Apocrine Sweat Glands

Apocrine sweat glands also consists of ducts and secretory coils, but they’re larger than eccrine glands. They are placed more specifically on the body, including:

- Underarms
- Around the belly button
- Ear canal
- Eyelids

CAUSES

There are many causes of hyperhidrosis. This next set of tips will discuss many of them.

7. Medications

Oral medications such Robinul are sometimes used for hyperhidrosis. However, these medications haven’t seen a lot of success because of the bad side-effects (mostly dry mouth and blurred vision).

8. Infections

Bacterial infections can cause hyperhidrosis. Here are some examples:

- Endocarditis
- Osteomyelitis
- Abscesses
- AIDS virus (HIV)

9. Cancers

Night sweats can be an early symptom of some cancers, namely lymphoma and leukemia. If you’re worried that your sweating may be a sign of cancer, look for other symptoms, like unexplained weight loss and fevers.

10. Menopause

Many women going through menopause experience hot flashes. Some menopausal women are even awakened at night by soaking sweats followed by cold chills.

11. Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can sometimes cause sweating. Diabetics taking insulin or oral anti-diabetic medications may experience hypoglycemia at night that is accompanied by sweating.

12. Heart Attack

Sweating can be a symptom of a heart attack. Other symptoms include pressure, pain in your chest, pain in your shoulder, arm or back, and shortness of breath. Get immediate medical help if you experience these symptoms.

13. Fevers

There can be many reasons for a fever. But as your body temperature begins break, you often sweat profusely, which is your body's way of getting rid of the excess heat. This is normal; however repeated episodes of fever then sweating and chills can mean a serious infection or other illness.

14. Heredity

Sometimes hyperhidrosis is hereditary. Some people simply inherit the tendency for excessive sweating, especially on their soles of their feet and their palms.

15. Spicy Foods

Certain spicy foods can cause excessive sweating. If you’re a fan of the spices, you may want to consider laying off for a while to see if it will help your hyperhidrosis.

Sample Content Preview

51 Tips for Dealing with Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a painful condition that affects a lot of women. This ebook is designed to make you more aware of endometriosis, and some things that you can do to treat it.

OVERVIEW

This first set of tips will give an overview of endometriosis, and give some statistics.

1. What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is where the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus in other areas. Other words for these areas can be called lesions, growths, implants, or nodules.

2. Statistics

In North America, about 5.5 million women have endometriosis, and about 30-40 percent of these women are infertile. Endometriosis is also one of the top three causes for female infertility.

3. Where is it Found?

Endometriosis is found in these places:

- On the ovaries
- On the bladder
- Behind the uterus
- On the uterus tissues

4. Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of endometriosis are:

- Painful menstrual cramps with periods that gets worse over time
- Pain during or after sex
- Infertility
- Intestinal pain
- Chronic pain in the lower back and pelvis
- Fatigue
- Painful urination during menstrual periods
- Painful bowel movements
- Heavy menstrual periods
- Spotting or bleeding between periods
5. Emotional Symptoms

Endometriosis affects women emotionally as well. It’s important to get help from psychologists or counselors to help women cope with their feelings. Some common ones are:

- Confusion
- Disbelief
- Frustration
6. Who is Affected?

General, the women who get endometriosis:

- Have had their symptoms for two to five years before finding out they have the disease
- Have already started getting their monthly period
- Are on average about 27 years-old

7. What Raises the Risk?
Women have a higher risk of developing endometriosis if they:

- Began getting their period at an early age
- Have periods that last more than seven days
- Have heavy periods
- Have a relative with endometriosis
- Have a short menstrual cycle

8. What Reduces the Risk

There are a few studies show that you may lower your chances getting endometriosis if you:

- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
- Exercise regularly

9. Cancer Risk

There is a mild risk of ovarian cancer for women with endometriosis. One theory for this is that the endometriosis nodules themselves transform into cancer. Another theory states that endometriosis can be related to other genetic or environmental factors, and can cause ovarian cancer.

DIAGNOSING

This next set of tips will go over the importance of diagnosing endometriosis, and how it’s done.

10. Why Diagnosing is Important

Endometriosis can make it hard for you to get pregnant. Finding out that you have endometriosis can be important because of this. There are many treatments can control the pain, and even help you to get pregnant. These will be discussed a bit later in this ebook.

Sample Content Preview

51 Tips for Growing a Vegetable Garden

Growing vegetable gardens can be very rewarding. This ebook will give you some tips on growing some common fruits and vegetables.

SETTING UP YOUR GARDEN

1. Size

The first thing that you need to do is decide how much space you need to plant your garden. Depending on this space, figure out how many plants to plant.

2. Light

Vegetable gardens need plenty of sunlight. Generally speaking, the more sun the better. Don’t plant your garden too close to trees or anything else that will shade it too much.

3. Raised Beds

Vegetables need good drainage when they grow, so it’s a good idea to plant them in raised beds. You can make these out of cement blocks or wood. If you don’t have these resources, you can plant on raised mounds of dirt.

TOMATOES

4. Preparation

There are so many varieties of tomatoes to choose from. It’s a good idea to plant tomatoes when the soil is warm, after danger of frost is over.

5. Planting

If you’re planting dwarf plants, place them 12 inches apart in the row. If you’re planting staked plants, place them 15 to 24 inches apart.

6. Watering

Tomatoes need plenty of water, especially during dry summers. Water them thoroughly every couple of days. Tomatoes in containers may need daily or even more frequent watering.

7. Harvesting

You’ll know when your tomatoes are ready when they’re firm and fully colored. In hot summer weather, pick your tomatoes every day or two. Even after they’re picked, they’ll continue to ripen slowly over the next several weeks.

SWEET CORN

8. Preparation

Like tomatoes, there are lots of different varieties or corn. Sweet corn needs warm soil. You should plant corn just before the frost-free date.

9. Planting

Place the seeds 1/2 inch deep in cool, moist soil. Space the kernels 9 to 12 inches apart in the row. It’s a good idea to plant two or more rows side by side to ensure good development. Allow 30 to 36 inches between rows.

10. Fertilizing

Fertilize around the tomato seeds right when you plant them. When your corn reaches almost 10 inches, fertilize again. Corn will be ready to harvest 3 weeks after the first silk appears.

11. Harvesting

Your corn will be ready to harvest in 60-85 days. To pick them, break the ear from the stalk close to the base so as not to damage the ear or the stalk.

RADISHES

12. Preparation

Radishes need a fine, well-prepared seed bed. It’s a good idea to apply animal manure or compost about 6 weeks before planting. This helps build up the water-holding capacity of the soil, and it balances the nutrient supply.

13. Planting

Plant small radishes 1-2 inches apart, and larger varieties 6 inches apart. You can grow several rows of radishes in a bed as long as you keep your beds at least 2 feet apart.

14. Watering

Radishes need consistent moisture. If they dry out during their growth, they’ll become bitter. Keep your radishes plenty moist throughout the growing season. You can use straw mulch to help retain moisture in your soil.

15. Harvesting

Most radish varieties mature in 25 to 35 days. They’re only mature for a short time, so if left in the ground too long, they can become pithy and mealy. It’s a good idea to watch them closely, and pick a radish every so often to determine their maturity.

CARROTS

16. Preparation

Carrots grow well in well drained, sandy soil. Make sure the soil is nice and loose down to 12 inches or more to allow for good root development. Make sure your soil doesn’t have any rocks and twigs.

Sample Content Preview

51 Tips for Dealing Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can be a very painful experience. This ebook is designed to give you ideas on how to prevent and treat kidney stones.

BASICS

This first set of tips will go over some of the basics of kidney stones.

1. Definition

Kidney stones start when minerals and other substances in over concentrated urine form crystals on your kidneys. These crystals can combine to form small, hard masses, or stones. Most kidney stones pass into your bladder without causing any permanent damage, but some cause excruciating pain, while others need surgery.

2. History

Kidney stones can be dated back to the age of the Egyptian pyramids, and they are still a common disorder today. In fact, over the years, there have been more and more incidences of kidney stones.

3. Symptoms

You can have kidney stones without experiencing symptoms. If you do have signs, it probably means that there is a blockage. Here are some of the common symptoms:

• Intense pain that can vary in intensity over periods of five to 15 minutes.
• Cloudy, bloody, or foul-smelling urine
• Nausea and vomiting
• Persistent urge to urinate
• Fever and chills

4. Causes

There are a lot of factors that can cause kidney stones, including:

• Heredity
• Lifestyle factors
• Medical conditions
• Diet
• Drugs
• Climate

5. Prevention

There are lots of things that you can do that will prevent your risk of getting kidney stones. Many of these involve simply making a few lifestyle changes. We’ll talk more about these lifestyle changes later in this ebook.

TYPES

This next set of tips will discuss the four different types of kidney stones.

6. Calcium Stones

About four out of five kidney stones are calcium stones. These stones are mainly combinations of calcium and oxalate. Oxalate occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables.

7. Struvite Stones

Struvite stones are almost always the result of chronic urinary tract infections. Women have struvite stones more often than men. They come from an increased amount of ammonia in the urine, which then turn into struvite stones. They are often large, and are a horn shape that can seriously damage your kidneys.

8. Uric Acid Stones

These stones are formed of uric acid, a byproduct of protein metabolism. You're more likely to develop uric acid stones if you've undergone chemotherapy, you eat a high-protein diet or you have certain genetic factors that predispose you to the condition.

9. Cystine Stones

Very few people get cystine stones. They’re usually a result of a hereditary disorder. This disorder causes the kidneys to excrete a lot of certain amino acids (cystinuria).

RISK FACTORS

This next set of tips will review the risk factors associated with kidney stones.

10. Family History

Family history plays a big role in the risk of developing kidney stones. If a family member has kidney stones, you're more likely to develop stones as well. Also, if you've had kidney stones before, you're at risk of developing it again.

11. Not Enough Fluids

Not drinking enough fluids puts you at risk for getting kidney stones. Also, living in a hot, dry climate, or working in a hot environment puts you at a higher risk, because you lose fluids quicker.

12. Diet

Your diet can put you at risk for developing kidney stones. For instance, if you eat a lot of protein (meat, chicken and fish) and sodium (salt), your risk is higher for developing kidney stones.