Let your friend know how much you care about them and that you are happy that you two are friends. This will make your friend feel like they are valued and important to you. Be specific and tell your friend the things that you like about them. You may tell your friend that you like their laugh, their sense of humor, their smile, or their kindness. The positive attributes you describe can be big or small. Just be genuine. Your friend may be surprised by how you view them. Trying new things can help your friend find talents and skills that they are good at and begin think more positively. Suggest activities that your friend may like. If you are comfortable, you can offer to try the new activity with your friend. Some new activities may be joining a new club at school, volunteering for a local charity, or taking an art class. Be sure to encourage your friend no matter the outcome. If they are successful or if they do not get it right at first, be encouraging. Celebrate the small victories with your friend. Tell your friend, "I am so proud of you for ___" or "It's great that you tried ____." Positive feedback includes praise, encouragement, and recognition of something your friend has done. It helps improve confidence and can be a source of motivation. Not only are you telling your friend that they are important and valuable, you are teaching them how to acknowledge their accomplishments. For example, if your friend did well on an assignment, you may say, "You did such a good job on your assignment." If your friend helped you with something, you may say, "Thanks for helping me. It means a lot." You may hear your friend being critical or saying negative things about themselves. Never join in if your friend is saying negative things about him or herself. Remind your friend that speaking this way will only make them feel badly about themselves. You can also help your friend focus on something more positive if he or she starts to get negative. For example, you might say something like, "I don't think so. I have always thought you are a very attractive person, not only because of the way you present yourself, but because of all your attributes. If your friend says, "I look so ugly today," then you may say, "I don't think so." Friends are there to support and help each other, but friends are also people that we can have fun with. Having fun with your friend will help your friend focus on more positive things. Also, your entire friendship should not be about you trying to make your friend feel better. You can have fun doing many things like listening to music, watching movies, going to the park, reading magazines together, or eating good food together. Anything that gets both of you to laugh will do the trick.
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One-sentence summary -- Compliment your friend. Encourage your friend to try new things. Give positive feedback. Discourage negativity. Have fun with your friend.

Do you want a stick of gum, a tab of gum, or even a gumball? Different brands come in different shapes and sizes, and you can experiment to find out which one you prefer. Brands like Extra and Wrigley market their gum in sticks, while Orbit, Trident, and Eclipse come in smaller tabs or mini-sticks. Double Bubble makes candy gum balls, and Big League Chew sells their gum shredded in a pouch. There is a kind of chewing gum for everyone! Does your breath need freshening? If so, you should look for a minty flavor that will leave your mouth feeling sparkling clean. Try something like spearmint or peppermint and you'll feel like you just brushed. If you want something with more of a fruity kick, there are flavors like berry and watermelon that will do the trick. People looking to satisfy a sweet tooth should check out the Extra Dessert Delights- those flavors include treats like rainbow sherbet, mint chocolate chip, and strawberry shortcake! Regular gum contains sugar, which can lead to increased tooth decay.Sugar-free gum uses chemical sweeteners, such as aspartame.. There is a caloric difference of about 5 calories between the two types. If you're opting for sugar-free gum, look for gum with a seal from the American Dental Association. The ADA Seal on a package of gum means that gum has been proven to be healthy and safe.
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One-sentence summary -- Choose your form of gum. Find the perfect flavor. Decide if you want regular or sugar-free gum.

Acrylic paint comes in dozens of brands and is available in either tubes or jars. Purchasing acrylic paint is one of the rare instances in which it is better to splurge and get a pricier brand, such as Golden or Liquitex. Cheap brands of acrylic paint aren't as thickly pigmented as the more expensive brands, and will therefore require 2-3 more coats of paint to get the same vibrancy and color of a single coat of a higher priced paint brand. To start, buy the most basic colors: titanium white, mars black, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, and yellow ochre. Most of the paint colors you'll need can be made from a combination of those few hues. As you paint more and more, you'll know which colors you want to add to your collection. Tubes of paint are typically preferred by beginners because you can purchase smaller quantities to start, but there is no difference in quality between a tube or a jar of acrylic paint. Paintbrushes are rather diverse and are categorized by two factors: the shape of the brush tip, and the material of the bristles. There are three different brush tip types: flat, rounded, and filbert (rounded and flat). There are many materials used to make paintbrush bristles, but the most common are synthetic and boar hair. Most beginner painters prefer synthetic brushes in an assortment of tip points. Visit an art supply store and feel a few different brushes for a good idea of what you prefer. Synthetic brushes are softer and easier to clean than real fur brushes. Unless you're in it for the long run, don't splurge on the paintbrushes. Although having good paint brushes to work with can be beneficial, it is more important to have quality paint. You'll need something to mix paint on, and to store paint on between painting sessions. If you're feeling frugal, a paper or plastic plate will work just fine. Any wide, flat, clean surface can be used as a workable palette. However, because acrylic paints dry so incredibly fast, it may be beneficial to invest in a stay-wet palette. These incorporate a wet sponge and special stay-wet paper that keeps your paint moist and workable for several weeks at a time. Keep plastic wrap or another cover of some sort on hand to preserve paint on your palette that you aren't using at the time. If you're mixing large quantities of paint at once, it may be beneficial to have small cups/lids to store your paint between sessions. This will better preserve the acrylics than a plastic wrap covered palette. Acrylic paint is thick and heavy, and therefore can only be used on a few surfaces. The most common and popular acrylic surfaces are stretched canvas or canvas board, watercolor paper, or treated wood. You should have success painting on anything that isn't greasy, oily, nor very porous. If you're afraid of painting on something expensive, start with watercolor paper and work your way up to canvas or wood. With all of the aforementioned big-ticket items out of the way, you will need a few additional items that you likely have in your home. You will need 1-2 jars/cups for water, a palette knife, an old rag or cloth, a misting spray bottle for water, and soap to clean your paint brushes. These are all available in art supply stores if you don't happen to have them, but none of them need to be specialty items. Because acrylic paints dry notoriously fast, mist your painting/palette from time to time to keep the paints moist. Consider wearing a smock or old shirt while painting to prevent staining your clothes with the acrylics. Some painters like to lay down newspapers on their tabletops to prevent large messes.
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One-sentence summary --
Choose your acrylic paint. Select a handful of paintbrushes. Find a palette. Decide what to paint on. Gather other small items.