If you accept a call before you have a chance to realize that it's an automated message, get off the line right away. Don't say anything, don't press any buttons, just disconnect. Any type of response or interaction can signal to the caller that there's a living, breathing person on the other end of the line that is willing to accept their calls. If they think you're receptive, they'll redouble their efforts, and the problem will just get worse. Make a mental note of who's calling so you can report them later if need be. If you're on a landline that has Caller ID, go back and record the number so that you don't make the same mistake should they call back. Pay attention to the name of the person or business indicated in the message so that you can later put in a request for them to stop calling you. Also, think back on anything you might have put your phone number on that could become an issue down the line. Go back and tell these callers you don't wish to be contacted any further. It's a hassle, but it may be necessary to bring the madness to an end. In most cases, recurring calls won't stop until you get your number taken off the list. The Do Not Call Registry is an index of US phone numbers that are unlawful for sales-motivated entities to dial. It's free to register your cell number, household landline or both, and, best of all, it stays on there forever. This won't keep illegal scammers from trying to take advantage of you, but it will at least put a stop to above-board callers like department stores, doctor's offices and telemarketers once and for all. The Do Not Call Registry makes a great failsafe for those receiving automated calls on a landline or house phone. This service is run by the Federal Trade Commission, which can legally prosecute businesses who fail to heed the provisions it sets out. American citizens are protected under privacy laws created by the Federal Trade Commission. If you're being harassed by automated calls from unlisted numbers, or a company fails to stop calling you after you've asked them to, your next course of action is to file a formal complaint with the FTC. They'll issue a stern cease-and-desist to the sources of these robocalls, giving you the satisfaction of a hard-fought victory and some peace and quiet at last. It is technically against the law for businesses to send out robocalls to private cell numbers. Be ready to supply the FTC with the name or title of the caller, as well as the nature of the messages you've been receiving.

Summary: Hang up immediately. Manually withdraw from known call lists. Sign up for the National "Do Not Call" Registry. Call the FTC.

Do not put a lot of lights in your haunted house, or people will be too relaxed. They will also be able to tell where your spooky friends are hiding. If it's dark, they will be tense and have a better time. Just make sure your guests have enough light to get through the house safely. Here are some ways to use the lighting to create a haunted effect: Consider putting your guests in a very dark room and giving them flashlights to try to find the way out. Replace your lamps with dim, green bulbs around the house. Drape traditional lamps with cobwebs and tape rubber bats to the insides. Light a spotlight under a spider web or fake creepy insect to create a spooky shadow. Try mirrors, black lights, and smoke to confuse the visitors. The special effects will make your visitors feel more shocked and spooked at every turn. Fog machines and strobe lights are also classics when it comes to haunted house special effects. You can find fog machines for around $30 at a party or Halloween store. Put strobe lights in a room to create a dramatic effect. The sounds in the haunted house will scare your visitors and keep them on their toes. The trick to having spooky noises is to time them perfectly and not use them too often, or your guests won't be surprised. Here are some tricks to creating some scary sounds: Have a recording of a different spooky sound in every room. One room can have the sound of a chainsaw, while another can have the sound of a woman screaming. Your volunteers can scamper from one side of an empty room to another to create a scary sound. Put on a soundtrack made up of soft, creepy music. Use silence to your advantage. Pick some key moments to keep the house silent so your guests will be even more startled by the next sound. A maze is a great way to guide your guests through your haunted house, whether it is located in a house, apartment, or even a garage. You could stack boxes and cover them with a black cloth so they look like walls. Plan your maze out with a sketch first and then start building it at least a week before the haunted house. Decorate your maze with scary props, lights, and characters. Make sure the way out of the maze is clear to guests. If you are going for a fun, child-friendly theme, avoid gore and try to keep the decorations fun or only mildly scary. For example, use bats, friendly looking ghosts, or cartoonish looking monsters. Use decorations such as fake blood, skulls, hazmat suits, heads in a jar, or gory "bodies" if you want a more adult, scary theme.

Summary: Create an eerie effect through lighting. Use special effects like strobe lights and a fog machine. Create spooky noises. Create a maze for your guests. Decorate based on your chosen tone and theme.

It's best to make sure that you are getting enough sleep (6-8 hours) each night. But sometimes you don't have an entire night to try to improve your skin. Still, resting can have immediate almost immediate effects. Try a quick cat nap. Odds are, if you feel refreshed, you'll look more refreshed. You don't have to purchase pricey skin-care products--just head to your kitchen! It is likely that you have several items in your refrigerator or pantry that can help you achieve gorgeous skin quickly. Try different ingredients and different combinations to see what works best. Some common foods that have major benefits for skin include fruits, vegetables, and oils. Try a sugar scrub. Sugar is an excellent natural exfoliant, and can make your skin appear immediately brighter.Use both brown and white sugars mixed with water for best results. Grab a potato. Spuds can have amazing--and fast--benefits for your skin. Rub your face with the juice of a raw potato to help combat pigmentation issues. Make a mask. Try making a paste out of natural ingredients to leave on your skin for 10-15 minutes. Some great choices are honey and oatmeal. Homemade masks can make your skin glow! If a pimple is your problem, you can use a simple home remedy to decrease redness and puffiness in the area. Grab an aspirin and dissolve it in water. Put the resulting paste on your spot for a few minutes. After you rinse, you'll see that the redness has decreased. Try an essential oil. These common oils are great to keep in your bathroom for quick skin fixes. Rub a little sandalwood oil on your face to help reduce redness and irritation. A breakout before a big event can definitely put a damper on your plans. If you have some angry-looking pimples, sometimes your best remedy is to do nothing. Avoid picking at spots before leaving the house. Sometimes touching (or popping, or squeezing) can irritate your skin so much that the area will look worse. Try giving yourself an at home facial. Simply boil some water and then put it in a bowl. Lean your face over the bowl for a few minutes (2-3). The steam can remove dirt and open up your pores. Your skin will look fresh, clean, and glowing! If you have access to a sauna (maybe at your gym, or if you are on vacation) you can use that to achieve the same effects. Just make sure not to stay in too long!
Summary: Relax and rest. Raid your refrigerator. Search your medicine cabinet. Leave it alone. Steam it up.