Balloons and streamers are great decorations regardless of the theme of the pajama party. Dim or turn off the main lights and add fairy lights instead to create a cozier atmosphere. Pick a theme for the party and decorate accordingly. For example, if you're having a rockstar-themed pajama party, you could have decorations like CDs or cutouts of music notes taped to the walls. You might even lay down a red carpet for your friends to pose on. If your pajama party is outdoors, count on setting up tents and having flashlights ready. This only applies if your pajama party doubles as a birthday party. Party favors could vary from store-bought trinkets, like mini-notebooks or key chains, to something you make with your guests at the party, like friendship bracelets or tye-dye shirts. If you plan to create party favors during the event, make sure to gather all the necessary items beforehand. For example, if you're making keepsake collages, set aside glue, paper, scissors, and magazines the day before the party. You might also provide toothbrushes and toothpaste for your guests - these often go forgotten at pajama parties, but they are a thoughtful detail. Ask your friends to help you put away things - from games to food - in the morning so that cleaning up seems less like a chore. You can even make a game out of it - whoever can put away the most items gets a prize!

Summary: Decorate the room. Prepare party favors. Clean up.

Not all dogs will benefit from paper training. It can actually have a negative impact on your dog's health, as regular walking and exercise are important for a dog's well being. In certain circumstances, however, paper training is appropriate and even preferable. If you do decide on paper training, make sure to play with your dog a lot indoors. Smaller dogs are easier to exercise without going outside. If you are unable to let your dog outside due to medical reasons, paper training is a good option. If you have a full-time job that prevents you from letting your dog out during the day, paper training is a good idea. You don't want to confine your dog to a crate during the daytime. If you live in an area with bad winters, you may want to paper train your dog at least during the colder months. It's normal for dogs to stumble over a few steps when paper training. If your dog seems to be struggling at a certain point, back up a few steps. If your dog starts having accidents after you reduce the size of a confinement area, restore the area to its original size. Wait a few days before reducing the size again. All dogs will progress at different rates. Your dog may pick up paper training in a few weeks. Other dogs may take a few months to learn. You wouldn't want to use a toilet that's not flushed, so don't make your dog use dirty paper. Once it's been soiled, replace it right away. Otherwise, you dog may pee in other areas in the home. You should clean the newspaper about once a week. It's important your dog understands when it's behaving properly. Make sure to reward your dog for eliminating on the paper towels. You can praise the dog using your voice. Say something like, "Good boy!" You can also offer a small treat. Just make sure not to give your dog too many treats per day. Try breaking up bigger treats into small, bite-sized portions. Always reward in the immediate moment. This is the only way to get your dog to understand why it's being rewarded. However, make sure you wait until the dog's done eliminating. It may get distracted otherwise and stop eliminating on the paper.

Summary: Learn when paper training is appropriate. Back up a few steps if your dog is struggling. Keep the confinement area clean. Make sure to use positive reinforcement.

Protect your work on the railings and trim by taping off areas where they meet the stairs. Also tape off where the stairs meet the floor upstairs and downstairs. You may also want to put down drop cloths at the top and the bottom of the stairs, although you can typically get away without them if you are painting carefully with a brush. Talk to an employee at your local paint store about which products will work best for your specific project. In general, the treads and risers should be painted with an oil-based paint that also contains a sealer so that it holds up to constant traffic. However, water-based floor and patio paints are made to be stepped on, so they hold up well on stairs as well. When purchasing primer, consider asking a paint store employee to tint it to help with coverage. This is especially important if you have a strong final coat color. A tinted primer will ensure that your top coats cover the primer color more easily and will reduce the number of top coats you need to do. Beginning at the top of the stairs, paint the first stair completely. Then skip a stair and paint the third stair down. Continue like this, working your way down so that you can have room to move as you work and so that you can leave areas alone once you paint them. Painting every other step will allow you to use the stairs as they dry. Use a brush to paint the stairs so that you can get into all of the corners easily. Allow the primer to dry completely before moving on with your finish coats. This usually takes anywhere from an hour to 4 hours, depending on the exact paint you are using. Read the label on the primer for drying times and check the primer for dryness. Start at the top again but paint the steps that haven't been primed yet: the second, fourth, and so on. Continue down until all of the steps have been primed. Start painting at the top of the stairs, making sure you completely coat the top step before moving down to the third one. Work the paint into the corners of each stair and then finish by painting smooth strokes over the big surfaces while smoothing out any blobs of paint near the corners. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying a second coat, and potentially a third. Be sure that you are getting a solid coat of paint in all of the corners, including under the front lip of each stair. You will know a third coat is necessary if you can still see primer after the second coat is dry. Once the first set of stairs are completely dry, which usually takes about a day, go back and paint the others. Work your way down, painting the second step first and then moving down to the fourth and so on. Once each coat is completely dry, you can apply an additional coat.

Summary: Tape off areas around the stairs. Pick a primer and paint that are designed for use on floors or stairs. Start painting the primer at the top and paint every other step on the way down. Paint the primer on the other steps once the first set is dry. Paint 2 to 3 coats of the finish coat on every other step. Paint 2 to 3 coats of the finish paint on the rest of the stairs.

" The Ujjayi pranayama is often called the "victory" or "ocean-sounding breath," because the goal is to replicate the sound of crashing waves. To do this, practice contracting the vocal cords until you can produce a steady, drawn-out "h" sound. You should feel a slight contraction in your throat as you whisper the "h" sound. It should not be painful or uncomfortable. Draw in a long, deep breath through your parted lips. Focus on contracting the vocal cords while you inhale, so you produce a soft "ocean sound" as you breathe in. As you exhale through your parted lips, focus on continuing to contract the vocal cords to produce the sustained "h" sound associated with Ujjayi pranayama. Once you've perfected the exhalation through your mouth, practice breathing out through your nostrils instead. With some experience, you should be able to produce the "h" sound while breathing out through the nose just as you did through the mouth.
Summary: Whisper an "h. Breathe in through the mouth. Exhale through the mouth.