You might think that tearing through all of your homework tasks from start to finish is the fastest way to do it. If you have a ton of homework, however, you'll probably get burnt out if you don't take a break every now and then. At least every two hours, take a 15 minute breather. To take a break, get up and move away from your workspace. Walk around a bit, and get a drink or snack. Moving around will recharge you mentally, physically, and spiritually, so you're ready to tackle the next part of your homework. If you start to feel discouraged by all the homework you have to do, take a minute and think about why you need to do it. After taking a break, take 1 minute and jot down all the reasons why you really need to do your homework. What are your big goals? How will doing your homework help you achieve them? For instance, you might write "I need to do this chemistry homework because I want a good average in the class. That will raise my GPA and help me stay eligible for the basketball team and get my diploma." Your goals might also look something like "I'm going to write this history paper because I want to get better as a writer. Knowing how to write well and make a good argument will help me when I'm trying to enter law school, and then down the road when I hope to become a successful attorney." There's no shame in thinking about a little reward to stay motivated and get through all of your homework. Tell yourself that as soon as you do your homework, you'll go for a walk to the park with your friends, or just relax with a movie for a while. You can also say something like "If I get through all of my homework today, I'll have more time tomorrow to go hang out with everyone."

Summary: Take a break now and then. Remind yourself of the big picture. Bribe yourself.

You can get simple items at a dollar store, such as crayons, stickers, coloring books and colored paper. If you pack scissors for any crafts, make sure that they are kid-friendly pairs. You may want to get a couple of different crayon sizes. For example, toddlers like play dough, playing with water, and drawing with large crayons. Preschoolers enjoy coloring, puzzles, and blowing bubbles. Grade school age children enjoy games, crafts, and many of the things younger kids like as well. " Pack a box or gift bag of small toys. This can be used as rewards for good behavior. Depending on the age of the kids you're babysitting, you can include play money as "reward bucks." The kids can spend it to play with an item from the box. Infants won't understand the concept of rewarding good behavior, but you can still include items for them to play with. They like bright-colored toys they can hold and make noise with, and soft items to feel such as plush toys. They also like to be read to from books with colorful images. Many kids like movies, so it's good to include a couple of kid-friendly flicks in your bag. Just make sure to get permission from the parents first before putting on the TV or popping a movie in. Hand puppets can be great entertainment for kids of all ages. Furthermore, since you will have a flashlight in your bag, you can put on a show with real and shadow puppets. Kids' card games are ideal because they don't take up much room in your bag, and they can be fun for many ages. You can also pack puzzles with large pieces. Make and bring a list of game ideas that can be played with little or no props, such as picture charades.

Summary: Pack craft items. Create a "treasure chest. Pack DVDs. Consider bringing a couple of puppets. Bring games.

Gardenias typically require an inch of rain in order to thrive, so adhere to that standard whenever watering. Monitor the soil frequently for moisture content, and water thoroughly as the top inch of the soil dries. Avoid over-watering the soil especially, because if it is kept too wet, the roots will be starved for air. Mulch is made of decayed organic matter, such as leaves, bark, or compost and can be purchased at most gardening stores. Mulch not only enriches the soil, but it will also keep your soil moist, reduce the growth of weeds, and maintain constant soil temperature. For the best outcome, select a mulch made of wood chips, sawdust, or ground bark. Applying mulch is extremely important since gardenia roots are shallow, making them especially vulnerable to weeds. Biannual fertilizing will promote healthy flower growth in your gardenia. Be sure that you feed with an acid fertilizer. The nutrients in this particular fertilizer are formulated for plants that prefer acidic soil. Applying regular fertilizer may not be sufficient for sustaining your gardenia. Beware of over-fertilizing, as this can lead to damaging salt accumulation. Now that you have taken steps to provide adequate sunlight, soil, and water, you will need to meet the gardenia's humidity requirements. Spraying with water raises the humidity around the plant, but only temporarily. Therefore, it must be done daily in order to ensure that the gardenia survives. Other than spraying, you could plant gardenias in clusters without overcrowding them. This will create a pocket of humidity. To increase the humidity even further, you could place a dish of water in the middle of the cluster. As the water evaporates, it will cover the surrounding gardenias. your gardenias in early spring to shape the bush. Deadhead after flowering to encourage more flowering. Pruning younger, dormant gardenias will cause more prolific blooming. The young plant is very resilient and will easily repair lost stems because it is not yet actively growing. Remove scraggly branches and faded flowers. Gardenias are woody shrubs, so remove older, woody stems to encourage the growth of new branches. Prune the lowest branches which are in danger of touching the ground. This can lead to infections. Don't cut all the leaves off. Some leaves need to be left so the plant can still produce food for the root system. These insects are especially attracted to gardenias and can impair growth or cause the plant to die. Mealybugs are grey, segmented pests. They feed on the sap of the gardenia and leave behind a waxy coating on the plant. This can result in twig death, impair plant growth, and cause leaves to drop prematurely. Whiteflies are tiny white insects that resemble small gnats. They produce honeydew and the black sooty mold which grows on it. This mold can cause gardenia leaves to turn yellow and drop prematurely. These solutions will kill both mealybugs and whiteflies and are available in most local gardening stores. If you are facing a large mealybug infestation, smother the gardenia with a good dose of insecticidal soap or horticulture oil. Two days after the first pass of insecticidal soap, cover the soil judiciously with a helpful fungus called Beauveria bassiana to kill any mealybugs that feed on roots. Beauveria bassiana is also available in most gardening/home improvement stores. Since gardenias are extremely sensitive to the cold, they will require adequate insulation and protection from harsh winter winds. Secure a cardboard box large enough to cover the shrub without bending the branches. Use old blankets, straw, or bubble wrap to insulate the plant while it is under the cardboard box. Despite your best efforts, the tips of the branches may die and turn black from frost or cold damage. When this happens, prune the branches a couple of inches below the damage with sharp pruning shears. Alternatively, you could transplant your gardenia to a pot and bring it inside for the winter. Though your plant will face higher chances of bug infestation, there are steps you can take to better care for your gardenia indoors.
Summary: Water gardenias with an inch of water once a week. Apply a 2 inches (5.1cm) layer of organic mulch to the gardenias. Feed the gardenias with acid fertilizer twice per year. Mist your gardenias daily with a spray bottle. Prune Monitor your gardenias for whiteflies and mealybugs. Coat gardenias with insecticidal soap or horticulture oil in case of infestation. Cover your gardenias with a blanket or cardboard box during winter cold snaps.