INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Talk to a family member or friend and ask what they most need help with and offer your services. By offering before they need to ask you, you are showing that you care about them. Remember to follow through with whatever they've asked of you. Simply asking won't actually help them. Make a routine of asking around your circle of friends and family for what they need. Before long, helping others will simply be second nature to you! Often what people need is simply someone who will listen to them with kindness and without judgement. When someone is telling you about themselves, or a hardship they are going through, don't simply leap in with your own feelings, thoughts, and stories. Practice active listening. When you're listening to someone, stay focused on what they are saying. Look at the speaker and let go of distracting thoughts. If your mind wanders, the other person will notice and they won't feel like you are paying attention. Try to avoid making judgments on the person you're listening to. Not only will that close up the conversation, but it will make the other person feel as if they can't trust you with their thoughts. When someone is busy or stressed chores and jobs often slip through the cracks. Find out from your family and friends what they're too busy or stressed to do for themselves and set aside some time to do the chore or job for them. Do something like, make a meal and bring it over to their house during a particularly busy or stressful time, so they don't have to worry about feeding themselves. This is a particularly kind thing to do for someone who has just had a loved one die, or become seriously ill. Offer to watch your younger siblings, or friend's children for free to give the parents a much needed break. A lot of times people can feel cut off from their friends and family and very alone. Just let a friend or family member know that you're thinking of them and that they are important to you. It doesn't have to be a big, grand gesture, something small will do fine. Write a nice email or letter and include some reason why you like the recipient. Maybe reminisce about something fun or silly the two of you did. If they've recently had a family member die or fall ill (or are struggling with depression) tell them why they are important to you. Make up a care package. Maybe put in some home-baked goods or some little things that they might enjoy. If they like to knit, maybe include a skein of a colorful yarn in the package.

SUMMARY: Ask what you can do to help. Listen. Offer to do jobs or chores. Send something to let them know you're thinking of them.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Dehydrating trays are 2 plastic or metal trays that stack on one another to air food out. Dehydrating trays can be purchased from a home or kitchen goods store. Get a set with a protective screen to keep bugs and dust out of your herbs. This method takes less time than hanging your herbs, but you have to trim your leaves to do this. Clip the leaves off of your oregano with shears or scissors. Set the leaves out evenly on top of the bottom tray. Leave 12 centimetres (1020mm) in between each leaf so that there isn't any overlap between your leaves. Once you've filled one of your trays, place the other tray on top. If your protective screen isn't built into your trays, place one underneath the leaves on the bottom tray when you're laying them out. Set the other protective screen on top of the second tray when you stack them. Take your dehydrating trays to a room in your home that's warm and well-ventilated. Turn the fan on low if the room doesn't have a lot of air flow. Avoid placing your tray next to a window or in a well-lit room. The sun will dye your leaves and may heat some of the flavorful oils out of your oregano. Attics are perfect for drying oregano on dehydrating trays. Basements are usually a poor choice since they tend to trap moisture in the room.
Summary: Get a set of dehydrating trays with a protective screen. Set your oregano out evenly in between the trays and stack them. Leave the trays out in warm, well-ventilated area.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The smell of cigarette smoke is a scent that lingers and is hard to get rid of. If your teenager has been smoking, it is almost guaranteed that you will be able to smell it on their clothes or in their hair (especially if they have longer hair). Note: Sometimes teenagers try to cover up the smell of smoke by overcompensating with cologne or body spray. You will still be able to smell the smoke, but it might be partially masked by the perfume. Kids will often try to air out or vent their room by leaving the window open after smoking in their room. It might be normal for your child to want their window open, but pay special attention if they insist on doing it even when the weather is unpleasant (too hot, too cold, rainy, etc.). Teenage smokers are less experienced and have worse hand-eye coordination than adults. So, they are more prone to accidentally burning things if they start smoking. Watch out for burn marks on the carpet in their room or on their clothing. Also look for burn marks in their car, as many teens think they can mask the smell of the smoke more effectively in their car then in their room. It may be hard to notice these tiny objects, but if your teenager has recently started carrying around or purchasing lighters and/or matches, this may be a sign that they are smoking. They may claim that they only want it for lighting candles, but notice the frequency with which they use the matches or lighter to determine if you think they are smoking or not. Teenage smokers can be very persuasive, so other teenagers often succumb to existing peer pressure to smoke. Teens with friends who smoke are much more likely to start smoking than those without smoker friends. Smokers can be very conscious of the fact that smoking makes their breath smell distinctively like cigarettes. So they often try to counteract this effect by chewing gum or using mouthwash after smoking. If your child appears to be worrying to an extreme about how their breath smells, they might be trying to hide the fact that they are smoking from you. Smoking is an expensive habit. If you have access, check your teen's online bank account activity and see if they are making frequent purchases at convenience stores, grocery stores, or smoke shops. If they are buying cigarettes regularly, there will be a money trail for you to find.

SUMMARY:
See if their clothes (or hair) smells like smoke. Notice if they start leaving the windows open in their bedroom. Look for burn holes in the carpet, in their car, and in their clothing. Watch out for matches or a lighter in their room or backpack/purse. Notice if they have friends who smoke. Pay attention if they start using mouthwash or gum more frequently. Check how they are spending their money.