INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When preparing to take a slap shot, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Also bend your knees slightly; this will give you greater control over the distribution of your weight as you lean forward during the slap shot. It's impossible to take a slap shot while you're skating. You need to be static on the ice, even if only for a few seconds. Pull the stick back to the level of your waist. As you wind up, let the weight of your body shift backwards, until most of your weight is resting on your back leg. Winding up this way will allow you to build up momentum as you swing the stick forward toward the puck. Don't wind up to an extreme degree; winding up way above your head doesn't add power and sacrifices time and accuracy. Especially as a beginner, while trying to learn the overall movement, during the windup don't bring the blade of your stick any higher than your waist. Once you become more proficient at slap shots, you can start to increase your windup. Many pro players wind up as high as their shoulders. If you're aiming for the opposing team's net, you should aim for a particular spot on the net, not just the net itself. Aiming for a very specific spot on the net will allow your greater accuracy, and you'll be more likely to make the shot. If you're taking a slap shot from across the hockey rink, it's unlikely that you'll put the puck in the goal. In hockey games, many players rely on their teammates to "tip" the puck into the opponent's goal. Keep your eyes on the ice and on your teammate's stick side.

SUMMARY: Take an athletic stance. Raise your stick behind you to wind up. Take a look at the goal and aim as you wind up.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This will allow you to sit on a seat while bathing, making soaping and cleaning your body with a sponge a lot easier. A bath seat also ensures you are not bending your hips greater than 90 degrees when sitting, it ensures your bottom is supported, and it helps you stand up easily after bathing. Look for a metal, non-skid shower chair with a back to add more stability. Metal chairs are also more durable than plastics. Use a chair that is 17-18 inches higher than the floor to avoid bending your hips more than 90 degrees. Try to get a shower chair with a footrest so if you are trying to shave your legs, you do not have to bend over. A bidet allows you to clean up after you go to the bathroom by having warm water sprayed on your bottom to wash and clean it. It also lets out warm air to dry your bottom. It may be a good idea to also install a handheld showerhead. This will allow you to direct or control the flow of water on your body, especially if you are sitting down while showering. Horizontal bars will help you get in the bathtub and lower yourself down to a sitting position in the toilet, while vertical grab bars will help you get up from sitting on the shower seat or from the toilet. Remember not to grab towel racks for support because these are not strong enough to hold your weight; you might end up falling. This will prevent you from flexing your hip joint too much when sitting on the toilet after the operation. One of the precautions after hip replacement is avoiding hip flexion greater than 90 degrees so you want to avoid bringing your knee up higher than your hip when sitting. You can also purchase a detachable elevated seat cover or have a toilet safety frame installed. In your pre surgery consultation, ask your orthopedic surgeon where you can purchase a toilet safety frame. This will prevent any slips or falls when you are using the bathroom post surgery. Make sure you also place a non slip or non skid bath mat outside the bathtub or shower door to help you get a firm footing after you bathe or shower. Position your shampoo, soap, and sponge within reaching distance from your shower seat so you don't have to exhaust yourself trying to access them post surgery. If possible, switch out bar soap for liquid soap. You can easily drop bar soap by accident, which will force you to reach or bend for it. Liquid soap will be easier to use. You can store them on a low shelf in the bathroom or in a spot that is a short distance away and easy to access so you can dry yourself off in the bathroom, rather than having to get up and look for one. This is to prevent your incision and bandages from getting wet. Your doctor will let you know when you can shower after your surgery. In the meantime, wash your upper body with the usual soap and water by using the sink or a small basin. You may ask the nurse at the hospital to help you wash or clean your private areas/genitals. They will know how to assist you. Since you won't be doing any other tasks other than to get well after your surgery, you won't be perspiring much so just try to relax and focus on resting. If you aren't sure what changes may be necessary or best for your bathroom set up, your orthopaedic or rehabilitation doctor can refer you to an occupational therapist who is qualified to look at your bathroom and make safety recommendations before surgery.

SUMMARY: Purchase a shower seat or bathroom commode chair at your local medical supply store. Have a bidet installed near your toilet. Install horizontal and vertical grab bars by your toilet. Raise your toilet seat. Place non slip rubber suction mats or silicone decals in the tub and on the floor surrounding the toilet seat. Move all bath toiletries so they are within easy reach. Place a stack of clean towels in the bathroom. Keep in mind you will instructed not to shower for 3-4 days after your surgery. Get a referral for an occupational therapist to assess your bathroom.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You can make this design to size, if you know what size you'd like. Measure the longest pen. You can do this project in just one color, but if you have a second color, you can make a contrasting liner. We'll call the two colors the liner color (shown here in yellow) and the cover color (shown here in blue). If you want you can personalize it, try using different colors of tape, stickers, craft foam and pipe cleaners. This will be the cover color tape, and it should be about half an inch or 11.5 centimeter (0.40.6in) wider than the liner tape. You can trim the length later. Attach the liner tape strips together. Make sure that the sticky portion of the cover color tape has a half-inch or 11.5 centimeter (0.40.6in) allowance at both sides of the liner color tape. This will form the pocket. After folding it back in place, insert the longest pen inside the flap. You could bring the lower pocket all the way up or you could fold a strip of tape in three and put it near the top. Trim the finished product to the width of the liner color and set the strap loosely in place. Fold evenly! When working with duct tape, you can lift if for the first few days. After that, don't count on changing anything. Decide where you want the fold. You may want to leave a little extra length in case you ever get a pen or pencil that's a bit taller than the ones you have now. The easiest is to cut a straight line on a slight angle, but if you want to cut a bit of a curve, you can. In order for the sides of the curve to be equidistant, fold the top flap lengthwise in half and cut the curve through the edges while they are held together. If you curved the end of the top flap, you'll need to cut little slits in the duct tape on one side to receive it so it will stick flat. Here, there's another bit of tape to line the tab.

SUMMARY:
Gather the pens and pencils you'd like to carry in your case. Choose two colors of duct tape. Using the measurement you have taken of the pen, cut a piece of duct tape that is 2-3 times longer than the measured pen you want to hold. Cut two other strips and attach all three of them together to form a duct tape fabric that is a little wider than your selection of pens. Next, cut strips for your liner color tape, which should be the width you want your finished pencil case to be. Put the cover and liner tape strips together. Tape the edge of the bottom of the duct tape fabric and make sure that the two colors are even. Fold the bottom end up, and crease it without sticking the edges yet. Trim the sides of the folded portion. Using the pen as the point of reference, make an upper strap or loop. Fold the sticky side flaps in and stick them down over both the bottom pocket and the upper loop. Put your pens in the pocket and check the size. Fold the top flap down. Trim the end of the top flap so that it will stick into the bottom pocket. Fold short pieces of tape over the sides and end of the flap and any exposed edges. Reinforce the bottom of the pocket with another piece of tape if you want. Put your pens and pencils in the case, fold the flap over, tuck it in, and enjoy!