Problem: Article: Being able to accept yourself for who YOU are is not always easy, especially when you're inundated with images in the media of so-called perfect yet completely unrealistic people. One of the first things you can do is to set specific, positive intentions or goals that will start you on the path to self-acceptance. These intentions or goals can be as simple as a mantra you say or write down to remind yourself of the way you 'should' feel or think about yourself. Your intention should be relevant to you and as specific as possible. For example, "I care more about what I think of myself than what other people think of me" or "I will not plan my life around what other people want or think." Find a comfy and quiet spot, with a notebook and pen, and write a list of all the great things you've already accomplished in your life. These accomplishments could be things you've done, things of which you're proud, or things for which you've been praised. These accomplishments don't have to be related to awards or winning something, they can be related to things on which you've improved or things for which you felt you did well. Use the list as a reminder that you've already done a lot of amazing things in your life and that YOU are already an awesome person. If you have a hard time making your list all at once, make the commitment to add one item to the list every day, maybe every morning when you wake up or every evening before you go to bed. Continue to update the list after it's created. Every time you think of something new, add it to the list. Examples of personal strengths or accomplishments include: improving your grades in a specific subject, completing all your homework on time, babysitting your siblings, auditioning for the school play even if you don't get the part, getting a gig for your band, or eating something healthy for lunch. In addition to thinking about your strengths or accomplishments, also think about and write down obstacles that you've already managed to overcome in your life. These obstacles could be as simple as getting a passing grade on a math test for which you thought you'd failed. These obstacles could also be as complex as surviving your parents' divorce or managing your mental health issues. It's important to remember what you've already managed to do in life and celebrate those overcome obstacles. You've probably overcome a lot of little things that you rarely think about. All of those things are part of who you are today and should be celebrated. Keep your list of overcome obstacles updated as you overcome new obstacles in life. Unfortunately, the way you think and feel about yourself can be linked to the negative things other people have said to you or about you. When you're a teenager, it can be hard to ignore the things others say about you. If those things are said often enough, you may even start to believe they're true. The people who say these negative things about you are not your friends, even if they claim they are. They don't care about you or your feelings and you should not waste your time hanging out with them. You don't have to start or stop hanging around with specific people instantaneously. Make these types of changes over time (i.e., weeks or months) until you feel happy and comfortable with the people you spend the most amount of your time with. In order to accept yourself, you also need to be able to forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes or does something they regret. Whenever you start to feel guilty or regretful for something you've done in your past, acknowledge the feeling and then proactively tell yourself it's okay, it's in your past, and it's time to move on. Rather than think about the mistakes you made, think about how you overcame the mistakes you made. One great way to feel good about yourself and accept yourself is to do things for other people. When you see someone else happy and excited about something you've done for them, the feeling inside you is amazing. This can include things as simple as washing the dishes without being asked, keeping your room tidy, or offering to make dinner one night. You can also formalize this generosity by volunteering for a nonprofit or charitable organization. Self-care or self-compassion is giving priority to yourself instead of others; it is not being selfish. Self-care and self-compassion is recognizing that you are overwhelmed, overworked, or overextended; recognizing that you need to a break; and giving yourself the time you need to recover. Being a teenager isn't easy. You can't be expected to run at full speed indefinitely without experiencing burnout. Admitting you need a break to recharge helps you to understand your limitations. Self-care activities can include activities where you specifically spend time alone or they can include activities where you spend time with friends or family. Examples of self-care activities include: sitting quietly to read your favourite book, taking your dog for a walk, riding your bike, playing your favourite video games, sleeping in on the weekend, or going to watch sports with your dad.
Summary: Set positive and specific intentions or goals for yourself. Create a list of your personal strengths to remind yourself you're already awesome. Make note of the obstacles you've already overcome. Surround yourself with people who care about you. Forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made in your past. Do things for other people rather than yourself. Treat yourself with kindness and engage in self-care activities.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Kirby cucumbers are the "classic" pickling cucumber, and are recommended for sweet and crunchy pickles. Typically, for pickling a batch, you'll want at least two or three pounds of cucumbers. Rinse them thoroughly and cut them in the desired shape. You can cut them into rounds or chips, spears, or keep them whole for pickling. If you keep them whole, trim off the flower-end of the cucumber. To ensure crispy canned pickles, pack your sliced or whole cucumbers in salt and ice and keep them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you pickle them. In a bowl, toss 3-4 tbsp of kosher salt with your cucumbers and an equal amount of ice. Cover the bowl with a wet towel or plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients and supplies. If you're going to can the pickles, you'll want a 1: 1 ratio of vinegar to water for making the "pickle juice." Depending on how many pickles you have, a quart should be enough. You can always mix up more on the fly. Regular white vinegar is fine, or you can use cider vinegar or another vinegar you prefer. To this, add 1.5 tbsp of kosher salt. Mix in a saucepan or pot. Heat the mixture on the stove until it comes to a boil. Lower the head and keep it at a steady temperature. It needs to be at boiling temperature to pickle the cucumbers. "Pickle crisp" is a commercial pickling product used to keep pickles crispy. It's basically calcium chloride. A natural alternative to pickle crisp is to use grape leaves in the jars, which was the traditional way to keep the pickles from softening. How you want to spice your pickles is up to you, but a typical "pickling spice" mixture includes black peppercorns, dill seeds, smashed or sliced garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes if you like some kick. You can either throw the dried spices into the pickling solution, or you can stuff the spice mix into the jars after you've prepared them and before you've inserted the pickles. Either is an effective way of spicing the pickles, but packing an amount in each jar will ensure an even amount of spice in each jar.
Summary:
Get some cucumbers. Wash and process the cucumbers. Brine the cucumbers. Mix up your pickling solution. Prepare your pickling spices.