Problem: Article: Placing steel wool in vinegar will, over time, dissolve the wool. This combines with the vinegar to create an aging stain. Fill a glass jar with vinegar, and place a fist-sized chunk of steel wool inside it. Let it settle for a minimum of one day, but up to five days for a darker solution. Sand it to remove any stain or coating which might prevent your aging solution from adhering properly. Boil black tea to brush onto the wood prior to using your steel wool solution. Tea contains tannic acid, which reacts with the vinegar stain and darkens it. The tea will not add any color by itself, it will only make the wood appear wet. Use a paintbrush to give a thorough coat to the wood. You should see an immediate change in color, which will dry after a few hours. Only one coat is necessary to give the "aged" look, but multiple coats can be applied to darken the wood. Allow time to dry, and then use a damp rag and cold water to remove any residue from the steel wool. This can be the finished product, but if desired, a wax coating can be applied to preserve the effect.
Summary: Know what happens when steel wool and vinegar interact. Create the steel wool-vinegar solution. Prepare your wood. Make a tea stain. Apply the steel wool-vinegar solution. Finish the wood.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Children learn best when they are engaged and enjoying themselves. Using different games and fun activities can spark your child's interest in colors and help him or her retain the information more effectively. A good way to think of this is "busy hands, busy brains." Try different types of games with your child and see which one he or she likes best. For example, you could ask your child to select a crayon, marker, or piece of construction that he or she likes. Then take your toddler out for a walk and say, "let's spot colors that are the same as your paper. I bet you can beat me!" Tie a different colored ribbon to the tops of three long-handled spoons. Put them in a small pail and tell your child to dash to a specific colored spoon. Make sure to offer positive reinforcement such as, "great job, Sara, you found the pink ribbon!" Toddlers often love to pick out their own clothing and will put together all sorts of fun combinations. Use getting dressed as another opportunity to teach your little one different colors. Allow your toddler to pick out an item of clothing and say, "that's very nice, what color is it?" If your child knows the color, then ask him or her to get another piece of clothing in the same color. Remember to keep your color descriptions as simple as possibleno mint and green, just green. Let your toddler pick out all of the articles of clothing he or she wants to wear that day. As the child puts on each piece, ask him or her what color it is. If the child isn't sure, say, "this is orange, Callie, just like your favorite shirt and the oranges you love to eat." Nutrition is key to helping your child grow. Because healthy foods are often bright and beautiful colors, you can use meals as a way to teach your toddler his or her colors. Ask your child what color a food is as you pass it to him or her. For example, say, "what color is the piece of broccoli?" If your child says, "green," give him or her a bit of positive reinforcement with a, "great job, Luca!" You can extend the lesson by asking, "what other foods are green, Luca?" Let your toddler pick out his or her own foods from healthy pre-selected choices. Tell your child to let you know what color each food is as he or she picks it. Make sure to reinforce the lesson as much as possible with statements like, "that's right, Emma, strawberries are red." Songs about colors set to the tune of popular children's music can also help your toddler learn his or her colors. Teaching these songs to your child and singing them in places such as the car or the bathtub can distract your child while helping him or her to learn his colors. Try using "I Love Red" by Jean Warren. Sing the following to the tune of "Three Blind Mice": I love red, I love red.That's what I said, that's what I said. Firetrucks, wagons and strawberries piled high. Stop signs, hearts and pizza pies. Roses, tomatoes and apples, oh my. I love red. That's what I said. Set aside some time every day or every couple of days to make pictures with your toddler. Most small children are thrilled to have a crayon or some finger paint with which to "draw" on a piece of paper. As you paint, ask your toddler what colors he or she is choosing and why. Then ask your toddler if he or she can tell you what colors you are using. Try to make painting or coloring a game. For example, ask your toddler, "What colors should I use today?" and let him or her run and pick out your colors for the day. Introducing variables is another good way to teach your toddler colors, as well as the differences between them. Have your child compare identical objects, such as balls, of different colors. Seeing the distinction between colors can help your child more clearly identify them and their names. Use items you have around your house to highlight the differences. You can use things like balls, shoes, or even fish. Remember to keep the number of choices relatively low until your toddler has a good grasp on multiple colors.

SUMMARY: Use games. Play dress up. Identify foods by color. Sing a song. Color or paint pictures together. Compare identical objects of different colors.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: . You are a complex human being who is faced with many complex experiences daily. Because of this, you may forget to focus on your inner-self, and pay attention to how your words and behaviors not only affect you, but others as well. Becoming more self-aware of your current personality traits and how they affect you and others will help you to identify areas you may want to change. The primary areas of self-awareness include: personality traits, values, morals, and beliefs, habits, emotional and psychological needs. Self-awareness of your personality can help you navigate your world better by gravitating towards situations that provide you with positive experiences and rewards, and avoid those situations that can be destructive and cause you too much stress. In other words, self-awareness of your personality will help you analyze how you react and feel about things to help you make better choices in life. These can be traits you already possess to some degree. They can also be traits you don't currently have, but wish you did. For instance, you might be a naturally shy person who wants to become more outgoing. If you're already a creative person, you could decide to work on applying your creativity in more areas of your life. Don't work on too many personality traits at once. Choose just one or two at first, so you don't get overwhelmed. If you have any qualities that you don't like, write them down. Traits that bother you or make your life more difficult are good candidates for this list. For instance, if you have a tendency to interrupt people, you might decide you want to break that habit. Personality traits are constructs that make up who you are as a person. These traits are further broken down into daily habits. Keep in mind that your habit change should involve the overarching personality traits that influence negative habits. For example, you might dislike your habit to disrupt people. This habit aligns with the personality trait of self-centeredness. Such a trait may show up in other habits like throwing tantrums when you don't get your way or gossiping. Look closely at your habits to find the bigger trait. Then, try to identify other similar habits indicated by that trait. Look over your lists and think about how you can make them a reality. Make a new list of specific actions you can take to improve your personality. Make sure your actions are focused around everyday situations you deal with frequently. After you have devised a list of feasible actions, start implementing them into your everyday life. New habits are developed by replacing the negative ones with more positive, adaptive choices. Add in more positive habits, and you'll gradually extinguish the old. For instance, if you're trying to become more punctual, you could commit to leaving for work every morning five minutes earlier than you currently do.
Summary:
Become self-aware Make a list of personality traits you want to develop or strengthen. Jot down some habits you want to minimize. Go from small to big. Create a plan. Put new actions into practice.