INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use a magnifying glass to examine the splinter. Check how deep it is under your skin. Run the splinter under warm water in the faucet and pat it dry with a clean cloth. This works best for a splinter that is sticking out of your skin. Tear off a small piece of scotch tape or duct tape and place it on the affected area. Pull the tape off in the opposite direction of the splinter. If the splinter appears to be tilted to the right, for example, you would pull the tape off towards the left. Make sure the area around the splinter is dry and that the tape is clean. Tape that is old and covered with debris could cause an infection. Apply craft glue on the splinter and the skin surrounding the splinter. Let the glue dry and harden. Once the glue is dry, peel it slowly off the skin. The splinter should stick to the glue and come out without any painful digging. Make sure you use a very mild, non-toxic glue, like one used in classrooms, rather than super glue or wood glue. These glues can cause even more damage to your skin when you try to pull the splinter out. Mix baking soda with water to make a paste. Start with about 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1/4 cup of water, or enough water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the affected area of the splinter and cover it with a band-aid. Let the band-aid and tape sit for about 24 hours. Peel off the band-aid and look for the splinter, removing it with a pair of tweezers. The baking soda paste can make it easier for you to spot the splinter. It can also make the splinter easier to remove. Ichthammol ointment can be found at your local drugstore or pharmacy. It works much like the baking soda. Apply the ointment to affected area of the splinter. Let it sit for around 24 hours, covering it with a band-aid. Remove the band-aid. The splinter should then naturally come out. When you use the ichthammol ointment, you will not need to pull the splinter out with tweezers. The ointment should encourage the splinter to come to the surface on its own. You can also use hydrogen peroxide instead of the ichthammol ointment. Put epsom salt on the bandage section of a band-aid and wrap it over the splinter. The salt should slowly encourage the splinter to come out of your skin. Repeat this process every day until the splinter falls out.

SUMMARY: Examine the splinter. Use tape to gently pull the splinter out. Try using glue to get the splinter out. Apply baking soda to get the splinter out. Use ichthammol ointment to remove the splinter. Apply epsom salts to the splinter.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Slowly inhale and exhale to signal your body to relax, and to restore equilibrium if you are feeling out of sorts and tense. This also gives you a few extra moments to evaluate the situation and how you will choose to respond. Practice regular meditation to learn how to control your emotions and calm yourself down when you need to. Try inhaling for 5 seconds, holding it for 5 seconds, and then exhaling over 5 seconds. This is a general standard rhythm, but experiment to see what timing works best for you. Taking a step away from the situation allows you to remove yourself from the situation if you are worried that your immediate reaction won't be one of patience. This will help you to feel more level-headed to face the next few moments. When you step away, try slowly counting to 10 or taking deep breaths to help you to be able to return more quickly. You could also try yelling your frustrations into a pillow when you have stepped away. Maintain supervision of the children even when you need to step away. Use a baby monitor or ask another adult to look over them. Singing can make losing your patience or temper much more difficult, as it can easily diffuse the situation into laughter instead. You can still say what you need to, however it will be much better received, and you won't feel as though you have lost your patience as much. The singing may come as a surprise to the kids, which will make them more likely to pay attention to what you are saying. Try to keep having a connection and understanding at the forefront of your mind. Avoid lecturing them, and be reflective rather than reactive. Listen to the children before you speak, and talk with them rather than at them. Simply saying "kids, I'm losing my patience," can also help, as it openly communicates with the kids how you are feeling and lets them respond to it. The cycling nature of mantras is soothing and serene, which can definitely help in situations where you feel that you might lose your patience. Mantras can also help for you to put the situation in perspective. For a patience boost, try "This too will pass, and I can stand it." To add perspective, try "I love my kids more than I love my . . ." and include whatever the situation is about such as plates, a wall, or the garden. Take a moment to evaluate the situation from the child's point of view. This will help you to work out what their intentions are, and how to react in a way that they will understand. The more you practice this, the easier it will become to understand the child's perspective in the future. This means that you will lose your patience less in future situations.

SUMMARY: Take a few deep breaths. Step away for a moment if possible. Sing what you want to say. Talk it out with the kids. Repeat a mantra. Put yourself in the kid's shoes.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: As with foundation, something sparkly or shimmery won't look great on camera. Stick to solid shades. Matte eye shadow works best here.

SUMMARY:
Avoid sparkly or shimmery eye shadows.