Problem: Article: Pick a vase that will rise up to cover at least half the height of the tulips you've brought home. They'll be able to lean against the vase without bending over. If you use a shorter vase, the flowers will eventually bend forward. This is an effect some people like, but it may cause the flowers to die more quickly. Make sure it doesn't have sediment leftover from your last bouquet. Use soap and warm water to wash it thoroughly, then dry it completely with a towel. This way your fresh tulips won't pick up bacteria that could case them to start rotting more quickly. Cold water will keep the stems fresh and crisp, while warm or hot water would cause them to become weak and soggy. around the vase. Arrange the tulips so that they each have a little space in the vase, rather than leaning them all on top of one another. Giving them each a little room will prevent them from crushing one another, which will lead to premature petal drop-page and shorten the lifespan of your flowers. Tulips drink up a lot of water. Make sure it never completely runs out, or they'll begin to wilt very quickly. The addition of flower food, or flower preservative, which is available at flower shops, will greatly lengthen your flowers' lifespan. Read the directions and sprinkle in some food when you add water. It'll keep your tulips standing tall and looking perky for as long as possible. You can try putting lemon juice, pennies, and other such materials in the vase with the flowers. Some say these tricks work, but research shows that flower food is much more effective. Daffodils and other flowers in this family exude a substance that causes flowers to fade faster. Tulips work best in a vase all by themselves. Place it in an area that doesn't get too hot and sunny. Otherwise, the tulips will wilt in the heat.
Summary: Choose a suitable vase. Wash the vase. Fill the vase with cold water. Position the stems Keep the vase filled with fresh water. Add some flower food. Don't style tulips with flowers in the Narcissus family. Keep the vase out of the sun.

Problem: Article: " Maybe you feel like the version of yourself lately isn't someone you recognize, and you just can't seem to shake the feeling. It's normal to have a bad day, or even a bad week, but if the feelings persist and continue to affect your life and the way you interact, it might be time to take the next step and see a therapist. You may usually love being with your friends, but suddenly find yourself wanting to be alone most of the time. Maybe you find yourself getting angry often, when you never used to feel angry. Do you notice changes in your feelings and behavior only at work, or only at home? Or have you noticed changes that seem to affect home, school, work, friends, etc.? Maybe you've noticed that things at school and with friends feel worse, or things with your family and at work have declined. If the way you feel across situations is consistently different than what is considered "normal" for you, it may be time to see a therapist. You may notice that your patience for other people at work has declined, and you explode at your kids more quickly than before. Perhaps you've noticed your productivity at work sharply declined, and your caretaking of the home became abruptly non-existent. Sometimes it's normal to not sleep well before a big presentation or something you're excited about, but if you find yourself oversleeping (sleeping much during the day) or having difficulty sleeping (such as trouble falling asleep, or waking up throughout the night), it may indicate distress. Both lack of sleep or oversleeping can be signs that something is wrong. You may notice you suddenly find yourself eating often as a way to cope with stress. Or, perhaps your appetite has completely left you and you barely eat, unable to enjoy food. Changes in eating habits can signal distress. Eating food may become comforting to you, and you find yourself eating excessively. You may also find food unappetizing or lacking pleasant taste, leading you to not eat enough during the day. If you feel more down than usual, or experience hopelessness, apathy, and isolation and can't seem to get out of the rut, it may be time to see a therapist. Maybe you used to feel enthusiastic about life and activities and now it all seems dull to you. It's normal to feel sad for a day or two, but feeling sad for weeks can indicate a larger problem. The sooner you find treatment, the sooner you can begin to feel better. Maybe you worry about small things, but lately worrying about things is taking a bigger role in your life. Perhaps you've noticed your worrying is taking over your time and life. You might feel silly admitting what makes you fearful, jumpy, or worried, yet you can't seem to shake it. If you're unable to get things done because you spend so much time worrying about things, it may be time to get help. Other signs of a problem with anxiety can include restlessness, irritability, and trouble concentrating. Your regular doctor (general practitioner or primary care physician) is an important ally in determining whether or not you need to speak with a therapist, and she can also be a great resource to help you find a therapist that may help you. Make an appointment with your doctor and let her know how you've been feeling. She can then run some tests to rule out any medicinal contributors that may be the source of your negative feelings (such as illness, changes in hormones, etc.).
Summary: Notice feeling "not yourself. Reflect on how your feelings affect your everyday life. Tune in to changes in sleeping habits. Check changes in eating habits. Observe a sad or negative mood. Note if you feel more "on edge," jumpy, or high strung. Speak with your general practitioner.

Problem: Article: . Look online for cheap test strips, or a more accurate water hardness test kit. Most test kits in the United States measure the hardness in "grains per gallon." Multiply this result by the gallons of water your household uses each day, on average (according to your water bill). This is the number of "grains" of hardness the device would soften each day. Choose a softener labeled for about 10 times this number of grains. This means the softener will work for about ten days before it needs some downtime. The average US resident uses 100 gallons of water a day (or 70 gallons if you're only softening indoor water use). For example, your household water hardness has 9 grains per gallon. You use 300 gallons per day, so 9 x 300 = 2,700 grains per day. A softener in the 27,000 grain range (2,700 x 10) is about the right size. Ion exchange softeners are by far the most effective home softener. Most other devices are much less effective, or even just scams. Ion exchange softeners come in two types: Sodium chloride: the most common and most effective type. This adds a tiny amount of salt (sodium) to your water. Potassium chloride: less effective, but useful if you can't have sodium. The potassium can harm people with damaged kidneys or on certain medications that prevent potassium absorption. If you don't want sodium or potassium, pick either type and install a reverse osmosis (RO) filter as well to remove them after softening. Once you've narrowed down the choice to some good models, look at the details. Many softeners refill themselves automatically, going offline for a while during this time. Some do this whenever the softening resin drops too low. Others can be set for a specific time once a week, so you're never caught with hard water unexpectedly. You can buy the softener in one go or lease it for a monthly payment. Besides reducing the upfront cost, leasing it usually comes with a professional installation, so you don't have to do it yourself. Try to get at least two quotes on the installation and lease. . If you decide to install the softener yourself, follow the instructions in the linked article. Most softeners also come with detailed installation instructions, although basic plumbing experience will help.
Summary:
Measure your water hardness Find the right size softener. Choose a type of softener. Find out how to maintain the softener. Check the leasing plan. Install the softener