The key to being comfortable during your period is to keep your stomach area free from constriction. Wear pants, dresses, or skirts that are not too tight. Avoid control-top pantyhose that will compress your abdomen. Flowing maxi dresses, for example, can be ideal. Be sure to have plentiful pads, tampons, or any other needed feminine hygiene items with you when on the go. Especially in the early years of your period, it is wise to have a backup pair of underwear with you as well. Bring a few pain relievers with you too. You will be more comfortable if you know you can handle an emergency. If you are having a heavy period, visit the bathroom more often to check for leaks or whether you need to change your products. If you are feeling unwell, it is okay to reward yourself with healthy favorite snacks. Choose food in its natural state like a fresh banana instead of a banana pudding. Avoid excessively fatty foods like French fries. These foods can make your period worse. Soy milk can help reduce menstrual pain. Eat calcium-rich foods like beans, almonds, spinach, and kale. Eat foods high in antioxidants, including blueberries, cherries, tomatoes, squash, and bell pepper.

Summary: Wear loose-fitting clothing. Be prepared. Gather your favorite healthy snacks.

Everyone experiences hardships at one time or another. This might include losing a job, coping with a medical issue, or suffering an injury. Don't blame yourself when these things happen because they happen to everyone. Let's say someone crashed into your car while you were driving. This is an accident, and you didn't cause it. Don't blame yourself! No one can have a perfect life without hardship, even while using a tool like the law of attraction. You can't stop all bad things from happening, as this isn't possible. However, you can choose to have a better reaction to them. Instead of getting upset, accept hardships as part of life. Then, reach out to people who care about you to get support. For example, let's say you lost a job you really wanted. Instead of dwelling on the loss, accept that this time it wasn't meant to be. Then, think about how you can use this experience to do better next time. This helps you see something good that the hardship brought into your life. When you're ready, reflect on what happened to see how you grew as a person. Similarly, consider how your experience can enable you to help others. Don't push yourself to look for the lesson or silver lining before you're ready. For instance, failing a class might have taught you how to be a better student, and going through a bad breakup might teach you what you want in a relationship. Facing an obstacle can shake your confidence and break your positive mindset, but regaining control give you back your power. Start by listing the actions you can take to move forward. Then, do one small thing to help you move in the right direction. For example, let's say you lost your job. Instead of dwelling on it, update your resume and go through job listings. While you apply for new jobs, take a free online class to help boost your job skills.

Summary: Recognize you're not to blame for accidents, illnesses, or events beyond your control. Focus on changing your response to hardships rather than avoiding them. Look for the lesson or silver lining in obstacles or hardships, when you're ready. Take control after a setback or hardship to boost your confidence.

Royal icing is one of the most popular sugar cookie icings. This simple recipe only calls for three ingredients and takes 7 minutes to make. The recipe yields 3 cups (455 grams) of icing. Only use fresh, refrigerated egg whites with fully intact shells to prevent the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. Combine the pasteurized egg whites and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat the ingredients together with a mixer on low to medium speed. Continue to beat until the mixture appears frothy and light. Measure out the sugar and add it to the bowl gradually, 1 cup at a time. Use the mixer's lowest setting. Continue to mix until the sugar is fully combined. The mixture should look shiny. Set your mixer to its highest setting and continue to beat for about 5 to 7 minutes. The mixture will become stiff and glossy. If you want icing in colors other than white, divide small amounts of it into separate bowls, then add the food coloring of your choice to each. Add a few drops and stir well. If you want the color darker, add a few more drops. Make sure you put icing on cookies that have completed cooled first. Transfer the icing to a pastry bag and pipe it on as desired. A heavy duty storage bag will also work great for piping, simply clip the corner and proceed. Place any leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator. Use within 3 days.

Summary: Gather your ingredients. Beat the egg whites and vanilla together. Add the confectioners' sugar. Add food coloring (if desired). Ice your sugar cookies.

Not only do short showers save water, they also save the energy that it takes to heat that water up. You should also keep in mind that baths consume a lot more water than short showers do. Choose water-conserving shower heads. According to National Geographic, if you use a low-flow showerhead, you can actually save 15 gallons (56.8L) of water if you take a ten minute shower. Roughly 22% of home water consumption comes from laundry. Always make sure to put them on the right setting too. If you do wash a smaller load of laundry, make sure to activate the 'small' or 'medium' load setting. (Some washers, especially front-loading machines, automatically adjust the water level.) A lot of the water we consume is actually wasted because of leaks we may have in our systems. Do regular maintenance on your pipes, checking to make sure that you don't have any leaks. If you do--repair them immediately so that less water gets wasted. It's important to remember that not all climates are meant to have green grass in them. To really conserve water, fill your yard with plants that naturally thrive in your climate. You will find that you have relatively little landscaping work to do, which means you will be saving both water and energy. Washing a standard-sized vehicle generally takes about 150 gallons (567.8L) of water. That is a lot of water. Try to reduce the number of times you wash your car. Consider bringing your car to a professional car wash. They generally use less water than a person washing their car at home. Commercial car washes are also required to drain their used water into the sewage system (rather than storm drains) so they have less of an impact on the marine environment.
Summary: Take shorter showers. Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full. Check for leaks regularly. Take your climate into consideration when landscaping. Don't wash your car that often.