Insects such as spider mites, fruit flies, and fungus gnats often gravitate towards plants. To keep them from damaging your plant, wipe down the leaves with a cloth dampened with water whenever you see insects on them. If this doesn't keep insects off of your plant's leaves, consider dampening the cloth with insecticidal soap mixed with water. If your plant has a lot of dead leaves and stems, trim them off. This way, nutrients will only go towards the healthy parts of the plant instead of being wasted on the dead parts. Put some tepid water in a spray bottle and give your plant a conservative spritz from time to time. This can give your plant the extra humidity that it may need. Misting regularly will keep your plant's leaves from drying out and will also prevent dust from collecting on them.

Summary: Wipe pests off of the plant. Trim the dead parts of the plant. Mist your plant if it's kept indoors.

with fragrance-free soap and warm water. Wet your hands, then apply soap and scrub for at least 30 seconds. Rinse your hands thoroughly to get rid of any soap residue. Pat your hands dry on a clean microfiber towel to avoid lint. Always use a clean, dry towel to dry your hands. Microfiber towels are your best option because they're less likely to leave lint or fuzz on your hands, which might get on your contacts. If you don't have a microfiber towel, you might consider letting your hands air-dry if your eyes are sensitive. Only open 1 side of your contact case at a time to help you avoid mixing up your contacts or accidentally damaging one. Get into the habit of always doing the same side first. For instance, you might do your right eye and then your left. Tilt the case toward you, then lightly press the pad of your finger over the contact lens. Once the lens is on your finger tip, slowly pull your finger out of the container and transfer the lens to the palm of your hand. Don't use your nails to get the contact, as this may damage it. Be very careful with your contacts because it's easy to damage them. Position the contact in the center of your palm, then spray a stream of contact solution over it. Do a visual inspection to make sure your contact is free of debris. You don't need to rub the contact unless you see some debris on it. If you see any debris on the contact, apply more contact solution to it and lightly rub it with your fingertip to remove the debris. Never, ever use tap water on your contacts. Only use contact solution to rinse your contacts. Put the contact on the skin of your finger, not your nail. Make sure that the contact is sitting hollow-side up on your fingertip with none of the side walls sticking to your finger. It should look like a tiny bowl. If the edges are flaring out, then it is inside out. Put it back on your palm and use your fingertip to gently flip it right side out. Once both contact lenses are in your eyes, look around to make sure you can see well. When you're finished, pour the contact solution from the case into the sink, rinse the case, and close the contact case. Never reuse old contact solution, as it increases your risk of getting an eye infection. Always use fresh contact solution.

Summary: Wash your hands Remove the lid on 1 side of your contact lens case and set it aside. Use your fingertip to slide the contact lens from the case. Rinse the contact lens with your contact solution. Place the contact concave side up on your index finger. Repeat the process with the other contact.

Dip your cotton swab into the ink and use a swirling motion to spread a generous amount onto the surface of the ivory. Wait 10-15 seconds for the ink to dry. Then, use a lint-free rag or cloth to quickly wipe the ink off of the surface. For best results, use squid ink or India ink to fill in your etches. You can also use colored varieties of ink if they're available at your local art supply store. Some small amounts of ink will be left inside the dots that you etched into the surface. This will give you a good indication of what your scrimshaw art will look like when you're done. If there are any spots where you want your image to be darker or your lines to be smoother, simply use your scribing tool or pin to etch those spots a bit deeper or place more dots along the lines. Then, use another cotton swab to re-apply ink to those areas. Finally, use a clean area of your lint-free rag to wipe the ink off again. Repeat this process as necessary to finish creating your image. The process of applying ink to your etched design will probably have left the rest of your ivory or bone dark and swirly. Luckily, all you need to do is rub these areas with a clean cloth to get all this ink off. This will help to maintain your scrimshaw's shine and glossiness, especially if it's made of real ivory. For best results, use Renaissance Wax or warm beeswax when polishing your piece. Note that this is most important for works made of real ivory, but you should still do this at least once a year no matter what material your scrimshaw is made of.

Summary: Use a cotton swab to apply ink to the surface of your object. Re-etch any areas that you want to be darker and apply more ink. Use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe the extra ink off of the surface. Re-apply beeswax to your piece twice a year to preserve it.

This will create the base for your ice cream. The bananas must be frozen, or you will get something closer to a smoothie instead. If you don't have a blender, you can use a food processor fitted with blades instead. At this point, you can also add in some optional ingredients as well. Here are some ideas to get you started: For a hint of sweetness, add teaspoon of vanilla extract. To cut the sweetness, add a pinch of salt. For a peanut-butter ice cream, add 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of creamy peanut butter, teaspoon of vanilla extract, and teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Pulse the ingredients at 15-second intervals using a slow speed. Between each interval, pause the blender, and scrape any unmixed mixture down the sides with a rubber spatula. The mixture will look crumbly at first, but keep going. If the mixture is not blending very well, add up to 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of dairy-free milk, such as coconut milk or almond milk. You can serve it straight out of the blender, or you can transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Store any leftovers in the freezer for up to 5 days.
Summary: Peel, cut, and freeze two frozen bananas. Add the bananas and cocoa powder into the a blender. Blend the ingredients together until everything is smooth. Serve the ice cream immediately.