Q: If your girlfriend doesn't want to play fight anymore or she seems upset, you need to stop. She may stop making eye contact, her energy and enthusiasm will go away, and she may even start to cry if she gets upset enough. These are definite cues that the play fighting has gone too far. Even if you went too far accidentally, you need to apologize and ask her if there's anything you can do to make her feel better. A clear boundary that you need to always respect is your girlfriend telling you "stop" or "no." Even if you were already play fighting and having fun, if she wants to stop, you need to stop. You want her to feel save with you when you're play fighting, especially if you're bigger and stronger than her. She may giggle and say stop when you're play fighting or tickling her, but if she clearly asks you to stop and isn't having fun, stop immediately. It's possible the play fighting triggered past trauma that she's experienced, so be sensitive to her cues and listen to her. In order to prevent play fighting going too far or somebody getting physically or emotionally hurt, don't start up or participate in play fighting if you're angry. Additionally, if your girlfriend is angry don't try to get her to play fight with you and don't participate in any fighting if she tries to initiate it. If you don't feel in the mood for play fighting but your girlfriend is, try setting your negative feelings aside and have a good time with her. Play fighting is supposed to be fun. If you or your girlfriend are upset, take some time to cool off. If you or your girlfriend are angry, play fighting is not the solution. Try talking or going out for a bite to eat instead.
A: Recognize when isn't having fun play fighting. Stop if she tells you to stop. Don't play fight if you or your girlfriend are angry.

Q: Since rubber band balls are all about the challenge anyway, why not make it a little harder? Try expanding your ball without paying for any rubber bands. Here are a few places to look for them: Ask friends and neighbors for spares. Ask postal workers, newspaper delivery people, and other door-to-door delivery workers. Look in shoe stores, which may use rubber bands to hold the shoe boxes closed. If you don't twist the rubber bands, they lie flat against each other, with no room for air. This makes the densest, bounciest ball. The trick to this is finding each new rubber band exactly the right size, so there's no slack when you loop it around the ball once. Rubber band balls are extremely dense, so after a certain point they'll be too heavy to bounce without breaking something. After that, the challenge is to make it as large as possible. You can even beat the world record, if you can find 700,000 rubber bands. Once the ball is about the size of a basketball, wear safety goggles. Plenty of rubber bands will snap after this point, and you don't want them hitting your eyes. Rubber bands decay over time. To stop it shrinking or breaking apart, your project will need regular reinforcement.
A: Find all your rubber bands for free. Make a ball without twisting any rubber bands. Make it massive.

Q: One of the mainstays of treatment for primary dysmenorrhea is to take pain medications. NSAIDs are the most effective over-the-counter medicines for pain caused by menstrual cramps. You can purchase an NSAID such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) at your local pharmacy or drugstore. The typical dosing is 400 to 600mg every four to six hours as needed. You can also take naproxen, which does not require as many doses each day. If you suffer every month from the pain of primary dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual cramps), your best bet is to begin taking an NSAID medication a day or so before the onset of your period, and to continue the medication for approximately three days (or for the duration that you normally experience painful cramps). Keep in mind that NSAIDs work best when they are taken BEFORE the onset of pain. If you wait until you already have severe pain, then the medicine might not be as effective. If the pain relief from NSAID medications alone is insufficient, you can consider taking acetaminophen in addition to an NSAID. Acetaminophen can also be purchased over-the-counter at your local pharmacy or drugstore. The typical dose is 500mg every four to six hours as needed. The mechanism of action of acetaminophen is to block the perception of pain in the brain. Acetaminophen may be less effective than NSAID medications at combatting the monthly pain of primary dysmenorrhea. Note that if you take acetaminophen and ibuprofen simultaneously, there is a heightened risk of gastrointestinal bleeding as a side effect. Do not combine these two medicines. Another highly effective way to treat primary dysmenorrhea is to begin taking birth control pills. Reducing painful menstrual cramps is another use for birth control pills, in addition to their use for contraception. The reason that birth control pills help to decrease painful menstrual cramps is that they cause your uterine lining to be less thick each month. Obviously birth control pills are not advised for women who are seeking to become pregnant. If you choose to begin taking birth control pills, you will generally take 1 every day for 3 weeks, followed by one week off (or one week of "sugar pills"). You may also opt for "continuous" hormonal birth control, where you do not take a week off and go a few months in a row without a period (oftentimes you will take pills for 3 months and then allow your body to have a withdrawal bleed). Another form of hormonal birth control that is effective in treating primary dysmenorrhea is with a hormone IUD, such as the Mirena IUD. The Mirena IUD releases progesterone into your uterus, and also decreases the thickness of your uterine lining each month. This, in turn, reduces painful menstrual cramps. Another benefit is that it reduces monthly menstrual bleeding! There are a few different kinds of hormonal birth control and they can all help with dysmenorrhea pain. For example, there are hormonal IUDs, implants, patches, and injections available. Talk to your doctor to find the best option for you.
A: Take an NSAID medication to control the monthly pain of dysmenorrhea. Consider taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) in addition to an NSAID. Ask your doctor for hormonal birth control pills. Have an IUD (intrauterine device) inserted to decrease dysmenorrhea pain.

Q: If you forgot your toothpaste as well as your toothbrush, you can use baking soda as a substitute. It is an ingredient in many toothpastes because of its ability to whiten teeth and remove plaque. Simply place some on your finger, paper towel, or washcloth before brushing your teeth. Salt has natural antibacterial qualities and can eliminate some of the plaque-causing germs in your mouth when you don't have any toothpaste. Combine 12 teaspoons of salt to 8 ounces of lukewarm water and allow the salt to dissolve in the water. Then dip your finger, paper towel, or washcloth in the saltwater before brushing your teeth. You can also use the salt water to rinse your mouth out after brushing. Don't use too much salt or use this method frequently if you have metal fillings, as salt is corrosive. Strawberries contain vitamin C to maintain gum health, a powerful astringent that helps remove plaque, and malic acid which whitens teeth. Alone or combined with baking soda, crushed strawberries are a good substitute for toothpaste. Be sure to rinse thoroughly after brushing, as strawberries also contain sugar, which can contribute to tooth decay. Be aware that strawberries contain fructose. This is less dangerous to your teeth than sugar, but may still contribute to some decay. Check with your dentist before starting to use a homemade strawberry toothpaste.
A:
Substitute baking soda for toothpaste. Try a mixture of salt and water. Make a toothpaste with strawberries.