Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Have an extra-special video chat date. Send your boyfriend a care package. Create a photo collage of you and your boyfriend at local sites. Get your boyfriend's friend and family in on the fun. Create a friends and family birthday card with pictures.

Answer: If you are apart from your boyfriend, you likely make use of video chat services anyway. For his birthday, make it a special date by both of you cooking the same meal and eating "together" while chatting. Alternatively, have takeout delivered to him where he is and get the same food for you to enjoy. You could also read him a poem you wrote or play him a special song, one you wrote or one that makes you think of him. Nothing says you're missing him like a package from you! If he's far from home, he'll appreciate some little things that he misses. If you're the one that's far away, send him some special items from where you are. For instance, if you're still at home while your boyfriend is in another state or country, send him some snacks he loves that he can't get where he is. Throw in a homemade baked good or something else he misses, such as his favorite shampoo he can't find where he is. Alternatively, send him something special from where you are, such as a local food item or a novelty item. You could also send him something sentimental, such as a rock from a local park you hung out in or sand from a beach where you're visiting. That is, print out a picture of him, and then take him around to special sites where you are. Take a picture with the photo, and then send him a collage of all the pictures you took. This present will make him feel like he's there with you! Gather messages, notes, and small gifts from your boyfriend's friends and family, and then mail them altogether in a package. Your boyfriend will feel the love even from a distance! Alternatively, take video of different friends and family wishing him happy birthday. Put them together into a single video, and send it to your boyfriend for his birthday. Have each person hold up one letter of a birthday wish, such as "Happy Birthday, John," and take a picture of each one individually. Put them together on a card, and have everyone sign it before you mail it off. You can also just have them all hold a banner in one large picture.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Obtain a loofah. Wet the loofah in the shower or bath. Apply soap to the loofah. Scrub your body with the loofah. Rinse your body with cool water.

Answer: Loofahs are usually the color of pale straw, with a slightly herbaceous scent. They come in many shapes and sizes, and are often sold as either cylinders or sliced discs. The texture of a loofah is rough when dry, but once you add hot water it becomes soft and supple. Loofahs are available at most stores that sell body care accessories, including drugstores. Loofahs are different from plastic bath poufs; the two items are used for the same purpose, but loofahs are made from a plant-based material and are said to be better for the skin. Warmer water will cause the loofah to get softer more quickly. If you want the loofah to retain some texture and scrubbing ability, just wet it slightly before proceeding. Many people use body wash, which easily seeps into the surface of the loofah, but rubbing bar soap over its surface works as well. A little soap goes a long way; you only need a dime-sized amount or so. Starting at your decolletage (the expanse of skin between your neck and chest), gently but firmly rub the loofah against your skin in circular motions. Work your way down to your ankles and then repeat along the back of the body. Don't forget to scrub your arms and hands as well. Care should be used around delicate areas such as underarms. If your skin is dry, rinse the soap out of the loofah before using it on your arms and legs. Additionally, you can use the loofah on the heels and soles of your feet. Be careful if standing in a slippery shower. The circular motion will help remove dead skin cells and is gentler on your skin than scrubbing up and down. This will close your pores and make you feel awake and refreshed. If trying to lull yourself to sleep with a shower or bath, use warm water instead.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Get a cleaning kit. Unload your gun Disassemble your gun only as much as the manufacturer recommends. Always clean your gun in a well-ventilated area.

Answer: Whether you purchase a pre-assmebled cleaning kit from a sporting goods store or you assemble the necessary components individually, you'll need a few basic things to have in your arsenal of cleaning supplies. A basic set includes: Cleaning solvent Lubricant, or gun oil A bore brush A patch holder and patches Cleaning rod A nylon cleaning brush Flashlight Cotton swabs Microfiber cloths for polishing . Always take the time to properly unload your gun and double-check to make sure that it's unloaded every time you pick it up to clean it. Remember that your gun may still have a round ready to fire after you remove the magazine, so check and remove this round. After opening the chamber, look through the barrel from back to front. Confirm that no round remains inside, either in the chamber or stuck in the barrel. No gun can be considered unloaded until you have looked through the barrel. Check the owner's manual for disassembly instructions to prepare the gun for cleaning. This will allow you to access all parts that become dirty from firing. Semi-automatic pistols and rifles will generally be stripped into their major components: barrel, slide, guide rod, frame and magazine. Revolvers, shotguns, and most other sorts of guns will not need to be stripped to clean them. Field stripping is not necessary to clean the gun thoroughly. Don't take apart your gun more than you have to unless it requires repair. Likewise, some guns can't be stripped at all and it won't be necessary to do anything but open the chamber to clean it. Find a a place with good air circulation to clean your guns. Solvent fumes are noxious and can make you sick. Likewise, the solvent and lubricant used just flat-out smell foul if you try to clean your guns indoors, so keep your family happy and don't stink up the joint. Cover your work surface with plastic bags, newspaper, or old towels you've saved for the purpose. Head out to the garage and put the door up, or clean your guns on a bright and dry day to get them cleaned properly.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Cultivate optimism. Avoid overgeneralizing negative outcomes. Make space for the gray areas of life. Learn to laugh at yourself. Reflect on your situation objectively.

Answer:
Mood swings are often associated with persistent expectations for bad things to happen or, in other words, negative thinking. For example, you might be waiting to hear back from a job and assume you didn't get it after only a day has passed. Or maybe your mother has informed you that she has something to tell you and you immediately assume that she's deathly ill. Not only is this kind of negative thinking often inaccurate, but it can also dramatically affect your mood and lead you to feel very angry and upset, typically for little to no "real" reason. There are two different tricks you can try for dealing with such unhealthy automatic thinking: Take a step back and relax. Instead of assuming the worst that can happen, think about all of the other possible scenarios. This will help you realize that the worst is not likely to happen and that there's no point in getting all upset until you know more information. Alternately, you could consider the worst possible scenario and prepare for it, just in case. By ensuring that you are well prepared for even the worst case scenario you can imagine, you might be able to focus your attention on something else instead of dwelling on the unpredictable consequences that could result from it. Overgeneralizing is another way that you may lead yourself into a bad mood. Maybe you had a bad interaction on a date or with a co-worker. So what? You may think this means that you'll never find love or that you're going to be fired, but you shouldn't let this one situation or conversation make you feel like it's indicative or determinant of other trends in your life. This kind of generalizing is bound to make you moody and upset, but there is a way to counteract it. Remind yourself that what happened was an isolated incident. Instead of assuming one incident (such as a disagreement with a coworker or date) is reflective of your entire relationship with this person, consider it as a one-off and something that doesn't happen very often. Remind yourself of all of the success you have had in this realm, whether it's your work life or your romantic life, and you'll be able to calm down a bit and realize that there's no need to get all worked up about it. Thinking only in terms of extreme, or "black and white" outcomes (e.g., perfect vs. disastrous or beautiful vs. ugly, etc.) is associated with both mood swings and sudden alterations in effect. Focusing too much on just one outcome (as opposed to any other) has been shown to severely restrict your ability to engage with ideas and emotions that arise through your interactions with the world. If everything is judged simply in black or white terms, such as whether something makes you either happy or unhappy, successful or a failure, beautiful or ugly, you will be missing out on a full range of experiences. It's important to remember that the world is much more nuanced than this; the world is gray, not black and white. There are many different outcomes other than just being a complete success or a total failure. For example, maybe your latest business deal fell through. Does this make you a failure in the business world? Absolutely not. You've had plenty of successes and a few setbacks. This in fact just makes you a real and well-rounded human being. If something doesn't go your way, chalk it up to experience. If you didn't get the job you wanted, it doesn't mean that you have no skills, but that that particular opportunity was not a good fit. The world is big, and there are lots of opportunities out there! Don't let one rejection or even many tell you who you are and drive you into a dark emotional place. One of the most important things you can do to control your mood swings is to learn to take a step back and laugh at yourself. People who are prone to mood swings often take themselves pretty seriously, which makes it difficult to be able to poke fun at yourself, make a joke at your own expense, or even be able to laugh at a debacle you've found yourself in. But if you want to control your mood swings, then you have to be able to sit back and sometimes laugh, instead of letting every little thing that life throws at you get you riled up. For example, you're walking to pick up your date, and a bird poops on your head. You could choose to get enraged, upset, or frustrated, or you can take a step back and think, "Wow, what are the chances of that happening?" Or, "Hey, at least I'll have a great story to tell the kids someday about mine and mom's first date!" Of course, some situations can't be laughed at. However, for all the rest, some happiness can help you stay strong and in control of your moods in the middle of challenging situations. Take a step back and think. You might need to pause and adjust your expectations so that they reflect the true state of the situation. Sometimes, you may feel a mood coming on because you have to spend 15 minutes circling around the supermarket's parking lot to look for a spot. Though you may feel like it's the end of the world right then and there, take a moment to think about what is really upsetting you. Is it really that crazy that the supermarket is full right before the weekday dinner hour? Are you crazy about something silly like having to find a parking spot or because of a rude coworker's pointless comment earlier in the day? Ask yourself if it's really a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Maybe it is, but it's likely that you're letting something small blow out of proportion. We can often let moods come over us without thinking about their source. Though knowing that there's no logic in your current mood may not help you change it, it can allow you to calm down a bit and realize that things aren't as bad as they may feel to you. Think about your situation as if you were someone else. What would you tell yourself to do? Would you think that the situation you're in is really that big of a deal?