Commercial products often contain chemicals that can cause damage if used on the wrong surface. Check the labels to make sure it is appropriate for the specific surface you need to clean. You can get these at places like Target or Walgreens. They work great, even on bamboo items! Use furniture oil if the sheen gets rubbed off. Other products such as Goo Gone or Bon Ami can remove permanent marker stains and are available at most hardware stores.
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One-sentence summary -- Be sure to read the label of any product before you buy. Try a Magic Eraser.

If you've made your own jerky, let it cool for several hours so it's completely dry. If you see grease on the jerky, blot it with paper towels. Removing the moisture and fat helps the jerky last longer when you store it. If you're storing store-bought jerky, you can skip directly to storing the jerky at room temperature or chilling it. You can purchase food-grade oxygen absorbers from some grocery stores or online. Place 1 or 2 of them in each bag or container of jerky to extend the shelf life of the jerky. Then, press the air out of the bag and seal it or put the lid on your storage container. The oxygen absorber will absorb the oxygen, which prevents bacteria from growing on the jerky. Oxygen absorbers can remove a lot of oxygen from the bag, but a vacuum sealing machine removes almost all of it. Put the jerky into the bags that came with your machine and lock them into the machine. Turn it on so the machine sucks out all of the oxygen and shrinks the bag around the jerky. Consider vacuum-sealing bags with different amounts of jerky so you can grab some bags for snacks and keep others for long-term storage.
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One-sentence summary -- Dry the jerky at room temperature. Add oxygen absorbers to your bag or jar to extend the jerky's shelf life. Vacuum seal the package for the most long-lasting jerky.

If your girlfriend is coming over to your house, don't immediately invite her upstairs without talking to your parents first. Even though it may be awkward to chat with your parents with your girlfriend there, having your girlfriend and your parents talk is actually a way to make it more comfortable in the future. The more they get to know each other the less strange it will feel every time she comes over. Even if you are feeling weird or awkward, be respectful of your parents. Your girlfriend will appreciate that you have a good relationship with your parents and that you are acting mature. It will also make the situation a lot more comfortable because it will make your parents want to put forth effort into talking to you and your girlfriend. It could also save you the embarrassment or your parents calling you out in front of her! A good way to ensuring a good interaction is to stick to positive subject matters. No one wants to feel depressed, and sometimes when depressing subjects come up they cause a lull in the conversation. Plus, your parents want to know that you and your girlfriend make each other happy. Instead of talking about heavy or upsetting topics, talk about more happy subject matters. One good thing you can talk about is a funny story that involves both of you. This puts your relationship in a positive light and will put a smile on everyone's face! Smile when you're talking. You may feel really awkward but smiling is a way to put everyone at ease. Studies even show that smiling can improve your mood and makes you feel more relaxed! Your parents are curious about your girlfriend! They want to know more about her and are excited to be meeting her. When you are all talking together, mention something positive about her, whether it be a talent or an interest of hers. This will give you all something to talk about, and will let you parents interact with your girlfriend. It can also help to take some of the pressure off of you if are still feeling nervous! This is a great topic if you are looking for things to talk about. Because it involves your girlfriend, she will be able to contribute to the conversation so the burden won't just be on you. Aside from having something to talk about, studies show that talking about shared experiences is a great way for couples to strengthen their relationship. This is a tried and true way of getting any conversation off the ground. If you feel like you don't know what to talk about with your parents and your girlfriend, ask your parents a question! This keeps the ball rolling in the conversation and takes the focus from you. Even asking your parents about how their day went or what's for dinner will lead the conversation in a direction, and will allow your girlfriend to jump in to the conversation.
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One-sentence summary -- Don't ignore your parents. Don't be rude to your parents. Stay positive. Talk about your girlfriend. Talk about things you've done together. Ask questions.

Depending on your school and class size, this could prove to be a difficult task. But meeting as many people that you are representing as class president is important! Spend your time wisely during the day so you can meet different people during different activities. Start up a conversation with someone between classes. Even if you just stop by someone's locker to ask how their day is going, it will help students understand that you are a friendly person. Sit with someone new each day during lunch time. Look around the cafeteria to see if anyone is sitting alone and join them for lunch. This is your chance to approach students that are loners and get to know what kind of issues they want you to deal with. Partner up with different classmates for projects in class. It is easy to stick with your friend for projects, but pairing up with different people can be rewarding because you will get to know them better while working together. Making sure you know your classmates on a name basis is essential of a good class president.Students will connect with you better if you honestly know who they are, and you don't just pretend to care. Introduce yourself when you see classmates you have not met yet. Ask for students' names and repeat it to them to make sure you're saying it right. Acknowledge people you've already met on different occasions by addressing them by name. Recall parts of past conversations so classmates can see you pay attention to them. The effort that you put in getting to know your classmates in school is as important as getting to know them outside of school. It is easier for classmates to open up to you if you have fun with them away from the classroom. Plan gatherings at the mall to shop together. There are so many stores and activities at a mall, so it is the perfect place to interact with your fellow classmates and learn more about them in a casual setting. Get together to watch movies at the movie theatre as a large group.There won't be much talking done during the movie, but the discussion after will help everyone get familiar with each other. This will open up the way for more serious dialogue at school in the future. Organize a day in the park with everyone to play outdoors. You can play different games or even enjoy a picnic together. The perfect setting for relaxed conversation.
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One-sentence summary --
Talk to all of your classmates at least once. Remember the names of the people you talk to. Put together fun events outside of school.