There is a lot to being a sommelier that you can't learn on your own or in books. The professional side of what's expected of you, how to hold and pour wine, and how to select wine glasses depending on the type of wine are all things a mentor can teach you. Find a restaurant that's willing to pair a novice sommelier with a more advanced one. Some restaurants even have an internship program for prospective sommeliers. Working a harvest will not only develop your appreciation for the work that goes in to making a wine, but it will also give you a deeper understanding of the process and a better sense of how wine is connected to land and weather. Look for a part-time job, or do a grape harvest internship to get the full experience. The wine industry is very traditional, and it will take some time for you to move up in the world of sommeliers. At the beginning of your career as a sommelier, a restaurant might have you moving boxes and doing inventory. As useless as these jobs seem, they actually give you a familiarity with the restaurant's wines and with wine regions as a whole, and can be a great way to augment your understanding of wine.

Summary: Find a mentor. Work a grape harvest to fully comprehend how winemaking works. Prepare to do a lot of grunt work.

Indulge in a few healthy eating cookbooks to help inspire you with new and fun recipes. A cookbook might offer new recipes you haven't tried or give you ideas to help get out of a recipe rut. Do not let food be boring! Try new foods, recipes and cuisines. Try to find cookbooks with a lot of pictures. It may be enticing to look at beautiful pictures of healthy food! You can also find a ton of healthy eating blogs online. They typically release new recipes weekly and are a fun way to get healthy recipes and tips right in your inbox. Don't want to spend money? Look up healthy eating food blogs or other sites that feature healthy recipes that you might want to try. Healthy eating might be something that you're not used to or familiar with cooking. Try signing up for a healthy eating cooking class. You'll learn some healthy cooking techniques, recipes, and get to sample healthy meals! Bring a friend or family with you. Cooking together is a lot of fun as well. You can find relatively cheap or even free cooking classes. Sometimes your health insurance or local hospital offers healthy cooking classes to the public. Sometimes our favorite foods or comfort foods aren't always the healthiest. So instead of cutting those foods out completely, rework the recipes to make them a little more healthy! Swap out high fat ingredients for lower fat ingredients. For example, instead of whole milk, use 1% or skim or instead of full fat cheese, use low-fat cheese. Also use leaner cuts of meat like lean beef, pork, or poultry without the skin. Add more vegetables or fruits to your favorite comfort foods. These lower calorie foods can add some bulk to your meals without adding fat or a lot of calories. Many cities and towns have local farmers markets. These are great places to go to get inspiration for healthy dishes. Seeing all the fresh, local produce may spark a delicious, healthy recipe in your mind. Ask the vendors if they have any recommendations for produce or have recipes they enjoy. Farmers markets are also a great place to find more unique or rare produce. Look for something new or interesting and try it out.

Summary: Buy cookbooks. Sign up for a cooking class. Make comfort foods healthy. Go to your local farmer's market.

Sit in a quiet place and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths by inhaling and exhaling. Let any distractions in your mind dissipate before you begin. Let your thoughts gradually disappear by focusing on your breathing. Focus on the inhale and exhale of your breath and the sensations that it produces in your body. Do you want to reduce stress, increase positive feelings, or decrease depression? Whatever the reason, remind yourself and be clear to yourself why you are using your mantra. Keep your intention positive, and make it short term, as opposed to long term. For example, if it is to reduce stress, you can set your intention by saying, "I will be more relaxed this week." You can also set your intention by saying, "I intend to forgive others, as well as myself," "I intend to be grateful and happy," "I will be open to new ideas," "I will treat others the way that I would like to be treated," or "I intend to help another every day this week." You can say your mantra either out loud, or silently to yourself. Whether you say it out loud or silently, try to recite your mantra with feeling. Also, try to coordinate your mantra with your breathing. For example, coordinate the mantra with your breathing by saying it after each exhale. If you are using the mantra to heal a specific part of the body, place your awareness on that part of your body as you say the mantra. Continue breathing and repeating your mantra for one minute. You can also sign-up for a sound therapy treatment administered by a professional, or someone certified in sound therapy. The treatments can be done either in groups, or one-on-one. Search online for local professionals who offer treatments. Also check the postings and listings at your local library, coffee house, or yoga studio to find professionals that offer sound therapy treatments.

Summary: Clear your mind. Set your intention. Begin to say your mantra. Sign-up for a sound therapy treatment.

While spraying is usually a behavioral problem, if making certain household adjustments does not resolve the issue a trip to the vet is needed. A basic exam can rule out or identify and treat any medical problems that may be causing the spraying. Bladder control issues, especially in older cats, can be a sign of serious problems like organ failure. If your cat is not fixed, this may be what's causing the spraying as the behavior is used to advertise to mates. Spraying is a sign of sexual maturity in cats, and having your cat fixed can stop the behavior. If possible, have your cat neutered before he is 6 months old. More than 90% of cats will not start spraying if they're fixed in this time frame. In older cats, roughly 87% will stop spraying after being neutered. While the majority stop immediately, a little under 10% will take a few months to cease spraying. Spraying, even when caused by stress or anxiety, can be treated with certain medications prescribed by a veterinary professional. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, given orally, can be obtained by consulting your vet. These can ease tensions caused by a multiple cat household or anxiety caused by an erratic schedule. Always consult with a veterinarian, and know your cats medical history. Certain medical issues can interact poorly with medications. All medication has potential side effects. Ask your vet what side effects to look for, and how severe such side affects are, before giving your cat any meds.
Summary: Have a veterinary check up. Neuter your cat. Seek medications.