When grandparents live far away from their grandchildren, it can be difficult to bond. Planning regular visits can make bonding easier, even if it's only possible a few times each year. Take the time to have a conversation with your kids' grandparents about the importance of seeing each other as much as possible. Plan a visit or two in the near future where your kids can have some important face-to-face time with their grandparents. Try saying, "Mom, it is really important to me that you get to spend time with the kids. Would you like to plan on spending several holidays together this year?" There are endless opportunities for your kids to connect with their grandparents using technology. From a face time conversation on your smart phone to playing games together on the Internet, kids can bond with their grandparents using a variety of technologies. Try setting up regular Skype dates with your kids' grandparents, or ask them to set up a Snap Chat account to share silly pictures. Encourage your kids to teach un-tech-savvy grandparents how to use certain technologies. Ask your kids' grandparents to post photos on social media and make sure you share photos of your family as well. Snail mail is a great way to encourage bonding between long-distance grandparents and your children. Have your kids write a letter to Grandma and send her a package filled with stationary, stamps, and pre-addressed letters to your kids. She likely be excited to start writing regularly to her new pen pals. Encourage your kids to send a postcard to Grandma saying, "Hi Grandma! I'm looking for a pen pal. Do you want to send letters to each other this winter?" It may be hard grandparents to get details about your child's accomplishments and milestones by speaking with them, so you may need to update them on these things. Try sharing your child's accomplishments, milestones, and other significant information with the grandparents after your child has finished speaking with them. For example, if your child recently won an award at school, then you might share this information after your child finishes having face time with the grandparents.

Summary: Plan regular visits. Take advantage of technology. Write letters and send postcards. Update the grandparents on your child's accomplishments.

One of the best things you can do to help stop pollution is to stop using your car for short trips. If the weather is nice and you don't have too far to go, consider walking or riding your bike. You will help reduce air pollution and you will get some exercise and fresh air in the process. Riding the bus, train, or subway is another great way to avoid using your personal vehicle and reduce carbon emissions. If you have access to good public transportation where you live, take advantage of it. Since you won't have to worry about keeping your eyes on the road, you can take advantage of the time to read, catch up on news, or just relax. Making lots of little trips over the course of a few days contributes more pollution to the environment every time you hop in your car. Instead of running your errands over the course of a few days, try to consolidate them into one round trip. Consolidating your trips into one long trip will also save you money since starting your car when the engine is cold consumes 20% more fuel than driving your car. Long commutes to school or work are just part of life for many people. If walking and public transportation are not good options for you, consider joining a carpool to your school or place of work. By taking turns driving and riding with others, you will reduce carbon emission and you will also save on gas money each week. Carpooling is also a great way to develop friendships with your coworkers and reduce the stress of your commute. In addition to finding ways to use your car less, keeping your car in good condition can also help reduce carbon emissions. As an added bonus, keeping your car in good condition will also help avoid more major problems with your vehicle. Get regular maintenance on your car to keep it running well. Get an oil change every three months or 3,000 miles. Keep tires inflated according to your vehicle's recommendations. Get your air, oil, and fuel filters changed according to your vehicle's recommendations. Unsafe driving habits also contribute to pollution, so by becoming a safer driver you can help reduce air pollution. Safe driving habits can also save you money by reducing the amount of fuel that your car wastes. When you are behind the wheel, remember to be safe by: Applying gentle pressure to gas and accelerating slowly Driving at or below the speed limit Keeping your speed steady (Try using cruise control, if you have it.) Giving yourself plenty of time to stop Electric cars run on electricity alone, so they are zero emission vehicles and the best at not releasing emissions. Hybrid cars use a combination of electricity and fuel to run. While electric cars are the least polluting, both options will help stop pollution. Although they still use some gas to run, hybrid cars have much better fuel economy than regular cars and emit fewer greenhouse gases than traditional cars. They also require less maintenance than gas powered cars. Keep in mind that the purchase price of electric and hybrid cars is higher than most conventional cars. Electric cars can be charged at home, which is advantageous for those who have solar panels at home.

Summary: Walk or ride your bike whenever possible. Use public transportation. Consolidate your trips. Carpool to school or work. Get regular maintenance on your vehicle. Drive safely. Consider purchasing an electric or hybrid car for your next vehicle.

If there is dirt or dust on your Bakelite, clean it off by rubbing with a dry cloth. Use a dry toothbrush to reach small crevices, grooves, and cracks. If you are not 100% certain the material is Bakelite, use the methods in the identification section to confirm it before continuing. If you have a strong nose, you might notice a diagnostic smell while rubbing the plastic. There are several products commonly used to clean Bakelite. While these are often specialized and more expensive than general purpose cleaners, using one of the following is highly recommended. Bakelite requires a slightly abrasive cleaner to remove the deteriorated surface material, but can be permanently ruined if an overly abrasive cleaner eats through to the pulpy filler material inside. Use Magnolia Glayzit or Soft Scrub for slightly faded Bakelite. Use Brasso, Novus plastic polish, Simichrome metal polish, or an automobile rubbing compound to treat more severe fading and/or light scratches. Brasso is usually the cheapest, but may require more elbow grease. It's usually a good idea to wear gloves and work in an area with good ventilation. The warning label on the product you chose will provide more specific information. Put a dollop of the cleaning product onto a clean, soft cloth. Rub it over the surface of the Bakelite in circular motions. You might notice some improvement immediately, but you do not need to achieve a fully restored shine in this step. Add more of the product onto the cloth whenever necessary. Do not apply a lot of pressure to Bakelite objects, especially if they are scratched or cracked, or you may wear through the outer surface and into the pulpy (and potentially toxic) filler material. Catalin objects, which includes most "Bakelite" jewelry and brightly colored Bakelite, do not have filler material and can be scrubbed as hard as you like. If you are using Novus, Magnolia Glayzit, or an automobile rubbing compound, leave a thin layer of the material over the Bakelite surface until it dries to a cloudy or hazy film. Skip this step if you are using a different product. Use another clean, dry cloth to buff the Bakelite material until the excess cleaning product is removed and a shiny surface is left behind. Do this regardless of the cleaning product you chose. If necessary, repeat with another layer of cleaning product. If several applications of the cleaning product fail to restore the shine or repair damage from scratches, you can use one of the following methods restore protection and an attractive appearance to the Bakelite. This is only recommended as a last resort, due to the possibility of damage: Use a high speed cloth buffing wheel to lightly smooth the surface. Overuse can permanently remove the Bakelite's outer surface. Or very lightly and evenly sand the Bakelite with finest grit sandpaper you can find (1000 grit or above). Once sanded, apply the cleaning product again, or cover the surface with paint. Again, over-sanding or using coarse sandpaper can permanently damage the Bakelite.
Summary: Rub off dirt and dust. Select a cleaning product. Follow the safety instructions for your product. Rub the product on with a cloth. Allow certain products to dry. Buff the Bakelite with a dry cloth. Use last resort methods.