How to Run a Silent Auction

A silent auction is a charity event organized for fund raising. It is very different from the typical auction, which is conducted by the auctioneer who calls out the prices and the people raise hands or paddles for bidding at a certain price. It is the most preferred means for raising money at charitable events, since it will not detract you from the entertainment that is provided at the event. Knowing how to run a silent auction can help you in raising enough money for a charity.

A silent auction is conducted by setting some tables or displaying the items on which the people can bid. A minimum bid is set, especially if the item has a very high value. A paper will be placed next to it, which will let the people write their name and the bids. This will give people a chance in the event to tour through different events that are available at the auction and choose on which item they would like to bid.

Here are some simple steps on how to run a silent auction.

Things Required:

  • Bid sheets
  • Master list of all the items
  • Masking tape
  • Transparent page
  • Painter’s tape for hanging signs on the items
  • Markers
  • Pens
  • Whiteout tape
  • Tables

If you have an outside auction:

  • A tent or pop-in shelters
  • A rain plan
  • Colored paper and markers
  • Staplers
  • Information sheet
  • Lock box
  • Banquet roll

Steps:

  • The first step will be making a master list of all the items, who all have donated and how much are they worth. If you are planning to run a silent auction next year, then you must ask your coordinates to attend some similar functions this year. Leave a space on your master list for writing who has won and what, along with their phone number, and how much have they paid. This will make sure that they get their items and you get your pending money.
  • Place a number on every item. For this, you can use small black stickers or labels to stick on the products.  If you have more that ten products and some of them are similar, then these stickers will help you keep a track of them. You will have to put the same numbers right next to the item on your master list.
  • Now you will have to print the bidding sheets. Start writing the names of the products along with a short description of the product, the cost and who has donated that item.
  • Start making a list of all the things that you will need and then you can go shopping for those things. If possible, try to buy the supplies from the warehouse so that you get a generous return policy. Remember to buy pens and markers in bulk, buy some whiteout tapes, bidding sheets and roll tape for taping the bid sheet down.
  • Recruit some volunteers to help you out. You will be needing judges as well for monitoring the bid and ask some bank crew to take care of the bid sheets and collect money from the bidding and a clean-up crew as well.
  • You will have to brief the volunteers about the silent auction. These people must know all the rules of the silent auction and whom should they see in case of problems. Set a dress code for the volunteers along with badges stating their designations.
  • A day before the event you will have to start early. You will need extra time for setting up things and avoiding all the possible mistakes. Start laying out all the bid sheets and items, which the people can see easily. If you have many things to organize, then you will have to be creative in setting things up.

During the event

  • You will have to ask the judges to monitor the tables just to make sure that the bid sheets are in place. The judges will have to check whether the people are following the minimum bid and the minimum increase as per the rules. Many people will have questions about certain things, so prepare the judges in advance for answering them.
  • Once the closing times starts approaching, then you will have to give enough warning to everyone. Start making announcement at least ten times before the close times approaches. If you are closing the auction, then you will have to announce it clearly to everyone.
  • After the bidding time has ended, ask the judges to pick up the pen and paper, so that no one can be sneaky in writing the bid after time. Judges will have to circle the winning bid and then make a line through the remaining space on the sheet, so that no one can come and add their name.
  • Now, the judges will have to check whether the wining bid has followed the rule of minimum bid and minimum increase rule. If the bidder has not met the minimum bid, then keep the sheet aside you can decide later on how to deal with that bid.
  • The judges can take the winning bidding sheets to the bank volunteers. If someone has won more than one item then you will have to staple both the sheets together.
  • Now, you can start calling people one by one to the bank for collecting their winning bid and paying money for the same.

After the event

  • Once the event is over you will have to deal with the remaining items. If some of the participants have left their belongings there, then take their number from the contact list and inform them about the same.
  • The most important thing that happens in auctions is that you will have to be prepared for derelict bidders. There will be some people who will not pay for the things they have bid on. If this happens then you will have to call the next person who has bid the highest and see if they still want that product.
  • You will have to return all the items that you have borrowed for the auction. Thank all the donors and the people who have helped you out for this event.

Tips and Warnings:

  • If you are organizing an outdoor event, then you will have to consider the weather and plan accordingly.
  • You must always use pens and markers for bidding and not pencils. Some people can simply erase the bid they just made and change it.
  • If you have too many items in the auction, then you can consider closing one table after every 15 minutes. Doing this will generate enthusiasm amongst the bidders and they would want to know what every table is offering. If you plan to do this, then you must decide which product will go on what table. Usually the products, which are more attractive and expensive, will go on the last table.
  • Punch holes on top of all the bidding sheets and run a string through them and set it aside on the table. This will be helpful in keeping the bidding sheets in more organized way.

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How to Run a Bed and Breakfast

A bed and breakfast is a place of stay, which offers accommodation and breakfast, but will not offer any other meals of the day. Bed and breakfast is like a private home, which will have ten or less than ten bedrooms for commercial use. All the guests will be accommodated in a private bedroom; some places have suites as well, which includes a bathroom. Some homes will have bedrooms and bathroom, which is shared by other guests as well. Breakfast will be sent to the bedroom or they will serve it in the dining room or kitchen. Knowing how to run a bed and breakfast can result in good business.

B&Bs and guest houses are operated either on the secondary source of their income or as a primary occupation. In most of the B&Bs the owners will prepare the breakfast and clean the rooms, but some the bed and breakfasts will hire staff for cooking and cleaning. Although, some of the B&Bs have started hiring professional staff, and a property that hires professionals is no longer a B&B, but it enters the category of hotel or inn. Some of the bed and breakfasts are known as operating in the niche market. For instance, there are floating bed and breakfasts, which is a concept that originated in Seattle, wherein the houseboat or boats offer B&B accommodation.

There are some regulations that every B&B must follow for the safety of the guests. There should be a national of local fire ordinance for having power resistance, a good fire escape plan and smoke detectors in every room. All the kitchen equipments should be monitored for the purpose of hygiene, but all these rules can differ nationally or locally. Here are some simple steps on how to run bed and breakfast.

Steps:

Breakfast Time

  • The first thing that you will have in your B&B is setting up breakfast. You have to make sure that you are up before your guests wake up. Prepare some of the things in the night as well. Start organizing napkins, tablecloths, bowls, dishes, silverware and tablecloth.
  • You must start the breakfast with hot and fresh tea and coffee. In the meanwhile, when the coffee is perking, start preparing and plate the fruit, so that it stays at room temperature when you are serving. Take some bagels, muffins, croissants slice them up and set it on the table. Place butter, jam on the table, and keep chilled juice on the table, which you must refrigerate a night before.
  • Check the buffet to make sure that everything is there and if something is missing then replenish whatever required. Make some more tea and coffee and sit down with your guests, so that they get a homely feel at your bed and breakfast. A good host is someone who takes care of all the guests, so pay attention to every guest in your B&B.

After Breakfast

  • Once everyone is done with breakfast, then you will have to refrigerate the leftovers and start cleaning the dishes from the table.
  • Clean the entire breakfast area properly, so that the area looks clean when your guests come down for checkout. At this time, you must not worry about doing the dishes when your guests are leaving. Check them out first and later you can go and do the dishes.
  • Give check out to the guests; take some time out to chat with them. Make sure that you hand your guests the visiting card of your bed and breakfast, so that they can visit in the future. Ask them to sign the guest book and leave comments about your B&B.

Get set for new Guests

  • Go to every room and make up the beds with some fresh and clean linen. It is always advised to have some extra clean sheets of linen, so that you can make the bed quickly without worrying about the laundry.
  • Start getting the bedrooms ready for the next guest and clean the interior of the room thoroughly. Wipe all the doorknobs, windowsills, footboards and headboards. Dust all the furniture and vacuum the carpets as well. On the decorative bowls, place some fresh mints.
  • Remember that you will have to clean the bathrooms as well. Set the sofas, pillows, vacuum carpets and clean the candy dishes. Now you are done and ready to welcome the new guest.
  • Now you know all the steps on how to run bed and breakfast, so go ahead and run your own B&B.

Tips and Warnings:

  • Wash the linens and the clean the breakfast area and keep your home always ready for welcoming the new guests.
  • At the reception, keep business cards and brochures for your guests.
  • Try to advertise your B&B so that you have more guests coming in and you will never go out of business.

Related Tags: how to clean a bed and breakfast, should i clean the bedrooms in b&b

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How to Run a Lathe

A lathe is a machine that is used for smoothening and shaping the wood. These lathes are mostly available in wooden form, but now there are metal and glass lathes as well. Each of the lathes is used only by the crafters for customizing and completing the project. For using a wooden lathe, a crafter will have to put a piece of wood inside the special holder, which is situated in the center. This center will hold the wood in place so that it can be shaped by using the wood lath with various handheld blades. Some of the wood lathes can hold the blade in place, so that the user does not have to hold the blade. The center will start spinning the wood, when the crafter applies the blade on the surface of the wood. Knowing how to run a lathe can save your time while crafting the wood.

One can easily fit the wood lathe on different kinds of blades. These blades come in different widths, shapes and angles. The kind of blade will help you in determining the way it will be cutting the wood. Some of the blades will have a sharper angle and are intended for cutting larger portions of wood. Other blades will be pointed or sharp and will allow detailing for completing their crafts with the help of the wood lathe.

A crafter can use a wood lathe for assisting to sandpaper the surface of the wood. Instead of holding the piece in your hand and rubbing it continuously with sandpaper, the crafter will let the lathe spin while holding a piece of sandpaper against it. This will make it easier for finishing the process of sanding in a very short time and is less physically demanding as well for the user.

A lathe can be used for creating variety of things. From crafting and general working with the wood, a wood lathe can make decorative spindles for creation of chair legs and table. A lathe can be used for making baseball bats, cue sticks and some other wooden objects. Here are some simple steps on how to run a lathe.

Things Required:

  • Piece of wood
  • Lathe tool attachments

Steps:

  • Select a piece of wood for the project of woodworking. The piece of wood should be small to fit inside the lathe and it should not have any cracks. It can be very dangerous if the wood splits when you spin it on the lathe at a very high speed. If you notice that the wood is about to splinter, then you must stop at that instant.
  • Now, you will have to draw two diagonal lines on the ends of the wood, so that you can find the center of the wood piece. The point where the lines intersect is the point where you must attach the lathe’s center. Take a pencil and use it for outlining at the place where you want to carve the wood.
  • Take the wood, and mount it on the center of the lathe. Make sure that the piece of wood is held in place tightly and it does not shift when you try to pull on it. Just ensure that you have mounted it straight. If the wood piece is mounted crooked in the piece of wood inside then it can be very dangerous, it will make your carving uneven and make the entire design uneven.
  • You will have to keep the rest of the lathe close enough to the wood, but make sure that it does not touch the wood. Only the sharp edges of the tool should be touching the wood when it is spinning.
  • Switch on the power and see if the wood is spinning straight. You will have to use the lathe tools for making large and thorough cuts in the wood. The gauge toll can be used for making large rough cuts on the wood. Now, you can form the basic shape of your woodworking piece with the help of the gauge, then use skew, spear or round chisels to finetune the design.
  • Now, switch off the lathe when you have completed the carving. Let it come to a complete stop before you handle the wood or disconnect it from the center of the lathe.

Tips and Warnings:

  • Always remember that you must wear safety goggles and a dust mask as well when you are working with lathe.
  • Except for the normal level of sawdust, wood pieces can easily splinter off and fly away from the spindle in a very high speed.
  • You must never wear loose clothing, rings or gloves close to the lathe.
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How to Run a Credit Check

A credit check is the process by which a prospective lender decides to see if the person to whom he is lending is noteworthy or not. It is conducted when someone, usually a lender, checks the credit report of a person to determine if he or she can be trusted for the credit. A credit report is like the financial footprint, which is exclusive to the individual credit user. A lender can decide the credit risk by looking at the way you have been handling your credit risk in the past. A credit report will entail a detailed analysis from the bureau of credit reporting. The report will have all the details like social security number, date of birth, current address, employment history and many other things. Knowing how to run a credit check can be safe for you as a lender.

Identification

A credit report can be made for every customer the minute that person creates his or her first bill and it continues until the financial demise of the person. Your credit report and everything mentioned under that will introduce you to the lender. There is no way that lender can know all the customers, and so the credit report is used, which will stand as your first impression. It will have all your personal information along with the payment history you have had so far from the public records.

Significance

It is true that the lender will consider your full credit history when they start performing the credit check and during this, your FICO score will carry the maximum weight. The FICO score is a three digit number, which can range from anywhere between 300 to 850. The higher score you have the lower risk you will face in credit check and it is vice versa for the lower score.  If your credit check shows that you will be unable to pay the debt, the charge card and the loan will be rejected.

Misconceptions

Lenders are not the only people who can carry out a complete credit check on you. Even employers and prospective landlords can run the credit check on you. The creditworthiness you have can be of interest to the landlord for many obvious reasons. He has to be sure that you will pay the rent, he wants to know that you will make enough money to pay the same, and he may be interested in knowing the number of past dwellings you have had. Even if you are not paying the prospective employer, the employer is concerned to know what kind of character you have. If they consider that you have a bad credit risk through the lens of the lender, then they will view you as a risk for working in their organization.

Warning

If ever you have been denied credit card and you are worried that something has gone wrong in your credit report, then you must immediately check your credit report. You have the complete right to view your credit report annually and that too for free. For checking the discrepancies you will have to request a copy from the three main credit reporting agencies, like TransUnion, Experian and Equifax.

Features

As mentioned by the Fair Isaac Corporation, if you have a credit score, which falls from 720 to 850 then you are considered as credit worthy. Most of the consumers will fall in the category of 600 to 800.

Here are some simple steps to run a credit check.

Things Required:

  • Financial calculator
  • Credit reports
  • Rental applications
  • Notebooks
  • Personal organizer
  • Writing pens

Steps:

  • First, you will have to make an online credit check account with the credit check service. There are many such websites, and they will charge you some amount as their fees for checking the credit history. In most of the online services, the fee will range from 14 to 35 dollars, depending on the company you choose for performing the check. However, if you do not wish to pay the fees, then there is a site known as ClearScreening, which will perform the check for free. Once you find the right company for performing the check sign up and create an account.
  • Ask your renter to fill out this application form with all his or her information. You will need all this information for completing the credit check. The information that you will need from your renter will be, full name, last two addresses and the duration of stay at that place, social security number and birth date. Ask the renter to sign the agreement form, which will state that he or she has no problem in performing a credit check. You will use this information at the company from where you wish to get the credit report.
  • If you want then you can charge the renter for an application fee. This is how you can pay the fees to the credit check company every time you perform a check. Most of the landlords will charge this fee, so it is expected for you to do the same, but you must inform the renter that you will be charging a fee. A normal application fee will be not more then 25 dollars.
  • Now, login on the account that you have created and enter all the information on the credit checker. You will have to enter all the details that you have got from your renter. Once the credit checker is done checking, you will get a report, which will let you determine whether or not your renter has been qualified to rent a place from you. Now you know about running a credit check so go ahead and check the potential renter before renting the place.

Tips and Warnings:

  • The history of the prospective tenant is a good sign of his or her future ability for assuming the financial responsibility.
  • Always remember that you must avoid discrimination by choosing the applicants based on the financial history instead of their gender, race or any other discriminatory factors.

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How to Do Wall Run

A wall flip is a stunt, which involves a back flip that is done from the wall. This is always used in the sport free running, which will combine some elements like parkour and gymnastics. A wall flip involves running towards the wall and placing your foot at the surface. You will have to push off with enough force for completing a rotation of three quarter and then land back on the feet. Knowing how to do wall run can be helpful if you perform parkour.

There are many variations in wall flip, like two, three, four-step wall flip, wall flip twist, wall to wall flip and wall flip full twist. Wall flip is a very simple trick since it involves only three quarter rotation instead of a complete rotation. The extra quarter will always be subtracted, since the trick starts from a vertical surface. For performing this trick in a proper way, one will have to push both the legs away from the wall. The force that pushes you away from the wall is done so that the user does not come in contact with the surface while performing the trick, such as hitting the head on the wall. Here are some simple steps on how to do a wall run.

Things Required:

  • Good shoes with treads
  • A solid wall (non-slippery)
  • Spotters
  • Mats or any other soft landing

Steps:

  • Ask all the professional spotters to come and watch you do a wall run. Before you start doing a wall run, make sure that you have checked the condition of the wall. Always remember that the best way to perform this stunt is with a helmet, kneepads, baggy pants and shoulder pads. These things will protect you and weigh you down.
  • Now, you can start with your wall run; you will have to run towards the wall with full speed. Look at the spot where you are planning to put your feet. When you are trying to learn this move, you will require less speed, but once you know how to do it, then you can increase the speed.
  • When performing this stunt, keep in mind that you must plant your foot a couple of inches away from the wall. Try to push the wall with your weaker foot, and do not look at the spot. The reason behind this is, the shorter you look at the spot the higher you will go. You will have to keep your head and chest as high as you can for a short time, since this will give you a higher height for rotating.
  • Always remember that when you are doing wall run you must never lean back. This is the most important thing, because if you lean back you will not be able to rotate. You must try to aim for the horizon and keep your head going around. If your head stops rotating then even you will.
  • Check your position, when you are at the wall. Your position will be horizontal and your stronger arm will be thrusting above you to give you full power for rotating. This is very important, and so you must continue to push the stronger hand downwards that is against the wall for extending the upward motion.
  • Remember to lean your head back as well when on the wall. The basic rule of rotation is that your torso must follow your head. The positioning of the arm is not important, and it completely depends on personal preference. Your ankle will have to do a small flick for completing the rotation.
  • Now, you will have to look at the landing and force your legs in that position. You will have to keep your eyes focused on the landing sport correctly. This is known as the hang time, and with a small tuck, you can control the rotation.
  • While landing you will have to bend your knees for absorbing the retaining and landing balance. This move will have the highest impact, even when you perform on the grass, so that you don’t overdo this step.
  • When you land you will have to do a swift turn-around, or you can do the backward recovery as well. However, always remember that the backward recovery step is the most difficult step, but it will be great if you can pull it off.
  • Now you know how to do a wall run, so go ahead and practice!

Tips and Warnings:

  • You must always focus on being horizontal, and drive the legs skywards for getting the rotation over as quickly as you can.
  • Support is very important when you are leaning forward, but sometimes it can get in the way of your stunt especially for those people who are not used to performing flips.
  • Initially, you can start with a wedge shaped mat, which will be placed against the wall along with a flat mat placed down if possible.
  • If possible then you will have to train your senses for being upside down in the air. This is very important because this will bring more confidence in you and will create a better general sense of the aerial position.
  • Always keep in mind that wall flip is dangerous and if you do not execute it properly then it can cause severe injuries like paralyses and can result in death as well. You must never attempt to do this stunt without proper training.
  • Initially ask some to help you while you do the wall flip. Remember to have a short warm-up session before you start the wall flip.
  • When you are practicing this flip, you must set some things up for safe landing. Ask some people to grab you if you happen to fall. Never go halfway and then decide that you are not prepared for this stunt, because this will disturb you and you will lose your balance. Never run up to the wall until you are mentally prepared for completing the move.
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How to Fix 3 Rings of Death

The Xbox 360 gaming device has many technical problems associated with it such as 2 red rings, 3 red rings and 3 rings of death, all of which makes it useless for playing. You will come to know if your Xbox has these problems when the gaming console shows a series of red flashing lights on its face. If you know how to fix 3 rings of death problem and other errors you can make your Xbox ready to be used for playing.

The 2 red rings, 3 red rings or 3 rings of death errors occur mostly because of hardware failure. If your Xbox is under the warranty period it would be better to take it to Microsoft for repairing. However, if you warranty period has expired then you can easily fix these problems once you know what caused them in the first place. Given below are some examples:

  • The first thing that you must do is to check if all the chords and wires are properly connected to your TV. In case your Xbox is showing 4 red lights it means that the audio/video cord has not been connected properly.
  • Overheating of the system, when you keep it on or use it for a long period of time, is also one main cause of rings of death error. The cooling fans and vents might fail to function properly. You can fix this error by switching off the device for 2-3 hours. You can also cool the system without turning it off by referring to any DIY guide.
  • Lack of voltage is also another factor that can lead to the red rings error. You can fix this by checking whether the plugs of the Xbox are properly connected to the outlet or not. You must also ensure that the outlet is not being shared by other electric equipment.

Steps for fixing red ring of death error

  • The first thing to do would be to disassemble the Xbox 360 case. You will need a fine tip screwdriver to poke the holes. Then switch off the Faceplate and move up the latch on the DVD drive when you remove it. Finally unscrew the metal case under the plastic case.
  • Now, unplug the cables that go into the motherboard and other small devices. Now, take out the DVD drive and then also remove the motherboard and fan from the Xbox very gently.
  • Turn the motherboard to one side and snoop off the X-clamp under the heat sink using the screwdriver carefully.
  • Unscrew the heat sink to get the GPU (graphic processing unit) and CPU (central processing unit) without hurrying or else you might damage your Xbox.
  • Clean the CPU and GPU that you have taken out; this will stop the freezing problem of your Xbox.
  • Next, apply the arctic silver thermal compound, which you can get in any computer hardware shop easily, on the GPU. Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes and then put two nylon washers on the screws that are on the heat sink.
  • Place these screws back on the motherboard and add two additional nylon washers on the screws.
  • Now, Place the heat sink on the tip of the screws and push them downwards and screw them tightly.
  • Fit all the other parts properly in their place and turn the Xbox on. Your 3 rings of death error is now fixed.
Related Tags: how to repair 3 ring xbox problem, How to snoop an x clamp
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How to Fix a Broken Marriage

When we marry the person we love, never once do we think that a day might come when both would want to end the relationship. However, if you are in a situation where you think your marriage might soon come to an end, you need to know what steps should be taken to repair the damage before it is too late. This article will tell you how to fix a broken marriage, get back with your spouse and enjoy the love you had when you first got married.

Trust between husband and wife is the most important factor in the success of any marriage. If the trust is broken, so will the marriage. However, it may also happen that couples move apart even though the trust has not been broken. To fix a broken marriage, we must first know the answer to the following three questions:

  • Can the marriage work?
    The answer to this question requires a very brutal assessment of the marriage, how it started and where it went wrong.
  • Do the partners want the marriage to work?
    Both the partners should be willing to work towards making their marriage successful. If only one of them wants to fix the problems, it will not work.
  • Will both partners make it work?
    Fixing a broken marriage teamwork and full commitment from both the partners, with a detailed plan on how and what issues they need to fix.

Steps to fix a broken marriage

  • Wedding Vows: Remember your wedding vows and remember what promises you made to your spouse at the time of marriage. Think about all the happy memories and the reasons why you love your spouse. You need to use this as a motivation to fix all what has gone wrong between the two of you.
  • Apologize and Forgive: Genuinely apologize to your partner for all the mistakes you made during your married life. You need to also forgive your spouse for the mistakes he/she made. If you can’t forgive you will not be able to trust your spouse again. Therefore, forgiveness is very important for a fresh start to your marriage.
  • Communication: We all know that communication is the key to a successful marriage. Couples need to talk openly with each other about their feelings and not hold things inside. Counseling is an effective way to start communicating with each other. Talk about your problems and think together how you can fix these issues.
  • Listen: Another important part of communication is listening to what your spouse has to say to you. This also includes paying attention to the hints that your spouse may be dropping and trying to understand what really is going through your partner’s mind.
  • Honesty: Be honest with your partner. Even if you made a mistake, let your partner know and admit your mistake. Even though your spouse will be mad at you for the mistake, letting him/her know will ensure that the there is trust amongst you.
  • Spend time together: As a couple on the path of making amends in your married life, you need to spend more and more time together to rediscover one another. When both of you spend some quality time together you will find that you grow closer to each other and will find your lost love.
  • Get creative: Be creative about the things you could do when you are together. You could fix a day in the week to be a date and go out and spend time as you did during your courtship. Have a candlelight dinner, walk along the beach holding hands, cuddle while sleeping; these are just a few things that could spice up your romantic life.
  • Holiday: Another way to get closer to each other is to take a vacation where you can leave all other stress behind and just relax and have a good time. Without the worries of office deadlines and children you will find that you can think clearly and get along better.
  • Don’t compare: The one thing that you must never do is to compare your spouse or your relationship as a whole with others. You, your spouse and your relationship is unique to yourself and cannot be compared with others. This will only leave you more frustrated and angry at yourself.
  • Compliments: Give each other as many compliments as you can as often as possible. However, make sure that it does not look artificial or forced. Thank your spouse when they help you out with something. Hide “I Love You” notes in the lunch box or office bag, give each other missed calls, and send sweet text messages to let your partner know they are in your thoughts.

Quick tips:

  • Never remind your spouse of the things and times where he or she was wrong and the mistakes he/she made.
  • You can consult a pastor or a member of your family or a close friend to help you in fixing your marriage, in case you are comfortable with the idea of going to a marriage counselor.
  • Don’t ever think it’s too late to fix the things that went wrong in your marriage. If the couple really wants their marriage to work they can accomplish this with a bit of hard work, understanding and patience.
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How to Fix a Broken Key

Most of us use PCs and laptops for the major part of the day, in office and even at home, and cannot imagine even one day without using their computer. What would you do then if suddenly one or more keys on your laptop of computer’s keyboard breaks? The idea of sending it to a repair shop or even replacing it is dreadful because of the costs involved it. However, if you know how to fix a broken key you can solve this problem yourself at home and save both time and money.

Fixing or replacing broken keys of a keyboard is very simple and only requires following few steps carefully. These are given below:

  • You will need to first determine whether the keys are slow, stuck or broken. If the keys are only stuck as a result of dust, debris or spills, you need not replace them; instead you can fix it by simply opening the keyboard and cleaning all the contacts. You can use appropriate cleaning fluids and compressed air for cleaning the debris between keys, which caused them to stick together.
  • If your key is broken, remove it from the keyboard using a flat-head screwdriver and inserting it under the broken key and then pushing it up. The key will pop out immediately; however, if it does not then you can try to insert and push the screwdriver in a different position.
  • Now, look at the key retainers under the key, they are small plastic parts holding the rubber gasket in position. If the retainer is broken or smashed you will have to take it out and replace it.
  • There will be two pieces in the retainer that interlock together and snap in at four points. Gently lift the retainers using tweezers and replace the rubber gasket.
  • It would be a good idea to replace the entire key as most new keys come along with the new key retainer. So replacing the entire thing makes more sense.
  • Put the new retainer in place by pushing it over the rubber gasket till it snaps in place; you will hear a small click nose indicating that the key if fixed in its position.
  • Put on the cover and continue with your typing.

There are other things which you can try to fix a broken key on your laptop. These are:

  • Glue the keys back on your laptop’s keyboard; however use this method only if you are nimble-fingered. Also this method requires a steady hand and lots of concentration.
  • You can purchase spare parts from websites if you don’t get them at your local computer store.
  • If your laptop or computer is under the warranty period, you can send it back to the manufacturer for repair. Your warranty cover will ensure that you don’t have to pay anything for the repair from your pocket.
  • As a last resort, hire a repair specialist’ this will not only save time but will also be cheaper than sending it to the manufacturer if your warranty period has expired.

Tips & Warnings

  • Turn off your laptop or computer and disconnect the keyboard from the computer. In case you are using a wireless keyboard, take out the batteries to prevent electric shock.
  • You might feel the new key to be harder than the old ones; ignore this as it will adjust with use.
  • You can search for single keys for replacement on e-Bay.
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How to Save a DVD

You can save your favorite DVDs on your computer or laptop and thus create a backup so that you do not lose all the data, videos, movies etc. in case the DVD gets scratched and becomes unreadable. Knowing how to save a DVD will help you transfer all the data on your DVD to a PC and then make multiple copies of it for safety. There are many simple methods for doing this and this article will describe all of them in detail.

Save a DVD to a laptop

You can download your favorite DVDs on your laptop by using easily downloadable programs from the internet. These programs can also help you to convert the ripped DVD files into a format that consumes less space on your laptop’s hard disk drive while ensuring that the quality is not lost during the conversion. Follow these simple steps to save a DVD to your laptop:

  • You will first have to rip the DVD, for which you will need to download a DVD ripper such as DVDShrink and install it on your laptop.
  • Once the program has installed completely, open it and run the program.
  • Now insert the DVD you want to save in the DVD drive of your laptop.
  • In the DVDShrink program, you will see “open disc” option on the top right corner, click on it and select the drive in which you inserted the DVD from the menu list.
  • Now, click on the “back-up disc” option and locate the ripped DVD files using the “browse” button.
  • Now, you will have to convert it to DivX, for which you will have to download DivX digital video suite from the DivX website and install the program on your laptop.
  • When you are installing it check the box which allows you to install the converter along with DivX.
  • Go to the start menu and open the DivX converter and then open the folder where the files were saved from DVDShrink.
  • Drag and drop these saved files from the DVDShrink folder to the converter’s window.
  • Go to the menu and select “output settings” option and click on “DivX profile” from the drop-down.
  • Click OK to exit the program and then on “convert” in DivX’s menu to start the conversion from VOB to DVD.
  • You have successfully saved the DVD to your laptop.

Save a DVD movie to your computer

  • To save a DVD movie on your computer you will have to first download a software program called DVD Clone. You can download from its website www.clonedvd.net.
  • This program lets you copy all your favorite DVDs directly on your hard disk drive and allows the option of saving space and improving the quality.
  • Once you download Clone DVD on your PC, install it and then open the program. You will see a menu with a list of options on your screen.
  • Now, insert the DVD you want to save in the DVD drive and wait for the computer to process its contents.
  • Choose a location where you want the DVD to be saved. You could save it on the desktop, My Documents folder or in My Videos. You may also create a new folder do this DVD.
  • The next step is to name the file. The easiest name you could give to this file is the name of the movie you have saved, to differentiate it from other discs that you are saving.
  • You can choose from four options for copying the DVD and saving it on your PC. The first option, Quick Link, allows you to skip all steps and takes you straight to the burning process.
  • The second option is Entire disc, which copies the whole movie but the quality may be compensated.
  • The “Main Movie” option lets you eliminate extra data and only copies the main feature.
  • Finally, if you use “Customize” option, you will be able to select your options such as audio tracks, subtitles etc.
  • To start the conversion process, press the big red colored button of the converter. A progress bar will show you the rate of conversion and the time taken depends on the length of the movie and the speed of your computer.


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How to Fix a Bathtub

There are many different shapes and sizes of bathtubs available in the market today. You can choose from circular, oval, square, rectangular or semi-circle depending upon the size and shape of your bathroom. However, a chipped or cracked bathtub looks very ugly and you must know how to fix a bathtub so that you can do it yourself without having to wait for a plumber and can also save money by doing so.

You can easily fix a bathtub yourself using a kit which you can purchase from any hardware shop or home improvement store. This kit costs very less as compared to the costs you would have to incur if you hire a contractor or plumber. It contains epoxy resin, sandpaper, gel coat enamel and applicator. Along with the kit, you will also need some other things such as a rag, paintbrush, hair dryer, and a tungsten-carbide cutter. Follow these steps to fix a bathtub on your own:

  • The first and most important thing to do before you actually start fixing your bathtub is to ensure that it is completely dry.  You can either wipe it dry with a cloth or use a hair dryer to dry the area that you will be working on. You must keep the area dry because the resin cannot be applied on a wet surface as it will not stick on it.
  • Next, you must make sure that the area is clean and smooth. You can again use a cloth or duster to clean the surface.
  • Use the tungsten-carbide cutter to widen the crack and remove rough spots if any. You must hold the cutter at an appropriate angle so that it creates a v-shaped channel.
  • If you are fixing a chipped area, you need to grind the edges to smoothen them. Use a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges.
  • Now, apply the epoxy resin filler in the crack by following the directions on the bottle carefully. Use the applicator provided in the kit to fill all the cracks with the resin and remove any excess epoxy using the applicator.
  • Leave the area to dry for at least 12 hours to ensure that the epoxy has had enough time to cure. Once it has cured, use the wet/dry sandpaper from the kit to sand the surface to make the fix appear smooth.
  • Now, you are ready to apply the gel coat enamel. Follow the instructions on the kit carefully for this and apply the enamel on the crack smoothly.
  • Some repair kits will have colored enamels to match the color of your bathtub. If the enamel color matches the color of your bathtub perfectly, then your repair will be invisible.

Tips & Warnings

  • Ensure that your bathtub is properly supported from below to prevent any more cracks in the future.
  • Avoid putting heavy and bulky objects near your bathtub. This is because dropping if such objects is one of the main reasons of crack formation on bathtubs.
  • You can use either porcelain repair kits or fiberglass repair kits as they are similar to each other and the process of using them is also the same.
  • If you are not able to match the color of the repair with your bathtub’s color you could repaint it. The paint used for painting bathtubs is long-lasting and strong and make your repaired bathtub look as new as when it was purchased.
  • You must repair the bathtub as soon you detect any cracks on it as otherwise it could damage floors and walls.
  • Fixing chips and cracks in a bathtub on time will not only prevent structural damage but also stop the crack from spreading further.
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