| How to Say Nice Things Posted: 08 Apr 2021 05:00 PM PDT Most of us have heard the saying, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." While saying nice things comes naturally to some people, others have a harder time giving praise or complimenting someone else. If you struggle with this, read our list of suggestions—you'll learn ways to give sincere feedback that makes someone feel great about themselves. With a little practice, you'll feel confident saying genuinely kind things to others. [Edit]Look for the good in people or situations. - Instead of focusing on the negative, pay attention to positive things. This is the backbone behind positive parenting techniques, for example, which argue that you reinforce good behavior by noticing it and appreciating it.[1]
- For example, instead of waiting for someone to make a mistake before you say something, look for something good. Maybe your child's been better behaved when you take them to the store, or maybe a chronically-late friend showed up on time to dinner.
[Edit]Make your compliment clear and detailed. - Your comment will feel more personal and you'll seem more sincere. Make the nice thought meaningful by tailoring it to the person you're praising. Instead of saying, "You look nice today," say something like, "I really like that color on you."[2]
- To praise behavior, give a specific example. If you're a parent, instead of saying, "Nice job at school," say, "I really liked how well you played with the kids in your class."
[Edit]Encourage someone who made you feel supported. - Say thank you and let them know you care. It's easy to focus on compliments for specific actions, but don't forget that you can just say thank you. Make a meaningful connection by sharing how you feel, too.[3]
- For example, tell a family member, "Thank you for always being there for me. I know you've always got my back and that helps a lot," or say to a co-worker, "Thanks for sticking with me on this project. I know I can be hard to work with sometimes, but it's been nice having your help."
[Edit]Compliment someone, even if you don't know them. - Take time to point out something nice to a stranger. It doesn't have to be a really detailed compliment, just make it genuine. Make eye contact and put on a smile. Then, say something nice about the person's appearance or something they've done. Here are a few examples to get you started:[4]
- "That was really kind of you to give up your seat for that woman."
- "Those earrings look amazing with your hair color."
- "You have the best freckles!"
- "Thanks for taking my cart back. You're a lifesaver!"
[Edit]Recognize something great that your partner did. - Deepen your relationship by highlighting things you like about them. If you're in a relationship, it's easy to assume that your partner knows you care about them. Make their day by pointing out something that you love about them. You might say:[5]
- "You're so great with hands-on projects."
- "I love how you're outgoing while I'm a bit reserved. We balance each other beautifully!"
- "Have you noticed how patient you've grown?"
- It can be tricky to say something nice about someone physically. The person might be self-conscious about their body or it just might not be appropriate for the setting. Instead of pointing out physical characteristics, highlight something great that they've done.[6]
- For example, avoid the generic, "You look great!" Instead, try, "You were really confident in that meeting. Great job keeping everyone engaged."
- If you really want to point out that someone looks nice, be specific and kind. Instead of saying, "You look great! Have you lost weight?" Say something like, "I really like those colors on you. That's a great outfit."
[Edit]Mention how the person makes you feel. - Share why you're impressed, proud, or happy with the person. Make a deeper connection by telling them how something they did or said made you feel. For example, instead of saying, "Great job at the meeting," say, "Thanks for getting everyone to listen to my ideas at the meeting. You really made me feel supported."[7]
- If it's hard for you to share your feelings, keep it simple. Just letting the person know that you appreciate them is huge!
- Don't say something that you don't truly mean. Most people can spot when someone's being insincere and you may actually damage your relationship if you're not being genuine.
[Edit]Praise someone's efforts, not just the outcome. - Highlight the work that someone put in so they know you appreciate them. Whether you're talking with teammates or a romantic partner, let them know that you value their efforts. Maybe they took a challenging class, worked hard on a project, or tried to improve a relationship. Say something nice about the process and not just what came of it.[8]
- For example, say, "I'm really impressed that you reached out to your sister. I know she's hard to talk to, but you've really made an effort."
- If you're a parent, try this with your kids, too. They may not win their game or event, but they'll love hearing how great it was for them to try.
[Edit]Ask a question so the person accepts the compliment. - Don't let the person deflect the nice thing you just said. Sometimes, people have a hard time accepting compliments. By asking a question after you say something nice, it helps them accept it and respond so the conversation keeps going.[9]
- For example, if you're a parent, you might say to your child, "How did you know your brother wanted you to share your toys?" or, to your co-worker, "Do you have suggestions for how I could be a more effective speaker?"
[Edit]Avoid tacking a criticism onto the compliment. - Resist the urge to give suggestions or add a qualifier to your comment. No one appreciates getting nice feedback that also has criticism attached. For example, don't say, "Your hair looks better today than it did yesterday," or, "You seemed really confident in the meeting, but I think you talked too much."[10]
- Think about what makes the person feel good about themselves. If your comment might hurt their feelings, don't say it!
- Leave a nice comment on someone's media page instead of just scrolling by. It's easy to like or love someone's content, but if you want to make more of an impact, say something nice.
- Say the nice thing as soon as you think of it. If you wait and say something nice later on, it might not come across as genuine.
- Appear more genuine by looking the person in the eye. Studies actually show people are more likely to believe what someone's saying if the person is making direct eye contact.[11]
[Edit]References |
| How to Eat Pickled Garlic Posted: 08 Apr 2021 09:00 AM PDT Pickled garlic may sound like an acquired taste, but you might find yourself repeatedly reaching for the jar. Unlike raw garlic, which has a spicy, sharp flavor, garlic that's pickled in vinegar becomes mellow and even slightly sweet. You can eat it raw or add it to meals for a burst of unique flavor. Try it with whatever you're eating—you might be pleasantly surprised with an original flavor combination! [Edit]Eat the pickled garlic straight out of the jar. - Pop it right into your mouth whenever you need a burst of flavor. If you're like most people who enjoy pickled garlic, you might like snacking on it straight out of the jar.[1]
- There's no need to heat or cook it since it's already soft and flavorful.
[Edit]Toss it with sautéed vegetables for a bold acidic kick. - Stir chopped pickled garlic into veggies like peppers, broccoli, or onions. Instead of cooking vegetables with freshly minced garlic, give them a deeper, rich flavor with pickled garlic. Just chop up a few pickled garlic cloves and add it to vegetables like:[2]
- Green beans
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli or Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Onions
[Edit]Add pickled garlic to a charcuterie board. - Place it on cheese or snack boards, too. If you're serving a charcuterie or snack board to guests, set out a variety of flavors so people can find taste combinations they enjoy. Put out a small bowl of pickled garlic to complement the sausage, cheese, or crackers.[3]
- Want to make the garlic even fancier? Drizzle a little high-quality extra-virgin olive oil over the cloves to bring out the slightly sweet flavor of the garlic.
[Edit]Mix it into pasta salads or stir-fries. - Chop pickled garlic and stir it into cooked noodles or steamed rice. The garlic gives a boost of flavor to ingredients that are usually pretty bland on their own and it tastes great in a variety of cuisines.[4]
- For example, stir pickled garlic into stir-fried rice, a vegetable curry, or a creamy alfredo sauce.
[Edit]Try pickled garlic on sandwiches, hot dog, and hamburgers. - Lay slices of pickled garlic onto a sandwich to give it a slightly tangy taste. Pickled garlic is a great topping for paninis, hamburgers, or your favorite sandwich. They're not as sharp as onions, but they give a zippy flavor.[5]
- Pickled garlic is wonderful on pizza, too!
[Edit]Serve pickled garlic with grilled meat and seafood. - Set out pickled garlic to add flavor to smoky meats or mild seafood. The next time you toss steaks or pork chops on the grill set out a bowl of pickled garlic. The tangy flavor complements smoky meat and adds a little kick of garlic. This also makes it great for mild seafood dishes like cod, halibut, or rockfish.[6]
- If you're adding barbecue sauce to your grilled meat, stir a few chopped cloves of garlic into it before basting the meat.
[Edit]Mash the garlic and spread it on toast. - Make your own garlic bread that has a smooth, mild flavor. Garlic bread made with fresh garlic cloves, herbs, and salt, can be really sharp—especially if you're using raw garlic that's started to sprout. If you prefer a mellow flavor, mash a few pickled garlic cloves and spread it on toast instead of using fresh garlic.[7]
- Serve your garlic toast with a fresh garden salad that you've garnished with pickled garlic cloves.
[Edit]Stir it into spaghetti sauce to add a slightly zippy flavor. - Customize homemade or jarred pasta sauce with a little pickled garlic. Chop the garlic cloves and simmer it in your spaghetti sauce until the sauce absorbs the flavor. Don't be afraid to add lots of garlic since this is the base for a lot of Italian dishes.[8]
- Use your garlic-flavored spaghetti sauce to make lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs, for instance.
[Edit]Garnish cocktails with a few cloves of pickled garlic. - Use pickled garlic cloves instead of pickled onions to garnish your drink. Try it in your next martini or Bloody Mary, for instance. You can even substitute garlic brine for the olive brine in a dirty martini.[9]
- If you like a spicy Bloody Mary, use garlic cloves that were pickled with hot peppers.
[Edit]Make a pickled garlic salad dressing. - Whisk the brine from the pickled garlic with oil for a quick, salad dressing. Start by vigorously whisking about 3 parts of extra-virgin olive oil with 1 part of brine from the pickled garlic jar. Then, taste the dressing and add as much salt and pepper as you like before you toss it with salad greens.[10]
- You don't have to add the pickled garlic itself unless you want an even stronger garlic flavor.
- Did your pickled garlic turn blue? Don't worry—this is a natural reaction from the pickling process. Your garlic is safe to eat.[11]
[Edit]References |
| How to Replace Ceiling Drywall Posted: 08 Apr 2021 01:00 AM PDT Replacing your ceiling drywall will take a little bit of time and effort, but it isn't difficult if you have the right tools and materials. Clear the room, walls, and attic, if there is one above the ceiling. Pull out the insulation and set it aside so you can replace it later. Then, remove any fixtures and take down the old ceiling drywall. Use drywall adhesive to hold the new ceiling drywall up so you can fasten it with screws. The job will be difficult to do on your own, so consider renting a drywall lift or asking a friend to help you. [Edit]Clearing the Area and Removing Insulation - Put on gloves, safety glasses, and a face mask. Ceilings, attics, and drywall can be dusty, dirty, and contain fiberglass and other particles that can get into your skin and eyes and irritate your throat and lungs if you breathe it in. Before you start working, put on some thick work gloves, safety glasses, and a face mask so you're protected.[1]
- You can find safety equipment at home improvement stores, at department stores, and online.
- Make sure the glasses fit snugly over your eyes so dust can't get in on the sides.
- You may want to wear a thick pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt to add additional protection to your skin.
- Take out any items stored in the attic, if necessary. If the ceiling you're replacing has an attic above it, access it and look for any items that may be stored in there. Old suitcases, clothes, and other items that you have stored in your attic need to be taken out before you start working.[2]
- Speed up the process by having somebody stand below the access point so you can hand them items that you remove.
- Pull out the insulation yourself if your home was built after 1970. Look for insulation in the attic above the room. If you're sure the insulation doesn't contain asbestos, pull out all of the insulation by pulling it up and carrying it out of the room. You can set it aside to replace it whenever you install your new ceiling drywall.[3]
- If your attic has flooring that is covering the insulation, wait until you remove the old ceiling drywall to remove the insulation from below rather than removing the flooring.
- If the ceiling does not have an attic above it, wait until you remove the old ceiling drywall to take out the insulation.
- Contact an asbestos removal specialist if your home was built before 1970. Older homes often used insulation that contains asbestos, which can cause serious respiratory disease if it is inhaled. If your home was built before 1970, do not attempt to remove or disturb the insulation above your ceiling to avoid exposure to asbestos. Contact a professional to come test your insulation to make sure it's safe for you to handle.[4]
- Search online for asbestos removal professionals in your area.
- Take down anything on the walls in the room. Remove any picture frames and decor from the walls and set them in another room so they're out of the way. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws and disconnect the electrical cables to remove any light fixtures installed in the walls so they aren't damaged when you remove the ceiling drywall.[5]
- Clear out any furniture, rugs, or other items from the room. Take out any chairs, couches, electronics, tables, rugs, or anything else that may be in the room so they aren't damaged or in your way when you're working. Move them out of the room entirely so you can work unimpeded.[6]
- Place the items in a nearby room so they aren't far and you can easily place them back into the room when you're finished.
[Edit]Removing the Fixtures and Existing Drywall - Cover the floor and walls with plastic drop sheets.[7] Use masking tape to attach plastic drop sheets to the edges of the walls where they meet the ceiling. Allow the plastic sheeting to drape over the walls and cover the floor of the room so they aren't damaged by the falling drywall, as well as all of the dust, dirt, and other debris from the ceiling.[8]
- Don't use canvas drop cloths or any moisture that gets on them will soak through.
- You can also use plastic tarps to cover your walls and floor.
- Shut off power to the room by flipping the breaker in the breaker box. Find your breaker box and check the diagram on the inside of the panel door to identify the switch that controls power to the room where you're replacing the ceiling drywall. Flip the switch to shut off power to the room so you can work without the risk of being shocked.[9]
- Set up lamps or a spotlight so you can see while you work, if necessary.
- Unscrew and take down any fixtures installed in the ceiling. Remove any vents, light fixtures, ceiling fans, or any other fixtures that are in your ceiling. Use a screwdriver to take out any screws that are attaching them, disconnect any electrical wires connected to them, and carefully pull them out of the ceiling.[10]
- Have another person help you hold the fixture so you can disconnect the wires more easily.
- Place the fixtures in another room so they're safe and out of the way.
- Score the corners of the drywall and ceiling with a utility knife. Take a utility knife and cut along the edge where your ceiling meets your wall to minimize damage to your wall. Press the edge of the knife into the edge of the wall and cut along the entire length of it.[11]
- Scoring the corners will help keep the paint from peeling off of your wall when you remove the ceiling drywall.
- Locate 2 ceiling joists with a stud finder. Ceiling joists frame and support your ceiling much like studs in your wall. Locate a ceiling joist so you can make sure you don't damage it when you start removing the drywall. Then, locate the joist adjacent to it so you can work between them.[12]
- Mark the location with a marker or pencil.
- Bash a small hole between 2 joists with a hammer. Take a hammer and strike the ceiling drywall in the area between 2 joists. Make a hole large enough to fit both of your hands into it.[13]
- Make sure you're wearing your gloves, safety glasses, and breathing mask so you don't get dust or fiberglass in your skin, eyes, or lungs.
- Pull all of the drywall down by hand. Reach into the hole you smashed in the ceiling drywall, grip the edges of the hole, and start pulling down the drywall from the ceiling. Make sure the drywall doesn't fall on you or someone helping you and allow it to fall to the floor so you can clean it up later. Continue pulling the drywall down until it's all removed from the ceiling.[14]
- Have somebody help you by picking up the drywall and throwing it away as you pull it down so the mess doesn't accumulate.
- Remove the insulation if you weren't able to access it before. If your insulation is covered by attic flooring or if you don't have an attic, the insulation will now be exposed. Carefully remove all of it from the ceiling, if it hasn't already fallen down. You can keep it to replace it or buy new insulation and put it on top of each drywall board as you install the drywall.
- Clean up any drywall, dust, and debris from the room. There will be lots of dust and debris on the ground after you finish removing all of the old ceiling drywall. Use a broom to sweep it all into a pile in the middle of the room, then use a dustpan to collect and dispose of it.[15]
- Keep the plastic drop sheets in place so you can install the new drywall without making a mess on your floor or walls.
[Edit]Installing the New Drywall - Use ceiling-grade gypsum board to replace your ceiling drywall. Gypsum board is much lighter than the standard wallboard, which makes it safer to use for ceilings. When you're choosing your new drywall, look for ceiling-grade gypsum board for the best and safest option to replace the drywall on your ceiling.[16]
- The drywall you use on your ceiling needs to be lighter so there's less risk of it collapsing.
- You can find ceiling-grade gypsum board at your local home improvement store., which equates to . Purchase enough to cover the entire area of your ceiling.}}
- Rent a drywall lift or have somebody help you install the new drywall. The large size of the drywall makes it unwieldy and difficult to install by yourself. If you can, have a friend help you install it so they can assist you by holding up the drywall. You can also rent a drywall lift, which is a metal device that allows you to place the drywall on rails so you can move it into place and turn a wheel to raise it to the ceiling.[17][18]
- You can rent drywall lifts for the day from a local home improvement store.
- Apply drywall adhesive to the joists. Start in 1 corner of the ceiling where you can use 1 full sheet, and squeeze the adhesive out of the tube and onto the edge of the joist facing down toward the floor. Apply an even layer to all of the joists that you will connect the first sheet to.[19]
- You can find drywall adhesive at hardware stores, at home improvement stores, and online.
- Raise the drywall and press it against the joists. Place the sheet of drywall on the drywall lift and turn the wheel to raise it into place or have someone help you raise the drywall up so you can connect it to the joists. Press the drywall against the joists and hold it for about 10 seconds so the adhesive can bond to it.[20]
- Gently release pressure from the drywall so the adhesive can hold it in place.
- Mark the locations of fixtures and ceiling joists on the drywall. Once you press the drywall to the joists, mark where you'll need to cut holes to reinstall the fixtures and mark the location of the joists so you can drill fastener screws into them. Make a light marking so they aren't visible when you're finished.[21]
- Use a pencil to lightly mark the location of joists and where you'll need to cut holes.
- Continue to apply adhesive and connect drywall until the ceiling is covered. Apply adhesive to the joists adjacent to drywall you just installed. Then, press another sheet of drywall to the adhesive to hold it in place. The adhesive will be dry after about 15 minutes, so work to apply it and connect the new drywall as quickly as you can so the ceiling is complete.[22]
- Use your utility knife to trim the drywall if it needs to be fitted into edges or corners.
- Drill screws into the drywall and ceiling joists. Use the markings you made to identify the ceiling joists and drive screws into them. Use a power drill to drive the screws through the drywall and into the ceiling joist. Space the screws about apart along the joists for the best support.[23]
- If you don't have a power drill, you can use long nails and drive them into the joists with a hammer.
- Replace the insulation in the attic if you have one. If there's an attic above the ceiling, access it and place the insulation back where you removed it from. If there isn't an attic above the ceiling, make sure you replace the insulation above the sections of drywall as you install them.[24]
- Cut out the slots for the fixtures and reinstall them. Use your utility knife to cut an opening in the ceiling drywall where you marked the locations of the fixtures. Widen and adjust the opening as needed to fit the vent, fan, or fixture into place. Connect the fixture to the electrical cord and then screw them into the new ceiling drywall so they're secure.[25]
- Have someone help you hold up heavier objects such as ceiling fans or large lights.
- Turn on the fixture to make sure it works.
- Take down the plastic drop sheets and replace the furniture and decor. Gently peel off the masking tape so you don't damage the paint and remove all of the plastic drop sheets from the room. Put the furniture, rugs, picture frames, and anything else that you cleared out of the room before.[26]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Safety glasses, work gloves, and a breathing mask
- Plastic drop sheets
- Hammer
- Stud finder
- Screwdriver
- Ceiling-grade gypsum board
- Power drill
- screws
- Marker or pencil
- Utility knife
- Masking tape
- A drywall lift or someone to help you
- Broom and dustpan
[Edit]Warning - If your home was built before 1970, or you're unsure if your insulation has asbestos, contact a professional asbestos disposal company to inspect your insulation before you replace your ceiling drywall.
[Edit]References |
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