| How to Make a Peppermint Mocha Posted: 30 Nov 2018 04:00 PM PST A favorite hot holiday drink from Starbucks, you can make this sweet beverage with a minty kick anytime with a few simple ingredients. This recipe serves one. EditIngredients - 3 tablespoons powdered baking cocoa - examples tried included Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peppermint syrup (do not use extract- you can buy a very large bottle of syrup at Starbucks for $7) or crème de menthe
- 4 ounces espresso
- 12 ounces steamed milk
- Whipped cream
- Red sugar crystals
- Mix the water and the cocoa powder together to make a syrup-like mixture. Pour this into your mug.
- Pour in the espresso shots. If you do not know how to make espresso, you can read on the wikiHow article, How to Make an Espresso (Espresso Coffee).
- Carefully drop in the peppermint syrup. You don't want the taste to override the drink.
- Get your milk steamed. Add the milk to your drink.
- Top your drink with the whipped cream and sprinkle some sugar crystals around it.
- Treat yourself by inserting a candy cane to make the drink more unique.
- Try this recipe as a cold drink by substituting steamed milk for cold milk, and drop a few ice cubes in there.
- If desired, add finely-chopped peppermint candies and sprinkle on top of the mocha. You can also infuse the cream with peppermint candies and/or syrup.
- Be sure that the espresso times between 18 and 23 seconds and the temperature of the milk should be under 150, 155 at the hottest. Anything over that will scorch a person's mouth. Any temperature under 140 is in the danger zone for milk causing illnesses.
EditThings You'll Need - Espresso machine
- Steamer
- Mug
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations |
| How to Cope with Your Ex Dating Someone New Posted: 30 Nov 2018 08:00 AM PST Breakups are always hard, but they're worse when your ex moves on before you. When you find out your ex has a new partner, it's important to use healthy ways to process the news. Then, you can deal with your feelings by acknowledging how you feel, talking to friends, and journaling. If you haven't already, set strong boundaries between yourself and your ex. Finally, focus on your own happiness to help yourself move on. EditProcessing the News - Avoid comparing yourself to their new partner. Don't try to learn more about their new partner or question what they have that you don't. Resist the urge to ask mutual friends for details! You will only make yourself feel worse.[1]
- When you compare yourself to others, you're never fair to yourself. That's because it's easy to see what others have that we don't, but it's hard to recognize what's great about you.
- Remind yourself why you're not together. No matter how sad you might be feeling, there's a reason you broke up. Remember all their bad habits and inconsiderate behaviors? Now their new partner has to deal with them![2]
- Write down all of the bad things that happened while you were together.[3]
- Think about all the ways they let you down.
- Distract yourself with fun activities. Don't give yourself time to dwell on your ex's new relationship. Go out with your friends, do something creative, try a new hobby, challenge yourself physically, or go on an adventure. Fill your life with awesome activities, and you won't have time to worry about your ex.[4]
- Try something you've always wanted to try.
- Do the things you used to enjoy before your relationship with your ex, such as girls night, hot yoga, or taking an evening art class.
- Don't trash talk your ex to make yourself feel better. This works temporarily, but it'll hurt you in the long run. It keeps you stuck in your breakup rut. Your ex's relationship with someone else won't stop you from living the life you want. Only you can do that![5]
- It's okay to vent on occasion, but don't let all of your conversations turn into rants about your ex.
- If someone changes the subject, don't try to change it back to your ex.
EditDealing with Your Feelings - Name the emotions you're feeling instead of fighting them. It's normal to feel a range of emotions when you find out your ex is dating someone new. Don't try to force yourself to stop feeling them. Instead, acknowledge what you're feeling and let it pass.[6]
- It's okay if you need to cry sometimes.
- Talk to your friends about your feelings. Meet them in person for coffee, or text them whenever you need to talk. Let them know if you need to vent or would like advice.[7]
- Choose the people you trust the most.
- Try to avoid talking to mutual friends, as they might inadvertently mention details about your ex.
- Journal about your thoughts and feelings. Keeping a journal allows you to work through your feelings on your own. You could write in it every day or when you're feeling upset.[8]
- You could keep a paper journal or a digital journal, depending on which you prefer.
- Forgive them if they hurt you. Don't hold onto your hurt feelings. It may feel like forgiveness is for the other person, but it's really for you. Forgiveness will give you the freedom to move on. Look for their good qualities in addition to the bad, and realize that they likely weren't trying to hurt you.[9]
- Let go of your anger and resentment toward your ex. Holding onto anger only punishes you.
- Remember the good parts of your relationship, as well as the lessons you've learned. Although they hurt you, some good likely came from the relationship.
- Talk to someone about your feelings, such as a friend or therapist. Writing in your journal can also help you work through these feelings.
- You might even write a long letter to your ex about how they hurt you. Burn it or throw it away instead of sending it.
- You don't need to let the person back into your life. With forgiveness, you can actually let go of them forever, if that's what you want.
- Don't let one bad experience prevent you from finding happiness with someone else.
EditSetting Boundaries - Cut off all contact, if you haven't already. It's hard not talking to someone you care about, but it's the best thing for you! Resist the urge to reach out via phone, text, or email. When you feel tempted, contact a friend instead.[10]
- If they keep texting you or you feel tempted to text them, block their number.
- If you must stay in contact with them because you share children, keep your communications focused on your children.
- Don't try to be friends with them right now. It's possible you could eventually be friends with your ex, but first you need to get over the breakup. Give yourself the time and space away from them you need to heal.[11]
- If they ask you to be friends, tell them you need space. Say, "I'll think about it, but right now I need to do my own thing. I need my space."
- Unfollow them on all social media. It's hard to sever the ties after a breakup. It might feel scary to lose contact with someone who was once special to you. Plus, it's likely a tiny part of you wants to spy on them to see if they're doing better than you. However, this will just make you feel crappy and make it hard to move on.[12]
- It's okay to taper off your social media contact with them, if it's too hard to hit unfollow. However, you need to eventually break those ties.
- Additionally, resist the urge to ask mutual friends about what they're doing. You might even unfollow some of your mutual friends who often post about your ex until you're over the breakup.
- Avoid the places they frequent. You likely know many of your ex's habits, so use that knowledge to your advantage. Stay away from their favorite restaurants, coffee houses, and other haunts. Don't visit their workplace, if you can help it. Until you're over the breakup, do your best to keep your distance.[13]
- Seeing them out on a date would hurt, so don't risk it.
- Visit places you used to enjoy before you dated them.
- Set a goal to try out all the cool new places you've never tried before.
EditFocusing on Your Own Happiness - Forgive yourself for your past relationship mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes! Don't beat yourself up for the issues in your relationships. Think about the lessons you've learned instead.[14]
- Write down how each relationship has improved you.
- Recognize the work you put into the relationship.
- Embrace self love. Instead of trying to find love, give love to yourself. List the things you love about yourself, including your personality, body, and talents. Use positive self talk to create a good outlook about yourself.[15]
- To use positive self talk, notice when you're telling yourself negative things. Replace those thoughts with honest, positive statements. You can also use positive affirmations.
- Date yourself! Go to the movies, go out for coffee, eat dinner in a nice restaurant, go for a nice walk in the park, and get tickets to a concert you've always wanted to see.
- Tell yourself you deserve someone who wants the same things you do. You and your ex broke up for a reason. Even if you didn't want to break up, it's important to remember your ex had their reasons. They may not have wanted the same things you did, and they clearly didn't love you as much as you deserve. Look for the person who will.[16]
- Make a list of everything you want in a relationship and how your ex didn't fulfill those needs.
- If you broke off the relationship, remember why you wanted to part ways.
- Take a step toward a goal you have. This will help you direct your energies toward personal fulfillment, not your ex. Even a tiny step toward your goal can help you feel better. Do something easy, then keep up the momentum![17]
- Break your goal into small, manageable steps. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon, you might start by training for a 5K.
- Do one nice thing for yourself each day. You deserve a treat! This will help you feel better about your life and yourself. Here are some ideas:[18]
- Go out for lunch.
- Spend time on a hobby.
- Buy yourself a coffee.
- Pick up a dessert to-go.
- Buy yourself something you've been eyeing.
- Focus on the positive things in your life. Instead of looking at what you don't have, meaning your ex, take note of what's going well in your life. Think about your career, friendships, hobbies, goals, etc. Here are some things to consider:[19]
- Look at your life the way you're looking at your ex. Turn your own highlight reel into a story about how well your life is going.
- If you're having trouble finding things to celebrate, ask those closest to you to help point out the good things in your life. Chances are they'll be able to list off several awesome things you're overlooking!
- Work out your feelings through exercise. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Choose an exercise that lets you blow off some steam, like kickboxing, dancing, or running.[20]
- You might try high-intensity training or interval training. The high intensity portions of the workout will allow you to release built up emotions. The recovery periods will give you time to catch your breath.
- Tend to your self care. When you're going through a tough time, it's normal to neglect your self care. However, it's extremely important that you take care of yourself. Give yourself the care you need, such as the following:[21]
- Maintain your sleep schedule.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
- Soak in the bathtub.
- Engage in relaxing activities.
- Begin dating again only when you're ready. Don't rush into a new relationship or go out looking for a one night stand. While there's nothing wrong with exploring the dating scene, wait until you're fully ready. Not giving yourself enough time to recover will only make you feel worse.[22]
- Remind yourself that the pain is temporary. You will feel better!
- When you're feeling bad, talk to someone who cares about you, like a friend or relative. You can even reach out to online forums.
- Don't try to make yourself feel better by rushing into a relationship with someone else. You'll only hurt yourself in the long run.
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Prevent Clothes from Shrinking Posted: 30 Nov 2018 12:00 AM PST It can be hard to find clothes that you are comfortable in, make you look good, and fit just right. So when you do, you want to be sure you keep them fitting the same way they did when you first bought them. By following proper washing and drying techniques, and knowing what to do in the case of accidental shrinkage, you can keep your wardrobe looking new and fitting great. EditWashing Your Clothes Properly - Wash your clothes in cold water to prevent shrinkage. Simply set the temperature on your washing machine to "cold." With many detergents being specially-made for cold-water washing, using cold water still works to get your clothes clean.[1]
- As a bonus, washing your laundry in cold water requires less energy, and can save you money on your utility bill.[2]
- Use the preset "delicate" cycle to help clothes keep their original size and shape. This setting uses low agitation (so less moving and shaking) and a slower, shorter spin cycle to drain the water, which makes it more likely that your clothes will remain the size and shape they were meant to be.[3]
- Sometimes these cycles will automatically default to a warm wash. Use the controls on your machine to override the setting to change it to a cold wash.[4]
- Hand-wash cotton, linen, and silk garments to avoid shrinkage. All you need is a little laundry detergent and some water. It takes a little more time and effort, but hand washing your clothes is one of the safest bets to prevent shrinkage and maintain shape.
- Take wool and cashmere garments to a dry cleaner. The labels on your clothes will tell you what type of material they are. If your item contains any cashmere or wool at all, it should be taken to the dry cleaner for proper cleaning.
- Any sort of agitation can cause these animal-based fabrics to shrink, so for these items, it's best to spend a few dollars to have them professionally cleaned.[5]
EditDrying Your Clothes Carefully - Use the lowest heat setting on your dryer. The less heat, the less shrinkage. If you forget to change this setting, and leave the temperature on medium or high, there is a chance you may shrink your clothes.
- Some dryers even have the option to air dry. This setting doesn't use heat at all, and instead works to dry clothes by tumbling only. This can take a long time, so be sure to only use this option with small loads.
- Remove clothes from the dryer while they are still damp. Drying your clothes in the machine for 15-20 minutes can help speed up the drying process, but removing them while they are still damp will help avoid over-drying and can help prevent shrinkage.[6]
- Hang these items on a drying rack or lay them on a flat surface to finish drying.
- Air-dry your clothes. After washing, hang your items inside on a rod or drying rack, or outside on a clothesline, for an energy-efficient and shrink-proof way to dry your clothes.
- This is a good option if you are washing multiple delicate items at a time and/or have limited space for laying items flat.
- If you are drying your clothes outside, be sure to avoid hanging wool in the direct sunlight to avoid shrinkage, and all clothes in high winds or storms to avoid stretching or damage.[7]
EditFollowing Good Laundry Practices - Follow the directions on the tags of your garments. These washing and drying instructions are material-specific, and are included to help you care for your clothing properly.[8]
- Sort clothing by fabric type prior to washing. If you are using a washing machine, after sorting your clothes by color, group your cotton, linen, and silk garments to wash in a separate load. This will cut down on time, and will be a lot easier than sorting through a large load of wet clothes to find the items you want to avoid shrinking.
- A good trick is to have a separate hamper for the clothes you'll need to pay special attention to. This way, they will already be sorted come laundry day.
- Remove laundry from the dryer immediately after drying. This will reduce wrinkling upfront, so you don't have to iron or permanent press your clothes in the dryer later--which could contribute to additional heat shrinkage.
- Sometimes you won't be able to remove your clothes as soon as the cycle is finished. If this happens, try throwing a damp rag into the dryer and running it for 5-10 minutes. The dampness will create a bit of steam and work to get the wrinkles out quickly.[9]
- If you don't feel like you have the time or energy to read labels and wash accordingly, try filling your wardrobe with items that are mostly made of synthetic material. For instance, nylon, spandex, and polyester fabrics won't shrink and are typically easier to care for.[10]
EditSources and Citations
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