| How to Hang Wind Chimes Posted: 27 Oct 2020 05:00 PM PDT Wind chimes are a great way to add a touch of zen to your home or garden! With the right mounting tools, you can hang them from the ceiling or a wall. You can also use a standing lantern holder or hang them from a tree outside if you don't want to make holes in any surface. [Edit]Hanging Wind Chimes from a Ceiling - Choose a windy location where you can hang the wind chimes. The name doesn't lie: wind chimes need wind in order to chime! An outdoor porch or patio that is exposed to wind is the perfect spot to hang your chimes. You can also hang them by your front or back door so you can provoke them every time you pass by.[1]
- Place it in an area that isn't near a bedroom where nighttime chiming might keep someone awake.
- You can hang them inside as well, but you'll have to disturb them to hear any chiming.
- Drill a hole for the hook using a drill and pilot point bit. First, insert a pilot point bit into a drill—make sure it has a smaller diameter than the hook. Then, drill a small hole into the place where you want to insert the hanging hook. Make the hole about to deep.[2]
- You may need to stand on a step ladder if you're hanging the wind chime from a high ceiling.
- Twist the pointed end of the ceiling hook clockwise into the ceiling. Hold the hook by the end with the hanger and insert the sharp end into the pilot hole that you've drilled. Then, twist it clockwise until it's secured in the hole.[3]
- You may need to apply some pressure while you make the final twists if the hook screw is longer than the depth of the pilot hole that you drilled.
- Loop the chain of the wind chimes onto the hook. Lift the wind chime by the chain and hook it onto the hook at the desired length. If you've made your own wind chime and used a string instead of a chain, tie a sturdy loop at the end of the string to act as a hook.
- If you want the wind chime to hang lower, hook the last chain link onto the hook. To hang it higher, choose a chain length towards the middle or beginning of the chain.
[Edit]Using Alternative Hanging Methods - Apply an adhesive J-hook onto a ceiling. If you don't want to make a hole in the ceiling, you can purchase adhesive hooks specifically made to hang plants and other items from ceilings. Be sure that the wind chime weighs less than the upper weight limit listed on the package.
- Simply remove the protective strips from the adhesive mount and stick it onto the hanging surface.
- You may need to apply pressure to the stuck-on mount for up to 1 minute to ensure a firm hold. Refer to the instructions on the package.
- Mount a plant-hanging bracket onto a vertical wall. Use a drill and screws or a hammer and nails to attach a plant hanging bracket onto any vertical wall. After the bracket is in place, attach the wind chime by looping one of the chain links onto the hook.[4]
- Make sure the hanging part of the bracket sticks out far enough that the wind chime will have enough room to sway back and forth without hitting the wall.
- Hang the wind chime from a tall lantern or plant holder. A tall lantern or plant holder is a great choice if you want to be able to move the wind chime to different locations. A holder that's at least to tall is ideal, but you could use a shorter one for a small wind chime.[5]
- You can buy lantern or plant holders at garden supply or home hardware stores.
- Use rope to hang the wind chime from a tree branch. If you want your wind chime to hang in a tree, simply loop a rope through one of the chain links and tie it onto a tree. Choose a relatively low-hanging horizontal branch. Ideally, one that has a small dip so the wind chime doesn't slide along the branch.[6]
- To prevent rope friction from damaging the tree, use a bandana, sock, or other cloth to wrap the part of the rope that comes in contact with the tree. You can also use a tube of garden hose material as padding.
- Choose a lightweight wind chime made from bamboo or aluminum if you're using small adhesive J-hooks.
- Hang heavier ceramic, steel, or copper wind chimes from screwed in mounts or ceiling hooks.
- Hang the wind chimes on exposed corners of a house or porch to get most wind (and the most chimes!).
[Edit]Warnings - If you have a plug-in drill, fit the drill bit into the holder before you plug it in.
- Avoid hanging wind chimes over seating areas or other places where they could hurt someone if they fall.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Hanging Wind Chimes from a Ceiling - Drill
- Pilot point drill bit
- Ceiling hook
[Edit]Using Alternative Hanging Methods - Adhesive J-hooks (specifically for ceilings)
- Plant holder wall bracket
- Tall lantern or plant holder
- Rope and tree branch (plus optional protective cloth or hose material)
[Edit]References |
| How to Distinguish Between CPTSD and Autism Posted: 27 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT Finding an accurate diagnosis can be difficult for someone with one or more undiagnosed mental conditions. If you suspect autism or CPTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), it can be hard to distinguish between the two, whether you're looking at signs in yourself or a loved one. This article can help you figure out whether you're dealing with one of these, both of these, or something else. [Edit]Looking at Signs - Notice the shared signs of autism and CPTSD. Both autistic people and those with CPTSD have social troubles, and may be fearful, with difficulties coping. They can be easily confused with each other. Both autism and CPTSD can involve...[1][2]
- Extremely strong or inhibited emotions
- Feeling different from everyone else, though perhaps not knowing why
- Difficulty forming and maintaining relationships
- Social difficulties
- Enjoyment of being alone
- Hyperactivity or passivity
- Startling easily
- Repetitive movements
- Sleep issues
- Perfectionism and need for control
- Stress-related troubles
- Avoidance of eye contact
- Rule out CPTSD if no trauma is present—but be cautious, since trauma isn't always easy to spot. Autism is inborn,[3] while CPTSD only happens to people who suffer prolonged trauma. CPTSD can be caused by dramatically stressful events, or more subtle ones. Consider if the person has ever experienced...
- Abuse or neglect (including emotional neglect)
- Name-calling, ignoring, or frequent criticism from mentors or loved ones
- Bullying victimization
- Long-term exposure to crisis conditions
- Discrimination
- Stalking victimization
- Gaslighting
- Other types of mistreatment
- Look at the nature of repetitive movements. People with CPTSD may use repetitive movements, like rocking back and forth, to cope with severe stress. Autistic people may move repetitively under stress, but may also do it to focus, express feelings, or have fun. Ask yourself if the person ever moves repetitively when they're happy or calm.[4]
- Look at the reason for social difficulties. Autistic people deal with social confusion, and may have trouble understanding what others are thinking and feeling. Communication is a challenge. People with CPTSD can be fearful or moody, and may self-isolate.[5]
- A healthy autistic person usually wants to have some friends. Someone with CPTSD may feel safer when they're alone.
- An autistic person may struggle to understand what others are thinking. Someone with CPTSD may be overly pessimistic about what others are thinking.
- Consider why the person gets overwhelmed. Autistic people often get overwhelmed due to sensory issues. People with CPTSD deal with hypervigilance (which can be exhausting), and may have panic attacks due to a trigger in the environment.[6]
- Autistic people usually have Sensory Processing Disorder, which can make their senses over- or under-sensitive. They may avoid things for sensory reasons.
- People with CPTSD can have emotional flashbacks and trauma triggers. They may avoid things that remind them of their trauma.
- Consider the person's routines. Both autistic people and people with CPTSD may rely on routines to help them feel like the world is a safe and predictable place.[7]
- People with CPTSD may or may not like routine. If they do, it may help them avoid triggers and hypervigilance.
- Autistic people rely on routine. Routines make it easier to get things done,[8] and a change in routine can be startling and distressing to them.
- Look at what causes sleeping issues. Autistic people's bodies may not produce enough melatonin naturally, and taking melatonin supplements before bed can improve sleep. People with CPTSD have trouble falling asleep due to stress, and may have frequent or dramatic nightmares.
- Look for signs of autism that don't overlap with CPTSD. Autism involves developmental delays and quirks, passionate interests, difficulty understanding speech, and unusual speech. None of these are typical in CPTSD.
 - Developmental timeline: Milestones may be met late or out of order. Consider early childhood milestones as well as later ones like riding a bike, swimming, doing laundry, driving, and living independently.
- Interests: Autistic people usually have one or a few subjects that they're very passionate about. They love talking about them, and can hyperfocus on them for a long time. They may also feel lots of empathy for animals and objects.
- Trouble understanding speech: An autistic person may have a hard time understanding verbal speech, especially if the acoustics are different (e.g. in an auditorium, or sound from speakers). They may be confused by figurative language.
- Differences in speaking: Their speech may be halting, slow, and/or unusual in pitch or tone. They may lose the ability to speak when they are too stressed, or be unable to speak at all.
- Co-occurring issues: Autistic people are likely to have Sensory Processing Disorder, and often have dyspraxia (which can look like clumsiness). Auditory Processing Disorder is also common.
[Edit]Seeking Diagnosis - Research both autism and CPTSD. Read clinical papers, and also personal stories from people who have one or both conditions. This can give you a better sense of each condition, and help you understand it from a more personal perspective.
- Consider the possibility of both conditions. Unfortunately, autistic people are at increased risk of abuse and other problems in life, and may be more likely to develop PTSD or CPTSD in response to trauma.[9][10][11]
- What's stressful or scary to a non-autistic person could be traumatic to an autistic person. If the symptoms are real, then the trauma is real, even if other people don't consider the events "traumatic enough."
- Consider the possibility of a different condition. If the traits described here don't quite match what you or your loved one is going through, or they describe some but not all of what's going on, it's possible that another condition is at play. It may also be useful to read about and consider...
- Avoid jumping to a conclusion early on. Getting too attached to a diagnosis, without fully understanding it, could make you miss what is really going on. CPTSD treatment is very different from supports for autism, so it's important to get it right.
- Talk to a doctor or specialist for advice. Look for someone who works with autistic people, and people with trauma, if you can. Talk to them about the signs you're experiencing, and ask for an evaluation.
- Come prepared. Try writing down a list of symptoms. If you took any online tests, fill out your answers to each question in pencil, and bring it along.
- Speak up if you're concerned about misdiagnosis. A specialist is only as good as the information they have. If you think that there's a piece of the picture that they're missing, talk about it.
- Stay away from overly negative sources about autism, like Autism Speaks. Some groups say things that are inaccurate, or that are worse-case scenarios. They may scare you into believing things that aren't true. This isn't healthy or constructive.
- Trauma isn't always remembered. People with CPTSD may forget traumatic events, though they may recall them later.[12] Traumatic events can also occur during infant or toddler years, meaning they may not be remembered, but can still have an impact.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt Posted: 27 Oct 2020 01:00 AM PDT It may seem easier to just ignore it, but your unmanaged credit card debt will haunt every step you take. It may sound like a daunting task, but you can pay off your debt with order and dignity! To attack your debt effectively, use the following strategies. [Edit]Tackling Your Debt Wisely - Make more than the minimum payment. Credit card companies love it when you pay just enough to get by every month. At that rate, you're mostly paying off interest and barely scratching the surface of your actual debt. Look at your most recent credit card statements to get a ballpark figure on what your monthly interest is, then budget as much of a payment as you can over that amount to actually see a difference in your statement.[1][2][3]
- If you want to know how much above the minimum you should pay, remember what interest is. Interest is the price you pay for money, and creditors always want you to pay interest before anything else. So making the minimum payment is usually only enough to keep your interest from compounding your debt into the stratosphere—to keep it where it is, in other words. You want to try to pay enough each month to get beyond the interest and into the principal.
- Pay off debt with the highest interest rate first. It goes almost without saying, but it's something that a lot of people forget. If one credit line is charging you 11% Annual Percentage Rate, or APR (interest over the course of a year) while another credit line is charging you 9% APR, focus all your attention on the debt that falls under 11% interest rate. Pay it off before even touching the other debt. Sure, the other one will accumulate interest in the meantime, but since you're paying interest either way, you might as well do it at the lower percentage.[4]
- If this process seems too hard, try snowballing your debt. If your interest rates are all roughly the same or you're simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of payments you have to make each month, make the minimum payments on all but the lowest balance––which you should attack aggressively so that it disappears quickly. Once it's gone, add the payments you would have paid on the lowest debt to the minimum payment on your next-lowest debt until it, too, disappears. Repeat until all debts are cleared. The sense of satisfaction you will feel in making fewer and fewer payments each month will make the process more bearable and help you achieve your goal.[5][6][7]
- Talk to your credit card companies. Explain your financial situation and ask if there is anything they can do to help. Many will lower your interest rate for a period of time and/or waive current late fee balances to give you an opportunity to catch up.[8]
- If you've been a customer of theirs for a long time, mention that. While some credit card companies don't care about customer loyalty, more than a few do. Those that do sometimes go to great lengths to keep their customer base happy and loyal, whatever the circumstances.
- If at first you don't succeed, ask someone more important. If you can't make any headway with the first persons you speak with, ask to speak to a supervisor. If that doesn't work, ask to speak to the retention department. If that doesn't work, call back in a week or two.[9]
- Come prepared. Be sure to compile a list of other offers you recieve. Know your interest rate terms. Check out the rates that competitors are offering.
- Never close cards with existing balances. It might seem like an easy way to get a handle on your debt, but it'll do horrors to your credit score, and you'll still be on the hook for the debt.[10] All this will do is send your credit utilization (your available limit v. your current debt) down, further driving down your credit score. Learn more here on how to increase your credit score.
- If you feel like you must close an account, you need to pay it off extremely quickly, and you need to make sure that the company records that it was closed at your request and not theirs. Make this request in writing.[11][12]
- Move your debts around. Let's be clear, transferring money from a credit card with 12% interest to a card with 0% interest may damage your short-term credit. However, barely chipping away at your debt because your interest is too high will damage your finances in the long-term. Shop around for long-term, low- or no-percent interest rate transfer opportunities, or look into transferring some of your debt onto a low-interest card that you already have. Keep the following in mind:[13]
 - How long the low interest rate will last. Depending on your total debt and how quickly you think you can pay it off, 0% interest for six months may not be as good a deal as 2% for 18 months.
- The amount of the transfer fee. When transferring, you usually have to pay a certain percentage of your debt up-front. Make sure that a) you can afford this transfer fee and b) the fee is less than you would have paid in interest during the introductory period. Usually, transferring to a low-interest card will involve less fees than transferring to a no-interest card. Weigh how much time you expect it will take to make a dent in your debt when choosing to transfer.[14]
- What the interest rate will be after the introductory period ends. Will it jump up to 18% after 12 months? If it does, will you have paid off enough debt by that time to make that jump worth your while?
- How long you will be required to keep your balance with the company. Since credit-card hopping has become a popular way to avoid paying interest, some companies have begun stipulating that if you transfer your debt to another card before a certain amount of time has passed, the normal interest rate will be applied to all your previous balances retroactively, leaving you with a huge new debt.[15]
- Make sure to read all the fine print! Credit card companies are nothing if not resourceful in finding ways to take your money. Look for all the catches above and more, such as transfer fees and ballooning interest rates, before making any decisions.[16]
- See what you can liquidate to lower your debt. No one likes doing it, but sometimes it needs to be done. If you just bought a car, a memory foam mattress, or a new jacuzzi, think seriously about whether you really need these items, especially if you're paying for them on installment. Liquidating your big-ticket items now will mean less financial hardship for you later on.
- Always try to find the sales venue that will get you the highest resale value. Think eBay and jewelers, not pawn shops.
- Get creative and do the math. For example, if you have a car payment, if you can sell your car (even for less than the note is worth) for enough to pay off a card balance or three with higher interest rates and perhaps pay off the interest on the car note, then it makes financial sense to do that.
[Edit]Budgeting Your Money Like a Pro - Track your spending. It's one thing to make mental notes of things you've bought over the month, but it's another thing altogether to see them add up on paper. This is especially true if you use a credit or debit card (people tend to spend more freely if they pay with plastic) or pay for things using multiple accounts (and therefore never really see the net total). Manually tracking your expenses will not only help you make better decisions, but also identify areas in which you don't even realize you're overspending.[17][18]
- Develop a budget for yourself. It isn't enough to just throw a random payment at your credit card(s) every month. Instead, create a strategy, put it in writing, and budget your other expenses around your credit card payments. Here are some popular ways to save money and reduce your debts:
- Spend your tax refund wisely. For a lot of people, a tax refund is a windfall at the beginning of the year. If you anticipate getting a tax refund this year, resolve to set a sizable chunk of it aside in order to pay off some of your debt.
- Sacrifice a small luxury (or three). For example, don't buy that coffee on the way to work every day; make one at home for a fraction of the cost. Don't buy your books, DVDs, or CDs; just borrow them from your local library. Don't buy lunches for work; just make them at your home. (Pressed for time? Even something as simple as a sandwich or a salad with a hard-boiled egg makes a great lunch. Prep it the night before if necessary.)
- When you're stressed, treating yourself to the little things can feel like a necessity, and to a certain extent, it is. However, there are much cheaper ways of going about this. Instead of waiting in line for an overpriced mocha, bring a thermos of tea to the park and watch the autumn leaves fall. Instead of going out to dinner with your friends next Friday night, invite them to a potluck at your place. There are plenty of creative ways to cut back without feeling like a Spartan.
- Build an emergency cash fund. Credit cards are often our go-to resource for unplanned expenses (the alternator dies, you get sick and miss work, etc.), but this can undo months of payments and completely demoralize you. A better idea is to tuck some money aside strictly for emergencies.[21][22][23]
- This doesn't have to be a drain on your income. Remember those expenses you are cutting back on? Instead of simply not spending, try actually setting aside the money you would have paid on one or two of those expenses (for example, bar money every Friday night, manicure money every-other Sunday, etc.). Create a (free) savings account, put it in a CD, or even hide it in a cookie jar.
- Remember that this fund is for emergencies only. Break your leg? Go ahead and dip in. Want to upgrade your phone? Find the money somewhere else.
- Don't relax your spending habits because you've successfully paid off some debt. Once you start to see that credit card balance go down, you may be tempted to treat yourself to a series of restaurant outings or a shiny new smartphone. Don't do it; a few casual purchases can put you right back where you started, especially if something unexpected happens. Keep the end goal at the forefront of your mind––rewards that cost little or nothing are much better, like seeing a movie at a friend's house or making your favorite rich chocolate dessert and eating it all!
- Keep the goal in mind. Remember what you're trying to do—get out of credit card debt. Just like smokers almost never quit by cutting back, you probably won't get out of debt if you keep adding to it by using your cards all the time. You want to try to minimize your use of cards or stop using your cards altogether.
- Freeze them in a block of ice if you need to. Freezing a sealed bag of water with the cards inside is a fun and mess-free way of doing this. That way, your card will be there if you need it, but you'll have to wait for the ice to thaw, giving you hours to decide whether you really need it.
- Get a lock box. Put your cards in a lock box and put the lock box somewhere out of the way. Either give the key to someone else or put the key at another location, like your desk drawer at work, so that when you need to use the credit card, you will have to think long and hard about doing it.
- As a last resort, take your cards and cut them in to pieces with scissors to make sure you won't use them again.
- Use a debt calculator to help you pay off your credit and to keep track of your budget.
- Consider seeing a credit counselor. A credit counselor can analyze your finances and help you come up with a workable budget and debt repayment plan.
- When making any purchase stop and ask yourself these key questions: "Do I really need to buy this?" and "Is there any way I can do this cheaper?" It's worth keeping these points in mind at all time when looking to purchase things; the few coins or dollars you save can make a huge difference.
[Edit]Warnings - Beware of debt consolidation companies and credit counseling companies who do not provide any service other than debt consolidation. If you are considering entering into a debt consolidation plan, you may want to see a bankruptcy attorney first. He or she can analyze your debt and determine if debt consolidation is a good choice for you. An attorney can also review the debt consolidation contract and make sure that it is a legitimate company.
- Credit is not the tool you think it is. Remember that credit card companies are in the business of making money. Adopting a "Cash is king" policy will go a long way in stopping your dependency on credit.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary |
No comments:
Post a Comment