Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. you can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

      Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self-conscious(难为情) when they're in poorly lit places – and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn't have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

      Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us less hungry. So when it's time to repaint, go blue.

Don't forget the clock – or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories(卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at 30 minutes. And while you're at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turning on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plants can easily makes us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12-inch plate instead of a 10-inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake(摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we'll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.

    It was one of those terribly hot days in Baltimore. Needless to say, it was too hot to do anything outside. But it was also scorching in our apartment. This was 1962, and I would not live in a place with an air conditioner for another ten years. So my brother and I decided to leave the apartment to find someplace indoors. He suggested we could see a movie. It was a brilliant plan.

    Movie theaters were one of the few places you could sit all day and—most important —sit in air conditioning. In those days, you could buy one ticket and sit through two movies. Then, the theater would show the same two movies again. If you wanted to, you could sit through them twice. Most people did not do that, but the manager at our theater. Mr. Bellow did not mind if you did.

    That particular day, my brother and I sat through both movies twice, trying to escape the heat. We bought three bags of popcorn and three sodas each. Then, we sat and watched The Music Man followed by The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. We'd already seen the second movie once before. It had been at the theater since January, because Mr. Bellow loved anything with John Wayne in it.

    We left the theater around 8, just before the evening shows began. But we returned the next day and saw the same two movies again, twice more. And we did it the next day too. Finally, on the fourth day, the heat wave broke.

    Still, to this day I can sing half the songs in The Music Man and recite half of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart's dialogue from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance! Those memories are some of the few I have of the heat wave of 1962. They're really memories of the screen, not memories of my life.

    It was with heavy hearts that my son and I worked to prepare his car for a milestone journey—the day he moved across the country after twenty years of living under my roof．

    Our work went slowly into the afternoon．The Sunday baseball game came on．Our hometown Cardinals were playing the Atlanta Braves．I overheard bits of the TV broadcast—Atlanta took a two-run lead as we were packing the trunk．After that I became absorbed in glum thoughts about his departure and forgot about the game．Suddenly I heard the door open．“Dad，”he said，“let's watch the game．They're only down by a run．”

    His red-colored eyes instantly told me that he，too，found this to be difficult and wanted to share one last father-son moment．Without hesitation I led the way to the TV set．There，we found the Cards losing 3—1．“Oh，”he said，“they're down two runs．”His voice cracked with doubt．“I thought they were coming back．”“That's fine，”I said，wanting so much to string this moment．“Let's watch anyway．”

    The Cards got to bat last．First a single，and then another．Suddenly the game became very interesting．When David Eckstein parked the third pitch(投球)into the seats，we were transformed，jumping up and down．That's when the magic moment came．The sadness of that day was replaced by the exciting baseball game，something we had done many times together before．

    Then he left．It was a sad day when I helped my son pack and get ready to move away to college．But this moment of joy mixed with sadness made the day，the trip and our life seem so right．

    Employers and managers must never ignore the need for an office or industrial first aid kit. The federal government says that every workplace should be equipped with first aid kits and that employees should be taught first aid.

    Good preparation can prevent unnecessary injury, lose of productivity(生产效率), or even law suits when a workplace emergency occurs.

    An employer must first provide the proper number of first aid kits for his workers. Many kits are available for sale online by industrial first aid kit suppliers. Kits designed for ten workers cost about $15 and kits designed for fifty workers cost about $80. There are kits also available for a small office，a vehicle，or work sites. Kits should be stored in a portable(轻便的), durable, watertight container. Fix the kit to the wall so that it is easily seen and reached in an emergency. Include a list of kit's contents to ensure it is always fully stocked.

    Show each worker where the kit is located and what tools it contains. Educate each worker about possible injuries and which ones will require immediate medical attention from professionals.

    The American Red Cross sells industrial first aid kits that meet the United States' Occupational Safety and Health Administration's requirements. Several types of kits are available. The Personal Protection Kit contains gloves, gowns, and masks to protect workers from dangers like blood and bodily fluids. It costs about $15. The American Red Cross also sells industrial first aid kits for 25 or 50 workers that are both very cheap.

    "Let's go see Santa!" Samantha said, pointing.

    I shrugged. I found out long ago that the real Santa doesn't hang out in malls. He's always too busy checking his list for kids twice and supervising the elves (小精灵).

    Last year, "Santa" had a tattoo on his arm. I pretended I didn't notice and named all the toys I ever wanted, until he was about to kick me out. I like playing around with fake Santas.

    We joined the line and after what seemed like ages, it was our turn. Samantha's eyes were glowing with excitement as she listed her wishes. She went back to Mom and Dad with a delighted smile and some candies.

    I sat on Santa's lap and moved from side to side to get comfortable. He made a face. "Have you been good this year? Ho! Ho!"

    "Oh, yes! I played nicely with my sister, obeyed my parents, and teachers are fond of me. "

    A suspicious smile appeared on his jolly face. "What would you like for Christmas, my boy?" "Santa, I want a new teacher for Christmas."

    He got a little surprised and looked at me. "Don't you want any new games, or a baseball mitt (手套)?"

    "No. I want a new teacher who doesn't give too much homework. I don't have time to play anyway, with all those assignments I'm getting. "

    It was worth waiting in line just to see the look on his face. He gave me a coloring book and a Christmas sticker. Just before I left, he pulled me closer and said in a low tone, "I'll make sure Miss Coleman makes your wish come true."

    How did he … that voice … "Mr. Principal?"

    I guess sometimes wishes do come true. I had a lighter workload until June!

    When I was about 5 years old, I experienced my very first random act of kindness. I was sitting at the roadside one evening, crying alone for some reason when suddenly, a boy came up to me and gave me a plastic rose, I remember the moment when I took the rose from his hand; I was smiling from ear to ear, whispering "I want to be like him" to myself as I watched him walking away.

    From then on, I made it as my life mission to do random acts of kindness whenever I can. I was very determined to make other people smile. That was the only reason why I joined my school's Red Crescent Society and became a volunteer. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks in the same way as I did. Whenever I do something nice to others, people around me will start to judge my actions. Often I will just keep quiet and ignore what they say, but every once in a while, they do drive me up the wall.

    These people like to complain about how humans nowadays are lacking of humanities and compassion. However, when they actually see somebody doing a good deed in front of them, they start to question and criticize that person's honesty. Perhaps it is the increasing crime rate and the never-ending rat race that caused them to be so suspicious to nice strangers. In other words, people nowadays have lost sight of the real meaning of kindness and just let it go unnoticed. That is why I think random acts of kindness are really important. These selfless acts are not only capable of bringing joy to the receivers but also to the givers. Because of this, I want to help spread the idea of these random acts to the whole world. I want to show the people how the little things they give could make a big difference in someone else's life.