Throwing Shade: Go Low-Tech But Stay Cool

If you know all too well how unbearable it can be once summer hits you’ll already be looking at ways to keep your bills down and your air supply up! Depending on where you live, temperatures can quickly reach 90 Degrees Fahrenheit and it’s much harder to concentrate, sleep and eat when the sun’s at its zenith. One of the best ways to keep cool during the summer months is to stay hydrated. You should also always make sure you carry sunglasses, as even on cloudy days the sun can be powerful, and our eyes are incredibly sensitive.

It may also be worth keeping your curtains open at night, that way the cold air will alleviate the stuffiness in your house once the sun’s gone down. Try to get as much fresh air blowing through your home as possible by opening windows, doors, using fans to circulate and blasting the AC for a few hours so the filters to trap any dirt and debris that may be floating around. You may also have noticed a greater abundance of insects appearing, summer is often where you see the most wasps, bees, flies and beetles. Take precautions by putting up fly screens even if you don’t live in a rural area and check food is never allowed to sit out in the heat, not only will this spoil the flavor and texture but it could make you quite ill. While bees and wasps may look pretty buzzing around your flowerbeds, they have a nasty sting so always know where your tweezers, antiseptic insect bite cream and plasters are!

Brown Woven Umbrella

[Photo courtesy of nastya/pexels.com]

Take Cover

Parasols are great but if you want to make a real difference to the temperature in your home why not buy yourself an awning? The Department of Energy has stated awnings, or shaded covers can reduce heat by 30% simply because the sun rises and the linen cover takes the brunt of the heat while rays bounce off. While awnings aren’t as fashionable as they used to be; they do add a certain charm to your property as well as allowing you to sit outside comfortably. Before buying an awning always check to see if your property is suitable, maintain both the mechanism and fabric to stop cracks or holes appearing and never let children pull or raise awnings themselves as they could get their fingers trapped. Avoid any accidents by using an awning pole, a device similar to a loft pole which attaches to the hook on the underside and lets you pull down the striped sail from a safe distance.

Get Planting!

If you’re very lucky, you’ll live somewhere with lots of trees which isn’t just good for your health because trees take in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, but they also act as a natural barrier and so quite often the temperature in the shade is at least ten degrees cooler than out in the open! However, lots of us believe that as long as there are trees somewhere nearby, we’ll automatically stay much cooler! Sadly, that’s not always the case as depending on where those trees are placed, that’ll decide how much shade you get. If you have no trees close to the house, it may be worth thinking about planting some young saplings now. Choose trees that grow quite quickly like poplars, maples, birches, and willows as well as those that are famed for their leafy, green appearance, so they’ll give you plenty of shade.

To save a significant amount of energy, or at least figure that’ll be noticeable on your next bill plant trees on the south and west-facing sides of your property. Everyone knows that south facing gardens tend to get the most sun, so by creating a tree line there you’ll reduce the heat dramatically. Remember, trees are a natural way to cool down your entire home as well as encouraging wildlife into the neighborhood. When planting always check the property boundaries before you start digging and as long as you don’t cross over onto your neighbor’s land you’re fine.

However, we do suggest being courteous as not only do you not want to start a turf war but it means if you block their beautiful view now they could do the same thing to you later on.

bed, bedroom, chair

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Have A Ceiling Fan

It may seem a bit old-fashioned, almost colonial, but high ceiling fans do a fantastic job of keeping the air moving while cooling down rooms you spend the most time in. In fact, the more people you put somewhere small the hotter the overall room temperature gets. This is because we each have our own perfect temperature! Some people feel much colder than others but in a big group heat becomes the dominant force and as it rises things then get fairly uncomfortable quite quickly as people begin to sweat.

Ceiling fans aren’t as ugly as they used to be and now come in a variety of shapes and sizes they’re also quieter than you’d expect. Remember, these fans are designed to keep you from melting so if you’re going out turn the fan off! If you really need your AC on, and let’s face it in mid-summer plenty of us see it as a lifesaver try to look for one that’s as silent as possible. There are also some great quiet ac units out there that won’t make you feel like you’re standing in the middle of an airfield instead of your living room every time you turn on the remote control!

art, brush, color

[Photo courtesy of Tookapic/pexels.com]

White Out!

Do you recall your eighth-grade science lessons and how your teacher told you how snow reflects the heat instead of absorbing it due to it’s lighter color? The same principal applies to our roofs so if you want to lower the temperature below you should mix it up above! It’s often why you’ll find buildings and roofs painted white or yellow in hotter countries so that the encroaching heat doesn’t seep inside. Believe it or not, a report by Climate Change Research suggested that if all buildings and roads in the US were painted white the energy saved could run into millIons of dollars.

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The Reason You’re Losing Time When Cooking

You find a recipe you want to make. The picture is tantalizing, the ingredients are already in your cupboard, and you’re going to cook it better than the chef in the picture ever could. Ah, hubris.

It’s not uncommon to find a recipe that claims to take 30-40 minutes and emerge from the kitchen, sweaty and irritable, more than hour later. You begin to wonder if the problem is the author – do they exist in a different universe where time runs differently? Or could the problem be… you?

One of the major contributors to the slowing-down process is clutter. We have all come to value our kitchen appliances; not just the cooker (although its importance is obvious) – but we love all those little gadgets we have that make cooking fun and seemingly easy. When thought about it… how many of those gadgets do you actually need? How many do you really use?

Therefore it’s necessary to wonder if you’re getting the most out of your kitchen or if perhaps a few tweaks to your behavior could improve on perfection.

Do You Really Need Those Gadgets All At Once?

Blender, Drummer, Kitchen, Utensil, 3D, Mixer, Made

[Photo courtesy of Amigos3D/pixabay.com]

It’s important to be harsh with your kitchen appliances – and no, that doesn’t mean using lifespan-reducing steel wool to clean them. What it does mean is following a simple rule of necessity. Ask yourself if you really need everything that you have in the room.

Many cooks follow a rule of “one in, one out” when it comes to their gadgets. So, if for example, a meal calls for the use of a blender, then you make space for it in the room by moving out the steamer. If you have to use a bowl mixer, then it’s bye-bye blender. They don’t have to go into deep storage – just remove them from the work surfaces into cupboards. With more available space to work in, it’s easier to see what you have done and – importantly – what you need to do.

Your Kitchen Is For Kitchen Things

Keys, Open Locks, Security, Unlock, Secure, Bunch, Pile

[Photo courtesy of stevepb/pixabay.com]

It’s not uncommon to come home from work and, before heading to the kitchen, pick up the mail. Once in the kitchen, you put the mail down on the counter, adding to the pile your keys, bag, and your phone.

Just like that, in one mindless moment, your belongings are spreading through the room without your knowledge. If you don’t clear these items away quickly, they begin to mount up – and will get in the way when you cook.

Create a space outside the kitchen – a cubby, or a shelf – to deposit items in before entering the kitchen. If you need to use your phone for a recipe, then put it back in a pocket when done rather than abandoning it on the counter.

Use Dead Time For Clean Up

Most meals offer you a certain amount of “dead time” while food is simply cooking and there is nothing for you to do to it. Sure, stir the sauce every few minutes or turn the steaks when one side is done – but mostly, it’s hands off for a short while. Use this time to cast an eye over the counters and clear away any mess, spills, or equipment you no longer need. It might sound small and simplistic, but it genuinely is an effective way of preventing things getting on top of you and disrupting the meal!

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Unusual Gardening Tips That Will Keep You Interested

Some people seem to have been born with a special touch when it comes to gardening. For the rest of us, this popular hobby just seems to boring and too much like hard work! But maybe that’s just because we’re not doing it the right way? If you try and mix up your gardening techniques, you will find that it gets a lot more interesting. In fact, if you use some of these unique and unusual tips, you will find that your gardening interest stays at a constant high!

Tulips, Tulip, Field, Fields, Red, Background

[Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures/pixabay.com]
  • Use eggs as fertilizer. Do you love having scrambled eggs for breakfast? Maybe some poached eggs and avocado for lunch? Well, your egg habit could help to fuel your gardening habit! Make sure you save your eggshells, as these can be used as fertilizer. Simply scatter them onto your garden, and they will enrich the soil, making it easier to grow plants and flowers.
  • Try Aquaponics. Don’t worry, this sounds a lot harder than what it actually is. This method of gardening uses fish waste to help plants grow and doesn’t require any soil. You can buy special starter aquaponic kits that will also come with the right fish for your plants. Basically, you will be growing your plants and flowers in a fish tank. How cool is that?!
  • Rent, don’t buy. If you aren’t sure how long you are going to keep your gardening habit up for, it’s a good idea to rent equipment from companies such as Brookings Rent All. This will work out cheaper than buying new equipment like lawnmowers and ladders. And, if you get bored of gardening soon after you start, you won’t be left with a lot of equipment to sell!

Bloom, Blossom, Bud, Bunch, Color, Colorful, Flora

[Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures/pixabay.com]
  • Garden at night. Gardening can be sweaty work, and doing it out in the sun is only going to tire you even more. So, how about gardening at night? In actual fact, some experts say that planting in the dark will encourage your plants to grow quicker.
  • Use cooking water in your garden. Don’t just throw the water that you cooked vegetables or pasta in down the drain. There is lots of healthy nutrients, vitamins, and minerals left in it! And these will all go down well with your plants and flowers. So keep hold of your cooking water and use it to water your garden.
  • Stick to annual plants. Did you leave it too late to plant your seasonal vegetables and flowers? Well, you can always rule out ever being late again by sticking to annual plants. These plants survive all year around, so it doesn’t matter when you get round to planting them outside.
  • Add caffeine. Something else that you shouldn’t throw out is left-over coffee granules. These can be spread on your garden, just like fertilizer. Not only does the coffee keep pests off your plants, but it also adds plenty of potassium, copper, and magnesium to the soil.

So there you have it; some excellent tips that are so unique, you should never get bored of gardening again!

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Seasoned With Style: Creating a Gorgeous Kitchen

There’s one thing that home buyers value possibly above all others, and that’s a great kitchen. With it being such a well-used room, a space that’s practical and beautiful is needed to truly become the heart of the home. So if your home has a fantastic kitchen, not only is it something you can enjoy in the here and now but if you come to sell your house later down the line you’ll make an incredible profit too. So if you’re deciding on what area to spruce up next in your home, it should be the kitchen! Here are some of the things to consider when you’re creating your perfect space.

Water flows from the tap to sink

[Photo courtesy of Kaboompics // Karolina/pexels.com]

Clear Out The Old and Rejig Any Walls

Ripping out your old kitchen is sure to be satisfying! Pull out the old worktop and units, rip the tiles off the walls and get everything into a skip. Unless you already have a large space, you might want to remove a wall or move it to a different place to open up the room and give you more space to work with. You could go with a full open concept design or have a stud wall put up in another location.

Talk To a Kitchen Designer

The thing about kitchens is in order to get the best out of your space they actually have to be cleverly designed. One trick is to keep the ‘working triangle’ in mind. This keeps you in the middle of a triangle with the refrigerator, stove and sinks at the three points. This allows you to move around the space in the most efficient way. If you want an island, you need to work out how big you can go with it and the kind of features it will include. Talk to a kitchen designer who will help turn your plans in reality and advise you on what will and won’t work.

Choose Your Units and Appliances

Possibly the most fun part of buying a kitchen- picking the units! While you want your kitchen and home to be personal to you, it’s worth bearing in mind that some styles will be more timeless and age better than others- meaning that if you sell in a few years, the kitchen doesn’t look dates. Avoid anything too trendy which will fall out of style quicker- while high gloss and stainless steel might look cool now once the trends change (which they will) your kitchen will be stuck in a time warp. White or wood units stand the test of time, a wooden or granite worktop will again always look classic. If you choose solid wood as opposed to veneers, they will last for a much longer time and also mean you can paint them in the future if you need to. For appliances, going with integrated pieces will make your kitchen look far more streamlined. Do your research into each piece so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Plumbing and Electrics

Once your space is clear and you know exactly where everything is going to be put, you’ll need to get plumbing and electrics in. If you’re having extra sockets or an island you’ll need an electrician to install these in the correct places. If you’re having things like an American fridge freezer with a plumbed in water and ice machine, you might need some additional plumbing put in. The same applies if you’re completely changing the layout, or adding things like a dishwasher chances are you’ll need new pipes installing, A company like Brentwood plumbing could tackle jobs like this, or you could look at tradesmen in your local area. You should have all of this done before the units, and tiles things go in, to make the job easier and avoid having to remove and redo certain jobs.

Think About Wall and Floor Tiles

Again choosing a plainer design will stand the test of time with style, although if you don’t mind getting your tiles redone in a few years, you could go with something cool and trendy. Plain White is an easy choice, if you want to keep on trend right now, gray is a very popular choice. For flooring, a real tile looks smart and will be long-lasting and easy to clean. Avoid wood and laminates which can warp and rot if they get wet which is a possibility in the kitchen.

Don’t Overlook Lighting

Lighting can be trick in the kitchen, after all, fittings like chandeliers as well as table lamps certainly don’t look right. Go with a sleek light fitting or have some spotlights installed. Another cool way to light the kitchen is to have led strip lighting installed under cupboards and kick boards. A nice modern touch and another way you can light up the kitchen in the evening without lamps.

Find The Right Window Treatments

Curtains rarely look right in kitchens. Go with something more simple and sleek- blinds and shutters make a good choice. You can add privacy without blocking out that all important natural light. If your kitchen feels dark and dingy, you could even consider having your window extended and made bigger. Other alternatives would be replacing any doors with glass doors, or in some kitchens, it might be possible to add a skylight.

Splash Out on Fixtures and Fittings

Finally, your fixtures and fittings really area everything in the kitchen. These will finish off everything and can be the difference between a kitchen which looks ok and one that looks incredible. Spend a little extra on your sink, taps and drawer handles. You could also upgrade your outlets from the white plastic to stainless steel for a more expensive look. All of these little touches all up massively.

Kitchenware

[Photo courtesy of Kaboompics // Karolina/pexels.com]

Decorate

Using light coloured walls and keeping the decor homely and simple will make the most of the space while bringing it to life. A textured house plant, some checked tea towels, a clock and a fun plaque for example would show your personality without adding clutter. Add a couple of key pieces that showcases you.

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Your Energy Savings: Energy Efficiency Lighting Facts

Everybody seems to be trying to save more and more money these days.  Whether it’s trying to stay in for dinner more often, collecting coupons for the grocery store, finding discounts on everyday needs, or generally trying to consume less, saving money is on most households agendas.  One thing that we seem to hear about more often now is saving money on utilities every month.  We’ve all heard that changing your appliances to more efficient and updated units can greatly decrease your utilities bills.  For many however, finding the money to pay for updated appliances can be out of the question because of their initial cost.  There is another, less expensive way to cut your utility bill.  That of course is lighting your home.  Many people are skeptical though, as it can be hard to really know how much you save when changing your light bulbs to more efficient, updated ones.  Here are some of the facts behind changing your lighting to help you get a grasp on how much you actually will save.

Art, Black Background, Bright, Bulb, Dark, Electricity

[Photo courtesy of Pexels/pixabay.com]

What type of bulb is the most energy efficient?

We have all grown up and are familiar with the incandescent light bulb.  The energy sucking bulb is now obsolete and even the government is taking steps to eliminate the bulb from American households.  We are more commonly hearing about CFL bulbs and LED lights.  Which ones better?  Energy star rated light bulbs are compared based on how much light a bulb emits based on how much energy it uses.  LED lights are the most energy efficient light bulb emitting 90 to 120 lumens per 1 watt of electricity.  Compare that to the CFL’s 40-70 lumens per one watt and it is obvious that the LED is the more efficient bulb.

Light, Led, Electric Light, Led Light, Red, Energy

[Photo courtesy of hzv_westfalen_de/pixabay.com]

Is the Price worth it?

Although LED’s are more efficient, they are also more expensive than CFL’s and many claim that the light LED’s emit is not as comfortable as CFL’s.  If this is the case, than CFL’s will work just fine and will still save you an average of $5000-$8,000 in a ten year span.  CFL’s have a lifespan of roughly ten years so you should plan on replacing them after that span of time.  LED’s are going to be about double the price of a CFL bulb.  They are a better investment with time however, given that LED’s have a lifespan of 40 to 50 years.  And given the efficiency of an LED, in ten years you should expect to save $10,000-$15,000 in ten years, and after that ten years you won’t have to worry about changing your LED light bulbs.

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DIY Home Improvement Tips: Good Habits In Your Habitat!

Everyone you know is doing their best to be friendlier to the environment, which is great. It’s about time that we started initiatives to make this planet a lot better. The great thing about promoting ways to improve our planet is that it starts from us, at home. Not only does that place the onus back on us to make the environment better instead of relying on councils, but it also helps to make our bills cheaper, which is an excellent by-product of looking after your home. In fact, there are some really simple things you can do to benefit the environment that doesn’t involve going to the recycling plant every few days, let alone get out of your bed! Okay, that’s not necessarily true, but you don’t need to leave the house!

Electricity is a big one that we all need to cut back on. The amount of energy that we waste in leaving appliances on is a big cause of our collective carbon footprint, not to mention wasted money. We use lights every day, so instead of the normal light bulbs, use a Compact Fluorescent one. It can save you up to 66% on your energy bills. Another few hints to cut back on your electricity bill includes not looking in the fridge! It sounds crazy, but by looking around the fridge to decide on your meal for the evening can cost you between $12 and $24 a year, and if you use colder water in your washing machine or set it to a lower temperature, this will save 40% less energy on your output. Also, it’s very simple, just unplug your appliances at night, and although you need to charge your phone, put it on airplane mode.

Scenic View of Landscape Against Cloudy Sky

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Going around the home itself, there are many home comforts that we can either cut corners on or just make little tweaks to improve our environment overall. For example, by adding more houseplants, we are increasing the amount of oxygen around the home, and by getting into the habit of planting in your garden, this is a good way to increase oxygen everywhere. Another one to get on board with is adding solar panels to your roof. There are many homes that have gone for this in a bid to cut back on unnecessary expenditure, and by going solar, you are placing less reliance on fossil fuels for energy and utilizing one of the greatest sources of energy in the universe, the sun! In fact, you can save 10% on your heating bill just by opening the blinds to let the sunlight in!

Chemicals are another source of problems for our environment, and they turn up everywhere, from our cleaning products to our hand creams! Instead of buying expensive cleaning sprays that can give you allergies, buy some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar or apple cider vinegar to apply to mold and dirt walls and surfaces. The acidity of the vinegar will clean it right up and the soda will give you a shiny finish on taps and silverware!

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Home Improvement: Bringing Comfort Into Your Life

Comfort is one of the most underrated aspects to life. We don’t take enough time out of our hectic family or work schedules to settle down and enjoy the small things. We don’t often even look for comfort, do we?

The thing is – we shouldn’t have to. Some much of our lives are spent at a desk or at work and this means that our homes should be automatically comfy. It doesn’t just take a good couch or amazing bed sheets – it’s a state of mind for our homes. It’s not just about putting down a potted plant and saying job done.

Home, Life, Sofa, Couch, Comfortable, Relaxation, Male

[Photo courtesy of Wokandapix/pixabay.com]

It’s not amazingly easy to add comfort to your life, but it is a simple path. To start off, keep a tidy home with regimented cleaning sessions. This could be daily sweeping and polishing followed by a deeper weekly clean and dusting. The state of your house will reflect on your state of mind and dust, dirt and hair will build up to frustrate you. Keep the house clean in the first instance to feel at home in your home!

Windows and natural light is a good way to feel comfortable in the home. Adding double glazed windows to protect your bubble from external sounds like traffic and road works. Your home shouldn’t be easily infiltrated by external noise. Windows also serve an obvious purpose to let big light into your rooms which makes them seem a lot less dull. If there are issues, natural light could be one of the answers.

[Photo courtesy of Victor Grigas/wikipedia.org]

Natural light is great, but it’s only around for a portion of the day. This means that we have to provide our own methods of lighting for later sections of each day. Move away from fluorescent lighting and opt for bulbs with warm glows that work to soothe instead of cause headaches.

To be comfortable, you’ve also got to think about the temperature. Central heating is great for the winter, but fans and open windows work best in the summer if you can’t get your hands on air conditioning. Think about the floors as well. Hardwood floors are cozy, but they aren’t comfy – and when it gets cold they will bite at your naked feet! Get some nice rugs to ensure that there are patches of floor based warmth in your home.

Of course, you also need the right seating to be super comfortable and what better than an armchair to take away your blues? Of course there are plenty of other options like foam bags from SackDaddy.com! Simply go with the flow and grab the items that make you feel comfortable.

A final thought on comfort – add yourself to your home. It is yours, after all. Allow your style to reflect yourself through DIY projects and personalization. Put up photos, painting and pictures and allow your talents to shine through. Your home is your space, so let it be just that with a bit of a personal touch. Or you could just add a plant!

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Home and Living: Oops, I Forgot! Not With These Quick-Thinking Tips

We all have those oops moments when we realize that we’ve forgotten something quite important! Unfortunately, as you get older, these will happen much more often. As our brains age, it is ever so easy for things to slip out mind. These forgetful moments can range from not being too important to things that can ruin our daily plans! However, there are certain ways you can make sure that these moments don’t cause too much trouble. In this blog post, I’ve written about some of the things we all commonly forget. There are also some great tips that can help you out of the various sticky situations!

Checklist, Check, List, Mark, Reminder, Checkbox

[Photo courtesy of Tumisu/pixabay.com]

Online Passwords

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[Photo courtesy of stevepb/pixabay.com]

These days, most of us use computers and mobile tablets every single day. And you will hopefully have put a password on them to protect them. You will also need passwords to access your social media accounts, emails, and any other online accounts that you may have. Ideally, you need to have a different password every time. That way, if someone finds out one password, they won’t be able to access all your accounts. Unfortunately, that means that you will have a lot of passwords to remember, which can make it ever so easy to forget them! So what do you do if you forget a password and can’t access your laptop of online accounts? There should be a link on the website you’re trying to get into to request a password reset link to be sent to you via email or SMS. Can’t get into your computer? You can always take it to a computer service store; they can usually offer password recovery services.

Key, Stone, Floor, Texture, Brown, Lock, Lost, Mislaid

[Photo courtesy of aitoff/pixabay.com]

Keys

There is nothing worse than getting home to find out you don’t have your front door keys with you and are locked out! Most of the time, we don’t pick them up on the way out because we have misplaced them. But you never have to worry about misplacing them again, as you can now connect your keys to your phone. That’s right! There are now key trackers available that you stick onto your keys and then connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone. That way, next time you can’t find your keys, you just need to open the tracker app, and it will tell you exactly where they are! Some scientific studies show that getting stressed once you realize you’ve lost something actually makes it harder to find them. So, next time you don’t have a clue where your keys are, take some deep breaths so that you can stay calm and find them in no time at all!

Gift, Birthday, Loop, Heart, Mother'S Day, Greeting

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Birthdays

Birthdays seem to come around so often, and at times it can be very difficult trying to keep up with them all. Only just realized that it’s your relative or friend’s birthday tomorrow and don’t have any time to go shopping for a gift? No problem! One way around this is to always keep a stash of birthday cards at home in a drawer. That way, you always have a card ready for birthdays. Do you often buy the birthday boy or girl a gift? Just because you’ve left things so late this year, doesn’t mean that it should be any different. You might want to find an online florist who offers next day delivery like https://www.flowerbud.com/calla-lilies. Simply order a bouquet online, and you can relax knowing that your friend or relative will receive them in twenty-four hours. Of course, if you realize that you have completely missed the birthday altogether, there are ways you can make up for it. A belated birthday gift will always go down well as it gives the receiver a chance to extend their birthday celebrations! This can be something as little as a box of their favorite chocolates to a more extravagant gesture such as taking them out for a meal in a chic restaurant. It’s probably best to go that extra mile with their belated gift, as you did forget their birthday!

Blister, Medicine, Pills, Doctor, Blister Pack

[Photo courtesy of stux/pixabay.com]

Daily Medicine

Lots of us take medicine on a daily business. This may be for a long-term health condition, such as taking beta blockers for high blood pressure. It could also be for something less life-threatening but equally important, like the contraceptive pill or an everyday vitamin supplement. Whatever tablets you may need to take, it’s important that you don’t forget. Forgetting to take even just one dose of medication could weaken its effect and leave you at risk of certain health conditions getting worse. The best way to remember about your daily dose is to set a reminder on your phone. This is especially useful for women who take the contraceptive pill, as it needs to be taken at a similar time each day. You can also buy a seven-day pill box. This is split into seven sections so that you can put in all your medication for the week ahead. You can find them on sites like http://www.rehabmart.com/category/medication_helpers.htm. Leave this somewhere visible, such as in the kitchen or on your bedside table, so that you will always see it and remember to take the tablets.

Shopping List, Post It, Grocery, List, Note, Reminder

[Photo courtesy of Tumisu/pixabay.com]

Meal Ingredients

Started cooking and realized you don’t have a main ingredient? Yep, that’s annoying alright! If you can’t leave your kitchen to nip to the shops, you are going to have to get creative to work around the missing ingredient. There are always some alternatives that can be used in place of certain foods. For instance, did you know that lemon juice works well as a substitute for salt? And you can always use vegetable oil instead of butter. Food bloggers are really inventive when it comes to substituting ingredients, so have a search on these blogs to see if they have any suggestions. Forgot to get some meat for your meal? Why not enjoy a vegetarian version? After all, we are all now advised to have at least one meat-free day per week.

Now, I can’t quite remember what I was going to write my next blog post about…

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Stunning Rugs for Small Spaces

Just because you live in a shoe-box sized studio in East London, doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of the space that you do have.  There are a number of ways to make your small space seem larger, including sticking a million mirrors in there and knocking down partition walls. But no one wants to sleep in the same room as you take a shower and cook your Sunday roast, or live in your very own spooky House of Mirrors! So you might be surprised to hear that rugs – yes, as in small carpets, can be a great solution!

Fussy styles

Most of us think of rugs in homes with lots of clutter- lots of small rugs or a large rug taking up most of the floor space as opposed to clean, neutral floorboards.  But rugs actually enhance the space that you have, and they are not only beautiful but warming and welcoming too – everybody should have at least one in their home!

apartment, carpet, floor

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Bedroom beauties

Rugs in the bedroom should be all about comfort and softness.  Of course, if you have a studio flat then your living space is also your sleeping space, but it’s easy to use rugs to define separate areas.  In the area near your bed, a rug which is soft underfoot is great, such as a sheepskin or flokati rug.  These are available in a wide range of colours, from crisp white and fluffy cream to vibrant mauve and hot pink.  Choose your rug to match your existing décor, whether that’s Japanese minimalist or vibrant pretty florals.  The moment you step out of bed in the morning onto this soft, beautiful rug you’ll know you are going to have a great day!

Living room lovelies

Your living room is where you’ll spend most of your time, and in a studio apartment you can use a rug to define this space – try to pick a large rug which extends almost to the edges of the room, or the edges of your living area, for maximum effect.  This will actually help your room to look larger and more spacious.  Opt for clean neutrals or bold brights, but try to keep the pile shallow if you’re scrambling for space.  Whilst deep pile leather shag rugs look amazing in large airy lofts, in a small studio they will simply make everything feel more cramped.  Shallow pile polypropylene rugs are not only ideal for small spaces; they are also hardwearing and stain resistant, perfect for clumsy friends who spill glasses of red wine on your floor…

No matter how small your space, a stunning rug can really help to define it, give it style and make it warm and welcoming. There is obviously always the question of budget, and like anything else, the price of rugs can vary hugely. Head to Ikea for a cheap and cheerful option, or get lost in a designer rugs shop for that really special purchase.  Follow the above tips and you will soon benefit from the beauty of rugs in your home.

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Decor Doesn’t Stop At The Door

We all want to make our homes look their best. We put our design minds on and make each room the way we want it. But, there’s one part of our homes too many of us forget. Most of us put all our efforts into making what’s between our walls work. But, what about your outside space? Decor doesn’t stop at the door. Turn your designing hand to your garden to ensure you can be proud of your house as a whole!

Flowers in a Flower Pot

[Photo courtesy of 김 대정/pexels.com]

Get Creative with Flowers

No garden is complete without flowers. If you have a flair for creating, you can have a lot of fun designing your flower beds. If you’re not familiar with gardening, you may be tempted to stick to safe designs. Don’t do it! You just need to put some thought into the way you’re planting things. Flowers look beautiful no matter what, so you can’t go far wrong. Think about where you would like your flower beds to be. You don’t have to stick to the traditional options! Think, too, about how you’re planting. Do you want to work on a color scheme, or would you prefer the colors mixed?

To Patio or Not to Patio

Flowers aside, consider what you’re going to do with the rest of your space. If you’re not keen on the idea of plain grass garden, a patio might be for you. Bear in mind that a patio could make a small garden seem smaller. Plus, it would take over your greenery altogether! If you have ample space to play with, though, a patio could be an amazing design feature. If you’re unsure what a patio can do for you, take a look at some examples to help you decide. If you’re worried about covering your grass, remember you can enhance your patio with potted plants!

Free Centerpiece on Coffee Table Beside Sofa With Three Pillows Stock Photo

[Photo courtesy of Terje Sollie/pexels.com]

Don’t Forget the Furniture

Now we’re on familiar footing. Like the rooms in your house, your garden needs furniture! What you buy depends on what you’re going to be using the space for. If you plan to eat outside, invest in a table and chair set to suit your needs. If not, you might just want to buy a sofa or lawn chairs. And, the furniture choices don’t end there, either. You could add to the atmosphere by purchasing a log burner. Or, you could go all out and treat yourself to a hot tub. Again, this is best for a larger garden. If you want to put your design skills to good use, design your own hot tub.This option also has the benefit of ensuring your choice fits in with your garden. Don’t forget, too, to stock up on some lighting for your outside space! That way, you can enjoy your garden well into the evening!

These are just a few of the ways you can turn your designing hand to your garden. The trick is to not feel overwhelmed. There’s nothing to it. Think of it as a house without a roof!

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