Category Archives: ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

From Run-Down To Ravishing: How To Make Your Renovation Project A Success

From Run-Down To Ravishing: How To Make Your Renovation Project A Success

There are some incredible old properties on the market but sadly, some of them have seen better days, but this doesn’t mean that they no longer serve a purpose. A growing number of adventurous investors and creative buyers are looking for a project. When you’re buying a house, it’s not always pristine showhomes that catch your eye. With a renovation project, there’s potential to create the home of your dreams. If you’re hoping to turn a run-down wreck into a ravishing retreat, here are some tips:

Plan carefully

Renovation work is often time-consuming, and it requires careful planning. Before you buy a house, you’ll need to know how much the build will cost, how much value you could add, and whether it’s viable to do what you want to do. It’s wise to consult with planning officers, architects, and building firms. It’s not enough to have a vision and a rough budget in mind. You need proper plans in place to make sure that you’re making the right decision.

Investing in older properties can be incredibly lucrative, but it can also end up draining your resources. It’s essential that you select the right people for the job ahead. Prioritize the work from most important and most costly to least important. For example, you may want to hire a roofing contractor like National Home Improvement to look at the integrity of the roof before anything else, as this is a larger project than most. 

Don’t shirk on expert help

It may seem relatively straightforward to come up with design ideas, especially if you’re blessed with creative talents. However, there’s an awful lot of work that goes into rebuilding and restoring a house. You’ll need to make sure that your plans satisfy building regulations, and seek planning permission for any structural changes you want to make, or extensions you wish to add. Calling in expert help may be costly, but it could save you significant sums in the long-run. If you get it wrong, you’ll end up paying experienced professionals to sort out a mess, which could have been prevented in the first place. You can help out with the odd job on-site, but you need people with the relevant expertise on board. Roofing jobs, for example, may look simple enough. But there’s a lot of skill that goes into fixing loose tiles, fitting a polycarbonate sheet or tending to leaks. Other jobs you might want to call the professionals out for include clearing a blocked drain, other plumbing work and electrical jobs.

Some people sail through the process of restoring an old house without any major hiccups, but it’s always a good idea to make contingency plans. You may encounter problems that have implications for the timeframe and budget. If you’ve set aside some money, and you have somewhere to stay while work is underway, this will save you stress and hassle if you do hit 

Be original

If you’re renovating a house, seize the opportunity to inject your style and personality, and be original. It can be tough to see past the decor and style in a brand new home. But with a project, you have free reign to celebrate your taste and design your ideal home. Look online and flick through some magazines for inspiration and ideas.

If you’ve bought an old home in need of some TLC, there’s probably a lot of work to do. This is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. Plan ahead, work with experts, and always have contingency plans in place, just in case. Once you’ve got the major jobs sorted, start thinking about the interior, and be original with your ideas. This is your chance to create the home of your dreams!

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Coping with an A/C Breakdown this Summer

Coping with an A/C Breakdown this Summer

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Imagine it, a swelteringly hot summers day, you’ve been out in the sun all day, drinking with your friends, playing in the garden with kids, doing some planting or just relaxing on your own with a favorite book and a comfy chair. It’s been great. You’ve had a fantastic summers day. But then you want to cool off. You walk into your house only to find that the A/C is out. It’s broken down and needs to be repaired. You’re suddenly faced with the prospect of an evening in a boiling house. You can’t cool off, you can’t sleep, and life has just become much more uncomfortable. What do you do?

Well, first, remember that it’s not the end of the world. There are places all over the world where air conditioning isn’t standard. Where their homes are hot all summer long, and they have to find other ways to keep cool.

Get it Fixed

If you want a comfortable and healthy summer, you need your air conditioning. Calling a reputable company like Area Sheet Metal or someone more local for swift and reliable AC Repair is the best option to get you back into a cooler environment for the long run this summer.

So, if you can, getting your unit fixed as soon as possible should be a priority. Find a dependable air conditioner repair company that can get out to you quickly. Even if you have a little wait, at least you’ll know the matter is in hand. 

Invest in a Fan

In the meantime, fans are your friends. You don’t need big industrial machines for your home, small desk fans, and upright fans for bigger areas can do the job well. Some people struggle to sleep with a fan in the room, but it can still be worth it to have on for a few hours before bed. 

Freeze Your Bedding

It might sound a little dramatic, but freezing your sheets and bed clothes can be a fantastic way to cool your bed down for long enough for you to get to sleep. Sure, it will warm up again during the night, but hopefully, the air temperature will have cooled down by then. 

Fold your pillowcase, sheet and PJ’s up and seal them in an airtight freezer bag. Place them in your freezer for as long as you can (even a few minutes will help) before you need them. Your bed will be cool for long enough for you to drift off to sleep.

Chill Out

In very hot weather, and conversely, terrible snowy weather, we find ourselves saying things like “it would be fun if I didn’t have to go about my day to day life” Snow is lovely to look at and play in until you’ve got to get to work and do the shopping. The sun is the same. It’s lovely when you are chilling in the garden, but horrible when you have chores to do and a life to lead. 

While your A/C is down, do as little as you can get away with at home. Leave the chores until it’s back online. Spend time resting and relaxing, and it will be much easier to keep your body temperature down. 

Stick to Water

There’s not much more relaxing than sitting by the pool sipping a cocktail. But, in a stuffy and hot house, alcohol won’t help. You’ll have hot flushes, you’ll sweat, and it will be very hard to get comfy. Stick to iced water instead. 

​Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME, SEX & LIFE

Beat Summertime Blues

Beat Summertime Blues


The summer is usually a time to shed the winter funk. The sun shines brighter. The weather is warmer. Birds are always singing a song. But for some, those feelings of depression are hard to shake, no matter how beautiful the day is.

Here’s some ideas on how to quash those summertime blues.

It’s okay to take a break


Summer is the most widely acceptable time to take a vacation. Vacations can be expensive, stressful and above all give you the need to have a vacation after your vacation. Plan accordingly. Give yourself a day of rest after you get back.

If you don’t have the funds to go away, plan a few days of a staycation. Sure, use a few days to get things done on your to-do list, but remember to have time to rest as well as have fun.

Keep a journal

Keeping a journal is a great way to release the everyday stress and low thoughts going on. Write down what’s bothering you. But here’s a twist, finish your thoughts with positive goals. List options of how to fix the situation or write out positive quotes to balance your mindset.

Plan for the future

We all have dreams and goals. Planning for the future allows you to look past the hopelessness of a bad moment. Write out a five-year plan. After that, write down a one-year plan. This will help give you realistic steps on how to accomplish your dream-worthy goals. This might take a couple hours, days or weeks, but write down things that you look forward to achieving.

You’re not alone

Summer can bring on emotions of feeling alone. Friends are on vacation. Perhaps, you and your partner have parted ways for the summer. Use this time to focus on yourself. Get healthy. Mental health is just as important as physical health.

Take an exercise class. Start walking. Being active releases positive brain chemicals to fight off depression.

Next, find someone to talk to. There’s plenty of great ways to approach this. Ask your doctor to refer a therapist. Or, talk to a therapist or counselor online. Sometimes, we as humans get lonely. But know this, you are not alone.  There are many outlets to remind us of that if we just take a second to look beyond ourselves.

Find your joy

You can make this task easy or difficult. Think back to when you were a child. Simple things made you happy. Yes, some we’re material things. However, there were plenty of things that put a smile on your face without costing a thing. I’m not saying live in the past. Move forward with child-like eyes. Enjoy the simple things in life. Enjoy that sunset. Enjoy taking off your shoes and walking in the grass. Enjoy sitting by the city fountain on a hot day and feeling the cool spray of the water.

Your best days are ahead of you. Just remember to rest, get healthy, find your peace and learn what makes you happy.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

How to Make Your Yard Space More Zen

How to Make Your Yard Space More Zen

Would it be good if we somehow had the option to walk into a beautiful, wonderfully peaceful outdoor space, one that put is in a tranquil mood the moment we arrive? Well actually, we do have this option, and it’s not by visiting some expensive, exclusive Japanese garden…we can do it right on our own property. Not enough people make the most of their outdoor space. Though they require a little bit of work, they can be the most relaxing part of our property, if we get them right. Below, we take a look at a few ways that you can make your garden space that little bit extra zen.

Source: Pexels.com 

Clear Away

If it has been some time since you’ve done anything with your yard, then the first thing you’ll want to do is clear away anything that won’t inspire joy. This means old, rusted items, dead leaves, overgrown plants, and so on. Once they’ve all been removed, get to adding some beautiful plants and flowers — for the minimal amount of work, take a look at which plants are native to the area in which you live. One small tip is to choose as many different colours as possible. It’ll make the garden more beautiful. 

Home Comforts

There’s something to be said for spending time in wild environments. But for a true zen garden, you’ll want to make it feel like it’s been designed in your image, and is infused with your personality. To do this, look at adding little touches of your personality into your garden, especially in the area around your backdoor. The idea is to add those things that inspire joy in your heart, whatever they may be. It’ll work best if you’ve got some sort of cover, to protect from the rain. 

Extra Mile

It’s all good and well creating a space that’s relaxing, but if you live next to a main road or you’re surrounded by loud families, then there’s going to be an upper limit to how relaxed you can feel. If you lived far away from other people, then silence would be golden — but if you don’t, then you’ll want to have something that masks some of the sounds. One of the best ways to do this is to add a water feature, which is always relaxing. It offers a level of tranquillity that other features can’t. You’ll need to dedicate a space, and look at getting a submersible pond pump; Berkeley pumps will be a good option. An added touch will be adding some fish to the pond, and a bench next to it so you can enjoy your efforts to the max.

Private Spaces

Finally, remember to take some steps to make your garden more private. It’s hard to relax if you feel like you’re on display! Adding higher hedges and more plants around your yard will be a good start, as will adding a verandah for where you’re sitting. No-one’s probably looking, but you’ll feel better if you know they can’t. 

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

The Dental Symptoms You Need To Get Checked Out

The Dental Symptoms You Need To Get Checked Out

Even though you might be doing everything that you need to for healthy teeth and gums, there is still a slight risk of developing a dental condition. Some of them are not completely preventable, no matter how hard we try. Thankfully, though, as long as you catch most dental problems at an early stage they should be a lot easier to treat and manage. That just requires you to know which are the important symptoms to look out for. Here are the ones you need to know about.

Source

Toothache

If you have been suffering from regular toothache recently, then you should get your teeth checked out by a doctor. A professional like Dr Alistair Graham from Mona Vale Dental will be able to examine your teeth and gums to see if there is an underlying condition causing the discomfort in your tooth. You might have gum disease or an abscess, for example. If that is the case, the dentist will be able to get you on the right course of treatment straight away.

Bad Breath

You might think that bad breath is nothing more than an annoyance that can happen whenever you’ve eaten something with a potent smell. However, what most people don’t realize is that it can actually be a symptom of some serious dental conditions. If your bad breath is persistent and is still noticeable even after brushing your teeth, it could be the result of gum disease. You should let your dentist know about this symptom.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.