All posts by Tia

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Amateurs Beware! When Not To Attempt Household Repairs

Amateurs Beware! When Not To Attempt Household Repairs

Many of us fancy ourselves as an amateur tradesman. If there’s a paint job that needs doing or a leaking pipe, we suddenly become an expert and roll our sleeves up. In some cases, attempting your own repairs is fine. In others, it can have disastrous consequences. Here are some scenarios when it’s best to relinquish maintenance jobs to the professionals.

electrician-1080561_960_720Image via https://pixabay.com/en/electrician-electric-electricity-1080561/

Anything that involves wires or electricity

As you know, I will attempt many things on my own, but electricity is a solid ‘No’ for me. Whether it’s an Electrical Service Panel Upgrade or wiring a new light fixture, I call in a professional. Not only is there a chance of getting hurt, but if anything is faulty and causes a fire, you become solely liable for the mishap.

So, if you’ve got a problem with your wiring, steer well clear.

Electrical injuries can be life-threatening. You may have excelled at circuits at school or done a few basic jobs in your time. But it’s always best to be on the safe side. Electricians have advanced training, and they are much better placed to ‘the do’ than you are. If you think there’s something up with the electrics in your home, search online for a local electrician or ask family or friends for recommendations.

Complex plumbing issues

You may be able to shift a minor blockage in the sink. However, if you come across more complex plumbing issues, it’s best to investigate professional plumbing services. In your quest to resolve the problem, you could do a lot more harm than good. You may be at risk of injury, and the bill could increase significantly. Examples of problems you may need a plumber for include leaking pipes, hot water issues, and decreased water pressure.

Damp

Damp is a very common problem in older houses. It usually stems from leaks in the roof or cracks in the wall, which lead to excess moisture. You can often see patches of dampness on ceilings and walls. There can also be a distinctive musty smell. If you spot signs of damp, it’s best to tackle the issue as quickly as possible. This is a problem that will only get worse, especially during the winter months.

Read: 4 SIMPLE WAYS TO NOISE-PROOF YOUR HOME

Furnace malfunction

If you have problems with your heating, this usually indicates furnace malfunction. By all means, have a look at the control panel, and see if there are obvious issues. But don’t try and rectify problems by removing parts of the furnace or playing around with dials. If the furnace is faulty, this can be very dangerous. It’s best to call a qualified, certified engineer. They will be able to carry out an assessment, and hopefully, find a solution.

Loose roof tiles

6644438159_4eb0bb330a_zImage from https://www.flickr.com/photos/roofing-contractors-raleigh-nc/6644438159

If you spot loose roof tiles, resist the temptation to get the ladders out and embrace your inner Spider-Man. Going up onto the roof poses a risk of injury. If you fall, you could suffer fractures, dislocations or even head and spinal injuries. Call a roofing firm and leave it to the experts. They have the safety equipment and experience to do the job properly.

Read: LOOKING AFTER YOUR ROOF

Sometimes, doing jobs around the house can save you time and money. However, it’s essential to know when a scenario requires expert attention. If you encounter any of the household issues listed above, don’t put your safety at risk. There’s a reason why people train for years to do dangerous jobs.

​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.

FOR THE GUYS, ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME, SEX & LIFE

What Guys Really Want For Christmas This Year: The Truth Is Revealed

What Guys Really Want For Christmas This Year: The Truth Is Revealed

It’s hard to believe it’s time to start buying our Christmas presents. But to get the best gifts for our loved ones, we need to start early. After all, the price of gifts will shoot up once we enter December. And one of the hardest people to buy for is our other half, so we need to start thinking of ideas for him as soon as possible. You don’t want to get him a present that he will never use!  Here is the truth about what guys really want for Christmas this year!

Read: 5 LAST MINUTE AWESOME GIFTS FOR YOUR PERSON

pexels-photo-largePexels

A date night

A lot of couples don’t spend enough time together. The perils of work and life get in the way, so it’s hard to find time together. Therefore, all guys really want this Christmas is some time alone with you. So you should consider organizing a special date night as a gift to him. You might want to go away for the night to a swanky hotel where you and your partner can rekindle your love. Or you might want to go for a meal and then go see Bad Bunny in concert or watch his favorite band perform as a great way to spend some quality time together.

You can find some other date night ideas here which will set his pulse racing. He will appreciate the time alone together, and it will be much better than a pair of socks or underwear!

A tool set

I know we might not get excited by Drills and Drivers, but guys love getting to grips with new tools. Especially if he is a do-it-yourselfer in your home! Therefore, you should buy him a new tool set for Christmas. That way, he is prepared for any task that he needs to undertake in the home! And it will help you out if you need him to put up some new furniture in your property!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Image from Pexels

A man cave

I think every guy would love a man cave in their home. After all, it’s somewhere they can go to chill out after a long day at work. In fact, some women think that a man cave saves their relationship, as their guy can go there to cool off after a row! And it’s somewhere they can go with their buddies. Therefore, for Christmas this year, you could create a man cave in your home. You might want to designate a room upstairs or create an outdoor space, which would make the perfect man cave. And you can read our previous blog for the ultimate items to put in the new man cave!

4156535452_9f2ee39b7e_zflickr

Chocolate or sweets

He might not admit it, but your guy has a sweet tooth. After all, as soon as those Christmas sweets are out in your living room during the holidays, there are a handful of wrappers next to him! Therefore, for Christmas this year, you should consider getting him some chocolate or sweets for him to nibble at. He will be happy to consume them to his heart’s content while watching Home Alone for the millionth time!

chocolates-white-chocolate-chocolate-nibble-40022-large-jpegImage Credit

Read: 5 GIFTS TO BUY THE ADVENTURE-LOVING MAN IN YOUR LIFE

And grooming products are perfect for your other half. The modern man loves primping to look their best so he will love the products. Shaving cream is always a winner if you are stuck for ideas!

​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

Becoming A Full Time Carer For Your Parent – What You Need To Know

Becoming A Full Time Carer For Your Parent – What You Need To Know

You might be a busy working mom taking care of your family right now. But if your parents are aging, chances are you’re spending more and more time taking care of them, too. It’s really hard to juggle the needs of your young family with the needs of your parents now they are senior citizens. And it probably feels quite peculiar that your role in the relationship is reversing. After two decades of taking care of you in your youth, you need to now care for them.

So what happens when ill health and age make your parents too frail to be independent? Are you ready and willing to do what is needed to help them? It’s a huge ask. Many people would find it too difficult at this busy time in their lives to become a full-time caregiver. Sadly, more and more of us need to step up to the challenge. Private care is so expensive now. And our parents may be very reluctant or financially unable to enter the care home system.

Adding in options like part-time private care and utilizing family and friends to take on shifts to lighten the load can be extremely helpful. Remember, it’s important to keep a good calendar so you don’t have overlapping and missing blocks of time.

Professionals may use a software to keep their schedules all in order, such as the caregiver scheduling software. Taking advantage of this software can help keep everyone from being overburdened and tensions building during this difficult transition time in the family. Additionally, it also provides a safe place to store important documents, so that everyone is on the same page as to medical conditions of patients and medicines. If you were going to apply this at home, it may make timing of medication and reminders easier to remember for you.

Read: 4 WAYS TO HELP TO ELDERLY PARENTS WITHOUT DRAINING YOURSELF AND YOUR BUDGET

You see, you may have siblings that are willing to share the care arrangements. Be wary of this, though. You’ll both have occasions when you need or want to pass the buck. This can cause friction in your relationship with your brother or sister. And if your parent finds out about the bickering, this can make the whole situation extremely awkward and unpleasant. Personal relationships within your own family can become strained too. You will sometimes be unavailable to your partner and kids as you care for your parents. Are they ready for you to become a caregiver?

16353763524_886ccc9536_zFlickr provided the pic

Your mental health can suffer from the stress and worry of caring. You need to make sure you can have plenty of breaks from the duties you need to undertake. There may be lots of personal care tasks to perform as time goes on. You and your parent might prefer to hire a nurse or caregiver for things like managing the toileting or bathing. Of course, there are closed system catheters that can help when things become more difficult for your parent to manage.

As well as caring for your parent, you will need to regularly check the living arrangements are suitable for everyone. Things change in such a short space of time. You might start by looking after your parent in their home. Later, it may be necessary to choose small, single-story accommodations. And eventually, it may be essential that your parent is cared for around the clock. You may choose to move them into your family home.

Read: MAKING PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF AGING PARENTS

So how do you cope with your parent in your home all day every day? It can feel crowded at first, and you will undoubtedly need a period of settling in. But there can be some advantages to this. You can make sure your parent is eating and drinking enough. You can use the quality time for some bonding. And it means your entire family can become close with them too. We usually move our parents in with us when we’re concerned about their safety. You’ll know their risks of injury will be dramatically reduced. Take care.

​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

Turn Your Home Into An Earner: How To Create A Successful B&B

Turn Your Home Into An Earner: How To Create A Successful B&B

Have you been wondering how you could make a bit of extra cash? One of the best ways is to turn your home into an earner and set up a B&B business. Then all you have to do is rent out your spare rooms to holidaymakers or other people visiting your local area. Not too sure what goes into setting up a B&B business? No problem; here are my top tips to help you make a successful B&B.

bed-and-breakfast-1079074_960_720Source

Do You Need To Extend?

If your home is quite small, you may need to extend the property slightly. Many homeowners do this if they currently only have one spare room. By adding an extra, they will be significantly increasing the income they could get from renting out two bedrooms. You will need to make sure that you get all the required permission from your local authority before you do start to build. You may also need to carry out some minor building work if your home isn’t up to current health and safety standards. For instance, you may need to add an extra exit to the building so guests can safely evacuate in the event of a fire.

Read: SMART BUSINESS TECHNIQUES THAT WILL HELP YOU SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Smarten Up The Bedrooms

bedroom-394530_960_720Source

As people will be paying to stay with you, you need to make sure that the bedrooms are very smart and comfortable. It is a good idea to decorate them before you start inviting guests into your home. You may have different people staying with you each night. So you need to prepare yourself for regular room changes! To do this, it is a good idea to get in touch with bedding suppliers so that you have plenty of bed linen to change the beds each day if needed. Remember to add some thoughtful touches to each room as well. Things like tea and coffee-making facilities and free toiletries will always go down well with guests.

Don’t Forget About Breakfast

breakfast-1246686_960_720Source

Your guests will expect a filling breakfast each morning. So you will also need to prepare a breakfast room. Make sure that you invest in top-quality dining tables and chairs. These may be expensive, but you won’t have to replace them as often as cheaper ones as they can handle all the wear and tear. It is important to offer your guests a wide choice at breakfast. Place fresh fruit and cereals in the breakfast room so that they can help themselves. It is also important to offer a cooked breakfast. This could be a full English or an American-style breakfast with waffles and pancakes. The more choice you offer, then your guests will certainly enjoy their breakfast and feel like they are getting good value for money!

Read: WHAT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT AS A NEW BUSINESS OWNER

Marketing

Don’t forget that you need to market your B&B. Otherwise, no one will hear about it! Set up social media accounts for your home. It is also a good idea to get in touch with a local tourist board. They will be able to advertise your B&B for you for a small fee.

​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.

FOR THE GUYS, SEX & LIFE

Planet Of The Vapes: Why Vaping Has Garnered So Much Popularity

Planet Of The Vapes: Why Vaping Has Garnered So Much Popularity

e-cigarette-electronic_cigarette-e-cigs-e-liquid-vaping-cloud_chasing_16162730679
Photo Source http://www.vaping360.com/

“We Get It, You Vape”. These words have spread across the internet rapidly over the past year or so. We’re seeing white clouds leaving people’s mouths in cafes and bars for the first time since indoor smoking bans were introduced. There are communities of individuals who meet to discuss vaping and socialize with other enthusiasts.

Specialist stores like https://diyeliquids.co.uk/ are popping up here, there, and everywhere. So how has vaping garnered so much popularity at such a fast rate?

e-cigarette-electronic_cigarette-e-cigs-e-liquid-vaping-cloud_chasing_16161316908
http://www.vaping360.com/

Image Source

What Is Vaping?

Vaping is when you inhale water vapour through a personal vaporizer. The act looks pretty similar to smoking, and you breathe out a white cloud that could be mistaken for smoke. vape_cloud_-_vaporizer_pen_24986934993

Picture Credit

The Benefits Of Vaping

The main benefits of vaping are health benefits. Many people who vape have given up smoking traditional cigarettes and are using vaping as an alternative. Vaping offers these individuals with a way to smoke with fewer dangers. Vaping drastically reduces an individual’s risk of developing smoking-related illnesses such as cancer. Though vaping does supply the body with the highly addictive drug nicotine, it does so without producing smoke. As an alternative to smoking, it also removes individuals’ needs for dirty ash trays. It will not leave them with bad breath or a bad smell on their clothes and furniture. It also removes the risk of passive smoking for those around the individual. 22304947943_c674a8c3d4_b

Photo Credit

Benefits also extend from general health and hygiene benefits. In the long term, vaping is much more financially viable than smoking. You will have to pay out initial costs for your personal vaporizer. But from then on, you only need to purchase e-cigarette liquids. These are much cheaper and longer-lasting than cigarettes.

Vapes are also much more convenient, especially in winter months. Vaping indoors is legal in most public spaces. As long as you are mindful of those around you, you are unlikely to experience the inconvenience of having to leave your table/workspace/, etc. to vape outdoors.

28180218610_dfca8e3607_b

Picture Source

A large draw of vaping is also the novelty. The e-cigarette liquids are available in a multitude of flavours nowadays. Just check out specialist shops, such as https://vapeshoreditch.com/. Standard fruit flavours vary from strawberry to raspberry, banana and blackcurrant. There are sweet spices like cinnamon and flavourings like vanilla, and if you’re fond of menthol cigarettes, you might like to try out peppermint, menthol, or eucalyptus. Dessert-inspired flavours are proving popular. Favourites include chocolate fudge brownie, whipped cream, banana split and creme brulee. You can ever get festive with mince pie or Christmas pudding. Traditional sweet shops have given thought to rhubarb and custard, pear drop and cola cube formulas. For those fond of a drop of liquor? Try out rum, pina colada, mojito, or beer blends. Not very adventurous? Stick with standard tobacco.

A final novelty is cloud chasing. Cloud chasers are people who like to produce the biggest, most attention-drawing cloud of vapour possible while vaping. Different vaporizers will allow these individuals to produce more vapour than your standard device. Cloud chasing has taken off so drastically, that there are even competitions for the cause being hosted internationally.

​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.