If you’re like me, I’m sure your bathroom will be one of the most used rooms in your house! And because it is so busy, there are a variety of things that can go wrong in it. When things do go wrong, it can be a huge nightmare. Thankfully, common bathroom problems are actually fairly easy to fix even if you don’t have any plumbing experience. Here are some of the most common issues that crop up in bathrooms and how you can fix them in a jiffy.
If you don’t have a window in your bathroom, you will have to have some form of ventilation in there. More often than not, this comes in the form of a fan or air vent. Things can easily go wrong with ventilation systems. They can often be very noisy which can become annoying if you are trying to sleep and someone uses the bathroom. Some can also be extremely inefficient. It is worth spending slightly more than the average and installing a high-quality system. These can detect humidity and will work only when needed. And they are that quiet, you might not notice them working!
Damp
Damp is another big issue with bathrooms. In fact, this is often the first sig of a faulty ventilation system. That’s because damp occurs when the walls of the bathroom don’t get a chance to dry properly, and mold grows on the walls. In order to get rid of bathroom damp for good, you need to reduce the humidity and condensation in the room. The best way to keep condensation down to a minimum is to open a window or turn on the ventilation system while you shower. It is also worth wiping down the walls of your bathroom once you are finished in there. This will help dry them off.
Some small leaks will be easy for you to fix yourself. In most cases, they are the result of loose pipes. If this is the cause of your leak, simply tighten the pipes with a wrench. Keep an eye on the pipes over the next few days to make sure that this has fixed the problem. However, if you think you have a leak within the walls or somewhere you can’t get to, you should call the professionals. A plumber will be able to come around and fix the problem in no time at all.
Bad Lighting
If you get ready in your bathroom, you will want the best possible lighting so that you can see exactly how your makeup looks. Make sure all the blinds or drapes are open so that as much natural light can come in as possible. If you don’t have a window in your bathroom, you can install sconce lighting near your mirror. Place one on either side so that you aren’t bothered by shadows.
Your bathroom is a very practical room so it is important to look after it as best you can. Hopefully, this blog post will help you do just that!
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.
Are You Guilty Of These Bad Habits? Here’s How To Beat Them!
The problem with us as humans, is that we’re creatures of habit. We all have our little rituals, vices, routines and obsessions. Some of these things are just annoying (for us, and for other people!) but others can be a serious health issue. Some habits can even consume people’s lives and massively affect their happiness. Are you guilty of any of these bad habits? Here’s how to go about putting them right.
Procrastinating
Constantly find yourself wasting time, and avoiding important jobs on your to-do list until the last minute? While some people might argue that they work better under pressure, all this really achieves is causing stress and rushing the task. Whether it’s for a presentation at work, exam revision or something else- getting organised is key. Try setting yourself a schedule and sticking to it. If you’re working to a deadline, split the work up into doable chunks and just do a little at a time. It gives you time to plan, think, and means you don’t need to rush. Rushing leads to sloppiness and that’s when mistakes happen.
Nail Biting
Nail biting can cause pain and infection to the nail beds and fingers, and it’s also incredibly unhygienic. It makes you prone to warts and diseases, and is generally an unpleasant habit that is well worth breaking. Distraction techniques have been shown to be effective, you can also buy products to put on your nails that taste bad as a preventative measure. Nail biting is often a symptom of anxiety, and so addressing the underlying anxiety can help in many cases too. Speaking to your doctor could be a good way to go.
Binge Drinking
Always end up completely trollied on nights out? It’s important to learn your limits, and practice self control. You could decide on a certain number of drinks that you’re going to have through the night, and then alternate them with glasses of water. Asking a friend (preferably a sober one!) to act as the angel on your shoulder can be useful, so they can remind you if you start going off course. If you’re not able drink in moderation, the safest thing would be to stop drinking completely. When you’re blind drunk you’re more at risk of injury (either accidental or from someone else) and are more likely to make poor decisions that could put you at risk. Plus large amounts of alcohol will have a detrimental effect on your body- even if you’re only binge drinking occasionally. You don’t have to be physically dependent on alcohol to have a problem with it. If you find yourself binge drinking at parties or social occasions due to insecurity or other issues, speaking to a professional to get to the route of the problem might help.
Taking drugs isn’t just a bad habit, but in some cases can be a physical addiction too. While legal substances such as alcohol and nicotine can still cause problems, illegal drugs are even worse as they’re unregulated and could contain just about anything. Addressing your lifestyle could be useful here. As with drinking, if you take drugs recreationally at parties due to insecurity then try getting to the route of this. For more serious issues such as drug dependency, the safest method is to detox under medical supervision. This is because the side effects of withdrawal can be so severe, they can even be fatal in some cases. You could speak to your GP or nurse for advice, or in the case of opiate addiction visit a rapid detox clinic.
Smoking
Again, you don’t just have to break the bad habit here but also the physical addiction too. This double whammy is the reason why so many people find it difficult to give up. You could go it alone with sheer willpower, or buy over the counter nicotine products such as patches and chewing gum. Hypnosis has been shown to be effective in some people. You can buy apps for your phone, or CDs to listen to in order to attempt these techniques at home. Alternatively you could visit a qualified hypnosis expert, although you will have to pay for this from your own pocket. Most GP offices will have nurses who can assist and advise you when it comes to quitting smoking too.
Hitting The Snooze Button
If you groan ‘just five more minutes!’ every morning when your alarm goes off, chances are you’re not getting enough sleep. A lack of sleep is incredibly damaging to health, and so if you’re a serial snoozer it’s time to listen up! Getting into a good bedtime routine where you’re going to sleep at the same time each evening is highly beneficial. Avoiding technology for at least an hour or two before bed each night can also help. This is because the light is one of the biggest signals to the brain for waking up. This artificial light from screens will have the same kind of effect.
What are your worst habits? Do you do any of these things?
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.
The Common Sense Approach That Will Allow You To Cut Your Winter Energy Bill In Half
The weather has got cooler, the leaves are turning burnt orange, the nights are starting to draw in, winter is well and truly on the way. There are a lot of reasons that winter is a wonderful season, but high energy bills aren’t one of them. Come winter, most people’s energy bills skyrocket. As soon as the weather gets cold enough for the heating to go on, most people’s energy bills double, if not triple, in price.
Although many people expect higher energy bills in the colder months, that doesn’t have to be the case.  Believe it or not, your energy bill doesn’t have to rise just because the weather’s got colder. Or, at least, it doesn’t have to rise by a significant amount. Over the past few years, plenty of advancements have been made when it comes to saving energy, many of which you can easily implement in your home. All it takes is a common sense approach, and perhaps a little help from some smart technology, and you can cut your winter energy bill in half.
To do so, here’s everything that you need to know and do:
Believe it or not, to reduce your home’s energy usage, a common sense approach is all it takes. When it comes to high energy bills, it’s the little things that make all the difference.
Turn your lights off. In the winter months, the days become darker and so, we tend to use our lights more and more. This leads to a spike in our energy usage, and consequently, the price of our energy bills. To prevent energy being used unnecessarily, only leave lights on as and when you are in that room. To keep energy usage to a minimum, use table lamps instead of overhead lights as much as possible. This will reduce the amount of energy you and your family are using each day.
Don’t leave devices plugged in. For some reason, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that if a device is plugged in but isn’t being used, then it’s not using energy. However, that’s not actually the case. To prevent devices like TVs and computers from sucking in energy when not in use, you need to disconnect the plug from the wall. Otherwise, they will constantly use power, without you even realising it.
Set your heating to come on at certain times. In the winter months, one of the biggest drains on electricity is heating. Far too many people leave their home’s heating on constant, without realising just how much energy this actually uses. The best thing to do is set your heating to come on only at certain times of day, such as early in the morning and later on in the evening. That way your home will still be nice and warm, but you won’t be hit with a huge energy bill.
Technology really is amazing. There are various gadgets and gizmos that can effectively help you to cut your energy usage and save yourself money each month.
Smart thermostats. Over the past few years, a range of smart thermostats have been developed. These really are incredible resources, as they allow you to manage your home’s heating from anywhere via an app on your smartphone. Designs like the Honeywell WiFi Thermostat, for instance, come with a range of features. These are all things that make it quicker and easier to ensure that your heating is only on as and when you need it to be. You can turn the thermostat up or down from anywhere. You can set your heating to come on at various times throughout the day, and can even select a temperature that it should come on at. You can set your thermostat to turn off when your home reaches a certain temperature. In every sense of the word, modern thermostats are incredibly smart.
Energy usage monitors. These clever devices allow you to keep track of exactly how much energy you’ve used. As well as what the cost will be for the month’s bill. This means that it’s much easier to keep track and reduce your spending as and when you need to. There smart devices can even be used to alert you if your energy usage looks unusual. If you receive an alert, this probably means that you’re using a lot more energy than you normally would do.
Solar technology. Over the past ten years or so, solar technology has come a long way. Admittedly, it might be something that’s expensive to invest in. But as it can save you a lot of money in the long-run, it’s definitely worthwhile looking into. By swapping to using solar energy to heat your home, you can significantly reduce your monthly energy bill. Or potentially, get rid of it completely. You could even end up making money from your solar panels by selling energy that you don’t use back to the national grid. That’s right, a lot of people with solar powered homes do this. The great thing about solar power is that not only can it save you money but it can also help you to earn extra money. It’s just a case of being willing to make the initial investment.
Each and every winter, in homes across the country, energy bills rise significantly. For many families, this can cause a real problem, especially when money is tight. The good news, however, is that by taking the common sense approach and being willing to invest in smart technology, energy bills can be kept low. An initial investment may be needed, but the amount of money it will save you in the long-run makes it more than worth it.
Believe it or not, it’s the little things that make all the difference when it comes to how much energy you’re using. But by taking note of the tips and suggestions above, you can make it much easier and less stressful to reduce your winter energy usage. Thus, saving yourself money on the cost of your energy bills.
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.
Common Errors Couples Make Which Ends Up Leading To Splitsville!
It’s a sad fact that over half of couples who tie the knot end up getting divorced. It’s more common than ever for extended families with step brothers and sisters being an everyday thing. And although there are many reasons why couples end things, here are a few common errors couples make which ends up leading to splitsville.
Not spending much time together
It’s so easy to both get involved with work and then wonder when was the last time you spend time together. After all, we spend more time at the workplace than we do at home so it’s hard to see each other. But if you both are doing other things when you get home such as seeing friends, it will cause trouble in a relationship. It’s so important to spend time together so that you can keep the love alive. Therefore, arrange with your other half a date night at least once a week where you can both spend time together and remember why you love each other.
A lot of couples end up heading to splitsville because one or both of them put things before their relationships. It often is a family member or friend who often comes first before the relationship. For example, if you have arranged an evening in and then you decide to see your parents instead, it will cause resentment. The same goes with work; putting it before your relationship can often lead to terrible arguments. Divorce solicitors can often end up being called in these cases! Therefore, always consider your partner’s feelings and remember they are just as important as the other things in your life.
With friends, we tend to make the effort to see them regularly and meet up to do things. But with your partner, you know they are at home so it’s easy to take them for granted. You think you will spend a different night with them as they are going to be there. However, it can often end up leaving to resentment if you are taking each other for granted. Therefore, you need to make an effort to make them feel special and ask them how they are feeling. Don’t ever be dismissive if one of you has gone the extra mile to do something for the other. After all, it’s so easy to focus on what they have done wrong than right! That way, you both will feel appreciated in the relationship and won’t seek support and affection elsewhere!
If you have lived with a partner before, you would have had the argument between couples over the toilet seat! After all, it is annoying when guys leave it up! However, these arguments over chores can often end up causing lots of rows between couples. In fact, arguing over silly things can cause a rift between a married couple. Therefore, think twice before you start arguing over silly things. Try and put these things in perspective before starting a row!
Angry twenty something couple yelling at each other
Also, don’t make the mistake of not talking about the future before making a commitment. You need to make sure you are both on the same path in regards to kids and home location!
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.
“Fit Man Drinking Water Isolated On White” by stockimages FreeDigitalPhotos.net
It is important to stay hydrated during the hot months of summer. A good way to tell that you’re getting enough fluids is, first and for most, remembering the last time you urinated. If you’ve been out in the sun for hours and haven’t had to pee for quite some time, there’s a good chance you need water.
Another good tell on dehydration is, the pinch test. The pinch test is just what it sounds like. Pinch the skin of your forearm and let it go. The skin should bounce back to normal, without your eyes even noticing it going back to normal, but if it appears your skin slowly goes back into place, then you need hydration.
Water is a great source to hydrate, but if you’re deeply dehydrated, grab a sports drink with low sugar content, yet contains sodium. This will quench your body’s needs faster.
If you find your skin has a yellowish tint, contact your doctor immediately. Staying hydrated is important for both your inside and outside. A lack of fluids can cause chaos to the nervous system, mental status and all major organs, which includes the skin. So, be sure to consume plenty of water during the day.
Remember, consuming alcoholic beverages, especially in the sun; can help in causing dehydration. So, drink in moderation and be safe this summer.
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.
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