Category Archives: ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Tips from fixing the room to finding health remedies in the kitchen.

How Healthiness Leads To Happiness

May 3, 2017 TipsfromTia

How Healthiness Leads To Happiness

Everybody wants to be happy, but it seems that so few of us figure out how to find that route to happiness. Life puts so much stress on our bodies and minds that it seems impossible to pull away from a negative and defeatist view of the world. Of course, it doesnâ€™t need to be such a struggle. There’s better help for you out there. Your happiness is so dependent on both your physical and mental health that working harder to improve both of these things could be the key to finding some joy in your life. If youâ€™re wondering how healthiness could lead to happiness then here are some things you could change in your life which might alter your perspective on life.

Diet.

The things you eat affect not only your body but the way you think. Treats shouldnâ€™t be something that you entirely ban from your life, but you shouldnâ€™t be indulging in excessive amounts of sugar every day. Sugar sneaks into so many of the foods we enjoy, and cutting back on it could be the difference youâ€™ve been looking for in terms of not only shedding weight a little more quickly but avoiding those horrible crashes and low moments when youâ€™ve not had your fix. Weaning yourself off the stuff will give both your body and your mind a little break, but you can still allow yourself the occasional slice of chocolate cake.

Sleep.

A healthy body will lead to a healthy mind. You should be allowing yourself time to recharge, given all the strain you put on yourself both on a physical and mental level during the average day. In the modern day, we all ask a lot of ourselves, and sleep often doesnâ€™t fit into the busy schedules we set. There arenâ€™t enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do, but that doesnâ€™t mean your allocated time for rest should suffer.

You wonâ€™t function well on a mental level without sleep, and youâ€™ll definitely start to notice physical deterioration if your sleeping pattern deteriorates. You could look into somtex sleep science if youâ€™re wondering how a comfy mattress and bed contributes to better rest for your body and mind. If youâ€™re finding that youâ€™re slow during the day and there arenâ€™t enough hours to do everything, maybe sleeping for more than seven hours a night will make you alert and productive whilst youâ€™re awake; that could be your solution to getting more done on a daily basis.

Exercise.

Donâ€™t groan. Exercise seems like a dull and strenuous chore from the outside, but that changes once you actually start doing more of it. Keeping active will help alleviate aches and pains you may feel on a daily basis, and cardio or strength training can do wonders for muscle mass and losing fat. Not only does this keep your heart healthy but exercise is a great way to keep the mind healthy. The physical stimulation can also lead to mental stimulation and reduce the effects of depression or anxiety.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.comÂ is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If youâ€™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

Talking The Talk: A Simple Plan For Getting The Most From Tradespeople

May 2, 2017 TipsfromTia

Talking The Talk: A Simple Plan For Getting The Most From Tradespeople

When you hire someone in to do work on your home, itâ€™s always going to be a leap of faith. You are entrusting your pride and joy to another person, and no matter how much research you do, thereâ€™s always going to be an element of trepidation.

Itâ€™s also an inherently fraught process, even if the person you are dealing with is the nicest person in the world. Youâ€™re bringing in an expert, be it an electrician, someone to fit carpets or a plumber, because there is a gap in your knowledge. That means you donâ€™t know what youâ€™re doing; they doâ€¦ but youâ€™re the one who is going to control the process.

Communicating effectively when you hire someone to do work on your home is a part of the process that you have to master, even if it doesnâ€™t come easy to you.

DO Be Upfront About Timescales

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If you need something doing in a specific amount of time, then you have to be upfront about it. Donâ€™t say â€œsometime next week would be fineâ€ if you really mean â€œit has got to be Monday or Tuesdayâ€. This can lead to resentment on your part, as you wonder whatâ€™s taking them so long. If you then ask them whatâ€™s happening – and they are keeping to the more vague timescale you gave – then that could lead to resentment on their part. Thatâ€™s not a happy working relationship.

DONâ€™T Be Demanding

It might feel like the work you are undertaking is the most important thing in the world, but to the tradesperson, itâ€™s just another job. So donâ€™t expect them to move heaven and earth for you, or make any demands on their time or availability. Your work should be important to them, but itâ€™s unrealistic to expect them to put it above everything else in their life and career.

DO Admit That There Are Gaps In Your Knowledge

Donâ€™t try and pretend that you know everything and how to go about it. If they say something that you donâ€™t understand, then ask for clarification. It might be a touch embarrassing, but itâ€™s better that than you agree to something that isnâ€™t what you had in mind! Any competent tradesperson will be happy to explain to you when thereâ€™s something you donâ€™t understand; they should want to ensure you get the most out of the work as well.

DONâ€™T Hover Over Them

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If you have trusted someone enough to bring them into your home, then there is no need to supervise their every move. Leave them alone to do their work, rather than hovering over them checking what they are doing. By all means, find a reason to pop in every so often (an offer of tea or coffee is rarely going to be badly received!) and check up, but donâ€™t try and linger.

DO Write Everything Down

If you have long, protracted discussions with a tradesperson, then write everything down once you reach a conclusion. That way, you both have a hard copy of the work thatâ€™s being undertaken and how long itâ€™s estimated to take. Itâ€™s far simpler than relying on memory alone, and should discourage any arguments from taking place.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Embrace Your Individuality In Your Kitchen

May 2, 2017 TipsfromTia

Embrace Your Individuality In Your Kitchen

We all love a beautiful kitchen. When you go to buy a house for the first time, itâ€™s one of the first rooms that seals the deal for you. The kitchen is the hub of the home and a space you need to stand out so that you can impress your guests. Itâ€™s also the space you may use to do most of your entertaining.

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The kitchen is one of the rooms that is most renovated in the home. Sometimes itâ€™s down to the fact it needs a refit, but others itâ€™s purely for decorative purposes. Kitchens are built boring â€“ itâ€™s just a simple truth. Theyâ€™re so uniform in their looks that itâ€™s easy to just move in with a space that is done for you with cupboards and cabinets already installed. Customising your kitchen to make it look a little different isnâ€™t a cheap job, but you can make your kitchen look fantastically expensive with just a few tweaks.

Start with your layout. Your kitchen has to work for you as you will be the one using it the most. You need to make sure the distance between the sink, the stove and the refrigerator are as short as possible and make sure that you choose counters that are the right height for all who will be using them. If youâ€™re not a fan of kitchen countertops, why not choose a kitchen island instead?
Donâ€™t forget your sink. Most sinks are built-in to cabinets and are under the kitchen window. You can place your sink anywhere you like but if you want to be truly different, why not go for a free standing kitchen sink cabinet? You can really put a touch of originality into your kitchen simply by going for a freestanding unit instead of a built-in one.
Remember that the kitchen backsplash is important, but know when to splurge your dosh. Your kitchen backsplash is the exact place you want to spend your money. Kitchens are visually exciting, and you need to ensure that your backsplash fits the bill. Express your style, express your personality and make them unique to you!
Lights matter! Most kitchens are pre-installed with those horrible strip lights that make you look like the walking dead. Swap these out for a feature light like a chandelier or a set of spotlights, and install a dimmer switch. Sometimes you need a bright, slightly harsh light so you can see what you are cooking. Other times, you want softer lighting so you can enjoy a meal. Itâ€™s all about ambience.
Always think long term when you design your kitchen. Think about the design down to your faucets so that you can have a kitchen that will last you through time. Well, until the next time you decide to redesign it.

Your kitchen is your social space to entertain and you want it to look as luxurious as possible without spending through the roof to do it. Have fun designing your kitchen â€“ itâ€™s yours to transform as you see fit.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Eco Home Inspiration

May 2, 2017 TipsfromTia

Eco Home Inspiration

Thanks to growing concerns about the environment, more and more of us are becoming more eco-conscious in our home choices. Rising CO2 levels are dangerous for the planet, and so we want to do our part to cut back.

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According to estimates from the International Energy Agency, about a third of all the energy used in the world is used by households. This means that individuals, like you and I, can make a big difference to our carbon footprint by thinking carefully about house design. Here are all the ways to make your home more eco-friendly.

Go Small

Large homes are great if youâ€™ve got a big family, but if itâ€™s just you and a partner, then you might want to go small. Smaller homes are far easier to heat up during the winter thanks to their lower energy requirements and the fact that there is a smaller volume of air to heat up.

Insulate Everything

According to Conserve Energy, around 50 percent of a householdâ€™s energy consumption goes into heating and cooling. Thatâ€™s why itâ€™s so important to invest lots of money into thick insulation for the walls and the roof. To do the work on the roof, youâ€™ll need a specialist roofer. Once youâ€™ve got the insulation in place, you can reduce your energy bills by up to forty percent.

Make Use Of Sustainable Building Materials

When it comes to looking after the environment, itâ€™s not just the amount of CO2 we care about. Itâ€™s also the effect of extracting building materials from the natural world. Extracting conventional building materials can cause damage to ecosystems and damage the water table. As a result, many more eco-conscious home buyers are looking for sustainable products which pose the least risk to the natural world. You can use all sorts of products to build your home, including things like reclaimed plastic, lumber and glass.

Harvest Rainwater

Many homes, especially homes located in drier climes, can damage the natural environment by drawing down too heavily on the natural water table. This is why so many eco-conscious homeowners are now investing in systems that help them to harvest rainwater, taking it from the sky, rather than from depleted local lakes and reservoirs. Collected rainwater can be used for some of the most water-intensive home activities, such as sprinkling the garden and flushing toilets.

For those who really want to conserve water, there is also the option of buying â€œwater-conserving fixturesâ€ – showerheads and taps which use less water than their regular counterparts. These water-saving fixtures can help you cut your water bills while protecting the natural environment and saving energy.

Plant Trees Strategically

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Ideally, you want sunlight to be able to pour into your home and warm it up during the winter. But some landscaping prevents this. Make sure that your trees are positioned in such a way that they donâ€™t block the sunâ€™s rayâ€™s from coming through your windows. If you do want to plant trees on the southern end of your home, make sure that theyâ€™re deciduous. In the summer theyâ€™ll help shade your house, and in the winter, when they lose their leaves, theyâ€™ll allow the sunlight through.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Fantastic Features That Homebuyers Love

April 28, 2017 TipsfromTia

Fantastic Features That Homebuyers Love

Your home has served you well, but youâ€™re ready to move on to pastures new- and youâ€™re probably already dreaming about how youâ€™re going to make the fresh, blank canvas your own. But thereâ€™s one rather large obstacle to overcome first, and thatâ€™s getting rid of the old property. Not only selling it but for a good, fair price can be a frustrating process. Youâ€™re relying on a sale to go through before you can start your new life, and for many people, this just canâ€™t come quick enough. The housing market is always going to fluctuate, but there are things you can do to motivate buyers and get things moving along as quickly as possible. Here are a few features that homebuyers love, so consider

Modern homeware trends are all about very neutral, calming and serene spaces. Theyâ€™re inoffensive, and allow homebuyers to see the property to itâ€™s full potential without being distracted or put off. Get rid of any fussy patterned wallpaper and bold colours. You might love them (and can have them again in your new place), but theyâ€™ll do nothing but turn off prospective buyers. Fix up the walls so that theyâ€™re nice and smooth- you should be able to do this will filler for minor dings and sandpaper if the walls are good. If theyâ€™re worse for wear, you may need to have them skimmed by a plasterer. Give everywhere a coat of paint- you canâ€™t go far wrong with plain white. It will transform the home into a blank canvas and make it look brighter and more spacious. Itâ€™s very important to make sure any cracks are addressed, even minor cosmetic cracks could put off buyers if they think itâ€™s structural. Having a home inspection done will rule out any issues, and youâ€™re able to use the certificate to give buyers peace of mind too. Ceilings and woodwork such as doors and skirting boards should all be painted brilliant white. This will bring a fresh and clean look to the property that homebuyers love.

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A Nice Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home and also the room thatâ€™s the most expensive to renovate. So many buyers will be looking for a property with a kitchen that they can use without having to completely rip out and start again. If they feel that this is the case, they will want the house price to reflect this meaning you could lose out on thousands. Giving your kitchen a spruce up might cost you up to a thousand dollars, but could earn you ten thousand. Having new tiling or a backsplash putting up if it needs it will solve the problem of outdated tiles or grubby grout. Replacing old-fashioned cupboard doors with modern ones can give the appearance of a new kitchen for far less money. Old, cracked or outdated floor tiles could be covered over with vinyl- professionally fitted this can look very smart and again totally change the look of the kitchen.

A Tidy Garden

As well as the house, the garden and exterior is of course a big deciding factor when it comes to buying a home. Whether yours is large or small, itâ€™s important to make the most of it and have it looking its best for viewings. Mowing the lawn, and filling in sparse areas with grass seed will get it up to scratch. Pull out weeds and tidy up shrubs and plants, you could go a step further and add some bedding plants to pots or borders to bring in some colour and make the space look well cared for.

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Everyday Tips from Tia