Category Archives: ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

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

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Smart Ways to Decorate Your Home on a Budget

Smart Ways to Decorate Your Home on a Budget

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Interior design experts say that people become bored with their home decoration every three to five years, but you don’t have to overhaul your home completely; fantastic changes can be made on a budget. Read on for some smart ways to transform your home on a budget.   

Don’t Buy, Use 

Sometimes you are bored with the decoration in your home, or you need to decorate quickly for some people coming over or a party. Don’t worry; you don’t have to spend loads of money and move out of the house for a week; all you have to do is use what you have in your home already to make the space feel different. Think about the ornaments, decorations, and objects you have. 

Why not move a painting from one room to another, change the vases around, and make use of furniture items that are hidden away in corners? Another excellent way to improve your home’s decoration on a budget is to use throws and tablecloths to change the atmosphere; again, these can be found in the linen closet or bought for a small sum of cash at a home store in the area.    

Declutter Rooms 

Sometimes less is more, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to decorating. If you’re like most people, you have a lot of clutter in the home; clutter builds up over time and gets cleared into the closet, where it continues to collect until it is donated or sold. Clutter is not only unsightly, but it is also stressful to look at. Declutter your home fully before decorating rooms. 

Clear out your clutter by organizing it into bundles; you can put toys in one bundle, clothes in another, and furniture you no longer need in a third bundle. When you have this organized, you can decide whether you want to sell the furniture, donate it, or simply throw it away. A minimalist home will be better for your mental health overall and easier to sell when the time comes.

Wood Panels

Wood panels are trending at the moment thanks to the warm winter aesthetic that you can find in home magazines and on websites everywhere. This hygge style is perfect for homes, but the wood effect can be tricky to install. Wood walls can be expensive and time-consuming to fit into bedrooms, living rooms, and spare rooms, but there is an excellent alternative on the market. 

Check out peel and stick wood planks for the perfect alternative to traditional wood panel walling. Peel and stick wood planks are available in a range of wood effect panels, and they are very simple to use. Simply take a panel and remove the sticky back, position the panel on the wall, and you have a professional wood effect wall for a fraction of the cost of traditional walling.  

Plain Colors 

When decorating your home, it’s always a good idea to use plain colors, especially if you are unsure what you want to do with the decoration and especially if you are selling the home. Plain colors allow you to change your mind about decoration over time, and they are easy to change; plain colors also allow buyers to imagine themselves in the home, making it easier to sell.

But that’s not all. When you decorate your home with plain colors, it can make you feel calmer and improve your mental well-being. There’s a reason that ancient traditions like feng shui pay attention to the colors of the rooms; each color has an effect on the energy, atmosphere, and mental alignment in the hoe. So plain colors give you more options and flexibility in the future.   

Thrift Shopping 

Once you have pared down your home, you can start making smart choices about furniture and decoration. You might be someone that likes the minimalist feel; if so, simply abandon the thrift shopping idea and pour a glass of wine. Alternatively, you can head down the high street. 

Thrift shopping is the ethical and affordable way to decorate your home, and if you shop in the local area, you might find some nice pieces that work well with your home’s interior styles. Thrift shopping is budget friendly and ethical; it means you are contributing to the circular economy.  

Final Thoughts 

If you are decorating your home and need some inspiration, you don’t have to look far; this article has some fantastic ideas to make your home more comfortable and attractive on a budget. Make sure you use what you have already and keep your spending to a minimum.

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, TikTok, or Instagram. 

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Getting Into a Good Health Routine

Getting Into a Good Health Routine

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As we head through November and towards the new year, many of us are already starting to think about our new years resolutions. These are life-improving goals that we set ourselves, often vowing to alter our behaviour or habits to lead a healthier and happier life. Of course, this is all good and well, but why not get started now? You don’t have to wait until the 1st of January to get things started and small changes in advance can help you to gear up to implement larger changes and achieve grander goals once the new year rolls around. Here are a few tips and tricks that can get your good health routine off to the best start possible!

Be Realistic With Your Goals

When setting any health goal, it’s important to be realistic. If you set something that is too out of reach, you’re going to find yourself failing at it and being disheartened. For example, if you want to build stamina, you don’t have to set yourself the goal of running a marathon in two months’ time. If your goal is to lose a stone, you can’t expect to tick this off your to-do list in one week. Look into realistic time scales for the changes you’re planning on making, as this can help you to achieve your goals in a safe and manageable way.

It Doesn’t Have to Be All or Nothing

All too many people also make the mistake of thinking that improving their health needs to be an all or nothing venture. This is something that we tend to see with new years resolutions. People will set themselves health goals, slip up once, and call it quits. Instead, see this as a self-improvement journey. We will all make mistakes from time to time and nobody can be perfect for the rest of their lives. Good health is a lifestyle change and balance is key to success. Be patient with yourself. Ease into the changes. Take one small step at a time. Consistent, but gradual, positive change is much better than going all out for a couple of weeks and then giving up or returning wholly to bad habits.

Use a Habit Tracker

Some of us find that we are more motivated to do things when we are tracking them. There are plenty of free-to-use apps out there that allow you to set your goals, and milestones and track your progress. They can provide notifications and reminders, holding you accountable and making you acknowledge if you are slipping behind with your new health commitments. Often, you can add custom goals, ranging from “walk 10,000 steps a day†to “take your health supplementsâ€. These apps not only encourage you to do what you’ve told yourself you will do, but they provide a good record of what you’re doing, how consistent you’ve been, and more. This can help you to understand the results you’re seeing.

Focus: Diet

A common area of our health that many of us consistently try to improve is our diet. Put simply, eating a healthy, balanced diet is simple. Avoid fads and crash course diets. Eat within your recommended calorie count. Get your five a day. Avoid cutting out any food groups unnecessarily. It’s all about moderation.

Focus: Skincare

Skincare can be difficult to nail down, as we all have different types of skin. Some people will have oily, some will have combination, some will have dry, some will have normal. Undergo a skin type analysis to find what skin type you have and what products will best suit it. You should also see a specialist about skin conditions in order to benefit from specific treatments, such as eczema treatment, psoriasis treatment or acne treatment.

Focus: Exercise

Try to get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week. The key here is to find something that you enjoy or to hire a personal trainer who will hold you accountable. There are countless forms of exercise out there, ranging from running to jogging, swimming, dance, guided fitness classes, cycling and even alternative options like pole fitness.

Focus: Sleep

Aim for eight hours of sleep every night. This gives your body time to recuperate and recover. Chronic sleep deprivation can result in a host of both physical and mental health issues, so really make sure you settle down for your slumber and catch those zzz’s on a nightly basis.

Health really does reign supreme in life, so do what you can to lead as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Hopefully, some of the guidance above will help you along the way and provide some inspiration!

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, TikTok, or Instagram. 

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

5 Ways You Can Improve Your Home’s Lighting

5 Ways You Can Improve Your Home’s Lighting

Source: Pexels

If you’ve ever dabbled in home decor before, you’ve probably invested in new furniture, art and a fresh coat of paint. But have you looked further than that? While it might not seem like it at first, lighting is one of the most important parts of a home’s atmosphere and aesthetic. Even the most stunning color palette, expensive furniture, and attractive decorations can look flat or dirty in the wrong lighting. In interior design, lighting choice is crucial to ensuring that the final product matches your original vision.

Home lighting plays a significant role in making guests feel welcome. Harsh lights can feel overly intrusive and clinical, while dim lights can feel claustrophobic. However, actually controlling your lighting seems daunting at first. With so many different types of light fixtures available and new trends popping up constantly, you might need help figuring out what you need in your home. But there are many ways to customize your space’s lighting. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your interior lighting with as little effort as possible.

Get to Know Your Options

When making your interior lighting choices, it’s vital to understand both the practical and aesthetic benefits of each option. If you go to a friend’s house or find yourself in a space with lighting that you find appealing, try to ask or figure out what the owner did to get it like that. What sort of bulbs did they use? Did they set up overhead lights? Or did they go for separate lamp fixtures? Constantly educate yourself on what works and what doesn’t, specifically regarding the lighting in each area you come across.

Training your awareness is crucial to figuring out your space’s lighting. Research as much as possible, and ask your local hardware stores as many questions as possible about the different lighting options available. While it seems like a pain, and you want to get on to actual installations as soon as possible, this step is worth investing time in. Not only will you have a better breadth of knowledge to draw from when lighting your space, but you’ll also learn how to design your home to complement your lighting much better.

Match Your Decor With Your Lighting 

When shopping for fixtures, it’s important to consider your home’s decor when selecting the right lighting options. You’ll need to choose a light fixture that compliments your décor, and a darker-colored space will warrant brighter but not washed-out lights. Or, you’ll have to complement cool and warm lighting with the color palette you’ve chosen for any given area. You’ll also need to consider your fixtures’ shape, size, and color to ensure they fit in with your interior design. You don’t want to buy fixtures that are mismatched with your decor, too big or too small for their location. 

You can also use your lighting to add texture to your interior. For example, you could install a few pendants with diffusers or several recessed lights that cast different colored shadows.

Maximize Your Windows

Unless you live in a basement, you’re likely to have natural light all over a space, regardless of your light fixtures. During the day (and at night, if you live in brightly lit areas), your windows let in lots of light that will also impact the look of a space. You want to ensure that whatever lighting you go for doesn’t shy away from your natural light but instead embraces it. How does your space take in outside light? Are there spaces that need more or less? 

There are ways to manage how natural light streams in from the outside world. Firstly, drapes and window shades are a no-brainer if you’re okay sacrificing some of the spaciousness granted by excessive windows. If not, consider tinting your windows. You can alter the warmth and brightness of outside light by finding different types of glass to put in your windows. You’ll have to figure out the best window tint, but the final results will be stunning once you land on it.

Choose the Right Bulbs for Your Fixtures

Once you’ve decided on lighting fixtures, you’ll have to add the light! It seems straightforward enough: just put a bulb in there, and it’ll be fine! Well, not exactly. There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing your bulbs. For example, you’ll need to consider the type of bulb you’re using, the wattage of the bulb, and how often you plan on turning the lights on and off. You’ll also want to consider the desired color temperature of your bulbs. In addition, it’s important to see how your lighting set-up will impact your energy costs and expenditures. Some lighting options might be a more significant drain on your utility bill than others. 

The most common types of lighting options that homeowners tend to make use of are CFL bulbs, incandescent bulbs, and LEDs. While these bulbs all provide excellent lighting, there are several differences to remember when picking the right one for your home.

Don’t Skimp on Installation

When dealing with wiring, you’ll want to ensure you take the time to get it right. The odds are that you’re not a professional electrician and might need to learn the best way to install your lighting fixtures safely. When installing any lighting in your home, it’s vital to ensure the wiring is installed safely. This means that there are no exposed wires, that the wires aren’t touching each other or anything else, and that the cables are not being worn or damaged. It’s worth investing in an electrician who knows what they are doing, especially if you’re installing entirely new lighting fixtures into your home that require considerable alterations to wiring. 

Final Words

When it comes to home lighting, you can always find creative solutions to achieve stunning results with minimal effort. Take the time to get to know your options. See how your space would benefit from different types of lighting and encourage yourself to invest and experiment. You can achieve the lighting style you want for any space at a lower cost than you think.

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, TikTok, or Instagram. 

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Get Magic Marker Off Surface

Get Magic Marker Off Surface

Photo by Elena Rubtsova

Whether it is from the kids drawing or you’ve made the mark yourself; hearts sink, when magic marker residue is left behind on something it was never meant to be on.

In a panic, some people will try anything to remove the belligerent marks, but as long as you have a little patience, the best results happen with a baking soda paste.

Get in the Mix

Mix baking soda with a little bit of water until you get a creamy paste-like result. Apply to the stains, while rubbing the solution in, and let set for a couple of minutes.

Put Some Muscle into It

After several minutes of letting it soak in, continue to rub, working the marker stain out. You may have to use a little elbow power, to get it all the way out if it’s embedded in wood grain or something like that, but you should see the stain start to lift and disappear.

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, TikTok, or Instagram. 

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

5 Reasons to Take a Campervan Vacation

5 Reasons to Take a Campervan Vacation

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Campervan vacations are more popular than ever, thanks to changing attitudes and systems. Instead of paying big money for an overseas holiday, people are opting for staycations instead. Campervans are the best ways to visit your home country as a tourist and immerse yourself.  

Relax and Unwind 

One of the main goals of any holiday is to relax and unwind, but this means different thighs to different people. Some people hate driving but love laying on a beach for hours; others find laying on a beach super boring but find driving relaxing. Road trip holidays cater to all types. 

If you hate driving, you don’t have to be behind the wheel for long periods; you can design your holiday to suit your sensibilities. Alternatively, you could drive for long stretches at night when the roads are quiet. Campervan holidays offer plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind.  

Visit New Places 

Staycations have become popular for a range of reasons; they are cheaper than overseas holidays and are sometimes viewed as more responsible for the planet. Another benefit to a road trip holiday is the chance to visit heritage sites and local places you will otherwise miss.   

Wherever you live, your country has some interesting history stored in local natural sites and city museums. Why not give your excursion a theme and immerse yourself in the story of the areas, read books about the history as you travel and make the sites you visit more relevant? 

Learn New Things 

There are plenty of new things to learn on a campervan holiday. There are the practicalities of the trip; you have to learn about the campervan itself and how to navigate your journey; then, there are the things you learn about along the way, such as the history of your area of travel. 

Unlike a resort holiday, a campervan vacation challenges you to think for yourself and stimulates your brain in new ways. Forget about a brain training app – although these can be useful to keep you sharp – heading off on a campervan holiday is one of the best ways to stimulate your brain. 

Save Money 

Another reason campervan holidays are more popular than ever is the low cost of a vacation. When you fly overseas, you have lots of expenses upfront. There are flights to pay for, accommodation, and the cost of excursions. Campervan holidays slash the cost of a vacation. 

If you don’t have a campervan, don’t worry, you don’t have to buy one. Instead, you can find camper van hire in your local area and rent one for a week, a few weeks, of the entire season. Hiring a campervan is also cost-effective because you don’t pay for any road tax or insurance. 

New Experiences 

One of the best things about a road trip holiday is all of the new experiences you can have. Campervan holidays are spontaneous and inventive, and you never know who you’re going to meet. If you’re the kind of person that thrives on creativity, you will love a campervan vacation.

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, TikTok, or Instagram.Â