Category Archives: ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME, TIPS IN ACTION

Everything You Need For A DIY Kids’ Party

Everything You Need For A DIY Kids’ Party

Image by Adina Voicu from Pixabay 

So you’ve got a kid’s party coming up, there’s loads to do and these days it can cost a fortune, but it doesn’t have to. There are plenty of ways you can give your child the best party ever, give them everything they could wish for without spending a ridiculous amount of money. All it takes is a little bit of creativity, planning and preparation. 

Invitations

These days, who needs to buy or make invitations. Send your invitations digitally to the parents; then there’s no chance of anyone missing it and finding it two weeks later in the bottom of their child’s bag, it’s free, you can save on paper and also send as many as you like.  

Avoid Party Shops

Specialist party shops may be full of exciting products and ideas, but you will pay a huge markup when you could get the same thing at the supermarket, the pound shop or online for a lot cheaper. 

Get Creative

When it comes to decorations, then you could get the kids to make them as part of the party and entertainment. Or if you want to get everything set up beforehand, then you can make everything from bunting to plates and cups. Buy plain paper cups and plates, and you can jazz them up yourself. Search for ‘blank’ or ‘DIY’ on party-supply on sites to see what comes up. You can then decorate it in the theme of the party or personal for the birthday child. If you have a vinyl cutting machine, then you can make cool stickers or fonts to stick onto party cups which could be personalised for each child. You can also use it to create custom labels and stickers. Check out this guide for more information on the machines vinylcuttingmachineguide.com.

Use Your Contacts

Don’t fork out for expensive entertainment which might not even be very good when you could either do it yourself or utilise people you know. Do you know anyone who can do magic tricks? Sing? Dance? Or just a couple of family friends to dress up as princesses and help the kids do some activities? There will always be cheaper versions of everything, and the kids won’t know the difference, nor will they care. So don’t go wasting money on things you don’t need to. 

Think Outside The Box

When kids are still little, you don’t necessarily need to have a traditional birthday party as such. Why not just meet at a park with a play area and everyone brings a picnic? It’s easy and costs you nothing other than your picnic. 

Make The Cake

Even if you’re not that good at cake decorating or baking, if you can’t do the whole thing then you could buy a plain cake and decorate it or the other way around, make the cake and get someone else to decorate it. There are also some fab no-bake cakes that you can put together which look super impressive but they’re straightforward to do. 

Remember Games Don’t Cost A Thing

Many kids are easily pleased, and it’s the simple thing that they love the most. You could spray paint some rocks and do a  treasure hunt for “gold” that the kids can then take home as favours. Then another couple of classic games such as Keep-Up-the-Balloon, Musical Chairs, Hot Potato, Duck, Duck, Goose or Simon Says, and you’ll have everyone entertained and happy for hours. 

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.

BEAUTY, ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Age Is Just A Number – Feeling Healthier Beyond Your Years

Age Is Just A Number – Feeling Healthier Beyond Your Years

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Say it with us – there is absolutely no reason as to why age should determine how limited you feel. Up until the point where your body might not play ball as it used to (this usually happens much later than people imagine and could include conditions like arthritis, which you can use a lidocaine roll on to help reduce the pain), you shouldn’t feel as though your age is some kind of wet blanket, slowly falling on your shoulders to lower your quality of life. It is more than possible to have an excellent quality of life no matter your age – and to feel much younger than your age might imply.

Read: COMMON AILMENTS TO WATCH FOR AS YOU AGE

However, it might take just a little more effort into taking care of ourselves to experience this. Is that a problem? Not at all. This effort helps your life become much more enjoyable in the first place – so it is a win/win. Many of us know that the key to a fulfilled lifestyle is living healthily – but what does that mean in practical terms with the necessary scope of age to consider? Let us consider that below:

Lessen The Carbs

Carbohydrates are, of course, a natural part of any staple diet unless someone wishes to follow a ketogenic-based lifestyle. However, lessening your carbs can be a wonderful approach. When you eat carbs, you gain a great deal of glucose, and that spikes your insulin. For some, especially those who might be a little more mature, this can lead them to feel ‘sleepy’ as they might be quite familiar with it. If you’re hoping to feel active and attentive during the day, then lessening the carbs and eating a protein-rich, healthy, fat-rich, and vegetable-rich diet could be worthwhile. On top of that, complex carbs can provide much more prolonged sustenance, allowing you to keep a close watch on your calories. It’s in this manner that you can keep a healthy weight.

Consider Hormone Therapy

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is becoming all the rage lately, but this is much more than just a passing trend. When having your hormones replaced, what you are doing is giving your body the vital sustenance it needs for growth. Let us consider how this works in relation to a natural exercise, like a full-body squat under load. When squatting, the body releases HGH, which signifies that your body is in a growth stage. As we age, these elements can become less and less effective at firing, but under a training load, or replacement, your body continually understands that it is in a growth situation, meaning that you continually feel youthful. Moreover, the more you commit to an exercise like this, the better your body produces said hormones. This could help you gain that youthful vigour you might have been missing thus far.

Read: 3 WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR HEALTH AS YOU GET OLDER

Open Your Heart To  Experience

The moment you are ‘old’ is the moment you close your heart to new things. That is it. Until then, you are eternally young, no matter what your body might suggest. Keep traveling, keep being interested, keep being entertained, and keep learning. The more you do this, the more you can squeeze out of this life.

With this advice, you are certain to understand that age is always just a number.

​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.

BEAUTY, ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

5 Ways To Get Self-Care Right

5 Ways To Get Self-Care Right

Self-care is something that we all need to think about, because looking after yourself is super important. If you don’t, you could find that you burn out, and you can’t do anything at all, so it’s totally worth it to give yourself a little break now and again. But how do you actually do this, and do you really have to go to a yoga class to feel like you’re looking after your mind and body?

Luckily, self-care comes in many different shapes and sizes, so you’re likely to find something that suits you. Here are 5 ideas to get the self-care newbie started.

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#1: Switch off

If you’re going to take some time to recuperate from all of the stresses that life throws at you, then you need to switch off… like really switch off. It’s not enough to just chill out on the couch with your phone in your hand; you should try not to go on it for a few hours, and just do something that you really enjoy. If you’re still getting stressed out about emails, then you’re not chilling out enough!

#2: Look after your body

Another simple way to exercise some self-care is to look after your body, by drinking more water and having a healthy, balanced diet. Sure, treating yourself to something every now and again isn’t an issue, but getting your fruit and veggie intake nailed will make you feel on top of the world, so it’s worth giving your body some lovin’. Avoid smoking and alcohol if you can, as this will also help.

#3: Do what you love

Self-care looks different for so many people because we all enjoy different things. Whether you want to look for free spins slots and get your game face on, or you’d prefer to go for a long walk through nature, the important thing is to do what you really love. If you make time for this, you’ll soon find that you’re feeling a lot more fulfilled, so don’t just follow the self-care routes that others lay out!

#4: Have a candlelit bath

Look, we’re not saying that a hot, candlelit bath can fix everything. OK, we might be. Chilling out and really letting your muscles relax is a great form of self-care, and you’ll also come out of the other side feeling clean and comfortable. If you want to add a face mask in for good measure then this is certainly an idea that we can get behind, so get those candles lit, and find the bubble bath.

#5: Reconnect with loved ones

When the world around you seems like a stressful and confusing place, sometimes self-care looks like calling up a loved one. Whether you head out for dinner together or catch up over the phone, it’s just nice to know that the people that you care about are there, and that you can put the world to rights with them. We’d say that the warm, fuzzy ‘love’ feeling was self-care enough, don’t you think?

Enjoy nailing self-care, however you do it!

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.


BEAUTY, ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

These Simple Habits Can Help You Look and Feel Younger

Photo Credit: Pexels

These Simple Habits Can Help You Look and Feel Younger

by Guest Blogger, Dana B.

Ever feel like you’re 35 going on 65? Feeling older than you actually are is usually a strong indicator that you need to change your lifestyle habits. Aside from the emotional impacts, feeling older can mean that your physical health is being affected by your everyday habits. Still, it can be tricky knowing which advice to follow when it comes to healthy aging, The best lifestyle changes to make are ones that are backed by research, like the ones below.

Eat More Gut Healthy Foods

Listening to your gut is crucial for important decisions, but it can also be important for healthy aging. According to Gaiam, there are several links between gut health and overall health, including inflammation and lowered immunity, but these changes can be easily reversed to promote healthier aging. While supplements and treating infections are helpful, you can also turn to gut healthy foods to restore the balance in your own internal microbiome. Most people already know that yogurt contains healthy bacteria, but it’s possible to boost gut health with garlic, almond milk, pickles and even dark chocolate. These vitamin-, probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods either contain the same gut-healthy bacteria or helpful fiber, both of which can help maintain balance in your digestive system.

Find Ways to Maintain Hydration

You’ve heard it over and over again: Hydration is important. Although you may recognize this importance, you may not fully understand the benefits of hydration for your mind and body, especially when it comes to feeling older. For example, hydration can provide an energy boost, improve the appearance of skin, and even promote weight loss. So, you will look and feel younger, no matter your real age. Drinking all that water can be a challenge for many folks, though, which is why it’s useful to have some hydration tricks to make yourself drink more often. Pack a large water bottle in your bag before you head off to work, or add some fruit to your water, to make staying hydrated less daunting and something you start to look forward to each day.

Always Wear Sunscreen When Outside

When people who look and feel younger talk about their habits, they also tend to emphasize the importance of sunscreen use. That means wearing SPF any time you’re going to be out in the sun. Damaging UV rays—which can cause changes to skin appearance and skin cancer—are present whether you can see them or not, and seeing skin damage in the mirror can definitely make you feel older. The next time you’re going to be outside in the daytime, dermatologists recommend applying sunscreen that contains SPF 15 or 30; anything higher might actually provide false skin protection against the sun’s rays.

Stop Following Every Fad Diet

Maintaining a healthy weight can help you look and feel better. If you’re turning to fad diets to achieve that trim body, however, you may actually be risking your health. For instance, one fad diet claims that you can eat bentonite clay (volcanic ash) to help you lose weight, but according to Dr. Anton Emmanuel, gastroenterologist, you’re putting your digestive system, kidneys and heart at risk of failing. So if you want to change your diet, just focus on eating whole, nutritious meals that you can easily prepare at home or obtain from a delivery service if it’s in your budget.

If you Google “healthy aging,” you’re bound to be bombarded by a lot of wellness fads and complicated information. Really, though, looking and feeling younger just takes some simple changes to your basic everyday habits. So drink more water, wear sunscreen, and eat foods that will nourish your gut, your body and your overall health. Because those little, research-backed habits really can help you age better and feel younger.

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 Save Money On Home Appliances

How To Save Money On Home Appliances

Image Source. Licensed under Creative Commons. 

A lot of us overspend on home appliances. This can include the initial purchase price, as well as running costs such as maintenance and energy bills. To help save you money, here are just a few tricks that could have you spending less on your home appliances.

Shop the sales

Many appliance stores have regular sales on. These can be great times to grab bargains on appliances. The January sales is a popular time for massive appliance discounts – because few people have much money after Christmas, retailers often have to offer much better deals to attract customers in.

Read reviews

Online consumer reviews can often tell if an appliance is reliable. Unfortunately, many of the cheapest appliances are less reliable, which can lead to frequent and expensive repair costs in the future. Save yourself money in the long run by reading reviews and only choosing an appliance that has good customer feedback.

Consider the energy rating

Most appliances come with an energy rating from A to G. Appliances that are graded A are the most efficient and are the ones that will save you huge amounts on your energy bills. It’s worth noting that fridge freezers can go all the way up to A+++ – if you’re buying this type of appliance you may not want to settle for an A.

Look out for online freebies

There are many sellers online giving away free appliances on sites like Gumtree. Whilst these appliances tend to be older (and therefore less reliable and less energy efficient), the fact that you’re paying nothing for them up front means that you’ll still likely save yourself money compared to buying a brand new appliance. A condition of these freebies is that you usually have to pick them up yourself from the seller – this means having a vehicle big enough to pick up the appliance.

Know when to repair, when to replace

When an appliance breaks, you need to weigh up whether it’s cheaper to repair or replace. Some repairs can be so costly that you may as well as buy a replacement. You should also consider the appliance’s lifespan.  It may be worth splashing out on central vacuum repair on a home vacuum system that’s only been installed 10 years ago (these systems can last 20 years), however it may not be worth getting a dishwasher repaired that’s 10 years old (these appliances usually only last 9 years).

Don’t extend your warranty

A lot of appliances will come with a year’s warranty. After this period, the seller may try to tempt you into paying for an extended warranty. These are rarely worth paying – whilst it does mean that your appliance will be repaired for free, the overall monthly warranty payments are likely to come to a much higher cost than were you to pay to get it repaired. Few warranties also cover the full amount of repairs.

Use your appliances less

You may also be able to save money on your appliances simply by using them less. Consider measures such as only washing full loads instead of half loads in your washing machine or letting frozen foods defrost before cooking them so that you use the oven for reduced periods.

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.