You secretly spend over a million dollars on your car!

You secretly spend over a million dollars on your car!

Everyone is always angling to save more money since we all know it matters a lot. One thing we often don’t think about is how expensive cars are. I know they cost a lot of money, but when you add everything up it’s incredible! Each car you buy is practically a downpayment on a house, and it ends up in the scrap heap before too long! Mix in most families having two cars and replacing them every 10 years and you get some big bills. Maybe when people talk about downsizing their homes they should really be talking about downsizing their cars first!

Infographic source: https://fiveyearfireescape.com/how-much-car-can-i-afford/

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
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Five Tips To Make Your Family Bathroom Work Harder

Five Tips To Make Your Family Bathroom Work Harder

The average family bathroom can be hard to get right. It needs to be all things to all people. It needs to be kid-friendly, but still be a nice space for the adults in the house, and any guess you have. Sharing one bathroom between a lot of people means you need a good design that meets all those needs. Here are some tips to make your bathroom work hard. 

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  1. Go big. In a bathroom for the family, there will often be times when a few family members are crowded around the basin at once, so go bigger. Choose a vanity unit with a large trough-shaped bowl with plenty of counter space either side for everybody’s toiletries and toothbrushes. A double basin could also be an ideal pick for high traffic times in the bathroom, like first thing in the morning. Ask a plumber like https://www.stollwerckplumbing.com/ for suggestions for bigger basins.  
  2. Add in a bath. If you have enough room, a bath is handy for family life, especially if you have younger children. A bathroom with no bath can put be off-putting for potential buyers if you choose to sell in the future. A shower enclosure is also a useful addition for rushed mornings. If you don’t have space for both, fit a shower head over the bath. L or D shaped baths with one wider end and glass shower screen are a good selection, as they look sleek, but have room for showering. Choose a bath with taps in the middle so you can give small children a bath together without squabbles about who has to sit at the tap end. 
  3. Put in lots of storage. A bathroom that is used by a lot of people can quickly get untidy, so make sure you fit in as much storage as you can. Don’t pick bottles, bags, and brushes that will clutter up surfaces, and instead fit in cupboards below the sink, hanging cabinet mirrors, and fitting shelves where you can. If your bathroom isn’t large, glass shelves can be used to add storage without appearing to bring the walls in even nearer. Add storage that your children can reach. Baskets on open shelves are a simple way to tidy away toiletries easily. Give each family member their own basket to make keeping things tidy and free of clutter even quicker. 
  4. Lighten it up. Add task lighting over the sink. Spotlights or a glass mirror with built-in lights both work well. For a more relaxing atmosphere, like when you want to relax with a bubble bath, put in a softer light, like lights on a dimmer switch. 
  5. Colour-code your accessories. Save having piles of towels and face cloths everywhere by giving each family member a colour. If you don’t want lots of mismatched colours in your bathroom, buy towels in your bathroom colour scheme and then sew a loop of ribbon in their colour to use as both a hook and to show who it belongs to. 

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.

Fighting Off Isolation For An Older Loved One

Fighting Off Isolation For An Older Loved One

As we get older, we all become prone to a range of health issues. However, amongst diabetes, heart disease, and the like, one of the most dangerous health issues of all is isolation. Here, we’re going to take a look at how older people are more susceptible to isolation, the devastating effects it can have on their health, and some tips on how to help them fight it.

Link to Image – CC0 License

Why it matters

Isolation is considered amongst one of the greatest health risks facing the elderly in the modern age. It’s not fearmongering. Health studies have found that isolation has a causal link with an increased risk of premature death. Furthermore, it can seriously damage our quality of life.  Not only can insolation lead to depression, stress, and anxiety. People who are socially isolated after 50% more likely to suffer dementia and other cognitive decline issues. Furthermore, people who are isolated are more at risk of serious impacts from injuries, since they may not have people to check up on them as often as they would, otherwise.

Giving the company you can

Now that you understand the real threat that isolation can pose to their health, what can you do about it? The simplest answer is to offer them companionship. Your time may be limited by other responsibilities but visiting them once or twice a week, getting them out of the house (if they can healthily travel), and making a daily call can help them both get the companionship they need and ensure that they feel loved.

Ensuring the care they need

If you’re worried about an older loved one living together, there are several options. You can invite them to live with you or move in with them, though that would mean becoming their primary caregiver, which is a huge responsibility. Aside from that and helping them find a nursing home, you can consider companion care as an option. This way, they can live in their own home, be surrounded by the things they love, and get professional care, making sure that they meet their daily needs as healthily and safely as possible. Good companion care also includes conversation and companionship, taking care of more than just physical needs.

Helping them branch out

This tip largely depends on the physical independence of your loved one, what’s available in your local area, and how you can help facilitate them. However, there are websites that can help you find all kinds of activity and social groups for older people. Helping your loved one find a peer group that they can spend social time with can help keep them mentally and emotionally younger for longer, ensuring that they have genuine social connections and friendships that can sustain their mental health.

Companionship is a simple answer but, most importantly, it’s the right one. Making sure that your loved one gets the attention and care they need is crucial, and there are ways to ensure that even if you don’t always have the time to provide it yourself.

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.

What’s A Creative Bubble For Freelancers?

What’s A Creative Bubble For Freelancers?

The pandemic has encouraged a lot of people to tap into their creative side and express themselves through arts. Whether it is painting, writing, or singing, embracing our creativity has offered us a unique experience of self-discovery. It’s easy to understand why. Being creative can soothe the mind. During a stressful period such as the pandemic, picking up your paintbrushes or your typewriter has helped cope with the situation. You might even find that you’ve developed a taste for it. There’s nothing stopping you from turning your creative hobby into a side hustle. 

But if you’re going to be serious about making creativity pay the bills, you need to consider your creative space. Does the quirky office make the writer or the artist? The answer may surprise you: You don’t need to invest in additional quirkiness and designing tips to turn your home office into a creative cave. Making creativity work for you means building an environment that supports it. 

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Creativity needs a structure

If you are not familiar with Stephen King’s writing advice, the prolific master of horror swears by a creative routine. He assures aspiring writers (and other creative enthusiasts) to set a work routine and stick to it: https://tipsfromtia.com/2020/07/working-at-home-when-the-going-gets-tough-what-do-you-do/. King recommends working on your creative hustle every day during the hours where you’re at your most productive. Your schedule will act as the backbone for your imagination. You can build on it and expand to write, paint, compose, etc. , all the amazing things you’ve got in mind. Your creative working hours are the time of the day when you can bring ideas to life. Therefore, you need to take them seriously and maintain your creative program. 

Creativity is the art of connecting to your inner world

Creativity comes from within. It is a tool that lets you express your inner voice and your emotions. As such, your creative space needs to optimize free access to your thoughts. What does it mean to gain access to your ideas? You’d assume that you take your thoughts with you anywhere you go. In reality, we spend very little time exploring our minds. Day-to-day life can be distracting. Making room for your creativity begins with distraction-free settings, from removing noise pollution with adequate sound-proofing insulation as per https://www.insulatekansascity.com/sound-proofing-insulation/ to keeping your smartphone out of the room. A peaceful environment promotes the appropriate introspective mood for creativity. 

Creativity means a healthy brain

Ultimately, creativity is a process that happens entirely in the brain. That’s why it’s important to give your brain all the nutrients it needs to perform. Brain foods can help make quicker connections and keep your memory strong. What difference does it make to a creative individual? Cognitive connections, for instance, refer to your ability to expand on ideas and build a new path of thoughts. Being creative is, ultimately, the process of bringing new ideas, and therefore making new connections inside the brain. 

Your creative bubble provides a positive environment that promotes the contemplation of your inner world. Of course, it is a daunting process. The first step of making creativity work for you is the hardest, as you build a new path for your thoughts to roam freely. But building a creative side hustle can be a rewarding process as you can bring your ideas to life. 

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.

Keeping Your Garden Safe And Healthy

Keeping Your Garden Safe And Healthy

While most people might be worried about how to keep the interior of the home as safe as possible, it’s important that we don’t forget the exterior of the property as well. If you and your family spend a lot of time outdoors, then there could be some health risks and potential accidents waiting to happen. Here, we’re going to look at a few tips on how to keep your garden as safe as you can.

Link – Pixabay License

Take care of your patios and decking

If you have any patio stones, pavings, concrete walkways, or even wood decking in the garden, proper care has to be taken to ensure that they’re cleaned. Aside from making them much more aesthetically pleasing, it will also remove the layer of grime and algae that often make these surfaces so slippery that they become a genuine slip hazard. If you have a lot of exterior surfaces to clean, then buying your own pressure washer might be the most reliable solution to consider.

Keep things trimmed

There are a lot of health risks that can come with letting your garden stay overgrown, especially as the days get a little colder. The number one risk that they pose is that they serve as a temporary nesting ground for any pests. These pests will then try to get into the home. Mowing the lawn is just the start. If you have plant beds or bushes, then a Milwaukee string trimmer can help you clean them up in seconds. The less overgrown the garden is, the less plant debris you’ll likely have to clean up, as well.

Mind your trees

If you have trees in your garden then they should be as much of a concern as anything else. Overgrown trees can be a threat in a variety of ways. First of all, their branches can grow heavy enough to snap off under pressure from a strong wind, which can hurt people and damage property. Otherwise, as the seasons turn, they lose more leaves and general debris than they would otherwise. This can get caught in your gutters, meaning water gets blocked and leaks into the home. Be sure to check with a gutter cleaner in hand, but hire tree services to take care of your trees if they’re getting overgrown.

Light it up

If you have a larger garden with pathways and landscaping, or you simply like to spend a lot of time outdoors, even if it’s alone or just with your family, then you should be aware of the danger that darkness can present in the garden. Any differences in levels, even the slightest rises or dips, can pose a real danger of tripping, falling, and injuring yourself. Installing exterior lighting in the garden won’t just keep you and yours safe, however, it can also create a lovely ambience for an outdoor dining or social space.

With the tips above, you can rest easy that your garden is healthy, well-kept, and not likely to lead to any accidents, allowing you, your family, and any guests to spend time out there without fear.

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.

Everyday Tips from Tia