Home Improvement » Many Things

A Healthy Home

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 03:23:12 +0000

Your home is your castle. You decide, possibly together with
family members, what to make of it. Outside our home we have
limited opportunities to improve the environment, but in our
home we can do a lot.

At home we want to feel free, relax and do things that we
like. We want to eat, sleep, exercise, maybe work, and
socialize with friends and family. We spend many hours at
home. Naturally, we want our home to be as comfortable and
healthy as possible.

What surroundings make you happy? What things do you like to
have around you? Feeling good at home is a matter of
physical as well as mental and social well-being. Look
around you and think about what changes can be made in your
home environment. Start with something small, one step at a
time. Make a small change every day, and after a week the
difference will be considerable.

Your home – a place for personal growth and well-being

Your home should be a refuge where you can hide from the
rest of the world and find strength to go on with life. Why
not follow these ten steps:

1. Put away things that you don’t need. Too many things
disturb the eye and make it hard to relax. Only surround
yourself with things that you need or things that will
enrich your life.

2. Stick to a few colours – two or three – for each room,
instead of mixing many different colours. This will help you
create a calm and balanced atmosphere.

3. Make sure you have good ventilation. Leave doors between
rooms open for better air circulation, and open windows when
possible.

4. Don’t smoke in your home. Ask your visitors to smoke
outside.

5. Choose area rugs instead of carpets when possible.

6. Use cleaning products with low-toxic content.

7. Choose furniture and fittings made of non-toxic
materials.

8. Make sure your sleeping place is comfortable and healthy.
The pillow is important. Do you often wake up with a
headache? You might need a new pillow.

9. Make your kitchen table as pleasant and welcoming as
possible. When you sit down to eat you must be able to relax
and enjoy your meal. Are there papers or magazines on the
table? Too many different colours? Keep it simple and
clean.

10. Buy some new flowers for your home. Decorate your home
with candle lights. Small simple things like these will
influence your well-being.

By: Ingela Berger

Home Organization Tip – Less Is More

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:39:17 +0000

Getting your home organized can seem like a daunting task. Every room filled with clutter and more things than you know what to do with. So let me share with you a tip I have learned along the way in my home organization journey. Less is more. Now this tip has three different meanings.

Meaning #1

Less is more when it comes to tackling your home organization project. What do I mean by this? I mean don’t try to do it all at once. Take it in small, bite-sized pieces. Ten minutes here and there is better than throwing up your hands in defeat and not even bothering to start. Like many things in life, home organization is a journey. And to quote an old saying “every journey begins with a single step.” Decide on a single step that you will do each day or each week and then do it. Consistent, persistent action in the direction of your home organization goals will get you where you want to go.

Meaning #2

Less is more when it comes to stuff in your home. Ask yourself how much you really value some of the things that you have in your home. We often collect things that we sometimes don’t even want because someone gave it to us, it was free, or we “inherited” it from somewhere along the way. Now I’m not suggesting that you get rid of grandma’s handmade quilt. However, I am suggesting you really think about how much you like and value having in your life that vase Aunt Ida gave you that you never use because you can’t stand to look at it. Evaluate the stuff you have in your home. If you ever hope to get your home organized, you’re going to have to get rid of some of it. And that will mean making some hard decisions about what stays and what goes. A home organization prioritization system (1, 2, 3 or A, B, C) can help you decide what you want to keep and what you don’t. Important stuff would be A, maybes would be B, and call a charity to come pick it up would be C. Just remember to go back through your B category and make a final call on whether it is an A or a C.

Meaning #3

Less is more when it comes to being hard on yourself when you didn’t get done what you wanted to get done. We have a tendency to beat ourselves up when we set a goal and then don’t accomplish it. Stop it. Your home organization journey is just that, a journey. You will have setbacks, things may take longer than you anticipated. Learn the home organization lessons that you need to learn from it and move on. Are you underestimating the amount of time it takes you to do things? Are you getting distracted? Are you too tired when you start? Figure out why you are having setbacks and then re-evaluate your goals. It is okay to change and adjust your home organization goals along the way. Be gentle with yourself.

By: Jill Borash

What About Home Improvement?

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:20:26 +0000

If you’re like most people you may be having the urge to change things a bit in your home but have no idea where to begin. Remodeling and home improvements are exciting endeavors to consider. It is a time when your imagination can run wild and you get tap into your more creative side. Don’t worry about whether or not your new space will earn a spot in the latest home improvement magazine. Sometimes we feel like we have to make our home like a museum for it to be beautiful. Not so. Just relax and create a space that it truly comfortable for you and your family.

Everybody sees home improvement ideas on TV shoes, in magazines, in hardware stores and on the Internet. The internet is nice because you have access to it more easily and can really take a thorough look at things like kitchen remodeling pictures, before and after photos, bathroom remodels, room additions, and much more. You can even find a full kitchen layout or detailed remodel plans for various rooms on the web. You may find some that you could use as a template or as inspiration. However, if you need firm design plans it is best to consult a professional contractor or designer to make sure you get what you think you are getting.

The easiest place to begin with is the budget. This dictates many things. At the same time, you need to know which rooms need the most love and attention. Some may just need a simple new look that can be achieved with a coat of paint and new window treatments. Others may need some serious upgrading. Decide on priorities and budgetary constraints. If you happened to have purchased a fixer-upper or your home is older, you may want to look into home improvement financing. This can help you with the costs. It is important to weigh out how much you are spending on the renovations with the overall value it will add to the house. Look at how much you bought the house for, how much it is worth now, and how much the renovations will add to the value. This should help in determining your overall budget.

Once finances are squared away, you may want to start price comparing. Price comparing can refer to quotes from contractors or to finding out how much granite countertops will cost compared to quartz. It also involves finding the most economical but quality supplier of the items you will need. Generally, for bigger jobs you want to let the contractor take care of that. Your job will be to check the references of the contractor and to get quotes from several. If you do that, you will have to have a general idea of what kinds of things you would like to see happen to your space and what features or finishings you want. Things like hardwood or carpet will greatly influence the quote you get.

This doesn’t have to be a scary experience. Just take your time, walk carefully, and move wisely. You will be so thrilled with the end results. Everyone loves a home improvement.

By: Alice Lane