6 Top Tips to Pick a Magical Bedroom Design

 

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Your bedroom should be your private getaway from everything happening in the world and the craziness of everyday life. Redesigning this essential space for yourself is not the least challenging project, but it is undoubtedly one of the most important ones. Indeed, it started to seem like the current travel restrictions and social distancing measures will not leave us anytime soon. 

So, preparing for a winter of safe isolation, self-love, deep relaxation, and comfort is essential. If you are currently looking for inspiration for your upcoming bedroom redesign, here are six simple steps to give you a headstart on your project. 

Embrace Minimalism

Minimalism is not a new trend or mindset, but it seems to have been becoming more popular in recent years. Indeed, we all look up at the classy, clean-looking, sophisticated interiors of Scandinavian bedrooms! Luckily, the subtle colors, the natural elements, and the simple yet elegant design of this style are easily re-creatable. 

By embracing minimalism, you can spend less on your bedroom's redesign and enjoy a deeper feeling of freedom. Indeed, this movement allows you to concentrate your colic on a few high-quality furniture items that matter to you and make you happy. At the same time, you can do something amazing by not buying in the fast-fashion trends that are so harmful to the environment!

Pick a Design That Makes It Easier to Clean

Clutter and disorganization is the number-one enemy of productivity and relaxation. Indeed, it has been seen that our brain has to work twice as hard to cut out the distractions in the background and focus on what matters. However, when it comes down to finding a little relaxation in your own bedroom, clutter can work against you. Indeed, it can raise stress levels and cause you to remain more alert than you would want to!

Picking a simple design with just a few high-quality, stylish furniture pieces can help you create a room that is easy to clean and enjoy. Of course, since you will be investing in just a limited number of items or a set, finding out more information and asking for a professional designer's help might be a solution to consider. 

Bring Nature In With Thoughtful Details

Living a step closer to nature can be an excellent way to look after your physical and mental wellbeing. Indeed, it encourages us all to be more active, healthy, and relaxed in our daily lives. Yet, we all tend to spend the majority of our lives indoors, either at home or at our workplace. During the last few months, this has become evident!

So, one of the few ways to regain that strong connection with nature is to bring it indoors! You can easily do so by introducing house plants and natural elements in your bedroom, such as wooden furniture, natural fibers, and neutral colors that remind you of nature. 

Invest in High-Quality Linens

Redesigning a bedroom is all about introducing details that can enhance its comfort. And, nothing is ever as comfortable and pleasant on our skin as luxurious, high-quality linen! These can create a unique look for your bed and can save you from skin irritation and other conditions. Investing in a linen set that is a little more sophisticated can pay you back in higher sleep quality and better rest! If you are not an expert, you can use one general rule: avoid anything that has synthetic fibers and opt for a thread count above 150!

Put an Accent on Exclusive Lighting

Lighting is essential in your room, especially because you are more likely to spend time there at nighttime or during rainy afternoons! Wo, whether you prefer to read, listen to music, or watch your favorite Netflix show here, you will need lighting. However, the lighting system's aim in your room should not be the one to light up the room entirely. 

Indeed, this might add strain to your eyes and make the whole room feel uncomfortable and not relaxing. Instead, add several task lights next to your bed and the room's entrance. Plus, you might consider adding light points in the corners where you need it the most, such as around the mirror or next to the wardrobe. If you can opt for dimmable light and natural light temperature, you will be able to enjoy the best results!

Keep Distractions Out

Your bedroom should be a personal and private retreat for you and your other half. Keeping all tech, gadgets, and distractions out can help you relax and enjoy the things you don't have time for during the day. For example, decide to keep your TV only in the living room and, if possible, keep your phone out too!

5 Tips to Declutter Your Home and Get Back the Space

 

Does it feel like your home is getting smaller and smaller with each passing day? Would you swear the walls must be closing in because what once felt like a spacious space now feels tight and completely unorganized? Of course, your home isn’t shrinking, but your feelings of not having enough space are also completely legitimate. The answer could actually be very simple – the clutter has taken over.

Clutter is something that tends to build slowly and over time, so you don’t really notice it at the moment. Instead, it spreads and eventually takes over your entire home and before you know it, you feel as though you’ve got no room to store things and move about. Not to worry, as we’ve got five simple ways to go ahead and declutter your home.

Take Things One Room at a Time

The first tip is to create a decluttering plan if you will. Rather than tackle the whole house at once, which is overwhelming and frankly unorganized, you want to take things one room at a time. Tell yourself this is going to be a process and it’s going to take time. 

By decluttering one room at a time, you’ll probably feel less overwhelmed, you’ll do a more thorough job, and you can spread it out over a few weeks to make it less tiring.

Make Three Piles for Each Room You Declutter

Once you are ready to tackle the first room, you'll want to begin by creating three piles. These piles should be labeled ‘keep’, ‘give away/sell’, or ‘throw-away’. This will help you to sort out what’s staying in the house and what’s leaving. 

Be Honest with Yourself as You Sort Through Items

One of the toughest parts about decluttering is being honest with yourself. It’s much easier to just keep everything, as parting with items isn’t exactly easy. It can be helpful to ask yourself the last time you wore or used the item, if it serves a specific and important purpose, and if you will even miss it.

Ensure Everything Has a Proper Place

As you start to put items away after you have finished sorting, the goal should be to find a proper place for everything. Nothing should be sitting out without a home. If the item doesn’t have a proper place you will either need more storage, or you may need to get rid of that item.

Rent a Storage Unit

If you simply cannot make enough space in your home but you're not willing to permanently part with items, you may want to look into storage unit options to store your extra stuff. All your belongings will be kept safe and secure, there’s no need to sell or give away items, and you can then start to make real substantial space in your home again.

Enjoy a Spacious Feeling Home

Creating space in your home and decluttering requires a certain degree of cutthroat thinking. It’s not always hard to get rid of items but keep your end goal in mind - creating a more livable and more organized space.

Keeping Yourself And Your Home Safe In And Out Of The Home

 When it comes to our safety, it should be one of our top priorities. But yet, many of us don’t do all that we can to ensure that we keep ourselves safe in and out of the home. There are a few things that you can do such as using technology or even just changing some of your habits and routines that can help improve your safety. With that in mind, here is what to think about when it comes to keeping yourself and your home safe.   

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Keeping yourself safe 

We can’t always just stay at home, and so we need to understand that there are ways that we can keep ourselves safe when we venture out. Be that to work, or to go out socially or somewhere new. It is always important for you to inform somebody of where you are going. A parent, partner, or friend. Letting them know your plans means that if something should go wrong, there is a starting point. You might also want to use technology to keep you safe such as having applications on your home, and there are others online that can help you to utilize monitoring applications for iPhone or Android. It may sound crazy, but we live in a world where it can be unpredictable, so arming yourself with the best possible defense that can work in the background can help you to feel safer when out and about. Social media is also good for things like this as it can help you to keep a track of where you go, but you also want to keep yourself safe online such as not announcing things like an empty home for example because you are on holiday. Improving your privacy settings can help you to feel safer online. 

Keeping your home safe 

Just as you want to keep yourself safe you also need to ensure that you keep your home safe and secure. When you are there and when you are away from it. This is when you could look at an upgraded alarm system. There are alarms out there now that have dedicated applications on your phone and can even inform local law enforcement should there be a problem. You could also look at adding cameras inside and outside of your home as an added measure. Both these things can be seen as a warning for opportunists. Another thing to factor in would be fences, new windows and doors, and extra upgraded locks. The more you invest in the security of your home, the safer you will feel. After all, it is likely to not only be your biggest ex[ense, but it is the home of some of your most prized possessions. Insurance policies can be handy to help secure your home and the contents within it, should anything happen. Insurance policies that you have can be pricey, but priceless when you need them the most. 

Let’s hope that these tips help you to keep yourself and your home safe.

Use Your Imagination to Make Life More Interesting

 

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It would probably be fair to say that everyone would prefer their life to be interesting and exciting, rather than dull and boring. It’s not as if most people daydream about being uninspired, after all.

Of course, if you feel that your life isn’t exactly as much of an interesting adventure as you would like it to be, it might not be totally self-evident how to go about changing things.

So, here are some suggestions on how to use your imagination to make your life more interesting.

Imagine and visualise the biggest, boldest, and most over-the-top positive scenarios you can from time to time – it can help to make you more daring and outgoing in general

One of the great benefits of reading heroic fiction, and watching over the top and heroic films, is that it helps to put you in the mindset of imagining and visualising the seemingly impossible.

It’s a really good mental exercise, from time to time, to simply imagine and visualise the biggest, boldest, and most over-the-top positive scenarios you possibly can. This isn’t necessarily because you should try and achieve those things (although maybe you should), but because it can help to expand your sense of what’s possible, and what’s worth contemplating.

Even just having these powerful and uplifting images in your mind from time to time, can serve to make you indirectly more daring and outgoing, in general. Suffice to say, that will inevitably make your life more interesting.

Set yourself uplifting goals, and imagine things working out for you as well as they possibly can, to keep yourself optimistic and motivated

Setting yourself uplifting goals that you genuinely care about, and imagining things working out for you as well as they possibly can with regards those goals, can work wonders in driving up your baseline levels of optimism and motivation.

Whether you are interested in implementing an ambitious wine cellar design into your dream home, or whether you are simply looking to get into good shape, regularly imagining things working out for you – as you continue to strive towards your goals – can go a long way towards counteracting the common tendency to be overly nervous and pessimistic with regards to such things.

Life is naturally more interesting and exciting when you are optimistic and driven to keep moving forward towards lofty aims.

Imagine alternate ways you could have approached past scenarios, to give you insight into the possibilities available in future

We all have regrets from time to time, and find ourselves looking back on the way we handled particular situations with the uncomfortable sense that we’ve done a pretty bad job, all things considered.

Spend a bit of time imagining alternate ways you could have approached past scenarios, and the different outcomes that might have arisen as a result.

Not only can this make you more effective going forward, but it can also grant you some very interesting insights into your own behaviour patterns, and the potential you have to approach things differently.

The Coolest Neighborhoods in San Diego

San Diego is the second-largest city in all of California, and this makes it a diverse settlement with very different and interesting districts. There are places that are hip, places that are party-centric, and places that have more culture. San Diego has it all, but here are the best neighborhoods for tourists and locals to hang out in and explore. 

Little Italy 

Little Italy is now the cultural hub of Downtown San Diego and is famous for its excellent restaurants and authentic Mediterranean shops. Formerly a fishing village, it is now an area with a proud heritage, which can be seen in full at the bustling Mercato Market, that’s open every Saturday from 8am to 2pm. The area also hosts several Italian-themed festivals, which celebrate the unique personality and identity of the Italian people who live here. San Diego’s Little Italy is a bustling and welcoming neighborhood that is unlike any other in the entire city. 

Old Town 

The Old Town is an area of San Diego that is steeped in history and interest and is said to be the birthplace of California as it was the state’s first official settlement built back in 1769 by Spanish settlers. The area is littered with awesome museums, historic buildings, and exhibits, with the historic park being a particular highlight of the neighborhood. 

The area also contains a fantastic collection of preserved Victorian houses, as well as the apparently haunted Whaley House, which is a good destination for thrill-seekers and believers of the paranormal. Of course, the Old Town also has its modern charms, such as some delicious restaurants and the Barra Barra Saloon, home of the best $6 margarita in the entire town. 

Hillcrest

Hillcrest is a very significant location in San Diego as it is the most LGBTQ-friendly district in the entire city, and has been the site of the annual Pride parade since the 1970s. It’s a very accepting district with lots of cool events going on. There are brilliant food venues here too, including awesome bakeries, delicious restaurants, and the vibrant and colorful, Urban Mo’s, which can be described as a gay burger joint. The area is also the home of San Diego Zoo, where you can get up close and personal with some of the world’s most mesmerizing creatures. 

Pacific Beach 

Pacific beach is tucked away between La Jolla and Mission Beach and is a youthful and active oceanside neighborhood. It’s a stunning location within the city as it boasts spectacular coastlines as well as a buzzing nightlife scene, which is emphasized along the rambunctious Garnet Avenue. Here, you can get your groove on and party with a wide variety of locals who range from many of the city’s demographics that make it such a great and diverse place. The neighborhood is also home to the Crystal Pier Hotel, which takes the form of several charming bungalows that date back all the way to the 1930s. This hotel can be found on the pier and boasts amazing seaside views.

How to Best Look After Your Car

Cars need to be well looked after, otherwise, they could eventually fall into disarray. Neglecting your vehicle can quickly turn a quality automobile into a piece of junk, as it can rack up issues and costly faults over time, and not to mention how dirty and damaged the aesthetics can get if it’s not properly protected. 

Looking after your car does not have to be hard though, as all it takes to do so is a few jobs, everyone, once and a while to keep it in good condition. Here are a few ways on how to do that. 

Clean it Once a Month 

For a lot of people, their car is an extension of themselves, it represents you in some way, meaning those that see it can reveal the type of person you are. Having a scruffy and grubby car inside and out can be off-putting, not to mention that making sure it’s clean can also make it a lot more comfortable. 

When cleaning the interior, be sure to pick out any leftover takeout boxes, or bottles that might have been discarded in there, as well as vacuum the carpet and the cracks between the seats. For a deeper clean, you can also anti-bac the dashboard and polish it, providing it’s wooden. 

For the exterior, soap and water work just fine, but to help give it a nice shine and polished gleam, be sure to add some car wash fluid into your water solution. Scrubbing a car clean might be a little bit of work, but it’ll be worth it and turn it into a vehicle you can be proud of again. 

Shelter it in a Garage 

If you are lucky enough to have a home with a garage, then be sure to use that privilege and keep it stored in there when it’s not in use. A garage will protect your car from the elements, meaning it won’t be at risk from harmful weather which can damage the paint, as well as droppings from birds and other animals which can also cause harm.

For those that do not have a garage, there are other ways to keep it protected too. You can get a cover for your car, however, these are a bit of a hassle to put on each time you park up. A better solution is a bespoke portable garage, as these provide the same sturdiness of a brick shelter and can be erected anywhere. 

Care for Your Tires

Tires are one of the essential parts of the car, and if there’s a fault with them it can lead to issues such as instability, poor gas mileage, and the dangerous prospect of unreliable breaks. To help make sure that they’re in good condition, check their pressure at the start of every large drive, and if it needs a pump up, then do it because that will help prevent problems building up. 

It’s also a clever idea to rotate your tires every 7,500 miles, meaning that you should change them from one side to the other. This allows the tires to wear out more evenly, improving their longevity before you have to fork out for costly replacements.

Top Tips for Moving with Kids

 A lot of families decide to move to a new home for many reasons, such as having to relocate for work, the need for more space, or deciding that they’d rather raise their children in a different area. While this can be a positive experience, it can be challenging to get your kids excited about moving somewhere new. Sometimes they’re nervous about going to a new school or are worried they won’t like the house or make any new friends. If you’re planning to move your family to a new home but are concerned about how to make the process easy for you and the kids, here are some suggestions that might help. 

Reassure them

Firstly, make sure your kids feel reassured that this move is going to be a positive thing for them. If possible, try to take them to see the new property and explore the local area with them so it doesn’t seem as daunting or scary. The more familiar they can get with their new home and its surroundings, the more at ease they will feel. Encourage them to be as open and honest as possible about how they feel, too. This way if they have any questions or concerns, you can address them sooner rather than later. 

Turn packing into a game

No kid enjoys doing chores (does anyone?), and packing can be a long and boring task. To help your kids get excited and to pitch in with the packing, think of ways you can turn it into a game. For example, the first person to finished packing all of their toys wins a prize. Alternatively, you can make packing into a scavenger hunt, or use a points system for each item they box up. This will take their mind off anything they might feel uneasy about, and turn moving into a positive, fun experience for them. 

Hire help

This will make your life easier as an adult, and it will also help to keep the kids out of the way on moving day and avoid any accidents or injuries. Professional removal companies can help you quickly transfer your boxes and furniture from your old home to a van, and transport everything to your new home usually in one trip. This makes the move a lot quicker on the day and means you can move on to getting your kids settled in their new homes as soon as possible. You should be able to find a local removal company easily online by searching for ‘movers near me’.

Let them decorate their new room

Finally, a great way to make your kid feel more in control over the situation is by letting them decide how to decorate their new room. This will foster a better sense of ownership of their living space and is yet another fun activity they will associate with positive emotions. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to encourage their creative side by offering them a blank canvas to work with. 

Moving with kids can be a unique challenge, but by reassuring them and turning it into a happy, fun experience they will settle into their new home a lot quicker than you might think.

How to Enjoy Your Time in Isolation This Winter

This is likely to be a different kind of winter to what we’re used to. In ordinary times, we’re used to spending equal amounts of time inside and outside, with our commute into work continuing alongside a heavy social calendar of events, birthdays, and nights out. But, in today’s changing world, these events and occurrences are likely to be cut down somewhat, leaving us free to shape our winters as we see fit. Here are some ideas to help you enjoy your time in isolation at home this winter.

Find New Hobbies

A hobby or passion doesn’t necessarily have to take place outside of the home. In fact, there are hundreds of hobbies which you can do from your own living room, or even from your bed. These include writing poetry, painting winter scenes, sewing and creating clothing, and playing exciting games. There is no end to the imagination with which you can find and invent new hobbies - following your personal passions like never before this winter, as you’re gifted a little more free time to help you think about what you really want to do with your time.

Wellness and Self-Care

In today’s world, much of the focus is often on our bodies and our mental health. In this sense, we’re increasingly interested in our own wellbeing, and the self-care regimes that we can put in place in order to give ourselves the time and the space to relax, unwind, and make sense of the week’s events. You can find products to help you do this online - like soft lighting and bath products. You can buy full spectrum CBD oil online, flavored and infused, in order to bring peace and tranquility to your home. Why not set aside time to write a journal? It might help you get in touch with the person you really are deep inside. 

Setting Goals

For those who are more ambitious, it’s more likely you’ll be looking to new goals and opportunities. This is the perfect period of time to look into online courses and qualifications, new skills-building options, and that long-planned-for sideways move into a better position at a better place of work. Setting these types of goals will help make the time feel more productive than ever before. 

Time with Friends

You may be looking forward to a long period of relative isolation in your home this winter, but it’s worth recalling that many of your friends and family might be looking at this coming winter with a certain amount of trepidation and concern. And who can blame then? This winter is likely to be full of unexpected challenges and rewards. It’s another of your duties - and pleasures - to look out for your friends and family as the isolate with winter, ensuring you’re calling them and video conferencing with them enough to keep them ticking over happily in the coolest months of the year.

Enjoy winter 2020 with these simple tips to help make the most of your time inside.