How To Personalize Your Home

 They say home is where the heart is. As a result, you should find a way to showcase as much of your heart and the things you love in your home as possible. After all, this will help turn your home into your safe haven, a place where you can retreat after a busy or stressful day.

Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash

With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to personalize your home! 

DIY your decorations. DIY is more than just a method for tackling home improvement or maintenance tasks, it can also be a great way to add an extra personal touch to your home. For example, if you had a diy cnc router, you could use this to turn a regular old piece of wood into a coveted work of art, which you can proudly display in any room of your home. You could also use this to create bespoke furniture, such as a coffee table or desk. 

Make use of all the spaces available to you. Another way in which you can make sure your home caters to your every need is by ensuring you make the most of every space you have available to you. For example, if you are a bookworm,  instead of using your attic as a glorified (and rather dusty) storage unit, you could convert your attic into a reading room. This way you have the perfect cozy space to retreat to when you fancy entering another world for a few hours. Alternatively, if you work from home, you could turn this space into a stunning WFH station. 

Paint your walls a bright, bold color. Many home interior guides encourage homeowners to use neutral shades when painting their walls. This is because it allows your furniture to take center stage by acting as a blank canvas. However, as color impacts our emotions and behaviors, featuring your favorite colors in your home (no matter how bright or bold) can truly transform your home and how you feel when spending time there. 

Reupholster your furniture. Learning how to reupholster furniture such as sofas and chairs is another great way to add a more personal touch to your home, without having to buy new furniture outright. It can also be a great way to breathe life into older furniture items, making them look good as new. Try to keep an eye out for bright, bold, or eye-catching fabrics you can use to achieve this goal.

Create a photo wall. Personalized crafts are a great way to spruce up your home. As a result, creating a photo wall is always a great idea. This way you can look back on some of your favorite memories, from vacations to wedding ceremonies every single day. This will not only brighten up any room in the home but can also contribute significantly to your happiness as “photos remind us of people, pets, places, and activities that we love as well as remembering the past. This has been shown to reduce our stress and enhance our mood and overall wellbeing”. There are many ways in which you can create a dynamic photo wall. For example, you could use a variety of different print mediums, from framed photographs to canvases. Alternatively, you could choose a theme for your photo wall, such as black and white images. 

Paint the front door. Home makeovers should include both the interior and exterior of your property, especially if you want to make a real difference. As a result, you could add an extra personal touch to your home by repainting the front door and window frames. Again, do not feel as though you have to choose a plain, neutral color for your door (even if other homeowners on your street have gone down this route). A splash of color will help your home appear bright and inviting! However, you must ensure that you invest in quality, durable paint so that it does not fade quickly or require regular topping-up. 

Paint a Canvas. Hanging art in your home is not only an excellent way to brighten up a dull, blank wall, but it can also trigger creativity and decrease stress. You could take this to the next level by painting your own canvases instead of buying some. This will save you a great deal of money, and will also work to ensure that you have a unique piece of artwork to display in your home. Furthermore, this could be a fun activity that the whole family can partake in, and who knows,  maybe you have a budding Picasso in the family! 

Advice For Upgrading Your WFH Station In 2022

 The past two years have caused major changes in all parts of our lives, from day-to-day issues like mask wearing and social distancing, to larger changes such as not being able to go on holidays or see all your family. 

But, one of the biggest changes to our lives seems to be one which people seem quite happy to continue with and that is working from home. As more and more people have been working from home, many have discovered that they prefer to work from home rather than commute into an office.

For many workers who are working from home, their work from home set ups isn’t ideal. Due to the short notice behind from work from home, lot’s of workers have impromptu work stations set up in their home. 

So as we’re approaching 2022, lots of people see the perfect opportunity to upgrade their work from home set up, whether changing their home office décor for a nicer work environment or making practical changes to be more comfortable and productive. So, let’s find out some ways you can upgrade your work from home set up for 2022!

Have A Work Only Room If Possible

First things first, with so many impromptu work from home stations set up in living rooms and kitchens, we have to acknowledge that this isn’t ideal. Spending all day working in an area of your home then having to relax in that same room can have negative effects on your productivity and mental health.

So, if it’s possible, you should look at relocating your work from home station into a room dedicated just for work. While not everyone has this luxury, if you have a guest room or other room going unused you should use that exclusively for your working, allowing you to separate your personal time from working time easier and not face distractions at work.

Buy A Proper Desk & Office Chair

Again, as most of us started working from home we didn’t have much time to prepare which has lead many people to use their dining tables, sofas and beds as an impromptu office space. While this is okay for a few days or weeks of working, none of these spaces are designed for work and can lead you to develop issues with your posture and be more susceptible to RSIs.

So getting a proper desk and office chair should be a priority, your spine will thank you! With a proper ergonomic set up, you won’t be having back pain after spending a day at your PC and when you’re more comfortable at work, you are in turn more happy as you aren’t dealing with the physical impacts of a poor work station.

Get A Smart Speaker Assistant

Smart speakers have been all the rage for the past few years now for personal use at home, but did you also know that they make handy personal assistants for office work too? Smart speaker devices like Google Assistant or Amazon Echo Dot can be used as a great way to streamline your work days.

With a smart speaker you can set up your work calendar or schedule, allowing it to notify you of upcoming meetings or calls; control other devices allowing you to use them without leaving your desk; give you work alerts, notify you of emails and even assist in making calls. Of course with a smart speaker you also get all the usual functionality like being able to play music or the news whilst working.

If You Must Clean out Your House in The Winter, Read This

 

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Decluttering in winter sounds like the craziest idea anyone could have. However, it actually is the best time of the year after fall. For some reason, there’s a huge hype about spring cleaning. You don’t have to clean out your house in spring because it’s a traditional time to do so. Moreover, junk removal services like Jiffy Junk are often completely booked in spring. If you did your decluttering in spring, you’ll likely end up on a waiting list. Take advantage of the cold season and be already all set and done when spring comes around.

Perfect Time To Organize Seasonal Items

Now that summer is over all of your garden furniture is probably back in the garage or the basement. But those aren’t the only items in your home you’re only using on a seasonal basis. Take your wardrobe, for example. Not only do we usually not wear 80 % of the clothes we have. Almost half of our clothes are seasonal items. No one wears a thick jumper in summer. As you’re organizing your home bit by bit, it’s the perfect opportunity to arrange seasonal items. Anything you find of no further use for you might be just the right gift for someone else. You could sell or donate unwanted items. It’s the season of giving after all and you could make a couple of poorer people happy. 

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Create a Stress-Free Zone

Especially during the winter season, people are more likely to be stressed out. On the one hand, there’s all the planning for the holidays. On the other hand, the darker season of the year can bring about low moods. As a matter of fact, clutter can contribute to depression and other stress-related mood swings.

The more you have, the likelier you may experience symptoms of stress. It even affects your sleep to have lots of clutter accumulated. Researchers found that if you lots of clutter piles, your brain can’t switch off during the night. Piles of clutter give you a sensation of an unfinished To-Do-List.

You can actively keep stress at bay as soon you take care of all the clutter in your home. Do a thorough junk removal to make you feel more relaxed in winter.

Everyone Can Help

Given the fact that life happens mainly indoors in winter, the whole family can help with the decluttering process. Surely, your children will run outside into the garden and play in the snow, but they are unlikely to spend the entire day outside. Neither is there a lot of BBQs or pool parties happening. 

Everyone automatically has more time. The more you are to tackle junk removal from your entire home, the sooner you’re done. It’s best if every family member tackles his own area. You won’t end up with someone crying because you did away with your child’s sentimental value. Turn the process into a contest. Whoever is done first with his area gets to decide what’s for dinner or ice cream. 

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How to Best Clean Out Your House in The Winter

Now all of that being said, you’ll only need a plan to start with junk removal. You don’t build a house without a blueprint. Each project requires organization.

1. Set yourself a goal

If you started junk removal of your home but had no time frame, you may never finish it. Therefore start with setting yourself a goal until when you’d prefer to be done with it. As a rule of thumb, it’s always best to plan as long ahead as possible. The more you have to go through, the more time you will require. It might not be a good idea to decide to clean out your home a week before Christmas. Considering all the holiday preparations you’d end up adding more stress to your plate. 

2. Do one room after another

You can’t do junk removal in all rooms at once. Tackle one room after another and split those rooms up into four parts. It provides you with manageable chunks and won’t overwhelm you. Take care of smaller rooms or those where you know you don’t have much to go through first. Leave larger rooms with lots of stuff for a day when you’ve got more time. Don’t do those in a week you know you’ll be very busy. 

3. Take out the garbage first

The easiest approach to junk removal from each room is to take out the obvious garbage first. Take a bin bag and stuff it with any garbage you find on the spot. Sweet wrappers, empty bags of chips, old papers, and notes can go without being looked at. Once the superficial garbage is out of the way, you’ve got more space to organize each area. If this is a much bigger job than you anticipated, you can look towards a company that offers skip bin hire sydney, or skip bin hire near you, so you have some assistance with excess waste! 

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4. Take three boxes

Next, you best take three boxes when you tackle each area of a room. One box is for things to keep, one for selling or donating, and the latter for junk to toss. Don’t forget to also sort seasonal items in this method. You may want to keep winter clothes and seasonal decorations. But chances are, you’ve already not used some of those items last year. If you haven’t used it last year you’re unlikely to use it again. Only keep clothes and decorations you truly love. Throw anything else out. Also, throw out anything you’ve got doubles of. No one needs several baking tins with the same mold. Don’t forget to also check rags and furniture.

And Finally, Arrange The Junk Removal

At best you’d arrange a garage sale with items you could sell, but winter is probably not the best season for garage sales. You could try to sell unwanted items online though. Since the winter weather can make 

it’s hard to bring donations to a charity, you might want to rely on a junk removal service. You’ll need to schedule a collection for your unwanted items anyway. Most junk removal services have partnered with charities. They will bring any items from a collection that are still in good shape directly to a charity. Two birds, one stone, and the most convenient way to perform a junk removal. 

Mom Life on the Run

When I was pregnant with my first child, I envisioned having a real life doll baby. I had this fun little notion about how perfect everything would be. You couldn't have burst my bubble if you tried. Some lessons, like babies being messy, are lessons that you have to live and learn. 

With my second baby, I was back at it with the ideas again. I had notions of matching outfits and coordinated activities and perfectly decorated bedrooms. HA! I sure am a funny lady. This post has been sponsored by Oxiclean. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Motherhood has had lots of interesting moments. From the sweet ones that make you tear up a little, to the ridiculous ones (hello, who wrote on the side of the house with permanent markers?!) to the ones that are just downright messy, like ice cream on a hot day. One thing I know for sure is that mess happens when you are a mom and there is only one thing you can do, jump in and clean it up. That's why I like to keep a OxiClean on the Go Stain Remover Pen on my person. These come in so handy for life with kids! If we are out to dinner, no dribble destroys the day. We can go anywhere and face anything with a oxiclean stain remover pen!

While these are small, they have so much power within. I have used them for so many stains. From ice cream to ketchup. I even used them to take dirty foot prints out of new shoes. Like I said, as a mom, I know messes will happen. And now I can roll with whatever happens while saving time and money.  You can pick up a 3 pack from retailers like Meijer, Walmart or Amazon starting at $7.

Keeping Home Smelling Fresh

 If you have a garbage disposal at home, you know that while they are convenient to have, they can also be STINKY! There is nothing quite like walking past and smelling that odor. It can stop you in your tracks and send you scrambling to find a solution. If you are anything like me, you have tried it all. A sprinkle of baking soda, a lemon peel, and more. But, that smell seems to come back like a bad penny. What can you do about it? Take out the disposal and deal with food scraps? 

Thankfully we are not there yet! Arm & Hammer has solutions for smelly garbage disposals! This post has been sponosored, but all opinions are my own. My go to is the Arm & Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaner.  These little pods are so easy to use and they make such a difference in the way my home smells! I no longer stress over if y guests are going to get a whiff of the sink and know things will smell as fresh as they would without the disposal.

Garbage disposal cleaning sounds treacherous doesn't it? Well, trust me, these little pods do all the work! All you need to do is open the package and pop one in. Like magic your disposal will be as fresh as can be with the cleaning power of citrus and baking soda. 

These are perfect for busy people who want a fresh and inviting home, free of lingering odors. Get a pack from retailers  like Amazon or Lowe's for about $9 a pack.

How to Keep Your Home in Top Condition

Your home is your castle, your sanctuary, and because of that, you should do everything you can to make sure it is in the best condition possible. Few things make a home more uncomfortable to live in than nagging faults, not to mention that leaving these faults unchecked can cost you in the future when it’s time to sell.

Much like servicing a car, it is important to complete frequent maintenance tasks on your home. However, the difficulty with that is knowing what to look for. Read on for a guide on what to do to keep your home in good order.

Change out HVAC filters monthly

Your HVAC filters, used in your home’s heating, ventilation, or cooling system, collect impurities in the air to improve the air quality in your home. Due to this, these can get really dirty pretty quickly, especially if you are a bigger family with pets.

If you’re living on your own, then you can get away with replacing these every few months, but it’s always worth inspecting them frequently just to be sure. It’s also a good rule of thumb to get cheaper filters instead of more expensive ones, as this will save you money, considering you’re going to be replacing them frequently regardless of quality.

Look after your home’s financial health

Keeping track of your home’s finances is just as important as looking after it physically. This is because staying on top of these finances can help you pay off your mortgage quicker, giving you better peace of mind. Taking stock of your monthly repayments, and budgeting around them can be really beneficial as this can help you avoid costly debts piling up, which would be a slippery slope and could force you to foreclose your home if these debts get too unmanageable.

Test smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors

These alarms and detectors are vital for your safety, so it’s important to test them at least quarterly to ensure that they’re working properly. Testing fire alarms should be simple, as most have a test button. If the alarm sounds, then you’re good, but if not you may have to change the batteries. If it still doesn’t work with new batteries, clean the battery terminal, as corrosion may be interfering with the connection. If it’s still not working, then you’ll need to replace the whole unit. It’s also worth replacing a fire alarm every 10 years, regardless of whether it’s working or not.

Vacuum your refrigerator coils

This task should be done at least twice a year, and is a good way to make sure one of your most important home appliances is working correctly. The coils can gather dust and other yucky substances over time, making them perform less efficiently, resulting in higher energy consumption to keep your produce chilled. Cleaning coils can

Deep clean your home

Allocating a couple of days a year to give your home a really good clean can really help it stay clean and in top condition. This type of clean is really intense, as you focus on appliances, windows, and dusting everywhere, basically focusing on areas of your house that you skip when you clean regularly. By doing this and not letting grime build up over the years you will maintain your home in top condition.

7 Helpful Hacks That Speed Up Cleaning Your Car

Whose car remains in pristine condition day in and out with the kids and pets? Cleaning your car is probably not something you enjoy regularly doing. While you can’t and shouldn’t skip car maintenance, viable shortcuts make this task less tedious and time-consuming.

Go over these hacks, some of which take a break from the traditional methods but still provide the same results: a clean, fresh-smelling car. Applying these tricks may save you from deep-cleaning your vehicle or at least give you a good head start if it comes to that.

Depreciation Is Real

Your brand-new car depreciates the moment it leaves the premises of the dealership. There are other factors involved in depreciation that can vary by car model. One way to combat this car-value killer is to keep your car well-maintained, according to the AAA.

And the preliminaries to your cleaning project include giving your car a good bath using the appropriate soap to protect its finish. Once you are done with the exterior, work on the inside of the car with the dashboard, vents, and pockets as the starting point. Then vacuum all that’s collected on the carpet.

Additional tricks are here.

Keep Your Seats Covered and Clean

Car seats are a magnet to dust, oil, sweat, grime, dirt, human hair, animal fur, and dirty feet. Seat covers are thus created to be the first line of defense from these invaders. To clean these seat covers, vacuum, spray the appropriate conditioner or cleaner to the fabric, wipe, and dry. Find a NYC Cleaning Service that can handle your car care as well as your home.

Clear Your Glass Surfaces

What’s a quick way to clean your windshield, windows, and mirrors and lose the streaks? Scrub these glass surfaces with a magic eraser or a similar product made of melamine foam and the cleaner of your choice. This process applies to the glass’s interior and exterior. You can also use a sealant on your windshield to keep water from seeping through the gaps.

Spray, Don’t Scratch, Bug Residues

Bug stains, splatters, and residues are not a sight to see on your car’s body. Don’t scratch the surface, or you’ll damage your car paint. Instead, get your can of canola oil or other types of cooking spray, and apply it to the affected area. Then wipe the area with a microfiber cloth. To finish it off, wash the area with soap and water.

A Trash Can Does It

Always have a trash can with a recycled or old plastic bag. You can dispose of the garbage easily and immediately. Keep your portable garbage bin small so you can empty it as soon as it fills. Don’t wait for clutter to invade your car space and make it harder for you to clean your car next time.

Wet Wipes Are Handy

Wet wipes are your ally from spills, sticky hands from Cheetos, drips from grease and pizza sauce, or dirty surfaces. These wipes are only for those little accidents or quick cleanups. Food can stain your carpet, so you need to act fast and come up with long-term solutions.

Invest in Heavy-Duty Mats

Food stains, as mentioned earlier, are your carpet’s foes alongside mud, sand, water, and snow. You can routinely remove your mats and clean them. Better yet, buy floor mat liners that are custom-fitted so they don’t move around and can contain those messes from getting through your car floor. WeatherTech nonslip floor mats, for example, have rubber surfaces that are easy to clean with a hose or a soak in the tub.

Freshen Up the Air

Car fresheners can serve a dual purpose: to neutralize the smell and to calm your mind and body. Take your pick from various aromatherapy pouches, sprays, and fresheners that you can make at home. You can also buy them directly from sellers of essential oil and natural plant dehumidifiers. These tricks combine painless, quick, DIY, and tried-and-tested commercial products.

What’s the best car cleaning hack you’ve discovered? Come clean in the comments section.

Making Motherhood Less Messy With Dyson

I was compensated to write this feature with a sample from the manufacturer. 

As a busy mom of 2 kids, 2 dogs, a cat and a few small animals, let me tell you that life can get busy and messy! Having the right tools on hand to clean up all of the aftermath of family life is important to me because it makes the job easier and it helps me to stay stress free.

We are a crafting family so, scraps, sprinkles and sparkles are frequently an issue to contend with. Not to mention general dirt, ever present pet hair and kid schmutz.

My husband often comments that in my hands, a vacuum stands no chance at survival. I will work it to death in record time. He isn't joking either. With a herd of goblins in tow, things get out of control fast here. My vacuum is put to work 2 times a day, at least!

The number of vacuums I have worked to death over the years is at about 10. With a track record like that and knowing in my heart, if it can suck up dirt, I will push it to the cleaning limits, I am a hard sell on any vacuum retailing at over $200.

Then I got to try the Dyson Animal Ball. This vacuum is priced much higher than my cut off of $200. I had never used a Dyson, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this unit. I know this is the brand my peers all cheer for so it had a point in its favor with me.

The vacuum was easy to assemble. My husband had it together in a few minutes time. He reported the instructions were easy to follow.

When I turned it on to start my daily cleaning, I was immediately taken by the power of this unit. This vacuum really sucks. And it sucks up dirt you didn't know was there, left behind by my old vacuum! Pet hair? Where? I can't find any on my floors after running this.

It is easy to clean with, easy to empty and has a whole lot of power. No matter how much dirt the family tracks in, they can rest assured I am nearby with my Dyson Animal Ball in hand.

I tested this unit for a full 4 months. I wanted to form a complete opinion on how it preformed compared to the cost. First, the vacuum looks good. The purple color is appealing. The canister is easy to see, making it obvious when to empty.

The unit has a lot of power. It really sucks up well, but I have found that on occasion I need to release hair and small debris that might become lodged inside the vacuum. This has been easy enough to do, but is a problem I haven't encountered with other vacuums. I love how much hair and dirt it can suck up quickly, making cleaning time less time consuming for me.

I like the lightweight features of the Dyson Animal Ball. It is easy to push and carry as needed. It is compact enough to easily store in a small closet when not in use, which is another bonus for me.

Overall, I liked this vacuum very much. It is one of the best ones I have used in terms of cleaning power and durability. I think it is well worth the price and would happily recommend the Dyson Animal Ball to other parents looking to make clean up time a breeze!