7 Design Tweaks that Make Your Kitchen Feel Remodeled

Kitchen remodeling covers not only design but also ease of use. Having an improved kitchen look and arrangement will make your life easier, but this usually costs a lot. A renovation project can also be tiring and stressful since it involves lots of decision-making and investments for the long term. The good news is that there are some design tweaks that you can do to make your kitchen feel remodeled without the need to splurge.Continue reading

10 Tips to Remember When Purchasing Home Appliances

Purchasing home appliances can be pretty tricky because there is a ton of options to choose from. The brand, price, color, size, and functionalities are all basic conditions and criteria that can make you decide the best and most ideal item to get. Here are some tips to guide you in purchasing appliances in stores.Continue reading

The 6 Mistakes Couples Make When Booking Their Honeymoons

Planning a wedding can stress out even the most organized of people and the honeymoon is the much-needed relief from all of that. But most couples tend to give less attention in planning their honeymoon in favor of making sure everything else is perfect for the wedding, which is great but you still need to make sure you don’t do your honeymoon wrong. Here is a guide to at least help you be aware on the shoulds and shouldn’ts. These are some Not-To’s you need to take note of after you say the “I Do’s”.Continue reading

7 Tips for A Profitable Renovation

Making profit from renovation projects can be difficult but approaching it strategically can do you right. And since home renovation projects are getting mass attention, you need to be able to keep up with this area and deliver more than expected. Here are seven tips to help you in executing that renovation plans without fail.

Image source designlike.com

1. Identify your Target Market

This is one important factor you always have to consider because knowing your target market ensures you in getting the best possible price. You also need to understand your design range and how well you can execute the renovation property with your capabilities. Majority of the target market requesting for property renovation are families. You need to be able to cater to their concerns and needs.

2. Inspect the Property

Do a once-over of the property you will be renovating, most times there are houses that is need of termite control. Doing the inspection is a necessary pre-construction measure and by doing so can help you reevaluate the steps to make in terms of building back the infested area of the home.

Image source ppmt.ca

3. Plan your Renovation

Planning your renovation can help you put up a certain budget to cover all the cost of the property and all the necessary changes you are planning to make. Setting up a plan can help you grasp your initial idea for strategy on improvement and allows you to start there.

4. Stick with Your Budget

Not sticking with your planned budget can cause you headaches and cash flow issues. Remember, you are aiming for doubling the amount you received from the amount you spend. Firstly, you need to know where you’ll be spending the money and secondly, what is the best bang for your buck. This is where you’re thinking outside the box will be tested. Key is to be mindful on what you spend on.

Image source distrohome.com

5. Minimalist Design

Not saying you should be negligible in each design that it looks bare and dull. Make sure to give it depth and structure as an approach to a minimalist theme for the house. You would be surprised that simplicity can do wonders. It’s all in the matter of finding a proper balance of the interior. You don’t want to overcrowd anything that will result into spending most out of your budget only to end up with a messy and disorganize look. Going easy with the design could make a difference in terms of property value.

6. Build a Team

It is also advisable that you invest in competent and solid team of individuals. It can save you time and effort by having a good team to back you up and help you in achieving your goals for the project on time. With the right people on board, you can have that property improved and renovated in good quality.

7. Expansion of Space

Extra space and additional room can bring long-term added value to a property. If you’re planning on extension, make sure to never go small. What’s the point? Adding rooms is one way of creating more appeal and atmosphere to a home. Large families will definitely go for the type of property with plenty of available rooms.

In home renovation, you also gain experience by studying. By looking up on different aspects of interior renovation, it helps you gain a sense on what proper method to take into action and learn what you can improve.

Design for Young Couple Bedroom Design Ideas

Designing a stylish and expensive space can be a hard if you are a couple just starting out with career or having a challenging time making ends meet. Instead of purchasing designer pieces for your bedroom, there are other ways to make the ambiance and overall look and feel special. In this article, we will explore some great ideas and you don’t have to hire a professional interior designer to make your dreams come true this time.Continue reading

DIY Beauty: How to Make Perfumed Body Powder

DIY Beauty: How to Make Perfumed Body Powder

There are so many scents available in the market. However, there are really times when you just do not know which to choose to best match your personal preference. While some people go out more to find the most ideal perfume to satisfy them, others learn how to make their own perfumed body powder at the comforts of the home. In this article, we will list down steps on how to create a DIY perfumed body powder from things that can be found easily in your own kitchen.

The first step is quite critical since this will be the scent of the resulting perfumed body powder. Choose any light scent that works compatibly with your skin. Then, spray the cotton balls or cotton swab tips about 30 to 45 times. This will make sure that the scent will be totally absorbed by the cotton.

Some people do not want to waste their luxury fragrances to transform them into body powder. A good solution is to look for the same or similar scent that’s cheaper. DIY beauty does not have to be luxurious! Typically, many perfume business in the Philippines do offer a lot of more affordable alternatives to expensive and branded perfumes. Another option is to put drops of essential oils like rose, ylang-ylang or lavender on the cotton balls instead.

If you don’t want your furniture or things at home to be affected by the scent, standing over the sink or near an open window is the best position. The next step is to get an empty large glass jar or glass container with a tightly fitting lid. You can look for containers that are used in bathrooms for bath salts or powders or powder puffs. Note that the design does not matter in terms of selecting the jar, but the size should be at least the standard size of a pasta sauce jar which can hold 26 oz. Drop the soaked and highly fragrant cotton ball or swabs in the bottom of the container.

Moving on, get about two cups of pure, food-grade cornstarch. It will feel soft and silky. You can get this from the baking section in any grocery store. Pure cornstarch makes a great, economical body powder and eliminates the chemicals found usually in commercial powder. Fill the jar with the cornstarch on top of the cotton ball and close the lid securely. But be careful not to fill the jar completely to the top. Just leave about a quarter of the jar empty, screw on the lid, and shake it up vigorously. To keep yourself from being too bored, you may want to sing Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” while doing so.

Once done, the proper safekeeping is to put the jar of powder somewhere dark and cool. Shaking should be done once or twice a day for the succeeding three days. After two weeks of storage, you will get to enjoy the perfumed body powder mixture and you can even give it as a gift to a friend.

Conclusion:

We have just shared the easiest DIY beauty recipe to make your personalized perfumed body powder. With basic props and ingredients, you can turn cornstarch into perfume heaven! The good thing is that you do not have to spend a lot to follow the perfumed signature scent powder recipe. It is always cool to have a unique-smelling body powder that is all natural. The light, sheer, and velvety body powder will glide along your skin once applied, leaving the most wonderful scent that suits your taste best.

5 Signs You Are in the Wrong Relationship

5 Signs You Are in the Wrong Relationship

Relationships are hard work, and even the best ones require stubborn tenacity from both partners. However, not all relationships are meant to last. Some were never right from the beginning, while others have served their purpose and run their course. How can you tell if your relationship is worth fixing, or whether it is time to walk away? Here are 5 signs you are in the wrong relationship.

1. You are distracted/anxious/obsessive

If you and your mate just had a big fight, it is normal to have trouble concentrating on anything else for a bit. Having a good cry or taking a long walk are healthy ways of expressing your emotions before talking out the issues. In a good relationship though, you know that both of you are committed to working things out. This makes it easier to put difficulties in perspective and avoid ruminating on the drama of the moment.

If you are in the wrong relationship, you probably spend a great deal of time worrying about your relationship. You might obsessively replay conversations in your head, looking for hidden meanings, become fixated on something that one of you said, or even start to dread being with your partner for fear of having another fight. If the negative emotions outweigh the positive ones over a period of time, it might be time to move on.

2.You make excuses for your partner

When you are in the wrong relationship, your perceptions will likely become distorted. You might read hidden meanings into innocent statements or behaviours, while minimising the things that are more serious. A common reaction to a bad relationship is making excuses or justifying your partner’s behaviour. If you constantly find yourself thinking up reasons for him to come home late, or apologising to friends for her cancelling plans at the last minute, your relationship might not be right.

3. Your family and friends want you to quit

Occasional personality conflicts are inevitable, and everyone has a horror story about a relative’s partner that they simply cannot get along with. So don’t read too much into one or two people’s opinions. Overall though, the people who love you want you to be happy. If your friends and family express strong dislike for your partner, or concern for your emotional well-being, take them seriously.

4. Your self-esteem is taking a beating

Do you feel like you are always apologising for conflicts that happen in the relationship? Have you stopped enjoying your hobbies and interests? Do you wish there was a way to fix yourself? In a healthy relationship, both partners encourage each other to be the best they can be, but in a kind and loving way that demonstrates emotional support and genuine pride in each other’s successes. If your relationship is unhealthy, you might feel like you don’t have a voice. Constant criticism, even in the name of “teasing,” minimising your accomplishments, or making you feel like something is wrong with you are just a few of the ways that your partner might undermine your self-esteem.

5. You want out

We all have gut instincts that help us tell right from wrong. It can be tough to separate your actual instincts from the effects of fear and doubt, especially if you have been hurt before. So don’t pay too much attention to passing thoughts, particularly those that occur to you during heated moments. When your gut brain really feels something is wrong, it will let you know.

When your relationship is wrong, your mind will wander to doubts even in the quiet moments. Though everything seems fine on the surface, you might start thinking about past loves or wondering how it would feel to date someone new. You might also begin to ruminate on things that have happened during your relationship, such as hurtful verbal exchanges or behaviours you can’t quite explain. If you start to experience these thoughts, take some time to sit down and truthfully analyse your relationship. You might realize that you are ready to walk away.

Looking for verifiable information on the science of attraction and relationships? We’re a neuroscientist and a biological anthropologist eager to help you put the Anatomy of Love to work in your own life.

Keeping Divorce Costs Down

Keeping Divorce Costs Down

While many of us never intend to get divorced, unfortunately it’s true that many marriages do break down and there is no choice but to file for legal separation.

In fact, there are around 118,000 divorces every year in the UK, with almost half of these occurring in the first 10 years of marriage.

Despite this, a recent survey by Partnership has revealed that getting divorced is one of the biggest financial regrets in the UK. A survey of 40 – 70 year olds found that it was the 3^rd biggest financial regret (13%) behind not saving enough (36%) and not saving enough into a pension (25%).

What is interesting though, is that the number is lower for those aged between 40 and 50 (8%), but increases for those at pension age (16% between 50 and 70 years of age). The number of those who regret not paying into a pension also rises to 29% in retirement age, as people realise that they may not receive the expected amount from an annuity as they originally thought.

There is supposedly a rise in ‘silver divorces’ as couples retire and have to spend more time together than they are used to; cracks begin to show and the relationship can start to break down leading to divorce.

It is never worth staying in an unhappy marriage, for your own sanity more than anything else. With this in mind, we’ve looked at the ways in which you can keep your costs down as you go through divorce proceedings.

Choose a Specialist Lawyer

Always take your time when thinking about what lawyer to use; not only will emotions (either angry or upset) cloud your judgement, you’ll be able to figure out what sort of legal aid you require, what your options are, and what questions you need to ask. Also, changing your lawyer part way through will have major financial implications, as you’ll have to start the process again from scratch.

To keep costs to a minimum, be well prepared before any meetings or phone conversations. Wasting time asking things that you can find out beforehand will end up costing you more in the long run.

Listing your financial assets for example, can be a lengthy process so if you can figure this out on your own beforehand, it’s less time and money spent with a lawyer. Asking questions via email can also be more helpful, as it’s generally quicker and you have a paper trail of all correspondence too.

Seek Financial Advice

A tax specialist and financial planner will advise you of any tax implications, particularly if there’s a decent amount of money at stake. They’ll also provide you with tips for minimising any of the tax costs.

If there is a pension involved – either an existing annuity or funds in income drawdown – they will be able to advise you further on your available options.

Keep your Cool

It’s essential to keep your emotions in check when going through a divorce, as not doing so could lead to you making heated decisions that could have financial implications.

Many couples and up fighting over things that don’t really matter to them, purely out of principle (and, let’s face it: spite). Plus, the more you argue, the more money you’ll be spending on your lawyers.

It also always pays to settle out of court. A litigated divorce (when a judge gets involved) can be hugely expensive.

Try to come to an agreement with your ex without involving lawyers, and you’ll cut down the time (and cost) you spend with them.

7 Most Common Stereotypes about Frequent Business Travel

People hearing those professionals who frequently travel for business reasons have a lot of assumptions. These range from the hotel they are staying in, the leisure they are getting aside from the intended business purpose to the overall “vacation” experience. In this article, we will list down the seven most common stereotypes made about them.

1. Plenty of Time for Leisure

7 Most Common Stereotypes about Frequent Business Travel

Maybe you have friends posting on social media about their business trips. The backgrounds, if you notice, would mostly consist of the touristy places that everyone raves about in the country. Seeing these photos and status messages about famous landmarks makes one envious. However, this must not mean that the person traveling for business has a lot of time for leisure. In fact, there are only a handful of places that are visited while the remaining majority has to be spent working with clients or training with colleagues. The time designated for leisure and fun during these trips is so minimal that the person just could not help but share about “good times” before they are over.

2. Desire to Stay Longer

When visiting a foreign country, the tendency for regular travellers is to like the feeling and idea of wandering around the place so much so that they want to stay there for more. Some people would not want to leave anymore, especially in countries in Europe. However, the reality for frequent business travellers is that the feeling is quite the opposite. Since they are traveling for business or work, the place must evoke a sense of pressure and stress to them. The area of travel is much remembered as where they should accomplish all their tasks before coming home.

3. Dining in Five-star Restaurants

Meeting with clients and vendors may allow them to dine in at posh restaurants and hotels, but this is not happening all the time. Companies which send out people for business or work reasons often set a budget for travel. In most cases, the budget cannot be stretched out further to accommodate dining to fancy and high-star restaurants. Frequent business travellers would save money as they are given only a limited amount of it. Also, they would have to report their expenses as they go back. As long as they are able to feed themselves, a decent canteen or food court may do just fine.

4. Learning More Cultures

People may think that when hopping from one country to another, frequent business travellers learn more cultures of ethnicities and different nations. But this is not entirely true. Since most time is devoted to the real purpose of the trip which is either work or serious business, communicating with locals and sharing cultures is not the focus. With the finite time they are present, rubbing elbows with them during meeting may be their only chance to share some personal stuff about themselves.

5. Riding on Nice Cars

Many assume that business travellers ride on nice cars all the time to impress clients and business folks. Instead of riding taxicabs, renting private cars or hiring a driver or chaperone to guide them in the travel, frequent business travellers would have more experiences and ideas to get them to places on their own. Commuting via public transportation is most ideal.

6. Enjoying Airport Stay

7. Glamorous Shopping

People back home almost always expect their friend or family who are traveling even for business cause to get them unique things or souvenirs. Even if the traveler has gone to the country many times, they also feel guilty when returning to their home country without buying anything as a gift and remembrance. Frequent business travellers cannot afford to go glamorous shopping. Rather, these souvenir items are purchased mostly at the last minute—when they are in the airport or when they happen to stop by at a dainty shop before going to a meeting.

Conclusion:

Fancy dining, staying in at enormous and classy hotels and finding luxury are all common stereotypes that are linked to frequent business travellers. The reality is that with the limited budget they are provided with, they prefer to channel their resources to make themselves just safe and comfortable while in another place.

Author Bio:

Danielle Santiago is a freelance photographer with a marketing diploma. On her spare time, she enjoys reading the Russian Classics and Fitzgerald’s flapper girls. 3 Personality Tests testify that she is a sanguine spirit. This has enormously helped girls to be in total ease and comfort as they journey to find their inner and outer beauty with Danielle as their boudoir photographer. A little old fashioned, Danielle is a strong advocate of killing television and other virtual distractions – nothing beats a walk in the park! Follow her on Twitter and Google+.

Let your baby have your breasts for one year

A recent study by a team of Brazilian researchers has confirmed that babies breastfed by their mothers for up to a year have a higher Intelligent Quotient (IQ) than others, even up to adulthood.

Let your baby have your breasts for one year

The study was carried out on about 6,000 children in Pelotas, Brazil and the participants were followed up to their adulthood at the age of 30.

Information was gathered from about 3,500 participants who went through an IQ test and it was discovered that longer breast feeding resulted in higher intelligence, longer schooling and higher earnings.

An infant who had been breastfed for at least a year gained a full four IQ points (about a third of standard deviation above the average), and a higher income. EurekAlert, a global source for science news quoted Bernardo Lessa Horta, a doctor and lead author of the research, as saying one of the benefits of breast milk is the presence of long-chain saturated fatty acids (DHAs).

“The likely mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of breast milk on intelligence is the presence of long-chain saturated fatty acids (DHAs) found in breast milk, which are essential for brain development,” Horta said. “Our finding that predominant breastfeeding is positively related to IQ in adulthood also suggests that the amount of milk consumed plays a role.”

During the study, factors considered to determine the benefits of breast feeding include duration of breast feeding, family income at birth, parental schooling, genomic ancestry, maternal smoking during pregnancy and maternal age. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends up to six months of exclusive breastfeeding, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

Also, it recommends that the colostrum – the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy – is a perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.

The long-breastfeeding-for-babies campaign looks to be gaining increasing popularity among women.
During a personal interaction with two mothers who were on a visit to a first-time nursing mother, the two mothers both advised their counterpart to breast feed her baby for at least a year and the half, that is 18 months, saying that longer breast feeding would increase the child’s intelligence and academic performance.

Both gave examples of their own long breastfeeding regime and its role in the positive academic performances of their children.

Therefore, more women must know that it is not in their interest for their babies to have their breasts for anything less than a year.

Source:  http://www.thecable.ng