Saturday, October 14, 2017

Garage Ideas And Inspiration For Renovators

How do you want to feel when you open up your garage? How do you want to feel even before you’ve done that, and you’re simply gazing upon it just raring to open it up and enjoy what’s inside? The fact is, most people don’t feel the way they want to feel. They have a sense of dread because the garage is messy, and isn’t nearly organized enough. Not only that, it has no real purpose - is it a junk room? Is it a playroom for the kids? A garage gives a homeowner the opportunity to create another room that they can play with, so you need to make sure you’re taking advantage! 

Here are some garage ideas and inspiration for renovators - prepare to have your mind blown!

Go Minimal

The garage can actually be a minimally designed room where you store things without making a mess. Isn’t that incredible? Don’t use it as an excuse to store junk, like many people do. Get rid of the things you never ever use. Neatly tuck everything you want to keep away with hooks, cubbies, and storage bins. Think carefully about what you put in the garage, just as you would every other room in your home. You can even consider painting it a nice bright color so it doesn’t make you feel gloomy every time you open the door. Minimal could very well be the decor idea of choice for the modern garage! 


Go Monica

If you have a lot of stuff, you can’t go minimal. But you can go Monica. Now, if any of you are wondering what or who Monica is, we can only assume you’ve never watched the hilarious and legendary TV show ‘Friends.’ If you had, you’d know that Monica is a neat freak who loves nothing more than cleaning, organizing, and making sure that everything is in its right place - at all times. If you have lots of stuff, then find a way to organize it properly. You can find boxes and label them things like ‘Beach’, ‘wreaths’, ‘ornaments’, ‘camping’, ‘emergency’, and so on and so forth. 

Create Your Very Own Hobby Den

If you have a hobby or two that you like to spend time on, why not use the garage as an opportunity to create your very own hobby den? You could turn it into the perfect place to create wooden ornaments, items of jewelry, or any other craft you want to try your hand at. 

Make An Exciting Children’s Playroom

How about creating an exciting children’s playroom for your little ones? This could be the perfect place for them to go and use their imaginations (without messing up your home, might we add). You can paint the walls and make it fun and colorful. 

Put Together A Productive Home Office

Work from home permanently or occasionally? A productive home office could be the perfect use for your garage. Make it nice and bright so that you stay awake while you work, and include things like plants to give it a homey feel. 


Create An Awesome Exterior To Match

You must create an awesome exterior to match the interior of your garage. You need to start with the right garage, ensuring it’s a door fit for purpose. For example, a side hinged door if the room will get heavy foot traffic, recommend A-1 Door Company. You can visit the website for more inspiration on the right door. Keeping the outside of your garage clean is also important! 

Here are a few other ways you can create a better garage:

  • Make it super modern - some people have wooden and glass garages that look totally modern these days. 
  • Paint a mural - love art? Paint a mural inside and outside of your garage. 
  • Hide it away - cover your garage with winding plants and vines to create a cozy, hidden away feel.
Which of these ideas do you like the best?

Friday, October 13, 2017

Give Your Child A Head Start


Your child is your most precious possession. They’re one of the only things you’d do absolutely everything for, and give your all to. You’ll be there for them in their time of need, as will they be for you. You’ll help them through every stage of life and won’t stop until the time comes when they need to start caring for you. There are obvious things you need to do as they’re growing up, e.g. feeding, washing, roof over their head etc. But what can you do to make sure their future is bright as well? 

Read on to find out.

Maptime: How Moms Can Nap Away Insomnia

Okay, so you don’t have insomnia, but it feels like you do! Part of being a parent is enduring a lack sleep. But, what the “experts” don’t tell you is that late nights and early mornings don’t stop. Even when the kids are out of their baby phase, they want to sleep in bed with mommy and daddy. Or, they have nightmares and can’t get to sleep without a parent. A mother who has to endure this is going to be one tired mommy. Thankfully, it turns out you can nap your way back to full health. 


Here is what every mother should know.
  • The 30-Minute Limit
We all know about a power nap, yet most of us wake up feeling worse than before. Why? It’s because we break the 30-minute limit. Experts say that any time after half an hour is when the body goes into deep sleep. It is called REM sleep and it’s what you should aim for at night time. During the day, however, it will only make you feel groggy and more fatigued. A nap, if it is short, should last no longer than 30 minutes but 20 minutes is the optimal amount of time.
  • The Full Sleep Cycle
If you are feeling adventurous, there is the full sleep cycle which lasts for 90 minutes. Yes, the experts said the 30-minute sequence was the limit, but that was for a short nap. It is possible to take a long nap and not feel as tired when you awake. One hour and a half should allow you to enter into the Rapid Eye Movement phase and make up for lost sleep. Be warned, however, that it is only an option if you have 90 minutes to spare. Go over the 30-minute limit without lasting the full ninety and your body will suffer. 
  • Don’t Nap At All
Napping is an excellent way to boost your energy levels, but it isn’t the only option. If you need an eye opener (literally), you might be better to talk a walk. Walking in the sunshine or the wind and rain is a great way to kick the body into shape. The light levels, for example, tell the brain that it isn’t time to sleep, which in turn increases hormone production. Just changing the interior design pattern of the house is another option. Painting with colors which are less likely to make you want to sleep in the day could help you get to bedtime. 
  • Don’t Break The Routine
Everyone has a sleep cycle, otherwise known as a bedtime. Just because you had a nap during the day doesn’t mean you get to push back your bedtime. Why? It’s because a nap makes up for lost sleep. By going to bed later, you will negate the effects of your power nap. Plus, it will ruin your routine and knock your body clock out of sync. The side-effects will result in less sleep and extra tiredness. So, whether you have a nap or not, don’t go to bed any later. 

Remember - 30 minutes or 90 minutes if you have the time. But, no more, no less. 

A List Of Leg-Lengthening Lessons For Non-Leggy Ladies

Legs are a powerful tool in the arsenal of a woman’s look. If you don’t have the longest of limbs, then you might not think that this applies to you. However, that’s not strictly true. You deserve to have legs that look good as every super tall supermodel out there. A few tricks are going to help you do just that, too.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Tips For Going From Renting To Buying

The fact is that there are thousands of people in the country who rent rather than buying because buying can seem out of reach for many of us. That being said, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case, just because buying a home of your own can be expensive, that doesn’t mean that it is a dream that is out of reach. 

If you have always wanted a family home of your own, but so far have only been able to afford to rent, you may feel like buying a home of your own is something that is out of reach for you. However, the fact is that is not the case - your ability to buy a family home of your own all comes down to how you go about it. 

Bearing that in mind, below are some tips and pieces of advice for going from renting a home to buying one. For everything that you need to know to get a foot on the property ladder, read on.