Making Your Guest Bedroom Feel Homely

Is the guest bedroom in your home at all homely? Is it a room that you would sleep night in, night out? No? Well, why not! You never know when you're going to have to put a friend or family member of yours up for the night, and when that time comes do you really want them to be uncomfortable? No, you don’t, so make sure you take the advice below in order to make your guest bedroom feel as homely as it can.

Focus on the bed

The bed is the focal point of any bedroom, be it a guest bedroom or not. In fact, the bed is the whole reason the bedroom is a bedroom! So, make sure you focus on your bed when you come to making your guest bedroom feel homely.

Shakespeare may have famously left his dear old wife, Anne Hathaway, his ‘second-best bed’ in his will, but you need not settle for second best when it comes to the one found in your guest bedroom. No, your guest bed can be the best — the very best, in fact — if you just put some effort into finding it; when it comes to doing this, make sure to head to whatsthebestbed.org in order to find comprehensive information on the best beds and mattresses out there on the market today. Specifically, you should look for a mattress that comes patterned with layer technology as this will provide your guests with a comfortable night sleep in which their pressure points are tended to and they have kept the right temperature the whole night long.

And, whilst you’re at it, make sure your bed linens are always fresh and always guest ready!

Keep the room clean and clutter free

It can be tempting to clutter up our guest bedroom, especially if it is not used all that often, but if you want to make it homely you simply cannot do this. Simply, you must live by the mantra that less is more in this case — the more space there is in there, the more welcoming, comfortable and homely it will feel. 

In fact, you could even go as far as to embrace a minimalist design in your guest bedroom if it is especially small or prone to clutter.

Make sure the room has good lighting

Guests of yours aren’t going to feel at home in your guest bedroom if there is no light for them to read by, so make sure there is good lighting in there! And, this means doing more than just changing your lightbulbs — this means making sure that there is a way for your guests to control the lighting system from the bed that they sleep in. Whether this means having light switches fitted near the bed or placing an extra lamp on the bedside table (or as close to the bed as comfortably and as practically as possible), just make sure you do it as you don’t want to have to force your guests to have to stumble around in the dark!

Once you have made you guest bedroom feel as homely as possible, why not think about renting the room out? This could be a long-term renting solution by putting up a lodger who is, say, studying at a local university for a term or two. Or, this could simply mean allowing people who are holidaying or traveling to stay at your property for a few days or even a few weeks at a time. By doing these things you stand to make a heap of extra cash and you may even make the money back that you invested into making your guest bedroom feel homely in the first place.

Once you’re done improving your guest bedroom, why not move across the landing and into your bathroom in order to give that room a much-needed improvement?

Designing A Simple But Stunning Bathroom

When decorating an essential part of the house it can be pricey, so the aim is to decorate in a way that will stand the test of time. Rooms like the lounge and bedroom can be wholly re-imagined through a lick of paint. And even the furniture can easily be replaced compared to places like the kitchen and bathroom - where the appliances need fitting for you and aren't as simple as picking it up and popping in a new flat-pack bathtub. But as everyone has their own version of what looks good, creating a timeless look can be subjective. The best way to do it is to choose your influences carefully and keep it simple. 

Color 

Most bathrooms tend to be the smallest room in the house, so using light colours is always the way forward. You can team white with blue for a classic nautical theme, introduce black or charcoal for a more masculine feel, or accents of gold for a polished look. If you choose to use colour, keep it minimal and never choose a coloured bath suite - that avocado green toilet that your grandparents had will never come back in style. 

Tiles 

Tiles are extremely common in bathrooms and are a great idea to team with painted walls. If you are introducing colour with your pipes, then only tile a select area rather than the whole room - the best place is, ideally, where the wall is most likely to be splashed. You can contrast your tiles by having white on the walls and then black or charcoal on the floor. Or you can go vintage with Victorian-inspired blue patterns or black and white checked. Alternatively, you can replicate a tiled floor with well fitting lino which can be a lot easier to maintain. 

Shower Curtain/Divider 

Shower curtains are a classic aspect of the bathroom, mainly if you have your shower installed over the bathtub. But you do have the option of choosing between a glass divider or country shower curtains. If you have a classic claw-footed bath, then a divider won't really work with the tub or the aesthetic. Also, think of the space you have, a curtain can tuck away nicely, where a divider needs to be able to swing out or have the ability to be fixed in place, meaning that you need access to the other half of the bath with entering and exit. You might consider in a small bathroom getting rid of the tub altogether and installing a standing shower instead. 

Lighting 

When you think about an outdated bathroom, you think of cheap strip lighting or mounted wall lights, which don't do much to lighten the room. And with a small room, you want to create the illusion of space as much as possible. Plus, if you use the mirror for applying makeup or shaving, you need good lighting to get it right. Use spotlights embedded into the ceiling and position one directly above your mirror. You can even use a dimmer or use two circuits to dim the room for relaxing baths. 

Metal

Keep it stainless steel. The crisp silver finishes have been a classic part of bathrooms for years and will be for years to come. Taps, showers, flush levers, when matching, create a consistent finish to the room. It also matches the silver tone of the mirror which is a stable part of any bathroom. 

Athena: The Milk That Understands Women

We are what we eat. And it's true, a healthy diet is crucial to become the best version of ourselves. We all know this but are we all eating healthy? 

With the fast-paced living nowadays, almost everything has become instant, even the food we eat, it may satisfy our hunger or craving but it compromises our nutritional status.

Women like us, who are always on the go, seek to strike a balance between work and personal time to be able to enjoy life to the fullest. That is why we need to stay fit and attractive, to look good and feel good whenever we can. 

Athena comes in two flavors – Milk (180 grams – Php 130.00; 400 grams – Php 273.00) and Choco (180 grams – Php 130.00)

We have unique needs that only women like us truly understand. And to keep us healthy, there's no other milk understands women better other than Athena.

Athena is specially formulated to meet our special nutritional needs. It contains:

High Calcium essential for optimum bone health. 

It is also a source of Vitamins D and K, Magnesium and Phosphorus – nutrients to help maintain strong bones 

Low in Fat so you can enjoy this beverage without the risk of high caloric intake 

Source of Anti-oxidants such as Vitamins A & E and Zinc to help maintain healthy skin and promote optimum immune function. 

Athena, a delicious beverage made just for us. Drink Athena today! It’s available online at www.athena.com.ph and in-store at Mercury Drugstore, Watsons, and Southstar.

Crave Healthy: A Nutritious and Delicious Snack for Pregnant Women

I've always had a big appetite and I am not a picky eater at all. I would munch on anything, as long as it's edible of course! I was also like this when I was pregnant. I've only had a short episode of pregnancy cravings. I would still eat a lot, except food that is not suitable for pregnant women. But admit it, even though pregnant, we still crave for some foods that are not-so-healthy such as chips or junk foods. We love our baby but we just can't resist the temptation sometimes, right? or is it just me? Hahaha!

So, are you an expectant mom who has a big appetite and is looking for options to snack on or is craving for some chips?

Look no further, introducing Crave Healthy! It is the first snack product in the Philippines that is specifically designed for the pregnant woman by doctors and nutritionists. 

A pack of Crave is worth Php 25.00 at 30 grams each

It’s NUTRITIOUS because it contains essential nutrients – Folic Acid, Iron, and Calcium that are critical for both the mom and the growing baby. It also has reduced salt and just the right amount of calories that give pregnant women that extra energy she needs daily. 

It’s DELICIOUS because it tastes just like her regular snack. Crave Healthy is currently available in Sweet Corn flavor and does not have any aftertaste of nutrient fortifications. It helps support the nutritional needs of pregnant women and the developing fetus. 

Now you can have chips without the guilt! What a healthy way to satisfy hunger and food cravings of pregnant women.

Crave is available online at www.cravehealthysnacks.com, select Med Express branches, and select Robinsons Supermarket outlets.

Out With The Old And In With The New Fashionable You

Beat the January blues and fulfill those New Year's resolutions by becoming the best version of yourself. Nothing raises your self-esteem more and establishes the new you like a new wardrobe. It's time to clear out the old closet. So rip open some bin bags and start filling them with the rags you no longer wear. A clean wardrobe is a clean conscious. You'll feel so much more free for choosing an organized minimalistic option and that doesn't mean you have to be boring either. You can still let your personality shine through with a few signature pieces. 

Footwear

Let's start at the bottom. Do you really need all of those shoes? Throwing them away to make space is going to be hard but rest assured you can always buy new ones. A great way of saving money is to auction and sell your treasured heels online. Instead of hoarding them away in your closet why not give them a new lease of life on another pair of feet and make yourself a tidy profit in the process. 

Accessories 

You don't have to go overboard and buy tonnes of new items. Often the older the piece the better and you can wear it in a shabby chic style. So it's well worth holding onto to all of your little trinkets. If you weren't gifted this year with any new items though you may want to go out and treat yourself. Roma Designer Jewelry offers a whole range of items that will be sure to dazzle. 

Clothing 

Having too much clothing could be costing you a fortune. Not only from buying it in the first place but also the cost of keeping it all clean. If you have children then it's time to lead by example. Washing ten pairs of socks for them to sit in a drawer isn't a smart option especially if you're short on space. A great way of getting rid of clothing you don't need or use is to put all of your clothes two separate bags. Divide it up into categories of what you wear daily and what you almost never wear. If you find clothing in the latter bag for more than a month then it's time to get rid of it. Treat yourself to some well fitted comfortable clothes that make you feel amazing and when you update your wardrobe next get rid of them again. Donating what you don't use to charity shops is an admirable thing to do. 

Outerwear 

One jacket or coat will do you. Two at most, keeping one good for special occasions. Find yourself a durable coat that can brave the weather and fulfill its primary function of keeping you dry and warm. You can use that second coat purely for the aesthetic purposes of looking fantastic. 

It will be difficult at first deciding what to keep and what to throw away but once you get into it there will be no stopping you. You'll be saving so much time in the future when you're not wasting energy trawling through old clothes for a clean top.