ABC’s of Fine Design

I have a great tip to help you live longer and love your home more, get a plant. Not a fake plant that is not going to do anything but sit there and collect dust, but a real live plant. Why? Well plants not only help add to the design and decor of your home, but they have many health benefits, they create fresh clean oxygen for your home so when it’s all closed up you still get good clean air.

They can also help to make a teen more responsible without having to get them an animal. A classmate of mine pointed this out to me. Her mom got her a plant before letter her get a kitten, she took very good care of the plant so she was able to get her kitten. Her sister on the other hand did not take good care of her plant and was not able to get the car she wanted until she was 18.

Back to home and health benefits. Having a plant in your home makes you feel better, you will work better be less stressed and feel more comfortable in your home. There are many reasons for this but the big one is that we like the outdoors, even if we don’t think we do. We like plants just not bugs, trust me it’s true.

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Now that it has been a couple of weeks since you made that new years resolution to lose weight I have one question for you, are you doing it? One reason that you may not be as excited about losing the weight is that you don’t feel comfortable where you work out.

If you have a home based gym I have a few great ideas for you that will make the room scream come in and play! It will also answer that dang question of where to put that dang elliptical.

My first tip is simple, paint the room one of two types of colors. Bright and exciting or calm and relaxing. It really depends on how you want to use the room. If you using it for both relaxation and as a heavy workout area think about using both colors. Stick to the same color but different shades and you should be fine. Paint one wall the bright color and the opposite the calm color, keep the other two walls a neutral. Set up your equipment so that you are facing the correct wall for what you want to to. If you need energy for that tread mill set it so you face the bright wall. If you need a calm place to meditate or do yoga seat yourself facing the calm color wall.

Another thing is put a TV in your workout room. Watch your favorite movie or music videos while you work out. Using a radio or mp3 player can help too.

Bring in plants, they make the room more inviting and help clean the air. This could just make it easier on your body as it will have fresh air to work with.

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One of the hardest things for people to do is organize anything. Some people have a knack for it, but most do not. So what are some things that you can to to keep yourself from living in a zoo like environment?

One way is to go through everything and toss what is old, broken, really dirty or what is just not used anymore, then take a look at what you have. Do you really need all of these items? If yes decide where you use them, in the kitchen, living room, bedroom? Once you decide that, put them away, yes I know easer said then done, but theres more.

If your short on storage and cash, first check out garage sales, these are great places to find inexpensive storage or furniture that can be used for storage, keep in eye out for deep bookcases or shelves. Baskets are another great find, keep them small so that you can use them in the shelves.

Another way to keep down clutter is to work out a weekly cleaning schedule, again I know easer said then done, if your a active family that doesn’t have much time, work out a daily pick up schedule that has each person doing on small thing, be it take out one garbage can or dust on piece of furniture, you can write up one chore for each person in the house to do everyday, or every other day.

The last thing I want to say is make sure you have plenty of good storage, if you can’t reach it or open it, it’s not good storage, find something else.

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If your getting tired of the same old room, looking the same and feeling the same, but you have a very small budget to work with try these tricks.

Go through your room and get rid of anything you don’t like or use anymore. Sell or donate them.

Invest in Accessories, they change the look and feel of the room better then changing the furniture or floors. They are also cheaper to buy. 60% of your room budget should be for accessories. These include decorative pieces such as art work or pieces to put on tables or book shelves. Pillows can make a room more cozy and welcoming.

Add black, this can make a dramatic change to a room. Even if it’s just one piece. If you have a very neutral or white room add black to it. It will make everything pop.

Another color that works well for making a huge change in a room is red, Red is the color of passion and helps excite people, use this color if you want to really impress your guest.

Don’t forget to add plants to a room, if you don’t’ have a green thumb, buy silk plants most look just as good as the real thing and you don’t have to worry about killing them, if you want a shine to them check out your fabrics and crafts stores, they should have a spray you can use to make them shine.

These are just a few simple tips to help you update a room on a small budget. More coming soon!

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