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Showing posts from February, 2014

How to Achieve a Modern Minimalist Living Room Style

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Fashion and interior home décor has slowly shifted from the grandiose to the modern minimalist. Today, you will notice many homeowners choose to have a simple and modern interior especially in their living room style. While it looks easy to achieve, a modern minimalist living room style can be quite challenging to pull off. When it comes to furniture especially with your sofa set, go for sleek and elegant lines. Slim and monochrome furniture are in while bulky wood and heavy fabrics are out. Your decorations should revolve around simple and slim. This can be applied on most living room accent such as vases, lamps, furniture and appliance. If you are to fill up your living room with entertainment appliance, go for LED TV on a wall mount and vertical speakers. Lights around your living room should be limited to pendant and spot lights. You can also set up modular panels with in-ceiling lights to highlight specific areas and corners. Remember that grandiose lighting fixture...

Can a Love of Food Actually be an Addiction?

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For many years, someone who really loved their food was just that: a hearty eater. In recent times, however, more and more emphasis has been placed on the idea of food addiction. Is enjoying your Kraft or McDonalds just that, something to be enjoyed? Or is it something more? Let’s take a closer look and explore what can be quite a contentious issue. Is food addiction legitimate? The general consensus in 2014 seems to be that yes, food addiction is a genuine condition. There are legitimate food addiction anonymous bodies currently in operation , and thousands of people have attested to feeling out of control with regards to their eating habits. A number of different symptoms are associated with the debilitating condition, including: Food cravings straight after eating If you continually feel a craving to eat despite having just done so, then the desire is coming from somewhere other than the body's natural need to eat when hungry. Rather than focusing ...

What Layered Valances Can Do to Your Home

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Windows are the eyes of the house and they connect the dweller to the outside world. Hence, windows should be treated with curtains and valances. The window coverings can make or break the entire look of your window. There are a lot of coverings for the windows but are they in harmony with the window design? Photo credits: swagsgalore.com If your window has come of age and renovating it is beyond your budget, you can cover the flaws by hanging layered curtain valances. A layered valance is a type of window covering with two fabrics layered on top of another giving the window an attractive look. What makes layered valances interesting is they are versatile because they can jive with any type of window design whether they are Gothic, Spanish or Italian. The layers give a romantic feel to a bedroom, cozy atmosphere to the living room and relaxing feel in the kitchen. Layered curtain valances are available online with different shades of blue, green and red. For rustic appe...

Simple Office Exercise to Break the Sedentary Life

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Working in an office with the job you truly love maybe enjoyable for some, but it could also lead to a sedentary lifestyle. You get stuck at the office, sitting in front of the computer all day and draining you of all the motivation to drag yourself off for some physical activities afterwards.  Well if you don’t start now, you might realize too late that sitting can kill you slowly with lifestyle diseases caused by living a passive, unhealthy and sedentary life. There are simple exercises that you can do at the office safely and without affecting your work or your officemates. Here are some suggestions –

Interesting Bathroom Fittings

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Bathrooms can often be the one of the more neglected rooms of the house, with more attention given to the lounge or kitchen. A lot of people consider some bathroom fittings a luxury that they cannot afford, preferring to spend their money on a big screen TV or a new top-of-the-line range cooker. Everyone has their priorities when it comes to home improvement, but there are a lot of bathroom fittings out there that a lot of people don’t ordinarily think to buy. What follows is a selection of some of the quirkier designer items you probably wouldn’t find in the average household but which could turn your bathroom into a contemporary masterpiece. LED Shower Heads These really give a modern twist to a bathroom and are perfect for people who love gadgets and gizmos. There are a range of different styles of shower heads but most only have the one use. LED shower heads not only look great and do the job but some even contain sensors that monitor the temperature of the...

3 Things you need to get rid of

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It's hard to know what you need to do to trim the fat from life, it's something a lot of people seem to be determined to do, but no one seems to know how. It's amazing how much difference going to that little extra effort to get rid of the most stagnant things can make in your life. Here are three of the important things you need to get rid of if you're going to make a serious go of out with the old and in with the new.  "go out with the old and in with the new" image courtesy of stockimages - freedigitalphotos.net Old Acquaintances There are a lot of people that once were friends but the ties of time and experience makes gaps between people that, if you don't work at it, can erode the friendship entirely.. Once this happens there really isn't any point to the pretense of being friends any more. If you have nothing in common and you don't spend time together there isn't really a friendship to keep up. Think about these old people, ...

Ender’s Game: More Than Just a Young Adult Sci-Fi Novel

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My youngest son at age 14 is a very wide reader. He is very much into young adult science fiction books so it’s no surprise when he bought the best-selling Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I saw the film trailer first before I realized it was the book that my son has recently purchased so I became really curious about how the story goes. I started flipping through the pages and discovered how exciting and thrilling the book was. Even if it is tagged as a young adult fiction book, I think thrill-seekers and lovers of science fiction novels will definitely love the storyline and the characters of this book. The story basically revolved around the life of Ender Wiggin, a student leader in a school like no other – the Battle School. This Battle School is found in space and the kids who are taken there must learn to fight at zero gravity. The kids are trained physically and mentally to strategize, fight and win against competing teams in all odds. The immense mix of heroes a...

Climb Kilimanjaro: Tips for Success!

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This guide is dedicated to helping you become one of the many climbers that reaches the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro successfully. We have plenty of important information that you can really use, to help fully prepare you for the challenging but exciting trip ahead. Here are your tips for success: image author: Pius Mahimbi on Flickr Before The Climb Make Sure You're Equipped Before you begin the climb you need to make sure that you’re well equipped. You should have with you all of your travel documents, essential items like your sleeping bag, a ski pole, water bottles, high altitude gear, first aid supplies, and optional items like cameras. While making sure you have everything you need, you should also try to travel as light as possible. Prepare Yourself Physically To prepare your body for climbing this mountain, a suitable training program is required. A regular gym program to stimulate muscle development, along with some practice hikes and walks ...

Cleaning 101: Cleaning Short Cuts You can Use At Home

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We all want a spotless home, yet due to busy schedules most of us cannot afford to spend bulk of our time cleaning each and every corner of the house on a daily basis. However, we can maintain a spick and span abode by having a system. The key is take care of cleaning jobs as they come up, instead of  putting them off until weekends which is usually the scheduled cleaning day. image credit: AKARAKINGDOMS - freedigitalphotos.net Here are some suggested cleaning short cuts that take less time to accomplish. Dusting – wiping out dust using a micro fiber cloth can take away dirt in an instant. The static charge of this cloth attracts dirt and dust so dusting chores on shelves, appliances and furniture will be easier without using spray or chemicals. Micro fiber cloth is also safe to use as they are not abrasive, thus won’t scratch surfaces.  You can use it damp or dry. Change trash bags or vacuum bag – less than a minute is all you need to change your v...

Amazing Things You Didn't Realise You Could Do With Your Garden

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Image by Andrew Rollinger  When it comes to our gardens we want to ensure they’re looking their best, but we don’t always know the best way to go about it. We want the neighbours to peek over the fence and think “Wow, wish I’d thought of that” but even the most creative of us can feel stuck for ideas. Never fear, here are some amazing things you didn’t realise you could do with your garden, that are quick and easy. Build your own pond A pond in the garden is a joyous thing, not only because it looks great, but because it attracts some rather incredible wildlife too. If you’ve always wanted a garden full of frogs perching on lilypads then you need to build a pond. It is a lot easier than you think, as long as you have the space and the terrain for it. Start by measuring the area that you require, marking out where you want to dig using string. Next, use a spade to create the first ‘shelf’ which should be fairly shallow, but as long and wide as your entire pond. ...

Breastfeeding tips: Foods to Avoid for Nursing Moms

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Many pregnant women are very mindful of what they eat during their pregnancy to keep the baby inside their womb healthy; however, some tend to forget that there are also certain dietary rules needed to follow while breastfeeding as well. Breastfeeding is recommended not only to save time and money but because of its various health benefits intended both for the baby and the mother. Breastfed babies are less likely to become obese nor develop allergies, have a lower risk of developing stomach illnesses, ear infections and other diseases. While, nursing moms reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and a lower risk of experiencing postpartum depression. If you are nourishing your baby with breast milk you must keep in mind that whatever food you eat, drink or medications you take may have an effect on the quality of your milk and reach your baby too. Breastfeeding experts advise lactating mothers to avoid the following foods: Caffeinated drinks Work at home mot...

The Road to Conception: Your Guide to Vitamins

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Although everyone knows the importance of taking the right nutritional supplements once they’re pregnant, far too few people really realize that upping your nutrition game even before you’re pregnant has many benefits as well. Taking the right vitamins can help increase your chances of conceiving in the first place. It can also help prepare your body to maintain a smooth, successful pregnancy and deliver a healthy, happy baby. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best and most effective vitamins and dietary supplements out there today. Vitamin C ©Wavebreak Media Ltd/Veer/Corbis We’re all familiar with Vitamin C for the way it helps keep the immune system healthy and promotes speedy tissue regeneration. However, it’s important to note that Vitamin C can help you conceive as well. According to the nutritional experts at the Mayo Clinic, multiple studies have shown that this essential nutrient can help women who suffer from ovulation-related conditions improve thei...

Business Franchising: Points to Ponder

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Franchising is by far one of the easiest business ventures one can get into these days. It is because you are taking an already successful business name and making it your own to gain profit. However, it can be quite tricky to think about what business to take as a franchise, so here are a couple things you should think about before you get into franchising a business. image credits:  negosyobuilder.com Go for something you love. - If you are going to invest in a franchise, make sure that it is something that you are passionate about, because then it would be easier for you to sell. Think about your target market. - Think about who you're selling to and think about what they like, you're guaranteed to succeed if you have a sure audience for what you will offer. Choose a reputable franchising business. - Invest in a legit and reputable franchise to ensure profit return and success. Don't assume that franchising is easy. - Nothing in this world ...

Shower Sets – A Checklist

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If you have the budget and the space then there is no reason for you not to have a shower in your bathroom. Baths are all well and good at what they provide, namely slow-paced, relaxing luxury, but when it comes to convenience and alacrity, a shower simply cannot be beaten. Now, my advice is always of course to go with a shower kit, as you get absolutely everything you need with the minimum of fuss. Furthermore, in practically all cases, a full kit from one place will be much cheaper, in addition to alleviating the frustration of poor stock and long delivery times if you try to get hold of things separately.