5 Unique Storage Ideas for Small Spaces

Posted on October 11, 2018 by Krissyar

Having a small space can be frustrating at times, especially when you are so limited that you feel you cannot move around in your own home. While small spaces do create many challenges, there are storage ideas available that can help you make the most of the space too. Below, we will talk about some of those unique ideas to help you start thinking about changes you can implement now.

Create a Wall Shelf

If you have extra books that you want to store and keep, why not keep them on the wall? You have two cool options when it comes to these wall books shelves. First, you can take a wooden crate and cut it in half to create a shelf for your books or, secondly, you can use a metal basket to store your books in. Sounds neat, right?

Use the Space Under Your Bed

There is a lot of unused space under your bed and this space can be used for storage. Depending on how much space you have, you may be able to fit totes under the bed or you may be able to fit rolling shelves underneath.

If you find that your space is truly limited, why not upgrade to a platform bed? This will allow you to store items under the bed without them being on the floor under the bed. You can read more storage tips here.

Get a Grip on Your Towels

Towels are often in the way in the bathroom and if you do not have a towel bar installed on the wall, consider installing one or placing one under a shelf on the bathroom wall. This will allow you to hang towels and have them ready for guests in an instant. (The towels will be out of the way too.)

Ditch the Legs on Your Nightstand

Sounds odd but interesting, right? A floating nightstand is the perfect way to free up space while utilizing the space you do have. You can purchase a floating nightstand, or you can make one for yourself.

You can utilize the space on the floor for your laundry basket or a basket to keep your blankets in. If you really want to free up some space, consider a lamp that mounts on the wall as opposed to sitting on the nightstand itself.

Always Know Where the Electronics Are

We all have multiple remotes, a TV guide, a good book, and some batteries near the couch. These are useful items, but when they are spread out everywhere, they can cause your home to look messy. An electronic or remote caddy/organizer is a wonderful way to keep these items out of sight but easy to reach. You can choose from fabric organizers or wooden caddies.

Small Space Does Not Spell Messy Space

You can stay organized in your small space with the unique storage ideas above. Each one will help you maximize your space while keeping your items in place and out of the way. What are some unique storage ideas you use in your small space?

Posted in Cleaning & Organizing | Leave a comment

Advice For Going Through A Breakup In A Healthy Manner

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Krissyar

Breakups are always difficult and especially if you have built a life together. While there is no instant cure for a breakup and the best healer is time, there are a few steps that you can take to put yourself in the right position to heal in a healthy way. No matter if it is your first serious relationship or a marriage, there are sure to be days which are much harder than others, and it is important to remember that this is perfectly natural. So, if you are going through a breakup and need some advice then read on for a few tips on how to manage this situation.

Allow Yourself Time To Be Upset

Breakups are always upsetting, and it would be wrong to pretend that everything is fine. It is for this reason why it is a good idea to give yourself some time to be upset as processing this emotion early on can be helpful in the long run. There is no time limit to this but make sure that you look after yourself and avoid reaching out to your ex during this time as emotions will still be high.

Lean On Friends & Family

You need to have people in your life that you can rely on to help you through this challenging period. Staying busy is a fantastic idea and being social can be a huge help when trying to stay busy whether this is meeting friends for lunch, visiting family or going to the cinema.

Exercise & Eat Well

It is very easy to fall into bad habits when you go through a breakup and particularly if it changes your living situation. It is for this reason why you should make an extra effort to exercise and eat well as otherwise, you will only feel worse. Exercise can also be a great way to be social if you play for a club or attend a class at the gym, for example.

Practicalities

There are sure to be many practicalities to sort out, particularly if you are married. This is a hurdle many face and is surprisingly common, as 42% of marriages end in divorce and there are a number of financial and other issues that will need to be arranged – this means that you need to find reputable divorce and family lawyers to navigate this challenging period.

Listen To Yourself

It is likely that you will be getting a lot of unsolicited advice when going through a breakup. While sometimes it can be helpful to hear what those close to you have to say, ultimately you need to listen to yourself when it comes to matters such as making contact with your ex or dating again.

Breakups can be messy and upsetting, and time is the only true healer, but the above should help to make the process a little bit easier and put you in a good position to heal in a healthy manner. The key is to process your emotions in a healthy way, make sure that you have a strong support network and to handle the practical side in a smart and adult manner.

Posted in Relationships | Leave a comment

Gluten-Free Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Brownie Muffins

Posted on October 9, 2018 by Krissyar

Just because you are trying to eat a healthy diet, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the yummy pumpkin treats this fall. Check out this delicious gluten-free healthy pumpkin chocolate brownie muffins. They are amazing!

 

Yields: 8 muffins

Prep: 5 minutes | Bake: 21-24 minutes | Total: 29 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup pumpkin puree
1 avocado
2 eggs
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted (or coconut oil, melted)
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips + extra for sprinkling on top

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add baking cups to muffin tin and spray with a light coat of cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Add all ingredients (except chocolate chips) to a blender. Blend the ingredients on high until smooth.

  3. Add chocolate chips to the mixture and gently stir to incorporate.
  4. Fill each baking cup to the top with the mixture. Sprinkle the tops with a few chocolate chips.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 21-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  6. Allow muffins to cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving.

Posted in Fitness/Health, Recipes | Leave a comment

Is Synthetic Oil a Better Choice for Your Vehicle?

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Krissyar

When you call your dealership to schedule an oil change most likely they will ask you a few simple questions – including, “do you want synthetic or regular oil?” Most people will answer that question with one of their own ‘which is cheaper?’ But you may want to think twice before you decide based on saving a few bucks.

Yes, conventional and synthetic oils begin in the ground, but that’s where the similarities end. Synthetic is not only refined but also distilled, purified and broken down. It removed more impurities from the crude oil and enables molecules in the oil to be tailored to the demands of modern motors. Synthetic oil is better than conventional oil when it comes to form and function, in fact, conventional oil could never stand up to synthetic when it  comes to longevity, and ability to handle extreme high temperatures without breaking down and gives higher levels of protection and performance than your basic conventional oil.

As I mentioned, synthetic oil usually outperforms conventional motor oils in providing protection for your vehicle; and here’s how:

KEEPS YOUR ENGINE CLEANER
When oil circulates through your engine, it can pick up icky deposits. Over time regular conventional oil can sometimes form sludge (gross) which can reduce your engines efficiency and reduce the life of your engine. Synthetic oils contain fewer impurities compared to the basic oil and can better resist the sludge and help prevent deposits from forming in your engine (thus extending the life of your engine).

 

FLOWS BETTER WHEN IT’S COLD OUT
When your vehicle is sitting for awhile, the oil settles. So when you start your car it begins flowing through the engine to protect against friction. With conventional oils it takes more time to be able to flow smoothly through. During the winter or colder months, the flow takes even longer. Synthetic oils however are engineered to flow quickly even in cold temps so that it starts protecting your engine as soon as you fire it up.

 

PROTECTS BETTER WHEN IT’S HOTTTT
As you know when your engine is running it gets really, really hot. Like really hot. So over time the high temps in your engine can cause the conventional oils to break down or even evaporate exposing your engine to a lot of wear and tear. Synthetic oils are engineered to resist these higher temps.

 

OFFERS ENGINE WEAR PROTECTION
As you know, engine parts are constantly working together and moving at high speeds. In extreme environments the engine components can wear and break down. The motor oil is the protective barrier in these components. As the conventional oil breaks down, the ability to prevent engine wear – well it starts to diminish. Synthetic oils retain their wear protection properties for a much longer time, therefore again, increasing engine life.

 

While synthetic oil is a better option for protection for your vehicle, not all synthetics are created equal. Be sure to speak with your mechanic or service manager to review your options and find the best choice for your vehicle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Car Love | Leave a comment

6 Tricks To Take The Stress Out Of Flying

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Krissyar

Everybody loves to travel, it’s just a shame you’ve got to deal with the hassle of going through an airport first. The massive crowds, the endless queuing, and the searches can be incredibly stressful and it’s easy to forget why you’re putting yourself through it in the first place. When you arrive, of course, it’ll all be worth it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just skip that bit and get straight to the fun parts of traveling? Unfortunately, you can’t do that but you can make life easier for yourself if you follow these simple tips to take the hassle out of flying.

Take A Private Jet

This is the easiest way to take the hassle out of flying, just be aware that it’s going to cost you a lot so it’s not always a viable option. If you take your own private jet, you don’t have to bother with all of the queues, you’ll be on the plane a lot quicker than you would if you took a commercial flight. Speed is the other major bonus of taking your own private jet; Cessna Citation X+ is the fastest airplane in the world so your flight times will be a lot shorter than they would on a standard flight. That’s a big plus if you hate flying and you’re going somewhere far away.

It’s a nice thought but most people can’t afford to splash out on a private jet when they’re going away with the family, so here are some more affordable ways to make flying stress free.

Delete Cookies And Search History

When you’re buying flights, does it always seem like the price is creeping up every time you look? That’s very deliberate. Airlines will up the price on flights that they know you’ve already searched for so you’re more likely to panic and buy them now before the price goes up any more. But there is a simple way around this. If you delete the cookies and search history on your browser before you go onto the website, the prices won’t change and you’ll be able to get a better deal. Not having that extra pressure also gives you more time to shop around for better deals. Always use flight comparison sites when you’re looking for flights rather than going direct to the airline, you’ll always get a cheaper price that way.

Choose One Way Flights

Why bother booking separate one way flights when you could just book a return trip? You might not realize it but booking 2 separate flights can often be cheaper than booking a return trip and, more importantly, you can be more flexible on the times. This is especially important if you’re traveling with young children. If you’ve got flights that are very early in the morning or late at night, you’re going to have some tired, grumpy kids on your hands which will make the flight a lot more difficult than it has to be. But by booking separate flights, you can make sure you’re going at a more practical time of day.

Download The Airline App

Losing your boarding pass in amongst all of your luggage is every travelers worst nightmare, but you can avoid all of that trouble by downloading the airline app. You can check in early on the app and keep all of your flight documents on there in digital form. You’ll also be able to get real time updates about the flight so you’ll know which gate you’re going to and whether there are any delays. It’s a lot easier getting it all on there rather than trying to listen to the announcements over all of the commotion.

Ask For An Upgrade

Paying for first class seats is out of the question for most families, but sometimes, you don’t have to pay. Sometimes, when there are seats available, the airline will offer people a free upgrade. But you won’t get anything without asking for it. When you’re booking a ticket, just ask for an upgrade. You won’t always get one but if there are some seats available you might get lucky. You’ve got nothing to lose by asking.

Offer To Be Bumped

There has been a lot of controversy recently about flights being overbooked and people having to be bumped and wait for the next flight. But you can make that work in your favour sometimes if you volunteer. You’ll usually get some cash back, flight vouchers or free meals. Sometimes, the next flight is only an hour or two later so it’s worth waiting.

Flying can be a real pain but if you use these simple tricks, you can make it a lot easier for yourself.

 

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment