It never fails but as soon as I wrote all my Weight Loss, Weight Gain, Fitness and Nutrition type of tips I had a few left over that couldn’t really be placed into these categories.But as you will see they are right on the money for your general health and fitness and can be used in your everyday activities.Lets take a peek:What Is A Healthy Diet – A healthy diet satisfies two criteria: It contains enough fibre and a number of micronutrients including vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy body. It is balanced in forms of fat, protein, and carbohydrates and micronutrients.Don’t Train With The Flu – This is one of the biggest exercise blunders you can make A number of temperature raising viruses, including the flu can affect the muscles.People often forget that the heart is also a muscle and can be weakened by the flu virus. Normally our hearts can cope with the strain of this, but exercising on top of an already weakened heart is potentially fatal. After a bout of the flu, you should wait at least 48 hours before exercising again.Cool Down – When you do a strenuous workout the blood vessels in your muscles dilate to deliver more blood for the muscles to operate. The skin vessels also dilate to increase the heat loss from your body, which is why you get flushed after exercise.If you don’t give your blood and skin vessels enough time to recover, and jump straight under hot water your skin vessels will dilate even further. Then your heart goes into overdrive trying to pump blood throughout the body.Ultimately you might notice symptoms like faintness, dizziness or at worst, you could even collapse.Don’t Eat Before Exercising – Always try to eat two or three hours before your exercise and not after that. If you do eat before exercise you can develop what is known as “dumping syndrome’ where the blood supply that normally goes to your muscles during exercise is diverted to your gut.This means that you’re not getting enough blood to your muscles, which can cause you to become lethargic and faint.Try to Give Up Smoking – the best and easiest way to give up smoking is to replace it with another habit. Unfortunately, quitting has been associated with weight gain if you replace your cigarette habit with a candy or snack food habit.So replace the smoking with the habit of exercise!! Nothing tough or painful at first and build up to it. A five minute walk instead of a cigarette and aim to build it up slowly and easily.Before, you will be fitter, you will be healthier and your body will be more you realize tight and toned.You will feel better in the morning, your breath will be worth being near again and fingernails, hair and skin will take on a much younger fresher look!! Of the people who die from lung cancer, 95% of them smoke.Protein Power – Carbohydrates supply the sort of calories easily burned during cardiovascular exercise, but protein plays an important part in building muscle mass – or rather in not storing food as fat. “This is largely because the bulk of protein that is eaten will be used to build muscle”.Further the average male will lose 500gms of muscle – not fat – every year once he stops regular exercise. While older men and women are usually touted as the beneficiaries of strength training so to are the young.Planned Exercise – I suggest you start with 100 minutes per week of mildly puffing exercise be it 2×50 mins, 3×35 mins, 4×25 mins, 5×20 mins all of which produce the same results.Mix up your aerobic activities in the gym; use the treadmill, bike, climber or any other training gear available to you.Keep A Training Log – Keep a training log for all your fitness requirements, keeping account of the reps you are using, how many sets, what weights you are using and also the date, time and where the workout took place is imperative for gauging your day to day progress.Also recording all cardio- vascular activities is just as important.In conclusion, these general health and fitness might have been left to last but the are still right up there as far as your health and fitness is concerned.
Investing in property is one of the most profitable avenues to venture into. As an investment, it has several advantages over other business opportunities including rental income, increase of investment due to appreciation, investment through value addition, cushioning during inflation and increase of the owners equity (difference between the market value of the home and the loan outstanding) upon servicing of loans.However, these advantages may fade in the face of current economic hardships and government interference. (The government in Australia is said to own more than 72% of the land according to Common Sense magazine by Viv Forbes). In the midst of these hardships, many property owners are now exploring other ways to reverse the losses that they are incurring from their properties.If you find yourself in this situation, here are some 5 steps that you need to adopt to change a nose diving trend in your otherwise valued property:1. Improve ManagementManagement is one of the ignored aspects of property ownership. Negatively geared properties are usually a result of poor initial choices including location, acquisition fees and disrepair. Further investment failure arises when these are combined with poor management. It is critical that owners avoid the idea of limiting their possible earnings by concentrating management within themselves and family members. Family members are not always the most qualified to make the dispassionate decisions that professional property managers can.If you choose to personally finance your property to another individual, management of the property becomes even more important. The good news is most people who desire to have a wrapped mortgage often treat the property as if it was their own simply because one day they will have the required equity in the property to get bank finance etc. Which means your house will be their house, which is why wraps are a great win-win.2. Opt for Property WrapProperty wrapping enables you to start making a profit much more quickly because you don’t have to wait on title searches and bank red tape. With a property wrap option, the purchaser can literally sign a contract with you and you can make money that very day itself.3. Recondition/Remodel Your PropertyThis is one of the easiest means of improving the market value of your property; a well presented property will instantly command a better price in the market. As with everything else, first impressions do count when it comes to property.Identifying your target occupants plays a significant role when refurbishing your property. Are you looking to attract families, college students or expatriates?While you may want to keep the décor modern and contemporary for younger couples, a more country décor would be a better option for families. Expatriates on the other hand will have other preferences. A good agent will assist you in identifying the likes and dislikes of your prospective tenants.It is equally important to keep in mind that refurbishing a property to sell is different from refurbishing a property that is being rented. Renting may require flashiness in terms of a quick painting job while selling demands an element of durability.If you choose to go into a house wrap with a buyer, there are other special considerations. The wrapee may find things in the home that they feel should be remodeled or changed. This can be a great opportunity for the seller to get the property improved very cheaply or even free of charge depending on your agreement with the potential buyer.Many buyers are willing to do the work if you provide the materials, and a serious wrapee will do the renovations, repairs, or improvements without asking for a dime. It is to their benefit to better the property if they are sure they want to buy it out right somewhere down the road.If they do not end up purchasing the property, they have still improved the property for it to resell. Just be careful to stay on top of any changes done to your property while it is under a wrapped mortgage. Most changes will be beneficial to both parties, but make sure any changes are done properly and the décor remains neutral and appeals to a maximum amount of future potential buyers.4. Let out the Extra RoomsIn Australia, properties with extra rooms have increased dramatically since 2001. These provide the owner with an option of renting the extra. One of the major advantages of this option is that it is easy to find occupiers who will have fewer rights as opposed to full tenants. Setting of ground rules is, however, advisable.Better yet, if you find you have extra room in your house, it may be a great property to wrap. You can sell it to an individual who actually needs that much room, and purchase another property for yourself. Property wrapping will provide you with immediate extra cash flow to help you pay the mortgage on your personal home.5. Petition for Better Accompanying AmenitiesThe location of the property is a great determining factor as far as the sale price and rent is concerned. Property owners who may not have purchased or built in areas that have attractive facilities may form unions to improve the basic amenities of their locations. Security, water, sewerage, electricity and roads are some of the most important considerations. The pushing of agendas through government authorities is also easier if the pressure of unions is brought to bear on governmental authorities. If you choose to finance the property to another individual, make sure you choose someone who wants to help in the fight to better the community as a whole.
With the struggling economy that we have these days, everyone could certainly use a little more money to make ends meet. Thankfully enough, there are things that we are already using every day that can actually help us with getting ahead in life, without ever spending much or anything more than we do. One of them is the internet.Using the power of the internet, we can now have all the information that we need to learn how to make money online free and fast from the comforts of our home. Almost everything can be learned on the internet – including how to make money using just the internet on your spare time with little to no experience, resources or even with no start-up money at all.The following are some of the top legitimate ways on how to make money online fast and free while working from home today:1) Make Money by Writing ReviewsOne can start making money fast by writing short but quality reviews about websites, products, gadgets, food, fashions, toys or just about anything. The good thing about this is becoming a professional writer is not needed to become successful in writing reviews. As long as you write decent and helpful quality reviews for other people to read. It can be anything you may have already experienced, purchased or tried using that you might want to share with other people too.If you do not know how to write or do not have any experience at all, writing reviews is a good place for a start. You can begin with writing short reviews about topics of your interests. Put yourself in the shoes of your readers when you write. What about this product would be helpful to them or will solve their problems? You do not have to write a lengthy novel, just a hundred words or more, depending on the review site that you signed up for.2) Freelance WritingYou can also make money online every day by submitting quality articles and writing content to different writing sites. There are sites that do not require any membership fee at all and others that charge minimal to high monthly fees. You can start with the free writing websites first, especially if you do not have writing experience yet and want to hone this new skill. You can also sign up to different freelance writing jobs writing for other people. A lot of website owners and clients look for freelance writers who can write original articles and creative content for them, making freelance writing one of the most profitable legitimate ways to make money online today.3) BloggingAnother popular way of making money online is through blogging. Some people have become successful working online from home and earning full-time income through their own blogs. Same with writing reviews and articles, you can blog on topics that you are passionate about, those topics that you genuinely enjoy talking with like-minded people. Monetizing your blogs would then be made easier and much faster if you are passionate about what you are blogging about.4) Affiliate MarketingAffiliate marketing is one of the easiest and fastest ways to get started with making money online today. You can just join any affiliate program for free. You don’t need to create or enhance your own product. All you have to do is market other people’s products and websites and receive a percentage of the sale from your effort. Since you are directing them to other people’s or company’s websites, you do not have your own customers to deal with directly. Thus, saving you time, money and effort.5) Building your Own WebsiteIf you are serious about making money online and are aiming for financial freedom, aside from your blogs, you can also build your own website. Building your own websites is a lucrative way of making money online today. Having your own site allows you to make money with it in many different ways – affiliate marketing, PPC advertising such as Google AdSense, advertisements, paid surveys and polls, soliciting donations, etc. You can use a combination or all of these methods in your articles, reviews, and blogs.Now that you have the top legitimate ways on how to make money online fast and free, while working from home, it is time to take action. With the right amount of action and focus, you too will soon be making money online successfully already from the comforts of your home.
Whether you’re in the market for a major interior overhaul or you’re simply looking to give your home a quick and easy update, chances are you’ve spent some time online hunting for ideas and inspiration. That said, it can be pretty deflating to stumble upon a look you love only to discover the price to achieve it is well above your budget.
Fortunately, there are some killer home decorating blogs that show you how to refresh, revive, and fall in love with your home anew without breaking the bank. For a home that looks far more expensive than it costs to create, check out the following blogs for all of the interior inspiration and DIY tutorials you’ll ever need.
Welcome back to the week 5 update for the One Room Challenge. Check out the blog posts and updates for week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 if you missed them. It’s crunch time now and I’ll be honest… I don’t know that this project will be completely wrapped up for the reveal date. The great thing is the reveal and hitting a deadline is not the only goal of reason for this challenge. Ultimately having a fully functional and hopefully beautiful bathroom is where we want to end up even it things are a bit delayed.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
When we left off last time the countertops had been templated, the trim was freshly painted and the hardware had been ordered. The hardware took about 1 week to arrive. We chose the Menlo Park 4″ pull from Schlub in chrome because I think the pull has the perfect mix of square and some rounded elements that make it a great transitional hardware option. We went with all pulls for the drawers and doors since the knob option in that line weren’t our favorite.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The quartz countertops are now installed and things can be put back together. Rectangle, undercount sinks were also purchased through the fabricator. The Marble look quartz from Pental and it is gorgeous with the warm gray veins running throughout. For the edge went for a flat polish eased edge for a clean, simple look.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
Two days after the quartz countertops were installed the tile installer came back to finish up tiling the niches, installing the tile base and grout everything.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The electoral is being relocated for the new lights. There are some drywall and painting touch ups to do and plumbing fixtures to be hooked up. Plus adding all the finishing touches ???? All those little things like towel hooks, curtain rod, and accessories will bring this whole thing together.
It’s been too long since I’ve updated and even longer since this work has been started. This is me sharing remodel updates, mostly for myself (but also for my nagging family members). I’m sharing photos of the progress that has been made while also document the craziness that has gone on. This is just the beginning of the remodel.
Prior to moving in I had 3-4 weeks where my apartment lease overlapped with the possession of my townhome. This allowed me, with the amazing help of my family, to paint, tear-out carpet and somewhat put back together the upstairs portion of my place so that I could have a clean room to put a bed. At least one that wasn’t completely torn apart. One area that felt more livable that the rest. If you haven’t seen or don’t remember these are the before photos from when I took possession. To list it out here are the main things that I was tacking during those week prior to me moving in.
Phase 1 Remodel Projects
ripping out baseboard, carpet and tack strips upstairs and preparing for new hard surface flooring. (this flooring will go throughout minus the stairs and bathrooms/laundry)
installing flooring upstairs (one of my installers did this)
mostly gutting the master bathroom
installing a new tub and rough in plumbing for the master and powder bath
ordering and installing a rift white oak vanity for the master
Painting (and priming where needed) the ceilings and walls of the bedrooms. Caulking and painting the crown molding in the master
replacing and upgrading the baseboard heater in the master and patch the drywall
painting the hallway and down through the stairwell
adding skirt board to the stairs
installing new carpet and pad on the stairs (my carpet installer from work did this)
removing upper cabinets on the fridge side in the kitchen
partially demoing the wall diving the kitchen (prepare to move switches, outlets, heater and thermostat)
removing drywall on wall next to bar in dining area
painting the downstairs powder bath and removing vanity to prepare for a new floating vanity
Those were the main projects that took place and then I moved in the day after Thanksgiving. Getting rid of the original, nasty cat carpet and new flooring made a huge difference to the upstairs. Also neutralizing and lightening the paint made things feel so much more fresh. I still have no baseboards but I’ll get on that one day! For now here are some photos that I snapped along the way.
It’s been a while since been posting on here but I have some new updates and projects that I have been working on. Last summer into fall I was house hunting while knowing the lease on my apartment would be expiring end of the 2019. It felt a little crazy but was a fun process for me. After a bunch of searching I found and closed on a new home!
I was lucky enough to have a few weeks of overlap with my apartment (I ended up moving out 1 month early) so I was able to get started on projects and updates prior to moving in. I’ll share more about those in the coming weeks (there are still so many unfinished things!) but for now I think it’s best to start with some before photos. Also, follow along on Instagram where I post current project updates more often. The pictures show it in the state I bought it in. It’s a great first place to me and was functional as-is but as you might expect I’m here to make things my own by doing updates that I will enjoy while living here and that will also add value and functionality to the space down the line when I sell… or maybe even keep it as a rental. My dog, Nova, has been enjoying the space as well ???? There are a couple of things to miss about my Bothell apartment but I am very ready to have my own place and space.
In 2017 the guest bathroom was remodeled. You can see more photos and read about that here. Almost everything came out and all new things went back in. From emails and comments people have been asking for sources so I have rounded up what I could in this post to share paint colors, products and links that I could find for the bathroom.
Bathroom Sources and Details:
Wall color: BM Balboa Mist
Trim and door color: BM Chantilly Lace
Floor Tile: Pental Mark Chrome 12×24 matte
Shower tile: Jeffrey Court Weather Gray 4×12 gloss subway
Niche tile: Daltile clio mosaic
Bathtub: Maax Rubix tub
Cabinet: Spencer Cabinets – painted BM Cape May Cobblestone
Countertop: Pental Quartz Misterio polished 3cm
Cabinet hardware: Schaub Menlo Park Pull in chrome
Faucets: Hansgrohe Metris single handle in chrome
Shower trims: Kohler slide bar kit, wall mount supply and Hansgrohe tub spout in chrome
Mirrors: Homegoods
Towel Hooks: Delta Tolva robe hook in chrome