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How to Make Your Home As Efficient as Possible

March 26, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

An efficient home is one that runs smoothly, meeting your needs and helping you to make life easier. It should provide you with life’s essentials, such as a feeling of safety, health, and somewhere to spend time with your family. When you make an effort to make your home more efficient, you can ensure that all of the space you have works well. You can take steps to prevent problems and maintain your home and perhaps even be more productive and organized when you’re at home too. If you want a more efficient home, use this guide to get it!

Organize Your Storage

Good storage can be the key to have a well-organized and efficient home. Without plenty of storage for your things, your home can often be in chaos. You don’t necessarily need to have huge amounts of storage, but you should think about how to use it efficiently to make the most of it. You can assign a purpose to your different types of storage so that you know what should go where and how to use everything. When you give everything in your home a place, it’s much easier to return it to where it belongs when you’re not using it.

Create a Maintenance Schedule

When you own your home, you’re in charge of any and all maintenance. Even if you rent, you often have to consider various light maintenance tasks. By creating a maintenance schedule, you can be organized and stay on top of everything that you need to do. You should think about the things that you need to do every week, month or once a year, as well as at other times. It might seem pointless to schedule some things a year in advance, but it will ensure you do them when they really need to be done.

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Switch to Energy-Efficient Lights and Appliances

Energy-efficiency is another key thing to consider when you want to make your home more efficient. If your home is energy-efficient, you can save energy and therefore save money, as well as help the planet. Switching to energy-efficient LED light bulbs is one easy way to start saving energy, but there are plenty of other things you can do. If you’re replacing any appliances or electronics, or just buying something new, looking for energy-efficient options will allow you to reduce your bills. Many newer appliances are also faster and might be efficient in other ways too, such as washing machines that adjust how much water they use based on the load.

Boost Your Hot Water Capacity

An efficient home needs to have enough hot water. Whether this is just for showering, cleaning dishes and various other tasks or you also need hot water for heating your home, you don’t ever want to find yourself without it. You may need services for hot water systems repairs to repair or service your system and ensure it’s efficient. Or you might be thinking about installing a new hot water system for maximum efficiency. You need a system that will provide your home with enough hot water to meet your needs each day without any problems or delays.

Make Everything Smarter

Automated homes are becoming more and more popular. Smart devices can provide many functions in your home, and you can connect them all to one device to have complete control. As well as using a smartphone or tablet to control your smart devices, you also have the option of a control panel that could be mounted on a wall. You can use a variety of smart devices, including security systems, thermostats, lighting, appliances and even pet devices. With smart devices, you have more control over your home, even when you’re not actually at home.

Organize Entryways

The entryways to your home can make a big difference in how efficient it is. If you can keep them organized, you can immediately feel like your home is in order as soon as you walk through the door. Some good storage can help you to keep things organized, giving you somewhere to put shoes, coats and other outwear. A bench gives you somewhere to sit for taking off and putting on your shoes. You might also consider what else would be handy to have in your entranceway, whether it’s your dog’s leash or a shovel for shoveling snow in the winter.

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Consider Furniture Layouts Carefully

A home that has a smart layout will offer more efficiency. You will be able to move around more easily and have quick access to the things you need most. There are various things you can consider, such as how you position your furniture and what furniture you have too. For example, your dining room or living room might need to accommodate different numbers of people, depending on if you have any visitors or people staying. It can be useful to have a flexible layout so that you can use each room in the best way possible.

Redesign Your Laundry Room

A laundry room needs to be well organized if you want it to be an efficient space. It can quickly become untidy if you don’t make an effort to keep it in order. Designing it correctly can make a big difference in how well you’re able to use it. When you have storage for dirty and clean laundry, somewhere to organize your detergents and other products, and space for folding and ironing, you can create a laundry room that allows you to get your laundry done quickly and efficiently. You should also think about how to take laundry to and from your laundry room.

Make Everything More Secure

Security needs to be a top priority in any home. When you make your home more secure, you don’t have to worry about anyone who shouldn’t be there getting in. There are several ways you might improve security, starting with securing your windows and doors. It’s also smart to take other security measures, such as lighting or an alarm system. Smart security systems are becoming more popular too, especially as they allow you to monitor them when you’re away from home. A video doorbell is another good addition to your home if you’re looking for an extra level of security.

Rethink Your Kitchen

If you want to make the most of the space in your kitchen, you might need to reconsider how you use it. A kitchen that is badly organized can be impossible to cook in, and it can take up too much of your time to get things done. The first thing you should consider is what exactly you need to have in your kitchen. A lot of people buy gadgets and small appliances that they rarely or never use, which end up taking up space. Keep out the items that you use most, store the things you use less often, and get rid of anything that you never or almost never use.

Put Your Bathroom in Order

Your bathroom is another room in the house that you can make more efficient, especially if it’s a family bathroom shared by multiple people. It’s even more important for people who only have one bathroom in their home. You might organize a family bathroom by having open shelving that makes it easy to grab what you need or keeping a cupboard full of essentials so that you never run out. Bathrooms can often be small, so making use of space such as vertical space or behind the door can help you to make more of what you do have available.

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Keep Essential Supplies Coming

All homes have essential supplies that need to be restocked. Instead of having to remember to buy them all the time, you can easily use ways to automate it. You can find some websites that allow you to set up a recurring order or subscription. You can also use Amazon Dash buttons, which you can press whenever you need to order your favorite products. Another simple way to ensure you always have essential supplies is to buy in bulk so that you need to replenish your supply less often.

Don’t Forget Outdoors

If you have outdoor space, it also makes sense to think about how to make it more efficient. Maybe you need to consider how you’re using the space or how you take care of your lawn or garden. You can automate things like sprinklers to make it easier to look after your yard and to be as efficient as possible with your use of water. Choosing the right outdoor lights can also make a difference, with solar-powered, automatic and motion-sensor lights available to help you find the right ones. Consider how you make use of your outdoor space and whether it’s a useful space for you. Splitting it into different zones can make it multifunctional for your whole family.

Make your home more efficient by rethinking how you use it and updating it to make it more modern. A more efficient home can be more pleasant to live in and make your life easier!

Thank you for reading!

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Modernize Your Kitchen Today

February 7, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

The kitchen is one of the most important parts of your home. For one thing, it is somewhere that you are going to spend a lot of your time, and for a lot of families it turns out to be a frequent kind of meeting place. It is also somewhere that is going to become very important if you ever want to try and sell your home, as you can add a lot of value by ensuring that the kitchen is as perfect as possible. But what do you want from your kitchen at present? Most of us would like a kitchen that is modern and luxurious – but how can you make sure of that? Let’s take a look at a few simple ways in which you can modernize your kitchen today.

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Upgrade The Countertops

The countertops actually form a very important part of the overall look of the kitchen, even if they do so in a subtle way. If you are happy with the counters themselves, then you are going to find that the kitchen overall is looking much better indeed. And if modernity is what you are looking for, then you might want to think along the lines of some modern granite from the likes of Premium Granite, LLC. That will ensure that your counters are much more beautiful and modern, and that your kitchen is thus modernized too.

Improve The Colors

The choice of color is always an important thing when you are trying to keep any space modern, and it’s something that you are certainly going to want to think about in terms of your kitchen too. Generally, the colors that are going to work best here are those which you would consider to be particularly simple and stripped-back, which means things like pastel colors and so on. If you can focus on those, you will find that your kitchen is much more modern in no time.

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Keep It Simple

Simplicity is very much a major watchword when it comes to keeping something modern. If your kitchen is overrun with ideas and colors and so on then you are not going to find that it is very simple at all. The simpler you can get it, the more stripped-back you can make it, the more modern it will look and feel, so make sure that you are focused on that as well as possible. That in itself is going to really help.

Decluttering & Reclaiming

A big part of all this is ensuring that you are reclaiming the kitchen for its real intended use. Most kitchens become sort of general dumping-grounds for all kinds of things that belong in other parts of the home. If you can declutter those things and reclaim the space for what you need the kitchen to be for, you will help to also modernize it and return it to how it should be. This is absolutely something that you should focus on as a major part of this process.

Thank you for reading!

This post was a collaboration.

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Ideas For Silk Flower Arrangements To Say Goodbye To A Loved One

November 30, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

https://pixabay.com/photos/rose-flower-petal-floral-noble-3063284/

It is a tradition to put flowers on a grave when someone passes away, and people often carry on this tradition whenever they visit their loved one. For those who do this, what flowers should you get? Flowers have different meanings and thus it is vital that you choose appropriate silk flower arrangements for graves (silk will last longer!). With that being said, read on for some great suggestions.

Firstly, you need to consider the type of flower you are going to go for, and then you need to look at the different styles of silk flower arrangements. When it comes to selecting an appropriate funeral flower, you should look for flowers that are associated with saying goodbye and expressing sympathy, or you can look for flowers that are symbolic of your relationship with the person, such as those that represent love or friendship. Lilies are the traditional funeral flower. However, yellow roses are ideal for friendship while pink roses or orchids can be a great way of saying ‘I love you.’ If you are part of a grief support group and you have problems speaking about your loved one, showing this through symbols is often advised, and flowers have meanings that can help with this. Once you have decided on a type of flower, you then need to consider the arrangement. There are many options to choose from. You could go for a standard bouquet or arrangement, and many shops selling silk flowers have a section dedicated to funeral flowers specifically. Another option is to go for a wreath or a standing spray. There are no rules in terms of design; it is more about personal preference. However, do be mindful of the fact that other people may want to lay flowers too, so avoid for anything that is going to take up all of the room.

Symbolic Meaning Of Traditional Funeral Flowers

Lilies are a beautiful choice because of the special meaning they carry. They symbolize that the soul has been departed and innocence has been restored. Any kind of white lily expresses purity and majesty, however, white stargazer lilies are a great way of expressing sympathy, and thus potentially a good option to send to the family of the bereaved. Aside from this, orchids are a good choice, as they say ‘I will always love you’. When you are buying orchid silk flowers for a grave, you need to be careful with your color selection, as different colored orchids hold different meanings. The traditional colors of sympathy are white and pink. The variety is also important, with Dendrobium orchids and Phalaenopsis orchids being ideal. Finally, roses are another option to consider. Grief and sorrow is denoted by dark crimson roses, whereas pink roses symbolise grace and love, red roses convey courage, love, and respect, while yellow roses are ideal if you were friends of the deceased.

Questions To Ask Silk Flower Retailers

Finally, let’s take a look at some questions to ask when getting the flowers you need. How are your flowers made? You want to be sure that you are going to benefit from high quality silk flowers. This is why it is a good idea to enquire about the materials that are being used and to be confident that are they are being crafted to a top standard. Do you have a return policy in place? When you order something online, there is always the chance that it may arrive and not be what you imagined. You want to have the peace of mind that you are going to be able to send the flowers back if you are not satisfied. What are your delivery options? There are cases when you may be in a hurry for your flowers, for example, if you have forgotten about someone’s upcoming birthday. Thus, you will want to be sure that there is an express delivery option available. It is also a good idea to look for a company that delivers silk flowers free of charge, as this will ensure you experience true value for money. Can I look at some of your previous clients’ testimonials? If the company is reluctant to show you these, this should be a red flag, as they may have something to hide.

•What kind of flowers do you get your loved ones?

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

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5 Things to Make Time For in Your 30s

July 23, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

It can be a little scary reaching your thirties. You don’t feel all that much different from being in your twenties, but are well aware of the fact that this is the age you should really ‘have your life together’ (key word: should). What that means exactly depends on who you ask, but there are a few things that just about all of us thirty-something guys and gals can benefit from. Here are a few ideas:

Start Up A Side Hustle

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Hopefully you’ve reached a stage in your life where you enjoy your career and have the job you want to be in, but regardless of your situation, it’s a good idea to start up a side hustle. It could be blogging, freelancing, tutoring, or a home business– either way, it gives you the chance to build new skills while earning more money. If anything happens with your day job, you have a stream of income to fall back onto, which is great, and in the here and now the extra money can be used to save, pay debt, or fund nice treats like designer clothes and holidays which we all love to have.

Focus On Your Health

Many of us are lucky to feel fit and well in our thirties, but if you have any niggling health issues, then it’s a good time to get them sorted. Like me, for instance. I had surgery last week for an issue I’ve had for over 5 years! Maybe you need stellate ganglion blocks after an injury, or perhaps you have a skin issue that always flares up. Whatever it is, chat with your PCP and get it sorted once and for all. Start eating well and exercising if you don’t already, and give up the binge drinking and smoking before it starts taking it’s toll on your body. You might have got away with it up until this point, but you won’t forever. Now is a good age to start taking care of yourself and thinking to the future.

Make Time to Socialize

Our thirties are a time where it can be hard to socialize. Most of us and everyone we know of the same age have busy careers, are raising family, some might be off travelling the world. It can be tricky getting everyone together to catch up, but it’s so important to do so when you can. Arrange monthly or bi-monthly meet ups, host parties and barbeques at your home, and/or meet with friends for days out when you can. It might be more afternoon coffee and spa days than pub crawls, but it’s just as fun once you’re no longer a party animal!

Get Your Finances in Order

Whether you earn a little or a lot, your finances should be under control. If you’re in debt then take steps to get out as soon as possible, work on saving money for a rainy day, and work to a budget so that each month, everything is getting paid on time. Sit down and go through your money, the way you pay things and how much, and figure out if anything needs to change. You could run through price comparison sites and get your bills down. You could set up a bills-only bank account and set all of your bills to come out by direct debit.

You could also consider checking out some of the free financial calculators online that are available to you. Getting your finances in order means looking at your budget, knowing exactly what your spending is and working out how you can get rid of all the debt you may have accumulated in your 20s. Finances seem like an adult thing to worry about, but as you’re in your 30s now, it’s time to worry about it. Financial calculators are a step that you take to embrace financial freedom, and you need to look at more than one so that you can get it right. Facing up to any mistakes you made in the past decade or so is much harder than you think, but you need to be brave and get to know your money!

Create a Home You Love

Buying a house is something that’s on most of our bucket lists, but it’s not always super easy. Maybe you live in a very expensive part of the world, or perhaps you’re still recovering from financial mistakes and debt from your twenties. If you can buy a house, that’s fantastic, but even if you’re renting, the space should still be somewhere you love to be. Invest in nice furniture- a good quality bed (my Cali King bed is the greatest thing ever), sofa, and pieces like a coffee table, dining table, and wardrobe. If you’re able to, redecorate in a way that suits your tastes and personality. Bring it all to life with soft furnishings, lamps, and accessories. Your home should be a place you’re proud to show off, somewhere you can entertain friends, raise a family, and make lots of happy memories.

•What are some things you do in your 30s that you definitely didn’t do in your 20s? If you’re in your 20s, what’s something you can plan to be more stable in your 30s?

Thank you for reading!

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Improve Your Home the Right Way

January 19, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

When you are looking at ways you can improve your home, it is important to understand what it entails. There are so many different things that play a part in improving a home, and a lot of the time this has to do with the changes you elect to make around the home, as well as what you can do to improve your property.

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There are a lot of things you are going to need to keep in mind when it comes time to get this right and take your home to the next level. Consider what it takes to work on your house, and make changes that are going to help you prosper. There is a lot of planning that needs to happen when you look at how you to achieve this renovation, and it is important to ensure that you have checked all the right boxes. These are some ideas to help you improve your home in the best possible way!

Plan Your Changes

The first thing you should do is to think about how you can plan out your changes as effectively as possible. You will be able to do some stuff very easily without having giving much thought or energy, but there are also going to be more ambitious projects and ideas that you might have. It’s pretty clear that these are going to need to be planned out to ensure that they’re done properly. There are also a lot of things that you need to ensure you get right in order to be able to plan your changes correctly and make sure you get the relevant planning permission if you need it.

Start Small

The best thing you can do is to start small and work your way up to more ambitious projects. There are a lot of things that you can do improve the way the home is developed, and one of the most important things to remember is that you have to walk before you can run. You want to choose smaller projects to work on and master in order to build your DIY confidence and skill set. Only then can you be thinking about the more ambitious projects. Diving headfirst into something more ambitious is commendable, but it can also be a recipe for disaster. Make sure you are sensible and that you start off with easy tasks that can be completed simply.

Make Sure You Have the Right Tools

One of the most important things you need to keep in mind is that you need to have the right tools for the job. There are several tools that you can use to complete many of the different projects in and around the home. There are also basic hand tools that are readily available from stores, and you should try to stock up on these. There are also more advanced and complex tools that are required when it comes to more complex and strenuous projects, and you need to know what to use in order to achieve the job you want to do.

Consider Bringing in the Pros

There are going to be some projects in which you are going to need to bring in professionals (if only we could all hire The Property Brothers or Joanna Gaines!). People who are skilled at what they do (and know what tools to use) are important factors. There is nothing worse than trying to work on something that’s complex and difficult, but not having the right people to help you out. There are several things that play a part in this, and it is essential to look into how you can achieve this. Even bringing in a handyman for certain tasks is often essential because of the complexities of a lot of projects. You want someone who is skilled and efficient to be able to do things quickly for you, and ensure that you aren’t going to have to repair things all over again.

Add Value to Your Home

How can you add value to your home, and what can you do to ensure that there are enough changes that the home becomes more valuable as a result? There is so much you can do to improve the home and make it more attractive to potential buyers. Revamping your kitchen is something you need to make sure you do as it is one of the best ways of adding value to the home (I mean, who doesn’t love a good kitchen?!). Considering changing things and adding an extension to the home in the future is an excellent way of making sure you add value to the property. You can do a lot to enhance the value of your home, and things like going green, extending, and renovating are excellent ways of achieving this.

Don’t Forget the Garden/Landscaping

People tend to overlook the garden and how much of an impact it can have on the home. We spend so much time looking into how we can improve the interior of the home that we sometimes forget what it takes to really give the property the WOW factor. One of the best ways you can do this is by making sure you spend time making the garden look as great as you possibly can. There are a lot of ideas you can use that are going to play a part in this, and you should assess what changes you can make to the garden that are going to help improve the home.

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These are a few of the essential things you are going to need to know when you are looking at how you can make the right kinds of home improvements. There are a lot of things to keep in mind that can help you with this, and it is important to get these right before you can think about moving onto anything else. This is so essential because it can really go a long way toward making the home better, more secure, and more valuable in the process.

•What do you look for when buying a new home?

•What’s your next home renovation?

Disclosure: this post was a collaboration.

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