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7 Ways To Freshen Up Your Home Post Lockdown


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Gradually, lockdown restrictions posed by the COVID 19 pandemic are being eased globally. You probably couldn't wait for things to get back to normal, but after the lockdown, what next?. During the first few days of the lockdown, you might have been geared up to organise your home like never before. But as time passed, all the quarantine and lockdown activities must have worn you out, and so you were probably not able to be consistent. After all, you got all the time to do your favorite indoor stuff and stay at home, something you probably rarely had time to do pre-lockdown or even pre-COVID19. In this article, you'll be introduced to some amazing ways to get your home back in shape and looking fresh and welcoming to your family and guests, after the lockdown period.

  1. Organize your home and get rid of dirt

After all those Netflix-and-chill activities, you might just have to carry out a thorough cleaning and disinfection of your home. Do well to organize your wardrobe, books on the bookshelf, kids' toys, TV remotes, hubby's gamepads, your makeup kit, and shoe clutter. Clean and dust all furniture and home appliances, bedrooms, bathrooms, living room space, and kitchen. Keep sweet-scented candles and floral arrangements around to give your home a fresh and sweet smell.

  1. Trim your hedges, lawns, and backyard garden 

The outside of your home creates as much of an impression as the inside, so it will be nice to give it some attention. So take time to trim the hedges, mow the lawn and improve your backyard garden. And if you cannot do it yourself, get an expert gardener to take care of it. You need to give yourself and your guests, a nice, spacious view of the outdoor space of your home. The well-kept greenery will give your home a picture-perfect look as well.

  1. Keep outdoor space clean

Apart from the green area, there are other outdoor spaces you'll have to keep looking as great as the inside of the house. For example, the garage may have become the new playground for your kids, and so will need cleaning. Also, the walkway, patio, balcony, and barbeque area may also need some attention. Disinfect the necessary areas and create more space for more fun family activities.

  1. Give your kitchen a little boost

It's time you upgrade your kitchen and give it a clean and contemporary look. Upgrading your kitchen doesn't always have to be a major task. Small changes and renovations can also go a long way. Change old and rusty door knobs and handles, clear all countertops, shelves, and cabinets, give your sink a good shine, and clean electrical appliances. To give it a touch of luxury, you can emboss the walls with statement wall designs or paint with neutral or cheerful colors. A simple addition like restaurant quality tablecloths from Richard Haworth is sure to give your kitchen a little burst of life. 

  1. Replace old drapes, curtains, and coverings

Consider replacing old napkins, table mats, pillow covers, bedsheets, and hand towels with new ones with more modern and colourful designs. This adds a little colour to the ambience of whichever space they occupy in your home.

When replacing curtains, make sure that you focus on the entire curtain but also the fixtures that go with it. This can create a surprising difference in the different rooms that you do this in. For example, you may want to go with traditional farmhouse curtain rods if you want a more rustic look in your room, or you can go with something a little more sleek and modern if you want to focus on a minimalistic design. For certain choices, we suggest having a thickset for when you want to keep out the sun and/or the cold, and a thinner pair when you want your room to appear brighter and less cluttered since it can let in more light.

  1. Re-invent your interior décor

Boost your rooms' atmosphere with picturesque and chic designs. Statement wallpapers can be used if you cannot afford a new painting. Chandeliers, mirrors, and a portrait gallery on your walls will give your home a sophisticated and classy look. Nice floral arrangements and carpets with unique designs can also be of great help to achieve a fresh new look for your home after lockdown.

  1. Keep windows and doors clean

While you're cleaning, don't forget the doors and windows. Re-paint your doors if you can afford to, or you can choose to give your front door a new look. Keep windows, curtain panels, and rods clean and sparkling. Also, use quality glass cleaning detergents for your glass doors, bedroom, and bathroom mirrors and windows, as the glass brings in sunlight and gives your interior a natural and spacious look. 

By adding these tips to your post lockdown to-do list, you will spend more great times with your friends and family and come home to a fresh and relaxing ambiance. If you feel you cannot carry out all these tricks by yourself, let the kids and your partner help. It is a great way to bond as a family when you all work to achieve this together. You can also employ or engage the assistance of an expert. Professional cleaning services, home remodeling service providers, as well as interior decorators, can be very useful in times like this. 

 


Getting Out Of A Lockdown Rut: Tips To Boost Wellbeing

There is no doubt that the lockdown has been tough for most of us. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, and you’re struggling to maintain a positive mindset, here are some tips to boost your wellbeing. 


Use your time constructively

Whether you’re working from home, you’ve been home-schooling, or you’ve been furloughed, you may have found that the pandemic has gifted you more hours in the day. Before the COVID-19 crisis, many of us complained about not having enough time. If you have got time, use it wisely. Spend quality time with friends and family, rediscover hobbies that have fallen by the wayside due to hectic work schedules and childcare commitments and do things that make you feel positive. 

Simple things like finding half an hour to do a virtual yoga class, going for a walk, painting your bedroom walls, or getting lost in a good book can make a world of difference. If you’re used to being busy, and you suddenly have free time, get into a routine and make plans. It’s always beneficial to wake up in the morning knowing that the day has something in store for you to look forward to.
Image by pixabay

Get out and about

There’s no place like home, but staying at home can get tedious. If you feel like you’ve been staring at the same four walls for as long as you can remember, start getting out and about more. You don’t have to go out to restaurants or hit the shops if you don’t feel comfortable doing so yet, but there are lots of things you can do safely. Make time for a walk in the open air each day, go for bike rides, take a picnic to the park or plan a weekend away or a road trip. 

If you fancy heading to the beach, or you love the idea of spending a few days at a national park, you could book a hotel, hire a log cabin or a static home or even look into buying a caravan. You can use the Internet to find a cheap caravan insurance policy and look forward to endless adventures. It has been difficult to spend months at home for many of us, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you abide by the guidelines, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the summer safely and start venturing further afield.

Picture credit:pexels.


Start socialising 

One of the most difficult challenges lockdown has posed has been spending time away from family and friends. If you’re feeling low, or you’ve been lonely, reach out to loved ones. Whether you call a friend for a catch-up, or you pop round to a relative’s house, social interaction will improve your mood and help you feel more positive. It is possible to be sociable without putting your health at risk, and reconnecting with people who lift your spirits will put a smile on your face. Meet outside, take advantage of having a ‘bubble,’ keep a metre apart and make sure you wash your hands. 

Image from pixabay.com

The lockdown has been tough for many of us. If you’re struggling, or you’re finding it difficult to adjust to a ‘new normal,’ hopefully, these tips will help.

How Health and Beauty Go together

The way we look plays a huge part in the way we feel, which is why health and beauty are so closely linked. The way we look on the outside is often a window as to what’s going on inside- and our physique, skin, hair, eyes and teeth amongst other things can all be improved with good lifestyle choices. If you look after your body then looking great is just an added bonus, here are some of the ways you can go about it.




Diet
The foods you eat really are so important for your health. Eating the right combination of macro and micronutrients, and getting plenty of vitamins and minerals will allow your body to thrive and work to its best potential. From a health point of view, the right foods can ward off cancers, boost immunity, keep cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar in check and give you energy.

The wrong foods will do the opposite, leaving you feeling sluggish in the long term and susceptible to all kinds of preventable illnesses in the long term. While exercise is important for maintaining a healthy weight, it’s actually a diet that plays the biggest role.

You need to be eating the right number of calories to maintain a healthy BMI, and at your correct weight not only will you feel great but you’ll look your best too. You’ll look neither too large or too thin, just exactly as you’re meant to. This can be a great boost for your self-esteem, especially if you’ve not been the right weight for quite some time. Nutritious foods can also make your skin, hair and nails look healthy and beautiful so you’ll look fantastic as well as feel energised. You can get all of these ingredients in popular hair, skin and nails gummies so they are also a great option. 


Exercise
While eating the right amount of calories in your diet will make the most impact to weight loss, exercise can certainly help. You can burn around seven hundred calories in an intense hour exercise session which can help burn off any excess. The trouble a lot of people have is that overestimate how many calories they’re burning and underestimate what they’re eating. For this reason, you can exercise regularly and work hard and not actually lose any weight.

However one thing working out is great at is toning muscles, sculpting the body and improving cardiovascular fitness. So not only will you be physically stronger and have more endurance but your body will look toned and shapely due to working out. Exercise can strengthen bones, lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. It releases endorphins meaning it can lower stress and anxiety, increase feelings of happiness and overall improve mental health as well as physical health.

From a beauty perspective, exercise shapes your body so your clothes fit you better and your physique looks its best. It can also improve skin by nourishing skin cells, improving elasticity and transporting away any toxins more quickly. As with the right foods, it also promotes healthy hair growth too.


Sleep
It’s called ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason. We all know how awful we look after a bad night’s sleep, our faces and eyes look puffy and those dark circles are a telltale sign of not getting enough kip. But it can also cause damage in the long term too. When we sleep, our bodies release powerful hormones that repair the cells of the body. When we’re not spending enough time asleep we miss these benefits, and from a superficial point of view can cause things like premature ageing in the skin.

However the health benefits are far worse, and research is showing that sleep is even more important than was first released. Missing even a few hours sleep can cause the equivalent of low-level brain damage, and over time this can be disastrous. Lack of sleep affects hunger hormones, meaning you’re more likely to overeat and gain weight- being overweight of course comes with its own health issues. It can lower immunity meaning you’re more susceptible to all kinds of illnesses and can lead to heart issues, heart attacks and stroke amongst other things.

Get into a good sleep routine, going to bed and getting up roughly the same time each day can help with this-this means not lying in for too long at weekends or going to bed too late. Switch off gadgets and technology an hour before bed since the lights can affect the hormones needed to wind down and sleep. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will play a vital role when you are looking to achieve your health goals. RMR is an estimation that shows the least amount of energy (calories) that your body consume when you do zero activity. 

Massage and Pampering
There are numerous health benefits which have been scientifically proven relating to massage therapy. As well as being able to ease and unknot stiff muscles giving you a greater range of motion, but it can release endorphins meaning you actually feel better too after having it done. It can help with certain injuries and soft tissue damage, digestion, headaches and much more.

Massage can also help you to look better too. Stimulating the tissues helps with circulation, reducing water retention and can even improve the appearance of cellulite. Where toxins are being flushed out by the lymph system more quickly due to boosted circulation you also get the benefit of better skin.

As well as feeling great, it’s also good for your health and your appearance too- why not book in at a spa and treat yourself now and again? There are lots of other pampering treatments which are great for skin health and improve appearance as an added bonus. Microdermabrasion, mud bath treatments and much more will rejuvenate appearance as well as hydrating and nourishing skin cells.


Oral Hygiene
Teeth are consistently ranked as one of the most important features when a person is looking for a partner. A nice smile makes you a desirable mate, as well as boosts your confidence. If you’re unhappy with your teeth, dentists really can work wonders these days.

From braces to whitening to veneers and implants, no matter what your situation is you will be able to achieve the teeth you want. But oral hygiene is about more than just looks, mouth issues such as gum disease can actually cause problems with the heart amongst other things. Visit your dentist and take their advice on whatever they find, not only will you look more beautiful but you cut your risk of all kinds of other linked health problems too.

Seasonal affective disorder what is it?


Today I want to talk about Seasonal affective disorder. I know what you are thinking it's summer this is not relevant, Have you lost your mind?


No, I have not. I used to suffer from this in the summertime as well as winter. I worked the night shift and could go days without seeing the sun as I slept through the day time hours. 

What is S.A.D? It is a depressive illness which has the following symptoms 

Symptoms of SAD can include:
  • a persistent low mood
  • craving carbs and gaining weight
  • feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day
  • a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities
  • irritability
  • feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
  • sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning
I really struggled. All over social media was people enjoying summer and I was in a constant state of winter and dark. I am not the only person in the UK who suffers from S.A.D in the summer. 

I contacted my GP. I was worried I wouldn't be taken seriously as it seemed crazy to me to have this in summer. I was fully supported and received Help and guidance. Never be afraid to ask for help. None is perfect and I am to the outside world a very bubbly and happy person but no one really knows my turmoil. I was prescribed anti-depressants. 

I found getting my routine right also helped. Eating and drinking had to be more routine and not if and when I felt the need to eat as I was doing. Your body is a machine it needs fuel to run. 

My days off I tried to get as much natural daylight and vitamin d as I could spending time outside really helped and I changed my night time routine to go to bed later to try and minimise the damage to my routine. 
I am not embarrassed to ask for help and I think this is the main point of this post. If you are struggling with any kind of mental health. Please ask for help. You are not alone. 

Win A Massive Rimmel Cosmetics Bundle

Its competition time again. This one is just as massive as the last one. I am co-hosting this giveaway with some of my lovely blogger friends. This giveaway will give one lucky winner a huge Rimmel makeup bundle. I know we are all going through highs and lows at the moment and this is a little way we can give back to one of you and bring something lovely into your world. If you are the lucky winner of course. I am not going to lie I am pretty jealous of the winner of this one. You all know how much I love makeup. Extra thanks go out to Vicky at Being Tilly's mum for organising this giveaway. I know what you are thinking stop wittering on and let's get to entering.  Remember to follow all the requirements to be in with a chance to win. Good luck and happy comping. 

It's July already and following on from the successful competition we shared for a huge bundle of Maybelline cosmetics, we have a Rimmel London cosmetics bundle to give to a winner of July's competition. Rimmel is, of course, a good English brand and many of us remember wearing it as a teenager! Luckily it has evolved over the years and it keeps up with the latest fashions in cosmetics. The competition we have on offer today is worth over £100.


Like last month this Rimmel competition is bought to you by the following group of awesome bloggers. Please pop over and visit their blogs.

So What Is In The Prize?

This Rimmel London cosmetics bundle includes lots of products that you might need as you come out of lockdown. The pubs and leisure places are opening in July, so it's nice to glam up ready for a night out. This prize package has
  • Magnif'eyes Wow Edition Eyeshadow
  • Brow Pro Micro Pen
  • Magnif'eyes Nude Edition Eyeshadow
  • Magnif'eyes Spice Edition Eyeshadow
  • WonderfullyReal Mascara
  • Volume Colourist Mascara
  • Ultimate Boost Volume Primer
  • Match Perfection Loose Face Powder
  • Rimmel Blush Palette
  • Provocalips 16 hr Lip Colour 'Kiss off'
  • Provocalips 16 hr Lip Colour 'Flirty Fling'

How Can You Be In With A Chance Of Winning?

For a chance to win a Rimmel bundle, just follow the instructions on the rafflecopter. you need to comment with 8 words or more below with your tip for making make up last all day. You can also use the rafflecopter for some extra entries into the competition. Entrants do not have to complete these, but the more you do enter, the more chances you have of winning. You need to be in it to win it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This competition was organised by Vicky and she can be contacted at beingtillysmummy@gmail.com for any questions about the competition.
Terms and conditions
The competition finishes on 31/7/2020
UK entrants only
You must be over 18 to enter this competition
You do not have to do all of the entry methods, but entries will be checked.
The winner will be notified by email if the winner doesn't reply within 28 days. Another winner will be chosen.