4 Things You Can Do For Yourself That Will Improve Your Quality Of Life

 

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In life, we should always look to make things easier for ourselves. We should also look to make life better than it was the week before. Plenty of people don’t like the idea that they’re something that should be improved upon, but that’s the healthiest way of behaving day-in-day-out. If you always look to make things better than they already are, then you’re going to become a very happy and accomplished human being. 

 

When it comes to quality of life, we should always chase after the highest quality. If we feel as though there is no substance to our existence, then it can then become very difficult to get out of bed each morning. The good thing is that there are so many different things we can do in order to improve ourselves and our lives – we’re all different, so we’ll all have different passions to chase and abilities to hone. Here are a few things we can all do, however: 

 

Work Out A Little More

 

Working out is a super important part of anyone’s life – or at least it should be. You don’t have to be the fittest or most athletic person in the world, but exercising and getting the blood pumping will make you feel so much better about your life. You’ll not only be rewarded physically, but your mindset will also get a boost as all of the right chemicals will be released from your brain. You’ll feel a lot more positive about yourself and everything around you. There are SO many ways to work out, you just have to discover what you enjoy and benefit from the most. Some people even do a course in their preferred exercise, even if they have no intention of teaching it, then have all the knowledge and skills of an expert.  A couple of examples like exercise to music, personal training courses, yoga teacher training, pilates instructor. The opportunity in the fitness industry is truly unlimited for the majority of people.

 

Get Your Hair Done 

 

This goes for pretty much every human being – both men and women. We all love having a good hairdo. There’s something about the locks on our heads and how they make us feel. If we feel as if we’ve gone too long and are in need of a fresh cut, then a new look can make us feel so much better. So, head online and look for the next best thing for you. Perhaps you’d be interested in milk_shake hair products for curly hair or perhaps you want to check out the latest trims the best barbers can come up with. 

 

Create A Healthy Meal Plan

 

What we eat matters a lot, too. If we’re not eating enough, then our brains will not be fed and we’ll start to think certain ideas that perhaps we wouldn’t otherwise – the brain has a knack of spiraling out of control when it lacks energy. Eating too much (and too much junk) can also make us feel negative and lethargic. A meal plan will not only keep things in order but teach us to be more organized in general.  

 

Regularly See Friends 

 

Social life is, and will always be, an important aspect of one’s being. We are a tribal species and absolutely need to be surrounded by people we care about. Even those who like their own company will admit to needing friends around them. We all absolutely need the love and affection of others in order to have an increased quality of life. Their attention and validation isn’t a must, but it certainly supplements a great existence. 

5 Summer-Chic Outfits Trending Right Now

 5 Summer-Chic Outfits Trending Right Now

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Are you ready to refresh your wardrobe this summer but could use some inspiration? Venues are opening, and we are filling dates in the diary. So, now is the perfect time to be confident and take risks with your style. Look no further for inspo, as this guide offers ten of the hottest outfits trending right now, as seen in fashion magazines, on celebrities, and influencers.

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A slip dress

Slip dresses are a summer staple because they are so versatile. When the sun is out, you can wear it solo, accessorized with trainers for a dressed-down look or kitten heels for a chicer vibe. For those breezier days, throw on an oversized denim jacket and pair of cowboy boots. For more formal events, you can style this outfit with a pair of stilettos. In which case, make sure the wedding photography captures you and your friends’ gorgeous looks.

Flared and wide-leg jeans

Gone are the days of skinny jeans! Flared and wide-leg jeans are making a comeback from the ‘60s and ‘90s, respectively. Remember the jeans your mum used to wear? Get yourself a pair of those. Flared jeans are oh-so-flattering as they accentuate an hourglass figure, while wide-leg trousers will give you a relaxed silhouette that can be dressed up or down.

Blazer and jeans combo

All manner of flared, loose-fitting, and wide-leg jeans are back in style, so now it is time to find a blazer to complete the casual-chic look. Since jeans are usually a shade of blue, black, or white—you can add a touch of colour with the blazer. Colours for this season are neutrals like off-white, sandy beige, and chocolate brown, or if you want to make a statement, a vibrant pink, green, or orange will look fabulous. For a sophisticated evening look, try a black blazer paired with mid-blue denim jeans and heels. The blazer doesn’t have to be form-fitting either. A relaxed blazer will radiate effortless style.

Balloon sleeves

If the dresses and shirts in your wardrobe are all pretty much the same style and fit, now is the perfect time to get your hands on a balloon sleeve piece. Balloon sleeves are long, puffed sleeves gathered at the shoulder and then puffed out and gathered again at the wrist or mid-arm. For those warmer summer days, a balloon-sleeve dress will look cute and feminine. Plus, the flowing material will keep you cool.

Scarf tops

You don’t necessarily need to splash the cash for this garment. It could be hiding in your accessory drawer! Great for a lunch date or shopping spree on a warm day, a scarf can double-up as a handkerchief top. Pair it with culottes or loose-fitting jeans, and you will become a fashionista about town. Prints and patterns are your go-to for scarf tops, as they complement plain trousers. Likewise, you are sure to get plenty of compliments wearing a scarf top!

Your Diet Might Be Helping You Drop A Dress Size, But What's It Doing To Your Gut Health?

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Restrictive diets are a 21st-century staple, with up to 50% of women, especially, reporting being on a diet the vast majority of the time. Weight loss is, quite obviously, the main goal of these pursuits but, given that most diets of this nature also cut out things like refined sugar and processed foods, most of us would assume that restrictive eating can also be beneficial for overall health. 

This can undeniably be true when diets are approached right, but it isn’t a given considering that, far from just cutting out known unhealthy sources, diets like keto eliminate entire food groups. As such, if we eat in these ways for extended periods, it’s not unusual for restrictions to take a negative toll, especially where healthy gut functioning is concerned. 

To prove that point, we’re going to look at three surprising ways that restrictive diets can prevent the growth and functioning of healthy gut bacteria, and what that means for everything from weight loss to immunity and beyond.

# 1 - Removing dietary variety

Healthy gut bacteria is incredibly varied, and it needs a variety of fuel to keep it satisfied. Even without restrictive eating, this variety has come under a great deal of fire over the past 50 years under the Western Diet. This is why so many of us buy supplements to keep gut health on track. Restrictive diets only add fuel to that fire, and before undertaking any eating plan like this, it’s essential to check that you’re either receiving the nutrients your gut needs or that you know which supplements you should take to keep gut health on an even keel regardless. 

# 2 - Reducing your energy levels

Calorie-based diets can have a detrimental impact on energy levels, making us far less likely to get moving. This is terrible news considering that exercise has been proven to facilitate the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Inadvertently, then, restricting calories makes the growth of bad bacteria way more likely. With this in mind, avoiding diets that directly hinder calorie intake is always best, as is making sure to exercise alongside any dietary changes for positive gut health at all times. 

# 3 - Impacting your sleep

Your diet also has a direct impact on your quality of sleep. Again, this is bad news for gut health given that studies have shown how even two nights of sleep deprivation can cause notable changes to gut flora. Ironically, these changes most relate to an abundance of bacteria associated with weight gain, throwing gut health (and hopes for weight loss) altogether out of sync. As such, even those following restrictive diets should always aim for lasting fullness with the help of healthy options such as slow-release carbohydrates and other fuller-for-longer foods.

When we look at these facts together, it’s plain to see that restrictive diets and gut health don’t always get along. By recognising these risk factors, you’re in the best possible position to make positive changes that facilitate good gut bacteria and ensure maximum weight loss from your dietary efforts at the same time. 

 

Furnishing Ideas for Your Home After Renovations

 

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Renovations are never a stress-free experience. You might have been living in the upstairs part of your house for weeks or months, dealing with construction people and noise; worse, you might have been put out of the house altogether. But it's over, you have the joy of decoration, at last, the creative part. Read on to get some original ideas for your space. 

A Reading Corner 

Now your home has been renovated you have the honor of dressing it up in the style you fancy and populating it with eye-catching ornaments. But what about the key question – where are you going to relax? Where around going to curl up with a cat and read for hours? 

The answer, quite simply a reading room – or even a reading corner if space comes at a premium. What you need is a comfy sofa – perhaps a corner sofa – a tall lamp, and a wooden coffee table just the right height. 

Black and Gold 

When someone suggests you paint your living room black you might think the idea is mad, black denotes all kinds of horribleness, nightmares, uncertainty, death. But don't dismiss it out of hand, done correctly a black living room can be unique and special. 

If you're going to go with black there's no halfway house, you have to go to the extreme. A heavy dark black is always better than lighter hues and when coupled with golden doorknobs and lampstands, the room will really pop. 

Antique Pieces 

There are two ways you can go with your newly renovated home space, you can match everything up and make it linear and neat, or you can mismatch things to give it a quirky creative appeal. If you decide on the latter there are some antique trends to keep an eye on. 

These antique trends include heritage antiques, unusable antiques for upcycling, and original books. If the idea of antiques in your home is something that appeals to you, these trends are the best way to stay on track. Since they are trending at the moment pieces in these categories won't be hard to find. 

If you love antiques, consider using them when furnishing your home after renovations. So antique silver dealers will be able to help you find the perfect pieces for your home, and they can also give you advice on how to decorate with them.

One of the great things about antiques is that they can add a sense of history and character to your home. They can also be gorgeous and add a touch of luxury to your space.

If you are unsure where to start, consider using an antique piece of furniture as the focal point in a room. For example, you could use an antique dresser as a TV stand or an antique sideboard as a buffet in your dining room.

Consider using an antique chandelier if you want to add a bit of whimsy to your space. Chandeliers can be exquisite, and they can also add a sense of elegance to your room.

Another great way to decorate with antiques is to use them as accents. For example, you could use an antique vase as a paperweight on your desk or an antique mirror as wall art.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to decorating with antiques. So, if you love antiques, be sure to use them when you are furnishing your home after renovations.

A Modern Fireplace 

Some time ago there was a trend towards blocking up your fireplace during a renovation – that seems like a mad idea now with so much hype around fireplaces and their potential. It's true, a fireplace can be re-purposed in so many ways, it can even be repurposed as a fireplace. 

All this means is that instead of having smoke billowing out of a chimney into the carbon-sensitive atmosphere, you have a small ethanol fireplace or fire table that gives you warmth and isn't as harmful to the planet.

Accent Walls 

Whether you have a sure idea about your post-renovation living space or not it's always beneficial to consider an accent wall. Why? Because accent walls give your home a new dimension by allowing you to contrast colors. The best part is they are fully flexible and you can change chameleon-like according to your moods. 

6 Tried and Tested Strategies to Maintain Home Value

One of the most significant investments you have lies in the value of your home. Accordingly, you need to maintain that value to keep your investment in top condition regardless of the economic times. Maintaining the value of your home does not have to be complicated. It should be as easy as repainting or fixing broken pieces. Additionally, you should always keep the surroundings appealing.

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If you are looking to maintain the value of your home, here are six ways you can achieve this without breaking a sweat. 

Curb Appeal

Whether you want to maintain your home's value for sale or just want to make it more appealing, the first thing you should consider is the front area. As much as the interior is crucial, the exterior is the first part that people see. Therefore, ensure the exterior is in top shape by making the entrance more attractive and attending to your front yard. 

Do Away with Clutter

No matter how minimal you go, you will always find clutter in your space. Cluttered areas look messy and may ruin the home appeal by creating more problems. For instance, clutter will attract mice and cockroaches, which lowers the value of your home. Consider cleaning up frequently to remove clutter and maintain the value of your home. 

Go all Out in the Interior

Cleaning your home does not mean making all state-of-the-art furniture to be valuable. Instead, it is all about the things that tick all the boxes. For instance, have you removed mould and dust? How about applying a new paint that matches your décor? Also, check the lighting. Finally, consider a room-by-room check as you do lots of cleaning and repairs. 

Prevent Structural Damages

Do you have wooden structures? If yes, you should consider termite damage control to protect your valuables. Do not wait until termites do the damage. Instead, deal with the problem by preventing the infestation before it happens. This will help you save money in the long run and maintain the value of your property. 

Focus on Upgrades

The kitchen and bathroom contribute significantly to the overall value of your home. Check anything that needs an upgrade and fix them. Check out for ineffective water systems, appliances, countertops, and cabinets. These components may require upgrades to maintain the value of your home. Don't forget to add all the mod cons to your home. no bathroom should be without a heated towel rail. You can find a wide range available at www.traderadiators.com These are not only practical but look really eye-catching.

Ensure Everything is in Good Condition

You should always be thorough with your home, testing and inspecting the smallest of features and fixtures. For example, is your hot water system at the right temperature and pressure? Are the doors and windows fixed to ensure no loose parts?

Remove mould, fix the lighting and power system to ensure all switches work. Finally, repair the locks on every door and storage facilities like cabinets. In other words, you should get everything working. 

Final Thoughts

Maintaining the value of your home is all about small home renovations that people often overlook. For example, fix the kitchen and bathroom, install fixtures, and upgrade the security system. Whether you are after building security or getting more money when you sell, these tips will help you maintain the value of your home now and in the long term. 

How To Get An Effective Workout Without Leaving The House

 Do you want to start working out, but don’t want to join the gym or head to exercise classes? Maybe it’s too expensive, there’s no good near you, or you feel silly working out in front of other people. Maybe your schedule is too full to allow for trips to the gym. This leaves working out at home. Can you really get an effective workout at home?

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If you want to try exercise at home, try some of these tips to make your workouts effective, and to help you stay motivated and free from injuries. 

Challenge yourself to avoid getting bored 

If you do your workouts at home, you won’t have access to the variety of equipment and classes that would be available at the gym. To avoid getting bored of doing the same exercise, you can go online or flick through fitness magazines to get some ideas for new workouts and to make sure you’re doing your exercises correctly. Pictures and video can be very helpful. Use them as a guide to check your form and technique to avoid getting injured. Wear the right clothes too. Even working out at home needs supportive shoes and comfortable clothing from shops

Find an exercise partner

It’s a lot harder to find an excuse to avoid your workout when you’ve promised someone else that you’ll work out together. Get your spouse or a friend involved to keep you both on track. 

Schedule your workouts

It helps a lot to have a plan. Buy a dedicated planner, use your normal calendar, or use your phone, and write down your exercise like an appointment well in advance, the same way as you would anything else, like going to the optician, or a friend’s birthday party. If something comes up, and you need to change a workout, rearrange it, don’t just cancel it. Having the time blocked out will help you to actually do it. Putting your workouts on the calendar also shows the family that you are not free at this time, just as you wouldn’t be on hand to help with homework or settling a squabble if you were out. 

Use a journal to track your progress

You should record any milestones that you reach during your fitness journey. If you have a bad day, record that as well. This will help you to spot patterns that you can break or make use of. For example, if you felt lethargic during a few workouts, and can see that happened on days when you didn’t eat breakfast, then you know not to do that. Writing things down might show you that your workouts are more effective after you’ve eaten eggs for breakfast, rather than a bagel, for example. Tracking your progress can also help you to feel more motivated. For example, if you can see that you’re able to do more push-ups than you could a month ago, you can feel proud of that and aim to strive for more.

4 Odd Things That Affect Your Skin

What does the face in the mirror say to you?

Understandably, our face is constantly changing. If you’ve had a rough night, your skin might feel pale and dull. After indulging in a greasy takeaway last night, you might wake up to an oily complexion. Or perhaps your spring allergies are playing up, and your eyes have gone all puffy. These things happen! 

But thankfully, you understand how to maintain your youthful and healthy appearance. A fitness routine is an integral part of your beauty regime, along with the appropriate skincare routine and an (almost) healthy diet (we all need to indulge a little from time to time). We all know the usual things to do to help our skin health like stopping smoking drinking more water and leading a healthier lifestyle But did you know that other factors can affect your skin too?

Stress is the most common thing that comes to mind. But what if we told you that your household is the source of most of your skin worries? 

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Toxic chemical house products

Some of your favourite household products could cause skin irritation, rashes, and itchiness. Most people don’t make the connection. But here are some examples to help you narrow down some of the most common culprits at home. 

If you find yourself itching or developing unexplainable rashes on your thighs, chest, shoulders and waist, you may want to change your laundry products. Indeed, detergents contain toxic ingredients that may cause unpleasant reactions in the areas where the fabric touches your skin. You can test the theory easily by switching to a non toxic laundry detergent to see if it stops your problems. 

Palm-related itchiness and rashes can be caused by a variety of factors. But you can rapidly test whether it’s linked to your household products. Bio-surface cleaners and dishwashing liquids are unlikely to cause any skin reaction. 

Your smartphone

We spend a lot of time using our beloved smartphones. Unfortunately, mobile phones can affect your posture as you sit or stand with your neck bent forward toward the screen. According to cosmetic experts, the phone neck affects our chin and jawlines. When you look down at your phone, you crunch up the skin, creating a large neck appearance and an almost double chin. Looking down affects your youthful appearance. 

Makeup can age your skin

If you are a makeup lover, here’s the good news first: wearing makeup does not age your skin. However, the ingredients contained in your favourite brands could affect your skin’s ageing process, such as parabens, talc, dimethicone, and propylene. Indeed, they can aggravate buildups on your skin, making your skin appear dull and uneven. Additionally, makeup can also trap pollutants against the skin, which accelerate oxidative stress. 

Pandemic work habits

Last but not least, if you’ve been working from home since the start of the pandemic, your indoor lifestyle could also lead to premature ageing and dark spots. If you do suffer with them try Gundry MD Dark Spot Diminisher it's a miracle worker.

The British population has struggled with vitamin D deficiency during the pandemic. What you may not realise, though, is that vitamin D is crucial to prevent ageing. If you feel that the pandemic has changed your appearance, chances are that it’s true. The combination of indoor living and smartphones can have dramatic impacts! 

Is it too late to transform your lifestyle and improve your skin health? The answer is no. The skin cells have a regeneration cycle of 30 to 60 days, which means that you’ll see positive results with consistency. Are you ready to make your lifestyle skin-friendly?