Below are some simple strategies that you can apply to make your home more comfortable and inviting. 

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1. Clean and Declutter

It is almost impossible to make your home warm and comfortable if it is filled with clutter. An untidy and cluttered space can cause feelings of stress. It is difficult to get psyched up about coming home if you have piles of unwashed laundry and countertops full of dirty plates. 

 If you are trying to figure out ways to make your home cozier, start making it clean. Do your laundry as often as you can and keep your floors and other surfaces clean. Make a habit of clearing clutter before things get out of hand.

 If you have many items that are not currently in use but wish to store them for later use, you can invest in extra storage space. Mobistorage.com.au is a cheap and convenient storage company that delivers their storage containers to your doorstep and picks them up after you are done filling them with your items. They can either store it securely at their site or deliver it to your new address if you are moving. 

2. Hang Art

Looking at things that you consider beautiful, such as art pieces, can reduce stress and make you happy. Additionally, hanging up some art pieces in your home can instill your individual interests and personality into the space. 

Consider hanging a few art pieces in your home, even if you just moved in. The artwork that you select needs to be properly sized, depending on the size of your wall. Ensure that you also put it in a strategic position. 

3. Adopt a Pet

Animals are beneficial in many ways. In addition to filling your home with love, they can provide you with a strong sense of social support and help to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. That is why it is a good idea to adopt a pet from your local animal shelter. 

Although taking care of a pet might seem like a great responsibility, your home will feel cozier if you have a furry friend who is always excited to see you. If you have the time and resources to become a pet owner, consider adopting one as soon as possible. 

4. Go Green

Like animals and art, plants can positively impact your mood and help reduce stress. Introducing some plants into your living space can help to bring the peace and calmness found in nature to the indoors. 

There are plenty of easy-to-maintain house plants that you can incorporate to your space even if you do not have any gardening skills. Consider incorporating some fresh flowers and potted plants into your home to make it cozier. 

A beautiful and relaxing house is every home owner's dream. Apply the above simple tips to cozy up your home.

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It has never been as crucial as it is today to evaluate our lifestyle and try to reduce the impact it has on the environment. And, what better place to start than the heart of the house? Our kitchens are the place where the household gathers and memories are made, and you should ensure that it perfectly fits your lifestyle and everyday needs. When it comes down to making a kitchen more sustainable, many homeowners are intimidated by how much a renovation can cost. At the same time, it is possible to reduce your waste and make your kitchen greener in just a few simple steps - check out some budget options below!

Let Nature In

When at home, we all use to spend a lot of our time in the kitchen eating, chatting, snacking, or even working! And, we always tend to use heating, electricity, and gas. Letting nature can hel[p you reduce your consumption of energy and resources - which can lower your monthly bills and make the kitchen a healthier place to live during the day! You can do all this by letting nature in the kitchen space with a few details. Start by removing the curtains and allowing in as much natural light as possible. Think about keeping the air quality in the kitchen high by opening the windows often during the day or while cooking. Lastly, don’t cut back on plants and natural materials such as wood and bamboo.

Make Sure Your Appliances Are Still Efficient

Your kitchen appliances are the most energy-consuming ones in your home. While they can last for over 20 years with the right maintenance, you should consider testing their efficiency every year. Specialised companies such as Melbourne Fridgeworks will be able to audit your appliances and check whether these are energy-efficient and eco-friendly. In some cases, you should consider upgrading your fridge, oven, or dishwasher in order to reduce energy consumption and save more!

Use Plastic-Free and More Eco-Friendly Products

Sustainability always starts with the choices you make at the supermarket! You can make your kitchen much greener and eco-friendly by only picking products that are natural and plastic-free. For example, you might opt for dishwashing liquid and cleaning products that are free of any chemicals. Additionally, when shopping for plates, glasses, and cutlery, you might opt for high-quality pieces that don’t contain plastic and will last for years. Of course, you should always steer clear of any single-use product that might considerably affect your kitchen’s sustainability. 

If you have items that inevitably come with plastic or packaging, make sure you have an efficient recycling system in place to dispose of your waste appropriately. 

Shop at Zero-Waste Stores and Local Market

The stores and shops you support can impact your sustainability. Opting to only shop at zero-waste, package-free, or local stores can help you support the local economy while also reducing your environmental waste. Additionally, while it might seem like more effort at first, you could consider shopping at the local farmers market. This lifestyle choice has many benefits, including getting access to fresh and seasonal produce and supporting the local communities. 

But add an illness or broken bones to the mix, and it takes the stress levels to another level. It is, after all, heartbreaking to see your child suffer, and even scarier when you don’t know what to do. Take your worries away and be prepared for any first-aid or immediate relief for your baby/ child by stocking up on some must-have medicines...

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Common Cold And Cough

There’s a reason it’s called the ‘common’ cold - did you know that it’s absolutely normal for a child to have eight or more colds per year? And once your littles go to school, it could even be more as they are constantly in close contact with other sniffling children! 

While it might not be a life-shattering illness, a cold that refuses to leave is definitely very irritating for a number of reasons. Babies get stuffy noses and often gasp for breath, toddlers find it difficult to sleep at night, older kids get irritable and refuse to eat… and it’s just not pleasant for anyone, parents included!

What’s worse is that the cold has to run its course in which time it will progress to include a cough as well, which only makes it more difficult for children to sleep. But certain things can provide relief so make sure you have them in your medicine cabinet. 

• Saline nose drops can help loosen the dried snot and relieve a stuffy nose 

• Chest rubs such as Vicks Vaporub also provide relief to congested noses and chests 

• Eucalyptus oil can be added to boiling water; inhaling the steam helps clear the nose and throat

Fever

Children get a fever quite often as well. It could be because of an infection or the side-effect of another illness such as a tummy bug. Sometimes children also get a fever after their vaccination shots or when teething. Keeping a fever medicine for kids in your medicine cabinet is a must. Of course, it makes sense to also keep a thermometer at hand to keep a check on your child’s fever. 

First-Aid Kit

Children - especially smaller kids - are accident prone and nothing is more important than having a first-aid kit at the ready. Stock it with antiseptic cream, bandages, gauze, cleansing wipes, a cream containing hydrocortisone for skin rashes, insect bite/ itch relieving cream, a painkiller such a paracetamol and a thermometer. 

It’s also important to know what to do in case your baby or toddler is choking. Either read up on the internet and be prepared or do a first-aid course on the same. 

Miscellaneous Items

Other things that could come in handy are a teething gel (if your baby is teething), allergy or hay-fever medicines (if your child is prone to allergies) or extra inhalers and asthma pumps if your child has asthma.

Staying fit and healthy can feel like a burden when you have a full-time job. After a stressful day in the office, you probably don't feel like lighting your stove to put together dinner, let alone hit the treadmill or gym. According to statistics, physical inactivity is responsible for one in every six deaths in the UK, with an estimated cost of £7.4 billion every year. With the current lockdown and restrictions due to the pandemic, maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be challenging. Here are four proven ways to stay on top of your health while working full-time.

1. Start your day early

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As the famous saying goes, the early bird gets the best worms; you can apply this in your daily routine as well. Several pieces of research have proven that the most successful people are those who get up early. Waking up early to start your day plays a key role in how fulfilling your day is. However, starting right begins from the previous night. Ensure to get enough sleep, at least eight hours; to rise early, odds are you'll have to take an early bed to get a decent night's sleep. 

2. Skip the gym 

Hitting the gym every morning can feel like too much work. While an early morning exercise has great physical and mental benefits, there are other exciting ways to keep fit without having to deal with frequently putting off your gym time. You can consider biking to work, a weekend hike, or join the recreational football team with your friends. It's harder to stay away from practice when it's planned with others. Furthermore, you’re almost certain to engage in something you enjoy doing and most likely not realize the work that comes with it. 

3. Share responsibilities with your partner 

It’s fundamental to establish clear jobs, duties, and expectations in your home. You may take up some jobs in the home while your spouse also takes responsibility for others. One may cook on certain days while the other does the cleaning after dinner. However, there are days when your spouse may not be available, which can prove a headache, particularly when you’re remote working. Combining home and work duties have proven difficult for several people, especially when there are kids involved. Fortunately, companies such as Shiply can help with easing some tasks such as searching for a budget-friendly courier, so you can focus on other jobs. 

4. Plan your weekday meals 

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Planning your meals reduces pressure and anxiety when having to prepare meals. It’s common to find yourself contemplating what to have for dinner during lunchtime. It’s, therefore, advisable to make plans to reduce the extra pressure associated with preparing your meals. Planning your weekday meals during the weekend means you can complete your grocery shopping before the weekday pressure sets in. If you live with a spouse, you can get tech-savvy by creating a Google drive to share your grocery lists, meaning either of you two can take up the responsibility of shopping without necessarily having to call the other during working hours.