6 Ways To Upgrade Your Kitchen Without Spending A Fortune

 The kitchen is known as the heart of the home and can be one of the biggest challenges to change. But what if you can’t look at the dated cabinets anymore without wanting to scream? Well, if you can’t afford a full upgrade, there are some things you can do to change things up and make it a lot better for you and your family.

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Paint the cabinets

This idea is best done on proper wooden cabinets but it is entirely possible to paint veneer too. If you have good quality cabinets, you can give a little sand and a good coat of paint. The veneer can be painted too but there is a good chance it will peel after a while. That being said, it will help to tide you over until you can afford a new kitchen. Painting the cabinets can inject new life into the kitchen and save you a lot of money on upgrading it.

Hardware

If you like the colour of the cabinets, you could change things up by changing the handles on the front of the cabinets. Handles are easy to change and can be picked up for cheap. This is a great chance to think outside the box and use different handles from the normal kitchen options. Glass handles that are supposed to be for bedroom furniture can make the kitchen a bit more glamorous, or you could go with a fun shape such as a bat or a star. The possibilities are endless!

Countertops

This option depends on what type of countertop you currently have. If you have a decent stone countertop, you might want to skip this step. However, if you really hate the color or have the veneer type of countertop, you could consider investing in a new one. There is a range of quartz countertop colors available so you can choose a color to suit your style. Quartz countertops can also be reasonably priced compared to a lot of other stone tops so it may be worth your while shopping around to see what you can get.

Appliances

The appliances that you have in your kitchen can be one of the most important things that you own. Don’t believe us? Just think back to the time that your washing machine broke down, or when you realised that the cheap replacement dishwasher was a stupid investment because it didn’t wash the dishes. The appliances are important but you don’t need to switch them out all at once. Start with the most important item to you, or the most broken, and start changing items. This might take you some time but even taking baby steps like this can have you closer to the kitchen of your dreams.

Storage

One of the biggest factors that can ruin your kitchen is the storage, especially if you need a stored cupboard for your kids. Sometimes, you need to think outside the box on how to make the most out of your storage space. And this can require a lot of planning and switching things about. Make use of every space that you have available, and use cute storage boxes to help it look tidy. If you need to, use the tops of cupboards to store things and have a little ladder handy so you can reach things safely.

Change the tableware

What state are your cups and plates in right now? Are they in good shape with a matching set? Or are they mismatched hand me downs that are chipped? If you have chipped plates, you need to give them a good clean and fix up those chips because they can harbour germs. If you can’t fix them, you will need to toss them. Investing in some new plates and cups can help make your kitchen feel new, even if you have done nothing to it. The same rule should be applied to cutlery and glassware. However, if you have favorite pieces that you can’t seem to part with, then don’t. Ask yourself if it brings you joy, and if it does, keep it. If it doesn’t, then it is time it went in the bin or the recycling.

These are some of the basic things you can do in your kitchen that can make the space feel different and new. Sure, you could rip everything out and start fresh if you have the money. But if you don’t, these steps can help to change things in a way that you might think twice about fitting a new kitchen.

Little Trinkets That Make Your Bedroom Oh-So-Special

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When it comes to decorating, you don’t always have to make grandiose, earth-shattering changes. Sometimes, it’s the little things that really make a difference. And nowhere is this more true than in the bedroom.

In this post, we discuss some of the little trinkets that turn your sleeping areas into places you look forward to going at night. Check them out below. 

A Shelf For Your Bed

Bedside tables are expensive and take up a lot of room. If you live in a studio or apartment, they aren’t always practical. 

In this situation, a bedside shelf might be a better idea. These handy little units clip into the side rail of your bed (if you have one) and provide space for your book, phone and any other paraphernalia you might keep. 

A Neon Sign

Neon signs are easy to buy these days and a great way to add a little mood to your bedroom. You can simply order them from vendors, saying whatever you want. The longer the words you spell out, the more expensive the neon sign will be. 

Photo Strings

If you want to remember all the good times in your bedroom (and you have space to do so), then you might want to hang some multicolored light photo strings. The idea here is pretty simple: instead of standard fairy lights, photo string lights double up as clips. You simply clip your photos to the lights and then they illuminate them in all their glory. It’s a really cool idea for anyone wanting to create a boho bedroom.

A Wood Effect Pillow

This idea is pretty crazy, but it can be a lot of fun. It’s essentially a pillow with a case designed to look exactly like a tree stump. It looks like it should be super hard and uncomfortable, but then it surprises you. 

Wood stump pillows come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you take one on a plane with you, prepare yourself for some curious looks from other passengers. 

An Elaborate Curtain Rod

Finding an elaborate curtain rod for your bedroom is a great way to transform the atmosphere of the space. Rods can help you create luxe, country, traditional and even boho looks for your interiors. Choose a rod that complements your style and your existing drapes (if you plan to keep them). 

Butterfly Wall Ornaments

If you have a drab, dreary-looking wall in your bedroom, try refreshing it with some butterfly wall ornaments. These are usually made of rose cut metal and look stunning when arranged in a group. If you angle them correctly, they all look like they are about to flutter away. 

Rope Basket

Rope-based furnishings and bedrooms go together like bacon and eggs. There’s just something about rope as a material that’s instantly calming and lets you leave all your troubles at the door. 

If you don’t have one yet, consider getting a rope basket. You can use these to store throws or as linen baskets for your laundry. They’re even good stores for things like craft supplies, allowing you to keep all your knitting materials in one place.

Scented Candles

Imagine being able to relax before bed with beautiful smells. Well, once you get yourself a scented candle, you can. When choosing a candle, make sure to get one made of soy wax. Also be sure that the candle uses essential oils from source, not synthetic derivatives as these may adversely affect your health. 

Hanging Shelves

You can also add some hanging shelves to your space to give it a rustic vibe. Because the shelves hang, you’ll want to avoid placing anything valuable on them. Instead, use them for your plants or herbs. 

Lunar Garlands

Daytime is all about the sun, but at night, we celebrate the moon. Many people, therefore, love to decorate with lunar garlands. These show the moon as it goes through its various phases, running from new moon to full moon and then back to new moon again. It reminds you of the waxing and waning of the month. 

Mountain Wall Phone Holder

You have a phone holder in your car, and you should also have one in the bedroom. A proper mount allows you to charge your phone without having to leave it on the floor. It also helps to cut down on mess and clutter on your bedside table. 

Woven Macramé

Woven macramé wall hangings look great and instantly make your bedrooms feel more boho. They also help to soften the walls a little. 

How To Refresh Your Home’s Exterior if It’s Looking a Bit Dull

The first thing you see when you come home from a hard day at work is your home’s exterior. If you haven’t taken care of it for a while, then your home can look surprisingly dull, boring, and maybe even dirty. Our home faces the elements 24/7 and whenever there’s a strong wind or heavy rain, it’s going to get dirty and needs a bit of maintenance.

So if you think that your home exterior is looking a bit worn, here are a few maintenance tips to help you keep it looking fresh and new.

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Consider replacing or washing your windows

Our windows can get really dull over time, especially if we don’t give them a good clean. Washing windows is fairly easy if you purchase a long window cleaner with an extendable arm, but it can still be a little time-consuming. However, if you clean your windows regularly, then it requires a lot less work each time. Alternatively, you may want to consider just replacing your windows entirely, especially if you don’t like the look of the frames and want something new.

Wash the roof of your home

If your roof is clearly visible from the street then you may notice that it accumulates a lot of dirt, debris, and potentially even moss. Our roof is surprisingly fragile but it’s constantly protecting us against the elements and pests, so it helps to ensure that it’s well-maintained and cleaned. You can hire a roof washing service to help you keep your roof looking great, but there may be times where you’ll want to go up and inspect it. If you don’t have the right tools or experience to do this, then we’d highly recommend hiring a service to help you inspect and maintain your roof once a year.

Decorating the outside of your home

If the exterior of your home looks fairly clean already then there are other options to help you refresh its appearance. For example, you could try adding a bit of furniture to your front patio, you could place new plants around the lawn, and you can even paint your siding a different color if you’re committed to doing it for the whole home. You can get really creative when it comes to decorating your home and there are some fantastic color schemes and plant combinations that you can use to truly make your house stand out. Just remember that this will take a fair amount of investment in terms of both time and money!

You don’t need to draw up extensive home renovation plans if you want to maintain your exterior and keep it looking great. In fact, all it takes is an afternoon of cleaning or an appointment with a local cleaner to help you restore the look of your home exterior. Of course, renovating the outside of your home is never a bad idea. It’s a great way to stand out from your neighbors and can be a good option for personalizing your home.

Love Sports? 8 Easy Ways To Make Money From Your Passion

 Most people separate their finances from their love of sports. But, as this post will demonstrate, that’s a mistake. It turns out that there are numerous entrepreneurial options for those who love watching football or basketball. 

When it comes to sports, the majority of people play the numbers game. They discount the idea of ever getting involved with it financially, since achieving success is so difficult. Only around 1 percent of players ever make serious income from their sporting activities. 

Stats like this have an annoying habit of pooping on people’s dreams. But, as you’ll learn in this post, it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t necessarily have to become a bona fide sports star to make money from sports. There are plenty of other people around the headline names raking in the cash and doing a pretty good job of it. 

The problem is that the majority of people don’t know where to look. When it dawns on them that they are never going to be a high-flying sports personality, they begin to look for opportunities in other careers, like insurance. But that may be premature. The reality is that the sports industry is enormous and there are all sorts of opportunities to get into it and succeed. 

Write A Sports Blog

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You don’t have to play sports to make money. If you’re more of an intellectual type of person, then just writing about them can yield tremendous success. 

Sports blogs let you really explore ideas and get down into the nitty-gritty details of the games that you cover. You could talk about the private lives of NFL coaches or provide commentaries on player valuations. In fact, you could write about anything that your audience finds interesting. Then, all you need to do is monetize the blog and it could potentially provide you with a healthy side income. 

Sell Sponsorships

If you have a lot of contacts in sports and a large personal network, you might want to try selling sports sponsorships as a middleman. The idea here is to connect brands with teams or players and facilitate relationships. Remember, most companies have no idea who they should approach for deals so it is your job to sell them on the concept. If you can bring two compatible organizations together, you can earn substantial commission and walk away with pretty decent profits. 

Do Meal Prep For Athletes

Athletes know a lot about their sports, but most of them don’t have a clue when it comes to nutrition. They will often throw together dull meals they think are healthy to try to get lean. 

If you have cooking skills and you know how to make healthy food that assists their recovery, then doing meal prep for busy athletes is a great idea. Promote yourself as a chef who prepares healthy foods and then works with individuals and teams to support their nutrition needs. Where possible, post client reviews and talk about your success stories. Athletes are always looking for ways to improve their performances and nutrition is currently underexplored by most players.

Manage Sports Team Social Media Accounts

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Managing sports social media accounts is a glamorous digital marketing job that allows you to represent some big names. Most teams don’t have the skills in-house to reach out to the public via these platforms. But if you have experience in this field, then you can help them. This way, you can promote their brand and increase their fan base. 

Remember, there are a lot of teams looking for professionals who can expand their presence on social media. If you can get a dozen teams as clients, then you can potentially represent sports teams all day and get the inside scoop before anyone else. 

Go Into Sports Photography

Sports photography is a massive industry, yet relatively few photographers actually discuss it. Websites and sports publications continuously demand high-quality shots of players for publishing in their magazines. 

Sports photography is high-intensity work. You can’t afford to take your eye off the ball for a split second. But it is also incredibly rewarding when you get a shot that nobody else was quick enough to take. 

Sports photography is an art form. It’s something that you can hone and refine over time. Eventually, you will learn instinctively how to capture the perfect action shots of players that will encourage fans to read articles and explore their favorite sports further. 

To start in sports photography, you’ll first need to purchase the necessary equipment (which can be quite expensive). You’ll then need to get gigs at local games to prove your skills. Don’t take work unless you know for sure that you have the skills to create beautiful images for publications. 

Start A Live YouTube Commentary Channel

Thanks to modern technology, anyone can now provide commentary services live to fans. While the mainstream channels already do this, many sports enthusiasts want to hear different perspectives. If you are a big sports fan, you can provide this.

You’ll find that your commentary isn’t particularly good at the start. But it won’t be long before you really get into it and provide the type of coverage that your audience wants. At first, you may only have a handful of viewers. But over time, your channel will grow and the algorithm will figure out that you are providing people with value. 

Commentary is best for people who feel comfortable being in front of the camera. Usually, you won’t be able to talk over live broadcasts of sports event pictures. So most YouTube commentators simply place their video cameras in front of them and speak directly to their audiences. You can also provide a radio service, but these tend to be less popular among modern sports fans. 

Create Sports Highlights Videos

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You can also monetize your YouTube account another way: by creating sports highlights videos. As sports content evolves, more and more fans want to see the juiciest parts of their sports. Viewers with shorter attention spans don’t want to sit through entire games where there might only be one or two memorable moments. 

If you look on YouTube right now, you will find hundreds of fan-created highlight videos. These usually have a theme and then show clips from matches that correspond to it. For instance, YouTube has dozens of Lionel Messi tribute videos showcasing his remarkable footballing skills. 

Sports highlight videos are essentially a good way to monetize a YouTube channel for relatively little money. Create a compelling video title, collect a bunch of clips and then put them together to tell a story. You’ll quickly rack up views. 

Help Athletes Find New Careers

Most athletes continue practising their sports until they are around 30 to 35 or so, and then they move on. But where do they go? And who helps them?

That’s where professional athlete career transition coaches come in. These professionals help high-flying stars find new work opportunities once they stop playing sports. 

Many athletes who excel on the sports field struggle to move their lives in positive directions once their careers come to an end. Without the discipline provided by their professional careers, they can begin to lack motivation. Your goal is to help them uncover skills that they didn’t know they had and find real financial value for them. And because most top-flight athletes have a lot of money, you can charge high fees and make a fortune yourself. They will gladly pay for your help. 

So, which of these sports-related activities will you use to make money? 

Don't Overlook These Totally Doable Ways To Make Your Busy Mom-Life, Better

 Busy moms the world over know one inherent truth: if you want to get something done, give it to a busy mom.  Now it doesn’t matter if you’re the kind of woman that has all of your friends asking “I don’t know how she does it?” or if you’re more the “thank God for the last minute” kind of mom, we could all use a few tips that make our lives easier, and here are 4 of the very best.

Image By  Ketut Subiyanto

ROUTINE IS KING

Ever heard the saying “A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time?” well it was true for Mark Twain when he said it then and it makes perfectly good sense today too.  The first step to creating real harmony in your home life and your life by extension is to introduce the kind of habits that everyone can get behind and that contribute to the flow of your family’s lifestyle.  It’s never going to be easy in the beginning, especially if you have teenage kids still living at home and perhaps your home life routine has been more Superbowl game day than Tibetan spa.  But it’s never too late to start and if you have young children, never too early.

WARDROBE BLISS

We’ve always known that a well-organized wardrobe makes life...better.  It feels great to have spent the better part of a morning (day) simply unpacking everything from an overstocked and tired wardrobe reorganizing it to the point of Secret Service standards.  But if you’ve ever wondered why it makes your life seem better, you’ll be happy to know that it doesn’t just make your life seem better - it can actually make it better.

A well-organized wardrobe promotes mental clarity and an overall sense of accomplishment and well-being.  The process of physically decluttering a space has also been linked to mental decluttering and this is akin to “clearing the cache” on your computer.  Basically, you’re freeing up space to perform better overall.

RUNNING MOM.INC

The most important and one of the most rewarding jobs we’ll ever have as busy Moms is that of being the C.E.O. of “mom inc.” and just like a regular corporation, smart moms know that there’s always time to think of ways to do things better, smarter and faster.  There is an app for virtually everything you need to keep the home fires burning and if you want to be able to run that schedule and everything else, you need to get into it because going grocery shopping is so last millennium, right up there with hand signing and delivering documents.  Get your signature online and you’ll never have to do the last-minute document chase again.

TIMING, IS EVERYTHING

Throughout your day you’ll find “pockets” of time where the temptation is to do nothing.  Now, heaven only knows you need to do just that from time to time, but these blissful moments of relative calm could be put to much more productive use.  Failing to plan is planning to fail so these moments are really good opportunities to rework budgets for example and to figure ways to save more money at home.

Tips that will Help you to Find a Way Better Job

 When you have realized that you are ready to pursue a role that is better than what you have now, you can then begin to research more jobs online. If you want some steps to take, then this is the guide for you.

Reflect on What you Want

Before you even think about applying for a job, you have to make sure that you evaluate your current one. You need to learn what you like and what you don’t like if possible. This will help you to understand what you are looking for in your new role. Ask yourself the tasks you enjoy and also take your time when writing down the job responsibilities you’d like to carry on doing when you are in your new role. Conduct some research online if possible, as this is the best way for you to make sure that you are not selling yourself short.

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Evaluate your Skills

When you are aware of all of the experience and skills you need to work in your role, you can then determine how the qualifications you have compare. Write down all of the skills you have now and see how well you align with the job descriptions. Note down the education, skills and qualifications you need and go from there. Find out how you can gain extra qualifications if you feel as though you don’t quite hit the mark. Going back to university could be an option. If you are concerned about the money then remember that you can look into midtown apartments.

Think about the Ideal Company

Next, you need to find something that you are passionate about. Ideally, you should be working for a company that you love being part of. Think about the current company that you are with and research other qualities that you like. This could include impressive benefits, a strong company culture or even team-building opportunities. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can come out on top with ease.

Research Companies

When you have a good idea of what you want in your company, you then need to begin researching companies that have these traits. This will give you a good idea of whether or not they are hiring. Take your time when looking at job boards and also try and keep any companies that you do message in a spreadsheet. This will help you to track your job progress and it will also help you to see how it all relates to the role you’re looking for.

Update your Resume

After you have all of your favorite companies lined up, you then need to try and make sure that your resume caters to all of them. You can easily start by building a list of your work experience, your job duties, your education, your certification and your skills. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can stand out properly without seeming as though you’re sending a cookie-cutter CV to everyone.

 

 

Conserving Your Finances: It’s About Tools and Mindset!

 

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Of the many investments you can make in your home, you may not necessarily consider ways to conserve your finances. And when it comes to your home, it can be a never-ending drainer of your finances, and this means you’ve got to find the best approaches to conserve your finances. So how can we do this in our home environment? 

Monitoring Your Utilities

It's the very best place to begin. Our utility costs can run away with us, and this is for many reasons- using the wrong suppliers but also not doing the best we can to keep our expenses low. There are things you can do, for example, showering frugally, but when you consider that some of the best ways to save on your utility bills are to make a sound investment upfront, this is where we can incorporate devices like smart meters, which helps us keep an eye on our daily usage, but also solar panels. Because solar energy is easily soaked up by the sun, you are naturally keeping your utility bills lower, but what's more, the modern solar company can install solar battery storage, which stores up energy and any energy you haven't used, you can sell back to the company, resulting in a profit! 

The Importance of Automation

Automating is something that proves very popular in professional circles, and when it comes to your finances, you can use an automated tool that takes the work out of paying for your bills, and takes the effort out of the equation when it comes to saving. There are apps like Plum, that help you to save up a very small amount, which, over time, will add up to a lot, but there are many bank accounts that can do this for you as well; Digit can transfer small amounts from your checking account to a separate account. 

It's All in the Mind

This is something we don't necessarily consider when it comes to our abilities to save, but money is as much about mindset as to how much we have in our bank accounts. When you start to get into the right frame of mind, you would be surprised as to how much you can save. A very good example is when you prepare for grocery shopping. Because if you go to the grocery store armed with a shopping list of the things that you need, not the things you want, this is going to help you save money in the long term, but also minimize wastage. The problem we have when we go to the grocery store is that we start deviating from the list. Make a list of the things that you need, and nothing more, and stick to it! Naturally, you can afford yourself a little treat, but remember the expression, a little of what you fancy! 

Conserving your finances covers so many different areas, the reality is that it boils down to two different areas, mindset, and tools. When you find the right combination, you will be able to save a lot and live the life you want.