5 TIPS TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR HOME INSIDE AND OUT

 

(Family Features) Spring cleaning isn’t just about purging dirt and grime. It’s also the perfect opportunity to take inventory of items around your home. As you tackle this season’s cleaning, look for ways to improve your overall living space, from getting rid of things you no longer need to adding items that can work harder for you.

Consider these five ways to tackle your home inside and out this spring.

Make organizing easier. As you clean each space, look for easy ways to reduce unsightly messes and improve organization. If your entryway always becomes a jumbled pile of shoes and coats, consider adding a storage bench and hooks to bring some order to the area. If the kids’ toys always accumulate in the living room, add a storage chest or large baskets to store them when not in use. If tools and equipment make the garage unusable, install shelving units to keep everything in place.

Eliminate the excess. Spring cleaning is also an opportunity to declutter and make way for something new, either by donating or selling unused things. Whether it’s last season’s fashion and accessories or unused tech and fitness gear, that item you never used – or haven’t used in a while – may be exactly what someone else is looking for. Online platforms can make the process easy and be a way to earn extra cash or help fund other home upgrades. Look for marketplaces that help you maximize your return; eBay, for example, is giving sellers 200 free listings every month, meaning you only pay after your items sell.

Reimagine your living space. If one area is becoming too crowded or doesn’t serve your family’s needs, consider items you can repurpose for another part of the home. For example, move an unused chair in your living room into a bedroom to create a reading nook. Keep your focus on function as you make changes that accommodate your lifestyle.

Make smart additions. Once you’ve cleared your space, and sold things you no longer need, you can convert that extra cash into reliable home appliances and tech. For example, purchase or upgrade items like vacuums, lawn mowers, power washers, drills and more to help take your spring cleaning to the next level. You can make your money go further by choosing certified refurbished products; some marketplaces like eBay offer inventory that has been professionally inspected by the manufacturer, or a manufacturer-approved vendor, to look, feel and work like new.

Commit to revisiting regularly. It’s easy to let clutter and disorganization slide when you get busy with life’s demands. Once your spring cleaning and reorganizing is complete, commit to reassessing your home on a monthly or quarterly basis so you can make small adjustments along the way, rather than face a major project every year.

Shop Smarter
Considering refurbished products for your shopping list can expand your options and make it easier to purchase top-of-the-line brands without going over budget. From tech and small kitchen appliances to outdoor power equipment, you can discover a breadth of items often in like-new condition.

Shop for Multi-Purpose Items: When upgrading your arsenal of gadgets, tools and small appliances, look for items that can serve multiple purposes. For example, many vacuums can transform into steamers or include mop attachments and some pressure cookers can also be used as air fryers.

Feel Confident in Your Purchase: Sometimes upgrading means investing in a premium product you can count on to last longer than entry-level models. With eBay’s Certified Refurbished program, you can find popular, professionally inspected name brands at up to 50% off, all of which are backed by industry-leading two-year warranties for peace of mind.

Keep Sustainability in Mind: Keeping functionality in mind and buying like-new items not only saves you money now and in the future but can also help protect the planet by extending the life of products and reducing unnecessary waste.

Learn more about buying refurbished at eBay.com/CertifiedRefurbishedHub .

 

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
eBay
 

SPRING FORWARD, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS MARCH 14, 2021

This weekend is the perfect time to replace the batteries in your smoke detector. And if your alarm is more than 10 years old, it’s time for a new one.

 

CLEVER STORAGE IDEAS FOR SMALL SPACES

 

(Family Features) No matter how cramped and cluttered your living space may be, you can almost always find a spot or two for extra storage. It’s often just a matter of getting creative and utilizing a few clever solutions.

Consider these simple ideas to create some extra space in oft-used rooms:

Kitchen

• Metal rods with hanging hooks can create storage space on your blank walls. Use them to hang coffee cups, cooking utensils, dish towels or pots and pans.
• Magnetic strips mounted on the wall or the inside of a cabinet door can be a simple way to hang knives and free up counter space normally taken up by a knife block.
• If your countertop is cluttered with small spice containers and oil bottles, elevate them with a decorative cake stand. Place small jars below and top with pretty decanters and additional spices.
• If you’re using prime cabinet space for items you only use once a year, such as holiday cake pans or a big serving bowl you pull out for parties, consider storing them in the attic or a closet instead.

Bathroom

• Instead of hanging just one towel bar on the back of the bathroom door, hang multiple to maximize your drying space.
• Most modern cabinetry has adjustable shelving. If you haven’t customized the heights of your shelving to accommodate different sized bottles and containers, give it a try.
• A three-tiered fruit basket might seem perfect for the kitchen, but it’s also a handy way to store bathroom essentials right beside the sink.
• Flour and sugar canisters can also be repurposed in the bathroom to keep makeup, toiletries, cleaning supplies and soaps contained. Make sure to buy bins that stack easily.

Bedroom

• Nix those nightstands and hang small shelves on either side of the bed. This cuts down on the clutter you can keep and makes cleaning underneath a breeze.
• Rolling bins that fit under the bed are perfect for storing linens, out-of-season clothing and children’s toys. They’re also the perfect way to slide building block projects out of sight without destroying your child’s latest masterpiece.  
• Closets with a single hanging rod are one of the biggest space-wasters in the bedroom. Double their storage capacity by hanging a second rod or shelf below shorter jackets and shirts.

Find more ideas to maximize your space at eLivingtoday.com.

 

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

SOURCE:
Family Features

GETTING YOUR HOME READY TO SELL

 

3 EXPERT WINTER SKIN CARE TIPS

 

(Family Features) As temperatures drop, winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin – leaving it dry, itchy or even irritated. Blustery outdoor conditions can leave skin feeling thirsty while the warm air blowing indoors can decrease moisture in the air – and your skin.

Winter doesn’t have to be synonymous with dry, flaky skin, however. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sheila Farhang recommends incorporating these tips into your daily body care routine so you can fearlessly brave the winter elements.

Decrease shower length. While a hot shower may sound fantastic in the morning or after a long, chilly day, hot water actually strips away the skin’s natural oils and disrupts surface lipids and proteins. This damage can result in dry, irritated skin.

“I advise my patients to decrease shower length and use tepid water temperature instead of hot, especially in the winter,” Farhang said.

Use a moisturizing body cleanser. Most traditional soaps strip away the skin’s natural oils, but an option like Olay’s Premium Body Wash Collection is made with the No. 1 dermatologist recommended moisturizer, petrolatum and supercharged ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamin C and vitamin B3 (niacinamide). These formulas infuse moisture 10 layers deep without leaving a coated feeling on the skin, and  they’re approved by the Skin Health Alliance, an organization of independent dermatologists and skin scientists who have verified the products so you can trust they are safe and effective.

“It’s important for those who spend their days and nights outside in low temperatures to protect their skin with not only warm clothing but also products that are formulated with ingredients that moisturize to improve the skin barrier,” Farhang said. “I always recommend Olay’s Premium Body Wash to my patients during the winter because it improves skin three times better than the leading competitor, boosts the skin’s moisture barrier and improves skin dryness.”

Look beyond lotion. If your skin sounds squeaky or feels tight, it’s likely been stripped of its natural moisture. For an extra dose of moisture, instead of lotion, consider adding an in-shower moisturizer, such as Olay’s Rinse-Off Body Conditioner, to your daily body care routine so you won’t need to apply moisturizer when you get out of the shower. Many lotions only provide temporary relief and need to be reapplied during the day, but a rinse-off body conditioner with ingredients such as vitamin B3, shea butter, coconut oil or vitamin E can fight dryness all day and provide concentrated moisture to help stop dry skin before it starts.

Find more information at Olay.com.

SOURCE:
Oil of Olay

4 TIPS FOR A PRODUCTIVE 2021

 

(Family Features) This year has taught many workers a thing or two about being productive when offices and homes blend into one.

As the calendar turns to 2021, consider these key products and processes to stay productive next year.

Find a system (and stick to it): Creating an organizing system is an easy way to ensure your at-home workspace is ready for optimal productivity. Designate space to house all your work items – a drawer, cabinet or box – and keep work items organized by type (pens, papers, computer gear, etc.) At the end of each day, transitioning to “offline hours” can be easier when you have a place to stow your work items.

Start your day clean: Studies have shown cleanliness has a direct impact on productivity. Yet, many people struggle to find the time and energy to clean, especially at the end of a busy day at home. An option like The DEEBOT T8 from Ecovacs provides a hands-free cleaning experience, complete with the time-saving benefits of an all-in-one robot vacuum and floor mop, along with TrueDetect technology to avoid tangling in small objects. Easily controlled via an app, just set it to clean before bed and wake up to a tidy workspace.

Break up your day: With so many hours at home in front of a computer, workdays can get a little monotonous. Break up the day to make working from home feel as “normal” as possible – shower in the morning, take a walk or drive to coffee then make time for at least two breaks throughout the day. Some people have found success with the Pomodoro Technique, which is breaking your day up into 25-minute chunks of work, with 5-minute rest periods. If you continue to work until you feellike taking a break, odds are you’ll overwork yourself until it’s too late to take the “big break” you had in mind.

Bookend your days with mindfulness: At the beginning and end of each workday, do a 3-5-minute mindfulness meditation. Before signing on to work for the day, allow your mind to fully focus on the day’s tasks at-hand. Signoff by doing another mediation to end the day and let go of any worries or stresses you might have. Incorporating this tactic into your daily routine can help create a natural boundary from work and home while also restoring peace of mind.

Find more solutions to help maintain productivity at ecovacs.com/us/blog/productivity-tips.

 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Ecovacs

RED VELVET FOR YOUR VALENTINE

 

(Culinary.net) On the sweetest day of the year, a day full of flowers, love and sweets, Valentine’s Day is the ultimate opportunity to try a different dessert meant for two.

It’s hard to resist a perfectly blended, rose-red, luscious Red Velvet Mug Cake.

It’s the perfect size, with just a handful of instructions, and it’s easily cooked before your eyes in the microwave. That’s right, the microwave.

This mug cake is a simple way to make something delicious and keep the portions small. Whether you have a small party, just you and your loved one or just simply want something easy and small, this quick treat is designed just for you.

Start by mixing all the dry ingredients into a large mug, including flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Then add milk, melted butter, vanilla and red food coloring. Use a spoon and stir the ingredients together until blended.

Mix powdered sugar and cream cheese then drop the mixture into the cake batter and mix once more. Microwave the mug for up to 3 minutes until your cake is baked.

Valentine’s Day means sharing with someone how much you care, and it’s difficult to find a better way than to share something sweet.

This dessert has Valentine’s Day written all over it, however, it can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year and is perfect for a late-night snack if you’re craving something sugary-sweet.

Find more recipes and dessert ideas for every celebration at Culinary.net.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

 

Red Velvet Mug Cake

Servings: 1

• 6          tablespoons flour
• 2          tablespoons sugar
• 1          teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/4       teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8       teaspoon salt
• 1/3       cup milk
• 2          tablespoons butter, melted
• 2          teaspoons vanilla extract
• 30        drops red food coloring
• 3          tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1          tablespoon cream cheese, softened

1. In 12-ounce mug, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add milk, butter, vanilla and food coloring; mix until blended.
2. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and cream cheese until smooth.
3. Drop cream cheese mixture into cake batter. Press into batter until covered.
4. Microwave up to 3 minutes until cake is done.

SOURCE:
Culinary.net