7 Simple Tips for Decluttering Your Home

Getting rid of old stuff can be difficult, but the result is a refreshed space and a cleared mind. After all, do you still need those five-year-old socks or the TV that’s been sitting in storage for nearly a decade? Whether you are doing a spring clean or moving house, here are seven simple tips for decluttering your home.

1. Do it Room by Room

Tackling everything at once is an easy way to get overwhelmed, so take it room by room instead. Start with the smallest room, and work your way up from there, building piles in the process. This way, you’ll be less stressed, and you can space the tidying out over a matter of weeks.

2. Donate Unwanted Clothes

The wardrobe is one of the more fun areas to declutter, as you get to work your way through all your unused, interesting, and well-loved clothes. It’s an experience! After chucking a bunch of clothes into the not keeping pile, you should then donate the clothes rather than throwing them away. Of course, you should still be selective – nobody wants a well-worn bra!

3. Create New Storage

You need plenty of storage space to declutter a house filled with items, so get creative with it! If your house lacks space, then consider using height for shelves. If you simply have too much stuff, use a storage area to hold the items you want to keep but don’t need daily. Have a look at https://www.storagearea.com for secure storage and great prices.

4. Write a To-Do List

Do you ever get halfway through a tidy and then completely forget your direction? Get rid of this issue by writing a to-do list before you get started. Include every area you want to declutter, including a list of where you want all your items to go.

5. Don’t Forget the Pantry

When de-cluttering, you must remember the food cupboard! While you’ll probably keep the majority of items, it is the perfect opportunity to get the pantry organized. Separate items by foot type – for example, keep the tins in one place and the dried foods (like pasta) in another. You’ll be grateful when it comes to making dinner!

6. Create a Maybe Pile

To make the decluttering process as smooth as possible, create a maybe pile as you go. You don’t want to spend half the day trying to make final decisions about items, so when you can’t decide whether to keep that fifteen-year-old clock, just put it in the maybe pile and go back to it later. Once you’ve cleared everything else and know how much space you have leftover, you’ll be in a better position to decide, anyway.  

7. Let Yourself Buy a Few New Items

OK, decluttering is all about getting rid of stuff, but there’s no harm in purchasing a few new keepers for your home. It can serve as an inspiration to declutter and will give your home an extra boost of freshness once all your unwanted items are cleared.

3 Tips for Training a Puppy for Busy Entrepreneurs

Adopting a puppy is a big responsibility. One of the biggest challenges of having a young dog is training him or her to act appropriately. You have to commit a significant amount of time to training your new pet so he or she knows how to act in various situations. Here are three tips that can streamline the training process so it is less stressful for both you and your new pet.

Hire a Professional

If you don’t have a lot of experience with puppies, you may not know how to start the training process. There are many tools and training programs available to help you, but you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices you have. You may decide to enroll your puppy in obedience school but you could also hire a professional trainer to work with you and your puppy on an individual basis. A personal dog trainer will develop a strong bond with both you and your puppy and identify training strategies that will be beneficial.  This customized approach to training is beneficial for many people with puppies since every dog has its own personality.

Use the Right Tools

There are dozens of ways to approach training a puppy but it is essential that you use the right tools. Some people choose rewards-based training in which they ignore bad behavior and praise good behavior with treats and affection. If this is the route you choose, make sure to invest in plenty of treats s you can reward your dog every time he or she reacts appropriately. Other people prefer consequence-based training. For example, if your dog barks a lot and you are trying to train him or her to be quiet, you may want to invest in an ultrasonic training device. This tool delivers a small shock to your dog every time he or she barks excessively. The shock isn’t strong enough to hurt your pet but will hopefully deter him or her from barking.

Technology is always developing and a relatively new thing to hit the market are halo collars. One of the great things that you can do with this is look into setting up an invisible fence with the halo app, encouraging your dog not to go further than these parameters while you are out. It helps to keep them safe, and it’s an easy solution for you!

Give Yourself Time

Training your puppy properly takes time. You can’t expect to have a fully trained puppy within a few weeks. While some dogs master basic commands easily, others have trouble understanding what is being asked of them. Some dogs can be housebroken within a matter of days, while others continue to have accidents for several months. It is important to refrain from giving yourself a time table. Understand that every dog is different and what worked for a former pet may not work for your current one. Make sure you have plenty of time to devote to training so you can avoid stressing yourself out.

Training a puppy is hard work but with the right amount of hard work and dedication, you can teach your new puppy how to act appropriately in any situation. Use these three tips to make the training process easier so you don’t overload yourself with unnecessary stress that slows it down. If you take the time to use these tips, you will be rewarded with a happy, well-mannered puppy that fits perfectly into your family.

FemFounder Holiday Gift Guide Picks

The holidays can be a stressful time during regular years, but this year proves to be the most difficult for many of us.

To help make your shopping easy and bright, we’ve rounded up our top picks for anyone on your shopping list this holiday season.

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The Art of Sugar-Free Cooking: Recipes for Healthy Living — $19.99

By Omar Cumberbatch

Learn simple and healthy yet delicious recipes that you can prepare in 45 minutes or less.

If you have a busy schedule and don’t have a lot of time to cook healthy family meals, we understand. Health coach and wellness expert, Omar Cumberbatch pulled together his favorite recipes in his first-ever e-cookbook, The Art of Sugar-Free Cooking: Recipes for Healthy Living.

 The Art of Sugar-Free Cooking: Recipes for Healthy Living e-cookbook includes:

• Meal plans that will provide you with maximum energy and help you shed that extra weight

• 70+ unique recipes that everyone in your family will love

• Dishes that only require a handful of ingredients

• Options for vegans, vegetarians, and those who are gluten and dairy-free

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Holiday COVID Coping Kit: Gain Control of Your Emotions and Manage Stress this Holiday Season — $9.99

By Angela Ficken

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. There’s no doubt about that. Stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high.

So, how do we keep our stress and anxiety at a manageable level this holiday season and throughout the cold winter months?

 As a way to help you manage these difficult emotions and thoughts, I’ve created the fun and easy-to-use Holiday COVID Coping Kit: Gain Control of Your Emotions and Manage Stress this Holiday Season. This kit contains a few simple exercises you can do when you’re feeling stressed out and need a little relief.

Exercises include:

·      An engaging and interactive Holiday Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

·      Tips on how to Get Out of That Winter Funk

·      A shortlist of skills you can use when you’re feeling anxious or stressed

·      And most importantly, journal pages where you can track your emotions, thoughts, and moods

If you're feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious, this coping kit will teach you fun, easy to use skills that can help you improve your mood, feel in control of your emotions, and ultimately feel better!

Need a gift idea? This kit also makes the perfect virtual holiday gift.

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Huggaroo Neck Wrap Microwavable Heat Pad - Weighted, Unscented — $35.99

Alleviate pain and tension with this soft and cozy neck wrap.

Use as heated neck wrap or general-purpose heat pad

• Plush, luxurious fabric feels wonderful against your skin

• Microwavable and cordless - enjoy it anywhere, even in your car

• Patented, anti-gravity Huggaroo design. Velcro fastener in the front

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Let’s Dine In! Healthy Recipes and Tips to Minimize Your Shopping Trips - $12.99

By Melissa Eboli

Do you want to make quick, tasty & healthy meals without making frequent trips to the grocery store?

All recipes in this book have been crafted to put time back in your week, and flavor on your palate! Instead of making regular grocery runs, you will mostly have to run as far as your pantry and refrigerator. PLUS most meals can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, so this is a WIN-WIN!  

 THE BOOK CONTENT INCLUDES

• Shopping lists of suggested staple items for your pantry needs

• 30 original GF & DF recipes with beautiful corresponding photos

• PLUS you can jump on over to my YouTube page for additional FREE recipes

Melissa Eboli AKA Chef Via Melissa is a certified Culinary Nutrition Expert (CNE), Nutritional Chef, and certified wellness counselor (CNWC) based out of NY. She owns Via’s Kitchen, a personal chef, and catering company that focuses on clean, allergen-friendly food. Her services include event catering, dinner parties, cooking classes, live demos, and recipe development.

When she's not in the kitchen, she can be seen making guest appearances on Dr.Oz, in addition to being published in the likes of The New York Times, Forbes, and Readers Digest to name a few. She’s executed over 200 events and has been in the media over 100 times for her expertise. Her passion as a chef is to create healthy dishes with a modern twist using the cleanest of ingredients while focusing on nutrition, flavor, and presentation. All of her dishes emphasize gluten and dairy-free cuisine. 

5 Staging Tips You Need to Know

One of the most important things you can do to ensure a quick real estate sale is staging your home. There's an endless amount of things you can do, but here are some important staging strategies that real estate experts like Paul Daneshrad can take advantage of. 

1. Clean It Up

Realtors around the nation emphasize that the least expensive and simplest thing you can do is clean your space. Nobody wants to move into a dust-coated, grimy, stained home. This also applies to smells. You can open up windows and doors to air out musty odors as well as bake cookies or place a few strategic bouquets to add a more appealing aroma.

2. Declutter

This is another inexpensive way to give your home a makeover that will dazzle a potential buyer. Staging experts recommend not just stuffing things into the closet, but rather eliminating as many knick-knacks and extras as possible. You even want your storage space (closets, cabinets) to be organized and ready to view. When a buyer comes into your home, their number one thought is "how will this fit me and my lifestyle." That's hard for someone to imagine if they're staring at a pile of dirty socks and Christmas decorations. 

3. Make It Look New

You have a lot of options here, some more expensive than others. If you have the ability to replace things like appliances, flooring, or shabby doormats, that can help give your home that brand new feel to potential buyers. However, you don't need to pull out your wallet to give your home that just out of the box sparkle. Something as simple as washing windows can make a world of difference not just in the light that filters in, but also in curb appeal.

4. Don't Make It About You

Put away things that have your stamp on them: monogrammed items, family photos, things posted on the fridge. They're trying to picture their life here, not yours.

5. Let The Light In

Make sure to open curtains and blinds whenever possible. You want to let in as much natural light as you can. Any place that's still dim, consider using a lamp or light fixture.

Do Your Best

In the end, we always feel like there's more we can do. Just do what you can when staging your home, it will make a difference.

Dealing With a Child That Has Committed a Crime

We find ourselves going through so many different battles as parents that when our child has done something, we feel we are to blame. Ultimately, we've raised them to be a certain way and if they've gone against the grain and have done something that we consider particularly bad, we are going to blame ourselves. But when we hear that our child has done something not just bad, but illegal, this can throw up a multitude of emotions. But what can we do if our child has committed a crime? How can we help our children?

Going Through the Legal System

Not all crime is created equal. It all depends on the nature of the crime. And when our child has been accused of a crime we've got to take a measured approach, especially if it is vital that we bring in a criminal defense attorney. There are criminal defense attorneys with tons of experience they can guide you through the system. It is important to remember that the punishment always fits the crime. But it's also crucial to remember that your state’s laws will determine whether you are held liable or not. A very good example is if your child skips school too much- you could be charged with a truancy related crime.

Coming to Terms With What Has Happened

As parents, we can feel a wide variety of feelings associated with shame or guilt. If there is media attention or social media attention, this can add another layer of complexity and unwanted attention. We can feel that we are being judged. And when we start to encounter these situations, we have to take records of what has happened and get assistance from the police.

Working With Your Child

This may have been the straw that broke the camel's back or it may have been a bolt out of the blue. But when our children commit a crime, we need to work with our child, either to rehabilitate them or to make them understand the errors of their ways. As we've already stated, the punishment fits the crime.

In many cases, you may decide to dish out a certain punishment. But you may also want to look at your family in a holistic sense. Has there been anything that has changed in your child as a result of external circumstances or has there been significant changes in your family life? If it is the latter, you may want to think about ways to improve the quality of your life and provide a stronger family network. We've got to work with our children. And as reticent as they may be to repent or make any sense of apology, we have to remember it is not an immediate solution. Rehabilitation is something that takes a long time.

It is one of the most excruciating things that any parent can ever witness. It's not just about what the child has done, but it's a reflection on what the parent could have done to sidestep this. But there are ways to deal with this.

How Home Automation Can Help You Save

Many people try to be conscious of wasteful resources in their homes and take reasonable measures to make sure they aren't wasting more than necessary. Examples include turning off the water when it's not in use, turning up the thermostat when you leave the house during the summer and down in the winter, and turning off a light when you leave the room.

Home automation products are a great way to make it easy to manage these items in your home, as well as save you money in the long run. Smart thermostats, like JD's prompt Bryant wi-fi thermostat, lights, water lines, appliances, and others save users a lot of money through increased efficiency and elimination of unneeded resources with a few clicks on your smartphone.

Easy and Effective Ways for Town Officials to Have Positive Impacts on Their Communities

Town officials have tremendous responsibilities placed upon them as they consistently determine what's best for a destination and all the citizens living there. By putting extra thought into how they spend their time and energy, these individuals can have notable positive impacts on everyone who lives in a town or interacts with them in any form. 

Pitch in to Relieve the Effects of the Coronavirus Crisis

People often perceive the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic as such a major issue that it seems outside of their control to do anything to lessen its effect. However, town officials are in excellent positions to see the biggest effects and the people who are suffering the most. They can then use that information to guide when and how they provide help to the people, families, or businesses that need it. 

Distributing food to the hungry, calling people from high-risk groups who cannot leave their homes, and launching a system to help people who require emergency funding are just a few ideas to get started. The ideal approach to take is for town officials to spend at least several days interacting with those in the town and listening to their perspectives on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects them. 

Show You're Open to Hearing From Community Members

People who live in towns overseen by the respective elected officials typically don't want to feel that the politicians in those offices wouldn't want to hear what they have to say in any case. Elected officials should ideally show through their words and actions that they are ready and willing to listen to people living in the community and take their words to heart. 

Elected officials should also become familiar with the ways people may contact them, and come up with systems that make those residents feel their voices are heard and respected. For example, if an elected official has a secretary or a team of volunteers to handle phone calls for them, they should instruct those individuals on how to reply so that callers don't feel ignored.

Similarly, if the email is another contact method, elected officials can set up auto-response messages that tell people when to expect replies or what they can do to follow up on the content of a message if needed. People want to come away feeling that their efforts to get in touch were genuinely worthwhile. 

Provide People With Several Ways to Get in Contact

Another crucial way for elected officials to positively impact their communities is to provide a dedicated place for people to get in touch that offers more than one contact method. Mike Tawil, a current elected Town Justice in Ossining, New York, does that through a page that includes a telephone number and email address, plus an online form to fill out. There is also an address so that people could write letters to send through the postal mail if desired.

Accessibility is a huge part of an elected official showing they are available and ready to help wherever possible. Offering a contact page that's easy to use and locate are two first steps to take.

These are not the only useful ways for elected officials to impact their communities in long-lasting, appreciated ways. However, they're excellent starting points to consider. 

What are the Alternative Air Conditioning Solutions for Homes?

Alternatives to modern-day air conditioning date back over seven thousand years. Most of these are integrated into the design of the building. They allow for an abundance of airflow, that occasionally is directed over water features, and pay detailed attention to insulation. These ideas remind us that we could be more energy efficient when it comes to our modern building techniques.

Not everyone can plan ahead and build an eco-friendly home with four foot thick insulated walls and natural air ducts built into the structure. Yet there are quite a few things that we can do to live more in harmony with our environment and be aware of our carbon footprint.

Options to Reduce the Temperature of your Home Naturally

The first step is to do an assessment of your home and look for simple changes that can have large effects. Start by checking or installing extra insulation around doorways and windows to make sure you aren't letting in more heat than you need to. Cover your windows with reflective film, blinds, or drapes to help lower the radiant temperature in your home. Awnings and shade trees or vines also help greatly in reducing the temperature outside of your home, lessening the need for air conditioning. Installing a misting system on your patio can lower the temperature up to 10 degrees. 

Efficient Air Conditioning Solutions for your Home

Sometimes the entire temperature of the home does not need to be lowered for the people in it to be more comfortable. There is a wide variety of indoor fans that can easily be moved to where the family is gathering in the home. Ceiling fans also have two settings, clockwise, pushing warm air (heat rises) from the ceiling down to warm you up, and counter-clockwise in the summer to circulate the cool air around you. Placing a wet sheet or bowl of ice in front of a fan will create even cooler air.

Adiabatic cooling is based on the science of evaporative cooling. Adiabatic coolers draw in the air from the room and circulate it through wet pads, as the pads dry, the air cools and then is pushed into the room. They are relatively small and can be moved from room to room. Adiabatic or evaporative coolers such as swamp coolers are great for high temperatures in the summer but may stop working if the relative humidity becomes too high.

How Air Conditioning Affects Air Quality in your Home

When faced with extreme heat in the summer, we tend to not open our windows, and rely on traditional air conditioning solutions that may decrease the air quality in our homes. Certain types of plants can improve the indoor air quality in your home naturally. Air purifiers and regular maintenance to any air conditioning unit including changing the filters monthly will also improve the air quality in your home.