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8 Easy Ways To Improve Your Office Space

The advancement of technology in the past decades led to new opportunities for people across the globe. The downside? Most of these opportunities confine workers inside an office for hours on end. With most office workers spending more time in the office than they spend at home, it is essential to adapt this space to your needs. How? Here are 8 easy ways to improve your office space.

1. Pay Attention to Lighting

The most important thing in an office is light. Artificial lighting can’t beat nature, so try to move the desk near a window if possible. Light is essential in regulating hormones such as melatonin and serotonin, both of which affect mood and wakefulness. Instead of keeping the blinds down, opt for anti-glare monitors or monitor screens. As far as artificial lighting is concerned, replace the old bulbs with modern LED lights that output light in a natural hue as opposed to clinical white or yellow.

2. Tweak the Temperature

Another thing that can make or break productivity is temperature. A too hot environment can increase the levels of stress and anxiety. A too cold environment can reduce wakefulness and make you feel more tired than you actually are. According to several studies, the perfect temperature for the workspace is around 22°C – so set the temperature to that and show the studies to whoever has the courage to argue with you.

3. Personalise with Engraved Signs

In addition to temperature, several studies show that personalising your workspace can increase productivity. There are many ways to do that, from keeping your favourite pictures framed on your desk to personalising your items such as the coffee mug, door plate, or keychain. Companies such as The Engraving People can also help you customise other office items, such as the switch sockets in your office kitchen or the signs around the workspace.

4. Adjust the Monitor Height

Sitting in front of a computer for hours on end is tiresome, but it can also be detrimental to your health if you don’t maintain the correct posture. The first thing to do before investing in ergonomic chairs and desks is to adjust the monitor height.

If you’re using a desktop PC, keep in mind that the monitor’s top edge should be at eye level when you look straight ahead. You can achieve this with a monitor stand if the monitor isn’t height-adjustable.

If you’re using a laptop, invest in a good laptop stand. Not only will it help you adjust the monitor height, but most laptop stands also help you keep your wrists in a natural position.

5. Unclutter Your Space

Clutter can jeopardise your productivity efforts; this is why you should keep it to a minimum. Start by organising the various cables and wires. Then, get rid of everything that you don’t need. Use containers and organisers to sort out the papers and writing instruments on your desk and avoid piling up unnecessary items.

6. Add a Splash of Colour

If you didn’t know it, it’s time to find out that colour can affect your mood and motivation. Sterile office spaces can decrease productivity, so try to add some hues into your work life. If painting the walls isn’t feasible, add some colourful wall art. You can also use colourful containers to keep your pens or add a red or yellow lamp to your desk.

7. Bring Nature Inside

Plants can also boost the mood, especially if your office doesn’t have sufficient windows and lacks natural light. Greenery can improve your productivity, so add some plants to your desk. Alternatively, place some pots on the office windowsill.

8. Tune It Up

Noise isn’t your friend when you’re trying to be productive, but your favourite tunes could be. In fact, listening to music at work can help you complete your tasks faster and come up with better ideas. Sure, not all music may suit your office space, and sometimes you may have to opt for instrumental music only, but nothing stops you from investing in a pair of headphones to tune up your time at work.

6 Top Hacks For Picky Eaters

It is perfectly normal for children to prefer some foods to others but when their options become seriously limited, it can put extra pressure on the family come dinner. You want them to eat nutritious food while your little one just wants to eat sausage and chips. To help take the heat out of getting your child to eat, we’ve come up with six ingenious hacks to get your picky eater to love their mealtimes.

1. Get them involved

Your child’s finicky eating could be because they are unsure or not quite understanding what food is all about. So, our first hack is simple but practical – get them involved!

From letting them help you shop and pick their own food to preparing a meal with you in the kitchen (this is also a great way to spend some quality time with your child) may help you to understand their food concerns a little more. And, if your child has played a key part in the food prep and sees what goes into their meal, they may also be more inclined to eat it once it’s on the table.

2. Hide the good stuff

Getting creative with their vegetables can mean your little one will eat their meal if certain foods are not quite in plain sight. Adding extra veggies to their Bolognese sauce, blending leafy greens into their tomato soup or even roasting vegetables under the cover of some delicious cheese, disguising food is a well-known hack for picky eaters that works. And it also ensures they are getting all those important vitamins, such as iron and vitamin D.

3. Make mealtime fun

To help your child build a healthy relationship with food, it needs to be fun and free of fear or anxiety. You can make their mealtimes more playful in a host of ways – from making funny faces on the plate with their food to letting them roll up their sleeves and get baking. And for a particularly problematic meal or ingredient, giving it a new name and dressing it up in a way that draws your child’s attention is a good way to get them open to trying it out.

4. Supplement their diet

While your child’s taste buds and appetite for food develop and mature, you may want to consider supplementing their diet with a multivitamin specifically formulated for younger ones. Many products come in delicious gummy-style sweets that are easy for children to take. And to support energy and reduce tiredness, iron tablets are also worth considering.

5. Make the most of breakfast time

If you can prioritise one meal, then make it breakfast as this gives you the chance to set your child up nutrition-wise for the day. And breakfast is a much more casual affair, with plenty of options to concoct a picky eater-friendly dish. Pancakes, cereal, eggs, sausages, sweet fruit – there are plenty of breakfast ingredients that can be mixed and matched to keep a picky eater happy. And if you put out a selection of food, your child can do their own DIY buffet breakfast, and eat more than they realise.

6. Take the pressure off

And finally, whatever you do, try to avoid a battle over food when it comes to mealtime. And that means taking off the pressure and avoiding bargaining; give your picky eater sufficient choice to create their own dinner instead. Then make all the portions child-sized, ensure your little one has been involved in the food choice and even the cooking before settling down to enjoy your meal. As the experts advise – try not to worry about a single meal but look at the bigger picture and what good, nutritious food your child successfully eats and enjoys over the week.

Female Guide- 8 Essential Items To Take To A Festival

Many music festival veterans would agree that preparations for a festival are crucial to an overall excellent experience. As such, it is vital to be thorough with your packing to ensure that you don’t leave behind anything that can make your festival experience more comfortable. Here is a female guide on eight essential items to take to a festival.

  1. Health And Safety Kit

Sunscreen, handwash, wet wipes, basic first aid supplies, personal medication, and a fully charged extra mobile phone are necessary to your health and safety at such events, so these items should always be on your packing list. Contraceptives are also worth considering, just in case, so you can order emergency contraceptives like Ezinelle online to complete your health and safety kit.

  1. Portable Phone Charger

Your phone will be very active throughout the festival period, so you will likely run your battery down more often than usual. Although most festivals offer charging facilities, you may have to wait in a long queue, pay some cash to charge your phone, and even entertain the risk of your phone disappearing. Therefore, bring along a power bank to power your phone throughout the festival.

  1. Snacks

You will undoubtedly exert more effort than usual at a festival since you will be on your feet day and night. Consequently, healthy snacks are a must-have to keep you energised throughout the festival experience. You can pack nuts, cereal bars, trail mixes, dried fruits, cookies, and other healthy snacks with a great combination of protein and fat to help you avoid energy dips.

 

  1. Earplugs And Eyemask

One decent night’s sleep is crucial to see you through a weekend of fun and exertion, but this can be challenging due to several loud and happy people around. Therefore, pack earplugs to block out sound as you get some shut-eye. Similarly, your eye mask will help you fall asleep faster and enjoy a good night’s rest.

  1. Small Waist Bag/ Pouch

A waist bag or pouch is excellent for keeping your phone, money and other essentials, so you don’t have to carry a huge backpack around. So you can shop online for a great waist bag that would go well with all outfits you will pack for the festival. Also, select a comfortable waist bag to dance in, so it doesn’t interfere with your festival experience.

  1. Torch

A handy torch is a lifesaver that will come in handy when you need to search for something in your pitch-black tent. Also, you can use your torch as a makeshift tent light if your tent has an inside hook to illuminate your space instead of using your phone’s torch.

  1. Welliesenergised

Trekking through rivers of mud constitutes a rather undesired aspect of the classic British festival experience. Consequently, a sturdy pair of wellies with solid grips and thick soles should be on top of your packing list to make getting around less uncomfortable.

  1. Camping Essentials

Without a doubt, camping at the festival grounds is a fun way to get the most out of the entire experience. Therefore, a tent, sleeping bag, pillow, and mattress are the basic camping essentials worth taking along for a relaxing time at the festival grounds.

How To Improve Your Ovarian Response During IVF

The ovarian response is how the ovaries react to the hormonal medication and quality eggs produced during IVF. It is vital to IVF success since too little or too much response can lead to cycle cancellation, decreased oocyte production, a lowered probability of pregnancy, and even trigger health risks. Thankfully, you can improve the way your ovaries respond to stimulation in many ways. Here are some tips on how to improve your ovarian response during IVF.

  • Boost Your Ovarian Reserve

To successfully respond to ovarian stimulation, a woman must have enough eggs available to respond to treatment. This store of eggs is typically referred to as the ovarian reserve. As such, if you have a diminished ovarian reserve, you may not have a robust response or stimulation and, in rare cases, produce no response at all. Your fertility specialist can identify whether you have a diminished ovarian reserve by checking to see if you have high blood levels of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), low antral follicle count, and finished blood levels of anti Müllerian hormone (AMH). If you indeed have a diminished ovarian reserve, you can invest in DHEA supplements, one of the most recognised treatments for diminished ovarian reserve. DHEA is a mild androgen produced naturally in your body, and taking in DHEA supplements can boost your ovarian reserve and, subsequently, your ovarian response.

  • Try A Different Medication

It is possible to have the necessary eggs but lack the right pituitary hormones to respond. Under these circumstances, consider using a different medication like Letrozole for your treatment since it is more effective than Clomid for ovarian induction. Also, you can use other medicines that contain both luteinising hormone (LH) and FSH to promote a better response.

  • Lifestyle Changes

It is common knowledge that weight, diet, and stress levels can affect fertility in numerous ways. Therefore, making some fundamental lifestyle changes might be the way to go when seeking to improve your ovarian response during IVF. As such, you can lose weight, eat healthier, and manage stress to boost your ovaries chances of responding to stimulation during IVF. Additionally, you can also cease alcohol, tobacco, and recreational substance use to improve response to ovarian stimulation.

 

  • Try Acupuncture

Acupuncture is widely believed to boost ovarian reserve and reproductive outcomes in women undergoing IVF treatment. Therefore, it has gained popularity among the many complementary drugs and modalities suggested as co-treatment to improve ovarian response during IVF treatment. A study conducted at the Pusan National University Hospital evaluated the effect of network-optimized acupuncture before IVF on the oocyte yield in women demonstrating poor ovarian response. The study found that a combination of acupuncture and IVF treatment significantly increased the number of mature oocytes in women above 37 years and those undergoing two or more controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles. As such, the findings suggest that doctors can consider acupuncture for the treatment of women with poor ovarian response who are above 37 years or are undergoing multiple IVF cycles.

4 Biggest Mistakes When Going Through a Divorce

Going through a divorce isn’t easy— so making mistakes along the way can be expected! No one expects you to stay perfectly poised during potentially one of the most trying times of your life. Yet, there are some mistakes that are better left being avoided when getting a divorce. Take a look at some of the most important mistakes to steer clear of and why.

Involving the Kids

Not every couple going through a divorce has kids, however, it can make things a lot more complicated if you do. It’s not uncommon for emotionally raw parents to use their children as pawns, and in some cases, even alienate their kids from the other parent.

Whatever you do, don’t let the children see the anger that you may be feeling. Even though it may seem impossible to mask, it’s essential for everyone’s well-being— including your own.

It’s normal to feel emotionally charged even in so-called amicable divorces! However, your children shouldn’t be allowed to see any of the emotion behind it. If you must vent to someone, do it with a friend or a professional— not your kids.

Overpaying a Lawyer

Some lawyers can range over $500 an hour depending on where you are. A lot of people assume that the highest priced lawyer equals the most qualified — not necessarily the case. Don’t choose a lawyer based on fee alone but rather by the number of successful cases they have under their belt, and whether you have a good rapport with them.

Who knows how long this divorce could go on, so make sure that you choose someone you respect and have good communication with.

Airing Dirty Laundry on Social Media

Social media is a place to express yourself and let loose— we get the urge to spout out your feelings! But, you shouldn’t do so during a divorce. Any time you’re in litigation you want to avoid posting anything online about it.

Don’t post anything about the divorce even if you think that your ex won’t see it. It’s simply not worth the risk. Anything that you post online could be used against you, so don’t post anything incriminating that could paint you in a negative light!

Jumping into a New Relationship too Soon

Even though you’re likely excited to get back in the saddle again, you shouldn’t jump into a new relationship too quickly. First off, you may not be emotionally ready even though you think you are. It’s called a rebound relationship for a reason! Secondly, it could be used against you since you’re technically still married!

Take your time before you dive into anything too serious again. With a little reflection and a lot of deep breathing, you can survive your divorce and find happier days ahead!

 

5 Ways to Improve your Home’s Value by using Artificial Grass

A luxurious and well-kept lawn is always going to attract attention from buyers and guests. As artificial grass requires no cutting and trimming around the borders, it is always in a presentable state. If you want to add value to your home then one thing you can do is to invest in your outdoor space. Homes which are well landscaped can add up to 10% value compared to those which don’t and aside from that, it will definitely increase the appeal when it comes to potential buyers viewing your property.

Lawn

Out with the real stuff and in with the artificial grass. Many people like a low maintenance garden so they can spend more time doing things that they enjoy. Your lawn will always look immaculate and well landscaped so if you have a big garden or a garden with many features, then potential buyers will know that they won’t have to spend all their weekends in the summer months cutting and trimming the grass. It is also great for pets and children as it is extremely durable and hard wearing and you won’t have to worry about muddy feet wondering into your home after it has rained. It is also hygienic and easy to clean which is great, especially for busy households.

Privacy Landscaping

A lot of people want privacy in their garden. It is a sought-after feature and you can see why. The last thing you want is for people to look into your garden when you are out there and seeing what you are getting up to. This is even more attractive in busier areas where more people are passing by. There are a few options to make your garden more private. You could add a fence or if you want a more natural look then thick hedges or shrubs could be better suited. This will enable you to potter about and relax in your garden knowing that people won’t be able to look in.

Plants

Whilst plants and flowers add volume and appeal to a garden, make sure you pick ones which are low maintenance. You don’t want plants which drop leaves all the time as it will detract from your garden. Just like you don’t want plants which grow too quickly so you are always having to cut them back. Pick flowers which smell nice and attract wildlife as it shows that you have a well-kept garden. It will also add pops of colour to your garden to break up the greenery.

There is no doubt about it that investing in artificial grass will bring your garden together. It will create a well landscaped outside space so although it will require a little maintenance like brushing it every now and again, it will look as though you are a keen gardener and take pride in the appearance of your garden. However, like everything, it might put some potential buyers off if they enjoy the gardening aspect and prefer to have a real lawn.

 

5 Common Mistakes Pet Owners Make

If you own any type of pet currently or are considering getting one any time in the future, there are many things you should be aware of for the safety and happiness of your pet. Depending on what type of animal you have, there will be various expenses, health concerns, and other decisions to be made over the life of your pet. Most pet owners do the best they can and always have their pet’s best interests at heart, but mistakes can still happen. Luckily most of these can be avoided if you are careful and know what to expect. Here are 5 common mistakes pet owners make.

Poor Training

One of the most common mistakes pet owners make is that they don’t train their animals well enough. This can be especially problematic with dogs because many breeds can show aggression if not trained properly and they can lash out and attack strangers with barely any warning. Having your dog bite someone is definitely something you want to avoid. If it happens and the victim builds a case against you after the dog bite injury, you can end up having to pay hefty fines, or worse, your dog could get taken away from you or euthanized.

If you train your animal properly in the first place, you’ll be much less likely to have to worry about this kind of thing. You can hire a professional to help you train your dog, ask your vet for tips, or try to train them on your own. Either way, you and your dog will have a much better life together if they are trained properly from the very beginning.

Over Or Under Feeding

Over or under feeding your pet can be seriously harmful to their health for many different reasons. It can result in them being overweight or underweight, and can have many other adverse effects, shortening the lifespan of your pet overall. If you aren’t sure the proper amount of food to be feeding your pet, ask your veterinarian or do some research. All animals are different and even within a species, each breed will have different needs.

Keeping Them Outdoors

Certain types of pets will be perfectly happy to live outdoors year round, but there are other species who may not thrive outdoors, especially in inclement weather. You should consider the climate where you live before forcing any type of animal to live outdoors full-time. If you are in an area that gets very cold or very hot, you might decide to allow your animals indoors or reconsider having pets at all.

Having pets can bring a lot of joy to your life but sometimes it can also cause a little bit of stress. Help yourself out by learning to avoid common mistakes so that you will make less of them, and enjoy being a pet owner.

3 Tips For Brightening Up A Dark Space In Your Home

In a home, the brighter the space looks and feels, the larger and more welcoming the space will also be. But if you live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of natural sunlight, or your home is just naturally more dark and shaded, you might struggle with finding a way to make the rooms of your home light and airy.

If this is a problem that you’ve been meaning to address in your house, here are three tips for brightening up a dark space in your home.

Choose The Lightest Possible Flooring Colors

Aside from the walls, the flooring of your home is going to be the largest swath of material that you’ll be working with. Knowing this, it’s important that you don’t allow the color of your flooring to work against you when you’re trying to make a space feel brighter.

To do this, you’ll want to try to choose a flooring color that is as light as you can comfortably go. This means that if you’re using hardwood flooring, you’ll want to choose a lighter stain. And while getting a light color on carpeting can be a little scary since every stain or mark will likely show up, the opposite is actually true of hardwood flooring. Lighter colors are great at hiding scratches and scuffs. And the fact that it will drastically brighten up your room doesn’t hurt.

Implement Various Sources Of Light

One of the most obvious solutions for making a dark room brighter is to add more light sources. However, it’s not always just the number of light sources that can make a room look and feel brighter. What you really want to focus on is bringing in various sources of light that you can use.

As you create layers within your lighting options, like cove lighting, wall lighting, task lighting and more, you’ll be able to create a more tailored lighting experience rather than just going from dark to light without any real mood lighting option.

Decorate With Mirrors

Another great option for playing up any of the natural light that a space has going for it is to use mirrors as a big part of your decor.

Mirrors are great at reflecting light and making any room appear bigger and brighter. So regardless of what shape or size of mirror you’re wanting to bring into the space, having any kind of mirror will have a big positive impact on the light in a dark room.

If you have one or more rooms within your home that are darker than you’d like them to be, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you bring more light into those dark spaces, both naturally and artificially.

 

4 Tips For Moving To A New City

Moving to a new town or city is very exciting! You’ll get to see all kinds of new things and meet lots of fascinating new people. Depending on where you’re moving, the landscape may be much different than what you’re used to, which means you have many adventures and new experiences to look forward to. Being new to a city can also bring on its own set of unique challenges for you and your family, and can cause some stress. Costs associated with moving as well as leaving behind old friends and favorite places isn’t always fun. Here are some of the best tips for moving to a new city.

Keep In Touch With Old Friends

This one is especially important right when you first move to a new city and haven’t had a chance to meet anyone new yet. Just because you live far away doesn’t mean you can’t keep in touch with your friends, family, and coworkers from your old city. With things like phone calls, email, video chat, and even snail mail – keeping in touch is easier now than ever before. You can even make plans to visit.

Hire A Moving Company

Hiring a moving company may not be necessary if you are moving to a new home in the same city. You can just take several car loads or borrow a truck from a friend. But moving to an entirely different city is a little more involved and will be so much easier. If you hire a professional moving company to do it for you. Most of them will even pack everything up for you so that nothing gets broken!

Look For Jobs and Schools

Unless you’re moving to a new city specifically for work, you may not have a job there prior to moving. Make sure you look for jobs ahead of time and try to set up some interviews so that you don’t have to be without work for too long. If you have children, it’s also a good idea to research the schools in your new city so that you can make an informed decision about where they will attend.

Clean Out Your Closet

Literally! Moving to a new city with a different climate is a great time to go through all of your clothing. You may find that you own several things that worked well for your old city but may not be necessary in your new one. If you’re moving from a very cold place to a very warm one, for example, you can get rid of some of your winter coats. Consider donating them to a homeless shelter. This will free up space in your closet, make moving less difficult, and help someone in need.

Enjoy this time in your life! Moving to a different city is a big change but once you’re all settled, you’ll be happy you took the leap.

 

3 Things To Consider Before Buying A Plot Of Land To Build On

If you’re looking to buy a house in the near future, you might find that securing a property has become very hard in the last year. With so much more demand than there is supply, purchasing a home that’s already been built can take much longer than it has in the past due to being able to find the right home and getting your offer accepted among all the competition.

Because of this, many people are looking into the option of purchasing a piece of land that they can build their own home on. However, this route comes with some potential hurdles of its own. So to help you in figuring all of this out for yourself, here are three things to consider before buying a plot of land to build on.

What Will It Take To Develop The Land?

One of the first things you should consider about the land, apart from the fact of whether or not you’d like to live in that location, is what it will take for you to develop that piece of land into something liveable.

According to HGTV.com, developing land can include things like establishing access to utilities like water and power. You will also need to consider things like paving a driveway and creating some kind of yard. All of these things can be costly if they’re complicated, so it’s wise to try to pick a piece of property that’s going to make this process a little easier on you.

Get The Right Reports And Surveys Done

After you’ve found the spot that you think is right to build your home, you should then dig a little deeper into the property by getting some reports and surveys done. In some instances, this may have already been done for the property. But if it’s been a few years, you may want to get new information so you can make the most informed decisions.

In these reports and surveys, Devon Thorsby, a contributor to the U.S. News and World Report, shares that you should get environmental testing done on the soil, check the condition of the soil for building a foundation on, survey the exact property lines, and more.

You’ll Likely Pay Cash For The Land

As you prepare for financing the purchase of land and the building of your home, Elizabeth Weintraub, a contributor to The Balance, shares that you shouldn’t expect to get a loan for purchasing the actual land. Usually, this will have to be paid for in cash by you.

For the building of your home, it’s much easier to get a construction loan so that you’re not footing the entire bill yourself at the outset of everything.

If building a home is starting to make more sense to you than buying, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get going on this adventure.