Author Archives: Lynda Alberswerth

Cheap And Easy Ways to Re-Decorate

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If you look around your place and you see the same things each and every day. Well, maybe it’s time for a change. We all could use a little change. It doesn’t take much time or money to make your place a whole lot better.

HGTV GREEN HOME 2011 @ www.hgtv.com

Here are some cheap and easy ways to re-decorate.
• Before you begin to re-decorate, first look at your space.
• Move your furniture around. Does that look good here or there? Just don’t get mad when you bump into things, because things are not in same place.
• Paint the walls a different color. It can be done yourself. Paint is affordable. Check out some books for some tips, so you won’t be covered in it. New paint can do wonders.
• Start off small. Buy some candles or fake flowers. Candles make room smell better and flowers make it look better.
• Buy a slipcover for your couch or sofa. Or toss a few decorate pillows around. It’ll give your room a whole new look.
• If new furniture is on your mind, check out thrift stores or flea markets. They have some good bargains. Also, check out sales at your local department store. Shop around before you buy.

 

Try Something Different – Photography

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Some days, you get that wild hair and want to try something different. Photography is always a way to do fun things and it’s also a great way to preserve your history.

  • Before you get all crazy, you should read up on the craft. You can read at the library or skim through books at the bookstore, so you can have an idea about what you can do and what equipment you may need.

 

  • After reading, you could keep that digital camera, so you could start off small. If your interest grows, you can always buy a better one at Best Buy or any other department store.

 

  • Then, when you are ready, you can start taking photographs. It’s always good to have pictures of your family and friends, your pets or whatever floats your boat.

 

  • You can always try shooting at different angles. It will provide different points of view of the same objects we see every day. You can get on the ground or step up on a block or ladder. Whatever you do, just make sure you have some fun.

 

  • And finally, if you like it so much, you can think about a career in photography.

Image via Heart of the Matter Online

 

Beating The Post-Holidays Blues

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Wow, it’s January already. We start feeling a little droopy these days. We’re done with all the holiday parties, family feasts and all the gift-giving. It’s time to get ourselves happy again.

Well, here are some ways to beat those post-holidays blues once and for all:

1. Go out in your community. Helping others will help your morale.

2. Performing acts of kindness. Just open the door for someone.

3. Volunteering. Give back to your community.

4. Give to a charity. It takes only a dollar. If you can’t afford that, donate stuff you don’t use anymore.

5. Go to the humane society and adopt a pet. They provide you with unconditional love.

6. Clean your home. Take out the stuff you don’t use anymore and give it to a charity.

7. Take up a new hobby. Start walking. Do macabre. Do something that gets you out and active.

Just remember: things will get better.

Streamlining Your Home Office!

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These days, everyone has a home office – a place where we pile up our bills, bank statements, etc. Over the past few months, we often tend to slack off on organizational skills and our desk becomes a terrible mess.

There are ways to dig out of that mess.

First, clean off the desk. It’s always good to start off with a clean slate.

Then, upgrade to a laptop. It takes up less space.

Buy a file cabinet and manila folders. You can organize your bills in different folders.

Next, organize your desk drawers, putting most-used items closer.

Then get rid of stuff you don’t use. Buy a paper shredder, so people won’t be able to steal your identity.

Finally take a few moments each night to clean up your desk. Take that coffee cup to the kitchen. Write a “to do list” for the next day.

Checking Your Finances & Yearly Budget

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It’s the start of a whole new year and financially, times are tough. On the television news or in the newspapers, we read headlines saying companies are closing and employees being fired. It’s scary to think you can be next.

Well, we can’t stop our bosses from giving us those pesky pink slips. However, there are some ways to try and get ourselves back on the financial track.

Setting up a budget will help. It’s a first place to begin. Grab all your bills. Then take out a notebook and write down what you pay for each bill. Categorize them; such as house payment, car payment, car insurance, telephone, etc.

Then estimate how much you pay for the other stuff you need each month; for example food, gasoline and household stuff.

After you wrote all that down, you should look through the list. Ask yourself if there are some areas where you can lower the cost. Do you have to eat out four times a week? Can I brownbag lunch? A little change like that can help you in the long run.
Then try to follow it each month.

After setting up the budget, you can help yourself financially by paying bills online and then setting up automatic pay. Then, you will have a set amount for your budget plan.

Also use cash for your purchases and keep your credit cards in your pocket. You can take out money each week and set a limit on how much you’re going to spend. Using credit cards can get you into a pile of debt and that’s not good.

Finally, after all that money crunching, remember to spend a little on yourself to be happy. Just a little. Don’t go overboard, but we need to remember that happiness is always golden.