Common kitchen design mistakes to avoid

Image Source

Are you planning on giving your kitchen a makeover? We all get a bit bored and uninspired with our surroundings from time-to-time. However, rather than diving right in, you need to carefully consider the upgrades you are going to make. With that in mind, read on to discover some of the most common kitchen renovation mistakes you need to avoid.

• Too much open shelving – There is nothing wrong with open shelving. In fact, it’s rather stylish! However, you need to be mindful regarding how much open shelving you have. After all, do you want your bottles of ketchup and mayonnaise on display, as well as the novelty mugs you have accumulated at Christmas over the years?
• Cutting corners on countertops – There are a number of elements in your kitchen that are important, and countertops most certainly fall into this category. If you opt for cheap, poor quality countertops, you will live to regret it. Instead, take a look at the high quality options that are available at https://worldstonegroup.com/. You want countertops that look stylish yet are made from strong and durable material too.
• Not sweating the small stuff – One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when it comes to their kitchen is passing on seemingly small storage features and add-ons. Examples include cabinet storage solutions and additional drawer dividers. While these features may seem insignificant, they can actually enhance the functionality of your kitchen by a considerable degree. If you decide you need them at a later date, it can be a lot more costly to add them on.
• Not paying attention to kitchen doors- one often overlooked aspect is the kitchen doors them selves.  Choosing the right kitchen door styles for your home can make a big difference in the overall aesthetic and functionality of the space.  From shaker-style doors for a classic feel to sleek, handless options for a modern look, the right door style helps bring cohesion to your kitchen design. 
• Things that open into other things – This is one of the most frustrating things to happen when designing a kitchen, and you can feel a little bit stupid when two drawers open into one and other. Nevertheless, this can easily happen if you have not planned everything thoroughly. So, what’s the solution? Measure, and then measure again! You can find some great advice here: https://www.smartdraw.com/floor-plan/measure-draw-floor-plan-scale.htm/ Plus, when designing your kitchen, imagine that every single door is going to be open at the same time. By doing this, you can ensure nothing comes into contact.
• Not having enough types of lighting – Relying on one harsh overhead is not the way to go when designing your kitchen. This can be frustrating, and it can lead to a headache or two as well! Instead, make sure you have an overhead for general illumination, as well as accent lighting for drawing attention to the best design elements in the kitchen, and spot lighting for specific tasks. This will boost the beauty and functionality of your kitchen considerably.
• A lack of ventilation – Proper ventilation is so important when it comes to your kitchen. Do you really want to smell the sausages you cooked two days ago? Make sure you have a ceiling fan or hood in your new kitchen.

From overlooking the importance of your countertop choice to having too much open shelving, make sure you avoid the design mistakes mentioned above. If you do this, you can be sure that you will be halfway there to a stunning and perfectly functional kitchen. 

The 5 Factor Model and Terri's Wisdom

After reading Terri’s post about “10 Ways to Make Sure your Marriage Stays Strong” I realized I might have some extra insight that might prove useful to Terri’s readers.

 Psychologists have for decades tried to decipher the inner workings of the mind. Although they don’t yet understand everything. They do have discovered a thing or two about us. One of those things is the 5 Factor model. The 5-factor model of personality is a set of broad traits that every human being possesses. Colloquially they are called the “The Big 5”. The 5 are: Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism and openness to experience.

 I’d recommend anyone who hasn’t already taken the test, to take it and reflect back on your life. Take time and try to answer the questions as honestly as you can. I would recommend the one at “https://understandmyself.com” which you can complete just once for a small fee. I recommend it because it is more comprehensive than the other versions available. The less comprehensive tests are free however.

 Now how does it connect back to Terri? Well.

If you’ve read the original article you’ll remember that Terri mentions how women are generally more “thoughtful”. This is what psychologist within the Big 5 model call agreeableness and they too noticed that statistically women are more agreeable. Which means on average they generally care more for others than they do for themselves. Now this is a great character trait to have in a society and in a relationship but just like Terri and psychologists have noticed it’s also not without dangers. You can be too agreeable. Depending on the situation you may need to compromise or pull in the other direction.

 Another important trait is conscientiousness. According to the 5-factor model people low in conscientiousness might have problems maintaining relationships while people high in conscientiousness are much more likely to maintain them. Why? Well it turns out that people who are more conscientious are also less prone to cause conflict. Conflict as we know from definitely does not help maintain our relationships. This is another reason to take the test. You might realize you have some flaws. Knowing more about yourself, might help you lead a happier life.

 Now you could go through life learning from your mistakes, maybe go through a few relationships until you finally understand what is required to make a relationship work or you could read blogs on the topic. Learn from the wisdom of people like Terri or take the test and reflect back on your life and make adjustments in your life. People don’t set out to have failed relationships but sometimes we might need some extra help to see the unknown.

One way to make sure that happens is to take time to learn more from the experience of others or to learn from history and science. I’m of the persuasion of learning from others and from science. This is why on my visual arts blog Artfixed (https://artfixed.com/learn-to-draw-in-less-time/.), I’ve written about the wisdom and science of creativity. Just like Terri, artists and craftsmen have noticed some fundamental truths about human nature.

 In conclusion, I’d like to say that there are other aspects worth considering and knowing about in the 5-factor model. It’s best that you discover them for yourself. Each individual is different and goes through life in their own unique way. I’d recommend you find out what your own unique way is and try to better it.

Want to move but no where to move to.

When you finally make the decision to move home, you know you’re in for a rough ride. You know you’re going to have to deal with all of the stress and disruption that moving tends to entail, but you also know it’s going to be worth it.

So you begin the process of transferring your life from one home to the next. You spruce up your existing house and list it for sale. Then, you switch from seller to buyer, dipping your toe into the market and seeing what properties are out there.

In the perfect scenario, everything from this point will proceed as smoothly as possible. You find the right house for you; your existing home sells quickly; you move and then settle into your new home… that’s how it should go, anyway.

What if it doesn’t quite work out like that, though? What if you find yourself stuck at a certain point in the process; what if you can’t find a property you want to move into? Are you doomed to live in your existing home forever?

If you find yourself in the above scenario, then consider the following options to help break the stalemate:

#1 - Design Your Own

Source

While it may seem extreme, designing and building your own home is a surprisingly viable option.

When you opt for a custom-built home, you can ensure everything in the property is built to your exact specifications and requirements. You don’t have to compromise; you can plan the entire building to suit the needs of your family. Professional companies such as Parker Built Homes can turn your ideas into a reality; you do the dreaming, and the pros can do the building.

If you’re struggling to find a house to your taste on the market, then creating your own is often the easiest solution, and the one you will be happiest with.

#2 - Look For Potential

When most of us view properties, we tend to have a list of requirements.  Some websites allow us to filter these requirements and also speak to experts about the best options available. We think about the number of bedrooms we want or how big the yard should be, and we will walk away from any property that does not meet our requirements.

It is always worth looking at properties with the potential for what they could be, rather than just taking them as they are now. Maybe you could buy a smaller house than you planned, and use the money you save on the purchase price to extend it. Try and view houses with what they could be in mind, rather than focusing on how they appear at the point you view them.

#3 - Explore Conversion Options

Source

There are a number of old buildings that, when converted, can become glorious homes. Barns, stores, outbuildings, and even churches have all been successfully converted by creative buyers, so why not see if there are any properties in your chosen area that are ripe for the same treatment?

You will need to ensure that there is zoning permission for the building to be transformed into a residential dwelling, but this is relatively easy to obtain. Of course, conversions are a lot of work, but they can produce unique, interesting homes if you’re willing to put the work in.

Do you think you might be tempted to explore any of the options above when you’re looking for your next home?

2 Safe Ways to Shrink Your Stomach Fast

Image Credit: Pixabay

When you have been overweight for a while and trying to diet on and off, it feels like a continuous uphill battle with your body. Every time you try, it works for a little while but it hardly takes anything at all and suddenly you’re back to where you started.

With so many high fat and sugar foods around, even when you are being health conscious, it can be easy to slip into eating all the wrong foods. So how on earth can you lose weight fast and keep it off?

More than anything, your weight is a part of your lifestyle. It makes no sense to diet for 1 month only to go back to your old ways again. If you want to commit to a healthy weight, you have to be all in. After all bad health can cost you.

That being said, there are a few ways you can kick start your diet to get the best results a bit faster.

Get a Lap Band

Getting surgery might not sound like a safe option, but with a top notch doctor, you will be in good hands. The most popular weight loss surgery in Los Angeles is the lap band and is a popular choice with those people who have been overweight for a long time and are now putting themselves in real danger if they don’t act soon. If you have a BMI over 30 and you are struggling with your health as a result, this procedure could be an idea for you to consider.

The concept of the lap band is very simple. The band is fitted around the stomach, constricting it into an hourglass shape. This means that you won’t feel so hungry and therefore can’t eat as much in one go. It only takes one minor incision to place the lap band and your stomach will remain whole despite feeling much smaller.

Fasting Diet

If surgery isn’t your thing and you want to try one last diet, then the 5:2 diet, or a similar fasting diet could be for you. The premise is very simple: you eat normally for 5 days and then restrict your calorie intake to 500 calories on 2 days. But, however simple it may sound, it does require determination to power through the hunger. To speed things up even more, you could also do alternate day fasting, eating normally one day and restricting your diet to 500 calories the next.

The idea behind the fasting diet is that while you never actually starve yourself or put your health at risk, your stomach will gradually shrink as you learn to eat less. You might think that the days where you don’t fast would cause problems but actually, most people don’t overcompensate too much.

The fasting diet is a good way to lose weight, but it is also a lifestyle choice. Once you have reached your target, you might want to loosen up on the rules and go for 1000 calories on your fast days, but otherwise, you should really think of this as a forever decision. Just make sure you plan your social life accordingly!