Karen Warren

2019 is here and the annual tradition of setting New Year's Resolutions and vowing to break bad habits has begun! The new year is the perfect time to start afresh and set yourself a few personal goals. This year, why not try setting some resolutions for your home too? From monthly decluttering, to cleaning the fridge once a week, these can be a great way to improve your family's wellbeing and the general cleanliness of your home. Once you have decided on your resolutions, the hard part is sticking to them! By late February, many of us begin to lose motivation. Make this year different – we have gathered six tips that are sure to make your New Year's cleaning resolutions a success!     1. Keep it simple It is easy to get carried away when making resolutions, especially when filled with the optimism and determination of the new year. In reality, establishing new cleaning habits will take time and willpower. So, the best approach is to settle for a few, simple resolutions. Thi

Anyone who has glanced in a vehicle's sideview mirror should be familiar with this message: "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." But did you ever wonder why that's the case? The answer comes down to physics. Here's a brief rundown on the science behind sideview mirrors, along with tips on how to use them properly to help stay safe on the road. How Convex Mirrors Work You may have noticed that the surface of your driver's side mirror is flat, while the surface of your sideview mirror on the passenger side is a convex shape. A convex mirror curves slightly like the outside of a large bowl, according to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). You may have also noticed that due to its convex shape, the image in the mirror looks farther away than it truly is, Glass.com notes. Here's why. An image is created in a mirror when light hits the surface. A convex mirror bends light as it is reflected. The farther away a point is from the c

Sponsored by Thrive Market Winter is here, and it's chilly (pun intended)! Cozy up with Thrive Market , your go-to online shop for affordable Whole30 Approved staples to use all #JanuaryWhole30 long. Today, we're teaming up with Thrive Market to share a sneak-peek recipe from Melissa Hartwig Urban's newest book,  The Whole30 Slow Cooker , featuring more than 150 recipes for your slow cooker and Instant Pot. Prediction: It's your new favorite recipe to enjoy on a chilly evening, made easy when you shop Thrive Market's digital aisles to gather the ingredients you need. Before you start cooking, click here to shop Melissa's Thrive Market favorites and get an additional 25% off your first order! White Chicken Chili With Sweet Potatoes SERVES 4 | PREP: 35 minutes | SLOW COOK: 5 hours (low) or 2 ½ hours (high)| TOTAL: 6 hours Recipe contributed to The Whole30 Slow Cooker by Michele Rosen of Paleo Running Momma Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless Thrive Mark

At the beginning of every new year, we're bombarded with products, services, tips, and advice to help us better manage our time, increase our productivity, and GET MORE DONE. That's all fine and good… until you become a workaholic, constantly trying to be more productive, simply so you can do more… and more… and more! I talk a lot about time management and productivity here on my blog, and that's because it IS important to me - but NOT just so I can do more. In fact, as the years go by, I've realized that simply "doing more" is rarely the reason I strive to better manage my time. Of course, it's always nice to accomplish more in less time… but my 2 favorite benefits of good time management are quite different. Benefit #1. My days are SO much less stressful and chaotic. My ability to manage my home, my family, my business, my Virtual Assistant work, and the eight-thousand other little details I tackle on a daily basis would most likely be impossible withou

When confronted with a cluttered, overstuffed garage, you may feel tempted to save time by just tossing it all into dumpsters and having it hauled away, rather than painstakingly going through each item. 

An Iris Wi-Fi Smart Plug is a very helpful smart home device that allows you to manage and oversee lights, small appliances and electronics from your phone. It's also a great first step toward smart home living. These devices will allow you to test and see the benefits and convenience of turning your house into a smart home. Learn how Wi-Fi Smart Plugs can make your life easier below.   1. Toggle lights on and off or use a schedule to keep the house looking occupied while you're away.   2. Let the kids know it's time for homework by switching off the TV or games console.   3. Left your curling iron on again? Let Iris switch it off for you, all from your smartphone.   4. Tea time! A smart switch can boil the kettle without you lifting a finger.   5. As cooler weather sets in, start humidifying the bedroom from the comfort of your couch.   6. Can't wait for some waffles? Start the iron as soon as you wake up so it's ready to go when you are.   7. Control night lights

  2019 has arrived, and you've laid out all your New Year's resolutions that will launch you into a happier, healthier year. But have you put together any New Year's resolutions for your home? With plenty of research on the impact your environment has on your well-being, one of the best things you can do to support all your personal resolutions is to make sure your home is just as happy as you are. We've put together a list of four New Year's Home Resolutions to get you off on the right foot. Streamline and Minimize A year is a lot of time to gather junk. It's swallowing that one kitchen drawer, overtaking your nightstand, and launching a quiet coup d'état in the corners of your closet. So, before you find yourself on an episode of Hoarders, make the choice to pare down everything that's cohabiting with you. Clothes, decorations, and knick-knacks that you use every once in a while, can be donated to make a larger impact on someone else's life while l

The Biggest Textile Fair in The World – London Textile 19:  Today ends one of the largest fairs in the world of textiles, do you know London Textile ? From 9th to 10th they had together a lot of textile companies, that came there to observe new technologies, trends and more about this sector. Stay with us and find out more about what happened in these two days!     Committed to entering new markets and increasing their volume of exports, textile companies continue to bet on the main world fairs to strengthen their international presence. Continue reading The Biggest Textile Fair in The World – London Textile 19 at Maison Valentina Blog.

You rely on your dryer to make sure your family has clean clothes throughout the week, so when it comes to upkeep, you need to do more than simply throw away the lint in the lint trap.  Here is why professional dryer vent cleaning is an important part of caring for your appliance and protecting your home: Save Money – When your dryer vent is clogged with lint, it runs inefficiently.  When it runs inefficiently, it costs you money. Routine appointments with a good professional dryer vent cleaning company will help to keep your dryer operating efficiently. Protect your Investment – A dryer is a costly appliance.  Keep it in good shape by using it according to the manufacturer's instruction, calling on professionals to repair it when required, and ensuring the vents are clear and operating as they should. Be Safe!  Lint buildup creates a fire hazard.  Clean out the lint trap after every load of laundry, and don't let lint build up in or around the dryer.  Don't

Invest in an outdoor fire pit in 2019! If you're looking for a unique way to make your landscaping more inviting this year , a fire pit may be just what you need! Fire pits are a great way to add an element that will be loved by your entire family, and they can be used all year long. With a little creativity, you may find that your new fire pit becomes the center point of numerous new family traditions you'll treasure year after year. Cooking Is there anything that helps create a feeling of nostalgia like cooking over an open fire? From hot dogs and s'mores to more complicated dishes, cooking with fire can be a delicious way to bond with your loved ones and make memories you'll cherish. Plus, if you're hosting a large gathering, a fireplace with a grate can become a vital cooking service for help feeding the crowd when your stove and grill aren't enough! Warmth Whether it's a chilly summer night, the fresh air of fall, or a frigid winter evening watching sta

Marie is an active, travel-loving grandmother of five who wants our help planning the remainder of her career and her retirement. We're headed to North Carolina today to make sure Marie can meet her goals of financial security coupled with fun! Case Studies are financial and life dilemmas that a reader of Frugalwoods sends to me requesting that Frugalwoods nation weigh in. Then, Frugalwoods nation (that's you!), reads through their situation and provides advice, encouragement, insight, and feedback in the comments section. For an example, check out last month's case study. I provide updates from our Case Study subjects at the bottom of each Case Study several months after a Case is featured. You all requested an easier way to track Case Study updates and I have heard your pleas :)! Here's list of all the Case Studies that currently have an update provided at the end of the post (and a hint that if you're a past Case Study participant who hasn't sent me your upda

Happy New Year friends and welcome to the first Tutorials & Tips Link Party of 2019! If you're new here, a special welcome to you! The Tutorials & Tips Link Party is a place for bloggers in our niche to link up their best tutorials, tips, crafts, room reveals, furniture makeovers, recipes, etc. Each week, […]

Ask a co-worker what parts of the office they think are the filthiest and most will bring up office keyboards or perhaps the bathroom door handle. However, there are are other parts of the office that are teeming with germs that you may be oblivious to. Failure to properly clean an office can lead to health issues and loss of productivity, as many workers will call in sick. Below, are some of the dirtiest places in your office and how you can sterilize them without breaking the bank…or your back. The Start Button on Your Photocopier Machine A study conducted by Hloom-a prestigious template maker-found that the average photocopier start button had 1.2 billion colony forming units per square inch ; this is in stark comparison to a typical toilet seat at a school, which only has 3,200 colony forming units. As can be seen, the start button of your photocopier machine is one of the most germ-ridden spots in the office. The good news is you can clean it by using a high-quality disinfectant

We live in a world filled with risks and uncertainties. People, their families, their properties and their assets are constantly at exposed to a variety of risks. Insurance plans are a vital part of every person's life for it acts as a safety net for when an individual is in need of monetary assistance due to certain circumstances. In the finance industry, there is a large assortment of insurance plans ranging from health, home, vehicle, travel and even life insurance that an individual can opt for to protect his assets better and be equipped to handle any unfortunate incident that were to occur concerning the particular insurance policy. Before proceeding further, it is crucial to know what is term insurance and what is meant by pure protection plan. What is term insurance? Term insurance or term life insurance is life insurance that provides coverage for payment at a particular allotted fixed rate for a certain period as agreed during the initiation of the policy. This fixed ter

Hello friends!  I hope you've all had a great start to 2019!  My kids are going back to school tomorrow (today when you are reading this!) and we had such a nice break.  I'm really sad to see it end this year!  We spent Christmas at home, then went to Utah to visit family, came […]

It's easy to find a bathroom in disarray, after all it's one of the smallest rooms in the house that's also used by everyone and guests. Thankfully, there are some bathroom organization ideas that can help shape up your small space! "People are stuck with a lot of clutter and disorganization going on in their bathroom, because they're in and out fast and don't take the time to put things away," said Susan Stone , a professional organizer in New England. If you're ready to create an organization system to keep your bathroom clutter at bay, keep reading for some great bathroom organization ideas from Stone and another professional organizer! Your space and morning routine will be in order in no time. Only Store Everyday Essentials in a Bathroom If there are items you don't use every day – such as cold medicine or 20 rolls of toilet paper – then it should be stored in a linen closet or storage space outside the bathroom, said Sara Barba of XOXOrganizi

Lots of homeowners are concerned about the Spotted Lanternfly lately.  There are several ways you can help control the spread of this invasive pest.  Here are four tips to get rid of Spotted Lanternfly. Removing Ailanthus trees Spotted Lanternfly requires the  ailanthus altissima  to reproduce. This tree is the spotted lanternfly's  primary target .  Because of this, the first step you should take to get rid of this pest is removing these trees from your property.   This is a  must  for managing this pest! Control for  ailanthus  trees is never simple – they're very hardy plants!  What is generally recognized as the most effective control method is called "hack and squirt," and involves cutting notches in the bark around the circumference of the tree.  Herbicide should be applied directly into the wound, once these notches have been cut into the tree. A selective herbicide containing the chemical  triclopyr  may be used without damage to plants around the  ailanthus  

Here at Infarrantly Creative, I've shown you how I utilized the space on the inside of cabinet doors to better organize my own kitchen.  As it turns out, that empty space on the inside of my doors had amazing hidden potential!  When you stop to consider the square footage of level, usable space on the {...Read More...} The post 5 Ways to Organize Your Cabinet Doors appeared first on Infarrantly Creative .

We ripped off the construction band-aid and have been demo-ing our little hearts out over at our #samuelfamilyfixer and sharing loads of progress as we go via Instagram stories . I've put a bunch in my highlights if you've missed anything and I'll be sharing more updates here now that things are really rolling. Along the way I've gotten a ton of questions over what we are doing with the baseboard heaters, if anything, and I tried to answer as best I could in a few short frames but really this is a full blog post kind of answer so here we go! We love all the modern lines and unique features in the house but what we didn't love was the look of the radiant baseboard heaters. They do the job ok, but boy are they a big bummer to have to design around. No matter how you slice it, they make a space feel dated. So I did a deep dive into researching alternative heating systems and the good news is we got to rip those babies out of there, and will be replacing them with ra