April 2019 - Page 4 of 12 - Oh My Heartsie Girl

April 22, 2019

Is Your Workplace Harming You?

Numerous studies suggest that the average adult in the United States spends ⅓ of their life at work. This number is only increasing as people take extra hours due to a declining economy or are forced to work overtime. While everyone knows working too much can cause stress, few realize that common elements in the workplace can also be harming you physically and mentally. Here are the most common problems with the average workplace and how they can be treated or avoided.

Poor Air Quality

Poor air quality is the bane of everyone’s existence and something that exists in most offices, garages, and outdoor environments. This happens naturally since many workplaces combine tons of people with body odor, perfume, allergens from the outdoors and pets, diseases and germs, and even molecules from toxic chemicals used for cleaning, printing, and other basic functions. Some studies even suggest humans breathe in a ton of toxins just in regular office spaces because of cleaners, ink, and some of the old carpeting in office buildings. Nobody wants to deal with this stress on top of trying to make money to feed and support themselves and their families.

All of this airborne junk can worsen allergies and asthma, and make you call in sick more often. Something good for your workspace is to install a dehumidifier to filter out unwanted contaminants from the air you breathe. Many models can be set up right next to a desk and are small and quiet. Keeping a fan and healthy growing plants near you are also good ideas to improve air quality since you can push unwanted air away and filter out some contaminants with plants. The dehumidifier will also eliminate unwanted moisture in the air, which is great for those who live in muggy areas such as the American Southeast and Northwest.

Computer Screens

Computer screens are just a fact of life for most jobs, including designers, HR employees, salespeople, and even cashiers. Unfortunately, they cause a lot of eye strain since human eyes were not meant to stare directly at light and screens are always backlit. Thankfully, the light that emits from computer screens does not possess enough radiation to cause issues like cataracts, but the light does cause muscle strain and can irritate the eyes, causing dryness, itchiness, and other forms of irritation.

To combat this problem, use a blue light filter to tone down the harshness of the brightness and take frequent breaks. Some manufacturers also sell special glasses that can be worn while working on the computer to also block blue light and errant radiation. Every half hour, look away for five minutes and do something with no screens – this means no looking at your phone! Your eyes will thank you and won’t weaken as early in life.

Stress on the Body

Workspaces today are full of modern ills on the human body. Humans are animals that were meant to be in constant motion, not sitting at desks or hunched over working on machines. Even simple activities like typing cause muscle damage and joint pain, including the ever feared carpal tunnel. The areas most prone to damage will naturally be the joints that see the most use – including the wrists and knuckles – as well as the spine. Spinal injuries and back pain are surprisingly common, so it’s important to correct your posture as much as possible and avoid lifting heavy objects from your back instead of your knees.

To improve other aspects of your workspace, raise your keyboard so you’re not bent, invest in a standing desk, and go for frequent walks and stretches to keep your muscles in shape. It’s also a good idea to exercise outside of your office to make sure muscles are stretched and strong. Your body will be happy and healthy, and you won’t be in as much pain as you would be otherwise.
Related:
7 Tips and Tricks for Making Your Office Greener
How to Design a Productive, Functional Home Office
3+1 Stress-Relief Tips for Better Productivity at Work
This post may contain affiliate links and I might receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.

April 21, 2019

5 Must-Haves In Your Kitchen

Everybody needs to eat. This is a fact of life, even though it can be an annoying one. Unfortunately, cooking and prepping food itself can be a hassle, especially if you have to work full time and have limited hours to buy groceries, clean and cut food, and then get it cooking. If you worry about feeding yourself and your family and want a fully stocked kitchen, make sure you have these five must-haves to keep everyone happy, healthy, and fed with ease.

Non-Stick Pots and Pans

Non-stick-pans-are-great-for-easy-cleanup — Source: Pinterest Non-stick pans are great for easy cleanup

These devices are a blessing since they cut down on the inconvenience of needing to soak or over scrub regular pots and pans that end up with too much food burning or sticking to them. There are even green, environmentally friendly options without toxic chemicals to keep your family safe and fed. These pots and pans seem to physically repel food, meaning there are fewer burnt bottoms and edges that need to be carefully peeled away with the steel wool, errant spatula, or the dreaded kitchen sponge. Most even come in sets, so you don’t have to about having mismatched pieces.

Oven Mitts

Oven mitts are a necessity because they protect your hands from burns when working with hot dishes. Many a young adult has found out the hard way that a folded dish towel just isn’t the same as having a special mitt to take pans and casserole dishes out of the oven. Oven mitts can even be an excellent creative outlet and provide a wonderful pop of color to even the blandest of kitchens by expressing a little personality. If none at the store appeal to you, making your own can be an easy project for you and the family. Just remember to use heat-resistant fabric!

Sharp Knives

Knowing-which-knives-for-a-project-do-you-have-all-of-these — Source: Pinterest Knowing which knives for a project, do you have all of these?

Most people do not take good care of their knives, and this is a problem. A dull knife does not cut well and can actually be dangerous since the blade is more to slipping and breaking. Nobody wants to be sliced up while trying to prepare some chicken for dinner, especially because of the hazards of germs and potential infection! Invest in a knife sharpener to make prep work simple and easy, and also consider having a designated place to store knives so little hands don’t grab them. Most kitchens function well with a few good, sharp knives and a convenient storage block.

Storage Space

A-kitchen-cart-is a-great-way-of-adding-extra-storage-and-organization — Source: Pinterest A kitchen cart is a great way of adding extra storage and organization

Not everyone can afford a large dream kitchen, especially if you live in the city or an apartment. What are you supposed to do when you have nowhere to put your dishes or dry foods?

Instead of cluttering up counters, invest in some extra storage space like hanging or floating cabinets, pantry bins, or organizers that cling to the insides of doors. These materials will keep unnecessary items off of your counter and help you keep track of items like dried pasta, cooking utensils, and dishes. The storage space will also mean you have enough room for the final significant thing to have in your kitchen: an area for food preparation.

Prep Space

Wouldn't-it-be-nice-for-a-prep-area-with-hidden-receptacle-for-refuse — Source: Pinterest Wouldn’t it be nice for a prep area with a hidden receptacle for scraps

This should go without saying, but there should always be a place for you to prepare and cook food for meals and snacks. Most people don’t leave themselves enough counter space to cook, and this can be a major problem. Instead of storing food, dishes, and papers on the countertop, invest instead in more cabinets and leave a designated area open, clean, and sanitized for food prep. The standard rule is to have enough space for a cutting board, cooking utensils, and a couple of bowls that can be set aside with spices and ingredients. Your family and stomach will thank you in the long run when you can have dinner ready in no time.

Conclusion

These five must-haves seem basic, but you would be surprised how many people neglect their kitchens by failing to have one or even more of these items. Too many people rely upon ancient dishes, cluttered counters, and precariously stacked food that can easily spill from the lack of space. If you think something might be missing from your cooking area, check off each of the items on this list and make sure you have everything you need to keep life functioning smoothly.

This post may contain affiliate links and I might receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.
Related Kitchen:
5 Ways to Update Your Kitchen on a Budget
Home Series: How To Set Up Your Kitchen For Easy Cooking
Reduce Waste By Organizing Your Kitchen So You Know Exactly Where Everything Is

April 20, 2019

Forget Hobby Lobby: Home Projects You Can Do Yourself

DIY activities, projects, and home improvements are rapidly becoming a craze throughout the United States, which is great news for creative homeowners but also big box craft stores that stock and sell the desired materials to complete a project. Unfortunately, many DIY projects seem to rely too much on making items that aren’t really necessary. After all, how many mason jar candles can a person truly have? And if you want something truly different, it often feels like the only option is to go to Hobby Lobby.

Sometimes it feels like Hobby Lobby has a monopoly on individuals because it sells all sorts of decorations and craft projects for easy decoration. What are you supposed to do if you want to make a major creative change but don’t need more stuff? Well, forget Hobby Lobby because here are some home DIY projects you can actually do yourself that take up little space, spruce up an entire home, and can even improve the value and attractiveness of a house.

Install Wall Hooks

An easy DIY project that spruces up a home and creates more space is to install wall hooks or a wall-hanging coat rack to keep clothes, hats, and other items off the floor. Hooks and hangers can be bought from any regular store or made yourself through a little bit of creative metal or woodworking.

All you need to do to hang a wall hook is to find a good place and make sure there are no joists behind the desired spot on the wall. Then, installation is as easy as screwy the hook into the wall. These simple devices will reduce clutter and ensure you have more floor or closet space for other items like shoes, carpets, and maybe even a bookshelf.

Faux Flooring

Faux flooring is a major hit in modern interior decorating because it can be placed in a day, is easy to clean, and can then be removed without tearing up a room. Some of the most popular flooring types are laminate, fake tile, and floating wood. Laminate is easy to place like stickers since all you have to do is remove the paper on the back and lay down boards or tiles with the sticky side facing down. Fake tile, meanwhile, can come in one long sheet that you cut to accommodate a room and then place. Floating wood, meanwhile, is a series of boards that interlock with one another like a puzzle, forming an attractive floor with little work.

These DIY projects can take as little as a day and can be removed as easily as they were placed if you want to redecorate once again.

Sand and Smooth Wood

If you unfinished or untreated wooden furniture, door frames, or cabinets, then you know splinters and breakage can be a problem. As a DIY project, consider investing in a planer to smooth out edges and prevent further damage. Furniture and frames can then be sealed, painted, and decorated in a new style to match your creative whims. This is a beneficial DIY project because it improves safety, the appearance of the home, and can also raise the house’s value since it is more modern.

Splash the Paint

One final, popular DIY project is to bring out the paint. You don’t need more mass-produced decorations to make your home warm and inviting. Add splashes and pops of color throughout your home by painting the splash guard behind sinks and stoves, recoloring the door and window frames, or even just adding a new color to a well-used room.

You can even make your own art to hang instead of buying something from the store, which adds an individual touch to any room. If you have children, consider having them make a unique painting using their hands and feet, or just allow them to go creative. Over time, it can become a treasured or prized family heirloom.

Conclusion

DIY doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive, and it doesn’t mean you need to fill your home with unnecessary physical decorations. If you want to make a major change but have little time, space, or money, consider doing one of these four projects without needing a visit to Hobby Lobby for unnecessary decorations!
Related All things DYI At Home
Craft Project: DIY Patchwork Pillow
Home Projects You Can Do Yourself
Tips on Building and Designing the Perfect Home
How to Design a Productive, Functional Home Office
I might receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking an affiliate link at no cost to you.

April 20, 2019

Something Old Is Something New

Welcome to all bloggers that want to boost your blogs by getting out old posts/stories shared again. Everyone seems to be enjoying the opportunity to share those dust posts that your blog has archived, gone off the screen buried unless you clean them up, refresh with a new message in your post and new pictures and banners. Then they’re ready for sharing on our “Something Old Is Something New” Linkup!

By resharing old blog posts, a seasoned blog post can generate organic traffic. And chances are if a new blogger happens to stumble on your blog they haven’t seen the other 99% of your content. According to Neil Patel, it makes sense to make the most out of a “seasoned post“. But don’t take my word for it, read here Bring Old Blog Posts Back to Life: 5 Strategies that Work So with that let’s get busy and share those “OLD” posts. This week I have put them in order of the oldest starting back in 2017.
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Bloggers are some of the most creative, imaginative and talented women and sometimes men. Whether you bake, sew, create crafts, recycle, upcycle or make home improvements, renovations, write about blogging, saving money, health, dieting, how you built a business, or sharing an idea from an old post, this is going to be a great way to share those buried stories, archived stories!!
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I love helping bloggers and promoting them, that’s why I came up with this event. I hope you will support the event each week, signup for early notifications and other upcoming announcements!

… Now I’m here to help you reinvigorate your blogs and help your SEO.
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But if you are new this week or missed my first post about this event, check it out, I have added updates, tips and hints on what we are about to accomplish here, if you did not read the Announcement there are lots of tips to get started.
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Watch for my series of articles on “Reviving Old Blog Posts”. There will be information and where to start and using old posts to improve your blog’s stats in search engines. How to turn old posts into traffic, subscriber and money generating machines. Watch for it. be sure to signup so you do not miss this opportunity.

If you have other ‘NEWER’ posts you would like to share, be sure to stop by Friday Features 4/5 and Linkup there.
I hope that you will enjoy this new event, as this week I am featuring a few blogs that followed the rules.
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Be notified when the event goes live!
Something Old is Something New
Starts Saturday Mornings 11:00 AM PST Open 5 Days
There is more to come, get all the upcoming events, information on blogging, tutorials in development, Podcasts. » Sign Up Now
But if you have suggestions I would love to have that conversation, use the email below to send them to me, or if you have questions about anything blogging, I would love to chat.

#somethingoldissomethingnew Saturday Mornings~Open To the First 50 Bloggers To Share Old Posts. Revitalize a post, Monetize it then come and share!!

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My Humble Home and Garden // Perfect-Buttercream-Frosting Posted 12-9-2014
Congratulations on the Oldest Post this week Debra
A Day of Small Things Fair //Winds and Following Seas Post 6-24-2016Comfort Spring Station // Asparagus & Tomato Quiche For Easter Brunch Posted 3/27/2017Kippia At Home //Learn How To Use Easy Transfers Posted 10/20/2018My Humble Home and Garden // Decoupage-Easter-Eggs-DIY Posted 2-27-2017Mrs. Kringles Kitchen //Pina Colada Fudge Posted 4-12-2019
Blooming Anomaly //How To Take Garden Photos Posted 3-19-2019

Be Sure To Comment For a Chance To Be Featured. But more important is to visit bloggers that are featured and comment on their older post.
That’s what this event is for is to see forgotten posts that have been buried in your blogs.
And Don’t forget to signup so you don’t miss update

Do you have a popular “OLD” post you would like to share-Stop by and Link It Up! #SOISN #BloghopCheck out our features

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*I have some fun items on Amazon that as a blogger I can use and I thought of you. These are affiliate links so if you click and buy I will be ever so grateful.

Related:
How to Revive Old Blog Content and Give It New Life
The Secrets Of A Stand-Out Blog