If there is a perfect home design, then it must be a world-famous wellness design. Besides being simply gorgeous, this design is created to make you feel better and live healthier. Your home shouldn't be just the walls, doors, and furniture. It should be so much more – a space where you can relax and breathe freely. It shouldn't be a cluttered, anxiety-inducing mess. Instead, it should be your piece of paradise. Such a home is good for your mental and physical health and it's fostering your emotional well-being as well. You can do a lot of simple things to create a joyous and comfortable home. Here are some of the ideas to get you started!   Use healthy materials If you're moving into a new home or if you're renovating, it's time you've thought about the materials in your home. To invoke a sense of calmness and connectivity with nature, you should always go for some healthy materials. Some materials can be harmful to your health. For instance, they might pollute the air in your home. This is the case with flooring, carpets, or cleaning products full of chemicals. On the other hand, bamboo can be a great option for your home. It’s natural, durable, and, most importantly, free of chemicals. Any material free of toxins will immediately make your home a brighter and fresher space. These materials are especially important if you or someone in your household suffers from allergies.   Clean the air Cleaning the air is always important for your home. You should make sure that there are no pollutants in your home. Viruses and bacteria are rather dangerous, and your family shouldn’t be exposed to them. For this reason, clean air should be your priority. Energy and heat recovery ventilators are great for these purposes. Thanks to them, filtered air can fill your rooms and refresh the whole house. Along with natural materials, air purification systems will create a perfectly healthy ambience in your home!   Sleep well Everyone needs time to recharge their batteries. Sleep is essential for you to function properly. Not only that, quality sleep will boost your immune system, improve both your mental and physical health, and reduce the risk of some chronic conditions.  That is why you should create a sleep sanctuary – not a bedroom. Start by getting a high-quality mattress with some sheets made of natural materials. Then, you could invest in light-blocking shades and non-reflective surfaces. This will prevent the light from interrupting your sleep. You should also work on conformity. Get some throw pillows, a weighted blanket and some scented candles to make a heavenly experience in your bedroom.   Don’t forget about circadian lighting Making a healthy home means adjusting it to your body and its needs. There are some things about our bodies that we aren’t even aware of. For instance, circadian rhythm is an important part of our daily lives. Namely, people are in sync with the light [...]

Backyard gardening is healthy for both body and mind; it’s fun, but it’s not the easiest thing in the world. Even seasoned gardeners learn something new every day, and those who’ve only picked up on it are certainly in for a challenge or two. Today we’ll walk you through the basics of backyard gardening and provide a few helpful tips so that you can avoid some of the most common gardening mistakes. Without any further ado, let’s dive straight into it.   Revisit your watering technique The very core of gardening lies in the water. Plants depend on it for sustenance, but it can also ‘drown’ them should you use too much of it. If presented to the plants in insufficient quantity, they will become frail and are most likely to get plagued by garden pests. Inquire about how much water each plant in your garden needs, but you should also take into account the quality of dirt surrounding each plant. Frail, brittle plants are best watered with cups for extra precision, while robust plants can be watered with a regular hose. Avoid the most potent power levels unless you are trying to scrape insects from the plants’ leaves. The importance of a proper watering technique is in the fact that you may end your gardening journey pretty quickly should you neglect it. Once refined and polished, a good watering technique will even help your plants become more resistant to various pest types.   Pest control One of the daily chores of all gardeners is pest inspection and pest elimination when needed. Gardeners who think pest inspection once a week is often enough can end up facing infestations of garden mice, aphids, and beetles. Aphids are widely considered to be the biggest annoyance for backyard gardeners. Their tiny bodies are camouflaged when they latch onto the leaves, and the fact that they tend to hide on their undersides doesn’t help either. Handpick them if there are only a few. Otherwise, use organic sprays (water mixed with essential oil, for example). Larger infestations of aphids can be culled by introducing ladybugs and birds, given that they are the natural predators of most insect-type pests. Wasps are pretty dangerous, as they feed on plants and can be aggressive to humans. However, some gardeners don’t mind a few wasps buzzing in their backyard, as they also tend to eat caterpillars, aphids, and beetles. Out of all insect ‘companions,’ wasps are ranked pretty low. You can quickly get rid of them by scattering bits of peppermint oil near your plants. Strong scents repulse them, so using citronella candles is more than likely to keep them away. Should you face an infestation of dozens of wasps, your best bet is to hire professional wasp exterminators. Rodents, such as rats and mice, are prone to playing mind games with gardeners, as they are both stealthy and incredibly patient. Keep your garden tidy and clean of debris to dissuade them from nesting. [...]

Have you ever sat in your living room, looked around, and thought, "This place is a screaming mess! It could use a deep cleaning?" If so, you are not alone. Every day, millions of folks wonder the same thing and choose to call a cleaning service they know and trust. Seems that it's just human nature to prefer a clean living space, and cleanliness in general. Heck, even that Penny Lane fireman, the one who kept a portrait of the queen in his pocket, liked to keep his fire engine clean (it was a clean machine). It's an established fact: people want to live amid cleanliness, not dirt, grime, and clutter. But, deep cleaning the place by yourself is a major task, and is not a job for the faint of heart. Not only does it take many hours, but you'd better be in excellent physical shape to do all the sub-tasks like upholstery cleaning, vacuuming, window cleaning, removing clutter, floor cleaning, disinfecting bathrooms, carpet cleaning, and much (much) more. Fortunately, an experienced cleaning service can save you time and help preserve your physical health for a reasonable cost. Most homeowners view the expense as an investment, and it is. But, on a more serious note, having a clean home comes with several important health benefits, including the following:   One: Fewer Germs and Allergies The most obvious benefit of deep cleaning is elimination of yucky germs, bacteria, and viruses that love to hide in filth, clutter, grime, dirt, and dust. When you hire a professional cleaning service to get rid of all that unwanted awfulness, you'll soon notice that seasonal allergies are less intense, or completely absent. And when the germ, dust, and bacterial level is near zero, you'll suffer fewer bouts of all those annoying illnesses like colds, flu, and recurring sinus infections. It's no coincidence that doctors pronounce healthy patients as having a "clean bill of health." Two: Sound Sleep and Better Mental Health It's easier to sleep soundly in a clean room. It seems like the human brain is better able to relax in a neat, tidy, and generally clean space. Maybe that's one reason people often sleep more deeply, and longer, when they stay in luxury hotels rather than in messy, cluttered bedrooms. That guy with the pointy beard who once said, "To sleep, perchance to dream... " understood something about the overall goodness of getting a good night's shut-eye. They didn't have deep-cleaning services in his day, but even then, people appreciated the healthful, rejuvenating feeling of high-quality sleep.   Three: A More Nutritious Diet What? How can a clean living space make you eat better? That seems like a totally illogical disconnect, but it's not. When kitchens are clean, clutter-free, and hygienic, you'll naturally want to spend more time using them to prepare meals. Sadly, folks whose kitchens are in a state of messy disarray eat out more often. That's not only costlier but usually means eating lots [...]

If you’re ready to start your own garden, you might be a little intimidated by the process. Afterall, it can take an entire summer to reap the rewards, and that’s a lot of caretaking. Luckily, it’s not as challenging as it seems, and with planning, planting, and perseverance, you can enjoy a bountiful, nutritious harvest (while also reaping the mental health benefits of gardening) by the end of the season!   Start here. It might seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning that your first step is to decide what you want to grow. This might be flowers, vegetables, herbs or a combination. Before you start selecting plants or seeds, however, do some soul-searching to make sure to choose things that you will actually consume or use. You don’t want to take up valuable space in your garden on produce that will go to waste. Next, decide on your location. As a general rule, edibles need at least five hours of direct sunlight every day. Lettuce, potatoes, and some herbs can tolerate partial shade. Now that you know what you want to plant and where that’s going to take place, it’s time to start planning the layout of your garden bed. It’s usually best for your first garden to start small, but if you want to go big and you have the budget to do so, it can help to hire a landscaping expert to help you get started. If you use sites like Angi.com, you can match up with top-reviewed professionals who have the experience needed to build a proper foundation for your garden. Finally, consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map to know when seeds, seedlings, and immature plants can go into the ground.   Gather your tools. Before you can plant the first seed, you’ll have to amass a basic inventory of gardening tools. This should include, at minimum, a hoe, dirt rake, leaf rate, shovel, and spade. You may also need to rent a garden tiller to prepare the soil for planting. Gardening Know How cautions that you’ll need to wait until the soil is at least 60°F and dry enough to run a tilling machine, otherwise you may damage the soil or clog your tiller.   Test the soil. As a general rule, you want your soil to be neutral, which means it has a pH of seven. Your local garden co-op can provide you with a test kit to determine if your soil is ready to plant or not. Keep in mind that you can always improve your soil naturally with composted waste. Another step before you actually put anything into the ground is to ensure that the dirt can drain appropriately.   Choose seeds or transplants carefully. Since you already know what you plan to put into your garden, you can keep a narrow focus. But, you will still want to be cautious when choosing plants. If you are buying from a local shop that understands regional conditions and [...]

Buying a home for the first time is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. You’ve saved up money, found a place you see yourself living in for years to come, and you’ve made an important investment and commitment to your future. However, buying a home can be a stressful experience – there is so much paperwork, so many things to consider, and, to make a return on your investment, you must commit to living in a single location for a long time. Even in these uncertain times, homeownership is still steady, and if you have the credit and resources to do so, now is a great time to purchase your new home. We want to share 6 tips to make buying your first home as easy as possible.   Know How Much You Need Up Front             Your price range will affect your down payment and loan from the lender (like a bank). You may be looking for a “starter home” for something more affordable and to build up a great line of credit, or you may be looking for a “forever home” that you’ll want to stay at for as long as you can. Knowing what you want out of the house will help you determine how much you’re willing to pay for a home. A down payment is how much money you pay upfront for your house. You can put down as much as you want, but loans will usually require a certain % (based on the price of the house) to be paid as part of the loan. If you have great credit, you may only have to put down 3 – 5% on a home. For example… The house you want is $190,000 3% of $190,000 = $5,7000 You’ll also need closing costs – fees that cover all the paperwork and administration needed to finalize your purchase. These costs are usually around 4% of the loan.   Know Your Options for Assistance             It helps a community when homeownership is increasing, so there are financial assistance programs at the city, state, and national levels to help first-time home buyers. Tax credits and low/no-interest rates are available, so find out what’s available to you.   Stick to the Plan             Before you start working with lenders on applying for loans, you need to understand your budget (which should have been done in #1 above). Once you start working with banks, you may find out that you’re able to afford more than you thought (or be loaned a larger amount). While tempting, this should not change your budget. Remember, you aren’t just buying a house – you are buying a “home.” A “home” includes furniture, paint, and the other little things that turn a shell of a house into a place you are proud to live in. Don’t get greedy and get a larger loan [...]

We’re familiar with the kinds of toxins that can contaminate our food or the air we breathe. That’s a literal mental picture we can easily conjure up and just as easily try to avoid. Unfortunately, in our modern age, many toxic chemicals enter our lives in other ways, through common household products that are a part of normal daily living in the 21st century. A brief encounter with toxins isn’t life-threatening, but consistent, low-grade exposure to these chemicals can cause problems. Toxic buildup is one of the reasons many nutritionists recommend “detoxing.” In order to make sure you don’t get to that point, here are 4 ways to rid toxins from your home before they build up in your system and cause health problems.   1.   DIY Cleaning Supplies             Toxic buildup in our bodies can contribute to inflammation, cause allergic reactions, and over time even lead to cancer. One of the leading sources of artificial chemicals in our homes is cleaning supplies that are chock full of chemicals. They get on your hands and into your skin, poison your kitchen counter and sink, and cake your bathtub. Since making your home clean and safe is the goal, why would you make it more toxic in the process? Instead, use natural cleaning supplies made of common household ingredients that are perfectly safe and just as effective at cleaning surfaces as the corporate chemical cocktails you currently have under your sink. Simple ingredients for an effective all-natural cleaner should include vinegar, baking soda, and a little water. That’s a fine basic cleaner with no aftereffects at all. One of my favorite base ingredients is lemon juice: it smells good, contains no chemicals, and the acids do the job right when you’re scrubbing the counters or floors. Replacing chemical products with natural alternatives becomes even more of an imperative if you have very young or very old people in your house. However, even if it’s just you, DIY products save your health at the same time they save you money.   2.   Keep the Toxins Outside             There are a lot of toxins out in the world that we can’t control. These include synthetic herbicides and pesticides for starters, the kind that I advocate avoiding consuming in your produce by buying from organic farms. However, there are other ways toxins get into the house. Did you know that lead dust out in the world, on street surfaces and in the ground, has only one reliable way to get into your house? It sticks to your shoes and follows you home. This is why taking your shoes off at the door has the surprising added benefit of leaving the toxins outside.   3.   Open Your Windows             Just because you can track toxins into the house doesn’t mean that the outside is all bad. One of the ways that toxins enter your body [...]

Dry skin, breathing troubles, sniffles, coughing, clogged noses – these are just some of the pleasures that await us in the heart of the winter flu season. If you’re like me, your busy workweek can hardly handle a sniffle, much less a full-blown throat virus! There are a lot of ways you can boost your immunity and stay healthier this winter, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about humidifiers, and the way they make the symptoms of winter cold, dry air, and sickness so much more bearable. Humidifiers are machines that add moisture to the air in your house, or even just to your own body while you’re traveling. They come in different sizes and models; many models are small enough to put right next to your bed so you can use while you are sleeping. Read on to learn these 4 reasons why you should try a humidifier. They’re an apex of sinus comfort, moisturization, and sleep improvement in our techy wonderland and you won’t remember how you ever lived without one.   1.   Moisturization             A loss of moisture can cause all kinds of discomfort. The cold winter air does this, but so does sickness. With a drop in humidity, you may start finding yourself reaching for hand moisturizer more often, or reapplying Chapstick. These quick fixes can temporarily control the symptoms of cracked, dry skin and lips. But they can’t help you manage it for the long haul during the winter season. A humidifier can change the humidity in your house to encourage natural skin hydration. Instead of fighting with dry skin, use a humidifier to beat it.   2.   Sinus Protection             If you’re like me, you’re always on the go. But my energy depends largely on my health – few things can slow down my busy week like dry and irritated sinuses. Low humidity means a breeding ground for crusty dryness in your passages, which leads to sinus pressure and headaches. Some of us out there are even unlucky enough to suffer from bloody noses when the conditions are dry enough. If you find yourself stuffed up and dry, a humidifier can really help. By maintaining normal humidity levels during the winter months, your mucous has a chance to get moving and clear up your passages.   3.   Cold and Flu Protection             Humidifiers offer two-pronged protection against cold and flu viruses. In the first place, they can help control the spread of the germs themselves. This is due to the simple fact that flu viruses hate humidity, which is one of the big reasons the winter months are also called the flu season. If you use a humidifier to keep humidity levels normal, the flu and influenza viruses have a much harder time surviving long enough to infect you and your family. Additionally, if you already have a cold, maintaining [...]