Refresh your home and your spirit
Take a tour of your home HOMEMADE POPSICLES.
Get the entire family involved in making homemade popsicles -- a sweet treat that can be much healthier than the storebought variety, depending on what ingredients you include. Consider pineapple chunks, coconut shavings, berries, lime juice, kiwi, yoghurt and other fresh flavours for a delicious, nutrient-packed way to cool down on hot summer nights.
GET ON THE WATER.
Keep cool with outdoor water activities. Whether you’re doing something active like kayaking and swimming or just lazing at the beacj, be sure you have the right tools on-hand, like a smart outdoor watch, which is water-resistant up to 50 metres and includes apps for activities like swimming and surfing.
THE CHANGING SEASON
brings a desire for renewal. It’s a time of growth, transition and revitalisation. The latest trend in home cleaning popularised by Marie Kondo reveals what many of us yearn for — not just decluttering, but a fresh start, a clean slate. We dream of an open, airy, bright home where everyone can thrive and be their best selves. But how do we get there, when our houses are filled with stuff not to mention the accumulated dust and stale air ?
Here are three ways you can reenergize your home and yourself.
Whether mentally or literally, tour your home with a notebook or tablet and jot down the areas causing you the most tension or stress when you look at them. Is it the laundry pile that never seems to go away in the bedroom? The kitchen cabinet that’s so overstuffed that something falls out every time you open it?
Prioritize the ones that bother you the most. Take a good look at each problem and prepare for a radical declutter.
Maybe the laundry pile exists because your closets and dresser drawers are overfull. When was the last time you assessed your pajamas or jeans collection? As recommended by the Kondo technique, take out the entire contents of the pajama drawer, hold and look at each item. Which ones do you really love to wear? You’ll be able to fit them back in your drawer more neatly when you have fewer items. For the others, if you don’t love them, it’s time to let them go. If you would love them “if only” they didn’t have a button missing, but you haven’t had the interest in replacing the button in over a year, it’s time to move on.
Same thing with your kitchen cabinet— take out all the pots and pans and examine which ones are taking up space, but you never use. For items you only use once a year, like a roasting pan big enough for a turkey, store them elsewhere.
Do the deep clean
Once you’ve tackled a couple of the biggest trouble spots, you’ll start to feel lighter and less stressed every time you enter that room or area of the house.
STAY HYDRATED.
A hydrated body is like a well-oiled machine. Indeed, staying hydrated helps keep your core body temperature in check. Be sure to drink plenty of water, particularly on the hottest days. At mealtime, select items like gazpacho or smoothies and opt for snacks that have a high-water content, like watermelon, cucumbers and apples.
DRESS RIGHT.
The fabrics and colours of your summer wardrobe can make a big difference in the way you feel. Stick to light, loose garments or tech fabrics specifically designed to wick moisture. Some clothing even now comes with SPF for extra sun protection, which could be important if you exercise outdoors or are otherwise spending lots of time in direct sunlight. You can now accomplish the cleaning and dusting under and around the problem area that you couldn’t manage before.
For each area you declutter, clean thoroughly before putting back the items you’re keeping. If it’s a drawer, wipe out the dust and grime and make sure it’s dry before replacing items. For a closet or room in the house, dust and wipe down from top to bottom, removing dirt from ceiling to floor.
Refresh your rooms
Typical cleaning products won’t have the desired effect of leaving your room not only looking good, but smelling and feeling good every time you enter it.
Take the time to clear, refresh and revive your space and your mind with aromatherapy. Using essential oils will result in not only refreshing the entire environment of your home, but will invigorate and energise your spirit.
Cleaning gives you the chance for renewal — and inspires a sense of new purpose as you enjoy the changing season. Let your home become a vital part of your re-energised attitude.