All Things Pin: August 2016

, by Jessica Fairweather

Planner

Unboxing and Reviewing of the Webster's Pages Planner

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, by Jessica Fairweather

reviews

Honest Reviews

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, by Jessica Fairweather

real estate

Guest Post: Few Friendly Tips on Moving to a New City

Author's Bio: Chloe is an art historian, a young writer and a contributor at Smooth Decorator. She is constantly learning about design, art and psychology. Her biggest dream is to own an interior design company and she is actively working on it. In the meantime, Chloe enjoys writing for various magazines and blogs about topics she finds worth exploring. You can find Chloe on FB or Twitter.

You never know where life will take you tomorrow. In two years’ time, you may be living on another continent, in 20 years you may be one of the first inhabitants on NASA’s Mars colony. However, at the moment, it might be too hard to think about something as simple as relocating to a new city. With so many things to keep in mind and so many loose ends to tie, it may seem as mission impossible. Still, there is no room for desperation. With these few friendly tips, you might make your move much easier to bear.

Inquire About the Place

Moving into a new neighbourhood can be terrifying enough, let alone going to a different city. One of the issues you will face will be the complete lack of answers on essential questions such as the cost of the living, good/bad neighbourhoods and the local job market. Even seemingly trivial things such as the cost of the vehicle registration, or the quality of local schools can play a huge part in what is to come. Of course, there are several ways you can find out about these things even from afar. The most reliable one would be to talk to someone who lives there in person, but in the age of the internet, even this may seem unnecessary.

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Finally, there are some cities that will literally pay you to come and live there, so it might be worth inquiring if your future home is on the list. These are mostly places that have hit the rough patch like Detroit or Michigan, but also places that have suffered due to steady population decline like Marquette and Kansas.

Be Fair to Your Previous Landlord

Sure, people don’t always separate under good conditions with their landlord, but it is your responsibility to leave the place as it was before you moved in. Make sure to thoroughly clean and depersonalize the space after you pack but, more importantly, make sure to handle all your unresolved issues. Cancel any subscriptions you may have and pay all the bills. Also, it might be a good idea to notify all your closest friends, in order to avoid them appearing on the next tenant’s doorstep. When you have finally resolved all of these issues, make sure to return all the key copies and notify your landlord if there are any that are not in your possession (an ex or maid service).

Packing Systematically

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One of the most important things of every move is packing, and people often tend to skip, misplace or forget particular items. In order to avoid this, it might be a good idea to have a packing system. For example, while you could pack items by their purpose or size, there are those who find it most convenient to pack things in boxes, according to the room they were in. Of course, this may cause a bit of a problem when unpacking. The layout in your new home might not be exactly the same. This can result in some of the items becoming redundant. In this situation, you could hire a mobile storage to place them in, until you figure out what to do with them.

Carry Some Money on You

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Last, but in no way the least important thing to remember when moving is to always have some money on you. Sure, you may have paid the moving services, the cleaners and the painters, but you never know what else may happen. Sometimes, you will have to hop to a store and get an essential cleaning item you forgot, or you might need some cash for some minor matters. For example, moving can make you hungry, so you may have to order fast food.

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None of these steps are rocket science. Still, without any help, it is questionable how many of them you would remember on your own. On the other hand, by starting with your plan-making in time, you might get to address a surprisingly great number of these important issues. As a final piece of advice, don’t make a decision to relocate lightly, since even with the best organized move, it is a lot of work and a great leap of faith.

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, by Jessica Fairweather

Health

Guest Post: What to Do to Improve Your Sleep

Nicole is a lifestyle blogger at HighStyleLife

She is passionate about travel, healthy living and fashion. She always seeks new adventures and enjoys sharing her experiences with others. In her free time she likes to prepare healthy and delicious food for her friends. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Did you know that sleep deprivation is marked as a form of torture, by Amnesty International? Even moderate lack of sleep can cause cognitive difficulties, troubles in eye-hand coordination, focus issues, mood swings and negative effect on our overall health. Sleeping pills will not get you anywhere, and it is surely not a long term solution. As someone who has already faced sleep deprivation, I can tell you that there are completely natural solutions, and as long as you are willing to make some changes, you will sleep like a baby.

Aromatherapy & Hot Bath

Aromatherapy affects both the mind and the body, depending on the way it is practiced and the oils being used. Aromatherapy can address problems such as digestion, stress, insomnia, headaches, etc. When you want to induce sleep faster, combine aromatherapy with a hot bath, by pouring several drops of essential oil (e.g. lavender) into the hot water.

Massage & Self-massage

By relieving stress, massage is also helping you sleep better and wake up rarer during the night. During a massage you can go to state of deep relaxation which can affect the body in a similar way sleep does, so you will also be more rested. A self-applied massage can have similar effects, if you learn the proper technique of massaging your fingers, ears and hands.

Get Rid of the Bad Habits

Poor habits such as alcohol, cigars and caffeine can impact your health in many ways, but one of them surely is lack of sleep. Alcohol causes common interruptions in sleep patterns, so you will end up waking up tired anyway. Sugar and caffeine both impact your organism in a way that is releasing hormones which prevent you to sleep. Nicotine has a potential contribution on developing sleep apnea, insomnia and sleep fragmentation.

Welcome the Good Habits

First, you must know that you should not be eating heavy foods in the evenings, especially not after 8pm. Instead, improve your chances of getting a good night's sleep every night by consuming healthy fats (butter, avocado, coconut oil), high in antioxidants food (vegetables, nuts, herbal teas – with little or no caffeine) and quality proteins (turkey breast, tuna, chicken breast, egg whites).

Spend Time in Nature

During my time in Living Valley Springs spiritual retreat I have learned that, besides making healthy diet choices, it is very important to spend some time in nature and engage in fun and physical activities. In fact, the combination of fresh air and exercising can be just what you need to fall asleep easier and sleep better. The activities that will challenge you physically, while relaxing you mentally performed in nature, are your tools for fighting the lack of sleep. So take a couple of days a week to walk with your friend, exercise outside, go cycling, play with your dog, dance or jog.

Yoga & Meditation

Famous stress relievers such as yoga and meditation are not famous for nothing. You would be surprised how some deep breathing and focusing on emptying your mind before you go to bed can be helpful to induce sleep. There is even a five-steps breathing exercise that should put you to sleep in no time. For long term effects, practice yoga several times a week to find inner balance which will prevent sleep issues from ever happening again.

Sleeping Habits

First of all, you must get yourself a comfortable supportive mattress and a pillow of the same quality. Second, the surroundings must be peaceful, with no digital interruptions (TV, computer, etc.). The right sleeping positions that do not cause stress on any of your body parts will make your sleep more quality. That means that you should not leave any empty spaces between your body and bed, that you should keep a pillow between your knees when lying on the side, preserve a neutral neck position by adjusting the pillow not to high and not to low, etc. In the end, mild lighting and a good book before sleeping will reduce the amount of stress which is keeping you from sleeping.

Have a good and restful night!

Twitter: Noel D Nicole

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, by Jessica Fairweather

Health

Guest Post: 8+ Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Author's Bio: Vanessa Tan is a Vietnamese-American author and MA in English literature. She is a health article writer who has written many articles/online journals on home remedies and natural health. She strong believes that majority of diseases can be cured with natural home remedies. Check her out at the website WikiYeah.com or her Facebook page.

Cayenne pepper is fiercely pungent and hot, which is one of the most common spicy ingredients in our kitchen. It is often used in powdered and whole form in various cuisines, especially in south-western American and Mexican cuisine. In many societies, particularly those of the Americas or China, cayenne pepper is used therapeutically. Cayenne pepper contains an active compound named capsaicin which brings the heat to the table. In fact, capsaicin is the major what attributes to the benefits of cayenne pepper. Also, it consists of vitamin A, B6, C, E, manganese, potassium, iron, copper, and a few flavonoids, providing its great antioxidant properties. If you regularly use a small amount of cayenne pepper every day, it is very beneficial for your health. Here are 9 benefits of cayenne pepper for health and beauty.

1. It Relieves Muscle And Joint Pain

Thanks to the compound capsaicin with its anti-inflammatory properties, cayenne pepper can help lessen pain and inflammation. Also, it relieves the activation of the pain transmitters of the brain, helping reduce the pain. Be it tender muscles or achy joints, this spice is very effective. However, do not use cayenne pepper on irritated or broken skin.

2. It Cures Sore Throat

When it comes to benefits of cayenne pepper, healing sore throat is a lesser-known one. Capsaicin works as a natural decongestant to offer relief from inflammation and even take control of mucus production within the nasal passages. Furthermore, it is beneficial in eliminating the infection causing germs.

3. It Helps Prevent Blood Clots

Capsaicin works as a natural antioxidant and aids in dilating blood vessels to ensure proper blood flow in your organs and body as well. Even, it encourages fibrinolytic activity and naturally prevents the factors leading to blood clot formation.

If the blood circulation is proper, the risk of developing blood clots and some heart problems will be decreased. Besides, capsaicin is also helpful in reducing low-density lipoproteins (LDL, also known as “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides. They are two main risk factors of heart disease. Using cayenne pepper also helps lower the blood pressure level and remove blockages in veins and arteries.

4. It Aids In Losing Weight

You can take advantage of cayenne pepper to reduce your appetite. It also means less caloric intake, helping you lose weight faster.

Moreover, also known as a natural metabolic booster, this spicy ingredient helps the human body excess fat more rapidly. It is beneficial in supporting the absorption of nutrition and digestion, contributing to maintain a healthy weight. You just need to add a half of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to your daily breakfast smoothie or juice in order to suppress your appetite and burn further calories.

5. It Accelerates Detoxification

Apart from weight loss, cayenne pepper is also good for detoxification, which in turn will help your body be protected from common diseases. Detoxification will assist your liver as well as gallbladder to remove harmful toxins within your body. Because cayenne is a natural circulatory stimulant, it can increase your body temperature and kick-starts your metabolism to operate the detoxification process. In addition, it also activates your sweat glands, one of important factors in detoxification.

6. It Is Thought To Help Prevent Cancer

One of the most powerful benefits of cayenne pepper is cancer preventing. It might help prevent cancer of the liver, lungs, prostate, skin and breast. This benefit is attributed to capsaicin, which induces the cancer cells to kill them in the process named apoptosis.

7. It Helps Relieve Headache And Migraine Pain

It does not matter that you are suffering from a migraine, tension or cluster headache, you could decrease the pain by using cayenne pepper. The capsaicin has healing and pain-relief powers. It is extremely effective for those with migraines because it reduces t he platelet aggregation factor responsible for the occurrence of migraine headaches by constricting the blood circulation in the head.

8. It Fights Off Common Cold

Using cayenne pepper will assist you in relieving common cold. It works as an anti-flu and cold agent, and supplies fast relief from common flu and cold symptoms, especially congestion.

Additionally, the fiery effect of this spice helps in stimulating secretions, thereby relieving blocked sinuses and nasal congestion. Even, it induces sneezing to help remove the mucus as well as allergens within your sinuses.

9. It Promotes Oral Health

The last but not least important benefit of cayenne pepper is improving oral health. It is a wonderful agent for improving oral health and also preventing gum disease ranging from gingivitis to periodontitis. Cayenne pepper could deal with some common oral problems, such as swollen gums, bad breath, a toothache, dry mouth or bleeding gums.

Due to anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, cayenne pepper helps reduce swelling and pain of the gums.