Brain Wave – Page 26 – Sasha Says…

Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Work at Home

7 Space-Saving Tips For Your Home And Office

May 21, 2020 No Comments

Being lucky enough to own a lot of possessions is one thing, but having enough room to store all your possessions is another. Over 25% of Americans admit to having challenges when it comes to household clutter. But not everyone can afford to move into a more spacious house. Plus, bigger spaces are not necessarily the solution to cluster problems. If you feel your abode is currently a mess, consider some of the following space-saving tips to make life at home, or the office organized and clean.

1. Lofty Ideas

This idea is perfect for small homes or offices that have the benefit of high ceilings. You can take advantage of the high ceiling by building lofts. At home, you can build a loft for use as an extra bedroom or living space (depending on how large the space is). Most people living in studio apartments have found this idea to be very helpful, as it helps to separate your private space from the rest of the apartment. In your office, the loft can house some important documents or even an extra office space.

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2. Pull-out Tray Tables

This is especially beneficial for those who work from home and require some workspace. Installing a sliding table is an excellent way of creating a workspace at home. The great thing about slide tables or pull-out trays is that you can install it anywhere in your home – whether in your kitchen, bedroom, or living area. The only extra thing you’ll need is a chair to tuck under your table. Once you’re done with work, you can take the chair out of the way. If you already have a small table for work, you can boost the amount of space you have by attaching a roll-out desk. You can slide this desk out of your table to give you more room to work. And slide it back in when you are done.

3. Wall Shelves

If your floor looks a mess with too much stuff, you can create enough space by building wall shelves. Wall shelves, when done properly, offer more than just a storage platform. They also add to the character and style of the room. The idea can even extend into your bedroom or wardrobe. With the latter, all you need to do is to add a few more shelves if the space is available. Or, you can extend the length of your wardrobe by attaching extra shelves to it. Your home-based working space will also receive a lot of boost with the addition of a wall shelf. It will also help to avoid clusters and make it less difficult to organize your stuff. In the office, wall shelves can provide extra space for files or even picture frames.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine, Life in general

Keeping It Clean: 3 Key Tips For Going Outside During Lockdown

May 19, 2020 No Comments

Wherever you are in the world, the chances are your life has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It doesn’t take a genius to tell you that things are different now, and with the vaccine seemingly far away in the future, our new normal might last longer than we think. Although, of course, the best advice is to stay at home and try to flatten the curve, sometimes going out is unavoidable. Many people are struggling to feel safe while going outside, while others seem to be going stir crazy at home, trying to find things to do while they’re on lockdown.

Despite the anxiety-inducing circumstances, there are things you can do to keep your hygiene as the top priority when you take outings. Essential medical needs, like taking a hearing test or picking up a prescription, involve going into a pharmacy, where others have been coming in and out all day. Likewise, visits to the supermarket are inevitable; while social distancing rules are being applied in some places, taking responsibility for your own safety is the smartest thing to do.

Mask up!

While it’s been stated by medical professionals that wearing a non-medical grade mask will not protect you from others’ illnesses, it will protect others from you. Even if you feel fine, you could be carrying coronavirus without realizing it, so wearing a mask assures your sense of social responsibility. Plus, having your face covered will prevent you from touching your nose and mouth – something we all do, often without realizing it.

Additionally, making your own mask can provide a fun lockdown activity for all the family. You can choose your colour and design of the mask, and introduce the idea of mask-wearing to your children in a fun, stress-free way. Everybody wins!

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Hands off!

As human beings, we can’t be conscious of where we put our hands all the time. However, this crisis is requiring us to be hyper-aware of the dangers we pose to ourselves by touching things unnecessarily. When you’re shopping, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket, using it often. It’s tempting to pick up products to examine them carefully, then put them back on the shelves – but try to avoid this, as you might be leaving bacteria on the object, which will then be transferred to another person.

Leave your phone behind!

This might seem counter-intuitive. Most of us consider our phone as an extension of our arm by now. However, mobile phones are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. When was the last time you cleaned your phone screen? Exactly. We use our phones all day, every day, pressing them against our faces, without realizing that everything we touch is transferred onto them. When you’re out and about, using your phone in a public space can transfer particles from your phone into your surroundings, and vice versa. It’s important to stay vigilant and leave it behind – it might even feel good to be phone-free for a few hours.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine

3 ‘Healthy’ Drinks That Aren’t As Healthy As You Think

May 18, 2020 No Comments

It’s not rocket science that good nutritional habits contribute to a healthy life. However, most of you probably associate food with nutrition. You think about the different things you eat – and that’s great. This is definitely something you should be more conscious of. The only problem is that we often neglect what we drink. Drinks form part of your nutrition as well, and they can often be what holds you back. You can eat well, but if you drink two massive bottles of Coca Cola every day, then you’re hardly going to be healthy.

Therefore, it’s normal to seek out some healthy drinks that we believe are good for us. Many times, these drinks are actually really healthy. But, there are some ‘healthy’ drinks that are actually much worse for us than we realize…

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Smoothies & fruit juices

Believe it or not, but smoothies and fruit juices aren’t as healthy as you think. What could possibly be bad about two drinks made from fruits?! Well, it’s all to do with the sugar content. You see, when you eat a piece of fruit, it has sugar in it. This is naturally occurring, but it’s not bad for us because we eat it along with the fiber in the fruit. When you blitz fruit up for smoothies or juices, it breaks apart the sugar and fiber. This makes it harder for the body to digest and use the sugar, so it gets stored in the body and can cause insulin spikes and other problems. In simple terms, these drinks aren’t that healthy because they contain far too much sugar. Limit your intake to 150ml a day, rather than a whole 330ml bottle!

Sports drinks

How can a sports drink not be healthy?! They contain electrolytes and other things to help replenish our energy stores and prevent fatigue. However, much like smoothies, these drinks contain an absurd amount of sugar. This instantly makes them less healthy than you think. To add to this, many isotonic sports drinks can also include caffeine or other potentially harmful ingredients. In truth, you can get electrolytes from natural sources – like fruit – rendering these drinks somewhat useless.

Water

Okay, okay, listen to what I have to say before you go crazy. Water is the healthiest drink out there, but there are instances where it isn’t as healthy as it can be. Mainly, it’s when you drink it from your tap in the kitchen. This water can often contain chlorine, mercury, carbon, lead, and even asbestos. If you keep drinking this water regularly, you might get sick or develop skin conditions. Thankfully, you can remedy the situation with a water filter. There are plenty out there, and there’s always a big debate over PUR vs Brita for which one’s are the best. Either way, a filter gets rid of all this stuff and makes your water healthier. So, the drink itself isn’t unhealthy, it’s just the type of water you might be drinking.

Hopefully, this has opened your eyes just a little bit. Stop drinking things that do more harm than good! Be more conscious of what you drink as it can help you be healthy.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine

A Quick Guide To Medication Compounding

May 15, 2020 No Comments

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Medication nowadays is increasingly created to be one-size-fits-all, that is that it doesn’t take into account the individual needs of the patient. In some cases, patients need a little more than an off the shelf drug, and that’s where drug compounding comes in.

What is drug compounding

Drug compounding is the term used to describe the process of tailoring medications through mixing, combining them, or removing certain ingredients, in order to meet a patient’s specific needs. Compounded drugs are usually only created by a compounding pharmacy and must be very carefully created to ensure that they are safe and effective.

Is drug compounding new?

Not at all! Drug compounding is a lot rarer today than it once was, but not so long ago all pharmacies compounded their medications. In times gone by, doctors would list the ingredients of medications onto their prescriptions and it was down to the local apothecary to work out the quantities of each so that they would best suit their patient. Essentially, a customized medication was given to every patient, whereas nowadays, people are given an off-the-shelf one size fits all option that sometimes doesn’t do the trick.

Why do some people need to take compounded drugs?

Today, the most common reason that people choose to take compounded medication is that it can be easier for them to use. For example, a hard to swallow pill can be made into a topical balm and applied directly to the affected area, or flavorings can be added to certain medications to make them more palatable to fussy children. Sometimes drugs need to be compounded for medical reasons such as if the patient has an allergy to a certain ingredient or dye in the medication or if they are unable to swallow or ingest the medication in a conventional way.

What are the benefits of compounded medications?

Aside from helping those with allergies or difficulties taking conventional medication, compounding drugs is simply the best way for science and a patient’s personal needs to combine as one. For patients taking multiple medications a day, compounding can combine their medications into a single effective and safe dose, making it easier for them to take it. Also, not everyone can absorb medication in the same way and by compounding their drugs to create a personalized medication compound pharmacies can help to ensure that they are receiving the dose that they need. Similarly, some people may experience adverse side effects to certain medications that can make their experience of taking it very unpleasant or in some cases impossible. By removing certain ingredients and compounding their medication, a compound pharmacy can provide that person with a medication that does not cause them to experience these side effects, making them more likely to continue to take it on a regular basis. This ultimately improves treatment outcomes as well as patient satisfaction.

Should you try compound medication?

Compound medication isn’t for everyone but it can dramatically improve the lives, health, and well-being of certain people. If you’re interested in finding out more then reach out to a compounding pharmacy for advice.

Brain Wave, Society at large

Three Jelly Shot Recipes To Try In Lockdown

May 13, 2020 No Comments

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Just because we are in lockdown does not mean you cannot have a lot of fun. There is one thing that all summers should involve, and this is jelly shots. This trend is well and truly taking over and the warmer months ahead give you a great chance to experiment with different fruit flavours. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover more about three of my favourite jelly shot recipes for the summer…

Strawberry Margarita Jelly Shots

If you are looking for ideas of things to do during the lockdown, you should definitely try this recipe out, as it tastes amazing and is perfect for posting some pictures on Instagram! These shots can be served inside a strawberry, which looks cool and eliminates any washing up. You will need to begin by cutting the top off a strawberry and, using a melon scoop, carefully scoop out the inside. It is also a good idea to cut a bit of the bottom of the strawberry so it stands up straight. After this, you should combine boiling water and jelly, preferably strawberry flavoured, with boiling water until it dissolves. Mix in Cointreau and tequila and then stir the mixture. After this, pour it into your strawberry cups and leave to set in the fridge until firm.

Watermelon Lime Jelly Shots

Not only do these shots taste delicious, but they look great too, as you can serve them up as little watermelon segments. For this recipe, you will need mini chocolate chips, vodka, boiling water, watermelon jelly, and limes with the pulp removed. You’ll need to add boiling water to the jelly until it has dissolved. After this, stir in about a cup of vodka and pour it into lime halves. Leave this in the fridge for about two hours to chill. After this, cut the limes in half again to create wedges and you can stick chocolate chips in to create the appearance of watermelon pips.

Mimosa Jelly Shots

Mimosa is a well-known champagne cocktail, which would make a great summer jelly shot, with the orange bringing the fruitiness and refreshing qualities and the champagne bringing a touch of luxury. To make this drink you will need one box of orange flavoured jelly or gelatine, as well as champagne, orange juice, boiling water, and triple sec. Simply mix the jelly with the boiling water so that it dissolves. After this, you can add the rest of the ingredients and then leave to set. You may wish to serve this shot in a champagne flute to give it the full effect, but make sure you’ve got little spoons or something similar handy so people can scoop out the jelly.

So there you have it: three of the best jelly shot recipes to try making while in lockdown. Just because we’re stuck at home doesn’t mean we cannot have lots of fun (and a bit of booze too!), right?

Brain Wave, Computers and gadgets, Family and Home living

Home Tech That’ll Keep You Entertained During The Lockdown

May 12, 2020 No Comments

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Even when times are good, we spend a lot of time thinking about our homes. But now that most of us have to spend practically every hour of every day in them, that focus has shifted up a notch. We’re far more obsessed with our interiors in 2020 than ever before.

Hometech has moved on considerably in the last few years. Ten years ago, the concept of a “smart home” wasn’t even on the radar. Now it’s practically a part of the language.

Technology is helping many of us through what is an otherwise challenging time. Think about it: we have all of the entertainment we could ever want on Netflix and Disney. And we can communicate with our friends and family via zoom. We also have all manner of gadgets lying around the home that make being stuck indoors considerably more tolerable.

In this post, we’re going to take a look at the home tech keeping you entertained and comfortable during the lockdown. Enjoy!

Blenders That Vacuum Your Food At The Same Time

Okay, this one might sound a little weird, but don’t knock it until you try it!

When you use a typical blender, the action of the blades impregnates the resulting liquid with air bubbles. These then alter the taste and texture of the food you’re consuming. The effect is usually positive when you’re making, say, a strawberry smoothie. But it can be detrimental if you’re making a savory dish.

Now, though, blender companies have come up with a solution – apply a vacuum. Here, you place the lid firmly on the top of the blender, switch it on, turn on the vacuum setting, and then hit go. The mixer then whips up the mixture and draws out any excess air at the same time, leaving you with pure liquid. It’s almost magical.

Fridges That Order Food For You

No smart home system is complete without a smart fridge. These incredible objects are a massive step up from the refrigerators of old. Not only can you control them remotely, but they can actually make decisions on your behalf, such as ordering food for you.

How it works goes something like this: a camera in the fridge detects that you’re running low on milk. It then sends an order to a grocery delivery service telling them what you need. The service then ships you the missing items, completely negating the need for you to do any work yourself.

Yes, granted, the technology still needs a bit of work. But it is an exciting prospect for the future, and ideal during lockdown when you don’t want to go to the store.

Something to be aware of when you add a smart device like this or similar pieces of tech to your home is that it will put more pressure on your broadband. If you don’t want to face a significant slow down, make sure that you explore a new bundle or package available from sites such as www.highspeedoptions.com. After all, a modern home with the latest tech requires modern connections.

Speakers That Play Music Depending On Your Mood

Imagine if you could walk into your home, and speakers would suddenly start playing music to reflect your mood. You wouldn’t have to spend ages fumbling around on for a particular Spotify playlist – it would happen automatically.

Now, you can actually get systems that will do this. Most are voice-activated and will work anywhere in your home via Bluetooth.

Brain Wave, Family and Home living

The Dead Simple Ways To Make Your Old Home Feel Brand New Again

May 11, 2020 No Comments

Over time, homes have a nasty habit of losing some of their luster. They start pristine, but weather, kids, and general wear and tear can cause them to depreciate. Over decades, a once smart property can begin to look dilapidated.

Fortunately, you don’t have to give up at first sight of trouble. There’s still plenty that you can do to enhance the appearance of your home and make it feel brand new again.

Strategy #1: Repaints Your Exterior Doors And Window Frames

Masonry tends to age very slowly, and will often change very little from decade to decade. The same, however, is not true of paintwork. A wooden door or window frame looks excellent on the day you paint it, but after about ten years, it starts looking very sorry for itself.

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Painting all exterior surfaces, therefore, is a quick way to freshen up the appearance of your home. It isn’t sufficient for a wholesale transformation, but it is probably the most straightforward approach available for quick results.

Strategy #2: Replace Your Existing Roof With Slate

Roofing companies typically suggest that homeowners replace their roofs every fifty years or so. Roofing materials have a nasty habit of degrading over time to the point where they no longer serve a useful function.

Instead of replacing the roof with asphalt, though, try using slate instead. Sure, it’s a little more expensive, but, like a fresh paint job, it can make an enormous difference in how the property looks. Slightly blue slate gives your home a neat, premium look.

Strategy #3: Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned

Carpets rarely go from pristine to matted overnight. Instead, it is a slow process that takes many years. Over time, dirt becomes incorporated into the carpet fibers, eventually leading to degradation.

But even though regular vacuuming won’t remove these trapped particles, professional cleaning will. Here, a trained operative – usually from a cleaning company – uses steam and hot water to lift dirt from the carpet. Depending on how much dirt was on the carpet, the final result can be impressive. Your carpets can sometimes look as good as new again.

Strategy #4: Repair Your Walls

Old homes have a habit of accumulating poor quality repair jobs, especially on the walls. Handymen or DIY enthusiasts will rip out a fixture or fitting, and then don’t bother plastering over the resulting hole correctly. The final result is a messy, uneven finish that looks terrible.

Fixing these aberrations, however, can have tremendous knock-on effects on how you feel. With proper plastering, you can smooth over bumpy walls and make your interiors look brand new.

Strategy #5: Get Rid Of Dated Fixtures

Old homes have a habit of accumulating ancient fixtures. While some of these features add to the aesthetic quality of the environment, many do not. Furthermore, some actively detract from it. Pay particular attention to ceiling lamps and old electrical outlets. Both of these can age a room tremendously, making it look far older than it is. Where possible, replace old kitchen appliances with modern equivalents.

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