When life gets crazy, it’s easy to put everyone else’s needs above yours. Your job, your family, and other commitments may take priority to keep the plates of life spinning.
 
The result is physical and mental fatigue that can take a long time to fully recover from. People get burned out and need to leave jobs or end up with serious health issues as a result of stress and anxiety.
 
Don’t find yourself in that position! There are many ways to keep even the smallest amount of focus on yourself no matter how crazy life becomes.

Relax and Play
Even the busiest people need to take time to quiet their mind and relax a little throughout the day. Children play all day long and can be a great inspiration for this — sing a silly song, play a game, draw a picture, run around, or do whatever else is going to put your mind at ease. You’ll be surprised how much less stressful the rest of your day feels once you take that mental reset.

Disconnect and Unplug
Getting away from the screens we stare at all day long is another important aspect of that mental reset. Your email, calendar, texts, and voicemails will all be there when you come back. Stepping away from those distractions will allow you to clear your mind and dive back into the day refreshed and ready to go.

Ask for Help
Many of us become overwhelmed when we try to take on too much. We can’t say no when new projects or tasks come up because we don’t want to let others down, and our own physical and mental health suffers as a result.
 
Stop this behavior by asking for help when things get to be too much. It will not be looked upon as a sign of weakness, but rather that you understand your own limitations and do not want to let the quality of your efforts suffer as a result.

First, let’s be clear on what is meant by a laminated floor. This product is a bit of a hybrid in the flooring industry. It looks so much like a hardwood or stone floor that it can easily be mistaken for the real thing. However, it is not stone or wood. Laminate floor is actually vinyl tiling—sort of and engineered flooring.

Why laminate flooring? It gives the look of wood or stone without the cost and maintenance. It is also easy to install for DIYers and a cinch to keep clean.

Because laminate flooring “floats,” there are no issues with nailing that plagues hardwood installation.

The first step is to remove whatever was on the floor. Pull up carpet and underpadding. If there are tack strips remover those too. You may have to pry these up with a crowbar.

Next, remove baseboards. You are now down to the subfloor. Make sure it is level. Use scrapers or putty knives to remove any lumps of glue or other previous flooring debris so the floor is perfectly smooth. Then sweep or vacuum what you have scraped off the floor. Make sure you get all those carpet tacks!

Now you are ready to install laminate floor. Make sure the subfloor is perfectly level. If it is not, your laminate floor may have “spongy” spots where it creaks or moves. Sand out high spots or use a leveling compound so the entire floor is flat and even. This is tedious work but well worth the effort. Be diligent with your level to ensure perfect flat, even subfloor.

Choose the flooring materials that will best suit your needs. Laminate materials vary in thickness and warranty. Some come with pre-applied padding. This saves an installation step. The most realistic ones have V-shaped edges. The thicker they are the more substantial the floor will feel and the longer the warranty.

Next, “introduce” the laminate floor materials to the room where they are being installed. Give them three or four days to get acclimated.

Measure the room and the width of planks so you know how many planks you need. Decide if you will need to cut the last row to fit. Undercut doorframes so planks will fit snugly. Install underlay if it does not come pre-applied to the planks.

Lay the first row of planks cutting the last piece to fit the end if needed. Assemble by rocking the end tongue and groove joints together. Use even, firm pressure.  Continue with each row until your floor is done using manufacturer’s installation tips for completing the project at doorways and corners. Replace baseboards and admire your finished product!

Conclusion

Laminate flooring is an inexpensive floor alternative. It lends beauty to almost any room in your house. Avid DIYer can install this flooring and make it look professional. However, avoid laminate floor in bathrooms and laundry rooms as the floor can buckle and warp in rooms that experience high moisture.  If your kitchen gets spills, avoid laminate flooring there too as the spill can get under the floor before you get it mopped up.

Anywhere else in your house, laminate floors provide the look of stone or hardwood without the high cost of materials and installation.

An herb garden is a handy way to have fresh herbs ready for use in your favorite recipes. Moreover, an herb garden adds a cheery touch to your kitchen décor and is great for the air in your house.

Herb gardens are not hard to plant or maintain. Here are some tips:
Many herbs grow well in a windowsill garden. The window should get lots of natural or artificial light. Otherwise, your plants will be spindly and not flavorful. Turn pots regularly so they get even amounts of sun.

Buy herbs in small pots or start them from seed. Good choices are: basil, rosemary, chives, thyme, parsley, peppermint, cilantro, or lavender. You want plants that don’t grow too high or require more space than your windowsill offers.

Plant herbs in a long tray or in individual pots. The containers should be two to four inches tall. Fill with two to three inches of potting soil. Keep soil damp but not moist. Watering from the bottom up avoids overwatering and water regularly.

Fertilize with fertilizer for edibles every other month. Start with half strength and gradually increase.

Once plants are thriving, start to use them. Snip them and store herbs in fridge or air dry for future use. Never snip until the herb is six inches tall and cut only a third of its height.
If plants look ill, they may need more water or more sun.

You can use interesting “repurposed” container as pots for your windowsill herb garden. Be creative. Mason jars are great containers. Use those old bowls or coffee mugs or just make sure containers are large enough and allow for proper drainage.

Most herbs respond to any container as long as they have room to drain and to grow.
You can bring herbs inside for the winter and use them in a windowsill herb garden.  However, be careful what you bring in. These plants may contain diseases or pests they have acquired outdoors.

In the spring, you might move your windowsill herb garden outside to a patio pot or an herb garden.

You can combine herbs in a single pot as long as the herbs you use have the same moisture, light, and fertilizer needs.

Try making your own herb fertilizer. Nettles, comfrey, yellow dock, burdock, horsetail, and chickweed make good fertilizer. Chop them up and add to the soil or dry them for future use.

Try making your own potting soil. Combine peat moss, vermiculite or perlite, sand, and shredded bark or compost for a pure effective potting material.

Think about adding natural substances to enrich your herb garden soil.

If your herb garden gets overcrowded snip off some plants or transplant them.

Consider an indoor window box for your herbs. Herbs that live well together and look attractive include chives, parsley, and tarragon. Add a few nasturtiums for color, variety and to use as edible garnishes for dishes.

A window herb garden will at beauty and practical cooking materials to your kitchen. 

Paint is often touted as a fast, easy, and inexpensive way to update a home and give it a fresh look. However, picking the right paint color can turn into a major pain; who knew there were so many shades of white? Instead of getting overwhelmed in the home improvement store, use these tips to help you choose the best paint for your home.

   1.   Find the right sheen
Before deciding on a color, think about what sheen you want the paint to have. The sheen you choose often depends on the amount of wear and tear the paint will take; glossy paints are easy to wipe clean with a damp sponge, making them ideal for homes with small children. Because it can show imperfections, high gloss paint is recommended for trims and baseboards, especially when paired with a flatter wall shade.

Semi-gloss is often the most popular sheen choice for interior paints; it has the washability of high gloss while covering imperfections like a matte. While flat or matte paints are the best at covering imperfections on the walls, they also are the most difficult to clean and show stains and fingerprints easily. By thinking about the room you will be painting and the purpose it serves, you can easily find the paint sheen that is right for your family.

   2.   Identify the mood
Do you want the room you’re painting to feel like a relaxing oasis or an invigorating space? Identifying the mood you want the room to have can help you narrow down choices in paint colors. Buttery yellows create feelings of hominess, while a brighter shade can be energizing. Warmer shades feel more welcoming, whereas cooler colors have a more formal ambiance.

    3.   Use color to create optical illusions
The color paint you choose can do more than just change your mood - it can also impact how you view a room. Dark colors, for example, make rooms feel smaller, while lighter colors create an airy feel. Visually expand a room by painting the trim a few shades lighter than the wall color; paint can be used to highlight and complement the size, shape, or features of a room.

     4.   Think big… or small
While it’s fairly easy to paint over a color you no longer like, many homeowners are scared to take the plunge into new colors or designs. Because of this, think small before you think big; tackling a smaller room can give you the confidence to make decisions for larger living spaces. Use spaces like a small bathroom or guest bedroom to experiment with color palettes and choices before you commit to painting the rest of the house.

There are several stations in the South Bay area that offer listeners a wide variety of music genres. If you are listening from LA, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Long Beach or the surrounding areas, you’re sure to find a station that suits your musical tastes.

Los Angeles area radio stations include KAMP-FM 97.1 on your dial. This station plays the top forty from its studios at the corner of Venice Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in mid-town LA. It simulcast an AM sister station at KNX-AM. MYFM at 104.3 plays a mix of different types of music to suit the twenties-to-fifties crowd.  Songs by Bruno Mars, Lady Ga-Ga, Rhiannon and John Mayer give them what producers call “uptown funk”.

Your kids are sure to enjoy Pasadena based Radio Disney dialing KDIS 1110 FM for all the Disney movie music. KDIS 1110 FM is the number one twenty-four-hour station with a niche market composed of kids, teens and parents. Kids are given playlist input by dialing the station’s toll free number.  Frequently requested tunes include Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, One Direction, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Cody Simpson, Mindless Behavior, and Adele.

KBIG at 104.3 FM is owned by iHeartMedia. It plays what the station producers call “hot adult contemporary” hits of the 1990’s from its Burbank station.

KDAY FM 93.5 appeals to a wide audience from high school kids to middle-aged professionals. Its edgy announcers include morning DJ’s Good Fellas, afternoon Celia the Mamacita, and nighttime Art Leboe, lure listeners with great contests and concert tickets.

JACK FM 93.1 has listeners who enjoyed the music of the sixties and seventies including Bob Dylan,Neil Young, Paul McCartney and The Who

Specific radio stations target new American immigrants hungry for a taste of the music of their homeland. If you’re an Indie fan tune into Spanish-speaking music station KDLE FM97. 5.