Tag: health

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Expert Tips Parenting

Steph Pase is here to help you organise your home!

Steph Pase is the powerhouse mum-of-two behind Just Another Mummy Blog and Steph Pase Planners, empowering households to reorganise and maximise the potential of their homes. With Australia in and out of lockdown, border closures and home schooling, Steph has reached out to lend a hand by sharing her top organisational tips and tricks to help families take control of their households and keep everyone mentally and physically healthy, during these challenging times.

Kids’ daily plans

Mamas, I feel you right now. We are all racking our brains to keep the kids entertained for longer than five minutes. What I find helps, is creating a small routine for them ahead of time. It can be as simple as craft time, watching a movie, outdoor play or reading books. Check out my Indoor + Outdoor Scavenger Hunt and 30 Home activities for Families printable charts, for some inspiration and ideas.

Plan your meals

Planning our meals each week not only makes our lives easier, eliminating the daily question of what am I going to cook tonight, but also allows us to save a lot of money and avoid food wastage. I meal plan for the week ahead every Sunday and try to cook one new recipe a week. You can find more recipes on my website.

Cleaning schedule

My cleaning schedule, which I have been using for years and is available to download for free, has allowed me to keep on top of my housework so I don’t have to spend all weekend cleaning. For example, I break up cleaning into sections each day which takes me 30 mins max, helping to reduce the feeling of chaos.

Schedule your movement

Being cooped up inside right now means most of us aren’t getting enough exercise or movement. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to get out and go for a walk each day or do a home workout. Fresh air and endorphins will do you a world of good. Schedule this movement each day and tick it off!

Schedule self-care

I recommend writing out your favourite self-care practices and then allocating at least one to each day. It doesn’t have to be something that takes hours, it can be as simple as going to bed early, putting down your phone or doing a face mask. My free 30 Day Self-Care Challenge can provide you with easy ideas to fill your self-care cup back up.

Setting new budgets

Identify where you may be able to make some changes to minimise your cost of living. If you’re not sure where to start I recommend reading The Barefoot Investor. Look at your monthly fixed and variable expenses and compare these to your current income to see where you can save money.

Revisit goals

Now is a great time to reflect on the progress of your 2021 goals so far and list the little things you can still do to achieve these. Whether it’s starting a new business or hobby, now is the perfect time to research and get those plans in motion!

Refine your habits

Sticking to good habits is important right now as it’s so easy to fall into bad habits during times like these (I know I have). For me, habits like mediation, writing my to-do list, two litres water consumption and daily walks are keeping me sane! Small efforts equate to enormous results.

More tips.

2021 planners: Our top diary picks for next year

With the year something of a COVID-induced blur for most people, it’s hard to believe that the Christmas and New Year period is almost upon us. But as usual, we’ve…
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Appliances Expert Tips

Keep your home fresh: how to clean your air conditioner

With arguably the hottest month upon us, there’s no better time to clean your air conditioner filter. This not only removes bacteria and mould buildup, but ensures that your air con is running efficiently. You can’t control air pollutants outside of the home, but cleaning your air conditioner’s filters will ensure that your family starts breathing some cleaner, fresher air.

Mitsubishi have released an easy how-to guide for cleaning your wall mounted split system. On top of cleaning your air conditioning filter once a season, Mitsubishi suggest that you get your air conditioner serviced annually by a licensed professional. 

Open your air conditioner

Gently, but firmly pull up the air inlet panel. Lightly hold the knobs on both sides and lift a little to remove the panel forward.

Tip: If the panels are jammed and a bit difficult to open and close, use gentle force so you don’t damage the unit.

Spot the air filters

Wall mounted reverse cycle systems are fitted with three different types of filters. Locate the light orange allergen filter, the orange deodorising filter, and the two mesh air filters, and gently remove them.

Wall mounted cool only systems are fitted with two different types of filters. Remove the two mesh air filters and the green enzyme filter.

Clean and dry

All you need is a sponge and some warm soapy water to clean out any trapped dirt and grime from your filters. Then simply place them somewhere safe in the sun to dry. Sun drying reactivates their cleaning properties. 

Tip: To avoid damaging the filters, do not clean them use boiling water or drying them over an open flame.

Done and dusted 

Re-installing filters for both reverse cycle or cool only models is stress-free and quick. Hold the filter firmly on both sides and insert securely. 

For more information

Best air con Australia: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries win 3 years running

Sponsored by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia It’s official. Australia has a favourite brand of air conditioner. For the third year running, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners have been recognised by CHOICE…

Natural cleaning products: DIY these options!

I don’t know about you, but having two kids home all day, every day, and the constant in and out, means my home has never needed more cleaning! But also,…
Categories
Recipes

Foodie Friday: Creamy coconut dhal

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foodie friday logo

Today’s recipe is fromScreen Shot 2016-07-14 at 11.31.15 AM

My vegan creamy coconut dhal has hit the jackpot. This creamy, coconutty, mildly spicy lentil curry, is made from some of the best healing ingredients: ginger, chilli, turmeric, coriander and garlic. Coconut dhal (or dal) is one of my favourites and it is surprisingly the simplest. It really is a dish that will cost you no more than $8 (if not less) to make for four people.  A great one to make this weekend, freeze the rest for the week.

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There are so many benefits to using fresh herbs and spices in your food. They can aid bloating, inflammation, high blood pressure, colds and flu and fresh turmeric is a winning spice for digestive disorders. The fresh coriander leaves are a high source of vitamin C and will be able replace any vitamin C that would have be lost during cooking.

Best served with flat bread, rice or freshly steamed veggies. Serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 200g red lentils, washed until water runs clear
  • 1 thumb fresh turmeric (or 2 tsp turmeric)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 900ml cold water
  • 1 tin organic coconut milk
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 thumbs ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • 1 veggie stock cube
  • 1 bunch coriander to serve

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Method

  1. In a large sauce pan, add the washed lentils, 900ml cold water, turmeric and cinnamon. Let it boil for about 25-30mins until lentils are soft/mushy.
  2. When lentils are cooked, add coconut milk and pinch of sea salt, be sure not to boil, but let it simmer until it has thickened.
  3. In a frying pan add coconut oil, followed by onions and chilli, let it fry on a medium heat until soft, before adding ginger and garlic. Let it sizzle for a couple more minutes before adding the cumin and garam masala. Toss and let the flavours all blend for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Add tinned tomatoes, stock cube and 1/2 cup water. Bring it to the boil then let it simmer for 5-7 minutes before adding it back to the coconutty dhal. Stir in well, season with a little more salt if needed and then finish with a good garnish of coriander.

All our recipes.

If you’re a food blogger who’d like to share a recipe on Interiors Addict, please contact us.

Categories
Bedrooms Expert Tips

Create your own dream world with Sleepmaker

Image: Hale Mercantile Co. Click for details.

Sponsored by Sleepmaker

How good is sleep?! I seem to have a complicated relationship with it at the moment. Being 26 weeks pregnant, I’m feeling the urge to nap way more often but when it comes to bedtime, I’m not always succeeding at getting comfy!

Image: Country Road. Click for details.
Image: Country Road. Click for details.

I’m definitely glad we got a new memory foam mattress recently though. You’ve got to start from the best possible place, even when getting those zeds doesn’t come as easily as it usually does!

The importance of a good mattress and/or bed is often neglected when we concentrate on the aesthetics of our bedrooms. Sometimes getting the perfect bedsides, right height table lamps, the latest linen and the killer combo of decorative cushions (yes, I bet your other halves hate them too, ladies!) seems much more significant! But the right bed, one where you spend so much of your life, can make a massive difference to your health and mood.

Image: Hale Mercantile Co. Click for details.
Image: Hale Mercantile Co. Click for details.

But if the thought of traipsing around bed showrooms is what has made you keep putting the task in the too-hard basket, Sleepmaker’s online comfort selector tool can help.

By answering a few quick questions, it can make some recommendations which will narrow down the search for you and save you time. Of course you still need to go and lie on the thing and make sure it’s for you, but it can make the task a little less overwhelming. There really are so many options with beds these days, as technology has come on so much. I personally love the idea of starting with a recommendation or shortlist!

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You’ll answer questions for you (and your partner if applicable); everything from your weight, age, size preference, budget, any aches and pains you usually wake with and how you sleep, then enter your postcode to choose from your nearest stores, before being given a bed suggestion. You don’t even have to hand over your email address for the privilege, but you can easily email the details to yourself. They even suggest your perfect pillows!

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There are so many reasons a good bed is important. As Sleepmaker say: “Often people see purchasing a mattress as just something that meets a functional need and they miss the opportunity for it to become a place of pure comfort.”

They suggest three steps to experience your own dream world:

  • Take one perfect SleepMaker bed
  • Lay your head on a dreamy SleepMaker pillow
  • And top it all off with quality protectors and a cosy quilt.

So, check out the Sleepmaker online comfort selector tool today and get started on choosing your new bed and creating your own dream world!

Need more bedroom inspiration? We have a whole section on that! And kids’ rooms too! Later this month, we’ll show you how to bring together the other elements of your perfect bedroom, brought to you by Sleepmaker.

Categories
Interiors Addict

How to choose paint which is healthier for you and the environment

By Emma Lloyd

There’s a huge amount of options available when it comes to selecting paint. Narrowing down the exact shade and colour is just the tip of the iceberg: you also need to decide between different levels of gloss and sheen, formulations for indoor or outdoor applications, and a stack of other criteria. But how can you know which paint is best for the environment, and for your health?

Paints image

It helps to know what actually goes into a can of paint. It’s made from three basic ingredients: the pigment, the binder and the solvent. It can also contain additives such as biocides (which prevent bacteria or fungal growth, either in the can or on the painted surface). Each ingredient can have an impact on the environment and on human health during the lifecycle of the paint, from where the base ingredients are sourced, right down to the disposal of the end product.

If you’ve browsed the paint collection at your local hardware store lately, you may have noticed some varieties with ‘no VOC’ or ‘low VOC’ claims splashed across the tin. This refers to the solvent in the paint and whether it’s water-based or organic. Water-based paint solvent is always preferable because it’s harmless when it evaporates. Organic solvents, however, will release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the surrounding air.

VOCs are detrimental to indoor air quality. They can trigger allergies, asthma, headaches and other irritating symptoms as they readily vaporise into the surrounding air. Some VOCs can include formaldehyde and potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances – definitely not something you want to expose your family to! VOC levels in indoor environments rise dramatically immediately after you finish painting, and can continue seeping out of the walls for several years to come. That’s why it’s best to opt for a no-VOC paint whenever possible.

Wattyl Interior Design Paints and Aqua Trims
Image courtesy of Wattyl

Pigment gives a paint its colour, opacity and provides a protective barrier in the paint. Titanium dioxide is widely used in the paint industry for this purpose and its manufacturing process can be environmentally harmful: it requires a lot of energy to produce, is a limited resource and results in unwanted air and water emissions.

The binder is what forms the film in a paint, helping it to adhere to the surface and influencing the resulting shine or flexibility. They can consist of synthetic or natural resins such as acrylics, polyurethanes, vinyl acrylics, melamine resins, epoxies or oils. Some binders cause a greater environmental impact than others. In particular, linoleic acid production (linseed oil) causes significantly more environmental damage to an ecosystem due to crop growth and agriculture.

The other components of paints can contain ingredients that are toxic to those producing the paint and those applying it. Many chemicals are used as biocides, and these are necessary. However, some can be carcinogens or cause mutations, so it’s important to avoid these. Some biocides can also release VOCs, even when you purchase a water-based paint, which is why no-VOC formulations are best.

Rockcote
Image courtesy of Rockcote

How can you know the best paint to purchase to ensure better indoor air quality in your home? One simple step is to look out for any third party labels or accreditation on the product (one example is the ecolabel scheme run by Good Environmental Choice Australia), which shows that the manufacturer’s claims are genuine. There are many brands on the market to choose from that make environmentally-preferable and healthier paint products, and several which have taken the extra step of getting third party certification. Often they cost the same as their standard formulation alternatives and achieve the same level of quality for the end result.

For your next paint project, consider choosing a healthier and more environmentally-preferable product to coat your walls, ceilings and furniture. Your body (and your family) will thank you for it and it’s better for the planet as well.

Emma Lloyd is the communications officer for Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA), which runs Australia’s only independent, not-for-profit ecolabelling program. GECA helps people choose products and services that are better for the environment.