There was a day I went to visit a guy friend(I hope when you read this you will not hate me he he he….) and few minutes after getting into the house I noticed he had no curtains and it was at night with the lights on. At first I thought, what is?!

As in how do you even sleep in a curtainless bedroom of all things, how do u undress and dress without the curtains on? Well, to some extent its kinda cute to wake up in the middle of the night, look out of the window and see all the beauty of the stars in the sky. I actually woke up in the middle of the night and the sky was just so beautiful. The only advantage he has is that the bedroom faces a land that’s not occupied and there are very few people if any who pass there so there are no chances of people looking into the room when he is dressing. Again he lives on the second floor and there are no flats that face his bedroom so he is safe but I pray he got curtains; it’s kinda creepy you know….

 Other than blocking the light and getting you some privacy, curtains are also used for decorating the room. Choosing the color and the fabric of the curtain can be tricky at times but it need not be an uphill task. It all depends with the look and the feeling that you want to have in the room that you are buying the curtains for. You could be looking for an informal look, a formal one, a relaxed feeling or just anything. For starters the fabric will dictate will dictate how well your curtains function and how they last. If they are too heavy they might not fold well when you draw them and if they are to light they may not fall well. Bright colors are not too good for rooms with bright lights because they tend to fade easily but if you keep on interchanging your curtains, then you are sorted out. When buying curtains, neutral colors are the best bet because they don’t fade easily and they are most likely to blend with the rest of the colors in the room. Linen, faux silk, silk and velvet are the best bet because they hand well on the window.

Have you ever wondered why hotels use velvet, suede and tapestry? It is because these are heavy enough to block the light and at the same time lock in the heat. Lining and interlining will give the curtains a little longer life and they give the curtains some fullness. If silk is unlined it rots, strange, huh?! Long curtains give the notion that a room is taller even if it is short so note that when buying your curtains. For a dramatic look, you can hand your curtains more than 6 inches above the window.

Choose curtains that compliment or match with your furniture. It gives a sophisticated look.

 

I know I have been MIA for some time but I am coming back with a bang!! Watch this space…

Its been long since I updated this blog but i will be back on Monday for more..I have missed you a lot and I know you have missed the blog posts too…

TGIF!!! Have a lovely one and a great Friday too…

Did you know that plants in the workplace increase productivity? Did you know that they also reduce stress? Yes, plants in the work place reduce stress, they help the employees to increase their productivity and one more thing, and they improve the air quality in the office. Chances of airborne diseases are reduced…

All plants look great in an office and there is that aesthetic value that comes with the plants…So, go ahead and get that one plant that might just change the atmosphere in your office… There are so many benefits of having plants in your office and here are some of them;

Interior plants lower Operations and Maintenance cost while at the same time contributing to Green Building design

This might sound far fetched but it is actually true. Plants will cool your office; they do so by a process called transpiration, we all know the transpiration process. It decreases the temperature in the office by a whopping 10 degrees, amazing, ha! The process of transpiration will release moisture into the office atmosphere thus creating a humid environment. The net cooling of a single plant in an office by a single plant is equivalent to the cooling effect of 10 room size air conditioners that operate 20 hours a day. Believe it or not, interior plants are a good RIO in any business and for any company that is headed for green building solutions; it is the way to go.

Plants attract, retain and enhance attitude of the employees.

All companies want to attract and retain employees, in fact; this is the one sector in any company that is allocated the biggest share of funds. So, retaining employees is not an option but it’s a must. What cheaper way to use than having plants in the office. Human resource officers have noted that there are so many people who cite gardening as their hobbies. Providing these employees with plants they can take care of when they are in the office will go a long way in helping them relax when they are still working in the office. Even when they are called to work in their off days, they still can derive some pleasure from weeding and watering the plants in the office.

Aesthetic value in indoor plants

Indoor plants are not even that expensive to maintain but people have this mindset that it is. People’s perception of indoors plants is, they are expensive which is not true but their other perception that the rooms are more relaxed and welcoming is true. So, get those plants and get your office to look expensive…And oohh! While at it, you will make your employees and your clients feel more relaxed and welcomed once they get in

Plants will help in reducing sick offs-True story!!

There is a syndrome by the name “Sick Building Syndrome” and it develops due to toxins accumulating in the office… Once you get plants in your office, you have kissed some of these diseases good bye. Some of these high scrapers have minimal exchange of stale and fresh air thus increasing the risk of airborne diseases. Plants have the ability to filter 40 to 50 percent of these toxins. These toxins are turned into food for the plants…This got me thinking, the ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’ cliché just got another meaning….In fact, it is recommended that each employee should have a plant in his or her cubicle in order to clean the air  around.

Plants in the office will reduce noise in the office by approximately 5 decibels.

Peppermint stimulates your brain thus increasing your alertness. And for those who have an appetite of an elephant like yours truly will have their appetites suppressed.

I would love to work from home…In fact, thats what I am looking forward to in the next few months…I want to work and still be a mother to my son..I think all mothers can feel me on this..I have missed out so much on my son’s growth and now I want to catch up on where we stopped…So, as I was thinking about working from home, I realized how much I will need to have an office at home and not just an office, a lovely office…Decorations and still have the seriousness that comes from working at home…You dont want to feel so much at home until you forget that you are supposed to be working..

So, here are the tips for setting up your office at home and decorating it. For starters, identify an area  where there will be distractions from the outside world(read your babies)…You could set up the office in your bedroom, the kitchen or even the study room. Just make sure there is enough space to accommodate your work…your laptop, desktop and maybe all your paperwork…it could be tricky to set up your office in your bedroom because according the doctors, this is a time bomb waiting to happen because working from the bedroom could lead to stress and depression. I was thinking that maybe, if your bedroom does not have the walk-in wardrobes that you can open and close, then maybe putting a curtain between the office and the bed with a curtain will do the trick. You dont have to wake up as you are turning only to see your laptop or your PC staring at you… 

If its the kitchen or the sitting room that you will be using, then make sure that you will not be distracting the rest of the activities…If you decide to set up your office in the study room, all the better. Working from the study room has some seriousness in it and with this, you can be able to make it like a real office…

When setting up a home office, you have so many options to choose from. For starters, you have to be simple….Just a small space will do for your upcoming office, you can move your furniture. You could move your coach to the center of your sitting room and the space behind it can accommodate your small desk and your seat. With such an arrangement, the couch will have moved closer to the TV… you will have killed two birds with the same stone…

The office can also be set up along the wall if a room has more than enough shelves. Adding a desk between the shelving units will do the trick especially between the bookcase and the armoire. To get it all right, you have to make sure that everything is in the same color.

So, you want to attend to your bills and make a sandwich all at the same time, the kitchen is the best place to do that…depending on the set up of your kitchen, you could have your office in one of the corners especially where you have a tall cabinet. The cabinet can work as your storage and the shelf can work as your desk…You can also use the kitchen by using adjustable wire shelves to make shelves. You have to make sure that your color scheme still remains…

One of the rooms that have long walls could also serve the purpose…All you need to do is to have a few cabinets and place table tops on them and wallah! You have an office. If this is not near the window, then adjustable lamps will do the trick…place a vase of flowers on each end of the table top, have a few pictures mounted on the wall and you have an office…

For those who have storeyed houses, under the staircase will make a good office…You only need to light it up and you will be good to go…just a desk and a seat and your office will be up and running…

The walk in closets can work as offices.. You will only need to remove the doors and your office is good to go..

We all want a nice lovely place to spend our time and since ¾ of our day is spent in the office, it wont hurt to have a lovely place… sometimes it professionalism mixed with a homey feeling is all we need to get our work done. As much as we are supposed to be at work mind, body and soul, sometimes its good to feel like you are still at home. The homey feeling will remind you the reason you are there working. But don’t let the homey feeling overwhelm the office settings because you might find yourself concentrating too much on your home and you might forget that you were supposed to be working…

There is this cliché that first impressions remain in people’s mind for so long and if your messed up on it, then you might as well be done…So, when decorating your office, let the first impressions count. You have been working in that office for as long as you can remember meaning you are used to how things are or how they look and sometimes you are contented with the look…However, you need to put yourself in the shoes of a first time visitor, what will they see when they get in? Will they like the set up? What impression will your office create to the visitor? You need to answer all these questions and if they all have a negative answer, it is time for a new look…

Let the outside also look good, the lounge should be welcoming and stylish too…THIS IS A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY THOUGH…spending a few dollars will definitely go a long way in getting and maintaining a good look for your office. A few plants and a new coat of paint will go a long way… Adding a splash of color will make the office look better…However, it all depends with the type of business you do…If you are into photography and graphic designs, then a warmer and vibrant look is the best, it will make sense to your clients… Again, you don’t always have to go with the color of the paint that was there… Incorporating the color of your business card and maybe your website with your office’s paint will make a lot of sense…Hanging a sign of your business logo might also have a psychological effect on your clients…So, you will also need to consider that when painting your office…

 

When buying furniture for your office, you don’t have to buy from a discount shop..You can check out real estate management firms for those that they use for decorating the houses that they are renting out and they are still in good shape when they are being sold. The furniture will be cheap and still in good shape…

Over time, the office acquires a lot of paperwork and with time, you will notice that you have boxes and boxes of papers… Set aside sometime to de-clutter your office and discard the ones that you no longer need. You don’t need to spend a whole day on it…An hour or two a day will do the trick. With time, you will realize that you even become more energetic when you get to work…

You have already decluttered your office and you have more than enough space, what do you do with it? Its time to plan the space, everything that you usually use in the office should have its own space..A printer in one area, the photocopier in another, fax machine in still another space, place them in an orderly manner and you will be a happy lot…

Its time to put yourself in a position of power… Be in a position where you will be able to greet your visitors and communicating with your workers while still maintaining the privacy that you so need. Sometimes harsh overhead lights should be done away with and make use of natural light…

Rigidity is what kills most of us and we could do a lot better if we appreciated art…Yes, appreciate art…Appreciate art by letting  artists display some of their best arts in your office. You could buy them or you could ask for a fee from them because you will be somehow advertising their business. This way, you will add color to your office and still help someone out there to get his or her business on the map…

THIS WEEK IS ALL ABOUT MAINTAINING AND DECORATING YOUR OFFICE, SO KEEP IT HERE AND CHANGE YOUR OFFICE FOR THE BETTER…..

I hate ground floor houses…there is just something that doesnt tickle my fancy.. The fact that they are overly cold, sometimes more than dampy, sometimes wet depending on where you live (the estate) and some times how clean and neat your neighbors are….There are some neighbors who can be outrightly annoying, those who let water from their watered plants flow up to your door…Aaarrgghhh!! I hate such neighbors! I hate those neighbors who wake up early in the morning to play some obscene sounding music  all full blast like you are in a club…..Why cant they just play some nice lovely music, inspiring music…For heavenly sake, I am yet to wake up completely, so I dont need to hear the Bend over song in the morning…

Now to my rather rhetoric question, I have been longing for the rainy season to at least soak the dust and i have got more than i bargained for. Its all muddy and I am still on foot, if you know what i mean 😉 So wading in all that mud is just not pretty at all. Me and my heels have to part for sometime…Its time to invest in some nice boots and long trench coats…

My sentiments are not even the mud, it was inevitable, its just that I am kinda still in denial that its raining, my sentiments are the unwelcome guests that are always coming over to my house…The other day, I went out to check on something and left the door slightly opened…So, I got into the house and an hour or so later i see something moving and I kind off ignored because sometimes my eyes play games on me…A few minutes later…guess what I see, a frog!! A black ugly looking frog and its by good luck that it didnt hop on my legs because I dont know what i would have done…My brother is even more scared of reptiles than I am and on noticing the frog, he was the first one to jump onto the seat…Had he been given a chance, he would have been on top of the table…So here I am with nothing to remove the frog from my house and a little delaying would see it going under the seat or some other dark corner and I would have slept with the frog in the house…Luckily I had an umbrella and that become my savior for the day…

Did I mention that a few days later a another frog visited me again and this time round it missed getting under the seat by a whisker!!! And mind you the door had been closed all along, #sigh# I wonder where it entered the house from…The other uninvited guests to my house are lizards and just the other day I finished making my bed  in the morning and guess what falls from God knows where, a lizard!.. Those colorless lizards that you can see through what is in their stomachs…. I almost slept on the couch later in the evening thinking that another one would fall…Oooh! I am starting to hate my house…All sorts of insects, termites, beetles, grasshoppers, big and small and I am sure next time I will be visited by a snake…That will be the day I will move from that house.. I wonder if my neighbors experience the same predicament that I have been going through…The next time I shift places, ground floor will be an X, a no, no for me!!..Never again will i occupy a ground floor house..I think I have learnt my lesson. 

I love the rains but if they are going to bring some God knows what creatures, let it remain dry…Or may be I need to move places to a better neighborhood. I thought I loved nature but not this nature, lizards and frogs, not my cuppa of tea…

TGIF!!! Have a lovely one

I love babies, they are so cute and innocent…Whenever babies are mentioned, I always remember the look of my baby the first time I held him. I could wanted him to stay a baby for the rest of his life, stupid huh?! This year has to have come with so many blessing for my friends and my neighbors. I have like three friends with buns in the oven and one just gave birth today and to tell the truth, I am jealous in a way, I want to have a baby too..I cant wait to see them and pinch their babies, where i come from when you go to visit a friend with a new born you refer to it as pinching….Ooohh and when i get a bun in the oven too I will let you know. Being pregnant is just the most amazing thing on the face of the earth. I enjoyed every bit of my pregnancy but the icing on the sugar was when the baby kicked, heavenly is an understatement!!!!

So, you have a bun in oven, you are so excited about it and you cant wait to hold your baby…I understand the feeling, I have been there..You want to decorate your baby’s room, here is how to go about it..Sometimes we dont have extra rooms in our houses and there is a baby on the way, worry not…You can always move some things from your bedroom to other rooms and create some space for the baby’s cot and some few small things…

If you are not a first time mum, your older baby’s clothes and other things can be used. you dont really need to spend a lot of money on things that you already have. That money can be used for something else that is more important. Accept clothes and other hand me downs from your neighbors and friends, they will go a long way in helping you save a dollar here and there…

Just buy the things that you need and leave the rest. For starters, a crib is the most important. There are some cribs that come as cribs, can change later to toddler bed and still be used as a full size bed. Well, these could save  you alot and if you are not yet done with babies, they are a good investment. You will only need to buy just another single bed and you will be good to go. 

The next thing that you will need a lot is the changing station. You dont really need to buy another table if you already have a dresser in that room or a dresser thats not been in use. You will only need to place a changing pad on the dresser and you will be good to go. Once the baby is old enough, you can remove the dresser and you will still have a good dresser where you can place decorations, pictures and other things that the baby’s room will need. The dresser that you pick should be wide enough to accommodate a few things on the top like diaper bag, hand lotions and all the other things that you will need when changing the baby…

A glider or a rocking chair will also come in handy because most of the time you will be on that chair trying to rock your baby to sleep. The rocking chair would do you some good if it had some nice comforters. a nice table will also come in handy to place your phone, a journal, a book or just something that you might need when you are in the baby’s room.

Soft carpets will be good especially when baby starts crawling. Babies are prone to fall when crawling and it will be all good to have them fall on a soft surface. When decorating the ceiling, some colored covers will do the baby good when he starts recognizing and following things. Some few moving toys will also be good on his crib so that they can keep him or her busy although some experts say that the mobiles will distract babies from sleeping.

A gender neutral room will always do the trick.

And oohh, an extra bed in the baby’s room will also be a good asset. Once in while you might not make it to your on bed and it will feel good to watch baby sleep. Its also a good spot to read a good book or a place to reflect on whats has been happening….

A beautiful lawn is anybody’s dream. The only problem is that people don’t want to go the great length of having and maintaining one. Having a great lawn requires you to take care of it, just the same way you take care of your body. You know, having a cut when you feel that your hair has overgrown, feeding on good foods and all the other nice things you do to your body, these are the same things you should do to your lawn. When I say it could be a lot of work, it sure is a lot of work. For a nice, green, lush lawn, you will need to take care of it throughout the year. You will need to keep on aerating it, fertilizing it, seeding not to mention keep on mowing it….

You will need to mow the grass when it is not too wet or too icy if your area experiences winter. During spring, the grass can be mowed once in a week with the mower’s blades being on their highest. As the grass continues to get fuller, the blades can get lower. The cut grass can be used as mulch for the flowers and other plants in your backyard. During summer grass can be mowed thrice a week and in autumn when the grass is not growing as fast, once a week is alright.

When the temperatures rise, this is the time the grass will need some serious TLC, the grass will need regular watering because the rate of evaporation is at its highest…its at this time that you should sow more seeds. The ground is warm enough for seeds to germinate. Watering should be done in the morning and in the evening when the rate of evaporation is at its lowest.  Just don’t overwater the grass. Keep on adding fertilizers but not too much because too much of it can become toxic.

Keep on removing dead grass that could have accumulated over time by using a rake. That grass could be used to make mulch. When thus grass is left for long can prevent new grass from sprouting.