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Looking to add some of your own personal chicness to your bathroom? Below are a few ways you can add a little oomph to your powder room.

Climbing plants. Climbing vines indoors can add a jungly, naturalistic element to your space. Some of the coolest vines for interiors are ivy, heartleaf philodendron, jasmine and betel leaf plant.

Art. Don’t be afraid to add some unique art to your bathroom! A cool painting or sculpture can make a great focus piece.

Lighting options. From an interesting lighting fixture to a colored bulb or recessed lighting beneath, don’t be afraid to get funky with your lights.

Mirroring. Add an expressive picture frame to the edge of your vanity mirror, or create an entire mirrored wall to open up the space and add light.

Playful patterns. If you’re a fan of patterns, consider placing a bold pattern on your ceiling, floor or on one wall to make the space more interesting.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Utility bills are often much higher than they should be. By making some simple changes, you can keep your house comfortable and significantly reduce your monthly energy bills.

Lower Heating Costs
Heating and cooling are responsible for a large chunk of utility bills. In the winter, you can save money by lowering the temperature on your thermostat. Even a change of two or three degrees can result in substantial savings over the course of a year. You can install a programmable thermostat to automatically lower the temperature when the house is unoccupied and raise it to the temperature your family prefers shortly before everyone gets home.

If your house has windows that face south, opening the blinds or curtains during the day can allow sunlight to naturally heat your home so that you can rely less on your heating system.

Drafts make the heating system work harder and raise utility bills. You can inexpensively seal the areas around windows and block the spaces under doors to keep cold air out. If your windows are old and inefficient, replacing them can consistently save you money over many years.

Change the Way You Use Appliances
LED lightbulbs are much more energy-efficient than traditional bulbs. You will need to pay more up front, but LED bulbs can last years longer than conventional bulbs and cost less to operate. This can result in significant savings over time.

Heating water can contribute to high utility bills, especially if you have a large family. Installing a showerhead that conserves hot water and lowering the temperature on your water heater can easily save you money.

Ask Your Utility Company for Guidance
Utility companies offer a variety of tips and programs to help homeowners lower their energy bills. You may find advice on how to make your home more energy efficient, how to lower your energy usage without interfering with your lifestyle, and how to choose energy-efficient appliances.

Some utility companies also offer free or low-cost energy audits to help homeowners identify where they are losing or wasting energy so that they can make changes and save money. Participating in these programs and investing in energy-efficient appliances may make you eligible for further savings through rebates.

Your utility company might charge more for energy during peak hours than during times when demand is lower. Find out if your utility company charges more at specific times and look for ways to reduce your family’s energy consumption during peak hours.

The company might allow you to receive energy from another provider that offers a lower rate. You would still receive the same service you currently do, but your energy would come from a different source, allowing you yo save money each month without making any other significant changes.

Try a Variety of Solutions
If you dread opening your utility bill each month, take action to save money. With some strategic changes, you can lower your costs while keeping your home comfortable and relaxing.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Unless youre living in a custom designed home, you probably wish your bathroom”or your guest bath”was bigger.

Short of pushing out the walls or totally remodeling, home editors at TheSpruce.com offer eight good tips for making the most of your bathroom space:

Pick the right colors. Save the bright hues for accessories if you like, but paint the walls and choose the flooring to create an illusion of space and serenity. Pale, soft pastel shades are best.

Up the lighting. Adding recessed lighting in the ceiling or opera lights above the vanity are good ways to increase the brightness and create a more spacious feeling.

Try a pedestal sink. A vanity cabinet provides storage under the sink, but it takes up lots of floor space. If you can find storage space in a nearby linen closet, trade the vanity for a low-profile pedestal sink. (Note, however, that if you remove the vanity, you will likely have to repair or change the flooring.)

Cut back what sticks out. Anything that sticks out into the room can make your room seem to shrink. Remove as many hanging shelves, racks, or decorative accessories as you can because they cut into the room and make it look smaller.

Use mirror reflection. Use the largest mirror you can over the bathroom sink. It will reflect all the light in the room, including the pale colors youve chosen.

Get rid of visual obstructions. Trade a frosted-glass bath or shower door for a clear glass one. Or, better yet, eliminate the door and install a shower curtain that can be pushed back to one side when not in use. You’ll be able to see all the way to the back wall to maximize the illusion of spaciousness.

Expand the ceiling. You can create the illusion of a raisedceilingif you install crown molding and paint it the same color as the ceiling.

Ditch the clutter. Keep only essentials on the bathroom counter. The less clutter, the more spacious the look and feel.

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When couples move in together, conflicts and disagreements frequently arise around the issue of sharing a bathroom. Spouses and partners need to search for space to store their toiletries, makeup, razors and other hygiene items. If each person has a similar schedule, couples may find themselves competing for time in the bathroom each morning and rushing to get to work on time. If kids are also fighting for space and time in the bathroom, things can get even more complicated.

Sharing a bathroom leads to headaches for many families, but it doesnt have to be that way. Conflicts can be largely avoided by communicating and by respecting the needs and feelings of others.

Keep It Organized
If several people share a bathroom and each uses makeup, shampoo, conditioner, face cream, hair gel and other beauty products, the shower, counter and drawers can become a cluttered mess. One way to avoid this pain point is to designate a clearly defined space for each person. Another option is to have each person keep his or her toiletries in a container in a bedroom, carry everything into the bathroom when needed, and then return the items to the bedroom.

Clean Up After Yourself
Each member of the family should be expected to clean up after him or herself. Even young kids can learn to clean up toothpaste in the sink and to not leave wet towels on the floor. As they get older, children can take on more responsibility. They’ll be much more inclined to clean up after themselves if they’re taught to do so from the beginning”and if they consistently see their parents do so.

Make a Schedule
One of the best ways to avoid problems and make sure everyone gets to work or school on time is to create a bathroom schedule. While the person who needs to leave first should have first dibs on the bathroom, they should also understand that they need to be finished by a specific time to make room for the next family member. If some people prefer to bathe in the evening, that can make things less stressful for everyone in the morning. If someones schedule changes for any reason, that person should tell other family members in advance so any necessary adjustments to the bathroom schedule can be made.

Communicate and Respect Each Other
Sharing a bathroom with family members doesn’t need to be stressful. Disagreements and misunderstandings can be avoided by talking to each other and by making needs and expectations clear. Parents should lead by example. If adults make a habit of keeping the bathroom organized and respecting each others time and schedules, children will grow up believing that it’s the norm. This can help the whole family get along better while sharing a bathroom.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A debit card can be your worst enemy when it comes to identity fraud.

Credit and debit card fraud totaled $4.5 billion in 2016, according to a report by iovation, a provider of digital intelligence for fraud prevention.

A debit card can be a smart way to shop if you dont want to carry cash or use a credit card and pay interest on unpaid balances. But they come with a few drawbacks.

First, a debit card is linked directly to your bank account, so anyone with your card information can instantly withdraw all of the money from your account. Second, debit cards dont have near the amount of protections that credit cards do for consumers.

If your credit card is lost or stolen, or the information on it is stolen, you cant lose more than $50 in unauthorized transactions if you report it to your credit card issuer. A debit card carries the same protections, but if reported more than two days later, you can be liable for all of the money withdrawn illegally.

Avoiding Debit Card Theft
In addition to data hacks such as at Uber that should worry consumers about their personal information being used by fraudsters, criminals can hide skimmer devices inside gas station pumps to steal credit and debit card information.

When using a debit card, only withdraw money from bank-affiliated ATMs. They have a higher level of security than independent ATMs at gas stations or other businesses. Be sure to cover the keypad when entering your information.

Shred your bank and credit card statements so that thieves cant pull your data from your trash can, and check your accounts and statements daily to make sure all of the transactions are legitimate.

If you can limit yourself to only spending as much as you can afford, then only use a credit card and put your debit card away. Only use your debit card for cash withdrawals, since a debit card offers much less financial protections than a credit card if stolen.

Dont open emails that come from someone or a site you dont know. Phishing emails often use a phony website to lure victims to give up their card or bank account numbers, so never give out this information to anyone who asks for it, unless the email is coming from a trusted source.

Sign up for fraud alerts from your bank and credit card company. If you think youve been the victim of identity theft, institute a credit freeze to prevent anyone from opening a new account in your name.

Published with permission from RISMedia.