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If you plan to repaint your interiors this year, don’t forget to pick a hue that will positively impact your mood. While bright red or neon green may be fun, they can subconsciously create stress in the body. Below are five peaceful paint colors to up the “ahhh” factor of your favorite spaces.

Violet
A dusty purple can promote balance and inner peace. Make sure to pick a shade with more blue tones and less black for a relaxing vibe.

Green
While a neon green can be alarming, a less bright shade (think forest or grass) can be calming and refreshing.

Gray
While some may think gray is dull, it actually has been shown to be a soothing, stress-free color. Plus, it goes with nearly any accent hue, so you can get creative with accompanying colors.

Blue
Choose a gentle ocean blue in the bedroom for a restful night’s sleep. Known to reduce tension, opt for a lighter shade when choosing your blue.

Yellow
A rich, buttery yellow can brighten your spirits. Perfect for bathrooms and kitchens, paint your whole space or a singular accent wall and soak up that sunny disposition.

I hope you found this helpful. Contact me for more home and real estate insights and info.

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Owning a home is infinitely rewarding but issues do pop up, and theres no need to call a handyman every time something goes haywire. The home repair experts at HGTV suggest four things every homeowner should know how to do:

Change smoke detector batteries. Do this twice a year or anytime you hear a loud chirping. Get up on a ladder and twist the body of the unit off the bracket. If it isnt hardwired, it will completely remove. Change the battery and twist it back in place.

Find the main water shut-off valve. If you ever come home to a flooded floor, you need to be able to shut off the water to the whole house ASAP, especially if the source of the water leak is unclear. Thats why every homeowner should know where her main shutoff valve is, and every home is different. Look near the perimeter of the house at ground level nearest your water meter. The shutoff valve might be in a basement, crawlspace, closet or garage, but should never be covered over with drywall. Look for an access panel or hose bibb (a threaded faucet.)

Change the air filters in your HVAC system. Locate your return air intake and open the door by releasing the clips at the top of the frame. The disposable filter rests just inside. Note the size and/or take it with you to the home store for comparison. Bring a stack of new filters home, slide a new one in place and close and latch the door.

Find a wall stud. If youre hanging a picture or shelf, you need to be able to locate a wall stud to nail into for support. You can shell out the 20 bucks for a battery-powered stud finder, but there is a simple alternative. Start by locating an electrical outlet along the wall, since the receptacles are typically fastened to one side of a stud. Studs should be located every 16 inches or so, although yours may vary. Tap on the drywall”it should sound hollow as you move to the left or right. As the sound changes, that indicates where the stud is.

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Everybody wants to save money to buy a house, take a vacation or be able to retire comfortably. If you have limited income, those goals can seem out of reach. It can be hard to save money if you dont have much coming in, but there are ways that you can trim your spending and be able to set some money aside for the future.

Cut Expenses

For most families, housing is the biggest monthly expense. If you own a house, consider refinancing your mortgage to lower your monthly payments. That will extend the term of the loan, which means it’ll take you longer to pay it off, but you could save hundreds of dollars a month that you could put toward saving for retirement or your childrens college education. If your children have moved out, consider renting out a spare room or downsizing to a smaller house or apartment.

Entertainment can be expensive. Cable often starts out at a low introductory rate that increases after a period of time. Ask yourself if you really need all of the channels you currently have, or if you even need cable at all. There are many other services that offer access to thousands of programs at a fraction of the cost.

Eating out and grabbing a cup of coffee here and there can quickly add up. Eat breakfast at home or take something with you to eat at work. Instead of going out for lunch, pack a sandwich. Cook dinner at home instead of going to a restaurant. You can still go out to eat once in a while, but limiting yourself to once or twice a week can save you a ton of money over the course of the year.

Pay Off Debt

If you have debt, come up with a plan to pay it off. Make a list of all of your credit card balances, outstanding car and student loans, and other debts, along with the interest rates. Create an ambitious but realistic plan to pay them off, starting with the one with the highest interest rate. You might be able to refinance a loan to a lower interest rate or take advantage of a credit card balance transfer offer that can significantly lower your interest rate and give you time to pay off the bill without accumulating a lot of additional costs.

Save for the Future

If your employer offers a retirement plan, you should take advantage of it, especially if the employer provides a match. That’s basically free money that the employer offers to help you plan for your future.

Saving Money Is Doable

If you have a limited income, you may feel like saving money is impossible, but it isnt. Trimming expenses, lowering interest rates, paying off debt and taking advantage of help offered by your employer can allow you to get on firmer financial ground.

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A good-looking houseplant adds pizzazz to your home. It can also be the next best thing to a live-in housekeeper, says John VanZile, author of Houseplants for A Healthy Home, out in May.

Thats because a number of houseplants contain properties that help rid the air around you of various chemicals and parasites. In fact, VanZile told House Beautiful, installing a few potted plants in your home can help you breathe and even sleep better without ever lifting a vacuum.

Top contenders to choose from include:

Rubber Plan: In addition to a adding dramatic accent to any room, studies show that rubber plants can remove airborne toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde”found in many cleaning supplies. VanZile advises wiping the leaves with a moist paper towel now and then to keep their pores open for optimal air purification.

Boston Fern: These lush ferns are great for removing common airborne pollutants like formaldehyde, xylene and toluene, which are thought to cause headaches, trouble breathing and the growth of cancerous cells. The Boston fern also combats winter dryness by raising indoor humidity.

Areca Palm: A 1989 NASA study declared this stately palm to be one of the most powerful air-purifying plants, particularly for its ability to remove formaldehyde from an indoor environment.

Peace Lily: The beautiful, blooming Peace Lily is a powerhouse for filtering air. NASA studies show it can filter benzene, formaldehyde, tri-chloroethylene (TCE), xylene, toluene and ammonia from indoor air”toxins that can cause headaches, respiratory problems and an increased risk of cancer. The Peace Lily can also remove airborne mold that aggravates allergies and asthma symptoms. VanZile recommends placing a few in your bathroom to reduce mold growth.

Philodendron. These popular and attractive houseplants are easy to grow and clean the air of formaldehyde and xylene, a toxin found in glues and leathers.

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Cleaning doesn’t have to be a hassle if you keep on top of it. Here are some small daily steps you can take to keep your home clean.

Post-shower swipe. To keep mold at bay, store a washcloth in your shower that you use for wiping down surfaces after you turn the water off. Just make sure everyone in the family knows the purpose of the rag so it doesn’t end up on anyone’s face! Swap the rag out once a week.

Early morning clutter sweep. As you wait for the coffee to brew or the dog to finish his breakfast before your walk, run through the lower level of your home and take care of any clutter piles: junk mail in need of opening, shoes or jackets dumped by the door or blankets on the couches that may need folding.

Nightly surface wipe. Every night before you head to bed (or the TV room), grab a rag and wipe down your counters, kitchen or dining table, and any other surface that collects food particles, dirt or dust.

Closet self-control. It can be tempting to strip off your clothes after a long day and dump them in a pile on the floor or toss them on a chair. But properly putting your clothes away”either in the hamper, back in the closet or in a pile for dry cleaning”will help stop weekly clutter.

Clean as you cook. Does your soup have fifteen minutes left to simmer? Start on the dishes, sop up splatter on the counter or floor, or tackle the trash. Waiting until the end of the meal can make it all too easy to say, “I’ll clean up in the morning.”

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