Home and Lifestyle

Home and Lifestyle

Feng Shui your way to a better bedroom

By Suzanne Butler from Harmonising Energies Feng Shui Your bedroom is your sanctuary—a place for sleep, love, and intimacy. However, as a Feng Shui practitioner, I often encounter elements in bedrooms that negatively impact those who reside in them. From the disappearance of intimacy in a relationship to difficulties in finding a suitable partner, and even a lack of quality sleep, several factors in your bedroom’s décor and arrangement can affect your well-being. Here’s how to transform your bedroom into a true sanctuary. Absent Intimacy Take a moment to examine your bedroom. What do you see? Are there photos of your children or family on your chest of drawers or bedside cabinets? These images, while meaningful, can energetically feel like voyeurism, with your family or friends “looking on.” To foster intimacy, move these photos to the East area of your home, which is the Family zone according to Feng Shui principles. Fruitless Dating Are you struggling with dating—either not getting dates or not progressing beyond the initial stages? Your bedroom decor might be the culprit. Look around: Do you have many images of yourself alone? Does the artwork suggest partnership or eternal singledom? For inviting love, your decor should reflect partnership. Ensure you have pairs of items, such as matching bedside cabinets and lamps. Additionally, remove anything that reminds you of an ex. Creating space for a partner, both physically and symbolically, is crucial. Constant Exhaustion Whilst having an exercise bike or treadmill in the bedroom might seem convenient for morning workouts, these items can actually create unnecessary exhaustion. Being constantly reminded of an activity that requires motivation and effort can drain your energy, leaving you too tired for other “fun” things in the bedroom. Similarly, working in bed can disrupt your rest. If you must have an office space in your bedroom, make sure you can block it off at the end of the day with a screen or cover it with something like a sarong. This separation helps keep work out of your sleeping space, promoting better rest and relaxation. Bed Don’t worry, I didn’t miss the most crucial part. Your bed. There are a lot of questions about bed placement, and it is something that I debunk often. There are going to be one or 2 places only that you can put your bed and for the most part it will be obvious. What you do need however, is a solid headboard to provide you with support and, nothing above your bed. Having art above the bed provides the energy of negativity hanging over you. It can disturb sleep and also create pressure in relationships. And finally, take the time to upgrade. When it comes time to buy new linen, step up to the next level. You spend nearly 50% of your life in your bed, make sure it’s comfortable. If any of these issues resonate with you, take a closer look around your bedroom. You might be surprised by the small changes that can have a significant impact on your sleep and intimacy.   Relationships are already a lot of consistent work, lets take one lot of concerns off the table. Balance your bedroom and balance your love life.  

Home and Lifestyle

6 Industry Tips to Make Your Home Look Luxurious Without the Price Tag

By Kellie Richardson Revamping your home’s décor doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. With these insider tips from interior design expert Kellie Richardson, you can give your space a high-end look without breaking the bank. Define Your Style One of the most common mistakes people make is mixing too many design styles, which can make a home feel disjointed. To avoid this, focus on choosing one consistent style that reflects your lifestyle and taste. Start by gathering inspiration from online platforms, magazines, or home tours. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider consulting an interior designer to help refine your vision and offer expert advice on making your ideas come to life. This initial investment can save you stress later and ensure your home feels cohesive and comfortable. Shop Second-Hand for Hidden Gems You don’t need to spend big on brand-new designer furniture to create a luxe feel. Sites like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and local op shops are treasure troves for high-quality, often designer, furniture at a fraction of the retail price. Sellers often part with items for a variety of reasons, so with some patience and persistence, you can snag unique statement pieces that bring character to your space. Don’t be afraid to negotiate prices for an even better deal. Embrace Budget-Friendly Chains Affordable retailers like Kmart and Big W have stepped up their game when it comes to trendy home décor. These stores offer designs that mimic high-end furniture at a much lower cost, making it easy to give your home an updated, stylish look on a budget. Their stock changes frequently, so it’s worth checking in regularly for new finds that complement your existing style. Mixing a few of these budget pieces with other high-quality items can help achieve a designer look without the designer price tag. Upcycle for a Custom Touch Upcycling is an excellent way to breathe new life into old furniture, giving it a custom, high-end look. A fresh coat of paint, new hardware, or creative reimagining can transform a tired piece into something modern and stylish. Platforms like Pinterest or TikTok are full of upcycling ideas, from simple makeovers to more ambitious projects. Not only is this a cost-effective way to refresh your home, but it also allows you to create one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect your personal style. Prioritise Investment Pieces When decorating on a budget, it’s important to know where to spend and where to save. Larger, everyday pieces like sofas and beds are worth investing in for comfort and durability. Once you’ve secured these foundation pieces, you can accessorise more affordably. Decorative items like throw pillows, vases, and artwork don’t need to be expensive to make an impact. By layering inexpensive accents, you can elevate a room without overspending on the finer details. Use Neutrals as a Base with Seasonal Pops of Colour Neutral tones are timeless and versatile, making them an ideal foundation for your home’s interior. Furniture in soft greys, whites, or beiges will never go out of style and can be dressed up or down depending on the season. To keep your space feeling fresh, introduce pops of seasonal colour through accessories like cushions, rugs, or artwork. These are easy to change as trends evolve, allowing you to update your space regularly without committing to bold, permanent choices. Stick to Your Budget Without Sacrificing Style Many people think that achieving a high-end look requires a large budget, but with smart shopping and a few creative touches, you can create a stylish space at a fraction of the cost. By mixing and matching designer bargains with affordable chain-store finds, and incorporating DIY projects or upcycled pieces, you can achieve a luxurious look without breaking the bank. Accessories such as vases, throw pillows, and ornaments are a cost-effective way to stay on trend and refresh your home whenever the mood strikes. With these tips, you’ll be able to give your home a luxurious makeover without the stress or expense—proving that style and budget can go hand in hand.

Home and Lifestyle

Colour Your World – How to use colour in your home

By Kylie Harding   Colour is an easy way to create instant impact, change a mood or inspire, from creating a soothing space to a vibrant vibe – colour is your tool of choice. Colours have a strong psychological impact and can affect how we feel. Restaurants know that red increases your appetite (McDonalds anyone?), while green creates a calm environment – think green grass and forests. Blues evoke serenity – hospitals often choose soft blue walls because they are soothing and peaceful, while yellow is cheerful and bright – like a kiss of sunshine. When choosing colour for your home, it’s important to consider what feel you want to create in each space. HOW TO INTRODUCE COLOUR IN YOUR HOME: Colour should be used as an accent so before you rush out to buy a huge tin of paint, take a step back and try this. FEATURE WALL: Rather than paint an entire room, try adding a new colour to one wall. WALLPAPER: Like paint, using wallpaper on one wall can have great impact. MANCHESTER AND SOFT FURNISHINGS: Introduce colour in a new doona cover for your bedroom or cushions for your sofa without breaking the budget. ACCESSORIES AND HOMEWARES: A red kettle, colourful abstract art and rugs are wonderful ways to lift a room. FURNITURE: If you’re renting this is a particularly good way to introduce depth and interest with colour – consider bright sofas or start off with an armchair in a vibrant colour. FIXTURES: If you’re confident, commit. Tiles add colour and texture to floors and walls, gold taps in a bathroom adds a lux feel, black handles on your white kitchen cupboards create a classic contrast. DOPAMINE DÉCOR: Colour, comfort and charisma – dopamine decor is bold and brave. This form of styling uses vibrant colours to energize a home creating a whimsical and quirky space. REFLECT THE SEASON: In summer, I like to use cool colours as accents in my bedding and cushions – blues and greens create a cool visual vibe while in winter terracotta and gold tones warm up my space. This also ensures you won’t grow tired of your look. The takeaway? Have confidence and don’t be afraid to use colour in your home but if you’re not sure, start small – accessories like vases and cushions are a great way to begin. Investing in the services of a stylist can save you money and time by assessing your needs and guide you in the right direction. IMPORTANT: Remember – too much is too much. If a room has a blue sofa, blue rug and blue feature wall it will blend in together and get lost. Some blue cushions on a wheat coloured sofa for example will create a contrast and have a stronger impact. Happy styling! @styledtosell Images courtesy of Pixabay

By Kylie Harding

Home and Lifestyle

How I saved over $15K

And You Can Too Everybody loves a bargain, me especially. But let’s not sugar coat the fact that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting Australian households. Rising interest rates, inflating grocery prices and unpredictable petrol costs are seeing our paychecks go faster than you can say “I’m trying to save!” It is no wonder many Aussies are struggling to boost their savings, with many just trying to stop it from shrinking. But life happens. The car breaks down. The dog eats something it shouldn’t. The kids need to go to the GP. All these unexpected instances eat up your budget. Saving money doesn’t necessarily mean going without. I have a few tips that can allow Aussies to boost their savings and make the most out of their dollar. If you are able to integrate these habits into your ongoing purchases, I have no doubt you will come out the other side with more bang for your buck! Groceries – one of the biggest necessary expenses for families and individuals. I regularly cut my grocery bill by more than 50%. The secret? Markdowns! Every supermarket has a routine for when they mark down produce, so get to know your local grocery stores’ markdown times and days. Usually, this is in the late afternoon or early evening. By shopping smart and being flexible with meal planning, you can slash your total cost in half and still eat well. One of my biggest savings tips, which has allowed me to accrue over $15,000, is cashback! Everyone already shops online, so why not get some money back whilst doing so? Cashback sites like TopCashback have multiple retailer partners where you get a percentage of your purchases back – clothes, beauty, flights or even insurance. You can use it for regular grocery expenses like Woolies online and even boost your savings by using it during big sale periods like Black Friday, Click Frenzy and more. When it comes to shopping, loyalty isn’t important anymore. You can shop around for the best deals across the big brands. Don’t be afraid to chase the deals, to politely ask for a cheaper price – this works well if you have done your research beforehand and have past or current sales to point to – and to buy from whichever shop has the best price on what you need. There are dedicated online forums and groups where everyday Aussies share their markdown finds and sales on at the time, so utilise that too. It’s easy to fall into the trap of being financially overwhelmed and feel as though you can’t wrangle your savings, but by being strategic and shifting habits, it is possible! You don’t need to change your lifestyle, just approach it slightly differently. Building these smart habits will pay off in the long run. Pairing markdown shopping, sales hunting and cashback opportunities will see you spending less and getting more value. That extra cash can go straight into your savings accounts! By Amanda Dean aka @bargain.boss

Home and Lifestyle

Do you have a glass pool fence or balcony?

Transform your outdoor area into a social, inviting space. Plonkit are Poolside and Balcony tables designed to hang on your glass pool fence or balcony.. Plonkit is the perfect table to ‘plonk’ your things while you’re having a swim, cooking the barbie, relaxing on the balcony, or just soaking up some sun and will not damage the glass. Put two side-by-side to create more space. How does it work? Stylish and convenient. Engineered to hold 8kg with ease, the Plonkit is the perfect spot to safely plonk food, drinks, sunscreen, tongs, sunnies, phones, and anything else without any hassle. Weatherproof and maintenance free Australian owned and manufactured – crafted from recyclable material. We pride ourselves on a quality product and our friendly customer service. https://plonkit.com.au/

Home and Lifestyle

Confessions of a Dog-Loving Neat Freak

  Most people don’t associate pets with clean houses, and with good reason. We all know how our fur babies can make a mess — knocking things over or dragging things around. I love my own dog, Parker, to the ends of the earth, but the one thing he’s not is neat. And for someone like me, who loves an organised and tidy house, well. Let’s just say it’s a constant effort. While I’ve learned to live with the fur, I’ve also learned that yes, you can in fact have a level of tidiness. It takes a lot of work, and a high level of attention, but that already comes with the dog, anyway. Besides, the joy and love we receive from our fur babies is well worth the effort you put in to keep your floors and furniture fur-free. (Or as much as you’re able, because let’s face it — the fur will always be there.) But how to keep a clean house while owning a dog?   House Training It’s a lot of work and patience, but you’ll need to house train your dog. Whether you get them as a puppy, adopt a senior, or rescue them, they’ll need to learn how to cohabit with their humans. This involves learning where to do their business (not on the rug), how to ask to go outside, how to behave inside. How not to get in the way while you’re cleaning. Repetition is key here, as is understanding that your dog will take a while to learn. And they may make mistakes from time to time, too. The important thing is to have a routine — that’s how they’ll learn best. Be consistent in taking them out at the same time to do the same things each day. They’ll adopt the habits better, and be less likely to whine at you to pee. (They’ll still whine for treats, though. Always.)   Lint Rollers and Vacuums Invest in two things: many, many lint rollers and a very good vacuum. If you can, get an automated vacuum that you can leave to do light clean-up in between more thorough sweeps. Then make sure to vacuum your floors at least twice a week, or more if you’re conscious of fur. Get into all the corners and under furniture. Invest in an upholstery attachment for your couches and rugs — nobody likes furry cushions. (Well, except your dog.) One other trick to getting fur off a sofa or similar is wet rubber gloves. Just dampen a pair and run your hands over the fabric — and wear a mask to avoid the sniffles. It’s probably also a good idea to invest in dark furniture if you own or plan on owning a dog. White furniture only stays white for about five minutes. And try to designate an area of the couch where your dog is allowed (if you plan on letting it on the furniture at all). Throw blankets and seat covers are your friend! Your clothes will be a similar story, especially if your dog is a cuddler. (Worth it.) Lint rollers will get the worst of the fuzz off, but you’ll need to learn to live with a certain amount just clinging to your fabrics. You may need to shift your wardrobe depending on your dog’s fur color — I’ve found myself wearing a lot of dark clothing since Parker’s a chocolate labrador. (Hot tip — if you have a handheld vacuum, some dogs actually enjoy a light vacuum on their tummy. I’ve no idea why, but it’s pretty cute!)   Mess Containment Even a fully house-trained dog will mess up (ha) every once in a while. Scold them gently when they do, then move into clean-up mode. The longer a mess sits, the harder it’ll be to clean up any stains or scents. For liquid messes, blot the stain immediately — don’t rub. Then use a cleaning solution that’s one part warm water to one part vinegar to dab at the spot and clean it up. You can scrub with a toothbrush if needed. For solid messes (yick), let it dry out first, then collect. Gross? Yes, but necessary. Containment isn’t limited to the aftermath of a mess, though. There’s also preventing the mess from happening in the first place. Parker loves taking my balled-up socks in his mouth for no reason (I think he just does it to get my attention, spoiled baby). To prevent this, I put my laundry away as soon as it’s washed and folded. If for any reason I can’t, it goes on a designated chair in a neat pile — with socks well out of dog reach.   Regular Cleaning Of everything. Wash their dishes in hot water once a day, if not after every meal. Beds should be cleaned ideally once a week, but at the very least once a month. Toys can be cleaned every few weeks either in the dishwasher (for hard toys) or washing machine (for soft toys). Just get them to let go, first! Dog collars, meanwhile, should be deep cleaned at least once a month. You can simply soak them for 15 minutes in very hot water with mild detergent or shampoo, then let dry. For funky smells, bicarb soda is great for refreshing linens — just toss in a cup whenever you put on a load. Use pet-friendly essential oils in diffusers for rooms. And do a deep clean of your home every month or so (or take your dog out for a treat, and let professional home cleaners take care of that for you).   Dog Maintenance Don’t forget — it’s not just your house you need to keep tidy! You need to keep your dog similarly clean, with a similar level of work. Some tips and tricks to maintaining your dog’s grooming include: Schedule weekly brushing sessions to get most of their loose fur out; it’ll help ease up the shedding Speaking of brushing, make

Home and Lifestyle

What is.. Retail return abuse

Navigating the Challenges for Retailers  In today’s retail landscape, the rise of return abuse has become a pressing challenge for businesses. As consumers increasingly embrace both online and local shopping, they often expect hassle-free return policies, creating a double-edged sword for retailers. While generous return policies can drive sales, they can also open the door to fraudulent practices, costing retailers billions annually.  Understanding Return Abuse  Return abuse encompasses a range of dishonest behaviours, including purchasing items with the intent of using them and returning them, often termed “wardrobing.” Other common tactics include exploiting the return window after a seasonal event or returning items that were damaged or used, creating a significant financial burden for retailers. According to recent studies, return abuse accounts for nearly 5% of all returns, translating to a staggering loss of around $24 billion annually.  The Impact on Retailers  The repercussions of return abuse extend beyond lost revenue. Retailers face increased operational costs associated with processing returns, restocking inventory, and managing the associated customer service inquiries. They may find themselves in the unenviable position where they have to increase prices to offset losses incurred from return abuse. This can lead to overstocking or stockouts, both of which are detrimental.  Moreover, the emotional toll on employees who manage returns cannot be overlooked. Staff often find themselves in difficult positions, dealing with frustrated customers while adhering to return policies that may feel increasingly exploited. As the culture of return abuse grows, retailers are grappling with the need to balance customer satisfaction with the protection of their business interests.  Strategies for Mitigating Return Abuse  One effective approach is to implement stricter return policies. While this may initially seem counterintuitive in a consumer-driven market, clearly defined guidelines can deter potential abusers. However, this strategy can be a double-edged sword. While it may help reduce fraudulent returns, it risks alienating loyal customers who rely on the flexibility of generous return options. For example, limiting the return window or requiring receipts for refunds can help safeguard against fraudulent returns.  Another strategy is to enhance customer education. By clearly communicating return policies and the importance of responsible shopping, retailers can foster a sense of accountability among consumers. The returns policy needs to be clearly defined.   Looking Ahead  As the retail landscape continues to evolve, addressing return abuse will remain a critical focus for businesses. Ultimately, fostering a culture of responsible shopping not only benefits retailers but also enhances the overall shopping experience for consumers.  In a world where convenience often reigns supreme, finding the right balance between customer satisfaction and loss prevention will be key to thriving in the face of rising return abuse. As the adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—especially when it comes to navigating the challenges of return abuse in retail.  So why not support your local businesses, get what you see, see what you get.