Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you thankful for this year?
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Turn Your Bathroom Into a Spa
Posted by Larimer Associates on 7:37 AM
After a long day at work, sometimes coming home and collapsing onto the couch just doesn’t help you to de-stress. But imagine if you had your own mini-spa right in your apartment bathroom! Some simple re-decorating is all it takes to turn your bathroom into your oasis. Use these tips from Apartment Therapy to get started.
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| "giant bathtub" by Erica Nicol is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 |
Part of the joy of a spa is that ability to take a break from life — to step away from the stresses and just focus on you. So consider a way to create a barrier between you, your bathroom and the rest of the world. It could be an extra lovely/dramatic shower curtain. It could be a curtain that you place over the door for an extra barrier. It could be big plants that partially obscure the rest of your bathroom from say, your tub. Get creative to think of a way you can enclose yourself to feel protected and a little bit transported.
2. Consider the presentation
As you can imagine, bath salts, yummy-smelling soaps and other treats for your body are a great way to treat yourself to a spa day. But don't just line them up unceremoniously on your bathroom counter. Think about the presentation. Put products in lovely containers you like handling. If you have a tub, consider splurging on a lovely-to-you bathtub caddy that you can slip into a warm bath under.
3. Add something surprising
Maybe it's a piece of art in your shower (or something more practical). Maybe it's a giant mirror in a weird spot. Perhaps it's just a bouquet of flowers on the edge of your tub. Just add something that will surprise you and perhaps transport you to a feeling of relaxation.
4. Consider all your senses
Start with neutralizing the things that might stress you out first. Loud noises from construction down the street or neighbors? Include white noise or soothing music to cover up sounds you don't want. Hate the overhead light in your windowless bathroom? Bring in candles.
5. Surround yourself with softness
When you're ready to leave your spa-like bathroom, take that relaxation with you by surrounding yourself with softness. Make sure you step onto a plush bath mat or into fluffy slippers. Towel off from a bath or shower with an extra cozy towel. Wrap yourself in a robe.
What would you put in your spa bathroom?
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Put This In Your Holiday Hosting Arsenal: An Emergency Cleanup Kit
Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:21 AM
Ever spilled coffee or red wine on a carpet? The difference between a quick clean up and a bad stain can be preparedness! Check out this Emergency Cleanup Kit and make sure that you're ready should the worst happen.
It's hosting season and you know what that means: your home will soon be getting a workout. Be it parties or houseguests, lots of traffic means lots of messes. Since you know spills are inevitable, do yourself a favor this year and put together an emergency cleaning kit so you'll be prepared to act fast when someone slips up.
Having this quick kit on hand has two benefits. First, it'll help you deal with those messes quickly (and therefore more effectively) and more importantly, it lets you avoid the drama and embarrassment that can go along with an accident. Keeping these key things close means there's no need to frantically empty everything from under the sink in the middle of a party or family dinner (and make the spiller feel worse than they already do!).
The Emergency Kit
Put these things in a caddy and get ready to be the graceful host who can dispatch spills and get back to the party that much quicker.
(Image credits: Shutterstock)
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
3 Ways To Get Your Pumpkin Spice Fix Without The Bad Stuff
Posted by Larimer Associates on 8:11 AM
The smells of fall are here, and one of everyone's favorite is...pumpkin! Pumpkin spice is making its way into everything this season, be it pie, beer, coffee, or whatever! Instead of buying those items and dealing with the bad stuff that comes with them, check out this article to find "3 Ways To Get Your Pumpkin Spice Fix Without The Bad Stuff"!
Photo courtesy of the author - Cassandra Bodzak
Many of you probably know that the beloved pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks (and the pumpkin syrup at Dunkin') have been exposed for the frauds they are, containing milk that barista's never warn you about in the actual syrup, chemicals like caramel coloring that are not healthy to be ingested and filled with GMO milk if you get yours with soy.
More than one friend or client has mentioned how upsetting this news was to them and begged me to tell them how to get their pumpkin spice fix without sacrificing their health. Well the good news is it's really easy and even better, you'll save a lot of money skipping out on those $5 lattes this season!
My Go-To Tricks To Satisfy My Pumpkin Spice Fix:
Sugar & Spice
Make your own latte at home using organic, gmo-free nut milk (or making your own nut milk!) and while you're steaming your milk add in 1/2 teaspoon to a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (you can buy pumpkin spice at trader joe's or most grocery stores by the spices). For those of you who want a sweeter taste, drizzle a little grade B maple syrup for a rich fall flavor with a healthier take than sugar.
Spice 'n Brew
This only works if you have an old school coffeemaker or french press and not so much with the keurigs unless you use the DIY cup where you add your own grounds. Simply add 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice per cup of coffee in with grounds and brew per usual. You can experiment with vary amount of spices, as you might guess, I like mine pretty pumpkin spicey! The beautiful part of this is that you can get it just right, so you can, GASP, make your own pumpkin coffee then one of those big chains that have a standard formula for everyone.
Tea Time
Yes, I know this is NOT coffee but it's my favorite option lately and you might find that when you're going on pumpkin beverage number three you may want to do yourself a little favor and give your body a break from all the caffeine. My favorite pumpkin spice tea is Harney + Sons but there are plenty of them out there so shop around and let me know if you find a favorite! I also add some almond milk to my tea in this case to make it feel a little more decadent.
Photo courtesy of the author - Cassandra Bodzak
Many of you probably know that the beloved pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks (and the pumpkin syrup at Dunkin') have been exposed for the frauds they are, containing milk that barista's never warn you about in the actual syrup, chemicals like caramel coloring that are not healthy to be ingested and filled with GMO milk if you get yours with soy.
More than one friend or client has mentioned how upsetting this news was to them and begged me to tell them how to get their pumpkin spice fix without sacrificing their health. Well the good news is it's really easy and even better, you'll save a lot of money skipping out on those $5 lattes this season!
My Go-To Tricks To Satisfy My Pumpkin Spice Fix:
Sugar & Spice
Make your own latte at home using organic, gmo-free nut milk (or making your own nut milk!) and while you're steaming your milk add in 1/2 teaspoon to a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (you can buy pumpkin spice at trader joe's or most grocery stores by the spices). For those of you who want a sweeter taste, drizzle a little grade B maple syrup for a rich fall flavor with a healthier take than sugar.
Spice 'n Brew
This only works if you have an old school coffeemaker or french press and not so much with the keurigs unless you use the DIY cup where you add your own grounds. Simply add 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice per cup of coffee in with grounds and brew per usual. You can experiment with vary amount of spices, as you might guess, I like mine pretty pumpkin spicey! The beautiful part of this is that you can get it just right, so you can, GASP, make your own pumpkin coffee then one of those big chains that have a standard formula for everyone.
Tea Time
Yes, I know this is NOT coffee but it's my favorite option lately and you might find that when you're going on pumpkin beverage number three you may want to do yourself a little favor and give your body a break from all the caffeine. My favorite pumpkin spice tea is Harney + Sons but there are plenty of them out there so shop around and let me know if you find a favorite! I also add some almond milk to my tea in this case to make it feel a little more decadent.
