How To Have A Goodnight, Every Night

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Who doesn’t love that comfortable feeling you get at the end of a long day when your head finally hits the pillows? Drifting off to sleep comes naturally to most of us, but if there’s something stopping you from sleeping, it can cause stress and anxiety in no time.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, you don’t have to suffer. In order to get the most out of your time between the sheets, these tips, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, will have you sleeping like a log in no time. Keep reading to learn more:

1. Eat a Small Dinner - This is a huge deal and so easy. While a big meal before bed can keep your digestion working for hours, a small meal puts only a light demand on your body and allows it to rest much more fully. Sara and I actually have got it down to a large, fresh vegetable juice in the evening. That's all. You sleep better, AND you stay trim. :-)

2. Avoid Alcohol - While a great way to FALL asleep, all those fun drinks, like wine and beer, etc, will ruin a good nights' sleep by causing dehydration (among other things). They make me wake up in the middle of the night with a powerful, uncomfortable thirst, and I'm often very hot as well. And then there's that occasional hangover, which sucks. Want to sleep really well? Skip the fun drinks in the evening (we skip on weeknights).

3. Unwind Your Mind - Like your body, your mind can be over stimulated and make it hard to get a really good night's rest. When I have a stressful day at work I make an effort to not work or look at email after dinner. Computers and work stuff can really wind me up. Instead, I'll take a hot bath and read a book, both of which totally take my mind off the day.

4. Three Nights in a Row is the Magic Number - Sleep is cumulative, so don't expect a really good night's sleep on your first night. You need at least two nights and preferably three to get into a really good groove and bank some deep rest. We stick to these tips most Mondays through Thursdays and that's when it really gets good.

5. Exercise Helps - Being physically tired really contributes to a good night's sleep and that doesn't happen to most of us who work in offices these days - remember when you were a kid, ran around all day and collapsed at night? Having daily exercise as a part of your routine contributes strongly to your body relaxing at night.

6. Avoid Caffeine - Not having coffee or tea at night seems obvious, right? But as a chocolate lover, I've also learned to wean myself off of chocolate for dessert when I want a good night's sleep. In general, stimulants are NOT your friend when looking for a great night's sleep.

7. Unwind Your Body - I already recommended a hot bath for helping to unwind in the evening as the heat and water is very relaxing for the skin and muscles. If you don't have a bath or that much time, just having a shower and giving your body and hair a good scrub is excellently relaxing. Pair that with moisturizing any dry skin and jumping into fresh, clean sheets and you're golden.

8. Keep Bedtime & Rising Time Regular - Our mind and body organism thrives on comfortable, regular routine, and I find it much easier to fall asleep and wake happily when the times are consistent. Even if your evening time changes, try to keep your rising time consistent. This way your body always will know when to wake and you'll avoid that feeling of having gotten up "on the wrong side of the bed." I now barely need to set an alarm, because my body always wants to wake at 6am.

9. Drink Water - We all lose a lot of water while sleeping at night, so that keeping yourself well hydrated really helps your body to rest comfortably. If you have a night out and drink alcohol, a lot of water before bed really helps, but even on a "dry" night, keep your water intake up (but not too much so that you have to wake and pee!).

10. Light Matters, Noise Not So Much - Light is a much bigger disruptor of sleep than noise. Electric lights outside your window (or in your room) AND the sunrise will trigger waking mechanisms in the body, so keeping your windows well covered and eliminating any other ambient light is necessary to ensure a good rest.

10 Painless Techniques To Update Your Apartment

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No matter how much care you’ve taken in decorating your apartment, after awhile your carefully chosen curtains and wall art will start to look a little stale after awhile. Looking at the same pieces of art and knick knacks in the same spots every day can begin to take a toll on your eyes and your senses after a few months. When you get that itch to redecorate you don’t need to feel like you need to start over from scratch-there are few simple steps you can take to rejuvenate even the most bland apartment.

Adding a few extra decorations or moving around the pieces that you already have displayed in your apartment can make a world of difference! So before you head for the dumpster with the canvas prints you were in love with last year take a second to rethink your apartment layout. These ten tips, courtesy ofapartmenttherapy.com, walk you step-by-step through the quickest ways to give your apartment a boost when you feel like it needs it. Keep reading to learn more:

1. Bring the outdoors in with houseplants.

A little green can go a long ways towards bringing life into your space. Choose something low maintenance, like a succulent, if you have a less than green thumb.

2. Add a few throw pillows.
Throw pillows can add both color and texture, and go a long ways towards making a room feel finished.

3. Hang some art.

Frame it up or get creative. You can find great art on Etsy or at the thrift shop, or hang a masterpiece by your kid — anything that resonates with you or just makes you feel happy.

4. Buy fresh flowers.

Flowers add a lot to a space and feel decadent, but don't have to cost much. A bouquet from the grocery store in one bold color can have a great impact.

5. Add a shot of color.

Whether you pick up a bright throw pillow or paint a wall, bringing in color is the quickest way to bring about a dramatic change.

6. Cozy things up with a throw.

Throws add texture and warmth, inviting you and your guests to get comfortable.

7. Make it personal — display something meaningful.

Putting a sweet note or personal photo on display makes a house feel more like a home, and brings in a bit of your personal history.

8. Set out books and magazines.

Keeping reading material within reach invites you to sit down and make yourself at home, and is a great way to keep guests occupied.

9. Light some candles.

Scent can have a big impact on how we experience our environment, and the glow of a candle also brings a bit of warmth to a room.

10. Turn on some music.

Music is one of the easiest ways to set the mood and liven things up in an instant.

Ready To Explore? There's an App For That!

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So you’ve just moved into your new apartment - you’ve finally got your couch perfectly positioned in the living room, you’ve unpacked your bedroom and this place is finally starting to look and feel like home - it’s a great feeling. Now that you’re getting comfortable, it’s time to head out and explore your new surroundings. What’s the best restaurant in town? Where is the nearest gym?

If you have the time and don’t mind wandering, of course you can walk around the city and get the scoop of your surroundings. But, If the idea of spending a day without a direction doesn’t quite fit your fancy, you have options! There are plenty of apps for your smartphone that can direct you around your new city. This list, courtesy of renters.apartments.com, includes some of the best gadgets to find your way around your new city.

Yelp: The user review site is even handier on your smartphone. The app pinpoints your location and lists nearby restaurants, bars, coffee shops, shopping and more. Or, use the Monocle feature and hold your phone up in front of you to see nearby businesses appear in your camera’s view.

Shopkick: If you want to save a little money while you’re exploring, Shopkick may be the app for you. It will tell you what stores are nearby and what rewards they are offering at that moment. Once you’re in the store, log into the app and points will automatically load onto your phone. Points can be redeemed for gift cards, song downloads, Starbucks drinks and more.

Foursquare: Kind of a combination of Yelp and Shopkick, Foursquare can help you find a place to eat, drink or shop, and let you know which places are offering rewards for checking in. It can also help you find other types of attractions, like dog parks, food trucks, jogging trails and farmers markets.

Uber: If you’d rather explore your ‘hood on wheels rather than on foot, use Uber to get a ride in a jiffy. Use the app to set your pickup location on a map, and they will dispatch a towncar to your location along with an estimated arrival time. Your credit card information is stored, so you don’t have to worry about having cash or a credit card on hand, either.

Klikaklu: This new scavenger hunt/geocaching-type app guides users to different clues using GPS technology. Users can make their hunts public so other people can try them out, and successfully finding and photographing a clue results in rewards. Similar apps include Scavenger Hunt With Friends, Stray Boots and Huntzz.

Do You Have Control Of Your Clutter

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Let’s face it, we all have those heirlooms from our childhood that we just can’t seem to part with (stuffed bear from infancy, anyone?) Though there are appropriate items to hang onto, generally it can be tough to squeeze every last item into our apartments. Though we may say that we’ll change and promise to downsize, the challenge then becomes deciding what to keep and what goes.

If you find yourself harboring items that you have no use for ( a closet full of salt packets collected from fast food restaurants, or something of the sort,) you may need to think about decluttering. This checklist fromapartmentguide.com may help you to decide if your clutter is warranted or a problem. Keep reading to learn more!

1. You avoid social gatherings in your apartment. If you’re a hoarder, it’s only natural to not want people all up in your personal space. The whispers, the side eyes, the hesitance to sit down. You can smell the judgement from a mile away. Or maybe it’s just the mountain of dirty laundry piling up in the corner.
2. Insisting that you’ll use stuff that you know you never will. That broken blender and your worn out high school gym shoes will never see the light of day again. But you refuse to let go of these and countless other neglected gems that make you the hoarder you are.
3. Your apartment is no longer livable. Are you unable to properly use the kitchen or bathroom because it’s full of junk? Is your sofa or bed buried underneath another pile of random belongings? If you can’t utilize your spacethe way it was meant to be used, there’s definitely a problem that needs to be addressed.
4. You see “value” in ordinary things. In theory, it’s a nice idea to hold onto those things passed down from your parents and grandparents. But if grandma’s collection of knit Christmas sweaters are stashed in the back of a closet 365 days a year, you clearly don’t cherish them anyway. In your mind, tossing these items will result in guilt for years to come. Newsflash: it won’t. If it absolutely tears you up inside to even think about getting rid of your decade old hot pink poofy prom dress, you might indeed have a hoarding problem.
5. You collect insane amounts of duplicate items. What’s your weakness? A utility closet overflowing with cleaning supplies? Over 75 boxes of Saltine crackers? Do you have enough identical items to last you through the apocalypse and beyond? Hoarders are notorious for accumulating quantities of products that’ll last for weeks, months or even years.
6. You just can’t stop buying stuff. Even though your small space is packed to the max, you continue to acquire all kinds of things. If you’re constantly bringing new items into your apartment without doing some purging to make room, you might be a hoarder.
7. Your entire life is on the line. True hoarders experience life-changing events due to their habit. Relationships suffer when partners don’t realize why you just can’t stop. Debt piles up when you insist on stockpiling certain items. Your lease could even be in jeopardy if your space becomes a health or safety hazard. Yikes!

Divide And Conquer

(Image courtesy of UrbanAccents)

Creating exciting decor is all about finding one piece that will draw guests attention. Though definitive art pieces and colorful couches are great for drawing the eye and creating conversations, if you’re looking to change the shape of your space, it may be helpful to try a room divider.

To divvy up your space, you’re not relegated to the plain paper dividers that you can find at almost any store, there are simple solutions and opportunities to upcycle that will create a vibrant and colorful decor. Follow the links below, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, to find the perfect space divider for your apartment.

1. An old window used perfectly to divide the space, worth checking out the rest of the photos the rest of the house is lovely. koko studios via flickr

2. 3form's partitions are made from their Varia Ecoresin material, which uses a minimum of 40% recycled resin. A variety of options and colors available.

3. A nice use of the classic IKEA Expedit shelves, these are included because they are fairly easy to find used on craigslist. You can find all of the specs for these shelves on the IKEA website. SweetLunaNet via flickr

4. This project from Lifehacker turns old LPs into a room divider.

5. Natural Bamboo Screen from Gaiam, pesticide-free bamboo finished with nontoxic water-based finish.

6. Another great example of windows as room dividers. Perhaps not the best example for a renter, but so pretty. From Casasugar.

7. A fabulous fifties-inspired home, uses a tall entertainment unit that doubles as a divider. mouchoux via flickr.