Do You Need 300 Pieces of China in Your Victorian Parlor? Spoiler Alert: Yes, Obviously

Let’s get something straight: If you’re decorating a Victorian parlor, one teapot isn’t. going. to. cut. it. You’re going to need a lot more than that—at least 300 pieces of china, minimum. Why? Because the Victorians knew that more is more, and if you could still see any surface of your parlor, you clearly weren't putting in enough effort.

In the 1800s, parlors meant more than just a room, they made a statement. They showed off that you had enough time, money, and sheer willpower to accumulate as many fragile, delicate, and completely impractical as you could. China topped this list. Porcelain, ceramic, gilded—if it was breakable, it belonged in the parlor.

Every Available Surface Should Be Covered—Preferably Twice

Victorian parlors had no space for minimalism. Empty surfaces meant you were failing at life. Mantels, side tables, windowsills—every inch of your parlor needed to be occupied by something adorned and unnecessary. Your china collection serves as a good example, artfully (and I use that term loosely) displayed over every available inch.

Teacups, plates, saucers—these weren’t just for tea time. They were for every time. Especially if that time involved someone coming over to marvel at your good taste. Victorian interior decorating was about making sure every visitor knew that you owned at least three times the amount of tableware necessary to feed a small army.

But Is It Hand-Painted? If Not, Please Leave Immediately

Anyone can buy a teapot. But is it painted by hand? Does it have tiny detailed floral patterns that will never see the light of day because no one dares actually use it? If the answer is no, I’m afraid you’re simply not cut out for the parlor life.

During the china-painting craze, entire magazines were dedicated to helping genteel women paint intricate designs on their ceramics making sure each piece was as unique (and as unused) as possible.

More Is More: The 300 Rule

In a Victorian parlor, a few items was a starting point. Two or three pieces of china? Please. Come back when you have at least 300. Your collection should be sprawling enough to require its own cabinet, perhaps even its own room. If you haven’t had to install extra shelving to hold your burgeoning horde of teacups, you’re simply not doing it right.

People expected the abundance of decorations. A well decorated room had walls, surfaces, and maybe even the air packed with items, all vying for attention. After all, why have one vase when you could have 17? And if those vases happen to be fragile, expensive, and completely impractical, pshhh even better.

Matching Sets Are For Amateurs

Victorians didn’t care about matching. In fact the more mismatched your collection the better. Each piece of china should have its own story. You might have bought it at a high end auction or found it in a dusty corner of a secondhand shop. What matters is that you own it now, and it’s going on display.

Victorians loved to mix and match creating a chaotic, over-the-top look that felt deliberate (even if it looked like a ceramics factory exploded in your sitting room). Patterns clashed, colors popped and your guests were left wondering if they’d walked into a museum—or maybe a flea market.

Good Luck Dusting

Of course, there’s a tiny drawback to cramming your parlor with china: the maintenance. All those fragile items need attention, which means dusting. A whole lot of dusting. But then again, no one ever said being a Victorian was easy.

So while you might spend your afternoons cleaning 300 teacups just keep in mind—you’re doing it for the look. The beauty. The sheer satisfaction of knowing that no one absolutely no one will ever be able to out-decorate you.

And that, my friends, is the true spirit of Victorian interior decorating.

Working from home? Try These Ergonomics Techniques to Avoid Injuries

It's always a good idea to apply ergonomics in the home office. If you're working from home, your home office must have equipment designed to reduce discomfort and fatigue in a way that makes the human body more comfortable.

When working long hours repetitively at the computer, it's always best to take frequent breaks to reduce eyestrain and injuries. You should also do stretches for the neck, upper body, and arms. Exercise your wrists frequently to avoid carpel tunnel syndrome. Here are some more tips to help reduce your risk of injury.

1. Make sure you're using an adjustable office chair. You also need to maintain a comfortable posture while you're working. Both feet should be flat on the floor and your back properly supported.

2. When using the keyboard, your hands should be at the same level as your wrists. You can do this by lowering the height of the keyboard. This technique will help you avoid wrist injuries. An ergonomic keyboard is highly recommended because it's specifically designed to provide more comfort for the user.

3. Place your monitor at or below eye level to avoid eyestrain.

Always remember to apply ergonomics in the home office. By using these tips and taking frequent breaks, you will be able to protect yourself from work related injuries.

Maslow's Pyramid: How to Find Happiness In Life

Do you feel content with your life? Have you been using the wrong techniques to feel happy?

The circumstances that you’re dealing with can prevent you from experiencing the most joy and happiness that you deserve. With all the constant stress factors and negativities that you’re burdened with each day, you probably feel as if you’ll never find happiness. Authentic happiness might seem like a challenging goal for you to achieve. Fortunately, there are practices that you can follow to help you feel more empowered and to live a happier, more fulfilling life.

If you’re overcome with your life’s struggles, consider these tips to find happiness.

Maslow's Pyramid of Needs

One of the best ways for us to be happy is by following Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, we have the chance to be happy by learning about a five-tier model of human needs within a pyramid. Maslow’s Pyramid starts at the bottom and goes all the way up to the highest level. Let’s take a closer look at the five-tier model pyramid.

Physiological Needs At the base of the pyramid is your physiological needs, which are requirements for your human survival. These may include clothing, warmth, sleep, food, drink, oxygen, and shelter. A deficiency of one of these needs can cause you to become engrossed until your needs are met.

Safety Needs

Once your physiological needs are fulfilled, you will need to feel a sense of security and safety. Feeling safe gives you peace of mind and makes it easier for you to feel and live happier.

Love and Belonging Needs Love and belonging are essential needs for human survival. This is also an emotional need that has a powerful effect on the personal relationships that you have with your family members or intimate partner. A deficiency of this need can make you feel depressed and unloved.

Esteem Needs Esteem needs are the fourth level of the five-tier model pyramid. Your self-esteem needs include your dignity, respect from your peers, and achievements.

Self-Actualization Needs The highest level of the five-tier model pyramid is self-actualization needs. This need relates to self-fulfillment, personal growth, and creativity.

A focus on these five needs can help you to analyze different areas in your life and for you to make improvements to live a happier life.

Socialize With Others

When you’re going through a stressful time in your life, it is helpful for you to be around people you love. Being around friendly people that provide you with support is the best way for you to overcome rough patches or challenges. Spending quality time with your loved ones can help you to feel more optimistic. It is so easy for you to be influenced by the happiness and peaceful nature of your family or friends.

Bond With Nature

Taking a walk through the park is a peaceful experience that can put a smile on your face. There is nothing more fulfilling and enjoyable than taking a 30-minute stroll in the early mornings. This is a routine that you can incorporate to bond with nature and improve your mentality.

Fun Activities

Always commit to doing things you love every single day. You can easily become depressed or stressed out if you’re overworked and don’t find time to relax and unwind. Your health could be at risk if you’re always focused on other people’s needs. So, consider taking the time to treat yourself to various forms of entertainment.

These may consist of going away on a vacation, skydiving, dancing, taking yoga classes, and other activities. Exploring new passions helps to boost your mood and makes it easier for you to find more happiness.

5 Brilliant Ways to Be Healthier Behind Your Office Desk

There are so many temptations when it comes to food in the office. Donuts on Mondays. Bagel Wednesdays. Not to mention there is always a cake or a cupcake taunting you every time a coworker's birthday rolls around. It can seem almost impossible to be healthy when your entire workplace is offering you otherwise unhealthy and fattening snacks every five seconds. But I'm here to tell you that there is a way to be healthier behind your office desk! And if you already caved in and ate that donut, don't feel as if the entire day is shot and you should just keep eating donuts. You can still salvage the day and turn your unhealthy morning letdown into a much healthier rest of the day!

1. Drink water.

You know how they say to drink 8 glasses of water a day? Well I'm going to say it again. You need to drink 8 glasses of water a day! Keep in mind that your body sometimes just thinks that it is hungry when really it is just dehydrated. Instead of picking up a bag of gummy bears in the break room, pour yourself a glass of water. I promise this will help curb your hunger cravings.

2. Skip the chips.

When you make the healthy decision to skip the fast food and opt for a deli sandwich for lunch, you can completely blow your quick health kick by adding a side of chips or a big glass of soda. Skip the bad stuff when you order out for lunch. Whether it is fast food or a five star rated restaurant, those meals are loaded with calories. Skip all the nonsense and just order the main meal. You will be eating half the calories that you would have eaten had you gotten a full meal, chips and all!

3. Keep healthy snacks in your office.

We all get hunger cravings throughout the day. But how we choose to subside the feeling differs between people. A quick trick I've learned is to keep healthy snacks in your office drawer. This way when you are feeling hungry, you won't be tempted to walk to the break room and grab some candy. You will have carrots and celery sticks a mere inches away from you!

4. Take a walk.

When your body starts to crave some sugar at that mid-afternoon point, take a walk! Chances are you are just tired and your body is craving something to wake itself up. Instead of giving in to a candy bar, take a quick stroll around the office. This will boost your energy level and gives you a quick exercise in the middle of the day!

5. Don't stress.

Everybody is stressed about certain things. Maybe you are stressed about your home and it's lack of alarm system. I know of a company called http://www.smithmonitoring.com/Hurst-home-security/ that has made me much less stressed about the safety of my home. And when I'm less stressed, I don't eat as much! You know what I'm talking about. You start to think about all the things going wrong in your life and you binge eat to take your mind off of it. And that binge eating usually results in the consumption of one too many cookies! If you minimize the amount of stress in your life, you are less likely to eat fattening foods to make yourself feel better. Less stress, less stress eating. Simple as that!

About the author: Carly is a health freak. She loves anything outdoorsy and all things athletic. She is always tweeting her activities and instagramming her food.

How to Fight Premature Forehead Wrinkles

What are the best ways to fight premature forehead wrinkles, and crow's feet? One of the most common things that you might fear as you get older is developing lines and wrinkles on your face. This makes you feel self-conscious. Sagging skin is also another issue that you will have to deal with as you get older.

How can you fix these problems? Today, we're going to focus on the best remedies that you can use to fight aging skin.

1. Quit Smoking

You may not be aware that excessive smoking is a common cause of your forehead wrinkles and crow's feet that form around your eyes. If you're in the habit of smoking every day, you will eventually begin to see the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes and tobacco are known to reduce your collagen production. These harmful chemicals can also destroy the elasticity of your skin, which helps to create premature forehead wrinkles.

2. Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers

Do you need an alternative to Juvederm or Restylane? Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers are known to be very effective in the fight against aging skin. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that increases skin moisture and helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. When injected into your skin, hyaluronic acid dermal fillers produce an amazing anti-aging effect.

These fillers are popular on the market because of their effectiveness to naturally smooth out fine lines. You can also use dermal filler injections to target deep, problematic wrinkles and restoring the volume of your face.

3. Proper Hydration

You can fight premature forehead wrinkles by drinking enough water. Wrinkles are easier to develop when your skin is dry. So, it's beneficial for you to stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking eight ounces of water.

4. Sun Protection

Long-term sun exposure can cause premature forehead wrinkles and the appearance of dark spots on your skin. If you want to spend quality time in the sun, make sure you're wearing quality sunscreen and a sun hat to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sunlight.

Give Your Skin the Best Treatments to Improve the Way You Look

Fortunately, there are effective techniques that you can use to minimize the appearance of premature wrinkles and slow down the aging process. Using the best treatments and making better lifestyle changes may help to improve the way you look, allowing you to feel better about yourself.

How to Save Money on Groceries

Today we’re going to discuss how to save money on groceries. With the high food prices, it makes sense for you to follow strategic steps to save money on grocery costs. Here’s how you can cut back on your shopping bills.

The first step to saving money on groceries is to make a shopping list. Shoppers tend to spend too much money when they don’t have a shopping list and choose more food items they intend to buy. A grocery list makes it easier for you to stick to your budget.

The next step to save money on groceries is to plan your meals each week. This strategy prevents you from spending money you don’t need. Create a list of foods and snacks you need each week to avoid making impulse purchases.

Next tip, avoid large crowds. You can feel overwhelmed in a crowded or busy grocery store. Large crowds make it more difficult for you to save money on food brand items, which makes it easier for you to spend beyond your budget.

The next strategy is not to shop with family members. Shopping with family members or young children may cause you to buy something on impulse. You can avoid the costly risks of overspending by shopping alone.

Don’t forget to shop online to save money on groceries. Shopping online gives you the convenience of easily comparing prices across different stores, finding discounts, and helping you to experience a no-pressure sales experience. By shopping online, you also have the convenience to avoid large crowds and get same-day delivery.

3 Fun Fitness Games for Kids

Lack of physical activity and over-indulgence of the wrong foods are major causes of obesity in children. Fitness games for kids keep their bodies in shape, and their minds more active. Below are examples of simple games that children will enjoy in their free time.

Jump rope is a great way for a kid to burn extra calories. This is a fun activity that kids can play alone or with a group of friends. Kids are hyperactive and will enjoy jumping around.

One fun fitness game for kids is cycling. With this activity, your child can exercise his leg muscles while using a lot of energy to cycle. However, it is advised that kids should be supervised when they engage in this activity to prevent accidents.

Playing soccer is another fun activity that requires a lot of energy. The heart muscles and other body muscles are improved when kids are playing soccer. Motivating a child to play soccer is a good way to keep him or her interested in trying something new. Introducing your child to various fitness games is very important. It is your duty to make sure your kids engage in regular exercise routines during the week.