Monthly Archives: February 2014
Redesign Your Space for Spring! (Using Little Time & Money)
Sherwood Oaks Retirement Community is a collection of a variety of unique residents, and we love when they put their own spin on their patio homes. With spring on its way, many people are beginning to do their spring cleaning and, in turn, giving their home a new look for the new season.
We know that redecorating can get expensive, so here are a few tips on how to get a new look in your space for less.
Recycle Across Rooms
Sometimes you don’t need to buy new home items in order to get a fresh new look, you just need to move them from one room to another. If there is a side table you particularly love in your bedroom, consider showing it off in the living room. Move your favorite framed photograph from the hallway to the kitchen, where you can look at it more. You can even give items a new paint job to fit in with another room’s theme. Quick, affordable, and resourceful! Wasn’t that easy?
Rearrange Furniture
Sometimes the furniture in the room is right… but not in the right place. Take a look at your living space. Could it be arranged differently? Is your space being underutilized? Could you incorporate feng shui? Does the space make it easy for guests to socialize when they visit your home? Moving the couch against the wall or the chair further from the doorway can make a world of difference.
Update Photographs
Photographs add a world of personality to a room, but it’s easy to forget to update them. Children and grandchildren grow quickly, and printing out photos of their big life moments is easy now thanks to the Internet and convenient photo centers at stores like Target. Don’t have any recent family photos? Set up an appointment to get a new one done!
Update Focal Points
Curtains, rugs, throw pillows, blankets, and art are all things that attract a lot of attention and can be easily replaced. Think about a major item that attracts attention in each room of your home and consider updating it. This may include a new centerpiece for your dining room table, a new welcome mat, or new tea towels in the kitchen.
Add a Pop of Pastel
Light and airy colors are great for spring. Consider swapping out darker items in your décor for something more fresh and sunny. Put them in storage until you can use them again in the winter! Mirrors can also add a lot of light to a room.
Spend a Little Bit on Organization
Often, simple home clutter can be solved with a few organizational items. Purchase a wicker basket to store extra blankets in. Put a small basket in your entranceway to throw keys into to avoid losing them. You can ever scour Pinterest to find a fun DIY project, like this refurbished cake stand that you can use to display items in your bathroom or bedroom.
Replace Small Items
Small can make a big difference. While you may not think that replacing a lampshade or knobs on a dresser would make a big difference, it definitely can! A new vase or a houseplant can make a world of difference when it comes to adding that “home” feeling to your space. It’s great to dream big – but you can start small!
Educate Yourself During American Heart Month: Heart Disease 101
As a nice reminder to keep your heart healthy, February is American Heart Month. Heart disease can change your life in an instant, so it’s important to be informed about the risk factors and symptoms involved with problems like heart attack, coronary artery disease, pulmonary heart disease, and congestive heart failure.
Here is how the CDC defines heart disease:
“Heart disease is a term that includes several more specific heart conditions. The most common heart disease in the US is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed due to the buildup of plaque.”
While heart disease is known to affect senior citizens, the CDC states that one in four deaths in the United States are due to heart disease. And while heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men, more than 50% of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were men. And for those who survive their ordeal with heart disease, there is still the risk of disability.
Here are some of the main risk factors for heart disease:
- Diet
- Physical Activity
- Smoking
- Cholesterol
- Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Alcohol Use
- Family History
Balancing a healthy diet, regular exercise, and managing your diabetes as suggested by your doctor are all great ways to lower your risk of heart disease. There are even some risk factors you may not even know about. For instance, according to AgingCare.com, “cardiovascular deaths spike by about 18 % [in the winter].” But with such prevalence in the U.S., how do you know when you are having a heart attack or suffering from another form of heart disease?
There are several kinds of heart disease, but they share many symptoms such as:
- Shortness of Breath
- Nausea
- Pain or a Heavy Feeling in Your Chest
- Sweating
- Increase in Heart Rate
- Fainting
- Weakness
- Anxiety
Of course, these can also be symptoms of other issues or diseases, but if you truly think that you are having a heart attack, it’s important for you or a loved one to call 9-1-1. It’s important to act fast when every second counts.
If you have any questions about heart health, contact the medical care providers at Sherwood Oaks.
Use Your Hobbies to Earn Extra Cash
Hobbies can entertain us and give us a sense of accomplishment. They help us define ourselves and give us a way to connect with others who have the same interests. Hobbies can also be a great source of additional income, offering a fantastic opportunity for a retiree to fill their time and their wallet.
Think hard about the things you do for fun. Could you be making some extra cash WHILE you are enjoying yourself? Or perhaps there is always a lucrative hobby you’ve always wanted to try out but never had the time? The time is now.
Woodworking
Woodworking is a fine skill that can prove to be a very enriching hobby. It’s amazing what you can make by hand once you have the training, like furniture, picture frames and other decorative items, and stylish storage boxes. Sherwood Oaks has a large wood shop for residents to work in, giving you plenty of room to bring your creative ideas to life.
Ceramics
Original work is more sought after than generic art you can get from a big box store. Ceramic creation is a wonderful hobby to have, as you can make items that are both beautiful and functional. Molding and painting custom mugs and sculpting ornate vases will help you to keep your creative juices flowing, and once your masterpiece is complete it can serve as a great gift item for someone to buy. Sherwood Oaks makes the entire process simple, as there is also a ceramics studio on campus!
Other Crafts
If you’re a master knitter or have a talent for creating stunning holiday wreaths, you should turn that fun into funds! In the past few years, there has been more and more focus on shopping locally and opting for handmade items. You don’t need to look any further than the online merchant site Etsy to see how successful handcrafted items have become. If you aren’t sure of the kind of project you would like to work on, spend some time on the DIY section of Pinterest, or the project section of the Michael’s website.
Baking
It’s no secret that a little bit of sweetness is hard to resist. If baking for family and friends has made you the favorite person at every get-together, try to benefit beyond just their compliments. Start baking for pay at community events or by order for private events. You can even serve a certain niche by baking diabetic-friendly or gluten-free items.
Lending a Hand
It’s a hassle for many people to do even simple “handy” tasks around the house. Those who are good with their hands can make a good amount of money from doing household maintenance for other members of the community, whether it’s helping to install a new window or painting a room.
Carrying on Your Former Career
Retirement doesn’t mean that you have to completely abandon the skills you acquired during your career. If you spent the last 40 years of your life enriching the lives of children as a teacher, you could take on some work as a tutor or after-school babysitter. Former accountants can help others with their taxes. Writers can start a travel blog and allow businesses to advertise on their sites. There was a reason you chose the career you did, and it can be easier than you think to keep the aspects of your life’s work that you loved the most.
Maybe you’re thinking, “I’m pretty financially stable. I would rather do my hobbies for fun rather than pay.”
In that case, how do you feel about using your talents to make money for others? If you’re active, you can ask friends, family, and community members to donate money to a charity of your choosing in order for you to complete a 5k. And for those bakers we mentioned above, why not have a bake sale and donate your proceeds to a good cause?
No matter where the money goes, there is money out there to be made, even in retirement!