May 5th is Cinco de Mayo. This holiday commemorates a military victory that took place during the Franco-Mexican War in which the outnumbered Mexican troops halted France's army. Festivities in U.S. communities with high Mexican-American populations tend to be bigger than those in Mexico (Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday in its native country) and are often full of parades and historic reenactments of the battle. In fact, the prevalence of Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. just goes to show how much of an influence Mexican culture has had on its neighboring country. If you're observing the holiday, here are four ways to honor it: 1. Color your home Mexico celebrates Cinco de Mayo with colors galore, including, of course, red, green and white. Bring the joy of the holiday to your home by sporting bright and saturated tones. While the colors of the Mexican flag are a good place to start, yellow, pink, orange and blue are also up for grabs. One way to bring the brilliant hues into your home and also enjoy spring, is to decorate with fresh Cinco de Mayo flowers. Any brightly colored bouquet will make a beautiful addition to the festivities. 2. Prepare an authentic meal The conflict that took place on Cinco de Mayo in 1862 is also known as the Battle of Puebla, named after the town where the event occurred. Many celebrations of Mexico's victory include dishes native to the area, such as mole poblano. After all, according to Business Insider, Puebla is the foodie capital of Mexico, so whipping up traditional cuisine is both a tasty and appropriate way enjoy the day. Chicken tinga, chalupas and molotes are all other iconic foods to try on Cinco de Mayo. Do some research into ingredients that are native to Puebla to plan your menu. 3. Go to a museum To truly understand the history of Cinco de Mayo, or to better appreciate Mexican culture, consider seeking out a Mexican-American museum or cultural center in your community. See if the locale is holding any festivities or hosting special exhibits. If not, you can still learn a lot from the material already available. This is also a great celebration option for families with kids, as your little ones will have the opportunity to explore a new culture. Call the museum ahead of time to see if it has programs for kids. You can also create a worksheet before going to the museum for your children to fill out while you're there. 4. Enjoy local festivities In addition to observing Mexican culture by visiting a museum, you can experience Mexican-American traditions by checking out festivities where you live. Whether it's attending a parade or watching a re-enactment of the Battle of Puebla, you're sure to find something new and exciting if you live in a diverse community. If your town doesn't observe Cinco de Mayo with as much flair, you can watch parades on TV or online to enjoy the celebrations. 5. Attend a concert Discover another part of Mexican culture by attending a concert. Not only will seeing live mariachi give you more insight into Mexican culture, but it also supports the artists and can be a fun time - few things are more energizing than live music.
Foam Roller Lower Back Foam rolling - where you literally roll your muscles on a piece of foam to help loosen them up - might not be the most "showy" exercise on the planet (hello weightlifting), but it can play an important role in keeping your muscles loose, thereby reducing soreness and helping avoid injury. If you're searching for a way to help yourself stretch, you should consider adding foam rolling to your routine. Regularly rolling your muscles out can help you maintain flexibility and your range of motion too. Certified trainer Robbie Davis, who started his career 20 years ago working with the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, has created these four exercises that apartment renters who live in small spaces can perform. If you do these exercises a few times per week, expect to notice a significant difference in the way you move, says Davis. Consider rolling before or after exercise. What you'll need: a soft, carpeted area or a yoga mat, and a foam roller. General tips: You'll want to ensure you have proper positioning before you start rolling. It's also important to roll slowly to allow your muscles to release. Foam Roller Calves Calves Sit upright on the floor with your legs out in front of you so your body makes an "L" shape. Slide the foam roller underneath your legs so it rests right below your calves near your ankles. Place your hands flat on the ground on either side of you, and lift your weight off the ground. Slowly push yourself forward and backward, rolling up and down both your calf muscles. Tip: For added intensity, cross your feet and focus on each leg individually. Foam Roller Quads Quads Lie on the floor face down and place the foam roller between the ground and the area right above your knees. Be careful not to roll directly on the knee. Plant your hands in a push-up position, lifting yourself up so only your hands touch the ground. Use your upper-body strength to move your body back and forth, rolling across your quads. Tip: For added intensity, cross one foot behind the opposite knee so your legs make the number "4" and focus on one leg at a time. Foam Roller ITBands IT Bands Before we get into the specifics of this exercise, we want to give you some background information on your IT bands. Your iliotibial band, or IT band, is a ligament that starts at the side of your hip and ends at your shin. Tight IT bands can contribute to injuries and can be painful too. Turn so you're lying on your left side, then push your upper body up with your left hand so you're resting on your left elbow. Bend your right knee and plant your foot on the ground in front of your left knee. Lift up off your hip and place the foam roller at the top of your IT band, or just below your hip. Push your body forward and backward, slowly rolling along your IT band. Repeat on the right side. Tip: For added intensity, press firmly against the roller, inching along any tight spots. Foam Roller Foot Feet Stand up straight and place the foam roller under one bare foot. Push into the roller as your foot rolls up and down, working the heel, arch and sole. Repeat on the opposite foot. It's best to stand near a wall if both feet are on the roller so you can catch yourself should you fall. Keep one foot on the ground if balancing is something you struggle with. Tip: For added intensity, angle the foot to roll along your instep or the arched middle part of your foot. Union Flats
With a busy schedule to keep, how often do you really need to clean your apartment home? By taking care of these 6 little-thought-of places, you can keep your home at its best and healthiest. 1. Microwave Contrary to popular belief, microwaving your food does not burn away bacteria enough to counterbalance the spray of food from crackling bacon or explosive chili. Leaving your microwave as the last kitchen appliance to clean is setting you up for a bout of food poisoning. Running a heavy sponge over its inner walls, and sending the glass plate through the dishwasher every two weeks will keep your microwave safe and healthy. If you haven't done in it a while, apply some bleach to a rag for the first clean to burn out those long-term bacteria growths. 2. Bath Tub A report by Huffington Post speculates that a bathtub is even dirtier than your toilet. Bacteria lingering in your bathtub can cause more than a surprise bout of flu that takes you out of commission; harmful skin infections can be spawned off a bathtub left unattended, so be sure to give it a once-over with heavy soap once a week. If this is its first cleaning, hit it with some bleach to clear out the existing illnesses waiting to happen. 3. Floor The eye is instantly drawn to the floor when entering the room, so even if the rest of your home is pristine, a dirty floor will equate a dirty home. When you see an accumulation of pet hair and crumbs, it's time to give it a once-over with a vacuum, and mop up dirt as you see it on your hardwood. However, filth can gather out of sight that leave floors unsafe for pets and children. Set a schedule to vacuum, or sweep and mop, once a week, and be guaranteed harmful mildew or grime lingering in your floor is eliminated. This will provide a smoother feel, and make it less of a daunting task when you do get around to a major clean. 4. Table Tops and Pictures Forgetting to brush off your ceiling fan once in awhile can aggravate respiratory issues such as asthma, and bacteria naturally gathers on coffee tables and bedside stands - things we rarely clean our hands before touching. To prevent breathing problems with guests and to safeguard your health, take a rag with disinfectant to your picture frames and table tops. This leaves them shining, clean of dust, and bacteria free. For your ceiling fans, don't go for the feather duster - it'll only spread it around. Take a bath towel and wrap it around the blade, dragging it towards you so that the dust is collected rather than scattered. These 10 Unexpected & Damage-Free Decor Ideas make it even easier to have a stylish home that isn't difficult to keep clean. 5. Computer You might run your virus scanner every week, but it's not the insides of this home essential you need to worry about. A study conducted by CNN said that computer keyboards are over five times dirtier than our toilet seats, and while we all make sure to use a paper toilet when opening a public bathroom door, rarely do we put on gloves before using our laptops. Once a week, power down your digital buddy and don't hold back in rubbing it down with a rag and disinfectant spray, scrubbing over the mouse while you're at it. 6. Kitchen Counters We leave dishes and food on them, use them as impromptu seats, and our pets even have free range of counter tops when we're not looking. Kitchen counters are more prone to bacteria than any other table top, so set aside a time for scrubbing with bleach and soap once a week. If you do dishes more often, then give the counters a once over with your sponge as you finish, and save the heavy-duty cleaning for once every other week. Keeping It Clean A general rule of thumb is to clean once a week, but when you don't have the time to tackle your whole home at once, you can still have a place that's beautiful and healthy. By focusing on these six little-thought-of things, you can eliminate the most bacteria and keep your home safe until you can carve out a spring cleaning day.
While most of the country is snuggled away with their families for the Holidays, there are folks with certain jobs that require them to work, like Police Officers, Fire Fighters, hospital personnel, caregivers, transportation operators, and on-call maintenance technicians, to name a few. If you find yourself needing any one of these hard-working individuals (who have given up time with their own families to help those in need), show them a nice gesture of gratitude by giving them a small gift. We've put together some items that are unique, useful, and a thoughtful way to say "Thank you" and "Happy Holidays": Compact Planter ($5, ikea.com) Clay pots have nothing on this scalloped planter. They're so cheap, you could gift a few to kickstart that herb garden your mom has been talking about putting together. ($5, ikea.com) Clay pots have nothing on this scalloped planter. They're so cheap, you could gift a few to kickstart that herb garden your mom has been talking about putting together. Bath Bomb ($7, lush.com) Give the gift of some me time with this intergalactic bath "bomb" from Lush. When she drops the peppermint bomb in the bath, it dissolves and changes the color of the water to a bright neon - but won't wreck your tub. ($7, lush.com) Give the gift of some me time with this intergalactic bath "bomb" from Lush. When she drops the peppermint bomb in the bath, it dissolves and changes the color of the water to a bright neon - but won't wreck your tub. Icing Combs ($10, amazon.com) Even great bakers need a little extra assistance to achieve a perfectly frosted treat. Gift this set of six combs, and maybe they'll bake you a cake to say thank you. (A girl can dream.) ($10, amazon.com) Even great bakers need a little extra assistance to achieve a perfectly frosted treat. Gift this set of six combs, and maybe they'll bake you a cake to say thank you. (A girl can dream.) Cube Clock ($9, amazon.com) Minimalists will appreciate this wooden alarm clock. Clap your hands or tap the side to make the display the time appear. It'll peace out when you pass out. ($9, amazon.com) Minimalists will appreciate this wooden alarm clock. Clap your hands or tap the side to make the display the time appear. It'll peace out when you pass out. Pop Art ($9, amazon.com) This classic Roy Lichtenstein comic costs less than a daily latte, and can look fancy in the right frame. ($9, amazon.com) This classic Roy Lichtenstein comic costs less than a daily latte, and can look fancy in the right frame. Wine Mouth Fix ($9, amazon.com) Your Malbec-obsessed mommy friend will LOL when she sees these wipes - then she'll want to give them a try. They're supposed to help remove wine stains from your teeth after you drink a glass of red, and they come in a convenient compact with a mirror. ($9, amazon.com) Your Malbec-obsessed mommy friend will LOL when she sees these wipes - then she'll want to give them a try. They're supposed to help remove wine stains from your teeth after you drink a glass of red, and they come in a convenient compact with a mirror. Best Beanie ($8, amazon.com) Knit beanies are no longer just for the ski slope. This one comes in 11 different colors that'll match everything in your guy's closet - and hide his hair on those off days. ($8, amazon.com) Knit beanies are no longer just for the ski slope. This one comes in 11 different colors that'll match everything in your guy's closet - and hide his hair on those off days. Puppy Love ($8, amazon.com) Anyone who loves dogs will be able to relate to this touching novel about the relationship between one dog and his owners over his lifespan. If you wanna go for round two, the movie comes out in January. ($8, amazon.com) Anyone who loves dogs will be able to relate to this touching novel about the relationship between one dog and his owners over his lifespan. If you wanna go for round two, the movie comes out in January. R2-D2 USB ($7, amazon.com) The new Star Wars movie comes out right around the holidays, so show your nieces and nephews you know what's up with this USB drive shaped like R2-D2. ($7, amazon.com) The new Star Wars movie comes out right around the holidays, so show your nieces and nephews you know what's up with this USB drive shaped like R2-D2. Butterfly Art ($7, amazon.com) Let your teen decorate her room with these realistic, 3-D butterfly stickers. The set includes 19 different butterflies that look amazing together or spread out on the wall. ($7, amazon.com) Let your teen decorate her room with these realistic, 3-D butterfly stickers. The set includes 19 different butterflies that look amazing together or spread out on the wall. Cat Tails ($9, amazon.com) This ring stand won't stop your friend's cat from knocking things off your niece's dresser in the middle of the night, but it will give her an easy way to organize her small accessories. ($9, amazon.com) This ring stand won't stop your friend's cat from knocking things off your niece's dresser in the middle of the night, but it will give her an easy way to organize her small accessories. Hanging Candleholders ($4, cb2.com) For the friend whose backyard you're already jealous of, these hand-blown glass candleholders will make it even lovelier. They can be hung alone or grouped together for a shimmering chandelier effect. ($4, cb2.com) For the friend whose backyard you're already jealous of, these hand-blown glass candleholders will make it even lovelier. They can be hung alone or grouped together for a shimmering chandelier effect. Sweet Words ($10, maggielouiseconfections.com) You can customize these dark chocolate boxes with up to three letters. Spell out a loved one's nickname, or give them to a college kid with their university's letters. ($10, maggielouiseconfections.com) You can customize these dark chocolate boxes with up to three letters. Spell out a loved one's nickname, or give them to a college kid with their university's letters. Tree Cuddlers ($3, target.com) You'd have to be crazy not to fall for these adorable ornaments. Buy a whole herd to give someone's tree a cozy update. ($3, target.com) You'd have to be crazy not to fall for these adorable ornaments. Buy a whole herd to give someone's tree a cozy update. Bubbles with Benefits ($6, target.com) For each sudsy bar sold, Hand in Hand donates one, plus a month's worth of clean water, to a child in need. Comes in three different holiday scents, like Juniper Berry and Winter Woods. ($6, target.com) For each sudsy bar sold, Hand in Hand donates one, plus a month's worth of clean water, to a child in need. Comes in three different holiday scents, like Juniper Berry and Winter Woods. Eyeliner Kit ($5, elfcosmetics.com) You get five colored eyeliners plus a sharpener for less than your morning coffee in this kit. Perfect for mastering glittery holiday makeup looks, like this year's mega-popular candy cane eyeliner. ($5, elfcosmetics.com) You get five colored eyeliners plus a sharpener for less than your morning coffee in this kit. Perfect for mastering glittery holiday makeup looks, like this year's mega-popular candy cane eyeliner.
It's quite common nowadays for a number of us to hold remote freelance jobs, be entrepreneurs, or digital nomads. If that applies to you, then it's important for your home to be designed to maximize productivity and efficiency. You should strive to balance competing feelings of "home" and "office," so you can stay productive yet comfortable in your residence. So what makes a home the perfect office? It's not simply visual aesthetics that make a difference in the surrounding environment. Psychology and science also explain how designing layouts, managing work space, and placement of objects can improve productivity in your environment. 1. Manage and Have Ownership of Your Work space Regardless of whether your rental is owned by your property manager or your apartment is shared with roommates, the act of bearing ownership and making decisions regarding your work space can be empowering. This is supported by research that demonstrates work space management increases productivity. This is due to the fact there is a sense of social identity associated with your space use. Psychologists have asserted that decorating office work space with personally meaningful items projects identity, which gives feelings of permanency, control, and privacy. If you're living with other housemates, you can take this ownership to the next level through enforcing "home office hours". Are you working from 10AM-4PM in your home office on Tuesdays? Mark it in an agreement with your cohabitors so they don't throw a ruckus in the living room while you are working on your project three meters away. It's important to dictate your needs to not only those who work with you, but live with you. 2. Pick Rounded Furniture For a Better Feel Purchasing new furniture can either be an overwhelming or exciting process. With so many decisions to make - the color, size, type, and material - it's one that requires careful consideration since these items make up your environment. According to a study, layout and furniture that is curved and rounded, as opposed to straight-edged, makes the furniture appear more pleasant and inviting. This is because the roundedness triggers more brain activity that is associated with appreciation and aesthetic recognition. So when you're selecting your office chair and desk, be sure to weigh in carefully on the types and sizes you have available. While it might be more feasible to have a rectangular desk as your main work space, you can also explore the option of buying a small round coffee table to place on the side as well. 3. Choose the Right Colors For Your Work Performance Color psychology examines how color has an impact on moods and emotions. With that in mind, it's pertinent to choose the right color scheme for your office as it can affect your performance and productivity. Different colors and lighting will have different psychological effects. For example, red is a color that is very strong and attractive. It can stimulate us and gives us the impression that time is passing quicker. Brighter light levels are also more suitable for analytical and critical thinking. A dimmer environment can also cultivate creativity and imagination, which can be beneficial for idea generation in the work environment. Don't let a poorly selected color distract you from what's important and hinder your ability to work. If you own your apartment or if your property manager permits, you can choose to paint your wall a color reflective of your working needs, which can have a huge overall effect on your environment. If not, you still have choice over your furniture color, which can also have an impact on your performance. 4. Bring Nature Indoors You may be working with tenacity over your work desk for hours continuously and not have the chance to step outside to perambulate around the neighborhood. Hence, bringing in plants inside your home office can be a great idea to brighten up your work space. In fact, research has proven that office plants can help workers deal with demanding tasks and decrease stress levels while enhancing productivity by 12%. Another way to make the most of your home office is to have a window with a view. A window facing natural landscape would be ideal as it balances out the tension you have from your work, and fosters tranquility and relaxation in your mind. On the other hand, if you reside in an urban area, plants are still a great alternative to revitalize your work setting regardless.
These days, in our world of instant gratification, it's more important than ever to be able to stay focused on saving money any way you can. So to help you monitor your spending habits and cut expenses, here are 20 easy ways you can save every day, starting right now. How's that for instant gratification? 1. Make a weekly "money date." Commit to sitting down with your money once a week for a money date. Then update your budget, review your accounts and track your progress against your financial goals. Like any relationship, if you want your financial life to improve, you must spend time with your money. 2. Plan out your meals for the week. Taking a few hours every weekend to grocery shop and meal plan for the week will definitely save you money, as dining out is the No. 1 expense for most households. By eating at home, you save money that would otherwise be spent on tax and tip, and you usually save calories, too. 3. Cut out cable. Gasp! Cut out TV?! Never! But with services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime, you can now watch your favorite TV shows and movies for a fraction of the cost of cable TV. 4. Switch to an exercise pass program. If you love working out, an exercise pass program such as Class Pass is the way to go. By paying a membership fee of $99 per month, you are welcome at many of the best studios in your area. And classes, like cycling, yoga, Pilates, barre, strength training, boot camp, dance and more, are unlimited. This beats having to pay for each studio's monthly membership or individual class fee, which can add up to hundreds of dollars a month. 5. Host a potluck. The more friends you have, the more money you spend on lunch dates, birthday parties and gifts. Switch it up and, instead of meeting over a fancy dinner, host a potluck and have everyone bring his or her favorite dish. 6. Leverage lodging rental websites. Finding a place to stay while traveling is so convenient when you use a lodging rental website such as Airbnb, Travelmob or Housetrip. You can often find a place that has a kitchen (so you can cook meals at home to save money) at a rate that's comparable to hotels. You can even rent out your own place on sites such as Airbnb while you travel to make some extra cash to pay for your own travel expenses. It's a win-win scenario. 7. Make coffee at home. This one's not my favorite, as I absolutely love going to coffee shops and drinking delicious organic coffee. However, spending $4 to $5 on coffee every day definitely adds up. So try my approach and allow yourself a few days a week to buy coffee at cafes, and make it at home the rest of the time. 8. Work more. When you're working a lot, there's not much time left to shop and spend money. So stay busy and pursue a career you love. 9. Wait 48 hours before you click "buy." Since we can have anything we want these days with just the click of a button (there's that instant gratification again), you need to find a system to help buffer your impulse purchases. By waiting, you'll usually find that the item in question is more of a "want" than a "need." 10. Use blogs and Pinterest to learn DIY beauty treatments. Self-care is important, but going to spas and getting pedicures, massages, etc., can really add up. Allow yourself a certain amount to spend on these things; then use blogs and apps like Pinterest to find at-home beauty treatments to help you save money. Often you can find a DIY organic option using common household or kitchen products. 11. Outsource online. Time is a commodity, and your time is precious and valuable. And these days, there are so many tasks you can outsource that will save you time and money. But how do you figure out if outsourcing something is worth the expense? A great thing to do is to actually calculate the cost of your time, which will help you figure out if you can pay someone to do something for less than your hourly rate. Here's an example: A monthly net income of $3,000 divided by a total of 160 hours worked equals an hourly rate of $16.75. Now that you know the value of your time, you can strategically outsource it using a service like Fiverr or Task Rabbit for a fraction of your own hourly rate. 12. Get creative with gifts. Find creative ways to express your love to friends and family members with free, lower-cost or handmade birthday and holiday gifts. After all, a handwritten note explaining why you love someone can be more sentimental than some expensive gift he or she may never even use. Most people will appreciate the thought behind your gifts more than anything, so don't be afraid to save money and find free ways to celebrate birthdays and holidays. 13. Choose quality over quantity. This can apply to food, clothes, electronics and much more. Although it's tempting to choose the more budget-friendly version of an item, sometimes choosing quality over quantity will save you more in the long run. Save up your money and get the best-quality product you can afford, and leverage the cost-per-wear philosophy with more expensive clothing and shoes. 14. Deal with your emotions. Excessive spending is often a way to avoid feeling certain emotions. If you check in with yourself before you go on a major spending spree, you may be able to identify if you're feeling bored, lonely or stressed and are therefore spending money as a means to avoid the underlying emotion. Check in with yourself before you buy, and be mindful with your spending. 15. Stop trying to keep up with the Kardashians. It's hard to keep your blinders on and not compare your financial life to that of others, especially celebrities. However, it is really important to be clear about what matters most to you and make sure you build a financial plan that supports that vision. This will keep you moving toward your financial goals and stop you from spending money on things you don't need, to impress people you don't like. 16. Read a personal finance book. When you learn about personal finance, you'll learn even more strategies to help you save money for your goals in life. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more you can save. 17. Balance your "FOMO/YOLO" mind-set. With social media controlling our lives like never before, people often fall victim to the "fear of missing out" phenomenon and instead go overboard with a "you only live once" mentality. While it is important to live in the present and soak up each precious moment of life, make sure you balance that out by saving for your financial future, too. Without checks and balances in place, you can find yourself saying yes to everything and spending more money than you have, all due to the fear of missing out. 18. Map out your financial goals. Be very specific with your financial goals. For example, saying, "I want to save for a home down payment" is not enough. You need to map out how much you need, by when and what you need to save every month in order to reach the goal. When you know what your targets are, you're more likely to stay the course and continue saving for them for the long term. 19. Keep your eye on the prize. Staying focused on your goals takes discipline and determination. Saving can be easy and exciting at first, but after a while you may lose that initial motivation and start to find other things you can spend that money on. To avoid veering off course, check in with your goals regularly and keep your eye on the prize. 20. Track your progress. Americans save only 5.5 percent of their money compared to the 20 percent that personal finance indicates you should put away. But instead of feeling ashamed about your lack of savings, just start by saving something. Even 1 percent is better than nothing. Track your progress and continue to increase the number year after year. Step by step, day by day, you can get to that 20 percent savings level. The truth is, there are many ways to save money. Find the ways that work for you, and slowly start incorporating the strategies into your life.
