Five Ways To Store Books When You Have No Space

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Photo by Victoria Borodinova from Pexels

The most obvious way to store books when you have no space is to get an e-reader. These can be a great option for making sure you always have something to dip into. Very few book lovers, however, would want to give up paper books completely. With that in mind, therefore, here are five ways to store books when you have no space.

Make customized shelving

If you buy ready-made shelving, the chances are you’ll be stuck with squares and rectangles. If, however, you make your own shelving, it can be whatever shape and size you want. Making and fitting shelves can be done with few skills and fewer tools. You just need a decent timber merchant for the wood.

If you’re worried filling up your home with shelves will make it look cluttered, then you can relax. Firstly, you’ll probably be clearing piles of books from random places. This alone can help to make your home look more spacious. Secondly, books are good to look at. They create a feeling of cosiness. That’s why you can get wallpaper which looks like shelves of books.

Turn picture ledges into bookshelves

This is essentially a twist on the previous tip. It can, however, allow you to make use of really narrow spaces. Usually, the best approach is to choose your slimmest books with the most attractive covers. Essentially, you’re creating a gallery wall of books while keeping them accessible to read. This can work really well in hallways.

Use bookshelves as room dividers

This one is particularly helpful in studios. It can also be very useful in houses which need to have multifunctional rooms. That’s pretty much all of them these days. You need to choose your bookshelves with care and make sure they have appropriate support. With that taken care of, however, bookshelves can be an effective and convenient way to zone a space.

Once they are filled, bookshelves provide both privacy and soundproofing. At the same time, however, the gaps between the books and the top of the shelf above help to keep a sense of openness. What’s more, the books act as decor so the overall effect is softer than using a solid divider like a wall or curtain.

Hit the floor

Slide books under your furniture. If your furniture pieces are low to the ground, put the books on their sides. You may find it best to use a tray with low edges or even a picture frame. This can make it more convenient to get them in and out. If you have more space under the seat, then you can literally use the floor like a bookshelf. This can work very well under beds.

Turn books into furniture

Obviously, you need to be a bit careful with this but it can solve two problems at once. If you stack your books carefully, you can use them as tables. Generally, small stacks work best and you would use them as side-tables. You might want to put a tray on top (or at least some coasters) to protect your books.

Dealing With Grief: 5 Ways That Help When You’ve Lost a Loved One

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Image Source

The experience of mourning the loss of a loved one like a family member or close friend is something you wouldn’t want to wish on your worst enemy. It’s something that everyone must deal with at some stage.

Grief can affect people in all kinds of ways, and if you’re already battling mental health problems, it can affect you more deeply than other people. The following are some practical concepts to bear in mind when coping with the loss of a loved one:

1. Don’t Handle the Arrangements Alone

If you’re grieving for the loss of a parent or another close family member, for example, don’t feel you have to sort the arrangements out yourself. For instance, when it comes to funerals, you can ask a funeral director to take care of all the details on your behalf.

They can organise things like setting up the funeral, organising flowers and even contacting relatives and friends on your behalf.

2. Don’t Give Yourself a Grief Time Limit

It doesn’t matter how long it takes to experience the loss of a loved one. You should never force upon yourself a grief time limit. There’s no single answer on how long it takes to deal with grief or even how you should be feeling.

3. It’s Good to Talk

You will undoubtedly have lots of unanswered questions that you wanted to ask your loved one. Plus, you may be experiencing confusing, frustrating, or other types of feelings and emotions since you learned of your loved one’s passing.

Don’t feel like you have to keep everything bottled up. It’s always good to talk about how you feel or any thoughts that are in your mind related to your loved one.

Some might find it easier to talk to a therapist, whereas others prefer to seek comfort by speaking with family members and close friends.

4. Take Care of Yourself

As cruel as it might seem, life still goes on even with the passing of someone dear to you. With that in mind, you still need to continue with your daily routines as much as possible and not neglect your personal health and wellbeing.

What that means is, you should ensure that you get plenty of sleep each night, eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise where possible. Taking care of yourself doesn’t just ensure you stay in good physical health; it also helps your mental health.

5. Share Happy Memories With Others

Lastly, you’ll likely have tonnes of happy memories that included your loved one. Talking to family members and close friends about those memories can help you keep your loved one’s memory alive and help celebrate the good times you’ve had together.

You could also do something that helps you remember those happy memories, such as having a photo framed or printed of you both from a happy occasion in the past.

Hopefully, this article will have given you some ideas on how you can make dealing with grief a little easier. Thank you for reading it today.

What Is On Offer For Students In Terms Of Accommodation

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Pixabay License

Find a room mate options seem to be everywhere, especially when you’re a student. However, despite all the choice that is apparently at your fingertips, there is a great difference between finding a room to rent, and finding the right room to rent. Every person is an individual and so the process of melding together lives to cohabit can be a tricky one. As students, it’s expected that you rent a room in a shared house or apartment to lower your costs while you study. However, there are certain tips and tricks you can use to ensure that you find the right place to live and people to live with. Read on to discover more about them.

Locate Your Best Rent A Room Options Online

It may seem counterproductive to say that you can find the best student accommodation options online. After all, isn’t it better to see something in person? Of course, you do need to experience a room before you agree to rent it, but first impressions matter and first impressions can be made online. When you’re browsing websites to find a roommate in a shared house anywhere in the country, there are always a few things that jump out at you.

Firstly, is the person seeking a roommate a student too, or are they an older person looking to rent out a room to a student? Both are acceptable options, but you may have a preference as to who you want to live with. Similarly, some adverts to find a roommate in student accommodation are specific about what level of study the person is at. If they’re a postgrad, for instance, it’s unlikely that they’ll be keen to live with an undergrad in their second year more interested in partying than study. The best way to find a roommate who suits your lifestyle is to read ads carefully, paying as much attention to the people you’ll be living with as the place itself. Then, when you visit the property, do the same thing. Ultimately, a shared house or apartment can only be successful if everyone in the property has the same expectations. As a student, you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to arranging your accommodation, so ensure that you look at plenty of ads online first.

The Best Way To Find A Room For Rent

The best way to find a room for rent is something you are no doubt interested to know if you are currently looking for a place to stay. There are many options available nowadays, from asking friends and family members to looking in local newspapers. However, nothing beats conducting your search on the Internet.

It is always best to find a room for rent online. This is because you are going to have more rooms to choose from, and you will have all of the time in the world to make your decision. Nowadays, most landlords don’t advertise in newspapers, so there will only be a very, very limited selection on display. Of course, another option is to go to a letting agency. But, their fees are often astronomical, and the process can get dragged out with a middleman involved. This is why using the Internet is the best approach.

You can search through numerous websites, ensuring you have the greatest assortment of rooms to choose from. You can also take the time to look at the photographs and compare rooms against one and other, while also getting numerous quotes so you can get a good idea regarding the average cost of a room in the area in question. You will be better equipped to come to the best decision for you, and you won’t feel pushed into going down a certain route. It is definitely the best way to find a place you are happy with.

What To Look For In A Student Accommodation Website

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a rent a room website is its payment terms. The last thing you want to do is end up spending a fortune in the form of commission. Find a company that has favourable payment terms; some may even give you the option to advertise your room for free.

Aside from this, you should do a bit of research to make sure the company has a good reputation. Read comments that have been left by people that have used the website to find a roommate before. This will either fill you with confidence or alert you to red flags that indicate you should look elsewhere. You also want a website that is going to give you the ability to publish your room immediately. Every minute your room is empty is a minute you are missing out on money. You don’t want to be waiting for days and even weeks for the website to publish the room listing. You should also be able to vet tenants yourself, so you can make sure they are right for you.

Letting A Room? How To Find A Roommate

If you occupy a shared house and need to find a roommate, there are websites you can advertise on, some of which are free. However, as you’ll no doubt be aware, trying to find a good roommate can be a minefield. One basic rule is that the better the quality of the ad, the more appropriate the applicants that answer it. That’s why general advice for letting a room out always includes having a good quality advert. When you’re looking at how to find a roommate, especially if you’re a student, you need to be clear on what you can and can’t cope with. If you’re a non-smoking household a smoker may be a red line for you. If you need students who are dedicated to their studies and are not going to cause too much mess, then make that clear.

When you place ads for a room, ensure too that you place them on sites that are going to attract the best applicants. Some websites, especially some free ones, have listings for all sorts of things and this hodgepodge can create something of a lottery when it comes to finding a roommate. If you’re looking at advertising online for your roommate, it’s far better to choose a website that is committed to only renting out rooms and other forms of space.

Ready To Write Your Room Ad?

So, if you are ready to put your advert together, where do you start? The first thing you need to do is get your images ready if you are to rent a room out, and you will need to choose a main image, which is going to be the thumbnail that appears on the website listing. This image needs to catch the user’s eye so that they click on the advert. Your image is so important because this will determine whether people find out more about your room or not. So, make sure you include images of common areas, including interior shots of your property, upload more than one image, avoid any images that show too many small details, and ensure that all photos are bright and eye-catching.

The next step when you advertise a room for rent is to put together an appealing title. This is a way to spur interest in your ad, so you need to be creative and ensure it stands out from other adverts. The third and final step is describing your property in detail. You need to show potential tenants why your room is a good pick. Avoid using long-winded sentences; be clear, concise but comprehensive. Don’t leave out any important details and list all key features.

Things You Should Not Leave Out Of Your Advert

If someone is looking to rent a room out, one thing they will certainly want to know is whether the household is smoking one. A lot of non-smokers won’t want to live in a house with someone that smokes. You may think that the best thing to do is simply disguise this in order to get more interested tenants. But, when someone comes for a viewing, they will only be annoyed that you have wasted their time. Another thing you need to include when you advertise a room for rent is to state the location of the room, i.e. is it on the ground floor or the first floor.

Next, make sure you advertise your spare room as a house share. No one looking for a one-bedroom flat wants a bedroom in a house share; so don’t try to blur the lines in order to tempt more people. Be honest and upfront about what you are offering, and make sure you are advertising in the right places, i.e. websites that specialise in room rentals, not property rentals. Finally, you will be amazed by how many people don’t say whether the room is furnished or unfurnished – don’t leave this out.

Get audiobooks and support independent book shops!

Image

Hi everyone! There is this amazing website called Libro fm. You can access a massive range of audiobooks and every purchase supports independent book shops in the US but you don't have to be in the US to use it! They have a lot of audiobooks that aren't available from other services and they do some good with every purchase! Check out my referral link if you're interested!

Image

How To Improve Your Business Performance

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Starting your own business is an excellent way of earning income. However, depending on the business industry you are dealing with, there are several things you need to do to stay in line and to achieve great results.

Even though the most common business rules apply to all, some businesses end up failing, and the owners experience poor results. Because of this, your business should always stand out. How? You can improve your business performance using the following tips.

Pexels

5 Tips to Help Your Business Stand Out

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Image credit

Online businesses are getting more competitive by the day, so your business must stand out from the crowd, to survive.

Here are 5 top tips to help your business gain a competitive edge and thrive in the 21st century.

 
#1 Nurture your existing customers

Brand loyalty is at an all-time low, meaning your customers are more than likely going to go somewhere else. It is always beneficial to look for new customers to bring into your business, but it is just important to nurture the ones you already have. Find new ways to serve them, keep them interested, and continue to give them value. Too often businesses are focusing on new deals for their new customers, they neglect their existing ones who are easier to nurture into repeat business. Stand out by rewarding customer loyalty.

Things To Consider When Emigrating

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Moving to a different country is a big deal. It is incredibly exciting but it also requires a lot of careful planning, over a long period of time. Preparing to move can start months if not years in advance as there will be a lot of admin involved that doesn’t happen overnight. To help you prepare for a move overseas or to give you a better idea of what it entails here are some key considerations to bear in mind.

 
Language

Many Brits often opt to move to the sunnier climes of the Spanish Costas or to set up shop in the South of France. A move like this can often be complicated by the language barrier. Making an attempt to learn the language will stand you in great stead when looking to socialise with locals and become part of a community. What is more, learning the language will be of huge benefit when it comes to the administrative aspects of moving. Whether looking to buy a house or arrange your utilities speaking the language, or at least being able to understand elements of the language will pay dividends. That said when it comes to official or important documents, such as legal contracts in relation to property purchases, if you do not speak the language confidently it is always worth using legal translation services to ensure you fully understand the paperwork and know exactly what you are signing.

Legal translation services may also be required when obtaining and reading entry documentation and requirements such as visas and their imposed conditions. Especially in a post-Brexit world.

Photo Credit Skitterphoto from Pexels

Banish These 3 Things From Your Life For Better Mental Health

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Sometimes to get well, we need to minimise or cut things from our lives that are doing us more harm than good. Read about three of the most important things to banish for better mental health below.

Negative self talk

First of all, if you want your mental health and reduce anxiety to improve then learning to recognize and disregard negative self-talk is vital.

Negative self-talk is one of those things that seems like it's coming from ‘us’ but is just another way of our brains trying to protect us from danger. The idea being that your brain warns you of things that could cause problems for you in your life. Unfortunately, most people don't realise that it's their brain trying to protect them, or that they don't have to believe everything it says. Oh, and very few understand that the brain can't tell the difference between bad behaviour and a bad person!

How To Make Working From Home More Manageable

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Source

It definitely seems to be the case that most of us are all working from home more at the moment. Maybe you’re going to be working from home for the foreseeable now? Or maybe you’re self-employed? It can be hard to adjust to and you may find that you get distracted easily or struggle to manage everything. But how you feel really matters and affects your productivity. So let’s take a look at how you can do this.

Stick To A Routine

For starters, one of the best things that you can do is to make sure that you have some kind of working routine. It can be hard to feel productive at home and when you’re not in the work environment hat you’re used to. So establishing a new sort of working from home routine can really help you to stay productive and make it work out for you.

I got a surprise book box and absolutely loved it + discount link!

Hi everyone! I recently got a surprise book box from A Box of Stories. They do boxes of 4 surprise books in different genres: young adult, crime, fantasy and sci-fi, historical fiction, light reads, mixed reads and fiction. I got the YA box and filmed an unboxing and try a chapter video over on my YouTube channel!

I was really impressed with the box, which is usually £20, with my referral link you can get £4 off so you get 4 books for around £16! Some of the boxes are £15 so with the discount they would be around £11! I think this is a really great deal for 4 brand new books. You can choose when you want to get the box and you can pause or cancel anytime.

If you want to see what books I got in my box, check out my unboxing and try a chapter video. I will also be uploading a reading vlog for some of the books! 

I have been struggling with reading this year. I have been DNFing (not finishing) so many books. I haven't been enjoying most of the books that I have read and I have only found one new absolute favourite read so far this year (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue). I have been filming reading vlogs so you can see some of the books I have been reading and my thoughts on them. 

I was very excited to get my box and I was hoping that it would help me find some new hidden gems and potential favourites. The books are ones that have been recommended by readers but didn't necessarily become hyped. I recently took a break from reading for a little bit, I didn't feel interested in any book. Since getting the box, I have read two books and I am currently reading a third. There was one book that I don't want to read but I am still very happy to have 3 books that I have found interesting and I was actually motivated to read!

Additionally, the customer service of this company is brilliant. You can link to your Goodreads so they won't give you any books that you've already read and you can select two genres that you don't want to receive. You can also opt in to get newsletters. I would really recommend checking out A Box of Stories if you're looking to find some new under-rated reads! You can get £4 off your first box with my referral link. I will be posting regular unboxings and try a chapter videos for this box so please subscribe to my channel if you don't want to miss them!