Author: rlmo

Exercise Snack Breaks – Your Bite-sized Way to Better Health

The beauty of exercise snacks is that they don’t require any equipment, and can give you an energy boost and improve your productivity. Photo: Jade Stephens / Unsplash

Exercise snacking isn’t new, this type of body and brain break is famous among many writers. Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, spends a minute every hour when writing doing push-ups and sit-ups.

Scott Lear, Simon Fraser University

The new Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour published by the World Health Organization are notable for what is missing: the minimum time for an exercise session.

Similar to previous guidelines, these recognize the importance of regular activity on physical and mental well-being. The guidelines recommend a target between 150 and 300 minutes per week of moderate activity (such as brisk walking) or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous activity (such as running) or a combination of the two.

Gone is the requirement that your exercise minutes need to be conducted in chunks of at least 10 minutes.

My research group investigates the role of regular physical activity on health and disease. Our research indicates the health and fitness benefits from exercise begin from the very first step of movement. These benefits continue to accumulate in a linear fashion up until 300 to 400 minutes per week of moderate activity. Beyond that, benefits continue to occur, but at a reduced rate.

The change in WHO’s guideline follows the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition, which removed this minimum requirement in 2018. This change was made because there is no evidence to indicate that exercising for at least 10 minutes is better than bouts of shorter duration.

This is great news for people who find it hard to fit in exercise, and very timely given the challenges the current pandemic has presented to many people’s daily activities. People have seen their step counts decrease by up to 50 per cent during COVID-19.

Snack on exercise throughout the day

Supporting these guidelines is research on so-called exercise snacking: short bursts of activity that you snack on throughout the day. Exercise snacking has grown out of research on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) — repeated bursts of high-intensity exercise interspersed with active rest (low-intensity exercise, usually of the same activity). Sandwiched between a warm-up and cool down, a full HIIT session may last 20 to 30 minutes.

The health benefits of exercise snacks is great news for people who find it hard to fit exercise into their schedule. Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels

Exercise snacking differs from HIIT in both the duration of the activity burst and the time in between. Whereas the exercise bursts in HIIT can range from 30 seconds to four minutes, in exercise snacking, these are reduced to 20 seconds.

The effect of these snacks on fitness was tested in a study of 28 inactive adults. Those randomized to doing three 20-second bike sprints separated by one to four hours of inactivity, three times per day for three days per week experienced a nine per cent improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness. This was comparable to the 13 per cent improvement in the group that conducted the three 20-second bike sprints over a 10-minute period.

Now this doesn’t mean going to the gym for a minute several times per day, or needing your own home gym. Or even getting into spandex. The beauty of exercise snacks is that you don’t need any equipment. Even climbing three flights of stairs, three times per day, three days per week for six weeks resulted in a modest increase in fitness in non-exercisers. This small amount of activity is enough to improve insulin metabolism in people who are overweight, confirming earlier research indicating two minutes of moderate walking every 20 minutes reduces blood sugar following a high-sugar test drink.

Fitting in your daily snacks

Exercise snacks can include stair climbing, jogging in place, jumping jacks or burpees. Photo: Ricardo Esquivel / Pexels

Exercise snacking isn’t new, although the research and the term are. If you’ve ever been sitting at your computer or watching TV and had the urge to stand up and walk around or stretch, you’ve had an exercise snack. This type of body and brain break is famous among many writers. Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, spends a minute every hour when writing doing push-ups and sit-ups. And why not? Short bursts of exercise can give you an energy boost and improve your productivity.

What makes the exercise snack different from standing up and stretching or walking to the kitchen, is increasing your heart and breathing rates. But you don’t need to worry about sweating. Moving about for one to two minutes isn’t enough time for you to start. This is makes it easy to do in everyday clothes.

Some activities you can do include stair climbing, jogging in place, jumping jacks and burpees. You can even do a brisk walk or jog around the block. If you have a stationary bike or rowing machine, just jump on that for a minute or so.

If you want something of longer duration, there’s the Royal Canadian Air Force 11-minute workout plan. Developed in 1959, you can do this program at home without any equipment (although keeping your knees bent during sit-ups is advisable). Researchers recently studied a modified version of this program, and found it effective at improving fitness.

It’s still ideal to get in your regular meal of exercise as well as your snacks. But exercise snacks are a great way to build activity into your day.

If you think you’ll have a hard time remembering to get up every so often, technology can help. From a simple cooking timer, to the alarm on your phone, to watches that vibrate reminding you to get up. But perhaps the most effective may be using a screen time app on your computer, tablet or phone. Some of these apps lock out your device for a set period of time, giving you the impetus to get up and move.

Scott Lear writes the weekly blog Feel Health with Dr. Scott Lear.

Scott Lear, Professor of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

This article is republished from The Conversation with permission. Read the original article.

March 9, 2021
Local Food Diets Can Make Communities Healthier During COVID-19

Photo: Laura James / Pexels

A local food diet can make you and your community healthier during COVID-19 pandemic.

Kimberly Hill-Tout, Queen’s University, Ontario and William Tyler Hartwig, University of Toronto

This past summer, many students were not able to fill the suggested 700 farming jobs funded by the federal government due to geographical or transportation barriers, limited positions or career irrelevance. At the same time, there was a larger demand for food grown locally in response to initial concerns about international imports during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

News stories from earlier this year covered farm problems such as milk dumping, produce dumping, an anticipated rise in meat prices and concern about a lack of agricultural production to feed the country.

Read more: 100 days of coronavirus has sent shock waves through the food system

Since March, farmers have continued selling at farmers markets, have sold out of community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares and responded to an increased demand as more people have taken up homesteading activities such as home cooking, gardening and canning.

This turn to local food, a more plant-based diet and home-based food production has been recommended by health professionals, climate scientists and community resilience builders alike. As graduate and medical student researchers, we see that the potential silver lining of COVID-19 health measures may be the fostering of a healthier lifestyle and building community resilience.

A pile of fresh garlic ready for pickup and market delivery. In the Canadian province of Ontario, garlic prices have risen this summer as a response to rising demand in local foods and fears that imports will be affected. Photo by Eva Elijas from Pexels

Health benefits

The most recent version of Canada’s Food Guide was released in March 2020. There was a stark contrast — the new guide was a move away from its lobbyist-informed predecessor. It recommended daily foods comprising half vegetables and fruit, and in the protein section there was reference to alternative protein sources such as beans, nuts, legumes and tofu.

Plant-based diets have for years now been the recommendation for maintaining a healthy body weight, reducing one’s risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. These diets can also lower cholesterol, slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, help with digestion by increasing fibre intake and reduce the risk of developing hypertension .

Eating locally also means that there are fewer chances for food-borne contamination, and better contact tracing within local systems. For example, red onions imported from the United States were the cause of a salmonella outbreak in Canada, infecting 457 people.

Community benefits

Community resilience is the ability of a community to survive and recover from adverse situations and events. Essentially, the resources that a community has — like food — can be affected by an event, and then adapt and grow in a way that will be more effective to withstanding future adverse events.

Social networks can be a crucial part of building community resiliency. The growing interest in local food as a reaction to COVID-19 can ultimately build social networks through farmer and non-farmer interactions as people seek out local farms and attend farmers markets.

An additional factor that builds community resilience is the increased interest in home skills. During quarantine, there was a surge of people taking up home cooking both as a necessary action as well as for stress relief. People also took up baking, preserving foods, gardening and crafting.

Read more: Before DIY sourdough starters became popular, there was home economics

This skill building creates community resilience because people learn to manipulate their resources. Whether it be in the form of stress relief or becoming less dependent on outsourced labour, people “bounced forward,” developing and adapting new methods and skills to mitigate future adversities.

Barriers to access

There are also limitations to the surge of interest in local food and skill-based activities. Similar to the inaccessibility of organic foods to households without disposable income, the affordability of local foods and access to farmers markets during COVID-19 can be a challenge to individuals without transportation or financial means.

An example is Knuckle Down Farm in Stirling, Ont. A small share costs $20 per week, while a large share costs $35 per week, which works out to be between $400 and $700 for a 20-week commitment. These need to be picked up weekly at the farm itself, which is inaccessible by transit. The price increases by $5 per week for delivery to the Toronto region, where it would still need to be picked up from an east-end address.

Encouraging healthy diets during a pandemic

Federal governments need to consider both larger social factors involved in overcoming adverse conditions and support communities that are in need of assistance. CERB financial relief can help cover a few monthly costs, but may not help everyone in taking up healthier diets or fostering community resilience.

To increase access and participation in local food markets, governments need to subsidise local food and deter the dumping of agricultural goods. Community resilience can also be encouraged by offering courses in skills-based activities like food prep and preserving.

COVID-19 has disrupted and changed the way we live our lives. Food can provide a means to encourage healthy diets, improve community relationships and address social inequalities as a way to enhance community resilience.

Kimberly Hill-Tout, Ph.D. Student, Geography and Planning, Queen’s University, Ontario and William Tyler Hartwig, M.D. Student, University of Toronto

This article is republished from The Conversation with permission. Read the original article.

March 9, 2021
Five Experts Agree You Don’t Have to Drink Eight Glasses of Water per Day?

It appears the origin of the recommendation to drink eight glasses of water a day may have come from a publication by the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board in 1945. Photo: Snapwire / Pexels

We asked five experts: Do you have to drink eight glasses of water per day?

Alexandra Hansen, The Conversation

Everyone knows humans need water and we can’t survive without it. We’ve all heard we should be aiming for eight glasses, or two litres of water per day.

This target seems pretty steep when you think about how much water that actually is, and don’t we also get some water from the food we eat?

We asked five medical and sports science experts if we really need to drink eight glasses of water per day.

Photo: Suzy Hazelwood / Pexels

All five experts said no

Here are their detailed responses:

Karen Dwyer Nephrologist

You only need to drink to thirst. The best gauge of your hydration level is the colour of your urine. You should aim for light yellow in colour; if very dark then you’re dehydrated and need more water; if clear (like water) then you don’t need so much water. Excessive water intake can be dangerous, particularly in those with heart conditions. The kidney has a remarkable ability to concentrate water so if you are “getting dry” the kidney will concentrate the urine and send a message to the brain to drink more.

Vincent Ho Gastroenterologist

No it’s not necessary to drink eight glasses of water a day. It appears the origin of the recommendation to drink eight glasses of water a day may have come from a publication by the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board in 1945 stating “A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 litres daily in most instances”. The recommendation also stated that “most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods”, a fact which is often overlooked. We do get a lot of our water intake from the foods we consume. Cauliflower and eggplant for example are 92% water. A one-size fits all approach is unlikely to be helpful. Healthy adults may not need to drink an additional eight glasses of water a day. On the other hand persons with certain diseases or living in very hot climates may require larger intakes of fluid.

You only need to drink to thirst. The best gauge of your hydration level is the color of your urine. Photo: Aleksandar Pasaric / Pexels

Michael Tam GP

Eight glasses, which is just less than two litres of water, is very roughly the basal water required by a fasting, well adult per day, who is doing nothing at all (for example, staying in hospital), with no special losses (such as vomiting or diarrhoea). In day-to-day life, we usually have additional losses (exercise, or sweating during a hot day), and we receive water from other sources. There are the obvious ones from our diet such as beverages, and juicy and moist foods, such as fruit and vegetables. Less obvious is water from the metabolism of food. The conversion of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins to energy in our bodies all produce water. Rather than focusing on the number of glasses, simply drink fluids when thirsty. Aiming for more water (especially in place of sweetened drinks) is often a good idea to improve health.

Jon Bartlett Sport Scientist

A person’s daily water requirements are highly individual and dependent upon a number of internal and external factors. While eight glasses of water per day is recommended as a base requirement to meet daily physiological needs, the actual volume of water required in a day is dependent on one’s day-to-day activities, health, and the climate in which they reside. Research shows even just a mild level of dehydration can negatively affect both mental and physical performance. This is further accentuated for individuals who are highly active and who live in hot environments. A simple and easy reminder to ensure you are drinking enough is to drink to thirst, and for days when activity levels are higher than normal or in hotter environments to increase the regularity of drinking and the total volume.

Toby Mundel Exercise Scientist

Many factors will determine how much water (via all foods and fluid, not just water!) your body needs. These include body size and composition (weight, muscle and fat), how much you sweat (physically active, hot or humid environment, too much clothing) or urinate (taking certain medication, being at high altitude), your health (having fever, vomiting or disease) or status (pregnant, breast-feeding), and diet (high-water content foods, carbohydrates). For most healthy adults rarely feeling thirsty and having light yellow (or colourless) urine usually confirms adequate water intake. Other helpful tips include drinking a glass of low-calorie fluid before and with every meal (to distinguish hunger from thirst), and drinking low-calorie fluid before, during and after physical activity (especially if you sweat). Although rare, drinking too much fluid can also have negative health consequences so more is not necessarily better.

Disclosure statements: Toby Mündel has received research funding from the Gatorade Sport Science Institute and Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, which has included research on hydration.

Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation with permission. Read the original article.

January 13, 2020
A Quick Bed Skirt From Old Bed Sheets Instantly Transforms Your Bedrooms Character

Photo: Daria Shevtsova / Pexels

This quick and easy makeover recycles a plain flatbed sheet into a bed skirt.

Bring an air of bohemian romance into your bedroom in only seconds by creating a bed skirt using a plain sheet, creating an intimate space for your special someone. Plus, it is one way to recycle older or unused bed sheets.

The Queen size bed in our example has one mattress; therefore, a king-size flat sheet was spread over the mattress, allowing the sheet to reach the floor. The flatbed sheet’s loose fit creates a relaxed bed skirt that complements the duvet’s plush softness.

You can sew two flat sheets for more extensive size beds. Try matching the bed skirt color with the pillowcases, or use complementary colors.

The bed skirt in the above image was created in seconds using an old recycled plain flat bed sheet. Photo: rlmo

If your bed has both a mattress and box spring, place a flat sheet between the mattress and box spring to allow the ‘skirt’ to reach the floor. A bed skirt should reach close to the bedroom floor or beyond but never end too far above the floor.

By experimenting with various patterns, accents, colors, fabrics, and multiple sizes, you can easily update your bed and bedroom appearance while you help the environment by recycling bed sheets.

A king size flatbed sheet was placed over a queen size mattress, creating a casual bed skirt. PHOTO: rlmo

April 2, 2014

Build an inexpensive solid oak bathroom medicine cabinet

The original medicine cabinet was one piece metal mold cabinet with two shelves in a white enameled finish. The mirrored cabinet door is attached to the medicine cabinet by a decorative wooden pine frame. The medicine cabinet Real-life Makeover project is to replace at minimal cost the original medicine cabinet with a more contemporary cabinet with 2 shelves.

If you prefer you may add more shelves just remember to allow enough height in at least one shelve area to accommodate the tallest item to be stored in the medicine cabinet.

original-medicine-cabinet-real-life-makeover — Original Medicine Cabinet

The major materials for the medicine cabinet will be recycled pine for the trim and to match the bathroom counter-top, Oak for the sides and shelves one piece of scrap bin for the back and one Ikea, Vattern Femmen 600.482.21 mirror door.

Determine the height and width for the medicine cabinet, most often this is set by the wall cutout from the original cabinet, and wearing protective glasses and gloves secure the oak and cut the pieces accordingly. For the Medicine Cabinet Real-life Makeover project we cut the oak into 2 x 25 9/16″ for the sides and 4 x 14″ for the top, bottom and 2 shelves.

Measure the depth and height for the pine trim and cut accordingly the 2 pieces.

Using a combination square, measure and drill the shelve support holes (pilot holes), into the cabinet side oak pieces. (Purchase the shelve supports before drilling the pilot holes to determine which size of drill bit to use.)

Then two inset holes will need to be drilled onto each of the oak side pieces which will support the the pine trim, the holes should be drilled where they will be covered by the shelves. Followed by 2 pilot holes at each corner to hold the medicine cabinet together.

Once all the pilot holes are made each side oak side piece for a two shelve medicine cabinet should have 2 x 2 for the shelves, 2 x inset to support the pine trim and 2 pilot holes at each corner to attach to the top and bottom oak pieces. The top and bottom oak pieces should each have 2 pilot holes on each end to attach to the medicine cabinet side pieces.

Wearing protective glasses and gloves secure the oak shelve piece and with a small chisel cut out on each end of the shelve a groove for the supports to slide into. An L shaped support or non slip rubber supports can also be instead be used to avoid the need for grooves.

Then stain or paint and protect the cut wood with a least 2 coats of polyurethane. if more protection is desired a third coat of polyurethane maybe applied but before the third coat the wood needs to be lightly sanded with 220 sandpaper to help ensure a smoother finish. If only 2 coats of polyurethane are applied there is no need to sand in between coats and you may stain before or after preparing the wooden pieces.

The top image shows one side panel with the shelve supports and two pilot holes. One pilot hole will be used to secure the unit in place and the second will be to secure the trim pictured below.

The two pieces of trim (bottom image) were left over from an old table top. They will be stained the similar shade as the cabinet and secured using the pilot holes onto each side of the medicine cabinet.

Now we will drill the pilot holes for the screws that will hold the frame together.

Using a bit size that correspond to the shelve supports, drill 2 pilot holes at each end on the back side of the 25 9/16″ pieces. Two at each top and bottom. (top image).

Then drill 2 pilot holes on the end face of two 14″ pieces (The top and bottom of the cabinet.).Make sure they match the pilot holes on the side pieces above. These
Then assemble the frame, using the 8 x 1 3/4 ” screws. (bottom image).

Top Pic:
Front image of the Ikea mirror door (Vattern Femmen) that we will be using for the cabinet.

Bottom Pic:
Image of the back side of the same mirror door. The hinge holes on the door come predrilled

Now place the back panel, on the rear of the oak frame and drill the pilot holes.
This board for the back of the cabinet was purchased from a scrap bin. Hardware stores offering a wood cutting service often keep a bin with left over pieces from previous cuts. The above piece was found in such a bin and cost us $2.50 including the cut to measure!

After completing the rear panel pilot holes, put the rear panel aside for the moment and prepare to install the front mirror door.
Start by installing the hardware into the back of the mirror door, then palace the fame onto the rear of the mirror and mark the pilot holes for the screws that will support the mirror onto the frame. Remove the frame from the mirror and drill the pilot holes at the marks, replace the frame on top of the backside of the mirror, top image, and screw the mirror supports onto the oak frame.
(Replace the original screws with 12 x 3/4″ metal/wood crews, image bottom right.)

These images show the backside of the mirror door attached to the oak frame. The pilot holes for the rear panel are visible along the back edge of the frame.

Four holes on the side pieces and three and the top and bottom.
(Remember if using 1″ thick oak the pilot holes should accommodate
8 x 1 3/4″ wood screws.)

A drill was used to produce notches to the underside end of each shelve. This will give the shelve supports a flush fit with the selves.
A Q-tip was used to stain the shelves notches.

Exterior and interior of the finished medicine cabinet. The two strips of pine attached to each side add warmth while maintaining a contemporary look.

	Bathroom Medicine Cabinet Real-life Makeover™.
	What You Need
01	1 1″ x 5″ x 8’six solid oak piece.	Home Depot	$23.28
02	1 mirrored door (Vattern Femmen 600.482.21)	Ikea	$20.00
03	1 pack hinges for mirrored door ( Anordna, 0614)	Ikea	$2.00
04	1 pack 8 x 1 3/4″ wood screws ( 846-054 )	Home Depot	$1.99
05	1 pack 12 x 3/4″ metal/wood screws (826-252)	Home Depot	$1.99
06	1 Miniwax stain and protect, 236 ml (Antique Walnut, Satin 340)	Home Depot	$7.15
07	1 back panel (from scrap bin)	Home Depot	$3.00
08	8 shelve supports		$1.00
09	2 Peices the height of the mirror for the trim.		$0.00
		Total	$60.41

	The Tools You Need:
	Terry Sponge for staining (or brush)
	Combination Square
	Screwdriver
	Drill and Bits
	Saw

September 21, 2013

Minute Makeover painted rear screws on Vespa scooter

September 19, 2013
Quickly Makeover a Rooms Appearance by Upgrading Electrical Switches, Dimmers, and Outlets

Light switches, dimmer, outlets, and thermostats, should be chosen based not only on functionality but also on the contribution of the unit to the room’s design. Source: Legrand

One easy and inexpensive makeover is updating and upgrading a room light switch, dimmers, outlets and the often neglected thermostat controller.

The quality finish of a room is often the sum of its minor details, and the glamour of any room will increase by replacing the standard dull electrical units with more stylish models.

And it’s not just the appearance. High-end switches, dimmers, outlets and thermostats offer quality and functionality along with style and finish.

Modern light switches, dimmers, outlets and thermostats are available in different finishes and various options such as nightlights and the innovative pop-out outlet. This quick Minute Makeover™ can quickly turn into a performance upgrade.

These modern light switches, dimmers, outlets and thermostats are available in different finishes and various options such as nightlights and the innovative pop-out outlet. This quick Minute Makeover™ can quickly turn into a performance upgrade.

One of our favorite dimmers design comes equipped with a locator light/nightlight. Source: Legrand Nightlight

One of our favorite light switch dimmer combo comes equipped with a locator light/nightlight, a small led bulb that helps locate the button in the dark while simultaneously adding mood lighting to the piece. Other controls and outlets are equipped with mobile technology, such as USB ports.

The cost for this cosmetic makeover will be relative to your decision on style and quality. Prices can vary from a few more dollars than the standard contractor’s units to hundreds of dollars for the extremely high-tech, high-quality brands.

However, there is regularly a middle ground, which you decide base on your budget. Keep in mind that even a quality mid-price unit is better than the tiresome standard.

The innovative pop-out outlet. Source: Legrand

Modern outlets are equipped with technology, such as USB ports. Source: Lergrand

Modern light switches, dimmers, outlets and thermostats are available in different finishes and various options. Source Legrand

In the image above, modern light switches perfectly complement the wood panels and the contemporary leather chair. Source: Legrand

Modern light switches, dimmers, outlets and thermostats are available in different finishes and colors. Source: Legrand

August 23, 2013
Add trim for a improved complete finish

The level of finishing and detailing found in a project has a profound impact, even if the finishing or detailing is minimal, on the ‘quality’ of a project. One factor that separates the end end from average is obviously the quality of the material, but also the amount of attention to detail and finish.

When planning projects it is important to pay attention to the detailing and finishing. Most often the majority of the budget is spent on materials and not enough invested in the finishing. High quality hardware added to a kitchen cupboard will have a dramatic impact on the look of the finished product. The same could be said for the accessories in a bathroom makeover. The above image demonstrates how the finial appearance is quickly altered by adding to the plain shelve a baseboard trim. The piece inexpensive MDF baseboard improves the shelves look.

June 6, 2013
Remodel interior doors by recycling old moldings

After replaced the original door frame moldings in our home, we decided that the doors also required a makeover. Since we rent the apartment we were searching for a low budget solution. Paint alone on the plain flat doors with out texture would not be sufficient. We then decided to recycle the former old moldings and used them to add texture and depth to the doors. This is an easy real-life makeover project which helps not only the bank account but also the environment by recycling the old moldings and doors.

Old recycled moldings were cleaned, trimmed to 45 degree angles and sanded then positioned and secured to the door with finishing nails hammer in just deep enough to support the pieces. This is important to allow for easy removal of the molding if readjustment is necessary. To avoid uncovering extra holes from the previous ‘countersinking’ holes which had been filled in pull the nails through the back side of the molding. This is also an easier method to remove the old nails.

Once you are satisfied with the placement of the moldings, remove them add glue and nail then back onto the door. Different patterns can be created with the limitation being only your imagination. We picked a square pattern repeated 3 times on both sides of each door.

After the patterns are and properly secured, lightly sand the door and moldings using a finishing sandpaper. Then apply two coats of a good quality primer, followed by the paint. The door in our interior door real life makeover
was finished with two coats of semi-gloss paint.

Note: To demonstrate how quick and easy the interior door real life makeover project is, we left the project door on its hinges, it can however be removed.

Images below show the various stages of the Interior Door Real Life Makeover project

The original door

Start of first pattern

Starting second pattern

All 3 patterns completed

Sanded and primed door

Finished door

May 21, 2013
Inexpensive Bathroom Real-Life Makeover

The first four pictures(1,2,3,4), show the original bathroom, which will receive a real-life makeover™. Not being the proprietors of the appartment the makeover will have to achive a balance between quality and frugality. To minimize costs the original walls and tiles, which are in good condition will be saved and, tiled over, instead of torn down.

After removing the medicine cabinet, counter-top, heater, moldings and doors, we decided to replace the original razor outlet with an electrirical outlet with a saftey breaker and move it inside the cabinet, (Picture,5). Using a drywall saw Picture,6), the original medicine cabinet
cut out was enlarged to accomidate the new larger cabinet. Highly recomended that if you decide to build your own medicine cabinet, or purchase a new one, make sure at least one shelve has enough clearence to allow for a tooth brush in its stand.

Click here for the medicine cabinet real life makeover™. The original tile was then lightly sanded and throughly cleaned with a heavy duty cleaner. Then the vanity was cleaned, primed/painted, a middle shelve added, and both shelves covered with covering from Ikea, (Picture,7). The music speaker wires were also run around the door frame, behind the tile and under/around the counter, (Picture,7,8), so later speakers maybe added to the bathroom.

The tiling was completed using adhisive starting from the bottom up. Make sure the first row of tile is straight, errors will get magmified as the works progresses.(There could be exceptions when the first row of tile may not be perfectly straight, this is fine, if done intenssionaly.) Make sure the proper adhisive for tile on tile, not tile on wall /floor is used.

The counter top came from an old Ikea table top that was trimmed to measure using a circular
saw,(Picture,9). A jigsaw and drill were used for the sink cutout, which we then turned into a cutting board. Once the top was properly trimmed, the underside received two coats of stain/ protection. The topside also received two coats of stain/protection, followed by a light sanding (220 sandpaper), before appling a third coat,(Picture,9). We highly recomended to lightly sand after the second and before any thrid coat of stain or paint. The top was then secured to the vanity, (Picture,10) and the tileover completed.

Once the tiles are firmly set. Using a grout filler begin filling in the spaces between the tiles. When mixing the filler add water a small amout at a time until the filler achives the
consistiensy of wet dough. Apply the filler a small area at a time and wipe off the excess filler imidiately, before moving on to the next area. Once the tilling is all completed wash all residu off. Then the walls were painted using a kitchen/bathroom paint, and the newly built medicine
cabinet securly screewed into the cut out on the wall.

This being the only bathroom in th apartment, the hardware was placed as soon as possible.
The towel rack, toilet paper holder, ethermastat, light switches, sink and facet were updatd
and greatly added to the final look. Their total cost for the hardware was just over $110.
The quality of the fixtures greatly determin the finished look of any makeover, therefore
always purchase wisely but try to purchase the best quality you can afford. For an example of the importance of hardware, see how changing an inexpensive handle on a toilet, completely upgrades the look, click here.

April 11, 2013
Step X Step Instruction on How to Install a Fly Screen / Windscreen on a Scooter

Sliding the fly screen/windscreen onto the screen supports for a Vespa GTS 250

Installing a windscreen will make scooter or motorbike riding a lot more enjoyable when riding on highways, at higher speeds and in cold weather.

An adequately installed windscreen/fly screen will also help improve fuel economy, making this a relatively inexpensive DIY with numerous benefits.

For highway or cold weather riding, a fly screen / windscreen is indispensable, affordable and easy to install. In this installation iVespa™ uses a Cuppini flyscreen, but the installation procedure is similar for the other brands of screens.

For the installation instructions visit iVespa.com

February 19, 2013
Easy Toilet Flush Lever Upgrade Delivers Big Impact

A small investment delivers a significant impact on the finished look in this Minute Makeover™

The toilet lever upgrade replaced the original standard plastic lever, which is standard on most toilets with a better quality lever.

The small investment in adding the chrome flush lever improves the appearance of the whole toilet and is a lot less expensive than replacing it.

When renovating, a decent budget should be set aside for accessories – the finishing touches. The impact of accessories on the final appearance of a renovation should never be under-emphasized.

Toilet flush levers come in different finishes and materials, consider the design and look of the whole bathroom when choosing.

When a plastic or non-metal lever is the right choice, focus on quality and always chose the best quality you can afford. There is no substitute for quality.

Many options exist in the design and finish of toilet tank flush levers, take into account the design and look of the whole bathroom when choosing.

Another simple upgrade is replacing the toilet seat and tank cover, which will have a notable impact.

A simple minute makeover is upgrading the toilet seat. Always chose the best quality you can afford. There is no substitute for quality.

Adding a custom tank cover will impact the appearance of the whole toilet.

November 17, 2009