The winter months have left your home looking rather gloomy, and while spring might seem rather far off, a great project to get started on now is a simple home makeover. Try to involve your children, as well, to give them a good reason to ditch the computer or TV for a few hours after school.

The first step in touching up your home is, of course, a paint job. Don’t try to tackle the whole house, this will end up costing an arm and a leg, and will also stretch your patience with the process. Choose a few areas or rooms that could use a change; the difference in color will change the entire space, saving you the cost and effort of repainting everything. Of course, spend the little extra you may need to fix up any scratches or areas that have peeled.

This season’s popular colors are pastels and deep jewel tones. These will help brighten up any space, as well as give them a completely different mood. Try to match your choices to the white or cream bases that are already used throughout your home. A deep minty turquoise, for example, looks stunning with white walls, shelves or rugs. If you’re hesitant to commit to a new color, or too lazy to paint full walls, go out and buy some stencils and add a little bit of color and personality that way instead. You can even paint on children’s furniture, too, like a desk or a dresser. Wall-stickers are another great option to achieve this look.

Next, work on the more specific décor. Look around your main areas, and revamp your photo collection. Buy an eclectic bunch of new picture frames (mix colors, shapes and sizes), then sort through your photos and choose some favorites to put on display.

Now, move on to your furniture, rugs, cushions and other living room accessories. Don’t bother buying anything new; try to work with what you have. If the stuff looks kinda shabby, why not try removable covers? This will give you an opportunity to try new colors and styles without committing to the new look. You can even dye them yourself. Add ribbons, lace, tassels or designs to your cushions- if you’re intimidated by sewing machines, you can use hot glue instead.

Third, think about adding some plants to your interior. Beautiful potted flowers, or leafy vines like ivy, literally add life to a room. At your local nursery, ask for sturdy, indoor plants, that perhaps have a pleasant smell. Put some on top of the refrigerator, by the stairs, in the bathroom and on the piano, and make sure to put a bit of thought into the pots you choose.

Last but not least, think about the curtains, towels, bath mats and shower screens. These little things give the room its finishing touches, changing the atmosphere from hectic or messy to appealing and organized. While you’re at it, buy some new plastic drawers to keep in children’s bedrooms, bathrooms and the den to help keep things in reach but out of sight.

If you are a woman and want to live life longer, you might want to go live in Israel.  It seems that women in Israel are living longer than their male counterparts.  That is definitely something to celebrate today, on International Women’s Day!  Or is it?  Perhaps there is a bit more to the story.  Even though the women are living longer, they are getting paid less, according the Central Bureau of Statistics published two years ago.
 

Female Academia on the Rise in Israel

So does that mean they have what to celebrate today?  They’ve sure come a long way.  And that is what International Women’s Day is all about.  The number of female academics in the country increased significantly (ten percent) between 1990 and 2010 and those in managerial positions increased double during the same time frame.
 

So indeed, women in Israel should be enjoying the fruits of their labor and going out in force to celebrate the festivities of the day.
 

A major study points to a strong correlation between high stress jobs for women and their risk of heart attack. And if that wasn’t bad enough, worry about losing that high stress job also increases women’s risk for stroke, clogged arteries as well as heart attack.

In what many people are saying is a research project which is in itself a sign of the times, this giant, federally funded study is the longest major project to look at stress in women specifically, since they now make up practically half of the work force. Most studies about this issue have studied men in the work force.

“The reality is these women don’t have the same kind of jobs as men” and often lack authority or control over their work, said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of the Women and Heart Disease program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. “It’s not just going to work; it’s what happens when you get there.”