Eco-friendly apartment living ideas can often be a challenge, but are slowly gaining popularity as more people insist on green living solutions for rental spaces. Creating an eco-friendly apartment space is all about going back to the basics. From incorporating natural materials, a selection of plants and flowers and sunlight in interior spaces, there are various low-cost green living decor options you can try out.

The Best Eco-Friendly Apartment Living Ideas

Here are some eco-friendly apartment ideas to make your space chic and green:

Add Plants to Your Interior Spaces

Plants and flowers are the easiest eco-friendly decor items anyone can incorporate into one’s apartment living. Choose flowers and plants that are eco-friendly and easy to maintain. According to the developers of Atlantic Private Residences, there is no better way to liven up a room than going green with colorful flower arrangements and potted plants.

Indoor plants serve double duty as inspirational decor and air filters. For a cool decor statement, hang a wall small herb garden in an artistic container, place some colorful flowers on a central table to make a statement or consider different creative flower arrangements and place them in a corner, just below open windows and even in your bathroom or bedside cabinet.

Natural Color Coverings and Textiles

Opt for natural, washable fibers when buying eco-friendly coverings and textiles for your apartment decor. Materials like sisal, wool, and jute are earth-friendly and add a natural feel to any space. Opting for eco-friendly apartment living means skipping synthetic materials in sofas, beddings and area rugs.

Natural textiles and coverings add a unique decor element and texture to your apartment living space. Going all-natural with your home decor fabrics and textiles doesn’t have to be expensive. While you can always order decor items online, you can also visit thrift shops to find some Victorian textile pieces and vintage area rugs for your spaces.

Consider these Ecofriendly Apartment Living Decorative Options

While wood is widely used in apartment and home building flooring and even decor, there are alternative decorative options you can consider such as metal, stone, glass, and bamboo. They require a lot less work when it comes to care and maintenance due to their harder and more durable surfaces. You can experiment with different color options for your alternative materials to add warmth and visual intrigue to your rooms.

Bamboo veneer panels can be a great substitute for traditional wallpapers or a painted accent wall. Glass, metal and stone decor options can be incorporated in kitchen counters and other surfaces, walls, floors, and cabinets. These alternative decorative options add an unintrusive modern character to your apartment spaces and provide the perfect eco-friendly accent.

Bring in Better Air Quality in your Apartment

While today’s windows are highly energy efficient and seal your home really well, ventilation is often overlooked. indoor air quality is very important, especially in apartment buildings where the luxury of enjoying outdoor spaces like in a traditional home is not available.

Make it a habit of opening your windows and doors frequently to let the fresh air circulate indoors. Even in the winter, just a few minutes of fresh air from the outside could do you some good. To ensure better ventilation, opt for apartment rentals that come with floor to ceiling windows and also make use of curtains and other window treatments to control room temperature.

Embrace Vintage or Retro Furniture

New furniture may contain a number of chemicals that have years of off-gassing into your spaces ahead of them. If you’re considering going all eco-friendly for your apartment living, consider vintage or recycled furniture that is often free of any toxic chemicals or retro furniture that has already off-gassed toxic chemicals years back.  

Retro home styling ideas are a big thing now. You can easily get mid-century modern, vintage or art deco pieces at flea markets or from antique dealers.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, visit our archives.

A good night of good sleep can often be a challenge! Now that the cooler season is upon us and people’s thoughts are turning to decorating their homes for the season from the living room to the bedroom. Decorating your bedroom for the fall is a great idea, but you still have to make sure that the bedroom is sleep ready for a good night. While you want the bedroom to look like fall, it needs to be comfy and cozy so that you can get the rest you need to get through the day ahead. With that in mind, read on below for a few of the top ways you can make sure you can sleep better to get the peaceful night’s sleep you deserve.

Good Sleep: 6 Ways to a Good Night in your Bedroom

1. How to Get a Better Sleep: Buy a Comfy Mattress

Comparison shopping and mattresses don’t mix. A painful mattress that is either too hard or too soft for you is the worst thing for getting a good night’s sleep. Go into your local mattress outlet stores and try out the mattress you are considering. You won’t know exactly what is the best choice for you until you do your research to find out.

2. A Good Night Starts By Lowering the Temperature

If you want to be comfy and able to sleep at night, you need to lower the thermostat on the way to bed. Experts in sleep recommend that you lower your thermostat to 68 degrees to keep your bedroom cool at night. Remember, to do this about 30 minutes before you head to bed so that the room is the right temperature before you climb in between the sheets. If it is too hot, you will toss and turn for the majority of the night and get very little, if any, sleep at all.

3. Use Comforting Scents that Promote Relaxation for a Good Night

Essential oils can help you with a good sleep. Part of a comforting sleep environment includes having the right scents in the room. Scents like lavender and vanilla can put you into a state of relaxation and help you drift off into slumber relaxed and at ease.

Take a look at these essential oils that can promote relaxation.

4. Want to Sleep Better? Shut Down the Electronics

Studies have shown that the blue lights on everything from your phone to your computer and even your TV can not only make it hard for you to go to sleep but affect the quality of that sleep as well. Instead, try reading a book until you get sleepy, instead of either working or trying to go to sleep watching a movie on Netflix. So shut down those electronics before bed!

5. Have the Right Lighting for Sleeping

While it may be tempting to leave the curtains open so that you can be woken by the morning sun or have a night light in the room, it’s not a good idea. A bedroom needs to be completely dark at night if you want the night to provide you with a restful sleep.

Try these bedroom lighting tips from Houzz.

6. Get A Good Sleep in a Clean Bedroom 

One of the most important things to do to ensure your bedroom is sleep ready is to make sure it’s clean and uncluttered. If you have allergies, then changing the sheets and making sure the room is dusted is extremely important for you to be able to sleep comfortably. If you’re sneezing and having to sit up constantly to breathe because your nose is stuffy, you aren’t going to get a good night’s rest at all.

These are just a few of the top ways to ensure that your bedroom is sleep ready even when decorating it for the fall season. From having a good mattress to sleep on to having the right scents and from having a clean bedroom to turning off the electronics before bed, these tips will have you snoring logs in no time at all and waking up refreshed and ready to meet the day head on and with energy to spare!

For more wellness tips on Stagetecture, visit our archives.

An Epsom salt bath could be one of the best ways to relieve aches and pains and promote health and wellness in your body. Bathing in salt water is a timeless tradition used to soothe numerous ailments throughout the course of history. Epsom salt, despite the name, is actually a chemical compound known as magnesium sulfate and has been used in home remedies to treat ailments ranging from easing sore muscles and body aches to releasing toxins stored in your body. An Epsom salt bath is often the best application of this amazing compound. You’d be surprised all of the Epsom salt uses that are out there!

Here are 5 awesome Epsom salt bath benefits for you to try out at home.

1. An Epsom salt bath can help you recover from injury:

Epsom salts can heighten your body’s natural healing abilities while also assist in preventing injuries. Whether you are trying to unwind after a hard day’s work, or you’re preparing to head to the gym, the combination of warm water and Epsom salt can help to loosen tight muscles and provide relief from muscle fatigue which may aid in preventing injury due to fatigued or tightened muscles.

The Epsom Salt Council has more magnesium salt benefits here.

2. Epsom Salt Uses: It can detoxify and deodorize:

Epsom salt uses can also help clear your skin. Your skin is a truly remarkable organ. In addition to regulating body temperature and providing protection from the elements, it is also porous and is able to pull in vital nutrients and minerals on contact. This can, unfortunately, mean that skin is also at risk for absorbing unwanted toxins and metals from the environment as well. Through a process known as reverse osmosis, An Epsom salt bath can aid in the removal of these toxins as you soak in the bath. Epsom salts also boast deodorizing properties, perfect to freshen up before a night out, or after returning from the gym.

3. Magnesium salt can improve your immune system:

Epsom salt or often referred to as Magnesium salt can also help your immune system. Magnesium and sulfate, the primary ingredients in Epsom salt, both aid in a biological process known as vasodilation, or the dilation of blood vessels which decreases blood pressure. This same process can also assist in creating white blood cells, which is your body’s natural defense against colds, the flu, and infections. If you take an Epsom salt bath weekly it can help your overall well-being.

We like these Epsom salt bath benefits from Natural Living Ideas.

4. An Epsom salt bath can help relieve headaches and migraines:

Since we’re on the topic of vasodilation, let’s talk about headaches. Not only can a soak in warm tub loosen tense muscles, but Epsom salt’s ability to dilate your blood vessels can also relieve built up pressure associated with headaches and muscle cramps.

5. Relax your body with Epsom Salt:

Really, what more can be said about being able to relax after a long, hard day? In addition to the muscle relaxing benefits of a hot bath on its own, the magnesium in Epsom salt can help your body to produce serotonin, a neurochemical essential for promoting feelings of happiness and relaxation.

For more beauty tips and health and wellness ideas on Stagetecture, take a look at this remarkable aspirin mask!

Have you noticed more and more solar energy uses are becoming available for your home? This is the year for solar energy. The demand for solar power is at an all-time high and panels are cheaper and more efficient than ever. Residential solar energy systems are still one of the most popular uses for clean energy from the sun, but today homeowners are going all out by using solar power in new ways.

The Best Solar Energy Uses for your Home this Season

If you’re like many other people who are interested in living a more eco-friendly life and lowering your energy bills at the same time, there are a lot of ways to use solar power. Here are a few interesting ways you can utilize it around the house, even if you’ve already made the investment in a solar panel system for your home.

Solar Energy is even in Solar Powered Tree Houses

More and more adults are beginning to rediscover the tree houses they enjoyed in their youth. But these tree houses are outdoor retreats that offer creature comforts. One of those creature comforts is electricity.

But using traditional electricity hook ups is just too expensive and impractical for most tree houses. The solution – solar power. We touched on the solar powered tree house trend a little while back, highlighting a stand out example called The Skysphere. Some solar powered tree houses double as an office and others can accommodate guests. Getting electricity through a solar system truly makes these additional outdoor abodes fully functional, smart spaces.

Keeping your Garden Green With Green Energy

First, there were solar powered garden lights. But gardeners tend to be among the most environmentally friendly people so it’s no surprise the solar powered options are expanding. People with a green thumb can now incorporate solar energy to power their irrigation system.

Solar powered irrigation systems are outfitted with a pump that has solar cells built into the electric motor. Many systems can also be automated for maximum efficiency and are carefully tuned to minimize water waste.

Want to add another unique solar element to your garden? Put a few plants in color changing solar powered pots.

Solar Powered Home Security for Home Safety

Security is important to many homeowners for good reason. But making your home safe doesn’t have to increase your eco-footprint. You can now buy solar powered, motion detector LED security lights that also have a video camera. The camera connects wirelessly to transmit video in real time. No hard-wiring is needed, which means you can install the system in a spot that gets adequate sunlight.

You can also find solar powered security cameras that are on their own. Geckoeye makes a camera that can be stuck to a window to provide surveillance inside your home.

Take a look at these solar power tips from Energy.gov.

Solar Powered House Numbers

Strategic lighting can make a home more aesthetically pleasing while serving a purpose. That’s certainly the case with solar powered house numbers. Throughout the day the solar cells build up a charge, and as soon as the sun goes down the numbers automatically light up for 8-10 hours. They make your home easier for guests to find without adding to your monthly electric bill.

For more green home energy tips on Stagetecture, visit our archives.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by NOW as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own

Healthy living has always been a struggle in my family. Having a family history of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cancer has always been a major concern of mine. Through regular exercise, eating on a regimen that fits my blood type, body type, and characteristics and being open to new healthy living experiences has made me and my family healthier in general! That’s why I was excited to pair up with NOW Foods to travel to Bloomingdale, Illinois, right outside of Chicago to see how they make their wellness, beauty, sports and food products*. Take a look at my awesome nutrition and health-filled time I had and how you could win a $500 NOW Foods prize pack to enjoy with your family.

*Please note: Dietary supplements are natural products that are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or relieve the effects of diseases, ailments, etc..  Please consult a physician or health professional for your own dietary and health goals. 

NOW Foods #Giveaway for YOU and My Healthy Living Experience

The moment I got into my room I was greeted with the most amazing two bags of NOW Foods products! I was amazed… and you will get a chance to win your own products too! From snacks and quinoa cups to supplements and beauty products for the whole family… I could tell this was going to be an awesome event.

All of my products couldn’t even fit in the picture

Our First Night Starts Off with Meeting the CEO and an “Iron Chef’ Healthy Food Event

It was an exciting event because I got to meet other bloggers who were from all types of backgrounds and blog genres: healthy living, recipe creation, family and home lifestyle like Stagetecture.

NOW Foods CEO Jim Emme gave us a warm welcome and “photo bombed” our Iron Chef team! Our team actually won the entire event – WOOT WOOT!

The first night we all met to meet Jim Emme, CEO of NOW Foods and the recipe and development team to have an “Iron Chef” event! It was so much fun to see how their natural food products are perfect if you need:

• Their Living NOW products are certified gluten free, certified kosher, sugar-free ( as well as a better tasting stevia), pasta – tastes like wheat ( but is gluten free)- made without corn- better for those with wheat and corn intolerances.

Suzy Sing, Recipe and Development Chef made us a delicious dinner that was PURE comfort food but made with all NOW Foods healthy ingredients.

All images by Stagetecture.com

Healthy Living Starts with a Healthy Mind & Body

After a wonderful night, we all headed to bed because Friday was going to be a whirlwind of events.. like waking up to a 6:45 am yoga/pilates/cardio workout on the terrace overlooking this gorgeous golf course at Eaglewood Resort.

Our morning yoga and pilates was great! I was so sore for the next two days I could tell I used muscles I had never used in my regular workouts. Between the gorgeous sky, the cool, crisp air, and our Yoga Instructor – Vanessa Mackay’s pumping music, it was the perfect start to the day.

We Learned How to Make our Own NOW Beauty Recipes!

After our morning yoga, we learned how to make our own roll-on essential oil blends as well as hand foaming soap! These are great recipes if you like using essential oils or if you like giving beauty products as gifts. My personal favorite beauty product is the shea butter lotion. It smells like heaven and every time I put it on it lights up my mood. Healthy living isn’t only about eating and exercising, it’s also about making yourself feel good, right?

Here are a few healthy living notes I learned about the NOW Beauty Products:

• NOW Doesn’t test on animals, they only test on people. Their products are gluten free and they make sure all of their products are pure.
• They have products for kids, teens, and adults including kids mouthwash, toothpaste and
• Did you know your skin is the largest organ? Your skin can be exposed to over 200 chemicals on skin per day. WOW!

Next Stop: Touring the NOW Foods GMP Facility:

After the beauty products seminar, it was time to head back to our rooms to pack up and head to the NOW Foods plant tour. This was going to be good! Take a look at just some of the wellness supplements and sports nutrition supplements products they create at their plant.

You can tell I was loving my plant tour attire… LOL!

We walked through the Bloomingdale plant to see how they make their supplements, powders, foods, beauty products and more. They actually make 1,400 high-quality, natural and affordable products. Isn’t that insanely awesome?

The picture on the bottom right of the image above are solid marble tables that ensure all of their weighing and testing are exact. My analytical/architectural nerd side found this fascinating.

NOW Foods offers Healthy Living Supplements, Beauty Products, and Natural Food Ingredients

My husband and I use to always get NOW Foods products at our local health food store, but never realized the wide array of products they truly have. Whether you are trying to find supplements to help you lose weight, gain muscle, replace vitamin deficiencies or help your overall mental well-being, there are products to assist with your goals.

It was truly a pleasure learning how the NOW Foods stands by their motto of “Living Happy, Living Health, Live NOW”. From the staff and the quality testing to the countless number of quality-assurance tested practices that go into every product, it was quite an amazing event. I encourage you to follow NOW Foods on their social channels below and visit their website to see how you can start living NOW.

Healthy Living Starts Here: Follow NOW Foods on their Social Channels

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts. All of their social channels are a great way to keep up to date on their latest products but to also get inspired on how others in the NOW Foods community from around the world are living healthier lives!

Here’s Your Chance to Win! Now Foods Giveaway – Product Pack valued at $500!

Note: Contest entrants are only eligible to win once per sweepstake, per household as part of a campaign sponsored by Influence Central

Official Rules for the NOW Foods Products Prize Pack:

1. Contest starts on Sunday, August 13th and ends at 12 am, Wednesday, August, 16th 2017.
2. Please follow the Rafflecopter directions below and enter as many times as you’d like, once a day, between the afore mentioned dates.
3. The winner will be announced on Stagetecture.com on Wednesday, August 16th.
4. The winner should live in the Continental United States and have a postal address, not P.O. Box address for NOW Foods to ship to.
5. The winner should contact me by using the Contact Form here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more healthy living tips on Stagetecture, visit our wellness archives here.

Easter ideas for kids can often be a challenge if they are growing older, or they grow tired easy of the same Easter ideas! It’s hard to believe but Easter is knocking our doors again. This is the time for jellybeans, chocolate eggs, chocolate rabbits, and more sweet treats. While sugary sweets and fatty foods are everyone’s favorite, this year why not mix things up a bit. Fill your kid’s Easter basket with fun-filled goodies and healthy treats that he/she is sure to enjoy. Here is a quick round-up of Easter ideas for kids that are great for babies, teens, and everyone in between.

How to Create Our Best Easter Ideas for Kids

Easter Gifts: Fill Easter Baskets with Healthier Treats

For sure, Easter would not be the same without treats, but this season, instead of opting for the regular sweets, consider filling up those baskets with organic or fair trade candies. Even better, let go off the candies completely, and opt for healthier alternatives such as homemade marshmallow peeps, fruit treats, or carrot with hummus. Look here for some healthy Easter basket ideas for kids that are delicious, fun, and healthy at the same time. These healthy Easter ideas could give inspiration.

[ad#co-1]

Easter ideas: Birds Nest Make Perfect Easter Gifts for Kids

Throwing an Easter party this season? Why not make these delicious birds’ nests that would be ideal as party favors once wrapped in clear bags and tied with a pretty bow. These kids special holiday treat will help you mix a dose of fun and frolic along with the story of Easter. Don’t you think it would be fun to have your little ones help you prepare these treats while you pass on the message of Easter? Learn how to make birds nest Easter basket desserts.

Image via: BHG

Make eco-friendly Easter baskets for kids

Easter is one of those holidays that truly deserve to be celebrated in a ‘green’ way. Being the first holiday of the season, it brings to mind beginning, renewal, and a sense of fresh start. So, this spring, to honor both the Mother Nature and Easter bunny, we bring you these environment conscious ideas. From candy selection to egg decorating, these will keep your holiday safely in the green zone. Find out how to make eco-friendly Easter baskets for kids.

Need Easter Egg Hunt Ideas?

Here are a few Easter Ideas for your kids’ Easter egg hunt.

Hope these ideas will help you plan a great Easter celebration for your kids. Use them and let us know what else is inspiring you this season?

For more kids’ Easter ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Are you ready for holiday travel this season? Whether for Thanksgiving, Christmas or for the New year, holiday travel can be hectic. A vacation: even the thought of it makes your heart skip a beat. It gives you something to look forward to, dream about and strategize for. However, even the most thoroughly planned trips can end up with blunders that water down the much-awaited experience. Here’re some holiday travel tips that are essential regardless when you travel throughout the holidays.

The Best Holiday Travel Tips to Keep you Sane

Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid:

Road Trip Tips for Holiday Travel:

If you plan on taking the family on a road trip this holiday don’t forget that the rest of the country maybe doing the same. Road trip tips such as leaving extra time for road closures, detours, and bad weather conditions could delay your trip. Map out your route on your smart phone or on the internet before leaving to gauge traffic patterns, and consider leaving in off-peak hours. If you have to travel through large metropolitan cities plan on rush hour in the morning and night to be the worst times.

Holiday Travel Tips: Don’t Leave Inadequate Time to Connect Flights

Connecting flights is not as easy as it may be made to sound by the travel agents. You may think you’ll disembark from one plane and stroll over to board the other. Far from it. Connecting flights involves security check-ups, documentation and often long delays; all the while taking care of your luggage. The gates could also be far apart, especially in large airports.

How much time is enough? Well, 1.5 hours is a fair bet. Even when the airlines promises to be punctual, allow enough time. You’d better spend some minutes in the café snacking, reading a book or just watching T.V than miss your flight. The New York Daily News gives 10 holiday travel tips to avoid.

Traveling Internationally? Make Sure you Aren’tApplying for Your Passport Late

If you’re not used to it, you may forget the basic essentials of international travel. Normal passport processing can take between four and six weeks. Apply for your passport at least 2 months before the vacation date. If you apply late, you may be required to pay an extra amount for quick processing.

If you already have one, ensure that it’s still valid. Remember some countries require that your passport has a certain period of validity, say 6 months, for you to enter. Apart from validity, ensure that the passport has enough pages depending on the number of countries that you intend to visit.

Holiday Travel Tips: Falling for Hotel Marketing Photos

Professional photography can make the most mundane of locations look like 5 star hotels. That’s what you encounter when you browse through hotels’ websites. Although this can give you an idea of what to expect, it should not fully inform your decision on the hotel to pick.

Sites like oyster.com will give you unbiased third-party images of the place, much to your surprise. You can then make a conscious decision on the hotel that gives you best value for money.

Holiday Travel Pitfalls – Know What You’re Paying For

The idea of a vacation is so exciting, it gets even others excited for you. You may have your family, friends and even community so elated of your travel that they can even come together and fund your travel on online fundraising sites such as Plumfund.com.

In addition, they will give you plenty of ideas about what you should do, see and even eat during your vacation.

Try to avoid these holiday vacation tips and plan in advance!

Although some of the to-dos are obvious, it’s very easy to forget when you’re gathering up all of the information. Unless you’ve taken memory improvement tips to heart, add all those ideas on your ‘to do’ list. Have you stopped to think what you really want to do? Are you really interested in that museum visit? Or the art gallery? Since when did you care about artifacts? If you fall into this category, do not feel guilty about laying on that hammock with your favorite book. 

This holiday uses these best travel tips to enjoy the season and your loved ones, and destination.

For more travel tips on Stagetecture,

Trying to bring more natural and organic finishes into your home? Natural stone ideas by far one of the easiest choices as it adds durability in granite countertops, texture in stone pavers in your front entry and beauty to your marble shower walls. For decades natural stone has been the choice of interior designers, architects, and contractors as a go-to finish for the kitchen, bathrooms, fireplace enclosures and more. Take a look at these simple ways to beautify your interiors with natural stone.

How to Beautify your Interiors with Natural Stone Ideas

All images courtesy of: Stoneshop

[ad#co-1]

Kitchen Ideas: Show off gorgeous stone countertop options

If you’re a cooking enthusiast or just a novice cook you still know the difference between preparing a meal on a laminate countertop versus a natural stone countertop. From granite countertops to marble and quartzite countertops the durability and ability to withstand constant clashing of pots and pans, hot plates and more are unsurpassed. Whether you like gorgeous white Carrara marble with its natural veined textures or a deep charcoal gray quartzite fits your kitchen decorating style, a natural stone countertop is a right choice. Determine what the right type of natural stone is for your kitchen by taking this fun quiz on Use Natural Stone.

Using natural stone ideas to beautify your outdoor home

Curb appeal is top of mind to homeowners who want the outside of their home to look and feel just as welcoming as their interiors. Whether you are looking to add landscaping pavers around your grounds or a new summer kitchen in the backyard with flagstone walls and granite countertops are more your style, look no further than natural stone ideas and products. Many landscapers love to use stone products as they help transition terrain for gentler slopes in walking while they also provide texture amongst garden grasses and foliage. The combination of soft landscaping plants and rugged natural stone is a marriage made in heaven for your outdoor home.

Create a Zen-like atmosphere in your bathroom retreat

When is the last time you have been to a spa or on a relaxing vacation where you were pampered? Most spas, hotels, and resorts use natural stone throughout their architecture and interior design. Natural stone floor tiles, backsplashes, and even shower enclosures help humans feel one with nature and help transport their mind and soul into a wellness state. If your bathroom could use an update why not add marble, slate or quartzite into your garden bathtub surround or shower wall? Nothing says “relaxation with nature” like natural finishes around your home.

In our fast paced lives out in the real world, it is a joy to come home and relax amongst nature. Try using these tips from your kitchen and bathroom to your outdoor curb appeal and relaxation areas. Natural stone comes in so many textures, colors, shapes, and varieties. For every budget and for every decorative style – there is a stone finish waiting to brighten up your home.

For more kitchen and bath ideas on Stagetecture, visit our archives.

Clearer skin is often a challenge when we are stressed, have a poor diet, and don’t get enough sleep. We’re always searching our wellness and beauty routine for ways to have clearer skin. I’ve sifted through dozens of Arbonne, Crepe Erase, and Meaningful Beauty reviews over the years. However, certain things we do or don’t do throughout the day can sabotage our efforts, and we don’t even realize it. If you feel like nothing is helping your skin, keep reading for secret tips on how you can get healthy and clearer skin.

5 Essential Tips for Clearer Skin this Season

Skin Care Tip: Change Your Pillowcase Often

Whether you’re a stomach sleeper, side sleeper, or back sleeper, or you rotate positions throughout the night, your pillowcase collects dirt, sweat, and oil from your hair and skin every night. When your pillowcase isn’t washed frequently, this build up can transfer back to your face, clog your pores, and cause your skin to breakout.

Try to use pillowcases made from a natural fabric since it won’t transfer oils as easily, and replace your pillowcase with a clean one every two or three days. Also, keep in mind that dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener can leave behind a waxy residue that can clog your pores. Therefore, it’s better to avoid using these products when you wash your pillowcases.

How to Get Clear Skin – Try to Exercise More Often

Exercise isn’t just good for your muscles; it’s good for your skin as well. While we all have busy lives, if you can carve out 30 minutes for physical activity every day, it will do your skin a lot of good. Whether you go for a short walk, take a bicycle ride, or hit the gym, exercise increases blood flow throughout the body so that more oxygen can get to your skin.

Just make sure that you wash your skin before and after you work out. While it’s obvious you want to remove sweat from your skin after your workout, you also want to make sure you take off any dirt or bacteria on your skin before you exercise, so it doesn’t mix with your perspiration and get into your pores.

Drink Plenty of Water to Avoid Dry Skin

Your skin is an organ and just like every other organ in your body, it needs water to function properly. Without the right hydration, your skin becomes tight, dry, ashy, and flaky. On the other hand, water plumps up the skin so scars, wrinkles, and pores become less noticeable. Water also helps your body and skin flush away toxins. When you drink water, it reaches the internal organs before it reaches your skin. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re drinking enough throughout the day. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water each day.

However, drinking isn’t the only way to add water to your skin. As soon as you step out of the shower or bath, apply a hydrating moisturizer. Your skin is still porous so the moisturizer absorbs better and helps lock the water into your skin.

Limit Sun Exposure

While sun is an important source of vitamin D, it also causes plenty of issues for your skin when you get too much. Being outside between 7 and 9 a.m. is the ideal time to get those helpful rays. Anytime after that, and you want to avoid the sun as much as possible, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

This is when the sun is at its peak, and the harmful UV rays that can cause wrinkles, skin damage, and cancer are at their strongest. If you can’t avoid being outside during this time, try to wear clothing that covers most of your skin, and make sure you apply sunscreen with SPF 45 or higher. Style Caster has great tips on how to get clear skin.

Know Your Skin Type

From oily to dry to a combination of the two, nobody has the same skin type. However, it’s important to know and understand what type of skin you have so you can tailor your skin care routine to meet your needs. You can learn about skin care with Amway, figure out what your skin type is, and create a plan that gives your skin everything it needs to be clear and healthy.

From a clean pillowcase when you sleep, to a few extra glasses of water, if clearer skin is your goal, work these five tips into your everyday routine to see results.

For more beauty tips on Stagetecture, look at this DIY Aspirin & Aloe Vera Gel Face Mask

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review by Picture Keeper Connect, while I have been supplied with a complimentary product for review and compensated, all opinions are strictly my own.

Did you do your photo backup before you left your hotel room? Have you ever been on a family vacation or business trip and you don’t have space on your phone to take any more pictures? Backing up photos is nearly impossible when you are worrying more about enjoying your trip than how much storage you have on your device! I’ve been on countless blogger trips and family vacations where I’ve had to start deleting videos and photos off my phone because I can’t get back to the hotel soon enough to unload my images! (Trust me, it’s the worst.)

Picture Keeper Connect: My Easy Cell Phone Photo Backup on the Go

I’m excited to pair up with Picture Keeper Connect – a simple photo backup device that combines a handy USB and iOS or Android plug on the other end. You simply download the app on Google Play Store or the App Store and it walks you through step by step to offload your files.

Taking pictures on the go just got easier!

If you’re like me when I travel, I feel like you take triple the amount of pictures because you want to ensure that if the first 2 or 3 are bad, at least one will be the perfect one to share, right? The only problem with this philosophy is you use up more space on your phone while taking more pictures. Most likely you won’t be back to your laptop in your hotel room until the evening and there’s nothing worse than the dreaded “No space” message!

Tired of getting the “Not enough storage message?”

Backup photos, videos and more from your mobile phone

Take a look at the other functions Picture Keeper Connect does to make it easy to save your photos and files anywhere:

• Plugs directly into your smartphone to easily backup photos, videos and contacts.
• Download the free Picture Keeper Connect App and touch “Start Backup”
• WiFi backup option available for older phones without compatible port/plug.
• Works with personal or work computers (PC/Mac).

Picture Keeper Connect works with iOS and Android devices:

I have an Android Samsung 7 Edge and an iPhone 6+ and I love that you can choose which type you need for the Picture Keeper Connect. It’s small enough to store in your purse or pocket, and can be pulled out at anytime to transfer your files to free up space on your cell phone. 

Take a look at these benefits for your photo backup:

• Protects memories and information you never want to lose.
• Easily restore backups from old to new phone.
• Free up memory on your phone/tablet – no monthly fees.
• Back up from anywhere with free mobile app.
• Simple to use – just click “Start Backup.”
• Easily move your photos onto personal or work computers.
• Backup and restore across platforms.
• Option for backing up older phones and restoring to new.

Stagetecture readers get a discount to get a Picture Keeper Connect

Use the Discount Code:

Stagetecture20 at the checkout to receive 20% off your purchase when buying your Picture Keeper Connect.

We’d love to hear how you’re going to use yours. Taking pictures on your next vacation? Need to transfer photos from an old cell phone? Need to remove all of those videos of your kids’ soccer games and ballet practice? The Picture Keeper Connect is a great option to free up space on your cell phone.

For more travel ideas on Stagetecture, visit our travel category!