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How to remove tough stains from upholstery

Upholstered furniture in most homes usually take a strong beating and unrepentant beating! Especially when you have small kids in your home. Cast your mind back to that little playtime you had for your kids. Remember how all the kids were jumping off and on the sofa? Or that one time when a generous amount of soda was splashed on the sofa. Not forgetting chocolate and candy smears as well! And the kids don’t get all the blame too. The last time you were too exhausted to have your plate of steaming amala on the dining table, remember how you accidentally spilled thick, greenish ewedu on the sofa? I bet you do! Now let’s learn How to remove tough stains from upholstery.

Having spent a whooping sum of money on purchasing your dream upholstered furniture, it’s important that you also imbibe a maintenance culture that will help you get value off your purchase and also beautify your space. A lot of people tend to get complacent with the maintenance culture and that is why such people will find themselves shopping for a new set of sofa every year. If properly cared for, a sofa set should last you for a very long time. A well maintained sofa set will also attract more value in the event of a furniture exchange programme. So how do you deal with cases of different types of stains and ultimately keep your sofa in a perfect condition? Find out below.

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Recipeadia: Peppered yam and dodo

Hello guys, welcome to this week’s edition of our Recipeadia series, where we get to bring you exciting, delicious and easy to make recipes. Today on Recipeadia, our recipe-Recipeadia: Peppered yam and dodo, is featured from dooneyskitchen.com. It is a refreshingly new and easy to enjoy yam and plantain as a combo! And since we are still in the Ramadan season, today’s recipe is an option that will especially help Muslims branch out from the regular rice, beans and yam recipes that most people have for Iftar.

Dooney’s Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

• Yam
• Plantain
• Vegetable oil
• Left over stew or fried tomato sauces
• Salt
• Seasoning cubes
• Chopped mixed veg

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Five Nutritional Ramadan tips for you

Hey guys! How are you all doing? Salam Alaikun to our Muslims friends and families. We are a few days into the holy month of Ramadan and I’m certain our body system is still adjusting to the sleep routine as well as the food routine. Today on the blog, we take a quick look into Five Nutritional Ramadan tips for you that can get you through the holy month. Last week we talked about blender recipes that are really helpful during Ramadan, you can catch up here if you missed the post.

Ramadan is a month of heightened spirituality for Muslims across the world. The month however doesn’t emphasize of spirituality alone, it also seeks to purify the mind, body and soul of fasting Muslims. It is usually a time to practice self-control, self-discipline, sacrifice and empathy for the less privileged. Since most of the day will be spent abstaining from food, some people tend to over eat at the start and break of fast. Now while some way get away with it, majority will find themselves dealing with some form of discomfort. So how do we eat right during the month? These nutritional tips are all we need to know.

1. Drink lots of water

During the course of fasting, a typical day goes by with abstaining from eating and drinking once the Suhoor has been observed. This means that during the day, your body slowly becomes dehydrated. Drinking a lot of water during Suhoor and Iftar will help you keep a healthy balance through the day. Also, fruits like watermelon, pineapple, should be included in your suhoor to help you stay hydrated during the day. Stay away from beverages. Avoid drinks with caffeine as it can cause some people to urinate more often that regular which may in turn lead to dehydration.

2. Eat right during Suhoor

The truth is, no matter how large the portion of meal you consume during the suhoor hours, you will most likely still get hungry before iftar. However, eating right can keep you considerably sustained during the hours of fasting. High protein food like beans, moi-moi, can keep you sustained for a considerable period as they break down slowly compared to carb rich foods. However, when taking carbohydrates, be sure to pair them with proteins like egg, meat, beans, etc. Rice, bread and other white meals should be replaced with whole grain and high fat with lean protein.

Five Nutritional Ramadan tips for you

3. Avoid Sugary food and junks

Even when you are not fasting, including junk/sugary foods in your diet is probably nopt the best option you may be choosing for yourself.

Avoid junks and sugary beverages during this period. Instead, replace with a lot of water, mint smoothies, fresh fruits and a whole lot of water. Check out some beverage recipes that are superb for this period here. Stay away from fried and processed foods that are high in fat or sugar, the overall aim is to stick with food options that will release energy slowly into the body.

5. Consume moderate portions during Iftar

Remember fasting doesn’t translate to loosing weight (for those trying to use it as a means to lose weight). Fasting all day reduces your metabolism which means you dispense less energy and burn very little calorie, so why would you want to overeat when you haven’t even released much of what’s still in the body? In general, avoid overeating so you don’t end up adding more weight as a matter of fact after fasting.

Planning is the major key to success. So, most importantly, plan your meals properly.

Happy Ramadan!

Creating happy work-spaces through interior design

Hello guys! Welcome to a brand new #MondayToShine , as always, it’s always a good time to be the ultimate best version of yourselves and that is why we would always encourage you to shine that light from deep within you!  You have been made for greatness and you have been made to make this world; our world, a better place. Today on the blog, we dive into the importance of creating a happy workplace environment through design. You may be wondering why offices go for bright colours in certain work spaces and completely go a different way in other sections of the office. It’s not all by coincidence, everything has to be thoughtfully brought together to create a friendly environment for employees. There’s a lot to learn in today’s post-Creating happy work-spaces through interior design, especially if you are an employer of Labour, come along!

Microsoft                                                        Designed by- Studio O+A

It is undoubtedly true that as humans, we share a deep connection with our environments. Our behaviours, attitudes, health are influenced by our immediate physical environment, In other words, one may not be as productive in a particular physical environment as opposed to being in another. Coupled with the largely sedentary nature of most workplaces, there is a need for employers and commercial interior designers to create a safe, comfortable and inspiring work space environment.

A work desk for instance should allow adjustable furniture that allows people to sit, stand and change their postures frequently in order to reduce cases of fatigue, stress on Joints and muscles, to burn calories and promote circulation throughout the body which has multiple health benefits including enhanced cognitive function, while the general internal structure of the space should give room for views into active spaces, open stairways, open and enclosed spaces that encourage people to move around to collaborate, socialize or focus on a task together.

Nike                                                                         Designed by- Studio O+A

Uber                                                           Designed by- Studio O+A

“The office is a place for creativity and collaboration, requiring spaces that support fluid and spontaneous interactions- but also quiet spaces that minimize noise and the potential for disruption when thinking, analysing, writing and reading. People need a place to withdraw from the flow of activity and also want to control noise, especially related to what others can hear them say and what they hear other people say”. – Culled from Ethonomics: Designing for the Principles of the Modern Workplace

Nike                                                                   Designed by- Studio O+A

Employers and commercial interior designers both have vital roles to play in creating work-spaces and offices that are comfortable, uplifting and evocative in nature. The materials, textures, patterns and colours for the space should be carefully selected inconsideration of the nature of the job and more importantly the nature of employees. Above all, beyond aesthetics, the design should engage and energise people at work.

Do you have other interesting ways to Creating happy work-spaces through interior design , share with us in the comment section below, we love hearing from you!