Three Ways to Organize Your Growing Book Collection at Home

If you’re a bibliophile and have a collection that’s growing steadily, then you’ve most likely worried about looking for the best way to keep them in good condition. And since carelessly cramming them into every pile or corner isn’t going to cut it, you need a better option that makes it easier for people to find as well as make it more likely for you to pick one up and start reading.

Here are three ways on how you can thoroughly organize all your books at home:

Invest in the right storage options

The best way to make a home for your books is to simply buy bookshelves, especially if you don’t already have a current place for them. Be sure to choose a designated area for your bookshelf, or if you have a lot of books, designated areas for your bookshelves. Getting plastic storage boxes is also okay if you don’t have as much room, but the problem with using boxes rather than shelves it that they are more likely to attract dust and cobwebs.

They can also be quite heavy and difficult to move when they’re full. Aside from storage, you should also make sure you have a way to get any dust and cobwebs off your books, and this is where having a vacuum cleaner can really come in handy.

Stack your books

Don’t be afraid to pile them down on top of one another! If your books happen to be wide and there isn’t enough space on the shelf or box to keep them upright, your next best solution is to lay them down and pile them on top of one another. What’s great about organizing your books at home is that you can sort them in any arrangement you want: whether it’s by genre, alphabetical order, or even by cover, color, or the date you bought them.

Use a cataloguing system

When you have a growing collection of books that you plan on turning into a full home library, you need to have a fast, efficient method of sorting through different genres and titles to find what you’re looking for. To do this, you need to have a system. Depending on the collection size, you can use either of two types of systems for your collection. One of them is Dewey Decimal System, which categorizes books by main class, division, and section. The other is the Library of Congress Classification System, which organizes according to class, subclass, and topic area.

Lastly, you should know when to donate a book or not. If you’re not planning on reading it anytime soon, it might be better off donated, whether it’s at a second-hand store, a local library, or even a nearby school. If you don’t have anywhere you can donate books to, you can even choose to recycle paperbacks as an alternative.

How to Choose a Quality Cutlery Set for Your Kitchen

Cutlery isn’t something that you need to buy more than a few times in your life, and since you’ll be using it nearly every day, it’s important to find a set that’s not only high quality, but is also something that should be easy to hold and use. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind when looking for that particular set that works for you and your kitchen:

1.  Think classics

First and foremost, utensils need to be functional. While you can easily find many modern sets that look amazing in the kitchen you have in mind, they may not always be completely functional or even ergonomic. You should also keep in mind that the utensils you have shouldn’t feel weird to hold food or eat with, and with a classic set of cutlery, it’s pretty hard to go wrong.

2.  Find sets that will be in production for a long time

Don’t settle for trend-driven cutlery sets – what you want in a complete set of cutlery is that it’s one that will be around for a long time. The reason for this is that trend-driven pieces or sets tend to be out of stock after a certain period (think a few months after they come out on shelves) and it’s likely that you won’t be able to find a replacement if something gets lost, dulled, or becomes unusable.

Even if you’re buying the same brand as your parents did, check the metal quality to see if it hasn’t changed – many brands do this in order to cut corners, and can make your cutlery set look and feel inconsistent as a result.

3.  Order the knives separately

Sometimes, you will have to accept that even though the spoons and forks look nice and are great to hold, the cooking or chef’s knives that come with the set aren’t as good in terms of quality. This is because knives used in cooking dishes are something else entirely. They are made of different metals than forks and spoons and need to be re-sharpened, and a good multi-purpose knife can easily cost a good amount of your budget.

4.  Take time with the purchase

When it comes to building up your collection or set, it’s also really important to take into account the time it will take in collecting the pieces you need. This is because there’s a good chance that you won’t be able to find everything that works well together visually and aesthetically, as well as in terms of ergonomics.

You should especially make sure to compare different brands to one another when you’re contemplating buying a full set in one purchase. Take a close look at each of the utensils and see whether they work together as a set or not.

Different Types of Lightbulbs for Your HDB Flat

These days, even something as simple as a lightbulb isn’t that simple anymore. Even though it’s true that getting the right lightbulb can drastically reduce your utility bills and last your home for a long time, there are still so many different lightbulbs to choose from.

Lightbulbs also do more than just provide light. For those who are concerned about the overall atmosphere and ambiance of their homes, or even their offices or establishments, finding the right lightbulb can make or break the balance of these two qualities.

But the good news is that you can learn about the different types and how they work best.

These are the three main categories of lightbulbs you can get to enhance the look of your HDB flat in Singapore:

  • Incandescent – Traditional bulbs that need to be replaced the most often, but they work great if you want to achieve a warmer or cozier effect for a specific area (usually your bedroom).

Incandescent bulbs work best when it comes to enhancing mood and creating a more intimate atmosphere. And because they are great as mood lights, restaurants and bars also use them to achieve exactly this effect.

  • Halogen – These bulbs are more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, since they provide a brighter light for the same amount of electricity.

Halogen bulbs are the opposite of incandescent bulbs since they emit a white light that allows you to see things more clearly. This makes them ideal for high-traffic, high-activity places such as offices and kitchens, but also work well for lamps with warm-hued shades.

The downside to this type of lightbulb is that they burn at a really high temperature, so it’s usually best to install them at a location where no one can accidentally hit or burn themselves with them by staying too close.

  • Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) – The next step to halogen bulbs come with a better efficiency, as well as variety in both spiral and traditional shapes. In terms of output, they are superior to both incandescent and halogen bulbs.

Just like halogen bulbs, CFL ones emit a cold light that make them better suited to high-activity places that need a good light source, but their downside is that they need to be handled and disposed more carefully because of their mercury content.

  • Light-emitting Diode (LED) – While these are the most expensive types of light bulbs currently in the market, they are also arguably the best, being superior to both CFL and standard halogen light bulbs.

This makes them the best investment you can get that will make your home bright, as well as save you money and the environment at the same time.

How to Make a Terrarium in Five Simple Steps

If you want to practice your green thumb but don’t have the time to start making and taking care of your own indoor garden, there’s a solution for you – terrariums!

Not only are terrariums easy to make, but they’re also really easy to maintain while adding a certain outdoor quality to whatever they’re set on, whether it’s nightstands or tables at home. Here’s how you can make your very own miniature garden to spruce up your HDB flat in Singapore:

  1. Choose your container

A terrarium is a bit of a mix between a simple potted plant and an indoor garden. And because of the “miniature garden” aspect, the best choice for you would be a deep glass container that gives enough room for your plants to take root while still allowing you to see them. You can choose from aquariums, to bell jars, to even vases and goldfish bowls. Just keep in mind that if you don’t have an airtight container, you will have to water your terrarium regularly.

  • Choose your plants

There are a lot of cheap, fast-growing plants you can choose for your terrarium, but because you want ones that last, here are a few qualities that you need to look for:

  • It stays small – You can make your terrarium big enough to house bushy plants, but this can be more difficult and expensive
  • It prefers shade – Sun-loving plants kept in the dark will wither and die, so terrarium plants need to be tolerant of low light
  • It prefers high humidity – Terrariums can get humid quickly, so small tropical plants are your best bet
  • Choose a location

Because your terrarium is low-maintenance, all you really need is enough sunlight and water every few days. To do this, you need to place them somewhere in your HDB flat that gets enough light and heat. You also want that particular area to be stable and level (i.e. not on easily damaged furniture) and away from high traffic where it could be easily knocked over.

  • Choose the soil

Your potting soil should be light to promote drainage. To check this, lightly wet the soil and hold it in your fist – if it falls apart, you’re good. You should also add sheet moss and activated charcoal when lining up the bottom of your terrarium. They help to both absorb excess water and keep the soil fresh, and a few added pebbles to the mix can both work as drainage and decoration at the same time.

  • Put everything together

Once you have all your materials, it’s time to assemble your terrarium! Start with your moss and activated charcoal first, and add some pebbles for better drainage. Next, add your soil, and finally, arrange your plants. Give it a light spritz of water and you’re done.

7 Fuel-Saving Tricks Every Driver Should Know

Whether you just want to save on gas or minimize the impact of your driving to the environment, you don’t have to ditch your old car for a hybrid one. Focus on these five fuel-saving tips for fuel-efficient, as well as environment-friendly, driving.

  1. Keep your engine warm

Since we’re trying to save on gas, avoid having to frequently start and stop the engine. If going for errands, try to string errands together and drive to your farthest destination first so you’ll have the engine heated up, and then work your way home.

  • Unload unnecessary stuffs

You don’t have to carry around a bag of sand, a case of oil or even that giant antique tool box you got from the thrift shop. So, free up some space n the trunk by unloading unnecessary stuff—the less your vehicle weighs, the more gas you’ll save.

  • Avoid driving during rush hour

Driving at a steady speed is more efficient in fuel than driving in lowest gear. Everytime your car starts and stops in traffic, your vehicle needs to return to first gear, and use significant amount of fuel to get it moving again. If part of your norm is travelling during rush hour, consider investing on a hybrid car for lesser fuel usage in town than a car in diesel or petrol.

  • Stick to the speed limit

If you ignore the speed limit, you would save some travel time and might think that you’re saving fuel, too. However, although you shaved off 20 minutes of your supposed travel time, you are wasting more fuel by working your engine too hard instead of saving it. While you are running 20 minutes less, your engine uses more fuel when you were on the road travelling 80mph instead of the 60mph speed limit.

  • Check tire pressures regularly

Check every tire’s pressure at least once a month. Tires that are under-inflated use more fuel. If the tires are eight pounds under-inflated, which is a common car condition, the rolling resistance of your car tires increase by five percent.

  • Drive smoothly

By driving in light throttle and light to moderate braking, you can economize fuel usage and help avoid wear and tear of your car gears. According to motor experts driving techniques influences the fuel efficiency of a vehicle by as much as 30 percent.

  • Avoid ‘revving’ the engine

Many drivers do this especially when about to switch off the engine. Revving up your car engine will only use up some more fuel unnecessarily and washer down the oil from inside the cylinder walls, which is a bad thing the next thing you start up your vehicle since the cylinder walls have dried up.

These are just some of the many ways you can save more car fuel. If you have tried most of these and still haven’t noticed any change in your car’s fuel consumption, it could be that the car needs to get checked by a professional mechanic.

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