tips on being an adult

really just a child

[euge--rome]

Happy Earth Day!! Tick off your progress of your zero-waste journey! How many do you do already and how many will you be able to do by the end of the year?

Going zero waste is something that everyone adapts to differently according to what they have available, so do what you can, be aware and spread the word!

I wanted to add a link to every product, and I also need to add some other things but if you want to help me out that’d be great!

[justcolledgethings]

Things I Wish I Knew To Bring To College

Pt.2

This ones gonna sound dumb but bandaids. I completely forgot bandaids. And not just the basic ones but bring all different kinds, or at least remember to buy some for your room before you need them

Or just a mini 1st aid kit in general. No one wants to trek across campus for a bandaid

Stain remover. Comes in handy

A broom. Not always necessary bc most of the time the front desk will have one, but it’s still useful

Door mat. Especially if you’re gonna get bad snow or rain

Umbrella. I really regretted not bringing mine

Windex. Def not a must but would have come in handy

And yeah you could buy this stuff at the college supply store but like that shits expensive. I suggest either brining it or grabbing it at a Walmart run, but it’s not always fun spending money on things you left at home.

Or if your parents don’t mind they can mail it

[adulttalk]

How to Balance Work and School

These are the things I do (or attempt to do most of the time) to manage my time between working 35 hours a week and attending 6 classes a week.

1. Have all of your classes during one point in the day, back to back. I do all of mine in the morning and go to work after. You can do all in the morning, all in the afternoon, etc. The key is to try to have them as close together as possible.

2. Spread your classes throughout the week. Don’t take five classes on Monday and only two for the rest of the week. Try to keep the days as even as possible. I have three classes every day except for Thursday.

3. Make sure your job is willing to work with your school schedule. Make it known that school is your first priority.

4. Remember to put in your request off forms for big projects, tests, final exams, and essays at least a week and a half before you need the time off. This allows your employer to get your position covered and gives you a greater chance of getting that time you need off.

5. Don’t work outrageously early/late if necessary. I get off at 6 every day except for Saturday and I go in about ten minutes after my classes end every day. This allows for me to have time at the end of the day to work on whatever it is I need to do and still get plenty of rest and relaxation.

6. Don’t waste your time. If you’ve gotten out of class early and you have another hour before your next class, use the time to study or work on homework, projects, or essays. The key to balancing college and work is squeezing everything you can out of free time (by free time I mean unexpected times where you’re not busy, not allotted free time you’ve set out for yourself, see below).

7. Keep a planner, a bullet journal, or use your phone. Whatever your method, keep track of when homework, assignments, projects, essays, and finals are taking place. You can’t time manage without knowing when things are due. Plan your week around your calendar.

8. Remember to also take care of your space. Clean your room, do your laundry, organize your books. Not only will you have a clean living area but you’ll also feel less anxious and stressed when your space isn’t a wreck.

9. Prep-pack your backpack, lunches, and snacks the night before classes. Also have your outfit or a general idea of your outfit picked out if you like doing so. If you’re like me and just throw on something comfy like jeans a shirt, then go for it.

10. Have a day (or if you’re like me and all you can get is a half-day that works too) built into your week where you’re just relaxing and spending time on you. You can’t balance work and school if you’re not feeling yourself. Make sure you’re sleeping enough hours, drinking plenty of water (not just caffeine), and eating as healthily as possible. And throw in some exercising if you’ve got time and you enjoy it.

[whatisadulting]

Car care tips

Oil: - honey colored oil is good, coffee colored is bad and means you need to change it soon - never check oil on a hill - you can go 3000 miles over your designated amount of miles for an oil change - bigger engines burn more oil, remember that when you’re making a purchase

Under the hood: - if your car has trouble getting past 45-50 mph (stalling) then you could have issues with your spark plugs - dimming headlights? Check your battery you could need a new one, walmart offers free battery checks and free disposals - clean under the hood please, take a cloth and wipe it all down, hell you can even spray it on a low power setting with the car on, just don’t use soap. - if you’ve noticed leaking it could be any sort of liquid just keep an eye on how your car is running and what you’ve have to fill up on more recently, and get it checked out asap.

Interior: - tuff stuff gets so much dirt and grime out, it can even lift stains. Trust it. I even use it for my house - seriously you don’t need to take your car in to detail it. It’s a waste of money. Get yourself a car cleaning kit and go nuts. - a clean car is a happy car and will last longer than one that you leave trash all over in - buy an emergency kit from Walmart seriously they come with jump cables, first aid, flash light, blah blah blah

General: - if you get a new set of tires the two news ones go in the back - put a winter kit in your car this should have a blanket, water, granola bars, and warm clothing - if you have a truck put a couple things of tube sand in the bed to keep it from sliding to much due to the weight imbalance - your car has your tire pressure, tire sizes, and other info on your driver side on the frame or on the door

[adulttips]

Adult Tip: Ingredients to have on hand:

It can be kind of overwhelming to go into the spice aisle of your grocery store and look at all the stuff and have no idea what to buy and what will be a waste of money. Seasonings can cost anywhere from 1-5 dollars each, but will last for about 30-40 meals before you run out. So here is my list of “essentials.” Again, this is not the end all be all of lists, just what I consider to be a good idea.

Salt: This is a must. I’m not kidding. Salt brings out the flavor of your food, and can turn a can of tinned tomatoes into a decent sauce to put over spaghetti. It’s really important.

Pepper: Again, same as the salt. Can be used in practically everything you make that is savory.

Cinnamon: Good for deserts, oatmeal, sweet grits, basically anything that you want sort of a twist to.

Garlic Powder: Essential, especially if you don’t want to buy and deal with fresh garlic.

Onion Powder: Takes the hassle out of cooking, I swear.

Italian seasoning: This is a mix of basil, thyme, and oregano. Doesn’t have to be expensive, just has to do the job.

Curry Powder: A little plain yogurt, some veggies, a little water and curry powder (plus salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder) makes a curry. Not kidding. It’s a mix of 4 or 5 different spices so you don’t have to buy each separately.

Chili powder: If you are into spicy food, this will add a kick to anything you’re cooking

Vanilla Extract: Literally is used in every dessert recipe. You can make your own in large quantities with some brandy and a vanilla bean pod, but the little bottle you find in the spice aisle does you just fine.

Optional: Now, I love garlic, and hate actually handling it. Jarred, crushed garlic is my cheat for most recipes. It’s quick, not messy, and relatively cheap.

I also like having a “Mrs. Dash” spice mix around for general meat seasoning. My favorite is chipotle lime, but get what tickles your fancy!

I hope this helped some of you. Let me know what your favorite spices are, or what you would add to this list!

Good Luck,

M

[missmentelle]

How to Live With Roommates Without Losing Your Sanity

1. Focus on hunting for roommates, not apartments. Your roommates are going to be some of the most important relationships in your entire life. These people will know all your weird quirks and secrets. They’ll know that you like to put ketchup on your ice cream, they’ll know exactly how often you bring home cute strangers from the bar, and they will know exactly what it sounds like when you do your best Rihanna impression in the shower. Having roommates is the closest you can come to being married without having to shop for a ring, but most of us spend less time choosing potential roommates than we do choosing one-night-stands on Tinder. When we shop for apartments, we mostly focus on the features of the apartments themselves, and not the other people who live in them. This is a huge mistake. Whether or not you have an extra 30 square feet of floor space or an automatic dishwasher is not going to have nearly the same impact on your quality of life as whether or not your roommate displays human compassion and pays their bills on time. Focus on the roommates. 

2. Don’t assume that a good friend will make a good roommate. When you’re looking for a roommate, it’s really tempting to turn to a random buddy of yours and decide that the two of you should live together, because you both share a deep love of getting high and watching Great British Bake Off. Don’t do this. Or at the very least, think long and hard about whether you and your friend are actually compatible roommates - some of the worst roommate horror stories happen when you move in with a dear friend, only to realize that they are a slovenly human being who grates on your nerves. Friend-roommates are much more likely to feel comfortable using your things without asking or being late on their bills, and it’s harder to tell your friend to get their shit together than it is to say the same thing to a roommate you don’t know as well. Tread carefully.  3. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not when you’re looking for roommates. My university has a database of graduate students looking for roommates, and every single one of the 600+ people listed on it has indicated that they are “neat” or “very neat”. I can guarantee that that’s complete bullshit. There’s not a chance that there are zero messy people in a group of 600+ academics in their early 20s, and you can’t hide that part of yourself forever. When you’re looking for roommates, it can be really tempting to say what you think people want to hear - that you make absolutely zero noise, that you never come home drunk, and that you spend all your free time scrubbing. Put your best foot forward, but be realistic - it’s okay to say “I keep common areas clean, but my own bedroom is usually a little cluttered”. Be honest. 4. Make a chore chart. This seems like an incredibly juvenile thing to do, but it can really help keep things running smoothly. Decide as a group how often you think certain chores need to be done, and how you’re going to get them done. If one of you would prefer to always clean the bathroom and the other to always do the floors, great. If you’d prefer to rotate all the chores, great. Just find an arrangement that feels fair, and keeps the apartment at a level of cleanliness you can all live with. Without a chart, it often falls to one person to keep the apartment from turning into a toxic waste dump, and that can lead to a lot of resentment. Make a schedule, and stick to it.  5. Decide how you are going to split shared costs. Unless you plan on hoarding your own toilet paper in your bedroom, you and your roommates are going to be sharing a lot of things - dish soap, cleaning products, paper towels, even silly things like salt and pepper. How are you going to pay for those costs in a way that’s fair? Is it okay for one roommate to go out and buy things on their own and then ask for reimbursement? Do they have to ask first? Some households keep a jar that everyone puts money into weekly, and the money all goes to shared costs - that’s a fair solution that can work well for everyone.  6. Discuss important needs and rules right at the start of the arrangement. It’s much better to get all the really fundamental things out in the open on Day One - it’s more comfortable for everyone if you can avoid issues, rather than apologize for them later. I have a severe shellfish allergy; I had to make it clear to my roommates from the start that they had to use extreme caution if they brought shellfish into the apartment. It was better to discuss that in advance than have them find out by putting me in the hospital. One of my roommates is a very light sleeper, and needs the rest of us not to bang pots and pans around in the kitchen after a certain hour - the rest of us respect that so she can wake up on time for work. Lay out your needs right from the start, instead of allowing annoyances to fester into an argument. 

7. Learn to pick your battles. Occasionally, you are going to want to murder at least one of your roommates. That’s just what happens when you live in close quarters with other human beings. Maybe they eat your leftovers, or leave hair in the shower, or track mud across the floors you just cleaned. It’s tempting to seek out swift retribution and justice every time your roommate wrongs you, but constantly picking at your roommate for small annoyances is going to make your household tense and hostile fairly quickly. When your roommate leaves wet towels on the floor, take a deep breath, and ask yourself whether it’s really easier to angrily confront your roommate, or just pick the towels up yourself. Obviously if there’s an ongoing pattern, things should be addressed, but everyone has occasional bad days and forgetful moments. Try to cut them some slack. 

8. Set rules for overnight guests. Everyone has a horror story about a roommate whose significant other just casually moved in and started taking over the household without washing a single dish or contributing a cent. Decide in advance what the rules are for overnight guests. How often can you have them? How long can someone stay before they have to start pitching in? How far in advance do you have to notify your roommates that someone is coming? My best friend used to live with a roommate who frequently gave out copies of their keys to people she’d dated for less than two weeks, which is a fantastic way to make yourself the victim of a home invasion. What are the rules on making keys for someone? The clearer these expectations are, the less likely you are to be surprised by an unwanted extra roommate.  9. Don’t confront a roommate about a problem when you’re worked up. If you need to talk to your roommate about a problem you’re having with them, don’t do it when you’re angry enough to shove them off the fire escape. Give yourself time to calm down - go for a walk, be alone in your room for a while, get out with some friends, sleep on the problem overnight. Wait until you and your roommate are both feeling calm and have free time for a heart-to-heart discussion. You’re much more likely to have a difficult (but useful) conversation that ends in some kind of compromise, rather than an all-out brawl that ends in broken dishes.  10. Hang out with your roommates from time to time. Find things you can do together. Watch a TV show together. Go out to a bar now and then, if that’s your thing. Cook a meal and sit down for dinner as a group. It’s a lot easier to deal with another person’s quirks if you actually like them as a person. Take some time out from your busy week to bond and build a positive relationship. Ask your roommates about their lives, and keep up with what’s going on with them. Your roommates are like a second family, and you’re more likely to have a happy household when you take the time to show each other that you care. 

[tahthetrickster]

pro-tips for chores when you have depression and can only do chores in small bursts

if you leave your clothes in the washer too long and they sour: just put in a little more detergent, sprinkle load liberally with regular household borax, and wash and dry as normal, it’ll be fine

if your dishwasher smells like a dead thing: put a mug full of apple cider vinegar in the top rack and fill the detergent container with baking soda. run on the longest, hottest setting you have. repeat if it still smells weird afterwards

if your shower/bathtub is fucking gross: get a spray bottle and mix in it a 1:1 ratio of dish soap and vinegar. spray on gross parts, let sit 5-10 minutes, wipe off. may need additional rounds if still gross

if you let bakeware sit too long and now it’s got stuff cooked onto it and it won’t come off: fill with water, toss it in the oven on like 150°F, let it sit for an hour. it’ll loosen it up enough to wash out. if it’s a stovetop implement, basically the same thing: fill with water, toss on stove on low heat, use spatula or smthg to scrape off the gross bits

chores suck but they gotta get done dudes!! go forth and revive yr place of living

[adulttalk]

How to Move

I’ve moved quite a few times in my life both when I lived with my mom and on my own, so here are my expert moving tips for a less stressful move. Enjoy!

Before packing:

1. Scout out the place you’re moving to. Is it smaller or larger than where you currently live? 

If it’s smaller, go through your items as you pack and try to organize items you don’t want or need anymore into items to sell, donate, and throw away. You can do this for knickknacks, clothes, shoes, anything. For the donate and throw away items, you can put them into large trash bags and take them to their respective places. TIP: If you don’t sell your items by the time it’s about two days before you’re going to move to your new place, go ahead and donate them. You don’t want the added stress of moving those items later and trying to find a place for them. 

If the new place is larger, as you’re packing, think of what you’ll need (if anything) for the new place. Will you finally have a dining room? Then you’ll need a table with at least two chairs. Does the new place have a place for a washer and dryer? Well doggone you’ll need a washer and dryer. As you’re packing, make a list of what you’ll need and if you need it immediately or if it can wait and roughly how much it’ll cost so you’ll know how much you need to save and account for in your budget.

2. While looking at your new place, note any work that needs to be done.

Do any of the rooms, counters, floors, windows, appliances need to be cleaned/removed? If any of this needs to be done, I would let your landlord know right away. They should get it taken care of. However, some places don’t do that and they’ll usually even knock off some of the total deposit or first month’s rent if you do it yourself. If you decide to do it yourself, make sure you have all of the cleaners and supplies you’ll need such as window cleaner, wood cleaner/polisher, a vacuum, broom, dustpan, mop, paper towels, floor cleaner, disinfectant wipes, and trash bags/boxes. Also take note if your windows need blinds or curtains and remember to budget for that if you don’t already have blinds or curtains.

3. Ask your landlord if you can start to bring items and boxes by before you move in. If it’s allowed, this’ll be a great help for when you start to move stuff over.

4. Make sure you have everything you need to start packing. You’ll need boxes and/or totes, trash bags, packing tape, and newspaper or any other items you could use to wrap any of your breakables in (or maybe no newspaper if you choose to wrap your breakables in clothes and blankets that you already own).

Packing:

1. Do it by room, Start, within that room, with the things you won’t need for the next week or so.

2. If you’re using cardboard boxes, use packing tape on the bottom.

3. When you’re finished packing each box, label the room and items in the box. i.e kitchen, cooking bowls. This will be a life saver when you’re unpacking.

4. As you pack, clean. Dust and wipe down the surfaces, sweep, mop, wipe down the windows, etc. so you won’t have to do it later. Doing it room by room is so much easier.

5. If you can take items over to your new place beforehand, go ahead and do that. Don’t stack your boxes and items all over the place. If your box says kitchen, go ahead and put it in the kitchen. It’s going to make unpacking way better.

6. When moving big items like furniture, see if you have a friend who’s willing to help with a truck or trailer. You can always offer to take them out to lunch as thanks for their help.

7. Like six, if you decide you want someone to help you move, you can take them out for lunch or order some delivery and have some snacks and a beverage like a little get together. I personally don’t like when other people try to help me move because they don’t do things the way I like but hey, whatever works for you bud.

8. Once you’ve got everything moved out of your old place, go through every drawer, closet, and cabinet one last time to make sure you didn’t leave anything crucial or sentimental behind. Some things people commonly forget are their shower heads, ceiling fans, and light switch covers. If you installed any of these things, remember to take them with you and to replace the originals if there were any.

Unpacking:

1. Again, start by rooms. Depending on the room, if may be easier to start with the smaller items or the furniture first. For the kitchen and bathrooms I’d start with smaller items. For the living room and dining area, start with the furniture and bigger items.

2. You can also do like seven above and have a moving party to help unpack.

Miscellaneous

1. Remember to check your fridge and pantry to see what foods you do and don’t have and go to the grocer’s for food that you’ll need for the week.

2. On the same not, depending on how well you stock your fridge, for the week or two before you’re going to move, try not to buy any food for your old place. Eat and use what you have if you can so you won’t stress about any food ruining in the moving process.

3. Remember to change your address for sites like amazon, and for magazine subscriptions, news, etc.

4. Leave your new address to your previous landlord/post office so he/she can forward any mail that you accidentally receive at the old address.

5. If you’re moving counties/states, remember to check in with the DMV, your healthcare provider, optometrist, and dentist.

6. If at all possible, try to call and have your lights, water, cable, etc. set up a few days before you move in so you won’t be bored in the dark on your first night there. Keep in mind when scheduling that you’ll most likely have to be present for the cable/internet.

I hope this helps anyone who’s moving in the future and may be stressing and feeling overwhelmed.

[untitled31280]

How to be productive:

Buy a notebook or clear a place on your wall for a chalkboard, pin board or whatever.

Write down everything that you need to do.

Now determine the importance of doing each of these things. Highlight or put a star on the high priority things.

Examine how you currently spend your days and decide what hours you can replace with productive actions. (eg I like to use my lunch hour productively so I can be lazy for a few hours after class)

Now divide everything you need to do over the week. Clearly mark your due dates so that you won’t forget them.

Work somewhere that will inspire you to work. A coffee shop where you don’t know anyone, a library, your kitchen. Don’t work in your room(on your bed) or in front of a tv.

Put your phone away while you work. You don’t really need to be checking your Instagram or Snapchat. And trust me, scrolling can take up an hour of your time without you even noticing.

Exercise! Exercise really does help you stay energized.

Drink water! Get your 2-3 liters in every day.

Eat healthy foods and in smaller portions. Healthy food fuels your brains and smaller portions mean that you won’t want to take a nap to recover.

Have a rewards system. Now listen up, to have a rewards system you need to get out of the habit of just giving yourself what you want. A reward only works if you don’t get the item all the time. Rewards will vary from person to person but they could be things like doing 2 hours of proper work = 1 episode of your favorite show. 1 week of productivity every day = going out on friday night. finishing that project= this snack. etc.

Constantly remind yourself of what you’re working for. Is it University acceptance, your dream job, personal stability,your dream body? Keep the reminder close.

Cross off what you complete! This sounds funny but studies have actually shown that people feel more satisfied when they see how they’ve progressed. So, instead of mentally checking off a list, physically check off a list. It’ll motivate you!

Keep quiet about your goals! Studies have also shown that a person lets everyone know what their goal is, that person generally congratulates them, causing their brain to feel satisfied, without them actually having to do the work. But, on the other hand, we tend to be harder on ourselves when people don’t know what we’re working on. 

Try not to multitask. Trust me, multitasking means that no project is finished at the end of the day. That demotivates easily. So, instead of trying to finish all tasks, focus on one and let the satisfaction of completing it fuel you to work on the next few tasks.

Remember that you can’t do everything at once. You’ll burn out. So, dedicate time for your brain to relax. Read or journal before you sleep, stretch, listen to relaxing music. Go through your skin care routine. 

If you feel that you can’t start the work and cut the bad habits at once then focus on cutting out a bad habit. Start with saying no to watching tv and youtube. Remind yourself to make your bed before you leave your room. Put your phone away for a few hours. Then, once this comes easily to you replace these things.

It’s not an easy journey, so forgive yourself when you mess up and don’t follow the plan, but don’t make excuses. Take full responsibility for your actions. (Yes, I have to finish my project in two days because I watched tv every day after school. Yes, I didn’t clean the house because I stayed up so late last night that I needed to have a nap today).  Also, don’t require excuses for taking a day off for your mental health. Sometimes we just need a good reset day.

[yournewapartment]

Reader Tips

Thank-you to everyone who submitted to this week’s Reader Tips!

Beauty

“If you have stubborn hair dye stains on a plastic bathtub that a magic eraser won’t take off, you can use a pumice stone (like ones that are for pedicures) and a cleaner to scrub it off!” - @huniedrop in Mississipi, USA

Education

“Languages are immensely useful. I’m a student and one of the jobs I applied to, knowing the position wasn’t the best fit, offered to have me volunteer until they could open up a position for me to work in, simply because I could speak French fluently. Know what languages are used in your country, and learn based off that, if you’re in a French speaking country with low amounts of English speakers, that won’t be helpful to the store at all.” - Anon

Food

“Save your food packaging! Yogurt containers, margarine tubs, some of the containers for “ready made” deli meals– even those little 3oz cups that your dipping sauce gets put in if you take home restaurant leftovers. Also, GLASS JARS from pasta sauce or whatever. Anything that is washable + resealable = free Tupperware.” - @jottingprosaist

“That reader tip about the pack ramen versus cup ramen? I’ve noticed that Wal-Mart is now selling a microwave dish specifically for cooking ramen squares! I didn’t look at the price (I can’t stand ramen), but it would definitely save on dishes!” @dorcastabitha in East Texas.

Laundry

“Hi! I’m not sure if this is common knowledge but, a lot of people I know don’t do this. If you keep losing your socks in the wash, try placing all your socks in a laundry mesh. You can get a cheap one at any dollar store. I tend to use sorta large meshes bc I use a lot of socks every week. Just toss ‘em all in the mesh and throw em in the washer. This works for dryers as well! And if you have any gloves or mitts, you can toss em in there too! hope this helps :)” - @jenicoon in Vancouver, Canada

Moving

“On the day you move in to a new house/apartment/room, walk in the door with a bag containing spray bleach, washing rags that you’re willing to throw away, paper towels, and cheap plastic scrubby pads. Do not pack them; do not unpack anything else first. Spray bleach is for EVERYTHING: walls, cupboards, floors, windows. The wash rags may get too stained to keep. Paper towels are for messes you don’t even wanna rinse out of the rag, e.g. eight years of dust bunnies and crusty food spills under the stove. Scrubby pads are for any crap that doesn’t come off with 10 seconds of rag washing. Clean your new home before you start living in it! You’ll feel so much better not unpacking your belongings into somebody else’s dust and mystery mess.” - @jottingprosaist

Saving Money

“You’re probably already shopping thrift stores, but have you considered… Facebook? Auction and sale Facebook groups are amazing for cheap EVERYTHING, including furniture. The Holy Grail: “stuff for free” groups, where people give away unwanted belongings rather than throw them out.” - @jottingprosaist

“Keep your change. When you buy a coffee or a snack, toss it all in a container and just leave it. When times get difficult you can roll it up and have sone cash for things you need or just buy yourself a gift 🎁“ - Anon

“In addition to the heated blankets heated mattress pads are a gift from the gods when in cold rooms“ - Anon in Chicago, IL

Self Care

“So this is a reader tip for self care: If you notice a symptom that could be concerning, set a reminder on your phone a few days or a week ahead detailing the symptom, when you first noticed it and other relevant information. That way even if time passes weirdly for you (yay depression) you still know how long you’ve been sick and when you should get medical attention.” - Anon

[fragilefangirl]

Tips and tricks on how to keep your place from creepy crawlers

for you guys who just recently live alone and have kinda no idea on how to put away bugs and rats and other animals that haunts your sleep at night, this is for you;

how to keep them from getting in

sweep your place every day. like, it doesnt have to be thorough sweeping coz God knows ur tired and all, but make sure you have no breadcrumbs or any other edible things left in your hidden corner. try to mop it at least once a week.

wash your dishes! animals are attracted to smell of food, and the leftover grease on your plate smells like heaven to them

always put your food on a high cabinet, so they cant reach it. also always seal them so their scents wont attract the creepy crawlers.

keep your room dry. they like moldy, sorta wet places. make your place inhabitable for them.

always seal your drains. this is a real experience of mine, but at vacation my loft’s drain wasn’t sealed and i returned to two rats eating my persian carpet. go figure.

close any possible entrance/hiding place when you’re not around. this means always lock your closets, your windows, your drawers, dont let them bitches in.

buy a room freshener. not only that it adds the scent, it also repels the bugs.

how to handle them when they infiltrate

throw away the disgust. roll your sleeves and grab your broom coz Lord Himself knows anything that messes with you will get its LESSON.

in a dire situation, every spray is a bug spray.

toothpaste makes as really good seal. put some of the paste to the holes/area where they came from, and you’ll stop more of them from getting in.

if they’re huge, chase them away with fire. still on the rat incident, i chased out a rat with a lit candle. it was not my wisest decision but hey, it worked.

if they’re small, water will do. mop your floor using porcelain solution (idk what it’s called in english but its that soapy liquid you use to mop your floor). they’ll die instantly.

in extermination process, open your drains, and make them run to it. let them go back to where they came from.

find the source of what they were looking for (usually food) and destroy it. once their target is gone they wont return, i promise you. they got nothing to chase for.

make a loud noise, hit the wall/the floor. these crawlers are easily startled and would come out at sudden noises. it’ll be easier for you to wipe all of them then, coz they won’t be so hidden anymore.

how to deal with the aftermath

mop your floor, and scrub your bathroom. make sure their traces are gone.

check for hidden corners, too.

spray your room with air freshener and bug spray.

try to not picture them in your sleep. it’s hard but you can do it.

anyway, feel free to add more to this!

[fluffyrainbowbutterfly]

Crazy busy adult who has no time to cook shopping list because of work or college and also life advice

Frozen veggies, especially peas, can be microwaved and eaten in minutes

Fruit cups

Bagged salad

Orange, banana, apple (but not if you have braces). Takes literally seconds to wash, don’t be lazy.

Berries (frozen or refrigerated), can be blended, cooked, or eaten as is (non-frozen berries need to be rinsed)

Canned lentils because protein and vitamin B

Eggs can be boiled or scrambled in bulk and saved to eat throughout the week

Deli meat. Can be mixed into dishes or eaten by itself.

Crockpots are great, throw in some meat and/or veggies and sauce, turn it on low, go to work/class, it’ll be done when you’re back and you can refrigerate or freeze left-overs for when you’re really in a rush.

Worst case scenario: pour milk or other protein-based beverage into a thermos the night before, leave it in fridge, grab it on the way out. Put a small package of food such as trail-mix and a bottle of water in your backpack/workbag the night before in case you somehow forget the thermos.

It’s okay to go without eating every once in a while, or binge on random vending machibe food in an emergency, but please try to eat healthy and as often as needed. I lost 60+ pounds just from being too busy to eat and experiencing non-stop stress. I lost fat and muscle tone, so my skin hangs loose on my body and my clothes don’t fit right. Even though I did need to lose weight, this was not the healthiest way to do it (because I lost muscle tone).

Also you need to take time to clean your living space, and check it regularly for infestation, and call for maintenance or help if you see a problem. My dorm in college was infested with mold so bad (it was in the walls and air, so I couldn’t stop it just by cleaning), the building needed to be rebuilt. Before that happened I caught several infections and illnesses that hampered my ability to succeed in my classes. I contracted aspergillosis(which can be deadly), but it went away a few weeks after leaving the room for good.

[unfuckyourhabitat]

Unfuck tomorrow morning

Wash the dishes in your sink

Get your outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories

Set up coffee/tea/breakfast

Make your lunch

Put your keys somewhere obvious

Wash your face and brush your teeth

Take your medication/set out your meds for the morning

Charge your electronics

Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl (if you don’t have pets or children or sleepwalking adults)

Set your alarm

Go to bed at a reasonable hour

[yournewapartment]

I'm having guests visit and stay in my apartment for the first time! They'll be here in 4 days. What can I do to prepare? It's really important to me that my guests see how well my boyfriend and I are doing now that we're living together and I want to make a good impression!

Guest Tips

1. Start by deep cleaning your apartment. Vacuum, mop, wipe dust off the back of the TV. Clean the things you don’t normally clean in your regular cleaning routine. I recommend spreading this cleaning out in the few days before they arrive.

2. Comb the apartment for things that you are not 100% okay with your guests seeing. I’m talking dildos, sexy panties, bongs, etc. Store these out of sight in a closet for the duration of their stay.

3. Stock up on snacks. I recommend fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, chips and salsa. If you have a microwave, buy some microwave snacks like mini pizzas or taquitoes. I know these aren’t the healthiest snacks in the world, but sometimes a warm snack does the trick.

4. Similarly, get all your take-out menus in one organized stack. Because you do not want to be cooking three meals a day for these people.

5. Stock up on guest bathroom supplies. One would hope that people coming to spend a week at your place would bring things as simple as toothbrushes, but sometimes they forget. Here’s a list of bathroom supplies for your guest:

- Toothbrushes and toothpaste (get travel sized)- Shampoo and conditioner (again, travel sized)- Towels that are only for your guests (just wash some of your towels and fold them and tell your guests that they’re for them to use)- Soap (travel sized)- Q-tips (people NEVER bring q-tips! Put a little pack of them out in plain sight in the bathroom)

6. Make sure you’re fully stocked household essentials wise. Here are some examples:

- Toilet paper- Paper towels- First Aid kit- Trash bags- Napkins (paper or otherwise)- Plates (paper or otherwise)- Silverware- Milk- Coffee- Toast

7. Get a bowl of fresh fruit and put it on your coffee table or dining room table. I recommend citrus, because it lasts longer. A bowl of citrus on a table makes you look like more of an “Adult”. Science side of Tumblr please explain.

8. Create a guest space for your guests before they arrive. Wash any sheets and blankets, wipe any bedside tables down, and if you’re feeling fancy buy some flowers to put in a vase by where they’ll be sleeping.

9. Buy some things that will cover up a bad scent quickly. Like Febreeze or incense or scent candles. Just in case!

10. And finally, come up with a list of places to take your guests. Hiking trails, nice restaurants, shopping malls, cinemas, etc. Please don’t try to entertain them 100% of the time, let them do their thing occasionally. But have at least one outing planned a day.

Good luck!

[whatisadulting]

Apartment tips

Before you move into your new place you need to do two things (if you’re renting)

Have a walk through especially if you have a large security deposit Bring a camera with a date option and take pictures of every stain, hole, weird looking thing in the place. You don’t want to have your security deposit revoked because you’re being blamed for a previous tenants red wine spill. Make sure you bring these up with the owner and show them the pictures and have them sign something saying they acknowledge that these problems are not from you and were in fact from previous owners. Secondly Bring cleaning supplies. It is so much easier to do a deep clean when there is nothing in it. Even if they have maintenance come in before and clean it. Clean it again. Because we all k ow you’re not going to move your giant sectional every time your sweep unless you rearrange your furniture. So clean those spots real REAL good. What to bring - Vinegar & Baking soda (if your cheap and can’t bring your parents cleaning supplies) - Carpet cleaner and vacuum (if you can) - Broom and dustpan - Windex - Bleach - Gloves - Mop and bucket if you have laminate - Paper towels - Carpet powder or borax if you don’t have a carpet cleaner - Spray bottle

Remember never mix chemicals.

Always dilute your bleach and vinegar when cleaning.

When using chemical make sure you open the windows and doors to provide ventilation.

Use vinegar to clean down counters, sinks, bathtubs, anything that’s ceramic or metal. Don’t use it on wooden surfaces. You can use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in your sinks to help clean and dislodge anything Use an equal amount for each and then run hot water after its done. You can also use both to clean your toilet. As long is its a non-porous surface like marble or wood you should be fine.

Vinegar is a natural solution to bleach and does most of the job but if you need bleach always dilute it with 3-4 parts water with every 1 part bleach. You can use it on all the same things as vinegar but make sure you wear gloves and have the windows and doors open for good ventilation. Never mix bleach with any other chemicals as it can result in lethal gas.

Using carpet powder is super easy most of the time you just sprinkle the powder and let it sit. You can also use borax to clean if you are worried about and bugs that might be living in your carpet in the same was you use powder carpet cleaner. Just sprinkle it on your carpet and let it sit for 15-20 minutes and the vacuum

[gofod-alle-rymd]

Uni Tips

Here’s just some random tips I learnt from being at uni :)

·       Bananas are a very cheap and versatile fruit, and are also good for a snack on the go

·       Sleep on a cheap throw! I’ve found sleeping on a soft throw or a furry blanket has helped my sleep, especially on the tiny cheap uni accommodation beds. Primark has throws for £6

·       Change where you study. Try studying in different cafés, libraries, study spaces. This I find helps me concentrate. Maybe it’s the added pressure of actually having to look busy

·       Use what the university has available. My uni, for example, has free language courses in several languages, free extra curricular lectures with guest lecturers, and every couple of months has some sort of careers fair. Beside being very interesting, the latter two usually have some sort of free food available lol. Going to extra courses is also a good way to make friends, and in a non alcohol setting

·       A fun way to have exercise and hang out with friends is a walk in the park! I highly recommend just wandering around a park for a couple of hours chatting with a friend.

·       Get lounge pants or running shorts for hanging around the house. Having something that you don’t mind people seeing you in, but is also very comfy is a lifesaver

·       Take some time to walk around and time how long it takes you to get to your uni and back. That way you know the maximum sleep in time how long it takes to get there ready for your first day

·       If you get into certain clubs before a certain time (e.g. Pryzm before 11pm) you get in for free :) There’s also no shame in going to the club in jeans and trainers! live your comfiest life

·       Don’t walk anywhere in the dark, and especially drunk and alone, that you haven’t walked in the day. 

·       Also, agree to text people when you get back! This system lets the others in your group if you’re on a night out know you’re safe, and if they don’t get a text back in the allotted time slot they can alert someone quickly

·       Poundland sometimes has good brands of shampoo for a pound e.g. Aussie shampoo, so keep an eye out for that. Also name brand foods 

·       A really good, cheap exfoliant is 1 part oil to 1 part sugar. Simply mix and rub into skin, then shave off

Feel free to add any tips :D

[butim-justharry-deactivated2019]

some tips from your local depressed college student

cheap paper towels + hydrogen peroxide = acne treatment (just be careful not to bleach your eyebrows unless you’re into that idk)

use the acne face soap on your chest, upper back, and shoulders instead, since it doesn’t do shit for your face (or at least not mine)

no one is stopping you from bushing your teeth in the shower except yourself (just eliminating that extra step of going to the sink makes it so much easier for me)

did you know you’re actually supposed to put on stick deodorant at night??? It has time to absorb while u sleep or stare at the ceiling in dispair whichever works best for u

carrots and/or apples dipped in peanut butter = dinner (or just plain peanut butter but it helps to get a lil something extra if you can manage it)

if you give yourself an allowance of skip days (i’m talking like 3 or 4 max) then it can be easier to go to class if you remind yourself “i only have 2 skip days left, I’m gonna save them until I REALLY need them” (think of skip days like non-essential items in a video game - you could use them now, but what if you really need them during the final boss battle later on??)

the velveeta microwave dinners aren’t great but they’re cheap and better than some other options out there. the mac n cheese w/ meat ones can smell a bit like dog food but they still taste pretty good

if you like peppermint hot chocolate - save the after dinner mints you get at places like Chik Fil A and italian restaurants and such and then drop a couple in your mug before you put it in the microwave. boom. 

if you’ve got a sore throat, just take a spoonful of honey (or squirt it directly from the bottle to your mouth if you’re a heathen like me) and go find a hot drink

for essays - highlight/number/circle/whatever you want to do to make ‘em stand out the quotes you want to use in your paper, then go take a shower or get something to eat or just watch like a 15-20 minute video on YouTube and then come back to your paper, pop those fuckin’ quotes in the right order, and write in the smart bullshit around them

okay actually the one thing that I will spend a little extra money on is cough drops bc i get a sore throat all the damn time and the only kind i will buy anymore is Halls Breezers they taste like candy instead of koala shit my personal favorite is cool berry but the orange creme ones are good too honestly these cough drops have saved my life at least six times now

coffee is gr9 but don’t forget to have some water every day too dehydration is NOT FUN (speaking from very painful personal experience)