Remember back at the start of 2021? We were all hopeful about the coming
vaccine and looking forward to a sense of normalcy. And because hope
springs eternal, we made New Year's Resolutions like we always do,
imaging a brighter future.
For some of us, our resolutions revolved
around the pandemic...getting rid of the extra 15 pounds we gained over
2020, or saving a bigger emergency fund for "next time," or just getting
our job and life back. For others, it was buying a house, exercising
more, taking a vacation again, or hugging relatives.
Now we're six months in, and it's a good time to reassess and re-imagine
our resolutions and goals. Things have changed — perhaps more slowly
than we anticipated — but they have changed. Now is a good time to take a
walk-through of your life and assess where you're at, where you want to
go, and how you'll get there given the new realities of the world at
large.
Here's a great post with a ton of goal-setting ideas that can get your thoughts flowing. The content comes from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.
As always, if real estate is in your plans — or in the plans of someone
you know — please reach out to me for help. Mardin, (408) 210-2073 info@amirirealty.com
WIN A $5 GIFT CARD
It's easy to play! Just send me your answer to the question below. Correct entries are entered into a monthly drawing.
How many English words can you make by changing the last letter in the word June?
Last month's Q&A: A
girl has as many brothers as sisters, but each brother has only half as
many brothers as sisters. How many brothers and sisters are in the
family? 4 daughters (sisters) and 3 sons (brothers).
DIY HOME REPAIRS THAT CAN BITE YOU IN THE END
I love the idea of an independent home owner. However, before diving
into your DIY repairs, here are a few common places where a pro might
be cheaper than doing it yourself in the long run.
Cutting down large trees. If you have the right tools
and can do so safely, it may be perfectly OK to cut your own trees. But
check with local regulations first. If you cut a tree and it causes an
accident or damage, you may be liable.
Replacing an electrical panel. Again, if you have the
knowledge and tools, you may be able to do it. However, this is one
household improvement you probably shouldn't do yourself, given that you
may need a permit, and it needs to be done to code.
Replacing your stove. You can probably manage replacing
an electric stove with another electric stove, but it might be harder
to replace an electric stove with a gas stove. That is best done by a
licensed professional.
Removing a wall. You may like the idea of an open
living space, but if you remove a supporting wall, you'll have more open
space than you bargained for if your ceiling collapses. If you want to
do it yourself, first have a contractor confirm it's not a supporting
wall.
Replacing a water heater. Replacing one is a simple
matter, if you have the right tools and know-how. You need to make sure
you're running the right sized electrical wiring for the load required
by the new heater. You'll also need to be comfortable working with a gas
line if it's a gas heater.
Making roof repairs. This isn't necessarily difficult,
but it is dangerous. Roof falls is one of the more common household
injuries. From adjusting satellite dishes to fixing roof tiles, it pays
to have the right safety gear on.
It's a good question. The answer is yes and no...
Any kind of LISS (low-intensity steady state) exercise, like brisk
walking or jogging, will help you build lung endurance, improve heart
health, and burn fat. But even if you walk or jog a lot, you still
need to eat right to be fit. As one fitness expert puts it, "If you
have a large gut when you start jogging, it'll stay large unless you
also change what you put into it."
You can markedly increase your fitness level by adding weights to your
routine. Lifting weights burns carbohydrates and fat to literally
"build" muscle and bone density. Furthermore, lifting weights will also
increase the "after burn" effect, where you have a higher Resting
Metabolic Rate that continues to burn calories for up to an hour after
exercising. And weights will improve bone density.
So walking will make you fitter than not walking, but eating right and
lifting weights to build muscle will make you much fitter than walking
alone.
WHAT FOREIGNERS FIND STRANGE ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN HOMES
If
you've ever watched International House Hunters, you might have noticed
North American home buyers commenting on the "strange" things in
foreign homes. Like small refrigerators, door-less kitchen cabinets, or combined toilet and shower areas.
Those things are perfectly normal in many countries, but often deemed
"weird" or "unacceptable" by North American buyers. But the reverse
is also true. When foreigners house-hunt in North America, they're
often shocked at some truly weird things to them, like separate
laundry rooms, vast front lawns, garbage disposals, ice makers in (very
large) refrigerators, and wall-to-wall carpeting.
JUST FOR FUN
KINETIC ART TRANSFORMS BEFORE YOUR EYES
I
thought this was cool. Painter Sergie Cadenas has developed a
technique for painting "moving" images...entirely using paint and
canvas, with no actual moving parts and no digital technology. To
see how he does it, watch this interview from Euromaxx. To see more images, visit his Instagram here.
