Inexpensive ways to make over your shelves

Open shelves are typically thought of as storage—somewhere to stack old encyclopedias, a place to shove boxes full of random knickknacks, and the go-to spot for things you don’t want lying around on your living room floor.

Beyond storage, however, shelves can act as visually interesting enclaves that can display a certain mood you’re in, a particular style you’ve taken interest in, or an eclectic mix of items that showcase where you’ve been and where you hope to travel.

Maximize both form and function by restocking your shelves in fresh, new ways that won’t break the bank.

Add a pop of color or print
There is more to shelving than what you store in them.

Refresh your bookshelves by redecorating their inner surfaces. A fresh coat of paint in a bright hue can offer an unexpected pop of color.

Or use wrapping paper or old rolls of wallpaper to create a surprising background of subtle patterns one can only see when looking at your displays up close.

Color block your books
It may make sense to follow your library’s Dewey Decimal System and arrange your books by genre and alphabetically. Sorting everything by height may also seem like the obvious solution to arranging your books.

However, you may want to consider grouping your titles by color instead, to create a Pantone swatch-like effect of gradated colors along your shelves. Having one row in red and the next in green or blue doesn’t only make for a fun display, but will also enable you to find just the right colored accessories to put alongside your books.

This technique can do wonders for your bathroom too—keeping towels on display by color can make them easier to organize and give your shelves a more unified look as well.

Mix and match different items
Think out of the box and create vignettes out of mixed and matched items.

A family heirloom like an old snow globe can sit thoughtfully beside large coffee table books and a framed postcard from a dear friend. Or, a precious vinyl record cover can be the perfect complement to a stack of vintage magazines and your mom’s Polaroid camera from the 1980s.

The more varied the items you use, the more interesting your shelves will be.

Fill glass jars with pebbles or everyday objects
Even the most mundane objects—colored paper clips, gummy bears or little pebbles will look polished when collected in glass vases or clear Mason jars all stocked in rows along your shelves.

Arts and crafts aficionados will love a jar filled with colorful Japanese origami paper cranes, for example, while a glass filled with bright yellow sharpened pencils can make a colorful impact against a muted surface.

Choose shelving material to set the mood
Your shelves themselves can help set the mood for any room. Steel framing is sparse and modern, while old wood is traditional and warm. Bleached wood is minimalist without being too harsh or cold, while refinished wood in bright coats of paint takes on a homier, more DIY aesthetic.

Five tips for multitasking women to curb stress

Research shows that women suffer more from the symptoms of physical stress than men. If stress is playing havoc with your health and well-being, here are five tips to rein it in.

As women typically juggle more roles than men -- wife, mother, cook, cleaner, etc. -- trimming back the roles (self-imposed or not) isn't always so easy, says Susanne Fogger, professor of nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and long-time psychiatric nurse practitioner. Women often have "difficulty letting go without feeling guilty about not being able to maintain that role."

Stress unleashes hormones cortisol and norephinephrine in the body, raising blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose levels, explains Dr. Aimee Holland of the university's school of nursing. Being continually exposed to the stress load can put you at risk for a host of illnesses, from depression to obesity.

"Stress is erosive," says Fogger, "in the sense that the longer a person remains under what they perceive as stress, the less their body is able to fight off infection because their natural immune system decreases."

To get stress under control, Fogger offers five essential tips:
1. Get active - Daily exercise is essential to burning off stress, even if just 30 minutes -- as long as you don't exercise within a half hour before bedtime, unless you're having sex. "Sex doesn't count as 'exercise' in this case because it relaxes you -- it is a great stress-reducer," Fogger says.

2. Don't work before bedtime - "Your brain needs time to unwind," Fogger says, who suggests working no less than two hours before bed. "Don't contaminate sleep time with work time."

3. Eat well - Think of your body as a car engine, she adds. "Good, clean fuel helps it run best." Eat a balanced diet of nutrient-rich foods and limit your consumption of high-glucose, high-carbohydrate foods you eat.

4. Cut back on booze - "People have this erroneous thought that alcohol helps you relax, but it is actually a depressant," she says. "When people use it as a way to de-stress, they end up consuming more than they anticipate." Fogger adds: "This can get them into a vicious cycle of overdrinking -- and then when they withdraw off alcohol, this increases stress on the body because the liver has to work overtime to neutralize toxins." Rule of thumb: don't drink more than one glass of wine per day.

5. Simplify your life - Keep it simple by cutting out the things in your life that don't match up to your life goals. "Mental health-wise, what helps people manage stress is having supportive people they can talk to," Fogger says. "Every day should not be treated as life or death, and keeping it basic with good people around will keep your life purpose in focus and your stress levels down."

How to feel fabulous first thing

Supercharge your mornings, tip 1: Eat a mood-boosting breakfast

Do you find yourself craving your morning dose of caffeine before your finger has even left the snooze button? Take a break from the coffee and wake yourself up the healthier way with an energizing, mood-boosting breakfast. Oats are the perfect pick-me-up breakfast ingredient as they are a low GI food, meaning that they will release a slow, steady stream of energy to fuel your busy morning. They are also rich in B vitamins, which are beneficial for energy levels and which can also help to boost your mood. Fruit is also a good natural source of energy and essential nutrients.

Supercharge your mornings, tip 2: Try something new

Breakfast, shower, grab your keys, head out the door... Ever feel like you’re experiencing morning déjà vu? Our morning routines can easily become repetitive, with many of us getting up at the same time, eating the same foods and taking the same route to work time and time again. To revamp your mornings and ward off boredom, try to break away from your routine and start your day a little differently.  Get up at a different time, do things in a different order or try a different breakfast, workout, method of transport or radio station. Play around with your routine and break out of your morning rut.

Supercharge your mornings, tip 3: Treat yourself

Our morning routines are often a lot more functional than those of our evenings; often used simply as a time to get clean, get fuelled and get to work. However, your mornings provide a valuable opportunity for a bit of ‘me time’. Start your day right and make your morning the best part of your day by using it to do something you enjoy. Get up early and watch your favourite TV show, make an indulgent breakfast in bed, or swap your shower for a luxurious bubble bath. By spending your early hours doing something you love, you can rise and shine feeling great about your day.

Supercharge your mornings, tip 4: Take your time

Many of our mornings are spent rushing around trying to get everything done in a limited amount of time. However, not only are things more likely to go wrong when you rush (burning the toast, losing your keys and dropping toothpaste down your top are all common morning scenarios) but running around in a panic and getting into the office  a minute before you are due to start work is a stressful way to start each day. To start your morning as you mean to go on – feeling calm, confident and collected – try setting your alarm clock a bit earlier and getting your outfit and lunch ready the night before, rather than leaving things until the last minute.

Supercharge your mornings, tip 5: Make a morning soundtrack

Music is not only great for our physical wellbeing (with research suggesting it can improve your immune system and cardiovascular health), but studies have also suggested that listening to music can lower stress levels and improve mental health. To get your day off to a health and mood-boosting start, put together a playlist of morning songs to listen to as you get ready for work or for your morning journey. Whether you need to de-stress, lift your mood or get energized, listening to your favourite songs is bound to get your morning off to a great start.

Supercharge your mornings, tip 6: Move your body

We understand some of us just aren’t morning people and that a workout might be the last thing on your mind as you snuggle back down under the covers, but squeezing in even 10 minutes of exercise first thing is a great way to start your day. Exercise releases feel-good chemicals in the brain, such as endorphins and anandamide, and it will also leave you energized for the day ahead. While the word ‘workout’ may fill you with dread, getting active doesn’t need to be hard work. Find something that you find fun, such as dancing to your favourite music or cycling to work, and make your workout an enjoyable part of your morning routine.

Supercharge your mornings, tip 7: Think positively

If you tend to start your mornings feeling anxious or stressed about the day ahead, then it is time to change your mindset and start your day on a positive note. Worrying about your day isn’t going to improve it or change its outcome, so instead ditch the worries and try to spend the first five minutes of your day thinking positive thoughts and reflecting on all the things you have to look forward to or be grateful for, or practising some calming meditation or deep breathing techniques. Alternatively, try reading some inspirational quotes to start your day feeling positive and confident.