It is not something you would probably like to focus on this time of year when life seems to go into top gear as year-end approaches. While we get organised for Christmas and make plans to welcome in the new year, you will also be saying good bye to your health insurance benefits for the year on 31st December. Make time to check with your health fund to see what benefits you have and what you did not use during the year. Most health funds do not roll over the benefits that are left unused as at 31st December. So the portion of your benefits not used by the last day of the year is lost on 1st January the following year. These are benefits for which you have already paid and are entitled to.

None of us want to pay for something that we don’t use. It might be a good time to go for a dental check up if you did not during the year. Or do you need an eye test, would you benefit from a pair of reading glasses, or prescription
sunglasses or consider getting contact lenses. What about your annual physical, or prescription refills or any other check up you did not get around to during the year.

Don’t delay and make appointments today to ensure you get an appointment before year end to capitalize on the benefits you have already paid for.

Bedrooms are no longer just a place to lay your head after a long day of toiling. Whether we work outside of our home or inside its walls raising children, our bedroom can be a room of great importance and significance to our wellbeing. A bedroom can be a private sanctuary that we can retreat and withdraw to when needed. By escaping from the outside world for a while, a beautiful bedroom can allow us to relax and unwind, taking pleasure in the fact that we are safe and secure in a tranquil space that we have created for ourselves.

By surrounding yourself with items you love and cherish, your bedroom can become a true reflection of your own personality. Because your bedroom is a private space you can really express your own personal style in a much more dramatic way.

A bedroom is not on show to the world like the main entertaining areas of your home, so decorating choices can be bolder. Get daring and express yourself with colour, prints and patterns. When choosing your bedding and curtaining don’t be afraid to mix patterns and prints as well as incorporating different textures into the choices you make.

Purchasing a quality mattress and bed will ensure that you will have that sensational night’s sleep you have been longing for. But for an instant update, just change your bedding. A new quilt cover can work miracles in changing the overall look to a room. Throws and cushions add texture, warmth and bring the whole theme together.

And in my opinion the more cushions you pile on the bed, the better the effect. This is a design rule that I follow to the letter, as all my friends will attest to when they see my own bed. Remember to decorate with pieces you love and that hold special significance to you, as well as incorporating photos of loved ones to really create a story about your life. I personally love groupings of photos arranged in block formations with the same framing to give a really designer look to our everyday family photos.

A well-placed rug in a bedroom will have maximum impact in giving your private space a really luxurious feel. Imagine placing your feet on a soft shag rug each morning when you step out of bed.

Making sure you have enough storage is also critical to gaining maximum efficiency from how you are going to use your bedroom. There will be no solace sought in the space if clutter is intruding on your life. Lamps and soft lighting will give the space an intimate feel, add an armchair and your room is ready to go. So grab your latest copy of my magazine or the current novel you are reading, curl up in your favourite chair or lay on your new bed surrounded by cushions and start enjoying the fruits of your labour.

By Karen Creith
www.karencreith.com.au

Kazza’s Kitchen is a home cooking business run by mother and daughter team, Karen and Ash. The pair focus on creating evening meals for busy families, lunch time single meals, and of course the good old sweet-tooth treat. A home cooking business had always been a dream for Karen. It was realised when her daughter, Ash, took a year off university to join her Mum to set up the business. Together they make a wonderful team: Karen bringing the old-fashioned recipes everyone loves, and Ash bringing some creative new ideas to life.

Kazza’s Kitchen is no ordinary kitchen. It’s not unusual to find the girls dancing and singing around the stove to a Michael Jackson tune, adding a whole lot of love to the food that you order.