I recently flew and was seated beside a young man in his mid-twenties who excitedly told me that it was his first time EVER flying in an airplane. Seeing things through the eyes of a first-time flyer, the process, and the miracle of modern flying turned the trip into an appreciative adventure instead of a tiring necessity.

It occurred to me that seeing with ’new’ eyes might be a worthwhile practice to incorporate into my life. What might we see if we looked at things with a different perspective? Read on for ten easy ways to kick start your mindset and refresh your perspective.

1. Drive to work by a new route - Notice the different sights along the way, the speed of the traffic, your increased attention to the act of driving.
2. The drying challenge - Switch up the way you ’dry’ yourself after your shower. Always start head down? Change to feet up. Always start right to left? Notice your pattern and switch it up.
3. Be a tour guide - The very best way to see and appreciate your city anew is to be a tour guide. Take a friend to other to parts of the city and imagine you are touring around a newcomer.
4. Transit turnaround - Sit in a different seat in a different part of the bus or train. If you never take public transit - experiment with doing so.
5. Change up your routine - Are you a creature of habit? Do you always do your food shopping on a Saturday? Mix it up and see who is shopping at 8 pm on a Wednesday.
6. Experiment weekly - Make a conscious effort to try something new once per week. It might just be visiting a new coffee shop, keep track of your ’new’ things and make it a family challenge.
7. Borrow a dog (or a kid) - Kids and dogs can take down a barrier and make us approachable. Take one for a walk and notice the new connections and conversations that you make.
8. Adopt a learner mindset - Start exercising your curiosity muscle instead of your knowing muscle. Ask questions. Letting go the need to know or have the answer will free your mind to other learning possibilities.
9. Unplug in public - Stick the phone in your pocket and connect with the people you pass on the street. Shift their day by adding a smile.

Spring’s the perfect time for taking care of outdoor maintenance!

The arrival of warm weather signals fun in the backyard with friends and family. The last thing you want to deal with are unexpected home repairs so here’s a list to help keep you on track:

1. Clear away debris and dead foliage from any flowerbeds.
2. Inspect hose connections to ensure there are no leaks.
3. Replace damaged window screens and any weather stripping.
4. Clean your fireplace and/or wood-burning stove and flue.
5. Make sure your lawn mower, weed wacker and other tools are in good working order.
6. Clean and repair your patio furniture and inspect your deck for loose or rotten boards.
7. Trim back shrubs and vines that are growing near your air conditioning unit and dryer vent.
8. Inspect and clean your gutters and make sure downspouts drain away from your foundation.
9. Patch up any cracks you find around foundation and driveways before they spread further.
10. Inspect your roof for cracked or missing shingles and trim branches that hang over the top of your roof.

Proactive home maintenance helps prevent small issues from getting out of hand. Your home is a huge investment and minimizing repair bills will help you realize your highest rate of return. When you’re done, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the lazy days of summer knowing that everything’s been taken care of!

Your home office doesn’t have to be just a laptop on a couch cushion.

Many people are breaking the chains of the corporate world in order to pursue careers that allow them to work from home. Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of your home office:

• Plan Ahead - Make sure you plan out your space in advance so there’s enough room for a desk, chair and storage and don’t forget about your technology needs.
• Get Creative - If you don’t have an office, consider alternatives such as a guest room, sunroom or other unused space that’ll give you a designated uninterrupted work area.
• Lighten Up - Position lighting so there’s a nice even flow and if possible, choose a room with lots of natural light. A few plants will also add to the atmosphere.
• Sound Off - Hard surfaces tend to amplify sounds but carpets, rugs and fabric window treatments will help absorb excessive noise.
• Boundaries - Choose a private spot and don’t use it as a dumping ground for non-business related items. When you work from home, it’s critical to separate your work from home life.

Residential electric heating systems are clean, nearly one hundred percent efficient, and easy to maintain. Some types of electric heating can be costly, in remote areas where the delivery costs of fossil fuel are high, electric heat may be a less expensive option.

Heat Pumps - An electric heat pump does not generate heat, it just collects heat from outside and moves it inside. When you heat your house with electricity, you convert one unit of electrical energy into one unit of heat energy. With a heat pump, you might then use one unit of electrical energy to collect two units of heat energy, giving you one-hundred percent more heat than you paid for!

Electric Furnace - An electric furnace is a simple and relatively trouble-free system. It has no heat exchanger, no gas valve, no igniters and no chimney. It simply has an electric resistance coil placed directly in the air stream. A blower moves air through the furnace and circulates the warmed air throughout the house.

Air conditioning can be added directly to your furnace, using the same ducting that circulates heat to also circulate cool air.

Electric Baseboard Heaters - Electric baseboard heaters provide heat exactly where you need it, as you need it. Baseboard heaters allow you to set back the thermostats in the rooms you are not inhabiting, saving a significant amount of energy. Unfortunately, you cannot add air conditioning to this system without adding an independent ducting system.

Electric Hot Water Boiler - An electric hot water boiler uses electric elements to heat water. The heated water is pumped into radiators or convectors throughout the house. In terms of size, electric hot water boilers are small and inconspicuous.

Electric Radiant Heat - Today, under-floor electric radiant heat is popular in bathrooms and kitchens, usually added as accent heating rather than as the primary source of heat.

Electric Thermal Storage - In some geographic areas, suppliers bill electricity at variable rates, higher during peak demand time and lower during low demand. This system encourages consumers to cut back on energy use when the generating station is maxed out.

The uses for baking soda around the home are endless!

Everyone knows baking soda helps keep the inside of a fridge smelling fresh but did you know it’s also an amazing cleaner?

Here are a few other things you can use it for:

• A dry cleanser to clean tubs, tiles and toilets.
• Sprinkle on your carpet then vacuum after 15 minutes to eliminate bad smells.
• Pour a little down the sink followed by some vinegar to clear clogged drains.

Once you’ve finished cleaning your home, relaxing in the tub. Before you climb in though, add half a cup of baking soda to soften your skin!