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Speaker 1: You're listening to a Muma Mea podcast. Mumma Mea acknowledges

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Speaker 1: the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast

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Speaker 1: is recorded on.

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Speaker 2: Hi.

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Speaker 1: I'm Claire Murphy. This is the summer series of Mumma

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Speaker 1: MEAs twice daily news podcast The Quickie. It's twenty twenty five,

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Speaker 1: New year, New me and all that, But what about

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Speaker 1: new home? And I don't mean going and buying a

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Speaker 1: whole new building. The start of a new year is

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Speaker 1: the best time to get your house in order, and

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Speaker 1: so today we're looking at the best ways you can

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Speaker 1: redecorate or add to your decor in ways that will

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Speaker 1: benefit you physically, emotionally and spiritually, so your mental health

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Speaker 1: can be in the best place possible heading into the

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Speaker 1: new year. Interior design isn't just about creating a visually

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Speaker 1: appealing space. It can also have a significant impact on

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Speaker 1: our mental health, health and wellbeing. By making thoughtful changes

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Speaker 1: to your home stacore, you can create an environment that

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Speaker 1: promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and supports your overall mental wellness.

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Speaker 1: One of the most impactful changes you can make is

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Speaker 1: maximizing natural light. Exposure to natural light has been shown

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Speaker 1: to boost mood increase productivity and regulate our circadian rhythms

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Speaker 1: for better sleep. To bring more sunlight into your space,

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Speaker 1: consider replacing heavy curtains with sheer fabrics that filter light

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Speaker 1: while maintaining privacy. You can also strategically place mirrors to

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Speaker 1: reflect light and brighten dark corners. If you're able to

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Speaker 1: make more substantial changes, adding skylights or enlarging windows can

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Speaker 1: dramatically increase natural light. For rooms with limited access to sunlight,

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Speaker 1: full spectrum light bulbs can mimic natural daylight and provide

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Speaker 1: similar benefits. Courtney Coole, an interior designer at tile cloud says,

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Speaker 1: if you're a homeowner, you can also look outside to

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Speaker 1: help bring the natural light inside, seeing if.

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Speaker 2: We can chop down the couple of trees and just

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Speaker 2: allow for more light to come through that way. Open

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Speaker 2: up your curtains rent as it's a little bit hard,

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Speaker 2: you can't go and demo and start ripping things apart,

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Speaker 2: making sure you don't have your blockout curtains down all

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Speaker 2: the time, and just trying to open up the house

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Speaker 2: as much as possible.

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Speaker 1: The colors you choose for your walls in daycore can

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Speaker 1: also significantly affect your mood. Cool tones like soft blues

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Speaker 1: and greens, tend to have a calming effect, making them

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Speaker 1: ideal for bedrooms and living areas. Warmer hues like yellows

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Speaker 1: and oranges can energize a space, which may be beneficial

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Speaker 1: in home offices or creative areas. However, it's important to

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Speaker 1: choose colors that resonate with you personally. While general colour

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Speaker 1: psychology principles can be helpful, your individual associations and preferences

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Speaker 1: play a crucial role. Experiment with different shades to find

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Speaker 1: what makes you feel most it, ease and uplift it

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Speaker 1: in your space. Courtney says, whether you're going light or dark,

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Speaker 1: there's a range of colors that will make you feel calm.

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Speaker 2: I guess if you're ready to do like a little

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Speaker 2: doi project, paint a great ones doesn't cost an arm

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Speaker 2: and a leg, and you can do it yourself. Colors

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Speaker 2: that I would fear towards. If you're after fresh and bright,

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Speaker 2: go for those warmer whites rather than cooler whites that

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Speaker 2: have a blue undertone. Pastel tones always great. If you

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Speaker 2: want to go for a little bit more moody, I

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Speaker 2: would lean more into like the Navy, the Burgundes or

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Speaker 2: rich chocolatey brown, trying to avoid those really bright, stark

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Speaker 2: colors that you would send like a kid's play equipment.

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Speaker 2: I guess they just feel a little bit more grounded

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Speaker 2: for a space.

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Speaker 1: When it comes to furniture, prioritizing comfort and functionality can

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Speaker 1: reduce stress and promote relaxation. Ergonomic chairs and supportive sofas

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Speaker 1: can prevent physical discomfort, which in turn reduces mental strain.

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Speaker 1: Consider pieces like a cozy reading chair with good lumbar

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Speaker 1: support or a plush sectional sofa that allows for full

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Speaker 1: body relaxation. Courtney says choosing a piece of furniture for

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Speaker 1: physical comfort is important, but don't forget the mental comfort

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Speaker 1: you feel when the piece is also just really nice

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Speaker 1: to look at.

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Speaker 2: It also has to feel quite beautiful to the eye

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Speaker 2: for you to feel at home and really comfortable. So

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Speaker 2: playing around with different textures, different materials, different colors. Let's

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Speaker 2: say you had a room where your couch is gray

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Speaker 2: and then your cushions are also the same tone of gray.

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Speaker 2: It just feels really one dimensional and tonal. Want things

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Speaker 2: that are really exciting to the eye. So playing around

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Speaker 2: with different linens and cottons and different cybric velvet like

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Speaker 2: having a good play around with those and contrasting colors.

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Speaker 1: Multifunctional furniture can also help create a sense of order.

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Speaker 1: A coffee table with hidden storage or a bedframe with

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Speaker 1: built in draws can help keep your space organized and peaceful. Remember,

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Speaker 1: a cluttered space can lead to a cluttered mind, so

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Speaker 1: investing in good storage solutions is an investment in your

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Speaker 1: mental well being too.

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Speaker 2: I feel very at peace when I know where things

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Speaker 2: are in my home. Clutter can feel quite chaotic visually

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Speaker 2: and in the brain, so it's nice to have order

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Speaker 2: in your home. Know where everything is, less clutter, so

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Speaker 2: you're looking at less things, but also then you've got

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Speaker 2: less things to dust I guess as well, so it's

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Speaker 2: a kind of win win.

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Speaker 1: Incorporating natural elements into your daycor known as biophilic design,

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Speaker 1: can have a profound impact on mental well being. Studies

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Speaker 1: have shown that indoor plants can reduce stress, increase productivity,

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Speaker 1: and even improve air quality. Easy to care for options

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Speaker 1: like snake plants, pothos, or zz plants are great choices

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Speaker 1: for beginners.

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Speaker 2: I probably have a plant in just about every room

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Speaker 2: of my house. Definitely have a look at the little

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Speaker 2: tag when you're at your local nursery and just be

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Speaker 2: with lighting and where you're planning to put that plant

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Speaker 2: that it makes sense in that space. Some plants that

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Speaker 2: are have in my home, like peace lilies, alavira, rubber plants,

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Speaker 2: spider plants, they're all very good at filtering air, polluting,

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Speaker 2: reducing stress, and yes they're just beautiful to look at

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Speaker 2: as well.

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Speaker 1: Beyond life plants, though, natural materials like wood, stone, and

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Speaker 1: woven textiles can create a sense of connection to nature too.

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Speaker 1: Consider a reclaimed wood dining table, jute rugs, or stone

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Speaker 1: based lamps to bring these elements into your space. Artwork

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Speaker 1: can play a powerful role in setting the mood of

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Speaker 1: a room and supporting mental health. Nature scenes in particular,

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Speaker 1: have been shown to reduce stress and promote feelings of calm.

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Speaker 1: A large landscape painting or a series of botanical prints

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Speaker 1: can bring the soothing effects of nature indoors. Abstract art

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Speaker 1: in calming colors can also create a sense of tranquility,

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Speaker 1: but it's important to know when selecting artwork to choose

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Speaker 1: pieces that genuinely resonate with you and evoke positive emotions.

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Speaker 2: I think with ur it's very subjective. I mean it's

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Speaker 2: a great way to inject color if you're renting and

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Speaker 2: going in with a splash of paint is not an option,

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Speaker 2: So yeah, you can get sticking hoogs. Play around with

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Speaker 2: art with pops of color. Some art that relates to

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Speaker 2: you as well or has a special meaning to you.

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Speaker 2: I've got a beautiful vinal print that I purchase from

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Speaker 2: Australian artists and it's a dog curling ut and my

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Speaker 2: dog does the exact same position, so it has a

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Speaker 2: beautiful means to me as well. Every time I look

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Speaker 2: at it, I think of my dog. So yeah, make

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Speaker 2: sure it has a special meaning to you, but also

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Speaker 2: support local artists. That's ael so very nice to boom.

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Speaker 1: Personal photographs of happy memories or places you love can

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Speaker 1: also boost mood and create a sense of connection. Lighting

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Speaker 1: plays a crucial role in setting the mood of a

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Speaker 1: space well. Natural light is ideal during the day, Thoughtful

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Speaker 1: artificial lighting is important for evenings. Dimmer switches allows you

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Speaker 1: to adjust light levels to suit your mood and activities.

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Speaker 1: Warm soft lighting from table lamps or floor lamps can

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Speaker 1: create a relaxed atmosphere better for relaxation.

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Speaker 2: I'm a big fan of no big lights, so in

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Speaker 2: my home, we only use lamp and they have warm

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Speaker 2: globes to them. I feel like naturally, as humans, we

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Speaker 2: feel relaxed with anything nature, so those warmer light globes

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Speaker 2: almost replicate your golden hour, which feels really really laid

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Speaker 2: back and relaxing.

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Speaker 1: Finally, don't underestimate the power of texture in creating a

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Speaker 1: soothing environment. Soft tactile materials like plush throw pillows, soft

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Speaker 1: fluffy blankets, and thick area rugs can make a space

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Speaker 1: feel more inviting and comforting. These elements not only add

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Speaker 1: visual interest, but they provide sensory comfort. They can be

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Speaker 1: very calming.

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Speaker 2: Introducing all these different textures, doing it through your throws

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Speaker 2: and your cushions is a really good idea. Make sure

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Speaker 2: they're not too itchy, because we also want to use

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Speaker 2: these items in the home. Make sure they're really comfortable.

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Speaker 2: Got some beautiful throw rug with nice tight knits to them,

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Speaker 2: or nice patterns, or cottons and linens or some really

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Speaker 2: lovely ones out there that can add some beautiful character

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Speaker 2: to your space and extra texture.

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Speaker 1: Actually, Finally, finally, nothing helps mental health more than a

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Speaker 1: damn good night's sleep. So if you're in the financial

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Speaker 1: situation to get yourself for new mattress, one that supports

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Speaker 1: your body perfectly to create that warm, comfortable, relaxing night.

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Speaker 1: Maybe twenty twenty five is the time to invest. Thanks

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Speaker 1: for taking the time to feed your mind with us today.

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Speaker 1: The quickie is produced by me Claire Murphy our senior

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Speaker 1: producer Taylor Strano, with audio production by Tom Line