Are You Sleeping Well? Best Sleep Apps and How They Can Help You

According to the American Sleep Association, about ⅓ of Americans struggle with insomnia or other sleep-related problems. They explain that sleep is not a passive part of our lives, but a very dynamic period for our nervous system, and adults over the age of 25 need between 7 and 9 hours per night to function properly. If you find it hard to quiet your thoughts or relax at night, you can benefit greatly from the help of a sleep app. Here are some of the best ones out there right now.

Best Free App

Insight Timer (Insight Network Inc)

An extensive free library of nature sounds, relaxing music, and meditations that you can filter by category and duration. Start with a curated selection by answering a few questions about your beliefs and preferences.

• Free with optional in-app purchases.

• Available for Android and iOS.

Best Meditation App

Headspace

Known for its guided meditation tracks and mindfulness exercises geared to all moods and topics, Headspace has expanded its menu to sleep stories called "sleep casts" and calming music.

• Try the free 7-day trial, then $69.99/year or $12.99/month.

• Available for Android and iOS.

Best Sleep Tracker

Sleep Cycle (Sleep Cycle AB)

Optimize your downtime by using this app which operates with its “smart alarm clock.” It tracks and analyzes your sleep throughout the night to wake you up during your light sleep phase, helping you rest better and feel less groggy in the morning.

• Try the free 7-day trial, then $39.99/year or $9.99/month.

• Available for Android and iOS.

Best White Noise App

Atmosphere: Relaxing Sounds (Peak Pocket Studios)

This app provides soothing sounds from diverse atmospheres (forest, beach, etc.), binaural beats, healing frequencies, and white, brown, and pink noises. You can also save custom sounds.

• Free with optional in-app purchases.

• Available for Android and iOS.

Expert Sleep Coach

Sleep Station

This is a web-based app that is actually an online sleep support program designed by experts. They offer packages including sleep analysis, a sleep improvement plan, coaching, and ongoing support.

• Starting at $149.

• Available online.

Lucid Dreaming Tool

Awoken

If you're interested in making the most of the dream world, this app offers tools to help trigger lucid dreams, including a pin-protected dream journal, reality check reminders, dream pattern reports, and more.

• Free with optional in-app purchases.

• Available for Android.

Best Overall App

Better Sleep (Ipnos Software)

Formerly known as Relax Melodies, this comprehensive sleep app offers all kinds of seamless sleep-inducing sounds, bedtime stories, and breathing exercises, in addition to sleep tracking features.

• Try the free 7-day trial, then $59.99/year or $9.99/month.

• Available for Android and iOS.

One caveat: apps that offer a free trial usually automatically switch to an annual subscription after the week is up, unless you opt-out, so mark your calendar if you're not convinced.

If you've never tried a sleep app, you may be in for a real game-changer. However, you can also find other sleep aids beyond these apps. Spotify Premium also has a great offering of audios and podcasts to help you sleep, and you can set it to automatically shut off when it ends or after a certain period of time. There are also countless free YouTube videos with white noise or meditations, though you should make sure you have the autoplay option turned off. If you're comforted by soft, repetitive sounds, there's a whole world of ASMR to discover. And while we're on the subject, remember to set your screen to automatically switch to soft, warm light at least an hour before you go to bed so that the blue light doesn't disrupt your circadian rhythms.

Most of the time, the root cause of sleep difficulties requires addressing the big picture, through lifestyle changes or one-on-one therapy sessions. But sleep apps, like the ones mentioned above, can be an excellent complement to help you relax your body and mind, and even offer insight into your sleep patterns to improve them.

Sweet dreams!

xx, Danae

Passive Investing in Real Estate Syndications

It’s time to start converting your income to PASSIVE INCOME

In a world where time is the most valuable asset I think it’s time we start taking some of that time back! Those of us that have been very fortunate to be successful in our businesses know that it typically comes with a price and that price is time. In our current climate, we’ve found ourselves busier than ever and often wonder how much longer we can continue at this pace. I’ve spent the last several years listening to my clients and listening to myself and so NOW I am starting an initiative to educate women on how we can start taking back some of our time.

With my background in real estate, the financial industry and interior design it made complete sense to me that passively investing in real estate would be something that I could educate others on. After a few years of research and constantly finding real estate gurus talking about creating passive income by purchasing short-term rentals and other real estate I realized I did not want to become a landlord. I wanted to find a way where my money could work hard for me, where I didn’t have to do any of the work. That is where I discovered real estate syndications.

Real estate syndications are companies that purchase real estate and fund it with money from a pool of investors. As an investor not only do you make a return on the investment either in the form of cash-on-cash return that comes monthly or quarterly, but on the profit from the sale of the property or both. It’s possible you can make monthly income plus profit from the sale. AND as an investor you become a part owner in the property which means you can deduct the depreciation on your taxes! So let me explain that again:

You and a pool of investors go together to purchase a property from a syndication. The syndication does everything and you sit back and wait for your returns. You can make money on the property in the form of cash on a regular basis or at the sale of the property or both. You can deduct the depreciation off your taxes – if you are familiar with this concept than you already know it’s possible to profit from real estate while showing a loss due to depreciation.

My mission is to help women take control of their finances and their lives. You’ve worked hard, you deserve to be able to find a way to make your money work hard for you and I’ve got the tools to help you!

We are developing a course, a Facebook group and monthly calls where we’ll hear from industry leaders regarding investment opportunities from women run syndications. It is a proven fact that women are better investors because they are more conservative and patient, so they end up making more money than men in investing.

If you are interested in learning more about our opportunities, please reply to this email.

Let’s make more money by working less! Are you in?

xx, Danae

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Indema and MyDoma: Top Project Management Software Programs for Interior Designers

Two of the most popular project management software programs reached out to me and asked if I’d send you updated information on their programs. They are listening to YOU! And since I want you to be in the know below are the updates!

Indema and MyDoma want to offer the best service possible and are proactively getting word out about their platforms, changes, what’s new, what’s coming soon, etc.

Indema

Indema states that they are the only tool your interior design firm needs. This cloud-based platform offers task management, time trackers and project reports to stay on top of your business performance. On the other hand, Indema covers your needs for contact management and contracts. Use the project or task templates and create vision boards with their clipper tool, keeping products organized and easily shareable with clients and vendors. Not only can you automate emails and billing for greater efficiency, but also social media posts, which is a feature that many other platforms do not include. However, similar to some others, Indema is designed to sync with QuickBooks for your accounting needs.

Pricing:

• Single $35/month or $385 annually

• Group $55/month or $550 annually

• Hub $75/month or $675 annually

Try it: Free 15-day trial. www.indema.co

New Features: (as of April 27, 2022)

• Email automation! You can now send out e-mail automation campaigns to leads and clients.

• New product review facelift where you can now show detailed information on the image popup, and choose what to show the client. Project-specific.

• You can now group items in estimates and invoices and show grouped item to clients.

• Added new certified partner program. (indema.co/partnership)

• In at Indema - A brand new community for designers. Coming End of May! Apply by going to indema.co/whose-in

• Added combine option on time-log invoices.

New Improvements Initiated:

• New support portal: $ Support.indema.co$ with updated articles.

• Updated billing page to show all billing and add-ons, as well as billing details in one page.

• Updated the sign-up flow (for new folks!), where its a single page sign-up process.

• You can now delete uploaded images from the visionboard.

• We've completely re-vamped our settings section to add notes, adjust some settings, and added more notification options for you.

• Added "QTY" column to products section

• Added "Spec #" column to products section.

• Improved performance by paginating products section so that it loads quicker.

• Made an adjustment to time-log invoices where it will no longer auto-bulk time logs into one. You can still do this by combining them and showing combined version to the client.

 Upcoming + Status:

• Adding new columns to the product section so you can manage the product even more. (Adding tracking, expediting, CFA approval date, PO sent date which will auto-generate, RFQ sent date which will also auto-populate, Ordered date, Quote received date, Lead time with a dropdown and pre-made date range of RTS, 1-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 6-12 weeks, and 12+ weeks, Status where you can create custom status for items, approved/declined which will auto-populate if client approved/declined and also be manual in case client verbally approved, and lastly a flag column where you can flag an item for follow up.

• A new set of 12 filtering options for the above to where you can show all products that don't have a quote date, or show products that are ordered, etc.

Currently Working On:

• XERO integration (No ETA, as we are running into conflicts with QBO)

• New File manager and project files User Interface. (NO ETA)

• inbound and outbound email capabilities with automation. (DELAYED TO JUNE)

• Specifications Module (DELAYED TO MAY)

• Integrately connection. API to connect other apps. (NO ETA)

Noteworthy:

• We have fully retired the "Payroll" section that generated pay statements.

Until the next update, TaTa and hope you all stay safe, healthy and enjoy your week!!

Indema is transparent and keeps everyone up to date on what’s working, bugs that are being fixed and what’s coming soon. You can see more here. https://feedback.indema.co/

MyDoma

MyDoma is a great organizational tool for your interior design projects. Many designers love the systems and processes and creating automations so that your business runs more smoothly, and MyDoma helps with this. The MyDoma platform helps with the onboarding process, a place to keep project info (e.g. space info, before images, measurements, inspiration images), and a place to collaborate with your clients. By using MyDoma, you are creating an online design studio/project binder to collaborate with your clients. You can have new clients sign contracts, fill out an onboarding questionnaire, and send initial payment all within the program. It’s a great option if you do e-design or offer smaller design packages.

This software is limited if you run a full-service interior design firm. For accounting, you can integrate MyDoma with QuickBooks, among other tools, but that means double entry for products and adding QuickBooks monthly fees to your total cost.

Pricing:

• Solo $59/month or $599 annually

• Team $79/month or $799 annually

• Agency $129/month $1299 annually

Try it: Free 15-day trial. www.mydomastudio.com

New Features: (as of May 18, 2022)

MyDoma NEXT

It’s no secret that the interior design business landscape has changed.

Client expectations and demands have grown and clients want information at their fingertips. Many designers struggle with keeping up and, as a result, remain in a very reactive place versus a proactive one. However, being reactive all the time is the fastest way to burn out.

Due to these growing demands, technology is no longer a nice-to-have… it’s a must-have. The old way of doing business with a pen and pencil or with clunky Excel spreadsheets, that you need to manually update, won’t cut it. Your clients want a platform they can access to get the information they want when they want it.

We’ve talked to hundreds and hundreds of designers over the years and we rebuilt our beloved MyDoma Studio platform to meet the demands of the market. We’ve improved core features to fundamentally change how you work today but also into the future.

And, that is what we’re launching today… MyDoma NEXT.

While this first set of features is only the beginning, we think you’re going to find MyDoma NEXT to be intuitive and beautifully aligned to your business. It’s a fresh and modern user experience but it’s also familiar. Existing users will recognize the core features but will appreciate how they come together in a much more harmonious way.

With all that said, we’d love to introduce you to MyDoma NEXT and highlight some of the new and improved features that we think you’ll adore.

With MyDoma NEXT, you’ll get a full suite of time-saving tools so you can perfect your process and spend less time managing and more time designing.

Here is just a shortlist of the activities that you can manage inside of your projects:


• Appointments

• Files and media

• Notes

• Contract sign-offs

• Proposals

• Budgets

• Questionnaires

• And more…


The nice thing about MyDoma NEXT is that there are so many more customization options for your projects. Not only can you change the color scheme (hello, fresh look and feel!) but you can also turn on or off project features to reduce visual clutter and only show what you need.

Speaking of customizations, you can also create custom statuses that best reflect your workflow and visually move clients through the design process.

We also heard you say that you needed to save even more time on the administrative side of your business so we created project templates. With MyDoma NEXT you can replicate projects with templates to create new projects that reflect your workflow in seconds.

Learn more about our project management features.

xx, Danae

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It's Time to Take a Break: Mini Mental Vacation & Relaxation Techniques

With the prospect of summer vacation on the horizon, it feels harder than usual to settle into your office chair and get on with your daily routine. But we sometimes forget that vacation is not just having days with nothing to do or swapping one type of stress for another. Real vacations are mental. And they are possible and recommendable in our everyday life, so you don’t have to wait for your vacation days. You can enjoy many of the same relaxing benefits from a mini mental vacation no matter where you are. Here’s how.

Set a sacred time to unwind

Schedule some time, even if it’s just 5 minutes, to really set aside your problems and activities. Silence your phone. Nothing can burst your bubble during this time. It’s a non-negotiable getaway, all yours.

Live in the present

Many of us live worrying about the future and lamenting the past. There is peace to be found in connecting with the present moment by doing grounding or breathing exercises. Here is a simple one to try.

• Sit as comfortably as you can.

• Bring your attention to your breathing and begin to inhale softly and deeply. Pause and then exhale very slowly through your nose. Let your stomach deflate and release the tension from your chest and back. Repeat at least 10 times.

• It’s normal if your mind gets distracted, so when you notice this, bring your attention back to your breathing.

• Some people like to add a positive affirmation or mantra to repeat in their mind with each breath.

Meditate

For those of us who aren’t used to meditating, it can feel more daunting than freeing. But now, with a quick search, there are countless guided meditations available on streaming platforms and apps for all moods, tastes, and schedules, making the practice so much more accessible and effortless to all.

Don’t compare

It can be hard not to sigh when we see our friends or contacts posting selfies with turquoise beach backgrounds and drinks in their hands. Aside from the fact that social media often doesn't reflect the actual experience behind it, comparing yourself will only serve to make you bitter. Instead, send them good vibes and reconnect with your own present.

Make a gratitude list

More than likely, you already have a number of beautiful circumstances around you that you can bring to mind with gratitude. Write them down and take time to appreciate and bask in the sensation of each one.

Let yourself daydream

Beyond the here and now, take some time to envision a place you would love to be, and draw every detail you can in your imagination: the colors, the smell, the breeze, everything. Or you may even want to explore destinations online for a real future trip. It can even be intriguing to check out faraway places around the world on Google Street View.

Try new things

Breaking routine is stimulating to the brain and awakens our sense of discovery. You can achieve this by taking a different route to or from work, trying a new food or restaurant, or talking to someone new. Take a look at your routine and see what you can mix up.

Call a friend

While many of us are used to texts and emails that string together interrupted conversations throughout the day, a solid chat session with a good friend can transport you to their world, your shared musings, and upcoming plans.

Connect with nature

As part of the natural world, it can be very calming and healing to get in touch with nature. If you can’t go to the beach or a campground right now, take a walk in the nearest park and sit under a tree to listen to the leaves and birds or near a fountain to listen to the trickling water.

We all have different ways we like to disconnect from our stressful routines, but remember that a mental vacation is more than a temporary distraction. It's reclaiming time to actively connect with yourself and take care of yourself, and it's worth it.

xx, Danae

Elite Design Assistants: Did You Know We Offer THESE Services?

ELITE DESIGN ASSISTANTS

DID YOU KNOW WE OFFER THESE SERVICES?

Kitchen & Bath Design Assistant Services

Everyone knows that Kitchen & Bath design is a specialty service that not all designers OR design assistants love to offer. While kitchen and bath seems obvious to those who offer whole home renovations, remodels and new builds, there are other interiors designers whose niche is something entirely different. For those in Kitchen and Bath, it’s helpful to work with a virtual design assistant who has an interior design degree, extensive knowledge of residential building and construction including trim carpentry as well as the talent to not only create a beautiful space but one that is functional. If you are in need of a virtual design assistant with specific kitchen and bath experience, please let us know and we’ll connect you with someone soon!

3D Models

Are you an interior designer that orders a lot of custom furniture? If so, we have 3D Model experts on our team to create the 3D models of custom furniture pieces to put in renders. This is a great way for your clients to see what the custom furniture pieces will look like in their space.

Short Term Rentals

Investing in real estate has become a popular way to increase income and make a better return on your investment than having your hard-earned money sitting in a saving account. All of those investors are seeking out the expertise of interior designers to add value to their short-term rentals. If you are an interior designer that has a niche in this space and you need help, we’ve got VDAs with experience in this nice as well! Whether it’s Airbnb’s, hotels or other short-term rentals we can help you out. Plus, if you are interested in investing in the real estate industry, we have a Brand NEW service coming … we are going to teach you how to make money by investing in real state while not having to do any of the work. If you are interested, please email me at danae@elitedesignassitants.com and watch for our new posts on Passive Investing in real estate syndications and a bit more info below.

Vacation Homes

Vacation homes are an excellent niche especially if you live in an area where everyone is vacationing. People tend to design their vacation homes a bit differently than their permanent residence and we’ve got VDAs that love this space, too.

Outdoor Spaces

If there has ever been a time in our lives where people are bringing the outdoors in and the indoors out it would be now. With outdoor living spaces, outdoor kitchens, pools and more, if you need help from a design assistant trained in this space let us know.

Kid-friendly Designs

If you are used to decorating kid-friendly spaces, it’s always great to work with a design assistant with experience in that area.

AND … Coming soon - Passive Investing in Real Estate Syndications.

Watch for an email and blog post related to this NEW service. As savvy interior designers are looking for more ways to create passive income and make their money work harder for them, we will be offering courses, an investors club and investment opportunities in real estate. As real estate and interior design goes hand-in-hand this just makes sense. Some interior designers are already designing investment properties such as short term rentals and others are offering value add services to real estate investment trusts so you may know a bit about real estate investing. However, we are going to reach true passive investing which means your money works hard for you while you don’t lift a finger!

Please reach out via email to Elite Design Assistants to inquire more information on any of these services we offer!

danae@elitedesignassitants.com

xx, Danae

Brand New Template Bundles on Our Website!

We are always trying to offer our clients what they want and things that are super helpful to their businesses and lives. We now have a CAD Template Bundle and a Project Management Bundle.

The CAD Template Bundle includes everything you need to create professional CAD drawings and documents for your interior design project. It includes:

• Design Set Template

• XREF Titleblock Template

• Plot Styles

• Design Layers and Lineweights

• Paper Space Blocks and Symbols

• Furniture Plan Title Blocks

• Model Space Paper Size Outlines

For more information, please check out our site at www.elitedesignassistants/shop#tools-and-templates

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The Project Management Bundle will take your interior business to the next level. It includes:

• Budget Spreadsheet Template

• Cost Spreadsheet Template

• Installation Schedule Template

• Project Management Template

• Material and Finish Schedule Template

• Project List Template

• Room Product Checklist

In this bundle, you can either purchase things separately OR save money by purchasing the bundle. For more information, please check out our site at www.elitedesignassistants/shop#tools-and-templates

Of course, if you need CAD or project management services, please feel free to reach out! We are working hard to make your life easier so you can continue to grow and create the business of your dreams!

xx, Danae

Latest Trends in Summer Fashion

The long-awaited summer season is upon us and that means the rise of new (and nostalgic) summer 2022 trends that were already previewed on the runways and are now starting to be spotted everywhere, from fashion Instagram accounts to city sidewalks and your favorite stores.

Taking note of what we have been seeing emerging from fashion references over the last weeks, we know that many of the spring trends will carry over into the summer season, such as bright colors (especially pink, orange and green), bold prints (psychedelic or zebra) or a throwback to the "Y2K aesthetic".

HOOKED ON CROCHET

In the same vein, boho styles are back at the forefront, including loose crochet garments like tanks and bell bottoms, which can be paired with a bikini set underneath for a beach or festival look. If the knit pattern is too wide for the occasion, you can also try a light slip dress under a crochet dress.

GO TO GREAT LENGTHS WITH SHORTS

It's no wonder that one of the stars of the season is shorts in their many forms. This summer, we're ditching the micro hot pants in favor of comfortable, adventure-friendly Bermuda shorts. “Paper bag" shorts are sticking around this year, and the catwalks (Michael Kors, Chanel) have dared to bring back the capri pants, another tribute to the turn of the millennium.

SUIT YOURSELF

To the relief of office-goers everywhere, you can now find a wider selection of lighter weight suit sets with short-sleeved or sleeveless tops and short bottoms. Double-down on trends by choosing a brightly colored or color-blocked suit ensemble. More good news? This is a versatile look that is easy to dress up or down.

CUT OUT FOR IT

One-shoulder tops and asymmetrical cuts and hemlines are taking over and adding interest to the 2022 summer wardrobe. Cheeky cut-outs in dresses and jumpsuits are also here to lighten the mood.

STEP BY STEP

Lowering our gaze to the footwear of the season, strappy sandals (with or without heels) are coming in strong. They can be found in the same trendy bright colors we’re seeing in clothing, or in the gladiator-style model that has graced us since ancient Greece. Meanwhile, we’re experiencing the resurgence of a footwear style with roots in Ancient Rome: mules. Throwback much? But in 2022, we have mules with heels of all heights, pointed or round toe, and covered or open toe. And very fitting to their name, the debut of a hybrid: the sneaker-mule.

BEYOND APPEARANCES

Fashion goes much deeper than clothes, and these messages make a difference. In recent months, Rihanna has blown us away with her maternity looks by highlighting the changes that her body has been undergoing instead of hiding them. She is one shining example of the greater body-positive movement that, hopefully, is here to stay.

Will you try any of these latest summer trends?

xx, Danae