While you may not be able to tear down walls or add new countertops in your rental, you actually have a lot of options for decorating your home. As long as you have bit of creativity and a vision for your space, you can achieve a look that works for you. Here are just a few decorating tips that every renter should know.

• Add storage. To avoid clutter, add your own storage by using affordable bookshelves, dressers and shelving units.
• Change the hardware. In a rental, anything that you can change back to the way it was before when you move out is fair game for changing. That means that you can add fun drawer pulls, bathroom hardware, and removable wallpaper.
• Freshen up the window coverings. Dress your windows in breezy curtains, bamboo blinds, or privacy-enhancing drapes.
• Hang art. One of the fastest and easiest ways to really add personality to a space is by hanging framed artwork on the walls. Just make sure to use temporary adhesives if your landlord doesn’t permit nails in the wall.
• Add rugs. Colorful rugs brighten up any room in the home, and they feel soft underfoot!

The 10 Commandments of Rental Decor [The Everygirl]
11 Decor Ideas That Will Change Your Rental Apartment [HuffPost Home]
5 Easy + Affordable Decorating Tips for Renters [Design Happens]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr sdaponte

Any pool that's good enough for Robert Redford should be good enough for the average swimmer. Barton Springs Pool is that pool. Redford took his very first strokes here as a 5-year-old while on a trip to visit his relatives. Perhaps what drew the Redford family to Barton Springs was its one-of-a-kind aesthetic, unlike any other public pool. You see, the pool's waters filter into it from a hot underground spring, so it's a cross between a typical pool (with lifeguards, diving board, and concrete walls) and a natural lake (with algae underfoot).

Head to Barton Springs Pool any time of year for a swim in crisp waters. They average around 70 degrees no matter the season due to the font from which they flow. Locals love cooling off in the chilly pool on an oppressive Texan summer day or just coming here to sunbathe and people-watch.

Barton Springs Pool
2201 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 476-9044
austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool
www.yelp.com/biz/barton-springs-pool-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Ruth and Dave

You might think that you’re on a fairly healthy diet that will eventually lead to your goal weight, but some of your eating habits might actually do more harm than good when it comes to weight loss. Check out these common dieting mistakes to make sure that they’re not a part of your daily routine

• Eating too fast. By rushing through every meal, you don’t give your body enough time to actually feel full. If you eat slower, you’re more likely to stop eating when you’ve actually had enough.
• Forgoing meals. Instead of making you lose weight faster, skipping meals actually leads to consuming more calories later in the day. Even if you’re not feeling hungry at meal time, try eating a small snack to keep your appetite regulated.
• Consuming liquid calories. Many dieters don’t realize just how many calories there are in many common beverages. Drinks like wine, beer, coffee, and even juices can add hundreds of unnecessary calories throughout the day.
• Eating too-large portions. It’s always smart to measure the portion size of your food before eating it, as it is very difficult to judge the amount of calories simply by looking at a food. You can do this by using a food scale or carrying plastic containers in the recommended sizes.

Diet Mistakes: 6 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight [WebMD]
14 Diet Foods To Avoid [Prevention]
13 Healthy Foods to Avoid For Weight Loss! [Active Beat]
Jillian Michaels: Weight-Loss Tips That Work [Health]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr bogolyandras