Plants are having a moment. Since having to spend most of our time indoors during lockdown, it seems almost everyone has a new-found appreciation for houseplants. You only need to take a quick look at Instagram or TikTok to see just how popular indoor plants have become. From new plant parents to seasoned indoor gardeners, everyone is sharing their plant journey with followers.
Aside from phones, what do we pick up or use more than cutlery? I doubt that such material exists. Since kitchen utensils are among the most used, it is only right that effort is given to picking the perfect cutlery set. While they ought to be appealing to the eyes, they shouldn’t err on functionality. There are a lot of factors to look at in choosing a cutlery set. This post covers that. It is a great read for mums, aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts.
If you’re in the process of buying a house, you might have come across the term ‘home warranty’ before. But what does it mean? Well, a home warranty is an agreement that lasts for one year and covers the repair and replacement of home appliances and systems. It’s different from homeowner’s insurance, which covers things like theft and natural disasters. If you’re buying a house, it’s a good idea to check if a home warranty is available. “It is common for a seller to purchase a home warranty and add it as part of their closing checklist for a new homeowner,” says Cinch Home Services, a company that provides a home […]
Simple ways to make your home calmer is a paid collaboration with BIGDUG. I have learned the hard way that there is a correlation with a calm mind, a calm home. After my youngest was born I suffered from post natal depression and keeping on top of our house became a real challenge for me. So much so that my husband took it upon himself to employ someone to help get on top of it and then a cleaner to ensure that it stayed calmer for everyone.
The average car in the UK costs between £12,000 to £28,000. In addition, a vehicle costs a considerable amount of money to run, as it requires routine maintenance, vehicle tax, insurance, and fuel. Despite the considerable expense, many homeowners leave their vehicles vulnerable to arduous elements, such as intense sun rays, snow, and hail stones. As a result, a car is more likely to succumb to gradual fading or sustain scratches or damage. Yet, a wooden carport could provide an ideal solution to the above issues and may even protect your vehicle from a neighbour’s ball, bird droppings, or other objects. If this sounds ideal for your needs, find out how to choose a […]
Interior Design Trends That Are Set to Last is a paid collaborative post with Skirting World. With Interior Design becoming more and more accessible and lots of fashion shops selling seasonal items for our homes at a more affordable price it can be really tempting to follow all the design trends you see on Instagram and Pinterest, however, with the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis we are looking for interior design trends that are set to last. The home decor trends that will last and stand the test of time without looking dated.
When designing a kitchen, it is important to think about how you will be using the space. If you like to cook, you will need a different layout than someone who prefers to eat out. In this article, we will discuss some tips for designing a kitchen that suits your own cooking methods. We will also provide some ideas for choosing the right furniture and appliances for your needs. Let’s get started!
If you’re looking for a new and interesting hobby, consider gardening. Gardening is a great way to get outside, get some fresh air, and relax. It’s also a great way to improve your home décor. There are many different types of plants that can be used in gardening, and each has its unique benefits.
Many areas of the world are experiencing more extremes of weather and lots of us are dealing with extra heat in homes that are not equipped for it, so I want to share some tips for surviving a heatwave with no Air Con. Portable Air Conditioning is expensive to buy and air conditioning is expensive to run which rules them out for a large proportion of the population. The sad fact is that this extreme weather and heat we are experiencing aren’t going anywhere fast and it is predicted to get worse.
Every wednesday morning after the boys have gone to school, I grab a pot of tea and log online and take a look at Design Mom’s living with kids post from the previous night. It is a regular treat for me, like getting a new magazine. I love looking at peoples homes round the world and how people uniquely live with kids. I know that my photo’s will never be good enough to feature on Design Mom, but as we were recently featured on At home with Hillary’s I thought I would share a glimpse in to our home with two boys aged 10 and 8!
Both of my boys are at an age where they have a real thirst for knowledge and there are times when they want to continue that learning at home. We were recently sent some Letts “Wild About” learning books. This got me thinking about when it is appropriate to use workbooks at home and how best to integrate them in to our home. I am big on learning through play and this is something that we have always concentrated on, however with my boys getting older (they are currently nine and eight) they are also reaching the point that they want to start working on some other ways. Encouraging learning at […]
Housework, cleaning and organisation, hate it or love it, the one constant is that it has to be done and seen as I can not afford a cleaner it mostly falls down to me. In the past we have gone from control freaky clean, to total mess depending on my mental state! Now we are somewhere in between. The house is not always clean and tidy, but it is lived in and can be tidied in a flash. Want to know my secret? Today I am going to let you in to my tips for what I call a chaos clean. You know the manic clean that you have to do […]
In the midst of the “nesting” phase of pregnancy, most prospective mothers (and fathers, for that matter) are excitedly preparing a nursery for their imminent arrival. It’s certainly one of the most thrilling parts of the nine month period – but few would disagree that it’s also incredibly daunting. While we don’t want to put too much of a downer on this period, there’s far more to decisions than what paint to throw on the wall. As you may have guessed through the title of this piece, we’re specifically going to concentrate on blinds here and highlight just what considerations need to be made. Unfortunately, these don’t all relate to style […]
I love my kitchen. It is eight years old and starting to show it’s age now. I am sure that the quality of kitchens they put in new houses is not very good at all, but the one thing it lacks is storage and display space. So last year MadDad bought me these fab shelves from Ikea.
I am a huge fan of art, craft and drawing (as you possibly know if you read my blog regularly) and when John Lewis Insurance asked me to share my favourite drawing of what matters most to my children it was a hard, hard job as I love pretty much everything they produce for different reasons. I love the act of making art and nurturing children’s drawings and one of the wisest things that I was told is to never ask what a drawing is, but to ask “Tell me more about your drawing” So I took this opportunity to go through my boys artwork and let me tell you there […]
Having lived and word just outside of Reading for 14 years. I have to say I love it and the fact that Maxi was born there will mean it is always close to my heart. Reading is often dismissed as merely a town on the commuter belt to London. It doesn’t feature on many tourist brochures and is perhaps most famous historically for making biscuits. My Reading Baby However, thanks to a booming IT and insurance industry, this large and personable town is enjoying something of a renaissance. Visit its lively and vibrant town centre with its array of bars, shops and restaurants and it quickly becomes apparent why the […]
It’s often said that an Englishman’s home is his castle, and with all the security technology that’s now available on the market, the old adage seems truer than ever. Just how much home protection can be considered prudent, however – and when does it cross the line into ‘too much’ territory? For most homeowners keen to protect their possessions and keep click here claims to a minimum, there are a number of simple measures that can be taken to deter opportunistic thieves, such as: Ensuring doors are fitted with secure dead locks Always closing and locking windows before leaving the house Investing in an alarm system and/or external security cameras Locking […]
As I get older I have found that I appreciate the classic style of the mid-century more and more. I have always loved the curves, angles, and general look of that era, but now I simply want to fill my home with it! When I was younger I was often pressured into having a more contemporary style. I would love to own vintage pieces, but they tend to be out of my price range and I am not a fan of reproductions or direct copies, I would rather something with a modern twist on it. I have to say that I really like the armchairs & footstools from Habitat. I love this chair […]
If there’s one thing that people tend to complain about when it comes to their home, it’s storage. No matter how much stuff we throw out or donate to charity it just seems to continue accumulating.
The worst room is usually the main living room as this is where the whole family gather and leave their stuff behind but that can make it really difficult to kick back and relax.
Whether your home is littered with shoes, DVDs, books, magazines, newspapers, school work, remote controls, photo frames or even fireplace accessories here are some top tips to help you get organised.
Newspaper and magazine rack
If there are more magazines in your living room than in the local doctor’s surgery, it’s about time you had a clear out. You don’t have to bin all of your favourites but throw away anything more than a month old. Store the ones you’re keeping in a tidy magazine rack next to the sofa instead of letting them clutter the coffee table.
Invest in adjustable shelving
How annoying it is that shelves tend to be the same height? Our stuff is all different sizes with books tall and pocket-sized, folders can be A4 or A5, photo frames are landscape or portrait and so on. If you’ve got adjustable shelves, you’ll find that you can finally fit all your belongings without difficulty.
Tidy up that hearth
An old traditional fireplace can add a bit of character to your home but you’ll need all sorts of stuff to maintain it, such as the logs and coal but also the poker and other accessories. If you’ve got inset gas fires in the house, you might still have bits and bobs lying around the hearth. Use some wicker baskets or boxes to keep your belongings tidy and use your fireplace as a feature of your living room rather than seeing it as a nuisance.
Make the most of your walls
If you’ve got a smaller floorspace to work with, you’ll need to really utilise your walls. Rather than spreading your furniture around the living, work your way up towards the ceiling to create a feeling of openness.
Think carefully about your furniture
It’s easy for the living room to become full of furniture, so the fewer pieces you have, the more space that is available. Obviously, you will need most of it, such as sofas, bookcases and television units but some will be solely for displaying other items that are also cluttering the room. Think twice about your furniture choices, literally. If a TV stand or ottoman can also be used for storage then that’s all the better!
It is there to remind me I need to switch off the electronics and join in. It also echo’s things that we find important as a family, such as speaking out and being honorable. But even better, it says it is OK to stay wonky and this is something I have and always will be!
It looks perfect next to my family carving from South Africa and the brilliant drawing of Maxi and Mini baking, which Suzie drew.
