Category: Lifestyle

1. Style a secret shed

   Posted on 9:25pm Monday 10th Aug 2015

   Style a secret shed? I know, I know, it sounds like I have gone off in search of the Enid Blyton Magic Faraway Tree and although I could do with some magic to come and deal with my shed, I am conscious that I may need a little more than magic. So when I saw that the lovely Amanda from The Ana Mum Diary was hosting a competition to encourage us to create a perfect hideaway; hidden in the depths of your garden away from the daily drama and noise of the house, I knew that I wanted to indulge my imagination.

   I consider myself quite house proud and the garden is an extension of this so I am not entirely sure why the shed is the one thing that is neglected. I am so ashamed of it that I am not even sure I can share a picture. A shed (or summer house) would be a perfect work space for me, I would be able to create a totally girlie shabby chic space to inspire and create within. So I went mooching around the Tiger Sheds website and decided that a corner summerhouse would be perfect to help me meet my aspirations. The Tiger Corner Summerhouse looks to be the epitome of garden living, just imagine it whitewashed with soft chair and drapes and no toys (!!).

    

   I have to admit that as my husband is the only man in our abode, I very often give in to more masuline design in the house so he doesn't feel completely overwhelmed by the feminine influence, which means that our bedroom is not particularly girly so my summerhouse would allow me to indulge in a perfectly personal girlie space. I managed to lose myself in Pinterest with cool, calm colours perfect for a clear head and a long to do list. 

    

   I did mention that I wasn't going to share a picture of our current shed with you but my husband suggests that it is full of character ...... whereas I am convinced it is more full of spiders and a possible wasps nest. It needs to be gone so I can get the girlie work space my heart craves.

    

   There is no Pinterest board that is going to help that now is there?

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2. Top Tips for Decorating a Kitchen (with a toddler)

   Posted on 1:05pm Friday 31st Jul 2015

   Our blogs recently have been very lifestyle focused with posts like how to makeover a bedroom in a weekend or top tips for gardening with a toddler  but we have well and truly now got the decorating bug, so today's post is all about top tips for decorating a kitchen .... with a toddler in tow!

   If you don't want to go to the trouble (or expense) of replacing your kitchen cupboards, a few subtle (or not so subtle) changes can make a huge difference in a kitchen and as ever, we are always looking for a thrifty way to update and modernise for every family budget!

   Create a statement colour wall, or in the case of my husband get artistic with the statement colour wall.

   When creating something that is going to stand out, it is important to make sure that you get quality painting and decorating supplies as, in all honesty, cheap alternatives never last or don't give you the same effect.

    

   Add dashes of color throughout the kitchen

   You can add vibrancy without going overboard, a bouquet of flowers is a really cheap way of doing this!

   

   Add a mirror

   Adding a mirror into your space, (especially a small kitchen) will instantly make a room look bigger reflecting the surrounding colors and patterns.

   Be artistic 

   Put art pieces in unusual places, like above a door, to add some freshness to your space or in our case highlight the artwork with some of the statement colour.

    

    

   Create an indoor garden

   Why not pot plants in an assortment of vintage ceramics or funky pots and line them up on a windowsill or shelf.

    

   They say save the best for last but don’t save your best for the living room.

   Don’t save all your best decor pieces for the living room. Why not put a fancy lamp or painting in a more unexpected location, like your kitchen. It could be a talking point for dinner parties!

   Now the title of this post mentioned decorating tips with a toddler and I know that there is a distinct lack of advice here about how to deal with the toddler whilst decorating. I am usually a huge advocate of getting them involved and I firmly believe that just because you have kids doesn't mean you have to give up your design style but sometimes, just sometimes I recommend letting them go to the grandparents for the day as the decorating will happen MUCH quicker without them!

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3. What is the right age to let your child out to play?

   Posted on 8:58pm Friday 17th Jul 2015

   What is the right age to let your child out to play on their own?

   If I am honest, I am not sure that there is a "one size fits all" policy as it is difficult to set an exact age when it is safe for children to be out alone and getting the balance between independence and safety can be difficult.

   When researching for this post, I found that the NSPCC say “We agree that children need to have time outside to play, but children under the age of eight are too young to be out unsupervised. We know that children under eight can’t judge speed and distance of moving vehicles. They still need help when crossing roads"

   So I have a tween and a toddler, one who thinks they know better and one who wants to do everything her big sister does. The little one loves to be outside and is happy playing teaparties in the garden (with or without the cat!) but this doesn't have enough excitement for the tween.

   

   The toddler plays under the kitchen window (usually shouting orders for drinks and snacks) but her big sister wants to be out playing. When the weather is good she wants to be out on her scooter, bike or skates (which always scares me) but the tween always has the toddler snapping at her heels.

   

   We are lucky to live in a small development which is pretty much in the middle of no where and unless someone is purposefully coming to visit, then there is very little traffic, so it is quite safe for the children to play outside. So much to the chagrin of the tween, the solution to allowing the toddler to play outside is playing with her big sister, while I watch on from kitchen window.

   

   I know that when the tween goes to her friends for "playdates" or "hang out" (or whatever the cool thing is to do) that they are slowly now starting to play outside but I have no control over the traffic at her friends houses so I need to make sure that she remember the three Ws! Even as they get older and think they are independent it is important to make sure that they always tell you:

   Who they are going out with,

   Where they are going and

   When they will be back. 

   I was never allowed out to play as a child and whilst I want to protect my girls fiercely, I also understand that they need to learn independence and responsbility but in my mind, they will never be old enough for me not to watch over them.

   Do you allow your children to play out?

   

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4. Guess who just flew into Birmingham Airport?

   Posted on 10:01pm Monday 22nd Jun 2015

   Okay, the title may be a little luring but that is nothing compared to the temptation of the new Marcos restaurant close to Birmingham Airport. Marco's New York Italian is situated at the Holiday Inn, just 10 minutes from the NEC / Genting Arena, Birmingham International rail station and Birmingham International Airport .As a Midlands lass, I couldn't wait to try it out and Fathers Day seemed like the perfect opportunity.

   I have to admit that I was a little unsure of what to expect with the "New York Italian" description but with Marcos name above the door, there was a certain expectation of the food and ambience and it didn't disappoint.

   

   From Italian dishes including mouth-watering Italian sharing platters, fresh seafood, home-made pizza and pasta to American favourites such as succulent steaks, burgers and Marco's special BBQ ribs (which were my starter of choice and were absolutely divine). We enjoyed the set Fathers Day menu, for the exceptionally good price of £19.95 for 3 courses (or £16.95 for 2) and for every table of 4, Dad ate for FREE (but shhhhh don't tell my Dad that I didn't pay for his meal!!).

   With the exception of my Mum, we all chose the beef main course and it didn't disappoint. I was initially worried that the meat was a little on the rare side for me (personal preference and all that) but it tasted exquisite. So much so that my Mum started pinching it off our plate after we had groaned in delight.

   

   The restaurant wasn't overly crowded, which was surprising given the affordable menu choices on the day we visited and the staff were extremely attentive. It will be interesting to see how they will cope as the bookings increase and the restaurant becomes more popular.

   I have to give particular mention to Karen, the restaurant manager, she was extremely welcoming, very professional and coaxed conversation out of a very shy toddler. It is always a worry when we take the children to nice restaurants, not because I am worried about how they will behave, but as to whether or not the restaurant "really" caters for children and welcomes families. We certainly felt welcomed by the whole team and the childrens menu gave a good selection - rather than the tiresome chicken nuggets and chips most restaurants insist on giving younger diners.

   We were seated on a circular table in the centre of the restuarant so were central to the "buzz" which was perfect for us but there are more secluded booths if you are choosing the venue for a romantic meal or business meeting. Every time I looked up from our table, I could see Marco looking down at me from his picture but we didn't get to see the man himself, although I can imagine it may be a little intimidating complaining about a meal if he was in the kitchen!
   

   

   The venue is well placed for motorway links and close enough to Solihull for those who may like to go out dancing afterwards and the only downside was the parking charge from the hotel, despite being discounted having dined in the restaurant.

   For me, it was the perfect way to spend Fathers Day with my husband, children and parents. Unfortunately for my husband, he was not feeling so well so couldn't finish his food (which is unheard of and no reflection on the restaurant) so we have made a resolution to go back to Marcos, so he can see what he was missing!

   For the avoidance of doubt, we paid for our meals and the thoughts, comments and compliments are our honest opinions. No recompense has been received for this review.

   

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