Category: Views & Ramblings

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. Tips on keeping the house tidy this summer

   Posted on 10:23am Friday 7th Aug 2015

   We are half way in to the school holidays and whilst I love having the children at home, keeping the endless craft or activities tidy is no mean feat, so here are our top tips on keeping the house tidy this summer.

   Stop buying things you don't need

   This is one that personally I struggle with, as I am a self confessed shopaholic but more "stuff" means more clutter. Get rid of what you don't use and stop buying things you don't need. And the next time the children want that cheap toy, get them an experience instead, go and feed the ducks rather than buy more rubber ducks for the bath. Give them memories not things.

   Rotate the toys

   If you can't bear to part with your little ones toys, put some away in a box in the loft and then do the same again in a months time. Bring down the old box and your little one will have renewed interest in the toy that they haven't seen for some time - failing that, if they had completely forgotten about it, maybe it is time to give it away.

   Floor free zone

   Nothing actually belongs on the floor. Make this a general rule, especially if you have luxury flooring and furnishings the last thing you want is someone scraping a piece of lego across it! Everyone in the family should be responsible for putting their ‘stuff’ away.

   

   Clear tubs / bins

   These are the best type of containers for kids stuff, in general. Bins or baskets. The key is to make it easy for the kids (or you) to toss their stuff into the bins, making cleanup simple. If you can, label each bin with the type of stuff that goes there (building blocks, barbie dolls, stuffed animals, painful lego pieces). If your child can’t read, use picture labels or photos taped to the side.

   Allow them to be messy.

   No child is perfect and as a parent you have to concede that they will inevitably make a mess. You have to allow them to do this. Then, when they’re done, ask them to clean it up. It is a good life lesson!

   Eat outside

   Children are notoriously messy eaters and while there is warm weather, eating outside saves a lot of floor clean up later. Plus if the mess gets really bad you can at least just hose down the area, something I wish I could do in my house (and children) sometimes.

   Finally, any life that includes children is never going to be clean and clutter free, at least to some degree. I don't believe that you will ever get an absolute minimalist lifestyle with children and I’ve learned to accept that. Would you disagree?

   

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3. 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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4. Summer Holiday : Work / Life Balance

   Posted on 10:12am Tuesday 28th Jul 2015

   There has been a distinct lack of blog posts lately but it is the summer and we all get the summer off right? Well no, not really the children may be free of work for 7 weeks but as parents, we have the 7 week juggle to contend with.

   So the essential (paying ) work is being done (not to mention the mountain of washing and ironing) but the other stuff, well that will get done when it gets done because there are only so many times a child will ask you to play with them before they stop asking completely.

   I worry that my girls are growing up so fast and I can't hold on to it all.
   

   I worry that one day, they won't want me to play any more because they will have grown up while I wasn't looking.

    

    

   How do you juggle work throughout the summer?

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