GARDEN: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables

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Life is all about finding the small joys that you love and then embracing them on a daily basis. Gardening is a small joy that I've recently indulged in and it has quickly become part of my day-to-day life that I love. It isn't in fact a new love, however since having my first child seven years ago I had struggled to find the time to garden, as there was always a little person toddling around needing my full attention. Now that my children are all that bit older I'm able to rediscover my love for gardening and if it is something you think you'd find joy in then I urge you to do the same. 

HOW TO: Fill your home with comfortable seating for the whole family

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After a busy day at work or school most of us will be looking forward to sitting down, relaxing and enjoying the comfort of being at home. But how can you create a cosy, comfortable environment both indoors and outdoors within your home without spending thousands on new sofas or armchairs? Big Bertha Original have this problem solved with their incredible range of Bean Bag Chairs, Giant Bean Bag Sofas, Children's Bean Bags, Outdoor-Indoor Bean Bags, Cushions, Blankets, Oversized Hoodies and even your furry friends aren't forgotten with their Dog Beds. Bean Bags are one more affordable way to add comfortable seating to both your indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as bringing that fun, nostalgic feel from childhood. 

HOME: Creating a Green & Rose Pink Reception Room

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Since lockdown began back in March a lot of us have spent so much time at home that we've noticed areas that would be lovely to decorate, places that could do with a better method of organisation and a feel of wanting to make our safe spaces cosier, clever and beautiful too. Home renovations don't need to be big projects or really expensive either; with some smart shopping around, clever bigger pieces and a calming colour palette you can totally transform a room within a couple of weeks. Like many, we decided to change up a few rooms in our home, do a spot of interior shopping and increase the amount of storage we have around the house. As parents to three young children we have a seemingly endless supply of 'things' that need storing, whether that be toys, clothes, books, activities or blankets etc. A lot of our previous storage was visible, in the sense that it was baskets or boxes without lids, so you could still see the items. This was something I really wanted to change going forward for a few reasons; they made areas look cluttered, our youngest child was able to constantly empty them out and everything was poorly organised. It was always inevitable that the one toy our children wanted to play with was going to be right at the bottom of the box or basket!

BABY & TODDLER: How to Create Sensory Messy Play at Home with Messy Senses

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Since lockdown began back in March we haven't be able to go to any children's classes because essentially it isn't safe enough to do so. This not only has had a massive impact on the businesses themselves, but also has meant our babies, toddlers and children have missed out on the opportunities these classes offer too. As we are now six months into this 'new' way of life and it is becoming evident quite how tricky it is for baby and toddler classes to resume; now is the perfect time to consider how we as parents can recreate some aspects of these classes at home.

CHILDREN: How to Throw a Frozen Party at Home

Making birthdays special during lockdown or while socially distancing can be a challenge and the magic of birthdays is especially important to children. Recently it was Poppy's third birthday and as our second birthday during lockdown (Isabella celebrated her fifth birthday right at the start of lockdown, which was tried to make as special as possible) we felt much more equipped on how to make it one to remember. Like many children, Poppy loves everything Frozen related so her birthday couldn't really be based around anything else! Luckily, throwing your own little Frozen party at home is a relatively simple theme to follow and there are lots of DIY additions you can add throughout the day to add that extra special touch. These ideas aren't exclusive to lockdown life and can be utilised whenever we are able to throw 'normal' parties for our children or if you simply want to celebrate at home. 

PARENTHOOD: 10 Ways to Reduce Stress and Get Prepared for Christmas

There is no doubt that Christmas is a stressful time of year, perhaps even more so when you become a parent. Creating the magic of Christmas for children is both incredibly special, as well as being a lot of pressure, so how can we reduce the stress and get prepared? Being a parent is busy at the best of times and this is our first Christmas as a relatively new family of five. Time is a luxury when you have children, so multi-tasking, being productive and preparing well in advance are all essential. This time of year is my favourite and it brings out the organiser in me; any excuse for a list, making people happy and adding that all important sprinkle of magic. But it doesn't just happen, so I've shared my top ten tips for getting prepared during the festive season...

HOME: Renting as a Family - What are the Positives?

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With more and more people renting well into their 30’s, renting as a family is becoming more commonplace. Although for many people this might not be the ideal situation, it’s time to stop thinking of renting as a compromise or a temporary solution. It is still possible to live a fulfilled and colourful life with our children whilst living in rented property. 

PARENTHOOD: Supporting the Transition to Siblings Sharing a Bedroom

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If I'm honest I never really thought any of our children would need to share a room, perhaps because I never did with my siblings but either way it just wasn't something I saw for our family prior to having children. But then we had two daughters, Isabella and Poppy, relatively close together (there's a two year two months age gap between them) and their bond blows me away every day. Don't get me wrong they have their moments, but on the whole they love nothing more than being together. When I do get time one on one with either of them they spend the whole time asking for each other, regardless of how fun the activity we're doing is. I have two brothers, so have never witnessed or had any experience of what a sister bond is like but already I can tell how fiercely strong it is. They'll argue over the same toy, but the moment one needs the other they are there with a hug or kiss. It's been and still is such an honour to witness their relationship flourish as they grow older, which is partially why we made the decision for them to share a room together.

HOME: Preparing the Garden for the Summer Months

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Summer is quickly approaching, in fact we've already been treated to a few warmer days here in the UK. The moment that the sunshine appears Isabella and Poppy are eager to get out into the garden and I love that it expands our space to play dramatically. But going out into the garden for the first time post autumn/winter can be a bit of a shock, as there are a lack of plants/flowers, garden equipment has become more 'weathered' or even perhaps broken and the grass often looks very sorry for itself. Our garden is a really good size, however almost all of the grass area is on a hill which comes with a whole host of challenges. It is also on two different levels, so the seating area is separate to the grass area. This does allow us to create a more 'grown up' seating area down on the patio and then embrace the children's interests up on the grassed area. However your garden or outdoor area is laid out, transforming it into a practical yet beautiful space to enjoy the sunshine is such a fun activity to embrace during the spring months.

FAMILY: Encouraging Children to Help with Chores around the House

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'Chores' isn't a word that generally brings joy to anyone, but they are necessary and can be made fun for children to get involved in too. As someone who works from home and looks after Isabella and Poppy I spend a lot of time trying to keep the house looking even slightly presentable. Soon after having Poppy I realised that trying to keep a pristine house all of the time was simply an impossible task, but we have a good little routine going now and we all work as a team to get the jobs done. Even since Isabella was small I have always encouraged her to help tidy up after herself, so it has been instilled in her from a very young age. The way I explain it to her is that although I didn't make the mess, we will work as a team to tidy it away. Up until recently Poppy was more of a mess-maker than a helpful contributor to tidying up, but she is now 22 months and is now able to help too. Tidying up and keeping the house in order is a constant battle for all parents I think, so I thought I'd share some of the ways my children love to help around the house.

PARENTHOOD: 4 Ways to Futureproof your Child's Bedroom

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As a parent there are a lot of changes, milestones and exciting moments that change your family life. When both Isabella and Poppy were approaching six months and quickly outgrowing their Moses basket I knew we had to make 'the big move' into their own bedroom. It was an anxious time, but luckily it resulted in more sleep for everyone and we really enjoyed creating a peaceful, adaptable space for them to call their own. Planning your child's bedroom is such a fun process, as you consider colour palettes, furniture, storage and where all of their toys are going to go?! But something that is worth considering during this process is how to futureproof their bedroom, so that you're not having to spend yet more money in only a few years to once again adapt it to their older age.

HOME: Creating a Peaceful Bedroom Environment as a Parent

Parenthood and sleep don't typically go hand in hand, that's for sure. Since entering the world of parenthood just over three years ago sleep has been a luxury that comes along very rarely. If you're a parent then you'll understand and if you're someone who's children slept through the night from a young age...please tell me your secrets?! As sleep is so precious once you become a parent then creating a calming and peaceful bedroom environment can be key to feeling well rested (even if you're eye bags tell a different story).

DIY PROJECT: Painted Seagrass Basket

On the run up to Poppy being born we were busy renovating and decorating our spare room for Isabella to move into. It wasn't a simple paint job (nothing ever is with old houses it seems!), a new ceiling had to be put in, whole room wallpapered, window repaired, holes filled, new carpet put in and the standard wall/wood work painted too. Of course, this could have been done at a leisurely rate but the impending birth of our Poppy meant there was no such luxury. As I was pretty useless when it came to getting involved (large baby bumps make almost everything DIY related an impossible task), so I turned my attention to much smaller crafty DIY projects I actually could do.

HOME INTERIOR: Toddler Girls Bedroom Reveal

Here it finally is...Isabella's toddler bedroom reveal! This post has taken far longer than it probably should to put together; I'll blame the birth of Poppy (though in reality it is more likely to be because I keep finding more things to add and wanting to retake the photos. Are bedrooms ever finished?). We transformed our spare room, which means that every bedroom in our house is finally decorated now. Only 2.5 years after moving in! The room is a really good size, with a large window and old fireplace. Isabella is one lucky little lady.

WISHLIST: MijMoj Beautifully Crafted Home Accessories

   STEP Oak Sideboard 

We have been in the process of decorating our house for the past 10 months now - I can't believe it's already been that long! Yet only one room is finished, we're slow, steady workers to say the least. The kitchen, bathroom and our bedroom are nearly finished, but we still have lots of little jobs to do in each of these rooms.

HOME: Orla Kiely Home Fragrance Range

Throughout our house renovation we've lived in a variety of conditions, including no bathroom, no flushing toilet, no kitchen, no heating during December/January, no hot water etc etc.

HOME: HandM Home Haul and Wishlist

 

As we are starting to have a proper kitchen again (very exciting!) I've been shopping around for some new kitchen accessories. I've never bought anything from the H&M home section before but have always swooned over so many of their items. They are often reasonably priced and so stylish - definietly worth checking out. Here's a few pieces I picked up recently...

 

Cotton Table Runner - £6.99

Pot Holder - £2.99

 

Tea Towel - £2.99

 

Storage Basket - £7.99 

Now onto my H&M Home Wishlist...

 

Metal Tray - £14.99

 

Wooden salad servers - £7.99

 

Scented Candle - £9.99

 

Metal Tealight Holder - £2.99

 

Metal Tray - £14.99

 

Glass Tealight Holder - £2.99

 

Storage Box - £3.99

 

Metal Photo Frame - £9.99

What are your favourite pieces from H&M Home?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

Helen x

WISHLIST: Autumn Home Accessories from notonthehighstreet

Making a house a home is always a personal target of mine. I love the home Tom and I have created together but as we rent at the moment we can't really make the house completely our home. There's the usual rental restrictions - limited number of items on the wall, can't change wall colours, carpet colours and everything has to be just as when you moved in. Completely understandable as you are in someone else's house at the end of the day but it doesn't stop a girl dreaming about what her perfect autumn house would look like....

'Deer' Cushions and Throw Collection

Whitewash Coat Hooks

Woods Silhouette Linen Lampshade

Copper Vase

Kiko Glass Frame

Penguin Print Hot Wheatabottle

Personalised Photo Block

 

Moroccan Style Lattice Candle Lantern

Alphabet Scented Candle

Oh the dream continues...

Do you like to make you home/bedroom all cosy for autumn?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

Helen x



WISHLIST: Anthropologie

Ok, so I've come across a website that sells the most beautiful home accessories, gifts and clothing and I'm pretty excited about it. Anthropologie sells such original items that are rustic, quirky and colourful - the perfect combination in my eyes. I don't know much about this brand, as I've only just come across it, but I know my love for it is only going to continue to grow and my bank balance is going to slowly diminish!

My Top Home Picks from Anthropologie... 

Anthea Measuring Cups £32

Stoneware Cheese Board £18

Vestige Lipstick Holder £24

Chitter Chatter Phone Case £28

Every Occasion Notecard Set £18

Paris Street Style £15.99

Voluspa Cut Glass Jar £26

Homegrown Monogram Mug £8

Monogrammed Mug £6

Fleur De Lys Tumbler £6

Chalkboard Spice Jar £10

Glass Dairy Bottle £10-£18

Mr. Boddington's Penguin Classics, Pride & Prejudice £9.99

Landmark Ring Dish £10

Illume Boulangerie Incremental Jar £24

Cadiz Serving Bowl £34

Chantilly Fringe Knob £8

Isn't it all so beautiful? This collection doesn't include any of their stunning clothes and accessories either. But those are slightly more on the expensive side, ones to go on the Christmas/Birthday wishlist!

Which is your favourite piece?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)