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Save Up For That Much Needed Holiday

This is a collaborative post.

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Saving up for a holiday away can be a real struggle sometimes, but once you’ve done it and you’ve got enough money under your belt, you will realise how worth it it actual was, as you’re lying on the golden sandy beach, overlooking the turquoise ocean as the sun shines down on you.

Make your own pack lunch

Think of the money you would be saving every day if you made your own lunch with leftovers from the night before, instead of buying lunch when you’re at work.

Stock up on some cute plastic containers, put your extra food in, bung it in the fridge, and bring it in with you the next day.

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Drink your coffee at home

As much as you may like to go to your favourite cafe at the end of your busy day, try limiting it to once a week instead. It all adds up, and if you want to save, then it’s no good splurging on things that aren’t a necessity.

So instead make your own coffee for that quick fix, you can even invest in a nice flask to drink from while you’re on the go.

Walk it instead

Start walking to your destination, or riding your bike as a pose to public transport or driving yourself. This will cut the cost of petrol and bus fares, and not only that but you’ll also be keeping fit at the same time, which is great for getting your bikini body ready.

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Deal with your bills

Never let your bills stack up on top of one another because it won’t end well. So make sure you prioritise. You can consider taking out a loan with companies like www.unsecuredloans4u.co.uk/ if you really don’t have enough to get by. But bear in mind you will then have to add this to the list of things to pay every month.

Stick with the classic pay-as-you-go

You can still have a nice looking phone with all the latest features, but without the life abiding contract.

Paying as you go means you are always on top of what you’re spending. You can never go over, and if you’re really broke within the next coming months, you can just not top up.

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Sell your goods

There’s bound to be things you no longer wear or use, that are just lying around wasting away. – Sell these things! One man’s junk is another man’s treasure remember? That applies to everything. Maybe you have a sofa that is stored away in the attic that people may pay good money for. Or maybe you got given a painting that you hate, but someone else might spend hundreds for it because it ‘speaks to them.’

So get looking and put some adverts up online, it’s quick, easy and you may even enjoy it.

Compare flights

When you do end up looking at potential flights, don’t just settle with the first one you see. Use sites like www.skyscanner.net/ to find you the cheapest rates by comparing them with other airlines.

May 23, 2017
The Changes That Should be Made to Each Room to Turn a Home Into a Family Home

This is a collaborative post.

The family home is where you will raise your kids and create the memories that you will hope will last a lifetime. Therefore, it’s no surprise that so many parents are keen to turn their old, sturdy home into something a bit more family-friendly when kids finally arrive. But what changes need to be made? It’s not an easy question to answer, especially if this whole parenting lark is still pretty new to you.

The changes you make are not just changing the overall design of the home, although that can be important. Instead, it’s about changing how your home is used and what changes could make life simpler, easier and better for your family as a whole. Read on to learn about how each room in your home can be changed to turn it from a home into a family home that you can all make the most of.

Kitchen

The kitchen, for many families, is the hub of the household. This is where people can get together and share food at the end of the day. And it’s also where the day is started with a family breakfast. So, that’s why the kitchen and dining area is so important. To make it more family-friendly, you first need to think about safety. Putting child locks on the freezer is important. And you should make sure anything harmful is out of reach.

In terms of dining, you need to make sure that your dining area is able to handle the mess and chaos of eating with a child. Keep the high chair that your child will use away from the wall, and consider using a flooring solution that’s easy to wipe. Carpets can quickly get messed up by food that’s dropped on them.

Bathroom

Bathtime is an important part of the day for any family. You need to make it as easy as possible to bathe your child in a way that is safe and simple for you. Having a bath mat that your child can sit on without slipping is key. And having good taps out of the way of your child is important too. Check out Tap Warehouse for bathroom taps if you need some. It’s a good bathroom investment to make.

You should also come up with new storage solutions because you will probably have lots of bath items and toys that will need a storage place. Your bathroom can quickly become chaotic and messy when you have a child but don’t have the right storage solutions in place.

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Living Room

Having a living room with a no fuss kind of design is really important when you have children. If you have everything organised in a very neat and precise way, things will quickly get messed up. So, take a more relaxed approach to this. Don’t worry too much about everything being in the right place because it won’t stay there for too long.

You should also give some careful thought to the materials used in your living room. Those kids might be small, but when they’re bouncing around and acting all hyperactive, it’s easy for things to get damaged and broken. It’s a good idea to aim to use the very strongest materials possible in your home. That way, you can keep everything in as strong condition as possible.

Bedrooms

For most parents, the master bedroom won’t have to be touched by any particular changes. If anything, you should make this space off limits to your children. By making it into a place of your own away from the family, it can become a haven of calm and relaxation. That makes it easier for you to make a difference.

As for your children’s bedrooms, how you go about designing them will depend on how old they are. If they are still babies, then you just need to make it as relaxed and simple as possible. Don’t go for anything too elaborate or precise because children grow up fast. Before you know it, they will be demanding a different design that is more suited to their age and interests.

Garden

Finally, you should think about the garden. Put safety first by making sure that any water is off limits and that your children can’t get near it. Even a small pond can be dangerous. Then you need to think about how your garden can be used during the summer. A lawn space that encourages activity and sports can be a good idea. And having an outdoor dining space that can be shared and used by the family is a nice idea to consider too.

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May 22, 2017
As Busy As Mums: Kids School Days and Play Dates Made Simple

This is a collaborative post.

Running a family requires excellent organisational skills, plenty of patience, an ability to multitask and all sorts of other attributes that aren’t always in the job description but definitely come with the territory of having kids.

Here are some pointers and savvy tips to help you manage the day successfully and get everything done and the kids to where they need to be all in a day’s work.

There’s a look at why it pays to concentrate on simplifying the task of planning your schedule, a sensible strategy for making mornings less stressful, plus a tip for checking what the day ahead is offering so that you can dress everyone accordingly.

One system is the key to organizational success

Running a family home is not very different to being a PA except that you are not helping a busy executive to run their business and you aren’t getting the same financial rewards!

However, you can’t let that get in the way of doing the one job you have the perfect resume for and wouldn’t swap for anything else anyway. So now that it’s established you have all the credentials your first task is to get super-organised and get all the play dates and appointments scheduled and sorted.

If there is one tip to remember above anything else it would be to pick just one system for all your planning needs and keep it simple by then recording all those events and activities in one calendar.

Having the information spread across different diaries, reminders on your smartphone and written on a calendar in the kitchen, is going to make organizing your family schedule harder than it needs to be.

Find a system that works for you and record everything that is going on each week in the one place, as that is definitely the key to organisational success.

Avoid the blame game scenario

If you are taking on everything by yourself then this isn’t an issue but if you are dividing up the chores and assignments between you and your partner, grandparents or anyone else you rely on to help with childcare duties, you need to ensure you assign responsibility for each task.

Knowing that you have to get them there for baseball at four is only the half of it, who is taking them and picking them up is the other key piece of information, so make sure you have that detail incorporated into your system.

That way you will avoid the almost inevitable conversation where one person blames the other for any mess up.

Beat the morning rush

Mornings in a typical family home with young kids is often complete chaos and that means it’s easy to get behind or miss something when you are under such strain to beat the deadline for getting them into the car and off to school.

A savvy way of coping better with that hectic morning scenario would be to prep the night before and get everything ready to go that you can, like clothes laid out and lunches done and in the fridge.

An Android app for current weather on your smartphone would also be a good idea as you can get advanced notice on whether you should plan for rain or pack the sunscreen.

Good communication, a simple but effective organisational system, plus a solid weekly routine that everyone is in tune with, will all help you to be that Mum who always seems to cope with whatever comes their way.

May 22, 2017
Our Stay at Withyslade Farm Cottages, Tisbury

Accomodation in Tisbury – Withyslade Cottages

Withyslade Farm Cottages in Tisbury offer three lovely self catering cottages suitable for families or small groups of friends to enjoy a peaceful break in beautiful surroundings. We booked our weekend away as a result of needing to get out of town, have a bit of a refresh and just enjoy some peace and quiet. Withyslade Cottages offered all of this. We made our booking through booking.com a couple of weeks ago and have been so excited in the run up to ourweek away.

Our Luxury Cottage at Withyslade

It really was a beautiful and luxury cottage situated on the beautiful Withyslade Farm in Tisbury, Wiltshire. It is located close to Salisbury and Stone henge so a fantastic choice for those looking for accomodation in the South. Our cottage could very comfortably sleep five with the two bedrooms, spacious kitchen and comfortable sitting area. I was so impressed with the cleanliness, space and fresh decor available. WiFi is complimentary and available in each cottage. Complimentary bottles of water were by each bedside.

The luxury Wiltshire cottage was self catering and had all the amenities of a kitchen you’d expect including an electric oven, hob, fridge, toaster and lots of storage space. There were plenty of lovely big mugs, glasses and plates for all of us and a few cooking utensils. Plenty of tea, coffee and hot chocolate is available with a nice big kettle. It was lovely waking up in the morning, enjoying the view and having a big mug of hot coffee. Our cottage didn’t have a microwave but this didn’t affect our cooking.

The sitting area has two comfortable sofas and a chair. The television is flat screen and has a great range of freeview channels available. We found the cottage to be comfortable, light and airy. We didn’t use the heating throughout our stay because it was a very comfortable temperature and opening up a few windows cooled the place down quickly.

We had two large bedrooms, one with a twin set up and another with a double and single bed. This would be an ideal family room. There are plenty of places to store clothes, mirrors, chairs and dressing tables upstairs. The beds were very comfy and cosy with fresh linen, extra pillows and curtains that kept out the daylight.

The lighting throughout the cottage is just right for the size and very modern.

The bathroom features a bath and lovely hot shower with complimentary toiletries. There is only one toilet in this particular property but we didn’t see this to be an issue.

Our Stay at Withyslade Cottage

We had a fantastic time. We were greeted upon arrival around 8.30pm by the owners who were welcoming and friendly. We were shown to our cottage and told we were welcome to walk around the farm and which of the animals to avoid. Being on a farm there are horses, sheep and dogs around so pets are not welcome and children might wish to be warned prior to visiting if they are scared of any animals.

My daughter would have absolutely loved this stay. There was a cute yet cheeky little dog named Daisy that came in to see us a few times during our stay for a good stroke and I know Evie would have loved her.

We did take the chance to walk around the grounds and say hello to some of the horses. We walked up into the forest at the top which was full of gorgeous bluebells. We also had a walk through a large field and found an abandoned building which was a little spooky.

There are no shops on site so it’s easier to take everything with you if you do not intend on leaving. We wanted to make the most of being a bit out of the way and in the country so we didn’t feel the need to leave. It truly was a beautiful visit and a place I would happily visit time and time again. What’s really great about staying out in the country is how it can make a great base for walking holidays. Travelling around on foot is a great way to see a bit more of our gorgeous countryside. I loved this post from Birds and Lillies about walking holidays and some fabulous recommendations.

Our trip has made me so excited for our next holiday in July!

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May 21, 2017
Horizon: Zero Dawn: Review

Horizon: Zero Dawn is right up there amongst the best video games I’ve ever played. It is phenomenal. I remember seeing an E3 or such trailer a fair while ago now and since then eagerly anticipated it’s arrival. I couldn’t get it when it first came out in the UK but I’ve now had it a couple of weeks and I have loved every moment of it. Usuaully I stick to what I know with things like Final Fantasy. Assassins Creed was a step up for me and it took me a while to get it but I loved it. I am also hugely into the Lego video games which are great fun! Horizon: Zero Dawn is such an enjoyable, fun and exciting game, I’m really glad I got into it.

When it comes to video games my skills are pretty limited. I have been known to rage quit after losing too many times, dying too many times and complex controls baffle me. I was a little apprehensive of this game because I really wanted to play it but worried the controls would get the better of me. They didn’t. Thankfully. And I’ve really enjoyed playing through the gorgeous landscape of what used to be the USA.

Horizon: Zero Dawn takes place many, many years in the future where the world is segregated and over run by machines. You play as Aloy, a young tribal woman that was outcasted at birth for reasons she is yet to discover. She is raised by another outcast, Rost, who is very much a father figure to her. Through the prologue you learn how to hunt, how to stealth avoid beasts and a little bit of the world that was. Throughout the game you go through an unexpected and incredible journey through mountains, deserts and jungles.

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The gameplay is fairly simple and the tutorials make it easy to pick up and understand – I was thankful for this. Throughout the game you can develop character skills, modify weapons and outfits, learn to use the environment around you and create strong ammo for the tougher machines you will set out to kill. Through Aloy’s quest you find out more about the world that was and how it came to be how it is now.

The graphics are simply stunning in Horizon and the amount of detail in the smallest things is incredible. Nothing has been left out and it’s so easy to see why the game has been so well received. The characters you meet along the way are intriguing and likeable. The enemies pose tough battles. The player has an amount of control over the responses Aloy gives which gives it an interactive feel. I have nothing negative to say about this game. It’s amazing and I am really loving it.

It’s given me a bit more confidence in my gameplay abilities and the courage to try newer games that might be a little different. I’m currently enjoying tying up lose ends with some of the side quests and exploring more of Horizon’s world. If you enjoy open world adventure games with thrilling action based and stealth combat then I think you might just love this.

May 18, 2017