With a new year we often want to start making new plans. This could be anything from moving home, a new hobby or a holiday. I like creating my goals lists so I have some focus on what I’m doing with my blog and home too. I find this really helpful.
Some people, however, might want to look at starting a business or turning their hobby into a business but might be lacking the funds to do so. This year I am planning on making more money as well as paying off more debt so that I can be more financially free and I am glad my business did not require much investment to start as I already had an established blog and following. However, for others that are more creative and make products a small business loan might be a better option if funds are low.
I have recently seen so many small businesses creep up for homemade clothing, resuable wipes, eco friendly kits and journals which is amazing however they all had to start somewhere and that start often requires money. When it comes to loans you always need to make sure you can afford the monthly repayments and don’t borrow what you can’t afford to pay back. The first year of business is usually quite tough if you’re starting completely from scratch.
When it comes to changing a hobby to a business and you already have a bit of a following getting your audience on board is usually a great idea and can really help give you some feedback. You will usually have your first customers or consumers from your following too and the best part is you probably already have your ideal customer which, hopefully, means that you wont make a loss in your first year of business.
I think changing things up each year is healthy as long as you do it with care, consideration and responsibly.
Heating the home during autumn usually means increasing your monthly budget to cope with rising energy costs. As a low income family and one that relies heavily on student finance to get us through each semester whilst Adam is studying, we really need to do everything we can to stick to our budget. I am already feeling the cold in the mornings when I wake up and now we’ve brought home a newborn baby so maintaining a warm temperature through autumn and into the winter months is high on our list of priorities. Finding the most cost-effective way to do so though, is a challenge.
Some families choose to do this by installing central heating pumps, which is an effective and efficient way of heating the home. A pump helps circulate hot water around the home rapidly, from the boiler to the radiators. This helps keep the home warm without breaking the bank.
Heating The Home Effectively
Using a central heating pump is an effective method of heating the home but it isn’t always an option for all households. We have night storage heaters and we only have one energy bill to worry about however we do notice a significant weekly increase when it gets colder. As we use electric when it comes to heating our home, like other families do, there is an option to get a smart meter installed, which helps record the exact amount of energy we use. There are also plenty of apps available that help you keep track of how much you’re spending and even how to cut down on this amount.
When it comes to heating the home we try to limit which heaters we turn on. I usually start with turning on the one in the hallway as that is the one that makes the biggest difference in the morning. It’s much nicer walking out of the bedroom into an already warm hallway. Often, the heat has had time to warm the other rooms too. Luckily, living in a flat, it doesn’t take long to warm up and this helps us keep the costs down. We also make use of a halogen heater for the living room. Keeping the living room door closed, and turning this on for just a small amount of time, heats up our living room very quickly. Ideally, I try to find ways of heating the home that are also energy-efficient.
I find using a slow cooker rather than our oven a great way to save a money and energy whilst heating our home. Plus, there is nothing better than smelling a delicious stew or soup cooking throughout the day, especially if I can dip into it a few times during the day! Hot food really makes a difference in keeping me warm. I am also a fan of all things soft and fluffy so we have plenty of throws and blankets to use. I use these in the living room to cosy up on the sofa with the kids or to put a few extra layers on the bed at night. I am a big fan of layers of clothing too. Big, warm fluffy socks and a soft dressing gown after a hot bath can make a huge difference in keeping us all warm at the end of a cold day.
So there you have it, a few money-saving methods of heating the home that I like to use. How do heat your home while keeping costs down?
Luxury Adult Only holidays is the dream right? Despite having a child at home Adam and I have had a few adult only holidays. These have mostly been in the form of cruises or weekend city breaks. Now with a second child on the way it may be a little harder to get that luxury adult only holiday in however maybe in the future we will be able to take advantage of another trip. Destination to have a great range of holiday such as Luxury Adult Only Holidays 2018/2019 – Adult Only Holiday Deals and these showcase everything that I want in a luxury adult only trip.
Benefits of Luxury Adult Only Holidays
Child free! This doesn’t just mean your own children but it means avoiding a resort designed for families.
Focus on what you want to do. Lounging by the pool, an exploration excursion or just having a lay in and late lunch.
It doesn’t have to be just about the resort but the travel options as well, particularly if you’re going abroad. Consider starting a luxury adults only break away with your flights and experience elite travel by using a jet card program.
Wine o’clock. A chance to let your hair down and enjoy a cocktail or two without worrying about parenting and the possibility of a hangover.
Sleeping in. Kids wake up early on holiday and like to stay up late – often resulting in overtired kids which really isn’t a fun experience!
Going for luxurious experiences like hiring a nice car or using a luxury car service from ilimoww.com/
A holiday is for you as well and as parents we often forget that we are completely allowed to take a break too. There are so many beautiful destinations to explore and plenty of exclusive for adults resorts around the world. There are loads of great places I’d love to take my kids too but there will always be a part of me that wants to experience a holiday that is, actually, all about me. One thing I would love is a honeymoon in an exotic destination like the Bahamas or Cuba. Beautiful white sands, lots to see and explore, amazing food and it just speaks to me as the ultimate in luxury. Friends have also recommended Mexico as a perfect destination for a luxury break as a couple. Part of me wishes we had escaped one last time whilst I was pregnant to have that holiday together as our trip to Norway seems like forever ago now.
For me, luxury adult only holidays should include a big comfortable bed with fresh sheets and a pool side balcony. I’d love a big Jacuzzi style bathtub and stunning sea views. All inclusive is something I really want to take advantage of as my partner and I love to sample all sorts of food when away from home and that of course also means a view cocktails whilst taking in the sights. We love to get out and about and explore which can be quite hard to do with children in tow, so I’d love to take advantage of some interesting excursions like scuba diving. I have a feeling our luxury adults only holiday is quite a way yet but in the meantime I can totally dream about it!
What makes a luxury adults only holiday for you? Would you still go away as a couple after having children?
Desenio specialise in posters, prints and picture frames for every room in the home. If you’re looking for ways to add extra style and colour to your home then Desenio is a perfect place to start. I managed to find a great range of gorgeous prints for the whole family and for each room in our flat. It’s added a little bit of colour and just transformed our walls.
Desenio prints can be hung up, stuck up with washi tape, placed in frames and styled exactly the way you want them to be. There is a huge range of gorgeous prints and frames to fit so that you can get exactly the right image for your home. I choose to style mine as creatively as possible with Washi tape as I live in renter accocomoration and currently I can’t hang things up on the wall. I wanted to get these up before I got too far along in my pregnancy and help just create a more homely environment.
Evie really wanted to select a poster for her room and choose this lovely Baby Giraffe picture which she proudly helped me to tape up on her wall. The quality of the paper is excellent and despite being rolled up when delivered there are no creases in the paper. The poster has a matte effect finish and is something that Evie looks on really fondly because giraffes are her favourite animal.
Baby Giraffe
I’ve wanted some form of artwork in the kitchen for quite a long time now and as Adam and I are both coffee lovers the coffee menu was really apt. I think it looks really stylish in the lovely white frame and just adds a bit more to our kitchen. It’s a great size for this kind of art work too and the size is ideal for the kitchen.
Coffee Menu
I wanted to give our bathroom a bit more of a tropical theme and looked for posters that made me think of far away places. First though we really need to re paint the bathroom walls and wait for them to try before adding our prints up. I love the palm leaf print in particular and I think these choices are really helping me to create a more spa like feel in our bathroom. We’ve got quite a big bathroom fortunately so getting something up on the walls to make them look just a little better was key for me.
Unwind, Palm Leaves Pattern and Ficus Exposure
Our bedroom is purple and I absolutely love owls so I couldn’t resist putting up this super cute owl print! Again I’ve used washi tape and styled the print on our wardrobe door because it was such a stark white in the room. Alongside my make up I’ve added this quote in this frame because I do quite like an inspirational quote from time to time.
Little Owl
Desenio really do have so many lovely prints that you can use all around the home with big posters to quotes and sayings. This can make it really personal to the family home and really help theme a room If thats what you’re looking to do. I loved looking through the inspiration section on the website to get a feel for the types of prints available and found this really helped me when making my choices.
I quite love quotes and as I’m planning a home birth I wanted a few quotes in the living room as well as some pictures that made me feel calm. The beach and the sea really bring me to a happy mental place and being able to look up at these on my living room wall make me feel happy as they’re the kind of places I would love to visit. Again this have been put up with washi tape. I would have liked to create a nice frame around the images with the tape but actually I’m quite happy with them like this!
Posters are Beach Umbrella, Standards High and Colourful Sky
I also work from home so I like to a quote to make me smile on my desk. I’ve decided to add this one into a frame to place on my desk, right next to my cup of coffee because that is the vibe I need on a Monday morning to get back into the swing of things!
If you like what I’ve pictured above you can take advantage of Desenio are offering 25% off posters from their website using the code “candyflossdreams” from 7th until 9th August. Please note this discount code is not valid on frames or collaboration/handpicked posters. The code “candyflossdreams” gives 25% off posters* on all of our sites between August 7th and 9th. *Except for frames and handpicked-/collaboration posters.
Do you have any posters or prints in your home? How have you styled them?
Disclaimer: this post is in collaboration with Desenio and I received the prints pictured in exchange for this feature. All opinions remain my own.
There are so many beautiful destinations in the world and what better way than to visit somewhere exotic than on your honeymoon. I’ve never wanted a big wedding and if Adam and I ever do decide to get married it will likely be a quick registry office and minimal guests. I have no desire to have any reception or party because I’ve always believed that marriage is about the couple, not providing everyone else with a good time. I’ve been to some truly beautiful weddings where every guest was catered to and I just don’t know how people do it! I would much rather spend any money on an amazing honeymoon for us to escape normality and focus on what’s really important; our lives together and our little family.
This has often got me fantasising about the beautiful destinations we could explore together. One of those being the absolutely stunning Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The islands look so beautiful and the whole ideal of the Maldives makes me think of romance, luxury and relaxation. Destination2 Maldives Holidays showcase some truly beautiful parts of the islands and the exotic location is perfect for honeymooning couples. I love the idea of swimming in those beautiful waters and enjoying all that the Maldives have to offer honeymooners.
I am keen to visit the Caribbean at some point and St Lucia is another place I’d love to visit. The gorgeous sea and sands just make me think of a luxury couples holiday or honeymoon retreat and there are some truly stunning hotels to stay in too. I’d love to cruise around all of the islands if I could but St Lucia has been one of those destinations I’ve always wanted to visit and, to me, is the ideal place to visit in the Caribbean. I’d love a chance to zipline through the rainforest and see all those beautiful waterfalls.
Cancun is another place I would love to visit. I’ve heard so many amazing things about Mexico as a holiday destination and being home to the worlds second largest Barrier Reef it would provide so many things for us to see and do together, relaxation and trying something new.There are also things like whale shark encounters which is just a once in a lifetime opportunity and something I would really love to do. Not to mention seeing the Mayan temples and ruins which I imagine would just be absolutely breathtaking.
Lastly on my list of exotic honeymoon destinations is Bali, Indonesia which just seems like absolute paradise and a long haul flight that sounds so worth it. It has the perfect mix of tropical climate, relaxation and water sports so would be an ideal destination for many couples. I’d love to see the water temples and do one of the amazing sea walks. It sounds like the perfect place for adventure and so many beautiful things to see too. There’s also zoos and aquariums which just make me think it would be a lovely family holiday too if we wanted to take the kids!
One day I’ll get my exotic dream honeymoon but for now, at least, I can daydream. Did you have a long haul or exotic honeymoon? Where would you recommend?
