Interior Style - The Oriental inspired Rug

Floor space can often be overlooked when it comes to interior design although it really shouldn't be, I have discussed before how important dressing your floor space is. It's a space that can add that much-needed pop of colour to a room or a sense of warmth and texture, depending on what you decided to lay down. With so many choices it can be hard to narrow down what you want and an oriental rug may seem somewhat outdated but it's not at all, instead, it's a classic piece that fits with so many themes and design trends. There’s an array of reasons for this—its craft, its presentation and its long-lasting qualities. I still remember lying on my parent's rug looking at all the small details in the print. The great thing about these rugs is they fit really well in a Scandi inspired room with bare wooden floors and a massive Kazak rug with geometric patterns across its surface area looks very chic. Combining modern interiors with classic and traditional one......

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Weekend adventures with the KA+ Part 2

We were set a challenge by Ford to get as much out of a weekend on a very small budget while trying out the new KA+. You may have read our first post about this weekend were we explored Tredegar House, a National Trust Property we had yet to visit and gave us a chance to use our family pass. On the Sunday we had planned to drive up to the Brecon Beacons but after a jaunt into the city and the changeable weather we decided to stay local and go to a nearby country park which was not only fun but also very budget friendly. So we packed the car up with the boys two scooters, a few snacks and headed off to have some outdoor fun. I was really pleasantly surprised at how much the boot of the car can fit in, we had no issues getting in both scooters, our wellies, backpack and bag of snacks and still have plenty of room left. Two days before this I tried out getting my youngest pram into the boot as my mother use to have an old KA and I could never get it in but good news is t......

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Mothers Day gifts that give back

As you may already know I am trying to massively minimalism my life and belongings and what I bring into the home, so when I do purchase something I try to find products that give a little bit back to this beautiful worlds of ours. Giving presents can be so incredibly satisfying and at times far more so than receiving so I thought I would share a few ethically inspired gifts that would make great presents for that all important mother figure in your life this Mothers Day. I thought first I would start off with one my favourite Interior Stores - The White Company and their White Heart Foundation collection. This foundation and collection is committed to helping vulnerable women and children build a brighter future but donating 10% of sales to three fantastic charities - Prince's Trust, Refuge and Place2Be. Out of the collection I love this Shopper Tote bag above which is currently on sale at £11.20 as well as this beautiful Porto Stoneware Heart Plate below - both wo......

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Where Should You Go For Your Next Family Trip?

Choosing the perfect vacation spot is a task that should not be taken lightly. It requires careful consideration of all the family’s interests. This includes both the younger generation and the older generation, something that can prove to be tricky. Child-friendly holidays are key but that shouldn't mean compromise when it comes to design, style and adult facilities. We have been doing a fair amount of research of late and what has really caught our eye is South Sardinia as its such a unique destinations to take the whole family to. Not only is it child-friendly, it is a laid-back and beautiful destination that everyone can appreciate. The South Sardinia landscape provides ample room for exploring with the family, especially if you are a creative one, who likes taking things out of the box. We have done so many city breaks and countryside breaks over the past few years so the draw of staying in a luxury resort in the South Sardinia region is extremely appealing......

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Recreating that hotel feel at home

I don't think it's hard to dispute that once you become parents a relaxing break away every now and then is very much welcomed. To stay in a hotel where you don't have to worry about making the bed and a lie-in on a comfortable king-sized bed is a given. Of course due to time and expense it's not something many of us can afford to do as much as we would like which got me thinking why not inject a little bit of that luxurious feeling into your home and create a bedroom that is a haven for calm and relaxation? I thought I would share easy, simple and cost-efficient ways to bring that luxury feel into your home when you don't have a massive budget. Here are my top 5 1. Declutter - edit your living, bedroom and bathroom spaces and by streamlining and making full use of any storage space you have will instantly make you feel more relaxed and make the room look more spacious. Go with a white or a more neutral palette to create a crisp luxurious feel that you g......

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Dealing with Anxiety when your Naturally Outgoing

I have always tried to live life to the full, I love to travel, learn new things, meet new people and have always been naturally outgoing but on the other hand I have suffered on and off from panic attacks and anxiety since I was in my teens. I think because I love to be hands on, plan trips and know where I am going I struggle when things don't go how I planned, if I start to feel disorientated I have a tendency to panic or get overwhelmed. This is probably the biggest reason why I don't drink too much or like flying as I find it hard not being in control. Sometimes I go for months of not feeling anxious at all but with everything that has been going on lately in the world and having children and I do have the tendency to over think things, it's certainly made me feel nervous about the future and visiting busy places like central London for example. I have turned down going to events or meetings due to feeling like I would get overwhelmed, even though most people ......

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Be Green when it comes to Energy

For a lot of people, normal energy bills will account for a quite significant portion of the budget for the household and it's also one of the biggest drains on the planet. In fact, this one bill is typically only surpassed in amount by the mortgage or rent. For this reason, it is typically in the best interest of your budget and the environment if you can keep this bill as low as you possibly can. This will not only save you in terms of money, it will also conserve energy and make your home a little bit greener which is something we really all do need to start addressing sooner rather than later.  Let’s take a closer peek at some of the ways that you can save money on your energy bills. Unplug It If you are not using something that is plugged in, either turn it off or unplug it. This can be made easy even for those items that are plugged in places where the outlet is hard to reach by using a power strip. Then, you can simply turn the power strip off when you are......

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Freedom to Express yourself

A lot has changed over the past few decades in terms of the freedom we have when it comes to expressing our individuality in the way we dress and decided to present ourselves to society. I'm 32 and even when I was younger things like excess piercings and tattoos in the eyes of my parents generation was not something educated family people delved in but rather it had connotations with some less desirable groups of society. I however always loved the Bohemia side of things (think Woodstock, travelling the Silk Road etc) and I had a lot of persuading to do to just get my ears pierced at 15, to be honest it was more a peer pressure decision on my part and even though my parents eventually said yes when I actually did it they were not particularly happy. Moving on from that ever since I was about 16 I wanted my nose pierced, I loved that is was something steeped in Indian culture and I had dreams of backpacking through Goa or hitting the road as a music journalist in the vain o......

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Feel Good Fashion

When it comes to fashion I am passionate about buying Fair-trade where possible and what is even better is when I know some of the money is going to a good cause which is a win win all round. So I am really excited about these fair-trade fun and colourful designed t-shirts by the renowned photographer Rankin for the TK Maxx Red Nose day collaboration.  I think that it's really important to educate our children about where clothes come from and how they are made as with most things its something we often take for granted. My son loves learning about the world and finding different countries on his globe and he gets especially excited when things have come from Africa as that's where I was born. These t-shirts are wholly made in Africa with the cotton sourced from certified co-operatives in Uganda and at least £3 of the sale of these t-shirts go to Comic Relief. It's such a small and easy way to give a little back and love this Bulldog print.  ......

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Budget Weekend Challenge with Ford KA - Part 1

Over the Welsh half term while we had the chance to try out the new Ford KA+ for a few days, it was perfect timing in fact as our Van had to have an accelerator belt repaired so we were really looking forward to driving something far more economical for a while. I have to admit I didn't know what to expect as my mother had one of the older style KA's for a while and even though it was a nice nippy car it was very small and not something that would be suitable for our out-going family but the new KA+ was the complete opposite and was extremely spacious. It has some pretty cool tech updates including heated seats and rear parking sensors as well as a good size boot which easily fitted our stroller as well as the boys scooters. After a few months of driving a heavy and pretty old Camper Van we truly embraced the silent drive as we had become somewhat accustom to our vans quirky noises while the KA was as quiet as a mouse well except for the kids of course who were ex......

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How to be a Budget Savvy Traveller

Between John and I we have been to over 27 different countries and while that may not be loads in comparison to some it has taught us a fair amount about travelling on a budget and getting the best deal possible when it comes to booking. When we plan family trips I am usually the one assigned to finding the best deal from hotels to flights, trains and local transport which is something I love to do and I am a big fan of review sights such as trip advisor for getting a more realistic view on what to expect before checking in somewhere. The great thing about travelling today is the array of free resources available online, along with an abundance of comparison sites but this too can mean you end up sending a very long time looking for deals which actually you may up end missing out if you don't act at the right time. When it comes to booking your travel timing really is everything. In fact a well known online travel agency Opodo recently shared their insights into w......

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