Giving your room a makeover during lockdown.

Photo by D J Paine on unsplash

Our rooms have always been our safe spaces even before the pandemic happened. It's a place where we actually find comfort after a busy day at work and just the perfect place to stay during weekends. Yet, as multiple lockdowns have been implemented in different cities, staying in the same place everyday can get tiring and boring.

In times of this internal dilemma that we feel about the pandemic and thus wanting to do something to alleviate the loneliness we are feeling, one of the best ways to conquer it is actually a room makeover. Yes, your rooms need to be re-decorated too!

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

If you want to have a room makeover, rearranging your room might be too basic. Sometimes, it's good to declutter for you to be able to maximize your personal space. If you want to have a room that is not too bombarded with unnecessary things, you must first move away things that you cannot use anymore. Essential furnitures like tables, and chairs should stay but must be lessened out in order to provide a spacious effect to your room.

Apart from providing more space in your room, you must also change your fabrics. Choosing the right fabrics also plays a vital role in adding a visual interest to your room. Mixing and matching colours and fabric type lets you bring out a room that is more pleasing to the eyes. You can choose from earth colours for a more breathable look or even match hues so your room can have more depth than usual. Also, selecting your fabric type can provide more texture so your room would not look boring and bland at the same time. When changing your curtain fabric, try out velvet fabrics for a plush ambience. Velvet fabrics are also good at maintaining a more quiet space most especially for those living in the city.

  Photo by DJ Paine on Unsplash

Moreover, for those wanting to have a new piece of sofa for their rooms, you can opt for your furniture to be reupholstered. It might be more time consuming than buying a new one from home depots, but it really is worth a try. Reupholstering your chairs lets you choose the fabrics to your liking for a personalized furniture piece. You can also buy textured fabrics for your cushions and if you have a lot of time, you can sew them yourself.  When buying your preferred fabrics, one of the best fabric shops that we can recommend is the Yorkshire Fabric Shop. You can choose from their widest range of fabrics available, plus their fabrics are now even readily available online to give you a convenient fabric shopping experience.

Photo by Mike Marquez on Unsplash

Lastly, you might also want to bring out more life to your room by adding a plant or two. Plants assist not only in giving aesthetics but also in maintaining a more breathable room to stay in. It produces oxygen that lets you have a good night rest and can often reduce stress the night after. Trust us, you won't regret putting plants in your room. Yet, just remember to water them as regularly as possible.

Photo by Krisztina Papp on Unsplash

In decorating your room, always remember to go minimal. Last thing you want would be a room full of things that you do not use anyway. Also keep in mind to change curtains and sheets with the colours that you find is soothing and comfortable for an easy atmosphere. Try to experiment with fabric colours and textures, you would be surprised how it would help your room look its best.

 If  you have done amake over this lockdown do share ideas of what you did in the comments below, I would love to read them.

**Collaborative Post

Making Valentines Crafts with your Children

Valentine's Day is just around the corner as is half term so why not make the day special for all your family. How about starting the day with some easy and tasty Vegan pancakes for breakfast. They are easy to make and you can get your kids involved in making breakfast too.

After breakfast arrange a crafting session, making your own valentine cards and home made valentines gifts with your children. Commercial shop bought gifts and cards are expensive and home made gifts are always appreciated more by the receiver. It's easy to get all your crafting products on line through various, stores. I particularly like free svg images 

You can check out step by step instructions on how to make this valentines card on another post of mine. It's easy and simple to make and the kids will really have fun creating their own designs. All you need is white and red card and some decorations.

For valentine gifting why not make these really pretty coasters with your children. They are fun to make and you can use them to serve your drinks on.

To make the coasters you will need:

  


1 Piece Red card
2 Foam heart shape cut outs
Bostik Microdot sheets
Stiff brown card (we used the flap from the cardboard box the item came in.) #recycling
Pencil
Scissors
Ruler.

How to make the Valentine coasters:

1. Cut the flap from the cardboard box and draw two 10 cm x10 cm squares and cut them out.
2. Draw two 10 cm x10 cm squares on the red card and cut them out.
3. Using the micro dots sheets peel them and stick them to the back of the red square and cut to size.
4. Stick the red card to the stiff brown card. Repeat this for all two cards.

5. Using the micro dots sheets peel them and stick them to the back of the red foam heart.
6. Trim away the extra micro dot sheet so it is follows the heart shape.
7. Position the foam heart onto the square red card and press to stick firmly.

8. Using the micro dots stick the small silver heart on to the coaster to give it a sparkly finishing touch. 

9.The coasters are ready to use. Since these coasters are made from card they are not waterproof so be careful not to put a wet cup on them.

 
You may like other  craft posts:

This craft is suitable for young children although, adult supervision may be required for using scissors. If you like this project check the link below for more art and craft projects, that you can do with your children.

Kids Arts and Craft Videos
Kids Arts and Crafts Projects 

 

**This is a collaborative post but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Removing stains from your solid wood floors

 

Photo by Jeff Siepman on Unsplash

I love entertaining and having family and friends around, who doesn't, but often little accidents happen when there is a gathering of young and old. Kids will run around, adults will get a little tipsy, there is often food and drink spills so how can you tackle them especially as you have a new solid wood floor and someone spills their red wine. You heart sinks. That's it, it's ruined, and you have a huge bill on your hand to have it fixed. But don't fear, if you act fast there is a chance it can be saved!

Photo by Choi Ben on Unsplash

Before you panic and empty your cleaning products cupboard, it's important to assess the situation properly. If you know what's stained your floor, then it's possible that you can contact the manufacture for advice.

 

Like anything, a pale or white stain should be easy to remove. However, a darker stain is a little trickier and sometimes sanding can be the only way to remove it. 

Perhaps the most effective way of removing stains is to use hydrogen peroxide or special stain remover This is affordable and easy to get hold of, it's your most reliable source to get the stain off. Just dab it in a .cloth and place it over the stain and leave it for around 6 hours. The stain should hopefully be gone after this time, however if it's extra stubborn (like red wine) then leave it again for another 12 hours.

In most cases, this should remove the stain. However in cases where the stain is too stubborn and refuses to budge a more drastic measure may be necessary such as sanding your flooring. Most hard floors would not need this as they last 15-20 years if maintained well. It is possible to sand down and refinish a certain area where the stain in, but this can make it look uneven so just be aware and get a specialist to do it.

**Collaborative Post

How to Plan a Staycation in Your Home

 

Image Credit-Pixabay

Since our recent lockdown in UK, due to COVID-19 pandemic raging around, all our morale’s are very low as taking a vacation is almost out of the question. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have some fun, as you can instead plan what is known as a “staycation.” A staycation can be held just about anywhere, regardless of whether you live in the UK, another part of the world or in an L.A. apartment or just close to one of the Washington D.C houses for sale. Unfortunately, many people don’t know how to properly plan for a staycation, as they simply don’t know how to have fun and relax in their own home. So how can you avoid common staycation planning traps? Here are some tips for planning a staycation in your home.

Shelf Chores and Housework

When staying at home for a staycation, it may be tempting to engage in various forms of housework. After all, you are stuck in the house, so what better time to get things done? However, this type of thinking will ruin your staycation. Once you start doing chores and housework, it will be difficult to stop. You want to relax and enjoy your staycation, not ruin it with work and chores. Try to finish all major tasks and chores before you begin your staycation. If that’s not possible, try your best to resist doing chores and housework, and instead simply enjoy yourself. This is your time to relax and be lazy, so enjoy it!

Disconnect From the World

Something that we don’t realize we do when we’re on vacation is disconnecting from the world, as it just happens naturally when you’re on vacation. People aren’t preoccupied with watching the news or keeping up with their social media feeds since they’re engrossed with what is going on during their vacation. This disconnect from the world creates even more relaxation, as you are not hyper-focused on other people the whole time. You need to emulate this disconnect while on your staycation. Doing so means that you need to greatly limit the amount of social media you consume and try to worry over the news a little bit less. Your staycation should be a time for you to relax and be yourself, not worry about outside events out of your control.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Think of Fun Activities

Just because you’re staying in your home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on fun activities, as you can simply create your own. There are plenty of activities for you to plan with your family. These activities can range from indoor board game night, to outdoor activities, such as backyard camping or you can even set up a tent in your front room if its too cold outside or you don't like creepy crawlies like me. Build a campfire in the garden, cook a meal and huddle in rugs and enjoy the evening.

Photo by Myles Tan on Unsplash

Those who have lots of imagination and creativity will be able to come up with lots of ideas to make their staycation that much more enjoyable. You have plenty of time to spend, so why not spend it doing some extremely fun and creative activities?

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Some ideas for the entertainment:

• Set up a cinema in your front room, have lots of cosy rugs, bean bags, popcorn, drinks and nibbles.
• Set up gaming tournament with family teams, monopoly, articulate and pictionary are some fun games to enjoy.
• Have a cook off with family members, make teams and get each team to make a dish which you can enjoy for dinner.
• Host your own Britain’s got talent and get each member to perform, you can vote for the winner.
• Set up a restaurant in your dining room and dress up for dinner.

Photo by Georgia Vagim on Unsplash

Binge Your Favourite Shows and Movies

Another fantastic way to spend your staycation is by bingeing your favourite shows and movies. It’s always tempting to watch Netflix when you have work to do or need to be in bed early, but you can never fully enjoy it. When you’re on a staycation, it is one of the rare times where you can enjoy watching your shows without feeling guilty or procrastinating. Catch up on some missed episodes of your cherished show, or try watching a new series altogether. This is your time to sit back and relax, so why not enjoy your short listed entertainment list?

I hope you enjoy some of my ideas, I would love to hear about any ideas you have to enjoy a staycation, please do share them in the comments below.

**Collaborative post

Unique gifting ideas for Christmas.

Photo by Joshua Lam on Unsplash

This year with the unfortunate COVID situation and lockdown, Christmas shopping will be mostly on line. You can buy anything online these days without moving from your armchair. However it is a good to try and support small business as much as you can during these difficult times.You can also purchase some really nice unique and useful gifts. I am sharing some ideas below, do check out these gift recommendations.

Handmade cards, inspirational quotes, custom designed scrapbooks.  

This small business run by Roshni Kanabar Designs designs has some very unique gift ideas. There is a huge range of individually designed custom made cards, inspirational quotes, design prints and the most fabulous personalised scrapbooks for lockdown, travel, weddings, birthdays and christenings. 

In fact you can get any occasion scrapbook personalised made to order. Furthermore all items come beautifully packaged and are available to ship anywhere in the world. They are so elegant that the receiver will be totally thrilled with the gift.

Vegetarian and Vegan Cookery Classes

During lockdown, the sales of cookbooks soared as more and more people started cooking since restaurants were closed. Some people took up cooking as they had more time on their hands, others did it for survival so that they could enjoy varied dishes to eat. The cookery classes are run on zoom, the classes are informal, really fun and you can cook along. At the end of the lesson you will have a lovely dish to enjoy. A variety of recipes such as Indian, Chinese, Thai, Salads and Soups are taught in class. The classes can be booked in a group setting or one to one if you prefer individual  tuition. Gift vouchers are also available.You can find more details about the classes and how to book by checking cook with simply.food

Customised T shirts

You can never have too many T Shirts in your wardrobe, they are so versatile and can be smart, casual, fun and comfortable. I really like T shirts with quotes, inspirational messages and  artwork. Why not check out Pixels, for art inspired clothing and apparel. 

The website you can find Men's T - Shirts and Women's T-Shirts apparel designed by independent artists from all over the world. Each product ships within 3 - 4 business days and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. There are some really lovely prints and designs to choose from, the choice is enormous and there many styles to suit all tastes.

Gifting should not put any one under pressure, after all it's the thought that counts, not how big or how expensive a gift is. Gifts made at home, cookies, cakes, cards or any thing that is made with love is always more appreciated by the receiver. Do you have any unique gift ideas that you would like to share? Please leave your ideas in the comments below.

**collaborative posts (T-Shirt photos courtesy of  Pixels.)