Top Tips for Protecting Your Home Against Cracks & Leaks

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Maintaining a property can seem like a full-time job at times. We fix one problem, only for three more to arise. While we may be inclined to put off these jobs in favour of something more enjoyable, doing so may lead to more serious issues later down the line. Protecting your property against damage such as cracks and leaks should be a priority if you want to avoid any expensive repair work later down the line. I have teamed up with a flood defence foundations company to offer you some advice.

 

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Often, cracks and leaks are caused by issues with the foundations of your property, which is frustrating because you can’t see what’s going on, so it’s easy to miss. If the soil surrounding your home becomes too dry during the summer months, it will shrink, which might cause the foundations to move slightly to fill the new gap. Use a sprinkler during hot weather to keep the soil moist, and refrain from planting trees too near to the property, as they will soak up the moisture.

 

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Likewise, if the soil becomes too moist, it will expand and put pressure on the foundations. With this in mind, ensure your drainage system is working properly during rainier seasons and sweep away any pooling water. Check your gutters on a regular basis to ensure they haven’t become blocked with leaves and other debris.

 

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Leaks can also occur when there are damaged or missing roof tiles, so be sure to monitor this too. It would also be wise to fill in any cracks around your windows and replace the sealant if it has decomposed. These are fairly quick fixes that will help your prevent more serious damage in the future. If you’re not comfortable completing these maintenance tasks yourself, don’t hesitate to contact a professional to help. 

Sometimes outdoor task like these are best left to professionals to tackle. Do you have any tips on home maintenance that you follow? Please do share your tips in the comments below.

**collaborative post

 

How to Improve Your Efficiency at Work

 

image from shutterstock

Now that things in the UK are slowly but surely starting to return to normal (fingers crossed), many of us are about to return to an office environment for the first time in what seems like forever. While some people might be looking forward to it, others have enjoyed spending less time commuting and more time with the family. If you are feeling glum about returning to the office, why not try and put a positive spin on things by considering how you can use it as an opportunity for a fresh start. How can you be the best version of yourself? Read on for some tips on improving your efficiency in the office.

Enhance Your Time Management Skills

It might help you to prepare a priority list at the beginning of each day so that you know what you need to tackle first. When it comes to the big, intimidating tasks, it is a good idea to split them up into smaller chunks so that they’re more manageable and less daunting.

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Be sure to take regular breaks away from your screen so that you don’t end up with eye strain and headaches, as that will hinder your productivity. Use short breaks to catch up with your colleagues so that they don’t disturb you whilst you’re in the middle of a task.

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Organise Your Workspace

Being surrounded by clutter is very distracting, and not particularly comfortable. When you return to the office, consider asking your employer if you can invest in some folders and other equipment that will help you keep a tidy and organised workspace.

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Consider How You Use Technology

Working efficiently isn’t just about your own productivity, it’s also about how you use the technology and other equipment in the office. Are there any areas where you think you might be able to save your employer some money? It might be worth looking up some green printing tips to find out how you can help reduce paper and ink waste at work.

You should also make sure you’re switching off all digital devices properly at the end of each day, rather than leaving them on standby mode. This should reduce your employer’s energy bills so that there is more money in the pot to invest back into the business.

Do you have tips that you can share with me? Do let me know in the comments below.

*collaborativepost

 

Creating Your Perfect Home Workspace

 

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Whether you’re creating a new home office, craft room or simple workstation, deciding on colour schemes, layouts and décor can be perplexing.

From laying new vinyl flooring to buying ergonomically designed furniture, there’s lots you can do to make your home workspace practical and professional. But our home offices and workstations should be more than just practical.  They should be creative, homely and stylish.

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Colours and styles

Picking a distinct style and cohesive colour palette for your office or work area is the best way to create an attractive space. Choose a style that fits your home’s character and makes you feel happy. It could be art deco, mid-century modern, rustic, contemporary or coastal. Basically, the choice is yours.  But you should feel comfortable and at home.

When choosing a colour scheme, it will need to fit in with your preferred style. A coastal theme would benefit from a simple off-white and pastel blue scheme. Whereas an art deco style could take much deeper hues and vibrant patterns, with dark blues and greens combining with gold highlights.

Furnishings

Furnishings do need to be both practical and pretty, which can be hard to achieve. However, the more idea you have of what you’re looking for, the easier it can be to bring everything together.  This is why many people choose to create mood boards for their room redecoration projects.

A simple wooden desk may work well in a minimalist or contemporary scheme, but it could look odd if you’re aiming for art deco or industrial styles. An art deco scheme would look better with a gold framed desk and dark velvet chair for instance. Once you have settled on a style and the type of furniture that could work, it will be easier to narrow down your options. This is the time when checking the dimensions and features of your preferred furniture comes into play. In other words, making sure it’s practical for you.

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Details

Once your main décor and furniture choices have been made, you might be looking for a few finishing touches. Try to tie these in with your colour scheme and styling.  A few carefully chosen items will have a greater impact than lots of accessories in a mish mash of styles.

You could think about adding a few prints to the wall for creativity, or plants for a natural touch. These are great things to include in a workspace but remember to think about tying frame and plant pot styles in with the room too.

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Giving your room a makeover during lockdown.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

 

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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!

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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