At Home With House of Fraser

Last year we had a beautiful new kitchen fitted and I've been looking for a few finishing touches recently. It's the little things like matching place mats, colour coded electricals, vases, plus other pretty accessories that really complete the look and bring it all together, isn't it? 

House of Fraser have far more homeware products than I realised and I had a really nice time browsing the website for a few bits. I've already picked up some new plates and cutlery but these cute red stoneware Linea Maison egg cups were great value and a nice addition to the table for breakfast; just £3.60 for a set of 4.

Being red they complement the kitchen well too.

3 Ways to Refresh your Home in 2015

Heralded by spring showers, the season of new life is upon us. As we dust away the cobwebs and cold shivers of winter, you may be left looking for ways to refresh your home for in 2015. 

From big to small, there are several options to give your home that little lift or a complete overhaul and they can be done within a budget that suits you. 

No-one wants to start the year by breaking the bank but you’ll be able to put some savings to good use rejuvenating your home even on a shoestring.

My Bathroom Makeover

The fact that I've wanted a new bathroom for what feels like forever is certainly no secret. I even wrote a poem about how desperate I was to get rid of the horrendous wallpaper and tatty old suite last year! It was so uninviting and I really wanted somewhere I could escape and relax in comfort and style. Thankfully, 2014 was the year and not only did I get a new bathroom, I had the house fully insulated, rewired, and a new kitchen installed. I was a little bit spoilt when it came to renovating our home.

I opted for a minimalistic look with white paint on the freshly plastered walls and ceiling, a white suite and white tiles. It makes the room look bright and fresh but enables me to add my own accessories to personalise it. Being a blank canvas it means if I fancy a change I can just alter the

My View Right Now

The Mini Mes have coped unbelievably well with the recent upheaval for our home renovation. Children seem to adapt to changes, new situations and new people with ease don't they? They just go with the flow. They can sense that it's better to accept what's happening and they just get on with it. They don't feel the need to moan or worry (as us adults often do) as they know everything will be sorted and back to normal in no time.  

They are carefree and that's the best way to be!

Sausage, pancetta and spinach pasta

They have been eating dinner from trays each day, getting up a lot earlier and getting ready for the day before the workmen arrive. They have been incredibly organised and positive despite the dust

Creating the Kids' Perfect Bedroom

The interior design of a children’s bedroom is extremely important: kids not only sleep and get ready in their rooms, but often spend time playing with their friends and doing their homework in there. Every child wants a bedroom that expresses their personality and is lots of fun!

The first step towards providing your little one with the perfect bedroom starts when you search for your family home. I know many parents who have made the mistake of buying their first house, only to realise it is not big enough to keep up with their growing family!

You should seriously think about the number of bedrooms and the space you need in the long-term. When you are hunting for new homes on websites like Gentoo, use the search filter so that only houses with the required number of bedrooms are presented to you – that way, you won’t be tempted by smaller abodes.

I remember feeling like my Mini Mes would be tiny forever when they were babies, but they soon grow up! Make sure your kids’ rooms will provide them with plenty of space as they get older. Don’t fall into the trap of planning a family move three years down the line – always pick a house to fit your ten-year plan, just in case.

The dilemma when you actually move in is deciding how much input to give the kids when it comes to décor. You want them to have a space they’ll love, but equally mums and dads often know best! You need to strike a balance.

I think it’s a good idea to let your little ones make decisions, but not let them choose the specifics. In other words, allow them to pick their favourite colour scheme, but select the actual wallpaper yourself. Make sure you check with them before purchasing, though in case they do actually hate it.

If your child currently has an obsession with a particular cartoon, don’t let them decorate their whole room with this theme – they are sure to find a new favourite character just months down the line! 

Appease them with easily replaceable, inexpensive accessories featuring these designs, such as this Sulley cushion from Tesco, instead. The 4Homes website has plenty of ideas for themes that should make your kids happy for years to come – one is sure to appeal to your family!

How have you decorated your child's room?

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Our Ideal Garden

Our garden is a bit of a project in progress. When we first moved in it was more or less a jungle, minus the monkeys, but we have gradually tamed the hedges, trimmed back the bushes and laid a lawn so it's now a blank canvas.

When it comes to outdoor play as a family we really like to get stuck in and I would love for our garden to become an enchanted play area for the Mini Mes, inspired somewhat by fairy tales.

A special place to make memories that they will never forget...

No kingdom is complete with pretty floral bunting, fairy doors and toadstools; after all Tinkerbell and the tooth fairy need access somehow! Childhood is so special and it's definitely the finishing touches which make a garden complete.

I also love these Decoration and Safari Chalk kits which I would attach to the trees and fences so the children can be creative while they play too.

Seating is essential and this is a great set - not only is it ideal for eating al fresco like royalty, it also doubles up as a play table with sand and water compartments for my little Ariel! 

It's great for keeping little ones and their guests entertained.

Plum Premium Activity Table and Bench

Our garden isn't huge in size so this Kingswood 2 Tower frame certainly makes the most of the space available. The climbing wall is perfect for my little prince and princess and the option to add on extra features like the Rapide Slide means we can extend it as and when we choose. 

I'd cover it in fairy lights for a magical twinkle.

TP Toys Kingswood 2 Tower

In terms of plants everything is pretty in pink to me but I'm not so sure my own knight in shining armour would approve! I'd have a variety of potted plants scattered around with some dashes of blue and purple thrown in too plus a variety of bird boxes for wildlife. I adore these leaf stepping stones although I'm quite tempted to make our own with hand and footprints for a personal touch.

I'd really like a water feature as I've always thought that they are relaxing to watch and listen to and it would add to the feel of the garden.
I'm sure the Mini Mes toys would enjoy splashing around in it too!

I'd like the garden to be somewhere peaceful (bar the giggles of the children playing), fun yet attractive.
Somewhere the Mini Mes want to play come rain or shine and where the Mr and I can still chill out for a few minutes too.

What would your dream garden be like?

The Perfect Seat

How often have we called our children to come to the living room to discuss something? Whether it be moral guideline, a recent event or a plan for the future. Countless times, I hear you say. More often than not, these ‘meetings’ if they can be called that, take place in the living room; thus we can conclude the living room is instrumental in the shaping of family affairs, and the home of vital discussions taking place.

It is on the sofa where we project our voices, and have our say in critical matters.

Thus choosing an aptly suited sofa is vital in the living room of families. Choosing the right sofa for the comfort in long discussions is key. You can choose any kind of sofa that you want at 123sofa.co.uk which suits your vision. My personal suggestion is that one arm chair is a must, so that there is the opportunity to relax alone (whether it be the mother or the father after a long day of work) after that, a corner sofa or three-seat sofa would be ideal for the other members of the family to explain, argue their case or to just enjoy a coffee and cuddle on!

A bespoke corner sofa at 123sofa.co.uk is what they specialise in. The placing of these sofas is also vital –  perpendicular to each other is best, so people can look eye to eye. This is essential during talks and debate, and so families should have extra consideration when picking sofas.

If an arm-chair and corner sofa can’t quite fit in your room – no matter. It can arranged to make that corner sofa slightly less wide, or the arm chair less wide; and all this at no significant extra cost. Pick the sofa that you want at 123sofa.co.uk today.

How important is the sofa in your home?

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My dream kitchen

I don't have a fairy godmother, genie in a lamp or a money tree growing in the garden so unfortunately for me my kitchen will have to remain how it is for now. I feel ashamed to let people in it at the moment with the plaster and wallpaper falling off and the old fashioned, tatty worktops.

Whenever we save up the pennies there is always something else that ends up breaking down/needs replacing/takes priority - isn't that always the way?!

However I am quite a dreamer and this is how I would love my kitchen diner to be, one day....

Image from Homebase 

I love the light wood and dark worktops of these units. I pop into our local DIY stores quite frequently, collect brochures and admire it on display.  I'd love a breakfast bar so we can sit and natter in the mornings and so the Mini Mes can watch me cooking away in the evening while we talk about their day at school. Some under unit lighting and lots of storage would be perfect and a nice new shiny floor as ours was damaged by a leak last year. I wonder if the wine comes with it...

Images from Kitchen Science 

I'd like a new cooker that actually has space in it for more than one tray at a time. One with lights so I can see the food without opening the oven and making my cakes go flat! I'd like gas hobs rather than electric to be able to monitor the temperature better.

Images from SavesDirect and Faucets

Somewhere funky to wash up to make it seem less of a chore. Our current sink is square and rather boring, I love curves.

Image from Mosaic Village.

Some red thrown in to to make it super vibrant. With red tiles and some red accessories I think it would look lovely.

Image from Blinds4UK

Some blinds (as simple as it may seem) as the window is not currently covered and I'd like to save the neighbours from seeing me in my dressing gown every day.

Images from Amazon and Vinyl signs by ornamentation

A beautiful new table. Somewhere classy yet comfortable to enjoy meals now that the Mini Mes are older and wont destroy it with crayon. Plus some wall art about family as that is so important to us.


But back to normality. This is our kitchen at the moment. Erm, beautiful hey!