Updating Your Home On A Budget

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From time to time I like a little change. It might be a splash of fresh paint on the walls or skirting boards, some new furniture or just rearranging what already exists within a room for an alternative layout. It's a great way to make your home feel a bit different without needing to spend a small fortune.

If you're looking to do similar this summer these tips may be just what you're looking for...

• If your walls are fairly bare and neutral in colour you can make a feature wall as a focal point with some patterned paper or by adding a beautiful mural. These methods save time as you don't need to decorate an entire space and it therefore saves your pennies too. Some websites even allow you to transfer your favourite photos onto paper to pop up so you can really personalise it - which is ideal for children's bedrooms in particular.

Millennial Saving Habits And How To Improve Them

*A Collaborative Post with Shepherds Friendly*

Despite the bad press that millennials often receive for regularly spending money on dining out and entertainment, they are in fact some of the best savers within the country with 59% putting money away at least once a month. Admittedly funds are generally saved towards short term goals like a holiday in preference of a home or retirement, but it's possible that this is due to the general cost of living being higher and these longer term goals appearing less obtainable in today's society.

The above infographic shares some important stats about the saving habits of millennials (those aged 18-34) and Generation X (those aged 35-54). Although many are saving money frequently which is great to see there's still a big percentage that aren't regularly popping the pounds away, if at all, which of course is a little concerning.

There are a few tips included which can certainly help you to save but being someone who puts funds away every pay day, without fail, and sets yearly targets, I have a few suggestions of my own which should have a positive impact on your bank (or ISA) balance.

The Real Cost of Your Commute (and How to Drive it Down)

Do you spend several hours every week travelling to and from work? As well as the time it takes you, there’s also the cost; a recent study from Totaljobs revealed that the average UK employee spends £146 a month commuting - which comes to a whopping £135,871 by the time you come to retire.

That monthly spend is over double for workers heading into London. On top of petrol, parking and daily train tickets, there’s the unforgotten costs like vehicle wear and tear and even coffees at the station - all of which eat into your wage on a daily basis. Some commuters may need to look into other financial routes to cover their travel arrangements on top of other essentials.

Thankfully, there are simple ways to make it cheaper. Try these four tips to drive down your commuting costs.

How to Enjoy the Ultimate Mum and Child Pamper Day

Want to enjoy the ultimate pamper day with your kids without stepping foot inside a spa? There’s a wide range of products you can buy which can be used to pamper yourself at home and no matter what your budget, you’ll always be able to find items to match it.

Stock up on pampering products

You’re going to need some basic products to pamper yourselves. Face masks, moisturisers and maybe even foot scrubs will all come in useful for some well deserved R&R. While you can potentially save money shopping online, it may be a good idea to actually go shopping.

This is especially true if you’ll be hosting the pamper day pretty soon. With online deliveries, there’s always a risk the parcel could get lost or simply not turn up on time (we've all experienced that). So, going physically shopping will eliminate any stress for on the day.

Putting Hill's Pet Food To The Test

*Sponsored post in collaboration with Hill's Pet Nutrition*

It's not long until puppies and other pets become a big part of the family and Spartan is no exception. It feels like only yesterday we were collecting him as a tiny bundle of fur and bringing him home for the first time, but he is now fast approaching his 8th birthday and I don't really remember life without him.

If we are travelling I always seek out pet friendly accommodation so that he can join us and he often comes along for day trips to the beach, fishing and beyond.
I even refer to him as my third baby at times as he really is quite a pampered pooch!

Ensuring he has a good diet, like the rest of the family, is vital for his health and wellbeing and selecting products that meet the nutritional requirements for his age is essential. We were offered the Hill's Science Plan food for Spartan to try, specifically the Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity bag, and after reading about the brand in Good Housekeeping I was happy to accept on his behalf.

WIN Tickets To National Forest Adventure Farm (And See The Moon Landing Maze)

Following months of planning, the National Forest Adventure Farm has now revealed the design of its annual maize maze which will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing!

The maze design features Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission Saturn V rocket recreated in maize form.

Located near Burton upon Trent, the Farm had kept the design of the maize maze a closely guarded secret and this year farm mascot Crumpet the Cow flew to the edge of space to reveal the unique design. The fluffy Friesian travelled over 35,000m capturing images of the maze design on a 4k high definition, 360° digital camera before parachuting back to earth safely.

Nutella Cookie Cups {Creative Summer 11}

Thick smooth chocolate and warm chewy cookies - is there a more satisfying combo for your sweet tooth? What's even better is these delicious puds are incredibly easy to make and they can go from mixture to mouth in around 20 minutes flat.

Jam Tarts {Creative Summer 9}

These are quite a classic afternoon treat and one we hadn't made in some time so we decided to change that by making a batch at the weekend. The pastry on these is crisp on the outside with a nice crumbly centre and they are deeply filled with sticky raspberry jam - you could even make your own if you have been out picking berries this summer.

Silent Sunday

My favourite trio... #France #BackToEurocamp

A photo posted by Emma (@theminimesandme) on May 31, 2016 at 6:34am PDT

Picnic Ideas - Mini Frittatas

With 100 days of sunshine expected you might be planning a few picnics in the park or tea times on the terrace and therefore seeking some tasty recipe ideas. Quiche Lorraine is a classic French dish, traditionally made from a savoury custard, which can be served hot or and cold and is perfect for parties or as a light lunch. This crustless version, or frittata in bite size pieces, is equally as delicious but minus the pastry and lower in calories. The mini portions are great for popping into your picnic basket to serve on paper plates in the sunshine and leftovers, if there are any, can go into lunch boxes the following day or into the fridge to be eaten as breakfast on the go.

Ingredients

(Makes 24)

8 medium eggs

200ml milk

60g strong grated cheddar

6 rashers of bacon

6 cherry tomatoes

Meal Planning Monday

I'm back on my meal replacement plan for a couple of weeks to lose a few more pounds (you can read about how well I've done so far here) but I shall still be cooking family meals for the rest of the household. That's willpower for you!

I've therefore let the Mr and the Mini Mes chose the menu...