A renovation clean up

We were fortunate enough to buy our very first home earlier this year. We bought it at a steal of a price because it needed an entire renovation. Fast forward 5 months of blood, sweat and tears we are finally in our house! The work is still ongoing but the house is livable and we are almost finished now. There are only two big jobs left to do and that's the hallway and dining room. Both rooms need new flooring and need to be decorated but these cosmetics we can deal with. Other than that there are a dozen little jobs here and there that still need to be done.

As you can imagine under going a full house renovation the house can get very dirty. Most of the walls in the house had to be knocked back to the brick and had to be replastered. For months we have been battling endless and relentless dust and dirt. The minute I walked into the house I could feel in on my skin and in my hair. There was rubble everywhere, pulled up floorboards, holes in the walls. We've really seen the bones of our old house. 

But the dust and the dirt, it's been a nightmare. No matter how many times I hoovered, mopped and swept up it seemed to just continue to appear, until we received and started using the a Dyson DC59 Animal which has really helped us out. It has been a godsend with it's digital motor, superior suction and with it being cordless! (It had me at cordless!) I found myself spending a lot less time vacuuming as it's such a powerful machine. 

Here are some of my top tips for cleaning up after a renovation-


Wipe down: It's scandalous how much dust is created when renovating. You see it everywhere but what's worse is that there's even more than you can't see and it always seems to come back. My top tip is to keep on top of the cleaning and wipe down with a damp cloth after every job. After each big job I would begin mission wipe down and start by dusting down the ceiling, moving onto the walls and then begin wiping down everything else in the room. I found doing this more and more frequently helped minimise the dust coverage around the house which you will be thankful for later. 

Sweep: Before you vacuum it's very important to sweep first. There's a whole array of different materials that are distributed throughout the house and sweeping is ideal for picking up the bigger bits of debris that you shouldn't try to vac up. Using a broom is also good for brushing dust off hard to reach places such as door frames, skirting boards and picture rails. 

Vac: After the sweeping comes the vacuuming as it picks up all dust that is not just impossible to sweep but to see too. Dust continues to settle days after each renovation job so you do find yourself vacuuming often. Thankfully the Dyson DC59 is a joy to use and maneuver and has saved me a lot of time and effort as it is just so efficient.

Mop: Now it's time to bring out the mop. The debris that cannot be wiped down, swept up or hoovered has got to be mopped. After the mopping I would sigh a breath of relief until it was time to do it all over again!  

I have found myself doing these 4 steps continuously these past 5 months. Sweep, vac, mop, repeat! Have you been doing any renovations lately? Or do you have any cleaning tips you would like to share? 

Our Bedroom Renovation

It's been a long time coming, two years to be precise since we started the renovation on our house. The bedroom in particular was one of those rooms which needed a full face lift and you can read about the first stages of the bedroom renovation here.

Just like the rest of the work we did on the house it took a lot of time, money and hard work. At one point we had every room in the house on the go at the same time and it felt like we weren't getting anywhere fast.

Hands down my favourite room to design has to be the bedroom because from day one I could visualise exactly what I wanted. Having full control of design can be a little scary but if you know what you want then it's really a piece of cake, it just requires a lot of planning and preparation.

With the bedroom I knew I wanted a chic and mellow theme as I'm not a fan of bold colours in a bedroom as I don't find them relaxing at all. With my idea I chose to paint the walls Mellow Mocha from Dulux which is a subtle and clean colour and I chose a silver grey carpet which really compliments the colour of the walls.

Once we'd fully decorated the room it was time to furnish and thankfully we had the majority of what we needed from our previous property which we rented but what we didn't have and needed was wardrobes and storage space. We decided to opt for made-to-measure fitted wardrobes as we already had a bespoke walk in wardrobe adjoined to Noah's room. We now have them running across the whole of the back wall and the amount of storage space they've given us is incredible.

This weekend we ticked the bedroom off our renovation list when we finally bought a headboard. This may sound silly but it was the last thing we needed to buy and it's just completed the room. It's such a relief to finally say that the bedroom is now complete and we couldn't be happier with the finished result!  

Have you ever thought of investing in fitted or walk in wardrobes? 

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The Next Stage in our Renovation Plans

One of the main topics I've been writing about this past year has of course been our renovation. We bought our first home last May and to say it was a work in progress is one huge understatement. We knew it needed a lot of work but we didn't realise how much until we had bought the house and started the work. This is normal of course because once you start pulling off the wallpaper and tearing up the carpet that is when all the hidden jobs start rearing their ugly heads.

A year later and the renovation is complete. A new kitchen, a new bathroom, central heating system, new boiler, full electrical rewire, new ceilings, plastering, new carpets, every room newly decorated.. those are just some of the jobs that we accomplished in that first year. 

When I think about how long it all took and how much blood, sweat and tears went into it I wonder why I'm even thinking of saying this but we are now drawing up plans for phase two.

Phase two will start with us converting the attic and we want to do this for various reasons. The first and main reason is that it could give us one more large bedroom and a storage room or even two bedrooms. This of course is needed if we want to have more children in the future. Another reason is that it will increase the value of our house tremendously and if we want to sell up any time soon we could earn a lot of profit too. Once this is completed we will need to look into updating our home insurance policy and must remember to do so.

When the main frame work has been finished we will be looking at dormer windows and will need to invest in some electric radiators as attics are known to be a little draughty. 

I'm really looking forward to decorating the attic room once the building work has been completed. I picture a light and bright but welcoming space for two children to share. This thought of course is very dear to me as I know how much Noah would love to have a sibling in the future. I can just imagine two boys rough housing in there or Noah and a sister squabbling over what game to play next. 

Although the next stage of our renovation is only just being drawn up I'm already making plans for stage three! I realise I do sound a little crazy planning so far ahead but this is our forever home, the home where we are going to raise our children. It's got to be perfect. 

An Expanding Home for an Expanding Family

Last year was a big year for us as a family and if you read the blog you will already know why. We worked very hard and were fortunate enough to climb out of the renting rut and jump straight onto the property ladder. After renting for 6 years we had finally bought our first home.  

We viewed a few dozen properties before we realised we had found the one that was right for us. Unfortunately the house that we fell in love with wasn't a new build or a house that was in good condition it was one that needed a lot of work and this had it's pro's and con's. 

The downside was that we couldn't just move in straight away and had to move in with relatives. Then we had months and months of renovating ahead of us. Once you ticked one job off the list another three had appeared and at times it felt like we weren't getting anywhere fast. The renovation of course was tiring, stressful and very expensive too. 

The positive side of having to start from scratch is that our home is exactly how we envisioned and wanted it to be. Every single aspect has been chosen by us. From the colour of the carpet in each room through to the colour of the grout on our bathroom tiles. Everything has been hand picked and this makes our home very personal to us. 

12 long and gruelling months later and the renovation has been completed. Once we had moved in that sense of accomplishment was overwhelming and it felt like a weight had been lifted. It still doesn't feel real that we have our very own home but we do.

That being said we are now drawing up plans for renovation phase two where we will be expanding into the attic and installing a home security system. Our home is going to turn in to a building site once again because we are building into the attic! The thought of a hole in our roof is a very frightening prospect but every expanding family needs a home that can expand too. 


Have you renovated an attic? Do you have any tips for us?

My top decorating and renovation tips

When we bought our first family home last year we had no idea how much work we had ahead of us. It was a house with potential but one that was expensive and needed a lot of hard graft but we totally underestimated how much work there was to do. 

When viewing the run down property we had to try and see past all the faults and try to envision what it would look like after everything had been completed. This was easier said than done with the bright green carpets and avocado bathroom but we just knew it was the house for us. 

I'm not claiming to be an expert when it comes to all things DIY but I have certainly learnt a thing or two on our journey so I thought I would share a few of my top tips which I hope will help you save time and money. 

Be realistic - 
If you have a dozen jobs on your renovation to do list then add another twenty because once you start the work more and more will crop up. It's better to be prepared for this because we were often disheartened when we had completed one job to find another two a long the way. It's better to be realistic.

Do your research -
It's going to save a lot of time and money if you have some sort of idea on what you want. From the colour of paint on your walls to the type of carpet on your floors. Do you want paint or wallpaper? Do you want luxury carpet or engineered walnut flooring? I found that google was my best friend during this process as I searched for idea's on every aspect of our renovation.

Bargain hunt -
We had a limited budget to work with but you would be surprised with how far we managed to make our money go. We would often buy second hand products on eBay, car boots or buy and sell pages. Items were often into next to new condition and you can save extortionate amounts of money. There is nothing wrong with not buying new. 

Upcycle - 
With a new house you often want to buy new furnishings but don't throw away that old side table, it can easily be revamped with a lick of paint. Many of the furnishings in our house are family hand me downs or charity shop finds that we have upcycled by simply sanding and repainting white.


Do you have any tips that you would like to share? 

Our home: The master bedroom

Our bedroom is one of the rooms in the house that is totally finished now, minus a bit of furniture and decor. It's one of the rooms that I feel we spent ages on as it was the first room we began stripping and a room that we've dipped in and out of as our renovation progressed. 

It was probably one of the easier rooms to renovate too. We of course stripped the dated floral wallpaper and retro green carpet as soon as we bought the house. The room needed new plaster here and there but other than that the walls were fine. The ceiling was then lowered, plastered and spot lights were installed (something that I wasn't really bothered about but Nick prefers spot lights over one main light.) We also had new electrics and central heating installed as that was needed throughout the entire house. The new central heating and electrical rewiring was so expensive and cost almost half of our renovation budget. Which is very daunting when you still have a new bathroom, kitchen and a dozen other things yet to pay for! 

After all the big jobs were completed it was time for the fun part, the decorating. We first painted the ceiling white and it took a few coats as fresh plaster loves to soak up paint. Then we decorated the room with lining paper and painted with a Dulux shade called Mellow Mocha. It's a strange colour because in some light it can appear to have purple hue's and others it's the taupe type shade we were looking for. The light rail, skirting board, door, door frame, window frame, window sill then had a couple of layers of undercoat and gloss. 

With all the messy DIY and decorating jobs out of the way we then had to decide on a carpet. We decided to go for a silver grey (which is bang on trend according to our carpet fitter!) as I thought it would really compliment the colour and decor of the room. 

Here is our bedroom renovation journey from start to finish, enjoy! 

Less Stress During Home Renovations

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Home renovations are always going to be a bit stressful, if only because it’s impossible not to make some mess no matter how small the job. Taking a logical, step-by-step approach will help the task go smoother with a minimum of stress and fuss for everyone.

Initial Planning

Taking a step back and pausing for thought before plunging into a renovations project lets you see the bigger picture and can give plenty of clues for how to get started.

● What materials do you need? Estimate quantities and costs, make lists and tick items off as you collect them.

● Do you have a clear result in mind? Be sure about colour and texture choices. Samples and tester paint pots really help.

● Have you fixed your budget, and can you stay within it? Overestimating how much money you’ll need to complete the project will give you a bit of wiggle room for any unexpected problems or expenses.

● What storage or packing arrangements do you need to make so you can carry on as normal a life as possible during work? Everyday tasks can turn into ma-jor undertakings during kitchen or bathroom renovations, for instance.

● When is the most convenient time to start? School holidays might not be the best, for example, if children at home will slow down work or put them in any danger.

Preparing Your Work Area

Start by clearing your space. If you need to move heavy furnishings, decide ahead of time where they’ll go, and collect some boxes to store items as you empty cabinets or sideboards before you try to lift them. With a clean work area, do the prep for the type of job you’re doing. If you’re sand-ing, lay down dustsheets; if you’re painting, make sure woodwork or walls are dust-free, clean and dry before you start. While you’re stripping wallpaper, have rubbish bags handy so you can bundle up the scrap paper as soon as it comes off the wall. Put pets somewhere safe while you're working - wet paint and dogs don’t mix well.

Tips for Storing and Safeguarding Possessions

Do you have a place to put all your belongings? When you are renovating, things are bound to be displaced. They can crowd your bedroom, hallways, or whatever room is free. In boroughs that have small housing options like Ealing, this can make your renovation unnecessarily difficult. You may want to look into companies that can give you the space you need. Henfield's self-storage facility in Ealing comes to mind. They can be a temporary or long-term solution for your clutter problems. With their help, you can keep the walkways clear and protect your items from the dust and damage of back-to-back construction work. Henfield self-storage facility in Ealing comes to mind. They can be a temporary or long-term solution for your clutter problems. With their help, you can keep the walkways clear and protect your items from the dust and damage of back-to-back construction work.

Clearing your space, as mentioned in the previous section, is easy to say but harder to do. Bigger renovation jobs mean you’re likely to need a lot of alternative space in which to store the things you’ve cleared. Put all the smaller, loose items into boxes rather than piling them on the floor or dot-ting them around other rooms. You’ll save on breakages, protect items from paint spatters, and make replacing them easier when you’re done. Plus, it gives you the chance to have a bit of a declutter, which is never a bad thing. Consider self-storage for larger items of furniture, or if you have a lot of boxes that would otherwise get in the way. Some renovation projects can take several days or weeks, and life can quickly get stressful and muddled if you’re tripping over boxes piled up around the house, especially if you also have small children. If you don’t need a whole self-storage room, some self-storage facilities also provide lockers. You might also want to consider these if you’re hiring contractors and want to keep valuables secure. Make sure the items you pack up to keep at home are well protected. Use old newspapers to cushion breakables in boxes. Towels and tea towels are also handy for wrapping up delicate items. Creating a work plan, clearing space and organising materials before you start helps the project go faster. You’ll be able to just crack on and create your perfect new space with a lot less stress.

Do you have any tips you would like to share?

5 things you need to know when renovating

If you follow my blog you will already know that Nick and I were fortunate enough to buy our first home recently. After years and years of renting it was such relief to finally be able to get out feet on the property ladder. Renting left such a bitter taste in my mouth as it seemed like we were throwing our money down the drain, where as now we have a mortgage we are paying into something, our future.

Buying our first home was a huge deal but as if that wasn't hard enough the house we fell in love with and decided to buy needed a lot of work. By a lot of work I mean it needed stripping back to bare bricks. It was one long process but now being at the other side of our renovation I decided to share a few things I learned a long the way.

1. Be realistic
If like us you have a big job on your hands make sure you keep in mind not only a reasonable time frame but also a reasonable cost. With realistic plans in mind you won't be disappointed at any stage. 

2. Upcycle Upcyle Upcyle 
With a new house you often want to buy new furniture but don't throw away your old bits and pieces as they can easily be revamped with a lick of paint. Many of the furnishings in our house are family hand me downs or charity shop finds that we have up cycled by simply sanding and repainting white.

3. Don't stress
Our renovation took 5 long months and while the work was being done we lived with relatives. Noah wasn't even one at the time and the whole thing was so stressful. We needed to go and do the work and people had to watch Noah for us, it was a hard time. In hindsight I wish I hadn't of stressed so much, it took time but we go there in the end and the outcome is so worth it.

4. Bargain hunt 
Once we had paid for everything we needed for the renovation there wasn't much money left over to play with. We had to really bargain hunt and got some great deals by doing so, a next to new 4 piece bathroom suite for under £500 for example! 

5. Enlist your family and friends
The people closest to you will probably be over the moon for you when you buy your property and will want to help out where they can. Don't be shy to ask for help! If you have any plumbers, kitchen fitters or electricians in the family get them on board as you will save a small fortune. Our Granddad helped us create a garden space for next to nothing and the video below shares some great tips.

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3 Simple Ways To Make Moving Home Easier

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In 2014, after years of renting, we were fortunate enough to place our feet firmly on the property ladder. We were accepted for a mortgage, despite my maternity leave, and we took to looking for our first home right away. They say that you know when a house is right for you, it's a feeling you get in your gut and we sure had that feeling and decided to place an offer on the house the same day. It wasn't pretty, in fact, it needed an endless amount of TLC, and there was a lot of admin to go through before we could get started. Our first port of call was looking into online conveyancing solicitors to help us on our journey. Once all the paperwork was done it was then time to get on with the renovation.

The house was dated, with avocado coloured bathroom, a bright red 40s kitchen, and green floral bedrooms and it had never had central heating and needed a full rewire. however, that didn't put us off. The walls were knocked back to brick, the floorboards were ripped up, we totally gutted the entire house. Thankfully, we didn't let all the work ahead of us put us off - we could see it's potential as a great family home for Nick and I as first-time buyers.

There was that much work that needed to be done that we had to live with our inlaws for six months. It was a difficult time, trying to parent an infant, work on the house almost daily, all while living with other people. In between all the renovation work we had the task of packing up all our belongings, to then transport to our new home. This has led me to write this post - here are 5 ways to make moving home easier.

1. Read or watch anything by Marie Kondo
I don't think I'll either be as minimalist as her but I would like to be - that's the dream for sure. Marie Kondo offers a plethora of tips both in her book and on the hit Netflix series. She is also such a sweet person and she makes me smile every time I see her on my screen. She teaches people how to organise, sort, and throw/donate anything that doesn't spark joy! This is also something you could do on a monthly or seasonal basis - not just when moving home.

2. Sell, donate and recycle things you no longer want or need
My Marie Kondo tip leads me nicely onto my next suggestion. Don't dispose of things you no longer want or need, it's so wasteful and you are adding to landfill when you really don't have to. If there's still life left in a product consider selling, donating, or recycling it. Online recycling sites make it easy to recycle apple products and other old electronics taking up space in your home. I also like to donate a multitude of other items, from clothes the kids have grown out of, to crockery and artwork - usually to our local RSPCA charity shop.

3. Hire a removal company
Last but certainly not least - hire a removal company! Moving home is exhausting, especially on top of everything else which needs to be done. Hiring a cheap removal company costs next to nothing and helps out tenfold. I wouldn't move without hiring one again - that service is a must-have for me.

Do you have any tips you would like to share?

We got a great tip from someone that was thinking of moving house in a few months. They used a moving checklist and priced out each important stage using online comparison websites covering conveyancing, surveying, house insurance, and removals. They managed to identify professionals that provided fixed fee quotes. The result was a budget that they could rely upon. Some comparisons websites ask for personal details upfront which results in emails and calls which of course is far too early when you are just gathering prices. They used the Homebuyer Conveyancing quotations website which provides a wide range of local and national Conveyancers. In your own time, you can view the fully inclusive legal fees and disbursements without the need to enter your personal details.

Ideas For My Daughters Nursery

With our daughter due any day now and an another home renovation just around the corner I thought it would be rather fitting to put together a post all about my nursery decor ideas. We are planning on expanding into the attic this year which will give us another room which Noah will then move into. He will really enjoy a bigger bedroom and the extra space. Once this is completed we will then be redecorating Noah's room into a nursery for our baby girl. As you can tell, 2017 is going to be one busy year for us.

Having undergone a full house renovation two years ago I'm quite good an envisioning what I want rooms to look like. I don't need to look around for much inspiration as it just seems to come to me and the same can be said when it comes to planning my daughters room.

Pink Butterfly Mobile

I already have the colour scheme for her room all planned out. I want hints of pink and lilac mixed with subtle grey and white. I think this is a great way to be feminine and enjoy pinks without it being too overbearing. I've been looking at handmade cot and ceiling mobiles on Etsy and have totally fallen in love with the butterfly designs. I'm going to have to order one soon.  

Miffy Nightlight

Every child's room has got to have a nightlight and I really adore the character themed ones. Miffy has been a favourite character of mine since I was a little girl so I'd love to add some Miffy touches here and there for my daughter to enjoy too.

White Sleigh Cot

When I was pregnant with Noah I chose pine nursery furniture as it was our favourite when looking around the shops. It also matched the colour scheme I'd planned for his nursery so it was the obvious choice to go for. This time around I'd love to go for a white theme, just for it to be different to what we've had previously. I've had my eye on this sleigh cot for quite some time now and I may have to order it once she is in her own room.

Made to Measure Curtains

Our house is quite an old build and we've noticed that the windows and doors are all irregular sizes. This can make buying new doors and curtains quite tricky and that's where made to measure curtains come in. I've been looking at the lilac ones for her bedroom or perhaps some grey ones.

Handmade Art Work

I've taken some inspiration from Pinterest here and really want to create some artwork with the baby. I love the idea of using her hands and feet to make decorative prints. Not only would they look gorgeous but they would make the most lovely keepsake too. 

Star Storage Box

One thing I've learnt from being a parent these last three years is that you can never have enough storage! These little people that we create sure need a lot of things! I'm constantly buying toy boxes and storage towers so I'd definitely have to buy some for her bedroom too. 

Did you have a theme or ideas in mind when decorating your child's nursery?

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Renovating Our Home For Summer

We were fortunate enough to be in the position to buy our first home and to take a step onto the property ladder around three years ago. I've written about this many times on the blog as it's something I'm really proud of. I also wrote about how awful the house looked when we bought it, most people would have walked straight in and back out again as it needed an endless amount of work. It needed a new kitchen, new bathroom, a complete rewiring and central heating system. It also needed replastering, new carpets, new lights, it was endless! Halfway through the renovation, I was walking around the house in tears as it was so overwhelming. Every inch of the house had been stripped back to brick, the ceilings were hanging down, floorboards had been pulled. I couldn't imagine it ever being finished, it looked like a lost cause.

Fast forward a few years and the initial work has long been finished but new work has begun. A few months ago we started renovating the attic to give us more space and to add value to the property. This has turned into another one of those jobs which feels like it's never ending and is a lot bigger than we envisioned. One thing I've learned though from our first renovation is not to panic as everything gets finished eventually.

Another job which is ongoing is the work in the garden. When we first moved in we dug out all the gravel and replaced it with lawn, although we were warned against it. Noah and Ava are always out in the garden so it's constantly getting trampled all over and they have a large playhouse which prevents half the lawn from growing as it blocks out the sun. This has resulted in half the lawn dead and the rest of it is patchy or overgrown.

We are currently looking into mississauga landscaping as we want to replace the lawn with quality decking. I think decking will be so much easier to maintain and clean in comparison to grass. It will also provide the children with a safe surface to play on and one in which us parents can enjoy too. I'm planning on sitting out there, on a patio set with a glass of wine!

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Our home: Getting the keys

It's taken a good 3 months but we finally have good news! Tomorrow we are going to sign on the dotted line for our first home, we should leave with the keys! It doesn't seem real! 

We went to have a last look around the property this evening as it's been such a long time since we viewed it last. I forgot how big the house is. I think it will take a while to get used to the space considering we are living in such a small rented bungalow at the minute. It's going to be bliss having so much room and to not feel so confined anymore. 

Having a look at everything again tonight makes everything seem so much more real. The whole house and renovation project (which I blogged about here) is so daunting as there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Once we are in there and start the work we can tick off jobs as we go. Hopefully breaking it all down will make the whole project less frightening.  

We didn't waste any time and had the kitchen measured up tonight and my partners step Dad has already designed us a kitchen. Which means we have to make a final decision on which style we want to go for as we are getting the kitchen priced up tomorrow. I know I want a cream kitchen with wood works surfaces and I seem to sway towards the shaker style.  

After the months of waiting everything seems to be happening really quickly now. Lots of big decisions need to be made and quickly. Which is usually hard enough but being such an indecisive person like me makes it ten times worse. 

With so many jobs that need to be done on a limited budget, do you have any tips on making our money go further. Or any renovation or DIY tips you would like to share?

Upcycling with Rust-Oleum

I've been a busy body lately with the house renovation but I have also been keeping busy by upcycling old pieces of furniture. I wanted to spruce them up a bit so they fit in with the decor in the new house. 

When Rust-Oleum offered to send me a few bottles of their famous Painters Choice spray paints (which I was already a huge fan of) it couldn't of come at a better time as I had numerous projects which I wanted to begin. 

As we have pretty much finished our house renovation and have moved in I have been focusing a lot more on dressing the house rather than just the home improvement side and it's been ever so refreshing. 

Our bedroom was one of the first rooms we needed to set up and sort through as of course it's one of the most important rooms in the house. After we brought up the bed and dressed it I knew I had to dig out the shabby bedside tables that I had bought off ebay a few months back. 

They were an aged cream colour and I knew that I wanted to repaint them white to fit into the theme and decor of our bedroom. There are multiple Rust-Oleum shades to choose from but for this upcycling project I decided to use the Rust-Oleum Painters Choice in White with the Matt finish.  

I didn't want to spend hours sanding down both bedside tables so I invested in some easy surface prep which is basically a tacky liquid which coats whatever surface you wish to spray or repaint. After cleaning the tables I slathered them in the ESP, wiped away the excess and waited 2 hours for it to dry. It's a wonderful product because it eliminates any need to sand and provides the perfect surface to begin painting. 

Once the tables had dried I removed the drawers and took off the handles with a screwdriver as I didn't want them to get covered in paint. I then took both tables and both sets of drawers into a suitable environment to spray. I chose to do them in our garage but if it was a mild day with not much wind I would of sprayed them outside. 

It was then time to start spraying! If you are new to spray paints then I would recommend you have a few tester sprays on some cardboard first. I didn't do that first off and I ended up spraying to close and it created big drip marks. It is also vital that you shake the Rust-Oleum for a good minute or two before you begin to use as this makes sure all the paint is evenly mixed. When applying I held the can back around 30cm as it coats more evenly and there's less of applying too much and creating drip marks or making mistakes like spray marks. 

Less is really more when it comes to spray painting furniture. Apply a little and gradually build as you go. I like to apply in a sweeping motion as I find I achieve the best results. If you take your time with it and remember to shake and hold back the can you can achieve a flawless finish. 

It took me less than 30 minutes to spray the bedside tables which is invaluable when you have many projects to do and not much time on your hands. Rust-Oleum can be a little pricer than a regular can of paint when you are planning on painting numerous pieces but it makes upcycling so much easier. So much easier that I wouldn't hand paint a piece of furniture ever again! 

Tips for Making Common Home Renovations Child Safe

Every parent knows that a baby or toddler will poke their noses into anything they encounter, and if they're not being adequately supervised or kept away from potential hazards, the result can be disastrous to say the least. That doesn't mean your entire house has to look like a padded cell though, as it's easy to designate a child-safe play area that keeps your little ones from destroying your valuables and getting into mischief. With that said, consider the following tips if you're preparing to do some common home renovations:

1. Opt for Non-Toxic Products

This is especially a concern if you're going to be painting indoors, as the aroma that lingers for days after is not only unpleasant it's also bad for babies to breathe in. Consider using a milk paint alternative like the one sold by Real Milk Paint at www.realmilkpaint.com. They also have oxalic acid for sale, which is known to be far less dangerous than some of the other wood bleaching solutions on the market.

2. Use Corner Guards and Outlet Covers

If you're planning on adding new components or are looking for ways to increase the overall safety of a room, consider using edge and corner guard cushions. These can easily be attached to the hard and potentially dangerous areas of furniture pieces and walls, and in many cases they can be true lifesavers by preventing serious injuries that are sometimes incurred due to the common slips and falls that children are prone to. Likewise, be sure to use outlet covers to keep little fingers from poking at electrical sockets.

3. Avoid or Secure Heavy Furniture

Heavy furniture items like dressers, night stands, tables, and entertainment systems should be avoided altogether or adequately secured against the wall. There have been cases where children have pulled over large objects onto themselves. This is especially concerning if you have multiple children in the toddler age group or if you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes or storms.

4. Use Powerful Fans for Air Circulation

Regardless of what kind of home renovation you're doing, chances are there's going to be a good amount of dust in the air throughout the process. Open all the windows and doors, and strategically position high-powered fans throughout the room to facilitate strong air flow. Let the room air out for a day or two in this manner before letting children return to the area.

5. Keep Movable Items Out of Reach

If you're going to be adding a built-in fixture or feature like a fold-out table, armoire, or rotating TV stand, be sure to put anything movable out of the reach of children. This will ensure that the kids don't knock things over at the cost of your belongings and/or their personal safety.

6. Don't Forget to Cordon Off the Area

Finally, regardless of what kind of renovation you'll be doing, it will probably involve tools, chemicals, and other products that are not child-safe. Thus, be sure to cordon off any work area and preferably have children play outside or visit the babysitter while the dirty work is being done.

- This is a PR collaboration 

Our Plans for 2017

We are coming towards the end of the first month in 2017 and we've already got numerous plans lined up for the year. I like having things to look forward to and plan in advance as it certainly keeps the January blues at bay. I thought that making a note of them all here on the blog would be a great way to visualise everything and will be great to look back at once we've checked each off the list. So here they are, our plans for 2017.

Welcome the new baby. 

The big event of 2017 is coming up for us as we are due baby number two in February! If you follow my blog you will already know this as I often write about my pregnancy journey and I'm constantly talking about her or sharing photo's of my bump. Our daughters arrival is going to totally change our lives and all three of us are so excited and ready to meet her now! Roll on February!

A family holiday abroad.

Call us crazy but we already have a holiday booked for this May. We are off to a family members villa in Marbella and only had to pay for flights and insurance, score! The baby will only be three months at the time so that's a little scary but I'm sure we will be fine. We are also travelling with my partners family so I'm sure we will have lots of help from them. We went abroad to Majorca last year when Noah was only two and a half and he was an absolute dream during our flights and transfers, lets hope the same can be said for next time too. 

Renovate the attic.

I've spoken about this a few times on the blog, about the next phase in our home renovation. This year we plan on building into the attic so that we can have another large bedroom and lots of extra storage. After undergoing a full house renovation two years ago it's a bit daunting starting another project but it needs to be done. We've just started drawing up plans for the room and have been looking into different heating and plumbing services too. The plans are in motion, we just need to arrange a start date now. 

Book a UK break. 

We were lucky to have a couple of holidays and breaks away last year and one of our favourites had to be the trip to Forest Holidays at Sherwood Forest. I think breaks away in the UK are highly underrated and are so much easier for families with young children. We've had such great experiences in the UK lately that I'm already looking to book something for later on in the year. 

What are your plans for 2017?

- This post is a PR collaboration.