Common Mistakes People Make When Booking a Holiday

Planning a holiday is an exciting time, whether you are booking holidays to France, Spain, Thailand or anywhere else in the world, it's always exciting to visit and experience life in a different country. Sadly, there are many mistakes people make when booking their holidays. Booking mistakes are not uncommon, unfortunately. Holidays are a lot of money, especially if there are more than just one going abroad, that's why it's so important to make sure you don't make a mistake when booking.

Here are some common mistakes that many people do when booking a holiday, something you could try to avoid when booking one yourself:

Package Holiday - 
Here are some common mistakes that many people do when booking a holiday, something you could try to avoid when booking one yourself:
Package Holiday - It's always advised to buy a packaged holiday. A packaged holiday means paying/booking your flights, rental cars/taxis and hotel altogether. By booking these things separately you can lose money if anything goes wrong. By paying for a package, you are guaranteed money or an offer in return if something doesn't go to plan. This can save you a lot of hassle and money in the long run. This doesn’t mean you have to book all-inclusive holidays either, many self-catering providers can also package together flights and car hire – just make sure you book with an ABTA & ATOL protected company.

Not Booking Yourself - It's quite important that you are there at the time of booking the holiday. It would also be a good idea for all other adults and young adults to be present at the time of booking, in case of any name or date of birth mistakes in the booking. If any name spelt wrongly or date of birth written wrongly, it can be a costly price to change.

Booking too late - Depending on the dates you want to book your holiday. It's good to book when there are offers around and not too late where the prices could double/triple up. This could go by booking too early too. 

Not double-checking - It is so important to double check your booking for no mistakes. As said above, it's a big price to pay to clear up any spelling mistakes. Something you don't want to happen after spending enough money on the holiday itself.

Forgetting to book check-in baggage allowance - with many bookings, adding check-in baggage allowance is an add-on feature that you have to pay with your flights etc. Many people either forget or think they don't have to add this, but unfortunately, you will have to pay extra at the airport if you don't. 

Not enough time between flights - If you are having to book more than one flight, make sure that you are leaving enough time between the first and second flight. It's important you do this, otherwise, if you miss the second flight, you are going to lose a lot of money.
Not Booking Yourself - It's quite important that you are there at the time of booking the holiday. It would also be a good idea for all other adults and young adults to be present at the time of booking, in case of any name or date of birth mistakes in the booking. If any name spelt wrongly or date of birth written wrongly, it can be a costly price to change.
Booking too late - Depending on the dates you want to book your holiday. It's good to book when there are offers around and not too late where the prices could double/triple up. This could go by booking too early too. 
Not double-checking - It is so important to double check your booking for no mistakes. As said above, it's a big price to pay to clear up any spelling mistakes. Something you don't want to happen after spending enough money on the holiday itself.
Forgetting to book check-in baggage allowance - with many bookings, adding check-in baggage allowance is an add-on feature that you have to pay with your flights etc. Many people either forget or think they don't have to add this, but unfortunately, you will have to pay extra at the airport if you don't. 
Not enough time between flights - If you are having to book more than one flight, make sure that you are leaving enough time between the first and second flight. It's important you do this, otherwise, if you miss the second flight, you are going to lose a lot of money.

* This is a collaborative post.

Valentine's Gift Guide 2019

It's that time of year, again, Valentine's Day! Christmas has been and now we're preparing to buy the best gifts for our loved ones. There are many different kinds of gifts out there to choose from but it's always nice to go that extra mile and get something special. Whether it's something sentimental, or something unique that they will love. I've gathered up a list of lovely gifts your loved one may love for that special day this year:

Retro Prints
Retro prints are great sentimental gifts. You could make a scrapbook using some retro prints that you can order from ASDA photo. Print both of your favourite memories and still them in a scrapbook or a good quality book so it can last for years. If you're not wanting to 'hide' the photos, you could also put them in a frame, there are many frames out there these days that fit retro sized prints in them.

Canvas Print
A canvas print is always a great gift for anyone, it's always appreciated by the person you are gifting it too. ASDA Photo print canvases and there's a great choice of layout you want to your canvas, you can choose from a single photo to a collage photo, where you can add multiple photos onto one canvas.

Pineapple Neon Light
If that special person in your life loves unique gifts then they will sure love this Pineapple Neon Light. It will be a great touch of colour and light into any room of the house, whether it's placed on the wall in the hallway or an additional touch on the wall for extra colour in the bedroom. Anywhere it goes, it will sure add that extra colour in a blank room/blank canvas wall.

Photo Book
Great alternative to a traditional photo album. Photo Books are great to edit words and photos when you are ordering. ASDA photo is a great choice to order you photo books, editing was easy and quick, as well as affordable prices. You can personalise the front and back cover. They are also great quality, quality to last. Choose all of your favourite photos and stick them into one photo book. 

- We were gifted items mentioned in this post.
All words and opinions are my own.

Dad Style with Jacamo

My partner is a bit like myself, we prefer to get the kids new pieces of clothing before ourselves, however, when Jacamo asked if we would like to receive some products for my partner, I instantly said yes. My partner is a big fan of Jacamo clothing and has previously bought clothes from their store. There's a large range of choice and a great range of sizing too. As with men, not all high street and online stores cater for the 'bigger' sizes. So it's nice to find an online and high street store that does have a good range of sizing to choose from.

The first two items he chose from Jacamo were two shirts. One was a formal long sleeve plain shirt and the second shirt was more of an informal cheque navy and yellow shirt. Both were great quality, and good with sizing. Although the cheque shirt was a little oversized, it still looks great teamed up with a plain t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

The last item he chose was an Adidas sweatshirt which is the most comfortable jumper he has worn. He's always rating it, and I've even worn it a few times and it's brilliant quality and keeps you warm, which is perfect for these cold days we are recently having. It's the perfect sizing, comfortable and does not lose its shape or size in the wash either, which is a huge bonus.

* We were gifted these items for the purpose of this review.
We were not paid. However, all words and opinions are our own.

Building Body Confidence with UK Swimwear

I've struggled with my weight ever since I was a child, but when I was a teenager, I was a healthy size and healthy looking weight. When I was 17 years old, I gave birth to my first child, and from then onwards my weight has been a yo-yo. I gained throughout my pregnancy, but I was lucky enough to have been able to lose half of what I gained a few months later. I remember being happy with my body and more importantly, I was confident with my body.

As the years have gone by, I've had two more children, a long holiday abroad and I've been with my partner for over 7 years. I have lost a large amount of weight, and I've gained a large amount of weight, I can never get to a maintain balance, and it's something I struggle with. The main reason for this is because I'm not kind to myself or my body.

I have stopped myself doing things with the kid such as going swimming because I have such low body confidence. I have probably only been swimming around 5 times over the years, with the kids, because I can't get myself into a swimsuit and step out into a public pool. Considering I used to be a brilliant swimmer when I was a child, I had swimming lessons every week, and I've passed all my swimming levels. It's quite sad to think about because I used to be so confident in the past, and now my low confidence has stopped me doing something I love. Not only that, it's stopped me making memories and having fun with my kids.

UK Swimwear kindly sent me a beautiful swimming suit and from the moment I opened it I fell in love. The colour is gorgeous, and the style of the swimsuit is lovely. I am overly pleased with the quality, and I was also pleased with the choices of swimwear that's available on the website. There's a large range of swimwear from shaping swimsuits, bikinis, high back, swimdress and so much more to choose from. As a plus size woman, I find it difficult to find a nice swimsuit in my size.

I chose the Miracle Suit Swimwear in the colour Grape. I am really looking forward to wearing it, and it's boosted my confidence when I tried the swimsuit on. Now it's just about getting to the leisure centre, wearing it and going to the swimming pool and enjoy time with the kids.

* I was kindly gifted this item.
All words, images and opinions are my own.

Apps You Need On Your Phone

I am always on the look for new apps to download on my phone. We all have our personal favourites, whether it's a social media app, photo editing, a game app etc. There are 1000s of apps to choose from and I'm one of those people who's phone is full of social media related apps. I also love reading the news, editing photos and doing a bit of online shopping. But out of all the apps I have on my phone, here's a list of apps I can recommend you to have on your phone:

Facebook
This social media app is probably one of the most popular apps to download on your phone. From connecting to friends and family, nearby and far, it's a great social network to socialize. You can use Facebook to update your status, letting people know what you're up too, sharing photos, chat via Messenger and the list goes on.

A VPN
A VPN app is great to have on your phone. It's a service that many different providers offer such as Cyberghost, ExpressVPN etc. For example: The US Netflix has a lot more shows and films, you could get access to the US Netflix while you are in the UK. The VPN app for Netflix will make it seem like you are in the US so you will get their shows and films. Here is a beginners guide to understand what VPN is.

Instagram
Instagram is a fast growing social media that is another great way to catch up with other people. Slightly different than Facebook, Instagram is an app that you share your photos and you can engage with others by liking and commenting on their photos or Private messaging them.

Lightroom
If you're a fan of editing photos, Lightroom is a great app to do that. You can buy some pre-made edits from places such as Etsy. It's affordable and it's a great way to lighten up any photos you have taken if they are too dark.

Amazon
I am a big fan of Amazon and I always download the Amazon app to my phone. It's much easier to browse through and saving your Wish List. You can get notifications through to your phone when there are some good deals and it's handy when there's a birthday or special occasion coming up.

Online Banking
Most banks these days have online banking and if yours do, I would recommend you download their app on your phone. It's a great way to manage finances, make standing orders/transfers etc. It's a great way to check your balance too instead of going to the cashpoint.

Trainline
If you're someone who travels by train a lot, I would personally recommend this app, Trainline. It's great for checking out what times the trains will arrive and leave, as well as booking your train travels.

This is a collaborative post

Treborth Coastal Forest Path | North Wales

A few weeks ago we decided to go for a last-minute walk. We ended up walking a Forest path in Treborth. It's a walk I haven't done in years and I was gutted Mia wasn't with us. She was in her Dad's but we had the youngest two with us. As the path isn't all that smooth, I advised Elliw not take her bike and she was happy with it. We let Freddie take his balance bike as he just thrives on any bumpy tracks, so he was in his glory on the walk.

It wasn't a very long walk but it did feel like it on the way there. We ended up just under the Britannia Bridge and no words could describe how stunning it was. I managed to take a few photos but seeing it in person was the best way to really appreciate it. Elliw was amazed that the bridge was so big, but Freddie had no care in the world - who would at 2.5 years old?!

If you ever get the chance to visit North Wales, I would most definitely recommend this Coastal Forest Path in Treborth. Such beautiful grounds and stunning scenery you won't regret it.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR KIDS’ DIGITAL ACTIVITIES WITH FAMILY TIME PARENTAL APP

Are you aware of your teen’s online activities? Do you really know what do they do in the cyber world; what kind of content do they post; what pictures do they upload, etc. You probably know nothing just as the majority of other parents. They don’t even know the perils of the internet and cyber world.

These days, the cyber world is home to online predators, imposters, cyber bullies, hackers, etc. There are a lot of incidents happening related to cyber-crimes, hacking, catfishing, and sexting in the cyber world.

According to a study conducted by uknowkids, 1 in 5 kids have been sexually solicited online because of the catfishers, online predators etc. The study also reveals a number of facts and figures i.e.

·         The internet is home to 5,000,000 predators.

·         77 percent of the victims are of age 14 and above.

·         9/10 parents never know that their child has been contacted by a predator.

·         66 percent of teens accept doing things they want to conceal from their parents.

After looking at the facts given above, don’t you think you have left your kid alone at a dangerous place? According to Online safety experts, parents are needed to stay on top of their teens’ activities. They should know what platforms they use, what sites they visit and who do they contact online etc. You may consider monitoring as a troublesome job, but it really isn’t. Monitoring teens’ online life has become a lot easier with the advent of the digital parental apps such as FamilyTime.

FamilyTime Parental App – The Ultimate Monitoring Tool!

Parents have always been concerned about their kids’ safety. They try hard to keep tabs on their kid’s online life and activities but fail most of the time. FamilyTime parental app is the tool for such parents.

They can use this app to not only monitor but to control too. Using the app parents can:

1.       Track their kids’ web-history with the date and time stamps

2.       Check the list of sites saved in the favourites and bookmarks of their browser.

3.       Access the list of installed apps with their related details.

4.       Monitor their contacts, call logs and SMS history.

5.       Provide their kids with an environment safe for searches by blocking unwanted sites.

6.       Applying internet filters to avoid their exposure to inappropriate content.

7.       Check their app usage frequency to observe how much time they spend on an app.

8.       Blacklist any app they find unfitting.

9.       Schedule auto screen lock on their devices.

10.   Instantly put a remote lock on their devices from the app’s Dashboard to control their device usage.

And much more. Do you want to give this app a try? Download it today from your App Store.

Take control!

It is now time to take control over your teen’s use of technology. Monitor their cyber life and take appropriate steps to prevent your kids from the online hazards using the FamilyTime parental app. Today, digital parenting is called the smart parenting!  

Collaborative post

Styling The Kids Bedrooms With Vertbaudet

One of the main reasons we bought this house was because of the three bedrooms we have upstairs. We have two large bedrooms, and the third one is slightly on the smaller side, more like a box room but big enough for a single bed and the essentials. Over the years since we moved in, both bedrooms have had a few different themes, from pink to a Minnie Mouse Theme to a monochrome room. I've never really been set on what kind of theme to stick with right now, all their personalities are changing, even my youngest, Freddie, who's two years old.

Mia and Elliw, who are 9 and 6 years old currently share a bedroom. It can be quite difficult to mix in both of their interests and personalities into one room as they are so different. I have now, finally, decided on room colours and a theme for their bedroom. The colours are going to be white, grey and soft pastel colours with their interests added to it such as unicorns and glitter. 

The feature wall is painted in a grey shade called 'warm pewter', it's a popular shade, and we actually have it in our bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. It really gives the room a warmer feel than the previously 4 white painted walls they had. The other three walls are painted white, and I am planning to keep them white but using two of the walls to bring out the girls personalities.

I am planning one wall to be a wall full of their favourite drawings, photographs and some inspirational quotes along with some hanging accessories such as this gorgeous pompom colourful garland and this decorative mobile pompom as I feel they will bring that extra colour into the room and the photo feature wall. As for the ceiling light, as it's pretty much in the centre of the room, I thought this gorgeous stars and clouds hanging lampshade would look perfect.

The last thing I will be sorting out is toy storage for all their toys, figures, books and teddies. Both girls have a ridiculous amount of teddies that they refuse to get rid of. So as their toys will be stored in an ottoman and under bed storage that they currently have, this stunning grey and wicker storage basket would be the ideal basket to store their teddies and blankets.

Freddie is 2 years old now and he is literally obsessed with tractors. So, of course, I have gone for the tractor theme for his bedroom. He has white walls, which I am still unsure if I should paint one of them as a feature wall, but for now, it looks fine. He has a large tractor sticker on one wall which adds his personality in the room. Previously, I opted for a neutral elephant theme nursery room as they are my favourite animals. Also because most of the personalised items that I ordered during my pregnancy with him were elephants and I loved all the teddies and room accessories. But now as he is growing, tractors and farm animals suit him best. 

In the next few months we are planning on transferring Freddie to his own single sized bed, and I'm super nervous with the move. I am sure it will all go well, as when I overthink things, everything turns out quite smooth - we will see. But as we have very little space to move things around in Freddie's room, I am limited on storage space, but as I still want to use the tractor theme, I am looking into a rustic, tractor and farm theme. Rustic looking furniture such as shelves and this toys storage cube which I personally feel will be a great added look into his room, not only that, a great box for his toys too.

We decided to go against buying a carpet for Freddie's room, as it was previously Mia's room before we put her into the larger room to share with Elliw before Freddie was born. I always love laminate/wooden flooring in bedrooms, so we went with this vinyl wood-like flooring, and I do love it, but it can be difficult to make the room feel and look warm and cosy. There was a small grey cloud rug that I previously bought before he was born and that was from Vertbaudet too. But as I had a chance to choose a few bits, the first thing I searched for was the right rug for Freddie's room. Vertbaudet have some beautiful rugs, and the one I chose was this grey star rug, and it's definitely made the room a lot cosier. 

Do your children's bedrooms have a theme?

* We were gifted items from Vertbaudet in return for an honest review.

All words, images and opinions are entirely our own. 

Skincare Tips: How Men And Women Can Achieve Glowing Skin

The importance of skincare for men and women…

Skincare is something that most women pay close attention to, especially as they get older. Often though, men don’t think about skincare as something that they should consider. But why? We all have the same skin, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t all look after it. Skincare is important for a huge range of reasons, like preventing acne or redness, minimising the scary symptoms of ageing or even just for getting that ‘glow from within’ look that we all strive for. Why should the men in our lives miss out? Let’s do our bit to break down the negative stigma of men taking care of themselves and have a look at some valuable and completely gender neutral skincare tips.

Keeping clean…

The first main skincare tip, which some might consider obvious but not all, is cleanliness. You should be washing your face daily and even better, once at the start of the day and once at the end. Your face produces a natural oil called sebum during the night so it is important to wash this away in the morning. Having excess sebum on your skin can cause acne and no one wants to relive their spotty teenage years! Avoid at all costs. During the day your face will collect dirt and bacteria on its surface too, so getting rid of impurities before you go to bed is also essential. If you are a woman (or man) that tends to wear makeup during the day, removing makeup and washing your face regularly is even more important to avoid blocked pores.

Spend more for quality products…

Moving on from general hygiene, it is a good idea to spend a bit more money on your skincare products, if you can afford to. It might be tempting to go for the cheaper products on the shelves but it is not worth the risk of damaging your skin’s health. The more expensive products tend to have nicer and more effective ingredients in them… Which leads us onto the next skincare tip - read the ingredients list! A product might look all lovely with aesthetically-pleasing packaging, but it could be hiding a number of nasties inside. Some toxic ingredients to look out for which tend to be hidden in skincare products are parabens, phthalates, fragrances and BHA’s. For men (and women) this tip extends to your facial shaving routine. Be prepared to spend a few more pennies on good quality razors and facial hair products to get the results that you want. There’s no good opting for cheap razors and then being shocked when your skin ends up suffering. The English Shaving Company sell high-quality men’s shaving products so you can rest easy knowing that your skin is really being looked after while you shave! They also offer a range of shaving after-care products and men's skincare, including face washes, exfoliators and moisturisers - all essentials for a skincare routine!

Exfoliate…

Exfoliation is another skincare step worth incorporating into your daily routine, for both men and women. This should be done once you have cleansed your face to remove any dead skin cells that are stuck to the skin and help to unclog your pores. Depending on how sensitive your skin tends to be, this shouldn’t be done every day as it will cause irritation and potential damage. It is also very important to check the ingredients with this product, as the exfoliating ingredient in some of the cheaper brands tends to do far more harm than good to the skin and the environment.

Moisturise…

This step is one that men and women should really prioritise, especially in the colder months - so basically every month in England! Moisturise. Our day to day lives tend to involve a lot of moving around, going in and out, so our skin is exposed to a number of different environments. More often than not this dries our skin out. So, get yourself a good quality, reputable moisturiser to use twice a day or whenever you feel is necessary. Making sure your skin gets plenty of moisture will combat any skin dullness and help to achieve the glowy look that we all dream of - no, unfortunately, this does not come naturally.

Sun protection…

Last but not least of the gender-neutral pieces of skincare advice is to protect your skin from UV rays. You might be thinking, ‘but it’s never sunny in England’ and yes, you are right, but the rays from the sun are still there to an extent. Using sun protection on a daily basis will work wonders and prevent any of the sad effects of ageing from cropping up. So, if you want to keep those pesky wrinkles and lines at bay, try this tip. Even if you are still young, starting early with sun protection is equally as important, and you will seriously thank yourself in the future.

This is a collaborative post.

Dress Alterations: How To Transform Any Old Thing Into Your New Favourite

Tips for dress alterations…

Until you have used an alterations service yourself, doing so would probably never cross your mind. But alterations services are actually extremely easy to access and can transform almost any piece of clothing into something you can get your wear out of. Whether you spotted something you loved in the shops but could only get your hands on the size up or you have lost some weight and no longer fit into your favourite piece - it is worth seeing what dress alterations services can do for you. There are some pieces of advice to keep in mind when researching and booking a dress alterations appointment though.

Choose the right seamstress…

There are a surprising number of tailoring and seamstress companies out there, so it is important that you book in with the one to best suit your needs. Often there are certain places that specialise in alterations for certain types of clothing, like wedding dresses or jeans. The Alterations Boutique London, however, can help you with practically any alteration you could possibly think of, including a wide range of dress alterations. Perhaps you have an old dress that you used to love but it looks a bit old-fashioned these days or it doesn’t accentuate the parts of your body that you really love? The Alterations Boutique are happy to help with any requests you might have. They can even help with not only dress alterations but a range of men’s clothing, such as waistcoat alterations and suit tailoring. So both you and your hubby can benefit! To make sure your clothes are altered in a skilled and quality way, it is a good idea to book in with a reputable alterations company like The Alterations Boutique London.

Be patient…

Clothing and dress alterations surprisingly don’t happen overnight, they take time to be done well. As much as you might want the dress of your dreams to be turned around in a matter of hours, it can’t be done. If your seamstress did manage to do so, you would end up with a very badly made dress and could risk a serious fashion faux pas! When looking into dress alterations, it is therefore important to keep in mind that depending on what you’ve asked for, it could take a week or two. So if you’ve got your dress in mind for an upcoming event, book it in to be altered with plenty of time to spare.

Pay attention to the fabrics…

Another tip before you try and book a certain item of clothing in to be altered is to be aware of the type of fabric. There are certain fabrics which are much harder to alter successfully than others. Just bear this in mind, a silk or organza dress may take much longer to alter than for example, a linen or cotton dress. There is no point taking a delicate silk dress to a seamstress and say you need it altering for a specific date because by rushing their work you risk the quality being affected.

Be vocal…

The final dress alterations tip is to be vocal. At the end of the day, a seamstress won’t understand exactly what you are looking for if you don’t explain yourself. Don’t be afraid to say what it is that you want. On the other hand, don’t ignore what the seamstresses have to say. They will have extensive knowledge and experience with dress alterations so will know what is possible and what simply isn’t. If you are advised not to alter your clothes in a certain way, you should listen. If not, you risk damaging one of your old favourite pieces. Hopefully these dress alterations tips have given you an idea of how to go about transforming an old piece of clothing into something you love again.

This is a collaborative post.

Tips To Prepare A Home Overhall

It's a brand new year, and what's better than giving your home a huge overhaul ready for the year ahead. We bought our home over five years ago, and we're planning on giving our home a few big changes this year. There's a mix of small and large projects to be done and I'm so excited. Giving your home an overhaul can freshen up your home, modernise it, make it to your taste so it feels more like home and if you are thinking of moving, it may help add some extra value to your home too.

Before preparing your home overhall this year, you'll need to make sure you have the right tools, there's a great choice of tools from SGS Engineering that is sure to help you do your home overhall, here are some tips to help:

Bathroom
The bathroom may not seem like a room many people would think of changing, but it's the most used room in the whole house and is used on a daily basis. A bathroom should feel welcoming and warm. Especially for those stressful nights, you want to take a hot bath/shower and just relax.

Tiles - Changing tiles can make a big difference to your bathroom. If you have a small/medium sized bathroom it may be a good idea to go towards some lighter coloured walls and tiles, to make the room feel that extra big bigger. But don't feel too scared to go out of your comfort zone and choose some bold unusual shades/tiles. If you're on a budget, you can now buy some tile paint, that will still change your bathroom dramatically.

Bath/Toilet/Sink - If your bath/shower, toilet or/and sink are looking tired, replacing them will make a huge difference. SGS Engineering have some tools that may help with replacing or repairing any bath, sinks and toilets. Also, while you are replacing them, you could look in for advice on how to give your bathroom extra space and storage.

Bedrooms
Bedrooms should be de-cluttered and feel like a room we can relax in. Having too much clutter in a bedroom won't make you feel relaxed, that's why it's important to make sure you have enough storage space in your bedrooms. Not only that but to make sure your room feels comfortable and a place you can have a good nights sleep in too. It should be a room you can show your personality with furniture, accessories and paint/wallpaper.

Wall paint - Giving your bedroom walls a new lick of paint can change a bedroom massively. Paint over time can look dull and may even get a few chips if it's touched on a daily basis by walking past and touching. As said above, the bedroom should be a room that you throw your personality in, but also be a room you can feel relaxed in too.

Upcycling furniture - Not everything needs to be bought brand new. Before changing or throwing away items, think first if they could be upcycled. Whether it's giving the bedside table a good lick of paint, adding new legs on the dressing table or paint spraying the mirror frame. There are so many things you can upcycle in a room to modernise it and get used out of it for years again.

Lighting and accessories - Adding some new lighting and accessories to your room will give your bedroom a huge makeover. Whether it's adding a new mirror, wall prints/frames, lampshades or adding a tall floor lampshade to your room.

Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home and is also another room you need to show your personality. A kitchen can be quite pricey to transform, but you can do it on a budget if you work on a few touches up. There are so many things you can to give your kitchen a great overhaul.

Worktops - The kitchen worktops are the main thing to change in the kitchen if you're looking to give your kitchen a makeover. The worktops should be chosen carefully as they can be pretty expensive, but if you look around you may be able to buy some within your budget.

Tiles and walls - Again, the same as the bedroom, giving your walls a good lick of paint can modernise and freshen up the room. Ideally, you will get the tiles, walls and cupboards in theme with the worktops of the kitchen.

Kitchen cupboards - Be sure that you have enough kitchen storage to have less clutter on your worktops. Kitchen cupboards can be easily changed by either re-painting or replacing them completely. If you're not wanting to replace them, you could change the door handle to match another accessory in the kitchen such as your worktops or little accessories around the kitchen.

Family Living Room
The family room will be one of the most used rooms, especially if you have children. It should be a room to show your personality with colours, photos and accessories. It should be a room you can relax in at the end of the day once the kids are in bed, but also a room where there's enough space for the kids to play.

Walls - Give your walls a good fresh up by painting them or re-wallpapering. It may be a good idea to choose a feature wall, to catch an eye. Feature walls are great for making a room feel even cosier.

Add accessories - Adding accessories into a room will make changes to your family room. Adding family photos, wall prints or canvases. Every little detail brings personality and a change in the room.

Sideboard - I personally think a sideboard looks great in family rooms. It makes a huge difference to a room, but not only that, it helps de-clutter the room too. It gives you more storage to keep toys away, or letters, papers or anything else you need to hide away.

This is a collaborative post

Our 2018

I am slightly late with this post, but I didn't want to miss it. I love looking back at these posts and looking back at the things we did throughout the year. 2018 was a different kind of year, it was full of challenges and I certainly changed a lot over the 12 months, changed in a good way. I have a few goals I'd like to achieve for this new year, but first, here are a few photos and memories from the year 2018.

JANUARY

January 2018 saw Freddie turn 18 months old and I still can't believe to this day how much he has changed. So many things have changed about the kids throughout 2018. The two photos above are just some of my absolute favourite photos, ever. This month also saw me preparing myself for a 3-4 week of solo parenting as my partner went to New Zealand with a friend.

FEBRUARY

February was an exciting month for us. Although I missed my partner like crazy and the kids missed their Dad. We were actually really busy. Freddie experienced his first time in the snow, and he loved it. There was so much snow, and we spent a lot of time out in it. I also took my sister and the girls down to Liverpool, which was lovely. We all really enjoyed ourselves and I can't wait to do it again.

MARCH

March was an exciting month as my littlest beautiful girl turned a huge six years old. She had so much fun at her party. I planned a Moana to come and sing at her party and she was obsessed. She still loves her to this very day and always talks about her party. There were also more snow days in March, this time, my partner was home and was able to have fun with us too! 

APRIL

April was full of adventures to national trust parks such as Plas Newydd and Penrhyn Castle. We were also lucky enough to celebrate the wedding of my uncle and his beautiful partner. It was such a wonderful day seeing everyone happy. 

MAY

May was a lovely month spent with a lovely friend and making memories with family too. This post here shares what we were up to through May.

JUNE

In June I got my new king size bed, which I still love now. I wrote this post about my three children and I just adore the photos. June was a month we spent out in the back garden alot during the warmer weather, having bbq's and so picnics.

JULY

Firstly, my youngest, my son, turned two years old in July. We celebrated by taking him to Gypsy Woods, and he loved it there. Also, during July we went to celebrate a family members' daughters Christening, which I, unforutently badly sprained my ankle by falling *embarrassing* We also had the chance to visit Greenwoods Family Fun Evening which we really enjoyed.

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER