Nine Reasons To Use A Storage Facility

Run out of room at home? Office overflowing? Got a child coming home from university for the

summer and worrying about where on earth you’re going to keep their things? Why not consider

using a storage facility to create some space? Here are nine reasons to use a storage facility. 

Image - free for commercial use

Moving house. When you’re moving house, the overlap between houses can be stressful. If you’ve got a

gap between houses, it’s even more frustrating, especially if you’re trying to work out where to store your

furniture while you’re staying with family.

A storage facility like https://storebox.co.uk/self-storage-nottingham/ is a great between stage. 

Store a collection. If you’re a collector, but are starting to find your collection is taking over your house,

consider a storage unit to store it. Whether it’s records or vintage teacups, you can store your collection

safely and securely, away from normal daily life where they might get broken.

Store equipment for a hobby. Do you take part in a hobby that requires bulky kit, like cycling, skiing or

snowboarding? Storage is a great place to keep equipment you don’t need all the time, without it taking

over your house or garage at home. You can keep things out of the way but still accessible.

Are you renovating your home? Building work is messy, whether you’re building an extension or having

the kitchen refitted. Protect your furniture and save yourself from living among piles of furniture by

moving things that will be in the way to a storage unit. It’s out of the way and protected from damage.

If you’re downsizing, it can take a while to work out what to do with furniture you don’t have enough

room for in the new place. Put extra items into storage so they’re out of the way while you decide

whether you’re going to sell them or give them away.

If your family is growing, your house can quickly become chaos with new things for the baby. While

you’re getting the nursery ready, you can use a storage unit to store things like cots, pushchairs and

toys until you’re ready for them.

If you’ve got a child at university, they probably come home every summer with a lot of stuff. From

boxes of dishes to furniture they added to the student halls, they’ll need somewhere to put it all.

Storage units are the ideal place to keep their things until they go back to university. 

Have you decided to go travelling? If you’re renting out your house, but don’t want to include your

furniture, you’ll need to find somewhere to keep it all while you’re away. A storage unity is ideal. 

Life changes can throw you off track, whether it’s a divorce, marriage or a bereavement. Storage with

a flexible contract can be useful if you need somewhere to keep things as you combine or divide a

household, or clear out the home of a loved one who has passed away. 

collaborative post

Family Camping Checklist

Shockingly I have never been camping, only in the back garden. There have been many reasons for this, but as each year is passing by, I am more eager to go out for our first proper family camp. Especially now that I work in Millets that sells everything you need for camping and outdoor adventures. We've not been able to go camping this summer holidays because of my work days and hours, as well as my partners working hours.

Although we've not been able to plan our camping trip yet, we are planning to go camping very soon before the winter properly hits in - hopefully, grab a bargain while we are at it too. I am so excited to go camping with the kids and my partner. The kids are beyond excited and always asking. I'm always searching for checklists for first-time campers as I find doing a checklist helps make sure that we have everything going with us.

Family Camping Checklist

Tent - There are two types of tents, your classic pole tents and the more modernised air tents. Air tents are a lot stronger, especially during some windy weathers. There's quite a price difference but in the long run, depending how many times you use it, it's worth the money. Air tents are pretty quick to put up, a lot quicker than your poled tents. 

Also, talking about tents, always go 1 or 2 berths over what you want, so you have room for your equipment and other bits! 

Sleeping bags - These are a must when going camping. When buying your sleeping bags, make sure you're buying the right one for the right season. There are 4 seasons, some bags do 1-2 some do 2-3 and some do all 4 seasons. It may be a good idea to spend a reasonable amount of money on a good sleeping bag for it to be a good one.

Air Beds - For your night sleep to be more comfortable, rise up from the ground by sleeping on a decent air bed. The store I work in sell many air beds and they're very popular. 

Lighting - There are many different kinds of camping lights to choose from. You can buy hand held lanterns or ones that hang in your tent. It's always a good idea to buy some camping lights, especially for the evenings.

Cooking - Of course you will need some cooking equipment. From accessories to the cooking equipment to cook your food. 

Camping Chairs - Always a good idea to bring some camping chairs with you for somewhere to chill in the evening or during the day! Comfier than sitting on the floor isn't it?

Camera - I will always say this with any adventure that you do - bring a camera! Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something to capture some memories of your adventure. 

Here are just a few more things to tick off the list...

Groundsheets

Ear plugs

Insect repellent

First Aid Kit

Microfibre Towels

Spare clothes

Suitable clothing

Camping table

Sleeping pillow

Board games

Duct tape (just incase!)

What else would you bring on your camping trip?

Preparing For a New Puppy

My partner has wanted a dog in our family for many years, but in my opinion, bringing a dog into your family is one huge decision. It's a huge responsibility and not only that, there's an extra cost too. It took me over 7 years to finally give in and make the decision to bring a dog into our family. I wanted to make sure that I was in the right place myself and that I was definitely done having children.

Our Ollie is now 8 months old, and I couldn't imagine life without him. It's been difficult, don't get me wrong. We are first-time dog owners, and I think he has mixed in with our family pretty well. He adores the kids, and they love him too. I remember when we told the kids that we were getting a dog and having those weeks to prepare ourselves before he came into our family. There was a lot of learning and preparation to do, and I thought I'd share what I learnt along the way of preparing for our new puppy:

1. Food
We were puzzled to find the right food for our puppy, but after lots of recommendations, we finally settled for Hill's™ Science Plan™. Not only is the food suitable for puppies and dog, but it's also a great 
tasting for them. Their food is high-quality something to look in for when buying your dog food. 
It's important to buy the right food with the right high quality ingredients to give them the 
best benefits in their life. Another reason we were happy with our dog food choice was the 
benefits that Hill's food had such as the omega-3 and optimal minerals levels for mobility and 
skeletal development. This particular Hill's™ Science Plan™ Puppy Healthy Development™ Medium Chicken is formulated to support their immunity and mobility with clinically proven antioxidants. 

2. Sleeping area
This is where you will need to decide if you are going to crate train your puppy or not. We did at the beginning, and we got the XL size crate. Ollie now has a little room next to our kitchen, there's a safety gate in between, so he's not able to access the house on his own when we are out.
We try to make him sleeping area cosy by adding lots of bedding, toys and cosy blankets and beds. There are a few reasonably priced dog beds on eBay and pet stores.

3. Puppy Proof!
This is something we didn't really prepare ourselves for. As Ollie is a big dog, and grew really quick, he can reach most things. I would definitely recommend puppy proofing your home. Move anything smashable and valuable as they will probably try and bite/chew it. Not only that, but if you are not wanting your puppy to go upstairs or into certain rooms of the house, prepare yourself by buying safety gates.

4. Accessories
There's a lot of things you will need to buy, from the dog lead, doggy poo bags, treats, toys, beds and much more. You can find most of these things in local pet stores, and there are many online stores too that will also sell these things.

5. Register with a vets
Find the right vet for your puppy. It may also be best to sign up with any pet plans, this will be great for monthly check-ups, vaccinations, worming and so on. Vets are great to help you with any advice too or if there's anything wrong with your puppy.

This is a sponsored post - working with Hill's Science Plan.

Essential Life Skills To Teach Your Kids

Life skills are valuable lessons that people use throughout their lifetime. Unlike many of the things you
learn at school, such as trigonometry or geography, these lessons are ones that your kids must learn
to live as functioning adults. The problem is, many children don’t learn how to handle real-life situations
in school. This means that, when they leave home and go on to further education, they don’t know how
to truly live independently. Even if university is a long way away, you should start teaching these
practical lessons now. With that in mind, here are seven life skills for your kids. 

Source - CC0 License

1. Buying The Groceries

Teaching children to be smart consumers definitely takes practice. Rather than expecting your kids to
know how to comparison shop, you should show them what you do and explain to them why. For
example, you show that bulk buying costs less by comparing the price of a multipack of beans with
single cans. You can also ask them to help you write shopping lists before you leave the house. This
conveys the importance of lists and shows which goods are essentials. 

2. Preparing A Meal

Cooking dinner by yourself might be the quicker option, but it doesn’t teach your children anything. For
this reason, you should invite your kids to help you make meals. Take the time to assign them jobs and
stay calm throughout the process, even if they make a mistake. Depending on the ages of your children,
there are many tasks that they could try. While the younger kids wash vegetables, you could ask the
older ones to peel and chop them. 

3. Answering The Phone

Everyone needs to know how to make a phone call, especially in emergency situations. If your children
are too young to have their own mobiles, then visit a telephone shop. Landlines are a great teaching
tool for younger kids, as they come without the temptations many smartphones have, like music, games,
and videos. When you have a landline, your kids can give their friends the number. This allows them to
stay connected and learn how to answer the phone politely. 

4. Wrapping A Gift

Giving presents is just as rewarding, if not more so, as receiving them. What makes the act even more
satisfying is picking it, purchasing it, and wrapping it yourself. If your child has done the first two
themselves, they only need to learn how to wrap the gift. Kids aged five and younger should have no
trouble cutting the paper and sticking on the tape, while older ones should be able to do the whole task
with your help. Just remember to remind them to remove the price tag. 

5. Cleaning The House

Every parent could do with a little help now and then. If you’ve been completing all of the housework
yourself, you should ask your children to lend a hand. They’ll need to learn how to clean eventually
anyway. Begin with an age-appropriate chore chart, which could include dusting the shelves, making
the bed, and emptying the dishwasher. You should also ask that your kids clean up their own messes.
While many don’t, some parents pay their kids to do their chores. 

6. Treating A Wound

Kids mimic and learn from the behaviours of their parents. This is why most people who are scared of
blood have a parent that is also scared of blood. To keep your children from developing this fear, you
can’t freak out when they hurt themselves. Instead, you should take the opportunity to teach them how
to treat the wound. Show them to apply pressure until the bleeding stops, rinse the cut with water, apply
an antibiotic ointment, and then cover the injury with a plaster. 

Source - CC0 License

7. Making A Friend

There is a very good chance that you will move house at some point in the future. Even if you don’t,
your children will eventually leave school and begin attending a new one. Leaving friends behind can
be scary, but knowing how to make a new friend will make the transition easier for your kids. If you think
it will help, you should role-play meeting new people with each other. Show your children that a happy
smile will always help and that a polite question can break the ice. 

Kids learn a lot at school, but some of the most important lessons are left to you to teach. Hopefully,
with the advice above, you should have no trouble raising confident, smart, and independent children. 

collaborative post

LeapFrog Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart

We were recently kindly gifted the Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart by LeapFrog, and I was super excited to see what it was all about. For the past few weeks, I've heard many people recommending it, and I did wonder what was so good about a toy? I've always known LeapFrog do great toys for children as I've previously bought many LeapFrog toys in the past for my three. So I was looking forward to finding out what was so good about the LeapFrog Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart.

Firstly, it was straightforward to put together. I simply just had to clip the top half and the handle into the cart. The other small things that needed adding were the stickers and to place the ice cream accessories onto the cart. There's nothing worse than your little one waiting for their toy to be built - we all know how impatient little ones can be, don't we?

I love how bright and colourful the cart and the accessories are. Many accessories come along with the cart, for your little ones to make the perfect ice cream for you or/and their friends. To make it more exciting, there are 6 activity cards which you stick on top of the till, which will then tell you their order. This is great for helping little ones with their colours, counting and creativity too!

Educational toys are great and a huge bonus. There are many positive educational fun with the Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart such as memory, numbers, colours, matching, stacking/coordination and sequencing. There are lots of things for your little one to learn, and that's what makes this toy the ideal gift. Not only that, but it also plays music as you push the cart along.

The Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart is aimed towards ages 2+ years. My children are 3, 7 and 9. My two eldest love playing and it's by far my 3 year old's favourite toy so far. He's had hours of fun playing and making us all order our favourite ice cream. It's always lovely watching him learn which colours go with which flavourings and watching him use his imagination too.

Overall, I honestly would recommend this toy. It's a really great gift for any little one, and I am certain your little ones will love it just as much as my kids love it. The toy is great for learning and brilliant for role play - which is so important for little ones.

* I am part of the LeapFrog Play Panel for 2019 and receive some products in return for an honest review. Although this is a collaboration, all words, opinions and images are my own. 

Our Day Out in Llanberis

It's crazy how fast the summer holidays are flying by. As we're unable to go out as a family this summer, I've been taking the kids out on my own on my days off work. As I work on the weekend, we're unable to go out as a family on the weekend (with my partner). My partner is off on the weekend and working during the week. However, he is meant to be planning a day off at some point during the holidays, for us all to have a day together.

Last week the kids and I headed off to one of my favourite places in North Wales, Llanberis. We were so lucky that the weather was beautiful and we didn't need to wrap up in coats or waterproofs. I packed us a picnic in the bag along with a few other bits that would keep the kids entertained. The kids were super excited and were even excited to go to Llanberis on the bus! We had to catch two different buses to get there, and it took us roughly 45 minutes in total.

When we arrived, we went straight to the side where the Slate Museum was. I went to book some train tickets, and while waiting for our booked train, we went to the park in the Slate Museum - which is free entry. There's just so much to do there, and the kids absolutely love it there.

When we got on the train, the kids were excited, to begin with but got pretty bored near the end. We decided to eat our picnic on the train, and I had to entertain Freddie near the end. I think they were all pretty tired and getting on each others nerves! I loved the train ride. It goes from one side of the lake to the end of the lake. The views are just breathtaking.

After we got off the train, my Dad and brother, Sean, met up with us. We went back to the slate museum and had a look around at all the old work stations etc. The kids were interested, but couldn't wait to get back to the park. I think the park was one of their highlights!

We then decided to go for a walk to the Quarry hospital, which is a bit of treck. We walked alongside the lake and walked up to the path to the hospital. The kids loved looking in each room in the hospital. Afterwards, they played outside while my Dad and I had a sit-down and just chatted about everything and anything.

When we decided it was time to go home, we walked down through the forest path, which was a nice change. It's always nice taking a different path than the one you came from. I wanted to go up to see the castle but didn't have enough time. So I've decided we will definitely do that next time we visit, which will probably be very soon!

It was such a lovely and memorable day. It was lovely spending time with my Dad and brother, and especially the kids. The kids loved it and were absolutely shattered at the end of the day. When we arrived in Caernarfon, we decided to get a chippy (the kids did), and my partner picked us up. In the evening, my partner, the girls and I went to watch Lion King, which was an amazing film.

How I Take and Edit My Blog Photos

Ever since I was given my first ever camera, I've always had a huge interest in photography. But once I started my blog over six years ago, that's when I really started to learn myself on how to take photos and edit them to my style. If you've followed my blog for a good few years, you will realise that my photos have changed massively since I started blogging. I am still learning now, but I am happy with a lot of photos that I take.

I thought I'd share a few of my favourite photos in this post, as well as some of my top tips on taking the right picture and how I edit my photos too.

1. Camera
First of all, you need to find the right camera, and if you're looking for a slightly lighter camera than a DSLR, then a (Professional) Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras would be a great alternative. I currently have a mirrorless camera, and I love it. It's not too bulky, and it takes high-quality photos - which is something I was looking for when I was searching for one.

2. Lighting
When you're taking photos, make sure there is enough natural lighting. I don't think there is anything better than capturing a picture with natural light. Something I rarely do is put a flash on when I take a photo with my camera, but if it is too dark and I'm at home, then a ring light will help me sometimes.

3. Put it on the right setting
When I'm out an about I make sure I put the camera setting on 'Sport' which means it captures quick movements without any blurriness. This especially helps when the kids are around. There have been many times I've been able to capture the kids in action such as jumping, running and skipping etc. But when it's a still photo, I like to use portrait and put a main focus on one particular item/person in the photo.

4. Patience
Taking a photo and editing sounds like a quick and easy job, but it honestly isn't. First of all, you need to take as many photos as you can to find the right shot. Editing then can take a good while to make sure you've not over-done it and making sure you've done it to your taste. Patience is needed.

5. Editing
I use a free photo editing site called FotoJet to edit my photos and I've never been disappointed. I do pay monthly to gain full access, and it's a very reasonable price considering how much things you can do to make sure you get the right edit for your photo.

This is a paid post.

Casdon Flymo Toy Lawnmower

How lovely has the weather been recently? We've been spending most of our time in the back garden. The kids have loved playing with their outdoor toys, and the newest addition is the Flymo Toy Lawnmower by Casdon. It's a bright orange lawnmower, just like the real Flymo. Freddie especially has been loving role-play by pretending to mow the lawn and being like his Daddy.

The Flymo Toy Lawnmower was really easy to put together. All you have to do is clip the two handles together, then clip that into the lawnmower itself and there you go. The product is really good solid quality and also has four wheels underneath which makes it easier for your little one to push around.

My little boy, Freddie, is now three years old and he's at the age where he loves role play. Roleplay is so important in children's lives. It learns them so many things as they grow up but not only that, they
also use their imaginations and that is something I love to hear and watch. Kids imaginations are just amazing.

The Flymo Toy Lawnmower is a great gift for your little one or a friends little one. My boy has had hours of fun indoors and outdoors. For an affordable price of £12.99 you can't go wrong.



- we were kindly gifted this product in return for an honest review.
all words are my own.

How to make your bathroom family-friendly.

There's more to designing a bathroom than picking a colour scheme, tiles and a bathroom suite when

designing a bathroom with the family in mind.  Parents also need to think about practicality and

safety. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the best ways of designing a family-friendly bathroom. 

Have more storage space than you think you will need.

The bathroom is the most used room in the house and it's used by people of all ages, when it comes

to children quite often you need to bribe them to get into the bath and this can be done through the use

of bathroom toys.  Toys in the bathroom along with everything else an adult needs to keep clean soon

take up a lot of space, therefore you are going to need storage.

If you have a larger bathroom, storage generally isn't an issue, but if you have a smaller bathroom it can

get cluttered very quickly. One way around this is to pick the right bathroom furniture for your room.

Combination units are a great addition to the bathroom as they combine the most used elements such

as a sink, toilet and cupboard space into an all in one solution.

Bathroom suites come in many shapes and types and the one you choose should also be taken into

consideration.  If space is an issue you can combine your bath with a shower.  

Purchase a step stool.

How many of us have fallen or slipped when we have overreached for something in the past? The same

could happen with your children and the bathroom is one place you don't want your child falling.

A step stool can be one of the most cost-effective pieces of furniture that you can purchase to help your

child reach items in your bathroom without overreaching.  A step stool can be used to help your child get

up onto the toilet or it can be used to help them stand over the sink when brushing their teeth.

You can purchase multiple step-stools depending on the age of your child or if you have more than

one child.

Smart flooring choices.

Tiles look great in the bathroom and there are so many options and types to choose from, but when

designing a family-friendly bathroom you should think of safety first.  Non-slip tiles are a must and they

make slips, trips and falls much less likely, however, you should always watch over your children when

they are using the bathroom.

You can also purchase non-slip bathroom mats which children can use to dry their feet on, just make

sure the edges don't roll up as this can present a trip hazard.  

If you're considering marble flooring in the bathroom you should know that marble gets extremely

slippery when wet so it should be avoided until your little ones are older, marble looks great but it's not

worth the risk.

Finally, underfloor heating is also an option, keeping your floor tiles warm can dry up and splashes or

spills quickly.  Underfloor heating also removes the need for a traditional radiator which takes up room,

replacing this allows for more storage space.

Thermostatic taps.

Scalding water is a major danger to small children in the bathroom.  To make your bathroom child-friendly

you should install thermostatic taps that can regulate your water temperature to prevent any nasty scalding

accidents.  If you can't afford to replace the taps in your bathroom right away you could also adjust the

water temperature on your boiler.

Adjusting the water temperature on your boiler is easy and can also save your family money as the

heating costs will be considerably less when you are not warming the water up to boiling every single

use.

Secure your bathroom furniture.

When your children enter your bathroom it's as if they have been placed under a spell and think they are

the newest members of the Cirque du Soleil.  Children often swing from basin to toilet and back again

which can be very dangerous.

Firstly try to stop your children from doing this (easier said than done) and make sure that all your

bathroom furniture is securely fitted.  The last thing any parent wants is their child to fall in the bathroom

and the sink to come down on them.

Consider more units, fixtures and accessories.

In a family bathroom, you are going to be fighting with other relatives when getting ready. If space allows

it, you should look to add more units, more sinks and anything else you can think of that more than one

person would use at a time.

His and her sinks can be a lifesaver when you have a small family, especially when you have more than

one child and have to fight with them to brush their teeth at the same time.

Conclusion.

Making your bathroom family-friendly requires a little planning, thankfully using a little common sense

can go along way and smart decisions when designing your bathroom can minimise the risk to your

family.

Creating a family bathroom isn't about painting a children's theme onto the walls, it's more about creating

a safe space that can be used by all members of the family from young to old.

All of the tips above should help when designing your bathroom with your family in mind.  If you have

any tips that could help please comment them below.

this is a collaborative post