Why it’s Worth Getting an Outdoor Pizza Oven
Are outdoor portable pizza ovens any good? Read our review of the Gozney Roccbox to see how we got on with it. (Spoiler – I’m never buying supermarket pizza again).
Using a Smart Home System for a More Eco Friendly Home
Have you ever considered using smart home devices to reduce your energy output? Every year our gas and electricity bills go up, however much I nag about lights left on, and doors open to a freezing cold garden. I worry about the impact not only on our finances, but also on whether I’m personally doing enough to protect our planet. Advertorial content: this post contains links to Hive, who have paid me for my time in creating this post. All images and opinion is my own. I’ve been intrigued by the idea of eco-friendly smart home devices for a long …
Adding Extra Seating in the Teen Chillout Room With a Beanbag Armchair
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED When we moved into this house our priority was getting the kids bedrooms sorted, followed by the kitchen. We didn’t give a thought to the ‘dining room’ other than to gratefully claim it as a space to store the kids’ toys where we wouldn’t have to look at them as we tried to relax in the evenings. It gradually became the playroom, and we totally forgot about the ugly wallpaper and lack of curtains, closing the door on it every night so we didn’t have to tidy up Buzz Lightyear and 22,000 Lego bricks before dinner. The …
Health: Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit and Veg
Before you click away, this is definitely NOT a health food post! I enjoy roast pork, a citrusy Sauvignon, and cheese far too much to ever write a post about diets, and you will never find me advocating a protein bar. But. I know that there are things that make me feel generally better in myself. A daily walk in the fresh air; plenty of water; a few nights a week without alcohol; and a good amount of fruit and vegetables in my diet. The trouble is, when life is hectic, and food often comes in the variety of ‘grab’ …
Home: How to Save Money on Energy Bills Forever
Advertisement post: this post was sponsored by The Big Deal, and contains affiliate links I am 51 years old, I’ve been a homeowner for 26 years, and in that time I’ve switched my energy supplier just twice. Twice… I bet you’re the same – full of good intentions, well aware that you could be making a saving, but just too busy to ever get round to it. In fact, 60% of us have never switched supplier, just moving onto the standard tariff once our initial deal ends, and we’re overpaying by £200 to £300 per year! If you ever have …
Home: a Review of the iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum Cleaner
My kids have been on at me for months now about getting a dog. They will walk it; they will pick up its poo; they will feed it; and they will get up in the night when it cries/vomits/poos/needs a wee. Yeah, right. I have just about managed to come through the fog and exhaustion of early parenthood. Why would I want to go back to the chaos of broken nights, and cleaning up of bodily fluids? With the added bonus of no big holidays, and no spontaneous weekends away, because what would we do with the dog? No. There really is no point in a dog. Besides, …
Could you have Chefs of the Future? Tefal Cook4Me review
Review: The Tefal Cook4Me We’ve been letting the kids loose in the kitchen recently. They’re old enough now to know a few of the basics of preparing food, and both of them are really interested in creating meals, so cooking with the kids is much less stressful than it used to be when they were very young. What’s really made the difference though, is the addition of a new gadget to our kitchen. We’ve been working with Tefal to promote the Cook4Me, showing how easy it is to use by turning over the kitchen to the kids. Looking for more …
10 Tips for Cutting Costs as a Family #SaveSmarter
Last week I took a test. Devised by Aviva, the Financial Personality Tool promised to enlighten me as to my own particular strengths and weaknesses when it comes to money. It got me completely right, and opened my eyes to some opportunities to be a bit smarter about how I save, spend, and manage my finances. I took the test for my husband, and it agreed that my suspicions were correct: we should never have got married… That shock out of the way (who am I kidding, it was never a shock – I love him to bits, but gawd …
Home: A Star Wars Room Makeover
Recently, the Bug celebrated his eighth birthday. It has taken me eight years to give him the bedroom of his dreams, and four to post about phase 1. With phase 2 completed when he moved into his new bunk bed, I decided it was finally time to publish the cuteness that is him discovering his new Star Wars bedroom – he was four! How to create a Star Wars room makeover From the age of four, my son has been obsessed with Star Wars. Other themes have drifted in and out of his life (Skylanders, Moshi Monsters, Minions), but Star Wars …