PRETTY YOUNG THING

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Spring is on its way, well, according to the calendar anyway, the weather seems to have other ideas. But whilst we wait for it to show its face in terms of sun and warmth, there are some small additions and chances you can make to your home to ensure it’s ready for spring.

These are the simple ways to update your home for spring this year.

Change your cushion covers and throws
Cushions and throws are easy ways to add some colours into your rooms, and whilst heavy jacquard and velvet fabrics work well through autumn/winter, changing them for linen materials and printed cottons makes them ideal for spring/summer.

Switch from deep and dark colours through winter to lighter and brighter shades in the summer months.

New bedding
Give your bedroom a new look with some printed bedding or a clean and crisp new set. Again choose something bright and light that will give the room a clean feeling that we associate with the brighter days of spring.

Flowers
Floras for spring might not seem revolutionary, but it works. As much as we love the idea of plants throughout the house, make your home spring-ready with the addition of flowers. Whilst it might not be cost effective to have fresh flowers in every room, add in some fake ones to the spaces that you don’t sit for hours.
Keep fresh flowers in your living room or kitchen, and then add in some fake ones to your bedroom, bathroom or dining room. This way you’ll add some instant colour to the space and won’t have to worry about replacing them regularly.

Colour
Add bright colours or pastels to your rooms in the forms of vases or other trinkets, perfect if your rooms are mainly neutral shades as this will definitely make them more spring ready.

Rearrange furniture
Give a room a new look by simply moving around the furniture if you can. It’ll take a little heavy lifting and effort, but it won’t cost you a thing and you’ll give the space a whole new look.

Solar garden lights
With the days getting longer, and hopefully the sun making a more regular appearance adding in some First Lighting solar garden lights will make your garden instantly more appealable. If you have some lights outside you’re more likely to utilise the space once the sun has gone down, and solar garden lights are easy to install and incredibly cost effective too.

New scents
Change the scent of your rooms and home by adding in some new room diffusers and candles. Keep things light and fresh which are perfect for spring and summer.

Remove clutter
If you’d prefer your home to be bright and clean for spring, you might prefer to pack things away like cushions, throws, vases etc. Remove bits of clutter from the rooms and keep things tidy this season.

Replace curtains
Change the curtains in your home from heavy fabrics, to lighter and thinner design which are great to let even more light into the rooms. Perfect for when the sun is shining the whole day.

Bring more light to your hallway
The hallway is the first place that guests will see, and if your hallway doesn’t get a lot of natural sunlight, it might be best to add some lights to the space so that it’s bright and light throughout summer. Interesting and fun table lamps will add novelty, or keep things fuss-free with wall lights.

Buy a new rug! You wouldn't believe how much difference a rug makes to a room. I'm actually on the lookout for a new rug for our living room as ours is just getting old and tired. I'm after something light and neutral so if I change the colours of the room that it will still fit in. By going for a nice light colour i'm hoping that the room will look fresher and bigger. We have carpet in our living room so i've used the infographic below to help pick out the perfect rug. We have quite thin carpets so I think a nice thick rug will add some texture to the room.







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Our baby girl is due anytime now, my due date is just under 2 weeks away but I have a feeling that she's going to make an early arrival. We have started to get her nursery together but she won't actually be sleeping in there for a few months yet as they have to sleep in your room for the first 6 months. Her room so far has a cot and a few toys and her clothes but its very neutral and plain and I just want to add a few pretty girly bits to make it look pretty and girly. I'm not planning on spending loads of money on her room as we rent so won't be living here forever.

I thought i'd just do a post featuring a few room ideas and products that i've spotted that I want to get or have got already for bubba's room. I will be doing a nursery tour once i've got a few more bits and once her room is finished.

I want her room to be pretty but not over the top, I just want a few nice simple prints and patterns. I'm thinking a pink, white and grey colour scheme. I will be keeping the walls white, as I mentioned above we are renting right now so I don't fancy spending lots of money painting. I have seen little reusable wall decals online so might get something to add a little bit of colour/ pattern to the walls. I was thinking maybe some polka dots in pink or rose gold to add a little something. I am planning on putting up a couple of picture shelves so I can have a few nice prints on the walls. I've picked out a couple here, the prints will be quite simple and I will get some plain white or black frames from Ikea.

We do need to get a blind for the nursery too as we only have a little curtain up at the moment and I want to get a blackout blind so that the room is really dark during the day so it's easier for the baby to sleep. Ambition Blinds have a huge selection of blinds including a selection of blackout roller blinds and vertical blinds. Around the window area I want to hang some bunting or fairy lights too to make it pretty and girly.

I've actually got this rug from Amara ready to pop in the nursery, It's a nice grey and white rug with stars on so it's neutral and could easily be used in any room, not just a nursery. I think the grey and white will pull everything together and it's a really decent size.

I want to get some nice monochrome bedding, i'm loving this half moon pattern and have managed to find some fitted sheets for the cot in this print which i'm really excited about. I will get a few pink sheets too but I was thinking of keeping the bedding monochrome and then getting a few pretty cushions and toys to make her cot prettier. I love this cloud cushion from Sass and Belle and think its perfect for a nursery.

I want to make a DIY mobile for bubbas cot, I've been thinking about making one with clouds on or wool pom poms on. I will be sticking to the pink, grey and white theme. I really need to make a start on this as shes going to be here soon.

That's it really so I think the room is going to be pretty clean and white with little pops of pink splashed around. I want to keep things pretty simple and just add little bits of pattern here and there. I think once she starts playing with toys and reading books that there will be plenty of colour around but for now I just want it to look pretty and be somewhere she can get a good nights sleep.






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We've been making some changes to the apartment and we will be painting and giving the whole place a fresh new look. I've started already with the living room by adding some new accessories and changing the colour theme. We are going to do the bedrooms next and then the bathrooms ( we have an en-suite aswell as our main bathroom)

Our bathroom suites are white and we are going to freshen up the paintwork, keeping it all white and fresh. I want to add some new accessories to give the bathrooms a complete makeover.

I love this huge round mirror, it's from Habitat and is gorgeous, it's on trend and will make a big difference.

I'm loving these copper bathroom accessories and think they will add a really nice addition and refresh the whole room.

I really like this Blush Pink colour right now so might pick up a few towels and accessories in this colour, we have blue towels at the moment so this will make quite a big difference.

This long mirror radiator from DesignerRadiatorShowroom.co.uk comes in a Rose Gold colour which would be so cool and would match with my colour theme perfectly. You can actually head over to the DesignerRadiatorShowroom.co.uk website to enter a competition to win £250 to spend on making your dream bathroom into a reality.

Check out my Pinterest board here with lots more bathroom inspiration and ideas to create my perfect bathroom.

* I have not been paid for this post, I was kindly gifted a gift voucher for attending the event. This post is honest and my own opinions and views.

The Danish concept of Hygge is the idea of creating a nice, warm, cosy environment and is believed to be the reason why Denmark is voted the happiest country in the world. By appreciating the small things in life and enjoying the good things in life with the people you love you can also incorporate Hygge into your lifestyle.

I thought i'd share a few tips and ways you can create a cosy and comfortable atmosphere and how to can use interiors to turn your home into a calm sanctuary.

Baytree Interiors are home interior specialists who have been helping people personalise their homes for many years and they believe these tips can create a perfect sanctuary.

• Hygge mostly compromises of using natural materials and textures. Use a mixture of products such as wood and leather against cosier textures like faux fur and fluffy rugs. 
• Keep the colour scheme neutral, greys and browns give the feeling of nature being inside. 
• Lighting is the easiest way to create a cosy and warm environment. Using lamps and candles creates soothing pools of light in your home. 

For more tips on Creating the perfect winter sanctuary with the Danish concept of Hygge check out this post on Strawberrysqueeze.co.uk

I thought i'd include a few of my own tips too as I think our flat is always nice and cosy so here's a few things i've found create a cosy environment.

• On an evening we use lamps in the living room instead of the ceiling light. I think lamps create a really lovely warm space. 
• We have blankets and throws on the sofas, these are perfect when you get abit chilly and want to cover up your legs to keep you snug.
• I like to light a candle to create a relaxing space, my favourite is the Neom Tranquility Candle which smells amazing and makes me ready for bed. 
• Turning the TV off and reading a book or listening to some relaxing music can create a relaxing environment. 

Today i'm sharing some Dining Room inspiration with you, I actually don't have a Dining Room but when we have a house I really want a Dining Room, at my parents we always use it and have family meals and even last night we went round for dinner and my aunt and cousin came too and it was lovely to sit around the table and eat dinner and chat. My parents dining room is open plan with their kitchen so when we have people round for parties etc the Kitchen/ Dining room is where the party happens.

I've got a couple of inspiration boards to share today both feature items from Fishpools, they have a huge selection of Dining Room products  so lots from Dining Tables and sets and Bar Stools. They also have a range of accessories to kit your new dining room out too.

I've gone for a more traditional dining set above, if you live in a more traditional house or your kitchen/ dining room isn't very modern you may want to go for something like this. I love the Wooden top on the table and think white furniture is great to make a room look clean and bright. The dining table has a cottage feel to it which I love. I think this side table would look fab and i'd add some colour to the room using curtains and textiles. This dining set is gorgeous this would be a great way to add colour to the room during a dinner party.

Below is a more modern style dining table and i've added some more modern accessories. Mirrored furniture always looks more modern to me, and i've picked out a monochrome dining set as again I think this would look more modern. The table and chairs set look really modern and clean, I love them and if I moved into a modern house I'd go for something like this. I would decorate with silver / mirrored furniture and accessories like these tealight holders and this gorgeous mirror.

All these items can be found at Fishpools.co.uk and they have a huge selection of furniture for your whole house not just your dining room.


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I'm feeling so festive and Christmassy right now, i've even got Clint to get our Christmas Decorations out of the loft, I think i'm going to put our tree up next week. I don't normally feel festive until December but this year I feel like i've started getting ready for Christmas really early, I think Clint has basically finished his Christmas shopping and i've already been wrapping presents, ITS NOVEMBER!

Anyway, I thought i'd share some really cute festive homewear bits that i've spotted recently, I don't really need anymore Christmas homewear but here's a bit of a wishlist that i've managed to compile.

I love Christmas Bedding! Both of these duvet covers are from Yorkshire Linen, I love the penguin set! I don't have anything like this and I LOVE PENGUINS! I think this is really wintery and sweet, the other set is a more subtle snowflake design, I think red bedding automatically makes you feel wintery and Christmassy. Both of these sets are a Flannelette material which is so soft and cosy, I love having flannelette bedding at Christmas time. I also love throws and blankets, I always have a throw at the end of my bed and I have a few Christmassy ones. I love this Teddy throw in Silver from Yorkshire Linen. It looks so fluffy and I love that it's silver, it would look really festive and would go perfectly with the Penguin bedding that i've picked out.

How cute is this 'Baby it's cold outside' cushion from Asda, I love the gold writing and think it would look great with the Penguin bedding and the silver throw! This polar bear cushion is also from Asda, check out Christmas at Home with Asda here.

I just love Christmas Candles and really want this Neom Candle I spotted it in M&S and made sure that I pointed it out to Clint so I hope I get a nice new Candle for Christmas. I also thought i'd include a couple of Yankee Candles as they have some amazing scents for Christmas including Candy Cane Lane.






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Today's post is kind of an up to date flat tour aswell as some tips on how to turn a small rented space into a home. Clint and myself have been living together for a year in our little flat and it's been great! we love living together and having our own space. Sometimes with rented accommodation you can't make all the changes you'd like but that shouldn't stop you from making it a home. Here's a few tips on how we have made our flat feel like a home and how we make the most of the space we have.

BEDROOM:

In the bedroom we have our bed and some bedside tables and my dressing table. We have underbed storage boxes which I keep some of my make up and toiletries in, these are really handy because you can just pull them out as and when you need them. I have a set of Helmer drawers from Ikea which I use to store most of my make up and everyday bits and then I have a plastic organiser on my dressing table for my everyday make up. The drawers keep the room tidy because it means most of my things are hidden away, the drawers also double up as a bedside table for this side of the bed, which saves up space. There's so many different ways that you can save space and i'm working alongside Bed Guru on their #SmallSpaceSleeping campaign. Bed Guru have just launched a collection of convenient self assembly / slot together beds and headboards called The Landmark Collection. It's such a great idea, they are easy to put together and take apart if your moving, so if like us you live on the third floor with no lift and plan on moving house, it would be so easy to take the bed apart and move it to another house. Or if you have a tight small space you could build the bed up in that small space easily just by slotting the pieces together.  To make the room abit more cosy and homely, we have some photos on our window ledge in our bedroom and I have some of my favourite books on the bedside table. I like having my make up out and on show because I really love makeup and this makes my room personal to me. The lights around the bed are really cosy and make the room feel snug and relaxing.

BATHROOM:

We have two bathrooms, our main bathroom is very tidy and we don't have much in there apart from our linen basket and I have a tiny basket which I keep my bath bombs in. In the en-suite which is the bathroom we use the most I have this bamboo unit which I keep my skincare bits and shampoos etc inside to keep the bathroom tidy. I knew I wanted to get a nice unit like this for the bathroom to keep it organised, I got this from Tiger a while ago.

HALLWAY:

In our hallway we have a closet which we store our coats and towels in, this is a bit of a mess and has random things like the ironing board and washing basket inside. We have this Kalex unit from Ikea in the hallway too which we put the wifi box on the top aswell as some candles and a little tray to put our keys. The Kalex is great because you can buy these storage boxes to go inside and we actually keep shoes inside. We also have this little white basket which has more shoes inside too. Add some photos to your hallway to make it feel more personal and like your home.

LIVING ROOM:

I think our living room is really cosy and I love it. Our tv stand is from ikea and I love that it has doors on the front, inside we keep DVD's and the Xbox. This just keeps it looking tidy but has everything inside that we need. I love the lights by the TV it makes the room look so cosy on the evening when we have them switched on, I like to have some candles in the living room too.
We also have this coffee table also from Ikea and this is really handy to pop drinks on or snacks when people come over. We didn't have a coffee table for a while because I thought the room was too small but I think it fits perfectly and it's great that we have somewhere for people to put drinks. I like this one has the little shelf underneath which is handy to keep books or just general bits and pieces.
We have another Kalex unit in the living room which we have a lamp on and again we use the storage boxes to keep random bits inside so it's nice and tidy.

I think you can make a small space really feel like a home by just adding a few things and you don't have to spend loads of money. Fairy lights make a room look really cosy and you can pick some up for a couple of quid. I prefer having a lamp on in the living room rather than a big lamp and again this creates a more cosy atmosphere, I also like to light a candle on the evening. Make your home personal, add photos or have your favourite books on your coffee table. You don't have to paint walls or have huge picture walls to make your flat feel like a home. We have pictures of us all over the flat from holidays or special occasions and I like to have fresh flowers in the living room, we also have a few cactus plants and succulents around the flat too. All our friends and family say our flat is cosy and feels like a home and I love this, I feel so comfortable in the flat and feel like we've really made it our own home.









* In collaboration with Bed Guru

It's getting so chilly right here in the UK so I thought i'd put together some tips on how to make your bedroom cosy. There's some really easy ways you can create a warm, cosy space so i'm going to share a few right now with you.

It's starting to get darker quicker so get yourself some fairy lights, I got mine from Primark and hang them on your bed or around your dressing table or window. This just adds a little bit of light for those dark evenings when you don't really want to switch your big light or lamp on. Fairy lights make a room so cute and cosy. I also light some candles, you can get some really amazing scents in the run up to Christmas like this Christmas candle by Neom, light these around the room again for a warm, cosy feel. I like to make myself a big mug of hot chocolate with cream and marshmellows and snuggle up in my bed and read a good book for a cosy evening in. Isn't this penguin mug from Primark so cute! Invest in your bed and mattress . By getting yourself a decent bed and mattress you will get a much better sleep. There's so many different types of Mattress to choose from, from Pocket Sprung to Memory Foam so it's worth doing your research and finding the perfect one for you. Sticking with beds, I tend to stock up on a few throws, when it gets cold its nice to have a throw at the bottom of the bed to keep your feet warm. This tartan print one from M&S is gorgeous and looks really nice and snug, perfect for the winter season. I picked up a few Christmas/ Wintery cushions last year so i'll be getting these out and popping them onto the bed again. This Follow your dreams one from Dunelm is so cute!

These are just a few little tips on how to make your room warm, snug and cosy for the winter. I hope you like them, how do you make your room cosy?

Check out my recent blog post all about my tips for de-stressing before bed, check it out here!










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