During recent times, many of us have understandably fallen into bad habits and been pulled in by the temptation of munching on a bit too much fast food and sugary snacks for convenience at home. So, it’s time for your family to get active again and start following a healthier lifestyle.

We have come up with some suggestions of ways you can make sure your family gets fit and healthy once again this fall.

Why Ensuring You Do Physical Activity and Get Plenty of Exercises is So Important for Your Family

Exercise is essential to your family’s physical and mental wellbeing. Being more physically active helps improve essential organs such as your heart and lungs and means your body is much better equipped to fight off infections and diseases.

Staying physically fit is particularly important if you know your family has a history of a genetic family predisposition to serious health conditions such as heart and lung disease and cancer.

Making sure you’re physically fit is important for your daily family life. Being physically fit will help you to make sure daily tasks around the house get done such as chores, gardening, washing the car (s), and so on.

Make Sure as a Family You Follow a Healthy and Balanced Diet

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is crucial for enabling your family to stay active, keeping the pounds off, and looking after your bodies properly.

Watching what you eat is important to staying healthy and having a good diet. The seven factors essential for a balanced diet are carbs, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water. Eating plenty of fruit and veg and getting in those vitamins is vital for a healthy diet. The WHO (World Health Organisation) advises people to make sure they have 5 fruit and vegetables a day. Your family getting their 5 fruit and veg a day will make you all less at risk of suffering serious health conditions such as heart problems, cancer, and strokes.

It’s also important that members of your family monitor how much they eat so that you don’t all end up piling on the pounds or suffering from malnutrition if you don’t get enough nutrients from your diet. Daily guidelines recommend consuming around 2500 calories for men and 2000 calories for women.

Undeniably, anyone who has ever lived in the U.S will know that the temptations of eating junk food and drinking sugary drinks are everywhere. Your family may just need a little injection of motivation and self-discipline to follow a healthy and balanced diet.

Activities You Can Do That are Ideal for Getting You Fit as a Family

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults should do around 150 minutes a week or 30 minutes a day Monday-Friday of moderate aerobic activity, this includes exercise such as jogging or quick brisk walking. Children should be even more active and do more exercise as they have more energy.

So, getting off the sofa and tearing your family away from the screens at home, and doing some exercise together is a great way to bond as a family unit and stay healthy.

Cycling

Cycling is a fantastic activity to do as a family. Cycling provides a great workout for your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. If you’re going out on a cycling adventure with your family in a remote rural location that isn’t easy to get to you may find it useful to learn how to fix a flat bicycle tire. Getting bike insurance is a wise idea and choosing the reliable national bike insurance provider Velosurance is a top way of covering your family and your bikes for injuries, theft, damage, and liability if you damage other people’s property whilst riding.

Swimming

Swimming is another activity you can do as a family which is a fantastic exercise for the entire body. So, get your swimming shorts and bathing costumes out of the drawers at home and head on down to your local swimming pool together for some family fun that will also have a positive impact on your family’s health.

Jogging or Running

Running is a form of physical exercise you can do pretty much anywhere and at any time. Running is also fantastic for your cardiac health and getting the blood pumping all around your body. So, get yourself fit and active by going out running as a family and try to keep up with the kids this fall if you possibly can.

Research shows that being physically active can increase your life expectancy by up to 6.9 years. Making sure that you stay active and do physical exercise, so you all stay healthy and in good shape is important for ensuring that as a family you can enjoy plenty more memorable happy moments together long into the future.

During the pandemic, we have been dreaming of being able to enjoy a relaxing break away and going on holiday once again someday. Do you enjoy going on sweltering hot beach holidays during the summer months and coming back home with an impressive glowing tan? Do you go on adventurous activity holidays and exert yourself physically and do lots of exercise? Making sure that you don’t fall seriously ill by getting seriously dehydrated whilst away on holiday is essential, and the consequences of not taking precautions and dealing with your dehydration in time can be fatal.

We have come up with some top tips on how you can avoid getting dehydrated, so you are free to fully take advantage of the moment, enjoy the now and have fun during your break away.

You Need to Look Out for the Key Signs That Your Body is Getting Dehydrated

So how can you know when you are becoming dehydrated on holiday and know when it is time for you to take action? There a several clear signs to look out for that indicate you are getting dehydrated on your trip away:

• Developing dry skin, mouth, lips, and eye beds
• Feeling thirsty
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Your urine smelling or being a dark color
• Passing less urine than usual
• Low Blood Pressure

If you start to notice one or several of these symptoms of dehydration together it tells you clearly that your body is getting dehydrated, and you should not wait about, act fast to get yourself rehydrated again.

Make Sure You Take Plenty of Fluids

The most essential way to ensure your body’s tissues and kidneys get enough water that they need to function properly and so you don’t become dehydrated is by consuming plenty of fluids and drinking lots of water. Drinking water is much better for you than drinking sugary drinks such as soda.

It can be easy to lose track of time and forget to drink when you’re laying back relaxing reading a book in the sun on a sun lounger, spending the day going skiing or snowboarding with friends in the mountains, or going on adventurous hiking walks. You should have a great holiday and make memories that will last a lifetime, whilst also making an effort to make sure that you take in plenty of fluids on a regular basis

Make Sure Your Body Gets Enough Electrolytes

There are several ways you can deal with dehydration on holiday and take effective action to deal with it immediately. Some measures to combat dehydration once you realize that you’re dehydrated include drinking more water, sitting in the shade out of the sun, wearing a cap, relaxing and taking a break from physical exercise, seeking urgent medical help if you need it and maybe even going to a local hospital and having an IV drip to quickly get fluids into your body. Dehydration affects your kidney function, and you get dehydrated when your kidney is not able to get enough of the electrolytes that it needs such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium. To make sure your body is able to get enough electrolytes whilst you are away on holiday, check out these hydration drops from DripDrop ORS.

Take Breaks to Relax After Spending Time in the Sun or Doing Any Physical Activity

If you have been being doing physical activities on your holiday such as walking, climbing, snowboarding, skiing, sailing, fishing, and maybe even bungee jumping, you will most definitely feel quite tired and exhausted. Doing lots of strenuous physical exercise always has an impact on the body, so you most certainly don’t have to be on holiday in an extremely hot destination to become severely dehydrated.

It’s advisable that you take regular breaks from the sun if you are on a holiday in a hot place. Go and sit indoors or under a veranda roof in the shade to let yourself cool off and give yourself a nice much needed break from the constant heat. Spending too much time with your body openly exposed to the sun without being under any shade can leave you severely dehydrated as your body loses water and can cause long-term damage to your skin.

Taking breaks is not only important for avoiding dehydration on sunny hot holidays, but your body will also need a rest on any holiday where you are physically exerting yourself a lot. Do not forget the cardinal rule that the main aim of holidays is primarily for you to take some time relax and chill. You most certainly want to avoid the hassle of getting severely dehydrated and then having to use your holiday insurance to pay for an IV drip and spending your precious holiday time in a hospital.

So, with everything starting to open up again, flights to destinations abroad operating, and travel becoming possible again if you take a few simple coronavirus tests, why not go on an exciting trip away? Just don’t forget to look after your body and stay properly hydrated.

The bathroom is one of those rooms that always seem to get dirty again just as soon as you have finished cleaning it. Rather than let it get grimy and then sweep in and give it all a clean, it can be better to just do a little bit here and there. Here are some of the easiest ways for you to stay on top of your bathroom cleaning.

Have Everything Ready in the Bathroom

Try to ensure that you have all the cleaning materials you want to use ready and waiting for you in the bathroom. As lazy as it sounds, it can be so easy to just think “I’ll do that later” if you have to trek halfway across your home to pick up cleaning supplies.

Put aside space in your bathroom cupboard so you have easy access to everything you might need for a quick wipe down. You will obviously need cleaning products and a sponge or two, but there are a few other items that can be useful to keep a hold of. An old toothbrush is great for cleaning drains, tiles, and other hard-to-reach places. An old towel and a squeegee will prove to be vital in removing water droplets that could leave streaks. If you have a bin in your bathroom, make sure that the right bin bags are also with this little collection of cleaning materials. With everything close at hand, you will find it very easy to grab whatever you might need to be able to whip around and make things clean.

Look for Preventative Steps

There will be several things out there that you can try if you want to take preventative action in your bathroom. If you can think of a few things that will help prevent the mess from building up, then try to implement them in your bathroom. For example, if you do have a squeegee to help get rid of watermarks, make sure that it gets used. Make it mandatory that after a shower you need to wipe the screen down. If everyone in the household gets into the habit of doing so, it will make cleaning the shower even easier.

Cleaning out your drains can also be one of the most unpleasant tasks in looking after your bathroom. Using a drain protector from TubShroom will make this much easier to manage. Simple changes such as this might be all that you need to help introduce some preventative steps that will help to keep your bathroom cleaner for longer.

Tackle Mould as It Appears

Mould loves humid and damp places, and there is no room in your home that is as humid and damp as your bathroom. You need to just accept that you are going to get mould here and try to come up with some ways that you can fight against it.

A deep clean of your grouting every now and then will be a great preventative measure. Use that old toothbrush to scrub some bleach in between the tiles and grouting and leave it to sit for a bit. Rinse away what is left, and you will hopefully take away the mould with it. Make sure you buy some cleaning products that are good for tackling mould too and try to give affected areas a scrub as soon as mould begins to grow there. Don’t give the mould a chance to grow – instead tackle it as it appears and you will have a much more pleasant bathroom overall.

Be Disciplined

You won’t see any improvement in your bathroom if you are not prepared to be disciplined and actually stick to the decisions that you have made. You could have everything you need to clean at your fingertips, but you need to be the one to make the decision to actually have a whip-round and ensure that everything is indeed clean. If you want to enjoy a clean bathroom, you need to make sure that it is going to be kept in that condition.

It can be truly astonishing just how quickly a bathroom can get dirty again. It does not matter if you live alone or as part of a massive household – if you aren’t prepared to step in and clean where necessary then you are going to quickly discover that things will get grimy very quickly.

Staying on top of the cleaning in a bathroom is easier than you might imagine. Even a wipe-down at the end of each day will make a massive difference – and it is easy for you to do before bed! Take the time to work out how you can always keep your bathroom as clean as can be.

When you are next planning to update your home décor, you should consider the improvements that are truly going to be useful to you and that can make life in your home easier. This will enable you to choose home improvements that are worth it for you and your family and that do not go to waste. It is important to ensure that you get your money’s worth and that you can create a comfortable home environment for everyone living within your house. Then, read on to find out more about some of the most useful home improvements that you can choose for your property.

A Pet Door

If your household includes a beloved pet, you will know just how much a furry friend can take over your house. However, rather than choosing pet-related improvements such as cat trees or dog beds or spending your spare money on toys for them, you should consider saving some of this to invest in a pet door. A pet door is one of the most useful home improvements for your property when you have an animal at home, as this can ensure that your dog or cat can go outside without your permission. This can then make your life easier as it can prevent you from always having to be aware of whether your pet wants to go outside or not. Then, you should visit EVO Products to find out more about the dog or cat door for sliding glass door that they can offer you.

An Awning

Do you ever find that you do not use your backyard as much as you once thought you would because of the poor weather in your area? Many people use their backyards constantly in the summer months and then neglect them throughout the winter when it is usually raining, storming, or snowing. Then, to ensure that you can use your backyard whenever you want to and ensure that your family can get the fresh air that they need, you should consider investing in an awning. A patio awning can be an excellent home improvement for your home as it can allow you to sit outside without getting wet throughout the rainy season. This means that you can socialize and cook outside regardless of any reservations that you may have. Not only this but there are many automatic awning options that can ensure that your awning can be quickly put away as soon as the sun comes out.

Better Lighting Fixtures

Although you may not notice it, many homes have incredibly poor lighting. Not only can poor lighting affect your mood, but it can also damage your eyesight and make it difficult for you to perform close-up activities or even to watch television. Then, rather than invest in more extravagant home improvements, you should first consider installing better lighting fixtures into your home. For instance, mood lighting is perfect for many families as this can allow you to change the lighting level and the atmosphere of your rooms at the click of a button. If you are struggling to choose great artificial lighting fixtures, you should also try to find ways to let light in naturally. For instance, you might install floor-to-ceiling windows or mirrors around your home.

A Power Shower

If your showers leave something to be desired, you should consider investing in a power shower. A power shower can ensure that you can take luxurious and refreshing showers every day without struggling to get enough water out of your fixture. This will allow you to have more control over the amount of water that comes out of your showerhead, ensuring that you can have quicker showers that leave you feeling cleaner. However, if you want to ensure that your home is sustainable too, you should consider looking for aerating showerhead, as this can give you the best of both worlds.

Soft Closing Cabinets

Sometimes, the simpler the home improvement, the better, and this is the case for soft closing cabinets. Although you might believe that they will not have much of an effect on your quality of life, they can prevent noise from the kitchen echoing around your home whenever someone decides to do the cooking. Not only this, but soft closing cabinets can prevent your cupboards, their hinges, and their frames from getting damaged beyond repair by family members who like to slam them shut. This means that they are often more durable than some of the alternatives and that you will have to replace them less often. This is because less friction and stress will be placed on them when they are closed.

An HVAC System

With the seasons starting to become more extreme, many people are starting to consider the advantages of a proper HVAC system. An HVAC system can allow your house to stay toasty in winter and cool in summer, ensuring that you can stay comfortable whatever the ambient weather is outside. Not only this but installing an HVAC system in your home can prevent you from feeling ill when the warm weather comes. You might also consider investing in an HVAC air purifier, especially if you have a damp or humid house or if you have allergies. These can keep the air in your home cleaner and catch any allergens or bacteria floating around your house. However, you need to make sure that you keep their filters clean to check that they can carry on working effectively.

If you would like to change the temperature in your house in a more subtle way, though, you should consider installing underfloor heating. Underfloor heating is a useful investment as it can add value to your home. Not only this, but it can prevent you from ever having to get up in the morning to freezing floorboards and cold feet again. Installing underfloor heating can also be advantageous as it can distribute warmth more evenly around the rooms of your home.

If you’re looking for a hot design trend that you can incorporate into your home in 2021, look no further than farmhouse design. This is a design concept that is far from new, but it does go through periods where it's a lot more trendy than other moments. The farmhouse design, or classic farmhouse look is all about creating a space that is casual, comfortable, understated, natural, simple, and really quite neutral. And while you may be flipping through pictures online and in magazines looking for inspiration, that still might not offer enough direction on how you can bring elements of this design concept into your home.

Here we’ll take a look at some ways in which you can introduce classic farmhouse design into your home. You may wish to start with little touches and décor and slowly add more over time, or perhaps the time has come that your home is in desperate need of a total makeover project. Either way, these ideas can act as a blueprint as you plan out your steps.

The Colour Palette Plays a Huge Role

Before you start getting caught up in buying new decor updating your furniture, it's important to recognise how important the colour palette is in farmhouse design. Farmhouse design is all about the use of beige, cream, white, and warm light greys. There are no harsh or bright pops of colour; it's very soft, clean, crisp, and simple.

So, where does the interest come from? Don’t be afraid to layer the different the colours. There’s also the fact that wood is very predominant in farmhouse design, so that adds instant warmth and interest to the space. Any wood features you pull into the space should have their natural wood tone and, ideally, they should be reclaimed or distressed. It helps to really tie that casual vibe together. Anything new, shiny, and polished has no place in farmhouse design.

Those natural wood ties will play beautifully with the colour palette and help to bring a bit more texture into the room without adding the typical pop of colour.

Farmhouse Blinds Can Change the Feel in the Room

While many homeowners focus on décor and furnishings, you don’t want to overlook the opportunity that window coverings can present. Window coverings are functional of course, but they can also add to the overall design concept in a space.

Farmhouse blinds are extremely popular for those looking at farmhouse living ideas. Make My Blinds actually goes into a lot of detail discussing the various ways in which you can use farmhouse blinds, how to style them, the best fabrics to choose, the best colour and texture, and how to make sure they make a statement in the room. You can order free samples online and test them out in the space before you make any sort of decision on what you want.

Keep in mind that in order for this design element to feel cohesive, it’s best to carry this style of window covering throughout the house. It’s a beautiful and casual way to ensure you stay true to the farmhouse design, right down to the very last detail.

Sliding Barn Doors Can be a Beautiful Design Touch

Here's an element that can look simply beautiful in the home, and feel unique at the same time. Sliding barn doors are another staple feature of the farmhouse style, as they have a lovely rustic feel to them. They should be wooden doors, but then you have the option of leaving the wood as-is with its natural tones on full display, or if you prefer, you could paint them white, cream, beige (stick within the neutral colour palette).

The hardware you use for the doors should also reflect the farmhouse style, so think bronze and other, more rustic options. Chrome, gold, or polished silver won’t look right with the overall design.

But where can you use these sliding doors? In theory, you can put them anywhere you like. Because they don’t swing in or out, you don’t have to worry about that issue. There just needs to be enough wall space for the door to slide open. These are often popular as bathroom or even bedroom doors.

Give Furniture a Fresh Look with Slipcovers

As you start to make all these changes in your home décor and design, you may find that your existing furniture no longer works with the space. Rather than having to buy all new pieces, you can embrace another element of farmhouse design – furniture slipcovers. These are covers that you place over your furniture, breathing new life into them, and making them seem brand new. Just be sure to stick with the soft, neutral colour palette when shopping for slipcovers.

If you want to add a pop of colour to the furniture, you can do so with throw pillows and blankets. These can also be swapped out at any time, which means you can change things up on a seasonal basis if you choose.

Usher in the Shiplap - a Versatile Element for Any Space

One of the first things that come to mind when thinking of the farmhouse style may be shiplap. Shiplap is simply wood panelling that uses the standard tongue and groove style planks. Planks can be wide or narrow, whatever you prefer, and often you'll find that people paint the shiplap white. These can be placed on walls and the ceiling, and they really transform the space into something more casual. For homes that don’t have a lot of character or interesting architectural details, this is a great way to add some of those elements. Rather than painting a room a new colour, you may prefer to go with shiplap on the walls.

Gather Around the Harvest Table

The dining and kitchen table offers another element that you can make an impact with. When creating the ultimate farmhouse style, a harvest style table is a must. If you look up the definition of this style of table, it leaves a lot up to personal interpretation. It is described as a table that features skirting and four corner legs.

Typically, these tables are rectangular in length, and tend to be very long. The whole idea is that it makes it possible to have a casual meal at the table, allowing plenty of family to be seated because the table is often over-sized. If you want to create that kind of classic look, you obviously need the space to accommodate one of these long tables.

Another way you can add interest to the harvest table is to ensure that natural wood tones which show off the grain are used. You can consider reclaimed wood, and choose chairs that don’t all match. It’s all about keeping things interesting and unique, and building up the idea that there is a story behind each piece. As for the perfect centrepiece for a harvest table, freshly picked flowers and other natural elements are perfect.


By using all of these ideas and tips, you’ll be able to slowly transform the design in your home and create that lovely and trendy farmhouse look. The farmhouse design truly is a classic design choice, which means you’re not going to have to worry about changing everything again a year or two from now.

With the lockdown in Ontario, I really miss going into the malls to shop. Until things are opened up again, I could only shop online. Browsing on Amazon has quickly become my way to decompress so I’m thrilled to share with you my latest Amazon finds!

I came across Iffei when I was searching for something that I could twin with Justice. And, they had kindly offered to send our entire family matching swimwear to wear this season! They've got so many cute prints and are not limited to bathing suits but holiday pajamas as well. If you didn't know, I'm a sucker for prints. So it took me a long time to decide on the set for our family. We were so lucky to have great, warm weather the past few days so our family got to head to the beach early before the summer break and rocked our matching family swimwear! 

I ended up picking this pink swimwear set with palm leaves for our family. The quality was fantastic, especially for the price you're getting! I’m usually a size small but went with a size Medium. I wasn’t sure if I could fit in the small after pregnancy. Both top and bottom felt true to size. I did find the padded bra top to be on a looser fit, however, because of the off shoulders design. But, a way to resolve this was to scrunch up the extra material from the bra top and secured it with a safety pin. The ruffles would hide the safety pin so nobody would see it. The bottom was high waisted which worked well for me to cover up my post-partum belly. There were 2 side openings at the waistline and I did find that help create an illusion of a thinner waist.

Justice is currently 14 months so I picked size 12-18m for his trunks. They fit him perfectly and would last him this summer season. Will's about 6 ft tall and took the large-sized trunks. 

Like most amazon offerings, most of these had Prime shipping available. We were happy with this swimwear set and the colours pop so much in pictures! If family matching is your thing, I'd strongly recommend you to check out Iffei for their affordable matching family swimsuits.  

Have a happy Summer! 

With rising temperatures and long summer nights ahead, there are lots of fun summer activities coming up for you to look forward to: barbecues, pool parties, days chilling on the beach with friends, to name just a few. You will no doubt want to look and feel your best for these summer activities, and summer fashion does require certain considerations to ensure that you stay cool whilst looking cool. For some summer fashion tips and tricks, read on for a guide to looking and feeling fabulous for summer.

Sandals

With higher temperatures, you are unlikely to want to wear closed-toe, unbreathable shoes all day, as they can make your feet sweaty and uncomfortable. However, is there an alternative to wearing flip-flops all the time? The trick is to build up a summer footwear wardrobe. Flip flops are fine for the beach and pool parties, but you may want to invest in a pair of comfortable but smart sandals for office and everyday wear. For parties and special occasions, look for a glamourous heeled sandal. Espadrilles with a wedge heel provide comfort and glamour for a fun look for summer parties. If you lead an active lifestyle, your feet do not have to sweat in sneakers during the summer: look for sturdy and protective sports sandals that properly support your feet when exercising.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are an essential element of summer style as not only do they add a fun finishing look to your outfit, but they help to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of UV rays from the sun. Make sure that you purchase sunglasses that have been awarded the highest UV protection rating for the peace of mind that your eyes will be protected from all spectrums of harmful UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses can be found in a huge number of styles at all price points, meaning that you will find a pair that you like whatever your budget. Find a pair that suits your face shape and brings out your best features. For example, cat’s eye sunglasses look great on round faces, whereas oval faces can suit most styles of sunglasses.

Sun hat

Like sunglasses, sun hats provide you with both style and protection during the summer months. If you are spending a lot of time outdoors in the heat of the day, a sun hat will keep the harmful rays of the sun off your head and neck, helping to prevent sun-related illnesses like sunstroke. Sun hats can be found in a variety of styles to compliment any outfit. For instance, a classic baseball cap looks great with a sporty outfit and is bang on trend for summer 2021, the peak additionally helping to keep the sun out of your eyes. Alternatively, you might prefer a smart and elegant look for more formal occasions with a traditional panama hat. For beachwear, you cannot go wrong with a floppy, wide-brimmed hat for ultimate style and sun protection whilst sunbathing.

Perfume

Perfume can give you the confidence that you still smell fresh and pleasant even in hotter, sweatier temperatures. However, they might not have the same longevity that they would in colder months. Look for longer-lasting perfume oils that stay on the skin and last longer in hotter weather. Also, consider what fragrance notes will be most pleasant for summer; florals, aquatics, and fruity perfumes are all great light scents for summer. A women’s perfume subscription box is a great way to explore and experiment with different perfumes, providing you with mini samples of fragrance to suit any occasion. You can also tailor your subscription box to your taste, allowing you to try out a perfume that you have always been intrigued by, and helping you on your way to finding your signature scent.

Lipstick

Bright lipstick is great for lifting the face during the sunny summer months. Go for a classic red, eye-popping magenta, or sunny coral. If you are unaccustomed to wearing bright lipstick, start off with a sheer balm for a more subtle look; you may find that you like it so much that you soon graduate to in-your-face mattes. Consider your skin tone when finding the perfect lipstick to suit you and light up your face. Warmer skin tones look great in oranges and bright tomato reds, whereas cooler tones are stunning with bright berry reds and blue-toned pinks. It is also worth bearing in mind that after spending a lot of time in the sun, your skin tone may deepen and what shades suit you at other times of the year may not make you look your very best now.

Nail varnish

Like lipstick, nail varnish can add a bright and fun finishing touch to your summer look. You can experiment with lots of different colour options on your nails to reflect your mood, such as an aquatic turquoise, mouth-watering tangerine, or funky purple. You could even stick with a bright and classic red or use a shade that compliments your favourite summer lipstick. You might want to carry out some TLC on your hands and feet before applying your nail varnish to pamper them and ensure that they are summer-ready. Trim and file your nails into an attractive shape, remembering to cut toenails straight across to avoid ingrown toenails. Then, apply a rich, nourishing cream; you may also want to file away any dead skin on your feet for a smooth, sandal-ready finish. Apply a base and top-coat before your nail varnish to ensure that the colour does not stain your nails and to protect your manicure for added longevity.

As you can see, these summer fashion essentials not only help you look your best and more confident during the summer months but also help protect you from the heightened temperatures and harmful UV rays of the sun. Choose a few key pieces to update your summer look while sticking to a budget. 

Due to being environmentally conscious and all too painfully aware of just how much waste the UK and the world produce every week, there is an incredibly ethical and upcoming trend towards repurposing old possessions and giving them a new lease of life. Rather than simply recycling, or worse, throwing old furniture and home décor items away, upcycling and repurposing is both an ethically commendable and extremely fun hobby and pastime.

 

Old Radiators

If you have or are thinking of creating a bar in your garden shed or garage, using an old radiator as a firm, quirky and sturdy bar table will be a real talking point for your next soiree. Alternatively, consider covering your old radiator with a strong glass panel and using it as a coffee table that really will be the talking point of your living room. Once you have repurposed your old radiator, consider investing in a bespoke designer radiator to add an extra level of drama and style to your living space.

 

Piano Benches

Consider repurposing an old and battered piano bench into a stylish and luxurious vanity seat to match your dressing table. Choose a paint palette to complement the existing furniture and décor in your bedroom or dressing room, cover the top with a piece of padded foam, and then cover it with a soft and thick fabric of your choice. The built-in storage inside the piano bench is perfect for storing any spare products, toiletries, make-up items or hair styling tools.

 

Stepladders

If you have old wooden ladders or stools gathering dust in the shed or garden, you could give the ladders a brand-new lease of life by sanding them down, varnishing the woodwork, and then using them as a quirky and eye-catching nightstand by the side of your bed. This also helps you utilise the space in your bedroom to the absolute maximum and the separated wide rungs of the ladder are perfect stepping stones like shelves to keep your reading lamp, glasses, glass of water and alarm clock. Not only have you entirely repurposed the old ladders, but you have created a beautiful bespoke bedside table.

 

Old Windows

Shabby window frames with peeling paint have definitely seen better days and are quite obviously not good enough to use for a standard classic window. However, you can turn this old piece of ‘junk’ into a stylish statement message board for the whole family to use and appreciate. Begin by removing any leftover paintwork by sanding down the entire frame carefully and thoroughly until all that remains is the uncovered and most likely untreated wood beneath. Brush on black chalkboard paint along each of the glass frames and allow them to dry overnight, ensuring they are completely dry before you continue. Next, decorate each window pane with family messages or names of your loved ones with white chalk and even affix old coat hooks on the bottom of the windowpane for extra usage.

It's been a while since I last shared a recipe! I've partnered with What's Cooking (website available soon) to create this delicious burger recipe you can try at home! If you're stuck at home (like me), this may be a great time to explore something new and excite those tastebuds. This burger is juicy and flavourful all thanks to the homemade glaze. And the kimchi coleslaw adds a little extra kick!

This recipe will be available on their website once it's launched. If you try this out, be sure to tag me and #whatscooking on Instagram for a chance to be featured on their channel!

 

Fiery Bulgogi Kimchi Burger Recipe

Ingredients for glaze:

• 1 tbsp Gochujang
• ½ cup Premium light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1-inch slice of ginger
• ½ of medium-sized Asian pear
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Ingredients for burger (makes 4 burgers):

• 1 lb of fatty ground beef
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Montreal steak spice
• Coleslaw mix
• Kimchi
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• Sesame seeds (toasted)
• 4 eggs
• 4 Brioche buns (toasted)

Directions for glaze:


Mix soy sauce and brown sugar in a pot with low heat. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a blender. Set aside.

Directions for the burger:

1. Divide ground beef into 4 equal portions and shape each into a patty about 4 inches wide.
2. Season with salt, pepper and steak spices.
3. Lay patties on hot grill and cook patties with lid opened.
4. Baste patties with glaze halfway of grilling.
5. Flip patties once and glaze the other side.
6. Grill patties until browned on both sides or until desired doneness.

While patties are almost done grilling, lay buns, cut side down on grill and lightly toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute. In a frying pan, fry eggs in a sunny side up. Set aside.

In a Bowl, mix together mayonnaise, coleslaw mix and kimchi. Spread mixture onto burger. Lay fried egg onto kimchi mixture and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.


Enjoy and stay safe!

Guys.....I'm so excited to share with you this personalized book that I got for Justice's first birthday! I actually thought for a long time what to give him for his first-year milestone. I wanted to get him something meaningful and something he can treasure when he grows up. And I came across this lovely personalized book from Hooray Heroes! I had so much fun personalizing our names and make the characters of the stories look like us. Gifts that are personalized always win my heart because growing up I could hardly find anything with my name on it. 

"Justice, You'll Always Be My Little Boy"

Nothing beats capturing our mother and son's memories into beautifully written stories. Not only the illustrations are vibrant and cute, this book really captures all those fond memories of watching my little boy grow up. When you order your book, you have the options to choose your own stories that match your everyday moments. From heading off to school for the first time to splashing in the pool, this keepsake has it all.

Personalize Story Book with Hooray Heroes

Hooray Heroes offer many personalized stories for different occasions. I think they'd make the perfect gift for both Mother's Day and Father's day that are coming up. They even have stories aimed at family as a whole, for couples and even for grandparents!

Once you're on their website, simply enter your little one's name and select the eye colour, hair colour and skin tone that best match your child. Choose up to 10 stories for a standard book or add more for a little extra. A preview of the book will be generated automatically within seconds. This is your chance to preview all the details and confirm everything before production. 

I added a little dedication message to Justice in the book as well. Personal dedication is such a thoughtful touch to include in these books and I'm glad they have the option to include that. Plus, they even have suggestions for you in case you don't know what to write!

You also have the option to choose between a hard or softcover. I personally prefer hardcovers because they look more prestigious and last longer. 

As an add-on, you can also have your book come wrapped as a gift! And boy, even their gift boxes are so creative and interesting. Come on, a gift box that doubles as a board game... How brilliant is that?

This is a sponsored post by Hooray Heroes. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are my own.