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.

When Justice was born, it was during the peak time of Covid. It sucks that a year had passed and the pandemic is still not over yet. With the lockdown in place, we didn't get to celebrate his first birthday with all his family and friends. So I went all out and tried to make it special for him. 

It took me a while to nail down the party theme. I wanted something cute and fitting, just like his golden pineapple 100 days milestone celebration party. Then, it hit me. What's more fitting than leveraging his name and turn it into a theme for his own milestone? I mean his IG handle is @Sueper.Justice after all.

 

I can't believe my baby is 1-year old already! He's achieved so much in his first year and I'm so proud of him!

DIY Superhero First Birthday Party

For his party, I went for the DIY route (again). I love to stretch those creative muscles and get all crafty. After the success of making a balloon garland last time, I'm in love with having it as party decor. This time, I actually made it with a balloon kit I got from Olive and Hare. And boy, it was a lifesaver! I didn't have to search high and low for balloons to match the decor. Everything came packaged nicely and ready for me to assemble. The balloon arc decorating strip that came with the kit really helped to assemble the garland a lot easier. You can also buy the strip separately here.

To save me some time and be more environmentally responsible,  I reused the backdrop that I made for my gender reveal party. All I did was swapping out the pink streamers from it with the yellow and it instantly looked like a completely different backdrop. Glad that I kept it in the storage for a year! 

DIY Balloon Garland and Streamers Backdrop. Superhero banner made with my Cricut.

DIY Superhero Party Outift with No-Sew Cape

I couldn't really have a superhero-themed party without having Justice be the superhero. It might be easier if I just buy him a superhero outfit to wear for the party but I wanted customization. I enjoyed having total creative freedom like designing his Super J logo. I first, designed the logo using Illustrator then cut it out onto some HTVs using my Cricut machine. Then I ironed it onto a blue toddler t-shirt that I purchased from Michael’s.

And, of course, a superhero needs his cape! I found this nice red fabric with a nice sheen from Walmart for less than $8. I trimmed the fabric with a fabric cutter and traced a neckline using the bottom of a trash bin. My original idea was to sew two pieces of fabric together so that it'd become a doubled layered cape. But because my sewing machine broke, I ended up using heat tape to bond the two fabrics together. It worked perfectly and way better than using a hot glue gun! I then finished off by sticking velcros with adhesive backings to the ends. My no-sew superhero cape was done!


I also baked him a 2-tier carrot cake and decorated using homemade marshmallow fondant and handmade cake toppers. The top tier was for his little cake smash. But no epic smashing happened, he much preferred bending over to chow down the cake on the table instead. Check out my post on how I made the marshmallow fondant here.

Homemade carrot cake with marshmallow fondant and handmade cake toppers

Handmade cake toppers made with my Cricut

His little "cake smash" with the top tier

I'm so happy with how everything turns out and he had a blast! His first birthday party is not only a celebration for him but also for Will and me as parents! We survived our first year! Woot! Looking forward to many more parties to host and DIY in the future! 

I have so much fun creating these Easter bunny chocolate bombs and want to share how I made these with all of you! Although Justice is still too young to understand the meaning of Easter and appreciate those egg hunts and adorable bunny decor, I still want to please my inner child so I made these chocolate bombs for fun.

In case you didn't know, chocolate bombs are made of melted chocolate and are tempered into sphere form. They are filled with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows inside. You then pour hot, steamed milk over the chocolate bomb in a cup so that the milk will melt away the chocolate and releases the stuff inside, creating a somewhat "bomb" effect. They were huge last year. You might have seen them everywhere on Instagram, Tik Tok and even Facebook Marketplace! Yes, people were making these at home and selling them as a side gig. Though I did hop onto the bandwagon a little late and only made a cheat version using Kinder Surprise for Christmas. I wanted to finally make these chocolate bombs from scratch this time. To make these more fun, I turned them into cute little bunnies for Easter!

Here's what you'll need, this Little Bunnies Candy Deco Kits! Can you believe that I actually got these from Dollar Tree? I love finding cute stuff like this.

 

1. Melt your chocolate bars in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds increments.
2. Once chocolates are melted, pour them into a silicon sphere mold. 
3. Pour out excess off the mold and scrape off chocolates so that the edges are clean and levelled.
4. Carefully flip out the silicone mold so that the chocolate spheres come out clean.
5. Pour hot chocolate mixture into the half spheres, add marshmallows and sprinkles.
6. Dip the empty half sphere into your remaining melted chocolate.
7. Place the sphere on top of the filled sphere and press gently to seal. 
8. Dip bunny ears, teeth and eyes into the melted chocolate and glue them to the spheres

Have a happy Easter everyone!

Check out my other Easter tutorials!

Easter Bunny Cake Pops

As your little one starts crawling and walking around the house, it may be time to think about how to baby-proof your home. Even before your baby is able to crawl, they may encounter some hazards in your home, so it's always a good idea to plan ahead how you can protect them. Here's a list of the different ways in which you can prepare your home without needing to splurge on all of the expensive gadgets available on the market.

Make Sure Your Baby Sleeps Safely

One of the most immediate risks may not actually be so obvious since cribs and baby toys are made with the safety of your little one in mind. Nevertheless, the size of the crib you buy needs to match your baby’s age since a tall-sided crib can make for quite a rough landing once your baby is able to launch themselves over the side. Also, be mindful of placing anything in the crib, including any cute and cuddly-looking toys, since they can all lead to a breathing or choking hazard. The crib should be kept as plain and simple as possible, with nothing inside apart from your adorable little baby who will be completely content without the use of even a pillow or duvet. I used a swaddle for Justice and transitioned to a sleep sack once he learns to roll over himself.

Pay Attention at Bath Time

The bath and any small body of water can pose a risk to babies. No babies should be left unattended alone during bathing. Secondly, always check if the temperature gets too hot; it should be just warm at around thirty-five degrees, which can be tested with a thermometer until you get familiar with this temperature. You may also want to look into other good to have items such as soft covers for bath spouts and taps and a bath seat for your baby to sit in. However, all of these should not replace your attendance at bath times with your little one.

Look Out for Heavy Objects

This is more of something to look out for once your baby is around nine months old. This is the age at which they will start to enjoy playing and moving around on the floor and pulling at various objects. At this stage, it is advisable that you get on the ground with them and explore the room from their perspective to gauge whether you think any lurking objects may pose a threat to your baby if pulled off or over. This can mean removing any heavy objects, like books from a bookshelf or house plants from a sideboard or perhaps even moving your television from a stand to a wall mount.

Be Wary of Electricity

This is more of a precaution to take when your baby is around one year old. However, the sooner the better when baby-proofing electricity in your home. Firstly, ensure that all electrical sockets that aren’t in use are fitted with outlet covers to prevent your baby from sticking anything inside. Secondly, keep all electrical cords hidden and unplugged appliances out of sight. Since you will probably be using these appliances on a daily basis, it's best that you get an EICR report. Getting an EICR report from Trade Facilities Services will provide you with information about whether or not there is a risk of electric shock and if all electric circuits are in good condition and safe to use in the form of a report. Using the information from this report, you can protect your new family from any faults that may be present in your electrical circuits and appliances.

 

Don’t Forget Your Car

Now that you are informed about some of the ways that you can baby-proof your home, you should continue this practice wherever else your baby might end up. The car is the second place your baby will encounter after the hospital, and therefore it also needs to be prepared to a safe standard for welcoming your newborn. You will need an approved rear-facing car seat in the back seat of your car before you can even consider bringing your baby home from the hospital. Make sure to check your car seat manual on how to properly install it in your car. For safety, you can also get it inspected by a local certified child passenger technician. Next, you must remove any small items that could pose a choking hazard, such as coins or pens, and install stick-on sunshades if the sunlight in your area is particularly strong.

Once you have applied these baby proofing techniques to your home and car, you can focus on the excitement of bringing your newborn into your life, knowing that he or she will grow up in the safest environment possible.