The House That Never Rests

Handmade Advent Calendar

ByThe house that never rests | On December 04,19 | 0 Comment

Just because us adults are now grown up, why should we miss out on all the fun? Us adults enjoy the count down to the big day too. And age is just a number, right? I am sure I am not alone in saying we are all big kid’s at heart.

Making the countdown fun and personal…

Christmas can be expensive enough so why not help keep the cost down where we can. Advent calendars are a brilliant way to help us count down to the big day, and the lead up to the big day is half the fun right? there is no reason we can’t go and purchase another advent calendar from the shops, but this year I thought why have the same store-bought ones each year?

This year I got my craft on…

This year I have decided to make us a family advent calendar and make it personal to my family. A calendar we can re-use for many years to come. One that will help us make the Christmas season even more special. Advent calendars are becoming even more themed like, with so many choices ranging from, alcohol, beauty, toys, chocolate and so on. Another reason to make a family one, why be stuck with just the one theme?

Adding a little fun into the advent calendar…

The advent calendar I have made will involve us all as a family taking part, by adding a little thought and love into it. You can buy a pre-made empty advent calendar in a choice of many different designs for those not feeling very creative, but I thought I would have a go at making my own. So here goes……

Secret Santa advent…

There are six of us living in our house, our advent calendar will have 25 pockets to it. 24 pockets shared between the 6 of us will mean we will all get 4 pockets each. Pocket 25 will be shared between all of us. In pocket 25 we will all add a family game or something we could all do together over the festive period, so the fun lives on beyond the big countdown. We will all write down that activity on paper and add it to pocket 25.

The aim of the calendar…

We all wrote our own names and one of our chosen advent numbers/pockets on a piece of paper four times (one for each of our pockets) and put our four pieces of paper into a dish. We then all took four different pieces of paper containing a persons name and number/pocket which we wasn’t allowed to inform others of who we had. If we pulled our own name out we had to put it back to change it for someone else’s name. We then had until the end of November to purchase an advent gift for that persons number/pocket on the advent calendar. As we work our way through December we can all excitedly see what our secret Santa has placed in our advent pockets on those days. I thought this would be a much more fun way to enjoy the big countdown to the big day.

What I used:

A mixture of different Christmas fabric. To use for the pockets and bunting.
Calico cotton fabric to use as the backing.
Fusible Iron On Interfacing fabric. To use in the middle.
Light Hessian fabric. To use as the front.
Mixture of Christmas themed ribbons. For decoration and the bunting.
Mixture of mixed designs 3D flat back Cabochons. For decoration.
Self adhesive felt. Used for the numbers.
Lace fabric. To use for decoration.
Fabric glue.
Flower head pins. Used to support the fabric when cutting and sewing.
Fabric Scissors.
Tape measure.
Pen.
Cotton.
Sewing machine.
Glitter stars for decoration.

How I made the advent calendar:

The first thing I did was decide on the location I would like to hang the calendar.
I then went on to measure the space I had and then worked out my measurements.
Pockets were then made in a mixture of sizes. I done this by using a variety of different Christmas fabrics. Cutting them all to a variety of different sizes, making sure not to make them to big and to stay within my measurements. The pockets were then pinned and sewn. Leaving the top section open, giving us somewhere to place our advent gifts.
The 25 pockets were then decorated, using ribbon, lace, cabochons and off cuts of fabrics. All being glued with the fabric glue.

All 3 of the calendar fabrics were then measured and marked for cutting. The front piece of fabric will be 1″ bigger than the middle piece of fabric. The middle piece of fabric will then be 1″ to what is going to be the backing fabric. This then allows for the edging fold/overlapping.
Then came the nerve wracking bit…It was then time to cut the fabrics to size. This part always makes me nervous.
The fabrics were then ironed.
The fabrics were folded by laying what is to be the front fabric down first, then what is the middle piece on top of the front piece. The fabric that will be the back was then laid on top.
All 3 fabrics were then pinned and sewn together.
The calendar was then decorated with lace, the pockets and ribbon.

Bunting to finish…

The bunting was then made and added to the calendar. I made this by re-measuring the width of the calendar and then cutting some fabric to size and the triangle shape I wanted. I then cut some ribbon to size, allowing extra to tuck round the back to finish. I used fabric glue to glue it all in place. Glitter stars were then added with glue to the calendar to finish. Followed by the pockets being filled with secret Santa gifts. We were then ready for the countdown to begin!

Slideshow

This was my first ever handmade project of this size. I have always wanted to make things myself but have never really had the time to do so. Now I am no longer working due to ill health I am now able to put the time and effort into different projects. Since finishing this advent calendar I have made both of our dogs a Christmas stocking each and I am currently working on an interior project with Ian. All of which I will be sharing with you later this week.

Are you doing anything different this year for Christmas?

festive food, food

Top Christmas Treats

ByThe house that never rests | On December 02,19 | 0 Comment

(AD) – This post is a paid collaborative post.

Wow December already, where has this year gone. Are you someone who is organised, or are you someone who will be shopping last minute? I am normally one for being really organised and prepared for Christmas, but this year I seem to be really behind and struggling at what to get for people.

For the first time ever, our boys don’t know what they want for Christmas. They were asked last week what they would like for Christmas? And they gave the dreaded “I don’t know answer” – I could scream when given this answer, because if they don’t know how are we meant to?

One thing that is a must in our house and is most definitely agreed on and that is all the festive treats. From the very tasty festive coffees, to all the festive goodies that make an appearance within the stores. We might not have our gift list ready yet but our shopping delivery is booked. Here are a few items that will be being added to our trolley.

Ferrero Rochers

First up that is a must and that is Ferrero Rochers. OK I may eat these all year round but these are my must have chocolate when snuggled up watching a Christmas movie. There is just something about the wafer that is covered in chocolate and then pieces of hazelnut. The best part is when you bite into the middle where you have a hazelnut flavoured creamy filling covering a whole hazelnut at the very center. Yummy!

Toblerone

Just like Ferrero Rochers these are also available all year round but seem to be a go-to chocolate too and very popular at Christmas. Toblerones are triangular shaped Swiss chocolate with honey and almond nougat. They can be found in a variety of different flavours such as, white chocolate, regular milk chocolate, fruit and nut, also not forgetting it also comes in dark chocolate too. They make a perfect gift as you can also have them personalised.

Liqueur Chocolates

Chocolate liqueur treats are a perfect treat to share at a dinner party or simply enjoying a lovely evening with friends or family. One chocolate liqueur we are looking forward to this year is Baileys chocolate twists. They are light and crispy wafers filled with a Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur Ganache, wrapped in delicious smooth chocolate. Chocolate Liqueurs also make the perfect Christmas gift for any liqueur lover. If you still have the odd gift to get and they are a chocolate liqueur fan then Wow Free Stuff are currently hosting a giveaway where you have the chance to win a box of chocolates. Be quick with entering as you only have until: 21st December 2019. Click >>>Here<<< find out how to be entered into the competition.

Gingerbread

Let’s talk gingerbread. We enjoy all things gingerbread at Christmas in our house, and let’s face it, we all enjoy making a gingerbread house at Christmas don’t we. What better way to spend a family night in on a cold evening. A perfect way to keep warm when out doing the Christmas shopping is enjoy a nice yummy gingerbread latte. Christmas in a cup!

Stollen Loaf

Stollen loaf is one Christmas treat I really look forward to. It is packed full of soft and juicy sultanas and raisins. It has a soft centre of rich marzipan which offers a lovely almond flavour to the rum syrup and butter-soaked loaf. Perfect accompanied with a festive drink of choice.

They are our top Christmas must-have favourite treats. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without having candy canes, mince pies and a tin of roses in our trolley to of course!

Other posts you may like:

Homemade Christmas Truffles – Homemade Eggnog – Homemade Christmas Cake.

What are your Christmas must-have treats?

health

Time Needed

ByThe house that never rests | On November 21,19 | 6 Comments

You may or may not have noticed that our blog has been rather quite lately, well since spring if I’m honest. If you hadn’t noticed then it isn’t a problem of course, but I will explain the reason as to why our blog has been quiet.

Back in spring…

Our blog has been quiet since spring because this was the time I think I began to realise that I could no longer carry on pretending and had to stop with the constant worrying about what tomorrow would bring and just concentrate on the now. I am a known worrier – I just can’t help it and it bugs the hell out of Ian. I am always worrying about other people and hardly ever stop to think about myself. Do you find yourself doing the same?

On one of my lowest days back in spring Ian came home from work on his lunch break (he never does this) he came home to check on me and to see if I was OK. Upon his arrival home, no I wasn’t OK and he had walked-in to myself being in floods of tears and in a right state. I just felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders and I just couldn’t carry on anymore. On this day I had just had enough!

Things became more apparent…

I think on this day it became more apparent that I was having a breakdown. Back then I think my health problems played a massive part as it felt like they were winning, I was having to live day-by-day, not knowing how I was going to feel when I woke up which then had a knock-on affect to my job and I just felt like I was letting everyone down all the time. It just got to the point where painting a smile on my face and carrying on wasn’t working anymore. I did not feel in control anymore.

Back then I was working part-time as a carer support worker. My employer was fantastic and totally understanding but this didn’t stop me from feeling bad and like I was letting everyone down. I found that I was spending more time off sick than I was at work.

Things had to change…

It absolutely broke my heart and it was extremely hard to do but I resigned from my position as a carer/support worker. After a long chat with Ian he helped me realise that I just couldn’t carry on the way I was. Time out was desperately needed to help my health.

So, in the past 7 months I have been taking things day-by-day. I am now on medication to help with my depression. I do still have anxiety attacks but they are now few and far between, this has to be a good sign right?. I still have trouble sleeping but I am looking into ways to help with this. I now have things in place around the home to help make day-to-day life a little easier. I will be writing a post on things that I found and help me cope and carry on. Things which are still in place today.

Slowly gaining control…

My health conditions will always be there and I have now gotten use to that. I don’t like it but I have found my own way of accepting it. I am no longer going to dwell on what I can’t do because I am going to be to busy enjoying what I can do. I am not one for sitting around doing nothing so I am going to enjoy getting back to blogging again.

Ian and the boy’s have been my rock over the past few months. I really can’t thank them enough for helping me through. There is so much to share with you all but all that can be done in future posts.

Taking time out really has helped. There really is support out there for everyone. No one should have to suffer alone. Here is a link to >>> Mind <<< for anyone looking to seek help or support.

Always remember “it is OK to NOT be OK”

Home, Home preparation, Spring, Top tips

Preparing For Spring

ByThe house that never rests | On April 18,19 | 0 Comment

Spring is finally here! the clocks have now gone forward an hour and the nights are staying lighter for longer. Are you ready to start packing away your winter blankets and start getting ready for the lovely much-needed warmer sunny day’s? we most certainly are!

I hate the winter months, the day’s are long, cold, dark and miserable. There is nothing worse than waking up and it still being dark out, cold, frosty and very uninviting. They are certainly months we definately don’t mind waving a goodbye to.

Are you ready for the warmer sunny day’s? we most certainly can’t wait. No more winter wear cluttering up the hall. No more winter blankets or hot water bottles for added warmth. But hello sunshine, picnic blankets and outdoor fun!

Refreshing Our Home For Spring

We are going to be busy over the next few weeks welcoming in spring by getting our home into warmer-weather shape by have a seasonal spring refresh. We will be doing this by de-cluttering common areas, tidying cupboards, packing away winter and welcoming spring.

Spring Cleaning Ideas

I guess it’s not called “spring cleaning” for nothing. Now is a great time to have a good sort out at home and prepare yourselves for the summer months. Are you spring ready?

Washing blankets, big heavy quilts, winter jumpers and winter coats. Getting them all washed dried and put away until next winter and swapping them for lighter spring wear.
Having a wardrobe tidy/sort out. We all end up adding to our winter wear over the cold months don’t we? our weight has even changed since last summer. Now would be a good time to have a good sort out of our wardrobe to see what fits and doesn’t. Perhaps bag up a few items to donate to a charity. Not forgetting that shoe pile as they easily mount up too!
Tidy cupboards. Is your home like ours and has what we call a “clutter cupboard”? – OMG this cupboard drives me crazy. It is a cupboard where we store all our cleaning products, such as our hoover, steam cleaner etc. It is always a mess as everything just gets chucked in it. This is a cupboard in desperate need of tidying and re-organising.
Clutter zones. Another massive hate of mine are clutter zones. I think every house has them, whether it be a shelving unit, sofa or table. We have two areas in our house that tends to get cluttered and is currently in desperate need of sorting.

Kitchen cupboards. Need I say anymore? where do all the lids to food storage containers disapear to? please don’t say it is just our cupboards that end up with odd lids and food storage containers that are no longer of any use? time to match lids to containers or dispose. As for the food cupboard it is time to check the date on food lables as things tend to get pushed back and before we know it food ends up out of date before we have used them.
Surfaces. Time to clear all surfaces, remove any clutter that has accumulated over the winter months. This is when I enjoy to have a little change around. Add in splashes of colour to brighten our home up a little.
Bathroom/Toilet. Time to dig out that steam cleaner I think and hope all the attatchments are there. A job I hate but it is deep clean time for the bathroom.

Adding splashes of colour

Once everywhere is all nice and clean, also winter and clutter free it is nice to start brightening up our home by making it more bright, cheerful and welcoming. This can be done in many way’s. Here are a few ideas to help brighten up your home.

Cushion covers – A simple quick change in style or colour of cushion covers can make all the difference to a room. It helps instantly to give a room the look you are working to acheieve.
Plants – A perfect way to brighten shelves, corners and tables. They instantly add colour to rooms and plain, boring dark corners.
Rugs – An instant way to add a splash of colour to tired looking flooring. Not only add colour but you could also add a pattern too if you wish. A rug can brighten up and transform any room instantly.

Bedding – Fancy freshening up your bedroom and giving it a little makeover? Had the same coloured bedding for a while now? how about a change? add a splash of colour to your bedding it will help brighten up your bedroom.
Pictures – Having a change about with photo’s displayed or artwork can help change a feel to a room. A little re-position or update can make all the difference.
Table cloths – A nice new table cloth and a new centrepiece can help add a nice feel to a room. A table in a room can be a main focus point and looks lovely when nicely displayed.
Mirror – Mirrors can be a perfect way to help brighten up dark shelves and walls. They are a perfect way to make small rooms feel bigger, and also a perfect way to add light to dark rooms.
Ornaments – Had the same ornaments out on display for a while? fancy a change around. Changing a few odd items that are on display can make all the difference to a room. Either a little re-position or change completley depends on the look you are hoping to acheieve.
Curtains – Do they go with the look/colour scheme you are hoping to achieve? if they do then a quick freshen up is all they will probably need. Or you could add a different look by changing the tie-backs and/or the curtain pole. If they don’t fit with your new room update then shop around for a new set of curtains completely. It will help to instanlty give your room a new look.

Lamps – I do love lamps in rooms, they make perfect mood lighting. They can also help to set a style in a room too. There are so many different lamps to chose from and they can help fill a gap on a table, shelf or even a corner in a room.
Upcycle – Have a tired looking piece of furniture that is too good to dispose of? then don’t – upcycle it! there are so many brilliant ideas you can find online these day’s, why dispose of good furniture when you don’t have to.

A few small changes to your home can make all the difference. It doesn’t have to prove too costly either!

DECOR, product review, soft furnishings

Whisper Tungsten Rug | Review

ByThe house that never rests | On April 02,19 | 0 Comment

With spring finally here our winter blankets and hot water bottles can soon start to be packed away. The sun is now starting to make a very welcomed appearance and we can now start enjoying the spring air and lovely sunshine.

With the sun shining brightly and all the winter warmers being packed away, we are now wanting to add colour, not only in the garden but indoors too. We are wanting to brighten up our spring and add sparkles of colour to our home to make it nice, bright and welcoming.

Interior Design

We are currently in discussion about our interior design at the moment as we are making plans to have a wall removed downstairs. This would help to add light to our living room as well as give us more kitchen space. Our kitchen at the moment hardly has any space and sadly isn’t designed to it’s full potential. We feel we could make much better use of the space to make it a much more useable kitchen. We do have our own design in mind and it is on our to-do list but other home projects have to take priority.

In the meantime we are adding splashes of colour in other ways to our home, by changing pictures that are hung on our walls to more brighter ones, adding bright spring flowers to a vase, changing our cushion covers and having a change around with items on display.

Splashes Of Colour This Spring

There are many other ways you can brighten your home and add splashes of colour to make it more cheerful looking and inviting. Adding a rug or two is another way. We recently added a beautiful grey rug to our living room from Land Of Rugs. The rug is called Whisper Tungsten and is a stunning colour.

The Tungsten rug has helped to add a splash of beautful colour to our floor. Helping our flooring look more refreshed. The rug has a superfine silky pile that gives off bright and deeper silver grey hues when ruffled or viewed from different angles. We have placed the rug in front of our fire place where the rug will get plenty of natural light so we will get maximum effect.

With the lights on low or with the light effect from our electric fire it adds a real luxury feel on the rug and to the room. The rug has 100% polyester wispy feathery pile, that also has a glossy finish to it. The rug is hand tufed and has a beautiful 40mm silky pile to it.

Land Of Rugs offer a wide range of rugs to suit colours, styles and budgets. Rugs to suit modern and triaditional tastes.

The Whisper Tugsten comes in a choice of six different sizes with prices starting from £39. We do have a 10% discount code to share with you. If you enter B2DISCOUNT with any order you may wish to make, Land Of Rugs will kindly reduce your order by 10% and you could also add an instant transformation to your home too, just like the Whisper Tugsten done to our home.

Disclaimer: We were sent a Whisper Tugsten Rug for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

AD, Plants, review.

A Rose Forever In Our Hearts

ByThe house that never rests | On March 28,19 | 0 Comment

A year ago today we had to say goodbye to a very special lady. That very special lady is a lady we very proudly call our Nan. She was a very special Nan who is thought about and sadly missed everyday. A Nan who was a blessing and is never more than a thought away.

Since saying our sad goodbyes our Nan’s memory is forever living on in many different way’s. To mark today’s one year anniversary of Nan’s passing we will be sharing our happy memories together with our boy’s and remembering all the good times we were lucky enough to have with our beautiful Nan.

Remembering Our Beautiful Nan

One of our way’s we will be remembering our loving Nan is by growing some very special seeds into a beautiful rose bush for a section in our garden that we have dedicated to Nan. We have named a rose and had it registered on the Amore Rose Registry, where it will be registered for eternity.

This unique rose is a special rose as we had named and registered in honour of our Nan.

The rose seeds we have had registered in honour of our Nan are hardy perennial ‘Rosa chinensis’, known commonly as the China Rose. Our Nan loved her garden and we would often visit her and help out where we could in her garden. We have lots of fond memories of Nan enjoying her garden and chatting over her fence with her neighbours. One of Nan’s favourite flowers was a rose so we thought to have a rose named after her would be fitting.

Name A Rose Pack Contents

The name a rose pack was kindly sent to us by The Gift Experience by way of helping our Nan’s memory live on. The pack contains:

Welcome letter
Uniquely numbered pack of rose seeds
Personalised certificate – displaying the rose seeds number, name and registration date
Brief history of the rose seeds
A how to care for the rose leaflet

Our unique rose seeds have now been potted up following the instructions on the leaflet provided. We are now looking forward to watching them grow so we can then add them to Nan’s section of our garden once they have developed enough. This is somewhere we can all go to, a quiet spot to sit and remember our loving Nan who we know is always watching over us and is never far away.

The seeds are still yet to grow but once they have we will follow-up with another post. It is said that seedlings can appear in as little as 20-30 days but can take longer.

Planted in loving memory of our dear Nan. Loved and remembered always

Disclaimer: We were sent a name a rose pack for the purpose of this review. All thoughts an opinions are our own.

gifting, mothers day, review.

Mother’s Day – The Gift Experience | Review

ByThe house that never rests | On March 26,19 | 0 Comment

Mother’s Day is fastly approaching, are you ready to show your mum just how special she is to you and how much you love and appriciate her?

Mother’s Day this year is on the 31st March. My boy’s ask me every year “what would you like for Mother’s Day?” and every year I say the same thing – “quality-time” as it is the one gift that I feel is truly special. It is free, always makes me happy and it is those special moments that will be tresured and remembered forever.

As a Mum and as I am sure many other Mum’s will agree, the gift of quality time with our children is more than enough to make us Mum’s happy on Mother’s Day.

But who doesn’t like to spoil their Mum’s on Mother’s Day. The Gift Experience offer a wide range of gifts for all occasions. They help with gift ideas for those moments when you have no idea what to purchase for that person that has everything. They help with gifts from baby gifts to novelty and fun gifts, even fun experience days. My favourite section is the personalised gifts section as I love the personal touch to gifts. It makes the gift even more special. Here are a few of my favourite items for Mother’s Day gifts!

Quotes

I absolutely love my quotes, infact my entrance hall is full of them. When browsing The Gift Experience website I saw this quote and couldn’t resist having a read and agreeing with how true the quote is. No one could ever replace our Mum’s. I personally think this is a cute plaque. This slate plaque would make a perfect gift that could be hung inside or out by a rustic rope. A perfect way to remind our Mum’s everyday just how special they truely are.

Personalised Wines And Spirits

This bottle of Prosecco features a lable that can be personalised. Making it a truely personal and unique gift. You get to personalise it by adding a name of up to 25 characters (including spaces) and then a message of up to two lines of 40 characters per line (including spaces). Your chosen name and message is then printed on to a luxury lable in colour and then stuck onto a black bottle of prosecco. The prosecco is imported from Italy and features a crisp taste. A perfect way to toast and treasure special moments, especially Mother’s Day.

A bottle did end up in our basket when browsing the site. The boy’s personalised a bottle for me. I think the bottle would make a lovely keepsake and I am going to proudly display it in my drinks cabinet.

Unique Gifts

I absolutely love gifting and recieving gifts with that little personal touch to it of a personalised message. This ceramic heart coaster allows just that. You can add an intial and even a message to it making it a very cute and unique keepsake gift. A perfect gift that could be used daily to remind that someone special just how special they are. With this coaster you get to add one initial, a name of up to 15 characters and a message of up to 20 characters (including spaces).

The boy’s personalised a heart shaped ceramic coaster for me, how cute does it look. I love it. They said it is to remind me everyday just how much I am loved. By Ian, my kid’s and even Coco and Hunter my fur babies. This coaster to me is like a little note left every day by those that I love. Reminding me just how lucky and loved I am.

Pamper

The Gift Experience offer a wide range of afternoon tea’s and spa days. How amazing would that be. A perfect way to spend some lovely quality-time with your mum. Or if she has a best friend that she would love to enjoy a lovely ladies day with, it would be a perfect way to ensure Mum enjoys Mother’s Day and gets the pampering she deserves. She will enjoy Mother’s Day with her feet up feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and truly pampered, just like she deserves to.

This is something I am planning to do with my Mum very soon. Sadly I don’t live local to my Mum so I don’t get to see her all that often, so a good catch-up and some quality-time together is very much overdue. The Gift Experience offer pamper days for as little as £35 at the moment which I think is a great bargain and would make a perfect Mother’s Day treat.

Disclaimer: We were gifted credit to use to purchase products for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

guest post

Ignite Live Event

ByThe house that never rests | On March 21,19 | 0 Comment

Ignite is an event in Bath from 11th – 13th of April where you will feel empowered and motivated to choose the path in life that you want to take. I know that sometimes we all think that there is nowhere to turn and we can’t find the get-up and go to do the things in life that we really want to do. But we do have that get-up and go inside of us, we just need some help to bring it out of us and show the positive side of our life.

Ignite was the idea of Rebecca Adams who is an international life mastery mentor and she wants to bring a team of speakers together to help to empower you and change your life for the better. So why should you buy a ticket to Ignite Live Event.

Motivation

Sometimes we need people to say to us that we are doing really well, sometimes we need people to tell us that we are doing the right thing and sometimes we need encouragement from others. Motivation is something that we all need and it helps us to reach our life goals. If you are motivated, you put more effort into your work and are so much more enthusiastic about it. I find as a blogger, that if I am motivated to write a post about a subject that I am really excited about, then I put more passion and enthusiasm into it. Just imagine, if you are an employer and you took all of this motivation back to your team, it would help your business to improve productivity.

Meet New People

We all like collecting new friends and acquaintances don’t we? Events like Ignite mean that you will meet new people that are interested in the same things as you. At networking events, you get to meet people that you might not normally meet in your everyday life, whilst doing the school run or working. It broadens your friendship circles.

The Gala Dinner And Entertainment

Who doesn’t like a good bit of grub? The gala dinner is on Saturday night after the two-day event has finished and it is a great opportunity to mingle with the speakers and ask them the questions that you might have wanted to ask after their speech.

You get a chance to dance to the music that is provided by Julian Smith, Global Saxophonist from “Britain’s Got Talent”, Hercules, The Tenor Spinto Singer From ‘The Voice’, Cici Howells, Singer and Lauder and Neil Tildesley, a Motown and 60’s tribute band. Who wouldn’t want to be in on this party?

Build Confidence

Have you ever wanted to start something new? Have you ever wanted to start your own business or do something you never had the confidence to do? Sometimes we want to do something new but we don’t have the confidence to do it.

Come to Ignite and listen to the people that will help you to build your confidence and you can see that the things you are aiming for are in easy reach achieving. When you build your confidence, you can improve your happiness, feel better self-worth and you can conquer the world and change your life.

To Change Your Life

Do you want to be stuck in the same lane of life, plodding along like you do or would you like to go steaming off into the sunset to achieve your dreams and aspirations? Things don’t come to those who sit back and do nothing – you need to get out there and look for it. Going to Ignite will change your life and help you to pursue your dreams.

Vicky –www.misstillyandme.co.uk
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road safety, Safety, Safety tips, Tyre safety

Tyre Safety Tips

ByThe house that never rests | On March 20,19 | 0 Comment

As a driver it would be your responsibility to ensure that the tyres on your vehicle are safe, legal and roadworthy. If you fail to comply with the minimum regulations it can result in an unwanted fine and points on your license. Or worse still, it could cost you your license or even worse, yours or somone elses life. Isn’t it always best to be safe than sorry?

Tyre checks should be done regularly but atleast once a month. Your vehicle tyres are the only part of the vehicle that makes any contact with the road surface. They play a criticle role in the handling and safety of your vehicle, such as the steering and breaking.

Do you know how to check your tyres for defects and any wear and tear? it is essential that you know!

When doing a visual inspection of your vehicles tyres, things to check for would be:

Objects embedded in the tread of the tyre.
Are there any slits, bulges or lumps? this can be caused by impact with a kirb or pothole.
Check your tread depth in three different locations across the circumference of the tyre to ensure there is no uneven tread wear.
Tyre tread depth should be a minimum of 1.6mm
Every vehicle is different so this would also mean tyre pressure would be different too. Check your tyre pressure against the vehicle manufacturers recommended levles. This can be found in the handbook to the vehicle and also on the inside of the door or fuel cap.
Check your tyre pressure as often as you can but make it atleast once a month.
If you plan to go on a long journey then check your tyres before leaving.
Always try and check your tyres when they are cold (minimum of two mile journey).
If you are carrying a full load, i.e. towing a caravan, pulling a trailer etc. then check the tyre pressure with the manufacturers reccommended levels as it may need increasing.
Ensure you use a reliable and accurate pressure gauge.
Have you had to do an emergency stop? did you get your vehicle checked after? this could leave your tyres with a flat spot.
Do you know how to check your tread depth yourself? This can simply be done with a 20p coin. You place a 20p coin inside the main tread groove of the tyre. If the outter band of the 20p coin is obscured by the tyre then your tyre has adequate tread. If you can see the outer band of the 20p coin then your tyres could be approaching the legal limit and it is advised to book in and have them checked/changed asap.

Stopping distance

With the average speed limit in the UK being 30mph, do you know how long it takes to stop in an emergency at that speed? 23m. How about 50mph? 53m. 70mph? a whooping 96m.

Did you know that in wet conditions it takes twice as long? isn’t that a scary thought.

An even more scarier thought is the stopping distance in icy, snowy conditions. Do you know how much longer it takes to stop? yes, 10x as long to stop on an icy road.

Please be careful when travelling. Any worries or concerns with your tyres please make sure you get your tyres checked ASAP. Tyres online stock a wide range of tyres to suit all driving needs and budgets. They even offer appointments 7 days a week.

***Posted in collaboration with Kwick Fit***

Hiking, product review, review., RUCKSACK

Take A Hike With Osprey Hikelite 26 | Review

ByThe house that never rests | On February 28,19 | 0 Comment

Loving The Great Outdoors

A close look at the Hikelite 26: At the start of 2019 we decided that we would give ourselves the kick up the backside that we needed to become a more healthier and active family. We have always had a love of the great outdoors, we enjoy nothing more than quality-time together as a family out on an adventure.

With having two dogs, a Siberian Husky, and a German Shephered we are always out walking daily with them both. Since January and the start of our new healthy-lifestyle, these walks are much more longer and we are often found out on day-hikes now rather than just a quick dog walk round the park.

Daily Hikes

With having big, active, energetic dogs you can just imagine how much they absolutely love hiking with us. We pack up a bag with all needed essentials for the day and go off enjoying our hiking adventures together.

The Osprey Hikelite 26 Rucksack

We have recently been using a rucksack called Osprey Hikelite 26, in Shitake Grey. This rucksack has been perfect for our day-hikes. It is a simple, yet effective daypack. So far it has been a perfect size rucksack for our day-hikes and adventures, providing us with more than enough space for our essentials.

The Osprey Hikelite 26 rucksack has a lot of perfect features to it. We can now see why this rucksack is very popular amongst hikers. This Hikelite has some very unique and very helpful features to it that we have found extreamly useful which has helped to make our hikes so much more comfortable and enjoyable.

A Quick Overview

Osprey Hikelite 26 Rucksack
Volume: 26L
Weight: 735g
Dimensions: H48cms x W28cms x D28cms
Fabric: Main:100D Nylon Mini Diamond Shadow. Base: 500D Nylon Packcloth.
AirSpeed trampoline suspended mesh back system for ventilation and comfort.
Integrated raincover that is detachable.
Internal hydration sleeve compatible with all hydraulics reservoirs.
Removable webbing hipbelt.
A front shove pocket.
Stretch mesh side pockets.
Side compression straps.
Zippered panel access.
Trekking pole attatchment.
Zippered panel scratch-free pocket. Perfect for electronics or sunglasses.
Sternum strap with emergency whistle.

Lightweight

The Hikelite Osprey Rucksack can be purchased in two different sizes, 18L or 26L. We have been using the 26L rucksack on our daily hikes. We have found the Hikelite to be incredibly lightweight which has been perfect. The last thing needed when hiking is excess weight on our shoulders!

Comfort

With the Hikelite being lightweight it is great as it helps add to the comfort of this lovely rucksack.

With the weather being so lovely lately and the rucksack having an excellent feature of AirSpeed trampoline suspended ventilated mesh back system. This allowed perfect airflow whilst out on our hikes, which saves us from getting too hot and sweaty. Meaning less sweat and more enjoyment.

Hiking alone can make us hot and sweaty without the added heat from carrying a rucksack. This rucksack is lovely, light and perfectly comfortable and ventilated.

Straps And Belts

Hip Belt: This is a perfect feature for anyone who struggles to keep their rucksacks on or in position – just like I do, isn’t it annoying. The hip belt is adjustable and adjusts with ease so you can adjust it for comfort to suit you. It is also removeable. We have found it to be a perfect feature for added comfort, helping our rucksack to stay in position whilst on the move.

Sternum Strap: Do you hate it when your rucksack straps keep moving or falling off? I do, it is so annoying. The Hikelite has sternum straps that helps to add comfort as well as hold your shoulder straps in position. We found the sternum straps worked perfectly and held those shoulder straps in position every time. Saved me from having to keep holding the shoulder straps and adjusting the bag when hiking.

Compression Straps: The compression straps on the side of this rucksack we found can be used for a few different things. We used them to secure the load in our rucksack, we also used them to secure the upper part of our “shove-it” pocket in place and we also used them to hold our hiking stick in position. How handy is that?

We found these straps to be a great multi-feature on our rucksack by adding comfort and security to our hike.

Shoulder Straps: The shoulder straps are nice and wide, nicely padded for added comfort and also nice and soft. They are nicely ventilated and have not cut into our shoulders like other rucksacks we have owned. The straps add to the comfort of the bag helping to keep us cool and comfortable when hiking.

Pockets

Side Pockets: On our Hikelite 26 we have two PowerMesh side pockets. These two pockets are strong, deep and extreamly handy for any quick-grab items. We have been using ours for our drink bottles, dog leads, treats & toys.

Shove-It Pocket: A perfect pocket for for any quick-grab clothing. Perfect for keeping a wet jacket seperate from other items. Or just simply shoving a map or travel guide. A perfect pocket to put something in when you simply don’t want to have to open the larger section of the bag.

Zippered Scratch-Free Pocket: I hold my hands up, I am terrible for always putting my keys and phone down when out and forgetting where I have put them. The Hikelite 26 has a perfect pocket for these items. The rucksack has a brilliant scratch-free zippered pocket, perfect for keys, sunglasses and small gadgets. It even has a key attatchment clip where we clip our keys in position when using the rucksack. No more hunting for our keys.

Hydration And Staying Dry

Raincover: Have you ever used a rucksack before now as a shield from the rain? I have. They work as a perfect shield to keep you dry but it’s not so fun when the items inside that rucksack gets wet is it?

There is a brilliant feature about this Hikelite Rucksack, as it comes with it’s very own rain cover. How cool is that? nicely hidden away in it’s very own pocket at the bottom of the rucksack. It’s not only perfect that the rucksack has it’s very own rain cover. It is perfect that it has it’s very own little pocket for two reasons.

It will never be forgotten.
When it has been used it is not going to be packed away wet in the main compartment getting everything else wet.

Perfect feature to help keep our rucksack and belongings dry if needed when out hiking.

Hydraulics Reservoir: Keeping our fluid levles up is important, especially when out hiking. This Hikelite rucksack is well equiped to help us stay hydrated as it has an internal hydration sleeve which is compatible with all hydraulics reservoirs.

Overall Opinion

As you have just read, this Hikelite 26 rucksack is not only strong and durable, it has lot’s of perfect features to help keep us all comfortable when out hiking. Not only are the features great, there is also a great amount of space too.

Since using the Hikelite 26 our hikes have been much more enjoyable. It is much more comfortable to carry than our old rucksack. It has kept us much more cooler thanks to the innovated, ventilated design of the back panel.

The rucksack is also supported by good strong quality zips and clasps. The Hikelite is of a perfect size for our day-hikes and has a comfortable amount of space needed. This rucksack has been on many hikes and adventures with us and will be going on many more.

Do you enjoy hiking? does this look like the bag for you? Simply Hike have everything needed for your outdoor adventures.

Disclaimer: We was sent the Hikelite 26 Rucksack for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

DECOR, Design, flooring, Interior Design, Lifestyle

Why Choose Laminate Over Wood Flooring?

ByThe house that never rests | On February 19,19 | 0 Comment

As laminate flooring is gaining more popularity with time, it would be only natural to consider laminate flooring for your house. And for those who are still deciding, here are the reasons why laminate is better than wood flooring.

1. Affordable And Cost Effective

This is the first thing people see when they have to choose between two things. Laminate flooring is way more cost effective than wood flooring. You can spend a little amount but will get fantastic styles in laminate. The styles, color options, diversity in design and width and grades will make your floor really charming.

2. Easy Installation

The installation process is the other reason why laminate is better than wood flooring. If you are not a pro, you can still install laminate at your house. It takes a lot of less time than wood flooring and can be completed within a day. With wood flooring, you will have to hire any service and it will increase your cost too.

3. Durable And Powerful

Many people are worried about scratches on the laminate floor. But it is not a problem at all whether you walk with high heels or drag office chairs. The floor will endure all such rough stuff without leaving any scratches. You can perform test to see how wood and laminate floors react. Laminate floor tolerate the test and shows no scratches.

4. Stain Resistant

The wood floor is really expensive and gives a luxurious look. But you are always worried about the stains, scratches and spots as they will ruin its charm. However, this is not a case with laminate flooring. It is stain-resistant and easy to clean as well. Chemicals don’t affect it either so you can use acetone to remove the stains and make it look like the new floor.

5. No Gap Between Planks

You might have noticed that fixing wood planks is really hard. You may end up with gaps. But in laminate flooring, you will not see anything like this. The whole surface is smooth and neat without gaps. The multiple layers in laminate hold it strongly and leave no gaps within planks.

6. Family Friendly

For a wood floor, you to be really careful as the kids may damage its upper surface that is all wood. Repairing can prove expensive. But you should not be worried about the laminate flooring. It is family friendly. The finishing material, installation items and other chemicals used are user-friendly and not toxic at all.

7. Great Floor Look

This is one of the reasons why people should use laminate over wood flooring. With low cost and affordable price, you can give your floor a nice and decent look. The charm stays for years without any damages and stains. You will be surprised to see how durable the laminate flooring is.

8. Easy To Clean

Flooring cleaning is a daily job or you have to clean the floors very often. If you have kids and a bigger family, this becomes even more necessary. With laminate flooring, you will feel safe because cleaning it is simple and easy. With a good chemical, you can make it like a new laminate floor within minutes.

What flooring do you prefer?

Collaborative post

couples travel, prague, romantic getaway, Travel

First Time Visitors To Prague

ByThe house that never rests | On February 18,19 | 1 Comment

Visiting Prague

Danny and Katie will soon be flying to Prague. This will be their first time visiting and they hope to make the most of their visit whilst visiting the beautiful city. There are loads of beautiful places to visit with lot’s of stunning things to see and so much to do in such a short space of time.

They have both been doing their research and making huge lists of things to try and fit in whilst visiting for such a short time. Prague looks absolutely stunning and we can all see why they are wanting to visit.

Places Of Interest

With so much to see and so much to do and the whole city being worthy of exploring it makes it even harder to chose just a few places when you are only in the city for just a few short days. This is why Danny and Katie are considering using a local tour guide so they can get to see Prague at it’s finest.

A local tour guide can costs as little as £14 per person and they will know all the best hidden gems and best places to visit in such a short space of time. They help make the tour personal to your wishes, helping you to get the best from your visit and make some wonderful memories. Seeing Prague with a knowledgeable local tour guide will help you see Prague in your very own personal way. Making your journey fun, interactive and very informative.

A Young Couples Romantic Getaway To Prague

With them being a young couple enjoying their first ever trip abroad together they would like it to be a romantic getaway. Visiting the largest castle complex in the world whilst in Prague is a must for them. How romantic will that be. With Prague being so beautiful they hope to learn some history of the city and capture some beautiful photos to help them remember their journey. They also plan to walk through the quiet and medieval streets and admire panoramic views of the stunning city.

They will both be arriving with their taste buds ready to find out what the locals enjoy to eat and drink. They are both looking forward to trying the locals well-crafted beer and Czech cuiseine. They plan to enjoy their time as much as possible, visit the shops and local food markets, they plan to fit in with the locals as much as possible and enjoy the experience of being in Prague and their way of life.

Their Top 3 Must-Visit List

So with them preparing to travel at the end of the month they are just sorting through their top 3 chosen must-visit tourist spots. Their top 3 are:

Old Town Square – Pragues Old Town Square is said to be one of the most beautiful and romantic city centres on earth. It can be located in the heart of Pragues Old Town and is said to be very picturesque making it a perfect place for them to visit.

Pragues Castle – With it said to be the largest castle complex in the world how could they not go and admire the overwhelming beauty of the largest castle complex. This was fastly added to their must-visit list. A perfect place to visit when on a romantic getaway and feel like they are in a fairytale together.

The Charles Bridge – The Charles Bridge is said to be a remarkable bridge to walk across. It is a stunning bridge to walk across both day and night. Daytime for the stunning views and nightime for a beautiful and magical atmosphere and musical performances. All whilst seeing Pragues Castle shine brightly. This is one of the reasons Prague is known as Disneyland for grownups.

Ontop of these 3 must-see tourist spots they hope to explore Prague and find some nice hidden gems along the way. Either on their own on with a private tour guide is still yet to be decided.

Have you visited Prague? Check out some of our other adventures

health, health care, healthy living., self care, wellbeing

Be The Most Relaxed Version Of Yourself

ByThe house that never rests | On February 13,19 | 0 Comment

You have heard it said that stress is a killer. Stress wreaks havoc on the body. It affects blood pressure, blood sugar, the heart rate, and all the organs. It is a key factor in the risks of stroke and heart attack. It causes headaches, sleeplessness, digestion problem, and the list goes on.

When you are stressed, your body goes into slow motion. You lose your energy. You lose your drive and you invite depression to take over. The less you move the more stressed you become. But, you have the power to change this.

Making truth your reality

People who love you will give you the sound advice that you need to just calm down. Stop letting everything bother you. Do what you can do and walk away. That is very good advice if you do not have a job, a family, bills, pets, and a home. But, when you oversleep, the kids cannot find their science homework, your partner used your car and left it on empty, and the person in front of you seems to have only one objective, and that is making you late for work. Stress is part of life.

You can make some life changes that will keep these specific things from happening repeatedly, but there will always be stress in our high-tech world. Instead of focusing on the situations, let’s focus on changing the way we feel in order to process the stress.

Natures Xanax – only better

When stress and anxiety begin to affect our lives negatively, we go to the doctor. In some circumstances, people need the help of a prescription to calm down and press reset. The problem is, anxiety medication is addictive. When you finish the prescription, the anxiety comes back even worse than before. You cannot keep taking the prescription long.

The doctor may prescribe enough for a week or ten days, then take them away for a couple of weeks to protect you from addiction. So, you put your body through cycles of relaxation and then anxiety, and the cycle repeats itself as long as the doctor prescribes the medication. At the end of the “help”, you are worse off than you were before. You did not make any changes to address the issues.

When you are sedated, you usually do not move around much. Prescription drugs make you feel as if you are in a mental fog. You sleep, but it is not a relaxing sleep. You feel no better or relaxed when you wake up.

Essential oils

Nature seemed to know that we would have stress in our lives. Nature gave us a huge selection of plants that have what we need. Natural oils are harvested from live plants. These oils are easy to use and they are not addictive, have zero chemicals, and gives you the help you need to allow your body to return to normal.

Let’s look at a few oils that are proven to work. You can mix the oils for the desired effect, which only you can explore.

We will list a few examples of essential oils and the benefit it gives you. But there are hundreds of essential oils. You will need to find a combination that works for you.

Note: Essential oils are usually released into the air with the use of a diffuser. The oils enter the thin nasal membranes and are absorbed. You should be careful about placing essential oils directly on your skin. Use a carrier oil such as coconut oil, or test a very small place on your body and watch for burning or rash. You may be able to rub the oil of your choice on the skin, just be careful.

Anxiety

The following oils will calm you and allow you to de-stress and feel much more relaxed.

Lavender
Rosemary
Ylang-Ylang
Rose
Bergamot

Sleep

Lavender
Chamomile
Clary Sage

The use of these oils will calm your stress level and assist you in getting a relaxed night of restful sleep. Once your body is responding to this, you will need to boost your energy level.

Energy

Rosemary
Peppermint (Also a natural anti-inflammatory and pain killer for those sore muscles).
Grapefruit
Eucalyptus

Now you can move on to mood enhancers. These oils lift your spirits, ease any muscle pain you have and generally make you feel good.

Peppermint
Sweet Orange
Frankincense
Lemon essential
Cedarwood

Get moving!

You are feeling better and more relaxed. Now fight off depression, boost your energy, and be the best you can be by exercising. When you are active, your brain naturally produces more serotonin. This is a feel-good hormone that balances your mood. Your body is ready to take over and keep you emotionally fit. Use the essential oils whenever you like, but do not use them instead of moving. You have to invest in your body to reap the rewards.

***Collaborative post***

Health and fitness, healthy living., keeping fit, Top tips

Preparation Home Gym

ByThe house that never rests | On February 10,19 | 4 Comments

Preparation new me

At the start of 2019 I gave myself the kick up the backside well and truly needed to get myself on the right path for a new healthy lifestyle.

Since then I have not looked back. Infact I have actually been enjoying it. I sat down and a made a list of the the things I have tried in the past, things I have enjoyed and even the things I haven’t enjoyed.

Making a list really does help

Doing this list really helped me because it helped me find all my pet hates about exercising. Such as being in overcrowded exercise classes, getting embarrased about being too fat, or not being able to keep up with the class.

I also found out that having a gym membership added pressure on me to go to the gym. This then led to me not enjoying my time going if that makes sense. I felt pressured to go to get my moneys worth out of the membership rather than freely going because I wanted to.

Life can easily get in the way

It sometimes felt like life got in the way rather a lot to. I would arrange with friends to go to a class together, 20, 20, 20 class was one of my favourites. I would find that I couldn’t always go as being a working mum things happen at home or work as they do. Meaning I had to phone and cancle more than I actually went.

Gyms are not for everyone

Going to an actual gym isn’t for everybody. This could be due to time, cost or even due to feeling embarrased. For me it is mainly due to time. Finding an extra hour or so in an already busy day can prove difficult. I am currently in the process of setting up a home gym.

Home Gyms aren’t for everyone but for me I think having one would work better for me and my lifestyle.

Things to consider before setting up a home gym

Budget: It is always best to work out your finances first and see what budget you have to work with. Always shop about before purchasing as it can be easy to get carried away. Always read product reviews before purchasing so you know you are getting something good for your money.

Price check: Try and do a price check so you have a rough idea of prices so then you can plan ahead before purchasing products. Exercising equipment doesn’t come cheap but you will be wanting to get more for your money so take the time to shop around online.

Space: What space do you have for you home gym? will it be a room dedicated to set up as a gym full-time or is it going to be a shared space. This will be important to know before purchasing your equipment so you know whether to look for equipment that folds to be stored easy. Also check electricity supplies, will you need added sockets for power? extention leads can be a trip hazzard and can also be a fire risk if overloaded and not careful.

Making space: Before you start to purchase your home gym equipment always clear the space first to make sure it is clean and free from clutter to prevent any accidents when exercising. Matco are always happy to help if you need help with moving or storing anything.

Be 100% sure: If you are not 100% sure on the equipment you want or need you don’t have to purchase new, there is always the option of second hand. You can sometimes find a product that is in good as new condition for half the price. It will be a good way to find out if the equipment is right for you and the space you have without the cost of brand new.

Take your time: Take your time when building your home gym, there is no rush. Purchase one or two items at a time, get use to those items first and see if they work for you and with the space you have dedicated for your gym. If happy then build upon your home gym from there.

Motivation: Sometimes a little motivation is missed when exercising at home. There is always the option of inviting a friend or family member to join you or more if you have the space. You could even challenge each other. There is also the option of exercise dvd’s or YouTube motivation. Music can help too.

Home gyms can be just as fun and ecouraging as going to the gym whilst adding loads of flixibilty. The intial outlay may be expensive but if it helps to keep us fit and healthy I would say it is the perfect investment!

***Sponsored post***

Fitness, health, keeping fit, weight loss, wellbeing

January Weight Loss Update

ByThe house that never rests | On February 08,19 | 0 Comment

Things I Learnt This January

Wow, what a month I have had. I am seeing February in 1 stone and 0.5 lb lighter thanks to my new health kick! I am totally amazed and I am also still in shock.

I have learnt so much this time round from being a Slimming World member. I can’t quite put my finger on what is differenht this time – Perhaps it is where I am taking a different approach to it this time. And also remembering past mistakes.

A Few Of The Things I have Learnt And Will Remember Are:

To take my time. A steady loss is better than no weight loss.
I found that amoungst the clutter in the kitchen there is a spice rack that I actually LOVE!
Meal planning is actually fun, saves money and really does help me to stay on plan and in control.
To not be scared to introduce a new meal to our family menu. It is trial and error for a while but amazing new healthier foods will come from the trying them out.
I found muscles that I didn’t even know existed…..Ouch! yes I need to learn how to warm up properly before exercising – Lesson learnt the hard way!
Exercising can be fun. But even more comfortable and enjoyable when wearing the correct clothing. A clothes shop is needed I think.
To take and check body measurements regularly and take note. I was amazed at how much I had actually lost off my bingo wings, chest, waist and top of my legs. What don’t show on the scales can show in measurements.
That I don’t need a fancy gym membership to exercise. A home gym and the great outdoors can be just as good, if not better. All you need is an imagination and determination.
Not to add too many changes in one go. Make healthy swaps gradually. Adjust to a new lifestyle slowly then it isn’t such a shock and is much more enjoyable.
I have learnt to relax and enjoy my new lifestyle. I have learnt to not stress to much if I have a bad day as they do happen to everyone. I just tell myself now that tomorrow is a new day.

Opening up and chatting about my journey has also really helped me. I did feel embarrassed to start off with as I was previously a Slimming World member that lost just over 3 stone in weight. That loss soon went back on as my old habits came back. A lovely chat with family and friends really helped me and I am now ready and focused to turn that embarrasement into determination.

I have sat and wrote a list of where I went wrong last time. I have taken it all in and I shall remember them and learn from them.

We are now on a health kick and I don’t want to just lose weight – no way do I want to find it again or let it find me!

I want rid forever so it has to be a lifestyle change forever.