 Easter, whether you come at it from a particularly religious angle or not, means (partly, at least) a multitude of chocolatey options. Now chocolate is and has always been, one of my major downfalls. I like it milky, I like it white, I like it dark, with fruit, with mint, with orange, you name it. The only time I don't like chocolate is when it comes with peanuts, but even then, it's not the chocolate's fault. So Easter is a happy time of the year foodwise (not to mention, hot cross buns) and sometimes you might wanna try some of it out a little early... Like me, I've been very happily munching away on the Orange Chocolate Egg-splosion from the Co-op. Let me tell you, it's delicious. Just the right amount of citrus tang (and I love orange). Plus, it's fairtrade chocolate so extra bonus points there, and it's ok for vegetarians too. The egg itself is good quality milk chocolate, and then the front is loaded with biscuit pieces, fudge and some jellies. (Obviously, I started eating that side first). There's also a Salted Caramel Brownie version which I will be picking up if I can find it in store so that I can hide that away until it's actually Easter. Plus, there are some smaller options like chocolate chicks/eggs if you want a teeny bit of chocolate for the kids or yourself. As always with the Co-op you're getting products of high quality, with a special little twist. And again, it's fairtrade so you can leave some of your sugar-induced guilt. A full 5 stars from me. They're egg-celent... P.S. I'm eating a Hot Cross Bun while I type this, super yum. Happy Easter guys!  *I received some of the products mentioned free for the purpose of this review.
All thoughts, opinions and images are my own.*
0 Comments
*collaborative post* 
Here, in this comprehensive guide to creating a tranquil space at home, we’ll give you some tips and tricks that will make you feel relaxed as soon as you step through the door. Take a look and see what you can do!
If you don’t want to care for real plants and flowers, there are fake flowers that can look just as good. However, you may not get quite the same benefits as with the real deal! 2. Choose A Relaxing Colour Scheme The key to feeling relaxed at home is to select a relaxing colour scheme. You can pick your palette using the colour wheel, where you will easily be able to find complementary and contrasting colours. However, you should also look up the moods of colours to help you to decide what to incorporate. Colours like green and blue for example, are associated with nature and hugely relaxing. Colours like red can be too energetic and tend to signify danger. 3. Make Sure You Consider Comfort Before Aesthetics You want your home space to be as tranquil as possible, so make sure you consider comfort before aesthetics. Obviously you want things in your home to look good, but it’s no use selecting a sofa purely on looks when you want to be comfortable sitting in it. Comfort should come first, aesthetics second. 4. Have Areas Without Technology Make sure you have ‘no technology zones’ and be strict about sticking to them - even with guests. Obviously you will need certain types of technology in other rooms in your home, and that’s fine. However, you definitely do not need technology in every area. You shouldn’t have technology in the bedroom especially, as it can disrupt your sleep. If there’s a space you like to read in, avoid having technology there too. Being around technology all the time can seriously disrupt our sleeping patterns and even our mood. 5. Incorporate Plenty Of Texture Texture is key to creating a cosy space. If your home looks flat or dull, then you need more texture. It’s that simple! You can incorporate more texture by buying lots of different pillows, layering your rugs, adding throws, and doing other things that help to perk the place up. 6. Get The Help Of A Professional If You Don’t Know Where To Start If you’re unsure of where to start creating your tranquil space, consider hiring a professional interior designer or decorator. There are a number of professionals you could call in depending on the jobs you want to do. If you can’t afford a pro, there are options. You may be able to set up a payment plan, or look at an option like Guarantorloans.com. You can do it yourself of course, but you’ll want to take your time and ensure you have a solid plan that you’re happy with in place before going ahead. If not, you could end up buying a bunch of materials and making changes that are hard to reverse. 7. Make It Smell Delicious If you want a perfectly tranquil space, you also want to make your space smell delicious. You should aim to delight all of the senses when creating your tranquil home! Soy candles are much better than regular candles, as regular candles tend to contain toxins while soy candles don’t. They also smell fabulous. If you prefer, wax melts can also be a great option. Aromatherapy is another wonderful option as it not only smells great, it’s said to be good for health. For example, lavender oil can help sleep, while orange oil can lift mood. They all have their own amazing purpose, so try it and see how you feel after incorporating it! 8. Create An Altar Many people like to create a bit of a ‘sacred’ altar at home. At this altar they do things like list things they are grateful for, count their blessings, visualize good things coming, and more. You can include candles here, your favourite crystals, a cushion to meditate, and anything else you see fit. It can look super pretty in a room at the very least. 9. Focus On Creating A Relaxing Bedroom Your bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. It’s essential that it is as relaxing as possible so that you can drop off and get the sleep that you deserve. Here are a few things you’ll want to consider:
10. Work On Conquering Your Clutter Conquering clutter throughout the whole house can help to ease your mind. Clutter in the home is often a sign of clutter in the brain, so consider what’s going on with you before you take on this clean up. Here are some pointers that could help you to declutter:
This step may not be for everybody, but if you’re a big believer in bad energy, then you want to make sure you remove that energy periodically. Cleansing your home can be done in a few ways, such as by burning Sage and making your way slowly around the house with it. It can be good to cleanse your home after an argument, after you’ve had guests, or whenever you feel like it. 12. Let In Some Natural Light Natural light is a natural mood booster and can also help with productivity. Let it into the areas that matter so you’re not bathing in artificial light 24/7. 13. Use Music Music is another great way to feel relaxed. Whether you listen to Enya or whale noises doesn't matter. Put on some music that helps you to de-stress and enjoy. 14. Leave Yourself Reminders To Relax Around The Home All around your house, plant little reminders that help you to feel relaxed. For example, a souvenir from your last holiday, some word art telling you to ‘breathe’, or even a computer password that reminds you to slow down! All of these things combined can help to create a peaceful environment and allow you to better relax. 15. Tackle Those Little Tasks You’ve Been Putting Off We’re all guilty of putting off certain tasks every now and again, but they can begin weighing heavy on our shoulders if we’re not careful. For example, if there are DIY tasks you’ve been putting off, just schedule a little time this weekend to get them done. You’ll feel so much better that you’ve done them, and you won’t be running the risk of them getting worse and costing even more time and money later on down the line. Get to your to-do list now! 16. Be Extra Careful With Your To Do List Speaking of to do lists, make sure you’re selective with yours. Many people get tempted to put absolutely everything they think they have to do that day on their to do list, but this can get stressful, especially if you don’t complete all the tasks. Unless an item absolutely 100% has to be done today, don’t include it. You’ll only stress yourself out and feel worse if you don't get it finished. Anything you finish apart from the ‘essentials’ should just be considered a bonus. Are you ready to create the most perfect tranquil space in your home? Which of these tips are you going to use to make it happen? Leave a comment below - we’d love to hear your thoughts!  *collaborative post*
 Do you ever look at your home and just feel like it's missing something? As though it just doesn't have that spark that you really want from it? A lot of people find themselves looking at interior design magazines and blogs and they see homes that just seem to come alive in a way that their simply doesn't. It can often feel like this is just down to some mythic secret that none of us will ever understand. The truth is that those homes have one simple thing: style. Now that might sound kind of vague, and sure "style" is kind of complicated idea, but it's actually a whole lot easier to bring that little bit of style into your home and really make come alive. With that in mind, here are some ways to bring some style into your home. New furniture One of the easiest ways to make a home feel like of lifeless is to fill it with drab and dull furniture. Not only is that going to make it feel kind of nondescript but if your furniture is really old then it's also going to make your home feel like it's not really cared for. Something like a leather sofa can bring a huge amount of class into your living room. Or perhaps a solid wood dining table to make it feel more like the kind of place where you and your family would want to spend time. A clear out Another common reason why a lot of homes feel as though they have no style at all is that they're filled with junk that simply doesn't need to be there. Most of us are natural hoarders and it's easy to convince yourself that some knick-knack has a great deal of sentimental value. However, the truth is that most of that stuff really isn't all that important. The best thing to do is to be brutal and get rid of it. If you really can't bear to throw it away, at least pack it up and store it in the attic until you can decide what to do with it. Consistency If you walk through a home and every room feels kind of disconnected from the last, you're never going to get any kind impression of style or cohesion. Having a degree of consistency in your home helps you create a much more solid picture of the kind of style you're going for. Of course, there's one thing that you need to remember. It doesn't really matter if your home doesn't look like the ones in the magazines or the blog. Sure, if that's the kind of home you want then they make a great jumping off point. But the most important style that your home can have is your style. Make sure that you let your home become a way that you can express yourself and the things you love, rather than trying to fit into someone else's idea of how a home should look!  *collaborative post*
 Giving your house a new lease of life is easier than you think. A few little updates can make all the difference; you don’t need to redecorate the whole house, add a few small touches, some new, and unique accessories and you’ll fall in love with your home again. Give Your Home A Lick Of Paint A fresh of paint can make a world of difference to any room. Whether it’s a new color or even just a fresh coat of the old one, it will brighten up your room and make it feel fresh again. It’s also a fun job, picking colors and getting samples, or today you can actually upload photos of your room to websites and virtually apply color to your walls, giving you the chance to see how a shade will look in your home before you even go to the shop. People forget about the outside of their house too, but a lick of paint on the exterior will make a considerable difference as well. You might need to get a professional painter to come in, but it’ll be worth it to be the envy of all your neighbors. Bring In Some Green Add some plant life to your house with some greenery. Plants are perfect for maintaining air quality, and they also add an organic element to your decor. Many plants are able to be grown indoors without much effort. Start off small with a herb garden indoors as all you need is just a pot or two and some space in your kitchen. Choose herbs like basil that require a lot of water, and make sure you keep them hydrated. Get Organized Make life easier for yourself, and organize your home at the same time as you update it. Invest in things like chalkboards, pin boards, and shared calendars which not only look good but can keep everyone in your house clear about what’s going on each week. Put up hooks for bags and coats and place shoe racks underneath. Get a beautiful plate or bowl for near the front door where you can keep keys and loose change, and get yourself a letter rack in the hall too. Accessorize Throws and cushions are makeup for your living room and are brilliant because you can change them depending on how you are feeling and what season it is. The effect is nothing short of transformative so if your room is feeling a bit dull, try adding a few pillows in vibrant colors to bring more uplifting vibes to your living room furniture. Throws and rugs can also do the same, and your room and the best thing about new accessories is that they don’t have to be expensive. Then treat yourself to some unique pieces that will add to the decor. Have a look at some art or antiques and put some photos up!  *collaborative post*
 A house, whether you have managed to purchase it or it is something that you rent, is a huge step to take on the path of life. It can be a huge ambition for so many to get to, which often means that they work hard in order to pay for it. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that you will want to make that house your home, and often you can wonder how best to go about it. So here are some of the things to consider. Make changes to the flooring One of the first things that you might want to consider is changing the flooring. As the floor covers a big surface area, it is one of the things that people trend to notice first. A new carpet might be a great way to clean things up a little, especially as older carpet can look a little worn in places. You might also want to think about other options, and this is where vinyl floors are a great choice when it comes to families with children or for a home where you are wanting to create a modern finish. Lastly, tiles are making a big come back to be in rooms like living spaces where they would normally be reserved for kitchens or bathrooms. The options are endless but you could find that you make some great choices here. Decorate it how you like This is your home, so you have every right to decorate it exactly how you would like to and why wouldn’t you? It might be time to paint your favourite colour on the walls, or maybe inject some of your favourite wallpaper designs into rooms that you socialise in. Do what feels right for you. Often you might not want to go too over the top, so if you happen to want to incorporate a brighter colour then choosing to do it on one wall and making a feature out of it might be a good option to consider. There are some great feature wall ideas on websites like Pinterest. Personalise the home As it is your home, you will want to personalise it in every which way that you can, so a great tip is to take advantage of all of those pictures that you have taken. Some people print off their Instagram feeds and have them put into frames. Others may have sentimental snaps that they have framed. Showing these off pride of place in your home adds your personality to the space, and is a great way to inject your own taste. Other than pictures there are likely to be trinkets, ornaments and souvenirs of years gone by. Showcase these on shelves or window sills so that they get to help with the decor of your home. Renovate or change the floor plan Finally, you could choose to completely renovate and overhaul your home. Knocking down walls to change the floor plan so it suits your lifestyle and family, or even thinking about things such as extensions if you have the space. The sky's the limit when it comes to your home, and you should do what feels right for you. Let’s hope this has inspired you to make your house a home!  *collaborative post*
|
Photos used under Creative Commons from aotaro, S John Davey, Haydn Blackey, analogophile, Treeaddict, Toolstotal, Bellafaye Garden, naama, markus spiske, inbounduk, porschelinn, chairbazaar, Idhren, Martin Hesketh, christianbroscabinets, amsfrank, marcoverch, Homedust, Tim Green aka atoach, rawartistsmedia, roseannadana, intoruth, vwcampin, andreboeni, ...love Maegan, Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge (UNN), Marianne Bevis, Louisa Swz, ChalonHandmade, halfrain, lizzie.datify, Casey Hugelfink, highmarkb, manhhai, Didriks, inkknife_2000 (4.5 million views), iulia.pironea, inbounduk, emily @ go haus go, Martin Pulaski, nicolas.boullosa, wildbindi, emily @ go haus go, condosccsca, LPEstrela, emily @ go haus go, Reeks District, Lee Edwin Coursey, pnoeric, Peter O'Connor aka anemoneprojectors, Idhren, dejankrsmanovic, bobbi vie, Orange Steeler, EmpIoia, Vivian Farinazzo, marfis75, dee_dee_creamer, Houseology, atl10trader, Timitrius, anka.albrecht, acca-67, lizzie.datify, nodstrum, lizzie.datify, highmarkb, emily @ go haus go, Dougtone, Annie Mole, sean_reay, Wicker Paradise, briget_murphy, tapetenpics, Tony Webster
