Is bespoke interior design worth your money?

When it comes to interior design, we’re usually limited by what brands have to offer to us. In fact, it’s such a huge deal that we usually need to build our dream homes around the choices we have instead of looking for pieces that suit our needs. If you have a design plan in mind for your interiors, then it will take a lot of research and work in order to achieve your design goals.

This is why many people have turned to bespoke designers in order to get the desired results they want. Whether it’s custom curtains, linen or even furniture designs, here are a couple of considerations to keep in mind when the market doesn’t have the items you want.








Do you really need bespoke?


The first question to ask yourself is: do you really need bespoke furniture? This should be reserved for when you really need to customise a design to your liking. Most people get by fine if they coordinate their furniture and hire a designer to help. Even if you don’t want to hire a designer, it’s never a bad idea to browse around on the internet and in stores to find the right pieces that match your desired colour scheme. It’s almost impossible to have a perfectly designed room without a couple of inconsistencies unless you hand-make everything yourself.

Bespoke furniture will be more expensive, so only consider it if you’re absolutely dedicated to realising your designs. It will be time-consuming, it will cost more than regular furniture and you’ll need to patiently wait for all of the pieces to be manufactured and produced until you can finally finish your interior design project.




When in doubt, seek advice from professionals


Make sure you contact some professionals before you decide to pick bespoke furniture. Get a quote from various companies and try to pick one that will give you the most promising results at the lowest price. If you’re on a quest to perfect your interior design project, then you need to understand it’s going to take a lot of time and negotiation to get the best bespoke items.

To start with, decide what you need to be bespoke. For instance, if you find that there are no curtains that fit your needs, then you may want to look for a made-to-measure curtain production service such as https://www.montgomery.co.uk/shop/made-to-measure-curtains. This is great if you can’t find a design you want in a certain size, and it also helps if your windows are particularly large or uniquely shaped.








Consider building your own with DIY skills


Lastly, consider DIY. This is perhaps the most time-consuming way to create bespoke furniture and decorations, but it’s also the most personalised and potentially cheapest method. You’ll need to have plenty of power tools in order to create things from scratch, but if you only need a couple of decorations or if you want to replace the upholstery on your furniture, then you can easily do it with some arts and crafts skills. Search around on arts and crafts websites such as http://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/how-to/g1361/home-decor-crafts/ to find some unique home decor ideas to inspire you. You must be willing to put in the time and effort, and you should expect some mistakes during your first few attempts.

Another great way to make your own bespoke furniture is to use what’s called IKEA hacking. Take a look at http://www.ikeahackers.net/ if you want some great furniture hack ideas. In short, IKEA hacking is all about buying different pieces of cheap IKEA furniture and putting them together to build something unique, different and bespoke. You can unleash your creativity with furniture hacking, and it’s not limited to just IKEA. You can use virtually any kind of flat-pack furniture to build your own designs. You may need some tools and supplies like wood blue, but it’s a great way of getting bespoke designs without having to start from scratch.




Some final words


Hopefully, this has given you some idea of what to expect when it comes to bespoke interior design. It’s going to take a lot of work and, in some cases, money. However, the freedom you get is fantastic and you’ll be a step closer to achieving your true dream home. Don’t be discouraged if you fail a few times—it’s completely natural if you’re attempting to build something from scratch. When in doubt, always seek advice from professionals that know what they’re doing.


Collaborative post

Learn about history while playing Timeline

History has always been a bit of an issue with me, I'm a bit rubbish when it comes to remembering historical dates. What year did Tony Blair become Prime Minister? I have no idea - I think it was 1997? When did the last public hanging happen in the UK? Don't know. But with this new board game, Timeline, I soon might.




About Timeline


Timeline is basically a card game, you're given a selection of cards and, without looking at the back of them, you're supposed to work out where in the timeline your cards fit.

  • Gameplay is fast, easy-to-learn, and deceptively entertaining. The vintage style tin contains 110 British History themed  cards, all of which can be combined with other Timeline sets to make the game more challenging.

  • Each turn, place one card where you think it goes in the timeline before turning it over to see if you are right. There is only one goal - correctly play all of your cards!





Timeline is suitable for 2 - 8 players aged 8+.

At the start of the game you are given four cards, and you're meant to play them all correctly to win the game. Not so difficult right? 

Well you might be surprised.




How to play


As I said you're given four cards and you're not allowed to turn them over. A card is set in the middle of the play area and turned over. For example the card might say "Florence Nightingale is born" and the year which would be 1820. This card sits in the middle of the play area and on your turn you guess where one of your cards fits into the timeline. So if your card said "Edward the Confessor is Crowned" where would you put it - to the left of 1820 would mean it was before then, to the right would be after. So where would you put that card?






Get it right and you're down to 3 cards, get it wrong and you're given a new card from the pack so you still have 4 cards.






Play goes around your circle until someone gets rid of all their cards.




What happened when we played Timeline


To begin with I didn't think we'd enjoy this game, it's not the kind of thing we would usually play. It's a simple card game. But the interesting thing about Timeline is that you're learning while playing.






The four of us played Timeline while sitting at our dining table; me, the Hubby, LP (8yrs old), and BP (13yrs old). It started out well, we were given our cards and as I looked at my selection my heart sank. I had no idea when my things happened, even when compared to the card in the middle of the play area. Luckily I wasn't going first.

Timeline play always starts with the youngest player - great for LP. He soon realised though that he was at a disadvantage because he didn't know much about history. It quickly turned into a sulk that lasted quite a while. The more anyone else got a card right and cheered the more LP sulked. Timeline says it's meant for players aged 8+ and I think I agree with that, it's not really about knowing history it's about guessing when things could have happened. The Hubby and I could have a more educated guess when playing but LP did play a few good cards.






BP had a little sulk but once he'd had a few tries and got a little better at guessing he cheered up.

The thing I noticed most about playing Timeline was how surprised I was when some of the cards were turned over. Making an educated guess is only possible if you're somewhat educated! In the end though my guesses turned out well and I won our first game! Go me. 

After we finished the game the boys wanted to play again, despite the sulking. We played 3 games of Timeline in all, I won twice and the Hubby won once. By the end LP was very sulky but next time we play we'll probably let him have less cards.




Would we recommend Timeline?


Yes.

Timeline, while a history game, is super fun. It doesn't make you feel stupid but it is great when you guess correctly and get rid of one of your cards. For younger players the guessing is truly a guess which means if they win a game it's even better. Sometimes it's easy to know where your cards go, others not so much, but it's fun and that's the main thing. 

I think you could also give a handicap to the younger players, giving them less cards than other players. 

Timeline would make a great family game to play during the Christmas break, it even has extra packs you can buy to add to the British History pack, perhaps break it out after you've had Christmas lunch and want to chill out.






You can purchase Timeline for £13.99.


Do you have a favourite board game that helps your family learn?

I was sent Timeline for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own. 

Post Comment Love 27th - 29th October

Hello peeps! Welcome back to Post Comment Love, live here and with Stephanie, every Friday, waiting for your awesome posts to be linked up. I hope you've got some great ones for us this week.

It's almost the end of half term. We've not done too bad to be honest - the boys have managed to entertain themselves a lot of the time while the Hubby and I got work done. We did take Wednesday off so we could take the boys to Alton Towers and LP took his new (old) camera with him and wanted to take lots of photos. He's suddenly found an interest in taking photos and I had an old digital camera lying around so I gave it to him. He was so excited when he found out we'd be going to Alton Towers because he was looking forward to taking photos. 

When we arrived at Alton Towers the Hubby and BP hurried off to go on The Smiler while LP and I wandered around taking photos. It was good because they had all their Halloween decorations out so LP had lots of things to take photos of. 






BP has spent a lot of time writing and drawing through this holiday and I have to admit to being impressed with some of his writing. He puts me to shame - he really does. It is a truly amazing thing to see your own child's talents surpass your own. 

My exercise has continued this week, despite my treadmill breaking on Monday. I got up Monday morning all ready to do my walking/running but the treadmill was being very strange and it wouldn't run at a continuous speed when I was on it. Admittedly it is probably more than 10 years old now and I've been using it daily just lately so it might have had it. I hope not. Instead of the treadmill I did do a couple of days walking outside, I don't particularly enjoy it because I have to watch where I'm walking - we live in a rural area where there are lots of horses. I'll leave the rest to your imagination. Yesterday I decided to give the elliptical a go - we've had one for ages, it was given to us by my brother-in-law, so I put it to the test.

After 30 minutes, that almost killed me, I was quite pleased with the results. I burned just over 300 calories, was super sweaty, and I felt like my legs would give way beneath me but boy did it feel good! So until the treadmill is fixed I'll be using the elliptical, and if the calories burned continues at that rate I might switch to using the elliptical all the time. 

Well that's it from me, how has your week been?
Have you done anything fun this half term?




Blogger Showcase Andolina from Lessons from a Student Mom




Who are you? 


My name is Andolina. I’m currently a stay-at-home mom of two boys. I’m also a college student and lover of learning. I’ve been in college for pretty much the past 8 years. I took some breaks, switched majors a couple of times, and so on. Because of this I call myself a professional student, ha-ha. But there’s so much more to me than that. I have too many hobbies to list, and even more interests.



How did you discover blogs/blogging?


I discovered blogging through a creative outlet of mine. I taught myself how to knit a couple of years ago. A lot of my learning was because of other bloggers in the crafting niche. For two years, I’ve considered starting a blog but I was always too afraid of the what-ifs. I thought that I had to have all of the knowledge before I could succeed. The thing about blogging is that it is a never-ending learning experience. There will always be something new to learn and a new way you can do things.



What do you find most challenging?


Blogging is a challenge in itself and it takes so much work. But I’d have to say that the biggest challenge for me was overcoming the anxiety and just starting. I’ve never had trouble connecting with people, and thankfully that has allowed me to make some amazing connections in the blogosphere.



What is your favourite topic to write about?


My favorite topic to write about would be mental health. I’m a huge mental health/mental illness advocate. I want to be a part of the movement to raise the stigma and spread awareness. But most of all, I want to help those who are suffering the most, the ones with mental illness that may feel like there is nowhere to turn. Second to mental health would probably be blogging about blogging. I love to help people and there’s always a way to help someone with blogging.



Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?


A little bit of both. I decided to jump into blogging because I wanted to turn it into a full-time business. I want to launch courses and help others even more. But I also enjoy writing a great deal and decided that I’d have less anxiety writing small articles than writing a full novel right now. Although I did participate in NaNoWriMo last year and completed 30K words of my first novel! Now I just have to finish it.



What is your favourite thing about blogging?


My absolute favorite part of blogging is definitely the connections I’ve made. I’ve met so many like-minded people and it’s unbelievable. I don’t think any other industry has a community that is more focused one community growth rather than personal growth.



Have you ever attended a blogging conference and if so, what did you think?


I have yet to attend a conference. I would love to be able to attend Bloggy Conference in Sandusky, Ohio though. There’s still time so I haven’t given up hope yet.



What are your 3 best posts?


It’s hard to choose my top posts, but I’d have to go with these three:





Describe yourself in three words!


If I only had three words to describe myself I’d have to choose: dedicated, compassionate, nerdy



Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?


Oh, coffee and cake for sure! Actually, skip the cake just give me an extra coffee. If I don’t have a coffee nearby, something is probably wrong.



What's your idea of a perfect night out?


My ideal perfect night out… That’s a tough one. I haven’t really thought about a night out in years. I’d have to say that my perfect night out would be to someplace quiet and outdoors. Like stargazing in a big open country field. Or driving through the “backwoods” with my favorite music playing. I’m a very quiet and calm person and I deeply enjoy activities to speak to that part of myself.



Your perfect night in?


My perfect night in would be my boyfriend by my side, a great book, and a cozy blanket and a cup of coffee.



What would your best friend/OH/mum or kids say is your best quality?


I’m horrible at giving myself credit for anything, but I’d have to say that my kids and/or boyfriend would say that my best quality would be how loving/helpful I am.


You can connect with Andolina here:




Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions Andolina, and don't forget to grab our badge and display it ever-so-proudly on your blog.


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Each week you'll be able to link up from either of our sites and between us Stephanie and I will comment on every post linked.

The rules; Link up your best post written in the last week and we'd like you to comment on at least two other linked posts, as well as the hosts. 

Help us spread the #PoCoLo word on Twitter and include the badge on your post.

Please do pop over and say hi to this week's Blogger Showcase. It's always nice to get a comment or two. 

If you'd like to be featured in our Blogger Showcase please do check out the questions and email your answers to us at postcommentlove@gmail.com.

Thank you for popping by.


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Ways to treat yourself this Autumn

As a busy mum you often forget that it's okay for you to have a treat sometimes. It can be anything from a fancy coffee at Starbucks or a brand new pair of shoes that you've had your eyes on. You spend so much time looking after everyone else that you forget about your own happiness. Yes, it's okay to take care of your family, but you also need to be selfish.



How I treat myself


Having two school-aged boys makes it easy for me to get time to myself. I have between the hours of 9am and 3pm to spend however I like. Admittedly most of that time is spent writing but sometimes I will venture out of the house and do something just for me. 



Coffee


That fancy coffee? Yep - I've done that. Sitting in a coffee shop, staring out of the window and watching people stroll by while enjoying a glorious hot coffee - it was brilliant. Just a little bit of time when I know I won't be interrupted by LP asking me if it's dinner time yet (at 10am!).





I like coffee because it gives me the illusion that I might be awake. 

Lewis Black





I have carved out time for myself during the day, I write (something I was made to do), I have started doing some crafts, and I've gone back to my novel. All these things fulfil me and I am more happy when I have time to do them. 



Fashion


Other ways I treat myself is by buying myself things. It could be a new piece of jewellery or a lovely pair of boots for autumn. Speaking of autumn I've had a brand new coat from Simply Be and it is Simply gorgeous!






This red Joe Browns coat, £90 from Simply Be, is my favourite coat of the moment. It doesn't have a hood but it is oh-so stylish and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. The coat is quite different to any other coat I own - it has mismatched buttons. Only a couple of the buttons are the same and there's random ones in there too. This is not something I would normally like, I'm more of a uniform gal, but it works. There are decorative buttons on the sleeves and they're mismatched too, but again it just works. There's something awesome about those mismatched buttons. 

The coat doesn't feel thick, it's not a coat I would've chosen for winter if I'd been in the shop because I would've presumed it couldn't keep me warm. However, I've worn this coat on a few of the very windy days we've had recently and it works. It has kept the wind off me and I've been snuggly warm with the coat on. I even put it to the test when we went to Alton Towers recently.






With a wrap over front I also thought that wouldn't work very well but to my surprise it does. It buttons on both sides so the wind/elements can't get through. The pockets, while shallow, are big enough to hold my gloves (essential this time of year), and I love the full-skirt style. I have never been able to pull off wearing a coat with a full-skirt but for some reason this one is perfect. 



There's also a wild side to this coat - check out the inside...






A flowery lining. Awesome huh? Again this is not something I would usually like but with this coat it looks good. Pair this coat with a pair of blue jeans or jeggings and you've got yourself a winning combo! I haven't had a coat I've been so happy with in a long time and I've a feeling this one will stay with me for a while.

While we're on the subject of fashion there's also my favourite boots from Hotter Shoes. I have worn these boots on an almost daily basis since I bought them. They're a snug fit but they are the perfect walking boot for the town. They are comfortable, no heels so no way of twisting my ankle, a zip fastening so they're easy to pull on and off, and best of all they're brown so they work with any outfit! Win!





Beauty


I don't often write about beauty but it is something that I am becoming increasingly aware of (as the wrinkles and dry skin are becoming more prominent). I didn't used to spend a lot of time on my nails, I would file them but that was about it. These days, since discovering Rimmel's Super Gel, I almost always have painted nails. I've got colours ranging from white to deep red and I love them all. The best thing about it is that it lasts at least 3 days and reduces the hassle I used to link with painting nails.





If you've got cool nails, you wake up and you're like, 'Oh, I'm happy now.' 

Maisie Williams





Painting your nails is a sure-fire way to make yourself feel better.



Hairdressers


I go to the hairdressers religiously. Ever since finding the best hairdresser in the world (for my hair) I have never missed an appointment, I'm there every 8 weeks. Jo, my hairdresser, knows that my very thick and wavy hair is a bit crazy when left and she just cuts into it. She chops where it needs chopping and she leaves the bits that are okay. I LOVE having long hair and it's because of Jo that I can. This is the one thing I won't give up - ever. My hairdresser appointments are not only a treat for myself, they're a necessity. 



Ways you could treat yourself


So, after reading my list are there things you think you could do?

I know that having little ones in tow on a daily basis can make some of these things impossible but there is always something you can do. I remember when my boys were little in order to get a nice coffee I would have to make it myself and drink it while sitting with the boys watching their favourite movie. 

With the fancy coffees that Nescafe offer now, like my favourite - the Gingerbread Latte, it's easy to enjoy a lovely coffee at home. 

Shopping for yourself is never easy when the little ones are with you so why not opt for online shopping? Pick a few items you like, maybe even hitting the Black Friday sales that are coming up, and have them delivered. If they don't work you can always return them right?

It is so important that, even when you have little ones, you treat yourself - you deserve it after all. 

When did you last treat yourself?


I'd love to hear from you about how you treat yourself so why not connect with me over on my Facebook Page or Twitter. If you liked the vlog included in this post you might enjoy the others on my YouTube Channel too - I'd love to you take a peek. As always I'd love to hear from you.

I was sent the Simply Be coat and jeggings for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

London during the summer holidays

We had been promising LP we’d take him to London for ages and before the summer holidays began we took a conscious step and booked a hotel stay for mid August. LP was so excited when he found out we’d actually be going to London that he kept asking us how many days it was.


By the time the trip came around LP was beside himself and listed all the things he wanted to see.


Tower Bridge
Tower of London
Buckingham Palace
One of those guards that stand still 
National History Museum
National Science Museum
Big Ben
London Eye
SeaLife Centre 
Shrek’s Adventure





Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. 

David Ogden Stiers





I’m sure there were others on his list too but I can’t remember what they were. 

The most important ones, according to LP, were Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and Big Ben. I have no idea why he was so desperate to see them but he really was. I think it could have something to do with hearing about them at school. 




The London Eye


We got up early on 24th August, got in the car and drove down to Edgware then got the tube into London from there. From the tube we walked straight to the London Eye. We remembered the last time we visited (2012) the London Eye the wait times were immense and we wanted to be there before the crowds. 






This time there were no crowds and thanks to our Merlin Annual Passes we were able to skip the regular queue and get straight onto the London Eye - that was pretty awesome. We’d boarded our pod within about 5 minutes of arriving at the queuing area.



I loved seeing the reflection of the London Eye in the Thames.


As the pod went around I remembered the times we’d been before, once in 2011 when LP was still in a pushchair! It was a lot busier then and LP didn’t enjoy it as much - he was quite restless. This time LP looked out of the windows and asked questions about the buildings he could see. I showed him the tablets inside the pod where he could check what he was looking at and find out about it. He was impressed with that and spent a good 10 minutes looking at it. 



LP was very impressed with being on The London Eye and loved looking around.


I spent a lot of my time snapping photos (as every good blogger does!) and tried to get as many of my boys as I could. The Hubby even helped with a few so that I could be in them!






We all loved our trip on the London Eye and I’d definitely recommend it for great views of London. 




SeaLife Centre


After leaving the London Eye we used our Merlin passes again and went into the Sea Life Centre. I loved this, it’s always so peaceful in there - even with little kids running around screaming “look! I see Nemo!” - I especially like the jellyfish area.








Shrek's Adventure


Shrek’s Adventure is right by the Sea Life Centre so we booked our slot for that and had to wait for 45 minutes. Instead of hanging around we took a walk across Westminster Bridge - towards Big Ben - and sat on a bench the other side of the river. That’s when I realised that the building I was looking at - the one right by the London Eye - was where Britmums Live was going to be held. I knew where to go now!





Our time for Shrek’s Adventure rolled around and we headed back across the bridge. To be honest we weren’t that impressed with Shrek’s Adventure because we did more queuing that actually seeing anything. Our boys are probably a little too old for it too and that might have contributed to our opinion. We queued for a good 45 minutes after our allotted time and the thought occurred to us “why have an allotted time if you have to queue anyway?”. We left Shrek’s Adventure disappointed and won’t be going back but I think this is more to do with the boys not being interested than anything else.




Exploring London


After our disappointment we walked around London some more and on our way we passed the This Morning. It made me giggle because, while I don’t watch it now I used to. We also passed The Globe Theatre which was interesting, I remember hearing people talk about it and never knew where it was - now I do.








For the rest of the day we did lots of walking and took about a million photos. We ended up very tired and thankfully we’d already booked dinner at Barbecoa. By the time it was dinner time I was certainly ready for a good meal and a really long sit down.





To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. 

Barbara Bush





As we spent 2.5 days in London I decided to split this post into two so in the next instalment you’ll find out what we did on day 2 and 3 of our trip.


Have you ever taken your children to London? What did you enjoy most?

And if you haven’t visited London before what would you most look forward to seeing if you got the chance?

You can see more photos from our trip on my Facebook Page and feel free to comment or send me a message over there. If you’d like to chat you can connect with me on Twitter - link. And if you’d like to see videos of some of our days out recently you can check them out on my YouTube Channel  (you’ll also see a couple of vlogs on there too!).

The Ultimate Relaxing Bathroom Should Have These Things

The bathroom is the best room in the house to relax in, sometimes. Whether you’re going in there for a long soak in the bath to unwind, or you just want to clean up after a trying day, you want to feel good when you enter your bathroom.

What does a relaxing bathroom need to make you feel great? 





A Tranquil Color Scheme


The colors used in the bathroom can seriously change our moods and the way we feel. For instance, if you’re already stressed and you step into a red bathroom, it’s unlikely you’re going to feel much better. However, if you step into a blue/green bathroom, you will likely feel more peaceful. Natural colors have the ability to make us feel better! 




A Bath


Some people may claim to be able to relax in the shower, but the bath is usually better. Soaking in a hot bath is great for stress and tense muscles. 




Natural Materials


Natural materials used in the bathroom can give a spa-like feel. Include them in the form of accessories and decorations if you can. For instance, stone, bamboo, wood (suitable for damp temperatures) etc. It’ll also make your bathroom look more expensive. 




A Bath Caddy


A bath caddy can hold everything on it, from your shampoo to the book you’re reading. This means you won’t have to make a mess trying to find what you need. You can even make your own. Take a look at the infographic below!




credit to Soakology.co.uk

Collaborative post

Health and weight loss update

A few times recently I have spoken about doing more exercise and trying to be more healthy. It really started (again) after the boys went back to school after the summer holidays. The Hubby and I need to  get more exercise and lose weight and we took the opportunity to start when school started. It's been a little over a month since I started and I wanted to let you know how I've got on.




Starting point


Weight: 14st 5.1lbs
Fitness: non-existent - couldn't run at all.

When the boys went back to school I did the weekly shop with healthy food in mind. I was on a mission to do well. While I wasn't at my all time highest weight I didn't feel good and knew I should've done something about my weight ages ago. On 8th September I weighed myself and learned I was 14st 5.1lbs, it was going to take a long time to shift that weight.

My target is 10st but that is one big target, that's a lot of weight to lose. Instead of focussing on the whole amount I focus on the fact that I am losing weight.

Again when I started I wasn't doing daily exercise and I hadn't done any running since 2015. Not Good. I vowed to start running again. The first day back at school I set my alarm for 6am, got up and went on the treadmill for 30 minutes. It killed me. That first 30 minutes, walking at 3.5mph, really pushed me and I was worn out by the time I'd finished. But I did it. I got up and achieved something before the kids were even out of bed.




Where I am now


Weight: 13st 6.6lbs
Fitness: um, better. Can run for 10 1 minute sessions within 30 minutes.

I have almost lost a whole stone! Woo! That's a milestone right there. It feels like it has taken forever but when you think about it hasn't even been two months yet. I'm hoping that by the time I reach the two month mark I will have lost a stone. I know 1.5lbs doesn't sound like a lot of weight to lose but sometimes it's tougher than it sounds.



My fitness level has improved massively. In the last few weeks I've been pushing myself more than usual and I've managed to run for 2 minutes straight. Some might laugh at that but for me that's quite an achievement. In my 30 minutes on the treadmill I run for at least 10 single minutes. Sometimes I'll string a couple of the minutes together if I'm feeling energetic but those couple of minutes do tire me out. Yesterday I managed to do 11 minutes, 4 of which were paired into 2 minute runs. Does that make sense? Basically I run for 2 minutes, walk for 1.5, then run again for another 2 minutes, or something like that. The key to building up my fitness has been doing it every day, including weekends. I am up at 6am every single day. I get out of bed, put on my running gear and head downstairs to the treadmill. That 30 minutes of exercise sets me up for the day, gives me a good feeling and a sense of achievement. I'll take that, even if I wasn't losing weight.




Food


Food is always a big issue when trying to lose weight. Whether it's working out what healthy thing to eat for lunch or trying to get something healthy we can have whilst on a car journey we've been quite good at watching what we're eating. 

We have been using the MyFitnessPal app for monitoring our food and this has really helped us understand what we can eat and how much. For me, I've reduced my portion sizes massively and for the Hubby he is aware what calorie allowance he has to play with. We are still allowing ourselves the odd chocolate bar and the more we learn about recipes and various kinds of food the more we're realising we can still eat nice food without compromising our weight loss.






In the past month we've had sausages on buns, stir fry, turkey mince with spaghetti, chicken lo mein (from the Tasty website - video below), and prawns. We've enjoyed some of our favourite meals as well as some super healthy ones. I'm feeling pretty good about our choices.







Where to next


Nothing really changes. I'll continue with my exercise and eating healthily and hopefully the weight loss will continue. The exercise is becoming more of a routine now and while I'm super tired by 9pm I feel like it's worth it. 

I'm even beginning to notice a difference in my clothes, my jeans tend to fall down a lot at the moment and I've had to resort to using a belt to hold them up. It won't be long until I'm going down a size!

There's still lots of work to do but with the lovely meals that are still healthy, still being able to eat chocolate, and getting me-time to do exercise I feel like I can take it all. 



How do you stay healthy?




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10 ways you can show him you care

When it comes to relationships, men like feeling appreciated as much as women. There are many ways you can express your gratitude to your man for being a part of your life, apart from cheesy letters and notes left in his lunch box. If you want him to know how much you care about him, you have to use the language he easily understands. Most men get scared if you go soft and emotional, but they will remember a thoughtful gift or special meal. Find ten tips below to make your man feel happy, respected, and loved. 



“Couple” by Dragunsk Usf is licensed under CC BY 2.0




Cook his favourite meal


Men love being spoiled, even though they do not always confess to this. Throw a surprise dinner of his favourite dishes, and wait for the reaction. Is there a special food you tried when you went on holiday and you both liked? Look up the recipe and get cooking. Make sure that he is free that night and you have cleared your diary, arranged babysitting, and there are no sport events on he might want to watch. Pay attention to the presentation, and put on a nice dress. This will show him that you appreciate him. 




Get him an adventure voucher


You might not be a keen on bungee jumping or racing cars, but your man might enjoy taking part in extreme sports. Show him that he is free and you want him to enjoy himself without you taking part. Get him a voucher for a race track experience, or sign him up for a helicopter navigation course. He will have a great time and come back happier than ever. 







Let him pick the holiday destination


You might think that men are not interested in arranging holidays, and you might be right. However, the reason why he says he doesn’t mind where you go next is because he does not want to book hotels, flights, and car rentals. He definitely cares where you go, and might prefer Costa Rica to Norway in December. Ask him for his dream destination and take care of the rest. He will feel included in the decision and look forward to the vacation more. 




Invite his friends over


One of the main cause of arguments between couples is about the freedom to go out and socialize outside of the relationship. You might have some common friends, but he could have colleagues and old school friends he likes catching up sometimes. Why don’t you offer to invite them over and throw a party for them in your house? Make sure that you stay in the background and let your man enjoy the company of his friends. 




Spoil his mother


Every guy admires their mother. They respect them and want you to get on with them. On the other hand, if you are thinking long term, your future mother-in-law’s word will count more than anybody else’s. Arrange to give his mother a lift to the shopping centre, take her out for a coffee, or invite her for lunch. Your man will appreciate your effort, and his mother will be more likely to approve of you. It is a win-win situation, and you might even hear some funny stories from his childhood while you socialise with his mom. 




Admire his skills


Men, just like women are vain, but in a different way. They love being admired for their practical skills, their strength, abilities, and cleverness. Praise them a lot and they will remain happy and faithful. Mention how good it was of him to fix the front door or check up your car. Tell him that cutting the grass was taking you ages, and he was a great help doing it for you. Be glad with him when he gets a promotion or pay rise, and tell him that he deserved it. This will make him feel ten feet tall and respected. 







Wash his car or bike


Your man’s other girlfriend is likely to have an engine inside. He might adore you, but love the sound of his car or bike. Is he too busy at work? Give the car or bike a good polish and wax, and you will be in his good books. Many women make a mistake being jealous of boys’ toys. Don’t be one of them, but acknowledge that he has other passions, too. Get a special treatment that will restore the dash or rubber on his machine, and he will like you even more. 




Find out more about his hobbies


Does your other half play any sports or games? Is he passionate about football, rugby, or basketball? Even if you are not interested in the game itself and the scores, you can learn some basic things about it, so you can have a conversation with him. He will appreciate your effort. Make sure that you tell him you looked up a player just for him, and you want to know more about what makes this game so interesting for him. Does your man go fishing? Send him an article about the latest techniques and gear, and he will thank you for it. 




Go out to watch a match


If you feel OK with it, you can make the effort and go to a match with your man. He will enjoy the experience and love the fact that you want to be a part of it. Even if you are not a supporter, try to show enthusiasm, and watch his face light up when his team scores. If you support a different team, make sure that you don’t get a ticket to a match when his team plays against yours, or it will end with a bad argument for sure. If you don’t like sports, you can simply get out of it by getting him a season ticket for his birthday. 




Get him a stylish gift


It is always challenging to find the perfect gift for a man. They are less open about what they really want, and most of them have a limited sense of fashion or style. You need to think about a gift that will match all his outfit and he can wear every day. Get him a funny T-shirt with his favourite characters, or a toolbox he can take with him in the car. Alternatively, if you want to give him a special gift for an anniversary, you might opt for stylish jewellery, such as gold chains. You can pick up some great deals from this site.




While the above tips are great if you want to make your man feel admired, loved, and appreciated, you must make sure that you take into consideration his taste, preferences, and style. Listen to what he says, what he is passionate about, and what makes him happy. The general rule is that men are not good at taking criticism, but they love praises. Most of them will appreciate a delicious dinner more than an expensive gift. Some, however, have an eye for fashion and style, and love looking trendy. Whether your man is a football fan, an adrenaline junkie, or a career addict, you can find the right way to show him you care about him. And remember, actions speak louder than words.

Collaborative post

Creating a perfect, stress-free-bedroom

If you value your sleep, which you really should do considering it provides you with the energy and rest you need to make every day count, then you should be doing all you can to send yourself to sleep every night. But what is the best way to do this? 

Is it to have a cup of cocoa or Horlicks before bed? 
Is it to take sleeping pills? 
Is it to go to bed early, or go to bed when you are actually tired? 

I suppose everybody has different techniques when it comes to falling to sleep at night, and these tactics may very well work. But, the best thing you can do to send yourself to sleep, no matter how easily you fall off to sleep each night, is to create yourself a sleeping oasis. 

More to the point, you should create yourself a perfect, stress-free bedroom. 






Regulate the light in the room


In order to make your bedroom as sleep inducing as can be, you need to ensure that the light within it is regulated, especially at night time.

Specifically, this means that your bedroom should be bathed in complete darkness at night time, no light should be able to creep in. Light stimulates the body and mind, and when they are stimulated they can’t shut off and fall to sleep. So, make sure that not light cannot creep into your bedroom at night, whether it be light from your upstairs landing area, light from a street light outside, or light from an exceedingly bright moon. 

Investing in window coverings that offer a complete blackout when nightfall arrives is the best way to do this. But, these coverings should also allow light in when the morning turns up so that your body is properly reinvigorated when morning comes. So, choose wisely!




Keep the room de-cluttered and spacious


Keeping your bed tidy and clutter free isn’t the only thing that you should be doing when it comes to creating a relaxing, sleep-inducing environment in your bedroom. No, you should be ensuring the whole room follows suit too.

The first thing you need do is accept that there is just no getting around it, you’re going to have to do some tidying up and organising in your bedroom. You’re going to have put your clothes in your wardrobe, and not have them draping over any chairs or, even worse, lying on the floor. You’re going to have to make sure your desk isn’t full of different bits and bobs. You’re going to have to keep the bin in your room clutter free at all times. And you're going to have to do all of these things in order to stop your brain from getting distracted by anything when the time comes for it to switch off.

To further lessen the chance of your brain becoming distracted by its environment make sure the room is as scarce and as spacious as can be. This could mean making use of all the space in your room by, say, taking out your radiators and replacing them with horizontal column radiators. It could mean replacing your bedside tables and your desk with suspended tables, so you can make use of the space beneath. Or it could simply mean taking out everything you don’t need in the room and keeping only the sleeping necessities in it. 




Use sleep technology


Sleep technology is something that you should be bringing into your bedroom if you are stricken with the plight of insomnia each and every night. Why? Because it helps you sleep, of course!

Sleep technology comes in many different forms; the most famous of these forms, however, is the memory foam mattress. This is a type of technology, more to the point a type of mattress, that cradles and comforts those that sleep upon to it to the point where they simple cannot help but drift away to sleep. There is the traditional style that tends to all the body’s pressure points and ensure they are all relaxed enough for sleep. There is the air cooled style that helps to keep those that sleep upon it as warm or as cool as they need to be all night long. And there is the gel style which offers a firm, strong bed on which to lay upon.

Whichever memory foam mattress suit your sleeping needs the best, just make sure you have one waiting for you in your bedroom each and every night if you value your sleeping pattern!




Ventilate your bedroom’s temperature


In order to stimulate a good night’s sleep, your bedroom must be correctly ventilated. More to the point, it must be able to fight nasty chills and warm them up, and it must be able to tackle uncomfortable heats too.

Now, this could mean that you keep your bedroom windows either open or closed at night. But, what with the unpredictability of today's climate, you never know what kind of temperature you’re going to have to face. So, if you’re really serious about maintaining a comfortable temperature all night long, then you’re going to have to do more. 

What you can do is simply switch from opening or closing your windows, to opening or closing your bedroom door. By keeping your bedroom door open you avoid the room becoming too stuffy without having to face a cold temperature coming in from the outside of the world. By closing your bedroom door at night, you allow your bedroom to retain all the heat it needs to see you stay warm, especially on a cold winter’s night. 




Pay attention to the colour scheme


You may be thinking that the colour scheme in your room is of no importance when you’re trying to create the perfect sleeping oasis because of the fact that you won’t be able to see it in the darkness of night. But, your bedroom’s colour scheme is in fact one of the most important things for you to be focusing on because it promotes relaxation when your lights are still on, and then ultimately sleep when they are off.

It is recommended that your bedroom walls should be adorned in colours like teal blue and raspberry pink because they are borne of cool hues.



Creating a perfect, stress-free bedroom might just be the thing you need to do to improve your sleeping pattern. And, if you take heed of the advice above when you do so, you’ll be sure to fix it in no time. Whether it’s a case of spending big on sleep technology or a new bed, or simply deciding to vent your room through its door, and not its windows, using these tips will help. You deserve a good night’s sleep every single night.

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Post Comment Love 20th - 22nd October

It is Friday. It is Post Comment Love. Join Stephanie and I for the best linky in town (even if I do say so myself!) and link up your best post of the week. I can't wait to read!

It is officially half term. LP is off school today, INSET day, which means I have to try to get some blogging done while he sits in my room nagging me about what he should do all day. This half term has come at a really inopportune time though, what with us not having any internet for 3 whole weeks just before this both the Hubby and I are trying to frantically catch up before the Christmas break. It is amazing how much happens in 3 weeks when you have no internet!

This week I've spent some time reading blogs, connecting on Facebook, trying to up my game when it comes to Facebook posts, writing blog posts, making more crafts, reading my novel and making notes, as well as all the other things I have to do as a mum and wife. It's been a busy week. But I haven't felt rushed or like I don't have enough time, which is weird.



Perhaps it's because I'm not stressing myself out with deadlines and things like "I must post x number of posts on the blog this week". I'm taking it easy, 3 posts for definite every week from me and if I feel like doing more, there'll be more. To be honest I think the taking it easy approach is really working for me. I feel more relaxed about the whole thing and I'm able to think too - bonus!

I hope you have some great things planned for half term. Have a great week.



Blogger Showcase Elisha from Mom on the Blog


Elisha is a mum, wife, preschool teacher, and blogger. She likes the sound of coffee and cake (but prefers pie!) and describes herself as energetic, loving, and humble. Check out the rest of her answers over on Stephanie's blog.


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Pocolo


Each week you'll be able to link up from either of our sites and between us Stephanie and I will comment on every post linked.

The rules; Link up your best post written in the last week and we'd like you to comment on at least two other linked posts, as well as the hosts.

Help us spread the #PoCoLo word on Twitter and include the badge on your post.

Please do pop over and say hi to this week's Blogger Showcase. It's always nice to get a comment or two.

If you'd like to be featured in our Blogger Showcase please do check out the questions and email your answers to us at postcommentlove@gmail.com.

Thank you for popping by.



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