If you're in the midst of planning a family holiday, today's guest post on choosing holiday accommodation is full of tips to make the task easier. Enjoy! If you’re off on your travels this summer with the little ones in tow, there are a few things you’ll need to bear in mind when choosing the most suitable holiday accommodation for you all. No matter where you’re headed, either at home or abroad, keep these things in mind and your getaway will ...
Tips for controlling plant diseases
Plant disease: it’s not the most glamorous of gardening topics, but it’s an issue that’s highly likely to have affected your garden at some point. To be honest, in the past I’ve struggled to understand and recognise plant diseases beyond a very basic level. Yes, I could tell when a plant has suffered from under or over watering, and recognise leaf scorching from bright sun, but beyond that I was pretty much out of my depth! I have noticed some ...
Fun garden games to get kids active
The arrival of warmer weather and longer days means one thing in our house: everyone spends more time in the garden. This is a really busy time of year gardening-wise, so I’m always pottering about with plants, and the kids just love being able to play outside and blow off steam. I’m a huge fan of outdoor play. After being cooped-up indoors my kids’ mood visibly lifts when they head outside for some fresh air; it’s no surprise really, given ...
6. The 10 minute gardener – quick garden jobs for April & May
I’m feeling more than a little behind with my gardening jobs this month. Everything just grows so fast at this time of year! I’ve managed to stay on top of things at the allotment, but the garden is another story. And with all the loveliness and perfection of the Chelsea Flower Show on the horizon, it feels like I need some quick gardening jobs now more than ever. Despite this urge to gain control in the garden, I don’t think you can ever ...
Review: Qwerkity Grow Cage plant protection
Do you grow soft fruit or leafy veg in your garden or allotment? If the answer is yes, chances are you know the pain of trying to protect it from hungry wildlife! Since getting our allotment three years ago, we've tried to grow lettuces, cabbages and broccoli in our raised beds. Every year, the local pigeons have a good old feast before the plants get really established; we've tried using netting, but we've never managed to get the supports ...
Bringing the outdoors in: Sainsbury’s Garden Room range
Do you try to bring a little bit of nature into your home? The interiors trend of bringing the outdoors into our living spaces has been big news for a while now, and it’s not hard to see why. Interiors brands have picked up on the fact that connecting with nature helps us cope with today’s hectic pace of life, and are extending that connection into the home via accessories, wallpaper, fabric prints and furniture. Add to that the fact that ...
Putting Baby Bio Orchid Feed & Mist to the test
You may have seen my recent post on orchid care tips, which included lots of tips for keeping orchid plants happy and healthy. In this post, I’m going to take a closer look at Baby Bio® Orchid Feed & Mist, and put it to the test against some competitor products. So why is it important to mist orchid plants? Well it’s all about creating the kind of environment that they would naturally grow in. Orchids need a high level of humidity - much ...
Craft inspiration with The Works
Are you crafting with the kids during the school holidays? I love the fact that the school holidays give us more time to get creative; the kids love crafting, but term time is just so busy and we don’t always manage to fit it in. This week we’ve been working on a school homework project which involves making your own musical instrument, namely a shaker using a kitchen roll tube and dried rice; we’ve had one major spillage but ...
School holidays: ideas for keeping the kids busy
School holidays are always around the corner, as my children keep reminding me, and I’m afraid if I don’t find us something fun and active to do things will rapidly descend into chaos! I’ve been thinking of some ideas that will help all of us relax, learn and have fun during the school holidays this year. Have you got any of these on your list? Create a game If you have to work or don’t have lots of budget to do anything outside the house, ...
Using Clever Storage for a Better, Smarter Family Home
Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Today's guest post is full of clever storage tips to help you get it under control - enjoy! Keeping the house tidy is a never-ending challenge, especially when there are kids about. It doesn’t matter whether they’re toddlers or teens, they seem to have an inbuilt ability to leave a trail of chaos. If you’re forever picking up after the family, there are ways to make storage work harder. Create Activity ...