Interior Decorating Best Kept Secrets

August 1, 2018 By fashionandstylepolice in Lifestyle Tags: Blogger Lifestyle Blog UK, Fashion and Style Police, Interior Decor, Interior Decorating Best Kept Secrets, Interior Decoration, Interior Design, Interiors, Lifestyle Blog, Lifestyle Blogger, UK Blogger 28 Comments

*Collaborative post.

Decorating and re-decorating your home can be really fun. It’s amazing how little adjustments can make a huge difference to the room.

However, not many people have an eye for design. That’s why it’s good to have some handy tips that will help you make the best interior design choices.

Over the years interior designers have formulated some interior décor hacks that they kept secret. I came across some which will help make a difference to your interior decorating.

Base your colour scheme on a focal item

Deciding on the right set of colours to decorate your room can be a bit tricky. And sometimes when you do come up with your “ideal” set of colours, you find out that your furniture doesn’t match your colour scheme by the time you bring it in.

A clever insider secret to interior décor is to base your colour scheme on a focal item in your room. For example, if the most prominent item in your room is a turquoise and gold mural, then the colour scheme of your room should include turquoise and gold.

Create height

Not many homes were constructed with high ceilings. High ceilings give the illusion of more space. But when you’re faced with a room with low ceilings, then furnishing it with low furniture will help give your room some balance. Low furniture like chairs, couches and coffee tables should have shorter legs to make the ceiling of the room look a lot higher than what it really is.

Bring the investment pieces up front

When you walk into the room there should be a statement piece that will draw you into the room. A statement piece usually defines the mood of a room. Invest in a large beautiful painting on the wall or smart antique furniture as they make excellent statement pieces. Once you have them in your room don’t keep them hidden in the background. Bring them up front and let the room light up with their presence. living room furniture collections

Invest in a quality sofa

Don’t skimp on your sofa. That’s where you and your guests will spend most of their time when they come to visit. So, you must invest in a quality sofa to give your room or living area a comfy feel. Make sure that the sofa you choose is comfortable and made of quality materials that will last long and not wear out quick. Best to shop for great living room furniture collections when furnishing the home.

Strategically hang your mirrors

Mirrors, especially the decorative type, can make a room look really charming and sophisticated. However, interior designers see mirrors as more than just a decorative item. A mirror can be used as a tool to help in your interior decoration. When placed in strategic locations, a mirror can make a room look a lot larger than it really is. If the room you want to decorate doesn’t let in much natural light, you can place a mirror directly opposite the window to reflect the light to the whole room. This makes your room naturally brighter.

What do you think of these Interior Decorating Best Kept Secrets?

How to Survive Soft Play with Kids

July 29, 2018 By fashionandstylepolice in Kids Section Tags: British Lifestyle Blog, Fashion and Style Police, How to Survive Soft Play with Kids, Kids Blog UK, Lifestyle Blogger, Lifestyle Blogger Cheshire, Soft Play, Soft Play Cheshire, UK Blogger, UK Blogs 46 Comments

A few days ago, we took the Kiddies to a Soft Play Centre not to far away from where we stay in Cheshire to burn off some energy. They have been quite restless these last few days thanks to the summer holidays. So having an afternoon of play and fun was planned to let off some steam. It was good old fun. The kiddies had a great time as always. They love soft play so I knew this was a going to be a hit.

The only issue we had at the Soft Play Centre in Cheshire was how dead warm the centre was. Installing some aircon would be a great idea. It was boiling at a point and we found it pretty uncomfortable but the kids didn’t mind much. They were there for the fun. Do you kids like Soft Play Centres?

To be honest, I am not a huge fan of Soft Play Centres. I find it hard to manoeuvre the tight spots and my kids always need me for one thing or the other. So I am not one of those mum that can have a cup of coffee in peace while the kids play. It is usually a lot fo work for me because I have to get involved in one way or the other, and there are usually a lot of kids. But thankfully, on this day, there were not many kids. I guess everyone was busy enjoying the sunshine outside except us. We couldn’t brave playing outdoors on that day. It was a lot hotter outside. How have you all been coping with the dead warm weather here in the UK?

Here are some tips you may need to survive your next soft play day out –

Pack the socks

Your kids need socks to play and so do you. You may need to get involved in a way so best to go prepared with a pair of socks in your bag for when it is needed.

Go after a meal

We like to go to the Soft Play Centre just after lunch and get back just before dinner. This way the kids are well fed and in the mood to play. Getting back just before dinner is also smart as the kids have usually worn themselves out and are ready for bed.

Keep an eye out on the kids

Parents should watch their kids while they play. The signs and reminders are usually all over the wall for those parents that forget or get carried away but many parents do not keep an eye on their kids when they play. I find that they are usually carried away with the conversations they are having and expect their kids to come find them when they need them.

Teach the kids to play nice

I always remind my kids to be nice and kind to everyone they come across. It makes the world a better place and I think it is our responsibility as parents to teach our kids manners especially in public places like a Soft Play setting.

We have survived the first week of the summer holidays and we are looking forward to the remaining 5 weeks. We have various days out and activities planned for the next couple of weeks. What plans do you have for the summer holidays?

Working from home with the kiddies this summer holiday

July 26, 2018 By fashionandstylepolice in Freelancing/Self-employed, Kids Section Tags: Fashion and Style Police, Lifestyle Blogger, Lifestyle Blogger UK, Summer, Summer Holiday, UK Blogger, Working from Home, Working from home with the kiddies this summer holiday 16 Comments

The kiddies had their graduation ceremony from pre school last week, and are finally off to Big School this September. We are looking forward to the exciting changes, and we can’t wait but for now, it is the summer holidays. I work from home, so working during the day with the kiddies are around is always very tricky. I do most of my work when they are in school and when they are asleep. But with the 6 weeks summer holidays, I have to be able to do some work during the day.

I love the flexibility of my work and being able to care for my kids while making living. So since I am unable to take 6 weeks off work, I have to make this working from home thing work for the next 6 weeks. My business grows and grows every year. Which means I am a lot more busy this year, than I was last year, which means more work.

So how do I plan to work from home this summer holiday, here are some ways –

Focus on what needs to be done

I am going to be focus on what needs to be done and make sure it is done. There won’t be any room for goofing around online when I am supposed to be working. Not that I do much of that, but with time being so precious these next few weeks, I will be focusing 100% on work while I work. There will be no room for distractions.

Plan my schedule

I will need to plan my schedule for the next few weeks in order to get work done quicker. Knowing what needs to be done well in advance helps me stay focused, which is why planning a schedule works extremely well. I don’t have to spend minutes/hours going through emails to decide on what needs to be done urgently.

Plan my outgoings

If you work for yourself, you have to keep an eye on your money. Keeping a watchful eye on my outgoings is very important especially in the next few weeks, as I can’t predict how much work I will be able to get done. Knowing where my money goes and having my money work hard for me is crucial. So no unnecessary spending this period. Like most families, we have important bills that need to be paid every month, like the mortgage, council tax, and other utility bills. Which means we have to watch every penny.

We own our home and that comes with a responsibility. Money needs to be set aside for unforeseen circumstances with regards to our home maintaimace. We have spent quite a few hundreds of pounds on home repairs already this year, which can be frustrating when money is tight. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that I know our home is definitely an investment, and every penny we spend on it goes towards our investment. Sunlife has a great calculator for home owners to check how much their property has increased in value. I like to check the value of our home from time to time, just so I know money spent on home repairs and improvements are not in vain.

Do you work from home? Do you have kids? How will you be getting work done this summer holidays?