Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Over the time that I have been blogging I have learnt a few things that really help to make a blog look better and get more attention. Some of these I have seen in other blogs and some I have found myself along the way. I thought today I would tell you guys a few tips that I wish I knew when I first started blogging.
- A little goes a long way - Posts don't have to be paragraphs long with super super detail. I love reading bullet point posts and lists.
- Labels are important - These help people who search for a specific topic find your post which means more page views
- The blogging community isn't scary- I didn't start taking part in the blogging community until recently because I didn't know if I really fitted in, but since I have I have met so many lovely people and gained some lovely followers so don't be scared to put your self out there.
- Add properties to your photos - By copying your labels into the Properties tab on your photos, when someone searches a topic your photo can appear leading them to your blog which means more page views
- You can post as much or as little as you want - Some times I can feel like I need to post more frequently because all of my favourite bloggers do but if you have a good following, it won't matter how often you post they will still be there to read them.
I have learnt a lot since I first started my blog many moons ago, feel free to comment anything you wish you knew at the start!
Sticking to a budget can be hard and when your a home owner and have bills to pay for you don't really get a choice. I've been living in my own home now for just over a two years now and I have found some ways that help me to stick to my budget and not go into my overdraft every month.
- Meal Plan
This can be a life safer if you are someone who ends up buying a bunch of food that you don't need. Cal and I like to sit down and plan what we are going to eat for dinner that week for many reasons, one is so we can get what we need on our weekly shop ahead of time and because it gives us something to look forward to.
- Stick to your list
I think it should be a known rule never to go food shopping while you are hungry otherwise I come back with 2 cinnamon swirls, 3 different biscuits and a box of microwave chips so stick to the items on your list. You made a list for a reason so only get the food that you need.
- Choose food with multiple uses
It's easy to buy food because you like it but it worked for one meal and then its done. I like to make meals which I can freeze for another night or pop in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow. It helps me save money and stops me using everything in my freezer in one go.
- Shop Around
Before I moved out I was a self confessed Tesco addict and if I needed anything whether it was food or random bits I would go to Tesco. When we moved out we didn't know how we would find balancing our mortgage, food shopping, petrol and such so we ended up trying the Aldi store which is 10 minutes down the street from our house. We've found we can get a full weekly shop with meat and chicken and the everyday bits for between £20-£30 which is really good considering how much we bring home so we are official Aldi converts now. I love the chicken and meat from Aldi so if you don't already shop there then you should try it once. I know down the line when we start to have a family it will really help with saving our money. Its easy to stick to a shop that you are familiar with but when you can save all this money you have to give it a go.
- Check your online banking daily
It sounds very silly but I am terrible for not checking my online banking for days and it has become Cals job to remind me to pay the bills. By checking it daily you know exactly what bills has already come out and what you still need to pay for, that way if you see something you want for the house you know what money you have left for the month.
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Anyone else remember this saying up on every wall in your school?
It does still apply now in every day life so I have implemented it back into my life. When we first moved in we were still learning a rhythm and we ended up not using fresh food which meant it went off and we had to throw it away, which is such a waste. So when we plan our meals for the week now we also check what we still have in the fridge and freezer and what dates they go off. Then we make sure we use the food before the due date so that we don't waste the food anymore.
This doesn't just apply to food as well, we had lots of random house decorative bits which didn't have a home for a while and rather then getting rid of them we have rotated them round the house until we found a room where we liked them. Its so easy to chuck something away because it doesn't suit your theme only to need one a few months later and end up buying it again.
- Never impulse buy for the house
I love buying items for my house like most people and going into Home Sense or Dunelm can be really hurtful for my bank balance, I like to go home shopping with Cal because he does stop me going crazy for stuff that we don't need and don't have room for. Home stuff can be really expensive so I try and really think about what I want for the house and stop myself impulse buying. If I find something that I really like but it is super expensive, I like to sleep on the idea of spending that much money on one item. You can get into the hype of 'I need to buy this now, it won't be here tomorrow if I change my mind' but I have come to believe that if I return to the shop and the item is still there then I was meant to purchase it.
- Treat Yourself
This one may sound strange in this list but when you have been really good for a long period of time you deserve a treat. Me and Cal have the occasional take away when we have cooked dinner for the whole week because it gives me a night off from cooking and its something a bit different. If we don't have a take away we sometimes go out for date night instead and again its just a little treat for our hard work. Just watch they become too much of regular thing!
I love inviting people round to my house and hosting people whether its for a hour or for the night. I don't know where I have got this from but since having my own house I have developed a lot of house pride which I think everyone gets once they own their own place. I use any excuse to make people come round my house now so that I can play host so I thought Id take you through what I like to do before someone comes to stay.
One thing I love doing when someone is coming over to stay is make the bed with a fresh bed sheet, obviously tidy the spare room and then close the curtains and turn on the fairy lights. Whether it is sunny or in the middle of winter I think a dark room with fairy lights look so much more appealing. I want to make the bed look really appealing for the person because I know it isn't always nice to spend a night in someone else's bed.
I have got into the habit of leaving fresh towels folded on the end of the bed in the spare room because even though the people who stay over are mainly family members and properly wouldn't care about using the same towels, it is nice to have a fresh one. I also don't want my guests to have to ask for a towel. I am planning on replacing all of our towels soon so that they all match and match the bedding so it looks more pretty all together, sad I know.
On the night stand beside the spare bed I like to leave everything my guest could possibly need, a tooth brush in case they have forgot theirs, a empty glass and a new bottle of water in case they get thirsty in the night and don't want to go roaming round my house, a pair of fluffy socks which are very important during the winter (we are lucky our whole house is covered in carpet so we don't feel the cold too much (but some people don't like showing their feet which is where the socks come in) and a few hair bands because I know what it is like forgetting a hair band and sweating during the night with your hair stuck to you.
Because I love bath and shower products I have a huge collections that I spread across both bathrooms so when people stay over I like to leave out my mini shower gels and scrubs so that if they have a bath or shower they have something to use. Can you call it a shower if you haven't used a shower gel?! I also like to leave cotton pads out for our female friends to remind them to take their makeup off because I know how much they will regret it in the morning if they forget.
Whenever people are staying over at my house I like to stock up the fridge and cupboards, half of the time I cook a proper meal for my family and friends and the other half we get take away depending on whether I have been to work or not but I find the snacks and drinks are the most important. I know what it is like to get the munchies during the night so I like to have little snacks that people can take up with them to bed in case they do get peckish (we've all been there) and a mixture of drinks so people have a choice. I know alcohol isn't everyone's cup of tea and I am not a big drinker myself but whenever we have friends or family round we always get something to put in the fridge whether it is a bottle of wine or a crate of beer. Even if we don't drink it ourselves it is there in case our friends/family want it. We also have mason jars with little chalk boards on so we can write our guests names on the jars which goes down a treat.
Now I'm not saying I am the most amazing host in the whole entire world and that I do all of this every time someone comes over because I'm human and I work a lot but when I do these things, you can tell people really appreciate it and it gives them a rest from doing it themselves at home.
I know now that it takes a long while to get your home exactly how you want it and since having my own home, I have found that you can have a quite plain boring room but by adding one thing, you can change it into an inviting space that looks like you have spent a lot of time making it feel like a home rather than a house.
One thing that I have recently found to really make a difference is photo frames, they are amazing at making a room feel more homely. We didn't have any photos up for a long time because we have never been big photo people, it was only when someone gave us a photo frame a few weeks ago that we had an excuse to gets some photos developed. I took this opportunity to go crazy with the photos to give us a lot of choice when it came to picking which photo we used and now the photo frames look like they have been their the whole time.
Another item that makes any room but especially bedrooms and living rooms look more cosy are pillows and throws. I love anything that reminds me of a bed so I love throws on the sofas because I can wrap up in them and pretend that I have my sh*t together. I find they really tie a room together and you can either match the theme of the room or completely go against it and make a statement with a bold pattern or colour. My favourite thing to do is changing the colour of pillows and throw during the different seasons because you can get some quality throws and pillow covers in Primark for not that much and then you never have to settle on one theme.
Something I have always been into is candles and my old bedroom at my parents house used to be covered in large candles and now I have my own home they are spread out evenly in the rooms. I find candles make dull shelves and tables look so much more appealing and especially when they are being used they make the space so much more cosy. Even Callum loves a good candle so there is one out there for everyone.
Another thing I have become obsessed with since having my own house is house plants. I can't say I am the best at keeping them alive but I love having them around especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Another thing connected to house plants is flowers which I think makes a room so much more homely and inviting, I wish I had an abundance of flowers in ever room but sadly again they never last long with me but I love them while they are alive.
Something that I know the girls will definitely agree with and the boys may object to is having fairy lights around the house. I love fairy lights and keep a set up all year round wrapped around our spare bed because who doesn't want some fairy lights in the background. At Christmas time as well I am allowed to wrap fairy lights around the banister, tv unit and lamp in the living room and the room is so cosy and lovely I never want to take them down. I know they aren't to everyone cup of tv but they can really complete a room.
Something I like to leave on the living room coffee table is a bowl full of treats whether that is chocolate or sweets whatever we have. I guess you could call me a feeder... I don't like people to go hungry so I always make sure there is something for someone so having a bowl of treats on the table encourages people to relax and take a handful while they kick back. They are also great when you get peckish watching tv and can't be bothered to move!
The last tip I have for this blog post is have big ass mirrors and canvases everywhere possible. I love big wall mirrors that take up the whole space. You don't have to worry about choosing a photo or painting to go on the blank wall and they are great at making the space feel bigger. I love mirrors in hall walls or on the top of stairs because they look great and most important, are great for outfit photos! Canvas are also great if you have one photo you and your partner really like which would look great blown up on a big wall, its choosing the photo that is hard!
One thing that I have recently found to really make a difference is photo frames, they are amazing at making a room feel more homely. We didn't have any photos up for a long time because we have never been big photo people, it was only when someone gave us a photo frame a few weeks ago that we had an excuse to gets some photos developed. I took this opportunity to go crazy with the photos to give us a lot of choice when it came to picking which photo we used and now the photo frames look like they have been their the whole time.
Another item that makes any room but especially bedrooms and living rooms look more cosy are pillows and throws. I love anything that reminds me of a bed so I love throws on the sofas because I can wrap up in them and pretend that I have my sh*t together. I find they really tie a room together and you can either match the theme of the room or completely go against it and make a statement with a bold pattern or colour. My favourite thing to do is changing the colour of pillows and throw during the different seasons because you can get some quality throws and pillow covers in Primark for not that much and then you never have to settle on one theme.
Something I have always been into is candles and my old bedroom at my parents house used to be covered in large candles and now I have my own home they are spread out evenly in the rooms. I find candles make dull shelves and tables look so much more appealing and especially when they are being used they make the space so much more cosy. Even Callum loves a good candle so there is one out there for everyone.
Another thing I have become obsessed with since having my own house is house plants. I can't say I am the best at keeping them alive but I love having them around especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Another thing connected to house plants is flowers which I think makes a room so much more homely and inviting, I wish I had an abundance of flowers in ever room but sadly again they never last long with me but I love them while they are alive.
Something that I know the girls will definitely agree with and the boys may object to is having fairy lights around the house. I love fairy lights and keep a set up all year round wrapped around our spare bed because who doesn't want some fairy lights in the background. At Christmas time as well I am allowed to wrap fairy lights around the banister, tv unit and lamp in the living room and the room is so cosy and lovely I never want to take them down. I know they aren't to everyone cup of tv but they can really complete a room.
Something I like to leave on the living room coffee table is a bowl full of treats whether that is chocolate or sweets whatever we have. I guess you could call me a feeder... I don't like people to go hungry so I always make sure there is something for someone so having a bowl of treats on the table encourages people to relax and take a handful while they kick back. They are also great when you get peckish watching tv and can't be bothered to move!
The last tip I have for this blog post is have big ass mirrors and canvases everywhere possible. I love big wall mirrors that take up the whole space. You don't have to worry about choosing a photo or painting to go on the blank wall and they are great at making the space feel bigger. I love mirrors in hall walls or on the top of stairs because they look great and most important, are great for outfit photos! Canvas are also great if you have one photo you and your partner really like which would look great blown up on a big wall, its choosing the photo that is hard!
What do you have around your house to make it feel more like home? :)
I don't consider myself a pro at moving house as I have only moved house once in my life but I thought a lot of people who read my blog will probably be around the same age as me so will probably be in the same situation too (first time buyer) and would appreciate this post. I know for a lot of people moving house is really hard, especially if you already have a house so you have a house full of items to move with you. Being a first time buyer made moving much quicker and easier then for other people as most of the big items we bought once we moved in. I have so much admiration for people who moved from one large house to an even larger house with children!
So here are a few things that I think help making moving house so much easier.
1. Preparation
I am quite an organised person anyway but when we started the process of putting in an offer for our house in January 2017, I started sorting through my wardrobes and draws straight away and I moved in in May! Some might call that eager but it helped out a lot. Knowing that I had sorted and thrown away all the old stuff I didn't need to bring with me beforehand made me feel much better when it was time to move. A week before we moved I boxed up all my bedroom and just kept a few things out that I would have needed over the week and it meant I didn't have to worry about anything. I know some people are very last minute and would pack their belongings the day they moved but I can't do that, it probably would have given me a heart attack when the day came! Preparation is everything!
2. Friends are life savers
Now its your first big house and you want to do everything yourself because your a big girl now... but you need help. Our friends were life savers when we moved because they helped up bring round our sofas in a van we borrowed, they helped build lots of Ikea furniture and they spent quite a few trips driving boxes between our old houses and our new house. If it wasn't for them we wouldn't have moved in as quick and it would have cost us money to pay for vans or removal services. They also make moving house even more fun because they lighten your mood when your stressing about your kitchen floor and after everything is in you can all sit in the sun in the garden and have a nice cold beer/cocktail.
3. Plan your work
I am quite lucky in the fact I told my work straight away in January that I would need a week off around these dates to move house and they were very good about that. I know some companies aren't this laid back and wouldn't give people time off work but you might as well ask and shout and scream until they agree! If both Cal and I didn't have the week off after we got the keys the house wouldn't have actually been a home for weeks. Still now nearly a month in the house and we still are adding bits to the house to make it feel more homely.
4. Getting friendly with neighbours
This point is more for new build buyers who have neighbours who will be moving in around the same time as you. We were very lucky in the fact the site that runs our development stagger moving in dates for the buyers so in our little cul-de-sac we were the first to move in on the Friday, then the following Friday another house moved in and so on and so forth. This made moving in so much easier because we had everyone's packing space to pack our cars full of stuff and when everyone came round to see the house they all had somewhere to park their cars. Now I know some places don't do this and everyone moves in on the same day (I can't even imagine...) so if you get the chance I would get friendly with the neighbours so you can find out what time they were planning on bring their vans/cars so you can try to work around each other. The worst thing would be you can't get to your house because three vans from next door are taking up the parking and the road. If our moving in dates weren't staggered I think Cal and I would have moved in the following day to everyone else since we had to the week off just to make life easier to everyone especially us.
5. It won't all come together straight away
When I imagined my moving in day I imagined every room to be perfect and filled with furniture and for it already to look like a home. This didn't happen obviously. We only had two sofas and a TV in the living room, one bed in the second bedroom and every other room was storage. It is impossible for your house to be ready straight away unless you have literally moved everything already from your old house into your new. We spent the first 3 weeks without a TV unit, kitchen table, microwave, coffee table and chest of draws. We still don't have a washing machine, blinds or curtains and wardrobes but new houses are homes in progress. I find its better to wait to buy something then rush our and buy the first thing you see because you spend more than you should on the item and it isn't exactly the one that you wanted.
I will give you a house tour soon once I feel like it is ready and we have all we need. If you have moved house yourself and have any other tips leave a comment below with them. I'd love to know how yours went!
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