I passed my driving test way back in 2004, when I was 20. Since then, I have had quite a few cars – some loved more than others. On New Year’s Eve, we picked up our new family car – A Peugeot 3008 GT Line. This is my first ever Red car, and I am a little giddy about the colour! Our son has disabilities, and has finally been awarded Motability, so we set about trying to find the perfect car for him (and us) as a family)…

Why The Peugeot 3008?

We’ve been shopping around for our new car for what feels like forever. We needed a car with a large enough boot to fit the dogs in. (We’ve got 2 boxers). I wanted an SUV this time, as it was becoming painful bending down to strap the kids in – especially our son, who needs a harness in the car.

Initially, I was favouring the Ford Grand C-Max as the rear sliding doors were a huge plus for us. (We have a designated parking space at home, so it’s a nightmare getting the kids in and out sometimes). However, when we went to view one, we found it really basic and didn’t feel the quality was there to justify the on the road price.

We stumbled across the Peugeot 3008 GT Line when we went to view the Peugeot 5008. I was already sure the 5008 was too big (and expensive) for our family’s needs, but I hadn’t been aware of the Peugeot 3008 before. As soon as we saw her parked up in the showroom, I knew this was the car for us!

Why Choose The Peugeot 3008 GT Line

We found the staff in the dealership we went to (Robins & Day, Manchester) super helpful, and very knowledgeable. Once hubby test drove it, there was no doubt this was the car for us!

Initially, we were going to go for the Allure model, but when we did the maths, we realised it made sense to go for the GT Line. I knew I’d want to add the charging plate, and the black interior and rear tinted windows would make travelling in the car much calmer for the kids too. (Our son has Autism, and struggles in the car when it’s really bright).

The other factor was that if we chose the red model (which we all loved), we could take it that week. If we ordered in an Allure, it would likely be April before it arrived. That would have meant putting our old car through another MOT and service.

Ticking The Boxes

As you can see, it definitely ticks the boot space box! (The base drops down 4 inches too, which allows even more space – great if you’ve got dogs, like us).

We don’t need to worry about prams any more, but our old double buggy would have fitted in here easily, too.

Funky Gadgets

Hubby is a big fan of gadgets. The Peugeot 3008 GT Line definitely delivers on that front! It’s got built in sat nav, a smartphone charging plate, rear parking camera, car play, and loads more too. I especially love that I can turn the speakers in the front off while leaving the kids music playing in the back.

The rear parking camera is a total win too. It makes parking such a huge beast of a car a breeze in supermarkets, multi storey car parks and our designated parking space at home.

Style of the Peugeot 3008 GT Line

The interior of the Peugeot 3008 GT Line feels like a cockpit. The paddle style buttons are similar to those within an aircraft, and it feels very futuristic. There are 2 displays. The main one, which sits in the middle of the dashboard. This stouchscreen display is where you control your usual in-car features from. You also see your sat nav and rear camera here, and you make and receive calls from this screen, too.

The second screen is the driver’s panel. This can show your sat nav, or your usual driving controls. It’s all digital and really intuitive. The Exterior is beautiful too, of course…!

How Does The Peugeot 3008 GT Line Drive?

I was really worried about driving our new car for the first time. Mainly because it’s Diesel and I have only driven cars petrol before. The first time I took it out, I went to a local park’s car park (which is always empty on weekdays). Once there, I practiced setting off, reversing, parking, clutch control and heat changes. After 5 minutes, I realised my fears were completely silly.

The Peugeot 3008 GT Line is by far the best manual car I have ever driven. It’s smooth, feels safe and the in built safety features are also a huge comfort for this anxious mum. (It has lots of those – including a blind spot alert, which flashes if someone is over or undertaking you. There’s an auto emergency stop, in case someone pulls out on you too). When you’re on the motorway, the car monitors your lane positioning and alerts you if you start veering to one side.

All told, I am extremely happy so far.  Granted, I have only driven 300 miles in her, so far. I will be sure to write another post in a few months time to update on the long term use.

Finally. If you’ve enjoyed this post, why not check out my other lifestyle blog posts.

I can’t believe I have already completed week 1 of Veganuary – it has flown by! I’m going to share my experiences so far in this blog post. The first thing I have found is that after 7 days, I definitely feel less sluggish! I seem to have more energy and am definitely getting more work done. That could be down to the fact I have upped my veg intake massively, rather than cutting dairy out, though.

Biggest Fail Of Week 1 Of Veganuary

My week started with me swapping cow’s milk for soya milk. By day 3, I was feeling really poorly. I was itchy, had stomach cramps and nausea. It got to the point where I was being sick when I added soya milk to anything, so I realised I must be Soya intolerant. Typical! If anyone’s going to be allergic to the most popular dairy substitute, it’s me!

Once I ditched the Soya Milk, I immediately began feeling much better! By day 5, I felt better than I have in a long time! On day 5, I ate the Marks & Spencer Vegan lasagne I had purchased on day 1. I quickly realised this was a mistake as I felt poorly very soon after. After checking the ingredients, I realised its made from soya milk. Whoops! Thankfully, the stomach ache passed within a few hours this time – I won’t be buying that again, though!

Favourite Foods This Week

I have been exploring a lot of convenience foods this week. I went to M&S on day 1 and bought plenty of bits to see me through the week. The Mushroom Pie was absolutely delicious!

I’d never have guessed it was vegan! I had the Roast Aubergine on a wrap, and it was lovely too. It went really far, and I could easily have made 4 wraps from it if I’d added salad to them.

Not pictured, but amazing nonetheless is the M&S Vegan coleslaw! I’ll definitely be buying more of that!

I blogged about my Vegan Ferrero Rocher mug cake recipe a few days ago. This was by far my favourite dessert during week 1 of Veganuary!

What Have I Missed?

Honestly: Nothing. I thought I’d really miss chocolate, but I have been more than satisfied with Vegan Mug Cakes and the Aldi version of Oreos (Which are vegan). I haven’t even craved pizza yet! It’s weird!

Any Slip Ups?

Hubby pointed out to me the other day that the Honey roasted peanuts I was eating weren’t vegan. I totally forgot Honey isn’t allowed. Whoops. I won’t be buying those again.

I have had to stop myself from finishing the kids’ leftovers a couple of times, but as of yet, I am 100% dairy and egg free – YAY!

What Is Veganuary?

The idea of Veganuary is to become Vegan for January (or for 31 days, starting in January). The Vegan diet involves cutting meat, dairy and eggs completely from your diet, and living a plant based life. If you want to take it to the next level, you can ditch Honey, leather and suede too.

Finally… I am feeling confident as we go into week 2. I’ll share another update next week. Meanwhile, you can follow my progress on instagram here.

January is quite often the perfect time for you to be thinking about what you want to achieve in business this year. We all have goals and aims – Maybe a business rebrand is amongst yours. Yet, if you’re not intentional about them, and if you don’t spend enough time thinking about them and planning for them, they can be pretty hard to achieve. So, you need to actively sit down and work out what you want to achieve, and how you’re going to make it all happen.

*Collaborative Post*

Not only do you need to know what the overall goal is, but you then also need to put the actionable steps in place to make that happen. For a lot of people, a huge actionable step that can put them on the right track is rebranding. Because when you have the right brand in place, it can set the pace for the rest of your business.

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What Is A Rebrand?

First of all, you might be wondering just what a rebrand is. In short, it’s shaking up the external look and perception of your company. From the colours you use to the logo and the font. The kind of image that you’re projecting, you’re looking to change it all. You might want to do this if you feel as if your brand isn’t targeting the right audience. Or that you’re not getting the right image across with your current branding.

What Does It Involve?

When it comes to going through a rebrand, you’re essentially changing the image and look of your company. You can take a look at some rebranding examples from big companies if you want to see what it looks like in action. But the idea is to create a look that sends the right message to your audience.

Is It Expensive?

So the next big question on your lips might involve cost. And that’s natural. When it comes to the cost of branding, it can vary. It’s often proportionate to your business activity and the revenues you’re taking in. You can spend as much or as little as you like, because it can be something you do yourself, or you can hire leading experts to do it for you. It all depends on the budget you’re working with.

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How Can You Do It?

There is no precise answer to this question, because you are free to work on this how you choose. But, there are generally two main options. First of all, you could look to work on your branding yourself. With research into branding strategies, you could come up with a brand that you feel represents your business is you’re willing to put the work in.

Or, if you know that this is just not an area that you have any skill in, you can hire someone. There are companies and freelancers that specialise in graphic design and branding. So it could be a good investment to work with them on this project.

As a blogger, I have rebranded several times over the years. I am fortunate that my husband is a graphic designer, so I have never paid for this. You can look for free WordPress layouts, or ask around for someone to design you a totally unique one. That will cost you, though.

I hope this post has been useful! Happy Rebranding!

Today, I am sharing my really easy to make Ferrero Rocher style vegan mug cake recipe. Imagine a Vegan Ferrero Rocher…. Imagine that in a vegan cake… Which you can make, bake and eat in under 4 mins… This Vegan mug cake recipe will bring that dream to life!

It’s no secret I am a HUGE cake fan. When I weighed up the likelihood of my successfully completing Veganuary, the two things I was most worried about were the lack of cake and pizza. So far, I have avoided pizza, but I have made 2 vegan cakes. The first was a huge failure, but this Ferrero Rocher style vegan mug cake was so epic, I decided to share it! (Admittedly, it won’t win any awards for being the prettiest dessert ever, but it makes up for it in taste – I PROMISE)!

Ferrero Rocher Style Vegan Mug Cake Recipe…

Let’s get down to business, then!

Ingredients:

•2 TBSP Plain flour

• 1 TBSP cocoa powder • 1/4 TSP Baking Powder

• 1/4 TSP Baking Powder

• 1 TBSP Golden Syrup

• 2 TBSP Hazelnut butter (I used indigo_herbs)

• 2 TBSP Oat Milk (I used Oatley Barista, as I think it’s extra creamy).

• 1/2 TSP Vanilla extract

Optional:

• Vegan squirty cream.

Method:

• Put all of the Vegan mug cake recipe ingredients into a microwave safe mug.

• Stir all of the ingredients together until they are fully blended. (It should look something like this)…

• Zap it for 90 seconds (900w microwave).

• Add Vegan squirty cream if required. (I added this as I thought it would be dry – I was wrong). It’s lovely and moist even without it!

• Eat! I turned my Ferrero Rocher style vegan mug cake out, onto a plate for the purpose of the photo. But it saves on washing up, if you eat it straight from the cup!

Thoughts…

I made this cake recipe myself, after scouring the net for a Vegan mug cake recipe which used Hazelnut butter, rather than peanut butter. I love both, but Hazelnut seems more decadent, to me – a real treat. (OK, OK… Cards on the table time – I had a jar of Hazelnut butter in the cupboard, and no Peanut butter to hand).

I was expecting it to be really dry, but it genuinely wasn’t. It was genuinely delicious, and tasted just like Ferrero Rocher. I am a very happy Vegan, today!

Tips…

I used golden syrup instead of caster sugar in the hope it would add a little extra liquid to proceedings – it definitely did! The Barista edition of Oatly is creamier, and I suspect this helped make the cake taste as rich and sumptuous as it did.

The cake won’t win any beauty pageants based on its appearance, but it’ll more than pass the taste test of any Ferrero Rocher fan – Vegan or not! So be sure to let me know what you think, if you make it!

Finally… if you like this recipe, why not check out my other food inspired blog posts?

I’ve been Vegetarian for over half of my life now. I was Vegan for a month about 15 years ago, for a bet. Other than that, it’s been Cheese for the win. I had some allergy and intolerance tests done recently, and they showed that I am allergic to dairy, and intolerant to egg. This could be part of the reason why my health has been so up and down the past 9 months. So, with that in mind, I have decided to join in with Veganuary.

What Is Veganuary?

Veganuary involves being Vegan for January. See what they did there? The Vegan diet involves cutting meat, dairy and eggs completely from your diet, and living a plant based life. But if you want to take it to the next level, you can ditch leather and suede too.

My Vegan Plan

I am not going into this expecting to make fresh, clean food every day. I am definitely a convenient vegan. So, if you can buy it pre-made, I will do! Something tells me I’ll be eating a lot of Quorn, plenty of chips and drinking tea and coffee with soya or oat milk replacements.

Follow My Vegan Progress

I’ll be doing a weekly update with my progress throughout January, so do check back to find out how I have got on.

I may follow a few quick recipes, and I will be sure to share any recipes and products I love on my blog as well. As a result, I have set up a new Instagram account just for sharing my Vegan journey – you can follow that here.

Sneaky Animal Products

When I became Vegetarian, I was so shocked at how many products contain Gelatine. (This is thickener which is made from animal products). It is found lurking in so many foods. For example Jelly, Jelly Sweets and lots of low fat or fat free yogurts. The same can be said for Dairy products. I have spotted it hiding in lots of things!

Check The Labels!

During Veganuary, I am focussing purely on the food I eat. The list below is just some of the sneaky items to look out for on ingredients lists. You can find a full list of things to look out for in foods, cosmetics, drinks and more here.

• Whey – from milk. Whey powder is in many products, look out for it in crisps, bread and baked products etc.
• Collagen – from the skin, bones, and connective tissues of animals such as cows, chickens, pigs, and fish – used in cosmetics
• Casein – from milk (a protein)
• Lactose – from milk (a sugar)
• Lard/tallow – animal fat
• Honey – food for bees, made by bees
• Cod liver oil – in lubricating creams and lotions, vitamins and supplements
• Gelatine/gelatin – obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones and is usually from cows or pigs. Used in jelly, chewy sweets, cakes, and in vitamins; as coating/capsules
• Vitamin D3 – from fish-liver oil; in creams, lotions and other cosmetics
• Albumen/albumin – from egg (typically)
• Isinglass – a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish, and is used mainly for the clarification of wine and beer
• Elastin – found in the neck ligaments and aorta of bovine, similar to collagen
• Aspic – industry alternative to gelatine; made from clarified meat, fish or vegetable stocks and gelatine
• Pepsin – from the stomachs of pigs, a clotting agent used in vitamins

Finally: If you’re joining in with Veganuary, do let me know! I’d love to follow your journey too!

Running your business day to day leaves you in charge of all the decisions both big and small. When you are in the early days, you might opt for the most convenient suppliers or the cheapest. But as you grow, you should be comparing other companies, look at their case studies to see who they already work with, and choose something closer to where you are now. What they used to provide might not be the best thing for you anymore. So here are a few key considerations for choosing suppliers (of almost any services) for your business.

*Collaborative Post* 

Photo by Cameron Kirby on Unsplash

Initial Search

Unsurprisingly the best place to look for suppliers is online. Customers can leave feedback on the products and the service. You can also talk to other business owners and see if they have positive experiences with any particular suppliers. When it comes to lousy feedback people aren’t shy to share their opinion. Start by making a list of your current suppliers and running some comparisons for things like utilities. Once you have a well-rounded list of possibilities, you can then start calling for quotes. Most companies have a standard quote on the website, but with a few minutes of conversation, you can usually negotiate a tailored deal.

Location

Depending on your business this might not matter too much. But if you are importing, exporting, or working with fresh goods of any kind, you might need to think about location. Suppliers who are far away from you are going to add costs on to their base value. There will be lengthened delivery times, and the cost of shipping added on top. Not to mention that if something goes wrong, a closer supplier is more accessible to speak to face to face. If you have a few items coming from different locations, you might be able to cut a deal on bulk orders, or combined pickups and drop-offs to reduce costs. Often, closer is better.

Price

Price plays a big factor in everything you do and will make a significant impact when it comes to suppliers. From internet service providers to parts manufacturers. A key consideration will always be the price of the services or goods. However, the bigger you grow and more revenue you make, the more you have to spend on excellent service. Cheapest isn’t always best though, and sometimes a price really is too good to be true. If you opt for cheap only to later find out that their service is poor and the goods are below par, it is a substantial loss in time and finance.

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash

Stability

While it is nice to help out newer businesses, sometimes you need to think about the length of time a company has been open. This may impact the services that they can actually provide. If you are entering into long-term agreements, which most of the time it will be, then a track record you can read in your best interest. Stability is essential for you at any stage, and it is worth asking what other companies use them. This will give you a reasonable indicator of their history.

Reliability

Reliability goes hand in hand with stability. Stable companies tend to be reliable. The run a service you can trust. They deliver their services on time, in good order and as described to you in the first instance. There are plus sides to both large and small suppliers. Larger suppliers have more materials and money at their disposal, but smaller ones tend to go above and beyond to provide for their clients. If you are the primary client, you might find that before long you have a close working relationship, which always bodes well for great business.

Supplier Groups

Sometimes it is more beneficial to work with multiple companies. Other times it is better to work with a group that manages many different things. With separate suppliers you usually have the opportunity to cultivate great working relationships, you might not have that option with a group. You’ll like be calling a center location and talking to whoever is on duty rather than anyone by name which is familiar with your account.

Keep Up To Date

There will be new companies, better offers and new technology popping up all the time. So don’t be afraid to look into switch suppliers and try new things out. Providing for your business is their business, and once you negotiate a deal that works for you, your company will benefit too.

When it comes to saving money, many people have got it down to a tee. The rest of us have the tendency of thinking: ‘how do they have so much self control?’ as we withdraw the money from our savings for the third time this week. However, as 2019 rings in, I’m making it the year of saving some cash. Think about all of the things you could do, even if you only saved £20 a week. That’s £1040 a year! You could afford to go on holiday after a few months of saving! I’ve put together some tips, to help you (and me) get started…

*Collaborative Post* 

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Say goodbye to non-essential items

When it comes to saving money, the hardest thing for most of us is saying no to those things that we really want, but know that we can’t actually afford. Well, maybe we can in the short term, but our bank accounts are not going to look great afterwards. If you’re going to start saving money this year, you need to cut down. This includes things like clothes shopping, but also drinking, smoking (if that’s your thing) and spending loads of money on meals out or takeaways. Trust me, you’ll see the benefit pretty much straight away. Ditching that take out coffee every weekday morning is £15 a week saved, plus 10 extra minutes in bed!

Start a savings account

The worst thing that you can do when you’re saving money is keeping it all in your current account. Trust me, if you do this, you’re going to spend it. Set up a savings account so that you can get some interest on your cash, and it’s out of harm’s way. You’ll be glad that you did when you see how much you’ve got in a few months time. It’s kind of like hiding money from yourself, you know? Additionally, check out My Money Cottage for more money-saving ideas!

Start (and maintain) a blog

As any blogger will tell you, there are many ways to earn money through blogging. You can feature sponsored posts if you want to earn some cash. This essentially means that you test out a product or service and review it on your blog. The income varies, but you’ll still get money from collaborative posts. You can also get some ad banners if you really want to cash in from your online writing. This won’t change your blog much, and the content will still be the most important thing!

Try out the stock market

There are many ways of saving money, but actually earning a profit will help you get off to a good start, and will keep your funds high. Getting involved in the stock market could help you to do this, and using MetaTrader is a great idea if you want to find a platform to trade on. You may think that you’re not financially savvy enough to do this, but this isn’t necessarily true. You could get a great profit by learning the tricks of the trade. Don’t put all your savings in though!

Charity shops are a great way of saving money

People are slowly becoming aware of the evils of fast fashion, and there’s no time like the present to act on them whilst saving yourself a bit of cash. Many people have that dress that we mentioned above, and give it away without even wearing it once. Why buy something new when you could save the money and look just as great? In 2019, give to charity, and look after your bank account, by going to charity shops first.

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Sell the things you don’t want

Ok, hands up – I’m 100% guilty of not doing this one. That expensive dress in the back of your wardrobe, can turn into a bit of cash in 2019 instead of taking up wardrobe space. Get on a site like eBay or download Depop, and get rid of the winter blues by having a clear out. If you’re only keeping items that you really want, you’ll have more money and a decluttered home. Win-win.

So…

There are many ways to save money in 2019. From saying goodbye to non-essential items and visiting charity shops. To starting a savings account and getting a profit from following the stock market. You can also start blogging (which we would say, of course…) You can sell things that you don’t want if you really need some quick cash.

Don’t rule out any of these options, and you could be well on your way to having a better, and richer, 2019! Good luck, and happy saving… oh, and put that debit card back down, what did I tell you about spending money on eating out, hey?

There’s only 3 sleeps left until Christmas. I, like so many others am definitely feeling the strain now. My gift shopping is all done, but I still have a messy house to sort, items to deliver and the food shopping to face. WAH. Two days ago, I remembered that it was important to look after myself, and to take a breath this Christmas. So many Christmases have gone by, in a total blur, and I don’t remember much but stressing when I look back. This year is different.

Take a breath this Christmas

In between all of the chaos and running around, it’s important we all take a breath this Christmas. Try to sit down with a hot cup of tea, and spend 5 minutes thinking about all you have achieved.

Don’t stress over the forgotten stuffing mix or the Neighbour cards you didn’t get round to writing. Have a look around you and take in your family and friends’ happy faces. Their gratefulness.

Don’t stress about the number of gifts under the tree

Growing up, I remember some years I had what felt like millions of Christmas presents. There were also years where I had, maybe 5 or 6 gifts. Those are the years I remember most fondly. I remember my Dad and I playing on my 2nd hand Nintendo console. It had one game and that was enough. There was no box, and nothing to unwrap as such. None of that mattered though. Don’t worry about how much money you spend on your loved ones – spend time instead – it’s much more valuable!

Take time for yourself

Whether you (like me) lose yourself in a book, or take yourself off for a walk when you need a break, remember it’s ok and perfectly normal.

We have 2 dogs, and I’m always grateful to get out of the house (and the chaos) for an hour, to walk the dogs in peace. If you don’t have dogs, walk to the shop, or take yourself off the beaten track and soak in some nature. Wrap up warm though – and tell someone where you’re going.

Talk to someone

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try to talk to somebody about it. I know that’s easier said than done, but a problem shared is definitely a problem halved. Take a breath this Christmas, and remember those no longer with you. Remember the good times, and then celebrate on their behalf. I doubt they’d want you to feel sad. My parents are long gone now, but I have plenty of memories to keep them alive. For me, talking about the times we had together seems to soothe my aching heart.

Reach out

If you’re worried about someone, reach out. Invite them out for a cuppa, or turn up on their doorstep with coffee to go and a bag of pastries. Christmas is a hard time of year for so many people, it’s important we all take time to breathe. This is a time of year for celebration (and reflection). Of Love (and loneliness).

If you’re struggling this Christmas, please reach out to someone. These charities are always there, if you don’t feel you can talk to someone close to you.

Mind

Mind Infoline: 0300 123 3393

The Samaritans

Tel: 116 123

CALM – (Campaign Against Living Miserably):
For men who are feeling down or in crisis.
0800 585858 (5pm – midnight)

Stay Alive App.

This free app offers a location based list of useful numbers, safety planning advice, counselling information and more.

The Mix

Helpline: 0808 808 4994
(Online chat & Mesenger service also available)

Age UK

Helpline: 0800 169 6565

Cruse Festive Bereavement Helpline

Free helpline: 0808 808 1677

Family Lives – Divorce and Separation

Free helpline : 08088002222

SANEline – specialist mental health helpline, offers confidential emotional support.
Available on 0300 304 7000 between 6pm and 11pm each evening. Open as usual over Christmas.

Your Mental Health is just as important as your physical health. You’d seek medical support if your heart was affecting your day to day life, so please do the same for your mental health needs.

Our house was built in 2005. It’s a 3 storey Mews style home, and it has the same windows and doors as every other house on the estate. While they aren’t exactly ugly to look at, I am more of a fan of traditional features. Unfortunately for us, moving isn’t an option thanks to negative equity. With that in mind, we’ve been looking for ways of adding traditional style to a new build home.

*Collaborative Post* 

Adding Traditional Style To Doors:

The first thing I’d change is the front door. It’s a solid wood door with a glass panel semi circle at the top. This door lets next to no light in, and our hallway is extremely dark as a result. I’f rather have something with more glass, and a more traditional style… Like the one pictured here! I thing adding traditional style to your new build home makes them more individual.

Window Choices:

Our windows are another thing high up my list of things I want to change. At the moment, we have mostly single door opening windows. These are great for evacuating in an emergency, but it’s next to impossible to have them open and keep the kids and dogs safe when you live in a 3 storey home. Summer is usually a long, hot season on our 2nd floor!

With that in mind, I have spent a great many hours looking at alternative window styles. I’d love to be able to go for these replacement sash windows, but unfortunately, they aren’t practical when you have 2 dogs and 2 young children to keep safe. My plan B is a more likely to be in the Georgian style. When I was a child, I always drew a + symbol in the middle of windows on the houses I drew. Each window was effectively split into quarters. I have always loved that style of window.

When I was a child, it was fashionable to put lead diamonds onto your windows. While I don’t dislike this as such. I have always preferred the more traditional look of wooden beading separating each small pane of glass. Like this…

Adding Traditional Style To The Kitchen:

When it comes to the interior of our home, the biggest changes will need to happen in the kitchen. At the moment, it is black gloss and very modern looking. I long for a country kitchen setup – I’m thinking Range cooker, cream or ivory cabinets and solid wood worktops. (I’d go for lighter cabinets, and not traditional wood finishes to try to keep the room as light as possible).

We have solid wood worktops now, and I love them. To be honest, I’d be happy to just keep them, and replace the doors and end panels on the units. I think replacing or even wrapping kitchen doors and worktops is a great option to add a little traditional styling to your home.

We have built in appliances at the moment, but I would go back to freestanding ones. Built in ones are a total headache – we’ve and one problem after another with them.

Finally: If you’ve enjoyed this post, why not check out more of my lifestyle content?

Some people like to receive gifts, while others prefer to give. I definitely get the most pleasure from giving them. I like to put a lot of thought into gifts, and make them special for the recipients. With that in mind, I thought I would compile a blog post full of suggestions for gifts which keep on giving. I asked some fellow bloggers for ideas, and this post is the result!

Gifts Which Keep On Giving…

I asked some fellow bloggers for gifts which keep on giving ideas, and this blog post is the result!

Gift For Children…

Kit from reusable family recommended a wobble board. He said it’s a “fun and opened ended toy suitable for newborns until the weigh over 300kg!” – This sounds like something my own son would love!

Elaine from fun as a gran suggested a Disney Life subscription. At £5 a month, I think this gift idea is brilliant for families with young children (and big kids)! You can add up to 10 devices per subscription too, so the £60 annual cost could be split between several children to make it more affordable too.

Gifts For Families…

Suzy, Jen and Anisa recommended Annual passes to local attractions, English Heritage or National Trust. I love this idea! Jen said she has pooled the money the family has received in previous years to buy Merlin Passes. We’ve done this too before – it’s much better than just buying more toys! I’d say these definitely count as gifts which keep on giving!

Amy at all about a mummy came up with a brilliant idea – An amazon Echo! We’ve got two of these, and I agree – they are brilliant! (As long as the recipient has an amazon music subscription anyway).

Lauren over at sophiesnursery.com said… “I often buy Netflix subscriptions for the family – they can watch as many shows as they like all year round, and you can do with NOW TV, Amazon Prime etc as well. All of them are really good for long-term gifts.”

Gifts For Grown Ups…

Kaya from earning by the sea suggested subscription boxes, as the recipient will receive a surprise each month for the whole year. I love this idea, but the boxes do tend to be on the expensive side. Maybe they’d be a great main Christmas gift for teenagers or adult children, though?

Russell of origami expressions said… “If you know anyone who’s into (or wants to start) paper folding, you can buy an annual subscription to the British Origami Society. Regular magazines and folding ideas for all abilities, invites to meet-ups up and down the country. Electronic memberships available as well for anyone outside the country”. That’s definitely not something they’ll be expecting to find under their tree!

Penny from asshes tumbles along came up with a brilliant idea as well – “Supporting a social enterprise such as Harry Specters chocolate makers – by buying chocolates from them you get a yummy gift AND support someone with autism into employment!” As an Autism mum, I was particularly moved by this one!

Gifts For Couples…

Claire at daily deals blog suggested a wine or gin making kit. The recipient will have fun making the alcohol and in turn be able to show off the fruits of their labour. They can also supply the alcohol for next Chrstmas’ family get together. Win-win, and they’ll definitely qualify as gifts which keep on giving!

Sass fromThinking out loud said doing a charity subscription, or depositing money to a local charity in your loved ones names. Not only will you be giving something to your local community, but your friends or family members will feel touched that you donated in their name instead of giving them a unneeded present. I love this idea! When my Dad passed away, I donated to our local children’s hospice every year in his name, until my kids arrived.

Hayley at Devon Mama came up with a subscription for The Spicery. She said… “They do amazing subscription boxes that contain recipes, the spices and a shopping list to make delicious takeaway style meals at home. We’ve had and given the Friday Night Curry one so many times. Each month, a new box turns up through the letterbox. We tend to invite friends round to make it as it’s a huge meal but such a lovely way of trying new things, ridiculously easy to do and lots of different options for subscriptions now… including a date night one!” – These sound amazing!

Gifts Which Cost Nothing…

Jo over at Tea and cake for the soul suggested a monthly personal gift voucher. For example, you’ll walk the recipient’s dog, babysit, cook a meal, do their housework or something for them once a month or bimonthly. These sound so thoughtful, and don’t cost anything either! I love this idea!

My Ideas…

I personally love to do some festive crafts with the kids, and give those to relatives. My Aunt still proudly displays the festive photos I have printed off as well.

Magazine Subscriptions are a brilliant idea for big kids and small ones alike! If you know what sort of thing the recipient likes, they are sure to appreciate their magazine landing on the doormat month after month. They don’t have to cost the earth either. A quick google can usually bring up some decent discounts! (I got 12 issues of Radio times for £1 last month)!

I am also a massive fan of giving older family members those book of my life journals. The book prompts them to write about various things in their life, so at the end they’ve basically written their life story. These will be something family members will love to read, and they’ll be treasured for generations to come!

Do you have any other ideas for gifts which keep on giving?

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you can find more of my Christmas content here.