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This day I love.......

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We've had a real treat this Easter bank holiday weekend with the glorious sunny weather. The grass has been cut, the decking swept and we've enjoyed some time outdoors. We've even managed to have a few BBQ. I say enjoy time outdoors, it's been the first time since the winter and with it I notice lots of jobs to do. Is it just me that sits in the garden and notices all the little jobs that need doing? The jobs you don't normally notice from inside the house. I've now got a huge list that need doing.

Take the kids playhouse for example. Normally on a day to day basis I wouldn't give it a second thought. Yet sitting here in the garden I notice that it could do with a fresh coat of paint. The house was last painted before the arrival of little man, so it's at least 4 years. Sections are cracked and fading due to the sun. From the kitchen window you don't see this but up close you can see it needs doing. There's a section that needs repairing where one of the shutters has come loose and the windows could do with a bit of a clean. In fact all the windows on the house could do with a clean. 

The weather before this glorious sunshine was wet and windy and I've been wanting to get out to see if the wind had caused any damage. Having not ventured into the garden until this weekend I hadn't noticed the smashed roof tiles on the ground. There's only a few,maybe three at the most it's hard to tell. This now means I have to look for a roofer to assess the damage even further. It could just be a couple of tiles or it could be something more. There's no leaks in the house so I'm hoping it's a quick and simple job to repair.

Many of the jobs I'll do myself or my Dad will often help me. In fact my Dad helps me quite a lot. Working on the roof however needs a specialist and for that I'd use a site like Rated People where I can check the credibility of their work. Fixing the roof is probably a priority now the weather's got a bit warmer, just in case more tiles need removing. I wouldn't want tiles removing in the cold or rain.

There are other jobs to do in the garden now the summer is on its way. I'd love to be able to create a space for the children to play and for us to create a better link between the house and garden. I've had a few quotes to remove some of the older decking and replace it with artificial grass which would be the first step towards creating this outside space.

Let's hope the weather stays nice for a little longer so I can at least get the roof fixed and tick a couple of jobs off the list.

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It really begins to feel like Christmas when you start decorating your home.  Bringing the decorations in or buying the tree, it all begins to set the tone for the festive season.  In addition new items for the home seem to bring in a new lease of life to your house and sets new goals for the year ahead.

1. Cuisine Companion from Tefal

The Cuisine companion is at the top of my wish list, and top of a must have item for the kitchen.  It cuts, prepares and cooks impressive recipes at the touch of a button - all without taking up valuable kitchen space. Every Cuisine Companion comes with a ‘1 Million Menus’ recipe book, providing inspiration for every course from ratatouille and risotto to sauces and soufflés. Thanks to its five detachable accessories, the Cuisine Companion can essentially replace up to ten traditional kitchen appliances leaving you with enough space to serve up all of your Christmas meals, and its smart control panel comes equipped with six automatic functions. This product can chop, emulsify, whip, crush, melt, beat, knead, mix, steam, slow cook and even prove dough.  It is like Santa’s little helper in your kitchen


2. Get Creative

I left the B&Q press show feeling incredibly inspired.  I would never have thought of making either decorations for the home, or as gifts.  Yet you can make some amazing things which look incredible and are fairly easy to do.  I love this sign that is created using wood and fairy lights.  Really simple but looks impressive.  The idea could be taken to make any saying you wanted and would make both a great gift for the home and as a decoration.  


3. New Bedding

The sensation of climbing into your own bed with fresh, clean new bedding is amazing.  A good nights sleep ready to face Christmas morning and the very excited kids is certainly needed.  Dunelm Mill offer a gorgeous range of home furnishings set within very distinct themes, Frosted Pines, Christmas Cabins and Vintage Christmas.  New Bedding also makes a wonderful gift as it is something which lasts the whole year, and can add a new feel to a bedroom


4. Copper Kitchen range

The new copper kitchen range from Wilkinson would not only make a perfect gift but would also be perfect to cook Christmas dinner from.  The range has everything from Kettles and toasters to plates and fruit bowls.  Something for those who want to replace everything and for others who want a few key pieces.


5. Paperchase

Paperchase seem to have something for everyone this Christmas.  Everything from the traditional and glass baubles to the more modern, bright and funky and even novelty items.  There are some perfect gifts for stocking fillers, and much larger gifts.  Perfect for getting the house ready for the festive season

6. A little bit of fun

Sass & Belle add a little bit of fun into every home, they have everything from elegant copper bowls to the more modern fun slogan cushions.  Lovers of flamingos and cactus will adore their new ranges.  Perfect gifts to suit all budgets.


7. Be unique

Our home is filled with books, we simply love to read.  Our children have a huge passion for reading too and we love receiving books as gifts.  The gift of reading is one which is cherished for years to come, and perhaps one for all book or story lovers out there is a unique gift from Spineless classics.  This is when a book is no longer a book, but is still a story.  Each piece features the full story carefully written in a unique pattern in which to replicate part of the book it is from.  Featuring classics from Roald Dahl, and Beatrix Potter along with many others, there is a design for every age and every taste.  As gifts go, this is a truly unique and special gift that is perfect for any household.


8. From the heart

As the cold draws in outside candles offer warmth and comfort indoors.  They seem to set the tone for the Festive period and scented candles even more so.  Heart and Home have a wide selection of scents perfect for any home, and some dedicated to the festive season.  Perfect as a gift or as a treat for yourself!


9. For the Disney Fan

Disney, together with thousands of UK parents, has for the first time defined the traits of a modern Princess in a set of ten principles, which have recently been released to encourage young girls to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.

Disney UK commissioned parenting expert Judy Reith to analyse the characteristics of Disney Princesses including the kind and compassionate Belle (Beauty and the Beast), courageous Rapunzel (Tangled) and confident Tiana (The Princess and the Frog), before putting a long list of their inner qualities and traits to a panel of over 5,000 parents. The parents then ranked the attributes they judged most relevant and important to their 6-12 year old daughters.

Three of the UK’s leading illustrators, Kate Moross, Rose Blake and Kate Forrester, have turned the Princess Principles into posters, which are being made available for free to young girls across the country.


Whilst the poster is free to download, I think you could purchase a gorgeous frame for these posters and give them as a gift.  They have an inspiring image to them and would be great for children to give to their friends.

I have received no financial compensation or products for this gift guide. 


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One of the reasons we chose to move into this house was because it gave my husband his much needed space.  Having 2 girls he wanted somewhere he could escape to to listen to the football and play computer games.  Whilst he is very lucky to have this space, we have encountered several problems with the space, and that is the shape of it.

His ‘man cave’, as it is more commonly known is in the attic.  Which means small walls, sloping ceilings and every possible angle you can think of for the walls.  Finding storage, such as shelving, to fit in this space has been near impossible.  Nearly 4 years since we moved and the majority of my husband's books are still in the moving boxes, because he simply does not have anywhere to put them.

Shape of the room

When ContiBoard got in touch with a blogger challenge, I was incredibly excited.  I realised that ContiBoard was the answer we had been looking for, especially after I saw this triangular bookcase.  I realised that possibilities were endless and the only limitation was my design ability.  My mind got busy drawing up plans and working out how to adapt the design to best suit the space and came up with the following

Plans for storage

The design would give my husband shelving either side of the projector, and plenty of space for all his books.  I must admit that I was a little worried if ContiBoard could handle the weight of the books, but a quick look at past projects of ContiBoard soon put my mind at ease.  ContiBoard comes in a variety of colours and we decide that the Nut crunch would be perfect for the space.  We wanted something light, as the space can feel quite intimidating with the low ceilings and Nut crunch seemed the perfect choice.

Each ContiBoard comes in packs of 2.  As each shelf unit is identical it was easy to work out which packs to order from the site.  I simply had to order what I would need for one side, as the other side would automatically be taken care of.  I also remembered to add in my edging tape.  Delivery is free and was really quick, the delivery guy was also really helpful.  All we needed to do now was put the plans into action.

ContiBoard

First step was to measure the boards, I had labelled the packs according to the designs to make things easier and so we knew which boards to cut to which size

Measuring units

Then cut the boards to the required size

Making cuts

Once my Dad and Husband had cut all the boards they took everything upstairs into the attic and began assembling

Assembling storage

Checking their work as they went

Making adjustments

It didn’t take long before they had assembled one complete side and affixed it to the wall

Attach to the wall

With one side complete all that was left to do was repeat the process for the other side

And the other side

In the space of one afternoon [they started around 2pm and finished at 6pm] My husband and my Dad had built both units.  They started at 2pm as it took them most of the morning to move the boxes out of the way in order to have space to build the units.  This is probably quicker than building flat pack furniture and the ContiBoard is of a much higher quality.  The design is also unique to the space, meaning it is purpose built so does exactly what my husband needs in the space provided and with no compromises.  

ContiBoard was really easy to work with, I watched my Dad cut the boards with ease and would have been able to do so myself had my pregnancy bump not got in the way.  Holes in the boards were drilled using an ordinary drill and secured in place using wood screws.  No out of the ordinary tools were required and all put together by my Dad and husband, who followed a design that I created.

The only limitation to ContiBoard is your imagination.  If you can dream it then it can be created.  My husband is impressed with the look and finish, and I am impressed with the quality.  It might have taken nearly 4 years for us to find a solution but I am so glad we discovered ContiBoard, as the quality and finish is fantastic and we have a bespoke solution that we designed and built at home. 

right side of unit

left side of unit

finished office space

My husband can finally unpack all those boxes and personalise his space.

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This week has been such a roller-coaster of emotions.  I have felt low for most of the week and just wanted to stay away from either online or real life people.  I can only apologies for my absence.  Normal service will resume. 

Sunday

Bottoms up for juicingI spent the day at a bloggers event in Leeds.  #introjuicing was hosted by Currys and was a great day out.  We got to try some amazing juices, and do some Yoga.  I had never seen so much fruit.  I won an Instagram competition with this photo and won a juicer.  I have spent most of the week juicing things

Monday

Spotty dog sleepingSpent the day catching up with work and generally keeping myself busy.  The start of February is never easy and I just had to do things to take my mind of the week ahead.  Spotty dog is back to normal and up to creating mischief as normal. 


Tuesday

sisters graveToday would have been my sisters 30th Birthday.  

Wednesday

hiding in cupboardsI had to go to b and q to pick up a few pieces.  After 3 years of living with the hallway carpet we have finally saved up enough to get it replaced.  It needed replacing when we moved in and it feels so much better now it is finally done.  My youngest got a little bored in b and q and took to hiding in the kitchen cupboard displays. 

Thursday

Weetabix strawberryWe received a new breakfast cereal to try and I have to say I really like it.  Will be publishing a review soon

 Friday

winter sun funThe winter sun was so beautiful you would be forgiven in thinking it was Summer day.  My youngest had so much fun exploring the woods near us.  Kicking leaves and stomping in mud, it was a great afternoon.


Saturday

parkrun viewAn early Saturday morning start.  I ran my third park run today.  Not sure why but today it felt hard.  I got heart burn half way round and had to walk for a bit which I don't normally do.  I did manage a PB so I must have been running fast. 

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About me

About Me

Welcome to This Day I love.

My name is Leyla, also known as Mum to my 3 humans and dog Mum to J. I have a passion for the outdoors and love to run. I can often be found off road exploring the trails and fells and covering distances all the way up to 50 miles. As a family we love travelling and discovering new adventures, as I try and run around the world!

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