● Laura Thornberry ● Lifestyle Blogger ● London Based ●: home

AD – GIFTED | Are you planning on incorporating some new wall art in your home decor? Thinking of getting a some new posters or prints for your home? Look no further!

If you're someone who likes to change up their home decor quite often, or you enjoy updating your personal space with the newest home décor trends, choosing new wall art might be a simple and affordable choice for you. A simple way to update your home's look is by interchanging some wall art displays to help add some character, some colour and a personal touch to your space. If you're looking for some inspiration or a wide selection of styles to select from, head over to the Poster Store – offering an endless choice of wall art posters and prints at an affordable price.

For me, I think illustrations and abstract poster artwork is the perfect choice for the home, as they are so minimal, so simple, yet so stylish. Wall art, posters, and prints are another way to totally transform a room instantly and here are 3 reasons to include minimalist art prints in your home.

Minimalist art is a perfect addition to any home if you are planning on giving your decor a little refresh with something new. Minimalist art prints can help add colour and vibrancy into any room without being too in your face. Depending on your chosen design, minimalist art can help add a focal point to your room, or be used as part of a number of posters or prints to create a simple, yet effective a gallery wall in your home.

By using simple forms of monochrome, minimalist artwork in your home can help to neutralise a space. By adding a simple artistic touch via your wall art, you are simply elevating your surrounding home décor without distracting away from it. Minimalist artwork can bring a sense of peace and calmness to any room. The simplicity and elegance of line art can introduce a relaxing atmosphere to your personal space. If your current home decor features a neutral colour palette, minimalist art work will only enhance your home, and bring all the different features together nicely.

I was kindly gifted some prints and frame from the Poster Store to include in my home, to help add some interest and focal points. I opted for some simple illustrative abstract line art posters. This allowed me to decorate my home in a discreet and subtle way, without adding too much colour or pattern.

A4 – One Line Art No 1 Poster

An abstract line-art illustration showing a woman from behind, against a beige background. Her hair is in a bun, and she is looking over her shoulder. With this modern and minimalistic art poster, you can use this print to create a simple feature wall for your bedroom, or even as part of a trendy gallery wall. The poster has a printed white margin that frames the design.

A4 – One Line Art No 3 Poster

A trendy minimal line art illustration of a body on a beige background. It's so simple, yet so eye-catching. Combine this modern art poster with the One Line Art No 1 poster and create a unique gallery wall. The poster has a printed white margin that frames the design to help make it stand out once it's framed.

There are a variety of sizes for all posters, prints, and frames online, making it easier for you to be as creative as you want, depending on the space you have to fill in your home, as well as your budget. The collection of unique prints online will help you create your own gallery wall tailor-made for your home. All the posters are printed on sustainably produced high-quality paper, helping to minimise any damage to the environment.

For those looking to invest in some high quality, affordable posters and prints, make sure to check out the Poster Store and use the discount below to save some money on some beautiful wall art.

Use Code: 45LAURATHORNBERRY for 45% on all posters (except Selection Posters and frames) Not combinable with other discount campaigns.

Valid from 28th of April to 6th of May.

Have you heard of the Poster Store? Are you looking to add some new wall art into your home?

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AD| Looking at renovating your kitchen but have no idea where to start? Do you want to choose more sustainable and eco-friendly options to help your kitchen last a lifetime?

The entire process of redesigning and renovating your kitchen can be extremely complicated and overwhelming. There are so many things to consider along the way, especially when selecting your appliances, layout, colour schemes and the companies you wish to seek help from. As well as this, you will need to keep in mind the environmental impact of every step of your kitchen renovation, and select your materials, products and design in a more eco-friendly way. In order to create a more sustainable kitchen, you need to ensure you are incredibly careful and thoughtful during the planning stage, so that it remains timeless and durable for years into the future. For those who may need a little inspiration, here are 4 ways to update and renovate your kitchen sustainably.

LED Lighting Options

LED lighting is probably the most energy-efficient and eco-friendly way to brighten up your kitchen work space. Not only can they help to improve the look and ambience of any room, they are also incredibly environmentally friendly, long-lasting and extremely energy efficient when it comes to lighting options. Picking LED lights is a more sustainable option, as there is no guilt of wasting energy as they typically boast a life-span of up to 10,000 hours. Another huge benefit of opting for LED lights in your home is that there are a wide variety of different styles and colours to choose from, to suit your own personal interior design preferences and chosen colour scheme.

Buy Second-hand

A brand-new kitchen might seem like the perfect choice when it comes to your renovation, but, why not consider looking into buying second-hand from a specialist dealer? Second-hand kitchen options can save you lots of money —and they are a great eco-friendly, sustainable option too. By going for a second-hand option, this allows buyers to afford top designer kitchens that their initial budgets may not have catered for, as you are able to save a lot of money on the RRP. UKE are well known for their high quality ex-display and used kitchens. Also, it may be worth researching local kitchen suppliers that are close to your home that use sustainable and locally sourced materials to reduce your renovation's carbon footprint. Ultimately, a more sustainable kitchen renovation simple adds more value to your home.

Consider Energy-Efficient Appliances

When you begin browsing and shopping around for new appliances to add into your kitchen, such as washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers and ovens, try to look at the most energy efficient options, instead of the cheapest. Many large kitchen appliances use a lot of electricity, which may increase your annual bill, especially if they have a low efficiency grade. So, even though the initial upfront cost of a more energy-efficient appliance may be more money, over time, it'll be a more sustainable option as you will end up saving on your energy bills.

Choose Eco-Friendly Paints

A quick fresh paint job can completely change the atmosphere of your kitchen and help give it a whole new lease on life. Painting is one of the easiest and more affordable tasks that you will have in your renovation project. To be more environmental friendly, opt for non-toxic paints made from natural organic ingredients, as these will be much safer to use, more breathable and will have a less damaging impact on the environment. Natural paints are also a great choice as they typically dry faster and have fewer odours, making them safer for your health.

Are you currently planning a kitchen renovation? What other sustainable options are there to include in your project?

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AD| Have you just moved home? Are you looking to furnish your home with some luxurious, staple pieces? Look no further.

When it comes to decorating your new home, it doesn't have to break the bank. You just need to incorporate some stylish, luxury home furniture ideas to add some elegance to your personal space and ultimately, make your home look more expensive. There are a variety of ways to give your new home a stylish and luxurious upgrade, without breaking the bank. Listed below are 5 essential and affordable luxury interior ideas for your new home.

Coffee Tables

A simple coffee table is both functional and versatile, and features as an essential piece of furniture to place in your living room. There are a number of ways individuals use coffee tables in their homes. For some, it's a display unit for decorative ornaments, candles, and other home accessories. For others, it's a convenient place for any drinks and snacks whilst you watch TV. Other uses include a home for remote controls, or reading materials such as books, newspapers, and magazines. A top tip includes building different height levels on your coffee table by using plants and greenery, decorative home accessories and books in various sizes, to help create a truly stylish area.

Sofas

If you are ultimately looking to create a real luxury statement, be sure that it's the main part of the room, e.g., your sofa. By choosing a more statement sofa, it can really help bring a room to life and help create a sleek, stylish feature that people are drawn to when they enter the room. Sofas come in all shapes, sizes, materials, styles and colours, so ultimately, the choice is completely up to you to find your statement sofa. To really add some luxury interior design to your room. opt for a more modern, yet minimalist style sofa, as these are super simple pieces, which can allow you to be really creative with adding cushions and throws on top.

Update Lighting Features

Another quick fix you can implement in your new home is focusing on updating old light fixtures. By investing in some good quality lighting options, it can help set up your focal point for a room. Whether you add some spotlights in the bathroom or kitchen, or consider adding new decorative, statement lamps in your living room. Changing up your lighting fixtures is a quick and easy way to change the vibe of your home, and add that high-end, luxurious feel.

Rugs

It's simply impossible to go wrong when choosing a stylish rug – they can help add a splash of colour to a more neutral-coloured room, help add texture, and even an element of cosy and comfort. Adding a rug into your living room, dining room or even your bedroom can help all bring all your furniture pieces together and typically give the illusion to make any room look slightly bigger.

Framed Wall Art

An affordable, yet simple way of updating your home's look is by interchanging some wall art displays to help add some luxury, some character and a personal touch to your space. Inexpensive yet stylish wall art and decorative artwork can help to elevate the ambience of any room. There are so many wall art styles and themes to pick from, making the pieces you display in your home so personal, and reflects your preferences. Choose something big and bold to add more of a statement and a focus point to your room. I would probably select an A3 poster size or bigger to really add some character. To add that stylish vibe, frame your prints with some simple gold or rose gold frames for that extra something special.

What affordable, luxury style furniture pieces would you include in your new home??

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GUEST POST | Enthusiastic DIYers are all too willing to give plumbing a go, in the way they wouldn’t attempt, say, plastering their walls, building an extension or tiling a roof. Why is this? Is it because they don’t think plumbing is a skilled job? Or is it because a man on YouTube with a spanner in his hand told them fixing a leak in a pipe was easy?

That bloke on YouTube may make doing your own plumbing look easy, but that doesn’t mean a) it actually is; or b) fixing plumbing issues yourself won’t cause further damage elsewhere. With that in mind, here are three reasons why you should hire a professional plumber.

A Plumber Can Locate The Cause of The Problem

If you’ve got a slow-draining sink in your 19th floor flat in east London, it might be a simple case of a blockage in the U-bend that will only take a few minutes to fix. However, a professional plumber will be able to diagnose if the problem lies further down the system, for example all the way down deep in the drains, requiring drain cleaning in London.

Plumbers Have Experience

A professional, qualified plumber will have the experience you just don’t get from blogs and YouTube videos. They’ll not only have the skills and qualifications necessary to diagnose and fix your plumbing concern, but because they do it daily, plumbers have years of experience to draw on. What this means is a plumber will be able to fix your issue quickly and efficiently. To put it simply – a professional plumber knows what they’re doing, and you don’t.

A Plumber Will Have The Proper Tools

When the plumber calls round to fix whatever it is you need fixed, they’ll have the proper tools with them. They might even have the right parts in their van, too, but if not, they’ll know where to get them or how long they’ll take to get in.

A plumber won’t be Googling to find out what tools they need or using a butter knife instead of a screwdriver (or is that just me?) They also won’t be making unnecessary trips to B&Q or Homebase to waste money on tools they’re only going to use once. You may think you’re saving money by doing your own plumbing, but if you take into consideration:

— the money you’ll spend on tools and parts

— the time it takes you to look up how to fix that blocked sink

the time it takes you to drive to the hardware store, find what you require and drive back, you might find you’d be better off paying a plumber after all.

Why You Should Hire a Professional Plumber

You may think you’re saving a few pennies by not hiring a professional plumber, but if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you could cause a lot of damage to your plumbing. Water damage from burst or leaking pipes can be devastating and require costly repairs to your walls, ceiling, and floors.

Taking all this into account, is it really worth the risk of not hiring a professional plumber?

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AD – GIFTED| Hosting a Valentine's Day dinner date at home for your partner? Or having the girls round for a single girls Galantines get together? Need home Valentines decor ideas but don't know where to start? Don't worry, this post has you covered!

Valentine's Day doesn't need to be super expensive or super fancy. You should use this day to spend time with your loved ones, and enjoy each other's company. However, if you do want to throw a cute surprise, you don't need to be spending lots of money. If you're hosting something special at home this Valentine's Day, and are looking to decorate in a romantic, cute way, and hopefully set the mood for the event, without breaking the bank, you're in the right place. As long as you plan well and have a creative mind, you'll be good to go! Here are 7 easy, affordable home decoration ideas for Valentine's Day.

Flowers

If you're looking to include some real floral displays in your home, why not opt for the typical, romantic red roses. Roses are usually a tradition when it comes to Valentine's Day and are typically used as a classic symbol of love. If roses aren't your thing, why not create your own floral arrangements with some of your favourite flowers, in a range of your favourite colours. Not only will your room smell incredible, but you'll have a bright atmosphere, bursting with colour. Another thing to note, if real flowers aren't for you, or you can't find anything that you like, why not opt for some faux flowers for a more affordable, long-lasting option.

Balloons

Balloons can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, designs, and colours, making them a perfect affordable decoration idea for Valentine's Day. Balloon decorations have become a traditional part of any special celebration or occasion, and Valentine's Day is not an exception. They can help to brighten up your surroundings, they create a fun, light-hearted atmosphere and create a lasting impression. For Valentine's Day, there are a number of options you could go for – love heart shaped balloons, red or pink coloured balloons, confetti filled balloons or even balloons that spell out words. There are so many options, you'll be spoilt for choice!

Lights

Lighting is the perfect way to set the mood of your event. With Valentine's Day in mind, you'll want to arrange something super fun, cute, and romantic – I'm thinking soft lighting or colourful, twinkling fairy lights to help put together a warming, welcoming ambience.

If you're looking for a unique decor idea, you might want to get your hands on some letter lights. I was kindly gifted a selection of personalised Lumiletters - letter-shaped wire frames, wrapped with soft white LED’s. You can pick these up in the shape of your initials and your loved ones as a cute way to decorate. These lights are freestanding, portable, and battery powered, making them an ideal accessory for featuring in your living room or bedroom. I picked the "L" light up, obviously for myself, and the "S" light for my niece as a special little gift.

Candles

From the bright, twinkling light to the feeling of warmth they give off, candles are a great way to make your living space feel more romantic and welcoming. Not only can you have them dotted around your room for the ultimate cosy night in, but they can also make the perfect centrepiece for your dinner table – just imagine yourself enjoying that candle-lit dinner for two!

Cute DIY Banners

For those of you who like to get artistic and creative, making your own cute banners could be the perfect affordable DIY project for you, this Valentine's Day. For this little creation, you'll probably have most of the materials and supplies at home. You can use products such as scrap papers and coloured cards, string, pompoms, glitter, faux flowers, and ribbons, to help you create your DIY home decor.

Photographs

If you're looking for the ultimate way to be romantic, why not print out a selection of your favourite photos of you and your partner, and use your Valentine's Day date to reminisce about your memories together? The quote, “a picture is worth a thousand words”, is very relevant here, as your past photographs can help you remember some amazing memories, and can take you back to certain special times in your life. Whether you have a photograph of the first day you met, your first holiday or even your wedding day, spending the evening reliving these memories will definitely be something special.

Rose Petals

Finally, is there anything more romantic and Valentine's Day themed than scattered rose petals? Rose petals are typically symbolic of love, passion and romance, and could be a great addition to your Valentine's home decor ideas. You can scatter them over the floor or your bed, spell out messages with them, use them as dinner table decor, or even add them to your hot bubble bath for that added bit of luxury.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?

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GUEST POST| New figures suggest that one in three property sales will fall through before completion. That’s a scarily high figure for anyone in the process of buying a property, or hoping to do so in the near future. Danny Luke from Quick Move Now explains: “The UK property market is under a lot of pressure at the moment. The stamp duty measures put in place to stop the market stalling during the national lockdowns led to a stampede of people looking to move. This resulted in property prices rising at unexpected levels.

“A shortage of properties coming to the market has kept prices high and continuing to rise, with properties often selling at above asking price. There is also high competition for each property that becomes available. Some buyers are offering sky-high prices in an attempt to secure a property but then getting cold feet and pulling out of the sale, whilst others are not offering enough and then getting pushed out when a higher offer comes in. It’s a challenging market for all involved.” If you’re keen to keep your sale on track, these are our 5 top tips to stop your house sale falling through...

1. Make sure the offer you make is a ‘head’ decision, rather than a ‘heart’ decision. You want to ensure you offer a high enough price to avoid being gazumped by another buyer, but you also need to be happy with the price you’ve agreed when the initial buzz of having your offer accepted wears off. It’s important that you discuss any offer you want to make with the estate agent, and ask them what level of offer would take the property off the market and prevent any further viewings.

2. Make sure you choose the right solicitor (and estate agent if you’re selling a property). This will make a huge difference to the speed and success of your move. A good solicitor will be very responsive to any queries that come in and make sure all paperwork is completed in a timely manner. A good estate agent will keep everyone informed about how the sale is going and ensure everyone stays engaged in the process. Spotting any warning signs that someone may be considering pulling out of the sale and hopefully being able to address any issues to keep them on-board.

3. Prepare as best you can before putting your property on the market or making an offer. This will make a big difference to your move, avoiding any delays and helping the transaction to go smoothly. This means getting your finances in place, including getting an agreement in principle for any mortgage required, and ensuring you collate any paperwork relating to your current property.

4. Be flexible and keep lines of communication open. Moving house is a collaborative process which requires flexibility from all parties. When frustrations arise, it’s important that you are proactive in seeking solutions. Keep all parties informed of any challenges or set-backs, and you will be more likely to keep them on board with the sale.

5. Be resilient. Unfortunately, challenges and disappointments are often part of the house moving process. In England and Wales, a property sale or purchase is not binding until contracts have been exchanged, which typically happens just a week or two before the sale completes. That leaves a large amount of room for things to go wrong. When something does go wrong and a sale falls through, or a chain breaks down, it is hugely disappointing, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that your move won’t happen at all. Communication will be key in this situation. Appeal to your buyer or seller’s understanding and get another sale or purchase lined up as quickly as you can.

Are you currently looking to sell your home?

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AD| Just moved into a new home? Or are you looking to give your personal space a little refresh? Why not opt for some home fragrances.

If you're unfamiliar, home fragrances come in a number of forms; candles, wax melts, reed diffusers, room sprays and incense sticks, to name a few. Using fragrance throughout your home can really help to enhance your living spaces. Smell is probably one of our most useful and important senses and it can influence our mood depending on the situation. By choosing the right home scents will let you express and share your individuality with visitors to your home, as well as putting that finished stamp of ownership on to your home.

By using fragrances throughout your home, it can help create the perfect warm, welcoming atmosphere and might just be that finishing touch you require for making your house feel more like home. Using different scents in the rooms of your home can be very useful for determining the ambience you wish you evoke. For example, in your bedroom you may wish for a calming, relaxing scent like lavender, in your bathroom you may opt for a fresh, clean scent such as clean cotton or citrus, and in your living room/lounge you may go for something more warming like vanilla, amber or ginger. As well as creating a welcoming atmosphere, home fragrances also have the power to help reduce stress and anxiety, especially those infused with calming essential oils such as lavender.

As mentioned previously, home fragrances come in a wide variety. There are various item choices to be made when looking for your perfect product for your home. If you're staying indoors, candles and highly scented wax melts are a good option to go for if you are needing warmth, light and fragrance. Both these options require a little more time as they require melting and burning before you are able to notice the scent from them.

Room sprays are perfect for those looking for a quick fix. Using room sprays are extremely easy as you can give a quick spritz over the room, and you get instant results. It’s the perfect way to add fragrance to your home quickly and unlike using a soy wax melt/candle, which requires time to melt the wax and burn away to release the scent into your home.

Reed diffusers are probably my go-to option when it comes to home fragrance. Reed diffusers are A popular home fragrance products that produce a constant aroma to any room without using resources such as electricity or heat. They are generally more long-lasting, as a majority of reed diffusers can scent your home for up to 8 weeks. As well as this, diffusers can be a very effective way of scenting your home that requires very little effort - all you need to remember if to rotate your reeds every week or so to keep the scent filling your home.

Home fragrances come in a wide variety of fragrances to choose from - depending on your preferences. There is absolutely something out there for everyone. Most of the time, brands will produce fragrances to reflect seasonal times of the year, for example - winter berries, spices and citrus for Christmastime, coconut, fresh fruit and sweet scents for summer. Some of my favourite home fragrance scents include vanilla, orange, coconut, pine trees and lavender.

Memory and the sense of smell are linked and intertwined due to the anatomy of the brain. It's believed that certain scents can help you remember certain memories. Familiar scents can easily trigger specific memories that may have occurred years ago and instantly pull you back into remembering another time. In terms of home fragrance, you may have used scents in the past that could help you remember memories from the past such as your childhood home, Christmas times with your family, holidays, your wedding day and even purchasing your first home.

Finally, you will be able to find home fragrances in a number of high-street stores and supermarkets, as well as online for extremely affordable prices, making them available to everyone - especially those who have just moved into their new home, or those on a low income or tight budget. On the high-street, I usually pick up my home fragrance products from Primark. They offer such a variety of scents and home fragrance products to choose from, you'll be spoilt for choice. Online, littlemisstwiggietwinkles offers a wide variety of home fragrance products including wax melts, reed diffusers and seasonal products in a great selection of scents - I'd definitely be selecting the perfume and aftershave inspired scents for my home - especially Lady Million and Sauvage!

Do you currently use any home fragrances? What are your favourite scents to use in your home?

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GUEST POST | You know how it is when you get a new kitchen. You vow to look after it so well, it’ll look shiny and new forever. Each time you venture into your gleaming kitchen, you delicately stroke the worktops and promise to keep them looking pristine and to never let them get dirty or damaged. In fact, you love your new kitchen so much, you don’t even want to use it. Ever.

But, let’s face it, in the real world, kitchens are there to be used and, not only are they there to be used, they’re there to be used for mucky stuff. After a while, all your good intentions go out the kitchen window and suddenly there’s flour and fingerprints everywhere. Don’t fear though, all is not lost, because below you’ll find a few hints on how to look after your kitchen worktops to keep them looking as good as they did on the day they were installed.

Look After Your Kitchen Worktops By Using A Chopping Board

It probably goes without saying, but to save your kitchen worktops from getting scratched, use a chopping board. Even if you have resilient, strong and scratch-proof marble kitchen worktops, protect them the best you can by not chopping anything directly onto them.

Wipe Up Any Spills Straight Away

As you’ll probably be aware, some foods and liquids stain stuff just by being in the same room as them. Beetroot, turmeric and red wine are just three substances that create stubborn stains, so wipe up any spills straight away to keep your kitchen worktops stain-free.

Clean Your Kitchen Worktops Carefully

Of course, although wiping up spillages straight away is a great habit to get into, that isn’t going to keep your kitchen worktops clean. But before you start channelling Mrs Hinch and start stocking up on cloths and cleaners (who are we kidding, with all the millions she’s worth, she probably hires an actual cleaner now), save your money and leave the bottles of chemicals and abrasive sponges on the supermarket shelf.

Hot soapy water is all you need to keep your kitchen worktops clean but, if they do need a bit of extra help, you can add a bit of multi-purpose cleaners. Not bleach though. Bleach is bad. Also, don’t let a wire scourer or anything similarly scratchy anywhere near your worktops and use a soft microfibre cloth instead.

Clean Into The Corners

How often do you clean in the corners of your kitchen worktops? You know, under the toaster and behind the bread machine? If the answer is ‘When I can be bothered,’ you’ll get no judgement here. I’m exactly the same. But if you want to keep your kitchen looking as good as it did on the day it was fitted, you'll have to make the effort to move those appliances out of the way and get into the corners.

Look After Your Kitchen Worktops With Trivets

‘If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,’ is a well-known saying (or, depending on your age, lyrics in a Bucks Fizz song). This saying obviously doesn’t apply to saucepans or casserole dishes, so they’ll have to stay in the kitchen even when they’re hot. Heat and worktops aren’t a great match though, so this is where trivets are your kitchen worktop’s best friend to save your worktops from getting scorched and permanently damaged.

Kitchen Worktops Can Last A Lifetime If Looked After

If you look after your kitchen worktops, you'll not only keep them looking good but they’ll also stay in tip top condition and should last you many years, if not a lifetime.

How do you take care of your kitchen worktops?

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GUEST POST | Not only does the approach of winter mean we’re more likely to reach for the thermostat to turn up the heating, the current energy crisis has caused our utility bills to rapidly rise. This obviously isn’t good news for our bank balances but putting the heating on isn’t good for either our wallet or the planet, so here are a few ways to keep warm without putting the heating on.

Layer Up

Putting more clothes on sounds like an obvious way to keep warm but instead of reaching for a thick, chunky jumper, put layers on instead. Thick, chunky jumpers look warm and cosy and while they’ll undoubtedly help to keep the chill out, layers are the way to go. Layers will keep heat trapped in between each layer, therefore more layers = more warmth trapped.

Stop Draughts

If you live in a brand-spanking-new posh and trendy London development, you’ll hopefully have draught-free doors, floors and windows. However, for the rest of us mere mortals who may be in older properties with original features from the Victorian era, we might be living with draughts coming in through the doors, floors and windows.

Block those gaps with draught excluders at the bottom of doors, heavy curtains at the windows and rugs to stop draughts coming through the floorboards. Also, if you’re lucky enough to have an open fireplace, if you’re not currently using it, plug the opening with a chimney balloon. Obviously, if you do choose to use your fireplace, remove the balloon first!

Put Rugs Down

Speaking of rugs, as well as stopping draughts coming through the floorboards, rugs will also prevent heat escaping through the floor. Rugs will trap the heat, keeping it inside the room and also keep your feet much warmer than they would be if you were walking directly on hard floors.

Move Around

When we get cold, we tend to sit around more, moaning about how cold it is. This makes us colder though, because what we should be doing to keep warm is to move around a bit. We’re not suggesting you get on an exercise bike for a full-on spin session - this will actually have the opposite effect. While that much exercise will of course get you hot and sweaty, the sweat will make you lose body heat, causing you to get colder than you were before you started. But if we’re to keep warm, we must move, so do a bit of cleaning, DIY or light exercise to get your body moving and warmed up.

Eat and Drink

Although a glass of wine and a slice of cake will probably cheer you up more when it’s cold rather than something healthy, alcohol and sugar will only give you a brief respite from the cold. Put the kettle on and have a cup of tea to warm yourself up from the inside - add ginger to take advantage of its natural warming properties.

When it comes to food, food that takes longer to digest is ideal - e.g. porridge, potatoes, whole grains and lentils. We know that’s not as exciting as cake, so if you do make a cake, keep the oven open when you’ve finished baking to let all that lovely heat into your kitchen.

Get a Pet

Pets feel the cold just as much as we do and when they feel cold, they turn to the nearest source of heat - i.e. us. Your pet might think it’s using you for heat but in fact, they’re earning their keep by keeping you warm too.

When To Put The Heating On

We’re not suggesting you never put the heating on. Not only is this unrealistic but it can also cause damage to your property. Each year pipes burst due to them freezing, which isn’t something you want to happen to you. With a few tweaks to our homes and lifestyle though, we can save on our heating bills and still keep ourselves warm.

How do you keep warm without putting the heating on?

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AD - GIFTED | Looking to purchase a housewarming gift for a friend or family members new home, but not sure what to get? Why not opt for some posters or prints that they can decorate their new personal space with!

Decorating your home can be an incredibly expensive job - especially if you've just moved home or you're someone who changes their mind quite often or you enjoy updating your space with the current home décor trends. A quick and easy way to update your homes look is by interchanging some wall art displays to help add some character and a personal touch to your space. If you're looking for some gift inspiration for upcoming housewarming parties, and want to browse through a wide selection of styles, head over to the Poster Store - offering an endless choice of wall art posters and prints at an affordable price.

When searching for the perfect housewarming gifts for your friends and family, you always want to pick something special that doesn't cost a fortune. Choosing posters and prints can be a great option for those seeking affordable items. The Poster Store have new collections posted each week on the website, and have a range of stylish posters, frames and art prints from just £3.95 - what a bargain!

Posters and prints can be a great choice of gift as there are such a range of categories online to choose from, you can make them have such a personal touch. Posters are such a perfect tool to help personalise the interior in any room of your house, and make it feel "more like home". Whether the gift recipient likes nature, photography or even like minimalistic black and white wall art, there is something for everyone online at The Poster Store!

When picking out gifts, you'll want something that the recipient will be able to use, see or have access to all the time - this is why posters and prints are a great everyday use gift. Once hung up on the walls, the wall art is there for viewing 24/7 which will make it a perfect reminder.

I was kindly gifted some prints and frames from the Poster Store, and I am absolutely in love! I opted for some gorgeous travel photography themed prints, and think that they pair together really nicely and will definitely add some interest to an empty wall in my home. These trio of Italian themed prints are all A3 sized - 30cm x 40cm, with wooden oak frames, featuring the Amalfi Coast and Seaside, and Venice locations. The colours used in all 3 prints are simply stunning, and placed together as a trio of wall art, looks absolutely amazing and is the perfect combination!

The Poster Store offer a variety of sizes for all posters, prints and frames online - from 13x18 to 70x100, allowing you to pick the best pieces for the size space you have to decorate. The collection of unique prints online will help you create the perfect gallery wall tailor-made for any home. All of the posters are printed on sustainably produced high-quality paper helping to minimise any damage to the environment.

Use discount code: 35/LAURA for 35% on all posters (except Selection Posters and frames) - Not combinable with other discount campaigns. Valid from 20th October to 20th November.

Have you heard of The Poster Store? What styles of wall art do you like best?

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AD| So you’re in the market for a new home. Should you go for a traditional lived-in house or purchase a new build property from a developer?

At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preferences and individual circumstances. But let’s take a look at the benefits of buying a new build property to help you decide.

You Can Have Input Into the Design

If you opt for an older property, you will generally have to buy it as seen. Any changes you want to make to the décor or layout, you’ll have to undertake after moving in. When you buy a new-build home “off-plan”, that is, before it has been built, the developer will offer you choices about how the property is fitted out. You can choose the fixtures and fittings that suit you, including the bathroom suite, door handles, kitchen units, flooring and more. If you’re keen to have a “move straight in” property and avoid the disruption of completing home improvements after moving in, this makes a new build an appealing option.

There is No Property Chain

Property chain problems are one of the leading causes of delays and failed sales. In a chain, multiple house sales are reliant upon one another which means that if one transaction falters, it could cause problems for buyers and sellers further along the chain. Failed sales can cost those involved thousands of pounds, not to mention the stress and disappointment of losing a dream home sale. If you’re buying from a house builder, no chain minimises the risk of problems, delays and associated costs.

More Financial Support and Payment Options

First-time buyers can take advantage of the government’s Help To Buy scheme. You can combine Help to Buy equity loans with a deposit and a mortgage to help you buy your first home. The scheme is only available for people wanting to buy a new-build property. The loan can be as much as 40% of the purchase price, which offers a real leg up for first-timers on a strict budget.

Many property developers offer house part exchange schemes for homeowners seeking to sell their home and buy another. This allows homeowners to sell their existing property and buy a new-build home in one swift transaction. The developer buys their customer’s property and knocks its value off the new home’s purchase price. Housebuilders generally offer a slightly below market valuation, but part-exchange can be a Godsend for anyone struggling to sell their property on the open market. This also applies to someone who wants to avoid the stress and waiting of a traditional house sale.

It’s a Blank Canvas

There’s something special about building a home in a building where no one has ever lived before. On a practical level, there’s no need to decorate over-loud wallpaper or rip up dated and dirty carpets. Your new home is a completely blank canvas that you can turn into your perfect living space.

New Build Homes are More Eco-Friendly

If you care about the environment, a new build property is a purchase that will not play on your conscience. New buildings are generally more energy-efficient than older properties. They have better insulation, and you won’t have to worry about drafts coming through ageing windows and doors. Some developers specialise in creating green, “smart” homes. These may have features such as solar panelled heating systems and living walls or roofs. What's more, a green house will be much cheaper to heat and light - you could save hundreds of pounds a year by opting for a new build property!

A Warranty Will Cover Your Home

If you buy an older property and something goes wrong after you purchase it, in most cases, it will be down to you to rectify the problem. Developers of new build homes offer a building warranty, typically for 10 years from when construction is completed. If any structural issues arise during this time, your warranty will cover the cost of repairs. For the first two years, you’ll also be able to claim for less significant issues with the building, such as leaking windows. If you buy off-plan, as most people do, you’ll also be able to claim a refund of your deposit if the developer goes insolvent before they can complete your home.

The Best Safety Standards

Developers have to meet certain safety standards when building new properties. This includes installing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. Any appliances that the housebuilder fits will also be compliant with current safety standards.

Buying a new-build property has many advantages, but it won’t be the right choice for everyone. With the information above, you can weigh up the pros and cons and decide what’s right for you.

Are you looking to buy a new home? Would you consider a new build property?

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AD| Are you currently move house? Or are you looking to begin your moving home journey, but don't know where to start?

Moving to a new home can be a very exciting chapter in your life, but at times, it can feel very scary and overwhelming. There's so many things to do and so little time, it can be a very stressful journey if you haven't planned your move properly. There are so many things to consider when you begin your moving house process, and it can be extremely easy to forget many important jobs along the way. Listed below are 4 of the most important things you need to consider before moving home, and some great tips to help you keep on track.

Declutter Your Belongings in Advance

Making sure you begin clearing your home of any unwanted or damaged items before your move will save you a lot of time and any unnecessary stress. Any unwanted items could end up being donated, recycled or simply throw away. By removing things you don’t use, want or need, you’ll be reducing the amount of your personal belongings that you actually need to move. Not only will this create less work for you, but you'll be using less boxes, you'll probably need a smaller van and you'll require less help from your removal team.

Book Your Removals Service

Picking your removals service might seem like the easiest part of moving home compared to all the jobs need during this process, but if you don't book this in early, you could be facing multiple problems come moving day. Whether you're looking for removals in London or any other area of the UK, it's worth checking online for company reviews or get recommendations from friends or family, to make sure you're in professional hands with a reputable removals team. Many companies make this part of moving home so easy for you, by offering quotes and valuations for customers to make sure you get the best services for your money, and you get the right sized van for the job.

Make a Packing Plan

Packing is definitely one of the more boring jobs when it comes to moving house an it always takes longer than you think. It's definitely important to start as soon as possible and create a packing plan to help you keep on tip of things. By starting with the rooms you use the least, you'll be able to pack up the items you use the least and this wont be too disruptive on your day-to-day life.

Another top tip is to make sure you have enough boxes and storage containers to make sure you have plenty of space to pack up your belongings. When you begin to label your boxes, try and be as specific as possible. By doing this, you'll know exactly what is inside the boxes and once you move home, you'll know exactly what room they need to be placed into. During the packing process, try not to overfill you boxes - you don't want your boxes being too heavy or falling apart.

Store Important Documents Safely

Another thing to consider before moving home include keeping all your important and personal documents together in one place. This could be for paperwork such as insurance policies, and for passports and any housing documents you may need. These should be kept safely together and should be placed somewhere you have easy access too and where you will not lose them.

Are you currently planning to move home? What other moving tips do you have?

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