With Mother’s Day just around the corner, a recent survey commissioned by Next has sought to find out exactly how much time and energy mums dedicate to their children. This might include ferrying them to and from extracurricular activities, taking time off work to care for them when they’re sick, or turning a blind eye when they pinch your favourite lipstick or most expensive perfume! Key findings from the survey found that yearly, the average mum will:
So it’s safe to say the average mum has her work cut out for her. Nevertheless, with Mother’s Day approaching it’s important to take time out for yourself – why not treat the 31st March as a day to celebrate your role as a Mum and plan it with the same amount of care you would if you were planning a party for your child? Our tips for an enjoyable Mother’s Day1. Decide who you want to spend time with. Like crafting a party invitation list, take some time to decide who you’d like to spend Mother’s Day with, whether that’s your children, your partner, your girlfriends or just yourself. The survey from Next found that 78% of mums get less than an hour to themselves each day on average, so you might decide to dedicate some time to yourself this Mother’s Day – away from the hustle and bustle of work and family commitments. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of ‘me time’! 2. Decide where you’d like to spend your day. Make sure you take some time out to do the things you want to do and aren’t governed by the whims of your children. The average Mum will hear her children say ‘I’m bored’ 12 times a month. Those two little words can send even cool-headed mums into a frenzy of frustration, racking their brains for exciting games to play and rooting through toy boxes for inspiration. But not on Mother’s Day. Today, you’re free to shape the day’s schedule any way you please – immune to the chorus of ‘I’m bored.’ You might decide to relax at home, finish watching that series everybody is talking about, or host a fancy picnic or floral tea party! The average Mum will take her child to six birthday parties a year, not including their own! which works out to one birthday party every other month (the equivalent of 78 birthday parties in her child’s lifetime) – but this is on top of two and a half hours a year spent at parents’ evenings and nearly four hours a week spectating at extracurricular activities. 3. Treat yourself! The survey revealed that Mums will buy an average of 38 presents for their children every year (this includes birthdays and Christmas) which, as a nation of gift-givers, doesn’t seem too surprising. Each of us enjoys giving and receiving gifts with people we love and much more so when there are children involved. Remember though, this is on top of countless pennies and pounds spent on other things relating to your children, such as teachers’ leaving presents, school trip fees and leavers’ hoodies to name a few. The average Mum herself will receive only two boxes of chocolates, two bunches of flowers and five drawings each year from her tiny tearaways – so it seems the ‘gifting traffic’ is certainly more heavily weighted in one direction. You’ll splash out on 38 presents for your children each year, but how many times will you treat yourself to something? Mother’s Day is a nice excuse to venture out to the shops and nab that little gift, or to host a little party (though get the kids to clear it all up!). Also, despite the fact a whopping 35% of Mums don’t receive any flowers at all during the year, that doesn’t mean you should go without. Flowers can instantly bring warmth and beauty to any home. They can brighten up hallways, make living rooms more vibrant and are a popular talking point for guests, so treat yourself to a nice floral arrangement this Mother’s Day. All in all, if these stats tell us anything, it’s that you definitely deserve a bit of TLC this Mother’s Day! Set aside some time for yourself, put together a little lunch party for your family, spend the day with people you love, and above all, be kind to yourself. You deserve it! The post Celebrate Yourself this Mother’s Day! appeared first on Party Pieces Blog & Inspiration. from https://blog.partypieces.co.uk/themes/celebrate-yourself-this-mothers-day/
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It’s officially spring break for me and I’m spending this week in Hawaii with Matt and the kids. We’re vacationing on the Big Island and it’s the one Hawaiian island I haven’t explored so I’m excited to get out and about! I’ll be sharing on Insta of course, and please email or message me if you have a favorite spot here, I’d love to know! I’m not sure I’ll have much time for blogging this week, but being on this island might inspire something related to tropical style! Stay tuned! Meanwhile, here are some favorite links spied around the web! Wow, the vibe of this San Diego home and its stunning indoor outdoor transition! Check out the well designed interiors and pool of this hotel in Brisbane. This cake looks so beautiful and delicious. Pi is 31.4 trillion digits and counting! The benefits of weight training for women. These reasons are precisely why I love taking solo trips. Lesser known scenic national parks without the crowds. An inspiring example of endurance: she’s one tough grandma!
from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/weekend-reading-186/ Last month, I bought an inexpensive black metal console table for my studio – I needed something slim in my tiny entry as a spot for dropping my keys and phone in the morning when I come to work. Underneath this skinny table I toss my shoes and backpack, I love having all my stuff in one place and easy to grab when I leave. All of us come home with our keys and phone and packages in hand and need a drop zone for setting them down. It can be tricky to find a table for a small entry or foyer that serves that purpose, but I found a few more for you!
Standard depth console tables jut out into a space and can eat up more of a room than you wish them to. Slim console tables also serve another purpose: they are perfect for areas where you don’t need seating but instead seek to fill the lower half of wall space. Above them you can hang art or photography or a flat screen TV and below use the console for a minimalist display of decorative objects.
Here are a few more consoles in slimmer profiles (15” or less) that will help anyone create a drop zone in a narrow foyer, or fill a blank wall without taking up too much space!
metalwork console / gold & faux marble rustic a frame / curved console metal & faux marble / hudson console white and glass / acacia mid century gold & walnut / white mid century . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/slim-console-tables/ With spring just a few short weeks away I wanted to create some little vases to hold fresh flowers or sprigs in bloom. I mixed two finishes to achieve this look, stone texture and matte paint in spring hues.
This is such an easy DIY project, all you need are some glass vases or containers or bottles, stone texture spray paint, acrylic craft paint, and painter’s tape. I used Krylon’s stone texture spray paint in the taupe pebble color. I sprayed my three little glass vases with two thin coats of spray paint (allow to dry between coats) then let them cure for a full 24 hours.
The next day use the painter’s tape (or frog tape) to create the line where you want the edge of the paint.
Using acrylic craft paint in your color of choice, apply a thick coat and use your fingers (not a brush) to spread it on the bottom half of the vase, but not so thick that it drips.
Don’t worry that the paint looks uneven when wet, it will level out. Here’s the trick, you need to peel off the painter’s tape slowly when the paint is wet to preserve the crisp line. Don’t leave the painter’s tape on the vase, this helps prevent the painter’s tape from peeling off the stone texture spray paint. Allow the first coat to completely dry then repeat the process again: attach the painter’s tape along the paint line, apply yet another thick coat of acrylic craft paint, smooth it with your fingers, slowly peel off the tape, and allow to dry. If for any reason you end up with an uneven line or if the stone texture peels off, do this: spray the stone texture spray paint into the cap that came with the can and touch up the stone spray paint with a small paintbrush. Worked for me!
The stone texture is a really nice contrast to the matte paint colors, I’m so pleased with how they turned out!
These containers can also be used to hold pencils, paintbrushes, matchbooks, candies, whatever! I brought them to my studio to brighten my space!
If you try it out for yourself, let me know how it goes! . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/diy-stone-texture-spring-vases/ My sister Louise and I are both event planners, and both of our businesses have a vintage vibe to them. For many years, we’ve been drawn to collecting vintage treasures as our Mum used to take us on treasure hunting trawls around antique and charity shops when we were little. We lived in an old Victorian Bankers House with all the original features and Mum loved to choose pieces for the home that were sympathetic to their surroundings.
So when Louise recently turned the big 5-0 I knew I would be pulling out all the stops for her party decor! I secretly liaised with her daughter, Rebecca, and the lovely team at Party Pieces to decide what would work best – we were all delighted with the result, and as it was a family dinner party at Louise’s home in Northern Ireland, I was able to use many of her own vintage glass and china pieces to compliment the vases and other pieces I was sent.
On the morning of Louise’s Birthday, we had some delicious donuts for breakfast with the rose gold happy birthday banner strung across the fireplace as a backdrop. These pretty pieces are perfect for adding some simple elegance where required. Later that day, we started to decorate the dining room with the pieces shown and linked below – Louise and I also baked some dainty little macarons and meringues for the dessert table and the sweet treats and stunning birthday cake were enjoyed by all! Louise is known by many for her love of pastels and florals, and these are reflected throughout her home decor, so I immediately knew the beautiful bunting from the truly scrumptious range would work well for the look required. These co-ordinating pretty napkins were popped into the lilac glasses from Anthropologie – the pretty pastels all worked beautifully together.
Little posies of seasonal blooms were popped into these bud vases and glass heart holders and for some added glamour, some vintage crystal and glass candlesticks from Louise’s own collection were placed onto rose gold sequin runner
The peony floral garland worked perfectly with the pink and green pieces in Louise’s dining room, blending beautifully in amongst the rest of the table decor and fresh rose and lisianthus blooms. As I live in Scotland and was flying over for Louise’s birthday celebrations, I had the pieces delivered directly to Northern Ireland leaving my hands free to take over these delectably dainty teacup and saucer cake decorations made by Glasgow cake designer Brogan of Three Tiers and Tea. These were added to the delicious red velvet cake that Rebecca had ordered from Belfast baker J Bird Bakery – Louise baked the most delicious rosewater pink macarons filled with white chocolate ganache so we also used some of these to decorate the cake – a personalised cake topper was added and that was the cake complete! We had a wonderful time celebrating and Louise loved all the little finishing touches and decor that added to her special day. The post Louise’s 50th Celebrations appeared first on Party Pieces Blog & Inspiration. from https://blog.partypieces.co.uk/uncategorized/louises-50th-celebrations/ I’ve felt so productive all week, it’s such a great feeling! I listened to an inspiring podcast on Monday about unlocking your creative genius and then spent the remainder of the week designing new prints, painting in my studio, and also finishing a spring inspired DIY project that I’ll share next week. Funny how creativity ebbs and flows like that. I find that one week I’ll be completely unmotivated and struggling to come up with anything new and then bam, inspiration strikes and the creativity flows once more. Do you experience that too? Favorite links from the week: This gray and wood kitchen with touches of brass is well designed. A minimalist modern home with gorgeous views of trees. Minnie Driver is adorable and so is her Malibu mobile home! Beautiful photos and a charming story: this family run boutique farm. Unexpected perks of a library card. A great tip for making pasta taste better. Cheers to these groups of adventurous women! I loved reading this story about Luke Perry. Five reasons you might want to start a podcast. An Uber driver with a sense of humor. :) . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/weekend-reading-185/ I’ve partnered with Arrow Fastener tools several times to showcase how to make things with their tools. This week, check out the DIY shoe rack I designed and constructed with the help of one of their many handy nail guns!
The frame of this shoe rack was built with 2×2” birch posts and ½” birch planks (from Lowe’s) and assembled with wood screws.
I painted the legs and stained the planks and secured them with the Professional Electric Stapler T50AC from Arrow Fastener.
You can modify the plan to fit the width of your entry or porch or mudroom. Find the full tutorial on this DIY shoe rack on the Arrow Fastener website!
*This project brought to you in partnership with Arrow Fastener tools. All photographs, design plans, and opinions are my own! Visit the Arrow Fastener projects page for dozens more creative DIY projects around the home. . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/diy-shoe-rack/ Is the California Wine Country on your list of places to visit? Perhaps this year? Events begin as early as spring here in Northern California, and I’m excited for barrel tasting in Healdsburg next weekend. When touring the wine country, one must live the full experience! There’s something so special about sitting outdoors around a firepit surrounded by grapevines sharing a bottle purchased in a nearby tasting room! Where I live, the wine country includes both Napa and Sonoma, they are adjacent to each other. The Napa Valley is one of the most popular wine tasting destinations in the world. The towns stretching from Calistoga in the northern part of the county down to St. Helena to Yountville in the south are all gorgeous destinations and all the appellations are easily accessible along the Highway 29 route. Napa feels more elite with its resorts and trendy restaurants, whereas Sonoma is more laid back and spread out, and in between the wineries you’ll pass cow pastures and craft breweries. The Napa Valley has over 500 winery listings so good luck even scratching the surface on a singular visit, but you can definitely have the wine country experience by spending 3 or 4 full days in the region.
Personally, when I travel, I love the Airbnb experience more than staying in a hotel because I can lounge around, make breakfast, and do laundry and feel more like a local. I spied some really cute cottages in the Napa Valley on Airbnb:
The Bungalows in Calistoga (sleeps 4)
Modern Getaway in Napa (sleeps 4)
Cottage with vineyard views (sleeps 4)
St. Helena Cottage (sleeps 4)
Farmhouse retreat in Calistoga (sleeps 8)
Vineyard Bungalow in St. Helena (sleeps 4)
Italian style villa (sleeps 4) I live in Sonoma County and there are wineries all over but most of the tourists visit the Healdsburg area to the north, or Sonoma in the southern part of the county. You’ll get the full wine country experience in either of those areas because you’ll be surrounded by acres of vineyards with views, and you’ll have a long list of tasting rooms to choose from.
When out-of-towners visit me, I always take them on a Sonoma Plaza tour and to these five favorite wineries, and sometimes I’ll take them through the valley of the moon. Up in the northern part of Sonoma County near Healdsburg, I highly recommend tasting and touring the Dry Creek Valley and/or the Alexander Valley. Here are a few Airbnb cottages to stay at in those regions!
The Barn in Sonoma (sleeps 2)
Farmhouse Cottage in Sonoma (sleeps 4)
Thornsberry House in Sonoma (sleeps 6)
Kenwood Retreat (sleeps 8)
Hilltop Guest House in Healdsburg (sleeps 2)
Dry Creek Valley Cottage (sleeps 2)
Wine Country Cottage in Healdsburg (sleeps 4)
Farm Stay Apartment in Healdsburg (sleeps 2) There are two airports to consider if your destination is Napa or Sonoma. The Sacramento airport is about a 45 minute drive by car (assuming no traffic) to Napa. The Oakland airport is a one hour drive by car to Sonoma or Napa. If you’re destination is just the wine country, I’d avoid the San Francisco airport unless you’re planning on a few days exploring the city during your vacation. Have you visited Sonoma or Napa recently? What were your favorite places? from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/03/wine-country-vacation-cottages/ We’ve had record number of inches of rain in the last two weeks, winter is dragging on and on and I feel as if spring can’t come fast enough. One color that’s trending in home decor is blush pink. It’s a color I rarely decorate with in adult spaces because it can feel juvenile, but I do like it in small doses in the right places. I bought a chenile throw blanket from West Elm a few months ago, it’s so soft and keeps me warm in my office when I’m working during these chilly winter months. (The throw blanket I bought sadly is no longer available, however this blanket is very similar.) Blush pink looks especially good when paired with gold or taupe or black or the combination. Blush pink is paler than baby pink and feels more contemporary because its a softer and less saturated hue with slight brown undertones. Modern accents in blush pink for your consideration: woven throw pillow / ridged terra cotta pot / fur stool barro pendant / viscose cover / tea light set gold & blush tray / desk organizer chenile blanket / seagrass basket / cotton velvet pillow cover lenox office chair / mid century bookshelf / stacking chair
from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/trending-blush-pink-accents/ I’m up in the mountains this weekend with a group of girlfriends, we do an annual trip to the snow in Lake Tahoe every year and the group of us is having a ton of fun! It’s been in the news lately that there are health benefits to hanging out with your girlfriends, but isn’t that something we’ve always known? That spending quality time with genuine friends improves your quality of life! I consider myself so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing tribe of women. They didn’t just come to me, in many ways I had to seek them out, but once I did and when I invested my time in those female relationships, I discovered how much they enrich my life with their wit and wisdom, and I can’t imagine life without them! So that’s what I’m up to this weekend, living in the moment, playing in the snow, laughing it up and and making memories with good friends. I do hope your enjoying your weekend too! Favorite links from the week:
How amazing is this shower tile installation? Nicely done! This very cool design around a bathroom mirror. The best looks of Karl Lagerfeld in Vogue magazine. Interesting: how mirror meditation can improve self love. Shameful, the thieves among us: tile bandits and succulent smugglers. Hotel life hacks to note while traveling. I’ve read it a dozen times already, isn’t this poem/quote just so hopeful? . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/weekend-reading-184/ |
About MeHi I am Albin Adamski from Brynrefail, I am 32 years old. I always surf web for buying antiques for home decoration. Archives
April 2019
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