How to Create a Calming Bedroom for Your Child: A Parent's Guide to Better Sleep

As parents we all know the struggle of bedtime battles and restless nights. Creating a peaceful bedroom environment isn't just about aesthetics, it's about setting your child up for sleep success. A well organised, calming bedroom can make all the difference between a night of tossing and turning and peaceful slumber.

Why a Calm Bedroom Leads to Better Sleep

Your child's bedroom environment directly impacts their sleep quality in surprising ways. A calm, clutter free space naturally helps lower anxiety levels before bedtime and reduces overstimulation, which is crucial for quality rest. When children have the ideal sleep environment, their bodies produce more melatonin, the sleep hormone that regulates their natural sleep cycles.

The benefits extend far beyond just bedtime. Children who sleep in calm environments typically fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. This improved sleep quality leads to better performance at school and more stable emotional regulation throughout the day. The impact of a well designed sleep space truly cannot be understated.

The colour, materials and layout all impact how calming a bedroom is

Brilliant Car Organisation Hacks Every Family Needs

Is your family car starting to look like a mobile tip? Don't worry, you're not alone. As a mum of three, I know exactly how quickly our cars can transform from spotless to absolute chaos. Whether it's finding half eaten packets of crisps under seats or sitting on scattered Lego pieces (ouch!), keeping the family car tidy can feel like mission impossible.

But here's the brilliant news: I've cracked the code to car organisation and I'm sharing all my favourite tricks that have genuinely made a difference for our family. These aren't those Pinterest perfect solutions that last approximately two minutes, these are real, practical tips that work for real families.

These tips will make your car tidier and more organised

10 Genius Storage Hacks for Small Bedrooms: Maximise Space and Minimise Clutter

Small bedrooms can often feel overwhelming, especially when trying to accommodate all the necessities of daily life. Whether it's a child's room bursting with toys, a teenager's space filled with school supplies and hobbies, or your own bedroom that needs to double as a workspace, the struggle to keep everything tidy and accessible is real.

As a mother of three I've encountered these challenges firsthand. Over the years, I've discovered and developed numerous strategies to make the most of limited space without sacrificing style or functionality.

In this post, we'll explore ten innovative storage solutions that can transform even the tiniest bedroom into a well organised oasis. From clever under bed storage ideas to multi functional furniture and smart wall mounting techniques, these hacks are designed to help you reclaim your space and create a more peaceful environment.

Whether you're dealing with a compact city apartment or simply looking to optimise your existing space, these tips will help you maximise every square inch of your bedroom. Get ready to discover how a few simple changes can make a significant difference in your daily life and home organisation.

Transform your small bedroom into a storage haven with these genius hacks

Countdown to Christmas: Make Your Own Advent Calendar Ideas

What started off as a simple way to countdown the days to Christmas, making chalk marks on doors in Germany, has turned into a tradition many people, young and old, now take part in in increasingly elaborate ways. You can get pretty much anything hidden behind the cardboard doors or drawers of an advent calendar now, from jewellery to high end cosmetics. The 2024 advent calendar line up even includes a 5ft Lindt offering, featuring 24 full size products for a mere £180 when it is reported the contents are worth closer to £90! One way to get exactly what the person would like without the huge mark-up is to make your own advent calendar.

Make Your Own Advent Calendar Ideas For Children And Adults

Making your own advent calendars makes them more special

Everything you need to know about Christmas boxes: Advent Boxes and Christmas Boxes

Christmas boxes are a fairly recent tradition, but they have quickly gained popularity over the last decade. What started out as more of a homemade thing has now turned into big business with more retailers bringing out new box designs every year and even pre-filled boxes available on Etsy. They can form a really special part of your Christmas tradition whether you give them at the beginning of December as an advent box or on Christmas Eve. If you are looking to introduce one to your family this guide will explain what they are and what to put in them. 

Quick Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas For Busy Family Mornings

One of my biggest hurdles getting the kids out to school in the mornings is getting them to eat something quick and filling to set them up for the day. School mornings are enough of a rush without preparing anything more exciting than a bowl of cereal that gets half eaten. So if your mornings are similar why not try these make ahead breakfasts for smoother sailing.

Making breakfast in advance makes mornings easier

How To Spend Less Money On Matching Family Christmas Pyjamas

It seems to happen earlier each year, the trick or treaters haven't even been around yet, but the matching family Christmas pyjamas are already selling out in the shops.  They make a fun Christmas tradition and super cute photographs, but the price can quickly add up. Love them or loathe them entirely, they seem to be here to stay so here are my top tips for cutting the cost.

When To Give Children Christmas Pyjamas

The thing about Christmas pyjamas is they tend to be, well Christmas themed. While my children will happily wear them in January through to Spring, the best time to wear them is in the run up to Christmas. It is popular to put them in Christmas Eve boxes, but for some families this means they will only get worn once, or just a few times at best. A more recent tradition is giving them to children at the beginning of December with advent calendars or maybe even the arrival of those cheeky elves. This way children can wear them throughout December. Just make sure you plan the washing so they are clean and ready to wear on Christmas Eve.

You can enjoy the matching Christmas Pyjama trend, but spend less

11 Surprising Uses Of Vinegar Around The Home

Vinegar is great for a salad dressing or sprinkling on your chips, but it can also be a really handy product to use around the house. This non-toxic and relatively eco friendly acid is a great option for cleaning a whole variety of items when used in the right way.

Did you know you can use vinegar to clean around the home?

Unlocking Home Resale Profits: Top Renovations for Maximum ROI

Collaborative post. Has the idea of selling your home been at the back of your mind for a while now? Still thinking about how you can get the pounds rolling in? Many homeowners find themselves in this balancing act, trying to decide which upgrades will really pay off when it’s time to sell. Let’s explore some clever home improvement choices that can deliver a solid return on investment, ensuring you spruce up your home’s value without draining your savings.

Via Pexels

What's the Safest Way to Clean Your Family's Paddling Pool?

When the temperatures soar, there’s nothing that little ones love more than splashing around in a great paddling pool (see some of our favourites here). But as much fun as this can be, many a parent will tell you that keeping a paddling pool clean is a tall order.

Paddling pools can, unfortunately, harbour harmful germs if not kept clean enough, so it’s important to know how to keep them at their best. Not to mention, a paddling pool just looks so much more inviting when it’s fresh and clean! 

Keep your paddling pool cleaner with these tips

Here are some tips for how to clean a paddling pool:

How to descale a kettle or a coffee machine

If you live in a hard water area like I do, you will be used to a build up of limescale. This could be on shower screens, taps and, of course, kitchen items such as kettles and coffee makers. When it builds up on a kettle or coffee machine, it can be particularly annoying: nothing ruins a hot drink than dregs of limescale in the bottom!

It's easy to descale your kettle without scrubbing

There is a solution to this: regularly descaling your appliances. However, it can be hard to know where to begin. Here are some different techniques for descaling a kettle or a coffee machine:

6 Cheap packed lunch ideas for kids

Coming up with interesting and nutritious packed lunch ideas for children’s packed lunches can be a challenge, especially when you are working on a budget. It’s difficult not to get stuck in a rut and children get bored of food items just as us adults do.

Alternative packed lunch ideas

Easy ways to create shopping lists for your family meals

Do you often find that you get to the supermarket to do the 'big shop' and find that you just can’t remember what you intended to buy or what you have at home? Or perhaps you do an online shop regularly, only to find that half of the items you needed you forgot to order? If this is the case, you need some ideas for shopping list planning and you have come to the right place!

Here are several different ways that you can plan your shopping so that you’ll have the right ingredients every time:

Use these tips to be more organised, save money and reduce waste

5 clever children’s book storage ideas

Fostering a love of reading in your children is a beautiful thing and as parents we want to encourage a love of books. But let’s face it, sometimes it can be difficult to store all of those beautiful and interesting books!

If this is you, then I’ve got some great ideas for storing your children’s reading collection in a way that works with your home and keeps your children’s interests and love of reading alive.

Books can double up as decoration in your home

How To Remove Sticky Labels and Their Residue

Sticky labels, and the residue they often leave behind, can be extremely annoying. Whether you’re trying to remove an unsightly sticky label from a new household item, need to take a label off of a gift before wrapping it or just need to carefully remove a sticker your child has stuck to the wall, it can be annoying if sticky residue is left behind.

However, there are various household products that can be used to remove sticky labels. Next time you need to do so, why not try one of the below options?

How To Organise A Kids’ Craft Station

It’s wonderful to see our children being creative, but it can be overwhelming to see that creativity scattered all over your living room, dining room table or playroom…delete as applicable! So what should you do if you don’t want to stifle your child’s creativity, yet want to contain the mess that goes with it? Create and organise a craft station, of course!

Is your child a budding artist? Use these tips to keep their craft supplies in order

How To Declutter Your Wardrobe

Many of us are guilty of having wardrobes that are stuffed to the brim with clothes, many of which we hardly, or maybe never, wear. Yes, there are of course special occasion clothes which only come out every now and again, but if you have every day clothes in your wardrobe that you are no longer wearing, it may be time to declutter your clothing.

Apart from the benefits in terms of tidiness, it’s much less stressful to decide what you want to wear (not to mention easier to keep on top of the laundry!) when you have a streamlined wardrobe with everything organised neatly. However, decluttering your wardrobe can be a daunting task, and so, here are a few tips to help you along the way to wonderful wardrobe organisation.

With the changing seasons, now is the perfect time for a clothes clear out. Here's how to make it easy...

How to remove common stains from your family sofa

Family life can be messy, especially if there are young children or pets involved. You may feel like your days of having lovely things in your home are over, at least until the children are older, but this doesn’t always have to be the case. Several common stains can be removed from furniture with a few tips, tricks and home remedies. 

Rescue your stained furniture with these useful cleaning tips

Packing Tips For Family Holidays

Part of the excitement of going on holiday is the lead up to it, and all of the preparation that goes with it. There’s nothing quite like that build up to a holiday, but if you’ve got children, the build up can often be doubled, or even trebled! Preparing for a family holiday is a lot of work, but with these essential packing tips for family holidays, you’ll be able to pack pronto!

Be prepared for emergencies with these family packing trips

The Secret To Getting Started On Decluttering Your Home

Do you feel overwhelmed by the state of your house? Whether it's tidy, but crowded or a total mess the answer to making things easier is decluttering. Quite simply the less you have the more spacious your home feels and the easier it is to keep tidy. Getting started on decluttering can feel even more overwhelming, where do you start? Don't stand in your living room looking around at all the chaos. The secret is to get more focused. If you take small steps towards decluttering your home, and keep on top of it regularly, it shouldn’t feel so overwhelming.

If you are feeling overwhelmed decluttering can help, but it's also hard to get started

The Kit You Need To Have On Hand For Christmas and Birthdays

When you become a parent a little organisation goes a long way. Gone are the days where you can quickly pop out to the shops to get something and children aren't known for their patience. Picture the scene: it's your child's birthday and after ripping the paper off their presents they want to play with one of them now! First you have to get it out of the box which might require scissors or even a screwdriver and then you discover it needs batteries so you have to find those, and then you definitely will need a screwdriver to get those installed. It might just take a few minutes, but for an excited child on their birthday it can feel like hours. Whether it's Christmas Eve or the day before their birthday, make sure that once the last present is wrapped that you have everything to hand in one place to make present opening goes to plan. 

A little preparation helps Birthdays and Christmas go more smoothly

Age-appropriate tidying and cleaning tasks for under 10s

I am a big fan of teaching your children to help out with the housework from an early age. Teaching your children to clean from an early age has benefits for everyone in the household: from helping children to learn the value of work through to lightening the load of those that normally carry out the housework. But you may be wondering what exactly your children can help out with, and what household chores are age-appropriate for under 10s.

What age should you get your children involved in household chores

What To Buy When Moving Out Of Home For The First Time

Moving out of the family home for the first time? Whether you’re moving into student accommodation, or perhaps buying a home of your very own, there are certain items that you’ll need to get you started.

On top of the likes of a laptop and your clothes, there are things that you may not have thought about when moving out of the family home for the first time. Of course, if you’re buying or renting an unfurnished home, you’ll need to think about all of your furniture too, but if you’re renting student accommodation or a furnished home, here’s a list of all of those little things that you may not have thought of to give you a home away from your family home.

Make sure you have what you need when you move out of home