Tuesday, June 28, 2016

5 Simple Money Saving Tips Everyone Should Follow ♥

The older I get, the more saving money becomes a priority for me. Jacek is great with his money, he manages it so well and invests it wisely so that he gains interest and other benefits for saving his money, rather than spending it on impulse, like I have been prone to do in the past... I have never been much of a saver, money always seems to burn a hole in my pocket if it's there too long but these days I've begun saving money to invest in mine and my family's future.
I have made some changes to how I spend my money and have put plans into effect to help me be a better saver. I have learned to be thrifty rather than wasting money on unnecessary items or bills. Below are five simple money saving tips which I am following in order to save my money and set myself and my family up for the future.
 
Have a month-long spending ban / Use reward schemes
This is such a great way to save money and one which is quite popular amongst the blogging community judging by all the spending ban posts I see on a weekly basis. If you're like me and have multiple boxes and baskets full of makeup and beauty products which you have yet to use, why not challenge yourself to a month long spending ban and resist buying products which you really don't need. 

I've made a vow not to spend anymore money on makeup or beauty products until I've used up my current stash and so far I've stuck to it and have saved loads in the process. If I do feel the need to try something new I have been using reward schemes such as Back To MAC, Boots advantage points or Lush's reward of a free fresh face mask if you return six empty pots - which I have plenty of! 

I've also been trying to curb my spending on clothes for the boys as they have loads which they have yet to wear, but this is proving a lot more difficult. Why is it that us mums love spending our cash more on our children rather than ourselves? Seeing the money you would have spent on items that you didn't really need build up week by week is actually quite thrilling - something which I'd never have associated with saving before becoming serious about my money.

Manage your money sensibly and budget wisely
This is something which a lot of people struggle with and I'm one of them. I always feel so in over my head when people talk about different bank account options, interest rates, etc. but once you sit down and look into them it's actually not that complicated.

Setting up a savings account and having a direct debit taken from your current account for a portion of your wages to go into it every week is a great way of saving up for those rainy days and big purchases in life. Regular saving like this is also a positive for you if you go about getting a mortgage - something which we shall be looking into very soon.

Having a weekly or monthly budget set out to stick too is a good way of making sure that you don't overspend. Nonetheless, there are times in life when an unexpected bill or situation crops up that you may not have the money for right away or available in your savings and it can be stressful. Availing of a loan from a reputable lender such as UK Credit can be a good way of getting the money you need and as long as you budget in the repayments into your finances there should be no problem paying it back. They offer guarantor loans for both homeowners and tenants and I've actually had to take a loan such as this in the past due to an unexpected issue with my car and I was able to pay back the loan before time.

However, I would only ever consider taking out a loan if you really are in need of it and are one-hundred per cent sure that you can manage the repayments. UK Credit also have a great blog called Money Life, where you will find, in their own words "stories, musings and tidbits about the weird and wonderful world of money".

Be more energy efficient
As a family, we are probably overly conscious of how much electricity we use in our house due to Jacek having a bit of a thing about having too many things on at once. You can save a lot of money on my monthly electricity bills by simply taking more care about what appliances and lights you're using at one time. I no longer use the big lights in our house unless I really have to, the table lamp gives sufficient light. I unplug and switch off sockets when I am done using them and I try not to have the television on whilst I'm on the laptop because I know I can't focus on both at once. These simple changes have really helped keep our energy bills down and it's great to know we're being energy efficient too.


Follow a saving money plan and stick to it
This year I am doing the 52-week money saving challenge (or at least I'm trying to!) and although it can be hard to stick to it when I have so many outgoings, I am determined to put away money each week to save up for trips that Jacek and I want to take next year. Having a plan to follow can really help to focus on what you need to save every week and it's great to tick off the weeks as they go by and see your saving stash getting larger each week. If the 52-week money saving challenge isn't for you there are other templates which you could follow to be found on Pinterest.

Sell items you no longer need
If you're like me and have boxes full of things you no longer use or need but have very little space in your house why not think about selling these items? Two years ago I cleared out our attic of all my sons baby things and sold them at a local baby market. From doing this I was able to pay off a lot of bills and have some money to spend on Christmas gifts. I now need to have another clear out of things we haven't even used. I think Ebay and Etsy are the best places for selling unwanted items and these days there's also a lot of selling apps available too. The money I make from these sales will go towards this Christmas - every little helps for the season of good cheer!
    
Make a weekly meal plan before going grocery shopping
Making a weekly meal plan is such a great thing to do as not only will it help you become more organised when it comes to preparing meals but it will also help you save money whilst doing the weekly shop. I always have a list of dinners that we're going to have during the week with me when I go food shopping, this helps me focus on what I actually need to pick up instead of buying things we probably won't end up eating and therefore saving us money. We also stay away from brand name products when we can which really helps to keep the weekly food shop cost down.
  
Do you follow any of these money saving tips? Have you found the results to be rewarding on your purse?

*This is a collaborative post.

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Monday, June 20, 2016

Perfect Children's Garden Room/Playhouse Decor Inspiration ♥

For quite some time now I've been wanting to have an indoor space in the garden for the children and have been looking into different ideas from playhouses to garden rooms and everything in between, and whilst I love the idea of a playhouse, a garden room may be a better option for us as it offers more longevity - my eldest son is sadly already taller than most playhouse doors, I wish he'd stop growing up so quickly on me! A garden room would also offer a lot more space and a proper, functional room for them to enjoy.

I actually had a garden room as a child, complete with seating space, storage and electricity. It was a great space for my brother and I to enjoy and was most probably a godsend to my mother as it meant that we were out of the house and so were most of our toys - I never realised until I became a parent just how many toys a child can accumulate over time! I fondly remember my mother lovingly painting it a lovely blue shade and setting it all up for us, it was a great space for us to get out of the house, play house and to go with friends when they came to visit.

One of the key reasons why I'd like a garden room is to use it as an extension of our living space, to give the boys a play/seating area of their own. The garden rooms by Lidget, offer a safe, dry space to store things in so I could really make a unique and cosy space for the boys to enjoy. How amazing is the play space featured  on Jeanette's Hus, I love how light and airy it looks and if I could replace all the pink with blue then it would be perfect for my boys. I know Tyler Lee would love the cupcake stand and the dish rack - he's a bit obsessed with playing house at the moment and lovely anything that imitates things that adults use for cleaning, cooking, etc.

Inside the garden room I'd like to create a fun and cosy space for the boys and it's no secret that I love cottage inspired decor so I think I'd definite have to go with that theme - look how beautiful the decor is in the play room which was featured on Hometalk, I absolutely love the pastel colours used and the storage under the seat is perfect for a children's play area. I'd paint the walls a duck egg blue, similar to the shade used in the picture above, and get some little curtains for the windows - I think the novelty of having it looking like a real little house would really entice the boys to play in there. I also love the addition of bunting and the house shaped shelves, they're perfect for displaying little knick-knacks and toys. I think a day bed would be a lovely addition for them to sit in too, doubling up as the perfect place to have a sleepover once they're older. I love how the day bed looks in the garden room in my post about French Loaf.

A little table and chairs would be an essential for the room, perfect for them to play at and do some arts and crafts. I'd also pop Tyler Lee's kitchen and household toys in there so that he could play house in his own little space. I think putting his teepee out there and creating a cosy little reading corner with lots of cushions, blankets, fairy lights and a little bookshelf would be a lovely idea too. There are plenty of little DIY projects that can be done to make a children's play space quite special for almost no amount of money at all. The pictures used in this post are by the lovely Amy-Beth, @rory_eden.x on Instagram, who comes up with the sweetest DIY projects - just look at the play space she has for her gorgeous boys. It's so personal, unique and everything was put together with love. I also love the idea of this DIY market grocery store  from Welcome to the Mouse House and think it would be a great thing to have in a children's play area, it seems so easy to put together too and I can imagine them having lots of fun with this as Tyler Lee loves to play shop. We already have the cubed units so it would be easy for us to make.

I have so many ideas for a perfect garden room space for my boys and I know I'd have so much fun putting it all together. There is a lot of children's play area inspiration to be found on Pinterest, which is where I get a lot of ideas for things around my home and which is where I came across the beautiful spaces above. I just wish I had the time and money to recreate them all - tell me I'm not alone in spending countless hours on Pinterest wishing I lived in these places?!

Do you have a garden room or indoor space in your garden for your children to enjoy?

*Rory and Eden's playhouse pictures courtesy of Amy-Beth Rodgers.


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Sunday, June 19, 2016

Beau Samuel James | One Month Old ♥

On May 19th I gave birth to our second precious son, Beau Samuel James and today he's one month old. I know it's such a clichéd thing for a parent to say, but time really has flown by the past four weeks - I'm putting it down to having a newborn to look after as well as a very active, loud and easily bored toddler too, time sure does fly when you're having fun.

This past month has been amazing and one of the happiest times in my life so far. I'm absolutely besotted with my baby boy and I've been taking these precious newborn weeks to get to know him, introduce him to the world around him, settle him into a routine and take lots of pictures of him of course. It feels like our little Beau has always been with us. He's such a little dote and is so good to us, waking just once in the early hours of the morning for a feed and being so placid during the day, he's an absolute blessing.

Beau is such a content little baby who'd love nothing better than to sit in someones arms all day and have them talk to him. Yesterday he lay in my grandmothers arms and wouldn't stop smiling at her as she talked, it was so sweet to watch. I'm sure these little smiles and giggles he's giving now aren't just wind because he smiles when he hears Tyler's voice if he's lying in his cot and he smiles at me if I say hello to him whilst picking him up. He's such a happy little baby and he's a joy to be around. I hope he's always happy in life.

Beau has already changed so much in appearance since he was born. He was born with a head full of shiny dirty blonde hair but this has since changed to a dark red/auburn shade which is beautiful, but he's begun to lose his hair so I wonder what colour it will be next. His eyes are a very deep blue, the same shade as his big brothers and they have a design around his pupils that reminds me of the outline of a flower - so beautiful. He's been growing so quickly too, already a big boy to begin with at 9lbs 11oz when he was born I think he's on or over the 12lb mark at this stage. He was 57cm long when he was measured two weeks ago but he's probably well over that now too. He's outgrown so many of his sweet little clothes already and I'm not sure weather to give them away or to keep them...

In Beau's short life we've already done and seen so much with him. He's had his first trip the beach, his first visit to a castle when we had a family day out in Blarney Castle last week, spent afternoons strolling around Fota House and Gardens, had his first trip to Fota Wildlife Park, visited another county - Waterford, had his first bath, had my first solo outing with him and he's met a lot of people over the past few weeks, from friends to family. I'm so thankful that he's a summer baby and that we've been able to enjoy the lovely sunny weather as a family.

I'm getting to know Beau and learning his little quirks, loves and dislikes in life. He absolutely hates wearing hats, so as you can imagine, getting these pictures was a challenge, I had to wait until he was asleep! He's very alert now during the day and he sleeps all night and I've been trying to keep him entertained by babywearing with him in the Kari-Me wrap I recently bought, laying him in his pram or on his playmat to gaze at his Lamaze toys, putting him in his swing (he's not too fond of this either) and going for walks. He loves being snuggled and held close to my chest so babywearing has been ideal for us and I'm loving it because I didn't try it out with Tyler until he was much older.


We love you so much Beau Samuel James, we are blessed to have you, our beautiful baby boy.



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Friday, June 17, 2016

Wild Foxgloves | Beautiful Ireland ♥

Ireland is a beautiful place to live in all year round, but during the spring and summer months it's exceptionally beautiful thanks to all the stunning wild flowers that pop up and bloom in almost every direction you look. It's no surprise that Jacek and I love photography, it's a big passion in our lives and a huge part of my blogs, both here on Dolly Dowsie and on Fawns and Fables - which I set up for the sole purpose of sharing our pictures and little adventures.

My absolute favourite subject to capture on camera is my family, but nature and especially beautiful flowers comes a very close second. I'm blessed to live in a place which offers so many beautiful wild flowers to view and photograph - the hedgerows are full of blooms, the grass is dotted with daisies and buttercups and there are some stunning locations and places very close to my home that have gorgeous gardens full of different flowers, plants and trees.

People used to comment that from my photographs of Ireland it looked as though I lived in some sort of fairytale place and I think this description is just perfect for Ireland, I find myself being both inspired and in awe of the beautiful nature that surrounds me on a daily basis and I feel very lucky to live in such a green and blooming place.

As a child I loved foxgloves, I thought they were very pretty, but that didn't stop me from catching them by their stem and running my hand all the way up them to pop all the petals off - it was great fun at the time! I also used to pick the petals off and wear them on my fingers, taking the approach that if they were good enough for the foxes they were good enough for me too (I've since found out that they're poisonous and I really shouldn't have been doing that). Foxgloves will always remind me of my childhood summers and brushes with nature and for that reason they'll always have a fond place in my life.

On the way into our town there is a bank full of wild foxgloves and it's amazing to look at, we just had to capture them all on camera. They are surrounded by a carpet of bright yellow buttercups, lush green grasses and other wild flowers too and I think it's such a beautiful welcome in to where we live. Witnessing a sight like this everyday with the green fields in the background I can see why people are so charmed by Ireland and are always wanting to visit here.

I will always be a nature lover, how could I not be when mother nature keeps blessing us with beautiful flowers and awe-inspiring views.


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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Tyler Lee's Nautical/Beach Inspired Bedroom | Wishlist ♥


We are currently in the midst of updating our home, giving it a new lease of life with a fresh lick of paint, buying new soft furnishings and decluttering everything. One room which is almost complete is Tyler Lee's bedroom. He's now three years old and knows his mind, so we wanted his room to be inspired by something he loves, and if you're a regular reader of my blog it won't come as a surprise that he loves the beach, so a nautical/beach inspired room seemed like the perfect choice for his own little space.

Also, I think the beach theme is quite calming and that's just what he needs from a bedroom space because he's a very active little boy and anything that can help in calming him down and to get ready for bed is something I will embrace with both arms.

Tyler Lee's room is almost complete - it's had a new coat of paint, new bedding, blackout curtains, we rearranged the furniture, took down his cot and moved him to a big bed and picked up a few soft furnishings too, it just needs a few more little things to complete it and that's why I'm putting together this post, so I can save up for the things I want to add to his room and have everything in one place to remember and tick off once we get them.

The drawer on the wardrobe in Tyler Lee's room broke last week and I hate the wardrobe anyway - pine furniture just doesn't appeal to me, so I'd love to get him a new one and the beautiful stone white one above from Room To Grow caught my eye. There's a beautiful range of children's furniture at Room To Grow and I also loved their storage options too. Plus, I think the stone white colour suits the nautical/beach theme much better than natural wood.

The wall above his bed is bare at the moment and his bed doesn't have a headboard so I really want to make a little feature out of the wall. I'd love to have a banner hanging there, maybe with 'sail the sea Tyler Lee' or something along those lines featured on it. I really like the look of the banner featured above, the aqua starfish boards are a nice touch. I'd also love to get some beach themed prints and quotes printed out and pop them into some cheap white frames to create a photo collage on the wall. Some Polaroid style prints would look lovely there too. The Laura Ashley and nautical fabric bunting was something I found on Ebay and I think it's lovely. It's double sided too so it'd be perfect for hanging across his room.

I like to have bunting/lights, etc. in Tyler Lee's room for him to look at whilst he's going to sleep and I think the red, white and blue star fairy lights above fit the nautical theme really well, also, his curtains and a pillow in his room feature stars so they'd fit perfectly in his room - we tell him the stars are the night sky. There's no lampshade in his room at the moment and I love the print on the lampshade featured above, the beach hut print is really cute.

There's a significant lack of storage in Tyler Lee's room at the moment and when I spotted this star motif foldable canvas box I thought it would go perfectly with the silver star cushion that sits on his bed, it's also perfect for popping his cuddly toys in and believe me, he has a lot of them!

Finally, I spotted these life ring cushions on Pinterest and thought they'd make for lovely scatter cushions on his bed, I think the design makes for the perfect nautical cushion.

These are just a few items that I have my eye on for my biggest boy's bedroom. I absolutely love the theme and once the room is complete I can see it being a place that he loves to play and sleep in.


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Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Our Father's Day Plans & A Fun Quiz ♥

Father's Day is happening on June 19th, the day that our little Beau turns one month old and considering that this Father's Day will be Jacek's first as a father of two I'd like to do something special for him.

Jacek is the typical man who has everything and I always struggle to find gifts for him - seriously, why are men always hard to buy for? Something he really loves is visiting new places and anytime we travel he likes to plan trips to historic sites, etc. so I find that experience based gifts are perfect for him.

We've been wanting to go to The Burren in Co. Clare for ages now, it's a place we've never been to together so we'd like to visit and photograph all the wild flowers and beautiful scenery there. I think a road trip there or to Cahir Castle in Co. Tipperary - Jacek has recently said he'd like to visit here and Swiss Cottage again, would be the best treat the boys and I could give him. Making memories with his boys is much better than any gift I could get him, as they usually go unused and I honestly can't think of a lovelier plan for Father's Day, especially if the weather stays as great as it has been. Also, I have yet to take any pictures of Jacek and Beau together and I couldn't imagine a more beautiful backdrop than these places.

So I'll be filling up the car with petrol, packing a picnic and we'll be off on a little adventure. I know Jacek will appreciate it more than any gift I could give him from the boys - although I think we might have to get him a bottle of prosecco to enjoy in the garden on some warm, sunny day too.

Have you any special plans for your child/children's father for Father's Day?

With Father's Day coming up, My Voucher Codes have put together a fun quiz to see which celebrity dad your other half is. Jacek had a go and got Ashton Kutcher - I can't complain about that! Why not have a go yourself and see which celebrity dad you're most like. Just click on the quiz below to find out.

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Friday, June 03, 2016

Win A Hasbro Toy Bundle For Novotel Super Heroes Day ♥

On Saturday 04 June 2016, Novotel hotels invite families to enjoy a FREE family fun day at any of their 33 Novotel hotels in the UK. To celebrate we are offering one lucky winner the chance to win the ultimate toy bundle. Filled with products that every super hero will be excited by from brands including Transformers, Spiderman, Nerf and Monopoly from Hasbro as well as Fruit Heroes, the perfect snacks to fuel young caped crusaders and the first chldren’s fruit snack to be accredited under 5% free sugar with the Sugarwise label. 

KAPOW! From fighting to save the planet, undertaking missions from the Craft Captain to creating some tasty delights (no Kryptonite allowed near by) there is a whole host of activities available for children aged 5 to 11 years old.

BLAM! There will also be fun in store for Mum and Dad! All activities are designed so that parents can participate with their little heroes.

Kripes! And every super hero gets a goodie bag filled with products!

Places are limited so make sure you secure your space today by registering at www.novotelheroes.co.uk

Terms and conditions:
The winner will receive one toy bundle including one product from each of the following Hasbro brands, Transformers, Spiderman, Nerf and Monopoly.
No cash alternative will be given.
We reserve the right to offer a product of a similar value.
UK residents only.

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