Making a Loft Bathroom Extension Feel Spacious with VELUX Roof Windows

*This is a paid partnership with VELUX and BritMums We all know that natural daylight and fresh air are really good for our overall wellbeing and the more we can bring these two things into our home, the better. When we were doing our loft bathroom I wanted it to make it light and airy even though the space is very small. It now feels spacious and airy due to our VELUX roof window, which floods this small space with an abundance of natural daylight, making it one of my favourite rooms in the house. I find it incredible how one small change can have such a big impact on a room but it really can! I know sometimes people overlook bathrooms but surprisingly we spend a lot of our time each day in one and stepping into a light and airy room first thing in the morning can really help lift the spirits and prepare you for a busy day ahead. The Scandinavians are well known for their minimalist and well-designed homes that have a real focus on bringing the outdoors in, using VELUX roof......

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Preparing the Home for Christmas

The novelty of log fires, the smell of a fresh fir tree, pine cones and a small glass of sherry or hot chocolate to warm you up on a cold wintery night while counting down the days to Christmas will never fade on me. Having spent my childhood in a hot southern hemisphere climate the idea of a traditional Christmas was never fully realised, well at least not in the way I imagined or had seen in the movies, dreaming of waking up to a white dusted landscape wearing thick pyjamas and running down the stairs to a tree surrounded by presents. Of course we celebrated Christmas and there was always an element of British flair in the home with my mother being a Welsh Expat but rather than it being in the depths of winter it was the height of summer and opening presents was swiftly followed by jumping in the pool to cool down. Having settled in Wales for nearly ten years now I get more excited with each year when it comes to the festive season and bringing Christmas into the......

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Fathers Day Gifts for heart & home

How cute is this French bulldog card from Etsy So fathers day will soon be upon us and it's one of those wonderful days of there year we get to celebrate our partners, husbands, Dads or in fact any man in our life who has a positive impact. I always like to find something a bit different and fun, something that will bring a smile to my OH face and thought I would put a little gift guide together from the small little touches to the bigger gestures, lets treat the men in our lives. 1. John is not a jewellery kind of guy but I have to say I do love these Anchor and Crew necklaces from JewelStreet and they make some amazing unisex and ladies pieces as well (so you could always nab it for a bit). 2. We both love travel as does Mr A so this custom compass is something that could also be passed down from father to son. 3. Johns favourite city and many others is New York so when I came across this book on Find a Present about the faces, humans and street style in New......

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My top 5 Interior and Lifestyle Stores in St Davids, Cardiff

Enjoying an evening of shopping in St Davids Centre at 14 weeks pregnant It was recently St Davids Cardiff birthday and they sent me some lovely little things from a few of the stores in the shopping centre and being a regular to both the independent Arcades and St Davids I thought I would share my 5 favourite Home, Interior and lifestyle stores which are perfect for picking up those last minute things for Christmas. The White Company My first port of call is always The White Company for some simple interior inspiration where less is more and done to perfection. It is quite pricey but everything is of the highest quality and their candles and diffusers make great affordable gifts which won't disappoint. I have been eyeing up their bedding and hope to pick some up for our new bed in the New Year. I love these lights from John Lewis John Lewis John Lewis is one of those great department stores that has an amazing Home and Interior section as well as s......

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John Lewis Blogger Challenge

On the weekend I had the amazing opportunity to take part in a John Lewis blogger challenge at the Cardiff St Davids Store with Charli from Charli dot dot dot . We were each given a budget for which to find a festive christmas outfit. My budget was £500 to find an outfit from top to toe that would be perfect for a festive night out. Whenever I think of christmas I think of gold and silvers and wanted to incorporate that element into my outfit. So with the run of the store I went out and looked for something I felt comfortable in and an outfit I could see myself wearing with hints of sparkle. I managed to put together my outfit just under the budget with it coming in at £458, I could of easily gone over as I spotted a lovely Ralph Lauren bag for £360 but that would not have left me very much for the rest of the outfit. John Lewis stocks so many amazing brands and I really wanted to showcase the diversity in the outfit with each piece being a different make but all working......

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Christmas came early - John Lewis Press Day

So last week both John and I were lucky enough to be invited to the John Lewis Christmas Press evening and what a wonderful evening it was. As soon as we stepped into the Kuku Club it was like being in a winter wonderland of beautiful settings, christmas decorations, wonderful nibbles, pick and mix and of course amazing christmas cocktails and mulled wine. If we were not in the Christmas mood before this night we both certainly are now, with so much inspiration I cannot wait to move into our new house and start getting the decorations up. It was great to socialise with other bloggers, friends and creative people on the evening, with so much to do and see, we even got the chance to make our own Christmas card, although I have to say my favourite part was trying all the different dips, chutneys and nibbles and loved the big bowl of jellybeans, like being transported back to childhood. I also got to show off my new haircut and wore a cute little sixties style shirt from Zal......

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Beautiful spring inspired bags

Well as most know spring and summer are my favourite seasons of the year, I love how the whole world seems to come alive during these seasons, after a restful winter sleep it reawakens with beautiful colours everywhere with wonderful flowers blooming, creatures crawling and waking up from slumber and the sun shining down on your and warming up your soul. You cannot but help to also want to add more colour to your wardrobe as well, it only seems natural to join in with mother nature. I took a photo of these beautiful cherry blossoms on our walk early this week and they sum up this beautiful time of year. When a new season comes in I feel just like all of the new flowers that I need to either think about something new and colourful for myself or upcycle something from last season, so when I came across the lovely floral designs on the new range of Fiorelli bags I felt I had to share it with you, as they capture springtime so well, and when the sun eventually sleeps again for anothe......

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It's Ladies night

Last week I had an amazing time at the St Davids Ladies night, a night full of fashion, music, food, late night shopping and grabbing some great bargains. Since the St Davids 2 has opened in Cardiff in 2009 it's brought more than 120 new stores to the city including John Lewis, Radley, Jojo Mama Bebe, Vivienne Westwood and Mango to name a few. I am not usually a high street kind of girl but John Lewis does stock some amazing clothes for the whole family and they have some great places to eat and with the centre also housing more than 300 flats above the shops it's created a real buzz in the city centre. On arrive at St Davids on Ladies night you check in and get given an Access pass which gives you discounts at nearly all of the shops and restaurants as well as there being pamper stations, mini makeovers and manicures, free Candy floss, DJ's, entertainment and various in-store events. Mini Makeover time I went to the John Lewis Holiday Glamour beauty event whi......

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