At the Fence

We often aspire to have light and airy rooms in our home. Light makes a room look bigger and more inviting. An uncluttered space often seems to create a peaceful atmosphere. It can be a magnet for family members and guests alike. But how do we go about achieve this effect? Whether with extensive redecorating or a handful of simple tweaks, we can make a room instantly appear lighter with these quick tips. Image source Neutral Colours The use of a neutral colour palette prevents a room from feeling claustrophobic or dismal. They reflect light more effectively and can create a sumptuous, luxurious atmosphere. Accessorised with coloured cushions or throws, a space can be personalised to reflect your taste while still appearing light and spacious. Mirrors Reflective surfaces have long been reputed to make a space look larger. An ornate mirror or panel of reflective tiles can be a chic and contemporary addition. By reflecting light from the window and the rest of the room,

Is your child’s birthday approaching? You might be trying to come up with some ideas on what to do for a party. Well, you’re fortunate because I’ve been thinking about this lately. Ever since my little one had their most recent birthday, I’ve been writing down the best tips I can offer. If you want some inspiration, you can check out the other post , but I think I’ve got some great ideas here as well. Image Fun With Invitations Honestly, when did kids birthdays become such a big deal? As they get older, it seems it’s more like an event than a backyard party. You need to send out the invitations and get who they want to appear. If you’re making it surprise, check with one of your child’s close friends to find out who to invite.. Or instead of doing this just ask your child who they want to invite and help them make the invitations. I don’t recommend you invite a whole class, but iif you do make sure you plan a simple party. Great Food What’s the simplest choice in food

Your home roof takes up a large area of the outside of the property. But it’s still a feature most people forget about. We spend hours in the summer fussing around the garden , but the roof is neglected. In fact, it’s completely forgotten until there’s a problem that needs fixing. But even then sometimes we don’t notice there is an issue. There could be a hole in your roof right now and how would you know? Unless you go up and inspect your attic, you wouldn’t. However, that doesn’t mean the hole is harmless. Animals could use it to get in your home, and it could even have weakened the structure of a roof. During a storm that hole could cause the roof to collapse. That’s why it is important to think about your roof and the improvements you can make. Let’s look at a few ideas. Pic Link Get A Roof Inspection The first thing you should think about is getting your roof inspected. We recommend that you get your roof inspected regularly, particularly after any major storms . It’s

Hey neighbors! I wanted to post this before we head into Sunday.  I have a $5  Cold Stone Gift Card to give away!  Starting Monday we have a couple of interesting products to share as well as some nice giveaways. We made it back safely from our trip and are unpacking and organizing this weekend.  Along with settling the 5 pups in.  They are now 3 weeks old and growing! Anyway, take a moment to enter and then be sure to stop in Monday. See you soon!

Hey neighbors! For all my homeschooling friends out there I have a really helpful program review here from HelpTeaching.com .  We were given the opportunity through TOS to review their Pro Plan . Since I only have one daughter left in homeschool, most of the lessons I looked at were for High School age students.  I did browse some others, but obviously I did not need any of the lower grades included. One of the things I really liked about the HelpTeaching.com lessons is that they include videos to help teach your student.  I will confess, I am not real patient teaching math, so it is nice to have another option to turn to.  I am one of those who because I see the problem clearly and logically, I get frustrated after walking someone through a problem more than once or twice, because of course it is just logical.  Having online lessons available helps! Here is an example of how one of the classes works.  Finding Percentages is a course that will teach your child how to figure

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. If you’re struggling for inspiration, this guide will hopefully help you to find the perfect present for your mum. Gift experiences If you’re always showering your mum with cosmetics, bubble bath or nice pyjamas, why not go for something a bit different this year? A day out, a spa experience or even a weekend away is an ideal treat to thank your mum for all she does. Possibilities include treating her to a day at the spa, afternoon tea at her favourite cafe or a chic city break. You don’t need to spend a lot of money, but putting effort into organising a trip or afternoon out will show just how grateful you are. Image from https://www.flickr.com/photos/intercontinentalhongkong/7020392999 Personalised presents Does your mum love cooking, sewing or gardening? Are they a fan of entertaining, baking or reading? If so, you could shop online and find them personalised gifts , which complement their interests. Examples include named sewi

Hey neighbors! Here is a product that arrived too late for our Holiday Gift Guide.  It is from Girls Explore !  They have created some really neat dolls to help your daughter explore her world.  Many of the women have done something in the past that has made them famous or well known.  You can purchase the dolls by themselves, or as a set.  The sets include a book and a few extras. These sets create a great educational opportunity for learning about important wisdom in history. Our first is, Babe Didrikson Zaharias.  Babe was a female athlete.  She competed in track and field and then went on to play golf and found the LPGA.  Included in this set, is the well made doll, her biography, a golf club (for Babe) and a working, harmonica for your daughter.  The harmonica was a favorite of Babe's.  The doll has hard plastic legs, arms and head, with a cloth body.  I am impressed with the quality of the doll.  The hardback biography is a little over 100 pages and includes several bla

Your house is your home, but how do you make guests and visitors feel just at home as you already do? Make guests love your home just as much as you do with these five easy steps. 1. Greet them properly If you’re rushed off your feet in the kitchen or already entertaining guests who have arrived for a party, this can be difficult. But guests in your home deserved to be greeted properly. Meet them at the door and be enthusiastic and genuine. Introduce them to other guests. Also, be sure to offer to take their coats and bags. This is especially important if your guests are first timers in your home. It’s likely that they won’t know where to put things and where they can leave their shoes. Put their mind at ease by looking after these things for them. 2. Give them the lay of the land It’s entirely your option whether you give them a tour of your home. This is probably necessary if they’re staying over, but if they’re just visiting? At least, tell them where the basics a

(Image Link: https://goo.gl/NmNghL ) If you’re like me, then you’ll love to take care of your garden. I like to do what I can to ensure my garden is looking perfect. One of the best things to do is build a garden shed. This makes your backyard look beautiful, and is useful as well. Want to know how to build an awesome garden shed? Then carry on reading this article! Draw Up Some Designs It doesn’t make sense to try and build something that you haven’t seen before. Building blind will never end well; you can be assured of that. What you should do, is draw some designs beforehand. Think about what you want your shed to look like, and sketch down a few rough designs. This helps you create a vision of what you want to build. Then, you can try and make your shed look like the design. If you have no idea how to draw a design, then don’t worry, I have a tip for you too. Go online and look at various garden shed designs , and then pick one that you like the best and copy it. You don’t

Hi Neighbors! Many of you know that we have been on a trip for a little over 2 weeks now.  We headed down to Florida, where the 4 girls went on a Southern Gospel Music Cruise!  We dropped them off last Monday and they returned to port Saturday.  They had a great time and we are now headed towards home. While the girls were on the cruise, hubby and I had the opportunity to visit Medieval Times in Orlando, Florida.  This is basically a dinner theater .  We arrived a little early, so we could investigate the small town they have set up right next door.  We found it very interesting to see rooms set up from that time period.  My husband wanted to take a little time to see the torture room, that showed several different methods of torture that used to be used.  The masks below were designed for women who spoke out against government, etc. After visiting the small town, we headed inside to wait to be seated.As you all know we have previously visited the Medieval Ti

It’s one of those rites of passage which affect every parent at some point. Sure, it can be tough dealing with all the emotions involved. This is something which is such a big moment for both you and them. So it is important to remember that it’s perfectly natural to feel a little sad. However, there are some things you can do to help both of you get through this difficult stage. If you are in this position at the moment, read on for some tips on how to make it a little easier. Image Talk It Out It’s really important that you both sit down and just talk through it. There are lots of emotions involved in the process, and it’s best just to get them out on the table. At first, your child may well not want to talk about it. There is every chance that you won’t either! However, as with everything, it really is best to talk about it. Remember that this is a huge moment in both your lives. The best thing you can do is to support each other as fully as you feel able to. Your kid is