Hello! I am back.
Happy Homebird will be restarting as a weekly blog. All about home educating our 5 year old daughter in the countryside.
Will be back in a few days with our first proper post.
Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Friday, 18 December 2020
Grass-Less Garden Ideas
Nowadays, with the busy hustle and bustle of life, more and more homeowners are choosing a grass-less garden over a high-maintenance lawn. I have to say, I can’t blame them. As much as I love getting out in the garden, I really don’t have a lot of time on my hands to give it the care and attention it needs.
If you’ve never had a grass-less garden before, you might be under the impression that they’re dull, lifeless and devoid of character. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. There are lots of things you can do to make your garden feel cosy and welcoming without adding turf or artificial grass.
Here are a few of my favourite suggestions for a charming grass-less garden. I hope you’ll give them a try!
Choose a Pretty Patio
The truth is, you really don’t need grass to create a garden with natural charm. Porcelain paving is a great alternative to grass, especially if you’re looking for something low maintenance. Porcelain outdoor tiles are designed with durability in mind, so once they’re installed you won’t need to worry about them looking dull, chipping or tarnishing over time.
To keep porcelain pavers clean, all you need to do is give them a quick wipe over with some warm soapy water. You can see how this would be a preferable choice over dragging the lawnmower out every couple of weeks during summer!
Paving is definitely a good option if you’re designing a grass-less garden. You’ll notice that porcelain pavers are available in a huge range of shades and textures so they’ll complement your garden whether you have a traditional or modern aesthetic.
I’ve even seen some porcelain tiles that have a wood flooring effect. Allowing you to create a real-wood look in your garden without worrying about maintaining real wood!
Paving is a great base for your table and chairs, your plant pots and your firepit – perfect for giving your garden a homely touch.
Install Durable Decking
If patio doesn’t take your fancy, a garden deck might be a better option. Wooden deck boards and composite deck boards both offer a natural look that’s sure to bring your garden space to life.
If your main concern is maintenance, composite decking is the best way to go. With a polymer cap, it won’t need sanding, staining or sealing. Much like porcelain paving, all composite decking needs is a quick wipe over to remove dirt and debris making it much easier to maintain than an unruly lawn.
Wooden decking is also a good option, but doesn’t have the same low-maintenance properties as composite decking. This kind of decking can be susceptible to rotting and warping if it’s not maintained properly. That being said, it’s still going to require less attention than a lawn so it’s a suitable option for a grass-less garden.
Take Advantage of Trees and Potted Plants
As I mentioned at the very beginning, there’s a misconception that a grass-less outdoor space is going to feel ‘cold’ and ‘unwelcoming’. Well, I’ve found that one of the best ways to combat this is to add a variety of potted plants and shrubs around on your patio or decking.
These don’t have to be plants that require constant care, they could be something easy to care for like geraniums, petunias, or something edible like mint or sage.
Either way, adding flowers, herbs and shrubs to your grass-less garden will bring so much life and vibrancy to the space that you’ll wonder why anyone bothers to have turf installed!
If you’ve never had a grass-less garden before, you might be under the impression that they’re dull, lifeless and devoid of character. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. There are lots of things you can do to make your garden feel cosy and welcoming without adding turf or artificial grass.
Here are a few of my favourite suggestions for a charming grass-less garden. I hope you’ll give them a try!
The truth is, you really don’t need grass to create a garden with natural charm. Porcelain paving is a great alternative to grass, especially if you’re looking for something low maintenance. Porcelain outdoor tiles are designed with durability in mind, so once they’re installed you won’t need to worry about them looking dull, chipping or tarnishing over time.
To keep porcelain pavers clean, all you need to do is give them a quick wipe over with some warm soapy water. You can see how this would be a preferable choice over dragging the lawnmower out every couple of weeks during summer!
Paving is definitely a good option if you’re designing a grass-less garden. You’ll notice that porcelain pavers are available in a huge range of shades and textures so they’ll complement your garden whether you have a traditional or modern aesthetic.
I’ve even seen some porcelain tiles that have a wood flooring effect. Allowing you to create a real-wood look in your garden without worrying about maintaining real wood!
Paving is a great base for your table and chairs, your plant pots and your firepit – perfect for giving your garden a homely touch.
Install Durable Decking
If patio doesn’t take your fancy, a garden deck might be a better option. Wooden deck boards and composite deck boards both offer a natural look that’s sure to bring your garden space to life.
If your main concern is maintenance, composite decking is the best way to go. With a polymer cap, it won’t need sanding, staining or sealing. Much like porcelain paving, all composite decking needs is a quick wipe over to remove dirt and debris making it much easier to maintain than an unruly lawn.
Wooden decking is also a good option, but doesn’t have the same low-maintenance properties as composite decking. This kind of decking can be susceptible to rotting and warping if it’s not maintained properly. That being said, it’s still going to require less attention than a lawn so it’s a suitable option for a grass-less garden.
Take Advantage of Trees and Potted Plants
As I mentioned at the very beginning, there’s a misconception that a grass-less outdoor space is going to feel ‘cold’ and ‘unwelcoming’. Well, I’ve found that one of the best ways to combat this is to add a variety of potted plants and shrubs around on your patio or decking.
These don’t have to be plants that require constant care, they could be something easy to care for like geraniums, petunias, or something edible like mint or sage.
Either way, adding flowers, herbs and shrubs to your grass-less garden will bring so much life and vibrancy to the space that you’ll wonder why anyone bothers to have turf installed!
Sunday, 16 February 2020
How to Baby-Proof Your Garden
When you’ve got a little one on the way, there are so many
preparations to be made you might start to wonder if you’ll get it all done in
time! For many of us, the focus is on the inside of the house where your little
one will be spending most of their time. You might buy a fireplace cover,
install a couple of baby gates and start re-arranging your furniture for a bit
of extra crawl-space, but have you thought about your garden?
Parents often overlook outdoor spaces, but this is where a
lot of hazards tend to live. Pebbles, thorny plants and water features can all
be potentially dangerous for your little one. But don’t worry, I’m going to
talk you through a few different ways you can address these problems and
thoroughly baby-proof your garden.
Garden surfaces
While you want your garden to look great, you don’t want to
choose an outdoor flooring option that’s dangerous for your child. Small stones
and gravel can be a choking hazard, so if your garden is covered in them – it
might be time to consider a garden renovation.
Grass is an obvious choice, it provides a soft, luscious
space for your little one to play, learn and develop. Of course, the only
downside with having your garden turfed is the amount of upkeep that real grass
requires. You don’t want to be spending the summer holidays trudging up and
down with a lawn mower when your little one wants to have a teddy bears picnic
and enjoy the sunshine!
A great alternative to grass is composite decking, it offers a forgiving
surface that (although not as soft as grass) won’t cause your little one a
significant injury if they do happen to fall over. High-quality composite
decking is designed not to split or chip, so unlike traditional wood decking,
you won’t need to worry about your little one getting a nasty splinter. Better
yet, composite decking will last a lifetime with minimal maintenance, giving
you more time to spend with your family!
Plants
Having plants in the garden is a great sensory and
educational experience for your child. When they get a bit older, they might
even help you plant new seeds and begin to take an interest in the natural
world (something that’s so often neglected nowadays).
Make sure you remove toxic plants and mushrooms, prickly
plants and plants that bear fruit and berries, these plants might look nice in
your garden, but they can cause real problems if children get their hands on
them.
Instead, you should think about planting vegetables, larger
fruits and herbs, the leaves of which are generally non-toxic and safe for
curious children to explore. Better yet, if you get a good harvest of carrots
and apples, you can add some home-grown vitamins into your baby’s diet.
Some beautiful non-toxic flowers are also a great choice.
Pot Marigolds, Amaranthus (shown above), Lemon Balm and Daylilies are sweet
smelling, taste rather delicious and will add a touch of colour to your outdoor
space.
General Safety Tips
Here are a few other baby-proofing tips to help you keep
your garden accident-free!
·
Keep the garden hose out of the sun – If
you’ve ever picked up or stepped on a hose pipe that’s been left out in the
sun, you’ll know that they can get incredibly hot! Make sure you store them in
a shaded, cool place whenever possible.
·
Use plants to protect sharp corners – There
are plenty of permeant features in our gardens that might pose a risk to little
ones. Use greenery to create a buffer between your child and any sharp
edges.
·
Update your garden furniture – Ditch the
glass tables and wooden chairs and treat yourself to a brand-new garden set
with padded cushions, rounded edges and removable, washable covers (thank me
later).
Hopefully these baby-proofing tips will help you relax
and enjoy your garden as your little one explores, grows and changes!
*Guest post
*Guest post
Monday, 27 January 2020
Our home improvements: making use of a corridor space
There is a small corridor between the kitchen and the village/church hall side of the house that was a dead space. Until a few months back there was a staircase up to a room that used to be where the scouts and brownies met and probably things like Sunday school and parish meetings took place. It's now our bedroom so we knocked a door through from the main house landing and blocked this staircase off in order to make the room bigger.
It was decided that the blocked off staircase would make a useful cupboard space.
So here we go from the kitchen...
BEFORE
The corridor has double side doors onto the road that was once used for people entering the church hall for functions I think, possibly a fire escape. We use this for loading up the car and Sweep's van, moving furniture in and out of the house, it's bolted up so not used unless planned.
There was a scruffy little alcove that needed some attention too.
Sweep set about planning some useful storage space using recycled materials, so the old table tennis table was used as a back for the shelves. The space on top extends right back under the old staircase so we decided to buy plastic storage boxes for our huge collection of Halloween items, safely packed away and neatly out of the way.
AFTER
Sweep made a secret storage panel to cover the cubby hole where the Halloween items are stored. I was really organised and photographed each box so that I know where my spooky items are. We love Halloween! The panel can be unscrewed so the rest of the year it is a secure mini shelf section for small items. Below the shelves are deeper.
Sweep made a couple of shelves for the alcove, replastered and then painted the wall here which had crumbled away. We decided to keep the kitchen bin here as the beagle had worked out how to open the lid and was causing chaos.
On the shelves I keep my 'to do' tray and a basket of admin - school letters, things to do with Little Bird's autism appointments, leaflets of places to visit, business receipts and that kind of thing.
The cupboard space has become a mini pantry, we have a main pantry on the otherside of the kitchen but LB was sneaking in and eating too many sweet things and the beagle was ripping open bags of dog food so these are all stored in our mini pantry now - useful for the Christmas goodies and stockpiling dog food.
Tuesday, 7 January 2020
How to make the most of a small bathroom with a large family
Small bathrooms can make a home difficult to live in especially when you have a large family and it needs to be functional for all of them. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the best ways to make a small bathroom work for a large family.
If you don't have a large family but still find the bathroom is too small for you then this post will also be something you will be interested in reading.
Here are some tips that you can implement to make the most of your small space.
1) Storage
Your bathroom is going to be one of the most used rooms in your home and when multiple people use the room it can soon become cluttered and look like a total mess.
The best way to get around this is to add storage to your room. Storage comes in many shapes and sizes, but you can't go far wrong with wall hanging cabinets, wicker baskets, ottomans and towel racks. If you add one or a few of the above you are going to have more functional storage in your bathroom.
You can also opt for sink units that have storage spaces underneath this can come in the form of drawers or baskets.
2) Specialist equipment
The bathroom needs to be a functional place for everyone that uses it therefore if you have young children or children or adults with disabilities the bathroom will have to be adapted. Senior citizens will also need additional help to use the bathroom.
If you want to make your bathroom suitable for everyone that is going to use it, then please consider their needs.
Children using the bathroom won't be able to reach items placed in higher locations so think of adding steps or add stackable storage and put their items on the bottom.
Disabled or older family members can also install items into the bathroom to make it easier for them to use. Bath hoists can be used to help them into the bathtub or walk in baths are another great addition to making your bathroom more accessible and friendly to all.
3) Organisation
Organisation is key in a family bathroom because you don't want to be using each other's items, not only from a hygiene point of view but also from a practical one. If you constantly have to look for your towel or toothbrush it's going to cause needless frustration.
To make the most out of your bathroom be sure to organise each member of the families towels, toothbrushes and everything else in a manner which makes sense for all.
Colour coordination is one way of doing it, adding tags or markings is another. Find a system that works for your family and stick to it.
4) Safety first
If you are designing a bathroom to be suitable for younger children you will want to minimise the chance of burns through scalding water. One of the best ways to prevent burns with a new family is to install a thermostatic valve.
A thermostatic valve is the safest way to prevent burning even if the cold water supply is changed. Some thermostatic valves can also be programmed to limit the time your children can spend in the shower which can save you money on your water bill.
5) Open plan living
A tight shower may be desirable to save space or to look nice, but in a bathroom that has to work for the entire family, you should avoid it. Washing smaller children in a confined space can be a nightmare so try to avoid it if possible. If you do want to install a shower try to keep your space open plan as much as possible and install a wetroom.
If you do choose to install a wetroom, you will have more space to clean your children and you don't have to worry about water splashing everywhere and ruining your floor.
Conclusion
Designing a bathroom that works for multiple ages and needs is difficult but if you take time to think of the storage space needed and the functionality of the room, it becomes a little easier.
Do you have any tips on making the most of a small bathroom for the entire family? If so please leave them in the comments below.
If you don't have a large family but still find the bathroom is too small for you then this post will also be something you will be interested in reading.
Here are some tips that you can implement to make the most of your small space.
1) Storage
Your bathroom is going to be one of the most used rooms in your home and when multiple people use the room it can soon become cluttered and look like a total mess.
The best way to get around this is to add storage to your room. Storage comes in many shapes and sizes, but you can't go far wrong with wall hanging cabinets, wicker baskets, ottomans and towel racks. If you add one or a few of the above you are going to have more functional storage in your bathroom.
You can also opt for sink units that have storage spaces underneath this can come in the form of drawers or baskets.
2) Specialist equipment
The bathroom needs to be a functional place for everyone that uses it therefore if you have young children or children or adults with disabilities the bathroom will have to be adapted. Senior citizens will also need additional help to use the bathroom.
If you want to make your bathroom suitable for everyone that is going to use it, then please consider their needs.
Children using the bathroom won't be able to reach items placed in higher locations so think of adding steps or add stackable storage and put their items on the bottom.
Disabled or older family members can also install items into the bathroom to make it easier for them to use. Bath hoists can be used to help them into the bathtub or walk in baths are another great addition to making your bathroom more accessible and friendly to all.
 |
| Image source: Bathroom Supastore |
3) Organisation
Organisation is key in a family bathroom because you don't want to be using each other's items, not only from a hygiene point of view but also from a practical one. If you constantly have to look for your towel or toothbrush it's going to cause needless frustration.
To make the most out of your bathroom be sure to organise each member of the families towels, toothbrushes and everything else in a manner which makes sense for all.
Colour coordination is one way of doing it, adding tags or markings is another. Find a system that works for your family and stick to it.
4) Safety first
If you are designing a bathroom to be suitable for younger children you will want to minimise the chance of burns through scalding water. One of the best ways to prevent burns with a new family is to install a thermostatic valve.
A thermostatic valve is the safest way to prevent burning even if the cold water supply is changed. Some thermostatic valves can also be programmed to limit the time your children can spend in the shower which can save you money on your water bill.
5) Open plan living
A tight shower may be desirable to save space or to look nice, but in a bathroom that has to work for the entire family, you should avoid it. Washing smaller children in a confined space can be a nightmare so try to avoid it if possible. If you do want to install a shower try to keep your space open plan as much as possible and install a wetroom.
If you do choose to install a wetroom, you will have more space to clean your children and you don't have to worry about water splashing everywhere and ruining your floor.
Conclusion
Designing a bathroom that works for multiple ages and needs is difficult but if you take time to think of the storage space needed and the functionality of the room, it becomes a little easier.
Do you have any tips on making the most of a small bathroom for the entire family? If so please leave them in the comments below.
