Category: News & Tips

A new year, a new project. Do you ever wanted a brand new shed in your garden but didn’t get your head around it or don’t know where to start? You don’t necessarily need to be a DIY enthusiast to build this fantastic and solid garden shed. This video by YouTuber Colin Furze is not just very helpful but also very entertaining to watch. Check it out:

2021 has been for many another tough year, dominated by the seemingly never-ending pandemic. With the latest Omicron-variant, it feels more than ever frustrated. However, the good news is with a few simple steps it’s easy to become more happy and positive, something we probably all can do with in the new year. Here are five tips you can try to increase your happiness levels. Best of all they are all scientifically proven.

1. Exercise: 7 Minutes Could Be Enough

A quick 7-minute workout a day can have great effects as mentioned in The New York Times. That’s a workout any of us can fit into our schedules.

2. Spend More Time With Friends/Family

Staying in touch with friends and family is one of the top five regrets of the dying.

If you want more evidence that time with friends is beneficial for you, research proves it can make you happier right now, too.

Social time is highly valuable when it comes to improving our happiness, even for introverts. Several studies have found that time spent with friends and family makes a big difference to how happy we feel.

3. Help Others

100 hours per year (or two hours per week) is the optimal time we should dedicate to helping others in order to enrich our lives.

4. Practice Smiling: Reduce Pain, Improve Mood, Think Better

Smiling can make us feel better, but it’s more effective when we back it up with positive thoughts, according to this study:

Smiling is one way to reduce the distress caused by an upsetting situation. Psychologists call this the facial feedback hypothesis. Even forcing a smile when we don’t feel like it is enough to lift our mood slightly (this is one example of embodied cognition).

5. Meditate: Rewire Your Brain for Happiness

Meditation is often touted as an important habit for improving focus, clarity, and attention span, as well as helping to keep you calm. It turns out it’s also useful for improving your happiness.

Meditation literally clears your mind and calms you down, it’s been often proven to be the single most effective way to live a happier life. According to Achor, meditation can actually make you happier long-term.

Source: Inc.com, Jeff Haden

Christmas is just around the corner and now it’s a great time to start decorating your house for the festive season. But why not going DIY this year with these simple but genius Christmas decorations ideas? You do not just save money, you also do something good for the environment by using recycled materials. Here are 12 inspirational ideas to get the house ready for the best season of the year.

The recent headlines of significant increases in energy bills in combination with an incoming winter, is not something we are looking forward to. However, with a few simple steps and a bit of creativity, it is possible to make some savings on the energy bills. In this article, posted earlier this year we summarised “10 simple ways to save money”.

Saving money on your energy bill isn’t that difficult if you follow a few very simple steps. Amazingly, each one of the tips below can save up to £211 a year. That’s equal to over 2 months of free energy for the average household.

Wash your clothes at 30 degrees
Washing your clothes at 30 degrees can save up to £7 a year on your energy bills.

Dry your clothes on a washing line or a clothes horse
If the weather’s good and you have space, dry your clothes on a washing line, or a clothes horse, to save £30 a year.

Only boil the amount of water you need
You can save up to £6 a year by only boiling the water you need when using the kettle.

Turn the thermostat down a notch
Turning your thermostat down by one degree can save you £80 a year.

Turn your appliances off standby
Turn your appliances off by the switch to save £35 a year.

Turn off the lights
You could save £13 off your annual energy bill if you switch off the lights when you leave the room.

Shower for a minute less
Cut your shower time by one minute and save £7 a year on your energy bills.

Wash up in a bowl
Don’t keep the tap running. Use a bowl of water to do your washing up and save £25 a year.

Fill up your washing machine when doing a wash
If you can, wait until you have enough dirty clothes before putting a wash in. You could save £5 on your yearly energy bills.

Swap your bath time for a 5 minute shower
And finally, you’ll save £10 on your energy bills for every 2 people that choose to have a 5 minute shower instead of a bath.

Source: Energy Saving Trust

The bad news is that many local councils (including Bristol) have suspended the collection of green bins. However, the good news is that you can use this to your advantage by disposing of your garden waste in a number of creative and useful ways.

The website boundless.co.uk has come up with some great ways to make the most of your garden waste.

1. Create a compost heap

Perhaps the most obvious solution to the green bin problem is to create your own compost heap. Leaving your garden and kitchen waste to decay over a matter of days, weeks and months generates rich, organic compost that can be beneficial to your soil and plants. As well as helping things to grow, it acts as an effective mulch for minimising water loss, and can also provide a home for woodlice, worms and even grass snakes.

Once it’s ready, your compost can be used to nurture any number of plants and vegetables. If you’re looking for some inspiration on what to grow this spring, perennials such as bear’s breeches and red-hot pokers are great if you want something that’s low maintenance. And carrots, radishes, lettuces, peas and beans also require minimum work, and should be ready in time for summer.

2. Make supports for your plants

If you’re looking for supports for your climbing plants, have a rummage through your garden waste for twiggy branches and long, sturdy stems. These will do the job without you having to order bamboo canes or expensive steel supports.

3. Moisturise your lawn

As previously mentioned, a compost heap is a great way to dispose of grass cuttings. But if the weather is getting warmer, they can also be used to sprinkle over your lawn, keeping it nice and moist.

Another tip for disposing of grass cuttings is to spread some out across the bare soil patches under your trees. The cuttings will eventually decompose, injecting a rich, organic matter into the soil.

4. Make a home for wildlife

Not all gardening waste is good for composting – if you have a lot of woody branches and stems, these can be hard to break down. Don’t worry, though, as they’re perfect for creating a habitat for those little garden visitors.

Beetles in particular love this kind of environment. And seeing as they’re so fond of eating slugs, aphids and the like, that could save you money on pest control.

5. Stop cats from doing their business in your garden

Speaking of pests, if next door’s cat has taken to using your garden as a makeshift loo, then it might be time to do something about it.

Much like humans, cats like having somewhere comfortable to coopy down, so if you have any bare soil, they’re almost certain to home in on it. This is where those holly or conifer clippings come in handy, their prickly edges providing anything but a comfy toilet break for moggy. They’re slow to compost, too, meaning your solution will be a lasting one.

Source: boundless.co.uk

As summer is here and we all spend more time outdoors, wouldn’t it be nice to create some space in the garden? The web is full of inspirational ideas and DIY projects to create lovely garden utilities. This simple and spacious storage bench by “I Like To Make Stuff” is worth having a go at. It doesn’t required a huge amount of materials and can be done in a day.

If you ever require a bit more space, just get in touch. We can offer storage solutions from 11 sq ft. all the way up to 100 sq ft.

Think a card board box is just a card board box? Think again: This video shows six genius and creative ways to make the most out of a simple card box. This is not just a great way to create additional storage space but also to get creative with the kids.

Saving money on your energy bill isn’t that difficult if you follow a few very simple steps. Amazingly, each one of the tips below can save up to £211 a year. That’s equal to over 2 months of free energy for the average household.

Wash your clothes at 30 degrees
Washing your clothes at 30 degrees can save up to £7 a year on your energy bills.

Dry your clothes on a washing line or a clothes horse
If the weather’s good and you have space, dry your clothes on a washing line, or a clothes horse, to save £30 a year.

Only boil the amount of water you need
You can save up to £6 a year by only boiling the water you need when using the kettle.

Turn the thermostat down a notch
Turning your thermostat down by one degree can save you £80 a year.

Turn your appliances off standby
Turn your appliances off by the switch to save £35 a year.

Turn off the lights
You could save £13 off your annual energy bill if you switch off the lights when you leave the room.

Shower for a minute less
Cut your shower time by one minute and save £7 a year on your energy bills.

Wash up in a bowl
Don’t keep the tap running. Use a bowl of water to do your washing up and save £25 a year.

Fill up your washing machine when doing a wash
If you can, wait until you have enough dirty clothes before putting a wash in. You could save £5 on your yearly energy bills.

Swap your bath time for a 5 minute shower
And finally, you’ll save £10 on your energy bills for every 2 people that choose to have a 5 minute shower instead of a bath.

Source: Energy Saving Trust

Christmas is well underway and it’s a great time to start decorating your house for the festive season. But why not going DIY this year with these simple but genius Christmas decorations ideas? You do not just save money, you also do something good for the environment by using recycled materials. Here are 12 inspirational ideas to get the house ready for the best season of the year.

Check out these 50 quick and easy kids crafts which can be made in under 30 minutes using items that you probably already have around the house! No special tools or skills are required, so anyone can make these cute crafts for kids! Great fun for the entire family! You can find all projects here on the Happiness is Homemade website.

There is hardly a better feeling than turning a messy and cluttered pile of things into a tidy and neat area. A great inspiration for hacking the chaos, is the video below with 23 clever storage hacks for all parts of the house. And don’t forget, if you still need some extra space, we offer affordable and secure storage solutions for all sizes. Just get in touch.

Admittedly, Summer here in the UK doesn’t necessarily always mean high temperatures and lots of sunshine from May until September. But there have been a few heatwaves already and with the hottest months yet to come it’s always wise to prepare for the upcoming weeks, especially when you spend more time than usually at home. Here are 5 simple but clever tricks to keep cool during the summer provided by The Cooling Company.

1. Use Portable And Ceiling Fans
Although a portable fan don’t cool the air like an air conditioner does but instead, they work by creating a breeze and the wind-chill effect from that breeze hits your skin and creates a cooling effect.

For an extra blast of coolness, place a bowl of ice in front of the fan. This simple trick creates a refreshing mist of air. Another useful tip is to place a box fan across from an open window. This is an easy way to create a cross-breeze that can lower the temperature of a room drastically.

2. Use Ice Packs And Take Cold Showers
Using external cold sources such as showers and ice packs is one of the most simple and basic form to stay cool  during hot periods. To beat the heat, hop into a cold shower. Not only will this lower your body’s core temperature but an ice-cold shower invigorates the skin and improves blood circulation.

Next, stock up on ice! Ice will become your best friend when temperatures are sweltering and you’re desperate to keep cool during the summer. Drink lots of ice water to stay hydrated and prevent heat-related illness. Place ice packs on pulse areas like your wrists, neck, groin, and temples to stay cool.

3. Keep The Curtains Drawn
Even when your air conditioner is running, a smart way to keep your house cool and save energy is to draw the curtains and blinds during the day. Sunlight streaming in through windows increases the internal temperature of the house. Even furniture and walls absorb the heat. That means your air conditioner has to work harder to cool the home.

Make it a habit to draw the curtains or close blinds and window shutters before you leave for work. This prevents heat from entering the home during the hottest hours of the day. Blackout curtains are best at blocking sun and heat.

4. Use Light Bedding
Getting a good night’s sleep is difficult when you’re hot and sweaty. If the AC isn’t working, you’ll be tossing and turning all night trying to get comfortable. To get a good night’s sleep when the AC isn’t working, use light cotton sheets that are breathable. On a hot night, you can forego a comforter altogether as a sheet is probably all you’ll need. Keep a light blanket nearby in case you do feel a little cold in the night and want to cover up.

5. Hang Out Downstairs
A common concept in physics is that heat rises. This means that warm air naturally gravitates to a higher area. If you live in a two-story house, you’ve probably noticed that the upstairs area is always warmer than lower level. The air will be cooler downstairs compared to upstairs. Kids may actually find it fun to set up tents and mattresses and camp out in the living room. If temperatures are unbearable, you might want to dive further down into the basement which is the coolest part of a house.

Ah, summer has arrived in full swings. With temperatures consistently over 20 degrees, it is a lovely time to go outdoors. Now as lockdown restrictions are slowly and carefully eased, people can spend more time away from home and enjoy the sun. However, the warm weather also offers a great opportunity to look after your gardens and balconies. If you fancy saving some money and add a real creative touch check out these genius ideas in the video below which is full of inspiration.

The recent weeks have been an enormous challenge for all of us and with no clear indication yet on when and how the lockdown will end, unfortunately, we might need to brace ourselves for more social distancing measures and time at home. To remain upbeat and positive here are a few quick tips on making the best of these extraordinary times:

Limit your exposure to TV news. Constant news is such a dynamic change at the moment and it’s all negative. Picking it up once a day will give you time to do other stuff without missing the latest updates.

Exercise is vital. If you are healthy physically, you will be healthy mentally. Make the most of the allowance to leave the house for one outdoor exercise a day. Whether you prefer to walk, jog or cycle, take time out during the day for exercise makes a real difference.

Keep mentally fit by reading books and doing things like quizzes. This is an ideal opportunity to learn something new.

Positivity is the key. Don’t begin the day by rehearsing your grievances. Begin by remembering you’re alive and there are good things still. Tough things may come later but take it one step at a time. Begin with gratitude; then ask for the grace to face the day and its difficulties. Then go and address the difficulties.

Keep a regular schedule. Having a clear plan for the day, can help to get through the days much easier. Go to bed at the same time in the evening, have breakfast, lunches and dinner at the same time every day and have dedicated time slots for exercising and reading.

The recent developments around the Coronavirus crisis have forced most of us to change the way we live and work in our daily life. A huge chunk of employees is now working from home which comes with a number of challenges. Especially when your home is not your usual working environment and face the additional challenge of looking after your kids, home office can be particularly tough to manage. Therefore, we’ve collated a list of top tips to help you to master the challenge to work from home:

Get started early.

Unlike your daily commute to the office, when working from home you don’t have this period of “waking up”.

Therefore work from home productively starts with a to-do list as soon as you wake up. Simply getting a project started first thing in the morning can be the key to making progress on it gradually throughout the day.

Pretend like you are going into the office.

Try to mentally apply the environment of your usual office to your home office by doing all the things you’d do to prepare for an office role: Set your alarm, make coffee, and wear nice clothes.

Structure your day like you would in the office.
When working from home, you’re your own personal manager. To stay on schedule, segment what you’ll do and when over the course of the day. If you have an online calendar, create personal events and reminders that tell you when to shift gears and start on new tasks.

Choose a dedicated workspace

Just because you’re not working at an office doesn’t mean you can’t, well, have an office. Rather than cooping yourself up in your room or on the couch — spaces that are associated with leisure time — dedicate a specific room or surface in your home to work.

Work when you’re at your most productive (and if you have kids, prepare for disruptions)

Nobody sprints through their work from morning to evening — your motivation will naturally ebb and flow throughout the day. When you’re working from home, however, it’s all the more important to know when those ebbs and flows will take place and plan your schedule around it.

To capitalize on your most productive periods, save your harder tasks for when you know you’ll be in the right headspace for them. Use slower points of the day to knock out the easier, logistical tasks that are also on your plate. Verily Magazine calls these tasks “small acts of success,” and they can help build your momentum for the heavier projects that are waiting for you later on.

It’s difficult enough to get work done if you have children at home, but even harder with younger kids like babies and toddlers. Still, it’s not impossible if you have plan ahead and have some flexibility. Here are tips from real parents who are mastering the work-from-home challenge:

Get help, if you can. It might not be the best choice for your family with the social distancing advisory, but if you have someone that can help out (e.g. a family member that can stay isolated with you), you’ll be able to get the most amount of work done. If you co-parent, take turns between watching the kids and working. When you’re working, hide in a separate room so your kids don’t know you’re there.

Explain the situation. It’s a good idea to talk to your kids about coronavirus, especially older ones who can better understand the impact it’ll have on your day-to-day life.

Stay connected with your colleagues

If you work on a team, make sure to check in regularly just like you would in the office. Create to-do lists to keep yourself organized and focused, and share the status of your lists with your supervisor so they know you’re on top of your work. Besides email and messaging programs like Slack, it’s a good idea to set up regular check-ins via phone or video conferencing like Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom.

Sources: Goodhousekeeping.com & HubSpot

Want to save energy and money around the home but not sure where to start? Especially during the cold months, energy costs are skyrocketing. Thankfully, the comparison website USwitch offers a comprehensive list of easy energy-saving advice for any household. Here are 15 of the best tips:

1. Use a microwave. Heat up food in the microwave as often as possible – it’s generally the most efficient way to heat up and cook food because its relatively small size means that a stronger level of heat can be focused on whatever’s being cooked

2. Be water-conscious. When you’re boiling food in a pan, make sure you only use the amount of water needed to cover the amount of food you’re cooking, because boiling water you don’t need can waste a lot of energy.

3. Shrink your bills, not your clothes. 90% of a washing machine’s energy expenditure is spent heating the water, so if you wash your clothes at 30-40°C you’re saving a significant amount of money.

4. Hang up your laundry. Air-dry your laundry rather than tumble-drying it, particularly if the weather is warm or windy.

5. Install a smart meter. If your supplier offers smart meters to customers like you, it’s a no-brainer to install one. By clearly indicating where you’re spending the most on your energy, you can take steps to cut down usage wherever possible and save money.

6. Use energy-saving lightbulbs. A lot of electricity is used in lighting your home, but you can use less energy by investing in specific energy-saving lightbulbs, which are readily available. You won’t lose any light, and you’ll save money too.

7. Use energy-efficient electric appliances. Some appliances, like dishwashers, run on electricity as opposed to gas, so it’s worth seeking out the most energy-efficient models to ensure you’re not spending more than you need to. Look for models rated A+++ by the EU as a general guide.

8. Double that glazing. If you’ve got single glazing (or a lot of heat is being lost through the doors and windows), install double glazing to more efficiently trap heat.

9. Get free solar panels. Having solar panels installed on your house could save you as much as a third on your electricity bills.

10. Apply for an energy-saving grant. There are plenty of energy-saving grants available to help with the cost of home improvements.

11. Stay warm, cut costs. Turning your thermostat down by just 1°C can save you as much as £75 per year!

12. Don’t leave the tap running. Turn the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth or washing your face – it can waste more than six litres of water per minute while it’s running.

13. Turn the lights off. When you leave a room, don’t leave the lights on unless you’re coming back.

14. Run cold washes in the washing machine. Washing your clothes at 30 degrees rather than 40 can save you a third on your washing bills – you’ll have to do a hot wash sometimes, but sticking to 30 whenever possible can make a world of difference.

15. Compare gas and electricity prices with Uswitch to make sure you’re on the cheapest tariff for you. It only takes a few minutes, it’s free and you could save hundreds.