Browsing Tag

summer

Glamorous and Glorious Garden Ideas for a Super Hot Summer

Gathering all of your best friends and close family together for a day in the sun is a summer activity you are always super excited to do. You love to entertain and you enjoy spending time outside, so combining both of them together is the ultimate dream.

But before you even think about sending off the invites you need to get your garden into good shape again. It isn’t in bad condition at all, but it could certainly do with some tender loving care sooner rather than later. Whether you need to care for your spring bulbs or change up the overall landscaping of your garden, you can make a huge difference to your outdoor space in a just a short space of time.

Depending on your budget, you could completely change the look of your backyard using just a handful of simple techniques. From desirable decking to a happy herb garden, use your imagination and allow your creativity to flow. Your garden will soon be glorious and glamorous, ready for your special guests, so start your project today and grab your inspiration right here.

A Sophisticated Splash

One of the most amazing parts of lazing outside in the sunshine is being able to cool off in a perfectly divine pool at the back of your own garden. You can find an array of options from the following website poolhottubs.com.

No matter what kind of budget you are working with you can find a pool or jacuzzi to suit your needs and the style of your garden. Your friends and their kids can come over and bring their swimsuits; a whole day of fun can be had from your new sophisticated investment. Fill it with floats and accessories to brighten it up even more too!

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Fabulous Flowers

Blossoming and bright flowers are one of the best ways to give your garden the glamorous makeover it truly deserves. Choose your favorite color and make this the theme of your backyard.

Whether you love sunny yellow daffodils, bright blue bluebells or perfectly purple pansies, your garden is going to look a whole lot brighter if you plant these kinds of flowers.

Fill plant pots and scatter them all over the garden, down the pathways and even at the front of your house. It is best to find seasonal flowers that are guaranteed to flourish during the summer months, then you will be able to make the most of your new beautiful blooms.

Desirable Decking

You see decorative decking plastered all over the home and garden magazines and it is true that wooden decking can totally transform your outdoor space. It can act as a separator between your green grass and the seating area; this is especially useful if you have small children that need to play in a certain area.

It can keep them away from the dangers of glass patio doors and acts as a guide as to where their playing area is. Choose rich, dark, cherry wood or lighter oak designs depending on the furniture you end up selecting.

Fantastic Furniture

Your garden furniture is an absolutely essential element of your entire outdoor space. This is where you can relax, socialize and enjoy dinners with your friends or family. It is recommended that you invest in a variety of garden furniture pieces in order to meet all of your needs.

Firstly, you should buy some smaller, kid-friendly items that would be perfect for a little picnic in the afternoon. Secondly, you want larger, more sophisticated furniture items for your grown-up social gatherings; complete your chairs with colorful cushions to match your flower theme.

Rattan garden furniture is extremely handy for storage purposes, as the cube design means everything fits together perfectly. Don’t forget to buy a waterproof cover too, so that your new furniture is protected in all weather conditions.

If you really want to go all out with your garden furniture you might even consider a comfy swing, sofa or sun loungers. This completely depends on what your lifestyle and personal preferences are.

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Pond Perfection

Getting a pond in the garden might not seem like the most obvious way to glamorize it, but it can really have a homely touch to your outdoor space. A clean, small pond tucked away in the corner of your garden will truly look picturesque and quaint when it is coupled together with all the beautiful flowers you have planted. You might then choose to keep fish and other wildlife in your pond if you are a fan of animals and have the time to maintain it all.

Brilliant Barbecue

No garden party is complete without a brilliant built-in barbecue that can feed the hungry mouths who come and visit you. You can quite easily construct a neat and unique barbecue in the corner of your garden, nearby the decking area. You might also consider hiring a professional to help you out with this type of project.

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Happy Herbs

A herb garden and vegetable patch are truly one of the most idyllic additions you could add to your garden during this project. You could obtain fresh vegetables and spices from the comfort of your own home every time you cook a meal. It is also a fun summer activity to get your kids involved in.

Teach them how to tend to each herb and show them where their dinner is coming from. This will not only save on your grocery bill but it is also an ideal way to maintain a healthy lifestyle for your family.

Imagine the feeling of welcoming your guests into the garden and watching their faces light up with delight. Your newly transformed haven will soon be the go-to place for socializing and relaxing.

Whether you want to invite your kid’s friends over for a playdate or get your best girlfriends together for a Cosmo and a chat, you have the whole package ready to go whatever the occasion may be. You could be lounging on a flamingo float in your new perfect pool or cooking up a scrumptious storm on your new barbecue. Enjoy the process of your garden makeover; the results are going to be incredible!

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Get The Whole Family Healthier This Summer

Summer is well and truly here, making everything feel so much better and brighter. As we all start to spend more time outdoors and enjoying the warmer weather, it’s easy for our minds to start thinking about becoming healthier.

The sun is a great motivator for healthier living, so now is the perfect time for you and your family to take charge of their wellbeing to live a healthy lifestyle.

Ready for a new challenge? Here’s how you can get the whole family healthier this summer.

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Get up, get going

With all that glorious weather to look forward to, why would you want to spend the day in bed? Make the effort to get out of bed early and plan your days so that you can all have something to look forward to. You’ll want to make the most of these sunny days, so get up earlier and be more productive and leave those lazy habits in bed. Check out 101 free family summer activities for inspiration on the things you can do.

Be more active

An active family is a happy one, so getting some regular exercise as a family can help you all to become fitter and healthier. There are some fun ways to workout as a family that will allow you to all become strong, healthy and to have more energy. Some basic cardio like walking is great for building up your fitness, so start getting into the habit of taking a family walks each day.

Keep up with health checks

Are all of your family’s health checks up to date? Check when your last appointments were for things like the dentist, allergy clinic, eye tests and any other regular appointments you need to keep up. Mark them on your calendar and set reminders on your phone so that you don’t forget.

Drink more water

Water is one of the most vital things that our bodies need to function. In the summer months, in particular, we need a lot of water to avoid dehydration. Many kids will refuse to drink water, preferring soft drinks instead, but you can get your children to drink more water using tricks such as infusing it with fruit, buying them a cool bottle to drink from and adding some flavour to it. Keeping ice cold bottles in the freezer or fridge is a good way to stay cool during the summer months and ensure that you all feel refreshed.

Eat healthier

Eating a healthy diet is important for all the family. By eating healthy, you’ll develop stronger immune systems as well as maintain a good weight. It’s easier said than done sometimes, as busy family life can easily take over, making you want to reach for the takeout menus and convenience food.

Take a look at some healthy family dinner recipes that you can all help make together. Teaching your kids how to cook and make food from an early age will teach them some healthier eating habits later on so that they don’t go out into the world not knowing how to rustle up a meal.

In the summer, it can be hard to avoid situations where there’s plenty of food and the drinks are flowing. If you host your own barbeque, make sure you include some healthy options to stop everyone from eating too much.

Get more sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep can be tough. In the summer, in particular, it can be hard to drift off – leaving everyone feeling a bit grumpy. Take a look at some tips for improving your kids’ bedtime routine to make sure they get the sleep they need.

Cooling down in the summer heat isn’t easy, but there are some things you can do to make sure you get to sleep easier. A cool shower before bed is a great way to cool down in the heat while changing your bedding to cotton bedding can also help. Try not to stay up too late because the evenings are longer, an early night’s sleep is a must for enjoying summer activities during the daytime.

Talk to each other

How good are your family at communicating? If you’re not sure what’s going on in your family’s lives or you feel like you’re losing touch – make more of an effort to talk to each other. A daily gathering around the dinner table for breakfast or dinner is a great way to catch up on everything that’s happening and could help you spot any problems or issues you were unaware of before. Talk to each other about your concerns so that everyone can help find a solution together.

Ditch the technology

Both parents and children can be guilty of spending too much time on their phones, laptops or tablets, ignoring each other in favor of tapping away at a screen. Too much time spent using technology can have some ill effects. Social media affects teenage health more than you might realize, so if you notice your teen is spending too much time online – help them break a habit. Try to impose rules like no phones at the dinner table or while you’re watching TV – soon everyone will feel much happier and you’ll be more willing to speak to each other.

Have everyone pitch in

Running a household is a lot of pressure for parents, who can struggle to find the time to do it all with jobs to go to. Teach your kids some responsibility by having them help with the household chores. There are things your children can do such as folding laundry, washing dishes and even hoovering that they can do around the house that will save you time and stress. The sooner you enforce the habit, the sooner you can look forward to sharing the load.

Taking steps to get the family healthy now is a great way to prepare for summer adventures, as well as look forward to a healthier life. What will you do to get your family healthy? Start thinking of ideas today for a better tomorrow.

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Why You Deserve To Relax A Little This Summer

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As a mama that’s gotten pretty great at being frugal, saving money, and generally being quite budget conscious, you may find that you get into a habit with your money. You think twice before you spend, you allocate as much money to become debt-free as possible, and you never, ever waste money. And that’s so refreshing.

Because having a healthy relationship with your money can feel incredible. But at the same time, you do need a break. Sometimes, you get so used to being frugal that you take things too far and next allow yourself a penny to enjoy. This can be just as bad as being extravagant with your money. Now that the summer’s here, you definitely deserve to relax a little more and enjoy your money. And here’s why:

1. You’ll Burn Out

First of all, burnout is real. When you’re trying to keep things together too much, and you’re constantly cutting back, something’s got to give. And what you don’t want to happen here is you to get so stressed out that you just spend too much. Instead, you need to just relax every now and again and enjoy the money that you make from time to time. When you’re constantly trying to save, it’s exhausting, and it can make you feel like you have to go without. So book that vacation or treat yourself, it’s okay when you’re really practically 99.9% of the time.

2. Your Kids Deserve The Break

You have to think about the kids. It’s the summer, and they work hard at school, that’s only fair that they get treated to a day out or two this summer. The best news is that the escape room or the zoo won’t cost you your life savings. It’s okay to have funded activities every once in a while. It’s also a great way to teach your kids about the value of money too.

3. You Can Still Get Great Deals

But relaxing a little bit doesn’t mean that you’re going to throw your money away or go wild. After all, the frugal side of you is still there. So you can always make sure that you get the best deal on everything, and that you’re saving money as you spend to get the best value.

4. Life Will Pass You By

This one sounds like a huge cliche, but it’s still very true. Life is short and you have to enjoy it. Constantly cutting back and keeping money aside for a rainy day isn’t always fun. It’s practical, and a great way to make your money stretch, but you still deserve to live a little and enjoy life. So if you have the money, book your vacation and just enjoy it. Because that’s what life is all about.

5. Everything Will Be Okay

Above all else, you need to realize that it’s okay to spend. You’re not throwing money away, and you won’t struggle. For the summer, you can shift your priorities around and rejig your budget so that you can afford to have a bit more fun. It’s as simple as that.

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