How I decide what to read next

I keep all my unread books in a 'to be read' pile on my bedside table. I have a mixture of brand new books that I've purchased or received as gifts, second hand books from charity shops and online, books that I've borrowed from friends or family, and occasionally library books. I also have a slightly hidden 'to be read' collection on my Kindle - books that I've downloaded free from Amazon at various times.

Although I enjoy reading down through the pile, I don't want to actually get to the end because I enjoy having a selection of books to choose from. I read a variety of books, from light fiction to longer reads, recent releases and classics, and also plenty of non-fiction. So I want to have at least one or two books from each category to choose from!

I generally only read one book at a time, and as I approach the end I'm always eyeing up my next read. I try to mix it up, so if I've read an easy book I'll look for one with a bit more depth or I'll swap to one from a different genre.  

If I know that I've got a busy time coming up then I'll look for easy to read books, planning to pick them up and down for short bursts of reading. If I know that I've got some reading time coming up, like a long flight or a relaxing holiday, then I'll reach for a nice chunky book or a classic novel.

Photo credit John Michael Thomason via Unsplash

But how do I choose the books that I'm adding to my 'to be read' pile?

I find book recommendations in lots of places. I learn about new non-fiction books from the podcasts that I listen to, which tend to be in the wellbeing or technology niches. If I've listened to an interesting podcast I'll often have a look at the book they are plugging, read a few reviews, and see if it looks like a worthwhile read. I've found some great books this way, most recently Enshittification by Cory Doctorow and I've got my eye on The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. 

I have a friend who lends me lots of brilliant books that she's found, and I usually have one or two on loan. She is very similar to me in terms of reading taste, and I'm very grateful!

I'm always listening for people talking about books. Sometimes I'll catch a reference to an old classic book and think 'I really should read that'. The classics are usually available for free on Kindle because they are out of copyright - I've just downloaded David Copperfield after really enjoying the modern retelling Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. 

If I hear about a book that appeals but I can't justify paying full price then I'll look over on World of Books. I have a running list of books that I want to buy saved in a Notes file, and I try to buy in batches of four as they usually have a 'buy 3 get one free' promotion that covers many of their titles. World of Books is great for books that are a bit niche or out of print as the prices are very reasonable - I've been stocking up on biographical books about Everest which are expensive to buy new.

I don't really listen to any podcasts or shows about new releases, because I would find everything too tempting! But if I find out that one of my favourite authors has released a new book then I'll add it to my wish list in anticipation of a birthday or Christmas gift. I'm also often swayed by the Booker Prize shortlists, I rarely actually buy the books but I make a note of any that sound good for future reading.

Finally if I really have reached the end of my 'to be read' pile then I can always find something that I want to read in the library. Sometimes it's another book by an author that I've enjoyed, or a book that I've seen mentioned online. When I'm browsing I definitely judge a book by its cover, so at least with a library book I don't have to worry about wasting money if I've misjudged it!

I love hearing from other readers about how they choose their next book!

Is parquet flooring right for homes with children? What to consider first

This is a collaborative post

Parquet flooring brings style and character to any room, but parents often wonder if it can handle the demands of family life. Children create unique challenges for home surfaces, from spills and dropped toys to constant foot traffic and playtime activities. Therefore, it makes sense to carefully evaluate whether this type of wood flooring meets the needs of a busy household.

Parquet flooring can be an excellent choice for homes with children, provided parents consider factors such as durability, safety features, ease of maintenance, and design practicality. This article explores the key aspects that matter most for families. The focus remains on practical considerations that help parents make an informed decision about whether parquet suits their lifestyle and protects their investment for years to come.

Durability: Parquet flooring is highly durable, making it suitable for homes with active children.

Children can be tough on floors. They run, jump, and drop toys without a second thought. However, wooden parquet floors can handle this daily wear and tear quite well.

Parquet flooring consists of small wood pieces arranged in different patterns. This design makes the floor strong and stable. The wood can withstand heavy foot traffic and the occasional spill.

Solid wood parquet proves especially tough. It can last for decades with proper care. Parents appreciate that they won't need to replace the floor after a few years of use.

The finish on parquet floors adds an extra layer of protection. It helps resist scratches and scuffs from toys, bikes, and other items children drag across the surface. This means the floor maintains its appearance even in busy households.

Photo credit Alex Cooper via Unsplash

Safety: Opt for certified, eco-friendly, and non-toxic parquet to guarantee a safe surface for crawling and playing

Parents need to consider what materials touch their children's skin during playtime. Parquet flooring comes in different grades, and not all options are equal in terms of safety. Certified parquet products meet specific health and environmental standards that protect young children.

Look for flooring with certifications like FSC and CE marks. These labels indicate the product meets strict safety requirements. Additionally, check for formaldehyde-free options, as this chemical can release harmful fumes into the air.

Low-VOC or zero-VOC finishes are better choices for homes with babies and toddlers. Children spend considerable time on the floor, so they breathe air closer to the surface. Non-toxic finishes reduce exposure to potentially harmful substances.

Many manufacturers now produce parquet made from sustainable materials with water-based, ecological treatments. These products provide a safer environment for crawling babies and active children. The right choice protects both family health and the planet.

Maintenance: Parquet flooring is easy to clean and maintain, ideal for spills and messes common with children

Parents need floors that can handle daily messes without constant worry. Parquet flooring offers a practical solution for busy households.

Regular care requires only simple steps. A quick sweep or vacuum removes dirt and crumbs that children track through the house. For wet spills, a slightly damp mop works well to clean the surface without damage.

The key is to address spills promptly. Juice boxes, milk, and other liquids should be wiped up straight away to prevent any potential staining. This takes just seconds and keeps the floor in good condition.

Parquet floors do not need special products or complicated routines. Warm water and a wood-safe cleaner handle most situations that arise with children. The durable finish on most parquet floors protects against typical household accidents.

Furniture pads prevent scratches from chairs and toys that children drag across rooms. This small addition helps maintain the floor's appearance over time.

Comfort: Wood parquet provides a warmer, more comfortable surface than tiles, beneficial for children playing on the floor

Wood parquet offers a naturally warm surface that feels more comfortable underfoot than cold tiles. Children who spend hours playing on the floor benefit from this warmth, especially during cooler months. The natural insulation properties of wood help maintain a more consistent temperature year-round.

Tiles tend to feel cold and hard, which can be uncomfortable for children who sit or lie on the floor during playtime. Parquet provides a softer, more forgiving surface that makes floor activities more enjoyable. This comfort factor matters for families whose children prefer to play with toys, read books, or complete puzzles on the floor.

The density of real wood also creates better sound insulation compared to harder surfaces. This means less noise from toys dropping or children running about. Parents appreciate the quieter environment that parquet floors provide whilst children play.

Style and Design: Choose a parquet pattern and colour that complements your home while withstanding busy family life

The right parquet pattern can balance style with practicality in a busy household. Herringbone and chevron designs work well for families because their angular patterns naturally hide scratches and scuffs better than straight-laid planks. These patterns also create visual interest that draws the eye away from minor imperfections.

Darker parquet colours offer better camouflage for everyday wear and tear. Shades like walnut, mahogany, or medium oak hide dirt and small marks more effectively than lighter tones. However, mid-tone browns provide a good compromise between style and maintenance needs.

The pattern size matters for smaller rooms. Large-scale designs can overwhelm compact spaces, whilst simpler patterns like brick-style parquet work better in tight areas. Chevron patterns suit longer rooms and create a sense of movement through hallways and living areas.

Families should consider how their chosen design fits with existing décor. A classic herringbone pattern adapts to both traditional and modern interiors, which makes it a sensible choice for homes that may redecorate over time.

Conclusion

Parquet flooring can work well in homes with children, but the decision requires careful thought about specific family needs. Durability, maintenance demands, and safety features should guide the choice rather than appearance alone. The right wood species and finish make a significant difference in how well the floor stands up to daily family life. Parents who select quality materials and commit to proper care will likely find that parquet serves their household effectively for years to come.

My January declutter challenge - an update!

After Christmas the house always begins to descend into chaos. Along with newly acquired items, being out of routine with everyone at home for a couple of weeks means that I really feel the need to get everything back under control. I always enjoy a declutter challenge to start the new year, but as I've already reduced things a lot over the last couple of years I didn't want anything too drastic.

This year I decided to set myself the challenge to get rid of five things every day in January. Although I mainly concentrated on my own personal items, I did include some household things in my totals as I'm the one that's responsible for maintaining our home.

I found the first couple of weeks very easy. In anticipation of the challenge I had been eyeing up a few things that I knew could easily go, and I had made a note of some areas that I wanted to tackle. I kept a running list in a Notes document, and it was very satisfying to watch everything stack up.

I made the biggest difference in my clothing. I went through all of my clothes and was really ruthless. I passed on my suit, which I last wore to a job interview in around 2008 before having children. I can't even squeeze into it any more, and if I find myself heading to job interviews I'll need something that actually fits me well! Also, do people even wear suits to interviews any more?! I passed on three pairs of smart black trousers that I used to wear to work in an office - I don't need anything like that at the moment and if I do find myself in an office I have other nicer clothes that I can wear.

Photo credit Bernd Dittrich

I cleared out lots of space on my bookshelves, donating over 20 books. My jigsaw cupboard is also looking emptier, with 9 jigsaws passed along. Those spaces won't take me long to fill though!

I tackled toiletries and expired medication, shoes, my craft stash, candle holders, and random things in my kitchen drawers. I sorted through my filing cabinet, I went through all the various paper ephemera that I like to collect - postcards, leaflets, pamphlets and so on. I've been through all the obvious areas in my home that collect clutter, as well as working my way back to some of the deeper storage areas that I like to sort through from time to time. 

I spend a lot of time at home, and the biggest benefit to me of a challenge like this is that it encourages me to think about my surroundings. I'm very affected by untidy spaces, and I have emotional reactions to things. Some of my possessions can cause me to feel a negative emotion whenever I see them - like an expensive item that turned out to be a waste of money, something I bought on a whim that was never used, or a gift that wasn't right for me. Removing these things means that I feel much happier and calmer when I look around my space. In addition I enjoy donating good quality items to charity and hoping that someone will find them and appreciate them in the same way that I love a secondhand bargain.

If you feel inspired to declutter then I've written all about choosing a decluttering challenge that will work for you - along with the advantages and disadvantages of each!

Why are security door maintenance plans so important?

This is a collaborative post

In 2026, with so many advances in security measures emerging in the digital realm, it’s important to remember that physical security doors remain central to keeping all sorts of premises safe.

Whether that’s internal fire doors in residential blocks or roller shutters in industrial units, keeping up with maintenance is crucial to keeping these security systems running at their best. 

From the money-saving aspect of preventative maintenance to the positive impact these plans have in reducing administrative loads, here’s why having a maintenance plan in place is so important. 

Preventive maintenance saves money

One of the most important reasons to set up an effective security door maintenance plan is that it will save you money. Preventive maintenance can have an immense positive impact in terms of extending your doors’ life spans, not to mention avoiding the need for emergency callouts. 

This applies to both relatively simple fire doors and more complex industrial roller shutters from providers like LBS Group. You need to make sure that their mechanical components are greased and realigned before, not after, they become problematic. 

Photo credit Chelaxy Designs via Unsplash

Ensure regulatory compliance

Keeping your security doors up to scratch is also a regulatory responsibility. In some cases, such as with fire doors in larger residential buildings, there will be clearly established maintenance and check schedules that you have to adhere to. 

In other cases, there might not be a legally stated timeframe, but if the doors or shutters fail and it can be proven that you didn’t invest in adequate maintenance, you could still be held legally responsible.

Reduce operational delays

If a security door goes wrong unexpectedly, this can cause serious operational delays. For example, if the roller shutters in your warehouse fail to open, you could be left unable to access critical stock for at least half a day or so. 

Preventative maintenance makes it much less likely that these kinds of incidents will occur, in turn reducing the knock-on effects that door failures can have on the rest of your business.

Simplify the administrative process

Security doors will need to be maintained, there are no two ways around it. And even if you do manage to take care of this maintenance in a proactive manner without having a plan in place, having to set this up on an ad hoc basis adds an unnecessary administrative burden to your team. 

Putting a plan in place means that all non-reactive maintenance is already in the books and doesn’t need to be thought about. You just schedule a maintenance crew to attend regularly when you set up the plan, and then forget about it.

Maintenance plans are simple to put in place, and can have a big impact when it comes to preventing all sorts of easily avoidable door-related incidents. Make sure that you consult an expert about the exact doors your premises have before implementing a plan, so that you can be absolutely certain that the plan will be able to cater to your doors’ specific maintenance-related requirements.

Journal prompts for bloggers and other types of content creators

Whether or not you are a blogger, journalling is a really good way to help you get your thoughts in order. For bloggers in particular it can be helpful both as a creative outlet but also to help you think about your blog and its direction, and to brainstorm new ideas for blog posts.

I've come up with a list of journal prompts which are aimed at bloggers, and I've split them into two lists. The first are personal prompts to help you think about your motivations for blogging and to think about how it fits into your life. The second list contains prompts which help you to think about your blog and hopefully come up with some new content ideas.

I hope that you find it helpful!

Personal journal prompts for bloggers

Why did I start blogging in the first place? 

How has my blog changed over time?

What parts of blogging do I enjoy the most?

Which areas of blogging do I find most difficult?

What would make me consider my blog to be a success?

When do I write my best posts?

How do I fit blogging into my daily life?

What would I write if no-one was going to read it?

What has blogging taught me about myself?

What pressures would I like to remove from blogging?

Where would I like my blog to be this time next year?

What causes me to find blogging difficult?

What do I do when I don't feel like writing a blog post?

What has made me proud in my blogging journey?

What would make blogging more fun?

Journal prompts to help brainstorm content ideas

Which are my favourite blog posts and why? 

What type of blog posts do I most like to write?

What type of blog posts do my readers enjoy most?

What questions do people often ask me that could become blog posts?

What topics do I find myself returning to?

What posts would I write if I wasn't worrying about my readers finding them interesting?

What posts from my archives could be updated or expanded?

What have I experienced in my life that could help or inspire someone else?

What is unique about my life that others might find interesting?

What else might people be interested in about my life?

What regular topics could I return to again over time?

What seasonal events are coming up that might inspire a blog post?

What is an ideal posting schedule for me, based on the time that I have available?

Photo credit Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

How to use these prompts

Choose one, and write for five minutes without stopping

Use them if you are suffering from a creative block and don't know what to write about

Think about which of these journal entries could be adapted into a blog post

Come back to prompts to see if your thoughts have changed

Further reading

If you enjoyed these prompts then you might also like these posts:

How to use images as journal prompts

Christmas journal prompts and ideas

The last-minute checks you need to do before moving home

This is a collaborative post

Moving home involves taking care of seemingly 1001 different tasks. Just when you think you’ve done it all, a new issue pops up, whether that’s having to redirect your post or give your neighbour's lawnmower back. 

There are a few basic last-minute checks that you can do to minimise the chances that you’ve forgotten something important. From checking the electricity and gas meters to making sure your new home has heating and power, these are a few of things to keep in mind.

Check the meters

As you leave your new home and enter your old one, check the water and electricity meters for both, and take dated pictures. On one side of things, utility providers can often ask for evidence at the end of tenancies, so that they can check if they’ve under- or overcharged you. 

On the other hand, you don’t want to inadvertently end up paying for the old tenant's bills in your new home. A simple check and a quick picture can make sure that this isn’t the case.

Check nothing is left behind

No matter how meticulous you’ve been with your packing, there’s a good chance that you’ll have forgotten something in a hidden nook or cranny. Make sure that you check in the attic, the eaves, the back of every cupboard and drawer and in the corners of the basement.

A short check now can save you plenty of hassle later on. You don’t want your slippers and towels to get mixed in with the new inhabitant’s belongings, and it’s an unnecessary faff to have to sort out. 

Photo credit Dina Badamshina

Check you’ve got the help you need

You’ll hopefully have organised some help for the day of your move. Whether that’s family, friends or a professional removals service like Bright Movers, it could be a good idea to double-check a few days before that everyone is set to help out. 

Make sure that they got the message, and that you didn’t give them the wrong date. It will only take a second, and you can avoid the ramifications of making a really annoying mistake.

Check the new house’s basics

Lastly, double check that the heating, water and electricity are all working in your new house, and ideally the wifi as well. You don’t want to find yourself moving into a cold, dark shell of a house, and it should be avoidable with just a quick phone call (although you may also have to check in person). 

If any of these basic necessities turn out to be an issue, you may have to find an alternative living situation for a couple of nights. Some issues might also be ok for a short while, but something like no heating in the middle of winter could be a health hazard.

Moving house is a hassle, but there are some simple strategies you can use to limit the chances of making some painful mistakes. By slowing down a little for a moment and doing some last-minute checks, you can make that breathing room to sort basic issues out before they’ve escalated into something more serious.

Tips for experiencing the best of Rome on a budget

This is a collaborative post

When you picture a trip to the Eternal City, you might imagine that the best experiences, such as grand monuments, mouth-watering food and vibrant piazzas, come with a certain price tag. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy everything a city break in Rome has to offer. 

With a little planning, you can make the most of your time in this timeless city while keeping your budget in check.

Walk to get around

One of the best ways to experience the Italian capital is on foot. Many of Rome's major landmarks, including the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, are all within walking distance of each other. Instead of relying on taxis or buses, stroll through cobbled streets and piazzas, letting the city's history unfold around you. 

Walking not only saves you money, but it also gives you the chance to uncover hidden corners of the capital – from small local shops to charming cafés where you can pause and enjoy a quick espresso. 

Visit free historical sites

Rome is steeped in history, and luckily, many of its most famous landmarks are free to visit. For example, the Pantheon is a remarkable second-century Roman temple turned Catholic church that you can enter at no cost. This stunning site offers visitors a glimpse into the city’s rich past with its awe-inspiring architecture. 

Photo credit Gabriella Clare Marino

Similarly, the Trevi Fountain (apart from the lower basin area), Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps are all open to the public without any admission fee. These iconic spots are as central to the Roman experience as any paid attraction, so take your time exploring them – no ticket required!

Eat authentic Roman street food

If you're keen to try traditional Roman food without breaking the bank, make sure to sample the city's best street food markets. For just a few euros, you can grab a quick bite such as a supplì, a deep-fried rice ball stuffed with mozzarella, or a trapizzino, a pizza pocket filled with delicious fillings like braised beef or chicken cacciatore. 

These tasty snacks are easy to find in local markets or on street corners, and they’re often much cheaper than sit-down meals in tourist-heavy areas. Eating like a local not only saves you money, but it also gives you a true taste of Roman culinary culture.

Discover Rome’s charm without overspending

Visiting the Italian capital on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing the quality of your experience. In fact, some of the most memorable moments don’t cost much.

So, take your time, explore off-the-beaten-path spots, and immerse yourself in the beauty of this fascinating city – all while keeping your wallet nice and plump.