What I look for when choosing a planner - and which one I ended up buying!

As the end of the year approaches it's time for me to start thinking about buying a planner for next year. I use my planner throughout the day to keep track of the things that I need to get done over a week - housework, keeping track of everyone's activities, planning my exercise, meal planning and so on. I use an online shared calendar for future dates, so I usually only plan week to week, with monthly goals in mind.

My current planner was bought in the US so there's no way that I can buy the same one again. I decided to make a list of the features that I would like before I searched around to see what was available.

Photo credit 2H Media via Unsplash

A whole year calendar page at the beginning - This is so useful to see birthdays and other important dates at a glance, as well as marking out school and family holidays.

Week to view pages - with plenty of space for writing out my daily tasks and goals.

Dated - I like to have the dates written out for me as I'm going to be using it every week.

Monthly dividers - I have found these really useful in my current planner.

Monthly page - This is a really great place to keep track of goals and tasks for the month. I have a monthly list of regular cleaning jobs, boring things like deep cleaning the dishwasher and descaling shower heads, and they all get listed here to complete at some point over the month.

Weekly task list - This is something that is missing from my current planner and something that I would really like. Sometimes there is something that needs to be done at some point during the week but I need to wait and see when I can fit it in.

Blank pages at the front and back - For extra notes like log in details (written in code!), gift ideas, long term projects.

Plenty of space for writing - I need nice large boxes for every day to fit in everything that I want to get done. 

Spiral bound - So that it can lay flat for easy writing. Also a pretty cover is nice to have, although I'm always happy to customise if I'm not 100% keen on it.

A5 size - The perfect size for me to keep out and take with me if I need to.

Not too expensive - Even though it is something that I use every day, I don't want to spend too much.

And some of the things that I don't need...

Inspirational quotes - I love a good quote, but sometimes they are so cheesy!

Daily timings - I need to keep things flexible, I can't commit to planning my day in hourly detail.

Drinking water trackers - These are very popular! But I'm pretty good at staying hydrated, and I can't see myself bothering to tick off each time I have a drink.

Individual tick boxes - Usually there aren't enough for all the things that I have to do!

Obviously it's going to be difficult to find the perfect planner, but I'm pretty happy with the one that I've chosen. After much consideration, this is the planner that I went with - 2026 Planner week to view (affiliate link).

I'll admit that it was the beautiful cover that jumped out at me, but after searching through pictures from the inside I was happy that it covers everything that I need. The monthly planning page is a bit hidden at the end of the month and the boxes don't have many lines for writing, but there is plenty of blank space for customising with stickers, loads of spare pages for notes at the front and back, and a handy pocket for storing any loose items.

Do you use a planner? I'd love to know what features you think are the most important when choosing one for the next year!

How to make your car more appealing to buyers

This is a collaborative post

Selling a vehicle is often a challenging affair. However, with a bit of effort and preparation, you can significantly raise your car's appeal, grab the attention of potential buyers, and fetch a great deal. Here, we will focus on several key steps to make your car more appealing to buyers. 

Improve the Physical Appearance

When selling a car, first impressions count. So, it’s important to get the car’s physical appearance as pristine as possible. A car with chipped paint, dents, rust, or dirty interiors is less likely to sell. Firstly, get your car professionally cleaned and waxed to bring out its original shine. Consider getting minor repairs done and fix obvious issues like broken lights or mirrors. Inside the car, remove personal items and unwanted rubbish, vacuum clean the seats and floor, wipe down surfaces, and consider a good quality air freshener.

Photo credit Francis Painchaud via Unsplash

Maintain your Car properly 

Maintenance history often plays a significant role in making a car appealing. Regular servicing not only enhances the longevity of the car but also cements the trust of prospective buyers. If you cannot provide evidence of regular services, people may think that you have failed to take adequate care of the car. So, make sure that you service your car regularly and keep all related documents handy. 

Highlight Features and Accessories

If your car has any additional features or accessories – such as an advanced navigation system, premium sound system, safety features, wheel covers, parking sensors – make sure that you highlight them to your prospective buyers. These additional aspects can enhance the appeal and perceived value of your car, making it stand out in a crowded market.

Create a detailed, honest ad 

When advertising your car, make sure you  detail all key information including the make, model, mileage, condition, service history, and price. Also, be genuine about any major repairs or incidents such as accidents. Honesty builds trust and potential buyers are more likely to consider a car where all facts are represented transparently, rather than being surprised by hidden flaws later on.

Capture High-Quality Images

High-quality images taken in good light can significantly increase your car's appeal. Take pictures from different angles highlighting the exterior, interior, and special features. Don’t forget to include a shot of the odometer to show the current mileage. Remember, a picture speaks a thousand words and is often the first thing people see when browsing for cars.

Offer a Fair and Competitive Price

Price your car competitively. If your asking price is too high, you will deter potential buyers. But if it’s too low, you risk losing out on potential profit. Research the market well, consider the age of your car, its condition, mileage, and any added features when fixing a price. It’s also advisable to leave a little room for negotiation.

In Conclusion

Making a car more appealing to prospective buyers doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. Simple actions like maintaining cleanliness, capturing good quality images, pricing competitively and being honest can go a long way in making your car stand out from the crowd.

Some of my favourite Hama bead Christmas crafts

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you'll know how much I love crafting with Hama beads. As the children have grown they haven't been used as they used to be, but I still have a Hama bead cupboard in the kitchen and I have some upcoming Hama crafting plans!  

Until then, I'm sharing some of my older Hama bead posts, all with a Christmas theme, in case you are planning some festive crafting for either children or adults.

I love using Hama beads for Christmas decor, and one of my favourite things to make is Hama bead snowflakes. A long time ago I made some Hama bead snowflake bunting, and I'm currently planning some more crafts using the patterns that I created for that post. I've also created some more intricate Hama bead snowflake designs which use transparent beads to keep the structure of the snowflake intact. I've used them as mini embellishments and also to decorate a glass jar lantern.

I really love this colourful Hama bead fairy light bunting. I used a variety of beads from my stash, including a mix of solid and transparent beads, which really makes the fairy lights seem to glow. The pattern is so simple but I think it's really effective, and the finished pieces could also be used as individual hanging decorations as well as bunting.

For a sweet, personalised Hama bead gift I love these little Hama bead Christmas wreath hanging ornaments, which can also be turned into magnets. You just need to make a simple circular frame using a random selection of beads in different shades of green, add a ribbon, and find an image for the centre. I used offcuts from old Christmas cards, or you can also insert a photograph of a loved one.

Another type of ornament are these simple Hama bead bauble tree decorations. I made them with a specially shaped piece at the top which can be used to showcase some festive Christmas ribbon in a large, decorative bow. In the post I have shared the designs for two different shaped baubles.

One of my free Christmas patterns is this collection of mini Christmas themed Hama bead designs which can also be used for other pixel art crafts like cross stitch or diamond painting. I used them to make some tiny embellishments using mini Hama beads which can be used to make pin badges or as decorations for homemade Christmas cards.

I've also shared another take on the Hama bead baubles by using a palette of red and white and some different motifs to create Scandi themed Hama bead baubles. You can find the patterns in the post, and I love how customisable they are. You can make them in any colour you choose to match your decor!

These baubles even went on to inspire a selection of different Scandi themed Hama bead crafts. 

Finally, something from deep in the archives of this blog - my Hama bead Gingerbread House! This project uses the Hama bead house pegboard which is one of my favourite larger boards. You can customise it in so many different ways! This Christmas I definitely need to work on an updated version.

If you would like some more Christmas themed Hama bead craft projects then you may like these older round up posts:

Hama bead Christmas crafts and projects - a selection of festive craft projects using Hama beads for both children and adults.

Hama bead Christmas crafts for adults - more Hama bead festive crafts, but these are particularly aimed at adults with more emphasis given to working with the fiddly mini Hama beads and creating functional and decorative items.

Finally, if you are new to crafting with Hama beads then you might find this post useful - Ironing tips for Hama beads.

A curated selection of Christmas themed jigsaw puzzles, with a literary twist

This post contains Amazon affiliate links

Two of my favourite things in life are jigsaw puzzles and books, and when Christmas is approaching I love to sit myself down in the living room with a hot drink, surrounded by festive decorations, and work on a Christmas themed jigsaw puzzle. Today I'm sharing my current wish list of Christmas jigsaws, and all of these puzzles have a literary theme, featuring Christmas related books, festive bookshelves, and cosy surroundings.

All of these jigsaw puzzles are from top brands which I trust to give a good puzzling experience (which can sometimes take a bit of hunting!)

First are two 1000 piece puzzles from Ravensburger. 

The first is called Home For Christmas (affiliate link) and the image shows a woman sitting in a comfy armchair knitting a long stripy scarf, in a very cosy living room scene framed with bookshelves. Maybe books aren't the focus of the image, but I love how they frame the picture and the whole thing makes me feel all warm and happy inside! 

The second is a puzzle that I received to review a few years ago and I still love - The Christmas Library (affiliate link). This image depicts a bookshelf filled with Christmas classics, like The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol and The Night Before Christmas, alongside a range of different festive titles which all have beautifully illustrated covers. Because the covers of the books are quite large and distinctive it's not too difficult to sort out the individual books, and I love all the little Christmas accessories hidden on the shelves. It makes me wish that I owned some of these books!

Next, instead of shelves of books, A Book Lover's Christmas (affiliate link) features snowy, winter scenes from books, poetry, short stories and fairy tales. The 1000 piece puzzle is packed with tiny details, and although the image appears simple at first there is a lot to spot. I love the illustrated style of the image, and the puzzle comes with a poster detailing the scenes that you can find in the puzzle, where they come from, and background information about them. 

Season's Readings (affiliate link) from Galison is a 500 piece puzzle with a Christmas scene set inside a bookshop. There's a sweet cat sleeping on the cosy sofa, a gorgeous tree hung with decorations, a broad table filled with festive treats and of course shelves of books. It's another lovely scene that I would like to step inside, and being a little smaller at 500 pieces the jigsaw could easily be completed in an evening or two. 

Another puzzle which would be quick and satisfying to complete is Festive Curiosities (affiliate link), a 200 piece puzzle from Ridley's. I can see this one being a simpler puzzle that you could bring out for the family to work on together, especially if you have younger children. It comes in cute tube packaging and features a lovely bookshelf filled with books, alongside Christmas decorations like a gingerbread house and nutcracker.

Finally, A Christmas Carol (affiliate link) is a double sided jigsaw puzzle which gives you double the puzzling experience. One side features the cover to the classic book, and the reverse is an extract from inside. The clever box is designed to look like a book sitting on your shelf, and I think this would make the perfect Christmas gift for a jigsaw puzzle lover.

I hope that you enjoyed my curated selection of Christmas themed jigsaw puzzles, and if you love a puzzle at Christmas, happy festive puzzling!

Review - Miniature Gingerbread House craft kit from Rolife

I received this kit in exchange for a review

Last week I shared some gorgeous Christmas themed miniature craft kits from Rolife, and today I'm featuring another miniature craft kit from the Christmas collection, the Gingerbread House. 

With this kit you can assemble a Gingerbread House bakery, filled with festive treats that include gingerbread men, candy canes, cocoa and chocolate boxes. It's a 3 star kit which means that it isn't too difficult, but it will take a little more time than the basic kits. Suggested assembly time is around six hours, and I would say that is about right.

The kit contains everything that you need apart from two AAA batteries for the lighting kit, however I did find it useful to have some glue on hand just to make sure that everything is firmly stuck together. Inside the kit you will find plain and coloured wooden boards with snap out pieces, paper cuts and stickers, tiny plastic components, a lighting kit, screwdriver, tweezers, double sided adhesive strips and of course full instructions.

I have to say that I really loved assembling this kit, and I think that it may be my favourite Rolife kit so far. I really enjoyed the festive vibes, and all of the miniature components were really sweet.

One thing that I particularly enjoyed about this kit was that I felt the assembly order worked really well. First you assemble the larger pieces that fit inside the bakery - the dresser, cupboards and so on. I found it a good idea to use one the box lid to store the pieces as I finished them.

 

Then you assemble the structure of the house, putting the walls and door in place (this was a bit like building a real gingerbread house!) and installing the simple lighting kit. Finally you put together the very small pieces and glue them into place on and around the furniture to complete the bakery.

I found the assembly of the kit straightforward and the instructions easy and logical to follow. There were a few times when I felt that I needed some extra glue, although the adhesive strips provided are very sticky. The instructions lead you clearly through each step, and this kit didn't require any measuring or cutting pieces to size which you find in some of the more difficult kits.

I loved all the tiny details in the kit. The little coffee machine with a mug of hot chocolate to go, the tiny cakes and biscuits, the miniature boxes of chocolates in all shapes and sizes. It takes time to spot everything that is packed inside the shop as there is so much attention to detail.

The kit includes a lighting kit which lights up the inside of the shop. The battery box and on/off switch is accessed from the back of the house, it cleverly slots inside one of the cupboards. It looks so good when the light is on, especially on a dark winter's evening when you need a bit of festive cheer.

I can see this Gingerbread House being part of a larger Christmas village, which is something that I've always wanted. You could buy and assemble a kit each year as a festive tradition that builds up into something really spectacular that is much more personal than buying the pieces readymade. There are a few other kits which would fit the theme really well, like the Christmas Candy Stand or the Honey Dessert Talk Miniature House.

I know that this Gingerbread House is going to be a part of our Christmas decor tradition for a long while to come!

What UK families should check before planning home improvements

This is a collaborative post

Deciding to do home improvements can be both exciting and daunting. It's a chance to revamp your living space, add value to your property, and potentially save money in the long run. However, diving head-first into renovations without proper planning can result in costly mistakes, delays and potential legal issues. As such, it’s a good idea to take certain crucial factors into consideration before you embark on your home improvement journey.

Checking the Property’s State

Undertaking planned preventative maintenance is a vital aspect of home ownership that many homeowners overlook. Regularly scheduled upkeep prevents breakdowns and faults, which could save you a lot of hassle and money in the long run. Carrying out a thorough check of the property's current state can potentially save you from expensive repairs in the future. You need to conduct a survey of the home's major components including the plumbing, heating, electrical systems, roof condition, and windows.

Permission and Regulation

The second factor is to check if you need to get planning permission for your proposed home improvements. Large scale improvements like extensions, loft conversions, or changing the property’s facade usually require permission. Additionally, it's essential to understand the UK Building Regulation rules that outline the standards for design, construction and alterations to every building. Failure to comply could lead to penalties and could even affect the resale value of your home.

Budget and Financing

Financial planning is another essential pre-renovation step. Analyse and decide your budget, accounting for materials, labour, planning and design fees, and contingency expenses for any unforeseen costs. If needed, explore different financing options like home improvement loans or remortgages before committing to the project.

Photo credit Kirsten Drew via Unsplash

Choice of Material and Energy Efficiency

The choice of material can significantly impact both renovation costs and long-term maintenance. Opting for quality materials might up your initial costs but will ensure durability and less maintenance. Consider choosing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient options. They can not only help reduce your carbon footprint but also save you money on your energy bills.

Hiring the Right Professionals

Hiring the right professionals is paramount. Not every job can be a DIY project. Make sure to hire reputable, certified professionals for tasks like electrical work, expert mould removal, or structural changes. Getting quotes from at least three different contractors can provide a realistic price range. Remember to check the credentials and customer feedback before hiring.

Timing of the Renovation

Lastly, choosing the right time for renovation is important. Spring and summer are considered the best times for home improvements due to favourable weather. However, contractors are also busiest during these periods. So, plan well in advance to avoid any scheduling conflicts.

In Summary

Home improvements can provide your family with a better living space and increase the asset value of your home. But remember to consider planned preventative maintenance, permissions and regulations, financial planning, material choice, hiring the right professionals, and timing of the renovation before you begin. With careful planning and consideration, your home improvement journey can be a smooth and successful one.

The Christmas Nutcracker cross stitch from Bothy Threads

Back in Christmas 2023 I was lucky enough to be given a cross stitch kit by a friend. She had received it as a gift, and although she loves nutcrackers she doesn't love cross stitch, so she kindly passed it on to me. 

This counted cross stitch design is The Christmas Nutcracker by Bothy Threads and it is worked on navy blue Aida. The design uses full cross stitches as well as back stitch, Lazy Daisy stitch and French knots, includes sequins, and uses a somewhat limited colour palette. It's a great Christmas stitching project, and the final piece fits perfectly into a 30x40cm frame.

I didn't get too far the first Christmas, I just sorted out the kit and then made a start working from the centre. I managed to complete the top of the Nutcracker, which gives a good base for working on the rest of the design. Because the Nutcracker is symmetrical and formed of large blocks of colour it's an easy section to work on without needing to constantly refer to the printed pattern.

By last Christmas I had made some more progress, with most of the top half of the design in place. It stitches up quite quickly, because although there are some tricky areas to count there are very few areas that contain similar colours worked together.

If you sit down for an evening of stitching you can feel like you've made quite a lot of progress and covered a fair bit of the canvas. The border looks tricky but once you've got the repeating pattern in your head you can stitch it up quite easily.

At the beginning of this year the project was put to one side while I concentrated on other things, although it was always at the back of mind to pick it up again this Christmas. In September my husband was away a lot, and I decided to sit down and have a really good go at getting it finished in time to frame for Christmas this year.

The cross stitch design is actually completed over two layers with two separate patterns. Most of the work is in the first layer which is the cross stitch layer. Then you can move on to the finishing off layer.

Here is a glimpse of the cross stitch with the first layer of stitching complete. You can see that there are still quite a few gaps, but the majority of the design is in place. 

Then I moved on to adding the final stitches to complete the design - here's a comparison showing the first cross stitch layer and then how it looks with the second layer of stitching added to the top. This layer was quite tricky for me. Most of it is backstitch with just a few French knots, but it was the Lazy Daisy stitches that really threw me and there are so many of them - I struggled to get them to look perfect! But it looks so good once the final stitches are added and the design fills out. There are a few sequins dotted about as well.

I really enjoyed completing this cross stitch, it was fun and satisfying to work on and not too complicated. There aren't many colours to keep track of, the pattern is easy to follow, and it works up fairly quickly. Stitching on the dark coloured Aida wasn't always easy, especially in the evening, but it looks really effective with the bright colours. 

It will take pride of place among my homemade Christmas decorations. If you are interested in more Christmas cross stitch designs then you might also enjoy seeing my finished Christmas ABC Sampler from Design Works which I completed a few years ago. 

I also have my eye on another Christmas cross stitch kit from Bothy Threads, but I have a few kits that I need to get finished first. One of them is another Christmas themed design, which I'm wondering if I can also complete ready to display this year!