What to consider when repairing or replacing your heating system

This is a collaborative post

Keeping your home warm is vital, especially in the winter months. There are many different ways that you can heat your home too. From radiators to electric space heaters, there are so many options. But when the time comes that they need replacing, you might start to wonder which system is best for you. So, keep reading and find out what you need to consider when repairing or replacing your heating system. 

The Type Of System

There are many different types of heating systems, but the main two are central and electric based heating. Most homes are fitted with central heating which runs off of gas, but with the general public becoming more eco-conscious, it might not be your go to choice. Gas central heating has many benefits such as the boiler being extremely efficient, and you might find that your house gets warmer a lot quicker and for longer. However, there are some drawbacks to gas central heating such as the use of fossil fuels to run, annual maintenance from a Gas Safe Engineer, and the risk of a carbon monoxide leak. 

Electric heating systems are similar in that they have benefits and drawbacks too. Some of the positives of electric heating systems are that they’re cheaper to repair and need less maintenance, more often than not they have smart controls, and in the current energy crisis they’re cheaper to run. There are some disadvantages to electric heating systems in that they can be more expensive to install at first, lots of homes have storage heaters which are not very efficient, and old electric storage heaters have been known to contain asbestos. So, there are benefits to both types of systems and disadvantages too. This means it’s all down to your personal preference to which one is right for your home, but it’s important that you weight up the pros and cons of each before deciding. 

Your Budget

Budget is going to be super important when it comes to deciding which heating system to go for when repairing or replacing your current one. Some systems are a lot more expensive like air-source heat pumps for example. If you don’t want to be spending your entire savings on repairing your heating system, then it’s important that you find out what options are actually within your budget. Try speaking to different suppliers and engineers to see which option will be right for your wallet. You might find that sometimes replacing the whole system is cheaper than repairing it, so you may want to look at all your options before going head first into the repairs. You also want to think about the cost of running that particular heating system too. Some will cost you a lot more than others, so make sure you take this into account and work out if it will fit into your monthly budget. 

Photo credit he gong via Unsplash

Efficiency

Being aware of the impact that our heating systems have on the environment is important to a lot of people, so you probably want to compare the different systems out there. You’ll find that a lot of them are much energy efficient than others, so rushing into the system that you go for can be detrimental to your bills and the planet. You’ll find that the more eco-friendly systems tend to be cheaper to run as well, and some of them (like solar panels) can even make you money. Efficiency can help ensure that your home is well heated too, as a lot of older boilers are nowhere near as efficient as modern ones. So, replacing your system to something more modern could boost your efficiency much more than repairing the same old system. 

Technology

With the rise of modern technology, it’s become a lot more popular with heating systems. From radiators that can be controlled by an app on your phone to boilers that can be controlled remotely by engineers, there are so many advancements with heating systems, that you need to consider the technology carefully. If you’re not a fan of using things like your phone for smart things around your home, then you’ll want to make sure that you avoid electric radiators that can only be controlled this way. This doesn’t mean you have to go for old models though, you just need to go for ones that incorporate both types of controls. This way you’ll be able to enjoy the new heating system that you’ve got and be able to make the most of modern technology in terms of efficiency. You may want to avoid heating systems that don’t make use of modern technology at all as it could mean that repairs are a lot more expensive should you encounter issues. So, make sure you really research the technology that your chosen heating system comes with, and you’ll definitely have a much better user experience when it’s fitted.

Making sure that your home is well heated is important to everyone, so you want to ensure that you go for the best heating system possible. However, there are things that you need to consider beforehand such as your budget, the type of technology used, and how efficient the new system is. Thinking about all of these things will really help you make the best choice possible for your house and allow you to warm each and every room. So, if you’re thinking about repairing or replacing your heating system, make sure that you take these tips on board and you’ll definitely have a well heated home. 

Snowflake cross stitch embroidery hoop design - free pattern

I recently shared my simple snowflake cross stitch designs, and today I'm sharing a larger free snowflake cross stitch design. This circular design fits perfectly into a 6" embroidery hoop for display, and it makes a lovely festive decoration for your home this Christmas.

I stitched this design using white embroidery thread on navy blue 14 count Aida fabric. The design measures 67 x 67 stitches. Because the pattern uses just the one colour it is very quick and easy to stitch. I think that it would also look great on fabric in a different colour - perhaps green or red - or if stitched with metallic threads. 

Click here to download the pattern below as a .pdf - Snowflake Embroidery Hoop Pattern

This was a really satisfying make as it stitched up so quickly, especially because no colour changes are needed and there are no fancy stitches or backstitch! The only thing to watch is if you are using dark thread on white Aida, because if you carry the thread across the back then it might show through.

I used a plain wooden embroidery hoop for my design, but to make it a little more festive I used a few coats of silver acrylic paint to cover it which worked really well. A gold or white frame would also look good - there are so many different colour combinations that you could come up with.

Happy crafting!

Adopting an animal - a great Christmas gift idea

This is a collaborative post

Last year my daughter spent some of her Christmas money on a primate adoption. She chose to adopt a golden-cheeked gibbon called Kim who lives at Monkey World in Dorset, and we upgraded to a family adoption so that we could all enjoy as many visits to the sanctuary as we wanted during the year. We've been several times and have been able to see Kim and her partner Tien up close, as well as having some lovely family days out at the park seeing all the animals that live there.

As well as knowing that her adoption is been used to support Kim's care, it has also given Mia a lot of interest in the particular species as well as in all the other primates at the park. She keeps up to date with all the latest news on the website and social media and she's learned a lot about how the animals live, both in the park and in the wild. 

If you are interested in adopting an animal, it's worth having a look at any extra benefits that are included with the price of your adoption, as all zoos and animal parks are different. It's typical to receive entry to the park, a certificate and a few updates about your animal over the year, but some places also offer a few extras which are nice to have, especially if you are looking for something to wrap as a gift. For example if you choose a child Giraffe adoption at Marwell Zoo as well as an entrance ticket you'll also received a stuffed giraffe, recognition on the adopter board at the zoo and a few extras like stickers and a bookmark. 

Photo credit Annika Ashley via Unsplash

Mia only took out her adoption for one year, and she is still thinking about what she will do when it runs out in January. I know that it will be very difficult for her to give up adopting Kim, and so I suspect that she will want to renew it! Another option might be for us to sponsor a different primate at the same park, or perhaps a complete change and choose to adopt an animal that lives at a zoo closer to home - it's a bit of a trek over to Monkey World for us!

She has had so much enjoyment out of the adoption that I'd really recommend it if you are looking for a Christmas gift for a child or an adult, especially if they have an interest in a particular animal. It's something a bit more unusual and most importantly would really make a difference to the zoo that you choose.

Book review - It's Christmas Everywhere by Hannah Barnaby, illustrated by João Fazenda.

Today I'm sharing a beautiful new Christmas book. It's Christmas Everywhere by Hannah Barnaby and illustrated by João Fazenda is a festive board book for young children. The shaped book opens up to form a beautifully illustrated Christmas tree, and each double page spread introduces readers to some of the different ways that people celebrate Christmas around the world. The book tells the simple story of a plain pine tree that longs to be a real Christmas tree, and so there's a particular emphasis on the way that trees are traditionally decorated in different countries.

I love learning about festive traditions from different places, and this book shares interesting facts in a really engaging way. Younger children will enjoy the simple rhyming story, and older children (and adults!) will enjoy learning some fascinating festive facts. For example, in Mandarin the world for apple sounds similar to the word for Christmas Eve and so apples form a key part of the decorations!

This is a wonderful book to keep by the Christmas tree for children to pull out and explore. It would also be a perfect addition to a Christmas Eve box, and can be brought out year after year to enjoy together.

Free simple cross stitch snowflake designs and patterns

Today on the blog I have a simple festive cross stitch pattern to share - some mini cross stitch snowflakes. These tiny designs are easy to work on and look great when stitched up. To keep the designs small it was necessary to simplify the snowflake a little so these are eight sided snowflakes rather than six sided, but I think that they still work well!

The snowflakes would be great for all sorts of winter and Christmas crafting projects. For example Christmas cards, mini bunting, tableware, Advent calendars, baubles and all sorts of decorations. I definitely have a lots of ideas in mind which I will be sharing here!

I found that the snowflakes worked really well when stitched with white thread on a darker background. You could also use silver metallic thread on a dark background, or if you want to use a white background I think that they would look great stitched in a contrasting colour like red for a Scandi feel.

I have worked some of these designs up into a full embroidery hoop cross stitch pattern which I will be sharing on the blog very shortly. Hopefully this sneak peek will give a good idea of how the simple cross stitch snowflakes look when they are stitched! I used navy blue Aida fabric and white embroidery thread for my hoop.

These small snowflake designs can also easily be used for other pixel art projects. Last year I used some of the simpler designs to make some mini Hama bead snowflakes. You can see in the blog post how I adapted the designs to add a background so that they were more stable for the tiny beads. You could also use the designs for knitting patterns, digital art projects, diamond painting and much more.

Happy festive crafting!

The books that I read on holiday

Over half term I was lucky enough to enjoy a wonderful week away in Athens. There was plenty of sightseeing of course, but we also had some time to chill out and I was able to make an excellent dent in my "to be read" list! 

I decided to concentrate on the out of sight books that I have piling up on my Kindle, and I thought I'd share what I read as I can recommend them all. As a bonus, all of these books were free for me as an Amazon Prime member, either borrowed from Prime Reading or from the monthly Amazon First Reads selection. 

The Beautiful Little Things - Melissa Hall (Prime Reading)

A heart-warming Christmas novel about a family that has fallen apart after the death of a beloved wife and mother. The book follows the family as they gather for Christmas both before and after their loss and how their relationships change as they deal with their grief. It was a good read and although maybe slightly exaggerated in both the highs and the lows it kept me interested and wanting to find out how all the characters would fare.

The Bookstore Sisters - Alice Hoffman (First Reads)

A short story about two sisters that have grown apart but come together in their parent's old bookshop. It's a very sweet and magical story, and I can't resist any story about books and bookshops!

Winter Cottage - Mary Ellen Taylor (Prime Reading)

One of my favourite genres, what I like to call 'inherited house romance'. This one ticks all the boxes - a woman inherits a house from a mysterious stranger in a distant location, a handsome local man is on hand to help her with any renovation assistance and to introduce her to the close-knit community, a backstory is revealed piece by piece as the story progresses, a secret romance is brought to light, and a happy ending takes place as the heroine discovers her place within the story. I've read lots of books like this that are all very similar, but I still love them!

Yellow Crocus - Laila Ibrahim (Prime Reading)

A story about slavery  and a young woman who is separated from her own son to be a wet nurse for Lisbeth, the privileged daughter of the slave owning family. As Lisbeth grows the two women become close despite each taking a very different journey. The story discusses the reality of slavery but it is told in a simple way which makes it very effective.

Well Behaved Wives - Amy Sue Nathan (Prime Reading)

Set in 1960s America in a world of rich young women that are brought up to be nothing more than the perfect wives for their successful husbands. There was a great deal of emphasis on the fact that these women were very much inferior to their husbands and relied upon them for absolutely everything. Perhaps this was emphasised a little too much, but the story was told well and it does make you realise how much a woman's place in the world has changed in just a few decades. 

A Feather on the Water - Lindsay Jayne Ashford (First Reads)

I've read plenty of Second World War historical fiction but this angle was new to me - a story set in a Displaced Persons camp at the end of the war. When the war had ended it was a massive logistical exercise to help all the traumatised people that had been displaced by the events of war and to help them get back to where they wanted to be, whether that was their original homeland or somewhere new. The story follows three women who each have a different reason for helping out in the camp, and by the end of the book they have managed to make sense of their own pasts and move forward to enjoy a hopeful future.

Some of my favourite sugar skull crafts for Halloween

With Halloween approaching I thought I'd share some of my favourite sugar skull crafts, in case you are looking for some simple Halloween décor inspiration!

Embroidered felt sugar skulls

I think these are my favourite Halloween craft. They are so simple to make with white felt and odd scraps of coloured felt. I added sequins and tiny beads and embroidered in contrasting thread colours. You could add a ribbon loop for hanging, string them together to make bunting, or simply pile them in a bowl and leave out on display.

Painted wooden sugar skull craft

I bought these wooden skull blanks from Hobbycraft last year and knew that they would make perfect sugar skull decorations. We painted them white to start with then decorated with acrylic paint, felt pens, sequins and plastic gems. 

Hama bead sugar skull bunting

This Hama bead craft is a great way to use up any odd coloured beads that you have lying around. Strung on black ribbon these Hama bead sugar skulls make great bunting.

Mini Hama bead sugar skull earrings

I used the same Hama bead pattern with the tiny mini Hama beads to make a pair of delicate sugar skull earrings. You could make matching or contrasting ones, they could also be mounted on pin badge backings to make badges.

A Halloween picture with Hama bead sugar skulls

The Hama bead sugar skulls also look great displayed on a black background for a spooky Halloween picture.

The last three sugar skull crafts were made using this simple Hama bead cross stitch or pixel art design. It would also be perfect for some cross stitch Hama bead sugar skulls, something that I'm going to be working on for next year!

I hope that you enjoyed my sugar skull Halloween craft round up!

If you are looking for more Halloween craft posts then you might like these:

Hama bead crafts for Halloween

Last minute Halloween crafts for children