Category: Views & Ramblings

1. The Growing Popularity of Purchasing Garden Plants Online

   Posted on 2:24pm Thursday 20th Aug 2015

   It is no secret that I love shopping online and while you used to have to visit a local plant nursery or gardening centre to find the plants that you want for your garden, these days you can shop online instead. And there are plenty of great reasons to do so, which is why buying plants online has been steadily growing in popularity.

   Are you interested in learning about a few of the benefits of buying plants online, whether you want to give a plant as a gift or you need to look for specific flowers, bushes, and trees that you want to adorn your front and back gardens with? Then are you sitting comfortably, let me tell you more......

   More Variety and Choices

   Shopping online gives you the opportunity to make purchases from all over the world. And when it comes to gardening, there could be plants online that you simply can't find locally. This means that you don't need to make any sacrifices when it comes to the vision that you have for your garden. Just be smart about your online purchases by only shopping with reputable sellers, purchasing your plants early enough so that they'll have time to bloom at the perfect time after they're planted, and making sure that the plants you purchase are suitable for your zone.

   Get Very Young Plants at Reasonable Prices

   Another great reason to shop for plants online is the fact that you can get your favourite flowers and trees while they're still very young. Once you transplant them into your garden, you can watch them grow and you can nurture them with the right fertilizers and the right amount of sunshine and water.

   

   Plus, when you purchase younger plants, you can often find them at very reasonable rates, so you can save money in the long run if you shop online rather than at a retail location where the plants are already larger and pricier.

   Ask Questions from Online Experts

   The best online plant sellers will have experts available to answer your questions. So if you aren't sure if a particular plant is really right for your garden space, you can ask questions before you make a purchase, just as you would do at a regular nursery or garden store. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of making incorrect purchasing decisions while you shop online.

   Enjoy Free Shipping (and we love free!)

   Many online retailers also offer free shipping, especially after you spend a certain amount of money. So instead of spending money on fuel to get to and from the garden centre, you can instead stay home in your comfortable office room or living room, shop for your favourite flowers, and then have them at your door in a matter of days at no additional cost. If you already prefer shopping online versus shopping in a brick and mortar location, consider getting all of your gardening plants and supplies on the internet as well. There are many reputable online gardening shops, such as The Gluttonous Gardener, that offer a variety of plants and gardening gifts, so there is definitely no shortage of options.

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2. Back To School : Win a back to school book bundle worth £100

   Posted on 9:43pm Wednesday 19th Aug 2015

    

   Back to School! It seems like we have been talking about it since the children broke up from school but no matter how long those 7 weeks seem, they soon fly by and there is frantic last minute purchases that are apparently essential in a 10 year olds life!

   She will be going into Year 6 this year so we will have the preparation for the dreaded SATS and although they are not the "be all and end all" of your child"s education, the National Tests (SATs) can potentially be quite stressful (for parents too). Providing your child with some simple "steps to success" will improve their confidence and help them to feel prepared. 

   So I am really pleased to be working with Collins this month, who have produced a parent guide that includes practical information or parents about each stage of their child’s education, as well as product recommendations for key stage. This is a FREE (we love free) guide that parents can download at www.collins.co.uk/parents 

   

   There is some really useful on the website about talking to your child when they have finished their homework or revision tasks, asking questions like "How do you feel that went?" "Do you need any extra help?" "What areas are you still struggling with?"

   They suggest that learning should be a fun process by trying to shape some of the key exam objectives around the interests of your child. For example, with percentages, fractions and word problems, why not take your child shopping (this works for me)? By connecting knowledge with experience, things start to "make sense" to children.

   

   In addition to this great resource, Collins are also offering a 25% discount plus free P&P on the Collins Back to School range of books until 30 September 2015 using promo code SCHOOL25 which can be used on the colllins.co.uk website.

   To ease your little ones back to school/to make life a little easier this back to school, Collins are giving away £100 worth of dictionaries, thesauruses, atlases and revision guides, tailored to your child’s school year. For your chance to win, simply answer the following question on the widget below:

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

   Terms & Conditions

   The Prize: £100 worth of dictionaries, thesauruses, atlases and revision guides tailored to the school year of the winner
   The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
   Collins will make every effort to provide the books detailed here but this cannot be guaranteed
   By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
   There is no monetary equivalent.
   Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
   If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
   End Date 12/09/2015 at 12am

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3. Style a secret shed

   Posted on 9:25pm Monday 10th Aug 2015

   Style a secret shed? I know, I know, it sounds like I have gone off in search of the Enid Blyton Magic Faraway Tree and although I could do with some magic to come and deal with my shed, I am conscious that I may need a little more than magic. So when I saw that the lovely Amanda from The Ana Mum Diary was hosting a competition to encourage us to create a perfect hideaway; hidden in the depths of your garden away from the daily drama and noise of the house, I knew that I wanted to indulge my imagination.

   I consider myself quite house proud and the garden is an extension of this so I am not entirely sure why the shed is the one thing that is neglected. I am so ashamed of it that I am not even sure I can share a picture. A shed (or summer house) would be a perfect work space for me, I would be able to create a totally girlie shabby chic space to inspire and create within. So I went mooching around the Tiger Sheds website and decided that a corner summerhouse would be perfect to help me meet my aspirations. The Tiger Corner Summerhouse looks to be the epitome of garden living, just imagine it whitewashed with soft chair and drapes and no toys (!!).

    

   I have to admit that as my husband is the only man in our abode, I very often give in to more masuline design in the house so he doesn't feel completely overwhelmed by the feminine influence, which means that our bedroom is not particularly girly so my summerhouse would allow me to indulge in a perfectly personal girlie space. I managed to lose myself in Pinterest with cool, calm colours perfect for a clear head and a long to do list. 

    

   I did mention that I wasn't going to share a picture of our current shed with you but my husband suggests that it is full of character ...... whereas I am convinced it is more full of spiders and a possible wasps nest. It needs to be gone so I can get the girlie work space my heart craves.

    

   There is no Pinterest board that is going to help that now is there?

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4. Tips on keeping the house tidy this summer

   Posted on 10:23am Friday 7th Aug 2015

   We are half way in to the school holidays and whilst I love having the children at home, keeping the endless craft or activities tidy is no mean feat, so here are our top tips on keeping the house tidy this summer.

   Stop buying things you don't need

   This is one that personally I struggle with, as I am a self confessed shopaholic but more "stuff" means more clutter. Get rid of what you don't use and stop buying things you don't need. And the next time the children want that cheap toy, get them an experience instead, go and feed the ducks rather than buy more rubber ducks for the bath. Give them memories not things.

   Rotate the toys

   If you can't bear to part with your little ones toys, put some away in a box in the loft and then do the same again in a months time. Bring down the old box and your little one will have renewed interest in the toy that they haven't seen for some time - failing that, if they had completely forgotten about it, maybe it is time to give it away.

   Floor free zone

   Nothing actually belongs on the floor. Make this a general rule, especially if you have luxury flooring and furnishings the last thing you want is someone scraping a piece of lego across it! Everyone in the family should be responsible for putting their ‘stuff’ away.

   

   Clear tubs / bins

   These are the best type of containers for kids stuff, in general. Bins or baskets. The key is to make it easy for the kids (or you) to toss their stuff into the bins, making cleanup simple. If you can, label each bin with the type of stuff that goes there (building blocks, barbie dolls, stuffed animals, painful lego pieces). If your child can’t read, use picture labels or photos taped to the side.

   Allow them to be messy.

   No child is perfect and as a parent you have to concede that they will inevitably make a mess. You have to allow them to do this. Then, when they’re done, ask them to clean it up. It is a good life lesson!

   Eat outside

   Children are notoriously messy eaters and while there is warm weather, eating outside saves a lot of floor clean up later. Plus if the mess gets really bad you can at least just hose down the area, something I wish I could do in my house (and children) sometimes.

   Finally, any life that includes children is never going to be clean and clutter free, at least to some degree. I don't believe that you will ever get an absolute minimalist lifestyle with children and I’ve learned to accept that. Would you disagree?

   

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