Blog : Little Lilypad Co

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The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.

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Category: Christmas

  1. 4 ways to declutter your home after Christmas

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    When it comes to Christmas it can not only be a joyous time but a period in which we can feel totally overwhelmed by our homes. After all, Christmas means that we bring more things into our home after the kind gifts we can receive. Especially if you have children, however, it is also the perfect excuse to get organised and embark on some decluttering to get your home back in order. There is nothing quite like that feeling of entering a new year feeling fresh, tidy, and free from the clutter that can often hold you back in your home. So if you want to get started then here are some of the best ways to declutter your home after Christmas. 

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    Start off with a cupboard or drawer 

    Decluttering can be a huge task and one that we are likely to procrastinate over or avoid. So the best way to get started is to start with a small area. Something as simple as a cupboard or drawer. Working through each space you can decide what stays, what goes, and what needs another home. 

    Use the box method

    If you are tackling a room then a great way to stay on top of things is to use the box method. A box for things you want to keep but perhaps need a new place to be stored, a box for things to donate or sell, and a box to recycle or get rid of appropriately. This is perfect for children’s rooms as you may accumulate or store things that they no longer want or need. It enables you to go through drawers, cupboards, and storage boxes. Organising as you go, and removing things that need to be stored elsewhere or need to be gotten rid of. 

    Organise children’s rooms before bringing new things into them

    Children often accumulate a lot of toys and things at Christmas time, so instead of adding them to their bedrooms or playrooms straight away, now is the time to organise them as they are. As you rearrange and store things away, think about their new toys and where they may go or be stored at the same time. Remove items they no longer want and create space ready for the new things ot be slotted in. Many people do this before Christmas, but it is just as easy to do it after as you are aware of precisely what needs storing. 

    One bag at a time

    If it feels too much, simply walk around with a bag. Use a bag for recycling and go into each room and remove things that is seemingly rubbish or need recycling appropriately. The next day take a bag or box and remove things you know are for selling ot donating. This gets rid of any surface clutter so that the task can seem less daunting as you delve deeper into cupboards and drawers. 

    Finally, don’t be too worried about how your home looks or how it may look as you start to declutter. Things may get messy as you work through cupboards, and drawers or tackle different.

     

  2. Sustainable Lifestyle: 4 Green Habits To Adopt In The New Year

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    No doubt, the majority of us aspire to live a sustainable lifestyle, but how many of us actually manage to lead a sustainable life. Since working with SaveMoneyCutCarbon, I have become more conscious about how we live and how this contributes to CO2 emissions. Before you learn how to adopt green habits to adopt to make yourself healthy, you know what sustainable living is all about. You can lead a sustainable life by protecting your natural environment and ecological health, and you can lead a sustainable life by making conscious choices to preserve the planet's future. In doing so, you don't need to compromise your lifestyle. All you need to know that when you lead a sustainable life, it will make your life easier, and it will surely make you happy. It was found that there is a link between the sustainability of your life ahead and quality of life. Are you planning to adopt a sustainable lifestyle for the New Year, then you don't need to worry as we have got your back by offering some tips which will help you in achieving your goal?

    PIN - 4 green habits to adopt in the new year

    1. Produce minimum waste - Surely, it is one of the everyday things that you must have heard frequently, but you need to know that it is easy to say but challenging to practice. Above all, minimizing waste is not something impossible; you can indeed reduce your waste. All you need to do is start here and ensure you think about everything you are doing. Of course, the things that waste varies from situation to situation. When it comes to producing minimum waste, then you can be as passionate as you want to be. Additionally, you can keep a tab on your goals and processes. For example, when you choose to buy multipurpose furniture, it will not only minimize the wastage of money and space, but it will also help you in creating your garden. 

    1. Choose where you live carefully - The sad reality today is that cities not only have the most extraordinary developments but at the same time, they are dirty, polluted, and have no forest. While some cities are the complete opposite as they feature both unique architecture and green space. The only secret is that they have efficient public transport systems and choose where you live consciously.

    1. Don’t travel; instead, meet online - Thanks to brilliant technological developments, we can have everything today at our fingertips, so why not take advantage of this. We all know that taking time away is essential but now we can all take time off closer to your home and explore new places. The technological advances are helpful when it comes to working. You can organize virtual meetings instead of traveling to work meetings or conferences. Even if you avoid only half of the physical meetings, you can still contribute to living a sustainable lifestyle. 

    1. Save water- There are no second thoughts to this saying as we have heard these phrases a number of times. It is because water conservation is one of the most critical components of a sustainable lifestyle. It is something which you can do regularly, and it is going to have a significant impact if all of us start doing it. Simply taking less baths and shorter showers are just one small way to make a bigger impact.

    If you lead a sustainable life, this will hopefully also become habit and second nature for our children too, which ultimately will encourage them to lead a similar life for generations to come.

     PIN - 4 green habits to adopt in the new year (1)

  3. Easy Steps To Help Get You Motivated For The New Year!

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    Almost all of us get excited every December as the new year is around the corner. It is because we feel the new year is a blank slate for us to write some new goals and resolutions. Even if we think of a plethora of things that we would like to achieve, but it often happens, we are not able to stay committed to those goals. It is mainly because usually, we set such purposes that are too complex to achieve or might be out of our comfort zones. Hence when you lack clarity, you are most likely to move forward without a vision, which makes your motivation wane quickly.

    PIN - Easy Steps To Help Get You Motivated For The New Year

     

    If you feel you aren't motivated for the New Year, then you don't need to worry as we have got your back by offering some easy steps which will help you stay motivated throughout the year.

    • It would be best if you started small- The main reason you are not able to stay motivated to your goals is that you often set goals that are complicated, and you end up feeling overwhelmed. The secret here is to break down a huge goal into small goals so you can achieve them quickly as per your deadline. Thus, you are most likely to stay on track to achieve the goals when you see some progress.

    • Think about your intentions- You should know the reasons why you plan to set a particular goal. When you know about the reason, it is quite possible you will stay motivated to the goal as the why will give you some motivation to stay focused and motivated and clear during the gloomy days.

    • Consider rewarding yourself- You should start celebrating even the smallest of your wins as every completed task is a small win for the overall goal. It is essential to recognize your success irrespective of how big or small your reward is. Thus you can set up tips for something you like or care about, including some fancy meals, or a vacation at your favorite resort, etc.

    • Keep an eye on your progress- You need to have a visual of your progress and tasks. You can also consider using some apps which help you stay motivated by tracking your progress daily as they help you see how much of the overall goal you have completed. Thus set milestones and remain committed to those.

    • Avoid multi-tasking- The multi-tasking thought comes in as we feel that it is the start of the year, and we can accomplish as many tasks as we want as it is a blank slate yet. But we often forget that we have to remain realistic towards our goals and think practically how much we can achieve in 12 months. No doubt the year might feel quite long, but in reality, it isn't so. All you need to do is keep your goals short and stay focused on completing one task at a time. It is because when you choose to multi-task, you end up losing your productivity at least by 40 percent.

    • Learn to stay optimistic- You need to start being confident by saying I can do this and surround yourself with a positive aura so you can stay motivated towards your goals. You can consider looking for leaders around who can give you some inspiration to keep you hooked on your goals. Additionally, you can also choose to subscribe to some relevant blogs, podcasts, or newsletters, which will help you boost your mood.

    Thus, these are some fantastic ways that will help you stay motivated throughout the year.

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  4. Ideas for Socially Distanced Christmas Parties

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    Thanks to the current pandemic, 2020 is nothing but just a year full of social distancing, and it is not surprising to know that the Christmas parties might look different as compared to previous years.  Almost all workplaces start planning about the Christmas party around summer. Particularly in some countries, the hospitality business seems to be under lockdown working under takeaway or any other alternative option. Keeping in mind the current situation, it might be vital to plan for socially distanced Christmas parties. The world looked way different when we entered the year as compared to now. All we hope is that we can relive those carefree days again once the outbreak of coronavirus ends.

    PIN - Ideas for socially distanced Christmas parties

    Though it is challenging to predict what will be so for now, we recommend that you plan your Christmas party, keeping in mind all the social distancing norms.

    Some fantastic ideas for socially distanced parties are:

    • Create a game room to play together- What's a better way to celebrate Christmas then playing together, yes we understand all of us are going to miss being together but every experience in life counts right? So don’t wait for the right moment just create a game room, add your loved ones and play your favorite games. Above all, make the Merry Christmas more merry.  
    • Long-distance Santa- So what if it's pandemic? You can still organize a group secret Santa exchange. You can use online generators, including party organizers, to send out secret Santa gifts. You can also purchase some gifts as per the decided budget and post it directly to their homes. Also, you can plan for a video call where everyone meets virtually and opens the gift.
    • Fancy dress video call- You can offer prizes for best dressed or creative headwear with a virtual fancy dress competition.
    • Hold a virtual exhibition and showcase your talent- Everyone of us has some unique talent that is hidden deep down inside and in the hustle bustle of life we just ignore it. Furthermore, life has given us a unique chance this Christmas. Why not grab this precious opportunity? And hold a virtual exhibition and showcase some stunning talents and your artistic skills.
    • Tour the world from the comfort of your house- It is very disheartening to say that you won’t be able to meet your loved ones during Christmas due to the ongoing pandemic under which social distancing is mandatory. But you don’t need to worry at all as there are several zoos, museums etc. offering free virtual tours. So you can join in any tour virtually and also get your friends and family along through the video call. Doesn’t it sound a great idea? Something new indeed.  
    •  Christmas dinner in a virtual way- You can use this idea and create a virtual dinner even with your loved ones by sending out a mini hamper of edible goodies. Additionally, you can also chat over the tasty festive delicacies. For something different, you can again go for a classy afternoon tea. Irrespective of what happens this Christmas, a virtual Christmas party claims to offer a different experience to everyone.  

    Thus you can implement these ideas to get a different experience altogether and celebrate during social distancing. You can get as creative as you want thanks to the stunning technological advancements due to which people can stay connected even during the tough times.

     PIN - Ideas for socially distanced Christmas parties (1)