Tag Archives: toys

King of his castle

It’s no surprise that I’m spending most of my time thinking about our new house. We are waiting (impatiently!) to hear that we’ve exchanged contracts and fingers crossed that will happen any day.

King of his castleThis time round we’re paying a removal firm to pack and move us. With two small people it’s pretty impossible to concentrate on packing more than the essentials we’ll need for the first few days. At the moment I’m worrying about a cover set, stair gates and black out blinds but I’m sure they will be replaced by something else tomorrow.

Our new house is bigger and I’m looking forward to have more space and less clutter. I just want to be able to shut away the ‘stuff’ so I don’t have to constantly see it. I’m sure all families are the same, tripping over toys and mess. I want the children to have fun and enjoy their toys but I also want to be able to pack it all away at the end of the day!

Fortunately it doesn’t look like we’ll need to buy too much for the new house. I have a couple of pieces of vintage furniture I want to paint and actually use, my poor neglected bureau is one of them. I’m also aching to use my vintage kitchen cupboard as fabric storage rather than extra kitchen extension.

I’ve also been thinking how to help the toddler understand our house move. We’re obviously talking about it a lot, perhaps too much, as he’s constantly asking where we’re going. He’s also got into the habit of packing his rucksack with toys everytime we leave the house, as if he’s leaving home. We’ve been reading Moving Molly by Shirley Hughes and sticking stickers with the Moving House Sticker Book from Usborne. Time will tell what exactly the toddler is absorbing from these.

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Exciting Children’s Bedroom Tips

We at Time4Sleep like to think we know a thing or two about bedrooms, so why not let us help you decorate your child’s bedroom? Follow our handy tips below, and you will have a fun, exciting bedroom for your child to enjoy in no time at all.

Think ahead

It won’t be news to most parents that children grow alarmingly quickly. As a result, their feet could be hanging over the end of that new bed sooner than you expected. Therefore planning ahead is the best practice in this scenario. Go for a bed that is a little too big for them now, and you won’t have to buy a new one nearly as soon. Forward planning also applies to themed bedrooms too, as that Thomas the Tank Engine wallpaper will probably last two years max before it needs to be pulled down and replaced by the Power Rangers!

You can’t have too much storage

Kids love toys. Unfortunately their taste changes constantly, and they are never too keen on disposing of old ones. Therefore, to keep the peace, it is recommended you build in as much storage to your child’s bedroom as humanly possible. Utilise the space under the bed, and consider tall and thin wardrobes to maximise floor playing space!

Make them believe you are giving them what they want

Children change their minds all the time, so if you decorate a room completely to their specification the likelihood is they will change their mind within days. Instead of taking every word as gospel, instead interpret what they say loosely, and make them believe you have given them what they want. It will be much easier in the long run!

Flexibility

With many of us having to downsize homes to property’s with less bedrooms, keeping children’s bedrooms flexible is a must, especially if you have a few of the little scamps. Therefore decorating your eldest daughter’s room entirely in pink is likely to necessitate a new paint job when your son moves in there in a few years. Gender-neutral colours are the way to go here to ensure that no matter which of your lovable offspring are taking up residence in the room they will be pleased with their surroundings.

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Rock up In Red for National Heart Month

I may have lost my blogging mojo but I’m very glad I’ve still got my charity shop addiction. In fact I was very happy to be out straight after Christmas, especially as we were visiting my mum and she has some great shops where she lives.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve picked up some items which have been on my wish list, namely scrabble tiles for crafting, vintage buttons and even a toy bubble gum machine (which I filled with buttons!).

We’ve been out today as the snow is slowly melting and I picked up a wooden dolls bed for Little Sis for £2 as well as another Thomas & Friends Trackmaster set for the toddler, also for £2. We looked a little odd getting the bus home with so many toys but it was worth it. There are lots of bargains to be had out there!

Thomas & Friends Trackmaster

One charity close to my heart is the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and on 1 February, to kick off National Heart Month, they are asking the great British public to Rock Up In Red, donate £2 and join the fight against heart disease.

Whether it’s dying your hair red, donning a red tie or a red scarf or going all out and rocking a top to toe red outfit, the BHF is urging people across the UK to organise a Rock Up In Red day at work, school or in your local community to raise funds that will go directly towards vital research, support and care for those suffering with heart and circulatory disease.

Heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer. It kills one in six men and one in nine women and is responsible for almost 80,000 deaths in the UK each year, an average of 220 people each day. As well as being the leading cause of death, nearly 2.7 million people in the UK are living with heart disease, many of whom struggle with everyday tasks.

Rock Up In Red this February and make a heartfelt statement for your loved ones. To order your free fundraising pack, just go to bhf.org.uk/red or call the hotline on 0300 330 0645.  You can also show your support by tweeting or tagging Instagram photos with the hashtag #rockupinred!

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Filed under playing, vintage