Your bedroom is the one place you feel safe from the world. It's your private bubble from everyone else, and while you're asleep for most of the time you spend in it, your bedroom should make you feel inspired and happy. Yet, many people have 'boring' bedrooms - ones that lack any creative or focal points. If that describes your bedroom, don't worry because you can make some simple changes to transform it into an amazing sleep space!

Give your Walls a Colour Change

Firstly, it makes sense to decorate by adding some new colour tones to your walls - especially if they are rocking a lovely shade of white. The colours you choose, of course, are down to your individual tastes and styles, but make sure to not just follow a current trend, but pick something that will stand the test of time. It makes sense to get a few tester pots of paint and paint some samples in an inconspicuous area of your bedroom. That way, you can determine which ones are best.

Add some Chic Furniture

Another idea (if you've got enough space) is to add some chic furniture to your bedroom. One example might be to invest in some bedside tables that really emphasise the look and style of your bed. You might even decide to invest in some vintage wardrobes if you're trying to pull off a retro look in your bedroom. Whatever your tastes, you're bound to find furniture that works well for what you want to achieve.

One innovative furniture piece that embodies the essence of multi-functionality is the ottoman bed with hidden storage. Not only does it offer a comfortable place to rest, but it also provides ample hidden storage space, perfect for those who are looking to maximize the utility of every square inch of their bedroom. This type of bed is particularly beneficial in rental spaces where built-in storage may be limited. By choosing furniture that serves dual purposes, you can keep your living area both stylish and organised, making the most of your rental space without compromising on design or comfort.

Raise your Curtains

Does your bedroom seem small and dull? If so, one simple way to make a massive difference (and one that won't cost you a penny), is by raising the height of your curtains. If you're thinking that you'd need to buy new curtains to achieve that goal, think again. Simply move the curtain rail up a couple of inches or so to give the illusion that your bedroom has a high ceiling and thus feels bigger!

Jazz up your Bed

Do you have a simple headboard on your bed (or none at all)? If so, now is the time to upgrade to an amazing one that will almost certainly become a focal point in your bedroom! You can buy headboards in various sizes and styles, so whether you're after something contemporary or grandeur, you won't have trouble finding the best one for your bed! Wayfair have some great deals on bedding if you're looking to add that extra touch too.

Incorporate Greenery into your Bedroom

One final tip is to consider adding some plants to your bedroom. Indoor plants offer many benefits, aside from aesthetic ones, such as helping to filter the air in your bedroom by removing carbon dioxide, and they will positively impact your mental health as well. Of course having real plants would be the best option, but if you don't think you'll manage to keep them alive (or just want a cheaper option), then there are so many realistic fake plants out there now. 

Making some positive changes to your bedroom is straightforward and need not cost you the Earth. The above examples are a great start to your journey of creating an amazing bedroom. But just remember to create a space that is perfect for you!

This is a collaborative post.

Top Reasons to Renovate Your Home

Do you live in a home that requires some TLC? Are you considering renovating but are not sure if it is the right decision for you? If so, you have come to the right place! In this blog post I will be sharing the top reasons why you should consider renovating your home. From adding value to your property to improving your lifestyle, there are many benefits when you decide to remodel your house.

One of the main reasons people renovate their homes is to add value. Whether you're planning on selling your home in the near future or not, increasing its value is always a good idea. Home renovations can be a significant investment, and even minor projects can make a big difference when it comes time to sell. So if you're thinking about making some changes to your home, here are a few of the best ways to add value:

Update Your Kitchen

The kitchen is often one of the essential rooms in the house, and it's also one of the rooms that potential buyers will pay close attention to. However, if your kitchen is outdated or needs repair, investing in a renovation can be a great way to add value to your home.

Add or Update Bathrooms

Like the kitchen, bathrooms are another critical selling point for potential buyers. Consider renovating your bathroom before putting your home on the market if your bathroom needs an update. Adding a bathroom can also be a great way to increase the value of your home.

Finish your Basement

Finishing a basement can be a great way to add extra living space and value to your home. If you have an unfinished basement, finishing it with drywall, flooring, and lighting can make it much more appealing to potential buyers.

Damp Proofing

It is an essential factor to consider when renovating your home as it prevents moisture from being able to seep through the walls and causing damage; look here. By ensuring that your walls are damp proof, you can avoid costly repairs in the future. Damp-proof your home, and you will add value, make it more comfortable to live in and improve its appearance.

Paint Your Home

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for the value of your home. If your walls look dingy or outdated, painting them can be a cheap and easy way to give your home an updated look.

Updating your Home's Look can be Fun and Rewarding

Before you get started on a home renovation it's essential to understand why you want to renovate. Is it simply to update the look of your home or address specific maintenance issues? Or are you planning to sell soon and want to boost your home's value? Perhaps you have a growing family and need more space. Whatever your reasons, knowing your motivation from the outset will help ensure a smooth and successful renovation process. Here are just a few of the many reasons why renovating your home can be such a rewarding experience:

• It can increase your home's value. Whether you're planning to sell now or down the road, a well-executed home renovation can significantly boost your home's resale value.

• It can make your home more comfortable and functional. If you're renovating to address specific issues like a leaky roof or drafty windows, you'll immediately notice a difference in your day-to-day comfort. And if you add features like an extra bathroom or a mudroom, you'll appreciate the added convenience daily.

• It can help you save money in the long run. Energy-efficient upgrades like new windows and insulation make your home more comfortable, and they can also save you money on your energy bills month after month.

• It can give you a much-needed break from your everyday routine. If you're working with a professional home renovation company, they will take care of the day-to-day details of your project so you can sit back and enjoy the transformation of your home.

• It can be an opportunity to express your creativity. A home renovation is a perfect time to let your inner design diva loose! Whether you're planning a complete gut job or just updating fixtures and finishes, this is your chance to put your stamp on your living space.

In conclusion, there are several reasons to renovate your home. Whether you're looking to save money, increase your home's value, or simply express your creativity, a home renovation can be a great way to achieve your goals. Just be sure to consult with a professional before getting started to ensure the success of your project.

This is a collaborative post.

The Ultimate Guide to Moving Abroad with Children

Moving to another country is a challenge for both adults and children. The question is how will they cope and survive this difficult period in their lives. Adults can motivate themselves with higher living standards, new career prospects, a carefree and comfortable old age. But how to assure a child that moving is a good decision, and how to make their adaptation to the new environment as comfortable as possible?

In this post I'm going to share my top tips for moving abroad with children, to hopefully help answer these questions.

Preparation Stage

To save your nerves as a parent, turn the move into an adventure mission with a clear action plan and maximum participation in the process. Inspire your children to move to another country. This will allow both you and them to get used to the idea of leaving their current home, and also tune in to a positive vibes. This can be done by triggering maximum interest in moving. They should help to pack things, communicate with you about new opportunities, get the answers to all “how”, “where” and “why”.

Study together the destination country. Show what entertainment activities and places will be available to all of you in the new place. Sometimes it’s even useful to mourn: this helps to prepare your children for a more adult life, which is not always cheerful. But the best cure for sadness and despondency will be your unity and understanding.

Prevent Culture Shock

Find out if there are cultural events, performances, clubs, or groups near your home from the country you are moving to. Watch online videos, documentaries, or programs about your future place of residence with your child. Pay more attention to videos about children from the country of relocation to see how fun they are. Watch a video about pets in your country of future residence. Your task is to cause laughter and smiles in children, arrange them, and show that the same ordinary and cheerful children live there.

Start Learning a Language Early

Language is what allows you to quickly adapt to a new environment. Fortunately, children quickly learn something new. Enrol your child in a foreign language course at least six months before moving, hire a tutor, or try to teach them yourself. So you will increase your skill as well.

Various tutorials, language learning apps like DuoLingo or LinguaLeo, or watching videos/movies with subtitles will help you with this. To make the child more enthusiastic, create such a video yourself! Just find their favourite foreign language cartoon and add subtitles in your own language with the Movavi Video Editor or desktop iMovie app.

Consider all Education Options

It is not easy to arrange children in school, let alone find good education abroad. Google the presence of international schools in the destination country - they often help children connect and learn better in a diverse group of friends. If the reviews for such schools are not very good, try to find tutors for expat children. But be prepared for big expenses!

Choose the Right Area

It is crucial to find an area where everything is literally at hand - children's hospitals, doctors, nurseries, and schools, as well as grocery stores. Make sure the area is safe for your child's development. If you value leisure activities, consider moving to a town or village near the city. In case you want to quickly make new acquaintances, choose a place with social or hobby clubs to take the most from your family's spare time. And always encourage children to connect with local families as well as other expats.

Embrace your New Home 

After arriving in a destination country, you can finally relax a bit! Get a good nights sleep, unwind, and walk through the neighbourhood. Then start transforming your new house into a cozy home and resuming your typical family routine. Take care of the children's rooms first when your belongings arrives - it might be a good idea to get your children to pick extra special items that they can keep in a box with them at all times. This will help them settle in a lot quicker.

Adaptation will also be facilitated by following old traditions, keeping in touch with friends and relatives from the old country, as well as learning a foreign language. In general, on-site learning at any age is faster than in a non-speaking environment. This is where the “survival” ability of the brain comes into play. Also during this period, all parts of the brain are actively working, and any new information is absorbed successfully.

Do not be afraid to move overseas with your family. Remember that the benefits to the child in the future will outweigh the little hardships they will experience in the beginning. And adults should try to make the move as painless as possible.

This is a collaborative post.

Moving House Successfully as a Single Parent

Moving house isn't an easy journey, and it can be even more difficult if you're making the move as a single parent. Although your children may feel excited about starting over in their teenage years (changing schools), they still need some guidance when adjusting to life away from friends or family that has been there for them through everything else, even if they are young adults in university. That's why these moving tips will help both the children and yourself to adjust better during this challenging time while also helping yourself.

Packing

Packing for your move can be daunting, but with these handy tips it will feel like less of an effort. Whether you are seeking refuge in tropical paradise or just want to get out of the city as fast possible – you need to ensure that you spend that time packing.

1. Sort and pack those out-of season items first so they don't end up forgotten about during the rest of this process; next thing on our list is purging anything that isn’t needed anymore (mosquito repellent anyone?). Once everything has been nicely arranged into boxes by type then take a deep breath because its finally time start filling them up.

2. It is always a good idea to pack what you can ‘live without’ for the week before your move. Everyone has their own space so consult your children before you start piling their stuff in a box. Avoid using newspaper as it doesn't protect anything nor does bubble wrap make great packing material - use butcher's paper instead so those fragile items don’t break during travel; but don't forget about our pro-tip: if moving long distance, consider hiring an interstate removals company instead of doing everything yourself because they are experts at knowing how much space each individual item needs in order to keep the damage to a minimum.

3. Pack an essentials bag, things like toothbrush, toiletries and some spare clothes. Keep them near by so that in case you do not have time to unbox everything straightaway, you always have access to some of the most crucial and essential items to get you by.

Children are Fantastic Helpers

Child-friendly moves are a great opportunity to get your little ones involved in the process. The more they know about what's happening, and how it will affect their lives, the better equipped they will be for the change in environment when it is time to move. From now on, even if you just talk about the move, get them involved, start the conversation, get their opinions and if possible, I recommend letting them choose some items to help them with the move. If it is that little comforter that they’ve been sleeping with since birth, let them take it around and tell them their job is to look after it and make sure it moves safely too. For older ones, find out what it is that makes them feel like home and keep that close to them. It could simply be the spoon that they love to eat breakfast with every morning or that height chart that they’ve been using to track their height since age 2.

According to research, it is important for parents who are moving abroad or relocating within Australia take the opportunity and build familiarity of what they will be living in before committing fully. Take them on a holiday to where you will be moving to. Let them enjoy the place and explore the neighbourhood together. By giving your child control over certain aspects during this process you can help ease any anxiety that he/she might feel about leaving home finally!

Build Familiarity in the Surroundings

Once you have moved, it's a good idea to get your children settled as soon as possible. Help them feel comfortable in their new surroundings by making it priority number one and setting up everything they need right away so that you build upon what is familiar with them. Maybe the kitchen could be laid out exactly as before, or maybe their room is setup as close as it was at your old house. The sooner we make these little ones settle down the better, because once they do, anxiety subsides from their minds and you can then start to build a sense of feeling towards your new home and neighbourhood.

Ask for a Helping Hand

Single parents already have too little time during the day to accomplish their long list of tasks including working and keeping the family finances healthy. It can be overwhelming when you're moving into or out of any home. You might feel like it's too much work. You may also feel that your immediate family and close friends don't want to take time-off from their own busy lives and spend what little energy they have left on helping you with the process. But let’s have a think about this, if any of your family or friends asked you for helping hand. What would you do? Would you say no because you are way too busy or would you drop everything in a beat of a second and lend that helping hand? It is really these times of need when friends and family are most vulnerable that our inner natural instincts to help one another will prevail.

The first step towards a successful move is admitting you can’t do it alone and need to ask for help. You’ll be surprised the amount of support you will have just by simply raising your hand.

Hire Professionals

Hiring removalists is a stressful process that can take up your entire week. Accept what help you can get. A move isn't the time for stubborn pride; instead ask them if they could lend assistance when needed with packing (and maybe even watching the children), picking up new furniture etc.

Hiring the right movers is crucial when you're busy juggling parenting, work and other responsibilities. Not only should hiring professionals ensure that your items are safely packed up but also if there's any damage done during transport then it can be easily fixed without having to worry about money spent on new furniture or contents lost in transit. Hiring the right removalists will ensure that your items are properly packed and organised. They'll even handle everything from unloading to storage if necessary! On move day, all you have do is provide a helping hand rather than worrying about how things are being handled behind-the scenes.

If you have a move planned, I really hope this post has been helpful. Or if you've already been through the journey, what other tips would you add? Good luck!

This is a collaborative post.