I’m not against modern games or technology – these are both great and have their advantages and disadvantages. There is so much that a child can learn by playing on educational tablet apps… and sometimes to make them sit quietly during a car ride Peppa Pig or Paw Patrol come to the rescue. However, I still believe that less screen time is better. 

And don’t just take it from me, this article from the World Health Organisation highlights the importance of “less is better” when it comes to screen time per day. This doesn’t mean that screen time is bad or dangerous to children, instead of less screen time and more non-screen-based activities lead to improved physical and mental health as well as all-around well-being.

Traditional games are a big favourite of mine, from board games and card games to games tables and outdoor games. Traditional games are also a great way for the whole family to get together for some much-needed family time and healthy competition. Plus, as Motherhood the Real Deal mentions, traditional games “can help kids develop essential skills, such as cooperation, respect, teamwork, competition, creativity, strategy and social skills.”

I remember learning snooker and pool with my family and how exciting it was. Snooker is much more than potting balls on a table, by playing snooker you can improve critical thinking skills, focus, hand-eye coordination and more – it’s a great sport! If you’ve always dreamt of having a snooker table but never had the space for one, why not buy a bespoke snooker table from Hamilton Billiards, snooker table manufacturer and restorer. They can craft different sized snooker tables to fit your space and can even create snooker dining tables that go from a dining table to a snooker table in no time.

Other games that will always be part of our family games time include Cluedo, Snakes and Ladders, Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly. I might or might not have a whole living room cupboard dedicated to board games… Board games are fantastic and there are so many different board games that you can definitely find the perfect one for your family. Board games reduce stress, improve cognitive skills and bring people together.

For Mummy Mummy Mum Uno is a family favourite as she comments on this article. “It’s easy and portable, so we can take it away on holiday and play whenever we have some downtime.” Which is also a great idea! You won’t see me bring my board games with us on holiday but a deck of cards is definitely a must.

Maybe you’d like to transform your spare room into a games room, so you would not only have the perfect space for the family to play games but also to entertain guests. This article on Tantrums to Smiles is the perfect read! She explains how to put together a games room for the perfect family games night.

Ax

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I’ve always been fascinated with pergolas and I’ve always wished I could have one in my back garden, where I could host garden parties and have alfresco breakfast while the sun is rising… but it’s only a dream. At least, a girl can dream, right?

Traditional pergolas are stunning and look incredible in any garden. Even Architectural Digest published an article all about traditional pergolas, highlighting the beauty of pergolas and how they “provide relief from harsh rays while still allowing for a cooling breeze to pass through.” But for British homes, things a bit different. 

We want garden structures that allow us to enjoy our garden, even when it’s raining. So, traditional pergolas won’t cut it. This is where modern pergolas with retractable roofs by Designer Shade Solutions come in. These pergolas feature retractable and tilting louvred roofs that can open when the sun is shining, for some shade, the roof can be tilted and if it starts to rain, the roof can be easily closed – what else do you need?

“If I’m going to add something to my garden, I want to be able to enjoy it all-year-round.” says this article in Chilling with Lucas and I couldn’t agree more. If I’m going to invest in a garden structure, I want to make the most out of it and these modern pergolas are the perfect example.

These can be added to the middle of your garden, patio or terrace as a stunning centrepiece retreat, creating the perfect outdoor/indoor area that you can use no matter the weather. To extend your interiors, these modern pergolas can also be attached to your property, offering you a seamless transition from indoor living to outdoor living.

Plus, as Suburban Mum mentions in this article, “Not only do these outdoor structures give your garden an interesting focal point but also increase your home’s value and add privacy.” These modern pergolas can also be used to define certain areas of your outdoors, including dining spaces and children’s play areas.

“Multi-season functionality is essential to any garden.” comments Fizzy Peaches. And that’s exactly what these modern and innovative pergolas provide – a chance to use your garden no matter the season. Even more during the current situation, when spending time outside is limited, having your own weatherproof retreat in your garden or patio is the perfect choice.

Ax

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Have you always wondered how bloggers make money? Or perhaps you’ve been dreaming about starting your own blog and want to learn how to make some extra income from it? Today, I’ve partnered up with Ad Lab, eCommerce Magento agency in London, to share some ideas on how to make money from blogging.

Create an online store.

Whether you are looking to create merchandise, want to start selling products relevant to your content or simply want to sell products that you make, creating an online store is the way to go. 

The team at Ad Lab recommend creating an online store to increase income, traffic and brand awareness. While creating a store, it’s important to make it clean and user-friendly to generate leads and increase conversions. For this, it’s essential to have a good looking website – for some inspiration, browse Ad Lab’s award winning websites at awwwards.com.

Once you’ve created your online store, don’t forget to promote it. Share it on social media, tell your blog followers and give Google Ads a try! As a Google Certified Partner, Ad Lab couldn’t recommend Google advertising more. Add your products into Google Shopping, which are the image ads that appear on top of the search results, and start selling!

Affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is a great and easy way to earn passive income says this article on Don’t Cramp My Style. And I couldn’t agree more! Plenty of companies and brands offer affiliate programmes for bloggers, content creators and other influencers to make some money by promoting their products via their own special link – every time someone purchases the products via their links, the bloggers will earn a commission

Display ads.

Running display ads on your blog is another great way of earning passive income. As Fizzy Peaches explains, these are the ads that follow you around. One of the ways of adding ads to your blog is to use Google Adsense – all you have to do is add a little piece of code to your website (which sounds more difficult than it is) and that’s it, ads that are relevant to your content will start running on your blog.

Sell your blogging skills.

As this article on Chilling with Lucas says, “If you know people who need an extra pair of hands and you know how to help them, put a price on it and earn some income.” Start by selling the skills you’ve learned from blogging, from copywriting to photography and social media managing – these are all great skills that plenty of companies and other bloggers might need help with! Add a banner or category on your blog advertising your services and don’t forget to promote them on social media.

What other ways do you use to monetise your blog?

Ax

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You’ve been scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram and keep seeing all these interiors with stunning gallery walls and beautifully arranged art – and now you want the same in your home. I mean… how could you not? 

As My Fashion Life mentions in this article, “A home is not complete until it has some pictures on the walls.” And I couldn’t agree more. Is a house truly a home when it has bare walls? Where are your family portraits or your kid’s art? And don’t say the fridge (I don’t think the fridge is the right place for any type of art but that’s a topic for another day!).

Arranging pictures on the wall is not as simple as it seems. Choosing the right placement, the right frames and the right pictures – it all takes some time and thought. Speedy Fixings, UK construction tooling supplier, recommends fitting wall plugs before hammering screws into walls for a more secure mount for your wall art. 

But before hammering anything into your walls, there are a few things to consider. A large artwork could dominate a room while “a small picture can be lost on a large wall”, explains House and Garden. So, think about the space you’ve got and the pictures you want to hang. 

Plus, if you want to arrange more than one picture or perhaps create a full gallery wall, you will have to consider the placement of each frame and how the frames work together. It might be helpful to cut draw your vision or cut some paper into the frame shapes you have and play around with them. 

Then, it’s time to drill and hang your pictures! For some extra help, Renovation Bay-Bee published an article on how to fix wall art to the wall, where she runs through the steps to attach wall plugs and screws. So, if you’re not sure how to do it, head over to her blog! 

How are you going to arrange your pictures and wall art?

Ax

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I know the first time that I asked my little one “what do you want to be when you grow up?” He looked at me very seriously and said that he wanted to fly planes. It came as no surprise as we spent a lot of time travelling and every time we were at the airport, I could see how fascinated he was looking at planes taking off and landing… Being a pilot is a dream job for many children but did you know that there are many other jobs at the airport that are as exciting as flying a plane?

Today, I’ve partnered up with Aviation Spares & Repairs, ground support equipment supplier, who provide aviation equipment for airports all across the globe. They have been doing it for years, and so, have the experience and expertise to know all the ins and outs of airports and the jobs that can be found behind the scenes.

Flight attendant.

I’m sure you know all about flight attendants, but I had to keep them on this list. Also know as cabin crew, flight attendants keep travellers safe, greet passengers as they board, provide them assistance and offer food and beverages during the flight, all of this while travelling across the world.

Aircraft maintenance crew.

As this article on Tantrums to Smiles mentions, “just like any vehicle, an aircraft needs regular maintenance (and refuelling) to ensure it is safe to fly and to keep the passengers and crew safe on board.” This is done by aircraft maintenance crew, who perform regular maintenance tasks and inspection duties.

Air traffic controller.

Air traffic controllers have a lot of responsibility and focus on safety. They help monitor and direct air planes both on the ground and in the air, guide pilots during take-off and landing plus, communicate with flight and response crews in emergency situations.

Baggage handlers.

Not a glamorous job but an essential one. Baggage handlers, as Fizzy Peaches explains in this blog post, transport cargo and luggage from the baggage handling system to the airplane. Then, baggage handlers load the luggage onto a belt loader that takes the suitcases into the plane.

Aviation meteorologist.

Aviation meteorologists provide weather predictions and forecasts for pilots and airline flight dispatchers to help them avoid bad weather and fly around storms. These aviation-specific meteorologists predict weather conditions for all altitudes, including cloud cover, precipitation and speed of wind.

Airport animal health officers.

If you think that an airport only has travellers, staff and cargo, think again. Plenty of animals travel through airport’s corridors and airport animal health officers look after them. According to Heathrow’s airport website, in 2019 their airport animal health officers took care of 8,907 dogs, 5,026 cats, 3 ferrets and 26,145,553 fish.

Ax

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