Category: Home

Review: Simba Hybrid Pillow

We were sent a Simba Hybrid Pillow for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

A little while ago I upgraded my sleeping situation and added a Simba Hybrid mattress topper to my bed. It’s been an absolute dream to sleep on and my bad back has been less bad since the Simba mattress topper came into my life. Now that summer has passed, my thoughts go once again to building a cosy nest for me to hibernate in this winter, so the next logical thing to do was to upgrade to a Simba Hybrid Pillow.

The Simba Hybrid Pillow is, well, it’s really fancy. It’s like the racing car of pillows. It’s stuffed with little blue foam cubes (which they call nanocubes) which you can take out or put back in so your pillow gets to your preferred height. It feels like a gimmick, but it’s actually really clever.

Review: Simba Hybrid Pillow

The nanocubes are in a cotton cover, which is inside a removable quilted cover, which makes your pillow extra comfy. The pillow is designed for comfort, it keeps cool and the nanocubes mean you can add more or remove some until you get the perfect pillow for you.

Review: Simba Hybrid Pillow

The Simba Hybrid Pillow comes in a reusable storage bag and there’s also a small bag where you can keep your excess nanocubes. The pillow arrives fully stuffed with the cubes, and then you remove as many or as few as you want. I’ve taken a couple of handfuls out, I like a not too tall, but not too flat pillow, which makes me the Goldilocks of pillow enjoyers.

Review: Simba Hybrid Pillow

It’s not too soft, or too firm, you can adjust the height and it is designed to be cool and comfortable. The Simba Hybrid Pillow has (according to the Simba website) Stratos cool-touch tech, which means that one side of the pillow is cool, for those who prefer not to get too hot and bothered in bed. This is music to my perimenopausal ears, as regulating my temperature at night is starting to be a distant dream.

Review: Simba Hybrid Pillow

Having spent most of my life sleeping on cheap mattresses and buying budget bedding, it feels good to be treating myself to some quality bedding. I know it’s making a difference to me and my bad back, whenever I stay in a hotel or sleep in a not quite as good as mine is bed, I can feel it the next day. As I get older and creakier in my bones, I’m increasingly of the opinion that if you spend 1/3 of your day, or night in bed, then it’s worth investing in the good stuff. Simba have created a guide to UK bed sizes, for those looking to invest in a new bed.

Review: Simba Hybrid Pillow

My precious pillows were not cheap, but have flattened out and I’d started to wake up with a sore neck or a headache. I was very ready for an upgrade. I’ve slept on my new pillow for a few nights now and I’ve woken up feeling fresh, with no neck aches or grumpiness, which makes a nice change. The Simba Hybrid Pillows are currently £109 on the Simba website, but if you like me are forever searching for a not to soft, not too hard, just right pillow, then this might be the right way to go.

Bed

For this fussy little Goldilocks girl, I’m glad I’ve found my happily ever after pillow. I’m not quite Sleeping Beauty now, but I am whichever fairytale princess it is that wakes up without a stiff neck and a case of the bad sleep grumps. I just need to find myself a frog to kiss now.

Review: Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper

We were sent a Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

I’ve lately been looking at my bedroom and feeling like it needed a spring clean and a refresh. Though my bed was comfy, it wasn’t necessarily as cosy as could be and I just wanted to change up some of my furnishings, get new bedding and just make it feel like a space for myself.

A little over ten years ago I had a few back surgeries, so my bed not only needs to be comfy and cosy, but it also needs to be supportive, and not too hard or too soft. I’m like Goldilocks when it comes to what I can sleep on, anything not quite perfect for me can increase my pain levels, worsen the numbness in my legs, or it can affect my mobility. I’d heard good things about the Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper, so I was excited to give it a try.

Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper

I bought my current mattress a couple of years ago, and it was holding up well against my nightly tossings and turnings, as well as occasionally being used as a trampoline by the smallest member of the household, but a mattress topper can not only make your mattress more comfortable, but it can also extend its life. Buying a mattress can be a significant financial investment, so prolonging its life with a mattress topper seems like a worthwhile investment.

Mattress makers Simba have a range of products apart from mattresses to help you sleep easier at night, including temperature regulating pillows and duvets, and this next generation memory foam topper, which is breathable and doesn’t make you overheat in the same way that traditional memory foam mattresses and toppers can do.

Simba

The Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper uses Simbatex® memory foam to keep you cooler and more cushioned, as well as up to 2,500 Aerocoil® springs. It also includes a removable, washable cover. Nevertheless, I did cover it in a mattress protector, because you can never be too careful.

Simba

Putting the Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper to the test

The mattress topper arrives in a large box, and I’m not going to lie, it’s heavy. Reassuringly heavy. The box has some cut out handles on the side, which makes it easier to carry up the stairs. If like me you’ve got a bad back, please don’t attempt this, please do recruit someone else to do the carrying. My 13 year old brought it upstairs for me and we unpacked it together.

Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper

The mattress comes rolled up and vacuum sealed in a plastic bag. Once you cut open the bag it starts to puff up to the shape you want. It’s best to pull it into position on your bed while it inflates, for want of a better word.

Each corner of the topper has an elastic strap which you hook under your mattress to secure it in position. Once it’s in place, then it’s ready to use. As you can see, we got to testing it straight away.

Simba

The topper probably adds around two inches of height to my bed, so that’s worth noting and it does take a little getting used to that change in height. It is incredibly comfortable, it’s soft but still firm enough for me. It doesn’t make my hips ache, which a lot of not quite right beds do for me, so that’s an excellent sign. I have felt like I was having a better quality of sleep, and my Fitbit app is telling me that I’m waking up less in the night since we made up the bed a week ago.

Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper

It comes with a 200 night trial and a 10 year guarantee, but within three nights I had very much made my mind up that this was a keeper and my son was also asking for one for his bed.

My double Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper currently costs £289 with free delivery on the Simba website. I’m already seeing the benefits in terms of sleep quality and comfort, and I think now I’ve tried it, I don’t think my bed, my back and I will ever be without it.

Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper

How we brightened up our home with an Elesi table lamp

We were sent an Elesi table lamp for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Now that the clocks have gone back, like many people, I’ve thrown my curtains open and the fresh spring light has shown my house to be in need of a spring clean, and if I’m honest, a bit of a spruce up. Although it’s tempting to throw everything out and start again from scratch, I often find that a few new key accessories are enough to make a living space feel refreshed and renewed. A new rug, some fresh house plants, or a new lamp can really make a home feel transformed.

We gave our living room a real spring clean. Together we dusted, scrubbed and vacuumed the dark corners. We buffed the windows clean, steam cleaned the curtains and then turned our attention to the accessories. A couple of new house plants breathed life into a dark corner, some fresh flowers in a vase and a new table lamp were all it took to take our living space from cosy and dark winter, to fresh spring sunshine.

Elesi table lamp

Choosing from the range of beautiful floor and table lamps on the Elesi website, I opted for the Covaleda Black and Gold Tripod Table Lamp, a stylish statement lamp with real flair. It is gorgeous and it’s really caught the eye of everyone who has visited over the last few days. It’s had admiring glances from everyone!

The Covaleda table light has a large pivoting black lampshade with a gold lining, this sits on top of a black wooden, height adjustable tripod base, finished with brushed brass details. The round black metal element in the centre of the lampshade provides a cosy dispersed light when illuminated, and the lamp is easily be switched on and off using the easy to reach switch.

Elesi table lamp

Ordering online from Elesi was easy. The website was easy to search and navigate and my lamp arrived really well packed and wrapped in bubble-wrap. When it arrived, it was very simple to put together. All the parts are supplied, apart from the lightbulb, which was an E27 LED bulb, and they are very widely available.

If you’re enamoured with the styling, and I really am, a companion floor lamp is also available on the website.

The Elesi table lamp is a beautiful lamp, which looks great in my living room. It’s a beautiful lamp to sit by of an evening, with a book and a nice cuppa. It gives a lovely warm light, which doesn’t dazzle, but does throw plenty of light to read by.

Elesi table lamp

The Elesi website is full of beautiful electrical accessories and other items to make you home beautiful. From sockets and switches, to indoor and outdoor lighting, and a full range of LED bulbs. The Elesi website has everything electrical you’ll need, if you’re doing a full renovation, or just a small spring refresh. Plus it’s full of beautiful things, like my new lamp!

Tips for preparing for a planned power cut

Most of us at some point or other will have experienced a power cut at home, these usually last a fairly short amount of time, and things usually bounce back quite quickly. I think most people have a torch or a candle and matches tucked away for these rare occasions, but I feel like I need to listen to my inner prepper this winter and make a few plans, just in case.

Here in the UK, there’s talk of there possibly, maybe, possibly being planned power cuts over the next few months in a bid to conserve our supplies of electricity.

Tips for preparing for a planned power cut

I’m naturally a bit “careful” with our energy usage anyway, and if I’m alone and not doing anything that needs light, I’m happy to sit in the dark with a flickering candle. I find it quite relaxing now. At this time of year, I’m usually under a blanket and the heating stays off as long as we can stand it.

At least if the power cuts are planned, then we can make ourselves ready for them. I’m big on preparation, so here’s my plan, just in case the worst does happen and we are without power for a few hours on a regular basis. Hopefully you might find something useful in this list too.

27 tips for preparing for a planned power cut

Turn off the plugs to appliances when you have a power cut. When it comes back on there may be surges which could blow your electrical appliances. Also buy surge protectors and plug appliances into them.

Put a few extra candles in holders and have lanterns dotted around the house. I do this anyway, in case of an impromptu power cut.

Get some battery powered decorative lights and use those for ambient light. These are especially useful in hallways etc, where you a bit of light to see where you’re moving about.

Battery powered camping lanterns are great if you have children or pets, or both. We have ones which you can dim if you need a lower or higher light.

If you’re worried about naked flames and children or animals, fasten a head torch around an empty and clean plastic 2 litre milk carton filled with water and switch the torch on. It’s very safe and the bottle helps to diffuse the light around the room, making it much more effective.

Tips for preparing for a planned power cut

For a more ambient light, you can snap a glow stick and drop it into a clean and empty plastic milk bottle. The glow sticks will last several hours and the kids could even draw faces or pictures on the bottles with a marker pen to make them more decorative.

My son loves a head torch, so we have a few of those to hand as he feels more comfortable if he has one of those in the dark.

Don’t open the fridge and freezer unless you really have to. The contents should be ok for a few hours, but will quickly thaw if you decide to rummage in the freezer while the electric is off.

If you know a power cut is coming, make a flask or two of your favourite hot drinks to keep you warm and hydrated.

Similarly, a flask of soup will warm you up and fill you up too.

If you can prepare ahead, a slow cooker full of stew will keep hot for several hours after it’s been switched off, and a hearty stew is a godsend if you’re cold.

If you have time, a hot water bottle or two can help keep you cosy.

Make sure anything requiring a charge, like your mobile phone, is fully charged up.

Remember, most mobile phones have a torch option, which is usually very bright. If you get stuck, you can always use this for a few minutes without running your phone battery down too much.

I’ve bought some small wind up torches for us to carry in our bags, so if the streetlights go out, we have the ability to light our winter walk home.

Invest in a power pack, these are great for charging phones up and other devices in a pinch.

Make sure you have a packet or two of spare batteries.

Tips for preparing for a planned power cut

Get some blankets and throws ready to snuggle under.

Extra layers of clothing are great for keeping warm. A cardigan or jumper can make all the difference.

Always wear socks.

If it gets very cold, it’s fine to wear hat, scarf and gloves in the house. When working from home, I’ve been known to wear fingerless gloves while I type.

You can reduce heat loss by closing the doors on unused rooms and by closing the curtains too. I tuck my curtains behind my radiator as a force of habit.

If you have an open fire or a wood burner, make sure you have a good stock of kiln dried wood or fuel at the ready. Don’t forget the matches too! You can read about how to store wood for burning here.

Keep busy. You’ll feel the cold more if you’re sat still waiting for the power to come on. Take the dog for a walk, clean the oven by candlelight, play games with the family, have a disco by torchlight.

I know my son will want to build a cosy den in the lounge and sleep in it. He has a pop up tent he can get cosy in if he wants. The enclosed tent is easier to warm up and keep cosy, especially in a draughty room.

A battery powered or wind up radio is a good way to keep in touch with the outside world and keep you occupied and entertained too.

Snuggle with your loved ones for warmth, or go to bed and have an early night, or both. If you’ve got a pet like a cat or a dog, this is a great time to give them a cuddle.

Whether you’re lighting candles or a wood burner, it’s important to be safe and think about the risk of fire. Extinguish all candles and alternative heating sources before you go to sleep and air the room regularly to let in oxygen.

National charity Contact are encouraging parents of children with disabilities or who people rely on medical equipment to sign up to the Priority Services Register ahead of possible power cuts this winter. Contact your energy supplier directly to join their register. You will get priority support in an emergency — some may arrange heating and cooking facilities too. Read more about the Priority Services Register and where to get help with energy bills on Contact’s website. Visit their cost of living advice page for the latest information on support with household costs.

Hopefully none of the anticipated power cuts will happen and all of my forward planning will have been for nothing. I’m hoping if they do happen, they will be short term and I’ll be able to spin it within my household as a glorious adventure and an opportunity for some screen free family time.

In the meantime, I will continue to be “careful” or tight, as others might call it with my energy use. I know some of the things I’ve listed above I’ll be doing anyway, especially if it’s just me in the house.

Good luck!

Tips for preparing for a planned power cut

The Ultimate Autumn Bucket List

Autumn is my favourite season. It’s all about cosy jumpers, roaring fires, long walks kicking through the fallen leaves and everything pumpkin. It’s a season packed with fun things; from Halloween to Bonfire night and conker season to pumpkin picking. There’s a lot going on, so I’ve created this awesome Autumn bucket list of things to do this season so we don’t miss a thing.

The Ultimate Autumn Bucket List

My Ultimate Autumn Bucket List

Go apple picking

Bake an apple pie with your family

Go bat watching at dusk

Make clay tree faces

Collect some conkers – apparently putting conkers in your house keeps spiders away, I’m not entirely convinced this works.

Have a game of conkers

Dress up for Halloween

Gather seeds to plant next spring

Go for an autumn walk and kick through the leaves

Go stargazing in your garden, wrap yourselves up in blankets and drink hot chocolate whilst gazing at the stars.

Decorate the house for Halloween

Put together a hot chocolate station, marshmallows, squirty cream, your favourite chocolate toppings and sprinkles, go for it!

Make some Halloween chocolate bark

Do some leaf crafts with the family

Autumn Leaf Crafts: Simple Autumn Leaf Faces

Have a go at leaf printing or leaf rubbing

Make a bug hotel in the garden and give your garden critters somewhere cosy to spend the winter

Collect some leaves and make autumn leaf crowns

Make hot apple juice

Bake a pumpkin pie with your family

Visit a pumpkin patch and pick some pumpkins

Carve some spooky pumpkins

Go out for pumpkin spice lattes

Toast marshmallows or make smores

Play with torches to create spooky shadows

Go for a torchlight walk

Make a batch of treacle toffee

Visit a farm and watch a combine harvester at work

Watch Hocus Pocus on Halloween

What are you up to this autumn? We’ve got lots of plans for pumpkin picking, leaf crafts, long walks and so much hot chocolate. The bat watching season is in full swing and we even spotted some in our garden last night. What’s on your autumn bucket list?

The Ultimate Autumn Bucket List

How we slay stains and keep our clothes bright

Disclaimer: We were sent a selection of stain removal products for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

We’re an average family, but perhaps an above average family when it comes to the amount of stains we find on our clothes. The washing machine is on most days and over the years we’ve developed tried and tested techniques for slaying stains.

There may only be three of us in the house, but we are a bunch of mucky pups. With an 8 year old in the house, his clothes are always covered in various foods he’s eaten that day; mud, grass stains, paint, felt tip, glue, everything and anything. My husband is a printer, and whilst it’s a much cleaner industry than it used to be, he’s often sloshing ink and chemicals over himself. Me, well I’m a grease-monkey. Baking and cooking every day mean my tops often have grease spots and splatters on them. I know I should wear an apron, but I don’t. As a result my clothes bear the brunt of the worse of it.

How we slay stains and keep our clothes bright

With my grease spots I’ve learnt to keep a small bottle of washing up liquid in my bedroom. I’ll squirt a bit of washing up liquid on my grease stains before throwing them in the laundry basket. I only wear cotton clothes and for the most part I’m not that precious about what I wear. What I’m saying is, don’t do this to your best silk blouse.

My husbands chemical soaked clothes are often washed separately at a fairly high temperature. The wash that goes in after that wash is usually something we’re not too precious about; dog bedding or old towels used to dry a soggy dog after a walk in the rain maybe.

How we slay stains and keep our clothes bright

My son’s clothes; a glorious collection of school uniform, cubs uniform, martial arts kit, PE kit, swimming gear and whatever clothes he wears in between. Well that’s a mixture of fabrics which often need a deal more special attention than my collection of grease splattered cotton tops.

His clothes often need more delicate handling, specialist stain removers and a bit more TLC. We’ve tried a lot of different stain removers over the years, some smell too strong, too chemically or too weird. Some just aren’t up to the job. My son is especially gifted at staining his clothes.

For the last few months we’ve been using some of the ACE Stain Remover range and honestly, they’ve ticked all the right boxes. Gentle on the clothes but tough on the stains. For individual stains, the ACE Multi-Purpose Spray and the ACE Power Mousse are really powerful. Plus they can be used around the house too. Kind of a two in one deal. Personally I like to save them for tackling the terrible state of his school shirts.

How we slay stains and keep our clothes bright

For more general stain removal and brightening whites and colours which are dulled by general grime; ACE for Whites and ACE for Colours are really effective and don’t have that bleachy smell that some laundry brighteners can have.

Whenever you encounter a stain, it’s always best to act as soon as you can so it doesn’t fix in the garment. Dabbing it or scrapping off any dried on food is a good start. Most stains need to be treated in special ways; but for general food, mud, and glass stains, a general stain remover is usually enough to tackle the trail of baked beans down a white school shirt.

What are your top tips for stain removal?

How we slay stains and keep our clothes bright

How to store logs and keep them dry for winter

When we moved into our house in 2011, one of the things I loved the most about it was our open fire. It’s such a cosy feature and we love to sit round it in the winter; we sometimes even toast marshmallows on it. Most of our friends have had log burners or open fires put into their homes, so talking about how to store logs and season them is a surprisingly regular topic of conversation.

Our open fire is a relatively cheap source of heat. We get most of our logs from a gardener friend and all we need to do is season them before they’re put on the fire. Seasoning wood just means you need to dry it out. You don’t need to do anything more exciting to it than chop it up into the size you need, stack it up somewhere to dry out and then leave it for around two years. The amount of time you need to leave it depends on the kind of wood it is, but two years is a decent length of time.

How to store logs and keep them dry for winter

For the last seven years our wood has been stacked up in a small shed which came with the house. About a year ago the roof collapsed and the sides rotted and so it was time for a new place to store logs while they dried. We were keen to get something specifically designed to store logs, something which would allow the air to circulate around the wood and dry it out, whilst looking neat and tidy too.

When you’re buying a log store of your own, it’s important to make sure it has slatted sides and a raised slatted floor to allow the air to flow freely through the log pile. Good dry wood will give you a higher heat output and the wood will leave less tar and residue in your stove or chimney. We get our chimney swept every year and our sweep always compliments us on the lack of tar build up. If you burn wood which isn’t dry enough, the build up of tar could be a fire hazard. The tar could also make your chimney or log burner smoke inside the house, which isn’t great either.

How to store logs and keep them dry for winter

We’ve replaced our rotten old shed with a lovely solidly built log store. It’s from Gardensite and is made in Dorset from Swedish Redwood. The log store is guaranteed against rot for 15 years. We opted for the Melbury log store, it’s a nice classic design which would look unobtrusive in the garden. You can choose to have it delivered ready made, or flat-packed. We chose the flat-pack option and it took less than half an hour to put together.

We’ve put ours in our side yard and it takes up less space than the old shed, but somehow manages to hold more wood. We have given the log store a couple of treatments with creosote; we will make sure to treat it regularly to keep the wood in good condition. I am so pleased with the quality of the log store, we’ve already filled it with logs to dry out for this winter.

How to store logs and keep them dry for winter

Once our wood has been seasoned for at least two years, it is ready to burn. What we do is we have two baskets for wood in the house; one by the fire ready for burning and one in the pantry, so it gets to dry out inside the house a little more before burning. We know this two basket arrangement isn’t really necessary, but it does mean that if it’s raining there is extra wood in the house and no-one needs to get rained on to fill a basket.

How to store logs and keep them dry for winter

  • Stack logs neatly making sure they are raised off the ground a little.
  • Make sure air can flow in and out of your log pile, a log store with slatted sides is ideal for this.
  • Locate your log store in a sheltered spot, somewhere out of the wind and sheltered from the elements a little.
  • Think ahead. You can either buy seasoned or unseasoned wood. If you’re buying unseasoned wood, you will need to store it and season it yourself for a couple of years. Seasoned wood will still need to be stored appropriately to stop it getting too wet again.

If you’ve got a log burner or an open fire, it’s important to put some thought into where and how you will store and season your logs ready for winter. Where do you store your logs and kindling?

How to store logs and keep them dry for winter

Disclosure: We were sent the Melbury log store from Gardensite for inclusion in this blog post. All images and opinions are our own.

Holiday Memories: Vintage Style Cornish Art Posters

I’ve been holidaying in Cornwall since I was a baby. Cornwall has a way of getting under your skin and making you fall in love with it. Whenever I’ve visited Cornwall I’ve always picked up momentoes to remember the wide blue skies, rugged scenery and clean sandy beaches once I get home. One thing I’ve been wanting to bring home for a while has been a vintage style Cornish art poster. Artist John Dyer specialises in these. If you’ve ever visited Cornwall, you will almost certainly have seen his work on display somewhere.

The vintage style Cornish art poster I chose features a print from the well-known and acclaimed Cornish artist Joanne Short. Working with her husband and fellow artist John Dyer, Joanne has spent much of the last 25 or so years travelling around Cornwall and painting the stunning sights that she sees. You can buy their original paintings and prints in The John Dyer Gallery in Cornwall and they have recently launched their new range of affordable vintage style framed art posters.

Holiday Memories: Vintage Style Cornish Art Posters

We visit Cornwall several times a year as a family. Last year we spent a wonderful weekend in Rock as guests of Sharp’s Brewery and Chef, Nathan Outlaw. It was such a special weekend that I wanted something to remember it by. When I spotted this beautiful Vintage Style Seaside Cornish Art Poster by Joanne Short of the Camel Estuary, Rock in Cornwall I had to have it.

This colourful print reminded me so much of that wonderful weekend. I especially liked that it wasn’t the standard Padstow Harbour scene. The print came beautifully framed and looks fabulous in my light, bright kitchen; it really lifts my spirits every time I look at it.

The framed A3 sized print costs just £45 and I’m delighted with it. The white frame really helps the colourful print “pop” out. I love how the pools of water shimmer on the soft sand and how they’re beautifully framed by the elegant flowers in the Cornish hedgerow. Looking at it, you can almost smell the fresh sea air!

Holiday Memories: Vintage Style Cornish Art Posters

I love my Cornish art print so much; I think I’m going to buy a few different prints and make a feature wall of them. That way when I look at them I can remember all the wonderful holidays we’ve had and all the beautiful places we’ve visited.

For more information, or if you want to buy a print of your own visit The John Dyer Gallery’s website.

I was sent this Vintage Style Cornish Art print in return for this review. All images and opinions are our own.

Review: A New Stylish Slate House Number

There are many ways for your home to make a great first impression; an attractive front door, pots of flowers, a neatly swept path and an easy to read and stylish house number or nameplate.

Since moving to our home seven years ago, we’ve been slowly changing things to how we want them to be. The house has just been freshly painted throughout; the avocado downstairs loo is still on the to do list and this week, we finally put up a slate house number. We’ve been numberless since we moved in, visitors have for seven years been counting down the houses to find us. But the days of receiving texts saying “I can’t find your house” are hopefully now over.

Giveaway & Review: A New Stylish Slate House Number

We ordered our slate house number from The House Name Plate Company. They have been handcrafting house signs and numbers for over 30 years from their workshop in North Wales. I love a slate house number, we had one in our old house and we’ve been meaning to get a new one made up for years.

They have a huge range of signs, and numbers; available in many different colours and in materials such as natural slate, cast brass and aluminium, hand fired ceramic, solid granite and contemporary acrylic. It’s so easy to order; just choose your preferred sign or number style and use the online sign builder to preview and order your own house sign or number.

My sign arrived within a couple of days and was well packaged. We’d chosen a smooth slate and needed two digits engraving onto it. It cost just £20.99 plus £3 postage and packing. The slate came with all the fixings too, so all we needed was a drill with a masonry bit and ten minutes to put it up.

It looks so smart now and really finishes off the front of the house. Even the postman has said very complimentary things about it. I have no idea why it took us seven years to order and put up our house number plate!

To see the full range of house number and name plates, visit The House Name Plate Company website.

Giveaway & Review: A New Stylish Slate House Number

Disclosure: I was sent a slate house number in exchange for this review. All images and opinions are my own.

Review: Fantastic Services – professional cleaning

We’ve been without a cleaner for well over a year now. We’ve haphazardly tried to tackle this much hated chore by ourselves, but for some months now I’ve shuffled around the house trying not to look too carefully at the dusty corners and the dirty marks on the walls. A couple of times a year we like to properly blitz the place. One of those times is before the Christmas tree goes up. So this week we bit the bullet and booked a three-hour spruce up and scrub of our home from Fantastic Services.

Review: Fantastic Services - professional cleaning

It was ridiculously easy to book cleaning services through the Fantastic Services website. You just enter your details and what you need doing and the website comes up with a quote and a selection of time-slots for you to choose from. It’s as easy as that. If you get stuck there’s a live chat option too.

I have a large lounge and big kitchen to clean, as well as bedrooms and bathrooms, so I opted to have two cleaners come for a three-hour slot to properly blitz the place. This costs £78 but for a big deep clean it was really worth it.

I had a tidy up a declutter before the cleaners arrived. Having a seven-year old means my house often resembles a toy assault course, so I think it’s only polite to have a tidy up. There was no need for me to leave out any cleaning products or anything, they brought everything they needed with them.

Review: Fantastic Services - professional cleaning

The cleaners arrived bang on time and they were really lovely. I gave them a tour of the house, outlined what I needed them to do and I just left them to it. I sat working in my office as they cracked on with cleaning my house.

After the three hours were up I went to chat to them and have a look at how they’d got on. Everything I’d asked them to do they had done. They’d even cleaned things I’d stopped noticing; like my kitchen bin and that corner of my bedroom where all the spiders live. I think all cleaners are different and have slightly different things they like to focus on. We were very happy with their work and I think my house looked about 300% better for having them visit.

I think Fantastic Services offer a really easy to use, well priced service. For a one-off clean (which I had) it was £13 per person per hour. There were no booking fees or extras added on top and they brought their own cleaning products and equipment.

Review: Fantastic Services - professional cleaning

Fantastic Services offer a wide range of services including regular and one-off cleans; gardening and landscaping; pest control and handyman services. They’ll even get you a Christmas tree and decorate it for you! They’re really easy to book and pay for online. The cleaners they sent me were very professional and did a great job. I’ll be booking them again!

Here’s a FANTASTIC Discount Code for you to use! Use the code “HodgePodge10” to get £10 off your first booking. Does not apply to regular domestic cleaning and Christmas services. Cannot be combined with other deals and promotions. Min charges apply. Subject to availability and area coverage.

We received a complimentary clean from Fantastic Services in return for an honest review. All images and opinions are our own.