Kitchen Plans

Since we were given an american style fridge freezer (I know right?!) we've been planning a kitchen update. Our aim is to make the kitchen as functional and good looking as possible without spending a ton of money - this means we can't change the layout (apart from a fridge-oven switcheroo) but we'll be replacing the appliances and the counter tops and adding tile and open shelving.

We really want to use the most inexpensive options we can find but put them together in a way that looks good and will work well until we can do a big reno and maybe an extension in a few years time (realistically it's going to be at least 5 years until we can make big changes). We're also using it as an opportunity to try out things we always imagined we'd want in our dream kitchen - like white counters, dark floors, floor to ceiling tile, a side by side fridge freezer and a dishwasher.

We're planning on using these 15x15cm white tiles - at £3.95 a metre they are such good value. It dawned on me that if we used them like subway tile they would look more intentional and maybe really great - so I searched for 'square tiles offset pattern' on pinterest and it turns out its a thing! This was my favourite image

image - remodelista 

It has so many elements that we were already planning to use - the tile, white counters, electric hob and wood tones - I love it!

We're trying to spend as little as possible to get good quality, functional products - so we'll buy the cheapest when we can but we're ok with spending a little more if the quality isn't good. Since we're aiming to keep the existing base units our shopping list looks like this:

dishwasher - paint - counters - oven - brackets - fridge (ours is second hand but this one is a great price and so pretty) - utensil rail - tile - toaster

Things like having a dishwasher (for the first time - we are so excited!), a ton of storage, a worktop and tile that can be scrubbed clean, and a 4 slice toaster that can handle breakfast for the whole family and a stove that doesn't burn dinner will hopefully make meal times and clean up run a little quicker and make life just a little bit easier - I can't wait to get started!

March Loves

--- There are so few things that could make me happier than feeling the first moments of spring - the first time I feel warmth! The smell of the breeze! The light! Hearing the birds! Blossom! Honestly something changes in me - I love it.

--- Is anyone else watching Jane?! #teammichael 

--- We were hit with a killer stomach flu - it was the first time ever that me and Kindface went down at the same time - and it would have been the hardest - but my mum came to the rescue. She came over and looked after all of us. I didn't have a great relationship with my mum growing up but having my own kids changed everything and now I can't imagine how we would do it without her.

--- #pillowgoals

--- We've been offered a huge fridge freezer...for free! I literally can't explain how excited I am to over-organise and freezer cook for daaays. It's also given us the motivation we needed to finally to the phase 1 updates we've been planning in the kitchen - and although I always get nervous to spend money on things that we're not planning to keep long term - I can't wait to have a super functional and pretty space to cook in.

I love this quote...let's smoosh cheeks!

images

1 - all about jane - 2 pinterest - 3 - domino - 4 - h-o home

New Baby Essentials

So the baby came! His name is Leon Kalim and he's the sweetest.

It's been nearly 5 years since we last had a newborn and so much has changed! This time around when I found out I was pregnant I wanted to make sure we saved money by only buying what would be really useful - I can't tell you how helpful it was to read other bloggers lists of essentials and I loved being able to see what other mums recommended - so for any soon to be mamas, here is my list of what we used and loved.

swaddle blanket - crib - sleep suits - blanket - rocker - bottle - stroller - vest - bath support - baby gym - soothers (similar) - car seat - pram suit - changing mat - changing bag 

Everybody has their own list of essentials - things that some parents love others don't enjoy using - but if we had a do over these are the only things we would buy for a new baby.

Sleeping

1 Crib

We used a Moses basket for the girls which worked fine, was super cute and a great price, but this time a friend lent us a Chicco crib and I love it! I especially love that you can position the mattress on an incline, something that I think helped all my kids to sleep better. 

2 Sheets

I like using jersey fitted sheets when its warm and a soft blanket as a sheet in the winter. Either way I found I only really needed 2 - they wash and dry so quickly.

4 Blankets

I've found that I only ever use 4 - all the other ones we have sit in the drawer. 

2 Swaddle blankets

I bought a ton of muslin swaddle blankets but really loved using a Groswaddle that we were gifted. It was so easy to use and worked so well - I think 2 would be enough, just like sheets they wash and dry quickly. 

***we didn't use a cot, sleeping bag or baby monitor until about 3 months so although you will probably want to buy these you could definitely hold off until after the baby is born. 

Eating

6 Bottles

I combined nursing and formula feeding with all 3 of my babies - I used these Tommee Tippee bottles and didn't have any problems when I started introducing them at about a month old. Because it's advised to wash the bottles soon after using them I found 6 was enough (if you have these bottles these mugs from Ikea are the perfect size for filling with cold water to cool the milk down).

12 Muslin squares

I find that bibs don't work as well as a folded muslin square for tiny babies - milk tends to find it's way under a bib. I fold the square into a triangle, tuck it under baby's neck and drape it over their shoulders at feeding time. 

*** I use Milton fluid and a large tupperware for sterilising - I find it easier than steaming. 

*** This time I've used Hipp Organic formula - Leon hasn't had any tummy problems and I really like that it's organic and usually the cheapest option. If you use formula a milk dispenser is so useful - this Avent one is the best one I've used, it's so easy to fill and clean.

*** For nursing I highly recommend Lansinoh nipple cream and disposable breast pads from day one (these were my favourite) - both for stopping any cracking or bleeding and preventing infections. 

Clothing

14 Sleep suits

I think tiny babies look the cutest when they're all cosy in sleep suits - and they really are the easiest for constant newborn nappy changes - so I save buying outfits until about 3 months and instead just buy a stack of sleep suits - they grow so quickly so I try not to buy too many of each size - for me 14 was enough. 

14 Vests

For another warm layer for winter babies or to wear alone on hot summer days.

2 Pram suits

All my babies were born in colder months so a couple of pram suits - one to wear and one to wash - was the easiest way to make sure they were nice and warm when we ventured out.

2 Hats

For keeping winter babies warm and summer babies cool.

*** If you buy sleep suits with feet and built in scratch mitts you won't need extra socks, shoes or mitts.

Changing

2 Changing mats 

I like to keep one upstairs and one down stairs for quick and easy nappy changes.

1 Changing bag

I use a regular bag with an organiser like this one - it works great and was so much cheaper than buying a real changing bag (and easier to find one I liked in my budget). I use these hooks to attach my bag to my stroller.

Wipes

We used Huggies Pure wipes for the first couple of weeks, and then Mamia sensitive wipes from Aldi - we get through a lot of wipes and non of our babies had any problems with sensitivity so we were happy to switch to cheaper ones (I used to use these Smart Price wipes but I always needed to use 2 at a time - the Mamia ones are much thicker, I use less and it works out cheaper).

Nappies

Nappies are so much better now than they were 5 years ago! I use Aldi nappies - they are cheap and soft and except for the occasional blow out we don't have any problems with leaking even over night. 

***if you use cotton wool and water for brand new baby nappy changes, big flat cotton wool pads like these are so much easier than the little cotton balls, and filling an empty squeezey bottle with cooled boiled water is easier than filling a bowl for every change. 

Traveling

1 Stroller

For most people a buggy is the biggest investment - they can be SO expensive. If you usually use a car to get around or are planning to use a baby carrier most of the time I would really recommend buying a really good value travel system like this (most of my friends who drive have swapped their buggies for light weight fold-able pushchairs after only a couple of months because buggies are bulky and hard to get in and out of the car). But if, like me, you have to walk with your buggy every day and you are able to spend a bit more it's so worth getting one you really love and that you find easy to use. Try them out in the store and find one that you find comfortable to push (make sure the handle is high enough fir you so you don't have to stoop to push) - try folding and unfolding it and find out if it has all the features you think would be useful. 

We were so so lucky to have been given a barely used Britax B-Smart buggy by a friend. It's great and I love that the seat relines all the way so there's no need for an extra carrycot. The seat can be forward or rear facing and there is a big, easy to access basket at the bottom - perfect for walking to school and grocery shopping each day.

1 Car seat

We were also gifted our infant car seat - it attaches to our buggy which is a nice feature but honestly the infant seats are outgrown so quickly - if I was buying my own I would definitely buy a group 0-1 car seat that lasts from birth to about 4 years.

Bathing

1 Bath support

I didn't have a bath support when the girls were little but this time I have found it so so useful! Bathing a new born is tricky but a bath support made it so much easier - We have this Angelcare one and I've been recommending it to everybody! It's a bit of a luxury but it's also so useful as an extra baby seat upstairs (I just drape a blanket over it).

Baby wash

We use this one from Asda which can be used as bubble bath, soap and shampoo - for me having only one bottle makes bath time easier. 

Nail Clippers

Baby's nails grow so fast and can cause scratches for everyone - cutting them is never fun but using clippers instead of scissors when baby is asleep makes it a little easier. 

*** Hooded baby towels are nice but they can totally be skipped - regular towels work fine. A baby bath is so useful if you only have a shower but we always preferred just using our bathtub.  

Playing and Napping

1 Baby gym

Although these aren't great for tiny newborns I found that my kids have enjoyed them from about a month old. We were lent this Mama's and Papa's play mat that was super cute and great for newborn naps but we found this Baby Einstein one was much better long term (I think it's now discontinued - this one is similar). The toys are detachable, Leon loves the music and lights and now he's a bit older it's also great for tummy time.

1 Rocker

Rockers are really great for having somewhere safe to put the baby down when you need your hands free and ones with vibration are really great for soothing newborns. We got this Comfort & Harmony one for Leon because I thought it looked perfect for cradling tiny babies and it was so cute and compact - but I really wish we had gotten a Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker - we had one for the girls and although it took up more space it was soooo much better. I would really recommend getting one with different reclining positions - the one we have is too upright for a newborn and too reclined for Leon now he's bigger.

6 Soothers

Dummies aren't for everyone but I find them so useful and use them until the baby's sucking reflex cools off at about 6 months. 'Cherry shaped' soothers were the best for my kids (they would accidentally spit out the orthodontic ones). I found that 6 was enough that we could have a couple sterilising and still always find one when we needed it.

Laundry

Washing Liquid

I use biological washing powder for our clothes but use non-bio liquid for baby clothes until they are about a year old - my babies have been prone to skin rashes and I found switching to a gentle detergent prevented any irritation. 

Fabric softener

I usually skip it but because I wash baby clothes so often and usually on high temperatures I use Comfort Pure fabric softener to stop them getting too stiff - plus I love them smell!

Drying racks

Laundry really starts to pile up when you have kids and if, like me, you don't have a dryer having a good drying rack is a game changer. I invested in the Mulig ones from Ikea a couple of years ago - I have two and I love love love them, but when Leon came along I also picked up a couple of these radiator dryers from Poundland - they work great for tiny vests and sleep suits and I can have a whole load of baby clothes dry in a couple of hours. 

I'd love to hear what baby products all you seasoned professionals recommend - and a huge congratulations to any pregnant ladies reading this - you're beautiful, strong, and you're going to be an amazing mum!

THE BIGGEST MOTIVATION

SSSSOOOOOOO...after four months of morning sickness and getting over the surprise of a third pregnancy (aaaahhhhhh!) it feels like time to get the house in order...like seriously! We've been here nearly two years and there is still so much to do!

Knowing how hard it is to juggle life with a newborn and how crazy the house can get during those first few months I really want to get our house as beautiful and organised as possible before the baby comes.

The biggest priorities are the hallway and our bedroom. Having an uplifting entry and a comfortable bedroom to come home to feel like the most important things. But I'm also initiating project cozy (rugs, cushions, blankets) and project organised (shelves, baskets) and although I know that we don't have the time or money to get everything finished, I also know that doing what I can now to create a happy and comfy home will make that tiring and crazy post-partum period a little easier. 

I've made so many plans over the last few months, so instead of starting from scratch I wanted to go through all those old mood-boards and lists to help get me motivated to actually get started on some projects instead of spending more time planning (I could seriously spend my life planning!).

The plan for the whole house was to keep the decor light, textured and cozy 

And we planned for neutral and fresh colours for the walls

Our plans for the bedroom and hallway were very similar...we wanted both to be fresh, light and uncluttered

And I had made a list of what we would need to organise and make space for in the hallway

 ...we'll need space for a huge changing bag and a stroller now, but really that's all that's changed...no more planning! 

The first space we're starting on is the hall (we can't move forward with the bedroom until we have it skimmed with fresh plaster which can't happen for another few weeks) and my aim is to have it finished by my 20 week scan in two weeks time. We already have all the paint and flooring purchased and that will give us a couple of weeks to save up for a celebratory shopping trip for all the finishing touches. 

Pregnancy can be just as unpredictable as a new baby so I'm anticipating a few bumps along the road in the form of pajama days, family visits and doctors appointments - but knowing a life changing and delicious little bundle of chaos is on its way is the biggest motivator we've had since we moved into our now not-so-new house - and I really cant wait to get it a few steps closer to our dream home. 

DOUBLING OUR BUDGET

It's been 10 weeks since I challenged myself to finish 14 projects that we had either started or purchased supplies for but not completed. With only 4 weeks left I have 11 projects still on my list (seriously where did those 10 weeks go?!) - but to finish them I have to change the rules. Originally I had said that if we needed to spend more than £10 to complete a project that it would have to wait...I don't know whats happened but things are expensive! I think I've been deluding myself that everything is still at 2002 prices because I quickly realised that to finish most of these projects I would need to double my budget. I was really bummed out at first - I hate going back on something that I've said I'll stick to - but in the end I thought it was better to revise my budget than to strike half the projects off my list.

So with one month and a doubled budget I'm hoping that I can make some big progress and start making this new house feel more like home. In classic style I've got all the hardest, messiest and most time-consuming jobs still on the list:

LIVING ROOM

1 - organise toy storage

2 - repaint the floor

3 - put up curtains 

GIRLS ROOM

4 - make cushion covers

5 - add book storage

6 - add decor

KITCHEN

7 - rehang cupboard doors

8 - paint the counters

9 - lay peel and stick tile

HALL

10 - fill and sand the walls

11 - paint the walls

12 - lay peel and stick tile

13 - paint the upstairs hall floor

MASTER BEDROOM

14 - clear and organise the mountains of stuff

Here's to a busy month of dust and paint and sewing machines...cheers!

A FIRST RENTAL

One of my best friends Sara recently got married and she and her husband are about to move into their first home - it's a 1 bed, 1 bath apartment - and it's a rental.

In the UK there's a very standard 'to let look' - Magnolia walls (a peachy-yellow white that is the go to for property developers and landlords), mid-toned laminate floors and kitchens and light beige/brown carpets. It's not the most modern colour palette but it's a warm and neutral background - it's exactly what we had in the rental that became our home for the first six years of our marriage so it was fun to imagine what I would have picked if I had a do-over.

Living Room

blanket (similar, better price here) - cushion - lamp - coffee table - sofa bed

Bedroom

wardrobe - pouffe - lamp - cushion - lumbar pillow - bed - bedding

Kitchen

pot - oven dish - tea towels - glasses

Looking back, when we were first married and shopping for our first rental there were definitely things we spent too much on and other things I wish we would have invested in - so here's my thoughts on where to splurge and where to save

If I was in the US I think Ikea, Target and Craig's List could stock up a first home - and for anyone in the UK these are my absolute favourite stores when I'm shopping on a budget:

Ikea - Good for everything, especially furniture, cookware and bedding

Asda - Good for cookware, serveware, dinnerware and towels

Dunelm - Good for cookware, serveware, dinnerware, cushions, pillows and duvets

The Range - Good for cookware, serveware, dinnerware (especially plates and bowls) and picture frames

Wilkos - Good for cookware, serveware, dinnerware and bathroom stuff

They're all at a great price point and good quality - and of course Ebay and Gumtree (simelar to Craig's List) are amazing for second hand furniture and rugs.

How about you? What we're the things that you bought for your first home that have moved with you? What would you buy if you could have a do-over? What would you have saved on?

PAINT COLOURS & HOW WE MIX THEM

Sometimes I really wish I could shop in the US (I literally go to sleep and dream of shopping at Target!). World Market, Rugs USA, Trader Joe's...we're really missing out over here. The paint options in particular seem so much better - I always see the perfect colours and shades in Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore and Behr but they aren't available anywhere in the UK - so since we moved into our new house I've been dabbling in at-home-paint-mixing and it really surprised me how easy it is and how well it can turn out.

I added some of the paint colours that we were thinking of using to our whole-house-decor mood board. We wanted dark and light neutrals that would make the whole house feel cohesive even if each room was a different colour.

The most well known paint brands in the UK are Farrow and Ball, Little Greene, Crown and Dulux  - we have others and lots of great own brand ranges from shops like B&Q, Wickes and Wilkos but we don't have the colour options that are available in the US - Benjamin Moore carries around 3,400 colours - Farrow and Ball, Little Greene, Crown and Dulux combined only carry around 1,800 - so it's a little harder to find the perfect colour - especially when it comes to neutrals and muted tones.

I searched Pinterest and found great colours that matched what we were looking for from Benjamin Moore

old navy - revere pewter - pale smoke - creamy white - white dove - kendall charcoal

...but I couldn't find just the right shades from a brand I could purchase in the UK.

I've tried a few different brands in our old rental and in our new house and my personal favourites are Dulux and B&Q. The quality of both these brands is great - I love Dulux kitchen + and B&Q Everwhere Paint - both come in a soft matt finish but are still wipable (the only thing I don't like about Dulux paints is that mixed-in-store colours differ slightly from the testers and colour cards - for me they've always come out lighter and in some cases cooler).

After trying what felt like hundreds of testers I wasn't able find the colours we wanted. I tried picking the closest match but after we painted the walls the rooms always felt just slightly too dark or cold and the classic/cozy/warm backdrop I was trying to create just wasn't happening.

The first paint we mixed was the place-holder colour we used in the livingroom. It was cheap paint and we knew we would be painting over it soon so it was a great time to experiment. We just mixed a roughly 50/50 mix of white and colour - it turned out great and gave us the confidence to try mixing more expensive paints to create the colours we had been searching for.

For smaller amonts of paint I measure out the weight of the paint in a clean tin or jar on my kitchen scales and stir them together with a long spoon - this method is great if you are mixing testers right up to mixing about a liter of paint (enough for a small bathroom or feature wall). For bigger projects I use whole tins (so I go by the measurements on the tin instead of weighing on the scales) - and use a paddle mixer (I use this one) attached to my electric drill and a large plastic tub for mixing (you can mix the paint in a smaller container - just be careful of the spray that it creates) - this mixes bigger amounts of paint quickly and saves you from an intense upper arm workout.

Here are the colours we've used (and some we are planning on using soon) in our house

Greige - Living-Dining Room - Top middle

We loved Farrow & Ball Ammonite with our cool toned mid grey sofa but at £138 for the amount of paint we needed it was pretty pricey. We tried to find a match for it in a cheaper brand but greige tones are hard to find this side of the Atlantic - every tester we tried was either to blue or cold or too much of a true beige. I grabbed two of the testers we had tried (Polished Pebble and Natural Hessian - both from Dulux) and mixed them 50/50 - they came out exactly the tone we wanted - a really neutral warm grey. We ordered them from B&Q during a 2-for-1 sale so 10 liters of paint only set us back £50...score! When it was on the walls it read a little too beige so we mixed in some more grey - our finished colour is close to a 3 parts Polished Pebble to 2 parts Natural Hessian. It turned out almost exactly the same colour as Ammonite and I think it looks simelar to Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter.

Cream - Future Bedroom - Top left

When we finish our bedroom we'd love it to be full of layered neutrals and we think warm cream walls would be the perfect background to lots of wood tones and plush textiles. We tried mixing the leftover paint from the livingroom (we have about 5 liters left) 50/50 with white and it turned out just right - I think it's close to Benjamin Moore Creamy White.

Pale Grey-Off White - Hallway and Kitchen - Top right

This is a Dulux colour called Mineral Haze 4 - we didn't mix it. Although it didn't turn out exactly the colour of the tester (which was a slightly warmer tone) it's still a great clean white that we hope will keep the small hallway and kitchen as light and bright as possible. I thinks it's similar to Benjamin Moore Dove White.

Dark Grey - Bathroom - Bottom middle

We were going for something similar to Kendall Charcoal and after trying out 10 or so grey testers for the bathroom and not finding one that was just right we chose Dulux Urban Obsession but lightened it a shade by mixing 2 parts colour to 1 part white (for example 500g urban obsession + 250g white). It turned out exactly how we wanted it - deep but still fresh, not too dark and without any green or brown tones.

Pale Blue -  Girls Room - Bottom left

This is the colour the girls chose for their room - it's called Celestial Cloud 5 (another Dulux colour). It turned out the same tone but lighter than the tester - I think it looks similar to Benjamin Moore Pale Smoke.

White - Trim, Doors and Guest Room - Bottom right

In the UK when you say white everyone thinks of the same thing - Pure Brilliant White. It's as white as you can get - no pigment at all - not cool or warm - just white white white. This is what we've been using for the trim, doors and ceilings in every room and also for the walls in the guest room. My favourite for trim is this one and my favourite for ceilings and walls (and mixing) is this one.

Sometimes it takes a while to find the perfect mix - and I've never tried mixing really bright colours - but after seeing how easy it can be - and being really happy with the colours we've been able to create  - I would definitely recommend mixing paint at home as an option for anyone struggling to find a particular shade.

Anyone got any tips for finding their perfect colour? I'd love to hear them!