As I'm typing this, I'm watching 'How Clean is your House?'. I know I've mentioned the show before, but I think there is allot to be learned from these shows to show how quickly a house can get so out of control that it poses a health threat. Not that a bit of dirt is dangerous, but a buildup of dirt, dust and damp is. Most people who's houses are dirty say things like "I'm not unclean, I'm just untidy" or "I actually hate living in an unclean house" and "It's so bad I don't know where to sta... Read Full Story

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend. Mr L & I are trying to be healthy at the moment, and through our attempts we've stumbled upon some interesting information regarding cooking with oils (perhaps you already know this). We use to just drizzle some virgin olive oil in all or pans, thinking we were being healthy... aaah, but it turns out that virgin olive oil is not always the healthier better choice... it all depends on what temperature you'll be cooking your food at. If you overheat... Read Full Story

A day late I know, but I hope you all had a good weekend, and that for those of you who partake in Halloween festivities, that you had a fun time.This year we hosted our very first Halloween party at our house. But let me tell you, Mr L and I are not party-throwing people, we're more the small dinner party sorts. But this year we were very social and threw a Halloween party for about 20 people and 5 kids... all squeezed into our lounge/dining room. I was planning for weeks, and by the time th... Read Full Story

When I initially moved to the UK I always laughed at how you get asked if you would like a cup of tea as soon as you step into someone house. You see, in South Africa, as I suspect in many other countries, you just offer people 'a drink' or you 'go for coffee' at a coffee shop.I've been in the UK for almost 5 years now, and on Thursday this week I received my British Citizenship...and I'm glad to report that I can indeed make a good cup of tea, and I now too automatically offer people tea whe... Read Full Story

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend, I've been cleaning, crafting (for Halloween), shopping and sewing. My reason for doing shopping and sewing was because we are re-colouring our bedroom. The colour choices you make in a house is not only a reflection of you, but can affect your moods, and dramatically change how a room 'feels'. I'll start off with my bedroom story, and then I'll move onto some more information that you could apply yourself, so here goes:One thing that has bothered me... Read Full Story

Hello! I'm back after having a wonderful time with my mum visiting us here in the UK. We went sightseeing in Oxford, relaxed at a spa, then had afternoon tea in the Cotswolds and finished the visit with a trip to Windsor Castle... all in 5 days! More on the Windsor Castle visit later.For now, here is the TOTW - Tip of the Week: Storing Boots.When not wearing boots, try not to let them flop over, it will make creases in the leather or suede and will generally distort the shape. You can of cour... Read Full Story

I hope you're all having a good weekend! I'm doing some cleaning and organising because in 4 days time I'm picking my mum up from the airport. She's visiting us for 5 short days from South Africa, and when my mum comes to visit I always make sure the house is super-tidy and clean.So part of my sorting out has led to me re-organising my make-up.I love make-up, not because I like buying cosmetics, but because I honestly think I look better with a bit of foundation, mascara and a bit of pink on ... Read Full Story

Have you ever needed to buy a tablecloth, but you were unsure what size to get, not to mention if it's the correct size for the correct occasion? Well, so it's not something most people worry about as such, but I think it's a handy thing to know in home keeping. So here's a rough guide to help you find your perfect tablecloth. After all, after freshly laundered crisp bedlinen, a crisp tablecloth can really make any day feel extra special!Breakfast or lunch tablecloths ought to hang over the e... Read Full Story

As promised, here is my post about mould... and boy have I had enough of mould. Maybe you don't or never have had a mould problem in your home, but please dear blogging friends, I urge you to read on and be prepared for when it might strike. Mould and damp is so destructive... but not to fear... it can be dealt with!So I've mentioned previously that we had a water pipe burst - the water ran down through the ceiling, and down the back of the kitchen cupboards. This only happened for what we th... Read Full Story

Welcome to my new weekly posts that I'll be doing on top of my regular longer posts. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I no longer have the time to do a long post three times or even twice a week, so I thought a great way of making sure I post at least once a week is to have a quick weekly tip post. Suggestions of things you would like covered are welcome.I'm starting off with storing cheese only because I recently got an email with household hints saying that cheese is best stored in a... Read Full Story