Wall Art, Posters and Framed Prints - For the Home

(AD) Having just decorated a third of our house, we are still in the midst of adding some finishing touches, trying to combine hanging framed prints and our wall art between working from home, zoom meetings, ensuring the cats get some attention and trying to find time to relax is quite time consuming, especially as we still want to decorate the kitchen this year as it looks a little tired and dated - the bedroom can wait!

When it comes to wall art, thankfully the mister and I both have similar tastes , whilst we would both love to own some original pieces by Dali, it is not a position we are likely to ever be in, so we tend to stick to the more abstract wall art pieces and he has even taken up painting himself, so around the house we plan to display some of those pieces.  We did look at using Bumblejax Acrylic Photo Block as as way to show off some of our art work, I love that they can change the look of your works of art to 3D giving you the option to hang them or stand them on mantlepieces, book cases or even shelves around your home.

On our walls before we decorated in the lounge we had just two pieces of art featured, both of which I have shared on my Instagram many time.  As the decorating started to take place, we need to find new homes for them - one is more abstract than the other, but we bought them with money we had been given as a Wedding Present many years ago and I really want to see both of them hanged somewhere.

We have both always wanted a feature wall of sorts, but instead of using paint or wallpaper, we wanted to use art and with the lounge set up we have, realistically, because it is a short L-Shape, we only have one wall that we could use, which wouldn't be too much of a distraction of the cats. Before we move onto the lounge, we decided to deal with the hallway first. In there are family photos and prints we have taken and collected over the years and have never quite known what to do with them.  So, I bought a whole lot of black frames so there is some continuity and then having laid it all out on the floor, we have hand drawn a plan as to what it might look like and so we can change them round before we hang them on the wall.

I'm clearly no expert at all of this home decor stuff, I have watched others do theirs, read websites on how to create feature walls and pretty much have done my own thing, once it is all done and dusted - the task of Lockdown 2.0, I will share it with you.  But I know some of you are pretty good at this kind of stuff, so if you have tips, find a way to message me, direct me, what goes where or can I just be a bit alfresco about it and do what I want?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Lily's Kitchen Advent Calendar For Cats

Every year on my blog, I have a Christmas Gift Guide for cats, it is always one of my most asked for posts and one of my most read, so whilst I am in the midst of putting that together, I thought I would share with you, the Lily's Kitchen Advent Calendar for Cats.

This is something new for our cats that I am really looking forward to trying, one has always twigged that this is definitely for him and has claimed ownership! Described by Lily's Kitchen as being a fun and festive gift for your cat to count down to Christmas in the most entertaining way, whether it remains in tact until December 1st is another story!

The Advent Calendar takes on the look of a Christmas pantomime featuring a lot of cat characters in a lot of roles - on the stage, in the audience, creating mischief and looking their best to be cute.  It is a 25 day Advent Calendar and it is on sale for around £10. Behind each of the windows there are Lily’s Kitchen naturally wholesome treats and in keeping with the festive theme, those treats are. With an all-star cast of tasty treats to discover Chicken with Liver and Turkey with Cranberry.

As you can see, taking photos for this post attracted a little helper or hindrance depending on how you look at it and I think it is fair to say it definitely got his attention.

The treats inside are in little bundles, so behind door number one, which I ended up having to open before the boy ripped the advent to shreds.  As described by Lily's Kitchen inside you have the following treats:

• Tasty Chicken Treats with Liver - Delectable treats made with freshly prepared chicken. Enriched with taurine, these are delicious delights for twinkly eyed Christmas cats.
• Festive Turkey Treats with Cranberry - With freshly prepared turkey, gravy and a sprinkling of cranberries, these naturally delicious treats will give your cat their very own taste of Christmas dinner.

Even as a human, I have to admit both of these sound absolutely delightful, though I couldn't tell the difference between the two.

I have no doubt that this will be popular with both of my boys, I think it is great value for money and a whole lot of fun! Keep an eye on my Instagram for updates on just what my boys get up to with this Advent Calendar when it comes out of hiding.

You can read more about Lily's Kitchen and what they have to offer your Cat or Dog especially for Christmas, right here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Choosing the right Yoga Mat

If you have followed me on Instagram, then you will no doubt be aware that I have an ankle injury, it isn't a new injury, it is one I have had for 2 years and its painful.  Having been moved around a lot between hospital departments, it seems that an awkward fall has culminated in a lot more than the original diagnosis of a 'bad sprain' and I should have been sent away with a little more than Codeine for my troubles.  Fast-forward those two years and we have four issues to deal with, a foot and ankle splint which I have to wear in an evening and to sleep in, an upcoming MRI scan and I've been told to try some Yoga at home for some stretching and for that I needed to purchase a Yoga Mat.

Who knew there was so much choice when it came to buying a mat, I wrongly assumed I could type it into Google and be given a few options to choose from rather than the 3million options with the prices to match.  Thankfully, I have a few friends who are Yoga teachers who are on hand to advise me on which type of mat I should purchase for my needs, I am never going to become an avid fan of Yoga, but this is a series of simple stretching exercises I have to do at home in order to loosen my over-stiffened calf muscles and because I also have Plantar Fasciitis combined with Achilles Tendinopathy - the exercises I have been given to do are specialised.

Choosing the right Yoga Mat

• Thickness - Both of my friends said to me that I need to get the thickness right. The thickness has so much to do with how comfortable that mat is going to be during certain moves, but if it is too thick, those moves become harder.  The average yoga mat is said to be around 1/8inch thick with 1/4inch being the thickest.
• Storage - When thinking of the thickness, you also need to think about storage, the thinner the mat, the easier it is to roll up and store v's the thick it is, the thicker the roll and the more room it might need.
• Material - For this, it is down to texture, stickiness, eco-friendliness, and perhaps the most important is the sponginess of the mat. Yoga mats come in a whole plethora of materials, the most common being PVC, but also rubber, jute and cotton too. Rubber and PVC give the most whereas Jute and Cotton are little less-giving. 
• Texture - With texture, it is all about being to hold that balance, you don't want to be mid downward-dog and end up slipping and sliding all over.
• Price Range - An important factor is always money. The thinner your yoga mat is seemingly the cheaper the are, the same can be said for the material you choose, the more eco-friendly you are, the more expensive they become.  Having quickly looked, you can find a Yoga mat from as little as £8.99 with prices rising upwards of £100 and more!

Thankfully, as I mentioned I have two friends who are Yoga Teachers and I now have my own mat which I was kindly gifted from one of them. It is a mid-range thickness and brightly coloured so I won't lose it, hopefully the stretching exercises will help going forward.  If you're just starting out or deepening your practice, the right mat can make a big difference, especially if you're exploring yoga instructor training resources that emphasize proper support and alignment.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Magic Word Bracelets - A unique and Inspiring Gift

As soon as Lucy Wilkinson, the Founder of Magic Word Bracelet got in touch, I couldn't wait to work with her. I love gifts which are personal, unique and inspiring and this is exactly what this brand has to offer.

The Magic Word Bracelet is one which has been handmade and then hand stamped with meaningfulness and magic - they are simple but powerful bracelets for children and adults. 

“It's more than just a piece of Jewellery - it about the empowering WORDS and we all know that WORDS can change everything! Carry your magic word bracelet with you every day to inspire you, encourage you and to remind you that you are brilliant, you are enough and you are magic!" 

The Magic Word Bracelet are available in gold, sliver, rose gold and gun mental, with various different colours of string to be chosen from. As well as your word, you can have letters, numbers and symbols stamped to. 

So how do you choose your word? Thankfully Lucy is on hand with a guide to help you to do just that and this is how it works:

STEP 1: Start with a Question
Choose one or two of the following questions and jot down the first words that come to mind:

• What’s a goal of yours?
• What brings you joy?
• Is there something you want to let go of?
• Is there something you want to improve?
• What energises you or makes you feel like your true self?

STEP 2: Develop

• What’s holding you back from achieving the answers in step 1?
• What word, as a daily reminder would help you achieve what you seek from step 1?

For example, if you want to start something new, but have some doubts you’d like to overcome, you could choose a word such as BELIEVE, COURAGE, or IGNITE.  If you’re feeling overwhelmed you may choose a reminder like BREATHE, STRENGTH or FAITH.

STEP 3: Identify your Word

You may have come up with a few words, and that’s OK, but what is the one word that is the most important, the priority, to begin working on today?

Declare out loud: My word is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!

It is as simple as that.  Now we are living in uncertain times and this little exercise came at a really good time when I was a little stressed, feeling overwhelmed with learning to adjust to working from home, not seeing my work colleagues, can't see my family or friends, going to do the food shop has become more of a chore than ever before, remembering to carry a facemask with me at all times and having to cook more than I have done before all takes it toll.

So, I completed the steps above as directed too and this is my word.

I have worn my bracelet every single day since it arrived, it really is such a lovely reminder to just breathe...

These bracelets start from £15 and come beautifully box up. A fabulous empowering gift for yourself or someone else - perfect for Mums, stocking fillers for kids (they absolutely love the), Christmas or just for sharing the love and kindness to someone you care about.

You can read more about these bracelets and find out more about Lucy 

from her website right here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.