Ideas that today parents wish they’d known before decorating their nurseries

When the great news finally comes out, the excitement of becoming a parent starts. At this time, you are not sure of what to buy and what to do with the baby’s room. Therefore, you end up decorating the room with several things and styles that were not necessary at the moment. If you missed on the dos, then here is a brief list of nursery decorating ideas you should have known.

1.    Have an arrangement

Once you hold the child in your arms  and you welcome it in the house, your numerous trips during the night begin to and from the kid's room. You don’t want to trip over a misplaced toy while you are taking your baby back to his room. Therefore, it is recommendable to have functional storage space you place things that you are no longer using rather than leaving the room scattered with every toy on the floor.

2.    Arrange your changing table

The changing table is the most important part of the baby’s room. This is where you will be changing the diapers and all other clothes. Before you start undressing the baby to change their diapers, ensure that everything you need is within your reach. Often, you will risk the baby from falling if you try to reach out to things that are scattered away. Therefore, your changing table should be surrounded by all the necessary things you need. Like you must ensure that your diaper bin is closer, burp clothes, pacifier, baby cream, wipes, diapers and the list goes on and on.

3.    Pick a theme

This is where most people go wrong. Don’t just assume that the baby’s room should not have a theme. Remember, your child will be turning into a young adult soon and if you can arrange for them now, you will not be able to tame their choices in future. However, when you select a theme for the room during your preparations, you will attract a certain character to the life of the baby in his future.

4.    Paper your walls

Washing the baby’s poop from walls is the most tedious job. You should not be ready to work on such. Therefore papering the walls prevents you from all that hustle and keeps the room neat with clean walls when you remove the paper.

5.    Work on lighting

Your baby’s sleeping pattern depends on the type of light they have in their room. If you want a baby to take on a cool nap during the day, simply play with their psychology by introducing a night light. You can also introduce windows that are dark to attract darkness in the room every time you want the baby to sleep for a while. Excessive lighting keeps the baby awake even when he is cranky.

6.    Use neutral colors

Baby’s will always be baby’s, and all they want is a little colorful room. You should not get so much into specific colors for your baby stuffs like painting your walls blue for boys, pink for girls or even introducing certain baby mattress to suit the child. All these stuff will be for you. Otherwise, all your child want is a cool room with a good looking crib plus a few more toys here and there to make the room playful. However, you should not overdo the toys and surround baby with plenty of staff that may torture them psychologically.

At the end of it all, you should not limit yourself as to what to include in the room as you prepare the nursery. If you don’t take full control of what your child uses and how the room should be decorated now, you may never get that chance ever again especially when your child becomes of age.

Additionally, you should not use the nursery as the houses storage room. Ensure that your baby’s room remains for the baby and you have a different room for other storage. Also, you should not limit yourself to storing all the baby stuff in the room especially, when the room is small. Although the baby only needs a small space, it is important to provide them with enough space to play.

 

Prepare Your Yard For Summer With These 6 Tips

The summer and hot days are here, and if you haven’t already – now is the perfect timing to do something about your yard.  This may seem like a difficult and extremely challenging task to complete, especially when the days are getting hotter and hotter, but it really doesn’t have to be.

If you organize the work properly and follow some general guidelines, you will be able to refresh your garden in a blink of an eye. It will take some time, but you can learn to enjoy working in your garden, and not just enjoy – love. We’ve gathered some tips that may help you get your yard ready for the summer.

Mow your yard regularly

One of the most important factors when it comes to lawn health is regular and proper mowing. There are various reasons for doing so, from looks to the general well-being of the yard and all the plants in it. If you want to take real good care of your lawn, there are some general practices that may come in handy.

• Frequent mowing during the spring will help strengthen the roots, and it will make the grass healthier and more resistant.
• Cutting more than one-third of the height of the grass can cause damage to the grass and to the soil beneath.
• Keep your grass longer during the summer months, as it provides better ground protection and helps preserve the moisture in the soil.

Fertilize your grass

Different types of grass require different fertilization methods. This goes for practically all the plants in your yard or garden.

If you have warm season grass then the best results are gained with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer during the spring and late summer. When it comes to a cool-season grass fertilization is necessary during spring, right after the winter dormancy and during the early fall. Higher nitrogen concentration during the fall application is advised. 

Read this also : Lawn Fertilizer Guide

Build raised beds

Another great way to ease your gardening chores and separate the plants is to make raised beds for your plants. This will help you access them easier, and it will be extremely beneficial to the plants, as they will all be in their own specified types of soil.

Raised beds help keep weeds away from your plants and it helps you protect your plants, especially if you have a large and yard-friendly family. This also helps your plants with aeration, as the air circulates better around the roots when they are elevated in a loose structure.

Put mulch over your soil

Mulch represents old dried leaves, wood chips, grass clippings or hay, and it’s used to keep weeds away from your lawn. It also keeps your soil cool and keeps it moisturized properly so that the grass and the nearby plants can have enough water. It should be evenly spread all over your lawn, but make sure it’s always separated by an inch from plant stems to prevent rotting issues.

Water your lawn

Depending on the type of grass and plants you have in your yard, you need to make sure you’re watering it properly.

Using cheap and useful gardening accessories like retractable gardening hose reels or sprinkler systems, you can manage your lawn watering faster, and it will help you maintain your lawn’s health. Best results are gained when watering early in the morning or at night so that the grass can absorb most of the water before it evaporates.

Watch out for aggressive plants

If you have any kind of spreading plant, make sure to limit its movement and expansion. One great way of doing so is planting such a plant in a large pot. After that, you should cut the bottom of that pot out, and plant the entire thing, the plant and the pot in soil. This will restrict the plant from growing sideways, without limiting its root system.

Conclusion

We hope that these tips helped you understand – gardening and yard maintenance doesn’t have to be a hard chore. If you have a plan and if you define your goals in advance, you can even catch yourself enjoying the time you’ve spent working around the yard.

5 Practical Home Extension Design Ideas

Homeowners who are interested in extending their homes have different types of design options to choose from. They can add a second story room over the top of the rear part of their home. They can also extend the rear part of their home by building outward onto their property. There are many different types of rear house extensions that property owners can use to transform their homes into a new and exciting living environment.

1. Lighted Rooms are the Modern Trend

Homeowners are now extending their residence by adding lighted rooms to their main house. These rooms are primarily made of a thick glass that can withstand the elements and outdoor temperatures. Not all communities will allow glass extension rooms.

However, homeowners should take advantage of this special type of rear home extension if it is allowed. They will definitely enjoy eating their meals in the direct sunshine or even enjoying their dinner under a rainy sky. The glass can be treated and tinted to filter the direct sunlight and to keep harmful UV rays from harming occupants.

2. Long Room Designs for the Backyard

Property owners also extend the rear portion of their homes by erecting a long room that spreads out into the backyard. A person will need extra yard space to pull off this type of rear home extension. The key to making this work is to design the additional room without taking up a lot of the backyard area.

This type of home extension should not be used if a person really enjoys being outside in their backyard. Some homeowners gotten smart about the backyard space and they make their rooms with elements of the outdoors built into them.

3. Second Storey Designs

Adding another storey on top of a home can be a bit tricky. This is because the extra floor space has to fit within the current dimensions of a house. Still, if a person can pull it off; a second storey will be a great addition to a local resident.

Many homeowners decide to implement a second storey room because building outward onto their property might not be practical. Also, some people just prefer this additional home style. Most second storey additions are typically done on the rear part of a house. It is just easier to add a second storey in the rear or the side of a structure.

Keep in mind that some property owners opt for a second storey extension  project. This can be very expensive and complex to perform. Normally, people who have an extra amount of income and a big enough house will usually take on this type of design.

However, it might not be practical for most homeowners simply because the extra space that is required. Also, the time it will take to build up the additional levels might not be worth the effort as well. Once again, if a person has the resources, a big enough house and the time to complete the project; they should probably consider this type of extension project.

4. Conservatory Extensions

Conservatory home extensions are popular. This is especially true for people with a love for gardening and a green environment. Traditionally, conservatories were used to house and grow various types of plants.

They are still used primarily for this purpose but modern householders have also turned them into independent lounging areas for relaxation or entertaining guests. There are different types of glass materials that people can use for their conservatory structures. These materials are good at blocking out UV light and they are strong enough to handle the elements.

5. Garage Extension

A garage could be located on the rear of a property but for many homes they are not. It just depends on how they were constructed when a property was first erected. A lot of modern homes have huge garage areas where people can park at least 3 vehicles, set up a miniature tool shop and have room left over for extra storage.

More often than not, many homeowners just do not use the extra garage space that came with the property. Instead of letting it go to waste, they can simply coнvert their garage area into an outdoor sitting area or into a workout room. Some landlords like having the extra space out in their garage to perform a wide variety of projects.

Garage extensions are just another practical way for people to use the space they have to make an additional area for their home. Some garage extension projects could even involve a second storey, though this is rare. Ultimately, people can transform their unused garage space into whatever type of room that best fits their family’s unique lifestyle.

All of these different rear home extension projects help householders to get the best use out of their property. This way they can have the extra space they need and the type of home they desire without having to relocate to another house.

Top Five Garden Landscaping Ideas

If you own a home, there is nothing better than having an outdoor garden to retreat to on sunny afternoons or crisp autumn days. Regardless of whether you have a large yard or a smaller patio space, you can take a drab outdoor space and turn it into a stunning and beautiful garden area.

The first thing that you will want to do is evaluate the area that you have to work with and think about what type of garden landscape you would like to incorporate into the space. If you are just now beginning to think about changing or improving your garden landscape, check out these five garden landscaping designs.

Foliage and Flowers

For an eye-pleasing retreat full of greenery and flowers, consider creating a traditional landscape with beds that have a variety of leafy plants, alternating with flowering plants. Leafy foliage can come in many shapes, textures, and colors. Even though they are not flowering, they can fill your garden beds and add a lush feel to your space.

In between the greenery be sure to add a variety of flowering plants. These should be bright and bold colors that will really pop out with the greenery in the backdrop. Feel free to use both tall and short plants in your garden landscaping design in order to add dimension to the space.

The Central Fire Pit

Do you plan on spending time entertaining in your garden area once the landscape has been completed? If so, a landscape surrounding a central fire pit, where guests can gather to eat and drink, may be an option to consider.

The fire pit should be positioned in a central area of your landscape, ideally on bricks or stones. Surrounding this area you can place greenery, shrubs, or flowering plants. Just be sure that the plants that you choose do not drop dry leaves frequently, as this can pose as a fire hazard.

Cozy Patio

If you are working with a smaller space, like a back yard patio or porch, consider purchasing a nice set of patio furniture and then creating your garden design around those pieces. With a small space you can’t go wrong with a few traditional bushes like roses, or any other flowering shrub that grows well in the London area.

To add some pop to the space, consider investing in a few large pots that can be filled with seasonal blooms. This will allow you to change up the look of your area throughout the year.

The Edible Garden

 

Edible gardens are all the rage as of late, and for good reason. Not only do edibles look nice, but they will also produce fresh vegetables, fruit, and herbs that can be used in your cooking. Edible gardens do not need to be grown in traditional boxy-looking raised beds. You can design an edible garden just like any other garden bed.

Plan to use a variety of edible plants that are different heights and colors. Herbs typically make great ground covering and vining plants, like beans and squash, can be grown up trellises. Pick a few bold plants, like tomatoes, peppers, or fruit trees as the centerpieces of your landscape.

Fountain Feature

 

For a relaxing retreat consider creating a garden landscape with water as a main component of the design. When it comes to the water source, you can choose from a variety of options, such as fountains, small waterfalls, or koi ponds. The trickle of the water will provide a meditative space to enjoy around your home.

The plants that you choose for the garden can range from simple shrubbery to bold flowering plants. The only thing that you should avoid when choosing plants are those that shed their leaves frequently. Leaves can be difficult to clean from small ponds and may easily clog and pumps that you may have in place to keep your water moving.

These five garden designs should serve as inspiration as you begin to plan and get inspiration for your outdoor area. The designs can be combined or manipulated based on your particular tastes and landscape needs. For more information talk with a professional about your area and they will be able to offer practical advice as you move forward with your design plans.