As you may know if you have followed us for a while, we moved house in September last year. This means that we are still putting our stamp on the house. We are aiming to do a couple of rooms a year. This year one of the projects was the garden. I did share some of my plans a couple of months ago. I did stat that we would be doing the work when Joe had some time off work.

Plans

There is a couple of elements which we actually still want to do. This includes getting a chimanea so it is not that cold when we want to stay out later.  It will also help us keep a having a little bit more light which is always a bonus. I know we are going to be using the garden more. When the weather becomes nicer and this is only going to increase with the summer. We are also looking at getting a sand pit for Jess as well. I have my eye on one which is reduce which would fit so I think I just need to order it.

Raised Up Area

Instead of focusing on the couple of bits which we still need to do to the garden.  I am now going to speak about the changes which we have made in the garden. First of all we managed to concrete the raised up area there was elements which were cracked.  This has made it a bit more level. We then have been able to purchase a table and chairs. This was very important for me because it has allowed me to work outside and also we can have meals out here when the weather is nice. We managed to pick up a great bargain we got 6 chairs and a large table for £120.

Of course we had to clean it as well because it was pretty filthy so of course, I got some pleasure using the jet wash. Due to the fact that the raised up area is so high we have had to get some decking panels this means that it is going to be hard for people to fall of and hurt themselves. Of course, I could see Jess become injuries when she was playing in the garden for some reason.

Pond

Talking about getting injuries while in the garden we have now had the pond removed. For sure this is something which I could see Jess falling in. There was a wide range of horrible things in it including bricks which would not have been pleasant.  This has been filled in and there is some paving stones there currently however,  I do think that this is where the sand pit is going to be going. This is going to mean that Jess does have something to play with which is always a bonus. The one I have found also has a lid which means that it should not get rain in it or blown around because of the wind.

Decking

We have also managed to wash the decking which was a job I loved. I do think I have a bit of an addiction to properly cleaning things in the spring time. We have actually painted it with some stain oil this is a bit darker than it has been previously. I am unsure how this is going to last because it does not look amazing and even but it is better than nothing. I could not believe how expensive the stain actually was but it does look a lot better than been very dirty. It is not as slippy as it used to be when it rained. I might have to do another coat of this on because I think there are gaps where it is missing.

Path

The side entrance to the garage is something else which we have changed there used to be just a large paving stone there. Then we has flat bits of grass where we had been walking however, I was no longer really happy with this anymore.  So we managed to get it so it was level and them built it up which allowed us to put the gravel down. On top of this we have managed to put some of the extra paving stones which we had 4 of. This is going to stop us walking on the grass. As you can see we have added some wooden trail this is to make sure that we do not have the gravel on the grass. It does also mean we can have the two different heights along the side of the garage.

Borders

We have dug all of the borders up there was a lot of herbs which had died in the garden and this is not something I wanted in the garden. I wanted to have pretty flowers which were going to add some colour to the garden because after all I wanted it to be a relaxing space. This meant digging it all up and stripping it back but for sure this was worth it.

Rockery

The rock area at the back of the garden we have not changed too much. We actually painted the planter which was there which was full of bricks. We have removed all if them filled it with soil and managed to plant some plants over there. This means that it is a lot more bright. We have lifted the rocks and made them more even and it looks a lot better than having random rocks. This is an area of the garden which I am so proud of. And it did not cost that much this section.

Back

We had a ton of brambles to remove which of course was not a great job to do. I think we have managed to get the majority of these removed now. They were all along the back and I did not want Jess to end up with balls been popped or hurting herself. Where they where in the garden we have now planted some pants. There was some random pieces of wood and trellis. These where things which were ugly and where starting to rot so I decided that we was going to remove this. It does look a lot better even if the fence is starting to break but this is not our fence.

Wendy House

Working our way around the garden we end up at the wendy house which I have painted. This has made it look a lot better. We managed to get some fence paint which was a one coat one. It is a little bit darker than it has been in the past however, it does look more new. I have managed to paint the white sections which some of them are rotten however, they can to be replaced. I am unsure how much longer the wendy house will last.

The floor on the front has been painted but for sure this rotting. However, the planks of wood go all the way through the wendy house so can not be replaced. I have also painted the bits which are near the window. They have been turned blue instead of white and I feel like they look a lot better than they did. Jess for sure loves it and it does mean that she is going to be able to play in it more.

Borders

The other side also had a lot of herbs however, they were dead as well. So we decided that we was going to dig them up completely. Again we have put some very nice plants there because I want some pretty colours there. It does look a lot better than the green and brown dead things which was there previously. As you know I am wanting to add colour to the garden do it is somewhere where I want to be.

Planters

There also was two huge planter which had actually been rotting so this was a job to empty them and then get some new ones. We actually purchased the 46L ones from B&Q. They are plastic so this means that they should not rot. We have actually had to fill them up with some compost because there was so many rocks and horrid things. Of course we have decided to put a lots of plants. They do bring a lot of colour which I love hopefully this is going to be last for a while. They did not cost a lot of money to do either which is always a bonus.

Rabbits

Of course, the main addition to the garden as you may know is the rabbits and their hutch. Rabbits are something which we have been speaking about getting for a while now. I think it is important for Jess to understand the importance of looking after others. I also believe that there is a great bond to be had with animals they help when you do not feel great. We have been looking at them for a while and rescued the pair which we have from Pets at Home they are 8 months old. They are two boys who I think are brothers they have been named Tracker and Marshall. Can you tell who named them they have been known to steal my phone and upload pictures of themselves on Instagram.

What DIY projects do you have on doing this year?

Charlotte xxx

Driving with a baby in the car can sometimes be the most stressful thing ever, especially when they’re newborn. Other times it can be easy when the motion puts the baby to sleep leaving you to be able to fully concentrate on the road. Regardless of how it goes for you – driving can often be unavoidable. This means that a decent car and a car seat are essential purchases. Recently, I was searching how to handle this situation better and discovered a study by a UK contract hire and leasing firm All Car Leasing titled ‘Baby Driver’.  Which looks at the behaviours and habits of parents who drive or have driven with babies in the vehicle.

I noticed straight away from the study is if you’re a person who gets anxious about driving with a baby in tow you’re definitely not alone. Most respondents worry about getting lost if it was their first baby and the second worry is ‘other drivers’. This makes sense and I feel the same when travelling in the car.

Anxiety

Shockingly, 37% of the 1,200 parents All Car Leasing surveyed said they had been in an accident while the baby was in the car. This is a number which actually shocked me. It seems a lot higher than what I thought it would be. I wonder where this is due to having a baby in the car causing more anxiety for the driver. I know we used to be worried that Jess would throw up in the car. She used to suffer from travel sickness on shorter journeys rather than longer ones. Or was it the baby causing distractions which ultimately lead to the driver making an mistake and an accident occurring.

Distractions

I was looking to see how people keep babies occupied in the car. Sometimes we do actually find it hard to keep Jess occupied in the car. Obviously she has travelled a lot in the car from a very young age. From the respondents to All Car Leasing it sees that talking its the most used form of distraction. I still use distraction whether this is talking to her or also singing. This is for sure the techniques which other parents use. This was followed by toys which is something which we do not use often in the car. We always found that Jess would drop them and then this would mean she cried. We used to have to stop and give it to her. 89% of parents use distraction so it shows that babies in general usually were not happy just been in the car in the first place. They need someone or something to keep them calm.#

I would recommend having a look at the study and finding out more. I have only selected a small part to comment on.  Whether you are a first time parent or you have a child already. I love to find out more if I am effectively normal when it comes to parenting. I do worry sometimes even now about having Jess in the car and of course, she is 3 1/2.  Another element I found shocking is that 2 in 3 new parents purchase a new car as a result of having a new bundle of joy. This is not something which we have done but we know a number of people who have done this.

For sure I will be checking this article out again should we have an additional child. The reason behind this is because, I think that I have forgotten a lot which I knew when Jess was a newborn and we did a lot of travelling.

How do you feel about travelling with a baby or newborn in the car?

Charlotte xx

This is a sponsored post by All Car Leasing

Getting newsletters and emails from brands is something which we all get several times a day. As a blogger I receive so many of these emails I have been thinking about creating my own newsletter for my blog. Today I am going to be sharing with you 10 tips to do if you have market via email.

Build your own subscribers

You need to build your own subscribers who want to engage with your content. People need to be able to choose to subscribe rather than you actually subscribing for them. A good idea is not to buy your followers because this will actually anger them and they will not engage with your emails. Have a way that people can actually choose to subscribe to your emails on your site.

Send emails welcoming your followers

Make the people who have subscribed feel special welcome them to your emails. Make them have an email as soon as they do subscribe do not make them wait a long time because this does mean they will not feel as special. This may make them more engaged than if you make them wait a long time to receive their first email. I know that I do not engage with the newsletter if I can not remember subscribing to this.

Get Personalised

If your email starts with dear and then the name of the person subscribed. Studies have shown that people are 26% more likely to engage if they personalised. This means that your content is going to reach more people. This is something which is going to be more beneficial. This is not something which is going to take too much effort but for sure it is going to be effective. You need to make sure that it speaking to people rather than speaking to nobody.

Don’t send the same email to everyone

Generic emails are one of the worst things which you can actually do. For example, if the person is not a blogger there not going to care about email blogging tips. For example how to make sure that their content is seen by more people this will not interest them at all. However, for someone who wants their content to be seen this could be essential and very helpful. So make sure you know what people want and then they may be more likely to engage.

Make it specific

Tailor your message to fit the needs of those who it is been sent to. For example, there is no point sending information about an event to those who are in America if the person is in the UK. This is more likely for your email to become deleted the person not to engage with your content any longer. You may even want to make the content gender specific or age specific for example those who are under 16 may not care about baby and toddler products you are trying to sell.

Send Email Based On Their Time Zone

If you receive an email in the middle of the night you are less likely to engage with it as the middle of the afternoon. You want as many people to engage with your content so why not make sure that you spread out the time that you send out the email. For example sending the email to those who are in the UK 5 hours before those who are subscribed and New York based.

Proof Read and Check Before Sending

There is nothing more annoying than not having checked emails. Spelling mistakes shows to those who are reading your content you have not checked it. By quickly checking there are no spelling mistakes or broken links it is going to make your brand look more professional. It will allow people to be able to click and use your site meaning that you have another hit. This may not take long but may make someone come back to your site which is something which you always want to happen.

There are a lot more tips which I could share regarding email marketing. However, these are the ones which I feel like are the most essential and most common mistakes that people make. For even more tips when it comes to email marketing check out Campaign Monitor. 

What tips do you have when it comes to email marketing as we all engage with them so often.

Charlotte xx

This is a collaborative post with campaign monitor

Today I am going to be sharing with you this weeks meal plan. I will admit that we had a cheap shop this week we struggled to spend the amount to do click and collect. I am trying to get some things used out of the freezer still this means that I am going to have more room for things like ice cream in the summer. Without further ado, I am going to share with you the meals which we have eaten this week.

Monday- Prawn Thai Curry, I actually had some prawns in the freezer which we had purchased reduced. We also had some Thai curry sauce which could do with using. I am going to serve this with rice. Curry is something which we have not had for a while so I am looking forward to this meal.

Tuesday- Nacho Chicken , Jacket Potato and Mixed Veg. This is a meal we are having because I picked up some Nacho Chicken from Asda on an offer last week. They sound like they are going to be nice because Nachos and Chicken are two foods which I love. To be honest we both seem to love any Mexican food. I am going to serve this with Jacket Potatoes which we have in and some mixed veg like always.

Wednesday- Creamy Bacon and Sausage Carbonara.  Again this meal has come around due to us having meat to use up we had some sausage left over. I thought that I would use them before they go out of date and I found a recipe which allowed me to turn them into this Carbonara. This is not a meal which I have ever made before but it sounds nice. I think the sausage should make a good twist to this meal.

Thursday- Chicken and Broccoli simmer in soy and star anise. I had some broccoli which I needed to use up. When I was flicking through one of the recipe books which we have I noticed this recipe. For me, this sounds like it is going to be something different which I am all about. Even Joe said it will be nice to see how this one comes out so who knows. I will report back on this one.

Friday- Sloppy Joes’ and Wedges. I have to thank Cheryl from Madhouse Family reviews for this meal. She included it in a meal plan a couple of weeks ago. I have been thinking about it and thought I would push myself to make something different. I am actually looking forward to it because it is like nothing else which we have on the meal plan this week. This is going to be served with simple wedges as I think the sloppy Joes’s should be the main element.

Saturday- Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta. I actually have some salmon in the freezer. I thought I would turn this into a smoked salmon pasta for sure this is something which Jess will eat. This is what I try to do on a weekend a meal which I know Jess will enjoy. She always asks for pasta. This is going to be a simple meal to do it will not require us to spend a lot of time away from her to cook it.

Sunday- Pork Goulash. This is a meal which came around because we have some pork steaks which we wanted to use. I was flicking through Pinterest . I found this recipe. Again this is something different I do not even know if I have ever had goulash. I am not sure what to expect but I will be looking forward to Sunday and having this meal.

This week as a range of different meals some which I never have ever cooked. Of course, I am looking forward to that because it is always fun to test your skills. I hope there is something which has taken your eye on this meal plan.

Of course, this meal plan is part of the linky which Katy Kicker runs every week. I get so much inspiration and I am noise so I love to know what other people are eating.

What are you having for your meals this week?

Charlotte xxx

Happy New year I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Year period. I love this period of a new year a fresh start and feeling like you are able to conquer the year. I know for sure it does help me because I set goals which I want to achieve. In my head I have some goals which I would love to achieve by the end of the year. Some of them of course are high and I may not achieve. This year I have decided that at the start of very month I am going to set some goals of what I want to achieve.

Personal Goals

Meal plan for the whole month– at the back end of the year we was using Hello Fresh. I realised how much money it was actually costing us. If I do a meal plan and stick to it we are saving money. We was spending £65 on food when we had the subscription boxes. I think we have managed to get it under £50 a week for all 3 of us which is amazing.

Eat 2 veggie meals a week- I get bored of having meals with meat sometimes. I am not looking to go full on veggie but I have noticed that these meals sometimes tend to be more full of flavour. It is actually saving money because these meals do not seem as expensive.

Go to the gym 3 times a week- I have had a gym membership since I moved house. I have no excuse not to go and recently I have not been loving the way I have been feeling . I want to do something about it. My aim is to go to the gym 3 times a week to see if this improves my mental state as well.

Read 2 books- reading is something which I love to do but since I have lost my commute it is something I struggle to do. I think last year I managed to only read 9 books 3 short of my target of 12. Reading helps me switch of and actually relax so it for sure is something I want to get back to doing. I have set myself a goal of 24 books this year so I want to make a good start. Rachael from fromrachaelclaire has started a book club as well which I have joined. In order to get my motivation for reading back.

Work Goals

Engage with followers more- this is something which I feel like I have not done in a while. I have barely been using my twitter account and I feel like I really miss the social side of blogging. I miss my friends who I have made through this as old and new

Hit 1500 twitter followers- this is something which has been on my list for about a year. Like I said last year I basically neglected twitter over instagram. I want to get back and use both platforms more because I know that people are not always on both. It used to be a very social place so lets see if it still is. You can follow me if you don’t already @cupsofcharlotte

Hit 1000 instagram followers- I did do this on new years eve for a short period and then I lost them. So this is something which is very likely to be done. I want to basically grow my balls and speak more on stories. I think this is an amazing way of engaging again with people. Again if you do not follow me over there I can be found @cupsofcharlotte

Use Pinterest- I have started dabbling in this since the back end of November I have been using recipes. I always hear other bloggers saying that it is a huge source of traffic for them to their blog. This is something which I want to see if is going to be the same for me or not . I am having fun with it and loads of my ideas can be found again I am @Cupsofcharlotte

Money Goals

Money is something which I feel like is a huge taboo subject at the moment of course it’s January and everyone is feeling the pinch. I have decided that every month I am going to share with you some of the goals I have which are money related.

Earn the gap between the bills and the amount in the joint account at the moment. This might sound a strange one but this month we have another bill my phone bill is actually two months. This means that the amount we spend on bills is more than a normal month. I want to earn that money so I do not have to go an use money from my account for this expense. The amount is not very much but of course every little helps.

Sell 20 items- I have so much to sell at the moment I became a bit lapse towards the end of 2018. We got so much nice new things for Christmas and some of the older things we do not need may as well be sold. I know over the festive period I found a lot which was too small for Jess so this can all be listed on eBay or Facebook. The items which still have a lot of wear left in them.

Spending ban – I shared this on my Facebook page at end of 2018 @cupsofcharlotte.  I am going to spend money on the necessity this month so the bills which we have every month. Of course, food but there is not going to be any treats because we have plenty left over from Christmas. I think it is a great time to be able to save a bit a replenish our money in time for more exploring when the weather becomes better.

Look at additional income streams– I do not believe in only having one source of income. I think this could be due to the industry which I am working in at the moment. I have been speaking to a friend about this quite a lot and my aim is to make money every single day even if it is a very small amount at the end of the day it all counts.

What are your goals for this month?

Charlotte xxx

Today I am sharing yet another gift guide today it is one for the Women. Before Joe who I know reads my blog thinks he has cracked it and found everything that I want that’s not the case.  I am sharing with you gifts which we have purchased for other people so if you are reading this and you know I purchase for you click off now.  I only have 6 women to purchase for and this can be hard because there are so many amazing gift sets. I am going to share with you a few.  Usually, instead of setting huge a gift set I like to make my own for people because for some reason feel like this is a lot more personal.

Fluffy Socks

The ones in the picture are actually children’s but feel like there is nothing better than getting fluffy socks. I love to be cosy there is nothing better in my eyes than been cosy. There was a stage where m and one of my best friends always bought a pair or two of fluffy socks. I love being warm in the winter and because I spend a lot of time out in the cold because of rugby and February now been the coldest month. Even when I am trying to keep warm fluffy socks is something which I may have on because my office is actually laminate floor I have found them to be so cold.  Primark I have found to be one of the best places to go and purchase fluffy socks from. They always have a huge range at this time of year and of course, they are not that expensive.  I have hundreds of pairs of these and they last such a long time which is always a great thing.

Face masks

Self care is something which the majority of us forget or claim we do not have time to practice. Personally I think there is nothing nicer than been able to stick on a face mask even if it is while you are doing something else. There now is so many amazing Face masks which you can purchase on a budget. Who knows it may make a person who does not really bother with a strict skin care routine change their ways. I think these are amazing as part of a bigger gift. Sheet masks are all of the fashion at the moment and can be picked up everywhere. I purchased some from Superdrug for next to nothing. Of course. if you are purchasing for a Disney fan there is always the ones which Primark are selling which also look like they could be effective.

Bath Bombs

As someone who is obsessed with Lush I do not understand how I could not feature some bath bombs. They do have a wide range of bath products which are limited edition and only for the Christmas season. A problem which I have found with this is that if they really like them you can get them for long after Christmas. This is one of the reasons why I usually purchase from the regular line because then this means that they can be repurchased. If you do venture into Lush this festive season there is so much more than just bath bombs. I think there is not a section which I have tried that I would not recommend. If you are purchasing bath bombs make sure they they have a bath there is nothing worse than getting bath bombs as a gift and not having access to a bath.

Mugs

There is nothing more that I love than a good cup of coffee, of course for this you need a mug. I know there is a lot of people who adore hot chocolates at this time of year. I am not a huge hot chocolate fan but when I saw these initial mugs when I was in Superdrug. These mugs are huge and deep this does mean that you can fill a hell of a lot of hot liquid on this. If you are having a hot chocolate it does mean that you can fit a ton of whipped cream and toppings in and I know this is what some people I am purchasing for will do. Others are like me and will just fill it with coffee because you can never have too much. I managed to pick these up for half price I am unsure if this is because of the fact that it was last Christmas stock or maybe they were on the offer. They did have limited amount of of initials. I know there is some amazing mugs which Cath Kidston do as well as Emma Bridgewater both I find big enough. And I do actually love big mugs.

Candles

Can you tell a running theme with this gift guide of self care. Candles are something which I love to burn to me they make a home a home sometimes. I think they help on the dull damp cold days bring a lot of joy and of course this is something which we all need. As the colder months come who doesn’t want amazing fragrances filling their home.  Depending on the budget which you have to spend their are a wide array of candles which you could purchase. Naturally there is some amazing Yankee candles which throw off a lot of scent. If you do not want to spend all of the money which Yankee can cost of course there is some amazing cheaper candles which have as much throw. TKmaxx and Homesense usually have great candles which you can get with a huge range of scents. You can pick up some amazing bargains and for a fraction of their retail price. I have also found that Home Bargains have been doing great candles I think they are a dupe of Jo Malone ones and also some Yankee ones these have been all available for under £5. For larger jars so these could be amazing if you are doing something like secret Santa or do not want to break the bank on candles.

Shower Gel

The body shop are not somewhere which I shop a lot anymore. This could be due to the fact that I have a large collection of shower gels. So I do not need to purchase them as often as I am trying to run my collections down a little bit. However, recently I was in the body shop outlet and I saw some of their Christmas range which usually is amazing anyway. There was a couple of the scents which once I smelt them the first one was a peppermint candy twist shower gel because this for sure is going to be one which is going to wake you up. A problem which I can find is the around Christmas some of the scents become way to sweet and I know I would not appreciate them so I do not gift over sweet scents. Another one which I purchased was the Berry Bon Bon and for this one it actually smelt like Christmas. For me there is something which is Berries make me think of winter and Christmas. These do last a long time. You could always make your own own gift sets with a range of your favoruite brands which you think the recipient may enjoy.  Soap and glory shower gels always make presents as well bundled together.

Make your own hamper

This is something which I did last year for a number of the females in my life. This was something which they all appreciated more than a gift which they did not want. I made them up something similar to a self care package which is something that I am planning on doing in the future. I have been using the Yankee Votives which always goes down so well. Who does not want their house to smell amazing. I have also been including bits which I love the most because some of my friends then can try presents which I love as well. December is a month which people struggle to do a lot of self care and this is when we should be doing it more.  This year I have actually used Lush to make a couple of hampers. The reason behind this is they have amazing products which can wrapped in knot wraps. These are something which we love because you can use them so many times. Lush do not just do amazing bath bombs they also do some amazing skincare. I love some of the body scrubs which they also stock. If you do not know what you want. There staff are amazing and can help you.

Experiences

Having an experience is something which I have gifted before I even did a post on it last year. It can mean that you spend precious time with someone which you may not have done previously. I do this often with my mum I have gifted her several times spa trips and this does mean we have had so much time. I use sites such as groupon and wowcher to get amazing deals. If you know one of their favourite bands are touring why not get them tickets to their show because of course this is something which they would love.  An experience which we have loved in the past and Indoor Skydiving something which we have continued to do. This is something which I have gifted as well because it is something which I love so much. I will be doing a post about indoor sky diving soon because so many of you have asked me questions about it.

Mini Lipsticks

I was browsing on ASOS to try and find a lipstick for my graduation shockingly I ended up using an old one which I love. I might include it in a November Favourites if I remember. MAC lipsticks are something which I have had before but now do really like spending the money on because they have gone up so much in price in a couple of years. I saw that they do these mini sizes which are only £10. I find it so hard to use a whole lipstick because I like to change them up so often. These would be a great present for someone who you know likes MAC or like me wants to try so more products without spending the earth.

I hope this has given you some inside into you could purchase some of the females in your life this Christmas?

Charlotte xx