Homework Station Inspiration with Wayfair

Today I'm bringing you some interiors inspiration in the form of two mood boards I've created using fabulous interior pieces from Wayfair. Regular readers will know that I'm one of the Wayfair 'Home Experts' - and for our latest project they tasked me with creating two looks for a fun, organised but simple homework station for children within the home. 

The two looks I've put together are each aimed at a particular age group; the first for younger Primary School age children, and the other for teenagers.

I hope they provide you with inspiration just in time for the return of the daily school run... 

CHILD'S HOMEWORK STATION

For this look I advise going for bold/bright statement colour (I've chosen yellow as it's my favourite - and the colour of sunshine, so who doesn't love it?). Not only will the statement colour show that thought and planning has gone into the creating the space, but it also adds lots of fun and character to what could otherwise be a pretty drab/dull space in the house. 

I've gone for a fabulous desk and chair which can grow with your child, making them true investment pieces. As a busy mum with a limited fund for interiors it is important for me to be savvy when purchasing bigger pieces of furniture for the children...yes a mini desk looks very cute when your children are small - but before you know it they've outgrown the desk and chair, and you need to get something bigger. Adjustable height desks and desk chairs are the way forward in my opinion. The other thing I love about this desk is the fact it can tilt to ergonomically support your child as they work - no sore necks or backs with this beauty. Plus it includes its own pen storage tray, under desk shelf and school bag hook! Genius!

Storage is a very important part of any homework/craft station for younger kids so I've  added a storage box (yellow Lego box) for all their bits and pieces which can sit atop the desk, as well as a funky pencil sharpener pen pot for their endless crayons and felt tips. The final elements in the storage aspect of this room is a bright yellow memo/pin board for adding their drawings, lists, school letters...whatever they need on display while they work, plus a waste paper basket, to sit under the desk, so it doesn't get littered and messy - they can tidy while they go - no excuses. 

It's important to have a decent light source on the desk so that your children won't strain their eyes during their homework sessions on dark winter evenings. I was chuffed to find the coolest lamp I've ever seen in the form of this yellow robot lamp - I think all children would love to work at a desk with a robot light, no? 

Not only do you want this space to be functional - it must also be fun and inspirational. With that in mind I've added this brilliant light up 'HELLO' canvas to add character to the space, and a definite sense of fun. 

Finally, I've included a fun yellow/white chevron cushion to make the chair super comfy for little bottoms and a gorgeous wooden clock with yellow accent so they can keep track of the time while they complete their homework tasks.

If you're children are older and you're looking for a more understated look then I've put together this rustic industrial look for teenagers... 

TEENAGE HOMEWORK STATION

The rustic/industrial look is totally on trend at the moment and is also a very good gender neutral option. What I love best about the industrial trend is that it is uber-stylish despite being functional. 

I wanted to create a space a teenager would be happy to work in (some teenagers willingly do their homework, right?) This space could easily double up as an adult's workspace too - I've used a small desk suitable for one within this look, but add in a bigger double width desk and it could absolutely be a multipurpose office space for the whole family. 

I've opted for a technological theme with accessories such as the amazing headphone shelf tidy/book ends for keeping their text books organised on the desk. 

The industrial look is given by using metal caged magazine rack and smaller wooden magazine rack with hooks on the walls surrounding the desk to store papers, exercise books, magazines, extra text books etc. House keys, school bags and PE Kit could be hung from the hooks for easy access and ultimate organisation. How many times has your teenager lost their house keys? PE Kit? <-- Hopefully this storage hack could make the morning routine that little bit smoother for all. 

I've added a brilliant black cable tidy so they can keep all their wires/chargers easily accessible and not a tangled, dusty mess on the floor behind the desk. 

The final element for organisation and making the space fully functional are the amazing blackboard vinyl wall decals which includes a weekly and monthly calendar, notes section and handy cork board complete with pushpins and dry erase marker - there'll be no excuses for staying on top of their revision now! 

Again, for comfort and squishiness I've added a grey and while chevron cushion to the uber-modern Medan chair. 

If your teenager has lots of stationery and bits and pieces they need to store in the homework station I would suggest also adding an off surface shelf to the desk so that things can be stored neatly, without taking up valuable desk space for laptop/work books etc. 

I love Wayfair for its varied pieces and commitment to current trends - you can literally always find what you're looking for, and you'll without a doubt always find things you never knew you needed each time you browse and shop.

Which of my two looks do you prefer?

Mrs B

xxx 

This is a sponsored post. 

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World Calligraphy Day with Manuscript PLUS a Giveaway!

Happy World Calligraphy Day!

Manuscript Pen Company are delighted to announce the first ever World Calligraphy Day today (16^th August 2017) with events and workshops taking place around the world and predominantly at the Pen Museum, Birmingham. 

Since 1856 Manuscript Pen Company Ltd has been connected with the pen trade and in the forefront of pen nib manufacturing and design in the UK. World Calligraphy day is the celebration of the history, penmanship and progressive product development and all things calligraphy related. 

Join Manuscript Pen Company to celebrate the art of calligraphy and hand lettering in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Hosting the event, the Pen Museum welcomes Manuscript and a whole host of world renowned creative artists to celebrate calligraphy and hand lettering trends. 

Explore the Pen Museum and learn about the many pen companies of Birmingham and the history of the trade starting from quills and dip pens to the modern day fountain pen. Step back in time and try your hand at creating your very own steel pen nib using traditional machinery.

And whilst there are a whole host of history on display in the Pen Museum, visitors are being encouraged to bring their own writing instruments to find out more from expert Jeremy Collingridge, as the Librarian of the Writing Equipment Society casts his own expert eye over pens both new and old.

Whilst pen specialist Jeremy fills in information about writing instruments from around the globe, crafty hands can take part and learn from the experts in designated workshops and demonstrations on the multitude of different writing styles taking the world by storm! Try our different types of writing instruments and find the pen for you.

Whether you are an expert, a beginner who’s just getting started or simply an admirer of beautiful writing, come and join Manuscript and your favourite artists including Modern Calligrapher Joyce Lee of Artsynibs, Graphic Designer and Calligrapher Alice Mazilli of Ampersand Alice, Artist, Designer and Letterer Rob Draper, Traditional Calligrapher Stephen Duckett, Contemporary Italian Calligrapher Sandro Bonomo, Handwriting Specialist Sandra Grayson and many more at this free event from 11am – 4pm.

I've always wanted to have a go at calligraphy - I'm a very artistic person, and have long admired beautiful hand lettering and especially love the new-wave of modern calligraphy, so I was eager to give it a try. 

The lovely people at Manuscript sent me an awesome kit of Calligraphy pens to get me started, and I found some brilliant free to download practice sheets from Dawn Nicole Designs to get me started. 

I loved these motivational practice sheets, it's so therapeutic tracing and then copying underneath once you've got the idea. It's actually so much harder than it looks, I need lots more practice that's for sure! 

One of the things I miss most since becoming a Mum of two and running my own business is the lack of creative time I have - I used to regularly do crafty bits and pieces, make gifts for people, sewing, crocheting etc... I just don't make much time for that sort of stuff at the moment - but sitting down and playing with my calligraphy pens made me realise how much I missed it. 

NOTE TO SELF: I must try harder to set aside more time for creating.

I really love the quality of the Manuscript Beginners Calligraphy Set I've been using - it's been years since I've used a proper ink pen with cartridges and this one has been super simple to use and so far has created some lovely lettering - I'm hoping my lettering will continue to improve with some more practice...

I've also been using the Calli-Creative Duotip pens from Manuscript which come in 10 different colours. As the name suggests each pen has a duo tip with one end being a fineliner and the other a chisel tip. 

Don't forget to share your own beautiful letters with the hashtag #WorldCalligraphyDay and #ManuscriptWCD.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

If you'd like to get your hands on your own fab set of calligraphy pens from Manuscript then enter my giveaway in the Gleam app below.

Entries are for UK residents only and ends at 11.59pm on Wednesday 13th September. 

BEST OF LUCK! 

Manuscript Pen Giveaway

Mrs B

LHB - My initials in a freestyle calligraphy!

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Mr B Reviews the GTech HT20 Cordless Hedge Trimmer and Branch Cutter - Garden Tidy Up

Recently Mrs B asked me to do another review for the blog, and this time up we have some great new tech from Gtech (is that what the G stands for – great?). It’s the Gtech HT20 Cordless Hedge Trimmer and Branch Cutter attachment. 

Mrs B has previously reviewed the cordless vacumn cleaner from Gtech, so we are already big fans of the brand and know they do some quality stuff. On the assumption the cordless hedge trimmer was anything like the vacumn cleaner then we had high hopes!

The GTech HT20 Cordless Hedge Trimmer currently retails at £129.00 with £20.00 add on fee if you want the branch cutter attachment too, so it's a fairly pricey piece of kit...another reason for high expectations. 

I do like doing gardening, but obviously the main hurdles are a) it takes ages, and b) it's knackering. So anything that is going to make it easier is a bonus. Previously when I cut the garden hedges I’ve used some 10 year old, slightly rusty hand shears – hence the taking ages and getting tired doing it. So I was excited to put some power into the job and see how it turned out!

When I first opened the Gtech I was surprised how simply it was all boxed up. Everything has its place in a cardboard holder, and I could see that this would double up as a handy place to keep it all when not in use. It also seemed quite small and not at all bulky – it’s a really compact piece of kit. 

Straight out the box you get:

Main Cutting Unit

Long Pole

Battery Unit

Charger

And that’s it. What else do you need? I didn’t even need the instructions to put it all together – I had worked it out and assembled by myself in about 20 seconds! There are only 3 main bits and they just clip together quickly and easily. But considering I was dealing with something that I could potentially cut my own arm off with (maybe), I thought I had better read through the instructions anyway to be safe...! There was some really useful info in there about how to trim hedges, techniques and troubleshooting etc, but basically it’s so simple to put together and use that it really doesn’t need any instructions. I just charged up the battery for a few hours ready for use the next day and I was all set! In fact the battery takes just 4 hours to charge which is really swift!

We also had the additional branch cutter attachment. This uses the same battery and base unit as the trimmer, so you just unclip the hedge trimmer head and clip in the branch trimmer head and that’s it. Nothing to screw or unscrew or lose, it’s simple as!

Because of the Summer weather, I had to wait 2 weeks while The Perfect Storm died down outside, but when the clouds cleared, I jumped to it and was ready to use my new toy tool.

The first thing about the trimmer I noticed is that it’s a good weight. I would have expected a battery pack and motor to be really heavy, and as I would potentially be swinging this pole around for a while, I was worried it would tire my arms quickly. But it was surprisingly movable and well balanaced with the weight of the cutter on one end and the battery at the other. The pole is strong but hollow as well, and has great reach on it. There is no cord so you don’t have to worry about tripping up and falling in the bush/through a fence/smashing a window etc. I’ve spent many years using corded power tools and grass mowers etc and having the threat of cutting through a wire and having a REALLY bad day, so to go cordless have a certain sense of freedom was ace.

The cutting head has an adjustable angle on it as well, all the way through 135º, which with the push of a button you can change immediately with minimal fuss, so combined with the long pole you can manoeuvre it to cut all those hard to reach places without having to really bend down or stretch (good for the back).

There is a safety catch on the handle next to the trigger (again, safety is good – I like my arms!) so you can’t start it by accident and HAVE an accident. I started it up and got going. It’s really not very loud, I was worried it would be like a petrol trimmer and explode my eardrums when I started it, but it’s no noisier than your vacumn cleaner really – not even the cat was bothered. The cutting blades didn’t move that quick, so with the light weight I was worried it wouldn’t be that powerful, but I was wrong – it’s brilliantly powerful. As I started cutting it literally went through the hedge like butter. It just chugged away and cut whatever part of the hedge it came into contact with easily! I felt like a sculpter, just carving away at a block of ice or wood creating a masterpiece. Within a few minutes I had done the whole of my front hedge!

Like pressure washing, it’s extremely satisfying to use. I was able to cut the hedge back to a smooth shape quickly and easily, and I got a much smaller neater shape than I ever have before. 

Alan Titchmarsh would have been proud.

A job that previously took half a hour and left me sweaty, tired, swearing, and with sore limbs, had now taken less than 5 and I hadn’t even broken a sweat. Amazing.

As I mentioned before, the fact that it’s cordless as well meant no wires to cut through and electrocute myself, and left me free to use the adjustable head and long pole to easily reach all areas of the hedge with minimal effort. I went straight into the next hedge in the garden and finished that easily too. Then onto the back garden and I did all those too! I got a bit carried away, I wanted to go into my neighbours and do theirs also.

After the hedges, I went on to try the branch cutter. I swapped over the heads in around 5 seconds and was using it straight away. A few weeks ago I cut down some branches in the garden, using a normal handsaw, a wobbly ladder, and a lot of graft and sweat. At one point Mrs B came into the garden and said, and I quote, that it looked ‘extremely dangerous’. Apart from the dangers of standing on a ladder directly underneath a heavy wooden branch and cutting it off, it’s also really hard work using a saw on thick branches, so sawdust would fall down into my eyes, and stick my my bald sweaty head. Delightful.

Anyway, because of the weight of the branch trimmer and the length of the pole, there were no ladders today and I could reach all the branches I couldn’t reach a few weeks ago so I could do a proper job. The trimmer was so quick cutting through them! It cut through all the branches in mere seconds with a minimum of sawdust (if any). I did have an image of my arms killing me while I was standing there holding a long pole in the air for 20-30 seconds while the blade did the cutting, grimacing like a red face idiot; but even the bigger branches took no longer than 5 seconds to cut. So no achey arms, no exhaustion, no red face, no head covered in sawdust and eyes full of splinters. The saw has a little resting part sticking out, so you can either push up into the branch, or sort of hook it on the branch and pull down. It’s a really clever piece of kit.

We have an old pear tree in our garden that produces rock hard, inedible and probably mildy poisonous pears you absolutely can’t eat, that every year blocks out the sun and leaves mouldy rotton pears all over the grass, so I spent quite a while trimming all those branches down, opening up the space and letting more light in. I honestly don’t know how long it would have taken and what dangers I would have faced down had I had to climb up there with a ladder and handsaw to do the job.

By the time I had done that the battery was just ending, and with 45 minutes of usage time, I had got all the hedges in both gardens right down, and all the trees trimmed down massively. In 45 minites I achieved what previously would have taken me most of a day and exhausted me to the point of not bothering to do the rest of the gardening. I had so much time left of the gardening day that I then had time and energy to go to tidying up properly (like I said, I usually half-arse it), go to the garden centre to get some new plants and seeds, plant them, clean up the stones on the drive way, mow the lawn AND have a cup of coffee and chat to my neighbour.

A much neater front garden, with flowers and everything! We are no longer a disgrace to our street - hooray! 

Once I’d finished, I popped the hard plastic covers back over the blades, and slotted the trimmer and the attachments back into their boxes and stored them away with minimal effort. Win!

Overall I was massively pleased with the Gtech HT20 Cordless Hedge Trimmer. I hadn’t imagined using something like that would make my life that much easier but it really did. It made the garden look great and was so easy to use. I really couldn’t fault it at all. I highly recommend!

Watch the HT20 in action in my video review here:

Do you have a hedge trimmer? 

Which type do you prefer to use?

Have you ever thought about going cordless?

Mr B

We were sent the cordless hedge trimmer with branch cutting attachment in exchange for this honest review. 

What was in my July Summer Degustabox? *REVIEW*

It's Degustabox contents time!! This month's box was summer themed and full to bursting with goodies once again. A slightly less cohesive and more random selection filled this box, but still appealing and useful nevertheless.

Bert was especially excited by the Rowntree's Randoms and I was thrilled that they were the 30% less sugar bag - you take whatever little wins you can as a parent! 

I'm always happy to try a new-to-me cereal - as breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day - so the presence of the Weetabix Additions were a winner for me. Hubby hoorayed at the sight of a good strong mustard, so everyone was happy!

DEGUSTABOX JULY (SUMMER) CONTENTS:

Blossom Hill Spritz - Elderflower & Lemon £4.99

We adored this light and fruity spritzer style wine. Liam, my mum and I polished off the whole bottle over dinner on a light summer evening last week, and we all loved it. Definitely a wine I'll buy for summer BBQs - as not much of a white wine drinker I was really pleasantly surprised by this little gem. 

Crafted Fruit Juice - Mango & Passionfruit £1.80

Who doesn't love a glass of cold from the fridge fruit juice? Gorgeously fresh in flavour and a much more tropical combination of fruits as opposed to our usual orange or apple juice - we loved having a glass of this with breakfast as a special treat. 

Ryvita Thins - Three Cheese £1.89

Okay, so these disappeared within two days of the box arriving. Safe to say they went down rather well. We all loved them - Liam and I snacked on them dipped in hummus or salsa, the kids ate them as little cracker snacks - they were devoured by all, definitely something I'd buy again if I saw it in the supermarket. 

Rowntree's Randoms - 30% less sugar £1.29

I didn't get a look in here - these are hands down Bert's favourite type of sweetie - he's mad for wine gums & jelly style sweets, so his eyes lit up when he saw them. We have a sweetie box where a selection of these style sweets live, and he knows he's allowed to choose 5 sweets at a time - he's so good at understanding portion control, bless him. Liam and I were both overweight children, and we're determined for our kids to have a much healthier relationship with food. 

OLOVES Healthy Olive Snacks - 2 x £0.99

We've had these handy little olive packs before, I love them. They're so great for lunchboxes or picnics, and they taste really great. The perfect way to make olives portable. 

Merchant Gourmet Simply Cooked Red & White Quinoa - £1.99

I'd eaten this within a few days of the box arriving. I eat a lot of these pre-cooked quinoa, rice and lentil pouches, as I find them so much more convenient than cooking the grains from scratch - plus they're brilliant for portion control (I'm not the only one who always cooks enough rice to feed a small army, am I?) These were really tasty for a quick lunch with a friend - I added grilled chicken breast, green beans and some pesto to give it a little more pizazz!

Frylight Cooking Spray with Avocado Oil - £2.99

I love these handy cooking sprays and have tried the sunflower and olive oil varieties - as an avocado addict I was thrilled to give this version a go. These sprays are especially good if you're trying watch your fat/oil intake - I find them brilliant for frying eggs, stir frying etc. This spray gives a slightly nutty, avocado flavour without being too strong or intense. 

Weetabix Additions - Coconut & Raisin £2.99

As a self-confession breakfast-aholic I'm always excited to try a new breakfast cereal. Weetabix is one of my old-school favourite cereals - I remember having them warm with sugar on as a little girl. So these were a nostalgic eat - I really loved the addition of coconut and chewy raisins to add a bit of texture. I've been eating mine crumbled into coconut greek yoghurt with blackberries and honey. Delish. 

The Collective Kids Big Tub Yoghurt - Mango & ProYo Coconut with Vanilla & Honey  £2.00

Yoghurt is my desert island food - I know it's a weird choice, but its just my favourite food in the whole world. It has to be thick, Greek in style, and it has to be full fat. I have it pretty much daily, plain, fruity, with a compote - however it comes I love it. The Collective yogurts are one we've been buying on and off for a while now - I loved the mango flavour, it's uber-fruity and the pro yo was a revelation to me - sooooo filling, brilliant on gym days, and the subtle flavour of coconut, vanilla and honey was a heady combination. I loved that the pro yo came in a little pouch too - meaning it's perfectly portable! 

Maille Dijon Original £1.99

I'm not much of a mustard lover (unless that super mild, squeezy, American mustard on burgers and hotdogs counts? I don't think it does!) Luckily, hubby is a mustard fiend. He eats it in sandwiches, with cold meats, with beef - any reason to add a good dollop of mustard and he will. I use it in cooking to add flavour to cheese sauces, and my Welsh rarebit muffins - and this mustard has a really intense, creamy flavour perfect for all of the above. Maille is a brand we know and love as a family and we think the original is definitely the best. 

As I am a reviewer I received the contents from both the alcohol and non-alcohol boxes, the non-alcohol box contained:

Two bottles of THØR Dry Apple Spritz Drinks one in Mint & one in Ginger flavour. 

These were really scrumptious. I often avoid these sorts of drinks as they tend to be loaded with calories, but at only 69 calories per bottle they're a much lighter alternative and full of flavour. I'd say they're a very grown up taste - they make a lovely summery soft drink - pimped with a bit of fresh mint, fresh ginger and cucumber - I'd even be tempted to add a splash of gin! 

Here's our top picks from the July Summer box...

Would you like to give a Degustabox a try? 

If so, you can receive a whopping £7.00 off your first box by using code:

1VRVA

at the checkout! 

Enjoy you lovely lot...

Mrs B

xxx

For more info on Degustabox follow them on their social media channels:

We receive our Degustaboxes in exchange for these honest reviews.