6 Decorating Trends You Shouldn't Follow

People who are fond of keeping their homes looking beautiful don't often think before heading to the high street and splashing the cash on the latest décor trends. They like to follow the famous interior designers on Instagram, read relevant home interior blogs and try to keep up with everything fashionable when it comes to their living space.

There are however a collection of trends, from over the years and present times, which are debatably outdated or inappropriate - would you have any of these in your own home?...

1. Panelling

Panelling on walls was once a widely accepted trend but if you have it in your home today then perhaps it’s time for a change. You could replace the panels with some bold colour paint or even some textured-look wallpaper which is currently very popular. Panelling is apparently quite a turn off for prospective buyers so if you're looking to sell it might be best to eliminate it as soon as possible.

7 Things I've Learnt As A Parent

Since the very first moment I held my newborns in my arms it has been an incredible learning journey. You may think as a parent you're the one teaching your child as you raise them but you certainly do develop and change as a person too. You grow as your little one does.

Here are seven things I've learnt as a parent...

Your best is good enough
Parents really give themselves a hard time but you should know that you're doing a wonderful job and you are a good parent. If you're worrying about how well you're doing that alone is a sign that you care enough to be concerned and you're therefore a pretty good mum or dad.  It's okay for your child to have chicken nuggets and chips from time to time and you shouldn't feel guilty, it's okay to raise your voice or get grumpy when you're sleep deprived and it's okay to leave the dishes on the side for a day. People may judge you at times for your choices on breast/bottle feeding or disposable/cloth nappy usage but if your kids are happy and healthy that's all that matters.

Two Tone Star Biscuits

It was a bit of a wet and wild bank holiday weekend with plenty of thunder storms across the country, so we decided to stay snug indoors and have some baking fun as a family. While I was busy making moist Madeira cake with Jambo, Moomin made a collection of treats by herself including American style muffins and these delicious two tone stars.

They are really simple to create yet the finish is rather pretty. They also fit in nicely with the return of The Great British Bake Off and the first theme - biscuits!

Two Tone Star Biscuits

Ingredients
(makes 16)

Chocolate Chip & Rolo Blondies

If you're looking for a chewy and gooey treat that is incredibly simple to make then your search stops here. These slices ooze with chocolate and caramel when cut and they are bound to satisfy any sweet tooth. They are great served warm with ice cream, wrapped in ribbon as a gift or devoured at home by the family as a delicious dessert.

7 Ways To Improve Your Credit Rating

Looking for a loan and struggling to get accepted? Your credit rating could be to blame! Thankfully there are quite a few ways to improve it so you could find it easier to make those purchases, whether it's a new car, a holiday or some essential furniture for your home, in no time at all...

• Your credit score is based on the details within your credit reports so it's best to get a copy of these at the earliest opportunity to check that they are accurate. You may find that there are some minor errors, which can greatly affect you score, so you can ensure that these are amended quickly by contacting the relevant creditor.

Costume Inspiration for World Book Day 2018

World Book Day, the time many children look forward to at school as they get to dress up and

celebrate their favourite books and characters! Celebrated in 100 countries around the world for

over 20 years, this year World Book day is scheduled for Thursday, March 1st. In other countries the

event is fittingly celebrated on April 23rd, William Shakespeare's birthday.

Paddington Bear

After the release of the second Paddington Bear film, the love of the book series was rekindled for

children, with many wanting to read the beloved books either for he first time or again. Paddington

bear is an easy to recreate costume for your little one this World Book day, as all you really need is a

red hat, a blue coat, red wellies and a suitcase if you want to be detailed. If you’re looking to create a

costume on a budget, then as far as cheap fancy dress costumes go Paddington is a great choice, as

not only can you create a great costume but you can achieve it without going over-board on the

pennies. Your little one can even get creative and make their own Paddington bear face mask, or you

could use face paint to add a little bear nose. No doubt once their ready your little one will look

adorable and be pleased with their effortless costume!

Feel Good With Heart

The music you listen to can have such a big impact on your everyday mood. I have the radio on during the commute to and from school each day and I opt for tunes over the TV when working from home. Music is a big part of my life and I therefore choose to listen to Heart, the UK's biggest commercial radio brand, which provides feel good music to keep me smiling from dawn til dusk. If I pop out of the house I even leave it on for the dog to keep him company too! It's the happy soundtrack to our day.

Heart have created their #HeartFeelGoodChallenge this year which has inspired me to do something fun and active based on a favourite song of mine to boost my mood even further. Each time 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran is played it brings back some lovely memories of meeting my boyfriend for the first time, as it was released around the same time we met, and it reminds me of my admiration for his physique. Being in the military he is in very good shape and he is incredibly fit. The song lyrics 'I'm in love with your body' have since encouraged me to focus on myself a little bit more, in terms of my health and fitness, this January and I've been trying hard to love my own shape as much as I love his.