Do: Stay together in a group - Don't: Wander off alone.
Bonfire night is one of the most exciting nights of the year, but also one of the busiest and most potentially dangerous.
Do: Keep your pets safe and warm inside - Don't: Bring them out  for the fireworks display.
Animals can get scared and easily disorientated, they can be uncomfortable with the noise or injured if unsupervised.
Do: Stand far back from both the bonfire and fireworks display - Don't: Go near a firework after it has been lit.
The further you are, the safer you will be.
Do: Use sparkler when accompanied by an adult - Don't give a sparkler to an unsupervised child.
It is recommended that you do not give sparklers to children under 5.
Do: Keep a bucket of water near by for emergencies - Don't: Light a firework after 11PM as this is against the law.
Have fun, and stay safe guys!

Okay so there's something all Yankee Candle lovers should know about if you don't already - you need SCENTERPIECE! 
"What's a Scenterpiece?" I hear you ask. Well, it's an all-rounder but would be especially suited to these colder winter months & make the perfect gift for someone this Christmas  But Yankee have that covered with a short video from their website..
​(See below or you can have a browse for yourself by clicking here. )

Personally I would describe it as versatile, child safe, and delightfully fragrant - with the power to transport you to the most beautiful of places, all from the comfort of your living room. There are probably hundreds of different scents available and a variety of designs for the heating system to suit your home. 
The options can seem endless, especially to a newbie, so to take out some of the leg work I've put together a gallery of the most popular types of Scenterpiece, and a quiz to help you decide which fragrance to try out first - if ordering online of course.

Mine is on almost every day, you can thank me later Tidy Timers - that is all!

Continuing with the theme of Autumns arrival & the urge to decorate, upcycle and refresh ones interior, I have come accross some fantastic tips & tricks I found to be shareworthy with you all, so without further delay here are the top 9.. (click on the picture for links)

I'm certain i'm not the only one who has felt the need for a refresh in my home with this current season change. What better time to give our interiors some TLC - now that the kids are back at school and won't be causing chaos in the house for another year or so. 
When we think of Autumn we envision a range of vivid oranges, yellows and reds, but there is also still quite a lot of browns and greens dotted about the great outdoors.

Preferring a vintage, shabby chic style myself the colour I have chosen for my own living room - which is indeed out of action for the current decorating plans to be completed - I have gone with Dulux "Mint Macaroon" in silk. I feel it has the perfect pastel yet chalky hue, and the chosen finish makes for easier cleaning on a wipe clean surface - lesson well & truly learnt from trying to get away with matte finish in a toddler oriented space! 

Here are some seasonal colour schemes I have been especially drawn to, from the more traditional and trusty orange based, to the more modern French-chic pastel themed with white detailing.

​If any of you would like to share the interior styles that have worked for you this season then please do!
I will be sharing mine when all rooms are finished in a post aimed at decor for a small spaced home.

​That will be all, Tidytimers!

I have read, and even written about how I would rather be making memories than doing dishes, washing or any other housekeeping task. but you can’t ignore it. If you are a stay-at-home mum, you are captive to the mess 24/7; and if you’re a working mum, the last thing you want to see when you leave your neat and clean workplace is a horrific wreck at home. 
Thankfully, there’s a way to maintain balance. We don’t live in perfect-looking homes, especially if we also live with kids (confession, my house pre-kids was far from perfect), but that doesn’t mean we should tackle 100% of the chores, burning all of our “free” time fanatically cleaning the house because we believe the waking hours of our kids’ existence should only be filled with educational/precious/memorable moments.
Over the past few years I’ve found a few tricks that combine spending quality time with the kids and cleaning house. I’m getting things done and making educational/precious/memorable moments with my son, age 3.
​Here are 11 ways you can effectively follow in my footsteps! Cleaning with your kids can be a lot of fun!

1. Use safe, eco-friendly cleaning supplies - Kids adore spray bottles! I use natural products I make myself from everyday household items (thank you pinterest!). Knowing that what goes into my cleaning solutions is child safe by using home made eco-friendly products gives me peace of mind when involving a small child.

2. Manage your time - You know that sometimes you will make a HUGE mess cleaning. For example, emptying your entire fridge onto the worktops and scrubbing it. Know that your kids WILL lose interest if the task takes longer than 10 minutes. Instead of doing a whole job “right,” just finish small portions at a time For example, clean off one shelf or five things from the top of your cabinets. It isn’t as satisfying, but it’s a lot better than abandoning a job right at the peak of a mess.

3. Bribes & Incentives - I’ve used a variety, including sticker charts, sweet tooth prizes, and pocket money. These incentives seem to really work wonders, giving the child a sense of accomplishment and the appreciation of a job well done.

4. Know what each kid can do - You know them best. Are they good at bringing things to other rooms? Use them as a runner. Are they great at doing just what you say they’ll do? Be directive in a task. Breaking out what they can do in a task that you need done might not save you time, but at least you’ll be doing it together.

5. Find or modify cleaning tools to fit your kids - Try modifying your mop or sweeper so that it’s kid-size: Unscrew the middle sections and then screw the handle directly to the base, if you have the adjustable type. Other things include, filling up one side of a double sink ( if you are lucky enough to have one) and letting your child help with the dishes, (mainly plastic cups, bowls and cutlery.)

6. Five minute blitz - Inspired by all the cleaning sites I’ve read, but can’t actually do because of the constant presence of children, the five minute blitz work for me. Before we do something fun that they want, we clean one or two rooms for five minutes each. Based on tip four, I rapidly fire instructions and the room looks better after just five minutes of attention.

7. Include them in decisions - Give them the choice of what room to start with. Ask them to pick whether they want to use the green or blue cloth. When the answer doesn’t really matter, just let them pick and compliment them all the way.

8. Use kid-friendly words - “Sparkle.” “Shiny.” “Beautiful.” They’re probably not words you would usually use when cleaning, but saying something like “Let’s make the bathroom beautiful” sounds more exciting to your kids. If you can bring in the TV hero of the moment into the “game,” go for it.

9. Make what you are doing look enticing - My kid thinks mopping with the steamer is the epitome of fun. He's not great at it, but I can set him an area to happily mop while I do the rest of the work. Smile while you are cleaning and it will at least look fun.

10. Save jobs for them that they like - Not exactly the same as having chores because I don’t really believe kids under 8 have the follow-through skills to remember to do something regularly. But, for example, I save the transferring of washing (from basket, to machine, to dryer, to new basket) for my 3 year old. It keeps him busy while I do other things elsewhere AND I didn’t use my time on a task that he actually likes to do.

​11. Manage expectations - So many ladies I know would rather do everything themselves because other people don’t do it right. Trust me—I often feel that way, too. But the fact that your kids want to help is something that should be encouraged. If they get bored dusting half way through the task, that’s still half of a job that you didn’t have to do. To avoid frustration from our unavoidable OCD tendencies, pick the chore that you deem most important, and try your best to find a child alternative toy version. In our home my son has a mini battery powered Henry Hoover, (to match Mama's Hetty, of course!) so that he can join in and start on a different area of the room, allowing me to actually pick up the dust and dirt from the floor, whilst getting him to do his bit and admire the job done to mummy standards after.

I know it’s tempting to let your kids play outside or watch TV just so you can get things done, but keeping them with you while you do bits and pieces of housework not only teaches them how to clean, but you can also keep an eye on them. There’s no perfect system, but hopefully these tips will inspire you to get your little ones in the habit of cleaning with you rather than seeing them as an obstacle to be planned around.

​Until next time TidyTimers!