AD | Home improvements that can benefit your family

When it comes to home improvement, you should always have your family in mind. You should prioritise projects that will improve your family's comfort, add value to the property, and create a more functional living space. With this in mind, this post will explore a few of the best home improvements that will benefit your family.

Maximising Storage Solutions

Most parents would agree that you can never have enough storage in the home. It can feel impossible to keep your home neat and organised when you have kids, particularly if you also have pets! Maximising storage with fitted wardrobes and other smart solutions can help you reduce clutter in the home, which will improve aesthetics and reduce stress while ensuring that you always have access to the items you need.

Upgrading Energy Efficiency

Upgrading energy efficiency is always worthwhile as this can help you reduce your environmental impact and lower energy bills (a concern for many right now). Energy efficiency upgrades will also make your home much more desirable to modern homebuyers, which will drive up the value if/when you decide to sell. A few of the best ways to enhance energy efficiency include:

💜 Smart thermostat

💜 Double glazing

💜 Insulation

💜 Solar panels

💜 Ground pumps

💜 New boiler

Creating a Functional Family Space

You should also consider ways to create a more functional family space that will allow you to improve family interaction and make everyday life more convenient. Open-plan living areas can create more functional areas while making the space both look and feel bigger and brighter. Redesigned kitchens with social elements, such as a kitchen island, can also make a big difference to daily life.

Enhancing Outdoor Areas

You should also consider enhancing your outdoor area to extend your living space and have somewhere the whole family can enjoy spending time during the warmer months of the year. There are always improvements that can be made no matter the space you have to work with, whether this is a large garden, patio, or balcony. Comfortable garden furniture, outdoor cooking facilities, exterior lighting, a play area for the kids, and attractive plants can make a world of difference to your outdoor area.

Hopefully, this post will give you a few ideas for home improvements that will elevate life at home for your whole family. When making home improvements, you should always focus on upgrades that will benefit the whole family while also adding value and making your house somewhere that is more practical, comfortable, and stylish.

My 2025 bridal skincare routine

In case you didn't know, I'm getting married this year!!! As a 2025 bride, my skincare routine has been more important than ever this year - I suffer from eczema, have acne-prone skin, redness and scarring, and suffer from a fragrance allergy. Naturally I want my skin to look better than ever on my big day, so here's everything I'm doing in my bridal skincare routine...

More water

I am also on healthy weight loss journey, so increasing my water intake is doubly important as it will benefit both my skin and my calorie deficit. I am aiming for 2 litres a day, and I don't always manage it but honestly in 2024 I could go days without drinking any water and surviving off Pepsi Max, so... 

If I'm struggling, I add a drop of sugar free Vimto squash to make it a bit more palatable! 

Hypochlorous acid spray

This was a recommendation from Chloe and I genuinely do think this is making a lot of difference to the appearance of my skin. I spray it on my face morning and night, then follow up with moisturiser. I use the Vital Baby spray from Boots, and I would definitely recommend it if you suffer with eczema - you can read more about the science behind it here. It's an inexpensive addition to my 2025 bride skincare routine, and I'm thrilled with how well it seems to be working for me.

A pared back skincare routine

I've dropped pretty much everything from my routine - as a sensitive skin girly, it seems to be the only way my skin can cope. I use a gentle cleanser like the CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser or the Aveeno Calm and Restore Cleanser at night time, then follow up with the Vital Baby spray and my Cetraben emollient cream mixed with a few drops of castor oil. Of a morning, I splash my face with cool water, use the Vital Baby spray and then the CeraVe Moisturising Cream.

That's it! No serums, no targeted treatments etc. I do use SPF if I'm going out in the day, of course - my go to is the SOS SPF 50.

LED light therapy

You've probably seen the girlies all over tiktok with their LED masks, and I have to admit I was swayed by social media with this one - but it can't hurt, right? I ordered my LED face mask from Ergonomist as it was the cheapest one I could find, and I didn't need anything fancy. I do this for 10 minutes per night, alternating between red light one night and blue light the next. Red targets inflammation and boosts collagen production to improve the 'plumpness' of the skin, while blue LED lights are good at fighting bacteria and soothing the skin. It's early days but it's a nice 10 minutes of relaxation if nothing else... hopefully it's working though!

Supplements

I don't really know how much supplements can do for your skin but again, it can't hurt! I take Vitamin D3 as recommended by my dermatologist (everyone in the UK should take this really), as well as collagen for hydration and plumpness, hyaluronic acid because I can't apply it topically, and cod liver oil for elasticity and healing. It's like a full time job keeping on top of these as well as my medication, let me tell you! I also take a daily antihistamine to keep flare ups at bay. Whew.

Going make up free

I've worn make up twice in 2025 so far, and I'm just not really bothering with it - for me, wearing make up is likely to lead to a bit of an eczema flare the following day, and I could honestly do without that as it makes me stressed which leads to another flare up and so the cycle goes. My skin is in a good enough place that I feel confident enough to go out and about with no make up on, so I'm happy to ditch it except on special occasions.

That's everything I'm doing to improve my skin as a 2025 bride - I really want to have glowing, plump and well-moisturised skin on my big day, so hopefully all of the above will lead to that... any tips, please leave me a comment!

Recent reads | January 2025

Do we think I can keep up with monthly 'recent reads' round ups in 2025? Let's see... starting with January 2025, I read 12 books (!!) including a whole series, a book club pick and some ARCs. Below you'll find my thoughts on all of them.

The Briar U Series by Elle Kennedy

I got all 4 books in this series in my book advent calendar in 2024, which my amazing fiancée put together for me. I have really got into romance books over the past year, and I love a hockey romance particularly, so this series was right up my street. I actually really enjoyed them, rating them all either a 4 or 4.5 stars. They're your typical college romance reads, a bit of smut here and there, some deeper topics and so on. Just a fun lil 4-book series, and I'm definitely planning to read more Elle Kennedy in 2025.

The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden

I listened to this as an audiobook and honestly, I didn't enjoy it. I gave it 3 stars - I found the story jarring and all of the characters very odd. I did like the diary flashbacks, but overall the vibe just felt very off. I do have a love/hate relationship with Freida McFadden; her books are super easy to get through if you're looking for a quick read, but they're not massively well written - though some are definitely better than others!

The Head Teacher by H M Lynn

This was another 3 star read for me; it's a psychological thriller but it's just okay. Another easy read for sure, but the story was underwhelming and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The twist and the whole premise underpinning the plot was far fetched and a bit odd, but overall it was an alright read.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

This was our January book club pick, and when I read the first chapter I thought what the hell have I got myself into here. But honestly I ended up LOVING this book - I gave it a 4.5 which I think is totally fair, there were some little niggles around the ending (which felt kind of rushed) but overall it's a beautiful story about loss, family, connections and more. I would definitely recommend!

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley

After reading Alexandra Kiley's previous book, Kilt Trip, I was soooooo excited for this one - and when I got an ARC on Netgalley it went straight to the top of my TBR. And honestly it was incredible - an easy 5 star read for me. It's a forced proximity second chance romance set in Scotland, so agonisingly beautiful and romantic with this stunning backdrop of Skye, and all this heartache being set free. Please read this book, it's honestly amazing.

The Surf House by Lucy Clarke

Back to thrillers - this was another Netgalley ARC, and I really enjoyed it. I gave this one 4.5 stars; it's set in Morocco which I loved, it's peppered with surfing lingo and just feels very real. The characters were all really multidimensional, and I did not see the twist coming at all. Very brutal and overall just a brilliant thriller that I completely flew through.

The Perfect Guest by Casey Kellehere

I did not like this one at all - another Netgalley ARC (can you tell I've been trying to get through my shelf this month?!) and honestly, it felt completely unedited. It was also just very boring, especially for a psychological thriller, and I guessed the twist pretty much straight away. About 98% of the book takes place inside one house, which felt claustrophobic to the max and not in a good way. Meh - I gave this 2 stars.

The Liar by Louise Jensen

Another ARC, another thriller. I gave this 3 stars - I wasn't overly impressed with the plot (which I found confusing, as the multiple POVs didn't flow well at all) and the twist was very underwhelming. It was okay with pretty creepy vibes but I definitely wouldn't rave over it.

Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben

I was over the moon to get an ARC for Harlan Coben's upcoming release, and it didn't disappoint - while I thought the story was quite gentle, for lack of a better word, in comparison to some of his others, it was still utterly brilliant writing and really gripping. I read it in one evening, so that will tell you a bit about how good it was! I love his ability to craft these characters and this narrative that just draw you into their world so wholly. A stunning read - 4.5 stars!

A really mixed bag of books and star ratings for January - let me know if you've read any of these or if you're excited for any of these ARCs to be released. Also if anyone's on Goodreads I'd love to be friends!

24 hours in Hay-on-Wye

As a book lover, Hay-on-Wye has always been on my bucket list - billed as the world's first book town, I knew it was a must-visit for me. We recently visited for roughly 24 hours, so here's everything you need to know and what we got up to!

Where to stay in Hay-on-Wye

I booked a 3-bed, 2-bath Airbnb for £200 for the night; we were travelling with my parents, and the little cottage was spacious enough for the four of us. It had three double bedrooms, two with a gorgeous view, as well as the two bathrooms - one with a bath, one with a shower. A dining area, large kitchen and cosy living room with a proper fire as well as a small yard area completed the cottage. Just on the edge of town, it was exactly what we needed and really cute too! Also available on Booking.com

Parking in Hay-on-Wye

We parked at the Wyeford Road car park, as there was no parking at the Airbnb, and we were lucky to get a space but it was free and really close to the river, the town and our cottage.

Food in Hay-on-Wye

For lunch we stopped at Oscar's Bistro, a small but charming little café - we had paninis and jacket potatoes and they also do cakes, sandwiches and that kind of thing. Everywhere in Hay-on-Wye is relatively pricey but Oscar's wasn't too bad; for a panini, jacket potato, side of chips, a can and a coffee it cost us around £25.

Later on, for dinner, we ate at the Three Tuns, a 16th century pub with an exclusively Italian food menu - and my god it was delicious! I had a pizza, my fiancée went for a pasta dish, my dad had a burger and my mum went for the porchetta. The pub has a lovely vibe to it and the food was genuinely amazing, so I'd really recommend.

What to do in Hay-on-Wye

Let's face it - there's one main thing to do in Hay-on-Wye and that's go BOOKSHOPPING! We explored pretty much all of the bookshops in the town, and they're all amazing and so quirky. I loved the honesty Bookshop, which is an unmanned book shop with all sorts of hidden gems for £1 each, and Murder & Mayhem, which sells crime/thriller/mystery books galore. Gay on Wye was also a personal highlight, crammed full of LGBT+ books, postcards and pins. It's such a gorgeous vibe and a lovely independent business to support.

We also mooched around the charity shops and other sweet shops, and in the afternoon we walked up to Hay Castle - a medieval fortification and 17th century mansion house which has a roaring open fire and has beautiful grounds, complete with another honesty bookshop... we didn't pay to go in properly but did have a great chat with one of the staff who told us all about the key figures in history who lived in the castle or were involved in its story.

On the Sunday morning we had a lovely walk along the River Wye, from the Wyeford Road car park; we spotted loads of these adorable chainsaw carvings installed along the route, which really added something lovely to the landscape on such a grey and dismal day!

Another thing of note is that you have to cross the Whitney Toll Bridge to get to and from Hay-on-Wye, or at least we did - and it's just a fun little rickety old bridge that we found really amusing.

Overall, if you're a book lover then I'd highly recommend Hay-on-Wye for a day out or weekend away; it's a really cute little town with many a book shop, quirky home shops, cute pubs and of course the castle. I absolutely loved it, and I did come away with six books...

All of my 2024 5* reads

2024 has been a fairly good reading year - I've read over 90 books, and I've had my fair share of 5 star reads among those. I thought I'd share all of my 5* reads from 2024, as obviously these are the ones I'd most recommend out of everything I've read this year.

Side note - they're not necessarily new releases, though some are, and I give star ratings based on how much I enjoyed a book as opposed to it being a fantastic piece of groundbreaking literature...

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

I love Holly's writing, and this is a fantastic YA thriller with a shocking twist.

Say You'll Remember Me by Holly Jimenez

Honestly such a beautiful and emotive long-distance romance story.

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Sapphic fake dating romance? Count me in.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Another fake dating romance, feat. billionaires and an island. Dreamy.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

What can I even say about Liane's writing? She just gets it, and the stories are always breathtaking - this is no exception.

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

My first foray into 'fantasy' and I fell head over heels, LOVED this story and the characters.

Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope

The best cowboy romance I've read so far, love love loved it.

Daydream by Hannah Grace

A cute AF college romance, really sweet and only a little spicy.

Rani Choudhury Must Die by

Sapphic, science-related, kind of enemies to lovers? Cute!

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley

A sexy Scottish enemies to lovers romance. Win win win.

Unbearably Yours by Elodie Colliard

This is such a cute adventure-based second chance romance.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

Her newest book and one that is so achingly beautiful - focused around grief and the things we cannot change.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Are you sensing a theme? This one is just so intricate and clever, I loved it.

Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

A really interesting cosy mystery!

A Girl Can Dream by Emily Barr

A really interesting YA story with some hard hitting themes and a touch of magical realism.

The Quit List by Katie Bailey

Cute friends-to-lovers romance vibes!

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Sorry, WHAT? This literally blew my mind. So good.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

The best and spiciest of the Maple Hills college/sports romance series.

So, there's all of my 2024 5* reads - 19.57% of the books I read in 2024 got 5 stars from me, which is pretty good going in my eyes. Let me know how many 5 star reads you had in 2024!