Happy December, and welcome to TFT! This is now my EIGHTH year co-hosting this fabulous weekly link party for bloggers and blog readers with Katherine of Katherine’s Corner and a fantastic group of bloggers!
Welcome friends, to my “Cranberry Christmas Kitchen! It’s the heart of the home where vibrant, fresh and faux holiday fruits and Christmas plants inspired by old world, European or Colonial Christmases past mix and mingle with a bit of vintage Christmas treasures to create my beloved, timeless, vintage-traditional Christmas aesthetic.
Christmas, Home Tours, Uncategorized
Why the Ralph Lauren Christmas Trend and Little Women Christmas Trend are Actually Timeless
Happy first weekend of December! Are you busy decorating or are you already finished? I am still in the process of decorating and I have been busy working on creating a classic, cozy Christmas cottage which includes my signature vintage-traditional Christmas style. It is a mix of all kinds of vintage Christmas from various eras, and this year’s hottest two “trends” which are the Ralph Lauren Christmas trend and Little Women Christmas. While they may be trending, both of these are timeless, and I have always incorporated elements of these styles in my holiday decorating.
January is coming to a close, but winter weather continues to affect most of us and more storms are on the way! I have decided to embrace winter decor inside, especially with such beautiful views of snow outside. Today I am sharing a little bit of our winter kitchen with my favorite French Farmhouse basket tray styled with witner and cottage garden elements. I am so happy to be joining my friend Debra of Common Ground for another post in our Vintage Cottage Weekend Series! You will find a link to Debra’s winter decor at the end of this post.
Happy winter friends! Yes, winter can be happy when you appreciate the opportunities for slowing down, reflecting on the year ahead and endulging in all things cozy and comforting! I have been nesting around the house during all the snow days we had, and I am particularly loving the winter vibes in our dining room. Today I am excited to be sharing the dining room as part of a Vintage Cottage Weekend with my friend Debra of Common Ground! This post contains affiliate links.
After the beauty and excitement of the holidays with festive colors and twinkling lights I like to continue to keep our home looking cozy and magical for winter using greenery and garlands. Today I am excited to share a preview of our nearly finished sunroom and how I am cozied it up for the winter with a beautiful pre-lit Dandan Pine Garland from Seasonal LLC. *I received this garland for review from Seasonal LLC. All opinons are my own.
Embrace the warmth of hearth and home during the long winter months with cozy winter decor!
Welcome to a fun winter blog hop where my blogging friends and I are sharing how we are “Keeping it Cozy” in our homes during the long, cold months of winter. You will find many other creative ways to keep it cozy this winter by visiting all the lovely hop participant’s posts at the end of this post.
Hello friends and welcome to our cozy “wintergreen” home! Even though the weather around here has been unbelieveably spring-like so far this January without a sign of snow, I have still decorated our home with cozy winter treasures including lots of greenery. Today I am excited to be joining 23 blogging friends for the Cozy Winter Home Tours! You can check out all of the beautiful winter decorating ideas via the links at the end of this post. *This post contains affiliate links.
Hello dear friends and welcome to our winter home! Today I am so happy to be hosting the Cozy Winter Home Blog Hop where 16 blogging friends are getting together to share cozy winter decorating ideas. For my post I am going to show you how I have transitioned from Christmas to winter and how I am “keeping it cozy” in our home for the season. *This post contains affiliate links.
Getting your outdoor seating area just right is notoriously challenging. You want it to be functional but also cozy and be able to survive outside long term.
The challenge, of course, is making all of that happen with the materials and designs that are available. The good news is that this guide is here to help you run through everything from planning your space to choosing the right furniture. Here’s what you need to know:
Plan your space 
As with any home renovation, the first step is to plan your space. You’ll need to measure and define your purpose and what you intend to use the outdoor areas for. How you create them will be very different depending on whether you want family gatherings, outdoor dining, or just something for multi-use. Also think about the location where you’ll put the new outdoor area. You want to place seating near to places where people will gravitate naturally, like under trees or awnings, or near windows. Also placing it near doors can help.
If you’re planning your outdoor space to be a larger area, then you’ll want to divide it into various zones. One place could be for dining, another for cooking, and then a third for lounging. Where possible, make use of your views and surrounding landscape to enhance the experience.
Check you have all the elements for comfort and security
The next step is to check that you have everything you need to make your new outdoor area as comfortable and secure.
You want to start with the lighting. Bringing that outside can help make the area more appealing, especially during the winter months and when it’s dark in the evenings.
You also want to make sure you’re using weather-resistant materials throughout, like teak, cedar, and aluminium. If you can find rattan furniture in the Hartman furniture range that’s also useful. This type of furniture is designed to live outside in all seasons and won’t get damaged by wind, snow, rain, hail, or direct sunlight.
Consider privacy
Another thing to consider is the level of privacy that your outdoor space offers. This is something that a lot of homeowners think about too late and only discover that their neighbors can see everything they’re doing once they’ve finished their expensive installations.
The good news is that you can achieve privacy through numerous methods. You could add hedges, fences or even pergolas with vines. If there are no options to use any of those systems, then you can also just go for curtains. A lot of decking now comes with curtain-based constructions that you can use to prevent people from watching you.
Master the art of seating
The next step is to think about your seating. Usually, especially if you live in a cold part of the world, you’ll want to center it around some sort of fire pit or area for warmth. This can create a sense of ambience but also make the space more usable when temperatures drop.
Backyard retreats are a great option if you have a lot of guests to a family home. However, if you only have a small balcony or patio area, you might want to opt for a more compact and functional space.
Usually here you’d use foldable or even Adirondack chairs and perhaps wall-mounted tables. You can also cover the area more easily so you can include more soft furnishings that you wouldn’t usually be able to.
If you have an outdoor dining area, then center the seating around the table and make sure you use it for this purpose. Getting this right means you can enjoy more al fresco meals, and you can also add serving stations if you regularly host buffets.
Accessorize properly
In 2025, how you accessorize your space is entirely up to you. However, most homeowners focus on things like materials and boosting comfort. For example, you could add more wicker, teak, and rattan materials to outdoor spaces to make them more durable during cold and wet weather. You could also use recycled plastics if you want your new renovation to be more sustainable. Many of these options combine style with durability because of the nature of outdoor furniture applications.
If you can improve the comfort of the space, that’s an even better idea. Adding an outdoor rug makes it feel more welcoming, and providing guests and yourself with blankets and throw pillows keeps everything feeling warm and pleasant even during colder months.
Add multifunctional pieces
Another thing you might want to do is add multi-functional pieces to your exterior areas. For example, you could use extended tables or storage benches. Where possible, try to combine functional furniture with some sort of storage option. This means you can keep more of the items you need for your outdoor space outside without exposing them to the elements. If you can find modular sectionals in your region, that can also help you. These allow you to expand the functionality of the space depending on how many guests you have or people in your family.
Start with budget-friendly options
Finally, you’ll want to start with as many options as you can. This way you can experiment more with the style and functionality that you want. For example, you can start your patio with something as simple as a gravel base. You could then move on to painting the furniture or finding second-hand finds and upcycling them.
To look into making DIY benches, these are perfect if you want to invite a lot of people over to your property but don’t want to go through the hassle of buying multiple chairs. DIY benches are easy to make and something that you can find online. You could also add plants in pots for additional greenery and softness in the area, especially if you have a lot of hardscaping around your patio. These bring nature in and really make people feel like they’re outside.
Hopefully you now have all the ideas you need to make your outdoor space a place where you can enjoy yourself, even during cold weather.
Cleaning, Organizing, and Life Hacks
Ideas That Will Liven Up & Improve The Look & Feel Of Your Home
You’ve invested a lot of money to make your property yours. You want to love living in it and feel proud to show it off. Over the years, you may become bored and tired of the appearance and feel ready for a change.
Now is your chance to put in some hard work to transform and update your property inside and out. This way, you can truly enjoy it and make it not only more beautiful but more functional as well. Take the time to review some ideas that will liven up and improve the look and feel of your home.
Clean Your Property
First impressions are everything. A spotless home tells a buyer that the property has been well-maintained and cared for. We’re talking about more than just a quick vacuum; you want to hit the baseboards, the windows, and the grout in the bathroom. If the idea of a deep clean feels overwhelming, it is worth every penny to hire a professional crew to do a full deep clean before you take photos and list it.
Choose The Right Agent
Deciding which estate agent to use is a pretty big deal, they won’t all be the same quality. Don’t just go with the first person who gives you a high valuation; do your homework. Look at their track record in your specific neighborhood and see how they market other homes. The wrong agent can leave your property sitting on the market for months, which is a headache you don’t need.
Don’t Forget Curb Appeal
Head outside, or even pull up to your house and look at it through the eyes of a stranger. What’s the first thing you see? Clean the windows, paint the front door, and make sure the entryway is tidy. If the outside looks neglected, buyers will assume the inside is, too. This will turn them off even looking or offering anything for your home.
Start Your Search
While you’re prepping your current place, don’t forget you need somewhere to move into. If you’re staying local, your agent can often give you a heads-up on any upcoming listings. If you’re moving further afield, start browsing early. Make a list of “must-haves” versus “nice-to-haves,” but try to stay a little flexible. Your perfect house might just need a tiny bit of vision to make it truly yours.
Tackle Repairs
We all have that one leaky tap or the scuff on the wall we’ve ignored for years. Now is the time to fix them. Buyers hate seeing a “to-do” list the moment they walk through the door, as if they purchase your home it then becomes their to-do list. If you aren’t handy with a toolkit, hire a local handyman for a day to knock out all those small repairs at once. It makes the house feel ready to move into and more solid. There is also a chance that nothing will show up on any surveys that are carried out by potential buyers.
Upgrades
If you want to push for a higher price point, your home needs to look modern and in great condition. Focus on high-impact areas like the kitchen or flooring. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way as well, but keep it neutral. You might love a bright purple feature wall, but a potential buyer might not like this and it could put them off making an offer. They don’t want to buy a fixer-upper so ensure everything is done before you list it.
The Great Declutter
Before you even think about improving and updating your decor, you need to clear your space. Living in a house for years inevitably leads to a buildup of “useless stuff.” To handle this efficiently, use the four-box method. These boxes consist of the items you want to keep, donate, sell, and throw away. Go through every room and don’t be afraid to be ruthless. The more items you get rid of, the better. If you find you have items you want to keep but don’t need immediately, consider renting a small self storage unit. It keeps the clutter out of sight so your rooms feel larger and more inviting during viewings.
Get It Listed
Most people will take a look at your home online before they decide if they want to see it in person. To ensure your property stands out, professional photography is a non-negotiable. You might even consider a professional stager who can arrange your furniture to highlight the balance and flow of your rooms. They will get the lighting right, so pictures look amazing and eye-catching. Something else, don’t forget the power of social media—sharing your listing on local groups can often find a buyer faster than the traditional portals alone.
Boosting The Energy Rating (EPC)
With energy bills being a major concern for everyone right now, a home that is cheap to run is a huge selling point. Think about ways you can improve the EPC of your property. You might want to consider adding insulation to the loft and wall space for instance. LED lighting is another way you can help keep running costs as low as possible. The more eco conscious buyers you can appeal to, the better. There is a wonderful way to appeal to these buyers, sign up for a source of sustainable and renewable energy. This could either be wind power or solar power, depending on which one ticks most of your boxes.
Consider an Open House
Finally, if you want to create a bit of a buzz around your property and avoid constant interruptions, an open house is a great option for you. By condensing all viewings into a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday, you create a sense of competition among buyers. This is a much faster way to see who is interested in your property and who is going to make an offer. People are willing to pay high amounts for wonderful properties. At the end of the day, potential buyers will inform the estate agent of their interest to put in an offer.
We do hope you found this article useful and now feel confident when the time comes to sell your home. There will always be projects and tasks to do, but this will only increase the value of your property. So really, it is a win win for everyone.
Everyone has a dream house in their minds. For many, this is a property they’ll hope to buy at some point or another. But, you could want to build your dream home. If you’ve got the finances and patience to do it, you’ve no reason not to put the time and effort into it.
But, this usually involves a lot of hard work, proper planning, and a lot of time. It’s easy to see why so many people feel overwhelmed during a property build.
Thankfully, there are ways to make this more manageable, less stressful, and a little easier. Once you’re using a few tips and tricks, there’s no reason why you should have to be anxious throughout the build. Three of these are more than worth the effort. * This post contains affiliate links.