Tag: winter

cars, Children, winter

Four Benefits Of Buying A 4×4 Car

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Four Benefits Of Buying A 4×4 Car

[AD] the lookout for a new car? Allow us to help! If you, like us are a big family it could be worth your while to invest in a 4×4.

Not only will you benefiting the space they provide, but you may find yourself falling in love with how comfortable and convenient they are. If you need some inspiration as to why your next car should be a 4×4 here are some benefits of buying one.

They Can Help The Driver Feel Safer On The Road – 4x4s May help you feel that little bit safer throughout your journey as the height of the cars are elevated, so each driver is provided with better visibility over the road in front of them which also means that you may have more opportunity to spot any potential hazards.

They Provide More Room For All The Family – if you have a big family like us the chances are you will need a bigger car to get around. From the school run and after school activities, to weekend road trips and visiting extended family a big car is essential when you have five children and need to squeeze them all in.

A new Land Rover from the likes of Peter Vardy for example is not only spacious, but also practical.

They Are Ideal For Winter Months – in comparison to a front or rear wheeled drive, 4x4s have the benefit of added traction. This means that you have more control over your vehicle, which is particularly needed in winter when it is cold and icy.

They Can Handle The Windy Roads – 4×4 cars are particularly useful when you live in the countryside and have to manoeuvre yourself around windy roads on a daily basis. As these roads are often not maintained as well as main roads and as a result prove tricky to drive on. When you are off-roading you need to tackle any obstacles or steep hills, so you will be grateful for the power increase.

So when it’s time to but a new car, do t forget to view some 4x4s, especially if you have a large family to transport on a daily basis!

Beauty

Top Tips For Keeping Your Hair Healthy In Winter

by thejoyoffive1 Comment on Top Tips For Keeping Your Hair Healthy In Winter

[AD] The cold affects our hair more than we know, with ice cold temperatures, rain, strong winds and even the snow, the wild outdoors mixed with the heating of your home or workplace can make for a disastrous combination.

Dryness and dullness are amongst the most common side effects of winter for our locks, so here are some top tips to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy during the colder months.

Keep Washing Hair To A Minimum – I know this isn’t for everyone but hear me out. If possible try and limit washing your hair to just two of three tiles a week. This will help prevent it from drying out in the cold. It also reduces the amount of time you spend drying, straightening and curling it too, which can be harsh on your hair, especially in winter.

Choose The Right Conditioner – For the colder months get yourself some really rich, thick and moisturising conditioner. Take a look at the ingredients list and choose one that contains fatty acids and things such as soy protein and pathanol.

Try Not To Have Boiling Hot Showers – I know it’s tempting to turn the shower up to the hottest setting possible, especially as the mornings are darker and colder, but this can damage your scalp and skin by stripping it of moisture. Throughout winter keep showers and baths to around 10 mins and have water at mid to lukewarm.

Visit Your Hairdresser For Regular Trims – It might sound counterproductive, especially if you are wanting to grow your hair for any reason, but by visiting your hairdresser regularly you’ll keep your hair healthy by getting rid of dry ends.

Keep Your Mane Moisturised – Once a week use a hydrating mask of some kind to restore your hairs natural oils which are stripped away during winter. Brush your mask through with a hairdressing comb and leave the allotted time for luscious locks through the chilly snap. And if you have heating on in the house(which I’m sure you will do), invest in a humidifier to keep even more moisture locked into each strand.

If all else fails then there are some great products on the market that can help you enhance what nature has given you such as hairpieces for women.

Taking care of your hair during winter will set you up for the upcoming season. Make a habit of repeating this routine and you’ll continue to enjoy a luscious, strong, glistening mane for years to come.

Money Saving Tips, Parents, Shopping

Prepping Your House For Winter

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Prepping Your House For Winter

[AD] Winter is coming…

With the weather already offering more of a chill, the annual arguments over when to put the heating on have begun in millions of households nationwide, with the divide between warmth lovers and thrifty savers clear to see.

For a lot of people this period means prepping the house appropriately for the colder months. If you’re one of them here are a few ideas for getting your home ready for an enjoyable winter.

Boiler Check – If you’ve never experienced a boiler breakdown during winter, consider yourself lucky. It’s a real case of you don’t know what you’ve got until it gone with your boiler, which is why a regular service is advisable. Nothing too crazy – once a year should be fine, but it’ll make sure everything is in working order.

Think of it this way, you’d rather pay for a service than a whole new one. If your boiler ever breaks down you’ll need to have some financial backup funds ready to get one.

Lag The Pipes – You might not have heard of this term before but it’s actually a really simple process. Lagging is simply placing insulated foam tubes around your pipes, particularly by plastic ones in order to reduce heat loss.

A small investment that will get you some small savings in return, but more importantly it will help prevent your pipes from bursting in the cold – something that you’d definitely rather not pay for.

Draft Proofing – If you live in an old building without double glazing you might have already noticed a few shivery breezes rolling into the room on occasion. Poor draught – proofing is surprisingly common in UK homes, so it is worth checking to see if it needs doing.

It’s a good investment too – you’ll make savings in the long run and keep your home nice and snug.

Insulate The Loft – Bit is a bigger job this one, but if you have a loft then it’s highly worthwhile. Your loft may already have some insulation but it might be quite old. Today’s insulation is much thicker than that of yesteryear do see if y out can top it up.

Again this will be an investment here, but it will pay off once it starts to get really chilly.

Be Smart With The Thermostat – There are two ways to do this – be smart with your existing thermostat or get yourself a smart thermostat. If you have an old school DIY thermostat be sure to set practical timings in your day to day heating so you get a mix of comfort and economy.

Obviously you want the house warm for when you get in and wake up, but you need to be careful not to have it wakes up all day long and in turn get a big bill at the end of the month.

A smart thermostat meanwhile will handle all of that for you, but you do need to install it into your system at home. Either way using your heating wisely will keep your bills down over winter.

The weather might be getting colder but that doesn’t mean things have to be glum. Prep your house correctly and you can enjoy getting snug and cosy every night, all while daft in the knowledge that you won’t be spending to much money in the process.

Families, Family Life, Fashion, Parents, Shopping, Spring, Summer

Transitional Dressing With Simply Be

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Transitional Dressing With Simply Be

Christmas is now all done and dusted and as always I’m onto the next thing and getting excited about the fact that spring shouldn’t be that far away. I love the cosiness of winter and wearing all those big chunky knits and heavy coats but I want a bit of brightness back in my life and am looking forward to introducing some colour back into my wardrobe, along with some softer fabrics.

There is actually no harm in getting ahead of the game buying a few key pieces that you can wear now and will take you right through to summer.

I have found a few of my favourite pieces here that are going to be perfect for layering up with whilst the weather is still cold as well as being perfect for wearing alone on those gorgeous spring days we are all so looking forward to.

T-Shirt Dress: Without fail there is always one of these in my wardrobe. I wear mine with chunky cardigans and jeans during the cold months and swap this for sliders and sunglasses as soon as the sun shows its face.

Maxi Dresses: These have been a favourite of mine for a while now as they are so easy to wear come day or night. They look great with knee high boots or trainers as well as sandals or a killer heel. I love wearing mine with oversized demin or cute leather jackets now and then letting them make a statement all on their own once spring is here.

High Waisted Shaper Jeggings: Shaper jeggings are my best friend at the moment as they allow you to create a smarter look than a conventional legging whilst giving you good shape and support after all those mince pies! They look great with oversized sweatshirts and trainers now and equally as good with a floating floral blouse come spring.

High Neck T-Shirts: A good quality plain t-shirt is a staple for any wardrobe as it is one of the most versatile items you can own. The possibilities are endless and it can be used as something as simple as a base layer in the cold to making a great background for a piece of statement jewellery during warmer times.

Zip Front Pinafore: I have so much love for a pinafore…although I am regularly told by my sister I am far to old to be wearing one! This zip fronted one is perfect to wear with a roll neck and tights right now and then with a plain tee and sandals in the summer months, I would even go for a vest top underneath if I was feeling brave enough.

Chunky Cardigans: We all know that even in the hight of summer the UK can throw us a curve ball when it come to the weather and things can be pretty nippy; so a good cardigan with splash of colour can brighten up an dreary day just like this gorgeous blue leopard print one that is certainly on my list.

Duster Coats: Now these are another item that I find a life saver and perfect for those time in the winter when I’m nipping on and off a hot tube and need something a little lighter than my big winter coat and great for slinging over a spring outfit when it gets a little nippy.

I hope you liked this little selection and I would love to know what pieces  in your wardrobe you rely on the get you through all the seasons.

*Collaborated post.

Families, Family Life

Cutting The Heating Costs This Winter

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Cutting The Heating Costs This Winter

Yes I’m sorry that I am already mentioning the dreaded ‘winter word’, but as we all to aware before we know it the big coats and boots will be out and we will all be finding ways to keep warm inside and outside the home.

When it comes to heating the home it can be a pretty costly exercise and I’m sure we could all find much better ways to spend our money rather than on something a boring as heating.

Below I have compiled some tips on ways to save a few pennies on your heating bill this winter:

Draft Proof The House – Whilst the weather is still mild take a bit of time to go around the house and find any areas that are letting in any draughts. Door frames and widows are two of the biggest culprits but can be easily rectified by getting some specialist tape or draught excluders that will go a long way to retain the much needed heat.

Shop Around For Energy Providers – Its very easy to get complacent and just carry on using your same energy provider. This however can be one of the biggest ways to save money and many people have made savings of up to £300 a year. There are plenty of comparison sites out there that find you the best deals in a matter of minutes.

Check Your Boiler – The boiler is the most vital part of heating your home so it is very important to make sure it is in good working order at all times. Now is the perfect time to make sure it is in good working order so that you don’t end up with any nasty surprises once a cold spell hits! Companies such as Homeserve Heating provide an excellent service that does just this.

Have A Rejig – Think about the positioning of your furniture and try to move big items such as sofas away from radiators to stop the heat getting trapped.

Doors Open and Doors Closed – This may be a bit of a confusing title but it means that different doors being opened and closed can have different benefits.  If you have the bath running or oven on for instance allowing the doors to be open will let the heat radiate through the house. On the other end of the scale if you have an unoccupied room then turn the radiator off and keep the door closed so you are not wasting money and energy heating an empty room.

Fill Up The Chimney – If you have a unused fire place then filling the chimney with a specialised balloon will stop a huge amount of energy being lost.

Turn Space Age – By this I don’t mean donning a spacesuit, it simply means getting your hands on a few rolls of tinfoil and covering the wall directly behind your radiators to allow the heat to be sent back into the room rather than absorbed into the wall.

I hope you have found these tips useful and would love to ear if you have anymore of your own.

*Collaborated post.

Arts And Crafts, Children, Families, Family Life, Foam Play

Wintery Sensory Play

by thejoyoffive4 Comments on Wintery Sensory Play

  

With the small amount of snow we have had this winter and the fact the number four’s theme at nursery for the next couple of weeks is ‘Frozen’ I decided to sort a wintery themed sensory play activity for this afternoon.

I took a jug of cold water and mixed with a few drops of blue food colouring, filled an ice cube tray and waited until they were frozen.

With a can of cheap shaving foam stashed away that we normally keep for bath paints I created a mound of snow and scattered the ice cubes over the top.

  

    
  
The longest part of prepping this activity is waiting for the ice cubes to harden.  It really is so simple and number four spent ages playing around and exploring the different textures.

Who needs snow!

   

  

  

  
  
   

Children, Families, Family Life

Point And Shoot:Wintry Park Visit

by thejoyoffive18 Comments on Point And Shoot:Wintry Park Visit

I really love taking photos and although I’m a complete novice it is something I really enjoy and would love to learn more about.

When the lovely Aby over at You Baby Me Mummy posted on Twitter about her fantastic linky Point And Shoot which allows bloggers to tell a story of their weekend through pictures, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to work on my skills and take a look at what other bloggers get up to with their photography.

This weekend felt like the first one of winter to me.  We started our Saturday morning gazing out of the window with the little ones praying the snow would settle.

  
On Sunday we braved the cold and took a trip to the park which looked stunning as the sun went down as the beautiful colours filled the sky.