family home Archives - The Only Girl in the House

Jess May, 2023

Renovation Regrets

This blog post and reel has been a loooong time coming! Not only because we ‘finished’ our house renovations about 6.5 years ago, but because – sadly/annoyingly – we have quite a few regrets. Some were instantly obvious, and others have taken time to reveal themselves. But with new house works on the horizon – YAY! – (as I’m sat here patiently waiting for our potential builder to confirm the start date!) there seems like no better time to cleanse myself of all the coulda/shoulda/woulda’s of our family home.

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Jess November, 2018

Self-Care Isn’t Selfish {Sponsored}

‘Me time’. Self Care. Unwind. Rest & Relaxation. Filling your cup. Whatever we call it, apparently we’re not getting enough of it. According to a study* carried out by British bed manufacturer, Rest Assured, we’re getting an average of 40 minutes a day to ourselves. So, what do we do with that precious time and is it beneficial to our well-being?

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Jess January, 2018

My Steamy Mini-Break with Breville Home Heroes #Ad

I’ve heard “no one enjoys ironing”, well “hello”, call me a crease obsessed domestic freak ‘cos I bloomin’ love ironing! I’d almost go as far to say that with enough time to get my (ironing) kit out, it’s actually a pleasurable luxury – after all, nothing beats regaining half my wardrobe by freeing the garments from the shackles of the ironing basket; in essence, it’s like going shopping for new clothes while ticking a job off ‘the list’ which you can martyr yourself with at the altar of relationship chore-tit-for-tat at a later date, what’s not to love?!

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Jess November, 2017

Green Velvet Dreams (The Sequel) | The Armchair

It’s been referred to as “the hole of doom” – it’s the place from which the din of Youtube rings, sofa wrestling settles remote-based disputes and a space that style (and I) forgot; it’s our lounge. Since our mammoth extensions were ‘finished’ (I use that word very loosely!), the lounge has become somewhere to assemble rowdy tweens for giant sleepovers, chuck/hide all Casper’s brightly coloured, plastic tat and very occasionally retire to once all the kids have gone to bed (that’s between 9.30pm and when I doze off 5 minutes later!). It’s been promised a plywood barn sliding door, a dramatic colour splash and layered rugs to make a Persian prince envious – but so far, I’ve failed to deliver on its style makeover.

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Jess August, 2017

Monochrome Homework Station Ideas with Wayfair

We’ve now rebuilt most of the house (extension updates to come real soon, promise!), added bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and moved a staircase; the one thing I’m still to get sorted is a desk area, not for me, as I oddly find the dining room table in the wee hours my most productive spot, but an ‘inspiration station’ for the kids. Somewhere that houses their 537 scented pens, 123 football shaped rubbers and all their other overpriced Smiggle junk, while also (perhaps) having the desired affect of being a place that once the school bell rings it will get their creative juices flowing on the off-chance they’ll get some homework done. Sure, I might be a little optimistic on the homework front, but I not only love a kid-based challenge but I love hunting for interiors goodies and planning a space more than a 9-year-old loves making slime!

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