Lifestyle

A lot of us end up owning a lot of stuff, and our homes that we’ve worked so hard to make comfortable can become overrun with clutter. If you’re snowed under by too many clothes you don’t wear, books you don’t read or ornaments that you don’t like anymore, then a good declutter can make your home feel fresh again. Here are some tips to make the decluttering go a little easier. 

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Do make the most of your storage space. It’s much easier to find somewhere to put things away when you have somewhere to put them. Hard-working storage can help. Look for furniture that does double duty, like an ottoman with storage inside. You get an extra seat in the living room, and some storage space for things like spare bedding and extra blankets. Add open shelving to show off your favourite piece while still keeping them out of the way. If your home doesn’t have a lot of storage space, consider using self storage for items you need, but don’t use all the time, like suitcases, spare electric heaters and out of season clothes. 

Don’t try and tackle the big declutter all at once. Like a spring clean, decluttering is not always much fun. Make the job more manageable by breaking it up into chunks. Find a system that works for you. You could work room by room, or try a system like the KonMari method where you tackle clutter in categories. Try setting timers and doing as much as you can before the alarm rings. Take a short break, and then go again. 

Do make use of the Maybe box method. As you declutter, it’s inevitable that you will come across things that you aren’t sure if you want to keep. If you can’t decide, put the item in a ‘Maybe’ box. When you’ve finished the declutter, put the box somewhere out of sight. If you find you want or need something from the box, go and get it. If you do this, try not to look at anything else in the box or you’ll find excuses to retrieve that too. If, after a month, you haven’t missed the items in the box, you clearly don’t need them, so throw out the box without looking inside. 

Don’t overdo it. If you’re in the zone with decluttering, it can be easy to get carried away and end up with an empty wardrobe and no DVDs left. No matter how refreshing you’re finding the clear-out, try to think sensibly about each item. Remember too that you are allowed to keep things that you don’t need. If something has sentimental value or it just makes you happy, then you are allowed to keep it, even if it isn’t especially useful. 

A good clear out can be a great way to give your home a refresh and help you see and enjoy the things you have, without being distracted by a sea of clutter taking up all the space. 

1.    Colosseum

The Colosseum is one of the seven wonders of the world and once you’re inside, it’s not hard to see why. We had an hour to look around and honestly, the time went quicker than I thought. On the ground and upper floors, there are some exhibition cases of artefacts and more information on the site’s history. But for me, all I cared about was getting to the top floor where you can walk around the structure and get a feel for what it would have been like watching the gladiators centuries ago.

The Colosseum is the top of everyone’s list when visiting Rome. But not everyone will tell you that you should 100% book a fast-track ticket to avoid the queues. I booked mine through TripAdvisor, however, I probably paid over the odds, as I did it the evening before we planned to visit. So do your research well in advance.

Our fast-track ticket ended up being a group, self-guided tour which allows you and others an allocated time slot to enter the Colosseum and look around. You’ll also have to meet your group somewhere outside and not at the front entrance as the Colosseum employees were quite rude and very unhelpful when I asked where I needed to meet my tour group. That could have just been a one-off but I suspect they were fed up with people asking where to meet third party operators that are not affiliated with the Colloseum’s tours.

2.    Fontana Di Trevi

A beautiful baroque style fountain made from Travertine stone with crystal clear water. As the fountain is situated where three roads meet and is in the heart of the tourist district, it was busy pretty much all day. There’s also not a lot of room around the fountain once the tourists stack up at the front, so it can be difficult to get a decent photo without anyone else in it.

However, we were drinking at an amazing rooftop bar pretty much above the fountain at around 11pm and it wasn’t horrendously busy then. Plus, you get beautiful panoramic views from this garden terrace so I highly recommend heading here. Drinks were a little pricey but the views are worth it! Also, whilst we were there, someone proposed by the fountain which was super cute.

3.    Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary

This is both an ancient temple ruin and a cat sanctuary. In fact, this sanctuary recently went viral because of that Google virtual tour where the camera turns to the right and there’s a cat looking at you (I’m sure you know the one). Anyway, this combined both my love of ancient ruins and cats, so I had to go.

These temple ruins were discovered in 1929 as part of Mussolini’s rebuilding efforts and lie 20 feet below street level. Torre Argentina was also the location where Julius Caesar was killed in 44 BCE. With links to an Emporer, naturally the cats felt it was good enough for them, so they have claimed the ruins as their home and they are free to roam the grounds.

The sanctuary is free entry and you get to go in and stroke some really chill cats. Kittens and adult cats can also be seen recuperating in cages as the city does a necessary service to capture and neuter strays. You can then adopt if these cats/kittens once they’re better.

You can make donations there, or buy t-shirts or bags to help fund their good efforts. *You cannot take the cats – as much as I wanted to – you cannot*

4.    Pantheon

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple and now a church. The dome (best viewed from inside) is a must-see and is actually the world’s largest structure that isn’t reinforced by concrete.

When we arrived in the morning there were hordes of people at the front queuing, but, by midday, the queues had passed and we were able to pass through quickly. It’s free entry as well, btw.

Even if you’re not religious, you will appreciate the architecture, paintings and sculpture.

5. Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

The forum and palatine hill are part of the ancient city of Rome – a must-see if you are into ruins and ancient history.

Walking up and around Palatine Hill will give you some of the best views over the city and the ancient Forum. You’ll also see the House of Augustus, home to Caesar Augustus during his reign, The Temple of Romulus, Arch of Titus and several tall pillars from the forum that are still standing.

Your ticket to the Colosseum SHOULD include entry to both of these attractions (if bought from a genuine company) so you shouldn’t have to buy separate tickets.

I recommend spending a good couple of hours strolling around the forum as there’s lots to see across quite a large amount of ground. Make sure you bring sunscreen as ancient Rome doesn’t seem to throw a lot of shade. Try cowering in the direct shadow line of an ancient pillar – it provides minimal shade!

If you’re considering another city break, take a look at my recommendations for Prague.

There are over 43 thousand daily flights handled by the Federal Aviation Administration and over 15,800,000 flights each year, according to information from the FAA. Air travel might be popular, but sometimes it can be crowded and stressful. And while airplane travel allows for efficiently getting to a destination, not everyone can fly or wants to fly. If you’re looking to plan a summer holiday but don’t want to fly, or just want to try something unique, we’ve collected a couple of travel ideas for your trip that won’t require you to take an airplane.

Plan A Day Trip

Regardless of where you live, whether it’s a big city or a small town, you likely don’t spend a lot of time exploring your area. While many of us dream of traveling to far away locations across the sea, we sometimes forget to take advantage of the adventures in our own backyard. One unique summer holiday idea is to treat explore your hometown like you’re a tourist.

Try to see where you live with fresh eyes and do some research. Find popular restaurants and shops that you’ve never been to before and make a list of popular tourist attractions in your area that you haven’t made it to yet. You can even book a hotel room in your city for a home away from home vacation. To go even further off the beaten path, try to find a local guide that features town secrets or myths that out-of-town tourists wouldn’t likely know about. Make yourself an expert on your city.

Go on a Road Trip

If you can’t fly or are tired of waiting in airports for hours at a time, the best way to travel across the UK, or anywhere really, is to take a road trip. Air travel might be fast, but you don’t get to experience the many strange, exciting, and surprising sights along the way. All you have to do is make sure you have a reliable vehicle to take you along for the ride.

You can plan an iconic road trip route such as through Snake Pass in England or Black Mountain Pass in Wales. Or, you can create your own travel itinerary based on cities and sights you’ve always wanted to see. You can customize the trip and plan restaurants, national landmarks, cultural sites, museums, and more that you want to hit as you take to the open road.

Think Outside the Box

There are many ways to plan a fun summer trip that doesn’t involve airplane travel. If saving money is keeping you from traveling, going on a short road trip or being a tourist in your hometown are also great ways to vacation without breaking the bank. Sometimes it takes a little bit of open-mindedness to find the perfect travel adventure.

Things are starting to feel festive in my household. The tree went up on the 1st December (the earliest it’s ever been up in our house) and I’ve managed to purchase three quarters of my Christmas gifts for friends and family. This is possibly the most organised I’ve ever been. Must be getting old.

To kick off the first of my Christmas posts, I’ll be reviewing this beautiful Christmas Hamper from Prestige Gifts:

I enjoy receiving a hamper as a present because they’re a gift of multiple things and usually contain something you haven’t tried before. In mine, I received:

• Eton Mess White Chocolate
• A Chilean Merlot
• English tea
• marshmallows (not vegetarian unfortunately)
• dark chocolate and orange shortbread
• Milk chocolate and orange traditionally made biscuits (in a cute red hessian sack)
• Marinated olives with chili and black pepper
• Milk chocolate bar
• Highland Oatcakes

Pretty much everything ticked the right boxes for me, apart from the marshmallows which aren’t vegetarian but these were happily received by other family members. And, there was plenty of other things that are top of my list such as the chocolate and the olives.

The dark chocolate with orange shortbread has been a new discovery for me. I’ve never been a fan of shortbread as I didn’t like the texture and felt it was bland, but nontraditional varieties seem to be more palatable.

I’ve been drinking the English tea most mornings but kept a few in reserve for the Christmas break as it’s really nice but quite scarce now with only ten bags in the box.

In all, this is something I’d like to receive and to give as a gift because it introduces you to new flavours and brands you wouldn’t usually find at your local supermarket. Plus, the produce you receive is something that you can snack on throughout the days or over a holiday. I know we’ll all be using the oatcakes for the cheeseboard which is something we’re really looking forward to. Who doesn’t like a cheeseboard at Christmas?

If you’re thinking of gifting someone you know with a Prestige Hamper, take a look at their Christmas Hampers range. There’s many combinations and varieties to chose from including port and cheese, fresh deli hampers, chocolate and wine and much more. With price ranges to suit all budgets.

 

Merry Christmas x