MY TIPS FOR A TOP SLEEP The older I get the more sleep eludes me. What used to come naturally now seems to need preparation. So I’ve done the research and I’ve tested the tips and here is what comes out on top. #1. The bedroom itself plays a role; though the aesthetics won’t help you sleep, if the environment pleases us it will encourage you to relax, there are also a few practical things you can do Sponsored Post
My Tips for a Top Sleep
MY TIPS FOR A TOP SLEEP The older I get the more sleep eludes me. What used to come naturally now seems to need preparation. So I’ve done the research and I’ve tested the tips and here is what comes out on top. #1. The bedroom itself plays a role; though the aesthetics won’t help you sleep, if the environment pleases us it will encourage you to relax, there are also a few practical things you can do 
Sophie Melville Artist
SOPHIE MELVILLE ARTIST A number of Sophies art works are dotted around my home, often transient, they provide a calm presence, noticeable but not imposing, wherever they sit. Her series of watercolour prints became popular with the wave of Scandinavian inspired interiors largely due to their monochromatic tones and blurry edges, identifiable as the land and seascape but modern and edgy. 2017 has marked a change in Sophie’s art, not its style or its inspiration, but in the sophisticated Styling 101 – The Sofa
STYLING 101 – THE SOFA A sofa without cushions for me is like walks without my dog, gin without tonic or mornings without coffee, but getting the right cushions for that sofa is a big ask and with the cost of a single cushion pushing upwards of $80 you need to get it right – first time! Think about how you put an outfit together; is it instinct that tells you those shoes won’t work with that bag Five top tips for moving house
MOVE ME As a child we moved a fair amount. I remember coming home from school and seeing a pile of boxes in the corner of my bedroom which meant… get ready, we’re on the move! It became quite an art of precision. Pack the boxes, label the boxes, load the boxes, unpack the boxes, settle in and relax. Until, you come home from school one day and there they are, those boxes waiting for you, again. Once Annise Designs – Scented Soy Candles
THE COTTAGE AND THE CANDLE MAKER Once upon a time there was a little house in the Hawkes Bay called Kingfisher Cottage, home to Rebekah Burton, her family and her business, Annise Designs. Its story book quality just begs for something equally romantic to be made here and I will not disappoint you. The business is hand poured, scented, soy candles, made right in the heart of that little cottage; the kitchen. If anything could depict hygge and Let there be light
LET THERE BE LIGHT When we bought our little cottage the thing that really stood out was the lack of lighting. There were no pendants or ceiling lights, only wall fixtures, and the the light coming from those was limited. When we renovated I was adamant that I wanted each space to have adequate sources of ambient, task and accent lighting. Ambient lighting is the rooms main source of light, so generally its your down lights or feature The Black and White Barn
THE BLACK AND WHITE BARN Come holiday time and my family despair of me. I am such a homebody. Why would I want to go away? I have everything I need right here at my little house! But when you get the opportunity to head less than an hour north and stay in a place that resembles your own, but better, how could you refuse? The Black and White Barn in Matakana is a monochrome lovers dream, the Styling 101 | Christmas
MY LITTLE MONOCHROME CHRISTMAS Despite the fact I have no littlies in the house I still feel the need to count down the sleeps to Christmas. I’m not sure why that is, perhaps habit. Advent calenders with a daily chocolate were such a treat as a child, but with two sisters it always seem an age to get to my turn! When my son was little we had all sorts of different ways of counting down, from the Natural Cleaning Products
JANOLA AND JIFF We live in a semi-rural spot which means we are the proud owners of a Septic Tank. Well sometimes not so proud! Ours is an older system and it requires a bit of maintenance to keep it all working well and part of its ongoing maintenance is to make sure I use all natural cleaning products. Since I was brought up on Janola and Jiff it did take a little persuading! There are many on Coffee vs Tea
THE GREAT DEBATE What side of the fence are you on? I keep hearing how tea is the new coffee and I have to say I enjoy a cup or two a day. But coffee, well I cant seem to give it up. Is it the addictive properties or all those lovely antioxidants, or is it merely a habit? I have learnt of late that tea contains L-Theanine which is said to help relieve stress by inducing a relaxing