Last year Ella was very excited when we had to go to HomeSense to check out their Halloween products.
We pulled up at HomeSense yesterday and I told her we were there again for the same reason. She immediately asked her dad if she could borrow his phone so she could take photos for my blog! We always enjoy looking at the HomeSense Halloween stock; they always have such lovely stuff. My favourite is definitely this cute little ghost π
It’s the year of the gardenΒ for us, as you may know, so we’ve been window shopping for ideas. We’ve got a plan but as we know from previous experience, plans tend to change when inspiration strikes!
We’ve seen some lovely garden furniture at HomeSense
The girls would love this swing seat π
Don’t you just love this birdhouse? We want to make our garden as wildlife friendly as possible so we’re going to be adding bug hotels, bee and butterfly friendly plants and birdhouses π
I used to have lots of gnomes in the garden but when we moved we got rid of them because they weren’t looking the best. I’ve decided we’re going to have lots of fairy ornaments in this garden but I did fall in love with this little fella!
It’s not your typical garden gnome but I think that’s why I like it π
We want lots of lights in the garden. The pink watering can ones are my favourite.
We’re not going to have many borders so I’m going to have lots of planters dotted around.
HomeSense doesn’t just stock pretty things for your garden, they also have a full range of tools.
Hopefully we’ll get chance to get out in the garden next week and get the new raised bed finished π
This March, TK Maxx and sister brand HomeSense, will be selling a range of unique, hand-crafted homeware sourced and made by remote communities in Western Uganda.
This exclusive range is part of an initiative to help some of the most disadvantaged families increase their incomes so they can afford to send their children to school.
TK Maxx and HomeSense have been working in Uganda since 2008 enabling more than 10,000 children to go to school. Since the sustainable trade project started in 2011, there has been a 40% increase in children finishing primary school education.
The unique Uganda homeware pieces are available from both TK Maxx and HomeSense stores nationwide and online at TK Maxx.
If going all out for Easter is your thing, making a trip to HomeSense would be a good idea. They have so many lovely decorations you’ll be spoilt for choice.
We don’t always celebrate this time of year. The kids are usually away visiting family but when we do, we like to have a big roast dinner and decorate the table.
Kaycee and Ella will be on holiday at Butlins over the bank holiday weekend. Ella asked if they can have their eggs and egg hunt early this year!
I’ve fallen in love with some of these decorations and if the kids weren’t away again this year, I’d have been buying lots of them!
I think this one is my favourite. It’s just so cute!
HomeSense has partnered with renowned fashion and portrait photographer Rankin to create exclusive aprons for Red Nose Day 2017. The apron features a selection of unique, quirky and quintessentially British animal portraits including Rankinβs own dog.
Red Nose Day and HomeSense are official partners for the third time. Iconic photographer, Rankin, has photographed aΒ host of celebrities wearing the apron. The Hairy Bikers, Si King, and Dave Myers are fronting the campaign. The bikers will be supported by a whole host of celebrities including, Nadine Coyle, Pearl Lowe, Nadiya Hussain, Jodie Kidd, Susanna Reid, Kimberley Wyatt, Lesley Joseph & Linda Robson, Una Healy, The Hemsley Sisters, Ella Mills (Deliciously Ella), Fay Ripley, Vogue Williams and Tim Lovejoy.
Aprons
The adult apron, priced at Β£12.99, will be available to buy in HomeSense and TK Maxx stores from 13th February and online at tkmaxx.com and rednoseday.com. With at least Β£5 from every adult apron sale going to Comic Relief, the money will help people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and across Africa.
The HomeSense Red Nose Day range, created by Rankin, also features a new childrenβs apron encouraging the whole family to join in the bake sale action by getting creative in the kitchen. Further products in the collection include a tea towel, also designed by Rankin, as well as a leather journal and a colouring-in notebook.
A spokesperson for HomeSense said: βRankin has really risen to the challenge with this yearβs apron design, encouraging adults and children to get in the kitchen and make their bakes matter.
The quirky and unique design featuring an image of manβs best friend (Rankinβs own dog) and a range of other animals, will encourage people to grab an apron, get messy in the kitchen and support the good work that Comic Relief does to help transform peopleβs lives here in the UK where we have customers and stores and across Africa.β
Rankin
βWhen I was asked to create this yearβs Red Nose Day exclusive collection for HomeSense I agreed without hesitation. It is a fantastic cause and I knew it would be a lot of fun. What youβre seeing is some of the best talent in the animal business and, although Iβm never one for nepotism, my own dog got on the team sheet. I wanted to make these images as cute and fun as possible and I hope I have included something for everyone which encourages both adults and children to get in the kitchen and raise some dough for Comic Relief.β
Michele Settle, Director, UK Campaigns & Brands at Comic Relief
βBaking is one of theΒ most popular Red Nose Day fundraising activities across the UK and this exclusive apron by Rankin enables you to look stylish in the kitchen and raise money too. So make your bake matter for Red Nose Day 2017.β
Details and Prices:
All profits from the sale of the aprons and the tea towel will be donated to Comic Relief to
help transform the lives of some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the UK
and around the world. The apron is available to buy from Red Nose Day official partners
HomeSense and TK Maxx stores throughout the UK from 13th February and online at
tkmaxx.com and rednoseday.com.
My girls were a little disappointed today. Ant told them that I want garden centre vouchers for Mother’s Day this year and they like to buy me lots of little presents. Things like chocolate, a new mug, teddies that say ‘World’s Best Mum’, you get the gist.
As you may know, this is the year of the garden. We have a mammoth task ahead of us.Β It’s not going to be cheap to get the garden the way we want it so I don’t want to be spending money unnecessarily. I’d much rather they buy me a tenners worth of alpine plants!
We did get presents for my mum, Ant’s mum and Aiden’s step mum from HomeSense.Β We’re not usually this organised! We tend to leave everything to the day before and go to Asda trying to find some nice flowers or something.
HomeSense
This shell box is so pretty
I love owls. I’d never be able to light this candle, though, it’s just too nice!
Scented candles are always a great choice for me. I just love having a gorgeously smelly candle burning away.
Chocolates. Need I say anything else?!
Bayliss and Harding would also be a good choice. I usually get some for Christmas and unlike lots of people who complain when they get toiletries for a gift, I don’t because I like them π
Any of these would be the best choice for me right now, though. Garden tools, plants or ornaments are on my list because I will have a nice garden this year!
If all else fails and you don’t have a clue what to get your mum, there’s always the gift card option π
I received a gift card in return for this post. All opinions are my own.
After another trip to HomeSense to check their Valentine’s Day stock, we came back with nothing at all related to Valentine’s Day!
We bought a lovely new cake stand that was on offer for a fiver. We also picked up some chocolates for a birthday present and a pretty tin with tea inside for a Christmas present.
Ant got himself a cutter thing that he can use to cut shapes out of the bread. He makes the sandwiches for the school lunches and the other day cut a love heart out of Kaycee’s sandwich. She found it very funny when she opened her lunch, as did her friends!
He puts little notes in Ella’s lunch. The other day he forgot and not only was Ella disappointed, her friend was as well!
Ant and I have decided not to buy each other anything for Valentine’s Day. We’re saving for a holiday for just the two of us. If we were buying presents, though, I’d love any of these treats from HomeSense π
*We were sent a gift card in return for showing some of the gifts available at HomeSense
Whenever January rolls around, I always start feeling like I want to change things in the house. After the lights and glitter of December, January is cold and dull.
I want to refresh my home and make it colourful and bright, ready to welcome spring.
The super wonderful husband and I took a trip to HomeSense on Thursday. He likes to see what kitchen things they have and I like to look at everything else!
We want to decorate the living room because it’s been plain magnolia since we moved in three years ago. Some colour needs injecting into the room but I’m not sure which colour to choose.
I have made a decision about our shower room, though. We want to get rid of the pink toilet, shower and sink but we need to save for those. I can’t go another year with the room as it is so I’ve picked grey as the main colour and we’ve started buying bits and pieces.
I’ve never picked grey before so I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing! I saw some lovely grey towels in HomeSense and I’m going to check on the web to find a nice wallpaper to match the colour and do a feature wall in there.
We’ve also changed the colour scheme in the kitchen. We had light blue accessories but because Ant chose to have a candy apple red KitchenAid mixer, we’ve changed the kettle, toaster and other things to red. I really like it π
Please Note: We were sent a gift card in return for this post.
You know HomeSense is one of my favourite shops, right? I really enjoyed browsing for Christmas gifts the other week. I was spoilt for choice.
I’ve done all of my Christmas shopping now but already I’m planning ahead for next year! I like making gift baskets for people and tailoring them to each person.
For Ant, I’d do a foodie gift basket because he’s really into his baking and cooking right now. I used to do the majority of the cooking but now he does it all and delicious it is too!
HomeSense has a great assortment of foodie itemsΒ like this oak smoked rapeseed oil. He’d love this because he always uses rapeseed oil and he loves anything smoked!
I know a few people who would like these other foodie gifts
If anyone wants to buy me a present from HomeSense, I’d be very happy to get one of these tins containing panettone. I LOVE panettone but I love the tins even more. I’m thinking I could start a collection!
If you’re after something a bit different, there are some great games and funny gifts to choose from.
They have the usual smelly gift sets. Some people complain about smelly gift sets but I love getting them. I don’t buy myself indulgent bath products throughout the year so it’s nice to get some at Christmas.
My girls would love to get these on Christmas day π
Thanks to HomeSense for my gift card. I treated myself to some new wine glasses to go with my Christmas dinner service and some Christmas wine glass charms π
Two words I love to hear together: Christmas and HomeSense! I love decorating for Christmas and visiting HomeSense when they have Christmas stock in, is one of the things I look forward to when I’m Christmas shopping π
They have a huge range of decorations, including some really gorgeous snow globes. If I had room, I’d be a snow globe collector. They always felt magical to me when I was younger.
There’s something about Nutcrackers. I don’t know what it is, I just can’t get enough of them!
Ant bought me a Santa like this last year. I love him and can’t wait to stand him on the hearth at the side of the fire when we decorate π
These angels are beautiful. If I hadn’t already bought a new angel for the top of our tree, I’d have to go with the second one. (I love the first one but I think she’s made of wood and wouldn’t sit on top of the tree very well!)
Don’t you just adore this sparkly Nutcracker? I do!
HomeSense sent me a gift card in return for this post. I had a wonderful shopping trip! You can see my purchases on another post soon π