Get your house Spring ready

COVER STORY LIFESTYLE

4Kitchen Gadget Guide Create stunning, restaurant 6 quality dishes with the latest kitchen aids Holiday activities Help the kids get creative in the garden and with their wet weather gear

PROPERTY

2

Get your house Spring ready Now is the perfect opportunity to freshen things up in your house

16 Our latest instructions Take a look at a selection of our latest properties on the market 8 Earth Day 2021 Tips to make your home more climate clean this Earth Day

10

April gardening tips Time to roll up your sleeves and put in the groundwork

12 World Book Day Reading is perhaps one of best commodities we have

13 Shed DIY The humble outbuilding can be put to a number of uses

FOOD

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Springtime salads Check out some of our best Spring salad recipes that are sure to make your body smile

SPORT

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Golf European Tour We look ahead at what’s to play for, and who might be in with a chance of winning

WELCOME TO THE APRIL ISSUE!

We’re into the fourth month of the year. The clocks have changed, the weather is warming up and the world is opening again! This Spring promises a lot and in this month’s magazine so do we!

On pages 2 and 3 we go in-depth looking at the best ways to get your home Spring ready, and if that’s not enough, continuing inside the home, we also have a fantastic kitchen gadgets guide ready to create the Spring salad recipes from page 15.

On the 22nd April we are celebrating Earth Day, so we have put together a guide to make your home more environmentally friendly. Moving outside, on pages 10 and 11 we have your April gardening guide and well as some ideas of how to turn your shed into a office/bar/sauna.

Finally, we have some fantastic ways to keep busy during the Easter holidays, a feature about World Book Day and a preview of the Men’s European Golf Tour.

We’re all excited that the world is starting up again, and are all hopeful for the summer, however, for now, stay safe and take care of yourselves.

For now, make yourself a cuppa, pull up a chair in the garden and enjoy!

Jonathan Wheatley Editor

START FROM THE BEDROOM

What better place to start, than in the room where you spend more time than any other? Let’s start with the bedding. If you’ve opted for rich, dark colours over the winter months, then throw these away in exchange for neutral green or sky blue colours, accompanied with added pops of colour. Or if you want to make the extra effort in the season of Spring, then select some sheets with floral patterns. If you’ve been used to covering your bed with blankets and throws to keep warm, then switch to lightweight sheets and pillowcases. This will help to add some brightness to your room, and more importantly, stop you from feeling overheated as the weather warms up. And if you’ve made these changes, and still want to go further, then replace your pillows altogether! Swapping your pillows not only aids a more comfortable night’s sleep, but can simultaneously make your bedroom look completely different.

This may sound very obvious, but giving your house a good, old-fashioned Spring clean can go a long way to revitalising your home. First, start with cleaning from top to bottom. It can be a laborious job, but will benefit your home in the long run by adding freshness to every space. Next, move on to removing things that you no longer need. For instance, root through your

DECLUTTER

Once the tidying is done, turn your attention to adding items which freshen up your home

SPRING INTO ACTION

fridges and cupboards, and throw out expired products that didn’t make it onto your plate over the winter period. And when rearranging the foodstuffs, do so in a way as to categorise everything, and make different items much easier to locate.

If you have a garage, then organising it can prove a very satisfying project to get your teeth stuck into. Group all of your winter items into boxes, label them, and then place into the garage. This will make things much easier when it comes round to retrieving them again. And while you’re at it, look to declutter your garage. Throw out items you don’t need, and aim to create as much space as you can. Doing this will not only help you feel that your possessions are organised, but will allow you to think of the garage as a space other than just one of storage!

Once the tidying is done, turn your attention to adding items which freshen up your home. Spring is associated with the smells of nature, so lean into this tradition with some citrus, rose, lavender, or other floral scented candles or wax melts. These will help to air out the house, and will match the aromas of the outside world. And don’t neglect fauna. As well as bringing in natural, fresh scents into your home, displaying a set of flowers will also help to fill your room with colour, and will complete any kitchen or living room. Another great way to completely transform your home, heading into the summer, is to focus on the backbone of any interior. If your carpets have seen better days, then get round to getting them professionally cleaned. As well as making any room look brand new, removing any stains will really brighten up your home. Or, if you feel like a complete makeover, change your flooring completely. Tiling is very resistant for wear and tear, and so is a great option for a room which is likely to be used a lot, such as a kitchen or conservatory. Or, if you love the unmistakable aromas and textures that come with hardwood flooring, then opt for this.

If there’s something missing from your ideal Spring home, then consider whether you’ve done all you can to take advantage of maximising the amount of natural light in any space. Replace your dark, thick curtains with light ones, or if the room permits, do away with curtains altogether. Without requiring much effort, this will completely transform any room in time for Summer. And also consider changing bulbs. With the greater amounts of light that come with this time of year, switch to darker lights, to create a cosy atmosphere in the evenings, and let natural light do the rest!

SEARCH FOR SCENTS FOCUS ON FLOORING

PRIORITISE LIGHT

As the days get longer, and the weather begins to brighten, now is the perfect opportunity to freshen things up in your house

Spring INTO ACTION