Be careful when using fabric dust sheets as they seem to have a mind of their own. When preparing walls for decorating, I found that Continue reading
How to protect floors when decorating
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Author Archives: Nicole
Lanky houseplant – Dracaena marginata
My Dracaena marginata had become a problem. It was very lanky and top heavy so, I took a drastic step and hoped for the best: Continue reading
Container for sandwiches
An empty 500g spreadable butter container will make the perfect container if you only have one sandwich for lunch.
Growing umbrella plant
Following my post on how to get two umbrella plants out of one, I would like to show how well my cutting is doing!
The roots have really grown in one month and are now long enough for the cutting to go inside a pot with compost.
Plants need food just like us so water will not suffice for proper growth.
What to do with leftover stale bread
If you have any leftover stale sliced bread you no longer want to use, Continue reading
Make a composter out of a bed
This is a great way to recycle unwanted and bulky furniture and might save you a trip to the dump! Continue reading
Corn for packed lunches
As Autumn is approaching, fresh corn is becoming plentiful and cheap. When cooking corn on the cob (I boil mine for 5 minutes with a teaspoon of sugar, no salt), make sure that you Continue reading
Extended arm to clean your gutters
If you are not a home owner, this post will be of no interest to you as it will show you how clean gutters efficiently. Continue reading
How to shorten a screw
Ever wondered how to shorten a screw? My tip is easy and straight forward and does not involve a saw. Continue reading
Copper fittings
The following happened to me a few years back when we were doing up our bathroom. Hubby was in the middle of connecting copper pipes when he realised he was missing a very important piece. So, he asked me to go to the local plumbing merchant and bring back a 15mm Tee piece so he could finish his soldering. Continue reading
How to make shop-bought herbs last longer
Have you ever wondered why potted fresh herbs (parsley, basil, coriander, etc.) bought at the supermarket never last very long, even if you remember to water them? Continue reading
How to store fresh parsley
Whether you buy or grow your own, take advantage of the summer season to stock up on fresh parsley and store it in your freezer for readily available supply all year round. Continue reading
How to propagate a rose bush
Have you ever admired a particular rose bush in your neighbour’s garden, or simply wished you could have more roses in your own garden at no extra cost? Continue reading
How to prevent black peg marks on clothes
If you leave wooden pegs outside in the rain, mould will eventually form on the surface, leaving black stains on your clothes when you hang them on the washing line.
To prevent staining, Continue reading
How to get two umbrella plants out of one
I found out something recently that I would like to share with you. Continue reading
How to spread hard butter on bread
To add to a previous post, I have another tip to share with you on how to spread hard/cold butter on bread. If your freezer is too small to hold all your loaves, only freeze half of them. Then, when making a sandwich, take one slice from a frozen loaf, on which to spread the cold butter, and one from the unfrozen loaf. Of course, you could always use the microwave to soften your butter but that would be cheating! 
Things to do with leftover lasagna sheets
If you ever wondered what to do with leftover lasagna sheets, my suggestions might help you: Continue reading
How to make a wooden house sign
Cost of materials = Nil. Labour = free. In this post, I will show how I made a house sign using a piece of wooden panel from an old wooden shed and a dremel. I also used Continue reading
Bungalow renovation
We purchased our bungalow in August 2012.
As I wanted to share our experience with my parents, I started a bilingual blog called, Littlehill, our Little Piece of Heaven, dedicated to recording our progress throughout the renovation, although if I come across any good tips, I will certainly share them with you through this blog.
Wish me luck! 
Funny French story – The imaginary grater
A funny story to start your Sunday with a smile! The following events happened to one of my friends, Bernadette.
Wanting to purchase a hand-held grater, she went to a small local hardware shop which was run by two elderly ladies. Continue reading
How to put on/change a duvet cover quickly?
Follow my step-by-step picture guide and changing a duvet cover will no longer be a struggle. Continue reading
Rinse dishes before putting them in the diswasher?
Should you rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? The answer is simple. YES! Yes, you shoud rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. But why, I hear you say? Continue reading
Bag or bagless vacuum cleaner?
There are a lot of reviews on the Internet to help people choose which type of vacuum cleaner to buy: upright, cylinder, bag, bagless, etc. What they don’t really tell you is how they perform after a while. In this post, I will share with you the experience I have had with my own vacuums cleaners. Hopefully, this will make you aware of some problems but at the end of the day, they all have their pros and cons so deciding which to choose will always be hard. Continue reading
How to make healthy beef burgers
Why is it that you cannot get men and children to eat vegetables with their burgers? I like to “hide” onions and sweet peppers in my home-made burgers so that the choice is not theirs. It is also a healthy way to make more burgers with the same amount of meat without having to Continue reading
Home-made chocolate croissants – chocolate puff pastry rolls
This recipe is so easy, you will be making it every Sunday! Continue reading
How to make French flan / set custard
Following my post on how to use up milk, you will find below a picture-based recipe on how to make a flan, which is the French near equivalent to English set custard (French flan uses whole eggs!). The following quantities will make about 12 ramekins. Continue reading
Unblock kitchen sinks without chemicals
I must share with you a great tip on how to unblock kitchen sinks without chemicals! Simple but yet effective. Of course, I had to buy a couple of bottles of drain unblocker first. At £5 a bottle, it really hurts your pocket! And the result was never that great.Then, I had a Eureka moment!
Marigolds for kitchens / bathrooms
One thing you do not want to do is use the same rubber gloves to wash the dishes and clean the toilets. So, how to make sure you never make this mistake? Continue reading
Cool food down quickly with ice packs
In the winter, I often leave food outside to speed up the cooling process before placing it in the fridge or freezer, making sure that it is safe from any opportunistic thieves (whether my dog or the neighbour’s cat). In the warmer weather, this is not possible so you need to use another technique. Continue reading
French story – being appreciative
The following awkward moment happened to my Dad many years ago when their children were still young, at a time when Don’t worry, i’s a very short story! So click to continue!
How to use up milk
You are going shopping soon and realise that you still have a lot of milk left in the fridge. Need some ideas on how to use it up? Continue reading
How to store fresh chilli peppers
This post will show you the easiest and cheapest way to store fresh chill peppers. Continue reading
Make plastic forks fit small disposable packed lunch boxes
If and when you use disposable packed lunch boxes, you will find that your plastic forks do not fit inside.
To solve the problem, simply snap the end of the fork handle and Bob is your uncle!
Packed lunch on the go
Sometimes, you do not want or cannot carry around empty plastic containers after you have eaten your packed lunch, i.e if you are having a day out, travelling by train, etc. All you want to do is Continue reading
How to make Yorkshire puddings
Now that you have made an effort preparing and roasting your chicken, you need to cook home-made Yorkshire puddings, not just warm up shop-bought ones. Continue reading