Beat the hosepipe ban: Installing a drip irrigation system
This isn’t about breaking the hosepipe ban rules, it’s about saving water & money whilst watering my garden at 4am when I’m asleep with a drip irrigation...
My best things to buy when you are over 50 to survive a heatwave
As someone firmly in the over 50 club, heatwaves hit differently these days. These are the intensely researched, sometimes a bit expensive, but genuinely life saving things that...
My favourite gardening products I have purchased and tested 2026
A couple of years of intensively researched solutions, hard-learned lessons, and a few too many mosquito bites later — here are the products I genuinely reach for every single...
My top 5 essentials you need for your log burner
How to make life easier when you have a log burner We had our first log burner installed 6 months ago, and I did a lot of research before and after we got it, to make it as easy...
Gardening Spreadsheet
Some of us like being organised in the garden...I recently posted a video on my socials, that included my gardening spread sheets and had some requests for a copy of...
How I protect my garden from slugs & snails
Do you need an eco friendly way to protect your plants and garden from slugs & snails? This is how I protect my garden without harming the birds.
What I plant in my urban cottage garden
These are the tried and trusted plants I grow in my urban cottage garden. You too can create a haven for bees and butterflies in your garden.
I painted our whole house in a year: Here are my top 5 decorating tips
Renovating your home can feel like an overwhelming challenge, especially when you’re trying to achieve that perfect, polished finish.
How to use vinyl to wrap your kitchen worktops
Do you want to transform your kitchen worktops on a budget? For under £50 I used DC Fix Vinyl on our old worktops. Here is a guide of how to do it
How to paint kitchen cupboards
Find out how I transformed my kitchen on a budget by painting the cupboards with Rustoleum paint. Update your kitchen cupboards with just paint in a day.
Budget kitchen makeover for under £250
Do you want a new kitchen on a small budget? For under £250 I transformed our kitchen on a budget. See all the products I used here.
Review of our Heatable Boiler Installation
What do you do when your boiler breaks unexpectedly? We moved into our house in December 2023 and on the (long) list of things we would like to update was the boiler. But there...
How to update old fitted wardrobes
How to modernise old fitted wardrobes When we moved into our house in December 2023 we inherited old laminate fitted wardrobes in 2 bedrooms. They were crying out to be...
The decorating tools you need to get a professional finish
Investing in the right decorating tools makes all the difference in the finish you get and the time it takes to finish a room. See what I have tested here.
How to keep warm when working from home this winter
With energy bill going up, and more people working from home and responsible for paying their own heating bills whilst working from home, there are some easy ways to keep warm,...
How to make reusable kitchen towels
Are you bored of having to keep buying paper kitchen towels, or kitchen rolls? Here is how to make reusable kitchen towels at home. We either seem to run out of them when I need...
Potting on your seedlings – No Faff Gardening
A few weeks after planting your seeds, the seedlings will be ready to transplant into a bigger pot. When to transplant your seedlings? You will know it is time when they have...
Growing flowers & veg from seed – no faff gardening
For me this is one of the most magical parts of gardening, it still amazes me every time I plant a seed that a week or so later, up pops a little shoot through the soil. People...
Introducing No Faff Gardening
I truly believe that gardening should be no-faff. What I mean by this is, you shouldn't have to buy lots of special tools or have lots of specialist knowledge, or most important...
Sweary Embroidery and Cross Stitch patterns
Looking for your next embroidery project, for that person who has everything, wouldn't want a 'normal' embroidery gift? How about a sweary embrodery or cross stitch? I made the...
Homemade 3 ingredient grain-free dog biscuit treats
Are you looking for an easy recipe to make dog biscuits that are grain free and only need 3 ingredients? All you need for this recipe is 1/2 sweet potato 2 tablespoons of coconut...
How to make a spring wreath
I really enjoyed having my Christmas Wreath up and really miss having my front door adorned with something pretty. So I made a spring wreath. Supplies I decided to use a mixture...
Review of the Netvue Birdfy Smart Bird Feeder Camera
I love feeding the birds in our garden, we already have multiple bird feeders and I spend a lot of time watching them from our kitchen window. The calm of watching them fly and...
How to fill a raised bed
Do you want to start growing plants and vegetables in a raised bed, but don't want the expense of having to buy lots of compost? What is best to fill a raised bed for your plants...
Life with Jo Blog
It started as 2 stars and a swirl baby blog in 2008.
Now, it is a blog about what I love doing, and TikToks about everything I am doing, including DIY & Decorating, crafting, and gardening.
Come and follow me on my socials (I am better at posting there than here!)
Brands I Love
(these links are all to places I have purchased from myself, and are affiliate links)
For an exclusive 10% discount at the Decorating Centre Online use the code LIFEWITHJO10
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