Make the Most of Your Space

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Moving house to simply get more space is extremely common, but it is also very expensive.

From deposits and contracts to removal companies and packing boxes, the costs soon add up. Rather than making a big move, we think that you might have more room than you imagines. Whether you are a student in a studio flat, sharing a maisonette with mates or doing the full monty and paying a mortgage, we have some ideas to help you make the most of the space, and the cash, you do have.

Be Ruthless
Before you do anything else, have a good old clear out. Go room by room and work out what you want to keep, what is gathering dust and can go to the charity shops and what is just rubbish and needs to go. You will be amazed at the number of newspapers, books, cables and pairs of shoes you have held onto for all the wrong reasons and are just cluttering up your space, and life too.

Push It High
You might look at the space in front of you, but what about the pockets of air in high places that are left to gather dust? The top of bookshelves, kitchen cupboards and bathroom cabinets are all potential space savers, but we don’t always think about using them. These are great places to stack your books, photo albums (if you still have them) and even store those winter jumpers you never really have room for. Vacuum bags are good for clothing storage and you can buy some pretty cool boxes that look good and hide a multitude of space sins. Win, win.

Use All the Spaces
People often talk about dead space, but you don’t want to think about things in this way. Whether it is the few inches under the sofa, the top of wardrobes or the beside your kitchen cupboards, this can all be used for tucking away magazines, yoga mats, the clothes airer and a many other things that need a home, but currently don’t have one.

Don’t Forget Doors
Doors aren’t just made to be opened and closed, they are also made for hanging things on. Investing in a few over the door hocks can give you a lot of space, for a small price. Think hats, coats and scarves as well as towels, dressing gowns and hoodies, and your home suddenly become a bigger, better, brighter place.

Get a Basket
Or two. Baskets are a brilliant, easy, cheap way to store things that don’t have a place right now, but that you want to keep. Magazines, kid’s toys, bottles of wine, shoes and so much more can all be put in a basket, and if you go for a contrasting colour to your walls, or find bold prints and stripes, you will make a home decor style statement too.

Think Out of the Box
That chest you have in the living room, as well as being a cool coffee table, it can also be home to your bulky winter coats. The linen basket can double up as a handy table for your lotions and potions, and a wooden step-ladder becomes an on-trend bookcase after a lick of grey chalk paint.

Be Inventive
Yes, bookcases were made for books, but they are also the perfect resting place for plant pots, paintings, candles and those trinkets you want to keep for sentimental reasons. At the same time, you can have a desk in the kitchen, an armchair in the bedroom and a chest of drawers in the study.

So, rip up the furniture bible of the past and go your own way to make more space in the home you live in and love.

Team Pure Beauty

Be a smarter food shopper

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With prices going up all the time and appetites getting bigger, a trip to the supermarket can be an expensive experience.

We have had a look at how you can be a smarter shopper when it comes to buying food and how to ensure it doesn’t go to waste, along with your hard-earned cash.

Make a list
Sounds so simple but how many times have you gone to the shops for a pint of milk and come home with five bags full of food you didn’t know you needed? Special offers and BOGF deals can be tempting but if you don’t actually need what is on the shelves, you aren’t saving anything at all. Make a list either on a piece of paper or your phone, and stick to it.

Take a bag
Yes, we know it is only a few pennies but taking your own bags when you go shopping doesn’t only help your purse but it also protects the environment.

Shop online
With many supermarkets offering free delivery (over a certain spend), shopping online can work out cheaper as you also save on petrol and car parking as well as your time. Do a comparison of who offers what, when the best delivery slots are for you and where there are offers and savings to be had and you might find ordering from your comfort of you own home makes sense on many levels.

Buy in bulk
Whether you are in store or online, buying in bulk is the way to go if you are looking at making savings. Tins, pasta, rice, ketchup, water, cereal and washing powder are all everyday staples and ones that can come with a hefty price tag at the corner shop. Do some research, look for deals and where you can, buy in bulk once a month and not only will soon see savings but you’ll never run out of the basics.

Get your rewards
Most major outlets from supermarkets to chemists and coffee shops offer reward schemes, so sign up for them. As well as getting great deals and offers, you can also get extra discounts, free products and vouchers, so don’t miss out.

Use your freezer
Tonnes of food goes to waste each year, so if you are aren’t going to eat something before the use by date, put in the freezer rather than leaving it until it needs to go in the bin. You can also pick up bargain items at the end of the day and freeze them for later. Batch cook soups, casseroles, stews and bolognaise then freeze them and save yourself time and money and will also have a hot meal ready to go.

Eat before you shop
Sounds daft but if you go shopping when you are hungry, you are more likely to spend more money and eat as you shop. Having lunch before you go out will save you pounds on your bill, and your waistline.

Look for vouchers
We have all been stuck in front of someone at the checkout who has a purse full of vouchers and while it might hold you up, these beauties do save you money. Newspapers, magazines, flyers and websites all carry money off vouchers, so keep them and use them the next time you are shopping to save some pennies.

Got a money-saving idea? Why not share the discount love with us?

Team Pure-Beauty

Hot cross buns anyone?

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beaten, bunnies, butter, cake, dough, Easter, eggs, flour, fruit, gas make six, greased baking sheet, hot cross buns, jam, knead, milk, newspapers, portions, Pure Beauty, rounds, size, smooth, spices, sugar, tablespoon, teaspoon, water, yeast

Everyone looks forward to the four-day weekend over Easter. It is a great to have the time to kick back, catch up with family and friends and enjoy some tasty treats.

From cute cookies and egg nests to seminal cake and chocolate bunnies, there’s no end of Easter themed goodies to eat at the time of year. Whilst it is easy to pick up BOGOF offers in the supermarket, there’s something really satisfying about sitting down with a piece of cake, you have baked from scratch.

We have done some baking ourselves and have found a recipe for the best ever hot cross buns and we think you’ll love them too.

This is an easy to follow recipe but be aware that it takes quite a lot of time to prepare. It is vital to follow each step and let the dough rise so that you really do get soft, fluffy buns that taste as good as they look.

Ingredients

• 400g of strong white bread flour and a little extra for dusting
• 50g of plain flour for creating the crosses
• A 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast
• 100g of currants, raisins and peel (it is totally up to you which dried fruits you use but keep the quantities right)
• 50g of golden caster sugar, plus an extra teaspoon for the crosses
• One teaspoon of mixed spice and one of ground cinnamon
• 250ml of slightly warmed full fat mill
• One medium egg, beaten
• 50g unsalted butter
• One teaspoon of salt
• Two tablespoons of apricot jam
• Place the strong flour, yeast, caster sugar, salt and spices in a bowl and mix. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the warm milk, beaten eggs and butter. Mix it together with a wooden spoon and finish of with your hands.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for around ten minutes or until it becomes springy and really smooth. Leave the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean, damp tea towel, somewhere warm.

The next step is to place dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten before scattering on the dried fruit. Knead the dough a few more times before dividing into eight even portions which you then need to roll in smooth rounds and place on a greased baking sheet, leaving some room between each bun for it to rise. Cover with a tea towel again and leave for about 20 minutes until they have doubled in size.

Heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark six.

To make the crosses, mix the extra plain flour with a teaspoon of sugar and five tablespoons of water and create a thick paste. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and carefully pipe white lines on the buns to make the crosses.

If you’re going to eat the buns untoasted, gently heat the apricot jam in a pan, and brush the warm liquid onto the buns using a pastry brush. If you plan to toast them, then don’t use the sugar glaze as it will burn and spoilt your hard work.

Place in the hot over for 20 minutes until the buns are light brown.

Once the buns have cooled down, enjoy with butter and jam a cup of tea as you read the newspapers.

Happy Easter from all of us at Pure Beauty.