Author: Erin Sluka

Home

Which Flooring Should You Use in a Playroom?

Erin Sluka

Setting up a playroom for your children to use can give them an incredible space to feel comfortable and relaxed in as they play. Though most will no doubt focus on the walls and furniture when trying to create a playroom, the floor you choose also needs to be thought about carefully. 

Here are some of the things you need to think about when trying to select the right floor for your children’s playroom.

Pixabay

Wood Floors

Wood floors are not often the best option for a playroom. While they look highly prestigious, they are obviously quite hard. If a little one was to take a tumble, there is a chance that they could hurt themselves quite badly. Introducing rugs can happen, but if you were to put a rug down across the whole room then you might as well carpet it. 

The other major consideration that comes with a wood flooring is how waterproof it is. In short, it can be difficult to find a wood floor that will hold off against any type of water damage. This makes it a poor choice for a playroom. Be it a spill from a cup or someone being a little over-enthusiastic while crafting, there is always a chance that something is going to spill. If it is not cleaned up immediately, it could then warp the wood.

LVT Flooring

LVT flooring could be an amazing option for a playroom. It is soft underfoot and will provide some cushion if someone were to fall over. It is also incredibly easy to care for. Even if your little one does spill something, you should be able to clean it up quickly and easily without damaging the floor underneath.

One of the other big advantages of LVT flooring is the many patterns that you can find for it. Click here to have a browse of some of the options open to you. While wood floors will always be the classic look a stone pattern might work better depending on the overall theme you have planned for your playroom. This is one room that you can really bring a little bit of style when decorating, so don’t be afraid to pick a pattern that you would never have anywhere else in your home if it means your children get a beautiful place to play.

Carpet

Finally, you might consider carpet for your playroom. There are several obvious advantages to this. It is obviously warm underfoot, and very soft. If a child trips of carpet, they are unlikely to get injured in the same way that they might on a wood floor. Carpet also comes in a variety of different colours and patterns. You could even find a fun one with a print that matches the rest of the room if you are going for a heavily themed space.

However, the big disadvantage with carpet is how difficult it is to clean. You need to make sure that spills are seen to as soon as they happen as they can quickly ruin the carpet otherwise. There is also massive potential for staining. Nothing will make a carpet look old and tatty quite like a few stains in the wrong places. 

These are three options you could consider for a space that needs to be able to handle whatever your children might want to throw at it. Take the time to find a flooring that is going to tie in with the aesthetics of the room while also being robust enough to stand up and last well no matter how rough playtime might get.

Pets Products

Yummy Combs Honeycomb Shape Flossing Treats for Dogs

Erin Sluka

Comment: I was sent product for this feature. I am happy to partner with this brand. There may be affiliate links contained within the article. Thank you for visiting.

Yummy Combs Honeycomb Shape Flossing Treats for Dogs

How genius are these flossing treats for dogs? We have 3 dogs in our home and the breath is horrible at times. I worry about some dental treats because my dogs attempt to swallow things whole and if they are not easily digestible we have problems (it’s why they aren’t allowed stuffed toys anymore – a toy duck cost us a lot of money when one of them swallowed his insides).

In looking at the ingredients of the Yummy Combs I realized they should digest well and the dogs love them! If you head over to my Instagram you can see Maya dance for one.

Why is it a honeycomb shape?

  1. The width: prevents dogs from gulping it down in one bite and encourages them to chew longer.
  2. The hardness: helps scrape and clean your dog’s teeth. The treat completely surrounds his or her teeth for a deeper, more complete clean.
  3. The thin-walled shape: hastens solubility and speeds digestion plus preserves volatile ingredients.

They are individually wrapped for freshness and are 44% protein treats. The Yummy Combs are made with quality ingredients and vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They are a SUPERcopia™ of 12 wellness supplements. Find Yummy Combs near you at https://petsbestlife.com/shop-here/!

Healthy Living

Several ways you can get injured in the home

Erin Sluka
Several ways you can get injured in the home

Your home should be, and for the most part is, a safe place where you can make memories with your family – eat, sleep and relax. That said, no place is entirely safe and there are some things you should really keep an eye out for, to avoid injuries in your own house. 

These are some of the types of accidents that can cause injuries in the home…

Slips, trips, and falls

One of the most common injuries in the home involves tripping over something (often something you’ve asked your family to put away a million times), falling down the stairs, or slipping on spilled liquids. The severity of these types of injuries can range from broken bones and back injuries to concussion and cuts. Keeping your home clean and tidy, and being aware of where you’re walking can reduce the risk of these types of injuries. 

Burns

Burns can happen in a number of ways – perhaps while cooking, or by knocking a hot drink over and scalding someone. Burns can be incredibly painful and need to be treated immediately in order to reduce their damage. It can be easy to become complacent at home but this is when accidents happen. Concentrate when you cook and always use an oven mitt where needed. Keep hot drinks somewhere safe and away from children as this is an incredibly common, but awful, accident that happens more often than you might think. 

Choking

Anyone can choke, but it is especially risky for babies, toddlers, and young children. It’s vital to keep an eye on children who are eating and to know what to do if they do find themselves in difficulty. You can reduce the risk of choking by ensuring particularly hazardous food such as grapes, are always cut, lengthwise, and make sure that children are sat down to eat. Avoid leaving any choking hazards on the floor, as babies and toddlers often explore the world by putting things in their mouths. 

Fire

Of course, fire is a big risk for burns, which we covered above, but there is also the scary danger of smoke inhalation or even explosions caused by hazardous chemicals in the home. Check your fire alarms once a month to ensure that they are all working correctly, and be aware of any fire hazards in your home. For example, are all your electrical items in good condition? Do you use candles? If you have a gas fire, are there any potentially flammable materials close to it? It might seem like a lot of hassle but fires can be devastating and the more you can do to prevent this risk, the better. 

Although there are dangers in the home, there are also ways to lessen the risk of these, by taking small steps daily to keep things safe. There is an important balance by being aware and cautious, but not allowing fear to overtake your life and make you too paranoid to enjoy things. Stay safe. 

2020 Holidays, 2020 Home Series, Home

Giani DIY Cabinet Paint to Easily Transform Your Small Spaces

Erin Sluka
Giani DIY Cabinet Paint to Easily Transform Your Small Spaces

What a year it has been. I can tell you that quarantine brought big changes to our home. It all started in April with a flood we had upstairs that ruined the downstairs dining room floors. Because we have continuous flooring we had to replace all of our floors. I wasn’t terribly upset by that to be honest.

The thing is when we started one project it spiraled into more. The contractor left us an entire weekend with old floors pulled up and the flooring guy coming a few days later. We decided what a better time to repaint the downstairs walls while furniture was moved out and the floors were pulled! Then that meant I needed a new tablecloth and rugs because my color scheme is changing. The paint sale we found was great so on a whim got some paint for my master bathroom (why not)?!

I gave my bathroom a Sky Blue color and repainted the white trim to look fresh. What a difference paint can make to a space. I had a grand idea to repaint all of my cabinets, however we have different plans down the road but I did have older small cabinets and decor that would transform the space if I could change its color.

I got my hands on the Giani Nuvo Cabinet Paint in the color, Titanium Infusion. Taking older wood cabinets and adding color seems small but drastically changes the look when you want to transform your small spaces. It is such an easy weekend project – resurface cabinets, desks, tables, kitchen islands and more in the great colors of Giani Nuvo Cabinet Paint.

I love the color pallet of Giani Granite’s paints for cabinets – see them here. The kits come with all you need to paint including online video tutorials with more tips. I just grabbed some sandpaper I had to prep the surface and Giani Granite provided me the paint, instructions, paint brushes and paint rollers.

In the empty space inside my bathroom I keep a stool. It comes in handy to grab as I have longer hair styling days to sit in front of my mirror. I had some dark pieces, some light pieces, the stool was black and my goal was to brighten all I could up in that space. So, I will be using the Nuvo Cabinet Paint on my stool as well to match.

I have used Giani Granite brand kits before as last year I made myself some tables I pull out when I have guests for added space for desserts or drinks. For these I took some old TV trays that fold and store well and instead of dumping at Goodwill I repurposed with the Giani Butcher Block Paint kit and they came out great! See how those turned out HERE!

Giani also has Granite and Marble Countertops kits and soon will launch these gorgeous Pour and cure-in-place quartz countertops! These will transform countertops beautifully. All of their countertop paints are non porous – mold and bacterial resistant. They have great step-by-step videos so you can’t mess them up. Here is a sneak peek at the new quartz coming soon.

Visit Giani Granite and shop all of their DIY paint kits to transform your space. Makes a great gift idea for new home owners or those who love to keep busy with DIY projects around the home. Also available on Amazon.