The Bungalow Blogger

So yes, harping on about it again....we live in a VERY cold house, and recently it snowed....alot! Part of this renovation project is the installation of a full central heating system. So far we've installed a Biomass boiler, which is heating our water, and in time will heat the whole house with a mix of rads and a retro-fitted wet under floor heating system. However, for now as we are still in the planning stages of room layout we are living with electric, fluid-filled, wall mounted heaters. I...am also living with my in-house accountant/husband...so, needless to say these heaters are used sparingly! We've installed a log-burner (yipee!), but we are currently plastering and painting the lounge so it's out of action (booo). The heaters in the house do come on via a timer system, but only in select rooms...so the long and short of it is, the house feels chilly (and in some rooms that are not in use is as low as 4-6 degrees at the moment!). On the whole though we

Well, we're now firmly in to November, and the temperate has certainly dropped! We've had a few frosty mornings, and without a central heating system, trying to keep the house warm is proving costly! The log burner has certainly been a bit of a saviour, and although the lounge is still far from finished we've spent many days and evenings sitting in front of it. We've also caved and really started to use the electric heaters in the key rooms (predominantly the master bedroom), but  the house is cold....! Both of us can see our own breath when in the bathroom...and there is condensation and dampness forming...the utility room has gone as low as 6 degrees (I think even the fridge is shivering)...and so, it's time to start solving the cold problem! If you've followed us from the beginning and watched any of our YouTube videos, you'll know we have all sorts of plans for renovating our beloved bungalow (an update blog to follow in the coming weeks) and as p

If you've been reading my blog posts, you'll know that we've been sort of renovating our lounge (more by accident than design) in order to enable us to install a log burner for the winter. The 1960's bungalow that we finally purchased in May 2017 doesn't benefit from central heating (just individual electric heaters), and there is no mains gas to the property. While we've been making decisions on the best route forward for a central heating system, we thought we'd crack on an install a log burner to give us a source of heat, and also because a fireplace with log burner is sympathetic to the house, the style we are looking to go for and it's stunning country village surroundings. We were fortunate that there was already a chimney and constructional hearth in place, so it was a case of getting rid of the original decorative fireplace and opening up the original fireplace to accommodate a burner.  The original decorative fireplace - for a

So - ordinarily, The Bungalow Blogger is all things bungalow renovation, country living and general lifestyle...but whilst out walking our crazy and wonderful spaniel I saw something that inspired me to write (a long and waffly post) about something I feel quite passionate about. I saw a single poppy, just chilling in a crop field - just there on its own, no other poppies around, growing happily, blossoming and looking pretty healthy! Not only did I feel inspired to take a photo, but, I also thought - it kind of reminded me of....me. I've never been afraid of my own company (I'm an only child), and I've never been someone who's been naturally surrounded by lots of 'friends'. I admit though, growing up I was always conscious and concerned about my lack of 'friends' - and undoubtedly the introduction of social media didn't help. It often seemed like the ' poppy 'ular (do you see what I did there) kids were the happy kids - surrounded by

This weekend saw the 1st October...Autumn is here, and the next few months are as Rich says 'my time' - if you've been reading my blog posts so far, you'll know that from late September through to late December are my favourite months of the year...the only downside being that the garden is starting to look a little sad. The grass has been too wet to cut - and it's starting to look a little unkempt, the leaves are starting to fall from the trees (this house is fully surrounded by trees and lots of them, so I envisage tidying these being a thankless task!), a few things have died off - and in fairness our garden is a lovely mature garden but some of the long standing plants have seen better days. As you may know from previous blogs our bedroom looks in to the garden, which means as I sit in bed enjoying my coffee, I also spend a fair amount of time thinking about what needs doing out there. There's been a particular area of the garden that in my mind has

My stunning Autumnal Wedding bouquet  For anyone that’s following me on social media, watching my YouTube videos and reading this blog, it will come as no surprise that Autumn is my absolute favourite time of the year. Well, strictly Autumn in to Winter…in fact, Rich and I got married on 1st November and the colours, menu and décor were a distinct nod to this fabulous time of year!  Our stunning Autumn Wedding Cake So whilst it’s still early Autumn and it’s not yet all about Halloween and Bonfire night (literally cannot wait for those…) I thought I’d share with you what I do at this time of year to start feeling the warm, cosy vibes of Autumn over here in the UK.  1. Crack out the warming candle scents  Without a doubt, the minute there is a slight chill in the air, and I can justify getting those autumnal candles out….I’m there! For me autumn is all about the smell of wood smoke in the air, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and all of the other warming spices t