Living well at home

Hello friends!

I love how setting the table nicely makes even a simple dinner feel more special (here we are having spaghetti bolognese).

My essentials are:

✨ Candles (I am using tealights in my faux Baccarat candlesticks tonight)

✨ Jazz playing on the bluetooth speaker

✨ Sparkling water alongside the wine

✨ A side salad sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

✨ My homesewn coasters for a nice feel when you put your glass down :)

It's so nice to create a restaurant atmosphere at home, it really doesn't cost anything extra (unlike dining out), and you get the satisfaction and pleasure of using items you already own.

Don't get me wrong, I love going out for a special meal or when we are travelling, but wow prices have gone up a lot. And I know it's hard to make a dollar in the restaurant business too, I don't doubt that. It's just how things are right now :0

But when you are working on strengthening your own personal economy, creating a beautiful dining experience for yourself is a great start.

Another thing I like to do is make my own eating-out favourites at home. I make fish and chips from fresh fish seasoned and cooked in the air fryer, with the chips made from fresh potatoes chopped into wedges, sprayed with olive oil and baked in the oven. YUM!

Something like this is a necessity for me since I'm celiac and have to be gluten-free, but it's actually such a delicious upgrade and far healthier too.

Are you an eat-at-the-table fan?

Also, let me know your favourite fakeaway meal to make at home :) I also love making my own pizzas (I have made the bases before but have been buying gluten-free bases lately), bunless burger and fries.

(This makes me look like I have homemade fast food all the time but they are only on the menu every so often! Mostly we do a roast with tons of veggies, meatloaf, curry, chicken and vegetables etc.)

And, please let me know how you like to make dining at home more special! 

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I bought myself a new, inexpensive wreath for our front door. I love having a Christmas wreath up during the holiday season and always feel so sad taking it down.

I had a thought that seasonal wreaths must be a thing, and they are! I ordered this 'autumn wreath' online and it makes me so happy every time I see it.

I already have plans to find a winter wreath (since we have winter in the middle of the year in the southern hemisphere), and a spring wreath when I need it too.

I know it's not really a necessity, but it really lifts my spirits. And switching them out every three months or so means I won't get bored with them either. Such fun!

This one was from Temu for $15. Don't judge!

I heard the phrase 'fast fashion worn slow' a while back and it's exactly how I approach things. I might buy something inexpensive, but my purchases are always carefully considered ('will I enjoy this for a long time or will it be clutter and junk in five minutes' 😂)

I decided that my autumn wreath is the former! Of course I did 🤣

I hope you had a lovely weekend (and maybe you're still in the middle of it). It's Sunday night here, and we're tucked in cozy with the fire going. Doggies are happily sprawled, 'sunbathing' their tummies, and it’s dinner time soon.

Life is good, I hope it is for you too whatever you are doing!

See you next week :)

xx Fiona

 

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PS. Check out my book '100 Ways to Live a Luxurious Life on a Budget' if you like the ideas in this post! It is quick-to-read, packed with inspiring ideas, and also my most consistently popular book with almost 800 reviews on Amazon (and an average 4.6 rating out of 5 stars).

It is not the kind of book that will give you discount codes or which places to go to to get a bargain. What you will find is all my secrets how I have created a luxurious life for myself, even though I value thrift and simplicity. You can create any kind of reality for yourself too, and it can happen in an instant with a shift in mindset. Sounds airy fairy but I am fully about the practical as well.

I always say to have your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground. It has served me well so far! Happy reading :) Please let me know what you think of it!

 

 

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