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The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
I gave my rental garden a glow-up using only B&M buys – I drew it on a bit of paper & transformed my privacy fence too
A DIY enthusiast has given her rental garden a mega glow-up for summer using only B&M buys. So if you want to transform your outside space but are on a limited budget, then you've come to the right place and will need to listen up. 2 2 Lou, a savvy DIY and cleaning fan from the UK, has shared how she turned her garden from drab to fab, without breaking the bank. With the internet full of grand garden makeovers, Lou was on a mission to show her followers that even if you rent a property, you can still create a space you love without having to spend a fortune. Posting on social media, the blonde beauty shared a before, during and after look at her garden overhaul, which she did totally by herself, leaving many open-mouthed. The content creator, who has racked up over 30,000 followers, explained before kicking off with the project, she first drew herself a plan on a piece of paper of exactly what she was going to do. She then stocked up on bargain buys, as she said: "Everything I used was from my local B&M store, so this really was a transformation on a budget.' What was once a very overgrown space has now been given a new lease of life - and we think it looks fabulous. Lou started out by mowing the lawn and then moved on to putting borders in place and planting some flowers. After this, she used Cuprinol paint to give her privacy fence a glow-up. Additionally, she then created a raised area for seating and used bark and lights to add some personality to the space. Opening up about the challenges of the transformation, she acknowledged: 'The biggest challenge for me was the fences - I had 21 fence panels and nothing that I bought seemed to work. 'I was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation but did it MYSELF for £1,000 using ChatGPT to show my kids what single mums can do' 'I would do it differently now because so many people helped me out in the comments, but it was too late - I would definitely prime the fences first, but we live and learn. 'I also had a lot of people worry about the bark at the top of the garden, but it has lasted through the winter and as far as I can see, no cat poop.' Lou was impressed with the masonry paint that she used on her fence posts and would do her transformation 'again in a heartbeat.' Showing off the finished garden, which is now super glam, Lou beamed and shared her upcoming plans: 'It still looks really year, I'm going to redesign my friend's rented garden and I'm so excited.' Garden features that add the most value to a house A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property. carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK. And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed. Shed - 82% Patio or paving - 76% Secure fencing, walls or gates - 72% Outdoor lighting - 66% Sturdy decking - 62% Water features eg. fountain or pond - 58% Modern garden furniture - 54% Artificial lawn/grass - 40% DIY fans beam The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ loushomelife, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 234,100 views. It's also amassed 6,093 likes, 129 comments and 730 saves. Social media users were impressed with Lou's garden makeover and many eagerly raced to the comments to express this. One person said: 'This is lovely and just what I am trying to achieve this summer!' Another added: 'Wow, jealous, it's beautiful. Well done.' A third commented: 'Your garden is so beautiful.' Meanwhile, someone else chimed in and wrote: 'Amazing job!' At the same time, one homeowner wrote: 'Wow, looks lush! Done a brilliant job! Come do mine please.'
Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I'm sick of my single friends boring me with their raunchy love lives!
Time with old friends should be treasured – especially as one gets older. So when I recently arranged to meet a friend from my college days for coffee, I was looking forward to catching up: we're the same age – late 40s – and both have teenage children. We've always had so much to bond over – sharing joys and worries about our kids, work and midlife. That is, until she got divorced ten months ago. Now I find myself subjected to tales – often highly explicit – about her latest liaison. Last time we met, I sat gripping my oat milk Americano for dear life as she regaled me with stories about the two new flings she is 'balancing' – an older, wealthy man, and a 'hot' 29-year-old, neither of whom knows of the other's existence – and the 'incredible sex' she is enjoying with both. This, of course, is far superior to the sex she had with her ex-husband. In truth, I was utterly relieved when it was time for us to say our goodbyes. So when I read Kate Mulvey, writing in Femail Magazine last month, huff that her married friends should ditch their husbands to listen to her tales of singledom and put 'girl time' first, I was incensed. Kate complained that her girlfriends often cut short their meet-ups, answer the phone to their husbands during their dinners or – God forbid – let their husband join them for a quick drink at the end of a girls' night. Well, Kate, I've done all these things, and find this kind of behaviour entirely normal. It's far more acceptable than – as you describe yourself doing – inviting friends to read the 'risqué texts' you've shared with your latest dalliance. I've been married to my husband Cornel for 16 years and I love it; the closeness of our relationship, not to mention the camaraderie of raising two children. We've moved countries together, faced health scares side-by-side, and continue to share life's ups and downs. As corny as it sounds, my husband is also my best friend. So, no, I don't feel guilty if he interrupts my time with a friend by texting me. It might be something as simple as him asking if we need anything in the supermarket – or if I am having a good time. I think it would be rude to ignore him, so I reply. Nor would I mind if he pitched up at the end of an evening to say hello. He knows all my friends after all – why shouldn't he? On the occasions I do go out at night, he'll sometimes pick me up and say hi to everyone at the end. He's gregarious, so I hope my friends don't mind. They've never indicated otherwise. Kate also complained that her friends' husbands track their location on their phones. Well, we do this, too. What's the harm? It makes sense when we have two kids to taxi about to know where the other one is. However, my newly divorced friend would describe my life as a 'prison'; an incarceration brought about by my own hand. Now her marriage is behind her, she is suddenly full of feminist views about the confinements of being tied to a husband, the patriarchy and 'traditional gender roles'. (Notably, she said none of this when she was married.) 'Don't you get bored of married life?' she asked during one of our coffee dates, looking at me with pity. 'Er, no,' I replied. 'Sex? Non-existent?' she queried. Yes, and that's fine with me. In fact, I'd rather a tame 'vanilla' sex life than the embarrassing raunch-fest she seems to be indulging in. Last time we met, I tried to steer the conversation on to things other than sex – like gardening and the fact I've got some bamboo struggling to take in my garden. But I was quickly silenced when she pulled her phone out and insisted we swipe through men on Tinder. Some of them looked young enough to be her son and, to be frank, it just got boring. Herein lies the irony – my newly unattached friends harp on about loving their single, feminist freedom, yet all they talk about ad nauseam is men! And don't get me started on her orgasm monologues. 'It's just so much better when you're not married,' she repeatedly tells me. It's all a bit, well, vulgar. I see far more freedom in my life: I'm no longer judged on my looks and can relax make-up-free in my comfy clothes at home. (Indeed, the idea of a stranger seeing me naked makes me feel unwell.) My energy can be reserved for myself, my husband and my family, rather than subjecting myself to the humiliations of the current dating climate of swiping right and left. I find it so reductive, diminishing everything to sex and appearance. I'm all for a divorcee getting out there again and having fun. Good for you, ladies! But, really, I shouldn't have to hear about every twist, turn and thrust. All this may sound like envy; that I am some sort of bitter midlife woman who wishes she could play the field, too. I can assure you, it isn't. It's simply that there's nothing more dull than hearing about yet another 'hook-up', or the latest man's prowess in bed. So to all my single friends: I'd love to meet up, but let's just talk about our kids, careers, or holidays. And, yes, my husband will probably call me, and may even come along. Nothing would make me happier. He is my best friend, after all...
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Teachers to continue strikes over longer school day
Strikes by teachers at seven schools in Yorkshire in a row over a proposed longer school day are to continue, a union has walkouts at schools run by Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Easingwold, plus two in Wakefield and one in Hemsworth, would be held on 10 days in July, the National Education Union (NEU) began at OGAT sites across the UK last month after the trust said it wanted a school day lasting 30 minutes longer, but the union said OGAT showed a lack of "understanding of the day-to-day pressures" its members said it was "deeply disappointed" the NEU had rejected its proposals "to resolve the dispute". Schools in Redcar, Wigan, Scunthorpe, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are also affected by the ongoing disruption. Nick Raine, from the NEU, said its members at OGAT-run sites had "not taken industrial action lightly"."They have continued to support children with additional classes for exam revision," he said."While no teacher wants to take strike action, any move that leads to an increase in teacher workload is clearly unacceptable. "NEU members have no choice but to take action as the trust simply will not listen."Separately, the NASUWT teaching union said it had suspended some planned industrial action over the plans at the schools in Easingwold, Scunthorpe, Barnsley and Hemsworth, meaning its members would work at those sites as normal. However, further strike action by its members was still scheduled to take place over the next two weeks, it said. In a statement, OGAT said it was "deeply disappointed" the NEU had turned down its proposals to solve the dispute.A spokesperson said: "Resolving the significant disruption to children's education remains our highest priority. "We've therefore consistently prioritised meetings and discussions, and have offered a number of solutions and refined proposals to our union colleagues. "While NASUWT has been amenable to them, unfortunately the NEU has not been as positive and we have been unable to make the same progress as a result."Andy Wroe, whose son attends Outwood Academy in Sheffield, told the BBC the situation was "not good enough"."The kids' education is suffering, their friendship groups are suffering, and I don't feel it's fair," he said."As a parent, we just want the right thing for the kids. I don't mind the teachers protesting - they've a right to do so - but we need to find a resolution because the kids are suffering."They just need to talk and realise there are a lot of children in the middle who are nervous, disrupted and worried."Further talks between the union and academy bosses are due to take place next week, with mediators from the Acas arbitration service involved. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
