Tuesday 24 March 2015

Top Tips For Transforming Your Home On A Budget

Moving home or completely redecorating isn't always an option as it can prove to be quite costly, but you can transform the look of a room quickly and inexpensively with a few quick fixes. Here are our top tips for transforming your home on a budget:

Tile Transfers
Turn your, dull kitchen or bathroom into a colourful paradise with a set of tile transfers! With their self-adhesive, easy to apply properties, you can reinvent a room in minutes with no stress or mess. With baroque, stone effect and mosaic effect to choose from in a variety of colours you’re sure to find a set of tile transfers to match your personality! prices start from only £2.99 for a pack of 30!

Stone Effect Tile Transfers Mosaic Tile Transfers Stone Effect Tile Transfers

Self-Adhesive Vinyl Roll
Add extra style to your kitchen with our Self-adhesive Vinyl Roll, update tired cupboards and counter-tops. Our self-adhesive vinyl roll is suitable for a variety of surfaces, so there's no need to limit yourself to just the kitchen, give a new lease of life to a wooden headboard or bookcase or even back the kids school books! We even have a range of stylish window vinyl, available in a choice of designs, which provides privacy when ever you require it

self-adhesive vinyl roll self-adhesive vinyl roll self-adhesive window vinyl

Floor Tiles
Transform your kitchen or bathroom floor (or both) with Vinyl floor tiles. You’ll be shocked by how easy our vinyl tiles are to attach. Simply, peel off the backing and stick them to any clean, smooth surface. It’s that easy! There’s no hassle or stress involved and you won’t have to get somebody else in to lay them for you. You'll save money too. Why invest in a whole new floor when vinyl floor tiles are just as effective? Available in multiple colours, you’re sure to find a vinyl tile colour scheme to suit your bathroom or kitchen decor. There’s something for everyone, from traditional rustic wood to more modernistic grey cobble. Now only £4.99 for a pack of 11 self adhesive floor tiles.

pack of 11 self adhesive floor tiles pack of 11 self adhesive floor tiles


Wall Stickers
Welcome to Walltastic, the next generation of designer room decoration for children. With these removable and repositionable stickers, you can transform any bedroom, nursery or playroom in minutes. They can be applied to any smooth surface, including walls, doors and furniture, and you could even create your own mural. Order your Walltastic wall stickers at 24ace, only £29.99, there's a great range to choose from, including Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins, Dinosaurs, Frozen, Fairies more.

Dinosaur Land Room Décor Kit Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Room Décor Kit Disney Jake and the Neverland Pirates Room Décor Kit

Wallpaper
Wallpapering a whole room can be an expensive and time consuming task. Why not pick a feature wall to decorate, saving you time and money? We've got a fantastic range of designer wallpaper, including ranges from Julien Macdonald, Hemmingway Designs and Superfresco, with prices from only £12.99 per roll.

Hemmingway Designs - Hemingway Red Brick Wallpaper Julien Macdonald - Flutterby Black Wallpaper Hemmingway Designs - Vintage Do The Stretch Wallpaper

Lighting
Lighting is something many people take for granted in the home, or forget about completely unless a bulb needs changing. The impact great lighting can have shouldn’t be underestimated though and a few simple changes can create a stylish impact. A lighting makeover doesn’t have to cost the earth and it’s a great way to refresh your living space. You can build on existing lighting with lamps and spotlights to create a totally different atmosphere.Shop our lighting range today.

LED Wall Branch Light Oslo Lighting Range - 4 Light Floor Lamp LED White Flower Rose Tree

Rugs
Whether it's for a child's bedroom or the living room, rugs can transform a room, making them more comfortable and more interesting, adding warmth and brightening up a dull space. They can even create a new focal point in a room. Rugs can bring a whole living room together, with an edge under the sofa, and a corner under an armchair and a coffee table on top, rugs are the simplest way to complete any room. Shop from our range of rugs today

Paint Strokes Rug - Purple Blockbuster Multi Rug Candy Multi Rug

Curtains
Curtains can transform a room in a way that many other home furnishings can’t, adding warmth by framing the window and can automatically improve the aesthetics of any room. So whether you’re creating a chic minimalist kitchen or a cosy living room, there is sure to be a curtain to suit. Shop from our fantastic range of curtains today

Modern Leaf Lined Eyelet Curtains Strawberry Cake Curtains Natasha Lined Tape Top Curtains

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Thursday 19 March 2015

Get Set For Easter

With Easter comes the fun of Easter Eggs, Easter Bonnet Competitions, Hot Cross Buns, and the lovely long Easter break. So with that mind mind, we've put together a selection of must haves and how to's to see you through Easter.

Easter Eggs

It's not Easter without Easter Eggs. Well it is, but the giving of Easter Eggs date back through history, originally as the giving of painted chicken eggs, and then later as papier-maché eggs, in which small gifts were hidden. The first chocolate Easter eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th century, but it was not until 1875 that John Cadbury made the first Cadbury Easter Egg, and without his invention we possibly wouldn't be where we are today.

Shop our range of Easter Eggs

Cadbury Caramel Easter Egg and Caramel Bunny Cadbury Dairy Milk Easter Egg and Gorilla Cadbury Parrot and Mini Eggs


Easter Bonnets

Just like Easter eggs, Easter bonnets are a staple element of the Easter celebrations. If you've been presented with the challenge either for your children to wear in a competition at school or at Brownies or Cub Scouts we have all the inspiration you need to create a bonnet with the wow factor.

What You Need:
  • 50 - 100 cm of ribbon
  • 1 x paper plate
  • Glue
  • Paint
  • Decorations - e.g, chocolate eggs, fake eggs, Easter chicks, crepe paper, flowers.
How To Assemble Your Paper Plate Easter Bonnet
  1. Start by painting the paper plate a bright colour, then place all the crafty decorative bits in front of your child with some glue and scissors and let them create their own masterpiece on the underside of the plate.
  2. When they've finished 'crafting', attach a length of ribbon to either side of the plate, and put it on the child's head. Tie the chin-strap in a bow underneath to keep it in place.

Boys, when they get a little bit older might not be prepared to wear a traditional Easter Bonnet, so why not trade the traditional bonnet for a baseball cap, and decorate in much the same way as you would a traditional bonnet.

We spotted a great idea on netmums for an Easter Bonnet which is suitable for boys and girls, and it's this Baseball Chick 'bonnet'. Simply decorate a baseball cap with tissue paper and felt and you've got a great Easter chick hat.

Easter Chick Baseball Cap Easter Bonnet

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are always in the shops around Easter and if like me you've always fancied making your own why not give this easy Hot Cross Buns recipe a try...

Hot Cross Buns

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 8

Ingredients
For The Buns
500g strong white bread flour
½ tsp salt
2 heaped tsp mixed spice
50g caster sugar
50g butter, chopped into cubes
200g mixed dried fruits
7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
200ml milk
2 eggs

For The Crosses & Glaze
3 tbsp plain flour
honey or golden syrup, for brushing

Method
  1. Tip the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt, mixed spice and sugar.
  2. Rub in the butter with your fingertips. Stir in the dried fruit, then sprinkle over the yeast and stir in. Gently warm the milk so it is hot, but still cool enough to put your finger in for a couple of seconds. Beat with the eggs, then pour into the dried ingredients.
  3. Using a blunt knife, mix the ingredients to a moist dough, then leave to soak for 5 mins. Take out of the bowl and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
  4. Shape the dough into buns on a floured surface. Space apart on a baking sheet, cover loosely with cling film, then leave in a warm place until half again in size. This will take 45 mins-1 hr 15 mins, depending on how warm the room is.
  5. When the buns are risen, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix the flour with 2 tbsp water to make a paste. Pour into a plastic food bag and make a nick in one of the corners. Pipe crosses on top of each bun.
  6. Bake for 12-15 mins until risen and golden. Trim the excess cross mixture from the buns , then brush all over with honey or golden syrup. The buns will keep fresh for a day. After that they are best toasted and served with butter.

Make baking all the more easier with our fantastic kitchen and baking ranges. We also have a fantastic range of food mixers, priced from only £19.99 which would help you whip up something delicious in next to no time!

Recipe from BBC Good Food magazine, April 2009

Easter Roasts

Easter Sunday is the perfect excuse for the ultimate roast dinner, and Lamb always seems to be a favourite at Easter. If you've not cooked Roast Lamb before here's a really simple recipe to follow:

Roast Lamb Recipe

Ingredients
For The Lamb
2kg leg of lamb
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
1 tsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
Olive oil

For The Mint Sauce
4 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp sugar
2 pinches salt
1 tbsp hot water
3 tbsp wine vinegar

Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
  2. Season the lamb. Mix together the garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and olive oil and rub this mixture over the lamb.
  3. Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting tray and roast, uncovered, for about 60 minutes for rare or 75 minutes for more well done. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
  4. Whisk together the mint sauce ingredients and serve with the lamb.

Whether you’re serving a light lunch or a big Easter meal we've got a fantastic range of Roasters, Dinner Sets, Cutlery Sets, Pans and more at 24ace. Shop today!

Find our more about online shopping with ace: Personalised Gifts | Christmas | Wedding | Competitions

Tuesday 3 March 2015

Mother's Day Gift Inspiration

If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift to show your mum just how special she is, then look no further than our fabulous selection of products below, all perfect for Mother’s Day.

No matter what your budget, we've got something that’s sure to put a smile on mum’s face, from sweets and DVDs to fabulous jewellery and luxurious pamper days. And remember, many of our gifts can be personalised free of charge for that extra special, unique touch.

If you’re looking for the perfect card to complement your gift, why not give mum an edible chocolate greetings card..

I 'Heart' Mum Chocolate Greetings Card Bear Mum Chocolate Greetings Card

There's nothing better than a card you can eat! These delicious chocolate greetings cards make a truly unique gift for Mother's Day. Hand one over with flowers, a book or any other kind of gift, and you're sure to put a smile on mum's face this Mother's Day..

All of Chocmotif's printed chocolate products are unique, and each has a high-resolution image printed directly onto the chocolate using patented technology, so they're not only completely edible, but also totally gorgeous! They contain 1 x 80g Belgian chocolate bar which is printed with a might resolution image and a matching presentation envelope. All for £4.50! These are also nut-free, gluten free and are suitable for vegetarians and coeliacs.

Personalised Gifts


Personalised Ladies Supersoft Bath Robe - Luxuriously soft, this fabulous personalised ladies' bath robe is perfect for mum this Mother's Day, they are supersoft and great for relaxing in before bed, getting ready for a night out or winding down after a hot shower. Personalise the robe with your mum's name for an extra special touch.

Personalised Leather Message Purse - Made from genuine leather and featuring a stylish strap, this beautifully designed personalised message purse makes a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day. The inside can be personalised with a message of your choice, making it a truly unique gift that’s sure to put a smile on your mum's face every time she opens her purse. Plus, you can put a face to the message by placing a photograph of yourself in the picture window! Personalisation: message up to 3 lines, 18 letters (including spaces) per line. Size 12 x 10cm (4¾ x 4").

Personalised Floral Cushion - Give your mum a cushion of her own, personalised with the names of your choice. Personalisation: 2 names up to 11 letters each. 'Mum we love you' is standard text.

Shop our whole range of personalised gifts, we've a whole range of personalised gifts to choose from.

Famous Fragrances
Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Thierry Mugler Alien Lady Million By Pacco Rabane

Jean Paul Gaultier Classique - Combining the elegant appeal of floral, fruity and oriental notes, Jean Paul Gaultier Classique is a seductive and sophisticated fragrance that’s perfect for the modern woman. An ultra-feminine scent, Jean Paul Gaultier Classique features top notes of rose and star anise, followed by heart notes of orange blossom and ginger, and finishes with base notes of vanilla and amber wood.

Thierry Mugler Alien - Distinctive and mysterious, yet comforting and soft, Alien by Thierry Mugler conveys passion sensuality and the essence of absolute femininity. A rich floral woody amber fragrance containing jasmine sambac, cashmeran wood and white amber it is a fragrance whose magic trails awakens your emotions. A scent like no other it is irresistibly appealing and totally out of this world...

Lady Million By Pacco Rabane - Inspired by gold and a vision of luxury, Lady Million by Paco Rabbane is a vibrant and floral scent that’s perfect for the confident, modern woman. Available in a choice of sizes, Lady Million features top notes of orange and raspberry, followed by heart notes of Arabian jasmine, and finishes with base notes of honey and patchouli. To complement the scent, the bottle has a stunning diamond design, inspired by the famous Regent diamond in the Louvre.

We've got a huge range of fragrances, so if nothing takes your fancy here, take a look at our whole fragrance range today

Beauty Products
Bomb Cosmetics Mrs Miracles Nicky Clarke Dryer & Straightener Gift Set Stylfile Gift Set

Bomb Cosmetics Mrs Miracles - A fabulous selection of bath time treats, full of soothing oils and rich cocoa butter. All beautifully fragranced and complete in a colourful gift box, the set makes a relaxing treat for someone special. This Mrs Miracles gift set includes 1x Sensual Rose Shower Oil - 100ml, 1x Beachcomber Soap Slice - 100g, 1x Stress Less Bath Creamer - 30g, 1x Dark Heart Bath Blaster - 80g, 1x Love Buds Bath Mallow - 30g

Nicky Clarke Dryer & Straightener Gift Set - Known as one of the most respected names in the beauty industry, Nicky Clarke products always delivery exceptional results. Featuring a top quality hairdryer and straightener, this gorgeous coloured beauty set makes a wonderful gift for a style-conscious. The ceramic plates of the straightener glide effortlessly through your hair, while the hairdryer’s choice of heat settings make it suitable for a range of hair types.

Stylfile Gift Set - The stylfile is a new way to style nails! The two abrasive sides and curve of the file helps shape and smooth nails to perfection. As seen on The Apprentice from the designer Tom Pellereau.

Shop from our whole range of beauty products today.

Pamper days
30 Minute Facial Or Massage Girls Spa Day For Two Aqua Spa Experience At The Belfry For Two

30 Minute Facial Or Massage - treat mum to a 30 Minute Massage or Facial, indulging in a relaxing spa or salon

Girls Spa Day For Two - Spend quality time out together with this relaxing spa day package that includes a 30 minute treatment each plus unlimited use of the leisure and relaxation facilities.

Aqua Spa Experience At The Belfry For Two - Journey through a range of different bio-thermal rooms with this fire and ice experience at The Belfry's Aqua Spa. Based on a bathing ritual, you will move through a series of heating and cooling experiences with the ultimate aim of inducing deep relaxation.

We've got even more Pamper Day Gift Experiences, take a look today.

Jewellery
Oasis Bracelet Watch Stretch Charm Bracelet 9ct Gold No.1 Mum Pendant With Diamond

Oasis Bracelet Watch - A stunning ladies’ watch, featuring a deep coloured dial set against a beautiful rose gold case. The bracelet style strap brings a true feminine touch to the watch, while the push button clasp makes it simple to attach to your wrist. With such an elegant and classy design, the Oasis Bracelet Watch looks fantastic with a range of outfits, and makes a wonderful gift for a special occasion.

Stretch Charm Bracelet - Available in a choice of 3 colours these stretch charm bracelets are perfect as a gift.

9ct Gold No.1 Mum Pendant With Diamond - A 9ct No.1 mum pendant with diamond shows your mum how much you appreciate everything she does.

Shop our whole jewellery range today.

DVD's & Blu-Rays
Sex And The City: The Movie 2 Game of Thrones - Seasons 1-3 - 15 DVD Disc Set A collection of Four Films

Sex And The City: The Movie 2 - A fun adventurous romp: Sex and the City 2 brings it all back and more as Carrie Samantha Charlotte and Miranda take another bite out of The Big Apple and beyond carrying on with their busy lives and loves in a sequel that truly sparkles. What happens after you say I do? Life is everything the ladies ever wished it to be but it wouldn't be Sex and the City if life didn't hold a few more surprises this time in the form of an exotic adventure where the party never ends and there's something mysterious around every corner. It's an escape that comes exactly at the right moment for the four friends who are finding themselves in and fighting against the traditional roles of marriage motherhood and more. After all sometimes you just have to get away with the girls.

Game of Thrones - Seasons 1-3 - 15 DVD Disc Set - The complete first three seasons of the HBO medieval fantasy drama based on the best-selling novel series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R.R. Martin. The programme follows the battle between the Starks and the other noble families of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to gain control of the Iron Throne.

A collection of Four Films - Four romantic film dramas: Atonement, Age Of Innocence, pride And Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

Shop our full range of DVD's and Blu-Rays

Tasty Gift Ideas
Mug & Belgian Chocolate Mellow Melts Personalised Tea For One Set Green & Black's Dark Chocolate & Red Wine Gift Box

Mug & Belgian Chocolate Mellow Melts - A nice relaxing treat for a mum who loves chocolate, includes 1 marshmallow dipper.

Personalised Tea For One Set - This pretty bone china set is beautifully decorated with a flower pattern. The perfect gift for any tea drinker! Includes free personalisation too!

Green & Black's Dark Chocolate & Red Wine Gift Box - You can't go wrong with chocolate and wine :-). This Green & Black's signature dark chocolate and red wine set is presented in a classic gift box. Set includes: 1 x 75cl organic Bonterra vineyards Merlot, 2 x 35g miniature bars: dark 70%, dark with Maya gold fairtrade chocolate, 3 x 100g bars; dark 85% chocolate, dark with spiced chilli, dark with mint.

For more tasty treats take a look at our fantastic Sweets & Treats range

‘Mum’ and ‘Mother’ Gifts
StoneWitWords Coasters - Good Mothers Have Sticky Floors Stamp Collection - First Class Mum Mug Personalised I'd Pick You Chocolate Bar Personalised Mum Mug

StoneWitWords Coasters - Good Mothers Have Sticky Floors - Fun heavyweight stone coaster engraved with words from the StoneWitWords range of Wit, Wisdom and Wise Words. Each coaster comes with display stand and hanging hook if you prefer to use it as a plaque on desk or wall.

Stamp Collection - First Class Mum Mug - You know she’s number one so give it up for your mum! This stamp-based porcelain mug comes packaged in an air mail style gift box, making it the perfect gift for Mother's Day, a birthday or other special occasions.

Personalised I'd Pick You Chocolate Bar - This pretty flower chocolate bar featuring a sweet poem is the perfect way to show someone special how much they mean to you on a special occasion, such as Mother's Day.

Personalised Mum Mug - Treat your mum with this lovely mug. 'Mum, you're a treasure beyond measure' is standard text. Personalisation: message up to 2 lines, up to 11 letters per line (including spaces).

Shop all our 'Mum' and 'Mother' gifts today and treat your mum to something special this Mother's Day.

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