Courtesy of Bryan Mundo

FUNWAYS TO UPCYCLE PLASTIC CONTAINERS We all know we should recycle our plastic containers, but what about upcycling instead? If you’ve never heard of the term, upcycling means taking things that are considered “trash” and turning them into something useable – and cool! One of the most fun ways to reuse your household plastics is to turn them into an oversized game of checkers. Save up various plastic bottles, then paint half of them white and half black. Make a giant checkerboard out of cardboard and let the games begin. For a more practical upcycling project, use your plastic containers to sort things like rubber bands, paperclips, nails and so on. You can either leave them plain or decorate them as you please. Are you a green thumb? Or maybe you’d like to be one? Plastic containers are great for starting seeds. Simply cover the bottom with a shallow layer of rocks for drainage, add your soil and seeds, then place the containers in a sunny windowsill. To make your upcycling extra eco-friendly, make your own cleaning supplies and then store them in old plastic bottles. You can even make cute labels to identify which is which. Lastly, if you’ve got a crafty kid in your house then definitely save up your plastic bottles and containers. Give them a project idea and watch them go to town. Or, hand them the containers, scissors, paint, glue, coloured paper and ribbons and see what they come up with all on their own.

DOWNTON ABBEY INTERIOR STYLE The television series may be long over – and the film is already more than a year old, but the beloved characters and location of Downton Abbey will live on in the hearts of fans forever. So much so that some homeowners want the interior of their homes to imitate the famed castle where it all took place. And while this may sound a little extreme, there are ways to bring the Edwardian style into a modern home that feels both grand and contemporary. White linen tablecloths and a silver tea setting can add charm to a sitting area. Four-posted beds layered with tailored bedding and embroidered pillows dress up the bedroom. And beautiful chandeliers dripping with crystals hang from the ceiling – they don’t have to be real crystal to be lovely. Meanwhile, pay tribute to the loveable servants of Downton with a large, wooden kitchen island and lots of bustling around it.

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy QUOTE: Leo Tolstoy, born 1828, was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina , are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist fiction. Many consider Tolstoy to have been one of the world's greatest novelists. He died in 1910 at the age of 82.

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