Living LAGOM with Ikea - month 3 update

This is a sponsored post, written in conjunction with Ikea - I am one of their LAGOM ambassadors. 

How are we going? How is our LAGOM life project three months in? I'm impressed that the differences I've noticed have been for the better - I don't feel like we're sat in the dark, missing out on joy because we're trying to be greener. And I was worried we might. Completely wrongly worried, but worried nonetheless. In fact I've been warmer, cosier, and more relaxed about things like popping the heating on because of the changes we've started making.

In terms of our Ikea shopping - the things that have made the most difference thus far have undoubtedly been in the kitchen. A room that's clearly important to me. We've added a blind to the big kitchen window and back door, put a runner style rug down on the floor and changed the light fitting. And it's made a huge difference. The room is warmer and cosier and somehow the bright floral of the blind distracts from the violently yellow cabinets. The rug is at once a wonder and drives me insane as I have to hoover it, then lift it to sweep and clean the floor daily but it makes the tiny kitchen so much warmer. The light was such a shock - we replaced the fluorescent tube and the difference the LED lights make in our tiny kitchen is huge - it's light, bright and makes such a difference if I'm trying to bake/ cook/ or photograph food of an evening. For a change that vast that uses less power not more, you can colour me impressed.

Across the rest of our home, the changes have been less dramatic, but still making a difference:

All the lights are now LEDs and they're brilliant (quite literally), lovely and bright, and don't need to warm up. We had to change the light fittings in the kitchen and on the upstairs landing, but elsewhere it was a case of just the bulbs which was a quick and easy job.

The lunch boxes, water bottles and glass food savers are being used all the time. M's new job has meant that he can have a hot lunch so often takes leftovers, and Harry has a little packed lunch after church on Sundays so that's all in regular use.

In terms products that haven't done what we'd hoped, the self watering plant pots just don't work for me at all which is a huge disappointment, and neither has the blind in the bathroom as we'd have to drill into our tiles, so that's on hold for the moment.

Things I still need to do include running up a new set of curtains for the back bedroom - the window is massive which is making fabric buying expensive (hence the delay). I've also started decorating the kitchen, the walls and ceiling have been freshened up with a coat of white paint, and I've started painting the cabinets with a chalk paint as that can go straight over that garish yellow with no need for standing or primers. The cupboards will need to be sealed and new handles, but that's all infinitely more within our reach than a new kitchen.

We're also getting our veg patch ready for this years seedlings - I'll probably use Seed Pantry again as I love their varieties, and I'm hoping my Mother-in-law will be able to get us some tomato plants too.

So that's us - still Lagom-ing three months in, and not sat in the dark; cold, miserable and cursing whatever possessed me to take on the project. It's all a win!