As our lifestyles naturally change with the seasons, so should our homes. With autumn upon us and the cooler weather fast-approaching, it's time to bring out the winter woollies and start looking forward to cosy nights in.

To make your home as warm and inviting as possible and ward off those winter blues, here are 10 simple tasks and style updates to transform your home into a cosy haven.

1. COOL-WEATHER WINDOW COVERINGS

Sheer curtains are right on-trend and perfect for balmy summer weather but they're not so good at keeping the heat in and the cool out. If your windows are lacking in the window-covering department consider investing in some layered or insulated curtains or roller blinds. If you're adamant on sheers you can pick up window insulation kits from hardware stores or online.

2. INTRODUCE LAYERS OF TEXTURE

Think plush velvet, cosy knitted throws and warming hints of timber or brass if you're planning on redecorating this winter. Even just a few new cushions can make all the difference when you're trying to create a snug space to cuddle up in.

3. CHANGE YOUR COLOUR PALETTE

In summer, it's common to pare back the décor in your home and use neutral tones and pops of vibrant colour to reflect the season. As winter approaches, it's time to say goodbye to the whites and brights and embrace rich and warming hues, like terracotta, olive green and dusty pinks, to create a cosy and inviting retreat from the cold.

4. IS IT TIME FOR A NEW HEATER?

How often you use your heater and the size of the space you intend to heat will determine the type of heater that is best for you.

• Electric heaters are a cheap and portable option - perfect for renters and if they are not being used to heat large spaces or for long periods.

• Gas heaters are best for larger spaces and for those wishing to heat their homes for longer periods of time.

• Reverse-cycle air conditioners are much more costly to begin with but can end up being worth it in the long run as they are fairly economical for the amount of heat they generate.

5. COVER UP HARD FLOORS

If you have tiles, hardwood or concrete floors, rugs are an easy and effective way to cosy-up your home in winter. Hardwood floors are not only chilly underfoot in winter; they don't help hold in any heat, so unless you have underfloor heating, it's time to invest in a rug or two.

6. CLEAN AND SERVICE AIR-CONDITIONING

According to Energy.gov you should clean or replace your air conditioning system's filter or filters every month or two during each season. Filters may need more frequent attention if the air conditioner is in constant use, is subjected to dusty conditions, or you have fur-bearing pets in the house.

Keeping the filter clean or replacing old filters can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5% to 15%.

7. STOCK UP ON FIREWOOD

If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, stocking up now on firewood and keeping it dry with the right storage solution, will save you the panic if winter arrives earlier than expected.

8. IF YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT CARPET, NOW'S THE TIME TO DO IT

No one wants to be stepping onto a cold floor as they jump out of bed in winter! If you've been thinking of carpeting your home, or even just the bedrooms, now is the time! Your toes will thank you for it.

9. IS YOUR DOONA WARM ENOUGH?

We all know your doona is your best friend in winter so it pays to pick a good one! Whether or not you have carpet, heating, and even another body in the bed, will determine the kind of coverage you need. Wool and feather quilts are generally the best options for those seeking maximum warmth, where cotton or microfibre quilts provide lighter insulation.

10. REPLACED TIME-WORN LINEN AND TOWELS

A change in seasons is the perfect time to give the linen cupboard a clean-out! Soft fluffy towels and cosy flannelette or linen sheets are a must in the cooler months, so replace the old with the new for some extra added comfort!

Dear valued Centre Families of Kidi Kingdom Child Care, Welcome to our latest edition for Autumn 2022.

I would like to start with a big Thank You to all our families, Kidi Kingdom Coomera opened stage 1 of the Brand New Outdoor Playground Renovation with a GRAND OPENING! It was a magical afternoon and we received an enormous amount of fantastic feedback. Our state of the art Water & Splash pad Outdoor play area is ready! We look forward to stage 2 and stage 3 of the playground renovation. We are all truly blessed to have such amazing families attending our service.

I wish to remind families that we are transitioning to direct debit, please ensure you have filled out your debit form as we find this a more secure and manageable way to ensure your account is up to date.

Please like our Facebook page and we always appreciate our loyal families helping our centre by sharing your positive experiences to the local community by writing a quick Google, CareForKids or Facebook review. Thank you for the families that have already taken to the time to write a review.

Kind Regards, Sarah Piccolini Centre Manager	Click here to visit our pages at Facebook and Instagram

Welcome Valued Families.

Our amazing educators and I have been focused on ensuring each child in our care is receiving high quality education and care. We have been implementing the Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) which defines teaching and learning strategies to improve interactions between children and adults, promote language as a priority, enrich caregiving through day-to-day routine practices and engage in conversational reading, where joint attention is at the forefront.

At Kidi Kingdom Child Care, we strongly believe that responsive adults and language rich environments create the best possible opportunities for our children, for now and long into their future. The Abecedarian Approach aligns with our philosophy and values, with evidence-based teaching and learning strategies that are proven to maximise children's learning experiences by enriching and enhancing educator practice.

Moving forward, I'm excited to continue to support and guide the educators in the Abecedarian Approach as well as supporting families in implementing this practice at home to further enhance their children's learning and development.

Kind Regards, Miss Stephanette, Educational Program Leader.

Dear Families of the Early Learners Room,

In Early Learners, we have been bringing culture into the room. We have listened to little yarns on ABC listen, as we learn about our first nations people and the different languages each clan has. Some parents have been lovely to share their home languages with us and Miss Rachael and Miss Talia have also incorporated this into the program.

The children have been showing interest in developing their fine motor development and language development as each child is starting to find their voice and communicate with Miss Rachael and Miss Talia. To help develop these skills/milestones Miss Rachael has been creating lots of sensory activities for the children and sensory activity boards for the children to engage in. To develop the children's language Miss Rachael and Miss Talia have been singing nursery rhymes and repeating to the children what they are doing during the day.

Below are some websites I use and suggest for any parent wanting some ideas for their children to do at home.

www.taste.com.au/recipes/edible-slime/avdbycij

www.teachinglittles.com/12-sensory-board-diy-ideas-for-busy-babies-and-toddlers

 www.tinybeans.com/ideas-for-sensory-play-with-baby

Thank you, Miss Rachael, Mrs Talia and Miss Sapphire.

Dear Families of the Junior Early Years Room,

I would like to say thank you to all the families for your trust and kindness to us. What a busy past few months we have had in the Junior Early Years Room. We celebrate lots of birthdays, and events we enjoyed plenty of art and craft and theme activities.

In the last three months, we focused on jungle themes and sea themes, according to our themes we focused on jungle animals, farm animals, trees, water, sea animals, and many more. Along with it, we also celebrate lots of events such as St. Patrick's Day, National Close The Gap Day, Easter Bonnet Parade, National Superhero Day, Anzac Day and we continued our upcoming events.

In the last few months children have learned lots of things such as number counting / sequence, alphabet letters, mixing colours to support curiosity and they are also learning about their 5 senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound through sensory activities.

The outdoor playground is stunning and we are very excited to experience the stimulation the outdoor environment has provided for the children. It's modern, purpose built & age appropriate, lots of variety for development and very very safe. The children enjoy the new water play area, we find most children love playing with water. The new sandpit area has be very popular, with it's built in kitchen and cubby house shop front. Watering the veggies in our nature area is teaching responsibility as the children take pride in looking after and watching the plants grow every day.

I attached some websites below for parents. So that they can enjoy the activities with children at home as well.

www.pinterest.com/momandkiddo/indoor-activities-for-kids

www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/sensory-play

www.happytoddlerplaytime.com/60-awesome-outdoor-activities-for-kids-toddlers-preschoolers

Thank you, Miss Puneet, Miss Harman ,Miss Amber and Miss Mia.

A big welcome to the Early Years Families,

It has been really lovely getting to know you and your beautiful children. The last few months have been filled with amazing discoveries and experiences. In the month of March our room theme was transport and construction, extending on the children's interest as they observed the building of our new outdoor playground, exploring this topic through sensory play with mud, water and sand, matching games, making vehicles from recycled materials and art and craft experiences.

The children participated in many Harmony Day activities including learning songs in different languages, playing games from different countries and displaying a everybody belongs wall showing a world map and where our families are from around the world, celebrating inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging. St Patrick's day was packed with celebrating Irish culture through dance and music, rainbows, good luck charms and lots of green.

In April we encouraged the children to come dressed as their favourite superhero to honour superheroes both fictional and real. We looked closely at Anzac Day, building on the children's understanding and importance of this special day, listening to the poppy story and creating poppies to display in our classroom.

The Easter bonnet parade was a great success, the children proudly wore their Easter Bonnets that they had created.

As a class we will continue to focus on sustainable practices as they are embedded into the children's daily routine and activities through educating children on composting, saving water and electricity, recycling and gardening.

Thank you for all your ongoing support.

Miss Bec and Miss Sonya

Welcome to our Pre Prep/Kindergarten Families.

The Pre-Prep children are very excited for the opportunities to explore their new playground, and also engage in gardening experiences in our new vegetables and fruit garden.

For the next few weeks the children will enjoy the opportunities to engage in gardening experiences, and therefore during our group time discussions and learning experiences, we will be exploring the lifecycle of different plants and trees. The pre-prep children will also be encouraged to learn skills for looking after different types of plants, and every child will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles during gardening experiences.

Our focus for art and crafts will reflect the natural environment to complement our gardening experiences and learning about various life cycles.

We will also continue to encourage the children to extend on their literacy skills and pre-writing skills through daily opportunities for one-on-one learning, as well as a whole group learning each morning on the mat. Our literacy learning goal for the next few weeks is for children to develop pre-reading skills, through singing songs about spelling three letter words, and individual learning time with the teacher to ensure all the children are reaching their full potential in their learning of phonic sounds.

Thank you, Mrs Antonietta and Miss Simone.

Dear Families of the Before/After School Care and Vacation Care Room,

What an amazing few months, the children are absolutely loving the new yard. We have stage one that has just opened up and the children are participating in gross motor activities. The area we have available is beautiful! The children also have a big fort with a slide and balancing string to walk over. The sandpit is in a cubby house and it's like white snow. We had a great time on our previous Vacation Care and are looking forward to planning our next School Holiday program.

Thank you, Miss Naila.