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!

Welcome to another exciting edition of the Kidi Kingdom Child Care Hillcrest Newsletter for 2022!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new families to the centre. I look forward to building strong and lasting relationships with you all as your children grow and develop. Starting off with some exciting news, Miss Kara has now taken on the role of Assistant Centre Manager and we look forward to having her as part of the Management Team.

We also said a sad farewell to Miss Maddison who has ventured off to further her career. We wish her all the best for her future. We also welcomed a new Team Member Miss Shantel who will be taking over Miss Maddison's position in the Junior Early Years Classroom.

We have started swimming lessons for Term 2, we will be rotating the Pre-Prep children to ensure everyone gets a chance to attend these lessons. We will also be having a visit from Dental2you soon, we will let families know what dates they will be visiting our centre.

Both myself and our dedicated team at Kidi Kingdom Child Care - Hillcrest are always available and are willing to assist in any way we can.

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.

Miss Julie Hunter Centre Manager	Click here to visit our pages at Facebook and Instagram

Welcome Valued Families of Kidi Kingdom Child Care.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our current and new families for choosing our services and how excited I am to be the Educational Programs Leader for Kidi Kingdom Child Care Hillcrest. My new role will consist of ensuring all children are receiving the best high quality education and care and supporting our amazing educators to enhance each and every child's strengths, interest and needs. I will be working with the educators to provide support and guidance. I look forward to reaching new goals with our educators for 2022.

Kind Regards, Miss Salma Educational Program Leader.

Dear Families of the Early Learners Room,

I would like to welcome our new friends to the Early Learners family Adeline and Delilah. We hope you are both enjoying making new friends and developing new skills every day. The Early Learners children have been very busy these past few months celebrating different events and working towards reaching their own milestones, skills, and knowledge.

In the Month of March, we have had fun exploring dinosaurs and different ways of transportation then transitioning to space. Whilst in April we enjoyed learning about bugs and insects, healthy eating and learning all about our bodies.

In the month of May we are focusing on the world around us, discovering our emotions and feelings, hand washing skills and day to day skills! We have had so many fun activities to explore from sensory activities to hands-on activities. The Early Learners learn new things everyday!

In March, April and May the children have participated in Harmony Day, St Patrick's Day, Close the Gap Day, Anzac Day, Superhero Day, Easter and Mother's Day, your children have enjoyed participating in activities for these centre events. What a fun-filled few months it has been in our Early Learners Room.

Kind Regards, Miss Emily & Miss Bell.

Welcome to the Junior Early Years Room!

Our Junior Early Years children have had lots of fun celebrating different special events in the past few months. We have celebrated St Patricks Day where we all dressed up in green. We also participated in observing the National Close the Gap Day, wearing orange for Harmony Day, we had a very exciting Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Bonnet Parade exhibiting their own creation of Easter Hats, Offering Wreaths and Poppy flowers on ANZAC day and dress up as our favourite Superhero for National Superhero Day.

We also warmly welcomed our new friends to the Junior Early Years Family Benny, Killian, Hailey, Kenzie, and Oakley. We hope you're enjoying your time and learning with us. In the months to come we will be focusing on ocean animals and we will also continue working on the children's self-help skills and language skills. We would like to thank all our friends and families for your ongoing support in the teaching of your children. Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss your child's development and learning.

Kind Regards, Miss Sandy and Miss Shantel.

Hello Families of the Early Years Room.

In the past few months, we have welcomed some new friends Bentley, Ava, and Ella to our Early Years room. We hope you are enjoying your time with us so far.

In the Early Years room, we have been focusing on shape recognition, counting 1-20, saying our full names and building our social skills through group discussions and sharing during our group times.

As we encourage the children with our focuses for each month, we also contributed to the special celebration days that occurred and joined in celebrating through various activities, crafts, stories, and group sharing. In the months coming we will resume our focus on shapes and extend onto other shapes, as well as continuing to count 1-20, identifying our colours, contributing to more celebration days each month as well as observing and extending on the children's interests each week.

We also wish to remind families that you are more than welcome to arrange a meeting with us to discuss your child's progression and development.

Kind Regards, Miss Christina, Ms Cheri, Mr Hayden & Miss Shania.

Welcome to Pre-Prep,

The past few months, we have been concentrating on the letters A through I and the numbers 1 to 13. We've also been practicing name recognition and writing our own names with personalized name sheets. Your child progression has been amazing!

We've participated in special celebrations such as St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Anzac Day, and Mother's Day. We created some great artworks, paintings, and crafts for all the special events.

We've also engaged in health and safety learning experiences through being sun safe and practicing how to correctly apply sunscreen before outdoor play.

As we approach cold mornings and cloudy days, a reminder to families to make sure jumpers, beanies and winter clothing are neatly labeled to avoid losing anything. We will continue to focus on the rest of our alphabet and numbers in the next months, as well as extend our numbers from 10 to 20, as well as continue to teach school readiness and implement further learning activities.

Kind Regards, Miss Nilusha and Miss Anthya.

Welcome to our Before and After School Care and Vacation Care Families!

The last few months have been extremely busy whilst we celebrated some special occasions including St Patrick's Day, Easter, ANZAC Day and Superhero Day. The children enjoyed learning through arts and crafts and creating their own artwork for these special days.

The children have shown an interest in their own and other cultures and heritages. Our main focus over the next few months will be about different countries, cultures, heritages and all the different languages of the world as we celebrate National Families Week in May.

Kind Regards, Miss Anthya.