A woman has gone viral on social media after revealing a genius hack she discovered for protecting oak dining tables and people are absolutely loving it.
Real oak furniture is known for needing a little more care and attention than other forms of wood when it comes to maintenance as it doesn’t like extremes of heat and cold, it won’t thrive in air conditioned rooms or conservatories, can fade easily when exposed to direct sunlight, and dry out with heat from radiators.
Which is why this hack is bound to save a lot of people a lot of hassle, and many are eager to try it out.
The DIY fanatic took to the ever-popular Facebook group DIY On A Budget Official – which currently has over two million active members across the globe – yesterday to share a photo of her dining table and reveal her tip with others looking to keep real wood furniture in the best condition possible.
She wrote: “When I got my new oak table, I didn’t want to put one of those mats on or a table cloth, but at the same time I couldn’t trust my husband not to put hot stuff on without a heat mat, or my daughter not to draw on it, but I still wanted wood on show…
“So off I went go my local carpet shop with a wood sample and measurements, got me some floor vinyl, perfect,
“Your welcome.”
And it certainly went down a treat.
In just a few short hours after sharing, the post went on to amass over 11.7K interactions and thousands of comments from other group members impressed at how simple and cost-effective it is to replicate, and thanking the woman for the tip for sharing the clever hack.
In response to some of the questions asked, as well as addressing criticisms over the vinyl potentially covering up the table’s character and charm, she followed up to explain: “The table is extendible [and] as it’s oak, it colours with age so I was told I need to extend it regularly so the middle colours the same,
“But as I cover it, it should match the middle without having to keep opening it up,
“Also, I like to keep a table runner on it [and] if I did this without the vinyl on, the table would discolour with a stripe down the middle,
“Again, the vinyl stops this problem.
“I appreciate scratches and marks create character, but as I bought all my oak furniture as forever furniture and intend on keeping it till I die, I want to look after it”.
You can find more tips via the DIY On A Budget Official group here.
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Nearly a quarter of Brits are making cups of tea ‘all wrong’, new survey reveals
A new survey has found that a staggering 127 million cups of tea are drunk in Britain each year, but apparently, a quarter of us are making them ‘all wrong’.
Nothing is arguably more British than a brew, right?
Whether you take it builder’s, milky, with sugar or sweetener, decaf, green, or even herbal, popping the kettle on and making a brew can be a sacred daily ritual for us tea-loving Brits, with everyone having their own personal tastes and preferences on how to make it the perfect cup.
But what is the correct way to make a cup of tea? Now that’s up for debate, but after finding out that nearly three quarters (72%) of Brits drink an average of four cups a day, Aldi has commissioned some new research to try and get to the bottom of it once and for all, and has polled the nation to discover what really does make the perfect cuppa.
Apparently, 78% of the population is so passionate about a good brew that they have to give exact instructions to someone if they offer to make them a cup.
A new survey has revealed that nearly a quarter of Brits are making cups of tea ‘all wrong’ / Credit: PickPik
English Breakfast tea was found to be the go-to choice of tea, with 67% of survey respondents calling it their favourite, but there does appear to be a bit of discrepancy when it comes to how to make it though – as 78% say they like to add the water first before letting the bag stew for two minutes to achieve the ultimate ‘toffee brown’ shade.
Almost half (49%) agreed that a splash of semi-skimmed milk should then be added to help bring the temperature down, and two in five (38%) prefer no sugar in their liquid gold… but that’s where the similarities seem to end.
According to Aldi’s research, almost a quarter (22%) of people are making their tea ‘wrong’ by putting the milk in first.
“It’s clear that tea remains a very important part of our lives, with the average Brit consuming a staggering 1,460 cups a year,” commented etiquette consultant, Jo Bryant.
“I’m with the majority, as I love a cup of English Breakfast tea, freshly-brewed for around two minutes, with a moderate amount of milk, and it’s always tea first, milk last – it is good manners when making someone else a cup of tea to check how they like it.
In case you missed it amid the tidal wave of merch currently flooding our feeds and shops everywhere, global fashion brand Levi’s has become the latest label to launch an Oasis collection.
With the Live ’25 world tour now officially underway, it feels like not only are Oasis back on top, but that there’s a large-scale Britpop revival happening here in the UK and overseas.
In terms of fashion, the 1990s and early 2000s style has been steadily making its way into contemporary culture once again in recent years, but with seemingly every big name trying to hop on the marketing machine that is the Oasis reunion bandwagon, you can’t move for crossover.
Be they official collaborations like the one with Manchester City, adidas Originals; American fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch bashing out merch, or a local t-shirt maker on Bury Market, that famous logo is absolutely everywhere – cue Levi’s latest launch:
Releasing just five or five main pieces (not including individual item variations), Levi’s Oasis gear has been kept pretty straightforward, simply relying on a less is more philosophy and the quality that the denim specialists are renowned for.
Nevertheless, there is an undeniably 90s feel to the approach.
As well as the standard Oasis band tee design, available in the brand’s main red, white and blue colour, as well as black, white and light blue – the Manchester City influences never stray too far, after all – there are a couple of other types of tee.
However, while we’re sure plenty of people might have a penchant for the parka, the undeniable star of the show for us is the Type II Trucker Jacket with the group’s name and ‘Live Forever’ stitched on the breast pocket.
Still, at £170, these sure-to-be collectors’ items don’t come cheap, and that’s not even the most expensive in the Levi’s x Oasis collection. Regardless, if you fancy treating yourself, you can find them here in Manchester and at the likes of The Trafford Centre.
Any of it pique your interest?
Don’t worry if not because, as mentioned, there is absolutely tonnes of Oasis clobber at various different price points all over the place at the minute.
Emily Sergeant -
29th December 2020 
