The Shaker of Salt

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Now that the holiday season has gone it is time for a fresh new start for 2019 and this can mean we often look at things to change around the house. Having fun with design and color can be a great way to fend off those January blues and bringing some fresh new looks into the home can bring it back to life after the decorations go away.

Today we are going to have a little look at some of the things you can do in the kitchen to make it feel fresh and new and more fun for 2019.

A splash of color

The first and most obvious thing we can do when looking at our kitchen is to add some bold colors to give the space some personality and life. One of the best ways to bring color into a kitchen setting is to install a back-splash behind the cooker, and if you use acrylic you can get some of the most stunning colors imaginable. Bright red, yellow, blue… you name it. All of these can breathe some real life and fun into the kitchen.

Match your appliances

One of the other ways you can add a sprinkle of color to the kitchen without being too over the top is to match the colors of your appliances. Small appliances such as the kettle, toaster and coffee maker can be all bought in the same color to bring your kitchen design together. It will make the room feel like a more rounded design and you can make this touch as subtle with silver and rose gold, or as bold with red or blue, as you like.

Add punny art

Artwork is always a great way to bring an element of character and personality to your home, and the kitchen is the perfect place to do this since it is often a place where we host guests and have parties. You can go classic with your art on the wall and choose a lovely painting or photograph, but why not have some fun? You can find fruit and vegetable pun art all over the place online and this can bring a sense of humor and fun to the space.

Hang your herbs

If you are looking to make your kitchen feel more luxurious and gourmet, a simple way to do this would be to have fresh herbs on hand whenever you were looking to create a meal. A kitchen Hehe garden can be a wonderful thing for your cooking and for the decor of the room, and you can think about hanging them in baskets or wall mounted plant pots for a touch of class.

Display your spices

For those of us who seem to have a never ending supply of spice jars in the cupboard, this next idea can bring them out on display for the whole world to see. To display your spices on the wall or the counter you can buy a spice rack online or make your own spice rack at home. Bringing spices out of the cupboards will not only free up space but it will be a nice feature for the room as well as encouraging you to use more spices in your cooking.

Add an AGA Cooker

One of the things which is always fun for you to do in the home is play around and add in some luxury features. For those of you who are not sure what this is The AGA cooker is a source of heat and an oven all in one. These are made of heavy cast iron and used to heat the room while and also provide the perfect cook space. For a kitchen there can be nothing more luxurious than an AGA oven, and this will not only transform your cooking style but the whole room itself. An AGA is a stunning feature to bring into your home and it really will bring a whole wave of life and fun to the room.

Flowers

Sick of having no scent or color in the kitchen? The easiest way you can remedy this is to bring a few flowers into the space and brighten up your table. For example, A fresh bunch of Lillies can give off a lovely scent throughout the day and they are beautiful flowers, making them ideal for the home.

Install table tennis

Now that the serious stuff is done, why not add a few fun touches for the family? For example there’s nothing stopping you from having a table tennis set to use on the kitchen table when guests come over. Perhaps you could bring a dartboard onto the wall for people to play with during a party. You can Click here for more interesting kitchen item ideas and really let your imagination loose on things to bring into the space.

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Watching your kids grow is a wonderful thing. When they are little, the milestones come thick and fast. We wonder at their first words and cheer along as they take their first steps. Even less glamorous milestones like using the toilet for the first time or sleeping without a nappy on are a cause for celebration. Then, as they get older, the milestones start to come less frequently, and our excitement and pride when they do arrive are mixed with a touch of sadness.

We’re proud on our child’s first day at school, but we’re sad that we’ll no longer have all of that quality time with them. We’re pleased when they start spending more time playing in their rooms, but we miss their chatter. We’re happy for them when they make firm friends and want to start going for sleepovers, but we’re worried that our time with our children is running out. With every development, they are a step closer to adulthood, and their time as a child is running down.

It can be all too tempting to try to delay the inevitable. To keep them young for as long as we can. Many parents are tempted to deny their children mobile phones and tablets because that’s a step on the road to the end of play. They know that Family Orbit offers best parental control app and that they’ll be able to keep their child safe, but they use safety as an excuse to hold them back. They try to keep their kids at home, limiting play dates and time with friends, for selfish reasons.

But doing this is delaying your child’s emotional and social growth. It’s holding them back, denying them the chance to make friends and form important relationships. Their childhood is a beautiful thing, but you shouldn’t try to extend it to avoid mourning it. Instead, you need to find ways to cope with them growing up, and prepare yourself for the future.

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Find Things You’ve Got in Common

Your child growing up isn’t the end of your relationship. It’s just evolving and changing all of the time. When your kids have families and children on their own, you can still have excellent relationships with them, and there is always more to come.

Older children won’t want you to baby them anymore, and it’s fine to miss that phase, but now you can have something better. You can have genuine shared interests and passions. Try new hobbies together, visit places, talk about your interests and find things that you enjoy doing together.

Let Them Teach You Things

As your kids get older, their interests change. Some of the things that they love, you’ll know absolutely nothing about. So, let them teach you. Enjoy their passion and their enthusiasm, and let them relish swapping roles for a while.

Make Plans for the Future

It’s entirely normal to feel sad when you look back at the past. It’s okay to look at old photos and miss your baby. So, don’t do it too much. Instead, look to the future. Make firm plans with your child, for things that you can do together now, and things that you can do when they are even older. Just try to keep an open mind, they might not be exactly who you expect them to be in the years to come.

Be Proud

You are probably already enormously proud of the person that your child is becoming. But, are you proud of your own role in their successes? When they pass a milestone, your role in huge. Even as they get older and start taking on more responsibility, you have a role. Don’t be sad that they are moving on in their lives, be proud of them, and of yourself for raising them and always being there for them.

Keep Communicating

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When we have children, most of us assume that we will always be close. But, for many people, this isn’t the case. The teenage years can be tough, and many adult children have distant relationships with their parents. The key to maintaining a close relationship as your child gets older is communication. Keep talking, try not to be critical, and remember what it was like to be young.

Start a Project

If you are really struggling with your children growing up, find something to take your mind off it. Find a project — something that you can do now that you’ve got a little more freedom. It’s not just your kids that now have more independence. You also get more time to yourself as they get older.

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The best thing about owning your property is that you can make any changes you like. You can really adjust your home to fit your lifestyle, instead of having to fit your lifestyle to your home. And better still, any upgrades and changes you make in the here and now which benefit your family can add value, meaning you’ll get the money back (often plus more!) when you sell later on. But some home upgrades are more valuable than others, and if you do plan on moving- even if it’s not for a number of years- here are a few things to bear in mind.

Get a valuation and check ceiling prices

First things first, you’ll want to know what your home is currently worth. Estate agent websites like William Pitt usually have valuation tools that can give you a good idea of what you’d be likely to achieve. From there, you’ll need to know if there are any ceiling prices in your area. A ceiling price is a maximum price that your home likely to achieve, regardless of how much work or money is put into it. This means you’re not spending thousands in the hopes of getting it back, just to later find out that your profits are capped.

Consider upgrading the bathroom and kitchen

Having a practical and well thought out kitchen and bathroom is essential for any home. However, these will also be the rooms that buyers will be looking at most if you sell later down the line so it’s worth getting them right. If you choose a style that’s fairly neutral it will look great now and later on, and will appeal to most people. You can always add your own personality and style by incorporating colourful accessories, plants and other bits and pieces which can be removed when you move home.

Have the plumbing and electrics checked regularly

Well maintained plumbing and electrics can really go in your favor when you’re selling your home- be sure to keep all receipts of work done for proof. If for example you’ve had a full house rewire this will be looked on favorably by buyers. Not to mention it will improve the safety and performance for you and your family in the here and now.

Landscape the outside space

As well as the house itself, buyers will also be looking at the outside spaces. Have your garden designed by a professional, it will be a stunning space for you to throw garden parties and barbecues in but will also add tons of value. Think about the curb appeal too. There’s nothing nicer than pulling up in the car after a long day, and taking in a home that looks beautiful. You could have the outside painted or have the brickwork cleaned up. You could have new rendering or panels applied, and have the windows and guttering cleaned. Even adding hanging baskets either side of the door and a new porch light can make your home look welcoming.

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Looking after your home should be something that you are doing year round, not just when something breaks. Unfortunately, a lot of people find themselves with hefty bills to pay because they end up leaving the little things too long, and then they become big things. Here we are going to take a look at some of the ways you can stay on top of your property with a maintenance checklist to keep it healthy and looking good.

Drains

We’ll start with one of the nastiest jobs, keeping your drains clear. This one might not seem like it will improve the aesthetics of your house, but you don’t want to see what happens to your house when the drains get blocked. For one, there is an awful smell that can spread right through the home just from having blocked drains and that is enough to put anyone off. Make sure you avoid this scenario by keeping your drains clear and using a drain cap to catch any excess materials.

Doors

Looking after your doors can mean many things. Thinking here mainly about the doors leading from the outside in, you should make sure that you are checking for drafts and any issues with the hinges. The latter can be done by listening out for squeaks and if the door is stiff to open. More often than not hinge issues can be dealt with by oiling, but having spare hinges in the house is a good thing to do. A draft is much more of a problem because it is allowing cold air into your house thus making you spend more on maintaining the heat. If you notice a draft you might need to invest in a new door, however, you should first try checking the hinges and weatherstripping.

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The front door is not the only one to consider when it comes to the outside coming in. You should also be keeping an eye on your garage door. This part of your house can have the same problems as outlined above, but buying a new garage door is not as straightforward. Investing in a good garage door service team will make sure you aren’t falling victim to problems that can be easily avoided.

Aesthetics

Home maintenance isn’t just about making sure you avoid problems; it is also about enjoying the house you are living in. You can undertake changes to the home which you like the look of but also perform a vital task. In your bathroom, for example, you can decorate using anti-mold paint which means you will avoid a potentially damaging spread of damp while also sprucing up your bathroom to be fresh and clean.

Other changes include updating your furniture so that you are keeping your home feeling new, but also ensuring that you’re not letting your flooring get damaged from having wear and tear from the weight of seating. New furniture is also easier to clean and will make your living space feel brighter and better.

 

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If you own a house you often like to upgrade so it feels like a home, or perhaps because you want to sell it later on. You might be wondering how you would go about upgrading your home, and what kind of features that you should be adding. I would love to share a few simple ways to do just that.

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A Breakfast Island

The first upgrade that you should consider adding is a breakfast island to your kitchen. These are ultra modern, and something that has become a growing trend over the last few years. These sit in the middle of your kitchen and provide you with a space to eat your breakfast, or you could use it as another worktop. If you are looking for other benefits of a breakfast island, check out this site https://freshome.com.

This is going to bring your kitchen into the twenty-first century, and if you are thinking in terms of the future, then this is going to add a whole load of value to your asking price. So, if this is something that is important to you, a breakfast island is certainly something to consider.

Your Own Hot Tub

Have you ever wished that you could have your own hot tub? Whether you were little when you first had the dream, or it is something that you want in your adult life, a hot tub is going to be something that your whole family can enjoy. If this is something you want to consider, you can think about building a place in your garden for this to go. Make sure you visit a site like thesharpcut.com so that you know you have the best tools possible for this job.

There are also numerous health benefits of a hot tub such as stress relieving. If you spend some time in a hot tub a few times a week, you will notice that your stress levels are quite dramatically decreased. It has also been thought that if you sit in a hot tub, you might experience some relief if you suffer from chronic pain.

Entertainment Room

Finally, the last upgrade that you should consider for your home is adding an entertainment room. You can do this by putting everything to do with gaming or entertainment into one room. These things can include a TV, a games console, any board games you have, comfortable chairs for movie viewings, and so on. This can also encourage family time in your home, and allow you to spend more time with your children.

I hope you have found this advice helpful and will consider adding these features to your home. Remember, upgrading your home doesn’t have to break the bang. It also does’t have to mean tearing your house apart. There are many effective ways to upgrade your home with just a few simple changes.

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Take a look at your home decor and be honest: do you think it looks the best it can possibly look right now? Chances are, there are a few changes you can make to make your decor look even better, and many of them are quick fixes that won’t take you very long or cost you too much to take care of at all. Take a look at the 5 ugly mistakes below and fix them if you’ve been making them:

Pushing Your Furniture Against the Wall

Pushing furniture against the wall is something you’ll often find people doing because they just don’t know what to do with their lay out. However, pushing furniture against the wall is lazy and just doesn’t tend to look good. You can have beautiful furniture, but if you’ve just shoved it against the wall then it’s unlikely to look amazing. Play with a new lay out; give your furniture space to breathe. If you need to use an app to help you decide on the new lay out, then do so. You can then check out things like reviews about Sofamania if you decide you need new furniture to suit it. However, it won’t always take new furniture for your space to look 10x better. Just a little time and energy!

Having Too Much Visual Clutter

Having too much clutter can be a very bad thing – however, you might not realize that some of the items you have included in your decor so far are cluttering up the space. If you have a number of small ornaments dotted around, try to look at them objectively. They could actually be creating visual clutter that you’re better off without. It’s usually better to have larger, statement pieces in a space even if your home is small, rather than lots of smaller pieces.

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Not Hanging Your Art Properly

Let’s assume you already have artwork that you want to include, or have included in your home. If you haven’t, you need to find some – and fast! No home decor should be without artwork. However, one major sin is hanging your artwork incorrectly. Your artwork should be at eye level, ideally, not too high or too low. To get it exactly right the first time round, practice your layout on the floor before making holes in the wall, and then use cardboard in the same shape/size to figure out where exactly you’ll put the pieces on your wall.

Not Testing Out Paint Samples First

You have to consider lighting before you choose the right paint shade for a room. Make a small patch of paint and then look at it in different lights and times of day so you can be sure you’re making the right choice.

Forgetting To Include Plants

Plants are always a must in your home decor. They add texture and interest and even have health benefits. Just add one if you don’t want to deal with the upkeep – it’ll still make a difference!

 

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The abundance of TV ads that claim their products can get rid of 99.9% of all bacteria implies that there’s a clear connection between cleanliness and health. After all, surgeons do have an obligation to scrub their hands and arms before an operation – even though they are going to wear gloves. The reason for this precautionary washing practice is that infection can spread quickly. To prevent risks of contamination and diseases, keep strict hygiene is part of a surgeon’s job.

As a homeowner, your task is similar. Keeping your home as clean as you can dramatically affect your health. While it doesn’t mean you should turn into a cleaning and washing machine, you need to understand where the risks are and how to reduce them under your roof.

Introduce healthy cleaning habits at home

Get rid of invisible toxins

The air inside your home is just as polluted as the air outside. However, instead of car fumes, you’re dealing with a different kind of toxins. Indeed, materials such as plastic, plywood and other synthetic fibers can release harmful particles in the air. If you have an HVAC system, it’s likely that most particles will be safely sucked in and cleared through your air filter. However, if you fail to book regular filter and HVAC repair and maintenance appointment, you might end up in a situation where you AC unit releases toxins in the air instead of catching and keeping them. Natural ventilation and purifying plants can also help to clean the air.

Seriously, why use chemicals?

There’s another surprising source of air toxins that most people forget; cleaning products. Indeed, chemicals are unhealthy – you’ve probably noticed that from the skull and crossbones icon on the label. You should use them with great caution, as they pollute the air as you clean the house, which can lead to respiratory discomfort. You can switch to natural cleaning products in both situations, such as using lemon juice to clean out the limescale from your shower head or refresh your fridge. Besides, you won’t have to worry about keeping your cleaning products away from children and pets.

Don’t let the mold break you

Mold patches can go unnoticed for weeks and months when they grow in areas with difficult or infrequent access. Your basement or that little spot under the bathtub can be infected, and you wouldn’t know/ What are the typical signs of mold spores in the air? You can notice signs of allergies and respiratory diseases. When the mold patches are fully developed, you’ll get a slight musty smell. The good news is that you can use a natural ingredient such as vinegar to get rid of mold. The bad news is that it’s not active on large areas. For these, you’ll need to invest in harmful chemicals. Remember to ventilate the room afterward to remove air toxins.

Vacuum regularly

If you want to avoid the risk of a household allergy outbreak,  you need to remove the most common causes; dust mites and pet hair. Vacuuming your home weekly or even twice a week if you’ve got pets can improve existing conditions and prevent the development of further issues.

Can you make cleaning your go-to health option at home? Keeping your family healthy is about being attentive to the risks in your household. Don’t let your home make you sick!

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We often forget that sometimes, our homes are looked on with desire by others who may not have actual ownership of the property. This can be as simple as someone window shopping in the neighborhood, trying to figure out where the nicest properties are when considering moving to said environment. However, sometimes thieves and those who wish to gain access to your property will also look around with the same clinical interest, and this is not a good thing at all. You can’t prevent people looking at your home from the street, unfortunately. What you can do is ensure that the means of them actually gaining access are prevented, and stopped at the very first hurdle.

For more info regarding how to prevent a break-in, we’d recommend checking out the linked resource. But for extra advice, and perhaps a few social additions to said methodology, you can protect your home even more, from top to bottom. With these simple pointers, you are much more likely to prevent any and all break-in attempts, helping you prevent those issues now and for the rest of your occupation of the home. Consider:

Keep Leaving Quiet

When you’re headed on vacation, it can be tempting to tell everyone you know. Of course, keeping it completely silent would be a ridiculous notion, and not something that actually makes a whole lot of sense, as it would cause more trouble than it solves. However, it might be that you neglect to tell your cab driver that morning no matter how excited you are, only tell the neighbors you trust, and inform your child to only tell their close friends. There’s no reason that you need to fully declare you’re going to be vacant from your house for weeks, as you never know when this information can hit the wrong ears and unfortunately cause problems down the road.

Of course, this might actually seem like a paranoid thing to consider, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry, and you can never quite tell the intentions of those you aren’t the most familiar with. Sometimes, it’s better to keep leaving for a period relatively quiet, or at least heavily imply the home will be occupied to some capacity.

Night Lights

Of course, sometimes you need to backup the previous advice. It is extremely likely that preventing a home robbery can be achieved if you’re simply willing to implement night lights on a timer, and these are often extremely cheap to install into a plug socket. Be sure to place them in the corridors or near windows that illuminate the area the most diligently. These night lights can often deter any would-be thief, and it’s not always easy to see who’s in a home when different lights are switched on each night. However, your home being pitch black from the inside from 6pm on a winter’s night is often a fairly reasonable clue that nobody is home, and that’s what thieves look for. You can also consider implementing a floodlight outside if you haven’t already, as these motion-controlled products can often prevent someone from even trying to enter the threshold of your property.

Vehicles

If your driveway is empty for two weeks, it’s pretty clear that no one is home. If you have a spare car, be sure to park that in the main parking slot so it’s visible, and not just inside your garage. This signifies that someone is home. However, if you only have the one vehicle, it can be worthwhile to ask a neighbor to park in your garage for that period of time, which shouldn’t take much time out of their schedule at all – perhaps enough to be rewarded with a box of chocolates upon your return. While one stationary vehicle can look great, a continually arriving vehicle can deter someone who might be scoping your house for a robbery. Of course, if you live in an apartment or you usually park on the street outside, this step might not be necessary.

Home Watch

If you’re not already connected to a local household watch community, it might be worth joining one. Neighborhood watches can often bring up suspicious activity at local meetings, and this can be essentially useful if you live in a relatively small community or village. While this might not work as well in a city-environment suburb, there’s still the potential for someone to deter would-be thieves or call the police if they spy a break-in. This can both work for you if you’re headed on vacation or not. It might simply be that you need to introduce yourself to the neighbors in order to get this started. You never know who you might want to call later at night aside from the police.

Promoting The ‘What-If?’ Mindset

You absolutely want a potential home trespasser to be filled with as much doubt as possible, from the moment they even entertain the idea of your house as a target. A beware of the dog sign conveniently placed can prevent them wanting to hop that fence. A full package that promotes the overall presence of a security system can also ensure they consider your house less than worth it, but be sure to familiarize yourself with more info as far as this is concerned.

The aesthetic of your home can also influence just how it looks to someone on the outside. Does this mean you need to paint your home in spooky skeleton decals with a ‘beware ye who enter’ sign? Not likely, unless you’re into that sort of thing. But privacy fencing, privacy curated bushes, a sturdy looking door and windows, perhaps a peephole, among many other implements can show that you care about protecting your house. A well-organized home shows that you’re pretty sharp and care for the maintenance of your property. To a would be thief, this can seem intimidating.

With these simple tips and the ability to refine your approach over the years, your home is sure to be the least appealing to any would-be home thief, and potentially prevent them even if they try.

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Have you ever heard people say, “Things were better years ago. Kids today are too glued to tablets and computers.”? Sometimes it was simple things going to the library to get a book. As with most things we tend to put a nostalgic rose-colored tint on everything. People were healthier back then! Perhaps some of this is true, but overall technology has given us massive improvements in our daily lives. Let’s take a look at some of the ways, that technology (whether you love it or hate it) has improved our lives.

Communication

It has never been easier to keep in touch with the people you genuinely love. Years ago, when a family member moved to Australia, you’d be reliant on snail mail and phone calls just to make sure they were okay. Lets not forget the cost of a telephone call there. While there is a certain deliciousness in receiving a handwritten letter and sending one for that matter, it isn’t always the most practical. For example, when someone you care about is sick or in the hospital – awaiting a letter or a costly phone call can be such an anxious time. But now, we have the means to send everything we want to say with a mobile device using i3Broadband for example. When babies are born we no longer have to wait for the mailed photograph. We can get all the details via Skype or Facetime in seconds. On the flip side we have perhaps lost the art of great face-to-face conversations. But, overall, the communication capabilities are much bigger than in previous years, and the impact is mostly positive.

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Business

This one has grown in ways that no one could have predicted. Large corporations have, and always will leverage leaps in technology to make the big bucks – after all, that is precisely what they are supposed to be doing. Another business perk, however, is that more people can now run a business entirely from home. Which is excellent news for the economy in general. Almost every house has a computer and an internet connection now, meaning that anyone with a little bit of time and some big ideas can create an at home business. You can take advantage of the current boom in the gig economy, and sign up to websites like Upwork, Freelancer, People Per Hour and Fivver and see what type of jobs are available.

Personal Growth & Learning

The age of information. Potentially the information has always been available to those who sought it out, but now even the most fleeting of questions can be answered in a matter of seconds.

When it comes to learning, we are now lucky enough to be able to take a whole degree online. Universities all over the globe have opened up their curriculum and put it in easy to access, and cheaper to take, online courses. The impact of technology like tablets and laptops has meant that teachers now have even more tools at their disposal. There are countless website which are dedicated to providing resources written by other teachers. Children in classes now use online learning programs, that can also be accessed at home – giving them so much more learning opportunity and what they enjoy in school can be extended into the house and experienced with their parents.

Personal growth, mindfulness, being in the moment and stress management are all things that are accessible both via a computer, classes and via apps. Modern life demands more from people, and that is partly because the world of business and work no longer stop – it doesn’t have to. So we can now take steps to learn more about ourselves, what makes us happy, how we can maximize our own strengths and work on our weaknesses. In fact, there are now watches which can tell us so much about ourselves simply by tracking out blood pressure and sleep patterns. All the information we can use to improve our lives.

Some companies have made strides to have books work alongside augmented reality technology to provide a best of both worlds approach to learning.

Once you have an innovation culture, even those who are not scientists or engineers – poets, actors, journalists – they, as communities, embrace the meaning of what it is to be scientifically literate. They embrace the concept of an innovation culture. They vote in ways that promote it. They don’t fight science, and they don’t fight technology. – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Community

They say it takes a village, but in the modern world, it has never been more challenging to find the time to grow yours. By the time you have finished the school runs, your part-time or full-time job, the extracurricular stuff, the cleaning, the cooking… and finding 3 minutes peace (if you can). It can feel like you’re going it alone a lot of the time. Something that many women have openly discussed and written about is how lonely it can be raising children in modern times. Millions of parents have started using portals like facebook, twitter, and online forums to find ‘their tribe.’ It might not be as easy as it once was to share a cup of tea with a close friend, but sometimes making a few close friends that you can talk to via Whatsapp or Twitter, or Facebook can mean an awful lot.

All of these different platforms and different at home technology has given us the power to build a community of like-minded people – without the pressure of the real-life coffee date.

If you have a parenting question to ask at 3am, the chances are someone somewhere will be awake and able to put your mind at ease. Or, if you need someone to speak to and you just simply can’t make a face-2-face, you can message your friend in a different country and still feel supported.

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Creative Outlet

This one combines the community and the learning, and could eventually be a business. Blogging, vlogging, writing, graphic design, and photo editing are among some of the skills that you can do from home. With a quick google, you can find the best software to use, and away you go. In fact, many people who blog can make an entire living from home! But, it doesn’t end there. YouTube and other platforms mean if there is a skill you really want to learn, the chances are, that there is someone out there who has made a detailed video to help you learn it.

Finding something you love, and learning about new methods of doing things is a significant part of modern technology. Connecting with people who have the same hobbies and getting creative is a great way to spend time.

Easy Shopping

Where once you might have needed to stand in a queue for the latest toy for your child, the newest game release or even a clothing line – that is rarely ever the case now. You can pre-order games, films, make-up and even clothing. And, of course, the downside to this is, that smaller brick and mortar stores have paid a steep price – with hundreds shutting down every week. However, smart businesses prospered by creating a great online shopping experience and are no doubt cashing in on that. In the UK 87% of purchases are now made online, and that doesn’t include the weekly shop, and in 2017 US shoppers spent a whopping $108 billion during the holiday season – which accounted for 80% of purchases. It also means consumers can enjoy some deep discounts because not only do retailers compete on price, but they have fewer overheads like rental costs of shops.

This is also great for people who are perhaps less mobile than others, getting what they need, direct to their door is ideal.

Health & Family

While it could be argued that with all the new technology advancements we are more likely to stay in our loungewear and surf the internet all day, you can also say that doctors and scientists have made some brilliant and innovative breakthroughs.

Most of us have benefited from better scanning machines, quicker medical notes when you’ve been to the hospital, blood tests can be back in hours when needed. We also have things like Smartwatches and Fitbits, that can encourage us to move more and give us detailed information on our sleeping habits and heart rate.

And, when it comes to starting or growing your families, IVF has come on leaps and bounds, and the ability to meet and care for children halfway around the world. Technology and science have given hope to millions of people where previously there was none – and that is pretty magical.

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“When did Christmas get so expensive?” We think it to ourselves every year. Every year, the festive season seems to sneak up on us and upon consulting our bank statements we realize that we are woefully unprepared for the oncoming expense. But therein lies the problem. Very often Christmas becomes so expensive because we are unprepared. We fail to lay the groundwork throughout the year and can find ourselves leaning on loans and credit cards which can lead to a spiral of debt that lasts well into the new year. One thing’s for sure, Christmas can be a real source of anxiety for many households.

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The good news here is that there are many ways to drive down the cost of Christmas and still have a wonderful and fulfilling day. And the even better news is that it’ still not too late. With a little careful planning and lateral thinking you can ensure a happy and cost effective Christmas this year and every year.

Carry out an energy efficiency audit

When our thoughts turn to the cost of Christmas, they inevitably turn to presents, gifts, alcohol and the inevitable huge spread (more on that shortly). However, we mustn’t overlook the hidden costs of the season. For example, the extra energy costs incurred in the colder months may not be the most obvious thought that springs to mind but they can drive up the festive price tag.

Carrying out a festive energy efficiency audit can help you save on energy bills every winter. Walk past your windows. Do you feel a chilly draft? Even if you have double wrap windows that doesn’t mean that you’re getting the best protection from the cold and your energy costs could still be going (quite literally) out of the window. Consider upgrading to super energy efficient windows from Boulder Window. These will save you money all year round. They will seal heat in over winter and keep your home cool in the summer, saving you money on air conditioning.

It’s also worth taking a look at your attic insulation. If you see evidence of rodent infestation like tiny bite marks, burrowed holes or droppings it may be compromised. Replacing it will make a big difference in keeping your home warm. If your radiators don’t quite feel as warm as they should, don’t worry, you probably won’t need to replace them! Try adding a radiator additive which has a greater surface area than water and so is able to absorb more heat.

Get those Christmas lists in as early as possible

Nobody wants to ruin the illusion of Santa for their kids, but waiting until the last moment to get your kids’ Christmas wish lists is a passport to a nervous breakdown. Don’t spend your week leading to Christmas ducking and diving around frantic toy stores or paying over the odds for fast delivery from online stores. Get your kids’ Christmas lists as far in advance as possible. This will give you plenty of time to shop around for the best prices.

Plus, if their expectations are way in excess of the household budget, this also gives you an opportunity to let them down gently and manage their expectations, channeling their thoughts towards more affordable gifts.

Have a happy, healthy veggie Christmas dinner

We all assume that Christmas dinner is an absurdly costly enterprise, but much of this cost is absorbed by a huge turkey. If you’re looking for a way to keep the cost of Christmas down without robbing yourself and your family of the enjoyment that comes with a delicious Christmas dinner, consider going veggie for this coming Christmas. There are a great many tasty and indulgent vegetarian and vegan Christmas dinner recipes which are just as tasty and satisfying as their meaty counterparts but a whole lot cheaper… They’re also much healthier, more ethical and better for the environment, too!

Don’t bother with Black Friday

This year’s Black Friday has already been and gone but a tip for next year would be… Don’t bother with it. Aside from the outbreaks of violence, the nightmarish parking and the whiff of corporate cynicism that accompany it, Black Friday can wind up costing you more than it saves. Unless you happen to find a great deal on something that you were going to buy anyway, it is just another way of spending money you can’t spare on stuff you don’t really need or want.

Don’t stop saving

Finally, many of us suspend our savings over the holidays to give us more money to spend. Don’t. When we do this, all too often we don’t remember to start paying into our savings again until well into spring. In fact, now is the perfect time to ditch your high street savings account and find one that will make your money work harder for you!

The more effort you put in now, the easier it will become to make festive savings each and every year!