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Ways to save money and Save the planet 1

If lockdown has taught me anything it’s that I used to be very wasteful. Like, really wasteful. Just being able to be at home and not be out and about at work has made me also realise just how much money I was spending on things that I need and to be honest, I think the Corona-coaster has hit us all hard in the pocket as well. So I have been investigating ways that I can be kinder to my pocket as well as kinder to the Planet. Hurray!  Below are some of my favourite places that I have found, which can all be access from the comfort of your sofa. Recycle your clothes We’ve all dragged a few bin bags worth of stuff down to the charity shops during 2020 after all that time spent at home trying to fill the time. Well, you can actually recycle your clothes […]


What town suits your personality?

Here we have a post written by my pal Emma about a personality test, it looks sponsored but its not. Well hello there! I don’t know about you but when I think of towns which are particularly “risky”, I don’t instantly think of Canterbury, nor would I think that Watford would be slap bang in the middle of the “risky/risk-averse spectrum” but according to recent research performed by Zopa – it is. So how did they come to this conclusion? Well, Zopa worked with a behavioural psychologist Ivo Vlaev from the super snazzy Warwick Business school to create a ‘Risk and Safety’ index – oh, er! They analysed 97 towns across the UK (creating a matrix of Google Trends data) to see how much risk their inhabitants are willing to take. Watford comes out as the most ‘middle’ of all. Now, I have been to Watford a few times and […]


Jacamo clothing review by Blokey

The following review is in Blokey’s own words, and is all his own opinions. Jacamo specialises in clothes for the larger gentleman, be that larger as in tall, or larger as in “well built”. I fall into the latter category being a 5ft 10 inch, 100KG round person. I’ve been shopping at Jacamo for many years even when I weighed as much as 150KG and was obviously a lot bigger than I am now. Jacamo* is primarily an online purchase shopping experience. They have recently started to open stores (in the Midlands and in London) but none of these are local to me in the south west so I have to rely on their distant shopping experience. This means everything is purchased via their easy to use website, and delivered by a local courier company. The website is very simple to navigate, with the clothing line split into categories and each […]


Relationship help needed – an anonymous post 3

I’m in a relationship that I hate and makes me feel low, but he won’t let me get out of it. I have told him repeatedly how unhappy I am, but he says he loves me so we should be together, but that doesn’t make it any better for me. What does love mean? I don’t even know anymore.. Embed from Getty Images   We have only been together for 11 months, but for 6 of those months I have been telling him that I’m unhappy; nothing has changed. The guy I fell in love with, the funny guy who would do anything to make me happy, has been overshadowed by a selfish, manipulative, nasty man who makes me cry more than anyone ever has before. And coming from a girl who has been bullied and raped in the past, that is quite an achievement.


Do you have an emergency fund?

Today I am handing my blog over to a friend, a wise, thrifty, money saver of a blogger. The following is all written by Emma. Hi, I’m Emma and I blog over at EmmaDrew.info, all about saving money and ways to make some extra money. I am a strong believer in having an emergency fund and it has certainly helped us out of a few financial pickles. Having an emergency fund is really important so that if you were faced with sickness, job loss, a large repair bill or any other unplanned financial emergency, you have the money set aside so that you can maintain your normal lifestyle. Here are some of my tips to help you kickstart your emergency fund. How much to save In an ideal world, we would have at least 6 months of our salary set aside as an emergency fund. I don’t know about you, […]


How to make your house cosy for winter 1

With less than one week until winter officially arrives, most people will be starting to prepare themselves for the bracing cold conditions that are likely to hit the United Kingdom. Whether that means gritting their driveways or simply wearing an extra layer of clothing, British people are extremely thorough when it comes to preparing themselves against the cold and many will also take extreme lengths to completely adapt their houses to ensure maximum comfort away from the freezing weather outside. Here are a few ways how you can make your home incredibly cosy during the winter period. Put Christmas decorations up There’s nothing more warm and welcoming than Christmas decorations. With less than one month until the big day, it’s now acceptable to get the tree out of the loft and stick tinsel all around the ornaments. Christmas decorations add a positive, happy feel to the family home and can […]


Animal friends forever

  We’re a nation of animal lovers. Few things score as highly on the scale of “ahhhhhh” as a picture of an adorable puppy or a playful kitten. YouTube is awash with hilarious videos of animals attacking their mirror images, chasing laser beams and getting themselves into tight squeezes.   And who hasn’t wasted an idle half hour giggling at one of the millions of cute cat compilations that invade our facebook timelines every day? Social media is responsible for giving some animals celebrity status and that’s led to spin offs like books deals, movies and even a clothing line. Yes, animals make us smile. But one of the reasons we love them so much is that they elicit a panorama of emotions in us – fear, disgust, awe, compassion, shock, joy, empathy . . .the list goes on.


Bingo – the perfect game for evening entertainment

When you have young kids, you end up spending a lot of time at home, and much of that time will be when they’ve gone to bed and you haven’t. For most of us, going out in the evenings isn’t always easy to do – you have to book babysitters, have money to pay them and pay for whatever you’re going to do when you’re out, and have the energy to enjoy the ‘break’. After a busy day with the kids and with work, going out sometimes seems more hassle than it’s worth.


Valentine’s on the Cheap 3

Valentine’s on the Cheap – it can be done! On February 14th most of the restaurants and theatres are overcrowded, overpriced and the service is just plain dismal. By staying at home you’ll save the pennies, avoid the crowds and increase your intimacy. Are you dreading the thought of spending yet another Valentine’s Day at home? Well, it doesn’t have to be drab and unimaginative. In fact, if you’re not off to one of the swish function rooms or wedding venues Brisbane or Sydney (or any other major city in Australia), why not plan something special for your Valentine without having to be out of pocket? But remember, these venues still offer your romantic options so you could still opt to go for the swish! Here are some ideas for celebrating a special Valentine’s Day at home. A Picnic by the Fireside Pull the sofa up to a roaring fire, […]


Underage drinking 3

There has been a shift in attitude towards responsible drinking among the younger generation in recent years. One in seven parents wrongly assumes that underage drinking is increasing New data commissioned for AB InBev UK’s Be(er) Responsible Day- a celebration to promote the importance of responsible drinking- has discovered that many parents are still over-estimating the number of young people who have tried alcohol at some point in their lives. This is happening even though official data shows that the occurrence of underage drinking is decreasing.


Turn over those brain cells by playing some games 3

It’s great to be able to have some downtime playing a game, and yet it’s something that many of us never make much time to do. Playing a game seems like a frivolous use of our time, especially when we generally all lead such busy lives these days. View image | gettyimages.com However, if you want a good excuse to play, then you may be pleased to hear that some studies have shown that playing games can help boost our brain power.


Blog takeover : Eats Amazing 3

As I am still in Italy I have a treat for you, a blog post all about beautiful bento lunches. Hello lovely readers, do let me introduce myself! My name is Grace, and I blog over at Eats Amazing on the subject of healthy children’s food, with a particular focus on the bento style lunches that I make daily for my six year old son. Julie very kindly asked me to write a guest post for her, and I was very happy to oblige – I do love rambling on about my favourite hobby – bento! You may be wondering what on earth bento is, but if you are, don’t worry, I’m here to enlighten you! Bento is a Japanese word, meaning ‘convenient’, and it refers to a meal, packed in a box, most commonly for lunch. It’s basically the Japanese equivalent of packed lunches. What makes bento different from […]