When it comes to Christmas it can not only be a joyous time but a period in which we can feel totally overwhelmed by our homes. After all, Christmas means that we bring more things into our home after the kind gifts we can receive. Especially if you have children, however, it is also the perfect excuse to get organised and embark on some decluttering to get your home back in order. There is nothing quite like that feeling of entering a new year feeling fresh, tidy, and free from the clutter that can often hold you back in your home. So if you want to get started then here are some of the best ways to declutter your home after Christmas. 

Start off with a cupboard or drawer 

Decluttering can be a huge task and one that we are likely to procrastinate over or avoid. So the best way to get started is to start with a small area. Something as simple as a cupboard or drawer. Working through each space you can decide what stays, what goes, and what needs another home. 

Use the box method

If you are tackling a room then a great way to stay on top of things is to use the box method. A box for things you want to keep but perhaps need a new place to be stored, a box for things to donate or sell, and a box to recycle or get rid of appropriately. This is perfect for children’s rooms as you may accumulate or store things that they no longer want or need. It enables you to go through drawers, cupboards, and storage boxes. Organising as you go, and removing things that need to be stored elsewhere or need to be gotten rid of. 

Organise children’s rooms before bringing new things into them

Children often accumulate a lot of toys and things at Christmas time, so instead of adding them to their bedrooms or playrooms straight away, now is the time to organise them as they are. As you rearrange and store things away, think about their new toys and where they may go or be stored at the same time. Remove items they no longer want and create space ready for the new things ot be slotted in. Many people do this before Christmas, but it is just as easy to do it after as you are aware of precisely what needs storing. 

One bag at a time

If it feels too much, simply walk around with a bag. Use a bag for recycling and go into each room and remove things that is seemingly rubbish or need recycling appropriately. The next day take a bag or box and remove things you know are for selling ot donating. This gets rid of any surface clutter so that the task can seem less daunting as you delve deeper into cupboards and drawers. 

Finally, don’t be too worried about how your home looks or how it may look as you start to declutter. Things may get messy as you work through cupboards, and drawers or tackle different.

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After managing and supporting small businesses for over 10 years, I have seen a lot of change in what can help and market your SME. As a social media consultant, I would always say to start with social media but after that, it has to be business awards.

But which one? How do you decide which awards to enter? There are usually two types of awards, one is voting and the other is a panel. If you have a good social following and extensive network, a voting could be beneficial however ultimately a panel awards system is completely impartial and independent (and my personal preference).

If you have a great product, amazing vision or simply a story to tell then an award can be a new platform to a wider audience (not to mention the kudos). However, if you need any more convincing, here are our top 5 reasons to enter business awards.

1. Free marketing - if you are nominated or a finalist, you will undoubtedly get additional exposure and social mentions.
2. Increases credibility and customer retention. An award win can give a business more credibility and is a sign of quality for potential customers.
3. Exposure - we know that exposure doesn't pay the bills but CAN put your business in front of influencers and key people within your industry.
4. Recognition - public acknowledgement of your achievements is not only a great feeling but by pitching yourself as the best you can attract the talent you need to push your business forward.
   
5. Who are your audience more likely to use if you’re THE award-winning business in your sector?

It is not a secret that we are an award sponsor this year but again for us, working with the very best is important for our own brand. The Business Success Network Business Recognition Awards are designed and developed to celebrate SME’s business success throughout the UK and have a range of catergories, suitable for all businesses at any stage of their journey. 

The BSN Awards celebrate the fantastic work being done by businesses and individuals within the UK business community and we will be sharing more details on our socials of the 2022 event at the awards next weekend. I shall also be spending the next week debating over my awards outfit but in the meantime, if you can't wait for the BSN Awards 2023 and you are considering entering your business for an award, make sure you carefully choose your awards process and category to best suit your business and its achievements!

Good luck! 

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With the cost of living crisis on everyones mind, saving money on energy bills is a hot topic of conversation right now. But aside from doing some of the obvious things like switching lights off or changing the light bulbs. I wanted to share with you some energy-saving ideas for your home. 

Download the SaveMoneyCutCarbon app

I have worked with SaveMoneyCutCarbon for some time and was therefore really excited to hear that they have launched their own FREE app! The new SaveMoneyCutCarbon Home app is the place to learn, shop and save. In one app there is help for you be more sustainable by reducing energy, water, plastic & carbon all while saving money.

It is really interesting that the app helps you to get to know the impact of your household consumption of water, energy, carbon and plastic and has a handy swap shop to understand the ecofriendly swaps you can easily make. 

Make the most of the night rates

It sounds crazy, but many energy companies and tariffs will offer cheaper rates for using energy at night. You might think, what’s the point if you are asleep? But actually, there are things that you can do. For example, you can set your laundry to come on in the early hours of the morning. A full load will be ready for you when you wake up, and it cost you less than it would during the day. You could also do this with the dishwasher as well. Two appliances you still want to use, but an energy-saving way of using them. (This is only applicable if you have Economy 7 or similar). 

It is also important for you to understand your bill and the tariff that you are on. Understanding your bill and costs will help you to make informed decisions about the changes in the cost of living.

Forget standby, switch things off 

Some people think that putting something in standby mode is the best thing to do, but it actually doesn’t help when it comes to energy-saving and uses up energy, even just a little bit. So make sure you switch things off fully and even at the wall to ensure there is no residual energy being used. 

Don’t fill the kettle up

Every time we switch that kettle on to make a cup of tea or coffee, most people fill the kettle up. But this means you are using more energy to heat the full kettle of water when you likely only use one or two cups full. So a great idea is to only fill the kettle with the water that you need. You will use much less energy and make a big saving over the course of a year. 

Turn the temperature down

When you do your washing, switch the temperature down. You can still get great results when it comes to cleaning your clothes when switching the temperature to as low as twenty degrees. 

Keep the curtains closed

No matter what time of the year it is, keeping the curtain closed retains residual heat during the winter and keeps your home cool in the summer. This means you are less likely to use more energy on heating or trying to cool down your home during the summer months. 

Hopefully, these tips will help you to save some energy in your home.

(feel free to pin this for later)

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With the cost of living rising, sometimes dealing with our finances can be a hard pill to swallow, especially if you find your outgoings increasing. At this time of year especially, many people make pledges to improve their situation, and often this has much to do with finances. This is why I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of the ways you can make extra money online. It’s a great way to boost your income, and still, get that balance of work and home life just right. Interested? Read on to find out how. 

Become a freelancer

Freelancing is a great way to earn money from home. In fact, some people even do this exclusively now which can offer great home and work-life balance, especially if you have a young family. Freelancing could be anything. It might be ghostwriting for blogs, or creating content for different brand websites. It might mean offering administrator skills such as letter writing and data input. Some people even type from audio, creating documents for different companies. There are many different options available to you. 

Make clever investments

If you have a bit of money spare, but you want to make more use of it, then you could consider investing it. One way of doing that is in the stocks and shares market, which can prove quite lucrative when the right decisions and investments are made. Although it can seem quite a daunting prospect at first, especially if you have never done it before, so worth doing your research.

Start a blog  (like this one)

We have been blogging for over 10 years but blogging and vlogging has become increasingly popular in the last few years. With blogs specializing in all kinds of genres. But it has also become an opportunity to earn extra money through advertising content and things like affiliate links. Blogging is flexible and can fit around the time you have. You could even use your evenings so it doesn’t impact your day job. There are plenty of websites online offering lots of advice on how to get started. 

Perform mystery shops online

A lot of companies and brands want the opinion of the consumer about things like their websites and customer service. So they enlist the help of mystery shoppers to process this feedback. You could sign up to perform these mystery shops in your spare time. Often they take no time at all, and it could mean a few clicks on a website or a quick conversation over the phone. 

Sell unwanted items on websites like eBay or Vinted

Finally, use websites like eBay or Vinted to sell your unwanted items online. It’s a great way to boost your income quickly as an auction can last on average seven days. Post your items once payment is received and that’s the job done. It’s a great way to clear out some of the clutter in your home and means that clothing doesn't end up in landfill either!

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