Category: Reviews

1. Balancing Comfort And Practicality In Your Toddler's Space: Our Top Tips

   Posted on 10:00am Wednesday 4th Oct 2023

   

   Creating a comfortable and practical space for toddlers requires thoughtful consideration and planning. This space is not just where they sleep, but also where they play, learn, and experience the world on their own terms. It's crucial to establish a room that is cosy, stimulates their curiosity, and is equipped with the right elements to support their growth and development. Balancing comfort and practicality ensures that toddlers have the right environment to explore and parents have peace of mind knowing their children are safe and content. A well-designed toddler space should consider safety, stimulation, independence, and of course, fun, creating a harmonious balance between a practical living space and a nurturing learning environment. Below you will find some tips to help you achieve a balanced, inviting, and functional space for your little ones. 

   Consider Functional Furniture 

   Choosing the right furniture is key to balancing comfort and practicality in your toddler’s space. Opt for versatile pieces that serve multiple purposes, like convertible beds that can adapt as your child grows, and consider furniture with built-in storage to help keep the room organised and clutter-free. Tables and chairs should be sturdy and of the appropriate size for your toddler, promoting comfort and independence as they play and learn. And remember, practical doesn’t have to mean boring, so make sure you choose furniture in fun, vibrant colours or with playful designs to keep the space lively and engaging. 

   Optimise Space 

   When balancing comfort and practicality in a toddler’s room, optimising space is crucial. Utilising multi-functional furniture can save space and provideadditional storage solutions. Children's Bed Shop offers a range of versatile and stylish options to maximise room utility. By opting for smart solutions like Children's Bed Shop’s options, parents can create a room that is spacious, organised, and adaptable to their child’s growing needs. This way, the room remains clutter-free, leaving more room for play and exploration, while also ensuring that everything has its place, promoting a sense of order and structure in your toddler's space. 

   Create A Comfortable Sleeping Area 

   A cosy and inviting sleeping area is key, if you want to ensure your toddler gets the rest they need. Choose a comfortable, supportive mattress and soft, breathable bedding to create an inviting sleep environment. Consider adding a canopy or a tent over the bed for a touch of whimsy and to give your toddler a sense of privacy and security. Keep the sleeping area free of distractions like toys and electronics to promote better sleep, and use blackout curtains to keep the room dark and conducive to rest. 

   Select Stimulating And Educational Toys 

   Toys play a vital role in a toddler’s development, aiding in the learning of crucial skills. When balancing comfort and practicality in your toddler’s space, select toys that are not only fun but also educational. Make sure you gettoys that encourage creativity, as well as the development of other key skills. Keep in mind the available space and opt for toys that can be easily stored away when not in use to maintain a tidy and organised room. A well-thought-out selection of toys can turn your toddler’s space into a hub of learning and development. 

    Use Soft Furnishings And Warm Colours 

    

   Another key thing that you can do is add soft furnishings like rugs, cushions, and curtains. They can add a layer of comfort to your toddler’s space, making it feel cosy and welcoming. Be sure to opt for fabrics that are soft to the touch and in warm, calming colours to create a relaxing atmosphere. These elements can also serve as practical solutions, providing cushioning and reducing noise in the room. However, while choosing soft furnishings, it’s important to prioritise ease of cleaning and maintenance, selecting materials that are machine washable and durable to withstand the rigours of toddler life. 

   Ensure Safety Is A Priority 

   When creating a space for toddlers, safety must be at the forefront of every decision. From the furniture you select to the toys you provide, every item should be evaluated for potential hazards. It’s vital to avoid sharp corners on furnishings where little ones might bump their heads. Additionally, ensure that small objects, which could pose a choking hazard, are out of reach. Safety gates can be used to confine toddlers to safe areas and keep them away from stairs or kitchens.  

   Encourage Independence And Exploration  

   Promoting a sense of independence and a love for exploration is essential when designing your toddler's space. Arrange furniture and storage at a height accessible to them, allowing them to reach their toys and belongings independently. Create various zones in the room for different activities like reading, playing, and crafting, encouraging them to explore their interests. Providing an environment where your toddler feels secure and confident to explore and learn independently is crucial in fostering their development and self-reliance. 

   When balancing comfort and practicality in your toddler's space, consider their safety, space optimisation, and a harmonious balance between functionality and cosiness. This way, you will ensure your children have a space that suits their needs while also being a cosy, welcoming place where they can thrive and grow. 

   

2. Energy-saving ideas for your home

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 8th Jun 2022

   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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3. Top tips to help you go freelance

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 15th Aug 2021

   With many students receiving GCSE and A Level results recently, there are discussions in households across the country about future career choices, with many parents wanting their child to choose carefully and wisely. When it comes to the job that you do, as you get older you may find that you are stuck in a rut with your career. It might not have been your first choice and is not be something that you feel passionate about.

   However, you may have gained skills and experience that could be utilised when working for yourself and going freelance. Picking and choosing the work that you do and finally getting that work and home life balance right. So how do you change that? 

   

   Going freelance can be quite scary. You have the loss of security of that consistent wage, and it can often feel overwhelming when it comes to managing the work and home life balance. But there are so many incredible benefits and finally being able to choose your workload or even do something you are more passionate about far outweighs the worries. So here are some of the top tips to help you go freelance. 

   Have the confidence to take that step

   One of the hardest things to do when it comes to going freelance is to have the confidence to do it. Right now you may be secure in a job. You feel you have security, and a consistent wage each month. This gives you the comfort that bills are paid and things are getting done, but that’s all it gives you. Have the confidence to step away. If at first you think it is too much of a leap use any spare time you have to start working on the side, and then build it up gradually. Be confident in your ability and also your decision that inevitably will give you what you want in the long term. 

   Seek out work opportunities 

   Going freelance doesn’t need to be as scary as you might once have thought. So many people are now taking this route to live the life they want to live and are getting to the stage where they are able to do it. There are websites out there that advertise freelance opportunities. Websites like People Per Hour and Fiverr are great places to start. You can also advertise your skills directly on there. You can even use Facebook as a way of advertising for jobs or seeking out work opportunities through groups or using the marketplace. There is also the fact that you can start to easily advertise your services through your own website and through social media content. This is one of the bets things to get you started as a website can hold all of the relevant information anyone would need. Whether that is sample of your work, feedback from previous clients, and any pricing information. You can also reach out to potential clients through platforms like this and pitch to them directly. 

   Make sure you are professional in all aspects 

   Once the work starts to come in it can be quite hard to not be overwhelmed by it all, but the one thing that you can’t let slip is the professionalism that you need to contain at all times. Being professional in all lines of communication such as phone, email and social media messages helps you to continue that working relationship. Also, the same can be said for when an invoice needs to be raised, Ensure that you display all of the correct information. A great tip is to use invoice templates so that you can get things right. Websites like PayPal are great to use at the start. This will also help you to get paid quickly rather than needing to amend and resend when information is forgotten about. 

   Your working environment matters 

   Finally, it might be a good idea to ensure that you consider your working environment. Most people who freelance work from home, and this can be distracting if you don’t have a dedicated area to work. If you can, create an area in your home that is dedicated for working. It might be a desk in the corner of your living room or your bedroom. Having a desk area helps you to segregate between working and home life. If you have the space in your home, a home office could be a great option to consider. The idea is that you can walk away from your work, or feel productive and work mode when you are sat at your desk. 

   Let’s hope these tips help you if you think going freelance is an option.  

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4. SodaStream from SaveMoneyCutCarbon | Review

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 11th May 2021

   As a child, a SodaStream was the thing of legend. It was something that everyone else had but we never did. It was coveted and whilst my mum has always been ahead of her time with recycling and sustainability but we could never convince her to swap our plastic fizzy drinks bottles for the elusive SodaStream.

   So my inner child was more than a little excited when SaveMoneyCutCarbon recently asked if they could send us a SodaStream Spirit to put through its paces. The blurb tells us that SodaStream is the easy way to reduce your single use plastic waste and make sparkling water and your favourite fizzy drink, with just a touch of a button. So is that really true?

   

    

   What does it cost?

   Cost is always the big question people have when thinking about buying a SodaStream. How much do they cost and is it worth it? First and foremost, you don’t need to go to their official website to buy one! You can buy your SodaStream from SaveMoneyCutCarbon and if you are a member of the Home Club, you get unbeatable pricing, guaranteed. Their Club Price Promise means that if a Club member finds it cheaper, they will refund the difference. It’s as if you’re buying direct from the manufacturer.

   The basic price is £99.00, plus £24.95 for the gas cannister and if you add one syrup in, that is bringing your total basic startup cost to £130.00. I set about working out how much we spend on fizzy drinks, so that includes all the soft drinks we buy per month and not to mention the tonic water for the husbands gin. I was a little horrified to realise this was costing us approx £72.00 per month. So we would start seeing savings by month two if this little machine lived up to the hype!!

   

   What did we think?

   From the moment you begin unboxing the Sodastream its clear that along with cost saving and waste reduction, simplicity and usability are at the heart of the brand. The latter continues to be the case with the actual set up and usage of the product. The inside of the box is compartmentalised and designed for safe transit and easy access to the unit, the gas canister and the supplied syrups.

   Once unwrapped, the tall, sleek and modern design of the unit fits well in any contemporary kitchen. The accompanying basic diagrammatical instruction leaflet easily demonstrates the simple ‘click to open’ and ‘screw in to fit’ nature of the unit and the gas canister.

   Once put together the supplied water bottle is so easy to fit in place that our 9 year old could easily manage and was thrilled at the satisfying woooooosh and bubbling that comes from pressing the big button on the top the advised number of times (3 for fizzy and 5 for extra fizzy). Delving in to the range of syrups they are all easy to use, again with simple guidance on the side of the bottle and a handy lid that doubles as the advised measure. Once added to the bottle of now carbonated water the results are delicious! We tried the Cola, Lemon and Lime (both containing sugar) and also the Tonic mix and Zero calorie Lime that were sugar free. Thinking back to when we were children in the 80’s our memory was always of a beverage that had the hallmarks of ‘own brand’ cheaper drinks however these mixes are far from that – very much a premium tasting drink!

   Will it help reduce our plastic waste?

   One of the big benefits of a SodaStream is that it allows you to enjoy fizzy drinks and water without having to continue buying plastic bottles. What’s more, SodaStream PET bottles can be reused for up to 3 years, each one helping to eliminate as many as 1,282 single-use plastic bottles.

   So if you are looking to save money and your plastic consumption, the SodaStream from SaveMoneyCutCarbon might just be the answer to the question you didn't know you were asking!

   

   Disclaimer : We were sent the SodaStream to review but all thoughts and fizzy fun are our own!

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