Category: Views & Ramblings

1. Homeschooling & staying connected

   Posted on 5:00pm Monday 23rd Mar 2020

   We are in week one of our homeschooling due to the Corona virus and my new "co-workers" are yet to figure out how to make a decent cup of tea.

   We are all adjusting to our new normal and we have already had multiple websites crashing, due to so many people logging on at the same time. It is interesting to learn how impatient we all are when we simply expect something to work.

   

   We are all so used to access to the world at the touch of a button. What with anytime-anywhere convenience, people crave immediacy and instant gratification while the always-connected nature of today’s world means that consumers – and businesses – expect to get things faster than ever before.

   A new study by promotional products retailer 4imprint, reveals the true extent to which Britain has become an impatient nation.

   Some of the stats are surprising .....

   • 84 percent of UK adults class themselves as impatient
   • Nearly three quarters (73 per cent) admit they have become less patient in recent years
   • 41 percent said nothing is more frustrating than wasted time
   • 21 percent put their impatience down to getting bored quickly
   • 18 percent said they are so used to getting things instantly from the internet they often expect it in every aspect of life
   • 13 percent said they hate waiting for anything
   • Three in ten admit they binge watch boxsets because they don’t want to wait to find out what happens next
   • 34 per cent cross the road before the green man appears
   • A quarter say they will hang up the phone if they are on hold for more than five minutes
   • 24 per cent will walk out of a shop or restaurant if there aren’t enough staff/ all the staff are busy, or menu hasn’t come quick enough
   • 21 per get frustrated if someone doesn’t text you back immediately        
   • 18 per cent never read to end of articles
   • Work is major cause of impatience
   • A third claim the pressures of modern life have made them constantly pushed for time.

   Can you relate to any of these? The research was commissioned following a surge in demand from businesses that need promotional products delivering within 24 hours.

   So with home schooling the children and working from home, I have a sneaky feeling that work "may" rise a little higher on my own impatience list in the coming weeks.

   We may have become an impatient nation but staying connected to our friends and family is important right now. Curbing our impatience and remembering to be kind in unprecendted times is what we all need to do. 

   This is a collaborative post.

    

    

    

    

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2. Festive home hygiene tips

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 28th Nov 2019

   There’s no doubt that Christmas is a fun and fulfilling family time.

   But for house-proud homeowners, it also brings a host of cleaning challenges.

   It’s tricky creating a cosy and welcoming domestic environment where family, friends and neighbours feel welcome — while ensuring that high standards of cleanliness are maintained for the duration.

   But if you want to implement festive home hygiene without feeling like a yuletide party pooper, here are four top tips.

   

   1. Food

   A mouth-watering Christmas dinner is a time-served 25th December tradition and the centrepiece of celebrations for many families.

   But a multi-guest meal that requires cooking different meats at their optimum temperatures and precisely timing preparation and storage of side-dishes is a logistical challenge that’s almost as complex as the software on Santa’s sleigh sat-nav.

   So it’s no disgrace to double-check official guidance on everything from trimming a turkey to storing leftovers — this Christmas advice from The Food Standards Agency should help.

   2. Tree

   Christmas is the only time of year when a delightfully decorated tree temporarily replaces the TV as the focal point in a family lounge or living room.

   And since even the toughest vacuum cleaners struggle to pick up pesky pine needles, it’s no wonder so may of us prefer plastic trees to their real counterparts.

   However, it’s possible to find a real tree that doesn’t leave an unbelievable mess — the Nordmann Fir and Douglas Fir look fab and hold their needles fantastically. You’ll find further tips on prepping real Christmas trees perfectly in publications like Gardeners’ World.

   

   3. Hand sanitiser

   Your home will hopefully experience an influx of festive guests in the party season and there’s every chance that you and your family will be coming and going more frequently as you finalise arrangements.

   This frequent footfall makes the environment crackle with Christmas energy, but also potentially gathers more germs in the home. And no one wants to be battling bugs and viruses when they should be pulling crackers and unwrapping presents. To battle this danger in festive fashion, leave some Christmas hand sanitizers from Mad Beauty in prominent positions for guests to use liberally — they’ll soon get the message.

   4. Keeping the floor clean

   Since Christmas falls bang in the middle of winters that are often wet and wild, there’s always the potential for dirt and detritus to be dragged onto your carpets from outside.

   The best way to prevent this is by making sure the kids kick their shoes off before they come in and investing in a tough floor mat to place outside and inside your door, offering a double layer of protection that keeps carpets pristine.

   These four festive home hygiene tips will help you keep guests and family healthy and happy as they gather round your hearth this Christmas.

   Do you have any festive hygiene tips? We would love to hear them! 

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3. The Snow Queen | Review at The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 25th Nov 2019

   The Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham hosts The Snow Queen for Christmas this year and we were lucky enough to be invited along for their press performance on Saturday 23^rd November 2019.

   

   The Snow Queen (not to be mistaken for a certain Frozen Queen currently at cinemas right now) is a force to be reckoned with. This tale is based on the original from Hans Christian Anderson, however is a modern day version of the classic story. If I am honest, it is not a story that I was overly familiar with but that didn’t stop me from becoming immersed in the story from the second the curtains went up.

   

   The Old Rep adaptation has the basis of most historical tales, and centres around good versus evil, but what makes The Snow Queen stand out is how the “bad guys” are still likeable characters. The Snow Queen has an underlying vulnerability that evolves as the story is told. Although her voice and presence are both strong and powerful in presence and delivery.

   Despite Letitia Hector playing a phenomenal role as the evil Snow Queen, it was Hader (played by Charlie Keable), her goblin sidekick, that was my favourite character with his bumbling charm that made me laugh so many times I lost count.

   

   The story follows the adventure of best friends Kai and Gerda but when The Snow Queen steals Kai, can Gerda rescue him in time and find her way through a whole heap of obstacles (and creative characters) along the way to bring him back home? We don’t want to ruin it by telling you what happens, but the cast were exceptional, with many of the lead characters playing multiple roles.

   

   The Snow Queen is on at The Old Rep until the 30^th December and it is the ideal show for all the family. Our youngest is 8 years old and sat through the performance, both engaged and fascinated by the story. We all enjoy the theatre and I think it is the first year that she hasn’t whispered relentless questions throughout the performance, showing how captivating the tale actually is.

   The Snow Queen is packed with songs, dance and plenty of family fun for audience, making it the perfect choice for a family theatre trip this Christmastime.

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4. Halloween Party Ideas for Grown Ups on a Budget

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 15th Oct 2019

   Need Halloween party ideas for adults? Start by setting a budget and creating an invitation list. Think through every detail so there will be no frightening surprises. Don't forget the Halloween music. Download a CD of spooky music and sound effects for Halloween party fun. Create decorations that are low-cost, and add a few decorations the guests can eat.

   Tips for Halloween Party Food and Decorations

   Ask each guest to bring a food item or finger food – enough to go around for everyone unless it's a big crowd. (Hint: A big pot of chili works great for a crowd and is perfect for cooler weather.) If the weather is warm, serve snack foods, a few easy appetizers and a variety of beverages. Use disposable dinnerware to make cleanup easier.

   Add one or two carved candle-lit pumpkins for "atmosphere" and make use of glow sticks (Department store Halloween aisle) to add a little drama after dark. To save money, homemade and store-bought sweet treats can double as some of the party decorations.

   

   Need a few more Halloween decoration ideas?

   Buy small Halloween party bags and fill halfway with wrapped candy or a few homemade cookies. Staple closed or tie with orange or black ribbon. Put a few bags on the fireplace mantel, a few on each bookshelf, and so forth. Display at least enough bags so that each guest can take one home at the end of the evening.

   Decorate for Halloween with natural decorations: Indian corn, gourds, clusters of bare sticks, tall grasses, and pine cones. A little fake cobweb (Halloween supplies) stretched over each cluster adds to the ghoulish effect.

   Black and orange balloons cost very little and make great decorations. Cluster 3 or 4 together and attach to corners of the room close to the ceiling.

   Put a handful of wrapped popcorn balls or wrapped candy in a basket and stretch a fake cobweb over the basket.

   Buy a bag of candy "body parts" (Halloween candy shelves) and place parts strategically on the food table.

   Cupcakes or cookies frosted and decorated with bats, spider webs and tombstones make ideal edible spooky party decorations that are low-cost. Draw the creatures, etc. or buy plastic party decorations.

   Make a spider web cake for an edible centerpiece. (Instructions in last section)

   Make a jack-o-lantern centerpiece cake: Bake two Bundt cakes and assemble together to look like a pumpkin. Frost with orange tinted frosting. Create a jack-o-lantern face with small candies as desired.*

   Halloween Costume Party Ideas

   For a cheap and easy Halloween party, try a hobo theme. Write invitations on scrap paper. Ask guests to dress up in hobo clothes and award a prize to the "best-dressed" hobo. Have everyone pitch in with the food: shepherd's pie, chili, tuna salad, or a bag of broken cookies. Bake a lop-sided cake or bake cupcakes of various sizes (some too small, some half-frosted).

   Halloween costume ideas from classic TV shows are good choices for singles and couples. The TV character idea can even be a costume theme for a party. Guests will have fun dressing up as a favorite television personality from the sixties or seventies (or later).

   How to Make a Halloween Spider Web Cake

   Making a spider web design on top of a cake is easy. The directions below can be modified – make a white web on a chocolate frosted cake, for example. Add a plastic spider to the web if desired.

   

   Bake an 8 or 9-inch round cake according to package directions.
   Frost the cake with white icing.
   Take a brown or black decorator gel tube and draw 4 concentric circles on top of the cake. (Chocolate syrup in a squeeze bottle also works well for drawing circles.)
   Using a table knife and starting at the center of the cake, lightly pull through the rings from center to the outside edge. Wipe frosting from knife. Repeat every few inches until the "web" is complete.
   Attach a plastic spider or two if desired, or make one that's edible.

   Successful Halloween party planning is easy and fun, and can fit any size budget. Be sure to make a list of all the things needed – paper cups, napkins, ice, and so forth – so that nothing is overlooked. Share the preparations for less stress, and be sure to delegate a few close friends to help clean up when the party is over.

   And have a frighteningly good time! 

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