How To Save Time Online

I begin this post with a confession...I am a smartphone dinosaur.  My mobile just about manages to text and make phone calls.  It is an app free zone.  I can't even Tweet on the go!  So unfortunately I am yet to experience the joy of using any time saving devices via smartphone apps.  I am so envious of all those phones out there with their technological bells and whistles, but truth be told, I am a little bit phobic about having one!

However, I am glued to my laptop on a regular basis and consequently save time using the internet to do various tasks from the comfort of my sofa (to free up more time for the fun stuff!)  It's not that long ago when, if we wanted some information, we'd have to head to the nearest reference library or pour through the Encyclopedia Britannica for answers.  Nowadays, knowledge is at our fingertips thanks to Google, IMDB and Wikipedia.  The time saved from this alone is staggering when we stop to think about it.  Also, the days of writing letters and walking to the Post Office to buy stamps and post them before waiting 2 days for them to arrive at their destination is virtually over since the advent of email.  But the technological era has also given rise to other ways of making the most of your time. 

One of my most used time saving sites is Quidco.  Whatever I want to buy, products or services, Quidco has a comprehensive list of stockists or suppliers complete with links direct to the sites.  This alone saves a lot of time spent Googling and researching companies.  In addition to that, they also feature special offers including cashback and voucher codes, so you don't need to shop around for the best deals, again saving valuable time!  They also feature sites such as Compare the Market and Confused.com which makes short work of trawling the net for insurance quotes.

Online banking is an absolute godsend for checking your balance, handling direct debits and making transfers.  My nearest branch is 17 miles away from my home so being able to manage my finances online saves me so much time.  No more queuing behind the elderly gentleman paying in his month's savings in coppers (that is actually what my dad does...so no disrespect intended to the frugal minded older generation!)

I do so much of my shopping online.  From everything from DVDs, books, gifts, music and clothing, online shopping saves time.  Not only do you get to browse entire ranges, back catalogues and new lines, you can get them delivered to your door.  I don't need to spend time scouring shops for specific items...I just search online and bingo! I also love being able to send gifts directly to their recipients...I don't even have to worry about wrapping and posting.  Hours of my time have been saved thanks to internet shopping.   More time for me!

The CBeebies website is my favourite tip for saving time.  Putting my nearly three year old son in front of the computer with this safe and educational website at this fingertips, means that I can get on with any other task in hand for a while.  He is absorbed, entertained and learning....I have a few minutes where I'm not being relied on for 100% of his attention needs.  Win/win!!

I love how the internet is constantly making our lives easier, maximizing our time and energy.  New initiatives such as the British Gas Online Account Management System, promise to make managing our utilities so much simpler, saving time online.

(Of course though, we must all be careful that we don't use all our saved time obsessing over making amazing boards on Pinterest or all our good time saving work will be undone!!)

This is my entry for the BritMums #BGSaveTime Linky, sponsored by British Gas. 

The Joy Of Swimming....Memories!

The Joy of Swimming 

As a child, we would always spend the second week of August on our annual family holiday. Back in the seventies, holiday camps were all the rage and the prospect of the hi-de-hi atmosphere would have me counting down the minutes until our week away.  One of the things that made my parents particularly excited was the prospect of unlimited use of the swimming pool.

My dad was in his day an amazing swimmer.  I think he modeled his technique on the legendary Olympian and Tarzan movie actor Johnny Weissmuller!  Dad would dive in at the deep end and swim silently under the water without making a ripple, before bursting to the surface of the shallow end where I would be stood waiting.  I remember the anticipation and the excitement, wondering when my dad would emerge.  Watching the bubbles as he squeezed the last of his breath from his lungs.  Trying to spot the silhouette of my dad as he made his way like a merman across the bottom of the pool dodging around the other swimmers.  I remember the pride that it was my dad who could swim an effortless length on one single breath.  He was my hero!

Swimming at the Seaside

After he broke the surface of the waves he would fling me on his back and give me a ride through the swimming pool.  I would pretend I was riding on the back of a dolphin as he swam with me clinging around his neck.  I felt safe with my dad.   Although I was never a strong swimmer myself and was nervous of being out of my depth in the water, I still remember my dad pushing me through the water like a torpedo as I reached for the side of the pool, stretching my fingers and holding my breath.  I loved the feeling of speed as I whizzed across the surface, leaving a wave in my wake.

Ready for the Pool.

My mum is one of those women who can breaststroke tirelessly for hours and never even get her hair wet!  She would elegantly and effortlessly clock up length after length, with her immaculately made-up face and styled hair daring the other swimmers to splash her.  As she bobbed through the water, rising and dipping, she personified both power and grace. My dad would never dare 'mess' with her swimming chi.  I can only imagine the wrath he would have met had he decided to swim underneath her and hoist her out of the water on his strong shoulders before tossing her into the water!

My childhood memories of swimming are vivid. I hope that my own children will be able to look back and remember the games that we play in the pool with them.  I am still not a strong swimmer as I totally lack the co-ordination to get to grips with an effective technique, but I do enjoy taking the children to the beach or to water parks.  Alton Towers and Centre Parcs have provided us with hours of watery family fun. Our Summer holiday this year is at a French resort with a Tropical Water Park. I have promised the children that we can go swimming everyday.  Kizzy is keen to practice her newly acquired swimming techniques.  I taught her to swim on holiday at Christmas and she's been doing well in her school swimming lessons ever since.  Freddy loves donning a little buoyancy jacket and is fearless when it comes to splashing around, going down slides and chutes and gaining the confidence needed for learning to swim.  Unlike my own parents, I may not be able to execute a perfect dive before negotiating 25m on one lungful of air, nor can I swim an effortless ten lengths without wetting my hair, but I can definitely help nurture a love of water in my own little ones through fun and play that will hopefully lead to a lifelong  joy of swimming.

My Little Mermaids in 2005

Brit Mums, British Gas and Energy Saving Ideas!

I am working with Brit Mums and British Gas on an exciting campaign to help educate about energy conservation.  The aim of the campaign is to teach children about ways to save energy around the home and in turn remind us all how to be more mindful of our own consumption.

My daughter Kizzy is 9 years old and very keen on green issues, so I've recruited her help to compile a list of energy saving ideas that are easy to follow, will save money and will reduce our carbon footprint.  Maybe if we all made a New Year Resolution to do our bit to save energy we could make a difference.  Involving young people in energy saving ideas is a great way to get them to follow in our carbon footsteps!  Children are never too young to be prompted to turn off the tap when brushing their teeth, or to switch off the light when they leave a room.

Top Ten Ways For Kids to Save Energy

1: Turn things off when they are not in use.  We don't need to have lights on in empty rooms, the TV doesn't have to be left on all day when no-one is watching it and laptops and other electrical devices don't need to sit on standby.  Kids make great switch-off monitors!

2: Turn your thermostat down by one degree.  You won't even notice the difference in temperature.  Set the timer on the heater to come on and off during the day rather than leaving it on all day.  When it's chilly it is tempting to crank up the heating...instead put on a jumper or jump up and get active. You'll soon warm up!

3: Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need if you are making a cuppa for your mum.

4: Be quick when getting food out of the fridge or freezer.  Don't be indecisive and stand with the door open letting all the cold air out!

5: Make sure you 'dirty out' clothes!  Can you wear those jeans one more time?  Does that jumper really need washing after just one day?  You can reduce the amount of loads of laundry done in a week, and you will help save money, water and energy.

6: Shut your bedroom curtains at dusk to keep the warm air in the room.  Heat escapes quickly through a cold window.

7: Have showers instead or baths.  Limit the time spent in the shower to under 10 minutes.

8: Keep doors shut to keep heat in rooms and stop drafts.  No standing on the doorstep chatting with friends either.  Invite them in or chat outside!

9: Recycle or re-use!  Be sure to think before throwing rubbish in the bin.  Can it be re-used or made into something new?  If not can it be recycled?  Think before you consign anything to landfill!

10: Don't leave taps dripping.  Always give the taps an extra turn!!

One great way to monitor energy consumption in the home is to use a Smart Meter.  British Gas is helping to launch a campaign to educate people about the benefits of having a Smart Meter installed. You can get all the family involved allowing everyone to see, understand and control their energy consumption.  You can see how to reduce the energy you are using and save money in the process.  The UK government has committed to reduce energy usage and has set a target for all UK homes to have a Smart Meter by 2019.  The accuracy that smart meters provide will make it possible to forecast energy use throughout the day, across the country. This means power suppliers can become more efficient in how they generate the nation's power, producing cleaner, greener electricity.

The Smart Meters have great benefits for home owners:

• Smart meters will transform our understanding of energy and how we use it forever 
• For the first time you can see how much gas and electricity you're using as you use it - and how much it's costing
• Knowing more about what you use will help you make changes that could save around 10% on your bills  
• Smart meters means accurate bills and an end to having to submit meter readings

“I'm participating in the British Gas Smart Meter campaign. Smart meters work with an in-home display to show how much energy you're using in pounds and pence. You can see how much you're spending by leaving your phone charger plugged in all the time, or the heating on at night. And when you can really see how much you're using, you can start to make small changes to become more efficient. Smart Meters automatically send British Gas readings so they represent the end of estimated bills! British Gas is committed to install 1.5 million smart meters by the end of 2012. http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-efficiency/smart-meters.html "