Monthly Archives: September 2015

Money Saving And Heat Efficiency Benefits Of Modern Electric Radiators

As autumn and winter approaches with its colder temperatures, it is time to turn the heating on that you probably left off for most of the summer months. However, it may be that you are actually thinking of changing the way you heat your home, either because of the cost of your current system or because of its ineffectiveness. Could electric heaters be the answer? In the following article we will look at how at the benefits of modern storage heaters, despite the misconceptions you may have heard about this type of heating.

Larger Surface Area For Better Heating Capacity

Most people tend to think that all electric heaters are the same and that they are all 100% efficient. However, compare something like a 1 kW steam iron with a 1 kW heater. They both have the same level of heat, but if you try to warm up a room with a heater and then an iron, although they will both cost the same to run, because the surface area of the heater is larger, it is better at heating the room.

Targeted Heating

Have you ever noticed a draught in your house somewhere and not been able to find its source. It could be that a radiator you have is either in the wrong place or is the wrong size. As a general tip, no room should have a part that is over 13 ft away from some form of heat.

Though you may think that central heating solves this problem; there are downsides. Unless you spend the whole day and night adjusting each and every radiator in your home, the thermostat(normally located somewhere central like your hallway) is what controls the temperature of all the radiators. This means that often there will be radiators in bedrooms during the day that are heating them and costing you more money than necessary, if you spend most of the day in your kitchen and living room

With this in mind it makes more sense to have separate storage heaters from West Country Heating. That way, as there is no need for a thermostat,you can just heat the rooms that you are in when you are in them.

Cost Effective Heating

Although when you compare electric radiators to mains gas, you find that gas costs less initially; things look a bit different when you examine the cost over time. Gas boilers need to be replaced every 10 years, which is not particularly cheap and even before that they need to be regularly maintained and serviced which also can cost a lot of money as time goes on.

In addition, when you look at how much heat is lost from the flue in gas heating systems and the general inefficiency of gas boilers, you see how much better electric storage heaters are. If you do choose West Country Heating, when you are given a heating survey of your home you will also be shown how to properly read your energy bill and how you can save money b 20% and how to keep it low. This is obviously of great interest as most people have difficulty reading energy bills because they are laid out in a complicated fashion.

What To Know Before Challenging An Unfair Will

Dealing with legal matters of any kind is usually always stressful, as you try and navigate through an unfamiliar world and get the best result possible. When it comes to the matter of wills, the situation can often be fraught with emotion – not only do you need to come to terms with the passing of a loved one, but you then need to start sorting out the practicalities involved. Things only get further complicated if the will left behind seems unfair or unusual. If you find yourself in this situation, read on. Below you will find some information that could be of use; however, remember that it is always best to consult a legal professional such as those at The Will Dispute Lawyers before taking any action and that the law will differ depending on your location.

You can challenge a will prepared by a solicitor

There are several situations in which a will prepared by a solicitor can be challenged successfully. Under a family provision claim, if the person who made the will did not take into account the financial needs of their family, these individuals have ground on which to challenge a will, even if a solicitor drafted and witnessed it. Similarly, a solicitor’s opinion is not above questioning. For example, the court will consider all relevant pieces of evidence in determining whether someone had the appropriate capacity when they made their will. Just because a solicitor believed the person was sound of mind doesn’t mean it’s true.

You can request a copy of the will

If you are not immediately provided with a copy of your spouse’s or parent’s will, you are within your rights to contact their executor and request one. In the unusual event that they refuse to accede to this, you can contact your own lawyer and have them deal with the matter by sending an official letter to the executor, outlining why they must comply.

You may have to go to court

Although, yes, you may be required to go to trial in order to settle a dispute over a will, in most cases, this will not happen. Executors rarely want to deal with the costs and energy spent by doing this, so they will likely make an arrangement with you before it gets to this stage.

Time limits are applicable

In order to determine how long you have to act, you should get in touch with a local legal professional who can provide you with advice. If you don’t contact the executor within a certain timeframe, they may proceed with distributing the estate.

A number of factors will determine how successful you are

Every single case is different and your success in a will dispute matter will depend on a variety of variables, including the size of the estate, your relationship with the deceased individual, your financial positon, and the financial situation of other people named in the will.

Contesting a will can be a stressful process, but if you feel as though the document is unfair, then you are more than able to fight for justice. Be sure to understand the risks and costs involved and seek professional legal advice for further information. Good luck!

7 Questions For Choosing the Right Career Path

While it is now the norm to have two or even three major career changes during your working life, how do you know you’re on the right career path at any one time? The following seven tips are designed to help you figure out a career path that’s right for you.

1. What do you want to do NOW?

By choosing areas of natural interest to you, you’re more likely to succeed in your career. Also, we are constantly evolving and changing and what we like and enjoy at 20 will be very different to when we are 40 and 60. So focus on what feels ‘right’ for you now. If it doesn’t work out, figure out why and use that information to more clearly articulate your next move. Sometimes in life, we can only figure out what we want by experiencing what we don’t want.

2. Do you enjoy study?

Study is a fact of working life, irrespective of what job or career path you choose. However, the volume and intensity of study is vastly different based on what industry/profession or trade you choose. If you enjoy study, then you’re more likely to choose a more academic path rather than a vocational one. If you’d rather just get a job and get on with it, look into vocational education and training, which is designed to provide you with job-ready skills. Courses can range from days to years and cover a wide range of industries and roles. For more information on this, take a look at education providers such as Careers Australia.

3. What drives you?

One thing to consider in choosing a career path is who you are as a person. How motivated and determined are you, do you prefer to lead or follow, what do you value in life and do you feel you have a purpose or mission in life? Mapping out your personal values is one of the best ways to help you figure out a suitable career path.

4. Do you want to be a high flyer?

How ambitious are you? Where do you want to be in five or ten years? For some, climbing the ‘corporate ladder’ is key, while for others, making a meaningful difference and contribution in life is more important.

5. How important is money to you?

Money is essential for living, but stop and have a think about how much you really want and more importantly, how much do you actually need? If you want to make money, be prepared to work for it. If working hard comes naturally to you, your choices will be very different to someone who prefers a slower, less stressful pace.

6. Do you want to travel with work?

Do you envisage travelling with your work? If so, this can also help you articulate what career path to pursue.

7. Do you want work/life balance?

Your work/life balance ties back to the issue of how hard you’re prepared to work and how important money is to you. For example, if you have children or know that you want to start a family, consider how your job might impact your work/life balance. Even if you’re young and single with no dependants, achieving a good balance between work and play is important.

Choosing a career path can be challenging, but focusing on what you’re good at, what you enjoy and what you want now is an excellent place to start. If you’re thinking longer term, incorporate your personal values and drive to help articulate more specific industry and job choices.

Creative Activities for Young Children

We all know that children are naturally creative, but if you’ve ever wondered which activities in particular are great for unleashing your child’s imagination – look no further. Here are a few ideas to keep your children happy and creative for hours. Maybe along the way you’ll rediscover your own inner child!

Easy Origami Animals for Kids

With some basic skills and a little bit of imagination, origami can transform the simplest bit of paper into a sophisticated creature. A few folds here and there and you have a duck, a dog or a rabbit. Don’t worry if you fear that origami is beyond your skill level (let alone your child’s). There are many good origami kits for children to get you started, such as this easy origami animals for kids guide.

Storytelling & Illustrating

Encouraging your children to write stories as well as read them is a great way to improve your child’s writing and reading skills. Talk about what characters they like or ideas for events. Once you’ve come up with a story together, make a concertina booklet out of a piece of A4 paper and get your child to illustrate each section with parts of the plot. For a more guided way of developing your child’s creative writing skills, the Descriptosaurus Books by Alison Wilcox are a great starting point for putting images to ideas, and helping kids write creatively step by step.

Lego

Allowing you to construct whole cities, farms, space stations with little blocks of plastic, it’s no wonder that LEGO has endured the generations as one of the most entertaining toys for children. It’s a great way of unleashing your child’s imagination by giving them the ability to build whatever towns, vehicles, and houses they like. If you have more than one child, why not hold a spaceship building competition? If you’re feeling cooperative, build a city together. Just don’t get too precious about your model city and remember to share.

Painting

We all know that the most fun activities for toddlers are often the messiest – and it doesn’t come much messier than painting. So cover your tables and chairs, unleash the washable paints, and unroll the paper. You don’t want to just limit yourself to brushes: try hand painting, sponges, potatoes – whatever you can find. You might even end up with a pretty picture you can tack onto the fridge. Just make sure you have a good cleaning up policy afterwards.

Cake decorating

Messy? Yes. Yummy? Yes. It’s a dream combination for a toddler and it’s an exciting way of teaching them the all-important skill of cooking. Once you’ve baked a cake or a dozen cupcakes, the fun part of decorating can begin. Give your child a variety of options – food colouring, edible decorations, chocolate chips, hundreds and thousands – then let them go wild. For a more structured approach, work together to decorate your cupcakes to look like a famous children’s character or an animal.

Making Cards

One of the highlights of any birthday or Christmas is receiving a card with a smiley-faced stick figure on the front with the word ‘Mummy’ or ‘Daddy’. Making homemade greetings and birthday cards are as fun to make as they are to receive, and a great way to nurture your child’s inner Picasso. While you’re the designated scissor-cutter, supply as many decorations as you can spare — glitter, ribbons, felt tip pens, sweet wrappers, paint, stickers – and see what work of creative genius comes out. For a more professional look, there are many excellent card-making kits.

From cake decorating to easy origami animals for kids, there are so many creative activities that are not only fun, but also great for helping your child’s development. So the next time you’re wondering what to do on a rainy day – try any one of the above activities!

4 Things To Keep In Mind When Choosing A Family Medical Centre

Choosing a medical centre for your family is an important decision. It will be your go-to place when your children get sick, and for any of your gripes and aches as you grow older. It is vital that you find a place that makes you and your family feel safe and comfortable. Below are four important things to consider when finding your new family medical centre.

Make sure it’s clean

This may seem like an ironic point, considering most people equate doctors with health. But if you think about the amount of people and their germs that pass through those doors each day, and couple that with the many tests and procedures these patients are undergoing, you might start to feel a bit squeamish about touching the door handles and rifling through the clinic magazine stash. You want a centre that is cleaned regularly with hospital-grade cleaning processes. Ask the practice how frequently the space is cleaned, and who does it. If they don’t name a professional cleaning service like AMC Commercial Cleaning , walk away and keep looking.

Make sure they aren’t overloaded

The last thing you want is to join a practice that already has hundreds and hundreds of other patients. It can be hard going finding somewhere without a huge list of patients already, but it’s worth finding out, as it could mean you will face a hefty wait just for a basic consultation. Try and find somewhere with either a large number of doctors working there, or a smaller suburban clinic. These are your best bets for getting a quick appointment.

Make sure your doctor specialises in a relevant field

Even General Practitioners (GPs) have specialty areas these days, so when you are looking at which family medical centre to choose, look at focus areas of the doctors available to suit your needs. If you have a young family, you probably won’t need a GP specialising in geriatric care, just as your boys won’t need a GP specialising in women’s health as they grow older. Find someone who is a great match for all your family members. If you are having trouble finding one GP for that, then make sure the centre has a range of GPs that would be suitable, so you don’t have to pick just one doctor.

Make sure they won’t take an arm and a leg for payment

Even with health insurance, a visit to your local family doctor can be expensive. Shop around for prices, and make sure you won’t be sending yourself into debt each time you need a prescription filled. Find a centre that offers private health rebates, or discounts for a family consult. Don’t be too stingy, though. Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean they’re a good fit for your family.

These are just a few things to keep in mind when you are on the hunt for the perfect family medical centre. What did you look for when you chose your family doctor?

Tips for Mom’s how to stop spending on Live Online Casinos

Live online casinos games are fun. So much so a few minutes play can and often does run into hours. Time truly flies when you are having fun.

But at what point does endless hours spent watching a ball land, cards turned and wheels spin become a problem? If your online casino play is starting to interfere with your day-to-day life and all those important albeit mundane functions maybe it is time to curb your enthusiasm.

Similarly, if playing online casinos for real money is having a negative impact on your financial well-being possibly it is time to take steps to tighten the purse strings.

We have teamed up with the good people at Guts to offer some simple advice on how to spend less time and money playing live online casino games.

Time: It’s a simple fact that the overwhelming majority of people are winning at some stage of a live online casino session. However, we never and will never know the right time to up and leave. We tend to believe we could be winning more, or losing less.

Either the quest for more riches or the simple excitement of playing usually keeps us at the tables long after we should have upped and left. Putting an end to this open-ended playing window is vital.

Just as the serious online poker players do when playing at the cash tables, set yourself clear and defined time limits on your play during a session. Introduce targets too, and adhere to them religiously. ‘Thou shalt leave when winning X’; ‘Thou shalt leave if losing Y’, ‘Thou shalt leave at 2pm no matter what!’

This will give you a far better chance of finishing your session winning and therein ultimately allow you to play for longer (without needing to replenish your balance). That’s the two obvious bonuses, the third is good old plain and simple less of your valuable time spend on entertainment when it should be focused elsewhere.

Money: If your live online casino play is seeing you spend more money than ideal then a simple overhaul of your habits is what’s required. Do you really need to play with your ‘hard earned’ to get a thrill, or win big, or both? Most probably not.

Massive online casino jackpots are out there and few require the big-bucks to chase them. Likewise you may never need to make a deposit to have a lot of fun and you could still win big in the process.

Why not take advantage of a no deposit welcome bonus – see Guts Casino Welcome Bonus – and see what can be achieved.

The truth is we are habitual creatures and while we may be reluctant to change what we do or have been doing, a revamp of our habits, playing online live casino in this instance, can soon be readily accepted by our psyche.

My Guide To Tackling The Cold Weather This Winter

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I love my house because I have worked hard at transforming it into an amazing home over the years. Still, no matter how much I try, I can never seem to tackle the annoying problems that always crop up. And, now that winter is approaching, these problems only intensify. There is something about freezing temperatures that make them even more annoying. As you can tell, they can get under my skin! Luckily, I have researched and come up with a few tricks of my own that I am willing to share. The following should help your home in its upcoming winter battle!

Tighten Up!

The autumn and winter months are the time that you cannot afford any slack in your home. Before you know it, the cold descends and causes havoc. My favourite yet most basic tip is to assess the strong and weak areas. Obviously, the strong areas are fine. But, the weak areas need addressing. I often find that the windows are the main culprits. Cold air comes in through poorly fastened windows and hot air escapes. A slab of double-glazed glass should do the trick if that sounds like a relatable problem.

Keep The Central Heating Turned On

Ah, the central heating is a Godsend when the weather turns frosty. I honestly do not know how I would cope without it! Although there is nothing better than a warm house, heating plays another central role. As any plumbing expert will tell you, metal pipes contract during the winter due to the cold. Then, when they expand again they burst and water seeps everywhere. The heat from the water stops the pipes from shrinking and keeps them frosting over. You don’t have to keep it on all day, just for short bursts during the day.

Start A Draft

By draft, I mean a draft of warm air. Again, this is meant to tackle the pipe situation and stop them from freezing. By opening the door to the attic and roof or keeping the cupboards under the sink ajar, the hot air can get to the pipes. As a result, they can maintain a steady temperature.

Decorate Strategically

The style and tone of your interior design choices can play a big part in heat retention. Certain features and colour schemes are well known for reflecting and absorbing heat. For example, on the inside of your home it is wise to decorate with dark, matte colours during the winter. That way, the heat will not reflect off the surfaces and go to waste. Also, you want absorbing colours on the exterior of your property.

Repair Any Damages

The simplest and easiest method is to repair any obvious damages. Some are not easy to spot like the loss of heat from the windows, doors or roof. Some are that conspicuous you could spot them from space! A gap in the roof or a crack in the window needs repairing ASAP. Otherwise, you will welcome the cold weather in with open arms.

Hopefully, these little tricks will make your winter more comfortable!

My Guide For Helping Your Family Settle Into A New Home

Moving into a new property can be a very exciting time. The whole family will probably help you on the day, but then you’re left to deal with matters yourself. Settling in is often an issue when you have children. They will feel a little scared to find themselves in a new bedroom at night. There are lots of things you can do to make the transition easier. I’ll give you some helpful advice today that should help to improve the situation. All you have to do is use some common sense and try to make the move seem like an enjoyable experience.

Keep the children away on moving day

Young people can often find change rather stressful. With that in mind, you should get someone else to look after them while you relocate. They will only get bored and frustrated if you keep them around. You can welcome your children into their new home once all the boxes have been delivered. Those of you with a little more cash to spend might buy a premium professional service. Some removals companies will even unpack your items and set the rooms up as you request.

Sort their bedrooms first

It doesn’t matter if your living room and kitchen are sorted during the first week of moving into a new property. However, you’ll need to get the kid’s bedrooms sorted as soon as possible. You want them to feel comfortable in familiar surroundings. So, try to keep things the same as they were in your previous home. That way, they will find it easier to fall asleep at night. You can make changes further down the line when you perform alternative renovation work. Until then, you need to ensure your children recognise their bedrooms.

Buy them a new bed

There is nothing quite like falling asleep in a new bed. Experts at John Ryan By Design say the first time you sleep on a new mattress you always get a better night’s sleep. That is very true. So, investing in a new bed frame and mattress for your special little ones could be perfect. The rest of their bedroom will still look the same, and so there is no need to worry. The only difference is they will feel like they’re floating on thin air. Of course, that only lasts for the first few nights while they’re breaking in the new item.

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The only other things you need to worry about relate to meal times. You should try to keep the same routine you used at your last property. Make sure you erect your dining room table straight away, so you can still sit down and eat food together. Routines are important to children because they help them to ignore potentially stressful situations. So long as you can keep their minds active, they shouldn’t get too worked up in your new home. Maybe you should involve them in the process of decorating their rooms? Kids love to be creative and a little more independent. Just make sure you’re happy with pictures of Frozen characters on the walls because that’s what they’ll probably want.

How to Spruce Up the Garden & Outside of Your Home

When people think about how to improve their home, they usually focus on the interiors. But the outside of the home and the garden can be just as important.

Make the Garden a Natural Habitat

The big mistake a lot of people make when they change their garden is that they make it more generic and sterile. Your garden should be a natural environment, full of life. There’s no need to make the lawn look like a carpet or chop down the plants that you don’t like the looks of. You should think about what’s best for attracting new animals and insects to the garden. You can start by adding a good bird box. Then you could think about adding a pond to attract frogs and toads.

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Make Over the Garage

The garage is important to a lot of people. But it’s also one of those places, like the attic or the spare room, that tends to get filled with junk. This isn’t a good thing because it means you can’t make good use of the garage. So, start by going through the junk you have in there and throw away the stuff you don’t want or need. You’ll probably find that most of the stuff in there is pretty useless to you. You could also find a Garage Door Repair company to fix those dents and scrapes that cover the garage door. It’ll certainly improve how it looks from the outside.

Hire a Landscape Gardener

If your lawn is sort of all over the place and not where you want it to be, it could be a good idea to hire a professional landscape gardener. They’ll be able to give the garden a distinct layout that appears more focused and less haphazard. That doesn’t mean you can’t make the garden into a good natural habitat as I outlined above; it simply means it’ll be a natural habitat that also looks good! You could even ask them to incorporate a small area that could be used for growing vegetables.

Paint the Brickwork

The outside of your house is the thing that people will see first, long before they step inside it. And we all know how important and decisive first impressions can be, so it’s important not to have an ugly exterior to your home. If the colour of the paint on the outside of your home is out of date, you should repaint it. This is something you’ll have to do every few years or so anyway. Paint inevitable fades eventually, and it will start to crack and flake as well. That’s not a good look for you home.

Add a Sculpture

Your home and garden doesn’t have to be merely functional. You need some interesting and artistic touches to make it stand out as well. One of the best things to do if you’re looking to add something different is buy a sculpture. They look great in the garden and add something new. It doesn’t have to be something huge or expensive. There are plenty of options, so get out there and explore them.

My Pet Peeves: The Most Annoying Problems Around The Home!

As you may be able to tell by the title, I have a small list of my biggest problems in the home. I’m sharing this with you because no doubt there are people out there that can relate to my issues. So, sit back and enjoy my biggest pet peeves at home!

(Image via pixabay https://goo.gl/CD6LnP)

Creaky Floorboards/Stairs

If you live in a fairly old home, you may be burdened with creaky floorboards/stairs. It may not sound like a big deal, but when your kids are asleep, you want there to be no noise at all. One wrong step on your walk up to bed and a loud creak is all it takes to wake the kids up. Plus, creaky floorboards are amplified times a thousand at night time. When everything else is quiet, a creak can sound like a grand piano crashing down on the floor. What makes it so annoying is that it’s a difficult problem to fix. You’d have to rip up the carpet and change the floorboards, then re-lay the carpet. If you’re remodeling your house, definitely think about getting some new creak-less floorboards in!

Electric Problems

Any problems with the electrics in the home are the bane of my life. It can be very annoying when issues arise because we need electricity for almost everything. Power cuts are the worst. Being stuck in a home with candles for lights, it feels like you’ve been transported back a hundred years. One of my biggest pet peeves is broken lights or blown fuses. If you ever find that you have to change the same light bulb over and over, there’s probably a problem with the light, not the bulb! It’s a good thing there are lots of electric companies around, because I always need their help. Once or twice I’ve flicked a switch at home and then a fuse has blown and everything has just turned off. Thankfully, I’ve had people come in, take a look, and change out my fuse box so, fingers crossed, this shouldn’t be happening again!

No Hot Water

There are few things more annoying then stepping into the shower on a cold morning, only to be confronted with no hot water. Sometimes, this can be down to a water pipe issues on the other side of town that affect everyone. Other times, it can be because someone has been in the shower and used up all the hot water before you. Leaving you shivering away in a cold shower and spending hours curled up in your towel afterwards. I do have another pet peeve that links in here a little bit; people who flush the toilet when I’m showering. When they do this, it takes away the water pressure and the hot water. A double whammy to start off my day, great!

(Image Link: https://goo.gl/fck1gO)

Uninvited Guests

No, I don’t mean family members that turn up unannounced! I’m talking about animals that invite themselves in and around your home. Mice and squirrels can find their way into your attic and scratch around up there. But, my biggest pet peeve are other people’s cats coming into our garden and doing their business on my lawn! Why? Do you not have litter boxes at home? What’s so special about my lawn?!