3 Reasons to Renovate Your Garden

Garden renovations are often put off because they’re ‘not essential’ but having a well-designed, usable garden space has a number of benefits. If you’re on the fence about starting a garden renovation and looking for reasons to make a start, you’ve come to the right place.

1. You’ll spend more time outdoors



One of the main benefits of renovating your garden is that it'll encourage you to spend more time in it. When you have a garden space that demands a lot of work and doesn't give much back, it can be easy to avoid it altogether. Spending time outdoors is so important, especially for children. Being outdoors encourages curiosity, and learning, and gives children a chance to run around. There are lots of children who have lost touch with nature and the great outdoors, so renovating your garden will give them a new safe space to explore.

Adding a garden room to your outdoor space can further enhance the benefits of spending time in your garden. Garden rooms come in various styles, from traditional summer houses to modern, contemporary designs. They can serve as a cozy retreat for relaxation, a workspace for those who prefer an outdoor office environment, or even a playroom for children to explore their creativity while still being connected to nature.

One of the advantages of garden rooms is that many designs fall under the category of permitted development, meaning you can determine the size of a garden room without planning permission. In most cases, a garden room can be up to 2.5 meters high and occupy no more than 50% of the total land area around the original house.

Being outside in the garden to relax or to work out also promotes better mental health and general fitness. So, whether you’re an adult or a child, renovating your garden will offer lots of benefits. Why not add a new lawn, a summer house or garden room or some flower beds that the children can get involved with?



2. You’ll increase the value of your house


Homes with a nice garden space are ultimately worth more money when they’re on the housing market. There are a lot of potential buyers that want their new house to be in an attractive, easy-to-maintain state and they’re willing to pay more to get it.

Adding high-quality features to your home like composite decking and porcelain paving is a great way to improve the value of your home. Composite decking, in particular, can last for up to 30 years and requires minimal maintenance so is a much more appealing feature than plastic or timber decking.

Investing in your garden means that you can enjoy the space while you’re living there and you’ll make money back when you come to sell the house in the future.

3. You’ll be able to entertain guests


Another great reason to renovate your garden is so that you can entertain guests more often! During 2020, we’ve had to use our gardens as meeting places more than we’ve ever done before.

While there’s hope that things will return back to normal in the new year, there are bound to be people who still want to meet up in their gardens for a little while longer.

A great way to make your garden ‘guest-friendly’ is to add a sheltered space like a glass garden room. This space will keep you warm and dry in a sudden shower and will even make it possible to stay out in your garden long after the sun has gone down.

Whether you have a simple dining table and chairs or a full sofa suite in your garden room, we’re sure you’ll love entertaining guests and hosting dinner parties in your new indoor/outdoor space.

So, why are you putting off your garden renovation? There are so many ways that you can benefit from re-designing and modernising your garden space.

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The Dangers Of Teen's Dating Apps And How To Protect Them With Monitoring Apps

The digital age has changed the realm of dating. Online dating sites used to be focused on engaging an older audience, usually 18 and over. Now there are multiple apps available for teens to arrange meetups with others online.

According to research from the Pew Research Centre, a quarter of teens surveyed had dated someone they met online. Moreover, 50% of teens reportedly showed they liked someone by sending a friend request over Facebook or another social site, and then liked and commented on their content.

While it's fun and exciting for teens to connect online via apps and hook up in person, some risks need to be covered and talked about with the teens living in your care. Moreover, parental monitoring apps can also help to keep your teens safe while dating online.

Grooming

teen

The NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) recorded in 2019 that 200,000 secondary school students may have been groomed online.

It's a fact that not everyone on teen dating apps is in the right age bracket, or frame of mind, to be on the app talking to other teens. And, predators can pose as a younger person online, to lure in teens to meet them in real-life.

By using a parental monitoring app, you'll have full access to your son or daughters online activity 24/7, from text messages to WhatsApp pictures. You'll be able to see if someone is grooming your child, and if so, you can alert the police.

Sexting

Teens on dating apps have the intention of meeting someone romantically. With the digital sphere being the centre of most teens' interactions with one another, it's common for teenage girls and boys to ask for, and send selecting images to one another. For instance, according to a recent study, 40% of teenagers have sent messages of a sexual nature.

The risks of sexting are plenty. Sexting makes the sender vulnerable and opens them up to serious consequences. For instance, the receiver might share the image online with their friends without the sender's consent.

With a parental monitoring app, you can monitor your teen's conversations and content. And take action if they have been prompted to send across a private image.

Validation

Teens may try to seek approval by using online dating websites, to feel attractive and confident. This can lead teens to become impressionable and do things asked by other online daters, to gain approval.

As with sexting, a parental monitoring app will help you prevent your son or daughter from responding to online advances, such as sharing the content of a sexual nature.

Harassment 

teenager

As mentioned above, not everyone on teen dating apps is there with good intentions. Some teenagers experience harassment on dating websites in the form of unwelcome, rude messages, and sexually explicit pictures.

Monitoring apps allow you to see whether your teen could be sharing too much personal info online. With this knowledge in mind, you can educate your teen on how harassment can extend beyond online interaction. For instance, if a teen has innocently disclosed their address. Or their social media page, for instance, reveals their most recent location. It could cause an online harasser to appear in-person.

Alongside alerting youngsters about the dangers of online dating apps for teens. As an additional layer of protection for your loved ones, using a parental monitoring app from Family Orbit allows you to observe your child's activity online. In turn, preventing and protecting your children from being targeted by groomers or harassment.

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Hassle-Free Tips To Make Your Next Move Fun

To suggest that the moving process can be fun might seem unlikely to some, however, moves are to be celebrated, because they mean that your life is moving forward and that a new, exciting adventure awaits you. Whether you’re going it alone or sharing the experience with a loved one, there’s a lot of fun to be had during this new adventure you’ve embarked on.

So, how do you eliminate all the dreaded hassle to lighten the load and make things enjoyable in the moving process? Well, check out some tips below.

Unpack Sensibly


Unpacking is where most of the hassle around moving is centred, so drumming up some solutions here is a good place to begin.

While many people move to better their prospects and fortunes, some downsides about moving are almost unbeatable – like unpacking. However, with the right tricks and tips, even this side of things can be done relatively easily with some fun along the way.

The first tip is to park well so that you have less distance to walk between moving vans and the property. That way, the process of lugging boxes will be far less taxing, and when you feel good physically, you’ll be more likely to feel good mentally and emotionally too. Minimising the exertion is a good idea and don't forget to keep your back straight when you lift to help avoid injuries. 

You should also take care to stack boxes in an orderly fashion, away from walls with the harder and larger stuff at the bottom. That way, the process of getting to your goods and arranging furniture can be done without things toppling over or needing to be moved yet again.

Yet how does this make everything fun? Well, with the irritable elements of unpacking removed, you can spend more time taking pictures and admiring your new place and less time tediously moving boxes around and getting grumpy. 

Get Storage Support




Whoever said that moving to a new house needed to be done completely alone?

For example, it’s a good idea to look into the services and storage prices provided by Safestore. They’ll ensure that the awkward ‘in-between phase’ of moving houses is as smooth and stress-free as possible, looking after the belongings you choose in their safe facilities until you have need of them. Location, length of stay, and unit sizes can all be flexibly arranged, so no matter your situation, you have some support if you need it.

Cutting down on the hassle of having too much stuff in your new home can boost your overall mood. When your home is less cluttered you will feel less stressed.  

Make The Most Of Friends and Family



Sticking with the theme of teamwork and unity, calling your friends and family for some help will undoubtedly give the mundane chores of moving a bit of sparkle.

When you and your friends are all unpacking boxes together and taking tours of the property, memories can be made. Take some snaps of before you move everything in and celebrate with a takeaway!  Teamwork always brings an element of spontaneity and creativity, and both can lead to good things that were previously not thought of. Maybe they can give you some design inspiration!  

Sometimes, moving can be quite a lonely experience when done alone, so knowing that you’re not alone in things can be quite freeing. When you have others to share the event with you, they can be a comforting presence, helping you move forward confidently without self-doubt and worry.

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Top Tips for Groomsmen Helping to Make a Lockdown Wedding Extra Special

On a wedding day, there are many essential roles for the wedding party. For example, the bridesmaids and groomsmen will have important tasks that they will undertake on the day to ensure that the day runs smoothly. 

bride and groom

Traditionally the best man and groomsmen tasks are undertaken by men, although I'm all in favour of a best woman or gent of honour! Obviously, with the current lockdowns and restrictions in place, it has meant that many weddings haven’t been able to take place or those that have taken place have been adapted. This is where the roles of the bridesmaids and groomsmen come in to help to ensure that the couple still has a fantastic day. 

In order to see how a groomsman can help to make a lockdown wedding extra special I thought it would be useful to outline the roles of the groomsman and how this will differ for a lockdown wedding. They have many important roles both before the wedding and on the day. So here are some of our top tips for groomsmen who are helping to make a lockdown wedding extra special.

Stag do

One of their most important roles of a best man or groomsman is to organise and plan the stag do. One thing to think about when planning the stag do is what the groom would want. With a lockdown in place, this will make it difficult to travel anywhere so you may have to be creative with your planning. Once the lockdown lifts and people are able to meet up then you could plan a stag do on a smaller scale, just remember that only six of you can meet up in person. You also need to think if participants can travel into certain areas. You could always look at doing a virtual stag do instead via an online platform such as Zoom, think of activities you can do online in your zoom session to make it more focused. Don't forget to get the beers in too!

Make a day out of suit shopping

Many shops and restaurants will be open again soon which means that it’s the perfect opportunity for the groomsmen to make a day out suit shopping. Although the numbers of guests that are currently allowed at a wedding are limited, it doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on the groom and groomsmen’s suits. This is a great opportunity to have a fun day out before the wedding and find those all-important suits for the big day. You could really make a day of it by going for a socially distanced beer tasting masterclass or brewery tour, or if beer isn’t your thing, then why not opt for a whiskey tasting class instead.

Night before together

The night before the wedding is an opportunity for the groomsmen to bond and spend the evening together offering any last-minute advice or help to the groom. Plan an easy meal together if you can, a takeaway is a good idea or socially distanced meal.

Roles on the day

There are lots of important roles for the groomsmen to perform on the day, from getting ready with the groom and doing any last minute jobs, to making sure the groom arrives at the wedding on time. It is the job of the groomsmen to meet and greet the guests on the day.  Obviously, weddings may have restrictions and may have limited guests at the moment but it’s still important for them to meet and greet the couple’s guests and make sure that they are seated okay. With current restrictions, masks need to be worn and hand sanitiser should be used by all the guests, so it would be the job of the groomsmen to ensure that everyone adheres to these guidelines.

Wedding receptions can still take place and this is usually one of the parts of the day that many groomsmen get nervous about, especially the best man as it’s traditional for them to do a speech. One of the best ways to get over these nerves is to make sure that you have prepared and practised your speech, make it personable and fun! All the guests will be enjoying themselves and no one will be critical of you, so just relax and make sure you enjoy it and make it fun for everyone else to listen to as well.

As the numbers for weddings are limited at the moment, something that the groomsmen can do is to set up a live stream for the ceremony so that people who cannot be there can still feel like they are part of the day. This will be really special for the couple especially if there are lots of people that they wanted to invite but can’t. You could even do this as a surprise for the couple to make it even more special.
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What Are The Best Budget Eco-Friendly Cars?

When it comes to buying a car as a family, you’ll want to get the right balance between cost-effective and safe. I’ve looked at various recommendations, from AA car insurance reviews through to newspaper comparisons and think that the following are some of the best you can get.

It’s important to note that if you are buying a new hybrid or fully electric car, you can’t expect to pick up a £500 bargain. These are technologically advanced vehicles, so they do come with a hefty price tag. Rather than opting for a luxury model, focussing on the more family-orientated alternatives should save you some money.

Electric car

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Compact but comfortable, the Toyota Yaris Hybrid gives you great value and even the base model is well kitted out. Though small, it still has five doors, meaning that baby and booster seats won’t need wrestling into the back. You can drive more than 50% of the time in electric mode, helping the environment on your necessary journeys.

Hyundai Ioniq

A mid-sized hatchback with at least 170 miles per full charge, this is a great choice for any family that wants to make a significant reduction to their carbon footprint. Not only is it available in hybrid formations, but also as a fully electric model; this is a car that comes with cost-saving benefits, such as no annual road tax.

Kia Kona

The cheaper of the two Hyundai sister models, the Kona offers great mileage, comfort and a family-friendly interior, while never losing sight of the eco-credentials it worked so hard for. Not awful in terms of insurance - as long as you’re not a new driver - this is a car that should last you a lot of years and without significantly depreciating in value as, in recent years, Kia has transformed its image from a budget brand into something of a major manufacturer.

Nissan Leaf Acenta

You can’t talk about budget-friendly eco-cars without mentioning Nissan. The company has taken the green mandate so seriously that it is now on its second generation of fully electric Leafs, or should that be leaves? Much more sporty looking than the first version, it appeals to car enthusiasts now, with an eco-conscious twist. Again, no road tax to worry about either with the Leaf and it’s a known entity, given that the original model was so groundbreaking and is still so popular.

Volkswagen E-Golf

We know that Volkswagen isn’t always the cheapest car option out there but bear with us while we explain why we included the E-Golf. Firstly, they hold their value well, so over time, it will be a more cost-effective investment than other manufacturers. Secondly, the Golf always has and always will be a great family car that doesn’t look like a traditional MPV, it just fits everybody in! You lose some boot space with this electric model, but nothing drastic and of course, the E-Golf comes with zero road tax.

electric car

It’s important to remember that many of these models are eligible for a government grant that will pay up to £3000 of the cost of a new low-emission vehicle. You won’t need to apply, as your chosen dealership will apply the grant to the cost of your vehicle automatically, though always check! You can also apply for a separate grant to help with the costs of installing a charger at your home. Up to £350 can be claimed, in a bid to make the switch from traditional fuel vehicles to electric alternatives more budget-friendly.

Are you thinking about swapping out petrol or diesel for electric now?

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An Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Best Home Stain Remover

Never give up on stubborn stains on your clothes when you have failed several times removing them. Fight back and remove those stains because your insight is better than their bond with the fabric. 


When it comes to removing stains from garments, many people think of expensive detergents and washing machines, however, you can clean without spending lots of money. Certain household objects are super cleaners and also super powerful to clean your clothes with minimum hassle. Here are some inexpensive stain cleaner ideas. Only use as an emergency when no other solutions have worked and not on delicate fabrics.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a common household agent which is used for many purposes such as cleaning floors and surfaces with a diluted solution.  It can also act as a detergent when there is a need to remove tough stains or spots like bloodstains. It can also remove the colour from a garment so only use on white fabrics. Always wear gloves as it's powerful stuff, and keep away from your face. 

It is very easy to use hydrogen peroxide to remove stains. Be sure to wear gloves,  apply a small amount of the liquid to the area of the stain and let it sit on it for 10 to 15 minutes. After that, dab it with a clean white cloth and then wash it off. There are many other ways to get rid of stains that are hard to remove such as bloodstains. If you want to learn how to get blood out of clothes.

Shampoo

You will be amazed to know that shampoo which is used for washing hair can be a part of your laundry room too. Just like toothpaste, the shampoo also has brilliant cleaning properties that lift oil stains from your garments in just a single application. Wash the required area with shampoo as you do with your hairs. Apply shampoo on the stain, dab it with your hands and then rinse it with water

Toothpaste



Toothpaste has lots of cleaning properties. Toothpaste has been designed to clean your teeth and it works in the same way for stains on clothes. To use it for your clothes, squirt a small amount of toothpaste and apply it on the required area. Let it sit on that area for 10 to 15 minutes and then when the paste has completely dried out, wash that area. It is quite possible that the stain will not remove in the first application, however, you will see it getting lighter. If you want to get rid of it completely, then you should repeat the above-mentioned technique as needed. 

Baking soda

Baking soda is a well-known cleaning agent that people often use on their face, floor, and clothes to remove stains. It is easily available in the kitchen in almost every house. If you want to see the best results, use it in combination with detergent. Baking soda is best for cleaning white clothes.

Use dish soap

You might have never heard of using dish soap (dishwasher detergent) for cleaning clothes. You will be surprised to know that the cleaning chemicals of the dish soap work as effectively as they work for dishes.

As mentioned earlier, these as last resorts, and should only be used where nothing else has worked. 

Do you have any stain removing ideas?

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