by Olivia | Oct 25, 2016 | Featured, General
No more than a decade ago I remember my father being a complete irritant to us kids by singing the praises of the then unfamiliar superstore chain Lidl. As a struggling writer on a very small budget and a large family to support, he now explains that in those days it was a real ‘find’ as he was able to stock up on tins of food, cleaning products and bottled water and do a ‘man shop’ that my mother refused to do.
Nowadays it’s a different story, and the rich and famous are seen in domains such as Lidl and Aldi, glamorous wealthy ladies who just a few years ago would only be seen in the more upmarket outlets, and who are putting their image to one side and going for a massive saving on their weekly shop.
Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and even Asda are now having to rethink their strategy and their prices in the race to sustain their regular customer, as everybody is getting supermarket savvy whatever their income or budget.
In my quest to find out why Lidl was becoming so popular I have been doing my own research, and with careful selection, you can make a big saving on their meat and fish, with some great offers on kids clothes and even cooking items, not to mention their champagne. I would strongly advise you to stock up on the latter for Christmas even if you buy one bottle a week.
Like most people, I always imagined that their low prices were due to their dubious imports of fish and meat, which is why their recent television campaign has been so clever – putting to rest the public’s assumption that their fish was caught ‘in a ditch’ or their meat from some far off slaughter house. On the contrary, and I don’t know how they manage to keep their prices so low, but they compare favourably with any other competitor including the W chain.
But for those of you who prefer to ‘cross shop’ then make the most of the best offers in all the superstores and take a few minutes to plan by checking out the best offers as they do change by the week in all of them.
Ignore the ‘special offers at the end of the lines, as these are not always the best bargains, but stroll down each isle and watch out for their special offers as you go.
There are for instance some fabulous clothes for Christmas in Asda with their George brand and watch out in Waitrose as they add to their Essentials range with competitive prices.
Put your pride to one side and always check the last minute offers in all of the supermarkets, it only means that you have to use them up sooner rather than later, and good if you are entertaining or feeding a family that day with the last minute offers. I picked up some great desserts in Tesco last week at a third of the original price.
Hope I have helped guide you and saved you a bit of cash, that you can now spend on yourself. After all. every lidl bit helps. Sorry, couldn’t resist that one!
by Dee | Sep 12, 2016 | Featured, General
So I have more news on Princess Milly my new golden Labrador puppy who is now eleven weeks old. All has gone really well, but of course any new animal has to be taught to work around your life, rather than theirs. But easier said than done!
I was slightly over confident in declaring that I had managed to potty train her within a week as she suddenly decided that she had found a very convenient ‘bathroom’ under the arch of my kitchen/diner.
I persisted in lifting her outdoors and giving her a stern word of reprimand, and I was tempted to rub her nose in it as had been advised by an elderly relative, but when I tried this outmoded strategy, she just thought I was playing, and so decided not to pursue it. But when the pattern continued for a few days – I visited my friendly contact at the local pet shop who recommended a spray to mute the smell that was encouraging her, as she had now decided that this was the place to go.
This worked I am pleased to report, although we have had a few more accidents since, but more out of excitement than bad behaviour.
I have also made a few more visits to Pets at Home, just to acquire some more toys to distract her from biting my feet or chewing inappropriate objects!
One that I would really recommend is a Kong, available from £4 from http://www.petsathome.com which is a hollow toy that you can fill with her favourite treats, and will keep them occupied for hours, especially if frozen overnight – also good when they are teething. Yes, a result, and one that lessened the guilt of putting her in her cage to enable me to work or eat. Otherwise It is can be as tiring as having a toddler!
Also, once you decide on what brand of food is best for your pocket and your pet, you could add to their diet some uncooked meat bones, which they will relish and will again keep them occupied for ages.
The other decision you have to make – are you going to allow your pet to sleep in your room or on your bed? This has to be your decision, and I have opted to put her cage by my bed so that she doesn’t feel lonely as I mentioned recently! Other friends have opted to allow their dogs to sleep on the bed, with their own blanket to create their own area.
My compromise has worked well, especially after the first couple of nights, a bit like leaving a baby to cry!! But it is slightly easier if you know that their initial ‘cries’ are just to get attention, if you have fed and watered them and they have had a recent bathroom break. So please heed my advice, and don’t give in as they will quickly adapt.
A friend recently acquired a puppy and couldn’t cope after three days and sent him back to the breeders, having decided that it was too much like hard work. I sympathise, but was slightly perplexed that he hadn’t done his homework before deciding to go ahead – as it is a major commitment, and one that you should take seriously.
The main thing to remember is, if you stick to your guns you will reap the benefit in a matter of weeks, and make pet ownership a pleasure rather than a chore, and having your new little friend by your side completely worthwhile.
by Olivia | Sep 8, 2016 | Featured, General
With the recent incidents at a school in Kent which has made National news – whether we are parents or not, we are all now asking the question – how important is school uniform, and how far should we go in the detail?
The much publicised turning away of a number of kids who are not wearing the exact remit of the school in question, we are all wondering whether this is about the new Head Teacher stamping his authority, without any consideration for the well-being of the children or their circumstances or the good of the school
Whatever your views on school uniform, and I personally like the idea of kids feeling equal and non-competitive with their outfits, still feel that he has taken it too far.
One mother is a single parent, with a very small income and a child minder. She only ordered her son’s blazer two weeks ago as a result of his rapid growth, and is still waiting for its delivery. As a result, her son was turned away, without a thought for her personal circumstances or the availability of her child minder. Fortunately, the minder was contactable, but it could have had a less favourable outcome.
It is true that it has become more and more important for kids to present their latest pair of trainers or designer accessories as a status symbol amongst their peers at schools across the country, which we could argue is a sure fire way of encouraging self-conscious appearancism or body image. But how can we protect our kids from this type of media influence, when it is on every bill board, newspaper, magazine and television advertisement.
A very close friend of mine made the decision to send her son to a school with no school uniform. Her choice was made as the other local schools were not up to standard, and she was worried about the competitiveness of the kids with their clothing. But the opposite occurred, and most of the kids, without the pressure of their outer appearance, turned up in non-designer jeans and T shirts, without any reference to Tommy Hilfiger or Nike!! The education of the school performed brilliantly for her son, and he is now at University as a bright, well balanced young man.
Going back to our friend in Margate, would you agree that he was far too harsh on the first day of school, in sending fifty kids home because they were not wearing the perfect school uniform? Then doing the same on the second day with 20 children! Surely he could have given the kids and their parents a warning on the first day, and then carried out his threat on the second – a bit like we give most of our kids a second chance.
Or is this indication of the recent swing to the realms of unreasonable perfection, demanded by Dictators and irrational leaders – which can only end in failure.
So it is not about the flashy trainers and glitzy logos, but unreasonable rules laid down by an unforgiving Head – giving him his fifteen minutes of fame!
