● Laura Thornberry ● Lifestyle Blogger ● London Based ●

AD| While it's convenient to have a smartphone, it's better to use a laptop for work and school. It's easy to carry around with you as you travel to your next destination. You feel better when typing things down for a project instead of having a tiny phone screen. Here are some of the benefits of having a laptop.

Lightweight to Carry

You can have a laptop backpack for carrying your notebook around different places to help you keep everything in order. A personal computer stays in one spot. You have no access to your documents on your desktop unless you have a USB card, email them to you, or put them in an online folder.

Whether you're stuck at an airport for a few hours or dealing with a long commute to work on the train, you take your laptop and take advantage of the WiFi access to catch up with emails and finish editing your work. Also, it's easier on the back if you have to move somewhere for a short time and don't need extra space to lug a desktop computer.

Easier to Power Up

When you have a desktop computer, you need electricity to run it. You never know if you're working on something and the electricity will go out. If you have a power outage while working on a document, you may lose the file or have to recover it from the last time you saved it. However, a laptop with a fully charged battery can last you for a few hours. Not to mention, it doesn't require so many plugs and adapters to get it to work.

A personal computer requires separate adapters for your monitor, keyboard, hard drive, and speakers. It takes up a lot of space and outlets in your room. However, a laptop needs just one adapter to plug into the wall, and everything else is built-in.

Better for Staying In Touch

When you're doing business, it's better to have a laptop. You never know if you need to get on a quick video chat call or go back in forth through instant messaging. You might have an interview, and the employer requests a video call. Laptops come with built-in mics and webcams. For most desktop computers, you need to purchase a separate webcam as well as a clip to hook it onto your monitor.

Also, you can do teleconferencing from anywhere that has a quiet space with a reliable internet connection. Having a portable computer can make it much easier to move around and still handle business from anywhere.

What other advantages are there of using a laptop?

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Completed all your last minute Christmas shopping? Need some inspiration for low-cost gift wrap ideas? Look no further!

Christmas present shopping is expensive enough - there is simply no need to spend a lot of money on your gift wrap ideas either as there is so many low-cost and affordable options out there - you just need to be imaginative and creative. Most wrapping papers will get binned or recycled as soon as the Christmas gifts are exchanged and opened, so realistically, you don't want to be spending loads of money on fancy wrapping paper, gift bags or decorative accessories. Let's take a look at 5 last minute, low cost gift wrap ideas for Christmas presents that will look amazing and won't break the bank!

1. Gift Bags

Gift bags are the ultimate lazy option when it comes to wrapping presents, but they can also be extremely affordable. They are also the perfect choice of gift wrap for larger items, or items with irregular shapes that may be difficult to wrap in wrapping paper. Using gift bags is also extremely useful when you are carrying/transporting your gifts. Whether you're going to a friend or relatives house, or they are coming to you, the recipient of the gift has a pre-made bag to take their present home in. Reusing and recycling your gift bags is good for the environment and a sustainable way of gift wrapping your gifts.

2. Brown Paper and String

Brown paper is a very simple, affordable, and environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional-styled wrapping paper. You can pick up rolls of brown paper very cheaply from a number of shops and supermarkets, making it a great substitute that is widely available for purchase. It's also a great choice for those would want to be more eco-friendly, as brown paper is recyclable and reusable. Once your gifts are wrapped, brown paper tied up with string is such a simple, cute and effective way to decorative your loved ones gifts. This low-cost gift wrap idea is very traditional, can make your gift stand out, and makes it look like you took a long time to wrap your gifts - when it reality, it didn't!

3. Ribbons and Bows

To add some extra decoration, extra sparkle and to give your wrapped presents that extra little something special, using ribbons and bows can take your gifts from 0 to 100 in no time at all! A nice ribbon or bow simply adds a nice touch to a finished package. It also can help you when attaching a gift tag or card to your Christmas gift, which helps you remember who's gift is who's.

4. Decorative Christmas Accessories

For those who really want to make their Christmas gifts stand out and look spectacular, adding some decorative Christmas accessories is the way to go. If you've decorated your gifts with ribbon or string, this will be an easy way to incorporate some additional decorative accessories to your gift. I'm thinking candy canes, pine cones, fake plants and greenery, and even some small wooden ornaments.

5. Homemade Wrapping Paper

For those of you who like to be creative, have artistic talents, or even have a little spare time on your hands, making your own homemade Christmas wrapping paper is a great way to make your gifts more personalised and more special. This would also be a great festive activity for those with young children in the house at Christmas time. All you need is a few rolls of paper and some arts/crafts materials, and you're good to go! Some of my favourite homemade wrapping paper design ideas include;

- Using stencils and stamps

- Painting on Christmas shapes and patterns

- Calligraphy and Typography designs

These affordable, simple and easy Christmas gift wrapping ideas will help you save money on gift wrap, and you will be wow-ing all your friends and family members with your creative and imaginative designs.

How do you wrap your Christmas presents? What low cost gift wrap ideas do you have?

10:00 No comments

GUEST POST | Getting a hot tub for the first time can be as nerve-wracking as getting a new kitten. It’s super-exciting and you’re looking forward to showing it off to all your friends but doubts can set in.

Am I adult enough to take on this responsibility? How do I look after this thing and make sure it doesn’t die? What do I feed it? Don’t worry, looking after a hot tub is easy and, although hot tubs aren’t as cute as a kitten, a hot tub won’t jump on you in the early hours demanding food, wee on the floor or pull down your curtains. But hot tubs, like kittens, do need a bit of looking after and so here are some tips for new hot tub owners.

Take a Shower Before Getting Into Your Hot Tub

Yes, taking a shower before getting into your hot tub is tedious and you may wonder why you need to go and stand under some water before getting into a big tub of water. But a hot tub isn’t a bath and it’s not there to clean you. In fact, your hot tub would much prefer it if you got into it clean so you don’t clog up the filter with sweat, skin cells, deodorant, body lotions and the general grime we accumulate on our bodies throughout the day.

Regularly Clean Your Hot Tub

Why does your hot tub need regular cleaning if you’re getting into it shower-fresh each time? Because keeping your hot tub clean will keep it in tip-top condition, so drain and clean your hot tub every three months or so, unless you’re using it daily - in which case, you’ll need to clean your hot tub every two months. When it comes to the filter though, that’ll need to be cleaned weekly. Filters are easy to clean though - just remove the filter, get a hose and spray the dirt off, dry the filter and put it back in.

Don’t Be Scared By The Mention of Chemicals

We get it, you didn’t think you’d need a degree in chemistry to look after a hot tub. All those mentions of chemicals, PH levels, water being too alkaline or too acidic, sanitisers and chlorine makes you wish you had got a kitten instead. Being jumped on at 4am with a demand for food would be far preferable than trying to understand, let alone care, what a PH level is.

But it’s fine. Don’t panic. If you bought your hot tub from a reputable hot tub retailer, they will have explained everything to you and, even if it all went over your head, you’d have been given an instruction manual with your hot tub. And if the instruction manual is double-dutch to you, a good hot tub retailer will have a decent after-sales service so you’ll be able to ring them for advice any time you need it.

These are just a few tips for new hot tub owners. Keep yourself and your hot tub clean and you’ll have years of pleasure from it. It goes without saying though - never take a kitten into a hot tub!

Do you own a hot tub? What other care tips or advice do you have?

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GUEST POST| Eating, sleeping and drinking can usually be found at the top of most student’s list of priorities. Students aren’t known for being flush with cash though, so although sleep is free, food and drink can make a big dent in their student loan or wages from a part-time job.

There are ways to get free food though and below we’ll share five ways everyone can get free food, not just students.

Mystery Shopping/Dining

Have you ever fancied being a spy? Then mystery shopping is for you. Mystery shoppers go undercover to report back on a restaurant’s food, service and facilities and in return you’ll get your meal paid for and sometimes a bit of cash on top. Yes, that’s right - you’ll be paid to eat. You don’t have to limit yourself to mystery shopping for food - all kinds of companies use mystery shoppers to find out if everything’s as it should be but as this article is about free food, that’s what I’m concentrating on here.

If you fancy giving mystery shopping a go and getting some free food, just Google ‘mystery shopping’ and you’ll find dozens of agencies you can sign up with. As an added bonus, if you take along one of your housemates in your student accommodation for a free feast, they’ll love you forever and maybe cook you something in return - meaning more free food for you! Just be aware though that you’ll be reimbursed for your food, not paid in advance, so remember to keep all receipts as you’ll need them for proof.

Shopium App

The Shopium app contains a regularly-changing range of items for free or heavily discounted at all the major supermarkets. Download the app and have a look at what they’re offering in your local supermarkets either in-store or online. If there’s anything there you like the look of, buy it, scan the barcode, upload a photo of your receipt and Shopium will reimburse you within a couple of days.

Olio App

The Olio app is like a Freecycle for food. People in your local community who hate waste give away their leftovers on Olio. When I say ‘leftovers’, I don’t mean you’re getting the scrapings from their plates but, for example, if someone’s got too many carrots in their veg box (which is every single person who’s ever had a veg box) and don’t have any horses nearby, they can offload them to a carrot-loving neighbour.

It’s not just local residents who are using the Olio app though. Restaurants, retailers and bakeries are all getting on board with volunteers picking up the leftover goods from the stores and uploading them to the app for anyone to claim. A friend of mine got a whole case of Hellmann’s mayo on Olio. True story.

Foraging

Foraging works better in the countryside rather than cities. You won’t find many blackberry bushes in central London, that’s for sure. But if you are in a more rural location or you fancy a day trip somewhere green, do a spot of foraging for free food that’s as fresh as fresh can be.

Although some things are easier to spot than others, e.g. blackberries or wild garlic, some things you will need to know what you’re doing before picking them unless you want to poison yourself, so take someone knowledgeable with you. Also, it’s a good idea not to forage on busy roads that have spewed exhaust fumes all over the bushes or had dogs going about their business on them.

Shoplift It

If you’re really desperate, you can always shoplift your dinner. This is obviously a joke. Do not do this. Do not steal your housemate’s food from the fridge either.

These are just five ways to get free food but, if you dig around, you’ll find plenty more. And, of course, there’ll be loads of restaurants, bars and cafes in your area offering student discounts as well as lots of ways to save money when you shop online.

What other ways have you got free food before?

12:00 1 comments

AD| A complicated set of procedures is always at the core of any business. These processes are especially ubiquitous and crucial in the manufacturing industry. From product development and creation to quality assurance and employee safety, each manufacturing business has its own set of procedures in place with distinct phases that demand attention and accuracy.

With so many of these processes running at the same time, it's easy to overlook a key step somewhere along the way. When avoidable errors start to occur, manufacturers need to rethink how they measure and manage processes throughout their enterprises. Errors are significantly more likely to occur if the company does not use good business process management software, so this could be the right option for you. Here are some of the benefits of using software for your manufacturing business.

Better Organisation

Organizing the specifics of each operation in a manufacturing organization might seem to be an insurmountable task. Many businesses struggle to keep track of processes that vary greatly in size and breadth and need a wide range of personnel, time, and resources. With so many variables to consider, it might be tempting to use a variety of different tools rather than searching for a holistic solution to get the task done. After all, how could a single solution be adaptable enough to meet every individual requirement?

A single solution may be "one size fits all" using highly adaptable process management software for manufacturing businesses. The flexibility to tailor each workflow to accommodate a wide range of demands enables firms to manage all of their operations, big and small, in any one location. Eliminating unneeded tools reduces the confusion that results from spreading information too thin and allows management to view cross-organizational data more clearly.

Save Money

It is difficult to detect whether a process isn't operating if faults aren't visible, and it may be tough for production managers to acquire an overview of the materials or resources they need to allocate properly. Manufacturing company software delivers a complete picture of administrative, operational, managerial, and inventory data throughout the organization, allowing you to effectively manage projects with real-time reporting. Your company will save money by saving time and resources attempting to obtain this information from numerous systems and by reducing waste, improving procedures, and profiting from happy consumers.

Streamlines Processes

In manufacturing organizations, inefficiency is a significant drain on productivity; struggling with clumsy procedures and manually contacting team members when they're required wastes valuable time and adds unnecessary weight to your firm. Inefficient procedures can cost businesses up to 30 percent of their income each year.

Accelerate things using software designed expressly for efficiency in manufacturing. A good process management system provides a plethora of automation possibilities, including the ability to start processes, pre-fill custom forms, remind co-workers to finish tasks as required, and more. With dozens of automatic checks, notifications, and updates ensuring that every step in the process is completed every time, increasing speed will never mean compromising quality.

What other benefits are there of using software in your business?

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