PROMOTION

Motherhood is something many women want to achieve in their lives. Mothers have a unique bond with their child. While being a full-time mother is a difficult job, some women take on more challenges by starting their own business.

Raising a child is not easy. It requires a lot of time and effort. As a mother, you also need support from people around you, whether it is from your spouse, relatives, or friends. All of these people contribute to the growth of the child.

The same is true with starting a business. You need to invest lots of time and effort to establish the business, especially if you are working from home, as this takes a lot of self-discipline. You also need support from a lot of people to ensure its sustainability. Here are some of the things to do if you want to become a successful Mompreneur.

  1. Establish a Plan

There are many businesses today, but only a few become successful over time. When you have a plan before starting it, it will make your company stand out from competitors. It also allows your startup to reach out to its target market effectively.

Make sure the plan is flexible enough to handle future problems or situations. You should be able to make changes when needed. Even if an issue comes at a short notice, you need to be able to adapt to the situation. Flexibility allows an entrepreneur to judge a situation and change the business plan appropriately.

  1. Earn Using Your Passion

The best way to sustain your energy and motivation over time is to create a company based on what you are passionate about. You can incorporate your hobby into a business concept to reduce stress.

Passion fuels the willpower of Mompreneurs to succeed in starting and running a business. If you are passionate about the business, there’s less stress that comes with being a mother and entrepreneur.

  1. Prepare to Work Odd Hours

Whether you are a freelancer, stay-at-home mom, or a working mother, proper scheduling is important if you are going to add entrepreneur to your title. Most of the time, working during regular office hours is impossible.

Most Mompreneurs work when their kids are at school or asleep. That gives them around one to three hours of uninterrupted time to work during the day. Some work at night, but that depends on how long they can stay up.

The schedule should be concrete so that there is no time and effort wasted during operations. It is also important to let your family in on your plan. That way they know what’s expected from them. You should find ways to complete all the necessary tasks to maximize your time.

  1. Reduce Distractions

Mothers deal with many distractions each day. When starting a business, it is important to try your best to minimize the distractions while working on the business. You should create rules on what to prioritize and stay disciplined in keeping up with the plan.

The best way to reduce distractions is to set rules and set things aside that will keep you from performing your tasks. However, make sure you have enough time for your kids. Don’t forget that being a mom comes before other roles in life.

One thing to keep in mind is that work doesn’t stop for a mompreneur. Still, you should be able to separate work from family. When working, put one hundred percent of your effort into it and avoid unnecessary distractions along the way.

  1. Make Sacrifices

Making sacrifices is a crucial part of becoming a mompreneur. There are instances in which you need to miss bonding with your kids during weekends because of business schedules. Other times you need to reschedule a meeting with a client because of a sick kid.

There’s no right or wrong solution to each problem that you encounter in the future. What’s important is that you determine if the sacrifice is worth it in the end.

  1. Get Inspiration from other Mompreneurs

Most successful Mompreneurs started their enterprise, knowing what they were getting themselves into. They got their inspiration from other mothers who successfully transitioned into becoming entrepreneurs.

You can talk with other entrepreneurs to get advice or look online to read about success stories. You can also look for mothers who failed at establishing their own business. Learning from the successes and failures of others can be helpful in the long run.

  1. Monitor Finances

It is important to monitor your finances before starting a business. Keep in mind that some ventures require little investment, while others require a large sum of money where they might need an assistance in term of borrowing extra cash from business lenders. Create a financial plan that shows where and how much you plan to invest.

Financial experts from just right loans suggest separating the business account from your personal account. While you might use your savings to start the business, make sure that you have separate accounting and bookkeeping for the company. This will be a big help during tax season as well getting loan from trustworthy lenders as professional business account improve chance of business loan.

  1. Have a Support System

Burning out is easy when you are a Mompreneur because of all the pressures and stresses that come along with running the company. The best way to avoid burnout is to develop a support system.

You can unload some of the time-consuming tasks at home by outsourcing them, for example, you can hire cleaners to maintain the cleanliness of your home. As the company grows, hire managers you can trust while away to take care of family matters.

  1. Know Why You are Starting a Business

Before creating a startup, you should think about the reason for starting it in the first place. Most moms create their own enterprises because of either financial needs or emotional needs. With the former, mothers want the profits to cover household expenses. Mothers want to fulfill their purpose or passion with the latter.

In most cases, mothers don’t become entrepreneurs for selfish reasons. There is too much at stake for them to risk the stability of their households. That’s why it is important to have a concrete purpose behind the decision to become a Mompreneur.

As you can see, the road to mompreneurship is not easy. It takes time and effort to ensure you can achieve your goals. Success doesn’t come overnight, and there will be heartaches and headaches along the way.

Being a mompreneur is like living a double life. Compromises will be made over time to ensure everything goes smoothly. Things might not always go according to plan, but it is important that you know what you are doing and do it well for the sake of your family and business. Knowing the secrets, we’ve shared in this article will help you on your journey to become a Mompreneur.

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It’s a bit of a standing joke in my family that I’ve only just realised that ‘beach holidays’ is a concept. I said to Bee once that I’d always liked the idea of just going somewhere hot, lying on a beach and not doing anything. “Umm yeah,” she said, “you mean a beach holiday?”

Oh yeah.

But even though beach holidays are pretty popular and I didn’t invent them apparently, they’re not for everyone. Not everyone likes just lounging about on the beach for hundreds of pounds – they’d rather do something a bit more exciting and stimulating. Bee herself doesn’t even LIKE holidays at all (bit weird) but even she might like one of these ideas if she had something to occupy herself with.

I’ve always fancied going on a holiday with more of an itinerary so I don’t have to plan everything and don’t have any of that holiday regret where you wish you’d packed a bit more in. Here are some of my favourite unusual holiday ideas that aren’t just lying around on the beach.

Feel Yoga in Portugal

Whether you’re a daily Yogi or you’ve never practised before, a yoga holiday can be the perfect retreat for self-reflection and self-improvement. Yoga can be a really relaxing exercise, so this can be a great way of using your holiday time to get fitter while clearing your mind and also learning a new skill to take home with you. Do all of this in a beautiful sunny location with Feel Yoga in Portugal. There’s also a spa so you can truly relax and unwind.

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PROMOTION

Whether you’re moving house or simply fancy a change in broadband provider, we all know we need to shop around for the best broadband deals and contracts. But what exactly do we need to look for when choosing a new broadband provider? Often we are roped into long contracts that we aren’t able to change, so you need to know that you’ve got the best deal and provider for you. Most of us usually don’t take that much time to search around for the ideal deal. We are more prone to going to one of the top ‘big’ brands, despite that fact that the best broadband deals can come from the most unexpected places. With a string of good reviews and a checked, reliable connection, you can find a fantastic deal that doesn’t come from the popular brands.

Here are some top tips to make sure you get the right broadband for your home.

Check what your needs are

Before you start, have a real think about your needs. Do you need super fast internet or do you only use it to browse the web occasionally? Will you be using it for work or just for pleasure in the evenings? Do you only need broadband or will you need phone and TV included in your package as well? Have a think about what exactly you will use it for and any broadband provider you speak to will help you put together the type of package that’s right for you.

Check the price

Obviously, a massive thing to consider is how much it will cost. Are you happy with the price you’re paying at the moment or are you changing providers to hopefully cut costs? Make sure you know exactly how much you’re paying for broadband now as if you let future providers this figure it might provide them with an incentive to beat the price with a cheaper quote. Make sure you know how expensive you are willing to go before you enter into any contract.

Check what deals are available

Christmas and Black Friday are great times to get really cheap deals from well-known providers, but it also can’t help to shop around further at any time of year. Use price comparison websites to check what sort of price ranges are available to you. If you have a mobile phone or television provider, check what deals they would be able to offer you by adding broadband to your existing contract package. It’s also worth asking around with family and friends to see if they’ve managed to get a good deal recently.

Check the reviews

While a contract may be cheap and offering everything you need, it may turn out to be too good to be true. It’s always best to look at reviews, either online, in magazines such as Which, or even ask family and friends how they find their providers are. As well as the broadband service it’s a good idea to find out what their customer service is like. Are they easy to contact? Do they fix problems easily at no extra cost? These are all important things to think about.

Check the signal

While a company may advertise amazing signal, when actually installed in your home the results may vary. Most companies have a signal checker on their website to make sure your area is going to get a good signal, but especially if you live in a rural location it can be a good idea to check with immediate neighbours to see which providers they use and if the signal is any good. After all, a consistent internet connection is going to be what is most important when it comes to actually deciding on a new broadband deal for your home.

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Today was the day that I was expecting the proof copies of my novel – Playgroups and Prosecco – to arrive.

I waited in all day, but then the postman came just as I was dropping Belle back at college in the afternoon and when I got back my parcel was outside behind the bin. Not the most salubrious of starts to my novel writing career, but potentially quite fitting with the tone of the book, plus it makes a nice intro to this post.

Once I’d retrieved the parcel from behind the wheel bin, avoiding falling into the green box full of empty cat food tins, I took it inside, into the kitchen, and opened it.

Inside I found these:

Playgroups and prosecco

They look pretty nice don’t they? Thicker than I imagined, but then I did write 95,000 words, (can you believe!), so I suppose they do take up space. I looked at them stacked for a little while. I liked the neatness of them. I imagined them on one of those tables as you go into Waterstones. View Post

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In case you didn’t know, this month is breast cancer awareness month. It’s a subject close to my heart because my own mum was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago now. Luckily she made a full recovery, and thanks to cancer research, when the signs are spotted in time the survival rate for a breast cancer diagnosis is one of the highest among all cancers. When spotted and treated quickly, the treatment process can actually be relatively simple and straightforward, but it’s so important that we all check our breasts regularly so we can spot any red flags that might come up.

Because we are generally more aware of what to look for when checking our breasts and more people check their breasts regularly than ever before, the survival rate has jumped from 50% in 1970 to 85% in 2018. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed in their lifetime but thankfully 691,000 are still alive today after their awful diagnosis.

A lot more info has been widespread lately about what we should all be looking for when checking our breasts, but are we really sure what we should be on the lookout for on a regular basis? It’s best to check your breasts as often as you can so that you get more accustomed to how they feel on a day to day basis and at different times during the month – this will be the easiest way to know if something is wrong. Everyone’s breasts will feel different with different lumps and bumps but the most important thing to look out for is any actual changes in your breasts. If you feel a new lump or something doesn’t look quite right it’s always better to be safe than sorry and make an appointment with your GP.

While you may think that odd and brand new lumps in your breasts might be the only sure sign of breast cancer. There are lots of other things to look out for. Everyone is different so any change in your breasts could either be harmless or a sign of a more serious problem. Things to definitely look out for: View Post

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If you have children and are looking for an innovative way to create a fun free-play and educational space for them but don’t have a lot of room inside then you might want to consider turning that run-down shed in the garden into a perfect place for the kids.

No matter your budget or size of the shed, creating a nursery space can be easy to achieve and this handy guide is going to provide you with all of the information needed to get started.

  1. What have you got to work with?

First things first, you need to establish what kind of space you have available. If you have more than one child who will be using the area then it’s a good idea to start off planning how you see them using the space and what kind of furniture you want to put in there. Is it going to be for drawing, so will there need to be a table? Might they want to have a snug space in the corner to read? If so you might want to consider making room for bean bags and cushions. Pick one of these garden shed plans to get you started or give yourself some inspiration.

Once you have a general idea of how you want to see the space then it’s time to head out and actually get into the shed itself. Most sheds are packed full of unused and unwanted junk and are typically used for garden storage so now is a great time to have that clear out you have been planning for months.

The great thing about clearing out is that you don’t just get to create more space for yourself, you can help others by donating your items, whether they are gardening equipment or even that bike you never got round to using. There are numerous local community garden projects that will take tools and garden appliances off your hands. If the items are in a really good condition, then you could always sell them online and use the funds on your nursery project. However you choose to do it, the goal is to completely empty the space so you can now access it for damage.

  1. Is the Space Functional?

The majority of sheds are mid-size and if they have not been properly maintained then you can experience rotting and damp to the structure. Whilst this is not ideal this can be fixed if it is not too severe. This project is best tackled during the summer months so that any repair work and coating that needs to be done had sufficient time to dry.

Make sure that the shed is elevated to keep the floor moisture free and with proper ground clearance, even in wet weather then you can be sure that damp won’t soak in this way.

A sealant is an investment you will want to make if there are any cracks or small holes in the walls, this is essential as it will prevent the wind from blowing through and again prevent moisture soaking through. The sealant can be painted over to make it look more attractive so you don’t need to worry about how it looks at this stage. The exterior can be initially coated in a permeant timber treatment which will penetrate the wood and keep it dry. You can use glass or polycarbonate sheets for these shed windows, either is appropriate.

Re-felting your shed is a job that requires a little bit of precision so it may be a good idea to hire a handy-person to come and help with this. Also if the shed doesn’t already have a window then now is the time to get one fitted in, this is really quite cheap and easy to install and will have big benefits as it will let in more natural light.

Sometimes disused shed can be completely unsalvageable and this is the time to invest in affordable shed storage from BuyShedsDirect, This is a site that offers an extensive range of options that will help you crack on with your nursery project (they also have a summer sale on at the moment!)

  1. Ingenious Interiors

Once you have secured your shed and made sure that it will stand the test of time. You are ready to start planning how you are going to decorate it – which is the part you have been waiting for!

There are so many themes you can choose and just to give you some inspiration there are some listed below:

  • Gender Neutral – By injecting a pop of colour like such as yellow you can keep the rest of the interior simple with whites and creams and keep the overall look edgy – definitely not boring!
  • Luscious and Tropical – Take inspiration from the beautiful summer weather and design a space that invokes a calm and relaxing feeling. Use vibrant greens and cool blues on the walls and why hang plant baskets from the ceiling adding to the lush green theme and a hammock for the perfect place to chill out while they read?
  • Native American – Get creative with tepees and animal print throws and rugs inspire by this fascinating culture. If Navajo niche is the look you are trying to emulate then make your own dreamcatchers and totem pole to add to the look.
  • Accent Wall – By keeping colours simple and decorating just one of the walls you can make a bold statement. Why not follow the hipster trend and design a mountain range mural on the main wall. Using deep greys and blues you can recreate a panoramic view and make the space feel bigger than it is.

Once you have put the finishing touches to your new nursery it’s time to see what the kids think. Not only does it mean that they will be spending more time outdoors but it gives them a dedicated space that they can use to follow their own play pursuits, meaning less mess in the house.

This project is really simple to achieve and can be completed within a week provided the weather is good so why not give it a go yourself and revamp your tired shed into the perfect place for your kids this summer.

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PROMOTION

No matter whether you are wine newbie or experienced on the art of wine tasting, wine tasting events can be lots of fun and are a great way to try and narrow down what wines you like and which ones you don’t without having to invest in a full bottle. For some, not knowing the proper wine tasting etiquette can dissuade you from going, so we’ve come up with the do’s and don’ts that you should follow when wine tasting.

Take Notes

When you are going to a wine tasting event, remember to take a pen and paper with you, or if you forget, you can always use your phone. Taking notes is a great way to remember what fine wine you love the most and which ones you were not so keen on. After you have tasted a few different wines, it can be difficult to remember which one is which. There is no need to write down lots of information, simply give the fine wine that you are tasting a score out of ten. Base your score on its smell, taste and appearance.

Try Something New

Wine tasting events give you the perfect opportunity to try out some fabulous new wines. We are all guilty of sticking to what we already know and like but if you are in another country then you can try out a variety of wines from different regions and who knows, you may find that you have a new favourite wine from a different country! Even if you think certain wines are not ones that you will like, give them a try as you could love them.

Ask Questions

When you are buying fine wine, it is important that you ask lots of questions before making a final purchase. Ask about its background and how it will be stored as you may need to store it in a wine cellar such as those provided by Octavian Vaults who store wine from merchants in 39 different countries. The host will know everything that there is to know about these wines, so make sure you take advantage of their knowledge whilst you are there!

Eat Something Before Hand

One of the big don’ts that you try to avoid when you are going to wine tasting events is to arrive on an empty stomach. Try and eat something before your wine tasting as it can quickly add up and you can end up drinking a lot more than you had originally intended.

Give Your Opinion

Many people tend to think that when they are wine tasting they will need to be positive in their feedback, however, you don’t have to hold back and you are perfectly entitled to give your opinion. Discuss what you think about the wine with others and when you are asked what your favourites wines are, be honest in your answer as this will help the match your taste with other similar wines.

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Are you in college? Then you definitely need more money. With loans, rents and other expenses beating at the door, the ability to make a little extra cash gives you a breath of fresh air. There are excellent opportunities for you to earn without damaging your studies.

The following ideas don’t require you to work 15 hours or more every week as opposed to part-time jobs. A flexible schedule will help you stay focused on studying. You will also understand budgeting as you walk you through the process of tracking your income and spending. Read on to learn 10 helpful ways to earn extra money.

  1. Selling Last Semester’s Books

Got some old textbooks that you don’t need for the coming year? Why not sell them?

Your college bookstore is not the best place for that. The cash redemption will be the lowest. Instead, consider the sites like Books Counter, WeBuyBooks.co.uk, BookScouter, or sale sites like eBay and Amazon. If there’s some fiction on your shelves, you can also turn it into dollars.

  1. Freelance Writing

Does your professor praise you for the writing assignments? Maybe it’s time to get something more than good grades for your academic papers. Maybe you want to try out a UK essay writing service? Try to work as a writer or an editor.

Other areas where you can monetize your writing skills are blogs, websites, newspapers and magazines. Just find your field of expertise.

  1. Starting a Blog

If you like the previous idea of freelance writing, think about blogging. You’ll quickly create a portfolio for the prospective clients to see. And it will give you a possibility to earn passive income from affiliate marketing. Here’s a short explanation on the latter.

A blogger adds an affiliate link to a product. Visitors click on the link and go to the site where they may make a purchase. If they buy the product, the blogger gets a percentage. The advantage of affiliate links is that they keep bringing you income as long as readers visit your site and follow the links.

  1. Starting a YouTube Channel

If writing isn’t your cup of tea, a vlog is an alternative way to get online income. Videos are more pervasive when it comes to marketing. People can see you playing a video game, trying out a face mask, or wearing clothes.

Both the written blog and video blog should have many subscribers to bring a steady income. The most followed YouTubers make collaborations with brands to design special products. It has financial benefits for both bloggers and businesses.

  1. Giving Campus Tours

Many colleges offer guided campus tours. Prospective students come to get an idea of campus life in a particular school. Other visitors want to see the historic buildings or sites situated on the college’s grounds. Being your college tour guide is an easy way to make some funds without a huge time commitment.

  1. Selling unnecessary clothes

Don’t want to wear that Zara leather you bought last autumn anymore? Or late-night snacks caused your skinny jeans lay in the wardrobe for months? Find a new owner for them! List your clothing items for sale on eBay.

ThredUp can help you to get rid of the garments you’re tired of. They accept good brands that are slightly worn. So, filter your closet.

  1. Becoming a Handyman

Have you ever mowed lawns, fixed leaky faucets or painted bedrooms? This experience may come in handy to you now. Visit TaskRabbit. People use this site to find someone who can help them with moving, home repair, yard work and other tasks. There’s always someone in the local community who needs a pair of extra hands. This can be a one-time chore that can help you pay for your Saturday night out.

  1. Tutor

If you’re in college, chances are that you have good knowledge of some subjects. You can help high-schoolers to learn Chemistry catch up in Math, Biology, or Foreign Language. Use tutoring websites to advertise your services online. Payment starts at $10 per hour.

If you show academic strength in your college subject, then offer help to your peers. Explain lecture materials. Help in paper writing or other homework.

  1. Taking Care of Pets

If you adore dogs, then pet-sitting or dog walking is the right job for you. As a pet sitter, you will care for the animals while their owners are away, either for one day or for longer periods. It involves playing with dogs, feeding and brushing them, and driving them to vets and grooming appointments. People can also ask you to clean up, water plants, or bring in newspapers and mail. These additional tasks mean additional money.

Dog walkers take doggies out, either individually or in small groups. If there’re any pups in your neighborhood that need to be walked, you could gather them together at the same time. Apps like DogVacay and BarknBorrow can connect with those who might want your services.

  1. Becoming a Graphic Designer

The big part of graphic design business is developing website graphics and logos. There’s a great demand for such services. As well as the competition. But it’s also possible to earn a good income by designing business cards, eBook covers, wall art, personalized gifts, t-shirts, and product packaging.

Use 99 Designs and Café Press to find individual clients and companies looking for a skilled designer. It can become your full-time job in future. If you start now, you’ll have an impressive portfolio after graduation.

These ideas don’t take a significant amount of time, effort, resources, or money investments. But they can give you more than some extra bucks. It’s the opportunity to assess your abilities in a particular sphere and your entrepreneur potential. Each of these options can be developed into a successful start-up. You can end up having a textbook store, providing city tours with local guides, or running a cleaning service. Just try!

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Today I’m going to talk about that which should not be named – online casinos (duh duh duhhhhhh). For years these have had bad press and recently many companies have been handed large fines for breaking the rules and allowing players to spend money from fraud, or to spend money from debt / selling homes and generally ruining peoples lives. Over the past few years the UKGC (the UK government body responsible for legislation) together with the CMA for advertising standards have been working together to clean up the industry.

Online casinos and slots sites are now much more responsible and much more player friendly than they use to be several years ago. Players can set deposit limits, take a break, have reality checks and they will soon be able to self exclude from every casino site in the country with just one click of a button on the new national GAMSTOP service that all operators must subscribe to.

In addition to this players also must now complete Due Diligence checks when they spend over a threshold to ensure they can safely afford to gamble with large amounts of money and to prove the money is not from the proceeds of any crime.

Another recent development that is really helping players is the new guidelines from the CMA that any stake with cash must pay into cash and then be withdrawal able, regardless of the status of any bonuses or wagering. This means players money will no longer be locked into casinos and it tips the balance towards to player who’s odds are still stacked quite high against the casinos.

So, who are the good guys? Are there any good guys in this industry? Well yes, there are Rose Slots is a new online casino aimed at women who enjoy gambling with slots and want to do so responsibly and safely. This new online slots site has very low default deposit limits, preventing players from accidentally spending too much and damaging there lives. In addition Rose Slots will have a very generous cash back on losses scheme and awards free spins for every deposit of £20 or more.

RoseSlots.com believes that gambling, like any other form of entertainment should be enjoyed for the thrill of winning big, but that this should be controlled so that players do not end up chasing losses and seeing the “red mist” of gambling. Let us not forget that gambling can be an addiction for some players and this is why Rose Slots is extremely careful and proactive in helping players to gamble responsibly.

Rose Slots will open its doors in a few months to women in the UK and we recommend if you want to gamble responsibly, this is the best place to play. Not to mention RoseSlots.com will have some of the leading industry game suppliers providing classic slots and new content every week for you to enjoy. So go on, give them a visit and see what you think, you will also win up to 500 Free Spins when you make your first minimum £10 deposit at Rose Slots.

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A toilet. A sink. A bath and/or shower. Our bathrooms are relatively easy to design and predict. And of course, when you have children in the house – the bathroom quickly becomes one of the busiest rooms of the house!

True, it’s not often a room we spend much time in. We don’t entertain in there like we do the living room, we don’t cook and socialise in there like we do the kitchen – nor do we really rest in there like we do the bedroom. The bathroom is a functioning room – which often means it gets neglected when we want to update our homes!

Bathrooms can be pretty boring places, and with so much traffic and daily abuse, it’s not always somewhere we want to spend money on either! So here, you’ll find a few ideas of how you can add a splash of colour into your bathroom, with every budget in mind.

Your toilet seat

Yes! It may sound silly, but buying and installing a new toilet seat in the bathroom – really makes a huge difference! There are literally thousands to choose from, and if you’re looking for a little colour then go for something that no one would expect. Purple, red, even green!

Who knows, a funky new toilet seat might be the push your little one needs to complete their toilet training. Check out this web site for a little inspiration.

The walls

Usually, white or maybe even blue! Or if your bathroom is stuck in a time warp then maybe even avocado green or a dull pink. You can easily drag your bathroom into this century and introduce colour in a wide variety of ways.

If you’re looking for a simple and straightforward way to colour your walls, then create a feature wall with a bold striking colour. Dark blue is usually a firm favourite with interior designers. Especially if your bathroom suite is white. You can buy paint that is specifically made for bathrooms, so it can withstand all the moisture and heat your family throw at it.

If you’re up for a real challenge, then why not update or add tiles to your bathroom walls. Around the sink, the bath or the shower – or even all around the bathroom – the choice of tiles available is incredible – so you can go for a colourful, Roman mosaic style bathroom or a classic monochrome tiled scheme – the choice is yours!

All the little things

If you’re not up for a bit of DIY, painting isn’t your thing – you don’t know anything about tiling and you’re like your toilet seat just the way it is, then don’t worry. You can still make little changes that will really make your bathroom pop with colour.

Why not invest in a new bathmat in your favourite colour? And once you’ve got that then why stop there? A trip to a local discount shop can ensure that your soap dish, toothbrush holder, soap dispenser, toilet brush holder and even bathroom bin, all match beautifully without breaking the bank!

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This post, as you may have guessed from the title, comes courtesy of Bee. It was inspired by the recent launch in the UK of Lottoz, an online lottery platform that lets you play lotteries from around the world from the comfort of your own home, or potentially in Bee’s case, you’re own library.

…

Lately I have been thinking about playing the lottery. I know that the chances of winning are basically zero, or 14 million to one or something, but there’s always this little part of me that thinks I really could win. I mean, someone has to win, right? And it’s never going to be me if I don’t actually play.

I just find it frustrating how much money limits us in what we want to do. I don’t really want much. I really enjoy my job so I don’t ever feel like if only I won the lottery I would finally be able to throw my apron to the ground and just walk out. In fact, even if I was a millionaire I would probably still do it, just because I love it. I wouldn’t even have to win that much money for it to make a big difference to my life, just enough to buy a one-bedroom flat with a bit of cash leftover would really be all I would need to keep me happy and put my money worries to one side.

But that’s thinking about it seriously. If I really did win millions of pounds, here are the things I would definitely consider buying, even if only for a fleeting moment.

A house with its own heated indoor pool, gym and library

I do have a gym membership for a gym that’s really easy and convenient to get to, but even so, I feel like I would definitely get up and go more if it was in my own house and I didn’t even have to get dressed before I went. The same with the pool. I really love swimming but hate swimming with other people around me peeing in the water and stuff. The same goes for a library. I feel like I would read a lot more if only I just had somewhere to keep all my books and a quiet place to read them in. Obviously I don’t think this would actually make any difference to whether I used them or not, and the pool and library would start collecting dust, but it would be nice to at least have the OPTION to better myself in my own home.

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Every three minutes a child with cancer dies in a developing country.

Take a minute to think about that.

In the developed world, a child with cancer has an 80% chance of survival, but in the developing world this can be as low as 10%. How can that be fair? Purely based on where you happen to be born, thousands of children are robbed of that most basic gift – the gift of growing up.

The irony is that relatively, healthcare is much cheaper in developing countries: while it costs £100,000 to treat a child in the UK with cancer, £500 can treat a child in Malawi. £15 covers the cost of a CT scan and £50 could pay for a round of life-saving chemotherapy for a child with cancer in Ghana,

This is good news though, it means that our help can make a big difference.

World Child Cancer aims to address this issue through sustainable solutions which increase awareness of childhood cancer, reduce misdiagnosis and support families that are being pushed further into poverty due to all the costs they have to bear. To promote awareness of their work and to raise funds to help reduce the number of children dying needlessly, World Child Cancer commissioned a photo series as part of their Stop the Childhood Cancer Clock appeal, working with photographer Andrew Whelan, whose images of his daughter Jessica suffering from childhood cancer moved the world last year.

The powerful photo series aims to highlight the incredible things children can achieve if they are given the gift of growing up.

Asha, aged 5, dreams of becoming a scientist when she grows up

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