Pet Groups on Facebook

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Kirsty

I recently joined a few pet related groups on Facebook in order to do some market research and was horrified by the number of people putting rants and abusive comments about pet owners. Whilst I get that not all pet owners are responsible the majority are and I’m fairly certain we neither want or need this kind of abuse. Facebook used to be a way in which people could keep in touch and share information, now it seems to have turned into a soap box on which people get on to either insult people or air their dirty laundry.

A quote which I think that people should remember when they feel this need to criticise people is “walk a mile in someone’s shoes before judging them”. They also need to remember that they are not perfect either – no one is.

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Busy Busy

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Kirsty

Since returning from Sicily it has been non-stop, whilst I enjoy being busy sometimes it’s nice to be able to relax. Between working on sorting the house – redecorating etc, working on the garden and all the other things I usually do I barely have time to do things for fun. On the plus side at least am making progress towards achieving my goals which is a definite plus as it means that I am able to move forward in my life and I know that it is only a temporary thing being constantly busy.

I have also learnt how to manage my time better as a result of being so busy and how to prioritise more effectively. One of the things I am currently working on is ideas for re-branding a sun bed hire company who also offer red light therapy which I am really excited about.

So all aspects of my life are busy at the moment but I think whilst it is hard at the moment it will be worth it in the long run when am able to reap the benefits of it.

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Oh No, Not Again!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Kirsty

Am sure I am not the only parent whose kids are hooked on Gangnam Style by Psy, so you can imagine my horror when I learned that he has recently released another single. Whilst some will be relieved as it means a potential breather from Gangnam Style but it means another highly irritating song will replace it as their latest fixation. Whilst I am impressed that Psy is doing well as an multinational star in an industry that is largely dominated by America I wish he would write a song that isn’t quite so annoying.

I think that the last track that was this annoying was Crazy Frog. It would appear that every generation has 1 really annoying song. Whilst I appreciate that some people may love it – personally it not really my thing.

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Family Health Kick

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Kirsty

I am a little heavier than I would like as a result I have decided to try and loose a little bit of weight; my kids decided my workouts looked like fun and have now started trying to join in with them.

Whilst it is great that they are active and want to join in, it is a little distracting as they look so cute trying to copy. I have opted for a new tactic I will do a bit of exercise with the girls and then do my main workout when they are at school and playgroup or the evening when they are in bed.

I think it is a shame that so many children aren’t actively encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle, too many spend all their time in front of the TV or computer, I know that parents often want a break but why not encourage your child to go play outside (weather permitting) or other options like set up and obstacle course inside. If like me you have a wii find games where they have to get up and move – there are plenty of them?

At the end of the day by not encouraging them to have a healthy lifestyle you are ultimately putting their health at risk which is the opposite of what you should be doing as a parent.

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Networking

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Kirsty

At the moment I am attempting to build up my contact list, so far it seems to be going slow and steady. I am exploring both mainstream as well as some of the less commonly used sources. Any business owner will tell you networking is an essential part of any business particularly if like me you are trading with other businesses.

Many people head straight for your Social Media when they think about networking but it is limited in what it can do as most Social Media tends to rely on you already have some contacts to begin with; which is problematic in some cases. This is where you need to think out the box and look at other strategies in which to build up your contact list – whether this is attending conferences where your target market are likely to be. Purchasing databases of contact details is another but this is dependant on you having the capital to do this.

Another way is offering promotions to entice clients in and developing your portfolio and improve your organic searches. Getting involved in local events is another good way in which to build contacts. No matter what method you chooses to use to network it will require a lot of work and the results are not always quickly gained.

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Sister

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Kirsty

This is a book by Rosamund Lupton, I read following a recommendation from a friend when I mentioned that I was looking for other books that weren’t by authors I currently read and really enjoyed it. Whilst the overall tone of the story is rather dark, there is hope and love to lift the tone a little. It is about the events that unfold after Beatrice is told her sister is missing.

In terms of fiction I will read anything with a good story and this book definitely has that with a few twists and turns in the plot. It is far from predictable – nothing worse than knowing how a book will end before you get that far, when reading it for the 1st time. I can safely say I will be on the look out for more books by Rosamund Lupton and explore other authors, that I previously have never read; including other suspense authors.

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Romantic Weekend

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Kirsty

Instead of celebrating Valentine’s Day on 14th February many people are choosing to celebrate it on another day near it, as it is cheaper and many parents have found it easier to get a babysitter on alternative dates. So the question is why bother? Surely you don’t need 1 specific day to tell the one you love that you love them do you?

I wouldn’t have thought so yet it seems to be the norm to celebrate this day buying gifts etc. to be honest it seems mad but everyone does it. It would appear that most people feel obligated to participate in this commercial gimmick.

Ironically people seem to ignore the Valentine Massacre on this day, which is the antithesis of romance.

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Kirsty

This is a film that deals with the death of a parent from a child’s perspective. It always fascinates me when they do this kind of thing partly because it is a refreshing change, but I do wonder if it is an accurate portrayal. My reason for this is granted they may do some research into it but unless it is written by a child it will always have an adult bias.

It is queried but never confirmed if Oskar, the main character is autistic which adds to the complexity as he is shown to be an outcast the 2 people he relates to are his father and his grandmother so when he finds out his father died in the attack on September 11th it seems as though his world has been turned upside down.

I have to admit I admire the people who are brave enough to address these kind of things because not all stories are about glamorous celebrities or the extremes of society. I know that films are about entertaining people and the extremes are deemed exciting but things like autism or other disabilities including mental illness are part of life so when people address this without exaggerating it, it is a good thing as it makes people aware of them and hopefully encourages them to accept it.

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Winter Tiredness

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Kirsty

There are a number of theories that could potentially explain why people are generally more tired in winter. These theories range from a vitamin D deficiency, SAD (Season Affective Disorder) to the fact that we have the heating on higher which makes us sleepy. Other theories include being less active and drinking less water.

The self help advice available includes getting outside more and letting sunshine in through windows, drink more water, exercise and turn the heating down. Seems to me that it’s just common sense. If you see your GP they will do a blood test to ensure that you are not anaemic or that there is any other medical reason to explain the tiredness.

In 9 out of 10 cases if there are no other symptoms then they will advise the above.

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Vegetarian Food

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Kirsty

Whilst some progress has been made in the standard of vegetarian food but some of it is still like eating some kind of gross sludge.

A classic example was tonight’s dinner I got what was supposed to be a vegetable casserole – it was like eating baby food (have tried a few joys of having kids) I just don’t get why the standard of vegetarian food is so poor at times; are we not entitled to the same standard as everyone else?

At present a lot of the food I make from scratch is pretty good but eating out is sometimes problematic pasta and either cheese or tomato sauce gets boring after a while. From what I can gather in Derbyshire the vegetarians are in the minority so they need vegetarian food that is cheap and easy to store which is understandable as restaurants and other places serving food are businesses.

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