Online shopping information and advice

Recommend Stethoscope for Medical School Students

2008-08-12T03:22:00.000-07:00

The new academic year is almost upon us and this years intake of medical students are preparing to begin their studies at Medical Schools up and down the country.

Documents instructing required equipment for individual schools and teaching hospitals will have arrived and some will be disappointed to see that the stethoscopes they were given as gifts when family members heard the announcement of being awarded a place are not recommended by the school and now face difficult decisions about which stethoscope to buy.

What Colour Stethoscope

Even serious medical equipment has succumbed to the frills of marketing and now top of the range stethoscopes are available in various colours. Classic stethoscopes are still very popular - the earnest black and chrome of Littmann Classic II remains a best seller both in the UK and USA.

Littmann Stethoscopes including Littmann Cardiology III the and Master Cardiology models are available in burgundy, navy blue, plum, chocolate and hunter green as shown here. On the Student Doctor Forum it appears that there is even a demand for pink stethoscopes

Whilst the sound quality, length and comfort remains a priority more and more medical students see their stethoscopes as fashion accessories - of course its their first personal piece of medical equipment that makes a visible statement about them and if choosen correctly and looked after should last many years.

A Stethoscope as a gift

Online Medical Equipment specialists Medisave currently offer free laser engraving with Littmann Stethoscopes ordered online and combined with the stylish colours it looks great! This also makes an ideal personalised gift

Top quality stethoscopes suitable for clinical practice and medical students at affordable prices are available from online medical equipment specialist Medisave both at Medisave UK and Medisave.net in USA

Love Peas and Harmony

2008-07-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

Summer festivals often bring the peace and love out in everyone. Rural activists mix with green campaigners and join hands with urban warriors in acts of human kindness. Tapping into this market has to be the highly imaginative cafepress business Give Peas a Chance who are offering an extensive range of pun tastic merchandise all playing with the similarity in pronunciation of peas and peace.

Anyone wearing a Peas on Earth logo immediately brings calm and happiness to the room.

Go on give Peas a Chance.

As the temperatures soar even the office needs a calming. This damning description of the revolting smell from a Subway Melt shows just how food can be trouble. Subway have managed to squeeze their foot length offerings onto every high street but it would be considerate if they were to refrain from selling "stinky food" such as the melt during early mornings. Either that or insist the whiffy offers are consumed on the premises and not be allowed to pollute workspaces.

Four by Four Bargains - Easy on the Gas

2008-07-11T04:06:00.001-07:00

Various recent events have seen the demand for 4X4 SUVs and off road vehicles plummet.

A combination of soaring fuel prices and tax penalties on some of the UKs most popular vehicles - family estate cars and compact SUVs (read freelander's take on the vehicle excise duty imposed on his Freelander and even an eye on the environment has seen a noticeable drop in the price of secondhand 4X4s as the market has become saturated with buyers choosing "sensible" economic smaller cars.

However some of these Sport Utility Vehicles have picked up the tag 'gas guzzling monsters' which is perhaps unfair. Modern engineering and designs have brought them in line with todays acceptable standards that consumers expect.

Motoring and motor sport specialist sites now have glowing reviews of some of the latest 4X4s on the road and its not just the versatility and comfort of the drive.

This review from Tiscali Motoring of Land Rover's Freelander 2.2 HSE TD4 reports its fuel consumption to be a not so thirsty 37 miles per gallon and is proving to be a hit in the US where even the American driver is facing excruciating fuel price increases.

One small note was the discovery that Autotrader only managed to squeeze 33 mpg during its testing of the Freelander bringing it in line with the Nissan Qashqai 2.0 Visia however the carbon emissions and superior safety of the freelander were in no doubt with its long list of primary safety features includes the latest Electronic Traction Control, Anti-lock Braking System and Land Rover´s unique Terrain Response™ system. Seven airbags - two full-length curtain, two front, two upper-body and a driver´s knee bag - offer invaluable protection should you ever need it.

Shopping for Jobs - Looking for a new Job Online

2008-06-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

After two years of selfless dedication to informing shoppers of whats up and coming, the best offers and where to get them as well as things to avoid it is surprising that no job offers or potential employment opportunities have arrived. It could be that this blog has no contact form and in this day and age of spam attacks only the foolhardy would put their email up for all to see and abuse.

If the mountain won't come to the blogger then I will have to approach the mountain.

Mirroring the shopping growth, online recruitment has also become a regular tool for job hunters and employees. The number of UK job sites offering vacancies with interactive questionnaires, cv submission and regular rss feed is growing to reflect the changing job market and even with the economic trends creating insecurity appear to be well populated with a wide variety of jobs in many different sectors.

Finding a new job is very much like shopping - both the employers and applicants want to know if they are a good fit or match, is the money appropriate, what about aftercare service, are there any guarantees are in place and as all good shoppers have come to expect what negotiations can be explored and perks thrown in?

When searching for shopping jobs the results returned reveal opportunities to apply for jobs as mystery shoppers. I dabbled with this joining Grass Roots Mystery Shopping three years ago. Not only was I sent to small local branches of Lloyds TSB in remote Devon villages to find they were not open every day but that the job involved completing enormous forms and writing detailed reports which when added to the actual mystery visit totaled 3½ hours - for twenty quid!

Well other than my tremendous insight into shopping I thought I should look to utilise my training in finance and checked out what accountancy jobs were currently available - the result? lots - but like a shopper hunting a good deal I remembered that a bargain is only a bargain if its something you wanted - and seeing the dreary positions for control accountants and book keepers I soon realised that it wasn't time for my return to that profession.

Top tips for when looking for a new job online:

Register with several online job sites
Select and review keywords carfully - locations such as "south west" will return Devon Cornwall and South West London.
Stuff your cv with the latest buz phrases and words - quality, proactive, communicator, team etc as the scanning and subsequent entry onto databases will favour these.

Happy job hunting.

Land Rover Freelander or true British Bentley - the drive of your life

2008-06-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Hats of to Mel B aka Scary Spice for letting it slip that she drives a Bentley whilst living in LA. Good to hear that in these uncertain economic times our celebrities are flying the flag for our precious exports.

Mel commented "While it's beautiful, fast and only for the rich, some hairs on the back of the neck still stay down" and asked.. "is it because it's four-wheel drive?"

Much as we love the Spice Girls number one hairy (Scary Spice) one has she not considered the usefulness of a four wheel drive on the flat, straight streets of California?

Whatever Next - All Terrain SUVs dominating the States? You only need to see this video clip that demonstrates the style and grace of the freelander in a variety of circumstances - driving conditions, terrains and challenges.

Well the "Shopping Info Guide" is hardly qualified to discuss the merits of four wheels - we touched on the subject of the exceptional tyres that allowed a Landrover Freelander to circumnavigate the world and following the recent Royal endorsement from Sara Phillips of the Freelander we decided to have a closer - if Land Rovers Freelander is the hottest selling compact SUV we think it worthy of inclusion in our guide to help visitors make and informed decision before they buy.

So what doe the Freelander offer that adds those extra thousnads to the price tag?

Safety first

The Euro safety report award the Freelander maximum marks on many of its critical tests

Comfort zone

The UK broadsheet newspaper The Independent's let its motoring journalist Roger And-Out take the Freelander 2 for a comprehensive test drive and the resultant write up was one that described the sheer comfort for both driver and passenger whilst off road and emphasised the smooth traveling whilst on the road.

All Round Performance

Finally the motoring institution Top Gear summed up the vehicle -
"The Land Rover Freelander is a capable SUV, with more off-road ability than its rivals and a more grown up mini-Discovery."

Fuel Economy - glug

Top Gear was the only review that offered the helpful suggestion that "Diesel engine suits it best, petrol version is thirsty" worth bearing in mind as we see oil prices continue to inexplicable rise.

Quick Simple & Easy Style Solutions - Bedding

2008-05-22T02:18:00.000-07:00

Barbie House Wiff a friend from across the pond picked up that we were running a set of features about home decoration - already looking at interior designs for windows - looking at both curtains and blinds and pointed out that a quick simple and easy way to give a bedroom a new look is to invest in a new bedding set as detailed in her post of the same.

Music to our ears - quick, simple and easy - but will it meet all of our four favourite criteria - is it cheap?

Quick trip over to our new found Euro Shopping Directory Elib to find a selection of online suppliers and to check what's available and recommended this listing a one stop shop for curtains, blinds and bedding.

Once you enter the world of home fabrics the choices presented are overwhelming and if your not careful you could easily find yourself ordering enough free fabric samples to assemble a patchwork quilt.

So Whats on Offer?

The fabric warehouse displays a wide range of bedding sets and duvet covers that are available for most of the standard bed sizes - single, double, kingsize and super dooper kingsize and no sooner than you can say "quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" you'll be arguing which of the styles you're going to order.

For those who shy away from using duvets in favour of more traditional bedding due to the notorious difficulty in putting them on we found this video - how to put on a duvet cover that may be helpful. For site link details opening times and directions see the Brownbook listing.

Coffee Confusion - Gold Blend Lid Scandal

2008-05-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

One for my coffee slurping colleague over at wordsaboutthings here - although I doubt he stoops to use Nescafe instant coffee in anything other than an emergency. This chap is so into coffee he recently wrote an entire post about the new Starbucks logo
and doesn't hold back when big supermarket names fail to deliver on their label's aspirational promise - Tesco's far from finest espresso.

These marketing men just can't help themselves - its better, new, improved, best ever, absolutely bloody brilliant.

Take Nescafe Gold Blend. Gold Blend Coffee has risen to be one of the most popular instant coffees found in UK households today. Ever since the nauseating "will she wont she" nescafe tv advert campaigns Nescafe Gold Blend has almost succeeded in maintaining its brand integrity. The words have lead a merry dance around trying out different positions on the label traditionally being displayed in a straight forward horizontal manner with occasional lapses of designers urges to rack them vertically but the lid has always been errm the lid. Until now that is.

See the jars above - the one on the right is the "proper" lid in the accepted non-gold mocha brown colour and has the words Nescafe written from left to right across the width of the lid.

Now check the left hand version....not only is the colour now a garish shade of gold (how crass) but the silly buggers have the writing wrong (in my opinion)

Maybe it is time to join the aspirational set and source a shiny new counter top coffee machine
and brew my own the way I like it.

Online Shopping - Can I be of assistance madam?

2008-05-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be great if todays interaction with the web when shopping online was more like the shopping in bygone days - a time when individuals served you from behind specific counters and assistants actually offered genuine assistance. Of course some top range shops do have dedicated knowledgeable staff that man counters - Harrods immediately springs to mind but on the whole shopping online is a lonely pastime.

Seeing the problems online shoppers faced a new breed of websites have sprung up that although hope to make money do try to inform and help customers. A typical independent site that is packed with "how to guides" and top ten tips features is JJ's Hints and Things. The breadth of topics covered is staggering - you may be looking for information about choosing stuff for babies such as suitable baby sleepwear and you'll find an entire nursery section crammed with tips and helpful suggestions.

Hints and things aims to have something for everyone and being focused on the home the site is organised in a room by room structure. Even the kennel is included in the garden and garage
areas.

It would seem appropriate to use the subject matter of recent posts here and demonstrate the functionality of helpful sites when choosing and buying home furnishings.

Moving around the different rooms on Hints and things you almost always find something that spurs you on to follow up - this feature in spare room explained how you can make your bedding stay in better shape and last longer and a workshop article gives a whole load of tips about choosing curtains and curtain fabric.

Throughout Hints and Tips there are links to recommended online stores and shopping price check sites where you can search for the best deals.

Save-Buck$ currently offers the facility to check the prices and delivery details on home furnishings and its recently revamped interior decoration and curtains section allows you sort through different fabrics and ready made curtains and find matching curtain poles all from the comfort of your home.

Don't forget that sites like e-bay and online classifieds adverts will have a continually changing range of hardly used goods especially with the fast changing styles and fashions of curtain and home furnishings offer and if time permits they are well worth checking too.

Venetian Blinds - Affordable Style

2008-05-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Following the previous post about curtains we were pleased to be in touch with JJ at Hints And Things who brought her site's excellent workshop - building, decorating and DIY section
which included a feature about choosing curtain fabric which seemed appropriate to the post.

Whilst on the site we couldn't help notice the prominence of features about using blinds as an inexpensive yet stylish alternative to fitting curtains.

Blinds Vs Curtains

Various types of blinds were discussed but as the summer approaches the versatility from a range of venetian blinds offered won over all - being able to let in varying amounts of light depending on the time of day and the position of the sun was considered to be vital to a blinds success and as described here venetian blinds achieve this well.

A close fitting metal blind can prevent daylight penetration as well as any black out roller blinds
whilst keeping a contemporary look to the room it's fitted in.

Another very popular choice for UK homes is to fit wooden blinds that don't entirely block all light but if well chosen can help keep a room bright and airy whilst offering privacy.

From the feedback on this How to Fit a Curtain Pole video we shall find and publish a series of how to videos which will cover the various pitfalls when measuring, choosing and fitting blinds.

Well Hung Curtains - Pole or Track?

2008-04-17T01:57:00.001-07:00

Well after following the video mentioned in last weeks post about making curtains its now time to consider how best to hang them. Checking other peoples homes it became clear that there was some choice in how best to fit them.

This feature in Ideal Home was of some help but barely scratched the surface - more focused on curtain fabric rather than the supports to hand them from

For a sleek look many choose to use slim curtain tracks - plastic curtain rail that is not visible when the curtains are drawn although fairly inconspicuous the tracks aren't very stylish whilst the curtains are open as they rarely blend in with the wall paper or paint.

Other fittings include curtain poles which hold large rings that the curtains then hand from. These are available in many different materials and styles - metal and wooden curtain poles and even specially designed poles for bay windows which can look amazing and lift the "old" bay window appearance to become a super chic space.

On careful consideration the decision is often about interior design. You may have spent a lot of time and money having double glazing fitted - new windows or a conservatory building to make your home look great from the outside so its just as important to consider the look and feel of the windows from the inside.

For many contemporary homes curtain poles offer a stylish and affordable solution to window decoration and are fairly simple to fit.

In the same way last weeks post included a video link you can check out this excellent "How to fit a Curtain Pole" video which explains what tools you'll need and give great tips for making sure the pole is the right length and fitted at the perfect height to suit your curtains.

There's also some more suggestions about which type of poles you may consider. Use a price checking site to get the best value curtains and poles
and investigate visiting factory supply curtain fabric warehouses and shops.

Top Tyres on Freelander

2008-04-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

Its unusual for the shopping online guide to stray into the "motors" territory - but a blog post caught our eye and suggested remarkable value for money so we thought we should share

This post on www.orlandys-landrovers.co.uk about a Land Rover Freelander using
Rangemaster Tyres traveling the equivalent of five times round the earth without needing to change them surely deserves a mention.

We've all been told countless times that "you get what you pay for" yet so often the temptation of bargain prices for re-mould tyres is irresistible.

At over a hundred pounds each these tyres clearly don't come cheap but if you "do the maths" you'll find that choosing cheap tyres can be shown to be a false economy.

Perhaps the Freelander itself was partly to credit for the outstanding durability of the tyres - it makes sense that a well balanced and carefully driven vehicle - it is the most popular SUV in Britain and if you know what to look for you can pick up a used model at a good price - see the Freelander Used Car Test information at AutoExpress

Investigations show that the Freelander Safety record in Europe is excellent and in its class the freelander has claimed many awards have been made for its economy.

Enough - let the Motor Press do their job and give the low down on Land Rovers top selling SUV explaining the pitfalls and the advantages of buying a Freelander

Supermarket Savings - Funny Price Lables

2008-04-11T06:20:00.001-07:00

Amazing offers spotted this week with funny price lables

A litre of Bells at Tesco is a penny cheaper!

And Sainsburys rocked the retail world by not even bothering to change the price in its recent price cutting campaign.

Amazing offers at prices that just won't budge. Thanks orlandy

I feel like a pair of curtains - pull yourself together..

2008-04-08T04:45:00.000-07:00

Doctor Doctor - I feel like a new set of curtains.....he told me to pull myself together.

You can buy new curtains ready-made, or make your own - this helpful Video How to make your own curtains will get you started

For a full range of curtain fabrics, ready made curtains and curtain poles visit Terrys Super Fabrics

Consider the following factors before deciding which option is best for you:

Choosing Curtain Fabric

If you make your own curtains, you can choose from an enormous range of fabrics, including the more unusual types and reducing the chance of finding someone else with the same curtains as yours!

On the other hand, ready made curtains come in many textures and colours, so there is heaps of choice if you can't be bothered making your own.

Curtains can be relatively simple to make yourself, but still require knowledges and a certain degree of skill. You’ll also need a sewing machine, unless you can stitch by hand.

It’s easier to buy curtains ready made, and on line stores stock an enormous range so you can choose curtains to that match the décor of your home. See this articled about interior design and the role fabrics play in home decoration
Ready-made curtains include the labour cost in the price, so obviously home-made curtains should be considerably cheaper. If you have a fixed budget, making your own will also allow you to splash out on more expensive curtain fabrics and perhaps pay for someone to professionally hang them once you have selected an appropriate curtain poles.

Tailor to your personal preferences.

You can customise homemade curtains to your exact requirements, which is especially useful if your house has non-standard sized windows. However, ready-made curtains are a good option if your home has standard windows, and you can customise them using accessories.

Curtain Accessories.

You may want tie-backs, pelmets, cushion covers and other matching accessories. Many stores offer an accessory range to co-ordinate with their ready-made curtains. If you opt to make your own, the accessories may be more difficult to make than the curtains.

Quality.

Ready-made curtains have a professional finish. If you make your own, the final look of your curtains is determined by your own skill. This may be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your abilities; if you are skilled, your curtains may look fantastic – but if not, they may look ‘home-made’.

Both ready-made and home-made curtains can look very attractive, and the best option for you depends on your own skills and requirements.

Land Rover April Fool?

2008-04-01T03:36:00.001-07:00

They're joking surely?

Is Land Rover in Deep Doo Doo?

No sooner had I researched and composed my findings for Land Rovers
but the news is full of what can only be a terrific April Fool Joke - The Best of British motor company is to be owned and run by Tata (India) Automobile Corporation.

Much uproar over on Landyzone - forum for Land Rover Enthusiasts and LandRover Club where there is a genuine feeling of loss. One thread started by a disgruntled Range Rover fanatic pronounced the news at the death toll for Land Rover and that he would seriously consider buying a HyJynx Jizz rather than support this appalling sale.

Forum members have even written to the BBC to ask that the company's UK origins are emphasised in past articles and any future reports broadcast and also include links to the UK website. "There was a time when working at Landrover had a special status but I can only think that the workmanship and quality that the brand became famous for is under threat. The least the British Broadcasting Corporation can do in these troubled times is show its full support"

While we watch and wait to see the outcome owners of these formidable work-horses can hope that the value of their vintage models and classic cars. Already sites are springing up offering authentic genuine Land Rover vehicles collected from around the world. With over 70 percent of land rovers ever built still running the re-importation of these vehicles looks likely to grow as British enthusiasts will want to ensure their firm stamp on Land Rover heritage.

Get Off My Land Rover

2008-03-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Great British Land Rover Vs Rest of the World

Choosing an all terrain vehicle - often referred to as SUVs - Sports Utility Vehicle should be pretty straight forward - go for the tried and tested and add a bit of patriotism to boot and it has to be Landrover every time.

Oh no - far from it. After many hours pouring over various web articles about what to consider when choosing a SUV it quickly became apparent that all terrain vehicle are not equal.

Key Questions:

Do you encounter extreme conditions such as snow, ice or mud? Consider the tyres required for grip.

How much off-road driving will you be doing? Plenty of ground clearance or the underside is a goner.

And many many more - Will you be using the SUV to tow a trailer or boat? How many people will want seating? How much stuff will it take how much space is there? The questions are endless.

I suppose the two essential areas to focus on are

Space - Look for an SUV that’s got the amount of space you need. There’s no point in being cramped or not having the space to shift stuff you want shifting.
Power - Don’t settle anything less than a 6 cylinder engine otherwise you’ve just got a glorified mini van with no power.

That means an SUV should not only look like an SUV it should act like an SUV.

Top banana advice seemed to concentrate on value for money - make sure you get the best bang for you "buck".

And that brings us full circle - to meet the needs of those who really need an off road work truck Land Rover seems to remain top choice - just need to find the best model at the right price.

A search on eBay returns a vast selection of models ranging from brand spanking new to old classics. No the place to buy a vehicle but looks top banana for spares and parts - also noticed the land rover owners magazine has plenty of choice for these

A search for car price comparison sites returned results for the usual price comparison suspects including the ubiquitous Kelkoo along with a list of car insurance checking sites. One site that has to get a mention is Honest John and although this site compares only new cars you've got to take your hat off to these guys - its almost as transparent as the Estate Agents who imaginatively named themselves - Easy Money.

Back then to trawling the small ads for a used land rover - this advert caught my eye which suggested a try before you buy day with the range of all terrain vehicles. After watching these videos of land rover experiences. These appear to be a smart idea for anyone trying to decide which of the various Land Rover models would suit them best and are available at nine centres throughout the UK.

Money saving credit card gimmicks.

2008-02-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

Martin Lewis - the man behind MoneySavingExpert.com operates an email newsletter to those who have visited the site in search of advice and registered. The range of financial savings featured is mesmerising - from get rich quick schemes, earning cash back whilst shopping at sites such as www.greasypalm.co.uk to finding the best insurance renewal quotes.

More recently the newsletter has urged its readers to consider the advantage of finding the best credit cards that offer cash back on your spending.

Of course some banks have no need to attract customers with such gimmicks. Coutts - the bank for the proper wealthy simply offers its prestigious cards to those with over a million pounds and its international arm RBS Coutts has chosen not to offer any such tawdry item as a plastic card instead perhaps it assumes that gold is the currency of choice for its privileged elite clientèle with offshore and international bank accounts.

Credit Card Commercial video

PC Help - Home IT Support For Online Shoppers

2008-02-15T02:23:00.000-08:00

Help with PC and Internet Problems - Home IT Support

As the public become more and more confident using the internet to shop online there has been increased demand for faster broadband connections and home wifi networks to allow multiple users to access the internet at the same time.

Keeping up with the latest technology can be a daunting task and the attraction of "total solutions" have an obvious appeal. Usually a total internet broadband service is a complete broadband package, offering maximum download speeds, a wireless (wifi) hub and online support.

Currently one in four consumers is looking to switch broadband provider in 2008. “Many consumers are afraid to switch in case something goes wrong”, said a product development director at http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/

If consumers were confident that the switch and the installation of new equipement such as enabling wifi connections would be done by a specialist then more people would benefit from using better equipment, faster download speeds and lower prices.

There has been a steady increase in home IT support services offering to support pc and broadband users. Prices vary with the service provided.

One of the most popular services to emerge over the past few months is to arrange for a single visit by a telecoms engineers ensuring that the switch is painless. The engineer often offers general pc help - tips and ticks so you can get the most from your home computer and new internet connection.

Affinity Credit Cards Support Charities

2008-02-13T01:57:00.000-08:00

Help Charities - consider using an affinity credit card whilst shopping.

From time to time the importance of the work of various not for profit sector organisations needs to be highlighted along with a call to encourage us all to contribute in whatever way we can.

Too often it is only after people have been directly affected by a condition do they seek ways to support charities and organisations that are working to raise awareness and improve the quality of our lives.

These organisations, many of them charities continually have to find new ways of generating and increasing revenue to support its work. Some such as the Blood Pressure Association are funded in a variety of methods including donations from pharmaceutical giants, the government/NHS, national lottery grants and attracting subscriptions and donations from members of the public who are affected by high blood pressure who want to be more involved with the work of the Association.

Affinity Credit Cards

The British Heart Foundation has generated a modest income with its affinity credit card and several leading cancer research and care charities are seeing the benefits of donations - usually a donation of between £10 - £15 when people first apply and a small ongoing % of their card spending.

Its not only healthcare organisations that look to these donate-as-you-shop credit cards for fundraising.

Ethical Banking

The latest range of affinity cards from the CO-OP offer a good selection of worthy organisations including WaterAid and The Woodland Trust along with Shelter and other ethical bodies under their "help the planet every time you think" that supports Greenpeace and the Ramblers.

The Co-operative Bank has launched its latest affinity credit card, with Friends of the Earth, offering a new and easy way to support the environmental charity.

As far back as 1999 the Co-op was well on its way to proving its ethical banking policies - Unlike most plastic credit cards they introduced ones that contained no pvc eliminating chlorides.

Spanish Shopping - Get more for your money

2008-02-08T04:38:00.000-08:00

€ delights

(Thats €)

I learned from the finance exchange that not only was the pound good against the dollar but being the EU rogues we in the UK are it was certainly worth considering a bit of overseas shopping getting more euros per pound. Low cost airlines can get you to cities like Malaga and back in the "off season" for less than £100 and hunting around for low season deals on hotels you can find some fantastic deals.

I also calculated that to visit Seville and Jerez it was cheaper by far to fly to Malaga and continue the journey on the reliable, clean and fast rail network than making a similar journey by UK rail to Stanstead Airport and fly with another carrier - Ryan direct to these Spanish cities.

Having discovered the wonders of El Corte Ingles department store during a brief stay in Malaga it was marvelous to discover this chain had a multi site shopping complex just around the corner from the hotel confortel seville.

El Corte had vast ranges of both traditional Spanish food and drinks a amazing low prices -

Sherry and Brandy
Manchego cheese with quince jelly
Jamon Serrano

It was very disappointed that on retuning to the UK online shopping via the El Corte website is hampered by a requirement to log in just to access the supermercardo pages. Once you have worked out how how to enter the site you can make a judgment about whether the prices offered plus freight cost make it a viable economic place to pick up the fabulous foods.

DoFollow - Work at Home Mom Revolution: Google Page Rank Update

2008-01-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

Try as i might I can't get this blasted blogspot template to allow dofollow in authors names and body of comments .

What's really irritating is there are blogspots out there that have manage it apparently using old "classic" templates see the following

Work at Home Mom Revolution: Google Page Rank Update

High Speed Broadband take the Broadband Speed Test

2008-01-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

UK Broadband Speeds to improve dramatically

In an attempt to remain amongst the leaders of the global high speed broadband market BT plans to install a fibre network that offers speeds 20 times faster than the average UK household connection.

The issue of broadband speed is much discussed with some crying foul of broadband marketing messages - see Ofcom warn providers about misleading UK broadband speed claims.

later this year, BT's Open Reach units will begin installing superfast fibre connections instead of traditional copper phone wires at a housing development in Ebbsfleet Kent. It will offer the lines to BT Retail and rival ISPs and media businesses enabling these companies to provide a host of bandwidth-hungry services such as HD TV and film downloads.

You can check your current download speeds with BT’s Broadband Speed Test

BT will provide the basic infrastructure and service providers will be able to build their own services on the back of it.

The move is welcomed by business leaders who last year warned that the UK risks being left behind in the high speed broadband race by countries such as the US, Japan, Germany, France and even Korea where new fibre networks are being installed.

The 100MB top speed available over the new fibre network is more than 20 times faster than the current average UK residential broadband connection, which Ofcom caslculates last year at hovering around 4.5-MB.

The top speed available in Ebbsfleet also ranks alongside speeds already on offer in Japan, Korea and the US and will keep Britain in competition with France and Germany where largescale fibre networks are to be built over the forth-coming years.

This project is just the start of Britain's journey into the next phase of high speed broadband. Last year Ofcom launched a consultation into the regulation of next generation access networks.

Replacing copper phone lines with fibre will hardly help those in search of cheap broadband will cost upwards of £10bn and many in the industry expect the country's next generation broadband network to actually be a patchwork of fibre, high-speed copper lines and wireless access in more rural areas.

BT hopes to be able to start installing fibre connections at all new major residential developments in the UK from this year and is in discussions with Ofcom as to what regulation is needed. It is reckoned that it is no more expensive to deliver fibre based infrastructure than it is to put copper lines in the ground.

In the meantime UK customers can still achive reasonably high speed cheap broadband service from BT - lets hope they strive to keep the costs for users of these new fibre services down.

More about uk broadband speed and here

Salt - read the lable.

2007-12-18T03:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner and the usual excesses of over indulgence are inevitable.

This year a clear message from the organisation Action on Salt and Health encourages us all to "Read the Lable" and be aware of how much salt we eat - both that which is contained in our food or the salt we add to it. Many peo,ple are surprised to learn that the main source of salt in our diet is in from bread and some breakfast cereals along with processed manufactured foods.

you can read more about salt and it's effect on high blood pressure here http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/health/salt_and_health/blood_pressure.htm

The salt we eat is sodium and chloride. Many food labels only show the amount of sodium although pressure from healthcare bodies is mounting to change this.

You need to multiply the sodium quantity by 2.5 to convert it to salt, sodium and chloride.

ie, 1 gram of sodium = 2.5 grams of salt.

A simple guideline is avoid foods that contain more than 0.2 grams of sodium per 100 grams of food and choose foods that contain less than 0.1 grams of sodium per 100 grams.

Ideally your salt intake should be less than 5 or 6 grams per day (the lower the better), which is one teaspoonful.

Learn about alternatives you can use instead of salt to flavour your food and maintain a healthy diet.
http://www.hearttalks.com/blood-pressure/no-added-salt-diet-lowers-blood-pressure/trackback/

Broadband internet - Christmas Shopping at the click of a mouse

2007-11-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

Get the right connections and get shopping online

Broadband internet connection has finally made its way to the local Telephone Exchange. A mesmerising array of packages are available but stick with thems you know - I plumped for BT Total Broadband which seems to offer as good a connection speed as other providers and they have thrown in a telephone call package along with a free digital tv recorder.

Christmas Shopping Online

According to the Squatdiddly Shopping Guide it is reckoned that half the UK will buy most of their Christmas gifts online.

It will be a boom time for those merchants who have got their online stratergies in place - accessible sites, clear navigation, effective search buttons and perhaps most of all to put their money where their mouth is.

Most shops like to claim they are the cheapest but with the ever growing selection of sophisticated online shopping comparison sites they are under constant scrutiny.

Perfumes are always popular presents to give and receive and checking prices online can reveal some outstanding bargains if you have a fair share of luck and perseverance. This wonderful Britney Spears Curious Gift Set can be snapped up for £12.88 at Perfume Point

And having just read this post about Digital TV changes now could be the time to investigate upgrading your TV - LCD, Plasma or even convert your pc - the wonder of broadband strikes again!

Toys 4 U - Latest UK Price Comparison Site Savebuckets.com

2007-11-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas time again and the TV is full of adverts for children's toys. With the arrival of Toy Superstores like ToysRUs, catalogues and extensive toy sections in many high street department stores it easy to suspect that someone, somewhere is getting a better deal on the toy you want.

Each year a Christmas a "must have toy" catches the news headlines. Images of sorry queues of parents standing amongst empty shelves looking bewildered and dismayed. They know that the rest of the family will think of them as BAD parents - how could they leave it until it was too late?

Help is at hand from savebuckets.com in association with the Toys Guide

Savebuckets is the latest UK price comparison shopping site that scrutinises hundreds of thousands of products every day, checking for the latest prices, new products and displaying top quality search results for what you are looking for.

No more running from shop to shop to find the latest toys - savebuckets.com will tell you when the toy is in stock and give you details about delivery costs and times as well as finding the cheapest price online.

If your ahead of the game you can even set up a price tracking alert which will automatically send and e-mail when the price of the toy drops below your "ideal" price.

This year I'm keen to grab a deal on the Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera - let the little uns shoot away without having to spend a fortune developing rubbish photos.

Savebuckets suggests I look in the Educational Toys section where the camera is available for under £60

I could snap it up now but with almost two months before christmas I'll try the price tracker - I've set two up for - £55 and £49.99 cunning huh?

Munching here and there.

2007-10-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

So the Pasty Muncher now has its own domain. After almost a year of languishing in the backroom blogs aka forums of itsmymarket the Munch Crunch has happened.
Still keen to persue the perfect pasty, Muncher can now be free of the restrictions that IMM had.
Check out Pasty Muncher where crusts are crumbled and fillings fingered.

Munch on Dear Muncher - The Pasty Muncher - Munching for you!