How to Clean the House With Your Kitchen Supplies

Households cleaning products are not only expensive, you also need a lot of them and they are often bad for the environment. The good news is that for many cleaning tasks you don’t need them and can do as well, if not better, with products you already have at home.

Baking Soda

One of the best substitutes for cleaning products is without doubt the baking soda. A very useful ingredient for baking, it presents the advantages of being non-toxic, multi-purpose and cheap. To get rid of odours in fridges, cupboards and bins, place some baking soda in them (a bowl or box in cupboards and fridges and some sprinkle at the bottom of the bin before putting a new bag). You can also use it on a damp cloth to clean your kitchen surfaces then rinse with clear water.

In the bathroom, pour a weekly dose of baking soda in your sink and wash it down with hot water to avoid clogged drains. A paste made of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water can be applied for a few minutes on any stubborn stains before cleaning.

White vinegar

The acidic properties of the vinegar make it a great cleaner, especially for stains and grease. You can make a solution of half vinegar and half water to clean the fridge’s shelves and walls, or you can use it full-strength on a grease-splattered oven door. Keep the door closed for about 15 minutes then wipe it clean. In fact, most of the places where grease gathers can be cleaned with a sponge soaked of vinegar. Make sure you use rubber gloves when using vinegar and keep the windows open during and after the cleaning.

Get some more cleaning tips here.

How to see London on a budget

London is crammed full of historic, cultural and entertaining attractions, which vary from being expensive to completely free. Although staying in London is not cheap, there are a lot of easy ways to cut costs. Below are a few tips on how to see London on a budget...

Save on travel with an Oyster card

An essential for any traveller in London is to get hold of an Oyster card. They are valid on all underground, bus and some overground train routes. They are available from Heathrow or from any tube station. You need to put down a £3 deposit but you will get this back if you return it at the end of your trip. They are refillable at any train station and are a lot cheaper than paying cash fares. 

Get free accommodation with a home swap

Hotels in London are very expensive, so paying for accommodation is likely to be the biggest strain on your budget. A great way to save on money is get your accommodation completely free through a home-swapping site such as Lovehomeswap.com.

This gives you the chance to stay in a fantastic central location without paying an exorbitant bill – examples of exchange homes in London can be viewed here.

Buy food from supermarkets

Eating out can be overpriced, particularly for lunchtime snacks and coffees. Stock up in a local supermarket and prepare yourself a packed lunch before heading out for the day. Make sure to buy water too, as kiosks selling water at tourist destinations are expensive. If you do want to treat yourself to a meal out, there are places where you can get tasty cheap eats.

Brick Lane hosts a wealth of good value Indian restaurants and China Town has a lot of cheap venues selling Asian food.

Shop around for ticket deals

There are always discount vouchers up for grabs for most of the tourist destinations, so make sure you look out for them online. Also look for package deals. For example, if you are visiting the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kew Palace, you can get a deal through Historic Royal Palaces where you pay a one-off fee that will grant you entry to a handful of historic sites.

Make the most of free attractions

There are plenty of great free attractions in London, so make the most of them. The British Museum is full of interesting artefacts, such as the Ancient Egyptian section. The Tate Modern hosts the world’s largest collection of Modern Art and Tate Britain also holds plenty of important pieces.

There are also plenty of beautiful parks, which are great places to spend a relaxing afternoon. Head to Primrose Hill for a great view over London: there is a bakery and grocery shop at the bottom so that you can prepare yourself a picnic.

If you want to do some bargain shopping, there are lots of interesting markets. Portobello Road Market is a massive street market held on Saturdays. It sells clothes, antiques and tasty street food.

London is an exciting place to visit, but it can drain your bank account. By being aware of easy ways to save money, you can make the most of your stay in this wonderfully diverse city – and stick to your budget.

How to get a date

Though it’s nerve-wracking, taking the plunge and asking someone out on a date is a process that everyone has to go through. Whether the outcome is positive or not largely depends on the asker properly preparing the way. While random dating requests are likely to end in refusals, those who have built up a relationship beforehand can be more hopeful. Here are some of the best places to find a prospective date.

Source: Flickr

  

Work
Although fewer couples meet at work than they used to, it’s still one of the most common ways for people to get together. After-work drinks or job-related events provide a good opportunity to get to know someone and arrange a date.
Sex therapist and counsellor, Julia Cole, says that the ‘main advantage of meeting people at work is that they are more likely to have similar attitudes’ – particularly if the job is a vocational one. However, it’s important not to make the mistake of confusing a shared job with compatibility.

Friends
Meeting a prospective partner through friends is a classic introductory method. Indeed, researchers from Stanford University and the City College of New York report that most Americans meet their partners through friends – and have done since the early 1940s.
The great thing about meeting people through friends (and friends of friends) is that there’s no pressure. Relationships can develop naturally, as people slowly get to know the other person. Situations can also be manufactured by those eager to match-make.

Source: Flickr

  
Online dating
Nowadays, online dating is firmly in the mainstream, with more than six million Brits happy to pay to use the services of internet-based dating agencies. Understandably, the numbers joining free sites such as jazzedfreedating.co.uk are even higher. This rise is partly due to the ever-increasing ease with which people can access a ready-made pool of singletons. Joining a site and creating a profile takes a matter of minutes – take a tour to see.
A study reported in Psych Central points out that contrary to what many people think, people who are more ‘sociable are more likely to use Internet dating services than are those who are less sociable’. It also found that those who have high self-esteem and consider romantic relationships an important component of a happy life are also more likely to use online dating sites.

Source: Flickr

For maximum effect, singletons should try the sites when the temperatures outside are at their lowest. According to the BBC, online dating agencies are their busiest during the winter months and at times when the weather is particularly dire.

Resource box
Daily Mail
Revealing the five secrets of compatible couples
Telegraph
London's top ten dates
Glamour
Dating tips from Wimbledon WAG Kim Sears

How to find a good international school

When choosing an international school, most parents will be looking for the same things. They will want their children to be happy, to make friends and to feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

While it may be daunting for your child to begin an education in a new country, international schools often offer a rich and transformative learning experience. Your child will be able to learn alongside students from many different backgrounds and cultures, gaining knowledge which will serve them well for years to come.

It is a good idea to plan visits to international schools in your chosen area, so that you and your child can get a feel for each place before making a decision. Here are some key considerations to make to ensure that, whichever school you settle on, it’ll be the right one.

Your child

Any school you choose will likely have a big influence on how your child develops, therefore it’s important to consider the student body of each school when making a decision. On visiting each school, pay attention to whether the students seem happy to be there as well as how much support they are given inside the classroom.

You may also want to enquire about individual counselling options for extra support for your child.

Many international schools have schedules of planned activities to assist students in beginning stages of the academic year. You’ll be able to find out more about these by visiting the schools and talking to staff members. You can also find out how big class sizes are and how often you’ll be updated about your child’s progress at the school.

The curriculum

From those who are looking for diploma programmes to those who want to find an International Baccalaureate programme at a school such as www.icschool.co.uk, the number one concern when choosing an IB school will be the type of courses offered. Depending on what stage your child is at in their education, you will be able to gather specific information about what’s on offer when you visit your chosen schools.

As well as finding out about what your child will be learning, you can also find out about any co-curricular activities on offer, such as sports, arts and community work. Finally, if your child will be starting secondary education, it is a good idea to enquire as to how many students from each school were accepted into university. Many IB schools can also offer university placement programmes.

The teachers

During your visits, teachers should be on hand to give you further information about the school but also about their own training. It is important to find out that the teachers are certified and you can also enquire as to how many members of staff have gained advanced qualifications.

Another factor to consider is how staff at each school are trained to handle students of exceptional circumstances. Students who are looking to gain support for high ability will need to have teachers who will recognise their skills. Likewise, students looking to find courses in SEN life skills with ICSchool.co.uk should be able to gain the right levels of support during their learning.

These are just some of the questions to consider during your initial research. However, as each school will be unique, it is important to consider the atmosphere or ‘feel’ of each place when making your visits. For some, the decision will be easy and for others it may take some time. Trust your instincts and gain as much information as you can to make the right decision for you and your child.

Useful links

The Good Schools Guide 

Several guides to choosing the right school for your child 

The Good Schools Guide International 

Specific advice for parents choosing an international school 

ExpatFinder 

Lots of information for families who are re-locating abroad

How to: Make Magic with Wooden Pallets

There has been an up rise in the popularity of home DIY projects; recycling old materials to make new decorations and furniture- and why not? It means that your home is filled with one-of-a-kind features and it will most definitely be cheaper than buying brand new furniture.

One trend I’ve noticed is the use of recycling wooden pallets. It’s amazing to see what people have managed to create out of something that’s normally just used to support heavy goods in a stable fashion. Whether it’s inside or for outside the home, there are endless possibilities.

Sofas

If you have a futon or perhaps cushions from either an old sofa, then you already have nearly everything you need. You have the option to choose the height of the sofa, depending on the atmosphere of the room

In this example the sofa is lowered, yet still offers some storage space for books/magazines or anything you want underneath. So think how much you could store if it was raised by one more pallet.

Shelves

You can make at least 3 shelves from just one pallet; just cut it by every two slabs, then remove a slab from one side:

Although they may not have as much surface space as other shelves, these could be used to display lots of little things such as ornaments & photos.
Because of the simple structure, wooden pallets at fantastic for stacking things; sometimes you don’t even have to change anything – just hang the pallets on the wall and they can become a bike or shoe rack!

Coffee Tables

This is possibly one of the simplest bits of furniture to be made from a wooden pallet. Simply sand it, paint it, add wheels or legs, and (if you like) a glass surface.
Although the glass isn’t necessarily essential, it can most definitely put the finishing touch on it. Again – if you used two pallets to make the coffee table it would leave more room for some storage underneath.
In my opinion, pallet beds are the sturdiest ever. Well, they are made to support heavy goods, after all. Well-made beds can also be very expensive nowadays so it’s a great way to re-decorate your home on a budget.

How to make pancakes: easy recipe!

My first post had to consist on explaining step by step how to make one of my favourite breakfasts: pancakes!

Although I could easily eat pancakes everyday, I must admit that I prefer to save this lovely breakfast for the weekends.

This is a very easy and delicious recipe to make pancakes. I hope you end up making them and enjoying them too.

Ingredients - for about 6/7 pancakes
- 3 eggs
- 110 plain flour
- 200 ml of milk
- 4 Tbsp of sugar
- Olive oil

Crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk. Then add the sugar, the flour and finally the milk. Continue whisking until the dough is very smooth and has the consistency of  double cream.

In a frying pan on a medium heat add a tiny bit of olive oil (literally a drop). This will avoid the pancake sticking to the pan. Using a ladle, cover the base of the pan with the mixture to make a pancake of up to a thickness of about 3 to 4 ml.

Use a fork to check the underside of the pancake and when golden in colour, carefully turn over to cook the other side. Repeat process until all the mixture has been used and you have made a stack of pancakes.