5 Unusual Arts & Crafts Materials

With the kids still home for the foreseeable future, many parents are starting to feel like they might have exhausted every possible form of entertainment. But with the summer coming up, you’ll need new and exciting ways to keep them occupied and out of trouble.

A little arts and crafts can go a long way to capturing their imaginations, but no matter how resourceful you are, it’s easy to feel as if you’ve done it all. Whether you’re looking for your kids’ next art project, or even just something to keep yourself busy, this list contains just five unusual materials that you can use for DIY crafts.

Win A Rimmel Cosmetics Bundle

Last time I looked, it was March FOREVER! But time has moved on and it is time to start coming out of lockdown to resume the rest of 2020! I have got together with a group of bloggers to bring you a competition of some cosmetics goodies.

It's July already and following on from the successful competition we shared for a huge bundle of Maybelline cosmetics, we have a Rimmel London cosmetics bundle to give to a winner of July's competition. Rimmel is, of course, a good English brand and many of us remember wearing it as a teenager! Luckily it has evolved over the years and it keeps up with the latest fashions in cosmetics. The competition we have on offer today is worth over £100.

Superpower Your Tomb Raider: A Professor’s Guide to Making Video Games Educational By Noah Charney

My kids love video games. Your kids, I’m sure, love video games. Even I enjoy video games. I loved them as a child (growing up with the original Nintendo Entertainment System, with its 8-bit graphics that seem so charmingly dated now). I like them today, too. And that’s okay. It is not morally reprehensible to let your kids play video games (within reason, of course), and it’s even better if you play with them and they become a chance for bonding, a shared experience. 

5 reasons to be a good driver

Everyone on the road should be a good driver. But what does that mean? A good driver is alert, respectful of others and follows the rules. They abide by the speed limit and know what all the signs mean. They won’t put their own needs above others or sacrifice safety for convenience.

All drivers should be good drivers. Everyone passes a test before going on the road, and shouldn’t become complacent as soon as they lose their L plates. But, unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Many people lose incentive. So, why should you aim to be a good driver? 

Holiday driving tips for your American trip

If you are planning to take a driving holiday, once we can all travel freely again, this article is for you. Below, I quickly go over a few tips that you can use to ensure that you will arrive safely at your destination.

The Facts About Applying for Reverse Mortgages

The fact of the matter is, applying for a reverse mortgage loan isn't as painstaking as one might think. It does, however, have its benefits and pitfalls which solely depend on the individual(s) borrowing the loan. The best approach to applying for a reverse mortgage is to arm yourself with facts. Here are a few basic facts to assist you with applying to reverse mortgages.

Take Control of Your Experience

Lenders are fully aware of why you've come to them. They know you are in financial disarray, so they will always be ahead of you with regards to negotiations. They have done deals countless amounts of times, and do so at their best interest, not yours. Do not allow them to apply any pressure on you, or rush you into things. The application is yours, not theirs and at times you may need to kindly remind them of such. Do not hesitate to slow things down, and express any concerns you may have, if any.

Do Your Due Diligence

Have them address any errors you may find in your review of documentation, and only sign corrected versions. Keep a hardcopy of your agreement files in a safe place, and another in a remote location that is secure. There is a major difference between a verbal agreement, and a written one--that is, only one of them can be considered in a court of law, and with financial institutions, legal documentation is all that matters.

Can you guess which one of these agreements that is? You guessed it, the written one. A person can verbally agree to something until the cows come home, but it is not binding until it is on paper.

Cross Your T's, Dot Your I's

The money you receive from the reverse mortgage lender, will first need to be used to pay off the balance on the existing home loan if any. There is no way around paying that because that is usually what prompts the need for the loan. You must also pay any outstanding costs associated with the home, including closing costs, property taxes, insurance, etc.

Be advised that anyone whose name is on the loan application, will be required to remain living in the home and must maintain ownership of the home or the mortgage lender could be entitled to loan repayment, and will be well within their rights to assume ownership of the home. This being the greatest risk in reverse mortgaging giving the loan process a bad reputation.

Wait, Do You Even Qualify??

Mobile homes, trailers, vacation rental homes and apartment complexes are not eligible for reverse mortgage loans as they are considered non-qualifying homes. However, multi-unit single-family home with no more than (4) four units qualifies if the applicant/owner lives in one of the units.

Gaining full knowledge of what you are getting yourself into puts you at a great advantage in applying for a reverse mortgage. You would do well to conduct the same checks on your lenders, as they will conduct on you. Do they have a checkered past? Are their customer reviews genuine, and do the negative comments seem to al fall along the same lines? My advice is to study the lending process like you would a final exam, and the result is your final grade because quite frankly, your life depends on it.

5 Tips For New Bloggers

Are you a new blogger hoping to make it big--or at least get a few followers so that you know your writing isn’t just being thrown out into the avoid? If you are a new blogger hoping to improve your blog, consider the following 5 tips for new bloggers.

Tip #1: Post your content consistently

One of the most important things you can do as a new blogger is to post your content on a consistent basis. This allows your readers and potential subscribers to get a feel for when they should check back with your blog. Posting inconsistently means people will check less often since there is no guarantee on when you’ll post something new. A consistent schedule can be posting a new blog every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, or posting a new blog every Sunday night, and so on.

Staying Inspired As A Blogger

Images of perfectly groomed people tapping on a laptop while sipping a perfect coffee make blogging look easy! While it’s undeniably enjoyable and rewarding, over the long haul it’s actually a lot of work. It’s a commitment and a challenge, and there’s so much more to it than coming up with interesting things to post about.

Staying inspired is vital if you’re going to make a success of your blog, so here are a few tips on how to keep the creative batteries charged, and refresh them when they start running down. 

Money Saving Offers To Get You Through Covid-19

We are going through a very strange time and with many people losing their job or having to furlough at this time. So you need to find some money from somewhere and cut costs. Luckily there are lots of tips around to help you to save some money. I read recently that half of the UK is coming out of Covid-19 with savings and the other half are coming out in debt. It's sad that there is no in-between. But here are some money-saving tips to help you.

Shopping Vouchers

You can collect vouchers from most print magazines, but did you know that you can print vouchers from the Internet? Sometimes they are on the brand website themselves or other times there are websites with loads of brand vouchers that you can print off and use.

If you are pregnant, go to the Emmas Diary website and print off their vouchers for free baby branded bags full of goodies. Supermarket vouchers and extreme couponing is big in America!

Yellow Sticker Food

There is no shame in buying food with a yellow sticker because it has today's date on it. If you go shopping in Aldi, they actually mark some of their short-dated food down to half price, the day before it goes out of date. Obviously don't buy more food than you can eat, because then you're not saving money. Most food can also be frozen, so just check on the side of the packaging.

Free Samples

Some companies offer free samples if you sign up to their website, from bloggers to brands. These are worth signing up to. Even if you are subscribing to a print magazine, you might get a free gift. It is worth shopping around online for the best deals. Sometimes you get free samples if you buy a product too. You can also get some great sign up offers for signing up to websites.

Price Comparison Websites

If you are looking for things from products to holidays, it's always good to use a price comparison website. I use Skyscanner to book my flights when I travel. This gets me the best deal and I can find flights that suit my needs better. I also find airlines that I have never heard of before and it opens up my awareness of more airline companies.

Comparison sites can save you a lot of money. If you are looking for insurance, they help you find insurance that is perfect for your needs.

Loyalty Cards

These are not only your best friend in the supermarket, but also in regular shops like Boots or Superdrug. The idea of loyalty cards is that you earn 'points' when you do a shop. Then you can use those points to get money off your shopping or free products. We have a Sainsbury Nectar card and you can use the points to get money off your shopping or with partner companies like Argos.

Supermarket Own Brands

There is nothing wrong with switching brands to try the supermarket brands. In fact, it's usually what we buy!  It isn't just supermarkets, you can pop to Boots to grab a packet of vitamins or painkillers and they will have exactly the same ingredients as a branded packet.

Change Contracts

If you are contracted to a service, then it is worth calling up and getting them to take a look at it and asking for a discount. Usually phone companies have great starting offers for people, so it is worth cancelling your phone as soon as the contract finishes and starting a new one. 

Many companies, understandably don't want to lose you and will offer you a really good deal, but will tie you into another contract for a certain term. 

Avoid Bank Charges

I know this is hard, and this is a rabbit hole that I always fall down. But every time you go overdrawn in your bank, you end up paying bank charges. Try to get the bills to come out on the day you get paid, then money goes in the bank and straight to pay the bills. 

Shop Around

Don't buy things from the first place that you visit. You will always get it cheaper somewhere else. Last week Tilly wants a doll, She saw it in Asda and then we checked Argos, where it was £5 cheaper. Whenever I book a holiday, I always shop around because you can save a few hundred pounds. 

Lazy Bear Foldable Back Pack

This foldable Lazy Bear backpack from Trendhim.co.uk is perfect, for the man (or woman) in your life that likes a backpack, but is short of space.

Most importantly it is a travel-ready bag for a weekend away. Normally foldable bags, that go in a pack are thin and low quality. This bag is available in colours of blue, green, black and blue, and the zippers are orange to match the Lazy Bear logo on the front.