We’re huge fans of personalised gifts in our family – we’ve got everything from mugs to cushions to canvases with photos of our favourite memories on them. We take a lot of photos and using them to make gifts is a thoughtful way of sharing them. Just recently, a company called Lily Blanche got in touch and asked if I’d like to review their range of personalised jewellery, and with my Mum’s birthday coming up, I thought it would be an amazing gift for her.
The range of necklaces to choose from is stunning, with most available in gold, silver or rose gold, and a choice of chain length so that you can have it made to your exact specifications. I chose the Blue Topaz Vintage Heart Locket in silver and chose two recent photos of Sausage and BB for the inside.
I’ve had lockets in the past where you have to place the photos yourself, which is a HUGE pain – getting the images small enough and cutting them up can be so fiddly. However, the beauty of Lily Blanche is that you upload the photos digitally during the ordering process and they place the images directly into your locket.
As you can see, the outside of the locket is intricate and ornate and the quality is stunning. The images printed inside are great quality, too, especially considering they’re so small! Here’s a little bit of info from the website:
“This Blue Topaz Vintage Heart Locket necklace features a heart-shaped, faceted-cut, high grade blue topaz gemstone at its centre. This heart locket necklace opens to take two photographs or a little keepsake.
The Blue Topaz Vintage Heart Locket is inspired by a necklace from the jewellery box of my grandmother, the original Lily Blanche. The heart locket necklace features as its focal point a faceted-cut, blue topaz gemstone surrounded by a collar of marcasite. Blue topaz symbolises sweetness and affection. Blue Topaz is known as the stone for happiness. The heart locket necklace opens to take two photographs or a little keepsake and is one of our bestselling locket.”
Something that I was also really impressed with was the packaging that the necklace came in – the tissue paper which is used to surround the box inside the ribboned gift bag was infused with essential oils which smelled just like Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle! There#s also a velvet bag included for keeping your locket safe.
My Mum was absolutely thrilled with her gift and I loved seeing her face when she opened it and saw the girls looking back at her. I would highly recommend Lily Blanche’s personalised jewellery if you want to create a gift with real meaning, and with Christmas coming up, now is the perfect time to check them out.
Thanks so much to Lily Blanche for making my Mum’s birthday so special. We’ll definitely be back again!
Starting school is never an easy experience for a child, as it’s a totally new environment with different people and rules that they have never had to follow previously. This can make it awfully tricky to settle in, which in turn can impact upon the quality of their general education, so it’s vital that you can take some responsibility as a parent by stepping in to offer a helping hand. Thankfully, assisting your children with their education doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially imagine, as there are just a few simple steps that you can make the most of that will have an almost immediate impact on their learning! So, if you’re interested in finding out more, then read on.
First and foremost, one of the most important steps that you need to follow if you want your children to have a positive learning experience is to find the most suitable school for their unique needs. There’s likely to be several different school options both in your local area and further afield, whether they’re public schools that don’t require payment or private schools that come with a term-by-term fee. Taking the time to visit and assess each of your options is essential, as you need to get a true feel for the place by looking at classrooms and speaking with teachers before you decide to send your child there. Bear in mind that your little one will spend a huge portion of their life at school, so it needs to be a positive environment that promotes great education and care. Lots of parents will also choose to leave reviews too, so you can take the opportunity to read through these to get a more honest look into the quality of the service and surroundings. Your child can’t choose their own school, but even if they could they would not know what to look for – it has to be you as a parent, so spend a little time looking around to make sure you can locate their ideal match.
Always Show An Interest
Picking your children up from school only to transport them home and sit them down in front of the television without doing so much as ask a single question is one of the worst decisions that you can make when attempting to support their education, as you need to make an effort to show an interest in their daily education if you want to be of benefit. Simply asking your children how their day at school has been is enough to encourage them to recap the events and lessons learnt, so this can be a brilliant way to ensure they remember what they’ve been taught by recalling it again to explain it to you. Additionally, showing an interest also proves to your children that learning is important, otherwise you would have no need to ask such questions – they need to be able to recognise that being able to access education is a real blessing that should never be taken for granted. A great way to show an interest in a productive way is by sitting down with them to go through any homework they might have been given to complete, as this way you can check up on their skills, offer help or guidance and make sure that they’re on the right track toward success.
Provide Them With The Best Equipment
Sending your child to school with nothing but a pencil to their name is another terrible decision to make, as your little ones need access to all of the best equipment if you want them to take their education seriously. It’s your responsibility to purchase the relevant materials that your children need to take to school, otherwise they will have to try and borrow from another student or teacher who may not have what they need. Being left out and unable to partake fully in a lesson can have a knock-on effect on your child’s education, leaving them feeling lost and without confidence while other children don’t have the same struggles. Invest in a pencil case that’s filled with both writing and coloured pencils, erasers, ball point pens and an array of mathematical equipment like rulers and a mini calculator – these are the basics that your little one will likely need at least once during an average school day. Teachers may also advise of extra equipment needs when specific activities or events are taking place, so be sure to source whatever you’re advised to buy if you want your children to have the best shot of reaching their full potential.
Recognise Their Struggle
If you notice that your child doesn’t seem to enjoy or understand their school work, then you need to recognise their struggle and step in so that you can offer some kind of resolution. Any problems to do with isolation or bullying need to be discussed with your child’s teacher, but learning related issues can be tackled at home! For example, learning that your little one doesn’t have the best confidence in their STEM subjects should trigger you to source some kind of maths and physics online tutoring, as this way they’ll be able to use s new approach to learn the lessons they previously struggled with. You can even take the opportunity to print off extra worksheets and encourage them to complete these at home, as practice makes perfect and they’ll be highly motivated to show you that they finally understand. If you’re finding it hard to see where they might need a little extra support then just think back to your own schooling experience – did you feel left behind in class? Did the teacher have enough time to give you the education you needed?
Utilising just a few of these easy ideas can help your children massively with their education, allowing them to make the most of each and every day in no time at all – school should never be taken for granted, so implement the steps described above to support your kids now.
You’ll be forgiven for thinking there are just two options available to you following the death of a loved one: have them buried in a coffin or have their body cremated. This choice is just the beginning. If you decide to have your loved one cremated, there’s a huge choice of things you can do with their ashes to commemorate their life and have their memory live on. One of the most interesting options is to turn their ashes to diamonds.
Yes, you really can turn ashes to diamonds — with the help of an expert. Since 2005, Heart In Diamond has been helping people keep a hold of the connection they share with deceased loved ones by turning their ashes into diamond jewellery.
Much more personal and meaningful than storing ashes inside an urn on your mantelpiece, turning your loved one’s ashes to diamonds means you can keep them by your side at all times.
How does it work?
The process starts when you send your loved one’s ashes to the memorial diamond company. You only need a small volume, around 100g. This leaves you plenty of remaining ashes for sharing with other family members or creating more keepsakes.
When the company receives the ashes, they extract the carbon and add it to a diamond growing seed. It’s then placed inside an HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) machine where it stays for several weeks. This machine imitates the conditions the Earth uses to grow diamonds.
After around ten weeks, the carbon extracted from your loved one’s ashes has been transformed into a genuine diamond. A master craftsperson then cuts and polishes your diamond according to your requirements before it’s placed in the jewellery setting of your choice.
Are they real diamonds?
Diamonds made from ashes are genuine diamonds. Both types of diamonds are made from carbon and they’re both created using temperatures of over 2000℃ and pressures in excess of 60,000 atmospheres.
They have the exact same chemical markup and look exactly the same to the naked eye. Only diamond experts with the right tools can tell a memorial diamond grown in a lab from a natural diamond mined from the Earth.
The main difference between diamonds bought on the highstreet and diamonds made from ashes is the significance they have to you. A standard diamond is almost like a blank slate — it doesn’t really have much meaning on its own. But a diamond made from ashes has a profound meaning, making it unlike any other gemstone in the world.
By turning ashes to diamonds, you’re creating a truly unique item that contains the essence of the loved one you lost. Whenever you feel alone, you can take a glance at your diamond ring, earring, or necklace and remember that your loved one is never far away.
How much does it cost?
Turning ashes to diamonds is cheaper than you might think. Heart In Diamond’s prices start at just £515. When you compare the cost of an average cremation and a memorial diamond (£3,885 + £515 = £4,400) with the average cost of a burial (£5,033), turning ashes to diamonds is the cheaper choice.
The price of memorial diamonds varies according to the color, shape, and carat weight you choose. For example, a ¼ carat deep red diamond in a cushion shape costs less than a one carat white diamond in a brilliant shape. The customisation options are really versatile, allowing you to choose the perfect diamond that suits your style and reflects the person you want to remember, all while staying within your budget.
Keep their memory alive
It’s natural to want to hold on following the death of someone close to you. If letting their ashes get forgotten about in a dusty urn just doesn’t seem right to you, consider turning your loved one’s ashes to diamonds. This way, their sparkling personality can live on eternally in a dazzling gemstone that will stand the test of time.
A “mompreneur” is both a mother and an entrepreneur, someone who can expertly balance their roles as a parent and business owner. This may sound like an impossible feat, especially if you’re already juggling a 9 to 5 job and a family. But it’s not impossible. This guide offers advice for quitting the 9 to 5 and embracing life as a full-time mompreneur.
Start a side hustle
Before you can quit your job, you’ll need to figure out what your new business plan is. Whilst it may be tempting to give up your job and dive headfirst into starting your own business, this could be risky if you haven’t tried and tested your business plan.
The best way to get started with a new business idea is to start small and start it as a side hustle. This could be dedicating one day every weekend, a few hours in the morning or evening, or even a single night a week to your new business idea and starting it as a very small business. That way, you can see how easy it is to make money from your business idea and get the ball rolling before taking the leap. If you’re unsure how to start a side hustle and transform it into a full-time job, check out this podcast where you can learn from others who have succeeded.
Create a business plan
Once you’ve got the ball rolling with your side hustle, it’s time to create a business plan that will help you scale your business from side hustle to full-time job. You may even want to take this step before you start your side hustle as it will help you perform the necessary market research, set goals and milestones, and plan for the future.
If you’re unsure what a business plan looks like or what you should include in it, the UK government has plenty of resources for writing a business plan, templates and links to pages about self-employment and taxes. You should do plenty of research, especially before quitting your job, so that you have all the tools you need to succeed.
Get your finances in order
No matter how confident you are that your business will make you enough money so that you don’t need to work full-time anymore, it’s essential that you have healthy finances before quitting your job to become a mompreneur. Make sure that you and your family are living well within your means, pad out your savings account, and eliminate as much debt as possible.
This doesn’t mean you need to be rich to start your own business. Many mompreneurs start off with little to no investment and even take out business startup loans to get going. What’s essential is that your personal finances are healthy so that you don’t need to worry about them in addition to managing your business finances.
Take the leap
You can prepare all you like, but there’ll never be a ‘perfect time to quit your job and start your own business. At some point, you just need to take the leap and go for it. Whilst preparation and organisation are key to becoming a full-time mompreneur, it requires the courage to get started too. With the right balance of preparation and self-belief, you’ll be off to a great start.
Most dog owners would agree that dogs are a blessing. They bring so much joy and love into any home. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to see them get old.
Unfortunately, as dogs grow old, they tend to start showing symptoms of old age. They may get sick more often, or suffer from arthritis. They may also have less energy.
While this is not fun for the dogs or their human owners, growing old doesn’t have to be a bad experience for dogs. There are plenty of things that you can do to take care of your older dog, and we’re here to discuss them.
Take them to the vet
If your older dog is showing any symptoms of illness or pain, you should take them to the vet immediately. The vet will be able to pinpoint the exact cause of their discomfort, and hopefully, give you suggestions on how to fix it.
Often, this can be something as simple as not allowing your pet to jump on furniture since it can damage their joints. Other times, it may be something more severe, like your pet going on chronic medication or needing surgery. Whatever the cause, a good vet like Paoli Vetcare will be able to assist.
Keep them comfortable
As mentioned, when your pet ages, they will likely have some struggles, so if there’s anything you can do to make life easier for them, do it.
If your dog is losing their sight, for example, you shouldn’t move furniture around as this could confuse them and they could get hurt. You can also carry your dog up and down your stairs so that they don’t need to struggle with steps. If you are adopting an adult dog, be sure to make your house easy to navigate for them.]
Adjust their food
Just as puppies require specialized puppy food, your older dog will need food made specifically for them. This will likely help strengthen their joints and bones and help with their eyesight and hearing.
Of course, you should always avoid foods that are bad for your dog, no matter what age they are. Older dogs often do not have a big appetite, so play around with your dog’s eating schedule to see when they are hungry.
Once you find a food that works for them, don’t change it too often, as this may upset their stomach.
Give them love
The last tip we have is the easiest and also the most important: give your old dog lots of love! People often give dogs a lot of attention when they are young puppies, and as the dogs age, they lose interest in them.
But your old dog still loves you, and you should give them love and affection every day. Growing old can be scary for a dog because they might get confused, so you need to be there for them.
Cuddling a dog is also good for your health, so it’s a win-win situation. Remember that you never know how much time you have left with your dog, so love them while you still can.
As you may or may not know, we’re currently homeschooling the girls on a semi-permanent basis. Sausage is now in year 9 and will be home educated through to college age, whereas BB is in year 3 and is planning to go back to school once she’s had her COVID vaccine. This means that we’ve been using as many resources as possible to keep them both engaged by learning and also on par with their peers. Recently, I discovered Night Zookeeper and we were generously offered a 12 month subscription to try it for ourselves.
It’s a subscription-based website which encourages reading and writing in a really creative way. It’s developed by experienced educators and brings together a compelling story, innovative digital technology, and effective curriculum-aligned educational content, to help your child boost their literacy skills.
The website is packed with games which help kids learn spelling, grammar and vocabulary and they’re so fun that the kids barely even realise they’re learning. I gave BB her login details and let her use the site without even telling her that it was a learning resource at first, and she was totally engrossed in minutes.
Parents Point of View
One of the things I like about Night Zookeeper is the fact that it encourages kids to use their imagination. Sausage and BB have always had a thirst for knowledge and intense curiosity for the world around them and they’ve both channelled that through art and storytelling, so the format of NZK plays right into BB’s wheelhouse.
The site is really well set up in that there’s a separate login for parents so that you can see your child’s progress and see what they’ve been up to on the site. It even gives you a word count of how much they’ve written in each of their mini stories and it’s really interesting to see that the word count has been increasing with each time BB has used it.
It can also be used on tablets, laptops and PCs, making it accessible without the need for expensive new tech. There are lessons, writing challenges and word games which are immersive and exciting, telling fun, modern stories that the kids enjoy. There’s even a blog area where kids can write and share their own blog posts!
Perhaps the MOST useful feature of Night Zookeeper is the fact that real teachers can comment on BB’s work and leave her comments and suggestions to help her to expand her writing. Having that type of feedback is so valuable, I think it’s worth the cost of subscription all by itself.
How does it work?
“By providing thousands of fun and engaging lessons, challenges, and games, Night Zookeeper helps children to learn new words, use them in sentences, and then create amazing pieces of writing that are shared with children from around the world. They receive feedback from our team of tutors as well as other children that highlight where they can improve. In-game awards and competitions keep them motivated to continue to learn and progress. They’ll write about everything, from stories about magical animals to instructions on how to make the perfect hot chocolate. All genres of writing are gradually introduced including newspaper articles, persuasive writing, reports, and poetry.”
What Does BB Think of Night Zookeeper?
“It’s really good! It feels like you’re playing a game and you don’t even really realise that you’re doing school work. My favourite thing about it is creating the animals because I like to get creative. I also really like the mini games because they’re fun and feel like other games that I play on my iPad” – Burrito Baby, aged 7.
Value for Money
For what you actually get, I think the subscriptions offer really good value. There’s content on there which suits kids from ages 6 to 12, so it can be useful even beyond junior level, and I love the idea of the continuity that will offer as BB progresses. All subscriptions come with a 7 day free trial, so you can see if you like it before you buy and if you purchase a 12 month subscription, it works out at just £7.50 per month.
Night Zookeeper Discount Offer!
We’re delighted to also be able to share with you an exclusive link for you to use, giving you a massive 50% off of a year’s subscription! By using this link you’ll pay just £46.99 for one child for a year or a truly bargainous £57.99 for up to three children per 12 month subscription! Click on the image below to nab your half price subscription:
Conclusion
I’m really excited to see what else BB creates with Night Zookeper! We have a few different subscriptions for the girls to use during our home ed and I honestly think this is going to be the one which provides the best value for BB’s literacy. Thanks so much to the people at Night Zookeeper for giving us the opportunity to try the site.
As you may have seen on my Instagram and Facebook stories today, we’re partnering with Casio Music UK to test out one of their learners keyboards. We’re so excited about the collaboration as I think Burrito Baby will benefit so much from music lessons. With that in mind, I wanted to share with you some information from Casio about how to make sure you’re buying the right digital piano for your kids.
With children now back in the swing of things at school, a lot of parents may be considering extra-curricular activities their children can take up to aid their learning and development outside of the classroom. Playing a musical instrument offers a whole host of benefits for young people and allows them to express themselves in their own unique way.
Digital pianos are a wonderful resource for kids of all ages and all kinds of disciplines. They make learning and performing much easier but still offer the satisfaction of playing on a beautiful expressive musical instrument. However, finding the right digital piano can be confusing and time-intensive. Casio, one of the world’s most renowned producers of premium, digital hybrid pianos, is here to help with the five questions parents should be asking when purchasing a digital piano for their child – from piano teacher, ABRSM music examiner and digital piano expert Chris Stanbury.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO SPEND?
A good beginner’s digital piano should cost between £300 to £400. For this, you’ll get a great quality instrument that’ll support your child’s learning for a number of years. Avoid anything cheaper than this from online sellers as these don’t tend to last and offer a poor quality sound. It’s important to invest in something that’s satisfying to play as it will maintain your child’s interest.
WHAT FEATURES SHOULD I LOOK FOR?
Digital pianos can have various features but the one thing you must check is that it has 88 weighted keys. This is something all pianos have and it is essential for developing the correct playing technique. The keys also need to be touch sensitive, which means that they are the same as a traditional piano. The harder you hit the keys, the louder it will sound, the softer you play the key, the note will have less volume. This feature is very important.
IS A DIGITAL PIANO BETTER THAN AN ACOUSTIC PIANO?
A good, acoustic (traditional) piano usually costs £1,000 or more. Pianos that are offered free on marketplace or auction sites are rarely in good condition and should be avoided. Acoustic pianos also need maintaining: the strings inside must be tuned at least twice a year at a cost of about £80 a time.
You get much more for your money with digital pianos. They take up a lot less space and don’t need tuning. Plus, you can plug in headphones for silent practice, which is perfect for busy households!
WHAT OTHER FUNCTIONS DO YOU GET WITH DIGITAL PIANOS?
A great benefit of a digital piano is that if your kids love their gadgets, they’ll really enjoy connecting a digital piano to their phone, tablet or computer. This makes learning a lot more fun as they can take part in interactive lessons and play along to backing music.
Casio provides a free music learning app with all their digital pianos, called Chordana, and there’s free lessons too from Dr Chris himself on the Casio Music UK YouTube channel; so anyone can start playing right away. All owners also have access to the Casio Music Academy too, which also includes music lessons exclusively for Casio piano users
WHAT DIGITAL PIANO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR A BEGINNER?
My personal favourite is the Casio CDP-S90. It’s light, very compact and has a great sound. It’s also important to mention that it comes with a proper piano stand included (worth £88). This means the piano is at the correct playing height, which is important for developing good posture and finger skills.
Children and college students aren’t the only ones who like Halloween parties. A macabre dinner party is a terrific opportunity to bring friends together to savour delicious food and much better company.
To stick to the topic, you don’t have to completely furnish your kitchen; instead, find eerie accent items that will accentuate and compliment what you currently have.
Although October is the Halloween season, these Halloween party components can be utilized all year. These dinner party requirements will ensure that your Halloween dinner party is outstanding and spookier, with these simple yet amazing ideas. So, let’s jump right into it.
A theme is the first step to planning a Halloween party. Now, do not revisit your old or last year’s theme. Go for a spookier and scarier theme, so that your visitors can easily find costumes. This way, this will allow your visitors to explore their options and be creative with the theme.
You may always send an SMS invitation, but Halloween is a season full of glitz and glam. Choose a unique paper invitation that reflects your Halloween theme. A personalized invitation, complete with gothic skulls or beautiful black kittens, will make your visitors feel incredibly sweet. Zazzle invitations are fully customizable and available in sets of one, ten, twenty-five, and more, either with or sans envelopes.
Decorate to your heart’s content! The importance of this cannot be overstated! The decorations not only complement the theme, but also provide an extra wow element for your attendees and help publicize your party. Individuals recall cool decorations, speak about them, and snap pictures with them, which is always ideal for getting cool points from pals or advertising your parties. This is a perfect moment to add details and nail down the distinctive characteristics of your parties.
A spooky tablecloth is a simple way to incorporate the party theme throughout your meal. You may choose a table cover with a reverse skull print made of almost purely cotton, or a spiderweb lacy pattern layered above a neutral shade you already have.
If you’re using cotton napkins, don’t restrict yourself to blacks and oranges-colours; deep crimson can be just as frightening. Plus, a gems-toned napkin goes with every winter table setting, so you’ll get a lot of mileage out of this pair.
While you work at your party, remember that you also need to work on your looks, both outfits and makeup. So, pick up your outfits, of your favourite character of your theme party. You can go ahead to get glowing makeup for yourself. You can finish up your look with some eyelashes. If you want to make money from your party, especially with your female guests, you can invest in eyelash wholesale to finish up their final look.
Being unique entails pulling something out of the bag that no one could have predicted would happen or be present! Ideas include having performers present who will burst into a performance when a song is played, or having a Fright Night-style event where they jump out and terrify the attendees when they are least expecting it (avoid doing this on anyone with heart ailments… it may get problematic!) These can be truly memorable and one-of-a-kind, ensuring that no one leaves without a shiver down their neck at least once during the night!
Don’t offer your refreshments in standard glassware, whether they’re alcoholic or not. Pumpkin Punch Bowl and Cup Set are perfect for the fall season. The bowl accommodates 9-quarts and the glasses carry twelve oz and are made of blown glass. The skeleton shot glasses can also scare up a bar cart even if you aren’t drinking shots.
Once you think of flowers with Halloween, you generally think of spooky, wilted bouquets rather than lovely, fresh bouquets. East Olivia Dried Bouquets, on the other hand, are the right mix of fanciful and graveyard eeriness. Because the brand does not offer same-day or next-day shipping, make sure to order in advance. The wait is well worth it, as each bouquet can endure up to a year if properly cared for.
A centrepiece of black taper candles in a dramatic chandelier is ideal. With a few fragrant tea lights on the table, the room will be filled with an autumnal ambience. Fall fragrances like spiced pumpkin and autumn foliage are available in this Yankee Candle package of 12 tealights. To make things easier for you, you can swap the candles for a low-lighting LED (if you don’t have enough money for the number of candles).
Fact, many parties will have a DJ, but your visitors frequently ask an additional performer to the party! Fire jugglers, comedians, and flair bartenders are all great additions because they are visually appealing to visitors and may be somewhat “on the brink,” leaving your visitors speechless and chatting about your party for long!
The Bottom Line
Our final piece of advice is to make sure you enjoy your party as well; even if you’re hosting, just relax and enjoy yourself! If you need assistance getting your Halloween ideas to life, get a team. All the Best!
We have some essential equipment that businesses cannot do without. But before any purchase, each and every business needs to identify the types of equipment their company needs for the operation to have all jobs done properly. Office equipment helps in managing office work and makes your daily tasks run smoothly.
Office equipment is usually ignored by the majority of business owners, but they are very essential. It is not only the employees that will benefit from good quality equipment, but it will also benefit your business image at large. Appropriate office equipment sends out a positive message to customers and collaborators. Below are a few essential types of equipment every business needs to improve on its productivity. read on!
Sourcing the right office furniture for your business is essential for a good number of reasons. It will make your office look attractive and professional. Your office will provide a conducive working environment for your employees and customers.
Having your employees feel relaxed and comfortable by providing quality furniture will have a big impact on the overall business productivity. This way they develop the right attitude towards the organization and feel more motivated to work with dedication and be productive. Check out https://www.keekea.com/product-category/chairs/ for the best chairs to fit in your office.
Having a high-speed internet connection is without a doubt one of the most essential items for every business. Without a reliable internet connection, businesses would find it difficult to share information both internally and externally. Since most of the businesses are currently operating online, a good internet connection will have a big impact on daily tasks.
Most of the office equipment needs the internet to connect. Therefore, it makes it convenient to transfer data over a network without any human interaction or unauthorized access. You have to make sure all your network cables are in good shape and have experts inspect them regularly for potential repair and maintenance.
Every business should not miss some important machines like a business photocopier, a printer, and even a scanner. Photocopiers and printers are without a doubt important office equipment within businesses; they help to print and get copies of essential documents for the business.
Instead of buying a photocopier which might be a bit costly, low-budget companies can opt to rent a photocopier at a fee before getting their own. The same applies to printers, a newly started business can have a rented printer to keep the business going.
It is always important to have all your data and essential office items stored under key and lock to keep them safe. All your office equipment should have enclosures to protect them from possible damage, water damage, or dust particles. Proper storage will protect all your essential items from unauthorized access.
Source good data center enclosures from E-Abel, a reliable data cabinet supplier, can custom electrical enclosures for data centers to ensure all the data are stored in the right manner. These enclosures will not only house your important office equipment from damage but also theft.
Office stationery includes pens, paper, notebooks, and other essential office equipment that any business should have to rub their daily operations smoothly. They are simple items that any business cannot do without and they boost overall productivity. Their cost should not worry you, office stationery is relatively cost-friendly and should not be on your office table.
With the technology change, it can sometimes get tiresome to look at screens all day which is not healthy for your eyes. Most of the employees would prefer to escape the screens and have some pen and paper to have down some notes. Even though the technology is evolving at a high speed, the benefits of using stationery are still intact and they remain essential tools.
No matter which business you are investing in. Your organization needs monitors, laptops, or computers for you and your employees to work and have your data stored securely. Using monitors and laptops is so convenient and saves a lot of energy to have physical files arranged in cabinets. To work more efficiently, you will need a mouse and a keyboard.
When your business needs much work to handle simultaneously, it is ideal to connect a monitor or two to make the job even easier. This will not only save your time but you can also keep your essential work safe and secure in locked folders, to block any unauthorized access by setting up strong passwords to access the files.
The Bottom Line
Are you planning to start up a business and you don’t know what to have in your office? Above is a discussed list of important office equipment every business should have. Make sure you include all important items in your business to have its operations run smoothly. Each office item has an important role to play in the overall productivity of the business and none should be overlooked.
When you have a family member with disabilities, it can be tricky for them to get around your house if it’s not geared up to be accessible for them. My younger sister has a disability and although she’s not in a wheelchair she has good and bad days and may need a chair eventually. With this in mind, we’ve been thinking of ways that we could make the house more disability-friendly and came up with the following:
Ramps
One of the bost obvious ways to make a house more disability friendly is to install ramps to the main entrances and exits. Materials like riser grating are easy to install and give a handy non-slip surface which will be good for wheelchair access. Mini mesh grating is an extremely resilient & durable material achieving a life span of at least 50 years and is extremely chemical resistant, so you know you won’t need to replace it for some time.
Remove Carpets
Carpets are reknowned for being a hindrance to people with disabilities. Aside from making it harder to mave wheelchairs around on a carpeted floor, carpets and rugs can be a massive trip hazard to people on crutches. Hardwood floors are a much better flooring surface, are easier to clean and make it easier for everyone to move around on.
Widen Doorways
There is no point in making your home wheelchair accessible by doing all of the above if the wheelchair user can’t get into each room. Ensure each doorway is widened to allow the wheelchair user to comfortably manoeuvre through. Standard doors can restrict the manoeuvrability in and out of a room, so it may be that a sliding door is a better option. Sliding bathroom doors can maximize the size of a bathroom and also to allow easier access in/out of the bathroom without any restrictions.
Handrails
Handrails can be a HUGE help for people with physical issues. Sure, my sister is unlikely to need to use our bath or shower, but a handrail near the main toilet would be a huge help. A standard 1-1/2-inch diameter bar works for most people’s grip. Grip rails not only offer stability but they also add to the level of independence that people with disabilities are able to have.
Smart Features
Smart home installations are a newer solution on the market, but they can have a big impact on improving the accessibility of a home. Blinds, lighting and tv controls that can either be managed from an app or panel can provide more autonomy for users and may require fewer changes to your household overall in the long term.
