Articles by Sharara Hanshaw

What’s not to love about Winter?

For many people, winter is the most magical time of the year. The drawing in of the day provides an opportunity to snuggle up in the warmth with hot cocoa and soft blankets whilst spending quality time with loved ones. It’s the season of Bonfire Night and Christmas – great reasons to have fun and celebrate in ways that are held dear by your family. So, what’s not to love? Especially when we can keep the cold at bay with beautiful knitwear and crocheted scarves! For more details on Crochet Kits, look at www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/crochet-kits

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Well, not everyone loves the dark mornings and afternoons! Not everyone likes the cold, wind, rain, and possible snow! Winter often brings seasonal viruses such as colds and flu which can often turn Christmas into a family hotbed of sneezing, coughing and generally feeling very sorry for ourselves!

For people who suffer from SAD, winter is a tough time to get through.  Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression that normally falls along seasonal timings, most acutely experienced during the winter months. Those who suffer often use light therapy to simulate sunlight exposure.

Christmas can also bring a lot of pressure on families. Relationships with family members can be stretched to the limit as we are often forced to spend time with people we might only see at this time of year. For the lonely, Christmas can also heighten feelings of isolation, particularly for the recently bereaved.

It also brings financial pressure. The cost of food is rising and along with the expectation of buying gifts, attending Christmas parties and Secret Santa presents for colleagues, many people find themselves maxing out credit cards at this time of year.

However, there are still many things about winter that do make it the most magical time of the year. The possibility of snowfall so we can build snowmen and go sledding is always exciting for kids and big kids alike! The fresh beauty of a crisp, frosty winter morning. The welcoming sight of festive lights being strung from neighbourhood homes and trees being decorated with baubles and flickering lights.

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It is a time to eat, drink and be merry, no matter how dark and cold the weather might be outside. It is a time for giving and receiving gifts, no matter how small. It is the thought that counts and a genuinely heartfelt gift does not have to cost a lot. Why not consider making a homemade gift that really comes from the heart?

Make Sure that you Reduce your Risk of Being Burgled this Christmas

At this time of the year, as the hours of darkness grow longer and we have homes filled with Christmas presents, many people are at greater risk of burglaries. Christmas is a time to be especially vigilant and make sure that you do all you can to secure your home and protect it from burglars that might be on the lookout in your area.

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Get your Home Ready for the Arrival of the Wintery Weather

Winter brings a lot of challenging weather conditions with it, and for our homes, this can cause problems. Ice, snow, wind and rain are all typical winter weathers which can cause havoc with buildings, and leave you vulnerable, so it is important to be well prepared as winter sets in for the worst that the weather can throw at you and your home.

The roof of the home keeps you safe and dry – however, it does need to be well maintained in order to do so, and it is more vulnerable to the winter weather. High winds are a particularly common cause of roof damage – tiles blowing off the roof are not only dangerous for passers-by but also can leave your roof unprotected. Ideally, you should have a professional roofer have a look at the roof before winter sets in and if there is any sign of damage or wear and tear get it repaired before winter makes it worse.

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Television aerial damage is also a common problem when the weather in the winter gets bad – if your aerial becomes damaged during a storm, get a professional like this TV aerial installation Gloucester based company steveunettaerials.co.uk in to fix it for you.

Drains are also something to be aware of at this time of the year. If your drains are blocked and we have a period of heavy rain this can cause problems. Now is the time to check drains and also clear leaves and moss and other debris from gutters that is likely to have built up throughout the summer and the autumn.

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It is normal to have some very cold spells during the winter so make sure you are prepared. Have your heating checked out before it gets too cold, as if there are any problems with it this reduces the risk of it breaking down when you need it most! You can also do a lot to insulate your home in order to keep the heat in and keep your heating costs down.

Using draught excluders and getting the roof and the windows, the areas that the most heat is typically lost through, well insulated means that not only will you be warmer, but you will also not have to spend as much on your heating.

Should you take out a director’s guarantee for a loan?

A director guarantee can be a useful option if you want to offer confidence to creditors in order to secure funding for a business, but is it the right option for you and your business? These agreements are not something to be entered into without a lot of thought and planning, together with professional and independent legal advice. Read on to learn more.

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The Importance of your Curtains and Blinds

When it comes to designing your home, you want to make sure that everything is as you want it. Making a house a home is an important part of feeling settled and secure, and there are many things that we can do to make our home our own unique space.

Something that many people know to be an important part of the home of course are the windows and the window coverings. Windows are essential for letting light into the house so that you are not living in a dingy cave, however you also need to be able to cover them in the evenings or when you don’t want light coming into the room.

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Curtains and blinds are therefore an essential part of a home but are also more than that, they are also an important part of the styling of one. Making sure that you home is a style that you are happy with is important, and the window coverings are a big part of this.

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There are many different types of curtains and blinds available, and it is well worth looking into the options before you go ahead and get some. For example, some people prefer made to measure curtains made by a professional like this curtain makers London based company www.theboyswhosew.co.uk especially if you have windows that are an odd shape, or you want to choose a particular fabric.

Alternatively, you might want something practical for a kid’s room for example, and opt for something like a blackout blind that will stop the light from getting in and causing disruption to sleep patterns.

Paving the way to a better garden

If you are about to pave your garden, you will need to consider a few different things. For example, you might want to choose the type of paving stone, as well as what colour to get. Paving can be a DIY job and it is best to know all the steps so that you can avoid any problems in the future. If you have no idea about paving, consider hiring an experienced paving company. They will know exactly how to pave your garden properly for a great-looking outcome.

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The areas of the home to protect from burglars

Unfortunately, intruders are one of those things in life that we have to live with. Burglars are always going to look for an opportunity to get onto your land and steal from you – whether they are after the tools in your shed, the car in your garage or things that you have inside your home. In some cases, they will even steal the copper from cables around your home as the value of scrap metal is so high.

The best thing that you can do is to make sure that you have ensured that the perimeter of your home is as safe as houses – as the saying goes. If you want to make sure that your boundaries are as secure as can be, here are some ideas…

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Gates and Doorways – These are the natural entry points of your home and are the first thing that a would-be intruder is likely to spot if there is an easy way to gain access through them. Gates with access to your property should always be locked, and you could look into adding electric gates like these https://completegateautomation.co.uk/ for example to your property so that they can only be opened by those who live there. Doors are another entry point, and you should pay attention to all doors in the home, not just the front – if you have patio doors these should be secure as they are a popular entry point for intruders who access the property via the garden where it is less likely that they will be spotted.

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Walls and Fences – These don’t only mark the boundary of your property, but they are also instrumental in keeping unwanted visitors out. If your fencing is broken or a bit dilapidated, this makes it much easier for a criminal to access your land. When securing the perimeter, the first thing to do is to make sure that you have robust fencing in place. It should also be difficult or impossible to climb – consider using anti grip paint, or fence toppers in areas where it might be possible for someone to climb it, such as near to drainpipes for example. To make it extra tough, you could also plant spiky plants and shrubs such as bamboo, holly or blackthorn around the boundary, as intruders will think twice about climbing through dense thorns to get in!

Cameras and Alarms – Another great defence to have in place is an alarm system as well as security cameras. There are many different types available, so you are bound to find the right one to suit your home and budget. Things like the Ring doorbell are easy to attach yourself, or you could have multiple cameras around the home and boundary. As well as being able to provide visual evidence if you do have an intruder which will help the police to investigate it, they also provide a strong deterrent to burglars when they see that a home is alarmed.

How to excel at your role of lead Activities Coordinator in a small independent Care Home.

Being an Activities Coordinator in a small independent Care Home is a role that takes total commitment, 100% enthusiasm, hard work, reliability, and a genuine empathy for the residents of the Home.  No matter what’s going on in your own private life, you must always have a smile on your face and appear happy, the Residents will respond to your positivity and if you smile, they will smile. You will have to plan and coordinate all the activities that take place, record everything that happens and be prepared to jump in and cover other positions in the Home if need be.

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If you want to succeed at this important role you must be prepared to be flexible and one of the ways to do this is to take some Clinical Training Courses led by a professional company such as https://www.tidaltraining.co.uk/clinical-training-courses so that if you are required to help the nurses and other trained staff in the Home, you can step in and really take charge. Not only can you become a valuable Activities Coordinator but a Team member who can assist with the full health care of the Residents.

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Within your current career path and in any future roles, you will stand out from the crowd because you trained with an elite company and took the initiative to better yourself. You will prove to be an invaluable team member of your Care Home, now and in the future.