Most people are now aware of the importance of greener living – not just for the current generation, but to preserve the world for future generations, too. Happily, there are plenty of easy ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint and save money in the process.

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Focus on your appliances

When you aren’t using an electrical appliance, make sure it is unplugged and don’t leave it on standby. Choose appliances with excellent energy ratings and pick a model that is the right size for your needs. For washing machines, front-loading models tend to be better for the environment and your pocket because they need less water, power and detergent than top-loading models.

Fridges and freezers work around the clock and use up a lot of energy, so it’s particularly well worth picking an A+ rated model. Remember that your fridge will run best when it isn’t overfull, and your freezer will need less energy when it is fully stocked.

The temperature of your house

Insulation is crucial to keep your home at the right temperature year-round, and it rapidly pays for itself through energy savings. You can find a great range of solutions for air conditioning in Belfast, along with other energy-saving services and measures at http://www.envirogroup-ni.co.uk/duct-cleaning/kitchen-extraction-ductwork.html. Install basics such as window seals or draught excluders, and use a damper in your chimney to keep heat in when it’s cold.

Don’t use downlights

Downlights release heat into the insulation and ceiling and use a lot of energy. Look at CFLs instead. If you still have any old energy-inefficient bulbs, make sure you replace them with the latest models.

In the garden

Install a rainwater butt or greywater recycling system to avoid wasting water, and use a composter to make great-quality soil from waste food such as fruit and vegetable peelings. You can also try to grow your own for organic, no-mileage and high-quality food that is great fun to grow and saves you money.

Travel efficiently

Choose a fuel-efficient vehicle to save on fuel and emissions alike, and try to walk, cycle or use public transport wherever you can. This also helps your family to get fit together without the need for expensive gym bills whilst saving the planet at the same time!

If you love nothing more than heading off with your wellies and sunglasses to a good music festival, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the very popular Weyfest will be coming back to Surrey this August.

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Dubbed one of the top festivals in the UK by the likes of the Daily Telegraph and Planet Rock Listeners, Weyfest promises three unforgettable days of live music from 19 to 21 August. Some of the incredible groups you can expect to see this year include the likes of headlining Suffolk act The Darkness, as well as Wishbone Ash, Bad Manners and fellow headliners From the Jam and The Wurzels. The headlining act for Sunday is yet to be confirmed.

While most people may think they know what happens at a music festival, Weyfest is guaranteed to make you reconsider. This event prides itself on being a music festival without mud and with decent toilet facilities, helpful friendly staff and many other attractions, not least of which is the high-quality food filling the air with its tempting aromas.

If that wasn’t enough, the festival also boasts a rather unique location: it’s held at the Rural Life Centre, a fascinating working museum complete with functioning light railway. Thanks to this venue, as well as the fantastic music, you will also be able to savour the bewitching sense of history, tradition and timeless wonder that both the Centre and its bucolic situation in the verdant Surrey Hills provide.

Unsurprisingly, festival-goers who are coming to Weyfest with children needn’t worry about their offspring getting bored. There is a host of activities on offer to entertain the young ones.

Then there are all the attractions to experience at Weyfest, such as Laserquest, the Racing Bug, massages, Star Wars characters and of course the many wonderful stalls which you can browse to your heart’s content.

Intrigued?

To find out more about the magical world of Weyfest, be sure to check out.

Getting There in Style

If you can’t wait to head to Weyfest or any other special event in the area, why not guarantee arriving in style by hiring a Surrey party bus such as the one provided by http://aalimos.com/the-big-pink-party-bus/?

Going by bus can make festivals much more enjoyable, and it means you don’t have to worry about parking the car.

Whenever a business goes through a re-branding process, there is bound to be anxiety involved. This is even more true when that business is customer-facing. Customer reception is undoubtedly something that will be considered at length, along with the potential impact on brand loyalty and awareness of the brand itself. Often, a re-branding process will mean that there is a new team behind the wheel, and this time of transition can also be difficult for staff, so it’s important to bear a few things in mind.

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Be mindful of the past

People who have worked with a brand for a length of time are likely to have formed an affinity with it, and might have reservations about moving on with a new brand renovation. This is where teamwork comes into play, by making sure that all of the team is involved in the creative process, and ensuring they have the chance to ‘say goodbye’ to the former branding format. Allowing people to cement memories of how things were can offer a sense of closure, and seeing what has already been built is a great resource for newcomers to the team.

Be clear on what is happening

There’s nothing worse than upheaval in the workplace and not understanding the what or why. That’s why it’s vital to be transparent on what is happening, the expected timeline, and why certain things are being done differently (if they are). Showing people examples of successful re-branding can also help to inspire people to be adaptable to change.

Encourage ownership

Engaging staff in the creative process of implementing re-branding is a solid way of promoting a smoother transition. Working with a specialist company like http://www.blondideasgroup.com can actually help facilitate this; with professional guidance from industry experts that can advise you on ways to get staff involved in the creative side of re-branding.

The story a brand has to tell is of course what will ultimately define a company’s success, and the people behind the brand are the ones that drive this narrative. An organisation with happy people at the helm is more likely to translate to a good performance, and following the above steps is a surefire way to make the entire process an experience that can actually have a hugely positive impact on both employees and the business itself.

Now that spring has arrived, it’s a busy time for gardeners getting their plots ready for the months ahead. If you want your outside space to enjoy stylish status this year, here are some of the key trends you should be incorporating into your garden. Continue reading Key Garden Design Trends for 2016 →

The history of pizza needs to start with something a little harder to pinpoint – a definition of the term. There was no single moment when someone created the dish we know as pizza; instead, as with many culinary creations, the dish evolved over a period of thousands of years. Continue reading A brief history of pizza →

How does lingerie make you feel? Words that respondents often come back with include ‘sexy’, ‘confident’ and ‘desirable’. The question is, though, can elegant lingerie actually have a positive impact on self-esteem, both within the bedroom and even generally in life? Studies suggest that women really do enjoy wearing lingerie, as it makes them feel altogether sexier and more confident. Continue reading Lingerie: How Does It Make You Feel? →