When I bought my house I knew that my bedrooms would have memory foam mattresses and pillows. I suffer from a bad back and the reviews and feedback I have gotten from friends who own them have been very good. I have tried all the mattresses available on the market including the so called ‘orthopaedic’ mattress but it still didn’t help. I had a colleague who once spent £5,000 on just a mattress because she thought it would help her get a good night’s sleep. It lasted no more than a year before she had to replace it. Like most people I enjoy getting a good night’s sleep and if I don’t I get cranky, also as I suffer from a bad back the thought of waking up in the morning all twisted and sore would really ruin my day.
Choosing a memory foam mattress?
When I decided that a memory foam mattress was for me I went to all the major furniture and mattress shops to see what the retail price was and to try them out. It turns out that the mattress would cost more than the actual bed frame and this was the case everywhere I went. The cheapest memory foam mattress I saw in the larger stores were no less than £200, they were also thinner than the standard mattresses and I would also have to pay delivery. Memory foam mattresses also come in grades of firmness so you can get a softer or firmer mattress depending on your needs, just like spring mattresses. The mattress I wanted was retailing £900 or more but the bed frame I wanted was only £120, it seemed silly and outrageous but I was determined that I could find the same thing cheaper.
Buying a memory foam mattress cheap
I searched online as I know all the shops were over charging but even then some internet sites were charging silly prices for delivery. In the end I found somewhere that I could buy the mattress that I needed at a fraction of the price that included delivery and two free memory foam pillows. Memory foam pillows on their own retail from £50 so to get them free with a mattress seemed perfect. The mattress cost £120 with two pillows and free delivery. I know what you are thinking, ‘there’s no way it was the same as a £900 mattresses, but how many people really know the difference? Memory foam mattresses are all made the same way with the same materials the difference in price is in who manufactured it and where it came from. If you buy one from Dreams you are being over charged but if you buy from the source you pay factory prices and this is what I did.
You can buy a good quality memory foam mattress without paying over the odds you just need to shop around, read reviews and make sure it’s a trusted company before you buy. If you buy online then make sure that you can return it if it doesn’t meet your expectations or you don’t like it. As memory foam mattresses are vacuum packed they are rolled up into a log shape and once you open it, it will unravel into a mattress and plump up. Some places will not allow you to return it if you have already let all the air out the vacuum seal, so check first.
A few days ago my electric shower stopped working, I only had it a year but it was a cheap unknown brand so I wasn’t too upset. I decided to buy a replacement shower that had a good reputation, last years to come and that was also modern. The original shower I had was white and I wasn’t very fussy on whether it should be the same or chrome instead. When I checked the shower connections before buying a replacement I noticed that the water pipe connection was not the standard installation required. So I had to find a replacement shower that could be installed using the existing connections. The only shower I found that came close was Triton T80Z; the average retail price is £130. They vary from £102 to £190 for the basic white finish. The chrome version of Triton T80Z costs on average £200 but I have seen it being sold for as little as £180.
When I saw the shower it did look very nice and well suited to my existing bathroom suite and for £150 for the white or £200 for the chrome shower it came with a 3 year warranty. Since my last one only lasted a year and packed up just after the warranty finished I was sure that this was the shower for me. To be honest I had no choice and it was either this or smash my bathroom and change the plumbing to fit any other standard electric shower.
Like I said before the chrome retails for £200 and the white for £150 I originally placed an order for the white but they ordered the chrome instead, but since my shower had been broken for a week I really needed it. I managed to get them to sell the shower to me for £150 that’s £50 of the average price! The most I have seen this shower sell for was £270 so I was very proud of the saving I had made.
Triton T80Z chrome electric shower 9.5kw review
When I took it out the box I was a little disappointed the chrome cover for the shower unit was very light and looked extremely fragile. Fitting the shower was simple and the instructions were easy. The shower does have a handy economy setting that allows you to save water but I hate it because the pressure on this setting is very terrible you end up spending twice as long so therefore it doesn’t save you time or money when using it. When in the normal standard setting the pressure of the water is really good, the shower head also has 5 different spray settings so you are sure to find one that suits you. Overall it does look nice and function well, it also came with a 3 year warranty but I do think it is massively overpriced. Unless you get it for £150 – £180 I wouldn’t bother, spending £200+ on a fragile shower is just not worth it! But if you like style and function over the price then go for it as the shower itself serves its purpose.
When my electric shower by Showerforce broke down I had act fast and either fix it or find a new one. On my journey I ended up having the worst customer service experience with Plumb Centre, here is my story.
My broken shower
I had a very cheap white electric shower that was just over a year old. The warranty had just run out so I decided to call the manufacturer for some advice. The shower I had was made by Showerforce, I know it’s not a well known name but I didn’t think that it would have broken down so soon. I went on the internet and tracked them down. There was a section about technical problems but the suggestions still didn’t solve my problem. What had happened was my electric shower had stopped heating up the water so it was cold all the time. Having checked the pressure, cleaned it and all the advice that was on the website the shower still wouldn’t work. I decided to call them, there were a few numbers listed but each and every one of them just kept ringing. I then found out they had gone out of business and there was no-one to help with the after sales.
After doing some research it seemed like the thermostat of the electric shower had broken and for the £60 I paid for it I decided it was time to get a newer one that was a little better. When I took my electric Showerforce shower apart I realised that I would have a hard time find a new one as my water pipe was positioned awkwardly. I searched endlessly for a shower that I could fit using the existing connections and as all the wiring and pipe work had been tiled over to re-do the plumbing was out of the question. Then I found the Triton T80Z electric shower that matched my installation requirements.
Plumb Centre
I checked everywhere on the Internet but the soonest I could have it was in 5 days so I looked at all the local stores in my area. I came across Plumb base but they didn’t have it in stock they too could have one delivered in store in a few days but I needed it there and then so I continued searching for it. Conveniently next door was Plumb Centre, now when I parked my car opposite Plumb Centre I didn’t realise the assistant was watching me. He said that he noticed I went into Plumb Base first so he was a little annoyed. I was a little taken back but I really needed the shower so gave him an excuse.
He didn’t have the Triton T80Z in stock but promised he could have it in by Monday afternoon, it was Friday evening and everywhere was closing. He offered it to us with a very generous discount but I held off seeing if I could still get it elsewhere. The next day was Saturday and I had run out of options so I called Plumb Centre and placed the order for a Triton T80Z electric shower in white, they said it would be here on Monday and took down my contact details. I confirmed once again it was in white and 9.5kw.
As I waited on Monday for Plumb Centre to call me I realised it was lunchtime and I had no phone call about my order so I called them. They said they’re delivery still hadn’t arrived but they didn’t close until 5pm so there was still a chance. I called again at 4.30pm and they still hadn’t got it, they took my number and promised to call tomorrow when my order arrives. It was now Tuesday and I waited for the phone call. I called around 4.30pm when they said my order had arrived, I was a little angry that no-one called but was excited and relieved it was finally here.
When I went to pick up my order I realised they ordered the wrong one in! It was the chrome version costing over £200 not the white that I was offered at £140! I was fuming but kept my cool. I managed to get them to give it to me for £150, saving over £50!
I really didn’t enjoy my experience with Plumb Centre they were not very efficient and they didn’t have the courtesy to call me to tell me my order was here or that it hadn’t arrived the day it was supposed to. Yes I did get a hug discount but I needed a shower as soon as possible and the let me down. I won’t be relying on them in future and will warn everyone I know!
Whilst out at a garden centre a week ago I stumbled across a box of seeds called ‘shake and rake’. Having never seen this type of product before I thought I’d find out a little more about it.
Shake n’ rake – seed shaker by G Plants LTD
G plants have a few varieties of shake and rake seeds, the three most popular and most widely found are Wild flowers, Scented flowers and Butterfly and bee flowers. The idea is to make planting as simply but as rewarding as possible. When you open the box all you see is what looks like saw dust not actual seeds, but if you look closely you can see one or two.
A box of shake and rake can cover as much as 50m² and seed 25 different kinds of flower in one box but in reality I found that it covers much less than that. The place where I bought it from had a special offer of buy two for £5 which I thought was a bargain. When I went home and did some research I found the exact same product selling for £10 excluding delivery charge. If you shop around you can find similar products that are selling for as little as £1.19.
It has only been a week since I bought shake and rake so I have to wait awhile to see if they actually work but the only reason I bought them was because of the variety of flowers that you get in such a small box and at a good price. If I had to buy all the flowers that are shown on the boxes it would cost a small fortune, so this way all I need is to do the minimal work of preparing the soil then shaking the seeds and wait for them to blossom.
In all I do find this product to be a bargain and even bought a box for my mum to try. If you do not have time to buy plants or have a large garden that would cost too much to maintain then shake and rake is an ideal product for you. With so many different flowers to watch and grow it’s so simple that even children can do it with little supervision. The box states that they should be planted between February and June but since I bought it in July and the weather has been very nice I planted them anyway. It shouldn’t do any harm as the time specified is only a guide and since this summer is supposed to span into September I’m sure that I will have time to see my flowers bloom before autumn and winter gets into full swing.
Read what happens to shake n rake after a year here. http://www.wisethoughts.co.uk/advice/shake-and-rake-one-year-on/
Butterfly world is situated in St Albans and has been open for the past two years. By next year a big dome will built to house all the butterflies that are currently there and more. The entrance fee is currently £6 for adults and £4 for children (children under 3 go free). There are many large car parks so parking even during peak times should not be a problem and there is also an area reserved just for coaches.
The butterfly world experience
After some reading on the internet surrounding the sharp decline in butterflies I thought it would be nice to raise some awareness and visit Butterfly World in St Albans. I have a high performance DLSR camera and took the opportunity to take some wonderful photos. The butterfly house is actually very disappointing it’s very small even my garden is three times bigger. You basically walk into an enclosure that is lined with exotic trees and plants and butterflies are flying around you. Most of them are actually common and can be found in your garden but there are some that have been brought in from as far as South America and Africa. This is pretty much the main attraction in all it took around 10-15 minutes to look and take pictures of the various butterflies. The enclosure is like a greenhouse so it was very hot, especially now the weather has picked up I would advise against going on a really sunny day. When I visited it was cloudy but warm, in the butterfly enclosure it got very stuffy and irritable after a maximum of 15 minutes. If you have young children make sure they are hydrated.
I went on a Thursday afternoon and it was very empty which was nice as you could take your time. After the main attraction of the butterflies I went on to have a stroll, there are designer gardens but to be honest they were really boring! There is a small manmade lake after the designer gardens, but there want anything special about them. Then there was an Ivan Hicks leaf garden than was basically some oversized garden items such as plant pots, hand fork and a ball of twine.
On the other side there is a caterpillar garden and a butterfly breeding house. The caterpillar house was nothing special just hard to find caterpillars on various plants. The breeding house for the butterflies was the same, a small glass box with butterflies hatching. There was also an education centre where it showed the various stages of a caterpillar’s life before turning into a butterfly.
There is a cafe that was very overpriced so I skipped this and went to the gift shop. There were many novelty items such as fridge magnet, garden accessories and useful butterfly information. At the back there was a small flower nursery, to my surprise they were really dull. All the flowers and plants had no life, just really plain. They are also ridiculously overpriced so beware! You local garden centre sells the same crap just cheaper.
If you think that butterfly world is a good day out I would suggest you go to a park instead. It was a rip off! £6 entry for a handful of rare butterflies, a manmade lake, a children’s play area that was closed and a gift shop that sold junk, save your money. I went there thinking I could spend half a day strolling around a enjoying the sights, but there was nothing to see and I was done after an hour!
After buying my house I decided to remove the two ponds and the large greenhouse from the garden. The garden is quite large around 85 feet in length and with sunshine all day long. The ponds were outdated and the greenhouse was never going to be used. After removing the ponds and the greenhouse I was left with three different patches of soil with grass growing around it. I really wanted to do the entire garden but I then realised that it was too much of a big job to do myself.
Lawn seed
I then decided to plant the seeds and the grass grow naturally rather than buying turf. There were so many different brands and seeds to choose from so in the end I went with Homebase Family Quick Growing Lawn Seed 500g. It only cost £6.99 and could cover an area of 10m² other lawn seed brands were costing in excess of £9 so it thought I’d give it a try. It says it takes around 7 days to germinate but this was not the case.
After preparing the areas that needed lawn seed we planted them and made sure it was well watered. A week went by and nothing, then after 3 months we started to see some growth. The grass grows very quickly overtaking the existing lawn we have already. When cutting the grass its fine for about two weeks until it starts to overgrow again much faster than what I already have.
If you must use Homebase lawn seed then I would advise that you do the whole garden not just patches as it looks odd when growing. It will take longer that the 7 days it says on the box so be prepared to wait a while. Like mentioned before the grass will grow extremely quick and you may need to cut it every two weeks so that it looks neat and tidy.
If I could go back in time I would have gotten turf instead! Although it is pricier I know that the whole garden would look better than it does with lawn seed. There’s no waiting around time for the grass to grow and there is no back breaking task of sowing the seeds. For the price I paid I shouldn’t really complain but beware that the grass may not grow in all areas as I have found in my garden.
If you’ve ever been to the dentist and have been told that you’ve got gum disease, then most likely you’ll be given a treatment which involves Corsodyl mouthwash. Many people suffer from gum disease but do not know it. The symptoms are bleeding gums when you’re brushing your teeth and bad breadth. Although you can live with the bleeding gum, a smelly mouth on the other hand can be quite embarassing. Imagine talking to your friends and noticing them turn their faces away because of the bad odour in your mouth! This can often lead to seclusion and stop you from laughing and socialising. Corsodyl mouthwash helps to treat gum disease and is quite efficient provided you do not use it just after you’ve brushed your teeth with a normal toothpaste.
Finding time to use Corsodyl mouthwash during the day can be hard but fortunately there’s Corsodyl Daily Toothpaste which keep your gums and teeth heathier. You can have the toothpaste in mint as well as the original one. The mint toothpaste was supposed to be better than the other one but guess what? Corsodyl Daily Toothpaste will give you a funny feeling in your mouth. It tastes like taste, horribly disgusting and will make you want to puke. You’re better off using the mouth wash rather than the toothpaste. You cannot even taste the mint and if you’re used to regular toothpastes like Colgate, Aquafresh, Macleans or Pearl Drops, you’ll immediately feel the difference.
The whole idea of using Corsodyl toothpaste was to save time by not having to use the mouth wash at a later period after brushing but the nauseous sensation from it will definitely refrain you from using it again. It costs around £4.50, so it’s quite expensive compared to other toothpaste which you can get for around £2 but if you want to give it a try, you can purchase it from Boots or Superdrug.
For healthy gums and teeth, you need to have a good oral care routine like brushing, flossing and using mouth wash to get rid of plaque. Corsodyl may stop or reduce gum disease but it will come back again if you’re not looking after your gums and teeth properly. So oral hygiene should be on your priority list if you want to get rid of gum disease.
A few weeks ago I saw an advert about the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2, as I bought the first and was very impressed I really wanted to purchase the second one as well. After Super Mario Galaxy 1 I bought New Super Mario Bros and reached the last level. I have been stuck on this level for over 3 months now and it’s just getting silly. I couldn’t resist and went online to find a walkthrough of the last level; I can’t believe how easy it looks, so why have I been struggling for 3 months? So getting back to Super Mario Galaxy 2 I decided to pre-order it because I wanted to get it before anyone else. It arrived one day before the official release date!
I purchased Super Mario Galaxy 2 through Game and got it at a reduced rate and with a Limited Edition Super Mario tin money box. Although I won’t actually use it I can give it to my nephew and it was the game that I really wanted.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 has exceeded my expectations, the first one was fantastic and flawless so I couldn’t even imagine how they could make it better, but they did. The graphics are exceptional and the levels are even more exhilarating. The only thing I have noticed is that it seems a little too easy; within an hour I had already completed the first level (world). Saying that it is aimed for the younger market and I am much older than most of the teenagers who will go out and buy it. The game itself costs around £40 buy you can get it cheaper if you shop around, it seems expensive but it is well worth it.
All Mario games also retain their value so if you finish it and trade it in you can still get enough money off another game you want to purchase. To be honest Mari is such a lovely game to play that you can play it again and again. When you finish the game you can always go back and collect all the things you missed like coins, medals and question marks.
If you have played Super Mario Galaxy then do not hesitate in purchasing the second one it is just as fun and the graphics are superb. It not only appeals to youngsters but adults can also have a fun time trying to conquer levels and beat the monsters. It truly is a fantastic game to play with no faults or any need for improvements.
As we know the RSPCA are an independent charity that rescue stray animals, care for injured animals and give out general information about caring or finding abandoned, injured or lost animals. Very rarely do people take the time to find out more about charities but there may be a day when you will need to use their services. The RSPCA website has changed over the years, as a child I remember that they used to have a whole library of information for all small pets and animals we may come across. Just the other day I needed some information and even the RSPCA website couldn’t help me. I felt bad about phoning but in the end I had no choice.
My RSPCA concern
While I was in the garden I noticed that my cat was acting strange he seemed like he was playing with something. As I took a closer look I realised he had caught a little bird and it was trying to escape. I managed to rescue it from the claws of my cat and put him in a little box. He was breathing and didn’t look injured at all but he wasn’t moving. Luckily we had straw from when we use to keep chickens so put some in a little box and waited for it to start moving again. As I went to get some information on the internet I realised that there isn’t any information about rescuing birds from cats. I couldn’t find any guidance to what I should do.
I did read that sometimes the bird suffers from shock but after it recovers it will fly off on its own. The little bird I found seemed to be too small to fly so I waited until it could give me some indication that it was ok. After an hour I decided I needed to call the RSPCA to find out what I needed to do, as I was getting up off the sofa the bird leapt out of its box and starting jumping everywhere. As it was only little I was trying not to step on it, eventually it hid under the sofa. I have a very large custom made U shape sofa so moving it was out of the question. I managed to get it out and put it back into the box. As it seemed to have recovered I decided to place him outside and see if he flies off.
I put him on my garden table and left after 10 minutes he was still there, I went so see him and he jumped out his box and hid in one of my fuchsia plants. I managed to get him and though if I threw him in the air he would start flying, he didn’t and fell straight back down again onto the grass. I then noticed he had hurt his wing.
I decided to call the RSPCA for some advice, the caller I had was an older man who thought he knew everything. When I told him I was calling about a little bird he went on to tell me things that I already knew, like it was a fledgling, it needs to be left alone blah blah blah. After he finished I the proceeded to tell him that I rescued it from my cat not that I found it, he wasn’t very helpful and told me to take it to my vets the first thing in the morning and they would look after it. I even had to ask if I had to feed it, he was very abrupt and simply said it should survive the night without food but some water should be left out.
First thing in the morning I went to check on the little bird, he spilt he water everywhere and was huddled in a corner trying to keep warm. I took him out and put him in a new box so he could dry off and warm up again. After 10 minutes I went to check up on him and he had died. I also discovered what I think may have been his mum; my cat had brought a bigger bird into the garden overnight. So after all that I couldn’t rescue a bird from the clutches of my cat.
As my partner and I work from home its quite annoying when the phone or the doorbell rings because you know you haven’t ordered anything or expecting any phone calls. Usually I’ll get people who are from the church, utility companies and sometimes canvassers trying to sell a product or service. Well today that’s exactly what I got, whilst I was busy working there was a knock on the door I wasn’t sure whether I should answer it or not, then the doorbell rang so I thought I’d have a quick look.
There was a well dressed man holding a leaflet, he asked if the house was bought or council owned before proceeding. He was trying to get me and my partner to buy new uPVC windows and doors, although we had considered doing this we decided to hold off until we were financially able to pay for them cash not on credit. As the man was going through his sale pitch I just couldn’t help but laugh, he was getting our phone number because the head office had to verify the call before sending someone out to give a quote. My partner gave a fake number and the sales man left.
I told my partner that he should’ve told him straight that he didn’t need new windows and that would have been the end of that. I told him that they would be back as the number he had given was fake. Sure enough in half an hour the salesman was back to verify our number, my partner then told the salesman that he changed his mind and to cancel the appointment. The sales man then said that the appointment had already been booked in for a quote at 4.30 – 5pm. He said that they would be turning up and we would have to deal with it ourselves. I found this really hard to take in as it is supposed to be a no obligation quote and we couldn’t cancel our ‘free’ appointment.
After the second visit from the salesman I searched the internet to find we had a lucky escape, there have been many people who have had to sign paperwork in order for the sales reps to leave the house! Some are still being bombarded with phone calls asking them to accept the quote; it’s really upsetting that such a large company can make you think twice before opening your door.
