Energy saving tips for families

I'm working with BritMums and British Gas on a campaign to help educate about energy conservation.  So I thought I would get the whole family on board with some New Year energy saving tactics.  Here's what we came up with:

1. Getting small children to turn out the lights before going out is much more fun if it's a competitive sport.


2.  At night turn off power switches or invest in a standby saver.  Modern living rooms can be a jungle, labelling plugs and fourways and grouping similar devices together can make it easier. 


3.  A drawer, or easily accessible shelf for chargers makes it less tempting to leave them plugged in.  Labelled zip lock freezer bags are a cheap and easy way to keep all the equipment for each appliance together.


4.  Turn the tap off.  Leaving the tap running isn't just about wasting water, but the energy to move that water about and heat it.  


5.  I have explained to the kids that leaving the fridge door open after raiding it costs money, this means there is less money to spend on nice things to put in it.  


6. Although it did nothing for marital relations, we finally ended the feud over how the heating thermostat works.  We set it a degree lower, caught up with GMT and timed it more accurately to reflect our routine.


7.  I have stuck cheeky reminder signs on the light switch for the downstairs toilet which everyone forgets to switch off.  It is surprisingly effective.


8.  Keep doors closed to individual rooms, use draught excluders along doors and for letterboxes and draw the curtains at dusk or just keep the curtains in rooms that aren't in use in the day shut.  


It was good to read we do some things really well at the Alexander Residence, for example on the laundry front, we don't have a tumble dryer, we only do full loads at 30 degrees and generally use the short load function. I am polishing my halo as I type.


I was also interested to read the UK government has committed to reduce energy usage and a key part of that is installing a smart meter in all homes by 2019.


In case you've been in the dark, rather than the green ages, smart meters are a little display in your home which will show you the impact of switching on or off various appliances in your home. You can see what your consumption looks like with your chargers unplugged, the TV off standby.


The display shows your current and past consumption so you can see how you are improving over time.  It shows you how much your tariff is costing and even has a traffic light display, red for high, green for low.


Now that would make the whole thing lots easier, more fun and more educational for the whole family don't you think?


How do you save energy, any tips for my list?

This is a sponsored post

I'm participating in the British Gas Smart Meter campaign. Smart meters work with an in-home display to show how much energy you're using in pounds and pence. You can see how much you're spending by leaving your phone charger plugged in all the time, or the heating on at night. And when you can really see how much you're using, you can start to make small changes to become more efficient. Smart Meters automatically send British Gas readings so they represent the end of estimated bills! British Gas is committed to install 1.5 million smart meters by the end of 2012

Make a Christmas memory mobile and comedy photo gift tags

I don't like gift wrap.  I think it's all the waste of trees, energy and time.  I put off buying it, waiting for a greener, simpler solution to hit me each year. Then at the last minute, having procrastinated so long, I am forced to buy reams of the tackiest stuff imaginable.

So this year I thought I would put the effort into the tags. The gifts can go in recycled brown paper or bags, or perhaps, and I have been building up to this one for a few years, in old newspaper and magazines.  I have a friend who can pull this trick off beautifully, pasting together bits of magazine and newspaper to create gift wrap that is also a work of art.

Here's my first attempt, made with The Observer review section and some string from an Able and Cole veg box. The luggage tags are from WH Smith and the photos were printed 5x8cm, 8 shots to an A4 page of photo paper. If like me, you are forever taking pictures of random things, you'll probably have loads of shots you can use from last Winter.

For the last couple of years we have made Nigella's Christmas biscuits and given them to family.  I found some pictures of the kids making them, so this year, if I get organised, these little packages may have labels too.

I had fun making these tags, looking back over last year's Christmas photos, reflecting on traditions and family jokes and creating the captions.  I had to include the microwaveable Veggie Christmas dinner my husband bought me in the corner shop. I think they would also make a nice Christmas memory mobile. A little art gallery of Christmas memories that you can add to each year:

Of course you could use the labels as place markers and have a caption competition....then each year you add to the memory mobile.

I feel like a proper grown up, I have invented my own family Christmas tradition.

There's another Christmas photograph display idea on the Kodak site.  And i vlogged on Saturday about turning your family photos into puppets.

I also love this printable red box template, my children love making and decorating boxes with stickers, or glue and glitter.  It's the perfect size for a few chocolate coins or sweets, or for little presents. Also available in blue.

There's a great Christmas photocraft Challenge with a chance to win Kodak printers and cameras over at the Kodak Printer Projects site.  All you need is a photo and a suggestion for a Christmas craft idea.

This is a sponsored post in association with Britmums and Kodak.

Evil photo craft

If you're after something to keep the children quiet over those long family festive dinners, try this.  These could also double up as place markers, and I think after a sherry or two, they will be just as much fun for the adults as the kids. I'm thinking of casting my brother as a ballerina.... because siblings never grow up.

Something to bring the generations together.



There's a great competition to win Kodak prizes, simply for blogging about what you would do with your photos this Christmas over at the Kodak Printer projects site.

This is a sponsored post in association with Britmums and Kodak.  

Who said romance was dead?

My next Kodak Big App wall art project... 

Forget the kids, who said romance is dead? 

This one's for my husband.

Don't forget the Twitter party Wednesday 23rd Nov 1-2pm, get some great printer Christmas gift ideas and, if you tweet #printerprojects, with a tip, craft, idea or example of a Kodak Big App picture, you’ll be entered to win:

• a 7.1 Hero All-in-One printer with 4 packs of A4 photo paper and 5 cartridges each of black and colour in
• 1 x M5370 Digital Camera

I'm @Aresidence

Terms and conditions apply, see here for more information. This is a sponsored post in association with Britmums and Kodak.

Last chance to enter the Kodak Big App challenge

The Kodak Big App challenge continues, with a chance to win a Kodak printer or camera.  If you haven't got on board yet, here's a run down on how to turn your photographs into art, and maybe even prizes.  And if like me you need to see some before you get inspired, I have collated some great ideas too.

In a nutshell
Take one cool snap, give it the Big app treatment via the free Big App on the Kodak site.  The App will turn it into a PDF dividing the image into as many A4 sheets as you choose.  Print the PDF, then either fix it to the wall directly, or frame your creation. Kodak ink is more affordable than other inks so you can go as big and as colourful as you want. It's also great quality and highly smudge resistant, so perfect for little fingers.

My projects
So far I have used the Big App to remind myself to keep practising the skills I learnt on my photography course, by turning this picture into a collage above my desk.  Here's me looking pleased with it:

I blew up this photo of my daughter shell hunting on the beach in Wales for her bedroom wall.

And I captured my son in the midst of his favourite activity, pirating! A little Jack Sparrow appearing out of the bushes. His collage was bigger than his sisters, she wasn't impressed.  He loved it though.

Then my husband wanted to know where his photo was. So the next one's for him.  And I need to raise the stakes on my daughter's image.  I have some ideas. And I will remember to lose the margins when I print to make this one seamless, and stick it up straight, and perhaps even frame it to give it an even bigger wow factor.

Challenge entries

Still looking for inspiration for your entry? You have until Tuesday 22nd November. Let me share some ideas I really like from the entries so far, it was impossible narrowing it down, but here goes.  

I love Kate of WitWitWoo's Skimming Stones, moments like this encapsulate so much about the parent child bond, about growing up and learning.  They totally deserve to take over a whole wall.

Again, this shot is just pure magic, and it took Rebecca of Here Come the Girls hours of manipulation to achieve (pop over and find out how she did it).  I can imagine it looking absolutely amazing blown up, and Rebecca's talking a whole 24 A4 sheets.  She would easily get this many sheets, and many more, out of £10 Kodak colour cartridge.  Bargain.  You can't beat fairies for capturing small people's hearts and minds.

Mamsaurus is going to put this in her dining room.  For me it is a million times better than any plaster cast or handprint kit of your baby's hands, and so much cheaper to achieve too. Plus the colours are just awesome and it's going to inspire more fabulous art, whilst looking every inch a piece of modern art in itself.

Although I am rubbish at minimalism in my interior design life, I can dream.  I can dream of clean white flowers, blue cloudless skies and a very different, and beautifully relaxing approach from Gadget Mum.  I love the way it changes my perspective, literally and mentally.

So that's what we did with the big app, what would you do?

All the information on the Big App Challenge you need is here.

This is a sponsored post in association with Britmums and Kodak

Turn your photos into art and prizes with the Kodak Big App

I'm very excited to announce Part One of my promised November secrets. I have finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a Blue Peter presenter. Well, as good as. Britmums and Kodak asked me to be a Big App Ambassador. Which means I get to demonstrate printer wall art projects, on screen. Not a scrap of sticky back plastic in sight. But even better news, you get a chance to win great prizes, just for selecting one of your photos.

The Kodak Big App is a rather marvellous and highly addictive free, internet based app.  Kirstie Allsopp was on telly the other night, refering to machine embroidery as the 'crack cocaine of the craft world'.  Well Kirstie, you haven't tested the Big App. Here, have a bit of this, it will blow your mind, you'll never look at your photos the same way again.



I really hope you are going to join me on the challenge.  I may have bags of enthusiasm after my day with the photographer Jon Cruttenden but I reckon you probably have a much better eye, and therefore a much better chance of actually winning.  There are some great prizes, a camera or printer, just for linking up a picture you would give the Kodak Big App treatment to.  Competition entry details here. Check out the Britmums Big App site.

All you need is an image...

This is a sponsored post in association with Britmums and Kodak.

Why blog mentors matter

Britmums have started a Big Sis bloggers mentoring scheme.  I volunteered to help after I read a newspaper article about how little people want to share their skills in this modern age.  Evidence suggests mentoring is a dying art in our uber competitive, fast moving and high pressure world. Which, having spent many years teaching future generations and mentoring new teachers, I think is very sad. Mentoring made me a better teacher and I think it will make me a better blogger too.

I pointed out I would be happy to be mentored too (I'm a very good student). My blog is after all just a year old itself, there's plenty I don't know.  The skills involved in running a blog are wildly diverse.

For me mentoring is not about sitting on a pedestal and claiming to be an expert, it's about being prepared to share what you do know (in my case writing, making film, parenting is tough), admit what you don't (design and technical stuff) and analyse what you do and why (that needs a whole new post of it's own).  So I'm no expert, but I am very happy to share the knowledge I have amassed in the last year, it's been a steep learning curve.

I think the people I am mentoring will teach me as much about blogging as I will them, not just through the process of looking into how and why someone else blogs, but because there are just months between us and these ladies are seriously going places with their blogs.

Do check them out and add them to your readers if you haven't already:

Kerry at Multiple Mummy
Elizabeth  at Jelly Beans Music
Rebecca at Here Come the Girls

If anyone else want to talk about blogging with me, comment below, email me, tweet me, let's compare notes.  If anyone wants to mentor me, yes please!

Back to School carnival

Three days in to the start of the life of a school running mum and I thought, instead of drowning myself in gin, I might pat myself on the back, both as a parent and a blogger, with a mini back to school carnival. (Indulgent yes, but hey I think it's worth it)

Here's me talking for Britmums about back to school jitters.  And yes Miss L and I did have a school run dress rehearsal, although not in costume, that would have been too much effort.

And here's where Netmums featured my post Good Luck Lady L, you will be FINE, they called it a poem and it kind of is, on starting school, or rather the long, laborious build up to it.

Finally don't miss my Little Legacy on School Gate Fails this week, if you've seen any of my posts about my mum you'll know she was an amazing lady. For one week only I reveal the truth about 'good enough' parenting: 'We were the last ones legging it to the door, bags, coats and packed lunches flying behind us, like something out of a Quentin Blake illustration.'  Possibly my favourite simile ever that one too.

And here is the little lady L herself, with a big cheesy grin.

Hope back to school went really well for everyone.

love
Penny

Live blogging the CyberMummy 2011 Crowdsourced Keynote

Tissues at the ready, here I am live blogging the Crowdsourced Keynote at Cybermummy11, the UK's premier parent blogging conference.  It's been a long and wonderful day, so much information, and now I feel as if I am creeping to the top of an emotional rollercoaster.  Yes it's the moment where we hear from the bloggers.  Real blog posts are about to be shared on stage.  We're tired, we're emotional.  But I really feel for the bloggers on stage, who have been anticipating this big soul bearing moment all day.  


Live blogging this felt like a huge responsibility, so many fragile and emotional moments, so many life defining events.  If I have misinterpreted anything please email or DM me (@Aresidence), it was a challenge to do this justice as a live blog.


Jen is just introducing, and explaining last year had everyone in tears.  Gulp.  I will try not to cry onto the keyboard...

• First to take to the stage is Kate, of Kate Takes 5 with a Beginners Guide to Blogging.  Say goodbye to your partner and family and stockpile baked beans.  Huge laughter as lots of bloggers relate to the bit about being tempted to take photos when your child injures themself, rather than going to their aid.  Last point in the guide, get ready to make lots of friends, we love that bit too Kate, and it's especially poignant today. 
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Nickie, from I Am Typecast, announces she will not be rebranding herself as Granny at 36.  Private Cybermummy 11 jokes aside, Nickie's post There Are Only So Many Perfect Heads in the World is very serious.  Nickie is bravely blogging a diary account of her daughter being diagnosed with cancer.  Baby Rachel was 14 months old, Nickie was 20.   I look round the room at 400 plus silent parent bloggers, so many hands to face, barely daring to breathe, as Nickie documents the events as they unfolded.  Such vivid descriptions of all the new words, situations and environments as they hit Nickie's 20 year old self.  Operation, biopsy, saline, growth, cancer. The agony of seeing your child in pain, the priceless gift of being told of Rachel's remission.  Nickie makes it to the end, and only then does the emotion catch up with her.  Well done Nickie for delivering such an emotional post.

• The Coffee Lady has such a beautiful lilting voice, she is such a natural storyteller.   Her post, A Call to Bad Behaviour expresses her desire for her daughter, who is disabled, to have the independence to be able to misbehave just as the Coffee Lady and her husband Mr Coffee did as children. I have had to come back later to do this post justice, on second reading I realise how many issues it raises about disability for society.
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• Next is Emily from Babyrambles sharing Sometimes I don't want to be a parent.  A beautifully written, and read, wish list for all mothers.  Impractical shoes, uninterrupted conversations, to read an entire book, not having to care.  So many unfulfilled wishes which all the parents is the room can relate to.  We are all nodding along wistfully Emily.
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• Fi Star Stone from Childcare is Fun! is reading her blog Telling the Real Story of My Twitter Birth, a response to newspaper coverage of Fi tweeting her son's birth.  Fi's followers were positive about her tweeting details of her homebirth, but when the wider media picked up on the story many sources made false assumptions about Fi, and her reasons for tweeting.   Great to hear Fi answering back, putting the record straight, and correcting a huge catalogue of misreporting.  I can't believe this was written just a week after giving birth.  Such a coherent, witty blog post.  

Jane,  Northern Mum is taking to the stage with On the Brink of Sanity.  Jane's unique voice is full of imagery and metaphor, she fearlessly documents living with children.  This tale includes ninjas, unfinished manicures, bowling balls and blackberries on toast.  Jane, you are definitely not alone, we are all nodding along with you.

Emily from More Than Just A Mother is now debating How on Earth Does One Dispose of a Vibrator?  I am not going to spoil it by revealing Emily's suggestions here.  I will just tell you Emily has a fabulous imagination, there are lots of sniggers, check this post out. 

Pippa from A Mother’s Ramblings shares A Blog Post Without a Point.  Pippa takes us on a moving journey, starting with her blog, what she wants for her children, what she remembers of her childhood.  Swings in the park, Christmas, theme parks.  All the things that families do.  Quality time.  Then following a random meeting on a train, Pippa is reminded of the importance of holding your family close.  Lovely reminder that posts can be journeys too.  This one very much makes a point Pippa!

Hannah from Muddling Along Mummy is sharing Can the Pregnancy Police Please Piss Off.  A beautifully crafted piece of rhetoric about the way society increasingly polices the pregnant woman. Hannah is delivering it with the gusto a post like this needs.  If you are pregnant, or have ever been, or are thinking about it, this is an essential read.

Catherine from Baby Genie is reading I was Saved by a Raisin, a tender and humorous post documenting those shakey, emotional, uncertain days of early motherhood.  Those subtle changes in behaviour, those little obsessions that set in.  Like finding the bits of broken toys or earring backs and frantic cleaning.  Catherine's journey into the realms of motherhood induced OCD rounds off with sound advice on where our priorities should be as parents, this is a story about learning to let go, learning how to be the mother you want to be and living in the moment.

Finally, Jacqui from Mummy’s Little Monkey is sharing Oh S**t, on the perils of what happens when children investigate their poo-ey nappies.  This is a horror poo story, every parent has one.  But no-one tells it quite as well as Jacqui.  Laughs all round, a brilliant finish to the Keynote.

That's it from them, and that's it from me.  Didn't they do well?  Happy Reading.  What struck a chord with you?