Walk Don't Run: A New Way To Get Your Kids To School In The Morning

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There are a whole wealth of articles out there which shout about the health benefits of walking your kids to school instead of driving. As can be seen from sites like www.bistromd.com, those benefits include things like maintaining health and building confidence. That’s good news all around, don’t you agree?

Sadly, a look outside any school gates reveals that the benefits mentioned above aren’t enough for many. We all want our kids to be healthy, of course, but we assume they achieve this through play and physical education. If we’re walking kids purely for health, then, it doesn’t always seem worth our while.

But, what if we were to tell you that it isn’t only health benefits you’ll experience from a change like this. There are practical reasons to get your walking boots on instead of reaching for your keys. If nothing’s won you around thus far, then, the following pointers could be the things to do it. Read on, and you may find you start walking in no time. 

An increased chance of being on time

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Your kids may be able to get physical exercise elsewhere, but they only get one chance to arrive at class on time. The chances are that you already know how difficult it can be to achieve that simple goal when you come by car. Congestion, accidents, and weather all play a part in determining when you arrive. And, let’s be frank; nothing makes you feel worse than making your children late through no fault of their own. By comparison, walking to school removes many of these variables. You won’t need to worry about how busy the roads are, or whether the weather makes visibility difficult. You’ll be able to walk on those clear pathways come rain or shine. And, guess what; your kids will probably be on time as a result.

Removing the risks of the road

The delays mentioned above aren’t the only risks of the road, either. Busy roads and frustrated drivers can also result in accidents. Rates of road-based crashes often skyrocket around school time, and it’s easy to see why. With many parents choosing large family cars like SUVs, there’s also an increased risk of severe incidents like rollovers. While you could contact lawyers like those found at www.gbw.law if this happened to you, that wouldn’t make up for putting your kids at risk. By comparison, walking is a reasonably safe affair. As long as you stick to crossings and designated walkways, it’s unlikely you’ll stumble into trouble.

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More money for the family

If even the above isn’t enough to convince you, consider that driving to school can also cost a fair amount. Fuel alone can soon add up when you’re crawling along behind a stream of other parents. Not to mention general maintenance costs for your vehicle. That’s worth noting given that keeping costs down always matters when you have a family. By comparison, walking doesn’t cost a penny. With that in mind, which option do you prefer?

Improve Your Home's Energy Efficiency Today

How efficient your home is is one of those things we all think about from time to time. It is useful to pay attention to for a number of reasons, some of them personal and some a little wider than that. Clearly, the more energy efficient your home is, the less money you are having to spend on your maintenance and energy bills, and sometimes that means that spending a little upfront can be worthwhile. Similarly, if you home is more energy efficient then you are not making such a great impact on the environment, which is definitely something to be proud of as well. In this post,m we are going to look at some of the really simple and yet highly effective ways in which you can ensure that your home's energy efficiency is going to be increased and improved in no time. All of these simple acts are likely to make a considerable difference.

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Replace The Windows

If your windows are even ten years old, you will find that they are just not holding in heat as well as you would hope. It is always worth having them checked out, and if they are less than perfect, you might want to call out a paint and glass window replacement service to re-fix them for you. You will find that this immediately makes the home warmer, and that you are therefore spending much less on energy bills straight away. You will also be able to essentially feel safer in the home, which is a bonus that everyone can appreciate, as your windows are one of the major safety concerns in any home. Replace The windows and you will generally improve your home in a number of ways, so it is definitely worth your while.

Reduce Water Consumption

If you really care about utilising the energy in your home, you will want to pay attention even to the amount of water you are using. People often think of this merely as an issue of the waste of water itself, but actually it is more than that. When you use water, you are effectively using the energy of the suppliers who bring it into the pipes into your home. Likewise, if you use heated water, that will be using energy in your own home as well, which is going to work against what you are trying to do here. You can easily use less water by being constantly and consistently aware of your usage and cutting down where appropriate. Just make sure that you do so and don’t let it falter, and you will find that you can really make a huge difference here.

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Insulate

If your home is not already well insulated, you will want to think about doing so in order to make sure that you are only using the energy necessary to keep the home warm. It’s very simple - the better the insulation, the less energy you have to use. With that in mind, it’s worth ensuring that you have the best insulation you can afford throughout your home.

Go Green With Your Cleaning Routine

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The home deep clean is something we all have to endure at some point each month, but even just a good old-fashioned regular cleaning job can leave you feeling woozy and lightheaded. Here’s where the plot thickens, this isn’t because you were overexerting yourself. That’s right. It’s got less to do with elbow grease and more to do with cleaning products. Mmmmm hmmm, it’s all about the chemicals inside that bottle. Bad, huh?

Sure, these products may be designed to make your life easier, but the harmful chemicals they chuck in them could be making your life shorter. That’s where we step in because we want people to know that there is a way to go green with your cleaning routine, while also allowing you to achieve exactly the same results of glistening awesomeness. Better for the environment, better for your health and nicer smelling - what more could a domestic goddess need? 

For those of you that aren’t crazy-scientific-let’s-mix-everyday-products-and-make-some-magic kind of people, then we recommend you visit CleanHappens.com and make the switch to cleaning products that can cut through grime, grease and dirt without compromising on safety. However, if you are excited by the prospect of unleashing your inner high school chemical student, then you really need to check out these super cleaners that are delivering on the eco-friendly side of things, as well as being epically effective. Double. Whammy. 

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Baking Soda Is The Best

There are tons of different sodas that are great at doing different things. You’ve got bicarbonate soda that you can clean silver and rust with, washing soda that is ace at removing stains and descaling appliances, and club soda that is equally talented on the stain removal front (especially from organic products). However, our favourite is baking soda because it is insane when it comes to cleaning, as this list by allyou.com will confirm. Pour some down a drain, add an equal amount of vinegar and then just watch as they react, creating a gorgeous foam that cleans drains and leaves them smelling impossibly better. If you’ve got kids then this is one that you really want them to watch. It proves science is the best. 

A Sexy Little Thing Called Salt

Every household from here to Timbuktu has salt hidden away in one of the cupboards. What you may not realise, though, is that this salt can be used to clean, disinfect and deodorize a bunch of different parts of your home. Add salt and lemon juice together and you can battle back any rust. Turn it into a paste and you can clean your pots and pans, even the ones that you have managed to burn some stuff onto. Add salt to vinegar and flour and you will be able to shine up almost anything from stainless steel to pewter, gold to silver. That’s not all, either. You can also use salt to keep your other cleaning bits and bobs (read: sponges) germ-free and stench-free by simply leaving them to soak when not in use. 

Vinegar Is Very, Very Good

We’ve mentioned vinegar a couple of times already, which is a testament to its powers as an accomplice. But that isn’t all. Oh no. This little household gem is a diamond in the rough because it is an all-rounder up there with the likes of Freddie Flintoff. Its secret weapon is its ability to cut through grease like a hot machete through butter. How you go about applying it is up to you, though. You could put it in a spray bottle - half and half with water - and then use it to clean mirrors, glass, windows or anything else that falls within that bell curve. You can use it on wood flooring to spruce up a bit or use it on food containers to disinfect. The winner of all winners though is using it to clean your shower heads and faucets. All that rust and stubborn mold will fall away like people leaving a concert. In short, vinegar is that gentle giant that could transform the way you cleaning - gentle for the home and tough on the areas you need to clean. It’s a win-win. 

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When Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemons, forget about lemonade for a second and use this wondrous fruit to eliminate smells, clean surfaces and polish items. That’s right, this gorgeous, yellow beauty can do more than just make your face scrunch up. There isn’t too much to delve into, but it is great at eliminating grease, killing nasty little germs and leaving your place smelling fresher. Like a summer orchard in the south of Spain. 

Olive Oil Is The Original Polisher

If you don’t have olive oil in your cupboards then who even are you? It is a must have for delicious cooking, and even a little bit of beauty work. But, more appropriately to our blog, it is also great for home cleaning. Mmmm hmmm. The best way to use it is for polishing things. Wood, metals, anything really. The point is it will bring up a nice shine that you can’t ignore or hate on. The other thing it is great for is leather. So if you have any leather products that are cracked a bit, worn a lot or just looking a tad dry then it is time to slap some olive oil on. It is also great for removing chewing gum, which could address an issue you are currently facing with your teenager, or it could make buying secondhand furniture a lot easier, who knows? Just make sure you add a little squeeze of lemon so that you get a nice aroma going. 

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Vodka Is Vital For A Lot Of Things

The Russians have been telling us that vodka is invaluable for centuries. But would we listen? No. Well, we recently decided to and, guess what, we’re kicking ourselves slightly. It is amazing, especially when it comes to removing stains and odors from your laundry. Seriously. It will get rid of all those odors that no amount of washes seems to be able to cure. It is also great for polishing glass, and it does so without leaving any streaks, which is what we’ve always wanted. You can also polish metals and even porcelain too, as well as the stresses in your mind by just dropping an olive in and sipping on it frequently. Soon enough you’ll forget you had any cleaning to do whatsoever, which is a total bonus. 

Super-Soap To The Rescue

So long as you choose a natural soap, the kind that is made from oils or fats (yup, just like in Fight Club) with an added dash of alkali, then you will be able to break down all those nasty, dirty greases that seem to be taking over your home. That’s its biggest superpower: it can be used on pretty much every surface in every room of your home - kitchen through to bedroom, office and bathroom. Even more epic is the fact it comes in a plethora of different forms. We’re talking powders, liquids, flakes and, every shower’s favourite, bars. 

Hydrogen Peroxide Isn’t Just Hype

The reason why people tend to use hydrogen peroxide is that it is a safe alternative for bleach (which is something that comes with a whole host of health concerns). As for what to use hydrogen peroxide on, you can use it to deal with stains, mold, mildew and anything else of this ilk. The other thing it is used for is cleaning kitchens and bathrooms - but mainly kitchens - simply because it crushes germs and bacteria - especially that nasty sucker, Salmonella - quicker than life crushes dreams (joking!). It is basically an antiseptic cleaner that doesn’t have any of the harsh chemicals you are clearly worried about or else you wouldn’t be reading this blog. 

And that is pretty much it. 

Now whether or not you use all, some or none of these natural cleaning products is your prerogative, as Britney would say. The important thing to understand is that you don’t have to worry about your kid's health and safety, your pet’s allergies, or about pulling on a pair of elbow high yellow gloves, or wearing science-lab goggles out of fear of what the chemicals may do to your lifespan. Instead, you can clean every inch of your home using things you already have in your cupboards; things that will do a grand job and leave a great smell too. Vinegar. Salt. Lemon. Olive oil. Baking soda. Vodka. Each of these is epic at cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing. But beyond that, they are also great for the environment and even better for your wallet. Oh, yeah, we haven’t mentioned that. Well, not to beat around the metaphorical bush, these things cost cents, not dollars (except Vodka, maybe), which means you will have more money to spend on the finer things in life. 

We do hope we’ve piqued your curiosity enough to see you give it a go, and we would really love for you to send some pics in to prove they are amazing alternatives.