The Met Office Has A Chilly Prediction For February Half Term

The Met Office has today issued cold weather and snow warnings just in time for the February Half Term school holidays next week. It has been estimated that some regions of the UK could experience up to six inches of snow and a return to freezing temperatures. If the thought of being stuck inside with the kids for a week sends a chill down your spine – then it is time to come up with a crafty plan!

Why not take a fierce approach to the frosty weather and buy your children some eco gifts that will provide them with something to keep them occupied for a few hours – and more importantly ensure you get to keep your sanity over the next week (or at least until they are tucked up in bed and you can relax with a nice warming drink).

Eco gifts such as HappyMais – a versatile environmentally friendly toy formed from Mater-Bi, a natural GM-free corn starch material, that is brightly coloured and can stick to itself using just water to create crafty sensations; or Puppet Kits, which come in a variety of designs that will appeal to children - young and old – and get their creative juices flowing! Choose from ballerinas, award winning dinosaurs, groovy spacemen or fabulous fairy princesses! The Puppet Kit eco gifts are made from recycled materials – and can even be recycled again once the kids have finished with them.

If you don't believe that puppets or maize will appeal to your children, then perhaps eco gifts such as a Jewellery Making Kit or Wooden Construction Truck may be more suitable? Either way, your offspring should at least be coaxed away from the television and games console for a little while.

The Chilling Truth – Highest Ever Winter Energy Bills

Price comparison site, moneysupermarket.com, has just released new research that indicates that Brits are about to face their heftiest ever energy bills. We all know that the cost of gas and electricity went up and down quite a bit last year. The end result? Consumers are going to end up paying through the nose.

The startling research shows that average winter energy bills are expected to have almost doubled since 2003. Moneysupermarket.com explains that average bills have risen from just over £200 to in excess of £600. However, there are many things you can do to try to cut down on your bill. First, you should make sure you are on the best tariff your energy supplier has to offer - a quick telephone call or visit to their website is usually all it takes, whilst changing to a new tariff is often as simple as clicking a button.

Other ways in which you can help to cut down your bills include turning your thermostat down, changing to energy efficient light bulbs, draft proofing your house and taking showers instead of baths, with a range of eco gifts now available to aid in each of these areas.

A still smarter approach is to keep track of your energy consumption – and possibly shave 20% off your bill - is with the latest in eco gifts, the Efergy Elite Meter. This fabulous invention is portable, so you can monitor energy consumption in different rooms using this cleverest of eco gifts. It utilises sensor and transmitter technology, making it possible and track the information on the display screen from any room in the house.

The 'real time' energy reading you get allows you to monitor where your energy is being drained in your home. So, by using the latest in eco gifts this means that your next energy bill should be a whole lot lighter!

Putting Some Magic into Valentines Day With Eco Gifts

When not in her Hogwarts uniform, the magical Emma Watson (Hermione from Harry Potter) is usually seen looking glam and sophisticated wearing top-to-toe Chanel. However, this week it has been announced that Emma Watson has collaborated on, designed and modelled, a range of Fairtrade clothing.

Dubbed as "on trend with a conscience", the clothing range represented by Ms Watson is aimed at luring the "Primark generation" of teenagers towards a more ethical way of dressing.

Where celebrities lead – we all shall follow! Valentines day is the perfect time to purchase eco gifts that are fashion forward. Whilst the love of your life may not be the target market for "Hermione's" products, there are plenty of alternatives around.

Eco gifts such as Naveh Milo's gorgeous range of natural and part recycled bags and purses are the ideal purchase for a fashionable and environmentally conscious Valentines day gift.

If you are looking for eco gifts that are trendy and cool for the man in your life, then consider a recycled shower/wash bag. Funky and fashionable, you can celebrate Valentines day with a clear conscience – and perhaps a tidier bathroom!

ALEX ZANE TO HOST RAINFOREST FOUNDATION UK’S ‘HOT & BOTHERED’ COMEDY EVENT

Acclaimed comedian, presenter and XFM Breakfast Show host ALEX ZANE will compere the Rainforest Foundation UK’s ‘Hot & Bothered’ event with a host of hot comic stars as part of London’s Big Joke Comedy Festival.

The ‘Hot & Bothered’ show on Tuesday October 14 at the Leicester Square Theatre’s month long festival features an impressive line up of UK comedic talent. Alex will become the bread in the comedy club sandwich of the fabulous JOSIE LONG, Irish-Iranian stand-up PATRICK MONAHAN, the brutally witty NATALIE HAYNES and the sharply funny JANEY GODLEY, all lending their talents to what promises to be a night of hilarity, and all in the name of a good cause.

The event is part of the Rainforest Foundation UK’s ‘Hot & Bothered’ campaign aimed at getting everyone who is bothered about climate change to stand up and make a difference. All profits go to the campaign.

The box office is now open so buy your tickets today by calling 0844 847 24 75 or online at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/ and http://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/.

10 Ways To Reduce Food Waste And Save Money

Through poor portion control or buying too much fresh food that goes off before we use it we create a lot of waste. Here’s some helpful tips to help you to reduce food waste, save money and protect the environment.

1. Write a list
Menu plan your meals for the week. Check the ingredients in your fridge and cupboards, then write a shopping list for just the extras you need.

2. Stick to the list!
Take your list with you and stick to it when you’re in the store. Don’t be tempted by offers and don’t shop when you’re hungry – you’ll come back with more than you really need.

3. Keep a healthy fridge
Check that the seals in your fridge are good and check the fridge temperature too. Food needs to be stored between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius for maximum freshness and longevity.

4. Don’t throw it away!
Fruit that is just going soft can be made into smoothies or fruit pies. Vegetables that are starting to wilt can made into soup.

5. Use up your left overs
Instead of scraping leftovers into the bin, why not use them for tomorrow’s ingredients? A bit of tuna could be added to pasta and made into pasta bake. A tablespoon of cooked vegetables can be the base for a crock pot meal.

6. Rotate
When you buy new food from the store, bring all the older items in your cupboards and fridge to the front. Put the new food towards the back and you run less risk of finding something mouldy at the back of your food stores!

7. Serve small amounts
Serve small amounts of food with the understanding that everyone can come back for more if they have cleared their plate. This is especially helpful for children, who rarely estimate how much they will eat at once. Any leftovers can be cooled, stored in the fridge and used another day.

8. Buy what you need
Buy loose fruits and vegetables instead of pre packed, then you can buy exactly the amount you need. Choose meats and cheese from a deli so that you can buy what you want.

9. Freeze!
If you only eat a small amount of bread, then freeze it when you get home and take out a few slices a couple of hours before you need them. Likewise, batch cook foods so that you have meals ready for those evenings when you are too tired to cook.

10. Turn it into garden food
Some food waste is unavoidable, so why not set up a compost bin for fruit and vegetable peelings? In a few months you will end up with valuable compost for your plants.

Original source: www.myzerowaste.com

Energy Efficient Lightbulbs

Eco Fact: Did you know that every day more solar energy falls on the Earth than the total amount of energy that the planet’s 5.9 billion inhabitants would consume in 27 years.

Reduce your energy use: save yourself money in the long run and reduce your footprint on the planet. If everybody bought just one energy efficient lightbulb, we could shut down a power station.

Four Easy Ways To Cut Down On Unwanted Mail

1. Join the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) this will stop personally addressed unsolicited mail.
2. Royal Mail Door-to-Door. By ‘opting out’ you will stop unaddressed mailings from businesses and organisations. However by choosing this ‘opt out’ scheme you may miss out on important central government and local government information but this can usually be viewed on-line. Address: Royal Mail Door-to-Door Opt Outs, Kingsmead House, Oxpens Road, Oxford OX1 1RX.
3. Put a ‘No Junk Mail’ notice on your mailbox to discourage individuals delivering door to door promotional materials.
4. For additional information and advice visit: www.stopjunkmail.org.uk