Eating and dieting choices are of course a matter of personal preference and different people will find that different diets work better for them than other diets do. Whichever plan you subscribe to the key processes in loosing weight are eating sensibly, drinking enough water and exercising. If you burn more calories than you consume then you will loose weight.

You may have heard talk of the need to have a fast metabolism in order to burn calories faster and it is true that a fast metabolism will continue  to burn calories after you have finished exercising, but in reality the more you exercise the faster your metabolism becomes. This means exercising not only burns calories once, but by increasing your metabolic rate, will help burn calories even when you stop exercising.

But although many people find sticking to diets difficult, they find exercising even more so. If you are someone who feels this way, then walking could be the answer. Unlike gym membership or other sports, walking requires no special equipment (other than a comfortable pair of shoes) and has no costs associated with it. It is also easy to increase the levels of walking slowly and gradually at a rate you feel comfortable with.

In a medical study it was found that the average number of steps taken by people who were overweight was between 1,500 and 2,000 steps less a day than those who maintained a healthy weight. That means you could be as little as only about fifteen minutes of walking a day away from a path to a healthy weight!

If you feel you could benefit from walking further, the first thing to do is work out how many steps you currently walk a day. A simple pedometer can be purchased very cheaply and will tell you how many steps you walk. By monitoring this over a week you can establish your current average daily steps. By working to increase this daily count each week you should be able to gradually increase your daily step total and find it easier to loose weight.

You can also get simple apps for your iPhone other mobile phones that will monitor your step counts and a digital pedometer for the Nintendo DS that will track your daily steps and encourage you to walk more.

For other weight loss resources you might try drinking water to help weight loss and information on how your mobile phone and other technology can help.

So what ironing board covers are available and which should you choose?

Many decisions will probably revolve around the look and the pattern of the cover and whilst this is a valid selection criteria (you will be looking at it for many hours in the months to come) and maybe more important if you do not have room to store your ironing board out of sight, the pattern is not going to impact on the efficiency of the ironing board.

The cost should not really be a consideration either, as the most expensive cover is only slightly more than a more basic cover. What you do need to ensure is that the cover you choose will properly fit your ironing board. If you think that all ironing boards are about the same size you would be surprised as they come in different lengths and different widths. Although most covers will be adjustable with a draw string to pull the cover tight around the ironing board, or with an elasticated edge to hold the cover in place, if your cover is too small it will not fit at all and if it is too large there may be so much fabric left over that you can not hold the surface tight, resulting in ridges and ruffles on your ironing board; not the ideal situation to create crease free clothes.

As with many consumer items, technology also plays it’s part with ironing board covers. The simplest cover you can get will be a cotton only cover, but silicon covers are also now produced which help reflect the heat from the iron back into the clothes, creating an easier ironing surface. In addition to the outer material, many ironing board covers also come with foam backing which provide a smoother surface to iron on. The smoother the surface, the easier and quicker it should be to iron your clothes and the better the end result.

 How often should a hamster cage be cleaned out depends on how dirty they get, but you do need to ensure that stale food and droppings are removed regularly. A full clean of the hamster cage once a week is recommended.

You should never really have to bathe your hamster. Washing them is not good for their fur as the water removes the natural oils from the fur, which can make them unwell. Chinchilla sand can help keep the coat in good condition, but there may be times when you feel you have to wash your hamster. These should only be in exceptional circumstances, for example if there is something on the fur that may be toxic of harmful to your hamster if ingested (as they lick the fur to clean it).

If there is a substance that needs to be removed from the fur you should consider if it is possible to cut it away, or brush it out. If this is not possible or the substance is something like paint or something very sticky and you feel forced to wet your hamster then do so very carefully with a small amount of warm water, keeping it away from the nose, mouth ears and eyes. When clean, dry your hamster very gently with a towel and if possible with a hair drier on a low setting held far away from the hamster. Make sure your hamster is completely dry before returning it to its cage so that the bedding does not stick to the fur.

One thing to consider is that if there is a bad smell coming from your hamster it may be because it is sick and in this case you should take your pet to the vet to be checked over.

If you regularly clean and disinfect your hamster cage and remove droppings and old food as recommended above, you should easily maintain a clean, healthy and sweet smelling home for you and your hamster.

Has the time therefore come to reintroduce children to the joys of more traditional toys, games and activities? If you believe this is the case you will probably be surprised at how easily children take to making entertainment for themselves, with less technological intervention.

When your youngster discovers that there is a whole world waiting for them to discover in a pile of sand or earth or that they can create anything from monsters, aliens or farm yard animals from cardboard tubes and sticky tape you will be encouraging not only hand eye coordination skills but developing imaginary play techniques and helping to encourage creativity. Whilst messy and requiring a level of adult supervision, craft activities like painting, drawing and cutting and sticking can be as diverting as any other play activity and provide a level of satisfaction and achievement for children.

Simple games that can be played with a pen and piece of paper, such as battleships, tic-tac-toe (or noughts and crosses) and hangman can entertain as well as encourage interaction on a human level and can be made as easy or difficult as required to your child’s level of understanding.

Other classic board games such as snakes and ladders or chess for older children will help develop mental and numerical skills as well as developing a sense of fair play and the ability to both win and loose games with a good grace.

Traditional games need not be boring and in many cases provide more enjoyment because of the engagement required by both children and adults.

Camera Lens

If you are going to use your camera phone as your main digital camera the best advice is to make sure that the lens is of a good quality as two phones with the same resolution will not necessarily take the same quality pictures. For example Nokia N Series has improved optical elements when compared to other Nokia mobiles.

Flash

A good flash can help improve your photographs, even when there is good natural light. Most camera phones have the option to force the flash to fire, overriding the built in settings and this can help illuminate your picture. Conversely if you are getting a white glare from the flash use the setting to turn it off for that photograph. Many camera phones also have a built in red eye removal feature for taking pictures of people.

Auto Focus

Make sure the auto focus feature is turned on and that you use face recognition if your camera phone supports it and you are taking photos of people. Many camera phones will have an extended digital zoom feature which in reality dos not improve the picture and can cause wobble and distortion. If possible turn this feature off. You may not be able to zoom in quite as close to the subject but the picture you take should be clearer.

Specialist Settings

Although it is perfectly possible to point and shoot to take a picture, your camera phone may have built in presets for example a night mode. It is worth spending a little time exploring the menu and using these settings where they are available as the camera should be then optimised for the picture you are taking.

Make use of other built in features

Many camera phones have features that enable you to take a panoramic shot by combining a number of different photographs, or to take several shots in quick succession to capture fast moving images. It is a good idea to try these out in advance of needing them so you do not miss the perfect picture when the time comes to take it.

Nokia N Series Camera Phones have the best cameras in the Nokia range, with the Nokia N8 being amongst the best.

Indeed a survey should be the first step in any plan to manage asbestos in a non domestic building before work such as an office refurbishment starts (and this will include common parts of residential properties, such as stairwells). Whilst it may be necessary to test certain samples, there should also be a presumption that asbestos is present in any material can not be tested that may contain asbestos.

Where asbestos is identified it either needs to be removed or made safe. If it is in good condition and does not need to be disturbed then the latter course of action is often preferred as being the safest. If is to be removed this should be undertaken by a trained and competent contractor and disposed of properly.

Any contractor working within the property should be given a copy of the asbestos survey so that they can make sure that work they do is not going to disturb any remaining asbestos or if they are working in an affected area, suitable steps are taken to remove the asbestos containing materials before they start work.

The third requirement is to prepare an Asbestos Management Plan to monitor the remaining asbestos in the property. This should relate back to the asbestos survey and include a routine of regular monitoring and inspections of remaining asbestos to ensure that it remains in good condition. This plan should also be regularly monitored and updated as required.

 

This article is an overview of the requirements in the UK relating to asbestos in non domestic buildings. Each building is different and will require a specific approach. In addition, construction work may require other consents including Building Regulations approvals or monitoring by a CDM Co-ordinator.

Before arranging for moving companies to look at your project and price the move, I would recommend that you work out how you would like the move to be organised – which departments may be able to start packing first, when you can switch off phones and computers and if your staff are going to pack or if this is a service you want the relocation company to provide.

Once you have a good idea about how you would arrange the move yourself, you can ask the relocation companies to tell you how they will go about it. Whilst the relocation companies should be the experts in the move process, only by understanding what needs to be done can you ensure the companies are providing what you need. It may be that after you have spoken to several companies that your original ideas need changing and most likely you incorporate a number of suggestions you get from speaking with different removers.

Even if you do not have a plan of attack for the move these questions are ones the relocation companies should answer for you:

Please set out the order in which the move will be handled?

This should cover when IT will be packed and moved, when files and filing crates will be relocated and when furniture will be moved to the new location. If space is tight (at either one end of the move or the other), have they allowed for a holding area to give sufficient swing space.

How many staff will you have and how do you see them split?

This is important for comparing the various quotes you will get. Company A may quote half the price of Company B, but if they are also allowing half the porters to pack and carry, you should expect the job to take at least twice as long. If something goes wrong over the move weekend, then you may rapidly run out of time with too few moving staff, but conversely you do not want to pay for too many people.

Will you appoint a relocation manager to oversee the move and be present for the move?

Normally you would expect a working move foreman to be appointed. For moves where there will be teams working both at your new and old office, you need two foremen. For large moves you may want a relocation manager so that they have the job of co-ordinating the move teams, rather than leave it to the job foreman to manage.

What time will you start on site each day and what time will you work till?

This is important so that you know when access is required to the buildings and to monitor progress throughout the move. Most companies should price to complete the job so that the staff will leave early on the final day, once you are happy.

What arrangements will you make to protect the buildings?

Moving heavy crates takes a lot of skill and whilst generally move companies are very good at not marking walls and furniture, accidents do happen. Whilst insurance will probably pick up the cost of some of these, prevention is preferable than having your new office walls marked before you have moved in, particularly if recently redecorated as part of an office fitout. Ensure the move company allows to protect lifts, entrances and corridor areas with temporary timber or foam boards. Consider dust sheets and mats on the floors if the weather is going to be wet, to help protect your carpets.

A Sustainability Policy is a written statement that outlines the company’s objectives and commitments towards targets and performance improvements in the area of sustainability.

It is important because unless a company knows what it wants to achieve and has an idea of how that will happen, it is unlikely to be able to make improvements.

There are a number of elements to a Sustainability Policy, including:

General sustainability aims and objectives

An agreement that the policy is actively supported by management and will by implemented by staff

A way of communicating sustainability targets and objectives to employees, customers and suppliers.

Ultimately the Sustainability Policy should become a central part of the business strategy.

A Sustainability Policy specific to each building is also important because every property will be different and will have different challenges and opportunities. It is unrealistic to expect a one size fits all policy to be appropriate although this does not mean it is necessary to reinvent a policy for each property. Instead your property manager should look at what elements are common across all properties and what specific items can be adopted and configured to suit specific properties.

One target for a property may be to work towards a carbon neutral building but for some properties this may not be achievable, or not at a sensible cost, which will be particularly likely for older buildings. Where this is not possible an alternative is to assess the current carbon footprint attributable to a property and set targets to reduce this.

Other things to consider include are the environmental impact of the day to day running of a property and in particular energy efficiency (how can changes be made to improve energy efficiency) and the types of energy that is used.

There are a number of reasons why developing Sustainability Policies makes sense both for good business and good property management reasons but as legal requirements increase these will become even more important. One final benefit should be as a marketing tool for empty properties. Use your Sustainability Policies to set your property apart from other less environmentally focused properties, particularly when marketing to green aware tenants and it starts to make real business sense. This could be a particular benefit in the area of serviced offices, or buildings where active management  is possible

Each relocation company will usually provide a sales person to meet with you and estimate the time and resources they will need to allocate to the job and usually they will have some good ideas about how to efficiently complete the task, but they are primarily there to ensure they provide you with a competitive price that wins their company the job. This sales person is unlikely to be present on the day of your move to pick up any problems and by that stage it may be too late to correct them anyway.

Because of this it is important to compare the various quotes you receive to ensure that all companies are providing a similar amount of resources to complete your move. If one company is providing ten porters to carry, load and unload, whereas another company is providing twenty, the prices will reflect that; you need to establish if the job can really be done by the smaller workforce of if you are really going to be left with an unfinished or rushed job because there was not enough time and people provided to complete it.

Most reputable relocation companies will be able to get their prices correct and all should appoint a foreman on the day to oversee the move, but they will still need to be taking directions from you, or someone you appoint to be the move coordinator. In addition, the foreman may see the job very differently from the sales person, so it is a good idea for the move coordinator to set out their understanding of how they expect the move to go with the foreman at an early point on the day of the move, so that if there are major differences a combined plan can be agreed on.

For example, you may need to get furniture moved first followed by IT so computers can be set up. If the move foreman starts moving packing crates first because he does not understand this requirement, you, or your IT team, may waste several hours waiting whilst the packing crates are relocated, where they can do nothing productive. Also, make sure you have mobile phone numbers for all the key people on the day of the move, so you can keep in contact.

In summary for a successful commercial property move, it is important for your move coordinator to understand the move, speak with a number of relocation companies to get the right price, and agree a plan of action with the relocation company that can then be followed through on the day.

A small proportion of the photographs were taken for more practical purposes, and although touched upon in their report, it is this use that we will be focusing on here.
 
Because your mobile is always to hand it makes a great tool for instantly capturing things you need to remember when you are out and about. The additional advantage over a traditional pen and paper based approach to recording memos, is the level of detail that you can capture in a photograph.
 
For example, imagine you are out shopping for a new kitchen oven and are comparing different products. There can be a great deal of choice between gas, electric, induction, button less technology, 4 ring or 2 ring, inset or free standing, the criteria can go on and on. You will probably be able to immediately refine the list, excluding those that are too expensive, those that are too big to fit in your kitchen, and the ones that you just don't like the look of. For the rest, most electrical appliance shops put summary information on the price tag, including model number, dimensions, price and warranty information. With a quick snap of your camera phone you can record all of this and an image of the product in question, for those you are interested in, before moving onto the next store. Back at home, you can price compare on the internet against the model numbers you have recorded and also verify that the product for offer on the internet looks the same as that in the shop. You can then make an informed decision on which appliances are best for your needs.
 
Similarly, your camera phone is a great tool for taking down telephone numbers or contractor details, when you are out and about. On the way back from looking at ovens, you spy a team of gardeners working in a nicely tended garden. You just happen to be looking for a garden maintenance firm to quote for some work, and a photograph of their liveried van gives you their name, website details and telephone number, allowing you to research the firm before booking an appointment with them.
 
Many people will carry their mobile with them to call for help in case of emergencies, but how many think of using the camera to record details of an accident? If you are involved in a motor accident, or are witness to one, it is very easy to get events confused, because of the stressful nature of the situation. Once it is clear that no one is injured, and you know emergency services have been alerted, a few photographs of the scene, before vehicles are moved, can be invaluable to you later when you have to recall exactly what was where and what damage was done to what vehicle.
 
By getting into the habit of using the camera on your mobile cell phone for practical purposes, you can make more use of a sophisticate piece of electronic equipment and make sure you always have a detailed recording device with you.