Category Archives: Your Home
Top 8 Planning Permission checks!
Many of us will simply be overjoyed when confirmation of planning permission arrives through the door. You may have fallen victim to many revised, withdrawals and even resubmissions of your plans before finding yourself finally reaching the ultimate goal of being granted planning permission. However, you can never be too sure that your “in the clear” status is concrete. Here are the Healthy Hideout’s top 8 planning permission checks – Unfortunately these tips apply to our UK readers only;
Planning Permission is priceless when done right!
- Description of your scheme – When you submit your planning scheme plans to your agent, it is their job to change the wording to suit that of your local planning authority. This is you chance to ensure that their translation is close to what you want, and if not, changing it where necessary. You don’t want minor descriptive errors such as this giving you an extra headache down the line.
- Check your plans – You know better than anyone what you want the final product to look like. Be sure to check the final submission drawings, associated with any necessary documents to ensure you have no discrepancies, whilst maintaining the look that you seek.
- Expiration dates – When you finally receive planning permission, the UK standard for validity is three years. If you wish to extend this by another 3 years, it is possible for a small fee. The bottom line is, make sure you keep your expiration date in mind should you wish to go travelling around the world. You don’t want to have start from the beginning again!
- Keep any neighbours in the loop – It may be the case that your planning permission requires some input or action from your neighbour in order to be granted final planning permission. Be sure that your neighbours are aware of what needs to be done, what time frame it needs to be completed by and of course if they are OK to do so.
- Conservation – If you are looking to get planning permission in a conservation area, or build in an area that is close to one, it may be conditional that you use certain sourced materials. Try to have suppliers lined up sooner rather than later, being sure to exhaust as many options as possible. Locally sourced materials may cost a little more, but could guarantee a stress free submission.
- Snub the obvious – Planning permission can tumble with the smallest detail being overlooked – Try not to miss the obvious. For example, bathroom windows must not face your neighbour, and if they do they must be frosted/obscured. Do your research and keep on top of simpler details.
- Keep Green – Many planning permission offices work to preserve natures beauty. Planning permission may be granted with the condition that you maintain greenery, shrubs or even trees in the area. If you look to maintain as much of mother nature as possible, your planning permission may be granted a little easier.
- Building Regulations – Once you have been granted solid planning permission, be sure to get building regulations approval for the proposed work you wish to carry out. Your local council can assist with this, giving you time to make any changes that may cause issues in the long run. Running through your plans with a fine tooth comb at this point is simply priceless.
Sneeze and risk infecting the entire room for hours
If everyone you know is coming down with a cold and flu then a big culprit to the spread of these germs and viruses is sneezing! We all know that coughing and sneezing can spread colds. However, scientists have discovered that the sneeze from a flu sufferer can lead to the virus not only infecting an entire room but also being contagious for several hours.
This finding gives further evidence to the theory that going into your doctor’s waiting room could lead to you coming out worse than when you entered. The concentrations of germs expelled into the air are large enough so that when breathed in up to over an hour after they were first expelled you can catch the illness. It also highlights why you are more likely to pick up an illness at the start of your holiday after sharing a long plane journey with other people who are ill.
The photo below, caught on a high speed camera gives a visual reminder of just how easily a virus can be spread. Stopping the spread of germs through a sneeze is simply a case of educating people to cover and catch those germs before they are thrown out into the air everyone else in the room is breathing!
Catch that sneeze - Salivary droplets plume into the air from sneezing
Other studies have tended to concentrate on the larger droplets that are expelled and drop to the floor or a surface very quickly. However, this study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface was focussing on the smaller airborne droplets that it found can stay in the air for many hours or even days.
Dr Linsey Marr led the group of researchers from Virgina Tech in the U.S. who took air samples from three cross-country plane journeys, three nurseries and a healthcare clinic’s waiting room. From the samples, droplets of the flu virus were found in half of the cases. The researchers found that a typical cubic metre of air carried in it about 16,000 particles of flu virus. Dr Linsey Marr said, ‘Given these concentrations, the amount of viruses a person would inhale over one hour would be adequate to induce infection.’
He also noted that the ventilation systems in most offices will help to remove and circulate the contaminated air fairly quickly. Typically, a sneeze can expel about 40,000 droplets across a room at speeds of more than 100mph. Make sure you cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing so that you don’t spread your illness further.
Full steam ahead for your home
A steam room or sauna is typically associated with a visit to your local spa or gym. However, these wonders of relaxation and detoxification are becoming increasingly popular additions to a home. Brian Grey, marketing manager for Ideal Standard says: “Europeans have always been very open to having saunas – and to sharing saunas, whereas here [Britain], its almost had a ‘Carry On’ thing about it. But as Britain has become more sophisticated, people have become much more open to it.”
The price and sophistication of steam showers and saunas has meant that the market is full of attractive and competitively priced options. David Taylor, photographed below is a sales director for a hotel chain and says: “I’ve got a fairly stressful job. I’m a director of 18 spas so I’m familiar with saunas and the benefits that they bring. But I’d never thought about having one at home, but then a colleague told me about the recent advances in technology, which sparked me to think about a sauna as a domestic product. And after a bit of Googling, I found Divapor.com.” The two person infrared sauna that David bought from Di Vapor was installed with his son in less than an hour and doesn’t need any drainage; just a standard 13 amp wall socket.
Director of 18 Spas - David Taylor enjoys his Di Vapor sauna
David goes on to explain: “The sauna is my little sanctuary, where I go two or three times a week to sit with a book or to listen to music – it’s got a CD player. I read the papers every Sunday morning in there. It’s just a great way to chill out. And during the winter months, they’re obviously very warming and great for lifting the mood and spirit.”
An infrared sauna creates a less stifling heat where sweat is induced at lower operating temperatures. This can make the experience preferable for people who find traditional saunas a little uncomfortable. Furthermore, David Taylor notes that the infrared sauna has made virtually no impact on his electricity bill.
It seems that the bathrooms and homes of the future may often be furnished with a steam shower and/or infrared sauna as a common, standard piece of equipment. For more information please see the Telegraph story: Full Steam Ahead. What luxury items do you have in your house that you think will be common place in the near future?
Top 10 ways to save time!
2011 is now in full swing, but for many of us it’s quite a busy time of year. Schools are starting back up, new targets have been set in the office, and many of us have started stringent exercise regimes to lose any “Christmas weight.” For many of us, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything finished. Here are the Healthy Hideout top ten tips for saving time and getting things done;
We can't control time - The key is good time management!
- Spread the load – If you live with family or friends, it important to not hold yourself responsible for maintaining a clean and tidy living environment. Discuss with your fellow home dwellers ways to spread the workload. Nobody likes doing chores, but we do them because they need doing.
- There’s a place for that – Organisation around the home can save vast amounts for time when you really need it. Take the kitchen for example – Utensils you use often should be placed to hand whilst rarely used items should be stored away. Items you use all the time such as your keys, phone or laptop should be stored in the same place each day.
- Be e-efficient! – If like many of us you use a computer on a daily basis, try to incorporate some of the priceless time-saving keyboard short cuts into your regular usage. ”Hotkeys” can be set up to make certain programmes, documents or websites open with a simple press of a button.
- Walk & Talk – A good way to socialise whilst exercising is to organise a short walk with a friend or family member. In contrast to sitting down with tea or coffee, the walk will release endorphins which when combined with the fresh air can help you de-stress and sleep better.
- Utilise lists – Research has shown that people who start to incorporate “to-do” lists increase their productivity and start to feel immediately in more control. Write down tasks that need doing and tick them off as you complete them. This keeps you aware of your priorities whilst helping you feel in control of your life.
- Shop on line – On line shopping is quickly becoming the norm as it can save you both time and energy. Set aside an hour to do your grocery shopping on line and you’ll not only save time not having to travel to the supermarket, there’s no queuing and no hassle of crowds. Let the shops do the hard work for you!
- Learn to say no – Saying yes to everyone and everything means you’ll be committing time, and we often tend to take on more than we can handle. You often feel like your letting people down, but saying no when it matters important. Some say that “saying no without offending is an art” – The Healthy Hideout agrees!
- Hire some help – For some, having a cleaner all year round is simply not practical financially. If this is the case for you, why not consider hiring a cleaner over seasonal periods to help lighten the load. Get the professionals in for the jobs that require a little more time, such as garden work or cleaning the oven.
- Clear the clutter – A clutter-free home or working environment keeps you calm, helping you focus on certain things your supposed to be doing. It can also save you time by finding things quicker – efficiency is key.
- Be aware of time eaters – The internet provides us with a great informative resource, convenient at our fingertips for when we need it. However, social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter can eat your valuable time. Try stopping yourself from using these sites regularly, and do something useful instead.
All of us at the Healthy Hideout know how important good time management is – And it can be difficult to keep on top of it. How do you manage your time?
Keeping Safe in the Snow!
As you may have already noticed, the UK has been hit hard with snow over the recent weeks. It’s important to stay warm during these cold periods, wearing plenty of suitable clothing whilst eating and drinking well. Many of us will still be braving the roads, but getting our cars out of driveways and garages can potentially be quite dangerous. Shovelling snow is a task that requires more attention that you’d expect.
Be careful when clearing snow!
Here’s a few Healthy Hideout tips for shovelling snow this winter;
- Ensure you’re up to the task. If you have health or heart problems, or any other physical limitations, get approval from your doctor before starting. You could even look to get some assistance from your local neighbours if they’re willing to help!
- A good snow shovel is key. You want the large surface to be made from a non-stick material, whilst being lightweight with a long handle. An open end allows you to quickly toss snow to the side as you work.
- Where is the snow going? If you’re planning to move the snow, remember cold temperatures will mean it isn’t melting any time soon. Make sure you move it to somewhere where you won’t be needing to move it again.
- Shovel using a stern, steady motion focusing on clearing the snow where you will be walking and where your car will be passing through. A good technique is to “push” the snow whilst holding the shovel at a slight angle. This gives you a “snow plough” effect, thus pushing the snow to one side.
- When a large bulk of the snow has been cleared, use the edge of the shovel to chip away any patches of ice that may have built up. A pick-axe maybe needed for thicker build-up.
- Once you’ve removed all the snow and ice from the surface, spread a large amount of rock salt over the area. This will prevent the snow or ice from building back up again too quickly, but be careful to avoid areas with soil or plants. The rock salt can be extremely damaging to plant life.
As more snow is forecast to fall, it’s important to be prepared for any further snowfall. Are you prepared?
Top Tips to escape Trans Fats this Christmas!
For many of us, there will be an abundance of food around the house this Christmas and it’s not difficult to get carried away. One of the key elements to try and avoid this festive season are the man made fats known as trans fats.
Turkey is naturally low in fat so don't worry!
Trans fats are produced during hydrogenation: a chemical process that manufacturers use to convert vegetable oils into semi-solid fats. This helps to extend the shelf life of the food and tends to give food a creamier taste. Cutting out these trans fats could reduce UK deaths from from heart disease by up to 20 percent! Take a look at the Healthy Hideout’s top tips for keeping the trans fats at bay this Christmas:
- When choosing margarine for baking or sandwiches, try to keep away from hard block recipes, looking out for brands that have low trans fat content. If you can’t see this information, look out for hydrogenated fat or oil levels.
- When light frying in the pan, use a good quality olive oil rather than sunflower or vegetable. It’s that much better for you!
- When preparing side salads for Boxing Day lunch why not try Sunflower seeds or chopped pumpkin seeds instead of bacon bits – Bacon bits are soaked in trans fat!
- If you feel a craving for something savoury whilst watching your favourite Christmas movie, try substituting potato chips and crisps for something a little more imaginative. Peanut butter smeared on celery sticks is a great option!
- Try spending a little more time in the fresh food aisles of the supermarket – Research has shown that foods with high trans fat content are kept in the centre of the supermarket.
- Substitute the goose fat soaked roast potatoes for jacket potatoes this Christmas. Jacket potatoes are naturally low in fat and high in carbohydrate.
- If you need to stock up on processed foods such as biscuits, cereals or desserts try to stick to lower-fat versions of them. It may seem a little tedious, but it really is worth it!
- Make your own – Here at the Healthy Hideout, we can’t encourage making your own baked goods enough! Try your cakes, muffins and biscuits and pack them with contents that you enjoy whilst keeping the trans fats to a minimum!
We don’t want to start scaring you into thinking Christmas is just one big opportunity to gain weight, because it isn’t. It’s a time to be enjoyed and remembered! Just try to keep long term health in perspective – Your heart will thank you for it!