One of the very best things about Christmas is getting to see our loved ones. Sadly, many of us don't have as much contact as we'd like with the ones we care about. We all lead busy lives, and finding the time to socialise can be tricky- but throughout the festive season it's nice that everyone really makes an effort to spend time with those that matter. One great way to get the people in your life together, eating, drinking and generally being merry is to throw a party. And entertaining truly is one of the joys of adulthood, being able to host food and drinks at your home is incredibly rewarding (and is a nice way to socialise when you no longer crave wild parties and clubs at the weekend!) If you're planning on hosting some kind of get together this December, here are a few directions you could go in. 

If you love a little luxury then Christmas is certainly an opportunity to go all out. If you really want to knock your guests socks off then there are plenty of ways you can bring in a luxe feel. Start with your dinner table, decorate it to a high standard using your best crockery and glasswear. Order a luxury festive centrepiece made of fresh flowers from your local florist, and add a touch of glamour with details like crystal candlesticks. You can have place settings custom designed and personalised which is another small way to impress your guests, and shows that you've really thought about everything. The food is possibly the most important element so is something you'll want to get right, if you want to present a meal that's really going to make an impression, search for high end venues like The Grand Hotel and take inspiration from their menu. If you're not much of a cook yourself, you could even have caterers come in and bring your vision to life. And of course, no party is complete without drinks flowing! Champagne is the ultimate in luxury, but you could always turn it into champagne cocktails to make it go a little further. 

If a high end get together isn't within your budget (or just isn't your thing!) you'll be pleased to know that it's perfectly possible to do things without spending much. One way you can really keep costs down is to throw a potluck party where each of your guests bring a bottle and a dish they've cooked. You all get to sample each others cooking, there's plenty of food and drink to go around and there's no major expense on one single person. The best way to throw a successful potluck party is to assign starters, mains and desserts to different guests. That way you ensure there's a good mixture. If you ask guests to give you an idea ahead of time of what they plan on making, you can check there are no doubles, or even triples of the same thing! Another way to keep costs down is by going buffet style. There are loads of ideas on Pinterest for finger foods, they're not expensive and are always crowdpleasers. Think sandwiches, pastries, bowls of crisps, cakes and more. If you ask guests to each bring a bottle of spirits, you could provide lots of mixers, fruit juice and cocktail toppers (such as lemon slices and glacier cherries) and you'll have an impressive looking cocktail station. Print out some cocktail recipes or place a cocktail book nearby, and let people have fun mixing up their own drinks!

A theme always gives a party that little extra ooph, makes it memorable and can help to break the ice. You could throw a onesie or pyjama party. You could throw an ugly Christmas jumper party, or allow any kind of festive fancy dress. One fun idea is a chocolate factory style party, you could even have a chocolatier come in and offer a masterclass as part of the entertainment. There are loads of directions you could go in, and adapt the food and decor to match. Themes are always an icebreaker and get people chatting, and make your party a little more special. If you're inviting friends from different areas of your life and are worried about people mingling then this is a guaranteed way to get people talking and having fun.

If you’re in the business of direct marketing then chances are you already know that an email headline can either make or break your chances of getting it opened. With all the effort you’ve gone to creating your offer and compiling your mailing list, the last thing you need is a headline that lets you down and goes straight into the trash or junk folder. We look at some headline hacks to give you the edge on your direct marketing campaign.

Use Questions

By all means use a question to really grab your reader’s attention but be careful, some questions are going to give you the wrong answer. Sometimes your reader won’t say yes, sometimes they’re going to respond with a big fat ‘no’. Take a look in your inbox, do you have a questions from a lifestyle blogger or company asking you to open an email or respond to a question? You probably do and will it become obvious pretty quickly that not all questions work. Some are far better and more effective at engaging the reader than others. Which ones pull you in and which have you reaching for the trash folder without a backward glance? Think about the wording you can use to prevent this happening. Perhaps avoiding a ‘Do you…’ question and replacing it with a ‘How will you…’ question will provide you with the response you’ve been looking for. Anything that propels the reader away from answering ‘no’ and towards taking up your call of action, is a winning formula.

Back It Up Online

Be bold and creative with your content. If your reader does click through to your webpage, don’t leave them disappointed. If you’re struggling for inspiration then let an agency such as Figment help you with SEO friendly content that draws your reader in and delivers to them exactly what you promised in your mailout.

Winning new customers is a challenging and pain staking process, so delving into the research behind your new customer base will pay dividends. Offering someone exactly what they want, exactly when they need it most is the golden egg. Don’t be let down by a poorly worded headline or website that lacks the power to back it up. Get it done right and you’ll soon have customers flocking to find out who you are and what you can offer.

The Christmas season is well and truly upon us. Shopping centres are alive with festive music and pretty lights, the Christmas tree down from the loft and the smell of mulled wine is in the air. However while the festive period is a lot of fun, it can also be chaotic and you might have a hankering to get away from the stress of organising the festivities for a few days. It’s great to pop to the odd Christmas party, enjoy the festive food and enjoy the company of friends, but sometimes we need a little time to ourselves. There’s no better way to have some quiet time than by getting away from it all on a short festive break. Take a look at these ideas for winter getaways

Iceland

For a tranquil break, going to Iceland for a few days won't disappoint. The Land of Fire and Ice can be bitterly cold, but this is part of it's charm at Christmas time. With over seventy per cent of its population believing in elves (and a road not being built for fear of damaging elven habitat!) you can be sure of a slightly eccentric yet chilled out trip. You might choose to go Northern Lights hunting. Based in Reykjavik, you can keep an eye on the Aurora Borealis forecast and venture out in your hired SUV to a dark spot, to try and witness the scientific wonder. The geographical laser show can transform your festive season from ordinary to extraordinary. If you'd rather not do too much hunting by yourself, an organised tour will know the best sites to see the spectacular green lit sky best, so pre-book your seat on a coach and enjoy the view. Reykjavik itself is a fine capital city. The modern cathedral can be scaled from the inside revealing a fantastic view of the surrounding seascape from above. The nightlife is sophisticated, and there are many high-quality eateries in which to enjoy a gastronomic experience. Of particular note is a little vegetarian cafe directly opposite the south side of the cathedral. Perfect for a vegan curry and bitter hot chocolate hit. In winter time, Iceland comes alive with its dramatic ice landscapes. Gullfoss waterfall completely freezes leaving a powerful body of water almost frozen in time. You can snowshoe across a giant glacier, take a boat trip to spot minke whale and dolphins or scale a dormant volcano. Iceland is a fantastic adventure haven for those adrenaline junkies and activity seekers.

The French Alps

There’s nothing like partaking in a spot of skiing or snowboarding during the festive season. You could seek luxury in Meribel, enjoying the surroundings of a cosy chalet, awesome snow capped mountain vistas and incredible powder. If you are more of a budget traveller, Bulgaria has some up and coming skiing hotspots to contend with their established European rivals. For an active few days away with great off piste skiing, you can’t beat the Alps. The apres skiing scene is fantastic, the drink is forever flowing, the food is top notch, and you may even catch a World Cup event if you plan your trip accordingly. If you've never skied before, don't let this put you off. Plenty of resorts cater for novices, and you could spend your vacation learning how to snowboard before returning home full of festive cheer.

Lapland

For the ultimate festive getaway, Lapland fits the bill. There’s nothing more Christmassy than visiting the homeland of the big man himself. While very child orientated, Lapland in Finland is perfect for everyone who adores winter holidays. You can find yourself enjoying a husky drawn sled ride through the finest pine forests in the world. You might fancy taking a visit to Santa Claus’s grotto, visiting his toy workshop and feeding the reindeer. Chalets here tend to be communal style or hotel-like. This means the catering is second to none, there is always a warming hot chocolate on hand, and you can feel snug as a bug with woollen fabrics, fleece throws and cushions aplenty adorning all the living areas and bedrooms. After an active day partaking in festive activities, what can be better than relaxing in a hot tub or enjoying a sauna session?

Forget two weeks in the sun, a winter break could be just what you need to recharge your batteries and return to a Christmas at home ready to eat, drink and be merry. Follow this essential guide and use one of these destination ideas to get away from the stress of the festive season this year.

When you finally make your ambitions come true and start running a business of your own, one of the first things you might want to think about is where you will conduct your work and who with. Hiring employees for the first time can be strange and just a little daunting, and finding the perfect workspace to house them is even more of a challenge. Here today we are going to chat about how you can create a positive workspace for your employees and keep them happy at your side. 

Your wedding is a massive deal, which is why even the most level headed bride-to-be can have their Bridezilla moments when planning the day! Chances are you want everything to be perfect, and there are so many different elements to work out in the early days, it can leave you wondering how it's ever all going to get done. You have to find the perfect wedding venue which suits your budget and theme, and that's in a location that all of your friends and family can easily get to. You need a good photographer to capture the day, gorgeous flowers, an impressive wedding cake and of course- your dress. Most of us have been dreaming about our big white wedding dress since we were kids, and a lot of your time, effort and budget will be focused on this. And with so many different components to plan for, it's important not to overlook a crucial part of the wedding- and that's your groom! While the list of things that he needs is likely to be much smaller than yours as the bride, there are of course a number of costs involved that you need to budget for. Here are some examples, which will help you to plan for your wedding finances, and free up the cash he needs for walking down the aisle on the big day.

Owning a home is expensive. You have a mortgage to pay for, not to mention insurances and maintenance costs (such as annual gas and electricity servicing) to keep everything running smoothly. You have to keep it stocked up with food and toiletries, plus there's cleaning costs such as carpet cleaner hire and window cleaners to cover on a regular basis. So when it comes to decor and furnishing, it can be tempting to want to find ways to keep costs down. And while some things most definitely can be done on a budget, there are a few home upgrades that are always worth spending money on.  While there are bargains to be had, in  many cases cheap products wear out more quickly, and the money you spend over the years replacing these kinds of things often works out more expensive than buying quality up front. Here are five examples.

Flooring

If you invest in a high quality flooring, it can last you for literally decades. Take solid wooden flooring for example, this can be sanded down a number of times throughout the course of it's life meaning every few years you can achieve a finish that looks brand new. Not only does it look smart, but it's incredibly hard wearing. You're not limited by styles and colours either, it comes in so many different colours and patterns that there's something for every home. You can see from this Linton range alone how many different options you have. Natural stone flooring is another good choice especially for downstairs, if you have kids, pets and lots of visitors it's easy to clean and of course will last practically forever if it's looked after well. You could then go with carpets upstairs, if you create a 'no shoes or food upstairs' rule, a high quality carpet will last a long time.

Sofa

Sofas are such a well used piece of furniture, buy cheap and it will almost certainly wear out quickly. Your best bet is to see it as an investment, choose a brand that rigorously tests all of their models and offers a guarantee of at least ten years. A cheap sofa might look ok at first, but things like the springs and foam are likely to wear out quickly and substandard materials can start to look scruffy. With it being a main piece of furniture in the home, you want something that will stay looking good and performing well for a long time.

Mattress

Buying a less expensive bed frame is fine, as long as it's sturdy it will do the job. But the mattress, like the sofa, should be seen as an investment. As humans we spend an insane amount of time sleeping, and for good health and comfort we need a decent, supportive mattress. Spend some time finding a model that's right for you, and go with the best you can afford. This will prevent it from wearing quickly and failing- this usually happens under your hip and can lead to a dip or indent. This then throws your body out of alignment and can cause issues with the back, neck and shoulders. It can also affect sleep, which comes with its own set of physical and mental health issues.

Dining Table

Research shows that families who eat together at dinner most days of the week tend to experience less teenage pregnancy, drug use and rebelling in their children. It's seems like a strange link but there's an obvious reason- families that eat together tend to be closer. Kids are more likely to approach their parents and talk things through instead of give in to peer pressure directly. If you want to start having more family meal times then purchasing a nice dining table is a good place to start, that way you can sit and eat with family as well as with guests when you have people over. If you choose a classic style, you can switch up the chairs over the years to match your decor and create different looks. 

Smart Home

Smart home has really taken off in recent years, and is only set to become more and more popular. It enables you to control lights, switches, monitor your CCTV and much more, all using your phone or voice activated speaker. Not only does this make our lives easier (instead of coming home with an armful of bags after going shopping and fumbling with the lights, you can ask your speaker to turn them on hands- free) but it can also make our homes more secure. Since you can control lights and appliances from anywhere in the world from your phone, it's easy to give the impression that someone is in, even if you're in holiday or working late. Smart CCTV will alert you when it picks up motion, meaning you can quickly call the police if it spots something sinister and you're away from home. Lots of companies offer these kinds of products, do your research and work out which is best for you. 

What home upgrades do you think are worth the investment?

Millions of successful LASIK eye surgeries have been conducted across the world, ever since the surgical procedure was introduced nearly two decades ago. LASIK refers to laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, and it is recommended to treat astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness. Most people use contacts or prescription eyeglasses to deal with these vision problems. However, an even better solution would be to use the LASIK procedure to modify the cornea’s shape in the eye and thus eliminate the need for wearing contacts or eyeglasses. Find out the top things you should know about Lasik eye surgery here below.

What Is The Recommended Age For Eye Surgery?

Between the ages of eighteen and forty years is considered the ideal age for eye surgery. However, if you are above that age, it's still worth going for a consultation as everyone is different and you might still be suitable. Your eye surgeon will conduct a thorough test to check whether you are eligible for the corrective surgery. You will find that the criteria for confirming eligibility and likelihood of success of the Lasik vision correction will depend more on the comprehensive eye examination and your individual visual needs, rather than age.

Is It Painful?

Lasik vision correction is a relatively pain-free medical procedure. The eye surgeon will use numbing drops for anaesthetizing the eyes before and also during the process. Once the surgery is completed successfully, some patients experience mild discomfort around the eyes that lasts for a few hours.

Is The Surgery Done While You Are Awake?

Interestingly, Lasik eye surgery is done while the patient is awake and that fact usually makes some patients feel a bit afraid. However, along with numbing eye drops, the surgeon will often give you a sedative to help you stay calm. Even if your eyes move during the procedure, the laser has tracking abilities to follow that movement so there's not so much pressure on you to remain 100% still!

Who Is It For?

This eye correction surgery is for those people who want to live independently without using contacts or glasses. Today, Lasik technology and results are much better than they have ever been along with a considerable amount of clinical literature and research that backs up the procedure. So, you should feel confident about Lasik eye surgery to deal with your vision problems.

Is Lasik Effective?

Lasik is not only safe but also highly effective. Thousands of clinical studies have revealed that the procedure has a high patient satisfaction rate of over 96%. Most Lasik patients report having better vision as compared to when they were using their eyeglasses before the surgery. Additionally, in over 40 million Lasik procedures, no blindness case has ever been reported as all patients have recovered successfully.

Does Lasik Have Side Effects?

Just like any surgical procedure, you can expect some mild symptoms as you heal after having your Lasik eye surgery. Some of the symptoms include irritated or light-sensitive eyes and dry eyes. However, most of these side effects will go away after the application of eye drops during that recovery stage. Ensure you consult your doctor regarding your symptoms when going for your post-Lasik checkups.

Research shows time and time again that every year during Christmas, a phenomenal amount of money gets wasted. This is mainly due to unwanted presents and food and drinks don't get used. So if your struggle for money has been bothering you on this festive occasion, then you need a Christmas that does not give you a financial hangover the next morning. Somehow or the other Christmas sneaks upon you, although at the same time every year, bringing with it loads of unexpected costs, so the event always ends up more expensive than you thought. So now is the time to decide what you can afford and how much money you've saved for the occasion. Here are some suggestions which will help you cut the cost of your Christmas expense and enjoy the experience at the same time. 

Draw out a budget 

Factor up the amount you are willing to spend for the festival by calculating how much the whole holiday season may cost. Decide on how many people you need to give gifts to and the cost of each gift. Work out the number of people coming for dinner and the costs incurred. Once these figures are available, you will come to know the amount needed to cover them up. 

Every day takes us closer to the most festive holiday of the year, Christmas. Preparing your home for the celebrations doesn't have to break your wallet – especially if you rely on simple, DIY home decorations that will help to make your space feel more cozy and festive. Here are five ideas for perfect Christmas home decorations. 

Repurpose your ornaments 

Do you often end up with baubles leftover after decorating the tree? Then why not utilise them elsewhere! You can create a lovely Christmas-themed centrepiece with no skill whatsoever- all it takes is a glass bowl you can fill with greens and arrange the ornaments on top. You can find holly bushes, fir trees and pinecones everywhere at this time of year; take a bag and some pruning shears with you on your next woodland walk.

Make decorative pillows 

If you're good at sewing, you could make your own festive pillows using printed fabrics and knitwear in festive designs. The good news is that you can easily get sewing material printed on request with Christmas patterns from platforms that offer custom printing of knitted fabrics on demand (check here: https://ctnbee.com/en/custom-printing-knitted-fabrics-on-demand). We have prepared the entire collection for you! Choose the most beautiful cotton fabrics and knitwear for sewing with a Christmas pattern!

Sew a new tablecloth

During Christmas, families gather around tables filled with delicious foods. Why not make that time extra special with a handmade tablecloth that features custom Christmas prints. Using the platform mentioned above, you can choose a print that you love and quickly get the fabrics you need to make your delightful tablecloth. Finish your table with some pretty crockery, place mats and your homemade centerpiece.

Buy new bedding

Another creative use of materials is making Christmas-themed bedding and pillows. Choose a design that works with the rest of your room and print them on quality cotton fabrics. Sew them up and you have some truly unique bed covers. If you don't think you have the skills to undertake this project, there are lots of ready made Christmas bedding sets in the shops!

Revamp your entryway 

If you happen to buy too many  ornaments for your tree, how about using the extra to hang on an evergreen garland? You can then drape this lush greenery along a mantlepiece or wrap it around your bannister. A great way to make an impact when guests come into the home. 

Do you know any other decoration tips? Share them in the comments to help everyone make Christmastime even more special.

How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? Have you already got everything bought and wrapped, or are you a last minute shopper? I've been really good this year, I've already got most of my shopping done so fully intend on spending the festive season relaxing and having fun, without having to stress over presents. Because in all honesty, buying presents can be stressful. When you reach the age where you get more joy in giving gifts that receiving them, you want to get it right- but some people are just so difficult. If you've got a person (or a few) like this on your list to buy for, here are a few cool ideas to consider. 

An Experience Day

There are experience days for just about everything these days. From muscle car experiences to hot air balloon rides, helicopter trips and much more. There's something for all ages and preferences, take a look through a site offering a range of experience days and see if there's something that suits the person you're buying for. Sometimes, a physical gift just isn't right, maybe the person already seems to own everything or maybe they're just not very material. In these cases, an experience could be a nice way to treat them without giving them an item that they don't want or need. 

A Restaurant Gift Card

Is the person you're gifting to a bit of a foodie? Or maybe you're buying for a couple that doesn't get to go out as often as they'd like, it could be your parents, grandparents or perhaps a couple you know who have recently had a baby? Most chains have gift cards for sale, so go with one you think they'll enjoy (or know is a favourite of theirs) and top up the card to pay for a meal out for them. Another option would be to buy a voucher for afternoon tea at a nice location. Again, it's great for a couple but would go down especially well with most female loved ones, who can use it as a way to have a girly catchup with a friend of their choice. 

A Cake Delivery

Cake makes a great gift, let's be honest- everyone loves it! If you have a loved one who's a cake lover then this would be ideal, but it would also be a good choice when you're buying a gift for someone where you don't know exactly what their preferences are. Because everyone wants and likes a good cake! This bakery delivery in London is one example of a company who can deliver cake right to your door, so you don't even need to live nearby to be able to deliver cake in person. Although if you do live nearby and are a whizz in the kitchen, you could always make a showstopper cake for them or a basket of pretty Christmas cupcakes!

A Magazine Subscription

A subscription is a gift that keeps on giving. If you buy an annual subscription they'll get a magazine every week, month or quarter for the entire year so it's not something that will just be forgotten about come February. If there's a particular interest they have, or a magazine that they already love then you could purchase it for them. If you wanted to go a step further, you could purchase a Kindle or tablet for them to read the digital version of the magazine on. Most popular mags are in the Kindle library so it can be delivered right to their device every time there's a new issue released.

Is the person you're buying for charitable, or do they appreciate helping others? There are lots of great charity gifts out there, animal adoptions or the sponsor of a child are both rewarding. The gift recipient will get updates on the person, animals or organisation that you've donated to so they can see how the money donated in their name has been used. Check out a number of different charities and go with one that you think they would appreciate most. It could be anything from sponsoring a guide dog to a wild animal at a conservation project. In the case of children this can go towards education and healthcare such as vaccines. It's a gift that genuinely does good.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been with your partner, marriage can definitely change the dynamic. It doesn’t always change. If you’ve been together 10 years, lived together, and already had kids before marriage, then it’s unlikely it’s going to change much. You’ve already been through such a lot! However, if you’re not that far in and you’re wondering how marriage could change your relationship, read on to find out..

It Can Bring You Closer Together 

Marriage can potentially bring you closer together. You may take each other’s last names, or make a new one entirely. You’ll feel like family. You’ll both become each other’s number 1 priority, if you weren't before. You might make one another your next of kin, and even start referring to one another in conversation with other people as ‘my husband/wife’ - which doesn’t get boring, by the way! Providing you do it for the right reasons, marriage is definitely something that can bring you both much closer together. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all of us have features that would be considered enviable by a stranger. However, with social media, movies and television portraying these 'perfect' faces and bodies, it's easy to feel insecure with your looks. None of us should aim for perfection, since beyond the flattering lighting, angles, filters and Photoshop, it simply doesn't exist. But there's nothing wrong with wanting to make tweaks to improve your beauty and show yourself to your best potential. If you want to make a change, here are a few ways you can go about it. 

Highlight Your Best Features

What is it you're complimented on most often? Perhaps enhance these features to draw attention away from areas that you don't like as much. For instance, if you have really nice white teeth then show them off by using a bold coloured lipstick. Doing so will draw attention to your mouth and show off your pearly white teeth. Or, do you have amazing eyes? Then utilise mascara, fake lashes and smokey eyeshadow to show them off and enhance your beauty. 

Feel Confident in Your Body

Slim and skinny women are idealised in the media, and portrayed as something we should all aim to be. However, research almost always shows that men like curvier women too- and in many cases they prefer this. Breast augmentation can help you to enhance your shape, but if you're already quite curvy then learn to love it! It doesn't matter what shape or size you are, as long as you're healthy. 

There’s no denying the benefits of getting enough sleep each night. According to studies, getting seven to nine hours of sleep will make your heart healthier and your hormones will be regulated- these promote growth, controls your body clock, repairs your tissues and stabilises your mood. Your nervous system also gets a break by being able to relax. And your immune system? During sleep it releases cytokines that help the body fight infection, trauma, and inflammation. If you’re having problems sleeping, you’re in the right place. From getting a weighted blanket for anxiety, to choosing essential oils that promote sleep, hopefully you'll find something helpful in this short read.

Whether it’s plastic in the oceans, carbon footprints or simply switching our lights off to save on energy, we’re all much more aware of our impact on the environment than we were even a decade ago. As part of this movement to becoming more conscious of the effect we have on the environment and what we can do to minimise this, increasing numbers of people are looking to make their homes more environmentally friendly. But is your home as environmentally friendly as you think it is? And what can you do to make it better? We take a closer look… 

It’s size that counts 

We all hanker after that little bit of extra space. Our whole lives, we seem to be working towards bigger and better houses, whether we need them or not. On a very simplistic level, larger spaces use more energy to heat. If you’re one person living in a 3 bedroom house, for example, heating all those rooms just for you is not going to be very environmentally friendly. Smaller houses generally need less of the world’s resources to keep them warm, so in this respect, downsizing can be good for the environment. 

Large glass windows can 'suck out’ your heat 

It’s nice to have a house that feels light and airy. However, having large swathes of glass in your home, can result in more heat loss and higher energy usage. If you live in a hot country, the reverse can be true, as when the sun beats through your windows, you’re going to have to pump up the air-conditioning to cool your home. If you do want to install sliding glass doors out onto your patio, make sure they are as energy efficient as possible and consider going for triple glazing. 

Are you using more water than you need? 

Conserving water is a vital part of having an environmentally friendly home. Taking a shower, for example, rather than a bath, could save you around 18 litres of water per person, per day! Don’t be fooled by a power shower, though. These thirsty things can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes. Has your home been insulated properly? Old houses may have little or no insulation. This could mean that they are much less energy efficient than a more modern, insulated home. However, there are things that you can do to make an older house more energy efficient, such as properly insulating any attic space. For some, it may be possible to get a grant from the government to carry out the necessary work. 

Small changes can make a big difference

You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home more energy efficient. Simple things like conserving water or changing your lights to LEDs, can make a real difference. Also, closing your curtains in the winter as soon as it gets dark, can help to stop heat needlessly leaving through your windows. It may not feel like one household can make a difference, but when it comes to looking after our world, as a famous supermarket once said, every little really does help.

You may look at your dog(s) sometimes, and think: ‘I wonder what is going on in their mind’. If only we could have some futuristic device, which allowed us to look into the thoughts of our four-legged friends, and see what they were really thinking. Alas, although we all hoped that such a device would exist in 2018, it doesn’t, so we’re just going to have to make an (educated) guess. We’ve put together a list of what we think is going on in your dog’s brain. Don’t hold us to it, though.

They think about you 

This is a no-brainer if you’re a dog owner, and you see how your dog reacts when you come home from work. Your dog is pretty much obsessed with you, and research shows that when dogs think about their owners, it activates the reward centre in their brains. So when they think about you, they get a little brain buzz, and just want to hang out with you. Come on, that's the best thing ever. Tell us we’re wrong.

They think about food 

Another obvious point for anyone who lives with a dog, but they’re obsessed with food. They think about it all of the time, and we think that this roughly translates to: your dog just thinks about how he can break into the fridge. One day, he's going to crack it, you know? We’re not saying that your dog is a spy. He just thinks about food all the time, probably even more than he thinks about you. And that’s a lot.

They think about walks 

Your dog is probably daydreaming about running in the park, meeting other dogs, sniffing questionable materials discarded by other dogs, and jumping in muddy puddles so he can ruin your nice clean carpets. Ok, he doesn’t mean to ruin your carpets. But your dog loves walking, probably even more than you do. We all know how excited our pooches get at anything that sounds like the word 'walk' or the jingle of their lead. He deserves the best dog collars and leads in town, because walking is on his brain all of the time. After food, and you, of course.

Your dog is probably thinking about a lot of stuff 

It has been proven that dogs do have emotions, and they can sense emotional changes in the voices of their owners. They also worry about us, research has shown, but we like to think that they don’t just sit there hoping that you get to work on time, and worrying that you may get sacked if not. They understand when they’ve done something wrong, and when you’re upset, and a whole host of emotional things. So they may be, you know, just thinking about life. 

So, there it is, a short guide to the inner workings of your dog’s brain. In this order, they probably think about: food, what you’re up to, and playing outside. The truth is, they may be thinking about a variety of things, but they probably aren’t pondering who won the space race. Although the answer to that question is, invariably, dogs.