Monthly Archives: December 2020

Helping Your Side Hustle Stand Out In Your Community*

17th December 2020
Photo by Вальдемар from Pexels

People run businesses for all kinds of reasons. Of course none would be created, unless adhering to the special designation of a non-profit, if there wasn’t the chance that money could be made in a positive sense. However, to think that vast fame and riches are all that people care about when crafting a side hustle is truly incorrect.

For some the financial measures are a motivator, yes, but are not all of the picture. They may wish to help out the community, take a hobby and potentially develop it into a full time career, or simply share their talent with the world in a self-sustaining manner. For example, while cliche and quite rare at this point, would you think that an Elvis impersonator would get into that gig for the wealth they would create, or simply because of how much of a blast they would have representing him? We would say it’s likely equal.

So, helping your side hustle stand out in your community is a great step when trying to become more noticeable as a small business. Let us consider some worthwhile advice to this end:

Help Out 

Helping out in the local community is a sure fire way to not only do some good, but to spread your business message. It shouldn’t be something that you overly market yourself for. People will notice. It’s more important to be reliable, to give yourself to projects you care about, and perhaps let things develop from there. For example, consider you own a landscaping company operating near a local village and town. As part of your service, you are more than happy to cut and sculpt the garden of a local elderly woman in her 90s for free, because she deserves to live in a comfort and peace as much as possible. Helping out where you can not only helps you take things a step further than other businesses might, but it gives you a real impact.

Brand Yourself Well

Brand yourself in an unmistakable fashion. Perhaps painting or using stickers on a Saxon Bridge used van can help you brand yourself around the village, helping you become a fixture in the local area. Branding means more than the baseline contact information or simply logo you might wish to show. Get creative! You could consider branded clothing using free embroidery designs, or could having an artist design a beautiful template for the mural of your van help people take notice as you drive past? You might even become a local landmark within your branding if you’re careful enough. You would be astonished just how well this can be regarded.

Stay Reliable

Stay reliable in how you price, how you turn work around, and how you interact with the local community. You cannot expect the positives to happen overnight. Yet with this advice, people will notice you, and also wish to support local business. You just need to prove yourself first.

With this in mind, you are certain to help your side hustle stand out in your community.


Posted in finance, information alert

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Degustabox November 2020*

05th December 2020
Box gifted by Degustabox
This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.

The theme for the November Degustabox was festive and gourmet, so it seemed only right that we bought a little Christmas cheer to our photos. Bob has started getting super involved with photographing items for the blog, and things have definitely taken a more creative turn.

Kicking off with some beautiful chocolate goodness from Lindt. These Lindor Treatbars in Orange and Mint are perfect for a moment of indulgence. An elongated version of everyone’s favourite truffle, lucky for me Bob doesn’t like either orange OR mint chocolate (I know right?!) so I didn’t have to share.
£0.85 each from major supermarket chains.
Here we have a sachet of Pip’s real hot chocolate. This is called “Zero Trace Full Taste” due to it being free of any of the 14 major allergens. It’s also ethically grown and traded, meaning it’s a real feel good treat in all senses. An ideal stocking filler or Christmas eve treat.
It happens to pair perfectly with this mini caramel Stroopwafels from Daelmans. These have long been a favourite treat of mine, having Dutch relatives and a sweet tooth. Perfect for sharing over a cuppa, or popping in a food lover’s stocking.
Hot chocolate £1.00 from Amazon or pipschocolate.com
Stroopwafels £1.30 from Sainsbury’s and Ocado.
I got a bit obsessed with the bunny version of these at Easter so was beyond happy to see a festive re-incarnation. KitKat’s are so under-rated- there’s something about the chocolate that just tastes so good and these are no exception. Available at £0.65 for a single santa, or £1.00 for a mini pouch bag from all major supermarkets. Get them before I get them all!

I recently rekindled my love of KIND bars and I’m having great fun working my way through the current range. I really enjoyed the double dark chocolate nut protein bar, and the flavours of the caramel, almond and sea salt bar were bang on. My favourite bar from KIND will forever be the peanut butter dark chocolate one though, it’s impossible to beat.
£1.99 for the protein bar, £1.30 for the caramel almond one. Available at kindsnacks.co.uk

These Brioche baguettes from La Boulangère are said to be perfect for breakfasts, or for sandwiches (bonus points for being pre-sliced). Bob and I are, perhaps controversially, loving them dunked in piping hot soup. The contrast of the sweet bread with salty soup is a winner and we’ve already re-purchased these a few time. They are super fluffy and keep for ages too (and are ideal for the freezer).
£1.50 from Tesco, Milk and More and Ocado.
Festive Jaffa Cakes?! It’s a yes from me! Sometimes I find Jaffa Cakes a bit too orange-y so I get sick of them quite quickly. The Cranberry in these breaks up that citrus really nicely and bring about a nice Christmassy flavour. It’s far too easy to eat these 6 at a time, be warned!
£1.20 from Co-op, Morrisons, Tesco, Asda and discounters.
Gonk on the plonk?
I’m not a wine drinker but Bob gladly sampled these two Wolf Blass varieties. He really rated the Cabernet Sauvignon and he’s usually super fussy about red wine. The white was also a hit, although never his preferred choice he said any Chardonnay fan would like this.
£2.25 a bottle from major supermarket chains.
How cute is this tea advent calendar from Clipper Tea? It was a challenge to wait until December to start this, but I managed, just! I’ve been loving discovering a new blend every day- although it is kind of hard to work out which is which sometimes! The packaging is adorable, and a really nice change from chocolate (although I have a chocolate calendar too!)
£4.99

Finally a couple of savoury products.
A vegan pesto from Zest made with coriander and basil. We haven’t tried this yet but I’m planning on some kind of chicken and pasta dish. This Pesto is vegan friendly and gluten free making it an ideal store cupboard staple for whipping up a quick dinner.
Also a great staple is this Dijon mustard from Maille. We use a lot of mustard when we’re cooking and for sauces and is something we’re never without. We love this particular mustard with steak, or as part of a honey and mustard sauce for gammon.
Pesto £2.20 from Morrisons, Ocado, Amazon and independent stores nationwide.
Mustard £1.99 from most major supermarket chains.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round up. Let me know which products caught your eye the most and what some of your favourite festive snacks are.

If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.
On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.

If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

Posted in food, review

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Donate a Charity Gift Pack with Thumbs Up

04th December 2020
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

It’s fair to say 2020 has been an exceptionally tough year for everyone, so this Christmas it feels more important than ever to spread some cheer as far as physically possible.
In the spirit of giving and making sure as many people feel cared for this festive season, gifts retailer Thumbs Up have partnered with Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Salvation Army to launch the 2020 Charity Gifting Appeal.

Thumbs up are aiming to donate 2000 gifts to those who otherwise may not receive anything at all this Christmas.
Each package is worth £30, and Thumbs Up are just asking for a donation of £5 to cover postage and packaging for each gift- a small price to pay for putting a huge smile on someone’s face this year.

There are 4 different gift packs to choose from; Teen Girls 12-17, Teen Boys 12-17, Male 18+ and Female 18+.
Head to the Thumbs Up website to make your choice and your donation and help spread some Christmas Cheer.

Posted in charity, christmas

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Gift Guide/Review: Solid Cologne*

01st December 2020
PR sample

I find men so impossible to buy for, so I always tend to seek ideas for them when it comes to browsing and creating gift guides in the hopes of inspiration and to inspire others.
Today’s inspiration comes in the form of this solid cologne from www.solidcologne.co.uk.

Whilst it might not look like much, this little tin packs an almighty punch in the gifting stakes. This is a solid wax-based cologne made with skin friendly ingredients that applies directly on to the skin. It’s designed with travel and busy lifestyles in mind with it’s pocket sized tin and no spill format (and when travel is back on the cards it’s also perfect for taking in your hand luggage).

Bob has been wearing this religiously since it arrived- he’s usually a brand snob when it comes to fragrance, but his other scents haven’t had a look in since this turned up.
This scent, “Alexander”, is one of the brand’s top sellers and we both absolutely love it. It’s rich without being overpowering, with notes of grapefruit, bay leaf and jasmine. It has a woody base of patchouli, oak moss and ambergris, and whilst I have no idea what the latter is, it sure smells good!

This little tin retails for £19.99- now, that may seem pricey but this is going to last forever! A little bit goes a long way, and once applied the scent lasts all day. A great little gift idea for those hard to buy for men, and something we will be making a regular purchase.




Posted in christmas, gifts, review

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