Monthly Archives: September 2021

Quiz To Ensure You Handle Business Payments With Compliance *

16th September 2021

All businesses need to be PCI-DSS compliant if they are accepting payments. 

The payment industry is evolving rapidly. As the likes of Swyftx will confirm, more people are paying with the likes of Bitcoin these days. 

No matter what payments you accept, you need to make a dedicated effort to protect your customers. Here are some questions to ask to make sure you are doing that.

Q1 – Do you offer free Wi-Fi for your customers?

a) YES

b) NO

Q2 – Do you segregate payment traffic from all other traffic on the network?

a) YES

b) NO

Q3 – Do you use default passwords that have been supplied from your vendor?

a) YES

b) NO

Q4 – Do you use additional means of protection, such as encryption or

cryptography? Or, are passwords your only form of security?

a) YES – Additional methods used.

b) NO – No, we only use passwords.

If you have answered yes to Q1 and no to Q2, you are putting your sensitive data at serious risk of falling into the wrong hands. PCI DSS requires a Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) to be created, which restricts access to sensitive payment information. Experts can help you to rectify this problem.

If you have answered no to Q1, risks are lowered by not offering free Wi-Fi. However, if you do in the future, make sure you go about it in a secure way. 

If you have answered yes to Q3, you are failing to comply with PCI DSS standards, as default passwords are not strong enough to protect your systems. You must ensure you use strong passwords and additional methods of protection.

If you have answered yes to Q3 and no to Q4, you are putting your sensitive data at extreme risk, as your systems aren’t secured effectively. Access will be easy for hackers because your passwords aren’t strong and they are your only form of protection.

If you have answered no to question 4, you need to add an additional layer of protection to your systems in the form of cryptography, encryption, or any other effective method.

Yes to Q1, no to Q2, yes to Q3, no to Q4.

You are putting your sensitive data at serious risk of falling into the wrong hands. PCI DSS requires a Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) to be created, which restricts access to sensitive payment information. Again, experts can help you to rectify this problem.

You are also at extreme risk, as your business systems aren’t secured effectively. Access will be easy for hackers because your passwords aren’t strong and they are your only form of protection.

If you have answered yes to all questions, congratulations, you’re currently complying with the PCI DSS. Please make sure you continue to update your practices and maintain the methods you’ve set in place.

If you are struggling to determine whether or not your business is compliant and what you need to do to achieve this, seek expert assistance. Do not risk it.

Posted in information alert

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4 Elements To Consider Creating An Awesome Kid’s Bedroom*

13th September 2021

Are you thinking about renovating your child’s bedroom? This is an important space in your home as it helps determine whether your child gets the right level of rest before a busy day at school or play. Here are some of the options that you need to keep in mind. 

Photo by nicole dusseljee on Unsplash

The Right Bed 

Firstly you should think about choosing the right bed for your child. The best bed will guarantee that your child gets a fantastic night of sleep. One of the options that you could explore here would be choosing an elevated bed; this is great for kids that hate bedtime because it makes bedtime more fun and like a little adventure. It can also provide extra storage and other options built-in including a desk or even a set of shelves. They can be difficult to build at the best of times, so you need to make sure that you think about whether it’s worth paying extra for someone else to set it up for you. 

Another key option here is the mattress. Mattresses aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution so you do need to make sure that you think about taking your child to the store and letting them try out the mattress for themselves to make sure it suits them.

Storage Options 

You might also want to consider different storage options for your child’s bedroom. For instance, you might want to get some storage containers. If you get the right style here then these will stack one on top of the other. This means that you can make the most of the height space that a room provides whilst maximising floor spae.

Another option would be to invest in a set of wardrobes if the room doesn’t have built-in cupboards. As with everything else, there is a range of different options that you can explore here. For instance, you might want to think about built-in wardrobes or fitted wardrobes. These are fantastic if you have younger kids. With a built-in wardrobe, you will be able to guarantee that you don’t have to worry about the wardrobe or similar kids furniture falling onto your child and causing an injury. 

Usually, wardrobes will come complete with all the equipment that you need to fit the wardrobe to the wall. You’ll need to decide whether this is necessary and ensure that it is secured firmly. It will be useful if you want to store things on top of the wardrobe as well as inside it. 

Window Choices 

Next, you should think about window choices for your child’s room as well. As already mentioned, it’s important to make sure that your child does get a great night of sleep. One of the issues that can prevent this is light pollution. If your child’s room is too bright then they are always going to struggle to fall asleep at the right time. 

One of the ways that you can correct this issue is by making sure that you think about covering the windows with the right material. For instance, you could get blackout blinds for your home. Blackout blinds are great and will guarantee that any rooms are completely dark for your kids. If the room is too dark, then you can resolve this with the right night light. The benefit of a child’s night light is that it uses light that will not affect their sleeping pattern and keep them awake. 

Style And Design 

Finally, you can think about the design and style of your child’s bedroom. There is a range of different ways that you can decorate your child’s room. For instance, you might want to think about using wall decals. Cheap and cheerful as well as easy to install, wall decals are the perfect solution that you need to guarantee that your child’s room looks incredible. They are available in a range of different styles including options that are based on your child’s favorite characters. As such, it’s definitely worth researching the market and exploring all the possibilities. 

There are other decorative items that you can get for your child’s room as well. For instance, you might want to consider a rug. The big benefit of a rug is that it’s easy to wash and clean. So, it’s arguably a lot better than other options like a carpet. Again, these come in a lot of different designs and styles. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you need to guarantee that your child’s bedroom looks amazing and provides all the benefits that they need. This includes guaranteeing that your child does have a fantastic night of sleep. 

Posted in home

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Degustabox – August 2021*

11th September 2021
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.

August already feels like so long ago, and I am later than usual with getting my post up this month; wedding planning has taken front seat with just two weeks to go! I’m also on the final countdown at work until maternity leave starts and life is just a little bit chaotic right now!
Thankfully the August Degustabox box, with it’s “Back to School and On The Go” theme has saved my arse with snacks on more than one occasion…this has been literally my box of the year so far!

Ok, so stock cubes aren’t a snack, and to be honest they seemed a very random addition to the box given the theme, but welcome none the less. We’re currently trying to batch cook ready for when we have a newborn so these have come in handy; personally I’m a salt addict but I can see the appeal of these for families and those a bit more careful about their intake of sodium! £1.49 from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and on Ocado.

I think I said before how hard I resisted the salted caramel trend when it first arrived on the scene. I’m a now convert though, and despite trying to keep my caffeine intake to a minimum level I couldn’t not try one of these Nescafe Gold Iced Salted Caramel Lattes. So good for on the go, and a most welcome relief during the recent super hot few days! Will be stocking up on these! £2.98 RRP available online and from most major supermarket chains.

I think this Pågen Gifflar Cinnamon Rolls would have been delicious if I had got a look in! Somehow they vanished in to Bob’s belly before I got a chance, but c’est la vie, he enjoyed them and I’ve been asked to pick up more when I see them! £1.70 from Tesco, Asda and online at Ocado.

We have this Cirio Pasta Sauce earmarked for another of our batch cooks as some kind of pasta bake. Mushrooms and Sausage screams winter comfort to us with a tonne of cheese on top! This range of sauces looks great, made with 100% Italian meat and tomatoes plus extra virgin olive oil. There are three flavours in the range, the others being Beef, Pork & White Wine and Mushrooms & Grilled Peppers. I’ll share the results on social media when we use this.
£2.00 from Ocado.

I’ve got through various cereal fads through pregnancy and currently I’m firmly on a Shreddies kick thanks to this month’s box. This makes a real change from my usual sugar laden American Imports and I’m here for it. With 4 ingredients and less than 5% sugar…delicious with hot milk and some sliced banana. Or eaten by the handful from the box! Available at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and on Ocado with an RRP of £2.50.

Tweek Sweets with Benefits certainly look attractive with their super pretty packaging. They are pretty good, and refreshing and obviously boast some health benefits- but to be honest, if I’m buying sweets I want the full whack of sugar. Still nice though and I wouldn’t say no to more and they are ideal for anyone trying to be a bit healthier! £1.99 from WHSmith Travel.

There’s not much I can say about Oreos other than I love them! Yay!

I really enjoyed these 5th Season Fruit snacks. They have an odd texture that goes from crunch to melt in the mouth, but I liked that, a lot. They were perfect for a sweet hit on the go and are made with 100% fruit and have barely any calories. Pricey at £1.50 per bag and only available at Sainsbury’s, The Good Club, Mighty Small, Amazon and 5thseasonfruit.com but hopefully that will change soon, I sure hope so!

I skipped testing this clean energy drink from Virtue drinks because pregnant, but it’s something I would otherwise go for without a doubt! With Zero Sugar and Zero Calories, but the same amount of natural caffeine as a coffee or other energy drink it’s a winning idea for me. £1.50 from Amazon, Holland and Barrett, Crussh, Planet Organic and Ocado.

My personal product of the month! I love Skippy Peanut butter and this chocolate chip swirl one is exactly what my toast has been missing. Sadly it’s only available at Morrisons and on Ocado so I can’t fully indulge all of the time, but next time we do an Ocado order a few jars will be sneaking in! £2.65 and worth every penny.

Bob has been taking these Up&Go breakfast drinks when he has an early start and he rates them as good. Not as good as a Greggs breakfast, but acceptable and much healthier! The banana & honey flavour is right up his street, although I’d personally go for the chocolate one! £2.75 per multipack from Tesco, Morrisons and on Ocado.

I ate so many Clif bars in America, I love them and it saddens me they are so expensive and that you can’t actually buy these mini size ones over here yet (they are everywhere in the USA!). These are such a good handbag snack and my favourite protein type bar out there for the texture. The larger 68g bar is available at most supermarkets, health food stores and sports retailers for £1.69. I eagerly await the minis arriving over here!

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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Beautifect

05th September 2021

Beautifect is a makeup box, essentially. Something we have all seen, and used time and time again. But there is something very special about this particular beauty box, read on to find out more…

Founded by Tara Lalvani, Beautifect is set to revolutionise the way you apply your makeup. An idea born out of frustration at the hassle of makeup application, Beautifect solves so many common problems in one (incredbily luxe looking) product.

Beautifect boasts 6 key features to make a real difference to your every day makeup routine:

  1. It uses LEDs to simulate daylight, with 3 brightness levels meaning you never need fight to apply makeup in poor, artificial lighting again.
  2. It has 5 lighting environments too, so you can see how your makeup will look in different scenarios; for example, bright daylight, or the office.
  3. It has a true definition mirror that allows you to see your entire face in a true reflection, with distortion free 1 x magnification.
  4. It’s a smart storage system that allows you to organise and sort your makeup easily and find things efficiently.
  5. It’s magic hinge allows you to angle and hold the mirror at any angle making your makeup application 100 times more comfortable.
  6. It’s rechargeable and cordless- with average full power usage one charge should last a full week making it perfect for travel!

Of course, this miracle worker comes at a cost- £279 to be exact. This makes it firmly a wish list only item for me, for the foreseeable future, but it’s such a brilliant idea that I thought it worth sharing anyway.

You can buy the Beautifect case from the website, and it’s also available at Harrods.

What beauty invention would revolutionise your daily routine?

Posted in beauty

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Embracing the last of Summer with Montezumas

02nd September 2021

It might be September, with a distinct nip in the air already (at least down here in the South West) but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on Summer. Not for me anyway, I’m holding out for a warm and sunshine filled day for my wedding at the end of the month, and what perfect way to manifest it than with a sun and sea inspired collection of chocolates from Montezumas?

Sea Dog has lime to spark your palette and a subtle tang of sea-salt as well- kind of a pregnant person friendly version of a tequila shot!

I love the bright pink packaging for Hot Pickle! This bar isn’t for the shy and retiring…I love chilli in chocolate so this is right up my street.

Summer and happiness go hand in hand. So does chocolate and hazelnut. Add in salted caramel too and I don’t see how this bar can fail to put a smile on your face. What a winner!

Coconut is the ultimate Summer flavour, and lemon brightens everything so I can see why this dark chocolate bar made it in to the collection. It sounds like the ultimate uplift!

I know not everyone approves of white chocolate, but I LOVE it. Creamy vanilla makes me think of ice cream on a beach, and the golden colour is reminiscent of the sand too.

All of these bars, plus a whole host of other delicious treats are available on the Montezumas website for £2.59 for a 90g bar. Which flavour are you going for first?

Posted in brands I love, food

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