Honesty

According to the dictionary honesty is:

1.

the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.

2.

truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.

3.

freedom from deceit or fraud.

Sadly there is a distinct lack of this in society, people feel the need to lie and make up stories which due to the easy access to the internet many end up online whether it be through social media or forums or any of the millions of other outlets on the web.  Whilst I'm all for freedom of speech do people really need to air their dirty laundry for the whole world to see? I seriously doubt it plus with the internet once it's on it's rather difficult to remove and can have detrimental impacts on people. People seem all to willing to slate people and businesses online because they haven't got what they wanted the problem with this child like reaction is it damages the person or business' reputation. One of the many victims of this childishness is Chandler Ray who I am guessing didn't give a client the outcome they wanted.

I am not naive and know that people don't always see eye to eye I just wish that people would think before they act.

Not impressed

Just lately I have noticed a change in society, the quality seems to have deteriorated. A classic example is my house built in 2007 since we moved in, in 2008 we have had to call the landlady 4 times who has then had to call the people who built the house because our roof is leaking!

I wouldn't mind if it was an old house but it isn't when they've looked each time they have said "it's this bit" so they fix it and then the next time they find another bit, what would be nice is if they checked the entire thing fixed all of the "bits" and then I wouldn't have to deal with water coming through the ceiling and have to keep repainting. Sadly I doubt I will get my wish as it essentially boils down to money, ironically I suspect it would have cost less to do it properly in the first place rather than keep having to come and fix it.

Camel Drama

My eldest came home with a note from her teacher a few days ago which informed us that she was a camel in the Christmas play and provided a list of what we needed to provide for her costume. I've since had to go into school to discuss suitable alternatives for her as we didn't own any of the items and getting hold of them was going to be rather expensive. 

Note to self yellow is not a popular colour for kids clothing and when it is used it is rarely plain, there is usually some kind of pattern on it. Thankfully we have managed to track down a camel costume on eBay, just got to hope it fits!

Illness and Self Employment

For those of you who are in employment you get certain benefits like a regular pay cheque and sick pay. People who are self employed get no such luxury, so being ill can be stressful especially if we are not able to work or able to earn enough to pay national insurance which covers your state pension when you retire. 

I recently had glandular fever which meant work was difficult as felt really ill. However there is help available if you are on long term sick leave provided that you have paid National Insurance you are entitled to statutory sick pay, which can ease some of the stress should you need it.

For those who are self employed even if you don't earn very much I would suggest paying voluntary National Insurance because you never know when you might need a little extra help.

Back behind the wheel

Since having kids I have had to put driving on hold due to problems with my spine, however in the last month I have taken it up again I have to admit it is taking a little bit of getting used to as I have been reliant on public transport for so long.  I will be glad once I have my own car as it will make my life a lot easier.

I know that the government want more people to use public transport or walk but when it is absolutely freezing or pouring with rain then you really don't want to have to walk 3 miles in it as part of the school run. 

There are a few issues with public transport which put people off using it, firstly the cost especially when using trains. Another issue is that public transport is usually not overly reliable, it has a tendency to run late or break down a fair bit.

The downsides of owning a car are the costs involved in maintaining it; tax, insurance, petrol etc. There is other issues which don't apply to everyone such as it making people lazy so they then have issues with their health. 

So it would seem that there are pros and cons to both sides of the argument so I think that a balance needs to be found so using the car only when necessary may be a good compromise.

Keeping Busy

Just lately I seem to be on the go non-stop which I don't usually mind but when you're not feeling great it's not fun.

I found doing a little then resting for 10 mins then doing a bit more seems to work this means that I don't end up stressed because I can see loads of stuff that need to be done and would have to be done when am feeling better but also not pushing myself too hard and make myself worse.

Whilst progress is slow I do feel like have achieved something which, boosts my mood and so makes me feel better. Hopefully will feel better in the next few days and will be back to my old self.

Smashing Magazine

I have recently started to read Smashing Magazine and have found it really interesting. Not only does it keep you up to date with what is going on in the world of design which is very important when working in marketing but it also provides tutorials for some software including illustrator.

Anyone who works in marketing will tell you that it's important to keep up to date with all the latest ideas and trends within both marketing and with in design, web development and of course business. In a market as competitive as marketing it is important to be willing to change and adapt if you want to be successful so I use a variety of sources to ensure that I am up to date.

The issue arises when trying to decide what is just a temporary fad and what is a new idea that is likely to be worth adopting into your arsenal of marketing tools. The simple answer is trial and error as you gain experience you will be able to recognise fads.