Something Interesting

Inspired by the comprehensive coverage on this carefully crafted blog post about the issue of global warming it set the team here at Nothing Interesting looking ahead to the next few months of summer.  Will the predicted BBQ summer mean long light evenings of al fresco wining and dining or can we look forward to another UK washout?

This year camping appears to be all the rage - both in the UK and Europe - with many people getting great deals on advanced flight tickets to poular holiday desitations such as South of France and Spain.

Arriving at the airport with minimal luggage - lightweight sleeping bags and compact tents - first job is to sort out car hire.  Spain offers some fantastic camping sites if you’re prepared to stray away from the main tourist trails and hiring a car is an economical way of getting around.  Public transport in Spain is good - both cheap and efficient - but the flexibility of car rental really lets you explore off the beaten track areas and find hidden beauty spots and what better way to get to know these than camping?

Checking online price comparison sites you can get some fantastic deals on everything you need for a happy camping trip.  As well as tents and sleeping bags you can pick up camping equipment and accessories that will make your nights under the stars feel like you are in a home from home.

Camping in Spain requires some accessories that you are unlikely to have needed in the UK.

• To recreate the gastronomic delights available in towns and villages buy a special ‘Span Pan’ set that includes a lightweight paella pan.
• Top toons should include a mix of do wop (comes from the spanish guapo) and flamenco music for the ipod.
• Fight the bites with a professional venom extractor.
• Feeling flush? Pick up a portable camping toilet although this may present difficulties at airport check in so buy locally.

Plan ahead and camping in Spain really can fulfil you holiday needs without stretching the purse strings.

Charity Gifts

For those who remember the amazing the  powerful call to action at Live Aid 1985 when Bob Geldolf implored viewers to give him their “foooooking mohney”, Nothing Interesting now reflects on how the business of charity support has changed since that powerful raising awareness and hugely succesful fundraising even.

Questionable Fundraising

We’ve all be pestered by friends and colleagues to donate money to charity by sponsoring them to take part in a fundraising event.  As many of these events are often merely opportunties for the fundraiser to do something whacky or exciting and the revalation that a considerable amount of money raised through sponsorship is handed over to the fundrasing event organisers more and more people are looking to maximise the effect of their charity donation

For example eager fundraisers who choose to do a charity parachute jump are paying hundreds of pounds for the training, flight and jump companion so they can have their jollies. This money would be surely better directed to those who need it most.

Effective charity gifts

Alternatives to funding your colleague’s fun and subsequent anecdotes are available. An impressive range of charity gifts are being marketed by leading relief organisations which offer the opportunity to send a gift to someone who needs help on behalf of a friend or family memeber.

Wedding Lists & Wish Lists

With the number of people getting married later in life,  newly wed couples today are finding they actually want for very little but guest still feel obliged to contribute to the wedding gift list.  Forward thinking organisations have this covered too with the facility to set up and manage a wedding gift wish list which comprises entirely of charity gifts.

One particular favourite encourages people to give a happy couple of goats on behalf of the happy couple. To many the thought of offering a goatsie as a wedding gift may seem odd but when you think about it a goat would make a fabulous gift for those suffering the devastating effects of global warming - drought, cyclones, flooding and famine.

And two goats of course could be the beginning of a productive herd that will nourish and feed communities for years to come.

If you are stuck for interesting gift ideas have a look at some of these charity gifts you can arrange to give online and be happy in the knowldge that the charity is giving as much of the money you spend to where it is needed most.

Top charity gift ideas

• Goat Couple
• Mosquito Net
• Build a Crapper

An article in the guardian on Wednesday reported that “Green energy overtakes fossil fuel investment” with “Clean technologies attract $140bn compared with $110bn for gas, coal and electrical power.”.

This mile stone comes as china and India and other developing countries turn to renewable to power their continuing growth instead of relying on fossil fuels.

The article states that “The UN still believes $750bn needs to be spent worldwide between 2009 and 2011 and the current year has started ominously with a 53% slump in first quarter renewables investment to $13.3bn.”.

Climate change has been a huge topic for the worlds leads for the last decade and it would seem that the UNs most recent figures prove that the worlds efforts to reduce green house gases and produce more efficient renewable energy sources has finally started to show some results.

Nothing Interesting? Go to Bed

By Elena Price

In today’s health conscious world we are always looking into our diet, systematically checking the backs of packets, calorie counting, learning about E numbers and why we eat what we do. However many of us are ignoring another strong link in our general health, a good nights sleep.

While eating smart is nothing interesting its always a good idea we should also remember that we spend a third of our lifetime sleeping! Consider how to arrange your bedroom for the full benefit from quality beds.

We spend more of our life in bed then anywhere else, so comfort and support is a key factor to making sure your body feels refreshed and rested. Your sleep pattern can have a drastic effect on your mood, productivity, energy and stress levels; a night of sleepless tossing and turning can effect end up having a negative impact on the relationship of those around you personally and professionally.

It’s important to account the health benefits both short and long term of a great mattress, it’s one of the most important decisions you will make, so it’s worth investing your money wisely.  Buying a new mattress might seem like an expensive and hassle filled task, but if you break it down a good quality double bed will end up only costing you around 10p per night each, over the average period of its lifetime.

Nothing Interesting Beds facts du jour

“After 10 years, even good beds will have deteriorated by as much as 75 per cent from its new condition,” says Lisa Helmanis, author of Sleep Better Naturally . So experts recommend buying a new bed every 8 - 10 years. However our needs and preferences alter over time, too - changes in lifestyle or physical conditions also affect our bed requirements.

Not only does the mattresses orthopaedic state deteriorate over time, but there is the eventual build up of dust mites, dead skin, and general grim that will slowly build up in your mattress. These can lead to allergies and breathing difficulties. So its not recommend you purchase mattresses second hand or use hand me downs unless you just need a spare to use on occasion that is not used as the primary bed you sleep in.

Related Posts

• More Furniture Thoughts - Grumble

Although everyone should have a good quality mattress that is not wore out, there are also minor preferences to ensuring you are comfortable and that your body feels well fitted into a firm or soft type mattress. You can buy mattresses made from foam, latex, spring water or special air mattresses. Everyone has their own recommendations of what kind of mattress you should buy, so make sure you get the one that best fit you.Considering how you sleep will ultimately end up affecting your physical and mental comfort all day, everyday, beds are probably the best investment you could ever make to your general health! Make sure to look after it.