March 20th brought us the official beginning of spring… traditionally a time to dust off the cobwebs and freshen up our homes!

Here are a few useful tips to help you on your way to a sunny, shiny home.

Firstly start with getting rid of the clutter that you don’t need and with that out of the way it will be a lot easier.

Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day so tackle one room at a time and remember you don’t have to finish the whole house in one day. This is the big Spring Clean so you’ve got to move furniture and appliances and get under beds so don’t exhaust yourself, pace yourself and don’t forget the all important ‘tea breaks’.

The Oven – this can be a very messy job so if it is something you just hate doing call a professional oven cleaning service to get the job done – it will look as good as new after.

Get the family to help, I know easier said than done, delegate jobs to the teenagers, other-half, even have toddlers pick up toys this could all be encouraged by a little reward i.e. trip to the cinema etc.

Spring Clean the Eco-Friendly way – all you need to do is arm yourself with three magic ingredients – vinegar, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and lemon juice – read this great Mumsnet guide to eco-friendly cleaning.

If your life is too hectic and you just don’t have enough time well then consider hiring a professional cleaning service who will save you all the stress and hassle and you will have a lovely clean home to enjoy.

Getting organised – You will probably have to top up on products so buy all necessary cleaning supplies, tools, and cleaners and then pick a room and start. You could even order online and have it all delivered as they can be very bulky so take the hassle out of lugging it all home.

There are lots of offers at the moment from the major supermarkets on cleaning products so shop wisely! Here’s what we found:-

Tesco – Cif Power/Pro £2.99 buy 1 get 1 free. They also have a whole range of their own brand products at 2 for £1.20. And you can take advantage of their offer ‘Spend £40 this week and receive £5 off next shop”

Sainsburys – Domestos Zero was £1.99 now £1.00, Mr Muscle Sink and Plughole Unblocker was £3.95 now £2.95 and Every time you buy any of these featured products a donation from the item price will be made to Sport Relief.

Waitrose – 3 for 2 offer on selected cleaning products if you buy 2 items you add a 3rd Free (get the cheapest free).

Ocado – are also doing buy any three products and get the cheapest one free. Also it is worth remembering that Ocado are offering £10 off your first order online so if you haven’t ordered online from them before this is a great opportunity to have it all delivered to your door! Visit our Ocado voucher page for the latest and greatest Ocado discounts.

If your one of the UK’s loyal Tesco clubcard holders then you will be very familiar with the companies popular clubcard voucher exchange programme.

The tesco clubcard is a loyalty scheme which rewards cardholders with savings on a wide range of products such as grocery items, holidays, restaurants and even vouchers for high-street stores.

However it is imporant to remember that all Tesco clubcard vouchers have an expiry date. Tesco do generously allow a validity period of two years and the expiry date is printed on each and every voucher.

If you find that your vouchers have gone out of date there may be little you can do to claim your rewards, unfortnatly Tesco explicily say in their terms and conditions that voucher must be used with in the valid period. Vouchers which have expired will no longer be valid or accepted.

Even with these very clear terms you may find that if your voucher has recently expired and has a considerable value, Tesco may let you redeem the voucher. The best advice is to contact the clubcard helpline on 0800 591 688 alternatvly you can email Tesco.

For more information visit the www.tesco.com

Remember use your vouchers before they expire!

The Chinese New Year is on 23rd January and this year it is the Year of the Dragon…. the dragon is said to deliver good fortune which would be much appreciated.

We all love chinese food so why not celebrate the Chinese New Year and serve up your favourite oriental dishes at home for family or friends.  For some of us this can be a bit daunting but Sainsbury’s and Blue Dragon together will show you ‘How to have a Restaurant Experience at home’ its easy and very tasty. Go to  http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/ click on ‘Ideas’ then Chinese New Year and click on Stir Fry Tips (which is underlined).

To celebrate the New Year, Blue Dragon has teamed up with head chef and founder of the School of Wok, Jeremy Pang, to help get Britain cooking delicious oriental cuisines at home.   Stir fries are great, quick and easy and here Jeremy gives his Top Stir Tips such as his secret to the perfect stir fry is to make sure the oil is piping hot before you put the ingredients in the pan or wok….  because it is a fast cooking process make sure all of your cutting and chopping is done beforehand and is close to hand….. also if stir frying shellfish like prawns or shrimps make sure they go into the wok last so they don’t become chewy and over-cooked.  There are lots more good tips to show you how to add those extra little details and there is also advice on using chopsticks and napkin folding.

But the best part in serving up this great chinese meal is that you can save money as Sainbury’s have on offer a selection of Blue Dragon Sauces for £1.00 per unit…. Chinese Curry Sauce, Chow Mein Sauce, Peking Sticky Sauce and Sweet and Sour Sauce all of these and lots more for just £1.00.

These offers are valid for delivery before 24th Jan 2012.

Lastly Blue Dragon are offering the chance for you to win one of 25 ‘Jeremy Pang Culinary Experiences’ see details Online at Sainsbury’s.com

So Happy Chinese New Year on the 23rd and wishing you all good fortune for 2012

I only came across Diet Chef lately when I saw it advertised on television and thought, this is a really good idea, especially for a busy person on the go wanting to lose some weight. With ‘do-it-yourself menu based diets’ you really have to be organised when shopping for the right ingredients, then there is of course the weighing and measuring and lastly having to cook it all.

The idea of receiving a months worth of pre-prepared healthy and tasty food seems a bit to good to be true but this is what the Diet Chef service promises.

Diet Chef delivers to your door, a hamper full of chef prepared ready meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, not forgetting some healthy snacks for those hunger pangs. It is really easy and fast as all the meals require no more than a quick turn in the microwave or saucepan.

Diet Chef reviews your personal profile to create a tailored programme

The meals contain healthy ingredients and are calorie controlled (1,200 daily calories) there are a wide variety of meals so you never get bored… porridge and granola for breakfast, soups or milkshakes for lunch, and pastas, curries, hot pots and more for dinner. However, don’t expect milk or fresh fruit or vegetables in the hamper so you will need to buy these separately – Diet Chef recommend that you supplement their meals with some fresh fruit and vegetables and milk each day. Diet Chef claims that there is a hamper for everyone… all hampers can be fully tailored to suit individual needs and tastes including vegetarian options.

You also get a ‘all you need to know’ 48 page guide to the diet covering how the diet works, exercise, help for eating out and lots more. You have access to their forum which offers a great place to get tips and encouragement from other people while also sharing your progress. It is also good to note that there is are specially trained diet advisors on hand to offer support and practical advice whenever you need it.

So what does all this good, tasty, healthy nutritionally planned food, prepared by a chef and delivered to your door cost… well surprisingly it is very cost effective, probably not much more than you already spend on your individual weekly shop maybe even less!

There are three Options:
Pay monthly for 3 months (£39 per week) £195 for 35 days. Free delivery
Pay monthly for 2 months (£42 per week) £210 for 35 days. Free delivery
Pay as you Go – 28 days (£56 per week) £220 for 28 days. £4.95 delivery charge

The Best Value is the 3 month plan which works out at £5.57 a day

And don’t forget there’s the Free Week when you pay monthly

Also 21 day money back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied.

The website is very easy and clear to use and it only takes moments to place an order. You simply complete a short Personal Profile which will tell you how many calories you need, choose your hamper and payment option, then choose your breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks from a list, enter your credit or depit card details and your hamper will be delivered within two days.

Don’t forget your Diet Chef Discount, save £10 on your first order.

Visit the Diet Chef website to get started, here’s to a fit and healthy 2012 and if you are on a diet or planning to go on one we wish you every success!!!