Home, sweet home!

In our last blog, we looked at the benefits of reading stories to your children at bedtime and gave you some tips on how to get started. This time, we focus on how to choose books for your kids, and give some suggestions of titles which your little ones will love.

General Tips for Choosing Children's Books

When choosing books for bedtime reading, it makes sense to select stories which are not frightening – so avoid anything with scary monsters, ghosts, or whatever your child finds worrying...unless of course you want to spend the night dealing with bad dreams and tears!

Try to have a quick read through any book you choose by yourself before reading it aloud to your child – this will give you an idea of whether the book will be suitable for your child's age group. This also gives you a litt...

Do you read to your children before they go to sleep at night?

A growing number of studies suggest that kids whose parents read to them before bedtime have a number of advantages over their peers in literacy and language development. Further to that, it is thought that parents who spend quality time reading to their children enjoy a closer familial bond.

According to experts such as Barry Zuckerman, a specialist from Boston University, reading to your child at bedtime is something which can start from an early age. Many children find that story time before sleep helps them to relax. An added bonus is that the habit of a quiet time before going to sleep helps to promote good sleep patterns, as reading time signals the end of the day.

To help you get started with reading to your child, we've...

If you are the owner of a Bed and Breakfast, or small hotel, this quick guide is for you. We've put together a selection of our top tips to help you choose bed linen which will suit the requirements of your particular business and budget.

Economical Options

If you are just starting out in the hospitality trade or run a small family business, your budget for bed linen may be limited. It may feel like an impossible task to find bedding which offers an adequate level of comfort, without breaking the bank. However, if you spend as much as you can buying quality bedding in simple designs, you will find it lasts longer and provides best value for money.

If, like many small businesses, you deal with your laundry in-house, be sure to look for designs which are easy to clean. You should also think...

If you are a parent, you have probably already had the experience of waking in the night to your child having a “bad dream”. If not, you can be almost certain that at some point, this will occur. Nightmares, as they are often called, are something that anyone can suffer at any age, but tend to be more frightening for children, who may not be able to define the difference between their dreams and real life.

Why do nightmares happen?

Experts in child behaviour and psychology explain that dreams are the mind way of processing thoughts and feelings about things which have happened during the day. However, stress may exacerbate the problem – whether your child is worrying about a difficulty with school work, a disagreement with a friend or any other situation which is causing upset. Nightmares ...

Electric blankets are an excellent way to keep your bed warm and snug on chilly nights. Read on to discover answers to some of the most common customer questions regarding heated blankets and throws.

Are electric blankets dangerous?

Today's electric blankets are not considered to be a fire risk when used correctly and according the the instructions supplied with your purchased. Always read the instructions fully and follow them with care, and you should not experience any problems.

How do I know if an electric blanket meets current safety standards?

Modern electric blanket designs are much safer than their older equivalents. Look out for the Australian Safety Standard Mark (AS/NZS 3350.2.17:2000) which shows that a product meets all specifications.

What features should I look for when shop...