Red Candy UK: Shut Up, Beige!

red candyAs some of you might know, we moved to a new house a few weeks ago. The new house, despite actually only being down the same street is bigger and so much better laid out. I love it! Roy loves, and the kids love it. Now, of course, I have the opportunity to explore new retailers and to experiment with

Now, of course, I have the opportunity to explore new retailers and to experiment with interior design somewhat.

One of the brands I’ve heard of before yet hadn’t shopped with is Red Candy, whose tagline is Shut Up, Beige! Their way of thinking is that home items and gifts don’t need to be mainstream, colourless or bland. No, they should be fun, funky, quirky and even a little weird.

In short, I love Red Candy!

They offered to send me a couple of items to review on the blog so that I might get a better feel of what they offer. I popped onto the site to choose and then hopped back off nearly two hours later with a wish list.
In the end, I narrowed it down to a need and a want.

fabulous origami fox lamp
My Want

I wanted…. Felix! I don’t think this fabulous origami fox lamp came with a name, however, Felix seemed fitting. This is one of those quirky items I mentioned. I loved the shape and the colour and while I didn’t expect much in the way of glow I was most definitely pleasantly surprised.

The only problem with this little guy is that not only does he fit into my lounge so well; he also apparently would look “absolutely awesome” in my six year old’s bedroom. I beg to differ son, it’s staying put!

My Need

Koziol Del Swing-Top BinMy “need” (we all have a list after we move) was a bathroom bin. I loved the colour of this Koziol Del Swing-Top Bin having looked at several rather sad-looking white or grey ones online, however, I didn’t really think through the size of this one (it’s extra small, it says so on the listing and description, I just didn’t click). Despite being a tad small for my particular bathroom (there are four of us) it is perfect for my bedroom and is currently sitting on my dressing table. I’ll call that a win!

Despite being a tad small for my particular bathroom (there are four of us) it is perfect for my bedroom and is currently sitting on my dressing table. I’ll call that a win!

Both items are fabulously made and are only a tiny crystal on the edge of the tip of the iceberg as far as what Red Candy offers. Have a look at the website and if in any doubt get in touch with their friendly social team (Twitter responses seem particularly swift), or just say hi. They’d like that too.

*Thanks to Red Candy for sending over these items for free for me to review. Thanks also for asking for an honest and unbiased review (if these items were crap, I’d have said so and RC were happy with). All reviews are based on my own experiences and opinions and brands hold no editorial control.

Top Tools and Apps for Business

We all have such a lot to get done, especially those running our own businesses. I came across a really interesting thread on a Facebook group I belong to about what tools people recommend for getting things done, and efficiency. It made me think about what tools I currently use.

Apps and tools are great for helping get things done and I have worked my way through a great number of them over the past ten years. There are no wrong tools, it’s all about what works best for you and this is my current collection. It might alter slightly as time goes on.

CANVA
I use Canva for images/headers and all things social media related. The phone app is rubbish (right now) so don’t base your opinions on that, stick to the web version which is excellent. 95% of the things I create on Canva are free however occasionally I will buy credits so that I may use specific premium images that are perfect for what I’m working on.

A quickly put together image for a client’s Facebook page using Canva.

BUFFER
I use Buffer (paid) for all of my social media/client accounts. I’ve used Tweetdeck, Hootsuite (hated it) and various other scheduling apps and sites and have found Buffer to be the best one for me by far. We just clicked Buffer and I.  This is one of the few things I pay for (I don’t pay for anything unless I need to) and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Buffer run a Twitter chat weekly which I find great fun for hints and tips, and brushing up on certain areas (as well as meeting some great freelancers and what not). These chats are found via the #bufferchat hashtag and a recap each week will fill you in on what you missed if you couldn’t make it. There’s also a #bufferchat Slack that some find useful. 

RANDROP.IO
I use Raindrop.io on phone and web for resource collation/bookmarking. I’ve used Evernote web clipper and Pocket before now, however, find this the smoothest one for me. Even better, I have it installed on my Kindle Fire tablet so when I have some time I can catch up easily on everything in my “Read Me” collection that isn’t urgent or client related yet interesting, business-wise or not.

OUTLOOK
What can I say, I’m an Outlook girl, using outlook.com as my main email and my calendar. The desktop Outlook 2016 and I are having some syncing issues right now so I’ve moved back to the web-based version as part of Office365. The Outlook calendar I love. I don’t keep a paper schedule/date book etc anymore as this has taken over, and of course, syncs brilliantly with my phone. 

DROPBOX
Again, I’ve used other cloud-based programmes but always come back to Dropbox for safe storage/file sharing.

ZOHO
I use Zoho invoicing (free) and find it very user-friendly. Their customer service is also excellent! If you have a query there is a web chat function and if mid conversation your chat disconnects (for example if like me you forgot to plug the laptop back in) they email you to make sure you receive the answers you need. 

OTHER TOOLS
I use Asana for some web-based info storage (lists and what not I don’t need daily) and KanbanFlow for the Pomodoro timer. If you haven’t used the Pomodoro system before now it is well worth looking up. Highly motivating, great for productivity, especially if you’re having one of those days where you’re easily distracted.

TO DO LISTS
There are so many online/mobile apps and sites for to do lists, task management, planning and more. I’ve stepped away from all of these and instead my task lists/schedules/get stuff done has reverted back to paper via the Action Day 2017 planner. There’s just something unrivalled about putting pen to paper.


 

What are your must-have tools, apps, websites and systems for getting things done?

*Please note that this post contains an affiliate link to a product I value.