Did You Know?

The ’bits and bobs’ drawer

A study of 2,000 adults from Energizer found that more than half of us (55%) keep a ‘drawer of stuff’ in the kitchen, while a quarter have their ‘bits and bobs’ drawer in the front room and, that despite 25% of us frequently searching our drawers for long-lost items, just 14% of us always find what we need.

Other findings from the survey revealed that 52% of respondents confess to finding a good old rummage through their drawer ‘therapeutic’, while 39% confess to being territorial over the drawer and its contents.

The most common items found in odds-and-ends drawers include:

1. Pens/pencils 2. Batteries 3. Sticky tape 4. Measuring tape 5. Scissors 6. Blu tack 7. Superglue 8. Paper clips 9. Screwdriver 10. Torch 11. Phone chargers 12. Unspecified wires and cables 13. Safety pins 14. Spare keys 15. Envelopes 16. Instruction manuals 17. Adaptors 18. Keys to locks you no longer use/have 19. Lighters 20. Takeaway menus 21. Matches 22. Cable ties 23. Coins 24. Receipts 25. Leaflets 26. Sunglasses 27. Padlocks 28. Hand sanitiser 29. Lint roller 30. Screen wipes

Mandatory cat microchipping

With more than 10.8 million pet cats in the UK and as many as 2.8 million of them unchipped, it’s often difficult to reunite them with their owners if they get lost or stolen. Under its Action Plan for Animal Welfare plan, the government is to introduce compulsory cat microchipping, whereby owners will be required to microchip their feline companions by the time they reach 20 weeks of age or risk a fine of up to £500. The government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare also includes measures to ban exporting live animals for slaughter, the keeping of primates as pets and importing hunting trophies.

STRESSED? TRY HANGING OUT IN THE KITCHEN!

A study by Magnet looked into the role of the kitchen when it comes to our happiness and wellbeing and found that 60% of the population agree that spending time in the kitchen makes them happy. The study also revealed that: • One in three use compartmentalised living for a happier, more mindful home. This is where separate zones of an area are created using split- levels, furnishings or different flooring to break up the room for different uses. Even open-plan kitchens and living areas work just as well. • 71% agreed that compartmentalised living has become more important since the pandemic. • Listening to music in the kitchen was voted above cooking for improving wellbeing Whilst we’re now spending more time at home than in previous years, mindfulness and wellbeing within the home are rising trends that are impacting the way we design our homes. That means that after a hard day’s work, or a particularly stressful Zoom meeting, a quick ten minutes in the kitchen could make all the difference.

The world’s most expensive hotel room…

At $175,000 a night, the Lover’s Deep Luxury Submarine Hotel in St Lucia, is the most expensive hotel in the world. The five-star accommodation is beneath the waves where you can stay in a submarine which includes a private captain, chef and butler. A stay also includes use of helicopter transfers, beach landings and Champagne-soaked breakfasts.