The Monday Piece - Original Gadgets

This week's Monday Piece is on original gadgets! As the nation gets ready to snap up new technology this Christmas, research from money.co.uk* has revealed the retro gadgets we miss the most, and how much cash we were ready to splash on them in times gone by – with some surprising results.

According to the survey, the piece of retro tech that young adults (those aged 16-24) feel most nostalgic towards is the 1997 Tamagotchi. The egg-shaped Japanese digital pets remained hugely popular throughout the late 90s and 2000s and were owned by more than 1 in 3 adults who are now aged between 16-24 (38%).

The UK’s first Tamagotchis retailed for approximately £14, which with inflation applied equates to £25.65 in today’s economy.

For 25-34 year olds, the most nostalgia-inducing piece of tech was the original Gameboy (27%), which launched in 1989 and was owned by more than half of this age group (51%). 

This iconic device had a display capable of featuring just four shades of grey ando originally retailed for £67.40, which with inflation applied equals approximately £168.80 by today’s standards. The original handheld gaming devices, now collectors’ items, have since surpassed their original value and can now be found retailing at an average of £192 on eBay today. 

The device that captured the heart of most 35-44 year olds was the humble Etch a Sketch, which 1 in 5 feel nostalgic towards. As many as 49% of this age group claim to have owned one of the innovative mechanical drawing toys when they were younger.  

The first Etch a Sketch launched in 1960 when it retailed for as little as £2.31 - but taking inflation over the past 60 years into account, the value of this device was actually 23 times what it seems, equating to £53.55 by today’s standards. The popular toys are still in production today but original 1960s Etch a Sketch models average £20 on eBay.

Across all age groups, cassette tapes came out on top for the nation’s most nostalgia-inducing piece of technology, with 1 in 5 (19%) of all adults listing this as a piece of retro tech they felt nostalgic towards, this definitely brings back memories :).

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The Monday Piece - Six Steps To Self-Confidence

This week's Monday Piece is on Six Steps To Self-Confidence!

Six Steps to Self-Confidence: New Book Helps Readers Thrive in COVID Lockdown. Working from Home? Read On!

Danny Greeves’ ‘Six Steps to Self-Confidence: Build confidence. Express yourself. Have fun’ calls on the author’s experience as a physiotherapist, hypnotherapist and coach – empowering readers to make small changes to their morning routine, for huge results. Showcasing just six simple morning activities that can change readers’ entire lives, the volume is a vital companion for anyone forced to work from home during lockdown.

Learn the formula for living as the highest version of yourself, resulting in increased self-confidence, freedom and emotional wellbeing.
If you feel you’re not naturally confident, you could be stuck forever dreaming; the person you want to be always beyond your reach. Starting your day off in the wrong way can affect your confidence on every level, and cause you to be unfocused and inconsistent.

One critic wrote, “If you want to achieve better productivity, get things done and gain confidence in the process this book is most definitely for you. Danny offers straightforward advice in a few easy steps to follow. My biggest take from the book is the Circle of Life which literally changed my life!” The amazon reviews are definitely tempting me to give this a try :).

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The Monday Piece - Retro Gaming

This week's Monday Piece is on retro gaming! Turn back the clocks with this retro handheld console from Orb Gaming. It features a 2.2-inch LCD screen with built-in speakers. The cool console includes an amazing 200 8-bit games for nostalgia-inspired fun! Right, up, left, left, down, up. You know the score, it brings back the memories of those Saturday morning TV shows, where you’d see games on the TV and have a chance of winning some mediocre prizes. Unfortunately for most children their parents wouldn’t let anyone use the only phone in the house in case they got a call from a family relative. They never came and you’d shout the instructions to the TV in vain.

Not only is the console great to put to bed those deep psychological scares and years of pain, it allows you to play for hours on end, without having to change the game cartridge every time you wanted to switch games. It’s cheaper than the latest PS5 without the online queues and hype and best of all it needs NO WiFi. So go full-retro, switch off your WiFi, switch off your phone, write a note for the milkman, go buy a quarter of boiled sweets, lose a tooth and buy some 1p sweets and grab the retro consoler today. Unfortunately, you can’t order through mail order, so will just need to use the WiFi one last time to head over to Urban Outfitters, it's an ideal stocking filler :).

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The Monday Piece - Togo November Update

This week's Monday Piece is on Togo November update! Togo is now 5 months old and he is definitely the cheekiest boy ever... We've been taking him out for lots of countryside walks, to cute lunch spots and he's been visiting lots of family too - pretty much anything to dispel some of the huge amounts of energy he has. I picked him up a little jacket for when we're out in the cold as chihuahuas can get chilly very easily - he seems to love it and enjoys wearing it out and about! He's still very much a puppy and has lots of learning to do, because of covid the puppy training classes are cancelled so we're doing what we can with treats in the meantime!

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The Monday Piece - Winter Staycations

This week's Monday Piece is on winter staycations! Partial lockdown can still mean freedom with a short break at an Aria Resort.

Whether it’s a cosy bolt hole for two, a trip away with friends or family, or a chance to just get away from it all, there is something for everyone at an Aria Resort, with four-night mid-week breaks for two priced from just £94.

Experience crashing waves in Swanage, windy days in Cornwall, pre-brew walks in Yorkshire, or red-squirrel spotting on the Isle of Wight. Whatever the weather there is plenty of fresh air and countryside to explore in some of the UK’s most favourite locations. 

And, when the dark nights draw in, the accommodation at Aria Resorts will provide a welcome retreat to cosy up in front of a log-burner, jump in a hot tub, or enjoy a steaming, creamy hot chocolate at a resort bar or eatery.

Hayley Paterson, head of marketing at Aria Resorts, said: “With uncertainty across the country at the moment, it is still possible to find a quiet retreat with plenty of fresh air and freedom to explore. All of our resorts are in great spots in the UK’s most favourite locations, meaning lots of our guests are feeling even more relaxed and safe in these cherished, familiar surroundings. And with optimum time to explore the local area, people are relishing the opportunity to get outside in the fresh air, and experience the beauty of our fine UK coast and countryside.

"With lots of things to do on our doorsteps, our guests are enjoying reconnecting with nature, walking, cycling, watersports and distanced dining like never before. We all live in an amazing country and there’s never been a better time to book a getaway and explore the hidden gems on our own doorsteps.”

The prospect of a second lockdown is pretty grim, I feel like a staycation is absolutely necessary when we come through this together :).