Christmas Laughter Spot ; Knock knock. Who’s there? Father Christmas. Use the chimney, mate

Beth Vyse: Why were Rudolph and Blitzen left on the shelves over Christmas? Because they were just two dear.

Stewart Francis: How does Santa remember which chimneys he’s been down? He keeps a log.

Isy Suttie: How many donkeys does it take to change a light bulb? Donkeys don’t know what a light bulb is, and they’ve got hooves anyway. If you’re going to do one thing this Christmas, for God’s sake keep donkeys away from light bulbs.

Lou Sanders: Where do the showbiz elves go? Tinsel Town.

Jules Birch writes : "I’m passionate about helping people take care of themselves"

I’m Jules Birch, founder of Works with Water Nutraceuticals, and I’m passionate about helping people take care of themselves.

With today’s pace of life, this has never been more important

Works with Water skin health supplements

The formulations in our Nutraceutical skincare range are easy to use and each one contains natural ingredients scientifically proven to make a significant difference to the look and feel of your skin.

The term ‘nutraceuticals’ is relatively new and defines products that contain targeted ingredients considered to providespecific medicinal and health benefits so we’re able to confidently deliver benefits for anyone suffering from – or who don’t wish to suffer from - acne, spots, blackheads, whiteheads, eczemapsoriasis, skin reddening, dull and ageing skin

We only formulate with functional ingredients that have solid, human-trialled science to support these specific skin health claims, and we are committed to developing products in which you, the consumer, can have complete confidence in their proven effectiveness.

We are very fortunate to have a development and market expansion partnership with global ingredients specialists NIG Europe.  Their global expertise and presence allows Works with Water to develop nutritional products that are approved for use throughout Europe, US and Asia.

Oh – and if you’re wondering why we’re called Works with Water…well take a moment to think about it.  From your biology lessons, you may remember that 75% of the weight of a new-born is water.  On average, the human adult male is approximately 60% water.  So by our calculations, to be effective, whatever you put in or on your body…has to work with water!

 

Jules is available for interview or for comment on industry news and trends. 
  In the first instance, please contact Caroline or Sarah at press@workswithwater.co.uk

Women for Women : Find out more about our help:clear skin and help:beautify skin products in time for Christmas

Beauty bloggers share natural skincare secrets

Over the past six months, many top beauty and lifestyle bloggers have reviewed our help: clear skin and help: beautify skin skin supplements. Now, in the busy run-up to Christmas, we wanted to share some of their results with you, their skin secrets and the reasons they were so passionate about fitting our natural skincare supplements into their busy schedules.

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Top Graphic by Shutterstock

UK 'smart' homes rise 30% - new research

Current market status
  • The number of UK households with some form of smart home system has increased 30% on last year to 4.0 million in 2015 – 14% of homes in the UK
  • The average smart home will spend £256 on the technology, equating to a market size of £940 million. In comparison, US homes average £541

Nearly 30% of UK households are viable smart home targets - but who are they? 

The analysis identified six distinct consumer segments – three of which are realistic for purchasing smart home systems and services. In order of likelihood they are: 

  1. Impressers (11%) – skew towards slightly younger females in higher income, connected device households. Big skew in interest for motion sensing camera tech
     
  2. Millennial Males (9%) – under 35, more likely not to have children and live in flats. Again spike in interest for motion sensing camera tech
     
  3. Green Nesters (8% of the population) – married families owning multiple smartphones and tablets. Much greater interest in smart home tech around occupancy-sensing systems for lights and heating

Consumers by smart home segment

 
“After the initial hype, there seems to be a degree of negativity about the genuine opportunity for smart home technology, particularly around how many households are likely to use it. However, take-up rates are increasing very well and will continue if smart home manufacturers and marketers focus on the most viable potential customers. Of course, it’s not for everyone but nearly 30% of the population are ripe for it, which is a pretty good start.”

“British Gas Connected Homes is poised to reach 300,000 customers for its Hive service which is focused on energy management. We believe that home monitoring is a bigger draw if priced right. Service providers could spur the market with free basic monitoring and notification services bundled with their other services and then offer several levels of premium capabilities for additional fees. Insurance firms could do the same. Security service providers are well-positioned to offer self-monitoring and automation capabilities on top of their current services.”

Most popular smart home technologies

UK consumers are most willing to pay for notifications about potential hazards and emergencies in their home (10% to 11%) followed by a system that can automatically shut off the water in case of a leak and remote video monitoring (both 9%).
 

Most popular smart home features


What the near future holds

“Big brands such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung are building awareness for smart home technologies with their initiatives. Technology advancements in enhanced visual and voice recognition coupled with cognitive computing on a chip will introduce new value propositions stimulating consumer demand. Google’s Nest will leap beyond the thermostat, smoke detector and camera to door bells and locks and virtually every control point in the home. 

Data analytics for predicting failure in heating systems and major appliances will become an extension of the maintenance contracts retailers, energy providers and manufacturers offer. We are on the cusp of the next BIG thing in consumer adoption of digital technology.”

 Bill Ablondi, Strategy Analytics’ Director, Smart Home Strategies.