Can I quit smoking using Electronic cigarettes?

Although I am not a heavy smoker, I have got to the stage where I am totally sick of smoking all together.

The only problem is, I enjoy the actual routine of having a cigarette in my hand and smoking it. 

I tend to enjoy this routine the most when I am driving, especially when I'm traveling to and from work...

Roll up, roll up! I prefered smoking "rollies"...

Until now, I have smoked roll up cigarettes. I much preferred these to actual cigarettes for several reasons:

• I enjoyed rolling them.
• I could light a roll-up cigarette, take a few drags of it and put it down, and it would go out.
• I could control how thin I wanted to make them.
• They were easier to smoke than normal cigarettes.
• They were lighter in weight than a normal cigarette.
• They were a "healthier" option* compared to normal cigarettes... 

* I say roll ups are healthier because they have less chemicals in the tobacco than a cigarette does. My reasoning is the fact a cigarette is designed to stay lit until it burns out, it contains more chemicals to stay alight...

Although I smoked roll-up cigarettes because of these reasons, I was still not enjoying them...

As far as my health is concerned, I am constantly coughing and trying to clear my throat and in the mornings I wake up all phlegmy and bunged up. 

I often feel sick in the mornings and I have occasionally thrown up because of the catarrh and horrible mucus stuff building up in my lungs.

It's not good for my health and not a good image when I am coughing and clearing my throat constantly whilst having conversations with customers at my work.

My electronic cigarette!

I heard about the electronic cigarette from Jan's brother and her sister who are trying to quit. 

I thought it sounded like a good product to try.

The idea behind the electronic cigarette is that it doesn't contain any tar or toxins, doesn't emit smoke or ash, is a non flammable product and still delivers nicotine to quell the actual cravings associated with cigarettes. (You can find out more information at http://www.10motives.com/ )

As for my smoking habits, I decided I wanted to try one, as I thought it would be perfect to keep in the car, enabling me to have a few puffs on my journeys to and from work, without having to actually light up and smoke!

I bought one today from Tesco. (It costs £5.99).

It claims to be the equivalent of about 30 normal cigarettes. 

My initial reaction is that it feels a lot heavier than a normal cigarette. However, once you get used to it, the weight isn't much of an issue.

The device is fairly large - it is very similar to smoking a super-king size cigarette. 

(I probably have noticed the size and weight more because I am used to smoking roll up cigarettes).

It tastes quite similar to a cigarette, and the device emits a vapour when you inhale, so when you exhale there is actual smoke! 

The E-cigarette has a glowing tip and creates realistic smoke to exhale!

It seems to be much better than any other imitation cigarette I have tried, and the fact I still have the "smoke" (a harmless vapour rather than a poisonous cloud of cigarette smoke) makes the sensation seem that much more realistic! 

The tip also glows, similar to a real cigarette. (Although the device I have has a blue tip rather than a more natural red one)...

I'll see how I get on with it and keep everyone posted!

Are you trying to quit smoking? Perhaps you have quit? Whatever your stories about breaking the habit are, leave your comments below!

- TheLittlerich

Nobody said being a parent is an easy task...

Nobody said being a parent is an easy task...
Almost every day, your children will teach you a new lesson! I thought I would share some of the lessons I have learnt by being a parent with you.

  

Daily life...

 

Hidden motives? Dominic and Makayla

1. If a child is playing and making lots of noise, everything is ok. It's when they go quiet you know they are up to mischief...

2. A child who unexpectedly wants a cuddle from a parent or sibling doesn't always just want a cuddle - there is usually a hidden motive!

3. If a child falls, they will cry... However, they will first check to see the parents reaction beforehand to see how much sympathy they can milk out of it!

4. No matter how big and macho a man thinks he is, if a toddler hands a pretend telephone to him, he will always put it to his ear and say "Hello?!".

Cleaning and decorating...

Your hoover sucks, Mum!

5. No matter how good your vacuum cleaner is, a 6 month old baby will always find bits on the floor shortly after you have hoovered it!

6. When choosing carpets, always go for dark colours as they are the best colours to hide the dirt kids will bring to them. Avoid white or cream at all costs!

7. Re-decorating your house when you have a child under 5 is pointless - they will be more than happy to "help" you strip your wallpaper off the walls, or add interesting crayon patterns to your decor - even if you don't want them to!

Other observations...



Woo! This box is great!

8. Despite a slide having a perfectly good set of steps or ladders to climb up, a child will always attempt to clamber up the 'slippy' part instead!

9. No matter what present you get for a child, they will usually think the box that it came in is much more fun to play with than the present inside!

10. For the first 12 months or so, a parent will look forward to their child being able to walk and talk...
However, after these milestones have been reached, a parent will forever want their child to sit down and shut up!



Have I missed any parenting lessons out? Do you have any other advice you wish to share? Please leave your comments below!

- TheLittlerich.





Not blogged in a while...

Hey folks, I am still alive. I admit I've not blogged in quite some time...
I haven't really got any decent reason as to why I haven't put digital pen to digital paper. To be honest, I've just not felt inspired to write much lately.

I have had a few half-ideas for subjects to write about, but the enthusiasm to follow through, research into the subject, find or take pictures and then put it all together in a nice blog has not been flowing...

I can't even blame lack of events going on in my life - since my last blog we've had Dominic's birthday, his birthday party, some job search stuff, the start of our healthy eating drive and today is Jan's birthday...

So if I think about it, I have had a lot to write about... I promise to try and get back into blogging!

- Thelittlerich

Can I boycott Facebook for 24 hours?

With Social Networking sites such as Bebo, Myspace, Twitter and Facebook becoming such a large part of everybody's everyday life, being online and being connected is becoming a new type of addiction.

If anyone was to ask me if I am addicted to anything, I would probably have to say my main addiction is being online, using social networking site Facebook...

I am sure that I am not the only one who uses Facebook and other social networking sites many times through the day.
(I don't even know how much a person has to use a site such as Facebook before it becomes excessive! Although whatever that figure is, I am quite possibly in that percentage...)

Which is why I decided that for 24 hours, I would completely boycott the use of Facebook. I wouldn't log on, update my status, upload any photos or check other "friends" online content. I would make a note of how I coped through the day.


I call this experiment: ANTI-SOCIAL NETWORKING.


8:27 AM
Normally when I get up, the first thing I do is grab my iPod, head into the toilet and have a quick blast of Facebook whilst I do my morning business...
This morning however, apart from switching the alarm clock off (several times I must add - drat that "snooze" option!) I have only used my iPod to record my thoughts for transcribing later. For once my iPod hasn't been anywhere NEAR Facebook!

I must admit, I have thought about logging on since I have got up though... I have a feeling the next point that I will want to log on will be after the school run... We shall see!

Luckily this morning, I have quite a few "distractions" that will keep me offline and away from Facebook... (It's called LIFE!)

My Facebook app had to go!

8:38 AM
I was scrolling through all the apps installed on my iPod, and I came across the Facebook app icon. The icon had changed to inform me that I had 2 notifications. I had an overwhelming urge to click to see what they were! In order to kerb my urgeto click on the app, I have had to delete the app to prevent me from accessing Facebook from my iPod!

Is this cheating? Possibly. I don't know!

It will certainly be easier to refrain myself if I don't have access to Facebook. However, I do know that any time I am in a wi-fi area I could always download the app again!

It's amazing how much of an urge you get when you know you have notifications...

However, the notifications could be anything - even something as pointless as somebody clicking "Like" on a photo I have uploaded or a status I have written; or somebody "poking" me... In which case, the notifications don't really mean anything.
On the flip side the notifications could be comment, in which case by refraining from checking I am not receiving the comments... (I must admit I am starting to ponder what they are, now that I'm thinking about it!)

However, they can wait until tomorrow!

8:50 AM
On the way to school, and Dom has just made a comment that my camo trousers matches my jacket... At that moment, I thought it was funny, and my immediate reaction was to take a photo on my mobile phone and upload it to Facebook!

Nope! Not today!! :)

9:10 AM
By now I would have normally logged into Facebook at least once. However, because today I am NOT logging on, I have decided to try and focus my thoughts, energy and mind into doing other stuff... So far I have managed to clean up the dog mess in the garden and put the bins out. I think I will get started on gutting the kitchen after I get Makayla up and fed!

10:01 AM
Well, so far so good. I've managed to get through about 2 hours of my day without logging onto Facebook! It's starting to get trickier now, because I am getting a feeling that I should have logged on by now, checked in, updated my status, etc.

Already, I have had a few thoughts that I would have shared as a status on Facebook (for example, as I was hanging up the washing, I noticed that it was all inside out. I thought about posting a silly status about trolls that live inside the washing machine and turn clothes inside out...) However I couldn't do as I am not ON Facebook today!

10:09 AM

Pushchair for sale: £40!

As I have been pottering away this morning, I have ben thinking about this blog. I have thought about what it means to be ANTI-social networking for 24 to some people. It occurred to me how ironic it is going to be when I post a link to this blog ON Facebook about AVOIDING Facebook!

I have also wondered about how people use Facebook nowadays... As an example, we are trying to sell a push chair, (£40 if you are interested, btw!) and my girlfriend Jan has been using Facebook to try and advertise it. She received a message last week from one person who wanted to buy it. Since then, for about 10 days it doesn't appear as if they have been on Facebook...

I wonder if the avoidence has been through choice or lack of availability; I also wonder how people react when they find they can't access their social networking sites.

If you have any thoughts on this subject, please leave your comments below!

11:09 AM
I have just sat and went through my internet history to document my job search... Obviously on my history there are records of various different pages on Facebook I have clicked on. As my rule states that I am not allowed to go on Facebook at ALL, I had to skip over them and avoid them!

My girlfriend Jan and I were talking about a bus crash we had heard about this morning. She had a Facebook page loaded up - it was a news report about the bus crash posted on the Council's own Facebook wall - which she asked me to read... I admit I read it over her shoulder, sure! BUT I don't count that as USING Facebook!

My reasoning is that I could have read the news report from any source - any newspaper website, council website, news websites etc... I didn't actually INTERACT with Facebook directly, and this is why I dismiss this as a breach of my own rules!

12:08 PM
I have managed to reach lunch time without logging on to or checking Facebook! I can't say it's been that difficult to be honest, however I have been quite busy this morning.
Nobody yet knows of my experiment yet, but they will do. The interesting thing will be tomorrow - when I'm back on Facebook - to see how many people realise that I haven't logged in for a full 24 hours... Should be interesting!

13:42 PM
Just finished my meeting with my job coach and I am heading home now. So far I haven't felt much of an urge to log onto Facebook, however I have a funny feeling that now is going to be the point I find it most difficult - in the hour or so between getting home and getting the kids from school!

I automatically typed in facebook.com...

14:30 PM
When I got home, I had to email my CV over to my job coach. I logged onto my computer to do so, and the first thing I did when I launched my internet browser is start automatically typing "Facebook.com"...

It is kind of worrying that your internet history and sites you visit becomes automatic...

After I corrected myself and loged into my email and there is a large advert to connect your services to Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIn... It just goes to show that even huge corporations such as Microsoft actively encourage social networking - encourage the addiction! But so far, I've refrained! :D

Encouraging online addiction seems good for business!

15:09 PM
I've still managed to stay clear of social networking sites! I have, however, found that today I've been a lot more active doing other things rather than sitting about on a computer all day, so I don't know if it's a fair test or not.

I was quite interested to see that there was an article on MSN about modern addictions! I will read through it and offer my views!

15:56 PM
I've been reading the article on MSN about modern addictions. The first part of the article is about "Internet Addiction Disorder" which is now a recognised disorder. The symptoms include "forgetting to eat or sleep, withdrawal, fatigue, irritability and a feeling of isolation from society".
From what I have read previously on various dirorders, these symptoms sound similar to depression...?

Clearly, if people are spending far too much time online, surfing the internet and being connected to social networking sites, then I think there could easily be a link between internet addiction and depression - which is quite worrying really!
:s

16:03 PM
I was reading the article I discovered on MSN about modern addictions when Jan asked me if I was on Facebook so she could send me a link to something posted on Facebook... When I said I wasn't, she called me over to read a post...
(The post was an urban legend warning style message, the type that is shared because although it is probably a hoax, if anybody is in the situation described they know what to do to survive).

It occured to me that Facebook is obviously a perfect platform to spread this type of information. People can read it and then share the information very quickly with others.

I don't think sites such as Facebook are particularly bad, unless they are abused and used for malicious purposes.

19:25 PM
I have filled up my day today with activities that have taken me away from the computer. We went out for a drive, and I wouldn't have had much of an opportunity to log into Facebook anyway.
Saying that, I know that now I face the ultimate test - the evening - as I tend to sit for hours online once the kids are in bed.

I tend to sit on my computer during the evenings.

I have decided that instead of going on my computer, I am going to do something different! I feel quite positive already, and I feel that my day without Facebook has went quite well!

19:52 PM
We have just got the kids down to bed. My usual routine from this point tends to involve sitting down and logging on to Facebook... Which is not what I am going to do tonight - I am going to have to find other things to occupy myself!

(I will probably end up playing computer games or something). I am starting to wonder if substituting social networking for similar activities - browsing the internet or playing computer games - if there is any real difference?

What are your views on this? Leave your comments below!

20:17 PM
My girlfriend Jan has just found a photograph of her 13 year old neice on Facebook. The photo features her neice and has been tagged, along with her new boyfriend.
Jan's neice hasn't mentioned anything about having a boyfriend - the only reason we know about it is due to the tagged photo on Facebook.
It is slightly worrying that simply by tagging somebody - who may not even realise they have been tagged - in a photograph, it can allow that person's contacts to see the photo and potentially open a big can of worms!

I am aware that Facebook has recently reviewed their tagging policy, offering better privacy options and security. However it is possible that many users of Facebook are not offay enough with the technology (or perhaps too young to understand what the privacy options are), and they don't realise that anybody can "tag" a photograph featuring them (be it good, bad or indifferent).

As far as ME looking on Facebook is concerned, I still have not used it at all... Yes, I have had passing glances at content that Jan has shown me, however I have not used Facebook (and don't intend to use it) until my 24 hours are up!

21:09 PM
After waking up for a bottle and a clean nappy, Makayla woke up and walked into the bathroom, banged on the bath and started saying "Dirty! Dirty!".
It was a really cute and funny moment, the sort of event that would normally trigger me to pick up my iPod and either take a photo, record a video or post a comment on Facebook...

But I didn't! :D

22:38 PM
I've been distracting myself for pretty much the entire evening. I've kept clear of my computer and watched TV instead. I've had a few urges to update my status in response to some of the programmes I've seen (such as An Idiot Abroad).


I don't feel like these urges have been "addiction level", where I must log on to Facebook to satisfy them. I can only describe the feeling like years after you quit smoking and occasionally you have a mild craving... If you wait ten minutes then the craving usually goes away, or you can find other things to occupy your mind...

Is Facebook as addictive as smoking?

I think I am about an hour or so away from going to bed, and that staying away from Facebook for 24 hours is going to be possible!

01:00 AM
I've just watched a film, and now I am on my way to bed. I know that I won't be logging on to Facebook until the morning now, after my 24 hours are up!

SUMMARY:

Despite my initial thoughts about how difficult it would be, this experiment wasn't particularly difficult to accomplish - I have managed to last a full 24 hours without logging into Facebook despite feeling the occasional desire to update my status a few times throughout the day.

One thing this experiment has made me realise is how much I actually think about Facebook and other social networking sites, even if I don't actively use them.

I have also discovered that funny or humourous moments tend to be my trigger for online connectivity - if I think something is funny, witty or interesting I feel the need to share it with others.

Perhaps I need to learn to just enjoy the moment within myself, and that just because I find a moment, a thought or a visual element stimulating, others will feel the same way.

As I commented earlier in the blog, I wondered how much of an impact I make to others with regards to social networking.

I mentioned the fact that I hadn't used Facebook for 24 hours to Jan and her first reaction was to call me a liar! The woman I live with didn't even realise that I hadn't logged on all day!

I also decided to ask who realised I hadn't logged on... The response almost speaks for itself!

This is the reaction I got after boycotting Facebook for 24 hours...

The following day, even after my self imposed ban was lifted, I have not been as active on Facebook as I would normally have been. I haven't really felt the urge I did before I spent 24 hours without it.

One question I asked myself after returning was "What did I miss by avoiding Facebook for 24 hours?"

The real answer: Hmm... So, I didn't play on a couple of games that require Facebook, or respond to random and fairly irrelevant comments... So what?! Life goes on!

I didn't even miss playing BackYard Monsters!

I don't actually feel that I have missed out by being ANTI-SOCIAL NETWORKING rather than SOCIAL NETWORKING.

I do feel that I should call my parents this weekend though! :D

- TheLittlerich

Is the loss of the humble milkman the downfall of society?

Photo courtesy Ryan Stanford. 

(c) 2011 rjnitro@hotmail.co.uk

Sunlight starting to show in the sky.

The early chirp of the first birds to awaken.

The gentle hum of the electric motor of the milk float.

The clink as empty glass bottles are collected, and bottles full of fresh milk are delivered to the door.

The occasional "Good Morning" exchanged between the postman and the milkman...

A beautiful sunrise

It's a scene that I always think of as slightly magical...

I don't know why, but the thought of having a bottle of milk delivered to the door in the mornings invites images of a picturesque rural village setting, with a friendly atmosphere and peaceful lifestyle.

Sadly, this isn't an image that occurs very often any more. At least, not in large towns and cities!

People are always looking for the cheapest, quickest and most convenient option, and this means large supermarket chains the main source for a large proportion of everyday grocery shopping, it's no surprise that smaller shops and door-to-door delivery services are reducing in numbers.

In large cities and town this seems fair enough, but in my opinion rural areas should be left alone.

I grew up in a small village in which had no large supermarket. 

If we wanted to go shopping we would visit the local convenience store. The shop delivered newspapers to the door, and if we wanted anything above and beyond that we had to travel to the nearest supermarket (about 6 miles away).

Now, I can imagine you are thinking this was a major inconvenience... However, when we decided to move into the village, we KNEW that there was only the local shops and amenities! If living close to a major supermarket was high on the list of priorities, we could've moved into the city!

It was through choice we decided to live in a rural setting, and this often meant sacrificing some of the large conveniences such as supermarkets, cheap local petrol stations and a MacDonalds on the cornet of the street. 

However, on the flip side of this we had a nice environment to live in, without air polluted by industrial and commercial properties. We didn't have the city rush hour traffic. We knew our neighbours, and everyone just got on without any hassles. 

We felt closer to the countryside and closer to nature! Oh, and we also had milk delivered to the door!

If a large supermarket chain had opened up in the village where I grew up, I'm sure it would've lost some of that peacefulness, some of the charm and some of the magic... 

It would have felt like it had been upsized from a village to a town.

It would've caused an increase in traffic, caused more pollution and inevitably led to the end of doorstep milk deliveries!

I believe people have less respect in towns and cities...

Personally, I believe that people living in a town or city have much less respect for each other.

There is an attitude in a city where everybody is out for themselves. 

Perhaps it's a good thing that milk isn't delivered as often to people in a city - what are the chances the bottles wouldn't be stolen or smashed before the indended recipient receives them!?

So to sum up my thoughts, I feel that if the humble milk man is forced to stop dropping milk off at your doorstep, the magic is lost and we'll all end up in a very horrible place to live! 

In order to prevent this from happening, I think we should all have our milk delivered to the door again! 

Who is with me?

- Thelittlerich

If today was your last day

It's wasn't a great day yesterday.
The car failed it's MOT on Tuesday and I asked the garage to give me a quote. I received a call from them on Wednesday morning and to my dismay it's going to cost more than we thought to get it through.

My girlfriend and I discussed our options, and came to the conclusion that as it is, we simply can't afford to keep up the finance payments, afford the repair bills and the running costs.
We worked out that in the long term it would be better to spend money on a cheap runabout car and replace it in a few months or so.

Although it was a sensible option, I admit I spent most of the day worrying about it...

The problem wasn't the fear of not having a car, but the fact that giving up the car we have was like admitting defeat...
I took the car on when I was working, earning a decent wage. Now the circumstances are different, and I feel as if giving up the car is like losing my "status" - It is a bit like accepting I am a failure in life.

I called up the finance company to find out what was involved, and I started to think about the benefits of ending the agreement.

I thought about having a different car every few months or so, and not having to worry about being able to pay for a car that really isn't worth the money - in the long run I started to realise it was a better,  cheaper, easier solution with less problems...

I admit once I changed my way of thinking about the situation I felt considerably better!

I started to listen to some music, and I heard a song by Nickelback - "If Today Was Your Last Day".

One line caught my attention in particular: Each day's a gift and not a given right.

As I listened closer I started to think about the lyrics of the song:
--------------------------------------
Against the grain should be a way of life.
What's worth the price is always worth the fight.
Every second counts, coz' there's no second try.
So live it like you'll never live it twice!
Don't take the free ride in your own life!
--------------------------------------

The song seemed really appropriate. It made me think about how easy it is to get tied down in the daily grind of life, worrying about the stupid irrelevant things to the point you are so wrapped up in them you miss the good things in life.

Before he went to bed, I sat with my son Dominic and we played about on a couple of guitars I have recently bought.

It was quite a short jam session, but he really enjoyed it, and so did I!

It made me realise that in order to really appreciate life you should take at least ten minutes each day forgetting it all!

Forget the bills, the housework, money worries, unemployment, ect...
They can't be completely avoided but don't spend every waking moment consumed by the negatives in your life, but spend some time each day doing something that you really enjoy or want to do!
Try getting up in the morning and telling yourself:
Today I will do something that makes my life worth getting out of bed for!
Let me know how you feel!

- Thelittlerich.