Mum & Dad

ANNIVERSARIES

Today was my mum and dad's 43rd anniversary. That's a long time sharing a life together, bringing up kids and ultimately looking after each other. Having a stable family environment means so much - especially for the sake of the children. Studies are showing that children from broken families have a higher chance of becoming involved in crime or can suffer mental disorders throughout their life. 

Who knows where I would have ended up if it weren't for having decent parents and a stable family life. So it's thanks to them for being so strong together that I'm able to be the person I am today. 

It's also why spending as much time with them as possible, particularly celebrating their success on making such a monumental occasion, their anniversary, happen every year. Because what are we without our mum & dad. It's a day to be truly celebrated.

Free Stuff

FREE BENEFITS

Loyalty card points, coupons, air miles, money back schemes, price matching savings - complimentary nuts at the bar. These are all little life perks - 'gifts', that elicit a warm feeling of being good or on the right path. And having this good fortune coupled with a bonus of some sort, can represent our reward for being hard working, decent, loyal or whatever we place significance on for receiving this free token.

It's amazing how much happiness a free coffee can bring some folk. Hence why Prêt a Manger, Starbucks, Nero's and other major coffee shops are implementing this as part of their loyalty marketing schemes. It's because it really does work. We feel better about ourselves, our day, our change of fortune and ultimately our life. Even picking up something so seemingly insignificant as a penny can still make you feel lucky.

Searching out the little deals, freebies and rewards - no matter how small, will make us happy in much bigger ways than the actual small change that the savings represent. Being given something for nothing, upgraded to premium, getting an extra portion, two-for-one offer or buy one and get one free - these all make us happy winners and ultimately, this is what counts in life.