Moving in with Grandma – a story of multigenerational living

Moving in with Grandma blog

Our rapidly ageing population means that many families are having to reconsider how they live and care for each other.  For the “sandwich generation” this means juggling the needs of their children with caring for elderly parents. More and more families are rejecting traditional care arrangements in favour of tailored multigenerational models which reflect the specific needs and aspirations of their particular family and its members.

Our family is no exception and my daughter Caitlin Aldrich-Wincer has started a blog recording our own adventures in multigenerational living at http://movinginwithgrandma.wordpress.com/

Contemplating such a move has made both Caitlin and I reassess what home means to us and we are really interested to find out what everyone else thinks. Let us know on the Moving in with Grandma blog and be in with the chance to win a gorgeous doublehandled mug from The Future Perfect Company and a photobook of Caitlin’s photographs from her series “Home”.

Autumn Offers!! Go, Bag a Bargain!!

As the Summer fades, we thought we would introduce some new offers to our Bag a Bargain section in our online shop to cheer us all up. Great gifts for the special people in your life (including you!).

Our star reductions are our fabulous soft leather Healthy Back Bags in smart black or gorgeous brown at £79 (reduced from £109). 

Or how about a space-saving Culti Cave greenhouse on special offer at under £50.

More the indoor type? Then how about a cute KTWO Book Journal reduced to £7.99?

Pet lovers will adore the KTWO Pet File (comes into its own when you suddenly find yourself in sole charge of someone else’s beloved companion).

And for keen cooks, our clever little garlic peeler from OXO Good Grips is just £3.99.

For details of other tempting offers and reductions, CLICK HERE

Sign up for Hymid R&D’s newsletter & the chance to win fabulous OXO kitchen tools

Win Silicone Flexible Tongs from OXO Good Grips

Our mission at The Future Perfect Company is to promote good design for our ageing population and we are always keen to work with like minded designers and businesses. Here we have teamed up with product development company, Hymid R&D, to give you the chance to win a pair of our fabulous OXO Good Grips tongs. An essential tool for any well designed kitchen.

Hello,

My name’s Richard Child and I’m part of a product development company called Hymid R&D. Our mission is to nurture innovative ideas into existence, and we’re currently working on a product for the Independent Living industry. Everything we do is driven by our passion for beautiful design that’s simple, functional and provides the best user experience possible. We have a small team that’s based in Devon, and would love to keep you updated on our progress.

Today we’re excited to announce that we’re teaming up with The Future Perfect Company, to offer you the chance to get involved in a newsletter prize draw. Philippa has been an essential contact for Hymid R&D and we can’t thank her enough for her help and support.

You can sign-up to our newsletter via our website (http://www.hymidrandd.co.uk/). We update the newsletter every time we have something important to share, and we’ll never spam your inbox. Nobody likes that.

To enter the prize draw*, simply sign-up to our newsletter here : http://www.hymidrandd.co.uk/ . Everyone who signs up within 2 weeks from the date of this blog post is automatically entered, and the winner will be picked at random. The prize is a pair of Silicone Flexible Tongs by OXO Good Grips from The Future Perfect Company’s cookware range. OXO is a company that we admire, as their products are beautifully designed, simple and easy to use. Our driving principles.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fathers Day – some great gift ideas

Dads (and granddads) are notoriously difficult to buy presents for on Fathers Day so we might just be your new best friends! Forget socks (even though he always says that’s just what he wanted..) and buy something that he will really appreciate.

Under £10

How about a neat winged corkscrew or for the enthusiastic cook our range of OXO Good Grips kitchen tools start at just £3.95?

Under £20

Bionic Golf Gloves will help the keen golfer to achieve longer distance and greater accuracy whilst fitting like a second skin.

And the family historian can get all his paperwork and research in order with the KTWO Family Tree File .

Under £40

The innovative Trabasack is the latest accessory for work, rest and play. Part laptop bag, part table, Dad can work on his iPad or eat his lunch. Cool idea.

For the keen gardener, Bionic’s range of brown leather gardening gloves are a must.

And OXO’s Good Grips loppers  with shock absorbing bumper maximise strength and power in the garden.

£50 and over

How is it that as we get older everything gets harder to see, particularly when we change to those energy saving lightbulbs? Our range of Alex lights are eco friendly as well as being the best reading lights we have ever experienced. If Dad is a keen reader or crossword puzzler,  this is the ultimate Fathers Day present.

And finally….

Don’t forget the card and wrapping paper. Our lovely range from artist Rachel Goodchild will make sure your Fathers Day gift stands out for all the right reasons this year.

Win a double handled teapot for Christmas!

We know you love our handmade double handled teapots and now here’s your chance to win one in time for Christmas!

Simply buy anything from our range before 6 November 2011 *

and we will put you in a draw to win one. Simple.

The usual terms and conditions apply (HERE).

The winner will be announced on our blog. 

Good luck!

START SHOPPING NOW…http://www.thefutureperfectcompany.com/

* NOW EXTENDED TO 24 DECEMBER!

And the winner is….Neil from Fife. Well done, Neil! We will be getting in touch to arrange delivery.

And the winner of the Stannah “Think Again” Fund competition is….

You might remember our competition last month in conjunction with the Stannah “Think Again” Fund to win a dream of a lifetime.

Well, the entries are now in and the  Stannah “Think Again” Fund has announced the winner as…Mike Milan whose dream of a lifetime was to …tour a brewery! 

Mike Milan (57) describes himself as a ‘real ale man’ and thanks to the Stannah “Think Again” Fund, he was able to learn all the intricacies of the brewing process and have the chance to customise his own ale. Skinners Brewery in his local town of Truro was enlisted to give him a full day tour and a plentiful supply of his own special ale to take home with him!

Well done Mike!

To see Mike’s photo diary, go to http://thinkagainfund.stannahstairlifts.co.uk/index.php?option=com_think&view=detail&did=53&Itemid=29 (Looks like they put him to work – no such thing as a free brewery tour!!)

Win your dream with the Stannah “Think Again” Fund!! 8-22 August 2011

Have you ever wanted to jump out of an airplane, go sky diving or sing with a big band? Well, here’s your chance!!  The nice people at Stannah Stairlifts have agreed that between 8 and 22 August 2011 (inclusive) one of YOU will have the chance to win the opportunity of a lifetime with the “Think Again” Fund.

The “Think Again” Fund was launched in 2006 after a poll conducted amongst the over 50s revealed that two thirds of the participants regretted not having pursued their dreams when they were younger.

Since then one lucky person has been selected at random each month for the chance to take part in adventures and experiences which may never have been realised without the “Think Again” Fund. Last year Honora Morrissey (62) from London dived to new depths fulfilling her dream to complete a SCUBA diving course; Bryan Hyman (57) pushed his boundaries to the extreme on a survival course in the British wilderness; cycling teacher June Smith (73) achieved her lifelong dream of cycling on a professional velodrome; and John Ritchie (84) proved that age is no barrier when he learnt to fly a helicopter.

For more information about previous winners and details of how to apply CLICK HERE 

Make sure you mention The Future Perfect Company in the “What have YOU always wanted to do, and WHY?” box!!

So what are you waiting for? It’s never too late to fulfil your dreams!! CLICK HERE TO APPLY. Good luck!

Use DOUZO to create a wish list of gifts from any store and even offers of help

Are you a fan of the Amazon wish list but sometimes find the choice restricting? Would you like to give an offer of practical help such as babysitting or contribute  towards a larger gift? I have just come across DOUZO which helps you do all that and more. 

See below for details of how to get 15% off the cost of setting up your first DOUZO list.

www.douzo.co.uk  is a website where people can make and share wish lists.  It was started last year by two friends, Melita and Matt, after they made a site for a friend’s wedding.  They had found that there were just two types of gift list: people could register with a particular store or charity, or they could ask for money contributions towards, say, their honeymoon or a big present.  These options felt frustratingly restrictive.  Melita and Matt wanted to take away the limits of where you could shop and what you could give.  They also wanted to offer the possibility of giving time and effort instead of packaged presents. 

 Melita tells more about what they offer. 

How does it work?

DOUZO lets people put all kinds of gift on the same list.  These could be presents from any supplier, money contributions, and offers of help.  For you as the giver, DOUZO connects you to the supplier and you buy directly from them, either in person or online.  If you choose to give money, it goes directly and immediately to the recipient.  Nothing is taken from what you give.  

Weddings and special celebrations aren’t the only times when a list can be useful.  The flexibility of a DOUZO list means that it can be used to organise events, to gather things that are needed for a community project or for someone who is moving away from home.  

How can it help?   

Giving to others

It can be difficult to know what to give as presents, particularly if friends and family aren’t local.  Nieces, nephews, children, and grandchildren grow up so fast and often seem to have so much.  Putting money in a card can feel too impersonal.  Buying a gift can be a risk that it’s not the right thing or that it’s something that they already have.  If they make a list, you can choose something that they really want.  They can include presents that you can buy where ever you live.  If you give money, the list shows you what it’s going to be spent on.  They can also ask for things that might cost little but still mean plenty – such as time spent babysitting, helping with DIY, or filling the freezer with some home-cooked meals.  They can ask someone to manage the list on their behalf to keep the element of surprise.  (I’ve done this for my teenagers at Christmas, for example.  They made their lists themselves, but only I could see who had chosen a present for them.)

Helping others give to you

Perhaps you have a wedding, a special anniversary or a big birthday to celebrate?  Many people balk at the idea of asking for gifts but friends and family can be very grateful for suggestions. Using a list that isn’t tied to a store lets you suggest presents that you’d really value.  You could suggest things from independent retailers – like The Future Perfect Company – or you could ask for donations to a favourite cause or some pledges of time or help.      

As an example of using DOUZO for an event, it was recently my parents’ ruby wedding anniversary.  With my brothers and sisters, we used a list to plan their party.  We listed all the things that would help.  Friends and family picked what they could do.  Some chose to bring items of food for the buffet, to help with setting up and clearing away, taking photographs, arranging flowers, lending tablecloths and crockery, transporting guests who couldn’t stay to the whole party…  It was a great way to organise the many offers of help.  Some guests asked what Mum and Dad would appreciate as a present so we added some suggestions for those too.   

Find out more

You can find DOUZO at www.douzo.co.uk to see more information and explore example lists. 

For 2011, Melita and Matt are kindly offering 15% off the cost of setting up a list for customers of The Future Perfect Company.  Use the code FUTUREPERFECT when you check out at www.douzo.co.uk to get your discount. 

So give it a try and let us know what you think.

Celebrate summer – up to 50% off our gorgeous Green People organic skincare range

Treat yourself or someone special to some fabulous organic skincare products from the lovely Green People range.

Light and freshly scented, these products are ideally suited to more mature skins. 

Choose from Reviving Day and Night Cream, Firming Facial Gel (getting rave reports in our office!), a Rejuvenating Cleansing Balm; Toning Facial Mist (great for travelling and hot weather), Shower Wash, Body Lotion or a Sensuous Body Butter. Or create your own mini spa with a Weekend Pamper Gift set (which would also be the perfect present if you could bear to give it away!)

To make it even easier to splash out, we are offering up to 50% off our usual prices but stocks are limited so you will need to be quick!

Enjoy.

FREE DELIVERY on internet orders until 2 May!

To celebrate Easter (and dare we say, the forthcoming Royal nuptials), we are offering free delivery on all internet orders until 2 May.

We have lots of other offers to choose from too including up to 50% off our Green People organic skincare range. We have gorgeous Typhoon shopping trolleys starting at £35 and Family Tree files  reduced to £17.99.

Happy shopping!