Review: Order Blinds Online

Marianna's bedroom window looks out - and is looked upon - by lots of neighbours, so I've been meaning to get a net or something for it ever since we moved in. It's one of those thousands of things I hadn't got around to, for all I remembered why I wanted one every time I wandered in with bed hair and bleary eyes...

So, when Order Blinds Online contacted me to ask if I would like to review a set of made to measure blinds, I knew just the window to try them out on!

About Order Blinds

Order Blinds was founded in 2009, in Bottesford, Leiscestershire, and employs three awesome members of full time staff. (I know they're awesome because my experience with them has been first class!) They offer a free sample service, free UK delivery on orders over £99, and the website is super easy to navigate.

The range itself is huge, with all kinds of blinds from roller to venetian to skylight. We went for vertical blinds, and even here there are so many options, from waterproof to sloping. The colour choices are extensive too; I wanted baby pink, but Anthony successfully argued for baby blue to match her walls.

Marianna's bedroom.
Once you have settled on a design, the first thing you need to do is measure your window. You need to choose between 'blind size', which would make the blind cover the whole of the window including frame, or 'recess size' which fits inside the window frame. We went for the latter. I was a little nervous about measuring it, and kept checking the instructions which say to measure exactly as they'll make any necessary deductions themselves.

(This is completely true. The blinds fit perfectly when they arrived!)

With that out of the way, you can then fill in the online form with your preferences. For example, you can choose between white plastic or nickel link chain for the bottom of your blinds, which way the vanes are stacked, and whether you want the blinds to be controlled by a cord and chain, or a wand. If the blinds are destined for a young child's room, the wand is a must because a number of children have accidentally strangled themselves with blind cords. It's better to be safe than sorry.

The Finished Product

I placed my order on June 16th. It was dispatched on June 17th, and was with me on June 21st! I unpacked the box and spent about half hour inserting all the plastic hangers and weights, and attaching the link chain, then my dad did the actual DIY bit of installing them when he came around on Saturday morning. It took him about three minutes, if that, so I felt suitably embarrassed I hadn't just done it myself.


I'm so happy with the way they look - and they've already made a big difference to Marianna's daytime naps thanks to all that extra light being blocked. The quality of the blinds is great, and the order process was quick and hassle free.

To purchase your own made to measure blinds, check out the website - www.orderblinds.co.uk.

Review: Wingz Sleeves

I came across Wingz on Facebook  recently and wondered where they had been all my life. After mentioning them in my weekly overview post last Sunday, Wingz got in touch and asked me if I'd like to review a set. You can be sure I jumped at the chance!

The Wingz concept is so cool: they're arm covers that go under rather than over your outfit. I've always loved the layered look of sleeves under a dress or short sleeved top but, come the summer - or a tight fitting outfit - and they're not particularly practical. Wingz solves the problem of bulk, while also providing a new option for those looking for modest clothing, ways to make their existing wardrobe more versatile, or just a simple arm cover-up.

This video explains what Wingz are all about - check it out on the website too for further info.

After much umming and ahhing I went for the White Chiffon Flare Wingz (£14.99). The floaty style is perfect for summer! Wingz come in four different sizes: 0 (UK 6-10), 1 (12-16), 2 (18-22), 3 (24-28). I'm wearing a size 22 at the moment but went for the 4, on the basis that it's easier to put a few stitches in and make something smaller than it is to have something digging in under the bust. In the event, I needn't have worried as they're true to size, though the stretchiness means you can easily go up or down if you're on the borders like me.

They arrived in super quick time, so after confirming the review on Monday I found them waiting for me when I got in from work on Tuesday. I was really pleased with how little bulk they created - the band sits with your bra so it's really comfy. Anthony liked the way they looked but asked why I couldn't just wear a top with longer sleeves... Men. *sigh*

On Thursday I decided to try them out properly as I was going to Cwmbran High's prize evening in my role as deputy mayor. The dress I was planning on wearing is sleeveless, and I knew I'd feel self-conscious having my arms on display. Usually I'd wear a thin cardigan or a shrug, but it can get really hot and uncomfortable with the chain on over the top of them.


The Wingz were so much more comfortable to wear, and I felt a lot more confident having that bit of a sleeve. I'm already thinking about which pair to get next!

Take a look at the websiteand let me know which Wingz is your favourite. :)

Digital Inclusion for Bloggers

What is Digital Inclusion?

Digital Inclusion is an umbrella term for the ability to access and use information and communication technologies. This can be something as fundamental as ensuring people have the basic literacy skills to read a web page, or something as specific as using alt tags on your images so people using screen readers know what is in the picture.

What Does Digital Inclusion Mean for Bloggers?

When you consider that a third of small to medium businesses in the UK don't even have a website, and some 9% of the UK adult population (c. 5.9 million people) has never used the internet, bloggers are already doing their bit for inclusion. We're online, we're web literate, and, between us, we're churning out oceans of useful and / or entertaining content for people to access.

But, in truth, many of us could be doing more to make that content accessible - even after all the promo work that accompanies your average blog post!

Blogging for Web Accessibility

Web Accessibility, as Wikipedia helpfully tells us, "refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, by people with disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users have equal access to information and functionality."

Under UK law (Equality Act 2010) websites must be accessible to disabled users, and the general consensus is that this means hitting at least Level A of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. Don't worry - so long as your HTML is correct, and you're not stuck in the '90s with autoplay music you can't switch off, or manically flashing images, you're at Level A.

Going further is well worth considering though. Because making your blog more accessible isn't just a nice thing to do, it will help you attract - and keep! - readers.

How Can I Make My Blog Accessible?

One of the easiest things you can do is check out how accessible your blog already is. WAVE, the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool, will give you a run down of the problems. The likelihood is that you will not be able to fix every single one, but just making a few small changes could make a big difference to people visiting your blog.


Here are 10 tips to get you started:

#10. You want good contrast between your text and its background; in other words, darker text on a light background, or lighter on a dark background. Whichever one you go for, some people will prefer the other way. If you're on Wordpress, you can get the accessibility plugin which will provide a toolbar to toggle between contrast and adjust font size. If you're not, don't worry too much as this can be done via the browser.

#9. Don't put text over a busy background, it will be difficult for everyone to read.

#8. Try to avoid underlining, italics ,and ALL CAPS where possible, and use bold instead. Highlighting keywords in bold has also been proven to increase reading comprehension, so it's a win-win.

#7. Research suggests that the actual font style isn't all that important, though sans serif fonts (e.g. calibi, arial, tahoma) generally come out slightly ahead on the readability scale. Just don't make your main body font too fancy - if you want to use something a bit different, save it for titles and headings. The recommended minimum font size is 12pts.

#6. Text is easiest to read when it is left aligned; centered text makes paragraph beginnings irregular, while justified text creates variable character spacing. Both can make your post more difficult to read.

#5. Major factors which impact on the readability of text are the character and line spacing. It's the same as handwriting - cramped, tightly packed writing is more difficult to read. The optimal range for line spacing, otherwise known as line height, is 1.3 to 1.7. (I'm using 1.4) Another thing you might consider is slightly increasing your character spacing, i.e. the distance between each of your letters.


#4. Images are wonderful, but not everyone will be able to see them. Alt tags are not just another place to put SEO keywords, they should explain what the image is. Sometimes you are going to want to present text in image format - infographics, for example - so use your alt tags to tell people what you're doing. If possible, have a text version. Similarly, try and include a transcript or summary of audio and video content. The latter can also benefit from closed captions.

#3. Links are an important part of any blog, but think about your anchor text. I'm so guilty of using 'click here' and the like, but really I should be using text which gives people some idea of where the link is about to take them.

#2. Another thing to consider is your 'target' attribute. If your page automatically opens in a new tab it can be disorientating. One solution might be to include 'opens in a new tab' in your anchor text or link title. If the link is internal, you could consider adding a 'skip link' to the top of the page, allowing people using screen readers or keyboard navigation to avoid your navigation bar and get straight to the main content. WebAIM has a guide to this, though it's something I still need to do! CSS positioning elements are slowly eliminating the need for skip links, but it depends on how your page is structured.

#1. If at all possible, avoid CAPTCHA in your comment section. If you do need it, check out some of these sweet alternatives.