"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

So let's all get out there and travel more and open our minds! A large part of a travel budget often goes on accommodation as you need to be safe to rest and sleep to be able to enjoy the days. The options are expanding from large independent hotels, well-known chain hotels (you know what you're getting mentality), small B&Bs and even renting a room in a private home for your holiday. The one option I had never tried before was sleeping in a dormitory in a hostel so I tried it and can tell you there is nothing to worry about but being prepared definitely helped.

Who Stays in Hostels
I can report it's anyone and everyone. It wasn't just young backpackers but also business people attending conferences and working in the city for a short time. Others were staying at the hostel while trying to find a permanent place to rent. There were all ages and all nationalities and we all got along fine with the shared facilities.

Facilities
An en-suite bathroom is not common, unless you book a private room and then the cost is close to the same as a hotel so why stay in a hostel? You can expect there to be separate showers for men and women, and separate toilets too.

Your clean bed linen is usually included in the cost of your stay but you may need to rent a towel. You will be expected to make your bed for yourself which isn't as bad as it sounds and also gives you a chance to check the cleanliness of the area where you'll be sleeping that night.

There should be a kitchen where you can leave your food - labelled, of course - and where you can cook and prepare a meal. There should be somewhere to eat and somewhere to relax which might be the same place or might be a dining room and a TV room.

Some hostels have social events and some have bars and restaurants that are open to the public too.

Many hostels have wifi but where I stayed it was only available in the dining room and Reception which actually worked out great as everyone wanted to make Skype calls to loved ones and it meant the sleeping areas were quiet.

Location
I chose a hostel on the edge of a city and without a bar in the building so I felt quite confident it wasn't a party location.

Essential Packing
I sought advice from seasoned travellers and was grateful for these tips:

You'll be sleeping in a room with strangers and need to block that out to get to sleep. Always take ear plugs and a eye mask.

However clean the hostel is you don't want to walk around barefoot. You just don't. Take flip flops (lightweight slip-on sandals) and always wear them.

You may need to get up in the night or come back late so pack a pocket torch so you don't have to put on the main room light and annoy the others in the dorm.

You may sleep naked at home but you need to take something to sleep in when sharing a room with strangers. If you turn over in the night and the duvet isn't covering all of you, well, let's not go there but you see my reasoning.

Take a few padlocks as there may be lockers to store your bag which you have to lock yourself or rent a padlock from Reception. Some hostels have a small storage box by each bed so you can lock away your headphones, watch, etc.

I stayed for two nights in a 12-person dormitory and I'd do it again as I slept well and everyone was really nice. The hostel staff were friendly and had tips for local transport and sightseeing, and other guests were fine too.

So have I convinced you? Would you consider staying in a hostel dormitory on your next trip to save on accommodation costs?

If you've started making that groaning sound when you get up from a low chair or after sitting too long you may well have to accept the signs of aging are with you.

As the average life expectancy is about 80 years old in the UK and US the reality is that once over 40 you are middle-aged whether you will admit it or not. For those with offspring it may well be when your kids leave home that's the time of life marker for you.

Mid-Life Crisis

Here's when you start worrying about where your life is going and feeling trapped and invisible. Old forgotten dreams resurface in some unexpected and even unwelcome ways.

Men and women deal with the fear of tipping over the halfway point of life in different ways. While a man may buy a sports car (red, of course) or a motorbike, or trade the wife in for a younger girlfriend, women tend to choose travel or an 'all singing all dancing' food processor.

Energy Levels

When you are younger it's all about how many hours in the day but as you get older it has to be about how much you can personally do with the energy available each day. Sure, you may well be awake from 7am to midnight every day but that doesn't mean you will have the energy to work for all your waking hours nor should you. It is perfectly acceptable to factor in 'down time' and to not want to work until bedtime.

Is knowing you are getting older when you accept you can't drink and go dancing like the old days, not least because there are kids half your age looking at you as if you're an alien/their grandparents? It's OK to not want to party late into the night as you know you will suffer more for it the next day than you ever did when younger. Meeting a friend at lunchtime can be the answer to know you won't be going out that night and be too shattered by then.

More Signs of Getting Old

Apparently if you listen to talk radio shows instead of music and start regularly feeding the birds in the garden then you have reached middle-age. If you find yourself wistfully referring to the 'old days' too often and change your favourite tipple to sherry then the signs are there for all to see. If golf becomes your main form of exercise and you forget people's names but they let you get away with it then yes, start accepting. I thought failing eyesight should be on the list but others tell me failing hearing is causing them more concerns.

It's not all negative as the ability to accept and to not fight reality is one of the better factors of aging.

Go on, be honest. Will you deny middle-age has arrived right up till the time old age hits?

Yes, there is sexism in this world but I'm going to go against the grain here and say how fed up I am hearing about small 'don't sweat it' problems being made into something massive.

Have a look at the Everyday Sexism website. There are lots of incidents reported that individuals feel were important enough to them to want to share with others. But seeing an advert for a "strong man to help with a house clearance" is not sexism. It's simply stating that they need someone to do heavy lifting and - shoot me down now - but it's reality that men are physically stronger than women. Physical differences are just that; not something to fight against.

I know a woman who runs DIY courses and she is petite but knows that using the right tools is better than brute force. She told me of her frustration at the flowery small hammers and screwdriver sets that were sold to women when what they really needed was a full-size, properly-weighted set of tools.

Harassment

A lot of what is being listed as "everyday sexism" is actually harassment or something much worse. Having someone speak to you or touch you inappropriately should not be under the banner of something 'everyday'.

Compliments & Courtesy

Receiving a compliment should not be in the same category. It's also not 'everyday sexism' if a man holds a door open or offers a seat on the train. That's the sign of a man who was brought up to have good manners and he is simply expressing that in a natural way. He would do it for any woman. Or for an older man. He is absolutely not being sexist. I can only imagine the feminist rant he would receive if he didn't offer that seat so in these situations women need to learn to not see it as a sign they are the weaker sex but should say thank you. If a man offers to help you with your large suitcase at the bottom of a flight of stairs be gracious otherwise this leaves decent men unsure how to help and makes them question their morals.

Family & Culture

It's not always strangers who treat women with less respect or at least not as an 'equal'. There are many cultures which see women as better in some ways and less in others. It can be hard to convince your parents of your hopes for your future if they had a very different upbringing. It's not just dad but mum too may not see the world in the same way as you. They are not being old-fashioned; it's just that they grew up with different rules.

Don't Play Victim

We've established men are physically stronger and that feminists want to be seen as equals so the logical conclusion is that everyone can do all of the same things. Sadly, this isn't true but that doesn't mean women have to be victims.

If a mother's advice is needed a woman is asked for her opinion. That's not sexism that's natural reality. And it works both ways. Dads do not 'babysit' their own children while mothers look after them.

As a female describing yourself as a "hottie" and explaining openly which male actors appeal to you solely based on their looks does nothing for your feminist cause.

The slogan "Look Good. Feel Good. Do Good." does not mean your looks are considered most important. It's used for exercise classes, nutrition advice, counselling, charity events, self-esteem workshops, etc. It just means to respect you. Once we get on with respecting ourselves the rest of this nonsense shouldn't seem important anymore.

There are many people who make a difference to our lives who we should thank. If you have a bin man who puts your wheelie bin back after emptying or if your postman tries to deliver your parcel more than once as he knows it's important to you but do you thank them? I hope you do say thank you to them when you see them but do you buy them a gift?

I raise this point as many parents are discussing what to give to their child's school teacher who is clearly another important person in their daily life. Knowing your child is safe, happy and learning is what most parents hope for and many parents want to find a way to thank the teacher. Yet this appears to be more about one-upmanship between parents than about real gratitude.

Teachers are obviously known for drinking tea and marking papers so a mug with the slogan 'Best Teacher' seems be a popular choice as is a 'nice' pen. Some families have gone to one of those ceramic cafes to paint a mug for the teacher and others are buying luxury toiletries as they feel a teacher who has put up with their child for a year needs a relaxing soak in the bath with fancy smellies. But once the comparing starts about who is buying what for the teacher it clearly becomes about giving the best gift and not about thanking.

Some classes will make all parents contribute to a joint gift which one bolshy mother decides upon and will guilt trip you if you dare not to put in towards it. I've heard about spa days being given and other extravagant gifts.

While many jobs require employees to declare all gifts received teachers do not have to tell anyone. As the gifts become larger it seems more like bribery and coercion than wanting to let them know how much you appreciate their teaching skills.

Wine for the Teacher
Gone are the days of an apple for teacher. Oh no, they want alcohol now. There is no subtlety in their desire for a bottle of red instead of another 20 mugs for the staff room. I have seen teachers opening declaring this is their preferred gift and friends of teachers saying how much they love visiting their teacher friends after the end of year gifts for the excess of wine and chocolates. Something feels very wrong to me about giving an infant school teacher alcohol. I'm not naive enough to think they don't drink but I don't think it's something 5 year old Johnny should be supplying.


I expect many teachers will be comparing the bottle given by each child and judging them for future years on their parents' poor choice of wine.

No Gift
I'm of the school of thought that we shouldn't give gifts but should write a thank you note. Yes, what an old-fashioned idea but as a former teacher it's the hand-written thank you cards from students that I've kept and buying gifts was simply wasting their money.

When my child left nursery she made a thank you card and then we made Elderflower Cordial together and she wrote a special label for the bottle. I think that's how you say thank you. You give something of yourself and not just a gift with monetary value.

And now how about thanking all those other service providers in your life. Will you be thanking the bin men this year? A gift for teacher is becoming like a tip for a waiter - something you give because you have to and not because you received good service.

Have you ever been in a situation where you've seen an accident or someone with a health problem and not known what to do? It’s not uncommon to be travelling to work and for someone to collapse in the heat or to suddenly have breathing difficulties so would you feel good about walking away when a little knowledge could be life-saving?

First aid is not extensive medical training but it can be enough to make a difference. It can mean instead of feeling helpless you can do something and, hopefully, improve someone’s chance of survival.

Common Problems
The most commons causes of needless death from a lack of first aid are:

• choking and breathing difficulties
  
• severe bleeding
  
• heart attack/heart not beating
  

Choking and Breathing Difficulties
An obstruction in the mouth or throat can cause choking and an inability to breath. To help:

• Encourage the casualty to cough.
  
• Check inside their mouth if they are young and see if you can remove the item - be careful not to push it in further though.
  
• Support them with one hand, lean them forwards and give up to five sharp blows to the back between the shoulder blades.
  
• Give up to five abdominal thrusts: stand behind the casualty, link your hands together below the rib cage then pull sharply inwards and upwards.
  

If someone stops breathing call for help immediately. You can send someone else or do one minute of basic life support and then make the call.

• Lie them on the floor and check their airway.
  
• Tilt their head back (use one hand on their jaw and one on their forehead to slide head back) so their tongue is not blocking their throat and watch their chest for movement.
  
• Watch for 10 seconds and if there is movement you can make that call.
  
• If there are no movements you need to perform basic life support:
  

• Position the heel of your hand in the middle of their chest and lock your other hands on top for added support.
  
• Keep your arms straight and use your body weight to push down firmly. Do 30 compressions at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute which is faster than you think and more tiring than you may expect but concentrate on the push and try and make the chest move down by 5cm each time.
  

You need to get air into the casualty’s lungs so “rescue breaths” are needed.

• Tilt their head back to open the airway, pinch their nose and take a deep breath. Seal your lips over their mouth (you don’t want air to escape, you want it to be forced inside them) and breath steadily to release the air into them. 
  
• Let their chest fall and then do another rescue breath.
  

Check for signs of breathing but if there is still nothing then it’s back to another 30 compressions before two more rescue breaths.

Heart Attack
If the blood supply to the heart becomes blocked a heart attack is the result. The signs to look for are intense chest pain, breathlessness, ashen skin with blue lips and feeling faint.

This is serious stuff so phone for the emergency services and request an ambulance immediately. (Yes, that is first aid as if you don’t call for trained help quickly you are delaying the casualty’s recovery.) Keep the casualty calm and encourage them to rest. If you have access to an aspirin given them 1 tablet (300mg) to chew.

If they are unconscious you need to check they are breathing and move them into the recovery position.

Severe Bleeding
The wound location will obviously make a difference but the basics to remember are:

• Clean the wound.
  
• Cover the wound.
  
• Elevate the wound. (Raise the injured area above heart level.)
  

When the wound is more severe you will need to apply direct pressure to the wound and use elevation to help stem the bleeding. You’ll want to prevent shock too so get the casualty to lie down and to raise their feet.

This little bit of advice is not going to turn you into a doctor overnight but it could give you more confidence to help someone in difficulty. There are lots of first aid courses available (British Red Cross and St John Ambulance are the main providers in the UK) and it shouldn't only be something you learn if you’re a workplace First Aider as these are true life skills.

What's that? A mention of Christmas before we've even had summer? I'm sorry but it's true. Santa's elves need to work all year round to ensure all the children get the best pressies they deserve. And Hamleys toy shop in London has consulted the elves to know what are going to be the "must have" toys for Christmas 2013.

Animals
Many of the toys follow an 'animal' theme. We all know 'a dog is for life and not just for Christmas' but toy animals are perfect Christmas gifts. If little Johnnie is begging for a pet dog have a look at Teksta, a robotic eight-month old dog with artificial intelligence. Some may remember the original 1999 Teksta but just know this one does so much more. If you download an app it even interacts with its friends on your iPad. Yep, that's bonkers, I know. Teksta is £75 and available from August 2013.

Another cool pet idea is the £14 Robo Fish as it's a science kit first and then you can pop it in a fish tank/bath/paddling pool, etc and it has the swimming patterns of a real fish.

If your toy falls ill there's Doc McStuffin's Doctor's Bag which is a Disney Junior character. I felt a little uncomfortable with the 'Asian child becomes a doctor' stereotype but when there are not many Asian-looking toys it's still good to see and all kids like doctor's kits. This one's glittery and £26.

If you're in the 'money is no object' category then Hamleys do some enormous plush toys. A Clydesdale Prancing Pony is near life-size and retails at £850.

Monsters
Another theme is 'monsters' but nothing is intended to give children nightmares. The Monster High 13 Wishes dolls are from the new Monster High DVD and are £23 each. I've never been too sure about these dolls as although they don't look like a standard 'catwalk' fashion doll they are still freakishly skinny with that over-sized head thing which Bratz dolls also did. But with the excessive make-up and micro-mini skirts it still seems like mini-prostitute styling to me and not something I'm ready to give a child to play with.

But I would give a child the £40 Monsters, Inc./Monster University Sulley mask as the wearer gets to control the facial movements so yes, when the child smiles the mask smiles. And when the child raises their eyebrows the mask mimics that too. I hope adult heads can fit inside as I really want to try this one.

A new toy that looks like a toy I had when young is the Zelf. I'm sure you know what I'm thinking of but it was pointed out to me that a 'troll' is now something else in this modern world with negative connotations (think 'internet troll') and these are Zelfs. I'm sure mum and dad will get their name wrong a few times but these £9 characters are bound to be popular.

Technology
Some traditional toys were on the recommended list such as a wooden chess set (£250) and a large jigsaw puzzle - although at 32,256 pieces the Keith Haring Jigsaw (£200) is officially the largest commercially available jigsaw in the world. I do love a traditional toy and, yes, LEGO is still on the list but the technology available this year really impressed me too. LEGO Mindstorms EV3 (£375) still involves building with LEGO but in a whole new way as you wire them up and it comes to life! A voice-recognition app lets you control the models. Seriously, how cool is that?

The other technology that stood out was the LeapPad Ultra for 4-9 year olds as it has a screen that gets fully used (not like lots of children's tablets which are the same size product but only operate on a tiny screen) and it has completely kid-safe wifi. That really appeals for this technology-loving age group and I reckon £125 is a good price.

There are plenty more recommended toys on the list but I suggest a trip to Hamleys with the kids and let them decide what they want to ask Santa for this year.

We had a blog post recently with some useful Facebook tips and a question came in about using Facebook for business.

Do You Need a Facebook Page?
The first thing you need to consider is whether your business needs to be on Facebook. Yes, we're always being told that businesses should be using social media but if you jump on the bandwagon to 'have an online presence' but never check the Page to engage with customers then this might not be for you. What Facebook does offer is the chance to spread the word about your business quite quickly as like-minded people can share your information with a simple click.

Page Not Profile
An individual has a Facebook Profile and a business needs a Facebook Page. To set up a Page you need to have a personal Profile first but that will not be seen by anyone who 'Likes' the Page. It's simply so Facebook knows someone who is responsible for the Page. You can have more than one person responsible for the Page and they are called 'Admins'.

First Impressions
The cover image and the profile image need to say something about your business and make it recognisably 'you'. A photo of you/your shop or one of your best-selling products is a good place to start but you can change your cover image as often as you like.

Cover image size:
851 px by 315 px. Here's a handy Facebook Cover Image Template.

Profile image size:
Upload images 180 px by180 px (appears at 160 px by 160 px).

Under your Profile image is the About section and around 155 characters will be displayed. This explains what your business is all about and yes, that's not much space so include your website address there too, if possible.

Invite People to Your Page
Just as with any new online presence there's no point being there if no-one knows about you so tell people. Add your FB Page link to your website and the full URL to business documents. Use the fact you have your own personal network of Facebook 'Friends' who will probably support you so invite Friends to Like your Page.

Create a Vanity URL
Once your Page has 25 Likes you can change the Page URL. This is good for SEO and for customers as it's easier to remember your company name than a series of numbers.

• Log in to Facebook with your Personal account that manages the Page.
• Go to: https://www.facebook.com/username/
• Select the Page you want to work on and then type your preferred username. A username can include capital letters which is worth considering if there are a few words in your company name.
• Click on 'Check Availability' and if your choice is not already used you can claim it by clicking on 'Confirm'.
• The username sets your Facebook URL so if you choose 'WibdyDobdyDoo' as your username your Page URL will be www.facebook.com/WibdyDobdyDoo.

Call to Action
No-one wants lots of status updates coming at them with no offer to engage. Asking a question is the best way to start a conversation. If you have more information on your website then share a link to that but the conversation needs to take place on Facebook as that's where you asked the question. The reader is already logged in there and doesn't want to set up an account to chat on your site or Forum as well.

We all like a great image so include them and not just text. And remember you're not limited to a character count as you are on twitter so write full, grammatically correct sentences. Everyone appreciates that.

If you are trying to drive traffic to your website it's still important to not only provide links to your website. This is not just another place to sell your product. Your Facebook Page is the right place to share other content you think is good with customers who will also appreciate it so don't resist posting a link or photo to another company's content.

Don't believe that each 'Like' on a Facebook post means a click through to your website and therefore more website traffic (even when you do provide the link). Many will like a FB post without clicking through as the post is what they like.

Be You
Yes, this is your professional shop front but don't be an autotron and remember Facebook users like to be entertained. When all else fails a photo of a cute kitten will always bring a Like. Don't be disheartened; it's a competitive marketplace in the average FB user's timeline and your posts are appearing amongst lots of other appealing information such as invitations to parties and new baby photos.

I've often enjoyed a 'virtual cuppa' with my online network so if you think it's time to chat offer to 'put the kettle on' and take the pretend drink orders. It's just an excuse to shoot the breeze and get to know each other.

Highlighted Posts
Highlighting a post is a great way to bring awareness to an important status update but as so many of your customers will see your posts in their timeline and will not actually come to your page I'm not totally convinced of its value. It does spread the post across the two columns so for those who do come to your Page it will get noticed. Remember to change these regularly as people are lazy and may not scroll below and see what else you've been posting.

Best Time
You'll read reports that say 5pm on a Thursday is the best time to run a competition or those that engage first thing in the morning get the best results but every business is different and every time zone so simply know that popping in to chat on your FB Page a few times a day is best, if possible. If you don't engage with the FB users who Like your Page then why should they continue to be there? Simply adding a Like to a nice comment from a user can be a good way to show you've read it and appreciate it.

Drip Feed Content
You can schedule posts to appear at a later time or date so as you find something you'd like to share consider setting some posts to appear later to use your time more efficiently. Space out your posts so you don't overwhelm and annoy customers by filling their Timeline at once.

As your Page grows there are many more ways to read your analytics (Facebook Insights) and to promote your Page with Facebook Ads to a targeted audience on FB by gender, age, status, location, etc. But all of the tips here are free and sound advice to get you started. There's more good advice on socialmediatoday.com.

After backing up my laptop to an external hard drive before a trip I returned to find the external hard drive had stopped working. It wouldn't switch on and once the case was opened I could see the burn hole suggesting it will never switch on again. On this external hard drive was the original of every digital photo I have ever taken and every document I have ever written. Sure, a lot of my work is online but the photos are at reduced file sizes and many never go online such as family photos.

Screaming and crying may seem appropriate at this stage but I've chosen to come up with a better solution for storage in the future. The best advice is not to keep just one copy of something important so you need local storage – that's generally on your computer – and another copy stored at another location. You could consider multiple CD Roms, memory sticks, etc but there is an alternative that could well be better as it won't get dropped, damaged or burn out when you're on holiday.

I've found a location I like but it's hard to explain. I like cloud storage. I had a fascinating conversation with my poor technophobe father who couldn't grasp the idea that something was stored in a place that wasn't tangible. I tried to point out the internet is already a place that doesn't exist to touch or visit and he stopped me and went to make another cup of tea; clearly confused by my poor explanations.

What is Cloud Storage?

Let me start by saying it has nothing to do with the weather nor is it something white and fluffy in the sky. It means storing off-site with a third party using a remote database so you can easily access the files at any time. So that's better than storing memory sticks or SD cards at your friends house and then trying to arrange a time when you can go through them to find the one file you need.

To add files to your cloud storage you need internet access but as the files are not on your computer you can then access them from anywhere just by going online. That means no more emailing documents to yourself for printing or saving, and no more large photo files clogging up your Inbox as you can share the files in cloud storage too.

Is it Secure?

The simple answer is yes but you can add extra encryption if you have more sensitive data you need to keep private. The simplest encryption tools I've tried so far are Tresorit (treasure-it – geddit?) and boxcryptor. Both are free and simple to use.

How to Choose Cloud Ctorage

There are many options out there and often when buying new tech equipment a cloud storage package will be offered but if you're not buying anything new and you're ready to start trying cloud storage these are my top tips.

Dropbox: What's not to love? It's simple to use and you get 2GB space for free. This is what I use to share files by creating a folder of the things I want to send and then permitting access for a certain user or users so I no longer send large emails. It's a great work tool and for personal files too but both you and the party you wish to share with need to have Dropbox software installed on a computer. But that is also free and just a short installation with no hidden costs. It's not a short term offer – this is always free to use. If you have a lot of data to store do consider buying more cloud storage with Dropbox as they offer good deals there too. You can also gain more no-cost storage space by encouraging others to sign up. I also use the Dropbox app which means I can see my files on my phone as well.

Google Drive: You can get 5GB free cloud storage with Google Drive and can buy plenty more space. Like Dropbox, it's very easy to use and there's a smartphone app too so everything is easy to access, when needed.

New Way of Working

I have used Carbonite before but found the automatic backing up of everything on my PC slowed the machine down and file retrieval was not as easy as I hoped and took too much time. Using Dropbox and Google Drive feels the same as using the Documents or Pictures folder on your PC. You can get further cloud storage recommendations here.

I'm now storing all new documents in Google Drive and my camera saves image files in Dropbox when connected. Once I've done any editing to use online and the images can be archived I'm moving them to a private Flickr account as there is 1TB of free space available to all users. This also helps with image copyright and ownership as I can prove the date I saved each image online if I see it used without permission. No-one will get to the images in the Flickr account as I have it set to not appear in search so the proof of ownership would only be needed when I've used the image elsewhere.

Anyway, this is just an introduction to cloud storage but I hope you can see how easy it is to use and to integrate into your working day. If you have any more tips please do share in Comments below.

Facebook is a necessary evil, in my opinion. It's hard to avoid having an account and while Facebook suggests it's really simple to use there are lots of nuances that can make you not feel totally comfortable with it.

In the US every person you meet wants to be your 'Friend'. But once they are in your Friends List how do you still have an online chat with just your oldest, and real, friends? Facebook is great for staying in touch with family and friends who are spread across the world and for sharing what's happening in your life and important milestones with your family (starting school, graduating, moving home, exciting travels, getting married, etc) but sometimes you just want to share a silly moment and don't want 'John in Accounts' or anyone from work to be a part of that.

Restrict What Some Friends Can See

1. From the Facebook homepage, click on 'Edit Profile' or your name in the top left of the page.
2. Click on 'Friends' (one of the tabs along the top).
3. From here you can see everyone you are connected with and the word 'Friends' with a tick next to each avatar and name.
4. Hover your mouse over the word 'Friends' and a drop-down menu appears.
5. Here's where you can change the access for each person.
6. Click on 'Add to another list' and then choose 'Restricted' or any other list you require – you can create new ones for school friends, work colleagues, etc.

Now, when you add a Status update the status can be seen by your 'Friends' but not those on the 'Restricted' list.

So now you can feel more comfortable being 'Friends' with 'John in Accounts' or when your mother's next door neighbour sends you a Friend Request as your mother had told her how much you've grown. (Yeah, they still have these conversations even when you've moved out.)

Reduce the Rubbish in Your Timeline
Some Friends update their status far too much – especially those YouTube video links late at night.

It's the same first steps as above:

1. From the Facebook homepage, click on 'Edit Profile' or your name in the top left of the page.
2. Click on 'Friends' (one of the tabs at the top).
3. From here you can see everyone you are connected with and the word 'Friends' with a tick next to each avatar and name.
4. Hover your mouse over the word 'Friends' and a drop-down menu appears.
5. Click on 'Show in News Feed' to see something from this Friend or you could remove the tick and see nothing they say.
6. Click on 'Settings'.
7. From here you can choose how much you really want to see from each person. I like to take away 'Music & Videos' and 'Games' pretty quickly and then decide about each person whether I want to see 'All Updates' or 'Only Important'.

Online Chat
When you log into Facebook do you really want mum's next door neighbour to start sending you instant messages asking why you didn't visit your mum this week? Seriously, switch that off.

I've found even though I switch online chat off every time I log in it still reappears the next day. So the work-around is to choose one person who you know will never actually try and send you an instant message when they see you are online and choose settings that leave you unavailable to everyone else.

From the Facebook homepage, click on the settings icon for Online Chat in the bottom right of the page. Choose 'Advance Settings'.

Choose 'Turn on chat for only some friends' and then name that 'Friend' who won't bother you. Someone who doesn't log on very often.

Clive 'Save' and you are then hidden from all of your 'Friends' who are online at the same time as you which means you can just pop in and have a look at your school friend's wedding photos or your brother's holiday snaps without having to start any conversations that waste more of your time.

Make Facebook work for you and it can be a more comfortable social network. What tips would you add to these?

What makes a five star hotel truly five star? Who really understands the hotel star ratings and who sets them? There is no single governing body that chooses a hotel's star rating and with consumer online reviews there is no consistency with the rating for each hotel either.

Definitely bear in mind that a rating on a customer feedback and opinion site, such as TripAdvisor, is a rating of the traveller's view of their hotel stay and not a hotel grade.

History
According to this USA Today article, the hotel rating system was started by Mobil, the oil company, in the 1950s as they also produced the Mobil Travel Guides. They sent out inspectors to check more than 550 points of criteria to give travellers a trusted consistency in grading.

To reach a five star rating award, hotels had to meet an extra 20 detailed service benchmarks including fresh flowers in each room and 24-hour room service, standards which are still used today by hotels to judge themselves.

Not International
An international hotel ratings system would never really work as a country's standards can't usually be compared. A three star hotel in the UK can mean a chain hotel near a motorway with a family restaurant attached and a three star in Turkey could mean a beach hotel with poolside service.

Many countries have a government inspection system and the countries of the UK have linked up to try and have some uniformity.

There Are Clues
While it's good to do some double-checking when you hear a hotel's star rating there are some universal guidelines. We all know a four or five star hotel is going to be better than a one or two star hotel. At four and five star there is some expectation of luxury and higher cost and at one or two star a small budget room is likely. But that doesn't mean a one star won't have all you need for a good night's sleep; the room just won't have all the nice extras.

Ratings Explained
This breakdown should give you some guidance when choosing a level of hotel.

1 Star: Budget, no-frills accommodation. Yes, there will be a bed and bed linen but there may be a shared bathroom down the corridor. Expect the hotel to be small and probably run by the owner. It will be simple but meet all basic needs.

2 Star: Good value, clean and comfortable but still basic. Limited amenities but could include a TV and phone in the room. There should be dining facilities on site but room service is unlikely.

3 Star: Different room sizes available and generally more rooms. A convenient location which may mean by the side of motorway. Rooms are more spacious and on-site restaurants offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. All rooms have a phone and there is a dedicated Receptionist in a dedicated Hotel Lobby. Hotels may well have extra facilities such as a Fitness Centre or conference rooms.

4 Star: Large hotels with good service in a great location. Rooms are more luxuriously furnished and room service is available. Staff should have received more training and there may well be a Concierge available. This is a superior property with more facilities.

5 Star: A high level of luxury and flawless personal service. These hotels have elegance and style throughout with quality linens and extra facilities in the room such as a music player, more TV channels on a larger TV and luxury toiletries. Room service is 24-hour and hotel staff may include a doorman and valet parking too. An evening turn-down service is often offered.

Images: inaziroo and kconners.