Vivastreet blog

Colon massage courses, a prehistoric hand axe, dead butterflies, a Gloucester Old Spot pig you can adopt (and then slaughter), a human scarecrow and a topless cleaner are six of the best — well certainly most bizarre — ads this month on free classifieds website, Vivastreet.co.uk.

It’s not our first choice of course to enrol on, but if you’ve ever wanted to massage a stranger’s colon and relieve their ‘sluggish circulation’ then you’ll be keen to hear about a series of courses running in Cardiff in our classes section. The Colon Massage Accredited Course is ‘predominantly practical-based’ so you can get stuck straight in. So to speak.

If you’re planning on cutting down a tree in your back garden this weekend, but haven’t got a Homebase or B&Q nearby (God forbid), for £6 you can purchase this prehistoric hand axe dating back to ‘circa 50,000 BC’ in our memorabilia and collectables section. And who knows? Once that old oak is down and cut up into logs maybe you could sell the axe to the British Museum for several grand?

We’re not telling porkies when we say you can adopt a Gloucester Old Spot pig for as little as £35 per month, receive updates and pretty pictures of the beast and then, six months down the line, ‘take delivery of your pig either butchered or whole’. If you’re planning a pig roast in the summer, then this is perfect for you. And if pork isn’t your food of choice, there’s plenty more nosh in our food and wine section.

If you’re a lover of Lepidoptera — flying insects to you and me — then look no further. On the memorabilia section of Vivastreet.co.uk, you can buy a gorgeous Orange Tip butterfly for a pound (it’s dead, btw). All you need now is a pin and a small glass case.  And a life.

Love working in the fresh air, live in Kent and looking to earn some extra lolly? Then why not apply for the position of ‘bird scarer’ in our jobs section. It’s an early start but then it has to be if you’re going to ensure that the early bird doesn’t get the worm — well, prize marrow!

Top rates of pay in Leeds are promised if you’re, errr, prepared to take off your top while doing the dishes, ironing and bleaching the loo. The gentleman in question, ‘ClassyBloke’ (real class), wants a topless cleaner, although stipulates that he prefers busty ladies. Has the man no shame?

— Ends —

The latest unemployment figures have just been published and they show that the number of people out of work has dropped for the second consecutive month. However, when you actually look at the figures, we are talking by a very small amount. More illuminating are the stats on the number of people who are working in temporary employment. The part-time job market has exploded over the past year as more and more people turn to part-time work while they wait for a full-time position to become available. The Office of National Statistics report shows that there are almost 1.5 million people in temporary employment and that 34.6% of people working on a temporary basis, said they had looked for full-time work with no success, and were working on a temporary basis until the job market improved.

We know how tough it is out there at the moment for the all those people out of work, but don’t give up, there are definitely jobs out there which could match your skills. VivaStreet.co.uk has seen the number of new full-time jobs posted on the site increase threefold in the past six months and that’s positive news for those of you out there actively looking for work.

We currently have a huge variety of jobs on the site, both full-time (2,624 new jobs) and part-time positions, from childcare and nanny jobs to marketing and accountancy jobs.

And for those of you specifically looking for part-time positions, we have 7,151 new part-time jobs currently posted on the website.

Finally, don’t forget you can post your CV on the website for free and create alerts so that you’re the first to hear whenever a hot new job is posted on the website.

Good luck!

Well it’s that time of the year again, where hearts are fluttering and mens’ brows are perspiring!! Yes, Valentine’s Day is on Sunday,  and across the UK, thousands of men will be tearing their hair out because; 1/ they’ve forgotten to buy their loved one a present or 2/ they have no idea what gift to buy their loved one – something which encapsulates, very simply, how much they love them – awwwww! Trust me chaps, two tickets to Chelsea vs Liverpool won’t get her heart palpatating, I promise you!

To be honest, if they could get away with it, most men would happily just buy their girlfriend/fiancee/wife a box of choccies and a cheap card from the local service station, on the way home from work. Unfortunately, there’s no avoiding it chaps – your loved ones will want sooooo much more than choccies, naff cards and a bunch of roses bought over the counter at Tescos! Don’t worry, it’s not too late to save yourself from spending a night in the doghouse… if you act now!

And because over here at Vivastreet, we care about the welfare of our users and particular those male users who could be spending a night in the doghouse, we thought we’d lend a helping hand if you’re in desperate need of some Valentine’s gift ideas inspiration. Vivastreet has set up a special category for one week only dedicated to love!!! Yep boys, your salvation, and more importantly a happy girlfriend, is just a click away. So, don’t delay, find a Valentine’s gift today, in our special category, which is listed in our Buy and Sell section on the Vivastreet Homepage.

Good luck!

The new year is a good time to consider relocating

With the new year comes an opportunity for fresh starts and new beginnings, and in our previous post we showed you lots of ways you can dust off those cobwebs and kick start a brand new you.

However some of us may be considering a bigger life change than simply losing a few pounds or getting a new hairstyle. Maybe you’re thinking about a complete change of scene, and upping sticks and moving homes. Well, the new year is the perfect time to think about relocating as more people put their homes on the market once the chaos of Christmas is out of the way.

Here at VivaStreet we have a wealth of properties for sale and for rent, from tiny pied-a-terres and studios to this luxury five-bedroom house. Perhaps you have had enough of city life and have always dreamt of living near the sea. We’re happy to report that you could go and make that dream a reality with this lovely 1930’s property in Devon, complete with panoramic sea views. Or for those who prefer a more tranquil water location, then take a look at this gorgeous house which has its own canalside private mooring. Heaven!

For the more ambitious, we also have a section specially dedicated to land for sale for those looking to build their own home. If you are in the fortunate position of having a sum of spare cash you’re looking to invest wisely, you could do much worse than considering purchasing land. Take a look at our investment land section where you will see an array of different types of land for sale from building plots on the Scottish borders to cheap land in Bulgaria.

Which leads us smoothly on to the option of relocating abroad. Our overseas property selection is extensive, with properties for sale in Europe and beyond. We list a huge number of homes on the market, from farmhouses in Italy and France, to ski chalets in Austria and villas in Cyprus. This farmhouse in Brittany kills two birds with one stone, as it comes complete with an established cattery business – ideal for those wishing to relocate asap!

So what are you waiting for? You may be saying au revoir to cold Blighty before you know it!

Let VivaStreet help you write this year's New Year's Resolutions

It’s that time of year again when it’s out with the old, in with the new. The start of a new year is the perfect excuse for a spring clean in all areas of our lives. For most of us it’s time to make some changes as we resolve to get healthy, tone up that ever expanding waistline, and sort our lives out. So whatever your New Year’s resolutions are – and even if you haven’t decided what they are yet – VivaStreet is here to help you firm up your very own realistic and achievable goals for 2010.

One of the first things we all think about doing after making a pig of ourselves over the festive season, is to shed those extra pounds. Here at VivaStreet we have all manner of ideas of how you can get in shape. Perhaps you’re thinking about getting your diet in check by joining WeightWatchers. You can find your local group which meets in your area right here on VivaStreet. But the food is of course only one aspect. We need to get our backsides off the sofa too! Whether you’re into circuit training, boxing, or maybe getting yourself your own personal trainer, you’ll be tightening up that belt buckle or dropping a dress size in no time. And how about (perhaps for the more uninhibited among us!) belly dancing, or even pole-dancing! There are all sorts of ways you can get yourself looking trim.

Another thing many of us want to do with the coming of a new year is to ditch the cigarettes. Well instead of going down the tried (and often failed) route of nicotine patches, why not try hypnotherapy? It has worked for many people wishing to kick the habit once and for all. While you’re at it, you can use these electronic cigarettes to get you through the tough moments en route to quitting.

If you feel like you could do with taking a look at your whole life, then have you ever thought about enlisting a life coach? By having a few sessions with one could really help you identify and unlock any issues you have been having, and give you some tips as to how to improve your life.  But if all that’s a bit much, then you could begin with some self-help books to get you started.  This self-help e-book is a great way to begin exploring for yourself whatever stresses have been getting you down.

And finally, the new year provides the perfect reason to give yourself a kick-start and learn a new skill. How about brushing up on your IT know-how by taking  a computer skills course? Or how about French or Spanish classes? Check out which courses are being run in your local area and you’ll be Parlez-vous-ing francais before you know it, and speaking like a native in time for 2010’s summer holiday!

So however you want to improve your life, just remember that there’s no time like the present, and that you will always miss 100% of the opportunities you don’t take!

Grab yourself a hat and scarf to stay warm this winter

We’re all feeling the cold here at VivaStreet as the weather has suddenly plummeted and a seriously chilly spell has taken over the country. It even looks like we may be in for a white Christmas!

While we’re all trying to keep warm and avoid coming down with the sniffles, we still want to look stylish in the big freeze. So instead of digging out your holey old winter woollens from the back of the wardrobe, why not take a look at our large selection of winter wear to help get you through this cold snap.

We’ve got everything to help you feel cosy, from cashmere scarves for your extremities to this gorgeous thermal vest for what’s underneath.

You can’t help but feel toasty in one of these gorgeous fleeces, but how about a sheepskin coat? No longer the reserve of dodgy car salesmen from the 1970’s, they can’t fail to keep you warm and they guarantee to make you look stylish at the same time.

Ski gear is the perfect way to make sure you don’t catch cold when the temperature drops, and despite its name it doesn’t have to be reserved for the slopes. Check out this ski jacket, for example, which promises to keep you warm without looking out of place while you’re wandering along the high street.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget our feet! You can’t go wrong with Ugg boots to ensure your tootsies don’t freeze. Even though they’ve been around a few years, they’re still all the rage and look so stylish with jeans, leggings or a skirt. But this year why not check out the latest line in Uggs….. cardy Uggs. A cardigan for your feet = perfect!

But this cold weather isn’t just affecting our own bodies. Don’t forget poor little Fido, who wants to keep warm this winter too! Have a look at these cute little dog coats and make the pooch in your life happy.

Hopefully this cold weather will be gone as quickly as it has arrived. In the meantime, wrap up and stay warm!