An investigation has found that some major high street stores have been selling real fur labelled as acrylic. One mystery shopper brought a coat from TK Maxx which has a no fur policy. It was later found that the coat had a real fur collar trim. The RSPCA has urged shoppers to double check any items that have a fur trim. As a guide if skin or leather can be seen between the hairs at the base when they are pulled apart, the fur is real. If a weave, or material, can be seen at the base, then it is fake.

As someone who has both a BA and an MA I am familiar with the stress involved in getting a last minute essay completed. One service that I came across recently allows you to buy essays that are basically custom papers written for you. Their essays help service cover anything from term papers, research papers, coursework and dissertations. They can even match your own writing style by looking at your past work. It’s a very interesting idea, although personally I like the sense of achievement I get when I finish a piece of work, so its not really for me.

Tesco are about to expand in the US with the opening of 1,000 stores. They have already opened 15 of its Fresh & Easy stores and plans to open another 200 outlets by 2009 before expanding even further.

If you like cranberry sauce with your turkey you might find you have to pay more this year. That is because the price of cranberries has gone up as a result of a poor harvest and rising demand. Although there is not likely to be shortage of cranberry products prices are now likely to much more.

I was looking around at some last minute holiday deals with a view to going away after Christmas and found this website that has some great discounts. They offer a range of different accommodation from Hotel Reservations and resorts to vacation rentals as well as offering flights and car hire. The website has a useful destination guide to help you find the perfect holiday for your needs and you can view it in your own language and currency, which makes booking a holiday much easier. It’s certainly worth a look if you are thinking of booking a holiday.

In a recent report carried out by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) Asda came bottom for animal welfare. The supermarkets were scored out of five based on a range of categories from transport and slaughter of animals to fish farming. Marks and Spencer won the compassionate supermarket award for 2007 with Waitrose coming second.

I have been trying to get all my Christmas shopping done early this year so I don’t have a last minute rush. So far I have done most of it online which saves quite a bit of time. One website that I came across that has a really good range of gift ideas is Optics Planet. They sell cameras, binoculars, Ray Ban sunglasses, microscopes and MP3 player, just to name a few items. They have a useful gift guide where you can filter by price, category and occasion which is great if you want some ideas. They also offer free shipping within the US on an order of more than $29.95.

I read this article that suggests some parents are so desperate to get a Wii console before Christmas that they are paying up to £500 for the console on ebay. The console is priced at £179 but is currently unavailable in most UK stores. When stock does become available it has been selling out as soon as it hits the store. The Wii is a great console but I don’t think I would pay £500 for one.

I came across this website the other day that sells fine jewellery. They have an extensive range from diamond engagement rings and wedding rings to coloured stones jewellery and loose diamonds. One feature I really liked on the website is the ability to design your own ring. You can choose the setting and the shape of the stone and what type of gold you require before selecting your ring size and purchasing the item. The nice thing about this feature is that the picture on the website updates as you change the options so you can see exactly how the finished ring will look. The earring section of the website has another nice feature where you not only have a good clear picture of the earring but also a 3D view of the earring when you click on it. Many websites are let down by small or unclear pictures of items but here you can see every detail of the item before purchasing.

From Friday bank account holders will earn more interest on cheques paid into their account. UK banks and building society will have to pay interest on money paid in by cheque after two working days. Customers will also be able to withdraw money after four days if they are paying into a current account. The cheque will also be guaranteed even if it bounces after six days. Some banks like Lloyds TSB already pay interest on cheques once they have been deposited but the new rules will make the practice common place.