Rolling into the bright and sunny East London studio at 8am on a Tuesday morning, I was welcomed by Percy and Reed’s lovely Senior Stylist Taylor. With over 10 years experience in the business, plus a fab burnt orange shade of lippy and covetable blonde choppy bob of her own, she immediately put me at ease. Next up, I was presented with a colourful tray of proper coffee and a Tunnocks Tea Cake to breakfast on while Taylor got to work on a full head of highlights.
Before the transformation…
The Percy and Reed salon is refreshingly warm and inviting with rustic wood paneled walls (an regional feature – the building was once a banana trading stall of Spitalfields Market) and none of the sterile feel that some hairdressers have. Quirky vintage looking furniture, a selection of cool giant afro wigs on display and a strong collection of tongue-in-cheek fashion prints on the wall with sayings like ‘Pissing Everywhere isn’t very Channel’. give the feeling of a charming, fun and slightly Ab Fab personality to the place. Taylor explained she was going to use L’Oréal product Smart Bond (the equivalent of the brilliant Olaplex, for all you Bleach heads in the know) to protect and repair my locks while the bleach got to work. An ashy toner was then applied and left to work for 10 minutes. I was particularly impressed with Percy and Reed’s own styling products that were used on my hair The ‘Wonder Treatment Oil’ containing Camilla Oil to give shine (I usually don’t use oils due to my fine hair, but Taylor explained the molecules are finer than those used in Argan Oil so it doesn’t weigh your hair down or look greasy. She was right. Plus ‘The Perfect Blow-Dry Spray to give texture and volume.
After an expert trim and Blow Dry (one of the best I’ve ever had) the end result was a gorgeous beachy blonde tone with a (shockingly) healthy shine and glow – which I’d thought pretty much impossible for my bleached out barnett. This is why we go to hairdressers. I’ll definitely be back for more glowing shiny hair…. and Tea Cakes.
It is common to overhear your employee’s plea for Friday to arrive, bringing in the weekend, however, this could be a sign that your employees are finding their work life stale and no longer enjoy coming in anymore. This could be down to the company’s culture, or lack of one, therefore, we are providing tips on how to create a more positive working environment for your team.
Listen to Your Employees
No employee wants to feel as though they are just a number. Every member of staff wants their voice to be heard, which is why you must listen to your employees at every opportunity. From holding face-to-face meetings to brainstorming sessions, give your employees an opportunity to air their opinions and ideas, so they can play a part in the company’s future.
What’s more, you could develop an employee survey from insightlink.com, which will help to identify any problems affecting job satisfaction or personal performance, so you can take the necessary steps to improve internal processes.
Hire the Right Employees
An engaged employee will work ten times harder than a member of staff whose heart just isn’t in their job. While the culture you create will determine company morale, the staff you hire can also determine the workplace atmosphere.
For example, a lazy member of staff could encourage others to procrastinate, which could be a slippery slope. Also, mismatched values could lead to communication issues or conflict, which you might be unable to change through training. It is therefore essential to hire committed, hard-working employees who share the same values as your organization.
Encourage Employees to Take a Break
It is important an employee finds a balance between their professional and personal life. Try to create a system that allows you to track an employee’s task list, so a member of management can identify if they are taking on too much. If they are, you might realize the time has come to hire a new member of staff, which will help to reduce a person’s workload.
Also, if you believe someone is working a little too much or deserves a break, tell them to step away from their desk or, if you are feeling generous, you could give them the day off. Not only will the break help boost employee morale, but it will allow a team member to recharge their batteries, so they will be more productive once they return to their desk.
Create a Fun Environment
The workplace doesn’t have to be dull and boring. Don’t be afraid to paint the walls in bright colours, add some fun chairs into the mix or hang some stunning artwork. You could even ask the team to help you decorate the office, so you can create an environment that people enjoy coming into each day. These improvements might make your employees start looking forward to Mondays.
There are so many ways you can transform company culture, and the best way to do so is by listening to your staff and making the necessary changes.
Okay, so you’ve started your business and it’s actually gone reasonably well, so far. There have been no major problems, a few hiccups here and there, but you’ve managed to cement your startup into the market and it’s performed well. However, there will come a time when the nature of the business world will force it to grow to a new level, and you will have to do things that you’ve probably never done before in order to facilitate this growth. If you really want yourbusiness to play with the big boys, you need to be able to hold a successful business meeting; fortunately for you, if you’ve never done that before, then you can find a few hints and tips on how to do so below.
Prepare the room beforehand
First of all, you should prepare the room beforehand. It will not look professional if you are still setting up once the people who are to attend the meeting start to file in which is why it is essential, if you want your meeting to be a success, that you cover all the bases thoroughly prior to when you open your doors. This includs:
Searching out the locations of all the electronically outlets in the room so that you don’t look silly trying to find a place to plug in the devices you are to be using during the meeting.
Ensuring that if anybody was in need of an outlet, that you would be able to cater to their needs.
Making sure that the table at which everybody in attendance is going to be sat at is long enough to fit everybody in ( you don’t want anybody to be forced to sit on the floor).
Checking that each and every person in the room has everything that they need laid out on the table before them, i.e. a notepad and pen.
Setting up all the visuals that you need, like boards to write on or an electronic board to use interactively.
Ensuring that refreshments, such as tea, coffee, water and possibly even snacks, are made readily available to all those who get a bit first or hungry during the course of the meeting.
Define your message
But the preparation for the event isn’t just about making sure that the room is up to scratch, you have to prepare yourself as well. A crucial aspect of this is that you have define your message beforehand to ensure that you don’t walk into the meeting and proceed to start babbling on about nonsensical aspects and elements.
Accordingly, it’s important to refine your management meeting optimisation strategy, which can include sharing a brief run-through of your message prior to the meeting. This lets management members gather any relevant information and formulate questions.
Practice your points
You need to practice every single piece of detail until it reaches a point where it is coherent, concise and confident. In dealing with these points respectively, you should: practice your speaking skills until you are producing your chosen speech without falling over your words, you should aim to summarise each point that you make down to three to five points in order to retain focus throughout, and you should be able tospeak without reading from paper as this exudes confidence.
Don’t let nerves get the better of you
The most important aspect in preparing yourself for the event is to ensure that you don’t allow for all the work you’ve done beforehand, not only in preparing for the meeting but the work you’ve done generally with your business, go to waste because of nerves. If nerves induced by public speaking are a plight that you suffer with them, then you canovercome presentation nerves before the event by attending training courses in Presentation Skills. This kind of training offers up a relaxed, yet professional, environment for you to overcome your nerves and should be sought if you feel that they could hinder you at any point.
Be the hostess with the mostess
And then it is time to put your preparation and practice to work during the meeting. First and foremost you need to be welcoming host; even in the first point of contact a lasting impression can be formed which is why you need to make sure that the impression you leave in each person’s mind is one of confidence and professionalism; you should also point out all the refreshments that you have made available to diffuse any tension that may arise in such a strictly professional environment.
Be timely
You should start no later than five minutes after the scheduled start time even if everybody has not turned up: holding back on the start time because of somebody else could be construed as a sign of weakness on your part. And once you have started you should not allow anything to deter you from the presentation you have gone over so meticulously in your head — not external forces, such as an interruption from elsewhere, or even yourreddening face.
Speak confidently and clearly
Don’t use filler words such as ‘erm’, ‘well’ and ‘like’ at all during the event, even when you feel as if they are bursting to jump off of your tongue and always be open to questions being thrown your way; if any questions come at you that catch you off guard and stop you from thinking of a suitable answer then just try to remain truthful and do not let the pressure induce a lie out of you. And once the ordeal is over, breathe a sigh of relief (although you shouldn’t actually let anybody see you do this), say goodbye to everybody, thank them for coming and shake their hands firmly.
Dress to to impress
And remember when hosting a meeting you should always seek todress like an absolute boss. You should wear clothing that connotes the fact that you are in control of the situation and exudes professionalism, yet still makes you feel comfortable and confident enough to perform the ceremonies of the event. The most important thing to remember, however, is that you should never go into a meeting unprepared, yet at the same time you never overthink the situation, neither before or during. Over-thinking can lead to chaotic scenes in the meeting room, so if you ever do find your mind slipping that way just take a few deep breathes and pull it back the way you want it to go.
The Groovy Food Company, an award-winning British brand committed to sourcing and producing natural foods that taste delicious and nourish the body’s overall health and wellbeing, share this delicious ‘Lemon Chicken with Omega Cool Pesto’ with IDEAL.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Lemon chicken:
4 free-range chicken breasts
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp The Groovy Food Company Omega Cool Oil
1 tbsp The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar Amber and Mild
Sauce:
200g baby plum tomatoes halved
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar Amber and Mild
1 tbsp The Groovy Food Company Omega Cool Oil
240g dried linguine
Omega Pesto:
Large bunch of fresh basil
½ clove garlic
50g almonds
30g Parmesan
Lemon juice to taste
60ml The Groovy Food Company Omega Cool Oil
Fresh basil for serving
Method:
Place the halved tomatoes onto a baking tray then scatter over the garlic then drizzle with the oil and agave, season with salt and pepper then roast in a pre-heated oven set at 150°C/gas mark 2 for around 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Marinade the chicken breasts in the lemon juice; zest and oil then leave for a couple of hours for the flavours to develop.
Season and seal skin side down in a hot pan for around 3 minutes until golden turn over then glaze with the agave, transfer to an oven set at 200°C/gas mark 6 for 12-14 minutes or until cooked through.
Place the basil into a mini blender along with the almonds, garlic and lemon juice and oil then blend until you have a loose consistency, add the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta according to the packets instructions, drain then stir through the pesto and serve with the sliced chicken, tomatoes. Finish with another grating of Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil.
International Love & Relationship Expert, Julie-Anne Shapiro, shares with IDEAL 5 things that we should be doing so we can open up to new love
Spring is here and love is in the air! Flowers are blooming, trees are turning green again, birds are building their nests as we all naturally become more interested in love, sex and romance. With longer, lighter and brighter days, you have a spring in your step as you start to think about new beginnings.
Are you ready for new love? It may be you could do with a little “spring cleaning” to draw in the love you want.
Take a look at how you can de-clutter and prepare YOU for new and true love now.
5 THINGS TO OPEN UP TO NEW LOVE
1. Your Mind
Are you wishing, dreaming, waiting and longing for love?
You can go for years wishing and dreaming. Like most of us, you were probably brought up to believe in fairytales – that one day (if you wait long enough) your prince will come and you will live happily ever after!
When looking for love, there is a call for a new mindset. Rather than wishing, you get on a mission to attract the love you want. To do this you give up blaming anyone else for your plight and you take complete 1000% responsibility to create the relationship of your dreams. You become willing to do whatever it takes for love.
So instead of passively waiting for love, decide to become your very best YOU and be on a mission to magnetize the love of your life now!
2. Your Confidence
We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you believe you are.” Your beliefs actually run your love life. So if you are walking around thinking you’re not good enough, are not lovable or don’t deserve love, then guess what? You will probably meet men who don’t think you’re good enough either.
A confident, radiant woman who knows her worth is incredibly attractive to a man.
Start to catch those negative voices and begin telling your self what you would like a man to tell you; that you’re beautiful, loveable and so worthy of love.
3. Your Heart
Are you still pining over an ex? Is there someone in your life that you are calling a “friend” but you are secretly hoping that you will get back together?
When you want to attract new love but you are still thinking about an old love, you give out a confused love signal! It’s vital that you are freed up from any old loves so that your new love can come to you.
You may also have an ex-love who is no longer in your life but you still have feelings for him and secretly find yourself comparing him to new men you meet.
It’s time to be honest with yourself, let the old love go if necessary, learn as much as possible from the experience and carry it forward into your new relationship.
Get clear of that old energy now and go towards the love of your life.
4. Your Body
Do you think that you’re too old, too fat or not attractive enough to meet someone? Are you telling yourself that no one could ever love you because your hair is too frizzy, your stomach is too fat or your eyes are too small?
Your true love will fall in love with all of YOU and will love and accept the whole package. But you have to love and accept yourself first.
If there are things you want to change, do so because you love yourself so because you love yourself so much that you’re worth it, rather than because you think no one will love you if you don’t.
Start seeing yourself in the way that your soul mate will see you – as a beautiful, radiant and lovable woman!
5. Your Home
Part of preparing for your true love is looking at your home and environment. That’s not to say that your new love is going to move in with you right away or that you need to rush things before the time is right. Rather, what you are doing here is symbolic. By preparing yourself on every level, including your environment, you create an energy that says “I’m ready for my soul mate now!”
You want to create a feeling of “togetherness” and a welcoming space for your true love, even if you don’t think you will continue to live where you are now once you meet him.
Here are some tips:
Your Bedroom should be a warm, romantic space, free from office equipment or old love-letters and gifts from your exes
Create pairs of things: pairs of candles, a pair of night-lamps, a pair of coffee-mugs
Clear out a drawer or cupboard to make some space for his belongings
Put up a picture that represents something you would like you and your ideal partner to do together for example: walking on the beach hand in hand
Get rid of any pictures or ornaments that represent “aloneness” and replace them with happy people together
Open up to love with these 5 things now and watch as new love magically comes to you – like a magnet.
About Julie-Anne Shapiro
Julie-Anne Shapiro is an International Love & Relationship Expert, Speaker and Founder of Magnetizing Love. She has helped thousands of women around the world to find and keep the love of their life through her one-on-one coaching (can be taken from anywhere in world via Skype or phone), dynamic live events and homestudy programs.
Sign up for her FREE eb00k & Video Series: Your 7-Step Path to Mr. Extraordinary on her website: www.magnetisinglove.com
One minute you’re hysterically laughing, the next minute you’re hysterically crying. Ring any bells? Is it that time of the month again? Periods can give us cramps, cause mood swings and even put a dampener on our nights sleep. To help you get one up on Mother Nature, we have asked our experts for their top tips on how to power through your period…
Curb the cravings
Cravings can sometimes tie in with Mother Nature’s monthly delivery of a period. A woman’s appetite usually increases, particularly during the second half of the menstrual cycle. However reaching for all the chocolate bars in the house won’t help your mood – the higher your sugar intake the more severe your symptoms are likely to be. Plus, you’ll be caught in a vicious cycle in that the more sugary stuff you eat, the more your blood sugar fluctuates, which means stronger sugar/food cravings. Keep your blood-sugar levels steady and help beat cravings by eating foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates. Oat cakes with nut butters does it for us.
Don’t spend all day curled up
You may feel like you want to spend the day tucked up with a duvet, but try not to be a couch potato. Regular exercise is important as it lowers cortisol production, as long as it is not too intense. Exercise also increases the levels of those feel good brain chemicals called endorphins, which can improve your mood.
Prevent feeling like the size of a house
When surfing the crimson wave, you may feel more bloated than usual. Cut down on salt to reduce bloating and water retention. Don’t be tempted to limit your intake of fluids, which can actually increase bloating. Your body will think it needs to conserve water, which exacerbates the problem. Water is a natural diuretic and it should be drunk as frequently as possible, particularly when you are retaining water.
Clear your diary for some ‘you time’
Set aside regular time to do something that you love and that makes you feel good: reading a good book, watching your favourite television programme, going for a massage, or having a long bath. Doing things that we love naturally lowers our stress hormones.
Go green
Green tea is an excellent healthy mood booster. It contains some caffeine, which gives you a bit of a lift, but also contains the amino acid theanine. Theanine can have a relaxing effect and may help to relieve anxiety and mental stress.
Catch up with a friend after work
If you’re feeling down in the dumps, spend time with a loved one. Oxytocin is another ‘feel good’ hormone. Released when we bond socially and feel general trust, comfort and love. This hormone is just as powerful as serotonin. Whenever you feel low and need a lift, spend time with your family and friends to mellow down and feel instantly better.
Have an early night
According to the National Sleep Foundation some women are more likely to struggle to sleep when they are on their period, as the core temperature can rise by almost half a degree after ovulation which can make you feel less sleepy. Feeling irritable and tired is not a great start to a happier period, so put down that to-do list and get tucked up.
Tips from: Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading Nutritionist, author ofNatural Alternatives to Sugar and Shona Wilkinson, Nutritionist at SuperfoodUK.com, the online shopping destination for health & wellbeing.
So you’ve worked really hard on your garden – spent hours pottering around to ensure that it looks its best and it does; luscious green grass is intercepted by pretty, vibrant flowers – all of which is alive with wildlife.
You may also have an outdoor water fountain (like this one from Soothing Company), and you may be thinking that everything is already perfect and it is time to take some rest. But, you can’t put your garden shovel down just yet. But you can’t put your spade down – just yet.
In fact, you can’t really put it down at all because now you have your garden looking just right, you need to maintain it, to ensure it stays that way.
Leave it and your hard work will quickly disappear, in its place will be yellow, dried-out grass and wilting flowers.
So, before that happens, here are some top tips to keep your garden looking at its best:
TOP TIP 1: FEED THE SOIL WITH WASTE
Making your own compost is easier than you might think and is the perfect place to ‘dispose’ of not just garden waste, but food waste too. Then, when it is ready you can spread it back around the garden – giving your plants the nutrients they need to help them survive and thrive. Check out this post by the RHS to find out what you can and can’t put into your compost as well as when and how to do it.
TOP TIP 2: PESTS A PROBLEM? YOU NEED COFFEE!
Pests, particularly snails and slugs, can be a huge problem – quickly destroying all your hard work. You could, of course, use pesticides. However, there are several downsides to this including that beneficial organisms can also be killed alongside the pests. So, you might want to try some eco-friendly options such as coffee grounds, grapefruit skins, crushed eggshells – all great ways to deter these slimy creatures.
TOP TIP 3: GIVE YOUR WISTERIA A DRINK
Plants get thirsty too and not just for water. Wisteria is a popular plant found in many gardens but what do you do if it refuses to flower? Well, apparently all you need to do is pour rotten cider over its roots and then watch as it blossoms.
TOP TIP 4: KEEP YOUR PLANTS HYDRATED
Do you know the best way to keep your soil moist for days – which is particularly helpful if you are going on holiday? Nappies! You don’t want you plants to dry out as this can cause them to quickly wilt and die. So, surround them with nappies. These absorb a large amount of water and therefore can release it as the plants need it.
TOP TIP 5: GIVE YOUR PLANTS A HAIRCUT
You have bought a selection of beautiful plants and planted them throughout your garden. While they look great now, you need to look after them to make sure they stay that way. Deadheading and trimming back will keep flowers and bushes looking trim and tidy but it will also result in more flowers and a healthier plant.
Make sure you also keep the soil from being clogged by fallen flowers and leaves so that it doesn’t stop the flowers from growing. You may want to get an electric leaf blower to help you keep on top of this effortlessly.
Ultimately, to ensure your garden is always looking its best you need to be doing little and often and always be thinking ahead in terms of the effect the weather might have on your garden.
We all need a bit of beauty sleep. The right amount of kip helps to ensure we are fresh and ready to meet the challenges of the day ahead and is important for our health – physically and mentally. Latest thinking suggests that adults need somewhere between seven and nine hours sleep a night to properly recharge batteries.
Many things can stop us from sleeping – illness, stress at work for example – but sometimes our bedroom really doesn’t help. By creating the right environment, you’ll be able to encourage your body to relax and drift off smoothly.
So, how do you create that environment?
THE RIGHT COLOUR
Some colours are naturally more soothing than others. You’ll find it much easier to sleep in a room that is decorated in soothing light pastel shades, for example, than one adorned with dark, bold tones. There’s always something to be said for giving a room a fresh lease of life with a lick of paint too. A tin or two could be the key for helping your room to feel cleaner, fresher and more relaxing.
COMFY BED
You’ve got no chance of getting a good night’s sleep if you’ve got a bad bed. You need to find a bed and mattress that can give you the right balance of support and comfort – get this right and you’ll be relaxed and in the land of nod in no time. If your current bed isn’t up to scratch check out places such as the Divan Beds Centre and invest in something that is probably the most important piece of furniture in the whole house.
LACK OF CLUTTER
Is your bedroom full of ‘stuff’ that doesn’t appear to have any proper home? Are there clothes draped here there and everywhere? This won’t be helping you to relax. If you lie in bed at night and can see clutter, there’s a danger you’ll be thinking about this instead of switching off. Take a look at this guide from Freshome to see some space-saving furniture items you could invest in to help, especially if you’ve got a small room and find it hard to find a place for all of the items you own.
REMOVE THE TECH
One surefire way to ensure that you’ll struggle to get to sleep is if your room is full of distractions. Many people are so hooked to their smartphone that they take it to bed with them, scrolling through their Facebook and Twitter timeline well into the night. There’s no doubt that it’s easy to get hooked on modern digital communications but if you do this you aren’t going to make it easy to get to sleep. Even when you’ve put your phone down, you only need the screen to light up with a message or for the device to buzz for your sleep to be disrupted.
It can be hard, with many people using their phones as an alarm, but you can make your room a lot more sleep friendly by removing items such as this. The same goes for a television. Do you really need a set in your bedroom – or does this just tempt you to stay up into the wee small hours binge watching the latest television series that you are hooked on?
We’re all guilty of product hoarding in our bathrooms. Vanities overrun with bottles, jars and canisters of “stuff”, containing ingredients that claimed to be the next miracle fix for something and countless hundreds of dollars down the sink when we discover, these “cures” are no more than hope in a bottle. But what if you could clear your shelves, uncomplicate your routine and save both time and money while still looking your optimum best?
Why not turn away from your complex and expensive beauty routine and onto an all-natural, purely organic fix with virgin, cold pressed coconut oil heralded as their new favourite go-to beauty product.
With the help of Brynley King, coconut guru and author of Going Coconuts who uses coconut oil for just about everything, here’s 10 IDEAL beauty tricks to do with coconut oil.
Hair treatment
Indulge lack-lustre, frazzled and over styled locks with a DIY coconut oil treatment that will leave hair soft, shiny and with that ‘just-steppedout-of-the-salon’ look. Comb a dollop through the ends of your hair for a quick frizz fix, or coat the whole hair (including scalp), cover with a shower cap or towel and leave in for 30 minutes or overnight for an intensive, fragrant and super charged moisturising treatment.
Toothpaste
Coconut oil is perfect for promoting oral health due to the bevy of anti-bacterial and detoxifying properties it contains. If you are looking for a whiter, brighter and sweeter smelling smile simply combine 3 tablespoons of organic coconut oil with 3 tablespoons of aluminium free baking soda and 25 drops of natural peppermint oil to make your very own homemade toothpaste. It tastes great and is a fabulous natural alternative to toothpaste.
Moisturiser
Dump your collection of expensive lotions, creams and ointments, and cut your morning and night routine in half. Coconut oil is the perfect organic moisturiser as it is absorbed into the skin deeper than regular lotions and hydrates without feeling greasy or oily. Try massaging into skin after showering in the evening and wake up with baby soft skin at a fraction of the price.
Makeup remover
Unlike harsh makeup removers that seem to take off the top layer of skin along with your foundation, coconut oil is effective at cleansing the face but gentle enough to nourish the skin as well. Apply a small amount to your face, eyelids and eyelashes before gently wiping off with a moist cloth. And even those stubborn waterproof mascaras and long stay lipsticks – gone, with a smear of coconut oil and a gentle wipe.
Dandruff treatment
Instead of using chemical laden anti-dandruff shampoos, massage a dollop of coconut oil into your scalp and leave in overnight. The oil not only moisturises and soothes but protects the hair follicle, promoting hair growth for those long and luscious tresses you’ve always wanted without the flaking, itching or redness.
Eyebrow tamer
If your brows are looking a little less Cara Delevingne and a little more Jack Nicholson, smooth a tiny amount of coconut oil onto unkempt brows and sweep a comb through for brows for all day stay put power. Use regularly and will also discover over plucked brows can regain some fullness due to coconut oils hair growth-boosting properties.
Natural lubricant
Using this wonder product on your more sensitive areas may seem a bit strange; however coconut oil is a great natural alternative to other synthetic personal lubricants which can contain multiple parabens and other toxic nasties.
After-sun lotion
Spent a little too long soaking up the vitamin D? The anti-inflammatory properties in coconut oil will aid in repairing the damage done by the sun’s harmful rays, relieving any burns and redness, and preventing wrinkles caused by sun exposure.
Shaving cream
Achieve a clean shave by coating each leg in about a teaspoon of coconut oil before taking up the razor, for silky smooth pins without the cost of expensive shaving creams.
Exfoliator
Create an inexpensive DIY body and face exfoliator by mixing 1 ½ cups of coconut oil with 1/3 cup coffee, salt or sugar for an all-natural solution to removing dead skin. Adding vanilla bean, cinnamon, chai tea or orange grind will create a subtle burst of flavour for delectably silky smooth skin that smells amazing.
To purchase Banaban Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and your copy of Going Coconuts head to www.naturepacific.com.
Right, that’s it – enough of this grim British weather. It’s spring already and the weather is still rubbish so that can only mean one thing: a holiday. Get online, book your getaway and then get packing.
Many people like a long break at this time of the year and there’s nothing wrong with that – far from it – but spring is the perfect time to soak up the sun with a quick city break, perhaps even making use of the Easter or May Bank Holidays.
When you’re looking to cram maximum enjoyment from your break it’s vital not to lose sight of the holiday essentials.
Keep our ‘5 Cs’ in mind before you go and you won’t go too far wrong…
Clothes
You’ll be wanting to look at your very best on your spring holiday, and quite right too. Clearly the clothes you take will vary depending on your destination and the length of time you’re away. However, bear in mind that if you’re trying to avoid taking that whopping summer holiday suitcase on your trip (more on that later) then you need to box clever and pack well. That’s where a quality pair of jeans is like gold dust. Great to wear on cooler evenings out with a smart top, or ideal for a casual day of shopping or sightseeing, a pair will be a perfect element for your holiday outfits. If your wardrobe is lacking in this department, click here and put that right.
Camera
You’ll want to capture every fun moment of your spring holiday so you can re-live the highlights when you return. Nothing quite beats a quality camera to get high quality images that you’ll treasure for years to come. This handy guide offers suggestions of decent holiday cameras to suit different budgets.
Cream
It might well be grim back in Britain but that doesn’t mean you can happily forget about the sunshine, especially if you’re jetting off to warmer climes. Make sure that sun cream makes its way into your bag for the journey – you won’t want to come back looking an unsightly shade of pink or risk unwanted skin problems.
Currency
You’ll get nowhere without a bit of cash to spend. Don’t pay a massive premium by waiting until you’re at the airport and don’t fall foul of credit and debit card fees if and when you withdraw/spend money on your cards abroad. Check out Money Saving Expert for an extensive guide to making your holiday cash go further.
Case
Heading off for a spring adventure means you’ll be needing a decent case in tow. If you’re flying, study your airline’s baggage restrictions and get a bag to suit the requirements. It’s perfectly possible to squeeze a long weekend’s worth of stuff – especially if you are travelling as a couple – into hand baggage if you want to save cash and time checking in and collecting your bags.
So there you go. Arm yourself with a good camera, your best clothes, a trusty case, some cash and your all-important sun cream and you’ll be ready to combat the gloom with a great spring holiday.
Beauty Guru’s rejoice, nail your next manicure with these trendy Tricks For Finger-Tips!
Laptop Manicure Salon
We’ve all been there, painting our nails and then *shock* the varnish spills! The usual victim is the carpet or our favourite pair of jeans. Well fear no more, spilt nail varnish is now a thing of the past with this Laptop Manicure Salon. The salon will hold your varnish and remover steady while you’re giving yourself a manicure, with the gorgeous hot pink micro-bead cushion underside that will mold to your legs, sit and style your fingertips in safety. Now with your new steady salon surface you can have the most gorgeous nails that will be the envy of your friends. Design delicate nails now for only £19.95 now from www.prezzybox.com.
The Tweexy
Apply your nail polish with ease, this nifty device is perfect for portable painting! Tweexy is the ultimate accessory for beauty gurus. Simply slip on the pink or mint green ring holder onto your fingers, secure your nail varnish bottle in place and have instant effortless painting. Whether you are on the go, in the car, on your bed, or by the beach you can ensure you have tip top nails without that pesky paint toppling over! This totally trendy tool is small and compact, great for packing in your handbag, and the bottle base gripping silicone system allows you to open varnish easily without any spills.
Maintain your manicure with the Tweexy, available now from www.prezzybox.com just £14.95 each.
SensatioNail
Ever wanted salon-quality nails without having the hassle of having to go to the salon? Well thanks to SensatioNail you can! SensatioNail is identical to an in-salon Gel Polish manicure, but only at the fraction of the price. A SensatioNail manicure works out around £5.77 per manicure, vs £25 per manicure in a salon – that’s some major savings. Their starter DIY Gel kit provides all the necessities you need to prep and complete up to 10 salon quality gel nail polish manicures at home; that will last up to 2 weeks with no chipping, smudging, cracks or dulling. The kit is availale from Boots and Asda stores nationwide and on www.boots.com and www.asda.com
Do you have a phobia of bad breath? Would you pluck up the courage to tell someone that they had embarrassing mouth odour? A new survey by UltraDEX found that only 4% of us are likely to tell someone if they had unpleasant breath. Nearly 80% of respondents knew poor oral hygiene was a factor but many failed to recognise other common causes of halitosis.
UltraDEX have teamed up with leading dentists to list the top bad breath watch-outs:
ON THE GO
The intensity of bad breath differs during the day depending on oral dryness due to stress, fasting or eating certain foods or drinks. Modern day lifestyles can be very busy and the survey found that many are lost for what to use as an on-the-go freshness burst.
TOP TIP: For fresh breath on-the-go, dentists recommend the UltraDEX Fresh Breath Oral Spray to instantly eliminate bad breath bacteria. The spray fits perfectly in a handbag or pocket and is clinically proved to deliver 12 hours fresh breath and whiter teeth too!
DRY MOUTH
Saliva plays an important role in keeping your mouth healthy. Without enough saliva, the mouth becomes a breeding ground for plaque bacteria. You produce less saliva when you are sleeping and this can lead to pongy morning breath along with mouth breathing overnight. A blocked nose due to a cold or talking a lot, whether for work or pleasure, can also lead to a dry mouth and bad breath.
TOP TIP: Dentists advise drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day to keep the mouth hydrated and smelling fresh. Only 11% of survey respondents reported drinking 6 or more glasses of water a day and less than 3% would think of drinking water to freshen breath. It’s important to see your dentist regularly and maintain good oral hygiene to reduce the risk of dental problems, especially if you have a dry mouth.
FOODS
Odorous sulphur compounds in garlic and onions linger in your mouth and are expelled when you exhale. However, eating non-smelly foods can stimulate saliva production to help clear bad breath bacteria. However not eating anything can also cause bad breath. Less than 15% of those surveyed realised that skipping a meal causes halitosis. The low carb diet craze, nicknamed “ketobreath”, often brings an unexpected side effect, as it increases the production of odour causing volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs).
TOP TIP: Dentists’ advice is to follow a healthy diet and to simply never skip a meal, especially breakfast, as VSCs build up overnight. Eating fruit can be particularly helpful as it provides you with both vitamins and plenty of water to give you a fresh smile.
DRINKS
Drinking lots of coffee is a well know bad breath culprit. The caffeine can dry out your mouth by slowing saliva production. Coffee taken with milk can have the additional disadvantage of smelling due to the inclusion of dairy, which can also encourage bacteria growth. Alcohol is also well known to dry out the mouth and 42% of people said bad breath was a hangover concern.
TOP TIP: Pair your coffee with an odour-neutralising snack such as apple slices, or a piece of fresh ginger. Lemon is another option; a slice of lemon in your water will offer similar protection. Drinking water also helps keep the teeth brighter as it removes any stains left from the coffee and can also help us ease those hangover pains.
HYGIENE
Bacteria can easily build up in the cavities and cracks of our mouths and start to produce VSCs if they are not cleaned away properly.
TOP TIP: Brush twice a day with anti-bacterial, fluoride toothpaste, floss and rinse with alcohol-free mouthwash and visit your dentist and hygienist regularly. Bacteria can also cling to the back of our tongues and happily sit there producing VSCs, so invest in a good tongue cleaner and use it for a few seconds’ morning and night for added bad breath protection.
Maintaining a good work-life balance can be difficult, so unless you have a physically demanding job most of us will spend several hours a day sitting down. Such a sedentary daily routine can have serious consequences on our health and productivity. In fact, a recent report suggested that an inactive lifestyle is as bad for you as smoking. As such, health experts recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity per week – just over 20 minutes a day. The problem is that two out of three adults in the UK don’t manage this.
The reason for this, for many of us, is that there simply isn’t time to fit in exercise into the working week. But have you ever considered trying out some fitness ideas around your working day? Yes, work and working out don’t necessarily need to be mutually exclusive. While exercise can seem time-consuming, Michael Cheary at reed.co.uk offers some tips for how to fit in some all-important physical activity around your working day.
Make the most of your journey
Your daily commute presents a great fitness opportunity for those within walking, running or cycling distance of the office. If you don’t want to take this option every day, even just a return journey a few times a week could help boost your fitness levels. However, having changing facilities at your workplace is also a must for anyone working up a sweat on the way to work.
Take the stairs
If you’re interested in keeping fit while still keeping a close eye on your finances, then this could be the perfect option for you. Why not skip the lift and try taking the stairs? For anyone on the second floor or above, this is sure to provide regular workouts throughout the day.
Use your colleagues
Getting colleagues on board with office fitness ideas is a great way to motivate yourself and others. You could suggest a few laps of the local park at lunchtime, a friendly game of squash on a Thursday evening, or put together an office sports team. There could even be opportunities to challenge other departments at sports activities to foster some friendly competition. Getting colleagues involved is a great way to ensure you stay motivated and inspired to do exercise.
Start a fitness class in the office
If you don’t want to go elsewhere to try out new activities, why not bring them to you? One great use of office space after hours is for an in-house fitness class, such as yoga or dance. Friendly local instructors for a range of activities can be brought in to help more of the workforce stay in shape. This also offers a great chance for people to try something new they wouldn’t ordinarily think of doing, in a friendly environment and convenient location.
Don’t sit for too long
Even if you can’t manage fitting any strenuous exercise into your working day, it is important to take regular breaks away from your desk. A report from the European Heart Journal showed that taking lots of short breaks – even as quick as a minute to stand up, move around or climb the stairs – can be beneficial for your waistline and heart health.
The evidence is clear from health professionals; getting plenty of exercise and having a good diet is the best route to a healthy lifestyle. While office exercise isn’t the answer to all your health needs, it can go some way towards achieving the minimum of 150 minutes of exercise you should be aiming for each week.
Some of the most naturally beautiful places in the world are at risk of disappearing within our lifetime and for this reason, they should leap straight to the top of your travel bucket list. Whether you’re looking for an action packed holiday, in need of a week of ultimate relaxation, or lusting after a romantic city break, we’ve got it covered. Our friends at Quintessentially reveal five ideal places to visit before they disappear.
Great Barrier Reef
If the Great Barrier Reef is your dream destination, we suggest that you go sooner rather than later. In 2016, the reef suffered badly from the largest global coral bleaching event in history, caused by a temperature rise in the ocean waters. In addition to global warming issues, the reef is also subject to human threats, such as over-fishing and shipping accidents, and its idyllic appeal will decrease before we know it.
Venice
Historically named ‘the floating city’, rising sea levels have led Venice to ‘sink’ at an average of 2mm per year. Several factors, both natural and man-made, cause Venice to flood around 100 times a year; a phenomenon known by locals as the acqua alta, or high water. To avoid the flooding season, we recommend visiting between June and the beginning of October.
Kilimanjaro
For those looking to take on a challenge this year, why not climb to ‘the roof of Africa?’ In the last century, 85% of the 10,000 year old glaciers on Africa’s tallest peak have melted away, and it’s predicted that they’ll completely disappear by 2030. Plan your trip soon for a chance to see the legendary glaciers before they disappear.
The Maldives
Whilst we’ve all heard that Venice is sinking, it’s a lesser acknowledged fact that the Maldives are too, and at an alarming rate. The nation is comprised of hundreds of beautiful islands in the Indian Ocean, and most of these are less than a metre above sea level. These exquisite islands are in grave danger of becoming entirely submerged within this century, if sea levels continue to rise at this rate.
Borneo
The once luscious jungle, located on the third largest island in the world, is under serious threat. Half of the annual global tropical timber acquisition comes from the Bornean rainforest, as does a large quantity of palm oil, leading to the Bornean forest shrinking at an alarming rate per year.
Fancy a cake making challenge? To mark Titanic Belfast’s fifth birthday, Great British Bake Off Finalist, Andrew Smyth has engineered a bespoke birthday cake for the occasion, and we’ve got the recipe!
Andrew, who is originally from Northern Ireland, the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, expertly designed this awesome cake.
The bottom layer has taken inspiration from what first-class passenger would have experienced on board. The luxurious genoise sponge incorporates the flavours of fresh strawberries, grapes and pink roses.
Whereas the top layer, shaped like Titanic’s funnel, takes a more modern twist as a chocolate madeira cake with a Bailey’s Cream filling, reflecting Titanic’s Northern Irish roots and celebrates the success of Titanic Belfast today.
Ingredients
For the 3 genoise sponges for the bottom tier (do in separate batches if too large)
465g caster sugar
15 medium eggs
465g plain flour
95g melted unsalted butter
For the Strawberry and Red Grape Jam
340g red grapes, halved
290g strawberries, cut into slices
300g jam sugar
1 ½ tsp lime juice
For the rose buttercream
700g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2.1kg icing sugar
4 tbsp soured cream
A little semi-skimmed milk
1 tsp rose water
For the 3 chocolate madeira sponges for the top tier (do in separate batches if too large)
2 tbsp baileys Irish cream liquor (plus a bit extra if required for texture)
A few drops brown gel food colouring
For the Biscuit Ticket
200g plain flour
100g golden icing sugar
Pinch salt
200g cold unsalted butter, diced
1 medium egg
½ heaped tsp vanilla bean paste
200g Royal Icing Sugar
Around 35ml Lemon Juice (~ 1 lemon)
Gold/Yellow food colouring
Black food colouring
For decoration
A large 15-16” diameter round cake board, preferable a blue colour
Handful dried rose petals
Fresh strawberries and red grapes to lay around the board for photos
White fondant (for the number 5 on top tier)
Black fondant (for top part of chimney tier)
Light brown fondant (for bottom part of chimney tier)
Rust-coloured fondant (for Titanic stencil on base cake board in style of Titanic Belfast sign)
Method
For the 3 genoise sponges for the bottom tier (do in separate batches if too large)
Preheat the oven to fan 165 C and grease and line 3 10” diameter cake tins.
Recommend this stage is done separately for each sponge: On a large bowl over a pot of simmering water, whisk the eggs and sugar together until lukewarm. Remove from the heat and keep whisking for 5-7 minutes until trebled in volume and thick ribbons fall from the beaters when removed from the batter.
Gently sift in the flour in small amounts and fold gently to incorporate, ensuring no flour pockets get stuck at the bottom. Pour the melted butter around the rim of the bowl and quickly fold in to incorporate.
Gently pour the mixture evenly between the lined tins (quantities above are for all 3 cakes) and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 20-22 minutes until spring to touch and golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack and level the top with a knife if necessary once cool.
For the Strawberry and Red Grape Jam
Add the fruit, jam sugar and lime juice to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring the the boil, stirring regularly. Leave to bubble continuously for 5 minutes then check for consistency.
The jam is at setting point when a small teaspoon of the mix is set on a chilled plate and left for a few minutes and wrinkles when pushed with a finger. If not ready, continue to boil for a few minutes at a time then test again. Set to one side to cool.
For the rose buttercream
Add the soft butter to a large stand mixer with paddle attachment and beat gently until fluffy, usually a few minutes. Sieve in the icing sugar and mix very slowly to start with (to avoid massive clouds) until the icing starts to come together. Scrape down the bowl then mix on a higher speed for 3-4 minutes until it is not grainy and is uniform.
Add the soured cream, rose water and a little milk and gently mix on low speed until combined. Add milk as necessary to achieve a spreadable mix that still holds its shape when piped.
Transfer ⅔ of the mix to a large piping bag with star nozzle and keep the remaining ⅓ to one side and cover with cling film to stop a crust forming.
For the 3 chocolate madeira sponges for the top tier (do in separate batches if too large)
Preheat the oven to fan 140 C and grease and line 3 8” diameter cake tins.
In a large mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy (a few minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition. Sieve in the flour and mix until combined.
Add the vanilla and melted dark chocolate and quickly mix to combine before the chocolate sets.
Pour the mix evenly between the lined tins (the quantities above are for all 3 cakes together) and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hr 20 – 1 hr 30 or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack and level the tops off with a knife once cool.
For the Baileys buttercream
Follow step 1 as for the rose buttercream.
Add the soured cream and baileys and gently mix on low speed until combined. Add baileys as necessary to achieve a spreadable mix that still holds its shape when piped. Beat in a few drops of the food colouring to give a golden brown shade then cover and set aside until use
For the Biscuit Ticket
Line a large baking tray with parchment and pre-heat the oven to Fan 160 C
Mix the flour, sugar and salt together then add the diced butter. Rub together lightly until it resembles breadcrumbs – you can also use a food processor and pulse to get to this stage. Whisk the egg and vanilla extract together then mix into the other ingredients.
Knead until uniform but no more then chill for 30 minutes in the fridge. Roll out to 5 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out a large 5” by 2 ½ “rectangle. Using a small round cutter, take small semicircles out of the perimeter of the rectangle to resemble and old-style ticket. Use the leftover dough for biscuits in any shape you like. Chill for another 15 minutes in the fridge then bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the royal icing, put the icing sugar into a bowl along with the 35ml of lemon juice and beat with an electric hand mixer until it is thick and glossy. We want it to be pipeable but no slacker than that.
Transfer a quarter of the icing to another bowl and add black gel food colouring until very dark. Transfer to a small piping bag with No 2 small round nozzle and set aside. To the remainder, add some gold gel colouring to the icing or gold lustre to give it a sheen. Transfer a third of this icing to a different small piping bag with No 2 small round nozzle.
Pipe a rectangular border on the inside of the biscuit with the gold icing, leaving a few mm clearance around the outside of the biscuit. Add a little more lemon juice to the rest of the gold icing until it is pourable. “Flood” the inside of the piped perimeter with this icing and use a cocktail stick to push it to the edges. Leave to dry completely before icing “World’s #1 Tourist Attraction” in black icing on the biscuit. Set aside to dry.
For Assembly and Decoration
Put a little of the rose buttercream on the base of the cake board to secure the first cake. Layer the 3 genoise sponges on top of one another, with a thick layer of rose buttercream and the strawberry and grape jam between each layer.
Cover the outside of this entire cake in a crumb coat of buttercream then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes until firm. Pipe white rosettes onto the side of this cake, ensuring the gaps between rosettes are as small as possible.
Use cake dowelling to create a stable base for the 8” cake on top of the 10” cake. Assemble the 8” cakes on an 8” cake board, sandwiching them together with the Baileys buttercream. Cover the lower half of the cake with light brown fondant and the top half and top with black fondant to resemble the Titanic chimney stacks. Set this layer carefully on top of the dowelling in the middle of the 10” cake.
Sprinkle dried rose petals over the exposed top part of the 10” cake (which should be covered with a little rose buttercream). Carefully stick the iced ticket biscuit into the top tier along with setting a “5” cut out of white fondant on top of the cake. Cut out the “TITANIC” script out of rust coloured fondant to resemble the Titanic Belfast sign and set this at the base of the cake on the cake board.
