British actress and model Suki Waterhouse hosts private screening of her new film, ‘Love, Rosie’ with Superga.
Suki is wearing Superga White Flatforms, with Burberry Suit. We think she looks great.
Suki Waterhouse In Superga
Author Archives: Frostie
Calling Lifestyle bloggers: Enter The UK’s Most Prestigious Digital Awards
Entries for the National UK Blog Awards will close in 10 days on Friday 31 October 2014 and provide a unique opportunity for bloggers from the lifestyle industry to be recognised nationwide.
The first ever National UK Blog Awards took place in April and achieved huge success with over 900 bloggers entering the awards and 16,000 members of the public voting to determine which blogs deserved a finalist spot.
Alongside the category for the lifestyle industry, bloggers will have the chance to enter into 13 other categories including fashion and retail, education, health and travel, whilst members of the public can also nominate their favourite individual or company blogger.
Gemma Pears, director of the National UK Blog Awards, said: “The UK Blog Awards provide a unique opportunity to be acknowledged and recognised as a true knowledge provider within your industry.
“Blogging is growing increasingly important in the UK; it’s a great way to position yourself as an expert in your field to build your credibility, as well as being able to showcase your knowledge whether you’re blogging as an industry professional or simply because you love to write.
“Awards are a hugely powerful marketing tool. They give you and your business immediate credibility and set you apart from the industry norm.
“Whether your blog is your business, a hobby or it’s part of your daily working tasks, a good blog can really help develop your client’s trust and helps close the gap between the ‘you’ and ‘ them’.”
You can enter your own blog or nominate a blog at www.blogawardsuk.co.uk with entries closing on Friday 31 October.
Steepletone 1960’s Vinyl Record Player | Cool Things
Technology may be amazing these days but that doesn’t stop people loving a bit of retro: vinyl sales are set to top one million this year.
We thought this Steepletone 1960’s Vinyl Record Player was a great nod to the retro. It looks great, has detachable speakers, in-built technology and can play various sized records.
All for the awesome price of £79.95 from www.prezzybox.com
The 6 Secrets to Starting a Business Whilst on Maternity Leave
The 6 Secrets to Starting a Business Whilst on Maternity Leave
By Emma Walker
When you first get pregnant, you may think that you will go back to your current job without too many changes, and for some women this will happen.
But for others, when they’re holding their baby in their arms, they just know that things have changed forever and they might not want to go back to their job.
This is why using your maternity leave is a great opportunity to evaluate your career and decide what you want to do after your leave ends – return to your job, become a stay at home mum or start your own business.
Whatever direction you choose, just remember that you are doing what’s right for you and your family so please don’t feel like you have to follow ‘the rules’.
If you decide to take the plunge and start your own business, follow these 6 simple steps to make the transition easier:
- Decide on your business idea
Let me be very clear right from the start. Running a business is hard work and definitely NOT a get rich quick scheme – if that’s what you’re after, you need to go elsewhere!
That’s why it’s really important to choose something that you’re going to enjoy doing a lot of. Think about your past jobs, your hobbies, what your talents are – is there a business idea lurking there? What can you do that you can get passionate about?
There are lots of business opportunities out there, whether you are selling your own products or services, or buying into a franchise or MLM business, you will find something that is a fit for your skills, experience and goals.
- Get clear on the type of client you want to work with
You will spend a lot of time, and money if you’re not careful, on marketing so you need to make sure that what you do works.
This is where getting clear on who your ideal client is key and is something that you must take the time to do.
Really get to know the type of person you want to buy your product or service, this makes marketing so much easier. By focusing on one type of person (instead of everyone), you can tailor all your marketing materials to speak to only those people – this is what will get results.
You want your ideal clients to see any of your marketing materials (your website, business card, leaflet, advert etc) and know that you are the person they need to work with as you obviously understand them, after all, you speak their language.
- Stand out from the crowd
The sign of a good product or service is if there’s already some competition, this means that people are already buying what you’re offering from competitors.
It is your job to make sure that you stand out from all your competitors in the eyes of your target market so that you are the only choice they should be making when they want to buy your product or service.
Think about what extras you can add that will really appeal to your customers and make them spend their money with your business.
The other thing you can do, that a lot of people don’t do, is make sure that you inject your personality into your marketing. We all buy from people so be yourself as that will attract people to do business with you.
- Speak your customers language
If you’ve taken the time to really get to know your ideal customers, you should have discovered what their issues are and why they’d want to buy your product or service.
What is keeping them up at night, what are they prepared to pay anything to solve?
Knowing this can help you to create a marketing message that will show them that your product or service is the perfect solution they need. You can turn their big problems into questions that will make them say yes to you.
- Manage your time
As a busy mum, we only have a limited time available to work on the business so you need to get focused so that you get all the important work done – instead of chatting to friends on Facebook.
Set up a schedule so that you know exactly what time you have available to work on the business and when you will be with your family – a great visual for everyone in the house to know when mummy is working so that there aren’t any interruptions.
Talk to your partner and get them on board to help you out – can they do some of the housework, help out with the kids more, do the cooking? Anything that can free up your time to focus on the business.
Take the time to plan out what work you need to complete for the week so that you can get straight to work as soon as you’re in work mode – instead of wasting valuable time wondering what you should be doing.
- Plan for success
Map out your goals for your business as well as the tasks you need to do to achieve that goal. You then need to break those tasks down to 90 day chunks as this timescale is perfect to make you focus on what is important.
These tasks can be included on your weekly planning to make sure that you get them done and stay focused on achieving your goals.
If you’re struggling trying to fit everything in, ask yourself if the task to do on your list will move you one step closer to your goal. If the answer is no, it can wait until a later date and you need to focus on something else that does move you closer to your goal.
Use your goals to keep you accountable so that you do achieve exactly what you want with your business.
There are lots of things to start and market a successful family friendly business but these are the 6 essential things you should focus on first whilst you’re still on maternity leave.
About the author
Emma Walker is the founder of The Mumpreneur’s Mentor and a busy mum of 2 little divas. As a mums in business coach, she works with mums who want to start and market their own successful family friendly business as well as mums already in business who want to take their business to the next level without sacrificing time with their family.
Learn her ‘6 Success Secrets to Running a Family Friendly Business’ in a free training session. Get the details and register now at www.MumpreneurSuccess.com
How To Find The Right Egg Donor
Choosing to build a family using egg donation requires careful consideration.
Egg donation can be a wonderful option, but you will need to take the time to explore the many complex issues and feelings involved in selecting a donor. The characteristics you desire in a donor will be unique to you and based on your personal preferences, and while there is no right or wrong way to go about the selection process, you may wish to keep the following factors in mind.
Anonymous Vs Known donors
The first decision you will need to consider is whether you want your egg to come from an anonymous or known donor.
An anonymous egg donor is a donor found through an egg donor database. Such a donor will have chosen not to reveal their identity to you. Using an anonymous donor will enable you to clearly define your relationship with the donor and will grant you the chance to source a donated egg in confidence.
However, if you choose to tell your child that they were the product of an egg donation, they will be able to use the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) register to find out identifying information such as the donor’s name, address and date of birth once they turn 16. A known egg donor, on the other hand, is a donor who has chosen to reveal their identity to you. For example, she may be a friend or relative, or someone you have found through an online connection service. You may prefer to use a known donor because you will provide your child with the opportunity to form a relationship your egg donor. However, you may find it difficult to define the donor’s role in your child’s life.
Physical Characteristics
One of the most important considerations to make when choosing a donor is whether your chosen donor’s physical appearance is similar to your own. If you and your partner have brown eyes and dark hair, then finding those qualities in an egg donor may be of the utmost importance to you. This is why in many cases couple’s will contact a family member so that the child will have genetic qualities of the woman.
Medical History
When reviewing your shortlisted egg donor profiles, it is essential to evaluate their past and present history of physical and mental illnesses.
You will also need to consider whether you wish to match the blood type of your donor with your own. If you chose a donor with the same blood type, you will be able to donate blood to your child should the need ever arise.
Personality
In addition to providing you with information on donors’ physical traits and medical histories, fertility clinics can also help you to gain an insight into donors’ personalities and backgrounds.
Whilst you should read this information with care and choose a donor based on the traits and characteristics that are important to you, it is essential to remember that the way in which you bring up your child may have a greater influence on their personality than the genes they have inherited from your chosen donor.
Of course, if you use a known donor you have a chance to meet them personally and get a feel for their characteristics up close.
Location
Once you have narrowed down your search for a donor, location may become an important consideration. If you intend to involve the donor in your child’s life, you may wish to choose a donor from your locality for ease of travelling to meet with the donor. This will also help throughout the process of trying to get pregnant if your donor is nearby.
Where To Look For The Right Donor
Egg donations are available on the NHS and through private clinics. The Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA), which licenses clinics, recommends that you take into account location and success rates when choosing a suitable clinic.
It is important to realise, however, that the waiting lists for egg donation vary widely, and many opt to use online connection services to meet and get to know an egg donor before beginning the IVF process. Choosing the right donor is a big decision that requires careful thought and consideration. Whilst it is perfectly acceptable to prioritise the characteristics that are important to you, it is important to trust your intuition, too. Your maternal instincts should play a key role in the process and they will help you to find a donor who will provide you with the child you have always wanted.
Author bio:
This post was written by Franz SOF, Founder at CoParents.co.uk – a service which aims to connect men, women and couples who are looking to have a child through co-parenting, sperm donation and surrogacy.
10 Tea Destinations You Should Visit Once In Your Life
Image credit: Turkish tea by Sztanco Demeter
It warms us up when we are cool and it will cool us if we are too heated. Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world after water and this is probably the reason why it has become a worldwide little treasure- From the time of the ancient Chinese Dynasty to our present, tea has taught us there is nothing better than its flavour when it comes to relaxing or catching up with friends and family. Welcome to the worldwide art of drinking tea!
Argentine: The land of mate
People say that in order to know beautiful Argentine, you need to try its meat and of course, its mate. Did you know there is an entire museum dedicated to mate? This herb is without any doubt the national drink in the country and it is said that the more you drink it, the strongest the after-taste. If you fancy some more information about this caffeine-rich infused drink, don´t hesitate to visit Museo del Mate (289, Lavalle, 1648 Tigre, Buenos Aires). Image credit: Mate by Marta López
Morocco: Experience the mint tea!
You can’t really say you know the mint tea flavour unless you have been to Morocco. Touareg tea, how Moroccon mint tea is named here, is the real heart of this culture and it is strongly linked to the act of hospitality. In this sense, tea is served to guesses three times-Of course the guess will always have to drink the glass!
China: The art of making tea
Image: All the tea in China by Adam Cohn via Flickr
China is the birthplace for tea; here people have been producing tea over the years, something they call “Chao dao”, which was also exported to Japan. This country is a perfect destination for tea lovers that will be able to visit the only National Tea Museum in the country (opened in 1991 and based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang), where you can find out more about the strong tea culture in this place.
India: The world of Chai
India consumes more tea than any other country in the world. Whoever visits this destination will find out that this drink is literally served on every corner, especially in crowded train stations where you will see people selling this drink from early hours in the morning until night. To find out more about the tea culture in the country, pop in at Kanan Devan Hills Tea Museum (Munnar, India).
Japan: The matcha ceremony
Image credit: Matcha tradition in Japan by Flickr
Tea is in this country a huge part of the food culture. Even though the diversity of teas here is endless, whenever someone mentions this drink is known it’s referred to green tea. The tea ceremony is called here matcha and is seen as a ritual that generations have been using for ages and which consists of serving green tea to a small group in one of those popular old teahouses.
New Zealand: The tea explosion
Like in America, people from New Zealand get interested in this drink because of its healthy reputation. According to historians, New Zealand imported considerable amounts of tea in the nineteenth-century, with the arrival of the British missionaries. A fun fact about the tea culture in this country is that its only commercial tea plantation is called Zealong, which launched its first list of products in 2009.
Russia: Drink tea as a guest
Russians drink tea at different times of the day. Originally introduced by the Mongolians, it has turned into an important part of the Russian culture and today we could say that there is no Russia without this drink. Follow the local style and try a cup of Zavarka, a very strong tea prepared in a separate pot that allows guests to have several tea rounds.
Britain: Enjoy an afternoon tea
Image credit: The Goring by Expedia
There is nothing more British than having a proper afternoon tea, which owes its origins to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. Today this ritual attracts hundreds of travellers, especially in London, a city that hosts a wide chic selection of hotels and cafés offering this service. Top tip: Although most hotels in London offer the best afternoon tea in the country, as blogger Antonia Windsor details in this article on the Expedia blog, it’s important to remember that British people, especially Londoners, tend to save these posh sessions for a special occasion. If you ever visit the British capital and you fancy a real afternoon tea, book a table at Claridge´s Hotel (Brook St, Mayfair, London) Cost: £50.
Thailand: A popular tea around the world
Thai tea is one of the most popular teas in the world and it has been attracting consumers over the years across different continents. It is made from strongly-brewed red tea that usually contains anise, red and yellow food colouring and sometimes other spices too. Visit The Museum Coffee & Tea Corner (1, Damnernkasem Road, Hua Hin) and enjoy amazing garden views whilst enjoying classical music.
USA: The tea explosion
Tea is in the States one of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks in 2014. It doesn’t matter if you fancy green, red or even oolong tea, as they are all included in North American people’s healthy diet so you won’ t have issues when it comes to finding them on the menu. Top tip: Remember that American coffee is still preferred for the morning ritual!
Image credit: Starbucks tea by Vivian Farinazzo via Flickr
Author Bio
Marta López is a travel writer based in London. She loves travelling and discovering new cultures. When she isn’t writing on her laptop she can be found around the city looking for the latest tea shops.
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini in Heidi Klein
British artist Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (formerly Cheryl Cole) is wearing Heidi Klein in her new music video ‘I Don’t Care’. Looking effortlessly chic, Cheryl danced playfully on the Malaga beach in Spain for the video wearing the cornflower blue Saint Maxime bikini top under a baggy beige sweater. The Saint Maxime range comes in a variety of styles including the bandeau, halter and adjustable tops with a variety of bottoms to mix and match.
Available via www.heidiklein.com
Get Pixie’s Signature Sixties Style
Whilst the starlet may well be building up a new wardrobe of spandex and sparkles whilst appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, Pixie was back to her signature sixties look of sweet retro dresses and high-rise hairstyles when she surprised shoppers with an acoustic performance of her brand new single.
The singer stepped out in this season’s hottest sixties look whilst performing an acoustic version of her single ‘Break Up Song’ at Nectar’s Thanks A million event, wearing a bold patterned shift dress and sexy tousled sixties style hair.
Here’s how to get the look for less on the high street:
- Whether it’s a bold pattern or a monochrome classic, the shift dress is a perfect way to channel the sixties look this autumn.
asos.com £38
missguided.co.uk £14.99
Pixies effortless sixties tousled tressers are easy to recreate at home, it’s all about volume! So try rubbing some backcomb dust into the roots of your hair for some seriously big hair that still has natural movement.
Boots.com £4.00
Nothing screams ‘sixities’ more than a classic cat eye flick. For a dramatic look try a gel eyeliner pen for long lasting flicks, or for a more modern twist like Pixie’s try blending soft Kohl for a smouldering style.
All from Boots.com
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