Author Archives: Frostie

The Ghost of Relationships Past

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The old phrase ‘lesson learnt’ is never truer than after the end of a relationship. With each heart break we experience we take something different from it. But do we ever truly move on if we keep repeating the mistakes of our past relationships?

Relationship expert for online match maker eHarmony.co.uk, Dr Gian Gonzaga says “sometimes people lose faith in finding love because they seem to be continually attracted to the ‘wrong’ type of people”.  According to Gonzaga, at times it can seem as though no matter how hard we try we end up with the same problems but with different people, like magnets that attract the same situation over and over again.  It’s time we examine where we are going wrong and eradicate the real issue, to really be able to move on and find lasting love.

So excavate the past to create a different future for yourself:

The common denominator

Look at all your past relationships, write them down if it helps, and ask yourself these questions about each one. What attracted you to the person in the first place? What caused the relationship to end? Were there signs early on in the relationship that there were problems but you ignored them?

Old relationships are never wasted, they are a rich source of information which you can go back over to discover what you could do differently in the future. Be really honest with yourself and try to look at the relationship from an outsider’s point of view. What you are looking for is the similarities between them to see if there is a pattern.

Is the thing that attracts the thing that destroys?

Are you attracted to creative, emotionally unavailable men and then the relationship ends because you don’t get enough attention? Or are you drawn to bright, bubbly women but then fail to get very far because you feel threatened when she flirts with your mates?

Look at the people who have qualities that you find attractive – not just the ones you have had relationships with but also people in the media, friends etc. What is it in them that you find attractive? Then look at yourself and develop those qualities in yourself rather than waiting for someone else to come and make you feel that way.

Don’t fall for someone’s potential

This is the most common mistake that people make in relationships. They meet someone and they fall in love with what they ‘could be’ rather than what they ‘are’ today. They believe that if they love this person enough; give them lots of encouragement, support and everything they need in order to blossom that they will have a wonderful relationship together. Although this often comes from a loving place it is starting a relationship from the basis of wanting to change the other person rather than accepting and loving them as they are. It is a great feeling to be the hero or heroine in another person’s life but it is rarely going to lead to a healthy relationship because the basis of the relationship isn’t equal.

Look in the mirror

When a relationship ends it can be comforting to think it was all the other person’s fault but that attitude is depriving you of the opportunity of finding out what you could do differently next time. Look back through the story of your time together and look at your own behaviour. At what points could you have done something differently? Are you angry with all men/women because of things that have happened in your past? If so now might be the time to get some help if you really want things to change.

Change your mind

Just like any other area of life, relationship choices can become habitual and instinctive. We often dismiss potential matches simply because they don’t conform to an image we have in our head of ‘our type’. Open your mind and heart and start saying ‘yes’ to communication or dates with matches that you would normally dismiss out of hand, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Noone’s fate is fixed in stone, we can all change and grow and even if you have never had a healthy relationship in the past it is no reason that you never will in the future.

http://www.eharmony.co.uk/relationship-advice/start-with-you/2011/11/how-to-make-your-future-love-life-different-from-your-past

 

New app shows women how to man up in time for EU gender directive

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On 21st December the EU gender directive comes into force which means car insurance companies will no longer be able to differentiate between men and women. So does this mean the European Union now believes women are no different to men?

Now women can see for themselves what it would be like to live life as a man with the Manify Me smart phone app. Women’s car insurance specialist, Diamond has worked with Rantmedia to develop the app which takes a headshot of a woman and ‘manifies’ her into a man. So Katy Perry could become Keith, Cheryl Cole could become Charles and Holly Willoughby could become Harry.

Dave Halliday, Diamond managing director, said, “Despite evidence to the contrary, the EU insists that men and women are the same, so we thought we’d take the idea one step further and allow women to see what they would look like if they were a man.

“Unfortunately for young women, the EU’s change to the law is likely to mean higher insurance premiums because from a risk point of view, women will have to be treated the same as men, and young men in particular have the worst driving record and are the highest risk.”

Diamond’s own statistics clearly show that young women have a safer driving record than young men. Men under 21 are four times more likely to have a dangerous driving conviction than women under 21. While on average accidents involving men under 21 cost 48% more than those involving women of the same age.

Despite the EU’s assertion that men and women are the same, most women clearly don’t feel the same. Diamond surveyed 1,000 women aged under 30 on the issue, 72% said they believe men and women drive differently, while a massive 83% believe men and women think differently.

The Manify Me app is available for Android phones and can be downloaded from Google Play.

 

Top tips to make kid’s bath time FUN without breaking the bank

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As research from Megaflo, the hot water expert has shown, more than 93% of parents believe that bath-time is one of the most important parts of a child’s day to help them relax, learn and have fun.  With the cold weather now upon us, bath time will be more important than ever.  We all remember there being nothing better than splashing about in the bath tub when we were little; so from bubbles to shampoo mohawks and bath crayons – here are a few top tips to bring the old favourites back and make your child’s bath time as fun and memorable as yours, without breaking the bank.

 

1.         Sail away!

Bath time just isn’t the same without a boat to play with.  Keep all of your clean, empty cartons and bottles as these make great play time accomplices for all of those budding pirates!  You can even create some pre-bath fun, by using use crayons and felt pens to help them make their dream vessel a masterpiece!  Remember – no holes… otherwise the boat will become a submarine! (Follow these instructions to make your creation. http://www.ehow.com/how_8161908_make-boats-out-plastic-bottles.html)

 

2.         Paint by bubbles!

A new era of children’s toys is upon us with bath crayons and bath paint pallets galore!  For the same effect and to save a few pounds, why not get a plastic egg carton and mix some shaving foam with food colouring… you have your very own clean-easy bath colour palette fit for any little artist.  Just be on hand to check that inquisitive little fingers don’t decide to try to swallow their creations..!

 

3.         Bath time Punk-Rockers!

One of the best ways to avoid the hair-washing tears is to get your little ones to design their own shampoo mohawk.  Create different soapy styles and faces – no doubt you’ll be creating one for yourself too!  Everyone’s a winner.  Remember to try and find a mild but soapy shampoo, for extra volume but minimal tears…

 

4.         Deep sea aquarium!

All children love aquariums and creatures of the deep sea.  Why not create your own right at home in your bath tub?  It will also make some good pre-bath entertainment.  Simply draw and decorate your fish, mermaids, crabs and other sea-side goodies, laminate them with sticky-back plastic and throw them in.  The kids will have hours of fun searching for them in amongst all the bubbles.  Why not create some treasure to go with your pirate ship as well?

 

5.         Trusty Rubber Duck never fails!

We all remember using a lovely rubber duck to play with in the tub and with the latest trend for bright and colourful Hippie, Pirate, Union Jack, Princess and Alien ducks, there is sure to be one to please every child!  What’s more – these ducks last a lifetime and look great as an ornament in your bathroom.  Why not build up a family of ducks and let their imaginations run wild!

 

Megaflo has teamed up with Pump Aid, the charity dedicated to providing clean water and good sanitation to sub-Saharan Africa, to support a phenomenal Malawi Schools project.  The £62k project, co-funded by Megaflo, will provide pupils and staff across 21 schools in the Mchinji District, Central Region of Malawi, with access to clean water and basic sanitation through the installation of 80 toilets and 10 pumps.

 

For more information, please visit www.megaflo.com.

Horror Channel Brings Winter Chills

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Friday 9th, Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th Nov, 10.55pm

 

Deep and crisp and bloody! Get ready to be frozen to the bone this November with Horror Channel’s Winter Chills Weekend – featuring some truly snow-filled spine tingling premieres.

 

 

Fri Nov 9 @ 22:55

The hills are alive – with undead Nazis as the season kicks off with the premiere of DEAD SNOW (2009), a beautifully nasty horror comedy directed by Tommy Wirkola (Run Lola Run). With a car full of ski equipment and enough beer to fuel their escape from everyday life, eight medical students head out on their vacation.  Isolated in the snowy hills the group begin to realise they came to the wrong resort, as deep in the hills lay an unthinkable evil.

 

Sat Nov 10 @ 22.55

 

The season continues with BLOOD RUNS COLD (2011). Swedish director Sonny Laguna gives the slasher genre a welcome Scandinavian make-over. Record-producer Winona heads to her hometown on the outskirts of Stockholm for a break… Shortly after settling in, she invites a former boyfriend and a couple to the house. But there is an unknown presence stirring within the house, one that has been waiting for the right moment to strike.

 

Sun Nov 11 @ 22.55

 

Wrapping up the season is sci-fi horror thriller THE THAW (2009) Directed by Mark A Lewis, it stars Val Kilmer as Dr. Krupien the head of a team of ecology students, who are examining a melting ice cap in the Arctic.  When Krupien unearths a prehistoric specimen the likes of which has never been seen, he summons four of his brightest students to take part in the excavation. But the melting polar ice-cap has released a deadly pre-historic par

Theatre Collection Presents Pinky Cagebirds

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If you are looking for a top night out at the theatre go and see the latest play from the Theatre Collection.
After David Campton

“There is nothing either good or bad, But thinking makes it so”.
William Shakespeare

Set in a bird-cage, each of the birds is totally absorbed in her own particular characteristics. But then the Mistress introduces the Wild One who tempts them to fly for freedom.

Directed by Victor Sobchak

October 30 – November 11

Tuesday – Saturday 7:30pm
Sunday 5pm

Tickets: £12/10

Booking:

www.theatrecollection.net

Phone: 07966597190

 

Theatre Collection

51 Camden Park Road

London NW1 9BH

www.theatrecollection.net



THEATRE COLLECTION was founded in 2009 by Victor Sobchak (Artistic Director) and Shaban Arifi (Producer,Director and Actor)

TC is the sequel of the highly acclaimed ‘ART-VIC’(Anglo-Russian Theatre) and ‘Act Provocateur Int.’ With a history spanning for 15 years.

During this period our companies have produced over 100 productions which gained great interest and awards from both audiences and Press all over the world.

We have performed at 11 Edinburgh Fringe Festivals and in various National and International festivals in USA, Africa, Europe and Russia.

TC will continue to justify its name presenting to the audience a collection of very different styles: from medieval farce to experimental theatre, from classic to modern International drama and new writing.

Christmas in Kingston

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HISTORIC KINGSTON OFFERS FANTASTIC FESTIVITIES FOR CHRISTMAS

The historic town of Kingston upon Thames will be alive with festive activities and events this Christmas kicking off with a Tudor-style market, which pops up in the town’s Market Place from 7th November to 24th December.

Christmas light switch on

On 15th November Cinderella and Santa Claus himself will be switching on the Christmas lights at 6pm with activities for all the family to enjoy from 3pm. The Rose Theatre’s Christmas production this year is Cinderella. Shoppers can meet characters from the show, see a live ice carving of Cinderella’s Glass Slipper and have a photo taken in a giant Cinderella themed snow globe. There will also be the chance to see real reindeer, choirs and brass bands plus a street dance show for all the family at the Rose Theatre called “Locked In”.

Santa Claus

Children can visit Santa for free in his grotto in Bentalls, with the option to receive a Christmas Present for £2.95. Check bentalls.co.uk for opening times.  They can also post their letter to Santa in special letter boxes in the Eden Walk shopping centre.  Santa will answer every letter, with the best three winning a prize, closing date for entries is 7th December.

Kingston Spotlight – competition for performers

A wide selection of Kingston performers ranging from musicians to mime acts, poets to acrobats and dancers to clowns will be performing in Kingston’s town centre over the festive season adding a bit of sparkle to the town’s shopping experience.  Each Thursday evening and over the weekend (starting on 17th November), these acts will compete to be named Talent of the Week. Members of the public can vote for their Talent of the Week in Kingston’s spotlight competition, throughout the Spotlight period.

Christmas pocket guide

Shoppers can pick up their Christmas Pocket Guide on the Christmas lights switch on night and from local businesses. The guide offers lots of information on Christmas in Kingston as well as the chance to win Free Parking in the town for a year, six months or a month at the NCP Cattle Market. Also up for grabs is a Christmas break at the historic small hotel Chase Lodge with tickets to see Cinderalla at Rose Theatre. Other prizes on offer include: £100 worth of Bentalls voucher, a Hotel Chocolat Hamper worth £50, a two course meal for two at Pizza Express, and a Tartan Travel Rug courtesy of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

Arts, crafts and carols

Shoppers will have plenty of opportunities to buy different Christmas gifts.  In the town’s Market House, Kingston Artist Open Studios (KAOS) will be selling the work of local artists, sculptors, ceramicists and crafts people from 26th November – 8th December. Fusion Arts, another Kingston based collaboration of artists, will be selling their wares in Market House from 11th December – 21st December and on 22nd December visitors can shop at the Thames Market, an arts and crafts market.

The Royal Kingston Craft Fair operated by Eden Crafts will pop up on All Saints Lawn from the 15th November to 24th December offering a great range of unusual and unique Christmas gifts.

On 23rd December the Freshly Made Market comes to town. Freshly Made is a collective of urban artists, musicians and jewellery makers who will be selling underground urban products. In addition, Kingston’s daily Ancient Market offers a wide choice of gifts for more information visit: www.kingstonfirst.co.uk/touristinfo

All Saints Church will be holding Christmas concerts and carol services on 2nd, 8th, 18th, 22nd, 24th.  December.

Variety of shops

Kingston’s town centre is just 25 minutes from central London and easily accessible for locals and visitors. The town’s shops will be open every night until 9pm from 3rd December and Christmas shoppers will find something for all tastes and budgets, within a very compact area, a good proportion of which is pedestrianised.  The shopping experience ranges from designer brands and high street fashion in large retail areas such as the Eden Walk Shopping Centre and the Bentall Centre, to independent boutiques that appeal to those in search of special and unique gifts.

Old London Road, which is having its Christmas party on 1st December, is the place to go for unusual purchases and is marked by Kingston’s famous falling over phone boxes (officially named ‘Out of Order’ by artist David Mach). Here shoppers can rummage through antique and vintage items at the Kingston Antiques Centre, or hunt for stylish accessories and up-cycled furnishings at 37 London Road, recently featured on BBC2’s “Mary Queen of Shops”.  Friends and relatives of music lovers will be spoilt for choice at Hands Music in the town’s Market Place which offers instruments, music, accessories and more, while nearby Banquet Records on Eden Street is ideal for muso’s seeking new and cutting edge releases.

Parking in Kingston

Visitors to Chessington World of Adventures can take advantage of a free park and ride running from the theme park to Kingston from 10th November to the 5th January.  Also from 3rd December there is also free parking in the Bentall Centre from Monday to Friday and in John Lewis every night both from 6pm.

Accommodation in Kingston

Shoppers can enjoy a night’s stay at boutique property Chase Lodge Hotel, from just £125 per night, for two people on a bed & breakfast basis. To book call 0208 943 1862 or consult www.chaselodgehotel.com. A former magistrates house, Chase Lodge has 12 rooms, all unique and with free Wi-Fi.

The White Hart Hotel offers luxury accommodation at an affordable price. Double and Twin rooms start from around £120. To book call 020 8977 1786 or consult www.whiteharthoteluk.co.uk.

The Food Hospital’s Fibre Challenge Success

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The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has had over 60,000 downloads to date following the return of the new series of The Food Hospital on Channel 4 last month. The application available on iPhone and Android devices has got the nation reaching for the fruit bowl and monitoring their toilet habits on a daily basis.

The Fibre Challenge application encourages viewers to record their bowel movements and increase the amount of fibre in their diet for 21 days. Participants are challenged to eat an extra five grams of dietary fibre every day in the first stage, and an extra ten grams per day in the second stage. Each day, they should record how many bowel movements they have had and the stool type using the Bristol Stool Form Scale. At the end of the challenge, participants hope to see a noticeable improvement in bowel health. The anonymous data will be added to the national results, with the overall findings published on The Food Hospital website.

The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has been devised by specialist dietitians and is a mass participation initiative to assess the effect of fibre on the nation’s bowel health. Most people don’t eat enough fibre. The recommended minimum daily intake of dietary fibre is 18 grams, but few get anywhere near that. Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet is believed to provide short-term health benefits and help prevent serious disease.

Alongside the app and as part of the new series, each week volunteers who have previously participated in The Fibre Challenge will have their results analysed to help viewers gain a better understanding to whether a high fibre diet significantly improves short-term bowel health. Fifty volunteers took part in The Fibre Challenge earlier this summer and for 21 days, they ate extra dietary fibre and sent information about their bowel movements anonymously to an expert team for analysis.

In a recent study, British Medical Journal reported that dietary fibre can potentially reduce bowel cancer risk by up to 20%. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer: one person dies every half an hour from the disease, often because of late diagnosis.

The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has been devised by betty, the production company behind the series, in consultation with Channel 4 and specialist dietitians. Betty’s executive producer Neil Smith says, “betty has a track record for creating innovative content that captures the imagination. Our challenge was to translate this into a digital form, so we’re thrilled that it’s been so enthusiastically embraced. It’s engaging content with the potential to save lives”.

Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK says: ‘We are delighted the Fibre Challenge app has been so popular as it is an important early step to improving bowel health. It is well known that simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, such as increasing your intake of fibre can make you feel better and help stack the odds against bowel cancer. Therefore the makers of The Food Hospital are to be commended for bringing this into the mainstream. We now need to keep momentum and continue to raise awareness and encourage action around this important public health issue.’

Lizzy Keene, Senior Producer for Factual at Channel 4, adds “We are delighted with the success of the app and to have reached over 60,000 downloads already. Our aim was to encourage people to talk openly about their bowel habits and visit their GP with any concerns. Bowel cancer can be successfully treated if it’s caught early enough and we wanted to break down the ‘poo taboo’ in a fun but informative way.”

Celebrity Cookbooks Popular at Christmas, But Remain Unwrapped

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OCADO, has revealed that despite stocking up on the latest celebrity cookbooks ahead of the Christmas season, one in ten Brits admit to never even opening them, with almost half (41%) of us only pulling them off the shelf when they need to make ‘something special’.

Even though half of the population say that they own at least four cookbooks, research from the online grocer reveals that busy lifestyles mean Brits don’t have the time to rustle up a meal from scratch, let alone break the spine on their mountain of cookbooks, with five per cent of those quizzed claiming that they don’t spend any time at all cooking each day.

However it seems as though the humble recipe book is not dead, with Ocado predicting that cookbooks are set to be a staple stocking filler this festive season, including the new titles from Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Heston Blumenthal.

Meanwhile, Ocado have also reported that sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250% this year alone. Mouth-watering reads are also beginning to eclipse must-read erotica with the diet cookbook from The Hairy Chefs arousing more interest than 50 Shades of Grey, pushing sensationalist author E.L James off her throne on number one bestsellers lists.

Despite half of Brits showcasing exotic cookbooks on their shelves, findings reveal that the meals most regularly cooked are traditional classics like Spaghetti Bolognaise (60%), meat & two veg style roast dinners (54%) and sausage and mash (48%), with only a handful of Brits regularly taking on more exotic dishes such as Thai curry (16%) or Paella (10%).

Over a quarter of British foodies admit to tuning into at least two food programmes a week, with Masterchef (56%) and Great British Bake Off (34%) being firm favourites in the nation’s homes. However, despite immersing themselves in celebrity cook books and TV shows, when quizzed how long they spend preparing and cooking grub, a staggering 78 per cent said they managed to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder states: “We know that Brits love to buy all of the latest celebrity cookery books and enjoy watching recipes being created on TV, but many of us just don’t have the time to recreate delicious meals for ourselves. At Ocado you can browse recipes from some of the UK’s top chefs, shop for ‘must have’ cookery books and order ingredients for delivery straight to your door. Plus Ocado offers everyday products alongside rarer, hard to find ingredients, making it quick and easy to buy everything you need all in one place, so you can spend your time creating your own delicious masterpiece.

Christmas customers also can make their life even easier by shopping for their family gifts and festive fare in one simple click – forget the queues and the festive rush!”

For further information on Ocado’s own selection of tasty recipes and ingredients, visit www.ocado.com/webshop/recipes/.