Author Archives: Frostie

5 of the Latest Women’s Footwear Looks from Valentino – The Best Styles for Winter 2021

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If you are ready for 2020 to be over, like just about everybody else in the world, then why not start looking to 2021 with some hot new additions to your wardrobe? When it comes to footwear for the rest of the winter 2021 season, there are some really gorgeous styles out there for shoes, boots and sneakers, and you will definitely love the chic designs in the latest women’s footwear collection by Valentino.

Valentino is a fashion house with a lot of pedigree when it comes to looks that retain everything that is special about glamorous Italian style while also keeping with the times and providing looks with a modern, fashionable edge. Here, we explore five of the most interesting and beautiful footwear looks you can find from Valentino right now:

Over the Knee Black Rock Stud Boots

Over the knee boots are a winter staple, giving you a sexy and sophisticated look while also keeping you warm when you decide to dress in skirts or dresses during the colder months. If you want a pair of classic black over the knee boots that give you a true sense of high-end luxury every time you put them on, then you really can’t find anything better than these sleek black leather boots by Valentino, which have plenty of alluring fashion details like the iconic Valentino rock stud embellishments to give them a unique look.

Black V Logo High Top Sneakers with Fur Trim

When it comes to casual shoes for this season, these beautiful shearling sneakers with their warm trim at the ankle will give you a warm, cozy look without cutting down on style. With different textures and Valentino branding across the shoe to give a true ‘designer’ look, these are the perfect sneakers to upgrade your streetwear look with for the new season.

There are plenty of other gorgeous sneaker styles in the latest Valentino range for women, which you can find at SSENSE, so if you prefer a lower cut sneaker or a bolder color, you can find your new dream Valentino shoes by checking out the latest collection from this designer. This high-end site has all of the top fashion labels, so you will find plenty of beautiful fashion ideas on there for winter 2020.

Rock Stud Heeled Combat Boots

If combat style chunky boots are what you are looking for, then these heeled boots, which also feature Valentino’s rock stud furnishings, offer great comfort as well as the fierce look you want. Made in high quality Italian leather, these boots will last you through many more winter seasons to come, and the chunky heel gives a feminine look that is great with jeans. These boots are also a great way to add a more edgy, bold look to cute dresses, especially when worn with lace or fishnet hosiery and a leather jacket. 

Pink and Blue Cage Garavani Heels

If you want a sexy evening look to step out in this winter, then these beautiful stilettos with cage style straps are the perfect choice. The pink trim and straps against the blue body of the shoe make for an eye-catching contrast that looks incredible with black dresses, and the combination of the strappy design and the stud details makes these shoes as glamorous as you would expect from Valentino. 

This shoe design is available in other colors and textures, including a cashmere boucle design in off white, as well as of course classic black versions, so if you prefer neutral colors for your evening shoes, it is still well worth checking out this model. The cage style of stiletto heel is one that will never go out of fashion, and provides a little more interest to your evening shoe than the classic court shoe or pump style.

Tan Shearling Boots

If you love the warm feel and winter comfort of shearling boots that encase your feet and ankles in warmth and softness, but you want something a bit more shapely and sophisticated than Ugg style boots, then these beautifully made Valentino shearling heeled boots in tan are a fabulous investment. The classic heeled structure makes these boots elegant and luxurious, and the Valentino branding detail adds a classy touch. Wear these over leggings or thick tights with your favorite winter sweater dresses, or pair them with jeans for a soft yet sexy winter look.

These are just five of the many fantastic designs you can find if you browse the latest women’s footwear offerings from Valentino. Whatever type of shoe or boot you are interested in adding to your winter 2021 wardrobe, you are certain to find styles you will fall in love with if you take a look at their beautiful new collection.

Collaborative Post with our Partner. 

 

Fun Sanitiser Range For Kids | Frost Loves.

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Before COVID-19, getting children to wash their hands was hard enough, but it’s important now more than ever to keep their interest and the health discipline up to keep them and others safe. Leading UK hand sanitiser manufacturer, Ocean Free, have just launched their new ‘Fantasy’ line of Hand Sanitisers for kids.

sanitiser, hand, kids, unicorn, pink

TIPS FOR SAFE KIDS HAND SANITISING

Apply a single pea-sized amount of gel into your own hands then rub the surfaces of the child’s hands and between fingers until fully dry. This takes approx 20 seconds.
Supervise the child to ensure they do not try to lick the product, especially if it has an enticing sounding scent.

Make sure the child’s hands are dry before they consume any food or drinks or are going to put their hands near their mouth.
Only use hand sanitiser gel as the next best option if soap and water is not available.

Available from www.oceanfree.com

Fantasy Hand Sanitiser, 5L, £21.99 Fantasy Hand Sanitiser, 500ml, £6.99

Ocean Free Fantasy Hand Sanitisers are surgical-grade, proven to be antibacterial, virucidal and yeasticidal. The highly effective UK-made sanitiser kills 99.999% of many common germs. Contains 70% ethanol to ensure quick effective hand sanitisation, ideal for children who don’t have high attention spans! Use and application of hand sanitisers need to be supervised, and only a pea-sized applied to a child’s hands to ensure effective hygeiene and safety. Moisturising to skin, Ocean Free has a high emollient content reducing the drying effect on the skin commonly associated with regular use of hand sanitisers.

 

Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking

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Depending on the level of addiction, some people find quitting smoking easier than others. Once you have gotten rid of the cravings and cough, you will be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

The method of quitting varies dependent on the person. One may find that they can just simply not smoke without much mental recourse. Another person might benefit from smoking cessation medication. Others may find it more useful to switch to vaping, such as with tobacco e liquid from 88vape, to begin their quitting process from the toxins, while still retaining the nicotine. 

Regardless of the method chosen, it cannot be denied that quitting smoking has a tremendous effect on the level of health of a person, and is always recommended.

Dental Benefits

Smokers are more likely to suffer with problems in their teeth. These can range from bad breath to an increase in cavities, as well as an increased risk of oral cancers. One of the other commonly seen problems involves staining and yellow tinting of the teeth. 

Quitting smoking can help to prevent any further damage to the teeth. A dentist would not be able to erase the damage caused, but the sooner you quit, the more they will be likely to be able to repair your teeth, and the cheaper the treatment could potentially be. You will also be reducing your risk of developing the aforementioned oral cancers and, therefore, increasing your potential lifespan.

Lung Benefits

After just 8 hours of not smoking, your oxygen levels will start to normalise. By continuing to refrain from having cigarettes, you can then start to remove all the toxins from your lungs. In a mere three days, it is possible for your oxygen levels to start to rise, meaning you will find it easier to breathe. The knock on effect from this is that you can also feel more energised than you did when you were still a smoker. 

At 3 to 9 months smoke-free your lung function can be up by 10%, so the ability to breathe becomes easier still. Then, on reaching 10 years free from smoking, your risk of developing lung cancer will be at half of what it was when you still smoked.

Skin Benefits

Your skin can also be severely affected by your smoking habit. Not only does smoking cause yellowing, particularly of the fingers that most often hold the cigarette, but also premature ageing and early wrinkles and sagging in the skin. Quitting smoking can help to improve some of these changes, and make you look far more youthful than before.

Quitting smoking is undoubtedly the best option for you, whether you smoke 2 or 20 a day, and regardless of how long you have been smoking. There are many other healthier habits you could choose, rather than one that simply costs you money, makes you smell, and shortens your life. Giving up any addiction is never a walk in the park. There will be disappointments and relapses, but don’t be discouraged. Make use of the stop smoking medications available. However, even if you quit smoking, your lungs may still need a boost for detoxifying, and a good way to help them is by adding a lung health supplement to your diet. The benefits of finally going smoke-free will make a big difference to your health and social life at large.’ Speaking to a medical professional can help you find your way to a smoke free lifestyle.

Collaborative post with our brand partner.

 

Tips for squeezing the best out of the last few months of 2020

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By Sid Madge, author of the ‘Meee in a minute’ series of books 

2020 is proving to be the toughest year that most of us can remember. We’ve got through so far and can now look at how to adapt and get the most we can from the remaining few months of this year.   

According to a YouGov poll only 8% of Britons want to go back to life as it was before the pandemic.  

Let’s create something better for everyone instead of some watered down ‘new normal’. The first step for squeezing the best out of the rest of 2020 is to embrace uncertainty. There isn’t going to be some miracle vaccine by December, so what do we do now and for the rest of the year?  We grab the remainder of the year by the scruff of its neck and focus on changing for the better. 

Your Innate Growth Mindset

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck became obsessed with understanding how people cope with failures and setbacks. Initially her research looked at kids and how they reacted to puzzles they couldn’t solve. The outcome of Dweck’s research is now world famous and she proposes that our success and happiness in life comes down to one thing – mindset. According to Dweck there are two – fixed and growth.  

Individuals with a fixed mindset, have a fixed idea of what they are capable of, believing that what they are born with is the finish line. They tend to be more defeatist. Those with a growth mindset believe that what we are born with is just the beginning. What we are capable of is determined by our own aspirations, effort and determination. 

Interestingly, Dweck believes we are all born with a growth mindset. We get trained out of it. We’re taught that failure is unacceptable – even though all great success comes through failure not by avoiding it. If ever we needed to re-assess that growth mindset it’s now. 

Take a minute to consider whether you have a fixed or growth mindset?  Has Covid-19 made it more fixed as you sink into a gloom? If you imagine you had a growth mindset instead – what would you do? Looking at your life and the rest of 2020 – what could you try? What have you always thought of doing but never got around to it? Lean into the uncertainty and adapt. Use it as a springboard to try things you’ve been putting off. Is there a different market you could approach? Stay curious, flexible, and open. 

Changing Your Today to Change Your Tomorrow

What have you done today? Is that getting you closer to your business and life goals or further away? If you want a different tomorrow so you find a successful way through the pandemic, you need to take steps to change what you do today. 

Stop for a moment and reflect on how you spend your time. When did you get up this morning?  How much TV do you watch?  How much time do you spend on social media? How much time do you spend learning something new? Do you spend time with family or friends?  Are those exchanges enjoyable or stressful? How much time do you spend on your health?  How much sleep do you get most nights? 

Take a minute to draw a circle and divide it up into slices that represent how you spend your time during a typical day. Now draw another circle and divide it up to represent how you would like to spend your day. If you spend a lot of time at work but don’t enjoy it, what could you do today to find a something that you might enjoy more? Or what could you change at in work/home life today to improve your day? Identify the things you like or can live with and the things that you don’t like and can’t live with. How can you change the aspects of your day that bring you down? 

Often, we don’t need to make big sweeping changes.  Subtle little shifts can accumulate to bring about change.  

Growth from Trauma

In 1967 psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a list of 47 stressful events that could impact health and happiness. The assumption is logical – we get more stressed when bad stuff happens to us, start accumulating stressful experiences such as a job loss, illness or divorce and you are more susceptible to physical illness, disease and depression. Global pandemics and economic uncertainty don’t help either.

However, the fly in their theoretical ointment was the fact that not everyone who experienced really tough life events were negatively impacted by them. On the contrary, some of those people actively flourished. This field of study is called post traumatic growth or adversarial growth and studies have shown that great suffering or trauma can actually lead to huge positive change. For example, after the Madrid bombings of 2004 psychologists found that many of those affected experienced positive psychological growth. A diagnosis of cancer and subsequent recovery can also trigger positive growth. 

The people in many of these studies found new meaning and new purpose from surviving something terrible. Instead of seeing their situation as a failure or a problem they believed it could make them stronger. How can you use Covid-19 to find new meaning and positive growth?

Take a minute to think about exactly what you are worried about most in your life and identify one thing you can do about it right now. Set that in motion. What positives could you pull from the turmoil? Get creative – think of at least three positives that Covid-19 could give you. It might not be fun but if you can find the silver linings you can often move on quicker.

These suggestions are pulled from my Meee in a Minute books, each offering 60 one-minute micro-ideas and insights that can help us to shift our perception in life, family and at work.  We can all use tiny interventions to adapt and change and make the very best we can of the months ahead. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sid Madge is founder of Meee (My Education Employment Enterprise) which draws on the best creativity and thinking from the worlds of branding, psychology, neuroscience, education and sociology, to help people achieve extraordinary lives.

To date, Meee has transformed the lives of over 20,000 people, from leaders of PLC’s and SME’s to parents, teachers, students, carers, the unemployed and prison inmates.

Sid Madge is also author of the ‘Meee in Minute’ series of books which each offer 60 ways to change your life, work-, or family-life in 60 seconds. 

Web: www.meee.global

Web: www.meeebooks.com

Twitter twitter.com/Meee_HQ
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MeeeHQ/
Instagram www.instagram.com/meeehq
YouTube https://youtu.be/fISupZWZMQc
TEDx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR3Cyjs62c8

 

Secrets to Slim Legs Revealed By Women’s Fitness Expert

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Australian Fitness Expert Rachael Attard Shares
Proven Strategies for Achieving Lean, Toned Legs
– Personal Trainer Sheds Light on Six Common Mistakes Preventing Fitness Goals –

Australian personal trainer and nutritionist Rachael Attard is successfully tackling a point of frustration for active women across the globe – how to achieve toned, lean legs. The trusted fitness expert is sharing her six proven reasons why legs don’t slim down despite regular exercise and a healthy diet, including common mistakes and how to avoid them.

“I hear from so many people that they’re training hard, eating well and focused on their fitness goals, but their legs aren’t getting slimmer,” said Attard. “Legs are the hardest area to slim down for most women. It’s easy to go down the wrong path when trying to achieve leaner legs, but a series of mistakes including doing the wrong types of workouts or not eating enough are likely to blame.”

According to Attard, mistake No. 1 is that you could be doing the wrong workouts.

“I see a lot of women solely focusing on doing heavy squats and lunges,” Attard said. “While those exercises are great for overall fitness, they won’t necessarily help slim down your legs if that is your main goal. I recommend switching it up and focusing on a mixture of cardio and resistance workouts along with walking.”

Cardio will help you drop body fat faster and resistance workouts will help you build muscle and burn more calories.

Mistake No. 2 is overtraining your legs, with women assuming that focusing on the legs as a problem area is the smart choice. The fact is, according to Attard, you can’t spot reduce fat from specific areas of your body through resistance training. This is an impossible effort, with results achieved much quicker and easier by adopting total body movements that work every area of your body equally, such as burpees and mountain climbers.

Not getting enough cardio is mistake No. 3 on Racheal’s list, which is a key element of achieving slim, toned legs. “Cardio is definitely not dead”, says Attard when it comes to slimming down your legs effectively.

At least 30 minutes of cardio daily is recommended for the best results, which Attard says can consist of simply walking.

“A lot of people don’t consider walking an exercise, but it’s one of the most effective exercises for lean legs, as it rids the body of overall excess fat including your inner thighs,” she says.

Attard is a big proponent of walking and advises starting each day with a 5K walk and incorporating as many steps into your day is at the top of her list of ways to achieve slimmer legs.

Overeating is mistake No. 4, which Attard attributes to most women not tracking their daily caloric intake and actually eating more than they realize. She recommends calculating your ideal daily amount of calories online, and eating approximately 200/250 calories less than that number without going below 1,200 calories per day. Conversely, not eating enough is mistake No. 5. In the same way you sabotage your fitness goals by overeating, under-eating can actually result in bigger legs. This is attributed to the fact that calorie restriction reduces your metabolism, which makes it harder to burn extra calories.

Finally, mistake No. 6 on Attard’s list is overall health and lack of awareness of a broader health issue that could be restricting your fitness success. This could include hormonal imbalances that cause weight gain and make weight loss harder to achieve, which can be helped by consulting a doctor or naturopath.

Rachael Attard is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist who holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland, a Cert III and IV from the Australian Institute of Fitness, and a Certificate in Sports Nutrition from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Her 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program was developed from her years of training women and helping them feel good in their skin, and fall in love with exercise and their bodies.

Additional details about Rachel Attard’s 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program can be found online, at https://www.rachaelattard.com. The website includes access to the program, a free body type quiz, insightful blog posts and more.

Working adults in their thirties are on track to be the wealthiest generation

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Working adults in their thirties are on track to be the wealthiest generation – after research found they earn the highest salary, save more and have the most disposable income.

A study into how much money the average person ‘has’ in each decade of their life revealed those aged 30 to 39 earn an average of £32,561 a year, and typically save £309 a month.

They also have the most disposable income – an average of £382 a month – and have less debt than 50-somethings – £7,196 compared to £8,315.

The study of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Equity Release Supermarket, also found that those in their thirties have an average of £10,326 stored away in savings.

Mark Gregory, founder and CEO of Equity Release Supermarket, said: “Our study revealed that while those in their thirties are impressively thrifty in their approach to money and savings, adults aged 40-49 who have had more time to save are slogging along with just £11,039.

“We know first-hand that many parents and grandparents would like to support their younger family members in their later life, whether that be with university fees, property, or other financial support.

“However, the research highlights that this may not be possible for several people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, which is where equity release could come into play as one potential solution.”

The study also found that regardless of how much is in the bank, the ability to be ‘good’ with money seems to improve with age.

Of those aged 60 and over, eight in 10 believe they are good at handling their money compared to 69 per cent of those in their twenties and 73 per cent of people in their thirties.

But 59 per cent of 20-somethings reckon they are good at saving, compared to 61 per cent of adults aged 60+.

The most common reasons people aged 60 and over believe they have good money habits simply comes from knowing how much is in their account (68 per cent) and knowing exactly where they spend their money (72 per cent).

It also emerged that when it comes to breaking down exactly what each age group splashes their cash on,  those in their twenties are most likely to spend their money on clothes, streaming services, takeaways and going out for dinner or drinks.

But adults aged 50 and over are more likely to be forking out for their energy bills, paying for petrol, the weekly food shop and insurance.

Despite having a healthy attitude towards finances, 53 per cent of those aged 60 and over still worry about money.

More than four in 10 put it down to the fact that they don’t want to get into debt, and a fifth agreed it’s because it’s one of the most stressful things in life.

Although a quarter worry about their income and outgoings because they enjoy living a comfortable lifestyle, and don’t want that to change.

But three in four adults aged 60+ believe they will always have some worries about money, no matter how much or little they actually have.

And 77 per cent admitted they find themselves fretting over how much they have pocketed for their retirement, according to the OnePoll findings.

Half of people aged 60 and above have money for the future put away in their pension and cash savings, while a fifth are relying on investments to keep them going in later life, and 14 per cent are considering downsizing.

Mark Gregory, from Equity Release Supermarket, added: “You spend your entire life building up savings – whether that’s in your pension, cash savings or investments like property – just so you can relax and enjoy your later life retirement years.

“But that doesn’t stop people worrying about money throughout this entire cycle.

“There are plenty of ways to give yourself that added bit of reassurance and equity release is just one option.

“Many people don’t understand the features and benefits of equity release as a possible solution to support retirement, enabling them to subsequently fulfil their financial wishes.

“When we’ve worked so hard to put money away, it’s always good to know there are other options available.

“While it’s not the only option to raise capital for an enhanced retirement, equity release could be beneficial and should always be considered with the right financial advice.”

Breakdown of ‘wealth’ by decade:

Current cash savings

20s – £7,232.11

30s – £10,326.33

40s – £11,039.59

50s – £16,704.68

60+ – £20,588.30

Salary

20s – £23,920.13

30s – £32,561.51

40s – £32,175.52

50s – £28,771.27

60+ – £25,771.91

Debt

20s – £15,950.99

30s – £7,196.98

40s – £7,017.62

50s – £8,315.31

60+ – £4,654.33

Disposable income per month

20s – £269.49

30s – £382.85

40s – £364.25

50s – £362.64

60+ – £382.58

Money put away in savings each month

20s – £243.73

30s – £309.36

40s – £282.28

50s – £259.60

60+ – £264.17

Looking After Yourself While Isolating at Home

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home, house

Many of us were growing sick of the self-isolation and were looking forward to things going back to normal. Unfortunately, as explained in an article by The Telegraph, the government’s plans to slowly ease lockdowns across the UK have had to be immediately halted as various cities have seen a significant spike in the number of active cases being reported daily. As of writing, the average number of new cases per day in the UK is 816, based on an article by The Guardian.

This means that Brits are now being forced to go back into the comforts of their homes and self-isolate once again. Many of us are well-aware of just how difficult self-isolating can be — especially if you have been doing it for more than four months now. This undeniable difficulty is the reason why it is all the more important for each and every one of us to take the time to care for ourselves as much as we possibly can. If you are one of those people who are still looking for ways to take better care of yourself, here are easy-to-follow tips you can take inspiration from:

Have a skincare routine

Dermatologist Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd explained how investing in a skincare routine not only helps treat skin conditions that often cause a lot of people to lose confidence but also encourages many of us to engage in an activity that promotes self-love, self-acceptance and healing. Contrary to popular belief, skincare routines don’t always have to be intricate or expensive. Sometimes you just have to have the best moisturizer with sunscreen. The best SPF moisturizers reviewed by Forbes are often labeled “broad-spectrum” since these are great in blocking both types of UV rays – thereby preventing signs of photo aging, as well as minimizing your risk of getting skin cancer.

Learn to pleasure yourself

For many people, being stuck at home translates to being apart from their significant others for long periods of time, and without a doubt, this can be extremely frustrating. If you are one of those people, then maybe now is the right time for you to consider using toys that can help you reach your peak. Aside from helping you ease some of your frustrations, Bustle detailed how pleasuring yourself can actually help you deal with anxiety and depression, practice mindfulness, achieve a better self-image and feel more empowered. Sometimes picking a toy can be incredibly intimidating, especially if the idea of using one is foreign to you. In this case, it would be a good idea to use toys that are very handy, are not intimidating and come in discreet sizes and shapes. The bullet vibrators listed on PrettyMe include cute pieces that could even pass off as one of your lipsticks, making it perfect for those who are a little more conservative than others.

Eat healthy

As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. And during these trying times, this adage is truer than ever before. Aside from keeping you physically healthy, eating the right kinds of food can also significantly contribute to making you feel better and improving your mental wellbeing. For instance, as highlighted in our previous post ‘Five Reasons to Maintain a Healthy Gut’, foods that promote gut health can help alleviate the symptoms of various mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and period of low moods – which can all be debilitating at times. Some of the mood-boosting foods enumerated by The Healthline include fatty fish such as salmon and albacore tuna, as well as dark chocolate, fermented foods, berries and plant-based proteins such as lentils and beans.

We are currently living in a world where nothing is certain. And sure enough, this new reality can cause bouts of anxiety for many. This makes it especially important for us to zoom in on participating in activities, such as having a skincare routine, eating healthy and learning how to pleasure oneself, which can promote self-care and help us live through these trying times.

Post in collaboration with Martin Wilson