Protecting Little heads from tiny pests with Kit & Coco: Complete Treatment Review

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Frostie

There are many things that parents dread. Parenting nightmares are very real things and head lice is a big one. The ick factor is there and so is the embarrassment. Past head lice treatment can smell- and be- too chemical. Others are not that effective.

Kit & Coco is a haircare brand created to be gentle but effective on little heads. Launched earlier this year, Kit & Coco’s haircare is enriched with coconut oil which is naturally hydrating, nourishing and soothing. When massaged in, it both strengthens hair fibers and soothes irritations of the scalp, leaving hair even softer and shinier than before. Coconut oil has a bonus quality: it is an active participant in the treatment of head lice. Very handy.

Kit & Coco provide a gentle and fuss free solution to headlice and their pesky eggs.

Lice can produce around 10 eggs a day which take around seven days to hatch so one small problem can escalate into a larger issue very quickly. The Kit & Coco complete treatment kit includes treatment shampoo, a gentle ergonomic nit comb, applicator brush, protective shower cap and a surprise treat for little ones.

The Kit & Coco shampoo has coconut oil and rich botanic oil to deliver gentle yet effective prevention and treatment for head lice and nits. As head lice are constantly adapting to create a resistance to Pediculicides (chemical based insecticides), KIT & COCO has utilised plant based active ingredients – to totally eliminate head lice and nits (eggs) through asphyxiation, which head lice simply can’t develop any resistance to. The treatment range utilises the fatty acids from coconut oil to clog the respiratory system of head lice to banish those little pests for good. The 45-minute treatment we reviewed is proven to be 100% effective against lice and nits, find out more here: http://uk.kitandcoco.com/kit-coco-proven-efficacy

So what did we think? Kit & Coco Complete Treatment Review smells so much better than most head lice treatment. It is well packaged and the comb is a good one. You get four lots of the shampoo and…it works. Our tester was very impressed with the results. Great packaged stuff that looks fun and works. What more could you want?

The KIT & COCO range is available to buy online at KIT & COCO, Amazon and independent pharmacies nationwide.

The 50 Most Boring Things In Life Revealed

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Frostie

Changing duvet covers, people who Instagram their meals and Ed Sheeran have been voted among the nation’s top 50 most boring things.

And the average Brit is bored for over NINE years of their life, a study has found.

Brits describe themselves as “bored” for over three hours a day, and say that on average, they feel like they have “nothing to do” at least twice daily.

Work is one of the most common places for boredom to strike, with 22 per cent of respondents saying they’re bored for up to two hours – or 25 per cent – of their workday.

The study of 2000 adults in the UK was commissioned by online gaming company Casumo.com, whose spokesman said: “Boredom can be a real problem for many people, even if they’re happy with their lives in general.

“Boredom can sap productivity, and make people feel like there’s nothing good going on in their lives.

“We were surprised to find that people are more likely to feel bored at home than they are at work, and perhaps this shows a lack of imagination on the nation’s part, that they can’t entertainingly fill their free hours.”

Being stuck in traffic emerged as the most boring thing about modern life, aggravating over half of the nation.

This was closely followed by waiting in queues at the post office, being put on hold, and the humdrum routine of everyday life.

A slow internet connection, listening to drab football pundits’ analysis and cleaning the house also appeared in the list of the most boring things in life.

As did PowerPoint presentations, the Kardashians and unnecessary work meetings.

Four in 10 respondents said that they are bored more often now than they were as a child, and the most common time of day to experience boredom is 12:44 pm.

On average, Brits say that their lives stopped being exciting at the age of 37 and a half, and three quarters say they wish their lives could be more exciting.

And 25 per cent of Brits say that can’t even remember the last time something truly memorable happened to them.

Almost a tenth of the nation believes that all of their time drags past slowly, and a further 46 per cent say they notice it happening sometimes.

Casumo’s spokesman said: “A quarter of the population say that playing games online is one of the ways they defeat boredom. We can help with that, but unfortunately, we can’t do anything to make being stuck in traffic more exciting.”

THE 50 MOST BORING THINGS IN LIFE

1. Being stuck in traffic
2. Standing in line
3. Being on hold
4. Junk mail
5. Slow internet connections
6. Listening to politicians
7. Watching TV adverts
8. The routine of everyday life
9. Sitting in a waiting room
10. Queuing in the post office
11. Having no money
12. Tidying up the house
13. Waiting in for a delivery
14. The Kardashians
15. People who Instagram their food
16. Football pundits’ analysis
17. Unnecessary meetings
18. Cleaning the bathroom
19. Reality TV shows
20. Doing the washing-up
21. Selfies
22. Television shopping channels
23. Emptying the bins
24. Paying bills
25. Delayed trains
26. The daily commute
27. Formula 1
28. New mums on Facebook who constantly upload pictures of their baby
29. Social media challenges
30. Small talk
31. Changing a duvet cover
32. Waiting for a train
33. Phone calls that could be quick emails
34. Looking for a parking space
35. Company-wide emails
36. Filling tax returns
37. Horse racing
38. PowerPoint presentations
39. Places without Wi-Fi
40. Trailing around behind your partner in a clothes shop
41. Dieting
42. Waiting for your phone to recharge
43. Waiting for the oven to heat up
44. Rice cakes
45. Ed Sheeran
46. Gardener’s World
47. People telling you about their dream
48. Working overtime for no extra pay
49. Replacing the toilet roll on the holder
50. Bargain Hunt

Cabbie’s Burns Night Recipes

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Frostie

Crabbie’s are’re doing Burns Night right – with a brand new Scottish menu created especially for the occasion. Scots chef Jacqueline O’Donnell, who appeared on BBC2 show Great British Menu, has helped us to create the perfect three course menu that pairs beautifully with a glass of our finest ginger beer.

Starter; Haggis bon bon with Crabbie’s Ginger beer & beetroot

Serves 4

Oven 180c Gas 5

200gr Good quality haggis

50gr panko bread crumbs

1pk cooked beetroot

100ml Crabbie’s Original alcoholic ginger beer

2 tbsp Apple sauce

1 egg beaten

50gr plain flour

50gr panko breadcrumbs

Chop up haggis and mash whilst raw shape into 12 small bon bon shapes
Roll into flour then coat in beaten egg then roll in the breadcrumbs until coated
Spray an oven tray lightly with oil and place bon bons on pop in oven for 15-20min until golden brown
Meanwhile chop beetroot and put in a blender add the Crabbie’s until a soft puree season with salt & pepper to taste
When serving add a teaspoon of apple sauce just to secure the bon bon on the plate and serve the beetroot puree at the side. You can also serve with a side salad

Main; Duo of Venison Loin on thyme & hawthorn jelly served with Original Crabbie’s, warm red cabbage black pudding & ginger apple salad

Serves 4 Oven 200c Gas 6 Use a stove to oven frying pan

4 x 200gr Venison Loin (You can substitute the venison for Beef fillet)

4tbsp Hawthorn jelly (Redcurrant if you can’t find the Hawthorn)

1 Knorr beef stock pot

100ml Crabbie’s Original alcohholic ginger beer

½ red cabbage finely sliced

2 slice of black pudding

1 pink lady apple finely sliced

1 tsp stem ginger chopped very finely

1 tsp butter

1 sprig of fresh thyme

Sear in a hot pan the 4 pieces of meat season well & place in oven for 8-12 mins depending how pink you like your meat (Venison can get quite dry if cooked well done so try not to go past Medium well, in order to keep the dish moist
Bake the black pudding slices for in the venison pan for only 5 minutes then remove
Add 4tbsp of Crabbie’s to a pot bring to the boil then add the tsp of butter add the red cabbage and cook just until the liquid has gone
Crumble the black pudding into a bowl and mix with the apple and stem ginger
Once the cabbage has no liquid tip into the bowl with the black pudding & apple
Once meat comes out of the oven set aside on a plate and make the sauce in the pan you cooked the meat in remember the handle is HOT!!
Put the pan onto the heat and add left over Crabbie’s whilst pan is really hot, this de glazes the pan and gets all the flavour and bits of meat off the bottom then add the stock pot jelly with 150ml boiling water bring to the boil adding in a sprig of thyme just until its up to the boil allow to reduce slightly to the consistency of a sauce
Spoon a pile of the red cabbage warm salad onto the plate slice the venison and pour sauce over
Enjoy

Pudding; Iced Crabbie’s Cranachan with ginger shortbread thistles

Serves 4. best frozen over night

200ml of fresh custard (You can use shop bought)

100ml whipped double cream

100ml Crabbie’s Raspberry alcoholic ginger beer

1 200gr of frozen raspberries

50gr Pinhead oatmeal

25gr brown sugar

50ml raspberry coulis

Shortbread

100gr plain flour

50gr cornflour

50gr icing sugar

1 tsp finely chopped stem ginger

100gr unsalted butter

Bring to the boil and Reduce the Raspberry Crabbie’s by half then add to the raspberry coulis allow to cool
Fold whipped cream & custard together then add a few raspberries and raspberry coulis folded through to be quite swirly not all of the mix pink (if you do go too far that’s ok!)
Pour mixture into a clingfilm lined bread tin or deep mould terrine and put in the freezer overnight is best
Make shortbread add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until a soft dough roll out to as thick as a £2 coin cut into shapes and bake in an oven 150c for 20-25 allow to cool first
Place pinhead oatmeal & sugar in a hot pan until sugar dissolves and coats the oatmeal allow to cool
Remove cranachan from the freezer and take off clingfilm then roll into the oats until they stick and cover the outside of the cranachan
To serve add a few raspberries to the plate with the shortbread & slice the Iced cranachan
Serve with a full glass of Raspberry Crabbie’s & enjoy!

—

The Average Mum Falls Ill 324 Times Over Their Youngster’s Childhood

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Frostie

The average mum will fall ill 324 times over their youngster’s childhood – with colds and bugs passed on to them by their offspring, a study has found.

An endless cycle of sore throats, runny noses, migraines and sickness bugs means the average mum will be left feeling under the weather 18 times a year.

The study of 2,000 parents, found that over the 18 years of their youngster’s childhood, mums will suffer from 54 colds, as well as a total of 108 sore throats or runny noses.

There will also be 36 sickness bugs – two every year – and an annual bout of flu.

On top of that, they can also expect to endure one bout of headlice a year after the critters come home from school on their children’s hair.

And eight in ten of those polled by supplements firm Healthspan say the germs and bugs can usually be traced back to the kids, leaving them suffering days after nursing their children back to health.

Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and Medical Director at Healthspan said: “Mums are often on the front line when it comes to the family’s illnesses and, due to time pressures and putting others first, are often poor at looking after themselves.

“Prevention is key and it’s important for mums to look after themselves by boosting their immunity to help prevent common illnesses as much as possible, and to shrug off respiratory infections quickly with go-to products they can trust to banish colds, such as Healthspan Pelargonium – a traditional herbal medicine that will tackle a cold in 24 hours.”

Sixty-eight per cent of mums said they had been more prone to falling ill since having children, with 39 per cent saying they now constantly feel under the weather in some way.

In fact, the average mum has just 13 days a month where they feel completely fit and healthy.

But 84 per cent of mums feel they are unable to sit back and relax when they are ill, instead having to battle on through, compared to just seven in ten dads.

And 72 per cent of women reckon they cope better than their partner when they are ill.

Mums’ illnesses – per year

Sore throats – 3

Runny stuffed nose – 3

Cold – 3

Flu – 1

Sickness bug – 2

Rash/skin complaint – 2

Migraine – 3

Conjunctivitis – 1

Total – 18

Comforting Recipes From Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Easy Sweet Chilli Steamed Buns

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Frostie

Easy Sweet Chilli Steamed Buns

Serves 6

Perfect if you have some left-over turkey or chicken from the Sunday roast.

Ingredients:

– A 400ml can of coconut milk

– Self – raising flour, enough to fill the empty can of coconut milk

– 1 tsp. of baking powder

– A good pinch of salt

– 2 tbsp. of sweet chilli sauce

– 150g of cooked, shredded turkey or chicken

– 1 tsp. of black sesame seeds

– Cooking spray / spray oil

Method:

– Empty the can of coconut milk into a bowl, then fill the empty can with self-raising flour. Add the baking powder and salt and mix well to for a sticky batter.

– In a bamboo steamer, lay 6 cupcake cases around the steamer and spray with oil.

– To make the job easier (and less messy!), spray an ice cream scoop with oil then scoop a tablespoon of dough into the cases. Create a hole in the middle and spoon in a teaspoon of sweet chilli chicken. Scoop another tablespoon of dough over the top and gently press around the edges to seal. Spray the top of the buns with oil and scatter with a few sesame seeds.

– Pop the bamboo steamer over a pan of simmering water and cook for 10-15 minutes until risen and fluffy.

– Serve with extra sweet chilli sauce.

Recipe by Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook. Milly’s debut book, Milly’s Real Food will be published BY Harper Collins in hardback, priced at £20 and released on 4th May 2017. For more information and additional recipes see: http://millycookbook.com/

Are We Overworking Our Children?

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Frostie

Shattered kids are ‘working’ for over 46 hours a week, according to a new survey.

The shock research shows that parents are over-timetabling their children with extra-curricular activities in addition to their school commitments.

This means exhausted children are actually working harder than the average parent who only completes a 37.5 hour week at work.

The average child already completes 30 hours and 50 minutes a week at school Monday to Friday, as well as seven hours and 51 minutes of clubs and homework each week.

Actively reading with parents daily accounts for a further five hours and 49 minutes a week.

And finally, the Center Parcs study of 2,000 parents found the average child also helps with housework for up to an hour and 37 minutes each week.

In response to the findings, Center Parcs has commissioned Channel 4 child psychologist Dr Sam Wass to develop a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Free Time – which equates to three hours and 51 minutes every day.

The RDA, which was inspired by the government guidelines we use for fruit and vegetables, is based on three hours on a week day and six hours a day at the weekend, calculated using time needed for a variety of free-time activities which will allow children to use their imagination and develop their creative thinking.

Dr Sam Wass said: “Many parents are desperate to do the right thing for their children – we shuttle them back and forth from school, to football, to an after-school club, and then get them home and sit and ensure they do their homework.

“But in fact, research suggests that it’s much more beneficial for children if their time is not always so structured. It’s the down-time, when there is not such much going on and the child has to entertain themselves, when they do their best learning.

There is a huge amount of research that suggests that this child-led, unstructured free play is vital for stimulating imagination and creativity, as well as helping the child to become more self-sufficient.”

The poll reveals 54 per cent of parents feel it is important to encourage children to participate in as many clubs as possible to give them the opportunity to excel at what they like.

A further 44 per cent think it is important to further their children’s learning, while 53 per cent say clubs give their kids essential social skills.

A quarter of parents questioned simply like their children to be busy – and as such the average child will have experienced swimming lessons, football, gymnastics and either brownies or cubs.

Researchers for Center Parcs also polled 1,000 children aged six to 11, to find out their views on how much they have to do in a day – it shows 44 per cent of kids reckon they do more in a day than their own parents.

And a quarter of kids questioned admitted they only take part in after school activities because their parents tell them to.

In particular, children most dislike swimming lessons, followed by football and foreign language lessons.

Colin Whaley, Marketing Director for Center Parcs continues: “This report shows that parents are really going above and beyond to do what they think is best for their child. As a parent myself, I was initially taken aback by the suggested recommended daily allowance, but it gave me food for thought about whether or not my own children currently achieve it.

“Clubs and sport play an important role for their development and life skills but creating a balance with some more simple time out together is clearly very important.”

AVERAGE CHILD’S WEEKLY TIMETABLE

Activity

Time/week

School

30 hours 50 minutes

Clubs & Homework

7 hours 51 minutes

Reading

5 hours 49 minutes

Housework

1 hour 37 minutes

TOTAL

46 hours 7 minutes

Comforting Recipes from Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Brie and Cranberry Waffles

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Frostie

Brie and Cranberry Waffles
Makes 4

Stuck with what to do with that leftover piece of Brie at Christmas and New Year? Turn it into a delicious brunch with my comforting waffles recipe.

Ingredients:

– 1 free range egg
– 1 cup of self-rasing flour
– 1 tsp. of baking powder
– A pinch of salt
– 200 ml of milk
– 1 tbsp. of honey
– A handful of brie, ripped up
– 4 tbsp. of cranberry sauce

Method:

– In a bowl mix the egg, flour, baking powder, salt, milk and honey together until it forms a smooth but sticky batter. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.
– Preheat your waffle iron to the highest setting.
– Dollop half a ladle full into each section of the waffle machine, scatter with brie and spoon in a tablespoon of cranberry sauce per waffle. Ladle the other half a ladle over the brie and cranberry and close the machine, cooking for a few minutes until golden on either side.
– One golden brown, serve immediately. Cut in half and let the brie ooze out.

Recipe by Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook. Milly’s debut book, Milly’s Real Food will be published by Harper Collins in hardback, priced at £20 and released on 4th May 2017. For more information and additional recipes see: http://millycookbook.com/

Comforting recipes from Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Swedish Potato Waffles

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Frostie

Swedish potato waffles

Makes 4

Channel your inner hygee with these simple potato waffles, decked with traditional creme fraiche, onion, roe and dill. If you don’t have a waffle machine, turn the mix into patties and cook in a frying pan.

Ingredients:

For the waffles:

– 2 cups of mashed potato

– 2 tbsp. of plain flour

– 1 free range egg

– 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped

– 1 tbsp. of chopped dill

– A pinch of salt and pepper

To top:

– 4 tsp. of roe

– 4 tbsp. creme fraiche

– 4 tsp. of finely chopped red onion

– A few sprigs of fresh dill.

Method:

– Preheat your waffle iron to the highest setting.

– In a bowl, mix the potato, flour, egg, red onion and dill into a smooth and sticky batter. Season with salt and pepper.

– Dollop a ladle full into each section of the waffle machine and close, cooking for a few minutes until golden brown on either side.

– Top with a tablespoon of creme fraiche, a teaspoon of roe and red onion. Scatter with fresh dill and serve immediately.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Author Archives: Frostie

Protecting Little heads from tiny pests with Kit & Coco: Complete Treatment Review

The 50 Most Boring Things In Life Revealed

Cabbie’s Burns Night Recipes

The Average Mum Falls Ill 324 Times Over Their Youngster’s Childhood

Comforting Recipes From Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Easy Sweet Chilli Steamed Buns

Are We Overworking Our Children?

Comforting Recipes from Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Brie and Cranberry Waffles

Comforting recipes from Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Swedish Potato Waffles