September Book Picks

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Frostie

Geetu Bharwaney Emotional Resilience.

An intelligent and accessible book. This brilliant book helps you develop your emotional resilience. It has practical steps which are easy to follow and understand, leaving you with the tools to perform at your best. It is all broken down well and is an original, unique book that allows you to prepare yourself against challenging situations. This great book gives you the toolkit to be your best at work.

Pressure, stress and annoying problems are all part of life, especially at work.

By developing your emotional resilience you can be bulletproof, prepare yourself against even the most challenging situations, and focus fully on achieving your goals, getting things done, moving ahead and being the best you can be.

With this comprehensive, practical and empowering guide, you will start feeling the benefits of emotional resilience straight away as you learn to:

· quickly adapt to tricky and pressured situations and get the best from them;

· be at your best all the time by successfully managing your emotions, thoughts and actions;

· handle everyday demands, hassles and annoyances with positivity and confidence;

· realise your full potential – whether on your own or with others.

Being clever, skilled or smart is not enough. To get an edge, stand out and really succeed you need emotional resilience.

Emotional Resilience: Know What it Takes to be Agile, Adaptable and Perform at Your Best is available here.

J.D. Robb Obsession In Death.

Another brilliant crime thriller from J.D Robb AKA Nora Roberts. Entertaining and indulgent. These books are hugely popular for a reason.

A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING.

Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an ‘admirer’, who just can’t stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her – again and again…

With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate – and dangerous – psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide – approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk – along with those she cares about the most.

Obsession in Death is available here.

Helen Oyeyemi Boy, Snow, Bird.

Now out in paperback. this imaginative and original novel is well worth a read. Read our review here.

The fifth novel from award-winning author Helen Oyeyemi, who was named in 2013 as one of Granta’s best of young British novelists. A retelling of the Snow White myth, Boy, Snow, Bird is a deeply moving novel about an unbreakable bond . . .

BOY Novak turns twenty and decides to try for a brand-new life. Flax Hill, Massachusetts, isn’t exactly a welcoming town, but it does have the virtue of being the last stop on the bus route she took from New York. Flax Hill is also the hometown of Arturo Whitman – craftsman, widower, and father of Snow.

SNOW is mild-mannered, radiant and deeply cherished – exactly the sort of little girl Boy never was, and Boy is utterly beguiled by her. If Snow displays a certain inscrutability at times, that’s simply a characteristic she shares with her father, harmless until Boy gives birth to Snow’s sister, Bird.

When BIRD is born Boy is forced to re-evaluate the image Arturo’s family have presented to her, and Boy, Snow and Bird are broken apart.

Sparkling with wit and vibrancy, Boy, Snow, Bird is a novel about three women and the strange connection between them. It confirms Helen Oyeyemi’s place as one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of her generation.

Boy, Snow, Bird is available here.

J.D Robb Devoted In Death

Another entertaining thriller. A must read and destined to become a film (we hope).

It’s a new year in New York city, and two star-crossed lovers have just discovered an insatiable appetite…for murder.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has witnessed some grisly crimes in her career and she knows just how dark things can get on the streets. But when a much-loved musician is found dead, Eve soon realises that his murder is part of a horrifying killing spree, stretching right across the country.

Now the killers have reached New York, and they’ve found themselves another victim. Eve knows she only has a couple of days to save a young girl’s life, and to stop the killers before their sadistic games escalate. Eve’s husband Roarke is ready to put his brains and his considerable resources behind the search. But even as the couple works closely together, time is running out…

Devoted in Death is available here.

Organii : Organic Shea Butter Shower Gel | Beauty

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Frostie

We reviewed Organii : Organic Shea Butter Shower Gel. Organii is not very well known but is an organic brand created by Pravera. The packaging is super cute, fun and stylish. Although it looked a bit like a smoothy and it made me want to drink it. At £5.95 for 300ml it is an affordable price point for something which is organic. It lathers well and becomes a slightly creamy foam. The shower gel comes in six scents, Aloe Vera and Bamboo, Argan, Liquorice, Peach, Shea Butter and Strawberry. We reviewed the Shea butter one.

The gel has a lovely scent and cleanses skin well. It doesn’t dry out the skin or irritate. As well as being organic, the gel is also vegan.

Have you tried the Organii range?

Actor Interviews: Rakesh Dasgupta

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Frostie

What made you become an actor?

It all started while I was in school. I never really had any friends to talk during my school days. I was experiencing domestic violence almost everyday; I could not find anyone to listen to me. I was getting bullied at school. All these experiences started giving me depression at that age and I was so helpless. But I always loved to watch movies and I liked portraying those characters I saw in the movies. Its hard to explain but when I used to portray the characters in front of the mirror I used to (kind of) become those characters from within which helped me for that short span of time to forget everything surrounding me. I found this to be a very helpful technique to stay away from my depression and the unwanted ambience. As time progressed, I just got hooked up with this acting.

Did you train and if so where?

Sounds weird but I must say my initial training started in front of the mirror. Being a commerce graduate I never had any formal acting qualification. Until 2013 when I started taking informal acting and accent removal classes in Sydney with some of the experienced actors.

Career Highlight

Instead of taking names of some of the projects that I have worked on, I would like to consider my career highlight to date being given the opportunity to go to Hollywood and perform in front of the film directors and casting directors. Also getting representation offer from one of the leading agencies in USA during my first week in Hollywood was something completely unexpected. (Well its a different thing that I could not accept the offer for having no work rights in USA)

Lowest Point

Those first days in Sydney when I did not have a place to live and was visiting Salvation Army to ask for food as I didn’t have any money with me. I don’t want to speak too much on my lowest points in life as I think people who want to pursue acting, want to become actors and have big dreams would get discouraged and scared listening to my past. So I would prefer to keep this point short.

Hardest thing about being an actor

1. Getting job – you can be an acting degree holder from the best acting university in the world and you might have the best acting talent but you might not get any acting job. If you ask me why, I don’t have that answer. It’s the way it is. 2. Uncertainty of the future – as an aspiring actor you never know where you will end up in the next 5 or 10 years time; you can end up with stardom or you can just end up with nothing. 3. No financial security – In the early stages of acting career, it does not pay you much, if at all to make both ends meet. It’s very likely that you might just end up with one meal a day as that’s all you would be able to sometime afford being an aspiring actor.

Do you make enough money from acting, if not, what else do you do?

At this stage of my career I do not make enough money from acting to pay all my bills. As such I have to do other stuff like working in supermarkets, gas stations, doing gardening work etc etc. I prefer these kind of odd jobs instead of a full time desk job because they provide flexibility to attend auditions and shoots.

Best and Worst audition

Best audition – When I had four days time to practice my lines which is quite unusual to get such a long time to prepare a script. I knew my lines and moves to perfection and was very satisfied with the way I performed in the audition room. The casting director appreciated my performance and I was so convinced about getting that role but guess what, I didn’t get the role.

Worst audition – I was driving to this audition and my car broke down in the middle of the highway. I had to get my car towed to the nearest gas station and then I got a cab and was able to reach the audition venue just on time. It was summer and I was profusely sweating. I went to the audition room and I couldn’t recall half my lines; I left the script in my car which made me look so unprofessional. I came out from the audition room dejected with no hope. Two days later my agent informed me that I got that role.

Advice for other actors

Firstly you should only pursue acting if you enjoy the actual art; If your reason to pursue acting is to become famous, you got a bad news coming – you are in the wrong business. Do not have a back up option because if you have a back up option you are basically preparing for failure. Acting is a business in which ‘YOU’ are the product that you sell, so maintain yourself (a good physique is always an asset in the acting business). When you are an aspiring actor you will get naysayers coming by default who will tell you that it cannot be done – just ignore them. Most importantly, you have to honestly believe in yourself that one day you will become a successful actor; Well, if you don’t believe in yourself, who else will.

What is the most important thing for actors to do to improve their career?

Practice Practice Practice! Practice your art, work on your art whole year, not just two days before going to an audition. Doesn’t matter if you practice lines in front of the mirror in your room, in the middle of the beach or in an acting school, but do something everyday to improve your confidence level.

Role Models

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne Johnson, Johnny Depp

Communication And Safety Tips For Parents

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Frostie

As a parent, you already understand that good communication is a necessary skill whether you are talking to a toddler or a teen. If your children are little, you can use communication as a way to teach them how to be safe around cars. This is an invaluable lesson you can teach them when they are out in the garden or when they are with you on the street.

You may also want to teach them that not all strangers are to be trusted. This is particularly useful when they first go to school. If your child is older, then good communication with your child will be instrumental in building up a sense of self-esteem and develop a feeling of mutual respect.

10 Tips to Build Rapport

1. If your child wants to play, let your child know that you are interested in the things that interest them. Agree to help them with their game if they need it.

2. If your child has something they feel important, let him or her know that they are more interesting to you than some form of media entertainment. For instance, if your child is talking to you while you are watching television, pause to. If they have something that they urgently want to say, then turn off the television and give them your full attention

3. If your child is chatting with you when they are sharing something with you, let him or her know that they are more important than a casual telephone call. Rather than excuse yourself when your friend calls, let the answering machine pick up the message.

4. If you get to spend some personal time with your child, let your child know how much you enjoy your private chats with them.

5. If your child does something foolish when you have company, don’t rebuke them in front of everyone. Scolding them in front of others can be embarrassing for them. Public humiliation only leads to a feeling of resentment.

6. If your child has to constantly look up to talk to you, occasionally drop down to their level when you talk.

7. If you are really angry about your child’s behavior, give yourself time to cool down so that you can have an objective talk.

8. If your child is telling a story, don’t correct their grammar or how they narrate the story. Instead, show an interest in the story rather than how it could have been told better.

9. If you get a negative report about your child from another parent or a teacher, don’t simply launch into a tirade. First, listen to your child’s side of the story. They may have behaved badly because they misunderstood the situation and did not know that their behavior would upset others.

10. Be open and receptive to your child’s attempts to communicate and explain their point of view. Encourage your child to communicate by asking leading questions.

5 Ways to Make the House Safe for Kids

While safety in the home can be improved through communicating about dangerous things—like not jumping on the bed, climbing on the pipes, or touching hot plates—safety can also be ensured by taking proactive measures.

Here are some common household dangers that you should either warn your child about or use safety measures to protect them.

1. The danger of scalding when turning on a tap. Teach your child the difference between the hot and cold taps.

2. The danger of falling out of an upper story window. One solution is to install window guards.

3. The danger of falling down stairs. This can happen if your child is learning to crawl or it can happen if your child is rushing around the house. It’s only too easy for a child to roll down a flight of stairs.

4. The danger of leaving your house unprotected. One ADT security company discusses the need for extra precautions for your family. “The list of potential threats that could affect their safety includes burglary, fire, carbon monoxide and flooding.”

5. The danger of medications or poisons. Your curious toddler likes to taste all sorts of things. Make sure that you don’t leave your medications lying around and that you have locked all detergents and garden supplies in a safe place.

From our contributor Jenna.

ASDA Protect Kids Ice-Cream Scented Sun-Care For Kids Review

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Frostie

Asda has launched a UK 1st for the sun-care market with its own brand ice-cream scented sun lotion for kids. In an effort to help make applying children with suncream fun and easy, the lotions and creams feature a delicious vanilla scent and are priced a just £3.50. All products featured in the range are highly water resistant, 24 hour moisturising and have been dematologicaly tested. You can also get two for £6.

We tested them and…yes, they do smell like ice cream. Not in a sickly way, but in a nice way. Hopefully the smell will make your little ones stay still long enough for you to get the lotion on them. Some of the sun protection even comes in a handy spray container. They are water resistant and protect little ones skin well. Recommended.

Tanqueray London Dry Gin Review & Cocktail Recipes

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Frostie

We are quite particle to a Gin & Tonic at Frost. In fact, we love cocktails with gin in them, it is the perfect spirit for cocktails. We are quite fussy about quality but Tanqueray London Dry passed our taste test. It is a vibrant gin which is both sweet and savoury. It has a blend of four of the finest botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice. It is a superior and high-quality gin. Frost loves.

Tantalise your taste buds with adventurous umami cocktails

When you think cocktail, do you think of a fruity and sweet concoction? Well think again with three delicious, yet savoury cocktails from Tanqueray London Dry Gin.

Over the last year, any cocktail bar worth its salt has featured savoury cocktails on the menu, allowing adventurous drinkers to enjoy the flavour sensation is known as umami – translated from Japanese as a ‘pleasant savoury taste’, which is actually one of the five basic tastes (along with sweetness, sourness, bitterness and saltiness).

Tanqueray London Dry Gin (70cl £21.50, stockist suggestion Waitrose.com) has an elegance and versatility of flavour that makes it the perfect spirit for cocktails – both sweet and savoury, as well as vibrant gin and tonics. The sophisticated flavour profile is achieved by the blend of four of the finest botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice.
Impress your friends and join trend-setting mixologists with these piquant potions that you can make at home.

Beetroot Shocker

Ingredients:
50mls Tanqueray® London Dry Gin
15mls Lemon Juice
50mls Beetroot Juice
Pinch of Celery Salt
Top with tonic water

Method – shake first four ingredients with cubed ice and strain over cubed ice in a hiball glass, top with tonic water and garnish with a Lemon wedge and a mint sprig
Units – 2.1

Peppered Apple Martini

Ingredients:
35ml Tanqueray® London Dry Gin
15ml Apple liqueur
30ml cloudy apple juice
3 x fresh basil leaves
5ml lemon juice & 5ml sugar

Method – add all ingredients to shaker and shake with cubed ice, double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a floating basil leaf and fresh cracked black pepper
Units: 1.5

Tanqueray Snapper

Ingredients:
35ml Tanqueray® London Dry Gin
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
4 dashes red pepper sauce
Pinch salt and pepper
Pinch white pepper
Squeeze half fresh lemon
100ml tomato juice

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, then roll back and forth to mix. Strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel and celery stalk.
Units: 1.3

Three words: Men AND Cats | Men And Cats Book Review

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Frostie

Based on the French blog Des Hommes et Des Chatons. The Huffington Post asked “We just have one question: Why did it take so long for someone to come up with this?” and we are wondering the same thing. It is hot men and cats in the same poses. Sigh. Out 24^th September priced at £8.99, it is the perfect present. Frost Loves.

What do you think?

Win a £35 Hamper That’s oh so Divine

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Frostie

When the sun comes out, we Brits love making the most out of outdoor summer indulgences, whether it’s baking up treats ready for picnics or laying on a spread for celebratory street parties. And as a chocolate-loving nation, combining the heat with the sweet is always going to be a winner.

Divine is the perfect ingredient to any chocolate recipe, with a smooth texture and excellent flavour. This is because all Divine chocolate is made with the finest quality Fairtrade cocoa beans from Kuapa Kokoo, a cooperative of smallholder farmers in Ghana. The cocoa is grown in the shade of the tropical rainforest, and slowly fermented and dried in the sun by the farmers, who take great pride in the chocolate company they co-own.

If you’re looking for Divine chocolate recipes to try, then visit www.divinechocolate.com/uk/recipes for inspiration.

Now it is your chance to win one of their Divine baking hampers worth £35 filled with five of their finest 100g chocolate bars: seriously smooth milk chocolate, gloriously creamy white chocolate, milk chocolate with toffee and sea salt, rich 70% dark chocolate and 70% dark chocolate with raspberry, plus tubs of Divine cocoa powder and drinking chocolate.

But that’s not all. The hamper also includes their recipe book containing over 100 delectable recipes, exclusively created by chocolate expert Linda Collister.

To be in with the chance of winning this fantastic prize, follow @Frostmag on Twitter or Instagram, or like us on Facebook. Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. Or subscribe to Frost Magazine TV on YouTube here: http://t.co/9etf8j0kkz.Then comment below saying what you did. Competition finishes on Monday.

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