Author Archives: Catherine Balavage

Take a Peek at BBC's Christmas {TV}

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Take a look at some of the highlights of the BBC’s bumper selection of festive TV fare with our Christmas showreel.

Among the great clips watch the hair-raising moment when the Top Gear presenters realise which country they have landed in and what lies ahead; see Matt Smith as the ghost of Christmas past in Doctor Who – A Christmas Carol, laugh as the Royle’s prepare for Christmas day in The Royle Family and see some of the drama that lies aheads for the residents of Albert Square in EastEnders and take a look at a selection of Matt Lucas and David Walliams‘ latest comic creations from their new show Come Fly With Me.

Entertainment
Featuring impressive entertainment from Top Gear Special, Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, Giles And Sue Live The Good Life, The Rob Brydon Show and Jools’ Annual Hootenanny.

Drama
Featuring stunning drama from Doctor Who – A Christmas Carol, Whistle And I’ll Come To You, Upstairs Downstairs, Toast, Eric And Ernie and EastEnders.

Buy the perfect fragrance gift without leaving the house {Shopping}

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The problem with internet shopping is that when it comes to smellies…you can’t smell them. So until someone invents smell-o-vision we’re going have to rely on experts. Trouble is the experts are in the shops, helping out people who’ve made the journey into town…or are they?!

Buying gifts can be tricky, but help is at hand for men this festive season thanks to the new Boots Ask The Girls service, which will answer all their gifting dilemmas. With dedicated staff in selected stores and hints and advice on boots.com to help men with present advice, Boots is the perfect place to get women a luxurious gift that they really desire!

An incredible one third (35%*) of women have been disappointed with presents and a further 15%* claim to have been upset or angry about their partner’s choice, so it’s important to get it right. If you think fragrance would make a great gift for your girlfriend, but need some advice,  join in the Fragrance Gift Ideas Live

Chat on boots.com on Thursday 9th December between 1pm-2pm. The chat will be hosted by Boots fragrance training manager, Rachael Turner, who has over ten years experience in the fragrance world. Rachael is in-the-know on fragrance trends, and she’ll be on hand to guide you through how to select the perfect fragrance.

To join in the chat, log onto Boots.com this Thursday at 1pm.

How Gwyneth got her body back. Tracey Anderson reveals all.

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GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT WITH THE WOMAN BEHIND HOLLYWOOD’S HOTTEST BODIES

Gwyneth Paltrow was asked to gain 20lbs for her upcoming movie Country Strong, in which she stars as an alcoholic singer. Fitness expert and Gwyneth’s personal trainer, Tracy Anderson, had the challenge of whipping the Oscar-winning actress into shape before her high profile appearance on the Country Music Awards, so put her on a specialised routine of dance cardio and weight training.

‘For this role in country strong they had her gain weight for it. That was tough for me because we’ve worked so hard on her body. [During filming] Gwyneth went down from six days a week of training to three and she ate everything in sight,’ said Anderson*.

‘It didn’t take her very long to lose it, only took her a couple of weeks. It didn’t want to be on her anyway. Extra weight isn’t something that she owned.’

If you want a body like Gwyneth, forget so-called celebrity workouts this New Year – get straight to business and the body you want with the expert behind the most sort-after A-list figures. ITV Studios Home Entertainment presents personal trainer Tracy Anderson’s latest workout, The Tracy Anderson Method: Total Cardio Workout and offers you VIP access to the exercise secrets that transformed stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Courtney Cox and Shakira.

Shift the Christmas weight

http://www.shoppingblog.com/pics/gwyneth_paltrow_country_strong1.jpg

THE TRACY ANDERSON METHOD: TOTAL CARDIO WORKOUT will be available to own on DVD from 27 December from

With News Of A Royal Wedding: Amazing Wedding Venue.

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News of a certain engagement today will get many thinking of their own special day and Amazing Retreats can offer a venue to make you feel like royalty! From a Scottish Castle, which has played host to many a celebrity bash, to country manor houses and even a fort in the Solent, Amazing Retreats has secluded wedding venues aplenty!

Ackergill Tower, Amazing Retreats’ flagship property, is a perfect location for a romantic wedding, overlooking clear blue sea, atop a secluded white sandy beach, combining the very best service with a stunning backdrop. The castle has played host to celebrity weddings and can offer seclusion and privacy, away from prying eyes!

With 27 individually styled bedrooms, Ackergill Tower can welcome up to 52 guests who can stay in discreet luxury, enjoying all that this unique venue offers in complete privacy. It is also easy to reach, being just five minutes from Wick Airport, which benefits from the services of two airlines, or a two hour drive through stunning countryside from Inverness, the highland capital.

Ackergill Tower from the airwedding outside Ackergillbride and bridesmaid on lawn

Helen McKenzie Smith General Manager for Ackergill Tower says: “Ackergill would be a stunning venue for the latest royal wedding, and they would be in good company! Newlyweds who have been fortunate enough to be married here leave with lingering memories of a dream wedding come true. We also work with some of the best in the business, including Stephen Seedhouse, who provided the stunning floral creations for Madonna’s wedding and when in London was florist to Princess Diana. With our experience and connections, we can help organise a stunning wedding in just over six weeks!”

If a castle isn’t to your taste then Amazing Retreats’ extensive portfolio offers smaller, intimate and unique venues to enjoy wedding receptions.

Spitbank Fort, The Solent

One mile out to sea from Portsmouth harbour, Spitbank Fort can host a party of up to 60, with 10 bedrooms for overnight stays. The Fort offers Sun decks, hot tub, gym, museum, lighthouse suite, pump house with fresh water pumped from 400 feet below the sea bed. Currently undergoing refurbishment, Spitbank will be available from August 2011, why not be one of the first to experience nautical nuptials in the Solent?

Plas Cilybebyll in South Wales

Sleeps 18 in the main house and 4 in the separate Bakehouse. Plas Cilybebyll comes complete with a luxurious indoor swimming pool, three acres of grounds and a hard tennis court.

The Mill, Bedfordshire

Sleeps 18 in 9 bedrooms in contemporary luxury. With a fully-stocked recreation room, underfloor heating, surround sound and set in six acres of riverside.

Morley Hall, Norfolk

Sleeps 10 in 5 bedrooms. A three storey Elizabethan moated house on its own garden island.

Beaucastle, Worcestershire

Sleeps 14 in 7 bedrooms. A fairy tale Arts & Crafts castle with views from the Tower across Worcestershire. Set in 12 acres of gardens with views of the Worcestershire countryside.

By Catherine Balavage

Viva ELVIS comes to Strictly Come dancing

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I grew up on Elvis, decades after his death my mother is still his biggest fan. Last Sunday, direct from Las Vegas to Blackpool, the cast of Cirque du Soleil’s Viva ELVIS performed the amazing new version ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ from the Viva ELVIS album on Strictly Come Dancing. The album features 12 brand new versions of classic Elvis Presley songs, giving the King’s voice a totally contemporary backing. These songs are the soundtrack to the Cirque du Soleil’s stunning Las Vegas show, Viva ELVIS. 18 of the Cirque’s legendary acrobats and dancers gave BBC viewers an exclusive taste of the show – the first time they have performed it outside the USA.

If you loved it as much as I did, you can now buy the album. With Christmas coming up, I reckon that’s my mother sorted!

Catch 21 Productions political interview: Zac Goldsmith

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Here at Frost we think that great minds think alike. Which is why we were excited to come across Catch 21 productions. Catch 21 is a charitable production company which produces videos, events and programmes to help engage young people with politics www.catch21.co.uk Something Frost is also trying to do.

They recently interviewed a number of MPs that were elected this year. One of those was Zac Goldsmith MP. Frost loves what they are doing and thinks that you should watch the video below.

http://www.catch21.co.uk/2010/11/new-mpinions-zac-goldsmith-mp

Catherine Balavage

Tea, cake and friends are the key ingredients for a FestiviTea Party

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For a second year running The National Autistic Society (NAS), the UK’s leading charity for people affected by autism, are asking people to get together during the festive season and raise money for charity by throwing a FestiviTea Party.

FestiviTea Parties are a chance for friends, family and colleagues to get together during the festive period and share tea, cakes and laughs whilst raising money for the National Autistic Society. They can be held anywhere and at anytime, whether it’s at home, work or even the local community hall. You can make your FestiviTea Party as big or small as you like, and how you raise the money is also up to you. Guests can buy tickets, make a donation, or pay for the cakes and biscuits you bake!

Christmas can often be a stressful time for many families, however it is especially difficult for the half a million people affected by autism; they can often become confused and frightened by sudden changes of routine, unusual foods and new social activities. The NAS relies on donations in order to provide support and services for those affected by autism, and every penny raised really does make a difference.

Jane Asher, President of The National Autistic Society and famous for her cake baking said: “A FestiviTea Party is a great way to have fun and raise money for charity at the same time. I love baking cakes, especially at Christmas time, and if you have children it’s a great activity to get them involved in too. But don’t worry if you’re running out of time: you could always ask some friends to help out, or even pick up some ready-made supplies from the supermarket. Christmas is the perfect time to gather friends together and give something back to your community, and every penny raised from FestiviTea Parties will go towards helping the half a million people affected by autism in the UK.”

Autism is a serious, lifelong and disabling condition, but the right support at the right time can make an enormous difference to people’s lives.

All funds raised through FestiviTea parties will be used to support NAS services including Advocacy for Education service, Befriending scheme, Parent to Parent support service and help! programme.

· £20 – will mean we can provide specialist one-to-one befriending support for one person with autism or a member of their family for a month

· £50 – will mean ten more people getting the understanding and help they need through our telephone support

· £100 – will help pay for a full diagnosis of a child at our internationally respected and renowned NAS diagnostic and assessment centre

· £200 – will mean one more adult meeting others, doing things, going places and feeling less isolated for a year at a NAS social group

To find out how to organise your own FestiviTea Party, visit: www.festivitea.org.uk or order a pack by calling 0845 180 0426.

Love and Other Drugs {Film Preview}

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While Leicester Square was mobbed by screaming Harry Potter fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars arriving for the film’s premiere, two Hollywood A-listers slipped un-noticed past the crowds of autograph seekers into the cinema next door. Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway were there to screen their new film ‘Love and Other Drugs’ and I was lucky enough to be invited along to watch it.

The film, directed by Edward Zwick is based on the non-fiction book ‘Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman’ by Jamie Reidy. Gyllenhaal plays Jamie Randall, a womanizing Viagra salesman. Exuding confidence and charm he’s the object of desire of the women he encounters and the envy of every man including his richer, more successful, less aesthetically blessed younger brother. Despite the bravado, Jamie is deeply insecure, his need to prove himself to his parents deriving from unfulfilled potential due to having ADD. Gyllenhaal found the part difficult to research as the world of pharmaceutical sales is incredibly secretive. He says “I played a CIA agent in a movie and it was easier to research that than researching the world of pharmaceutical sales.”

“When people are going through difficult times some people run towards others while there are some who push people in the other direction isolating themselves.”

Hathaway plays Maggie Murdock. At first Maggie, an artist, appears to be an alluring free spirit with an insatiable libido who won’t let anyone tie her down but her behaviour stems from a deep rooted fear of being rejected due to having an incurable degenerative disease. Hathaway’s clearly invested alot of energy into the part admitting that she found it difficult to leave behind. Insight-fully she remarks “When people are going through difficult times some people run towards others while there are some who push people in the other direction isolating themselves.”

Parkinson’s features heavily in this film and Ed Zwick commented: “We wanted to create a juxtaposition of the character of Jamie and his pill for everything and Maggie with an incurable disease”

Now this makes me feel old…the film’s classed as a period piece. Set in the 90’s, it opens in a second hand electronics store and there are plenty of gadgets to spot for those keen on nostalgia.

a delicate study into the nature of the psychology of love and the constant battle between wants and needs…based on a book about Viagra

There are funny moments, but it’s not a rom-com in the typical sense of the word. They director worked with the cast improvising scenes to steer the film away from the rom-com stereotype. For the cheese like-rs, there’s still a few cheesy moments but if you hated all cheesy moments all the time then possibly you have a heart of stone. Rather than a rom-com, the film’s a delicate study into the nature of the psychology of love and the constant battle between wants and needs…based on a book about Viagra.

Opens in the USA 24th November 2010 and the UK 29th December 2010


Love And Other Drugs Trailer