Category Archives: Life & Style

Shake and Match Shape Sorter from Hape Review

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Frost loves this colourful and fun shape sorter. Children will learn shapes as well as colours as they have fun. The shape sorter is wooden and well made. The shapes also double as rattles which give a great sound. The design is brilliant without any fuss. Unlike other shape sorters we have reviewed it is also tough and sturdy. So it will not just break after a few uses. A wonderful toy. Frost recommends.

The Shake and Match Shape Sorter from Hape is not just your average shape sorter. Inspiring building in a whole new, way each block has its very own unique sound. Doubling as a rattle, allow your little one to create their own distinct sound as they sort the shapes or just shake a block and ask your child to imitate the sounds you made with his or her own block. It’s the perfect way to allow the relationship between parent and child to blossom.

Each side of the wooden hexagon has fun to be had, watch them overcome the challenge of finding the correct slot to complete the sorter. Discovering new sounds, shapes and colours along the way with this multifunctional toy.

Thoughtfully designed to the highest of safety and quality standards, parents have peace of mind that they can trust in Hape. With a commitment to sustainability, Hape use only eco-friendly materials and water based paints to produce their much-loved and well respected toys.

The Hape Shake and Match Shape Sorter is available at Debenhams.com for £12.00 and is guaranteed to provide your little one with plenty of fun whilst developing a variety of vital skills needed for the years ahead, from hand-eye co-ordination, dexterity & shape and colour recognition.

The beautiful wooden design and enchanting pattern we’re so used to seeing from Hape is once again carried throughout the Shake and Match Shape Sorter good for both the child and the environment, Hape set themselves apart from others by the sturdy construction making it perfect for the rough and tumble of child’s play. While the use of bright bold colours are ideal for developing any little one’s shape and colour recognition, also helping hand-eye co-ordination and dexterity, whilst bringing joy to any young one 12M +.

 

Corkcicle Canteen Review

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The Corkcicle Canteen has impressed me, and it takes a lot to impress me. It keeps drinks cold for over 25 hours or hot for over 12. All while looking very stylish indeed. It is stainless steel and easy to clean. This stylish travel mug is amazing. Seriously, travel mugs just got cool, and hot at the same time. See what we did there? Frost loves.

 

Our bright summer Caribbean green Canteen is the perfect little tag along no matter the time or place. This brilliantly built travel mug is perfect for those beach days keeping your drinks cool for over 25 hours, not only is it made for burning hot days, but can also keep your hot beverages warm for more than 12 hours. Great isn’t it?

The Canteen comes not only in Caribbean Green but in multiple sizes and colours to match each individual’s unique style. It also comes in an array of vibrant finishes such as Copper, Lilac and Peach. So grab your Canteen and have a blast.

It’s super key features include:

  • keeps your beverages cool for over 25 hours and hot for over 12.
  • Available in 3 different sizes – Small (265ml), Medium (475ml) and Large (750ml)
  • A shatter-proof stainless steel interior lining that will not affect the taste of your favourite beverage – Plus it makes your Canteen terribly easy to clean.
  • Three industry-leading layers of insulation eliminating condensation and burning hands
  • The Canteen features a leakproof threaded screw top, easy grip sides and a non-slip bottom for all you clumsy ones.
  • Includes a wide mouth for ice cubes and easy filling!

Simply, the most stylish way to keep drinks cool on the go without the hassle of lugging around a heavy cooler. It’s time to start drinking differently.

From £20.

 

The Corkcicle Canteen is available here. 

Secrets of Glo | Beauty Review

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Secrets of Glo is a new beauty brand from actress, model and musician Glo Butane. Handmade with love, her serum can be used in conjunction with your existing beauty regime, or alone. All the ingredients are natural and UK sourced. There is approximately a one month supply in a bottle. It is for crows feets, laughter lines, veins…basically any problem you are having with your skin. It minimises the look of age lines. You leave it to soak in for 10 minutes and then massage it in and then apply your regular moisturiser.

Glo has always been passionate about essential oils, but she did not develop the serum until she was pregnant with D-R, when she noticed lines and veins popping up everywhere, and could not use her regular products because they had unsafe ingredients that could affect her child’s development. Because this formula is natural and it works it has been a part of her skincare regime ever since.

This is a brilliant serum and I highly recommend it. A great, natural product that really works.

www.secretsofglo.com

Mezcal Cocktail Recipe for Dia De Los Muertos

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This Saturday we celebrated National Mezcal Day and we thought it was just about time this smokey agave plant made a comeback to claim it’s place proudly in your drinks cabinet. Here in the UK, Mezcal is making a comeback and we would love you to try this smoking hot cocktail perfect for Dia De Los Muertos which is coming up on November 2nd.

Mortar & Pestle, craft cocktail specialists with bars across the West Coast of USA have kindly supplied us with a cocktail which is evocative of their signature style. Full of show-stopping panache.

Mayan Calander
created as a libation for the end of days.

With flavours of;

Wahaka Joven Mezcal
Creme de Cacao
Habanero Syrup
Blackstrap Bitters

You will need:

One Martini Glass

¾ oz Lime juice
½ oz Habanero Syrup (cut 50/50 with 1:1 Simple Syrup)
1 ½ oz Wahaka Espadin Joven Mezcal
½ oz Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao
3 dashes Blackstrap Bitters
5 drops Saline Solution

Garnish: Flamed Lime Boat with Grated Cinnamon.

Method:

Combine ingredients into shaker.
Long shake and double strain into martini glass.
Garnish with lime boat filled with Overproof rum to fuel flame.
Torch, then grate cinnamon over time boat to create sparks.

A Round-up of Well-being Ideas

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The season of mellow fruitfulness is upon us, a harsh winter could be on the way, and perhaps sore throats with it.

 

Throaty Soothe

 

Do you remember those miserable sore throats in your childhood days? I was given a honey and lemon drink which vaguely helped but Throaty Soothe sounds as though it will work better and in this time of watchfulness over the possible over-use of paracetamol, and ibuprofen especially for young children it’s interesting to note that both have been replaced by the traditional herbs – Icelandic Moss and Mallow.

Icelandic Moss and Mallow have identifiable modes of action and offer effective use. Calcium pantothenate also supports the soothing effect of Icelandic moss on the irritated mucous.  Throaty Soothe syrup, for use from 12 months, and Throaty Soothe Lozenges, for children aged four and older, offer a safe and effective treatment for a common and often troubling problem and should be recommended as a first-line treatment for infants over 12-months and children suffering from sore throat.

Throaty Soothe syrup contains zinc as well as Icelandic moss and mallow. Throaty Soothe lozenges contain Icelandic moss, calcium pantothenate and zinc.

 www.throatysoothe.co.uk/

 

Chemical-free cleaning:  with e-cloth and water

You might have noticed that there has been some concern expressed about chemical cleaners. Until relatively recently, consumers have been forced to choose between efficacy and efficient cleaning with chemicals, and the health of their family and the environment, but now there is a third way — thanks to the marvel of microfibre technology. One that only requires water and not a thousand different types of toxic chemical cleaners.

e-cloth products, which use microfibre technology, allows you to clean and sanitise almost every surface in your home with nothing more than water and a wipe. And though no chemicals are being used, this method still eliminates almost all bacteria, proving chemical-cleaning is no longer a must.

And e-cloth’s efficacy has been proved in a number of studies. Independent tests have been carried out by laboratories based in U.S.A, France and Brazil, with data reviewed by an American microbiologist who pioneered research into salmonella and other harmful bacteria, to confirm the highly efficient antibacterial action of e-cloths.

The e-cloth range is extensive and we list just a few:

e-cloth’s General Purpose Cloth removes thick grease, dirt and bacteria from all hard surfaces. RRP £4.99

It can be used with the e-cloth Glass & Polishing Cloth to be used dry on a damp surface. RRP £4.99

e-cloth’s Deep Clean Mop and also the light Mini Mop with a smaller head (good to keep in the bathroom) RRP £19 / £14.99

www.e-cloth.com/

Red Kooga Natural Energy Release

Chronic Tiredness is prevalent, apparently. Life is hectic, and with little time to eat properly coffee and sweet snacks are often downed to fill the energy gap. My husband calls them white van moments after he flagged down a white baker’s van in the wilds of Wales when he came over ‘all strange’ on a long walk, having missed his lunch. He bought bags of buns from the bewildered driver.

Maybe this is a better idea. Red Kooga Natural Energy Release combines top-quality natural ingredients, backed by research, to boost energy and wellbeing and ward off fatigue.

Reported benefits include anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and anti-tumour effects. Red Panax Ginseng has potent antioxidant activities which may help to prevent oxidative-stress linked to many chronic diseases. Alongside this, there is some evidence to suggest that ginsenosides may have a role to play in the treatment of flu viruses. It is thought that these powerful compounds may be able to attach to viral proteins, rendering them less active. A recent murine study also found that Panax ginseng helped to reduce parameters of fatigue experienced with exercise

 

http://www.redkooga.co.uk

Box Appetit Lunch Box From Black + Blum

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Frost loves this stylish and well designed lunch box. It is high-quality and BPA-free. It has an inner dish for food separation, a sauce pot and a fife which is a fork and knife- it has a sharp edge down one side. It is Japanese in design and just very clever. It looks great and is also microwave and dishwasher safe. A very impressive lunch box indeed. 

A practical water tight design for your homemade food. Made from high-quality BPA-free materials and ideal for all ages.Its clever functionality and design accents include an inner dish for food separation, sauce pot for dressings or condiments, and a fife (fork + knife) with a cutting edge for easy one handed eating.Inspired by Japanese bento, it’s most suited for Western dishes yet caters for all your culinary creations. It’s the perfect reusable alternative to boring, fragile and harmful takeaway containers

 

Awesome for adults & cool for kids of all ages

  • Perfect for taking to work, school or trekking
  • Ideal for portion control or special diets
  • Save money, by avoiding expensive take outs
  • Help the planet by reducing food packaging
  • Includes inner compartment, sauce pot & ‘fife’
  • Secure lock down clips
  • Easy to use, easy to clean
  • BPA free, FDA food safe materials
  • Microwave and dishwasher safe

If you want a lunch box that will present your food beautifully and is a joy to use, then look no further. The glass like lid locks to the body for a leak resistant seal. The lid also has a neat sauce dipping area (great for soya sauce for you sushi lovers). It also has a cool sauce pot which is perfect for salad dressing, ketchup or any other sauce you can think of. There is a really useful inner container and this allows you to organise and separate your foods with ease. The fork (or ‘fife’ as they call it, because it ingeniously includes a sharp edge down one side), is perfect for one handed eating. Set your culinary imagination free with the endless ways you can fill this lunch box.

Box Appetit Lunch Box From Black + Blum is available here.

 

 

The PentUp Foundation’s Inspirational Modern Pentathlon

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Just sometimes Frost Magazine hears of an amazing endeavour and the PentUp Foundation’s Modern Pentathlon is certainly that. Mark you, it took a great deal of hard work and foresight, not to mention extraordinary participants, but on Sunday 14th October, at the Military Academy Sandhurst, it was clear that PentUp had created something grand.

I was lucky enough to be am cheering on my son at the Modern Pentathlon, alongside many others all willing on the participants, and the idea. It was an inspirational day, the culmination of careful planning by the organisers, and hard work, training and focus by the competitors. These competitors were all ages and abilities, including some who were continuing their recovery from PTSD –  supported by private individuals, clinicians, Olympians and serving military personnel throughout the training and event.

 

Frost Magazine hopes that it will be repeated year on year.

 

The PentUp Foundation is a recently-founded Community Interest Company (CIC) with an ambition to raise as much money as possible to facilitate the national and regional treatment of PTSD through individual giving, sponsorship, major donors and legacies. PentUp uses the sport of Modern Pentathlon as a means of sports therapy to support the recovery of military veterans who have completed clinical treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Image courtesy of Leo Wilkinson

 

RECOVERY THROUGH SPORT…

Evidence based research has shown that the process of training and preparing for a competitive multi discipline sport, can form an essential part of therapeutic treatment and rehabilitation for sufferers of PTSD. The foundation was set up specifically to support a Modern Pentathlon event at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 14 October 2017, with a view to it becoming an annual competitive event.

 

Dr Simon Thompson, Psychiatrist at Combat Stress; “This adapted modern pentathlon event works in treating PTSD veterans because it utilises the psychological skills gained through intensive trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy and the grounding and mood emotional regulation techniques developed in the clinical treatment programmes”. This is the first time that a multi discipline sport has been used as a form of recovery.

Image courtesy of Gavin Booth

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Over 75,000 veterans from armed conflicts of the last 25 years are afflicted by trauma, and in 2015/16 Combat Stress’ 24 hour phone line was contacted 9,500 times, with 2,500 referrals for therapy. The scale of suffering is unprecedented and growing with over 200 traumatised ex-service personnel a month coming forward to ask for help.

Image courtesy of Leo Wilkinson

Each annual cycle sees up to 40 veterans, clinicians and supporters take part in a training programme to prepare them from novice to competitor in a 6-month period between March and October. The cycle culminates in a PentUp Pentathlon competition run by GB Modern Pent specific for this group of competitors.

Image courtesy of Leo Wilkinson

Having given their all, competitors and supporters togged up into best bib and tucker for PentUp Foundation Ball and Prizegiving – a fitting celebration of a great debut for PentUp’s Modern Pentathlon .

 

You can still donate at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/pentupfoundation

http://pentup.org.uk/

Leo Wilkinson: www.leothephotographer.co.uk

Much More than books    by Milly Adams

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Frost has been looking at independent bookshops recently and has come across the gorgeous, thriving award winning White Rose BookCafé in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. As evidence of its success this remarkable bookshop  has just celebrated its 22nd birthday.

 

This bookshop is just perfect with its huge range of books, and a great little café with an outside terrace. We didn’t make it to the terrace but sank into a sofa and enjoyed homemade cakes, and wished we’d been there for a light lunch too. My mum would have loved the tea but would have given the FREE WiFi indoors & out a miss. She didn’t  hold with these new fangled wotnots. Her daughter does though.

 

 

You can browse to your heart’s content without being hustled, there are book signings, most recently with local author Julian Norton who has brought out another book in the Yorkshire Vet series – Through the Seasons, which Frost Magazine will be including in a roundup very soon.

They have a whole wall of cards, you know, the sort that you laugh out loud at, so those were bought to bring home. As well as books, there were prints, toys, maps, diaries, calendars and a miscellany of other gifts.

 

Independent bookshops have to be pro-active in order to survive these days, and the White Rose BookCafé owned and managed by friendly and knowledgeable Caroline Nicholls is certainly that. They organise a host of book related events every month, such as their Bloomin’ Words Cabaret evenings, and regular storytime for children every week. There is a loyalty card schemes for books and the coffee bar to gain offers and discounts, and they issue a monthly e-news.

As we left we were totally glum to be missing Gervaise Phinn’s visit. His books are hilarious.

 

Anyone thinking of running a bookshop should take a trip to the White Rose BookCafé, and certainly anyone in search of cards, books or cakes – beat a path there too. Thirsk is well worth a look too, not to mention The World of James Herriot Museum.

 

http://www.whiterosebooks.com/

 

https://www.facebook.com/WhiteRoseBooks/

 

https://twitter.com/

 

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/news0142/pins/

 

https://www.instagram.com/whiterosebookcafe/

White Rose BookCafe

79-81 Market Place, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 1ET – Tel: 01845 524353

Regional Shortlisted 2017, 2016, 2015 & Independent Bookseller North 2014

Certificate of Merit in the Parliamentary Shop of the Year 2010

 

Milly Adams latest book is The Waterways Girls pub Arrow in pb. £5.99