Category Archives: Life & Style

Cheap and cheerful sun in Gran Canaria

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When you want to escape the cold and gloom of a northern European winter, you generally have to think about travelling a long distance to get some heat and sunshine. The Caribbean, Thailand, India all offer warmth and great holiday resorts, but it takes a long flight to get there, and though there are deals to be had, they generally aren’t cheap.

An alternative that will save both travel time and money is to head to the Canaries – a group of Spanish islands that are situated off the north-west coast of Africa in the Atlantic. Known for their fantastic climate, they are sometimes nicknamed the Fortunate Isles and their climate is referred to as ‘eternal spring’. In fact, the climate varies little during the year, and while the winters are warm and mild, the summer temperatures don’t ever get unbearable.

The main islands are Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria and they have been dedicated to mass tourism for the last sixty years. Consequently, these places are really ideally set up for holidaymakers looking for beautiful beaches, hotels with great facilities and lots of different things to do. The Canaries make an ideal location to take the family for a ‘fun in the sun’ holiday, but you can also find quieter resorts if you’re after a walking or hiking holiday.

The biggest and most popular resort on Gran Canaria has to be Playa del Ingles, where you’ll find the biggest concentration of tourist attractions like waterparks and hotels such as the IFA Continental which all boast excellent facilities including swimming pools, tennis courts and spas and are designed to make your holiday relaxing but simultaneously full of entertainment possibilities.

Whoever you’re going on holiday with, you’ll find a resort in Gran Canaria that is suitable for your party, and the fact that you can get there so cheaply and easily makes it an ideal place for a sunshine break any time of the year.

 

Films to watch this Easter weekend

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With the Easter break coming up, you might be looking for something fun to do over the long bank holiday weekend. A trip to the cinema is a great idea if the weather isn’t so good, and there is plenty to see at the moment.

If you’re after a funny film, I Give It a Year is a fantastic and funny British romantic comedy which looks at the pitfalls of rushing into marriage too fast. It has lots of moments that couples all over the country will recognise and cringe at! From getting annoyed with your partner for constantly singing the wrong lyrics to songs, to wishing your other half would get off their backside and take the bin out without you having to pester them. It’s a real and funny look at the ups and downs of everyday relationships and well worth a watch.

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Another top film to check out this Easter weekend is Oz the Great and Powerful, a visually stunning prequel to timeless classic The Wizard of Oz which is suitable for all ages and well worth watching in 3D. James Franco, of 127 Hours and the Spider Man franchise fame, stars alongside Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams in this fun and entertaining film that will keep the whole family entertained.

Franco plays magician Oz, master of sleight of hand and misdirection but not someone you’d want to go and see for a genuine psychic clairvoyant reading as the good witch Glinda knows all too well. To put it another way, Oz is about as adept at reading tarot or doing real magic as a monkey is at tying his shoelaces: he’s a bit of a fraud. However, the Land of Oz is expecting a saviour and they believe Oz is with them to fulfil the prophecy. Will he come through for the munchkins and their fellow Oz inhabitants? Watch the film and find out!

 

Enjoy The Small Luxeries in Life With Decadent Bath Towels

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6_zpsbc9b2b01It is always the small things in life that make big differences. At ShopNineSpace.com you will find all the small luxuries like Fouta towels that make life more enjoyable. So often it is the small pleasures in life that make the biggest difference and ShopNineSpace has a great selection of small luxuries that provide a big wallop of comfort and style. Foutas are towels that originate from the Mediterranean where they where valued for their softness and incredible level of absorbency. They where used not only as towels but as tablecloths, aprons and blankets as well due to their great properties of drying quickly and extreme softness.

Made entirely of pure premium Turkish cotton, the moment you lay hands of these towels you will see why they have always been so prized. Now you can enjoy the simple joys they have to offer by ordering these towels in one of the many stylish versions they come in. They come in beautiful tie dyes perfect for a leisurely day at the beach or more traditional stripes and solids of all sorts of colors for use in the home. Foutas can be used for much more that a luxurious wrap when you come out of the shower. They make great tablecloths and the are quite lovely draped on furniture. They are available in standard and oversize versions so you can find one to suit your needs.

Another great option from ShopNineSpace is bamboo towels. These fluffy, soft, and absorbent towels are not only sinfully comfy, they are also an Eco-friendly option and you can find more selection here. Bamboo has become a popular material to make items for the home out of because of the fact that it is one of the most green materials to make things from. It grows quickly and uses few natural resources to produce. It is an extremely versatile material that has been used to make everything from the big fluffy towels discussed here to home flooring that rivals the beauty of hardwood.

You can enjoy the luxury of decadent towels made of bamboo guilt free because you will know you are doing something good for the earth every time you wrap yourself up in one. It just doesn’t get much better then environmentally friendly decadence that you can enjoy without guilt. If you enjoy the creature comforts of life, but care about the impact your consumption makes on the world around you, then these are the perfect choice for those who want the best of both worlds.

Why Bike Patrol Uniform Needs to be Reflective Clothing

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reflective clothing for cyclingEvery police officer whether riding on a bike, a horse, or perhaps in an automobile recognizes that being visible to oncoming motorist when you are performing a traffic stop could literally mean the difference between life and death for an officer from the law.

Police officers everywhere have prescribed standards that they’re necessary to follow concerning uniforms. Police officers must adhere to specifications not just about how a uniform should, but more about that they are created and what types of materials they are created from.

Bike Patrol Uniforms Require Different Standards Then Regular Police Uniforms

The fact that bike patrol uniforms officers spend all their time practical outside in the weather with very little more than a high visibility jacket and a police uniform together the street, weather, and also the suspects makes bike patrol uniforms and the way they are manufactured from the upmost importance.

What sort of Visibility Jacket Do Bike Patrol Officers Wear?

Usually when we think of a high visibility jacket we think from the visibility jacket that most folks wore as kids while riding our bikes round the neighborhood. However, a better high visibility jacket is a lot sturdier than our Moms regarded as being a visibility jacket, and bought at the area department store. The type of high visibility jacket that uniform bike patrol officers must wear is known as, “Class 3 high visibility clothing” although police officers aren’t necessary to wear the category 3 high visibility clothing constantly it is required while officers are directing traffic, while they’re investigating car wrecks, and when being employed as a uniform bike patrol specifically in high traffic or congested areas.

Bike Patrol Officers Uniforms and Regular Uniforms

The large difference in bike patrol uniforms and regular police uniforms may be the method that they are made. Taking into consideration that bike riding causes more deterioration of many places of clothing bike patrol officers uniforms are reinforced in certain areas to make sure strength when needed and luxury as well areas including the knees and crotch area wears faster when riding a bike day in and day out.

Another difference inside the bike patrol uniforms is the fact that they are outdoors in the actual elements most of the time. The bike patrol officer is a lot more more likely to get wet by sweat or rain so they really have to have a uniform that will keep them dry after they have to be kept dry, and will dry quickly after they don’t realize wet. Bike patrol uniforms are produced from fabrics which can be specially made to do just that.

Tax year end: last minute pension planning tips

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  • Investors are urged not to forget the ‘forgotten’ allowances
  • Falling annual allowance emphasises the importance of making hay while the sun shines
  • 50% tax relief is only available until 5th April
  • Bed and Sipp
Use your earnings related pension contribution allowance. For the past three years, we have seen a steady erosion in pension contribution allowances, with both the annual and lifetime allowances being cut. Both the Liberal Democrats and Labour have threatened to go further and limit the rates of tax relief available on pension contributions. If you have spare capital which you are looking to invest for your retirement, then it makes sense to get on and do it before 6 April.
Tom McPhail, Head of Pensions Research “Pensions are sometimes the forgotten allowance at this time of year when attention tends to be focused on ISAs, but with retirement saving tax breaks coming under increasing pressure from the Chancellor, wise investors will make hay while the sun shines. If you don’t use the allowances now, you may not get the chance next year.”
Non-earner’s pensions
It makes sense to share household retirement savings to take full advantage of the tax free personal allowance in retirement. Non-earners can contribute up to £3,600 a year to a pension and enjoy tax relief on their contributions. With personal allowances set to rise to £9,440 in 2013/14, a couple in retirement could enjoy a household income of nearly £19,000 a year without having to pay any tax – but only if they have shared their pension saving equally between them.
It is also possible to make pension contributions for your children – an effective way to give them a head start on their own retirement saving, as well as reducing a potential inheritance tax bill.
Bed and Sipp
Use existing investments to make a pension contribution. Even if you don’t have cash available to invest in a pension, you can potentially use other investments.
For example: Peter has some shares which he bought 10 years ago for £10,000. Today they are worth £15,000. He sells the shares, realising a gain of £5,000, which falls within his Capital Gains Tax allowance of £10,600. He invests the proceeds in his pension and immediately repurchases the share portfolio within his Sipp. As well as having now sheltered his investment within a pension for tax purposes, he also benefits from immediate tax relief of £3,750 which is added to his pension. If he is a higher rate taxpayer Peter can claim a further £3,750 after the end of the tax year.
Take advantage of the 50% tax rate.
For the (un)lucky few who pay 50% income tax, it makes sense to invest in a pension before the end of the tax year. Any contributions made from 6 April onwards will only be eligible for relief at 45%. If using carry forward as well, this could mean up to an additional £10,000 in tax relief.
Carry forward unused relief to boost contributions. If you have the capital to spare, then provided you also have the earnings to justify the contribution, it is possible to carry forward unused pension tax relief from up to 3 years ago. This means it is possible to make a pension contribution of up to £200,000, which for a 50% tax payer could then result in up to £100,000 of tax relief.
Plan ahead for flexible drawdown.
You’re not allowed to make any pension contributions in the same tax year in which you start flexible drawdown. So anyone planning on using flexible drawdown may want to top up their pension with any final contributions before 6th April – any contributions after that date could mean having to wait up to another 12 months before getting full access to their pension funds.

Professor Green Performs at Barclaycard Contactless Gig with Fiancee Millie Mackintosh

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 Professor Green makes 2013 live debut at
Barclaycard Contactless Gig
One of Frost’s favourite couples were at the Barclaycard gig. Professor Green to perform, and Millie to support. The couple got engaged yesterday so congratulations are in order. Check out the cute outfit Millie is wearing.
 Millie Mackintosh
Hundreds of Professor Green fans flocked last night to see the London-born rapper make his 2013 live debut with a storming set list which included favourites such as Remedy and Read All About it.

Last night hundreds of Professor Green fans flocked to see the London born rapper make his 2013 live debut to celebrate Barclaycard Contactless being available on TFL buses across London.

Professor Green said: “Being a London lad born and bred, I have been using public transport all my life so I was happy to headline the Barclaycard Contactless Gig which celebrates this new form of payment on London buses.”
 

 

Looking for some fashion inspiration? Italian Fashion: Alessandro Zuletti Shoot

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Photographer: Alessandro Zuletti.
Location: Vicenza, Italy
Theme: Buildings from Andrea Palladio (30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) who was an Italian architect widely considered the most influential individual in the history of western architectrue.
All Photos were taken arround his buildings, or in them, in honour of the reopening of the Cathedral of Vicenza.
Models: Valora Kendra Roucek & Sara Chelucci
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Frost Interviews: Italian Actor Claudia Gerini

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_Claudia Gerini by Cristina GhergoFrost interviewed the beautiful and talented Claudia Gerini. Prolific and mufti-lingual, Claudia can be seen in Labyrinth, broadcast on Friday 29 and Sunday 31st March on Channel 4.

You got your first role when you were only 14. Do you think starting so young was a good thing?

Well, I think that there are advantages and disadvantages in all of

one’s decisions. Perhaps the positive side of this was that I started to work

immediately and was able to throw myself into the career that I had always

known I wanted to follow. The negative side could be that I started to work

straight away and so I wasn’t able to develop other interests or perhaps lost

out on other things but, at the end of the day I think that say it was a more

positive than negative outcome.

What is your favourite role you have played?

Well, I suppose it was the part that I had I’m Crazy about Iris Blond. I

played the part of a waitress ― Iris Blond ― who then becomes a singer and

given that singing is my passion and the role required me to sing a lot, I really

enjoyed that part.

You have over 53 credits on IMDB, how do you think you managed to have such a long and prolific career?

I suppose taking decisions and making the right choices. I don’t really

know. I follow a trajectory in which I try to follow a set of principles and be

faithful to my ideas and plans. Part of this is probably my love of challenge

and so I try not to repeat myself too much and I am always on the look out for

new genres and different roles.

Favourite film?

I have no doubts about that one. Moulin Rouge by Baz Luhrmann. I

don’t know how many times I’ve seen it over the years.

Favourite genre to work in?

I think I’d have to say comedy, a more romantic or ironic comedy but

then again, given that I like changing genres and roles and I am always on

the look out for a challenging role, I like dramatic roles as well.


You have worked in many different languages. Do you find learning

other languages hard? What is your favourite language to work in?

I find it quite easy to learn new languages, probably because I have a

good ear and so I tend to pick up the sounds quickly. I learned Spanish,

French and English this way and if I have to work in another language then

probably I prefer working in Spanish or English.

What would you be if you were not an actress?

If I could stay in the entertainment sector then I’d love to be a singer. If

I had to change sector then I think I’d love to work with children, young

children; perhaps as a pedagogue or even a primary school teacher.

How do you stay in shape?

I keep in shape by going to Taekwondo classes 3 times a week. Its so

energetic that you don’t really need to do anything else; there is a lot of cardio

and stretching and so its an all-round sporting activity. Recently I’ve

discovered pole dancing which is a lot of fun so I suppose just keeping myself

in movement. You know, being a full-time working mother, I have very little

time to sit and relax and another thing is that I’m slowly moving towards a

more vegetarian diet as well even though I still eat meat occasionally.

What’s next for you?

At the moment I am working on some projects that will be staring this

summer and so I’ll be back on set shooting in July. Tulpa is also being

released in Italy on the 30th of May and so I’ll be a bit busy with that as well

and so, in general, I’m getting ready to start filming again this summer.