Category Archives: Life & Style

How To Take The Stress Out of a Home Move

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Moving house can often be a stressful experience. You have your ideas on the best ways to move, your partner has theirs, and the only thing you seem to be achieving successfully other than packing boxes is going round in circles.

With every room in the house to pack up, every old room to clean up, and the need to transfer all of your precious items safely across to your new house, it can be daunting knowing where on earth to start.

But believe it or not, you can take the stress out of moving – if you plan ahead, stay organized and even, get a little help.

If you’re currently stuck in the house-moving-hell and fear you can’t see a way out, or if you’ve got a big move coming up, here a few tips to take the stress out of it, so you can actually enjoy moving into your brand new home:

Start Early

Now, I know that this hardly feels like a ‘tip’, given that this is all your family and friends have been telling you to do since you first announced your move, but honestly, it really is the best policy.

Everyone always starts a big move with the best intentions of starting early and getting organised, but stick to these and they’ll guarantee you a much less stressful move.

Firstly, load up on any empty boxes you can get your hands on; ask family and friends if they’ve got any spares kicking around in their garage, or take a trip to your local supermarket to see if they’re disposing of any.

Start by packing up any items you don’t regularly use or ones that you know you won’t need in the days and weeks to come. Items such as ornaments, pictures, clothes and electronics are always good places to start. Rather then leaving everything to the last minute, packing as you go along is the most effective way of staying organised.

Out With The Old, In With The New

One of the biggest problems associated with moving is the transferring of items you don’t actually need.

If you’ve lived in your current home for a number of years, you’ll most certainly find you’ve managed to accumulate random items that actually don’t do anything apart from contribute to clutter and mess.

As you’re packing up each room, take time to sort through every one of your items and assess whether you need it – if you haven’t used it in the last year, chances are, you won’t ever use it again.

Aside from taking up your time during the packing process, which could be better spent on other aspects of the move, it’ll only take you longer to unpack and find homes for these unnecessary items on the other side.

You wanted to move into a new home for a fresh start, right? Well, don’t clutter your new house with old stuff – it’ll only result in old mess in new territory, and more work for you in the long run.

Hire a Man With a Van

Now, I know that you think that hiring help from a company is just an unnecessary cost when you can do an equally good job on your own. But actually, it’ll really help to reduce those stress levels throughout the whole of the moving process.

Hiring a man with a van will not only help you to move your items from one house to another, but they’ll also help with your packing, provide you with packing materials, and make sure that your items are treated with care from start to finish.

Ask family and friends if they know of any reputable movers, or look in your local directory for accredited companies, and you can guarantee that the small fortune you’ll part with to hire some help, will be 100% worth it when it comes to your stress levels.

A Liar’s Autobiography

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Anyone who knows me reasonably well will be aware of my penchant for Python (almost to the point of annoyance sometimes to those who don’t share my sense of humour), so, as you can imagine, I was looking forward to this film enormously. Unfortunately, I am still looking forward to it! Due to technical hitches with both the 3d and 2d versions, the press screening failed to take place at the allotted time, and the press conference went ahead with the majority of journalists present (myself included) not having seen the film. Which could be described as just a little bit silly …..
Director Bill Jones described Graham Chapman’s memorial service as the first time he got drunk, and spoke of the film as a way of celebrating Chapman’s life and achievements. Terry Jones spoke of Graham as a complex individual who didn’t really understand himself and who was looking for who he was. Michael Palin described the film as a homage to Graham, and confirmed that it was as close to a Python reunion as we were ever likely to get. Both spoke of Graham’s sense of stillness, and described him as their leading actor. As the press hadn’t seen the film yet, a lot of the questions from the floor were more generally about the Python oeuvre than specifically about the film in question, which led to some interesting reminiscing such as Terry Jones describing smuggling the tapes of Series I out of the BBC to copy on a Phillips VCR before they were destroyed.
The screening has been rescheduled for 4pm this afternoon, but unfortunately one of my other jobs prevents my attending (plug for The Castle at the Lord Stanley in Camden, opening tonight:) but I can tell you that the film uses audio recordings of Graham’s reading of his book, subtitled The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, combined with different styles of animation to reflect the different styles of humour, with fourteen different animation studios being involved in the production. Not having seen it yet, I cannot give an informed opinion as to it’s watchability, but with John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones all involved (Terry Jones plays Graham’s mother, apparently), not to mention the late Graham Chapman (as himself) I know I definitely will be giving it a viewing as soon as I get the chance.
And now for something completely different.
A Liar’s Autobiography is showing tonight at 9pm at Leicester Square Empire and on Friday at VUE West End at 3pm as part of the London Film Festival.

Win Dark Shadows Blu-Ray Triple Play DVD

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Warner Bros. Pictures is proud to announce the release of Dark Shadows on DVD and Blu-Ray October 15th 2012; along with the Dark Shadows Blog App! And Frost Magazine has teamed up with them to give one of our lucky readers a Dark Shadows Blu-Ray Triple Play.

Just follow Frost on twitter or subscribe to our newsletter for a chance to win. If you tweet then be sure to mention us and say: “I want to win a Dark Shadows Blu-Ray Triple Play with @Frostmag”. Good luck.

 

From the incredible mind of Tim Burton comes the hit film Dark Shadows, based on the classic US television series!  Barnabas Collins has been trapped for two centuries by an evil witch (Eva Green) who just happens to be an ex lover.  Barnabas now has to struggle with the ever changing 1970s and save his family’s business!  With an all star cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jonny Lee Miller and more, Dark Shadows will be sure to whet your appetite for fun.

 


 

Winner will be decided by 30-10-2012. The winner must be located in the United Kingdom.

 

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Christmas in Kingston

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HISTORIC KINGSTON OFFERS FANTASTIC FESTIVITIES FOR CHRISTMAS

The historic town of Kingston upon Thames will be alive with festive activities and events this Christmas kicking off with a Tudor-style market, which pops up in the town’s Market Place from 7th November to 24th December.

Christmas light switch on

On 15th November Cinderella and Santa Claus himself will be switching on the Christmas lights at 6pm with activities for all the family to enjoy from 3pm. The Rose Theatre’s Christmas production this year is Cinderella. Shoppers can meet characters from the show, see a live ice carving of Cinderella’s Glass Slipper and have a photo taken in a giant Cinderella themed snow globe. There will also be the chance to see real reindeer, choirs and brass bands plus a street dance show for all the family at the Rose Theatre called “Locked In”.

Santa Claus

Children can visit Santa for free in his grotto in Bentalls, with the option to receive a Christmas Present for £2.95. Check bentalls.co.uk for opening times.  They can also post their letter to Santa in special letter boxes in the Eden Walk shopping centre.  Santa will answer every letter, with the best three winning a prize, closing date for entries is 7th December.

Kingston Spotlight – competition for performers

A wide selection of Kingston performers ranging from musicians to mime acts, poets to acrobats and dancers to clowns will be performing in Kingston’s town centre over the festive season adding a bit of sparkle to the town’s shopping experience.  Each Thursday evening and over the weekend (starting on 17th November), these acts will compete to be named Talent of the Week. Members of the public can vote for their Talent of the Week in Kingston’s spotlight competition, throughout the Spotlight period.

Christmas pocket guide

Shoppers can pick up their Christmas Pocket Guide on the Christmas lights switch on night and from local businesses. The guide offers lots of information on Christmas in Kingston as well as the chance to win Free Parking in the town for a year, six months or a month at the NCP Cattle Market. Also up for grabs is a Christmas break at the historic small hotel Chase Lodge with tickets to see Cinderalla at Rose Theatre. Other prizes on offer include: £100 worth of Bentalls voucher, a Hotel Chocolat Hamper worth £50, a two course meal for two at Pizza Express, and a Tartan Travel Rug courtesy of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

Arts, crafts and carols

Shoppers will have plenty of opportunities to buy different Christmas gifts.  In the town’s Market House, Kingston Artist Open Studios (KAOS) will be selling the work of local artists, sculptors, ceramicists and crafts people from 26th November – 8th December. Fusion Arts, another Kingston based collaboration of artists, will be selling their wares in Market House from 11th December – 21st December and on 22nd December visitors can shop at the Thames Market, an arts and crafts market.

The Royal Kingston Craft Fair operated by Eden Crafts will pop up on All Saints Lawn from the 15th November to 24th December offering a great range of unusual and unique Christmas gifts.

On 23rd December the Freshly Made Market comes to town. Freshly Made is a collective of urban artists, musicians and jewellery makers who will be selling underground urban products. In addition, Kingston’s daily Ancient Market offers a wide choice of gifts for more information visit: www.kingstonfirst.co.uk/touristinfo

All Saints Church will be holding Christmas concerts and carol services on 2nd, 8th, 18th, 22nd, 24th.  December.

Variety of shops

Kingston’s town centre is just 25 minutes from central London and easily accessible for locals and visitors. The town’s shops will be open every night until 9pm from 3rd December and Christmas shoppers will find something for all tastes and budgets, within a very compact area, a good proportion of which is pedestrianised.  The shopping experience ranges from designer brands and high street fashion in large retail areas such as the Eden Walk Shopping Centre and the Bentall Centre, to independent boutiques that appeal to those in search of special and unique gifts.

Old London Road, which is having its Christmas party on 1st December, is the place to go for unusual purchases and is marked by Kingston’s famous falling over phone boxes (officially named ‘Out of Order’ by artist David Mach). Here shoppers can rummage through antique and vintage items at the Kingston Antiques Centre, or hunt for stylish accessories and up-cycled furnishings at 37 London Road, recently featured on BBC2’s “Mary Queen of Shops”.  Friends and relatives of music lovers will be spoilt for choice at Hands Music in the town’s Market Place which offers instruments, music, accessories and more, while nearby Banquet Records on Eden Street is ideal for muso’s seeking new and cutting edge releases.

Parking in Kingston

Visitors to Chessington World of Adventures can take advantage of a free park and ride running from the theme park to Kingston from 10th November to the 5th January.  Also from 3rd December there is also free parking in the Bentall Centre from Monday to Friday and in John Lewis every night both from 6pm.

Accommodation in Kingston

Shoppers can enjoy a night’s stay at boutique property Chase Lodge Hotel, from just £125 per night, for two people on a bed & breakfast basis. To book call 0208 943 1862 or consult www.chaselodgehotel.com. A former magistrates house, Chase Lodge has 12 rooms, all unique and with free Wi-Fi.

The White Hart Hotel offers luxury accommodation at an affordable price. Double and Twin rooms start from around £120. To book call 020 8977 1786 or consult www.whiteharthoteluk.co.uk.

The Food Hospital’s Fibre Challenge Success

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The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has had over 60,000 downloads to date following the return of the new series of The Food Hospital on Channel 4 last month. The application available on iPhone and Android devices has got the nation reaching for the fruit bowl and monitoring their toilet habits on a daily basis.

The Fibre Challenge application encourages viewers to record their bowel movements and increase the amount of fibre in their diet for 21 days. Participants are challenged to eat an extra five grams of dietary fibre every day in the first stage, and an extra ten grams per day in the second stage. Each day, they should record how many bowel movements they have had and the stool type using the Bristol Stool Form Scale. At the end of the challenge, participants hope to see a noticeable improvement in bowel health. The anonymous data will be added to the national results, with the overall findings published on The Food Hospital website.

The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has been devised by specialist dietitians and is a mass participation initiative to assess the effect of fibre on the nation’s bowel health. Most people don’t eat enough fibre. The recommended minimum daily intake of dietary fibre is 18 grams, but few get anywhere near that. Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet is believed to provide short-term health benefits and help prevent serious disease.

Alongside the app and as part of the new series, each week volunteers who have previously participated in The Fibre Challenge will have their results analysed to help viewers gain a better understanding to whether a high fibre diet significantly improves short-term bowel health. Fifty volunteers took part in The Fibre Challenge earlier this summer and for 21 days, they ate extra dietary fibre and sent information about their bowel movements anonymously to an expert team for analysis.

In a recent study, British Medical Journal reported that dietary fibre can potentially reduce bowel cancer risk by up to 20%. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer: one person dies every half an hour from the disease, often because of late diagnosis.

The Food Hospital Fibre Challenge app has been devised by betty, the production company behind the series, in consultation with Channel 4 and specialist dietitians. Betty’s executive producer Neil Smith says, “betty has a track record for creating innovative content that captures the imagination. Our challenge was to translate this into a digital form, so we’re thrilled that it’s been so enthusiastically embraced. It’s engaging content with the potential to save lives”.

Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK says: ‘We are delighted the Fibre Challenge app has been so popular as it is an important early step to improving bowel health. It is well known that simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, such as increasing your intake of fibre can make you feel better and help stack the odds against bowel cancer. Therefore the makers of The Food Hospital are to be commended for bringing this into the mainstream. We now need to keep momentum and continue to raise awareness and encourage action around this important public health issue.’

Lizzy Keene, Senior Producer for Factual at Channel 4, adds “We are delighted with the success of the app and to have reached over 60,000 downloads already. Our aim was to encourage people to talk openly about their bowel habits and visit their GP with any concerns. Bowel cancer can be successfully treated if it’s caught early enough and we wanted to break down the ‘poo taboo’ in a fun but informative way.”

Celebrity Cookbooks Popular at Christmas, But Remain Unwrapped

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OCADO, has revealed that despite stocking up on the latest celebrity cookbooks ahead of the Christmas season, one in ten Brits admit to never even opening them, with almost half (41%) of us only pulling them off the shelf when they need to make ‘something special’.

Even though half of the population say that they own at least four cookbooks, research from the online grocer reveals that busy lifestyles mean Brits don’t have the time to rustle up a meal from scratch, let alone break the spine on their mountain of cookbooks, with five per cent of those quizzed claiming that they don’t spend any time at all cooking each day.

However it seems as though the humble recipe book is not dead, with Ocado predicting that cookbooks are set to be a staple stocking filler this festive season, including the new titles from Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Heston Blumenthal.

Meanwhile, Ocado have also reported that sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250% this year alone. Mouth-watering reads are also beginning to eclipse must-read erotica with the diet cookbook from The Hairy Chefs arousing more interest than 50 Shades of Grey, pushing sensationalist author E.L James off her throne on number one bestsellers lists.

Despite half of Brits showcasing exotic cookbooks on their shelves, findings reveal that the meals most regularly cooked are traditional classics like Spaghetti Bolognaise (60%), meat & two veg style roast dinners (54%) and sausage and mash (48%), with only a handful of Brits regularly taking on more exotic dishes such as Thai curry (16%) or Paella (10%).

Over a quarter of British foodies admit to tuning into at least two food programmes a week, with Masterchef (56%) and Great British Bake Off (34%) being firm favourites in the nation’s homes. However, despite immersing themselves in celebrity cook books and TV shows, when quizzed how long they spend preparing and cooking grub, a staggering 78 per cent said they managed to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder states: “We know that Brits love to buy all of the latest celebrity cookery books and enjoy watching recipes being created on TV, but many of us just don’t have the time to recreate delicious meals for ourselves. At Ocado you can browse recipes from some of the UK’s top chefs, shop for ‘must have’ cookery books and order ingredients for delivery straight to your door. Plus Ocado offers everyday products alongside rarer, hard to find ingredients, making it quick and easy to buy everything you need all in one place, so you can spend your time creating your own delicious masterpiece.

Christmas customers also can make their life even easier by shopping for their family gifts and festive fare in one simple click – forget the queues and the festive rush!”

For further information on Ocado’s own selection of tasty recipes and ingredients, visit www.ocado.com/webshop/recipes/.

Liz Earle 5-piece Weekend Away Skincare Treats For Breast Cancer

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Liz Earle 5-piece Weekend Away Skincare Treats

QVC Price: £21.19

Created especially for QVC in support of Breast Cancer Care, this limited edition kit from Liz Earle will be available during QVC’s live three hour spectacular – ‘Be Aware, Show You Care’. The kit comes in a green bag and contains everything you need for a weekend away – the iconic Cleanse and Polish (30ml) with muslin cloth, Instant Boost Skin Tonic (50ml), Skin Repair Moisturiser (15ml), Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask (15ml), a pot of Superbalm (in a bespoke pink shimmer version) and a sample of the brand new fragrance Botanical Essence Number 15 (2ml).

Tune in on Wednesday 17th October from 6pm to snap up this fantastic collection while supporting thousands of British women and men living with breast cancer at the same time

Online at: www.qvcuk.com

Direct orders: 0800 50 40 30

Spotlight Fashion Models Launch

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Spotlight Fashion Models Launches their Brand with a Charity Event and a Catwalk Show in Aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust.

On the 22nd of September 2012, just after London Fashion Week SS13, Spotlight Fashion Models, a recently formed fashion agency, launched their brand holding a private, glamorous, charity event at the Kensington Roof Gardens.

The profits made on the night were given in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust, a British charity aiming to reduce the spread of HIV and promoting good sexual health.

Shakeel Rabbaney, Laura Moore, Sola Cash and April Banbury were the designers showcased on the occasion. Nomy Khan, director of Spotlight Fashion Models, wore a trendy-chic black suit with silver accessories and a tiny white fashion silk scarf.

Ms Pily Mirazi, founder of the company, went for a very classy and stylish, long red dress with sparkling, crystal stones nicely shaping her chest area. Manpreet Singh Flyinglion, at Di Gran Moda, designed Pili Mirazi’s dress.

The event was, hosted by Heaven Afrika (former model and Big Brother 2011 participant), which, despite her 8 months pregnancy, energetically kept the guests entertained through the night during the catwalk show first and later in between live performances.

Diet and delicious Skinnie Minnie Cupcakes by Serendipity Cottage were served on the night.
Spotted in attendance – above numerous fashionable guests like Melo, the finest UK Johnny Depp lookalike – Sara McLean (winner of Miss Edinburgh 2010 and former Miss Scotland 2011 runner-up) together with Shievonne Robinson (ex playboy bunny), both former Big Brother 2012 contestants and, super sexy footballer Rimmel Daniel, working the catwalk in underwear. Well, who could ask for anything more?

Spotlight Fashion Models, said Mr Khan and Ms Mirazi, are now planning even more successful future fashion events to promote new fashion designers.

More info of the company available at: www.spotlightfashionmodels.com

Written by Paola Berta
Photography by Guido Vera