The Chilcott Lavender Collection. Perfect For Christmas.

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British owned and family run businesses are always a favourite at Frost.

Chilcott is a family run, sustainable British lifestyle and interiors brand based in the Brecon Beacons. The
beating heart of the brand is the Chilcott lavender farm perched on a Welsh hillside in Brecon Beacons.
Contrary to what one might expect, the lavender thrives here and the harvests provide plentiful lavender oil
and dried lavender for the brand’s beautiful range of scented lifestyle accessories. Exquisite attention to detail, expert craftmanship and hand finishes create elegant pieces for you, your home and your dog.
Chilcott are proud to introduce three new collections of natural home fragrances made using proprietary
recipes of Chilcott essential oils carefully blended and beautifully presented to elegantly complement any home and bring the fragrant freshness of the countryside indoors.

Chilcott, lavender, gift set, botanical,

www.chilcottuk.com

@chilcottuk

The fresh, relaxing fragrance of lavender evokes summers on the Chilcott farm high in the Brecon Beacons.
Here the lavender fields bloom creating a scented haven for a myriad of bees and butterflies.
The flower heads are carefully harvested and used to make Chilcott’s signature lavender products.

We tried the Lavender Gift Set: £45

A celebration of Chilcott’s signature fragrance, the Lavender Gift Set is the
complete lavender lover’s collection. The luxury gift set contains 50ml lavender
diffuser, Chilcott Harris Tweed lavender bag, 50ml Chilcott lavender hand sanitiser
and 100ml lavender room spray all presented in a premium white gift box.

The gift set has the wow factor. It says luxury all the way. The presentation is impeccable before you have even opened the box. When you do open the box the products are all gorgeous and smell divine. This fantastic gift set is the perfect gift for Christmas and beyond.

Chilcott room diffusers offer the perfect natural, environmentally friendly way to add lasting fragrance your
home. The diffusers are fully recyclable, reusable and refillable and available with natural or black reeds.
The gentle mist of the Chilcott room sprays adds instant natural freshness to your home. The glass bottles are fully recyclable. The simple, subtle and elegant design will look at home in any room.

Frost loves.

Sustainable Christmas Gifts and Stocking Filler Ideas From Elephant Box

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Every regular reader of Frost will know that I am obsessed with sustainability and eco-living. So I was happy to come across Elephant Box. They make gorgeous products that last a lifetime. I recommend the gorgeous Stainless Steel Rainbow Straws and the Elephant Box 2 litre lunchbox. There is a reason it is a bestseller. My son claimed it as soon as he saw it.  Stainless steel is clean, reusable and virtually indestructible. The products are also stylish. Frost loves.
sustainability, eco-living, reusable, elephant box,
Elephant Box – with a 2 litre capacity, our best-selling lunchbox is made from 100% stainless steel. It’s perfect for food storage in the fridge/freezer and is also oven-safe. RRP £29.50.

BRAND NEW Clip & Seal Lunchbox – available in 1.2 and 1.9 litre capacity, the clip & seal lunchbox has a unique locking system making it 100% leakproof and airtight. Lightweight and ultra durable, it’s perfect for carrying food and heating it up in the oven. RRP £29.50 – £32.95.

BRAND NEW Leakproof Food Canister Trio – this set of three airtight twist and lock food canisters is incredibly versatile, equally good for taking food out or storing it at home. RRP £32.

Two-in-One Lunchbox – a long time classic, this slimline lunchbox has a 800ml capacity and a snack pod that fits snugly inside to create two sections for your lunch. RRP £28.

Leakproof Tiffin – this traditional Indian tiffin-style lunchbox has a 700ml capacity and silicone seal, perfect for carrying lunch, storing pre-cooked food in the freezer or picking up meals from your local takeaway or deli. RRP £24.95.

Stocking filler ideas – On-the-Go Cups and Plastic-free accessories

Reusable Stainless Steel Rainbow Straws – the ultimate stainless steel straw – 24cm long so it won’t disappear in your drink, 8mm diameter, and bent so it won’t jab into your gums. If that’s not enough, they’re a lovely iridescent rainbow colour. RRP £8.

Reusable To-Go Cup – a stainless steel reusable cup with a beautiful cork sleeve and silicone lid. RRP £16.

Stainless Steel Pint Cup – this pint cup is made here in the UK with 100% recycled stainless steel. Be a zero-waste hero and take it with you on your picnics, BBQs and camping trips. RRP £10.

Stainless Steel Spork – complete your zero-waste, on-the-go eating ensemble with our pocket friendly spork. RRP £7.50.

Small Screw Top Canister – raisins, biscuits, nuts & seeds, this container is perfect for carrying and storing the little things in life! RRP £12.50

Mini Snack Pod Pair – these little snack containers are big enough for a portion of your favourite snack and small enough to fit bento-style into your lunchbox or to stash some nuts in your bag. RRP £14.95.

Shop the range at www.elephantbox.co.uk – free UK shipping on orders over £50

Fun Sanitiser Range For Kids | Frost Loves.

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Before COVID-19, getting children to wash their hands was hard enough, but it’s important now more than ever to keep their interest and the health discipline up to keep them and others safe. Leading UK hand sanitiser manufacturer, Ocean Free, have just launched their new ‘Fantasy’ line of Hand Sanitisers for kids.

sanitiser, hand, kids, unicorn, pink

TIPS FOR SAFE KIDS HAND SANITISING

Apply a single pea-sized amount of gel into your own hands then rub the surfaces of the child’s hands and between fingers until fully dry. This takes approx 20 seconds.
Supervise the child to ensure they do not try to lick the product, especially if it has an enticing sounding scent.

Make sure the child’s hands are dry before they consume any food or drinks or are going to put their hands near their mouth.
Only use hand sanitiser gel as the next best option if soap and water is not available.

Available from www.oceanfree.com

Fantasy Hand Sanitiser, 5L, £21.99 Fantasy Hand Sanitiser, 500ml, £6.99

Ocean Free Fantasy Hand Sanitisers are surgical-grade, proven to be antibacterial, virucidal and yeasticidal. The highly effective UK-made sanitiser kills 99.999% of many common germs. Contains 70% ethanol to ensure quick effective hand sanitisation, ideal for children who don’t have high attention spans! Use and application of hand sanitisers need to be supervised, and only a pea-sized applied to a child’s hands to ensure effective hygeiene and safety. Moisturising to skin, Ocean Free has a high emollient content reducing the drying effect on the skin commonly associated with regular use of hand sanitisers.

 

SISTER SCRIBES: OVER AND OUT FROM KIRSTEN HESKETH

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My last ever Sister Scribes post – and what a blast it has been!

And, my, what a lot has happened in the two years since the five of us named ourselves the Sister Scribes and banded together as friends and fellow writers. We’ve written before about how we went to stay at a wonderful house – Darcy’s Abode! – in Bath and spent a few fabulous days writing, sightseeing, eating and getting to know each other better. Back then, getting published was just a twinkle in my eye –  a twinkle that I feared might be extinguished at any moment – and how in awe I was of my fellow Scribes with their launches and their multiple deals. Would it ever happen for me too?

Fast forward two short years – and so much has changed. My debut, Another Us, was published by Canelo this year. It came out in in ebook in May and I had the loveliest of Zoom launches, complete with dying my hair red to match the cover and to raise money for Mind. And then, in August, it came out in paperback. I originally had a digital only deal with Canelo and the fact they had enough faith in me and my book to then invest in a paperback in this most difficult of years really was the icing on the cake. Thank you so much, Canelo, you really have been fabulous to work with. As has my wonderful agent, Felicity Trew.

And, basically, it’s been brilliant ever since. Another Us (very briefly) had bestseller flags in the UK, Canada and Australia, which was totally beyond my wildest dreams. It’s been featured in Woman and Home, Women’s Weekly, Woman (there’s a theme here!) More, Pick Me Up, Waitrose magazine … the list goes on. It was longlisted for The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize and was a contender for the RNA’s Joan Hessayon award. But best of all have been the dozens of messages I’ve received from readers all around the world telling me how much Another Us has touched, informed, amused or plain old entertained them. I think that has been the very best bit of all. That and getting to know a whole host of other debuts – including my lovely Sister Scribes – because no one understands quite what it’s like to have your debut come out in a global pandemic than someone who is going through exactly the same thing ….

And now it’s time to look forward. I have been lucky enough to secure a two-book deal with Hodder and Stoughton for a series set in London in WW1. The Post Office Girls follows the experiences of three girls who join the Army Post Office – in a huge, wooden, building which was been hastily thrown up in Regent’s Park to cope with the sheer volume of mail being sent to the various fronts. My grandfather – who himself served in WW1 – worked for the post office in London his whole life – and the first book is dedicated to him. It will be published in May next year and the second book – A Post Office Christmas – follows the November afterwards. I wrote the first 50,000 words of that during Nano (success – hurrah!) and am now feeling deliciously Christmassy – if absolutely exhausted!

So, all that remains to be said is a huge Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. Thank you for following our adventures over the past couple of years and best wishes for a safe and happy 2021.

Over and out x

 

           

 

 

 

The Beauty of Eczema – A Name Like This Has To Be Worth A Look – by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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If you saw a photo of Camille Knowles you might be forgiven for wondering what she could possibly know about bad skin. But you’d be very wrong. Spare five minutes to hear Camille on this YouTube link to learn how she suffered with extensive and severe eczema for years, so painful that even a shower was unbearable. In fact it made her so miserable that she seriously considered ending things for good.

Determined to have one last shot at overcoming her eczema, she decided that if she succeeded she’d write a book to help others – she’s now written three and has a blog and numerous YouTube vlogs too.

But what is eczema? It’s an inflammation of the skin causing dryness, redness, itching, pain and cracking, and it can become infected, making things much worse. It can appear anywhere, but it’s often concentrated in certain areas, such as behind the knees and in the elbow crease. The most common type – atopic eczema, is thought to be allergic in origin, to food for example, or something environmental, but it isn’t easy to find and eliminate the cause – or causes. It’s usually treated with emollients, which help the dryness and encourage healing. Steroids can be used, but have their own problems long-term so their use should be limited. Despite treatment, many children suffer considerably, and bad cases can progress to adulthood too.

Thus Camille’s holistic approach is important and besides her books and information sources she has a range of rather special skin treatments, which contain numerous plant oils and, amongst other things, small amounts of crystals – reflecting her spiritual, holistic approach.

Let’s look at two products in her range – Calming Cream and Pamper Me Bathing Oil.

Calming Cream is applied morning and evening. It’s formulated with Mango and Shea butters and Jojoba Seed Oil; Omega 3 and 6, balanced to reduce inflammation; Oat lipids (a rich source of vitamin E); Rhamnosoft – based on a fermented sugar; Bioecolia, a prebiotic to encourage beneficial skin bacteria and Smithsonite and Rhodochrosite crystals for serenity, calmness and self-love. It smells fabulous thanks to botanical ingredients, and it felt beautiful on my skin and was rapidly absorbed.

Pamper Me Bathing Oil is light but has a thick, gel-like consistency and adding it to my bath felt like the ultimate in decadence and made my skin beautifully soft. You can also rub it over your body first for even more effect. It contains Castor Oil, which Camille swears by, with Sweet Almond, Oat Kernel, Jojoba and Sunflower oils, together with balanced Omega 3 and 6 and Oat lipids, and the same crystals as in the Calming Cream.

All the products are packaged in deep and light pink packaging – inducing instant feelings of peace.

If you’ve struggled with eczema, you have my sympathy. It’s worth giving Camille Knowles a try – her advice, her books and her products – and I really hope it helps. All products are available from her website.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Three novels to read during the Christmas break…

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The Wreck by Meg Keneally pub Zaffre pb. eBook and audio

Sarah McCaffrey finds herself alone and on the run, after participating in a failed rebellion. She manages to board a ship bound from London to Australia, only to be the sole survivor of a shipwreck within sight of Sydney.

She reinvents herself and takes a job under formidable Molly Thistle, the head of a trade empire and soon realises that her life could be more than she ever thought, but then her past catches up with her…

A powerful historical novel, interesting, and page turning.

Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass pb pub by Titan Books

Suspicion, obsession and revenge… Ouch.

Faith Finley is a talented psychologist with a flourishing career, and is a successful author, and the host of a popular local radio program. On top of this, she’s happily married to a respected food critic, Liam Finley.

Then it all goes wrong, and after that night nothing will be the same.  Liam is missing, and the police look on Faith with suspicion. Has she has something to hide? Or is she mad?

Then notes begin to arrive. Threats escalate, and it is up to Faith to solve the mysteries.

A page turner, full of pace, tension and twists and turns.

All the Best Lies by Joanna Schaffausen pub Titan Books. 

FBI agent Reed Markham is haunted by one painful unsolved mystery: who murdered his mother?

Camilla was brutally stabbed to death more than forty years ago while baby Reed lay in his crib near to her. The trail went so cold that the Las Vegas Police Department has given up hope of solving the case. But then a shattering family secret changes everything Reed knows about his origins, his murdered mother, his powerful adoptive father, state senator Angus Markham. So, just who is his mother’s killer? Is he horribly close to home?

A heart thumping and sinister novel. Keep all the lights on.

HOW YORK LIBRARIES DIGITAL SERVICES ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE DURING LOCKDOWN

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Gillian Holmes, Executive Assistant at Explore York Libraries & Archives, shares their fascinating story

From the onset of the lockdown in March, Explore York, which runs libraries and archives for the City of York in northern England, saw usage of its OverDrive e-library double showcasing a huge rise in digital reading whilst the physical library service was closed.

“We already had a well-established e-library in place, in terms of functionality and awareness, so we were ready,” said Helen Whitehead, e-services librarian for Explore York.

More than fifty percent of the users during lockdown were new to the OverDrive e-library. Comments received show customers were impressed with how easy the site was to use, and they spread the word to friends, increasing even more uptake. Usage increased in all categories, but especially in children’s e-books. During the Summer Reading Challenge for children, five times as many e-books were issued than in 2019. In total, for the period January 1st to December 1st 2020, the OverDrive e-library saw 77,000 checkouts against 41,500 checkouts for the same period in 2019 an 86% increase.

Generous donations from publishers, together with cash grants from City of York Council and Central Government, meant Explore York kept up with the increased demand for e-books. Having books available even when physical libraries were closed was so important for wellbeing. As one customer put it, “(OverDrive’s Libby reading app) has been a lifesaver for me during lockdown.”

“People are reading all kinds of publications, including some we could never have offered in hard copy,” Helen said of the staggering uptake.

We have had many comments from people expressing appreciation for PressReader, including a health worker at the local hospital: “I’ve downloaded the PressReader app and it looks awesome. Will give me something light-hearted and diversionary to read on a break at work!”

As well as providing online reading materials, Explore York moved quickly to create a virtual “Library from Home.” The website was updated so that customers would easily find what they needed. Archive and Family History sites such as Ancestry were offered from home. Librarians and archivists created new online resources to support home-schooling and reminiscence sessions. Explore York’s well-loved events programme moved to Zoom and has proved to be as popular as ever despite the virtual format. One example is a regular monthly poetry evening, which achieved a record audience with participants joining from around the world. Explore York also developed a number of new online platforms, including a Lego Club on Facebook, a volunteer programme via Flickr and curated watchlists on its YouTube channel.

As library services have been transformed in the last six months, Explore York staff have also been on a real journey of learning and discovery of all that can be achieved online. The experience of 2020 will inform the way library and Archive services are delivered in future.

The last word goes to one library user who speaks for many:

“When I look back over this difficult period, I hope I’ll remember the fantastic books that took me to a different place and helped me reflect on my place in this world. I’ve laughed out loud, I’ve cried and shouted at the iPad. I’m hooked!”

 

 

 

 

 

Ocushield Launches Medically Approved Anti-Bacterial And Anti-Blue Light Screen Protector For iPhone 12

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ocushield , blue light, shield, iPhone 12,

To coincide with the unveiling of the much-anticipated iPhone 12, Ocushield has launched a new anti-blue light and anti-bacterial screen protector.

The only medical-grade blue-light filter brand on the market, Ocushield screen protectors keep a crystal clear image with no changes to the colour. And the anti-bacterial technology is strong enough to break down viral structures, preventing them from growing on the phone screen surface.

With average screen time up to 200% since lockdown, and a greatly increased need to keep our tech clean and hygienic, it’s more important than ever to protect our eyes and our health from our digital devices.

Sleep better, protect the skin and reduce anxiety…
Ocushield’s anti-blue light products have been developed by qualified optometrists and are medically approved by the UK government-led Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Ocushield is now donating £1 from every purchase on Ocushield.com to its new partner – Royal National Institute of the Blind, one of the UK’s leading charities for sight loss.
New antibacterial blue light screen protectors is available for the new iPhone 12.
3 new styles and 3 new colourways of the blue light blocking eyewear have been added to the range.

Exposure to blue light is an increasing health concern. Especially with the COVID-19 lockdown meaning so, many are spending more time in front of screens. As it’s unrealistic to avoid screens completely, even for those who don’t have computer-based jobs, Ocushield has developed a range of products that seamlessly fit into modern day tech-dependent lifestyles.

BENEFITS OF USING OCUSHIELD:

EYE AND SKIN PROTECTION – The average adult spends 34 years looking at screens throughout their lifetime. Ocushield screen protectors limit blue light exposure by up to 90%, – protecting from 30 years of added exposure.

IMPROVED SLEEP – Ocushield is proven to reduce tiredness and insomnia through decreasing the disruption of melatonin levels.

INCREASED WELLBEING – The UK economy spends £40bn each year due to sleep deprivation-related issues such as tired skin, blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches and anxiety – all of which are reduced with Ocushield.

SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE – £1 from every purchase on Ocushield.com will go to the Royal National Institute of Blind People, one of the UK’s leading charities for sight loss (rnib.org.uk).

OCUSHIELD FOR IPHONE 12

Ocushield has introduced three new blue light products covering the four new Apple devices that have launched on October 13th.

The iPhone 12 Ocushield screen protector will have:

A new anti-bacterial coating is suitable for breaking viral structures – the same way anti-bacterial hand gel is used to prevent the spread of germs. This means that though they won’t be killed, the virus particles are stopped from multiplying and growing on the phone surface. With smartphones being 7x dirtier than a toilet seat and the continuation of the pandemic, this will help alleviate consumer concerns.

Super-strong tempered glass to protect the screen, while retaining a crystal-clear picture with no orange or yellow tinting, so that users continue seeing colours as before.
Ocushield’s unique applicator system still supplied for an easy three step application included, along with a handy installation video.