Frost Loves: Dantoy “I’m Green” Line of Bioplastic Products & Toys

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I am always on the lookout for environmentally-friendly products. Sustainable living is important to me, and important to all of us at Frost. Dantoy ticks all of our boxes with these gorgeous and well made products. Their is a pretend play dinner set and an equally gorgeous Bio-Toy Bucket and Spade 4 piece set.

From the moment my children saw this 22-piece, pretend play dinner set their eyes light up and they have played with it non-stop since. It is excellent to get my toddler daughter to try different foods too. It can be used for garden picnics. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

The bucket and spade 4 piece set has been played with non-stop, especially as the weather is so good. The toys are stylish, green and high quality. I cannot recommend them enough. 

Dantoy have launched a brand-new “I’m Green” line of bioplastic products, their bioplastic is made of at least 90% sugarcane, a sustainable raw material, and their bioplastic is 100% recyclable.

Dantoy leads the way with their bioplastics. The manufacture of bioplastics reduces carbon emissions. The sugarcane is cultivated on controlled, pesticide-free plantations in central and southern Brazil. The sugarcane is harvested every 6 – 12 months. Bioplastic made of sugarcane is a 100% sustainable raw material.

Traditional plastic is made from crude oil, whilst dantoy “I’m Green” PE (bioplastic) is made from at least 90% sugarcane (ethanol). Ethanol, a form of alcohol, is extracted from sugarcane, after which it is used to make bioplastic.

The sugarcane used for dantoy bioplastics grows in plantations in the southern and central regions of Brazil, more than 2,500 km from the Amazon region. The enlargement of areas for cultivating sugarcane is managed by “Sugarcane Agroecological Zoning”, formed by Brazil’s federal government. The harvested sugarcane is conveyed by train for further processing, which is more eco-friendly than being transported by lorries.

Sugarcane can be harvested several times a year. New sugarcane plants are planted every five to seven years. The fields are harvested every six to twelve months enabling them to be classified as a sustainable raw material. Sugarcane absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, thereby minimising the greenhouse effect. For the manufacture of bioplastic, the carbon emissions accounts are positive from the budding of the plant until it is manufactured into bioplastic. For each kilo of manufactured bioplastic, 3.09 kg of carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere.

Dantoy’s packaging is all made from recycled cardboard. Their toys are made to last and are approved for contact with foods, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, frost-proof and contains no toxins.

Dantoy’s range of bio toys includes the popular 22-piece, pretend play dinner set which can be used for garden picnics. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

Dantoy believe that people should buy less, buy well. That is why their toys are only made with sustainable products.  We can all be eco-friendly and by choosing brands who care will make a little difference.

The Dantoy Bio-Toy Pretend Play Dinner Set 22-Piece set costs £18.73 from Amazon.

Dantoy’s range of bio toys includes the bucket and spade set, pretend play dinner set which can be used for sandpits, the beach or mudk itchens. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

bucket and spade, bioplastic toys, green toys,

 

The Dantoy Bio-Toy Bucket and Spade 4 piece playset costs £28.99 from Amazon

Review of Prison Doctor Women Inside by Dr Amanda Brown Reviewer: Natalie Jayne Peeke West Country Correspondent

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Insights into the world of a Prison Doctor, this time taking us deeper into the walls of Bronzefield, the UK’s biggest women’s prison.

From the drug addicts who call Amanda ‘the mother I never had’ to the women who’ve pushed back at domestic abuse, to women close to release in their 70s, who just want to stay in the place that they’ve always known, these are stories that are heart-breaking, harrowing and heart-warming. Amanda listens, prescribes, and does what she can. After all, she’s their doctor.

Another fantastic and educational insight into a women’s prison, Dr Brown is compassionate, honest and neutral to all women she tends to on a daily basis. I devoured the first instalment and also this wonderful second book. Dr Brown is a born storyteller and her dedication to her job is admirable from helping women overcome drug addiction and guiding others in the right direction upon their release, she listens and sympathises, it is a fascinating to learn about the women’s back stories however I would have liked these to be more in depth. I hope for a third Prison Doctor book.

A absolute must read for those who enjoyed The prison doctor and Adam Kay’s ‘This is going to hurt & ‘ Twas the night-shift before Christmas. 

The Prison Doctor Women Inside (read on kindle) eBook and pb available from Amazon.

 

Introducing the Great Wood… by Natalie Jayne Peeke, West Country Correspondent.

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With summer upon us in these unsure time it is difficult to find a safe and affordable day out that the whole family will enjoy. I have lived in Somerset for 18 years and it was only a few months ago that I discovered the enchanting gem that is just 17 miles away from my door.

So one dry sunny day I threw the family in the car and off we went, we arrived just over half a hour later and paid just £2 to park all day and we embarked on a 2 mile trek around the utterly beautiful woods.

The children had great fun climbing trees, looking under rocks for insects and generally running wild. I was awestruck at the beauty of nature, the wildflowers in a huge variety of colours and scents, the towering trees, the birdsong I could hear in the background.

After our walk we found a beautiful picnic area complete with a babbling brook, despite the number of families that were also at the picnic area we had plenty of space to enjoy our surroundings.

So if you want to escape the chaos and stress of every day life and be transported to a magical place of outstanding beauty that children of and adults of all ages will enjoy then you need to venture to Great Wood. Be sure to pack a picnic with plenty of water and wear comfortable shoes. Enjoy the fresh air and forget your worries.

Great Wood, Adscombe Lane, over Stowey, Bridgewater, TA5 1HN

Some thoughts on how to help loved ones with grief by Natalie Jayne Peeke, West Country Correspondent

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Grief is a terrible and complex emotion and it can be hard to know what to do or say to someone who is grieving. There is no right or wrong way grieve, there is no step by step guide. Everyone deals with grief in their own way in their own time. What I have found helpful to comfort to those who are grieving is:

To let them cry, don’t try to cheer them up- just  comfort them. Saying nothing is sometimes just what is needed. On the flip side if they’re happy and are sharing their funny memories, let them , laugh with them.

Let them be angry and curse the world if they need to, again don’t put a positive spin on things just simply let them be angry.

If you don’t know what to say then a simple “I’m thinking of you / I’m here for you” message goes a long way. It lets your loved one know you’re there for them but are also respecting their space.

Try not to say “I know just how you feel” as you may not know what they are feeling at that moment.

Be patient, they will not just “get over it” they will miss their loved one everyday some days will be better than others.

There are 5 stages of grief, not everyone will experience them all and may not go through them in this order.

5 stages of grief are

Denial – “This isn’t happening to me/ They’re not gone”

Anger – “This is all his/her fault” “How dare they leave me”

Barganing – “If only I had done ….”

Depression – “I don’t know how to go forward from here”

Acceptance – “I was lucky to have known them/ they’re in a better place now”
For grief helplines visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/

My Writing Process Rachel Billington

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A bit about you. 

Place matters to me. In books and in life. I’m a hybrid: city and country, I need both. London, always London, apart from two years when I worked in New York and met my husband, Kevin, there.  In 1968 we bought a fourteenth century house in Dorset. We still have it. I’ve always written. I edited a magazine when I was eleven. I published my first novel in my twenties. I have to write every day. When I had four children in day school, I still wrote. I can’t imagine how people manage without writing. Now I have five grandchildren and my youngest wrote a book so I illustrated it. That was a surprise. From 1998-2001 I was President of PEN. I am Associate Editor of Inside Time, the National Newspaper for Prisoners. I write for every issue. I have always reviewed and written comment pieces for various newspapers.

What you have written, past and present.

I’ve published over thirty books. 23 novels, last 3 historical, Glory – The Story of Gallipoli and Maria and the Admiral. My favourites before that are A Woman’s Age, Bodily Harm and Lies and Loyalties. All very different subjects which publishers complain about. I have also written six novels for children, including Poppy’s Hero and Poppy’s Angel, about a girl whose Dad is in prison. Plus four religious books for children and a sequel to Jane Austen’s Emma.

What you are promoting now. 

Clouds of Love and War is about a Spitfire pilot in WW2 and a young isolated woman. It tells the story if their love affair against a background of war. Eddie wants to escape the world and reach the clouds. But he hadn’t counted on killing. Eva wants to paint and she wants Eddie. The war makes their coming together rare and remarkable. 

A bit about your process of writing.

Until my last book, I wrote longhand with a pen (black ink) and then paid a friend to put it on the computer. Once it was there I went through many drafts, editing down, particularly the opening chapters because I like to write forward without doing more than minor corrections until I’ve finished the whole book. This means I am over-writing early on and self-editing as I progress. 

Do you plan or just write?

It depends on the book. Longer books need more planning, chapter by chapter, bit shorter books can be freer. Often I know everything except how the story will end. But sometimes the ending is what inspires me to write the book. Characters come first of all and continue their wayward path through the book. When their personalities change, I change their names. Sometimes I’ll run through three or four. I write to surprise myself.

What about word count?

Again it depends on the book – or rather on the subject, although my books were much shorter when I started writing, one was only about 60,000 words while Glory was well over the 200 hundred mark. Circular books tend to be shorter, books with a strong narrative flow longer. The book I’m working on at the moment, They Were Sisters, is about 120,000 words.

 

What do you find hard about writing?

I find it all difficult but absolutely enthralling.  I do find it really hard when my characters are suffering. I wrote a novel called ‘The Missing Boy and found the thirteen year old’s unhappiness horribly upsetting. I long to write books with happy endings but seldom achieve it. 

 

What do you love about writing? 

I love being totally in charge of interesting people and events, but totally on my own. I love the look of a blank page – or blank screen. I love the way I challenge myself to make my brain imagine and invent.  I love the excitement when an idea comes into my head; my heart beats as fast as if I was running. I love using words like an artist uses paint. I love the balance of certain sentences, like a musical phrase.  

 

Advice for other writers.

Write! If you’re not sure what to write, write a diary. Write every single day. When you do set off on a bit of work, finish it. This very important. Anyone can begin a piece of writing but not many can get to the end. Keep at least something about it secret. Great ideas can dissipate if shown too much light of day. Only show it for criticism when you have gone as far as you can. Never despair. Often the best writing comes out of the worst. Good luck!

 

Looking After Yourself While Isolating at Home

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Many of us were growing sick of the self-isolation and were looking forward to things going back to normal. Unfortunately, as explained in an article by The Telegraph, the government’s plans to slowly ease lockdowns across the UK have had to be immediately halted as various cities have seen a significant spike in the number of active cases being reported daily. As of writing, the average number of new cases per day in the UK is 816, based on an article by The Guardian.

This means that Brits are now being forced to go back into the comforts of their homes and self-isolate once again. Many of us are well-aware of just how difficult self-isolating can be — especially if you have been doing it for more than four months now. This undeniable difficulty is the reason why it is all the more important for each and every one of us to take the time to care for ourselves as much as we possibly can. If you are one of those people who are still looking for ways to take better care of yourself, here are easy-to-follow tips you can take inspiration from:

Have a skincare routine

Dermatologist Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd explained how investing in a skincare routine not only helps treat skin conditions that often cause a lot of people to lose confidence but also encourages many of us to engage in an activity that promotes self-love, self-acceptance and healing. Contrary to popular belief, skincare routines don’t always have to be intricate or expensive. Sometimes you just have to have the best moisturizer with sunscreen. The best SPF moisturizers reviewed by Forbes are often labeled “broad-spectrum” since these are great in blocking both types of UV rays – thereby preventing signs of photo aging, as well as minimizing your risk of getting skin cancer.

Learn to pleasure yourself

For many people, being stuck at home translates to being apart from their significant others for long periods of time, and without a doubt, this can be extremely frustrating. If you are one of those people, then maybe now is the right time for you to consider using toys that can help you reach your peak. Aside from helping you ease some of your frustrations, Bustle detailed how pleasuring yourself can actually help you deal with anxiety and depression, practice mindfulness, achieve a better self-image and feel more empowered. Sometimes picking a toy can be incredibly intimidating, especially if the idea of using one is foreign to you. In this case, it would be a good idea to use toys that are very handy, are not intimidating and come in discreet sizes and shapes. The bullet vibrators listed on PrettyMe include cute pieces that could even pass off as one of your lipsticks, making it perfect for those who are a little more conservative than others.

Eat healthy

As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. And during these trying times, this adage is truer than ever before. Aside from keeping you physically healthy, eating the right kinds of food can also significantly contribute to making you feel better and improving your mental wellbeing. For instance, as highlighted in our previous post ‘Five Reasons to Maintain a Healthy Gut’, foods that promote gut health can help alleviate the symptoms of various mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and period of low moods – which can all be debilitating at times. Some of the mood-boosting foods enumerated by The Healthline include fatty fish such as salmon and albacore tuna, as well as dark chocolate, fermented foods, berries and plant-based proteins such as lentils and beans.

We are currently living in a world where nothing is certain. And sure enough, this new reality can cause bouts of anxiety for many. This makes it especially important for us to zoom in on participating in activities, such as having a skincare routine, eating healthy and learning how to pleasure oneself, which can promote self-care and help us live through these trying times.

Post in collaboration with Martin Wilson

Collagen Beauty Supplements – Should We Or Shouldn’t We? by Dr Kathleen Thompson – award winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope

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What’s the largest organ in our body? Liver? Heart? Brain? No – Skin. And no, it isn’t just something to cover up our muscles and stop our guts trailing on the floor. It’s an active organ working hard to protect from infections, dehydration, and UV radiation; it produces sweat to control our body temperature and it makes vitamin D. So, whilst beauty isn’t just skin deep, skin isn’t just a pretty face either. Nevertheless, it’s rather nice to have a pretty face too.

But what decides whether our skin’s like a baby’s bottom, or an old shoe? Major factors include ‘good genes’ (some people are just lucky), hormone levels, age, UV light damage, sleep quality, alcohol and smoking.

Can we shift the odds in our favour? Well, 75% of our skin (as dry weight) is collagen, so maybe that’s a good place to start.

Our bodies make collagen, using proteins, minerals and vitamin C from our diets. It provides structure and strength, and as, with age, it decreases, our skins can become saggy and lose that ‘plump peach’ look. Sadly this process can start from mid-20s and may worsen after menopause.

Can we encourage collagen production back up again? I’ve been looking at the data, and I’m also road-testing LQ Skin Hair Nails Collagen Powder daily for a month – the things I do for Frost readers, sigh.

As with many food supplements, there are relatively few quality studies. Nevertheless, some research suggests that collagen supplements, particularly at higher doses may improve facial moisture, amount of skin collagen, skin elasticity and/or wrinkle appearance. Whether a good diet, containing the necessary components of collagen would do the same is a subject of current debate. However higher collagen doses seem to produce slightly better results than low dose, so maybe our bodies do respond to this extra supply.

The LQ Collagen Beauty Range all contain high doses of hydrolysed marine collagen, plus hyaluronic acid for skin hydration, and are made from high quality, traceable ingredients.

LQ Skin Hair Nails Collagen Powder, which I’ve been taking for nearly two weeks so far, contains 10g collagen, plus biotin and selenium, and vitamin C, which helps our body make collagen.

Individual vials – LQ Skin Hair Nails and LQ Skin Hair and Nails Max – are also handy to pop in your handbag.

So how’s my trial going? Great. The collagen powder comes with a convenient measuring scoop and it’s fairly easy to dissolve for a pleasant passion fruit-flavoured shake.

Do I look like Jennifer Aniston yet (apparently she swears by collagen supplements)? Well it can take up to 4 weeks to see changes, but I did have a compliment just this week so … maybe?

LQ Skin Hair Nails Collagen Powder costs £34.99 for 300g and is available from lqcollagen.com Be aware that these products contain fish and shellfish if you’re allergic.

Finally, don’t forget that it’s equally important to protect your skin collagen, using sunscreen, and to eat foods high in antioxidants, which prevent collagen breakdown.

By Dr K Thompson, 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.

6 Benefits of Sleeping on Your Side

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Most of us don’t put much thought into what sleeping position we sleep in at night. We’re often more worried about getting enough sleep or being able to fall asleep in the first place. But the position you choose to sleep in could be having an impact on your health. 

Side sleeping is the most common sleeping position in the U.S. Research has shown that people who sleep on their side are often much healthier than people who choose to sleep on their back or their front. The health benefits of sleeping on your side can range from enhancing brain health to relieving aches and pains. If you want to learn about some of the other benefits of sleeping on your side, then keep reading below:

  1. It Can Support Brain Health

While this benefit may come as a surprise to you, sleeping on your side could actually help to support our brain health. The Journal of Neuroscience states that while we sleep, our bodies work hard to clear out any waste left behind in our brains. If our brains do this effectively, it could help reduce our chances of getting neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, and it could help to increase our brain activity and longevity. Research has shown that sleeping on your side can help with this process. 

  1. It Can Reduce Your Aches and Pains

If you struggle with aches and pains, then now might be the time to start sleeping on your side. You will need a good mattress for side sleepers and a supportive pillow, which you can place between your knees. Sleeping in this position allows your spine to remain extended and neutral, which helps reduce neck and back pain. It has also been shown to help relieve pressure on your wrists.

  1. It Can Reduce Sleep Apnea and Snoring

Sleep apnea and snoring occur when you struggle to breathe while you’re sleeping. This happens when your airway closes or becomes restricted. Sleeping on your side will help you to keep your airway open. This will allow you (and your partner) to get a better night’s sleep.

  1. It Can Be Good for Digestion

Research has shown that sleeping on our left side can help improve digestion and help to regulate bowel movements. So, if you’re struggling with infrequent bowel movements, why not give sleeping on your left side a try? 

  1. It Can Help Relieve Heartburn

Lots of us struggle with heartburn. The symptoms of heartburn (or GERD) include regurgitating food when you burp, a burning sensation in your chest or throat, having the sensation of a lump in your throat, chest pain, and difficulty swallowing.

The symptoms of heartburn often get worse when we lie down. This can make falling to sleep and sleeping through the night a real challenge. However, you may find that lying on your left side with pillows under your head and neck will help to relieve some of the symptoms you’re experiencing. If you still experience symptoms, then purchasing a wedge pillow may help. 

  1. It is the Perfect Position for Pregnant Women

Lots of pregnant women find sleeping difficult. The recommended sleeping position for pregnant women is sleeping on your left side. Sleeping in this position stops you from putting pressure on your liver, it can help improve blood circulation, and it can help reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure. 

If you’re used to sleeping on your back or front, then you may find it hard to fall asleep on your side, but it can be done. It may take a little bit of time to get used to side sleeping, but the health benefits that are associated with it are worth the effort. Will you choose to change the way you sleep in order to improve your health? 

 

This is a brand post with our partner.