ZeroWater Really Cleans Up | ZeroWater Review

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zero water filter

Lead and other heavy metals in our waters is a major concern. However, bottled water is bad for the environment and the costs add up. Never mind that the plastic is not very good for you. So water filters are big business and rightly so. Every home should have one. Not all water filters are equal however. When Frost read the press release for ZeroWater we were very impressed. ZeroWater is the only water filter brand that delivers the equivalent to purified bottled water into your home. Developed a pour-through system, with an aim to deliver the best filtration possible with their premium five-stage ion exchange technology, this filter removes virtually all total dissolved solids (TDS), a claim which no other filter can say. 

Well you can see why we are impressed. So we reviewed it. And…it is brilliant. It looks great, is easy to use, and makes great-tasting water. It gets the Frost stamp of approval.

ZeroWater is the only gravity-fed filtration system to match the TDS levels found in purified bottle water. This breakthrough filtration system from ZeroWater is certified by NSF International for the reduction of Lead and other heavy metals such as Chromium 3 & 6 and Mercury. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute have also revealed that ZeroWater removes more total contaminants from water than a regular Brita filter, making it a must have for all homes in the UK.

zero water

ZeroWater’s 12-cup Ready-Pour™ pitcher is the first in its class that has a sealed lid and reservoir, making it possible to pour water that has already been filtered without spilling water that’s still filtering. This means the reservoir can now be kept full, adding a full two cups’ capacity to the existing 10-cup design. It also features a one-hand, pull and pour button spout for easy bottle filling.

The 12-cup Ready-Pour™ uses the patented ZeroWater filtration system, which combines FIVE sophisticated technologies that work together to remove virtually all dissolved solids from your water. The result is great-tasting water, straight from the tap, and the only pour-through filter pitcher on the market that’s certified by the NSF to reduce lead. ZeroWater’s first layer of filtration, activated carbon and oxidation reduction alloy, removes the chlorine taste you are accustomed to with tap water. The Ion Exchange stage removes virtually all dissolved solids that may be left over from public water systems or even leached into your water from piping, such as aluminium, lead, zinc, nitrates, and more. Three additional stages are included to remove other impurities and ensure your water receives the appropriate amount of treatment time to deliver a “000” reading on the included laboratory-grade Total Dissolved Solids meter.

About ZeroWater

  • NSF Certified to REDUCE LEAD
  • Removes 99.6% of all dissolved solids
  • Purest tasting drinking water
  • 12 cup capacity = 10 cup pitcher + 2 cups in reserve
  • Immediate pouring ability
  • One-hand “push to dispense” spout to fill any bottle or cup
  • Convenient space-saving design
  • Certified* to reduce Lead, Chromium, & Mercury
  • Premium 5-Stage Dual-Ion Exchange filtration system
  • Ion-Exchange system that removes virtually all dissolved solids in your water
  • The FDA requires the TDS level in PURIFIED bottled water to reach 000-010ppm. ZeroWater is the only filter in its class to achieve this level.

The ZeroWater 12 cup ready pour costs £39.99 from Zerowater.co.uk and amazon.co.uk, smaller jugs start from £24.99.

 

Coping with Hyperemesis Gravidarum – mums speak out on severe morning sickness

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As news of the Duchess of Cambridge’s third pregnancy makes waves across the nation, we are reminded of the realities of morning sickness and its level of severity in some rare cases.  The UK’s leading support resource for mums to be Emma’s Diary, (verified by the RCGP – Royal College of General Practitioners), has spoken to several mums suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (which affects 1 in 100 pregnant women) about their experiences, in a series of candid interviews.

Around 80% of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness (and despite its misleading name, it doesn’t just happen in the morning).  For some, like the Duchess of Cambridge, extreme vomiting triggered by pregnancy can be severe, even life threatening for those diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). In a bid to share their stories and raise awareness of this less common condition, these mums have spoken out to warn others that if you believe you are suffering from extreme sickness, not to be fobbed off by suggestions that ‘it’s normal’, because it might not be the case:

Bella Drew from Norwich in Norfolk said:

“My baby is due in just over two weeks time. The moment I first found out I was expecting, my heart filled with excitement but that was soon to be diminished a week later.  My experience of so-called ‘morning sickness’ started at around three weeks, I couldn’t keep anything down but I was told that was normal.  As my suffering worsened I was put on medication which didn’t really help in my opinion.  I had lost around two and a half stone, had sustained haemorrhages within my eyes from the straining while being sick. 

I was being sick every 15 minutes throughout the day and night.  I was bedridden and eventually I gave up.  I couldn’t cope anymore and I was admitted to hospital diagnosed with HG. Despite all of the recent media attention the condition is still massively misunderstood. I wouldn’t wish this debilitating illness on anyone and we really need to spread more awareness of the impact and symptoms of HG.” 

Emma Eaton from Gosport in Hampshire said:

“I am pregnant and am currently suffering with HG; I was also hospitalised for two weeks in my last pregnancy having almost died from starvation and dehydration.  I have been in and out of hospital numerous times during my current pregnancy to have IV fluids and IV anti-emetics to help control the symptoms. I have to take two different types of tablets to help prevent me from being sick as I have been physically passing out and collapsing – also knocking myself out in the process. I believe there needs to be much greater awareness of this life-threatening condition amongst pregnant women and those who are planning to have children.”

Gemma Edwards from Walsall in West Midlands said:

“I was diagnosed with HG with all three of my pregnancies which has left me with some long term health problems. I am losing my teeth due to the impact of the stomach acid because I was vomiting anything from 20 to 50 times a day. I was also hospitalised for weeks on end with ketoneuria (ketones in my urine – a sign of dehydration) and my veins kept collapsing, this condition made me very ill and my kidneys went into pre-failure meaning my life was at risk and also that of my children.  This is a very serious condition and more awareness of the long term health risks it poses is much needed.”

Many women who are diagnosed with HG say they can’t keep anything down. They can also lose a lot of weight and fluids and sometimes have to be admitted to hospital for re-hydration treatment as well as require antiemetic medication to stop the vomiting.  In terms of adverse effects on the baby, experts say there are usually very few unless weight gain continues to be poor during the second half of pregnancy; or indeed the symptoms are more severe over a sustained period of time.

Sufferers of HG reported:

  • Extreme fatigue
  • Muscle weakness
  • Weight loss
  • Depressed mood
  • Tooth loss
  • Kidney failure
  • Severe dehydration (with ketones present in urine)
  • Disturbed salts in the blood
  • Eye haemorrhages
  • Long term health issues

Dr Shauna Fannin FRCGP, Chair of the Editorial Board at Emma’s Diary said: “Every pregnancy is different and whilst pregnancy sickness is extremely common, Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) only affects 1% of pregnant women and is a condition at the extreme end of the pregnancy sickness scale. HG sufferers will vomit frequently and can become dehydrated very quickly so it is very important to seek urgent medical advice.”

Faye Mingo, mum of two and Marketing Director at Emma’s Diary said: “It’s really brave for these women to speak out and share their experiences with others.  What is apparent is a desire to build greater awareness on the topic of HG and to dispel any myths about what is considered to be ‘normal’, the message from most of the mums we spoke to is to trust your instincts and to keep pushing for medical support if you believe you or your pregnancy might be at risk.”

 

Fancy a weekend away? Try Thirsk in North Yorkshire   By Milly Adams

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Thirsk in North Yorkshire is about a two and quarter hour train journey from London, or a three to four hour drive, so off we went to explore an area that interested us, following on the heels of the the Yorkshire Vet series, and before that All Creatures Great and Small.

Thirsk is a traditional market town, unspoilt, delightful, with a market place festooned with flowers, and surrounded by small shops. On the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, it was the home of author and vet James Herriot, (Alf Wight) and the vets of the Yorkshire Vet fame have their practice on the outskirts of the town.  For horse racing enthusiasts, Thirsk boasts its own racecourse, not far from the train station.

 

Interestingly for me, an author who has just published No 1 in the series The Waterways Girls (Arrow), I discovered there had been a project to build a navigable waterway to the town from the River Swale along Cod Beck in the 1760s, but sadly not completed. Nice to see several of my titles in WH Smith.

A vital resource for Thirsk is the small but beautifully formed Thirsk Tourist Office manned by volunteers, and what gems these volunteers are. We called in and received all sorts of information from the friendly, and fun, staff.

 

We nipped into The World of James Herriot which is where Alf Wight, aka James Herriot worked with Donald Sinclair,aka Siegfried Farnon,  and stepped back in time – totally fascinating. Another day we set off, bus pass in hand, from the market square to Ripon to see the annual art display in the small cathedral.

That particular bus route had just been taken over on the death of Shaun by another bus company. One of the fantastic Tourist Office volunteers appeared just as we were boarding to check that we were on the right bus, or was it just to make sure we left them in peace for a bit. Honestly, everyone in Thirsk goes above and beyond to help, and to welcome.

We stayed at The Fourways Guesthouse, just a step away from the centre. Nicky and Mark were great and the breakfasts lovely.

And I mustn’t forget the White Rose Book Café which we used constantly, to browse, buy, (Christmas sorted – Julian Norton’s book bought for several family members)  and to tuck into tea and cake. This is a great independent bookshop, one that holds numerous events, and positively buzzes.

In a couple of weeks I’ll tell you more about Thirsk, including our bus trips to Northallerton and Betty’s Tearooms, and the villages on the way.

Anyone else out there have ideas for those essential breaks that keep us all going? Let Frost know.

The Waterway Girls by Milly Adams. Pb Pub Arrow. £5.99

A Yorkshire Vet through the Seasons. Julian Norton pub Michael O’Mara £14.99

www.worldofjamesherriot.com

www.fourwaysguesthouse.co.uk

www.visitthirsk.org.uk

www.whiterosebooks.com

www.bettys.co.uk

www.thirskracecourse.net

Knife sharpening nightmares? Forget them. By Milly Adams

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I have a kitchen drawer full of knife sharpeners which I don’t use any more, because they don’t work. I even have a steel similar to the one my dad used to use to produce razor sharp knives. He would ‘steel’ away at the carving knife and then cut super thin slices off the Sunday joint.

In fact, he turned the steel sharpening into a ritual, or even an art form, one that took an interminable time, so the slices might have been super slim, but  the meal was cold.

On the other hand, however, he sharpened my mum’s cooking knives with the same finesse and gusto. I have tried to achieve even a modicum of his success with the myriad sharpeners I have bought but no, into the reject drawer always goes another one.

However, the day has been saved. We at Frost were sent Any Sharp Pro to try. This is a small in size but mighty in range  knife sharpener which we have discovered produces excellent results so, to coin a phrase, size isn’t everything.

It has a strong suction grip, and can handle straight and serrated blades.

With Chrimbo approaching, this could save hours of whingeing about blunt knives, which can and frequently do, end in cut fingers. I even tried our carving knife and though a small sharpener it produced a razor edge.

Do give it a go. At only £16.35 from Amazon it’s a steal. Sorry, should that be steel? But perhaps it’s time the curtain closed on poor jokes.

Try it: Any Sharp Pro knife sharpener: Amazon £16.35

 

Theatre Review by Paul Vates – Book Story

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at Little Angel Theatre, Islington, London

“ it’s all a little too ‘safe’ “

 

 

 

Book Story is exactly what it claims to be: a story about books, told by books. It is a tale of a librarian whose books come to life when humans are not around. They sing, fly, dance, tell jokes, have adventures and become the subject of a picture-book themselves.

 

The setting is primarily in ‘Brians Library’ – and the missing apostrophe there (or, rather, not there) is exactly what the sign said, centre-stage, looking down on the audience throughout. Not a good sign, in more ways than one…

 

 

There is an imaginative use of props and a multitude of clever library and book puns to keep the adults interested. The style and story is just good enough to keep the children focussed. Although it is a little rough around the edges at times, Book Story is original and fun, but not magical and unforgettable. There is a Kindle-type product at one point, which reads aloud. The funny voice was instantly recognised by one child as sounding like a Minion. Much unintended mirth ensued.

 

MONSTRO Theatre claim to be pioneers of the Puppet Musical, which is a bold claim. To me, this is a play with a few songs in it. There is a brilliant cast, playing all the varied characters, singing and animating all the puppets: Karina Garnett, Andrea Sadler and Phil Yarrow, showing that, overall, this is a performers’ piece.

 

 

It was written, composed and directed by Ben Glasstone, from his and Michael Fowkes original idea. Fowkes also designed and directed the excellent puppetry. The children really liked the play, but they weren’t blown away by it.

 

Book Story has a tagline which is superb when spoken in a Sean Connery voice: Learn To Love Your Shelf… It is a ‘safe’ production for children to watch and enjoy. But that is also what is holding it back: it’s all a little too ‘safe’.

Show Length: 60 minutes (no interval)

 

Audience: Aged 5+

 

Twitter: @monstrotheatre, #BookStory

 

MONSTRO’s Book Story now embarks on a UK Tour.

October:

6th        Goodrich Village Hall, Ross-on-Wye

7th        Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, Havant

8th        The Capitol Theatre, Horsham

9th        Hook Library, Kingston

11th      Central Library, Redbridge

13th      Trestle Arts Base, St Albans

14th      Old Town Hall and Arts Centre, Hemel Hempstead

16th      Tooting Library, Wandsworth

18th-21st            Take Off Festival, City Theatre, Durham

22nd     Gulbenkian, Canterbury

23rd      The Woodville, Gravesend

24th      Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

26th      Norden Farm Arts Centre, Maidenhead

27th      Arts Centre, Bridport

29th      Arts Depot, North Finchley

November

4th        Astor Community Theatre, Deal

 

Hape’s Little Splashes reviewed by Milly Adams

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Frost is looking at things with an eye to Christmas looming  on the horizon ( a time I love) but these  Hape products will make a great gift, NOW. Why?  It will give the grown up a bit of a break when they try to convince their offspring that bath or shower time actually can be a pleasurable experience.

What’s more, they have been well and truly tested by the junior members of the Graham family, and I just wish I’d had them while their mothers were young. It would have saved much grizzling and bad temper,  from those in the water, not to mention from me, the one trying to make it fun.

Hape’s Little Splashes range worked on our little ones wonderfully well. They do actually entertain. They are said to create a bond between parent and child, whilst learning valuable water skills, encouraging growth and development. I think what the child learns is to enjoy water, and treat it with respect, and see its potential so it’s just a short step from general enjoyment to learning to swim in the pool.

Hape Teddy and Friends Bath Squirts £14.93 from Amazon are suitable from birth.

Hape Pop-up Teddy Shower Buddy  £16.69 from Amazon:  Children can watch as Mr Teddy does his thing, making the perfect shower buddy. Gaze as the water falls from teddy’s cloud. Suitable for 12 months +.

Hape Swimmer Teddy Wind-up Toy £16.69 from Amazon Wind up and watch him go with this adorable little edition. Children can enjoy the magic as Mr Teddy performs his swimming tricks. Suitable for 12 months +.

Do take note that all Hape products are created using non-toxic finishes, water based paints and only the highest quality child safe materials.

 

Milly Adams’s latest novel pub by Arrow is The Waterway Girls

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Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After Out On Audiobook

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Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After, the compelling memoir from Heather Harpham about her journey from the bliss of young love, to handling a shock-pregnancy alone, to the earth-dropping learning your new-born has an incurable blood disease – narrated by the author herself. Lyrical, heart-breaking, loving and hopeful, the book has been phenomenally well-received in the US

A shirt-grabbing love story that follows a one-of-a-kind family through twists of fate that require nearly unimaginable choices.

Happiness begins with a charming courtship between hopelessly attracted opposites: Heather, a world-roaming California girl, and Brian, an intellectual, homebody writer, kind and slyly funny but loath to leave his Upper West Side studio. Their magical interlude ends, full stop, when Heather becomes pregnant – Brian is sure he loves her, only he doesn’t want kids.

Heather returns to California to deliver their daughter alone, buoyed by family and friends. Mere hours after Gracie’s arrival, Heather’s bliss is interrupted when a nurse wakes her: ‘Get dressed. Your baby is in trouble.’

This is not how Heather had imagined new motherhood – alone, heartsick, an unexpectedly solo caretaker of a baby who smelled ‘like sliced apples and salted pretzels’ but might be perilously ill.

Brian reappears as Gracie’s condition grows dire; together, Heather and Brian have to decide what they are willing to risk to ensure their girl sees adulthood.

The grace and humour that ripple through Harpham’s writing transform the dross of heartbreak and parental fears into a clear-eyed, warm-hearted view of the world.

Profoundly moving and subtly written, Happiness radiates in many directions – new, romantic love; gratitude for a beautiful, inscrutable world; deep, abiding friendship; the passion a parent has for a child; and the many unlikely ways to build a family. Ultimately, it’s a story about love and happiness in their many crooked configurations.

 

The Happiness audiobook will be available at Audible.co.uk from Thursday 7th September, £18.99.

 

UK Tour of Sex Worker’s Opera presented by Experimental Experience by Milly Adams

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Saturday 4th Noveember – Saturday 2nd December 2017  on tour around the country. See below for details.

image courtesy of Julia Etchart

What do you think of when you hear the words ‘Stripper’, ‘Escort’, ‘Pornstar’?

 

Originally devised in 2014, the award-winning Sex Worker’s Opera will tour the UK for the first time this autumn following a multitude of sell-out performances around the UK, Ireland and Greece. Comprised of 50% Sex Workers, this provocative show gives platform for sex workers – tired of being spoken for – to finally tell their own stories on their own terms.

 

Smashing together genres, Sex Worker’s Opera collides opera with hip-hop and incorporates sound art, projections and poetry to showcase an unflinchingly honest and upliftingly human insight into the lives of Sex Workers around the world.

 

Experimental Experience provides a platform to tell the unheard stories of Sex Workers from 17 countries across five continents, exploring a street worker giving marital advice, a webcam model and her ventriloquist dummy and a daughter making career choices in a male-dominated world.

 

Co-Director, Siobhan Knox, comments, Everyone has an opinion about sex work, even if it’s a joke or something they’ve heard on TV. Art and the media portray sex work in a very one dimensional way, it is either extremely glamorous or extremely tragic, and one of the messages of the show is that sex work is human, it is not good or bad it’s just complex.

 

An anonymous cast member comments, ‘It has given me the chance to explore my happiness in my career as a sex worker, to heal all my pain, to make poetry with my life.’

 

Sex Worker’s Opera       Running time   2 hours

Ovalhouse:  52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW

Twitter @SexWorkersOpera

 

Website  https://www.sexworkersopera.com/tickets  for tour dates

 

Facebook  www.facebook.com/sexworkersopera

 

Age recommendation   16+

Editors Siobhan Knox and Julia Etchart

Tour Dates

4th and 6th November  Mumford Theatre Anglia Ruskin University, East Rd, Cambridge CB1 1PT 01223 352932 www.anglia.ac.uk/arts-law-and-social-sciences/mumfordtheatre/sex-workers-opera-4nov  Tickets: £12.50 (£10.50 concessions, £8.50 student).  Further discounts apply for Angelia Ruskin students and staff.

 

9th – 11th November  Theatre Delicatessen 202 Eyre Street, S1 4QZ   0114 278 6500  www.theatredelicatessen.co.uk/about/the-moor-sheffield/  Tickets: £14/10

 

16th – 18th November  Tropicana Marine Parade, Weston-super-Mare BS23 1BE 0117 902 0344 www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/sex-workers-opera/  Tickets: £14/10

 

22nd November – 2 December  Ovalhouse 2-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW 020 7582 7680 http://www.ovalhouse.com/whatson/detail/the-sex-workers-opera  Tickets: £15/10 (Under 26 – £9)