New Year, New You – Part 3: Transform Your Home

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In the first installment of my ‘New Year, New You’ series, I wrote about how the start of a new year was the perfect time to change all those things that perhaps bugged you a little in the previous year – such as your job, your wage and your home.

But, on later reflection upon the latter subject, I realized that for many, moving home probably wasn’t the most financially viable option when it comes to starting 2013 afresh. After all, given the current economic climate and the situation of the housing market, this prospect is totally unrealistic for many.

So, if my suggestion of changing your home did you get thinking, but you just can’t afford to uproot completely, then here are a few ways you can transform your home, so you can start 2013 in a beautiful fresh new home:

The Living Room

The living room should be a place all the family can go to, to relax, unwind and put their feet up after a hard day at work or school. But, for some reason, you just can’t stand spending time in yours. You can’t quite figure out if it’s because of that laminate flooring you put down, or if it’s because of the old sofa that’s long passed it’s time, or whether it’s just everything combined.

Well, if this is you and you’re looking for ways to change your living room without spending a fortune, then believe it or not, there are a few simple ways you can transform it beyond recognition, whilst still keep those all important pennies in the piggy-bank.

If your living room is a little on the small side and you long for a bigger living room, then purchase a mirror – yes, that’s right; It really is as simple as that. Buy a frame-less mirror and pop it above your fireplace and it’ll instantly open up the room and create the illusion of a much bigger space.

If you’re sick of your old sofa, then the New Year is the perfect time to purchase a new one – big furniture giants often have their biggest sales at the end of the year, just after Christmas. So, if you’ve had your eye on a gorgeous corner piece all year, then now’s the perfect time to buy it!

The Bedrooms

We all like our bedrooms to look nice – after all, they’re the first rooms we see when we wake up and the last ones we see before we go to bed. But, you’ve had that plain magnolia on the walls for years now and quite frankly, you’re getting a bit tired of it. You’d love to decorate it with that gorgeous wallpaper you’ve seen, but you’re terrified about what the final price would be.

Well, you can decorate it with that lovely wallpaper and you can afford to do it – with a feature wall. Feature walls have become increasingly popular in recent times, simply because of their affordability and their ability to make a room look effortlessly sophisticated.  Classic feature walls normally consist of ones backing the bed or at the foot of a room.

Bathroom

From having a bath or shower, to brushing our teeth or putting on make-up, we spend an astonishing amount of time in our bathrooms on a day-to-day basis. So, it’s important that they get a little sprucing up from time to time, too.

But, splashing out on a brand new bathroom suite can get pricey – after all, the old one has to be completely ripped out, and you can end up spending a fortune on a new one to be fitted in its place.

But, there’s a much cheaper way to changing the whole dimension of your bathroom completely; a bathroom TV. Now, I know you probably only ever really see bathroom TVs on programs that spy on the homes of the rich and famous, but believe it or not, they really are affordable.

Simply mount one on the wall facing your bath or shower, and you can enjoy your favourite programs whilst you’re winding down in the bath, or catch up on the morning news when you jump in for your shower. And, what’s more, when they’re switched off, they standby-by screen changes itself into a fully functional mirror, so you can prune yourself in it once you’ve finished bathing!

 

Household spending edges higher, while spending patterns differ by income

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The ONS recently revealed their latest report and Frost Magazine found it very interesting. As the seemingly never ending recession kicks our butts, the facts are that we are spending more and more. Check out the survey below.

 

Family Spending, the annual report from ONS on household expenditure in the
UK, found that in 2011, average UK weekly expenditure rose to £483.60, an
increase of £10.00 on the level recorded for 2010. The 2011 average
expenditure is the highest recorded by Family Spending.

Spending was highest on the transport costs category at £65.70 per week, up
80p from the previous year. Over half of all transport (£36.40) was on
running costs, which rose by £3.10 (an increase of nine per cent, following
last year’s 14 per cent increase). Most of the increase in running costs
was due to spending on fuel, as petrol, diesel and other motor oils
increased by £3.30. Higher expenditure on personal transport was also
reflected in vehicle insurance (£9.40 in 2011 compared with £8.00 in 2010).
On average, household expenditure was more than twice as much on
second-hand cars (£12.90) as new cars (£5.50). Unlike most types of
transport expenditure, spending on new cars decreased in 2011, from £6.50
per week in 2010.

The second highest expenditure category was recreation and culture (£63.90
per week). There was a small decrease in expenditure on audio-visual
equipment (including computers) averaging £6.30 per week in 2011 compared
with £7.20 in 2010. Spending on many recreation items remained fairly
constant, including games and toys (£2.20) and garden equipment (£2.60).
Spending on newspapers, books and stationery was similar in 2011 at £5.70
per week. However, there was a small increase in spending on recreational
services, including cinema tickets, leisure classes and admission to
sporting events, from £17.80 to £19.80. A weekly average of £4.00 was also
spent on pets and pet food. Average expenditure levels in the third highest
category: housing, fuel and power increased to £63.30 in 2011 from £60.40
in 2010. This was partly due to an increase in maintenance and repair of
dwellings, which rose by £1.00 to £7.70. Gross rent rose by 70p in 2011, to
£40.60. Average expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels was £22.10
per week, an increase of 70p.

Weekly household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks increased
from £53.20 in 2010 to £54.80 in 2011. However, the amounts spent on fresh
fruit (£3.10) and vegetables (£4.00) were unchanged.

Some types of expenditure decreased in 2011. This was notable for household
goods and services, which saw a drop of £4.10 to £27.30. This was mainly
due to a decrease of £2.80 in spending on furniture, to £13.80. Expenditure
on clothing and footwear was also lower in 2011 than in 2010, decreasing by
£1.70 to reach an average weekly expenditure of £21.70; of this decrease,
£1.00 was in clothing, which fell to £17.60. Spending on men’s outer
garments decreased by 60p to £4.20, while spending on women’s outer
garments fell by 70p but remained much higher than men’s at £7.70 per week.
Footwear for adults decreased by 40p in 2011, men’s footwear fell by 10p to
£1.30 and women’s fell by 30p to £2.10.

There were notable differences in expenditure patterns by income, seen by
comparing the ten per cent of households with the lowest incomes and the
ten per cent of households with the highest incomes. The lowest-income
group spent a larger proportion of their total average weekly expenditure
on housing, fuel and power (23 per cent), and food and non-alcoholic drinks
(16 per cent), than those in the highest income group (8 per cent in both
expenditure categories). Households in the highest income group spent a
greater proportion on transport (16 per cent) and recreation and culture
(14 per cent) than those in the lowest income group (7 and 10 per cent
respectively). Differences by income were also evident for internet access,
with 41 per cent of households in the lowest income group having access to
the internet at home, compared with 99 per cent of the highest income
households.

Overall, average household expenditure in the UK was £470.70 per week for
the years 2009–11 combined. There were five regions in which expenditure
over this period was higher than the UK average: expenditure was highest in
London (£574.90 per week), followed by the South East (£539.30), the East
(£497.10), Northern Ireland (£489.40) and the South West (£479.90).
Spending was lowest among households in the North East (£384.20 per week),
Wales (£398.20) and Yorkshire and the Humber (£410.10).

The high spending of London households of £574.90 was partly due to the
housing, fuel and power category, £91.30 per week, compared with the UK
national average of £60.30 per week. Households in rural areas had higher
overall expenditure (£510.50 per week) than those in urban areas (£458.30
per week). This was reflected in expenditure on transport, where spending
was highest (£77.40 in rural areas and £58.80 in urban areas), and
recreation and culture (£68.80 in rural areas and £57.20 in urban areas).
However, expenditure on the housing, fuel and power category was higher in
urban areas (£61.30 per week) than in rural areas (£58.30 per week).

Read the full report at
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-spending/family-spending/family-spending-2012-edition/index.html

Les Miserables Movie Musical Exclusive Review

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Les Miserables’ movie musical – screened for cast and crew members at the Odeon Cinema in London, Leicester Square on the 4th of December 2012 – soon to be released in the cinemas.

 

I was lucky enough to be invited to the cast and crew screening of ‘Les Miserables’ on the 4th of December 2012 at the Odeon cinema in London, Leicester Square.

 

 

In a speech, held before the screening, award winning British film and television director, Tom Hooper, did thank all the cast and crew in the cinema making his dream come true.

 

Sir Cameron Mackintosh admitted that it had been their dream to make a movie musical and the fact Tom Hooper asked him on this amazing project was a really good thing as the director came up with an amazing vision of how he wanted it. Tom had in fact suggested disaggregating all the scenes for filming purposes to then put them back together in the movie. Mr Mackintosh admitted making a movie and especially a movie musical takes so much more work than putting together a theatre production. He funnily mentioned how the lack of sleep was a constant thing during the production!

The film musical had just been completed before the screening and Mr Hooper ironically wished he could have had a couple of hours more to do some extra touches.

‘Les Miserables’ movie has already had the Guildhall screening in the USA where it received a great feedback but now, the main aim is to bring the production in London.

In between the mentions in Hooper’s speech, Simon Hayes and his team for the sound department and all the post production team which did an amazing work, the costume department – which had to really work out the choice of fabrics so that the microphones would not be inhibited – Steward Hilliker took care of this. The camera team which had to film several scenes with multi-cameras; it was a real challenge. Really, a great team work. Also, Hugh Jackman’s remarkable and poignant performance of Jean Valjean cannot be left unmentioned.

 

The live sung movie musical is much more emotionally bounding than the old school movie musical version where actors used to mime the singing on a pre-recorded track. I found the movie as poignant as the live staged version. In the theatre it is great to be present and literally breath the performance but unless you are sitting in the very first rows, you hardly get to see the actors expressions when in the movie musical you can clearly see their eyes and facial expressions. This works amazingly to get into the actors’ deep feelings highlighted by remarkable close ups that, on the big screen together with the musical effects, make the audience unavoidably feel exactly how the characters felt whilst singing those lines live to the cameras (see video link below).

The movie respects the same sequence of events of the original Boublil – Schönberg musical theatre score. The musical and emotional tension is not released till the ‘Master of the House’ entertaining scene where we even see a featured Father Christmas!

Pablo Bubar – one of the many cast members who attended the screening – explained to me how, for the revolution scene, he had been called on set for 6 days, working 13 to 14 hours per day. Crew members worked even more than 17 hours per day.

 

The movie produced by Working Title Films (Sarah Radcliffe and Tim Bevan) will be released on the 25th of December 2012 in the United States and on the 11th of January 2013 in United Kingdom.

Might this movie be the landmark for more live sung movie musical productions to come celebrating really good acting and filmmaking and I bet cinemas will be full again!

 

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2587403289/

 

 

Written by Paola Berta

 

Top 5 Christmas Dresses

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Christmas. The time of festive joy and parties. But what to wear? Well, what about one of these dresses at Bank Fashion I have chosen my Top 5, plus one for the very brave.

This maxi dress is perfect for winter, because you can wear thermals underneath!

This look is slightly demure, but classy and smart.

And this one is for the brave. Perfect if you really want to be noticed.

Sponsored post.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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Ahead of the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, We have a new, exclusive video of director Sir Peter Jackson and The Hobbit cast on how New Zealand was transformed into Middle-earth for the film.

The video is a guided tour of Middle-earth by the actors on location.

Air New Zealand, the official airline of Middle-earth, has been giving passengers The Hobbit experience as soon as they step onboard with its latest safety video , which stars Sir Peter Jackson, actor Dean O’Gorman, great grandson of J.R.R, Royd Tolkien and Gollum himself.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is released in cinemas in the UK on 13 December. For more Air New Zealand Hobbit assets see airnzhobbitmedia.com. Video courtesy of Air New Zealand.

Oomf – The Bench Pressed Oats Review

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I can’t leave the house without eating breakfast no matter how late I am running. So these cute little pots are perfect for me and the time starved. I got sent the Banana one to review. Here is what I thought:
First of all, convenience. This little pot of Whey Protein Porridge is ready in 60 seconds. You just add hot water. I never make porridge because it takes too long and cleaning the pot afterward is such a chore. So full marks for that. Next is taste. It tastes good, There is nothing artificial about it. It just tastes like banana porridge, but good banana porridge.
Now for nutrition: Oomf are great for you as each serving contains 20g of protein (that’s 36% of recommended daily allowance and equivalent to 3 large eggs!)
The little pot kept hunger at bay for hours. Whey protein, the main ingredient, is a rich source of essential amino acids and boosts your immune system, It has no added sugar and is a British brand with British ingredients.
They come in travel sized pots and all you have to do is add hot water…meaning that they can be eaten anywhere…at the gym or the office or on the go. They are great for on-the-go breakfasts or even as an afternoon snack (especially great for the cold winter mornings).
Flavours include Banana, Ginger Bread and Apple, and Sultana and Cinnamon. £1.50 from health food stores or www.giveitsomeoomf.co.uk.

Skyfall {Film Review}

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*WARNING! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!*

 

After the underwhelming reaction to Quantum of Solace in 2008, critics and audiences were worried for the James Bond series. It left us feeling cold and empty, much like the character of James Bond that was portrayed on-screen. So there was a lot of work needed to bring the franchise back on its own feet and convince audiences there’s enough room for Bond to keep going! With Sam Mendes hired as the director of the 23rd Bond film, people started raising their eyebrows and their curiosity peaked as more talent were hired to the project.

Now celebrating 50 years of Bond (longest running movie series in history), the main questions on our minds were; does this Bond film deliver a respectful tribute to the series (more so than Die Another Day celebrating 40th anniversary in 2002) and do the filmmakers make up for their mistakes from Quantum and bring back the Bond we’ve been waiting for? The answer to both of those questions is a solid YES! Bond IS back!

The film ignores the events that have happened in the previous two films and goes straight to a different film altogether. The story starts with Bond (Daniel Craig) in Istanbul on the hunt for a missing hard-drive that contains names of every agent in terrorist organisations around the world and is accompanied by Eve (Naomie Harris). Meanwhile, M (Judi Dench) overhears their progress but the mission goes horribly wrong as Eve accidentally shoots Bond as ordered by M and the assassin escapes with the hard-drive. Months later, M and MI6 get attacked from a mysterious terrorist that seems to have a grudge against her. Bond eventually returns to England and is recruited back on the field. He then follows a trail that leads him to Shanghai and to an anonymous island where he meets Silva (Javier Bardem).

The film has all the trademarks of what you expect from a James Bond film; the one liners, the beautiful Bond girls, the stunning locations and the egomaniac villain. Unlike the typical plot where the villain holds the world to ransom or plans to start a World War; Silva has a personal vendetta up his sleeve and makes his character more threatening (even his presence is felt before he shows up). Through-out the film, Bond is treated like an old relic in a 21st Century world. It’s a daring but interesting question Sam Mendes not just puts to the character of Bond but even asks the question as mentioned earlier; is Bond still relevant in today’s generation? To which M delivers a speech in a meeting that time is inevitable but the soul still goes strong. Basically referring to the franchise and something I admire that a blockbuster even asks that question.

Daniel Craig excels as Bond, delivering the witty wisecracks like he’s able to do it blindfolded. He has definitely moved on from being cold and calculative to a Bond that is likeable but still retaining the efficiency as a double-0 agent. Judi Dench really delivers a great performance as M, even bringing more meat to the character than she ever has been since her debut in GoldenEye. She feels the weight as her time is nearly up but also feeling responsible for her recent actions. Her scenes with Daniel Craig are one of the highlights, as they interact with each other as they’re mother and son they both never had. Both Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe really do check the list on being a Bond girl; they are both absolutely stunning! Harris makes Eve a convincing character, showing being a field agent isn’t all that glamourised and there are consequences to her actions. Though the weakest part of the film are the Bond girls, they don’t have enough screen-time to feel beneficial or make an impact to the story (especially with Marlohe’s Sévérine). Ben Whishaw as ‘Q’ made an impressive performance, making his take on the character his own but still retaining what we love about ‘Q’ (requesting Bond return a gadget in pristine order). His first scene with Bond establishes the type of relationship they will have; a banter between the old and the new but no matter on their differences, they still go hand-in-hand. Though Javier Bardem as Silva steals the spot-light and delivers one of the most memorable Bond villains in the series’ history. He brings the same intensity as he performed the character of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men but also making Silva very flamboyant which makes it very fun to watch and can tell Bardem is having a blast playing the role.

The film looks absolutely breathtaking and no surprise it is shot by Roger Deakins (previous credits include True Grit (2010), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and The Shawshank Redemption). One of the many things that have been improved from Quantum is; the action sequences are wide and stationary so we can tell what is going on (further proving that you don’t need to make it hand-held and have kinetic editing to make your action scenes to be intense). One particular scene that made my mouth drop was when Bond follows the assassin he encountered earlier in Shanghai, leads up to a skyscraper and the entire floor is only lit from neon lights from opposite buildings. It really shows Deakins’ talent and I applaud Mendes on applying this amount of artistic license in a Bond film (and has my vote for Best Cinematography during the awards season). Thomas Newman replaces regular Bond composer David Arnold and delivers a classic Bond score but also feels very modern (using synthesizers when Bond arrives in Shanghai).

Overall; Sam Mendes delivers a Bond film we’ve been waiting for and actually feels like what a Bond film should! The entire cast and crew should be applauded to their work, bringing the top of their game and truly showing respect to the series. My personal favourite blockbuster of 2012 and one of the best Bond films ever made. Highly Recommended!

5 out of 5

Kate’s Royal Morning Sickness explained and top tips on keeping nausea at bay

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Following the news that The Duchess of Cambridge has been hospitalized due to severe morning sickness (otherwise known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum), we enlist the help of the UK’s leading women’s health expert and nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD and Russell Bowman, expert nutritionist at The Nutri Centre to shed light on this rare condition and give us their top tips on keeping morning sickness at bay

In the first three months of pregnancy, more than 90% of expectant mothers will suffer some level of morning sickness – which despite its name, doesn’t occur only in the morning.

So what are the causes?

‘Morning sickness is due to the changes in the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone which women experience early in pregnancy’, Russell Bouwman, Nutritionist, The Nutri Centre.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of morning sickness don’t just include nauseas and sickness.  Marilyn says ‘Symptoms can include cramps, heart-burn, cravings, intense hunger, a metallic taste in your mouth and feeling of weakness and tiredness. Morning sickness may also be related to the increased sensitivity to odours that pregnant women experience, which can trigger nausea. Unfortunately this is all just part of being pregnant, and your doctor won’t be able to prescribe you anything to relieve the symptoms, which are usually confined to the first trimester of pregnancy.  But its not all bad news, according to a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the USA, women who vomit during pregnancy are more likely to carry all the way to term and deliver healthier babies’

The Royal Sickness

Kate Middleton is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, an acute and potentially dangerous form of morning sickness.  For most women, the symptoms of morning sickness are mild to moderate but for an unlucky few, (on average 1 in 50 expectant mothers), morning sickness occurs in its most severe form.  ‘If you suffer from this condition, you may vomit so much that you are unable to keep any food or drink down and hospitalization may be necessary in order to be intravenously fed fluids.  This condition can also be dangerous for you and your baby, so if you’re vomiting so much that you can’t eat or drink, it’s essential that you consult your doctor immediately’ warns Marilyn.

 

Mother Nature to the Rescue –

9 natural remedies to help you achieve a morning sickness-free 9 months

Apple Cider Vinegar – ‘Apple cider vinegar is pH neutral, so it can help settle the stomach acid which causes nausea. Add 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar to a cup of warm water first thing in the morning to help keep nausea at bay’ advises Marilyn. Try Higher Nature’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, £6.50 from www.nutrientre.com.

Almonds – ‘Almonds are a great source of protein and calcium, both of which can settle your stomach.’  Take Marilyn’s sickness-busting tip and soak 10 almonds (unroasted) over-night, peel off the skins in the morning before eating.

Water – drinking water is essential to compensate for the fluids lost during vomiting.  Marilyn suggests you ‘keep a pint of mineral water by your bed with the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt.  The lemon juice makes the water more alkaline and this seems to settle he stomach.’

Vitamin B6 – Some experts believe morning sickness is caused by high levels of oestrogen in the system.  Marilyn explains ‘oestrogen can build up when the liver isn’t efficiently flushing away the excess. ‘Vitamin B6 can help clear away excess toxins by optimising liver function.’ BioCare’s Vitamin B6 is a water soluble B vitamin which is yeast free and suitable for vegans. Biocare’s Vitamin B6 is £8.80 for a 2 months supply and is available from www.biocare.co.uk.

Ginger – Ginger supplements have been proven to ease nausea by helping food to pass more rapidly through the digestive system, as well as reducing the stimulation to the part of the brain that prompts a burst of nausea or vomiting. Russell says ‘Ginger can be helpful in preventing nausea and morning sickness, and research suggests that it can be effective. Ginger contains many active ingredients including phenols, which can improve gastroduodenal motility and reduce the sensations that cause nausea’. Ginger can affect certain heart and blood medications, so speak to your GP if you are taking these’.  Russell recommends:

Ginger People’s Ginger Chews Original, £1.55 from www.nutricentre.com. Containing fresh ginger this is a handy remedy to keep in your handbag on the go or by your bed ready to take first thing in the morning.

BioCare’s Gingerdophilus (Ginger and Probiotic Combination), £20.40 for a months supply from www.biocare.co.uk.  This product combines powdered ginger with the benefit of probiotics, which can assist in digestive complaints as well as the nausea associated with morning sickness. 3 capsules provides 900mg of ginger which can be effective for short term use (4-5 days at a time).

Lemon therapy – ‘Lemon juice can help to relieve nausea, even by just inhaling its fragrance. Cut a lemon in half and rub the juice on your hands, then hold your hands to your face and take a deep breath whenever you feel nauseous.’ advises Marilyn. To replenish fluids try Pukka’s Lemon Green Tea, a light blend of smooth green tea with a subtle twist of Sicilian lemon and fragrant lemon verbana. Available from www.pukkaherbs.com for £2.25

Homeopathy – Marilyn advises you take the most appropriate in a 30c potency, 4 times a day for 3 days:

Arsenicum – is best if you have a sense of constant nausea, some vomiting and if you feel exhausted or faint.

Ipecac – for morning sickness that isn’t relieved by either vomiting or stress

Nux vomica – if you feel nauseous, but better if you actually vomit

Sepia – if you feel constantly nauseous, but a little better if you eat little and often.

Acupressure – One study showed a 60% improvement in morning sickness in women who used acupressure.  The acupressure point for nausea is at the base of your wrist, about 5cm fro the crease of your wrist on the inside of your rm.  Press on this point for several seconds each time you feel nausea coming on.  Alternatively you can buy acupressure bands to do this job for you.

Aromatherapy – Try putting a few drops each of rosewood and lavender essential oils onto a tissue or handkerchief and inhale during the day.

 

Russell Bouwman gives us his top tips on avoiding morning sickness

  • Become a protein grazer – Eat small, frequent meals and snacks throughout the day so your stomach is not too empty or too full at once. Research suggests that high-protein foods were more likely to ease symptoms.
  • Snack attack – keep simple snacks such as ginger biscuits or crackers by your bed. When you first wake up, eat a small amount and then rest for a while longer before getting up. Snacking may also help you feel better if you wake up nauseated in the middle of the night.
  • Take it slow – Getting up slowly in the morning, by sitting on the bed for a few minutes rather than jumping right up may also be helpful.
  • Smell the roses, or not – Try to avoid foods and smells that trigger your nausea. Due to your heightened sense of smell, you may find that certain foods that you enjoyed before you fell pregnant may make you feel queasy now. If so, you could try sticking to more bland smelling or tasting foods for the short term.

Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD is the UK’s leading nutritionist specialising in women’s health. She is the author of 10 internationally bestselling books, including the recently re-launched Getting Pregnant Faster and The Natural Health Bible for Women. Marilyn practices in her clinics in Tunbridge Wells (Kent), St John’s Wood (London), Kensington (London) and Rathmines (Dublin). For more information on specific health problems see Dr Glenville’s website www.marilynglenville.com.