Purrfect Christmas Gifts From Cats Protection | Cute Gifts That Help Cats

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Cats Protection have wonderful gifts for the cat lover in your life. We love cats at Frost and we also love the Cats Protection who do such a good job taking care of cats and kittens. We have picked a selection of some of the gifts we like, but you can also donate to them. Every pound helps.

We love:

White Willow Gift Basket

Delicious biscuits, fudge, marmalade and jam.

Tipsy Selection

Such a great idea and so tasty. Is also a legitimate way to start your day with booze. What is there not to love?

Knitted Cat Eye Mask

So cute.

Kitten Mini Umbrella

A dose of cuteness while you stay dry. Win win.

You can check out the Cat Protection shop here.

The Best Fiction Books For Christmas

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Frostie

Sisters at War by Milly Adams

Brilliant historical fiction. Engrossing and riveting. Read our review of Sisters at War here.

Sisters at War is available here.

Ruby Slippers: A Collection of Short Stories by Tracy Baines

A wonderful collection of short stories from one of the best short story writers working today. As fulfilling as it is entertaining.

Ruby Slippers: A Collection of Short Stories is available here.

For the poetry lover

100 Prized Poems: Twenty-five years of the Forward Books.

A brilliant collection of 100 prized poems from the prestigious Forward Books.

The Forward Book of Poetry 2017

The Forward books are the best way to find the best poets, and poems.

100 Prized Poems: Twenty-five years of the Forward Books is available here.

The Forward Book of Poetry 2017 is available here.

What do you think? A Collection of poems by Catherine Balavage

A great collection of poems from our editor, Catherine. Well worth a read.

What Do You Think?: A collection of poems by Catherine Balavage is available here.

The Dress by Jane L. Rosen

Fun, clever and entertaining. A great book. We really loved it.

The Dress: Nine Women, One Dress… is available here.

Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

Touching and powerful. A unique and spellbinding novel.

Maybe a Fox is available here.

Blink And You Die. Ruby Redford Series Finale By Lauren Child

The series finale. Just brilliant.

Blink and You Die is available here.

The Fox and The Ghost King by Michael Morpurgo

A delightful book with gorgeous illustration from Michael Foreman. Children will love it.

The Fox and the Ghost King is available here.

Clover Moon by Jacqueline Wilson

This is a brilliant book from prolific author Jacqueline Wilson. A great story for children, well written and entertaining as ever.

Clover Moon is available here.

Imaginary Fred by Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers

Gorgeous and charming. We really loved this.

Imaginary Fred is available here.

There’s a Snake in my School by David Walliams

Colourful and fun. Children love this delightful book. The fantastic illustrations are done by genius illustrator Tony Ross.

There’s a Snake in My School!

Three For Halloween

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Frostie

With Halloween just around the corner we thought we would share our three top picks.

Hawkin.com have these TY Halloween Beanies. We love the ghost and the spider. These are so adorable and cute. Almost too cute to be scary. They are also soft. £5 for beanie boos and £3 for clips.

The perfect sweets for kids that come to your door are these bean boozled jelly beans. You have to pick wisely as, along with the normal flavours, there are some truly awful ones; rotten egg, stinky socks and lawn clippings all factor. Available from Hawkin.com

Lastly, how about Halloween doing karaoke? That really is a nightmare for some.

Halloween Cometh

Time to Sing as Though your Life Depends on It (perhaps it will….)

Book your Karaoke Booth at Lucky Voice…if you dare

Lucky Voice will be daring you to pay them a visit this Halloween, as they cast aside the sequins and silliness and embrace the dark side for Halloween.

The Lucky Voice bars will be transformed from karaoke havens to chilling dungeons containing your deepest fear
If you’re haunting the streets of London, make sure you check yourselves in to the Soho or Islington bars. If it’s Brighton you’re roaming, line up for a spine-tingling time at our dark circus show where our ringleader will welcome you with open arms.
The usual props of brightly coloured wigs and fun specs will be taking a more sinister turn – think limbs, fake blood, gore and more (after all, every good singing star needs their alter-ego, right?)
Halloween Playlist songs: karaoke up a Halloween storm with songs from Thriller, Ghost busters, Phantom of the Opera, Monster Mash, Ghost Town, Bat Out of Hell, Highway to Hell, Creep, I Put a Spell on You, Rocky Horror Picture show songs – the list goes on!
Toxic Cocktails – if ever there’s a time to indulge in cocktails with names like Gaga Bloody Mary, it’s now:
Dark & Stormy (mystic blend of rum, with fresh limes and sugar syrup topped with crisp and spicy ginger beer)
Gaga Bloody Mary (chilled mix of vodka, crushed back pepper, fresh chilli, tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce)
Zombie: (Spooky potion of white and dark rum shaken with grand marnier, fresh orange juice, pineapple, a zingy splash of lemon and lime juice then topped with a blood gurgling pomegranate syrup)
Trick or Treat (4 shots, 4 choices, 2 tricks and 2 treats, the choice is yours!)

The Venues: Lucky Voice Karaoke Bars (Soho, Islington and Brighton), see www.luckyvoice.com

Contact Details: Book now via www.luckyvoice.com, or:

London Soho: 0207 439 3660 / soho@luckyvoice.com
London Islington: 020 7354 6280 / islington@luckyvoice.com
Brighton: 01273 715 770 / brighton@luckyvoice.com

Don’t live in these areas? A whole host of UK-wide venues now offer Lucky Voice karaoke. See www.luckyvoice.com.

5 Perfect Gift Ideas for Foodies

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Frostie

Are you looking for the perfect gift for a foodie? Look no further! We’ve done the hard work for you and served up five of the tastiest, most delicious and most mouth watering presents you could give your loved right now…

1. A hamper or box set

A hamper filled with unusual (or even unheard of) ingredients from a far flung corner of the globe is sure to win you a great response! Treat someone special to a hamper for vegans, Persian cuisine or authentic Korean cooking, as well as box sets containing food styling kits and essential equipment. You’re bound to hit the nail on the head by offering a gift of delectable goodies like this to spice up their kitchens, introducing their taste buds to brand new flavour combinations and kitting them out with top of the range tools.

2. A pasta making machine

Got a friend who loves Italian cuisine and gets a real sense of satisfaction from crafting their own food? Buy them a pasta making machine! They’ll love sifting through recipe books and trawling online for recommendations for the perfect pasta dough (and sauce to accompany it!). A gift like this will get them rolling up their sleeves to feed sheets of silky, golden dough through a machine, churning out ribbons of beautiful tagliatelle pasta ready for a pot of boiling water… just make sure you’re there to dig into the final dish!

3. The Thug Kitchen Cookbook

If the person you love is into food, you’ll already have clocked the rows upon rows of cookbooks on their shelves. So why add another, you ask? Well, because their current books are (pretty much) all the same – there’s nothing original between those pages, the writers are sometimes a million miles from reality, and the recipes are delivered with zero sass. So, treat your foodie friend to the Thug Kitchen Cookbook (a number 1 New York Times Best Seller with over 700,000 Facebook fans) and get them fired up about cooking delicious dishes with a side serving of attitude.

4. Foodie dice

Even foodies struggle to think of new and exciting dishes every day of the week, so why not treat them to a set of foodie dice? All they have to do is roll the dice to read the resulting ingredient combinations before rummaging through the fridge to whip up a delectable dinner. No two meals will be alike again, using the dice to gamble on over 186,000 possible recipe combinations with additional dice for seasonal veggies and spices. You’re guaranteed to help spark some creativity in the kitchen with this gift!

5. A magazine subscription

One of the best gift ideas for women who love their food (and men too, for that matter) is a magazine subscription! With no expiry date, no allergens and a lot of inspiration, the lucky recipient is going to love receiving a brand new copy of their favourite magazine every month, flicking straight to the recipe section to try out a new dish. Why not nominate yourself to come over and test their creations?

By Patrick Vernon

6 ways to dress for Spring

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Frostie

Spring is upon us and you might be having a meltdown when it comes to your wardrobe and what to throw on now that the weather has warmed up. Florals, right? That’s all you need. Just a good old fashioned floral print to really feel ready for spring.

Well, okay, you will be seeing lots of this – the high street can’t resist – but that doesn’t mean you need to buy them. Here are six ways to dress for spring without a floral print in sight!

1. A cute pinafore dress

Spring means you can finally (probably) get your legs out and what better way to do this than with a cute pinafore dress? Work yours for spring with a brightly-coloured blouse, some cute collar pins, ankle socks and flats. If it’s a little chilly a lightweight denim jacket is great for throwing on when you leave the house or you can fire up the look with a leather coat.

2. Double denim

Honestly, it’s okay, double denim is a thing now. Fashionistas such as Rosie Huntington Whitely and Gigi Hadid are rocking up to events in two toned, denim ensembles that look amazing. You could even get your boyfriend to match just in time for spring; we love these jeans from Superdry that would look great with a buttoned up lighter denim shirt.

3. A vintage tee and a midi skirt

Clash super feminine with quirky retro this Spring by pairing a vintage tee with a flowing mid length skirt and your comfiest Vans or Converse. When it comes to quirky tees, a rock band from the 1970s, an old well known brand or one of the many tees Truffle Shuffle has on offer featuring retro prints will look great and is perfect for warmer spring days at the weekend. Choose a skirt in a vibrant colour to really bring home that happy springtime feeling.

4. Cropped trousers and a cardigan

Slim fit, cropped trousers look great with everything, but for spring pair yours with a lacy, feminine top and a lightweight cardigan and you’re good to go. Strappy sandals should complete the look along with an oversized clutch or shopper bag.

5. A sleeveless trench and your Mom jeans

Those comfy, oversized Mom jeans with the rips in the thigh will look awesome with a basic white tee and a sleeveless trench for spring. Wear this ensemble with some low flats and a casual backpack slung over your shoulder for a cute, casual springtime look.

6. A simple slip dress

The slip dress is going to be popular this year and can be worn in practically every season. For winter they look great layered over a long sleeve tee and tights but in the spring they are perfect for wearing on their own with a lightweight cardigan and knee high socks or if we’re lucky enough just on its own with some open sandals. It’s a great nod to the 1990s and an easy look to adopt this spring.

By Patrick Vernon.

Mumm Brut Rosé Champagne The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

It can be hard to buy mum the best gift for mother’s day but it is nigh on impossible to go wrong with champagne, and even more so with Mumm’s Brut Rosé Champagne. I have often said the colour of a rosé is a good indicator of how good it is and this is a gorgeous, fresh, light rose. Not too red, but not too pale either. It is luxurious, fresh, decadent and of the highest quality. I am a huge fan of rosé champagne and this one has beautiful notes of red berries. Perfect.

Mumm Rosé offers finesse in both taste and design. A beautifully drawn rose – designed by the great Franco-Japanese artist and friend of the House, Léonard Foujita – adorns the bottle. Within, notes of red berries expand into delicate scents of caramelised vanilla. The result is a luscious champagne dominated by Pinot Noir and created by Maison Mumm, a Champagne House whose founding mantra of providing “Only the best” continues today.

Maison Mumm, established in 1827, is the official champagne for celebration, its iconic red sash symbol celebrates an ancient French distinction for bravery – the Legion d’Honeur.

This is Mumm’s first ever Rosé champagne, offering an iconic rose watercolour design and dynamic freshness to charm mothers of all ages..

Available online and inshore at Waitrose.com for £29.99

Valentines Ideas: Perrier-Jouët Small Discoveries Blason Rosé Coffret

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Since Perrier-Jouët was founded on the love story of Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and his wife Adele Jouët, the Perrier-Jouët Small Discoveries Blason Rosé coffret is a Valentine’s collection with romance and surprise at its very core.

It includes:

· Two champagne flutes which reveal a dazzling secret: When filled, their beautiful butterfly engravings cause bubbles to cluster and spiral upwards through the length of the wine

· A bottle of Blason Rosé – the first rosé champagne created by Perrier-Jouët

· A presentation box decorated with a flutter of butterflies and wrapped in green ribbon – Perrier-Jouët’s emblematic colour

Perrier- Jouët Small Discoveries Blason Rosé coffret is the third release from the ‘Small Discoveries’ collection – a longstanding collaboration between Perrier-Jouët and award-winning Viennese design duo mischer’traxler. Small Discoveries celebrates Perrier-Jouët’s philosophy of fine craftsmanship and use of nature.

Mischer’traxler has taken inspiration for ‘Small Discoveries’ from the core principles and rich variety of expression associated with the Art Nouveau movement: combining art with craftsmanship, and infusing nature and beauty into everyday objects; the proponents of which remain at the heart of Perrier-Jouët’s House philosophy. References to nature and the use of handcraft processes, two characteristics so vital to the artistic movement, have been utilised by the laser engraving of two butterflies on the inside of the flutes which, when the glass is filled bubbles flutter to the top.

Blason Rosé is the first rosé champagne created by Perrier-Jouët. It’s name derives from the ‘Blason de France’ range, created by the House in 1956. Blason Rosé is a subtle blend of 50 different ‘vins clairs’ from the best parcels of the House’s vineyards. Built upon the great love of Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and his wife Adele Jouët who together established the Champagne House Perrier-Jouët in 1811, Perrier-Jouët’s Blason Rosé carries their legacy of love in every bottle.

Described as the house’s most gourmet wine, it is a fresh salmon pink in colour with an intense and lively palate which has great length and character. The finish is complex and persistent.

Available in store and online for £70 at one of Frost’s favourite shops www.fortnumandmason.com

Gift Ideas For a New Baby

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Frostie

Shopping for a new baby can be a minefield. Never mind that you might accidentally buy the same present as everyone else. To help out we scoured the internet and have came up with our top picks.

An ISA.

Starting, or putting money into, a junior ISA is a great idea which will have little ones set up for the future. It also stops the home of the new parents becoming cluttered. You can get a stocks and shares junior ISA from Chelsea Financial Services which invests in funds. Chelsea currently offer their junior ISA for no charge. All you pay is the fund managers charge which is typically 0.75% a year. The advantage of investing in a fund versus individual shares is that your money is invested by a professional and your investment will be spread over many different shares, so if one does badly it won’t bring down your whole investment. Chelsea have a number of ready made junior ISA portfolios selected by their research team if you don’t want to choose your own funds.

Investing early is extremely important because it allows the magic of compound interest to take hold, what Einstein called the eighth wonder of the world. By investing early a small amount of money can become much larger over time. The Junior ISA has the same advantages as a regular ISA. It has protection from capital gains and doesn’t need to be included on a tax return. The one disadvantage of a junior ISA is it cannot be taken out early and can only be withdrawn by the child after they turn 18. So if you want to save for school fees you would be better off investing in your own ISA.

Our other picks are from www.notonthehighstreet.com