Tag Archives: Life & Style

KIDS KNOW THE COST OF CHRISTMAS

Posted on by

Hard-pressed parents assume that their children have no idea how much it will cost them to make a happy Christmas – but research out today reveals that children as young as five know how much Christmas will cost their family this year … including all the trimmings.

The survey by credit card company Capital One, shows that 85 per cent of kids aged between 5 and 11 know that a standard turkey (2.5kg) costs ‘up to £20’, 79 per cent correctly identify that a Christmas pudding costs ‘under £5’ and 64 per cent know that that a Christmas Tree costs ‘up to £30’.

Despite the average cost of family spending expected to fall this Christmas to around £692 from £1,278*, 1.3 million (32 per cent of all UK kids) accurately predict that Christmas costs a family more than £600, the equivalent to the cost of a family holiday.

The research also reveals that it’s not just the trimmings they’re knowledgeable about; children aged 5-11 were shown to be particularly astute and tech savvy when it comes to presents and gadgets – with 42 per cent knowing how much a Nintendo Wii costs (£109 RRP), as well as 38 per cent accurately confirming that an iPhone costs over £200.

Whilst clearly being surprisingly financially aware, thankfully there hasn’t been a complete loss of child innocence with 67 per cent still believing that Father Christmas ‘spends the most money on Christmas’ and 8 per cent believing that Christmas costs as much as ‘a flight into space.’

Judi James, behavioural expert says: “It’s clearly a cliché to assume that kids have no real understanding of the cost of Christmas because some of the valuations in the survey would give adults a reasonable run for their money. This proves that – unlike previous generations – kids do seem to have acquired a very astute financial view of the festive period, being aware not just of the egocentric gain in terms of food and presents but also the amount needed to obtain them. This suggests good parenting in terms of messages of putting a price on pleasure, meaning we might just be breeding a generation of Alan Sugar-style entrepreneurs.”

Credit Made Clearer features a series of short animated films offering consumers practical financial educational advice. Members of the public can access quick myth-busting films about the world of credit and managing money via facebook.com/capitaloneuk

Michael Woodburn, Chief Marketing Officer for Capital One, says: “We all assume that Christmas is an exercise in financial management for adults. However, maybe if we involved kids more, there could be benefits all round. Financial education for our younger generation is extremely important. Our Credit Made Clearer videos encourage responsible spending, offering tips on a range of financial issues from the use of credit to how to shop safely online.”

‘Credit Made Clearer’ festive shopping tips from Capital One:

* Ensure you stick to a budget and know your credit card limit before making Christmas purchases
* When shopping online, look for the padlock symbol in the browser window to ensure your data is kept away from prying eyes
* Register your cards with MasterCard SecureCode or Verified by Visa to add an extra layer of protection when shopping online
* Be aware of withdrawing cash to buy gifts – you may be charged daily interest and a cash withdrawal fee even if you pay your balance in full each month
* Always leave some available credit on your credit card for any interest to be applied

Cheap and Easy Ways To Be Greener

Posted on by

Doing your bit for the environment needn’t be boring and expensive. Here are Frost’s top tips.

1) Always turn lights off when you leave the room.
2) Don’t leave appliances on standby and don’t leave things plugged in when not in use. A TV on standby uses 40% of the energy it does when it’s switched on.
3) Only boil as much water as you need.
4) Have a bag for life. Always refuse plastic bags when shopping. They are not just bad for the environment, they also kill animals and wreck ocean life.
5) Turn the thermostat down. You can cut your heating bills by up to 10% by turning the thermostat down by 1C.
6) Fix leaking taps and don’t leave the water running when brushing your teeth.
7) Replace old light bulbs with new, energy-efficient ones. This will save you around £37 a year on your bill. The old ones are being phased out anyway.
8) Buy less stuff. Really, consuming less is the best thing you can do for the environment. I always get depressed when I walk past somewhere like Primark and see all their cheap clothes that will last for a few months and then go to a landfill site. Make a stand.
9) Invest in draught excluders, get your heating checked by a professional and fit a central heating thermostat so you can only heat rooms that you are in. Any expense will quickly be recouped.
10) Use eco-friendly paints when decorating. There is a range of natural paint free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are known to cause allergies. They are non-toxic, made from renewable sources and avoid issues with damp.
11) Subscribe to The Ecologist. It’s cheap, you get a free gift and it will have lots of articles and advice on how to live a green life.

Do you have any tips on being greener? Add them below.

Who To Notify When You Move House

Posted on by

Moving house is stressful at the best of times, so here is Frost’s guide to who to notify when you move.

Friends and Family.

TV Licence.
Your TV licence only covers you at your current address and won’t move with you automatically. Update it at tvlicensing.co.uk or by post.

Driving Licence.
Update it online at direct.gov.uk. Your Vehicle Registration documents will have to be returned to the DVLA. They will then send you a new one with your updated details.

Council Tax.
Tell your local council when you move out, and when you move into your new home. That way you will be billed correctly.

Mail.
You can get your mail redirected online at royalmail.com or by going to your local post office. It takes five working days so give the appropriate notice.

Doctor and Dentist
Search for practices near you new home by going to NHS.uk and entering your post code. You will have to register with the new practice

Financial Service Provider.
Banks.
Building societies.
Store Card companies.
Insurance companies.
Savings and investments.
Pension company.
Credit card company.
Do this as soon as possible. You don’t want your financial details going to strangers.

Magazine and other subscriptions.
Let them know as soon as possible. They usually need a month’s notice.

Utility Provider
Water
Gas
Electricity
Phone (and mobile phone)
Request a final bill before you move and tell them the date. Take a reading from your old home before you leave and at your new one when you move in. Just in case.

Cable/Internet providers.
If you are sticking with your provider let them know your new address straight away to minimise disruptions to your service.

Electoral register
You will need to register to vote in your new area. Go to aboutmyvote.co.uk and print off a form. Fill it in and send it to your local electoral registration office.

Finally, make sure you have signed the contract for your new home before changing things. Just in case things go wrong.

Frost Magazine's Writer of the Year 2012

Posted on by

It’s been an amazing 20 months for us at Frost, and we couldn’t have done it without the passion and hard work of the people that write for us. The sheer variety of backgrounds, specialisms and styles made it incredibly difficult for us to judge who to award the title of ‘Frost Magazine’s Writer of the Year 2011?.

We chose the winner based on a combination of statistics, being prolific and feedback from readers. Our writer of the year showed they had the uncanny ability to consistently pick winning stories.

The Frost Magazine Writer of the Year 2011 is…Owun Birkett.

Frost's Winter Health Challenge

Posted on by

Winter can be hard on health and beauty. Skin tends to dry out and constant flues and colds are abound.

Frost has tested some health products to help you survive winter as well as possible.

Moa – The Green Balm is a wonder balm that you can use for anything from dry or chapped hands, to bites and bruises, lip salve, blemishes and can mixed with hot water as a sore throat-soothing drink. It smells good and has a good consistency. It works very well as a moisturiser and is a great thing to have around the house. It really is a do-it-all balm, and it is completely natural. I really liked it and I used it as a lip balm and on my hands. (£4.99 from all good health stores or www.thegreenbalm.co.uk)

Eating well in winter can be hard. The temptation to eat stodgy food and hibernate can be strong, and, lack of sun means that you won’t be getting enough Vitamin D. I started taking 5 Lifestream Chorella tablets a day and felt that I had a lot more energy. My skin looks nice and bright and my hair looks good. I go up to 10 a day and I even lose a few pounds. I feel like I’m been given a good health boost. Chlorella is filled with the immune-boosting vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy. Lifestream Chlorella (£15.29 for 300 tablets from all good health stores or www.grumpygorilla.co.uk). Renowned as nature’s won multivitamin, chlorella is packed with more than 20 vitamins, minerals and amino acids and vitamin D.

Those suffering with seasonal joint pain or arthritis could benefit from a daily dose of apple cider vinegar and honey such as Honegar (£4.69 for 500ml from Holland & Barrett and all good health food stores) mixed with warm or cold water. Ranulph Fiennes is a fan. I start drinking it and although I don’t have arthritis I find I feel more cleansed and have more energy. I also have not had a cold or any flu. It doesn’t taste bad either.

I also try out Plj Lemon Juice. It is nice as a refreshing drink, as an ingredient when cooking or mixed with Manuka honey and warm water to soothe and calm an inflamed throat. It is a good thing to drink if you are trying to detox, not only does it cleanse but it is quite sweet so can take the edge off any cravings.

PLj Lemon Juice (£2.29 from Tesco, Sainsbury’s and all good health food stores)

All of the products I decided to try are natural and as green as possible.

What do you do to help you get through the winter?

Christmas Wine Review

Posted on by

Banrock Station Shiraz Rosé

 The complaint I have from people who don’t like Rosé is that it is too sweet. This Rosé solves that problem. It is good, refreshing and crisp Rosé . Although it has a touch of sweetness it is not overbearing. It’s a good bright colour too.
This Rosé has delicious flavours of strawberry and cherry. It has a lot of flavour and is sparkling. Top Notch.

 Waitrose £8.99        

   
 
Stone’s Ginger Wine Special Reserve is a blend of the finest quality raisins and pure ground ginger which produces a delicious, mellow warming flavour that pairs perfectly with Christmas pudding and mince pies.
 
 Stone’s Ginger Wine is not for lightweights. It is 18%, but it really is beautiful. A delicious, full-bodied ginger wine. It’s strong, a bit like a brandy. You can feel it going down. It tastes delicious alone or as a cocktail ingredient. One of my friends I tried it out on now drinks it with cola. It would also be brilliant as an ingredient in a hot toddy.

It tastes expensive but it is reasonably priced. Try it, it is one of my favourite wines. Good quality and original. Perfect for winter as it’s warming and perfect for Christmas too.
 
 Waitrose £6.99
 

Puss in Boots IMAX 3D Review

Posted on by

I have to be honest, I may be going into this review with a slight bias because I love Puss in Boots. Especially when he does that thing with his eyes.

I wouldn’t normal go to the cinema to see a cartoon, but I also saw Tintin in 3D earlier this year and that was brilliant, so off to Kingston I went.

This film is the prequel to the Shrek franchise. It is Puss in Boots story up until he meets Shrek. The film is good, the storyline is great. Fantastic for kids but grown up enough to keep the adults happy too. Antonio Banderas is good as Puss and Salma Hayek is perfect as Kitty SoftPaws. The story has a lot of fairytale characters in it so you feel like you already know the characters in the film. It’s a good cast and Zach Galifianakis is wonderful as Humpty Dumpty and has one of the best lines in the film: “Do you know what happens to eggs in jail? Well … it ain’t over easy!

Seeing the film at the IMAX and in 3D makes it more of an experience than just going to see a film. Things jump out at you and the visuals and sound are amazing.

I recommend this film no matter what your age. My only complaint is that, as I wear glasses to the cinema, wearing two pairs when you count the 3D pair hurt my nose!

Surviving Christmas as a Single

Posted on by

The Christmas period is a time of mixed emotions for single people; Christmas parties give us lots of opportunities for meeting new people and securing a kiss under the mistletoe, but the elated party mood can fade quickly when we’re back home with family and being relentlessly quizzed about our single status.

An eHarmony.co.uk study (2009) found that 47% of singles cited loneliness as the reason they feel a sense of trepidation about going home for Christmas. Additionally, the unmarried men we surveyed said they found Christmas a more stressful time than Valentine’s Day.

We‘re not saying it’s easy, but if you try to approach being single from a positive perspective, there are a lot of good points about being single at this time of year – from evenings out at German Christmas markets to office parties and mince pie gatherings, there are so many added opportunities to socialize and get into the Christmas spirit. Here are a few tips on tackling December with confidence.

Top tips to avoid feeling left out if you’re not coupled-up this festive season, from Dr Gian Gonzaga, Senior Director of Research at online match-making website eharmony.co.uk

Fill your time
If you’ve been single for a while, you’ll probably be a dab hand at planning and filling your time. And that’s no bad thing – how often do you hear coupled friends moaning they can’t go out because ‘Rachel has promised to cook me dinner this evening’?  Whereas, you have no one else’s calendar to worry about. Grab the festive season with both hands; attend parties, see old friends, visit Christmas markets and invite other single friends round for dinner.

Feel good about yourself
So, you’ve got some spare time on your hands. Why not volunteer for a charity such as Crisis, over Christmas. Amazingly, some charities get over subscribed for volunteers on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but there’ll always be someone in need at some point over the festive season.

Don’t wallow
This is the cardinal rule of being single at Christmas – and in fact the whole year round. If you wallow in your feelings of sadness, you’ll enter into a downward spiral. Misery breeds misery, and it pushes people away. How often have you walked into a party and thought, ‘Ooh, I’ll talk to that miserable person over there’? We’re guessing never.

We know that it’s often easier said than done to banish those feelings of sadness – especially if you find yourself remembering last Christmas when things were better for you – but do try. As soon as you feel your mind wandering, distract yourself. Volunteer to do some cooking, call up a friend:  just get your mind off that subject.

Gather round, one and all

The Christmas holidays are about all the relationships you have, and you have a lot! Revel in these relationships because you probably don’t get to see them that often. After all, what’s funnier than Aunt Margaret after a few too many sherries? If you really can’t face it, coerce a friend into going with you – but take care, if you think all your attention will be spent making sure they’re ok rather than socialising, it’s a pointless exercise.

Don’t be the only single person at the party
Whilst you should stay social, try to avoid being the only single person at a party if you think it will bother you. Take a friend, or arrange to do something else. Of course, if you’re happy to be around just couples then party away.

Come up with a good comeback for nosy relatives
If there’s one thing to guarantee you regressing to being a sulky child, it’s a nosy relative inquiring about your love life. Yes it’s petty, but the fact is that when your smug distant cousin and his new wife are bearing down on you at a family gathering you’ll do well to have some stock answers to their potentially prying questions. This can range from the genuine (I just haven’t found the right person yet) to the flippant (I didn’t fancy buying so many presents this year) – whatever you’re comfortable with, just be prepared. And remember your relationships come and go on your terms and no one else’s.

Look on the bright side
There are actually lots of bonuses to being single at Christmas – no agonizing over presents for your partner, no stress over whose house to eat Christmas dinner at, being able to go to any party you want…the list goes on. Still feeling miserable? Remember that Christmas puts huge pressure on couples too, with 1.8million considering divorce over the period, according to Family Mediation Helpline. Also remember that there is life after Christmas – after all, it is just a week and it’ll soon be January. (And if the prospect of a cold and grey January doesn’t persuade you to enjoy the moment, nothing will)

Get away from it all
And, if you honestly can’t face Christmas at home, take the chance to be completely selfish and have a winter break. Relish your lack of responsibilities and spend a week lying on a beach, not sparing a thought for overeating and enforced jollity.