Tag Archives: life

Mothers Face Employment Struggles After Having Children

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keeping children entertained on car journeysNew mothers are reluctant to return to work after having a child, with new statistics revealing that 28 per cent did not go back to their previous employer and only 6% felt the desire to start their own business (6%).

The research comes from a brand new study conducted on behalf of Diddi Dance, a pre-school dance company. It has highlighted that mothers are often faced with the tough decision of whether to return to employment – 12 per cent of mothers said that their career was restricted after having a child/children, and a third (34%) did not want to spend time away from their child/children.

Concerns of mothers about returning to work are flexibility, which is vital with the very spontaneous nature of parenting (17%), and location, as travelling up to two hours a day is not a feasible option for some parents

This being said the research showed there were also aspects that mothers were not concerned about, as of those who returned to work only 8 per cent felt they were treated differently, and even less (6%) felt they were not treated fairly by their employer.

Anne-Marie Martin is a Diddi Dance franchise owner and mother of 2 young children – she explained the troubles of mothers like herself who she speaks with on a daily basis:

“There are so many factors when thinking about returning to work practically, but also emotionally. Childcare is one of these issues, as it’s not only very expensive, but the waiting lists tend to be quite long. In addition, not all providers are flexible with long or antisocial working hours. Commuting long distances means the time away from your child/ren can build up. It also makes you think about whether you should be leaving them for long periods of time from such young ages. Needs must though and returning to work is sometimes not an option a lot of parents are able to turn down.”

Do you have children and want to return to work or do you want to work for yourself?

 

 

 

 

The Life And Times of Nelson Mandela

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“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

The people at Ad-Rank were greatly saddened by the passing of Nelson Mandela. His struggle is a true inspiration to us all, having spent 27 years in prison, Mandela emerged from prison as a leader of men who would inevitably take down the apartheid regime and become the first black president of South Africa.

Mandela’s story is a fascinating one that everyone can learn from. Despite terrible treatment, Mandela never treated racism with racism. His dedication to equality, democracy and education will no doubt cement him as one of, if not the most important figures in modern history.

His struggle has undoubtedly made the world a better place, and for this we are forever indebted. Being such an important historic character, we thought it would be a great opportunity to create an infographic to highlight his amazing life story.

mandela-infographic

Over Half of British Adults Put Important Moments in Life Down to Superstition

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Over half of all Brits (57%) believe in fate and 44% think it is responsible for one or more of life’s most important moments. According to a poll commissioned to mark the launch of Mystery Case Files: Fate’s Carnival which is released today, 28% of Brits put fate down as the reason why they found their partner or fell in love.

 

Big Fish commissioned the survey to see if fate really does play a part in people’s lives. The world’s largest producer of casual games found that it is not only love that people put down to fate. One in 10 people in the UK chose “getting a job” as something they’d put down to fate, rather than hard work.

 

Furthermore, the younger you are, the more likely it is that you will put life moments down to fate. For example 18% of 16-24 year olds put bumping into an old partner down to fate, whereas just 12% of those aged 55+ think the same.

 

The twists and turns of Mystery Case Files: Fate’s Carnival, in which Madame Fate (a gypsy fortune teller) has returned from the dead to reverse fate before it’s too late, may well appeal to the most superstitious part of the UK.  Overwhelmingly, the North East attracts the most believers in fate (69%) and 29% of people from the North East even said that “Having a ‘near miss’ with their own or a loved one’s life” was something they’d put down to fate.

 

Wales on the other hand is the most rational part of the UK where 54% say that they don’t believe in fate.

 

It is not just fate that we superstitious Brits believe in. Almost half of us (48%) read our horoscopes, with one in four (24%) checking their horoscopes once a month or more.

 

Women are the greater stargazers with 58% having looked at their horoscope, whilst men seem to be a little more sceptical. Thirty eight per cent of men are interested to see what the future holds according to the stars.

 

The British may be superstitious but when it comes to paranormal, we are scathing. Eighty three per cent of those studied have never seen a psychic of any sort and 73% would never go. Of the 27% of adults who would contemplate a visit, 46% would want to communicate with a loved one who had passed away and 19% would want to ask about their own or a loved one’s health and wellbeing. Whilst 19% of men who go to see a psychic do so to remove a curse from a loved one or themselves.

 

Psychologies Reveals The New Year Resolutions We’re Already Planning To Break

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Anti Gravity yoga , Anti-Gravity Yoga and Ballet Barre Conditioning at The London Dance Academy, barrel ballet, conditioning. fitness, sport… And why the New Year is the worst time to make them

I have given up making New Year Resolutions. Instead I reevaluate my life when I have a birthday, making lists of goals and plans. It seems that other people are not good with resolutions either. In fact, my resolution last year was not to make a resolution.

Nationwide research by UK lifestyle magazine, Psychologies, has revealed that a surprising 70% of us will already be thinking about the opportunity that the New Year presents to make changes in our lives, by the first week of November. The findings indicate that we’re holding out for January 1st, despite the fact that one in five of us admit that we’re currently ‘desperate’ to make a change – and that we’re also almost certainly doomed to fail.

Nearly three quarters (72%) of the UK makes New Year resolutions, but the majority of us admit that we’ve failed to succeed in the past, with a staggering 68% giving up within the month of January itself. It’s not surprising, then, that only a depressing 11% of us believe that we’re very likely to stick to the changes that we’re already planning for 2014.

Life coach and editor of Psychologies, Suzy Greaves, believes that the problem lies with the New Year tradition itself and is urging her readers to boycott January resolutions and just start right now, instead, “It’s not just the post-festivity blues, empty wallets and grim weather that make January a bad time to make positive changes. The January 1st tradition focuses us on one huge goal, like ‘being healthy’ and we feel that we should be able to magically transform our behaviour overnight, rather than implementing smaller changes that work towards the bigger goal, over a realistic time period.

“When we fail to meet this inflated demand, feelings of ‘failure’ negatively reinforce our behaviour to the extent that, as our research has found, over a third of us (39%) don’t try again for another year. Simply put, January 1st creates a vicious loop when it comes to making important – and often vital – changes in our lives. My advice as a life coach is simply to forget January and start now – our current issue has a special report to help readers ditch bad habits and take up good ones by making tiny changes that deliver huge results.”

The Psychologies research found personal finance to be the most common area for desired change, with over half of us citing this as something we were resolving to change. But whilst a third (33%) wish to save more, only 10% want to resolve to spend less. 49% want to find a way to earn more.

Despite the focus on our finances and perhaps suggesting an over reliance on hopes for a lottery win, only a quarter of us are considering making a change within our careers. Of these people, 39% are hoping to initiate promotion, 26% are wishing to change career paths entirely and 23% want to start a business.

The orthodox resolution to ‘lose weight’ was the second most popular desired change and on the minds of over half of Brits surveyed. Weight loss features again amongst those who want to improve their health with 28% acknowledging that it’s the change that’s required.  20% more women prioritised weight loss as a desired change, than men.

The Psychologies research found that when it comes to those wishing to make changes to social and family relationships, 43% want to prioritise improving the relationship and sex life that they share with their partner. Whilst that may sound gloomy at first glance, these statistics can be viewed more positively when compared to the fact that only 7% want to leave a relationship with a partner. Looking at sex lives specifically, 16% more men want to improve their sex life, than women, but an equal percentage of men and women (27%) want to improve the relationship with their partner.

 

What is your New Year Resolution?

How to Stop Being a Couch Potato and Start Enjoying Life

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Lululemon_Yellow_Yoga

 

It’s no joke: a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to numerous preventable causes of death. A person who is seated for over five hours a day is put considerably more at risk of contracting cardiovascular disease than one who exercises for even just four hours per week. Furthermore, lack of exercise can cause depression or anxiety. If you want to start enjoying life you have to stand up and say no to being a couch potato.

 

Here are some useful ideas to help you get up off the couch and back in the game:

 

  • Avoid eating on the settee. The more you get used to doing this the more time you will be able to spend on the couch. Try to make a habit of setting aside time for meals away from the TV.
  • Rest and relaxation are integral ingredients of a healthy and happy life, but too much idle behavior will do you no good in the end. When you go to sit down in front of the TV, set yourself a limit on the time spent in front of it.
  • Get rid of your unwanted DVDs and video games. You’ve seen or played them all before and it’s time for something new. You can sell them easily on http://www.musicmagpie.com/ and use the money for a gym membership or a bicycle.
  • Why not watch TV while riding an exercise bike and THEN see how many episodes of Prison Break you can watch in a row!
  • Studies have shown that prolonged periods of little or no movement inhibit the effectiveness of one of the key enzymes which break down blood fat. If your occupation requires you to spend lots of time sitting down, make sure to periodically stand up and stretch your legs.
  • Apply the principle of active transport to your daily life. We spend too much time in a sitting position, even while travelling. Walk or ride a bike, leave early and take the scenic route to work and you’ll feel the benefits of a greater sense of wellbeing.
  • Get a hobby. Count up the hours you spend on the sofa in a year and think what you could do with that time. If you cut out just an hour of TV time every day just imagine what you could achieve in a year. Whether it’s Ping-Pong or marathon running, find something to suit you and stick at it.
  • Join a sports team. It could be at your local soccer club or it could be as simple as forming a bowling team with good friends. The commitment necessary to be a valued team player will give you the encouragement you need get off the settee regularly.

Everybody needs time to relax and a good long couch session every now and again can be good for your state of mind – but too much is detrimental to your health. Don’t think of it as a loss of relaxation time, but rather as time gained socialising, improving your health and extending your lifespan

 

Confidence Coach Vivienne Goldstein Tells All

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Tell us exactly what you do?

With a background of NLP as a Master Practitioner and qualified as a Personal Performance Coach, I support my clients to deal with a range of personal challenges. I specialise in improving the communication and impact my clients make in their work and home life.

My role is that of a thinking partner. I give a balance of support and challenge. I provide a safe and confidential environment without any outside distractions where my clients can concentrate on themselves without any interruptions. It’s important to be allowed time to think, time to reflect. By speaking out loud, it enables your thoughts to come into your consciousness and you lower some of the filters that have been stopping you seeing the options and opportunities that are there for you. You get your “juices flowing” so that one thought can easily lead to another … or not … and then we can find out what’s stopping the flow.

In the recent Olympics, all the Veteran Medal winners and the Coaches were saying how very important the mindset of an athlete is to their success. It’s the same for you and me in our everyday lives. We need to find out what motivates us, what our best qualities and skills are, understand how to hone them and how to get the negative thoughts under control and pushed to the side so that we can be our best.

To do my job well, I have to be completely in the moment. I listen carefully not only to the words that my clients speak but also the way in which they say them, the tone of voice, the intonation and their body language eg lots of fidgeting, screwing up their face, rolling their eyes, sitting very still, not showing emotion.

Everyone is an individual so my success lies in how quickly I can establish rapport and get my clients to feel comfortable to open up and dig deep into themselves.

The most difficult thing for me is when someone comes to me knowing they have a block and yet they keep hanging on to a belief that means this block is impenetrable. … they won’t let go of it to see what could happen if they did let go.

It takes time for new ideas to settle into the consciousness. Some people take longer than others. And it’s down to the individual themselves. I’m the catalyst. Ultimately, it’s their responsibility.

How did you get into coaching?

I was brought up in Brazil as a child and returned to London to finish my education.
I have many years’ experience in retail, photography, recruitment, teaching and charity work. And then someone suggested I’d make a great Coach. I’d never even heard of such a thing! I studied a lot and I love it! I combine my professional coaching expertise with life experience.

What kind of people do you coach?

My clients are mostly professionals who come to see me privately on a one-to-one basis. I sometimes run workshops which give a group of people a foundation in becoming more self-aware of the impact they make on those around them.

The typical client is the one who knows they have an issue they want to address. They’ve been thinking about it for a while and not getting any clearer on how to improve things. They then realise that working with me will get them to a better place quicker.

One lady came to me because her boss is a bully and she was struggling to cope with various situations at work.

A man came because he was anxious about his wedding day speech.

One lady was up for Partner in a very large law firm. She had to be interviewed by all 150 Partners. After 30 interviews she was given the feedback that she lacked gravitas. She came to me to understand how to change the message she was sending out.

Some people are struggling to come to terms with their situation which they know they can’t change but want to see it in a different light.

A mother came to see me because she wasn’t getting on very well with her teenage son.

Successful women in business who take maternity leave and on returning to work, they feel a sudden loss of confidence. It’s a whole different world once you’re a parent as well as a business person.

Are people born confident?

Of course. We are all born perfect. It’s what we experience that shapes our lives and the choices we make.

How do you fix a lack of confidence?

Firstly, you have to recognise when you are feeling a lack of confidence. Then work your way backwards in your life experiences as to when this feeling first started. Then understand how you are behaving when this feeling starts. Then change your behaviour. It’s starts with faking confidence and eventually you become confident.

Can someone who has no confidence be completely cured?

Nobody is 100% confident 100% of the time. We all experience moments on uncertainty – whatever anyone may tell you otherwise!

Top tips for confidence?

What is happening inside your head is reflected outside by your body language. So an easy tip is to make sure you wear clothes you are comfortable in, fit you well, make you feel good. Good grooming is always helpful.

If you’re unsure of something, do some research, find out as much as you can before doing whatever it is that is causing you to feel unconfident. The more prepared you are for something, the better and more comfortable you will feel going into the situation.

Be aware of your mindset. Don’t walk into a room in a bad mood. The results will not be satisfactory for you. As Abraham Lincoln said:

“Most folk are about as happy as they make up their minds to be”.

Who mostly has a lack of confidence: men or women?

I think that it’s pretty evenly distributed but the situations in which there is a lack of confidence may differ.

How do you relax?

I always feel better after an exercise workout. That gets rid of my toxins both physically and emotionally!

I love the cinema and theatre …. and laughing. Laughing is the best relaxation!

The Truth About Looking Young

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You may have seen Dr. Rozina Ali’s excellent BBC Horizon programme entitled ‘The Truth About Looking Young’, if not see it here, in which she talked about L’Oreal’s progress in the field of glycobiology and how it is the next big thing in the cosmetics industry. (you can read her article here)

There is a whole new exciting science called glycobiology which looks at lipids and sugars and their role in our bodies. It promises to shed light on the differences between young skin and ageing skin, in particular the role of glycans in repairing damaged skin. This pairs really interesting with our recent skin care report, where together with Mintel l’Oreal found that:

Eye creams and gels

  • Nearly half of all women (46%) use anti-wrinkle eye creams. Eye cream usage is mostly used around the 24 to 54 age groups, for more than half of these women.
  • One in four (26%) 15-24 year olds state that their skincare routine also includes the use of an anti-wrinkle eye cream.

Moisturisers

  • Moisturisers are used by over two-thirds (68%) of women
  • Only 35% use them every day
  • The most popular and highest-volume usage is with young women, with 43% of under 25s using them.

Anti-ageing serums

  • 39% of all British women use anti-ageing serums.
  • As women grow older, 46% of 55-64s using anti-ageing serums as part of their skincare routine.
    L’Oreal have announced a nationally representative UK clinicial trial of YSL Forever Youth Liberator to be published in a journal, which will provide further solid evidence of the anti-ageing effects of glycobiology.

L’Oréal, the leading beauty company will strengthen its understanding of the clinical benefits between the emerging science of glycobiology and skin ageing by commissioning an independent UK-based clinical trial of the Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator skincare range.

Forever Youth Liberator is the first range of products available that are based on research into glycobiology, an area of science that is already the subject of intense research activity. L’Oréal has already conducted numerous clinical studies, with validated objective assessments of outcome, for each of the products in this range before their launch. The company is confident that a new independent UK-based clinical trial, to be published in a peer reviewed journal, will provide further evidence of the skin ageing effectiveness of the Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator products.  These include a new eye serum and night cream which will be launched in the coming months.

Julie McManus, Scientific Director for L’Oréal UK and Ireland said:

“L’Oréal has devoted over 20 years’ research into understanding the role of glycobiology in skin and the changes that occur with age. We have succeeded in developing highly effective products based on glycobiology, protecting the important role that glycans play in healthy skin. We are totally committed to proving the scientific results of our skincare products, which is why we are carrying out a UK-based clinical trial on the Forever Youth Liberator range.”

Forever Youth Liberator serum, cream, nutri cream, cleansing foam and lotion are now available from major department stores and Boots Beauty counters as well as www.yslbeauty.co.uk.

 

Following the success of the face serum, the best-selling product of the range, Yves Saint Laurent will be introducing on the 5th September an eye serum, specifically designed for the area of the face where skin is at its thinnest.

 

Desiree Holt – the world’s most prolific author of erotic romance

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~ Meet 76-year-old grandmother Desiree Holt: the world’s oldest author of erotic romance, with over 100 steamy novels and ebooks to her name and counting. .

Silver-haired Desiree Holt qualified for a free bus pass in 1996, but has spent her retirement writing over 100 “scorching-hot” sexually explicit novels and e-novels to the delight of fans around the world.

Until now, many readers believed the bestselling author of such steamy works as “On the Prowl” and “Carnal Caresses” was a buxom heroine like the ones featured in her books — released by British erotic romance specialist Total-E-Bound Publishing.

But Holt — whose ‘behind-the-bedroom-door’ stories often involve kinky sex play such as bondage, dominance and threesomes — has decided to come clean about her age.

Holt, who cites the runaway success of British author EL James’s number one bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey as helping the genre gain mainstream acceptance, said: “When I first started writing, erotic romance was still looked down on by many people as nothing more than a form of porn.

“But the incredible popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey
has really opened readers’ minds to the genre, to the point where it’s fine to admit that I am a pensioner in my mid-seventies who just so happens to write about passionate, erotic relationships.

“I’m one of Total-E-Bound’s best-selling authors of this genre and the demand for my books is growing all the time. I think that’s because erotic romance is a powerful form of fantasy — women, and men too, can read it and imagine themselves in place of the characters, doing and feeling things they might be too shy about in their everyday existence.

“Many readers have told me that my stories give them confidence to spice up their sex lives, experiment and express their sexuality. I guess in that respect I’m a bit like an agony aunt, only more graphic.”

Claire Siemaszkiewicz, founder of digital publishing company Total-E-Bound, said: “Desiree has been with us for four years now and in that time has become a firm favourite with readers.

“We believe she is the oldest writer of erotic romance in the world, but I’m sure none of her fans will be concerned with her age. The quality of the stories and characters is the important thing to them, not how many candles the writer blows out each birthday.

“If anything, Desiree should be seen as an empowering figure in the fight against age discrimination. There’s no reason why sex should be taboo for older people.”

Born in 1936, mother-of-three Holt carved out a successful career for herself in journalism, PR and music management — looking after a number of small-time rock bands — before retiring in 2000 at the age of 64.

At first she planned to spend her golden years fulfilling a life-long ambition to write mystery novels — but became “hooked” on erotic romance after buying a “racy” novel to see what it was like.

With the full support of late husband David, Holt “threw” herself into the underground sex scene to research what would be her first erotic romance novel, 2007’s Candy Caresses, joining online forums for the BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Sadomasochism) and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) communities.

Since then she’s published 105 novels, novellas and short story collections, building up a network of regular contacts ranging from mistresses, swingers, and fetishists to Army soldiers — for her latest book, Unconditional Surrender.

Last year, she even visited a bondage club at the age of 75 to gain a better understanding of the worlds she writes about — though, she insists, as “an observer only”.

She is now believed to be the world’s oldest author of erotic romance.

She said: “The inspiration for the stories comes from every place and research is always ongoing. I based the hero of one book on my doctor — simply because he’s so sexy.

“Another book, my novella All Jacked Up, I wrote for my son, because I wanted him to settle down. It’s about a man reaching forty who’s still waiting for the woman of his dreams only to have the most unexpected female walk into his life. I think he appreciated my motherly concern.

“Though I’ve not tried all the things I write about, I do find them all fascinating — far more so than traditional granny pursuits such as knitting. I’m treated well because I respect everyone as individuals, regardless of whether they express their love through kisses and cuddles or whips and chains.”

Holt, who lives in Texas, US, says that though her family refuse to read her books, they approve of her writing and affectionately call her the “Queen of Hill Country Erotica”.

But, she adds, there will always be some people who find her choice of career “distasteful”.

“I was nervous in the beginning because, while my kids are all adults, I am still ‘Mom’ to them and therefore shouldn’t know this kind of stuff. But they are my biggest supporters and brag about me a lot. Even my 20-year-old granddaughter thinks it’s exciting.

“But I do live in a very conservative community and occasionally someone will look at me as if I have a contagious disease when I reveal what I do.

“I always tell them that maybe they should read one novella and see that it’s really not what they think. At its heart, erotic romance is still about exploring characters’ relationships and emotions — the sex just helps reveal the intensity of their feelings.”

Desiree Holt’s latest novel, Unconditional Surrender, is available now from Total E-Bound Publishing. Visit www.total-e-bound.com