School holidays are in full swing, so ifyou have children at home and are doing some arts and crafts, why not join in the fun and create your own Angel Card deck.
Are you one of the few people that has packing a case and going on holiday down to a fine art; or does you house look like a whirlwind has rushed through it and like you are one step away from an almighty row with whoever gets in your way, including the family pets!
If it’s the latter, then perhaps our useful tips will get you on the road to a smoother journey this year.
Money is an uncomfortable subject at the best of times, but there are some simple steps to makes sure that you are making grown-up moves with your money in 2018, rather than fighting fire!
Experts recommend that we have 3-6 months money in savings equivalent to our salary. This is rainy-day money to cover emergency things like something going wrong with your boiler or car, or at the worst end of the scale ill-health or being made redundant.
If you have money in savings, then now is the time to look around at better rates. Interest rates on savings have stayed stubbornly low, but with The Bank of England having just raised interest rates, some financial institutions have raised their saving product rates – make sure you get the best rates you have for whatever money you have. (more…)
Statistics show, and possibly your own experiences bear out that we often struggle to stick to New Year Resolutions. Failing in our attempts can be psychologically damaging and have us starting the year feeling despondent and like we lack self-control and will-power.
But on the other hand, reflecting on the past year and reviewing what has gone well and what made us happy as well as where there is room for improvement is a positive thing. It is one way of making sure we do not get bogged down in the humdrum of every day life and that we make time for what truly brings us joy and that we address the things that are really making us unhappy.
So, if you want to make changes in 2018, it would seem that you have to tackle New Year Resolutions in such a way that they are actually achievable. (more…)
At this time of year coughs and colds are prevalent, the stress of Christmas and sometimes burning the candle at both ends during the holiday season can leave your immune system a little under par.
Rather than turning to the medicine cabinet, why not try boosting your immune system in a more holistic way? You might be surprised at what works:
It is easy to stay at home in-doors when the weather is wet and cold, but actually getting out, meeting with friends and family and having meaningful interactions reduces chronic stress, which in turn reduces negative impacts on your immune system. (more…)
The BooksJ.K. Rowling wrote a series of detective books, under a pseudonym – Robert Galbraith, but of course in this day and age it’s difficult to keep a secret and it wasn’t long before people realised the identity of the true author. The books went on to critical acclaim, making the best-sellers lists.
The debut book is called Cuckoo’s Calling, followed by The Silkworm and then Career Of Evil. Rowling has recently been teasing her fans over the name of her fourth book in the series, with one person guessing the name correctly as Lethal White. It is believed that she is planning at least six more books in the series.
On her website for the books she explains why she wanted to write under a pseudonym: “To begin with I was yearning to go back to the beginning of a writing career in this new genre, to work without hype or expectation and to receive totally unvarnished feedback. It was a fantastic experience and I only wish it could have gone on a little longer than it did. I was grateful at the time for all the feedback from publishers and readers, and for some great reviews. Being Robert Galbraith was all about the work, which is my favourite part of being a writer. Now my cover has been blown, I plan to continue to write as Robert to keep the distinction from other writing and because I rather enjoy having another persona.” (more…)
Serena WilliamsPhoto credit: Jimmie48 Photography / Shutterstock.com
Serena has dominated women’s tennis for quite some time, she is the world’s number 1 ranking player, having taken her 23rd Grand Slam title in January 2017 at the Australian Open.
In fact, keen fans worked out that it is likely she was pregnant when she got that 23rd title, having announced that she is pregnant and expecting an autumn baby.
Serena is 35 years old and is expecting her first child with her fiancé Alexis Ohanian who is a Reddit Tech Entrepreneur. Apparently, they have said that they would like to not know the baby’s gender until the birth.
Of course, her pregnancy has put a halt to her playing tennis for the rest of 2017, but she is said to already be making plans for her come back. Whilst many might have expected her to retire from professional tennis following the baby’s arrival, she is said to be keen to continue competing as long as she believes that she can challenge and ultimately win Grand Slams. (more…)
New Year falls on different dates for different countries and religions. But in all cases there is a great significance on the fact that how it is started will be an omen for how the rest of the year will pan out. So not surprisingly there are a number of rituals that people follow at this time of year.
If I say ‘superstition’ the chances are you will immediately think of something that you do that falls into this category. Do you refuse to walk under a ladder? Do you stop in the street to pick up a lost penny, believing it will bring you good luck? Do you throw salt over your shoulder if you spill some?
The question is are you really superstitious? Do you believe something bad will happen if you don’t carry out these rituals? Or is it a learned behaviour and now just something that you do? (more…)
Greetings pop-pickers!
If you are of a certain age, you could be forgiven for thinking we have gone back in time when you look at some of the top album releases this autumn. Of course, we have to use the word ‘Album’ as some people under that age may not necessarily know what an ‘L.P’ is, nor may they understand queuing to buy the latest ‘record’ at a Virgin Megastore or even Woolworths!
Our cover star – Melanie C puts out her new album titled ‘Version of Me’ on the 21st October 2016. This is actually her seventh album and contains the single ‘Anymore’ that was released in September. “I wanted to make an album that I would listen to now,” says Melanie. “I’m not a leftfield artist, I never will be. I write pop songs, but my aim this time was to approach every aspect of them differently, to be more creative with structure and sounds. Whatever felt right, I went with.” (more…)