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‘I got dumped at Christmas’– 6 of the worst holiday break-ups

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six of the worst Christmas relationship tales (Rhian Morgan)
Love is not in the air (Picture: Erin Aniker for Metro.co.uk)

Ah, Christmas. A time when you can kiss your loved-one under adornments of poisonous berries, and not be judged.

It is also a time when hearing Slade or The Pogues for the third time in a row stokes an infernal, fiery rage for some of us.

metro illustrationsIf you want to break up with someone, do it before Christmas – here’s why

For all those Grinches out there, I have some cathartic stories for you.

For, whatever your reasons for hating Christmas, these people… Read the full story


Christmas fanatic creates ridiculously chic upcycled festive outfits

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(Picture: Cover Images)

This is Chrimbo-mad Jen Nollaig.

That’s not her real name…but Nollaig is the Irish word for Christmas and Jen is mad for it.

She’s on a mission this year to inspire folk to get creative this Christmas, by designing a range of incredible festive outfits.

The Dublin-based fashion designer has been upcycling old garments and turning them into wonderfully bombastic coats, accessories and headdresses.

Jen, 35, says she looks forward to Christmas all year round, and begins thinking about the next festive season from Boxing Day onwards.

In fact, Santa even officiated her wedding in Las Vegas.

The last minute online shopping Christmas gift guide

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Disney On Ice Figure Skating
(Picture: Disney On Ice) Disney On Ice tickets make a brilliant last-minute Christmas gift as you can print it off right up to Christmas day

Let’s be honest, not all of us can be super organised when it comes to Christmas.

While the planners are relaxing with a glass of mulled wine on Christmas Eve, we are still making mad dashes to the shops and wrapping on Christmas morning.

So, just how late can the procrastinators leave it? 

National retailers such as John Lewis, Boots, Superdrug, M&S, ao.com, Currys and Debenhams deliver before Christmas from 19 up to 22 December.

Amazon and Argos will let you leave it right up… Read the full story

Health bosses apologise after misdiagnosing woman’s endometriosis on period pain and diet

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(Picture: Caters)

Endometriosis can be incredibly debilitating but it’s sadly not taken that seriously by many medical professionals.

Karlie Wilkinson was diagnosed with the condition aged 19 after being left bedbound thanks to doctors blaming her symptoms on ‘bad diet’.

She suffered from unbearably chronic pain, intense cramping and pregnancy-like symptoms including morning sickness and a heightened sense of smell.

Every time she went to see a doctor about her condition, however, she was told that she was merely suffering from ‘bad period pain’, appendicitis, a ‘bad diet’ and even that it was all in her head.

Now, Karlie has a set up a petition to get health bosses to apologise for not taking… Read the full story

This London hotel is doing a bed, breakfast and abseil package for one night only

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See licence supplied with this image for full terms & conditions. Copy also available at: www.matthewshaw.co.uk/copyright.htmlSee licence supplied with this image for full terms & conditions. Copy also available at: www.matthewshaw.co.uk/copyright.html
He looks very happy considering he’s hanging off the side of a 14 storey building, you know? (Picture: Talkor Tailor/Matthew Shaw)

Don’t know about you but when I check in to a hotel, I’m all about the little extras.

Nespresso machine by the bed? Yes please. L’Occitane minis in the bathroom? Oh, you bet. A speaker that connects to Android and not just iPhone? LOL, that hasn’t happened yet.

One thing I’ve never been offered as an added extra yet is… Read the full story

What it’s like to be Jewish at Christmas?

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(Picture: getty/metro.co.uk)

As Christmas isn’t a Jewish holiday, what exactly do they do on the day?

We’ve covered how Muslims spend Christmas and now it’s time to find out whether Jews spend the day any differently.

After all, when most people think of being a Jew at Christmas, eating at a Chinese restaurant is probably up there.

With that in mind, I spoke to a few Jews about what it is they *actually* do on Christmas.

From volunteering at a shelter to spending it by the pool, the results were a mixed bag to say the least…

Angelica Malin, Editor-in-Chief at About Time Magazine, London

11 things I wish I’d known before starting mental health meds

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Making the decision to approach your GP and tell him that you think you might be depressed can be difficult.

Having spilled our guts, it can feel like a major victory to be handed a prescription for antidepressants.

Actually, my mental health DOES define meActually, my mental health does define who I am

But starting to take mental health medication is often the very first step on a long journey, and it’s rarely as simple as popping a pill and feeling better.

Rather, they can take a lot of getting used to, and some of their effects can be surprising.

Here’s what I wish I’d known before I started taking antidepressants.

1. They can make you feel worse before you feel better

Most people are prescribed an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressant as a first port of call.

They’re widely available and tend to have fewer side effects than other mental health… Read the full story

Mum bans husband from bathing with their daughters because they don’t ‘have the same parts’

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(Picture: Getty)

Most parents are only too glad when their partner actively wants to help look after their kids.

And bathtime can be especially long and troublesome.

But one mum has banned her husband for bathing their daughters and has posted her reasoning on Facebook.

She says that her husband is upset with her after she told him that she doesn’t want him to wash their two daughters in the bath or shower anymore.

‘I just don’t feel comfortable for a man to do this,’ the Queensland-based mum says.

‘I have said I don’t have any issue with him bathing our son as well – he’s a boy. I just believe that girls should be getting washed by… Read the full story


Christmas 2017: 16 vegan Christmas bakes and sweet treats

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Vegan Christmas bakes and sweet treats
(Picture: Getty)

Vegan baking is amazing. I mean really amazing. Whatever Christmas treat you fancy baking this year, however un-vegan friendly it is, I can almost guarantee that someone will have veganised it for you.

Traditional boozy vegan Christmas cake

From hearty fruit cakes and mince pies, to lightly spiced cookies and even Turkish delight I’ve chosen some of my favourite festive vegan goodies to share with you here.

Here are 16 vegan Christmas bakes and sweet treats:

Lebkuchen

Instagram Photo

By Natural Kitchen Adventure.

Ultimate vegan Christmas… Read the full story

This woman is trying to save a sanctuary for her blind and deaf cats

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(Picture: Wassilios Aswestopoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

We love cats.

From treating them at Christmas to giving them a forever home with each other, it’s safe to say we’re a tad obsessed with our feline favourites.

But for one resident in Hackney, her cats are not just pets, they’re part of her therapy.

Josie Hitchens suffers from PTSD and has saved several cats from various situations and several are blind and one is deaf.

And now, she’s facing a battle with Hackney Council over her single storey extension that’s been erected without planning permission.

She keeps them in a 3ft wide structure called ‘catio’ – thin battens of wood with chicken wire stapled on top.

The catio… Read the full story

17 games to play with your loved ones this Christmas to avoid rows

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In that big expansive time between Christmas and New Year where you’ll inevitably have all the typical fights with your loved ones, you’ll need to take a breather.

What better than to channel that energy than in a board game (or ten?)

There are the typical classics we always plump for – Cluedo, Connect Four and Snakes & Ladders.

But if you’re a little bored of the same old games, there’s a whole range of new ones you could easily spend hours on.

From to pet-inspired playing cards to celebrity divas, they’ll suit niche interests whether you’re into fashion or art.

Here’s our round-up of top picks:

 

Fashion Families, Laurence King, £13.00

Perfect for fashion fans, it will really question whether you know your Burberry from your McQueen. Players need to regroup 52 illustrated cards into their respective fashion houses to win.

 

Dog Bingo, WH Smith, £16.95

Read the full story

Australia’s oldest wombat is celebrating her 31st birthday today with gut-load of veggie cake

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(Picture: Cover images)

This is Winnie.

She’s the oldest wombat in Australia and on Saturday, she celebrated her 31st birthday.

Incredibly, most wombats only live for around five years – so Winnie really is something of a legend.

In fact, she may well be the oldest wombat in the entire world.

She lives at the National Zoo & Aquarium in Canberra, where she arrived in 1992.

According to zoo officials, she’s one of the most popular animals there, and she loves nothing better than playing around in plastic rubbish bins, knocking them around the enclosure.

Her favourite foods are corn and grated carrot – so much so that she apparently refuses to eat any grub that isn’t liberally… Read the full story

Working out too much can make you much more susceptible to catching colds

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metro illustrations
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

There’s nothing like a quick swipe on Instagram to make you feel truly awful about your lack of fitness.

Everyone on there is squatting like there’s no tomorrow.

It’s just a sea of defined abs, protein shakes and gym selfies.

So, you promise that come 1 January, you’re going to be on that gym floor from dawn to dusk getting, working off all those mince pies and Bailey’s.

But before you go into overdrive on seven-day gym benders, a word of warning: you can overtrain.

The problem is that exercise genuinely does release a tonne of endorphins and after a while, you can become almost addicted to how the… Read the full story

This photographer has recreated a nativity scene with newborn babies

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(Picture: Coralie Kyriacou/Caters News)

What’s cuter than newborn babies?

Newborn babies in a nativity scene, of course.

This photoshoot is the brainchild of photographer Coraline Kyriacou, 33, from Weston Super Mare, who has recreated the classic nativity scene with newborn babies as the focus.

She says: ‘I thought it would be a great way to celebrate Christmas and the idea got stuck in my head.

‘I spent the days leading up to the shoot planning the scene, building the set and where each baby would go.

‘The first task was finding enough newborns together on one day but after I advertised for babies born between certain dates, I had lots of replies.’

Read the full story

Grinch-inspired make up is now a thing

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(Picture: _karriii_/Instagram)

Christmas themed make up is showing no sign of slowing down.

We’ve had Christmas tree eyebrows, Christmas lips, festive nails, bauble brows and glittery tinsel lashes.

But if you’re fed up of Christmas already, there’s a trend here for you: Grinch make-up.

Yep, you heard correctly.

The fictional character responsible for hating Christmas is now our beauty inspiration.

From buying presents to smashing up Crimbo presents for fun, it’s not hard to see why lots of us haven’t got into the Christmas spirit.

The look is the creation of Karina Vasquez, who created her Grinch eyelids with red eye shadow, green mascara and a bauble.

And there are so many… Read the full story


How to have a very merry Christmas when you’re far from home

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Those staying in Australia can gather some friends and enjoy Christmas outside (Picture: Getty)
Those staying in Australia can gather some friends and enjoy Christmas outside (Picture: Getty)

For the first time in my life, I spent last Christmas away from home.

Pretty much the furthest away from home that you can get, actually: Australia isn’t exactly a short hop from the UK.

It was over 30 degrees and fiercely sunny, and we spent a large proportion of the day down on the beach.

Let me tell you, your body confidence will not be at an all-time high when you’re sunbathing post-Christmas lunch.

Read the full story

A cup of tea a day could lower your risk of glaucoma, says new study

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(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

A new study has found a link between drinking tea and having a lowered risk of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is an eye condition where the optic nerve gets damaged by pressure of the fluid in your eye, causing partial or total sight loss. It’s one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.

Researchers from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the University of California’s David Geffen School of Medicine looked at data collected from 10,000 people in the US between 2005-2006, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey.

Seems like a long time ago, but they chose that period because they’re the most recent results with glaucoma data.

Data… Read the full story

A gift guide for the travellers and backpackers in your life

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Gift guide for travellers and backpackers
One of everything, please (Credit: Mooncup, Suck UK, Millican, The Organic Pharmacy)

Got a friend or relative who’s always planning their next adventure?

Know someone who’s heading off on their very first solo gap year travels? Is your pal always grumbling about having to travel for work? Maybe you’re a backpacker looking for inspiration for your own Christmas list?

Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’re on a luxury resort or a bed bug-ridden hostel kinda vibe, we’ve got lots of Christmas gift ideas for you, ranging from touches of comfort that will go down a treat at 40,000 feet, to absolute essentials that will make… Read the full story

Keep losing things? Barking like a dog could help

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What it's like to hate your voice (Picture: Mmuffin/ Metro)
(Picture: Mmuffin/ Metro)

We all know the frustration of losing something.

But did you know that instead of frantically turning your room apart, there could be a simpler solution?

Don’t bother trying to retrace your steps – the key could lie in barking like a dog.

Yep, really.

Barking like a dog when you put something down that you need, such as your car keys or glasses, can dramatically reduce the likelihood of that thing getting lost, according to new research published by My Nametags, alongside human behaviour expert Jez Rose.

If you’ve found yourself asking why it has to be so extreme, Jez says ‘by consciously… Read the full story

Genius man uses toy train to transport drinks around his Christmas party

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Still leaving the booze in the kitchen and telling your guests to help themselves, like a schmuck?

Learn from this guy and take a more creative approach to handing out G&Ts at your next Christmas party. That’s how you’ll win respect and admiration from your mates – not well-crafted pigs in blankets or the perfect amount of tinsel strewn around your living room.

Tim Dunn, a marketing manager, TV presenter, and… Read the full story

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