As a single gal, it’s coming up to my favourite time of the year: Pancake Day.
But before that, I have to get through the neon-pink quagmire that’s Valentine’s, which unfortunately take place just a day later.
Us singletons know the score, right? Maybe we get a pity-card from our parents, and avert our eyes as we walk past the supermarket aisle, decorated with paper hearts and puppy dog cards.
Up until a couple of… Read the full story
Can you tell if someone has depression not just by what they say, but how they say it?
According to a new study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, yes.
Researchers used computerised text analysis to look at large banks of data, in order to analyse how people’s speech differs when they have depression.
Looking at personal essays, diary entries, and speech, researchers noted some clear differences between how those with depression speak and those without mental illness do, in both the content and style of what they say.
Here are the main differences in the way those with depression speak.
It’s LGBT history month. Some celebrate by remembering the awesome people who risked reputations, careers, life and limb to battle bigotry.
But some people seem to think the battle for equality has been won – and they’re linking arms with the bad guys.
Nearly 50 years after trans women and allies kick-started the LGBT rights era, some people want to throw them under the very same bus that they helped to start.
The bigots know we’re stronger together.
So they’re trying to drive us apart.
Do you remember when the religious… Read the full story
How great are pancakes?
They’re basically cakes that you can legitimately eat for breakfast – what’s not to love?
Most people only have time to eat pancakes at the weekend, but lucky for us, there’s one day every year which makes it acceptable to eat pancakes for every single meal – that day is, of course, Shrove Tuesday AKA Pancake Day.
Pancakes don’t have to be a sweet affair though – take this pizza pancake stack for example, which marries two of our favourite things.
Popular brunch spot The Breakfast Club have announced a special menu… Read the full story
‘You can have it all!’ women are told.
You can be supermum! You can be a successful career woman!
You can run a happy and clean household and have a loving relationship!
You can get dressed up and sip cocktails with your similarly glamorous and successful gal pals!
You don’t have to pick and choose – you can have it ALL! Isn’t that great? What a world we live in, where women get the luxury… Read the full story
Sex is awful, of course. And, in my humble, shouldn’t be encouraged.
But apparently some of you a) do it, and, b) like to do it.
What the literal f***?
Why? Why do you enjoy making the beast with two backs?
It’s messy, it’s noisy (cowgirl yeehaw-ing puts me right off my Countryfile) and it’s expensive. Oh we all pay, kidz. We all pay.
In an attempt to educate me, I asked some men to tell me just what they love about sex.
I doubt I’ll ever sleep again.
NSFW. Like any of you have jobs.
‘The boobies. I love the boobies’
That’s it? Your… Read the full story
Cadbury sure knows how to create a scene around their products.
This year, the UK lost it over the news that the company was releasing a limited number of white Creme Eggs and that each one would bag its owner a cool £1,000.
Over on the other side of the world, there’s an entirely different cocoa ruckus – involving Cadbury Caramilk bars.
Despite Cadbury being a British company, they sure as hell like to sell products overseas that aren’t available in the UK, and these Caramilk bad boys are one of them.
Described as ‘a golden blend of… Read the full story
Feeling exhausted? You’re not the only one.
The average Brit misses out on an entire night’s worth of sleep each week. Only 8% of us wake up every morning feeling genuinely well-rested. One fifth of GP appointments focus on feeling tired.
We’re in the midst of a sleep crisis, brought into sharp focus by every scary report about how a lack of sleep is wrecking our bodies and the wealth of methods available for us to track and assess our sleep hour by hour.
We’re so tired. We know we’re not getting enough sleep, but prioritising work, relatinships, and fitness over a regular bedtime allows us to plod on in a fatigued haze.
We’re scrimping on sleep for the purposes of work, waking up at 4am to get in early and staying up late responding to emails – but rather than helping us get ahead, could this be wrecking our productivity and holding us back at work?
And… Read the full story
Love is in the air and with seven short days until Valentine’s Day 2018, it’s nearly time to start preparing a delicious meal for your loved one.
If you fancy dining at home and save the expensive hassle of eating out, then the following supermarkets have some brilliant meal deals for you to whip up.
No need to worry about jacket potato and cheese or beans on toast, check out these following deals on offer.
Natural hair might be having a moment in the adult world but at school, afro-haired kids can still struggle for acceptance.
By the time you reach high school, you’ve relaxed your beautiful curls into submission and when the time comes to finally embrace your natural hair, you have to spend months of agony growing it back out.
But not if you’re in Ms Bishop’s class.
Leigha Bishop, a preschool teacher from Texas, is dedicated to going above and beyond for her students – even if that means getting her hair done in the same style as her pupils’.
One of her little students came into her class wearing a topknot with cornrows saying… Read the full story
Can we take a moment to applaud eight-year-old Emily Jones?
Emily’s brother, 14-year-old Harry, has a stammer, and often finds himself frustrated when he can’t get out the words he wants to use.
Having a stammer can be especially difficult when speaking to people who aren’t sure how to talk to someone with a speech impediment, and end up making stammerers feel embarrassed as they take a little longer to get out words.
To help her brother feel more comfortable, Emily decided to create a handy guide on how to speak to someone who has a stammer, written out on a bookmark.
On the bookmark, covered with hand drawn stars, Emily… Read the full story
Festivals are truly some of the greatest places on earth.
Getting loose with your favourite bands and favourite people, with no cares in the world except for, ‘Is there any paper in that portaloo?’ and ‘Where the hell is my tent?’
Food options have been getting better and better in recent years, with quality street food vendors serving up delicious dishes, rather than just chunky chips and substandard ketchup.
However, while some stalls make sure they only use biodegradable wooden cutlery and recyclable paper plates, others are still there using the same old plastic forks and non, recyclable plastic-lined boxes.
Even if a vendor does use paper plates,… Read the full story
Vegan cheese is pretty easy to find these days.
Loads of chains now offer plastic-y plant-based American cheeze to add to your bean burger.
Cashew cheese isn’t too uncommon – at least in health food shops.
But French cheese is something else altogether.
The French are so fiercely protective of their delicacies that we’ve never come across a plant-based Brie or Camembert.
That is…until now.
Because 28-year-old Anne Guth has set up Les Petits Veganne, a French company specialising in creamy vegan treats.
Kinder Bueno is undoubtedly the most delicious chocolate bar of all.
That heady mix of crispy wafer and praline cream, all coated in a thick chocolate coat, is enough to send even the most savoury-toothed adult mad.
So it was only a matter of time before Kinder decided to turn it into an ice cream.
And finally, it’s here.
Yep, Kinder Bueno ice cream is now a thing – at least in France.
According to French news website Golem 13, Kinder announced the launch of the iced treat yesterday and although there’s no concrete date for them hitting shelves, it seems likely that they’ll be out and about by summer.
There’ll be three types… Read the full story
Few things can get you through a rough patch quite like tequila.
Tequila is there to wake you up, warm you up and pick you up – whatever the weather.
But it looks like we might have to start doing without the medicinal Mexican tipple, because an agave shortage is threatening to halt worldwide tequila production.
And with Cinco de Mayo coming up in the not-so-distant future, that’s a disaster.
‘The growth has overtaken us,’ Francisco Soltero, director of strategic planning at Patrón Spirits International, tells Reuters.
‘It’s a crisis of success of the industry.’
We’re not just talking about a temporary glitch either; the mass shortage is estimated to last until at least 2021.
So you’re in a relationship, you’re in love, and you’d quite like to celebrate it by doing something on Valentine’s Day.
That doesn’t radically change who you are.
Being a couple doesn’t suddenly mean you’re into corny greeting cards, pink hearts, and absurdly priced prix fixe menus, but when V Day rolls around, it can feel like that kind of stuff is your only option – other than skipping Valentine’s Day entirely.
Sure, you could just stay home and do something romantic, but sometimes it’s nice to make a bit of an effort to do something special – just without all the cutesy stuff that makes you a bit… Read the full story
Valentines Day is only seven days away, which means you’ll be needing to get buy that romantic and mushy card.
Or maybe not…
Valentine’s Day can be a particularly difficult time to buy gifts and that perfect card. Is your partner someone who prefers something sentimental? Or would they prefer to receive something more humorous rather than soppy?
If you want to buy your partner a card, but they hate the soppy connotations associated with Valentines Day, then here are a collection of cards that’s sure to make them… Read the full story
The final instalment of the Fifty Shades movie trilogy is almost here.
Fifty Shades Freed will launch in cinemas on February 9, just in time for your annual Valentine’s night of passion.
Speaking of all things sex and masturbation, how’s your private box of goodies coming along?
If you’re still dusting off the pink squiggly rabbit made famous by Sex And The City, perhaps you’ll allow me to inspire you with something a little freakier this year.
Whether it’s you, yourself and your… Read the full story
Pregnant Kate Middleton is clearly a fan of royal blue as she opted for a striking cobalt coat again for her latest public engagement.
The Duchess Of Cambridge’s bump was visible underneath the designer number as she paraded the latest coat from her maternity wardrobe around Essex, where she was opening a new treatment addiction centre.
And if you want to get your hands on Kate’s blue coat, you’re in luck – it’s still available to buy online AND it’s on sale.
Kate’s cover-up is Goat’s Ellory Bow Detail Coat in a marine colour.
When you’re in a long-term relationship, Valentine’s Day can become a bit same old.
When you’ve got used to spending every year at the same favourite restaurant, V Day can even seem a bit boring, especially when you’re surrounded by people in new relationships expressing way to much PDA.
But it doesn’t have to be. Being in a long-term relationship doesn’t mean a romance-filled night of fun and adventure can’t still exist.
Below, we’ve come up with 15 ways to make Valentine’s Day more magical than the last for anyone in a long-term relationship.
Is there anything you and partner have wanted to… Read the full story
