Blogger Lori Faith gasped after seeing her hair fall out in clumps after bleaching (Picture: Lori Faith/Instagram)
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that you should never cut your own fringe. In fact, it’s best to just let the professionals do their thing when it comes to your hair.
Sadly for Instagrammer Lola Faith, the lesson was learned the hard way.
When the vlogger, 18, from New York, wanted to bleach her bright blue locks, she decided to relax it first – which proved a deadly combination due to the harsh chemicals involved.
When she began running a comb through her hair after the DIY home treatments, it started falling out in clumps.
When she realised what was happening, Lori gasped before combing a little more and running away from the camera.
To add to the blow, it all happened during an Instagram live stream.
Ouch.
Lori’s used to experimenting with her hair (Picture: Lori Faith/Instagram)
Lori often experiments with her hair and wanted something new. She was warned about the dangers of using bleach so soon after relaxer by her friends, but thought adequate time had passed.
Since then, the blogger has advised people see a professional before deciding on a treatment.
And while most of us might have crawled under the covers for weeks, Lori quickly warmed to the bald look, feeling more confident than ever.
‘I feel so confident about my hair now,’ she told Metro.co.uk.
‘People on social media have made me feel a lot better about the accident, telling me it suits my look.
Lori’s followers warned her about the toxic combination (Picture: Lori Faith/Instagram)
‘I didn’t know about the combination because I thought I knew what I was doing.
‘I’ve had my hair relaxed before when I was younger but I would’ve never thought this would happen.
‘My mum was really upset, but she helped me a lot with my confidence. Some of my friends laughed, which I don’t mind because I also thought I was funny.
‘My hair will grow back soon, but for right now I’m going to be rocking this new bald look!’
Lori has now documented her the hair disaster on her YouTube channel where fans had some thoughts.
‘You are insanely lucky that you did not get chemical burns on your scalp,’ one person wrote. ‘Never mix chemicals like that,’ said another.
How long to wait before bleaching relaxed hair
Please consult with a hair professional and your own research before any treatment.
According to our research, we’ve found that an adequate amount of time to wait before bleaching relaxed hair is two weeks.
But it also depends hugely on the condition of the hair.
Generally, a colour or bleaching service should be postponed at least two weeks to help give the hair time to normalise and have some moisture restored before it’s subjected to more chemicals.
It’s very important to pay attention to the condition of the hair, and when in doubt, always perform a strand test on the hair to prevent causing catastrophic damage to the hair.
This isn’t a mediocre pitch for an episode of Black Mirror. It’s deepfake porn, and it’s here (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
I’d like you to try to imagine something for me.
You’re looking at a screen – phone, laptop, whatever. On that screen is you. You’re completely naked and you’re having sex with a stranger. A stranger who you’ve never met in real life and have no intention of ever having real life sex with.
It could be a celebrity. It could be your ex. It could be someone you hate. It could even be a family member.
You might be just be having sex, or you might be doing distressing, shocking, frightening things.
This isn’t a mediocre pitch for an episode of Black Mirror. It’s deepfake porn, and it’s here.
Deepfake porn is where one person’s face is placed on another person’s body to create fake porn photos or video.
Alongside the issue of deepfake porn, we’ve also got the rise of hyper realistic sex robots, which are only getting more lifelike.
If you’re not worried about the fact that someone can make porn of you doing literally anything, without your consent, then you really should be.
And yet our attitude towards this situation is shockingly lax.
When, in 2016, Kanye West made a life-like naked doll of Taylor Swift (and Amber Rose, Caitlyn Jenner amongst others) and then used her body as a literal prop in his video for Famous, people acted like it was normal, even funny.
Perhaps the lack of outrage at that was due to a general dislike of Swift, or maybe it was because it seemed like such a remote, celebrity problem.
But it’s not. It can happen to you, and right now there is little to no protection around it.
If your ex partner has the money, (s)he can have a high grade silicon sex robot made with your exact face and a version of your body.
If that ex had pictures of you naked, they could have your naked body rendered perfectly, and then have sex with it however and whenever they want. They could film it, put it online, do literally anything they wanted.
Revenge porn – where someone maliciously shares porn – only became illegal in 2014, and is still relatively new law. It covers videos or images created by you or your ex partner (or anyone else) being shared without your consent.
For it to count as revenge porn it does actually have to be you.
Deepfakes are not you. They are fakes made in your image. So they’re not currently covered under the revenge porn law.
Admittedly making fake images of naked people (it’s almost always women) isn’t new. Strange souls have been sticking the heads of actresses on to porn stars bodies since the internet began.
But it’s different now. This isn’t a crude photoshop job, this is hyper real. And as technology advances it will be increasingly easy to make a video of anyone doing anything.
You anger an internet troll? Up pops a video of you giving oral sex. You break up with someone controlling? Photos appear of you having violent sex.
And it’s not just you, either. Someone who wants to hurt you could make porn of your parents. Your siblings. Your friends.
The only real limitation on making this kind of porn is that it is slow, and complex, taking around 24 hours to make a short clip. However the software is becoming more advanced, and is terrifyingly popular.
One common programme has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, according to its designer.
In 2018 Vice predicted that it would take another year to automate deepfake software. It actually took one month.
The law has very little to say on this topic as it stands, mostly because law moves slowly and technology moves fast.
The Government has repeatedly said its laws relating to image-based sexual abuse are “robust” but that they are ‘constantly under review’ – which certainly sounds like a brush off to me.
As if often the case when something is clearly wrong but not specifically illegal, people who make deepfakes can expect legal action via a different charge.
At the moment, a person who produces deepfake material in the UK could be prosecuted for harassment, which happened in May 2018 when 25-year-old Davide Buccheri was jailed for 16 weeks and ordered to pay £5000 in compensation for photoshopping pictures of a female intern to porn websites.
But harassment is a subjective topic, and if an act is not illegal within itself, it becomes harder to get a conviction for it.
If you are concerned about deepfake porn, please contact your MP and let them know that this is an important issue to you.
Deepfakes are already banned from Reddit and PornHub, so if you see them there please report them for abuse.
You can also email other porn sites to let them know that you would like them to ban deepfake porn.
As we saw with the battle to get upskirting made illegal, changing the law to protect against sex crimes in the digital age is a slow and laborious process. But if we don’t do something about it, that scenario I asked you to imagine is much closer than you might think.
We’re a nation of cheeky Nando’s lovers and so news of a festival based on our chicken restaurant fave will come as welcome news.
Nando’s Yard is the three-week long pop-up boasting music, gaming, supper clubs, workshops, entertainment, fashion, and of course, food.
You can expect their signature Nando’s breakfast which includes flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken sausage and other brekkie staples like the classic Spiced Maple pancakes.
Also part of the exciting lineup is rapper Stefflon Don, who will be showing off her new Nando’s creations.
Sadly though we have to wait a month as the pop-up launches at the beginning of August.
We’re already counting the days.
This could be you gorging on Nando’s (Picture: Getty)
Fans can enjoy the delicious PERi-PERi brunch menu – currently only available in two UK locations – making its London debut.
You can satisfy your brunch cravings with Nando’s Breakfast which includes flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken sausage, eggs, portobello mushroom, saucy fiery beans, grilled tomato and crispy corn browns.
There’s even a celeb addition.
Stefflon Don has worked with Nando’s chefs to create a beanie wrap, with exclusive pineapple and coconut chutney with a drizzle of brand new Mango & Lime PERiniase on top.
The wrap will launch backstage at Wireless Festival this weekend before being available to the public at Nando’s Yard where you can also catch some gigs.
As well as bonding with fellow chicken lovers, guests can get involved in dance, fitness, and DJ lessons, as well as photography exhibitions, baking and gaming sessions.
Those looking for a bit of downtime can enjoy the meditation and breathing workshops.
Tickets for Nando’s Yard events will be available from Monday the 15th July. The pop-up will run from the 1st to the 18th August.
It will offer a mixture of free and ticketed events across the three weeks. You can find out more details here.
Drip yourself skinny, happy and forever young. (Picture: Thomas Dolphin)
Get A Drip, a company offering drips similar to those seen in hospital, has received criticism for ‘preying on women’s desperation’ by offering ‘unproven’ fertility help.
Several of the drip options (such as ‘slim drip’) have previously raised questions but the so-called ‘fertility’ drip has been roundly condemned.
The drips start at £75 and reach £850.
The company offers drips for hydration and can be purchased online or at shopping centres like Boxpark in east London or Westfield in Stratford or Shepherds Bush.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) criticised the company saying that the products were ‘unproven’.
We asked them whether there is any chance that a drip could help a woman who was trying to conceive:
‘The [government’s independent regulator] HFEA’s new guidance cautions IVF clinics about the sale of clinically unproven “add ons” to fertility treatment,’ a spokesperson told Metro.co.uk.
‘Unfortunately, it appears that unscrupulous practices designed to exploit vulnerable women have moved from clinics to our high street, with very little oversight or scrutiny.
‘It is unclear how these “treatments” are being regulated, if at all.
‘Women who are struggling to conceive often feel a huge amount of guilt, and NHS-funded fertility treatments are becoming increasingly difficult to access.
‘As a result, women are particularly vulnerable to snakeoil salesmen who seem to promise a quick fix at an extortionate cost’
BPAS was also clear about the lack of evidence of any clinical claims made by treatments like these:
‘There is no evidence that an IV drip of any combination of vitamins can improve a woman’s fertility,’ a spokesperson told us.
‘The fact that the advertising does not list any actual benefits for women’s reproductive health suggests Get A Drip know that there are none.
‘In promising hope to women at a very desperate time, we are concerned that aside from providing no real benefit, these drips may be causing real damage to women’s emotional wellbeing.
‘If Westfield and Boxpark care about their customers, they would not allow these practices to take place on their properties.’
Hi @getadrip can you please explain the clinically proven benefits of your £250 "Fertility Drip" at @westfieldlondon? Or is this just an attempt to prey on women's desperation with the kind of unproven "add-ons" the @HFEA has cautioned IVF clinics against? Via @thomasdolphinpic.twitter.com/sKkz0e2d4y
Anaesthetist Thomas Dolphin, who took the picture, commented on the scheme, saying: ‘For the small proportion of the population whose gut can’t absorb vitamins, this might be useful but is already available on the NHS.
‘For everyone else, few people are actually vitamin-deficient these days and for those who are, dietary improvements are better than IV drips.
‘You have a gut precisely for the absorption of nutrients and water. Resorting to using your veins for very short term hydration (most of it will be passed out as urine by the kidneys very soon after the bag finishes anyway) is unnecessary and pointless.’
(Picture: Metro.co.uk screenshot)
The drip has a long list of ingredients, but the BPAS states, there is no proven correlation between these vitamins and ‘fertility’.
The cocktail of vitamins is priced at £250. The basic ‘hydration’ drip starts at £75.
Other drips on offer are ‘mood booster’ (£300), ‘beauty’ (£175), and ‘limitless’ (£450-850).
We reached out to Get a Drip for comment but they didn’t reply before time of publication.
We also go in touch with Boxpark and Westfield to talk to them about hosting the franchise.
They did not return comment before time of publication. If any of them come back to us we will let you know.
If you are struggling with fertility issues, authorities recommended only accepting medical treatments from reputable and regulated professionals.
Fertility struggles are painful, and it’s easy to understand why you might be tempted to spend £200 on a drip, but as the BPAS says, there is no evidence to suggest that it will work.
If you are having fertility issues please make an appointment with your GP before spending any money.
The NHS says: ‘It’s a good idea to see your GP if you haven’t conceived after a year of trying. Women aged 36 and over, and anyone who’s already aware they may have fertility problems, should see their GP sooner.’
A holidayer got a bit tipsy and unfortunately wore this swimsuit upside down (Picture: Pear Swimwear/Twitter/emmmamilroy)
Some swimsuits are pesky little things, with their strings and frills. But usually, you can tell them top from bottom.
Unfortunately for one wearer from Glasgow, Scotland, it was hard to distinguish and she went out into the world wearing her swimming costume upside down.
And to add to the blow, 20-year-old Lynsey Brown only realised in the middle of her complaint to the supplier Pear Swimwear.
To be fair, the fashion branding student did wear it the right way around at first but after a quick trip to the toilet following a few drinks, was unable to put it back on properly.
But Linsey and her mates, who were on a girls’ trip to Ibiza, had a good laugh about it.
The picture of Lynsey wearing the one-piece incorrectly has done the rounds on Facebook and Twitter where people found it hilarious.
In the screenshots, Lynsey could be seen complaining to the brand, directly messaging their Instagram page. She wrote: ‘I wore that swimsuit today. And it’s stretchy like anything. I only wore it for a couple of hours.
‘My vagina was hanging out constantly. Is it meant to stretch like that? This is what it was like. It was so bad and embarrassing.’
A spokesperson for Pear Swimwear replied: ‘I’ve had a look at the picture you have sent and believe you are wearing it upside down.
‘The thinnest part of the swimsuit will be the strap which sits across your shoulder. I hope this helps.’
They then attached an image of the outfit being worn by a model the correct way.
I went to Ocean Beach wearing the swimsuit in perfect condition and the CORRECT way – had too much fun with alcohol, went to the toilet a few hours later and put my swimsuit on upside down WITHOUT KNOWING. I then got kicked out after this for being a lightweight NOT a tramp xxx
The North Ronaldsay or Orkney sheep is a breed from North Ronaldsay, the northernmost island of Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland (Picture: Getty)
If you’ve got some serious desk job ennui, we might have found the perfect opportunity for you.
It’s a dream job if you’re after a digital detox… or you just truly hate sitting at a desk all day.
North Ronaldsay, a remote island right on the tip of Orkney in Scotland, is looking for someone to take care of its special breed of Orkney sheep.
More specifically, they’re after someone who can make sure the sheep won’t jump over a fence, eat the wrong plants, or venture on to the crumbling cliffs.
So yes, you will need to know your stuff when it comes to herding sheep. This isn’t something you can just bluff in the interview.
A sheep warden is needed because vital repairs are needed on a special thick wall.
This wall keeps the sheep away from the island’s farming land, so that crops can grow without being munched.
The wall also protects the sheep from copper poisoning from eating the plants – as seaweed makes up this breed of sheep’s diet, so eating the land-grown food could cause them harm.
The sheep need to be prevented from crossing a boundary (Picture: Getty)
Plus, it’ll stop this particular breed of sheep from running over, mating with other breeds of sheep, and ruining their Orkney sheep heritage.
All quite important.
The Sheep Dyke Warden will be tasked with overseeing repairs to this thick wall, while also making sure the sheep don’t cross the boundary during the process. The wall is currently pretty crumbled and easily hopped, which is why there needs to be someone herding the sheep away, but the job will also require good knowledge of dry stone dyking and general wall repairs.
The role requires 35 hours of work a week and pays a salary of £21,840. The North Ronaldsay Trust is hoping the job will continue for three years to ensure the wall is up to standard and doing what’s needed.
They’re looking for someone with a good level of physical fitness (fair enough, as you’ll be wandering around with sheep and repairing a wall all day), good communication skills, and experience with project management.
The job listing also states that ‘a willingness to work constructively with the local community is essential and the applicant must be able to work on his or own initiative.’
We reckon that’s rather important, as this isn’t the typical office environment. You won’t have a manager keeping an eye on you, just some sheep you have a rather large responsibility for.
If you fancy landing the gig, you have until 8 August to apply. Just fill in the form (complete with a personal statement) and send it over to the Trust. Let us know if you get it, please. We’d quite like to visit the sheep for a day.
Picture by Denise Czichocki from Switzerland has been chosen as the overall winner of the competition with Dreaming Merlin, which sees Merlin, the 14-year-old rescue Podengo, sat amongst a magnolia setting, which was also placed first in the Oldies category. (Picture: Denise Czichocki/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
We’re sure all your Instagram snaps of dogs you see on public transport are lovely, but they’re not a patch on these particular photos.
The winners have been revealed from the Dog Photographer of the Year competition, organised by the Kennel Club.
Each year the Kennel Club receives thousands of entries from all around the world, carefully selecting he best dog photographs in ten categories: portrait, man’s best friend, dogs at play, dogs at work, puppy, oldies, young pup photographer (for entrants under 11), I love dogs because (for entrants between the ages of 12 and 17), assistance dogs, and rescue dogs.
The overall winner of this year’s contest was a snap of rescue dog Merlin in a field of flowers, by owner Denise Czichocki.
Denise, from Switzerland, said: ‘I am really proud and overwhelmed, I still can’t believe it! There are so many good photographers out there and I won this title, it is absolutely amazing.
‘I have always loved to take pictures of everything, and my passion for dog photography started when I had my own, I wanted to create lovely memories of all of them. Over the years I have developed my photography to become more emotional.’
Take a look at a load of the other winners below.
First place in Man’s Best Friend – Connected
The photo is called Connected and shows Munstalander Inka (Picture: Cat Race/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in Man’s Best Friend – White Cheesecake
(Picture: Alexandra Novitskaya/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner of Portrait
A photo of a stunning Saluki by Anastasia Vetkovskaya from Russia came first in the Portrait section (Picture: Anastasia Vetkovskaya /Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in Portrait – Mirror
Taken by Ria Putzker, Poland and shows Pumpkin the Catahoula Leopard Dog (Picture: Ria Putzker/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in Dogs At Work – Among Hills and Heather
The picture is called Among Hills and Heather and shows English Springer Spaniel Belle. It was taken by Katie Behan from the UK and came second in the Dogs at Work section (Picture: Katie Behan/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner of Young Pup Photographer – Sea Dog
Sea Dog won the Young Pup category taken by Sabine Wolpert, USA, Age 11 and shows her dog Georgie (Picture: Sabine Wolpert/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in Young Pup Photographer – Maisie’s Music
It was taken by Eilidh Shannon, age 7, from the UK and came second in the Young Pup Photographer. (Picture: Eilidh Shannon/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Third place in the Young Pup Photographer category – Mega Lilly
The picture is called Mega Lilly and shows Lilly, a crossbreed. It was taken by Eve Garner, age 6 (Picture: Eve Garner/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner of I Love Dogs Because
Koby, the Miniature Pinscher/Lhasa Apso cross, photographed at his home in Oregon, USA, by 12-year-old owner, Mariah Mobley (Picture: Mariah Mobley/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in I Love Dogs Because – Peace And Quiet
The photo is called Peace and Quiet and shows a picture of Border Collie, Lia. (Picture: Luca Gombos/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Third place in I Love Dogs Because – Best Buddy
The photo is called Best Buddy and shows a picture of Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Buddy. It was taken by Flora Wilson from the UK and came third in the I Love Dogs Because category (Picture: Flora Wilson/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner of the Puppy category
Two Weimeraner puppies by Monica van der Maden from the Netherlands (Picture: Monica van der Maden/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in the Puppies category – Father and Son
Father and Son shows Border Collies (Picture: Carlos Aliperti/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Third place in Puppies – Dark Dawn With Noah
The picture is called Dark dawn with Noah and shows Labrador Retriever Noah. It was taken by Lotte van Alderen from the Netherlands and came third. (Picture: Lotte van Alderen/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in Oldies – Young At Heart
The picture is called Young at Heart and shows Labrador Retriever Bailee. It was taken by Cat Race from the UK and came second in the Oldies category.Cat Race /Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Third place in Oldies – Contented
Ozzy, 12 year old rescued Greyhound (Picture: Susan Lang/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner of Assistance Dogs
Angelika Elendt from Germany came first in the Assistance Dogs category for her portrayal of the important role dogs play in helping people with mental, emotional and/or physical disabilities (Picture: Angelika Elendt/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in Assistance Dogs – Laying Down on the Job
(Picture: Tracy Allard/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Third place in Assistance Dogs – You’re Safe With Me
The picture is called You?re safe with me and shows Labradoodle Quintus. It was taken by Melissa Baston from the UK and came third in the Assistance Dogs Charity category. (Picture: Melissa Baston /Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner in Dogs At Play
Photo by Monica van der Maden of Waylon the Australian Shepherd came top in the Dogs At Play section (Picture: Monica van der Maden/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second in Dogs at Play – Let’s Jump Rope Together
This came second in Dogs at Play Category taken by Zoltan Kecskes (Picture: Zoltan Kecskes/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner of Dogs At Work
Picture by Dorine Scherpel from Canada won the Dogs at Work category with her photo which was captured in The Lake District earlier this year (Picture: Dorine Scherpel/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Winner of the Rescue Dog category
Anne Geier from Austria was named the winner of the Rescue Dog award and her photo captured the close bond between her and her rescue crossbreed Finn (Picture: Anne Geier/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
Second place in Rescue Dogs – Curiosity
Picture called Curiosity came 2nd in the Rescue Dogs Charity Category taken by Tiahang Zhang (Picture: Tiahang Zhang/Kennel Club/Bav Media)
It’s hard to find a place to rent that will allow pets (Picture: Getty)
Being unable to have a pet is one of our biggest issues with renting.
You’d be lucky to find a landlord who’ll give the go-ahead for a tenant to have a dog or cat in the property.
But some areas are better than others… by a small margin.
Research by Home Let looks at the cities in the UK where you’re best off renting with a pet, and found that London tops the list… but it’s still not great.
They found that if you’re looking for a rental property in the UK that will accept a pet, you will only be able to choose from 2% of all available properties.
In London, that number jumps to 8.4%. Better, but still not good, really. That means that you’d be able to rent fewer than one out of ten properties you spy online.
London also has the greatest ratio of vets, dog walkers, kennels, pet sitters, and pet-friendly pubs, making it a decent place to be a pet-owner.
But all that being said, London also ranked as the lowest city in the country for the percentage of people actually owning pets.
Anyone else think that’s likely because of the teeny-tiny spaces we’re being rented? Or the unlikelihood of renting a place with a garden?
If you don’t fancy moving to London, there are other cities with slightly better than most odds of being able to rent a place that allows pets.
Trying to get a flat where you’re allowed a dog? Good luck (Picture: Getty)
In Aberdeen 3.8% of rental properties allow pets, 3.3% in Liverpool do, and 2.6% in Manchester.
Yes, those stats are absolutely dismal. And those are the areas where you’re best off.
The spots where you’re going to struggle the most to rent with a pet are Cardiff (0.3%), Leeds (0.3%), and Newcastle (0.8%).
Basically, the situation is dire and it’s really bloody tough to find a place to rent where you’re allowed pets. That’s pretty miserable considering how hard it is to buy a property, especially in London.
Rob Wishart, Group Data Manager at Home Let, said: ‘With the recent introduction of the Tenant Fees Act, both Landlord and Tenants alike will be concerned about the impact this could have on renting a property with a pet.
‘The research shows a lack of rental options for tenants with pets, yet London highlights that there are areas with everything in place that could make a perfect home for renters with pets.
‘Whilst landlords might have Landlord Insurance cover for things such as the building and any contents, it’s unlikely it will cover damage specifically caused by pets.
‘Since the introduction of the Tenants Fee Act, deposits are now capped by law to a maximum of five weeks rent. Landlords who have previously agreed to allow pets based on a higher deposit, in case of damage or a clause to deep clean at the end of tenancy will no longer be legally allowed to do so, so this may reduce the number of Landlords who are willing to accept pets, but as it was only introduced 1 June 2019 it’s too early to say.
‘When looking for your next rental, it’s worth having an open an honest conversation with your potential landlord or the letting agent involved, to fully understand the clauses of your tenancy agreement.
‘Introducing a pet if your tenancy agreement states you cannot could risk you breaching the terms of your tenancy agreement and risk you being evicted. Asking for a specific pet-reference from your existing landlord may go some way to reassuring your landlord to take on a renter with pets.’
What I Rent is our weekly series that’s all about taking an honest, no-holds barred look at the state of renting in the UK, including the tiny, absurdly overpriced bits.
So this week we’re with Nikaela, who pays £750 a month to live in a studio flat in Penge, south-east London.
There’s no living room, just a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
Hi, Nikaela! How much do you pay to live here?
I pay £750 a month which includes water, council tax, WiFi and Virgin media TV.
I only have to pay for electricity which is topped up every now and then. It varies from summer to winter but generally between £40-50 a month.
And what do you get for that?
I have the whole space to myself, which includes an en suite bedroom and private kitchen.
Do you think you have a good deal?
Obviously London is always going to be expensive, but I’ve found it hard to find a similar deal to what I have now, so I’d say yes!
Space is limited, but Nikaela makes do (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
Are you happy with the area?
I moved here in October 2018 after spending a couple months in Airbnbs around the area.
I like that it’s more of a residential area as I was previously located on a busy road.
It’s very quiet in the flat and conveniently located just off Penge high street. There’s good transport links into central London and a 24hr bus around the corner so getting to work is always easy.
There’s a variety of shops within walking distance and you’re never far from fast food! I’m also next to Crystal Palace park which is nice to walk around in the summer.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
I think it depends on how much storage space you need, but I definitely don’t have enough here. That’s the main downfall.
I’ve tried to make it work by using storage boxes, keeps it all together!
How do you make the flat feel like home?
It took me a while to settle in but I enjoy coming home every evening and being able to relax, I think candles always help.
I also have a few plants and personal touches which made it feel more homely. Spending that little bit extra on household items also makes you feel better.
She reckons she has a good deal (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
How did you find the flat?
I found this place on Spareroom through a private landlord.
What’s it like living alone?
I’m quite an independent person so I enjoy living alone, but sometimes I miss having friends to come home to and chat with.
You can you use the bathroom whenever you want and make a mess without worrying!
It’s not for everyone and it’s definitely more expensive.
Are there any problems with the flat?
I wouldn’t say there have been any major issues, but there’s definitely a draught problem I had to deal with in the winter. You can almost feel a breeze inside when temperatures drop low, so the electricity bill can almost double.
Apart from the lack of storage space, it’s been fairly pleasant.
Nikaela’s been able to make the flat her own (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
Do you have plans to move again?
I’m reaching the end of my contract but I can’t find anywhere within the same price range. I’d love a bigger kitchen space and maybe a small balcony too, hopefully around the same area.
Have you considered buying a place?
Realistically, I don’t think that will be a possibility for a very long time! Even with multiple jobs, I can only just about afford to live.
The bedroom, which functions as the main living area (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
Nikaela hasn’t been able to find anywhere better for the same price (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
The kitchen (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
The essentials (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
Nikaela’s had to get creative with storage (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
And finally, the bathroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
Look at that packed sink (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
Every bit of space has been utilised (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
There is a bathtub, though! (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
And a shower. Options. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
And of course, it’s always toothbrush time (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)
What I Rent is a weekly series that’s out every Tuesday at 10am. Check back next week to have a nose around another rented property in London.
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What I Rent is Metro.co.uk's weekly series that takes you inside the places in London people are renting, to give us all a better sense of what's normal and how much we should be paying.
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When husband and wife Mark and Sophie Mason bought six guinea pigs, they thought all of them were female.
They made a mistake.
The couple, from Lincoln, returned from their honeymoon they noticed that four of them were gaining weight.
They took the guinea pigs to the vet only to realise that one of the guinea pigs was a male who had impregnated four out of five of the females he was living with.
Now the couple have 52 guinea pigs in total.
Tending to the 46 adults and six babies takes Mark and Sophie eight hours a day and costs them £250 a month to feed.
But they don’t mind as the little creatures have helped the family deal with stress.
Sophie and Mark Mason own over 52 guinea pigs. They also have a dog called Isla who gets on with the furry animals (Picture:Sarah Washbourn/Triangle News)
‘I have always loved guinea pigs and been fascinated by them,’ said Sophie, 29.
‘They’re lovely little creatures and they make me laugh and smile every day. It’s a bit unusual but if you enjoy it and it doesn’t hurt anyone, then why not?’
Sophie and Mark, 44, house all the little rodents in a little sanctuary called Mason’s Cavies and update their 54,00 avid fans on Facebook where Sophie shares updates of the wee pets.
Taking care of them includes cutting up fresh vegetable and fruit food and washing the towels they sleep on, hoovering their shed daily and changing their water bottles.
‘It’s my full-time job. Absolutely,’ added Sophie.
‘I’ve constantly got the washing machine on the go because we keep them on bath towels rather than sawdust.
‘Mark refills the shed with hay every day. It’s a real team effort.’
Civilised guinea pigs eating at a table (Picture:Sarah Washbourn/Triangle News)
Alongside pellet food and hay, the piggies love eating fresh vegetables and fruit such as kale, carrots, swede, parsnips, tomatoes and bananas.
Every other night, the creatures also eat dried pea pellets, which is one of their favourite treats.
‘We buy a lot of the wonky veg boxes from Morrisons and get through around £60 of vegetables easily,’ says Sophie.
‘The looks you get from the supermarket when you’re queueing up are hilarious.’
Despite the questions from people, the family love the company of all their stress-relieving rodents.
They may be cute but tending to them takes about eight hours a day (Picture:Sarah Washbourn/Triangle News)
Sophie believes that the guinea pigs – which are a mix of breeds – help keep her calm on tough days.
‘I have a stressful life and they just bring me so much joy. They all have their own quirks and you can’t help but fall in love with them.
‘For me, looking after that many is not a chore, it’s something I adore doing.
‘They really are fascinating animals, I love watching them in the garden playing with the dog.’
Since they began with six guineas two years ago, Sophie and Mark have also rescued some from across the country, some of which were previously abused.
Their sanctuary now puts some of the guinea pigs up for adoption and the couple are keen to educate others on how to look after the adorable creatures.
Therefore the issue of obtaining strawberries and cream at Wimbledon is one to be taken very seriously indeed.
Here’s what you need to know about how much the tasty summer snack costs at Wimbledon and where you need to go to get your hands on some…
How much are strawberries and cream at Wimbledon?
At Wimbledon, the cost per serving of at least ten Greade 1 English strawberries with cream is £2.50.
According to the Wimbledon website, this has been the price of strawberries and cream there since 2010.
You’ll be able to buy a pot of this tasty treat at various outlets all across the grounds.
In 2018, a staggering 166,055 servings of strawberries and cream were eaten during Wimbledon.
To make sure the strawberries are as fresh as possible, they’re picked at 4am, collected at 9am for inspection, and then enjoyed by tennis fans that same day.
The berries are taken from LEAF registered farms – with LEAF being a charity which promotes Integrated Farm Management balancing chemical with organic farming.
There’s even a new vegan-friendly plant-based strawberries and cream option going at Wimbledon this year, in addition to vegan ice cream and vegan sorbet which will be served throughout the two-week long tennis Championships.
After all, vegans need to snack too.
Peta UK’s director of vegan projects Dawn Carr has said: ‘Peta first urged Wimbledon to offer strawberries and vegan cream in 2017, and we’re delighted to make a racquet about the new cruelty-free treat.
‘Vegan cream is not only packed with flavour and kinder to animals and the environment but also a healthier alternative for tennis fans to enjoy in the heat.’
Cheers to the Lionesses (Picture: Budweiser/Metro.co.uk)
Wait a minute… is it coming home?
It just might be.
And if it does come home, loads of us will get a free beer. Win-win.
Budweiser has said that if England’s Lionesses reach next week’s World Cup Final, they’ll give out 100,000 free beers to the general public.
Considering the team’s 3-0 victory against Norway, that could actually happen. They’re up against the USA next Tuesday in the semi-final, so they just need to win that match to get to the final – and get us all a free beer.
If they do win, it’ll be the first time an England side has gone beyond the semi-final stage in a FIFA World Cup since 1966. Quite a big deal.
And if they do, Budweiser will release 25,000 printable tokens that will entitle you to a free four-pack of Bud from a load of retailers (priced at £4), available following the final whistle in the match.
If you’d prefer a six-pack, you can use your coupon for that and pay the £2 difference.
Even if you’re not into football, you can probably get on board with a free four-pack of beer. So do send positive thoughts and plenty of cheers to the women’s team.
To claim your coupon for the free beer, those of legal drinking age living in England have to visit the Budweiser website after the match on Tuesday 2 July, register their details, and then download and print their coupon.
No, it’s not quite as dramatic as immediately ordering a pint and throwing its contents in the air in joy, but hey, we do enjoy a freebie.
Matt Leadbeater, Marketing Manager at Budweiser, said: ‘As official partner to the England Women’s Senior team, we wanted to take this moment to help bring a nation together to toast the Lionesses as they potentially step into history.
‘We want everyone in the country to come together to lend their support – and we want as many people as possible to celebrate as one if the team reaches England’s first FIFA World Cup™ final in more than 50 years.
‘To everyone cheering on the Lionesses – this Bud’s for you, and it’s on us.’
You, too, could be the envy of the neighbourhood (Picture: Bestway)
If all this uncharacteristically hot British weather is making you want to dip into a pool every five minutes, then fret not, Lidl has you covered.
The supermarket is offering a 12-foot swimming pool for £89.99 to cool you down this summer.
While the Bestway Steel Pro is the closest thing we can get to our dreams of posing at the edge of an infinity pool, it takes a lot of effort to assemble.
Shoppers on Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargaining UK, who spotted the find, complained that it takes over six hours to fill.
So by the time you manage to get it up, the sun might’ve already disappeared.
Hold on tight, it’s going to take some time (Picture: Bestway)
Followers of the Facebook group swapped tips on how to fill it faster, including using a hose, and also joked about the length of time it takes.
‘Ours is currently filling – I am hoping it’ll be done when I wake in the morning,’ quipped one person.
Another customer said it took the best part of a day to do up: ‘It’s a beast. It took me 10.5hrs to fill it!’ Someone else shared the sentiment saying: ‘six hours, f*** that I wouldn’t want that water bill.’
One person simply gave up, saying: ‘I was pouring in hot water from a bucket because our outside tap was freezing cold water. I gave up after a bit and just left the hose to fill it.’
At least some had words of advice to get the pool ready in half the time: ‘Connect another hose pipe to the hot water pipe under the sink and turn your boiler off it will be cold water and it will fill in half the time.’
Though Lidl’s £89.99 deal is certainly a bargain, considering the exact same pool is up for £149.95 on Amazon, there are cheaper alternatives online for similar.
As people search for solutions to ease the pain, a post made last year by Facebook user Cindie Allen-Stewart has gone viral, and people are claiming her method really works.
Cindie’s remedy (with pictures to show the evidence) uses menthol shaving cream to ‘take the heat out’ of the burned skin.
She slathers the foam on affected areas, being careful not to rub it in. Then, it’s left for thirty minutes before rinsing. You repeat this each day until the burn has healed.
According to Cindie, ‘I slept great after the first treatment and when my shoulders still felt hot from the burn the next day, I had another coating of shaving cream on just my shoulders. I have not had any peeling either. I use this on my kids too!’
Her post has been shared over 233,000 times, with many people singing the method’s praises.
But does it actually work?
The first thing to note – as Cindie does too – is that you should really be avoiding getting burned. Whether that means wearing high factor broad spectrum sun cream, or staying in the shade (or ideally both), you should be doing it.
There is no such thing as a healthy tan, and certainly no such thing as a healthy burn – they’re both outward signs of skin harm – so regardless of how you ‘heal’ the pain and redness, the damage will have already been done.
That said, you’re not harming your skin any further by taking this tack. Cindie specifically recommends menthol shaving cream in her post, and it’s likely this is the ingredient that helped cool down her skin.
The one she used (which is Gillette, but you could go for other brands) also contains aloe vera, which is known for its calming effects, and ability to reduce inflammation. Although some research shows it has no efficacy on this front, it has been a go-to since Ancient Egyptian times.
So, although this method appears to work for Cindie, the jury is out on whether it’s a catch-all remedy. A good menthol and aloe vera after sun (kept in the fridge) should have a similar effect and won’t have you walking around like a snowman. But, you do you.
It’s very easy to see a bit of sun and run outside all guns blazing, unencumbered by the prospect of sunburn.
But whether you can see the sun or not, whether you’re already melanated or even if you’re wearing makeup, you can still get burned.
And the red, hot, sore skin can be very painful as it flakes away.
So what are some remedies to soothe the pain of sunburn?
Firstly, there are steps you should take to avoiding sunburn, which happens as a result of the body’s natural defence mechanism kicking in against damaging ultraviolet rays.
When the defences are overwhelmed, a toxic reaction occurs, resulting in the condition.
If you are particularly prone to burns, stay away from the sun during peak hours, between 10 am and 2 pm.
If you do go out, always apply sunscreen (SPF of 30 or higher) at least 15 minutes before going outdoors, even on a cloudy day. It takes approximately 15 minutes for your skin to absorb the sunscreen and protect you.
Reapply every two hours, especially after going in water.
Wear clothing that protects against UV rays such as those with UPF protection (ultraviolet protection factor) – anything above 50 helps block 98% of UVA/UVB rays.
If you have managed to get a painful burn, there are some things you should do, as recommended by the NHS. These include:
getting out of the sun as soon as possible
cooling your skin with a cool shower, bath or damp towel (take care not to let a baby or young child get too cold)
applying aftersun cream or spray, like aloe vera
drinking plenty of water to cool down and prevent dehydration
taking painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for any pain
covering sunburnt skin from direct sunlight until the skin has fully healed.
There are also some things you should avoid doing such as using petroleum jelly on sunburnt skin, putting ice on it, popping or scratching blisters, or wearing tight-fitting clothes.
In some cases you might need to see a GP or call NHS 111. This includes having a very high temperature, feeling hot and shivery, or very tired, dizzy and sick.
Any severe headaches or muscle cramps should also be reported.
Val Pettifer seemed perfectly fit and healthy. But that all changed within the space of a Bank Holiday weekend.
In the run-up to her 70th birthday Val’s only unusual symptoms were the odd episode of bloating and bouts of hiccups.
It turned out that a large tumour had been growing in her pancreas.
Val wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for being struck with sudden agonising abdominal and back pain on 2019’s May Day Bank Holiday, when she was rushed to A&E.
Tests revealed that Val had incurable stage three pancreatic cancer. She was offered chemotherapy but was warned that this may only extend her life for 15 to 18 months.
She’s still shocked at how quickly she went from feeling perfectly healthy to knowing she has terminal cancer.
‘I still can’t quite believe what has happened, that I was walking around with this ticking time bomb growing away silently,’ says Val.
Val experienced no symptoms other than hiccups and bloating, then was suddenly struck down by extreme abdominal pain (Picture: PA Real Life)
‘I’ll admit I am afraid of what’s to come, and I’m not thinking about the end just yet. I’m not ready to leave everyone.
‘I still feel like a young woman at heart. Still, every extra day I have makes me thankful to wake up and still be here.’
Val has no family history of pancreatic cancer, and displayed none of the more common symptoms, such as weight loss, jaundice, or nausea.
She experienced bouts of hiccups from 2017, which became more frequent in the year leading up to her diagnosis, but thought they might be down to a food intolerance. She swapped to gluten-free alternatives after suspecting that her hiccups would often start after eating bread.
‘As soon as I swallowed the first mouthful of bread, I’d hiccup, then every subsequent mouthful, the same thing would happen,’ she said.
‘Sometimes they were so violent, I’d abandon the sandwich. I tried gluten free bread, but the same thing happened.
Without chemotherapy, she was given just six months left to live (Picture: PA Real Life)
‘I also have a small hiatus hernia – when part of your stomach moves up into your chest – which I have had for 50 years, so I thought perhaps that could be the cause too.
‘The hiccups first started in about 2017, but were only very occasional.
‘They got more frequent in the year leading up to the diagnosis, but still – who would ever connect hiccups to pancreatic cancer?
‘The symptoms were all so mild that they weren’t enough to go to the doctors with. Even if I’d gone and said I get hiccups and sometimes bloat, I doubt that would have got me referred for any tests or scans.’
Cancer Research states that hiccups can occur when the stomach becomes extended and bloated, or a tumour is pressing on the diaphragm. In Val’s case, both were happening.
Most of us would dismiss hiccups as nothing serious, just as Val did.
It was only on Friday 3 May, after experiencing diarrhoea and abdominal pain, that Val went to visit the GP.
Val is sharing her story to call for early screenings for pancreatic cancer (Picture: PA Real Life)
There she was told she might have diverticulitis, a digestive condition affecting the bowel, and was advised to go to A&E if the pain became worse. It did, so on the following Monday Val and her husband Dave headed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
The tumour was found after blood tests and a CT scan.
‘After the scan, I was back in my room when a crowd of about eight medics came in, and asked my husband to take a seat, which is never good news,’ said Val.
‘For the first time, they referred to the mass as a tumour and told me I needed a biopsy to find out if it was malignant or benign.
‘They also said that, as it had wrapped around various arteries and nerve bundles, it was inoperable.
‘Hearing that was just my worst nightmare come true, but strangely, I wasn’t really feeling emotional – I was still clinging onto the hope that the tumour would be benign, or they’d work out there was something to be done after all.’
Unfortunately the results revealed that the 5cm by 3.8cm adenocarcinoma tumour was malignant, classed as stage three advanced cancer.
She’s now starting 12 cycles of chemotherapy (Picture: PA Real Life)
Val’s tumour hasn’t spread to any other organs, but its position means it’s inoperable.
She was told that chemotherapy was an option, but this would only extend her life for 18 months. If she went without, she would have less than six months less to live.
‘It was so big that doctors told me it must have been growing for quite some time – yet I’d had no idea,’ said Val. ‘That’s why they call pancreatic the silent cancer.
‘When I spoke to the doctor, I was told that, without chemo, I’d have less than six months, whereas with it I could have between 15 and 18.
‘It’s still not enough, but it’s better.’
Val now faces 12 cycles of chemotherapy, which will bring with it side effects including hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and ulcers.
If the treatment shrinks the tumour enough, surgery could be an option.
For now Val remains positive, and is working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to raise money towards vital research.
She’s sharing her story to raise awareness of the disease and call for early screenings.
She said: ‘More research desperately needs to be done to help with early detection. We have come a really long way with other cancers, and have screening for things like breast and prostate, but nothing for pancreatic.
‘Long term, I am not going to survive this, but I hope changes come for people in the future.
‘I still find it hard to believe this is happening. Sometimes, I feel well and can almost forget about it – then I get a twinge or ache, and it brings it all home.
‘Still, I have never been a panicker, and prefer to look at the positives. I never imagined this would happen to me, but with my great circle of friends and the support of my family, I still have a lot to be thankful for.’
Aldi plans to get rid of plastic from the packaging for toilet rolls (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Going to the loo could get a little more environmentally friendly.
You’ll need to ditch those non-flushable wet wipes first, though.
Aldi has announced a trial to remove plastic packaging from packs of toilet roll.
You might be thinking ‘wait, what plastic?’, which is fair enough. The inner tube is cardboard and the toilet roll itself is a sort of paper.
But think of buying a big multipack of loo roll – they usually come in plastic packaging, often with a handy handle on top.
Aldi will scrap that plastic cover and replace it with paper. So you still get the convenience of not having to carry 12 loo rolls in your bare hands, but without the planet-destroying plastic.
Four-packs of Aldi’s luxury toilet paper will be sold wrapped in paper rather than plastic in 174 stores across parts of the north east and Midlands from next month.
If all goes well, paper packaging will be rolled out across the country on all Aldi’s packs of toilet paper. They reckon this could save 935 tonnes of plastic a year – so quite a big deal.
The scheme could also be extended to cover kitchen rolls.
Fritz Walleczek, managing director of corporate responsibility at Aldi UK, said: ‘Wherever we can find plastic packaging that can be removed or replaced with recyclable alternatives, we are determined to do just that.
‘From taking shrink-wrap off vegetables to introducing paper and compostable bags, we are committed to ensuring that our packaging doesn’t end up as waste.’
The pose is perfect for all those enviable holiday snaps in bikinis under the sun.
While you’re protecting your head from all those rays, you can also look stylish by tilting your head and touching the brim of the hat or even posing mid-endeavour to give it that candid feel.
Emily Ratajkowski has nailed it, walking away from the camera to serve the belfie and the hat clasp all in one.
But whether you’re holding on to make sure the wind doesn’t make your hat fly away, or because you don’t know what to do with your arms, the pose is certainly compelling, giving you something to do with your hands and remedying any slouching.
And it works with a floppy hat, a cap, even a sombrero if you’re on Mexican waters.
How often do you wash your tea towels? (Picture: Getty)
When was the last time you washed your tea towels?
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably struggling to remember. Maybe last week? Or whenever that time was when you spotted some caked on pasta sauce?
We all know that we should be washing our bath towels, makeup brushes, bras, and bedsheets more often than we might have previously thought, but tea towels are one of those little things that tend to fall off our cleaning radar.
It’s a tool for drying clean things, we think. How bad can it be?
Turns out it can get pretty bad.
Ralitsa Prodanova, a cleaning expert at Fantastic Services, tells Metro.co.uk that we should all be washing or changing out tea towels every day.
We’ll pause so everyone can take that in. Yes, every day.
If you don’t do that, says Ralitsa, you could be exposing yourself to all sorts of nasty germs and putting yourself at risk of food poisoning. Cool.
‘Tea towels make the perfect breeding ground for germs,’ Ralitsa tells us.
‘They’re often moist and warm from previous use, allowing for bacteria to multiply rapidly.
‘And because they come into contact with all manner of surfaces – from your dirty hands to clean dishes – you need to be really careful to make sure there’s no cross-contamination.
Yep, that’s full of germs (Picture: Getty)
‘I’d recommend you either replace them every day with clean, dry ones, or you wash them at the end of each day so they’re ready for use again the next morning.
‘Be sure not to wash them with soiled garments, either, like filthy socks or gym shoes. Instead batch wash them.’
A study conducted back in 2003 backs up the nastiness of an unwashed tea towel.
Researchers at the University of Bristol asked people to prepare a chicken meal in their kitchen, then analysed the bacteria left on a range of surfaces. They found that none of the taps or sinks tested positive for bacteria such as campylobacter or salmonella, but what did were tea towels and sponges.
It makes sense when you think about it.
You get a little mess on your kitchen counter, so you do a quick swipe with the tea towel. You dry off a dish that hasn’t been properly cleaned. You wipe your hands on the towel because you need dry hands before you keep cooking.
All of these little blips can involve putting your tea towel in direct content with dangerous bacteria. Then you use that tea towel to wipe your plates, your counters, or your hands and spread those germs further.
Ralitsa says: ‘Make no mistake, it’s very easy to suffer food poisoning caused by bugs like Salmonella and Campylobacter. If the infection is serious enough, and if the patient is particularly vulnerable, it’s not unknown for food poisoning to cause fatalities.
‘I’d expect other germs to be lurking in tea towels, too, including Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus, which can also make you extremely unwell.
‘If you’re a meat eater, or you eat dairy, then you’re clearly more at risk as these foods have a greater risk of contamination.
‘Those with families might also be at an elevated risk. It’s all too easy for a child to drop the tea towel on the floor and then neglect to tell his or her parents.’
Well, that’s just horrifying.
Thankfully the remedy for all this horror is pretty simple. We don’t imagine you can be bothered doing laundry every day (think of the amount of water you’d use), so what you can do instead is invest in seven tea towels, bung them in the laundry bin at the end of each day, and then do a weekly wash.
Ralitsa says it’s best not to cross-contaminate by washing your tea towels with other non-kitchen items, so it’s best to keep one weekly wash for your tea towels, table cloths, and oven gloves (yes, you should clean those too). Wash at 40 degrees to get rid of any nasties.
An intrepid American couple and their two dogs are travelling the world in an old school bus (Picture:@tioaventurabus/Jam Press)
The millennial dream is pretty much to give up the desk job and go travelling.
So that’s what Chase Green, 28, and Mariajos Trejo, 25, decided to do.
The couple, from Nashville, U.S, traded in their 9-5 jobs and gave up their home last year for a life of adventure and freewheeling around the world.
Chase and Mariajos have since travelled from Wisconsin to Arizona, Puerto Rico to Tennessee while working freelance jobs.
And they’re doing it in style too, having converted a 40ft school bus into a luxurious camper van, costing them $3500 (£2772).
Chase and Mariajos even managed to fit in a king-sized bed in the bus (Picture:@tioaventurabus/Jam Press)
Their new home is complete with a king size bed, bathroom with toilet and shower, 100-gallon water tank, solar panels, fridge freezer and even a kitchen sink.
There are also home comforts such as a wood burning stove, hammocks and roof deck, all of which took four months to put together.
Looks cosy (Picture:@tioaventurabus/Jam Press)
‘We had been watching people convert buses and vans on YouTube,’ Chase explained. ‘My father showed us the first videos because he knew we both really loved the idea of small space living.
‘We lived in a 2,000sqft home and had rooms that we furnished and never even used, it was wasteful.’
It took them four months to transform the bus (Picture:@tioaventurabus/Jam Press)
So Chase, who works as a graphic designer and Mariajos, a make-up artist from Venezuela, set off last year with their two dogs.
They’ve shared all their adventures thus far on their Instagram account which has picked up 18,000 followers.
It is also another source of income for them as they often work with brands to create monetised posts.
But it was worth the hard work (Picture:@tioaventurabus/Jam Press)
However, their idyllic-sounding lifestyle isn’t completely stress-free. Finding enough safe drinking water is a challenge, particularly in the desert and parking can be a nightmare.
‘It takes a lot of planning, a lot of research, and sometimes we’ve found that even though the planning we just can’t make it to a spot or stay there due to local laws regarding vehicle dwelling,’ added Chase.
(Picture:@tioaventurabus/Jam Press)
‘Despite those complications, there is no way we would trade this deliberate life for the 9-5 and living for the weekends again.’
They hope to buy land and build a small home eventually but have no plans to stop travelling.
