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How Harry Potter taught me to embrace my ‘differences’ and love who I was

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Harry Potter helped me find my community (Picture: Warner Bros)

I can’t remember how old I was when I read The Philosopher’s Stone for the first time, but I knew from the very beginning that I was part of something special. Something different.

Every Harry Potter novel ranked from worst to best

For the very first time I was reading about someone who didn’t belong, who didn’t quite ‘fit’, find their calling – their identity – and I could relate to that.

At the time of its release I was a little fat girl that didn’t really belong. I liked comics instead of the latest… Read the full story


Here’s how being a poor millennial has actually worked in my favour

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Millennials are genuinely having a pretty tough time of it.

Fitness blogger doesn't care if she's got a bit of extra belly fat

We were promised that if we spunked a load of money on uni it’d be fine because we’d be knee deep in job offers by the time we graduated, and would dissolve that student loan in the blink of an eye.

Of course, this did not happen for most of us.

I am a poor, 31-year-old freelance writer who’s living in a six bedroom houseshare in a questionable part of London because hey, what’s up, hello, that’s all I can afford.

Owning my own home isn’t even on my radar because – and as a card-carrying feminist, it pains me to say this – I’m single and there’s absolutely no way I’d ever be able to even think about scraping the money together for a deposit without a partner to pay half… Read the full story

Cutting my hair short was the day I chose function over femininity

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metro illustrations
Time is too precious folks (Picture: Irene Palacio for Metro.co.uk)

Last time I had a bob, it was a result of my parents’ final desperate attempt to rid me of nits.

Aged around eight – years before I caught that self-consciousness thing – I couldn’t have cared less about how it looked as long it lessened the savage combing and tea tree oil being inflicted on me every other day to stop things crawling in it.

metro illustrationsCutting my hair short was the day I chose function over femininity

I can’t imagine it looked great but, for a kid that spent far too… Read the full story

Loving, adorable, gentle giants – 23 things every St Bernard owner knows

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It is tiring work being this adorable (Picture: Purple Collar Pet Photography/Getty)

They are the gentle giants of the dog world, big fluffy and absolutely adorable.

Wherever you go with a St Bernard you are going to turn heads and be stopped by passers by who have a lot of questions – usually the same questions over and over and over again.

They were made famous by the 90s film Beethoven but, even before that, they have historically had an important role as search and rescue dogs.

St Bernards literally save lives. How amazing is that?

Here’s what every St Bernard owner knows.

1. They are very sociable

They love people and other dogs.

2. And extremely loyal

 

This charity is giving good-quality old hotel toiletries to homeless people

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(Picture: Every Little Bit Helps/Instagram)

We all nick hotel toiletries.

It’s part of the reason you stay in a hotel rather than a hostel – so you want walk around in white slippers and gowns, helping yourself to nail files, and miniature shower gels and body lotions.

Here are the most bizarre stock images on the net

They make the whole experience.

The thing is though, you never actually use them once you get home. We’ve all got drawers piled high with travel-sized lotions and potions gathering dust.

Which is why one charity collects hotel toiletries and aeroplane overnight packs to donate to homeless people.

Read the full story

Rainbow armpit hair is here just in time for Pride Month

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Rainbow armpit hair
Try this one at home (Picture: Instagram/caitlinfordhair)

Armpits are having something of a moment right now.

Here's how being a poor millennial has actually worked in my favour

I’m talking armpit tattoos, going proudly un-shaven and even dyeing it a bright colour.

And now that it’s Pride Month, what better way to rock your armpits than to celebrate with a pair of multicoloured armpits?

Caitlin Ford, a hairstylist based in Missouri in the US, is best known for her super-colourful rainbow hair dye jobs.

But when a client came in wanting something fun to show off at the local pride festival, Caitlin tried… Read the full story

What I want my eldest child to know before he starts high school

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(Picture: Erin Aniker for Metro.co.uk)

It keeps hitting me in the pit of my stomach.

I feel a sense of sadness as we roll towards the end of your last term at primary school and get ready for high school.

How can time have gone so quickly?

I remember your first day at your primary school, aged four, excitedly running around our front garden in your new uniform.

The obligatory picture in front of our front door and then your little hand clasping mine on our first walk to school.

I very much doubt you will want to hold my hand on the way to high school.

I think, like almost every nearly teenager, you will want me… Read the full story

In defence of using the pull-out method of contraception

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(Picture: Getty)

Before I defend the use of pulling out as contraception, a few caveats. 

This sand repelling, waterproof pop-up beach towel might be the best yet

I do not condone pulling out for everyone. Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, don’t stop taking hormonal contraceptives or ditch the condoms because I said so, or use my experiences to justify playing contraception roulette.

That said, I find myself getting cross when I hear people talking about pulling out – or the withdrawal method – as if it’s completely stupid. Using the pull-out method is not inherently stupid. If you use… Read the full story


Those Pret salads you’ve been eating might have more calories in them than baguettes

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(Picture: mistyyoon/Instagram)

Firstly, let me just start off by saying that moderation and health are bedfellows – you can’t have one without the other.

Having a little of what you fancy is the surest way of sticking to a healthy eating plan.

Yes, we're grown up and no, we won't let go of our Harry Potter obsession

But if you’re trying to shred a few pounds, you naturally want to go for lighter options.

Instead of your usual sandwich, perhaps you choose a nice big salad box. After all, it’s packed with vitamins and is very low in fat.

Yet there you’ve been for the past month,… Read the full story

Edible flowers are now available to buy at Sainbury’s

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Sainsbury's Edible Flowers 2
Which filter will these look best in? (Picture: Sainsbury’s)

Edible flowers and Instagram were always going to be a match made in heaven.

Rainbow armpit hairRainbow armpit hair is here just in time for Pride Month

Whether they’re on fancy drinks, wedding cakes or unashamedly beautiful doughnuts, they’re unbeatably photogenic.

And they don’t look half bad in the flesh, too.

To have the chance of actually eating them, though, you usually need the opportunity to go to a Michelin-star restaurant or fancy cocktail bar.

Until now, as Sainbury’s is launching its own range of edible flowers.

According to the supermarket, social media and… Read the full story

Dark Stock Photos finds the most disturbing stock photos from the bowels of the internet

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A child doing a hell of a lot of blow
We’ve all been there (Picture: Dark Stock Photos/Twitter)

As a digital journalist, having to sift through stock imagery is a weird one.

Here's how being a poor millennial has actually worked in my favour

There are occasions where the selection you’re offered is genuinely frustrating, like when you’re looking for abortion images that don’t criminalise women.

And then there are the times where what you’re offered is just plain hilarious, cringe-inducing or simply WTF.

Twitter account Dark Stock Photos have scoured the web and found the darkest, most disturbing stock imagery for us to… Read the full story

All the wedding expenses you might not be expecting

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Photo credit: Getty

No-one is surprised that wedding are expensive, but you’re probably thinking about the big stuff like the dress and the venue, rather than the little things that tend to add up. 

Unfortunately there are quite a lot of small things, which on their own wouldn’t cause any stress, but all added together add another £1,000 or so to the over all cost. Which, when you’re paying for all the big stuff too, can be a pretty big deal.

Vital 'This is Beating Cancer' campaign inspires women to fight against cancer

So, we’re rounded up all the little things that it’s easy to… Read the full story

Kenzo casts exclusively Asian models for its latest show

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Kenzo
The show was called the The ‘Red String of Fate’ (Picture: Rex)

Though times are changing, it’s not exactly unusual to see totally-whitewashed catwalks today.

metro illustrationsWhat it's like living in a housing co-op

Which is why seeing Kenzo’s latest celebration of its heritage – by casting exclusively Asian models in its latest show – is a breath of fresh air.

For the combined SS18 men’s and women’s show called The Red String of Fate, the French luxury house’s collection was presented as a two-act play.

Yes, Kenzo may be French, but it was founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada back in the 70s, and the… Read the full story

Man ‘proposes’ to woman’s five-year-old daughter minutes after asking her to marry him

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(Picture: Mandi Gilliland)

An adorable set of photos captured the moment 26-year-old Grant Tribbett, from Indiana, proposed to his long-term partner Cassandra Lynn.

Miniature guide horses could soon be a thing in the UK

Cassandra has a five-year-old daughter named Adrianna Rose, who Grant absolutely adores and he made that clear in his beautiful proposal to Cassandra.

Read the full story

How to avoid permanent ear damage at festivals

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Concert crowd and concert stage.

There are many things you think about when planning a trip to a festival.

Festivals need to make things easier for people with invisible illnesses

‘Do I have enough baby wipes?’, ‘How will I sneak this alcohol in?’, ‘What are the chances of someone sh*tting on my tent?’ are just a few of the questions you’re likely to ask yourself in the lead-up to the big event.

But did you ever stop to consider how you’ll protect your hearing?

Now, before you roll your eyes and close this tab to go and look at memes or weird stock images, hear me… Read the full story


What do tennis players eat ahead of Wimbledon? We tried Johanna Konta & Heather Watson’s choices

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World No. 8 Konta has given her seal of approval (Picture: Getty)

It can be easy to mistake the life of a tennis player as all fun and games.

You jet set around the world, chasing the sun, playing the sport you love – it sounds pretty perfect, right?

14 pineapple tattoos for people who can't get enough of the juicy fruit

What can be missed by the average observer, though, is the incredibly detailed planning that goes into maintaining a competitive and active lifestyle.

Of course, that rigorous planning is not the responsibility of the very top players – they’re surrounded by experienced teams to guide them nutritionally.

But… Read the full story

Less raving, more style: How to do an Ibiza holiday when you’re over 30

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Ibiza will always occupy a special spot in the heart of anyone with even the slightest hedonistic inclination.

Yes, the drinks are ridiculously expensive, at times the clubs are outrageously busy, and the muscle vests seem to get tighter with each passing season.

But none of those things detract from the magic of this place where music, sunshine, and good times don’t stop from May to October.

Edmonton, Canada (Picture: Chloe Gunning)Why your next foodie trip should be to Edmonton in Canada

There’s far more to the island than the vomit-soaked streets of San Antonio, pumping tech house lads, and endless sleepless nights, though.

The first generation that put the White Isle on the party map in the late-1980s are, well, let’s just say more mature these days- as are many that have followed in their footsteps, including me.

As an island, this corner of the Balearics has grown up in tandem with those demographics,… Read the full story

Cheap rent and no dodgy landlords: What it’s like living in a housing co-op

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With the average rent in Britain being around £900-a-month, people are looking for new options.

‘This way of living proves to me that renting a house does not have to be as expensive as your landlord likes,’ says Tom, a 30-year-old bartender who has lived in a housing co-op for years now.

Vital 'This is Beating Cancer' campaign inspires women to fight against cancer

‘We need more social housing in this country – this place was a godsend for me.’ 

Made up of 80 people living in around 15 houses, he and his fellow residents at Argyle Street Co-operative in Cambridge (ASH) work together as a community to fund, repair and improve their living spaces without a for-profit landlord in sight.

‘The number one benefit is cheap rent,‘ he explains.

‘I pay £65 a week, all bills included, for a small double room in the centre of Cambridge. No hidden costs. It really is that cheap.’

Read the full story

Woman explains how makeup makes her feel confident with a feeding tube

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(Picture: Instagram)

Emily Jones is a 22-year-old aspiring makeup artist from Croydon, South London.

metro illustrationsWhat it's like living in a housing co-op

While many young women are hoping to become MUAs one day, for Emily, her mission is a little more difficult, as she lives with a feeding tube and uses a wheelchair.

Emily uses a wheelchair as a result of Ehlers-Danlos type 3, a connective tissue disorder that causes her to have multiple joint dislocations every day.

Alongside this, her intestines do not function properly, and due to a trapped vagus nerve, her stomach rejects everything she attempts to eat – that’s why… Read the full story

Miniature guide horses could soon be a thing in the UK

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Can you handle the cuteness? (Picture: Lorne Campbell / Guzelian)

Nothing beats the cuteness and downright genius of a guide dog.

Miniature guide horses could soon be a thing in the UK

But there’s another animal in town ready to come to the aid of people with disabilities: miniature horses.

Having already boomed in popularity in the US, guide horses could soon be available in the UK.

Some are already being trained to help people with mobility assistance and general household chores.

Katy Smith in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, told The Times that horses can be house trained just like dogs, ‘up to a point’, anyway.

Read the full story
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