There’s a taboo around loneliness that we need to break

October 16, 2017, 2:23 am

≫ Next: 7 lessons I’ve learned from past relationships

≪ Previous: People are tweeting ‘me too’ to show how wide spread sexual assault is

$

0

0

On the surface, you’d never know I struggle with loneliness.

Every day I’m busy; busy with work, busy with passion projects, busy attending events and talks, and meeting new people.

Lonely in London – how to fight feeling alone when you’re around millions of people

My life is full of brilliant friends who inspire me, encourage me, and who I support and celebrate in return.

My family is loud, argumentative, but close-knit.

I’m what my granny affectionately calls the ‘career girl’: the one with ambitions, who takes herself on… Read the full story

---

7 lessons I’ve learned from past relationships

October 16, 2017, 2:30 am

≫ Next: If you have to be offensive to make someone laugh, maybe you’re just not very funny?

≪ Previous: There’s a taboo around loneliness that we need to break

$

0

0

A couple of weeks ago I had a bit of a moment, sat in the car waiting to pick my daughter up from after school dance rehearsal.

I was thinking about my past relationships, and was slightly concerned I have been in love more times than most people.

5 things on your Facebook feed that will make you realise how pointless it is

Seven, if you’re interested.

I wondered if perhaps it might mean that there was something wrong with me, or that I didn’t know how to do love properly,… Read the full story

If you have to be offensive to make someone laugh, maybe you’re just not very funny?

October 16, 2017, 2:41 am

≫ Next: Carnations are the most underrated flowers that more brides should use for their bouquets

≪ Previous: 7 lessons I’ve learned from past relationships

$

0

0

There was a fashion, when I was a teenager, for dead baby jokes. 

If you’re in any doubt about what that means, it’s literally what you think it is. Horrible, deliberately offensive jokes which were intended to upset people. ‘Why did the little girl fall off the swing?’ ‘Because she had no arms’ was a favourite.

Objecting to that kind of joke, or even refusing to roll on the floor laughing, made you a loser. Being offended wasn’t even an option. If you didn’t want to be a figure of ridicule, you had to laugh and ideally volunteer your own horrible joke about… Read the full story

Carnations are the most underrated flowers that more brides should use for their bouquets

October 16, 2017, 3:02 am

≫ Next: How to talk to your child about mental health

≪ Previous: If you have to be offensive to make someone laugh, maybe you’re just not very funny?

$

0

0

Once upon a time, you couldn’t move for carnations.

They were at every wedding, presented to every dinner host, given to every teacher at the end of term.

But they’re deeply unfashionable these days.

Florists are inundated with requests for wedding bouquets made from roses and peonies but as soon as designers suggest brides have carnations, they apparently turn up their noses.

‘Most designer florists, they love carnations now, and you get chastised for it,’ Christina Stembel, founder of Farmgirl Flowers, tells PopSugar.

Read the full story

How to talk to your child about mental health

October 16, 2017, 3:39 am

≫ Next: Men don’t like wearing condoms because they’re too big for the average penis

≪ Previous: Carnations are the most underrated flowers that more brides should use for their bouquets

$

0

0

Childhood can be difficult to negotiate at the best of times.

And it’s a particular challenge for kids who have mental health issues of their own, or a relative with a mental illness.

The truth about parenting with a mental illness

According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in 10 young people has a mental health problem, and 82% of headteachers have reported an increase in issues like anxiety and panic attacks.

Many more kids are growing up in homes where a family member has a… Read the full story

Men don’t like wearing condoms because they’re too big for the average penis

October 16, 2017, 3:46 am

≫ Next: ‘Reprogramming the subconscious’– we talk to Chloe Brotheridge about hypnosis and anxiety

≪ Previous: How to talk to your child about mental health

$

0

0

We’ve all met guys who say that they don’t want to use a condom.

Many of us have dismissed them as selfish pr*cks, more concerned with their own sexual pleasure than our sexual health.

No condom = no sex. Thems the rules when it comes to casual dalliances.

But it turns out that there may be an alternative reason why so many men try and worm out of wrapping it up.

According to a recent report by the New York Times, standard condoms sizes are too big for the average penis.

When erect, the average penis is 2.5cm shorter than standard condoms which have to be at least 17cm in length.

Read the full story

‘Reprogramming the subconscious’– we talk to Chloe Brotheridge about hypnosis and anxiety

October 16, 2017, 3:54 am

≫ Next: We need to be clear what sexual assault actually is

≪ Previous: Men don’t like wearing condoms because they’re too big for the average penis

$

0

0

‘I felt like a switch had been flicked in my head and I just wasn’t really the same after that.

‘It was almost like this possibility had opened up that things could go wrong and that I could lose control and that I could just feel so horrendous.’

Chloe Brotheridge talked about her experiences of panic attacks, thinking she was ‘going to die’ and anxiety on the latest episode of our mental health podcast, Mentally Yours.

Chloe began suffering from anxiety aged about 15 and has used her experiences to help others.

After finding hypnotherapy recordings useful, she decided to train to become a hypnotherapist herself.

She specialises in helping others with their anxiety, and is the author of The Anxiety Solution.

Chloe says hypnosis is ‘a way of reprogramming the subconscious’.

She said: ‘It’s about quietening down your conscious mind,’ and accessing the ‘subconscious – that creates your automatic beliefs and your thoughts and feelings.’

She added: ‘Sometimes it’s about identifying stuff from… Read the full story

We need to be clear what sexual assault actually is

October 16, 2017, 5:00 am

≫ Next: Meet the woman recreating Kate Middleton’s outfits for half the price

≪ Previous: ‘Reprogramming the subconscious’– we talk to Chloe Brotheridge about hypnosis and anxiety

$

0

0

Around six or seven years ago, I was sexually assaulted on the way home from a night out.

Except I didn’t realise I had been.

I used to co-run one of East London’s worst club nights (true story, sorry to all who came) and our takings were always in cash.

Taking a taxi home wasn’t an option as I was young and poor, and getting the night bus meant walking 10 minutes down a lonely road from the bus stop, so I decided that cycling home was the safest option.

My pal and co-worker was continuing the party after our night finished so I took his money off him for safekeeping and jumped on my bike to head home in the early hours of the morning.

I was about two-thirds of the way home when I felt someone grab my back as I stopped at traffic lights. A guy on a BMX swerved in front of me, blocking my way.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked. At… Read the full story

---

Meet the woman recreating Kate Middleton’s outfits for half the price

October 16, 2017, 5:51 am

≫ Next: Meantime Brewing have made a limited edition latte/beer hybrid

≪ Previous: We need to be clear what sexual assault actually is

$

0

0

Kate Middleton knows how to do smart casual better than anyone on the planet.

Her’s is a look that’d work in the office, at a posh BBQ or out on casual royal business.

The only thing that stands in the way of us and her wardrobe, however, is the small matter of money.

Even though she’s a big supporter of British high street brands, they’re still quite pricey.

But one Instagrammer is proving that you can replicate Kate’s style without having to remortgage your house.

Mallory, AK LAdy M Replikates, is from Virginia and she’s been putting together all kinds of Kate-like outfits.

Here she is showing that no one does preppy as well as Americans

Read the full story

Meantime Brewing have made a limited edition latte/beer hybrid

October 16, 2017, 5:59 am

≫ Next: Britain’s first vegan avocado chocolate bar is finally here

≪ Previous: Meet the woman recreating Kate Middleton’s outfits for half the price

$

0

0

Some alcohol pairs magically with coffee.

I’m looking at you, vodka, while winking over your shoulder at tequila (hello Cafe Patron, I love you, will you marry me?).

Something I’ve never considered mixing coffee with, however, is beer.

Which is why I did a little sick in my mouth when I got an email from Meantime Brewing about their ‘latt-ale’ – a latte-style beer that is made using an espresso-style concentrated beer with a cream ale – which are mixed together the same way as espresso and milk.

They’ve created two blendable beers – the first of their kind – in collaboration with Nude Coffee Roasters.

Yummy…?

Britain’s first vegan avocado chocolate bar is finally here

October 16, 2017, 6:28 am

≫ Next: If you’ve ever wanted to drink wine in the shower, today is your lucky day

≪ Previous: Meantime Brewing have made a limited edition latte/beer hybrid

$

0

0

Behold: the UK’s first avocado chocolate bar.

It’s so millennial, it hurts.

But more importantly, it’s not hurting any animals, because it’s a vegan avo chocolate bar.

Forget your smashed avo toast and your guacamole, the only way to get your daily dose of monounsaturated fats is in this beautifully packaged bar of goodness from Love Cocoa.

The vegan alternative to dark chocolate is made from 70% Ecuadorian cocoa and the avocado used in the bar is 100% natural freeze-dried pulp powder, which the company says contains the same nutrients as avocado in its original form.

So basically, this bar is one of your five a day (surely…).

Read the full story

If you’ve ever wanted to drink wine in the shower, today is your lucky day

October 16, 2017, 6:32 am

≫ Next: Sex addiction is ‘like torture’, says a sex therapist

≪ Previous: Britain’s first vegan avocado chocolate bar is finally here

$

0

0

If you’ve ever been in the shower and thought ‘this is nice, but I just wish I had some wine’ then we have news for you. 

Firstly, you probably need to have a think about your alcohol consumption.

Secondly, once you’ve thought about it and decided that you’re okay with it, we’ve got news.

There’s now a way that you can take a glass of wine (or beer, or champagne, or just a nice green juice) in the shower with you. Never again will you have to shower beverageless again.

Read the full story

Sex addiction is ‘like torture’, says a sex therapist

October 16, 2017, 6:52 am

≫ Next: When and what is Sweetest Day 2017, where did the day come from?

≪ Previous: If you’ve ever wanted to drink wine in the shower, today is your lucky day

$

0

0

Harvey Weinstein says he has a sex addiction.

Loads of famous blokes who have been caught with their d*cks out have said they’ve got sex addiction.

And for the most part, we roll our eyes and get our tiny violins out at such a hardship.

POOR YOU, we think, POOR WEAK YOU WITH YOUR UNCONTROLLABLE URGES TO F*CK ANYTHING THAT MOVES.

But according to Deborah Schiller, director of Pine Grove’s sexual addiction treatment program in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, genuine sex addiction can be ‘like torture’ for those who have it.

Read the full story

When and what is Sweetest Day 2017, where did the day come from?

October 16, 2017, 7:01 am

≫ Next: Are hoop earrings cultural appropriation?

≪ Previous: Sex addiction is ‘like torture’, says a sex therapist

$

0

0

The third Saturday in October is the Sweetest Day in the year in some parts of the US which is a day to share romantic thoughts and do some deeds to express them.

Britain's first vegan avocado chocolate bar is finally here

It is a day to celebrate and remember those who bring happiness to our lives and give sweets and gifts accordingly and this year The Sweetest Day is on Saturday, October 21.

The day is also branded as a day to focus on the meaning behind giving gifts.

The holiday began around 1921, during the Great Depression, and mentions of it were published as advertisements… Read the full story

Are hoop earrings cultural appropriation?

October 16, 2017, 7:21 am

≫ Next: Couple’s reaction to a dog who crashed their wedding is so, so great

≪ Previous: When and what is Sweetest Day 2017, where did the day come from?

$

0

0

Cultural appropriation is a pretty new concept. 

Until recently sticking a Bindi on or wearing a Native American headdress for dressing up went completely unremarked upon. That doesn’t mean that it was a good thing, or that it was okay, just that for a lot of people the idea that there were things that they shouldn’t wear, that it was even racist to wear them, just hadn’t occurred.

The theory of cultural appropriation, in case you’ve somehow missed this conversation, says that a person picking out an item strongly associated with a culture that they did not grow up in and are not part of, and then wearing it because it looks… Read the full story

---

Couple’s reaction to a dog who crashed their wedding is so, so great

October 16, 2017, 7:50 am

≫ Next: Why have I started snoring? What causes snoring and how to stop it

≪ Previous: Are hoop earrings cultural appropriation?

$

0

0

When people usually crash weddings, they’re met with stony glares, hissed reproaches or – if they’re in a soap – full-on fisticuffs.

But one couple of newly-weds in Brazil was only too happy to bring their uninvited guest into the fold.

Marília and Matheus Pieroni were just beginning their ceremony in São Paulo when a stray dog wandered in from the storm outside and completely stole Marília’s thunder by marching down the aisle to the bridal chorus.

He was removed to allow the actual bride to entre but just as they were about to say their vows, he returned and laid down on top of Marília’s veil.

Read the full story

Why have I started snoring? What causes snoring and how to stop it

October 16, 2017, 7:51 am

≫ Next: Top five most searched couples Halloween costumes

≪ Previous: Couple’s reaction to a dog who crashed their wedding is so, so great

$

0

0

You wake up and your partner is sitting up in bed with the groggiest of heads looking at you like you have just committed a mortal sin.

They will never let you live this one down.

We need to be clear what sexual assault actually is

So you’ve started the unusual activity of snoring and either your partner can’t get any sleep with the racket you’re orchestrating or you’ve woken yourself out of deep slumber from the chocking noise of your own snore.

Neither sound appealing or impressive and you may want to nip this in the bud before you or… Read the full story

Top five most searched couples Halloween costumes

October 16, 2017, 8:54 am

≫ Next: Nando’s is adding two new veggie options to the menu

≪ Previous: Why have I started snoring? What causes snoring and how to stop it

$

0

0

So it turns out couples have zero imagination this Halloween.

We need to be clear what sexual assault actually is

Everyone’s searching for the same old duo costumes, bar a few exceptions. So don’t bother turning to Google for inspiration — you’ll only be left disappointed.

But in case you feel like following the flock of sheeple, here are the top five most searched couple’s costumes for 2017 Halloween.

1. Bonnie and Clyde

Read the full story

Nando’s is adding two new veggie options to the menu

October 16, 2017, 10:31 pm

≫ Next: #MakeMotherhoodDiverse aims to draw attention to the many faces of motherhood

≪ Previous: Top five most searched couples Halloween costumes

$

0

0

It’s a not-so-secret truth among vegetarians that Nando’s is bloody great.

We know, we know: It’s a chicken restaurant. But their veggie pitta is delicious, their mushroom burger is spot on, and the option to add a side of halloumi to every order is always welcome.

It’s one of the few meat-focused restaurants where we don’t feel like we’re missing out, a place where we know we can get genuinely delicious food instead of being lumped with a side salad and chips while everyone else devours steak.

And now, there are two new veggie options to choose from. Hooray!

As part of their new Autumn menu, Nando’s is introducing two now glorious vegetarian mains to… Read the full story

#MakeMotherhoodDiverse aims to draw attention to the many faces of motherhood

October 16, 2017, 11:00 pm

≫ Next: Avobar will be London’s first permanent avocado restaurant

≪ Previous: Nando’s is adding two new veggie options to the menu

$

0

0

As a black woman, I’m used to being under-represented in the media, both traditional and social.

However, it wasn’t until I published my first children’s book and struggled to find parenting bloggers of a darker hue that I realised how truly invisible I and women like me are.

8 reasons why mother and baby activity groups suck

Instagram is a case in point.

I would best describe my relationship with it as love-hate – as in I love to hate all those beautifully posed and filtered pictures and find them equally mesmerising and depressing.

Despite this, I’m… Read the full story