If you love a royal wedding – the nuptials this spring shouldn’t disappoint.
There is plenty to get excited about, because along with all the usual pomp that surrounds a royal wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding will come with a bit of a twist.
It’s in keeping with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s take on their royal duties – turning… Read the full story
It’s been said that for someone to truly understand rejection, they must first be ignored by a cat.
The good news is that if you own a cat, you’ll understand rejection pretty quickly.
Cats are lovely, but unlike dogs, they’re a little more selective when it comes to showing their affections. There’ll be days they’ll refuse to move from your lap for hours, then others when they’ll avoid your strokes and scamper away, leaving… Read the full story
When it comes to villains, Game of Thrones has plenty, but just how well can do you remember all of the evil in the seven kingdoms?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a casual viewer, or a mega fan, chances are you’ve got a strong distaste for many of the characters that have made it onto this quiz.
They are devious, cruel, murderous and characters that we all love to hate.
Prove just how much of a Game of Thrones expert you are by taking this special villain quiz.
You have been single for years and years. And then you meet them.
They’re hot, hilarious, clever, not an obvious psycho. Bingo!
And then you spot the cowboy boots. Why? Why would Baby Jesus do this to you?
Or maybe you’re fine with the ‘yee-huh?’ footwear – and it’s mention of our good Lord that makes you ‘Oh God’?
Go on, tell us, what’s the thang that would turn you off the (really bloody close to being) love of your life?
‘I hate smokers.’
Your body changes when you grow a baby inside it for nine months then push it out. It’s inevitable.
Your bump grows and stretches your skin. Your weight fluctuates. Your baby comes into the world and you’re left with scars to show what your body has done.
None of these are things to be ashamed of. They’re entirely normal; your body reacting to the strain of carrying and birthing a baby.
But when we scroll through Instagram or flick through the pages of magazines, these aren’t the bodies we see.
Instead we’re greeted by photos of women who’ve managed to rid themselves of a post-baby body and snap back into perfectly toned, sculpted shape. Stretch marks are glossed over, scars are hidden, the extra weight’s been sweated away with hours each day in the gym.
That all starts to make mums feel rubbish about themselves if they don’t meet this strange ideal. There’s pressure to speedily rid yourself of any physical evidence that you were… Read the full story
What if you fell in love with someone, then found out they add squash to their glass after they’ve poured in the water?
Would you dump them immediately? Put up with their one flaw? Or rejoice, for you’ve finally found someone like you?
That’s the question one man asked on Reddit this week – and he’s received some, um, passionate reponses.
‘My girlfriend puts in the squash after the water and I don’t know how to feel,’ wrote aldershotsam386 in the British Problems subreddit.
He was immediately bombarded with orders to dump her, or at least try the tea test to check whether she also… Read the full story
We should know by now that pets can have a huge impact on your mental health.
But in case you needed more convincing of the power of having an animal by your side, take note of Michaela Field, who says her Saluki greyhound, Nicky, prevented her from taking her own life.
Michaela, 51, was struggling with the effects of living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, arthritis, post-traumatic stress disorder, claustrophobia, and agoraphobia.
Things had become to feel like too much, and Michaela felt she couldn’t take any more.
She says that she was sitting on her sofa ready to end her life when Nicky, her three-legged greyhound, gave her… Read the full story
Why do you drink alcohol?
It’s worth knowing and understanding the reasons – that’s how you can make sure your relationship with alcohol is healthy and be aware if that changes.
That knowledge can also help you cut down how much you drink or quit booze entirely, if you’d like to.
But getting an understanding of why you drink can be tricky. It’s easy to just say you drink because you like it, or because you want to, rather than looking deeper into your motivations.
The motivational model of alcohol use can help you to learn about your relationship to drinking.
In an article for The Conversation, alcohol… Read the full story
Chickenpox (varicella) is a common, contagious, viral infectious disease, usually contracted by children.
The symptoms associated with Chickenpox results in a blister-like rash with itching, tiredness, and fever.
Around 90% of the UK population has had chickenpox by the age of 15 but most people bceome immune from the disease after contracting it.
Yes, cats can have asthma, and they’ll need an inhaler, just like any human.
Take Alma as an example. She’s a sweet two-year-old kitty who was diagnosed with female asthma after being brought into London-based animal welfare charity Mayhew Animal Home.
Alma had been found abandoned on the streets of North West London. She was quickly taken to the vet clinic, where it was discovered that she had issues with her lungs.
‘We discovered that Alma had scarring on her lungs, the legacy of a particularly nasty bout of cat flu that she was suffering from when rescued,’ Mayhew vet Dr Emma Robinson said. ‘This… Read the full story
Getting married can be a pricey business.
Even if you’re not actually the one standing at the altar, weddings can leave you broke thanks to a catalogue of presents, travel and outfit buys.
Weddings currently cost an average of £27k. That’s a lot of moolah to spend on one day.
But they’re set to rise even further over the next decade, with 2028 weddings predicted to cost around £32,000, according to data from the Office of National Statistics.
That’s up from £18,773 in 2006 – meaning that in 22 years, there’ll have been a 60% increase in marital expenses.
If that sounds horrendously steep, just consider the fact that the UK’s… Read the full story
In this strange Instagram era, it’s easy to assume that you’re the only one without the perfect bod.
Plus-size, super slim, gym-fit or pregnant, social media has built a cult around what every shape and state of being should look like, thanks to filters and camera-friendly angles.
We know these influencers and bloggers don’t really look like this and yet…
Anyway, one influencer committed to being as open and real as possible is PT Emily Skye, who gave birth to her daughter two months ago.
She’s been posting candid photos of her pregnancy and recovery for some time and this week, she shared a picture of her postpartum abs.
Now obviously, she’s… Read the full story
At 10-years-old, Diego Hernandéz was left in a coma for six months after being electrocuted by a high voltage cable.
As a result, he lost his left hand and only has limited use of his right one…and yet, he’s a master at deadlifts, bench presses and push-ups.
The accident also resulted in Diego suffering third-degree burns over 75% of his body and left him having to re-learn how to walk.
‘I had to adapt and learn how to walk again, I lost count as to how many surgeries have been done on me and looking back at it now I don’t know how a ten-year-old kid could withstand all of this,’… Read the full story
Nars has just dropped its latest collaboration – this time with fashion’s floral king, Erdem Moralioglu.
Aptly named ‘Strange Flowers’, the limited edition election of cosmetics was unveiled during Erdem’s AW18 show at London Fashion Week last week.
During the show, makeup artist Val Garland used products from the line to create a series of looks inspired by Erdem’s memories of his own mother, channelling 1940s glamour.
‘We used products from the Erdem for Nars collection as they were created with this idea of strange flowers, which are beautifully complex and sometimes dangerous,’ says Erdem.
‘The colours are bold yet demure, which worked perfectly for these looks.’
So, what’s included in the… Read the full story
Jersey: the biggest of the Channel Islands and home to old TV detective Bergerac.
As it’s a tiny bit of Britain in the Channel, I thought there was little more to discover on a recent break there.
But, upon arriving, I was stunned to hear of the island’s strange history, its independent administration and a huge selection of odd facts.
And yes, the landscape is incredible: from ethereal lunar landscape rock formations to pretty flowering fields, this interesting island is worth discovering.
Here are 17 of the oddest things I… Read the full story
You know you’re at a good party when someone cracks out the novelty glasses.
Usually, it happens when there’s a photobooth involved and you’re so bladdered you can’t see properly anyway.
But for Charlie, looking like he’s at a seedy karaoke bar is just his everyday look.
He’s developed heart-shaped spots around his eyes, thanks to which he has now become something of a canine celeb.
His human, Halieigh, says she fell in love with him straight away when she adopted him at seven-weeks-old.
‘It really was love at first sight when I met Charlie for the first time,’ the primary schoolteacher from North Carolina says.
There’s a reason why your mum always reminds you to take your sun cream with you every time you head somewhere remotely sunny.
We all know the importance of wearing protection against harmful rays when we’re lounging by the pool or beach.
It’s only after we get a painful sunburn, we wish we’d listened.
Harriet Metzger, 34, was left with heavily damaged skin after she made a regular habit of basking under the sun.
The self confessed sun worshipper, 34, tried facials, creams and even a string of clinic treatments to treat the marks left on her face.
Harriet holidayed regularly when she was growing up, and always spent as much time as… Read the full story
This week, in light of OCD Action’s Week of Action, I’ve been spending every day documenting my OCD. And I’ve learned a lot about myself.
OCD is generally made up of three categories: checking, hoarding, rumination and intrusive thoughts and contamination. I have three of these four things.
Checking is my most predominant symptom. I check everything. I check if I’ve dropped something important, out of fear someone might find something with my name on it or bank details or address and something bad might happen. I check the taps so that there’s no flood. The plugs so that there’s no electrical fire.
I check the… Read the full story
Dorset may not be as as famous as its neighbour Devon, which it’s often mistaken for.
But it is a pretty awesome place to grow up, particularly when you’re a teenager.
There’s a bucket load of stuff to see and do, and it’s slap bang in the middle of the West Country (everyone knows that West is best).
Aside from everyone being gurt lush, which is Ye Olde Englishe for absolutely awesome, the accent is pretty brilliant too.
Here are 10 other reasons… Read the full story
Situated a mere 28 miles off the rocky coast of Cornwall’s Land’s End is the UK’s largest archipelago.
Rich with natural, untouched beauty, the Isles Of Scilly comprises more than 140 islands, yet only five of those are inhabited, with a total of about 2,200 residents.
Travel to Scilly and you’d be forgiven for believing you’ve escaped onto a Mediterranean island, with pretty scenery as far as the eye can see and a quieter, more relaxed way of life.
Here are six reasons why you should visit Scilly’s picturesque isles.
