A London bar has created a cocktail inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar

February 28, 2018, 5:38 am

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A London bar has introduced a new menu of cocktails inspired by children’s books, to celebrate World Book Day which takes place tomorrow, 1 March.

According to The Spirits Business, The Blind Pig has created cocktails inspired by the likes of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Beatrix Potter’s character Peter Rabbit and Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

First up is the 5-A-Day, a tribute to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Ice cubes made from the five fruits he famously gorges on – pear, strawberry, orange, plum and apple, are used to chill a measure of tequila, with added lime cordial and… Read the full story

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Mum speaks out about anonymous letter from neighbours complaining about son’s autism

February 28, 2018, 6:17 am

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A mother of a child who has autism received the most heartbreaking anonymous letter from her neighbour, in which they complained about noises that had been coming from her house.

The letter was sent after the same neighbour allegedly sent police round to Magenta Quinn’s house, after they made a noise complaint.

Magenta explained to the police that her son has autism and is non-verbal, and the police then relayed this to the anonymous neighbours.

However, a little while later they sent the letter, which read: ‘Whilst I sympathise with your situation it is a very disturbing noise that comes from your garden continuously, every day, sometimes late into the… Read the full story

If you want to work in fashion, check out these fashion assistant horror stories first

February 28, 2018, 6:23 am

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There comes a point in many teenage girls’ lives where they consider a career in fashion.

After all, who wouldn’t want to work in the most world’s most fabulous industry, wearing all sorts of free clothes, meeting a bunch of celebs and attending champagne-fuelled parties every night?

Even yours truly started life as a humble fashion intern.

Which is how I can categorically confirm that working in fashion is similar to working in a gulag.

I once got locked in a fashion closet umpteen floors below my office and no one realised I’d gone missing for over half an hour (it was a room which bizarrely opened only from the outside). You… Read the full story

You’ll never be as beautiful as these photos of ‘ugly’ veg

February 28, 2018, 6:55 am

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What you’re looking at is a load of ‘ugly’ fruit and veg.

Unbelievably, we chuck away around 2.9 trillion pounds worth of grub every year (that’s about a third of the world’s food) – and much of that is binned for purely aesthetic reasons.

Which is why one food stylist is trying to change our perceptions of what edible food looks like.

Ugly Produce is Beautiful is an Instagram account run by Sarah Phillips, and its taking beautiful photos of broccoli, lemons and pawpaws to show that they’re just as attractive and edible as any ‘perfect’ piece found at supermarkets.

Sarah is the founder… Read the full story

Pizza Hut is launching a Russian Roulette Cheesy Bites pizza

February 28, 2018, 7:03 am

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Pizza Hut has launched a Cheesy Bites Roulette pizza, which sees seven of the 28 cheesy bites having been laced with a fiery Naga Chilli, which is one step under pepper spray on the Scoville Scale.

Pizza Hut has introduced ‘Fire in the Booth’ zones to five of its restaurants, for those wanting to try out the roulette themed pizza.

‘Fireproof’ boxes will be available to guests willing to try their luck, including a number of fun props – from milkshake glasses to soothe the burn, and gloves and goggles to protect from the heat.

Pizza Hut is asking that any guests who try out the… Read the full story

Crosstown is opening a fully vegan doughnut and coffee shop in London

February 28, 2018, 7:17 am

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Crosstown doughnuts is opening a new fully vegan location in London.

The doughnut company is famous for its gourmet sourdough doughnuts, and they’ve been selling a selection of vegan flavours since May 2017 – we reviewed them in our vegan doughnut guide to London  – but they’re only available on rotation, and only at certain locations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

So, Crosstown’s vegan fans will be pleased to know that they can soon buy their favourite vegan doughnuts seven days a week, at… Read the full story

Hotel Courcheneige, the luxe spot in Courchevel 1850 that is surprisingly affordable

February 28, 2018, 8:02 am

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When you think of alpine ski hotels, it’s hard not to think of acres of orange pine, unfortunate decapitated animals looming on the walls and an overwhelming whiff of fondue.

And what the hell’s wrong with that, you might ask?

Well, firstly, nothing.

I adore traditional alpine hotels and have spent 30 perfectly happy years surrounded by orange pine, deceased animal heads and melted cheese.

Read the full story

Is financial infidelity the ultimate betrayal?

February 28, 2018, 8:03 am

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When you settle into a relationship, you try to share as much as possible.

Jumpers, books, toothbrushes (ew, who are you?) – it’s all open game. But what about finances?

It makes sense to pool a percentage of your assets if you’re living together, for food or rent. Having a joint account for everyday living just eliminates so much hassle. You’re not waiting on any arduous bank transfers or keeping tabs on what each person owes; it’s just there, ready to pay the bills. With that, however, does come some element of trust. You have to trust that the other person pays into the account and you have to know that they won’t just draw every last penny and run off into the sunlight.

But financial infidelity doesn’t have to be so obvious. Robbing someone blind is one thing, it’s quite

another to keep your financial habits a secret from your partner. If one is a crime, what’s the other?

A couple I knew split… Read the full story

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Heterosexual marriages hit an all-time low

February 28, 2018, 9:07 am

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The number of marriages between men and women has fallen to a new record low, according to official figures.

Between 2014 and 2015, 8,300 fewer heterosexual marriages took place – a fall of  3.4%.

Although there’s been a gradual long-term decline in the numbers of people getting hitched since the 1970s, that’s not the case across the board.

The number of weddings involving men over 50 has increased, as well as for women aged between 35 and 39, and over 45.

For both sexes, the largest drop in marriages has been seen among the under 20s – with a 66% reduction for women and 56 for men.

These days,… Read the full story

Why some fashion brands don’t make plus size clothing

February 28, 2018, 9:55 am

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Earlier this month, Topshop had people rejoicing when they announced that they’d be selling half sizes in some of their jeans.

However, last week, plus size activist Callie Thorpe questioned why Topshop ‘will go as far to make clothing for people who can already find clothes in their size across the high street, but won’t make plus size clothes above a 16’.

This is a chat I’ve had before with one of my friends who works for a fashion brand that is often blasted for not making clothes above a size 16. They find it frustrating that people don’t realise that… Read the full story

The best snow jokes, puns and memes as we battle the Beast from the East

February 28, 2018, 10:08 am

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As the Beast from the East continues to wreak havoc with our transport network, houses, and roads – we thought rather than focus on the negative views associated with the white stuff from the heavens, we could try and look a bit on the brighter side.

With the cold weather and strong winds, it can be nice to try to add a some humour to the bitter winter season.

Read the full story

Eight delicious vegan soup recipes to help you keep warm

February 28, 2018, 1:32 pm

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Have you been hit by The Beast from the East yet? Where I live we’ve seen our first proper snow in five years, the schools are closed and while it’s undoubtedly very pretty it is also freezing.

Enter soup.

31 delicious vegan recipes to inspire you

What better food to keep your insides warm and stop your toes from freezing than a big bowl of hearty soup? I do realise that this won’t actually… Read the full story

Starbucks has added three new tea lattes to its menu

February 28, 2018, 4:01 pm

≫ Next: Quick reads: 10 short, classic books for those with little time on their hands

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Starbucks is releasing a new range of Teavana Tea Lattes just in time for spring.

Launching today, Starbucks has added three new drinks to its menu.

This tea is caffeine-free, and features a combination of Red Apple syrup and Apple Blossom dust, creating a slightly sweeter and fruitier version of the Rooibos Tea Latte.

According to Starbucks, the ‘seasonal apple flavour is enhanced by freeze-dried apples, sprinkled on top of the latte as ‘Red Apple dust’– creating the perfect drink for a spring-time Instagram photo’.

All of the lattes are made with microground tea – a way of extracting flavour from tea leaves. They’re then blended with milk.

Served pure,… Read the full story

Quick reads: 10 short, classic books for those with little time on their hands

February 28, 2018, 4:01 pm

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Seeing as everyone these days is so busy, it seems timely to compile a ‘no-excuses’ list of short classic books that you can read under one hour.

These short but stunning stories are high on impact and will stay with you for a long time.

From talking salmons who swim onto your bookshelf as the ultimate hero, to pompous Buddhist monks blathering on about cherry blossoms and how lovely they are – there’s something for everyone with a slim-line classic.

If you do find yourself craving a short-read, why not try a children’s classic too? The Little Mermaid illustrated by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama makes the perfect juxtaposition of… Read the full story

World Book Day: 11 stories that make bedtime with the kids more bearable

February 28, 2018, 4:01 pm

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I love reading my children stories at bedtime but there are certain books that make me want to gauge my own eyes out.

Yes, I am looking at you, Lettice The Rabbit or any book made from a Disney film.

So there is nothing better than finding a book we all enjoy.

Stories that rhyme or have larger-than-life characters, so I can do funny voices, are always my favourites.

As it’s World Book Day, here are a few stories I love just as much as my children:

The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp

Read the full story

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6 people share their experiences of friendship during mental illness

February 28, 2018, 10:00 pm

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I have bipolar disorder and four years ago I was hospitalised for a severe manic episode.

Without the love, kindness and support of my friends, I definitely would not have recovered as well.

Their support reminds me I am not alone and helps me to feel loved and safe.

But mental ill health can be frightening for those who do not understand it, and sometimes friendships can be lost when one person experiences a mental health condition.

Some people may find it hard to cope with symptoms of a friend’s illness and, as such, cut ties or back away.

Jessica Valentine,… Read the full story

Self-Harm Awareness Day: How mental health issues can become competitive

February 28, 2018, 10:20 pm

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When I first started working in mental health back in 2013, I was warned not to tell my personal story as I risked being ‘the case study’ not ‘the expert’.

‘Do you really want to be known as self-harm girl?’ asked a former colleague.

‘No,’ I lied.

The truth is, for years, that label was the closest I ever came to feeling like I had an identity.

*Content warning: This article contains information some readers may find triggering.*

Fast-forward to now, and the headlines around self-harm are depressingly familiar to what I experienced growing up – a lot of horror but little understanding.

Recently, a primary school in Dundee was forced to send letters home over a self-harm game where children were competing to see who could ‘cut the deepest’.

Similarly, several UK secondary schools sent letters home over fears of a Russian suicide game, the Blue Whale Challenge, spreading here.

This competitiveness to outdo others now has its own name – ‘upping’ – where more extreme acts… Read the full story

19-year-old reveals what it was like to lose all the hair on her body at 15

February 28, 2018, 10:34 pm

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A teenager has bravely spoken out about her living nightmare, when a bald patch the size of a 5p coin suddenly appeared on her head and rapidly spread – leaving her without any hair on her head, face or body.

When she was just 15 and still studying for her GCSEs, 19-year-old Lucy Brown, from Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, first noticed a tiny section of her bare scalp while she was fiddling with her hair in a geography class at school.

Showing her parents and her uncle, a doctor, at first no one was worried, but the patch soon spread.

Lucy said: ‘I had long, brown hair, which I… Read the full story

You can stay in an amazing solar-powered eco-lodge in Botswana for free if you look after two very good dogs

February 28, 2018, 11:12 pm

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Fancy staying in an authentic African Bush Lodge in a UNESCO heritage area… for free?

Are you also one of those poor people that absolutely loves dogs, but thanks to renting, or a hectic job, or your housemate’s allergies, you can’t have your own?

If you answered ‘yes, that’s me’ to the above, we have some wonderful news for you.

An opportunity has come up to go and stay in Ama Amanzi, in South Africa, for free. All you have to do in return is look after the owners’ two dogs, India and Storm.

The home is pretty incredible. It sits in an area populated by more than 400 species of birds,… Read the full story

Mum shares powerful story of the reality of postnatal depression

March 1, 2018, 12:40 am

≫ Next: Is your pet a better judge of character than you are? 6 people tell us about the times their pet absolutely nailed it

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We need to talk about postnatal depression.

It’s a common experience – 1 in 10 mothers report experiencing postnatal depression – and yet, there are many women around suffering in silence, feeling unable to ask for help.

One way to make new mums feel less alone is to speak out and normalise experiences of mental health issues following childbirth.

The more we talk about it, the less weird and terrible mums will feel for not connecting with their child, or feeling resentful, or just feeling deeply sad during what’s ‘supposed’ to be one of the happiest times of their lives.

Blogger Tori Block is breaking the silence.

On… Read the full story