Forget Berlin and Barcelona: your next hipster weekend away has to be Lisbon

March 13, 2018, 3:00 am

≫ Next: I’m still grieving someone I barely knew

≪ Previous: Selena Gomez is teaming up with Coach to launch her own collection of bags and clothing

$

0

0

If you like urban art, coffee, great food, quirky sights and street photography, Lisbon is your playground.

Being hipster millennials, my husband and I were in heaven, and I’ve done all the Instagram research so you don’t have to.

If language is a concern to you with visiting Portugal, don’t let it be.

I spent a happy few commuter hours on amazing app Drops and was rewarded with the childish joy of successfully ordering pasteis de nata and two bicas in a traditional bakery.

More on these two food groups later.

Areas to explore

Read the full story

---

I’m still grieving someone I barely knew

March 13, 2018, 3:45 am

≫ Next: 6 things you need to know before you go to Peru

≪ Previous: Forget Berlin and Barcelona: your next hipster weekend away has to be Lisbon

$

0

0

Grief is a known territory for me.

I’ve lost two nans, two godmothers, an auntie, three uncles, two great uncles, and a few family friends. I’m 24 and I’ve been to more funerals than weddings and yet, even though loss has been hard and painful, my life has been so full in knowing these wonderful people that shaped me in more ways than they’ll ever know.

When it comes to relatives, grief is normal. But the person I’m still grieving is someone I barely knew – and that makes me feel uneasy.

I feel like I’m almost not allowed to grieve, as if there isn’t enough grief to go around, which is a really strange concept.

When I was seventeen, I met a Welsh guy on a moving train. He had a kind face and I was immediately attracted to him.

I was at the bar, getting my mum a drink, when he approached me and asked if he could borrow my phone. He had… Read the full story

6 things you need to know before you go to Peru

March 13, 2018, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Sex blogger says a semen facial cleared her spots

≪ Previous: I’m still grieving someone I barely knew

$

0

0

The original ‘gap yah’ destination, Peru is a must-visit on any South America adventure.

With historical cities, majestic Andean mountains and some serious culinary appeal, Peru offers something for all kinds of travellers on almost any budget.

6 things you need to know before you visit China

Though Machu Picchu is an inevitable necessity, the country has plenty more to offer.

Here are six things you should know before you go.

You don’t have to hike the Inca Trail to visit Machu Picchu

The Inca trail involves four days of fairly intensive hiking through… Read the full story

Sex blogger says a semen facial cleared her spots

March 13, 2018, 4:21 am

≫ Next: Why I don’t date outside my class

≪ Previous: 6 things you need to know before you go to Peru

$

0

0

What’s semen good for, other than creating life?

According to some people, quite a lot, actually.

One mum, Tracy Kiss starts every day with a semen smoothie and gives herself frequent semen facials. She also turned her labia into jewellery, mind you, so she’s a little more out-there than the average person with genitals.

Now, one sex blogger claims that a dab of semen is the fix for any spots.

Angela Nwosu is a sex blogger from Nigeria, who often shares, um, interesting thoughts on sex and relationship with her 50,000 followers (some recent examples include stories about using a cucumber… Read the full story

Why I don’t date outside my class

March 13, 2018, 4:42 am

≫ Next: Should businesses be supplying our sanitary products?

≪ Previous: Sex blogger says a semen facial cleared her spots

$

0

0

The class system we live in these days is a lot less clear cut than the famous Two Ronnies ‘I know my place’ sketch.

My dad’s a train cleaner and my mum works on the phones at our local council.

They might have been considered working class at one point, but can now afford to rent a four bedroom house where they live, and go on holidays abroad.

Certain commentators might be absolutely furious but – god forbid – they even have a really big telly.

I guess that probably makes them ‘new working class’ or ‘lower middle class’ if we had to classify things.

Despite the fact I went… Read the full story

Should businesses be supplying our sanitary products?

March 13, 2018, 4:58 am

≫ Next: Mum who was left with a gigantic leg after pregnancy had to get liposuction to treat it

≪ Previous: Why I don’t date outside my class

$

0

0

The noise around period poverty has hit an all-time high.

Marches, petitions, collections – the British public (or women, at least) are fully behind ensuring that no girl and woman should have to choose between food and tampons.

While charities are committed to providing those on the breadline with sanitary products, however, how far does the responsibility to equip us with sanitary products stretch?

There’s no official provision for schoolgirls, and a lot of times the teachers buy tampons and pads for students out of their own pocket. Often, businesses don’t provide women with products either.

But should they?

When I put the question to Twitter, the answer was a resounding ‘yes’ – from both men and women.

Wrong question!

It should be: Why aren't businesses providing sanitary products in their staff loos in 2018?

— Shikaka The Great White Bat (@TommyGlennWhite) March 12, 2018

‘You never know when you’ll have a period emergency’; ‘That would be dreamy for… Read the full story

Mum who was left with a gigantic leg after pregnancy had to get liposuction to treat it

March 13, 2018, 5:00 am

≫ Next: 5 reasons why Leeds should be your next city break

≪ Previous: Should businesses be supplying our sanitary products?

$

0

0

When she was three months pregnant, Sarah Jouanny woke up one morning to find one of her legs had doubled in size.

The mum-of-two from Perth, Australia, noticed that her leg kept ballooning and becoming more painful.

Doctors told her it was a result of lymphoedema – an incurable condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissues – triggered by her pregnancy.

So Sarah, 32, spent £20,000 on treatments to reduce the two-stone leg, which she’s struggled with for the last four years.

She is now finally happy with the appearance of her leg after undergoing targeted liposuction.

‘I was so shocked but doctors did tests and nothing showed up so we… Read the full story

5 reasons why Leeds should be your next city break

March 13, 2018, 5:00 am

≫ Next: Lentils are not just for dhaal, they can help reduce your blood pressure

≪ Previous: Mum who was left with a gigantic leg after pregnancy had to get liposuction to treat it

$

0

0

When it comes to deciding on where to enjoy a city break in the UK, you might consider London the obvious choice – provided you’re not based in the capital.

However, with the combination of top class bars and restaurants, an abundance of retail therapy and an exciting nightlife scene, Leeds is really the place to be.

The city uniquely combines all the best aspects of busy city life along with close links to rural luxury in the surrounding Yorkshire countryside.

So when considering your next city getaway, here are some of the reasons why Leeds should be at the very top… Read the full story

---

Lentils are not just for dhaal, they can help reduce your blood pressure

March 13, 2018, 5:11 am

≫ Next: Single woman does wedding photoshoot with her poorly granddad ‘before it’s too late’

≪ Previous: 5 reasons why Leeds should be your next city break

$

0

0

Who would’ve thought that lentils, a largely underrated yet delicious food, have so many health benefits?

Adding the fairly cheap food to your diet could reduce your blood pressure and risk of hypertension.

If you don’t know whether you have high blood pressure or not, some of the symptoms include chest pain, severe headaches, and a pounding in your chest.

It affects a quarter of the population, with many not realising they have it.

So make sure you speak to your doctor about it if you’re worried, and grab some lentils on the way, just in case.

And if you don’t show signs of it then hey, you still have a tasty dinner ahead of you.

Read the full story

Single woman does wedding photoshoot with her poorly granddad ‘before it’s too late’

March 13, 2018, 5:49 am

≫ Next: Use this ‘sibling test’ to work out if the guy you’re dating listens to you

≪ Previous: Lentils are not just for dhaal, they can help reduce your blood pressure

$

0

0

Read the full story

Use this ‘sibling test’ to work out if the guy you’re dating listens to you

March 13, 2018, 5:52 am

≫ Next: Dip-dye hair is a thing of the past, it’s all about ombre lash extensions now

≪ Previous: Single woman does wedding photoshoot with her poorly granddad ‘before it’s too late’

$

0

0

The feeling of talking at rather than with them on a date is so agonising.

If you’re a space-filler in conversations you’ll know it well; trying desperately to make things light and breezy with a non-responsive dating partner before checking your watch and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow, is it that time already?!’.

There’s a distinct line, though, between talking nonsense during awkward silences and purposefully dominating conversations, never letting your date get a word in edgeways.

On a great date, chat goes back and forth and flows effortlessly.

However I – and clearly thousands more women – have had to sit… Read the full story

Dip-dye hair is a thing of the past, it’s all about ombre lash extensions now

March 13, 2018, 6:40 am

≫ Next: Is family cloth reusable toilet paper a good idea?

≪ Previous: Use this ‘sibling test’ to work out if the guy you’re dating listens to you

$

0

0

Having just one colour in your hair is so basic.

Why have a normal fringe when you can have a rainbow one? Why let the colourist sort your mop out when you can just let the drip dyed naturally?

And so if you thought ombre was only for your hair, you’re wrong because behold, now we have ombre lash extensions.

No it’s not like coloured mascara (well kind of, if you just applied it at the tips), but the extensions elongate your lashes much more noticeably and have been all the rage on the runway.

Read the full story

Is family cloth reusable toilet paper a good idea?

March 13, 2018, 8:16 am

≫ Next: What is an ADU? Accessory Dwelling Units may become all the rage

≪ Previous: Dip-dye hair is a thing of the past, it’s all about ombre lash extensions now

$

0

0

There are a lot of things that we can reuse.

Loads of coffee shops are offering discounts for people who forgo the throwaway cups, and most right-thinking people have ditched the makeup wipes now in favour of a muslin and a great scrub or oil cleanser.

Something that many people are taking exception to, though, is reusable toilet paper – also known as family cloth.

Let’s put aside the fact that family cloth sounds like a Jonestown-esque cult initiation ceremony, and get down to the nitty gritty of what it actually is.

Although the name suggests it’s one… Read the full story

What is an ADU? Accessory Dwelling Units may become all the rage

March 13, 2018, 8:29 am

≫ Next: Why Khloe Kardashian’s ‘KHLO-C-D’ is so harmful

≪ Previous: Is family cloth reusable toilet paper a good idea?

$

0

0

Have you overdosed on greenhouses? Do conservatories make you sick? Are sheds a thing of the past? Allergic to treehouses?

If the answer to all three of these questions is ‘yes’ then, mate, you need to get yourself an ADU.

But what is an ADU? And moreover, what does ADU stand for?

Well, without further ADU (sorry), here’s the truth about these three little letters….

Read the full story

Why Khloe Kardashian’s ‘KHLO-C-D’ is so harmful

March 13, 2018, 8:32 am

≫ Next: Elephants rescued from poaching photographed in stunning series

≪ Previous: What is an ADU? Accessory Dwelling Units may become all the rage

$

0

0

Khloe Kardashian likes arranging cookies perfectly in jars. She also has a very well organised fridge.

This, she claims, means she has KHLO-C-D.

Get it? It’s like OCD, the debilitating mental illness, but with Khloe Kardashian’s name slotted in.

Khloe hasn’t specified what KHLO-C-D stands for, so we’re left to assume it means Khloe Compulsive Disorder. Or Khlobsessive Compulsive Disorder. Some play on obsessive compulsive disorder but with a Khloe spin, basically.

Khloe has been using the term KHLO-C-D for quite some time. Back in 2015, she notably titled a video of herself arranging biscuits in a jar: ‘KHLO-C-D: Cookie Jars’.

Now, she’s launched ‘KHLO-C-D WEEK’, a week-long series on her app and website packed with ‘tips and tricks’ for cleanliness and organisation.

I’m not the first one to raise issue with using the term KHLO-C-D to describe being super organised and clean. When Khloe originally mentioned her ‘KHLO-C-D’ she was called out on Twitter… but it seemed that didn’t put her off… Read the full story

---

Elephants rescued from poaching photographed in stunning series

March 13, 2018, 8:43 am

≫ Next: Fancy meeting you here: 9 people tell us their ‘it’s a small world’ stories

≪ Previous: Why Khloe Kardashian’s ‘KHLO-C-D’ is so harmful

$

0

0

Elephants are beautiful majestic creators that should be revered.

So why people feel the need to taunt them, hunt them, and kill them for their parts is beyond us.

Because photos of elephants being attacked have circulated widely in recent years, photographer Joachim Schmeisser wanted to show the other side; what happens when they’re rescued.

Cruelty isn’t Joachim’s chosen subject, especially in regards to poaching, which sees elephants being poisoned and having their tusks – the equivalent of human teeth – ripped out while they’re awake to make use of the ivory.

The process often leaves them hemorrhaging and surviving days in… Read the full story

Fancy meeting you here: 9 people tell us their ‘it’s a small world’ stories

March 13, 2018, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Metro plays Cupid: When Holly met Jordan

≪ Previous: Elephants rescued from poaching photographed in stunning series

$

0

0

A million years ago, when I had money and a passport photo that didn’t get me stopped at customs, I would holiday often.

One such jaunt was to Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania.

I got on the plane at Heathrow and sat next to a pretty woman.

The flight was long and eventually we spoke to each other; it turned out she was the barmaid at my local pub in north London.

I was never sober there, so how would I recognise her?

We gave it the, ‘What are the odds?’ chat  and went… Read the full story

Metro plays Cupid: When Holly met Jordan

March 13, 2018, 9:22 am

≫ Next: Why is it embarrassing to admit to being Christian?

≪ Previous: Fancy meeting you here: 9 people tell us their ‘it’s a small world’ stories

$

0

0

Hello, hi. It’s Cupid here, just making love happen. No biggie.

This time around I had the pleasure of setting up Jordan Kavanagh, a PR from Leeds and Holly Sherington, an accreditation and payroll officer from London.

We headed to a lovely little spot in Dalston called Acqua7 and set the cameras rolling. (I mean, it was a Facebook Live so it was just one camera. On a phone. But you get the point).

If you missed it because you were out having a life or whatever, you can re-watch the date here:

I caught up with Jordan and Holly a week later to find out what happened… Read the full story

Why is it embarrassing to admit to being Christian?

March 13, 2018, 9:27 am

≫ Next: Woman gets a tattoo of her cat made from her cat’s actual fur

≪ Previous: Metro plays Cupid: When Holly met Jordan

$

0

0

This time of year is always super frustrating.

Why? Because it’s Lent, and that usually means having to go without something delicious like chocolate or booze.

Lent as a six-week ‘diet plan’ is a part of many people’s lives; many mistakenly see it as a post-New Year detox – a chance to start on the ‘summer bod’ before the good weather hits and we start supping our weight in Aperol Spritz.

Beyond that very basic physical understanding of the season, it’s kind of weird to admit to fasting, isn’t it? No one does Lent in a religious sense once they’ve left school and the clutches of their religious parents…do they?

To me at least, it certainly seems that way.

The vast majority of my mates – most of whom were raised as Catholics – shrugged off their religious shackles the moment they escaped from convent school. Today, they’re lucky to make it to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, let alone six weeks of Lenten Masses.

Easter is the most… Read the full story

Woman gets a tattoo of her cat made from her cat’s actual fur

March 13, 2018, 9:49 am

≫ Next: This guy thinks he’s the orgasm king because his partners are ‘paralysed’ during sex

≪ Previous: Why is it embarrassing to admit to being Christian?

$

0

0

If you ever felt like you love your pet(s) so much you could burst, then say no more.

The only real respectable way to show people you love your pet more than humans is to take their fur, blend it and turn it into tattoo ink. Naturally.

It doesn’t have to be a cat either. Why not freak out your loved ones by getting a tattoo with their hair in it?

Swiss company SKIN46 had the genius idea to create biogenic tatttoos which, as you guessed, involve using human or animal biomaterial as part of the ink.

Tattoo lover Makani Terror recently tried it, honouring her ‘baby boy’ – her cat, with… Read the full story