Fjaka is the lifestyle trend that gives you an excuse to do absolutely nothing

April 28, 2018, 4:10 am

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We love a catchy, initially tricky to pronounce, lifestyle trend.

We went hard on hygge (even if it did wreck some of our sex lives), rejoiced at sisu, and embraced còsagach.

Frankly, we’re always waiting for someone to give us a term for self-care, if only so it means it’s cool to share photos of our cosiest socks and cups of tea on Instagram again.

And so we reckon that Fjaka could be the next big thing.

Hailing from Croatia, Fjaka (pronounced fyaka) simply means being entirely relaxed in body and mind, and embracing the joy of doing nothing.

That’s right, nothing.… Read the full story

Can camels swim?

April 28, 2018, 4:36 am

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Camels are one of the most hardy animals out, able to survive some pretty harsh conditions.

Since they live in mostly arid conditions, it’s not that common to see them going for a swim.

They’re understandably not au fait in the water, but have been known to take a dip from time to time.

Although camels are sometimes called the ships of the desert, this… Read the full story

6 ways to make travelling easier if you have IBS

April 28, 2018, 6:00 am

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Long walks on the beach, local cuisine, family day trips and beautiful sunny weather – sounds marvellous, doesn’t it?

However, if you’re one of the 20% of people in the UK suffering with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the prospect of travelling abroad may not sound very appealing at all.

3 big mistakes I made when trying to cure my irritable bowel syndrome

Dealing with symptoms at home, such as unpredictable diarrhoea, constipation, stomach cramps, bloating and gas, is hard enough.

Handling these types of issues when you’re in an unfamiliar place is even more difficult, and… Read the full story

People with depression are more likely to have suicidal thoughts after a bad night’s sleep

April 28, 2018, 6:29 am

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Having trouble sleeping makes those with depression more likely to have suicidal thoughts, new research from the University of Manchester suggests.

A study has found that people with depression are more likely to have suicidal thoughts following a bad night’s sleep, whether that’s not getting enough sleep or a night spent tossing and turning.

Researchers analysed 51 people experiencing suicidal thoughts, asking them to wear Actigraph watches to monitor their total sleep time and how long it took them to fall asleep, and to complete diaries to record the quality of their sleep.

The participants’ suicidal thoughts were also monitored at six random points each day for… Read the full story

How to start running when you think you hate running

April 28, 2018, 7:33 am

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Let’s get this sorted first: If you really, truly despise running with every inch of your being, you don’t have to run.

It’s okay. You can do plenty of other cardio to stay healthy – cardio you actually enjoy. Running is not for everyone, and if it makes you bloody miserable then you shouldn’t force yourself to do it.

If you’re not a diehard running hater, this advice is for you.

This advice is for people who think they hate running, but only when it gets difficult. The people who mid-run will think ‘actually, this is quite nice’. The people who want to run, but keep making excuses not… Read the full story

Girl learns the hard way why you should never cry after a spray tan

April 28, 2018, 8:11 am

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We all have to learn important beauty lessons by making our own mistakes.

Overplucking our eyebrows is a rite of passage. Trying to cut our own fringe will make sure we never attempt it again.

Every misstep teaches us.

One such lesson we must learn: If you’re getting a spray tan, it’s not a good idea to cry immediately after.

Rather than making this mistake yourself, simply learn from 17-year-old Alex Vinklarek, who’s gone ahead and sobbed post-spray-tan so you don’t have to.

‘Tuesday night I went to the tanning salon because I have the cheerleading worlds this weekend,’ Alex tells Metro.co.uk. ‘I only get spray tans before cheer competitions.

‘I’m very aware of… Read the full story

Choosing to anglicise, shorten or completely change my name is hugely disrespectful

April 28, 2018, 8:59 am

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It’s not Fatima, it’s not Fame, not Famia, not Fahima, most certainly not femur (I’m not a bone). And it’s not Baker.

Please make sure you check your email before you send because if you’ve managed to change my name within the first two words, we’re not off to a good start.

I’m fed up of people mangling my name.

It might sound like making mountains out of molehills but names matter; they’re markers of identity, usually the first one, as it’ll most likely be the first thing you tell someone when you meet them.

I understand why… Read the full story

‘I dreaded his return home from work trips’: 5 men and women tell us why they cheated

April 28, 2018, 11:00 pm

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Earlier this year, Ashley Madison, the infamous social networking site that encourages people to have an affair, released a study of its members.

Don’t worry, I’m not here to reveal anyone’s secrets – but if the figures are anything to go by, cheating is rife.

8 people reveal why they’re considering a divorce

Fun fact: 20,000 Brits sign up every month, which coincidentally is almost the entire population of Newquay in Cornwall.

No relation between… Read the full story

Best place in the UK to buy a first home is…Oxford

April 28, 2018, 11:30 pm

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Thinking about buying your first home but priced out of London?

You might want to head west…to Oxford.

Because the historic university city has just been named the best place in the UK to buy a first home.

Topping a list of 35 UK cities put together by Money Supermarket, it came out top when looking at factors such as the price of a one-bed property, local crime statistics, job opportunities and average salary.

While the average property is Oxford is pretty pricey (around £430,000 – nearly double the national average), Money Supermarket said that the city of dreaming spires came… Read the full story

Meet the people who can see sounds and touch smells

April 28, 2018, 11:34 pm

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We all experience the world in different ways.

Where we’re born, when we’re born, the choices we make, the people we interact with – all can have a profound impact how we view the world around us. No one’s life experience is exactly the same.

But some of us are simply wired in vastly different ways. And even the experiences that the majority of us would assume to be shared can, in reality, be worlds apart from our own.

Certain sensory processes we expect to be shared, can be wildly altered in other human beings.

There are those who walk among us who can SEE smells,… Read the full story

Does this sound like Bliss? A race track, West End show and a 24-hour pub on NCL’s new ship

April 29, 2018, 12:00 am

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There’s a new race track at sea – and I was in pole position to be one of the first to try it.

The go-kart circuit on top of Norwegian Bliss is nearly 1,000 feet long and spans two decks in a twirl of curves and bends.

It really is great fun as you compete against nine other racers in electric cars that can reach speeds of 30mph.

The latest ship from Norwegian Cruise Line also boasts a space-themed laser tag course, a children’s aqua park and waterslides that loop 11ft over the side and 159ft above the waves.

West End hit Jersey Boys, the musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, leads the entertainment.

Read the full story

We went to the Lush factory and yes, the company really is as pure as you’d hope

April 29, 2018, 12:05 am

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Lush seems too good to be true.

Their products smell incredible, look amazing and make your hair and skin feel incredible. They’re all tested on humans – never animals, and are all vegetarian. But most of us knew that anyway.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, however.

Sustainability has always been front and centre of what Lush does – it’s been operating a closed recycling system for years without any fanfare.

I went along to Lush HQ, the Willy Wonka of soaps and cosmetics, to see how they go about producing their products, what new is coming out and just how green the business really is.

Currently, 87% of its waste is recycled. 90% of all Lush packaging is recyclable – and it’s working on the remaining 10%.

‘Our policy is really “reduce, reuse, recycle”, a member of Lush’s Earthcare team tells me.

Lush isn’t zero waste (yet) but it has an entire department dedicated to making sure… Read the full story

Three centenarians say the secret to living to 100 is staying single

April 29, 2018, 12:15 am

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The secret to living to 100 is simple: stay single.

At least, that’s what centenarian Lucy Watson (obviously not the MiC one…) claims.

She turned 100 on Sunday and… Read the full story

How to open a bottle of wine with just a humble lighter

April 29, 2018, 12:38 am

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We’ve all found ourselves with a bottle of wine and without a corkscrew. 

Few things are as frustrating as having wine and not being able to drink said wine.

You could try the whole ‘tapping the bottle inside your shoe against a wall’ method (which everyone’s heard about but few have seen actually performed) and risk smashing the whole bottle. Or perhaps you’d rather spend an hour trying to pick the cork out like a demented hamster.

But there is another solution.

Simply grab a lighter and ease the cork out of the bottle with minimal fuss, mess or time wasted.

Here’s how, according to Hacker 007:

First, remove the cover so you can actually see the cork in the bottle stem

Read the full story

Can what you eat affect your mental health? And how can you eat for better mental health?

April 29, 2018, 1:00 am

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Knowing what food to eat can be a challenge.

We’re constantly being told to make new changes for optimal health, whether it’s to swap butter for margarine or to fast after 6pm, only to be told to do the complete opposite a few years later.

But while many of us are focused on using our food intake to maintain a healthy body, I’m interested in figuring out what I should be consuming for a healthy mind.

Read the full story

How about getting a paid puppy-petting internship this summer?

April 29, 2018, 1:21 am

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If you’re looking to earn some cash over the summer without being bored witless, we’ve found the perfect solution.

Brian Kelly – the travel blogger behind super cute Instagram account The Points Pup – is looking for a summer intern associate.

He’s looking to pay someone to hang out with puppies and post your adventure on Instagram.

Could there be any better job?

According to the ‘Barketing Associate’ job post, the internship will include travelling to warm, sunny places like southern Florida to help with developing social media marketing that focuses on how to best travel with pets.

‘You’ll spend your summer days working from the TPG office with us, developing our social… Read the full story

Is it offensive to change your accent when talking to non-English speakers on holiday?

April 29, 2018, 1:27 am

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‘Wadder’, I say in an American accent, wetting the ‘t’ and rolling the ‘r’ to make sure the bartender has understood that I mean water.

It’s happened in Thailand, Portugal, and Turkey where my east London dialect (in which I often omit the ‘t’ altogether), has been met with blank stares.

There’s always going to be a language barrier in some countries and it’s only to be expected that there might be a delay in understanding each other.

Enunciating words to make them clear and easily digestible is perfectly understandable, but talking to locals in a… Read the full story

What is feederism? From stuffing to weighing in, here’s everything you need to know about the fetish

April 29, 2018, 2:00 am

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I’m a fat girl. I also run events which cater towards fat people going out and having a good night out.

Therefore, at least once a month, I will get an email from someone accusing me of ‘encouraging feederism’ or ‘glorifying obesity’.

Webcam halls of shame and sound-system sadism: How BDSM is moving with the digital times

The latter I totally admit to. I believe everyone deserves to be able to ‘glorify’ their body… Read the full story

15 reasons your next family holiday should be in North Cyprus

April 29, 2018, 3:00 am

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If you’re a clever-clogs current-affairs type you’ll know the two halves of Cyprus have been nursing a territorial grievance these past few decades. 

Without getting too bogged down, the southern half of the Island identifies as Greek, while the North identifies as Turkish, and a semi-permeable border has been in place between the two, in one form or another, since 1974.

This separation has led development in the north to become somewhat restrained over the years compared to its better-known, more Starbucksy southern neighbours.

And for a travelling family, I’d argue, that presents a fantastic opportunity for a unique, peaceful Mediterranean break far away from the tourist hordes.

Here’s a few reasons why.

1.… Read the full story

5 places to visit in Sri Lanka to escape the tourists

April 29, 2018, 4:00 am

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Ever since the civil war ended in 2009, Sri Lanka’s popularity as a holiday destination has been on the rise.

However, while the south and west of the island has prospered with whale-watching tours, safaris, luxury resorts and backpacker accommodation, the north and east haven’t gained nearly as much momentum and remains relatively untouched.

7 reasons why you should visit Adelaide in South Australia

While this is slowly beginning to change, there are still areas to experience the ‘real’ Sri Lanka – if you know where to look.

So if off-the-beaten-track is your thing, here are five untouched regions… Read the full story