Our summers are rubbish, our beers are too warm and we’re always complaining about something.
But if there’s one thing we British can get right it’s chocolate.
From fantastic small businesses crafting edible Death Stars to Cadbury World, to international treats we’ve welcomed as our own, we’re a nation of chocolate-lovers.
But which of all the chocolate bars you can buy in your local British shop is the best?
I feel a ranking coming on…
39. Bounty
Don’t make me laugh.
38. Snickers
A plus-sized fashion blogger has hit out at the plus-sized community for its lack of diversity.
In a blog post entitled ‘We exist: Diversity in plus size bodies‘, Corissa Enneking, who runs the Fat Girl Flow blog asked the question ‘Why do I keep seeing the exact same bodies being celebrated in the plus size community???’
21-year-old Corissa then went on to explain that although the plus size community spans every conceivable race, sexuality, age and body shape, the only type of plus size bodies which are promoted are ‘white, under 30, on the smaller side of fat, able bodied, and evenly proportioned.’
Everywhere you look there are pictures and statements that are designed to make you feel insecure about your looks and your body and frankly we’ve had enough.
How many times have you started sentences with:
‘If only I was … skinnier? curvier? taller? Beyonce?’
Well… NEWSFLASH, you don’t have to change your body to start loving it.
1. Start moving
Exercise isn’t about weight loss. Exercise is about appreciating your body and the movement that you are capable of. No time? Five minute dance party.
2. Spend more time naked
There is no way you will ever be able to have sex with the lights on, if you can’t even look at yourself naked in the mirror. Spend some time each day getting comfortable in your own skin… Read the full story
Every dog has his day.
And, today, Fudge the cocker spaniel had his, as he celebrated gradating from Edinburgh Napier University.
The seven-year-old spaniel graduated with honours… Read the full story
Every wedding is different. But the role of the best man (or best woman) never really changes. If you’re lucky enough to be asked, make sure you do it properly…
1. Your job for the day is to keep the groom calm.
This doesn’t just mean calming his nerves and dealing with any last-minute doubts or jitters. It also means getting him out of bed, getting him organised and getting him to the church / registry office / whatever in plenty of time.
If you don’t live local, try and be in the area at least 24 hours before the big day: they’ll need you for the rehearsal, for one thing.
2. Your… Read the full story
Deep frying makes anything tastier – but its magic works on more than just fish, chicken and chips.
From sweet treats to toothy terrors, here are 19 things you could be throwing in your fryer.
1. Big Macs
Just what a Big Mac needs. More grease.
2. Whole onions
Looks like coral. Tastes like heaven.
3. Pizza
Scots call it a Pizza Crunch: a thick cheese and tomato pizza battered and deep-fried.
It sounds awful but, we promise you, it’s one of the tastiest things you’ll ever chomp.
4. Mars Bars
This… Read the full story
1. Drink the worst kind of sickly, bright coloured drinks.
Cherry Lambrusco or Apple Sourz anyone?
2. Wear clothes that you know look horrible on you but it was the fashion so you had to.
3. Buy thongs and then hide them at the back of your drawer in fear of your mum seeing.
4. Wear cheap underwear in general – we know now that nothing beats M&S undies even though they cost so much.
5. Slick your hair to your forehead.
6. Throw tantrums for no apparent reason.
7. Gatecrash parties of people you don’t even know but you heard… Read the full story
July 8th is Math 2.0 Day – a day dedicated to maths and technology – and a great excuse to reminisce about uni days spent freaking everyone else out with complicated calculations.
Here are 11 things only people who did maths degrees will relate to…
1. The feeling when you get the right answer in your ‘show that’ after two pages of calculations.
2. The look you get when you tell people you studied maths and actually enjoyed it.
Cut Video has released the latest in his its series of powerful word association videos.
This time, they’ve asked 50 men and boys, between the ages of five and fifty, to respond to the phrase ‘Be a man’.
The loaded phrase brings a range of reactions from ‘tough’ and ‘provider’, to ‘sexist’ and ‘one-dimensional’.
For some, it’s something positive – it’s ‘someone who can be a hero to someone’. For others, it’s derogatory – ‘people can be anything they want to be.’
What do you think when you hear the phrase ‘Be a man’?
Five-years-old: ‘Act tough’
9-years-old: ‘Courage’
15-years-old: ‘Sexist. When someone just says “Be a man”…well, there are strong women as well.’
21-years-old: ‘Misleading. I’ve learnt that being a man doesn’t mean to shut out your feelings, it’s… Read the full story
A woman’s body confident changing room selfie has gone viral after she shared the reason behind her new purchase.
Rachel Taylor was shopping in American chain store Old Navy ahead of Independence Day last weekend, when she overheard a mum and daughter laughing about a plus-size vest top.
The top was in Rachel’s size.
Initially, Rachel admits overhearing the conversation reduced her to tears. But, then she turned it into something hugely positive by buying that same top, and rocking it on Facebook.
‘Today I was shopping in Old Navy, standing between a teenage girl and her mom,’ Rachel explained in her post. ‘The girl picked up a plus-size tank top, showed… Read the full story
We dream of being the kind of person who can whip up a fishtail plait in seconds.
But, given that we’re still struggling with a casual messy bun (nothing casual about it – takes at least 15 minutes), we remain in a perpetual state of plait envy.
Particularly when we come across hair yogis like Sarah Potempa.
Sarah is a celebrity hairstylist and she’s currently halfway through a braiding challenge. She’s doing a plait a day for a whole year and posting the pics on Instagram to shame our amateur hair styling, or give us hair inspo depending on how you look at it.
Get your braid on.
Classic… Read the full story
Spoilers. They’re something all Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and, um, EastEnders fans are very familiar with.
But, imagine if real life had spoilers.
That’s the premise behind this genius new Tumblr account – ‘Life Spoiler Sticker’. The art project is the work of friends, Rafael Ochoa, Alan Chung, and Caio Andrade.
They use spoiler stickers to share inspiring words of wisdom, offer little insights into the future.
The world is moving at a speed that we can’t follow. We are constantly trying to be updated about everything, the new technologies the new trends… We are always wanting to know what comes next, what is waiting for us,’ Caio told Bustle of… Read the full story
What happens in East London stays in East London… because everybody’s too smashed to remember it.
That’s why we’ve cobbled together 27 things* that will only make sense if you’ve had the pleasure of a night out in Dalston, Hackney or any of those other places that the East London line goes from.
* we would’ve done 30 but that’s too West London.
1. Wherever you are, friends will always text you from somewhere more obscure and say it’s amazing. ‘Mad party behind the bins in the Iceland car-park, m8. Hurry.’
2. You will drink craft ale. Even if you think it tastes like piss,… Read the full story
Duck and Waffle’s Head Chef Tom Cenci is back, with his recipe for the perfect Portuguese custard tart.
Whether you’re having a picnic or a BBQ, a tart is a great way to round off a summer meal.
And according to Tom Cenci, the only tart to eat this summer is a Pasteis de Nata aka. a Portuguese custard tart. Tom explained…
A couple of months back I came into work and our head pastry chef Silvia (from Portugal) had made a fresh batch of Nata (Portuguese custard tarts) for all the staff. They went down a treat. Not long after I was walking through Holborn and stumbled across a café that only serves Nata’s (they were amazing), and now the Portuguese chef… Read the full story
When I was pregnant with my first child I stocked up on all the ‘must-have’ baby items that I needed.
Family and friends bought us even more ‘essentials’ and so by the time my daughter arrived we were fully kitted out….with a lot of pointless crap.
Here are some the baby items we acquired that we didn’t really need:
1. Newborn shoes. Several were bought for our baby and never even made it out of the box. They can’t walk or even stand up – why would they need shoes?
2. Moses basket (although, mine does make a useful place for dirty washing/toys/sheets – anything other than a baby).
3. Six million musical cot toys that are supposed to get your… Read the full story
A mum was left horrified after a… Read the full story
But really, how do cyber bullies sleep at night?
Remember Logan? Last time we caught up with him, he was super-excited about the fact he was about to become a big bro.
Well now he’s back, but sadly the topic of his latest video isn’t quite as cheery.
Because lovely Logan – who we should point out is only 11 – has received some really truly vile comments under some of his videos. But because he’s a total dude, he’s not about to let the cyber bullies get the best of him.
Logan begins the by explaining: ‘I’ve asked my dad to do this video for two reasons; for me to encourage… Read the full story
French toast reminds you of your childhood. Bacon reminds you of, well, the weekend. So, bacon French toast roll ups are basically happiness in a fried salty mouthful.
Also, they’re really easy to make, so you can have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, elevenses, midnight feasts…
They’re the brainchild of Sydney-based RecipeTin food blogger Nagi. She’s the woman behind the cheese garlic crack bread that broke the internet (seriously – check it out).
Here’s how the magic is made.
Manchester is an international city, famous around the world. However, there are some things you’ll only know about if you grew up in Manchester back in the day.
How many of these things do you remember from spending your younger years in this great city?
1. Being told to get on the wooden rhinos in the Arndale so you could be photographed by your mum.
2. Watching your dad paying cash to some scruffy kid to mind the car whilst you went to watch City or United with him.
3. Thinking the Britannia Hotel was a luxury hotel when it first opened.
4. Having your nana make you peer through a hole in… Read the full story
