Everyone needs to read this thread about a packet of tissues sparking a love story on the Tube

September 29, 2017, 6:42 am

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If you’re a frequent user of public transport, there’s been at least one journey that’s involved you catching another commuter’s eye, smiling, and then imagining your blissful wedded life together until your stop.

For most of us, these moments end up as missed connections. Glances that spark fantasies, but no actual action, because we are massive cowards who cannot bear the sting of rejection.

And that’s a massive shame. Because sometimes, these moments can lead to something genuinely wonderful – we just need to be brave and make a f***ing move.

Learn from this woman, who bloody well went for it. And this man, who went for it right back.

Read the full story

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It’s seriously hard to seek help for an eating disorder when you’re not underweight

September 29, 2017, 7:14 am

≫ Next: Autumn 2017: how to make the best of British seasonal veg

≪ Previous: Everyone needs to read this thread about a packet of tissues sparking a love story on the Tube

It’s a common misconception that suffering with an eating disorder means you look skeletal, gaunt, and grey. But that’s not always the case.

Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes and affect people in various ways – and forgetting that, or at least not realising that, leaves those who may not be obviously struggling left in the dark, fearing they won’t be believed if they seek help.

I was bulimic for a good chunk of my teenage life. During this time, I was also a ‘healthy weight’.

My hair was coming out in clumps, my fingernails were brittle, and my skin was spotty and pale – but my tummy was still a little plump, my thighs wobbly and my cheeks round. Nobody batted an eyelid.

I was in a set routine during my time with bulimia, with each day ending with me eating to the point I’d forget what it was like to feel hungry, and then purging, telling myself that if I… Read the full story

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Autumn 2017: how to make the best of British seasonal veg

September 29, 2017, 7:15 am

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≪ Previous: It’s seriously hard to seek help for an eating disorder when you’re not underweight

British veg is at its absolute best right now (Pic: Bill’s Restaurants)

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons. And not just because of the conkers or the gorgeous colours in the treetops – the best thing about autumn is the food.

Whether it’s harvesting your own beetroot and squash from your allotment, going apple picking with your kids or trying to get the perfect pumpkin from a delicately-balanced display at the farmers market, autumn produce is pretty amazing isn’t it?

Vegan pumpkin streusel topped muffins

We’re spoilt for choice with fruits such as apples, pears, plums and blackberries and vegetables… Read the full story

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This website will turn your tweets into poems

September 29, 2017, 7:15 am

≫ Next: It’s time to stop idolising the successful bachelor stereotype

≪ Previous: Autumn 2017: how to make the best of British seasonal veg

metro illustrations — (Picture: Ella Byworth for MEtro.co.uk)

It’s Friday afternoon, you’re probably not going to do any more work today, but it’s at least a couple of hours until you can leave without anyone making a snide comment I’M LOOKING AT YOU, JANET IN SALES.

So what do you do?

You find a largely pointless but very amusing exercise and use it to while away your time. I know that’s what I’ve been doing.

Poetweet takes randomly selected tweets from anyone on Twitter who has an open account and makes them in to a poem. You pick the user, the form of poem that you want and Bob’s your uncle.

After making several of mine (I didn’t… Read the full story

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It’s time to stop idolising the successful bachelor stereotype

September 29, 2017, 7:32 am

≫ Next: You can make Prosecco at home now so there’s no reason to ever leave the house again

≪ Previous: This website will turn your tweets into poems

Hugh Hefner, who died this week aged 91. (Picture: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Playboy)

Big mansion, wrought-iron gates, soft-top sports car and comfy-yet-somehow-smart clothing.

The image of the successful, entrepreneurial bachelor is one that’s forever etched onto our eyeballs. Bigged up in the media for decades, this archetypal character is the quintessential ‘man’s man’.

He’s a top shagger for starters, refusing to be tied down by such concepts as ‘monogamy’ and ‘relationships’, or indeed ‘respect’ and ‘compassion’.

He’s a big spender, too, never seen out of high-end sports cars or higher-end fashion.

That aforementioned mansion is an essential part of the lifestyle. Perfectly symmetrical, the oblong palace which he calls… Read the full story

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You can make Prosecco at home now so there’s no reason to ever leave the house again

September 29, 2017, 9:49 am

≫ Next: 10 things you’ll only know if you have a nut allergy

≪ Previous: It’s time to stop idolising the successful bachelor stereotype

If you thought that turning water into wine was only for the son of God, you’d be wrong.

Thanks to an innovation from Victor’s Drink, a kit called Mysecco means that making Prosecco in the comfort of your own home is fully possible.

Basically you buy the kit, add warm water and you’ll (eventually) have home made Prosecco. What’s not to love?

It’s actually a little bit more complicated than that, but certainly not super complicated.

The kid includes a 75ml bottle, a couple stoppers, paper funnels, and the all-important ingredients.

You start by pouring the packet of yeast and syrup into the bottle, following them up with warm water. The downside of this… Read the full story

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10 things you’ll only know if you have a nut allergy

September 30, 2017, 12:00 am

≫ Next: Pester power has cost me thousands in Christmas tat: here’s how to limit the damage

≪ Previous: You can make Prosecco at home now so there’s no reason to ever leave the house again

Nuts are off the menu (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)

Having a nut allergy sucks.

It’s not easy having to live your life in fear of something that just happens to be an ingredient in a lot more foods (and drinks) than many of us realise.

How to travel safely when you have a nut allergy

For those of us living with a tree nut and peanut allergy, food can become an enemy, with many everyday situations that others would not think twice about causing severe anxiety.

As an allergy sufferer myself, I know all too well the impact that living with an allergy can have on your life.

For… Read the full story

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Pester power has cost me thousands in Christmas tat: here’s how to limit the damage

September 30, 2017, 12:30 am

≫ Next: Cat has to wear pink false nails to stop him from scratching a nasty wound

≪ Previous: 10 things you’ll only know if you have a nut allergy

‘No darling, we are not getting an entire toy zoo for the living room’ (Picture: Ulrich Baumgarten via Getty Images)

Once again the list of top-10 must-have Christmas presents has been announced.

That means that, in a couple of weeks, the ever-turning carousel of brightly lit, over-coloured adverts will start broadcasting, subconsciously informing anyone within earshot their life will be complete once they have the item being showcased.

11 gifts all new parents really need but never think to ask for

I’m so guilty of falling victim to pester power.

My children were pester ninjas.

They had they ability to nag me to breaking point, especially… Read the full story

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Cat has to wear pink false nails to stop him from scratching a nasty wound

September 30, 2017, 12:41 am

≫ Next: A healthy junk food popup is coming to London next week

≪ Previous: Pester power has cost me thousands in Christmas tat: here’s how to limit the damage

A rescue cat has been given a set of bright pink false nails to prevent him from scratching a raw patch of skin on his neck.

Penni the rescue dog overcame her fear of noise and people in the great outdoors

8-year-old Archie was fitted with the pink claws on his back paws after they were suggested by a vet as a last resort to stop him from opening the wound.

According to Sarah Wells, Archie’s doting owner, she thought the vet had ‘lost the plot’.

Sarah had adopted Archie from a rescue home back in July, after he had been in a rescue… Read the full story

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A healthy junk food popup is coming to London next week

September 30, 2017, 12:43 am

≫ Next: People are storing some really weird things in this giant pocket tee

≪ Previous: Cat has to wear pink false nails to stop him from scratching a nasty wound

Online London-based food company NUFF has announced a new ‘healthy junk food’ popup store will soon be opening in Shoreditch.

It's seriously hard to seek help for an eating disorder when you're not underweight

Just in case you didn’t know, NUFF specialises in making healthier junk food, without you having to ditch your chocolate for cereal bars.

The healthy junk food includes doughnuts, cookies, and brownies that are made using healthy and natural ingredients, cutting calories without compromising on the taste.

The store has been delivering 24/7 throughout London ever since first starting up online back in 2016.

They’ve since been growing in popularity and… Read the full story

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People are storing some really weird things in this giant pocket tee

September 30, 2017, 12:54 am

≫ Next: I tried Primark’s false nails and I’ve got to say, I was impressed

≪ Previous: A healthy junk food popup is coming to London next week

Pocket tees were pretty ubiquitous a few years back.

The height of high-street fashion for an all-too-brief season, people really took to the extra bit of fabric sewn to their chest.

It was practical too – you could hold your cash in it, if you liked, or your cigs if you’re that way inclined. Maybe your phone, if you had a small-ish one. Not much else, admittedly, but hey. A pocket’s a pocket.

However, you’d often hear people exasperatedly saying things like, ‘Man, I wish this pocket was big enough to carry my dog in’, and, ‘If only I could easily transport an entire human child using only my… Read the full story

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I tried Primark’s false nails and I’ve got to say, I was impressed

September 30, 2017, 12:58 am

≫ Next: 9 reasons you should move to Sheffield immediately

≪ Previous: People are storing some really weird things in this giant pocket tee

We recently wrote about Primark’s false nail range, and after hearing nothing but positive reviews – bar the odd comment – I thought I’d give them a go myself.

A healthy junk food popup is coming to London next week

While I love Primark and its many ranges, I wasn’t sure on whether the nails would be worth the faff, because they’re super cheap. But with that being said, for £1 I’ll give any beauty product a go.

I headed into Primark, going straight over to the nail section. While I’d seen many sets of the nails online, there were so… Read the full story

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9 reasons you should move to Sheffield immediately

September 30, 2017, 1:00 am

≫ Next: Photo series shows the intense lengths women go to try to meet beauty standards

≪ Previous: I tried Primark’s false nails and I’ve got to say, I was impressed

Steel City, you’re looking good (Picture: Getty)

I lived in the steel city for five years, and loved every minute.

Aside from the obvious platitudes – it’s friendlier than the south, obviously way cheaper and, yes, disgracefully pretty to look at – there genuinely is something for everyone.

9 reasons you should move to Brighton immediately

Check out these, the main reasons why you should drop what you’re doing and head up the M1 sharpish, pet.

1. It’s so green

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Photo series shows the intense lengths women go to try to meet beauty standards

September 30, 2017, 1:45 am

≫ Next: Quick! You can currently get six bottles of Prosecco for £1.50 each

≪ Previous: 9 reasons you should move to Sheffield immediately

Look, I’m all for ridiculous beauty products.

I love makeup. I’m a sucker for any kind of absurd sheet mask.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel good, and women shouldn’t be made to feel like they’re silly for wanting to slather stuff on our faces.

But any feminist beauty obsessive has to deal with an uncomfortable reality.

While we may crow about doing our skincare regimens and makeup routines for ourselves (which is true), part of our motivation is external.

Cat has to wear pink false nails to stop him from scratching a nasty wound

There is pressure for us to look a certain way. There are societal definitions of beauty that are arbitrarily informed by culture, and these definitions are often unrealistic and exclusionary.

There’s a blurred line between beauty stuff we do for ourselves and when it becomes acts we feel we have to do, ways to perform beauty that… Read the full story

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Quick! You can currently get six bottles of Prosecco for £1.50 each

September 30, 2017, 1:58 am

≫ Next: 7 reasons to have more than one kid

≪ Previous: Photo series shows the intense lengths women go to try to meet beauty standards

Right, you’re gonna have to act fast on this one.

There’s currently a nifty little trick going around that allows you to purchase six bottles of Prosecco from Sainsbury’s for just £1.50 each. What’s more, it’ll be delivered straight to your door.

The handy hint has been flagged up by MoneySavingExpert, who use a number of different promo codes at once – called ‘codestacking’ apparently – to shrink down the price.

It’s not limited to Prosecco either – if you’re posh, you could use the same trick to get real champagne for £7.50 a bottle, down from £18.

These codes have been appeared before and stocks have vanished, so get on it quickly… Read the full story

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7 reasons to have more than one kid

September 30, 2017, 2:00 am

≫ Next: Mum shares photo of her body just hours after giving birth

≪ Previous: Quick! You can currently get six bottles of Prosecco for £1.50 each

So, you took the plunge and procreated.

You dragged your increasingly swollen self through the mornings (and afternoons, and nights) of sickness, braved the horrors and the joys of giving birth, and you may have even managed to get your knickers back on afterwards before someone asked ‘So, when are you going for number two?’

8 reasons why mother and baby activity groups suck

At that point in the proceedings, you’re probably off the idea of anything going into your vagina ever again, let alone pushing another small human out.

But eventually you may be considering doing it all again and here… Read the full story

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Mum shares photo of her body just hours after giving birth

September 30, 2017, 2:59 am

≫ Next: Why Hove is the best place to bring up kids

≪ Previous: 7 reasons to have more than one kid

Your body changes after you give birth.

That’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not weird or ugly or something to hide.

When your body has literally brought life into the world, it’s absurd that you’re subtly told that it’s lost value, rather than gained it.

We’re shown pictures of perfectly toned abs, advised how to ‘bounce back’, and we talk about post-baby bodies as though they’re something awful. We’re meant to erase all evidence of pregnancy and childbirth from our bodies – fast.

That’s why it’s important to show women’s bodies – the ones without intense fitness routines the minute the baby pops out – after birth.

Women need to be reassured that it’s perfectly normal to have… Read the full story

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Why Hove is the best place to bring up kids

September 30, 2017, 3:00 am

≫ Next: Stop telling people they look tired

≪ Previous: Mum shares photo of her body just hours after giving birth

Life on the coast (Picture: Getty/Poppets)

Home to Zoe Ball, Norman Cook, YouTube stars Zoella and Alfie Deyes and authors, artists and creatives, Hove is a pebble-covered beach town bordering Brighton in East Sussex.

Anything goes around here and people have the freedom to wear what they like, and express themselves without anyone looking up from their coffee.

7 of the best restaurants to try in Brighton

Hove is full of buggies and baby slings, kids with their Microscooters and classes every day of the week; from baby signing to toddler dancing.

One hour from London – when the trains are on time – and it… Read the full story

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Stop telling people they look tired

September 30, 2017, 4:03 am

≫ Next: This ‘air-con watch’ will regulate your body temperature

≪ Previous: Why Hove is the best place to bring up kids

Telling someone they look tired is a dick move.

It usually means one of two things: You look rubbish, or, if you’re a woman, you’ve dared to not wear makeup.

Saying either of these things bluntly would be considered the height of rudeness, so people dress it up by masking their statement in concern.

‘You look tired,’ they say. ‘Are you getting enough sleep?’

‘You look absolutely awful,’ they mean. ‘Explain yourself.’

What response are they expecting? How is a person supposed to react when a person tells them they look sh*t?

Are you supposed to deny your exhaustion? Do you gently explain that the difference they’ve noticed is in fact the absence of eyeliner? Is it necessary to collapse, sobbing, and explain that you only managed four hours of sleep last night?

If someone looks tired, makeup-free, or just straight up rubbish, it’s highly likely that they know what they look like.

They’ve probably spent quite some time staring into the mirror to analyse their dark circles, try to… Read the full story

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This ‘air-con watch’ will regulate your body temperature

September 30, 2017, 4:19 am

≫ Next: Penni the rescue dog overcame her fear of noise and people by going hiking in the great outdoors

≪ Previous: Stop telling people they look tired

As the colder weather creeps in, it’s time for that age-old, ‘changing of the seasons’ wardrobe dilemma.

Every year, without fail, we’ll spend at least a month struggling to cope with the changing temperatures. One day you’ll leave the house in a hat and scarf to blazing sunshine; the next, you’ll be braving it in a t-shirt, only to risk frostbite mere minutes later.