Most people associate heavy alcohol use with causing health problems. If you drink too much for too long, you could end up with liver disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. If alcohol use doesn't cause these health problems, it is bound to make them far worse. As true as this may be, it doesn't tell the whole story of the effects of excessive alcohol consumption. Not many people consider how alcohol can make you less attractive. Like many things that are bad for us, alcohol changes how we look, as well as how we're perceived by others. Both of these are key factors in attractiveness. ... read more
Exploring The UK This Autumn
Image Credit As summer draws to a close, and the kids go back to school, we welcome in the next season with its magical hues of warm reds, oranges and browns whilst bracing ourselves for the dark mornings and frost under our feet on the way to work. That said, autumn is a fantastic time to take a trip - shortly, we’ll have half-term, just before Halloween and this can be a fantastic time to visit the UK. Autumn will be in full swing, and getting out in nature can be a very uplifting and calming experience. Whilst camping may be out of the question, given the drop in temperature, ... read more
My twenty year bucket list
It seems that when anyone has, or is approaching, a birthday that includes a zero in it there's some sort of unwritten rule about writing a bucket list. This year I turned 40 and to be honest there's so much going on in my life in 2018 that turning 40 hasn't really featured much in my plans. I've bought a house, moved house, got pregnant, got engaged and before the year is out I'll be getting married and giving birth. Turning 40 happened somewhere in the middle of all that. Slap bang in the middle of the year in July in fact. It's got me thinking though. So many people have bucket lists ... read more
The Pros and Cons of Buying a New Car
Love that new car smell? Who doesn’t? Having and driving a new car can be a wonderful experience, but is it for you? There are many things to consider, and sometimes a used car is the way to go. It often depends upon your income, lifestyle, and a host of other factors. Wondering what to do in your situation? Read on for the pros and cons of buying a new car. Pros of Buying a New Car Warranties This is probably one of the biggest benefits to owning a new car, as the dealer will often even offer an extended warranty beyond the expiration date set by the manufacturer. Although most ... read more
Easy Ways to Add Way More Value to Your Property Without Breaking the Bank
If you have a property and you are just not happy with the price then you don’t have to put up with this. In fact, there are so many things that you can do to try and boost the value of your property without having to break the bank or your back. Try and Convert the Loft The easiest way for you to get an extra bathroom and even an extra bedroom is for you to try and convert the loft. The main thing that you have to remember here is to make sure that the feel and look of the loft matches in with the rest of the house. If you don’t then it will look like a poor addition and this is the ... read more
Life begins at … whatever age you want it to!
If there's one thing that being a member of the WI has taught me, it's that there's no such thing as being too old for anything at all! I've met women of all different ages and backgrounds through my time in the WI and it has totally smashed any subconscious views I may have had about what is a respectable age to do things at. It used to be that people, and women in particular, were expected to follow a certain path through life. We'd go to school, leave with some exams, get a "nice little job", find a boyfriend, be courted for a while, get married, give up work, have children and then be a ... read more
My dress wishlist – my virtual shopping frenzy revealed
The hot weather just keeps on coming wasn't it. There we all were complaining about snow and ice going on for ever, yet now the complete opposite seems to be true. Comparisons are being made with the heatwave of 1976 and you can see why. Yes, we're blessed with things like air conditioned cars and shops, as well as being able to inexpensively buy fans to help keep us cool at home, but trying to dress for the weather can still be a tricky one. It's a few years ago now when I suddenly took the plunge into dress wearing after years of just being a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. Inspired by a ... read more
Focus In On A Focal Point In Your Living Room
Photo - Pexels If you are planning on decorating your living room anytime soon, you might want to consider adding a focal point. This will be the part of the room that first catches people’s attention when they enter. Their eyes will be drawn to it, and your interior design skills will be shown off in all their glory. Not only that, though, but the focal point can also be the centre of attention when it comes to all the other decor in the room. It gives you a centre to focus all your attention on and to point all your furniture to. Don’t worry if you have never made a focal point ... read more
Drought Resistant Trees and Shrubs That Look Great
Increasingly, across the world, water shortages are becoming an issue. So, it makes sense to think about this before buying trees and shrubs for your garden. Fortunately, there are plenty to choose from. Firms like The Tree Center are very much aware of the need to provide high-quality drought-resistant plants to their customers. There are dozens of different varieties to choose from, but here are some of our favourites. Lemon trees Most citrus trees do very well without much water, even in near desert conditions. In parts of Spain, oranges are still grown commercially in zones that ... read more
My Australian Dream
Australia. The other side of the world. A land of sunshine, kangaroos and Neighbours. A huge country that British Backpackers go in their droves to have an adventure. Yet a place that Australian backpackers leave in their droves to come to London and work in a bar instead. Australia has always fascinated me, but until the wonderful Ruth from DorkyMum came into my life I thought it was a place that I was happy to miss out on. I'd been to New Zealand, which seemed much more my kind of place. How the last few years have changed that. When Ruth and her family moved to Tasmania it opened ... read more