Share Your Experience Of Childbirth For Catherine Balavage’s New Book

childbirth, birth, labour, labour tips, labor, childbirth book, what to expect, catherine BalavageFrost Editor Catherine Balavage is looking for women- and some men- to share their experience of childbirth with her. This will be for Catherine’s new book Women On Childbirth. Catherine had a traumatic birth experience and wants to write the book to help other women know what to expect, but also how to have a better birth. This will be Catherine’s fourth non-fiction book. She also writes fiction books.

If you would like to be included we would need your experience in 400-1000 words approx (although word count can be flexible), a biography and then some labour tips. Email your experience to frostmagazine@gmail.com

Thank you in advance to contributors.

Deadline is 1st April 2017.

 

A Staycation Beats The Winter Blues

With the economy on the rise, businesses are having a ball. While increased income puts many much closer to affording vacations in luxurious destinations, what this means for most professionals is more work and even less personal time. Taking a well-deserved vacation is shelved once again.

df69196e46993f749c8a740540cbf1de Image Source: pinterest.com

 

The term staycation was coined during the financial crisis of 2007-2010 in the U.S. and subsequently when the U.K. pound sterling dropped in 2009 and destination vacations became too expensive. Today, staycations are making a comeback because workaholics can’t find the time to take longer than a weekend away.

 

If a staycation is all you have time for, there are many modern conveniences that can bring luxury and decadence right to your front door. It does take a little planning, but relaxing right at home can truly satisfy as the season gets chillier.

 

To create the feel of a vacation, take a half-day on Friday and come in after lunch on Monday. No one is so indispensible that they cannot take 2 half days off. Plan your staycation like you would a vacation – all inclusive. One of the most important things NOT to do on a staycation is clean up after yourself. Make sure you are pampered as if you were not at home.

 

ape_header3 Image Source: apersonalelf.com

 

Whether it’s cleaning your flat in London or your ranch house outside New York, schedule someone to come each day you are home. Have them do all of your dishes, make your beds and change your towels daily. Pay extra for special touches like fresh flowers, setting your bathroom up as a spa or simply prepping coffee for the morning. Just a few consecutive days of not tending to dirty dishes or smoothing rumpled sheets is going to make a huge difference to your mood.

 

Make sure you collect all the local menus and delivery services in case you want “room service” or the weather runs foul and you choose to stay in. Have a local gourmet grocery deliver decadent snacks of fruit and cheese, wine and champagne. Use your best china and crystal, knowing someone else will clean up after you.

 

Make Friday night your big night out and then in. No matter where you live, have a luxury car pick you up and take you to an early dinner reservation at the trendiest restaurant in town. Reservations before 6PM are usually easy to get. You also get to come home before the evening chill really sets in.

 

clearwater-casino1Image Souce: casinofee.blogspot.com

Have a friend prep the house while you are gone to turn your living room into a nightclub and casino. Change out some lights, hang a disco ball and have your favorite dance mix ready to play. Put wine or champagne on ice and, when you arrive home, dance like no one is watching.

 

Hook your computer up to your large screen TV, get your friends over and get ready to bring the thrill of real-time action into your front room. Play live games with real dealers and cheer each other on as you toss the dice on the craps table or beat the house at Blackjack. You never know – Monte Carlo could actually be your next holiday!

 

For Saturday and Sunday, split the planning up and assign a day and a budget to each person. That way everyone gets a nice surprise. Many people never know the historic or unique attractions of their home city unless someone comes to visit. Check into local tours or events or better yet, download a local activities app to discover what’s going on in your neck of the woods.

 

ig7xhjguau7smdy77q2fSource: greatvaluevacations.com

 

Choose a weekend where there is a music festival or holiday gala going on. Get last minute tickets to a favorite sporting event or check out local fairs and farmer’s markets – all the things you never have time for. Jump on a train and take a day tour of the countryside or simply go to the movies.

 

Make sure you take that half-day Monday so Sunday evening can be a special evening at home. Hire a traveling spa to provide late afternoon massages and body treatments followed by a bath. Get a personal chef to create a gourmet dinner at home. Nothing is too extravagant – after all, you don’t work by halves, so why do relaxation as if you don’t really mean it?

For Monday, find a local restaurant that serves weekday brunch or breakfast and have your car take you to your lovely morning before returning to work. Make a plan to get each other a small and special gift to celebrate your staycation. And don’t forget to take pictures to record your treasured memories!

 

 

Wild and inspiring images – from the Knitting & Stitching Show 2016

The Knitting & Stitching Show is one of the most colourful and beautiful events of the year – I dipped into its hues and textures at Alexander Palace today. With around three hundred exhibitors and some wonderful workshops, there is so much inspiration to be had here. You can catch The Knitting and Stitching Show tomorrow (Sunday 9 October) at Alexandra Palace, 24-27 November at Harrogate International Centre and 20-23 October at Simmonscourt, RDS, in Dubln. My purchases were fairly modest: I came away with a new skill to master in the form of a ‘Make Your Own Needle Felt Dog’ kit from www.feltcreative.co.uk, and and an early Christmas stocking filler buy: some alapaca ‘Posh Socks’ from ukalpaca.com. But I was lusting after many more exhibits. Here are just six of the most gorgeous things I saw today…

Autumn Seedheads by Jean Littlejohn, a beautiful embroidered picture that made me want to buy thread, lots of it. This was featured in the book Stitchscapes by Jean Littlejohn and Jan Beaney…

 

embroidered-seed-heads-knittingandstitchingshow

A lush rail of felt coats by Te Su. Oh those colours…

tes-su-felt-coats-knittingandstitchingshow

A stunning wall artwork entitled Mass Hysteria: free motion embroidered birds by Leisa Rich.

metal-birds-knittingandstitchingshow

Enormous crochet hooks, wonderfully big and beautiful buttons that made you want to create a garment to fit them and giant Macro knitting needles that came up to my shoulder height. Apparently, you lay them across your lap and jumpers knit up oh-so-fast…

giant-knitting-needles-knittingandstitchingshow

This chap from Game of Thrones was made using metal threadwork beading, applique and quilting. He was commissioned by the HBO Home Entertainment TV Network and made by The Embroiderers’ Guild, the Royal School of Needlework, Hand & Lock and Fine Cell Work and took 5000 hours to produce, with 140 people involved in the process. He appears on the Series 5 DVD and Blue Ray boxed set, and in real life he is big!

fabric-game-of-thrones-figure-knittingandstitchingshow

My final shout out goes to Di Gilpin.Here she is with a cable collar and weaved cable back on just one of her fabulous jumper creations…

di-gilpin-knittingandstitchingshow

Get along to the show and find your own favourites – you’ll probably find you have quite a few!

 

 

Five fab last-minute Christmas food buys

Having been to a heap of Christmas food shows and taste tested a fair amount of what’s on offer, I have come up with my top five Christmas food buys. They’re the tastes that won’t let you down and, with Christmas looming large now, there’s still time to pick them up…

best Christmas foods

Cornish garlic yarg Available at Waitrose, this subtle semi-hard speciality is covered in garlic leaves and is fabulous with a slice of traditional Christmas cake. £1.92 per 100g, Waitrose

Chocolate Fudge Can’t take any more Christmas chocolate? You might find room for this creamy, chocolatety treat. Enjoy a square a night and don’t tell anyone you’re hiding the box under your bed. £5.95 for 227g, Highgrove (available at Fortnum & Mason stores)

Smoked salmon cuts Perfect for topping canapes, slipping alongside scrambled eggs and adding to pasta, these salmon cuts are cheap and so, so delcious. £2 per 100g, Morrisons

Coconut Snowballs – Oh, these are fun. coconut truffle in white chocolate dipped in dessicated coconut. Guaranteed to keep your festive spirits up if there are no real snowballs in sight. £5.50 for 100g, Hotel Chocolat

Fortnum and Mason Petits Four mince piesFortnum & Mason Christmas Petits Fours Mince Pie Medley – And finally, I don’t let a Christmas go by without a box of these sumptuous mini mince pies – so much smaller than even the miniest mince pies, they are packed with sumptuous fillings and the pastries are melt-in-the-mouth soft. Only bring them out for your favourite guests. £18.95 for a box of 32, Fortnum & Mason

Merry Christmas everyone – here’s wishing you lots of fabulous festive eating and fun!

 

 

Should You Chip Tune Your Car?

chip tuneFor those out there who know nothing about cars, race chips and chip tuning won’t mean anything other than a head scratch. But it could make a huge difference to your car and its performance. In fact, chip tuning will increase the power of your car and increase fuel efficiency. It will increase engine power without compromising vehicle components. It may sound difficult and expensive but you can get your car chip tuned without it costing a bomb, after getting the product, you can even install it yourself in a few minutes.

What is chip tuning?

When you chip tune you change or modify an erasable programmable read only memory chip in your vehicles electric control unit (ECU).

Why should you get it done?

If you chip tune your vehicle you will get superior performance, give it more power, cleaner emissions and improving fuel efficiency. If you have a poorly tuned electronic control unit it can result in decreased performance, affect drivability and may even cause engine damage. You don’t have to worry about it affecting your manufacturer’s software as it remains in place after the software update and leaves no evidence after it has been removed.

If you want to know more go to http://www.racechip.com/chiptuning/ A good company that will read data from the engine control unit in real time, and optimise many characteristics. These data include items such as injection timing, injection quantity, injection pressure, boost pressure and air mass. It has a great impact on the environment as it will help you save fuel. Less fuel = less damage to the environment.

 

 

Does Your Business Need a CE Marking?

fittosize__188_0_6b5875022545918593cca24dce9d3f1a_f_press_title_seminars_and_courses_shu159781091_cold1_3c_2015_08_800px_webBeing safe in business is important. Lawsuits or worse could happen if you do not make sure your products work well and have no faults. the business world is littered with stories of companies that did not make the necessary steps to protect their company and their customers. In fact, since 1995 manufacturers have had to make sure they get their machines assessed to make sure they conform to safety standards. A CE marking confirms that the machinery adheres to all of the necessary health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC as well as other relevant EU directives. In fact, all machinery imported from non-EU countries requires a CE mark, irrespective of the year of construction.

 

We have all seen CE markings on things we have bought but how do you get one? A company like Pilz, who are an accredited inspection body for machinery and safeguarding devices, will do all of the work for you. Pilz are one of the only companies that are prepared to take responsibility for the conformity assessment procedure. They sign as the authorised representative on the declaration of conformity, confirming that the requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC have been met. Their staff work to a high level of technical competence and they leave you with peace of mind, knowing that your machinery reaches the required quality. This not only guarantee access to European market but it means you will have Pilz as your representative. Doing CE markings with Pilz also protects your workforces without compromising on productivity.

 

After Pilz identify and apply the relevant standards and directives, carrying our the necessary inspections, tests and measurements, you will have a complete CE-marking in conformance with legal requirements. For extra peace of mind they also create and archive the required legal documents and manage the certificate. Great stuff indeed.

 

 

An unmissable treat for Chinese food lovers

Forget rushed dim sum – for £49 each, you and a companion can spend a leisurely Saturday afternoon sampling divine cocktails, wine and the very best Chinese London has to offer.

YAUATCHA review frost magazine carolmuskoronChinatown in London’s West End is good, yes, but fans of Chinese food know that Yauatcha is better. The food is full of all the flavours you expect of Chinese food, only here it’s more refined. This, combined with its stunning cocktails and exquisite desserts, mean it’s not hard to understand why Yauatcha has a core following of die-hard foodie fans. And now there’s a new and wonderful way to experience Yauatcha at Yauatcha City in Broadgate Circle – the Supreme Saturdays menu.

Sitting on the first floor of the ultra-tendy Broadgate Circus complex, you will begin with pre-lunch cocktails – and be warned, you have to pace yourself: there is a lot of drink to come. I chose the Thea martini and it was beautifully refreshing. Thereafter, you just have to choose a main course – the rest is brought to you as a fait accompli. First of all, there’s a selection of four fried dim sum each – we’re talking the best ever sesame prawn toast (this is not made with value white bread), lobster roll, mushroom spring roll and a venison puff. The sizes are slightly bigger than your average dim sum pieces, and these are followed by six more dim sum pieces each, steamed this time. There is the classic pork and prawn shui mai (although this is an outstanding version of this traditional version) – and then there’s the crystal dumpling wrap with pumpkin with pine nut, which I doubt you will ever see on a menu in any Chinatown. The vegetable and truffle wrap is a real wow, as is the black pepper and wagyu beef dumpling

Now that your cocktail may have run dry, you will be sipping on the half bottle of wine that comes as part of your meal – it”s really very good. And at this point, feeling a little drenched by alcohol, I ordered a non-alcoholic cocktail that I strongly recommend: cucumber, lime and jasmin tea. Light and breezy, I will now have trouble drinking jasmin tea any other way.

For the main courses we chose truffle pork belly rib and lobster vermicelli pot. The belly rib, pictured above, is the softest, most succulent belly rib I’ve tasted yet, and is beautifully flavoured. Feeling very full now, I was only able to sample a little of the lobster but I can tell you that it was superbly fresh and very, very good.

It was necessary to take a break before dessert, but when we finally mustered the strength to order (you can choose any dessert you like from the main menu), we found ourselves quite excited and, strange to relate, ready to eat on. I chose the pomegranate yoghurt which was gorgeous – a fabulous combination of flavours and textures. My partner went for the  passion fruit mango dome – a work of art with an edible Yauatcha label, it was velvety and supremely fruity.

We finished up with post lunch cocktails – you can choose from a Manhattan, an amaretto sour or an expresso martini. I went for the martini and it was a perfect finale to a perfect meal.

Find out more or book at www.yauatcha.com/city/supreme-saturdays

Steak & The City & A Fabulous Party Atmosphere | The Trading House Review

An absolute wow of a venue with live music and amazing reasonably-priced food.

Restaurant review of The Trading House, City of London

If you’re a Londoner bored of the West End or a tourist looking for a slightly different night out in London, check out The Trading House near Moorgate in the heart of the city of London. The second you step foot in the place, it’s buzzing – with a live pianist, a packed bar and seriously eclectic decor (including stuffed birds and animal heads). And all of this is set in the former Bank of New Zealand, an amazing building with a curved ceiling and wall-to-wall warm, luscious wood. Tucked at the back is a slightly calmer restaurant section which boasts some of the heartiest, tastiest pub food in London.

To start you off, there is a huge drinks menu in the form of a small book. The specialities here are gin, cocktails and beer. I opted for a Hendrick’s cucumber gin and tonic – there was a choice of four tonics, and I chose 1724 which was less bubbly than your average tonic and very palatable.

The food menu is broad – whatever mood you’re in, The Trading House has it covered – but we decided to stick to traditional pub grub. We started off with asparagus soup (which was very creamy and came in a mug) and baked camembert. This was served on a wooden platter and was surrounded by fresh fruit, salad and flatbread – it was a big platter which cost just £6.95 and would have been perfect for keeping hunger at bay whilst downing beers for a few hours. But were here to try the food, and we ate on.

For the main courses we chose a steak pie and classic steak and chips. The pie was beautiful with soft pastry and a tender tasty steak filling – it came with a jug of steaming hot gray, a large swirl of creamy mash (far too generous a portion for me to get through) and mushy peas. My partner ordered a steak and chips, with salad and sugar snaps. He declared the steak perfect.

A break was necessary before we could even think of dessert – we ordered one between us as we were so full. We went for the sticky toffee pudding – it did not disappoint. This was the lightest ever pud, soaked in sticky toffee sauce (rather than just having the sauce plonked on top) and with a dollop of ice cream on the top.

I will go back to The Trading House – oh yes, and I thoroughly recommend it. I also recommend a walk through the city afterwards to burn off some of the calories. This part of London is stunning at night. And if you come out of The Trading House and turn right you will stumble upon The Guildhall, with its amazing array of architecture. Keep walking and you may hit St Paul’s which is well worth seeing at night. Walk a little further and you’ll hit the West End and will be left wondering why it is heaving with tourists when the city of London, not so very far away, is quite so stunning.

The Tradiing House, 89-91 Gresham Street London EC2V 7NQ; tel 020 7600 5050