Tag Archives: Animals

New Geomag Supercolor | Toy Reviews

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I am as much of a fan of Geomag as my children are. I am super excited that they have brought out two new products. The brand new Geomag Supercolor, which is made from 100% recycled plastic, is fantastic for learning in so many ways. It has limitless construction and a handy booklet to give you ideas for play. It offers hours of fun.

geomag shapes

Play with magnets and let creativity and imagination take over with the fun Geomag toy that works like pure magic. Thanks to the simple Geomag elements and the magic of magnetism, you can build endless 3D constructions with creativity and imagination. The elongated magnetic rods, steel balls and the various panel shapes make up the building system, which stimulates play and learning.

The Geomag 337 Supercolor Panels 35 Piece set costs £26 from Coolshop.co.uk

magicubes, magnetic toys, animals. , geomag magicubes, magnetic toys, animals, geomag

 

Next up is the gloriously fun Magicube. They are shapes you can make numerous animals out of. My daughter absolutely loves these. They are great for imaginative play and developing motor skills. They are also made from 100% recycled plastic. Highly recommended for your little one. Fab and fun.

 

Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon

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Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon1No, not for your favourite tipple, but for a much better treat: when you have skipped on the sand, dipped a toe in the water and chased the seagull that stole your pasty why not … take a stroll up Broad Street to Pug and Puffin. If you are a dog lover, or a dog lover’s friend like me, this is one place that warms the cockles. It is vibrant and imaginative. We‘re talking funky and fun. The doors opened on March 28th, almost a year ago and the shop remains very popular. I don’t own a canine friend, but here is a unique place where dogs can be spoilt and owners stuck for choice. The thoughtful family have placed a water bowl outside too for thirsty pets.
Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon2Martin Luscombe, (Lyme Regis born), Janet his wife, and Jenny their daughter have combined their artistic talents brilliantly. Naturally, all three love dogs and have owned many breeds, shapes and sizes over the years. This became the inspiration for a delightful shop. Noah, their three and a half year old Pug, is of course reflected in the eye catching sign outside.
Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon3What can I say about Noah? Cuddly, cute, good natured and with such a handsome face. He looks quite at home relaxing in a dog basket wearing a trendy bandana. Adorable.
Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon4Lyme Regis is one of those dog friendly, seaside places. The Luscombe’s intention was to reflect this. Inside, there are so many quirky and unusual gifts. What do you choose for that very special pooch in your life? Martin, a self taught artist and his daughter Jenny are the painters and designers behind the products. Janet is the creative needle woman making doggy bandanas, snazzy bags, purses, and vibrant collars.
Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon5Incredible talent. Oh … and how about a colourful dicky bow for the dog and that very special occasion. The perfect, original present for a friend or a neighbour’s pet. Even your own.
Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon6Apart from a wide selection of accessories peeping out from shelves, or on papier mache models of dogs, (my most coveted items), there are many other best sellers.
Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon7Small wooden signs with ‘Lyme Regis’ emblazoned on them are extremely popular with holiday makers or passersby. There is a superb array of colourful doggy cards, (I love the alphabet ones too), and if you need a clock or a new mug, you won’t be disappointed.
So, if the sun is replaced by a sudden shower, and there is no room for two under the umbrella, why not splash out on a ‘pack-a-mac’ for your four legged friend. Don’t forget to pick up, before leaving, a plaque that says ‘I’D RATHER BE WALKING MY PUG’. (Other breeds available of course).

Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon8

Enjoy your visit. Stay a while. Pug and Puffin is a charming, friendly shop. A visual delight. You won’t leave empty handed … and your dog will be eternally grateful.
Meet You At The Pug And Puffin In Lyme Regis By Wendy Breckon9

One In Eight British Adults Are Now Vegetarian

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Leek And Lentil Hotpot Recipe Vegetarian FoodcookingSomething is afoot. A change in our eating habits which has become more than a trend. Sparked by people becoming more environmentally conscious and not wanting to contribute to the damage that cheap meat causes. More people are becoming vegan, pescetarian (eats fish but no meat), vegetarian and flexitarian (has a mostly plant based diet but occasionally eats meat. I would put myself at the end. I have tried vegetarianism before but it never worked out. The first time I got really ill and when I started eating meat again I always made sure it was organic, free-range meat and that the animal had had a good life). To be honest the thing that most put me off vegetarianism was, and is, aggressive vegetarians. There are few things worse in life than an aggressive vegetarian who is always getting on their high horse and telling everyone else what to eat and how to live their life. Debate is fine, not lecturing. My husband is now mostly pescetarian, we eat mostly vegetables at home. This has been a learning curve when cooking meals and has also been a trial whilst pregnant and constantly craving meat. My husband and I are not alone however.

According to Mintel, around 12 per cent of people now follow vegetarian or vegan diets – rising to 20 per cent of those aged between 16 and 24. Millions more are flexitarian. A staggering one in eight British adults are now vegetarian. The truth is, we are all eating less meat. The meat-free market is now worth £625million a year and growing all the time.

That is quite something. We will be doing more vegetarian recipes on Frost and will also be doing a lot of cooking videos on our YouTube channel. So watch out for both and let us know what you think.

Kate Nash & Leona Lewis Donate Bunny Selfies to #BeCrueltyFree Campaign

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Stars’ bunnies, Fluffy and Melrose, get active for #InternationalRabbitDay

cute bunny rabbit kate nash leoni lewis

Award-winning British singer-songwriters Kate Nash and Leona Lewis have joined with bunny lovers from all over the world to say, ‘Bunnies are for cuddling, not cosmetics testing” on International Rabbit Day (Sept 27). The stars donated bunny selfies in support of Humane Society International’s #BeCrueltyFreecampaign for a worldwide end to cosmetics testing on rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and other animals.

Kate tweeted a photo of herself with Fluffy: “My bunny Fluffy is my best friend. I love her so much, and I’d never let anyone hurt her. It’s so sad to think that there are thousands of rabbits just as lovely as Fluffy, trembling in laboratories as chemicals are dripped in their eyes to test cosmetics. Bunnies are for cuddling, not cruel cosmetics testing. That’s why Fluffy and I support HSI’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign. Let’s end testing cosmetics on animals once and for all!”

Leona tweeted a selfie of herself and Melrose sharing a kiss: “I want bunnies to #BeCrueltyFree with @HSIGlobal let’s end cosmetics cruelty!” The Glassheart singer also recently posted an article on her Lee-Loy Blog about her desire to see a global end to cosmetics animal testing.

Leona’s blog reads: “Ending animal testing is also about getting laws changed, Bills introduced, advancing cutting-edge science, lobbying politicians and grabbing some serious face time in the beauty brand board room to get things changed. And for that you need kick-ass campaigners who know what they’re talking about. Our favourite bunny-hugging beauty crusaders are the #BeCrueltyFree campaign from Humane Society International.”

Rabbits are commonly used to test cosmetics alongside smaller animals such as mice. In skin and eye irritation tests first developed in the 1940s, rabbits are held in full body restraints so that chemicals can be dripped in their eyes or spread on their shaved skin. These tests are notoriously unreliable as well as cruel.

The European Union, Norway, Israel and India have all banned animal testing for cosmetics, and bans are being considered in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States. The #BeCrueltyFree campaign has been a driving force behind much of this global progress.

Hundreds of cruelty-free companies around the world such as LUSH, Lippy Girl and Barry M, produce safe products without animal testing. They do so by using existing ingredients combined with available state-of-the-art non-animal tests.

Say NO to cosmetics cruelty – sign the #BeCrueltyFree pledge.

 

Dog Versus Cat: (Big) Cat Wins

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We love cats at Frost and thought this cute video of dogs getting freaked out by a lion cub was super cute.

It has had over 3.5million views since Shaun Swingle uploaded it.

The video apparently comes from Union Pictures which is a training company that trains animals to appear on film. Pretty cool.

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Really Wild Adventures: Michaela Strachan To Host Live Shows At Howletts

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Visitors at Howletts Wild Animal Park, one of Kent’s most popular visitor attractions, are in for a treat on 29th July as one of TV’s most popular and charismatic presenters,Michaela Strachan, hosts the Really Wild Adventures Show at the park.

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Michaela will be hosting her popular children’s show on Tuesday 29th July at the wild animal park, near Canterbury.  Inspired by her book, the Really Wild Adventures Show is an entertaining journey into the world of animals for all the family. The interactive show is packed full of music, humour and fascinating wildlife facts.

The shows will run throughout the day at 11am, 1.30pm and 3pm. Entry to the show is free with a valid day ticket, Howletts Passport or Gold Card. Michaela will also be holding a book signing after each show.

Michaela is best known for presenting wildlife programmes such as ‘The Really Wild Show’, ‘Michaela’s Wild Challenge’, ‘Orangutan Diaries’, ‘Elephant Diaries’ , ‘Michaela’s Zoo Babies’ and ‘The Great Penguin Rescue’ as well as ‘Countryfile’, ‘Autumnwatch’, ‘Springwatch’ and ‘Winterwatch’ for the BBC.

The live shows kick off the start of the summer holidays at Howletts which will see different activities and themes taking place throughout July and August 2014.

For more information please visit
www.aspinallfoundation.org/howletts/forthcoming-events or call 0844 842 4647.

PARK DETAILS

Howletts Wild Animal Park
Bekesbourne
Nr. Canterbury
Kent CT4 5EL

 

 

Extinction is forever. Orangutans need our help. Donate now for absolutely free with a click

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Extinction is forever.  Orangutans need our help.

Donate now for absolutely free with a click…

 

Jump on to Facebook and pledge your name in support of Trilogy’s campaign.  In return, they’ll donate $1* to the Borneo Orangutan Protection Foundation.  Pledge your name here, it takes seconds: http://bit.ly/Q2utJ1

 

Orangutans are one of our closest cousins, sharing over 98% of our DNA.  Like human babies, baby orangutans cry when they’re hungry, whimper when they’re hurt and smile at their mothers.

 

And they’re resourceful.  Did you know that orangutans make umbrellas out of leaves to shelter themselves from the rain?

 

Deforestation of the orangutan’s natural habitat means the leaves that form such an integral part of orangutan life are swiftly disappearing.  And our beautiful, intelligent cousins are rapidly heading towards extinction.

 

Trilogy has been supporting orangutans in South East Asia since 2009.   With your support, over $40,000 has been raised to help the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation continue their vital work.

 

This year, Trilogy wants to hit the $50,000 mark.  You can help – simply by pledging your name.

 

But don’t stop there.  Spread the word.  We’ll donate $1* for every person who pledges

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation works hard to rescue and rehabilitate orangutans from high-risk areas and release them into wild, protected rainforest habitats.   Your support will assist the Nyaru Menteng Sanctuary, which works hard to care for over 600 orangutans.

 

* New Zealand currency.  Maximum donation $10,000. Campaign will run until 30 September or until 10,000 pledges have been made.  Rest assured – we won’t share your name with third parties.  Ever.

World’s Top Wildlife Spectacle in Sri Lanka.

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EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP WILDLIFE SPECTACLES IN SRI LANKA WITH CHAAYA HOTELS & RESORTS

‘The Gathering’ elephant phenomenon in Minneriya National Park

With close to five thousand wild Asian elephants in Sri Lanka, ‘The Gathering’ offers an incredible opportunity to witness the 6th greatest wildlife spectacular in the world, as recognised in 2011 by the internationally acclaimed travel guide, Lonely Planet.

Taking place in the north central province of Sri Lanka during the dry season, the mega wildlife phenomenon ‘The Gathering’ begins to unfold late July as scattered herds from various forests begin to assemble around the great Minneriya National Park reservoir as the drought takes full effect. During the height of the drought in August and September, every evening the breath-taking setting of the Minneriya plains, receding water line and fresh grass sprouting, draws an awe-inspiring sight with up to 300 elephants gathering to drink water and graze the grasses growing on the tank bed.

Staying at Chaaya Village Habarana offers guests the opportunity to easily visit Minneriya to witness ’The Gathering’. Located just 15 minutes from the hotel, guests are accompanied by Chaaya’s in-house team of expert naturalists – the ‘Nature Trails’ team – who will share their specialist knowledge whilst experiencing the phenomenon first-hand.

Located in the heart of Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle in the Anuradhapura district, Chaaya Village Habarana is situated across 27 acres of lush forestland bordering the Habarana Tank and a vast and tranquil lake. With 108 rooms set among thousands of towering trees the property is a must for nature-lovers. Guests will enjoy cosy Sri Lankan village-style cottages with impressive views of the natural world. Its first class facilities include an Ayurvedic spa, open-air restaurant, bar and coffee shop and a choice of once in a lifetime excursions.

Responsible tourism and conservation is at the heart of the John Keells owned Chaaya Hotels & Resorts group. Its ‘Nature Trails’ programme drives critical education and conservation projects for Sri Lanka to educate both its visitors and its local people to understand and respect its precious wildlife and to develop and teach new skills and careers around its conservation, whilst also supporting livelihoods and bettering opportunities for local families.

Each Chaaya Hotels property has an in-house naturalist to educate both visitors and local people whilst also protecting and nurturing its environment. The Nature Trails naturalists were honoured to be chosen as to support an Austin Stevens Animal Planet production on ‘The Gathering’ which was aired worldwide.


Kuoni is offering seven nights at Chaaya Village Habarana in August or September with prices starting from £1055 per person based on two sharing and subject to availability. Prices include accommodation on a half-board basis in a standard room, return economy Sri Lankan Airlines flights from London Heathrow and return airport transfers.

For more information on Chaaya Village Habarana and Chaaya Hotels & Resorts visit www.chaayahotels.com