Tag Archives: Fun

Tips For Having Family Fun Without Blowing The Family Budget

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Blowing The Family Budget

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Photo credit: Jerry Wang

The new year is finally here, and people everywhere are excited to start a new chapter in life. The past year was quite a challenge, and we are anxious to see what we can do better this time around. Of course, many of us will be starting with a little less. Our bank accounts may be a bit more lean than usual, and our options, while plentiful, are a bit less certain than we are accustomed to. So we are starting out intending to keep a close watch on our budgets. An article published on Lottoland gives some great tips on how to save money that will benefit everyone.

As the year moves on and you feel the need to venture out with your family, how can you enjoy your time together without spending too much and blowing your fragile budget? We will give you some tips that we believe will help you do just that. 

What’s happening in the area?

Ask around and find out what events are going on in the area. Check with the library for special speakers and shows. Look for music productions, plays, free classes, and children’s films being shown. If you are in Dorset, go to www.visit-dorset.com for tons of ideas that are free and inexpensive. They also have a list of things to do with your kids when it is raining (or sunny), so you are never stuck inside. There is always something going on, and with just a little effort, you will be able to entertain your group with fun and educational activities that won’t cost you anything.

Eating

Food is expensive and it is always a challenge. Sometimes the challenge is finding something your kids will eat while you are on the go. Then there is the expense. In 2022, a lot of parents are buying in bulk and prepackaging their kid’s food in advance. Inexpensive, reusable containers make this the responsible way to handle the issue. Letting the children help teaches them to be mindful of waste and keep the planet healthy. But, for those times when you are going to be out for the entire day or longer, you may not want to carry lunch and dinner with you. In that case, plan your itinerary. Decide ahead of time where you will be for lunch and dinner. Check the restaurants in that area for “kids eat free” times. Take advantage of the schedules. Check the menus online. If they do not have anything, your child will eat, speak to the manager and ask if they will prepare a meal and get a price. Many times they will put together a toddler plate of finger foods for free with your purchase or in the place of your salad or side. 

Let Them Do – Not Watch!

One mistake parents make is taking kids places where they watch others have fun. No kid wants to go to a fair or a carnival and watch other kids ride the rides or play the games. This makes them feel left out. No kid wants to watch other kids jump in a trampoline park, skate in a skate park, or climb on a rock climb knowing they cannot give it a go. So, don’t take them there if you do not want to spend the money to let them participate. Instead, make a trip to your discount or thrift store. Pick up some cheap painting supplies. Then take them to a nice park or beach and surprise them with a painting contest. Make a scavenger hunt listing common things found in a forest and take them to a trail for a family scavenger hunt. Have a photo-taking contest with cell phones. Even if your kids do not have their own phones, you probably have enough old phones around to use, and even 4-year-olds can work a cell camera. You will be amazed at some of the photographs you will see, and it is loads of fun and laughs. The point is, get creative. Try to think like a kid again. Kids do not think about money. They think about having fun. The spare change to buy a soda or a candy is a treat. It is the adults in the group that load everything down with money. 

We are blessed with a brand new year. We are given the opportunity to embrace those we love and to show them what they mean to us. We are given another chance to prioritize our lives. Money is important, but it is not the most important thing in our world. The most important thing is loving and being loved. This is what we need to remember in the coming year. Everything else will fall into place where it will. 

Collaborative post with our partner.

Christmas Sweaters

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QVC love a novelty knit and for Christmas, so do we at Frost.

Have a look at a few from the large Christmas selection. From penguins to pugs, you’ll be looking festive and fabulous in no time. A great ice-breaker, each and every one. They feel smooth, and light. They’re not going to itch, or be too hot. We loved them, and have some picked out for relatives.

Christmas sweaters.

 

Almost Famous Kids Penguin Jumper: Add some penguin personality to seasonal celebrations with this cute Christmas jumper with fluffy snowballs. No doubt your little one will become the most huggable person in no time!

£23.50

 

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Almost Famous Pug Christmas Jumper: Pugs…every home should have at least one! Go barking mad for this canine-themed Christmas knit.

£25.75

 

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Almost Famous Grey Reindeer Jumper: Jingle all the way to Christmas in this reindeer bells jumper. The five red baubles will add a bit of fun to your outfit while bringing smiles to all around you.

£30.50

Stockist: qvcuk.com facebook.com/QVCUK @QVCUK QVCUK

 

 

Entertainment For Your Lunch Hour

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sandwichMany people say you should use your lunch hour productively, but the most happy workers spend an hour chilling out or having fun. Overworking will affect your health and happiness, making you less able to do your job. Gordon Gekko may think lunch is for wimps but here at Frost Magazine we know the truth: it should be spent having fun. Switching off for an hour will make the rest of the day go better as you will be happier and more relaxed. Whether you want to have a sandwich at your desk, or spend an hour in Pret on your phone, here are some suggestions.

Reading a Book

Getting lost in a book is one of life’s great pleasures. No matter what your interests are, you will find a book that you will love. We review lots of books at Frost Magazine. Books don’t need to be expensive, you can even get books from the library for free.

YouTube

Two words: cat videos. There are few things that are more worthy of your time than a cat video. If you are more of a dog person, there are videos for you too. There are also plenty of vloggers making great videos on a wide variety of subjects.

Online Games

There are many fun games online. A Frost favourite is online bingo. Many of us have played bingo with family members and it is a relaxing and fun way to spend an hour. It is very satisfying when you win a game.

A Catch Up With a Close Friend

Either meet up for lunch or a walk in the park. Alternatively, phone your most fun friend and have a good gossip. A good catch up with a friend will leave you feeling more energised and happier. Just make sure you choose a good, fun friend. You don’t want a negative person putting you on a downer for the rest of the day.

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Magazines

Yes, we know we are online but we still love print. There is great satisfaction in reading a magazine from cover to cover and there are hundreds of magazines to choose from on any subject you can think of. Relaxing and fun, pop into a newsagent for some escapism. There is a magazine on everything from trains to cycling. We can generally be found in the women’s lifestyle section.

Or Read Some Amazing Articles For Free.

We love The Huffington Post, The Pool and glamour.com. Plenty of amazing writing from talented writers on each of these sites. A fun hour can easily be spent browsing high-quality content. Another great way to spend your lunch hour is to browse Frost Magazine and read our amazing articles. Yes, we know, but we had to get that in there.

So there are our ideas on spending some time out from thinking about work in your lunch hour. From reading to gaming and catching up with friends. Add your own suggestions and comments below. How do you spend your lunch hour? Let us know.

 

 

Downley Village Festival 2015 by Margaret Graham

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Downley is a village perched on the top of a hill, and easing down the slopes  almost to the edge of High Wycombe. Vastly extended since the 60s, it is in some ways the classic suburbia, with houses, ranging from that time, intermingling with those of the ancient village.

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All this adds up to fantastic community which fizzes with heart and ‘things to do’. It is an environment that is helped by having countryside and beech woods within five minutes walks from the three parades of shops placed around the village. Added to this, the fact that there are regular buses into High Wycombe, and easy walks to Hughenden Manor (and café) through the woods, and half an hour by train to Marylebone, it’s a good place to live.

Last year Downley held its inaugural Village Festival and such was its huge success, it is to take place again.

The Downley Village Festival will take place between Downley Day on 20 June and Concert on the Common on 11 July. Some 20 activities are in place,  so there’s something for everyone.

As always there will be local school events, the annual art exhibition and craft fair together with a local talent show, a comedy evening, a talk on Downley history, a free creative writing class by bestselling author, Margaret Graham.

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We have a fun run, art workshop, ceilidh band, and our very own scarecrow competition back by popular demand. Come and enjoy what we have to offer.
http://festival.downley.org/

 

 

Staving Off Boredom During Winter

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Winter can be a rather tedious, bleak time of the year; freezing cold winds and bitter rains mean that many will be trapped indoors throughout winter, unable to enjoy the pursuits they otherwise would be able to enjoy during the rest of the year. If you’re stuck inside, the prospect of boredom is always just around the corner, and if you just don’t know what to do with your time when the snow is blowing outside, here are a few fun things you can occupy yourself with until the spring thaw occurs!

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Reading is always a great way to spend the time during winter. Curling up in front of the fire whilst surrounded by blankets and pillows, indulging your bookish side, reading can be a heck of a lot of fun. Either get some ebooks via a device like Amazon’s Kindle, or make your way through those bookcases worth of paperbacks you purchased or were given but never had the time to read in the more pleasant months.

Cooking is also a safe way to beat back boredom, and will do wonders for your culinary prowess. Rustling up a hearty stew or casserole can be a heck of a lot of fun, and whilst recipes are often useful, it’s always nice to deviate slightly away from the prescribed cookery formula, putting your own flair on your favourite dish. What’s even better is that whilst you slave away over that hot stove, you’ll actually be warm!

With so many devices, smart phones, tablets and laptops around nowadays, games are a great way to spend a few hours. If you have a games console, think about getting an RPG game such as Skyrim; whilst it pours it down outside you can live the life of a fantasy hero for a few hours, exploring dungeons, fighting dragons and generally having a great time! Online games are also great fun; Casino.betway.com is a fun site that allows users to play classic casino games such as roulette, poker and blackjack. You’ll even have the chance to win a little money- great if you need a little extra cash over the Christmas period.

Perhaps not as exciting as video games, but just as engrossing, board games are a fun, traditional way to pass time throughout the snowy season. Pop into the loft and dust off those old copies of Risk, Scrabble, Monopoly and Pictionary, invite round some friends, crack open a bottle of something tasty and enjoy a lovely, chatty night in together!

 

 

Top Picks From Dream Magazine | What To Read

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I couldn’t be a writer if I wasn’t a reader. I am a complete magazine junkie. Online, print, iPad: it doesn’t matter. All that does matter is good content. But there are a million blogs, sites and magazines out there. It can be hard to find something good, to know what to read. My latest favourite is Dream Magazine. It ‘explores the stories of the people, places and races that bring life to Honda’s world-leading innovation and engineering’ so it has lots of great stuff on cars and transport, something that can be sorely lacking in general women’s magazines. We like cars and adventure too.

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On my bucket list is an LA road trip so I loved this piece about the Gold Wing’s LA adventure. They also had another great piece on Los Angeles being the city of the car, which just fuels my obsession. They have this great picture of LA’s Petersen Automotive Museum.

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I love reading about innovation so this piece was great. Their back catalogue is also full of awesome stuff and you can subscribe to Dream Magazine.

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Separated into sections of Innovation, Adventure, Life, Adrenaline, Videos and Offers, it is hours of fun and interesting reading for anyone who loves life, traveling, cars, motorbikes and a sense of adventure. The only bad point is how envious I get of all of the amazing trips I see people going on. I just add them to my bucket list. Well, the ones I am brave enough for anyway. Mission extraordinary: motorcycling across Afghanistan sees former Royal Marine, Chris Short, talk to Dream about his epic motorcycle journey from Afghanistan to Goodwood. I would love to do this but I reckon I am too much of a wimp. Maybe one day….

Sponsored Post

 

The Best Smartphones For Your Online Fun

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Mobile phones are so much more than just communicative devices these days. With Wi-FI available everywhere from cafés to high streets, not to mention the rise of 4G internet, more than ever we’re using these little gadgets to get online.

 

If you’re a little behind on the times when it comes to picking a smartphone, we’ve done our homework on the best smartphones for whatever your needs, from social media to online shopping and gaming.

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Social media

 

Shameless selfie addicts and status updaters can doubtless choose a better smartphone than the HTC One for all their social media needs. The phone boasts some funky features for those who like to snap at every opportunity, including a camera with its own name – ‘Zoe.’ Dubbed as ‘ultrapixel’ thanks to its low light pixel performance, it’s great for capturing those special moments. What’s more, its Android interface helps to aggregate all your social media and news feeds into one place, so you’ll always have a finger on the pulse.

 

Gaming

 

Today, more than ever, mobile gaming has increased in popularity thanks to more choice from sites like Uptown Aces. Improved graphics, faster loading times and better sound effects all make for some big demands on a smartphone, but luckily, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is equipped to deal with all of these. The powerful Snapdragon 800 chip has 3GB RAM, giving gamers the opportunity to multi-task, while its 32GB of storage is ample for storing your precious hours of game play.

 

Video streaming

 

With apps like Netflix giving us access to our favourite movies and TV shows 24/7, the last thing today’s smartphone users want is a phone which is badly optimised for video streaming. Thankfully, the T-Mobile G2X is perfect for streaming, thanks to its sharp display and accessibility. The phone features a 4-inch LCD display, guaranteeing a cleaner image with more vivid colours, while it also gives users the chance to play videos on their TV through an HDMI connection.

 

Online shopping

 

With online retail sky rocketing in recent years, it’s only natural that today’s smartphones should offer more secure operating systems in order to make sure users are shopping safely. Generally, the iOS system for iPhones is regarded as securer than the Android due to the latter’s open platform. Malware threats are considerably lower for Apple systems, so you may be advised to purchase the iPhone 5S if you want the latest model – or wait a few weeks and get your hands on the highly anticipated iPhone 6.

 

 

 

Tanqueray No Ten Launches Citrus Garden Pop Up at Vista’s Rooftop Bar

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gin Tanqueray® No. TEN™ launches Citrus Garden Pop Up at Vista’s rooftop bar free london

Event:
Tanqueray No. TEN launches Citrus Garden Pop Up at Vista rooftop bar

Date:
16th July throughout the summer

Time:
12pm to Midnight
Where:
Vista (rooftop bar at The Trafalgar)
Price:
Free
Website:
http://www.thetrafalgar.com/vista-homepage

 

Launched yesterday, Tanqueray No. TEN has transformed the rooftop back bar at Vista (The Trafalgar) into an exquisite Citrus Garden, creating an oasis of tranquillity among the chaos of the capital.

The Vista bar and its iconic British skyline acts as the perfect setting for this exclusive Citrus Garden. On entering, a citrus archway adorns the secret entrance and through an assortment of botanical grapefruit, lemon and orange trees, the Tanqueray No. TEN garden awaits.

The Pop Up is in celebration of the new bottle design and has taken inspiration from the whole handpicked citrus fruits and botanicals of Tanqueray No. TEN. Intimate cocktail masterclass sessions hosted by Tanqueray brand ambassador, Tim Homewood, will be held in the Citrus Garden every Wednesday evening inviting guests to delve into the rich history of gin, learn about the distinct flavours of Tanqueray No. TEN and the art to creating gin-infused cocktails.

Guests will be greeted and welcomed with one of the ‘Perfect TEN’ cocktails whilst enjoying the Citrus Garden. The masterclass will begin with learning about the history of the British spirit alongside a gin tasting, allowing guests to explore the fascinating array of botanical notes iconic to Tanqueray No. TEN. After this, Tim will demonstrate how to create one of the ‘Perfect TEN’ serves before guiding the class to recreate and enjoy one of their very own TEN bespoke gin-infused cocktails. Guests will be invited to stay and relax on the boutique rooftop to experience the new ‘Perfect TEN’ menu.

Masterclasses cost £15 per person inclusive of 2x ‘Perfect TEN’ cocktails. For more information visit www.thetrafalgar.com/vista-homepage

 

Tanqueray No. TEN – Perfect TEN cocktails

In celebration of Tanqueray No. TEN and the new bottle launch, World Class finalists have created the following TEN serves all available at Vista and select bars.

 
1. Nathan O’Neill’s Through the Looking Glass available at Milk & Honey and Dandelyan

2. Nathan O’Neill’s Tiny TEN Collins available at Milk & Honey and Dandelyan

3. Ladislav Piljar’s Finest TEN made upon request at Bam Bou

4. Gareth Evans L’Amuse Goose available at City Social

5. Gareth Evans Madam Camomile available at City Social

6. Tim Homewood’s Perfect T10 Martini available at Aqua Shard, Blind Pig, American Bar, Bar American, Callooh Callay, POLO, The Connaught, Balthazar

7. Monica Berg’s TEN Pollen available at Pollen Street Social

8. Tim Homewood’s Tiny TEN Martini available at Vista only

9. Tim Homewood’s What a lovely Waugh available at Vista only

10. Tim Homewood’s Old Tom Fizz available at Vista only