Tag Archives: stop

The Stoptober Challenge: The Round Up

Posted on by

So it is over. No more Stoptober. I am pretty pleased with myself. I think it went quite well. I haven’t been smoking and hope this will continue. It is still hard sometimes but I have come a long way. I wobbled many times. I don’t want the hard work to be for nothing

Along the way I have done a lot of challenges. The first one was preparing for success and Boots UK pharmacist Angela Chambers gave some great tips. I wrote about this in my first post.

The second challenge was taste. Smoking dulls your taste buds so when you quit everything tastes better. For this challenge I baked. It was fun. Boots UK sent an exclusive recipe box packed with a bespoke recipe and all the ingredients I needed. I loved the end result and the taste was amazing.

bakingcookiesstoptober

I took part in a Twitter party which was hosted by Beautyandthedirt, Sexinlondoncity and Angela Chalmers who is a Boots Expert. This was between 1-2pm on October 16th. The Twitter Party was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. A lot of people got involved and I think it was a success. 

 

Next up I took some time to stop and smell the roses.

roses

To celebrate reaching my third smoke free week, and the return of my sense of smell, Boots UK sent me these gorgeous flowers. Smoking alters the way you smell things. The reasons to stop smoking keep building up. The flowers are also very beautiful. If you are also trying to stop smoking head to Boots UK Stop Smoking.

 

Challenge Four was all about how quitting smoking is great for your appearance. Smoking can impact your appearance, affecting your complexion, reducing the nutrients in your hair and leading to staining of the teeth, though luckily giving up smoking can reverse these changes. To celebrate this Boots UK partnered with leading fashion photographer Claire Pepper to develop some top tips on taking the perfect selfie.

perfecrtselfie

Fashion photographer Claire Pepper shares tips on how to take the perfect selfie 

 

It’s all about the lighting!

Get the lighting right, and you are 90% of the way to achieving your perfect selfie.  Ideally you want natural daylight, but if it is really sunny then move away from direct sun into a shady area.  If you are inside, find a window or the biggest, softest light source around and stand nice and close to it.  Always have the light source in front of you – side lighting is unflattering and back lighting doesn’t capture very well on most mobile phones.

Attention to detail

Selfies should be spontaneous but try to take a few moments to check the background is free from clutter or strange reflections. Also check your hair and make-up, and take a moment to consider the composition of your shot, and whether it would work best in landscape or portrait.

 

Trial and Error

You might want to experiment to see if there is much difference in quality between the front and back cameras on your phone.  Some phones have a much better quality camera on the back so take two snaps and compare them to see if one looks grainier.  Also try taking the cover off your phone – some covers can cause a bit of softening around the periphery of the image or can affect focus so give it a go and you might be surprised what a difference it makes.

 

Find your angle

Different angles suit different faces so learn what works for you – take lots of pictures to see what works – you can always delete any you don’t like!  Generally keeping your chin down is quite flattering and turning your face to one side works for most people.  Don’t forget to keep your eyes on the camera lens not the screen as it’s much more engaging.

 

Post production

Finally, perfect your portrait with an image editing app.  A specialist app like Camera+ gives you control over every aspect of the image, as well as giving you the option to add borders and captions.  If you are bored of using the same filters all the time try the VSCO Cam app that gives you a really wide selection and the ability to customise your selfie – you can achieve results that would take some time in Photoshop within seconds.  If you want to zap a blemish try an app like Facetune, but take it easy editing your face – it’s easy to go too far and it can look quite obvious.

 

Overall I feel great and stopping smoking was the best thing I have ever done. Try it and you won’t look back. Promise.

 

Sponsored Post

 

#bootsukstoptober 

 

 

Frost Writer Helen Takes The Stoptober Challenge

Posted on by

As challenges go, stopping smoking is a pretty huge one. Not only is smoking addictive but it eases stress for those who do it. But the benefits of giving up are vast: smoking is terrible for your health and takes years off your life, giving up is one of the best things you can do for your health, it saves money: cigarettes are now over £9 per pack and it stops your clothes smelling bad. Smoking even makes the walls in your house yellow so giving up would be life-changing.

fitness-get healthy

I want to give up to improve my health and save money. I will be stopping by keeping my hands busy, distracting myself, thinking of the reasons why I will be quitting. I also knit and that really helps by keeping both my mind and my hands busy. I also have an occasional snack. I also think about all of the things I could buy with the money I will save. I am finding a lot of help from Boots, who can help you with their Smoke Less Plan and their NikAssist range is great too. 

 

This is no easy challenge however, I have been smoking for decades and have given up a few times. I think Stoptober is amazing. A sense of community always helps when trying something. Smoking is a huge burden on the NHS, never mind the personal damage to health and finances. Most people love a challenge and this 28-day national stop smoking challenge is a brilliant one. I will be taking part in a Twitter Party with Beautyandthedirt and Sexinlondoncity. I hope you can join in too. This is happening between 1-2pm on October 16th. We can all do this together.

Bootstwitterinvite 

This is just my first post and I will update you with how I get on later in the month. I have been set a number of challenges and challenge number one is preparation. So I am preparing myself with the top tips from Boots UK Stop Smoking.

 

Boots UK pharmacist Angela Chalmers knows that the key to any form of success is often preparation and has prepared these top tips to help you embark on the first week of your smoke free journey. I have found them really helpful. If you want to ask Angela a question you can do so via our comments section.

 

Tip 1: Quit your own way 

When you begin your smoke free journey, it is important that you know your smoking habits and chose a time to quit that is right for you. Many people find that starting their quit journey on a Wednesday is easier than starting on a Monday. Luckily the first day of Stoptober falls on a Wednesday this year!

 

If quitting on the first day of Stoptober is not right for you, then choose a time or day in the first week that best suits your lifestyle. If you tend to be a social smoker, then choose a time to quit that doesn’t clash with a social gathering – for example quitting a day before your best friend’s big birthday or a close family celebration might not be the best time for you! Remember that Boots pharmacists are available to provide advice and support at any time and stage of your smoke free journey.

 

 

Tip 2: Know your smoking triggers 

Breaking a smoking habit is difficult as it’s often a part of your daily routine and something you may tend to do without even thinking about it. However, more often than not there are factors that can trigger these habits or make you want to smoke. For some people it goes hand in hand with a night out, for others it may be part of their morning coffee routine. It is important to know what your triggers are so you can put a strong plan of action in place to help you avoid them while you are on your smoke free journey.

 

Replacing your triggers with a different healthy habit can also help. For example, if you usually smoke after meals then maybe think about replacing that cigarette with a brisk walk to the end of your road or drinking a glass of water.

 

Many people worry about weight gain as they often confuse their cravings for hunger and increase their food and snack intake. If you’re worried about weight gain talk to a stop smoking advisor who can give you tips on eating right and exercising so that weight gain is minimal. Things that could help:

 

  • Drink an extra glass of water after meals to keep you feeling full
  • Snack on as many fruits and veggies as you want – something crunchy like baby carrots or an apple, can sometimes be very satisfying
  • Keep your hands busy with something besides food!

 

 

Tip 3: Swap smoking for a new hobby  

It is normal to get a little irritable when you quit smoking. Why not distract yourself by taking up a new hobby such as learning a new language, trying a new recipe or playing sport? By keeping yourself busy you are more likely to reach your smoke free goal as well as learning something new. Or you could simply get round to doing something you’ve been meaning to do for a while – clearing out your wardrobe, putting up a new shelf, even cleaning the windows?! Creating a list of all the things you want to do and then ticking something off that list (even the smallest thing) can you give you a great sense of achievement!

 

It’s also important to think positively (it’s easier said than done, we know!). However, rather than seeing quitting smoking as giving up something you love, taking up a new hobby or activity can help you to associate it with a new fresh start and a much more positive way of thinking that will help you to stay motivated.

 

 

Tip 4: Don’t give up giving up 

Many smokers try on more than one occasion to give up cigarettes. If you have a smoking relapse, try not to be disheartened. Instead, examine what caused you to smoke again, so that you can look out for the signs and find a way to overcome this on your next attempt. Remember that giving up smoking is not easy and celebrate each day that you remain smoke free. Sometimes a visual tracker can help. Why not buy a wall planner or calendar on which you can cross off each smoke free day so you can see how well you are doing and increase your confidence in yourself?

 

 

Tip 5: Reward yourself

Don’t be too hard on yourself! Giving up smoking is a huge challenge and each day that you stay smoke free is an achievement – something many people strive to achieve. In fact, 61% of smokers say quitting smoking is one of their lifetime’s ambitions so make sure your celebrate, perhaps by setting yourself small targets and treating yourself when you reach them.

 

Remember – one of the best benefits of stopping smoking (aside of course from the health improvements) is all of the money you will save! Use this to reward yourself with a treat or something fun. This could be a pampering new make-over to show of how great you look now that you are smoke free, a new wardrobe or even a weekend trip away.

 

#bootsukstoptober 

Sponsored Post.

 

 

Why Mothers Stop Breastfeeding

Posted on by

GentleIt’s not your imagination– all babies go through a difficult period around the same age. Research by Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. and Dr. Hetty van de Rijt Ph.D., authors of The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases Into Magical, has shown that babies make 10 major, predictable, age-linked changes – or leaps – during their first 20 months of their lives taking place around weeks 5, 8, 12, 19, 26, 37, 46, 55, 64 and 75. During this time, they will learn more than in any other time. With each leap comes a drastic change in your baby’s mental development, which not only affects his mood, his health, sleeping patterns and the “three C’s” (crying, clinging and crankiness) but also… babies drinking and comfort seeking habits. Unfortunately these Wonder Weeks are often a reason for moms who do not know about these wonder weeks, to stop breast-feeding their child.

With every new wonder week a baby gets a totally new perception of the world. Every Wonder Week is like waking up on a strange planet. A baby did not ask for this, did not see it coming, but suddenly this whole new world was there. What would you do? You would retreat to a well-known and safe place. For a baby that is mom. How would you do that? By literally clinging to your mom. Being one with her, holding on tight and the best way to do that would be via literally sucking yourself to your mom. This is where breast-feeding and Wonder Weeks meet. Whilst on the one hand Wonder weeks are in fact something good and signal progress in development, on the other hand, when the Wonder Weeks are misunderstood, they are often the reason moms give up breastfeeding.

“My daughter was crying so much that I was afraid something was terribly wrong. She wanted to breastfeed constantly. I took her to see the pediatrician, but he couldn’t find anything wrong with her. He said he just needed to get used to my milk and that many infants went through a similar crying phase at 5 weeks. I thought that is was a strange thing to say, because she hadn’t had any problems with my milk until then. Her cousin, who was the same age, kept crying, too, but he was being bottle-fed. When I told the doctor that, he pretended he hadn’t heard, I didn’t push the subject though. I found out about wonder weeks later on, but I keep on wondering why nobody told me about these wonder weeks earlier.” – Julitte’s mom, 5th week

Wonder Weeks and the milk doubting moms:

Wonder Weeks: One of the reasons mothers stop breastfeeding? As the baby gets more Clingy, Cries more and is more Cranky during a wonder week, many mothers start doubting themselves. Are they doing something wrong? If a baby wants to drink so often, does this mean they do not have enough milk? Or is their milk not good enough? Moms who know their baby is in a wonder week, don’t doubt themselves or their milk.

“Around the third wonder week my daughter suddenly started nursing less. After 5 minutes, she would start playing around with my nipple. After that had gone on for two weeks, I decided to start supplementing my milk with formula, but she wouldn’t have any of that either. This phase lasted 4 weeks. During that time I worried she would suffer from some kind of nutrition deficiency, especially when I saw my milk supply starting to diminish. But now she is drinking like she used to again, and my milk supply is as plentiful as ever. Now I know this is normal behavior during a wonder week. I never doubted my milk again since I know when these wonder weeks are.”
– Hannah’s mom, 19 th week.

Wonder Weeks and the exhausted moms:
Even the moms not doubting their milk sometimes give up breastfeeding. Simply because the impact of the leap on the behavior of their child is wearing them out. The moms that know about Wonder Weeks tend to be less exhausted as they know what is happening and that Wonder Weeks are actually a good thing.

Wonder Weeks and the mom of a six month old:
One of the most difficult leaps is the one of relationships, around six months after due date. The exact same time breast milk alone is not enough anymore and most parents start to give solid food as well. Mom is exhausted from the leap, doesn’t sleep or sleeps very poorly, while at the same time her child needs food. Just days after giving the first ‘meals’, the baby is in a much better mood. Often moms explain this whole sequence of events wrongly and seem to think their child was in need of other milk than theirs. While in fact the child just went through another leap and finished the leap when he turned six months.

Wonder Weeks and nipple cracks or abrasions:
Pain is, logically, one of the reasons moms want to stop feeding their child. When a child is in a Wonder Week he wants to drink many times more often than is normally the case. As this is one of the only times a baby is quiet, a mom doesn’t really pay as much attention to the feeding process as she normally would. Often resulting in wrong feeding positions, resulting in i.e. cracked nipples.

Making parents aware of Wonder weeks will enable parents to understand their baby’s behavior much better and will help many moms to continue feeding their child and to make sure these Wonder Weeks are not a reason to give up.

Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. and Dr. Hetty van de Rijt Ph.D. discovered the leap phenomenon while studying chimpanzee mother infant relationships in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania, East-Africa together with Jane Goodall. They are the authors of the book The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases Into Magical

Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. is always willing to educate professionals about these Wonder weeks, or answer questions via Skype or email. He regularly has Skype sessions with moms around the world.

 

 

Swearing at Motorists – Burn Down the Wire EP | Music Review

Posted on by

Swearing at Motorists – Burn Down the Wire EP

Dave Doughman is a tough man to please if Wikipedia is to be believed. According to the website, always an infallible source of information, the Swearing at Motorists singer has seen 16 changes of drummers during the band’s 17 year existence.

S@M were originally formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1995 when Doughman teamed up with Don Thrasher, formerly of lo-fi kings Guided by Voices and since then he’s averaged one new drummer per year. Impressive too considering that “Burn Down the Wire” is the band’s work since 2006.

This four-song EP begins with the lovely Stop, Drop & Roll, which is typical S@M, built around Doughman’s scraggly voice with him strumming away with a beautiful melodic guitar sound. This is trademark ‘motorists. A cover of The Smiths’ “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” gets put through the mincer and comes out rather nicely with the trademark S@M sound – often described as “the two-man Who”. I know I’m supposed to but I couldn’t have put it better myself.

It’s a lovely offering and one that you hope will be followed by more. And more. What the band do best is good songwriting, vocals that are at times angry and at others fragile and a mix of melodic guitar and skuzzy garage rock riffs. Imagine Thin Lizzy mixed with Queens of the Stone Age and you’re close.

Has it been worth the 6 year wait? Burn Down the Wire’s splendid but a mere morsel at four songs short and so hard to judge on that basis. A bit like when you’re thirsty – the quality of the water’s hard to tell with any clarity, you just need to ingest it quickly. Anyway, I’m still thirsty – more please Dave!

Burn Down the Wire is out now via http://swearingatmotorists.bandcamp.com/album/burn-down-the-wire

7 Burglary Prevention Tips for Your Summer Vacation

Posted on by

Warm weather is finally here, and you might be planning your summer vacation. Here are a few tips — some you might not have thought of — for making sure your possessions are still there when you get back:

1) Do not post about your vacation on Facebook until after you get back. If that takes more discipline than you can muster, at the very least keep your location status off any public social networking pages. Many burglars use these sites to identify “safe” targets.

2) Make your home look lived in. A light on a timer is a great first step. You can buy a small device called “FakeTV” that simulates the light output of a television ($35 at http://www.faketv.com), making it look like you are home watching TV each evening. The effect is so convincing that your neighbors may later ask if you really went on vacation.

3) Don’t leave obvious signs that the house is unoccupied. Stop the mail and paper, or have a neighbor take it in. Arrange for lawn care as needed. And don’t leave notes on the door! (“Dear thieves …”)

4) Make your home hard to get into. You need good locks. Your hidden outdoor key is probably not as cleverly hidden as you think it is. So, get to know your neighbors, and leave the key with them. Let them know you will be gone, and have them keep an eye out during your absence. If you have an alarm system, by all means use it. Amazingly, many people forget to set the alarm. Conversely, do not think that an alarm system makes you invulnerable. Burglars can still cause you a great deal of misery in a smash-and-grab robbery, leaving before the police can respond. Park a car in the driveway, but be sure to take out the garage door opener first.

5) Remove obvious temptations. Take a walk around your property and make sure you cannot see any easily pawned valuables through uncovered windows. Are there any ladders left out, or particularly easy or well-concealed access points?

6) Prepare for the worst. If your computer were stolen, what might the consequences be? For most of us, this would be dire indeed. So, back up and password protect. Make a quick run-through around the house with a video recorder, listing off the valuables. This could save a lot of hassle with the insurance company if you should need to file a claim.

7) Strike the right balance. Only you can make the trade-off between security measures and the burdens they impose. You may wish to place irreplaceable items in a secure location, such as a fireproof safe. This can include expensive jewelry, family photos, and financial records. Your insurance policy is up to date, right? Also, label your possessions with your name. An engraver is best, but a Sharpie is a lot better than nothing.

The good news is that only two out of a hundred homes will be burglarized in any given year. The bad news, and this is intended to jump-start you into a bit of action, is that for those two homes that are burglarized, the effects of the intrusion are often devastating. The average burglary costs $1750, and a whole lot of peace of mind. Ask anyone who has had a break-in; they never look at their home quite the same again.

Security is a mindset, and need not be a great burden. Fortunately, your security measures do not need to be perfect. Most crime is opportunistic, and if the guy down the street failed to take a few simple precautions, his house (poor chap!) is more likely to draw the attention of the thief than yours. And frankly, there are no measures that can stop the most determined criminals. So, just take a few simple steps to improve your odds and peace of mind. It will make your getaway that much more relaxing.