by Jackie Brooks | Aug 26, 2016 | Fashion, Featured, GloBeauty, GloWellness
Choosing a wedding dress for yourself or a relative is a serious undertaking, in line with the big day itself.
I accompanied a close friend who was helping her daughter select a bridal gown and accessories this week, and approached it with great trepidation.
The young lady in question was a plus size 16 and had been fed with horror stories of all gowns being a size 6-10 with no support for ‘real women’ sizes and snooty shop assistants shaming you into crash diets and expensive designs.
Claire, the bride to be had booked an appointment with a local Wedding Shop, Love Me Do Brides in Park Street, Kingston.
I arrived early and as I had a long journey from my Buckinghamshire home, was dying to use the bathroom. I crept into the shop apprehensively, to be warmly greeted by two lovely ladies, who were ready to receive the bride to be and her companions. They pointed me to the restroom and then made sure I was comfortable on one of the squashy settees and offered me refreshments as it was a very hot day.
When the bride to be and her mum and auntie arrived – they were completely geared up to help in any way possible. They were also incredibly helpful in helping us to cuddle and feed Claire’s young four month old twins who were brought along to share the big occasion.
The bride to be was very quickly put at ease as she tried on the dresses, her size not even slightly an issue. In fact many of the dresses were too loose, and so her confidence was rapidly restored. They assured us that all sizes are catered for.
She tried on a total of ten dresses, and loved eight of them – but finally settled on a stunning lace featured gown, which enhanced her curves and accentuated her good waistline.
She explained to Jo, the personal dresser who had been designated to look after Claire for the hour’s slot, that she was on a Slimming World diet, and so was advised to have the final alterations done close to the Wedding Day as they had a seamstress on hand to turn it around in 24 hours. They even offered to do a last minute steam of the garment.
She rounded off the session by selecting a pair of lovely high heeled, cushioned satin shoes, for extra comfort, a tiara and a veil – the latter of which she hadn’t even considered.
As there was a sale in store, the total for the entire package was only £730. The dress had by chance been reduced from £1,200 to £599, the shoes were half price at £25 and the veil and tiara made up the rest.
Our young bride to be left the shop elated and full of confidence, a wonderfully successful outcome.
I had a chat to one of the partners, and she told me that although the outlet premises are neat, their stock is extensive and constantly updated. They have been going for eleven years – and I can see the reason for their success.
I am quite sure that many other bridal outlets provide an equally supportive service – but I would personally recommend this small Kingston upon Thames outlet – and it would even be worthwhile to make a special journey, however far away you are, as their unique approach and care would be hard to compare.
http://www.lovemedobrides.com/weddingdresses.aspx
by Dee | Aug 24, 2016 | Featured, General
The day has arrived and all the preparations are in place. Vaccinations and micro-chip booking has been made. I had been contacted by the breeders who have given me a five week free Insurance from the Kennel Club.
I am still checking out on the comparison websites the various pet insurance companies, and am still investigating which one is the most cost effective, without the hidden caveats eg the uplift in price after a period of time versus a fixed rate for years. I will report back to you when I have made a final decision.
Princess Milly is a golden Labrador puppy and when she finally arrived on Sunday, I had her cage comfortably fitted with a furry blanket and safe toys – all purchased from Pets at Home. I would recommend this pet outlet as they are completely geared up to new pet owners and have fantastic assistants who will reassure you and get you started on this exciting adventure.
I was lucky enough to find Nicola in the Maidenhead store who spent half an hour taking me around the various isles, and advising me exactly what to do and what to buy. She also worked within my budget and advised me for instance to buy scented nappy sacks at Asda which were cheaper than the Pets at Home poop bags. A breeder herself she also advised me to get tennis balls and squeaky toys which have already proved to work with the new puppy.
The breeders and my local kennel owner advised putting her in a cage overnight and ignoring her cries like a baby. I was really dreading this part of it, as I was never good at leaving my daughter to cry as a baby. But the first night I pulled the puppy cage into my bedroom – still locked the door but to my amazement Milly slept through the night and only woke early to let me know that she needed to go out for a toilet break.
I decided to take the first week with Milly with no other commitments, as my friendly local kennel owner and trainer had offered to assist me with the toilet training process for the first few days.
To my utter delight and amazement, Milly has had no accidents in the home as a result. It may sound tricky, but I have acted on the expert advice, and take her into the garden every hour, and as a result she is practically toilet trained after only three days. I do believe she had a good start with the breeders, but apparently any animal will welcome boundaries – as they feel nurtured in the same way that children respond to discipline.
A couple of useful tips – I have been setting Milly up by calling out ‘pee pee and paw paw’ as I take her outside and congratulating her when she does both. It has certainly worked so far.
My visit to Vets at Home yesterday for Milly’s vaccinations and micro-chip and flea and ringworm treatment went without a hitch. She received cuddles from the fabulous staff, and the vets bill was reasonable for the entire package, and I have taken out a monthly cover for flea treatment which includes nail clipping and a puppy check for around £14 per month.
My next appointment is in a month’s time, and even though I was warned that she would be quiet for the first 24 hours after her jabs, she has displayed no signs of distress, and will be ready for her first walk and social meet and greet with other doggie neighbours tomorrow.
Check back here for more Milly news next week – I will keep you fully updated.
Need some ideas on activities to do with your pooch? then check out Breedadvisor
by Olivia | Aug 18, 2016 | Featured, General, GloWellness
As Sweden moves to a six-hour working day to help increase productivity and make people happier – it begs the question of whether we are allowing enough time to implement the much publicized ‘work/lifestyle balance’ ethic across Europe and the UK.
Employers in Sweden have already made the change, with the claim to get more done in a shorter amount of time and ensure people have the energy to enjoy their private lives.
The new strategy is already proving a success with Toyota centres in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, having made the switch 13 years ago, with the company reporting happier staff, a lower turnover rate, and an increase in profits in that time.
Part of the deal is that staff members are not allowed on social media, meetings are kept to a minimum, and that other distractions during the day are eliminated – but the aim is that staff will be more motivated to work more intensely while in the office.
This shorter work day ensures that people have enough energy to pursue their private lives when they leave work –which can be difficult with eight-hour days.
So how long before the UK realizes that the often sluggish workforce is due to lack of stimulation and long hours, often spent with wasted energy from overly tired employees who have little or no energy for their family and offspring let alone any kind of social life.
The UK are certainly behind the times, and should take a tip from Europe where a German couple who were family friends, renegotiated with their bosses a four day week twenty years ago, to enable them to enjoy their country retreat for three days instead of two – and reported that it worked for both and their companies issued new employment contracts for both after a six month trial period.
So how long do we have to wait until our crusty outmoded system of employment and bullish employers realise that they are killing productivity and the entire British workforce.
For those of us who are or have worked in a strictly run office of employment, with an eight hour day, know that a lot of time is wasted with secret texting or sneaky fag breaks and a bellyful of resentment.
Do we really think Brexit will fix it for us, or are we going to fall deeper down the slippery slide to hellish employers and working conditions now that we won’t have Europe to inspire us into a less Dickensian working environment.
