by Dee | Feb 23, 2016 | Fashion, Featured
A real diversity of styles and influences decked the catwalk at London Fashion Week – with some great ideas for us high street consumers (or commoners) to stay on trend with the shades and shapes of the season stretching as far as Autumn/Winter 2016.
Eye catching is the name of the game, and Olivia Palermo donned some exciting bold patterns in midi length dresses with loosly flung cardies.
Ok, we are starting at a leather trench coat which is not a snitch at £175 but is an investment if you like the classic cut, and will actually last you for several seasons (or years!). This gorgeous leather coat is on offer in Miss Selfridge and will look good over jeans or a pencil skirt.
Available at www.missselfridge.com
If you want to go seventies you could go as far as a pair of Bell Bottoms in Zara at £39,99. Okay a bit over the top, but worth mentioning and think about it – this could be your big fashion moment to really shock your kids, or even your Mum who will remember wearing them back in the day. They are also rather flattering.
If you are shocked by the Bell Bottom idea, a more sensible suggestion would be a stripe trouser suit, influence Jasper Conran, you can pick up in River Island – the jacket is £60 and the trousers £38.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on shoes, and we have spotted some great buys at Miss KG for around £15.
Getting the idea? Well just a few suggestions, and I am sure with your own creativity you can elaborate and dress up any outfit with a seventies style skinny scarf from M and S at only £12.50 to complete the look.
http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk
by Dee | Feb 22, 2016 | Featured, General
As the nation comes together to create awareness for Mental Health in children, we are also at risk of sweeping everything under the carpet where our own psychological health is concerned.
The majority of us in the Western World are under enormous pressure to deliver unrealistic goals, whether at home or at work. We rarely have time to kick back or even know when to stop, and we all know the outcome of constant high pressure and the demands of everyday life.
Stressbusters come in many forms, and you may be surprised that they are easily accessible and completely effective. They don’t necessarily mean long treks to the gym or expensive holidays, but available on your own doorstep and may not cost anything at all.
Doing what you love is our first recommendation and music our first choice. Music is loved by most, and listening to your favourite band or composition, even for five minutes of any day will lift your spirits and regenerate your batteries.
If you think you don’t have time, then put on your headphones and listen as you are doing your housework or making your breakfast. You will be surprised at how different you feel. Such a simple tweak to your daily routine can make all the difference.
If you want to take it a step further, join a local choir or singing group, there are many throughout the UK, and there should be one in your area. So many people are singing the praises (excuse the pun) of being in a choir, some saying that it has transformed their lives, so if you love music and singing in the shower, take it to the next level and investigate your local group.
There is a wonderful group in West Bridgford Nottingham called the ‘tuneless choir’ who have come together for the sheer love of music and are blasting out in spite of sometimes hitting a bum note. One of its founder members Nadine says “The benefits of singing are well documented, it releases endorphins – the brain’s feel-good chemicals. And singing in a choir has been shown to have an even greater effect – it can reduce anxiety and depression, and increase life satisfaction.”
If you are in the same boat, why not form your own group – perhaps just with friends and family. You could have a whole heap of fun, and the laughter would certainly de-stress you.
Music therapy has been recognised as a health activity for a number of years, and more and more groups are springing up all over the UK in all areas of mainstream learning and for people suffering with stress or those with learning difficulties.
If you want something a bit different, Bell Ringing is a brilliant activity that reaches body and soul, one that is both emotional and physical, and it is an ancient art that is still enjoyed by thousands today. The Bell Ringers Society are aiming to officially make Bell Ringing a sport, because of its highly physical factor. For more information contact them on www.cccbr.org.uk.
If you are doing something you love and having a bit of fun, you will function so much better throughout the day.
After all, we all know that happiness is a great healer, and we are here to remind us all and hopefully make a difference to each of our lives.
by Dee | Feb 18, 2016 | Featured, General
As someone who has experienced therapy in adult life, it has been a relief to know that the endorsement of dealing with mental health difficulties in early childhood is now so readily recommended.
The Royal Family still have the strongest influence in our Society today, certainly in the UK, and similar to her own spiritual mentor and mother-in-law Princess Diana, Kate Middleton has chosen a ground breaking subject, Mental Health Issues in Children as her global debut.
For anyone who has experienced therapy or dealing with mental health issues in adulthood – you will know the pitfalls of addressing issues so late in life. It is known that if mental demons are not dealt with in childhood, they are put ‘on ice’ and left to manifest and grow bigger in later life. This is why it is imperative to tackle them at an early age.
As we deal with our own demons in life as grown ups, and they can present themselves in many ways. Perhaps as a self image issue or as bulimia itself. We blame the airbrushed photographs of models wearing size zero frocks, and of course this is a source, but it goes a lot deeper than that.
As National Eating Disorder Awareness week is coming up, I will give you an example. I have heard recently of a girl as young as ten who suffered from bulimia as she hated the way she looked. A beautiful young girl whose mental health was in question, but remained undetected by the parents for quite a while, who in this case were both loving and intelligent. It was her cry for help, but as soon as they had cottoned onto the fact that their daughter was in trouble, they then took action and dealt with it immediately.
Now, several years later, she is a stable healthy young woman who assists other kids and teenagers with similar issues. Her symptoms were recognised and dealt with early on, and the source identified. In her case it was bullying at school, having moved to a new area, but there are many other manifestations of mental problems in kids, and now it is something we will no longer sweep under the carpet.
The key to it is not to ignore any change in the behaviour of your little ones, and then be aware of any changes in your own family or home. A divorce, house move or change in circumstance can trigger a mental health issue, but that is not to say that you should or could avoid any of these life changing events.
On the contrary, it can be more damaging if you remain in an abusive relationship or are frustrated in your career, and are afraid to move because of affecting your kids education or surroundings. If you include your kids in your plans, they will feel part of the change and adapt more quickly. If you are honest with them, however difficult that is, and some parents hide the truth as protection for their offspring. But kids are canny and pick up on everything around them, make them feel part of what you are doing, and they will feel nurtured and valued.
Eliminate any elements of guilt from your own agenda. Just do the best you can to ensure the strength of your environment, and be as honest as you can with yourself and your kids, however painful.
I am not saying it is that simple, and many mental health issues in children stem from a host of unexplained origins, some of them biological. None of us are experts on the subject, not even the most revered mental health specialist knows all the answers.
All that we do know is – the earlier we tackle mental health issues in our children, the more chance they will have in recognising and dealing with problems in later life.
www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.ug
