by Dee | Jun 19, 2017 | Featured, Glo Arts & Entertainment, GloWellness
Tina Stubbs was inspired to create a series of Children’s Books – LIFE’S LITTLE BUGS – several years ago as a single parent with a young child. Tina had all the normal struggles to create a work/lifestyle balance, but was determined to bring her kids up to have values. As any parent will know, teaching our kids life’s basic life’s lessons comes without any rulebook, and so Tina decided to write her own.
Rather than chastising her offspring, she devised a route to their inner world that was both effective and educational and as her ideas expanded so did her characters and storylines, and she began to write them down and draw images to bring them to life.
This is how LIFE’S LITTLE BUGS was born, and how better than from a Mum who has developed it from start to finish, with her own children being the proof that this ingenious concept really works.
To give you a little taste of Tina’s innovative work, she has devised a series of bug characters to cover every aspect of a child’s life, from litter bugs to tummy bugs, bringing awareness and understanding of the rights and wrongs of behaviour, without the unnecessary pressure of heavy discipline and reprimand, but rather bringing in fun and reward.
Tina is now in a relationship herself and her partner suggested a year ago that she give up her day job and concentrate on LIFE’S LITTLE BUGS with his blessing and full support.
Tina had already achieved a London Art College diploma in children’s illustration and so was already on her way to realizing her ambition with LIFE’S LITTLE BUGS. She also went the extra mile and sought professional advice in health, hygiene and social behavior to enhance her vision and ensure that she covered all aspects of child education and learning from hygiene to awareness of the environment.
Her tenacity has already been rewarded with schools, dental surgeries, child minders and home education groups using LIFE’S LITTLE BUGS as their inspiration.
Tina has recently appeared on BBC Berkshire with Anne Diamond and has had the heads up from UK’s parenting expert Sue Atkins who tweeted that she simply ‘loved loved her books’.
Tina is now developing more characters, and feels that this is just the beginning. We have all read her wonderfully inspirational books at Glotime TV, and have to agree that the sky really is the limit for this brilliant new children’s author, and we are looking forward to observing her future and watching where she ventures with LIFE’S LITTLE BUGS.
Photo courtesy of https://emmareed.net/
See the full range of books here http://www.lifeslittlebugs.co.uk/
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by Naomi | Jun 16, 2017 | Featured, GloWellness
Father’s Day has always been a rather fragile subject in my household, as my Dad in particular has over the years always vowed not to be seduced by ‘commercial’ anniversaries, and urged us kids growing up to heed his warnings and not to fall into the trap of spending money unnecessarily or bowing to the consumer hedonists who turn our heads and burn holes in our pockets.
Did we listen – of course not, along with a host of other cautions, and I am glad that I did not take his advice on this one.
Nowadays my sisters and I always offer a token of appreciation to our Dad, who is thankfully still with us, and although now retired, enjoys a game of golf and is particularly proud of his garden. This makes our lives very easy when choosing gifts for him, as you can imagine.
But not all Fathers are the same, and we have listed below some quirky gifts for those Dads who are a bit more tricky to buy for.
Great for a first Father’s day celebration, get a personalised gift to help commemorate the occasion, such as these super soft pair of socks. For only £12.99, you can put a fantastic twist on this classic ‘Dad’ gift.
http://www.prezzybox.com/personalised-first-father-s-day-socks.aspx
Also available from prezzybox.com, they even cater to the dads of furbabies, with these awesome personalised socks from paw to hand.
http://www.prezzybox.com/personalised-father-s-day-socks-from-the-dog.aspx
If your dad is a master of the kitchen or at least trying to be, encourage this fun and exciting hobby with a gift set in the kitchen.
With a fun apron, father’s can have fun dressing up without the hassle. For only £15, you can choose this Superman character apron and give them the power to battle spices and defeat vegetables.
https://www.moonpig.com/uk/gifts/superman-character-apron-new/mens107/
A gift that can be shared and can also be uplifting and bring good memories is a pre-packed curry night pack at Moonpig.com for only £35.
https://www.moonpig.com/uk/gifts/the-curry-night-box/box440/
From seeds and grown plants to gardening tools, you can buy a gift to maintain a garden or inspire him to get outside and be healthy and creative.
From John Lewis for £49.49, get a pair of strong cutters, perfect for keeping plants and branches in order. Available in a smaller size for more delicate cutting, these loppers will make trimming plants easy and stress-free.
https://www.johnlewis.com/kew-gardens-telescopic-anvil-loppers/p2355191#media-overlay_show
If your father is a fan of technology, you can go the extra mile if you are feeling a bit flush and treat him to a new device, game and accessory or upgrade that old TV he refuses to fix. There are a host of options on this one, depending on your budget, and both Argos and John Lewis have some great offers.
http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5328457
https://www.johnlewis.com/electricals/televisions/c6000084?rdr=1
While gifts are always appreciated, WORDS are the most important element of Father’s Day, and you can express them in a card which he will keep forever.
After all we all know that Dad’s are eternally sentimental, and are likely to cherish a heartfelt message from their offspring which is worth more than anything money can buy.
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by Dee | Jun 14, 2017 | Featured, Glo Arts & Entertainment
When I heard that Yardbird was coming to Hackney Empire I was excited that such a warranted homage had been afforded to the late and great Charlie Parker, who has been an inspiration to so many Jazz artists since his untimely death in 1955.
I was also happy that it was taking place at the gritty and revered Hackney Empire, and couldn’t wait to get myself along to relish the wonderful music and tribute to the man.
Yardbird did not come up to my expectations, partly because it was a less of a pastiche on the hero’s talent and musical achievements, but more of a self-conscious attempt to articulate a rhetoric completely alien to the man’s own inner dialogue as a troubled Jazz genius fighting his own demons against a backdrop of racism and prejudice.
In spite of the flawed narrative, Lawrence Brownlee was immaculate in his portrayal of Charlie Parker, internalizing the agony of the musical genius and revealing his emotional turmoil with conviction. Angela Brown played Addie superbly, and we felt her frustration as she failed to safeguard the boy from the turbulence of the time.
Another failing for me was Daniel Schnyder’s musical score, which escaped the brilliance of Parker’s magic, with a more benign interpretation, tempering the very essence of the man and his successes.
References to Ellington, Gershwin and Blue Note boogaloo were stifled instead of celebrated, and I watched the discomfort of many who were dazed by the promise that had failed to provide.
I wondered if the intention was to delve into the fusions of the obscure, especially with the music, then why call it Yardbird, as the very title is misleading. Better to have named it with a more appropriate designation, as then we would know what to expect.
In conclusion, as Parker realizes that his very talent is the holy grail itself that he had so desperately been pursuing throughout his short life, we are reminded of what could have been if the author had pursued purity, but in not doing so, has failed to ignite an ever optimistic house at Hackney Empire, who have come to share the very essence of Charlie Parker.
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