Category: Collaborations

In collaboration with London City Smiles.

I have six porcelain veneers and three  crowns, so dental treatment is something I am very familiar with, and if someone has teeth that stops them living life happily, and can afford it, I am all for getting a smile fixed.  in my twenties, I never used to smile, or I’d cover my mouth, in an attempt to hide my horribly crooked teeth.  When I was a child, our dentist never gave us the option for a brace and it wasn’t the done thing where I grew up.

Instead of expensive jewellery or clothing at  milestone birthdays, I chose either another crown or veneer, and I don’t regret that in the slightest.  The ability to smile without grimacing or hiding my mouth was life changing for  me.  I can safely say, that if I could manage it, and my crowns failed, and couldn’t be replaced, I’d seriously consider more cosmetic dentistry.

———————————–

From London City Smiles:

Dental implants are often the first choice of treatment for both the patient and the cosmetic dentist, when looking to restore heavily damaged teeth. This is because the method offers many clear advantages to the patient.If you are wondering whether or not dental implants are the ideal solution to your tooth troubles, take a look at some of the clear advantages of dental implants, to geif t your smile back to its best.

The Look

Dental implants are fantastic for people suffering from severely damaged teeth that are in need of radical restoration. Implants look and feel incredibly natural, giving a patient the perfect smile, and integrate nicely with any natural teeth remaining in the mouth. Dental implants also help retain the face’s natural shape and smile, whereas a face without teeth appears sunken in and saggy. Dental implants allow wearers to be confident about their appearance.

The Function

Dental implants function exactly like natural teeth and offer patients the ability to chew, talk, and keep teeth firmly in the mouth, as opposed to dentures, which require nightly removal, and often shift and slide, limiting the patient on the foods they can eat and making it necessary to use other products to keep them secure.

When opting for dentures, patients may experience small issues with many everyday occurrences, including laughing, kissing, singing or coughing, not to mention the restriction to wearers from experiencing the full flavour of their food, as the plate covers the roof of the mouth.

Durability

Durability is not much of a concern at all when considering dental implants, as they are far and above the most durable of all reparative or restorative dental treatment plans. Dental implants make an excellent long-term solution, needing only periodic readjustments to last an entire lifetime, where other treatment options only have an average lifespan of five to ten years before requiring replacement. 

Another major benefit to dental implants is they cannot develop cavities, which means even less maintenance for the wearer, and they essentially bring an end to all tooth pain and sensitivity, which is sure to please any patient. As permanent and strong as dental implants are, it is important to have a regular care plan that includes daily brushing and flossing, as with a natural tooth, and have regularly scheduled dental visits so a dentist can inspect and care for it.

Protect your Natural Teeth and Bone

Having missing spaces in your mouth left from extracted teeth can cause deterioration of the jawbone, as there is no tooth there to support it. Dental implants provide the only solution to this problem, because it actually stimulates bone growth and help prevents bone loss, preserving the natural landscape of the patient’s mouth.

Patients who use dental bridges expose their natural teeth to damage, due to the grinding that occurs from the hardware sitting on the teeth. Erosion and damage can lead to losing even more teeth and needing to replace the bridge to accommodate, creating somewhat of a cycle. Dental implants instead are independent and have no damaging effect on any natural teeth remaining in the mouth.

Using implants also helps prevent the remaining teeth from shifting and becoming misaligned due to there being an empty space.

It is very easy to see that when extensive restoration work is required dental implants are a more than worthwhile long term investment, and allows wearers to have attractive teeth that function as natural ones, being as minimally disruptive as possible, allowing for a perfectly normal lifestyle, and allowing patients to have complete confidence in the look and performance of their teeth.

Article supplied by London City Smiles – specialists in Dental Implants and Cosmetic Dentistry procedures.

In collaboration with Mercury Packaging.

In days gone by, before the widespread uptake of health and safety concerns, food packaging could well contain many substances that were harmful to human beings of which we were largely unaware. But as recently as 2014, the Food Packaging Forum of Zurich found evidence of 175 dangerous chemicals in packaging, which, it said, could leach into the encased foods and could affect hormone production, sperm count, and growth. However, the UK Food Standards Agency sought to reassure consumers by stating that all food packaging meets European standards and that any chemicals are used within set ‘limits or restrictions’. So should we be more concerned about this issue?

Chemicals and other toxic substances found in packaging

Here are a few examples of some of the chemicals that are bad for us:

• Bisphenol A – sometimes found in reusable plastic food containers and the lining of some drinks cans. Exposure to BPA has been shown to have a link to breast cancer.
• Phthalates – linked to cancer and male infertility, these are found in some plastic food containers.
• Styrene – a component of Styrofoam disposable food trays and drinks containers, like coffee cups. The styrene can leach into food when heated and is possibly carcinogenic.
• PVC – used in the production of food packaging and can release vinyl chloride into the air or wastewater during production. It has long had a reputation for being carcinogenic, particularly among workers involved in its manufacture. PVC is especially toxic if it catches fire.
• Benzophenones – component of printing inks and plastics that are used for food wrapper coatings.

Ironically, European regulations state that these chemicals – which come under the criteria of ‘substances of very high concern’ – should be registered and authorised for use, as they are in toy manufacture but not in food packaging production.

How you can protect yourself from harmful chemicals

• Don’t drink out of a plastic or Styrofoam container if you can help it – transfer to a mug or glass. Don’t heat up food in plastic or coated paperboard containers – place takeaway food onto a proper plate.
• In the home, store foodstuffs like flour and sugar in glass, steel or ceramic containers and never in plastic containers.
• Buy food from markets or natural food stores when possible and bring it home in your own cotton or linen shopping bags – avoid plastic bags.
• When shopping for meat products and pies, for example, buy from a local butcher whenever possible as they will be sold ‘loose’, not packaged.
• Avoid cans, cartons and plastics whenever you possibly can but otherwise keep them away from heat sources in order to prevent leakage of chemicals from their linings into the contents.

Over the last few years many studies have shown the obvious connection between chemicals in food packaging and the effect on human health; one US study proved that by avoiding plastics and eating mostly fresh food, the levels of chemicals in the body could fall by more 50%.

So if it is not possible to avoid packaging altogether, at least limiting your exposure to it will be beneficial to health in the long term.

Guest post supplied by Mercury Packaging, leading UK food packaging printers and designers.

 

In collaboration with Retro Sweet.

Year after year, whether it is for a birthday or Christmas, we get into a rut of what presents we can give to people. We give presents all year round for various types of occasions, with some more personal than others, and it can be difficult to think of something creative and exciting to give, especially if you are buying for the same person over and over.

With flowers and jewellery often being among the most popular presents, why not think outside the box this time? Be inspired by a range of unique and innovative gifts that are bound to get people talking!

Sweet tooth

You can often reach a person’s heart through their stomach; food is always a great gift and shops everywhere often provide big hampers full of goodies especially when it gets closer to Christmas. Keeping this in mind, why not choose a food-based gift but with a bit of a twist and give something that’s a little bit different?

Sweets are the solution, tapping in to everyone’s sweet tooth and temptation to treat themselves. But not just any sweets; to really give your gift an edge, why not choose sweets that bring back memories and give the recipient something to talk about and get excited over?

Gift for every occasion

Giving something like a collection of sweets put together in some sort of nice display, like a sweet hamper, is a suitable present for nearly every occasion possible. Whether it is Christmas, saying thank you or congratulations, or even Valentine’s Day, giving sweets may sound simple but can actually be an impressive gift.

Likewise, choosing something like a hamper of sweets is suitable for a close friend, family member or even a colleague as it evokes a sense of nostalgia and gathers up a bit of excitement as the receiver remembers how old they were or where they were when they used to eat sweets!

Nostalgic sweets

It would be safe to say that everyone loves some sort of sweet, whether it is a chocolate bar from decades gone by or a little bag of mixed sweets that they used to eat when they were younger. Regardless of whether you know what the recipients’ favourite sweets are, you could fill your sweet hamper with anything and you can guarantee they will find something they like! Likewise if you are buying for someone you do not know very well and have no idea what their hobbies are, sweets are the perfect solution.

There are huge varieties of sweets available, whether you want old fashioned sweets from 30 years ago or if you like the classic pick n mix style sweets that are still around today, and they can even be personalised to ensure that your gift has that something extra.

The idea of a sweet hamper as opposed to the usual popular gifts that we receive regularly is something that will probably be unexpected, especially if it is personalised too! If you’re interested in buying someone that extra special, unique present for their big day, get in touch with suppliers of nostalgic and exciting sweets like Retro Sweet.

In collaboration with M and M Direct.

This is one of the most challenging things I face on a yearly basis.

I don’t know my own dad very well at all, and despite having to help him cope with his dementia, I still haven’t got to know him well.  On top of that, my own brother is one of those people who isn’t either vain, nor greedy, and even my husband doesn’t believe in the cheer of Christmas presents, so finding something that’s both suitable and functional, always ends up being difficult to do.

Here are some ideas for suitable presents to give the dad  / brother / husband / son in your life this year.

Personalised Items

We can personalise almost anything nowadays, and with a little time, there’s plenty opportunity to get something nicely done, and that includes chocolate.

For the man child portion of our family, I tend to go for new footie training boots, and sometimes get their initials embroidered on the side.  It costs £10 more, but the kids feel special.

For my husband, he might appreciate a bottle of personalised whisky, or crystal glass to drink it from.  He might also like golf tees, a new wallet, or an engraved pen.

Think of what the mean in your life do.  A friend of ours is cheese mad, and always has a selection of smelly cheese and crackers out when friends visit.   I just know that he’d appreciate a good quality cheeseboard with his name on it.

Practical Gifts

I’m not talking about a screwdriver set, nor a new tub of paint for the hall that needs decorating.  I mean something they’ll appreciate and is also something needed for the season.  

A lovely padded jacket always seems a good idea at this time of year.

This gorgeous Timberland Mens Quilted Primaloft Insulated Jacket seems a good buy to me.  It’s been reduced to £54.99, which I think is a good price, and good quality jackets are pretty much a necessity up here in Aberdeen.  In winter it gets pretty chilly…..

On the same practical lines, sensible boots are a good idea too, especially if you know the brand and sizes that fit.

How about some lovely Men’s Timberland Boots for cold and miserable weather.

I know these Cupsole Chukka Boots would go down a treat with my boys.

Novelty Gifts

If the men in your life are the type who have everything they need anyway, the temptation to buy socks, boxers, or cheap aftershave is very high indeed.  It’s easy to walk around the supermarket and throwing a couple of cheap toiletry sets into the trolley.

My husband has received some horrors of gifts, that sometimes get paraded our for a laugh, which is exactly what the giver intended to do.  One year, he even found himself with a roll up magnetic dart board and a Henry desktop vacuum.

There’s always room for a small gift that gives a giggle.

Handmade Goodies

We are quite a handmade type of family.  I make my own candles, and we often make jewellery items for other people to enjoy.

I used to give candles away as presents, but these days, for men, home made gifts are more likely to be some resin enamel cufflinks that I put into a nice box, or some melt and pour soap that I put into a lovely bag and wrap it up with colourful ribbons.

 

 

Five interesting and clever ways to show off kids creativity in the home, in collaboration with the removals furniture storage team at Removal Services Scotland.  

————————————————————

Why don’t you display your children’s talent and show their skills around the house?  

As well as being proud of what they’ve produced, their work will be on display for their friends and family, to admire at every visit.  

If your children are shy, display the handiwork in their bedrooms, or even inside a cupboard, where they can pop in and admire their work in secret.

1. The wall of frame.

This is a great idea if you have some spare frames lying around, as every good piece of imagination needs framed and displayed, especially if it’s made by the hands of our little ones.  

Hanging our kids artwork on the walls, makes their creations look neater and more professional.  If you also adorn the frames with some nifty colours, the artwork will take on a whole new impression from a distance.    

Having some self decorated frames around is always a good idea.  It makes swapping out artwork – quick and easy, as their skill and dedication for new and often intriguing pieces of art change focus.    

2.  Let them draw on the walls.

I hear you all gasp loudly….

Despite our little ones affinity for scribbling on every surface possible from a very young age, drawing on walls is usually the stuff of parents worst nightmares.  If a sense of carefree abandon hits squarely between the eyes, and you choose to go down this route, you can show off their creativity in a controlled area.  

Option 1

Draw outlines on the wall and let their minds go wild.  They can be as creative as they wish, filling in the shapes with every shade of colour imaginable.  

Option 2

If you don’t want to draw straight onto your walls, why not buy a large canvas and decorate it together.  As well as enjoying some quality family time, your joint artwork can then be hung in pride of place on their walls.  If you’re very adventurous, your children could decorate a canvas that you’ve already nailed in place, with a modern abstract concept.  

3. Personalised fridge magnets / book-marks.

Every parent knows that the fridge is where artwork goes….  

Why not spice it up a little, by having their little masterpieces turned into personalised magnets, or as book-marks that can hang on the fridge, always there, always ready for the next excursion into a good book.  

Good reading habits start early, and using the magnets and book-marks as presents for their friends and relatives, can kill two birds with one stone.  Grandparents will definitely love a gift with a personalised touch.

4. Get creative with seasonal decorations.

Christmas is a time for creativity.  More than any other time of year, it’s when families can come together with great ideas for decorations, and presents everyone will love during the festivities.

Coming home from school with new craft skills they’ve learned is a common theme among children in the run up to Christmas.  Make the most of those skills, whether they’re making a paper holly wreath, paper chains, or little decorations for the tree.  Kids love to show of those new abilities.  

Whether it’s painted autumn leaves on the window, decorating Easter eggs or at Christmas time you are all bound to get in the holiday spirit and everyone will see how talented your children are.

5. Show off their baking skills.

Not all creativity needs to be shown in an artistic way.  As well as crafts like sewing, model making and even making loom band models, there’s something for everyone, but the one thing we all do….is eat.  Baking sweet treats and helping to make decorative meals, can show off new skills, as well as helping with mealtimes.

Let’s face it, what kid doesn’t love to get messy in the kitchen, so put a smile on their faces with a little help from specialist cookbooks and online recipe sources.  

Image Courtesy of Removal Services Scotland

Today’s guest post is in collaboration with Ridgeons.  It’s coming to the holiday time again, in the second part of the year, where we wonder where the time has flown, and how we’re going to do everything in time.  I have to say, I think every girl should have a drill and a few screwdrivers tucked away in a tool box.

——————

The holidays are one of the few times a year that all corners of the family have the chance to spend quality time together. That means that the months leading up to it are the opportune time to make any improvement to the home that you’ve been putting off lately. Here are five simple repairs anyone can do.

Squeaky Hinges

A squeaky door hinge is bearable with just few people in the home, but with a full house constantly moving between rooms it can quickly become gruelling. Fortunately, it’s a quick fix. Spray a little WD-40 onto the hinges and then move the door back and forth to work in the lubricant. If this doesn’t work, you could also try rubbing petroleum jelly directly onto the hinges.

Slamming Doors

Equally annoying can be slamming doors, especially if you have excited kids running around. You can soften the blow by affixing a one or two pieces of felt pads inside the door frame. If you forget about this one, and don’t have time to run to the shops, hook a wide rubber band around the doorknobs on both sides, making sure it doesn’t cover the latch. This will help to cushion the impact.

Peeling Wallpaper

Noticed that edge of wallpaper starting to peel out of the corner of your eye lately? Peel the paper back until you reach the point that it’s securely attached to the wall. Now use a small paintbrush to apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the loose piece. Once reattached, smooth it down with a clean cloth, being careful to remove any air bubbles that have formed.

Dry Chopping Boards

With all of those vegetables to prepare for the big meal, it might be time to bring new life to that chopping board of yours. If it has any deep cuts, you might want to sand these down as they’ll trap food and make it more difficult to clean later on. User a sander like those available here. Wooden boards will also start to dry out over use so warm a bottle of mineral oil in some hot water. Wipe the oil onto the surface with a soft cloth and then wipe off the excess a few hours later.

Stained Bathtub

If you have any stains in your bathtub that don’t seem to disappear no matter how hard you scrub, try speeding up the process with the help of a little white vinegar. Pour in three cups along with some hot tap water and the let the tub fill up over the stain. Give it a few hours to soak and then when you let the water drain out any stains should easily scrub off.

Have any alternate tips yourself? Let us know all about them in the comments below.

This guest post is brought to you in collaboration with Just Miniatures.  I know, I know, it’s only September, but I’ve already bought some of my gifts for this year, otherwise I’d never make it through the holiday season.

—————-

The Christmas stocking might seem like the easiest gift to handle come Christmastime, especially as you don’t have to faff about with all that wrapping paper and sellotape. But then when the time comes to put the stocking together you can often find that you don’t have enough small gifts to fill the space.

Every year it can be a challenge to come up with creative ways to fill Christmas stockings, especially if you continue the tradition as your kids get older and their tastes change, or if you do stockings for the entire family – adults included. Here’s a guide to make the Christmas stockings just that little bit easier this year, and help you find great gifts for all the family.

A New Hobby

We think of stocking gifts as little, fun, throwaway items that will probably end up in the bin – or eaten – after a few months; and while this type of stocking gift most definitely has a place, it can be nice to include some more long-term gifts – such as something to start up a new hobby.

There are a huge amount of options when it comes to hobby gifts, for example you could include a little ceramic plant pot and a packet of vegetable seeds so your kids can start growing their very own crops, albeit on a tiny scale. You could also go for a starter kit of magic tricks to learn – they’ll love putting on a show for all the family.

For slightly older kids who already have hobbies, you can always include items to make their current hobbies more enjoyable, for example if they’re really into sports then you could add a pair of headphones specifically designed to stay put during activity. For big kids – aka the husband – you could go for a poker set so he can teach himself to play, and then have game night with his friends once the festivities are over.

Don’t Forget the Edibles!

 Sweets and treats are pretty standard stocking fare as they’re guaranteed to be a hit with all ages. Whether it’s the traditional Satsuma and walnut, or something more avant garde like a gift voucher to their favourite restaurant, there should always be something delicious in a stocking – Christmas is a time of guilt-free indulgence.

For younger kids go with a gift pack of their favourite sweets, as well as a few surprises that they might not have tried before – even if they end up not liking them, it’s an exciting experience to discover and try new things. For slightly older kids you can include things like jelly cubes in interesting flavours, international sweets that they won’t have seen before, or bake mix – an activity and a treat!

For avid chefs a good wild-card option is to include a Christmas themed recipe book, and maybe a little ingredient kit for one of the recipes so they can get straight in the kitchen. Finally for adults include some of their favourite chocolate, a selection box of truffles, and other snacks – including savory ones like beef jerky. Don’t forget to include a little of their favourite tipple from a company like Just Miniatures… well it is Christmas after all.

In collaboration with Proline.

The new term is well and truly upon us, and the novelty of the school run may be wearing off. It’s easy to keep kids entertained on the school run for the first few days of the new school year, but as the days start to drag on they might get a little bored – making it much more of a slog for them and for you.

It’s a great idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve for those difficult days, to help ease the stress and bring the fun back into the school run. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Try a New Route

As the old saying goes a change is as good as a rest, so by varying the route you can avoid the drudge of the same old route. Consider making the most of the seasons when picking your route, for example if it’s Autumn try and walk past a horse chestnut tree and grab a couple of nice shiny conkers to play with.

If it’s spring, maybe take a route with some lovely blossom or daffodils to admire. Don’t be afraid to take a slightly longer route, just make sure you leave enough time to get to school for their morning registration – if you’re concerned about the time maybe save the different route for the trip home.

Take Entertainment

If changing the route isn’t really an option, think about taking some entertainment with you.

This is particularly good if your child is off to school for the first time and is a little anxious, as they’ll find it comforting to bring something familiar from home with them.

Most schools have rules about not bringing in stuff from home though, so if you do this make it clear to your child that you’ll look after the toy once they get to school. For the school run itself a small toy car is a great idea, as they’ll be loads of varied surfaces for your child to run it along and create their own imaginary racetrack.

You could also consider a small pair of binoculars for them to spot wildlife – or a magnifying glass for them to look at insects close up. Exploration is a fantastic way to stimulate your child’s imagination, and will make the school run fly by.

Another great option is to grab some wheels – maybe a scooter, or check out Proline Skates for a great range of heelys that your kids will absolutely love.