Life Style

Christmas is approaching fast, and with it, a whole lot of stress — and a whole lot of rubbish. The festive season is one of the most wasteful times of the year. There’s the discarded trees and the mountains of wrapping paper that come with the mass unboxing of presents on the Big Day. It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to doing your bit for the planet. Fortunately, it’s possible to be green without going out of your way to make it happen — all it takes is a bit of preparation. Here’s how.Re-use your wrapping paper Nick Ansell/PA WireTraditional Christmas wrapping is on the way out — and rightly so. Most of it isn’t even recyclable, which means that tonnes of the stuff ends up in landfill every year. Fortunately, the internet abounds with eco-friendly alternative wrapping,...

There is precedent for this: in 2019, Flo, a popular period and fertility-tracking app, was embroiled in scandal after allegations surfaced that it shared sensitive user data with third parties, including Facebook and Google, without proper user consent. Despite its promises to protect user privacy, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that Flo was transmitting intimate health details, such as pregnancy statuses and menstruation cycles, to analytics and marketing firms. In the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US, the controversy led to many American women deleting period tracking apps, amid anxiety that their data could be used against them in future criminal cases in states where abortion has been criminalised. Source link

What to give the man who seems to have everything for Christmas? Well, there is one thing which has thus far evaded David Beckham, despite being on his list year after year. It is of course, a spot on the New Year’s Honours list — or, more specifically, a knighthood. By now, it has become something of a national running joke that the 49-year-old former England captain has had a years-long campaign for his place amongst the knights of the realm. Brand Beckham has long been a hyper-public supporter of the monarchy, turning up to a host of royal events and famously queuing for 13 hours to pay his respects after the Queen’s death in 2022. And then, in 2013, a series of expletive-filled emails from Beckham were leaked, which slammed the Honours Committee which rejected him, as a bunch of "unapp...

Welcome to The Bigger Life Festival – where every session opens a door to possibility, every expert offers practical insights, and participants are inspired to take meaningful steps toward their goals.Starting January 27th, 2025, we're inviting you to explore the art of living well. Through carefully curated live online sessions, you'll delve into health, lifestyle, personal growth, and career development – each one designed to inspire and provide actionable tools to create your bigger life.Looking for a thoughtful gift idea? Treat someone to the inspiration and tools they need to make 2025 their best year yet with a Bigger Life Festival Pass.The full programme and expert lineup will be announced soon – don’t miss your chance to be part of this transformative experience.Designed for Your S...

‘Tis the holiday shopping season, and with Christmas fast approaching there’s no time like the present to get all your loved one’s gifts ticked off the list. Whether you’ve got an abundance of buys for friends and family still to get or you’re looking for that extra-special something to show your partner how much you care, we’re here to help with ideas. Women are arguably the easiest to buy for at Christmas. But if you’re struggling for inspiration, beauty gifts always go down well. We’ve found some beautifully wrapped made-for-pampering gift sets at L’OCCITANE, and for skincare-obsessives, you can’t beat the skin-rejuvenating products at Medik8 - with so many bestsellers.Fashion finds are another winning gift idea for women. If you can’t make the budget stretch to cashmere, try Gap’s Cash...

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Every December, Christmas traditions take over London – whether you’re in the mood for disappointing light switch-ons, stress-inducing shopping centre trips or Instagram-worthy ice rinks. Another Christmas tradition is that of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree. Since 1947, the people of Oslo have gifted London with a Norwegian spruce tree as a thank-you for Britain’s support during WWII. It’s a thoughtful gesture, but each year the tree provides Londoners with some light comic relief thanks to its appearance. On Monday, December 2, the 77th Norwegian spruce – also known as the Queen of the Forest – was erected, and it wasn’t long before the taunts rolled in. “It’s here. Well half of it anyway,” said one X user. “Hopefully it looks better when it’s up”,” said another of its flat branches,...

This new year, leave behind the pressure to be someone you're not and step into 2025 with quiet confidence. Introversion is not a weakness – it's a unique strength that can propel you to remarkable achievements when embraced fully.In this empowering 90-minute masterclass, personal branding expert Richard Etienne, a Masterclasses favourite, will help you embrace your introversion as a superpower. You’ll discover how to make an impact without being the loudest voice in the room and create a personal brand that feels authentic and effective – the perfect way to kick off your most confident year yet.Identify and overcome self-sabotaging habits and communication barriers. Define and strengthen your personal brand to stand out authentically. Promote yourself effectively, both online and in perso...

Electric car owners will have to pay thousands in luxury vehicle taxes starting next year.The news comes after October’s Budget, where it was announced there will be an increase to first-year tax rates for petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles in order to push consumers towards electric vehicles (EVs).Since 2020, zero-emission motors have been free from the fee, however, Labour is carrying out Tory plans to reinstate them starting in April.Which cars will be subject to the ‘luxury car tax’?The plans state that EVs with a list price of more than £40,000 that are registered after April 1 will be subject to additional vehicle excise duty (VED), much like traditional vehicles. It is due for five years from the beginning of the second year of ownership and will cost £425 annually.For the start of ...

Luban is harvested from the gnarled Boswellia Sacra tree, which grows in abundance in the sheltered Dhofar area. Using a special technique, with a knife called a Manqaf, a cut is made in the trunk, after which the sap slowly oozes out in tear-shaped droplets. Once it hardens, it is cut from the tree bark. At the height of the Frankincense Trail in the 4th century BC, it was one of the most precious commodities in the world – made immortal, of course, in the biblical story of the three wise men gifting it to baby Jesus. At the time, Dhofar’s ancient city of Sumhuram was a hub of activity with ships setting sail across the Arabian Sea, to trade the resin in the east, in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, and in the west, in Greece and Rome. Source link