Clare Macnaughton's Blog, page 27

Do Diet Pills Work?

If I had a super power it would be that I could eat as much as I want and not get fat. Or maybe it would be that I would have abs like steel but I didn’t need to work out? Or maybe it would be that at a twitch of my nose I could tidy my house and file or all my paperwork? I dream of being slimmer, fit, healthy, tidy and in control of the hamster wheel of chaos that currently is my life.

My lack of discipline and love of crisps threatens my ever-increasing waistline. I do manage to lose a few pounds and then I gain them right back with a boozy night nurtured the next day with warm, milky coffee and luscious, creamy carrot cake. I have never actually considered using diet pills before but I am wondering if something that helps curb my appetite or limits my carb intake, reduces my fat absorption could be the solution. Garcinia Cambogia is a popular ingredient in many diet pills at the moment with many sellers making wild claims. I read a critical review of one such product on HealthyCompare.com.

According to the NHS website diet pills are not the sole solution. There isn’t a magic pill that can be taken every day that will dramatically reduce your waistline and lessen the load on the scales and yet still continue to fill your face with cake and slouch on the couch. All of the research indicates that diet pills can accelerate weight loss if taken as part of a balanced diet with a regular exercise regime. I think it needs further examination because these pills don’t come without side effects. But to be honest what change doesn’t come without side effects. There are side effects to eating too much fried food, cakes and drinking alcohol too. Perhaps cake should come with a government health warning ‘a minute on the lips and a lifetime on the hips’ or even ‘little pickers leads to bigger knickers’.

So all I need to do really is eat more healthily, exercise more, manage my business well, write to all my copy deadlines, raise well-behaved, thoughtful children and stay on top of the housework. I wonder if there is a pill that will help me manage all that. It feels like a diet pill are not enough what I really is need ‘a get your life in order’ pill. I wonder where you buy those?

 

 

 

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Real Life: Boiling in BATUS and Deadline-tastic

Hagar’s gone to Canada for three weeks to boil on the prairie with the tankies. He’s going to be working flat out in sweltering heat; but at least no-one is shooting at him. However, driving a desk is never as much fun as driving a Chinook. This is the way it rolls in his line of work though so onwards and upwards.

The kids break up in 10 days for the school holidays. I have exactly 10 days to finish my long list of articles that I need to write for the inaugural edition of A Local Life  so far we have lined up:

- Angela Rippon and her dimentia role

- Local business man and my old school mucker, Terry Hillier on how he has achieved his rapidly growing empire

- A Man with Mission – interview with Mark Mortimer, headmaster of Warminster School

- A Woman with a Vision – interview with Sarah Edwards, headmistress of Kingdown School

- Behind the Scenes at Nespresso – I popped over to Lausanne, Switzerland and learnt everything and more about coffee production

It’s going to be a bumper edition.

Of course, instead of starting the articles, obviously I have decided to write a blog post instead. But I miss blogging and I am currently touring the WIs of Wiltshire with my talk on A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline and I miss how I used to chronicle my life with humour and sarcasm. But the more professional writing assignments I pick up the more the blog is a luxury to write.

Things have settled down with the kids and they don’t wreak havoc in quite the same way. Now, they just bicker eternally with each other. The Grenade, now 11 years old, has a very literal take on the world. He challenges every day perspectives; although he has never been formally diagnosed it is apparent that he sits on some kind of spectrum. This week he refused to wear odd socks to school today for ‘odd sock day’ on two grounds: 1.) Socks are not numerical, therefore, can neither be odd, nor even 2.) There is nothing peculiar about socks as the function of the sock is to cover the feet. Therefore, for those reasons, he’s out.

The Menace has just learnt my mobile phone number off by heart and is now phoning me every 5 minutes to tell me:

1.) That she is alright

2.) That she misses me

3.) That she loves me

4.) That she is worried about me and she just wanted to check if I am ok

5.) That she doesn’t think I am going to make it

All delivered with a slightly over-dramatic sincerity, which is still amusing, for now. Although I can see my patience wearing thin over time. Especially as I can envisage her phoning me from downstairs whilst I am upstairs.

The weather is delightful and where we are living has come into its own. The Menace has finally mastered her bike and is addicted to bike rides. I am chuffed because we live on one of the Wiltshire cycleways and can now cycle as a family to local riverside spots for picnics and paddling. On Sunday, after we waved Hagar off, we jumped on our bikes and cycled to the river, where the kids paddled and played and I basked in the sunshine on the riverbank. It was idyllic apart from the fact that the kids bickered all the way to the river, bickered at the river about whose turn it was on the swing, and then bickered all the way home again. The still, silent soundtrack free photos make it look like the perfect day out!

The second book is coming along nicely it is a compilation of all my writing over the years and opens with a moving, prologue written by mother, three months before she died. It includes my diary from 13 years, 15 years, a few letters that I wrote but didn’t send, my diary of a trip around India, my honeymoon diary of our trip to South Africa and Mauritius, some pregnancy diary posts, and some articles and blog posts chronicling the times post the trial. Hagar and I are still separated but it’s working so well, I wouldn’t have it any other way at the moment. I couldn’t be who I am as a person, mother, a journalist or writer and still live in the shadow of military life. I couldn’t give talks to WIs that challenge perceptions of military spouses. Hagar and I don’t always see eye-to-eye on how business should be done. This gives me the freedom to disagree. The military is still an old fashioned, patriarchial, draconian, nepotistic place. It’s not easy for Hagar to exist in this unorthodox, unconventional status quo but he bravely accepts it and goes forward. Bizarrely, our separation makes us stronger.

 

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The school your kids will want to go to this summer…

It seems like it was only last month the children were off school and on the summer holidays. And yet, another year has come round just as soon.

Thinking of ways to entertain the little bundles of joy can be as difficult as it is to keep the house clean with them running around at home. So how about taking them out on a day visit to their favourite school?

 

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Kids’ favourite summer school

It was a film even the parents enjoyed watching. Now it’s time to take up the opportunity of a lifetime and visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour. See the sets used for filming, exclusive behind the scenes clips of the actors, the making of Harry Potter and of course, the highlight of the tour: the beautiful model castle.

This impressive grand finale to the magical Harry Potter Experience is a perfect 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts Castle, with such intricate and exquisite detail that it’s hard to leave without feeling enchanted.

 

The castle

The work that went into bringing the fairy-tale School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to life was so extensive that should the hours that went into building and reworking be added up, it would come to over 74 years! And the end result is a once in a lifetime chance to visit the real Hogwarts. Take a look at a 360° simulation of the masterpiece on the Warner Brothers website wbstudiotour.co.uk.

Every door is hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are used in the Owlery. The 50-foot model has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even give the illusion of students passing through the hallways.

No other model experience in Britain has the same attention to detail designed to delight, dazzle and throw all Harry Potter fans and every adult with a sense of adventure and wonder into a state of delirium.

Reviews from over 10,000 people on TripAdvisor have rated the experience as a five star event and said that the model castle “was the cherry on the cake of a wonderful day out.”

 

Events

As well as offering a range of great features all-year round, the Warner Bros studio tour is also know for hosting a series of special events and exhibitions. These usually coincide with major holidays – such as Halloween and Christmas – but there have also been animal meet-and-greet sessions where visitors have had the chance to get to know the animal stars of the franchise.

You can find details of upcoming events at the studio on their website but for a rough idea of what you can expect, this article on TimeOut from last September highlights some of the main features of last year’s Halloween spook-tacular.

The right choice

So, whether you’re looking for something different to do with the kids or want to find a way to keep Potter-mania under control, the Warner Bros Studio Tour is for you.

The atmosphere, detail and effort gone into the Harry Potter Studio Tour will make this a truly magically day out, not just for the kids, and not just for the die hard Potter fans, but for everyone.

 

 

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Fab PhArtHaus Beach Canvas by Photobox Donated to Friends of PICU Quiz

You may or may not know this, but Hagar and I run a photography photo business called PhArtHaus - capturing the world that passes you by.

Follow us on twitter @pharthaus

Follow us on instagram

Photobox offered to produce one of our landscapes on canvas for us and we decided that we would offer this fantastic canvas print as a raffle prize at a quiz  local to me raising funds for the charity Friends of PICU.

PhotoBox is Europe’s leading online digital photo service with over 30 million members. They  help people create memories and keep them alive through Photobooks, cards, wall decor, mugs, t-shirts, and more. They have built an active and extensive online community that sparks much of their innovation  and are always finding new ways to engage and share the joy of PhotoBox.

My favourite PhArtHaus print came out spectacularly well.

The PhArtHaus canvas – Pimms on the beach – 100 cm x 76 cm – was very impressive and went in a small way to support the fund raising of just short of £1000 on the night! Friends of PICU are a registered charity who support the Peadiatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton General Hospital who provide first class care and treatment to 900+ critically ill children every year from all over the South of England and the Channel Islands.

Friends of PICU aim to support the children and their families by providing vital equipment and services that are not normally provided by the statutory authorities. The charity maintains the family accommodation on the unit which has recently undergone a major refurbishment programme.

The charity is also funding a psychologist for a period of 3 years to provide help to children and their families. The psychologist provides support for patients, families and staff on the Unit. Many people find that the experience of time on PICU can be traumatic. Their psychologist can help people to discuss their feelings and help them to reconcile these feelings.

The quiz was lots of fun and hugely supported by the local community, which was wonderful to experience. My team The Mentalists came 4th and I delighted that we could help support such a fantastic cause through PhArtHaus, the blog and Photobox. I love it when a plan comes together.

 

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My New Favourite Champagne is Lanson Rosé Label

Anyone for tennis? Well, now that Andy Murray is out of Wimbledon I am going to have to drown my sorrows in my new favourite tipple Lanson Rosé Label. It’s luscious, light, slightly dry and crispy fresh. Best served chilled and slowly quoffed lying in the sunshine on a sun bed, preferably by a pool. I could drink it all day every day. Although obviously nothing would get done but on the plus side I would be very happy indeed.

 

 

Why not celebrate the summer with Champagne Lanson and enjoy the fresh, zesty flavours that make their champagnes the perfect start to summertime gatherings. Lanson is one of the oldest Champagne Houses, making Champagne for over 250 years. Aged for a minimum of three years in their Reims cellars, the wines are made in the traditional way and with mouth-watering fruit purity as their trademark.

Lanson Rose Label, the UK’s favourite rosé Champagne, is a blend of the three classic Champagne grapes; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier resulting in ripe red berry aromas and fresh fruit flavours. Serve as an aperitif or try with a bowl of fresh strawberries.

Lanson Black Label, my other favourite,  is a champagne classic but for a fresh twist on the Champagne serve, try Lanson White Label. Add a slice of lemon or orange rind, or pop a strawberry in the glass to bring out the flavours in the wine. As the official Champagne partner to the Wimbledon Championships, the perfect days’ play starts with Lanson and now that Murray is out, this is the perfect apperitif to endure the rest now that our hopes have been dashed.

 

•     Champagne Lanson Rose Label RRP: £38.99, available from all major retailers (Tesco/Sainsbury’s/Waitrose).

•     Champagne Lanson Black Label RRP: £33.99, available from all major retailers (Tesco/Sainsbury’s/Waitrose).

•     Champagne Lanson White Label RRP: £38.99 available from Sainsbury’s.

•     Lanson International UK Ltd. is the ‘House of Brands’, offering Champagne solutions to fit all categories in the sector. Lanson International’s brands include Champagne Lanson, Lanson Extra Age, Lanson Noble Cuvée, Besserat de Bellefon Cuvée des Moines and Champagne Tsarine

•     To get your free copy of our Little Black Book of Champagne please register at http://www.lacademiedelanson.co.uk/lbb/

 

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Nandos New Menu at New #Nandos in #Salisbury @NandosUk

I love a bit of spicy chicken and post Breaking Bad Nandos is the nearest we’ll get to Pollos in the UK. So when Nando’s PR said do you want to sample our new menu who was I to say no to a bit of spicy chicken. As I live in the middle of the Shire I asked the PR fella ’where is my nearest Nandos?’ to which he replied ‘Trowbridge’. TrowVegas!! Although I know that Trowbridge gets a bad wrap and to me in a way it will always be the home of Bowyers pork pie factory and Trax nightclub but I think some 20years on Trowbridge has a bit of a face lift. It has a swanky new Odeon which is nice. But then I discovered that there was a brand spanking new Nandos just opened up in Salisbury, a mere 9 miles away. I am sorry Trowvegas but Salisbury won it for me, with it’s twee shops and lovely old market place. The new Nando’s fits in likely a brightly coloured beacon of yellowness, with fabulous al fresco style dining on the  Milford St pavement too.

Nando’s is the home of legendary Portuguese Flame grilled Peri-Peri chicken and it has shaken up it’s menu to include four brand new items, including boneless chicken thighs and a butterfly burger. Now, I went with my girl chum Mrs Sparkle and she is a bit of a korma-sexual who doesn’t like it to hot. Me, I like it hot, hot, hot and this is where Nandos works really well because you can spice your chicken right up and your korma-sexual friends can have it as tame as they like too.

As always I am constantly trying to lose weight while still eating crisps so the great thing about Nandos is that you can lard it up with a side of chips or you can go light with a side of salad. I can’t wait to take my kids because it’s almost fastish food but with healthy options and I know that I could give them a reasonably priced balanced fast foodish meal that they would actually eat. Plus they would love the bottomless fizzy pop and the water and ice machine. My only quibble would be the chicken skin was not crisp and I think Nando should offer a crisy skin or skinless option and then it would be utterly fantabulous.

 

 

 

 

 

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Five Famous Celebrity Bodyguards

5 FAMOUS CELEBRITY BODYGUARDS

1. Laurence Tureaud

Many may have thought that he was just acting the hard-man in 80s US TV series The A-Team, but Laurence Tureaud, aka Mr. T, was a real life bodyguard, and a very successful one at that. In his early years he is said to have protected people from all walks of life including prostitutes, welfare recipients, preachers, bankers, school teachers and local store owners. Once his reputation as a hard man grew, he went on to protect some of the world’s biggest stars including Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and even people who should have been able to look after themselves, like Muhammad Ali and Smokin’ Joe Frazier. During his bodyguard years he also claimed to have protected five models, three politicians, seven clothes designers, seven judges, six sportsmen and forty-two millionaires. I pity the fool who tried to mess with anyone on that list

 

2. Christopher “Big Black” Boyk

Christopher “Big Black” Boykin was brought to fame as a 375-pound, 6-foot-6-inch bodyguard after staring in the the MTV show Rob and Big from 2006 to 2008, where he can be seen trying to protect skateboarder/actor/producer Rob Dyrdek as he attempts to break numerous world records and skates and stuff. Unable to do much serious body-guarding during the filming of the show Boykin set about to break some world records of his own, managing to set Guinness World Records for peeling and eating three bananas in under 60 seconds and for eating five powdered donuts in 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Thought to be worth an estimated $3 million, Boykin also has his own clothing range called ‘Big Black’.

 

3. Chris Ryan

Sergeant Chris Ryan (actually Rowlands Gill) is famed for his role in the ill-fated Bravo Two Zero project with Andy McNab and has since released a series of best-selling books, as well as becoming a TV personality in his own right. However, what many people don’t know is that he is still working in the security services as a private bodyguard, secretly looking after many clients such as the US billionaire Dart family.

 

4. Moshe Benabou

Moshe Benabou is an ex-Israeli military machine, specialist in the deadly Krav Maga, and well-known tough guy who is probably most famous for suing Justin Beiber after the teenage pop idol punched him in the chest backstage after a performance. Despite his imposing frame and martial arts skills the ex-soldier tried to sue Bieber for assault, battery and emotional trauma. Bieber settled out of court but fans are hoping for a rematch to be announced very soon.

5. Brodus Clay

WWE wrestler Brodus Clay may now be a world-wide wrestling star but in a previous life, as George Murdoch (his real name), he was actually very well known as . Here are Brodus Clay’s own words on the matte

“Snoop and I just hit it off, because he liked my sarcasm, and honestly, (being a bodyguard) was great in terms of being able to cut promos and get personality. I was always the bad guy with Snoop. I was always the heavy, the one who would say no, and I enjoyed it. ”

TORO Crew is a specialist event crewing and logistics service. We provide stage crew, riggers, sound and lighting engineers, general event crew and more.

 

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I Am Not Sure Who Hates Homework More Me Or Them!

Tuesday night is homework night at my house. I am not sure who hates it more, me or the kids.

Here’s some top homework tips to ease the homework pain!

Five ways to help your kids with their homework (and without simply doing it for them!)

Homework – we all remember it. While it’s good to encourage your kids to do their homework as soon as they get in each night, it’s sometimes difficult to know how much help to give them when they actually go through it.

With a few helpful tips, you can really make the difference from the start and here’s how

Use it as play time

In Pre-Preparatory school, “learning as play” is a great way to retain early numeracy skills, even counting up to 20. One way to make it fun is to be active; try reciting the times to a game of catch.

Make up some cards with vocabulary your youngsters may find tricky, draw a picture to describe it so the child connects fun with the words, and hide them around the room for a fun and educational treasure-hunt.

Telling the time could be as simple as walking into the town and looking at as many different clocks as possible and rewarding your kids for getting the time right. Even getting them to time you doing simple tasks like brushing your teeth can help.

Use praise and rewards

Tell your kids how great they are when they get a spelling right or they’ve understood six times four. Keep noticing all the good things they do and offer praise.

This positive reinforcement boosts your little ones’ confidence. Treats, in moderation, can be useful too.

Swot up on modern methods

Let’s face it, teaching methods have changed from when we were at school and any “homework” refresher evenings at your pre-prep school could help you and your kids.

Find a quiet, non-distracting place

With all the screens and distractions it’s easy to get diverted from homework.

Turn off the TV, make the room comfortable and have plenty of colouring pens, rulers, glue and craft materials ready so your children have no excuse to get up from their workstation.

Whatever the homework, if the environment is nice then this will help.

Join in, while letting them find the right way to do it

It’s easy to get too involved when helping your kids with their homework. Try letting them have a go themselves and if they encounter difficulty then help them with on one particular part of the homework by explaining what they need to do or offering visual cues.

You should then get them to attempt the next part of the homework themselves or present them with a similar question to the one they struggled with and ask them to solve it alone.

 

 

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Bingo Calls provide light relief starring our Jerry the Indian Running Duck #costabingocalls

Bingo Calls provide light relief

A stressful morning has just been made a little easier thanks to a fantastic series of videos available on the YouTube Channel of Costa Bingo.

Their Bingo Calls campaign has got bloggers (like me!) to put together short clips on common bingo calls and the results are pretty entertaining if you ask me! Finding ways to represent our favourite calls in a visual form, the videos offer a unique insight into the fun of this popular game and the second video for bingo call One Little Duck: Number Two is my personal favourite. After all, how can you not love a short clip of a duck running to the pond when life is getting on top of you? Especially when the duck is Jerry, our Indian Running Duck. They are so funny and she’s a great layer!! What’s not to love.

A great option to watch with the kids, I can’t wait to see what other videos there are in the collection. I might even pay a visit to the Costa Bingo website and see what else they have to offer!

You can watch the cute little duck run from the camera right here with the video for One Little Duck: Number Two!

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Je Deteste Le Menage – #PrêtàLire

I have just self-published via Createspace and Amazon Kindle Direct the french language version of my book. Then I subsequently learned that French people don’t like Amazon and they don’t own Kindles. Doh! #putain

Fingers crossed the French Canadians love it! Help! If you know any French speaking people that read books then please recommend mine.

J’ai juste auto-édité par Createspace et Amazon Kindle Direct, la version française de mon livre. Ensuite, j’ai appris par la suite que les Français n’aiment pas Amazon et qu’ils ne possèdent pas Kindle. Doh! #putain

Croisons les doigts les Canadiens français adorent! Aider! Si vous connaissez des personnes francophones qui lisent des livres alors s’il vous plaît recommander la mienne.

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