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Yearly Archives: 2014

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Heading back to work or college after New Year's, the Christmas buzz is well and truly over. Gone are the cheeky mulled wines and the epic Christmas lunches – with January stretching out ahead it's all about budget-friendly eating this month.

Lunch breaks are one of the easiest ways to go through money without even realising. Rather than spending your precious cash on ready-made sandwiches or café lunches, make something just as tasty – if not tastier – at home yourself.

With a little planning you'll find you spend far less, making the long wait for payday just a bit more bearable!

Here are a few of our favourite healthy and portable lunch ideas…

1. Easy pasta salad
Most likely you already have the ingredients for this in your kitchen cupboard! If you're not a fan of tuna, swap in sliced chicken or turkey, or add some extra veggies. Recipe makes 2 portions.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped red onion
  • 1 teaspoon green pesto
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 185g can of tuna in spring water, drained
  • 100g cooked pasta
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes or 2-3 sundried tomatoes, chopped

Method

  1. In a small bowl, mix the onions, pesto and oil.
  2. Chop tuna into small chunks and place in a bowl with the pasta and tomatoes.
  3. Stir in the pesto dressing mix.

 

2. Spiced cous-cous and chickpea salad
Perfect on its own for lunch or as a side salad with dinner! Recipe makes 2 portions.

Ingredients

  • 100g couscous
  • 220g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 100ml hot water with chicken stock cube crumbled in
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 raw red pepper, chopped
  • 25g pistachios, chopped
  • Handful of mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon harissa paste

Method

Place chickpeas and cous cous in a bowl and pour the hot water with chicken stock over them.
Cover and allow the cous-cous to fully absorb the stock (5 – 10 minutes)
Let cool a little and stir in the lemon juice, pepper, pistachios and mint.
Top with yoghurt and harissa.

 

3. Warming winter soup
Make this in a large batch to see you through the week – great with a slice of crusty bread or toast!

Ingredients

  • 4 carrots, diced
  • 4 sticks of celery, diced
  • 3 onions, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • Thyme and oregano, finely chopped
  • 2 chicken or veggie stock cubes
  • 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
  • Small pasta shells or macaroni

Method

  1. Sweat the garlic, thyme and oregano with some oil in a large saucepan.
  2. Add the carrots, celery and onion.
  3. Allow them to cook on a low-medium head for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes (including juices).
  5. Add two pints of water, or enough to cover everything.
  6. Crumble in the chicken stock cubes, and allow everything to simmer on a low-medium heat for 30 minutes.
  7. Add the dry pasta and allow to simmer for a further 15 minutes.
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As Auld Lang Syne rings out amongst the cheers and clinking of wine glasses at the stroke of midnight, at the very back of our minds will be the thoughts of the diets that we have promised ourselves we would definitely stick to this year.

But sticking to one can be hard and it's not surprising really considering there are some pretty strange ones out there. Very strange ones.

The baby food diet

This diet requires the person to substitute two or three meals a day with a jar of baby food – sounds good, we think not… Obviously, you are going to lose weight on a diet that restricts your calorie intake but we can’t see how this could possibly be healthy. For babies yes, but for adults maybe not…

The raw food diet

You'll certainly be eating more fruit and veg which can only be a good thing, right? But we’d have to spend so much time juicing, blending and chopping our food to make it edible we’ll be rushing for the rasher sandwich before you can say "carrot"…

The blood type diet

The diet is as it says on the tin – you can only eat food for your specific blood type. If you're Type A you should stick with a vegetarian diet, Type O's should stick with a high-protein diet with plenty of meat, and veggies but leave the dairy out while Type B’s need to steer clear of chicken, wheat and peanuts instead opting for eggs, low-fat dairy and veggies. Finally, AB types need to avoid caffeine and alcohol and stick with seafood and dairy. Apart from the impracticality, the worst thing about this diet is having to determine your blood type first.

The five bite diet

This involves you skipping breakfast and only eating five bites of food at lunch time and five bites at dinner time and that’s it. We’re feeling pretty hungry even just thinking about this diet. There is no way you could possibly get the right amount of nutrients doing this.

At the end of the day, the most effective way to maintain a healthy weight is to eat a well-balanced diet, cut down on the alcohol and sugar, and enjoy moderate exercise. Simples.

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2014 hasn't been the best year for model and TV personality Nicola McLean, so it's highly unfortunate that the star has already spent a portion of her New Year's Eve in hospital.

The 33-year-old was forced to make a trip to Accident and Emergency after damaging her ankle yesterday.

Taking to social media to share a photo of her injury with concerned followers, the mum-of-two wrote: "In a & e waiting on an X-ray!!! I cannot stand hospitals."

When asked what happened, the former glamour model poked fun at her estranged husband, footballer Tom Williams, writing: "I rolled my ankle today #tomsfault."

It has been a difficult year for Nicola, who split from footballer Tom amid allegations that he had cheated on her. The couple were together 11 years, and have two children together.

While this is undoubtedly not how Nicola had planned to spend the last days of 2014, she can take comfort in the fact that best bud Aisleyne Horgan- Wallace is on hand to make light of the situation!

The reality star – who, herself has had a dramatic few weeks – took to Twitter to joke around over Nicola's injury.

"Can't stop laughing at the fact this beauty @NicolaMcLean is sat at home (with the bad ankle) watching…DARTs?! This is [why] I [love] her," wrote the former Big Brother star.

Here's hoping Nicola's New Year celebrations aren't totally ruined!

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2014 was definitely a year for the ladies on the music front. Bey, Iggy and Taylor were blowing up the airwaves with majorly catchy tunes and frankly, we couldn’t get enough.

But apart from our girls doing it for themselves, this musical year was seriously memorable in other ways too.

We’ve compiled a list, in no particular order, of some of this year’s biggest music moments; the good, the bad and the very, very ‘questionable’.

Let’s do this.

1. Mariah Carey’s Rockefeller Centre performance of All I Want For Christmas was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

The pitch, the tone and the God-awful hand gestures quickly turned this classic Christmas cracker into a major Christmas turkey. Why Mariah, why?

2. Will Ferrell and The Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith had a drum-off on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and girls, it was amazing. 

With almost 27 million YouTube views, it quickly became one of our favourite musical moments of 2014.  Seriously, are those lads twins?

3. Queen Bey, who is now the most Grammy-nominated woman of all time (no biggie), blew us all away with her performance at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

Love her or hate her, after checking out that 17 minute performance there’s no denying that that woman has got serious talent.

4. U2 decided to ‘gift’ us all with a copy of their latest album Songs of Innocence which would have been super nice…if anyone had actually wanted it.

Figuring out how to delete Bono’s unwanted presence on your iPod became this summer’s main goal.

5.Turn Down For What, a track by Lil John and DJ Snake, caught the imagination of the public fairly swiftly and before you knew where you were, randomers on the bus would be straight-up asking what you’d turn down for.

When Michelle Obama got in on the action and danced with a turnip, we knew it had all gotten a little too real.

6. Taylor Swift majorly dissed Spotify (gaaaaasp), pulled her catalogue from the service and still went platinum. Oh, snap!

In fact, Tay broke records by making 1.3 million in sales in the first week of 1989’s release, which was the highest one-week total since Eminem released The Eminem Show in 2002.

7. We kinda thought we’d seen it all and then Nicki Minaj brought out her video for Anaconda. Erm, we’re hip, we’re cool and we blushed. There we said it.

Then Ellen recreated it and we lol’ed forever…then blushed.

8. Every year one act is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and this year’s accolade went to 90’s grunge band Nirvana who we all adored back in the day when we went through our 'alternative' phase. 

Celebrating the memorable music moment went to the late Kurt Cobain’s band mates, Krist Novoselic and Foo Fighter’s front man Dave Grohl, who said he was: "the luckiest person in the world."

9. A second entry for music royalty, Queen Bey. The megastar released 7/11 and the music world was seriously surprised by Bey’s departure from her standard, multi- camera, high-budget videos.

The star opted for a more relaxed vibe and shot herself dancing at various locations using her own static camera. Big or small production, she still nails it every time.

10. Ed Sheeran and our very own Hozier lived every man’s dream by performing on the same stage as the  V.S Angels at this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Props to the lads, they kept it together. Well, for the most part anyway.

 

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Hearts are breaking everywhere today as it was revealed that two of Hollywood's hottest stars, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello, are engaged.

According to reports, Magic Mike star Joe popped the question to his girlfriend of six months at sunset on Christmas Eve, and the stunning star accepted – obviously!

Modern Family star Sofia set the rumour mill in motion after stepping out this week in Hawaii with a big rock on her wedding finger, and a beaming smile on her face.

The news was confirmed by E!News, with a source telling the website: I've never seen two people so truly in love. The way they talk to each other, touch each other. It's incredible."

Sofia couldn't help gushing as she wished her man a happy birthday earlier this week, posting a cute photo of the pair, with the caption: "Happy happy bday to my love and best friend…to the one that makes me laugh like crazy! have a healthy wonderful year babe!!!@joemanganiello."

Could these two get any cuter? Congratulations to Sofia and Joe on their amazing news.

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Red face, streaming mascara, sweat patches everywhere (and we mean everywhere)… yup, sounds like a fairly standard gym session.

But it doesn't have to be that way! While we can't stop you getting sweaty and bothered, we can at least help you look good while doing it.

With some key make-up and style tweaks, it's easier than you'd think to look like the picture of exercise elegance… until you trip and fall off the treadmill before you've even switched it on, that is.

Here are a few things we'll be stocking up on for gym sessions this year…

Hair and make-up

1. Dry shampoo
A spritz of this before you begin your workout will soak up excess oil and sweat, meaning your 'do will stay fresh and full of volume!

TreSemme Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo, €6.49, Boots

2. Moisturising lip gloss

Keep your lips from drying out with salt and sweat by using a moisturising balm or gloss. This Clinique one is light enough for wearing during a workout and is available in a range of colours.

Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Gloss, €19, Debenhams

3. Waterproof Mascara
It's recommended to keep make-up to a minimum to allow your skin to breathe at the gym, but if your eyes disappear without a slick of mascara, then opt for a waterproof version. This budget buy from Miss Sporty is perfect for stashing in your gym bag.

Miss Sporty Lash Boost Waterproof Mascara, €5.04, Boots

4. Make-up Setting Spray
If you really can't live without foundation at the gym, go for a lightweight creamy one and ensure it doesn't cake or wear off by using a make-up setting spray. This Urban Decay spray deflects shine, too.

Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Make-Up Setting Spray, €29, Debenhams

Workout wear

1. A great pair of leggings
Gym pants are worth spending a little extra for – go for a pair that fits like a glove and is flattering to your shape, rather than a budget buy that you'll only have to replace again in two months time when they rip or sag. We adore these Lululemon full-length gym pants – they're super-comfy and make your legs look lean and long!

Lululemon Wonder Under Pant, €108, Lululemon (eu.lululemon.com)

2. A flattering sports bra
Compression bras aren't the only option for great support. This Nike racerback one has separate cups for a more flattering silhouette than won't leave you looking like you're wearing a straitjacket underneath your t-shirt!

Nike Pro Rival High Support Sports Bra, €47, Elverys Sports

3. A cute headband
Stay cool and keep your hair off your face with an elastic headband. Ditch the boring black and liven up your look with these glitter bands from New Look.

Two Pack Black and Blue Shimmer Headbands, €4.99, New Look

4. Bright runners
These coral pink runners will cheer up a boring gym session! Pro tip: if you can't afford brand new runners, swap out your black or white laces for a neon pair that will brighten them up without the extra cost.

Women's Nike Free 5.0, €115, Lifestyle Sports

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Tributes have been pouring in today for voice actress Christine Cavanaugh, after it was confirmed that she sadly passed away on Tuesday.

The actress was best known for providing the voice of Babe the pig as well as children's cartoon characters Chuckie from Rugrats and Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory.

It has been reported that the 51-year-old had been battling leukaemia for some time and sadly lost her fight with the illness on Tuesday.

Cavanaugh's family paid tribute to her talent in her obituary, which appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

"Many know of her from the roles she played, but in each role there was a part of her showing through that the ones who truly knew her could see. The childlike awe of the world, humor to deal with the unpleasantness of reality, strength to deal with the challenges we all face, and intelligence to know when to act or accept what fate had allowed," it read.

Such sad news. Our thoughts are with Christine's family and friends at this very sad time.

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When people talk about detoxing, they’re normally referring to food and drink, right?

They’re hoping to rid their bodies of the toxins that may have accumulated as a result of a dodgy diet or a binge drinking session, but a detox isn't just confined to food or drink!

However, when you think of a life detox, you need to look at it in the same simple terms you would apply to those other detoxes.

Use the new year to rid your life of toxic relationships, damaging habits and harmful behaviour so you’ll spend 2015 a happier, healthier and more content individual.

Here are just five ways to detox your lifestyle.

1. Find the good in every single day by keeping a diary

Some days it may seem like the universe conspired against you, but you need to find something to be thankful for every day.

When you crawl into bed at night, reflect on your day and you will undoubtedly find something that made you smile or lifted your spirits which you can jot down in your notebook.

2. Assess your relationship 

Are you truly happy in your relationship or are you stuck in a rut? Don’t move into the new year with doubt in your mind about your other half.

Decide to remedy the issues that bothered you in 2014 or move on, if that’s the only option. The future you will thank you either way.

3. Are you friends or frenemies?

Did you spend more time than you thought possible last year obsessing over a friendship with someone you struggled to understand? Friendship shouldn’t be a difficulty or a burden, girls.

Frankly, ladies, if you have to question whether someone is your friend, then chances are they’re not. Move on from the ‘friendship’ and leave your worries behind you.

4. Fine tune your finances

Did you spend much of last year in a panic the week before payday wondering how you’re ever going to make ends meet?

Sure, have a blow-out once in a while and live on noodles for a week so you can afford that to-die-for jacket, but don’t make it a regular thing. Rid yourself of money woes by drawing up a realistic budget and sticking to it.

5. Clear out your clobber

You know those jeans with the hole in the crotch that you promised yourself you’d mend? You haven’t, have you?  Girls, holding on to clothes that are too small, past their best days or don’t suit your new style is head-melting.

Spend a couple of hours going through your wardrobe and part with clothes that you haven’t worn in the last 3 to 6 months. Donate to charity or pawn off on a mate, but do get sorting. And hey, if nothing else, it’s an excuse to go shopping for that to die-for jacket and 12 pack of noodles, right?

Detoxing is way more fun than you'd thought it would be, right?

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There are some absolute corkers lined up for us at the cinema in the coming months and we are seriously excited, girls!

We've chosen our top five for 2015, from animation to drama and everything in between, and we'll be pre-booking our tickets to avoid disappointment.

Make sure you do the same!

Inside Out

Due for release in July next year, Pixar’s latest offering look sets to be heartwarming, hilarious and as hugely entertaining as all the Pixar flicks that have gone before. We can’t wait to meet Riley and all the emotions that live inside her head!

Fifty Shades of Grey

This long-awaited story will be hitting the big screen just in time for any ambitious couple who want to channel their inner Anastasia and Christian as it opens in Ireland on Valentine’s weekend next year. Very convenient!

Wild

Starring Reese Witherspoon, this film stormed it in the States on its opening weekend and we’re dying for it to hits screens on our side of the pond. Due for release in January, we won’t have to wait too long to see the story of the solo 1,100 mile hike one woman embarked on to cope with a recent tragedy.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water

Due for release March 20th next year, we are so excited to meet Spongebob and the whole crew again in this epic 3D adventure. We can’t wait to see the Bikini Bottom gang tackle a whole new world and we don’t care who knows it!

Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens

This films open at the very end of 2015, so technically it may not hit screens on this side of the pond until the beginning of 2016, but it's such a  major movie moment, we had to include it in the list! If you're as excited for it as we are, then join us in our nerdy pleasure, wont you?!

 

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We spend Christmas eating our body weight in chocolate and January trying to lose it, and just like the rest of us, former TOWIE star Lauren Goodger is looking at 2015 as the year to finally beat the bulge.

The reality star has been struggling with her weight for years and after trying a number of diets, she has revealed that she is going to give up alcohol to give her the best chance at reaching her desired weight.

According to Closer, a source said: "Lauren has found it hard to stick to a strict diet and exercise regime lately. She's vowed that she can't let another year slip by without getting back into shape. Lauren  knows that too much alcohol just causes her to put on weight and is even considering attending bootcamp to finally rid herself of the weight. "

Apparently the 28-year-old is also looking towards hypnotherapy, something that she has tried previously, to shed those stubborn pounds. "She'll do what it takes to get back into shape in 2015."

While we think the reality star looks gorgeous, giving up the booze is definitely the best way to a healthier new year. 

 

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After the indulgence of Christmas, your body (and your bank balance) are no doubt worn out.

If you're feeling sluggish, low in energy or just feel your metabolism needs a kickstart, why not try a short-term detox in the New Year?

Rather than going on a crazily restrictive fad diet, a clean-eating detox simply involves eating more of certain foods and less of others. It may be hard to beat certain cravings, but keep in mind that this is only for a week.

Here are our guidelines on how to get started, what to eat and what to cut out. 

If you have any health concerns regarding diet changes, please do consult your GP or a diet professional.

The guidelines

1. Keep things simple: Don't leave yourself in danger of getting overwhelmed with ingredients lists and buying a cheeky oven pizza at the last minute. Each meal should include a portion of whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats – keep that in mind and you'll be good to go.

2. Check your calendar: If you have an event or party to attend, it might be worth re-scheduling your detox week. While in theory it might seem like no problem for you to avoid the buffet or only eat a light salad while out with friends, when faced with the tempation it's a lot harder to resist. Choose a quiet week with no big indulgent events.

3. Eat regularly: A meal timetable and plan will be your best friend this week. By outlining pre-arranged meal and snack times you're less likely to mindlessly nibble away on food without noticing. Eat small and often.

4. Don't panic: Nobody is made of stone and we all get cravings from time to time. Don't punish yourself for falling off the wagon – it's no big deal. If you decide to eat that bag of crisps, savour them and move on.

What to include

  • Non-dairy milks like rice or almond milk
  • Egg whites
  • Non-gluten grains like brown rice, quinoa or buckwheat
  • Fruit and vegetables: Go for non processed, non-sweetened produce. Eat your fruit fresh or blended into smoothies, and eat veg raw, steamed, sauteed lightly, juiced or roasted.
  • Protein sources like fish, lean chicken, lean turkey, lamb, lentils, beans, chickpeas, green peas and edemame
  • Nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds
  • Liquids like water, decaf herbal teas or soda water
  • Non-sugar sweeteners such as stevia or agave nectar
  • Oils and condiments like olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, canola oil, vinegar, herbs and spices.

What to avoid

  • All dairy and egg yolks
  • Grains such as wheat, corn, cous-cous and barley
  • Fatty spreads and sauces like butter and mayo
  • Fattier sources of protein like pork, beef, shellfish and soy products such as tofu.
  • Peanuts and peanut butter
  • Alcohol, coffee, tea, soft drinks and other caffeinated beverages
  • High-sugar sweeteners like white/brown sugar, honey and maple syrup
  • Sugary sauces and glazes like BBQ, teriyaki, ketchup, relish and chutney
  • Salty and sugary snacks such as crisps, biscuits, chips, chocolate, sweets and cakes
     
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Kim Kardashian is known for her selfies – sure she went out and created her own book based on them – but the one thing we noticed in all of them was her lack of smiling. 

And now she has revealed why. Far from not being happy, the 34-year-old admitted in a post on Twitter that she doesn't smile too often because it "causes wrinkles."

The reality star took to the social media site to share a stunning picture of her laughing and wrote: "'See I do smile… even laugh on occasion. Not too often though because it causes wrinkles @shammaurice,"

However, we're pretty sure the mum-of-one was just poking fun at critics  – sure with little Nori around and the family finally moving into their own home, what's not to smile about.

Keep smiling, Kim you look gorgeous. 

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