SHEmazing!
follow us
more
 
HomeArchives2018

Yearly Archives: 2018

by

Have you ever heard of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen?

These two lists classify the fruits and vegetables that contain the most and the least pesticide residues, even after you carefully wash and peel them.

A recent report published this week by the Environmental Working Group, based on tests done by the US Department of Agriculture, has updated the lists and unfortunately, some of our favourite fruits and vegetables turn out to be potentially harmful. 

While fruits and vegs are essential components of a healthy diet, research suggests that pesticides may pose significant health risks, such as infertility, obesity and even cancer.

So, check the lists before you go shopping: for the Clean Fifteen, you can buy the non-organic choice without being at risk, while food from the Dirty Dozen should be bought organic as much as possible to limit your exposure to pesticides – or not bought at all.

The Dirty Dozen for 2018 (in descending order)

  • Strawberries
  • Spinach
  • Nectarines
  • Apples
  • Grapes
  • Peaches
  • Cherries
  • Pears
  • Tomatoes
  • Celery
  • Potatoes
  • Red and yellow peppers

The Clean Fifteen for 2018

  • Avocados
  • Sweet corn
  • Pineapples
  • Cabbages
  • Onions
  • Frozen peas
  • Papayas
  • Asparagus
  • Mangoes
  • Aubergines
  • Honeydews
  • Kiwis
  • Cantaloupes
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
Trending

by

1. HereWeGo

This app is essentially like Google Maps, except if works offline. 

If you're lost and without wifi and data, this is the app to click into. It's not the most reliable b ut it will get you to the general area you're looking for. 

Make sure you have the full exact address of the location you're seeking rather tahn just a restaurant or site name. 

2. Grab 

If you're heading to Asia, Grab is the handiest and most affordable taxi app around – taking you from place to place for mere cents. 

However, in a lot of countries, taxi apps are banned in cartain areas such as around airports and train stations, so make sure you do your research. 

3. XE Currency

Navigating foreign currencies can be a bit of a head wreck – especially if you're travelling to multiple countries so never get the opportunity to get used to one.

This app translates currencies really quickly, so you don't overspend on your journey. 

 

4. iTranslate Pro

Translation apps can be buggie, but this one is actually pretty good. 

Pick a language pair and have a conversation, translated for you by the app to avoid any miscommunications. 

5. Revolut 

Sometimes card issues can ruin a holiday, so having another option other than your usual current account is always a good call. 

Revolut is a secure, mobile-based current account where you can hold, exchange and transfer money from 25 currencies. 

It comes complete with a card you can use in ccertain ATMS, and there are no fees. 

 

Trending

by

Bloggers and influencers have gotten a lot of heat recently for airbrushing and photoshopping –  particularly fitness influencers. 

Lucy Mountain, the authentic fitness blogger behind The Fashion Fitness Foodie, has taken to her Instagram to share a secret from her past to her 212,000 followers. 

Speaking in an Insta caption, she explained that in the past, her insecurities led her to photoshopping her fitness photos.

'I used to photoshop my pictures before it was ‘kool’. Before Instagram. Before Facetune. Before I realise how stupidly damaging it was to both myself and anyone who happened to see it,' she wrote.

'Six years ago I was in a very different place. I’d just started dabbling with the gym following my first year as a FrEsHeR – when my main food groups were dominos pizza and snakebites.This was the first holiday where I felt like I’d lost enough weight to be deemed a bit ‘fitness.’ ⠀ ⠀

'Only when I looked back on the holiday photos, I loathed my body. I felt embarrassed by it and what people would think of it. (This was a time when uploading your ’HoLiDaY’ holiday album to Facebook was a much-anticipated release lol.)' ⠀

'And so, I edited mine. I cinched in my waist, airbrushed my stomach, shrunk my thighs (cc wobbly balcony) and gave myself a subtle yet highly aggressive boob-lift. I didn’t see how damaging it was it the time.'

'Because not only had I indirectly told myself that I am not worthy – it was quite literally not me. And now I had to complete with it. Wtf.'⠀ ⠀

'Thankfully its a habit that dissolved alongside finding self-worth. Although my physical body has indeed changed – potentially further towards the ideal ‘2012 me’ wanted – it would still have never have been small enough, smooth enough or good enough.'⠀ ⠀

'Editing your body is a losing battle. You will never win. So if you’re in the toxic cycle of manipulating your photos – I’VE BEEN THERE. But it’s time to stop. You need to do better, for yourself and the women around you.'⠀

Preach, sister. 

Trending

by

There are few things more dread-inducing than the prospect of staring down a packed tube platform full of stressed out and aggressive commuters at eight in the morning or, even worse, getting gridlocked in that notorious London traffic.

The intense crowds, frequent breakdowns and that wonderful quirk of the Tube wherein it has zero air conditioning or ventilation can make your morning commute feel like a battle march.

Not to worry, though; with a few simple steps you'll soon be bossing that commute like a pro and the stress will soon feel like a distant memory.

Here's how to survive London in rush hour.

Source: Pixaby

Know the Rules of the Game

Anyone who has been in London for more than five seconds will know that there is a Byzantine etiquette system comprising of dozens of rules that must be followed in order to avoid the ire of your fellow passengers.

Most of these rules are honestly just a combination of noise, urban myths and personal preferences, so definitely don't spend too much time getting worked up over whether your platform posture in on point.

As long as you know the few simple essentials, your trip will go more smoothly.

These are; keep your Oyster card ready and in-hand the second you enter the station, stick to the right on the escalators, don't talk loudly and, most importantly, never make eye contact with your fellow commuters.

Come Prepared with Distractions

Chances are you'll be dealing with the same commute every day, to the point where you could travel the whole route with your eyes closed.

This kind of commuter autopilot is common, with the positive side being that you should be able to zone out and immerse yourself in less stressful activities during your journey – just remember to keep your wits about you on station platforms and road crossings!

A good online game is always the ideal way to get through the journey, ideally something engaging like a puzzle game or online escapade.

For example, there are now lots of roulette games online, from European to American, that you'll be able to play at any point during your commute when you need to zone out, thanks to that sweet and brand new Tube WiFi.

Your commute is also valuable time in your day that you can use to catch up on things you've been neglecting.

So, read that novel that has been gathering dust, finish that podcast, or simply burn through your emails.

Source: Pixaby

Mix It Up

A morning commute doesn't have to be something to just get through, to be banished to the annals of memory and not thought about until 5 pm. You can actually enjoy it. The best way to do this is by occasionally mixing things up.

Explore your city by walking part of the journey, which might involve having to get out of bed a few minutes earlier but is definitely worthwhile in such a beautiful and varied city as London.

Even just going via a different bus route might feel like a refreshing and pleasant surprise, as seeing your city as new again will remind you why you moved here in the first place.

Trending

by

It's been seven years since one of our favourite movies was released in cinemas – The Help.

Set in America's deep south at the height of civil rights in 1962, the movie explores the role that the black maids had in bringing up white children and one woman, Skeeter (Emma Stone) who writes a book exposing the injustices in her Mississippi hometown. 

It seems like it was a movie that stayed with a lot of it's stars as many of them took to social media to celebrate the anniversary of the fantastic flick. 

Octavia Spencer, who nabbed an Oscar for her portrayal of hilarious maid Minny Jackson, wrote a lengthy post on instagram, thanking the movie for changing her life.

“What I personally learned from the entire process in preparation for this role was: it doesn't matter if the glass is half empty or half full. What matters is if you own the glass,'' she wrote.

She continued, ''Minny, Aibileen, and all the other maids didn't own the glass. They didn't have the luxury of deciding to be positive (half full) or negative (half empty) as society decided for them. #agencyisTheKey #TheHelp.”

Based on the bestselling novel (if you haven't read it yet, definitely do) by Kathryn Stockett, the movie grossed $216.6 million at the box office and went on to become the first film in almost a decade to top box-office charts for three consecutive weekends and later for 25 days in a row, which was last seen in 1999. 

Pretty impressive, right?

Also dedicating a post to the movie was Viola Davis, who played Minny’s fellow maid Aibileen Clark and was also nominated for the best actress Oscar for her role.

She wrote, “it changed our lives. What an experience. My takeaway? It was the deepest, most intimate, joyful time I spent in the company of women. We are powerful together. The audience received the overflow of the love that we had for each other.”

The fans were out in force, showing their support and commenting, 'easily one of the best films I've ever seen. Full of emotion and a true mirror of society.''

Another said, ''this awesome movie that also changed my life. I don't know how many times I've watched it. I love Minny and Aibileen, they inspired me to be better everyday.''

We know what we're watching tonight with a glass of vino – happy anniversary, The Help!

Trending

by

Begging has been named as one of Dublin's biggest issues by visitors to Ireland's capital.

Dublin chief of Fáilte Ireland Keelin Fagan told Independent.ie the  issue is 'one to watch.'

Only 24% of tourists in Dublin said they would consider making a second visit to the city. 

However Dublin is still considered safe by tourists. 

'Security isn't coming up per se, but then the begging is coming up.'

'Generally we're still considered a safe destination, which is brilliant – but it's another one we need to watch.'

We Are Dublin Town CEO Richard Guiney told Newstalk that the issue isn't only flagged by tourists, but by local businesses also.

“In comments that we get back on consumer surveys, begging comes up all the time as something that people feel slightly intimidated about – particularly in the evening time,” 

Trending

by

By Amy Donohoe

When I started college back in September 2016 I expected to find someone straight away, the way Lily found Marshall in How I Met Your Mother. I thought that a boyfriend would fix all of my problems, but it was honestly the complete opposite of that.

I wanted the boyfriend experience and I think that was taken advantage of. I spent half of my college life with the same boy. It was unclear to me at the time but he was with was only with me for selfish reasons.

I was good for his ego and I made him feel better about his own life. He didn’t have a perfect life (like most people) and he made me feel bad about mine because things were going good for me. It did start off positively, but the longer I was with him the less respect he had for me.

I was made feel guilty about everything and anything, he obviously saw that I was vulnerable. The longer I was with him I became dependable and insecure. I constantly forgave him for his lies and his behaviour because I didn’t want to be on my own.

This is my first personal piece I’ve written in a long time because writing about this issue meant I had to reflect and feel everything, and I wasn’t ready to do that for a long time but I know I’m not the only person who experienced this.

I kept a poker face on for so long but I think little cracks started to show when I started to bite my nails, buying stuff I didn’t need and having drinks to quiet my mind. But as far as I could tell, nothing was really wrong.

Then I started to lose friends, I had depressing thoughts and I lost a drastic amount of weight. There was a lack of clarity about my mental health but once I physically looked unwell other people started to notice.

I started to speak up and everything became crystal clear and my priority was to look after myself and get rid of everything negative in my life. I’m not upset or I never have been for losing him, but it was heartbreaking to lose myself and everything that I stood for. What I was going on in my head was a secret I kept for a long time because I was ashamed and I didn’t want to speak up about it, but I am now because I know there are other people in the situation I was in and no matter how alone or ashamed you feel, it’s not worth staying there.

Although I thought everything was okay, he was the source of everything that was going wrong in my life, he left me frazzled and stressed most of the time. Emotionally abusive people are so manipulative and many people suffer because of them. I was constantly convinced that I was in the wrong and he tried to convince everyone that I was the crazy one after the break-up, but I think that was just to protect himself.

I felt for so long that I wasn’t allowed to speak up on the abusive things he did because I was personally going through a hard time. I thought I loved him so I dealt with the misery and once I broke up with him I realised I was missing out on so much.

I thought someday that our relationship would be happy so I kept waiting and that’s the biggest regret I have in life. Obviously, blocking this person on social media was the best thing I did.

It took me months to do it because I wanted to remain civil but then I realised that it wasn’t petty or childish to delete him. I realised that he was so toxic to my life that I didn’t want him to be able to contact me at all.

I wanted to heal from everything I was put through and move on peacefully and happily.

I still struggle to believe that people can find the ‘love of their life’ at college because I know I probably would’ve been traded in for a free bag of cans.

Being in an unhappy and loveless relationship was horrible, especially when I didn’t realise that's what it was. I am disappointed in myself for settling so quickly with the wrong person. I spent a long time with someone who impacted my mental and physical health for the worse.

It’s heartbreaking to reflect back and realise that I changed into a person certain people didn’t want anything to do with.I was quite unstable so people were afraid to tell me what was happening behind my back, which was probably fair. But this made me realise that hurting someone with the truth is better than making them happy with a lie.

I think I understand what love is since I went to college, I didn’t at the beginning. I understand that it is more complicated and stressful than it is made out to be but if you find it with the right person it can be exciting.

I am happy that I have moved on, I never went through that depressing break-up period which everyone expected me to. I honestly felt a great weight lifted of my shoulders once I ended it. I look back and I don’t think I was in love with him, I just thought that all of my problems would disappear if I had a person to be with.

I’ve had my bit of fun since ending my relationship. I became more sociable, less insecure, made many new friends and experiences.

My ex-boyfriend has shown some jealousy towards this, but I can’t apologise for how I chose to repair what he broke.

I have felt the ‘butterfly feeling’ but never with him. Surprisingly, there has been someone since then that has made me feel unrelentless, who never walked over me or took advantage, who admired my thoughts, ideas and my quirky sense of humour.

But the thing is, I’m only 20 and I have plenty of time to settle and I think there’s nothing wrong with being meticulous when choosing to be with someone.

Trending

by

The latest series of Strictly Come Dancing is mere weeks away and we are seriously excited.

The professional dancers have been sharing pictures and videos on social media of the crew getting back to business for another season of dancing and it has now been revealed that Neil Jones, hubby of pro dancer Katya, is officially joining the gang.

Neil joined the show alongside Katya as a choreographer and group dancer two years ago. 

A TV insider said he was a shoe-in as ''he has a wicked personality. Producers are lining him up for a star role,'' according to The Sun.

Neil will step into the dancing shoes of departed Strictly pro Brendan Cole, who was let go from the hit BBC show earlier this year.

His replacement was confirmed by the BBC1 show’s voiceover artist Alan Dedicoat, who said, “Neil Jones is doing it this year.''

“He’s always been on the show but not coupled with someone, so it’ll be interesting to see how he does.”

Russian Latin champion Katya has been a member of the official pro-dancer line-up since she joined in 2016, stealing the show with politician Ed Balls and going on to nab the glitter ball trophy with actor Joe McFadden last year.

A TV source said: “Neil has been a choreographer on the show since Katya joined but has always been keen to be partnered with one of the celebrities.''

It seems that Neil has quite a fan-base, with people taking to social media to demand he gets a partner this year.

One said, ''please @bbcstrictly  give Neil Jones a partner this year! #RedHeadsDoItBetter'', while another wrote, ''the media/public: Who will replace Brendan Cole now that he's no longer on Strictly?! Neil Jones: *looks into the camera like he's on The Office*.''

It seems like you have got your wish, folks.

Best of luck Neil, we're rooting for ya!

Trending

by

Summer is drawing to a close, and with the end of summer comes the beginning of arguably the best fashion season – Autumn/Winter. 

Into the back of the wardrobe and bottom drawers go the floaty skirts and bandeau tops, replaced by a soothing, autumnal sartorial swathe of utility checks, enigmatic textures and chic layers. 

We've already spotted our first must-have fashion piece for our autumn work wardrobe, and it's a steal at €25.00. 

Blazer €25.00 

The Prince of Wales check blazer from Penners is the perfect basic but stylish piece to create a plethora of stylish work and play outfits over the next few months. 

The lightweight fabric and classic cut allow for serious versatility, allowing you to match it with any of your work top and trouser combinations. 

Outside of the office, the blazer would look divine worn slightly oversized, flung over a little black dress and statement accessories.

Earrings €3.00, and Cross-body €4.00, both Penneys

We've picked out these tasseled earrings and colourful cross-body as the ultimate items to add to an LBD-and-blazer-combo.  Throw on flat, black boots for day or minimalist black heeled mules for evening. 

The blazer would look equally as cute on top of a slouchy white t-shirt tucked into blue jeans and some colourful loafers or runners. 

For a night on the town, we'll be buttoning the blazer up over a lacy crop top and donning it as a dress. 

Whichever way we style it, we'll be getting our cost-per-wear down to zilch. 

Trending

by

We're prone to blaming that belly bloat and break out of chin blemishes on hormones, but now it seems that they can impact your appetite too. 

According to a study, those of us who are inclined to eat late in the evening could blame it all on the hormones.

A report published in the International Journal of Obesity examined the connection between late eating and hormonal spikes and dips. 

In fact, the report found that the hunger hormone levels rise and satiety hormones drop in the evening, which can lead to stress eating.

'Our findings suggest that evening is a high-risk time for overeating, especially if you're stressed and already prone to binge eating,' said Susan Carnell, Ph.D, who conducted the study. 

'The good news is that having this knowledge, people could take steps to reduce their risk of overeating by eating earlier in the day, or finding alternative ways to deal with stress,' she said.

The participants fasted before undergoing a stress test, after which they were presented with a buffet. 

Those who over ate at the buffet had spikes of corresponding hunger and stress hormones in their system.  

So, if you're finding yourself snacking into the night, you may want to check your stress levels and practice some mindfulness. 

Trending

by

Kylie Jenner was the talk of Tinsel Town when, aged 16, she went under the aesthetician's needle and opted to plump her pout with some lip fillers. 

As the Kardashian's worst-kept secret. Kylie's filler work quickly came to light, and prompted a huge upsurge in the popularity of the procedure. 

Last month, Kylie created a stir once again when she took to Instagram sans filler, saying she had had her filler dissolved.

Since, Kylie has appeared with new fillers, and while it's now no secret that she has them, no one knows the exact process and story behind how she got them. 

She previously cited her lips as an insecurity of hers, and in a recent tweet, told fans that she will be releasing a vlog about her experiences. 

However, when we can expect this video is still a mystery. 

 

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on

Kylie is editing the video herself, she revealed.

'The vlog is just a whole mess & I’ve been the busiest I’ve everrrr been. I’m editing myself. It’s about my whole lip filler journey. I hope it comes out soon,' she tweeted. 

With Kylie being a new Mum and enjoying her 21st birthday celebrations, we may be waiting a while. 

Trending

by

The number of homeless children at risk has soared according to reports at State chhild-protection watchdog Tulsa. 

This is due to concerns for their welfare and safety.

This comes in the aftermath of a family of five having to sleep in a Garda station for the night when there was no emergency shelter available to them. 

According to The Irish Times, the issue with homeless families having to sleep rough in cars has worsened in recent times.

In correspondence on April 30th from Focus chief executive Pat Dennigan to Minster Zappone, he said that the situation “has deteriorated over the last few weeks”. 

In April, 32 families were left with no choice but to approach Garda stations, as no emergency accommodation beds were available.

“Of these, 12 families (20 children) reported to us the following day they had slept rough, mostly in cars,” Mr Dennigan told Ms Zappone.

Mr Dennigan has explained that he may publish the actual numbers of families that had to report to Garda stations at night each month on their website.

“Our board has repeatedly expressed grave concern for the families in this position and also that our services are being caught in an unacceptable position by the failure of the wider system,” he said.

This is a crisis that looks like it isn't going to be solved any time soon.

Figures emerging from the Department of Housing show a recorded 9,872 people as homeless in June 2018, 3,824 of whom were children.

Trending
© Copyright 2012-2025 - Shemazing.net. Déanta in Éirinn - Sheology.