Keep your pets safe at Christmas

Tags

A quiet place, amaryllis, ball, beer, bones, boot, cake, cashmere jumper, cat, catastrophic damage, chicken, chocolate, Christmas cake, cold, Dairy Milk, dangerous, decorations, disruptive, dog, doors, dustbin, edible, edible decorations, electric shocks, festivities, floor, Frodo, furry friends, gates, grandma, guests, holly, hyper, injured, kids, lights, lost, love, mince pies, mistletoe, needles, newspaper, non-toxic, park, people, pets, pine sap, plants, poinsettias, poisonous, pooch, pulled down, raisins, real tree, routine, run, safe and well, sniffed out, Spaniel, spare bedroom, splinter, Tabby, theobromine, tire, toy, tree, turkey, utility room, wine

For many of us ‘Sammy the Spaniel’ and ‘Toby the Tabby’ are as much a part of the family as the kids and grandma.

While you might think the odd human treat shows your pet just how much you love them, it could actually cause catastrophic damage and spoil the festivities for everyone.

We have some top tips on how to keep your furry friends safe and well this Christmas.

The Christmas tree
This might sound totally OTT but if you have pets then it’s a good idea to go for non-toxic decorations – details should be on the packaging. We don’t want to spoil all the fun but if you can, avoid edible decorations because these will be sniffed out, pulled down and eaten. If you go for a real tree make sure you hoover up any needles from the floor and just check the pot for any pet presents!

Lights
Fairy lights are pretty but they can be harmful, so watch out for anyone getting tangled up and if you aren’t in the room, turn them off to save any electric shocks.

Plants
Yes, Christmas plants look pretty and make the house feel festive but holly, amaryllis, poinsettias, mistletoe and pine sap are all poisonous to cats and dogs but they don’t know this and will have a chew anyway.

Chocolate
Uncle Billy might think a little bit of Dairy Milk won’t hurt Frodo but he is wrong. Chocolate contains theobromine which is dangerous for dogs and other pets, so don’t let them tuck in. Also make sure mince pies, Christmas cake and anything else containing raisins are put out of reach and never leave glasses of wine or beer on the floor or you could be in trouble.

Bones
We know that chicken and turkey bones look perfect for your pooch but the reality is that they can splinter and this can cause serious problems for your pet, so wrap them in newspaper and put in the dustbin as soon as you can.

Routine
While the holidays mean you can take a break from your everyday routine, it is important that life is kept as normal as possible for your pets.

Continue to feed at the same time each day, make sure they have access to water and don’t use this as a time to try out new food – it might make life unpleasant for all. You might not feel like going out in the cold, but dogs still need to be walked and you will actually find that a run around the park will tire them out and stop them from being disruptive and hyper when people come to visit.

Presents
If you don’t want your new boots to be chewed or that cashmere jumper to be used as a new bed, get your pet a present too this Christmas. A dog bone, new toy or bright ball will keep them entertained and out of mischief.

A quiet place
If the house is going to be busier than usual and full of strange people, make sure your pets have a safe retreat. Put their bed in the utility room or spare bedroom with their toys and blankets so they have somewhere safe to retreat to when it gets too much.

The rules
Speaking of guests, it is important they know not to pull your pets around, especially if children are coming to the house. Gently explain your rules and also ask people not to open doors, gates or windows as you don’t want your animals to escape and get injured or lost.

If anything does go wrong, call your vet as soon as possible to the necessary treatment can be carried out.

Team Pure Beauty

Getting it right when you work from home

Tags

accounts, biscuits and chocolate, blood pumping, body, bored, careers, chair, city break, claustrophobia, clients, co-working space, cycle, day, decent desk, dog, dressed, eat well, errands, family and friend, focussed, freelance, freelance careers, fresh air, fridge, fundamental rules, go pro, healthy snacks, heart rate, holiday, hour, human interaction, Journalists, laptop, lost, lunch, marketing professionals, meetings, more productive, networking events, office, out of the blue, photographers, postman, productive, professional, room, showered, Skype, snack, social media, socialise, step away, structure, sunshine, suppliers, surveyors, tempting, timetable, TV, Vitamin D, walk, water cooler conversations, work, working from home, workspace, writing, yoga class

An increasing number of people are turning to freelance careers which often means working from home.

Journalists, marketing professionals, surveyors, photographers – the list goes on and while it saves sitting on a busy bus and taking part in water cooler conversations, to get it right you need to set yourself boundaries.

We have looked at some of the fundamental rules of home working to keep you on track so you can get the work done and strike a balance.

Dress for the job
It’s easy to sit working in your PJs but it won’t make you feel as professional as you do if you are up, showered and dressed. Answering the door to the postman in a nightie isn’t ideal and if you are just in a vest and pants when your client calls on Skype out of the blue, it could be embarrassing.

Find you place
The same goes for sitting in front of the TV with your laptop and the dog. Get a decent desk and chair, make sure you have good lighting and ‘go pro’ in a designated work space or office, if you have the room.

Structure your day
Create a timetable for work just as you would in the office. Writing and calls in the mornings, meetings over lunch and the admin and accounts later in the day. If you have a structure to your days, it will help keep you focused and productive.

Get some exercise
Going out for a walk, having a cycle or taking a yoga class will get you away from your desk and take away and feelings of claustrophobia that can come with working from home. It is good to get fresh air, a little Vitamin D and feel the blood pumping around your body as your heart rate goes up – something that won’t happen while you sit at your desk.

Step away from social media
As tempting as it can be, leave social media behind while you work, taking it off your toolbar and mobile if need be. You might only mean to have a browse and before you know it you have been sucked in and lost an hour of your day.

Eat well
Being at home doesn’t mean you have to snack all day long. Hide the biscuits and chocolate, get healthy snacks, drink lots of water, don’t over do it on the coffee and don’t be tempted to raid the fridge when you are feeling bored.

Take a break
However much you love your job, make sure you take breaks during the day. Step away from the computer from time to time, do some stretches and remember to stop for lunch each day.

See people
We don’t mean spend all day with family and friends, they need to know you are working not around for coffee and errands, but you do need to socialise. Maybe use a co-working space once a week, go to networking events or even meet clients and suppliers face to face to ensure you get some human interaction.

Book time off
Whether it’s a long weekend by the sea, a city break with the girls or two weeks in the sunshine, make sure you go on holiday. Allocate yourself a certain number of days a year, spread those wisely and don’t feel bad about putting your out of office on – you deserve a rest.

Team Pure-Beauty

Happiness Hacks for 2017

Tags

2017, aunt, bath, bed, bike, birthday, blender, blog, cake, cinema, clothese, control, credit card, CV, date, day, diary, dog, Facebook, friends, gossip, happy, husband, January, journal, letter, level, library, life, lipstick, live it, local, meditate, mum, news, pop, red, Relax, run, short, sister, sleeping rough, smile, smoothies, social media, sore, sunshine, Vitamin C, volunteer

We know that a start of a new year can be a time when many of us make endless resolutions so we can be the very best we can.

The thing is, January is cold and dark and even with the best will in the world, getting out of bed in the dark and running 10 miles to be super fit, can be, well, miserable.

So we have come up with a list of 50 really easy things you can do to make yourself happy in 2017 and to be honest, that’s what really matters.

1. Smile.
2. Write down three good things for each day in a journal – even on the hardest of days there is something good.
3. Plan something fun to do each weekend.
4. Don’t gossip.
5. Say hello to your neighbours.
6. Listen to your favourite song, everyday.
7. Have a bath before you go to bed.
8. Call your mum, sister, aunt, husband once in a while rather than just texting.
9. Eat clean, or at least eat healthy.
10. Go for a walk at lunchtime.
11. Read a book.
12. Donate to charity and give back.
13. Really listen when someone is talking to do.
14. Skip the news.
15. Make a cake and eat it fresh from the over.
16. Light candles.
17. Get a dog.
18. Take up a new sport.
19. Don’t have the argument.
20. Clear out the clutter.
21. Send birthday cards don’t just post a message on Facebook.
22. Drink hot water and lemon when you wake up.
23. Don’t pop that spot on your chin, it’ll make it red and sore.
24. Become a volunteer for a local cause close to your heart.
25. Get on your bike and peddle your way to fitness.
26. Have a manicure and feel polished.
27. Turn the TV off and do something less boring instead.
28. Start a blog.
29. Wear a new lipstick.
30. Don’t keep anything for best, life is short, live it.
31. Go out in the sunshine and up your Vitamin D levels the next way.
32. Tell someone you love them.
33. Make use of your local library.
34. Don’t gossip.
35. Get a blender and make your own smoothies full of goodness and health benefits.
36. Sign up for a challenge and stick to it.
37. Meditate everyday, you will feel the benefits and it will become a part of your routine.
38. Book a spa day for you and a friend and really relax as you catch up.
39. Update your CV and get the job you have always really wanted.
40. Ask your man to marry you – it isn’t a leap year but take control and get a date in the diary.
41. Host a party and let your hair down.
42. Apply to be on a talent show.
43. Go on a digital detox and leave the world of social media behind, even for a few hours.
44. Book a holiday and have something amazing to look forward to.
45. Have a make over and only wear the clothes you love and the ones that make you feel great.
46. Pay off that credit card bill.
47. Write a letter.
48. Buy lunch for someone who is sleeping rough.
49. Go to the cinema in the middle of the day.
50. Smile, did we say that already?

You see, all easy to do and all with great potential for making you happy.

Happy 2017.

Team Pure-Beauty

Walk or run?

Tags

accountable, apps, burn, bus, club, dog, endorphins, energy, exercise, fresh air, friends, fun, gadgets, gear, healthy, hydrate, marathon, park, rambling, run, trainers, walk, weekend

Are you a runner or walker?

Do you ever wonder which one is better for your health?

Whether you like to walk or run, getting out of your chair and doing some exercise is good for you.

It is when you have specific goals, such as running a marathon or shedding pounds, that one might be better for you then another.

There is no doubt at all that running is becoming increasingly popular and seen as the fail-safe way to get fit. Go outside on your lunch break or stroll through the park at the weekend and neon clad runners will go whizzing past at a rate of knots.

As well as being free, running comes with a multitude of benefits including weight loss, freedom, time to think, stress release, and sleeping better. However, it certainly isn’t for everyone.

Despite all of the excellent benefits, running is a high-impact exercise and one that can be tough on our joints, which can make it a no-no for some people.

Runners’ legs and knees receive greater impact force than walkers and injuries can, and do occur. When you walk you keep one foot on the ground which means walking is gentler and slower paced.

Experts recommend people run no more than five times a week if they are working at a moderate-intense level, and that you stretch before and after any session.

If you’re worried about injuries, or already have one, then the best plan is to keep clear of running and walk instead. If you suffer an injury or are in ongoing pain check in with your GP but don’t suffer in silence as it can cause more harm.

Running also burns more calories than walking, even fast walking, making it a good way to losing weight and tone up. If this is your goal then consider running with a friend and having a plan. You can find these on running and fitness websites and can also get apps to help keep you on track.

Whether you are running in January or July, in Australia or Austria, make sure you wear the right gear. Go for layers made of breathable fabrics and always wear a pair of trainers that fit well and support your feet and ankles. It might seem like a big investment but you are working to improve your health not damage it, so buy the best you can.

Along similar lines, if you are running on a regular basis, it is vital to refuel your body with protein-rich foods and don’t over eat as a result of exercising and thinking you deserve lots of treats!

Keeping hydrated is vital, especially when during the summer when you sweat more. Water is the best thing to drink and lots of it. You might think energy drinks will give you a boost but many are packed with sugar and chemicals that you can do without.

If you simply want to keep healthy and don’t have any burning ambitions to break records or win medals then the good news is that walking could be just as good as running.

It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Both can help keep your BMI at a healthy level with is really important. Of course being outside ups your levels or Vitamin D and increases those natural happy endorphins leaving you feeling more sparky.

Making small changes to everyday routines means it is pretty easy to increase how active you are and you will soon start to see results.

• Walk to work.
• Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way.
• If you don’t have a dog, offer to walk your friend’s, as this is a brilliant way to get fresh air and exercise.
• Run around in the park with your kids and burn off some energy as you connect and have fun.
• Take the stairs rather than a lift or escalators.
• Include a walk in your family’s weekend activities.
• Tell people about what you are doing, as this will make you accountable and give you a sense of achievement.
• Track your steps each day. There are loads of apps and gadgets, and try to increase the total week by week.
• Join a rambling or walking group if you are keen to make new friends at the same time as exercising.

Whether you run or walk, simply being more active will benefit you in many ways. So start today and see a fitter, happier you in no time.