Frusi News - Eire / English

Remember the days when you couldn’t get strawberries all year round and they were a sweet, juicy summer street to savour for the few months you they were in the shops? The global market has meant that we can buy most fruits and vegetables all year round, but at what cost?

Rediscovering the joy of seasonal produce is a great idea for lots of reasons, not least because buying seasonally means buying local, so it’s carbon footprint friendly. In season fruit and vegetables taste better too, as they’re richer in the nutrients and minerals our bodies need - and they cost less because they haven’t had to travel half way across the world to your plate.

So, what’s in season and when?

Here’s a guide to some of the best produce by season so you know what to shop for and when, but as a guide, if you’re buying from a supermarket, always check the packaging as this will tell you where the food has come from. If it’s December and you’re looking at blueberries from Guatemala, you’ll be buying out of season and increasing that carbon footprint.

Spring

Asparagus
Pineapple
Leeks
Artichokes
Peas
Spinach
Beetroot
Cauliflower
Cabbage

Recipe suggestion: Try pineapple and pink grapefruit with mint sugar for a light, zingy, deliciously sweet and healthy dessert

•1. Use a sharp knife to top and tail the pineapple, then stand it upright on a chopping board. With the sharp knife, carve the skin away and discard. Rest the pineapple on its side, then cut into wafer-thin slices. Repeat with the grapefruit, cutting away the peel and pith, then cut into slices. Arrange the fruit on a serving platter, catching any juices, and set aside.

•2. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the sugar and mint together until completely blended. Scatter the mint sugar over the fruit and serve with yogurt.

Picking pineapple

A ripe pineapple will smell sweet and you should be able to pull the leaves from the centre easily. Make the mint sugar just before serving, as the mint will turn black after a while.

Use different fruit

Mango & apple with toasted coconut Peel and slice 2 medium mangoes into strips. Core 2 red apples, then slice across into rings. Arrange the fruit on a plate, squeeze over the juice ½ lemon followed by a sprinkling of soft brown sugar. In a hot dry pan, lightly toast a handful sweetened desiccated coconut, then sprinkle it over the fruit.

Nutrition Per serving

168 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 42g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 4g, salt 0.02 g

Summer

Apricots
Cantaloupe melon
Raspberries
Avocados
Cherries
Corn on the cob
Broad beans
Strawberries
Tomatoes

Recipe suggestion: Try crushed broad bean and mint bruschetta for a light summer starter
•1.     Put the double-podded broad beans in a bowl and lightly crush. Season, then mix in the grated parmesan, mint and a slug of olive oil. Rub the slices of toasted bread with the garlic. Top with the broad bean mix, drizzle over a little more oil and finish with parmesan shavings.

Per serving

182 kcalories, protein 8.7g, carbohydrate 18.6g, fat 8.6 g, saturated fat 2.1g, fibre 4.7g, salt 0.81 g

Autumn

Broccoli
Pomegranate
Figs
Parsnips
Blackberries
Quince
Pears
Damson
Pumpkin

Recipe suggestion: Try parsnip and apple mash, delicious with grilled pork loins and steamed broccoli
•1.     Cook the parsnip and apple in a pan of salted simmering water for 10 mins until tender, then drain. Put the pan back on the heat, add the butter and spices, then cook for a few mins before adding the milk and warming through.

•2.     Add this to the parsnips and apple, season well then whizz in the food processor until smooth, or mash well by hand. Spoon into a bowl and drizzle with a little melted butter to serve.

Great with…

Quickly pan-fried pork chops, traditional sausages with onion gravy, or as a topping for shepherd’s pie

Per serving

276 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 37g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 11g, salt 0.28 g

Winter

Celeriac
Kiwi
Potatoes
Shallots
Clementines
Sprouts
Turnips
Sweet potato
Rhubarb

Recipe suggestion: Try rhubarb, apple and ginger crunch trifle for a light, yet warming winter indulgence
•1.     Heat the oatmeal, ground ginger and half the sugar in a non-stick frying pan until the sugar starts to caramelise and the oatmeal toasts, stirring often. Tip onto non-stick baking paper to cool, then break into crumbly nuggets. Make up to 2 days ahead and keep in an airtight container.

•2.     Put the apples in a large saucepan, then add the chopped ginger, 50ml water and remaining caster sugar. Bring to a simmer, then gently cook for about 7 mins, adding the rhubarb halfway through, until both are softened, but not mushy. Add more sugar to taste, if you like, then leave to cool. Make up to 1 day ahead and keep in the fridge.

•3.     Lightly whip the cream and fold half of it into the custard. Line the base of a large serving bowl with cake, sprinkle over the wine, then spoon over the fruit, draining off any excess juice. Add a layer of the oatmeal, cover with the custard, then finish with the rest of the cream, slivered ginger and oatmeal. Best assembled shortly before serving. Each element can be made the day before, then layered up when ready to eat.

Per serving

634 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 67g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 4g, salt 0.53 g

The trouble with romance is that it’s hard to find the time for it, life gets in the way, even more so if you’ve got kids. How many times have you sat down together in the last month to just enjoy each other’s company? It’s all too easy to get home, slump in a chair, have a moan about your stressful day at work before eating something you’ve thrown together, in silence, in front of the TV.

So how do you get the romance back without breaking the bank? Easy. A romantic home cooked dinner for two. And we’ve got the perfect menu, including wine suggestions. All you need to do is make some time, at the weekend if it’s easier. We’ve kept the menu simple, delicious and some of it can be prepared in advance. Oh, and we’ve popped a few aphrodisiacs in too. Now all you need to do is dust off the candles, find that Barry White CD and make some time.

The menu

Starter - Asparagus, mozzarella & prosciutto parcels
Main course - Perfect steak, mustard mash and green beans with toasted pine nuts
Dessert - Tiramisu

Wine suggestions

Cabernet Sauvignon - Chilean
Shiraz - Australian
Merlot - Bordeaux or Napa Valley region

Asparagus, mozzarella & prosciutto parcels

Asparagus is one of the best know aphrodisiac foods, it’s easy to cook and looks impressive when you serve it simply.

You’ll need:

12 asparagus spears, trimmed
Ball of mozzarella, sliced into 4
4-6 slices prosciutto
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Small bunch of basil
Spinach leaves

Method:

• 1. Make the dressing in advance by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar and roughly chopped basil - you can do this the night before and keep refrigerated until you need it.
• 2. Set aside 2 plates and place a handful of washed spinach leaves, gentle tossed in half of the dressing in the centre of the plate.
• 3. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to boil and blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes, then refresh them in cold water - don’t leave them to sit too long though or they’ll do soggy. Set aside.
• 4. Slice the mozzarella into 4, then take 3 asparagus spears and sit 2 slices on top, then take another 3 spears and sit these on top of that - repeat for the second parcel.
• 5. Take 2 or 3 slices of prosciutto for each parcel and wrap so the mozzarella is enclosed.
• 6. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and carefully fry the parcels until the prosciutto has crisped and the mozzarella begins to ooze.
• 7. Carefully lift the parcels out of the pan and place on top of the spinach leaves, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

Vegetarian alternative: After blanching the asparagus and slicing the mozzarella, lightly brush some fresh sliced ciabatta with some of the dressing, top with the asparagus and mozzarella, and grill lightly until the cheese starts to ooze, place on top of the spinach, drizzle a little more dressing on top and serve.

Perfect steak, mustard mash and green beans with toasted pine nuts

For the main course, you can’t go wrong with a good steak. And cooking the perfect steak isn’t as hard as it sounds if you follow these few simple steps. Sirloin is good cut to cook at home if fillet is out of your price range.

Cooking the steak

You’ll need:

2 pieces of steak, fillet or sirloin
Salt and pepper to season
2-3 tbsp ground nut oil (or sunflower if you’re allergic to nuts)
3-4 small knobs of butter

• 1. Allow the steak to rest for at least 20 minutes before you cook it, if it’s at room temperature, it’ll cook quicker, taste better and won’t be cold in the middle if you’re going for rare or medium, season it lightly with salt and ground pepper on both sides.
• 2. The cardinal sin for badly cooked steak is not getting the pan hot enough, so make sure yours is good and hot before you even add any oil.
• 3. Next - the oil - avoid using olive oil to cook steak as it burns too easily at high temperature, the best oil to use is a ground nut oil, but if you must use olive, add a little butter in too. Heat the oil until it’s just starting to smoke, then lift off the heat and give it a shake to coat the pan.
• 4. Place the steak in the middle of the pan and push down to make sure all of the surface is touching the pan.
• 5. Leave to sizzle away on the heat for 2.5 to 3 minutes before turning (for medium rare, add another minute for medium to well).
• 6. Turn your steak and cook for the same amount of time on the other side, never turn it more than once, this is what turns steak rubbery. To test how cooked it is, if you’re looking for rare or medium rare, when you push down on the steak lightly with your finger, you should get the same tension/feedback as you do when you press the fleshy part on the inside thumb part of the palm of your hand - the firmer it gets, the closet to well done it will be.
• 7. About a minute and a half before you’re due to take it out of the pan, drop in 3 or 4 smallish knobs of butter, allow to melt then tip the pan towards you and spoon over the butter to baste the steak.
• 8. Remove from pan and set aside to rest for a minute or two.
• 9. Place the steak on a chopping board, press down and slice (not too thinly) at an anglewith a sharp non-serrated knife, fan and serve drizzled with a little of the butter/oil mixture from the pan.

Smooth, creamy mustard mash

• 1. Set a pan of water to boil.
• 2. Peel and cut the potatoes into medium sized chunks, about 2 inches square is fine.
• 3. Drop into the boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender but not flaking.
• 4. Remove from heat, drain and place into a large bowl.
• 5. Add about 3-4 tbsp of milk, a large knob of butter, 1 tbsp of wholegrain mustard and salt and pepper to season.
• 6. Mash as you would normally, or for really smooth mash, use a hand blender.
• 7. Serve along side your perfectly sliced steak.

Crunchy green beans with pine nut butter

• 1. First blanch the green beans in boiling water for no more than 3 minutes, then refresh with cold water.
• 2. Next, toast the pine nuts (a small handful) in a hot, dry pan for around a minute, tossing them to stop them burning, remove and set aside.
• 3. Gently heat a large knob of butter in a frying pan with some chopped garlic (for aphrodisiac effect and taste), next add the blanched green beans and toss until coated with butter.
• 4. Remove and serve with the pine nuts sprinkled on top.

Easy tiramisu

You can make this the day before if necessary, but if not, should allow a few hours to set and let the flavours mingle before serving. It’s really really quick and easy but looks and tastes amazing. And with a bit of vanilla and chocolate thrown in for aphrodisiac effect, it’s bound to be a winner.

You’ll need:

125g mascarpone
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Marsala, Brandy or Tia Maria
100ml strong coffee or espresso cooled to room temperature
100ml single cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
8 sponge fingers (savoiardi)
Small frozen bar of at least 70% cocoa dark chocolate
Cocoa powder to dust

Method:

• 1. Whisk together the mascarpone, vanilla, marsala (or whichever alcohol you choose) and half of the coffee until everything is thoroughly mixed.
• 2. Whisk the cream with the icing sugar, then fold into the mascarpone mix until smooth.
• 3. Pour the remaining coffee into a shallow bowl, sweeten with icing sugar to taste (if you like it sweet). Then take one sponge finger at a time and dip in the coffee, turning to coat both sides, don’t dip for too long or it will fall apart, then place it in the bottom of the bowls you plan to serve it in - individual bowls or even glasses will look best. Do the same for all the sponge fingers, breaking them in half if you need to.
• 4. Spoon the mascarpone mix on top until you reach the top of the glass or bowl (or the mixture runs out).
• 5. Refrigerate for a couple of hours ideally.

Finally, take the frozen chocolate and grate over the top of each tiramisu, then dust with sifted cocoa powder and serve

How many times have you been having a much needed moan about the day from hell, letting off a bit of steam, only for some well meaning colleague to utter those immortal words “Think positive!” Easier said than done you think, or is it?

The first step is identifying negative thinking. Here are some of the most common types, see which ones you recognise in yourself:All or nothing - seeing everything as one extreme or another, right or wrong, good or bad, you struggle to see the middle ground. For example, if a meeting didn’t go completely to plan, you see it as a failure. Negative filtration - you dwell on the negatives, effectively filtering out the good stuff. So if nine people tell you your presentation was great and one says it was a little long, it’s the one that you’ll dwell on. Jumping to conclusions - assuming you know what someone is thinking and acting accordingly - without finding out what they were actually thinking. You might think a friend has given you a look that means they’re upset with you, you feel uncomfortable and avoid them. Your own worst critic - you’re harder on yourself than anyone else, using words like ‘must’ and ‘have to’ in your thoughts and speech. Always to blame - regardless of whether you’re responsible for something, you’ll blame yourself and have a tendency to take things personally. Ever the perfectionist - if you are, this is one of the key factors for increasing stress. Perfectionists can never win, because very little is ever perfect, so it’s a vicious circle. It means you’re always falling short of the unrealistic standards you’ve set yourself. OK, open up and let the positive in If you found yourself in a few of the above, read on. There are a number of easy exercises you can do to improve the way you think and help you deal with stress better. So give your mind a workout with these: Write down your negative thoughts, using the list above to help you identify them. This will help you see the situation more realistically, it’s like the theory, if you say it out loud, it must be true. If you feel like people are always criticising you, think hard and write down he times that you’ve been complimented. You might be surprised. Be your own best friend, treat yourself and your inner voice they way you would a good friend, with care and concern. Try and think how you’d advise them in a stressful situation. Let some colour in. Try not to think so black and white. After a meeting, try thinking ‘I handled that better than I thought and managed to get a really important point across.’ One small positive is better than a void of negative. Think in perspective. Instead of setting yourself unrealistic targets, like ‘I must not make any mistakes in my presentation’ try telling yourself ‘I’d prefer not to make any mistakes, but if I do, it won’t be the end of the world.’ It’s amazing how much taking a bit of pressure off yourself will improve your performance automatically. If you tend to think pessimistically, write down three good things that have happened to you each day, they don’t have to be major events, it could just be that you managed to ring your mum even though you were busy. The reality is, our days are made up of small tasks, so picking out 3 you’ve done well will make the day seem more of a success. Life can be hard, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Thinking positively is a skill that you can improve over time, but you can start right now. It really can be as simple as accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative - and if you can do that, you’re half way there.

Long hours at the office, running round after the kids, too many late nights…they all take their toll on our energy levels. So how do you re-energise and get give yourself a caffeine and surgery free lift? Well you might not like what’s coming - it’s exercise. It might sound like the last thing you think you should be doing if you’re shattered already, but in fact, the opposite is true.

Here comes the science bit: the heart is a muscle, it pumps blood round your body 24×7 and it needs oxygen to stay strong. So doing any kind of exercise, particularly aerobic, that increases your intake of oxygen (makes you breathe faster and deeper) is good news  for your heart. And that’s not the only reason, exercise makes you happy. Really, it does. When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins - the body’s natural feel good chemicals - proven to improve your mood.

Relax, you don’t have to spend your life at the gym
If the thought of hours in a sweaty room full of other people and scary equipment rules the gym out, you’re not alone. But keeping fit doesn’t have to be all iron pumping, unflattering spandex and nasty sweat patches. Here are a few ways to get fit and feel good at the same time.

Natural and free routes to more energy

Take deep breaths

Rushing around can make us anxious and that means we take in less oxygen and our energy levels plummet. Taking as little as 30 seconds to just stop and do some deep breathing will help. Breathe slowly in through the nose for a count of three - so you can feel your stomach muscles working, rather than your chest - then slowly release out of the mouth for a count six.

Stretch your way to fitness

Stretching is incredibly important before you do any kind of exercise - if you don’t stretch, you’re much more likely to cause damage to your muscles. But it’s also a great way to increase energy. Just two or three minutes will loosen your muscles, ease your joints and encourage blood to flow more freely around your body. And the good thing is, you can do it anywhere, at home, at your desk, or even in traffic. The more parts of your body you can stretch, the better you’ll feel, it will help you relax as well as giving you more energy.

Don’t take the easy way

Taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking a bit faster, jogging on the spot, getting off the bus a stop early and walking the rest - all of these will increase your heart rate and make you breathe harder. This in turn will increase your oxygen intake and boost your energy.

Make time for you

For more long term benefits, regular exercise is key. It doesn’t have to be a high impact sport, or a gruelling gym regime. There are lots of more gentle exercised that are great for energy levels and making your feel more energised in mind and body. Making time to do at least one of these, at least once a week is a good way to force yourself to stop and take time out to take care of yourself.

Yoga

There are lots of different types of yoga, but it’s popularity in recent years (and well documented celebrity followers) mean that it’s easy to find a beginners class or a teacher who’ll give private lessons. It’s a gentle exercise using different postures, breathing exercises and meditation, all of which are excellent ways to relax the body and mind, increase oxygen in take and tone up at the same time. Yoga is known to improve muscle tone, strength and stamina, reduce tension, boost self esteem, improve concentration, stimulate the immune system and give you a feeling of well-being and calm.

Pilates

Pilates is a deep, body-conditioning technique that helps strengthen muscles, improve balance and posture in a calm, non-aerobic way. Pilates teaches you how to use your muscles properly to support and protect you, preventing injury, straining and improving your posture and coordination and reducing stress.

Swimming

Whether it’s a weekend splash around with the kids, several lengths of the pool or an aqua aerobics class, being in the water is a great way to exercise and have fun. Swimming exercises almost every muscle in the body, particularly in the upper half. Swimming can be extremely relaxing, and with the water supporting your body, it hardly feels like exercise at all. It’s a great way to be alone with your thoughts or to zone out completely, let your mind wander and focus only on the rhythm of your stroke, exercise and meditation all in one.

Cycling

Whether it’s a once week alternative to the public transport commute, a weekend family activity, or just getting out there and cycling away your troubles - it’ll do wonders for your mind and body. It’s aerobic, so will increase your oxygen intake and blood flow and done regularly, as with all aerobic exercise, can help reduce the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. So if you want to feel good and get some fresh air - get on your bike.

We’re all guilty of not making time for ourselves. Few of us have the luxury of time (and funds) to spend at expensive spas, regardless of stress relieving benefits…life just takes over. Spa treatments can be costly, and now more than ever, few of us can justify the time or expense.

Help is at hand. With our handy home spa experience guide, you can create that relaxing, stress relieving, indulgent spa experience in your own bathroom. So now there’s no excuse for indulging in a little you time.

Why not share it with some of friends and make a girlie night of it? You could even make your own treatments from everyday foods, that will leave your body and your conscience feeling beautifully clear. Who knew that when they say beauty comes from within, they meant the fridge?

5 tips to create the perfect home spa experience

1. Get in the zone, declare the bathroom a no-go zone, get Dad to take the kids to the park, switch off your mobile - do whatever it takes to get some uninterrupted me time.

2. The devil’s in the detail - preparation is key. Make sure you’ve got all the products you need to hand, sinking in to your delicious scented bath only to have to make the naked dash across the cold tiles to retrieve your exfoliator from the shelf is not conducive to the home spa experience. Find your fluffiest towels, reclaim your dressing gown belt from round the toy dog’s neck and put them to warm on the bathroom radiator so you can step into something fluffy and warm. And if you don’t have an inflatable pillow, grab yourself a spare rolled up towel and improvise.

3. Indulge your senses with atmospheric lighting and music. The best spas are those that create the right atmosphere. Light candles around the bath tub, use an oil burner if you have one, and if there’s no socket near your bathroom, grab an extension lead, use a laptop (away from the bath obviously) to play soothing music. If whale sounds don’t do it for you that’s fine, it can be anything you find relaxing. Music helps you to block out any background noise and focus on relaxing.

4. Ensure a stress relieving soak by adding a few drops of essential oils to your bath, lavender is great for relaxing, try mixing about 12 drops of lavender oil with about 3 tablespoons of epsom salts to create the ultimate tonic to relax your muscles and soothe away your stress. But if lavender isn’t for you, take a look at our essential guide to essential oils to find the perfect one for you.

5. Get into the mood. With the bath running, the towels ready and all the preparation done, you’ve got enough time to make yourself a relaxing cup of herbal tea to help kick start the relaxation. You could try adding a few leaves of fresh mint to a cup of hot water for a homemade refreshing mint tea.

Finally, slip in and zone out. You deserve it.

Staying on trend can be a costly business, but it doesn’t have to be when you revamp your old clothes. Customisation is a cheap way to breathe live into things you don’t wear anymore, or to funk up things you can pick up cheaply in charity shops. It’s cheap, easy and can be a great craft activity for kids too.

Not only will you have a new wardrobe, you’ll be wearing a one off, exuding style and smugness that you’ve created it yourself for next to nothing.

Here’s a few easy customisation tips to inspire you.

Turn a drab old long skirt into a funky boob tube dress
If you’ve got any long skirts hanging around your wardrobe, you can easily make use of them with minimal alteration - especially if they have an elasticated waist. At it’s simplest all you need to do is hoist it up over your boobs and team it with a wide belt just below the bust line, it’ll give you a great shape and a new strapless dress - you could even wear it over jeans and layer it with a simple cardigan. Why not have a look in your local charity shop, you’ll probably find some great floral prints that are bang on trend for this summer’s gypsy style dresses.

Give those plain old jeans a bit of bling
Jeans can be costly, but are a wardrobe staple that most of us have more than one pair of. If you don’t, and you’re not keen on customising your one good pair, head to your local charity shop, or budget chain like H&M and get a pair you’re happen to liven up. Next head to the Haberdashery or craft shop - these places are like treasure troves for customisation. Most large department stores have them too.

Choose some jewels or sequins, even buttons or ready made motifs and simply glue or stitch them on to one of the back pockets, or the front. They’ll make a great pair of going out jeans no one else will have.

T-shirt treasures
Old plain t-shirts and vest tops can be easily transformed in to something really special, or you can buy them cheaply in places like H&M, or your local charity shop.

What you do with them is up to you. You can buy relatively inexpensive fabric pens, even glittery ones, which make a great craft project for kids to decorate their own t-shirts. You could even dye a faded or colour-washed top a darker colour and it’ll be like new.

The trick to good customisation is never through anything way, keep buttons, bits of ribbon, corsages from things you no longer wear. You can also buy them in haberdashery stores a lot cheaper than you can get a whole new outfit for.

You could make a ribbon bow to stitch on the neckline, or attach a length or ribbon around the bottom. Add some jewels, sew on a few buttons or stitch a piece of lace or even cord for a nautical look, all the way around the neckline.

Give your coat an overhaul
Buying a new coat is a big expense, and most of us have at least one sitting around at the back of a wardrobe, maybe with a few buttons missing. You can quickly and easily transform a coat simply by changing the buttons for something that makes a statement. This year it looks like the nautical theme is making a come back, so why not jazz up a light spring jacket with some stripey fabric coloured buttons, or some shiny metal ones. Or if you’re looking for something dressy, stitch a big flower corsage on to a plain woolen coat or jacket - it’s a great way to add a splash of colour - and it’s easily changed.

These shoes were made for showing off
Shoes are one of the easiest things to customise, and we all know how hard it is to find a pair that are comfortable enough to wear all day, or for a night of dancing. So if you’ve got a pair that feel like slippers but just don’t look the part, you can transform them into something that looks designer in minutes.

You can embellish them with jewels or studs just using glue. This is great for boots and can really bring a pair of old suede boots bang up to date.

Why not liven up a pair of ballerina style pumps or plain courts by fixing a flower corsage to the front. You could even buy some inexpensive costume jewellery (obviously you’ll need 2 of whatever you buy) and glue a large pendant or pin a broach to them. And you’ll have a one off pair of couture shoes that are bound to get you noticed.

Or, if you want to jazz up a pair of canvas shoes or trainers - and this is a great one for kids - get embellishing, with glitter fabric pens, jewels, buttons or paint your own designs on with acrylic paints, then when they’re dry, paint over the top of your designs with clear nail polish and they’ll be completely rain proof too. And for an instant update without mess, just replace the laces with ribbons.

As much as you love them, when the kids come home from school full of their stories of the day and seemingly limitless energy, sometimes you need a little peace. Even if it’s only long enough to make a cuppa and finish that magazine article you started reading before you picked them up. We’ve got a couple of ideas to try, fun for a range of ages and guaranteed to keep them out of your hair for a little while at least.

Make a paper mache hot air balloon
This is a great one to spread out over the week as you’ll only be able to do the messy mache on day one then allow it all to dry for at least a day. They’ll need your help to mix up the paste and get them started. But kids of all ages love getting messy and this will keep them going for quite a while. It’s also a great way to use up newspaper.

You’ll need:

• 1. A large balloon
• 2. Paper mache paste - mix 1 part flour with 2 parts water and 1 part PVA glue
• 3. Lots of small cut up pieces of paper, ideally in strips
• 4. Paint
• 5. A yogurt pot or empty round container for the basket
• 6. Some string

Day one:

• Blow up the balloon
• Pour the paste into a shallow dish and start drenching the paper in it, laying it on the balloon in strips - continue until the balloon is almost entirely covered, leaving just an inch or two from the knot upwards to allow for removing the balloon and attaching the string
• Follow the same process for the yogurt pot, covering just the outside
• Leave to dry - for a day at least a day until hard

Day two:

• When the balloon is dry and hard - it’s time to paint it - choose bright colours, patterns, stripes - anything goes
• Do the same for the basket
• Allow to dry overnight

Day three:

• Finish off decorating if adding any stickers or glitter, paint with a coat of PVA if you want it to be shiny
• Allow to dry
• This is the fun bit - let them pop the balloon and gradually pull it out - be sure it’s hard and dry before you do this
• This next bit is for parents only, using sharp scissors, or something like a skewer, bore holes into the balloon, 4 around the narrow end and 1 through the very top to allow you to hand it up, then do the same with the basket, 4 evenly spaced holes
• Cut 5 lengths of string, ribbon or cord and tie a couple of knots in the end of each one
• Thread one up through the whole in the top of the balloon (the knot inside the balloon) - this will be the one you use to hang it up
• Take the others and thread them through the holes at the narrow/open end of the balloon, again with the knots inside, then thread the other end from the outside, through the holes in the pot basket far enough to allow you to tie the ends in a knot to hold them

That’s it - hang and enjoy.

Send them on a pirates treasure hunt
While they’re at school, or one night when they’re in bed, make a pirate’s treasure map. If you don’t have time (or don’t want to waste good coffee) for the full on aged pirate paper version below, you could just use brown parcel paper. Mark key areas in the house with imaginative pirate names, like the sofa could be Blackbeard’s Mountain, or the stairs could be Waterfalls of Doom.

To create your pirates map, you’ll need:

• 1. Cold coffee or tea (about half a cup)
• 2. A large piece of white paper
• 3. A hairdryer
• 4. Marker pens
• 5. Lemon juice

Take the white paper and rip off the edges, all the way round:

• Crumple it into a ball
• Flatten it out again onto a plate or chopping board
• Now pour the coffee or tea over the paper, swishing it around to make sure it’s covered completely, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to give it some colour
• Pour the excess coffee or tea down the sink
• Blow dry the paper for about 5 minutes, turning it down low when it starts to lift a bit, for another 2 minutes until completely dry

Now you’re ready to draw your map

• Give it a title, like Pirate Island and put a N,S, E and W in the corner
• Use a dotted line to draw the a trail between the key points, like the sofa, stairs, other pieces of furniture (obviously cunningly disguised with pirate names)
• Mark these points on by drawing icons like mountains, forest or caves
• Write instructions, like 10 paces north to guide them to the treasure - the more instructions, the longer you’ll keep them occupied
• Finally, when you’ve hidden the treasure (or no where you’re going to) mark it as an X on the map, using the lemon juice - this will dry invisible
• Then make the final instruction to them, to hold the map up to a lamp (or you can do this with them) to make the X visible and let them find their treasure
• Roll it up and tie it with string or ribbon and tell them when they get home from school that Old Blackbeard himself dropped it off for them

When it comes to handbags, it can be a struggle to keep the contents to a minimum. So here are our top five tips on preventing yours from turning into a clutter terminal.

1. Don’t carry a big bag. The bigger the bag, the more you put in it. This might explain why small bags are back in fashion.
2. Compartments are a must. Just make sure you remember which items you put in which compartment!
3. Only carry essential make-up items. We understand that looking good is essential, but are you really going to use all four shades of lip gloss?
4. Put all your toiletries in a (small) wash bag. This is especially effective for preventing tampons falling out while searching for your purse.
5. Clean your bag out every night. There’s nothing worse than finding a forgotten about squashed banana stuck to your diary!

Got any tips of your own?

The arrival of spring is nature’s way of telling us that it’s time for a new start. So here are our top five tips to help you follow suit.

1. After months of dark, cold and windy weather, treat yourself to a refreshing facial scrub and bid those old skin cells farewell.
2. Unworn clothes will block-up your wardrobe. So in order to stay in fashion, say goodbye to the things you don’t wear.
3. Giving your home a good spring clean can be very uninspiring. But look at it this way: you’ll probably find that missing earring you’ve been searching for all year.
4. If your work desk is starting to resemble a paper mountain, it’s time to get filing. You’ll feel good at the end of it, as well as inspire your colleagues.
5. And finally, give your relationship a spring boost and book dinner for two at your favourite restaurant. A perfect way to celebrate all your hard work.

Got any tips of your own?