Lifestyle

By Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor Like most parents, particularly cynical and sarcastic stay-at-home ones, I absolutely adore cleaning. I spend hours every day debating whether I prefer the postprandial wiping ceremony (encompassing hands, faces, table, floor, chairs, walls…) or the fragrant delight that is scrubbing the bathroom of a household with three children under the age of seven. Oh, the joys of getting my exercise by chasing the kids around the house with the vacuum cleaner as Cheerios are flung...

By Elaine Roche, partner, JMW Solicitors (www.jmw.co.uk) Parents have a lot to consider when starting a family; from birthing plans to primary school choices, university funds and everything in between. One consideration that is often overlooked is the creation of a will, yet this is arguably one of the most important tasks parents will ever complete and can be a quick process that saves a great deal of time, money and upset in the long run. It might not be...

By Sian O'Flaherty at STYLIGHT The highly anticipated Apple Watch has been described as “the most advanced timepiece ever created.” Its groundbreaking design and personal features will redefine the way we receive information, however, with prices for the gold version reaching a whopping £26,000 it’s certainly divided opinion. Crafted from 18-karat gold and with a polished, sapphire crystal display it’s the most expensive product ever made by Apple and is aimed at fashionistas with a seriously disposable income. With this...

By Jack Peat, Editor of The London Economic  A warm Wednesday evening in Chiswick, the beer garden that sits below the quaint Tabard Theatre is full with punters enjoying the first of the warm spring evenings. Tonight’s show, a Blush of Dogs, is billed as a play about conflicting freedoms and the desire to break repressive cycles, inspired by contemporary life and adapted from Atreus and Thyestes, a Greek the myth about brotherly rivalry and power. This abridged modernization immediately...

By Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor Firstly, let’s make one thing clear. Your mummy loves the park, why else would she take you there day in day out, whatever the weather? The sun-cream and the ice-cream van in summer and the mud and twenty layers of clothes in winter; she may complain to her friends, but like an addict, she can’t stay away. If you want to maximise her enjoyment, follow these easy steps: Use the Scattergun Approach You know the...

By Carey Ann Dodah, Head of Curriculum at Explore Learning Here are my top tips on how to inspire your child to love writing: Start young It is very important for children to start writing from a young age, and I don’t mean just writing stories but writing anything at all! It doesn’t matter if they don’t finish writing the stories, as long as they’re practicing their own stories as much as they possibly can and creating something unique. Give...

By Juliet Turnbull, CEO of 2to3days.com Having worked in business for over 20 years, it feels like there is a revolution afoot in working practices. With less focus on “presenteesism” and more attention given to outcomes; less assumptions about a job being full time and more curiosity about agile and flexible working. This is an exciting, new world of work that I can see shaking up some of the old problems that we used to face. For example, as someone...

By Nathan Lee, TLE Correspondent  New research has revealed London is home to the most boring population in the UK with 47 per cent of people been told they are boring on at least one occasion. That compares to a national average of 38 per cent of people who have been told to spice up their lives on one or multiple occasions.  The survey found Britain was a rather dull country across the board, with most respondents finding the idea of  sitting in first...

By Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor So it’s the school holidays, the sun is shining and I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but if like me you live in Yorkshire, it’s the first chance you’ve had in ages to get the kids out in the garden for longer than 5 minutes before the hail, sleet and snow reappear. You throw open the back door and they run out enthusiastically, then what seems like milliseconds later they’re traipsing muddy...