Something has been missing in South Devon for the last 20 years. Almost the southernmost tip of the country, some unfortunately see it as too cut off or isolated though they’re missing out on a wonderful county. The people are friendly and there are some fantastic views to take in, as well as castles and national parks to visit. Admittedly though, the area has gone without a certain something; missing a long held tradition from it’s annual calendar for two decades due to safety concerns and fears. And what is to thank for this revival? Glowsticks.

The Royal Regatta returned last week  to ensure that while great for your average self-catering Dartmouth break, the county can be seen to having many jewels in it’s crown of events to bring in spectators. So to celebrate, we have sought put the strangest events, parades and festivals we could find. You have been warned.

What the Fluff” Marshmallow Fluff Festival
In Sommersville, MA (in America, of course), there is an annual festival, complete with parade to celebrate the delicasie that is marshmallow fluff. Though it’s not so well-known over here, you can find it in shops which import these sweet snacks from the States though the prices can be quite a bit so make it an occasional treat. Anyway, the Festival involves everything from crowning the Fluff Pharaoh, to burlesque dancers (PG-rated so nothing too raunchy) with fluff-inspired apparel, to a whole host of street games you would expect at the carnival but with a fluff twist. And of course, you can expect to put yourself off sugar for a month with all the fluff available in several varieties or accompanying other foods, like salsa. While we’re not sure those two go well together, the festival has been going strong for 6 years now, so it must be doing something right.

Brighton Naked Bike Ride
Brighton is well known for being very progressive and on the edge, so it’s no surprise that the Naked Bike Ride which takes place every summer is seen as a somewhat tame and family-friendly event. It’s all cleared with the local police so there’s no fear of being arrested, and it’s all in aid of a good cause (yes, really); it’s part of the World Naked Bike Ride to promote being eco-friendly and abandoning cars which require fuel. It’s also a good way to keep fit and is perfect for a town like Brighton, which is student-central and has a Green Party MP representing it; the naked aspect is considered a way to dispel fears of riding on roads and if you can do it naked, then why not with clothes on?

Cheese-Rolling in Glousterchire
While this example isn’t a parade of such, it is a festivity that involves the movement of many people, even if that movement if downwards and some aren’t on their feet for it. Every year on the Spring bank holiday, men and women chuck themselves down Cooper’s Hill after a rolling block of cheese. Though the origins remain uncertain, it is a regular on news broadcasts each year on such a quiet weekend when little is happening in the world.

World Record Bikini Festival
It’s been a good month for parades as in the month of August, China played host to a world record while many were being set over in London. This one was a little different though, with 1000 women, aged up to 70 parading their assets in bikinis in Huludao city as part of a Guinness World Record attempt. The attempt was successful, which may surprise those who consider China as very, very conservative. A previous attempt to break the record in Minnesota was a dud when very few people turned up which probably did little for those and their confidence. This one in China however meant off a lot better, featuring dances and general festivity in addition to bikini-clad women.  

If you’re interested in taking in next year’s Regatta in but live out of the way, consider a short-stay in a rental property, whether a cottage or apartment. Holiday accommodation in Dartmouth is very reasonable, especially when split between a group.
 
With obesity concerns for the nature beginning in children dictating our eating habits for a lifetime, here are 5 ways you can slim down your chances of being diagnosed with diabetes which has no cure and creates massive complications in life.

1) Cut Down on Sugar in Your Tea or Coffee
It's bad enough on it's own with the additives and caffeine content, but the need for a boost at the beginning of, during and at the last stretch of the work day or looking after the house, is understandable. If you have recently increased your intake, it may be a sign that you aren't getting enough sleep on your own (maybe your caffeine intake is to blame?). Try water if you need a break or something to quench your thirst. Sometimes the ritual or bonding over making tea is the biggest proponent of drinking it. If you are a tea or coffee addict and can't be without your fix, then at least replace the sugar which you would have it with normally, with sweetener instead; while not perfect like not drinking it at all, it would make a difference and can be carried around with you in a small pack (which makes a fun click to dispense them to boot!).

2) Take the Stairs
If you work in an office building or you commute via trains, you'd be surprised as to how often you use a lift or escalator. When confronted with the choice between stairs and escalator, it makes sense to go for the escalator unless we are in a rush. This quick workout is a handy cardiovascular boost and a good way, over time, to track how you're doing if you overhauling your lifestyle. This tip can also be utilised in the home which makes it a cheap gym workout, by simply using your staircase to go up and down. If you can teach your kids to tidy up after themselves, playing with one toy at a time, each time they go up to their room to fetch a new one, they'll learn to be tidy and active. With older kids, don't let them lie in bed all day and let you run around them; leave meals for them in the kitchen and make sure they bring plates and washing down to you.


3) Introduce Cinnamon...Yes, Cinnamon!
Cinnamon is like vinegar in that most homes will have it but not realise the multitude of miraculous effects it can have. While vinegar is good for cuts and stains, cinnamon has many, many health benefits; one of which is lowering blood sugars. Though a spice, it can be discreetly put into foods, like potatoes, or if you want to be naughty, doughnuts and apple pies without arousing suspicions of fussy eaters. Alternatively, if you want a purer form without having to eat a delicious doughnut, <a href="http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/shop-product.asp?prod=176&autocomplete1=Cinnamon&button=Go">cinnamon capsules</a> are readily available from many health shops or chemists. As long as the bottle is clearly marked and contains what is says it has, <a href="http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/cinnamon-cinnamomum-verum--p-176.asp">cinnamon supplements</a> like these are a safe, non-medicinal form of lowering blood sugars, which may be an extremely worthwhile thing to have at hand, if you or someone you know is diabetic. There are many other flavourings or condiments you can add discreetly to cooking which no-one will notice as sticking out (apart from that added "hmmmmm").

4) Make Sugary Treats a Treat
Too easily we can make things that ought to be a treat like biscuits or sweets a routine indulgence rather than a special occasion. It can be as simple as a daily biscuit or three with tea breaks, to something after dinner, every day. With kids, you can't always control what they eat when they're out of your eyeline so try to instill that sweets and biscuits should be eaten in moderation. Make the biscuits you buy a big decision, rather than buying several different types. Keep them on a high shelf in your kitchen so they can't help themselves while you're not looking. This can be a larger lesson of teaching them to savour flavour rather than gobble up as much as quickly as they can. They can also be a reward for good behaviour or at least a key part of bonding before tea time with the family.
 
 Nowadays having a beautiful body is quite important especially for girls, in fact you need to be good looking in order to do some kind of jobs.  In fact, if you’re a marketer you need to be fit and confident because confidence is key in those kind of jobs. But some people just want to lose some weight in order to feel good in their skin, so no matter the reason why you want to lose weight you need to b really careful. In fact you need to understand that dieting is not stop eating but controlling what you eat. Here are some tips on how you can diet without harming your health.

Before starting your diet make sure you consult a health professional to ask him any question you might have about dieting or nutrition and he will be able to give you some advice on how you should do your diet. If you do this you will k now exactly what you can do or not and the nutritionist will also be able to tell you all the foods that you can eat during your diet but also the kind of food you should avoid.

During your diet make sure that you take a healthy breakfast before leaving your house, in fact breakfast is probably the most important as you take your breakfast it will help not to eat anything else before lunch. If you’re wondering what a healthy breakfast looks like, then you can have different things for instance you can have low fat cereals with milk, a fruit as far as fruits are concerned you can have any fruit but make sure you don’t eat too many bananas as bananas have a lot of calories so you should avoid eating them. If you need some ideas of diet recipes you can do some searches on the internet to look for website that are specialized in weight loss and you’ll probably have diet recipes ideas from those websites. Generally you can also buy polllen granules  from those websites to  give you stamina during your diet.

During your diet you may feel a bit tired or worse dizzy as you’ve changed your eating habits, so in order to prevent that you can buy supplements from any health shop online to help you during your diet.


 
So I was very shocked this week to receive a letter through the post from the police. As I started to open the letter and saw the lovely police logo of course I started to panic! At first I thought it might have been an updated to a minor theft I reported some months ago, but then I saw that the letter was related to my car so I then began to think about all the terrible things it could have been about.

My car is quite old but I've only owned it a year. I worried that it might have been reported stolen or not roadworthy or something (even though my MOT is up to date). As I opened the letter out it showed the rather conecring heading of notice of intended prosecution ! Panic. I have never been prosecuted for anything and just the very term prosecution makes me feel like a criminal. But as I read further down I realised it wasn't all that bad.

I had been caught speeding by a mobile speed detection van. It was on a morning when I was late for work so definitely know why I was speeding. Luckily I wasn't going too fast, but once I got that letter through it certainly made me drive very slowly for the rest of the week and I'm still being very careful now too. I've sent off the letter to confirm it was me driving the car and now I have to wait and see whether I will get a fine or some points on my licence. I might have to go on one of those speed awareness courses! I will of course repor
 

1. Why Do People Become Vegetarians?

Nowadays the number of vegetarians has considerably increased, this phenomenon is mainly due to the emergence of different diseases that are contracted while eating meat. In fact, it started a few years ago with the mad cow disease, which was an illness that affected cows’ nervous system; and more recently there was the swine flu. In fact, there are more and more reasons that push people to stop eating meat and become vegetarians.

A. Health Reasons

Some people deliberately choose not to eat meat because an excessive consumption of meat can lead to some serious diseases such as cancer and circulatory system diseases. In addition, meat is also one of the main sources of cholesterol and most food poisoning are from animals therefore being a vegetarian helps avoiding all those health problems linked to meat. In addition,  it was recently proved that being a vegetarian also helps you live longer.

B. Save the Planet

Some people also choose to become vegetarians as raising a  livestock is a source of water pollution in the form of sewage and it also produces a lot of greenhouse gases that are extremely bad for the planet. Some people are also vegetarian for religious reasons, for instance in Buddhism eating meat is considered a bad thing for your karma. Some people are also vegetarian for psychological reasons, in fact they think that animals are beings just like us and deserve to live as long as possible. Actually, there are many other reasons why people choose to become vegetarians, we are now going to see what the diet of a vegetarian looks like.

2. Vegetarian Diets

A vegetarian diet is characterised by its focus on plants for food. A vegetarian person can eat any kind of fruit, vegetables, dried beans and peas, grains, seeds and nuts. But there are different types of vegetarianism as some vegetarians for instance eat both eggs and dairy foods they are called lacto-ovo vegetarians. Then we have another kind of vegetarianism which consists in eating plants and dairy foods and they are called lacto vegetarians.

3. Deficiency of Some Vitamins  

There are many vitamins that can’t be found in plants or that are in very small amounts in dairy foods and vegetarians have to find some ways of getting those vitamins. In fact, vegetarians mostly need to focus on including protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12  in order to be sure of getting all the vitamins they need. One of the best ways of getting those vitamins is of course to buy vitamin B and other dietary supplements to avoid vitamin deficiency, as a lack of vitamin B12 for instance can trigger serious health problems.

4. Healthy Vegetarian Diets

We saw earlier that most people choose to become vegetarians for health reasons, as it helps avoiding different kind of diseases. However, have to be very careful and have a varied and balanced diet that allows them to have all the vitamins their body need. In addition, one of the advantages of being a vegetarian is that almost all vegetarians have amazing bodies as they only eat healthy food such as vegetables and plants.
 
If you are one of those professionals  who postpone your accounting activities because you hate accounting or just because you feel that it is far from being your greatest strength, then you can say good bye to the accounting nightmare. In fact, a team of accounting experts got the brilliant idea of showing professionals who suffer from "accounting phobia" that accounting is not as horrible as they think it is. In fact, the Crunch Accounting tool was made with small businesses, contractors and freelancers' needs in mind. Small businesses that want to grow faster tend to outsource their accounting activities to accounting professionals to make sure that their accounting is done effectively. But the problem is that if you want to grow your business the best thing to do is naturally try to diminish your  expenses as much as possible. Therefore,  if you want to grow your business faster  then the Crunch Accounting tool is for you.
Crunch online accounting tool is the first tool in the market that allows you to have your invoicing, expenses, accounts paperwork and tax calculations all in one place. You don't need to question its efficiency as the tool was already recognized by its users as being one of the best in the market. In addition, very famous newspapers such as The Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, The Huffington Post and Tech Crunch have also praised and recommend it to their readers. Besides, you can also try a free demo of the Crunch Accounting tool.

 
Dating has changed over the last decade, with the growing popularity of online dating agencies.  No longer do you have to get dolled up at the weekend, cruise the local bars and pubs, and hope for someone half-way decent to approach you.  

With the onset of online dating agencies,  you could wander the site in your pyjamas, and wait for the action to begin. Depending on the number of male members, the number of them logged on at the time (and, of course, your own attractiveness), you could be hit on within minutes.  

This may all sound very appealing, but if somethings sounds this good, it is usually balanced out with a few cons.

Here are three pros and cons of using online dating sites.

1.  Everyone Knows Why Everyone Else Is On The Site

Pro
Unlike the real-life social scene, where you don’t know the relationship status of every man you come across, with online dating sites, you know that everyone else is looking for the same thing you are - a relationship.

Con
The other side to that pro is precisely that - everyone on the site knows exactly why you’re  there too.  Some women have reported that this makes them feel more vulnerable and exposed.  At least on the real-life social scene you have the mystery of your relationship status to play with.  With online sites you don’t have that mystery.

2.  You Have A Clean Slate

Pro
Any man you meet in real-life can form an opinion about you before he even asks you out on a date.  All he needs to do is speak to the host of the party, the person who introduced you etc.  With online dating, the only things he can find out about you before dating you are whatever you say in your emails.  This is much more controllable than what a third party says about you.

Con
The other side of this argument being that you can’t know anything about him that he doesn’t want you to know.  From anything as small as a speeding ticket or driving offences to more heavy issues like criminal activity, fraud etc.  This may make you more adept at judging his words (in emails and on dates) or it can leave you very vulnerable indeed.


3.  Your ‘Hotlist’ Is More Refined

Pro
When at a bar, pub, or other social ground, you may look at or speak to men whom you keep in mind as a ‘maybe’, or ‘possibly’.  You don’t know anything about their background that could be a deal-breaker, such as the issue of marriage, starting a family, where to live etc.  With online dating sites, you just look at their profiles to find out background information.  This means you ‘hotlist’ is more refined than would be in real life.

Con
On the other hand, being able to refine your hotlist can distract you from the whole purpose of dating.  Dating is about interacting with different men, so honing your social skills i.e. conversation skills, listening skills etc. Refining the men whom you interact with will limit these opportunities.  


Summary

So there you have it.  Three reasons online dating can appeal, and the very three reasons why it may not appeal.  As with any form of socialising, it can have its advantages and disadvantages.  Being aware of the overall picture can help to make the choice of whether it’s the right method for you.

 
We all know we should be eating healthily and exercising more, but with today’s busy lifestyles it’s difficult to achieve either of those objectives.  Here, I can help you with one of those - I can help you achieve the basic amount of exercise in the shortest amount of time possible.  You can do more if you have time, this is just a starter. In short, 10-minute sessions, you can improve your overall fitness.   These guidelines are for general fitness-level individuals.  If you are severely overweight or underweight, please seek advice from your GP and a professional fitness instructor.    

Morning

In the morning, as you get out of bed, have a long stretch.  This will prevent you feeling stiff and set you up for the morning.  
As you put on the kettle or the coffee machine, do five minutes of gentle jogging on the spot to warm up.  Yes, 5 minutes of it can make a difference.  As you sit down with you morning cuppa, gently rotate your neck for 3 minutes.  Rotate clockwise for 90 seconds, then anti-clockwise for 90 seconds.  After your neck, gently rotate your arms forward for 1 minute, then rotate backwards for 1 minute.  You’ll notice that this will already make you feel more lighter and more energetic.


Noon

If you are at work and you have time for a lunch break, consider getting up and going for a 10-minute walk. You will benefit from the fresh air as well as the exercise.  


Evening

Evenings are the time when you probably least feel like any exercise.  After a long day at work, all you probably want to do is slob out.  But it’s actually very easy to squeeze in a few minutes of exercise without it infringing on your time.  While you’re cooking dinner - while the pasta’s boiling or the chicken’s in the oven - do another 10 minute jog on the spot, or do 10 minutes worth of squats to work those thighs.  

Another option is, if you are going out for the evening, why not leave the car behind and take a brisk walk there.  You have the added freedom of not having to avoid alcohol for fear of committing a driving offence.  You might even be able to jog bag home, in which you get more exercise, AND you won’t be scared of getting  caught speeding while you’re jogging.  

These are just simple ways to fit in a little exercise into your busy daily routine.  It may take a little while to notice any difference, but if you are serious about fitness, it’ll be worth it in the long-term. 


 
My partner is a chef, and loves cooking. I am useless at cooking, so together we make quite a good pair! Our kitchen seems to be full of jars of this and that, strange seasonings and marinades sitting around and the cupboards full of things that haven't been touched for months. I have battled for a while with one area of the kitchen. Our sister in law bought us a nice hamper for Christmas with some vinegar oils and chutneys in it all in lovely bottles, but these are all in the corner getting sticky and dusty and I forget they are even there. 

I keep nagging him to do something about the clutter, but I have now realised that actually these sorts of gift food items are really nice and don't need to be tidied away in the cupboard, they would probably look really nice out on display. So I have sent him off to B & Q to get some glass shelves this week so that we can pretend we are posh with all of our fine ingredients in the kitchen! 

If anyone wants to know where they are from - it's a new foodie site called Vanilla Chef

My favourite product is this cute little set of oils that look really nice on display!
 
Having started my blog and really enjoyed writing for it so far, I've been thinking about the next steps with the blog design wise and maybe setting it up with a proper web address and everything - making it a bit more jazzy.

I do find the Weebly blog platform really easy to use - but I just use it for writing only and babbling on about my Life Without Socks! I'm really not a technical sort of person so hadn't really looked in to anything other than the writing side of things until now.

I had a little word with my friend who has a Devon Web Design company to see if he could give me any help. Anyway - I told him all of my fancy ideas about having a cool picture in the banner that flashes and a little "wheel of fortune" type menu thingy and he told me that it would probably take a long time for me to work out how to do this on my own because it would need custom "coding". I didn't even know what coding was until he said that, but basically it's a whole new language of goobledygook! I always thought web designers just drew pictures on a graphics tablet or something! Apparently there are also all different types of coding so what works on one website like Weebly might not work if I copied it in another blogging website like Blogger.

I give up on the idea of a flashy blog for now, however I did say I'd give my friend a plug so if you are looking for some help with web design look up Web Design Devon.