Incredibly Important Announcement: There's a Boots Beauty Advent Calendar

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I still buy myself advent calendars, and now there's an actual one that's supposed to be for me. The Boots Advent Calendar is £30, but has over £65 worth of products, both travel size and full size, inside. Brands include Nails Inc, Soap & Glory and Seventeen.  

There is also a deal as part of the package where you earn three times the Advantage Points if you go on to buy the products you've sampled in your calendar. Pretty sweet. 

You Can Buy a Twister Ice Lolly Cushion. Totally Sweet.

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I don't think I'm being AT ALL hyperbolic by proclaiming this the Best Cushion Range Ever. Available from Tesco Direct's extensive soft furnishings collection at around £8. If I had a caravan these would be splendid for giving it an ice cream van theme.

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Eating Out Review- The Ruddy Duck, Holywood

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I don't do a great deal of restaurant reviews, maybe it's something I should look into. A chronicle of Northern Ireland's quirkiest eateries might be a nice project, not to mention getting a free lunch.  

So I will start with The Ruddy Duck, Holywood, this time paid by from my own pocket! School was closed today, so my son & I with nothing to do, took the train to the nearest town to Bangor, for a wander round the charity shops and some grub.

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 The gourmet fish & chip spot is the little sister of Holywood's famous Dirty Duck Ale House, renowned for its delicious food. This shop has been a chippy since forever. I remember grabbing chips there after school when I went to Sullivan Upper School in the town in the 90s. It wasn't quite a 'greasy spoon' as such, but it definitely has had an upgrade with the new owners taking the reins.

The Ruddy Duck is quaintly decorated with seaside postcards & Cath Kidstonesque table clothes & shabby chic-ed chairs.  

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There are your straight forward chip shop treasures, all cooked to perfection. My son had the £3.50 kids' meal, sausage & chip option, the latter of which came in a newspaper cone. This tickled him no end, and he even brought the cone home. For that price you also got a drink.

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I chose one of the unusual options, the seafood chowder with wheaten bread, £4. It was really filling, and chunky. The was even a crab claw in there!  

So if you're looking for somewhere to grab food in Holywood, try Hibernian Street and The Ruddy Duck. 

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Aspirational Vintage Electrolux Advertisments the Mad Men Would be Proud of

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As Electrolux approach their 100 year anniversary, here is a look back at a selection of stylish print ads from the   world's second largest household appliance maker.

The Swedish company has led the market in innovating vacuum cleaners,  washing machines, washer dryers, dish washers and built-in ovens. 

Some of these advertisements look good enough to frame. In fact if you search on eBay you'll find a market for original, vintage advertisements taken from the magazines and papers of the 50s and 60s. It could well be worth rooting around in the attic for those old copies of House & Home to make a few pennies before Christmas time. 

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Someone Has Illustrated Each of Jay Z's 99 Problems & Its Glorious

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Limited run of 99 prints of each illustration available here. From the brain of @werdplai

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25 Super-Fan Breaking Bad Tattoos Including Bryan Cranston's Own Secret Walter White Ink

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Breaking Bad has only two episodes to go. How will we cope without it? For the last two episodes I'm making blue slush puppies in honour of our favourite meth cooking anti-hero, Walter White. 

The role is played by Bryan Cranston, who revealed he has had his own Breaking Bad tattoo inked on the inside of his finger. 

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by Bob Done

by Bob Done

And to finish, here is some Breaking Bad flash work. 

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Curious & Inspiring Vintage, Pagent Queen Photographs Showing the Changes in Main Stream Beauty Over the Past 100 Years

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A striking difference in what was considered the peak of beauty from early 1920s to now. 

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 Emprove Clinic, Edinburgh, can  provide consultations and non-surgical treatments to men and women for medical and medical aesthetics purposes, in a professional, safe and friendly environment. 

 

Emma Sheldon is the Clinical Director of Emprove. Emma has over 10 years of clinical experience in the NHS in a variety of medical and surgical specialities.   

Whether its knowledge building, enhancing your appearance or keeping fit and healthy, one way or another it all comes down to lifelong self-improvement. 

That’s what Emma believes in and, simply put, it’s why she named her clinic Emprove.