The Aqua Zinger Infuses Water With Fresh Fruit Flavours of Your Choice

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The Aqua Zinger is one of those products I would never think of buying myself, but now I have one it'll be something I use almost daily. It's a bottle with a little grinder system for fruit, veg, herbs whatever you fancy, that you can fill and infuse your drink with on the go. 

We used fresh raspberries, which squished easily into a purée by twisting the grinder. Handy even to prepare for on icecream, never mind for adding to water. You then reattach that part to the bottle and add your water. We actually used milk to make a raspberry milkshake. 

I'll be using my Aquazinger often, as I'm supposed to avoid fizzy drinks with my stomach ulcer. However if you want to add fizzy water, or even hot water, the Aquazinger is very flexible. You can purchase via their website. 

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Boojum Is Offering £3.50 Burritos To Raise Money For Movember. Here's How to Get One.

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This November 30th, Belfast's first and best burrito palace, Boojum, is offering you the chance to get one of their famous, hand prepared burritos for just £3.50  

By visiting their Facebook page from 31st October onward, you can apply for and print a moustache. Simply turn up with your moustache on 30/11/13 to claim your spicy prize.  All proceeds go towards Movember charities. If you're more of a fan of their sister restaurant, Bubbacue, keep an eye on their page, as they'll be announcing their charity raiser soon.

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The Lumiere Festival To Bring A Winter World of Light to Derry City.

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Following two successful Lumiere festivals in Durham, England, producers Artichoke have been invited to bring Lumiere to Derry by the Culture Company, bringing an incredible year of arts and culture in the city to a close with a four day celebration of light.

Local and international artists, lighting designers, and community groups will breathe new light into the city with a breathtaking series of lightworks. The festival is expected to be a popular family event with artworks sprawling right across the city in a sprinkle of winter magic.

The light creations will range from large-scale projections, to neons, to installations using the latest LEDs, created by artists and lighting designers from near and far including pieces created by artists from the Northern Ireland as part of the successful Brilliant competition.

The festival runs from 28th Nov to 1st Dec. Full details on the Lumiere Festival website.

A Gallery of Lichtenstein Inspired Fancy Dress Costumes

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Pretty as a picture: Ten step guide to using artwork effectively in your home

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Style is an important feature of the home. The way in which we decorate and furnish our living space can have a considerable impact on how relaxed we feel throughout the day.

While the overall feel of a property is affected by many things, there are few finishing touches more important than artwork.

Here, we take a look at how best to use artwork and home accessories to create a nice home environment.

1. Go with your gut

Simple though it sounds, it's important to choose artwork that you like. It's easy to be tempted to choose artwork that you feel might be popular but this can actually have the opposite to the desired effect.

Whether or not the artwork you choose is effective comes down to one thing – whether or not you are happy with it. You should therefore follow your gut reaction to judge what you buy.

2. Placement

Even a great picture can look wrong if it's not properly placed. Consider first whether you have an appropriate space to hang or place a piece of art. You might be particularly careful, for example, about the themes you choose to place in your kitchen or dining room.

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Better Homes and Gardens has a fantastic post on how to arrange art which is well worth a read for more information. Looking at everything from placing items above the sofa to using scales, adding visual balance and keeping things level, they have plenty of great ideas for you to try.

3. Framing

It's often the case that the frame can make or break a picture. Sometimes a picture is better off with no frame at all – just a simple mount. Don't be afraid to try different things when it comes to the frame until you get it just right.

4. Lighting

Pieces that make use of colour can be affected a great deal by the light which shines on them. Spare some thought to the way each piece of art is lit and how that might change throughout the day. If it makes a difference, don't write off the idea of including special lighting in the room just to accommodate a certain picture.

5. Context is everything

It's sometimes the case that a picture or sculpture can look great in one environment and terrible in another. While it can be difficult to predict how an item will look in your home, try to be aware of the surrounding colours, shapes and home accessories and the impact they might have on your choice. Items tailored to a children’s bedroom may look out of place in the living room, for example.

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6. Link size to space

The difference between how a piece of art looks in the shop and how it looks in your home can also come down to size. A large picture can easily dominate a small room. Similarly, a small piece of art can get lost if place on a large wall.

Try to get the scale right when choosing pictures in order to maximise the impact of the art that you choose. Select artwork in sets of three is a good option if you’re unsure what you need.

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7. How much is too much?

It's always pleasant to house a wide selection of artwork in your home but that's not to say it's impossible to go over the top. If you place too many pieces of art on the wall, it's possible for each piece to become less effective. Finding a happy medium is hard but essential.

8. Group styles

Try to keep similar styles of art together. While it can be nice to display some variety throughout the home, too much variety within a small space can be confusing.

9. Spacing

Not only is it important to have the right amount of art, but also to have it evenly spaced. Clustering pictures can also detract from their impact, while leaving too much space can make a room feel cold and bare.

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10. Be bold!

Finally, don't worry to the point of being conservative. Plain artworks undoubtedly have their place but without a little flare, it's difficult to be unique. If you want to create something totally unique then why not have a stab at some DIY styles? This fantastic post shows 100 creative DIY wall art ideas which really stand out. From making art from sequins to using postcards to create a unique feature, there’s plenty of scope for individuality with wall art.

Win a Curious Candy Hamper

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I hope you guys realise the sacrifice I am going through, by letting you know about this competition I'm pretty sure it means I can't win, BUT, maybe one of my lovely readers will win. Curious Candy is our local, proper, old fashioned sweet shop, here in Bangor Northern Ireland. As well as the classics, they import American candy, chocolate and sodas for us grown ups. To win their hamper, it's a simple Facebook like & share competition which you can find here. Good luck. 

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You Would Dream You'd Want To Pay £10 For Some Bin Bags, Would You? But You Will.

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We are lucky in our house, we have an open fire which gets pit on Christmas morning. We have an incinerator on hand to chuck in all the wrapping paper, plastic packaging and cardboard boxes as the spoils of Santa are urgently ripped open. Christmas means a LOT of extra waste, and not all of it fits in your black bin. Trips to the local dump aren't viable either, as they are closed over those celebratory weeks.

Here is you're answer. John Lewis have these Christmas Pudding Bin Bags, £10 for a pack of 12. Not just for waste, you could equally use them as sacks for Santa to leave the boxes in on Christmas Eve. Also great if you are visiting in-laws and have a bundle of a dozen boxes to try to carry I to their house. You could even use them to decorate a huge outdoor tree, as waterproof tree baubles to match your outdoor lighting.

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Birthday Express Has the Best Party Supplies. Anyone For A Legend of Zelda Party?

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It's my son's six birthday tomorrow. He wanted an Aquabats themed party, which is how I came across the US site Birthday Express. They have literally hundreds of party themes, including dozens you wouldn't be able to get in the UK. They ship to the UK too, just make sure you plan in advance and don't leave it until a week before to place your order. 

Each party theme is carefully crafted with links to absolutely everything you will need. Plates, cups, bowls, napkins, tablecloth, party bags, stuff for in the party bags, it really is a one-stop shop kind of place, all you'll need to sort out is the food. 

You can also make completely unique party themes buy adding photographs and text of your choice. 

I'm going to show you all our Aquabats' gear set up for the party tomorrow, there's a sneaky peek below, but in the meantime, check out these exclusive themes that I think you will love. 

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