How to keep your valuables safe on holiday

It is very easy when you are relaxed and enjoying your holiday to be caught off-guard by opportunistic thieves. Having your valuables stolen on holiday can completely ruin your break and overshadow all of the good memories that you are making.

Mobile phone theft has risen by a staggering 25% in the last three years with, on average, 264 phone robberies reported to the police every day.

Remember to use your common sense. Leave valuables locked away in a safe or hidden in a secure place when you leave your accommodation. If you are going to the beach, only take what you really need- leave unnecessary valuables at home! 

Tourists on their phones in busy public places are easy targets and often find them snatched away before they even knew someone was approaching. If possible wear a bag that can be worn across your body and that has a secure zip to keep it closed.

Pickpocketing is the most common form of mobile phone theft. One in six of those who have had a phone stolen say it was taken from their bag or pocket. Make it difficult for thieves to remove your phone from your person with the Mi-Zone 2-way proximity alarm.  The Mi-Zone works with your handset or tablet and can be attached to anything you consider valuable or worth protecting. You can choose from 3 security settings: Low, medium and high, depending on the range of the security zone you wish to create and as soon as your belongings move outside of the selected zone, a flashing alert and audio alarm will be activated on your screen. Just keep your Mi-Zone tag by your side or in your pocket, and it will alert you when your handset or tablet is moved away from you.  You can also use it to locate missing handset/tablet by pressing the button on the tag for 10 seconds and, as long as it is in range, the alert will activate on your phone or tablet allowing you to pinpoint its exact location.

Don't let thieves ruin your holiday! Be prepared, aware and stay safe!

Three birthday presents for the man who has everything!

You normally love that your other half has impeccable taste, style and an appreciation for the finer things in life, but when it comes to buying them a birthday present, you are truly stumped!

Well you need look no further because here are three fabulously fun gadgets that will be certain to impress even the pickiest of recipients…

 

The Bubblescope is a remarkable little video and still camera that attaches to your iphone or ipad and captures 360 degrees of your surroundings at the touch of a button. You can then upload your videos and pictured onto Bubblepix.com and choose the angle at which you view it from. You can watch it back endlessly, changing your viewing angle each time so you never have to miss a second of any event!

Remote control toys are not just for kids, and this is not just a remote control toy… The appCopter from AppToyz is a gyro-stabilized smartphone controlled copter! The appCopter uses your iphone together with a free downloadable app to become the most intuitive remote control Copter ever! Turn on tilt control for an extreme flight! With an 8 metre flying range, the skies are yours to conquer!

Inspired by the iconic “mau5head”, this Deadmau5 portable speaker features LED eyes that light up when connected to your iphone. The portable speaker not only looks amazing, but it sounds awesome, too. You will be blown away by the high quality and clarity of the sound.  The Deadmau5 speaker is ultra-portable and can be charged via the supplied USB cable and the built-in Li-ion batteries ensure that you will have plenty of sound no matter where you are. Don’t be fooled by the compact size- this speaker really packs a punch!

Top tips for studying for exams

If you are studying for upcoming exams, here are some top tips to keep you healthy, sane and efficient...

Take regular breaks

It is impossible for anyone to remain focused all day long without a break! Schedule in short rests every hour and break up your day with activities that help you to relieve stress- take a long bath, go for a run, read a chapter of your favourite book. Everyone is different but if you feel your concentration starting to wane or you feel frustrated and stressed out, take a break, have a glass of water, wash your face and start again.

Get enough sleep

Energy drinks and coffee are not a substitution for sleep! It may be tempting to pull an all-nighter before an important exam but your brain will function much better after a full nights sleep- you will be better able to cope with stress too.

Give yourself the fuel you need

Make sure that you eat regular, healthy meals. Snack on fruit, nuts and seed that will sustain you without causing your blood sugar levels to spike like sugary snacks will and drink plenty of water.

Experiment

Everybody is different, so it makes sense that everybody will have their own tricks to help them remember certain subjects or to make the hours of studying more barable. If you can’t stand silence while you work you could invest in a portable speaker, so you can take your study playlist with you wherever you are.

 This Deadmau5 portable speaker is small but mighty! Light and portable, this speaker is based on the iconic Deadmau5 head and boasts crystal clear sound quality- so you can study in style.

You might find it helpful to write your study notes in different colours or make posters to stick up around your house. Try making up songs or funny rhymes to remember facts. Studying doesn’t have to be a chore!

New Fenice Clutch case for Samsung Galaxy SIII VIDEO!

Check out the video for the new Fenice Clutch, the gorgeous premium phone cover for the Samsung Galaxy SIII. This Italian PU leather cover uses magic tape technology to secure your phone without the need for any bulky casing. With an inside pocket to keep money and cards, the Fenice Clutch is all you need for a stylish night out!

How to travel light

If you are going away this Summer and want to make the most of your packing space here are some tips on how to pack light…

Colour co-ordinate

When choosing clothes for a trip stick to a clear colour palette. Pick items of clothing that can be layered over each other and mixed and matched with each other to make multiple outfits. Sticking to neutral tones that go with everything is best if you are not sure what to take. If you just don’t feel like yourself without a splash of colour, accessorise with a colourful scarf. It can also be used as a sarong, headscarf, travel pillow etc and can be worn when you are travelling to avoid taking up precious packing space.

Only take as much as you need

Toiletries can be really heavy and take up a lot of space. Miniature versions are available of a lot of the most popular toiletries, but this can work out expensively. Buy some small plastic bottles to decant a small amount from the big versions that you already have. Some cosmetics can be decanted into smaller pots too to avoid extra packaging.

Choose products that multitask

Think carefully about how you are going to use everything that you are taking with you. Could you swap it for something more useful. For example instead of buying a separate face-friendly sunscreen, find a moisturiser that has an SPF in it. Many cosmetic products can be used for multiple uses as well- instead of taking blush, use a dot of lipstick on your cheeks to give you a glow; take a shimmery eye shadow that can also be used as a highlighter; Vaseline is great, not only for your lips but can be used as an eyebrow gel and to give eyelashes a natural looking curl and gloss- it can even be used to sooth dry skin or rubbing shoes.

A natural soap such as Dr Bonners Castille soap can be used to wash your hair and body as well as your clothes.

Keep your money, cards, room key and phone together in this Fenice Clutch iphone cover. Compact and stylish, this cover is all you need for a day or night out. It also comes in a range of on-trend colours- so you don’t have to compromise style for functionality!

Bikini Body Countdown Part 2

Your summer holiday is approaching and the weather is hotting-up. You should be excited but the fear of stripping off in direct sunlight is niggling at the back of your mind... Well, don't panic and check out our Bikini Body Countdown Part 1 for how to get started on the road to your dream body by setting realistic goals and keeping track of your progress.

As anyone will tell you, the fastest way to kick-start your weight-loss is not only to watch what you are eating, but also to increase the amount of exercise that you do. Again, it is important to be realistic with your exercise goals. If you do very little exercise and you suddenly start going to the gym every day for two hours, you are going to lose interest very quickly (and quite possible do your body some damage too!) Ease yourself into a new fitter lifestyle by setting practical goals that fit with your lifestyle. Take a brisk walk in your lunch break or walk to and from work instead of driving. Get your family involved by walking the kids to school or going on a bike ride together at the weekend. Find an activity that you enjoy and you are much more likely to stick to it! Even small changes will make a huge difference to your level of fitness and will help you maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

If you need a bit more motivation to keep track of all of the positive changes that you are making, perhaps you should consider investing in a health tracker such as the Fitbit UltraWireless Tracker.

The Fitbit Ultra monitors your activity all day to provide you with real-time feedback on steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed to encourage you to walk more and be more active. It wirelessly uploads your data to Fitbit.com so you can gain deeper insight into your daily or monthly fitness and sleep levels with free online graphs and charts. On Fitbit.com, you can earn fitness badges, connect with friends to share and compete on fitness goals, or join the Fitbit community for advice and encouragement. So you can get fit- one step at a time!

What the colours of your accessories say about you...

Sayings like “seeing red,” “feeling blue” or “green with envy,”  are often used to describe an emotion- But can colours really have an effect on our mood?

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have concluded that colours do in fact alter the way we feel and react to stimulus.

Subjects performed tasks with images or words displayed against blue, red or neutral backgrounds on computer screens. 

Red groups did better on tests of recall and attention to detail, like remembering words or checking spelling and punctuation. Blue groups did better on tests requiring imagination, like inventing creative uses for a brick or creating toys from shapes.

Another study carried out by Andrew Elliot of the University of Rochester showed that men considered women shown in photographs with red backgrounds or wearing red to be more attractive than women with other colours.

Colours have been used as therapy in many ancient cultures including the ancient Egyptians and Chinese and are still used holistically today. So how can we utilize colour to our advantage? Here are some ways to accessorise with colour that will say a lot about your personality and even boost your mood…

Red is the colour of passion. It denotes strong feelings and grabs attention. Red could be the perfect colour for you if you are looking to stand out in the crowd or increase a certain someone’s pulse rate!

Choose a bright pink hue of red for a more playful and sweet shade of passion, such as this Poppy Pink Fenice ipad cover.

Black is the colour of authority and power. It can often denote mystery and is timelessly chic. Vamp up your outfit with this Fenice Prada Black iphone 4 cover 

Blue is tranquil and relaxing. It can also stimulate creativity. Blue is also thought to be the colour of loyalty so is an excellent choice to wear to a job interview. Give off the vibes of trustworthy dependability with this Fenice denim blue ipad cover.

 Orange is uplifting and zingy. It is great for stimulating action and enthusiasm and relieving lethargic periods of inactivity.This juicy orange Fenice iphone 4 cover would get you moving even on the coldest of Monday mornings!