Go wild with animal print accessories this Spring!

Let your wild side run loose this Spring with one of this seasons hottest trends- animal prints!

Animal prints are the perfect way to unleash your inner animal and these great accessories will have you purring with excitement!

This Stella McCartney Falabella laminatedfaux python shoulder bag (£590) is detailed with gold chain and an iridescent finish. Smallbut perfectly formed, this little bag is the perfect evening accessory.

This Fenice Creativo ipad cover  (£39.95)in leopard print has just the right amount of subtle gold sparkle- professional yet fun and glamorous- isn’t that every girl’s dream?  It’s patented design and use of magic tape technology means that it is one of the thinnest and lightest cases around.

This Fenice Classico Zebra iPhone 4 leatherPU case (£29.95) is made using patented high frequency welding techniques, which mean that the case is made without the need for messy stitching and glues- chic and robust yet wild!

Home blood pressure monitors could save your life!

A recent US study that was recently reported on by Boots WebMD found that patients with high blood pressure who monitored their blood pressure using portable devices at home managed to lower their blood pressure more effectively than patients who did not have monitors at home.

Both groups were given usual care - educational information about lifestyle changes they could make to lower their blood pressure, and follow-up care from their GP. One group was also given home monitors and taught how to use them to take readings at least three times a week, and upload their readings using the online programme.

After six months the researchers compared how much people’s blood pressure had improved.

After six months, more people in the home monitoring group had lowered their blood pressure to less than 140/90 mmHg. Around 54 in 100 people in the home monitoring group had a blood pressure below this, compared with around 35 in 100 in the usual care group.

Some 58 in 100 people in the home monitoring group were very or completely satisfied with their treatment, compared with 42 in 100 in the usual care group.

It seemed that having complete control and an insight into the changes that are happening on a day-to-day basis, gave the group with the portable devices the incentive to stick to the lifestyle changes that would lower their blood pressure.

High blood pressure can cause a multitude of serious and sometimes fatal health conditions and many people do not even know they have it until it is too late. It is important to get your doctor to check your blood pressure on a regular basis, but as this study shows, monitoring it yourself at home could make a huge difference to your health.

The iHealth BP5 bloodpressure monitor is based on the iOS operating system and Bluetooth technology, it allows you to test, track and share your blood pressure results wirelessly with your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad. iHealth BP5 works with a Free App to test, track, graph and share your blood pressure results The whole testing process is amazingly intuitive- you can watch your pulse wave in a vivid interface and your results are recorded automatically. Using a minimal amount of storage space on your device. You can classify your historical results and obtain the average, to identify your blood pressure's trend and to examine the effectiveness of any medicine. You can even send your results instantly to your family or healthcare provider by E-mail, Facebook or Twitter to keep them informed of your health condition.

Brighten up a cold Easter with these sunny accessories!

You may not be ready to put away your winter knitwear just yet (and who could blame you) but that doesn’t mean that you can’t inject a bit of Spring sunshine into your accessories with fun, zingy colours and patterns. These gorgeous phone cases are sure to brighten up even the coldest of days (and dullest of outfits!)

 This neon Diario Mojito Galaxy S2 cover is on-trend this Spring and is a great way to add a fun colour-pop to any outfit.

Diario Juicy Orange Galaxy Note can’t help but make you think of sunshine- even if you haven’t seen it in a while!

 This Poppy Pink Creativo ipad cover is functional and elegant with a twist of feminine colour.

 Let your wild side out with the Classico PU Leopard iPhone4 case. Animal print with just the right amount of gold sparkle is sure to make you smile- whatever the weather! 

How to be prepared for a chilly Easter!

It may be nearly Easter, but as much as we would love to be buying sun cream and planning BBQ’s, the weather may have other plans! Extreme weather warnings have been issued all over the UK and we are getting ready for snow, gales and torrential rain! It’s vital not to get caught out unprepared and ill equipped!

It is important to stay informed, so keep an eye on the weather forecast and take action on any severe weather warning or advice that is given. There are a lot of weather apps available for your mobile devices, the Met Office have apps for Android or Apple devices and will help you stay on top of the weather changes as they happen.

Always leave extra time for your journeys during periods of extreme weather. Check that public transport is still running before you leave the house to avoid getting stranded outside in the cold!

If you drive, you should plan your route and leave extra time to ensure you are not rushing and drive safely in accordance with the condition of the road. The Highways Agency suggests that you keep an emergency kit in your car over the winter months. This includes:

·                Ice scraper and de-icer

·                Warm clothes and blan­kets — for you and all passengers

·                Torch and spare bat­ter­ies - or a wind-up torch

·                Boots

·                First aid kit

·                Jump leads

·                A shovel

·                Road atlas

·                Sun­glasses (the glare off snow can be dazzling).

In addi­tion, when set­ting out on jour­neys dur­ing the win­ter sea­son remem­ber to take with you:

·                Food and a ther­mos with a hot drink

·                Any med­ica­tion you, or other peo­ple trav­el­ling with you, need to take regularly.

It is also important to remember that heaters, windscreen wipers and difficult driving conditions will all have an impact on your cars battery life. To avoid draining your battery and getting stranded in an emergency, it is a good idea to carry an emergency battery booster for your phone so you will never be caught out with a flat battery! This Universal Emergency Barrel Charger is not only great value, for only £4.99 but could be a lifesaver in an emergency. Simply connect your phone and talk whilst charging. It includes a range of tips for use with most handsets, including MicroUSB and powers up your phone so that it has up to 2.5 hours of talk time, all from one AA battery.  Keep a couple of spare AA batteries in your glove box and you will never be caught without battery again!

Get bikini ready quickly and easily!

Summer is quickly approaching; bikinis and crop tops are appearing in the shops. The countdown to our Summer holidays has begun!

If like a lot of us, this time of year has you feeling optimism and dread in equal parts, you are not alone- it is stressful pulling on last summer’s sundresses or trying on the first bikini of the year! But if you know that you are not going to like what you see- then why not do something about it now! 

There are plenty of ways to lose a bit of weight and tone up without having to starve or torture yourself! Find an activity that you enjoy- try a dance class or Zumba, or perhaps trekking in the fresh air? See what is available in your local area and step outside your comfort zone- you just might enjoy it!

Eating healthily doesn’t have to be a chore either- swap your soggy sandwiches at lunch for a nutritious soup and try out a new fruit or vegetable every week- you could be missing out on something really delicious!

There are some great apps out there to keep track of your calorie intake and exercise too. MyFitnessPal lets you record all the food that you eat and works out the calories and nutritional content of your daily consumption. It also lets you record your exercise and offset calories burnt against calories eaten, encouraging you to be more aware of your daily energy input and output. You can track your progress with charts and build up a support network of your friends and family or even other dieters.

If you would prefer to let a gadget record the amount of exercise that you are doing during the day (and gain a more accurate insight into your daily activity levels) you could invest in a FitbitUltra. The Fitbit wirelessly transmits the information that it gathers all day to your smart device or computer so that you can see where you can make improvements and congratulate yourself on your achievements. There is even the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale that measures your weight, body mass index and body fat percentage to provide a full picture of your weight trends. It allows you to set goals, stay in control and stay motivated every day.

A lot of people are surprised by the unexpected calories that they are inadvertently consuming every day and shocked by how little activity they do in their day-to-day lives- sometimes just being aware of where you are going wrong can make huge changes to your weight, fitness and overall health and help you get that bikini-ready body back in no time at all!  

Rock the 90's trend this Spring!

It’s official; the 90’s are back! Acid wash denim, dungarees and crop tops are all finding their way back into our wardrobes in a big way! Don’t worry though, you don’t need to go all-out ‘saved by the bell’ fancy dress to embrace this trend. Here are some fun ways to add a bit of 90’s ‘girl power’ to your Spring wardrobe!

Dungarees might have you flashing back to your childhood fashion faux pas but worn in the right way, they can look chic and effortlessly casual. Pair These Ranch Handdistressed stretch-denim overalls from Current/Elliott (£355) with heels, bling and a clutch bag to avoid the farm-hand look.

If you have a gorgeous toned stomach then the trend for 90’s crop tops is the perfect excuse for you to show off! If not, don’t despair- minimise the bare flesh on show with a high-waisted pencil skirt or wear under a chic blazer. This crinkled duchesse cotton-blend bra top from Miu Miu (£420) would be perfect for this look.

Functional and comfortable, the trusty backpack is no longer just for schoolbooks. This leather-trimmed tiger-printnylon backpack from Kenzo (£294) is on-trend and perfect for updating any casual outfit with a 90’s twist.

So, your ipad wasn't around in the 90's but that doesn't mean you should leave it out of your Spring wardrobe overhaul! This premium Fenice Creativo ipad cover in blue denim is a great way to accessorise your 90's look and is super-thin, stylish and functional too! 

Spring trend report: White

White is this season’s must-have colour- from crisp tailored shirts to angelic gowns- lightening up your wardrobe is essential for staying on-trend this Spring.

The bomber jacket is a key shape for Spring and this white Airtex-mesh bomber jacket from Stella McCartney (£590) combines two key trends of the season. Wear it in the same way that you would a blazer- dress up a pair of jeans or give an on-trend edge to a pair of tailored trousers and heels for an effortlessly casual business look.

The classic white shirt is another wardrobe essential this season and this perfect stretch-cotton shirt  from J.Crew (£75) will look great with anything, from skinny jeans to a sleek pencil skirt. It could even be worn under this season’s pinafore dresses for a cute preppy look- for those days when it’s not quite warm enough to go without sleeves!

  

This pretty, feminine cotton and silk-organza peplum tank top from Miu Miu (£245) is the perfect way to update your Spring wardrobe- perfect with tailoring or casual jeans, this top will add a girly yet elegant touch to any outfit.

This Fenice Creativo premium ipad cover is a great way to accessorise your ipad and your Spring look. It’s ultra thin design is elegant and stylish and it’s premium finish will mean that your ipad will look great even in the most fashionable of meetings!