Monday, October 29, 2007

Painting New York Pink

Lisa Clark is one of my favourite positive people. She loves New York, and she loves the Children's Society too.


She's a great lady and she's going to be raising money for The Children's Society, which supports England's most vulnerable children, by strapping on her comfiest trainers, gritting her teeth and walking the streets of her favourite city on November 9.


But Lisa needs your help - so please dig deep and sponsor her online, right here


Then keep track of the Pink Fundraising Parade at: http://lisaclark.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

In 1948, Dr Maurice Rapport of the Cleveland Clinic discovered an important neurotransmitter and named it serotonin. When we don't have enough, it makes us grumpy.

We've been searching for the Holy Grail of happiness therapy for years, from St Johns Wort to Neuro Linguistic Programming...now it looks like a simple on/off transmitter could zap us all happy!


Researchers at the same Cleveland Clinic noticed that neural activity in parts of the brain correlate with symptoms of sadness and depression. and created a Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) implant to jolt some sunshine into your life.


The implant consists of three components; the electrode placed in the brain, a generator implanted beneath the collarbone and a lead placed under the skin to connect them. Electric impulses are sent from the generator to the stimulator to interrupt neural activity at the target site. Because it is a permanent device, the DBS has been called the "brain pacemaker".


If you're thinking of getting one, like all things worth having, it ain't going to be easy. First, they bolt a titanium halo is bolted to your skull so that doctors can image your brain with minimal movement. Then they'll be drilling two coin-size holes into your skull, and inserting implants and wires through the holes. Mind you, there is good news - we don't have many pain receptors in the brain, so you'll only need a little local anaesthetic is needed and you can even stay awake while they make the holes in your head!


As the electric currents are activated, four out of six patients have report a feeling of a black cloud lifting, a desire to smile, faces become brighter and they become more alert and interested in their environment. I get the same when someone hands me a bar of Butterscoth Green and Black's but maybe that's a personal thing?


The changes are reversed when the current is switched off. After surgery, current levels can be controlled remotely by a doctor. So don't piss your doctor off or you could be ina really tricky situation! I can see it now, "Right, Mrs Smith. This is what you get for being rude to the receptionist..."


Apparently, electrical stimulation of the frontal cortex brings about a "striking and sustained remission" in people with clinical depression, whose symptoms had previously been resistant to medication, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy.


Throughout the past 10 years the implant has been used to combat traumatic brain injuries and a host of movement disorders such as Parkinson's. But now Food and Drug Administration tests in the United States are under way to approve its use with clinically depressed patients.


So - I wonder if they will be licenced for PMT?

Tuesday, October 16, 2007


Say thank you, now!


In the new postive thinking tome "Thank You Power," TV journalist Deborah Norville taps the emerging field of positive psychology to argue that everyday expressions of gratitude are one giant step down the road to happiness.


Like many proponents of the whole new age 'The Secret' style philosophy, Deborah noticed that when she focused on what was going well in her life -as opposed to fixating on problems - she was happier. No sh*t Sherlock...but she goes on to explain that her book differs from plain old positive thinking because of the power of the pen!

"You have to not only count your blessings but write them down."

Like all good self help manuals, Thank You Power has 'steps'. Deborah says that she jots down three or four things a day that she's grateful for in a little notebook. Mine would say Green & Blacks butterscotch chocolate, lie-ins, Ugly Betty and Facebook. Although focussing too much on Facebook just means I get less work done :-)

"Focusing on these moments puts you in "positive affect"-which is the scientific word for feeling good."

Is it? Well, OK, lets' work on the assumption that it is...

Deborah thinks that her wise words should be available for failing pop stars too. She says that if Britney Spears were to give her book a try, and had some 'thank you power' training, she might find her life a bit better to live...

Well, if you want to be enlightened:

Friday, October 12, 2007


Did you watch 'How Toxic Are you?' and scare yourself about the thousands of chemicals you might take in just because you want to look, feel and smell good?

Well I did, so when I heard about this initiative I was pleased.

Burt's Bees is a lovely beauty brand - free from:
  • SLS
  • Parabens
  • Phthalates
Following research into natural products in the market, Burt’s Bees has uncovered mass consumer confusion into what is and isn’t ‘natural’.

In an attempt to clarify the truth behind ‘natural’ Burt's Bees is launching the 'Natural Standard' - a comprehensive, universally recognised and regulated set of guidelines for all natural personal care products.

Burt’s Bees already have the support of other natural beauty brands and the Natural Products Association.
“At Burt’s Bees, we believe that truly natural personal care products are the best choice to help consumers maximize their well-being because they work in harmony with the body. Our products rely on time-tested recipes made from the most efficacious natural ingredients. Some synthetic ingredients used in personal care have suspected human health risks, such as phthalates, that Burt’s Bees believes should not be used, especially because there are safe, natural alternatives available.” - John Replogle – CEO, Burt’s Bees

Burt's Bees products are available nationwide in the UK through selected stockists including John Lewis and HQhair.com

Burt’s Bees stockist inquiry number 08456 049049


Also highlighted on the show were the scary chemical cocktails that go into the ingredients lists for the everyday cleaning products we liberally squirt around our houses...guilty as charged...

Leading the charge into eco-friendly – or “green”- household products, San Francisco brand Method consists of a wide range of eco cleaning products from all purpose cleaners to specialist bathroom range.
According to Method ‘dirt’ isn’t just the stuff that gets between the tiles on your floor. It means the toxic chemicals that make up many household products, polluting our land with non-recyclable materials, testing products on innocent animals …these things are dirty and Method are against dirty.
Method is now available in the UK nationwide in Tesco and Sainsbury stores











National Commute Smart Week runs from from Sunday October 28 to Saturday November 3 2007.

November 1 last year was the first Commute Smart Day - and it got a massive thumbs up from everyone involved, so they've extended the initiative to last a whole week this time!

Workers in the UK already have the longest average daily commute in Europe: some people add another working day each week in travel time. I know how that feels, I used to spend three hours a day travelling so that's another two days sitting on buses and trains a week. I hated it and boy am I glad not to be at the mercy of public transport every day now...

Add to this the misery of traffic congestion and overcrowded public transport, and now the prospect of travelling to and from work in the dark for many months, it is no surprise that many succumb to depression and despondency. Not to mention 'public transport cold' - yuk.

Commute Smart Week, which starts on the day the clocks go back, will give a tantalising glance into a working life beyond the daily misery-trek. Employers that embrace smarter working, flexible working times (including flexitime, condensed hours and nine day fortnights), staggered journeys and part home working, reduce the overall need for their staff to commute, with flexibility in the times when they have to commute allowing them to avoid peak times.

If more employers took the plunge and looked into adopting these smarter working practices it wouldn't just be great news for harassed staff members, but it could have significant impact on traffic congestion (rather than just charging people for daring to drive to work) and public transport overcrowding by extending the rush hour and reducing peak demand, making the daily commute more bearable for those workers that have no choice.

Smarter working could also be good news for hospitals and emergency services - there is usually a significant increase in deaths and injuries on roads in the UK during the winter months, many of which are schoolchildren. So all in all, it really does pay to look into ways of making working days that bit smarter for everyone.

Work Wise UK will be publishing a series of tips and guidance on working smarter,but for now you can find details about Work Wise UK can be found on the website.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Free Chocolate!!!

http://www.aerobubbles.co.uk/main.aspx?page=empty

Click on this link and it will take you through to the Nestle home page - where you can print off a voucher for some free Aero Bubbles. Don't say Relentlessly Positive never gives you anything...

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Who's been eating my porridge?
Patients at a Romanian psychiatric hospital were terrified when three bears broke into the building in search of food.

A mother and two cubs smashed a window and pushed open a door to gain entry where they found some food in a metal canister, which they dragged outside. Hospital staff called hunters to the facility, which is in a forest near the mountain resort of Predeal, 75 miles north of Bucharest.
Hunter Aurel Iordache said: "We shot her with a tranquiliser." The mother bear was seen waddling away into the woods - still woozy from the tranquiliser - with the food canister stuck on her head.

I don't know how true this story is...but it was so cute that I had to share it...

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Zillions of Advantage Points and a new online boutique!

Good news for beauty junkies, the Boots Beauty Boutique is now open. If you pay a vist to what's being billed as the UK's biggest online beauty emporium you can take advantage (if you'll excuse the awful pun) of an extra 1500 Boots Advantage Points too.

The offer lasts until 10 October. All you have to do is spend over £50 before 10th October on any of their fabulous new glammed up luxury stuff.

The first 50 glamour goddesses to make a purchase also receive a luxurious Beauty Boutique goodie bag. Yippeee! I'm off there now to hunt down some Caudalie or Bliss goodies. Or maybe some Trilogy Everything Balm...or maybe some Burts Bees....what's a girl to do?






Monday, October 01, 2007

If you quite like the idea of having your hair 'pooed by a top snipper - hairdresser and celebrity stylist Trevor Sorbie is supporting Marie Curie Cancer Care this October by taking on the role of a junior at his salon on Floral Street in Covent Garden, London, for one day on October 9.

The event is part of Marie Curie Cancer Care's Back to the Shop Floor initiative which is sponsored by Persimmon Homes and encourages staff across England to sponsor their boss to take on their roles and responsibilities for the day.

Trevor will shampoo clients, make drinks, sweep the floor, run errands and clean while dressed in the all black uniform that his team of 10 juniors wears; the money raised helps provide high quality nursing to terminally ill people.

Trevor also offers a service called My New Hair where he offers advice to women suffering from medical-related hair loss.

To sponsor Trevor visit www.justgiving.com/trevor_sorbie
Have you got teenage daughters? If you have - make them visit this page:

http://www.oprah.com/presents/2007/girl/girl_main.jhtml

Oprah - queen of schmaltzy feel-good type stuff, is encouraging girls to 'learn to love themselves' and stop beating themselves (and each other) up because they aren't what the media call perfect. What *is* perfect anyway?

The O Girl, O Beautiful campaign is asking girls to sign a 'contract' with themselves, agreeing that they are smart, unique and beautiful, and will promise to find something to appreciate about themselves every day.

http://www2.oprah.com/download/pdfs/girl/girl_contract.pdf

OK, it's reeeeeally cheesy and very American. But the sentiments are good. Download it, give it to your daughters, tell them they are gorgeous and give them a big hug.
If you've ever fancied a taste of the tropics without the carbon footprint the flight would cost (or even the credit card bill) you can close your eyes and pretend you're far away with the divine Pure Fiji range.

Pure Fiji was born when a Fijian mother and daughter duo decided to save some money by making their own soaps using all of the ingredients from their local Fijian shores. To this day all ingredients are grown in the wild and hand picked.


Pure Fiji has won fair trade awards and the company is responsible for helping to build schools, water tanks and local shops for the surrounding villages. The Pure Fiji products and Spa treatments are centered around ancient Fijian tradition and focus on total wellbeing and rejuvenation. Yummy exotic nut and floral extracts are blended with fresh coconut milk and virgin coconut oil to hydrate, condition and protect skin and hair, adding vitality and softness.

Even the celebs are getting in on the act with Denise Roberts, Rachel Hunter and Jessica Alba all fans of the range. Pamper yourself in an eco-friendly way, and smell damn gorgeous at the same time!