Innholdsfortegnelse for 28-jun-16 i Woman's Weekly

1 Look for a compost bin that is insulated for speedier results, that have a close-fitting lid, but that also allow for easy access for when emptying contents when they are ready. 2 Start with a base layer of twiggy material to aid drainage. Mix together ‘green’ leafy material with ‘brown’ dead or twiggy material to prevent it becoming a wet, slimy and strong-smelling compost. 3 Top up the bin with fresh leaves, grass clippings, annual weeds, fruit and vegetable scraps, but not cooked food, diseased or pest-infected plants and perennial weeds. Dampen dry material as you go and add a compost accelerator or nitrogen-rich fertiliser, to speed up the rotting process. The lower layers are ready when they are well-rotted and crumbly.…

Losing weight can be a struggle, but the good news is that, thanks to developments in technology, there’s a plethora of new methods to support you as you try to reach your goals. From using the latest gadgets to making the most of the features on your mobile phone, these are some of the best ways to help you slim down. Get Snap Happy Write a log of what you eat and you’ll lose twice as much weight, according to a study by US scientists. But if you keep a photo diary by taking snaps of your meals and snacks with your camera phone, it’s been shown to be an even more effective method of shedding pounds. Dr Michelle Storfer, founder of The Food Effect (thefood effect.co.uk), says, ‘Written food…

Greek Lamb Pasta Bake Serves 4 Calories: 589 Fat: 28g Saturated fat: 15g Carbohydrates: 45g Suitable for freezing 1 Heat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for a few mins, to soften. Add the garlic and minced lamb, and fry for 10 mins, to brown it all over. 2 Stir in the tomatoes, oregano and sun-dried tomato paste. Cook for a further 10 mins, until the meat is tender. 3 Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 10 mins until al dente – tender, yet still with a slight bite. 4 Beat the egg in…

Knitting Editor, Teresa The optical illusion created by the intarsia technique makes this sweater look smart and fun. Knitted in stocking stitch with a classic crew neck, it’s easy to wear over a shirt or on its own. Easy-peasy A Bit More Tricky Hard–ish Quite A Challenge MEASUREMENTS To fit ages 1-2 (3-4) (5-6) (7-8) years. Actual measurements 66 (71) (76) (81) cm/26 (28) (30) (32) in. Side seam 23 (26) (30) (34) cm/ 9 (10¼) (11¾) (13¼) in. Length to shoulder 38 (42) (47) (52) cm/15 (16½) (18½) (20½) in. Sleeve seam 24 (28) (33) (38) cm/9½ (11) (13) (15) in. MATERIALS 5 (5) (6) (6) 50g (125m) balls of Bergere De France Ideal (40% wool, 30% acrylic, 30% polyamide) in Grey (Cendre 24241); 2 balls in Black (Truffe…

Savour the taste of home-grown oranges and lemons. They take up to a year to develop, but are well worth the wait! Hardy to -10°C, they’re best grown outdoors from May to October, and brought inside for the winter. Height: 1.5m, spread: 1.2m. Supplied as ot-grown plant approx. 25cm tall. (Ceramic pot not supplied.) • Buy 1 of any variety for £9.99 • Buy the Citrus Duo for £14.99 (1 of each) – saving £5 Visit www. thompson-morgan.com/  wwk2098a to order, or call 0844 573 6057 and quote WWK2098A. £1.95 postage. Plants dispatched from July 2016. Contract of goods is with Thompson & Morgan, a company wholly independent of Time Inc. (UK) Ltd.…

Dr Melanie Wynne-Jones helplines Stress 0904 470 0681 Migraine 0904 470 0682 IBS 0904 470 0683 Varicose veins 0904 470 0684 Heartburn 0904 470 0685 Heavy periods 0904 470 0686 Jan de Vries alternative helplines Osteoporosis 0904 470 0812 Bladder problems 0904 470 0813 Rheumatism 0904 470 0814 Losing Dad – how will Mum cope? 0904 470 0871 Depressed 0904 470 0873 Arthritis 0904 470 0874 Calls cost 65p per min plus your telephone company’s network access charge and last approx. four mins. Users must be 18+. You must have the bill payer’s permission. Service provider: Spoke, 0333 202 3390.…

Our Experts Appliances Internet Digital Animals Finance/ consumer Legal Wills Q Should I make a will? Yes, absolutely! Most people have thought about who they would like to have their belongings after they die, but often don’t consider writing a will until much later on in their lives, if at all. Without the benefit of a legally valid will, what many people do not realise is that there is no guarantee that their property, money and personal belongings will end up in the right hands. By making a will, you are giving legally binding instructions as to how your possessions should be shared out in the event of your death. A will doesn’t just give peace of mind to the person making it: it provides security for your nearest and…

I was lucky enough to spend a few days on the banks of glorious Loch Lomond recently (see pics below left and below). As is the wont of us Brits, the weather was a frequent topic of conversation among the group on the trip, particularly as the men were playing golf and were keen to know what the conditions would be like for their rounds. You would think that technology would be our greatest ally in checking out the predicted weather, but that turned out not to be the case at all. If a number of us each looked up the forecast on our phones – using a variety of apps and websites – almost without fail, each one proffered a different prediction. Some gave sweepingly general projections, others were…

We love letters Woman’s Weekly, 110 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU. PS. It really helps when you put your details in capitals We do not return photos (apart from ‘You Look Great!’) so please do not send originals And emails, too! Womansweeklypostbag @timeinc.com  Tell us your full name, address and daytime phone number, please Fancy a chat? Log on to facebook.com/  womansweekly We can’t wait to hear from you! If you’d like updates on wonderful project ideas, video tutorials and all the news about our upcoming craft workshops, it’s simple to subscribe to the Woman’s Weekly newsletter. • The sign-up box is easy to find on the home page of our website. Just pop in your email address. womansweekly.com Important! All contributions to Woman’s Weekly must be…

Helen Lunt, 50 Tell us about your look… I tend to wear jeans a lot and then dress them up or down. I love skinny jeans – either in a dark denim or black. These are from Uniqlo, but I recently bought a flared pair which look great with chunky sandals. My silk top is from Zara – it’s my favourite shop as the clothes are always just a little bit different. My cream jacket was a lucky TK Maxx find. It’s easy to throw on and just smartens things up. And the best bit of your body? My legs.…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 Apr Wonderful things can happen when you allow them to. Don’t get in your own way and give yourself permission to receive. Taurus 21 Apr - 21 May Money aspects are very favourable this week. Treat yourself to something that gives you pleasure. Gemini 22 May - 21 Jun Everything is going forward now and this is a good time to start a new job or relationship. Cancer 22 Jun - 23 Jul Put yourself first this week! Venus is bringing you the opportunity of many pleasurable experiences. Leo 24 Jul - 23 Aug Watch your spending. This is a good time to set new goals and to take action steps, so concentrate on that. Virgo 24 Aug - 23 Sep Jupiter is helping you…

1 You can make any mailed entries in prize draws stand out by using oddly-shaped or particularly brightly-coloured postcards. 2 Choose your competitions carefully. Task-orientated ones take time and skill, and so attract fewer entries. Similarly, local newspaper competitions have a smaller audience, so your odds of winning are better. 3 Sign up to the National Compers' Alliance ( national  compersalliance.co.uk) to get access to a comprehensive listing of all the competitions happening across the UK. 4 Avoid adverts for ‘survey’-type competitions, because they often sell on contact details and you’re likely to be bombarded with phone calls or emails. 5 Most importantly, persevere. Comping is a numbers game and you're more likely to win if you keep applying.…

When Annette Martin and her partner Simon Smith spotted a 1920s bungalow in Worthing for sale in the local paper, they instantly knew it was the house for them – even though the couple had no plans to move! ‘I said to everyone we were moving because this house was larger, but secretly the reason was I wanted the challenge of doing it up,’ says Annette. Built in 1924, the three-bedroom house had been untouched for years. The layout was awkward as you had to go through one bedroom to get to another. The living space and kitchen were small and there was no central heating. ‘The longer we lived here, the more problems we uncovered,’ says Annette. ‘The plastic bath had a crack in it, so we used heavy-duty…

A striking Japanese maple with graceful arching shoots and a neat, mound-forming habit – in autumn, the finely cut, feathery green-red foliage transforms into a fiery shade of orange. Japanese acers are slow-growing, making them ideal to use as focals point in a sheltered position, or excellent specimen plants for a large patio containers. Height and spread: 4m (13ft). Supplied as a 7cm potted plant. Illustrated pot available for purchase online. • Buy 1 & Get 1 Free For £9.98 • Buy 2 & Get 2 Free For £15.98 WW Gardening Magazine Editor Geoffrey Palmer’s Tip ‘Protect plants from strong winds. Acers require little pruning other than to maintain their shape. Lightly trim stems if necessary from late autumn to midwinter.’…

• To cut costs when making the borders, it’s a good idea to blag a few cuttings from friends and relatives – this way you’ll also create a garden full of memories, as well as a garden of relaxation and pleasure. • Give your garden a sense of lushness with plants that have dramatic, oversized leaves such as Basjoo hardy banana, cannas and tree ferns. In cold Contrasting bright colours boost cannas' wow factor, too regions, cheat by adding exotic-looking plants such as hardy New Zealand flax, yucca, fatsia and Rheum palmatum, which has giant rhubarb-like leaves. • Trim back wisteria tendrils by half, or to five buds, to slow down the rate of growth and encourage plenty of flower buds to form for next year.…

These classic slip-on shoes have soft and light uppers with cushioned leather insoles for ultimate comfort, and the polyurethane outer sole flexes well for good grip. They’re available in a choice of closed or open-toe styles in seasonal summer colours. Upper: Man-made. Insole: Leather. Sole: Man-made. Available in sizes: 3-8. Pale Blue Open Toe - S183PB Beige Open Toe - S183BG Black Closed Toe - S184BK Pewter Closed Toe - S184PW Don't forget to add your free pair! Only £19.99 plus £3.95 postage. Was £24.99…

‘I’d love to visit the Grand Canyon and stare down into the abyss’ • TV presenter Amanda Lamb is a judge for our Rays of Sunshine Awards, which recognise extraordinary people who help others in their communities. Nominations close 12 July 2016. How do you take your tea? I’ve just upgraded from builder’s tea to Earl Grey. I like to drink it first thing in the morning, in bed, before the kids have woken up, with the shutters thrown wide open. Who would you most like to have a cup of tea with? My nan and grandad. We were so close. There’s not a day goes by where I don’t think about them. Tell me about the Rays of Sunshine Awards Rays of Sunshine is a wonderful charity that grants…

Where I went Tucked up in the corner of North Yorkshire, this charming seaside village is perfect for a relaxing weekend away. What I did Strolled through cobbled lanes, visiting shops and cafes. My favourite was the Ebor Jet workshop (eborjetworks.co.uk), where you can watch as beautiful, unique jewellery is handmade, using Whitby Jet from local beaches. We also climbed the 199 steps to the gothic splendour of the ruins of Whitby Abbey, which inspired Bram Stoker when he was writing his vampire classic, Dracula. Where I stayed I stayed in a friend’s holiday home, but there are plenty of hotels and properties close to the seafront – you’ll find lots of accommodation links at visitwhitby.com What I ate It could have only been fish and chips! We sat at…

Mrs L Eley, 1967 ‘I was 20 when this photo was taken. I wasn’t on a formal outing, just a day trip to Oxford. I had a picnic on a rowing boat with my new fiancé – now my husband. Happy days!’ We’d love to see how great you looked – in any era up to and including the 1980s. Please send a good-quality photo with your name, address and daytime phone number clearly written on the back, to: Fashion Dept, Woman’s Weekly, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU. Photos will be returned.…

I have frequently heard travellers repeat the adage: ‘It is better never to return to the same place twice’. However, I like to venture back to locations that have been special to me, and I’m rarely disappointed. Usually I discover something new to enchant me or a tiny detail finds its completion. And so it was during my most recent trip. My wonderful mother died several weeks ago and I have been lost in grief, grappling for her touch, her perfume, her voice. My husband was booked to attend a documentary film festival in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, and he suggested I come along. I agreed and we decided to spend an extra week in Crete. Before starting out as an actress, I spent an entire summer in the country, travelling…

‘I love my kids but dogs think you’re great, whatever you do’ My children were growing up fast. So what did I do the moment things eased up? I adopted a crazy rescue mutt called Jack. For years, I’d endured constant nagging for a dog from our three kids and my husband Jimmy. I imagined trying to fit in daily walks on top of everything else, and refused to give in. However, as it dawned on me that no one needed me in quite the way they used to, I found myself secretly browsing dog rescue centre websites. Perhaps we did have space in our lives for a homeless hound… We all drove to a rescue centre in Glasgow and perused dozens of dogs. We chose a rather scruffy, skinny…

Australia was so big, I thought, turning my globe all the way round They’ve got a visitor coming on Friday,” Mam said. “Who?” I demanded. “A gentleman, from Australia. He’s staying for six weeks. Maybe you shouldn’t go so much. They’ll be busy.” “Six weeks?” Mr and Mrs Jim (their surname was too long to get my tongue round) lived three doors along the street, 16 red-sandal-and-little-white-sock steps – or runs – away. I was, as Mam said, “more often at their house, than at home”. Their clock had a slower tick than ours, marking the seconds in a warm, soft way. They had a drawer full of treats: Ludo, snakes and ladders, and playing cards. They had a dog, Rex, who raced to the door to greet me, long…

• Easy-peasy •A Bit More Tricky • Hard–ish • Quite A Challenge BOWLS These little bowls are the perfect size for your dressing table; they’re great for putting earrings or delicate necklaces in. Finished size: Approx 9-15cm in diameter YOU WILL NEED 250g of white air-drying clay Rolling pin Alphabet rubber stamp printing kit or floral rubber stamp Shallow bowl about 9-15cm in diameter to use as a mould Cling film Small knife Fine sandpaper 500g pack of Das air-drying clay, £3.99, Fred Aldous (0161 236 4224; fredaldous.co.uk). Hero Arts floral swirl vine rubber stamp, £9.25, Sir Stampalot (01733 324 007; sirstampalot.co.uk). Dormy rubber stamp printing kit, £14.66, Shoplet (0800 612 1152; shoplet.co.uk) Making the bowl If using the alphabet rubber stamp printing kit, fix the rubber type in the…

Gardening and the weather go hand in hand as we rely on it to help seeds and plants thrive and to ripen crops – not to mention those brilliant days when we can sit outside and enjoy reaping the rewards of all our hard work and effort. Between the possibility of rain, temperamental temperatures, blustery summer days and fear of drought, it’s no wonder that we Brits have plenty to say about the prevailing conditions. Instead of relying on the Met Office to find out what the next day will bring, though, why not consider using some old-school wisdom to forecast what Mother Nature has in store for us? The old adage, ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning,’ is fairly reliable. There’s…

Acute kidney injury (sudden damage/ AKI) usually develops during serious illness or in older people with long-term medical problems. Around one in five of those admitted to hospital has AKI, but up to 30% of the 100,000 who die each year could be saved by treatment, says a new campaign thinkkidneys.nhs.uk. AKI is an emergency so hospitals must now send GPs electronic alerts if a patient’s kidney function suddenly deteriorates. So you could get a call after a routine blood test (though it may be a false alarm). What kidneys do These bean-shaped, fist-sized organs sit in our backs at waist level. They filter blood and adjust body fluids and chemicals by excreting waste products, toxins, drugs and excess water into urine. They also regulate blood pressure and produce vitamin…

3 REASONS to use rapeseed oil for cooking 1 It’s low in saturated fat but has a high smoke point (the point at which oils burn and smoke and above which nutrients are destroyed), making it one of the healthiest cooking oils. 2 It contains vitamin E – a powerful lipid antioxidant that helps protect the skin against harmful free radicals. 3 It’s rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) which help lower LDL, or ‘bad’ cholesterol, and increase HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol. My Healthy Life Neil Shah, Chief De-Stressing Officer at the Stress Management Society ( stress.org.uk ), reveals how he boosts his health and wellbeing My go-to remedy On those days when I feel like I’m dealing with questions fired at me from all directions, I pause…

Ask them what would work best Q I’m worried about my relationship with my friends. I have a very busy life at the minute and often call them when I’m in the car or between things. More than one has commented that I always put them into spare slots. I then explain why I can’t do long calls at home at the moment and they claim they’re not complaining, it’s just how I am. I feel these remarks have an edge to them – am I being oversensitive? Jane, London A I expect it’s a bit of both. It sounds like they feel fitted in and therefore not that important in your life. That’s never a nice feeling, so they react. We tend to do this defensively, which puts the…

Gullfoss, Iceland 90-minute drive from A Reykjavik is one of Europe’s most spectacular waterfalls. As you approach, a veil of spray and deafening roar fill the air, confirming Gullfoss, alias the ‘Golden Waterfall’, is near. The splendour of the River Hvítá – fed by Langjökull, Iceland’s second-biggest glacier – plummeting over this majestic two-tier fall into a narrow 200ft gorge never fails to impress. It looks resplendent in all conditions, but especially when bathed in sunlight from Iceland’s clear, unpolluted skies, with a shimmering rainbow hanging over the falls. While admiring this natural wonder, it’s hard to believe that developers once wanted to harness their powers for hydroelectricity, threatening its undoubted allure. Gullfoss is one of three major attractions on the popular Golden Circle Tour, along with Geysir…

‘Reach for those tin hats, ladies – battle is about to commence’ If you are a lady reader, you should prepare yourself for some home truths. Tin hats might be advisable, and you could enquire if Laura Ashley does a range of protective clothing. If you are a gentleman reader, well, you can wipe that grin off your face for a start. You might remember that on this page last week I told Mr Dear – at his request – what women found most irritating about men (putting wet towels on the bed, looking miserable in clothes shops, shouting at Robert Peston on the TV, that sort of thing). Anyway, it seemed only fair to discover what men found most irritating about women. In particular, how I have managed to…