NATIONAL HOT TEA MONTH (Jan 2014)

January is National Hot Tea Month… and personally, I think we should all get on board this one!

Tea from our Hot Lips Teapot ;) 

Over the last few years, I have become accustomed to Tea, not just your PJ Tips, but herbal tea’s. It seems that the rest of the world has also done the same.

Refreshing and good for you!

Statistics show (Via Euromonitor.com) In 2012, herbal/traditional products in the UK still increased by a healthy 3% in current value terms, to reach £485 million.

And two years on it’s going from strength to strength. So as it’s a new year and all, why not try something a little different. The beauty of herbal tea’s is there are so many to choose from. Some of the more popular are ~

So many to choose from

• Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is a popular herb that’s used in teas worldwide. Chamomile the stomach and relieves bloating and indigestion. Chamomile also calms the mind and helps people deal better with their stresses. Some people are allergic to chamomile and should avoid taking the tea. Chamomile tea should not be mixed with anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin.

People who find it hard to go to sleep should drink a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed. Chamomile is known to fight insomnia by relaxing the body and the mind, enabling the person to fall asleep naturally.

• Peppermint Tea

Peppermint is a fragrant herb that makes for a soothing drink. Peppermint helps you digest foods better and also reduces flatulence and digestive issues. Peppermint is prescribed to people with IBS and gallstones in the form of coated capsules. A cup of peppermint tea will ease nausea and vomiting, especially if you suffer motion sickness. If you have heartburn, don’t drink peppermint tea as this might aggravate your condition. Peppermint tea brings down the severity of herpes outbreaks. The most popular benefit of this minty herb is that it freshens your breath. Other health benefits of this tea are control of muscle aches and chronic pain, clearing of congestion and mild coughs, mild asthma and reduction of stress.

• Green Tea

Green Tea comes with such a host of health benefits, that it’s called the ‘wonder herbal drug’ by tea drinkers and medical practitioners alike.

Drinking green tea lowers cancer risk and also inhibits carcinogens in cigarettes and other compounds when imbibed. Green Tea contains potent antioxidants called polyphenols, which help suppress free radicals. Green tea also stops certain tumors from forming. Green tea lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels and thereby promotes heart health.  Green tea also lowers blood pressure, prevents and fights tooth decay and dental issues, and inhibits different viruses from causing illnesses.

• Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm tea is fragrant to drink and is a very effective tonic to calm nerves and anxiety. Cold lemon balm tea bags help relieve cold sores, or genital sores caused by the herpes simplex virus. Mix lemon balm leaves with valerian to treat anxiety, stress and insomnia.  Lemon Balm contains several properties, which control herpes and also regulate the thyroid.

Lemon balm when mixed with peppermint can calm an upset stomach, sooth the digestive track and reduce flatulence. Drink lemon balm tea if you suffer from nerve pain. Drinking lemon balm tea also helps strengthen memory and brain functions and also uplifts one’s mood.

But there are many, many more and they have good health benefits which is a bonus! So why not have a nice hot tea and a relaxing 10 minutes to enjoy it. Whether you've tried hundreds of Herbal tea’s, or you're a Herbal tea virgin, go on … try something new, who knows you may love it!

And ........ RELAX!

Find out more here

                                                       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea

Get Organised Month (January 2014)

Well another year has been and gone, millions of presents were opened over Christmas, millions of calories were eaten over Christmas, plus millions of units of alcohol. But, once New Year’s Eve arrived, millions of New Years Resolutions were made. . . and most were broken within 24 hours, and many more will be broken within the first week, if not the month.

So as January is ‘GET ORGANISED MONTH’, I decided NOT to make New Year resolutions, but to get myself organised and go! I've made several goals I want to achieve this year, but instead of aiming for the finish line, I've organised myself so that I'm continuously taking steps to achieve the goal.

For example:

If you want to become fitter. Start by taking baby steps. First go for a 10 minute brisk walk, then take stairs instead of lifts, walk to the local shops, don’t drive! Turn the music up loud and dance whilst you clean your house. Join a fitness class.

Before you know it, you will be fit as a fiddle. The aim is to keep it fun, keep it simple and keep organised. Make sure you're allowing plenty of time into your daily routine for your goals!

Make sure you give yourself time to organise yourself!

My top tips for getting organised in January ~

1. Make a list of your goals, and how you will begin to achieve them (Baby steps remember!)
2. Set a small amount of time aside each day to keep on top of your organising (15 minutes is a good start)
3. Have a clear out at home (Think clear home, clear mind)
4. Write down everything you need to do each week, put it somewhere you can glance at it regularly, that way you won’t forget a thing (Use it for Birthdays, Anniversaries, meetings, shopping etc)
5. Keep it fun and simple. Nobody wants to do something they do not enjoy, so if you have to do a task which you detest, try to change it so it’s at least bearable. Or if you have the power of mind over matter, just tell yourself you LOVE it and get it done. By the time you think about how much you don’t want to do something, it could already be done!

Check lists can be very helpful ... but remember to DO, not just WRITE! 

Please feel free to let us know how you're getting on with your organising this January!

talktothehotlips@gmail.com

The Hot Lips Recomended Christmas Prezzies!!! Have a good one y'all!

Merry Christmas 2013 everyone, and thank you for dropping by to check out our new blog. 

Below are just a few of the gifts that we 'The Hot Lips Team' are recommending for you!

For him ~ Top Gear DVD - The perfect road trip

For her ~ Babyliss Perfect Curl 

For the kids ~ Moshi Monster EVERYTHING!!!

For the teens ~ Hollister hoodies

For the baby ~ 1 word ... BALL-PEN!!! 

For you! ~ GIANT Ferrero Rocher

The Unique Gift ~ Hell Hath No Fury

Check it out on Amazon folks!

       

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas, and once again thanks for dropping by! 

Celebrity deaths, sad, but why do we act as if we know them personally? . . .

It’s something I've always wondered, but it wasn't until the end of 2013 that I really took notice at just how OTT some people get when a high profile person, or celebrity dies.

When any one dies, it’s a sad occurrence, when it’s our family or friends it’s devastating, and when it’s a celebrity, someone we have seen in numerous films, on TV, someone we’ve seen in concerts or MTV and so on, how should we feel?  Because, for the majority of the world do not even know them personally, we've never even met them.

So why is it some people become emotional wrecks when a celebrity dies?

Understandably, it could be the fact the person starred in their favourite film, sang their favourite song, or was a main character in their favourite TV show. They have come to know this person through the work that they do and feel a strong connection to them on that basis. But in reality, does that really make a difference? They are still a stranger to that person, and the celebrity may even be completely different to the persona the fans have come to know and love. The fact is, the only people that really know celebrities are their family and close friends.

It only takes a few hours before #RIP circles the internet after news of a celebs death. I, myself have often posted #RIP to pay respects to a celebrity who has touched my life in some way.

James Gandolfini

When James Gandolfini died in June of this year, I was devastated at such a loss, not to myself, but to the industry and of course his family and friends. I, like millions of others, was a massive fan of the Sopranos, and despite the fact the series had ended, somehow, Gandolfini’s death made it even more final.

Paul Walker

When actor Paul Walker tragically died on November 30th, in a car accident alongside his friend Rodger Rodas, I couldn't believe all the rubbish I was seeing and reading on-line. There were fake pictures, conspiracy theories, people saying he was actually still alive and then in between all the #RIP Paul Walker pictures on facebook, was a picture with the wording #RIP to the driver that died with Paul Walker that no one cares about because he wasn't famous.

Totally ridiculous - #RIP Rodger Rodas, most people do genuinely care that you lost your life 

Things were just getting out of hand. Why couldn't everyone just pay their respects to a popular actor, a person who did his utmost with his charities and a from what fellow celebrities and his family have said, he was an amazing man. Why couldn't fans maybe a little status on why they ‘loved’ him, what their favourite film with him in was (He did do more than Fast & Furious!) just nice and simple.

The same could be said when Corey Monteith died in July this year, some Glee fans were inconsolable, which baffled me, when his partner at the time Lea Michele, someone who shared his life, not just watched him on TV, managed to show so much strength and composed herself beautifully soon after his death, when attending an awards show, even speaking about him.

Corey Monteith

Other celebrities who caused fans to react unnaturally were Heath Ledger (2008), Amy Winehouse (2011), Whitney Houston (2012) and of course Michael Jackson (2009).

The ‘shock’ of Michael Jackson’s death is still continuing to this day, with people becoming obsessed with his children.

Throughout all these celebrity deaths and more, I've of course felt sadness, but i've also bit my lip when I read people’s ridiculous tweets and FB statuses; everyone just seems to jump on the bandwagon.

A perfect example would be when TOWIE Babe Jessica Wright tweeted #RIP Kim Jong-il (OH DEAR?!)  Yes, she really did tweet this. I'm guessing she had absolutely no idea of any little thing that Kim Jong-il had done over his lifetime, but still felt the need to type #RIP.

Would she be dangerous if she had a brain?!

So when Nelson Mandela died, I just couldn't bite my lip any longer and told it how it was, much to the shock of my FB friends! On December 5th, I woke up to a stream of #RIP NELSON MANDELA statuses. Now normally it wouldn't have really bothered me, he was know as a peace keeper and a great man BUT ….

He was also a terrorist! He was responsible for thousands of deaths, in fact he wasn't taken off the USA Terrorist list until 2008! So this is not me being disrespectful to Nelson Mandela, it’s facts, hard facts!

As soon as I made this known, the comments under my status began to get filled. Hardly anybody knew this about him, yet they put #RIP up for him. I'm not saying he didn't deserve peoples respects, i’m just saying how can people give their supposedly heartfelt respects and sympathies when they do not know anything about the person.

I work with facts!!!

The truth is, we seem to be fascinated with celebrity deaths, the media goes into over-drive, the internet follows and we’re all suddenly the recently deceased biggest fan... baffles me to say the least!

Katie the Clown!

For the last few months Katie Hopkins has been making the headlines all over the UK and for all the wrong reasons. We've heard time and again about her opinions on such things as children’s names. Katie made it clear that if her children were in school with any Charmaines’, Destinys’ or Tylers’ they would certainly not be coming round for dinner and a play date. She even went as far as saying babies with ginger hair are harder to love! (Jeez! I’d hate to hear her opinions on disability!)

She clashed with Peaches Geldof when discussing Attachment Parenting, calling it ‘New age nonsense’ as well as stating her children’s birthdays sometimes have to be on hold if she is busy with work. (Way to go mum of the year!)

Attachment Parenting Discussion 

But Katie’s opinions don't stop on matters of children and babies, she also has plenty to say about how people look, including how fat people are lazy and anyone with a tattoo would never be hired by her, or do well in their careers. Former X factor contestant Katie Waissel, took on Katie H on the tattoo subject, and even when Katie H went off the subject and took sly digs at Katie W’s struggling marriage, Waissel stayed dignified and held her point.

Do tattoos really define who you are?

Ms Hopkins continued to be extremely opinionated towards the end of 2013 and offended and upset millions of UK people, who have been wanting her off our screens and out of our newspapers for months; but to no avail. The issue being TV and Magazine Editors and Television Producers know her controversial style leads to millions of readers and viewers, so she was good for business.

However, it wasn't until Saturday 30th November when Katie Hopkins made an unforgettable and to many unforgivable tweet, forcing people to say HOLD ON, NO MORE!

“Life expectancy in Scotland based 07/08 birth is 59.5. Goodness me. That lot will do anything to avoid working until retirement.”

Was this just another controversial joke, another shock tactic, another way to get her name in the paper and on TV. Maybe. Only this time things were different.

Less than 24 hours previous, the night of the 29th November, tragically a helicopter crashed in to the Clutha Pub in Scotland, leaving dozens trapped and injured and also killing 10 people as of 12th December including the three people in the helicopter.

Obviously, her tweet sparked outrage at an already mourning Scotland, and on St Andrew’s day of all days, a time when the Scot’s should be celebrating. But it wasn't just Scotland who were outraged, most of the UK felt her tweet was just a step too far this time.

The Tweet!

Katie apologised for the ‘timing’ of the tweet, not for the tweet itself, saying she was referring to a Scottish NHS document, after spending the week discussing Scottish Independence on the channel 5 morning talk show, ‘The Wright Stuff’.

Her tweet, my have very well been bad timing and unintentionally hurtful, but it was too little, too late. An online petition against her began, and people didn't hesitate to sign it. They wanted Katie off our screens and out of our newspapers. As of December 18th there were more than 90,000 names on the petition and I have eventually added my own. If Katie Hopkins had ‘sensible’ things to say, i’m sure most people, like myself wouldn't be so irritated by her and maybe we would embrace her controvertial manner. But what she does say is pointless, it’s all for a reaction. (Possibly some underlying self esteem issues in there somewhere!)

The petition must be working as, in responsive to all the publicity, ITV released a statement saying,

“We have no plans for Katie Hopkins to appear on This Morning at this present time.”

Even though, Katie may need to be mute for a while, until the ‘Scottish tweet’ controversy dies down, I wouldn't bet on it lasting long. It’s clear the woman thrives on the sound of her own voice and opinions, and loves to be controversial (Something she denies of course!) and she will be needing a ‘fix’ very soon.

The MORON herself .... Ladies & Gents Ms Katie Hopkins!

And for those who think she would have learnt her lesson from this badly times tweet, I have a feeling she hasn't and her vile mouth will be full steam ahead when 2014 comes, possibly being even more shocking with her opinions than those we've already heard.

If you want to add to the petition, click below and sign away!

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/remove-katie-hopkins-from-all-programmes-and-interviews

Hello & Welcome

Hello lovely readers - 

Thank you for stopping by 'The Hot Lips' Blog will be launching on Friday 20th December 2013 and we hope you will all join us then and for what we hope will be an amazing 2014!

The Hot Lips Team! X