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Yearly Archives: 2019

Vogue Williams is taking part in Diet Coke’s new You Do You campaign and we couldn’t think of a better person for the job. The presenter oozes confidence and has the perfect attitude when it comes to social media pressures and mum-shamers.

We chatted to Vogue about boosting your confidence, the advice she would give her past self and how Spencer has helped her during low points in life.

Vogue decided to take part in the You Do You campaign because she believes it is something we need to remember more often. She stressed, “The campaign sends out a really positive message. It’s important that everyone just does what they feel is right for themselves. Don’t be part of the pack, just do you.”

Embracing who you are is something that many of us struggle with, especially as teenagers. There are so many things we regret about our teenage years (the eyebrows) and we could only wish we could go back in time and share some words of wisdom with our past selves.

Vogue said she would tell herself to ignore other people’s opinions, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t listen to what everybody says about you, because everybody has an opinion on you, your body, your appearance, on everything. Block that out and be yourself.”

Social media is playing a bigger role in the lives of young women today than it ever has. The impact it has can be pretty terrifying, but Vogue stressed that what you see is never the full picture.

“People need to realise that that is just a snippet of someone’s life, it isn’t the whole picture. I use social media quite a bit, but that isn’t my whole life. It’s not that perfect all of the time. 

“You put up the best snapshots of your day and the rest is just everyday stuff that everyone else is going through. Try and remember that people’s lives aren’t as perfect as they seem on social media.”

Luckily, Vogue has her beau, Spencer Matthews to turn to when she is feeling low. She praised Spencer for helping her develop a stronger sense of self.

“Spencer boosts my confidence when I’m feeling low. He’s really good like that. He’s always been able to brush things off like that so as long as I’ve been with him he has just made me have more of an ‘I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks’ attitude,” Vogue shared.

The parents are set to return to our screens in series two of Spencer, Vogue and Baby Too and it looks like we’re in for a real treat this season. Vogue revealed that their wedding will be one of the biggest parts of this series and we already can’t wait to watch it.

Embrace Vogue’s carefree attitude and grab a limited edition can of Diet Coke.

The eight new designs feature phrases designed to help you share your Diet Coke Mood, and are one element of Diet Coke’s brand new You Do You campaign, which you may have already seen on TV, online, and when you’re out and about.

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In honour of the International Day of Sign Languages (September 23) leading Global Technology company Huawei extends its StorySign campaign to improve storytime for Deaf children in Ireland.

At a day of storytelling and activities with Karen Koster at Dublin Zoo, Huawei reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ireland’s Deaf community. The leading technology company announced further investment in StorySign, a free app developed to bring the joy of story time to Deaf children, with the addition of four new books to the StorySign Library and the launch of the app on iOS, making it available to more families with Deaf children, regardless of which smartphone they own.

Pioneered by Huawei, the app has been downloaded over 40,000 times since its launch in December 2018, creating an authentic reading experience that truly helps enrich story time for Deaf children and their parents. 

Byron Maxi, Huawei Ireland’s Country Director said, “At Huawei, we believe that when you bring together human imagination with the power of our Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, we can do something for the greater good.”

“Huawei has worked closely with the Irish Deaf Society throughout the StorySign campaign to raise awareness of Deaf literacy issues and develop the app as a long-term resource that grows over time and continues to benefit the Deaf community in Ireland.”

Commenting on why StorySign can now be used on any smartphone Walter Ji, President of Huawei’s Western Europe Consumer Business Group, said: “At Huawei, we want to use our technology to make the world a better place – no matter where you live or what smartphone you use – whether it’s Android or iOS.

34 percent of the people who have downloaded the free StorySign app have become daily active users, which reinforces our commitment to helping more deaf children learn to read and makes us proud to continue developing and expanding StorySign.”

John Sherwin, CEO Irish Deaf Society commented further, “Education tools that enhance the use of Irish Sign Language at home are vital when tackling early development of language, cognition and literacy. 

“The Irish Deaf Society are proud to support Huawei with its long-term vision to help open the world of books to Deaf children through StorySign. The expansion of the StorySign library, a new language and wider availability mark an important step towards helping Deaf children enjoy story time.”

At Sunday’s event at Dublin Zoo families were treated to special performances by the Cabra Deaf Choir. The children from the choir who attend the Holy Family School for the Deaf in Cabra, Dublin have benefited from the StorySign app and experienced first-hand the unique experience it affords them to enjoy story time. 

At the event Huawei Ireland also premiered a new short film directed by Oscar winning director Chis Overton, bringing StorySign to life with a local Dublin family with two deaf children, Bobby and Sophia. https://consumer.huawei.com/ie/campaign/storysign/storysignfamilies/

StorySign, the free mobile app is available on both Android and iOS, and comes alive with Star, the app’s friendly signing avatar developed in partnership with world-class studio Aardman and input from experts in the deaf community. Star translates a range of popular children’s books into sign language in real-time, creating a seamless reading experience and allowing deaf children to enjoy story time, no matter what.

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Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee are set to welcome their first child together in the coming months. 

Soon-to-be mum-of-two Jenna shared the first photo of her blossoming baby bump and she looks so content.

The mum cuddled up to her six-year-old daughter Everly in the photo. The Resident star shares her daughter with ex-husband Channing Tatum.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jenna Dewan (@jennadewan) on

Jenna gushed about her growing family, “Becoming a mother is quite simply the absolute best most incredible thing that has ever happened to me.”

She continued, “Steve Kazee, you are a gift from above and I couldn’t be more excited to be expanding our family together.”

The Step Up star thanked her followers for their never-ending support, “Thank you guys for all the love!!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The couple confirmed their news in an exclusive interview with People. They stated, “We are beyond overjoyed and couldn’t be happier to be expanding our family!” 

Steve also gushed about becoming a dad for the first time and thanked Jenna’s daughter for teaching him so much about parenthood.

The Tony Award winner wrote, "Jenna also brought with her one of the greatest gifts one could ever imagine…her beautiful daughter.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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“Evie burst into my life like a supernova and has continued to burn so brightly in it. I have learned so much about parenting already from watching how amazing Jenna is with her and Evie has taught me so much about what it means to love and communicate with a child and I can’t wait to give her a sibling and make our little family a little bit bigger,” he gushed.

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Grey's Anatomy fans, it looks like we could be gearing up for another heartbreaking season of our favourite medical drama series.

The trailer for the new season just dropped and we're feeling pretty concerned about one of our favourite characters.

The ever charming, twinkly eyed Jackson Avery is in trouble and we're not sure if our hearts can handle it.

The doctor disappeared into thick fog after a massive argument with Maggie during the season finale and now it looks like he may be in a lot more trouble than we thought.

In the clip, Maggie and emergency services are seen frantically looking for Jackson when they finally find him, but have they rescued him on time?

The season 16 trailer sees the Grey Sloan team work together to save Jackson. Our hearts may have broken when Maggie is told that "It is not the time to give up on him,” which makes us fear that his condition is a lot worse than we anticipated.

Image result for jackson and maggie

We honestly can’t cope if we lose another character. We’re still reeling from McDreamy’s death.

Fans took to Instagram to express their fears over Jackson’s safety. Others even compared the likeliness of the season 11 and season 16 promo posters. For those of you who need a reminder, Derek Shepherd died in season 11 so could this be a warning?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by bokhee's anatomy (@greysreaction) on

Say it ain’t so.

You can check out the full teaser trailer for season 16 of Grey’s Anatomy below:

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Jenna Dewan and her boyfriend Steve Kazee who are expecting their first child together. The couple confirmed the joyous news in an exclusive interview with People and we couldn’t be happier for them.

The Step Up star gushed about their growing family, “We are beyond overjoyed and couldn’t be happier to be expanding our family!”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jenna Dewan (@jennadewan) on

Jenna is already a mum to six-year-old Everly, whom she shares with ex-husband Channing Tatum.

The couple who have been together since 2018, are thrilled to welcome a baby boy or girl into their lives in the coming months.

This will be Steve’s first child so there’s no doubt the dad-to-be is over the moon by the news.

Huge congratulations to Jenna and Steve. Everly is going to be a wonderful big sister!

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Maura Higgins is officially taking part in Dancing On Ice. The Longford legend will get her skates on for the 2020 series of the popular reality show.

The news was confirmed on This Morning and it’s safe to say the Love Island star will be a huge hit with viewers.

Earlier in the year, it was reported that Amber Gill would take part but it looks like Maura pipped her to the post.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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A source told The Sun: "Dancing On Ice producers were always going to sign a Love Island star for next year’s series and they wanted a girl this time after having two guys in the past."  

It is believed Maura’s charming personality and witty humour won the producers over.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Dancing On Ice producers reportedly met with a number of Love Islanders, including Amber, before deciding to focus on Maura after ITV viewers fell in love with her honesty.

We are so excited to see how Maura does on the show.

 

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Wearing a bikini is something many women dread. There is so much pressure on us to look ‘perfect’ in a swimsuit. You need to have a perfectly toned tummy, a glowing tan, smooth skin and every ounce of hair should be waxed, plucked and shaved from your body.

These audacious standards are stopping so many women from having fun in the pool or swimming in the sea for fear of not looking ‘right’, but Stacey Solomon is here to empower us with oodles of body positivity. 

The mum has been praised for sharing a natural photo of her body and she looks sensational.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Stacey Solomon (@staceysolomon) on

Stacey was at swimming lessons with her baby boy Rex when the gorgeous photo was taken. The mum looked as happy as ever as she cuddled up to her little water baby.

The Loose Women panellist donned a striped black and white bikini for the classes and we adore how body positive she is.

And we weren’t the only ones.

Hundreds of followers took to the comments to express their love and gratitude for Stacey.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Stacey Solomon (@staceysolomon) on

“I wish I had the balls to rock a bikini with my mama tummy like you do, you look great and he's so cute,” one wrote.

Another shared, “What a natural photo. Beautiful inside and out.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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“You’re such an inspiration to women. Just be confident exactly as they are in that very moment… Beautiful mother inside and out.”

One shared, “You look absolutely amazing and just such an inspiration for young girls these days.”

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The Duchess of Sussex’s style is second to none. She has stunned in gorgeous Givenchy dresses, chic pant suits and stunning evening gowns, but it’s her casual outfits that always seem to win us over.

As a member of the royal family, Meghan obviously has to abide by certain fashion rules but she always manages to look effortless and today’s look is no different.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The Duchess, who is currently on tour in South Africa, joined her husband Prince Harry for a morning of meditation and mental health talks at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The mum stepped out in one of her most casual outfits to date, and many fans were surprised to see the royal wearing a denim jacket.

The outfit reminded many of Princess Diana’s iconic everyday style. It was her off-duty looks that made her one of the biggest style icons of our time and now it looks like her daughter-in-law is following in her shoes.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Meghan donned a pair of black skinny jeans, a white shirt and Madewell denim jacket. The mum had her hair tied back in her signature bun for the event.

The family has only been in South Africa for one day but Meghan has already impressed us with her royal tour outfits.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Yesterday evening, she re-wore her eye-catching Veronica Beard dress. The former actress was glowing as she arrived at The District Six Museum and the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Veronica Beard (@veronicabeard) on

We already can’t wait to see the rest of the outfits Meghan has planned for this tour.

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Sleep is honestly one of our favourite things.

However, now that we are adults, we have bid farewell to sleeping in until 10 am and taking a four-hour nap during the day to catch up on your night's sleep after hours of partying.

However, a new study has shown that if you're not sleeping well, it could be down to simply not drinking enough water.

 

Of course, not all sleep issues are linked to the lack of hydration and could be a sign of a more serious condition, and you should speak to your doctor if it persists.

But for the majority of us, scientists at Penn State University, Pennsylvania said that drinking more fluids could really help the quality of our sleep.

They studied 2,000 adults in China and the US and analysed their sleep and urine.

The study published in the journal, SLEEP, concluded that those who slept for six hours a night had significantly more concentrated urine and were more dehydrated.

 

Whereas those who regularly got the recommended amount of eight hours of shut-eye a night were more hydrated.

So if you want those two hours of extra sleep, it might be a good idea to drink some extra water.

The experts said that a hormone, vasopressin was linked to sleep quality and hydration.

"Vasopressin is released both more quickly and later on in the sleep cycle," said lead author, Asher Rosinger.

"So, if you're waking up earlier, you might miss that window in which more of the hormone is released, causing a disruption in the body's hydration."

"If you are only getting six hours of sleep a night, it can affect your hydration status," added the assistant professor at Penn State.

"This study suggests that if you're not getting enough sleep, and you feel bad or tired the next day, drink extra water."

So we will definitely be keeping a glass of water beside our bed.

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Once in a while we are blessed with a book that transforms your life for the better and this year that book is Everyday Ubuntu by Desmond Tutu’s granddaughter, Mungi Ngomane.

This book will capture readers interested in ancient wisdom and personal development. It shares a warm, inspirational message of togetherness for a divided and fragmented world.

Ubuntu is an ancient South African philosophy that says, ‘I am only because you are.’ It is the belief that we are defined by our compassion and kindness towards others. By embracing Ubuntu it’s possible to overcome division in a world where the wise build bridges, not walls.

Exploring ideas of kindness and forgiveness, tolerance and the power of listening, Everyday Ubuntu shows how we can all benefit from embracing others. Including practical applications and mindful exercises, it is an inspirational guide to a more fulfilling life as part of the large family to which we all belong.

In Everyday Ubuntu you’ll discover 14 simple and engaging lessons with clear takeaways and reflections that will help us all to live better, together.

Read an extract of Everyday Ubuntu below:

1. Accept the situation. This is the way you’re feeling, so honour it – cry and release your emotions. Ubuntu tells us that we need to take care of ourselves and be honest about our feelings. This helps to identify why you’re feeling hopeless. Is it because of a recent upset? Or is it a long-term struggle? Whatever it is, naming the reasons for your feelings will help you to release them. 

2. Take action. Some call it ‘wallowing’ but hopelessness can easily feel like a spiral into which you’re sucked and out of which it is impossible to pull yourself. You feel lethargic, unmotivated and in despair. Listen to your internal dialogue. It might contain phrases such as, ‘but I can’t’, ‘there’s no point’ or ‘I’ve already tried’. The first step is turning those words around and changing every negative into a positive. Say these new phrases out loud – ‘I can’, ‘I won’t give up’ and ‘I’ll try again’ all send a powerful message to our subconscious. 

3. Live in the present moment. Do something to make yourself feel better physically, even if you’re struggling mentally – the two are linked. A long brisk walk, calling a positive friend, eating wholesome food. These are all small things we can do to help change our immediate concerns. Worrying is wishing for what you don’t want to happen, so don’t agonize over the future. Focus on the present. Do anything that takes you out of yourself, even if it’s just for a few moments. 

4. Write a gratitude list. Ubuntu shows us that we all have something for which to be grateful, so now is the time to examine the good stuff in detail. You might be thankful for your physical health, your family, caring friends, the delicious cup of coffee you’re drinking. Name the things you feel good about right now. It’s an exercise that will shift your mood, energetically and quickly. 

5. Set goals. If you’ve reached a place of desperate hopelessness, you need to put in work each day to overcome the feeling. Get going by setting yourself new goals, and begin with very small ones – incremental and easy-to-achieve steps. 

If you’ve lost your job, start by reaching out to trusted contacts for advice, then build up to looking at job adverts before applying for positions. If you’ve been ditched by a partner, give yourself time to grieve and talk things through with a counsellor or friend. Allow yourself space to heal before even thinking about dating again. If you’re in despair because you’ve gained weight, find a simple exercise app to inspire you, build up the amount of exercise you do every day, find a workout buddy, then look at food plans to help you make a bigger transformation. Small steps help hope to gather momentum. 

6. Find your faith. This could be a long-term goal that evolves over time. It doesn’t have to be a religious faith, but having faith in something you can trust is something everyone needs. It could be faith in your abilities or your choices. You could put your faith in going for a daily run to improve your mental health or in eating nutritious food so that you have energy for the day. 

Build some of these hopeful ideas into a new daily routine. They’ll bolster you and give you an inner strength and hope on which to rely when things become difficult.

Everyday Ubuntu by Mungi Ngomane is published by Penguin. You can order your copy here.

 

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Miley Cyrus is not ready for another serious relationship after her split from Kaitlynn Carter.

There’s no doubt 2019 has been an emotional and overwhelming year when it comes to the Wrecking Ball singer’s personal life.

Not only did Miley split from Kaitlynn but she also announced her separation from husband Liam Hemsworth too.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The Malibu singer is more than ready to spend some time by herself to figure out her life.

According to People, Miley is not interested in a serious relationship right now.

“She and Kaitlynn spent every day together and it just wasn’t anything that Miley wanted to continue doing. She wants to focus on her career,” a source said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Despite their split, sources have stressed that Miley and Kailynn are still on good terms.

“They’re still friends. They’ve been friends forever and were there for each other when they were both getting separated, but they’re just not in a romantic relationship anymore,” a source revealed.

Both Miley and Kaitlynn went through breakups last month and offered major support to one another during the trying times.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Kaitlynn and Brody Jenner ended their relationship in August, but the pair were never legally married.

Miley’s representative issued a statement on behalf of the singer to confirm her separation from actor Liam Hemsworth.

The actor filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. It is understood that Liam did not know Miley’s rep would reveal their separation to the public. It was speculated that The Hunger Games actor found out via social media.

Miley and Liam were married for seven months, but were romantically involved for almost a decade.

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Lewis Capaldi has just announced his biggest Irish shows to date, taking in two huge outdoor gigs.

The singer will play the Irish Independent Park, Cork on June 18, 2020. 

He will also take to the stage at Malahide Castle on June 20, 2020.

2019 has propelled Lewis to superstar status. With his debut album spending six weeks in total at #1, it was certified platinum in just 10 weeks and is currently the second highest selling album of the year in the UK, hot on the tails of The Greatest Showman OST.

Becoming the biggest streamed week one debut of all time, the album also spawned the country’s biggest smash hit single of the year in Someone You Loved, which spent seven weeks at the summit of the UK’s Official Singles Chart. Someone You Loved, released in March, has now been streamed more than a BILLION times worldwide and has now entered the Billboard Chart Top 10.

Success is manifesting worldwide, with sold-out tours everywhere he goes, and Someone You Loved rapidly climbing the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S, where it’s fast on the heels of breaking the Top 10. With memorable performances on The Late Late Show with James Corden he is being taken under the wing of every country he sets foot in. Ireland is certainly no exception, Lewis has already sold out The Olympia Theatre in November and two nights at 3Arena next March.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Lewis helped wrap up Ed Sheeran’s two year World Tour, as well as tearing through a summer of festivals that have included memorable sets at both Glastonbury & TRNSMT. The performances come in preparation for his sold out winter headline tour, as well as a 2020 arena tour which sold out before album release, making him one of the first artists to ever achieve such a feat.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 27 at 9am. Tickets from €49.90 including booking fees.

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