TELL US What’s your favourite nail polish to wear?

Back, from left to right:

Quilted, check! Chain strap, check! This designer-double is a must-have for spring, what better excuse for a new bag when it comes with a bargain price-tag.
Bag, £12.99, Internaçionale.

We can’t quite believe it either, but yes this fab belted number is a snip at just £13!  We’ll be wearing it with skinnies and some mega heels.
Top, £13, 8-20, Primark.

Add some instant sunshine with a zingy-bright corsage! Pin to a blazer or accessorise your hair for an instant mood-lifter.
Corsage, £3, New Look.

Front, from left to right:

Bright heels are a celeb fave at the moment, and yellow is a key colour this season. No, they’re not exactly practical, but at £25 who cares!
Heels, £25, 3-8, Linzi Shoes.

Go glam with this gorgeous coral cuff. Don’t just save it for best, wear it lunching, shopping or on the school run and be the envy of all your friends!
Embellished cuff, £14, Next.

Liven up a boring outfit with a statement skinny belt. We love the floral pattern and clashing colours.
Belt, £9, Asos.

STOCKISTS

www.asos.com

www.internacionale.co.uk

www.newlook.com

www.next.co.uk

www.linzishoes.com

www.primark.co.uk

TELL US Do you have a favourite colour that makes you feel happy?

A couple of lunchtimes a week our Deputy Editor Lucie likes nothing better than running along the South Bank in London, while dodging tourists and listening to loud pop music. So when we were sent in a pair of Zaggora Flares leggings that claim to stimulate calorie burning and reduce cellulite, we knew just who should try them out…

Here’s her verdict:

Were you keen? Mmm, while I don’t like being a guinea pig, I’m willing to try anything that might mean I burn more calories and have smoother legs.

How were they? Putting them on was a bit tougher than my usual shorts. The material’s like a wetsuit; quite thick and I had to jump into them to pull them up properly. They looked OK on, though. Ten minutes into running, I could definitely feel the skin on my legs burning up. It wasn’t too unpleasant, though, I just thought they must be working!

Any downsides? It was hard to do my usual bit when I run up steps two at a time – the material was too thick! And when I took them off, I was soaking in sweat.  I don’t know how they’d work in summer.

Did they work? My legs do feel more toned, and even the skin feels softer. I soon got used to running in them after a while and felt I was working harder too.

Woud you recommend? Definitely, even if you regularly walk or do yoga, you can wear them then.

Zaggora Flares are made from special Celu-Lite. Prices start at £44.99, go to www.zaggora.com for more details.

TELL US What’s your tip for banishing cellulite?

1. Heat the oven to Mark 6/200°C. Lightly butter an ovenproof dish. Mix a 390g tin of ratatouille with a small bunch of  basil, chopped, reserving a few leaves for garnish, then divide between 8 ready-made pancakes. Roll up and put in an ovenproof dish.

2. Mix 500g ready-made cheese sauce with 100ml milk, pour over the pancakes and top with 100g goats’ cheese, crumbled. Bake for 20 mins, until golden and bubbling. Top with basil leaves and serve.

TELL US What’s your favourite pancake – fancy crêpe suzette or simple lemon & sugar?

These just have to be the purr-fect way to keep all your books neat and tidy.

www.sainsburys.co.uk (0800 636 262)

ROUILLIER WHITE CAST IRON DACHSHUND BOOT SCRAPER, £25

Man’s best friend will be your new little darling when the family use this and don’t stomp muddy boots up the hallway anymore!

www.roullierwhite.com (020 8693 5150)



ASDA COUNTRY LIVING BIRD CUSHION, £7

Mix this in with a couple of plain cushions on your sofa and you’ve got yourself a super-stylish look at a brilliant price.

http://direct.asda.com 0800 952 3003

NEXT BULL DOG LAMP, £35

Bull dogs are still a big trend and this one isn’t just cute, it’ll be a welcome ray of light on dark nights.

www.next.co.uk (0844 844 8000)

COX & COX CREAM PAPER BIRDS MOBILE, £8.50

Hang these taupe and cream birds in a place where they’ll catch a breeze to create a stylish talking point.

www.coxandcox.co.uk (0844 858 0744)

How does it work? About 100,000 households every month have free or discounted loft or cavity wall insulation installed by a local energy supplier. This scheme has been around for a while, but only half the allocated money has been used as many people don’t know about it.

Free for everyone? YES! It’s literally open to all. The scheme is funded by an extra green tax we pay on our energy bills, so you might as well apply. The government introduced the scheme as figures showed 9.6 million homes do not have the recommended 270mm of loft insulation, while 7.8 million homes do not have cavity wall insulation – that’s one in four properties and translates to a huge cost to energy bills. According to The Energy Saving Trust, loft insulation saves an estimated £175 a year on energy bills and cavity wall insulation saves around £135.

To apply Log onto the Grants and Discounts section on the Energy Saving Trust –  click here. It will take only a few minutes to input your details and it shows all recommended companies in your area supplying insulation for free or greatly discounted.

You can also ring your energy supplier for more details, or call the Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012 (or 0300 456 2655 from mobile phones).

TELL US Have you taken advantage of this scheme? Was it great value for you?

If you’re after some affordable, first-class pampering, then you need to come on an Essentials reader break to Ragdale Hall in Leicestershire…

Choose from the following dates:

2 NIGHTS Sunday 20 to Tuesday 22 May  2012
2 NIGHTS Sunday 23 to Tuesday 25 Sept 2012
2 NIGHTS Sunday 25 to Tuesday 27 Nov 2012


What your essentials break will include…

• Refreshments on arrival; a tour of Ragdale Hall.
• Two nights’ accommodation.
• Breakfast, lunch and three-course dinners.
• Complimentary robe hire.
• Pre-dinner drinks and prize draw with the Essentials team on your first evening.
• 50-min Natural Harmony Facial.
• 25-min Soothing Back Massage.
• Reader specials: Discover the new season’s make-up and skincare trends with Clarins; pop along to the Ragdale Fashion Show.
• Discount voucher for the Ragdale Boutique.
• Full use of the spa facilities, including a choice of exercise, relaxation and water classes, use of the gym and Thermal Spa, plus lots of outdoor activities to get involved in.
• Changing and luggage-storage available on your last day until 2pm.



Waiting for you in your room when you arrive at Ragdale Hall will be…

A fantastic three-piece gift from Clarins.

PLUS

Your Essentials goodie bag containing…

• A Spa Find Hand Care Set with Heavenly Hydration Cream and cotton gloves, Heavenly Hydration Mineralizing Bath Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Salt Scrub, worth £18 – www.shopforspa.com.

• Make Believe Foaming Self Tan Mousse with Bronzer, worth £30, and Make Believe Enhance Shimmer Lip Gloss, worth £10 – www.makebelievebeauty.com.

• Skin Revivals Revitalising Cream with White Tea & Rosehip, worth £9 – www.beautynaturals.com.

• Palmolive Bergamot & Verbena Refreshing & Aromatic Shower Gel, worth £2.03 – Sainsbury’s, Asda,Tesco and Boots.

• Mitchum Advanced Control 48 Hour Strength & Protection, worth £2.79 – www.mitchum.co.uk.

• Your chocolate treat – Elizabeth Shaw Flutes, worth £2.49 – www.elizabethshaw.co.uk.

• Weight Watchers Chocolate Biscuits, worth £1.59 – from Morrisons and independent retailers.

And all this for a great price…

Prices are per person based on two people sharing and include VAT. Triple rooms are available, on request.

MAY, SEPTEMBER & NOVEMBER

2 nights Economy, £275; Standard/Lodge, £306; Superior, £331

Single room supplement, £50

To book…

Just call 01664 433 000 and mention ‘essentials offer’.

See you there!

Imagine Children’s Festival 2012

The Southbank Centre

Until 26 February

Some events free, some paid for

Returning for it’s 11th year, this exciting festival includes a mix of readings (from the likes of Jacqueline Wilson), exhibitions and films that you and your kids will love. You can explore Roald Dahl’s poetry and there’s even opera for babies! If you want you kids to have fun, but learn something new, too, this is the place.

For more information, visit: //ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/imagine-childrens-festival

COUNTY DOWN

Bird Box Building at Castle Espie

18-19 February

Newtownards, WWT Castle Espie, 78 Ballydrain Road, Comber

Price included in admission. Adult: £6.27; child: £3.09. If you want to keep your bird box, pay an extra £5.

To give your garden birds the best start this year, take your kids (or anyone you feel like!) to this workshop where you can make your own nest box. This is the time when birds are pairing off – wouldn’t it be fun to play Cupid?

For more information, visit www.discoverireland.com/gb/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/whats-on/listings/product/?fid=NITB_26180

LEEDS

Sunday Storytime at Leeds City Museum

19 February, 14.15pm

Millennium Square, LS2

Free

What better way to spend some time on a Sunday afternoon, then in a cosy room with your kids, listening to stories being brought to life? And for free, too!

For more information, visit www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum/

CARDIFF

Life in the Iron Age

St Fagan’s National History Museum,
 Cardiff

18 February, 11am and 2pm

Free

Get your little ones enthralled in this alien way of life, by exploring the amazing roundhouse and follow the story of everyday Iron Age life, told brilliantly by the museum’s interpreter. They’ll come home with a new-found appreciation for their laptops!

For more information, visit //www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/whatson/?event_id=5353

NATIONWIDE

Kids Eat for Free at Chiquito

Valid until 30 April

Available at participating restaurants

The kids are off, and you’ve cooked enough meals this week, so why not treat yourself and them to a fun meal out – where they can eat for free! Just print off a voucher, purchase one main course, and the rest won’t even cut a tiny whole in your pocket. Sounds like a good deal to us!

To find your nearest restaurant with the deal and to print off your voucher, visit http://www.chiquito.co.uk/site/deals/kids-eat-free/index.php.

TELL US What’s the best thing you’ve done with your kids during half term?

For more information on this lovely resort hotel, visit www.travelbeam-luxury-hotels.com.


The offer is valid for stays from 1 April to 31 October 2012, with prices from £1,395 per couple, based on two adults sharing a Junior Suite Garden View for seven nights, including breakfast, return flights and round trip transfers. That’s a saving of £290.

To book Call Travelbeam Luxury Holidays on 0845 845 0145 and quote ‘Essentials’. Reservations must be confirmed by 30 April 2012

We’re looking to get 10,000 subscribers for our Life’s Little Essentials newsletter. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you and we will automatically enter you into the prize draw. If you’ve not subscribed to our newsletter yet, do so today to be in with a chance of winning one of these ten fantastic chocolate-filled hampers. Recommend the newsletter to any friends and family who you think might enjoy a weekly fix of Essentials delivered into their inbox and when we’ve reached 10,000 subscribers 10 lucky winners will be selected!

You could be tucking into this brimming, new and improved Thorntons ‘I love Chocolate’ hamper. It makes a fabulous chocolate gift and will deliver smiles to all chocolate lovers.

Each hamper contains: Continental Milk, White & Dark Collection 350g; Moments 250g;  Chocolate Smothered Toffee Box 525g; Continental Alpini Bag 112g; Continental Viennese Bag 96g; Milk Caramels Bag 110g; Milk Chocolate Block 90g. All this could be yours, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter to be in with a chance. Just click here

Terms & Conditions Apply
Normal IPC competition rules apply. Competition details form part of these terms and conditions. Entry is open to residents of the UK, Channel Islands and Republic of Ireland except employees (and their families) of IPC Media, its printers and agents, the suppliers of the prizes and any other companies associated with the competitions. The winners must be aged 18 or over. Proof of identity and age may be required. Use of a false name or address will result in disqualification. All entries must be made directly by the person entering the competition. Entries made online using methods generated by a script, macro or the use of automated devices will be void. The prizes are as stated, are not transferable to another individual and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. Prizes are subject to availability and the prize suppliers’ terms and conditions. The promoters reserve the right to amend or alter the terms of competitions and reject entries from entrants not entering into the spirit of the competition. The winner agrees to the use of his or her name, photograph and disclosure of county of residence and will co-operate with any other reasonable requests by IPC relating to any post-winning publicity. The winners will be chosen from all correct entries received by the closing date stated within the promotional material. Winners will be confirmed in writing. Reasonable efforts will be made to contact a winner. Failure to respond and/or provide an address for delivery, or failure to meet the eligibility requirements may result in forfeiture of the prize. If they cannot be contacted, or are unable comply with these terms and conditions, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to the next eligible entrant drawn at random. Where applicable, the decision of the judges is final based on the criteria set out in the promotion and no correspondence will be entered into over this decision. Competitions may be modified or withdrawn at any time. The Service Provider and contact details are specified within the promotional material.

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