Author: Tina Calder

By Patience Bradley, author of The HouseWork WorkOut

Many people struggle to find time to exercise.  Sometimes just finding a little bit of time in our hectic schedule is virtually impossible.  So don’t try! At the end of the day cleaning and tidying your house is something you simply have to do, modifying your household chores shouldn’t be that hard.

By turning your household chores into a workout you can increase your heart rate and work your major muscle groups.  From hoovering, mopping and dusting to gardening and even cleaning the kitchen, there’s hundreds of exercises you can do at home.

When doing your HouseWork WorkOuts it’s a good idea to do these in 30 minutes slots.  You could even create a 30 minute playlist to work out to. Don’t forget that having up-beat and fast music on will help to keep you motivated, studies show that working out to fast music will increase your pace (which in turn increases your heart rate and therefore see you burning more calories), and the music typically makes you work out for longer.

1. Vacuum Your Entire House

Vacuuming can be a great exercise for your core and abs if you keep those muscles tense while cleaning. It burns around 190 calories per hour, but if you want to take this exercise further and burn more calories, do lunge motions while taking steps to work right in to those glutes.

2. Sweep Or Mop Your Floors

Prepare your floors by clearing the surfaces so you can clean as many as possible in quick succession. Where you can, squat rather than bending over to lift items and get to those hard-to-reach areas. Mopping burns around 195 calories per hour, but don’t forget to switch between your right and left arms to ensure an even work out. Use a good amount of elbow grease when you’re on your hands and knees scrubbing to work out your arms and shoulders, and remember to hold that tummy in while doing so to work out those abs.

3. Run Up And Down The Stairs

When you are tidying-up, and bringing items up or down the stairs, opt to repeat the action more often than you actually need to. For example, when bringing items upstairs, run up and down the stairs three times, as opposed to the one time that you need to. Walking up and down stairs at a brisk pace burns around 500 calories per hour. To turn this in to a toning exercise, go up two stairs at a time, but at a slower pace, so that it becomes a controlled strength exercise as opposed to a cardio one.

4. Do Calf Raises As You Wash Dishes

Start with your legs hip-width apart, before lifting up on to your toes. Hold this position for three to 10 seconds, before slowly coming down to stand on your whole feet again. Repeat this exercise 10 times per set, for three sets, with one minute rest in between sets.

5. Clean All Of Your Windows (Inside & Out)

Use both your left and right hands and arms to ensure an equal work out, and clean in a circular motion. Reach as high as you can to work your abs and oblique muscles (your waist). Cleaning windows burns around 180 calories per hour. The same applies to cleaning surfaces, mirrors, and dusting.

6. Weed Your Garden & Trim Plants

If weeding on your hands and knees, ensure you use proper cushioning, and engage your abs by keeping them tense throughout the work out. If you are doing short duration weeding in bursts, try squatting instead, and don’t forget to squat when gathering up the waste to put it in garden bags. Gardening in this way burns approximately 289 calories per hour.

7. Wash Your Car By Hand

Many of us enjoy the convenience of taking our cars to automatic or manual car wash services, but if you want to take advantage of nice weather, and get a work out in at the same time, wash your car by hand instead. A full car clean includes wetting, cleaning, rinsing, drying, and polishing, which are all fantastic actions for your arms and abs, as well as squatting to reach the lower areas of the vehicle, or to wet your chamois or sponge in soapy water. If you want to maximise this work out, clean the inside of your car, including the windows and hoovering the carpets and seats. Cleaning your car by hand burns around 230 calories per hour.

8. Make-The-Bed Triceps Dips

Depending on your skill level, changing bed sheets can feel like a work out on its own, especially if it’s a double. Maximise the benefits of doing this chore by fitting in some arm toning exercises at the same time. Sit on the edge of the bed with your hands placed palms down next to your hips, fingers facing forward. Scoot off the bed until you are only supported by your arms and feet. The further your feet are from the bed, the harder this exercise is. Lower down slowly, keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides, and use your arms to push yourself back up. Repeat 10 times in one set, for three sets, with  one minute rest in between sets.

9. Toilet Split Squats

When cleaning the toilet and the bathroom, use the toilet (with the seat down) to perform Bulgarian Split Squats. Place one foot on the toilet and your front foot far enough out in front of you so that you can lunge down without your knee going over your toes. Slowly lower your body down and use your extended leg to push yourself back up. Your instinct will be to lean forward over your extended leg – don’t – keep your upper body as straight as you can. This is a fantastic work out for your whole leg as well as your glutes! Don’t forget to repeat on both legs.

10. Lazy Bicep Curls

If you are carrying bags of groceries in to the house, or bags of rubbish out to the bin, use the opportunity to fit in a few bicep curls. Get a good grip on the bag palm facing up and make a fist, keep your elbows at your sides, and lift the bags so your hands reach your chest. This move can even be done with tins of beans, one litre bottles of juice, or anything else that makes a suitable weight, while you’re sitting watching TV!

11. No Time To ‘Waist’

If you are waiting for the kettle to boil, pasta to cook, or the microwave to ding, squeeze in a few squats, lunges, or push-ups off a wall or kitchen counter. If you make a dinner every evening, and a couple of cups of tea a day, the short-duration exercises will soon build up over a week, and after all, every little helps
The HouseWork WorkOut by Patience Bradley is out now and available from Amazon or www.excaliburpress.co.uk/book-shop

Organisations of all sizes, and across all sectors, possess a powerful asset that can help them to gain competitive advantage, offer unique insights into their organisational performance, and enable them to ‘level up’ by making smarter and more informed decisions.

Although all organisations have access to this asset, many are not able to fully exploit it and leverage the opportunities that can flow from it.

According to Geoff McGimpsey, Marketing Communications Manager at Belfast-based data analytics specialists, Analytics Engines: “Every organisation produces and holds data. This can include transactional information, logistics records, staff timesheets, machine performance, product warranties, and more. When this data is appropriately captured, transitioned into a digital format, and analysed correctly, the organisation gains tremendous insights into its operations, its customers, and its external environment.”

Data can be a powerful and persuasive tool that can help decision-makers in organisations, as well as informing business strategy and reducing risk. Geoff provides the perfect example of the power of data – a data solution called ‘Precision for Pharmacy’ which is currently deployed for the Western Health and Social Care Trust at Altnagelvin Hospital.

Geoff explained: “We helped the clinical pharmacy team move away from paper-based record systems by co-designing a digital solution that enabled greater transparency and improved reporting methodology. The bottom-line was that the teams felt more empowered and they collaborated more effectively. Managers were also able to evidence the impact of the work they carried out.”

The Challenges of Digital Transformation

Organisational change is inherently difficult to accomplish. However, it remains the only constant in today’s dynamic business environment, and the powerful results of a well-developed and strategic change management plan should not be underestimated. 

Analytics Engines has a wealth of hands-on experience in helping organisations develop their digital roadmap. He said: “I’ve found that quite often the biggest challenge businesses face when starting their data journey is properly understanding and correctly mapping out the problem they are seeking to solve. Organisations are aware that they have data, and they understand that it can help but they don’t always understand how. We work closely with businesses to help them understand their problem and to deliver a solution that properly meets their needs.”

For many businesses, there are some hurdles to overcome when implementing a digital transformation strategy, such as getting access to the right data at the right volume, managing it effectively, and getting buy-in from different functions across the organisation.

“Working with an expert partner such as Analytics Engines helps to demystify the process for organisations and gives them the confidence that their digital transformation roadmap is one that will be effective, with useful and positive outcomes that can have a significant impact on the organisation,” he said. 

“We collaborate with a wide range of businesses and offer advice on a variety of areas, such as how to best source and present the raw data, how to cleanse it, and how to draw down those all-important insights.” 

Increased Potential from Digital Transformation Opportunities

Digital transformation presents exciting opportunities for a range of business functions in organisations of every size and sector.

“Some organisations may feel that digital transformation is for more technically matured businesses only, or that it is only suitable to certain industries and sectors,” said Geoff, adding: “Digital transformation is so much more than an online presence. We guide and assist organisations to realise the value of their data assets and to identify where they could be missing out on real business opportunities.”

Often, it is in an organisation’s best interest to be receptive to new data and information.

“Many can combine their owned data with open datasets which can be incredibly enlightening and identify key trends and indicators that the organisation would otherwise have missed,” said Geoff.

With experts in data science, graph and text analytics, location analytics, data visualisation, artificial intelligence, advanced record linkage, legacy system integration, and custom business processes, Analytics Engines have helped organisations – from very varied backgrounds – to embed digital transformation with great success. 

“We recently worked with The National Gallery in London as part of their digital transformation process. We pulled in a range of datasets to create a ‘single source of truth’ reporting methodology,” said Geoff. “The custom dashboard was rapidly adopted across the organisation, putting everyone in every department on the same page in terms of their reporting methods and their understanding of how visitors interacted with their exhibitions. We put the user at the centre of the solution – reducing system complexity and ensuring they could draw the greatest possible insights from their data to optimise organisational performance.”

Experienced in working with healthcare organisations, local and regional government bodies, biomedical science centres, the entertainment and media industries, the hospitality and tourism sector, and education and higher education establishments, there are few industries Analytics Engines have not worked with.

“We have the agility to design business intelligence solutions that provide our partners and clients with comprehensive insight that is capable of enabling change and quickly providing a return on their investment,” said Geoff.

Analytics Engines is also organising a major conference – Big Data Belfast – featuring business use cases and data analytics thought leaders drawn from local domain experts and multi-national organisations. The event takes place at the ICC Belfast on Thursday October 24 2019, and is sponsored this year by EY, as well as Dell, CME Group, Allstate Northern Ireland, SmashFly, SpotX, Altra Executives, Invest Northern Ireland and Signifyd. Find out more about Big Data Belfast and register to attend the conference by going to: https://www.bigdatabelfast.com

To find out more about Analytics Engines and how they can help your business, log on to: https://analyticsengines.com.

Leading Dolly Parton tribute act, Donna Stewart is set to rock the Belfast Barge for a special show on November 15, not only showcasing the very best of the Queen of Country’s songs and other big country numbers.

After a string of sell-out shows across the country the County Down star, along with her live band Dolly’s Jukebox, is bringing her show to the city’s only floating arts centre.

Donna said: “I can’t wait to play this special show. The Belfast Barge has seen many great acts play, and I know everyone will have a ball singing along and dancing to Dolly’s songs and our carefully chosen hits from other award winning country artists.

“We want you all to rock the boat on the Lagan to the very best of country music.”

Fans can expect a set packed with hits such as 9-5, Coat of Many Colours, I Will Also Love You and Jolene, as well as hits from artists such as Hank Williams, Shania Twain, Johnny Cash and many more.

Donna has spent years perfecting not only the songs, but the Dolly look, spending thousands on the outfits, shoes, wigs and instruments to make sure her shows are as close to Dolly’s shows as possible, but adding in other famous artists to make her show unique.

In the last ten years Donna has spent a whopping £40,000 on her act with a staggering £15,000 of that on creating Dolly’s look alone.

Donna said: “Dolly Parton once said that ‘it takes a lot of money to look this cheap’ and she wasn’t wrong.

“But I’m not the kind of person that does things by halves.

“The show aims to emulate country icon Dolly Parton at her 80’s best right up until now, we also play songs from classic country, we aim to please everyone,” she said.

“We carefully chose the greatest hits that people love and remember and even if you’re not a die-hard Dolly fan you’ll certainly catch yourself toe tapping and singing along at some point throughout the night.”

The Belfast Barge show is a BYOB show meaning attendees can bring their own drink and food.

Tickets are available here: skiddle.com/e/13609235

Get inspired to blog in Derry Central Library

Derry Central Library will host a free Blogging Inspiration session on Thursday 17 October from 6:30pm with well-known authors and bloggers Patience Bradley and Dr Ava Eagle Brown sharing their journey into blogging, their life experiences and years of expertise.

The Libraries NI event is designed to encourage potential bloggers to get started and will provide hints, tips and tricks towards success as well as giving participants an inside glimpse of the enjoyment of being a blogger. The session will be facilitated by chartered marketer Christine Watson of Training Matchmaker and will be hosted by journalist and content creator, Tina Calder of the Content Club and Excalibur Press.

Patience Bradley, model, author and blogger explained her path into blogging had its beginnings when she was making journals. 

“Finding blogging in my later years has given me an incredible lease of life. I am now able to blog about my life, my passions and my interests as well as then using that content to fuel my career as an author.

“Currently my blogs are health, fashion and wellness related and I’m looking forward to launching my doggy blogs later this year.

“I’m delighted to be on board with Libraries NI because I want to prove that no matter what age you are, you’re never too old to blog. And if I can do it having struggled with lifelong dyslexia then anyone can.”

“Libraries NI is pleased to offer this free Blogging Inspiration event to introduce people to the art of blogging,” said Julie Reid, Libraries NI Service Development Manager. “Storytelling is forever evolving and blogging, vlogging and podcasting is quickly becoming the new platform for telling stories through text, images and video. Whether you’re blogging for business, documenting your family history or keeping a record of travelling expeditions, you’re using the power of words to tell a story.

“We’re delighted to once again team up with Christine Watson to present this event at Derry Central Library on Thursday 17 October and look forward to welcoming speakers Patience Bradley and Dr Ava Eagle Brown as well as host Tina Calder to the Library.”

Explaining her path to become a blogger, author, entrepreneur and blogger Dr Ava Eagle Brown said: “I am delighted to be involved in such a great initiative as the blogging inspiration session in Derry Central Library.

“I started blogging as a way to deal with struggles in my life – it was a way to heal.

“Blogging helped me write my books The Mango Girl and The Musings & Thoughts of Ava Eagle Brown.”

Christine Watson said blogging is no longer the preserve of the few.

“In recent years there has been a surge in interest in blogging, vlogging and podcasting across Northern Ireland.

“It’s a fantastic way to connect with like-minded people, immerse yourself in your passions, keep your mind healthy and active and an excellent excuse to get out and about and use your local library.

“Both Patience Bradley and Dr Ava Eagle Brown aren’t just bloggers, they are women who have taken their passions and turned them into a way to keep connected with their peers and communities.

“Our speakers challenge the stereotype of what a blogger is and show the real mental, physical and emotional benefits of expressing ourselves online in a responsible, measured and healthy way.

“Attendees at the Blogging Inspiration event in Derry Central Library will be sure to leave with the motivation, encouragement and practical knowhow they need to begin or amplify their blogging journey.”

The event in Derry Central Library is part of the ongoing Libraries NI series of #GetBlogging series which will run into 2020 across Northern Ireland.

Officially presented by Training Matchmaker in collaboration with Libraries NI, previous events in the #GetBlogging series included Blogging Inspiration sessions, a six-week get Blogging Course and five Blogging for Wellness roadshows.

This event is free and booking is essential. Book your place at Derry Central Library on 17 October at: trainingmatchmaker.eventbrite.com

I have to say for Autumn and coming in to Winter one of my staple pieces is a good Statement coat, this one I’m wearing here I recently picked up in Savida at Dunnes and I think the colours are perfect for Autumn. The rich brown is great to make any all black outfit, an Autumnal dream. 

Vinyl

Vinyl Coats are very on trend this year and you don’t just have to stick to black, you can find vinyl trench coats in green and brown tones too, which are perfect for this season. Green itself is a very on trend colour this year and will definitely compliment most outfits. 

Faux Fur

Chunky faux fur coats are definitely going to be a big trend this year, neutral tones like cream and beige are very popular for these coats and they can look great with an all neutral toned outfit, with tones of whites and light brown. Coming in to Winter these types of coats are also great for keeping you warm and cosy. 

Padded/Puffa

Padded and Puffa coats haven’t gone anywhere and are still bang on trend for this season. Consider a longer and oversized style of puffa coat, for an instant fashion week chic look. These coats are perfect for daytime as they are also waterproof and will go with pretty much any outfit. They are the type of coat you can throw on over any outfit before you leave the house and still look put together. 

Longline

This season, the bigger the coat the better. Floor length coats are very in and can instantly take a simply jeans and top to a dressy and stylish outfit. These types of coats are everywhere and camel and beige colours are especially on trend. Wrap up with a scarf to break up the top of the outfit and you have the perfect Autumn/Winter outfit. 

Checked Pattern

Like the one I’m wearing in this picture I think checked coats are a great option to go for, they instantly give an expensive feel to any look. If you aren’t comfortable wearing colour you could even go for a black and white dogtooth style check which would be easy to pair with any outfit. 

When it comes to workwear, it can be hard to know exactly what to go for. You don’t want to go overdressed, but not too casual either that you look unprofessional. You still want to remain fashionable and cool whilst dressing respectfully and appropriately. Here’s my top tips for how to dress for work.

Suit Up

In my opinion with workwear, a bold suit is a fail safe option. You really can’t beat it. It’s an easy outfit to throw in in the morning with a pair of heels and blouse, shirt or jumper. The great thing about investing in a good suit too is the pieces work great as separates, you could wear the trousers with a blouse in the summer or style the blazer with different outfits.

Try a Pinafore

If you want to wear a more girly outfit for your office attire, consider wearing a pinafore dress. These dresses can look especially good in Autumn/Winter with tights, boots and a jumper underneath. Consider a pattern such as plaid, to mix up your look.

Stick To a Neutral Colour Palette

When shopping for workwear, it can be tempting to go for bold eye catching prints and colours. However it is often more savvy, to stick to a neutral colour, in order to create a capsule wardrobe. Buying basic neutral pieces that you can style in different ways will allow you to make the most out of your wardrobe and mix and match with different looks. 

Invest in a Good Pair of Shoes

When it comes to workwear a good pair of shoes is key, whether you prefer loafers, flats or heels being comfortable should be everything. So invest in a good pair of shoes that will last and will go with your everyday look.

If in Doubt Wear all Black

A backup outfit is always an all black outfit, cause it requires zero effort and is still so chic. It’s a great one if you are ever running late for work because you can just throw it on and instantly look put together, add a statement coat or sunglasses to dress it up and you are good to go. 

Written By: Patience Bradley 

For me, blazers are a wardrobe essential, you can style them so many different ways, and they are a timeless piece that will never go out of style. Whether you prefer patterned blazers like a Prince of Wales check or just prefer to stick to a plain black blazer, here’s some ways I love to style my blazers. 

Roll up Your Sleeves

I love to wear a blazer with the sleeves rolled up, often wearing an oversized blazer, can look big and boxy so rolling up the sleeves can add a nice shape. This is especially good in the summer months when it’s warm outside and you just want to add a light jacket.

Round the Shoulders

For an evening look, or on a hotter day you can style a blazer by simply wearing it over your shoulders. This gives a classy and instantly dressed up feel to any outfit. You then have the option of wearing it as a jacket when it gets colder in the evening.

As a Transitional Piece

Whilst blazers may be known as a spring/summer piece they are the perfect transitional piece to bring your wardrobe into autumn. For months like September and October when it’s not yet cold enough to bring out your larger over coats during the day, a blazer can be the perfect in between piece to compliment any outfit. 

As a Suit 

If you have trousers or jeans in the same colour as your blazer why not style it as a suit. Suits are the perfect workplace attire and can look great for daytime or nighttime. Style a suit with a pair of flats and handbag for day, or switch it up to heels and a clutch for an evening outfit.

With Accessories 

Add some accessories to your blazer to change it up, think about cinching your blazer in at the waist with a belt. Or even add a brooch to the lapel to add a bit of sparkle to your outfit.

Written By: Patience Bradley 

When you think of Italian cuisine, pasta in one of its glorious forms is probably what springs to mind.

Pasta is the staple food of Italians and has found a place as the ultimate comfort food for many more people. Made simply using flour, eggs, and salt it comes to life when accompanied by the wonderful sauces from the region.

Marco Polo is often credited with introducing pasta to Italy from China in the 13^th Century, however pasta was already gaining popularity in the region before that. Others believe the nomadic Arabs brought it westwards, but wherever it originated, it found its place in Italy as an affordable, versatile food.

Chef Luigi, head Italian chef at Belfast’s newest Indian/Italian fusion restaurant Mumbai Milano said: “Pasta dishes vary depending on the region of Italy they come from with stronger flavoured dishes containing lots of garlic and chilli being popular in the south, fish-based sauces from the coastal areas, and more delicate, creamy sauces with filled pasta such as ravioli and tortellini in the north.

“Pasta comes in a range of shapes and in authentic Italian cuisine long pastas such as spaghetti and linguine are used in quick-cook, light sauces while short shapes such as penne are paired with more robust sauces.”

What varieties of pasta shapes are there?

Spaghetti

Long strands of pasta often serves in Italy with a fresh tomato sauce or just drizzled in olive oil with garlic and chillies, or with cheese and pepper. You will never find Spaghetti Bolognese on an authentic Italian menu

Linguine 

Long like spaghetti, but thicker and flatter which makes it a good pairing with creamier sauces, giving them a larger surface area to coat.

Penne

Short, hollow tubes of pasta cut at an angle often served with thicker tomato and vegetable sauces.

Fusilli

Little corkscrew twists of pasta which are perfect for sauces containing meat, or for use in pasta bakes.

Conchiglie 

Shell shaped pasta, their cup like shape perfect is perfect for catching heavier sauces or for using in baked pasta dishes.

Farfalle 

Twists of pasta with crinkly edges hold sauces on their wing like shape. They are also great to use in pasta salads.

Macaroni

Tiny tubes most commonly found baked in a luscious cheese sauce in what has become one of the world’s favourite dishes.

Lasagne

These sheets of pasta give the name to one of the most famous dishes when layered with meat or vegetable sauce, topped with white sauce and cheese. 

Mumbai Milano, 11 Wellington Place, Belfast is open 7 days a week. Lunchtime is an all-you-can eat buffet every day and their a la carte menu is available from 5pm. Book your table by calling 028 9031 1101 or log onto mumbaimilano.co.uk for more information.

The UK and Ireland’s premier gaming and anime convention, Q-Con, celebrated its 26^th year with a record number of visitors to the Queen’s campus, including loads of successful events for all ages.

More than 7,000 people attended over the August Bank Holiday weekend, an increase of 10% on the 2018 event.

Hosted by QUB Dragonslayers, Q-Con included a host of events, including an appearance from the creator of the classic game ‘Doom’, John Romero, who challenged people “to beat him at his own game”.

“Since we began in a few rooms at Queen’s and 150 people, Q-Con has exploded in popularity and excitement…” said Ben Harrison. “We are delighted to see so many enjoy the weekend.

“After this year’s success we promise we’re working hard to make sure that 2020 will be even better!”

Among the many successes for 2019 were the family events.

“The family tickets proved really popular,” said Ben. “We worked hard to make sure that families and people of all ages interested in anime and gaming had events they could enjoy and take part in.”

Designed by gaming and anime fans Q-Con attracts people from across the UK and Ireland and further afield, with last year seeing a five percent increase in attendees from other countries. People from all ages are present throughout the weekend, with Sunday having extra events for families.

With BBC airing a special on cosplay as part of its True North Series (10^th September), Q-Con also saw several events showcasing the talent of fans and designer making and wearing the costumes of their favourite games, anime, TV and film characters.

“We saw so many people around the university district coming in on trains, buses and in cars dressed up as their favourite characters showing just how popular gaming and anime has become, and how Q-Con caters for a demographic so often missed by the mainstream media,” added Ben.

Taking place across the Queen’s campus, including the Whitla Hall, Elmwood Hall, Queen’s Film Theatre, the Computer Science Building and many other venues, planning for 2020 is already underway

When choosing an outfit for an event, it is important to consider a number of factors. Will what you are wearing be suitable for the conditions and season. What type of look you want to go for. Here’s some factors to consider when choosing your outfit your an event:

Options

Usually when planning my outfit for an event I lay out around 5-6 options of what I might wear and that I should consider. In my wardrobe I usually have around 5 or 6 outfits that I’ve never worn in my wardrobe anyway, so these will be some of the first things I’ll look at.

Match to Partner

Often for more formal events I like to match what I’m wearing with Ivor. I pick out his clothes for him to make sure that what we are wearing matches. If you are not comfortable completely matching your looks, even consider getting your husband or partner a pocket square that matches your dress.

Weather

When planning my outfit for any occasion it’s always important to take the weather into account. This will definitely impact what type of outfit you choose to wear. If it’s going to be raining you don’t want to wear a material that will simply get ruined in the weather. Or if it’s going to be sunny you don’t want to wear a heavy material that will only make you too warm.

Temperature of the Venue

As well as the weather, it’s important to consider hot warm the venue will be. If you are unsure if can be a good idea to wear layers so you can easily remove your jacket, scarf etc. if you are too warm or keep it on if you are cold. 

Walking Distance

Another thing I like to consider is how far I will have to walk to get to the venue from the car or how I will be getting there. This will definitely impact on what shoes you’ll want to wear, if you have a long distance to walk it might be better to wear a pair of flats or trainers, whilst if you are only walking a short distance say in the evening time you could wear a heel.