6 Ideas For Trying New Things!

Okay, Valentine’s Day has been and gone and whether or not it is something you celebrate, there are 364 other days to be romantic, try something new or just show some appreciation to your better half letting them know you care. We don't go overboard with Valentines Day, a card might be exchanged and it might not even have Valentines theme (read, it never has a Valentine's theme), but it is the thought that counts right?

There are many things you can and possibly should do to show your partner you do care, appreciate all that they do for you and well...does there really need to be a reason? Pinterest is one of those apps that I am obsessed with, it gives me ideas for trying new food, buying new t-shirts and here are a few ideas I thought I would share:

Explore Another Culture -  Most people have a bit of wanderlust and curiosity about other cultures and places and this is one of the easiest things to do and share with each other. It can be as simple as ordering takeaway or delivery, tickets for a surprise weekend getaway, or a visit to a museum. 

Image Credit - Hungry House

You can even combine different elements, like having Indian takeaway delivered to the museum with a current Indian exhibit

Be a Tourist - It is almost universal that people who live in an area rarely visit their area’s tourist attractions. So you could throw yourselves wholeheartedly into the tourist role including taking several hundred “couples” pictures to share on Instagram or other sites.

Go to the Dog Park - A recent Reuter’s poll found that a majority of people preferred to be with their pets than with humans, including their romantic partners. You score double points because your partner has fun with their pet with the added bonus of interacting with other pets and the dog gets a fun day out as well. 

Volunteer - Let’s be honest. Being in a relationship with someone who accepts you even with your faults and shortcomings makes you more fortunate than a lot of people on earth. Finding a cause or a group you both support is a great way to share your good fortune. From homeless shelters, food kitchens, animal rescue groups, to environmental groups volunteer organisations not only need, but will welcome your help. 

Do Something you Really Dislike - In every relationship one partner inevitably likes something that the other really dislikes. 

Image Credit - Phantom of the Opera

Make this about your partner and give it a try. Your partner likes roller blading through the park – grab a pair of skates. Ballroom dancing? Get out your suit and tie. Opera? As long as you aren’t sitting through the entire Ring cycle, a night at the opera can actually be a pleasant experience. 

I would love to know what kind of activities you get up to with your better half, do you save your appreciation for 14th February or do you show your gratitude and thanks throughout the year?

*Collaborative Post

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GROOMING: Ted's Grooming Room - Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia

A casual look at the homepage of this here blog and you’ll see that there has been a bit of a beard obsession for the last month or so. Yes, the beard is now so grizzly and I’m so scared of cocking up the shaping of it that I asked the good folk at Ted’s Grooming Room if they would like to have a crack at my beard so that on-going maintenance would be easier for me. They of course jumped at the chance and so yesterday I ventured around the corner from my office and slipped into the barbers chair at Ted’s Grooming Room – Charlotte Street.

Usually when I venture into one of the Grooming Rooms I opt for The Full Ted, which comprises of a wash and cut, shave and eyebrow threading. With limited time, and a half-arsed attempt to grow my hair out again I opted for a beard trim and shape on my visit during lunch on Friday. This would set you back £22.50 and takes around thirty minutes. 

Drum roll please as the pictures speak much louder than any words that I could type!

Looking a state so you don’t have to!

So, this is what I looked like the morning of my visit:

 Well hello there!

The final result? Bearded awesomeness.

So, a quick compare and contrast and it’s obvious to even Stevie Wonder that Eren my nimble fingered barber performed a minor miracle. My beard is shaped and trimmed to perfection, it feels better, it looks better and it's now in a place where I can use my own trusty beard shaping tool and a razor to keep it under control.

As an aside, how cool is the lighting?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again about Ted’s Grooming Rooms – they offer a wide variety of treatments, they treat you like a king and their skilled barbers really do provide an exceptional standard of service. They know their craft and they attain perfection every time in my view. Throw in the Turkish massage and it's always an experience worth having.

Bravo, and thank you.

Ted's Grooming Room
20 Charlotte Street
Fitzrovia
W1T 2NA

Tel: 020 3 397 9966

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

You can read about previous visits to Ted’s Grooming Rooms and see the before and after shots to get a feel for the incredible work they do below:

St Paul’s

The Strand

Holborn

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Moustache Grooming Kit from Barber Pole

Unless you want to look like you’ve just crawled out of the Borneo rainforests after being lost for six months you need to take care of your beard – that’s a fact people, a total fact…….(sorry was chanelling my inner Trump then). Those locks growing on the front of your face don’t take care of themselves, so after leaving my beard to grow for two months it had got to the point where I could either a) shave it off completely (not an option according to BeautyqueenUK) or b) invest in a whole host of products to help.

A beard brush is a must have, as is beard oil or beard balm to contain the itching but what do you do about the hair that’s curling over your upper lip and into your mouth (eurgh)? You buy a pair of scissors specifically to trim your moustache, and that’s just what my lovely missus did for me, picking up a Moustache Grooming Kit from Barber Pole.

Picked up from Amazon for just under £12, yes, just £12. If you want to pick up a set yourself you can do here.

So what comes in this particular kit?

1 x scissors

1 x comb

1 x leather carry case

The scissors promise to be super-sharp that will give a clean cut without pulling on your facial hair. Good stuff I thought and with zero research, zero planning and a very unsteady hand I dived straight in and tried these out…..so was it plain sailing or a complete ca-tashe-ophy?

The trimming and grooming process was so easy I was taken aback – honestly, I originally thought that I’d have a go, cock it up and end up having to shave everything off to avoid looking like my ‘tashe was lopsided. Nothing could be further from the truth. The scissors are razor sharp, not super sharp and they cut through my facial foliage with ease. No complaints from me on their ability to cut and even better not one painful snag. Top stuff.

After the first trim I did a little bit of research and realised that the tiny comb (it’s about the same size as my little finger) in the kit would make the process even easier. By using the comb to straighten the moustache, trimming evenly could be done with just a casual gaze into the mirror.

Doing this kind of thing at home using the grooming kit is saving me a fortune as I don’t have to go off and pay for a beard shape or trim at a barber. The scissors are sharp, they are really affordable and trimming my facial fuzz has never been simpler. 

RECOMMENDED, TOTALLY RECOMMENDED 

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Kent BRD2 Beard Brush

In December I took the conscious decision to grow my usually straggly-arsed beard out a bit so that I could be shaved properly by those lovely folk at Cornerstone. The RMT put paid to the shave thanks to their seemingly endless strikes. Since then I haven't done a thing with the facial fuzz apart from add copious quantities of beard oil and balm (not together) and today as I sit here it's actually the longest length that I've ever had it. So with a beard and an aversion to looking like I've slept rough for a week I sent the missus on a quest to find a decent beard brush that didn't cost the Earth. She ventured into John Lewis and came back with the Kent BRD2 Beard Brush.

The brush comes in a quirky little box with a carry bag and retails for £20. If you want one, you can click here to buy it direct from John Lewis.

This is what they say about the Kent BRD2 Beard Brush:

'Boasting an ergonomically shaped handle, the pure natural boar bristles have been cut and shaped to improve the brushes performance. Each brush comes with a beautiful hand-stitched cotton bag printed on both sides. Not only a handy bag to store your brush in but for those who use beard oil it will protect your clothes from any excess oil held in the brush head from leaching into your suit pocket or the lining of your favourite bag.'

The brush itself is easy to use (it's a brush after all, not rocket science) and despite using a coarse type of hair in the bristles it is surprisingly soft on the skin. This really did shock me as I'd heard from an avid beard brusher that boar hair felt to the touch about one notch down from a yard brush. The angled bristles makes the brush glide over the surface of the beard while the rear bristles do as promised penetrate through the beard to style the hair below. One brush through and boom, the brush had separated and tidied the hair into the direction of travel so to speak. Here is the scraggly-arsed beard before brushing.

After applying beard oil or balm the brushing process has pretty much all of the hassle removed and it helps to set the hair in place. Win! The only possible gripe I could have is that the angled bristles mean that I have to brush left handed on both sides of my huge face - as I said, a very, very minor gripe.

Got a beard? Looking for a recommendation for a beard brush? Look no further - it's reasonably priced, is gentle on the skin when brushing and it helps sort out the knotted, straggly hair into a neater more presentable style to face the outside world with. Since I started using the brush I have found that my beard seems to be growing faster (weird) is more presentable and actually sitting watching a film brushing my beard is really therapeutic! Big thumbs up from me.

RECOMMENDED

How's my beard looking? "Strong" said the voice in my head....

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