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The Disenchantment Voice Cast Has A Little GBBO Energy
Animation fans, get ready: after over a year of waiting, Disenchantment is finally back on Netflix. Unlike BoJack Horseman and Big Mouth, however, the Mark Groening series features a few familiar faces — and a slew of voices viewers of The Simpsons and Futurama will recognise. Set in Dreamland, a medieval fantasy land, Disenchantment follows the rebellious and heavy-drinking princess Bean (Abbi Jacobson), her aptly-named elf companion Elfo (Nat Faxon), and personal demon Luci (Eric Andre). The first season, which was split into 2018’s part one and 2019’s part two, saw Bean trying to get over the death of her mother, Queen Dagmar (Sharon Horgan) and learn that life isn’t just about partying. Bean was finally able to bring Queen Dagmar back to life, but only with the sacrifice of Elfo. Queen Dagmar, however, was secretly pretty evil — she turned everyone in the kingdom into stone and blamed it on Queen Oona (Tress MacNeille), her husband’s new wife. While Bean has no clue her mother is evil, it appears that in season 2 she’ll try to rectify Elfo’s fate as she and Luci dive into Hell to revive him. In addition to Jacobson, Andre, and Great British Bake Off host Noel Fielding, all voices fans can easily put a face to, Disenchantment’s voice cast is a who’s who of the animation world. John DiMaggio (who played Futurama’s Bender), Maurice LaMarche (the Brain in Pinky & The Brain), and Tress MacNeille (Dot from Animaniacs and Daisy Duck) all lend their voices to the series. Click through to see who else is featured in Disenchantment’s voice cast — before you get turned into stone.Abbi Jacobson Voices BeanWho Is Bean?Bean, full name Princess Tiabeanie Mariabeanie de la Rochambeau Grunkwitz, is a flawed but lovable princess who loves to drink. She was having difficulty getting over the death of her mother, and is pretty clueless to her mom’s evil tendencies, but seems to be dedicated to getting Elfo back.Abbi Jacobson Essential ViewingYou probably best know Jacobson from Broad City, the web-series-turned-show she co-created and co-starred in with Ilana Glazer. Disenchantment isn’t her first foray into animation — she’s also voiced characters for BoJack Horseman and Bob’s Burgers. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features.Eric Andre Voices Luci & PendergastWho Are Luci & Pendergast?Luci is Bean’s personal demon — literally. While his intention is to bring Bean down a dark path, the two have a very close bond, and he’s willing to help her out. Pendergast, on the other hand, is the head of King Zøg’s knights.Eric Andre Essential ViewingComedian Eric Andre is best known for his Adult Swim series The Eric Andre Show and his Netflix standup special Legalize Everything. He’s appeared in a number of TV shows during his career, including Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 and 2 Broke Girls. Photo: AFF-USA/Shutterstock.Nat Faxon Voices ElfoWho Is Elfo?Elfo is an elf (what a surprise) who completes Bean’s closest trio. He and Bean have feelings for each other, but it’s revealed he’s half-non-elf — and, by the end of season 1, most definitely dead. Will Bean and Luci be able to save him? Where You’ve Seen Nat FaxonNat Faxon has been on all sides of the camera — he’s written, directed, and acted in movies and TV shows in addition to voice acting. He won an Oscar for co-writing 2011’s The Descendants, and is known for starring in the shows Ben and Kate and FX’s Married. Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images.John DiMaggio Voices King ZøgWho Is King Zøg?King Zog is Bean’s father, the ruler of both Dreamland and the Royal House of Grunkwitz. After the death of Queen Dagmar he remarried Queen Oona (until she had other royal ambitions, that is). Where You’ve Seen John DiMaggioWhile you might not recognize John DiMaggio’s face, you’ll definitely recognise his voice. DiMaggio has voiced numerous animated characters, including Futurama’s Bender, Adventure Time’s Jake The Dog, and Kim Possible’s Dr. Drakken. Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images.Tress MacNeille Voices Queen Oona & OthersWho Is Queen Oona?Queen Oona was King Zøg’s second wife, making her Bean’s stepmother. An amphibian, she married Zøg to unite the kingdoms — but later divorced him so she could become a pirate queen. MacNeille also voices Bonnie Prince Derek, Zøg's and Oona's son; the Fairy, who Bean turns to for advice; and Arch Druidess, Dreamland’s religious leader who secretly wants to take over with Odval. Where You’ve Seen Tress MacNeilleTress MacNeille is another voice actor who is behind several iconic animated characters, including Dot from Animaniacs, Babs Bunny from Tiny Toon Adventures, Daisy Duck since 1999, and various Futurama characters including Mom. Photo: Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images.Matt Berry Voices Prince MerkimerWho Is Prince Merkimer?Prince Merkimer is a prince from the Brentwood kingdom who was supposed to marry Bean, but was instead turned into a pig thanks to Elfo’s blood. Where You’ve Seen Matt BerryMatt Berry is an English actor and comedian who is currently starring in the TV reboot of What We Do in the Shadows. He’s also known for his work in The IT Crowd, The Mighty Boosh, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, and co-creating and starring in Toast of London.Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage.David Herman Voices The Herald & OthersWho Is The Herald?The Herald is Dreamland’s announcer who proclaims both arrivals and the news — essentially a Dreamland's reporter. Herman also voices Guysbert, Price Merkimer's older brother; Jerry, Cloyd and The Enchantress’ assistant; and Superviso, Elfwood’s supervisor. Where You’ve Seen David HermanDavid Herman has done voice work for various animated shows including Bob’s Burgers, Brickleberry, Futurama, and King of the Hill. He also appeared in Office Space and was one of MADtv’s original cast members. Photo: Gary Miller/Getty Images.Maurice LaMarche Voices Odval & OthersWho Is Odval?Odval, Zøg’s three-eyed advisor, is the prime minister of Dreamland who wants to take over with the Arch Druidess. LaMarche also voices Big Jo, a very, very creepy exorcist, and Leavo, an elf who ditched Dreamland to be a pirate captain.Where You’ve Seen Maurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarche is a Canadian voice actor who has played some well-known childhood characters, including the Brain from Pinky and the Brain and Big Bob in Hey Arnold!. He’s also voiced various Futurama characters including Kif and Calculon. Photo: Robin L Marshall/Getty Images.Lucy Montgomery Voices Bunty & The EnchantressWho Are Bunty & The Enchantress?Bunty is Bean’s simple lady-in-waiting and Stan the Executioner’s wife. Montgomery also voices The Enchantress, a mysterious woman who gave Luci to Bean — only to be revealed as Dagmar and Cloyd’s sister Becky.Where You’ve Seen Lucy MontgomeryMontgomery is a comedian, actor, and writer who has appeared in a number of English shows including Bo Selecta!, The Mighty Boosh, and The IT Crowd. Her work isn’t just limited to TV, however — she also appeared in Viva Forever!, the Spice Girls musical Photo: Ian West/PA Images/Getty Images.Billy West Voices Sorcerio & OthersWho Is Sorcerio?One of King Zøg's advisors, Sorcerio is a wizard who’s not very good at being a wizard. West also voices The Jester, who says “Oh no!” when he falls through trap doors or windows; Mertz, a knight; Pops the Elf, Elfo’s father; and King Rulo, Elfwood’s leader.Where You’ve Seen Billy WestBilly West is an actor who has voiced some of the best-known animated characters, including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and Popeye, Doug from Doug and the title characters on The Ren & Stimpy Show. He was also a cast member on The Howard Stern Show during the ‘90s.Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic.Noel Fielding Voices Stan the ExecutionerWho Is Stan the Executioner?Stan is Bunty’s good-natured husband and Dreamland’s royal executioner who manages the torture chamber. Noel Fielding Essential ViewingThe English comedian is probably best known lately for co-hosting The Great British Bake Off. He’s also known for The Mighty Boosh (where he played the merman Old Gregg, among other characters), as well as The IT Crowd, and Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy.Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage.Sharon Horgan Voices Queen DagmarWho Is Queen Dagmar?Dagmar was Zøg’s (not-so-secretly evil) first wife who was turned into a statue by a potion she created that was intended for her husband. Upon coming back to life, she turned everyone into stone at the end of season 1 and blamed it on Oona.Where You’ve Seen Sharon HorganSharon Horgan is an Irish actress best known for Catastrophe, which she co-wrote and stars in, and creating the HBO series Divorce. She’s also appeared in the movies Valiant, Imagine Me & You, and Game Night. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.Rich Fulcher Voices CloydWho Is Cloyd?Cloyd works with The Enchantress but about halfway through season 1 an assassin reveals that he’s actually Emperor of Maru. Where You’ve Seen Rich FulcherRich Fulcher is a comedian who has worked with several of Disenchantment’s other voice actors including Noel Fielding and Matt Berry. He played various characters on The Mighty Boosh and appeared in Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, Drunk History, Marriage Story, and both wrote and starred in Snuff Box with Berry. Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images.Jeny Batten Voices Kissy the Elf & OthersWho Is Kissy the Elf?Kissy is Elfo’s first love interest, friend, and coworker. Batten also voices Ursula, a bear who can turn into a woman and falls in love with Zøg; Tess, a giantess with only one eye; and Miss Moonpence, Odval’s servant who is only ever seen as an eye. Where You’ve Seen Jeny BattenJeny Batten is a writer and actor who has worked on Superstore, the TV show Hoops, and also co-executive produced and wrote several episodes of Disenchantment. Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images.Like what you see? 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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Andrew Harnik/AP/Shutterstock (11030657k) First lady Melania Trump stands next to the 2020 Official White House Christmas tree as it is presented on the North Portico of the White House, in Washington Trump, Washington, United States – 23 Nov 2020 Shortly after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, her husband’s second impeachment, and reports that she has not reached out to future First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Melania Trump is bidding farewell to her “Be Best” initiative with a video that still doesn’t exactly clarify what the campaign accomplished. “‘Be Best’ is a platform that helps children achieve their fullest potential and also highlights the people and organisations that are doing extraordinary things in our country and around the world,” Melania says over footage of herself speaking and posing with children. “As the legacy of ‘Be Best’ comes to a close at the White House, we must continue to give a voice to our nation’s children and the issues that impact their lives.” As the legacy of #BeBest comes to a close at the @WhiteHouse, we must continue to give a voice to our Nation’s children & the issues that impact their lives. It’s the values & spirit of the American people that inspired Be Best & it’s those values that will carry on its mission. pic.twitter.com/fRBTWphmlj— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) January 15, 2021 The obvious question here is: what legacy, exactly? Michelle Obama, as the leader of “Let’s Move!,” partnered around 3,500 chefs with schools in America, successfully pushed Walmart to lower the costs of fruit and vegetables, and helped the U.S. Tennis Association build more than 6,000 tennis courts across the country. Former First Lady Laura Bush co-founded a national book festival and started a foundation that directly provides funds to libraries in low-income areas. Meanwhile, “Be Best” has been without any specific legislative or quantifiable goals since 2018. Meanwhile, Melania has met with many children and visited schools and hospitals, but according to the White House’s website, the initiative’s achievements mostly include Melania speaking at events and “promoting” the importance of practicing online safety, encouraging children’s well-being, and preventing opioid abuse. While these are important topics, Melania is most proud of raising awareness about topics like online safety and opioid abuse — and it’s hard to take those accomplishments seriously when Trump has consistently harmed the very causes Melania claims she’s championed. For one, her website states, “Opioid dependence, addiction, and abuse are an epidemic in this country. ‘Be Best’ will support the families and children affected by this crisis.” However, her husband — and stepson Donald Trump Jr., too — infamously mocked President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter for his fight with addiction. And then there’s the topic of safe internet practices. At the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Cyberbullying Prevention Summit in 2018, Melania said that social media can be “positive,” but it can also be “destructive and harmful when used incorrectly.” No one has caused more destruction online than her husband, a man she has consistently supported throughout his presidency. It feels very surreal to listen to Melania now promote her work emphasising positive ways to use the internet when, just last week, Trump’s Twitter was deactivated after he fanned the flames of a violent mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. Melania captioned her video with a call to “continue to give a voice to our Nation’s children.” She didn’t explain how she plans to do this, but maybe it’s not the children she should focus on. She says she already helped kids “understand their self-worth is not defined by social media,” and that might be a lesson Trump needs, too. (If he’s ever allowed back online, that is.) Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?Melania Trump Refuses To Welcome In Jill BidenMelania Trump Speaks Out On Capitol AttackMelania Trump Went Maskless At Children's Hospital
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The Stars Of Netflix’s Bling Empire Are Just As Glamorous Off-Camera
(L-R) Kim Lee and Christine Chiu in episode 5 “Private Lies” of Bling Empire: Season 1. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021 In Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians and Jon M. Chu’s stunning film adaptation, we were introduced to a fabulous world of wealth and intrigue. From private jets to billion dollar wedding ceremonies, it all seemed to good to be true, but Netflix’s Bling Empire confirms that there are people living that large in real life. The brand new reality series, which hit the streaming service on Friday, follows the daily lives of a tight knit and very exclusive Asian community in the heart of Los Angeles. Filthy rich and not ashamed to flaunt it, each episode of Bling Empire sees its stars living their best lives, including, but not limited to throwing extravagant parties, jet setting around the world, and shopping at a whim. But all that glitters is not gold, not even for the one percent. The show also offers a candid glimpse into the personal problems of this circle of friends. If you’re already fully obsessed with the cast of Bling Empire, you’re not alone — I need a second season! But until we’re reunited with these crazy rich Asians (and Kevin), here’s how you can keep up with the gang on social media. Kevin Taejin Kreider View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kevin Taejin Kreider (@kevin.kreider) In this world, professional model Kevin Kreider serves as our reliable narrator and introduction into the exclusive circle of the Bling Empire. Born in South Korea but raised in Philadelphia by his adopted parents (who are white), season one of the Netflix reality series sees Kevin gathering the courage to connect with his roots as he navigates the tight knit L.A. community. (Oh, did I mention that he’s fine as hell, too? Because he is. You see the material.) Kane Lim View this post on Instagram A post shared by kane lim (@kanelk_k) Kane Lin is a billionaire (yes, billionaire) born into a family of wealthy Singapore entrepreneurs who have their hands in oil, shipping, tanking, and real estate. But Kane’s has earned some of his riches, too. When he was 17, his dad gave him a five-figure loan to invest in stocks, and Kane paid it all back and then some, earning his very first million. Following in the footsteps of his father, Kane is also working on establishing himself in L.A.’s real estate scene. Christine Chiu View this post on Instagram A post shared by Christine Alexandra Chiu (@christine_chiu88) Known throughout Beverly Hills for throwing killer parties and generally being fabulous, Christine Chiu is a socialite, collector of couture, and philanthropist. She splits her time between shopping, raising her son Baby G, and running the super popular Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery practice alongside her husband Dr. Gabriel Chiu (an alleged 24th generation direct descendant of the Song dynasty). But Christine’s life isn’t all diamonds and Chanel; season one of Bling Empire follows an intense struggle with her fertility and living up to the conservative Chinese values of her husband’s family. (And beefing with Anna Shay.) Anna Shay View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anna Shay (@annashay93) Every reality series needs an HBIC, and Bling Empire has found one in the ridiculously wealthy Anna Shay. The heiress to a huge fortune (Anna is the daughter of the CEO of defence services contractor Pacific Architects and Engineers), her only job is being rich, and she’s very, very good at it. Her heart for the people around her is as big as her bank account. From her son Kenny Kemp to her closest friends, Anna spares no expense when it comes to making her loved ones happy. But watch out — if you cross Anna, you’ll regret it. Just ask Christine. Kelly Mi Li View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kelly Mi Li 李弥 (@kellymili) Kelly Mi Li works as a production company executive, and business is booming even mid-pandemic; projects that she’s worked on include the Netflix series Cypher and the action film Echo Boomers (starring Michael Shannon and Patrick Schwarzneggar). Unfortunately, her thriving career is eclipsed by the perpetual drama going on in her love life. Kelly’s ex-husband was indicted as part of a multi-million dollar “auto-subscribing” scam, landing him in jail and leading to his divorce from the media professional. In season one of Bling Empire, Kelly has found love again with actor Andrew Gray, but trouble isn’t too far behind. Andrew Gray View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrew Gray (@andrewgray) You might have seen Andrew Gray on TV before, but you probably didn’t know it; the 33-year-old starred in Nickelodeon’s Power Rangers Megaforce series as the Red Power Ranger. His IMDb page also shows that worked alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2019 war film Shadow Wolves and is wrapping up a short film that he produced called Spilt Milk. Kim Lee View this post on Instagram A post shared by ᴋɪᴍ ʟᴇᴇ (@kimlee) Described by her cast mates as the “Asian Calvin Harris,” Kim Lee is a premier DJ and lowkey the most famous cast member of Bling Empire. When she’s not spinning tunes for crowds of thousands around the world, Kim dabbles here and there in acting (Entourage, The Hangover II) and modeling (L’Officiel India, Wonderland, ELLE, and more). Like what you see? 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Money Diary: A Pharmaceutical Scientist In Southampton On 38k
Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.This week: "I am a 24-year-old medical regulatory scientist and recently bought my first house in Southampton with my partner.My family moved abroad a lot when I was growing up. We moved to the US and were surrounded by this huge wealth in the LA area. It was then that I really started having conversations with my parents about money, the value of it, what we could afford, etc. I really enjoyed being involved in the finances.When I was studying for my bachelor's degree, I didn't qualify for any maintenance loans (negatives of moving around a lot!) so I worked all three years of my degree to fund my living and daily costs. This was incredibly hard and I have so much respect for people who manage numerous jobs and balance studying. I think my frugal years as a student have resulted in a permanent money-saving mentality. I love apps like Olio and Too Good To Go; I also love sewing and crafting and try to save money like this wherever possible – I have made all my Christmas presents this year! I do find it hard to treat myself (especially since buying a house) and sometimes have to remind myself to let my hair down and that spending money is not something to feel guilty about. Please note that Southampton was in tier 2 during the writing of this diary, moving to full lockdown on Boxing Day. Both my brother, D, and my friend, A, who have been struggling with their mental health, are going to be staying with us for the foreseeable future."Industry: PharmaceuticalsAge: 24Location: SouthamptonSalary: £38,880Paycheque amount: £2,221Number of housemates: Two: my fiancé (G) and my doggo (J).Monthly ExpensesHousing costs: Mortgage £1,400 (including a £500 overpayment).Loan payments: £80All other monthly expenses: My half of our bills: electric and gas approx £25, Wi-Fi £12.50, still awaiting our first water bill! Gym membership £40, Netflix – my parents upgraded their account so my siblings and I are all on the same account, Amazon Prime £3.50, phone bill £3.50 SIM only (G), phone bill £6 SIM only, SimplyCook £4, The Times £3, The Guardian £6, Audible (2x) £7. We don't have a set amount we save at the moment. Having just bought the house, our savings each month are being invested in doing it up.Savings? We've just bought our first house and have been in the process of doing renovations over the COVID-19 period. All our purchases and bills are equally spent from our joint account. We have £15,000 in a joint account from which we do our daily spending and all our credit cards are paid. We bulk this up equally every month from our current and saving accounts. We have £30,000 in easy access savings for any emergencies or unexpected circumstances alongside some separate savings and investment accounts, with £50,000 invested (mainly in stocks and shares). Being a woman, I am always reminded of the importance of having separate saving accounts and maintaining financial independence. Day One6am: The alarm goes off. I quickly turn it off and re-evaluate getting up so early. 7.30am: Alarm goes off for the second time! Wake up by cuddling my dog, J, and scrolling the Times app. The concern of COVID numbers increasing is incredibly real. Decide I can't take hearing about COVID anymore and browse the business section instead. 8am: Open my computer, evaluate my meetings for the day and start making a coffee in the Moka Pot. My fiancé, G, arrives home after his night shift and we spend 10 minutes catching up before he heads upstairs to get some rest. Decide to clear some emails while having some toast and Marmite peanut butter (it is most definitely "love it or hate it"). 9am: Wait in the long line outside the post office to send my last Christmas presents! Finished making a quilt for my cousin's son yesterday at midnight so need to get it sent asap as I'm worried it won't arrive by Christmas.10am: I leave the post office positively shaking after overhearing a conversation about the need to not wear masks. Couldn't bite my tongue and ended up being confronted on whether I'm a scientist or not? I greatly enjoyed being able to answer this with yes! My share of packaging and postage for all my Christmas presents: £9.54. 12pm: Take a break from meetings and have a personal call with a colleague over lunch. Make a huge portion of tuna, sweetcorn pasta salad so G can have some whenever he wakes up. 2pm: My work Christmas hampers have arrived and I contemplate opening the mulled wine straightaway but settle for a mince pie. My favourite company perk around this time of year is the hampers!5pm: Realise how little work I've managed to get done today because of all the Christmas-themed meetings and events I've attended. I'll have to work late this evening to get everything closed out before my Christmas break. G has awoken so we catch up and cook dinner together: beef and red wine parcels. 7.30pm: G leaves for work and I take J out for a walk. I'm really missing my grandma and am so sad that I can't see her at Christmas so I give her a call and have a chitchat.10.30pm: End up on the phone with my mum talking about anything and everything for almost two hours...whoops! Remember I have loads of work to do so I can go on vacation, so grab my laptop. 2am: Finally curl up in bed! Total: £9.54Day Two8am: Wake up for a whole five minutes as G comes in from work and J barks her head off. 10am: Actually feel more human now. Stumble downstairs and make myself a huge mug of tea and have a mince pie for breakfast (my absolute favourite Christmas treat). 10.15am: Start painting our main bedroom! We've just renovated and had it all newly plastered. It's beginning to feel quite urgent as we need it to be finished asap as we have a friend, A, staying with us for a week over Christmas (we are his support bubble).1pm: My least favourite part of DIY is all the cleaning up afterward. Paint-free, I head into the city to pick up a bouquet of flowers I've ordered from a family-run florist. It's been a year since G's mum passed away and I think she would approve of some beautiful flowers in our new home. Total is £25 minus £5 Amex shop local cashback so my share is £10. Decide to grab some extra paint on the way home too. My share: £13.50.2.30pm: Warm up some leftover duck stew for lunch while dialling into a work meeting I desperately needed to attend and couldn't excuse myself from regardless of being on holiday. Oh the joys of working from home. 3.30pm: Read a book and accidentally take a nap.5.30pm: G is up and we cook and have dinner together: soups and some garlic bread. He helps me to lift all the radiators back onto their brackets and now I just need to remember how to connect and fill them properly...7.30pm: G heads off to work and I get on my painting clothes and prepare myself for another couple of hours of painting and dancing along to some tunes! 11pm: Absolutely exhausted, head to bed. Do some meditation using Headspace and fall asleep. Total: £23.50Day Three8am: J barks as G comes home from work, which is much more effective than my alarm. Quickly get up and clean up all the rooms which the electricians are going to be working in. 8.30am: Electricians arrive while I'm having a cup of tea for breakfast. Pop out to the shop and grab some milk and a new shower hose cable from Lidl. My share: £3.58.9am: Call our gym and book a spa evening so we can use the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Do a small dog training session to reinforce what J learned in our last obedience class. 10am: Our electricians arrive and finish off the last portion of agreed work. We finally have all our sockets on the walls and dimmer lights in the living room – significant progress!12.30pm: G is meant to have online academic training but after the night shift, he is really struggling. I make some fresh soup and bring it up to him in the study to find him sound asleep. Cover him with some blankets and log him out of the training. Eat my soup while I book J into another obedience class for next week. I'm becoming increasingly concerned by the COVID numbers and want to make sure that J is as socialised as possible ahead of any additional local lockdowns. 2pm: Starting to plan my Christmas present for my grandma. I am so disappointed not to be spending any time with her this year at Christmas. We have agreed that we are going to exchange gifts when we can finally see each other. I am grateful for the extra time to pull together a homemade gift for her, as I would really like it to be something special. 4pm: All my creative brain cells have been completely exhausted. Wake G up and go to the spa for a relaxing evening of pampering.6pm: Home and dinner. We cook a stir fry full of veggies and settle down on the sofa to eat, chat and watch the final episodes of Hustle. 10pm: Head to bed and decide to have a much-needed lie-in tomorrow. Total: £3.58Day Four9am: Wake up, have a cereal bar and this reminds me that we need to head to the shops and replenish some of our cupboard foods. As our friend A is arriving tonight we also want to get some mixers to enjoy with our festive drinkies!10am: Visit the local wholesale food store – no card or entrance card required. We buy a lot of our cupboard food and snack food for work lunches from here. I'm still trying to convince myself that buying in bulk savings are worth the cupboard space. We buy buttermilk Easter eggs, multigrain bars, tomato and chilli sauces, mini Flumps, Schweppes diet tonic, Radnor forest fruit drinks, Pret sparkling grape and elderflower drinks, Kellogg's Crunchy Nut granola and Larabar banana chocolate chip bars! The total comes to £36. I calculate how much this would cost if we bought how we normally shop and it would have cost us £123.60. The cupboards might be full but I think the savings are totally worth it! My share: £18. 11am: Pick up a wardrobe being given away for free on Olio. Looks like a great upcycling project and will be perfect for our guest room.12pm: Take J out for a run around in the local park. Thrilled to have some very positive interactions with other dogs, bikes and humans. Small progress is still progress. 2pm: Start the long and difficult process of rearranging all the furniture. With A coming tonight, we need to move our bed out of the study and into the main bedroom which now has lights and working sockets.5pm: Watch the announcement from BoJo about the Christmas bubble period being cancelled and the movement of regions into tier 4. Cry for two minutes before deciding I have wasted enough of my tears on COVID. Realise that although A is based in an area about to become tier 4, he is on a train and only about 30 minutes away. Attempt to understand the rules and come to the conclusion that as we are his support bubble, this is still okay. 6pm: Student brother, D, calls me and explains that Wales will be heading into tier 4. He missed the original student cut-off dates and we weren't expecting him until the Christmas bubble period. He has been really struggling with his mental health and asks if I can come and collect him so he can be with family (thankfully also allowed as students are allowed to return home). Leave almost immediately after G has made me a strong coffee and packed me some snacks for the road. Leave G with A who has just arrived and head to get some fuel. My share for pay @ pump: £17.27.9pm: Stop at a service station for some more coffee and a quick break. D treats me as a thank you for collecting him. 11.30pm: Arriving home after a four-hour trip is so incredibly satisfying! Have a cup of tea, cuddle J and very promptly fall asleep. Total: £35.27Day Five10am: Everyone agreed to have a lie-in this morning! Wake up and make a huge batch of coffee for everyone to grab when they are up. Cuddle with G in bed until we hear that A and D are beginning to wake up. 11am: Lazy breakfast of cereal for everyone and start thinking towards Christmas. As we have been renovating the house recently, we haven't got much storage space and had chosen not to get a tree or any decorations. Given the new restrictions, we've realised that we won't be able to go and see our family over this period. Decide we should go on a hunt for some Christmas decorations and set about searching Facebook Marketplace for anything which might work. Find three people donating old decorations and trees and decide to go pick them up. 12pm: As we've just had breakfast, we have a quick salmon salad for lunch before all taking it in turns to shower and get ready for the day. 1pm: Leave for various FB Marketplace pick-up points and fill my car with everything we have collected. Very grateful to those who had these items listed for those whose plans had been affected by COVID. This means an incredible amount to us. 2pm: Stop at Dunelm on the way back to get some curtains and curtain rails for our living room. My share: £26.13. Collect our Christmas present for J, a dog Barbour coat. Her birthday is Christmas Eve so she is suitably spoiled this time of year. We spend so much time hiking and the coat was such a good fit, we just couldn't say no! 3pm: Christmas music on and the decorations are being put up. Start having a few glasses of wine while getting out some games and organising quizzes for this evening. 6.30pm: I cook a veggie Thai green curry for dinner. It feels amazing to relax with everyone after some very stressful weeks. 8pm: Time for some drinks, quizzes and games. 11pm: May have stumbled up the stairs on my way to bed!Total: £26.13Day Six8am: Don't even hear G leave for work this morning. Very doubtful that anyone else will be awake for some time. Have a cereal bar alongside a huge coffee before settling down to listen to my Audible book. Take J out for a morning walk and practise some dog training.10am: A and D begin to surface and I decide to do the last supermarket shop ahead of Christmas. Thankfully there are no queues and I quickly do the rounds and collect everything we need. Parsnips, courgettes, potatoes, aubergine, Brussels sprouts, carrots, spinach, leeks, mushrooms, peppers, veggie burgers, cranberry sauce, brioche burger buns, camembert, sausage rolls, stuffing, chicken, toilet paper, kitchen roll. My share: £11.17.12pm: Home, food unpacked and meal plan for the next few days is all prepped. We decided that we would take it in turns to alternate cooking for the next few nights – phew!1pm: Make some cheese and ham toasties for lunch. Spend a while chatting and really catching up on everything that has been going on for the last few months. Talk everything from politics and concern for the Brexit deal to supermarket differences in Wales and England. 2.30pm: Both A and D are booked into local barbers for some much-needed haircuts. D can barely see and A has his hair currently covering both eyes! Walk down to the local high street and drop them off. Finish with a coffee and a catch-up at a local coffee place which I have been dying to try. My share comes to £2.05. 5pm: Start prepping the lasagne with A and D. This is the meal that A is cooking for us all. We are trying to organise meals so that G can eat immediately after coming home from work. It means so much to me that they both know how difficult this type of shift work can be and are being so accommodating in our schedules, even when it means we eat late in the evening!7pm: Start playing a board game A has brought with him called Catan. It appears that there are many rules and yet we still seem to be confused!11pm: Head to bed and do some Headspace before I fall asleep. Total: £13.22Day Seven6.30am: Woken up as G gets up and starts getting ready for his shift. Decide I can definitely not cope with getting up this early and procrastinate online, reading the news and then listening to my last Audible book. 8am: Start the day with a 'kiddie breakfast' of potato waffles alongside baked beans. One of my favourite easy breakfasts. Realise I'll probably need the energy today as have a long drive ahead of me to see my parents and am not planning on having any food while out. 8.30am: Finish off my Christmas present for D: homemade cushion covers. Wake up A and D, who wake up slowly, and prepare them for the timings which I've agreed with my parents. Clean the house and pack any leftover presents for that side of my family into the car. 10.30am: Finally we are all ready. Jump in the car and only 15 minutes into the drive, the air pressure sensor in one of my tyres alerts me to some depressurisation! Stop at a supermarket fuel station and test the pressures…all looks fine. Reset the tyre sensor and hope it doesn't ping again. 1pm: Arrive and unpack all the Christmas presents from the car into the porch for my parents to collect. All five of us (plus J, of course) head for a quick socially distanced walk to catch up and hopefully have everything feel more like Christmas! End up having a takeaway Cornish pasty and coffee in town – parents treat us.3pm: Back in the car and heading for home. Everyone is clearly exhausted as I have two very sleepy passengers. Focus the radio speakers to my seat and turn the radio up so I can keep awake in the pouring rain. 6.30pm: Electrician pops round to get some more information for a quote on installing some storage space in our loft and laying some flooring and skirting boards. Seems like it will be straightforward enough which I am super pleased to hear. Watch A and D play on the Nintendo Switch for a while and end up taking a nap. 8pm: D calls me to the table just as G walks through the door. Dinner is ready: brioche veggie burgers alongside baked camembert. All credit to D as it is his turn to cook and it is divine. 9pm: Settle down with a glass of wine to play Heads Up! and have a small game night.10.30pm: I have done abysmally at the game night, confirming that it is indeed time for bed. Total: £0The BreakdownFood & Drink: £31.22Entertainment: £0Clothes & Beauty: £0Transportation: £17.27Other: £62.75Total: £111.24Conclusion"This was a very strange week, especially given the increase of some areas to tier 4 and the cancellation of the five-day Christmas period. Normally in the build-up to Christmas I think I would definitely have spent more than I did this week. I'm very grateful to have had the time to make all my Christmas presents this year and am going to try and make time for this in future years too! It was quite insightful to see how frequently I buy small things to furnish the house and I think going forward I'm going to keep track of these, not necessarily to cut back but mainly to be aware. I'm also definitely going to be shopping more at our local wholesalers and trying to save money in this way. It worked fantastically over Christmas and we always had snacks or nibbles available for guests, which is perfect when you unexpectedly have four people!" Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?Money Diary: A 25-Year-Old Radiographer On 31kMoney Diary: A Consultant In Solihull On 38kMoney Diary: A Finance Officer & Lash Technician
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Refinery 29 UK
If Your Goal Is To Save Money In 2021, Here Are 7 Ways To Do It
According to a recent YouGov poll, saving money is the fourth most popular New Year's resolution among Britons in 2021 (after three health-based goals).While it sounds great in theory, saving money can be quite intimidating. How do you start? More importantly, how do you stop yourself from spending it?Luckily there are loads of great ideas for getting into saving which can be adapted to a huge range of incomes. All will leave you with a chunk of change to put towards whatever you want: an emergency fund, a pair of boots you've been coveting for months or perhaps an optimistic plan for a 2021 autumn holiday. Plus, the structure of challenges will make you feel worse about breaking into that savings pot.Given the mess that was 2020 for so many people's livelihoods, we know that these challenges won't be possible for everyone but hopefully they can be of use in the future. And if you are capable of taking part right now, we hope these challenges will inspire you to get started on organising your money, whatever your saving goals are.1p ChallengeThe 1p Challenge is one of the most popular saving challenges there is – probably given the suggested magic of turning 1p into £667.95 in a year.The premise is simple: you start by saving 1p, and then the next day you save what you saved before, plus 1p. So day 1 = 1p, day 2 = 2p, day 3 = 3p and so on, all the way up to day 365 which is £3.65. While the increments are small, the savings are incredibly satisfying.Thanks to the challenge's popularity, you can find several free calendars and planners online to help you keep track, too. 52 Week ChallengeSimilar to the 1p Challenge, the 52 Week works by slowly increasing the amount you save over time – only in this case you start saving £1 a week and increase that amount by £1 each week. By the end you're saving £52 in one week to give you a total sum of £1,378 – it takes more investment but you'll end up with double the 1p Challenge.This challenge is really flexible, too. You can do it in reverse so it's less intimidating (aka saving £52 the first week, £51 the next) or restructure it so you only save every other week. Perfect for people who are paid fortnightly!£1,500 A Year ChallengeThis challenge is, again, similar to the previous two challenges – only this time you have a specific goal in mind and the counter resets each week.You start the week saving £1 on Monday, £2 on Tuesday, £3 on Wednesday and so on until Sunday. Then you reset and start again with £1 on Monday. You'll end up saving £28 a week this way, with a total of £1,456 by the end of the year.This is obviously not exactly £1,500 so we're not really sure why the challenge is named that – but the high goal and opportunity to reset each week is inviting. 50/30/20 ChallengeThis is less of an incremental challenge and more of a reframing of how you budget, with the goal of saving a certain percentage of each paycheque.The idea is to split your total income into three pots: 50% to 'needs' like essentials and living expenses (rent, bills, groceries etc), 30% to 'wants' which covers all non-essential spending (from Netflix to a new pair of shoes), and the 20% that remains should be saved.Unfortunately not everyone's essentials and living expenses account for just 50% of their total income, with many people spending this much alone on rent. This is not because people are living beyond their means but because the cost of living in places like London, for example, far exceeds the average salary. If that's the case for you, then you can reconfigure the percentages according to your lifestyle: if you can't get your essentials below 60%, for example, you could split that extra so that you set aside 25% for your wants and still save 15%.1% ChallengeA far smaller ask, the 1% Challenge suggests you work out 1% of either your fortnightly or monthly income and set up a direct debit to regularly set that amount aside. It won't amount to much at first but will feel like a much less significant dent in your income – and over time it’ll add up to a nice little savings pot which you can use for birthdays, at Christmas, on holidays, or just to put towards a nice treat for yourself.No Spend MonthOkay, so this sounds intimidating at first. On the one hand, there are many for whom this is already a reality: people who have no financial flexibility and can only afford to pay for the essentials. On the other hand, financial security is often hard won and in a global pandemic, a recession and with our painful breakup with the EU only just beginning to impact us, the idea of giving up any creature comforts sounds like unnecessary unhappiness.However, if you can face the idea, here's what you do: you take the 50/30/20 percentages and just don't spend that 30% either. No wants whatsoever. It will inevitably be hard but with a clear end goal in sight, the savings will be far easier to build up.Wednesday Weather ChallengeAnd finally, this is a fun one. The premise is that you look at the temperature every Wednesday and you set aside that amount in £. So if it's 11°C, you set aside £11 that week. Extra points if you do it in Fahrenheit – that same £11 would be £51.8 over in the US...Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?These Are Our 2021 Saving GoalsHow To Invest Your Money Using AppsCoronavirus Has Hit Young Women's Finances Hardest
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Yahoo Style UK
13 photos that prove Sir David Attenborough is a Royal Family BFF
It’s hard to think of two institutions more British than the Royal Family and Sir David Attenborough.So perhaps it makes sense that the TV naturalist is close to several members of the Royal Family, from the Queen herself, right down to Prince George.Sir David’s relationship with the royals can be tracked back to 1958, when he was pictured meeting Princess Anne and Prince Charles, then aged six and nine, at the BBC studios after they watched a children’s programme being filmed there.He also developed a good relationship with the Queen as he produced her annual Christmas broadcast between 1986 and 1991.He had by that point already been knighted, being awarded the honour at Buckingham Palace in 1985.Read more: Work out like a royal! Queen's great-nephew joins HIIT workout on InstagramBut in 2020, he was knighted for a second time. Sir David has also been given a personal award by the Queen, showing their special relationship.Now Prince William is ensuring the royal friendship continues. He asked the naturalist to be on the judging panel for his new project, the Earthshot Prize.The prize will give away £50m over the next decade, to projects which help solve some of the problems facing the world.Sir David has even met the youngest Cambridges - giving Prince George a fossilised shark’s tooth as a present.At 94, Sir David proves there is no age limit to a royal friendship.
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Yahoo Style UK
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