teenytinyfootprints

stopkillingourworld: It’s not just the pigs in our sausages and...

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:17:27 +0100

It’s not just the pigs in our sausages and the chickens in our sandwiches that have suffered to reach our weekly shopping carts. Other daily groceries including so called “cruelty free” and vegan items like bread,cookies, haribo and margarine are causing suffering to the orangutan too. Even the most innocuous of items that unsuspectingly contain palm oil are responsible for destroying rainforests driving orangutans, whose survival already teeters on the brink, even closer to extinction.” source

Beautiful article. It’s just heartbreaking to know what’s happening to orangutans that are just so special. And the sumatra tiger. I knew a woman who went to the Orangutan orphanage, it changed her - forever. I think that’s part of the problem. People are so removed from the consequence of what they’re indirectly supporting. I bet a majority portion of them would change their ways and some would even get actively involved they they could just spend 1 day at that orphanage. Just one.

Here’s some babies - this video makes me all teary. Poor little orphans. Please don’t buy anything with palm oil in it and avoid paper products from Asia Paper & Pulp. If you don’t know - go with something you do know.

That video is amazing and reinforced the reasons why I avoid products that contain Palm Oil! I refuse to support the production and usage of Palm Oil when it is destroying the most intelligent and beautiful creatures in the world!

Do you think I have achieved my challenge?

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:47:37 +0100

So …. someone said that I was unable of writing a blog about absolutely anything, so not wanting to prove this statement right I undertook a challenge - for this individual to name something and for me to write 200 words on it! To my surprise, the word that came out of their mouth was ‘cheese’ (random I know). At first I thought it would be impossible to write something fun and interesting but once I got researching and writing, it turns out there’s actually quite a lot out there about this oh so creamy flavoursome food! I wrote …..

The word ‘cheese’ is derived from the latin word ‘caseus’ which translates as ‘to ferment, become sour’. Archaeologists have found evidence of cheese being made from the milk of sheep AND goats as far back as 8,000 BC! Blimey! There is no real evidence however as to where cheese originated from but the general consensus is that it was developed in the Middle East. There are now hundreds of varieties of cheeses being made in just about every corner of the globe. Milk has even been known to come from Horses, just as the Mongolian Nomads did. The most expensive cheese in the world is made from the milk of three moose in Sweden called Gullan, Haelga and Juna. They all live together on a small farm in Bjursholm and are said to be tame individuals (which is vary rare for moose!) Can you believe they take over two hours each to be milked and this can only be done during certain months of the year. The end product is sold for £320 per pound!!! Even weirder … there is a cheese created using human breast milk!!! Bleurgh!!! Le Petit Singly is a small farm in France, which makes the cheese from donated breast milk. Proprietors claim that it is extremely rich in vitamins and has a slight hazelnut taste to it! (Each to their own!!)

I hope you have enjoyed reading my response to the challenge and I’d love to hear if you think I’ve passed the test :-D Thanks

stopkillingourworld: treehugger: This week, conservationists...

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 22:36:10 +0100

stopkillingourworld:

treehugger:

This week, conservationists from Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund observed, for the first time ever, a pair of juvenile gorillas doing something remarkably clever: destroying sharp, wooden snares set out by poachers to trap them. Just days earlier, a gorilla had been killed in a similar snare nearby, which may have familiarized the youngsters with the workings of those cruel devices.

Incredible. Read the rest: Young Gorillas Observed Destroying Poachers’ Traps

OMG this is the best story I’ve seen in ages!!!

I am so overwhelmingly happy to read this!!! I pray that all primates begin destroying these awful snare traps as they deserve to get their own back. Dian Fossey would be so proud!

The Lion King in the West End

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 13:46:00 +0100

I was fortunate enough to be seated in the fourth row of the stalls at The Lion King in the breath-taking Lyceum Theatre in London on the 4th of July and I must say it was truly mesmerising! The opening sequence brought tears to my eyes as I watched all the stunning animals gather around me and take their places on stage. From start to finish I was completely engrossed in the story, even though I knew it inside out already! It is very much a feel good theatre show in which you don’t want to end. The vocals were absolutely outstanding, especially when Shaun Escoffery (Mufasa) sang He lives in you. A tear found its way down my cheek, I had a lump in my throat, goose bumps all over my body and the high note he sang sent shivers down my spine. The staging was faultless - with the stampede scene being exceptional! It was so thrilling not knowing how they were going to portray this delicate part of the film. From where I was sitting, it was as if the wildebeest were going to trample straight into the audience! This show is for certain one of my favourites and I would see it every fortnight if I had the chance. I’m so glad I bought the soundtrack when I was there - I must have listened to the whole album everyday since going! It is not simply one for the kids as there is some decent comedy in there too - predominantly provided by Rafiki (played by Brown Liniwe Mkhize) EVERYONE and I mean every single one of us has to see this at least once in their lifetime. Don’t miss out!

Londoners are always too busy to sit down to eat!

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:41:06 +0100

I started my internship with National Geographic Kids Magazine yesterday and I noticed that no one sits down when they eat! It’s like some sort of culture that everyone is too busy to take time out in their day to partake in the most crucial part of our daily lives! Us Londoners constantly have to be somewhere and soon! Personally though I think there’s nothing better than a delicious Pret A Manger sandwich eaten in the park on a sunny day! :-D (which I plan on doing tomorrow that’s for sure!)

Product review for Clinique – Stay-matte oil-free makeup

Mon, 21 May 2012 21:34:13 +0100

I received a free sample in my weekly magazine which I was overjoyed about since my current foundation is running low and I haven’t yet decided which one to choose. It promises to help control the oil breakthrough for women suffering oily or combination skin, leaving a matt and flawless finish all day long.

The shade was ‘Neutral’ which I automatically knew would be too dark for my skin – looking at the 20 different shades this foundation has to offer I’d be more suited to ‘Linen’. Aside from that fact I wanted to see if the description was right and the foundation would protect from the embarrassment of a shiny face!

At first it gave great coverage, felt really light on the skin as well as to the touch, is paraben free and smelt really good. After 8 hours of wear; three small itchy bumps had appeared on my t-zone, the foundation had gathered around my eyebrows, it had turned into an uneven coverage and worst of all I had my usual shine :-( Another positive though is that it was very easy to remove, leaving my skin very soft.

I think maybe as a liquid foundation is does not provide full protection for women with oily skin but could possibly be improved with an oily skin specific face powder (which I plan to test out tomorrow with the other half of the sample).

Another one of my random doodles …. :-D

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:13:23 +0100

Another one of my random doodles …. :-D

Found a bunch of doodles that I thought i’d share. Would...

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:21:04 +0100

Found a bunch of doodles that I thought i’d share. Would love to know what people think! :-D

Most hilarious cat fail of the week!

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:58:00 +0100

aceofspider:

It is one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time :-D I mean come on …. how can you NOT laugh!!!!

How amazing are these shoes?!?!?!?

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:01:00 +0100

This month I stumbled upon what I think are an absolutely stunning pair of heels! Now ladies, don’t forget to keep breathing …

Behold …

They can be found in Beyonce’s video Let’s Move Your Body. Not only is this an amazing song with an amazing dance routine (that is a definite must watch and attempt!) but these gorgeous Louboutin’s complete my month! At first I thought they were simply ankle boots with multi-coloured panels. But on further investigation I discovered that the mid section is actually a cut out panel that Beyonce had teamed with knee high socks!!!!! Pure genius!

L.O.V.E!!!!

stopkillingourworld: climateadaptation: Looks like about 200...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:46:33 +0100

stopkillingourworld:

climateadaptation:

Looks like about 200 orangutans were killed. I’ll post more in the am.

sexyactionplanet:

Sumatran Orangutan: “It is no longer several years away, but just a few months or even weeks before this iconic creature disappears”
Hundreds of orangutans are believed to have died in fires deliberately lit by palm oil companies in the last few weeks. Conservationists say the rare Sumatran orangutan could now be wiped out within weeks.

Read more here.

It’s hard for me to keep up with this, it makes my chest hurt, and my eyes tear up. It seems like, for every step forward Greenpeace and other groups take - they’re all pushed three backward. Takers. Just heartbreaking.

Reading this makes me feel sick! We only have one chance on this planet and these cruel heartless people are able to get away with wiping out the most incredible intelligent species. They should be disgusted with themselves!

anoceanactivist: What goes in the ocean goes in you. Recent...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:34:41 +0000

anoceanactivist:

What goes in the ocean goes in you. Recent studies estimate that fish off the West Coast ingest over 12,000 tons of plastic a year. Find out how you can help turn the tide on plastic pollution at www.surfrider.org/rap.

Literally turned my stomach … everyone needs to be doing something about this!

t-fairygodmotherofweddings: True…

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:40:43 +0000

t-fairygodmotherofweddings:

True…

Two Monkeys Die At Harvard University Research Center

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 11:37:38 +0000

Two Monkeys Die At Harvard University Research Center:

socialismartnature:

Harvard University has killed an average of 1 monkey every 4 months over the past year and a half (sometimes in brutal ways, as in the case of the monkey that died when its cage was put through an industrial cage-cleaner with the monkey still inside).

This needs to stop.

===

Two monkeys have died at the Harvard Medical School’s New England Primate Research Center in the past three months, resulting in the suspension of all new experiments at the Center indefinitely.

These most recent deaths boosted the total number of primates deaths in Harvard research facilities to five in the past 19 months, leading Dean of the Medical School Jeffrey S. Flier to halt experimentation at NEPRC.

A cotton-top tamarin monkey died Sunday at the NEPRC, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday. The cause of death is under investigation. According to the Boston Globe, the monkey did not have a water bottle in its cage, which may have been a factor in its death.

In December, a squirrel monkey died from dehydration at the NEPRC, located in Southborough. In response to the squirrel monkey’s death, the United States Department of Agriculture cited the Medical School in a Feb. 3 report for failing to adhere to the Animal Welfare Act.

The report states that an additional monkey was also dehydrated but responded to treatment and recovered.

Harvard University … ‘the oldest institution of higher education in the United States’ … surely you should know better being so highly educated!!!! You should all be ashamed of yourselves for thinking this is acceptable behaviour in todays society!!! It made me sick to my stomach when I read this - absolute vile human beings for torturing living creatures!!!

WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER WHEN YOU ARE IN A BAD MOOD?

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:06:46 +0000

Singing west end belters at the top of my lungs, eating nom nom nom nom mexican food and getting into my cosy warm bed ….. if only it could be done all at the same time!

carolinafrica: “Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on,...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:55:07 +0000

carolinafrica:

“Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain. A sharp distinction between humans and ‘animals’ is essential if we are to bend them to our will, make them work for us, wear them, eat them — without any disquieting tinges of guilt or regret. It is unseemly of us, who often behave so unfeelingly toward other animals, to contend that only humans can suffer. The behaviour of other animals renders such pretensions specious. They are just too much like us.” - Carl Sagan

The images posted with this send chills down my spine and makes me feel physically sick! The people that lock up and torture such beautiful and intelligent primates do not have hearts or a conscience! It is so wrong and it NEEDS to stop!

Is it a good sign that I share such odd similarities with Tamryn Kirby?

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:54:00 +0000

In one of my previous posts titled ‘A wedding planner ….. to be or not to be? That is the question!’ I discussed how people seemed to be putting my dreams and ambitions down when they really have no right to. I also said how I was reading Confessions of a Wedding Planner by Tamryn Kirby in the hope that it would either boost my confidence in the knowledge that I would be able to cope OR alternatively make me realise that maybe it isn’t the industry for me (preferably the former scenario!).

I’m just under half way through the book and it is full of tips on all the little details that should be addressed in order to have the perfect day (as well as being prepared for unexpected events i.e rain etc). Its a really interesting read and I would love the opportunity to one day meet this lady and here’s why …

There are three main similarities that have sort of shocked me but now that I think about it, its probably very common … even so. The first one is to do with a Royal Wedding - Tamryn talks about her excitement during Prince Charles and Diana’s Wedding which I can completely relate to as I was completely glued to the screen throughout Prince William and Kate’s Wedding. I was truly choked by how magnificent and magical the whole thing was and I too collected (and cherish) the magazine memorabilia. The second similarity appears further on in the book, Tamryn discusses how from a young age she had suffered from several illnesses including ovarian cysts that completely came out of nowhere which I too have had to put up with for the past few years. Disruptive to say the least. The final similarity I’ve come across (which I’ve always thought I was the only one!) is the OCD over people vomiting! (also known as Emetophobia). This has been my only negative about becoming a wedding planner since it involves excessive alcohol consumption which then inevitably leads to very unwell guests!

So that is my question … Is it a good thing that I share similarities with Tamryn the UK’s top wedding expert (as named by Amazon) considering how successful she has become? I’d like to think so!

Want to know the magic that is making croissants?

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +0000

On Thursday I saw how all butter croissants are made and its absolutely fascinating! The Hungry Sailors is a new cookery programme that has just started on ITV and I am hooked! If I was asked prior to watching this how I thought they were made I would probably have said they first make a basic style pastry, mould it into the half moon shape they are famous for, make the slanted lines in the top to aid the baking process and then brush it with butter (to give it the buttery taste).

HOWEVER… I am completely wrong!

I strongly believe that we should all learn something new everyday so if you haven’t learnt something today then follow this link http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=301019 and watch between 18:50-23:35 if you just want to be amazed by croissant making (however I strongly recommend taking time out to watch all the episodes!).

It really did amaze me as well as making me appreciate all butter croissants a lot more … I might just have to head to a bakers to treat myself in the morning! :-D

A wedding planner ..... to be or not to be? That is the question!

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

For the past few years I’ve had a fixation on becoming a wedding planner. I’m forever watching wedding related programmes, reading the mags and have been to a couple of wedding fayres too just to see what all the fuss is about and I truly love everything idyllic and fantasy around someones “dream day”.

However, recently I’ve faced people that have told me how stressful the industry is and that I wouldn’t be able to deal with it (not that they themselves have ever worked in it!). This was something I already knew and was prepared to deal with. This whole time I’d been confident that I would be able to deal with the stresses and strains effectively but hearing this negativity all the time has started to make me doubt myself.

So - I’ve started reading ‘Confessions of a Wedding Planner’ by Tamryn Kirby as I’m hoping this will give me a better insight into whether the wedding planning industry really is the right one for me!

So far she has discussed her personal background, in particular her own wedding and when she begins to describe the other weddings she was involved in. I seem to have the same thoughts in the back of my mind - “why was that not thought of before/surely that minor detail should have been addressed way before the big day”. I’m guessing these are good indicators that I do have the attention to detail aspect already inside me - I’m just hoping this book develops into more detail on how to cope with disaster weddings!

Please leave comments, opinions or any advice. Its all welcome :-)

Is it ok for bus drivers to make personal calls on their mobiles whilst on duty?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:22:59 +0000

On my bus journey to work yesterday, the driver repeatedly pulled over (whether it be at a bus stop or not regardless of whether any travellers were getting on or off) to answer his phone?!?!?! Now I know that commonly bus drivers have to wait at bus stops as they are ahead of schedule but surely taking personal calls should not be allowed??? I made the presumption that it must be a male thing and may possibly have been communicating with HQ…

However … even on the bus journey home, the driver used her phone. This time it was a female polish driver. This is how I knew they were personal calls as all her conversations were in her home language. The more concerning issue was that she continued to converse whilst she was driving - putting herself and passengers in danger!

I’d love to hear if similar has happened to you and what you think about it