The Monday Piece - Togo At Christmas

This week's Monday Piece is on Togo at Christmas! Having this little one around is always a treat, so at Christmas time it makes it extra special. He's been a busy bee, seeing lots of family and catching up with friends! That means lots of sleep and rest is now needed, he loves his zen time. Here are some pictures of him from this past week, my idol :).

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The Monday Piece - Famous City Nicknames

This week's Monday piece is on famous cuty nicknames! The Big Apple, The City of Love… have you ever wondered where these cities got their nicknames from? With some nicknames born out of affection whilst others stem from traditions or history, over 100 city nicknames from around the world have been identified and have delved into the history of a handful from each continent, to discover exactly where the names come from.

Vienna – City of Music: Due to its excellent reputation as a place to thrive as a musical artist, many composers flocked to the capital city of Vienna in the hope of success throughout the 19th century. In fact, more composers have lived in Vienna than in any other city in the world.

Birmingham – The City of a Thousand Trades: Back in 1889, Birmingham achieved city status thanks to the number of businesses that chose to base themselves in the area, largely due to its vast water network. After its huge contribution to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, Birmingham was branded the ‘City of a Thousand Trades’.

Prague – City of 100 spires: Packed full of churches, cathedrals, and towers, you’ll be sure to see spires everywhere you turn in the city of Prague. Back in the 19th century, a mathematician took it upon himself to count all the spires landing on ‘100’ as the total. Today, the count is more like 500 spires, but the nickname has stuck!

Does your local city have a nickname :)? 

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The Monday Piece - Luxury Sparkly Bags

This week's Monday Piece is on luxury sparkly bags! I've always been a sparkle addict, anything that glistens is a big fat yes from me. The revival of noughties trends has seen an abundance of sparkle dumped onto Farfetch and other luxury websites, ready for my perusal. Whether it's Prada, Benedetta Bruzziches or KARA, I'm ready for my portion of the bedazzlement. They're definitely love or hate styles... For me it's a never ending love story :).

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The Monday Piece - Party Season Smile Tips

This week's Monday Piece is on party season smile tips! With the festive season right around the corner, now is the time to book in for those all-important appointments to ensure your looking and feeling your best. Here, Lead Dentist and Clinical Director of Quest Dental, Payal Bhalla, reveals how to get that party-perfect smile this party season.

1. Book in for a scale and polish Before you start any whitening treatments you should book in to see your hygienist or dentist to ensure your teeth are in good nick and to also get a scale and polish. A scale and polish is a treatment which works to remove any stubborn plaque from your teeth that you may not be able to reach with a toothbrush, your dentist will be able to ensure all plaque is removed. A polish then goes over the teeth to ensure that any stains on the surface of the teeth are polished away to reveal a cleaner, brighter and more even smile.

2. Composite bonding for a perfect smile If you have any chipped teeth, or would like a more even smile then you could always look into having composite bonding done with your dentist. Bonding is usually used for filling chips, fractures or gaps between teeth, but can also be good for fixing discoloration. If you are looking to perfect your smile then this would be a good treatment to opt for prior to party season. 

3. Look at whitening options You can get your teeth professionally whitened using Zoom Whitening is an in-surgery whitening system which takes about an hour. Zoom whitening is the fastest and most effective form of whitening, it involves careful application of peroxide to the enamel of the teeth, a specialised light is then used to accelerate the breakdown of the peroxide to speed up the whitening process. This would be a good treatment to opt for if you do not much much time or as a last-minute option pre-party season. You can also opt for tray whitening. Tray whitening is a longer process than zoom as it takes around 1-2 weeks to see results and you have to be a little more careful as there are certain foods and drinks you cannot consume during the treatment, so this would be a good option if you have the time and are looking for buildable results. If you do not already have trays from any teeth straightening treatments, your dentist will have impressions of your teeth made to create the trays, you will then fill the trays with the whitening treatment and leave on your teeth for however long the treatment advises. Most tray whitening’s are done overnight. 

4. Keep your oral hygiene routine in check Ensuring you look after your teeth and keep up with your oral routine is imperative to ensure healthy teeth throughout the festive period. It’s well known that festive foods and drinks such as prosecco, champagne and sweet desserts can cause damage to your teeth if consumed in excess, so you should ensure that to help prevent any damage you are brushing your teeth thoroughly morning and night, flossing and using mouthwash to ensure your mouth is clean. 

5. Invest in whitening toothpaste To help keep your whitening treatment last, you may want to purchase some whitening toothpaste from your local drugstore which should help to remove any staining that happens over the party season. There are many different brands of whitening toothpastes available on the market, you may also want to invest in an electric toothbrush as these are much more effective for keeping teeth clean and removing stains. 

6. Lip fillers for an even smile To achieve that perfect, even smile you may also want to talk to your dentist about possible dermal fillers to help even out your smile. Not only are they a great way to boost your pout, but they can also be injected to help even out your smile, for example your dentist may suggest certain areas of the lips that could benefit with a little bit of filler, this will most likely compliment your pearly new whites too :).

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