PRODUCT OF THE WEEK - Lloyd Grossman Sauces

Lloyd Grossman Green Thai Curry Sauce

Lloyd Grossman has a great range of sauces and my favourite really has to be the Thai Green Curry. I find I am quite fussy when it comes to Thai because many ready to cook sauces really over do the coriander and this takes aways from the all important, other ingredients.

Grossman's sauce is absolutely spot on. Creamy enough yet not thick, full of flavour but not overpowering. In fact it is as good as some sauces I have had served up in restaurants. If you want a quick and easy meal without compromising on quality, then these products really are for you. Try the Thai sauce with chunky chicken, red pepper and onion accompanied by some rice with peas.

Have a look on the website and there is plenty of information and inspiration. The pasta sauces are also worth a look.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK - Twitter

www.twitter.com

For those who have yet to discover Twitter, allow me to explain. Forget Facebook, Myspace and Bebo, Twitter keeps thing refreshingly simple. No silly add ons, just 140 character messages that tell your followers what you are up to. You can keep your profile very basic, but it allows you to keep your friends updated without having to send them all an individual text.

Why not follow The Style PA on Twitter now. It is the easiest way to keep up with what I am covering on the blog, and what is going on in my everyday life. If you set up your phone you can turn mobile alerts on, so that when I update Twitter, you get the message via text. It's genius right?


I am even thinking of setting up a twitter account to keep my food diary. Sending a text every time I eat a meal will help me to make better choices. You could rope in a buddy to review your updates each day to make sure you are on track. There are countless other tools and uses too, like a tweet for every cigarette you have, if you are trying to cut down. Let me know if you have found an inventive way of using Twitter!

Go have a look and I hope to find and follow lots of you on Twitter very soon.

TRENDS - Bold Printed Wallpaper

Patterned wallpapers have been around forever, but at the moment they are at their height in terms popularity and fashion. The prints are big and bold, not to mention colourful. Try rich jewel tones or candy brights if you feel really brave.

Mix this statement with light wood and some strategic, coordinating accessories. Balance dark colours, with light furnishings, or woodwork or if you opt for a lighter paper then you can team it with some darker furniture. Huge rooms can carry this kind of wallpaper on every wall, but for smaller rooms it will make things appear more cramped, so choose one signature wall.

Hallways can be a good place to try bold prints as the hall is not a room that you tend to spend much time in and therefore something bold makes an impact, without being overpowering. I have chosen some great wallpapers below for your inspiration...

Rocaille Turquoise - Designers Guild

Notting Hill - Homebase - £10.49 per roll

Pompom - Fabrics and papers - £31 per roll



Vymura London Carmona Chocolate & Jade Floral - B&Q - £18.98 per roll



Drama Midsummer Pink - Focus - £16.99 per roll


Drama Traviata Aqua - Focus - £16.99 per roll

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK - Store

www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk

A lack of effective storage is often one of the biggest problems faced by people in their homes. We could all do with some fresh ideas on how to store things more efficiently and in the process acquire more living space and less clutter.

This website from company Store is full to bursting with products and ideas to help you hide away that junk. See some highlights below...

Gel Gems Baskets - £ various



5 Stacking Shoe Drawers - £24



Make Up Tidy - £12

TIPS - Keep Your Cool

Frozen Grapes Photo Credit: electricbleu on flickr.com

We in Britain are not really used to the hot weather, it happens so infrequently. Here are some tips to keep you nice and cool when the weather heats up.

• Keep a spray bottle with water in to spritz yourself. Elephants in Africa do it, and it works for us too. I like to use an old pump action body spray bottle as you will get a little of the scent too. Another good trick is to get a damp flannel and place on the forehead or back of the neck, pop some ice inside it for extra refreshment.

• Turn off any unnecessary appliances and lights. These generate heat, especially things such as computers, refrigerators, tumble dryers and dishwashers. If the weather is nice, your clothes and dishes can dry naturally anyway.
  

• Hang a wet sheet or towel up against an open window. The air that comes in is cooled by the evaporating water. Likewise, a bowl of ice water in front of a fan has the same effect. The easiest and cheapest air conditioning you can get!

Photo Credit: Pete Ashton on flickr

• If you are using air conditioning, then do make sure all other windows and doors are shut. It is a huge waste of energy if you don't.

• Drink lots and lots of water to rehydrate you and try and eat more foods with a high water content such as watermelon and salads. These are lighter and easier to digest too meaning less work for your body to do. Also try frozen grapes and frozen chocolate, tasty and refreshing.

• Wear loose clothing. Floaty skirts or trousers and tops that do not cling in the underarm area are best. When it comes to shoes, kick them off! Your feet are very sensitive to temperature. Run cold water over your feet or wrists as this can really help cool the blood travelling around the body.

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FLOORING - Hot Rocks Pebble Floor
DRINK - Glacéau Vitaminwater...How Refreshing!

5 OF THE BEST - Wall Clocks

Lotus Clock - The contemporary Home - £79.99



Circuit Board Clock - Ecotopia - £13.99

Haversham Clock - Littlewoods Direct - £38

Street Clock - John Lewis - £100


Roco Verre Big Hands Red Clock - Contemporary Heaven - £24

MOST WANTED - Eco Picnic Basket

Eco Picnic Basket for 4 - Biome Lifestyle - £60

The weather is hotting up and what better way to enjoy it than a picnic in the great outdoors. This particular picnic basket is even better than most as all of the plastic is recycled and it even includes a fair trade blanket and a Frisbee to keep everyone occupied. The woven bamboo basket is stylish yet traditional and as the contents are plastic they are light to carry and won't break if the dog decides to jump on top of them. The perfect summer item.