2023 is over and what better way to celebrate the new year than planning your 2024 annual leave to maximise your time off. Using a couple of clever tricks you can turn 23 days of annual leave into 48 luscious days off in 2024. And we’re going to show you how. But before we start, a couple … Read more
Throughout my life I’ve toggled between extremes: making a mess (regular overeating or binges) then a vigorous clean-up (ultra-hardcore diets). It’s not all grim compulsion – I also passionately love food, exploring cuisines, and good wine. But my relationship to nourishment, and my body, is unbalanced; the only healthy constant throughout my adult life has … Read more
Have you taken down your Christmas tree yet? Chances are you haven’t. Whether you chose to decorate a natural or artificial tree this year, you’re probably still admiring the sight of it in your living room, and in no immediate rush to part with the warm, magical feeling it brings. Of the approximately 94 million … Read more
Santa Claus and his reindeer have taken off from the North Pole to bring holiday cheer and presents to children across the world. As millions of households await his arrival, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa and his crew, children can have a heads-up on when the jolly man is heading toward them. To … Read more
This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here. Before I begin, let me tell you that I hate what I am about to do. That’s because few things exasperate me more than the people who Well, actually Christmas songs. True, there was no innkeeper in the gospel Nativity accounts. We don’t know how … Read more
Are you a good gift … receiver? My school has this program that gives students “high fives.” These are at a boys and girls teachers send to kids to acknowledge any area of their growth and success. I took advantage of sending a few fivers a month ago to a student in French one that … Read more
The end of the year brings with it a seemingly endless parade of holiday parties. While some gatherings can be perfectly pleasant, many are riddled with uncomfortable situations. One particularly tricky scenario you might encounter is being cornered into a conversation you don’t want to be having: distant relatives chiming in on world politics, a … Read more
In the Old Testament, Israel found herself surrounded by monarchies and empires with powerful rulers and highly stratified societies, and she eventually sought to emulate that kind of system. Such political economies were filled with bureaucrats, professional soldiers, priestly classes, and—down at the bottom of the social pyramid—peasants. The peasants, of course, were expected to … Read more
Take a look at this guide if you want to save on your returns or exchanges this Christmas. ADVERTISEMENT If you’re someone who likes to return and exchange gifts after the holidays, prepare yourself as making returns could feel a little different this year. “It’s going to be hard for consumers to navigate,” said shopping … Read more
Christmas is a time for love, joy, family and — just as important — food. But between lavish roasts and decadent desserts, the budget for your festival meal budget can blow out fast. While food inflation has simmered down from its eye-watering peak of 9.6 per cent in December 2022, customers are still paying more … Read more