A wet weather plan

The British summer can be notoriously wet, and so you might be planning to keep your celebrations indoors. To turn your home into a party palace, spray the ready-to-use Zoflora Disinfectant Mist in your living room to eliminate odours on sofas and cushions to leave a beautifully fragrant space. Don’t forget, the mist can also be used on hard surfaces, leaving them touch-dry and disinfected in as little as 45 seconds and soft furnishings disinfected within a two-minute contact time.

In the kitchen, once you’ve finished finalising party-food preparation, use a disinfectant cleaner over your worktops. Simply spray and effortlessly wipe over with a clean cloth or sponge. 

To ensure your bathroom and downstairs toilet is ready for your guests, beautifully fragrance the room using Zoflora’s Concentrated Multipurpose Disinfectant. Great for freshening up, simply pour two neat capfuls of your favourite fragrance down the sink drain, into the toilet basin as well as the toilet brush holder to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria and leave your bathroom beautifully fragrant all day long. 

And don’t forget about high contact areas such as light switches and door handles which would benefit from a pre-party clean.

Braving the British weather

If your street is feeling brave and holding out hope for the sun to shine, here are some ways to make sure your street is sparkling, too: 

Wheelie bin barriers

Mark off any proposed street celebration area using neighbourhood wheelie bins. This will help define your designated party space for decorations, furniture, and food and drink as well as an area for guests to relax and socialise. The wheelie bins also serve to quickly dispose of any litter. 

But don’t let your bins overpower your party, refresh them by spritzing the insides with Zoflora’s Disinfectant Mist or Multipurpose Disinfectant Cleaner and give them a quick wipe down. 

You can also use Zoflora’s Biodegradable* Antibacterial Cleaning Wipes on the bin lid handles and around the outside for a quick surface spruce up. The new product format kills 99.9% of enveloped viruses and bacteria and leaves a beautiful, fragrance. We recommend a zesty fragrance, such as Lemon Zing, to fill the air with an invigorating scent.

Disinfect the drains

Whilst you are tucking into your Victoria sponge and scones, the last thing you need is the street drains ruining your celebratory feast. Ahead of the party, pour a cap or two of Zoflora’s Concentrated Multipurpose Disinfectant in drains close by to eliminate odours from the drains, and kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses at the same time. 

We recommend a crisp fragrance, such as Cypress & Sea Sage, to fill your street with a fresh and energising feel. 

Tables and chairs 

Make it comfortable! The celebrations could last all day so make it a party space you and your neighbours can gather, sit, relax and enjoy.

Outdoor furniture often goes unloved. To give seats and tables a royally good clean up, use Zoflora Multipurpose Disinfectant Cleaner to give them a hygienic refresh. The convenient, ready to use disinfectant spray makes it quick and easy to wipe over. 

Freshening up cushions and soft furnishings for your street party couldn’t be any easier, either. Simply spray Zoflora’s Disinfectant Mist to create beautiful fragrance for 24 hours whilst killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2). 

If you have the space, we’d suggest placing long trestle tables down the middle of the street and asking everyone to bring a brightly coloured tablecloth for a patchwork quilt effect alongside the amazing spread of party foods. Zoflora’s convenient Biodegradable* Antibacterial Cleaning Wipes were created with quick clean ups in mind, so bring a pack to the table for any spillages.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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Pancakes are versatile in nature, and can be enjoyed sweet or savoury, with no limit on toppings – to create the ultimate healthy treat. Myprotein, Myvegan and Myvitamins have a range of pancake mixes that create delicious pancakes with excellent macronutrients to help support training and everyday wellbeing.

These pancake ranges include the Myvegan Ultimate Vegan Pancake Day Bundle, Myprotein Protein Pancake Bundle, and the Myvitamins Collagen Pancakes mix. The mixes contain at least 10g of protein per serving, making them the perfect choice to help support fitness goals.

The perfect pancake recipe:

1. Add two scoops of mixture to milk or water – check each mixture for the ratio
2. Mix together thoroughly using a spoon or mixer
3. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with a small amount of oil or butter
4. Pour a small amount of mixture into the pan to form your pancake shape
5. Cook your pancake for approximately one minute until golden
6. Using a spatula turn (or hand flip) your pancake over and leave to cook until golden
7. Once fully golden, stack it on a plate, grab your desired toppings and enjoy.

So, whether you’re looking to make a quick and filling breakfast, or want to indulge your own way, the options are endless.  

Visit Myvegan, Myprotein and Myvitamins online today to shop the full product ranges.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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The festive season is synonymous with plenty of food, presents, and all-round over consumption. But this takes its toll on the environment. So, how do we ensure that we do our best for climate change this holiday season without giving up the things we love?

Every aspect of the party season can become more ethical, with just a slight change. Instead of the traditional turkey, why not have a nut roast? Or, if the family insists on turkey, get it directly from a local farm. If you do go for the supermarket shop, you can do your bit by choosing items marked Fairtrade wherever possible. Since it is the season of giving, the least we can do is contribute to a fair and ethical supply chain.

Christmas trees come in many forms. Plastic reusable trees, that can conveniently be stored may seem like a sustainable choice, but the production process and end-life of these PVC-based trees release harmful gases into the environment.

Many people opt for a cut tree, often embarking on a family outing to the tree farm, and handpicking this year’s centrepiece. These trees can be farmed sustainably, so if they’re bought locally, and recycled at the end of the season, their footprint can be minimal.

The most ethical choice, however, is to choose a living tree – growing in a pot. Bring it inside for the Christmas season, and then come January, just bring it out into the garden to thrive until next year.

One overlooked aspect of the giving season that hugely contributes to waste, is present wrapping. Wrapping paper in itself is often recyclable, so this is an easy switch. Simply avoid glittery or plastic-based wrapping papers and opt for a recyclable tape – perhaps a decorative, paper-based tape which will also add a special touch to your gifts.

When it comes to gift shopping, the perpetuated idea may be that department stores are havens of convenience, with everything you need under one roof. But where’s the festive spirit in that? This should be a time of buying local, knowing where your products come from, and giving back to the community. Often, the ethical gift choice is the more unique and luxurious one.

Making Christmas that little bit more ethical is easily done, and could have a hugely positive effect on climate goals. So, why we all may be dreaming of a white one, perhaps it’s time to make a change, and enjoy a greener little Christmas this year.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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Turkey is synonymous with British Christmas dinner, though the tradition itself, and the bird’s presence on our island nation, is only a few centuries old. In pre-turkey medieval times, wealthy families or celebrating groups would hollow out a loaf and fill it with meaty stew, much like the South African farmer dish bunny chow. Stuffed boar’s heads were favoured on Christmas dining tables in medieval England, and monks would often spend their pennies adorning their Christmas dishes of pies and fish with extravagant, rare spices to mark the birth of their saviour.

Turkeys were brought to our shores in the early 16th century by British merchants, after generations of Mexicans domesticated the birds for human care and consumption. English monarch Henry VIII’s love of turkey meat is assumed to be responsible for the bird’s widespread popularity later on. Yet the difference between Henry VIII and your average modern-day Briton, aside from his exorbitant wealth and penchant for severing his wives’ heads, is the availability of servants to prepare and cook his Christmas turkey. Generations of Britons have toiled over this tricky-to-roast feast, risking food poisoning if they undercook, and an inedible, dried-up dinner if they overcook. Even the best family chefs run into problems mastering the Christmas turkey, as the meat often comes out dry and becomes the tasteless base of gravy, cranberry and red cabbage.

It’s unsurprising then that families often opt for the more expensive turkey crown, or indeed a pre-roasted bird, to circumvent these issues. There are, however, a wealth of other Christmas feast options for those who want to break with tradition or experiment with other, often overlooked alternatives. For smaller Christmas dinners, partridges and pheasant make outstanding meals with distinct gamey flavours, which can be complemented with wine and cinnamon jus or a Christmassy chestnut stuffing.

If cooking for vegetarian relatives, a nut roast is a fantastic option that will have even the hardcore carnivores sticking their forks into it. There are great options for nut roasts using cranberry and pistachio, butternut squash and pecans, and mushrooms and chestnuts. These can be labour-intensive dishes if you’re only cooking for one or two veggies or vegans, so buying a pre-prepared supermarket version is advised, unless you fancy yourself as a Nigella or Heston as soon as the apron’s out.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Why do we eat turkey at Christmas, and what are the alternatives? appeared first on Checklists.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Zoom birthday sing-songs aside, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate a special occasion without leaving your front door. If you’ve a birthday at home fill your home with balloons, before spending time baking a cake and getting gifts delivered to your door.

Mum and dad’s wedding anniversary coming up? Sit down with your household and create a homemade banner, rigging it up outside their home (if allowed) while leaving Champagne and flowers on their doorstep. New baby nephew arrived and can’t visit or help? Stock up on essentials for mum and baby; or order nutritious ready meals sent straight to their house. Trust us, not having to think about what to cook when you’ve a wailing newborn will be so much more appreciated than yet another baby grow…

VIRTUAL REALITY

Why not also utilise all the virtual tools and experiences we now have at our fingertips? Boss looking to praise the work and dedication of one of your employees? Shout out about their achievements on social media, sending a box of chocolates or an e-voucher to let them enjoy a takeaway of their choice.

Other celebrations can also be enjoyed by setting up a virtual disco, getting in your favourite drink and dancing with friends and family to your favourite tunes. A virtual escape room is a stimulating experience and ideal for any milestone, and there are now a huge host of virtual eating and drinking experiences you can gift or enjoy yourself. From gin- and chocolate-tasting to cooking with celeb chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Michel Roux Jr; there’s a virtual experience available to show how much you care.

ISOLATION NATION

Found yourself stuck in isolation with a positive test over a special occasion? It’s vital you stay at home and rest up; saving your birthday for another day when you’re feeling better and are no longer a risk to others. Why not take that spare time on your hands to plan ahead, getting organised and sorting a future celebration instead? Whether it’s in 10 days’ time or when all of the restrictions are lifted; you can book a future hot holiday, plan a supercar racing experience or look into the costs of a weekend away with all the people you’ve missed the most.

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