Latest news with #beach
The Guardian
an hour ago
- General
- The Guardian
We decided to become a shoes-off house. It was more complicated than I thought
'Shoes off!' barked my slightly bossy friend Kit as I was about to cross her threshold. I was taken aback: was this a new habit adopted from social media or some lifestyle guru? Kit is not obsessive, but she is house proud. She lives in the country, her house surrounded by muddy lawn near a beach, so it makes sense not to drag dirt on to her beautifully polished parquetry or scratch it with sand. She goes about barefoot year-round: slippers are not her style. She keeps a pair of rubber slides at the back door for putting the bins out, or going to the veggie patch. I had no choice but to comply, relieved that I had on good clean socks and that Kit's house is well heated. I felt a bit awkward at first, slipping and sliding like a shaky beginner skater on an ice rink. But by the end of the evening, I was persuaded that we too should adopt this more hygienic approach, despite misgivings about dropping boiling water or cooking fat on my feet. Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Many non-Anglo-Celtic households, of course, have a long-held tradition of removing one's shoes at the door. In Japan, indoor house shoes called uwabaki are usually provided to keep tatami floors, where you sit, sleep and eat, pristine. It is actually illegal to wear outdoor shoes in rental properties and can incur a fine. In Scandinavia, felt and wool indoor slippers are stylish accessories. In Canada, where the severe cold requires heavy footwear such as snow boots, houses usually have a wet room in which to remove all waterproof gear and leave it out of the way. A bit of reading informed me that shoes carry in germs, bacteria, pesticides and a variety of other nasties such as carcinogenic asphalt sealants that are invisible but can linger in domestic dust. As just two adults at home, we weren't worried about small children crawling at ground level, nor do we have a pet, but this relatively minor adjustment sounded healthy and sensible. The decision proved to be surprisingly divisive and complicated. When I raised it with friends, some said they disliked being asked and avoided houses where it is required. Even small changes demand thought. Unforeseen decisions suddenly have to be made: how best to suggest this new approach? On the phone, when inviting people round? Or at the door? And then: where to take off the shoes? Outside, where spiders and other critters might make their home in them? Inside, where they will look messy? (Should we get a box to contain them? Or a rack?) Enthusiastically embracing our decision, we buy stylish slip-ons so as to avoid the kind of tartan woollen footwear our grandparents wore (one friend with a shoeless home told me his partner said he'd leave him if he ever adopted slippers); we try to remember not to step outside in them on any account, not even to go to the bins or pick a herb; we keep separate shoes for outside by the back door. The key is not to have to bend down or lace them up. It takes a few weeks to adapt, with a few stumbles evidenced by muddy sole tread marks on the stairs. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion In the city where the risk is more likely to be dog shit, the shoes-off trend has spread for other reasons. Friends in inner-city apartments in older buildings tell me that it is common for bodies corporate to ask residents to remove their shoes out of consideration to those living below them, so that they don't have to endure the clip-clop of heels on boards as it seems no one has carpet any more. We are still in the beginning of our new shoeless lives, but already there is no turning back. In hindsight, we probably should have eased into this gradually over summer, instead of starting now, when everyone is getting back into boots. As with all change, it's one step at a time.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Andy Carroll looks completely smitten with bikini-clad girlfriend Lou Teasdale during Ibiza getaway as pair 'plan to marry after his divorce'
Andy Carroll and his girlfriend Lou Teasdale looked totally smitten as they shared a loved-up snap from their Ibiza getaway on Saturday. The footballer, 36, and makeup artist, 41, showed their romance is still going strong as they posed hand-in-hand by the beach. Lou turned heads in a tiny halter-neck bikini featuring a striking brown and blue fossil print that showed off her sensational figure. Meanwhile Andy looked stylish in bold leopard-print swim shorts and a beige abstract shirt. It comes amid swirling rumours that Andy is planning to propose to former One Direction hair stylist Lou once his divorce from ex-TOWIE star Billi Mucklow is finalised. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. A source told The Sun: 'Lou is already telling her mates they have discussed marriage and Andy thinks he's met his soulmate. 'Their connection is so strong, he has never felt like this before, he definitely wants to put a ring on it. 'It's been a whirlwind romance for both of them. But they're playing for keeps.' MailOnline has contacted Andy's reps for comment. The former Liverpool striker and his TOWIE star ex Billi confirmed their split last September after secretly separating earlier in the year having been together for 11 years. Weeks later Andy and Lou revealed their relationship and now he is reportedly set on tying the knot with her. The couple, who went Instagram official earlier this year, have started a fresh life in France following his transfer to fourth-tier club Bordeaux. Andy is said to be desperate to cut ties with Billi, with whom he shares three children, but she is pushing back on the divorce. A friend of the loved-up couple told The Sun: 'Andy is very close to proposing to Lou. They are madly in love. 'She is spending as much time as she can with him in France and Andy has never been happier. Lou is exactly what he needs because she is a calming influence on him and it's noticeable the change she's had on him to everyone around them. 'He's been telling friends his divorce can't come quick enough.' Andy and Billi have three children together - Arlo, Wolf, and Marvel Mae - and she also raises his two children Emilie Rose, 15, and Lucas, 14 from a previous relationship. In 2022, the star's wedding to Billi was almost called off when he was pictured drunkenly passed out in bed with two women in Dubai on his stag do. Billi forgave him after one of the women insisted nothing sexual happened. Less than two years after their nuptials, the couple's marriage was over - with Andy confirming they had started divorce proceedings after 'a hard few months for our family'. Andy said in a statement: 'Billi and I have privately separated earlier this year and we are under way with our divorce proceedings. Despite claims Billi was 'blindsided' by the relationship, friends of hers say that she 'knew Andy had someone' but she just wasn't sure who it was. Weeks later Andy made his relationship with Lou public in October for a Halloween party dressed as Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce. In January, Andy went Instagram official with Lou as he shared a cosy snap of the couple, writing: 'Happy people happy places.' It came after Lou shared a gallery of snaps of the couple spending time together over the Christmas period including a picture of the couple at Winter Wonderland. Andy seemingly took a swipe at Billi as he broke his silence over his new romance with Lou. Speaking to The Times, Andy gushed: 'I've seen a different world since I've been with Lou, This Christmas, like she does every Christmas, she will go with her daughter to look after the isolated elderly. 'She's a volunteer for Choose Love and a campaigner for LGBTQ+. She says to me, "Why would you hate anyone?" That's someone I need in my life.'
Washington Post
7 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Headed to Ocean City Beach this summer? Leave your tent at home.
Ahhh, Ocean City in the summer. The ice-cold orange crushes, mini-golf, soft-serve ice cream cones and 10 miles of beautiful, unimpeded golden sand. Well, perhaps not unimpeded. But maybe, some day soon, a little less crowded. For many locals and out-of-town visitors, Maryland's most iconic beach town also recalls memories of craning to see the ocean around seemingly endless clusters of tents and canopies, tripping over their long anchor lines and fighting for a sliver of beach in a crowd of thousands. The chaos, for some, is enough to ruin an otherwise picturesque summer day. Meanwhile, those who use the structures for shade say they're exactly what is needed for a perfect beach trip.
Gizmodo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Amazon Is Clearing Out the Beats Portable Speaker Stock, Now Down to an All-Time Low Just Before Summer
There's something truly special about having a quality Bluetooth speaker by your side, especially as summer approaches. Whether you're relaxing on a beach, chilling at a campsite or kicking back by a pool, surrounding yourself with good tunes will elevate any situation and you will be happy you had the chance to enjoy it. Amazon is running a deal where it has marked down the popular and iconic Beats Pill portable Bluetooth speaker to an all -time low, clearing out inventory just in time for summer. Right now, you can get this popular speaker for just $99, which is $50 cheaper than the original list price of $149. This summer's deal has already moved over 4,000 units in the last month with a rating of 4.6 out of 5-stars from more than 1,600 reviews. See at Amazon More Than a Speaker The Beats Pill is a speaker, but it's also a lifestyle accessory: The design is portable and instantly recognizable and the performance is impressive. The Pill can deliver deep and powerful sound and a room filled with sound thanks to a larger, custom racetrack woofer that displaces 90% more air volume than previous iterations. The bass comes with a punch when you crank it while hosting a backyard barbecue or chillin' when the only thing on your agenda is enjoying peace and quiet at the lake. The tweeter has also been redesigned for some extra stability for those nice crisp highs and rich mid-range tones, while the new woofer material and structure makes it easier to reduce low-end distortion even at reasonable volumes. No matter where you listen, it is dynamic and crystal clear. The battery life of the Beats Pill is nothing short of amazing and a single charge will last you approximately 24 hours: That is all day, and into the night with all of the music you could want. Plus, if your phone or other device needs a charge, the Pill can charge those devices via USB-C cable and save you from running out of power. It is rated IP67 dust and water-resistant, so you don't have to worry if you get sand on it, or a splash of water: It will hold up and even for sudden rain showers. The Beats Pill comes with a removable lanyard and soft-grip silicone backing which makes it easy to carry or to handle no matter where your summer adventures lead you. On top of the Bluetooth connection, audiophiles can enjoy high-resolution lossless audio when used via USB-C to a laptop or other desktop computers. If you want to get serious about sound and double the output, you can pair two Beats Pill speakers together in Amplify mode or Stereo mode. Either way, you will amplify the fun of listening to music. You might even get some extra friends over for the party? Amazon has the all-time lowest price available for the Pill just before the summer months, and now is your chance to get your very own Beats Pill! See at Amazon
BreakingNews.ie
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Marvel's Evangeline Lilly says she had ‘hole punctured into face' after fainting
Marvel star Evangeline Lilly has said she had a 'hole punctured into my face' after she fainted and 'fell face first into a boulder'. The Canadian actress and author, who is known for her roles in TV series Lost and Marvel films Ant-Man (2015) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), shared photos online that showed a scab above her top lip and marks on her nose and chin. Advertisement In an Instagram post, she said: 'I fainted at the beach. And fell face first into a boulder. 'At the hospital, the nurses and doctor went straight into action, more determined to find the cause of my blackout than to stitch up the hole punctured into my face by the rock.' The 45-year-old said in a Substack post that she had had fainting spells 'since I was a little girl' which had been put down to hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar. She also said that she had 'blacked out' on the way to the hospital, as well as on the beach. Advertisement Lilly has also starred in films including comedy White Chicks and two Hobbit films – The Desolation Of Smaug (2013) and The Battle Of The Five Armies (2014).
