Life Style

A veterinary nurse has shed light on why your dog might be barking more than usual.Offering reassurance to pet owners, the expert stressed people shout not panic and understand that barking is a completely natural behavior for all dogs. While it may not be possible to eliminate it entirely, understanding the underlying causes can help reduce barking.Rachel Garbutt, a Registered Veterinary Nurse at Butternut Box, is focused on helping both pets and owners lead calmer lives. She explained: "Barking is completely normal communication.But in late summer, with neighbourhoods busier and family routines changing, it can quickly tip into excess. The aim isn’t to stop dogs from barking, but to ease the triggers that make life stressful for both pets and people.”Why is my dog barking so much?1. S...

Poundland is set to close 16 more shops in the coming weeks, just weeks after it closed 11 stores on August 31. The discount chain is accelerating a sweeping refocus of its estate alongside a major digital change: from September 16, 2025, Poundland will stop online sales and turn Poundland.co.uk into a browse‑only site while it concentrates investment in stores.The retrenchment is happening during a difficult period for the retail industry. According to the Centre for Retail Research, UK retail failures in 2025 (to April) had already affected 283 stores and 3,026 employees across nine collapsed businesses, following a torrid 2024 that hit 7,537 stores and 55,914 jobs. The company has also confirmed a major digital change from next week that will impact all shoppers.A statement on the re...

As September ushers in cooler weather, households across the UK are turning their attention to rising energy bills and searching for ways to cut costs. But while there’s no shortage of advice available, energy specialists at the UK’s leading independent fuel distributor, Your NRG, are warning that some of the most widely shared tips are actually myth, and could be costing people more money rather than saving it.One of the most persistent misconceptions, they say, is the idea that leaving the heating on low all day is cheaper than turning it on only when needed. “This is not true for most households,” explained experts at Your NRG. “It is generally more efficient to heat your home only when you need it. "Leaving the heating running all day, even at a lower temperature, wastes energy beca...

The Body Shop has unveiled its latest advent calendars and we think the £60 Classic calendar is an excellent choice for those after a bit of pampering. This one features miniature shower gels, body butters and hair products alongside full-sized face masks, lip butters and hand creams.The 60ml bottles of shower products are ideal for travelling, as they're compact enough to fit in hand luggage. Indeed, nothing in the calendar exceeds 100ml, making it ideal for lovers of the brand's smellies who don't want to be without them on holidays.The Body Shop says the contents are worth £127.50 if purchased individually, a 53% saving for shoppers. For anyone with a bigger budget, there is a more expensive Ultimate calendar, retailing at £120, which contains 10 full-size products.For an alternative...

Households across the UK are being warned that recycling the wrong kind of kitchenware could result in hefty fines, as councils crack down on contamination in recycling bins. Waste expert James Ward, from Wheeldon Brothers, said many people mistakenly throw items such as old pots, pans and cutlery into their kerbside recycling. While these items are made of metal, they cannot be processed in the same way as food tins or drinks cans.“When people have a kitchen clear-out, items like old pans, baking trays, or cutlery often end up in the recycling bin alongside food and drink cans,” Mr Ward explained. “Although these items are metal, they cannot be recycled through standard kerbside collections.Recycling plants are designed to handle things like aluminium drinks cans and tin food container...

A woman has been left feeling sick to her stomach after watching how a plane passenger made themselves comfortable mid-flight. She described how she was travelling on holiday with her partner when she spotted someone making themselves at home on the public aircraft.Glancing to her right, she observed the passenger using the fold-down tray table as a foot rest, with their body curled up in the seat.Posting on Reddit to condemn this behaviour, she said: "People should be put on the do not fly list for this. My spouse thinks I'm silly for wiping down the tray tables as soon as I sit."Seriously, what the f*** is with people thinking everywhere in public is their living room? This was not the only annoying thing she did, but it was certainly the worst." **Warning: Post below includes strong ...

A woman has been lauded after she went to extraordinary lengths to rescue the life of a tiny creature her partner nearly accidentally killed.Most people would inadvertently harm a snail or small creature in their garden and think nothing of it, considering it simply 'one of those things'.However, Darcy Warby, who shared her story in the 'Entomemeology' Facebook group, demonstrated her equal love for all animals through her dedication to a minuscule snail her partner had injured.On Facebook, she revealed: "About 8 weeks ago, my partner accidentally clipped a snail with the weed strimmer and made a hole in his shell," and she felt devastated for the creature, realising he might not survive without his protective home.Darcy went on: "Feeling awful, I made a split-second decision to save hi...

Dog lovers are feeling emotional after learning the subtle way dogs can tell whether you love them or not. An incredibly popular choice of pet, dogs are famous for their close bonds with their owners, not to mention their loyalty and devotion to them.Dogs process the world very differently to humans - how they see, how they smell, how they hear, how they make sense of their surroundings and more all varies wildly compared to how we do those same things. Their sense of smell is particularly impressive, with Pet MD stating dogs have “about 300 million scent receptors compared with a human’s six million”.It’s widely believed dogs can “smell” when a human loves them. This is because “they have heightened physical senses and are aware of things we aren’t”, which can impact how they process o...

Anti-ageing skincare can be expensive so it's a smart idea to stock up when on sale. Amazon regularly run limited time deals and while shoppers do have to be quick to take advantage of them, they can often save a lot of money on high ticket items. Currently, the Nivea Cellular Age Rewind Face Serum 30ml bottle has been slashed in price down to £17.49. The half-price deal beats other retailers including Superdrug and Sainsbury's where it is full price at £34.99. The Amazon offer matches the price of the Boots sale.Nivea's serum is much-loved by many thanks to fast-acting anti-ageing results and a 'luxe' formula that's fast-absorbing and non-greasy. It uses three types of hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate, plump and smooth skin, as well helping to reduce 10 signs of ageing such as wrinkle...

Regardless of the numerous systems schools attempt to put in place to manage the chaos during collection and drop-off times, parents invariably find themselves trapped in gridlock.In a bid to sidestep this mayhem, one father began using a stranger's driveway as his personal parking spot, believing he could get away with it since he only required the space for 'a few minutes'.When the property owner objected, the dad threatened to contact police, accusing him of harassment.Turning to Reddit, the homeowner explained: "I live in a quad plex near a school. Well, every once in a while people park in our driveway to pick their kids up."This year a guy started doing the daily. It's blocks our driveway. He pulled in one day when I went to walk my dogs. The guy backs into our drive way, so I wen...