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В склад корисних салатів часто входять креветки. Зрештою, будь-які салати з ними смачні. Креветки апетитні, тому завжди мають попит. Головне — правильно їх зварити, щоб вони не стали гумовими на смак. Розповідаємо вам про три важливих моменти, про які варто знати. Розморожування Найчастіше доводиться користуватися замороженими креветками. Іноді допускають фатальну помилку в цьому аспекті. Їх […]

Зміцнювати кістки і суглоби необхідно всім людям, особливо страждають остеопорозом і артритом. А також жінкам в менопаузі (через гормональні проблеми, в основному через нестачу естрогену та інших гормонів, які перешкоджають засвоєнню кальцію). Особливо рекомендується дотримуватися харчування, багатого кальцієм, магнієм і вітаміном D. Є деякі продукти, про які ви, можливо, ніколи не думали, що вони можуть […]

Правильне прання зимового одягу вдома — це не лише можливість заощадити, але й забезпечити довговічність вашого верхнього одягу. Знаємо, як перестати носити куртки в хімчистку, поділимось порадами. Всі вправні господині мають знати, як заощадити кошти на пранні зимових пуховиків та курток. Є декілька порад, які допоможуть відновити зовнішній вигляд вашого верхнього одягу. Але для цього […]

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THE festive season is fast approaching, but nothing marks the start of Christmas like a tree dressed with twinkling lights and ornaments.

Real Christmas trees have started popping up at supermarkets and garden centres across the country – but these trees often come with a hefty price tag.

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An artificial tree is an easy and cost effective way to welcome Christmas into your home – and there’s no need to worry about needles all over your floor.

Whether you prefer snow-topped, traditional or something more modern there’s a perfect tree out there for everyone.

But, don’t leave it until the last minute to pick up yours as stocks are likely to start running low as we approach the big day.

When you’re making your selection it’s important to check your chosen tree will fit in your room and is big enough to hold your favourite decorations.

And remember to shop around and check prices to make sure you don’t pay more than you need to, being sure to take delivery costs into account.

There are plenty of comparison websites out there that compare prices across hundreds of retailers, including Google Shopping and Price Spy.

To help you make your decision we’ve picked out some of the best trees on the market this Christmas…

Home Bargains

• Pre-lit indoor potted tree
• £12.99

Home Bargins

This Home Bargains tree is the perfect choice if you’re tight on space[/caption]

For a fuss-free Christmas tree look no further than Home Bargain’s pre-lit indoor potted tree.

The 3ft tree is perfect if you’re tight on space and the snowy finish is guaranteed to bring festive cheer to your home.

Best of all, the tree comes decorated with 40 warm white LEDs so there’s no faffing around with strings of bulbs

Just switch it on and enjoy.

B&M

• Black Christmas tree 
• £20

B&M

If you’re looking for something different this year look no further than this B&M tree[/caption]

If you’re looking for something a bit different this year check out this striking black Christmas tree from B&M.

The 6ft, PVC tree comes with a metal stand and is sure to make a statement this festive season.

The modern tree can be dressed up with brightly-coloured decorations or kept simple with some classic lights.

Tesco

• White light artificial Christmas tree
• £29.99

Tesco

This fibre optic tree will bring some sparkle into your home[/caption]

This fibre-optic tree from Tesco comes with 90 twinkling lights and is sure to add some sparkle to your Christmas.

It has a mixture of warm white lights, small balls and a Christmas star for a ready-made festive finish.

The 3ft tree is a great choice if you’re short on space.

Best of all, it’s under £30 and Tesco says it will last for several years.

Dunelm

• Essentials Christmas tree
• £20

Dunelm

This Dunelm tree is great for bringing a classic look this Christmas[/caption]

This realistic Christmas tree from Dunelm is a great choice for a traditional look this Christmas.

The 6ft, full-shaped tree offers plenty of space for ornaments and will bring festive cheer however you choose to decorate it.

Dunelm says it’s simple to open and assemble and comes with a sturdy metal base.

Argos

• Pre lit Christmas tree with pine cones
• £56.25

Habitat

This festive tree is decorated with pine cones[/caption]

This 6ft Habitat Christmas tree is a great choice if you want to make a statement with no hassle.

The pre-lit and decorated tree comes with 150 warm white bulbs and is complete with pinecones and a dusting of snow.

Argos said that it slots together easily with just a few tweaks needed for a thick and full-looking tree.

Plus, it should last for years to come.

John Lewis

• Fireside Christmas tree
• £45

John Lewis

This Christmas tree has been designed for a natural look that will make your decorations pop[/caption]

This classical bushy, conical tree from John Lewis has been specially designed for extra fullness.

The classical design comes in a dark forest green colour that the designers say will ensure your decorations pop.

It’s simple to assemble with hinged branches that simply drop into place requiring only the smallest amount of tweaking.

And, it comes in three sizes, 4ft, 6ft and 7ft, priced at £45, £99 and £129.

B&Q

• Scandinavian tips spruce Christmas tree
• £69

B&Q

This 7ft tree from B&Q is sure to make a statement this Christmas[/caption]

This artificial Scandinavian fir tree from B&Q can give your home a true Nordic feel this winter.

At 7ft and with some impressively bushy branches it’s sure to make a festive statement in any room.

It has a natural look that you can decorate to your own tastes whether they’re classic or modern.

And, it’s easy to assemble with hinged branches and a firm, safe base.

The Range

• Dorchester fir
• £99.99

The Range

This tree from The Range has multi-toned branches for a realistic look[/caption]

This Dorchester fir artificial tree from The Range will bring a sophisticated festive look to your home.

The tree has been designed for a realistic finish with two-toned branches inspired by firs.

The 6.5 tree also offers plenty of space to decorate with your favourite ornaments, tinsel and twinkling lights.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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TESCO shoppers can use clever tricks to boost their Clubcard points netting over a thousand pounds, just in time for Christmas.

The supermarket scheme is a great way to save as you shop, usually paying out one point per pound spent on the weekly shop.

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Shoppers can use clever tricks to boost their Clubcard points[/caption]

These points are then added up and converted into vouchers to be spent either in store or with Tesco partners.

100 points will get you £1 off your shopping, but you can usually double the value by spending the vouchers with Tesco partners on things like experience days, railcards, and even your Disney+ subscription.

But what you might not know is that by spending online through certain retailers you can also boost your points significantly.

In fact, we’ve found 8 deals that will get you thousands of points in total. And if you spend them with reward partners you can even get twice as much for each point.

Here’s the key deals you should know about.

Tesco shopping – and not just in supermarkets

Of course, you can rack up one point per pound spent in Tesco in store and online, but you can also score points through a whole load of other Tesco products.

For instance, if you’re buying fuel at a Tesco forecourt, you’ll get one point for every two litres you buy. Just make sure you check that you’re getting a good deal on the price of fuel compared to other local petrol stations.

You also get:

• One point for every £4 spend on a Tesco Bank credit card
• One point for every pound you spend with Tesco Mobile
• One point for every pound spent with Tesco on Clubcard Pay+ debit card and one point for every £8 spent elsewhere
• One point for every pound spent at Tesco’s clothing brand F&F
• One point for every pound spent in a Tesco café
• One point foe every pound spent on a Tesco Whoosh delivery
• One point for every pound spent through Tesco’s delivery saver
• One point for every pound spent at Tesco Pharmacy
• One point for every pound spent at Tesco Photo
• One point for every pound spent through the Tesco international calling app

Ovo partnership – get 2,500 points

Tesco is running a partnership with Ovo, where you can bag 2,500 points. That’s worth £25 in Tesco but £50 with reward partner deals.

To qualify, you need to be a new or existing Ovo customer, have a smart meter (or get one fitted), choose to pay by direct debit, and link your online Tesco account to your Ovo account.

Buy a Vauxhall – get 50,000 points

If you buy a new Vauxhall car, you can bag yourself 50,000 club card points. That’s worth £500 in Tesco and a whopping £1,000 with reward partners.

All you need to do is provide your Clubcard number when you make the purchase at a Vauxhall new car retailer, and the points will be yours.

Evri – one point for every pound you spend

If you’re sending out parcels, consider using Evri for the extra points boost. You’ll get one point for every pound you spend, which could soon rack up over time.

To get the points, use Evri’s send a parcel service, and when you get to the basket stage add your clubcard number. You’ll be shown how many points you’ll earn.

Esso fuel – one point for every three pounds spent

You get points per litre is Tesco forecourts, but you can also earn points at Esso stations. To get the points, it needs to be an Esso with a Tesco Express attached.

You’ll get one point for every £3 you spend there. Nimblefins has calculated that motorists spend an average of £1,095 a year to fuel a petrol and £1,284 for a diesel, for cars with average fuel economy. That works out at between 365 and 428 points – which will get you between £3.65 and £8.56 depending on where you spend them.

Waves hand car wash – one point per pound spent

You can also collect points every time you use waves hand car wash, and you’ll get one for every pound you spend there.

Prices vary at Waves depending on where in the country you are, but its “Full Monty” service can cost as much as £80 in some parts of London, so you could easily rack up hundreds of points.

If you had four Full Monty services a year, you’d get 320 points which is £3.20 of a Tesco shop or £6.40 spent on partner deals.

The recycling factory – 125 points per recycled inkjet cartridge

If you don’t know what to do with your old printer cartridges, then consider the Tesco partnership with the Recycling Factory. You get 125 points for every cartridge you recycle this way, which is £1.25 to spend in Tesco or double that with a rewards partner.

Recycling envelopes are available in store or within your Tesco ink cartridge pack. You need to complete a tear off or downloadable slip and place your used ink cartridges into the recycling envelope. When you return them to Tesco, you can either choose to get the 125 points, or make a donation of £1.25 to charity.

Halfords – 500 points

If you join the Halfords Motoring Club, Tesco will give you 500 points. That’s worth £5 in store or £10 elsewhere.

Bear in mind that the motoring club costs £49 a year, so this is only really a trick to be aware of if you were planning on joining anyway.

The benefits include a free MOT (worth £49.99), two free ten point card checks (worth £30), 5% off motoring products and services, and a £1 welcome vouncher to spend on anything you like at Halfords.

To get the clubcard points, you need to go to your Halfords account one you’ve joined, select the Tesco banner and enter your Clubcard details.

BRITS are braced for more snow today with six warnings in place across the country with schools closed and drivers stranded in -11C weather.

Arctic conditions will continue causing widespread travel disruptions today after heavy snowfall and ice affected parts of the UK.

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MET Office

Met Office weather warnings[/caption]

The warnings for snow and ice cover large areas of southern England and the Midlands, including the capital – as well as Wales, Northern Ireland, east England, west Scotland and northern Scotland.

The warning for east England, where four inches of snow is expected to fall, is in place until midday today.

Forecasters confirmed that the rest remain in place until 10am today.

The Met Office have also advised that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.

Driving conditions on roads in northeast Wales were labelled “horrendous” and some drivers were stranded for hours on Tuesday.

Yesterday, the forecaster warned of snow showers developing during the evening and continuing overnight into Wednesday morning.

Showers may be heavy at times and accompanied by lightning in some areas, said the Met Office.

Some lying snow could reach up to 10cm or more over higher ground and ice is expected to form on untreated surfaces.

Southern Rail said overrunning engineering works at South Croydon will affect early morning trains between East Croydon and Uckfield/East Grinstead.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon previously told the PA news agency: “We’ve had a fairly mild November so far.

“So it’ll feel like that first taste of winter for many with that snow and ice risk layered on top.”

He added: “The highest accumulations are likely over the mountains in Scotland, where over higher ground you could see around 20cm of snow through this week accumulating on the ground.

“They are not necessarily the most disruptive snowfalls, but it only takes a couple of centimetres on lower ground to cause some level of travel disruption.”

Tuesday saw widespread disruption across the UK, with more than 200 school closures reported by the afternoon.

Snowfall was also widely reported, with 12cm of lying snow recorded at Watnall, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday morning as an Arctic airmass influenced the UK’s weather.

The Met Office said the coldest temperature was recorded at Braemar village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with the mercury falling to minus 11.2C on Tuesday.

Thousands of train passengers suffered disruption on Tuesday morning and a Stagecoach bus in Aberdeenshire toppled onto its side with a passenger on board in icy conditions.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.

The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London until 6pm on Saturday.

Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “With cold Arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued winter hazards are likely through much of this week, with further updates to warnings likely in the coming days.”

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice along the east coast of Scotland and England from Berwickshire to Suffolk from 6pm on Tuesday to midday on Wednesday.

A yellow warning for snow and ice has also been issued for Northern Ireland from 6pm on Tuesday to 10am on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a separate warning is also in place across most of Wales and parts of the West Midlands until 10am on Wednesday.

Police in Northern Ireland urged those on the roads to “drive with extra caution while we experience the freezing temperatures as forecast”.

There are also snow and ice warnings in place covering the north of Scotland until 10am on Wednesday and parts of western Scotland from 7pm on Tuesday to 10am on Wednesday.

The Met Office said cold northerly winds will continue through the week across much of the UK, with further warnings likely.

It added that temperatures were likely to increase from the south-west this weekend, though this will be accompanied by some strong winds and heavy rain.