Robert Burns, fondly known as Rabbie by his admirers, achieved great success as a poet during the second half of the 18^th Century. He was a larger than life character, fond of good company and entertainment. It was only right that in 1801, five years after Burns’ death, nine men who knew him well met on the late poet’s birthday to eat haggis, recite his poetry and raise a toast or two to their missing friend.

That was the start of a tradition that has since spread around the world. With Burns Night fast approaching, there’s no better time than now to have a look at this man and how you can enjoy your own Burns Night experience.

The heaven-taught ploughman

Robert Burns was born into a farming family in the village of Alloway on 25 January 1759. His parents ensured that the young Rabbie got a good education and he turned out to be an avid reader. Burns faced a hard life of farm work but his mind increasingly turned to poetry, drink and women. His first collection of poetry was published to great acclaim, with his pastoral poems complementing a growing taste for romanticism.

Through his late twenties into his thirties Burns continued to produce popular poetry, becoming well-known amongst the literary circles in Edinburgh. During this time his abiding interest in the opposite sex also continued, leading to a number of illicit relationships and illegitimate children.

By 1779 Burns had spent all the money that he‘d earned through poetry and so took up a job as an excise officer. The work was physically demanding and it finally took its toll in 1796 when Burns died aged just 37. Five years after this, the tradition of the Burns Night Supper was born.

Modern Burns Nights

The template for a Burns Night has not changed much since those nine men met in 1801 and although over the years a lot of ceremony has been applied to the procedure, you needn’t go through masses of effort. The essential ingredients are:

• Food: Haggis (delicious Scottish national dish – maybe best not to go into the ingredients), neeps (mashed swede) and tatties (mashed potatoes) are the traditional favourites. A liberal dose of whisky sauce (neat whisky) should be applied to the haggis.
• Alcohol (optional, of course): Beer or wine is perfectly acceptable for the meal but make sure you haven’t thrown all your whisky on the haggis as a good malt is the perfect accompaniment to your after-dinner entertainment.
• Poetry: The poetry and songs of Rabbie Burns are central to a great Burns Night. There are a few essentials, including ‘The Selkirk Grace’ and ‘Address to the Haggis’ that accompany the meal. After dinner, it’s traditional for some of Burns’ songs to be performed, and the night should end with a rousing rendition of ‘Auld Langs Syne’.

Just remember, Burns himself was no slave to ceremony so feel free to play around with any of the elements. As long as they’re done in the right spirit, you can’t go wrong.

The easy option

Of course, a Burns Night gets a whole lot more convenient if someone else is organising the affair. Up and down the country restaurants are offering Burns Night special meals and events. Grabbing some discount train tickets and heading to one of these could make for a great themed break. Here are a few of the best locations:

• Alloway: Where better to enjoy a Burns Night than at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. From this fantastic location you can enjoy the traditional Burns Supper experience, and spend some time learning about the life and times of the remarkable poet.
• Edinburgh: It’s no surprise that Scotland’s capital has some great options for celebrating Burns Night. Lavish venues such as the Prestonfield House Hotel hold formal Burns Night dinners, while a host of other bars and venues across the city put on Burns themed entertainment.
• London: There’s nothing more Scottish than a Scottish exile and the restaurants in the UK capital have some great options for revellers wishing to celebrate the life and work of Burns. This year you could celebrate Burns Night anywhere from the grand City restaurant 1 Lombard Street that is giving a complimentary whisky to kilt clad attendees, to the Min Jian restaurant whose ‘Chinese Burns’ celebration promises haggis dim sum!

How will you be celebrating Burns Night this year?

We have been looking through Twitter to find some of the best and most original Christmas trees this year and we hope that you enjoy them. And if you haven’t got your tree up then perhaps you might get a bit of inspiration from these amazing trees.

Look at my fab Christmas tree;.) feeling festive today.. http://t.co/TkeGFzMA

December 9, 2012 3:37 pm via InstagramReplyRetweetFavorite

@melissagorga

Melissa Gorga

A classic Christmas tree that looks amazing!

The next tree we don’t expect you to be able to fit in your house but it is still one of the most spectacular trees to pay a visit to.

🎄 @ Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree http://t.co/tgtaUQjI

December 8, 2012 10:37 pm via InstagramReplyRetweetFavorite

@leblogdebetty

Betty

An iconic Christmas tree.

For some having a Christmas tree is more than just having a tree. They have to get a bit creative with their tree.

I salute the maker of this Dalek Christmas tree (whoever they are) http://t.co/CZse2zWi

December 9, 2012 8:08 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@Miss_Cakehead

Miss Cakehead

DECORATE…..DECORATE! If you read that in a Dalek voice then kudos to you.

There may be a bit of Christmas tree jealousy going on but just remember that it is your tree and you can do whatever you want with it.

My Christmas Tree - http://t.co/wdxINvK5 #9gagtweets

December 10, 2012 4:10 am via 9GAG TweetsReplyRetweetFavorite

@9GAGTweets

9GAG Tweets

And perhaps the coolest home-made Christmas decorations that we have seen for a while are these.

Practicing making x-wing fighters for the Christmas tree! http://t.co/lLrmtwWk

December 10, 2012 3:42 am via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@Scarlettjen

Jen T

The force is strong with this tree.

These are just a few of the amazing trees that we found scouring the interwebs, we are sure that you will have plenty of ideas on your own perfect tree so why not let us know how your tree is looking by either tweeting us an image @calmyourbeans, or leaving a link in the comments section below. We hope that you are having a very merry Christmas season so far and that it will continue to get more jolly as we approach the big day.

In fact there are many – from the educational and creative, to the wacky and purely fun, there are plenty of spooky-themed apps for smartphones and tablets that will engage your kids’ attention and help get them in the mood for the creepiest of holidays. Here are five of our favourite Halloween apps for kids:

Halloween Card Creator

Let your little spooks develop their creative side by customising fun Halloween e-cards to share with family and friends. With a great selection of seasonal backgrounds, fonts and images, they can spend as much or as little time as they like designing a spooktacular greeting. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Ages 4+

Make a Zombie

The kids will love playing mad scientist as they piece together their very own zombie creation from a huge selection of body parts, clothes, colours and backgrounds. There are millions of possible combinations, and you can share your personalised zombie on Facebook or Twitter when you’ve finished. Compatible with iPhone and iPad. Ages 12+

Halloween Pumpkin Carver

Want to let your kids practice a bit before they get stuck into carving that real pumpkin? This fun app lets you use your fingers to carve your own scary faces, then light up the jack o’lantern and share it with your friends – all without making a mess in the kitchen. Compatible with Android. All ages

Halloween City

If your kids really like to immerse themselves in the Halloween experience, this cute app lets them design their own Halloween-themed city and populate it with weird combinations of witches, vampires, werewolves and more. Each level lets you unlock more characters and you can share pictures of your creations with your friends. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Ages 4+

Kids Shape Puzzle Halloween

A special Halloween edition of the popular Kids Shape Puzzle app, this game provides an outline shape that players must fill in with the puzzle pieces. When they do, they uncover a cute Halloween image. While designed for younger children, it’s a bit addictive for all ages. Compatible with Android. All ages

Have you found a great Halloween app for kids? We’d love to hear about it!

Image by "wwarby" via flickr

Now, carving a good pumpkin isn’t particularly difficult as long as you have the right tools, choose the right pumpkin and follow some simple rules.

Tools

• Large knife
• Small knife
• Ice-cream scoop
• A non-permanent marker pen
• A scalpel or craft knife

Choosing Your Pumpkin

One of the most important qualities of a good pumpkin is having a shell of appropriate hardness. Too soft and the pumpkin will droop and sag, too hard and it will be very difficult to carve. Go for one which feels hard and firm, but has a little give when you press it.

You’ll also want to pick a pumpkin with a nice stable base; you don’t want one that will tip over easily, especially if you’re going to put a candle inside.

Carving the Pumpkin

1. Important safety tips! Always cut with the sharp edge of the blade facing away from you. And make sure you are not cutting towards your hands and fingers. A little slip could cause a nasty accident.
2. You should start by cutting the lid. Use the marker to draw a circle of hexagon around the pumpkin’s stalk; the circle should cover about two thirds of the top of the pumpkin. Next use the large knife to cut the lid out. Don’t cut directly down the way; angle the knife in towards the centre of the pumpkin. If you cut straight down the lid is likely to fall through when you replace it.
3. Scoop out the guts… Sorry, got a little carried away with Halloween gruesomeness there. Scoop out the seeds and flesh with the ice-cream scoop.
4. Use the market pen to draw your design onto the pumpkin. When planning your design remember that leaving very thin strips of the pumpkin case can lead to trouble: it’s very easy to accidentally cut through them when you’re carving and they can warp and sag.
5. Cut your design out of the pumpkin using gentle back-and-forth sawing movements; don’t try to slice hard along the lines as you might slip. Think about how you want to angle your cuts, you can produce different effects depending on the angle of the cut.

Light Source

If you want a really traditional, authentic look there’s no real substitute for a candle. Bear in mind that candles aren’t the safest option. If safety is a big concern you might want to go for LED lights.

Do you have any pumpkin carving tips? If so we’d love to hear them, just leave a comment below.

When Jack first told us about his supernatural experiences, we immediately decided he was off his rocker and started the process to have him committed to an insane asylum. Unfortunately he was able to prove to us that The Ghost was real (unfortunate because I quite fancied his desk; it’s got a window and everything).

Now The Ghost is invisible, intangible and unable to talk, however, it has found that it can use a touchscreen computer. So, now Jack and the Ghost type away to each other on Skype instant messenger chats.

After their initial good humoured exchanges things have gotten a little darker. Jack, you see, has a sense of humour with all the subtlety of a half brick. While the ghost has a rapier wit, but all the self-restraint of a sweet-toothed kid with a fist full of cash let loose in a candy shop.

This clash of personalities has led to their banter getting more offensive… hooray, all the better to write Skypes from The Ghost posts about. We don’t want nice fluffy-wuffy cuddly-wuddly chit chats do we? No, my friends, we want down and dirty bantering with threats and insults galore. And that’s exactly what we’ve been getting…

Is all this hostility between Jack and The Ghost getting you down or are you enjoying the cut and thrust of their verbal jousting? What do you think about The Ghost’s poltergeist powers getting stronger? Leave a comment and let us know.

FACTS!

• 35% of households have one car or more
• 55% of people say they get distracted by other road users
• 37% of people say they get distracted when trying to change the radio station
• 22% of users canvassed use a SatNav
• 64% of road users canvassed would install a telematics box if it meant reduced car insurance premiums
• 55% of users canvassed suggest that smoking and driving should be made illegal
• 78% of users canvassed admitted to driving over the speeding limit
• 90% of users have been caught speeding at least once in the last 12 months
• 79% of road users ‘strongly agree’ with the statement ‘I feel ripped off by the current cost of fuel’
• 76% of people blame the government for the high price of fuel, compared to only 41% of people who blame oil companies

Come on Grandpa!

Surprisingly, UK motorists once again voted elderly motorists as the most irritating group of drivers out on the road. According to the survey 41% of men and women get annoyed by elderly motorists. The second most irritating group of road users was designated as taxi drivers with 36% of the votes, followed closely by cyclists with 36% of the vote. Also on the list of most annoying users were boy racers, van drivers, caravans and tractors – Which only goes to show that practically every type or road user will at some point earn the ire of a UK motorist who’s late for work and has to spend £1.39 a litre on petrol.

According to the Admiral survey the thing that makes us most angry about being on the road and dealing with other road users is the act of tailgating. Yes 74% of men and women listed tailgating as the most annoying thing about other drivers. This was closely followed by the use of mobile phones whilst driving with 73%, not indicating with 71% and cutting up with 70%.

For all the facts and figures from the 2012 Admiral British Motorists Survey head on over to the Admiral.com site for more details.

Have A Film Afternoon

Although playing outside in the cold is manageable there is nothing quite as nice as getting cosy and putting on some classic kid’s films. Be sure to make some popcorn and let your kids decide on what film they want to watch. You might want to go to your local library and see what DVDs are available or you could check out the children’s section on Netflix or another streaming site .

Creating An Autumn Collage

This activity will involve a bit of preparation but can keep kids busy when it is a bit too cold to head outdoors. Encourage your kids to collect natural bits and pieces such as leaves, pine cones, conkers and anything else that sums up Autumn. When they have collected a decent amount of natural art supplies, provide them with art materials such as paper, glue, glitter and paint and get them to make their very own Autumnal collage.

Building A Fort

This is one of the greatest Autumn/Winter activities ever! To create the fort structure you collect sheets, blankets and chairs and then fill it with cushions and pillows to make it amazingly cosy. The kids may be able make the fort on their own but secretly parents love to build them as much as the kids.

Reading Time

For something a little less energetic you can set aside some time for reading. You may want to read to your kids or if they are at an age where they are reading on their own, setting aside some space to have a seat and a relaxing read with them. Another spin on this would be to encourage them to write their own stories. It’s a great way to keep them entertained and keep the television off.

Indoor Picnic Time

Kids enjoy doing the normal everyday stuff in different ways and having lunch in a picnic style is one of those. It doesn’t need to be a special lunch, sandwiches and fruit will suffice, but the variation of location will give it an adventurous flavour and help them to remember the day.

We hope that you find these ideas inspiring and helpful to help keep your kids entertained as the weather begins to get a bit colder. A break from activity will encourage your kids to use their imagination more and come up with their own ideas. Instructing them that they will have to help out with house work if they ever say they are bored is a great way to ensure this too.

If you have any ideas to keep the kids occupied then please let us know in the comments section below.

Image by AN HONORABLE GERMAN

Whether he’s getting naked in Las Vegas hotel rooms, eyeing up Pippa Middleton or generally just cavorting about; it seems the British press, and public, can’t get enough of the third in line to the throne.

Perennially placed in the top ten lists of eligible bachelors and with a talent for discarding supermodel girlfriends – according to Facebook 306,503 of us do indeed think he is ‘the man’. Soldiers even took time out of their day to annoy their commanding officers by giving him a naked salute in honour of his most recent antics.

Having transformed himself into the definition of a loveable rogue, Harry’s affable charms and genuine personality seem to be ideally suited to his role as a 21st century royal. But what if he wasn’t one?

Below we meander through the ocean of possible careers for young Henry of Wales (seriously, has anybody ever called him Henry ?) if he wasn’t born into quite so prestigious a family.

Rock star

This one’s probably a bit obvious – I mean, who else have you ever heard of playing a game of strip pool ?

He’s definitely got the look of being more of a John Lydon than Harry Styles – and with his love of a gaffe or two he definitely wouldn’t last long in the squeaky clean world of pop.

So, it would have to be rock music then. And what with Josh Homme having lifted the ceiling so other strawberry blondes can stand, Harry would fit in perfectly. The man certainly knows how to rock his military uniforms so a leather jacket would be no problem.

Does anybody know if he can sing ?

Ski instructor

Despite his obviously wealthy upbringing, you can’t imagine him looking out of place bumming about on the slopes of the French Alps. Floppy fringe – check, can pull of a ski jacket – check, keen for a fancy dress party – …check.

With reports that Harry is even happy to fly Easyjet to indulge in his alpine passion, we’re sure the prince would relish the chance to be on the slopes full time.

Olympian

Whether it’s talent or privilege, the royals do seem fairly good at their sports. Princess Anne won a fair amount of equestrian medals over the years, with her daughter Zara Philips crowning these achievements off at London 2012 by galloping to an eventing silver.

And we know Harry’s got the beating of double-Olympic champion Usain Bolt so…who knows.

What do you think Harry would be good at ? Tell us in the comments section below

Anyway, Jack and The Ghost do seem to have a bit of a tense relationship. Jack is none-too-pleased that he can’t really get any privacy at home. And The Ghost is none-too-pleased that he’s stuck in a house… with Jack.

This tension is now really bubbling to the surface and coming out as some rather snarky Skype IM banter. Their latest tiff seems to have come about through Jack’s insensitivity about The Ghost’s erm… lack of a physical condition.

When The Ghost demanded an apology Jack took this as an opportunity to take the Mickey. Things quickly deteriorated and I, of course, felt the need to take a screen grab and write a new Skypes from the Ghost post.

What should Jack and The Ghost do to try and sort out their complicated relationship? Would couple’s counselling help? Let us know what you think in the comments box below.