The high profile illness of Cheryl Cole in 2010 went some way towards highlighting the importance of having recommended and necessary vaccinations and treatment before holidaying in exotic climes, but there are still many holidaymakers and travellers out there who aren’t aware of the risks and the precautions they can take.

As Cheryl Cole’s bout of Malaria showed – the potential impact of not preparing for a holiday abroad properly can extend far beyond a mere case of holiday tummy. For what can often be prevented by a trip to your GP or a visit to your local Lloyds Pharmacy, you could find yourself tackling a host of problems.

As well as the prospect of falling very ill and perhaps spending time in hospital, depending on the disease or infection you contract, you could also make those around you ill. You could even be unfortunate enough to have to spend time in quarantine. So in addition to being a potential health risk to others – you could find yourself being forced to take time off from work and unable to support a family, all as a result of not planning effectively.

Buying a new laptop is often quite a pricey investment, but one that is well worth it as long as you pick the one that is right for you. If the up-front cost is too much for you to bear, it’s also a good idea to look into buy now pay later deals on laptops from retailers like Misco.

First of all, are you using your laptop for business or pleasure? If you’re a student or using your laptop for your job, you’re unlikely to have any high-end system requirements – something with a dual-core processor and 4GB of RAM should be plenty, and consider whether you’ll want a built-in webcam or whether you can save money by buying it separately. If you’re on the go a lot of the time and want to take your laptop with you, think about getting a netbook instead – they’re much faster and more portable than a laptop, although of course the trade-off is in lower power and less storage space.

Alternatively, if you’re a gamer who doesn’t want a desktop PC, you ideally want to get the best specifications you can afford. Usually this means searching by graphics card, as gaming laptops usually have the other specs built around them, but you should aim for a 2.4GHz CPU or even a quad-core. It may be more expensive now, but it’ll be a lot more future-resistant than a less advanced model.

Homeowners across the UK are starting to shun more regular house layouts in favour of open-plan styles, creating “social areas” and getting rid of dining rooms, living rooms and kitchens, recent research has discovered.

The study by Lloyds TSB found that over one-fifth of homeowners (21 per cent) are being relatively destructive in their home over the last ten years, and many are even undergoing fast house sales either privately or with companies like Tom Craven Property in order to speed up a move to this type of home.

In the questionnaire involving no fewer than 2,000 people, it was also claimed that one quarter of homes in the modern world have one room reserved for utilities alone – far and away from just one in ten homes that had the same in the previous generation.

Commenting on this socio-cultural effect on construction, Simon Hamilton, the international director at the British Institute of Interior Design, said: “With our increasingly hectic lifestyles convenience and sociability have become key, which is why kitchen-diners and games rooms have grown in popularity. In the next ten years, the majority of houses will be designed in this style.”

Many people are working as models in the plus-size fashion industry, modelling the styles that inspire or are created by the likes of Bonmarche. Nonetheless, one model has claimed that the definition “plus-size” has a negative connotation that ought to be cast aside.

Scottish model Angelica Gray spoke to the Daily Record about the industry. The catwalk star, who used to be a size eight, has said she now feels much more comfortable as a size 14. She has since been seen in Italian Vogue and claimed that she feels like she represents a “more realistic image of women”.

However, she questioned how people like herself were portrayed by the fashion community. “It would be nice if it wasn’t called plus size,” she said. “It’s a positive term to me because even as a 12 I’d be double the size of a mainstream model. But as fashion perhaps becomes more inclusive, models become models and there isn’t the size requirement that there has been for a number of years now.”

She added that women “come in all shapes and sizes” and that it simply wasn’t fair that any one body shape could be deemed more beautiful or capable in advertising.

MUD Radio, Middlesex University’s student radio station, has enjoyed huge success with record listening figures, while its relaunched flagship morning show has trebled in listenership. It enjoyed a whopping audience of more than 120,000 listening hits in 2010 alone.

Behind the helm of the radio station, founded back in 2007, are its 60 student presenters who choose to take part for both enjoyment and career purposes. While part-time work or the support of grants, scholarships and bursaries, like those found at MDX, may be required by some students to fund university, investing time in internships like these can be well worth the investment. Experience in useful, extra-curricular activities can boost your earning potential down the line and help you stand out from other candidates in job interviews.

Based at Middlesex University’s Hendon campus, the station transmits a total of 70 hours of radio each week.

Middlesex University Students’ Union vice president activities and communications officer Michelle D’souza said of the success: “MUD Radio plays an important part to life at Middlesex University. As well as keeping students up-to-date with news and events in a fun and engaging way, it provides students a unique opportunity to gain skills in radio presenting and producing.”

Blonde beauty Michelle Williams may have already had the hair colour and skin tone required to play the iconic screen goddess Marilyn Monroe when she took up the role in the film ‘Marilyn’, but according to reports, she lacked a little booty.

Thanks to the film, retailers such as JD Williams are celebrating women’s curves with dresses to fit more shapely figures. However, in order to fill out the same dresses as Marilyn, Michelle apparently through caution to the wind when it came to her diet in the lead up to filming. Despite this, the young actress reportedly did not quite fill the boots of Ms Monroe and actually resorted to wearing padded pants in order to give the appearance of a rounded behind.

Ms Williams gives a great performance in the film – which is sure to do well in the box office – but it is a shame we don’t see more curvy actresses on screen in the first instance.

Last year, eyebrows were raised when model Marquita Pring revealed that as a plus-size model she was often still required by clients to use foam padding to achieve a fuller figure.

The sheepskin boot trend shows no sign of going away, and while they might not be the most glamorous choice of footwear, they’re certainly some of the comfiest options around. One of the best designers, Emu, is based in Australia – the birthplace of the sheepskin boot – and has a great selection of styles, from ankle to higher-cut boots, which can be found here: http://www.bankfashion.co.uk/women/brand/emu/.

However, it’s not just the comfort factor that contributes to the enduring appeal of sheepskin boots – plenty of celebs, including Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson and Lindsay Lohan have helped to get them off the streets and into the pages of glossy magazines.

Picking what to wear with your sheepskin boots isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. While you’ve no doubt spotted them paired with pyjama bottoms and hoodies, this isn’t really the hottest look going – likewise, miniskirts and shorts should be avoided. A pair of skinny jeans or even a bit of bohemian chic with a flowing tunic dress looks much better. If you really want to wear them with a skirt, a pair of leggings or tights works well and will help to keep your legs as toasty as your toes.

Fashionistas across the country are now in the process of organising their party wardrobe for the Christmas period, yet some are finding it difficult to round up the cash to buy that special outfit. Meanwhile, others are simply finding it difficult to find a dress that suits them. However, with some careful budgeting and some clever little tricks, it’s easy to find success.

First and foremost, it is important to know how to dress to enhance your figure and to buy accordingly. Simply Be USA, for example, offer a wide range of clothing for voluptuous women that will do just the job, and prove that you don’t have to sacrifice style for plus size clothing.

Shift dresses are great for women with an hourglass figure, especially those that are nipped in at the waist to accentuate those curves. Alternatively, if you have some lumps and bumps you want to disguise, you might prefer a classic dress in a bold colour with ruched detail.

For pear-shaped women, a skater-style dress is a great option as it shows-off the shape of your upper-body, but helps to conceal any problem areas you may have around the tummy, bottom or thigh area.

Finally, wrap dresses are brilliant for apple-shaped women as they allow you to show off those pins and open up your neckline, without putting too much flesh on show.

A new report on the private rented sector has warned that current returns for landlords are too low to boost the supply of housing stock that will be needed to boost tenant demand. The report, from Michael Ball, professor of urban and property economics at the University of Reading, says this is in spite of reports of rising rents when costs and inflation are taken into account.

Those seeking landlord insurance at http://www.simplelandlordsinsurance.com/guide/tenant-property-landlords-insurance.aspx might find the report sobering reading. It includes a survey of landlords’ costs and returns that revealed present rent levels do not cover all of landlords’ expenses such as refurbishment, borrowing costs, energy and depreciation, posing a danger to further investment in the sector.

The consequences for tenants could also be grim, as they face rising rents and an ongoing shortages of properties, while there could be wider repurcussions for the economic recovery if people are unable to find affordable rental housing.

“Investment in the past was driven by rising house prices, now there is a need to rethink taxation and regulation so that rental returns come to the fore at rent levels that are affordable for tenants,” said Professor Ball at a House of Commons meeting in November.

Flip-flops will divide a room in two; some love them and others absolutely abhor them. Still, if you’re looking to rock the look throughout the year or simply keep it to summer, visitors to High and Mighty and similar websites have been told to watch out for a number of issues to avoid.

Firstly, never wear flip-flops to work, as they’re simply unacceptable. Even if you’re working in a young and fun technology company where you can bring pets in, or you play table football at lunch, they still don’t cut it. The famous loud sound of the feet bashing against flip-flops means that no one will take you seriously.

Flip-flops are also specific footwear in that they are only really great for a trip to the beach or a simple lounge around on a Sunday, though having to wear these away from these environments can be disastrous. Walking for over two hours without foot support destroy your feet, whether it’s tendinitis, back pain or knee problems. Naturally, you can’t exactly wear them for the likes of gardening – it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Of course, this level of protection (or lack thereof) that flip-flops offer must be remembered; if you start to pick up cuts, burns and blisters, return to regular covered shoes to help your feet recover and shield contemporaries from ugly, damaged skin.