Wisconsin basketball improved to 22-5 on Tuesday evening with a huge win over Illinois. In the process, John Tonje balled out again and even set a program record. Tonje scored 31 points and became the first Badger since the mid-1980s to have four games in a season in which he scored 30 or more points. […]
The post John Tonje pulls off Wisconsin basketball feat not done in almost 40 years appeared first on ClutchPoints.
IT might still be a bit chilly outside, but spring is just around the corner and if you want your garden to be ready for the sunshine there’s one job to tick off your list now.
According to gardening experts, ketchup is the key ingredient, not in your garden.
Apparently, ketchup can help get rid of rust on a whole range of garden items.
From gates, patio furniture, watering cans, tools – a bit of tomato sauce is all you need.
Sam Stevens, garden design expert at Pergolux UK, told Express.co.uk: “Cleaning the garden doesn’t have to be an expensive job at all.
“We all love a cheap and cheerful hack and the good news is that there are plenty of items you’ll already have in your home that can be used in the garden.”
The hack is perfect for buffing away stains, as well as cleaning up glass, and getting rid of rust, he continued.
So, how should you go about using tomato sauce in your garden?
Start with a thin layer of ketchup on the area you want to clean up and let it set for fifteen minutes.
Then gently scrub the area with water until all the ketchup has been removed.
Your garden should be left looking as good as new, but you can always repeat the process again if any rust remains.
The best part about this gardening hack is that if you don’t already have some tomato sauce you can pick a bottle up for as little as £1 from Iceland, making this trick especially budget-friendly.
And ketchup isn’t the only kitchen staple you can use in your outdoor space either.
If you’ve got any old gardening tools laying around fizzy drinks can work wonders and restore them to their former glory.
Simply soak an old cloth or towel in the fizzy drink and wrap the old gardening tool in the cloth overnight.
In the morning you should be able to wipe away the rust, leaving your tools looking as good as new.
The trick works because of the acidity in fizzy drinks, which breaks down rust.
And it’s not just old gardening tools it can be used on, but metal hinges, furniture and even the metal parts of barbecues.
Experts at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have named five popular cupboard items that can be used in the garden to promote growth, treat diseases and remove pests.
Dilute white vinegar with water and spray the solution over any invasive moss growth to keep it under control.
Allow the vinegar mixture to sit for 15 minutes and scrape up the loose moss. Repeat the process for heavily infested areas.
Black spot disease on roses can be prevented by simply applying a solution of baking soda (one teaspoon), vegetable oil or horticultural oil (one teaspoon), and water (one gallon).
Spray the mixture over the affected plants to help treat the disease.
Garlic can help to repel unwanted pests and insects. Crush several garlic cloves and mix in water until the solution is a liquid.
Pour the garlic mixture into a spray bottle and apply it to plants and nearby soil favoured by pests.
Coffee grounds can either be added to the compost or directly on the soil to promote fertility due to the high levels of nutrients, such as nitrogen.
Be mindful to avoid using the grounds around plants that require alkaline soil.
Save any starchy rice water after cooking and dilute it with fresh water when watering your plants.
Rice water is rich with nutrients, vitamins and minerals to encourage healthy growth in the garden.
The solution should be used in moderation for both houseplants and outdoor plants.
The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine has a few jobs to do in February.
Get new plants for free
Things start gearing up in February – and it’s a good time to split large clumps of grasses, snowdrops and hostas to get new plants for free.
Cut back ivy
If your ivy has got ridiculously overgrown, it’s a good time to cut it back before the birds start considering it as a nesting place. Warning though – and I’ve learned this from experience – ivy is very difficult to compost unless you shred it – and take out any viable roots which could sprout again. Take it to a council compost instead.
Prune winter-flowering shrubs
Prune back your winter-flowering shrubs like mahonia and Winter Jasmine. Remove dead- diseased and damaged and cut back any long shoots hanging down so they don’t form new roots. Take off around 20 per cent.
Cut back Cornus Sanguinea AKA Dogwood – right back down to its base. It’s ok to be brutal, it will grow back – and will be even better and brighter in Winter.
Get seed-ready
Get your seedbeds ready – as long as it’s dry, firm it down by wallking on it, sprinkle with fertiliser, rake until level removing all stones, add some compost and break up clumps.
Find new places for trees
If you want to move deciduous trees – now is the time to do it – but make sure the soil isn’t frozen. Dig a circular or square trench, put a bit of sand in the bottom, water well the day before and once in the hole, water and mulch around it – although keep the base free from mulch.
Start chitting potatoes
Start chitting first early potatoes on your windowsill – old eggboxes are perfect for it. This basically means encouraging them to sprout before planting.
Get ahead with slugs and snails
Start the fight against slugs and snails early – if you track down the overwintering ones, you might manage to deplete the numbers later in the year.
WITH the continued cold weather and people trying to cut back on heating bills, it’s the perfect breeding ground for mould and condensation in your home.
It is a common problem in households across the country during the winter months and can be dangerous to our health if left untreated.
Condensation is water droplets that form on a window when moist air comes into contact with a cold surface.
This, in turn, can cause mould which not only looks awful inside the home but can also be a nightmare to get rid of.
Modern buildings, which are often sealed with insulation, can lack the natural ventilation of older homes which traps in more moisture.
Condensation can also be caused by cooking, showering, washing up, doing laundry, gas or paraffin heaters, and even indoor plants.
So it’s unsurprising that cleaning fans are always on the look out for miracle products that can tackle the problem.
And shoppers have hailed a £2.99 buy from Wilko as the “best mould remover ever”.
The Kilrock Brush On Mildew and Mould Cleaner Gel comes in a 250ml bottle and effectively removes all mould related stains such as fungus and algae.
Bosses at the brand say it’s perfect for tiles, grout, baths, sinks and showers, which makes it a “must-have” for a clean and sparkling home.
The brush attachment makes it very easy to apply and cleaning fans claim the gel texture allows it to ‘stick’ to the affected area and work its magic.
But don’t just take the cleaning brand’s word for it, the mould remover has racked up countless five-star reviews.
One satisfied shopper said: “I bought this Kilrodk brush on gel last week as I had some mould in my bathroom which has been difficult to remove.
“I’ve tried lots of other cleaners, but nothing has been able to remove the mould.
“I used the brush on gel to work on some mould spots on the grout between some of our mosaic tiles and found that it worked really well.
“There were some faint black marks still when I rinsed off the gel but I think I could see them because I knew where they were.
“The bathroom tiles looked sparkling. There was an added bonus of the removal of some orange limescale in the corner of the bathroom too.”
A second gushed: “This is the best mould remover I have every tried!
“It removed mould from behind some sealant and got into little places and made everything look so much better!
“I went back and bought two more bottles and gave one away to a friend whose shower is now transformed and mould free.”
A third chimed in: “I love this. It’s so easy to use. I find the brush so useful and of course it really works. This must be my third bottle.”
A fourth added: “Quick and easy removal of mould. Gel formulation is great as it clings to the area you’re trying to clean and thus gives sustained action; all done in 30 mins or less!”
EXPERTS have warned that untreated mould from condensation cause cause serious health issues.
Pharmacist Abbas Kanani at Chemist Click warns that it can trigger respiratory problems:
She said: “When spores become airborne and are inhaled, they can irritate the airways of someone with asthma.
“It can lead to symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
“Chronic mould exposure can increase lung inflammation, making airways more sensitive and reactive, increasing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.
For those without existing issues, other symptoms to look out for include nasal congestion and a runny nose.
If you suspect that your health issues are related to mould, especially if symptoms persist and affect your quality of life, you should visit your GP, says Abbas.
Meanwhile, a fifth wrote: “I’ve bought the mould remover to clean my bathroom tiles as they looked quite mouldy due to humidity.
“I applied it to the tiles and after 1 hour they were pure white and shiny. After applying a simple layer I could see the results in a blink of an eye.”
And a sixth echoed: “I have these disgusting black mould on the corner edge inside my bath tub tiles and I’ve tried countless bleaching and it hasn’t touched it at all.
“After just one use of this product I saw noticeable improvement. I will continue to use this and hopefully the black mould will eventually disappear.”
THE Met Office has warned 70mph winds will hit in just days after snow and ice sparked mayhem on roads.
Temperatures are set to rise to 16C on Friday in the South East – making it warmer than usual for the time of year.
Yellow alerts for strong winds and heavy rain have been issued across western parts of the UK.
And locals can expect “potential travel disruption, dangerous conditions near the coast, and power cuts for some”, The Met Office said.
Wind gusts are expected to be between 60 – 70mph by the coast and 45 to 55mph inland.
Eastern parts of Northern Ireland will be hit from 6am through to 10am on Friday.
While parts of Scotland and parts of Wales can expect such conditions from 8am through to 3pm.
South East areas of England can expect direr conditions for longer but a blustery, wet day is predicted for those elsewhere.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: “The weather will be turning milder for much of the country from Thursday, but this transition heralds the start of some potentially more impactful wind and rain.
“While Thursday will see blustery winds and rain for many, it’s Friday when we could see more impacts, with warnings issued for wind and rain.
“On Friday, south and west Wales, southwest Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland will see the strongest winds, possibly around 70mph on exposed coasts and around 60mph more widely within the warning areas.
“Rain is an additional hazard, with 30-40mm likely in parts of Scotland over a six-hour period, and up to around 70mm possible over higher ground within the warning areas.”
Saturday is expected to be a drier day across the country, but those in the South East may see the remnants of Friday’s rain drifting through during the day.
More rain and wind is expected from Sunday, according to the Met Office.
Mr Silverstone said: “The underlying factor in the shift in the UK’s weather is our transition from a cold easterly regime to more of a westerly regime.
“While this pushes away the colder air that has been affecting us, it also reintroduces Atlantic weather systems and the potential for areas of low pressure to influence the UK’s weather.
“While Saturday should provide respite for many, Sunday will see more wet and windy weather sweep east across the UK.
“There’s a potential for further warnings on Sunday as details are firmed up in the coming days.”
The yellow warning for strong winds will be in force on Friday from 6am to 10am for eastern parts of Northern Ireland, and from 8am until 3pm for south-west Scotland and parts of Wales.
A yellow warning for rain comes into force on the same day from 6am until 6pm for south-west and north-east Scotland, with the forecaster warning travel disruption, power cuts, and flooding are “likely”.
Rain is expected from 6am to 6pm on Friday:
Wind is expected from 6am to 3pm on Friday:
PENNEYS fans are set to love a ballet-inspired pretty new cardigan for spring – and it costs just €18.
The Women’s Bow Cardigan is available online and in shops around the country now.
It comes at the perfect time as shoppers are stocking up on spring items.
With nicer spring weather, punters soon won’t need the heavy layers used in winter.
Instead, light items perfect for layering are high in demand – and this cardigan is perfect for that.
In grey, it features two black velvet bows at the front for an added touch of class.
It can be worn on its own or on top of other items.
And the neutral colours mean it will match almost anything you pair it with.
It has a deep V-neck and long sleeves as well as large cuffs and a high hemline for a flattering shape.
The item costs just €18 and comes in sizes XS up to XXL.
And luckily for fans of the pretty item, all sizes are still available.
Fashion bosses said the item has “ballet” vibes.
An official description of the item reads: “A ballet style V-neck cardigan with two bows on the front.”
Meanwhile, Penneys fans are also loving a new dupe of an item from Molly Mae‘s wardrobe.
The Stripe Collar Jumper has just landed on the shelves and has shoppers racing to snap it up.
It comes in two designs, burgundy with pink stripes or beige with black stripes.
And the item will save shoppers hundreds, as the original Adidas could break the bank for some.
The item costs just €16.
According to the retailer, the item has a “preppy twist”.
Penneys bosses said: “A striped jumper with a collared neckline and buttons.”
“Don’t worry, you don’t need to know the rules of polo to wear this striped long-sleeved polo top (but being versed in fashion rules may help).
“The classic collar adds a preppy twist, while the relaxed fit keeps things laid-back and effortless.
“The contrasting white collar and button placket are signature to the classic polo top (which we love).
“Play with textures and pair your polo top with jeans or pleated skirts.”
THE Penneys brand grew from humble beginnings on Dublin's Mary Street, where it opened its first store in 1969.
Known as Primark outside Ireland, the company was the brainchild of Garfield Weston, who hired Dubliner Arthur Ryan to make his vision reality.
Penneys branched into the UK in 1973 with its first store opening in Derby. The UK now has 191 Primark stores in total.
However, the Penneys name could not travel to Britain as the American retailer JC Penney had the right to use the name in the region.
And in 2006, the expansion into Europe began with an opening in Spain, followed by the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Austria, France and Italy.
Primark went Stateside for the first time in September 2015, with the opening of a store in Boston. There are now 27 stores in America with branches in Florida, Brooklyn, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The retailer’s opened its largest store in Birmingham in 2019.
It spans five floors and features Primark’s biggest beauty studio to date, a barbers and three restaurants.
EASTENDERS is celebrating its big 40th anniversary week, and things are heating up for one character in particular.
For the first time ever, viewers have the power to vote on who Denise Fox’s next love interest should be on February 19, 2025. Here’s how you can have your say in her storyline after the live episode airs.
After the special hour-long episode on Wednesday, EastEnders fans will get to do something totally new in the show’s history — cast their vote on Denise Fox’s love life.
To take part, you’ll need a BBC account, so if you haven’t signed up yet, you can do that at bbc.co.uk/account before February 19.
The vote opens at 8:30 pm on Wednesday, February 19, at bbc.co.uk/eastenders and closes at 7:10 pm on Thursday, February 20. That way, the result can be worked into the live episode airing at 7:30pm from the BBC Elstree Centre that evening.
The broadcaster adds: “Once all votes have been cast, the vote will be independently verified and handed to the EastEnders executive producer, Chris Clenshaw, just before the live show.
“In that short amount of time, the cast and crew will disregard the losing script, and quickly prepare to depict the drama on screen that reflects the decision chosen by the viewers.
“As well as playing matchmaker for Denise, viewers will also have an extra treat when they cast their vote as they will be given the opportunity to make another decision which will go down in Walford’s history.”
Viewers will get to decide whether Denise (Diane Parish) reunites with her estranged husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) or chooses to be with her secret lover Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).
Last year, Denise and Jack’s marriage hit rock bottom when it came out that he’d been having an affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), which led to a dramatic brawl.
Since then, their relationship has been a rollercoaster, with moments of passion mixed in with heartwarming family memories.
Then came Christmas Day, when Denise complicated things even more by reigniting her romance with Ravi — a man with a chequered past.
To make things messier, Ravi was previously in a serious relationship with Denise’s daughter, Chelsea (played by Tiana Benjamin), who has been delivering stand-out performances on the show.
It’s a tough call, but ultimately, the decision is in the hands of the fans.
EastEnders first aired on 19 February 1985, and has gone on to become a mainstay of British television.
EastEnders’ big 40th anniversary celebration kicks off with a special hour-long episode tonight at 7:30pm on BBC One.
Then, get ready for the highly-anticipated live episode, which airs on February 20, at 7:30pm.
Every episode during this anniversary week, starting from February 17, will be available at 7:30pm on both BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
But just a heads up, there won’t be a 6am iPlayer release this time.
WHILE destinations across Europe are known for their beer bathing pastime, the Belgium capital is actually home to ‘the original Belgian spa’.
Bath and Barley Brussels is a spa where beer lovers can soak in a tub of the hoppy liquid while sipping on a glass of the stuff too.
On its website, the spa claims to be ‘the original Belgian Beer Spa’ with a description reading: “Bath and Barley is the Belgian beer spa.
“We immerse you in all that is great and good about beer, literally and figuratively.”
Found near the world-famous Grote Markt, in the heart of Brussels‘ historical centre, Bath and Barley is inside a renovated centuries-old building.
Visitors are then taken to a private spa room where they can personalise the hops mixture to their own preference, with an hour long soak in the 39C beer bath.
Anyone who gets too hot can cool themselves down by pulling a pint of fresh draft beer from a tap next to the wooden bath.
Each spa room also comes equipped with a straw bed that’s topped with a linen sheet where guests can unwind after their soak.
For an additional price, guests can also use the hop sauna, which is set to 70C.
Luckily, sauna-goers can cool themselves off using a bucket of cold water.
The unique experience has a five star rating on TripAdvisor.
It has been praised by visitors, with one person writing: “Absolutely our favorite part of our visit to Brussels.
“It was relaxing, unique and perfect escape from the cold weather outside.”
Another added: “A wonderfully relaxing experience. The tubs are huge and the beer is great.”
A third person commented: “This is the spa I did not know I needed”.
Brit holidaymakers can reach Brussels on Eurostar trains from London St Pancras International, with fares from £39 each way.
Brits who are departing Brussels for Bruges will be relieved to know Bath and Barley have a spot there too.
Bath and Barley Bruges is located just a stone’s throw from Market Square and offers the same experience as the Brussels version.
Sun Online Travel have found beer experiences from €139 (£115) based on two people sharing a private room.
Opening times differ depending on the day, with each spa open during the afternoons.
Luckily, Brits don’t need to venture to Belgium to soak in a tub of beer, as the Norfolk Mead Hotel, near Norwich, opened its own beer-bathing experience last year.
Sun Online’s writers recently revealed some of the spa getaways that they have enjoyed across the country.
Cheshire
Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley found some R&R in the north-west with her husband and kids at the Carden Park Hotel, Cheshire. All overnight guests can use the indoor pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi in the hotel itself, and take a walk through the on-site vineyard. The spa has a salt steam room, a tepidarium, a Finnish sauna, and some vitality pools, among other treatments on offer.
Gloucestershire
Senior Video Producer Rachael Clarke and boyfriend Stuart visited The Greenway Hotel & Spa – a countryside bolt-hole near Cheltenham. The 16th-century Elizabethan manor is set in eight acres of countryside, providing the perfect environment to relax in. Guests can chill in its indoor thermal pool or outdoor hot tub, or hop between the sauna, sanarium, and steam room.
Bristol
The Aztec Hotel & Spa in Bristol was where Editor in Chief Sinead McIntyre took her husband and two kids for a relaxing break. Inside the hotel are elegant interconnecting rooms for families, power showers, and Caudalíe toiletries. The on-site spa provides a welcome escape and place to unwind. Meanwhile, here are some more of the best British spa breaks. And these wellness breaks could be the perfect way to unwind.
Here’s the art deco spa that’s ‘London’s oldest’ with Turkish baths, indoor pool and affordable day passes.
And these are the cheap spa breaks to book in 2025.
