Latest news with #Toby
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Brits urged to put a towel in their freezer today before the school run
While Brits in various parts of the country prepare for another scorcher of a day today, a savvy mum of three has advised fellow parents to pop a towel in the freezer Many Brits are in for another scorcher today, with the mercury set to rise to 36C in some parts of the country. While many will be thrilled to be basking in temperatures that are hotter than Barbados, others will be struggling to get into the holiday spirit. Navigating a heatwave in a country more equipped for rain and grey skies can be a challenge, particularly for those already struggling with illnesses or other vulnerabilities. Parents also face a number of hurdles when it comes to making sure summer fun is enjoyed safely. It's well known that children, whose bodies are less efficient at regulating temperature, are more susceptible to the potential side effects of extreme hot weather, including dehydration and exhaustion. With this in mind, parenting expert Harriet Shearsmith has shared the hack she uses for keeping her own kids cool in soaring temperatures. READ MORE: Six major UK weather warnings issued for 36C heatwave as temperatures higher than Barbados In a post penned for her much-loved blog Toby & Roo, Harriet, who is mum to Reuben, Tobias and Edith, revealed that she makes sure to have an 'ice towel' to hand, which works wonders when her little ones are struggling. She simply takes one of her towels from the bathroom cupboard and creates her own DIY cooling hack. Advising how her followers could follow suit, Harriet, who wrote the parenting book Mummin' It, wrote: "I've actually just made one of these and whacked it in the freezer for when the kids come home, as I know Reuben is going to be finding it tough. "It's exactly as it sounds – put a towel in cool water, wring it out until it's damp and then put it in the freezer – keep repeating. Drape over shoulders for a cooling effect, or hold against your head. This is also a good one if you're feeling sick, to be honest." The savvy mum of three also shared her go-to bedtime hack, which has previously been tried and tested by Mirror writers - freezing your hot water bottle. Turning this traditionally warm and cosy item on its head, Harriet revealed: "Yup, freeze a hot water bottle and take it to bed with you to help you sleep, or even just hold it against yourself on the sofa – but make sure you put it back in its cover or it might well freeze burn your skin! I've also seen this used inside pillow cases to try and keep a bit of cool, or to rest feet on!" This comes as the Met Office forecasts intense heat across southern and eastern parts of England today (Tuesday, July 1) after the last day of June saw baking highs of 33C. A number of areas across the regions will once again pass above 30C as a heatwave continues, with more changeable conditions expected across the rest of the UK. Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber heat health alerts for Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the East of England, London, the South East and the South West, which have been extended until 9 am, Wednesday, July 2. Those in the North West have also been given a yellow heat health alert, which has been extended to the same time.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
Radon: The odorless, cancer-causing gas that may be in your home
(NEXSTAR) — While some of the advice shared on NBC's 'The Office' is not necessarily actionable, a frequently shared sentiment from character Toby Flenderson may just be. Toby, the human resources employee played by Paul Lieberstein, frequently asked for radon testing to be done in the office, at one point calling it a 'silent killer.' Technically speaking, he isn't far off. 'Radon is colorless. It is odorless,' Amanda Koch, the radon program manager at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, explained to Nexstar. 'There are no obvious signs for when radon is inside your home.' Radon is formed naturally when radioactive metals uranium, thorium, and radium break down in rocks, soil, and groundwater, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains. Because it is naturally occurring, we're always exposed to it, but it is also capable of coming into buildings through cracks and gaps. If radon becomes trapped in your home, it can become dangerous. Despite its prevalence, there is no known level of radon that is safe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The EPA recommends taking action if your home or building is found to have a radon level higher than 4.0 pCi/L. Over time, exposure to higher levels of radon could lead to lung cancer. In the U.S., radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths, the CDC reports, and the leading cause among non-smokers. Estimates blame radon for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually. Treating lung cancer brought on by radon can be difficult, the CDC says, as symptoms may not develop for years. By then, it can be harder to treat. Does that mean you should pull a Toby and put radon test kits throughout your home? Not exactly. Several factors can contribute to whether your home has the potential for elevated radon levels. The EPA reviewed those factors — geology, aerial radioactivity, soil parameters, and home foundation types — and available indoor radon measurements to identify areas in the U.S. that are most at risk for having elevated levels of the radioactive gas. Areas found by the EPA to have the highest potential for elevated radon levels are primarily in the northern half of the U.S., stretching from northern Washington, through the Plains and Midwest, along the Great Smoky Mountains, and into New England. Portions of the states in those regions, as well as in the West, are considered to have a 'moderate potential.' Other regions throughout the Pacific Northwest, along the Gulf, and north along the East Coast are listed as having a lower potential for high indoor levels of radon. The map of radon zones, developed in 1993, doesn't show areas where radon is or isn't in homes, but rather to 'help governments and other organizations target risk reduction activities and resources.' Some states, including Wisconsin, provide data regarding recent radon test results. Like the EPA's map, any local data on recent radon tests doesn't represent the level of radon within your home. Your proximity to radon-producing sources and your home's foundation type aren't sure-fire ways to determine your risk, either. 'The way that radon moves through the ground and through soil underneath the home can vary greatly from home to home,' Koch emphasized, noting that your neighbor could have a high level of radon in their home while your tests come back consistently low, or vice versa. 'The only way to know is to test,' Koch said. Testing, according to Koch, is relatively simple. The kit — found at major hardware stores, online, or with your local health department — is typically placed on a surface in the middle of a room on the lowest level of your home for a few days before being sent to a lab for testing. Results are then available in about one to two weeks. Koch said it is recommended that testing be done every two years, or after you do a major renovation in your home, like replacing doors or windows, or any foundation work. Before you can perform a radon test, you'll need to maintain closed building conditions for at least 12 hours, according to Koch. Because of this, health officials typically recommend radon testing during winter or summer, when your windows and doors are more likely to be shut to keep in heat or the air conditioning, respectively. Should your test find a radon level above 4.0 pCi/L, you may be encouraged to get a mitigation system installed. As Koch explains, a pipe is installed in the building's foundation and connected to a small fan that pulls the gas up to your roofline and out into the ambient air. This can typically cost between $1,000 and $2,000. In homes with crawlspaces, a high-density plastic sheet may be used to cover the earth floor. Then, a vent pipe and fan can be put under the plastic to draw the radon out, the EPA explains. Sealing cracks can limit the flow of radon, but the EPA does not recommend using sealants only to reduce radon. The agency lists other methods of radon mitigation online. While you don't necessarily have to go as far as Toby did in 'The Office' by placing radon tests in every room, you may want to take it as seriously as he does. 'It doesn't matter what kind of foundation structure you have, or even where you are located geographically, the only way to know is to test, and that is why we recommend that everybody do it,' Koch said.
GMA Network
25-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Rising sport pickleball in the spotlight in Pickleball Super Series
The rising sport of pickleball has been put on the spotlight in the Pickleball Super Series held at SM North Edsa last weekend. This is the third leg of the Super Series. Pickleball is a paddle sport which, according to USA Pickleball, is a mix of table tennis, tennis, and badminton. Last Sunday, Team Zone Green won the advanced category, while Velaris North Tower and Vatic Prism won the intermediate and novice categories, respectively. Ria Espiritu, a player from Velaris North Tower and MVP of the intermediate finals, talked about how she shifted from competing in another sport to pickleball. 'Since I played competitive badminton, when I shifted to pickleball the goal was to get better at it quickly,' she told GMA News Online on the sidelines of the event also presented by Toby's. 'We trained hard, we played with the best so we can get ahead of everyone. Now, thankfully we are able to join competitive tournaments.' Her message to those who want to try? 'Try it out, it's super fun and it's the best sport for everyone — all ages and all levels.' —Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News
The Irish Sun
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘I always thought I was going to go on', says Love Island star who predicted villa stint years before it happened
A LOVE Island star has said he predicted going on the show when he was just a teen. Advertisement 2 Toby has said he predicted his time on Love Island when he was just a teenager Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 After appearing on All Stars, Toby revealed it was a completely different experience Credit: Getty Images - Getty He then returned for Love Island: The Games and And he said he predicted his time on the show when he was just a teenager. He said: "When I was 16, I remember being in class and then somehow me and my teacher got roped in to speak about Love Island. Yeah. And I was like, 'miss, when I hit 22, if I have no girlfriend, I'm going to go on Love Island.' "I thought that's going to be forever away from 16. So I'm thinking, oh yeah, 22, if I don't have a girl, I'm going to go on Love Island." Advertisement READ MORE ON LOVE ISLAND He added: "22 came and I was like, 'oh my God, yeah, like I'm going to go.' So the year after uni, I was like, OK, it's time to go. And then I just went on. "Like, I always thought I was going to go on. It was weird. It's like manifestation." He said he applied on a Tuesday night and they called him back first thing the next morning. He later came second in the hit show with girlfriend Advertisement MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN Toby has always remained quiet about what happened in his break-ups, and said he won't be changing that stance. He told Tis Yourself: "I feel like that's one of the hardest things and I spoke to my friends about that recently. I was like, 'what do I do in this situation? Where if someone's saying a false narrative, do I come back and start saying the truth?'" Love Island's Toby Aromolaran breaks his silence on rumours he's dating fellow All Star after split with Georgia Steel He added: "I know what the truth is and I know how everything happens. So that's all I need to know. And my family and friends know that as well. If the public really want to know it, then go and badger the other person." After appearing in All Stars last year, he told the Irish podcast Tis Yourself that it was a completely different experience to the first time around. Advertisement "Like, I was so young. I was 22. I was a baby, you know, looking back at now, baby, completely different person. Full of life, I'll say. "So naive and everything. But yeah, I think that's like probably the rawest version of me, which is nice to see. And I've learned a lot of lessons since then, which I have to thank Love Island for." This time around he was a lot more cautious. HONEST CHAT "I remember going back in All Stars and I was like, there was a moment that was hitting me and I was in a convo and someone kept on asking me about my ex and what happened? I was thinking, you guys just want me to say this out loud so everyone can know. But like that's kind of private. So I don't want to say it out. Advertisement "So I was like trying to pull back. But I was trying to pull back in a convo, which is kind of weird to me because I never really pulled back in convos. I'll just say how it is. "I was wary there because it wasn't just me. It was about the other person as well in a relationship. So I didn't want to like air our dirty laundry." And Toby said he will never be releasing a statement to tell the public if he breaks up with someone. "I've never done a statement in my life. I can't lie to you. I laugh at these so much. I can't do a statement. I'll just, you guys will just figure it out. You'll figure it out. I don't need to put a statement out saying I'm not with this person anymore. Like it was a relationship for me… Advertisement "When I see the statements as well, like some of them, I just think like you are just lying straight through that statement. We're still friends. You're not. You hate each other. "I just take a break off socials with me whenever something like that happens. Just take a break. Just go and find my family, friends, be with them. And that's it really." Hear the rest of Toby's interview on the Tis Yourself podcast out now.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Make-a-Wish, Asheville Police Department bring child's dream to life
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) — The Make-a-Wish Foundation joined forces with Asheville's Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) to make a child's dream come true. Toby got the chance to partake in a 'villain battle' with four of the real Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who were flown in by Nickelodeon. Officers supplied Toby with gear necessary for his big battle, including a vest, hat, and Nerf gun. He even got the change to ride along with officers, operate a drone, and arrest the 'bad guys.' At the end of the day, Toby was given a badge from the Asheville Police Department and became an honorary member of the force. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
