Firstly, Happy New Year and welcome to 2020, how Sci-Fi does that sound???

As the saying goes,  ‘big boys don’t cry’. But in the last week, more than one in ten (13%) of men aged 18+ in the UK have had a good blub. And good on them!

We men should be encouraged to understand our feelings and express our emotions. With this in mind the second edition of the Modern Man-ual, is all about ‘The 2020 Man’.

Commissioned by menswear retailer Jacamo, the report highlights gaps in the conversation when it comes to men.. both inside and out.

Men need to be brought into modern-day discussions, to explore and normalise the topics of male body confidence, mental health and masculinity, in the hope of raising awareness and confidence amongst British men, to help them feel as good as they deserve to feel.

Dr Chris Morriss-Roberts, discussed the effect media and advertising has on self-image and body confidence.

“Traditional ideas of masculinity when it comes to the body is all about size and muscles and the beef. There was no way around it, it’s ingrained in our heads that bigger is better. But the truth is you can’t force your body to be a certain size or shape if it’s not meant to be like that. That’s a message which is important for well-being, and which doesn’t get talked about enough – that for a lot of people you’re never going to be that size, that big. It can play games in your head that your body is important and defines you. It’s taken me 25, 30 years to accept my body as it is.”

With the Female Body Positive Movement in full swing, and infact 41% of men wanting to see a similar movement for men, the report highlights a need for the conversation to expand, with 38% of those who we spoke to admitting they do not feel positive about their bodies.

When asked about what they think are the most important qualities in a man, 74% say honesty and 73% say good manners. And to add even more substance to the ‘it’s what’s on the inside that counts’ debate, 74% of men stated they do not think physical strength is key to ‘being a man’.

With the report finding that almost a quarter of men do not feel comfortable speaking about their feelings, it’s time to open the debate.

2020; the year for men to stand, be counted, celebrated, understood and get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Key findings from the Man-ual.

There is no worse feeling than thinking you’ve bought someone the perfect gift, only to find out you got it wrong. Unfortunately, this seems to be a common occurrence, with recent research from WhatWeWant revealing that over half (53%) of UK adults have received an unwanted present within the past 12 months. With the mounting pressure to buy loved ones something they actually want, perhaps it’s unsurprising that WhatWeWant’s research also found that 47% of Brits find buying a gift for a friend or family member stressful. 

Yiannis Faf is co-founder of the crowd-gifting app, WhatWeWant. The app, which Yiannis created alongside his family, allows users to create a gift for an upcoming event for themselves, or for someone else. Users can contribute to gifts as well as notify their friends and family to contribute to their own gifts. Once enough has been raised, users simply use the money to buy their dream gift, cutting out a lot of stress, wasted money and unwanted gifts.

To get you in the Christmas mood, Carrolls Irish Gifts have created a fun interactive Christmas Tree quiz. Light up the tree with your knowledge and be in with a chance of winning a €100 online voucher so you can pick up some beautiful Celtic jewellery, fine Aran knitwear or any of the array of top-brand Irish produce available.

Play the game here: https://www.carrollsirishgifts.com/media/christmas/

Words by Amanda Lewis

If you’re like us the kids rooms are literally groaning at the seams with plastic fantastic and your anxiety increases with every Greta Thunberg tweet as you feel guilty as hell that your even thinking about more stuff this Christmas.

Help lighten the load by offsetting some carbon and guilt by gifting more ecologically this year and also spreading some experiential joy along the way. Wooden toys are always a joy and these will grow with your child as there are endless combinations and additions.

The people and planet friendly alternative to cling film and tinfoil – handmade here in UK. Yes, tin foil and cling film have a terrible effect on the environment but  Beeswax Wraps has the answer to your needs.

For the ethical teen in your life these credentials show you care – 100% organic Fairtrade certified cotton. Vegan. Extra soft organic cotton, check out People Tree. Made entirely from organic cotton which is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment with systems in place to replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilisers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.

A stylish way to transport your lunch, My Cleverbox was founded by Jyoti to solve the problem of her kids’ lunches (but they’re just as good for big kids too!). Jyoti not only wanted something to pack healthy food but she wanted something healthy, reusable and sustainable to put the food in – so My Cleverbox was born!

Seed bombs with a mix of native wild flowers seeds, enough to create a wild flower and meadow. Each pack replete with a beautiful kraft tag so you can personalise each gift. Beebombs are a mix of 18 native wildflower species, enough to create 210 sq ft, / 19.5m² of wildflower meadow.

Making delicious condiments since 2012, from surplus fruit and real champions of great food and sustainable living.

Giving experiences is not only a great way to show your love but a great deal of them are sustainable in their nature. Visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a private tour of the gardens and delve into the history, the art and the science behind what goes into making Kew Gardens so special. To cap a memorable day, savour a three-course meal at London’s beloved Michelin starred restaurant, The Glasshouse.