Wednesday 30 July 2014

Thank You!



 

Not usually one for the soppy stuff- but just to thank all of you that have taken the time to read my blog. It hit 100+ views last week, and although it may not sound like much, I sure as hell am appreciative. So in commemoration, I made y’all a thank you note (hey, I never said I was creative.)
 
 

Also, I have added a ‘Reviews’ page which I plan to update monthly on everything from over hyped beauty products to god awful films. Talking of which, check out my first review of The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- hopefully, it can hold your attention for longer than the film held mine.

Love Georgia x


Why not stalk me on social media? You can find me on Twitter at @Just_GeorgiaSD and on Instagram at sunshine_1396 or, click on the SM links above.

As always, feel free to e-mail me your 'How To' Questions at: georgiasunshine429@gmail.com


Thursday 24 July 2014

How To #15: How to (not) Fail Your Driving Test


How To #15: How to (not) Fail Your Driving Test

Rather epically I might add. But of course, you don’t want to know how to fail like I did today. You want to pass with flying colours. So here are a couple of tips from a named and shamed driving test failure like myself.

1.       It’s not that big a deal: Although the build up to it was more stressful than both years of my A-Levels combined, the test is actually not too bad and over before you know it. Don’t think of it as a test, just think of it as someone verifying that you are a super fab driver and should totes be allowed out on the open road.

2.       Be Nice: Manners can get you everywhere. Although smiling sweetly if you accidently run over a small child won’t slide with the examiner, if you are nice and polite, they are more likely to forgive minor mistakes. This also goes for when you are debriefed- i.e. if they fail you, don’t shout abuse at them or indeed, slip them a couple of £20 notes in order for them to pretend they didn’t see you running that red light. Deal with your failure with composure and thank the examiner after the test ends, even if in your opinion, they were totally unfair.

3.       Check your mirrors for Pete’s sake: Those mirrors on your car aren’t actually there for you to reapply your lipstick. Who Knew? Examiners are really picky about mirrors so it would be dumb to fail over something you could have easily prevented just by checking them every so often.

4.       Don’t listen to other people’s horror stories: Most of the stories you hear are most probably hyped up. After all, the old “the examiner was totally horrible and unfair” excuse sounds better than “I forgot to stop at a zebra crossing and it was completely my fault” as it makes them sound like they are not to blame. You can share horror stories with people until you’re blue in the face, but it won’t prepare you for your own test, as it will be a unique experience to you.

5.       Don’t Blub: No one will have sympathy with you, and it’s pretty embarrassing for you on top of failing your test.

6.       Keep an eye on other road users: You see those moving things heading towards you? Yeah, they’re cars, which might as well be known as “death machines.” Therefore, it’s probably best that you don’t nearly crash into one and mumble a quick “sorry” to the examiner. Instant fail (case in point.)

7.       Manoeuvres are overrated: All the examiners care about is that you don’t hit the kerb, end up on the other side of the road or indeed, back into a poor cyclist. If your parallel park ends up a bit skew-whiff, it doesn’t matter. Who parks perfectly anyway, right? That’s what valet is for.

8.       Do I tell my parents now or wait until I get home: I’d wait till I got home. This gives you time to recover whilst not breaking down in hysterical tears. If you phone them and tell them you failed, this is often met with “no, you didn’t. You’re kidding with me aren’t you? You’re joking right?” By which point, you’ll want to disown your parents and move to a place where it is possible to travel everywhere via elephant.

9.       Nothing is as bad as it seems: It’s a cliché but it’s true. At least I hope so. So stop that application for a life time bus pass and book yourself another test. You have to leave 10 days between your first test and the next one, but pick yourself up and dust yourself off. On the bright side, imagine how skinny you’ll be from walking around everywhere- win!

Some fast facts to make you feel better:

Ø  A man from Stoke on Trent reportedly took his practical test 37 times. Therefore, you only have to be seriously worried when you reach test no. 36*

Ø  The practical test has a pass rate of just 53.8%*

Ø  The best drivers are those who pass the second time round (not a verified fact, but it made me feel better.)

Just Chill and drive safe, you’ll be great.

Love Georgia x

 

 

Don’t bog yourself down too much, but if you are still feeling anxious, this website has some tips:


 

 
 
Got a How To Question? Email me at georgiasunshine429@gmail.com 

Monday 21 July 2014

How To #14: How To Do Festival Chic


 I’m going to my first festival this summer and have no idea what to wear. Help!

Emily, via e-mail.

 
Firstly, you lucky so and so are going to a festival this summer, making the rest of us (i.e. me) extremely jealous. Secondly, I believe what you are referring to Emily is “festival chic,” as all the hip and happening fashionistas are calling it. Obviously, you are bound to encounter all types of weird and wonderful styles at festivals, partly because who gives a damn about what they wear when their clothes are only likely to get covered in mud and stale beer? Anyway, I find there are five distinct styles that people use as they’re go to festival looks, and you can spot them from a mile off. So, without further ado, here’s how to do “festival chic.”




Little Miss Quirk: The quirky 'n' cute look is often adopted by try hard festival goers, complete with fairy tutu and grunge boots- and most probably a tiara or something, because that's just "totes original." TOP AND SKIRT: Topshop. BOOTS: Next NECKLACE: Handmade BRACELET AND EARRINGS: Punky Allsorts BAG: Next


The 'Down to Earth' Celeb: You know the type. The celebrities that turn up to festivals but "no paparazzi please!" Yet, in the event of the press turning up, they keep bang on trend with clashing prints and bare feet because "I'm just a regular gal." TOP: New Look SHORTS: River Island

The Hippie Dippy: Ah, the classic 60s flower child look revived for all you 2014 wannabes. You'll often find them with a flower wreath around their heads dancing around a field to Florence and the Machine (or are they not cool anymore?) DRESS: New Look BOOTS: Next NECKLACE and KIMONO/JACKET THING: Forever 21.

 


The Hollywood Princess: Just flown in from St. Tropez dahhling complete with suitcase for all her Chanel handbags. TOP: Topshop SKIRT: New Look SHOES: Dorothy Perkins HAT: Marks and Spencer's.




The Virgin Festival Goer: If, by some miracle come payday I could actually afford to go to a festival, this is the look I would opt for. Simple, low maintenance and all off the high street. SHORTS, TOP, HAT, KIMONO: Forever 21 SHOES: Converse.


The Resident Rebel: They've got festivals down to such a fine art that they're now bored with the whole process. Complete with parka, practical boots and cat t-shirt because that's "so ironic."HAT: Matalan PARKA and TOP: H&M SHORTS: New Look BOOTS AND SCARF: Mum's wardrobe.










Happy Festival-going!
 
 
Love Georgia x
 
 
 
 
Need help with a 'How To' Question? Keep those e-mails coming to: georgiasunshine429@gmail.com



















 

Wednesday 9 July 2014

How To #13: How to Do Summer (when skint)


How To #13: Things To Do this Summer if You’re Skint

Summer is nothing like it seems in the movies. Shocker. We plan road trips, late night beach parties and a girlie/lads holiday but in reality, it appears summer includes lying in until noon, the sofa and the TV becoming your best friend and an endless supply of Maryland cookies and Doritos. Whilst this may seem like heaven for the first week, there’s only so many old episodes of Friends one can take. And if, rather than central New York or London, you live in a quiet, rural area, where the greatest attraction is a field of cows, it can be difficult to keep yourself entertained. Thus, here are my top tips:

1.       Pass the time with Netflix- How to ruin your life for £5.99 a month. If you are a Netflix newbie, here are my top TV programmes to watch that will keep you entertained for hours:

·         Orange Is The New Black (if you are the only person who hasn’t seen this weirdly addictive comedy drama, you need to)

·         Friday Night Dinner (predictable comedy, but an easy way to pass the time)

·         Gossip Girl (an old favourite, something to do if all other avenues fail)

Visit www.netflix.com for a 30 day free trial

 

2.       It helps to have a friend that drives: if like me, you are licence-less having a friend that drives is brilliant. Just careful they don’t start doubling up as a taxi service as this can cause tension about petrol etc. Instead, offer to chip in to help pay for travel expenses.

 

3.       Take advantage of free festivals: If, also like me, you were too poor to afford Glastonbury this year and every other year before that, there are free festivals available. Although they are few and far between, they are out there. The Notting Hill Carnival is very fun although it can get crazy busy, so make sure you plan ahead.

 

Visit http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/9023471-notting-hill-carnival-2014 for more information on the Notting Hill Carnival 2014 in London

 

 

4.       Get Creative- ugh, effort! It can however, be rewarding and you could even stumble across a masterpiece.  Some of the best inventions and creations were made when their creators were bored, apparently. So take advantage of your boredom and write the next Harry Potter or something.

 

5.       Get Fit: Go out for a run in the mornings, get ripped abs or body builder biceps. Why not get a bikini body even if you’re not even going on holiday, let alone wearing a bikini. Great fun, right?

 

 

6.       Fake It: So you’re skint and thus not going on holiday, but who else needs to know that? Get down to your nearest beach on a sunny day, snap some pictures to put up on Facebook and just pretend that you spent two weeks away in Barbados. Might need to get the fake tan on to make it look convincing though. No one has ever got a golden sun kissed tan from sitting on Brighton Beach.

 

7.       Bake!- Baking is fun and also takes up a lot of your time. It also gives you an excuse to stuff your face with the old, “well, it would be a shame to let it go to waste…”

 

Check out the food blogs on my Must Read Blog List or scour www.allrecipes.co.uk for all the best ideas and recipes.

 

8.       Explore the great outdoors- no one’s asking you to make your garden resemble something from the Chelsea Flower Show, just go out for a walk or a bike ride. You can forget how nice the area you live in is. Or, if you live in a not so nice area, just plug your headphones in and pretend you can’t hear the sirens and people yelling abuse at each other from across the street.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

1.       DON’T procrastinate on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites: then you just see all the fun things that everyone else is up to, only making you feel more depressed about your disappointing summer

2.       DON’T constantly tweet about how bored you are. No one cares.

3.       DON’T constantly ask your friends if they want to do something. If they haven’t got the message by the third text, they never will.

Have a lovely summer!

Georgia x

Saturday 5 July 2014

How To #12: How To Do a BBQ (British Style)


It seems to have become a British tradition that as soon as the slightest bit of sun appears, people get their bangers out (come on people, I mean sausages). In England, where it rains on average 109 days out of a year, and the other 200 being overcast, that leaves 56 days of sunshine. Thus, us Brits love to celebrate these glorious sunny days with a BBQ, complete with drunk relatives and someone getting pushed into the paddling pool. For those of you that didn’t think that there was an etiquette to the Great British BBQ, well there is. Whether you’re from abroad or a Brit and need a refresher course, here’s my guide to doing BBQ, British style-ee.

1.       Gas or charcoal BBQ? I have no idea, I suppose this depends on your preference, but according to my not so extensive research, whilst charcoal BBQs are cheaper and give that authentic chargrilled flavour to your food, they are also a bit temperamental. Like the British weather, funnily enough. Gas BBQs are more expensive but are also easier and quicker to use, as you don’t have to wait a millennium for the coals to get hot and for your guests to give up and go home.

 

2.       Do men always have to man the BBQ? Now, I’d hate to be one to conform to gender stereotypical roles, but, yes, man does seem to have this desire to control the BBQ. I think there is an evolutionary explanation for this relating back to cavemen times- think “me man” “umm meat!” “umm fire!” and you’ll get the picture.

 

 

3.       What exactly does one bring to a BBQ? – Interesting question, so glad you asked. In an ideal world, one would turn up with a bottle of wine, however, it appears turning up with a pack of sausages to put on the BBQ is just, if not more, appreciative.

 

4.       What happens if it rains? I am yet to meet a Brit that has not had their BBQ rained on at least once. You can’t just give up and go inside though, because that would be embarrassing, not to mention completely go against our ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ mantra. So, that is what one must do, the parasol can double up as an umbrella after all. Genius.

 

 

5.       My burgers are looking a bit black, do I still serve them?- Of course, one expects their meat to be “well done” at a BBQ. It’s better to serve cremated meat than give them all food poisoning, right?

 

6.       What does one wear to a British BBQ?- BBQs pretend to be laid back but they may as well come with a dress code. Formal dress is a no-no, but you knew that already I hope. Same goes for white, the last thing you need is burger sauce dripping down your white shirt. Think a simple short and shirt, or a light summer dress to nail the BBQ look.

 

 

7.       I’m a vegetarian, shall I bother turning up? Although BBQs were definitely not intended for vegetarians, ask politely if the hosts wouldn’t mind catering to your non meat eating needs. To avoid conflict, tuts, and “the nerve!” comments, it might be wise to bring your own non meat options, such as Quorn burgers etc.

 

8.       What’s for dessert? Can I stick a cheesecake on the Barbie? No you may not. If you even have room for dessert after the farmyard you have consumed, I would suggest light options, such as Ice Cream, or indeed cheesecake, which, I repeat, does not belong on the BBQ.

 

 

9.       It is acceptable to get drunk at a BBQ? – When isn’t it acceptable? Next.

 

10.   Anything else I need to know?- Yes, when people start falling asleep on your patio because of the amount they’ve had to eat/drink, it’s time to call it a night.

 

Hope this helps and happy BBQing!
Love Georgia x
 
 















Don't forget to check out the food blogs on my Must Read Blogs List!
If you have any How To suggestions, e-mail me at: georgiasunshine429@gmail.com

 

Wednesday 2 July 2014

How To #11: How to Cure a Hangover



I’ve never actually needed to cure a hangover, so in the name of research, I went to a party and had one to many, many being the operative word. After throwing up in my sink when I got home, come 5am in the morning, my head was pounding, and not in a good Ke$ha kind of way. Pop songs may glamorise it, (Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” anyone?) but spending the morning with your head down the toilet is about as glamorous as, well sticking your head down the toilet. I tried every hangover cure known to man (or at least those I could find on Google) and tested them to see if they would miraculously cure my hangover. In short, none of them did. There is no “cure” for a hangover, dummy. Some remedies however are more effective than others at preventing walking around with your own personal sick bucket for the remainder of the day.

1.       Don’t Drink: Simple and obvious but it sure as hell works. SCORE: 10/10

 

2.       Don’t Drink on an empty stomach: You don’t need to tell me twice. I ordered one large Indian takeaway before going out on the town. Apparently, a meal that includes carbohydrates (such as pasta or rice) or fats will help slow down the body’s absorption of alcohol. My Verdict: Although I may not have gotten drunk as quickly, this didn’t make my hangover any less bearable come the morning after. I couldn’t even stomach my Weetabix SCORE: 3/10

 

 

3.       Don’t drink dark coloured drinks: I’ve never heard of this one before, but apparently they contain natural chemicals called congeners, which are basically impurities, which irritate blood vessels and tissues in the brain and can make a hangover worse. My Verdict: as any young adult knows, most of the drinks aimed at our generation are either clear (i.e. vodka) or an unnatural neon colour, apparently to make them more appealing. Staying away from the dark coloured drinks did not keep my hangover at bay. SCORE: 1/10

 

4.       Drink water or non fizzy drinks in between each alcoholic drink: in order to replace the water you are losing through drinking. My Verdict: Confession. I actually read this tip wrong and mistook it for saying drink fizzy drinks in between each alcoholic drink. Yay, I can mix my diet coke and vodka I thought. Nope. Carbonated drinks speed up the absorption of alcohol into your system. Thus, sticking to diet coke and vodka all night wasn’t the best option. SCORE: 6/10

 

 

5.       Drink a pint of water before you go to sleep: My Verdict: I never got to this stage as I passed out on my kitchen floor before I could reach the tap. Oops. But I assume it helps as alcohol leads to dehydration, thus you are replacing the water you’ve lost by drinking a pint of water before you go to sleep. SCORE: N/A

 

6.       Take Painkillers: These can help with headaches and muscle cramps. Paracetamol based remedies are preferable, as aspirin may further irritate the stomach, causing sickness and nausea. My Verdict: After a night out drinking, I usually always take a painkiller before going to bed, which eases the symptoms in the morning. However, as I said, I never made it to the kitchen exactly. Thus, it had to wait until 5am in the morning when I next woke up. Painkillers do help though. Just make sure you don’t exceed the recommended dosage. SCORE: 8/10

 

 

7.       Sugary foods may help you feel less trembly:  My Verdict: I had planned on pancakes the morning after but the mere smell of them made me want to run back to my old friend toilet bowl. The closest I got was a few mouthfuls of Weetabix doused in sugar SCORE: N/A

 

8.       “Hair of the Dog”- This is basically drinking more alcohol to cure a hangover caused by alcohol. I’ve heard often that a Bloody Mary is particularly good in curing a hangover from hell. My Verdict: I didn’t try this method because it is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Drinking in the morning is a risky habit, and something I don’t wish to adopt thank you very much. Avoid this old wives tale at all costs. SCORE: 0/10
 
The moral of the story is, stay away from the drink kids.
 
Love, Georgia. x

Tuesday 1 July 2014

How To #10: How To Do House Parties


House parties have become a sort of rite of passage for young adults, where the drink is flowing, people are single and ready to mingle, and someone usually ends up face down in a bush. I generally prefer house parties as unlike large venues where there is certain etiquette, the only rule at house parties is to get as drunk as possible. This also means that it is easy for things to get out of control, so whether you are attending or hosting a house party, here are my tips for having a wild night rather than a full blown riot.  

1.       Chill Out- this mainly applies to those hosting the party. You can’t be too uptight if you want to be a good host, or indeed, hostess. You can pretty much guarantee that your house will not be in the same state you left it- expect at least small volumes of vomit, broken glasses, drinks spillages and your Mum’s ornament being replaced with a bottle of Bulmers Cider. If you really are a neat freak, and god forbid, own a cream carpet, I’d suggest laying down plastic sheeting or, better yet, hosting the party outside if you have big enough garden space.

 

2.       Don’t just stand there- House parties, by their very intimate nature, are intended to encourage mingling and socialising. So as much as you would like to stand by the doritos all night, you simply cannot.

 

 

3.       Know your limits- not to sound like a party pooper but the last thing you want to end up as is that person who vommed all over the walls. Stay away from the hard stuff, particularly vodka as it is easy to drink too much of it. Wine may seem innocent but a large glass contains 3 units on average. Unless there is some kind of contest, there is also no need to get off your face within the first hour- pace yourself- if necessary, drink water regularly in between your boozing and avoid mixing alcohol with fizzy drinks such as coca cola, as they speed up the absorption of alcohol into your system. 

 

4.       Parents or no parents?- It really doesn’t depend on your preference, or should I say, your parents’ preference. In my experience, having the whole family around means people are much less willing to go crazy. However, a little parental supervision here and there won’t stop a good party- although it will if someone throws up in your Mum’s wardrobe.

 

 

5.       He’s cute, should I get off with him? God no, beer goggles are a genuine thing- although he may look like Zac Efron now, he’ll look like Mr Bean when the pictures emerge on Facebook in the morning, trust me.

 

6.       Hangovers aren’t that bad are they? Depending on how much you’ve had to drink, yes they can be a bitch. No one wants to admit they threw up in the sink.  Keep yourself hydrated and cool, and if possible, remain in bed all day with the curtains firmly shut. Also a good tip is to take a pain killer before you go to bed (though make sure you are supervised.) See tomorrow’s blogs for more handy hangover tips.

 

 

7.       Can I be sober and still have fun? Of course, if anything you’ll have even more fun observing all the drunk people, whose antics will keep you entertained for hours.

 

8.       The Morning After: Try to avoid social media from the risk of seeing somewhat embarrassing photos of you from the night before. If you were hosting the party, get downstairs early, make yourself a cuppa, and decide how the hell you are going to get this mess cleaned up before your parents wake up.

 

Happy house partying,

Love Georgia x