Setting up for Summer

YOU'VE just eaten your Christmas dinner, make a few snowmen and wrapped yourself up in layers of warm clothing... then BAM! Oh, it’s April! How did that happen? You’re now sick of stomping through slippery snow and being unable to feel your face every time you leave the house. Summer is around the corner and you wholeheartedly encourage the sun to put its hat on. So crack out the sunnies, stock up on the brochures and get saving those pennies!

Holiday shopping

If you haven’t already, now is the time to look into saying goodbye to the cloudy UK skies and say hello to the red hot sky abroad. If you are looking for a holiday, then it’s important that you don’t get ripped off paying ridiculous company fees that the major travel companies charge. There are plenty of online websites that allow you to put together dream packages well-within your budget. www.travelrepublic.co.uk and www.icelolly.com are handy little sites that enable you to choose your hotel, flight and extras separately. Pick your flight, look into your fabulous hotels facilities and CLICK... you’ll be drinking cosmopolitans on a lounger before you know it! If you are a technology fossil and prefer bobbing into the local travel agents, then the smaller organisations are the best. Less well-known companies don’t have big third party fees and so you are likely to slash a whole bucket of pennies off your bill. Just ensure that your company is reputable and ATOL protected - not some dodgy backstreet firm in a dark alleyway.

Summer wardrobe

Now, I am definitely one of those people who dig out the Ray-Bans at any given opportunity. Personally, I see it as encouraging the sun to put its trilby on. Speaking of outfits, the summer approaching is definitely a good excuse for a new wardrobe. Chances are the sun will only be out for 3 days during the UK summer-time but this will not stop British from wearing next to nothing - hey, 18 degrees is good enough for us to strip down, dust the BBQ and slap on the sunscreen. Make sure you stock up on plenty of wellies for the festival season and prepare yourself for the inevitable monsoon that will most likely hit us. Denim shorts are a must for us girls (tip: customize them with lots of studs from a sewing shop and pay no more than 99p for a £20 pair of shorts), as well as plenty of sandals from Primark and oversized cardigans to cover those goose bumps when the nights turn chilly. Guys, a trilby hat can look pretty cool in the warm weather and you can’t go wrong snapping up a good pair of Ray-Bans. Plain tees and cropped chinos are perfect for a casual laid-back summer vibe. Anyway, we already have a Gok Wan, you don’t need another one...

Festivals

Glastonbury, Leeds, Creamfields – there are many to choose from. Take your pick, pitch that tent and get ready to have an amazing/muddy weekend. Whether you want to see David Guetta, Arctic Monkeys or even Eminem, there is a festival peachy for you. Take plenty of wet wipes, bottled water and waterproofs. Creamfields was cancelled last year due to flooding from the monsoon that we call summer, so just ensure you have plenty of warm clothes and a sturdy tent. Avoid packing valuables or any clothing you don’t want wrecking by the gallons of mud heading your way.

BBQ’s

BBQ’s are always a stressful experience but they don’t have to be – namely because men suddenly get a caveman ego and demand they are the lead-chef. If you can bypass this, then the sunshine, burgers and beer will create a cool summer vibe in the comfort of your own back garden. You can purchase disposable BBQ’s for as cheap as £3. You could also make a large bowl of fruit punch – alcohol optional – and get guests to bring one food item each. Now, turn up some summer smashes on the radio because today’s going to be a scorcher.

List of summer annoyances to avoid:

·        Bright red lobster skin - we are British and so being sheet white is our downfall. Factor 50 is cool – because I said so. WEAR IT.

·        Shirtless boys – I can hear you all screaming ‘EH?’ but bear with me. Those guys who walk down the local high-street for a pint of milk with their chest out enrage me. Unless you’re on a beach or in your back garden catching some rays, then NO. Just no.

·        Cavemen BBQ chefs – I have previously touched on this but, again, what is it with men and grilling burgers on the BBQ? Any other time, they are happy to watch you cook and wash up after. However, the sunshine suddenly turns them into Gordon Ramsey – but worse.

·        Creatures that fly – I want to sit and relax with a book not chase an angry wasp around the kitchen with an electronic bat. Nor, do I want a fly in my chips thanks.