Los Angeles

I really don't know what I expected of Los Angeles, I heard it was ridiculously laid-back, and unlike any other part of America, but I still had no clue what to expect. My first day was challenging, as usual we had problems with being on standby, so my dad and I went first and my mum and sister followed the next day. The weather was exactly how my mother had described it 'Los Angeles fog' The morning was cold and foggy, but brightened up in the afternoon, what brightened it up even more was my aunt coming down to see us from Tennessee! It's so nice being able to meet up with her as we live so far apart, and as usual when we were together, we got up to all sorts of adventures!

Days out!Los Angeles is perfect for days out, and there's a range of activities depending on budget and adventure level! If you have a small budget, just taking a walk along the coast is perfect. With breathtaking sea views and golden sand, it's amazing if you just want to take a casual stroll, or go for a nice jog along the sea front. Also, walking along the Hollywood walk of fame is completely free! The only problem would be the parking because you really, really don't want to be finned! If you're willing to spend a bit more, there are plenty of days out-children of all ages will love universal studios! With amazing rides like 'the Simpson 3D'  transporting you into Springfield, and 'Jurassic park - the ride' gets you up close and personal with a T-rex! 

I would give days out in LA 8/10 for entertainment and value for money!



Food
The food in LA ranged slightly, I'm a huge lover of healthy foods, so I absolutely loved all the fruit drinks and salads they provided! But let's be honest, you can't go on holiday without having a  few little treats..Well I say little...THE PORTIONS WERE HUGE! It's okay to have a burger and fries occasionally, but when they're that big, it's a little off-putting!

I would give the food 6/10 in LA - If the portions weren't so big, I would give a higher rating.

Accommodation

The hotels and the hospitality we received were nothing short of perfection! Everything was sparkling clean, and the hotel staff were wonderfully kind and welcoming! We even received free cookies from one hotel!

I would give accommodation in LA 10/10 because of the wonderful experiences we had!

We were lucky enough to have two parts to this trip! So I will be posting a blog about Hawaii very soon!

Spiders.

Ughh, spiders!
Normally, I'm not the type to be worried over spiders, I mean let's be honest they won't do you any harm in England, but lately, I'm not sure if it's the weather or my fear has just increased, but wow, have they gotten bigger! Just an example, I was sitting down watching t.v last night and just randomly an absolutely massive spider just runs out from behind the sofa into the middle of the room! When did spiders become so confident, I thought they're meant to be 'just a scared of us as we are of them' I don't think so. Anyway, this spider was so freaking huge that my mum and I ran screaming from the room and barricaded ourselves in the kitchen until my dad came home. The worst part is, he didn't find it! It's still there, lurking in the shadows ready to kill me or something. Here are a few "Spider preventatives" I found online, I'm going to give them a try because this is getting ridiculous.

1) Seal up your home. Patch up cracks and holes leading from the outside in to prevent spiders from finding their way indoors.

2) Keep your outdoor lights off. While outdoor lights will not attract spiders, they will attract other pests that can serve as appetizing food sources for spiders.

3) Remove vegetation away from the perimeter of your house. If you have a serious spider problem, consider transplanting shrubs, trees, ivy, and other plants from the perimeter of your house to the opposite side of the yard.

4) Vacuum spiders and spider webs. One of the simplest methods for getting rid of spiders is vacuuming up adult spiders, egg sacs, and webs as you run across them.

5) Deter spiders with horse chestnuts. Place a few horse chestnuts in each corner of the house and in
any area of the house where you frequently run across spiders.

Songkran Festival - Thailand

Songkran festival, Thailand's most celebrated and most loved festival. It runs between April 13th and can vary in length, but usually lasts between 3-10 days, depending on where about you are in Thailand. The word Songkran is means solar year in Sanskrit. But nowadays Thailand celebrates the new year along with everyone else on December 31st.

  I had been to Thailand various different times before, but the atmosphere of this day was different. Everyone was excited, the market stools which were always open was today mysteriously closed? It was a curious feeling, like a strange alien invasion had occurred but instead of people going missing. Everyone who was everyone had crowed into the capital of Bangkok. Driving through the city hundreds of adults and children had set up stool on the back of cars with huge buckets of water, supporting water pistols and thrilled expressions on their faces. Within only 5 minutes our taxi was covered in a thick paste of flour and water as we made the mad dash from the car to the hotel managing to get drenched, as a little old man threw a bucket of ice water over us. Laughing and completely soaked from head to toe we were finally told about the festival and what it involved.

The next day, we journeyed out into koh san road armed with water pistols and raincoats. Almost immediately a group of children threw water bombs at us as we all ran for cover. The actual festival is really well organised, with free goods of water and fruit juices provided by various sponsorship deals. And a stereo playing music so the whole thing is like a huge party. Walking down the street you are greeted by friendly "sawadee ka" you are warmly shaken by the hand and are lightly covered in flour (okay sometimes they go slightly overboard, but it's a sign of respect so just go with it!) You're also kindly provided with water bags and covers, so no expensive equipment is damaged. Throughout the festival a camera for a Thai news channel roles capturing all the highlights of the day. The only bad thing about the festival is that all the shops are shut, so if you primarily came to Thailand for the clothes and the food you could be disappointed. But personally I think songkran is the most fun and adventurous thing I have experienced. It's also a chance to spend time with loved ones and just have a massive celebration. I would definitely recommend Songkran as a fantastic time to go to Thailand, if you like water fights, fun and hot weather. It would even be appropriate for children, as at the time I had my then 9 year old sister and she thoroughly enjoyed it. The only problem we encountered with her, was sometimes It would be a but much, with the cold water and the flour and as it's respectful for them, They're not likely to stop because you're not enjoying it. But to summarise I would say it was the most exciting water fight I've ever had and if you never experience it, you're missing out on a good soaking!

 

Cath Kidston Job interview

So, I had an interview at Cath Kidston this weekend and I was absolutely terrified! I hardly found any information online so I went into it feeling slightly under prepared. Fortunately, it was one of the nicest interviews I had ever had. Just in case anyone has an interview for Cath Kidston coming up or has one in retail, here's some general information I wish I had known before going into the interview.

1) Cath Kidston is huge on teamwork, so arrive early and talk to some of the store members. For example, I learnt some of their names and when a question came up about teamwork, I was like "Oh, I was just talking to e.g. Lauren about that"

2) Research the brand! It's really likely that you will be asked "So, what do you know about Cath Kidston?" Make sure you know the brand inside and out so you're not caught out on this question. Likewise, if you're going for any retail shop, research the brand!

3) Do not give generic answers! You want to make yourself sound interesting and desirable, talk about your love for fashion and what you can bring to the store.

Please don't think this advice is limited to Cath Kidston, you can use this at any retail shop. Just be really smiley and bubbly because at the end of the day they just want warm, friendly people to greet customers.

Other notes

• Wear something floral 
• Keep eye contact
• Try and memorise 3 products you can slip into the conversation
• SMILE