Monthly Archives: December 2018

Dec 18 2018

The Biggest Privacy Scandals of 2018: Win a 50” Samsung 4K TV with HDR

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I wouldn’t like to guess if we’ve behaved enough this year to get the winning lottery numbers from Father Christmas, but I’ve got my fingers crossed nonetheless. And, reflecting back on this year and some of the huge tech scandals we’ve seen, I’m definitely in with a shot! There was actually a whole host of naughtiness going on, from both government and private enterprise all over the world. Sweeping legislation saw our privacy coming under new threats from the most unlikely of places.

Take for example, the Facebook scandal in early 2018. Remember hearing about how our data was being mined and sold to Cambridge Analytica, affecting some 87 million people? This major breach seemed to trickle downwards, with dozens of large businesses being named and shamed in the press for similar transgressions… just check out this infographic by pioneers in the fight for digital privacy since 2013, BestVPN.com.

Infographic created by BestVPN.com

I remember the faff of having to sort my own GDPR out for this blog. I ended up paying someone to do it for me out of sheer frustration. At the time, our inboxes were literally inundated with emails from companies begging for us to opt in to their newsletters. When the deadline was upon us, the sigh of collective relief was audible - finally we’d get clutter-free inboxes. Yet, guess what? I’m still receiving just as much spam as before, from big companies who really ought to know better.

There’s also a new privacy news story that I expect to get lots of coverage as we head into the New Year. In April 2018, the Golden State killer who terrorised people in the California and Sacramento area from 1974 to 1986, was caught and arrested thanks to online DNA and genealogical databases. Investigators ran the killer’s decades-old DNA through genealogical websites and found relatives with matching segments of DNA. They then followed clues to individuals in the family trees to determine whether they were potential suspects, and triangulate the killer’s identity.

This development was welcomed by many, after all, Joseph James DeAngelo murdered 12 people and raped 51 others. Yet, this could set a dangerous precedent if this data falls into the wrong hands. In fact, the unusual manner in which the Golden State Killer case was cracked has sparked much debate.

Privacy advocates are concerned that popular companies such as 23andme & Ancestry leave the door open to sharing a customer’s genetic information with law enforcement, and beyond. They say that doing so represents “Orwellian state overreach” or, even worse, that the imperfect technology involved puts innocent people at risk. There has also been grumblings that genetic testing sites sell “purportedly anonymised” genetic data to third parties, typically to drug makers. Expect more on this in 2019…

On a lighter note - how about winning a 50 Inch 4K Samsung TV?

Enough of all the naughtiness, I’m here to share the news that BestVPN are giving away a 50” Samsung 4K TV with HDR - just in time for Christmas. Donated by the VPN provider NordVPN, this amazing prize will be winging its way to one very deserving winner very soon.

With stunning 4K quality picture, it boasts impeccable visuals and plenty of smart TV features to satisfy all your entertainment needs. This state-of-the-art TV could be yours if you can answer a single question involving the infographic above - just check out BestVPNs Naughty or Nice list for yourself, and enter via Gleam

Good luck!.

Dec 17 2018

Style: Nailing the Office Party

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I love Christmas; the giddiness of my children, the food, decorating the house… it’s a month-long celebration. The only thing that seriously stresses me out, is the office party. As one of those rare people who hates clothes shopping, I find trawling the high street for something flattering an absolute chore.

So this year, I finished the Christmas shopping early giving me plenty of time to focus on getting ready for the party season ahead, and rather than put myself through the trauma of my local shopping centre, I’ve been searching for the perfect dress online.

Belles and Whistles with Joanna Hope

(left to right): JOANNA HOPE EMBELLISHED MAXI DRESS £153.00 / JOANNA HOPE EMBROIDERED MAXI DRESS £165 / JOANNA HOPE LACE MIDI DRESS £45 / JOANNA HOPE BEADED FRINGE LACE DRESS £123.50

When I heard Joanna Hope was collaborating with JD Williams, I knew exactly where to search out something for my company’s ball. It’s a semi-formal prom affair with lots of top clients milling about. Yes, they’re probably there for the free champagne and air kisses, but I still don’t want to look like I’ve squeezed into something hastily snatched from the back of my wardrobe.

Joanna Hope has collaborated with a few major retailers in the past, and I’ve always admired her eye for tailoring and detailing that flatter us plus-sized girlies (even if we are in denial). I might be pushing it to say I’m a size 14, but her clothes always seem to be generous enough accomodate my mum tum and gargantuan boobs. Toss in the fact that everything is so pretty and it’s hard to know where to start.

Here are my top picks from her range of party dresses available at JD Williams this year.

Top Tip: Team any of these with simple heels or court shoes, and a coordinating clutch, and you’re set to go.

(left to right): JOANNA HOPE BEADED MAXI DRESS was £170 now £102 / JOANNA HOPE EMBROIDERED MAXI DRESS was £120 now £90 / JOANNA HOPE STRIPE PROM SKIRT £66.50 / JOANNA HOPE SATEEN BODYCON DRESS £55

An Altogether Simpler Affair

(left to right): PETITE PEPLUM HEM SCUBA DRESS £55 / JOANNA HOPE EMBROIDERED DRESS was £130 now £84.50 / JOANNA HOPE SHEER YOKE SHIFT DRESS was £140 now £95 / EDEN ROW VIRGINIA RUCHED DRESS £121.50

I also have a few more understated office gatherings to attend this year; those I’ll most likely show my face at on my way home from work. For these, I need something easy enough to be comfortable in throughout my work day, that transitions seamlessly from desk to bar (with a little hair fiddling, a pair of heels, and a splash of lip gloss).

These are the social occasions that catch you off guard. You enter the bar with the best of intentions (diet coke and on the tube by 8pm) - yet end up channelling your inner Noddy Holder way into the night, creeping back to your office as you missed the last train, and sleeping at your desk clutching an empty bottle of Bud Light for your colleagues to cringe at the next day.

Shift dresses are PERFECT for this given they’re nice and roomy, and don’t cling to your bumpy bits. Easily dressed up and down, you can do a full day in them, even if you overdo it with the pigs in blankets at the Christmas lunch. JD Williams (again) have some lovely pieces well worth stocking up on for everyday staples.

Top Tip: Take two; one needs to stay in your handbag so you can at least pretend you went home the night before.

(left to right): GLITTER KNIT DRESS WITH RUFFLE SLEEVE £25 / MULBERRY BEADED HEM SHIFT DRESS £45 / JOE BROWNS CROCHET LACE DRESS was £59 now £17.50 / BLUE LACE LAYERED DRESS £25

Christmas Day Hosting

(left to right): BLACK LONG SLEEVE BARDOT SWING DRESS was £40 now £20 / CHEVRON SEQUIN DRESS £69 / SILVER SEQUIN SHIFT DRESS £50

If you cannot bear for your mother-in-law to sense you’re anything less than TOTALLY serene on the big day (despite the fact she practically invited herself, and her husband, and her friend from church…) then dressing up on Christmas Day is compulsory. Again, you can’t look like you’ve overdone it. Glitter and sparkles are fine, but your boobs should not be resting at the Christmas table for her to roll her eyes at.

Instead pick something stretchy and forgiving for all the dashing to and fro from the kitchen, something that covers your thighs (lest she comment on your weight gain), and something that emphasises the fact that you’re THIRTY PLUS years younger than her, and she looked like the back of a bus at that age… that sort of thing.

Top Tip: You will be photographed. You are bound to be captured fawning over your brood, bin bag in hand to pick up all the discarded wrapping paper. A little subtle make-up wouldn’t hurt either - keep it simple though; eyebrows and mineral make-up only. A smoky eye might make it look like you’ve wandered home at 5am without taking it off (old people just don’t get it).

(left to right): LACE DETAIL PROM DRESS was £65 now £39 / JOANNA HOPE EMBELLISHED MIDI DRESS £94.50 / RED PRINT TWIST KNOT DRESS £29

There you have it! My top festive styling tips, helping you nail the office party and the Big Day itself. Even when your children are crying over the fact you bought the wrong colour Nintendo Switch, or your husband is sulking that there’s not enough Stella in the fridge to survive a day with his mum - you’ll still look perfectly coiffed for the family photo.

 

Have a good one everyone!

 

Dec 17 2018

How to prepare your child for moving to university

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Deciding to go to university is a big step, and for your child, it will be equal parts an exciting and nerve-wracking adventure. However, for you and the rest of the family, it will most likely be a bittersweet time, as your little one finally leaves childhood and begins the next chapter of their life as a young adult.

At this time, you need to be strong and supportive for your child, as well as understanding when they need you to take a step back and let them figure things out on their own. It can understandably be a difficult time, so here are some top tips to help you prepare your child for their move to university.

Making the Right Choice

Young people usually begin looking at courses and universities a few years before they hope to begin studying, as this provides plenty of time to visit universities, make a final decision, submit an application, personal statement and any supporting extras like a creative portfolio, and wait for their offer to be finalised.

If your child is still unsure whether or not they want to go to university at all, it may be a good idea to weigh up the benefits of attending university. If they have decided that they do want to go, the next step is to carefully sift through all the different courses and universities in order to find their favourite. Remember – if they have their heart set on studying at an Oxbridge university, the application deadline is earlier than the standard UCAS deadline.

Careful Preparation

University will likely be the first time many young people will be moving away from home, so the chances are that they will need to stock up on all the household essentials they take for granted back home. In order to make sure nothing is forgotten, help them draw up a list of everything they will need (bedding and towels, crockery, utensils and cooking equipment, etc) and check what is included with their accommodation.

On moving day, it might also be a nice touch to do a big supermarket shop to set them up with all the essentials, and save them a little money, too!

Dealing with the Emotions

There’s no sugar-coating the fact that moving to university will be an emotional time for the whole family. From nerves and apprehension to excitement and anticipation, emotions will most likely be running high. Make sure to pack plenty of tissues for moving day itself, and your child may find it a comfort to bring a few special keepsakes or memories with them for those more difficult moments – even if they don’t admit it!

Homesickness is a very real struggle for many young people who have just moved away for the first time, with many now living in an unfamiliar city with hundreds of other students they don’t know. Follow your child’s lead and make sure that they know you are always there for them, whether they need a ten-minute phone call every evening or are quite content just receiving the occasional care package from home!

If you are struggling with letting your child head off on their own, it may be beneficial to share how you’re feeling with someone close to you. Whether it’s your partner, another close family member or a trusted friend, sometimes, a friendly face and a good chat can be just the healing power you need.

Above all else, the move to university should be a fun and exciting one for your child. Allow them to make the most of the wonderful opportunity they are presented with and start the next chapter of their journey through life in the best possible way.

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