Prague Photo Diary: Part 2

Missed part 1? Read it here!
Part 1 ended with my mid-afternoon nap (I'm getting old, okay?) so let's set off from there! We showered and got ready for night one in Prague. I wore almost the same outfit as you can see in my OOTD post here - the only difference was new jewellery that I received for my birthday! Tim wore my favourite shirt of his (a light blue shirt from Hollister).

Matching lipstick? ;)

We ate at the hotel restaurant and the food was INCREDIBLE. I had pork shoulder and Tim had duck breast, and both were cooked to perfection! I still can't believe I didn't take a photo because the presentation was beautiful as well - I was clearly too hungry. After this, we headed back to Lesser Town (where the castle is) and found a cute little bar near the river, where we had cocktails and beers. We then headed back to Andel as we'd seen a few bars there earlier in the day and found a small underground bar which was just starting to pick up. I had a yummy fruit cider while Tim stuck to the Czech beers - both of which were crazy cheap! After this, we headed back to the hotel and collapsed into bed.
The next day after breakfast we made our way to Old Town Square which was pretty busy but again, we were really lucky with the weather! To start off the day, we made our way up the Old Town Hall Tower which gave us a beautiful view of the whole square. We spent a while walking round the little streets surrounding the square until we found a cute little place for a pub lunch.


After lunch, we headed back to the river and hired out a pedalo for an hour. The weather was absolutely stunning and it was such a great way to see a bit more of the city! There was also a bar which you could pedal up to and they would serve you from the boat so Tim enjoyed a cheeky mid-afternoon boat beer. 

Part 3 will conclude our last night and day in Prague - stay tuned for that! If you want to keep up to date with blog posts, I'd love for you to follow me on Bloglovin' - just click this link

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Making Friends At Uni: My Top Five Tips


Moving away from home to a new city can be scary enough when you start Uni; let alone the thought of not knowing anyone when you get there! Luckily, there are lots of things you can do to ensure you don't feel isolated and make the most of being around new people! As a fourth year student, I'm going to share with you my tips for making friends at uni, which I can honestly tell you do really work!

1. Invest in a doorstop! Let's start with the strangest one. From my experiences, if you're living in halls or student accommodation, bedroom doors tend to be heavy and uninviting. Make yourself seem friendlier and welcoming by wedging your door open so that your flatmates feel they can approach you easily! It really can make a difference, no matter how small.

2. Bring chocolates/cake for your new flatmates. Who doesn't like chocolate? It makes for a great icebreaker and allows for easy conversation to flow over cake and tea!

3. Ask questions. Once you've got the conversation flowing, don't forget to ask lots of questions. Fun fact: we love talking about ourselves! It's the thing we know the most about and it also helps to get to know your new housemates better. You don't have to go in with the deep questions straight away; simple things such as where they grew up, what hobbies they have, do they play any sports etc.

4. Everyone is in the same boat! Don't forget that your flatmates probably feel just the same as you! So be the one to initiate the conversation because chances are they're dying to make friends with everyone else too. 

5. Join societies. Not everyone clicks with their flatmates - and that's okay! Even if you do, a great way to make new friends with similar interests to you is to get your bum down to your Uni's societies fair and join any that interest you. Societies often hold events or weekly meetups where you can meet and socialise with other people. 




I really hope this helps - I know how scary and intimidating it can be but trust me, it does get better! Just do you!
If you missed my University checklist, you can check it out here!

Prague Photo Diary: Part 1

Hello all!

Tim and I went away on a mini September excursion to the capital of Czech Republic and I really wanted to share our little adventure with you!

We flew from London Stansted on the Tuesday evening, arriving in Prague around 10:30pm.  After a few panics (mainly from me) because there were a load of reconstruction works on the trams, we managed to find our way to our beautiful hotel, which fully exceeded my expectations! 

We got up super early on the Wednesday and chowed down on one of the best (if not THE best) continental breakfast buffets I've ever had.  We made our way into the nearest little town called Andel and after a few wrong turns and asking some locals for directions, finally made our way to lesser town square. The first place we went to was St. Nicholas church which was absolutely stunning.


We worked our way up the hill to Prague castle, which totally confused us at first as it isn't your traditional fairytale-type castle! A girl can dream!  Instead, we were met by grand gates and huge palace-like buildings. We explored further and bought student tickets to all the main attractions within the castle grounds, including St. Vitus Cathedral, Basilica of St. George and the Old Royal Palace. We were even lucky enough to be standing around in the castle grounds at 12pm to see the changing of the guard which is definitely worth a watch.





We walked down across the river (at which point we saw a crazy drunk Czech jump in the water - very entertaining!) and stopped for a spot of lunch at a cute little cafe.  After this, we took a gorgeous stroll across the river and along the infamous Charles bridge. It was the hottest day of the week (probably around 26 degrees) so it was the perfect day for casual walking. 



Having turned 22 the week before, I was clearly feeling the old age and we popped back to the hotel for a little nap. I'll leave part 1 here, and I can tell you that the evenings get a fair bit less cultural! I hope you've enjoyed so far!

What Should You REALLY Take To University? The Ultimate Checklist


Happy September everyone!

As well as September being my birthday month (6th September if you're asking), it's also the month that many young adults move out and start their new adventure at University. This year, I'll be going into my final year but my younger brother will also be joining me in Cardiff as a fresher! So I thought I would share the checklist I made for him because I'm sure it'll help others going to Uni! Sure, you can Google "what to take to university" and it'll come up with dozens of results, but I'm hoping to add my own personal touch as someone who's been student-ing for the past three years.

Let's start with the boring things: so-called important documents.  It's probably a good idea to take the following:
  • Passport - not always essential but it may be needed as a second form of ID, or it may come in handy if you decide to take an impromptu trip to Budapest (YOU NEVER KNOW).
  • Debit/credit card - probably already in your wallet but don't forget it, okay? You live on your own now, you need to buy your own shit. On this subject, change your account over to a student account as you'll have much better overdraft rates (often 0% interest) and great little student perks.
  • Uni information - any documents about accommodation, your course and inductions, and any student finance information.
Now onto something I personally find unashamedly exciting - KITCHENWARE! You're often supplied with a kettle/microwave/toaster, but if not then you can all chip in for a cheap one once you've moved in. Most of these are pretty self-explanatory so I won't go on too much! I'm including everything I found useful and (mainly) necessary:
  • Pots and pans - I'd recommend one small saucepan, one larger saucepan and one or two frying pans
  • Cutlery - don't spend too much on these!
  • Crockery - a bowl and  a couple of different sized plates should suffice!
  • Chopping board
  • Tupperware/microwaveable plastic boxes - for yummy leftovers
  • A couple of sharp knives
  • Baking tray - for late night cookie baking as well as to cook fish fingers on
  • Colander
  • Sieve
  • Oven gloves
  • Tongs - great for turning bacon (or anything else... but mainly bacon)
  • Cheese grater - extra points for one with a lid so you can store leftovers in the fridge
  • Tea towels
  • Mugs/glasses
  • Tin opener
  • Wooden spoons
  • Spatula
  • Freezer bags
Onto the bedroom. Naughty. Nah but seriously, a very important room. Quite possibly where you'll be feeling your most homely whilst at uni:
  • Duvet & pillows
  • Duvet & pillow covers
  • Mattress topper/bed sheet
  • Hangers
  • Laundry basket
  • Photos - be wary of using blu-tack as if it stains the wall, you could be charged for it
  • Door stop - VERY important for maximum sociability - more on this in my next Uni post!
  • Laptop - for Uni and non-Uni purposes
  • Speakers - for when you want to be loud
  • Headphones - for when you want to be secretly loud
  • Phone/laptop charger - VERY important, as we all know, but still always seem to forget them
  • Alarm clock - because the iPhone alarm doesn't always quite cut it (especially when you have a 9am lecture the morning after a night out on the lash)
  • Other decor - for me this includes LOTS of fairy lights (because I'm a real adult)
  • Clothes - everyday, going out, pyjamas/lounging clothes, and one formal piece of clothing (for Fresher's Ball/any unexpected balls that may come your way). Be wary of how much storage space you have when deciding how much clothing to take with you!
  • Small First Aid kit 
And of course the all-important bathroom, be this shared or en suite:
  • Towels - don't forget a hand towel as well as a body towel!
  • Medication - be this prescribed or much-needed paracetamol after a heavy night out
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Toiletries - these can be bought once you're at University and you've sussed out the nearest supermarket
  • Toilet roll
  • Make-up - IMPORTANT
Other things that don't really fall into any of these particular categories:
  • A pack of cards - this will make you VERY popular during freshers
  • Washing machine tablet - simplifies washing as much as possible
  • Fancy dress items - again, very important during freshers: there will be LOTS of fancy dress events
  • Notebook/stationery/folders for lectures
  • Hot water bottle - for when things get a little too much
  • Basic cleaning products
  • USB memory stick
  • Umbrella - because Britain
  • Clothes horse
  • Sleeping bag

I really hope this helps some of you starting University! If you think I've missed anything out, please let me know in the comments! I love hearing what you guys think. Otherwise, happy Uni days! Read my tips on making friends at Uni (or anywhere!) here!