5, 4, 3, 2, 1: How to avoid overpacking!

Follow this method of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and avoid overpacking for a week away. The boyf and I are looking forward to a week in Tenerife and I thought I would share with you a recently discovered godsend.

It essentially means packing: 

-5 tops (which includes jackets), opt for a kimono/denim jacket, I shouldn't be encouraging cheating so early on into the post but wear one on the flight and pack the other as part of your five tops. Then keep your options open with a black one, a white one and a colour one, then throw in a different sleeve length to be on the side of caution.

-4 bottoms, a pair of denim shorts, a pair of cotton shorts, a skirt and for me a pair of white jeans as the Canary Islands can get quite windy! If you don't want to pack jeans throw in another pair of denim shorts for good measure! 

-3 dresses + shoes, opt for your favourite pair of sandals/trainers and a nice pair of heels just in case. For dresses go for a day dress a more evening dress, and a playsuit or maybe some dungarees!

-2 swimsuits + bags, pick your two favourite swimsuits and pack a beach/pool bag along with a little over the shoulder bag for day trips!

-1 pair of sunnies (also goes for hats/watches/ beach towels) I always take 2/3 pairs with me but I know exactly which ones I will end up wearing all week!

Stick to this and you should end up with a relatively light suitcase. Obviously this rule does not apply to the extras that find themselves in your suitcase (toiletries etc) but keeps you from packing 50 outfits for a secen day trip but leaves you with options. 

Things you should overpack: 

- knickers, kinckers, knickers, empty the whole damn draw into that case

Things you CAN NOT forget

- your passport/important travel docs (duhh!) 

- a plug adapter 

- suncream + aftersun

There you go, simple but effective. Just the way I like things!

Leave me a comment with any packing tips you may have...

No sun, some sand.. Where I've Been?

Where have I been? For a whole damn month? I wish I could say I was too busy revising, that I have had to concentrate on college or work or ya know, something the slightest productive. But no. Apart from a week in Spain I have just been using my spare time to sleep. I am just as ashamed as you guys, I know its bad.

But I am back! Exams are creeping up and I am more then a little stressed out with both college and uni at the moment (I haven't even got there yet and I am sick of it) so posts may be sporadic may end up being a month apart but I will try my hardest to get some up.

So... Spain! Whilst looking back it wasn't that awful, it definitely wasn't good, but it could've been worse. I don't know if I hated it that much, or if I hated the fact I had spent so much money for an average week.

Why was it so bad? I don't really know. The weather wasn't great, just cold and extremely windy. The food wasn't great, as we were all inclusive we basically ate the same thing every meal. The atmosphere wasn't great because everyone was old and Spanish which whilst possibly entertaining... Just wasn't what I was looking for.

The alcohol was plentiful but my favourite night was when we sat out on the balcony getting drunk off of 1 euro bottles of wine, of which we went through about 4. Playing cards and 'don't show Keith your teeth' wrapped up in what we labelled as 'itchy blankets' that the hotel left in the wardrobe.

Fair to say it wasn't the worst week of my life, the same week back in Birmingham and £600 cheaper and I would be over the moon! What I will say is that I finally quenched my first for a nice Mojito. Cocktails just don't taste the same when not drunk on a beach bar. Which actually leads to a funny story, for another day...

The moral of the story: don't book a holiday out of season.

Got any holiday stories? I want to hear the good the bad and the ugly, leave them in the comments!

A Girl's Guide to Roma!

When we first planned our trip to Rome we planned all the normal things, trips to the Colosseum, to the Vatican but while walking the cobblestone streets I realised there is so much more to the eternal city! Here are the top 4 things about this Italian experience. 

1.       The Carbs.

There is nothing the Romans do better than pasta. Pasta in creamy milk sauces with chicken hiding underneath layers of parmesan. Or pasta with a rich tomato sauce and little bits of crispy bacon surprising you every now and then (also covered in parmesan whoops). The choices of pasta can be overwhelming when an Italian waiter asks you if you would prefer the fettuccine, linguine or rigatoni, just take a guess the truth is they all taste better than the spaghetti that you overcooked back home. I wish I could say I tried the pizza, or the fish which seems to be quite popular, but my love affair with the pasta in the city got in the way. All I can say is that you might need to go up a jean size when you get home...When dining in Rome its always best done outside, I have never before enjoyed the experience of eating dinner outside in winter, but pick a seat outside a nice restaurant and you’ll be greeted with candles, flowers and fresh air. Of course there were also patio heaters. It is January afterall.

2.       Gelato.

Keeping on the food trend, what I must admit is the pasta is not the only thing that is mouth watering in Roma. Despite the cool evenings and mornings the afternoons in Rome were sunny and that called for gelato! A walk around Piazza Navona in the sun with a carboard cup holding a heavenly desert. No one could resist. Every other shop was an ice cream shop, they were everywhere and I was grateful! The first night it actually ended up raining as we retreated back to the hotel, but I couldn’t resist. I had ice cream anyway and then every day after that. I tried mango, summer fruits, cherry, cheesecake, Oreo, Kinder. Every flavour is delicious and will leave you wanting more, and more. One shop even sold Viagra gelato, that one was not really my cup of tea though!

3.       Sights.

There is always something interesting to do/see in Rome. Tours to the Vatican and the Colosseum may be long but they are definitely interesting! The Vatican museums hold brilliant white marble sculptures, and we found out that they were actually all painted it had just worn off over time! Large tapestries that hold the stories of Moses and Jesus, and maps of Rome perfect in proportion yet made before the time of helicopters and drones. The stories behind the intricate paintings inside the Sistine chapel and the pope that had himself painted as Peter to boost his ago is enough to keep anyone entertained, and the best part is the end when you reach St Peter’s Basilica. It took 120 years to be rebuilt into what it is today. Everything is so grand and holds so much detail it is hard to not be amazed. I would advise to go during mass as well as that adds to the experience. Hearing the hyms that are being sung resonate around the whole of the basilica is peaceful and leaves you feeling truly touched. The colosseum is also a great visit, and be sure to get a pass to the underground dungeons! Learn about the shows that the emperors would put on, how the women had to sit at the very top away from the alluring gladiators and that actually the darker corners of the inside of the colosseum may well have just been called brothels. Who said history couldn’t be interesting? There’s the Castle St Angelo which has the most perfect views the higher you climb with little tables that offer you the chance to dine and look out over central Rome. Then there is the pantheon, the Spanish steps (which were unfortunately closed the whole time we were there and the Trevi Fountain all a few minutes from each other. While you are in Rome you can’t deny the chance to throw a coin into the Trevi, it ensures your return to the beautiful city. I never thought something like the Trevi Fountain could blow me away. The Sistine chapel, maybe. The pantheon, maybe. Well nothing left me lost for words like the Trevi fountain did. Don’t underestimate its size, or its beauty. Fun fact it is the end point of an ancient Roman aquaduct! The best time to visit is the early hours of the morning after one too many glasses of Rose, but don’t get your hopes up about going paddling because its closely guarded by the polizia at all times.

4.       The Beauty

Visiting the sites of the city can be amazing, but once you’ve been there done that it can seem pointless to return but the beauty of the city will keep you returning. The cobblestones may start to hurt your feet after hours of walking but the little shops and restaurants decorated with fairylights (and surprisingly a lot of Christmas lights still) make it worth it. The Piazza Navona with its four beautiful fountains and multiple painters with breathtaking watercolour paintings of the flowers hanging from balconies and the light coloured stones of the buildings that compliment the carefree happy feeling in the air when you take a walk in the afternoon sun will keep you inspired. Keep you delighted. Keep you coming back.

It's been a while since I've been back from Rome and a while since I have planned to write this post, but here it is finally! Hope you enjoy it!

There's no place like home.

Flying high to our connection in Zurich!

As I sat on the steps of the Trevi fountain amongst a crowd of other excited tourists (an unwelcome change to when we drunkenly stumbled upon it empty minus the polizia in the early hours of the previous morning) I thought of home. Part of me itching to be back in my own bed enjoying food I am more fond of, the other dreaming of an extended stay wondering the streets of central Rome enjoying the evenings I had took pleasure from the nights before. The sky was a pure blue, no clouds in sight. The gold writing glistened in the sun and my sunglasses were greatful to be released from there case for the first time in months. Josh sat beside me also enjoying the view, looking handsome as ever. The remains of cherry gelato (another favourite of mine) melting in a small paper cup sat in between us. I couldn't help but ask myself why anyone would want this to end?

Oh how I would discover that I in fact would rather be in Birmingham than spend another minute in a foreign country when the option of being home that night disappeared. Do we always want what we can't have? 

A few hours later the fountain had been swapped for a check in line. It was officially home time, we checked in quickly whizzed through security, that was however after I had been stopped and drug swatched because I left my coke bottle in my bag (the cola kind). Have you ever been stopped in an airport? Had your bags taken to be checked by someone and a small tab wiped over your hands and shoes? I swear one look at me and you would have thought I had something to hide, even I started to doubt myself and pictured myself going to prison. Part of me chanting "shit shit shit" in my head the other saying "how irrational they can't find anything because there is nothing" then I heard "that's fine thank you" and snapped out of my anxious over reaction and literally had to laugh at my idiot self. Never the less security didn't take long and we took a short walk around the airport (searched ten minutes for a magazine in English then nearly bought the new cosmo till I saw it was €11!)  boarded our plane and waited. And waited. Till the pilot announced they were still doing checks on the right engine. Then we waited, and waited, and then were told that we would have to leave the aircraft. 

Have you ever been in an airport dying to know if you're going home tonight, mobbed by other passengers all wanting to know the same thing. Three or four different languages flying about, people talking over each other and a poor airline worker in the middle of it all. It's hell. 

Eventually we found out that the flight to Brussels will continue just later than planned which is great! Unless you have a connecting flight, which as always its us with the awkward situations. 

So we waited, and were told to collect our luggage at carousel ten and hurried down there. 

Then we waited for another twenty minutes till the luggage started to come round. 

Then we waited in line for no joke a good hour and a half waiting and waiting for any information we could get our hands on. 

What we discovered when waiting was that there was in fact a direct flight to Birmingham but with Monarch, which as it is not a partner airline for we would have to buy a ticket. So to get back to Birmingham that night would mean buying a ticket. Not like we had already bought two or anything...

Then we waited, and we waited and we waited. Get my point? Eventually we did get new flights and by 11 o'clock were in a hotel eating dinner (on the airline btdubz) then we flew out at 12pm the next day.

In hindsight I can understand it, I don't want to get on a plane that doesn't work as much as the next person, but standing in lines for a good four hours was not the highlight of my trip!

To read the highlights of our trip watch out for future posts! Leave me a comment to let me know if you've ever ended up in a situation like this, would love to know i'm not alone.  

Travel Pretty in All Cities

For a short and hopefully romantic trip away next week consisting of busy sightseeing, Italian dinners and lot's of kisses, I need the perfect makeup bag to arm myself with.

For the quick and easy holiday snapshot ready makeup..

The perfect base:

L'Oréal True Match Foundation super blendable buffed in with a Real Techniques buffing brush and the equally amazing True Match Powder applied with the Real Techniques arched powder brush make the perfect duo for a flawless face. Layer on top of the Seventeen Photo Flawless primer for a whole day of unfaltering perfection.

To keep a warm Italian flush on my cheeks I also put my Urban Decay Naked Flushed in Native, the perfect blush, bronze and highlight all in one to save more space. Bronze with the Real Techniques tapered blush, colour the cheeks with the contour brush and highlight with the pointed foundation brush.

And the rest:

My trusty eye lash curlers that are years old, and may not get through security as in the right hands are definitely a weapon, and a travel sized Eyeko Black Magic mascara. Both together give the perfect curl and thickness to ahem not flirt with cute Italian waiters.

The Tanya Burr eyebrow palette, hot cocoa, chestnut and fairycake along with travel sized tweezers are needed to create the perfect brow, and pebble is actually the perfect matte brown for the crease or all over the lid.

And lastly, Vaseline to cure those airplane air conditioning dried out lips.

And for the evenings kissing on the Spanish Steps or dining on linguini:

The L'Oréal Super Liner Perfect Slim is great to add a cat flick to any look to turn your makeup from simple to super. Or use the Naked 2 palette to create a quick smokey eye before a 3 course meal in Trevi and a night touring Rome.

Lipstick may not be needed for a week away sunning and swimming but for a city break pack a few, you never know when you'll need a swipe of colour to take your look to the next level, in my bag there is a Topshop lipstick in Suspected (which for those of you who didn't know the contents made in Italy) for when you're feeling dark and mysterious, Maybelline Coloursensational in Pink Punch for when you're feeling flirty and Collection 2000 volume sensational in Cherry Pop when you're feeling a night of romance.

And there you go your secret weapon to feeling fabulous whilst away, if you couldn't tell I am very excited for next weeks adventure.

Ciao!

6 Travel Tips for an Easy Trip

Whether you're going travelling during 2016, or just taking a long weekend away in another country it's important to be prepare and stay safe. Josh and I are going to Rome in two weeks, which I am so excited for and I have compiled six tips to make your time away perfect.

1. Travel Safely

Make sure you have a good travel insurance policy, one that covers lost/damaged bags, cancellation and any medical treatment you may need whilst your away. You don't expect for anything to happen on holiday otherwise why would you go, but you really don't want to end up ill and worrying about medical expenses. If you're a resident of the UK then apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, this is not an alternative to actually getting travel insurance as it will not cover private medical healthcare such as ski mountain rescues or being flown back to the UK. It won't cover your luggage/cancellations. It will however give you access to reduced cost or free access from state healthcare providers if needs be without having to go through your travel insurers first.

2. Call Your Bank

You should call up your bank and any other credit card providers to make sure that your cards will work whilst over there, if you don't plan on using them you should still let them know where you are going and when so if in case of emergency you can use it. I've also found that you're card can get suspended if used somewhere where it usually wouldn't be, which can be a whole lot of hassle so it's better to be safe than sorry.

3. Book Before You Go

Make sure to book and plan all your activities before you go! You don't have to plan every small detail, but big tourist attractions you may want to visit and how to get there you will want to do before hand for an easy holiday. You may even find fast track entry for some things! You can leave a day free for spontaneous exploring of the city you're staying in, and know that everything else you wanted to do is paid for and planned for in advance.

4. Print Everything Off

And keep it safe! Important documents you'll need like your plane tickets, or information for your hotels or tourist attractions. Also make sure to print off your itinery, make sure to do all of this before you leave for the airport to make your trip a little less stressful.

5. Have a Travel Checklist

To make sure you don't forget anything write yourself a list of things you're going to take, it's not the end of the world if you realise you left your foundation at home once you get to the hotel but its definitely annoying. Make sure everything is ticked off before you leave for the aiport, the last thing you want to do is not pack something like your deodorant because you had to use it in the morning before your travelled. If you tend to overpack, pack everything you plan to take and weigh your suitcase a few days before you go to make sure it fits the allowance of your airline!

6. Be Attentive

You want to be safe in a foreign country, and its so easy to get distracted by all the sights. But be aware of your surroundings, especially if you're travelling alone. The last thing you want is to be pickpocketed. Barcelona, Prague, Paris and Rome are all pickpocket hotspots in Europe and whilst you aren't definitely going to fall victim to this, be careful and aware! You want to enjoy your hard earned holiday!

Hope you enjoyed this post, and if you have any other tips for me feel free to leave them in the comments!