At the start of 2019 I decided on a slightly unusual new year's resolution. I wasn't going to lose weight, I wasn't going to find a new job, and I definitely wasn't going to be moving out, nope, I was going to take a trip in every single month of the year. Yes it was going to be a very tricky, very expensive new years resolution, but I was determined.
Well 2019 is dead and buried so let's have a little review of the last 12 months. Where did I go? And did I manage to take a trip every month?
January
In the first month of the year I nipped over to Belfast. Ah Belfast, the rainy city that stole my heart and left me longing to return. The Northern Irish capital was the setting of my first ever solo trip and although there were a couple of blips, (see here for a very dramatic story) I had the most fanatic time.
During my trip I saw a hell of a lot of Irish history, watched the sun set over the Giant's Causeway, and drank in some fantastic pubs, but most importantly I started to find myself again and my confidence blossomed. I wanted to take a solo trip for the longest time and I'm so glad I chose Belfast to be the setting for that.
February
The second my plane touched down at Birmingham Airport I knew I would be back to Belfast, and so I booked to go back a just few weeks later. This time I visited the Titanic Museum, the Ulster Museum (and the Game of Thrones Tapestry), and drank in several other banging little bars. Oh and I did it all alone again.
Whilst in Northern Ireland I also wanted to take a day trip to Derry as my history mad brain always manages to get the better of me. Ignoring the advice I received to stay well away, I popped myself on a train and off I went to see the city which became infamous during the troubles.
I actually visited just weeks after a car bomb was detonated in the city centre but that honestly didn't deter me and I'm go glad it didn't. What I found on my trip was a place rich in history and culture, and welcoming locals who were very aware of the cities bumpy past. Whilst a walk down the bogside might be shocking to brits who grew up in mainland Britain, it's so important that we understand the events which took place here.
March
In March I zipped over to little old Bruges in beautiful Belgium. Bruges is a fairytale town and one which has been firmly on my to do list for what seems like years. So at the start of Spring myself, my mom, and my sister jumped on the Eurostar for a long weekend in the medieval city. We climbed the famous bell tower, explored the winding streets, toured a chocolate factory and a brewery, took a boat trip, visited a museum dedicated to chips, and so so much more. Bruges is just bursting with things to do and it is impossible to get it all done in one trip.
My advice for anyone wanting to take a trip to Bruges? Enjoy the city for what it is, a beautiful tourist trap, but don't paint it as a storybook town because you will be very disappointed. I loved every second of wandering this picturesque place but in all honesty I won't be in any rush to return.
April
In April funds were tight and so was time. I wanted to take a trip so badly but my little trip to Belgium absolutely rinsed me and so my only choice this month was to take day trips.
I managed to fit two day trips in over the bank holiday weekend, the first of which was to lovely Liverpool. It's a city I've wanted to see forever and although I'd technically been before, I spent all of my time in the World Museum and so I didn't actually get to see the city. So what did I get up to? In between taking a wild amount of photos with my little angel Tori, I saw the docks, viewed Liverpool from the radio city tower, snapped some beatles statues, went on a walking tour, and had a few too many bevvies around Matthew Street before heading home on a train full of rowdy drunken Scousers. Fucking brilliant.
I also managed to sneak in a much more relaxed day trip to Bridgenorth, a small town about 45 minutes up the road from Brum. It was an absolute scorcher of a day, so myself, Mom, Dad, and the Dog mostly just wandered around before calling it quits and heading to a pub by the river.
May
By the time May rolled around I was ready for a few nights away, and as the weather had been glorious in the weeks leading up we decided to brave a camping trip. We popped down to the lovely Shell Island in Wales. It's the biggest campsite is europe apparently and my god does it show. Although there are toilets throughout the campsite, a midnight trip to the loo felt more like an expedition when you're cold, alone, and can't see anything further than the light from your torch reaches. Oh and we all thought we were genuinely going to die on the first night as it dropped down to 4 degrees. I wish I was lying.
That being said it is a cracking campsite, directly next to a beautiful beach, and just up the road from the little seaside town of Barmouth. Would 100% recommend staying there, but probably when you're not likely to freeze to death in your tent.
June
When people used to say they were going on holiday to Spain I would always secretly judge them, I won't lie. I would always just imagine built up holiday resorts full of Brits acting badly and that is not the kind of place I would want to holiday. So when I saw reasonable flights to Almeria at the start of June I wasn't sure, but my god was I pleasantly surprised.
After just a few hours in this Spanish seaside city it was evident that few people spoke English, and tourists were not catered for here at all. Jackpot! Myself and Tori soon learned to communicate with locals using google translate, and we even managed to (mostly) work public transport out. The city is absolutely buzzing with life, and history, and it is JUST SO HOT.
I'm not sure I will be able to do this paradise city justice in just a few paragraphs so I won't even try, but between sizzling on the beautiful beaches we explored an ancient fortress, shopped till we dropped, took a day trip to Malaga, hiked up a FUCKING MOUNTAIN in flipflops, took a tour of the civil war bunkers in Spanish, pretended we were cowboys on an old movie set, and danced the night away with pretty Spanish boys who showed us all the best bars. Would I recommend a trip to Almeria? In a heartbeat!
July
Honestly all I managed to do in July was a night out in Stafford. Wild I know. But I did stay overnight if that counts? AND I managed to crawl out of bed in time to treat myself to a Wetherspoons brekkie in the morning, so I did get to see some of the town.
August
In August I planned to go to Prague, its another beautiful city which has sat on my to do list for years and so I was determined to visit it over the summer, that was until the cheapest flight I could find was £150, err no thank you. So myself and one of my oldest friends Lucy booked a trip to Dublin instead which cost less than £150 for my flights AND accommodation, banging. Yes I'd been to Dublin a few times before, and no I wasn't sure if I would have anything new to see, but you know what? I went and it was fantastic. I took a walking tour which I've not done in Dublin before, I indulged in Whiskey at the Jameson's Distillery, I saw an original 1916 Irish Republic proclamation poster, and you guessed it, got very very fucking drunk. I left poor and hungover but it was bloody worth it!
Not content with just a few days in Dublin I also took a day trip to London at the end of the month. London is a city I've seen a thousand times before, but one which could never bore me. Even if taking a ride on the tube is like travelling through the fires of hell I will always return to our dusty capital. On my little day trip I explored the Tate Modern, got lost in some posh charity shops, wolfed down some fantastic grub in Camden market, and got pissed in various locations across Landannn town. Oh and I sank a couple of bevvies in the brand new Hard Rock Piccadilly which marked my 15th Hard Rock Cafe.
September
One friday evening, as just as I was getting home from work I was told to pack a case as quick as I could because we were off to sunny Somerset. Well you better believe I packed my bag in record time and we were on the road around an hour later. My parents had booked a last minute weekend break at a small holiday park in the outskirts of Cheddar and although I'd been a few times before I was very excited to be making full use of the hot tub beside the static caravan we would be calling home. I spent the first night bathing away with a glass of fizz, and then the following morning, and then the next night too. Basically I hopped in the tub whenever I had a bit of spare time and it was great.
In between enjoying the bubbles we went to Wells, Cheddar, and even spent a few hours around Western-Super-Mare, or Birmingham by the beach as my Mom likes to call it. We had a cracking weekend away and I would absolutely love to take more spontaneous UK trips like that again in the future!
At the end of September I was lucky enough to take another trip, but this time it was a little solo trip. So I had conquered Belfast alone and now I was ready to take on somewhere new, somewhere I couldn't speak the language, and somewhere I thought would probably push me out of my comfort zone. Krakow just happened to be the right price at the right time and so I booked a weekend trip on my lonesome.
Although short, the whole trip really was incredible, but not without its challenges. From being locked out of my apartment at 2am on the first night, to complications with Uber drivers, and the obvious language barrier, it wasn't a smooth trip but my god was it a confidence building one. I also had plenty of fun and got to see some amazing sights on my little city break. I fell for the city so much that I slapped up a pretty long blog post all about things you can do in Krakow!
October
By october I was poor and tired so I didn't actually manage to book an overnight stay anywhere. I did take a day trip to rainy Blackpool however, which mostly involved wandering around the Blackpool Tower. It's no Paris, but the view from the top of that thing it still pretty decent, even if it is pissing it down, which lets be honest, it usually is.
On the way home from Blackpool we took a little detour up to Blackburn for the Scare Kingdom. There was a total of 5 scare mazes if I can remember right and it really was good fun! You can't beat a good scare night to get you in the mood for Halloween really can you?
November
November was also an uneventful month for travel, not only because I was pouring my money into everyone's christmas presents, but because I had a drunken fall in the middle of the month which resulted in me cutting my hand open quite badly. It would render me pretty useless for the next few weeks and even see me on the operating table for the first time in my life. But that's a story for another blog post!
So where did I go in November? Well I took my mom off to the lovely city of Nottingham for the day, just to have a wander around really. It's only an hour or so away from Birmingham but I'd never actually been before so it was nice to spend a few hours exploring a local British city! We mooched around the German market (which is better than Birmingham's soz), took a tour of the underground cave system, and had lunch in the most beautiful converted church, amongst other things. It was a pretty great day!
December
I'm very sad to report that by the end of the year I was all out of money, time, energy, and effort. I didn't go anywhere in December and that was a real shame as it meant I didn't quite manage to take a trip every month which is what I had aimed for at the start of the year. But you know what I did do in the final month of 2019? I spent lots and lots of quality time with a whole host of fantastic people and that's what the festive season is all about really isn't it? Oh and I got fucking rat arsed pretty much every day in December which was fab.
For me 2019 really was the year of travel, and growth, and just doing exactly what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. Every year I am evolving and really coming into the person I want to be which is amazing and scary all at the same time.
So here's to 2019, a funny little year that I will never forget.
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If there was one area I would class myself as an expert in it would be travel, more specifically budget travel. When you want to see the world as often as I do you can't afford to stay in 5 star luxury resorts, but that doesn't mean you have to rough it either. I've stayed in all sorts hotels, I've taken all modes of transport, and slowly but surely I'm travelling the world on a shoestring budget.
So how am I able to jet off every few months? Well I'm going to spill the beans and give you some tips on how you can find the perfect budget friendly holiday.
I did want to start by addressing the fact that I do still live at home and I am incredibly lucky to be able to put away a good portion of my wages away each month specifically for travel. I know this isn't something everyone is fortunate enough to do, but I hope this post will help at least one person find an affordable holiday.
Now onto my top tips...
Know your budget - My first tip would be to set a budget and stick to it. It is all too easy to have a rough idea of what you are willing to spend on an affordable holiday and then get carried away. That being said, you should also consider value for money. If you've budgeted a certain amount per night for a hotel but it's only a small amount more to pick a hotel that includes breakfast it might be worth it.
Clear browsing your history & be ready to straight away - Once you are ready to start looking for your cheap trip clear all your cookies and browsing history on your computer and switch to incognito mode. In theory this means that your previous searches or clicks won't influence the price of the holidays, flights, or hotels you are now searching for, although I'm not convinced this works every time.
To give yourself the best chance of getting a budget holiday you should also be ready to book then and there if possible as anything you look at this time around may increase in price next time. Websites seem to be getting smarter at knowing which holidays etc. are the most popular.
Be flexible - The real bargain breaks can usually be found when you are flexible with where and when you are willing to travel. Weekdays are usually cheaper to fly on and the same can be said for booking hotel rooms. Inconvenient flight times are also usually cheaper too, however if you are a monday to friday worker like myself, late night friday flights can be great as it means taking less annual leave for a weekend break!
Beach or city break? - The type of holiday you want will heavily influence where to find the best deals. For affordable sun holidays, booking packages with some of the larger tour companies can usually be cheaper, however for cheap city breaks I've found that pricing flights and accommodation up separately usually works out better.
Booking things separately does require a little more work but it can massively decrease the price of some holidays. Just be extra careful to ensure all of your dates are correct and double check the luggage allowance as most airlines won't include hold luggage with a flight only.
Flight search websites - So where are the best places to search for affordable flights? Skyscanner is my tried and tested favourite. It think its very easy to use searches through a huge range of airlines to find the best flights. Another good website to use is Kayak. I particularly like the explore feature which shows a map with the best flights from your chosen airport.
Flying isn't the only way to travel - If you are looking to travel any distance it's likely that jetting off will be your best bet, however if you aren't looking to travel massively far and you're not time limited either coach and train services can be quite affordable. I've used coaches to travel across half the continent over the last few years, and whilst they aren't the most comfortable or reliable, I have managed to get return trips to the likes of Paris for as little as £50 in the past.
Check airport locations - Think you've found a bargain flight and you're about to book? Wait! Check where the airport actually is in relation to the place you wish to visit. It's not uncommon for airports to be named after cities which are actually quite far away, meaning any savings you have made on the initial flight will be eaten up by airport transfers. Paris-Vatry airport for example, is actually 93 miles away from Paris! I don't fancy paying the taxi fare for that trip!
So those are my top tips on how you can find and book your perfect affordable holiday, whatever your budget!
Happy Holidays!
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On thursday night myself and the rest of the family popped into Birmingham newest pop up bar, Once Upon a Time in Birmingham. It's a Christmas themed pop up bar situated slap bang in the center of Birmingham inside the old Jamie's Italian Restaurant.
The launch night actually fell on Dads birthday so I thought it would be rude not to nip in for some complimentary xmas themed bevies!
On arrival you are given a pair of kaleidoscope glasses which are meant to 'enhance the experience'. They basically multiply the twinkling lights by 1000 and make you feel like you've already had one too many cocktails.They do make for some fun photos though and I've never been to a bar in Birmingham (or anywhere for that matter) that dish out props for the night!
Once inside there are several areas to sit in, booths, a chill out area, and the main bar area. We chose to drink in the main bar area as there were a few of us and the booths were taken. If you do get the chance I would recommend grabbing a booth as the view you get of the bar is by far the best from there. The booths are also surrounded by a forest of fairy lights making that area almost den like.
Around the bar there are over 88,000 fairy lights, a shit tonne of tinsel, and various other Christmas decorations, tacky doesn't even come close to describing this temporary birmingham bar. That being said I am a lover of all things novelty and I know this place will do incredibly well in the run up to Christmas. Christmas, booze, and a super fun interior? I think they're onto a winner here.
Speaking of booze, what can you guzzle down in this funky little place? Well the menu consists of everything you would expect, wines, beers, soft drinks etc. but it also features several Christmas cocktails which I don't think you would find anywhere else in Birmingham, or even the UK. Over the course of evening I think I managed to try every festive drink on the menu, but my favourite by far was the super sweet Gin & Pomegranate Punch. It would have been nice to also see a few basic cocktail combinations on the menu but I understand that they've tried to keep the whole experience on theme.
There are also festive bar snacks (Christmas spiced bombay mix, pine salted peanuts, and potato & gravy flavoured crisps) none of which I tried as we had come straight from a Chinese buffet and you best believe we stuffed our little faces silly! The one thing I would have liked to try however was the elusive clear christmas pudding. It's highly advertised and even shown as a bit of a selling point for this Birmingham bar however I sadly couldn't get my hands on any as the chefs had gone home. Better luck next time maybe?
So what did I think overall? It's a fun little pop up that I know will be massively popular over the next few weeks. I do think the cocktails are a little on the pricey side of things but it's a gimmicky xmas themed bar so you're always going to pay a little more at those kind of places. It's probably not the kind of bar you would want to spend every weekend but it's a nice enough place for a few festive drinks in the run up to Christmas!
Thanks for reading!
x
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Now who doesn't love a good sale? I bloody love a sale and it seems that my favourite online retailer, Asos, have them all the time! So you could go and wade through all the rubbish in the Asos sale, as lets be honest, Asos specialise in questionable items of clothing, or you could simply scroll down the page to discover my top picks from the sale that never ends.
Just so you know the links used in the post below are affiliate links because ya girl has got to get her 7p commision and all that.
As I'm good to you all I've popped my picks into categories so everything is super easy to find. You're welcome.
Oh and I've also included a cheeky little Asos discount code at the bottom of this page. Don't say I never treat you to anything!
So here are the BEST items in the current Asos sale...
- Tops -
- Jeans & Trousers -
- Dresses -
- Knitwear -
- Skirts -
- Shoes -
- Bags -
Right now there is also 20% off everything on Asos using the discount code ASOSXBUMBLE or OURTYPE (either will work but you can't use both, soz). You'll be able to use either of these discount codes until 8pm 12.11.19.
So those were my absolute fave picks from the current Asos sale! Did you treat yourself to anything nice? Show me your bargains over on Twitter!
Now because I love a bit of a laugh I thought I would do another round up of Asos sale items, but this time with a bit of a twist. I've also collected up the most useless, vile, and downright ugly items you can unfortunately buy right now on Asos. Well we all need a giggle after we've pissed our wages up the Asos sale wall don't we???
So without any further ado, here is the absolute worst Asos has to offer right now!
Think you can beat my silly Asos items? Please feel free to tag me in any of the random shite you find yourself faced with on the Asos website, we all know it's full of it nowadays don't we ha?!
Thanks for reading!
x
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Dublin, a dirty old town but an absolute cracker of a place for a city break. It's a city I've visited a few times now and each time I've left hungover and poor. But whilst it's true that Dublin is a very expensive city there are also lots of great things to do that won't cost a penny. So I've rounded up my favourite free things to do in Dublin city!
Dublin Airport
Walking Tour - Shocker! A free walking tour made it on my my list! Now I don't want to say I'm an expect (I deffo am) but free walking tours are kinda my thing and I when in Dublin you best believe I'm jumped on one. There are several tour operators offering free walking tours in Dublin but they should all pretty much cover the same sights; O'Connell Street, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle Etc. You can pay €20+ for a bus tour (which will travel at 0 miles an hour by the way) or your can get off your arse and see the heart of Dublin for a fraction of the price!
The GPO - That big beautiful building full of bullet holes on O'Connell street? That would be the General Post Office and the main scene of the 1916 uprising. It's still a working post office today which means it's absolutely free to enter. Whilst it is all very pretty inside it's the outside that really does leave an impression on you. The exterior is laced with very visible bullet holes from the famous uprising which took place over 100 years ago. You can physically feel the history here.
If you do fancy a paid tour here I would recommend the Rebels Rising tour, though it will set you back €16 for an adult ticket.
If you do fancy a paid tour here I would recommend the Rebels Rising tour, though it will set you back €16 for an adult ticket.
Love Lane - Spotted on the Dublin free walking tour
National Museum of Ireland - After more history? Take yourself down to the National Museum of Ireland. It's less than 10 minutes from the centre of Dublin by bus and well worth the trip. I have to point out that I've actually only been to one exhibition here but for a very good reason. Currently there is a fantastic exhibition on the 1916 uprising in the museum which features an original Irish Republic proclamation poster. There are very few of these left now so I would recommend you see one while you can.
Arbour Hill Military Cemetery - If the upsring exhibition leaves you wanting more then I would recommend taking a short walk up the hill to Arbour Hill Cemetery. It's roughly 5 minutes away from the National Museum of Ireland and fairly easy to spot once you've left the museum grounds. Here you will find the final resting place of several of the 1916 uprising leaders. 16 rebels were executed as a result of the Easter Rising and 14 of them were laid to rest here in Arbour Hill Cemetery.
Grave's of 14 of the Easter Rising rebels - Arbour Hill Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery - Glasnevin is Dublin's Largest cemetery and it's absolutely jam packed with some of the most well known Irish people. From Daniel O'Connell (The liberator of Ireland and who O'Connell Street is named after) to Luke Kelly (founding member of the Dubliners) you will find all manner of famous Irish folk here. Whilst I would recommend the paid general history tour, you are free to rome the grave stones as you like.
Molly Malone - Good old Molly Malone, flogging Cockles and Muscles (and erm other services depending on who you ask) in Dublin's fair city ever since anyone can remember. But whilst she was likely not a real person, it wouldn't be a trip to Dublin without visiting her famous statue. It's also supposed to be good luck to rub her left breast. Or was it her right breast? Better give both tit's a tickle just to be sure!
Original Irish Republic poster - Museum of Ireland
Temple Bar - A beer here will set you back a good €7, heartbreaking I know. Now I will admit that a night around the Temple Bar area is fantastic and well worth the eye watering amount of money it will cost to drink here, however, there are better (and much cheaper) pubs in Dublin city. So down your drinks here if you want, or be a typical tourist and snap away at the very pretty, very famous temple bar pub for free, I won't judge you.
Chester Beatty Library - A library? ON HOLIDAY? Hear me out! Now I'm not expecting you to spend your valuable holiday time walking the aisles of a busy Dublin Library, I do however think this building is worth 10-20 minutes of your time if you're in the area. The Chester Beatty Library is located just beside Dublin Castle in the centre of the city and, you guessed it, completely free to enter. So nip inside, head straight to the lifts, take yourself off to the top floor and walk out onto the roof terrace. From here you will see the rooftops of Dublin and get a cracking view of the Dublin Castle gardens.
View from the top of the Chester Beatty Library
So those are my favourite completely free things to do in Dublin! I'm sure there are plenty of other free, or extremely cheap things to do in Dublin (see Kilmainham Gaol at just €8 a ticket) but these are just the few I personally enjoyed and would recommend.
Have you been to Dublin? I'd love to hear your recommendations!
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