Frieda's Tearoom - A Bournemouth Gem

Our whole first year of Uni we lived about ten steps away from one of the best tearooms we have been to, and had absolutely no idea. While this will haunt us forever, we have more than made up for it with countless visits in our second year. 

There is nothing we love more than lunch, making the student lifestyle of frozen bread and lack of cold meats is absolutely unbearable, so we need a little treat every now and then. 

One of the main pros of this place is that it is such a cosy escape, in an otherwise average surrounding. With students living all round the area, it's difficult to find places that don't appeal to the typical student (you know the type - kebabs, Whetherspoons and Subways on every corner). 

If there's one thing we could complain about it's the choice! Seriously, we are the most indecisive people you will ever meet, so when faced with a menu like this we really do struggle (obviously the only way to overcome this is through several visits to try everything, sorry budget!). 

The afternoon tea is absolutely delicious, and perfect for two people to share if you aren't really hungry, or just enough if you are quite peckish. It's traditional, everything that afternoon tea should be, and the cakes are a big mouthful and enough to give you a variety of sweet tastiness. The sandwiches take you right back to your childhood and offer a reasonable range of fillings. The scones have that homemade taste, and are a decent size to provide you with good value for money. 

The attention to detail throughout is lovely, and there's just so much to look at. As you would expect from a tearoom absolutely nothing matches, creating a unique vintage feel.  

There really is something for everyone, and it's the perfect balance of a treat with it's great taste and food that is homemade and locally sourced. 

The bread is homemade and you can taste it. The sandwiches are extremely generous, cut thickly and stuffed with filling well. They also come served with potato and vegetable crisps, and a beautifully dressed side salad. We can both never pick a sandwich filling so we ordered Chicken BLT and Ham, Cheese and Coleslaw and had half each (sounds weird, but we do this absolutely everywhere we go). 

And you know the hot chocolate is good when we love it, as we seem to have had one everywhere in Bournemouth. Seriously malteaser in hot chocolate is such a good touch (we did regret drinking it before our sandwiches came though, maybe order one after). 

This is an absolute must if you are in the local area. It's not just the good food and drink that makes this place such an enjoyable place to visit, the staff are friendly and it has a lovely welcoming atmosphere. 

Amazingly - no moans! 

Budget vs High End - Who's The Winner?

As students we are always looking to swap expensive goods for cheaper versions that are just as good, if not better. Often we find winners, and end up saving some pennies (yay for one less thing to moan about), but other times we find ourselves feeling it necessary to splash an extra bit of cash.

We've rounded up some products to compare, to find out where budget buys are best, and when a bit of money is needed.

First up...

Johnson's Baby Shampoo (£3) Vs Wilko's Own Baby Shampoo (£1)

Using baby shampoo in itself is the cheaper option when cleaning Make Up brushes, but it can be made as cheap as £1. There is absolutely no difference between these products, but if you pay the brand you pay triple the price! 

Winner - Budget

Sleek Brow Kit (£8.50) Vs Benefit Brow Zings (£24.50)

Ok ok we know what the caption says, Benefit wins 'best selling' but is it really the best? Maybe if you have the money to spare but when you are watching the pennies it's not necessary. The Sleek kit comes with the same tools, and does exactly the same job for way under half the price!

Winner - Budget

Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Cream (£5) Vs Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser (£20) 

Now this one depends on how much your skin relies on being moisturised, but as much as we want to tell you to put your purse away Liz Earle really doesn't compare. If you've read our blog post () you'll know how much we adore this product, and through being users of both these products, while the budget will do, it doesn't live up to the big bucks. 

Winner - High End

Talcum Powder (99p) Vs Batiste Dry Shampoo (£2.99)

Talcum powder has been used as a cheaper alternative to greasy hair for years, to the point where many other brands (such as Lush) have offered dry shampoos based on the same texture. It works for getting rid of grease, but you really do have to be careful with going out looking like a witch with white hair. If like many of us the problem with not washing your hair is not just grease, but also flat, limp hair that won't be styled you might need something more. Yes it's triple the price, but Batiste works at eliminating grease, and giving your hair some extra oomph that usually only comes from a good wash. 

Winner - High End

Rimmel London Kate Lipstick (£5.99) Vs Mac Lipstick (£15.50) 

Mac lipsticks are the absolute in-trend in the beauty world, and have been for quite some time. Our problem? We are in-decisive and can't commit to spending £15 on a lipstick that we will probably change our mind on after a few uses. The Kate Moss collection eliminates this problem, and allows us to buy three shades for the price of one Mac colour. In terms of the lipstick themselves the quality of Mac's do not justify the price, so you really don't need to pay for the brand. A girl can never have too many lipsticks, so buy Rimmel and have more for less. 

Winner - Budget

Primark Heeled Chelsea Boot (£15) Vs River Island Heeled Chelsea Boot (£50) 

One thing to bare in mind when budget shopping is not which is nicer. Obviously if you gave us a choice we would pick the River Island boots, but a) are they worth the price? b) will the Primark ones do? And the answers are a) no b) yes. There's the assumption with Primark that the quality is not as good, but this is not true at all. We both have Primark boots that have lasted far longer than our pricier alternatives, and even if they don't last for £15 you cannot really complain. Price doesn't always equate to quality, and so often we forget this when we are shopping. 

Winner - Budget 

We wish we could tell you that budget products are always best, but then what would we have to moan about? It's a case of picking and choosing when products are worth the spend, and swallowing your pride when they are not. 

It's OK To Drift Apart From Friends

Before coming to uni I was completely convinced that your best friends were the ones that you had been friends with the longest. I was under the illusion that they had known you the longest, and therefore knew you the best. 

Then I met Kirst, and within a week of knowing her I realised that she already knew me better than people I had known my whole life (probably because we are basically the same person, but still), and I started to understand that the strength of a friendship is reliant on the quality of the time you have spent together. 

When we are at school we form cliques, and from a young age get stuck with a group that we convince ourselves, are the perfect people for us. We get comfortable, and the thought of ever not being friends with these people is impossible. We just assume that the only way the friendship will end is if we have a huge fall out, otherwise we will remain friends forever. 

Unfortunately as you grow up, and your circles widen, you realise that this assumption couldn't be more wrong. You soon start to realise that when you don't have school, or living in the same area forcing you to see each other all the time, the friendships do not remain the same. 

When these friendships are tested, true colours start to show and instead of the big fall out you imagined, the friendship just simply fades, and that's ok. 

You'll find that people become less interested in your life, and that when communication is no longer easy, people put less effort into doing so. You'll realise that there were so many things that you would just put up with  (when you shouldn't have), and it will cause you to view your 'friends' in a whole new light. You'll meet people that you are far more compatible with, and come to the realisation that you and your old friends don't really have that much in common. 

The point is that when we are younger we are far more programmed than we will ever realise. We stick to what's familiar, and often find ourselves in circles that are safe, but not necessarily where we fit in best. As your life starts to change, so will your interests and expectations, and it's completely ok if your old friendships begin to drift as a result. 

Change is good, and as you grow as a person it's natural for you to grow apart from people that were very much a part of the old you. 

This doesn't mean to say that you never talk to them again, but instead you accept that your friendship is no longer the same. Spending days together turns into the odd cuppa and catch up, telling them your life story turns into 'i'm good thanks, how are you?' and thinking you will be best friends forever turns into being thankful for the friendship that you once had... and that's OK. 

Emma x

How To Have a Cosy Room

Whether you’re living in halls, a house, flat or wherever you don’t have to let the basics of the room determine what it looks like. 

The house we live in has old furniture, blue carpets and awful lighting, and yet still feels cosy! 

The secret is little touches, everywhere. 

One of the easiest, and cheapest ways to make your room cosy are fairy lights. The left set are from Primark, and the right are from Amazon. When the light in your room is dim, it can create a dull atmosphere so these are the perfect way to soften the feel. 

This sounds so simple but cushions are essential. There is no better way to make your bed look ready to dive into than a big snuggly arrangement of cushions. The front cushion here is from  bedding from Argos, and the two at the back are from good old Dunelm. 

 A great way to make a room cosy is to fill blank, boring surfaces. 

Things that hang fill space so easily, and turn a boring area pretty instantly. Again both of these items are from Dunelm and can be hung just about anywhere. 

So that’s the walls sorted, but having blank spaces on top of surfaces can leave your room looking sparse, and far from cosy. Here’s where to make use of what you’ve got, and jewellery boxes and perfume are a great way to do this. Marc Jacobs perfume bottles are gorgeous, and have multiple functions acting as decorations. 

This arrangement is made up of a jewellery box from, yet again, Dunelm (seriously, go there!) and the beautiful ring holders are all from Fenwick - all at £9.99 each! The clock was a gift but you can pick cute clocks up from almost anywhere! Asda particularly have a cute section at the moment. 

Notice boards are not for revision and work i’m afraid. 

Covering in them of a collage of pictures, tickets, hangers, cards and calendars is the perfect way to great a busy mess to your room, creating a cosy decorative piece that is relatively cheap to make. 

Us being us moaned a hell of a lot when we first saw our rooms, but after a little bit of perspective and a very expensive Dunelm shop we created rooms which we absolutely love. 

From Halls To House

Thursday morning, VERY hungover, Em & I were laid on our kitchen floor, attempting to get the cap off of our washing machines filter (eh?). Yup, this week our washing machine broke. 

We tried, we really did, for a good hour in fact. We were trying to be independent and prove that we could cope without Tim, our maintenance guy from halls. But, to our dismay, we were left with a wet kitchen floor, an increasing headache and a phone call to make. Thankfully, our landlords are pretty good and came round the next day to discover it really is broken and our new washing machine is now on its way!

So, this got me thinking of the differences between first and second year of uni. You join first year convinced you're leaving home and going to be so independent, when in fact you are in the safe hands of the security guy downstairs. Your shower isn't hot enough? No problem, Tim will sort that for you!

On the plus side, when the fire alarm goes off I can now just wave a tea towel around and the piercing sound stops. Last year, we were left standing in the car park at 5am because someone decided then was a perfect time to cook. The thought of that now seems unbearable, yet last year we weren't bothered at all and in fact found it quite amusing. 

I've now come to realise that this is because of the lack of responsibility. I knew it was someone else's job and I could moan to the moon and back because it wasn't my problem to fix.

Moving In Day!

Last year, if my rent wasn't paid on time I would email reception to tell them it would be a few days late - "no problem" they'd say. Nowadays, if I told my estate agent my rent would be a few days late, I would hear the words "that'll be an extra £35 per day". Shocking. I know. 

Oh yeah, estate agents are not good to students. They aren't good to many people but they really are awful to students. Small tip, which you will hear from every student, don't take everything they say and accept it. If they want a £400 admin fee, knock them down. It's extortionate. Another thing, read your tenancy agreement before signing! They really do worm some corkers in there.

There are so many things you have to adapt to when you begin second year, but it's not all bad! I do not miss my tiny single bed along with my tiny room. But an en suite? Yeah, could do with one of those..

Happy Moaning!
Kirsti

Long Distance Relationships: The Arguments

They say making up with your partner is the best part of fighting. Some couples even enjoy arguing because the making up is so enjoyable. This, I can tell you, is because of the wonder that is make-up sex. So what do you do when your boyfriend is thousands of miles away? When the chance of intercourse is zero and instead you get a lousy ‘sorry’ text.

It’s tough. Long distance relationships are tough. I didn’t realise just how important reassurance is in a relationship until my boyfriend moved away. Normally, it would just come from being in their presence. You argue, you both say sorry, cuddle, kiss, you know the rest. A new conversation begins and all memory of an argument is gone. Nobody prepares you for that to change, or at least nobody warned me.

It’s as if there is no proper end to a fight if you aren’t stood in front of each other. As a whole, a lack of reassurance can put a lot of pressure and anxiety into a relationship. Normally, your partner would call and ask if you want to go for dinner, or if you want to chill and watch that film you've been raving about for weeks. Suddenly everything revolves around words. Yes, you can send a nice card or present via post and remind them that you’re thinking of them, but how many students can afford £7.50 postage (Seriously, do Royal Mail not offer student discount?)

If you said this to me a two years ago, I would say that I’m not the kind of person who needs reassurance. I would say that I don’t need my boyfriend to tell me he’s missing me or he saw something that day and it reminded him of me. But long distance relationships are a whole new world, a world where suddenly “actions speak louder than words” is pretty much irrelevant. It’s time to man up and say your feelings out loud. Misunderstandings are frequent and communication really is important. We all know how easy it is to interpret a text wrong, and we’ve all had an argument spiral out of control because your tone of voice was ‘stressy’.

It’s important to take the time to not only check your messages before you send them, but make sure the relationship is of equal sides. Remember that your partner isn’t a mind reader, and sometimes it’s nice to wake up to a ‘hey! you need to watch this film, I know you’d love it’. Be careful not to jump the gun, and most importantly – make time for each other. Just because you cannot physically be together, doesn't mean that you stop making time for them. Find a time that you can both have a proper conversation, whether it be on the phone or on Skype.

Its tough (I’ve said that, haven’t I?), but it is worth it. It just takes a lot of getting used to, and a lot of moaning along the way..

Kirsti 

That first week of freedom

It's getting to that time of year where many of you will be preparing to enter the next stage of your life and head off to university. Believe us, we know it's daunting.

While some feel that it is right for them to stay at home, we both wanted to move to a whole new place, and were probably tempted by halls more than university itself.

Right about now you're probably picturing yourself in each of the locations you visit, are excited about the prospect of getting away from your boring old town and equally as petrified about the strangers you will be living with.

Now it's probably worth mentioning that our story isn't quite like others. We are both studying advertising, and entered the wonderful world of Facebook to 'virtually meet' beforehand. As we nattered away about all our uni woes and worries, we were completely unaware that we would be not only in the same flat, but the rooms next door. After the initial squeals were over and done with we were just relieved that not everyone around us was a complete stranger.

While this is pretty unusual, and we were extremely lucky, it's important to note that most people you will meet when moving in are friendly, and won't be strangers for long. No seriously, wait until the next morning where you are all hungover and feel as though you've known each other forever.

In fact this whole friendly feel will stick through at least the whole of freshers, and if you're lucky even longer. But what people don't warn you about, is that what you are going through is what students refer to as the 'honeymoon period'. Like a relationship, everyone is happy to please at first. Do each others washing up here and there, have the standard 'family fajita night' and feel like you know everything there is to know about your flatmates sex life through playing 'I have never'.

This does fade. This is normal.

And while we don't want to dampen your thoughts of the 'fabulous freshers' (because if we could back, believe us we would!), I guess we just want you to enjoy it while it lasts. You're finally free from your parents, it's completely acceptable to cook a pizza at three in the morning and not get out of your pjs all day. The clubs are just at the bottom of the lift, and there will be that one night when you are so drunk that you end up back in your bed before midnight, don't worry we've all been there.

So yes you will be nervous, and probably cry when your parents leave (no? just us?) but freshers is the time of your life and every moment of it should be spent either drunk or hungover. That being said there will come a time when you realise that you didn't need to rush out of home so fast, and you will eventually appreciate it more than you ever have before.

I guess what we are trying to say is that you will absolutely love uni, and your new life, but we wouldn't be us if we didn't warn you of the moans that follow.