Posts in category: Personal

Back in 2012 when Rhys was 15 months old we did something that was ever so slightly out of our comfort zone.

We went on holiday to Marrakesh.

I’m sure for lots of people this would be no big deal but for us it was quite an adventure, and one that I’m so happy we decided to go for.

The thing is, being there with such a young child meant that I didn’t really get to experience being in Morocco.  I spent pretty much the whole holiday in our little villa and in the pool.  Now, I’m not complaining about that, I had a brilliant time and it was as relaxing as it could possibly be with an active toddler in tow.

I would absolutely love to go back one day though, to see more of Morocco and to experience the culture a bit more. 

Here are my top 3 reasons I would love to go back one day.

To enjoy different food

I didn’t really eat much traditional Moroccan food while we were there.

And I’ll be honest and admit that this was partly down to me being quite a fussy eater.  I did have amazing breakfasts there a few times, with pancakes and beautifully sweet honey, and I tried a traditional tagine one night, but that was about it.  Saying that though, I do think that my tastes have changed in the last few years and I would love to be more adventurous if were to visit again.

From tagines to kebabs to cups of sweet mint tea, I would like to give it a taste.

To explore the desert

I didn’t really see any of the landscape of Morocco when I was there.  I pretty much went from the airport to the resort and back again, so I don’t feel I experienced the country at all really.

So I’d love to go back and take a couple of days out of my trip to visit either the Zagora Desert or the Merzouga Desert.  To be safe I would make sure to go with a company like Desert Majesty who run Morocco desert tours.

A lot of the tours go across the Atlas mountains which would be an amazing experience.  I just think it would be quite surreal to head out into the desert, it’s so far removed from the rolling green hills of Wales!

To visit the souks

It might be quite a touristy thing to do, but I would definitely head to the souks if I went back to Morocco.

I’m not even sure if I would want to buy anything there, although saying that we did have some amazing black pepper when we went before that I would tempted to try and track down!

What I would really love to do is just soak up the atmosphere and take about a million photos of all the amazing colours and textures from all the stalls.

Have you ever been to Marrakesh?  Is there anything else you would recommend doing if I get the chance to go again?

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post

I know, it’s a total cliche to say it, but where on earth has the summer gone?

It feels like these holidays have just flown by, in the blink of an eye we’re at the end of August and getting ready to head back to the old school routine.

In spite of this feeling of time running away from me though, I’ve been organised enough to get some family photos for August’s me and mine project.  I think I may have been more emotional than I thought last month about the idea of not taking our usual pictures, because Steve actually made a point of saying that we could take some family photos while we were out on bank holiday walk without me mentioning it at all.

We ventured out to Parc le Breos on Gower for a change of scenery and a good long walk.

While we were there we scrambled up the path to check out Cathole cave which the children really loved.  I’ve only been up there once before so I quite enjoyed taking another look at it myself.  We took a few photos together at the entrance to the cave, after the children had explored a little bit.

We took a few more pictures once we were back down around giant’s grave (a neolithic chambered tomb).

If you look closely at the last two pictures you can see that Nerys was actually the one with the remote trigger in her hand.  She really loves being the one to press it and be in control of taking the pictures, and fair play to her I think they came out pretty well!

I think that last photo might be one of my favourites of all the photos we’ve taken recently.

I really wasn’t sure how it would come out, because Nerys pressed the button and I shouted ‘everyone look at each other and laugh’, and then I couldn’t really tell what the others were doing.  It seems to have worked pretty well though, and I love the relaxed, un-posed feel to it (even though it was actually pretty staged).

Now I just have to see if we can be this organised again in September and get our family photos done without an end-of-the-month panic!

I left uni back in 2003, but I can still remember it all so clearly.

My best friend and I decided to stay in Swansea after graduating.  The plan was to rent a house for a year and see what jobs we could find.  It was a very vague plan, basically built around the fact that neither of us wanted to head back to our parents’ homes straight away.

We wanted to see where the next year would take us and hoped that things would just come together.

It was exciting and scary in equal measures; taking those first steps out into the real world on our own.  It was the first time we’d rented a property outside of the safety of university and honestly we didn’t really know what we were doing.

For anyone in the same position, here are seven quick tips that will hopefully make the process a bit less daunting.

1. Keep an eye on your budget.

Work out how much you can afford to spend on rent each month and don’t be tempted to go for a property that costs more than that figure.

Keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for all sorts of things on top of your rent each month.  Make sure you budget enough money to cover gas, electricity, water, council tax, TV licence, and food.

2. Read before you sign

Take the time to properly read through the rental agreement before you sign it.  Make sure you know how long the lease is for and how much notice is required on either side to end it.

A lot of landlords use a property management company to handle things for them, so make sure you know exactly who is in charge of managing the property and who you need to contact with any issues.

3. Get insured

When you rent a property the landlord is still responsible for the building itself, but you need to make sure you get contents insurance to cover all your belongings.  You can find out more about contents insurance from HomeLet to make sure you get the cover you need.

4. Make it yours

Check which appliances come with the property before you move in.  At the very least you want there to be an oven, fridge/freezer and washing machine in the house.  When it comes to all the other bits and pieces like a toaster and kettle then shop around for the best prices.  You can also check freecycle to see what home furnishings you can pick up for free.

It’s most likely that you won’t be able to make too many changes to the property but you can still make it yours with colourful cushions, flowers and plants and removable artwork on the walls.

5. Read the meters

As soon as you move in make sure you take readings from the gas and electric meters.

6. Switch things up

Once you’ve taken your meter readings take a few extra minutes to see if the energy supplier at the property is the cheapest available.

As a renter you have every right to switch suppliers and chances are you’ll be able to save some money by shopping around.

7. Take a detailed inventory of the property when you move in.

And ideally take photos of each room.  The letting agency should do an inventory themselves, in which case make sure you get a copy and walk through the property to make sure you agree with it.  If you’re not happy with anything then challenge it straight away.

If you’re not given an inventory then do one yourself and send a copy of it to the agency as soon as you can after moving in.

And while you’re doing all these checks, don’t forget to find out where the stopcock is in case of a plumbing emergency.

Hopefully with these 7 quick tips renting your first home will be nice and straightforward and you can concentrate on enjoying yourself.  I know once my friend and I were settled in our first rental home we had an absolute blast and I’ll always remember that time with a big smile on my face.