Christmas is Coming: Vlogmas Day 5

Katie-Jo and I are vlogging everyday in the run upto Christmas here is day 2 of Vlogmas. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel (HERE) and come back tomorrow for day 3!

- Stacey xo

Christmas Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

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Life: Attempt 2 at being a Student

When we moved to Cardiff I wasn't sure if I was going to pass my foundation degree as I was having to resit some of my exams due to missing them in May. I ended up having to do one exam and two assignments, apparently I have passed my course - although I'm not sure what percentage/ grade I have ended up with although in all honesty I will be happy with a pass.

However due to all the uncertainty of if I'd be able to get on to the top up course I decided to check out what my other option were. As I have used up 2 years of my student finance already doing another foundation degree was basically my only option. So I took to the internet to see what courses were available and to see if I had the necessary UCAS points to qualify- plus the beauty of clearing meant they were a bit more flexible with the entry requirements.

To cut a long story short I will be studying a Foundation Degree in Paralegal Studies as of the 22nd September with the University of South Wales. I am really excited as this year I won't have any of the other distractions, basically I will be a 'normal' student. I also have an amazing tour guide who knows their way around Cardiff in my beautiful girlfriend. So I am in a pretty good situation to start my new studies! There is a downside, I have to endure the contact and struggles of student finance for an extra year - I also hope that my application gets sorted sooner rather than later as due to waiting for a place through clearing I didn't send everything off till later than usual, so fingers crossed it isn't delayed for too long.

- Stacey xo

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Life: Job Hunting

So I have spent the last week job hunting, what can I say it is a very stressful process! Not only is it stressful but it is also very time consuming and can be very demotivating at times. How can you get experience when no one will give you experience? What's the point in public transport if you need to have a driving licence to get to work?

I've tried everything over the past few days to attempt secure a job, from rewriting my CV to literally applying for any and every job I come across. I have landed myself 3 interviews - 2 I have already attended and I have one on Monday (which clashed with assessment days to one of the jobs I had an interview for).

I have had interviews for a sales job and a coffee shop/ bar I felt that they both went really well however I feel as though my age is something that holds me back. I also don't see myself as a door to door sales person and now that I have another interview that clashes with the assessment days what do I do? Do I attend the assessment days and not the other interview or do I attend the interview and not the assessment? It is really difficult to decide what to do.

Who would have thought job hunting was this stressful. I also thought I would find it alot easier to get a job here in Cardiff due to it being a city. However it has been harder than both Cambridge and Bournemouth.

Oh well, as long as I keep up my intense job search hopefully I will find that I land myself a job soon!

- Stacey xo

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Life: Welcome to Cardiff

Since we moved into our new house its been very hectic. We've done very grown up things like go to B&Q and buy things to make our television aerial work. It's very different having our own home compared to house sharing with other students.

For the first time in my life I've also felt homesick. I've been missing my family ridiculous amounts it's weird. It's like the barrier that made me feel like I didn't want to be in Cambridge has gone. Katie-Jo has been really good with it though and has been really understanding.

Katie-Jo has managed to get herself not one but two jobs. I'm really proud of her as she managed to do it so quickly and seems to be enjoying it so far. I have managed to get a job interview on Friday - fingers crossed I get it!

There have been a few other things that have happened since we have moved but they are going to have their own posts. So keep checking back to see what else has happened since we've moved

- Stacey xo

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life: Sheep, Dragons and 5p Carrier Bags

What a busy few days! It's crazy to think that I now live in Wales - although I havent seen a single sheep yet, but that might have something to do with being in Cardiff rather than somewhere more open.

Saturday and Sunday were very busy. We got our keys bang on the dot at 10am on Saturday and managed to have all the boxes out of the van by 10.40am - not bad! Especially considering we thought it would take a lot longer and arranged with the van hire place to take it back later. Katie-Jo's Mum Clare and Sister Jay-J stayed to help us unpack and her Auntie Catherine and Mel came over. We decided to go to ASDA and get some shopping including a purple microwave and a telly! As Katie-Jo is ill the plans got changed for Saturday evening instead of going out Laura and Sahithya came over and we ordered pizza and got everything out of the boxes and tidied up a bit.

Sunday was a bit more chilled as Katie-Jo's cold really hit her, we went over to Clare's house and had breakfast. We also sorted out a set of bookshelves which Clare brought over later for us. We stopped off at sone shops to buy a few things that we needed for the house, turns out we managed to get the wrong arieal wire though.

I'm really looking forward to getting to know my own way around and being able to find places myself. Although I am venturing out today to get some medicine for Katie-Jo so we'll see how thay goes. Oh and I have to remember to take a carrier bag with me so that I don't have to pay 5p.

- Stacey xo

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Life: Our Engagement Party

On the 6th June 2014 Clare (Katie-Jo's Mum) organised an engagement party for us in Cardiff. My Mum, Dad, brother and sister came up from Cambridge. It was such a wicked night. The video above is some of the video from the night.

- Stacey xo

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Life: Bye Bournemouth

Tomorrow we move to Cardiff! It feels like it has taken ages to get to this point as packing has been a long a drawn out process! But it is all finally done, everything is in boxes. It's weird seeing everything packed up like that. I'm not sure I like it, it's weird not having everything around the house. I think the part that was the worst bit to do was all the the cleaning, it felt like we were having to go back over everything because we needed to use the kitchen or the bathroom or we noticed we had missed something. However I definitely think we have learnt some lessons for moving in the future as I didn't realise how much needed to be done in order to move as my parents had always done it when we had moved before. Although I think for our first real attempt we have done quite well between us!

Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly tomorrow. I hope that the weather stays dry so that we can head to the beach one last time while we wait for Clare and Dermott to arrive with the van. I think it will be quite stressful loading the van but once its done it will be okay. we will be staying at Clare's house on Friday night so there isn't a huge pressure on how long it takes to get to Cardiff.

The part I really can't wait for is to get our keys on Saturday and finally moving in to our new house.  Hopefully unpacking is a lot quicker than packing was!

- Stacey xo

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Life: Moving

I have spent a lot of time over the past week thinking in reality how lucky I actually am. I have an incredible fiancée who has given me a ridiculous amount of support over the last year, I have an amazing family and an incredible group of friends.

There have been plenty of challenges and hurdles over the past year but I'm still here, and I have a new chapter in my life that is just about to start.

Two weeks today me and Katie-Jo will be waking up for the first time in our new house in Cardiff. I am so excited. It's going to be such an amazing new adventure. I can't wait to have our own house together - its a huge step in a relationship to move in together. Yes we do live together now, but we also live with 3 other people as well - it hasn't ever just been the two of us. So I really can't wait for everything to be 'ours' and only have to worry about the two of us. I'm just so excited for this next year.

Things I am looking forward to:

 

• Moving House
• Finding a New Job
• Starting My New Course
• Settling in to Cardiff
• Meeting New People

There are so many other things I'm looking forward to as a part of moving, it just feels like its such a positive step in the right direction.

- Stacey xo

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Vlog: 5th June, Cardiff Weekend

More videos from that weekend still to come!

- Stacey xo

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