It might come as a surprise to some of you that me and the boyfriend don't live together after being together for such a long time - everyone seems to be moving in together at the moment! But actually, our living situation has enabled us to enjoy the best of both worlds. On my wage, I would have been seriously poor if I lived with him and would have had no life, but staying at my parents' house has given me an opportunity to save money while paying low rent and it gives me an easy way out of any contract when I go travelling. In Wolfy's case, he lives with a friend in a house that is owned and has been remodelled by his parents. Both quite independent people, we really like our own space so living apart has actually been quite nice, we have the option to see each other whenever we like, and the money I save on rent can also go towards us doing fun things together like all the festivals back in the summer.

Since moving out of his parent's house, Wolfy has lived in two homes and the first one, which he shared with two other boys, provided me with quite an experience. I know a lot of people who are in shared homes - some with couples and a few other friends, others are trios or groups of four - many find this is the only way they can afford to live out. So I know I'm not the only one who will have had some pretty hilarious and gross experiences in my time spent staying over at a shared house. I'm quite lucky that now Wolfy lives in a house with just the one friend it is kept really nice and clean, and that this house-mate knows not to just barge in when you're getting changed. But the old house did make for some rather entertaining times.

20 experiences every girl has had while staying at her boyfriend's shared house

1. Everyone has seen everyone naked. Not through choice, but it's just a bond most of you share. Particularly in a boys' house, willies are constantly on display and privacy is a thing of the past
2. Never a moment's peace when you want a pee, someone always comes barging in or starts talking to you through the door
3. There are mouldy plates everywhere - half eaten Dominoes/curries and nothing is ever clean if you want to cook
4. Good luck actually trying to find a glass if you want a drink - most liquid is drunk out of glass bottles in this house
5. Date night is a thing of the past and Friday's are spent partying with the house-mates and whoever else turns up
6. A romantic meal for two becomes dinner for five - and that's if you can find a clean spot in the kitchen
7. Things get really, really dirty before "the big clean up" which happens about once a month
8. Farting. There's a lot of farting. And there's always one house-mate who doesn't understand the concept of personal space and likes to leave the door open when he's on the toilet.
9. There's always someone about for a laugh, food and getting drunk, no matter what time of night it is
10. Clean towels are a thing of the past, and you consider buying jelly shoes to wear in the shower
11. Every time you try to have a quiet night in front of the TV, someone comes and changes the channel
12. Starting to keep up with the boys because you spend so much time drinking and partying with them
13. Everyone in the house has been caught in a compromising position - with no locks on the doors, everyone just seems to barge their way in!
14. That moment when you sink to their level and eat something out of desperation despite it being seriously debatable how long it has sat in their house
15. Realising quite how gross men can be when they are grouped together without a woman to clean up after them
16. All those hilarious nights full of silly jokes and plenty of banter that left you in hysterics
17. Everything in the house belonging to everyone - your booze is up for grabs to anyone passing through, but so is their food
18. Having a place for the whole gang to meet up, have house parties and get together on any night of the week
19. Really appreciating your own experience of living at home or with friends in a much cleaner girls' house
20. Knowing that you've firmly grown out of shared housing

Any classics you want to add to the list?

By now you guys will all know how much I love my girls, whether they're the ones that live on my doorstep, halfway across the country, or even thousands of miles across the world. They mean the world to me and I love the fact that I have managed to find so many amazing women who all share the same attitude as me to life. Even more so, I love that they have been with me through the very worst and the very best of times, have seen me in a complete state and at the top of my game, and love me no matter what. Men may mock girl friendships - and yes, some are a complete sham - but I reckon we girls have one up on you guys when we do things right.

You will, of course, get those friendship groups who chat shit about each other behind each other's backs, steal each other's boyfriends and generally make each other feel bad about themselves. Just like you do in some male friendship groups... But when we women club together, we have something you guys don't - and that is a closeness that can't compare to guy friendships I have seen. These girls are more than "just friends", they are my sisters and my family - the ones I have chosen to share my deepest, darkest secrets with and the ones who will pick me up in the middle of the night when it all comes crashing down. As they say, your friends are the family you choose - and my friends are firmly an extension of my family.A few particularly good girl dates recently have inspired this post because they really got me thinking about what makes my friendships special - then I realised, they aren't special at all to anyone other than me. Women up and down the country share equally incredible friendships with their girls - and while mine are completely unique and special to me, the general principals are exactly the same. For most of my life I have been more of a boy's girl, but amazingly I have found myself at this point of my life with more girlfriends than ever before, and I have to say, my tastes have definitely changed. I love being surrounded by girl power, loud voices, fierce personalities and loving support. It makes me feel stronger as an individual, and forever grateful that every single day I know I have a tribe of equally strong women fighting my corner and cheering me on.

What do I love about my girls?

1. They always involve wine, food, cocktails and a lot of chat - and any time can be wine o'clock.
2. Half an hour and a bottle of wine is all we need to set the world to rights and solve everyone's problems - okay we're starting to sound like we have a drinking problem.
3. We can happily go from having a quiet night in with a takeaway and X Factor, to having a candlelit dinner by the river, to raving until dawn at a festival. We're just so versatile.
4. Talking about EVERYTHING. With your girls, no conversation is off limits and it is important to girls to talk about every detail - you just don't get that with guys. Plus boy problems always seem so much simpler when talked about with a girlfriend - but most guys I know don't really talk about girl problems with their mates.
5. We are loud. Boys think they can out-do us, or out-loud us, but get a group of girls together and tell them to have a catch-up and things get really LOUD. But my girls never judge me for being loud.
6. Opinions are in full force and you can really have a heated debate about something you are really passionate about, then five minutes later we are talking about cake or lipstick.
7. There is always someone on make-up or hair watch for you, guys don't notice when your lipstick is smeared or you have fluff in your hair but a girl will always pick up on these things.
8. On nights out, guys kind of dance awkwardly or barrel around drunk - girls will stand round in a group and dance their little hearts out. No matter how stupid the moves - in fact the sillier the better - you will dance in high heels until you can't any more.
9. A friend can always solve your problem for you by putting things in perspective, or just telling you a funny story. They always know someone who has been through the same thing.
10. Snuggles with your girls are the best, whether its spooning each other at a sleepover or just a hug when you've had a tough day. Your girls always know when you need a hug and things are a bit much - guys just don't seem to get that same comfort.

Don't worry, I'm not shooting down guy friendships as I have plenty of my own. I'm just saying that girl friendships can sometimes get a bad rap thanks to those who don't understand the concept of true friendship. But the point is that actually we really have something going for us and girl friendships, in my experience, seem to reach a level that guys should be jealous of and that we should be proud of as women. If you ask me, some women need to realise that supporting each other and cheering each other on is far more admirable than tearing each other down and casting judgement.

What do you love about your girls?

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I don't talk about my relationship often. My friends always say they know something is really wrong if I actually talk about what is going on, because the rest of the time I like to keep my cards close to my chest. Don't get me wrong, I've no problem with talking about the good stuff as well, I just like to keep my relationship private. I've always thought that what goes on between a couple should stay between the couple - I know that isn't always the case, but for the most part I believe it should stay that way. Just like I don't tell all my other friends about all the stupid stuff me and my best friends get up to and all the rubbish we talk about, I don't see the need to tell everyone about the moments that mean the world to my boyfriend and I - because quite honestly, who cares other than me and him? After well over eight years together, we have no need to tweet how much we love each other, we don't need to publicise every romantic moment on Facebook, and I certainly don't need to blog about every argument I win.

I realised not long ago that we're not actually even listed as "in a relationship" on Facebook and I'm not even sure how long it has been that way... Pretty funny that I still get complete strangers coming up to me sometimes asking if I'm Wolfy's girlfriend! But it made me realise that no matter how Facebook official things are, it isn't proof of a good relationship, nor are soppy tweets or sickly sweet Instagram pictures. For me, the proof comes in radio silence. The happiest couples I know are the ones who barely communicate on social media because they're too busy talking face-to-face. The ones who you could almost miss are a couple until something big happens like an engagement, a new home or a baby. They are the ones whose love transcends the world of social media, which is basically just communication on performance-enhancers, and they are the ones who happily go under the radar. Amusingly, all those pictures and quotes that are posted about what women want, holding out for a hero and all that tosh, are usually the things posted by the ones who wish they were in relationships like the ones splashed across our newsfeeds and rammed down our throats at every opportunity.Of course it is wonderful and great to be in love, to have someone who cares about you and wants to make you happy. But does that mean you have to status update every meal at Nando's, every date at the cinema, and every lazy Sunday spent in bed together? If you ask me - that's too much OPDA for my liking (Online Personal Displays of Affection) and you need to step away from your phone. If you're spending more time checking in on Facebook and tweeting about your date than talking to them, or if you're thinking about the Instagram photos you'll post later while he's talking about how much he loves his dog - you need to sort out your priorities. I'm not saying keep everything off social media, it is a place for sharing of course, but when your relationship updates are the only thing you post, or people start commenting on how much you're flooding their newsfeed - perhaps it's time to take a step back.

10 signs your relationship needs to go offline:

1. Your relationship status is always the first thing to change when things get rocky, and you've been known to use "it's complicated"
2. You've had Facebook friends comment on a post saying "u ok bb?" or "inbox me bbes"
3. The first thing your friend says to you when she sees you is "TELL ME EVERYTHING" about a cryptic relationship status/post
4. You've posted a status or a photo of your beau captioned "my world" or "my everything"
5. You're sharing everything, from stories about the wart on his bum to pictures of you both lying in bed together...naked
6. You spend all your time together on your phones, or your other half actually has to ask you to put your phone down during a date
7. You check the pair of you in on every single date, supermarket trip, and even your phone calls.... when you are NOT even in the same room!
8. You row on Facebook or Twitter, and even involve your friends
9. EVERBODY knows your business, even the postman
10. You have a joint Facebook account. Need I say more?

Now I have to be honest, being a blogger I spend a lot of time on social media and there have been times when my boyfriend has had to tell me to put my phone down. But I love that he does that. He is the complete opposite of me, he never posts on Facebook or Twitter, I think he's forgotten he has Instagram, and that is so refreshing for someone who spends a lot of time blogging or sharing online. So it is nice when we go on dates, or have an evening together, that he makes me put my phone down and stop talking to the rest of the world so we can spend time just the two of us. Because that's what a relationship is - just the two of you. And when it comes to those lasting memories - nobody remembers the time they tweeted about a date, but they do remember the way you made them feel and the laughs you shared. Priorities - that's what it comes down to and, if you ask me, if social media comes first, you need to question whether you're really meant to be together. So next time you head out for date night, try leaving your phone in your bag. Stop snapping every moment for Instagram and start appreciating the time you have together - you never know when it could run out.

Are you guilty of having an online relationship - how do you strike the balance? Do you have too many OPDAs crowding your newsfeed?

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