Why I'm not worried about getting older

Next week I turn 28 and am only two years off 30. As everyone keeps telling me as if with that it brings with it impending doom. But if I'm really honest, I'm actually quite enjoying getting older. Even with the unwanted extra weight I'm carrying that's easy to put on but hard to get off, the dark circles that no concealer is covering up, and the wrinkles that still stay after I finish laughing, I'm more content then I have ever been with my lot in life.

I look back at pictures of myself at 21 green with envy, wishing I could have the willpower and the metabolism to look like that again. That's lasts for all of 30 seconds before I realise I wouldn't go back to that age in a heartbeat. I spent my late teens and early twenties crippled with self doubt. I was self-conscious and constantly worried. Worried about pleasing people. Worried about living in the big bad world. Worried about not achieving what society dictates.

But with every pound gained and every laughter wrinkle, it reminds me of all the fun times I've had. And they're much more important to me than worrying about my appearance. Sure I'd love to look better but I'm enjoying life. As cheesy as it sounds,  I'm enjoying life more as I get older. I almost can't wait to see what the next year brings. My body may be 28 but deep down I'm still that eager 18 year old girl. Just a lot more sassy and wiser. How can I not want that?

I have so much to look forward to as I'm getting older and I can afford to do so much more. The older I'm getting, the more I'm ticking off those dreams that as a youngster, I never really thought I would achieve. I'm so much more settled in my career, working in a job I love and earning a wage that allows me to fulfil some of my greatest passions. I'm genuinely happy and as of this moment, I honestly wouldn't change a thing. It's taken me a long time and a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to this point in my life.

I'm able to travel the world and realise my teenage dreams, buy the designer handbags I've always dreamed off, treat those who have always had my back and as of March, buy an actual house. How could I dread getting older when I'm able to do all of this?

Bring. It. On.

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Recipe: Chocolate and caramel no bake cheesecake

One of my new year goals - a post of them later! - is to cook four new recipes a month. I have so many cookbooks that I really need to get stuck in to. When Wing Yip sent me over some caramel sauce, a cheesecake immediately came to mind. because obviously I haven't eaten enough sweet things during the festive period...

Their absolutely delicious caramel sauce is extremely addictive. Made from coconut milk, the sauce is vegan, gluten and dairy free. So this recipe can easily be adapted into what suits you best.

Recipe adapted from Good Food

Serves 8 people

Ingredients
1 pack of lotus biscuits
45g melted unsalted butter
110g caster sugar
120g whipping cream
200g full fat cream cheese
100g 80% dark melted chocolate
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 jar of Wing Yip caramel sauce*
1 pack family pack of Rolos to decorate

Method
1. Put all the biscuits in a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin until they are crumbs.

2. Mix the crumbs with one tablespoon of the sugar then pour in the melted butter. Give it a good mix before packing it down into a 18cm springform cake tin. Pop it in the fridge.

3. Melt the chocolate.

4. Using an electric whisk, whip the cream until soft peaks appear. Pour in the melted chocolate and cocoa power before mixing in.

5. In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining sugar and cream cheese. Then fold into the chocolate mix and ensure all ingredients are fully mixed together.

6. Get the biscuit base from the fridge and pour on the caramel sauce, ensuring that it covers the whole base.

7. The pour the chocolate mix on the top. Once again ensuring it covers the whole base.

8. Stick it in the fridge for at least two hours. But overnight would be best.

9. Once the cheesecake has set, decorate with the roles. Then tuck in and enjoy!

Please do send me a tweet if you make it, I'd love to see a picture!

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Where to eat in Glasgow

I'd heard good thing about the food scene in Glasgow thanks to Hannah so knew my belly was in for a good trip. Boy was she right! We ate so well during our trip and here are a few of my favourite places. Annoying, I never managed to get any pictures of all-time favourite place - Mother India Cafe -  so you'll just have to take my word for it!

The Hyndland Fox
Located in the West End, this cool Instagrammable eatery offers a great brunch option. And dessert if you fancy both... If you can tear yourself away from swooning over the interiors, make sure you go for the light and fluffy French toast topped with a mountain of berries and a very generous drizzle of yogurt. It's the perfect way to set you up for a day of sightseeing. Go for the sticky toffee pudding if you still have some room left.

Mussel Inn
I saw this on Ayden's blog and knew I had to visit while I was in Glasgow. I'm a huge fan of seafood and in particular mussels - despite a bad case of food poisoning in Bulgaria... I enjoyed a delicious starter of gin-cured salmon and a massive bowl of mussels in a flavoursome roasted red pepper sauce with pesto, mopped up with oodles of crusty white bread. The meal was such great value for money and we came up happy with full bellies thanks to the generous portion sizes. Make sure you book in advance as it seems to get very busy!

Bread Meats Bread
Even after the burger craze has been and gone, I still love to get my hands on a big juicy burger. After lusting over this burger joint on many an Instagram accounts, I was very much looking forward to visiting. Let me introduce you to the Great Western Wolf above. This bad boy is made up of a beef patty topped with American cheese, crispy bacon, BBQ pulled pork, crispy fried onions and 'Nduja with Siracha mayo. It didn't have as much of a kick as I had hoped but it was still pretty good. The poutine topped with cheese curds, bacon and grated cheese was sent from heaven. I'm still dreaming about them now!

Mother India Cafe
Located just across the road from Kelvingrove Art Gallery, this little restaurant is like taking a step back in time. Be prepared to queue but it is 100% worth waiting in the cold for. The menu offers sharing plates with a good selection for meat eaters and veggies. My favourites? Both the dals, saag chicken and the gorgeous fluffy garlic naan bread. I wish I could have smuggled a few out in my bag... It was by far my stand out restaurant of the trip.

Hanoi Bike Shop
Vietnamese is one of my favourite cuisines and I was intrigued to try the tapas style dishes at the only Vietnamese restaurant in Glasgow. I normally only opt for Pho or a noodle based dish so was keen to explore a little. Stand out dishes for me were the sweet potato fritters on the specials menu, the honey glazed chicken and the pheasant curry. It was great to try new dishes that I hadn't even heard of and made me fall in love with the cuisine even more!

Porter & Rye
Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of steak but everyone is my group is, so each trip I try to book us into a steak restaurant. Located in trendy Finniesten, this steak restaurant specialises in serving premium meat to the people of Glasgow. And it is delicious! I pumped for the braised pig cheek to start. Tender meat on a bed of corn, charred pineapple and wild rice. Then for my steak I opted for the cut of Onglet. Looking back I should't have been adventurous and stuck to a cut I knew well. It was nice but not mind-blowing. My boyfriend sirloin was so much nicer. But the bone marrow mac and cheese side I had? I could have happily have eaten that all night.

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2016 goals - how did I get on?

As I've mentioned before, last year was an odd and sometimes very tough year for me. As we are now head first into 2017, I thought I'd take a look back at the some goals I set myself last year to see how I got on. I feel like I started the year strong yet got lazy as the months went on. But at least I tried eh? Even if I didn't quite succeed.

1. See even more of the world
This one I absolutely smashed with flying colours. Yeah it skinted me quite a few times but it was 100% worth it. The more of the world I see, the more desperate I become to see more. I've fallen even more in love with Europe and sometimes can't quite believe that I live on such an incredible, diverse continent.

2. Put more of my passion into my blog
So for the second year running I have kinda failed at this goal. I can't imagine never having this little piece of the internet but I guess my motivation isn't quite as high as it should be. I absolutely adore putting my words down in a post but it's not high on my list of priorities at the minute. I struggled to find the time this year thanks to a long commute. Opening my laptop isn't always the first thing on my mind when I get home from work. But I'm so proud of everything this blog has achieved and it's without a doubt one of the best things I ever did.

3. Spend more time with those I've known the longest
Well I didn't do very well at this one either. I didn't see some of my oldest friends as much as I would have liked. But the older I'm getting, the more I'm realising is that this just happens. We all work such longs hours and lead such 100 mph lives that it's natural to not see people as often as you liked. But I have realised that the friendships I do have are pretty special. Even if I don't see them for six months, five minutes into a conversation it's like we have seen each other yesterday.

4. Look after my skin
I really noticed my troublesome skin last year as the commuting took it's toll. Some nights I was lazy and just used a wipe and other nights I spend 20 minutes pampering my skin with my lotions and potions. I wasn't very consistent and it showed if my breakouts and dry skin are anything to go by. I have gotten out of the habit of sleeping in my make up which is a bonus. Small steps...

5. Learn to have more self confidence
2016 was the year that I began to really trust my instincts. The year I stopped being so unsure and just went for things. Sure I had little wobbles but the mantra 'fake it till you make it' really does work. I just winged certain situations and to my surprise, I pulled them off. The one thing I'm enjoying about getting older is my confidence growing in myself. I feel so much more sure of what I want and what I won't put up with.

So, last year didn't quite go to plan as I would have liked given at how many of my goals I failed to hit. But that's ok, sometimes life just gets in the way. That's the fun thing - you never know what will be around the corner. Stay tuned for my goals for 2017. I'm determined to tick them all off this year. *She says*

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How to spend 24 hours in Glasgow

Over the festive period I headed up to Glasgow for a friend's wedding and to see in the New Year. Scotland is my favourite country within the United Kingdom so I was pretty excited to see what Glasgow had to offer. Luckily it lived up to my expectations. It's a city full of wonderful culture, incredible places to eat and gorgeous architecture. I could have stayed in the West End all week - I'd definitely recommend you use it as a base. But if you're not lucky enough like me to spend a week in the city, here is how to get the best out of Glasgow in 24 hours.

First up head to breakfast at Hillhead Bookclub. Located in the West End, this cosy little place does a cracking brunch menu. Go for the poached eggs in a bed of spicy chorizo, creamy avocado and a hollandaise sauce with a side of bread to mop up the delicious leftovers! If you fancy something a little more substantial, the Scottish breakfast looked great. Once you've filled your belly, it's then time to start exploring!

Catch the Hillhead Subway into the town centre for a wander around. It's £4 for an all day ticket. Do a little shopping if you fancy it - you'll be spoilt for choice with everything on offer! Make sure you stop for a photo opportunity at the famous Duke of Wellington statue in Royal Exchange Square. You'll spot it straight away thanks to a traffic cone on it's head!

Catch a taxi - so cheap! - or the subway back to the West End for lunch at Hanoi Bike Shop. This Vietnamese gem is hidden down a side street opposite Hillhead Subway. As the city's only Vietnamese restaurant, it's very popular with the locals. Go wild with the sharing dishes or ask them to choose you a selection for under £20 per person. We loved the pheasant curry and the honey chicken - I wish I could have bottled up the sauce to take home!

Take a short wander down to visit the Botanic Gardens. Set in a ornate Victorian greenhouse, it only takes around 30 minutes to really soak up the gardens. But it's a lovely place to just mill around. It always stuns me just how incredible those Victorians were and how many things they created are still enjoyed today. There's also a little tearoom if you fancy stopping for tea and cake.

Take a leisurely 20 minute stroll to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This insane building is an Aladdin's cave. Full in interesting artefacts, incredible history and beautiful art, it's a place you can spend an hour or indeed a full day. I wish we had got there for 1pm to listen to the organ recital. Sadly we missed the famous Salvador Dali Christ of St John of The Cross. But it's just an excuse to go back again!

Have a quick drink to rest your feet at Brewdog. Situated opposite Kelvingrove Art Gallery, this branch of the Scottish craft beer company is a great place to enjoy a drink. Offering a brilliant selection of different beers, there's also spirits and ciders to try too. Try the beer flight for their best beers.

After you've quenched your thirst, it's time to head up the head behind Kelvingrove to the university. J K Rowling based Hogwarts on the building so as you can imagine, it's a dream! It's also home to the  slightly creepy Hunterian museum which is worth a wander around.

Finally head down to Mother's India Cafe on the road opposite for a spot of dinner. Keep in mind you may have to queue but it's well worth the effort. Choose from a variety of tapas style dishes for an Indian feast. We loved the dal options and the saag chicken. We ordered so, so much yet it only came to about £20 each with drinks included. It's very similar to Dishoom if you have ever been.

Have you ever been to Glasgow? If so, what were your favourite things to do?

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A look back at 2016

So another year over eh? The picture above is probably my favourite one of the year. I get such a huge grin on my face every time I spot it and it reminds me of some of the best two weeks of my life. I remember feeling so carefree. We'd been at a Hungarian festival all day, drunk £6 bottles of 'champagne', sat in the sunshine, made paper windmills in the art tent and were just about to watch Rihanna who just so happened to mine her way through the entire set. Sometimes the best moments in life aren't Instagram perfect or follow a careful script. Real life shouldn't have a filter.

I came into 2016 reeling from the shock of being made redundant, undertaking the uncertainty of being freelance and quite frankly at a loss at how to move forward. It's not until I look back at the period in my life that I realise just how unhappy I was during 2015. I feel like a different person now.

Luckily 2016 has been has been an improvement. It's been a year of extreme lows but also a year of extreme highs. Both in my personal and in my professional life.  Sometimes I just can't quite believe how much I have packed into 12 months. A year that feels like it has flown by but also a year that has moved at a snail pace.

In March I was made permanent at my current job after freelancing for a few months. I was and am still over the moon to be working with such a great team and for such a fab publication. I genuinely enjoy getting up in the morning and commuting to London. I absolutely love being back in the city and embracing the London lifestyle. I fully committed to seeing the big wide world with an incredible five new countries crossed off my list and six new European cities. It's made me realise just how much I thrive from going to to new places. It's only increased my desire to see everything out there! We have hopefully bought a house too which came out of nowhere! We wasn't really looking but one came up that we loved the look of. After a few tense weeks we finally had our offer accepted and are now just waiting for the whole process to go through. It's not completely set in stone but I'm quietly confident that it will all go through. I just hope it doesn't come back and bite me in the bum!

As a family we've taken a fair few knocks this year and at times things have been tough. Tougher than they have ever been. But if one thing they have taught me is that you knock us down, we get back up again. We will get through it as a unit. The rollercoaster is something that will probably carry on until 2017.

Despite that I'm looking forward to 2017. I'm seeing in the New Year in Glasgow with three of my favourite people, a city that I've never visited. Hopefully March sees me finally move out into my first home with my boyfriend - still working on a move date! I have a few weddings to attend and a holiday traveling around Poland to plan. Plans have slightly changed with Warsaw, Krakow and Gdansk on the list now but that's the beauty of planning a holiday!

Thank you so much for everyone who has read my little piece of the internet - sometimes I can't quite believe that I've been writing it so long. I honestly can't imagine it not being part of my life. I haven't quite nurtured it as much as I wanted to in 2016 but hoping to invest more time next year. I've got some big plans! This will be my last post of 2016 so I'll see you on the flip side!

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Three ways to style your shelves

If you're anything like me, you spend hours lusting over Pinterest at the interiors. Dream of perfecting the perfect shelves and having a room worthy of taking pride of place in a interiors magazines. But sometimes they can look a little too sterile. Like no one lives there, they simply exist to take pictures of. Here are my tips on how to add a little personality to yourself without giving into clutter!

Trinkets
Too much tat on a shelf can look untidy and cluttered. But adding a few trinkets can help give your selves personality. Pick a few things from your adventures, things that represent you and mean a lot to you. I have a collection of Russian Dolls from Budapest to remind me of my holiday. I have a Peaky Blinders pin badge that I was given in a secret Santa from Hannah.

Wall art
A few years ago I made a pact to pick up a different print from every city I visited. I'm missing a few as sometimes they can be hard to track down but now have a pretty healthy collection. Eventually I'd love to have a gallery wall above my sofa in my future house. But, for now I'm displaying them on shelves. They make a great talking point and bring back memories every time you catch them.

Books
Despite owning a Kindle, I still have a love affair with books. At the moment my obsession is with travel books. I think I might actually be keeping Lonely Planet in business... I spend hours reading them, making notes and dreaming about places I've yet to visit. I like to scatter a few of my favourites on my shelves and change them whenever I fancy a change. Coffee tables books look great too. I'm slowing building up my collection of Hygge inspired books!

How do you style your shelves?

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How to wear statement boots

Outfit:
Purple and grey ombre coat: ASOS (similar)
Grey distressed skinny jeans: New Look
White long line tailored shirt: H&M (similar)
Silver ankle boots: H&M (similar)

As soon as the cold weather hits, I'm all over ankle boots. I like to buy a few new pairs each winter to add to my collection. The more unusual and lairy the better as far as I'm concerned. This year I added these silver ones to my collection. I feel a little bit like David Bowie which is always a good thing. The cold weather brings with it bundles of layers so often an outfit is all covered up. This is where a statement pair of ankle boots come in handy as you'll always see them. They're a great way to jazz up a outfit.

See some of my favourite ankle boots below.

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2016: A year in travel

2016 has been an absolute whirlwind. I didn't think anything travel wise could beat 2015 but looks like I was wrong! I never made it outside Europe this year but it has made me appreciate just what a beautiful continent I'm lucky enough to live on. I have such a love affair with Europe and can't rave about it enough. So much culture, beauty and incredible food just a few hours away. I almost don't want to visit anywhere else... I also got to see a lot more of the UK this year which has been fab. A few weekends away in your own backyard are great for recharging your batteries. So where did I end up this year?

The Cotswolds
Back in Feburay I headed to the Cotswolds to help celebrate Sarah's birthday with all my blogger chums. It was my first time in that part of the world and it certainly won't be my last. Just three hours from London, it felt a world away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. We stayed in a beautiful National Trust property and spend the weekend eating cake, taking long rambling walks and putting the world to rights. Who says people on the internet are weirdos?

Cologne
After stumbling across £20 flights, it was off to Cologne in March. Despite only having previously been to Berlin, Germany is my favourite country so I was excited to explore more. Cologne was the perfect long weekend away. It's not a big place and if I'm honest, four days was probably a bit too long. But it gave us ample time to wander around aimlessly and truly relax. There was no strict timetable to stick too! I developed a love of German beer, ate a pork knuckle as big as my head and nearly died as we walked to the top of the cathedral.

Copenhagen
I booked this as a birthday treat for my boyfriend but ended up falling head over heels with the Scandinavian city. It was absolutely incredible and one of the best places I have ever visited. I could see myself very happily living there for the rest of my life. THE FOOD! Oh my the food. It was some of the best I've ever eaten. We ate like absolutely kings and came home like paupers thanks to the ridiculous prices. And I thought London was expensive. But it was 100% worth and I'd do exactly the same again.

Prague
The first stop on our epic Eastern European trip was the Czech Republic capital. After promising to visit for the past nine years, we finally made it. We had four days which was perfect. We'd done all the main sights within 3 days so we had one day to relax and soak up the atmosphere. The old town was absolutely stunning and it's probably one of the prettiest cities I have visited. The endless terracotta roofs were darling. We had some of the best food of our entire trip here, enjoyed the local beer, trekked to the top of a ginormous hill and battled the crowds on the Charles Bridge.

Vienna

We completely misjudged Vienna when we only scheduled in two days in the city. It turned out we actually only had 36 hours which wasn't long enough at all. I was so blown away by the stunning architecture and feel so sad we only scratched the surface. Unfortunately we couldn't inside anywhere but that just means we shall have to book a trip back.

Bratislava
This city was a game changer. Only put on the itinerary because it was somewhere to spilt the trip between Vienna and Budapest, it ended up being my favourite place I visited over the two weeks. The quaint Slovakian capital was hip, pretty and buzzing. I loved the cafe culture - endless locals spilling out into the street sipping on coffee and watching the world go by. Two days was the perfect amount of time.

Budapest
It took a while for me to warm up to this city. It was dirty, grimy and not that welcoming. After coming from three beautiful cities, it took a while to get used too. But after a couple of days I grew to love its quirks and ended up having the most fun during the trip in the Hungarian capital. We managed to grab some festival tickets and wandering past the stunning lit up Houses of Parliament at 2am with three of my favourite people is one of my favourite memories. However, getting up for the plane home the next day was not a fun memory...

Bristol
June saw a trip down to Bristol to visit a good friend for a girls weekend away. Boy did the four of us cackle the whole weekend. We stuffed our faces with pizza, took strolls along the harbour and danced until 5am. We realise that maybe we were too old for the latter... I couldn't recommend Bristol enough for a weekend away. It positively shines in the sunshine!

Plymouth
We had such a good time in Bristol that we scheduled another girls weekend away in October to my BBF's old university town. I'd been to Plymouth before but never really ventured any further than the student union. We ate gorgeous Thai food, got the boat over to Cornwall, got stranded in Cornwall and had beautiful Autumnal sunshine.

Pic taken from Bow Dream Nation

Glasgow
This hasn't actually happened yet but I'll be in the Scottish city this time in two weeks. We're flying out on Boxing Day for a wedding and NYE. With a full week in the city, I can't wait to really sample all the foodie delights on offer. I've heard such GREAT things. I want to see a few sights but am also going to try and take it easy so I go back to work in 2017 feeling nice and refreshed.

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Five series on Netflix to watch over the Christmas break

1. Peaky Blinders
If you know me in real life you will know just how obsessed I am with this programme. It features two of my favourite actors - Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy - so I was always going to tune in. Set in Birmingham just after WW1, it follows the Shelby gangster family as they struggle to go legitimate. With six episodes in each series, it's perfect to binge watch. Keep in mind that once you start you won't be able to stop! The cinematopgraphy is stunning, the acting is superb, the costumes are gorgeous and the storyline is addictive.

2. Medici: Masters of Florence
Florence has been on my travel wishlist for years and Robb Stark is my favourite King of the North. So when I found out a new series starring Richard Madden based on the Medici dynasty in 15th century Florence, I started counting down until it dropped on Netflix. The Medici family was an Italian banking family who clawed their way up in society. I knew nothing of this family so have found the series to be so interesting. with the beautiful backdrop is a plus too.

3. The Crown
A Netflix original, there's been a lot of hype around this series about the British Royal family. Despite growing up in the UK,  I don't really know too much about our monarchy. The series is full of scandal and makes you realise that the Royals could be just like us after all. Matt Smith gets under my skin as Prince Philipp and Claire Foy is superb as the Queen.

4. Homeland
The first series of this programme is up there as one of the finest I have ever seen. I think I watched the whole thing in less than a week. The American political thriller is fast paced and strangely topical at the moment. Claire Danes will exhaust you and Damien Lewis will once again keep you enthralled.

5. The Office UK
An oldie but such a goodie. For some reason the Ricky Gervais comedy always reminds me of Christmas. The mockumentary sitcom following the day-to-day lives of office workers in Slough makes me belly laugh every time. It's so unbelievably cringe worthy. David Brent really is the best character Ricky Gervais has created.

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How to wear a leopard print coat

Outfit:
Leopard print smart coat: Next (similar)
Distressed black skinny jeans: New Look
Grey chunky knit roll neck jumper: New Look
Tan faux suede ankle boots: ASOS (similar)
Red poppy red Lily: Mulberry

I have such a soft spot for leopard print in all forms. Shoes, coats, dress and bags. But sometimes it just doesn't work. You want to look classy not tacky. Now I much prefer more muted, understated animal prints. I feel like they can be remixed better as the more gaudy patterns can make an outfit look too busy. As much as I love clashing prints on other people, I just don't like them on me. So what are my tips on how to wear a leopard print coat?

I like to wear a neutral top underneath, This chunky knit gray jumper is a bit less boring than black or white but still offers a good base. It keeps in with the snuggly winter theme I was aiming for. A white crisp shirt will also work well. These distressed black jeans again add a neutral base. But the ripped knees and frayed ankles help to keep the skinnies interesting. Finally the tan boots bring out the browns in the coat to bring the whole outfit together and the red bag brings a pop of colour. I think accessories are great to jazz up an outfit.

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How to spend a lazy weekend

Mustard pattern cushion: Rooi*, grey ombre throw: Next*, Lonely Planet guide books: Amazon, 36 hours 125 Weekends in Europe: Amazon, pineapple candle: Primark, white chair: second hand

Due to a few things happening in real life, I've really scaled back my weekends and taken a step back. Usually I spend both days frantically fitting things in and constantly back and forth on trains into London. By the time Monday morning rolls around, I wake up exhausted ready to start the working week. The last few weeks I've very rarely left my Essex town instead choosing to spend my free days at home. I feel so much better for it and haven't even really felt the FOMO. It's been so nice to mooch around at my leisure and spend some time with local family and friends.

I've been setting aside one day at the weekend where I literally don't leave the house. Sometimes I don't even get dressed! Boy has it been good for the soul...

I never set an alarm and even if I do wake up early I like to lounge around and very rarely get up before 11am. I love to treat myself to a indulgent breakfast - smashed avocado, crumbled feta and chili flakes on crusty tiger bread is my brunch of choice. Then I like to potter around to do a few life admin bits and bobs that I have missed out during the week.

After lunch I like to settle down with a book underneath a cosy throw with a cushion and a candle flickering in the background. Sometimes it is my Game Of Thrones book on my kindle - on the third book now! - or it something from my collection of travel books. I'm absolutely obsessed with travel books. It could be researching places I've already booked or looking for inspiration for must-visit countries in the future. My list grows bigger by the day! I'm forever making wish lists on Air BnB in far flung places.

I've been really enjoying to put aside a Sunday to bake or cook something new from my mountain of cookbooks. So I usually volunteered to cook dinner for the evening.

How do you spend a lazy weekend? I recommend you take a day out for yourself!

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