179. 12 Things I'm Grateful For

1. Having an amazing, close-knit family who support me through every decision and every mistake I make and who I love spending time with. I truly believe family are the most important thing in life and I wouldn't change mine for the world.

2. Still being in a strong relationship with S after 5 and 1/2 years together, finally living together in our lovely home, and knowing that very soon we will become more than just a couple - we'll be a family, and knowing that I've chosen someone who will make an incredible, involved and loving father to our daughter.

3. Living in a beautiful home where I feel safe, comfortable and that I look forwards to returning to whenever I'm away.

4. My small but perfectly formed group of close friends who each lift me up and make me happy. 

5. A job which, at times, challenges me but is, for the majority, a fun and relaxed job, where I can help people, learn new things and spend time with lovely people. Plus, it pays the bills. 

6. Baking, reading, blogging, eating out, long bubble baths, catching up on my favourite shows on Netflix and all those other little things that I get to do on my days off. 

7. My health, mind and body for only ever giving me minor niggles and keeping me ticking over, able to move about and with enough energy and drive to get out of bed each morning.

8. This beautiful weather that we're currently experiencing up North and the fact that there are so many stunning places nearby where we can enjoy it.

9. How much my anxiety, in particular social anxiety, has decreased over the last 6 months or so. The fact that I look forwards to trips out and very rarely spend a whole day in the house is a massive achievement for me, not to mention the lack of sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat when I'm somewhere busy.

10. Having this little blog where I can write about what I want, when I want, with no pressure and the lovely feedback that I receive from fellow bloggers and even friends and family who read it. It makes it all worthwhile.

11. Feeling our baby girl moving about inside me. It's the most incredible feeling.

12. The amazing experiences I've had so far in my life and those that are just around the corner, such as a trip to Liverpool in October and a 4 night stay in a Yorkshire cottage next February.

What are you grateful for?

178. A Day in the Life

As I had a fun day planned for my day off today, I thought I'd share with you some snaps from throughout the day. Enjoy!

A little after 8am, I dragged myself out of bed and made the strenuous journey to the living room sofa instead, armed with my two-course breakfast (yup, that is a necessity when you're seven months pregnant) of chocolate Cheerios, Marmite on toast and fresh orange juice, where I watched the latest episode of Ordinary Lies (has anyone else been watching?! Today's episode had me gripped, and last weeks made me so teary!) before getting ready. 

An hour or so later, I headed down the street - passing the gorgeous, sun-lit Hexham Abbey in the photo above - to drop some stuff off at work, before popping into Superdrug where I picked up the new Barry M nail polishes, some nappy cream for the baby and some new powder and moisturiser. 

Around 11am, my Mum picked me up and we, along with my two sisters, set off to Newcastle for a day of shopping, sightseeing and - of course - eating. It was a beautiful, bright day in town and the first day this year that I've been out without a coat on!

With it being half-term, and a lovely day, Newcastle was bustling so we sought out some peace and quiet in the Laing Art Gallery after a quick look in Superdrug and Game. There were some amazing exhibitions, including Pablo Picasso's work, and it was a really nice way to spend a couple of hours, rather than just shopping or watching a film which is what we usually do when we all get together. 

After months of me craving chicken katsu, I finally had my dream fulfilled. My sister loves Wagamama's so she suggested we go for lunch and everyone was pretty keen. Fi went for the chilli chicken ramen whilst Meg had chicken ramen and my Mum had a spicy green curry (I'm not sure what it was called, but it smelt delicious!) The service was brilliant, I managed to eat 99% of my meal with chopsticks *proud face* and it satisfied my craving, but I'm not sure chicken katsu is something I'd go for again - perhaps it was just my pregnant taste buds playing tricks on me, I'm not sure!

Not that our meal at Wagamama wasn't filling enough... but I suggested we pay a visit to one of my new favourite places - Wheelbirks in Stocksfield - for some ice cream on the way home. It was absolutely packed but we managed to get a table outside in the sunshine where we could enjoy our treats. I went for one scoop of Toblerone Crunch and one scoop of traditional Chocolate, and it was well worth the £3. New Girl in Toon has a fab review of Wheelbirks here. 

Early evening was spent catching up on blogging and I managed to get a few posts scheduled before we settled down to catch up on One Born, Masterchef and The Island with Bear Grylls, and tucked into tasty bacon sandwiches before heading to bed for an early night. Busy days are tiring, you know?!

176. 24 before 24

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love lists. I write to do lists for each month, I write to do lists for work and for my days off, I plan my meals for the week and base my shopping list on it. Seriously, I just love lists. 

I attempted a 21 before 21 challenge in the months leading up to my 21st birthday, way back in 2013, and managed to complete about half of my goals. The aim is to write a list of things you'd like to achieve in a certain time frame, and work towards them, ticking them off as you go.

I've been working on a 23 before 23 list for months and, as I've only just managed to think of 23 things I'd like to/can realistically achieve, I decided it's a little late (as my birthday is in October!) to begin this challenge... so, instead, I'm giving myself that little bit longer to work towards my 24 before 24 challenge. 

24 before 24
 (Deadline: October 15th, 2016. 560 days)

1.     Get a full driving licence and my own car

2.     Holiday with our baby girl

3.     Introduce a pet to our family

4.     Pay off and keep credit/store cards under £500 at all times

5.     Learn a second language enough to make conversation

6.     Reach 300 followers on Bloglovin

7.     Stay in a 4 or 5* hotel

8.     Treat mum to a spa day

9. Visit Fi in Sheffield

10.  Take up a sport

11.  Try Vietnamese, Korean and Turkish food

12.  Try 18 new eateries

13.  Re-watch all of Breaking Bad and Peep Show

14.  Read every book on my ‘to read’ pile (31)

15.  Visit Liverpool

16.  Walk to the top of Winder

17.  Improve my own health and fitness; more sport, no smoking, healthier eating habits

18.  Get my eyebrows properly shaped

19.  Regularly donate to Macmillan, St John's Hospice and British Red Cross

20.  Go to a blogger meet up/event

21.  Holiday with Dad, Tristan and Megan

22.  Treat myself to (and learn how to use) a good camera

23.  Get my teeth whitened

24.  Have a night away (just S and I)

Do you think my goals are achievable?
Are any of them similar to what's on your bucket list?

I'd love to read other peoples bucket and ** before ** lists, so please send me your links!

169. My Perfect Day Off - A 'How To' Guide

Hello lovelies.

If you're anything like me, life can get pretty hectic. What with work, friends, partners or dating,running a home, hobbies and all the other, numerous, added extras that help to fill up our diaries, it can be hard to find time for yourself. 

I'm lucky enough to get three days off each week and I like to strive for some sort of balance between keeping on top of housework, running errands, catching up on appointments and what not and spending time with family and friends. It's so easy to just jam-pack your day off full of everything you've been putting off all day, and forget to take some time out just 'be'. 

I've devised a little guide for how to achieve my the perfect day off. And by 'day off' I really do mean: day off. A day off from chores, a day off from appointments and a day off from people. Sometimes it's nice to be anti-social. I'm definitely not one of those people who goes stir crazy if they spend a day in the house by themselves; nope, I relish in it.

1. Have a lie in

I rarely sleep past 9am but when you've got no plans, it's lovely to stay in bed for that little bit longer. Whether you're actually in a deep slumber or you're snoozing in between checking your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feed - bed is, undeniably, a great place to begin your day off. 

2. Treat yourself to a tasty breakfast

As you have a bit more time on a day off, it's nice to make a bit of an effort with breakfast. Why not cook up some pancakes and enjoy them with fruit and honey? Or go all out and have a full English! 

3. Catch up on your favourite TV shows

Invest in Netflix or download the BBC iPlayer and 4OD apps. They're a great way to catch up on TV shows that you've missed due to a busy life. My current favourite is The US Office and, as S hates it (what is wrong with him?!), my day off is the ideal time to pull my duvet up on the sofa, grab some snacks and binge-watch a series in a day: no guilt attached.

Image Source

4. Do something creative

If you want to feel that you've done at least one productive thing on your day off, getting creative is the perfect opportunity. Bake something, write some blog posts or do something crafty like drawing, refurbishing a piece of furniture or playing an instrument.

5. Pamper yourself

Once late afternoon rolls around, why not treat yourself to a bubble bath, a face mask and a manicure? It's a great way to relax for a few hours and it will leave you feeling - and looking! - fantastic. I love the use Lush products for a nice, colourful and beautifully scented bath, and then apply both a face and hair mask whilst I soak in the bath. 

6. Have a treat-filled evening

Now that you're beginning to think about returning to work tomorrow, it's the ideal time to switch off your phone, make yourself (or even better, order) some delicious food, fill up a couple of bowls with snacks and watch a film or read a book either in bed or curled up on the sofa. The perfect end to a perfect day.

That's my dream stay-at-home day off work, what's yours?

159. Sunday Summary

Hello lovelies.

I hope you've all had an amazing week. The weather has been pretty hit and miss and we're well into the month, meaning that many peoples funds are beginning to run low (including mine!) but here's what I've been up to, nonetheless.

The week got off to a pretty boring start as I was working Monday and in the evening S and I just stayed in and relaxed, but I did treat myself to chip shop chips for lunch as I'd been craving them for weeks! We also got started on the awesome Better Call Saul which is available on Netflix. S's brother and his girlfriend welcomed their new baby boy, Roman, into the world on Monday too which was lovely news!

My Granny's beautiful engagement ring which I had resized and collected on Monday.

On Tuesday I treated myself to getting my hair cut and coloured at my favourite local salon, Transcend. I arrived with horrifically thick, tatty hair with a million and one split ends but left, four hours and two cups of tea later, with smoother, lighter, sleeker locks. I only lost about 2" of length so I was really pleased. Mum, her partner and I headed off to the cinema to watch Selma on Tuesday night and I can't recommend it highly enough; such a wonderful film.

Again Wednesday was spent at work - snore! - but Comic Relief's Bake Off more than made up for it. What a great line up for the first episode, I couldn't stop laughing and it made me really want to get back into baking!

On Thursday, I caught up with one of my best friends over a hot chocolate and a game of Peggle! It was fab to have a few hours to see each other and I can't wait for us to do it again soon. I also had my first ever filling on Thursday (which I then followed up immediately with a Gregg's pasty!) which was a much easier procedure than I was anticipating - what a relief.

After work on Friday I, as usual, headed over to my dads for the night. He made a delicious dinner of mince pie, wedges and veggies, and we had a nice, lazy evening watching the television. I even got to share the bed with our (outdoor) cat which was an unexpected - but lovely - surprise.

Saturday was a big day at work as I was left to dispense (advise and sell glasses) as well as pre-screen patients, which isn't something I normally do, but thankfully it went well with no major hitches. I met S late afternoon and we visited his brother and his girlfriend to meet baby Roman who - I can confirm - is adorable. After a couple of hours swooning, we popped in on one of S's other brothers for a bit of a catch up before heading back to Dad's for an Indian takeaway and a movie. It may have been a low key valentine's day but it was perfect.

Today we had a mini shopping trip in Carlisle where we picked up a few household bargains from The Range, including some photo frames, candles and kitchen accessories. Mum and her partner cooked us a delicious beef Sunday roast which was so yummy (although we had just eaten a McDonald's too - oops!) and, as always, it was lovely to spend a couple of hours with Mum. After calling in on S's mum, Grandma (who gifted us some gorgeous knitted goodies for the baby) and his third (and final) brother, I came home to a tasty cottage pie cooked by my Dad and baked some cupcakes which I'll share on here next week.

All in all, its been a really lovely week. Its been all about family and love which, as cheesy as it sounds, really is all that matters.

How has your week been?

Did you celebrate Valentine's Day?

154. Sunday Summary

Hello lovelies.

Sunday's are a great time for reflecting. For many people - including myself - they're the quietest day of the week where we have the most time to look back over the last seven days and focus on how the week has been as a whole.

This week has been a pretty good one for me. I've maintained a pretty positive mindset all week and, in general, felt alright. I thought it would be fun to focus on a few specific areas of my life too...

100 Day Spending Ban - I embarked on yet another a spending ban at the start of this week and, you guessed it, it's a 100 day spending ban. For those of you who haven't read Monday's post, the spending ban includes any form of shopping (apart from the weekly food shop, of course), snacks on the go and, basically, any unnecessary spending. I think I've done fairly well this week; my only slip ups have been a couple of bottles of pop or juice whilst I've been at work, and some Lemongrass incense sticks as we'd ran out. No nail polish! No lipsticks! No books! It's a miracle. I'm really pleased with how I've done, having only spent about £3 on items that I could have done without. 

Pregnancy - I'm now well into my second trimester at 18 and 1/2 weeks (19 weeks as of next Tuesday) and overall it's been a steady week. I've continued to suffer with backache and some twinges in my lower abdomen (I'm putting them down to growing pains) as well as being a little more tired than usual, but I'm still feeling very positive about the whole thing and so thankful for all the support that I've received so far. 

Healthy Lifestyle - Although I haven't really done any exercise (apart from walking up the killer hill to work), I've enquired about Pregnancy Yoga this week so I'm hoping to start classes in a week or so, and S and I have said we will start swimming together once a week as of next week, so I think that's progress - as long as it actually materialises.

In terms of eating, I've enjoyed some really tasty, nutritious meals such as Quorn bolognese with quinoa instead of spaghetti, porridge with berries for breakfast, jacket potatoes and some tasty salads. As a rule I'd say I've been well behaved during the day but, come night time, the hunger pangs kick in and I crave sugar! I've been keeping track of my intake on MyFitnessPal and I've only gone over my calorie and fat goals once this week. 

Fun - It's been a quiet week on my social calendar as it's coming to the end of the month and money is tight to say the least, but I managed to catch up with a friend mid-week for a tasty lunch and a catch up at Wetherspoons, and on Friday I headed over to my mum and her boyfriends' place for (an early) Burns Night supper of haggis, neeps and tatties with my sister, brother and his girlfriend. It was a really fun night and the food was so, so good. On Saturday night, one of S's brothers and his girlfriend (who is also pregnant, but at 25 weeks!) came over for a night in; we watched trashy TV, ate pizza and munched away on sweets. It was perfect. 

Blogging - On Monday, I shared my 100 Day Spending Ban post (which I mentioned earlier in today's summary), on Wednesday I posted a recipe for one of my favourite comfort foods: Toad in the Hole and Friday's post was all about my Pinterest nursery inspiration! 

Next week is set to be even bigger, busier and better than this week so I can't wait!

141. Lifestyle // Bedroom Tour

I've often admitted to being somewhat of a Nosey Parker and when it comes to peoples homes - and, of course, their bedrooms - I'm no different. I love to see all the little bits and pieces people have accumulated over the years, anything sentimental always pulls at my heart strings and, as we all know, I'm a sucker for anything pretty.

I thought I'd share some photos of my bedroom today for the rest of you nosey peeps to have a look at. I split my time between my family home and my boyfriends, so the majority of my stuff is kept at home, whilst the majority of my time is spent at S's house, which he shares with his dad. These photos are from my family home.

Top left: Butterfly Print from RE, Corbridge, in an IKEA frame, White Lantern from IKEA, Owl Candle from Primark // Top right: Butterfly fairy lights from The Range

I love this butterfly print and I've had it for a couple of years now; I think butterflies are so beautiful, hence why I also have these cute butterfly fairy lights, which take pride of place above my bed. 

Inside my walk-in wardrobe, I have a shelving unit that is crammed with books and DVDs. 

My bedside table is always cluttered with magazines, the books I'm currently reading, whichever DVD I've last watched, as well as famly photographs and a cute one of S and I that was taken a year or two ago.

Top left: White Desk from Littlewoods, Clothes Rail from Argos // Bottom left: Acrylic Storage from Amazon

I bought myself this clothes rail as I couldn't afford to get a wardrobe and, so far, it's served its purpose pretty well. I really want a pretty wardrobe but for the time being a clothes rail ain't all that bad - I can see exactly which clothes are clean without even having to open any doors (always good for a lazy girl like myself). 

I bought the desk when I started out with my Open University journey back in 2012 but, now that that's currently on hold, it's used as a dressing table instead. I keep all my most used products in front of the mirror and the rest of my beauty bits and bobs are either at S's or stored away for when I run out.

I love having photographs around the place and, as well as on my bedside table, inside my wardrobe, and on one of my walls, I keep a selection of them stuck beside my desk. They are mainly photographs of me with my siblings. Aren't  Weren't we cute?!

113. Lifestyle // Sunday Summary

Another week has passed and the weekend is almost over *massive sigh*... I hope you've all had a great week and an even better weekend. It's time for me to share what's made me happy this week...

1. Spending a lovely evening swimming and chilling (or overheating) in the sauna.

2. Looking into new and exciting courses - post coming soon!

3. Quality time at home with my family, including a delicious Sunday roast.

4. Receiving so much wonderful feedback and support about my anxiety blog post

5. Finishing another book - review coming soon - and receiving two new ones courtesy of World Book Night.

6. Meeting S's mums gorgeous new pup, Kealey.

7. Taking a big risk and having faith that it will pay off.

8. Taking time out to think about what I enjoy and want to do with my life.

9. A chilled out weekend in the countryside with S's family.

 

How has your week been?

What are you grateful for?

109. Lifestyle // Farfield Mill, Sedbergh

I spent three wonderful days in Sedbergh, Cumbria, last weekend with my mum and sisters. My mum moved to Sedbergh, which borders the Lake District and the Western Yorkshire Dales, last year as her parents both live there and now - every time I get the chance! - I head over to see her. 

After travelling across on the Saturday afternoon, picking up my sister Fi who is home from university for the Easter break, we settled in for a tasty, home-cooked meal before a cheeky trip to the nearby Dalesman pub for a couple of drinks with family.

On the Sunday, we headed to The Bull Hotel for a meal with my grandma, aunt and uncle, before a trip to Lancaster to visit my granddad who has been very unwell recently. The evening was spent relaxing, watching television and drinking wine. 

Monday was our last day together so Mum decided that we should visit Farfield Mill, an arts and heritage centre, just a short drive from Sedbergh, England's 'Book town' (due to the numerous amount of bookshops there!) We had such a lovely time looking around all the exhibitions, so I thought I'd share some of my favourite photographs that I snapped during the day, along with some information about the artists. 

Farfield Mill is situated in a Victorian woollen mill and prides itself on being 'the leading venue for textile arts in the North West,' housing beautiful exhibitions, craft demonstrations and even a lovely cafe serving cakes, scones and hot drinks (as well as Sunday roasts where you can bring your own bottle of wine! This is definitely on my to-do list for next time I visit). 

The mill is split into four levels. The top floor features demonstrations and some beautiful pieces of art; the mill is open plan with exposed beams and lots of light. 

A sneak peek into one of the resident artists pottery workshops. Many of the artists have their own working studios within the mill. 

I loved this beautiful ceramic collection, created by Joan Hardie of Bitter Beck Pottery. 

These gorgeous paper cut lamps by Hannah Nunn really intrigued me. The intricate design was incredible and they were so atmospheric. 

The main exhibition running at Farfield Mill until April 21st is 'Felt through Contact' by Viltkontaktgroep, a group of Dutch feltmakers. There were some truly breath-taking pieces in the exhibition, which you can see below. 

I loved this colourful piece! It reminded me of The Woolly Pedlar's vibrant, upcycled garments.

This quirky statement piece, made from an old car tyre, really wowed my sisters and I. Such an inventive way to recycle old, 'useless' products. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Farfield Mill. There is something for everyone; whether you're interested in the art, the beautiful setting, the history of the mill or just fancy a tasty cake (we had the caramel shortbread - delicious!), I'd definitely recommend giving it a visit if you're ever lucky enough to be in the area.

Have you visited Farfield Mill?

Which of the above pieces is your favourite?

107. Reading // Half of a Yellow Sun

I'm a big fan of charity shops for a few reasons, a) I'm constantly skint, b) it feels less materialistic to buy something when the money is going to a good cause and c) I'm always after a bargain. I find charity shops a fantastic place to scout out new (well, new to me) books and thats exactly where I found one of my most recent reads: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 

I love history and, therefore, historically based novels are a huge point scorer for me! Although, prior to reading Half of a Yellow Sun I knew nothing of the Biafran War and, in general, very little about Nigeria's history, I was drawn in by the blurb of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's second novel.

Having never read any African literature before, I went into the novel with an open mind, wanting to learn and completely unaware of the emotions that I'd uncover during reading.

One of the novels characteristics that I really appreciated was the way in which the story is told, through the eyes of three of the main characters, rather than from just one characters point of view. The novel isn't written in first person at any point but the omniscient narrator (hello GCSE English Lit..) really helps you to understand what each character is going through, their thoughts, feelings and intentions.

The characters themselves are all so wonderfully different and, despite the narrator switching from character to character regularly, their different personalities and perspectives mean that you never feel confused or lost, or have to turn back a few pages and remind yourself of whats going on. I personally found  Ugwu, a teenage houseboy from the Nigerian bush, and the elegant, sophisticated Olanna to be my favourite characters. I found their stories compelling and true, and felt myself sucked into their world more so than I was with the 'revolutionary' Odenigbo or the oh-so-English Richard. 

There is - in my opinion, based on books I've read in the past - a fair bit of politics involved, namely as it's based on a civil war and historical events, but I don't feel that this is a negative or a reason to put the book down and not read it. The blend of politics and raw emotion make for a really gripping story, and the fact that it is based on true events makes it all the more powerful.

This month, the film version of the novel is being released in cinemas throughout the UK and, based on the trailer, I'd say it's going to be fantastic - I just hope that it doesn't stray too far from the story and stays as honest and brutal as it needs to be in order to portray the true story of the Biafran war and it's people. 

I'd strongly urge everybody and anybody to read this book. It's powerful, dramatic and incredibly emotive. I'm really looking forwards to the film and reading Chimamanda's first novel, Purple Hisbiscus.

Have you read any of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's books?

Will you be going to see the film?

106. Lifestyle // Sunday Summary

I hope you've all had a wonderful week, enjoying the fleeting sunshine that we've been lucky enough to receive, and making the most of the Easter break. Although I don't get an Easter break as I'm not at school or university any more, I don't work Bank Holiday's so I have a couple of short weeks at work (yay!). I've also got tomorrow off work as I'm visiting family in the Lake District, so next week is just a three day week *dances to celebrate* Anyway, I digress...

This week I'm going to run through what I'm grateful for this week as I think it's a lovely idea and I've got quite a lot to be happy for this week...

1. Spending time with Becca; catching up, having a giggle & making plans

2. Watching The Grand Hotel Budapest. One word to describe it? Quirky.

3. Catching up with family that I haven't seen in a while.

4. Getting started on season four of Breaking Bad & lots of nights in, snuggled up watching it with S.

5. Spending three days in the beautiful Lake District.

6. Feeling healthier & better than I have in a long time.

7. Realising the importance of family & their health.

8. Finishing the fantastic Looking for Alaska - review coming soon!

9. Going two weeks without biting my nails!

10. Long weekends off work.

11. Delicious cocktails at The Dalesman, Sedbergh, Cumbria.

12. Incredible support from my family, friends & followers.

13. Receiving positive news from work.

14. Getting my first taste of Ugandan cuisine. 

What have you been up to this week?

72. Lifestyle // August Round-Up

Summer is over and autumn has arrived.

August has zoomed by so quickly that I've actually had to look back through my diary, Facebook and Twitter to remind myself of what the month consisted of and it turns out it was a pretty good month!

August marked my 2nd month in my new job (can I still call it my 'new job' or is it just my job now?!) which has been incredible so far. I honestly have loved every minute of it and I'm already dreading having to leave when this maternity cover is over. I've had lots of new features to work on and I'm really coming into my own; developing relationships with clients, making my mark and achieving my targets. I feel like I've settled in and I had a lovely night out with everybody towards the end of the month which consisted of Italian food, wine and fun.

August also saw Shane and I book our flights to Amsterdam, finishing saving up our spending money and I finally got round to renewing my passport which means we're all set for our long weekend in Holland now.

I also started a Spending Ban, which you can see the posts about here and here, which lasted a  grand total of 20 days before I caved and bought a sculpting palette and a vest - oops! At least I've spent a lot less than money on clothes and make-up than usual, so I'm pretty proud.

I had a chance to catch up with on of my oldest childhood friends before she jetted off to New York for a year of studying abroad this month. We had the loveliest time; filling each other in on everything and anything before an very-nearly-teary farewell. I'm in the process (and by 'in the process' I mean 'I'm going to at some point...') of setting up Skype so we can keep in touch. 

Shane and I had a great night celebrating my best-friend's 20th birthday in the middle of August too, with a big barbecue followed by a trip to the pub and lots of local bands (and ciders) in the sunshine. It was fab.

The next day I headed down to Leeds to celebrate my cousins wedding. It was an incredible day and very emotional as she's had such a hard time in recent years, it was lovely to see her so happy and it was great to catch up with my family.

August also saw me start driving lessons again after an 8 month break! I also got round to booking my theory test and, as soon as that is passed, I'll be getting ready for my practical. Lessons are going well so far and I really can't wait for my next one! It's very liberating.

I set myself some blogging goals in August too, which you can see here, as my blog is quickly becoming a big part of my life and I'd love to see it grow. I'll be letting you all know how I've got on in a few months, so fingers crossed I can reach my targets.

The last weekend in August was probably the best (and not just because it was payday!) Shane and I went out for drinks on the Saturday and ended up at his grandparents old pub, playing bingo! It was very different from our usual nights out but it was honestly so much fun and who can complain when a pint is only £2.25? Sunday was spent sleeping, having a lovely long walk in the park, eating Sunday dinner and watching Dexter in bed.

All in all, August has been brilliant but I'm so glad it's September now. I'm looking forwards to getting wrapped up in a big coat, ankle boots and pretty scarves, spending more cosy nights in and the leaves beginning to change colour.

What was your favourite part of August?

Are you happy that summer is over, and autumn is upon us?

Lots of Love,

Becci