Summer Bucket List – 2018

Last year I did a bucket list for Autumn. Unfortunately I spent most of Autumn suffering from morning sickness and really didn’t fancy doing anything or eating anything. So that one might have to role over to this Autumn… This year, I’ve decided to do a summer bucket list, because I’m sure that having a new born will be really easy and in no way prevent me from flitting off to the beach for a sunbathe…

This summer is going to be really exciting for us, our little one is due anytime now (full discloser I’m writing this in May so he could totally be here by the time you’re reading this…). Having a new born is definitely going to impact what’s practical to do, but, on the other hand, having a list of things to get me out of the house after those first few weeks might be a really good motivator. Plus we’ll have lots of visits from grandparents and the things on my list are perfect day out with Granny and Grandad material.

1. Picnic by the River. Something my parents suggest we should do every year and we never get round to. The thought of finding a nice shaded spot, laying down the babe and letting him have a good old wriggle about while we sip elderflower drinks (or wine, who am I kidding) and eat little sandwiches. Ah Bliss.

2. Beach Day! There is ample coast here in Norfolk and in theory, there should be plenty of time before the summer hols start when a mid week trip to the beach is possible. Hubby is very very lucky with the amount of paternity leave he gets so hopefully before he returns to work we’ll all be feeling up to a little day trip to the seaside.

3. Boat Day. This one might be the most optimistic. We’ve had a few days out on the Broads since moving to Norwich and we love it. We rent a boat from somewhere around Wroxham and cruise about for a few hours enjoying the sun and the scenery. Adding a baby into this might not lead to a massively relaxing day, and I don’t want to think about being stuck on a boat with no clean clothes or nappies… Maybe just a half day?

4. Do up the Garden. We’ve already made a bit of a start on this one by planting some flowers in pots. But I’d like to get some nice garden furniture, maybe lay some temporary decking, and just spend time sitting outside. Our garden is far from picturesque, but with a bit of TLC we might be able to pretty it up a bit. And again perfect for those early weeks with baby, if I don’t feel like going far, I can just sit in the garden for a few hours and soak up some vitamin D.

Bonus Wish! I’d really like to try wild swimming… I don’t know of anywhere in Norfolk that’s safe but I think I know of one or two places up north, so maybe on a visit to family we could swing by a good deep river and have a splash about… Any tips for wild swimming in Norfolk let me know!

 

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A scarf would bring this together…

I kicked myself when I got into the city and realised I’d forgotten to wear my new favourite scarf. I think the outfit works without it but the scarf added something… I’m not sure what… oh wait. I know. Warmth!! I was so freaking cold taking these pictures!

This is my first real “put together” maternity outfit. I’ve been unconvinced by maternity wear, not sure if it’s a waste of money. I bought myself this shirt from H&M and I’m so glad I did. Putting on a well fitting item of clothing can really help you feel good. I’ve not wanted to post outfit pics because I’ve not really been happy with what I’m wearing, but on this day I felt like myself again and loved it. I’m not going over the top with maternity wear because I still think it can be a bit of a waste of money (except the jeans, they are so comfortable I just want to live in them forever). But having a few nice items in my wardrobe is going to be important for me I think.

Jeans – Jojo Maman Bebe | Boots (similar)- Clarks | Shirt – H&M | Coat (similar) – H&M | Hat -Accessorise

Casually Hanging out in a Multi Story Car-park

Is this not the most natural place to take photos? No?…  I wondered why we were getting some odd looks. Hey look its those jeans again!  And these boots show up fairly often too…

It’s officially autumn and that brings with it the joy of coats.  This year I knew what I was looking for when I went out shopping, I couldn’t spend too much but obviously wanted a coat that would last.  This one is perfect, cozy, pockets, a nice collar and a good length. It has it all!

Here are a few other nice coats that have caught my eye.

 

Autumn Bucket List

I’ve seen a lot of people doing a kind of seasonal bucket list and I really like the idea.  It can be really easy to miss out on the changing seasons, what with work and life taking up so much time.  Having a small list of things you’d really like to do and planning time to do them is a great way to ensure you really appreciate your time.  It can be so easy to make no plans and waste a weekend or day off.  Here’s my Autumn to-do list!

1. Have a snuggle picnic.  I totally made up the name of this. I wanted to go for a picnic during the summer and never did.  So I’d like to pack up loads of blankets and cushions and snuggle up in a park with an autumnal picnic!
2. Bake Parkin and/or Gingerbread. Parkin is a traditionally northern English cake or biscuit.  Like gingerbread but made with black treacle.  Perfect for nibbling around a bonfire.
3. Go fruit picking. Any Norwich based folks with tips on where to pick fruit hit me up!
4. Have a dinner Party. For me, Autumn feels like the perfect time to fill your house with friends and delicious food.
5. Carve a Pumpkin. Ok so it’s cliche but I do love carving pumpkins and it lends itself perfectly to my last one…
6. Make pumpkin pie (and make mum try it). I love pumpkin pie and it shocks me that my mother has never had it. (although that would explain why I never had any until my 20s).  This year I’ll be sure to get mum to try some.  This is my favourite recipe

It’s taken me to the end of this list to see that I obviously like food in Autumn…. All food based!

What’s on your Autumn bucket list?

Favourites September Edition – Summer Memories

This summer brought with it a lot of change and a lot of excitement. Of course my birthday should be the highlight of summer for everyone around me, but this year we had other things to celebrate.

Since I’ve been married I have been sharing my husband with another being.  I think it’s fair to call it a being because it’s taken up so much of his time and energy, has caused us excitements, stresses and disappointments. This summer my husband finished his PhD and is now officially Dr Mundy.  We attended his graduation in Manchester and it felt like some kind of birth/funeral hybrid. 

This trip also brought with it another excitement, driving. Earlier in the year I passed my driving test (second try, all the best drivers pass second time).  We bought an old car from a work friend and the 5 hour drive from Norwich to Derbyshire was the first long drive I made.  I had to do all the driving, it was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. 

We moved house (again. We have lived in a different house for every year we have been married). Moving brought us closer to our allotment from which we got our first (and last) harvest! We’ll still be eating the potatoes at Christmas.  We also abandoned the idea of an allotment in favour of a container garden.

Plus there was A LOT of great coffees and brunches with Laura from Rose and Weston. More of that in Autumn please!

Always the Same Jeans

I’ve noticed that I always wear the same pair of jeans…  At least in my blog posts!  I do have other jeans I promise.  My next outfit post will mostly likely also feature these jeans, but after that I’ll try and mix it up!  No guarantees though, I do love this pair.

The best thing about these jeans is that they are pretty easy to dress up or down.  This outfit was my second of the day, the first being a simple t-shirt and jeans job.  But with a switch of top and the addition of a jacket it went from casual to smart.  This has pretty much been my go to evening outfit the past few weeks because it’s so easy and comfortable.

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These shoes are a bit of a killer though.  The first time I wore them they cut my heels so badly I was a little worried I’d bleed out… They are now stained with my blood and that shows up really obviously in some lights so I got very few close ups of the pretty gold heels…

 

Shoes New Look Similar Here (I wish it were these…) | Jeans Next Similar here | Blazer H&M Similar here | Watch Elie Beaumont | Shirt New Look. I could find nothing similar but this would look nice

My Hair – A Love Hate Relationship

I think it’s fairly safe to say that at some point everyone gets a hair cut, or a colour (or maybe just wakes up one day with hair) that they hate. I pretty much live in a constant state of hair hate.  I might like it for a little while but I get bored or I change shampoo and suddenly my hair does nothing the same as it used too.

When I was young my hair was straight, I normally wore it in a bob with a fringe or long and shapeless, all in all it was OK hair.  It’s always been very fine, but generally speaking there was nothing wrong with it .  When I was about 12 I took myself along to the hairdresser and thus began my hair issues.  I had about 3 or 4 inches off and without that extra weight my hair sprang into some kind of wavy, kinky mess.  I think I saw people from school on my way home and they laughed at me, never before had anyone laughed at me for my hair so I knew it was dreadful.  Truth be told, looking back now, it wasn’t that bad, I just didn’t know what to do with it. After years of washing and air drying with no issues I now had to put thought into it. I survived this haircut by scraping it back into a ponytail and ignoring it.  (I won’t talk about the time I crimped it for the school disco… people who didn’t go asked if it was true I really had an afro…)

It wasn’t until I was 16 or so that I really started to think more about my hair.  There had been a few bobs and fringes, but up until I hit my Emo phase I just let it do what it wanted.

Emo brought with it very short hair with a long fringe, black hair dye, lots of product and for a short time, a bright red fringe.  In a lot of way this was some of my favourite hair times.  Keeping it short and messy meant there was very little for me to do with it.  Maybe run a straightener over the fringe, but that’s about it. Only thing I didn’t enjoy was my hairdresser telling me the photo I’d brought in was of a boy and did I know that… And did I still want the haircut? Maybe some pretty layers instead, with a bit of feathering?

This opened the way to keeping my hair pretty short through my late teens and early twenties, and a particular favourite of mine was my platinum pixie cut. I’d have that back in a shot if I still had the face shape for it!

My latest trick is growing out my fringe just to cut it back in as soon as it’s reach the right length.  On occasion I even cut it myself, I think I got pretty good at it.  I’m currently in the growing out stage, having returned to the bob with fringe look, again.

The most recent disappointment was when bleaching it straighten out some really lovely curls I was just getting the hang of.  And of course I got bored of the blonde and home dyed it ginger, which I also got bored of and dyed it, what was supposed to be brown but turned out red.

I’ve had some great hair ideas, I thought about rainbow coloured hair. For a while I wanted some kind of mermaid blue/green wavy look.  I’ve thought about and actually attempted to dye the underside of my hair green… I do sometimes consider just shaving it all of but I’m scared I might have a weird head.

Cliche time… It’s just hair! It grows back!  If there’s one thing I’ve learned and I’m sure will continue learning it’s that it really doesn’t matter what you do. It will grow back,  and if things get really bad there are some fantastic wigs out there.

 

OOTD – Denim Jacket

This jacket has been one of my favourite things this summer, and I’m looking forward to getting more regular use out of it in Autumn. I bought it the very day these photos were taken.  It was the evening of a work do, when I got into the city and felt that, as comfortable as I was, I look a little scruffy and not good scruffy.  I popped into Next and there was the jacket, on sale, £16 down from £45. What more can you ask for! I got it a size up for extra oversized-ness.  It helped give my outfit a more ‘put together but relaxed’ look.

Jacket – Next (this one is similar)

Tshirt – Levi’s

Jeans – Next (but these are similar)

Brunch – A Wild Thyme

Does anyone not like brunch?  I feel as though everyone must love brunch…  Have a lie in, stroll into the city and eat breakfasty or lunchy foods, depending on your preference! And going for brunch with a friend? Even better.

A few weeks ago a friend and I went to Wild Thyme in Norwich, a great veggie/vegan place.  She’s vegan and I really shouldn’t eat dairy so having pretty much a whole menu to choose from is always a big deal for us.

We stared off with Spice Turmeric, Oat Milk Lattes which were heavenly.  Ten times better than the classic Chai Latte and I’m a big fan of the Chai Latte.

Of course, even in a restaurant with a menu full of delicious vegan foods, we both still wanted things that contained dairy.  Our lovely waitress offered to pop to the shop downstairs and pick up some dairy free yogurt for us.

Banana Pancakes, Avocado on Toast and Yogurt with Fruit

I’ve eaten in Wild Thyme a lot and I can honestly say I’ve never been disappointed with the food or the service.  It’s a beautiful location and they have kept the ambiance inside in keeping with the courtyard outside.

In terms of price, it is a little more on the pricey side but it’s definitely worth it.  Nice for a date, a meal with the parents or just a fancy brunch date with a bestie.

When I Wear Makeup…

“Everyday Makeup” wouldn’t really be an accurate name for this post.  More often than not, I don’t wear make up.  I love putting it on and playing around with new looks, but most days I’m too lazy, preferring to spend an extra 10 minutes in bed than getting up and doing my face.

However I do have a quick ‘go to’ look for days I have a little more time.  It’s very minimal and one that’s easy to dress up when required.

The products I’m showing are ones I’m currently using, but things like foundation or mascara change regularly depending on what took my fancy when I was shopping.  If you have any product recommendations I’d love to hear them.  I’m particularly interested in picking up a tinted moisturiser, so leave your suggestions below or let me know on Twitter!

Sephora Teint Infusion – Very buildable, light and moisturising without leaving you too shiny.

NYX Above & Beyond Concealer – A new product to me but so far it’s great, full coverage, matte but not TOO matte.

Natural Collection SunTint Bronzing Powder (Sun shine) & Blushed Cheeks (Peach Melba) – Again, buildable, well pigmented, not cakey.

Rimmel Stay Matte – A staple in my makeup kit, does what is says on the pot. What more can you ask for!?

NYX Badunkadunk Mascara – Fantastic, lengthens, adds volume, not waterproof but that’s cool with me! Add to curled lashes and boom!

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo (Pink gold) – I’ve been lusting after these pots of wonder for a long time and finally got myself one.  I was not disappointed. Creamy, long lasting and works well with other shadows cream and powder alike.

L’Oreal Paris Gold Obsession (Nude gold)  – I love everyone of these lipsticks and choosing just one was so hard.  I’m really glad I went for nude, so much more versatile.  Does need to be topped up throughout the day/night but it doesn’t leave your lips looking patchy or dry.  A subtle shimmer and beautifully natural nude.  Definitely a ‘my lips, but better’ look.

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