Ten happy things – August 18

Every month I look back and pick ten things that made me happy. There were a few things that made me unhappy (including a nightmare trying to sort out my South African passport) but I’ll leave those for another post! Here’s my ten happy things for August.

The ponds at Hampstead Heath

The first Friday in August was absolutely glorious and I happened to have the day off. In all my years of living in London, and fairly close to the Heath, I had never been to the ponds – so off I went. I stupidly thought most people would be at work but they weren’t – they were there and it was packed!

BBC Good Food Show

My lovely friend Shelley happens to work at Hampton Court Palace so told me about the BBC Good Food Show taking place there and invited me to come along on the Monday Bank Holiday. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great but at least the rain held off! There were loads of stalls where you could try samples and buy items (I bought some gorgeous British Cassis from White Heron) and food stalls where you could grab lunch. There were also stages with live music and dancing as well as cooking demos. It was fun! Oh and HELLO Prosecco van! 

A long weekend in Polignano a Mare

Last year we spent five nights in gorgeous Polignano a Mare and, we loved it so much, we booked four nights there this year too. Situated in Puglia (the heel of the boot), it has the most beautiful beaches. I mean, LOOK AT THIS WATER. Ten minutes after this photo was taken, we were swimming in that beautiful water.

Thinking of visiting? Here’s a post I wrote about last year’s trip to Polignano a Mare.

Day out with Dawn

Being freelance means having the flexibility to take a day off and hang out with friends. I met up with fellow freelancer, Dawn, in High Wycombe and we had lunch and did a bit of shopping. It was great!

It’s always nice to have someone to talk to who understands what it’s like to be freelance and to talk through any ideas or worries and concerns that you may have. 

Steve and Hannah’s wedding

I love a wedding but most of my friends are either already married or still single so it’s not often we get invited to one. This month we did though! Our friends Steve and Hannah got married and it was just so lovely. There’s something so magical about a wedding… witnessing two people in love making a commitment to each other in front of family and friends is just so special and it’s really an honour to be part of it. 

Lunch with Holly

Holly has featured loads in my ‘Ten happy things’ posts! She even jokes about whether she’ll make the cut each month! This month we met up in Covent Garden and had an absolutely delicious lunch at Sticks ‘n Sushi, followed by a drink in the sunshine at the outdoor Martini bar.

Unfortunately it was the day I had my passport nightmare so I was a bit distracted but we still had a great time and a good laugh. 

Persian Feast cooking class

I was invited along to the Waitrose Cookery School in Finchley Road to learn how to cook a Persian Feast. I had such a great day and the three dishes we cooked were so delicious. I’m still thinking about the starter… which I really need to make at home! Here’s how the day went.

I got a new job!

It’s only an interim role while they recruit, but I’m working four days a week as a Social Media Manager for one of the UK’s biggest charities and I am DELIGHTED. 

Read a great book

I adore reading! There is nothing better than being engrossed in a good book, is there?  Although it’s not always easy to a) find the time and b) find a book that grips me from the first page. This month the book that hooked me straight away was Not Working by Lisa Owens. I loved it! Really funny and relatable too. If you’re looking for a light-hearted read that makes you laugh out loud, then give it a go.

I found the perfect dress

Thanks to Vix Meldrew’s Exciting Emails newsletter, I found my dream dress! It’s a gorgeous red leopard print midi wrap dress from New Look and it’s so flattering. I LOVE it. It was hard to find though… online they only had size 6 in stock and it took me three visits to different New Look shops to find it. Finally I found the only one left in the Oxford Street branch and it was my size! Definitely a sign.

Here’s me wearing the dress at lunch with Holly. 

So that was my August! How did your month go?