Ten happy things – April 21

It’s my favourite time of the month when I look back and reflect on what I did throughout the month and what brought me joy. Sometimes they’re really small things, like warm, sunny days and sometimes they’re bigger – like a rooftop lunch with a friend, overlooking the city. I think it’s important to stop and reflect and remind myself of moments of joy. So here’s my ‘ten happy things’ for April!

Back in an office!

Once a week I’ve been going in to one of my client’s offices in a WeWork and it’s been glorious! Not only do I get to actually work with my team in person, there’s also free barista coffee! It’s been so nice to see people again and to feel that buzz of an office, after working from home for so long.

Exploring rooftops with Fee

I hadn’t seen Fee since December, before our last lockdown so as soon as it lifted we set a date for a rooftop lunch. Fee is the Queen of rooftops so I left it up to her to book one. Fee chose 14 Hills as normally they don’t have a rooftop but with current restrictions only allowing for outdoor drinking and dining, they got permission to set one up. It was fabulous! The weather was actually nice enough to drink rosè – felt like Summer!

Blossom season

It’s Spring which means… it’s blossom season! I love this time of the year – although my hayfever doesn’t… I love going on walks and spotting all the beautiful blossom trees – from white, to pale and dark pink. And if you touch them (very gently, of course) they are so soft – like touching a cloud!

Drinks with friends in the sunshine

One Friday afternoon, I met my lovely friends Natalie, her gorgeous baby Eli, and Fede (who brought Amber, her adorable dog) at The Green Room in Waterloo for drinks. I was worried it was going to be quite chilly but the garden was directly in the sunshine and there was hardly any wind so it was perfect. We had a fabulous afternoon catching up, soaking up some much-needed Vitamin D and enjoying Prosecco!

Bedroom makeover

Ok so it’s not quite a makeover but we finally bought a new cabinet for our bedroom and I bought some lovely prints for the wall from a shop on Etsy – which all mean something special. They’re all vintage posters – one is of Bologna, where my husband is from, one is a BOAC poster advertising travel to South Africa (with an image that’s definitely Durban, where I’m from) and the third is an old Pan Am ad for travel to London – where we live now. I love them!

Discovered Eccleston Yards in Belgravia

I recently discovered this awesome courtyard called Eccleston Yards in Belgravia – really close to Victoria Station. It’s such a lovely little spot with a few restaurants, shops and a courtyard garden for anyone to sit in and enjoy – you can bring your own food. I went with some colleagues during lunch and it was wonderful as the sun was shining and it was lovely and warm.

Upped my running

With the gym being closed since mid-December, my running has taken a hit. I’m not one for running outside when it’s too windy, wet or cold. In March I only ran twice but with the better weather in April, I managed to run six times! I’m really pleased about that. However, my goal is to run twice a week so let’s see if I can get it up even more in May.

Lunch with Dawn in Chiswick

I met up with my friend Dawn and her gorgeous baby girl in Chiswick for lunch at an Italian restaurant. Luckily the weather was ok as we had to eat outside!

On our walk from the station to the restaurant, we walked past this amazing Mosaic House by artist Carrie Reichardt. It is absolutely fabulous! If you’re ever in Chiswick, I highly recommend going to see it.

Gifted a gorgeous candle – ad

I was gifted a candle of my choice by Sussex Special who make boutique, handcrafted candles. Their candles use soy wax so are long lasting, non-toxic and plant based. They have a variety of scents to choose from, which are inspired by the Sussex countryside. I chose Hurst Meadows, which is inspired by a small Sussex village called Hurstpierpoint. It smells absolutely gorgeous – like freshly cut grass! A lovely candle for Spring.

Read a great book

After reading a book I wasn’t particularly enamored with, I just wanted an easy read. And I got that with The Break by Marion Keyes. I’ve not read her books for years, which is a shame as she is hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud several times. It was a long read too, at almost 700 pages! I highly recommend it if you fancy a laugh.

So that’s what I got up to in April. What brought you joy last month? Let me know in the comments!