Ten happy things – June 20

Every month I look back on the month past and choose ten things that made me happy, brought me joy or that I’m grateful for. It’s been a tough few months with Coronavirus and being in lockdown but we’re slowly coming out of it, with restrictions being lifted so that’s definitely something to be happy about!

Here are my ten happy things for June

Beautiful peonies

So many of my friends were sharing their beautiful peonies on Instagram but I couldn’t seem to find them anywhere. Thinking I wasn’t going to be able to get any, my local Sainsbury’s suddenly had a few bunches! I have NEVER seen them in Sainsbury’s before so I feel like it was a sign of some sort.

Anyway, aren’t they stunning? And they lasted almost a week too.

Booked a staycation

My husband had booked all his holiday dates at the beginning of the year and one of our breaks was meant to be at the end of June. Luckily he was able to move it so that we could have a little staycation when we’re allowed to travel in England from Saturday 4th July. We’re off to the seaside town of Whitstable! I can’t wait!

If you’re thinking about booking a staycation in the UK, here are some ideas of where to go.

New running trainers!

I’ve been doing Couch to 5k again during lockdown and I’m so close to finishing (just one run left!). Unfortunately my left heel kept giving me problems and was painful a few days after running so I went to Runners Need to get my gait analysed. Luckily it wasn’t anything serious – I just needed more cushioning and to do some stretches.

I went with these bright Mizuno trainers! They are so comfy, I love them.

A day out in Camden

I gave myself a day off towards the end of the month, as the weather was so good, and took myself off to Camden and Primrose Hill. It’s a part of London I really love but don’t visit that often.

Camden market was the quietest I’ve ever seen it! Was quite odd… although it did get a bit busier in the afternoon. There was still plenty of space to socially distance though, there were hand sanitisers throughout and there were people monitoring how many people were entering and exiting.

After enjoying a coffee (in the 28 degree heat!) and having a wander around the market, I walked from Camden to Primrose Hill to read my book and take in the spectacular view of the city. I’m not sure tourists know how close they are to each other. They’re only about a 15 minute walk away!

Met up with a friend

Whilst I was in Camden, I tweeted that I was there and posted some pictures. My friend Madeleine messaged me to say her and her son would cycle over to meet me if I wanted. I was so excited as I’ve not seen a friend in over 3 months!

It was so lovely to sit and have a drink with them and to have a catch up. I then showed them this Mews I’d found with some great street art. It was such a lovely afternoon!

Wedding anniversary

We celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary this month and even though we didn’t do anything special (kind of hard when no restaurants are open and it falls on a Monday!) it made me happy to look back at our wedding photos and remember what a fabulous day we had with family and friends in a beautiful Italian villa.

A thoughtful gift from friends

Speaking of our wedding anniversary… our good friends Beppe and Jessica sent us this gorgeous little cupboard! It was meant to be a wedding gift seven years ago but we got just got it – it was worth the wait. They also filled it with my favourite Italian crisps! I honestly have enough crisps to last for the rest of the year…

It’s been lovingly painted by Jessica – isn’t she so talented? We love it!

Gorgeous weather

We had some fabulous weather in June, which made it extra difficult to work from home! Thankfully I work for myself so can set my own hours, which meant that I was able to actually go out and enjoy the nice weather and not be stuck indoors.

I went for walks, read in the park, had lunch by the canal and went to Camden!

Mochi on a hot day

As the weather was so lovely, we felt like ice-cream! Of course with lockdown, many places still aren’t open but luckily we found a bubble tea cafe near us that sells Mochi ice-cream balls. They were delicious and just what was needed in the hot weather.

Great coffee from independent shops

One good thing to come out of lockdown was discovering local independent coffee shops! I’m afraid to say that I used to always buy my daily coffee from a big high street chain but not anymore! I’m definitely going to keep supporting small local businesses, like Dark Habit in Queens Park and Wired co in West Hampstead.

So those are my ten happy things for June! I’d love to hear what you got up to and what gave you joy. Let me know in the comments!