Each month I like to reflect back and choose ten things that made me happy and brought me joy. Time seems to just fly by so it’s always nice to pause and remember what I got up to. I started the month quite unwell so June wasn’t as busy as it could’ve been – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it’s ok to not always be busy.
Here’s my ‘ten happy things’ for June.
Rooftop drinks with colleagues
Sadly we had a few colleagues who were leaving the organisation I’m currently contracting at, and one going off on maternity leave, but it did mean that a whole bunch of us got together for farewell drinks on a rooftop – which was lots of fun! Of course the day started off with beautiful weather – perfect for a rooftop – but by the time we arrived the clouds had gathered. Still, it was warm and the drinks were flowing. It was a really fun night!

Gonzalez Byass Portfolio tasting (press invite)
I was invited to a tasting of Gonzalez Byass’s portfolio. It was a stunning day in London and the venue had a gorgeous terrace, overlooking the Southbank. I enjoyed walking around and tasting some lovely wine, Champagne as well as a gin and tonic made with London No 1 Blue Gin. I also tried Croft Twist, which is a sparkling ready-made drink made with Croft Fino, lemon, elderflower, mint and water. It was so refreshing and very tasty.

Getting back into Spin
Being unwell meant that I had no energy to exercise. It had been almost a month until I could return to the gym! I started gently with a Pilates class to test my strength. When that was fine, I decided to try a spin class as I’ve not done one for about 10 years, and I really enjoyed it! So much so, I went again the same week. I definitely think I’ll incorporate at least one spin class into my weekly gym routine.
Holiday planning
This month we did some holiday planning and booked a trip to Sicily for July. I love planning holidays! I have some friends who have Excel sheets for holiday planning – I’m not that organised but I do love searching for where to go, where to stay and the best restaurants to eat at!
Read a fabulous book
A friend and I did a book swop and she chose to send me ‘We are all birds of Uganda’ by Hafsa Zayyan. It’s set in London and Uganda, in both the past and the present, and tells the story of two families with a long history. I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it. It painted such a vivid picture of Uganda and made me want to visit! It also taught me a lot about different cultures.

Bought some cute succulents
I love succulents because they are so easy to care for. I spotted these two in colourful ceramic pots in my local Sainsbury’s and they caught my eye immediately. Can you believe they were only £2.50 each? Absolute bargain!

Delicious lunch at Barrafina
We love Barrafina but haven’t been in ages so it was such a treat to have lunch this month at their Coal Drops Yard restaurant. Their pan con tomato is so delicious and a must order if you visit. In fact, it was so delicious we ordered another portion!

Another highlight was the whole lemon sole with paprika and garlic. It was perfectly cooked and the meat just came beautifully off the bone.

After lunch we walked along the canal to Camden to digest our lunch! It was a beautiful day and everyone was out enjoying the weather. I love London when the weather is good! And everyone just seems so happy.
Back exploring Gallipoli
We’ve been to Gallipoli, in Puglia, twice before but many years ago so we thought we should visit again. It’s a lovely coastal town with a historic old city centre. The beaches stretch for miles and are fabulous, but there’s also lots to do if you’re not a big beach fan.

First swim in the sea of the year
Can’t believe I had to wait until halfway through the year to have my first swim in the sea but boy, it was worth the wait! It was so hot in Gallipoli that cooling off in the sea was very, very necessary. Gallipoli has lots of lovely beaches, including a coastline of long, sandy beaches. We discovered a gorgeous beach, called Santa Maria Bagno, about 10 km away, that was absolutely perfect.

Aperitivo at sunset
Is there anything better than watching the sun go down whilst having aperitivo? Gallipoli has some amazing spots but one of our favourites is La Spingula. It serves fabulous, fresh seafood with cold wine and has a stunning view of the sea.

So that’s what made me happy and brought me joy in June. How did your month go? Let me know in the comments!
2 COMMENTS
John lepp
3 years agoAs always, love the recap Kirsty… that pan con – oh my… I have to go back and look at my photos to remember so of my highlights… like launching my book into the world (and having a big party with tacos and amazing friends to celebrate), enjoying a few football matches with my daughter in the warm June sunshine, the blooming peonies in my gardens, my son graduating from high school, going to my first concert in three years (Sigur Ros and it was friggen incredible), and a road trip with my pal to the capital to eat pizza, drink rose and do a bit of work (Shooting a video about legacy giving for one of my clients…) JULY! HERE WE COME!
Kirsty Marrins
3 years ago AUTHORGoodness John – what an epic June you’ve had! Sounds absolutely glorious. Congrats again on your book! Here’s to a fabulous July!