Every month I look back and reflect on all the things that happened that month and what brought me joy. Here’s my ‘ten happy things’ for October.
Co-working day at the British Library
This month I met up with Madeleine, who I’m working with on a social media strategy for a charity, at the British Library for a co-working day. I’m embarrassed to say that in all the (many) years I’ve lived in London, I’d never been to the British Library! It’s a lovely space to work, with lots of desk and table space – although power sockets are not that readily available. There are also cafes and a restaurant to get refreshments. We had a very productive day and it was so nice to get out the house and to work together in-person.
Birthday celebrations
It was my husband’s birthday this month so, as part of his gift, I took him to Murano for lunch. Murano is chef Angela Hartnett’s one-Michelin star Italian restaurant in Mayfair. We had been before a couple of times but not for a while.
The decor is – as expected – quite posh, which is not our usual style but always good for a special occasion! The food is absolutely fantastic. We enjoyed every course but especially the burrata with figs – it was phenomenal!
Lovely new pyjamas
I love nothing better than putting my pyjamas on as soon as I’ve finished work. Comfy PJs are surely one of life’s joys? I often find though that lots of pyjama bottoms have really tight waistbands, which then are not very comfy. I was looking for a pair of satin ones with a comfortable waistband and found the perfect pair from M&S. I love them! Think I need to buy another pair!
Autumn decor
Autumn is definitely one of my favourite seasons – especially when it’s a crisp day with blues skies and sunshine. I also love walking through crunchy leaves in my boots. Over the years, lots of shops and restaurants have started to celebrate the season with some beautiful displays, like this one from The Ivy in Marylebone.
Gorgeous new jumper
It’s definitely jumper season and my friend Selena alerted me to a new flash design jumper by Sugarhill Brighton so of course I had to buy it – as I love the one I already have from them. They are a small business and their clothing is ethical and sustainable, so another good reason to buy from them – apart from their lovely designs. They also donate 10% of their profits to environmental charities, which makes me happy.
Dinner with Deana
My friend Deana and I met up in West Hampstead one night for some drinks and then headed to one of my local favourites, The Petite Coree for dinner. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and my highlight was the soy ginger chicken. It was insanely good!
It was lovely to catch up with Deana over delicious food and drinks.
Two in-person work events
It has (obviously) been sooo long since I attended a work event in person and then two opportunities came along at once! One was the Third Sector Forum where I covered one of the sponsor sessions and the other was Relay by Raw London, which was held in a rooftop venue. I met up with my friend Fee beforehand and then we went to the event together. It was really good – plus there was wine and networking after.
Upped my running
This month I ran 7 times, which is 5 times more than I ran in September! Although I was on holiday in September for over a week. I’m really pleased that I upped my running fairly significantly – now I just need to keep it up!
One tin bakes
I do love to bake and so I had to treat myself to One Tin Bakes Easy by Edd Kimber of ‘The boy who bakes’ Insta fame. I only got it a few days before we went on holiday so I haven’t had a chance to bake anything yet. I did look through it though and have earmarked a few recipes!
Halloween decor
Growing up in South Africa, Halloween just wasn’t ‘a thing’. Even in the UK it’s only really grown in the last few years. Walking around our area, there were so many homes making a real effort on the Halloween decor front. This one was my favourite!
So that was my October. Hope you had a good month! Let me know what made you happy and brought you joy.
Leave a Reply