November Favourites

What a month! Birthday celebrations meant it started out with a bang, I had some ups and downs but still want to remember the good times that my birth month has brought me in 2017.

Where I went:

Harry Potter Studio Tour | Leavesden

Me and Luce made our way around this magical tour of the film sets and it really was amazing! I am a self confessed Harry Potter nerd and I first went 4 years ago. A lot has been added since then including the Hogwarts Express and Forbidden Forest which was very cool to walk through. We weren’t sucked in by the gift shop (not when it’s £27 for a scarf and £4 for a poxy bar of chocolate!) but we have all the pictures and memories!

Knole Park | Sevenoaks

I met up with my girl Hannah for a lovely walk around Knole Park before she jetted back off to Oz. The weather was lovely for it and we even got up close to the gorgeous deer that are dotted all over the park.

Little Mix Glory Days Tour | The O2 | London

I bagged a couple of free tickets through work to go see the ultimate girl band on the final date of their Glory Days Tour 2017. We were so lucky to be seated in my company’s box and watch the show from an amazing position! We had our own bar and the atmosphere was fantastic! Girl power!!!

Swingers Crazy Golf | Aldgate | London

For our team day at work we headed to London to practise our swinging skills (!) at Swingers indoor crazy golf. It was so quirky and the cocktails were delicious (I’d recommend the pornstar martinis and the clover club!) and I even got a hole-in-one on the final hole… fluke? Absolutely! But I passed it off as professional golfing prowess… bonus that I got a free shot to drink!

Winter Wonderland | Hyde Park | London

After getting our swing on in Aldgate, we walked along Oxford Street and Carnaby to see all the lights and window displays, then me and Gemma headed over to Hyde Park and the famous Winter Wonderland. It’s free to enter but you’re looking at paying £7-9 for a go on any of the rides and it’s on average about £5.50 for a pint of beer or a cup of mulled wine. The bavarian village was so fun and we got a seat in the big beer hall where live bands were playing German Oktoberfest classics and some more recent tunes too – such a great atmosphere and well worth a visit!

What I ate:

Aladin | Brick Lane | London

Also on our team day, we booked a table at Aladin on Brick Lane and it was quite possibly one of the nicest indian meals I’ve had! We all ordered so much food and there was plenty of sharing and trying new dishes. I ordered a chicken bhujon which was delicious – I’d definitely recommend going here! Plus, 3 doors down is a divine artisan chocolate shop full of out-there flavoured truffles and yummy tempting treats. Perfect for pudding…

Miller & Carter Steakhouse | Rickmansworth | Herts

After HP studios, me and Lucy went to Miller & Carter for a slap-up meal! It’s a lovely restaurant in a really quaint location and the staff were lovely. We both had fillet steaks and shared a side of the lobster mac and cheese (a must!). Your steak comes with fries, iceberg wedge salad and a slice of their onion loaf. It was unlike any steak I’ve had before and cut like butter. Also, if you join their steak club newsletter, you get £10 off your bill – winner!

GBK | Aylesbury | Bucks

Me and Aaron tried GBK before watching Thor in the cinema next door. The menu is soooo tempting – options for everyone and they have gluten free buns etc. There was a new festive burger on the menu which I didn’t try but did look amazing and the milkshakes are delicious! I definitely prefer this to a standard nandos.

The Waffle House | St Albans | Herts

My first trip to Waffle House and oh my god it didn’t disappoint. I went for a savoury waffle – scrambled egg with smoked salmon – and a delicious malted chocolate shake which gave me m y sugar hit. Go go go!

What I Bought:

Mineral Foundation | Bare Minerals

My sister kindly treated me to a new foundation from Bare Minerals for my birthday. I suffer from eczema and dry skin and I find it so hard to find a foundation that gives me enough coverage without clinging to my dry patches and drying out my skin even more. We went into the store in St Albans and the lovely girl on the counter did my make up for me using the mineral foundation which suited my skin down to the ground. I left with the Original Mineral SPF foundation in fairly light and the brush. It’s light on my skin, gives me great coverage but doesn’t look too cakey. It lasts a long time too so is definitely worth the investment.

Classic Vans | Swindon Designer Outlet

I wanted some comfy trainers that were a bit different to my Nike’s and not Converse (I’m sorry but Converse just aren’t comfy!!!). I found these classic vans in the store at Swindon Designer Outlet and got them for £38 instead of the usual £55. Check ’em out in my pictures at the O2 up above ^.

Black Emebellished Detail Rucksack | New Look

My only treat in the mental Black Friday sales. I saw this rucksack and loved the flower detail. I’ve wanted one for a while but the ones I’ve seen on the shelves have either been too small or too big and the colour or design not my thing. This one was £17 down from £23 so I’m pleased as punch with my new bag that I can take on days out and fit lots in.

Greetings Cards | Wilkinsons

I’m always on the look out for nice cards and cute wrapping for all the birthdays throughout the year. These caught my eye in Wilko for only £1 each and I love how simple they are! BIG BONUS for being ‘blank inside for your own message’ – the messages inside cards make me cringe!

What I Read/Watched:

My Not So Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella

My sis chose this book for my birthday and it was SO. GOOD. It hits the nail on the head when talking about how we are wanting our lives to be perceived as perfection when in reality, it ain’t like that!! I loved the storyline and the laugh out loud moments all about Katie and her not-so-perfect London life. A great bit of chick-lit that I’d recommend you buy for your holiday or just because! You can get it on Amazon HERE.

Billy Jo | Kimberly Chambers

A darker more gripping book my sis got me for my birthday as well. It’s all about the daughter of a Essex-born villain and her struggle to succeed in her tragic and challenging life. Find it HERE.

Thor | Aylesbury Odean | Bucks

I mainly wanted to see this to ogle at Chris Hemsworth and enjoy the long hair some more. But this instalment of the Marvel superhero series was so funny and had me hooked the whole way through. It also helps that Thor is my favourite of the Marvel films (for obvious reasons – hey Chris), I’d definitely recommend a watch.

The Sinner | Netflix | 7 eps

Lucy told me about this 6 part series all about a woman with no criminal record fatally stabs a stranger on the beach in the middle of the day. Yeah. Brutal. But this gripping series starring Jessica Biel is so much more psychologically intense than it first lets on and as you get further through the series, it unravels her past and potential clues as to why she did it.

Alias Grace | Netflix | 6 eps

Another Lucy recommendation (thanks Luce!) set in colonial Canada where an irish immigrant moves over and begins working as a housemaid. She is accused of murder which she claims not to have committed so a psychiatrist tries to unlock Grace’s memories to go back in time and work out exactly what happened.

 

With love and starting to feel festive now…

Tiff

xx