My January - April 2017 Favourites

Even though April is already nearly over, this will be my very first favourites post of 2017, oops. In all fairness though this has been an absolute whirlwind of a year so far. I don't tend to stand still too long by negatives on here when I can but after lots of stresses around family, health and work it's only now I feel I am resurfacing and getting back on track – with my blog and life in general. Because this is 4 months worth of favourites there are a bunch of them in all sort of different categories; from a TV-show addiction (hello Riverdale) to Instagram, and from making smoothies to newly discovered fashion brands. So without further ado, here are my favourites so far of the year (in no particular order, because choosing is hard).

A Brunchy Lunch at Redroaster Coffee Co in Brighton

Before hitting up Brighton over the last Bank Holiday weekend with the always lovely Laura Patricia Rose, I'd made a list of places I wanted to visit mainly based on recommendations from fellow bloggers and vloggers. One I'd come across was Redroaster Coffee Co, a café and lunch room that with marbled tables and a leafy green interior, provided the perfect backdrop for some very Instagram-worthy snaps, not to mention a delicious brunch to boot.

9 Places in North America I Really Want to Visit

Growing up, North America was the top of my wish list of places to travel to. Beautiful national parks filled with mountains were beyond my wildest imagination while living in all-flat Netherlands, and the idea of seeing ranches with cowboys, metropolitan cities filled with sky scrapers, and the kind of natural beauties so foreign to me, was the dream. I have since explored some of Canada on my year backpacking there after uni, as well as either coast in the US, but not until the fantastic Trek America blogging event last week, where I had the chance to see four of the US' grand national parks in virtual 360 (so realistic), have I been so very excited to explore more of North America again. There are many places I want to go to (or revisit), but in this post I will highlight the top ones I've never been to before (I'll put them in alphabetical order because I just can't choose my favourite!).

Behind-the-Scenes at Half a Sixpence at the Noël Coward Theatre

I go to the theatre a lot and there are few shows and plays in the West End I have yet to see. However, despite being inside London's glitter playhouses frequently, I don't normally get a chance to glimpse behind the (safety) curtain and see the inner workings of a big West End production. Until this week... I was kindly invited to attend a special media night at the Noël Coward Theatre to see musical Half a Sixpence, with not only a Q&A with the cast beforehand (and a delightful tune by lead Charlie Stemp on the banjo) but even a behind-the-scenes tour afterwards.

10 Hours in Oxford – How to Spend a Day in the City of Dreaming Spires

The travel bug has been itching again recently, and while time and money isn't allowing me to go back to travelling the world like I used to, I've decided to explore the UK again in the meantime. Through day trips and weekend breaks I'm hoping to satisfy the travel craving just enough until I have saved up money and holiday days for a bigger trip. The long weekend over Easter was perfect for my first outings, one of which was to glorious Oxford. I was only in the city of colleges, Tolkien, Alice in Wonderland, dreaming spires, and Harry Potter for 10 hours – but that was plenty of time for a jam-packed day of exploring, and I'd like to share with you my top tips for visiting Oxford in such a short space of time.

Why I Love Visiting Brighton (Again and Again)

It's a Bank Holiday in the UK today – the perfect excuse for a cheeky day trip to get away from all the work stress and feel like I'm going on vacation. One of my absolute staple trips is Brighton, which is just an hour away from Central London by train, making it a quick and affordable getaway. I find myself going back to Brighton time and time again, and in this post I'm highlighting three reasons why I love it so much.

The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak

The cover of The Impossible Fortress makes this book seem like a 1960s/1970s housewife romance, but don't be deceived. The pages are packed with fun 80s references and music and the core story is a quirky, geeky, and very charming coming-of-age novel of a 14-year-old boy who dreams to be the next big computer game developer.

Easy Banana & Red Fruit Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

With spring finally here, few things beat a smoothie as a great breakfast to kickstart the day. A smoothie maker has been on my wish list for a very long time yet rather than me getting one for myself (which I should've done a long time ago) it wasn't until I got one for my birthday in February that I finally tried it out. And I have been hooked since! My concoctions so far have all been based on the basic starting off recipe of Greek yoghurt, milk, a fresh banana en frozen food, but I'd like to share with you my journey in experimenting on this blog, starting with the recipe that has become my staple breakfast several times a week.

An American in Paris at the Dominion Theatre

Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

Set in a post World War II Paris, An American in Paris tells the tale of US veteran Jerry (Robert Fairchild) who, after falling under the spell of a mysterious girl he sees on the streets, tears up his ticket home to try to make it as a painter in the French capital instead. He becomes friends with fellow veteran and composer Adam (David Seadon-Young) and the French Henri (Haydn Oakley), who secretly performs as a jazz singer without his family's knowledge.

Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman

Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined was one of the stand-out titles for me at Scholastic's Bloggers' Book Feast earlier this year. The tagline was 'When Ingrid arrives at wilderness camp, she quickly realises there has been a big mistake' and one of the publishers described it as Wild for teens. Now, I've not actually seen that film nor read the book, but I did hear that the main character's journey was a transformative one, and so putting this in a young adult setting had me very intrigued. While this book definitely had elements of wilderness survival (used toilet paper in ziplock bags, you guys!), there was far more to it than that, and travelling the road to self-discovery with Ingrid and the other campers was both difficult and beautiful.

My 5 Favourite Quick & Cheap Day Trips From London

I love London, but sometimes I want to get away from the hustle and bustle and explore somewhere new. While an overseas holiday would be great, there isn't always the time or money for even a weekend break in the UK and day trips provide the perfect opportunity to still satisfy the need of going away, without breaking the bank or go very far. And because I don't drive in the UK, my favourite day trips from London are all just a quick train journey away. With summer just around the corner, these five British locations are the perfect getaways for a a little holiday in your own country.