We are currently on the cusp of moving home. We don’t have a date yet, but we are looking at completing within one month. It could be next week or it could be next year. All that we know is it’s happening pretty soon. This coupled with the fact that Phil and I have both been ridiculously busy has resulted in our current home feeling pretty unfestive. In fact if it wasn’t for our beautiful wreath on the door and our advent calendars, you could easily mistake us for relatives of The Grinch. It’s a terrible shame because I love Christmas. It’s pretty much the only positive thing about winter and I just adore anything festive. Anyway, seeing as we aren’t acting very festive at home, we decided to go to places that are festive. 

We recently became members of The National Trust. It’s something that I had been toying with for a couple of months because there are so many beautiful places to explore and you can go with anyone – family, friends and even dog. We both love a bit of fresh air and a stroll around perfectly manicured gardens and ferocious looking woodland and what better way to do those things than with The National Trust? It’s actually quite affordable and only a couple of quid a month. I worked out that as long as we visited a couple of the places within a year that we would easily make that money back. It was also quite exciting as this is our first membership as a married couple!

 
Flash forward a couple of weeks and I found myself at Waddesdon Manor with one of my favourite people in the world, Alex. Around Christmas time, the people at Waddesdon Manor fill the house with beautifully decorated Christmas trees and general festive paraphernalia. It gets booked up quite quickly, so I would highly recommend booking weeks in advance.

Unfortunately poor Phil had to work all day, so was unable to join Alex and I. Luckily for him we landed up going the next day too, so he only missed out on the house (fully booked!).

They have so much to do at Waddesdon from light displays to nature trails and even a Christmas market. It was really lovely.

   

  

 The trees are all themed and I loved how much their filled the room with their gorgeous aroma.

They had a dressing up area which we think was for children. It didn’t stop Alex trying on the top hat though!

   

  

  

  

  

  

 I really loved their Narnia room. It truly felt like you could step straight into Narnia through the coats. So magical!

  The grounds are also divine and it was great that they had the Christmas market on. We enjoyed smores and toasted marshmallows!

   

  

  

  

  

 The light show was really amazing. They have a show on the main house to music that feels like something out of a Disney movie and an art installation by Bruce Munro. It’s not very festive, but is pretty special!

The following day Phil’s Dad came to visit and we decided to visit Ashridge Estate as they had a Christmas market on (clearly making the most out of our passes!).

Steve was quite excited!

   

  

 Their market was super busy and didn’t feel as magical as Waddesdon. We enjoyed a lamb burger and picked up a wonderful wreath before deciding to go to Waddesdon as it’s not too far away.

   

  

 We visited the stables before hitting up the nature trail, making the most of the beautiful setting. Oh how I love being outdoors!

   

  

  

  

  

  

 We then had a mooch (and some chilli nachos) round their Christmas market which felt much more authentic and fitted perfectly into the opulent setting of Waddesdon Manor before checking out the light show (it was actually different second time around would you believe!).

We then stopped off on the way home for my first festive supper of the winter. 

  
What a perfect weekend!

L x 

So I started off March with a delicious Belgian chocolate crepe with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream from Indulge in Pinner. Indulge is such a cute little dessert lounge where you can catch up with friends or just have a naughty treat. What a great way to start the month of Spring!

  
March was also the month that we chose and purchased my wedding ring. With the wedding ever rapidly approaching, it felt great to get another thing ticked off of the list and I was very pleased with our choice!

I also squeezed in a lunch date in Chinatown. I am such a sucker for Chinese food. It was a staple choice for dinner as a child (Mum and I both love us some sweet & sour!), and my adoration for oriental food is still in abundance. I could probably eat it every day. 

  
We also finally sent out our wedding invitations. I had sent out ‘Save the Date’ magnets a year in advance and had planned to send out the actual invitations in January. Unfortunately, things were just too manic and I had to postpone them. We opted to send out guests a huge box filled with confetti and tissue paper. It also contained a heart shaped helium balloon with a weight that had the date of the wedding. We had our invitations made and they were navy with photographs from our engagement shoot and all of the wedding details. As they were quite elaborate, we had most of the wedding party over to help get the invitations put together and distributed. It was actually quite a fun day!

   
   
Whilst on the subject of getting organised for the wedding, March was also the month that Phil’s Best Man and Dad chose their suits. March was evidently the month for wedding productivity!

  
Phil and I hit up The Ideal Home Show. Since we moved into our own place almost four years ago, we try to go every year. I used to go as a child and was always fascinated by the gadgets on display. Not to mention the freebies in the goodie bag, which seemed to be much better than they are now. I once got a mini red telephone courtesy of Direct Line Insurance and I loved playing with it. It fitted right in with my Barbie Dream House!

We always love having a nosey at the home interiors stalls and Phil loves looking at the latest technological advances for the home. We are always lusting after the hot tubs and summer houses.

It was great to see Martin Lewis in action this year too. He’s really switched on with anything to do with saving a few pennies. We normally get our tickets for free through his website.

Can’t wait to see what’s new in 2016!

   
 
The hubby also went on a business trip to Munich, so I arranged a girlie night of face stuffing at a gorgeous Chinese restaurant in Eastcote called Yi Ban.

It felt really weird to not have Phil at home whilst he was away. I did miss him, but I didn’t miss the mess that he makes! 

We have a tradition to buy a Christmas decoration whenever we visit a country and he picked up this little bell decoration (and some Oreos too!).

   

Hope you all enjoyed your March 2015!

L x

 

As the penultimate day reserved for family rapidly approaches, I would like to talk relatives. I think at this time of the year we are reminded to think about our family and we just make a bit more effort than we do the rest of the year. Something I have really learnt to appreciate over the past couple of years is spending time with my family. Not that it was a chore beforehand, more so it was taken for granted. I think that there are a few reasons why family time has shifted up a gear. One of the factors being that we bought our own place and upped sticks seven miles away from my family. Seven miles isn’t far at all, especially as I drive, but it does mean that I  am no longer living on the next street to my Grandad and Uncle. I also wasn’t living with my Mum and brother anymore, so I needed to swap chats whilst Mum was sorting out the washing for arranged visits. Quality time. I think that people are right when they say that your parents become your friends when you move out and I really enjoy catching up with Mum. It’s predominantly uninterrupted and much more focused, which is lovely. I think it’s the same for Phil and his Dad. We love meeting up and going for walks around St Albans or the Lido. We set aside a day and it’s always really nice to catch up. 

Here are some of my favourite family meet ups from 2015:

   
    
    
   
   
    
    
    
    
   
Hope you enjoy spending time with your loved ones as much as I do!

L x

Aah, February. The final month of winter, the month of love and the promise of Spring. Poor Grandad was in hospital for the whole of February, so what I mostly remember from February is traipsing back and forth to the hospital every day and having a Costa Coffee tea cake for dinner most nights. The silver lining of this situation was that I did get to see a lot of my family and hidden amongst the stress and worry were some funny little moments. 

Fortunately I did manage to squeeze in other things between hospital trips including wintry walks with our fur ball, Holly.

   
 
  

We also had a little smittering of snow. I have mixed feelings about snowfall, I love it when it is convenient, for example, if I don’t have to go anywhere in a hurry. I hate it if it’s on a week day.

  
Phil found his suit for the wedding! This was quite exciting and a complete surprise because we just happened to spot it whilst out shopping and fell in love with the colour.

 
  I finally got round to reading ‘The Fault in our Stars’. What an amazing book. Perfectly written. It’s on my list of favourites!

   

  

 We also had a lovely valentines’ meal in Holborn. Yes, I did have all of those ribs to myself.

We were also lucky enough to hit up the Game of Thrones exhibition at the O2. We are both huge fans of the show, so it was brilliant to have a nosey at the props. They also had a lot of interactive things going on too, which were great fun!

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

 We are so lucky to have a fields with horses in across the road and I sometimes take Holly for a walk to see them. It’s hard to believe we are in London sometimes because it’s such a rural little spot. I’ll really miss it when we move.

   

  

 The boxes arrived for our wedding invitations and they were huge. Holly was very intrigued!

  I also managed to over do it on the burgundy front. It’s one of my favourite colours, especially in the winter months, but a jumper, coat and handbag all at once is a bit much! 

   

 So there you have it, a reflection on February 2015. Can’t wait to see what February 2016 will bring!

L x 

On the third day of Blogmas, I present to you my thoughts on San Francisco. 

I have written a couple of posts about our amazing honeymoon to the West Coast of America over the summer. We started off in Las Vegas before travelling to Hawaii and Los Angeles. After our time in perfect Los Angeles was complete (I was very sad about this!), we hit the road and drove up to San Jose to see Taylor Swift in all her country turned pop superstar glory.

   
    
   
I’m going to be honest, being stuck in a car for six hours with my new husband wasn’t something I was looking forward to. In fact I was even dreading it a little. Not because I didn’t want to spend the time with him, I mean let’s face it I was spending every minute of a whole month with him thousands of miles away from home, but because we have completely different driving styles and the thought of spending six hours in a car with anyone doesn’t excite me. We had a Sat Nav, but I was really worried about getting there in time and finding the hotel. I needn’t of worried though, the journey was great. Hey, I’d even say it was pretty enjoyable. Open roads going on for miles through grape vines and mountains. It was pretty rad. We spent the six hours calling home for a catch up, listening to Tay Tay (to get us in the mood, obvs!) and chatting about unimportant topics. It was lovely. We also stopped off for an In N Out burger and a mooch around a town that comprised of an In N Out burger and a ranch. Oh California…

After our bizarrely stress free drive to San Jose, we were ready to hit up the Levi Stadium in Santa Clara to see old Swifty.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Tay Tay. I’ve always been interested in country music and when Taylor arrived on the scene with her big blonde curls and tales of heartbreak, she really revived the country scene. I’ve loved her ever since. Although, I am a bit sad that her country days seem to be well and truly behind her with a paradigm of pop perfection left in it’s place. We had a great evening watching her perform in Santa Clara. Swifty sure is something!

   
    
    
   
The next day we drove up to San Francisco, which was to be our base for the following few days.

I was really excited about hitting up San Fran. I couldn’t wait to see the sea lions, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Not to mention shopping in Union Square. Whilst I did enjoy doing all of those things and I did like San Francisco, I didn’t love it and found myself desperate to get back to Vegas by the end of our stay. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why I was disappointed. I think that it may have been a combination of things. We hated our hotel. Like really hated it. Like it was literally the worst place I have ever stayed and I wouldn’t have been able to force myself to stay there any longer even if a small part of me wanted to. It was nothing short of awful and I was glad when we handed that white swipe card in to reception. 

Anyway, on to San Fran itself. Well, we loved exploring by foot. We always walk pretty much anywhere whilst away because you can really experience the place if you take the time to walk amongst it. 

I was pretty desperate (and I mean desperate – just ask Phil about my Long Beach mishap), to see the sea lions, so our first port of call was to Fishermans Wharf and to Pier 39.

   
    
    
   
I was in my element watching those sea lions bask on Pier 39. I adored hearing their chatter and watching them interact with one another. Fishermans Wharf is pretty rad too (although it’s home to the dirtiest Starbucks I’ve ever set foot in). 

We also did some serious shopping. So serious that we had to buy another suitcase. We also had to buy another one in Las Vegas. This was all fun and games until you are navigating six pieces of luggage through a busy airport and shovelling items of clothing into your hand luggage so that your case isn’t over the limit. Brilliant once you are back home and parading around in your holiday attire bursting with memories though.

  
We had decided that we wanted to go to Alcatraz a couple of months before our trip. A few friends advised booking way in advance as it is such a popular place. I’m so glad that we booked before we went because it really does sell out weeks in advance and we wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise.

I really enjoyed visiting Alcatraz and learning about the inmates. It was a real eye opener and fascinating.

   
    
    
    
  
I really didn’t connect with San Francisco in the way that others have and I thought I would. I genuinely thought that I would fall in love and spend my days counting down until my next visit. Sadly, I feel like I don’t need to go back. We saw what we wanted to see and had a great experience. It just wasn’t incredible. I really think that this was down to a few factors (like the hotel). I didn’t feel that safe in San Francisco and I found that it felt a bit grubby. Overall I think everyone should go once. Whether or not you find its your place is up to you. 

L x 

I have planned out all of my posts for Blogmas, and have decided to have a look back over the past year. It’s been a funny old year with some of the highest highs and the lowest of lows. January certainly set the pace for the rest of the year.

We started the new year with a wet walk around Ruislip Lido with our little furball and my (now) father in law. We had a lovely day together, embracing the blessing of a bank holiday and bursting with excitement for the year ahead. We had so many exciting things planned and I was really looking forward to 2015.

  
 
My Grandad and Uncle share a birthday on the 9th of January and with mine being on the 11th, we always have a family meal together to celebrate. This year we had our meal on the 8th of January. My Grandad has been unwell for a little while and we have to choose carefully about where we go so that we can cater for everybody and have a fun and relaxing time. We all had a lovely evening together and at the time, we didn’t realise just how precious that evening was going to be. We were completely unaware that this was going to be the last time that we could enjoy such an evening and didn’t know what would be coming our way in a few days’ time.

  
The next day Phil and I headed off with two of our friends to spend my birthday in Pisa.  We both absolutely adore Italy and were excited to explore Pisa, Florence and Livorno.

   
    
    
 
Once we had found our hotel and unpacked, we went out in search of food and our first glimpse of that iconic tower. We had a really fun evening and planned the details for the rest of our trip.

We decided to explore Florence and Livorno as they aren’t too far from Pisa. It was such a lovely trip, and the perfect way to spend my birthday. Even in the depths of winter, Italy is such a warm and inviting place. 

   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 
A few days before our departure, our dear neighbour Bernard passed away. I was devastated because he was such a kind and friendly person and I knew how much he would be missed. Unfortunately, the day after we returned from Italy, Grandad had a fall, which resulted in him being hospitalised. We knew that he was unwell, but it was only when he was admitted to hospital that things really changed. We knew that if he was going to come out he wouldn’t be the same and it was really tough. I found that my best way of dealing with things was to try to carry on as normal, continue the routine of work and hospital visits. I still managed to have a birthday meal with friends at our local Ask Italian in Northwood, but it was literally between visits and wasn’t as jolly as I had hoped it would be.  

   
The rest of January consisted of work and trips to the hospital with dinners from Costa Coffee. It was a tough old month, but we all got through it eventually. Although it was riddled with some really sad times, we also had our lovely trip to Pisa that remained untarnished and that special meal all together on that Thursday evening, so it wasn’t all bad!

L x

Okay, so I have decided to partake in blogmas. I really love Christmas and blogging, so combining the two seems like a great idea. I would love to participate in vlogmas too, but unfortunately I don’t feel as though I can give it the full attention that vlogmas deserves. I’ve had a think about what I would like to blog about in the run up to the big day, and I have decided to have a reflection on the year as well as cover a few festive topics. I’m a bit worried about committing to a post every day, but I am more than willing to give it a go! 
Here’s to the next twenty five days! 
L x
   

 

A few years ago I was recommended a book entitled ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time’. It was written by Mark Haddon and follows the life of fifteen year old Christopher Boone who happens to be autistic. I am a huge fan of books generally and was really looking forward to reading it. We were going on holiday to Italy and I popped it straight into my hand luggage.

My brother is on the autism spectrum, so I was intrigued to read how Mark had created Christopher, was he like my younger brother? Did he portray autism in the right light?

Well, I absolutely loved reading Christopher’s story (and not just because I was reading it whilst sprawled across a bed in the Southern Italian sunshine!). Mark had composed the book beautifully. 

Mark has created a wonderful character in Christopher. He is so lovable and relatable, yet also incredibly intriguing. I adore the way he thinks and his complete innocence with regards to the world. He is also very matter-of-fact and literal. His character is complex and enchanting. It’s not just Christopher who has had great thought put into his character development. All of the characters are wonderfully conjured up in a matter of such realism that they could actually be your neighbours.

The storyline is brilliantly gripping. Taking you in one direction before firing off in the next. It’s a slightly bumpy journey – the right kind of bumpy. Enough to keep you reassured that you are going somewhere without completely throwing you around like a cricket ball in the summer. 

Needless to say I fell in love with this book. It wasn’t because of the relatability or the storyline, but simply in the writing. The voice that is given through the thin paper pages. The creation of Christopher’s life. The writing is simply awesome.

For me, I treat each book individually and even if I am head over heels with a book by an author, it doesn’t mean that I am automatically sold on their other work. Each book has been crafted a certain way and I’ll know almost immediately if it will make it onto my favourites list. 

Obviously, I am not the only fan of Curious, and it has won many awards. Not to mention been transformed into an award winning play on Broadway and the West End. As a huge theatre fan, I know how hard it can be for a new play on the market. Many gems have closed early because of public reception. It’s a hard and fast business with huge overheads and sadly if it’s not a massive profit maker, it has to go. Thankfully, Curious has not fallen victim to a terrible fate of closure and is still going strong. We recently went to watch it at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End. My husband and I went with two friends. My husband and my bestie’s love both hadn’t read the book, so the play was a complete surprise to them. I was actually a bit worried because whilst I love the story and it is quite popular, I think that ultimately you will either get it or despise it. Fortunately, we all loved it!

  
Obviously, there are many differences between the book and the play, but the play works flawlessly as it’s own entity. The set is mind blowing with such articulation and creativity. It’s simple, yet full of surprises. The stylistic approach to choreography is exceptional and of course the actors are wonderful. I was fortunate enough to be sat in a ‘prime number’ seat and my name translated into a ‘prime number’, so I won a free badge. Cheers Chris! The way the play is constructed brings the audience into Christopher’s mind and allows you to really be present.

With regards to how Mark Haddon has portrayed autism, he’s done a fabulous job. The way in which he draws attention to how Christopher is treated and how he thinks is brilliant and I am glad that he managed to highlight how people aren’t always so understanding. Although this is terribly sad, it reminds us that we are all human and allows us to be reflective.

In case you hadn’t gathered, I would highly recommend Curious for both an evening out or an evening in!

L x

A couple of weeks ago I hit up our local cinema to watch the movie ‘Suffragette’. I’m such a sucker for anything to do with history, so was quite looking forward to it. The movie follows the story of the suffragettes’ fight for equality and their campaign. I can remember studying their plight at school, but couldn’t remember all of the details, so it was nice to have a watch and appreciate what they did for the future of Great Britain. 

There are so many things that we take for granted, for example the right to vote, and it’s easy to forget that not too long ago the equality that we embrace so much now wasn’t always the case. 

I am a firm believer in equality. I believe that we are all completely equal no matter where we are from, what car we drive and who you love. I find it absolutely bonkers that people would think any different. I think it’s insane that when my grandparents were growing up women had such a small say in how things were ran. When my Mother was growing up, there was a lot of racism around, which again is just ludicrous! I’m so proud of the campaigners who are slowly changing the world and making us more and more united. Hopefully by the time I have children, the world will be an even more friendly place. 

There is a distinct chill in the air this morning (Who am I kidding – it’s literally freezing and I woke up to a lightly dusted snow garden) and it has become quite apparent that the festive season is rapidly approaching. The shops are beginning to be all but completely taken over with vibrant red Christmas delights and the adverts are plastered all over our television screens and billboards. I’m not going to lie I simply adore Christmas. I am such a summer girl, but Christmas makes winter just that bit more bearable. The dark evenings are alive with sparkling light displays and almost everyone is in a good mood. I love planning activities such as ice skating, indulgent dinners (this one is not limited to Christmas!) and choosing little gifts I think people will love. I embrace decorating our home and blasting out the Christmas tunes.

There are some things that appear to have become a tradition in the Hargest-Kemp household:

•  We always put our tree up on December 1st and take it down on January 1st.
•  We always design our own Christmas cards and I start dishing them out on the first of December.
•  I always have a Hotel Chocolat advent calendar 
• I always dress poor Holly in some festive attire. 

Somewhere inside this materialistic, self indulgent festive period is a tradition that crept in four years ago. 

Volunteering at Crisis for Christmas.
Crisis is a charity that focuses on helping the homeless get back on their feet and at Christmas they open shelters for guests to stay in for a whole week. A whole week of hot dinners, safe sleeping and showers. Things that most of us completely take for granted. However, Crisis is actually much more than that. They are just the basics. Crisis also helps people reignite their lives. They have hairdressers, dentists, doctors, performers and IT helpers all coming together to make the Christmas week at Crisis life changing. They help people find a home, a job and a fresh start and it really is something special.

I first decided to get involved with Crisis when we purchased our first home. I had a funny couple of months where I had been unwell in hospital and I just felt so grateful to be alive, surrounded by such loving and supporting family and able to own our home at such a young age. My gratitude highlighted the fact that a lot of people aren’t that lucky and I wanted to do something to help. Christmas was approaching and I wanted to help the people who really needed it. I donate to charity regularly and I used to volunteer at a charity shop for Cancer Research, but I wanted to do something hands on and that something presented itself as Crisis. I had a look online and found out about the charity and what they do, how volunteering works and what I would need to do. I then signed myself up for a couple of shifts in South London and before I knew it I was chatting to guests and handing out bedding. I was very nervous about going because I didn’t know what to expect and I was going on my own. I needn’t have worried though as everyone is super friendly and high spirited (not too high spirited though – that would be annoying!). I really enjoyed my first shifts. It was so lovely meeting the guests and hearing their stories, not to mention how Crisis was helping them. What some of these people are going through is absolutely horrendous and just having somewhere warm and safe to stay means so, so much. Banish all thoughts of soup kitchens –  the centres are alive with people taking part in craft activities, karaoke, football tournaments and just having a good time. 

From the moment I left my last shift, which was the day the centre closed, I knew I would be back the next year. When the shifts became available for the following Christmas I quickly signed up and so did a friend of mine, Sarah. I was so excited that she would be joining me and helping out. The centres need a huge amount of volunteers to keep them up and running, so every body really counts. 

The following year, Sarah and I returned only this time my Mum and brother also volunteered. I started to recognise volunteers from previous years and it just felt so natural to be there. 

This year, we are all planning on volunteering again (already signed up!), and my friends Alex and Nick are coming along to provide entertainment for the guests. They are both talented musicians and I know that everybody will enjoy listening to their festive cheer. I’m so excited for them to be involved.

I always volunteer on Christmas Eve and I honestly can’t imagine a Christmas Eve at home now. For many people Christmas is about spending time with people that they love, this is true for me too, but I also like to spend Christmas with people spreading love. We can become so terribly absorbed with modern day life, the latest trends, the largest homes and incredible experiences, but it’s important to sit back and just be. Just take a moment to appreciate what you have got rather than lusting after what you think you need. Appreciate that you are in a position where you don’t need to worry about where you will sleep tonight or if you will spend your birthday alone. Just enjoy the here and now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy volunteering and whilst the centres are transformed from donated offices, colleges and youth centres, it has to be made to happen. It’s hard work and exhausting, but worth every second. So on Christmas Eve this year, I will be continuing my own tradition of slipping on my volunteering badge and traipsing to a location in London to provide a little bit of festive cheer to someone who needs it. I can’t wait! 

L x