If there was a theme to this monthly session of chatting over coffee, it’d be decisions. The decisions you make both in life generally, and specifically when you live the expat life in London. I think I’d be sipping a tropical espresso martini – ideally at the top of Aqua Shard with my lovely friends.
There isn’t anything so delightful as sitting with a friend in sunshine, with a glass of rosé in hand – and it’s one of the things we all missed so much during lockdown. Since it opened The Laundry, Brixton has been right at the top of my ‘to visit’ list, so much so, that it’s the first place that I wanted to go when lockdown began to ease. The scene was perfect – sun out, terrace… View Post
People often worry that to be a travel blogger they have to jet off to all corners of the world every weekend or they won’t have enough content. Well, to that I say phooey. There are so many amazing quirky day trips from London that you can take in England (even turning them into leisurely weekends away.) This isle has wizards, giants, knights, princes, castles, Raven warders and ancient stories that never cease to amaze. It… View Post
An intriguing twist in life lately, has been bringing restaurants into our home instead of dining out. For months there has been no going out to eat but trying alternatives like the recently launched home dining by Corbin and King, which was delivered to us. [Disclosure: I was given these meals by Corbin and King but all opinions are very much my own.] We were delighted to peruse the menu with signature dishes from the Wolseley (a… View Post
When I launched myself into self-employment 3 years ago, I genuinely had no idea whether it would work or not. I had no inkling that I’d spend more than 3 years running my own business successfully. Cheers to many many more! So, hearing my friend’s words ringing in my head about actually celebrating milestones, we broke out the bubbly for a leisurely break between emails.
If we were having a coffee, it would probably be part of a ‘socially distanced’ picnic in London, because that was absolutely the highlight of June. Well, if I’m honest, March and April as well really. We lost our little Biscuit this month, and she has left a Tabby shaped hole in our hearts. June 2020 will always make me think of paint fumes. Aside from sleeping, working and reading, all we’ve really done is… View Post
As an expat who chose to live on the other side of the world, I’ve had to become creative in sending hugs to family and friends in different parts of the globe, operating on different time zones and crossing many international waters. I realised that these would be perfect when recalibrated to send hugs during lockdown as well. So, here are 9 ways to send hugs in lockdown – helpful in lieu of physically hanging… View Post
I’ve got to be honest, I don’t even know where to start with a post on the future of travel. It’s so hard to know what to do, or even what to say. (Even though I’m one of the travel linkup hosts who pick/suggest the linkup topics every month.) 2020 would have been an amazing year for adventures – we managed to slip a long weekend in Bilbao before lockdown came into effect – and… View Post
Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m more than slightly obsessed about brunch. It’s my favourite meal of the day, up there with afternoon tea. So, I thought I’d share one of me favourite dishes – my no fail, really quick corn fritter recipe that’s perfect for last minute plans (and/or curing over indulgence from the night before.) There’s just something about the gathering of family and friends around a well set table that makes… View Post
Asking an antipodean to describe a lamington is like asking a pre-coffee person to describe a dream. It’s childhood weekends in the sunshine, filled with laughter and your mum snatching a second one out of your hand. It’s spending time with your aunts & grandma on sleepy winter mornings all cosied up with tea. It’s popping to the local bakery with your Dad, on the hunt for a pie and something sweet to get you… View Post
Words are incredibly powerful; the flourish of a pen has the power to topple ancient towers, uplift melancholic spirits and transport us to distant galaxies. I’ve been sharing a few phrases on social that have lifted my spirits lately, so I thought I’d also share 9 travel quotes inspiring me, which you can download as a phone wallpaper or slip into your Pinterest boards. They always make me smile. Every adventure starts somehow with a… View Post
I’m not entirely sure how to say this, so I think I’ll just ramble as usual. Very sadly our little Tabby cat Biscuit had to be put to sleep last week – her health declined very sharply, very suddenly and sadly it was clear after a couple of days with our vet, we had to make the heartbreaking decision that we never wanted to. When we adopted her many years ago, we knew she would… View Post
I come from a country that prides itself on being inclusive. New Zealand is a melting pot of culture – but it is a country that has it’s own systemic problems of racism. We were the first in the world to give women the vote but equally there are inherent problems in the way that Maori and minorities have been treated over the generations. The black lives matter movement has lit a spark to embers… View Post
Searching through a long abandoned cupboard shelf the other day, I discovered a plethora of forgotten things. A Union Jack paper lantern that we had bought to take on a picnic (it was an optimistic purchase even when we first saw it), a New Zealand passport holder still in the embossed box and a box full of art supplies that I had enthusiastically purchased intending to brighten the world one randomly sent homemade card at a… View Post
If we were having coffee right now, it would again be a nice cool iced latte – probably frozen espresso ice cubes slowly thawing in milk, and we’d be sitting again in my backyard. We would undoubtedly be accompanied by a small Mackeral Tabby whose greatest joy in the world is that her humans are still always on hand paw, for pats in the sunshine filled garden. The soundtrack floating over the grass would be… View Post
With the glorious weather at the moment, we’ve been spending so much more time in our garden – and working our way through really improving it. I wanted to share these 5 quick ways to transform your garden – ideas to let your personality really shine through and bring in touches of your favourite travel destinations – no matter what size it is. Disclosure: this garden guide was comissioned by Grass Direct, purveyors of cheap artificial… View Post
On a busy office day, the temptation to remove yet another decision between meetings and grab a boring sandwich and a packet of crisps makes total sense. But, there’s an unfettered joy to be had when you have full access to your own kitchen – these 15 lunch ideas for working from home are some of my favourites. Did you know that according to research one third of Britons eat the same lunch daily, and… View Post
Have you ever seen those quirky, slightly jerky videos where items dance around the screen? They’re probably stop motions – a simple animation consisting of photos stitched cleverly together. I’ve been playing with a few of them recently, and as per popular request, put together this post detailing exactly how to make a stop motion video. I’ve been a little obsessed with them since I discovered Wallace and Gromit – and was delighted to discover… View Post
We certainly hadn’t planned on spending this much time at home, and it’s been interesting trying to find a bit of an entertainment groove. I thought I’d share 9 things I’ve been doing during lockdown (between the days that we’ve really struggled with this comfortable but stifling state). It’s a combination of proactive and relaxing activities – and we’re cutting ourselves a lot of slack – but it’s nice to have a combination of modern… View Post
Piping hot, fluffy scones with mouth watering nuggets of dates, topped with butter melting into their hot surface. If you keep reading, consider yourself warned that this date scones recipe is addictive – made with simple store cupboard ingredients, they are ridiculously easy and scrumptious. Sorry, where was I? Oh yeah. Date Scones. These, savoury muffins and pikelets (aka “scotch pancakes” for my Brits) are cornerstones of my Kiwi childhood. Memories of the kitchen full… View Post