Monday 25th April :: Does anyone else actually kind of enjoy those busy, life-admin days? There's something about pottering away and ticking off all those little jobs that have been sat on your to-do list I find strangely gratifying, and I always find that by the end of the day it feels like I really have my life together. Monday was one of those days, with a trip into town to take a new passport photo (which is going to be stuck with me for the next ten years, eek) and pop a few things in the post, followed by an afternoon of uni reading and note-taking. The first episode of the new season of Game of Thrones went live on Monday, so in the evening N and I snuggled up in bed to watch it, full of anticipation after the many cliff-hangers season five left us on last year. Before that, though, I stumbled across this article by Helen Russell, author of 'The Year of Living Danishly' (which has been at the top of my wish list for a couple of months now and may well have made its way into my Amazon basket later that night), that I wanted to share with you. The article is a little insight into the basis of Helen's book, and it introduces why Denmark is consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world, and how we can follow in its residents' footsteps and live a little more Danishly ourselves, no matter where in the world we are. A must-read for anyone who is in need of a little life inspiration, or anyone who is just as fascinated by all things Scandinavian as I am.
Tuesday 26th April :: After an afternoon at uni, N and I popped into town to run a few errands and despite the biting cold wind, I was glad to head out and get some fresh air. Plus, getting a bit chilly only made the pizza and wine we had when we came home all the sweeter.
Thursday 28th April :: My usual Thursday lecture was cancelled last week, so I spent the day working from bed (which I know they always tell you not to do, but who can resist the comfort?), before popping into town to pick up my birthday present from my Mum. I also picked up a bottle of Fevertree whilst I was out, and when I came back N and I settled down with a G&T each and watched Batman Begins.
Friday 29th April :: I definitely had that "TGIF" feeling on Friday and it kept a real spring in my step throughout my afternoon at uni. Even better was coming home to a warm bowl of leftover soup and some fresh bread - the perfect quick and easy, but ever so comforting and delicious, lunch.
Saturday 30th April :: Saturday was a rather quiet day at home, spent with films on TV, a stack of magazines to hand, and a list of housework to do. The weather had also really started to pick up and it was even warm enough to open the windows, which let the wonderfully fresh Spring air flow throughout the house.
Sunday 1st May :: I can't believe it's May! I'm sure most blog posts you will have read recently will make some exclamation about how quickly the year is going, but it really is going so quickly. N and I popped out late in the afternoon to stretch our legs and pick up a few things, and on the way I snapped these gorgeously sunny yellow blooms.
Monday 2nd May :: Monday was just a normal day of work, which began with a slow morning and a delicious breakfast of coconut milk porridge with caramelised banana and maple syrup. N and I had originally planned to spend the evening in and watch Game of Thrones, but we ended up making last-minute plans (which is almost unheard of for us!) to go out for a drink. Being a bank holiday not many places were open late, but the trusty Hobgoblin was open late enough, so we settled down on one of the big sofas, with a G&T for me and an ale for N.
Tuesday 3rd May :: I was up nice and early on Tuesday morning, and after the bank holiday weekend I was in a serious "get stuff done" mood, so I set myself up with a fresh espresso after breakfast, which I enjoyed in bed while the bright morning sun shone through the window. I find simple, quiet moments like this so valuable in that they help me gather my thoughts and think over my plans, and they create a bit of inner stillness that I can return to again and again throughout the day.
Wednesday 4th May :: If I'm completely honest, I didn't actually make a note of what we did on Wednesday, which in hindsight I'm a little annoyed with myself about - but hey, lessons learned, right? I do however remember that with it being May the fourth, we did have Star Wars on throughout the day, which I had never actually seen before this point but ended up liking far more than I'd imagined I would!
Thursday 5th May :: I started to feel the beginnings of a cold on Thursday, so after a couple of hours at uni I settled down to catch up on vlogs and read a couple of chapters of The Year of Living Danishly, which I'm loving just as much as I thought I would. Come the evening I was feeling really rather run-down, so when N came home in the evening we decided to use some Deliveroo credit we'd saved up and ordered from our favourite curry place, Chilli Pickle (which I thoroughly recommend visiting if you're ever in Brighton). N opted for a mild chicken curry while I went for a delightful green, coconut-based garden vegetable curry, and we both had pilau rice and potato bhajis, too. It was just the little pick-me-up I needed, and I feel like the spices really did my throat some good. If you've yet to use Deliveroo, I have some great news! If you sign up using my link, you can receive £5 credit towards your first order - simply click here, sign up, and place an order (you're welcome!).
Friday 6th May :: The cold that had been lurking around on Thursday was in full-swing by Friday morning, and despite my best efforts I couldn't make it through my lecture, so I headed home early to crawl back into bed with hot lemon and honey water and plenty of tissues. I'll admit I was feeling a tad sorry for myself, but I very quickly forgot all about that when I answered a knock at the door early in the evening and was met by a beautiful bunch of flowers, sent by surprise by my lovely mum as a happy birthday/feel better soon gift. There are few better feelings than being surprised with fresh blooms, and I love how much life they can bring to your home, too. This bunch has taken pride of place in front of the old fireplace in our room, and I can't get enough of these sweet little yellow flowers, which look just perfect nestled in amongst the rich green leaves and ivory petals.
Saturday 7th May :: N and I both have uni deadlines approaching, so Saturday was another working-from-bed day. To stop ourselves from getting cabin fever, though, we popped out in the afternoon to pick up a few bits, including supplies for the picnic we would be going on the following day for my birthday! I also spent some time in the evening baking myself a birthday banana bread, which over the last few years has become something of a tradition. I used this recipe from Simple Veganista, and I'm delighted to say it turned out wonderfully, and goes incredibly well with a dollop of cashew butter or some coconut milk ice-cream.
I'm going to be writing up a separate post about my birthday this week, which I'm so excited to share with you. I've also set myself a little goal to really keep on top of taking photos every day from now on, so every future update should be full to the brim.
I hope you've had a wonderful couple of weeks and that you've had the chance to enjoy the weather, or at least to stay nice and cool indoors if you're not such a fan! And keep your eyes out for that birthday post - expect lots of pictures...
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