Friday Favourites 25th November - 8th December 2017
FF08.12.2017
If there's two things to note about this week's Friday Favourites it's that you might never see a list with the word Christmas in it so much and also there's a lot of unrelated photos. Do you ever think you've taken loads of photos during the week only to realise when you look at your camera roll that it was all on Insta stories and you didn't save it? That's been me this week.
It's been a busy fortnight, so busy in fact I had to check my bullet journal not once but THREE times to see if yes it was in fact a fortnight ago I wrote one of these when it definitely feels like a week ago.
And whilst we're on the topic - there won't actually be another of these for 3 weeks now until after Christmas. The next instalment would fall at the end of my 12 days of Christmas blog series which I'm not a fan of so instead I'll be doing a jumbo one on the 29th which is a satisfying way to end the year no?
But for now, here's my favs of the last few weeks:
1. Reindeer Parade.
Chances are if you're in south east Wales anywhere you'll have heard of or been to Cowbridge reindeer parade. It's my local market town (and where I went to school) and it's becoming quite the Christmas tradition for lots of people to travel to it. It's largely voted the best reindeer parade around and attracts tens of thousands to the tiny high street and I've been going for years. This year we were working on the cider stall and I didn't actually see the parade but it was still a good day, super festive and I got to hang out with some of my oldest friends on my break <3
2. Wales v New Zealand.
I might stop mentioning the rugby in my Friday Favourites (until the 6 nations anyway) but Wales v New Zealand was SUCH a good match. I was far too poor to afford tickets - this pic was from Georgia the week before - but we managed to avoid the score and watched it at home. It was SUCH a tense close match and if you're a Wales fan you'd too be massively proud of how they played but can't help feeling that's the best chance of beating the All Blacks we'll have in a lifetime.
3. Home Sleepover.
Last week before I went to Manchester I slept at my Mum and Dad's house overnight. I haven't stayed there since I house sat for a week back in July and that was the first time since the beginning of 2017 so it was unusual to be back in my childhood bedroom. My Dad works in Cardiff and was giving me a lift to the train station early the next morning so it just made sense and actually it was really nice to spend an evening there. My Mum made me my tea (soup and copious amounts of bread), the heating was always on and I had a shower that doesn't run out of hot water and it was bloody lovely.
4. Manchester.
The absolute highlight of my fortnight was 3 days in Manchester with one of my besties and her family. I booked Manchester ages ago and I was so looking forward to it and it was just the break I needed. It was right in the middle of the busiest week for the cider business and I got there in a tizz of anxiety and stress and we just chilled. Like the whole time I was there we did what we wanted when we wanted, we took everything slow, we spent so much time in blankets in front of the tv eating christmas biscuits and just relaxing and I had the best two nights sleep in her spare bed with the duvet of dreams.
5. Christmas Markets.
On the middle day in Manchester we kicked off the festive season properly with an early Christmas. We swapped presents in the morning and in the afternoon we went to the Christmas markets in town. I've been before but not for years and it was sooooo cute and we had the yummiest dinner ever. I didn't take a photo because I was too busy stuffing my face but basically it was a giant yorkshire pudding with a roast dinner in it. Like all the meat, gravy, veg etc and then they rolled it up like a wrap. It was a giant yorkshire pudding wrap and it was so difficult to eat but so bloody worth it.
6. Christmas Outfit.
This is one of those things I posted on Insta stories but didn't actually take a photo of so here, have a photo Primark's Harry P range. When Tania and I shop together we like to do this thing where we start in shops like New Look and Topshop and River Island and don't buy anything and then eventually say "let's go to Primark" and then we spend a fortune. This time around we were on the hunt for our Christmas outfits - her for her works do and me for the day itself and we both found (very similar) ones. I went for a quality street coloured jumper in Christmas red with some silvery glitter and gems around the collar and a silky shimmery black midi skirt and red tassel earrings and omfg so excited to wear it again.
7. Auntie Gwen (again).
The whole reason for packing my bags for Manchester was to finally meet my godson who is now 3 months old and bloody wonderful. He's so chilled out, so happy, so quiet (I kept forgetting he was there) and he chose me some excellent Christmas presents...... I felt super sad to leave there without him and his Mum and I can't wait to see him grow up and spoil him with alllll the cute clothes and fun toys.
8. Time Off.
Our buys 10 days of cider selling is finally over. It's great don't get me wrong I actually really enjoy selling and talking to people (and my maths is a million times better having to give so much change) but the long cold days take their toll when you're doing so many in a row. We had a super successful season and it's meant we've nearly sold out of stock so we only have 2 events left for the rest of the year. It means now it's over our lives have calmed down, we've had days off, I've actually FINISHED my work to do list and made significant progress on my blog series and this weekend commences the wind down and the Christmas holidays for us.
9. Coffee & Catchups.
I came back from Manchester at about midnight on the Thursday night and Friday was a whirlwind of dog walking, work and a cider event in the evening but I had a welcome hours break in the middle of the day. One of my newly engaged pals who lives way up in Scotland was home for the first time since last Christmas and we had an hour in Costa with a toastie and a cuppa and a big ol' catchup and wedding talk. It wasn't nearly long enough but it was blissful all the same.
10. Christmas Q&A.
Yessss one of my fav bloggers is back this year with another festive Q&A and ya gal has taken part in it for the second time in a row. Steph has got a whole host of bloggers to take part in a Christmassy interview and each day the calendar reveals a new person and it's been a real treat to be asked to do it again. I was day 5 so you can read my answers here but make sure you check out the series as a whole. Steph was one of my guest bloggers way back in the summer of 2016 when she was a relatively new blogger and I have taken part in 3 of her blog series since then and I feel a bit like a proud Mum when I see how amazingly she's doing.
11. Early Finish.
Like I mentioned above I have finally finished all my niggling work jobs, the types of things you put off till the end of the year and I have actually ticked every single one off (until I remember something I forgot anyway). To treat myself and because this year I am really keen on taking some proper time off over Christmas and 'the wind down' I took an early 3pm finish from my day and went to a local town for a spot of Christmas shopping. I got a bunch of stuff for Joss and some things for his Grandmothers and something for my Mum and then bought some glittery room decorations and some outdoor fairy lights for our porch and it was dark and cold when I left there to drive to my Nan's and it really felt like something special.
12. Christmas Crafting.
Part of my December blog content was always going to be geared around festive DIYs and this week I finally got my butt in gear (and some decent light for the photos) and made them. My christmas wreath tutorial went live yesterday and my 2nd one which is fillable baubles will either be live tomorrow or Sunday and I'm really happy with them. I love crafts and making things and personal presents are some of my favs so it's been really fun to have to excuse to sit down and make something and hopefully you'll like them as much as me!
So yes like I mentioned above this is the last Friday Favs till the 29th when the big day is over and we're looking on to the new year so I'll just take the time to say a big thank you as ever for reading, commenting, sharing and supporting. Have the best Christmas my little elves.
