Cat: One of my favorite memories with Richard is going to the Christmas market for the first time with him in Manchester. I had never been to a Christmas market before, and I felt like our relationship was really blossoming into something quite serious at that point. It was a really special Christmas. 🙂
Richard: Hmmm, that’s a difficult one. I think the first time we visited London together and stayed in Grosvenor House on Park Lane. We had a really nice time and personally made me realise that me and Cat are in it for the long haul and a good life was on the horizon.
My weekend has been about enjoying the food London has to offer!
Today, I decided to grab some brunch today at Cote Brasserie.
I’ve wanted to go to Cote for a long time now actually. The first time I tried to go to Cote, my part of town flooded because the area’s pipes burst. Needless to say, there was no way I was going to get to Cote unless I swam there…
Luckily, today, it’s a lovely winter’s day here…
… and I enjoyed mussels with a side of fries. So not a typical brunch choice, but it’s been years since I’ve had mussels mariniere!
I’m sure you can tell that we all enjoyed our meals…
This morning, I had breakfast at Kua ‘Aina, a Hawaiian restaurant in central London, and it was pretty good!
I got a latte and blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon.
Kua ‘Aina logo (c) Kua ‘Aina blog
The only small downside to the meal was that the bacon was burnt a bit… But the great upside was that the blueberry pancakes were delicious! (I’ll totally admit – I took a couple bites before I took the picture of my plate. I totally forgot that I wanted to take a picture of my plate for this blog! I’m definitely not in the habit of taking pictures of my food, but hang in there with me guys, I’m trying!)
Word on the Interwebs is that Kua ‘Aina is known for their burgers, and just from reading about them on the menu this morning, I can see why!
I thought the decor of the place was colorful, vibrant, and fun, brining the best of the Aloha State to the other side of the pond.
This was the calm before the storm. By the time I left, the room was full!
To see more about their food and restaurants all over the world, check out Kua ‘Aina’s blog!
Let me just say in the name of transparency here: This post is not sponsored. I really did enjoy my morning at Kua ‘Aina. It truly has an awesome island vibe that you don’t only feel in the decor but also in the food and the friendly service staff!
I love trying new things, experiencing different places. What can I say? I’m just…
I have to share this with you guys because after a tough work out, this is really one of the best parts of my post-work out recovery.
Arbonne Sea Source Detox Spa Renewing Body Gelee
It’s absolutely amazing! My mom got it as a gift from one of her friends, but I noticed that she wasn’t using it. So, I decided to try some and instantly loved it. Since my mom saw how much I loved the product, she let me have it (Thanks, mom!). I’ve been happy with it ever since.
I can’t gush about it enough. It has this wonderful cooling effect that I love particularly after working out or even when I’m out and about in the sun…
I know what you’re thinking: You live in England. What sun are you talking about?! Don’t worry, I totally get you. But it comes in handy I travel back to the US, especially during the summer. It’s so wonderful.
It is a bit up there in terms of price, but honestly, I think the investment is worth it.
And once again, this product post is not sponsored! I just love this product so much, and I just wanted to share it with you guys.
Do you guys have any beauty products that you swear by? Feel free to comment down below!
I couldn’t help but reference The Barenaked Ladies’ song, One Week, in this post’s title because…
… after over two years of living in England, today was the first day I tried Nando’s!
Gut reaction: It was good! It was flavorful. I didn’t go all out and get the hottest baste on the menu, but I did want a little bit of an extra kick. So, I went with something a little different – the mango and lime baste. It was really nice, just the kick I wanted with lots of flavor!
Over the last two years, it’s been hard to miss Nando’s popularity here. I can now see why a good amount of people are obsessed with it, but… I can’t say I’m part of that crowd… No shade because there is absolutely no judgment if you love Nando’s. I’m just sharing my side of the story!
I will say this: I am glad I tried it to see what the hype was all about, but I think I fall between the hatred and the hype. It was good. I gotta give Nando’s that.
What do you guys think of Nando’s? The best thing since sliced bread or a tad bit overrated?
Who can forget this glorious moment from Parks and Rec?
In the spirit of Tom and Donna’s yearly Treat Yo Self celebration, I try to do a scaled down version of Treat Yo Self every weekend because… Well, do I really need a reason? That’s the whole point of Treat Yo Self – to treat yourself for absolutely no reason at all! But seriously, I think it’s so nice to take time for yourself and your friends and indulge just a little!
So, I went out and bought some really wonderful essentials from L’Occitane, one of my favorite beauty brands. I’m a huge fan of their Cherry Blossom collection – and no, none of this post is sponsored! I genuinely love their products, and even though L’Occitane is a bit up there compared to other beauty brands, I love to treat myself to their products, especially their Ultra Rich Body Cream with Shea Butter. And I decided to try out their lip balm and hand cream, Vitoria Regia, from the L’Occitane au Bresil collection.
Then, I went to Gourmet Burger Kitchen and chowed down on their delicious buffalo burger, which I had never tried before. I love GBK and their array of burgers! The burger was so good (and I’ll keep it real – I was so hungry) that I totally forgot to take a picture of it… But, look! I took a picture of our drinks…
Total. Fail. Sorry, guys!
And after that, I did some grocery shopping at Waitrose, which was also a bit of a treat because I usually just go to Tesco Express, which is less than 5 minutes away from my flat, or Asda, which is also pretty close by.
So, all around, I think I can definitely say that after a week and a bit of being sick, I treated myself! I would like to think that Tom and Donna would be proud…
What do you guys do to treat yourself? I hope you all do something you enjoy because honestly, you deserve it!!! Your treats don’t even have to be extravagant. Maybe it’s just watching a movie or cooking with friends or enjoying a walk through the park, city, etc. Whatever it is, I hope you TREAT. YO. SELF.
I wish I could say that I’m late on wishing you all a wonderful new year because I was on some exotic holiday, basking in glorious weather, eating delicious food and drinking some tropical drinks with this as my view…
But no.
I was just the sickest I’ve been in about 2 years! For the last week, I’ve been in bed, on antibiotics and feeling absolutely horrible… Being sick has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. You can’t do anything, and it drives me nuts!
But now that that’s over and done with, I cannot tell you guys how excited I am for 2015! Last month, I finished my master’s. So, school stress is officially behind me, and 2015 really feels like a fresh start! I’m really looking forward to traveling, getting back to the gym (since I totally fell off the health train towards the end of the year…), and figuring out the next steps in my professional life. So much to do, but I’m really excited by it all!
I really wish you all the best this year, and I hope that you are all successful in every single one of your endeavors!
Slice of Life 