August Life

HOW I'VE BEEN FEELING

I think out of the whole year August always feels like my least favourite month. You probably already know by now that I tend to struggle a bit with Summer, especially intense heat in the UK. I'm also not keen on the prolonged school Summer holiday break which usually means that all my favourite places are packed during the week when I like to avoid the crowds. Anyway, this month has as predicted been HOT! I've spent a lot of time feeling flustered and sweaty and I really think the heat impacts on my overall motivation and energy levels. I've been feeling pretty sluggish and grumpy a lot of the time! 

WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING

I feel like I have spent a lot of time in Brighton this August. Andy and I had a very spur of the moment day out there at the start of the month just because we fancied it. It was a long day driving there and back in one day but it was fun, the weather was great and we got to eat lots of yummy vegan food!

In the middle of the month we booked a long weekend in Brighton with the dogs and enjoyed our first ever Air BnB experience. We got a late deal on a house which was way bigger than we needed but perfectly situated for exploring the best of Brighton, and it was dog friendly too. 

All in all I enjoyed our first Air BnB experience and I would definitely book a property through them again. It really did give us a sense of what it's like to live in Brighton and we felt like local residents throughout our stay which was so nice. The only downside for me was perhaps the lack of luxury. When we go away I do like to stay in hotels and enjoy little luxuries like having your room cleaned every day. This obviously wasn't the case here and I think because we had the dogs with us as well it did at times feel like we were just at home in our usual routine.  

Whilst in Brighton we couldn't resist going for a ride up the new British Airways i360 which was conveniently located at the end of the road we were staying on. It cost about £30 for both of us to go up on it but I do think it's one of those things you have to do once and if you're visiting Brighton. The views were incredible! Sadly it was difficult to take any photos of the view as the windows were really reflective. The ride itself was very smooth and well organised, very similar to the London Eye. 

It was so nice to have a relaxing few days in Brighton and have enough time to do all the things we wanted to. We usually only visit for the day or one night so it made such a nice change to be there for 4 nights. I got to visit all the vegan places on my hit list, we went for lots of lovely dog walks along the beach front and even found time to catch up with family. 

We spent a day visiting my Mum who lives in Eastbourne and the Air Show was on that weekend so we took a trip up to Beachy Head where we enjoyed really great views of the aeroplanes on display. 

Our puppy Suki also got to see her sister FiFi again for the first time since they were separated a couple of months ago. I was so excited for them to be reunited and to see FiFi again as we grew really close to her whilst she stayed with us during those initial few weeks. They were a little unsure of each other to begin with but once they were off the lead and in the garden they were so funny and constantly playing with each other. So cute! 

August also saw the arrival the annual Colchester Vegan Fair. We went to this last year and had a really good time so this date had been pencilled into my diary for quite a while. As expected there was a lot of amazing vegan food to enjoy from various different stalls. We picked up so many goodies including vegan scotch eggs, rainbow meringues and battered sausage and chips! Sadly the weather was really crazy that day so we didn't stick around for as long as we would have liked to. You can watch my vlog from the day here!

I finally found time to get my craft back on this month - yay! One of my best friends was visiting the UK from Mexico and she is currently pregnant so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make her something handmade as a gift for her and the baby. I took some inspiration from Instagram and decided to make her a pompom mobile to put above his cot. Pompoms are so easy to make so I was able to rustle this up pretty quickly. I simply hung a series of different coloured and sized pompoms from a hoop which I covered in yarn. It looked really pretty once finished but I stupidly forgot to take a photo of the end result. Anyway, it was great to catch up with my friend and say hello to her new baby bump! We don't get to see each other very often but when we do it's like no time has passed at all.

My husband and I enjoyed a date night out to watch Pretty Woman which was being screened in Hatfield Forest. It was such a fun evening! And it doesn't matter how many times I see this film it still  gives me all the feels. 

We love exploring the area in which we live and visiting new places. This month we went to the lesser known Jaywick in Essex which actually has a surprisingly nice beach. Jaywick has a bad reputation in Essex as being a not so nice area but there's no denying the dog friendly beaches are excellent there. 

WHAT I'VE BEEN EATING

  

Brighton is so amazing for vegan food, it's just too good to be true! You can read all about the places where we ate in my Brighton 2016 blog post but two of my favourite things were these amazing vegan donuts from Glazed and this stack of pancakes from Wai Kika Moo Kau were a real highlight!

I already mentioned it above but, Colchester Vegan Fair was a great day for eating some vegan treats including battered sausage & chips from the 'Battered' stand and these oh so pretty rainbow coloured meringues by Wild Flour Vegan Kitchen. 

As always Mr Kirby as been pretty handy in the kitchen this month too! I think my favourite meal of the month which he made me was his special Fry's vegan burger and curly fries. It was obviously all pretty easy to make and didn't require much skill but it was SO yummy! I definitely recommend checking out the Fry's Vegan Burgers if you haven't done so already. I love to load my burgers with lots of toppings including a slice of Violife, onion chutney, avocado and salad. 

One of my favourite vegan meals to have at home is also an all day breakfast. It's great after a Sunday morning lay in or even as a quick and easy midweek day dinner. I can eat this meal at any time of day to be honest! 

We enjoyed a lovely meal out to Las Iguanas this month as one just opened up down the road from where we live and we'd never been before. I had also heard about their special dedicated vegan & veggie menu which I was excited to try out for myself. You can catch my full review of this here! 

WHAT I'VE BEEN BUYING

I always feel like I should hang my head in shame when I review how much I have bought each month but this month I have zero regrets as it's all stuff I adore!

One of my first purchases this month was this 'Blog, Tweet, Snack, Repeat' print by That Lame Company. I love it! And it pretty much sums up my life really well!   

I also gave into some huge Pusheen cravings I had been feeling this month and I placed a little order with John Lewis and treated myself to the super cute Pusheen mug, weekly planner and pen. I just LOVE Pusheen! The whole range is so nice and I still have my eye on the backpack. 

I think my favourite purchase of the month would have to be these alphabet cushions from M&S. I absolutely love this range of cushions, especially the ones with tassels and pompoms! They've made the perfect addition to our bedroom and really helped to add some colour and vibrancy to our bed. I think they have a few left in the sale so be quick to see if they have your favourite letters left. (PS I love the 'V' one too and that its green!).

Another home decor purchase this month was this 'Lets Instagram The Shit Out Of It' print by Molu Type Shop on Etsy. As soon as I saw this print I knew I needed it in my life, it really made me laugh! I found the perfect grey frame for it in Next and I love how it looks with the mustard yellow colour on the print.  

Ok, yes I may have purchased some more stationery *hides behind hands. But have you seen the Purrmaids collection at Paperchase!?? I mean there was no way I was going to go into Paperchase and not come away with something from this range. Its cats and mermaids for crying out loud! If you hadn't already gathered I LOVE everything about this new design of stationery and accessories. I think I was quite disciplined in only picking up a few things but this magnetic clipboard pad and pen has come in really handy in my kitchen. 

I've been eagerly awaiting the end of August and the arrival of Autumn pretty much this whole month and when I saw this copy of Mollie Makes in the shop I had to have it. I don't buy this magazine all the time but every so often and especially when the cover is as inviting as this one! I wish I set my mind to making more of the things featured in the magazine but I still enjoy flicking through it and getting some inspiration for future projects.  

Something which has been on my hit list for months now which I finally bought this month was the Born This Way Foundation by Too Faced. I had heard so many amazing reviews of this vegan friendly and cruelty free foundation so I was really excited to try it for myself. My other Nars foundation run out this month too so now was the perfect time to try a new one. I have to say my initial impressions have been very good so far and I haven't been disappointed. I will do a more thorough blog review once I have used it more but I already think this is a winning makeup item for me.  

I've followed Toby I Like Cats on Instagram for some time now as, just like me, he really likes cats and he makes some really cute cat themed accessories and art work. I love to support small independent sellers like him and when he announced he was releasing a lucky dip box I knew I had to get my hands on one! My box arrived this month and was full of goodies including an 'I Like Cats' tote bag, keyring and sticker, a 'I Like Cats More Than People' pencil which I just adore, and a funky little notebook and sew on patch. I was so pleased with everything and I love the excitement of not knowing what you're going to get. Check out his Etsy shop for lots more cat themed goodies! 

Last but not least, I saw this 'Hello' cushion in Primark recently and I had to have it. It was a bargain £5 and I just love the combination of geometric patterns and copper detailing. It's taken pride of place on my already colourful day bed which is currently overloaded with cute cushions. You can never have too many cushions right!?  

WHAT I'VE BEEN BLOGGING

Faithful Friend Dog Shampoo by Faith in Nature
Being All or Nothing
Intensive Conditioner by Faith in Nature
Skincere Skincare
Vegan YouTubers To Watch
Brighton 2016
Ultimate Color Repair by Paul Mitchell
AKAR Nutrient Boost Eye Serum
Las Iguanas

WHAT I'VE BEEN VLOGGING

Dogs Bath Time With Faithful Friend
A Vegan Weekly Shop From Sainsbury's
A Vegan Weekly Shop From Co-Op
Colchester Vegan Fair
A Vegan Weekly Shop From Aldi

OTHER BLOGS I'VE BEEN LOVING IN AUGUST

4 Distraction Techniques For Anxiety - What Lauren Did Today
What Your Cruelty Free Brand Isn't Telling You - Ethical Elephant
Burger Lolz - Lemon Freckles
Musings: Bloggers - Online vs Real Life - Vix Meldrew
The Truth Behind "May Contain" Ingredient Lists - Logical Harmony 

AUGUST INSTA HIGHLIGHTS 

WHAT I'M EXCITED FOR NEXT MONTH

Autumn, Autumn and AUTUMN! Bring it on! I'm so excited to feel the weather change and get a bit colder. I am so looking forward to seeing the leaves on the ground and feeling like I can start layering my clothes again. Aside from the change in seasons I am looking forward to a week away in Devon next week which is our final Summer plan of the year. We're renting a cottage in Exmoor with the dogs and I am looking forward to going back to an area which I haven't visited since my childhood. Aside from that it'll hopefully be a low key month, seeing friends and taking it easy.  

How was August for you? I hope you all had a great month!