December Life

HOW I'VE BEEN FEELING

I think like most people, December has been one crazy and, at times, stressful month! I think for 99% of this past month I have felt like I've continually been playing some game of catch up. There just hasn't seemed to be enough hours in the day for everything I have needed to do! But as well as being a busy month, December has also been a happy one. I really enjoyed taking part in Vlogmas this year and although it was a challenge it was also really enjoyable and motivating. I also had the best birthday ever! There's certainly been a lot of highs this month but it has left me feeling tired and like I need to re-charge my batteries. I've also had a horrible cold this last week of December which has left me feeling rough but it's also forced me to sit down and do nothing.

WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING

I was very tempted to write 'just watch vlogmas!' in this section of the blog because that really does give you a big insight into what I did every day up until Christmas Eve! 

I think it would be fair to say that so much of December was spent vlogging and editing. My usual routine went out of the window and before I knew it I had fallen quickly into the routine of sitting up until 2am every night editing and getting up between 10-11am. After about a week into it I definitely felt myself getting more and more tired! And during the final week of filming things had changed and I was editing last minute before my vlog went live as I was too tired at night. I honestly don't know how daily vloggers do it! It's certainly hard work! 

Aside from all the filming I do feel like I had a really good month and I got to do a lot of things that I wanted to. 

The month kicked off with a day spent baking up some vegan treats for Christmas which I really enjoyed doing and sharing with everyone on my blog & YouTube. 

2 days into the month and vlogmas I managed to fall over quite badly and really hurt myself. I hit my knees so hard on the pavement that both of them swelled up and bruised really badly. I couldn't walk properly for a while which was quite worrying and it nearly ended up with a trip to A&E. As you can imagine I was so upset and it really slowed me down, I even had to cancel some festive plans because of it but after about a week I started to feel more back to normal and now I am thankfully able to exercise again which is great! 

Highlights of December for me included: a trip to Lavenham's Christmas fair, spending the day before my birthday in Brighton, a surprise stay in a treehouse for my birthday, a festive day in London's West End and Christmas in a log cabin! 

What an amazing month it was!  

WHAT I'VE BEEN EATING

Maybe the question should be 'what haven't I been eating'!!?? I always stupidly think I won't go too crazy in December with over eating and, regardless of any good intentions I may have in the beginning, it never goes to plan! December has felt like a total feast from start to finish and it's been amazing to see more and more vegan friendly options available. 

December was definitely the month for Jus Rol! With accidentally vegan friendly pastry, cinnamon buns and pan au chocolat's on offer, Jus Rol make this time of year a breeze for vegans or those who follow a dairy free diet. Making my own mince pies has never been easier or more tasty! 

On my birthday Andy and I enjoyed a first time visit to vegetarian & vegan friendly restaurant Terre a Terre in Brighton. We enjoyed a huge sharing selection of different dishes, all of which were really innovative and delicious! A highlight for me though was their churros with chocolate dipping sauce.

We also enjoyed another amazing meal at The Green Almond vegetarian & vegan restaurant in Eastbourne. We managed to get a table there on the off chance on a busy Friday night and unknowingly we ended up enjoying a 5 course Christmas dinner set menu! It was really incredible food and it made me think that sometimes the things you don't plan end up being the best! 

On our day trip to London we decided to go back to the vegetarian and vegan friendly buffet restaurant Tibits. We hadn't been there for over a year and we loved the first experience we had so much we really couldn't wait to experience it again. Tibits is just like paradise for vegans! And it was even better this time around as we went on a Tuesday which is their all vegan buffet day.

Our Christmas dinner this year really was the best yet! Andy done most of the cooking and we decided to try out Deliciously Ella's nut roast recipe which ended up being delicious. We also opted to roast our brussels this year for the first time ever and we were all amazed by how good they turned out. We roasted them with some chestnuts and maple syrup and they were incredible! 

If you watched any of my Vlogmas this December you will know that we were pretty addicted to this Mulled Wine Instant Tea by Whittard. We were offered a sample in the Whittard shop in Brighton and from that moment forward we were hooked!

WHAT I'VE BEEN BUYING

December has definitely been more about buying for other people than it has for myself, although I did get some birthday money and vouchers which I spent on my trip to the West End. I had a Lush voucher to use so I put it to good use at their flagship store on Oxford Street and picked myself up a couple of their festive treats! 

Whilst in London I also made a little pit stop at the Urban Decay shop on Carnaby Street and I decided to pick myself up one of their smaller travel sized 'All Nighter' makeup setting sprays. I had heard so many amazing reviews about this product and I was desperate to try it for myself so I was really pleased to see that they sell smaller sized products suitable for trialling before you invest in a full size product. Why can't all shops do this!? Anyway, i've been so impressed by this setting spray! I've been really surprised to look in the mirror and see my face of makeup after a day out looking almost as good as new. It really does the job well! 

Some other Carnaby Street purchases were this pompom hat and chequered scarf from Monki, both of which I have been living in this month! 

When I saw these vegan Christmas jumpers online I couldn't resist getting me and Andy one each so we  were matching! It really made me chuckle and I know this jumper was a big hit with many other vegans out there.  

I did treat myself to some Lily England eye makeup brushes though as they had been out of stock for ages and they suddenly became available again just before Christmas. These had been on my wish list for a while and i'm so glad I bought them as they work really well and are so pretty to look at! And of course these are completely cruelty free and vegan friendly brushes. 

E.L.F Cosmetics had an amazing 50% off plus free delivery and a free gift deal going on this month which I just had to take advantage of. I hadn't placed an order with them for a while so it was a great opportunity to pick up some of my old favourites like their foundation and eye liner pen. I also wanted to try out some totally new products like their moisturiser and eye lashes. This whole haul came out to about £20 which is just amazing! 

Andy bought me this beautiful Olivia Burton watch for my birthday which I adore! If you didn't already know, she has a really lovely collection of vegan friendly watches available.

WHAT I'VE BEEN BLOGGING

The Little Book Of Hygge
Lush Christmas 2016
Festive Treats From Vegan Town
Easy Vegan Treats For Christmas
My Winter Makeup Look
2016 Hopes & Goals Review
My Perfect Christmas Day
Why I Love Winter 
Dogs Dress Up For Christmas
Merry Christmas
My 2017 Planners
2017 Hopes & Goals

WHAT I'VE BEEN VLOGGING

As already mentioned, this December I took part in Vlogmas - A daily vlog every day until Christmas! I love that it gave people who follow my blog a little insight into my daily life and I also think it's helped people to get to know me a bit better. You can catch up on all of my Vlogmas episodes here!

As well as Vlogmas I also filmed a Q&A with my husband Andy and a Sourced Box taste test. 

INSTA HIGHLIGHTS

WHAT I'M EXCITED FOR NEXT MONTH

January is usually quite a bleak month following the come down of December and Christmas but I am actually really looking forward to some normality again! The last few weeks have been a real whirlwind and I am so looking forward to getting back into a routine again, working out regularly and getting some balance back into my life. I am definitely planning to slow down in January and just focus on the important things, including some self care. I want to take care of both my body and mind and generally just give myself some TLC. 

How was December for you?

I hope you all had a really lovely Christmas and enjoyed the festive break. 
And a Happy New Year to you all!