This week's happiness

Things that have made me happy this week...

Summer picnics

Ahh don't you just love packing up a picnic, taking a blanket and finding a pretty place in the countryside to sunbathe, eat and just relax?! I really love picnics! This week Rob and I went into Epping Forest, which isn't too far from his mum's where we're living now. It's really pretty, with so many places to explore - lots of little trails, always busy with cyclists, walkers and families. We managed to find a secluded spot on some open grassland and enjoyed our lunch al fresco. Thank you sunshine, you can keep coming!

Happy feet: the perfect deck shoes

I've been on several shopping trips recently with the aim of finding some sensible flat shoes but on each occasion I've totally failed the task and come back home with dresses, tops and lingerie! Story of my life. It would seem that I am an absolute expert at shopping spontaneously! But, to my complete surprise last week I wandered into the UGG shop {with the intention of browsing their Summer wedges collection} and found these beauties: the UGG Chivon deck-style shoes.

An afternoon at Chartwell {The National Trust}

I love London but I wouldn't go as far as calling myself a city girl, I'm a country girl at heart, hence the name of this blog! As soon as I have a few days off work, I get 'countryside cravings' {you can take the girl out of Hertfordshire but you definitely can't take Hertfordshire out of the girl}. Living in London is great but I really miss fields and forests and fresh air. I miss walking out of my front door and not hearing a bloody police siren! I miss the unpolluted air and I miss the peacefulness that you instantly get when you leave the city. So as soon as we get a day off together Rob and I will jump at the chance to drive into the nearby countryside. Not too far, just far enough to be somewhere a bit more peaceful.

A month or so ago we decided to drive into Kent and visit Chartwell, one of the many properties owned by The National Trust {we really need to get on and purchase our NT membership, having visited several properties this past year I'm sure it would save us a fair bit of money!}. Situated just outside of Sevenoaks, Chartwell is the former home of the Churchill Family and is where Winston Churchill himself lived from 1924 until his death. Today, both the house and it's vast beautiful gardens and rural grounds remain well maintained. If you're in Kent and you're after a stroll, a bit of history, a cup of tea and some cake then this really is the ideal spot.

This week's happiness

It feels like forever since I have done one of my beloved Friday posts! So here is what's brought me happiness this week...

Guilt free fro-yo

Oh my word. This stuff is incredible!! Guilt free, dairy free, raspberry and coconut fro-yo made with frozen coconut milk. Amazing! I try to steer clear of eating too much dairy in my diet as it doesn't seem to agree with my tummy, or my skin, so this is a perfect alternative to ice cream. I've enjoyed some this evening with fresh blueberries and raspberries, so good!

Recipes: Bananas for bananas...

We're a bit banana mad in our house, we tend to go through about 2-3 bunches of bananas a week. I think I eat one every single day without fail! Hey, at least I'm getting that potassium...! But the problem with bananas is that they tend to turn brown so quickly, especially if they're kept out in a warm-ish environment {never ever put them in the fridge though, they brown even quicker and go all hard and gross}.
So... What to do with leftover brown, over-ripe bananas? Bake of course!! I do love a good excuse to bake as you've probably gathered by now. And with leftover bananas to hand I thought I'd share some of my favourite go-to banana recipes...

That Friday feeling

My #thisweekshappiness hasn't really happened today as I've hardly taken any photos this past week, it's all been a bit uneventful as I've just been at work! Anyway, it's officially Friday and I can excitedly say that for once in my life I actually have 'that Friday feeling' like a normal person and I'm looking forward to a long bank holiday weekend! Even better, this is my last day at work for a while - once today has finished I've got two weeks holiday, yippeee!! I've been counting down the days for this moment for what feels like weeks now so I'm excited that my annual leave has finally arrived. I have felt so exhausted recently and we've had so much going on so there's nothing I need more than a total break.