Well, I think we can all agree that 2020 was not the year we were all expecting it to be! But that being said, the year definitely wasn’t a write-off either. I’ve been really lucky in that I got through 2020 with my health, my family’s health and a secure job. I couldn’t be more thankful for this, as well as so appreciative of all the people (frontline workers, NHS staff, scientists etc..) who have, through their sacrifices, enabled me to have got through this year in one piece.
In preparation for New Years. I’ve been looking back through my camera roll to remind myself of the good bits amongst the neverending lockdowns, lack of human contact and stress + uncertainty. And actually, there’s a lot of stuff that happened in 2020 that I really don’t want to ever forget! So, I’ll be sharing some of my favourite memories in various categories in this post – the categories are: Food, Home Upgrades, Days Out, Lulu, and Zola!
Lets go:
Top Five…2020 Foods
A huge thank you to all the restaurants and hotel staff that worked so hard this year to make it possible for us all to have a few moments of joy and normalcy in 2020. Here’s my top five favourite foodie moments of the year, in no particular order:
1. Dinner at Core by Clare Smyth – We were very lucky to get to visit Core in August when it had just reopened. Not only did we get to sit at the chefs table which was a true experience, but this lobster, celery and spelt dish is one of the most exquisite things I’ve ever seen, and one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten.
2. The Hawksmoor at Home box – We ordered this at some point during lockdown where there was no end in sight and we were badly craving a meal from one of our favourite restaurants. Luckily, Hawksmoor came to the rescue by providing these at home kits which replicate the entire experience!
3. Breakfast at Ikos Resorts, Greece – We were SO FORTUNATE to make it to Ikos in Greece in September and I treasured every single meal there. It was hard to pick a single one for this post but in the end I chose one of the incredible breakfast spreads as I am OBSESSED with breakfasts like these!
4. The Bricklayers Arms – Once lockdown was lifted (the first time 😅), one of the first places we went to was a nearby gastropub, the Bricklayers Arms. I had THE NICEST duck dish I’ve ever tasted, made all the better just by the fact that we were out again, with actual people around us.
5. Afternoon tea at the Grove hotel – In October, we spent a night at The Grove Hotel just outside of London to belatedly celebrate our birthdays. A highlight of our stay for me was this beautiful afternoon tea which I actually think is my favourite afternoon tea ever! My favourite thing was the passion fruit meringue choux 👌
Top Five… Lockdown Home Upgrades
As lockdown continued and we were all spending more and more time at home, there were various improvements to our home life that I realised I wanted to make. These upgrades have actually all helped to make lockdown life a bit more bearable in different ways and I’m really thankful I was able to invest in some of these. Here are my top five favourites:
1. Neom Organics diffusers – The more time we spent at home, the more I realised diffusers were missing in my life! We got different scents for each room so that when we moved between rooms, the new, different smell would freshly hit you 🥰
2. Gull Fiskar – World Map, by Kristjana S Williams – There was a big white space in our living room for time that we didn’t do anything with. I found this map print and instantly fell in love with it – it’s the kind of highly detailed piece that means that every time you look at it, you notice a different detail 🤗 – perfect for a statement piece in the living room!
3. Cutipol cutlery set – We had been eating with the same boring cutlery for YEARS but it had never bothered me until I was using it 3x a day, 7 days a week! 😅 I love the shapes and lines of this set, called Goa, and since ordering it, has elevated every meal time 🤗
4. Gym Corner – Since lockdown started and gyms closed, we have invested in creating a little gym corner. We’ve got some weights, a @onepeloton bike, and this cool “Let’s Stay Home” neon artwork (which we actually won!). It kinda gives me gymbox vibes at home 😅
5. Tom Dixon coupe glasses – Lord knows I’ve needed some alcohol in 2020, and our home bar has slowly been growing 😋 We’ve also been very slowly adding to our glassware collection and these are a personal fave! I’m excited to use them on New Years Eve! 🥳
Top Five… 2020 Days Out
Ok so there weren’t THAT many to choose from this year (I can count the amount of people I’ve met up with this year on 2 hands 😥) but looking back is a great reminder to myself that I did actually manage to have *some* fun with friends + family – more than I know many were able to. I’m also really lucky that a lot of my family live minutes away, and that I got lucky with timings of linkups with friends. There were also lots of virtual laughs over the year – a big thank you to all my friends + family who took the time to stay connected digitally. I’ve never had so much fun video-conferencing 😅 but we’re all probably thankful that I’m not sharing screenshots of zoom calls in our PJs 🤪
That all being said, heres a few fave memories:
1. Seeing Grandma post-lockdown – My most treasured memory was this summer when I FINALLY got to see my grandma, who had been shielding. We met in her garden and kept a good number of feet away at all times, but it was incredible to just be with her after so long 🥰
2. Julia’s hen – The year kicked off with a lil mini hen to celebrate Julia getting marrriieddd! We met for afternoon tea + escape room fun. I’m just glad we got to celebrate with Julia in person this year!
3. Dinner with Felicia – In Oct, when restaurants opened for a hot second, I was SO LUCKY to be able to go for dinner with the beautiful Felicia and actually catchup in PERSON! Dinner went by in a flash (may also have been the alcohol!) but every second was so worth it!
4. Laser Pigeon Shooting – Another memorable day out was with my Lulu when we went out for a day of laser pigeon shooting! This was the perfect outdoors activity for a pandemic, and also a surprisingly hard arm workout! A lot of fun to do with the person you can be THE MOST competitive with!
5. Afternoon tea with Angelica – Another very luckily timed meetup with my dearest Angelica – I was able to finally make good on celebrating her birthday – we went to the Tiffany Blue Box cafe after months and months of not seeing each other f2f 🥺. Cocktails, little afternoon tea bites, and ALL THE GOSSIP! Meetups like this fill my soul up 🥰
Top Five… Lulu
I genuinely couldn’t have coped through this pandemic without her! She’s kept me entertained through the lockdowns, helped constantly reassure me that I don’t have corona every time I cleared my throat 😅, and has been THE BEST co-parent to our baby!
I couldn’t really pick five favourite memories so here’s just five of my fave pics of her in my camera roll 🤣:
- Let’s start with us in Ikos! The best memories 🥰
- That day we decided to go for a walk in the countryside but actually ended up eating a HUGE Sunday roast 😅 Oh and I got stung by a 🐝
- Going to visit the Christmas lights with our baby who was SO BRAVE. We have never been prouder!
- I’ve never laughed so much! 😭
- I love this photo! Lulu being the best mummy and Zola being her lil crazy self 😍🤣
Top Five (Okay Nine 😅)… Zola Saint Laurent!
I really couldn’t just pick five 😅😅😅 My entire camera roll is simply pics of Zola now.
My crazy, beautiful, clever, stubborn, outgoing, snuggly, confident little Zola! I cannot remember life without her, and I can’t believe it’s only been two months since we picked her up! I’m the most excited to watch her grow and to make all the memories with her in 2021!
I love you ZoZo! 💕
