Happy Sunday – and for those interested what a good England win! 

It’s been longer than I’d planned since sharing an update and honestly I’ve just been enjoying the extra freedom we’ve had since mid May. It’s flown and suddenly the next update is tomorrow. I’m not even going to begin to talk about that as god knows what’s going to happen, but as far as things go I’ve had a pretty good few weeks.

Life has undoubtedly felt a lot more normal. I’ve actually been busy, with lots to do for upcoming weddings, in the swing of work now, meals out and nights out for the fun of it and not just to catch up with people I’ve not seen in ages. Aside from the occasional worry we still have related to the dreaded C word, life is certainly a lot better.

So a couple of highlights from the past few weeks – mainly all food related…

The last May bank holiday weekend was pretty busy, we went to 3SIXTY, the new bar on top of Hadrian’s Tower for food and drinks on the Thursday night. We really enjoyed it for drinks, it’s a great spot with impressive views – read my full review here.

On the Saturday we had a pretty quiet one, just heading into Tynemouth for some tapas at Ora followed by some drinks at Platform 2 before the Champions League final. I shared a blog on the bars and micro pubs you can find along the North Tyneside coast metro route – have a read of it here if you fancy visiting some of the places yourself. 

On the bank holiday Sunday I’d booked us some tables in town, starting with Muddler for some sushi. The food there is just so good, and from there we went to Bar Luga’s terrace for drinks. That’s the first time I really noticed the weather being so hot – sitting in the sun up there felt like being on holiday, and we stayed a lot longer than planned.

During the weeks I’m much more into a routine of proper working again, I’ve been in my new job almost three months now and it’s great to be somewhere central, and have the option of going into an office again. I love the flexibility of having the choice of working from home or going in, it’s a great balance. 

I definitely don’t miss the 3am wake up calls for flights to the next city that were a big part of my life for the past few years.

Last weekend we went up to town for some shopping, and we paid a visit to the new rooftop terrace at Fenwick’s. I’ve got a dedicated blog coming this week all about it, so look out for that, probably tomorrow.

I have spent an absolute fortune on skincare the past few months, and I’m narrowing down all the products I’ve tried, sampled and like to my favourites. All the mask wearing especially in the heat has played havoc with my skin, and it’s finally improving. I couldn’t recommend Liz Earle cleanser more, it’s transformed my life!

I also had a facial at Jesmond Beauty clinic which again was a god send, apart from anything it was a nice relaxing hour to myself as well as getting some good advice from the girls on the products to use. 

Last Saturday I went out with a couple of the work girls, for drinks at Hudson, Aveika and Leila Lily’s. We had food at Aveika too and I loved it in there. The atmosphere was the best by far – and not just because it was such a hot day and everyone was out. Although that helped – the mood was definitely high.

We’ve spent a good few evenings at the coast, with the weather making it busy but a lovely place to be. We also went to the Ahar Indian restaurant for tapas last Sunday – it’s so good and it was nice to support another local business. 

After quite a while of blog work and campaigns being postponed, I had two this week. One of them was for LNER, who I actually worked with last year to help create a green guide to Newcastle, Edinburgh and London. I contributed some tips on the most eco friendly, sustainable places in Newcastle to the guide, and it finally launched this week. You can read the full guide to all the cities here.

On Thursday we were also invited to stay at the Innside by Melia hotel, newly opened on the Newcastle quayside along with Gino’s that makes up the bar and restaurant. I loved our evening there – it felt like being on holiday again both in terms of the hotel and how nice it was, and being somewhere different for really good food. 

If we arent getting away abroad this year (and I’m still holding out hope) then would really recommend a staycation here. I’ll be doing a full review on the hotel and the restaurant this week, complete with discount code so look out for that too.

Finally this weekend we decided to make the most of the good weather, and I was desperate for some time in the middle of nowhere with beautiful scenery, fresh air, and peach and quiet. Don’t get me wrong I love a night out, but I have so many plans coming up I was very ready for a bit of a break. We got the last room at the Bridge Hotel in Buttermere in the Lake District, so drove down on Friday after work.

I’ve found that although a lot of places seem fully booked, most are offering free cancellation so it’s worth checking even if you’re last minute in case someone has cancelled their room. We had a bar meal on Friday night in the pub, and then spent the day walking around the lake and pottering around the village in the sun. Ice creams, walks and incredible views – exactly what the doctor ordered.

Hope you’ve been enjoying the weather and freedom, here’s hoping it’s not the worst news from Boris tomorrow. Have a great week!