Doing what my fridge magnet tells me to…

Do more of what makes you happy. Sounds easy right? Spend time doing the things that give you a little glow, a feeling of contentment and happiness. I love this quote by Carmel McConnell and it’s an attitude that I try to live my life by.

Believe me, I don’t always find this easy. I can get distracted by worries, feel the pressures of deadlines or responsibility and before I know it, the time that should be spent on ‘happiness’ can get a bit diverted to other things.

What I have found is that if I stop for even five or 10 minutes in a day or over a weekend, I realise some of the great things that I’ve accomplished or made me smile.  This can stop me feeling a bit overwhelemed or thinking about an ever growing to-do list. It’s a good reminder to try and  live in the present. I love taking pictures, so I often flick back through my camera roll to see what I’ve been up or or what has caught my eye.

So what’s on my happy list this week?

London winter rooftop gardens and catching up with old friends

If you’re looking for a real festive fun location, look no further than Pergola on the Roof close to Wood Lane tube station in London. The venue has taken over the car-park of the Television Centre and it’s such a brilliant use of space with 600 seats, 4 restaurants, 2 bars, 5 day beds. Step out of the lift follow a meandering path that leads you into a mythical Nordic inspired winter wonderland that sits inside an enclosed heated tent. Sip on mulled wine and feast on great pop-up food like we did. I opted for a Patty & Bun burger, while friends tried Le Bao and Snaps & Rye. Meeting our friend from Bogota who we hadn’t seen in three years was the icing on the cake! We laughed non stop.

The joy of shoes

A picture can say a thousand words right? These shoes from the brilliant shop Strut on Church Street Stoke Newington made me stop right in my tracks! Even though I didn’t buy them, just looking at them made me happy 🙂 It also got me thinking about Alexander McQueen again and how much I miss his talent. He was such an incredible creative force and some day I’ll own one of his pieces. Until then, his work and the legacy of his design house will continue to stop me in my tracks with the beauty and craftsmanship for years to come.

Feeling the burn

I’ve found it so hard over the last few months to get back into a proper running routine. Since getting engaged on the finish line of the Gothenburg Half Marathon in May…how shall I say it, my motivation has diminished! On the plus side, I’ve been so happy since then that time has literally flown by and the summer was full of travel, fun and celebrations rather than training! The lovely thing is that running reminds me of the proposal and getting back to it made me realise what a stress buster it is. Maybe my running mojo is coming back so watch this space.

Going to my first baby shower

I was invited to my first baby shower and it was such a happy event to be a part of! I got crafty and set to making little felt penguins for the baby and a book of messages from friends who couldn’t make the shower. It was so lovely to read the messages and to see how happy and excited my friend’s Niamh and Dale are to welcome their new arrival very soon. Everyone at the shower is dying to meet the new baby and a close friend flying from Dublin especially for the shower was the best surprise for Niamh! Christmas and New Year is going to be a very special one!

What made you happy this week?

Emily, x