2013, a round up

2013 was a fabulous year, full of firsts, adventures and amazing experiences. Here's a round up of some of my favourite moments from the past twelve months.

2013: Spring

To me, the new year always means days out and nights in as the weather is so cold. The Boy and I spent a white weekend in snowy London town, an evening at the theatre (seeing Wicked, finally) and Zsa stayed over for food, films and a bit of a gossip.

In March we headed to New York as a family and, although it was absolutely freezing we had a marvelous time exploring the city. I took Mum to a spa, The Boy and I tried out an amazing restaurant and we all got to walk the High Line. It was the trip of a lifetime and one we'll never forget.

I particularly loved the graffti that had sprung up on the storm damaged Brooklyn Bridge.

2013: Summer
We spent a week in the Summer visiting various friends all over the country - and I spent a week cooing over a selection of babies and children. Even The Boy came away feeling broody.

On returning to London we whiled away the Summer months doing what we do best: eating and exploring the city. We had my good friend Kat and her son Leo to stay which allowed The Boy to revert back to his childhood, and spend some sunny days playing in the garden with lego and various Poundland remote controlled aircraft. Which was perfect as it meant Kat and I could spend some time laying in the sun.

We checked out Feast with Zsa Zsa and Ben which, although it was delicious, was far too hot for me.

I took Mum to Fortnum and Mason for Afternoon Tea one day in the summer which was amazing and a real treat.

In August Kimmy and I went to Secret Cinema's screening of Dirty Dancing and it was amazing. A great afternoon/evening with great company in the sunshine, you really can't beat it.

2013: AutumnWith Autumn came my thirtieth birthday and with it many a celebration. It all kicked off with birthday drinks in Hammersmith but also included a weekend break to Paris and a trip to Derbyshire with Ma and Pa. It was a wonderful few weeks spend with my absolute favourite people.

In October I ran my second half marathon, the Royal Parks Half in London. It was more of a struggle than last year as it was so hot but I still loved every minute and am considering running it again next year.

2013: Winter
The colder months brought with them lots of gatherings and festivities with friends and family as Christmas got ever closer.

We spent a weekend in Manchester with Sarah and Ryan exploring the Christmas Markets (and basically eating as much as we could), had a big family dinner at Duncans, and Christmas party season kicked off with a bang, it was a great final few weeks of 2013.

And of course the year ended with a proposal, but there will be more on that later.

On Sundays, We Feast

Today's post is long, long, long overdue. Three weeks to be exact. 

But oh well, with all this sunshine comes many an excuse for a nap/ice cream/shower so blogging has taken somewhat of a backseat. Again.

A few weekends back, it was pretty much the first hot day of the heatwave that currently has London in its grips, so I slathered myself in sunscreen and headed East with The Boy. We wound our way to Brick Lane to meet Sasha and Ben, our two favourite foodies, to try out all the delights on offer at Feast, a regular London food festival.

I was moaning before we'd even got inside, it was simply too hot I tell you, but overall uncomfortableness aside, we dashed in and grabbed the nearest table with a patch of shade and did what we do best: eat.

First, The Boy rushed off and bought coconuts for us all to cool off, whilst Ben went on a whistle stop tour of the East End in search of a cashpoint (standard).

 We started off with these little morsels of deliciousness from Yum Bun - handmade steamed buns filled with slow-roasted Blythburgh belly pork, spring onions, cucumber and hoi sin sauce. One word: yum.

 The setting was really cute and kitsch, but far too hot for me.

 I finally got to try the delicious When Mac Met Cheese (more of that later).

 Tempting rainbow-coloured treats by Meringue Girls

 The Boy gobbled down a ginormous hot dog from Big Apple Hot Dogs, surprisingly similar to the ones we had on holiday in March.

The Carlos the Cactus by When Mac Met Cheese - mature cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella and jalapenos, definitely worth waiting more than a year to try...

...even more so the deep fried oreos and macancini's.

 Zsa mentioned that it's impossible to take a picture of her and Ben where they are both actually posing... I guess that's still true.

My little beaut contemplating her next snack.

 Getting hot and bothered at Patty and Bun.

 A Black Pudding Scotch Egg from Monikers - a tasty treat.

 The Boy has found his calling.

 Desperately trying to keep my cool...and failing miserably.

 All finished off with a lamb wrap from....somewhere that I can't remember! Clearly my memory deserted me after my belly reached a certain level of overindulgence.

We rounded the day off with full bellies, another paper hat, a spot of heatstroke and a Wimbledon win. All in all, the perfect Sunday - even if it was a few degrees too hot for my liking.

Feast is a London food experience - bringing together the capitals street food favourites, all in one unique venue. I'd definitely go again, it was a great opportunity to try food from some of the cities hot cafe's and kitchens without the 3 hour queue, which can only be a good thing. Find out more about Feast here.