One Year On As A Vegetarian

Vegan coconut milkshake from The Diner

At the start of 2017 I made a resolution to quit eating meat and adapt to a vegetarian diet. It was something that I had been thinking about throughout 2016 as I was extremely conscious of my meat consumption and quite frankly finally realising that I was consuming literal flesh was turning my stomach. So, I went into 2017 with the intention of giving up meat but decided that when I was travelling I would treat myself and have a burger.

A couple of days into January I watched Cowspiracy and not only did I totally throw out the idea that I'd treat myself to a burger now and again but I decided to stop eating eggs and consuming the majority of dairy products. You can read my blog post from earlier in the year about why I pledged to go veg here. I thought it'd be nice to do a little round up on how I've found my first year living off of a vegetarian diet as it's something I never thought I'd be able to do. Also, I'm pretty sure it's the first time that I've ever completed a New Year's resolution!

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Review | Brunch at Sea Containers, London

Situated along London's South Bank is the luxury Mondrian Hotel, which boasts a chic and sleek eatery on the ground level, Sea Containers. A few weeks ago we were invited along one Sunday to taste their brunch menu and I am not one to turn down the offer of brunch! Needless to say from the name 'Sea Containers', which suggests a fishy menu, I wasn't expecting much in the way of choice for a plant-based eater like myself but I was promised that the staff in the restaurant are on hand to customise any dishes to suit my dietary requirements.

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Where to Stay in Gdańsk | Hotel Hanza

As part of my '12 Cities in 12 Months' mission, I headed on a slightly spontaneous trip to Gdańsk in Poland simply because the flights were cheap and we had heard that the beers were cheap too (a very important factor). I hadn't really researched too much into the city other than a quick Google Image search of the gorgeous narrow, pastel townhouses that lined the cobbled streets. Poland had never really been high on my 'to visit' list, but the affordable beer and Instagram-worthy location sold it to me pretty quickly.

During our 3-day trip we spent one of our nights at the 4-star Hotel Hanza located smack bang in the centre of the city. 

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How to (Kinda) Dress Down for a Christmas Party

In the true spirit of December and Christmas party season, I'll admit that I actually shot these photos when I was incredibly hungover. One too many mulled wines may or may not have gotten the better of me but when it's December you just have to dust yourself off, rehydrate and head off to the next festive shindig where more mulled wine awaits! It's a hard life, eh?

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Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

Anyone who knows me will know how much I love Christmas. The first few weeks of December are my favourite time of year This December I welcomed my very first real Christmas tree into our flat, which I've lovingly named Keith (because who doesn't name their Christmas tree, eh?!). Growing up I've only ever really had artificial Christmas trees around during the holiday season but I've always longed for a real one to be the festive centrepiece in my lounge every December.

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Strolling Along London's South Bank

Something terrible has happened. My usual camera for shooting outfits is temporarily out of service as the viewfinder has somehow become completely distorted. I can still shoot via the screen, but I tend to feel more comfortable shooting through the viewfinder so it's currently sat on my shelf until I get the dollar together to get it fixed. I'm not exactly the most cautious person in the world, especiall as my camera has been living in a beanie rather than an actual camera case the past five years so I'm surprised that it's taken this long before something on it actually broke! These photos were shot with my Google Pixel 2, which is having to act as a substitute for the meantime.

Anyway, these photos were taken whilst we were strolling along South Bank after a rather delicious brunch at Sea Containers, which we used to nurse our hangovers. I don't tend to visit South Bank that often anymore simply because I'm very rarely over that side of town. However, strolling along the Thames and weaving our way through the Christmas market donned with fairylights and wafting the smell of mulled wine reminded me of my love for the area. Sure, the Thames isn't exactly a sight for sore eyes with it's murky brown waters but there's something about being beside the water that I've always resonated with. I won't be dipping my toes in the water anytime soon, but spending an afternoon listening to the water crashing and boats drift on by sounds rather ideal.

The dress I'm wearing is one that I picked up in a charity shop well over a year ago, but I've only just rediscovered it lurking in my wardrobe. It's a bit of a patchwork piece with embroidered details and clashing patterns, but I absolutely adore it. I took my Kipling BEX bag out with me that afternoon as it's a big enough bag to fit all of my belongings in and has enough space to store an extra jumper inside, just in case the weather gets a little chillier in the evening!

Have you visited London's South Bank before? If so, what's your favourite part?

Dress: Charity Shop

Bag*: Kipling

Boots*: Kurt Geiger

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Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Kipling but all words are my own.

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An Evening of Cats, Cake & Crafts at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium has been on my London 'to visit' list for quite a while. I've only ever visited a cat café once before when visiting Amsterdam and I absolutely loved it there! When More Than Pet Insurance invited me along for an evening of cats, crafting and cakes at Lady Dinah's in Shoreditch with some other cat parents I was more than eager to get involved!

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