August Days

I can't believe that the Summer is almost over and that tomorrow it'll officially be the month of my wedding (pinch me!). Despite having my head buried in wedding planning I've still found plenty of time to get out and about this month, here are just a few highlights of the photos and stories that didn't quite make the blog.

These Girls Can Run

As someone who used to be obese I have to be very careful to ensure that I'm getting a regular amount of exercise. Since getting to my goal weight running has been my exercise of choice and although it makes me feel happy and I love being fit and healthy, it's not always easy to find the incentive to actually get out there and do it. This month I've made it my mission to try and learn to enjoy running. I've joined These Girls Can Run so I finally have some ladies to go out running with and I've also invested in a Garmin which really appeals to my geeky side. I love being able to see how fast I've run.  My first morning out wearing it and I managed to smash my personal best 5k! Since taking this photo I've actually beat it again and my PB is currently 5k in 28:48 which I did during a particularly enthusiastic Park Run on Saturday.

These Girls Can Run have done wonders for my confidence and for the first time in my life I actually feel like a runner! If you are based in the North East and want to begin your running journey make sure you check them out.

New PJs

Getting married can be a bit of an excuse to treat yourself to things that you don't really need. When I spotted these PJs on the Victoria's Secret website it was lust at first sight and I decided I needed them for my bridal prep the morning of the wedding. Unfortunately getting my hands on them proved a little tricky and resulted in a friend of a friend having to order them to her address in the States. After 4 months of waiting I finally got them in my hands. I love them so much, although things have now changed and after all that effort I won't actually be wearing them the morning of my wedding!

Feeling Fancy

With so many hen dos happening this month I've got to throw on a fancy frock on more than one occasion. I don't often get a chance to dress up so I've really been in my element. This photo was taken in the back of a taxi on the way to Buxton on my hen weekend in the Peak District (I have a blog post all about my hen weekend coming very soon!) Do you like my fancy clutch? I got it from Accessorise a few years ago and it always comes out on very special occasions.

A Cheeky Nandos

Please feel free to point and laugh at my strange confession. Until this month Simon and I had never been to Nandos. together Sure we'd both been separately, but many many years ago and at the time neither of us really got it. It's a little hard to escape how popular Nandos is and I've lost count of the amount of friends enjoying a #cheekynandos so this month we finally decided to see what the fuss was about. I ordered the Butterfly Chicken Breast Burger and I have to admit it was pretty good. I need your recommendations though, what food makes your trip to Nandos complete?

Beckleberrys ice-cream at our door

We are very lucky to have an ice-cream van that not only comes round our housing estate but also stops right outside our front door. For ages we managed to resist his tempting tune until this month when we finally gave in and wow were we in for a surprise. Our ice-cream van stocks Beckleberrys! We were expecting some standard Mr Whippy but were completely amazed when we realised that one of our favourite North East ice-creams was available to buy right outside our front door. So if you happen to see Paul Scott driving past in his van make sure you flag him down!

Designer Primark 

Wedding bills have kept me away from the shops this month, but I did manage to sneak into Primark for a cheeky purchase. Although I own a rather silly amount of coats I couldn't resist this Burberry dupe which is the perfect light jacket for chillier evenings now that the Autumn is approaching. I'm obsessed!

Magazine geek

Nothing makes me happier than spotting a good pile of help yourself local magazines in a coffee shop. We have so many great North East magazines packed full of recommendations of where to go and the best places to eat. I always keep them as they make such a good reference guide when I'm looking for somewhere new to explore and I've built up quite the library of them now. My favourites are the Living North guides and Appetite Magazine. Perfect lunchtime reading.

Tidying up

My side of the bedroom has been due a good clear out for a long time now so I decided to finally make a start this month with my dressing table. I had makeup all over the place which meant that I wasn't fully using the bits that I had. After my clear out and tidy I now have everything at my finger tips and it makes life so much easier. It's amazing how happy a great sort out can make you.

For more adventures from New Girl in Toon (including lots of sneaky looks at my upcoming wedding) make sure you follow me on Instagram - I post a new picture every day.