December Days

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas celebrating with your friends and family and are feeling suitably plump and relaxed. Here are the Christmassy things that didn't make the blog this month.

Festive Afternoon Tea at Jesmond Dene House

Simon's birthday falls, rather inconveniently, a few days before Christmas. This year when I asked him what he wanted to do he announced it had been a while since we'd had afternoon tea at Jesmond Dene House. So we enjoyed a blissful afternoon sat by the fire munching our way through a cake stand of festive treats. We've been to Jesmond Dene House so many times but we both agreed that this was our favourite visit to date - it was so relaxing, the atmosphere was amazing and that fire got me very excited for Christmas.

Christmas Sausages

What would Christmas be without a new Christmas jumper? There were so many that I had my eye on this year but it was good ol' Primark that came out the winner. As soon as I spotted this cute festive sausage dog print I knew it had to be mine.

Festive Cups

Did anyone count how many festive drinks they had during December? I'm such a sucker for the festive cups, I think I actually like them more than the drinks! This years offering from Costa were so cute. I seem to remember that this particular one was a Honeycomb Latte - delicious!

The Christmas Shopping Plan

I definitely have the key to perfect Christmas shopping! Split it across a few weekends and always start at 8:00 am on a Saturday in early December just as the shops are opening. You get a few blissful hours of peace and quiet before the craziness happens at which point you can hide in Fat Hippo eating festive burgers! Now if someone can teach me how to wrap presents effortlessly I'd be forever grateful.

Zapatista Nights

Somewhere in between the turkey dinners and the mince pies I managed a night at Zapatista Burrito Bar to celebrate the launch of their new After 5 Menu. I promise I'll be reporting back in full soon but in the meantime I had to tell you about their fantastic new cocktail menu. This beauty is the Classic Margarita and it's a delicious way to soothe your mouth after one too many jalapeños.

Wedding Photos

We got our wedding photos back this month and I am over the moon with them. It took me a lot of research to find the perfect photographer for our big day, I wanted beautiful photos that told a story and our photographer Katie Byram really delivered the goods. I am obsessed with these romantic countryside photos of us in the long grass, it's hard to believe this was taken at Northumberlandia! I have loads more of our official photos to share with you next month and I promise I'll finally be telling you all about our wedding.

Festive Foliage at Dobson & Parnell

Anyone else completely obsessed with Christmas wreaths? I have to stop myself photographing my neighbour's front door every time I stroll past (I don't want them thinking I'm any crazier than they already do!). New restaurant, Dobson & Parnell opened on the Newcastle Quayside this month and it wasn't long before I spotted this gorgeous wreath hanging on their door - isn't it a beauty? Unfortunately I haven't stepped inside yet but I have a table booked for the New Year and I can't wait to give it a go!

Christmas Eve Traditions

Simon and I have been travelling between both sides of the family this Christmas with trips to Norwich and Manchester but we made sure that our Christmas traditions travelled with us. Last year we decided to do a few presents on Christmas Eve all with the theme of getting comfy and cosy ready for Santa. This year my new husband treated me to some snuggly new F&F PJs, a mini bottle of Baileys, an indulgent Lindt teddy and some unicorn slippers that I am completely in love with.

Norwich Roof Garden

It's crazy to think that I left Norwich 8 years ago, whoever could have guessed that I'd end up living over 5 hours north of the city where I grew up. I love going back to my home city and each time I'm amazed at how much it's changed. I'm constantly stalking Norwich bloggers to keep up to date with the best places in Norwich to visit and when my favourite, Shelley Beth, blogged about the opening of Rooftop Gardens I knew I had to visit so we made a plan for Christmas Eve. It exceeded my expectations with a beautiful marble interior, delicious cocktails (and hot chocolates!) and a large outdoor roof terrace complete with heaters, blankets and beautiful views of Norwich Cathedral - perfect for Winter snuggling.

For more adventures from New Girl in Toon make sure you follow me on Instagram - I post a new photo every day.