June Days

This month I hit 2,000 followers on Instagram (you can follow me here) and whilst I know in the world of Instagram that is not a huge number, I am very proud of myself as it's been a lot of hard work! This month has been rather hectic with plenty of food (ice-cream!) and some beautiful days out in the sunshine. Here are some of the things that didn't make it to the blog this month!

Bubble Waffles

Perfect for a hot day, I finally tried a Bubble Waffle from Bread Point in Newcastle's China Town and wow was it worth the calories! A generous amount of ice-cream, strawberries and frozen raspberries smothered in sauce and squished into a bubble waffle cone. If you live in Newcastle you really need to go and try one of these bad boys. It was actually my first ever visit to Bread Point and it wont be my last, the oriental style bakery has a huge variety of Chinese and Japanese breads, buns and cakes and I want to try them all!

My Designer Dupe

I'm such a sucker for a designer dupe and when I found this little beauty at H&M I knew I had to make a purchase.  It's so Valentino inspired that having it with me has actually temporarily stopped my designer handbag lusting. I've been taking it out as much as I can, although I do wish it were a little bigger - poor Simon has nowhere to put his glasses case!

Sage Loves Parkrun

This month I decided to take part in my first ever organised race and joined the other TGCR ladies for Sage Loves parkrun where we ran 6k for the Sage Foundation. I was so nervous when I woke the morning of the race to heavy rain, I was convinced I was going to slip over in the mud. Turns out running in the rain was actually really fun. I completed the 6k course down muddy tracks and over long grass in 37 minutes which I'm pretty happy with! Unfortunately the run also brought the return of my achilles injury - fingers crossed I'm back to full fitness soon.

A Cake Story

Surprising me with cake is, in my eyes, the most romantic thing that you can do. So when Simon unexpectedly drove to Cake Stories this month for a box of goodies to take home I declared him husband of the year. Whilst I love to think that this spontaneous adventure was a beautiful grand gesture, in reality I think he knew that if he'd suggested the idea I would have said no and reminded him that we are calorie counting! No regrets from me, that Cookies and Cream cake was fantastic!

The North East Bloggers Picnic

Every Summer the North East Bloggers get together for a picnic in the park and this year we decided to spend our afternoon at South Marine Park in South Shields. There was a great turnout and despite the somewhat bizarre weather (sunshine and rain meant it was a sunglasses and rain mac kind of affair) we had a wonderful time. The kids enjoyed a puppet show by Pip's Puppets (seriously brilliant if you ever need some kids entertainment), the adults had a gossip and then, when we'd had enough of pretending we were warm, we headed to the Ocean Beach for funfair rides and laser quest.

Treats from Scoop and Bean

Our mission to try all of the best ice-cream parlours in the North East continued this month with a visit to Scoop and Bean in South Shields. With so many flavours to choose from I was so spoilt for choice I ended up basing my decision on the colour of my nails (slightly bonkers?) - luckily the bright blue Cookie Monster ice-cream was fantastic. I definitely need to go back soon to work my way through some more flavours.

The Little Coffee Shop Under the Bridge

I get excited every time I see something new in Newcastle and it really doesn't get any cuter than The Little Coffee Shop Under the Bridge that suddenly appeared under the Swing Bridge on the Quayside one day. With minimal presence on social media it's all a little mysterious but that kinda adds to the charm of the place. It's a great spot to grab a coffee (or even an ice-cream in hotter weather) and watch the world go by. People watching on the Quayside is always the best.

Throw another Geordie Banger on the Barbie

Proof how far from reality an Instagram photo can be, this definitely makes it look like I was slaving over our disposable BBQ but the truth is I was sat on my bum drinking Pimms whilst Simon played chef in the blazing heat! We've finally restocked our freezer with Geordie Bangers (you can catch them at the local food markets and they are SO good!) and they were perfect cooked on the BBQ and served in a stottie (I'm a proper honorary Geordie!).

Rose Lattes at Navaho

I've been wanting to visit Navaho Coffee on Acorn Road in Jesmond ever since I first saw the rose lattes first pop up on Instagram.  Yes I'm a sheep but it had to be done and I'm so glad that I indulged. Beautifully creamy with a slight hint of rose, it was just as good as I imagined. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu

Heatwave!

Heatwave!  Summer arrived this month and with it a need to quickly update my wardrobe as cheaply as possible. No prizes for guessing where I ended up - yes, of course, Primark on Northumberland Street. With limited funds I picked up three maxi dresses that I'm now obsessed with and wearing at every available opportunity. I've had so many compliments on this one!

For more adventures from New Girl in Toon make sure you follow me on Instagram, I post a new photo every day with plenty of adventure ideas and foodie photos to make your tummy growl!