Tony Bennet left his heart in San Francisco, and this winter I have well and truly left mine in Hawarth. Though, like any responsible owner I am visiting regularly – probably too regularly, but what ya gonna do?

If any of you are literary buffs (our just like a good pub quiz) you might have heard of heard of the place; it’s where the Bronte sisters lived and wrote.

On the approach to Hawarth, it is easy to see how the place became known for great writers. The roads to the village twist and turn among the hills, they make you feel as if you are leaving the real world behind… they never fail to inspire me and make me wonder at the past generations who lived in the lonely farm houses.

If you live in south, and want to visit a ‘proper Yorkshire village’ I dare you to find one that plays to the stereotype more than this.  Set up a steep hill (you can almost feel your ass turning Kardashian as you conquer it) it boasts cobbled streets, quirky shops and good ol’ country pubs.

The roads are wide and in winter, filled with people. And there will always be one car, who has attempted to drive through the village and now cannot get faster than first gear. Packed with independent shops you can buy anything from modern home accessories to wooden carvings and crystals.

If you prefer clothes shops, there are plenty of vintage stores  and dressmakers, where you can pick up individual pieces or leave your measurements for them to create a dress and post it out to you in a fabric of your choice (though you do have to leave a deposit.)

One of my favourite shops in Hawarth is Cabinet of Curiosities. Packed full of bath bombs, soaps, candles and basically anything you need for a pamper night it claims to be where the Bronte sister’s brother bought his opium. It also stocks more unusual pieces such as palmistry models… I really want one of these, but alas… I don’t think that Craig would appreciate one turning up in the living room.

Talking about things I really want to do in Hawarth – I would love to get out on the streets early enough to beat the crowds to take some blog photos. The houses and streets are pretty beyond words, I could easily create a whole Insta theme there.

Throughout the town are country pubs, and cosy cafes – many with real coal fires. Perfect for warming up after exploring the streets! The village has events all through winter from torch lit parades and craft fairs to Steampunk weekends. You can follow the village on Facebook for details.

If you are looking for a quiet winter retreat, full of good food, log fires and winding streets, look no further than Haworth.

It’s been over a whole month since I got engaged. Firstly, how fast has that gone? Secondly, I wanted to do post on it for a while, but knew I wanted to talk about it in real life with some of my favourite people first. So here we are…

As Craig had booked us a surprise holiday, we headed off to Crete for a week of sunshine, exploring and relaxation. (You can see my blog & photo diary here)

The first few days were like any good holiday, filled with new towns, selfies and cheap local spirits. On the Sunday night, we got dressed up and headed out for dinner. As ever I was running slightly late when I was getting ready (I’m blaming the crappy hotel hairdryer, not my time keeping, obviously.)

The restaurant was up a giant hill and as we were running slightly late, the outside seating area was completely empty despite the stunning views of bay of Elounda. To the right was the glittering lights of the resort, and to the left, lit up against the dark sea was Spinalonga – the fort shining in a yellow glow.

After dinner, as we finished our wine Craig turned the topic of conversation to how long we’d been together… then asked the dreaded “how do you think it’s going?”

Now, I have read enough women’s magazines in my life for this question to bring a quick flash of fear. My mind raced back to all those moments even I knew I was being hard to live with. I told him I thought things were going good, really good – and said a silent prayer he was thinking the same.

Then it happened. He proposed.

I’d like to tell you all of the tiny, perfect details but the next few moments are a blur. He was at my side, on bended knee asking me to marry him. And I was a shocked, teary mess. Such a teary mess I accidentally ruined his new shirt – It turns out waterproof mascara is washing machine proof too.

After a few more minutes of oh-my-god-we’re-engaged excitement, and with smudged mascara, and even more smudged lipstick, we slipped off back to the hotel room to spread the good news with our close and family and friends.

So there you have it, I’m engaged and happier than ever. And you lot are going to get spammed by some engagement and wedding themed posts. #SorryNotSorry.

Confession: I bought Ice Cream For Breakfast, without really knowing what it was about. All I know was that it was appearing all over Twitter (you can find me here). Everyone seemed to love it and was a bit of a self-help book, but with a more low-key, fun kinda vibe.

What can I say? I’m easily influenced when it comes to shopping…

There’s no lying this book is a self-help book, but it doesn’t feel like a traditional self-help book. There are no giant chapters devoted to how the author discovered the meaning of life. There’s no promise of living happily ever after. Instead, it’s a book, which acts like an old friend. An old friend that shares a bottle of wine with you, then confirms: you are being a grade A tit, but that’s ok.

The premise of the book is all the lessons learned whilst Laura Jane Williams was working as a nanny, taking a step back from the writing career that had caused her to burn out. Is any of the advice ground-breaking? Not really. Is it needed? Absolutely.

Although the book is filled with great advice throughout, these are the two pieces that have stuck with me:

• Treat every day as an occasion – As much as I harp on about loving having a routine, they can become… well, a bit routine. Shocking, I know. Instead of just having that big trip to look forward to, you should try to treat ‘normal’ days as an occasion. This week me and Craig are going to be having a Wednesday Workout, whilst Friday is going to be Mexican & Sangria night. It may be small and a bit silly, but it helps bring the fun back to an otherwise standard day.
• Be the hero in your own story – Laura notes that whenever kids tell you a story, they are definitely at the centre, or at the very least the instigator. They did it, achieved it and you are going to know about it. As we get older, I guess we kind of loose this. Call it politeness, imposter syndrome or being a team player – either way, it can be easy to downplay your role. You may say your team achieved excelled all the targets set when really it was mainly you because Darren actually is a lazy sod and did sweet FA. Obviously be nice, be kind, but don’t forget to be the hero in your own story.

If you are looking for a life-affirming, perspective-changing book, it may not be the book for you. If you are looking for funny, simple reminders that being an adult can be just as fun as you imagined when you were small, then take my word; you won’t be able to put this book down.

P.s If you were looking for a perspective-changing book, these are my recommendations.

Hey flowerpots!

So for those of you that missed all the #humblebrag surprise holiday posts, here’s a quick catch up: a few months ago Craig took me out to dinner and told me he had booked a surprise holiday. He’s a good egg.

I knew almost nothing about the hotel or the destination, other that it was in Crete. Anyway, I love the Greek islands and had visited Crete before, staying just outside of Heraklion. This time, Craig had booked us into the Sentido Blu in Elounda.

Whilst the resort is very much a resort it is surrounded by stunning views. You could literally see the famous Spinalonga Leper Colony from our hotel, and Agious Nicholas was a mere 4 Euro bus ride away. Top tip: If you head over the to tourist information office, just by the lake they give you a free guide with a walking route round the lake. The route takes you off the beaten track, and down some suspect looking stairs but it is so worth it!

Side note, on the way to Ag Nick, we could see Roman Abramavich’s boat causally parked up: #goals, if ever I saw it.

Normally when I go on holiday I want to see all the sites, and do all the things. However Elounda, and the hotel had such a chilled out vibe it’s been the first holiday where I was happy to just do nothing. To enjoy sitting in the sun, reading cheesy chick-flicks. The hotel spa probably helped too… Craig had arranged or us to have a full body massage, and I can very much recommend. How had I reached the grand old age of 25 without having one before?!

Elounda does require a lot of walking, and it seems I’ve reached that fateful age where you give in and buy hideous shoes that don’t threaten to severe your feet off. Goodbye dreams of morphing into a fashion blogger lol.

Maybe it was the chilled out vibes, but as I was taken photos I’d think about Instagram… and that was it. It was a thought that passed. I wanted to post them but, another part of me was just enjoying being in the moment, and taking time for away from it all. So I guess you’re going to get spammed soon, and this photo diary is the start!

Agious Nicholas

The Lake at Agious Nicholas