November has been a pretty crazy month with a lot of highs and lows but all in all a very exciting month. I turned 25 and the frontal lobe has officially developed (maybe, maybe not) and quite honestly had a lot of realisations about how far I’ve come in the past year. I was also reminded how lucky I am to have so many incredible friends and such a gorgeous, caring family. However, this post isn’t about all the soppy stuff it’s about everything I loved this month so let’s get into it!

Things I've Done

Zip World - Penrhyn Quarry

For my 25th birthday I decided I was going to start the new birth year by being adventurous (cannot tell you what possessed me to do this) but quite honestly it was an absolutely incredible experience! Going on the fastest zip line in the world was equally terrifying but also eye-opening. I’m usually so scared to do things like that but I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone and had the best time doing it with my family. Definitely a bucket list tick off and a memory I’ll always remember.

(it is quite expensive so definitely something to save up for!)

LaserZone Leeds

Another birthday activity that NEEDS to be mentioned is laser tag. You’re probably thinking oh this is an activity for a 12 year olds birthday party but let me change your mind. I got a bunch of my friends, about 10 of us, to go down on a Monday night to play a couple of games. The average age was about 21 and I can tell you right now that every single person came out of there feeling like they’d gone straight back to being a kid and has the time of their life. It’s also a GREAT calorie burner with a side of actual fun.

(very cheap, perfect for a quick and easy night out)

Food + Drink

Empire Cafe - Leeds City Centre

I can’t believe I hadn’t been here sooner because the food was absolutely incredible. Empire cafe is known for its chicken rotisserie and now I understand why. The chicken was literally melting in my mouth and the potatoes were quite honestly out of this world. 

Bradleys Fish and Chips - Headingley

Now, as a Liverpool gal, a chippy is an important place to me and I’ve really struggled to find places I like in Leeds but let me tell you right now I think I’ve found my new chippy up in Headingley. I don’t know how much I can really say about a chippy but the chips were proper chippy chips and quite honestly it ticked all my chippy boxes.

(not too pricey, a nice Friday night treat)

La Bottega Milanese - Leeds City Centre

La Bottega has been on my go-to list probably since I first moved to Leeds almost 5 years ago. All I’ve been told is how incredible their coffee and Italian sandwiches are so, naturally, I had to go and have a try. The coffee was of course delicious and I want to try more of their sandwiches to really get a feel of how they do things differently to other coffee shops in Leeds. Will definitely be heading back to try more bits.

(reasonably priced, and you don’t have to book so a good stop off if you’re in town)

Hobbies

Nintendo Switch - Stardew Valley

So for my birthday my boyfriend, VERY KINDLY, got me a Nintendo switch. Now, I’m no gamer girl but I had played Stardew Valley so thought I’d completely restart my farm and play it on the switch. I have definitely been clocking in the hours because I am absolutely obsessed, more so than I was when I had it on the computer. There is something so cosy about being wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa playing games in comparison to playing at a PC.

(obviously a switch is very expensive so definitely stick to a PC if that’s what you have)

Colouring - Bobbie Goods

Another very cosy hobby is colouring. I have always loved a bit of colouring in as a de-stress and quite a mindful task and getting the Bobbie Goods colouring book only heightened my love for it. I was bought some lovely colouring water pens which make colouring in so much more fun and calming and I think my love for this is just going to continue to grow.

(quite a cheap hobby!!)

Makeup + Skincare

Purifide Daily Cleanser and Moisturiser

I’ll start by saying I was very kindly sent these products, but that doesn’t change the opinion that I’m giving on them. I’m someone who has suffered with acne since I was about 15/16 and it is really difficult to find products that actually work with my skin. I’ve been using the cleanser and moisturiser every morning for a few weeks now and have seen incredible results. My skin has been a lot clearer and obviously you can never be sure if it’s down to certain products but I definitely think they’ve had a big effect.

ELF Power grip Primer

This is a staple and if you don’t know it by now then where have you been? This product has been trending for the past year and for good reason, it is the only primer that I’ve ever used that really makes my skin feel grippy and helps my makeup last all day. I’m a girl whose makeup melts off within the first 10 minutes of putting it on and this is the only thing I find that helps it last.

Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturiser

Honestly, this is more of a forever favourite than a November favourite but it would be rude of me to not mention it. I SWEAR BY this product, I’ve used this for years and refuse to use a different moisturiser. It is such a light weight moisturiser that doesn’t make my skin break out and really keeps my skin energised and glowy. I use this every night before bed, without fail, and never wake up with dry or cracking skin. If you’re not using this then you really need to jump on it, it’s definitely my holy grail product.

I’ve narrowed this down to 10 favourites but of course there could be hundreds more so some quick high contenders for the month are;

PrettyLittleThing – I’ve fallen back in love with their clothes and I always get so many compliments.

Govvee – Got a new lamp from here and I’m obsessed

The Range – the Christmas stuff here is INSANE, sign me up all day everyday.