Autumn, Anniversary & American Football | Month In Review: October 2018

Hey guys! So we are well into autumn now - my favourite season - and although the weather has been a bit up and down, ranging from rainy to summertime sunshine, but I am loving this time of year!

I didn't have a lot going on at the start of October but with the half term break I had a lot planned. So, let's get into it...
Like I said, not such happened at the beginning of the month so I will jump right in just after the midway point. On Sunday 21st October I attended one of the NFL London games at Wembley Stadium. I am a big NFL fan so I was desperate to watch a live game when some of the teams came to the UK. We got to see Titans v Chargers and it was honestly the best sporting event experience of my life. It was amazing and it was the best way to spend the weekend before our second wedding anniversary.

We also stayed in London that night which was nice because it meant we didn't have to battle through crowds and stand on busy trains to get home. Instead we were a stones-throw away in a Premier Inn hotel. I always automatically go for a Premier Inn when looking for a hotel because I've always had a good experience with them. The rooms are always clean and tidy, the beds are so comfy and they provide great facilities and extras, such as tea, coffee and wifi. This hotel was just as nice as I had expected it to be and we had a great night's sleep. I honestly fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow and because the rooms are kept so dark I slept right through until my morning alarm. I have to give a special mention to the staff who did very well dealing with an incredibly busy event going on next to their hotel. The security staff and the staff at reception were lovely. I'd definitely stay there again.

We also went out for dinner after the game (Chargers won by the way, which is the team I was supporting!) We headed further into the city to Planet Hollywood, where I had a huge vanilla milkshake and a pizza. Yum! We also went out for breakfast the next morning to an American diner called Big Moe's diner, where I had French toast and hot chocolate. We ate a lot that weekend!

Then, on the 22nd October, Clay and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. We didn't do much on the Monday, after having breakfast at Big Moe's and then heading home. We called in to see my mum, who gave us the cutest gifts and this incredible cake (below), before going home to have a cosy night in with a Chinese takeaway. Yes, more food!

After a busy few days, we had the Tuesday to relax a bit before packing up again and heading to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo for an overnight stay in one of their Lookout Lodges. This was my anniversary gift to Clay. He absolutely loves animals, especially African animals which we saw a lot of. We got to spend both the Wednesday and Thursday in the zoo, but in the afternoon on the Wednesday we went to check-in to our lodge. We were greeted by friendly staff who served us drinks and showed us to our lodge for the night. We then had time to settle in before heading out on one of three exclusive tours that take place once the zoo is closed to the public. We were in a group of about 25 people, going around the zoo with knowledgable staff who let us feed some of the animals their dinner and spoke to us about various animals. We got to hear the lions roar right up close which was an incredible experience. We then went to the restaurant to have a three-course dinner, before heading out on a torchlight tour to see which animals were still awake. Then, back in our cosy cabins, Clay and I had a hot chocolate and got into bed, watching The Nightmare Before Christmas before going to sleep.

The next morning we were driven up to the restaurant again for an all-you-can-eat breakfast and then went on our final tour of the trip to see some different animals and feed some of them breakfast. It really was an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It's a great trip away for kids and adults.

As you may have seen in a previous post of mine, I have my house decorated for autumn. I have also been getting things ready for Halloween as well, with bunting, carving pumpkins and more! See a selection of my Halloween photos below:

I also did a Halloween-related post yesterday about trying American Halloween sweets, which you can read here.

Here are the books I read in October:
Cordially Invited ★★★★★
The Last Wish (The Witcher) ★★★★☆
The Bone Season ★★★☆☆
Sword of Destiny (The Witcher) ★★★★☆
The Dead House ★★★★☆

I'm also currently reading Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas but I'm not rushing through it. I want to savour this final instalment.

And the films I saw at the cinema:

First Man ★★★☆☆
Bohemian Rhapsody ★★★★★


So there it is, October is over and we're into November. I know everyone says this but I can't believe how quickly this year has gone. I'm looking forward to November though, with colder, crisper autumn weather and being that step closer to Christmas.