Having never flown Business Class before, this was my first experience and I was very impressed. Emirates are renowned for being one of the best airlines to fly Business with and I can see why, my overall experience was 10/10. Flying long-haul from Singapore to London, our journey had two legs so I had the pleasure of trying two different planes. It was clear upon boarding the second aircraft with its plush white leather seats that it was a newer one, but aside from the more aesthetic interior, everything was equally excellent on both planes. From the friendly and attentive staff providing 5* service and delicious food for all tastes, to the cosy private pods with fully reclinable chairs making a bed so we could sleep comfortably and land feeling rested and refreshed. Not forgetting the glamorous on board lounge bar serving an extensive option of classic cocktails and drinks.
I appreciate travelling Business is a luxury, but with my insurance company offering to pay this for me given my legs still healing from the dog bites, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the most of it. I have to admit that for a long haul journey which can be very uncomfortable in economy, this was a treat and something I would consider again if the cost to upgrade isn’t too pricey. Top tip, enquire for an upgrade at the desk upon checkin for your flight as sometimes special offers can make it far cheaper to purchase it on the day, as opposed to getting the Business Class ticket at full price in advance.
Checkout the full vlog to see me living my best life travelling Business on YouTube here.
Classic, fun, sexy; animal print is a wardrobe staple and I find myself particularly drawn to it when picking my date night fit.
This Saturday we were heading into Farnham town for pre-dinner drinks at The Wine Yard before 8pm reservations at Cote.
I based my look around a new pair of leopard print kitten heel slingbacks which I wore with Stradivarius vintage style jeans, this leopard print aysemmetric top, statement gold chunky hoops and my Coach signature motif tan handbag to complete the look.
At The Wine Yard we shared a beautiful bottle of Primitivo red wine along with a small cheese board as a tasty appetiser.
I ordered the Breton fish stew with a side of fries and broccolini to share, whilst my boyfriend had the classic minute steak with peppercorn sauce and fries too.
The atmosphere was buzzing on a Saturday night and the service was friendly and attentive as always at Cote. I’d highly recommend the fish stew for any seafood lovers as a wonderfully warming and tasty dish which is fresh and healthy too.
Date night scenes like these make me so happy, nothing beats an old school evening of wining and dining with your loved one ❤
This Saturday afternoon we decided to head to the picturesque town of Farnham to stroll around and do some filming for my boyfriend’s YouTube channel. The town centre was bustling and those weekend vibes were in the air as we soaked up another crisp, cold winter day in Surrey.
After shooting at different locations around the town, we headed to Lost Boy for an early evening cocktail; an Espresso Martini to perk me up and a classic Mojito for my boyfriend.
With some time to kill before our 8pm dinner reservations, we decided to visit The Wine Yard for a pre-dinner cheeseboard and vino.
They got the cheeseboard spot on complete with dried fruit, walnuts, honey, celery sticks and a divine sweet onion chutney, the perfect accompaniment to our red wine.
I’ve been looking for a good local wine bar just like this to visit with my girlfriends, so I’ll definitely be back here again soon to sample more wines from their extensive range on offer and try their full charcuterie board too.
After another drink over at the Bush Hotel, it was finally time for our dinner reservation at YiaYias at The Fox. We love Greek food and so when my friend recommended this Greek restaurant, I couldn’t wait to try it. Despite it being a busy Saturday night, the food was fantastically authentic and the service very friendly.
We shared humous and flatbread to start, followed by a Greek Salad and Falafel for me, and a traditional Cypriot Greek Chicken Pitta with chips for my boyfriend. Everything was absolutely delicious and accompanied with some lovely Greek white wine I ordered on recommendation too.
What a beautiful way to spend a Saturday with my boyfriend exploring the best of Farnham bars and restaurants. We’ll call it an early Valentines treat to ourselves 😉 ❤
And just like that, another year of Christmas celebrations is over and we find ourselves in that peculiar space of time between Christmas and New Year’s. After a marathon weekend of festivities, I’m embracing these few days to reset, enjoy some time to myself and regain normality with my usual routine including working out and cooking wholesome healthy meals for myself.
This year we were delighted to be spending Christmas Day at my brother and his wife’s gorgeous newly renovated house in Bromley. Whilst I love a Christmas at our family home hosted by my parents, these days they tend to find the pressures of this time of year a lot of stress, so having that weight off their shoulders this year was a blessing.
It has been a long awaited Christmas at the Bigwood-Nieuwenhys residence, so with the renovation of their home finally complete, it was a pleasure to be hosted by my brother and his wife in the beautiful surroundings of their wonderful new abode. They were fabulous hosts and pulled off the day seamlessly with no fuss, what a dream-team!
With the King’s speech over, the table laid and the Christmas tunes in full swing, I assisted my sister-in-law with the starter to be served at 4pm.
We were treated to an exquisite prawn cocktail starter made with crunchy gem lettuce leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, fresh prawns and a homemade thousand island dressing garnished with a sprinkling of paprika.
Served in aesthetic cocktail glasses complete with the freshest prawns from the local fishmonger, this was the perfect light starter before our roast dinner feast.
My brother did a fantastic job of the deliciously succulent turkey meat accompanied by all the veggies including crispy roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, cinnamon infused red cabbage, and the star of the show, his homemade cauliflower cheese; indulgence at it’s finest.
Following our incredible meal which we finished at about 5pm, drinks continued flowing and we moved onto playing the fun Christmas games. Every year we play the classics like charades, the sticky note game and trivia, but our favourite Nieuwenhuys original is ‘Tap the Crack’. Basically we go around the table and each person has to tap a Christmas song or carol with their cracker for everyone else to guess and it never fails to have us in fits of laughter!
Later in the evening we served dessert of a Christmas pudding, a chocolate yule log and a cheeseboard. It always gets to this point on Christmas Day when as much as I love something sweet or a cheeseboard to finish, I really can’t fit much more in following the roast dinner. So here’s a photo of a cheeseboard spread I made on Christmas Eve complete with truffle flavoured parma ham, cranberry Wensleydale cheese and my favourite element, the pickled onions.
Having stayed up watching Love Actually until 1am, Boxing Day morning we took it slow and went for a walk at midday. We were then off to my Auntie and Uncle’s in Southsea to spend the afternoon and evening with wider family. I wore this new Cider grey knit middy dress with matching bolero sleeves, accessorised with plenty of gold jewellery and my new square toe perspex mules which were a gift from my mum.
Everyone was pretty knackered from all the festivities of the weekend passed, so it was a nice chilled affair catching up with family including their adorable dog Dolly, and enjoying leftover Christmas food with salads and more cheese of course!
We were also thrilled at my sister’s announcement that she and her partner are expecting a baby! What a wonderful way to conclude our Christmas weekend with news of the next generation on its way in the New Year.
Congratulation sis, can’t wait to meet the little one in 2023 ❤
Happy Sunday! We’re well and truly into the winter months here in England as I sit writing this at 4:30pm and it’s already dark… whilst I am definitely a summer girl at heart, there is something so comforting and heart-warming about cosying up inside on these long winter evenings.
For me winter is all about the good TV and film which comes out this time of year, enjoying indulgent food (in particular a cheeseboard of course) and going to the pub to sit in front of the fire with friends whilst lapping up the red wine and maybe even a cocktail or two.
November also brings with it firework night alongside my Mum’s birthday too, so for our family it’s always a time to celebrate. A yearly tradition has evolved recently where my boyfriend and Dad have the time of their lives letting off the crazy firework boxes from Costco which is both exciting and terrifying!
For my Mum’s birthday celebrations on the 6th November, we went over to my brother and his wife’s gorgeous newly renovated house in Bromley. They have a wonderful entertaining space there now with an open plan dining kitchen area finished with touches of Scandi style furniture and details; I particularly love the deep fern green kitchen cupboards and marble work top.
They always put on an incredible spread of food and on this occasion we were treated to a classic, hearty chilli con carne with all the accompaniments which was delicious. They also made this Mexican inspired salad including a mix of greens, asparagus, avocado, a creamy homemade dressing and heaps of parmesan. I need to get the full recipe, I’m obsessed!
We had a fabulous day celebrating Mum’s birthday. These special moments with family are so precious and I can’t wait for more fun times together as we dive into the festive season ahead ❤
On Wednesday 26th January 2022 I officially entered my late twenties and welcomed in chapter 27 of my life. It’s been quite the week of celebrations and so amazing to be with my family and friends again following a lockdown birthday last year.
I had a wonderful family birthday dinner on the big day at Giggling Squid in Farnham. I was even surprised by my brother who I didn’t know was coming all the way from London to join us for the occasion.
I’m very lucky to be so close to my family and it was the best birthday present I could wish for to have us all there celebrating together.
After our cocktails to kick off the evening, we shared a selection of starters including delicious squid and duck spring rolls. For mains I opted for a traditional vegetable red Thai curry which was exquisite.
At the end of our meal I was presented with this gorgeous birthday desert and everyone sang Happy Birthday. It was a joy to be with my family just chatting, laughing and enjoying the moment over fantastic food and drinks, we didn’t leave the restaurant until they were closing!
With my birthday being midweek, I decided to invite my girlfriends over for an evening at my house on Saturday.
My birthday fit for the night was this stunning backless silver blouse along with my stretchy flared pants and cute fluffy slider slippers – dressy but comfy.
I absolutely love hosting so I was super excited to setup the dining room and prepare a spread of nibbles as well as my famous cheeseboard platter of course. Candles lit, music playing and prosecco popped, I was ready to welcome the girls for a fun cosy evening at home.
A number of bottles of bubbly and wine later, we’d had such a beautiful night full of catchups and plenty of laughs, those girls really are my soulmates.
Now its Sunday evening and I’m feeling so content and happy following such a fabulous birthday week. It’s certainly been an epic start to the year already and I can’t wait to see what chapter twenty seven of my lift has in store.
I love any excuse to put together a classic cheeseboard alongside a delicious spread of nibbles and plenty of vino too of course! So with my bestie coming over on Saturday evening for a long overdue catchup, I set the table, lit the candles and cracked open a bottle of wine ready for our gals date night.
Hours of chatting and a few bottles of wine later, we could’ve continued nattering away into the early hours. My cheeseboard and perfectly paired nibbles went down a treat – grazing platters really are the best!
Whilst everyday life gets very hectic for us all, me and my bestie can always rely on each other no matter how much time passes. I’m lucky enough to have found my soul sister and cherish these times together very much so ❤
It’s always fun to mix things up when it comes to date night and being in the events industry, there’s nothing I love more than playing the part of hostess of course! Taking a cosy corner of my bedroom, I lay down a fluffy throw, scattered plenty of cushions, setup my fairy lights, lit some candles, got the chilled tunes playing on Spotify… and voila, the cutest setting for an evening with the boyf. ❤
Whether it’s a night with the girls, entertaining family at Christmas or relaxing with your partner, a cheese board is the perfect winter essential to share and enjoy amongst friends and family.
Having had plenty of practice making numerous grazing platters on the weekly at my old PR agency in Australia, I have become quite the pro at putting together a good spread. The concept is pretty straight forward – take your board and ensemble starting with the basics: a variety of cheeses of your choice, crackers and biscuits, chutney, fresh fruits including grapes, dried fruits such as dates, olives, pickles and a sprinkling of nuts.
Now the benefit of doing this at home is that you can personalise everything to your taste, so feel free to swap and change accordingly and embellish your board however you wish. My favourite cheese this time of year is the Wensleydale with Cranberry and I’ve also recently discovered the delicious combo of honey with cheese, a must if you have a sweet tooth! The key is to fill your board as much as possible and then have extra little bowls or platters for anything which doesn’t quite fit on.
Our wine of choice had to be a French red Cotes Du Rhone to perfectly pair with all the cheese. We felt super cosy and festive as we sipped our wine and indulged in the wonderful platter packed full of so many different tastes to savour.
So grab your boyfriend, housemate, sister or whoever you live with, and treat them to the ultimate night-in together featuring wine, cheese, nibbles and even a snuggly den for those aesthetic goals.
Dani Aneka 