I could not tell you how many times I’ve walked around Holland Park. Aside from the odd ill-fated but mercifully brief attempt at moving into flat shares while at University, I’ve lived in the same place for the best part of a decade now (I feel OLD!) and it is absolutely my home. It is also, you’ve guessed it, conveniently close to the beautiful Holland Park and over the years that has become my go to spot for running, picnicking, crying after breakups, enjoying a drink in the sunshine, doing photoshoots and of course, strolling. As someone prone to anxiety and incapable of sitting still for any length of time, being active and getting outside has always been essential to my being happy and (relatively) non-annoying to those around me. Before work, responsibility and the general pressures of life really kicked in, I used to spend hours wandering around Holland Park, forcing strangers to let me pet their dogs and escaping into my own blissful bubble. I’ve recently started making the time to do that again and wish I’d done so sooner.

During my years as a blogger I have been lucky enough to attend some truly fabulous fashion parties. I absolutely adore getting glammed up in a gorgeous gown to spend an evening mincing, mingling and meeting interesting people in the surroundings of a stupidly spectacular venue. But no black-tie dinner or cocktail party in a castle compares to spending an evening with my nearest and dearest at my beloved local. Chatting, laughing, being silly and real with your true friends brings a real level of happiness.

As you may have spotted, this post is part of a collaboration I’m doing with American Express and it is all about sharing some of the everyday treats that make my life that bit better. Inconsequential and maybe even straight up silly though it may sound, doing those small things for ourselves does have a massively positive impact; one which is more recognised and encouraged than ever. I mean, according to research from American Express**, even the majority of Brits now allow ourselves a treat on average 3 times a week, with one in six doing so at least once a day… And this is the nation who still instinctively refer to horrible experiences as “character building” and invented the concept of the “stiff upper lip”!

This project and the subject of this post couldn’t have come at a better time as I have genuinely spent the past few months doing small things that make me happy and having to write about that has reignited my enjoyment of writing itself… So, get ready for a whole lot of very long posts mes amies!