Over the Weekend

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Happy Monday, friends! We did something pretty fun for dinner yesterday and I thought I’d share! So, when we were living in London, we were a bit obsessed with a few things: walking along South Bank, the West End, jogging through Putney Heath and of course, Nando’s. It was our go-to weekday dinner date because it was so easy and laid back and well, delicious. Yesterday evening we decided to re-create our favorite menu item: chicken breast pittas!
It was extremely easy and we also made a bit of creamy mash on the side. All you need for each pitta is a pita pocket, grilled chicken breast, a slice of your favorite cheese (we used provolone), a bit of lettuce and whatever veggies you’d like to add! YUM. Thanks to my lovely sis-in-law we even had the delicious PERi-PERi sauce from Nando’s! It was the perfect addition. Not a big fan of spicy? I always use extra virgin olive oil and our favorite Italian balsamic vinegar. It’s my favorite!
I hope you get to try this awesome dinner! Have a great week! P.S. You can order PERi-PERi sauce online from Nando’s or get great recipe ideas too!

London: The V & A

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Happy Friday everyone! I wanted to share one of my absolutely favorite place in London. The V & A is beloved by most anyone that enters, which is extremely easy to do! There seems to be something for everyone at any given time. Similar to most museums, there are several permanent exhibitions and a handful of current (temporary) exhibitions. Entry to the museum is absolutely free (win!), but the current exhibitions are generally between £12-18, including a voluntary donation. If you are a full-time student, you’ll get a pretty great discount, so be sure to take your ID.
My favorite exhibitions have of course been those relating to fashion. Up close and personal with vintage Chanel, Givenchy and Hervé Léger? Yes, please! My favorite by far has been the Ballgown exhibit from 2012. The V & A had recently renovated the Fashion Galleries and this was the debut event. Over sixty different designs from various British designers were displayed impeccably! It was basically a dream! The dresses had been worn to private parties, royal events, state occasions and other red carpet events. Amazing.
Be sure to explore the paid exhibitions the next time you’re in London—they never disappoint! When you’re done, visit one of the cafes (the Garden Cafe is only open during the summer) and have a relaxing lunch on the grass in the garden. It’s definitely a great addition to the perfect day!

Ballgown images from stylistandthecity.com

Explore: Picnic in the Park

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Map by Anastasiia Kucherenko
One of our absolute favorite activities in London was packing a picnic and riding to Hyde Park for the afternoon. We could easily spend an entire Saturday exploring the expansive park! We generally followed one of three itineraries, which were based on tube stop.
1. High Street Kensington: As you are exiting the tube station, be sure to stop at Ben’s Cookies for quite possibly the most delectable cookie in London. Our favorites? Triple chocolate chunk, milk chocolate chunk, lemon and  peanut butter. We generally buy the tin of 4 or 8 (oops) because we can never pick just one each! 
After exiting the station, turn right and walk along Kensington High Street for a bit and you’ll see the most beautiful Whole Foods in the whole world. It’s three levels of brightly colored, gorgeous eats that will make you want to sample everything! Like most Whole Foods locations, there is a perfect salad bar, a hot food bar, and thousands of other choices. We’d pack our faves (in our Whole Foods reusable bag of course) and walk across the street to the park. Kensington Palace is visible along the way. No biggie though, right?
2. Hyde Park Corner: Hyde Park Corner (bottom yellow arrow) seems like the obvious choice and in a lot of ways, it absolutely is. You may want to grab your food beforehand (if this is your tube stop of choice) because since it’s so close to the park, there’s not many options. A ten-minute walk down Piccadilly finds a Marks & Spencer, Pret a Manger and several other quick options. Hyde Park is extremely convenient for finding a Barclays bike. There is a large row of bikes just outside the station inside the park. It sort of facilitates finding the perfect picnic spot. 
3. Marble Arch: This station (top yellow arrow on map) has so many more options than the other two because of its location. There are fast food options, a larger grocery store (Marks & Spencer) and if you travel up Edgware Road, you can find great Lebanese food shops. The north side of the park is probably my favorite thanks to the Italian Gardens. Definitely have a visit! You won’t be disappointed.
Isn’t London the best? 

Explore: Windsor Castle

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Blazer: Banana Republic || Straight-leg skimmers: Gap || Lace top: Zara

Hopefully if you’re visiting London you’ll have the chance to do this incredible day trip. I took absolutely any opportunity to visit Windsor, so when my friend visited from New York, I knew this was a must. I’d recommend visiting in a group–we received a great 3-for-2 discount out of Paddington station. Each of us only paid around £9 total! 
Following the castle visit, walk across the river Thames toward Eton. Along the High Street, there are some quaint shops, including home decor, antique books and a sweet shop that has gluten-free brownies!