Amy Rowley Lifestyle - Update and Round up of 2017

It's safe to say, I have completely lost my blogging mojo. Last year was such a whirlwind and as 2017 drew to a close, things in my life got busy, stressful and it simply meant my blog took a back step. BUT! Yes a big but! I want to get back into the swing of things and I am determined to ensure that I keep my blog updated as frequently as I can. I'm not going to go completely crazy and set myself set days and times, but fingers crossed you will be seeing a lot more from me in 2018.

I thought it might be nice to do a small round up of my achievements in 2017, a nice way to ease myself back into blogging. I think it's easy to say that 2017 was one of my best years yet and I was happy to accomplish things that I thought I never would. Below are my top 5 achievements/experiences of 2017 as a little insight into my life for the past year.

1. I secured myself a job I love!

2017 started for me, with a great opportunity in a marketing role. Never did I know how far I would be able to come in such a short space of time and how happy it would make me, working in a job that I love. It was completely daunting at first and I won't lie, I had my wobbles, however I'm proud to say I am now a marketing manager at an agency I love and with people I couldn't imagine not seeing every day. Oh god it's cheesy I know! *laughs* In my first year of my role, I have been promoted, seen the business grow, travelled with the job and had so many laughs.

I won't lie, my job plays a big part in my disappearance with Amy Rowley, but even though it can be stressful, it's important that I now have a career focus and a path I can't wait to take.

2. I passed my driving test!!

Honest to god, I never thought this would happen! Anyone that knows me, will understand the struggles I had with driving, but honestly my life has completely changed since passing my test. I can't imagine not jumping in my little car and whizzing to my friends of an evening. This was such a massive part in my year and even my life, it just showed me that if I put my mind to something I can always succeed. My anxieties held me back for a while but it was important that I fought them and made this a reality.

3. I travelled...

I aim to visit at least 2 or 3 different places each year and in 2017 I definitely did this. I managed to visit Budapest, Amsterdam, Turkey, Paris and Edinburgh and made some incredible memories. My favourite trip of the year, if I had to choose, had to be Budapest with one of my best friends. We honestly had the most incredible couple of days and I can't recommend the city enough.

4. I worked on my confidence.

Every year I see my confidence in many situations improve and I am happy to say 2017 was no different. I went to my first blogger event, met some incredible blogger friends and simply learnt not to care so much about what everyone thought. I aim to continue this in 2018.

5. I learnt that friendships are important

As you get older, your friendships really do change and you start to see who will be in your life for a long time and who actually might not. It is so important to spend time with people that support you, love you and who understand you, even on a bad day. 2017 allowed me to see who I want in my life and who I want to ensure that I always have time for. It also made me realise how lucky I am to have such a lovely bunch of weirdos around me that make me smile and laugh. I am to make even more time for them this year and I promise to get better at texting back!! *laughs*

Hopefully I will be back shortly with more content and rambling.

Thanks for reading my lovelies x

Amy Rowley Travel - Budapest City Break Part Two

Better late than never it's me again, with another Budapest ramble and yes, I'm still obsessing over the incredible food that I had whilst I was there. If you missed my first blog post then read it here, perfect if you're a food lover like me. 

So rewinding slightly, let's talk about the cool things to do and see that Budapest has to offer. As I said previously I wasn't sure what to expect or what I was really planning on doing until I got to the city, but once we had arrived it was clear as to how we were going to spend our time. 

Going in the height of June, the weather was either high 20' or early 30' degrees. So yes, very hot. In some cases too hot to be walking around for 7 hours, so we decided to mix it up a little and spend our days doing both relaxing and exploring. 

Things to do - 

Bar 360 - 

Great views and cocktails, what more could a gal want when she is on her holiday. Located a bit further out, but worth a walk I couldn't recommend it enough. We went to a handful of bars whilst we were in Budapest but this was by far my favourite. Shamefully, it was the one place I didn't get a picture of, but if you search it on Instagram you will find plenty of picturesque snaps. 

Buda castle -

 On our first full day we decided to have a little walk around the castle gardens and soak up some architecture and historical sights. It was beautiful of course and climbing up the castle was lots of fun in itself, you could see for miles across the city. The gardens and castle were kept lovely and everything seemed so peaceful and quiet. It's probably good to mention that me and my good friend decided to caption our entire trip and Budapest in itself...'chilled vibes', not only was this a running joke throughout our entire trip but it was simply how we were left feeling everywhere we went. Chilled, relaxed and content. 

Gellert baths -

 Moving on from that last point and flowing into the next quite nicely, next up on our check list were the famous Budapest spa baths. We went to two during our stay in the city but Gellert baths had to be our favourite. There was a main outside pool with sun beds and umbrellas, perfect for catching those rays on a sunny day like we were lucky enough to have. Inside is another pool and a choice of thermal baths, that were super relaxing at around 36-40 degrees. We spent time in both just taking it all in and simply enjoying some chill time, which let's be honest, we all need every now and then. 

You can choose to spend a full day there or just a couple of hours so there is no rush to leave if like us, you want to stay relaxing for a while. 

Walk, walk, walk -

My last recommendation and one I tend to say a lot after being to a city is to simply get those comfies on and walk, walk, walk. 

I like to just walk around taking pictures and soaking up all the architecture and sights. The bridges are beautiful and if you want to see the city from serious heights take a little hike up Gellert hill, it really is breathtaking. 

I managed to take a lot of snaps whilst I was there, as always.. so here are a few more of my trip for you to take a little look at. 

Of course, the question is...do I recommend Budapest? Without a doubt yes yes yes! Book a trip now if you can. It by far has to be one of my favourite places and at the top of my list along with Edinburgh and Bruges. I will no doubt be returning in the near future, to explore more, maybe in cooler temperatures next time, who knows. 

I hope you enjoyed both of my little Budapest posts and I would love to know or hear about your experiences. Where are you off to next? 

Thanks for reading my lovelies! 

Amy Rowley - Budapest...The Airbnb and the Food

So last week I took a little break from work to spend some much needed girl time with a bestie, in no other than the incredible city of Budapest. I really wasn't sure what to expect but I had heard so many wonderful things and after being on a couple of city breaks I was eager to travel to some more places. 

We booked our trip pretty last minute with only a month to wait until we flew away for a couple of days. After looking at several hotels not really sure what I was looking for, I decided to try Airbnb to see what it had to offer.  First off, it's safe to say there were plenty of adorable apartments up for grabs and an array of choices available but once I stumbled upon what was to be our little apartment for the trip, I knew I had found exactly what I wanted. Located in central Budapest, easy access to all landmarks, city life and of course interior goals I couldn't really say no. Being a bit apprehensive to the whole Airbnb thing, I was more than pleasantly surprised when we arrived. It literally couldn't be more perfect. Our host even offered to do the airport run to and from so we didn't have to worry about public transport. This was very welcomed and made the whole process a lot less daunting and stressful. I will leave a link to our little humble abode here, so if you fancy going to Budapest you can try it. I can highly recommend and would be happy to use again when I return to Budapest. (Which I plan to do in the near future) 

So, moving on of course you want to hear about the city and what we got up to. Our plan was to do some exploring,  eat incredible food and to relax whilst soaking up some rays...this my lovelies is exactly what we did. 

Here are the main factors to our trip and what I recommend if you are booking a trip or already have one sorted for he near future. 

Food - 

Now before I go even further, it's important that I tell you we did not eat one bad meal whilst in Budapest. Everything we had was scrummy and the drinks were just as good. 

Kiosk - we went to kiosk for dessert and drinks after our Airbnb host recommended it to us. The interior and exterior was incredibly instagramable and the drinks and dessert we had were sublime. We had a white wine spritzer with elder flower and cucumber and they were delicious, followed by a salted caramel and chocolate dessert. It's safe to say the dessert was one of the best I'd ever had and I will happily reminisce over for months. Looking back now I would have loved to have a starter and main too, so if you get the chance to, do a girl a favour and let me know if it's just as good as I imagine. 

Mazel Tov - one of the prettiest little restaurants I ever did see, this was worth getting lost for. So yes as you can imagine it's a bit tucked away, but a hidden gem if it were. We had lunch here, I tucked into a lovely hummus bowl with Pitta and falafel, whilst Katie, my friend, had a sweet potato burger with red cheddar and falafel, which of course I had a cheeky bite of too. We also got a side of fries which were lovely too. It looked like a great place to go for the evening as I can imagine it would look gorgeous at night and it looked like they had bands and singers on a regular basis. 

Perfetto - of course I can't go anywhere without finding an Italian and eating either pasta or pizza. Perfetto filled that obsession nicely with it's beautiful pasta dishes and refreshing lemonade. I had salmon fettuccine with a creamy white wine sauce and hint of garlic. Again, another amazing meal that I quite happily devoured. You can tell how good the food is when you start running out of adjectives. *laughs* 

Other quick mentions would have to go to Gelarto Rosa and Madal Coffee. Rosa being the epitome of Instagramable rose shaped ice cream and possibly the best gelato I've tasted. Madal Coffee, the perfect little pit stop for a pick me up and incredible coffee. 

So....this post is starting to seem longer than I expected, but hey what can you expect when a food lover gets started. Stay tuned for part two of my Budapest blog post. Up next is things to do and places to see. 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

Three Beautiful Beach Towns to Visit - Amy Rowley Lifestyle

During the last month I have had the pleasure of visiting some lovely little seaside towns in Essex and Suffolk. Each one has a beautiful picturesque town, gorgeous beach and they are all just lovely little towns that I would easily recommend for a day out. In fact they make a perfect Sunday trip out if I do say so myself. So grab your other half, best friend or family member and take them for a drive. 

Frinton - I have been visiting Frinton for years with family and friends. It's very near to where I live so perfect for an afternoon adventure. I always pick Frinton above the likes of Walton or Clacton, simply because it's so pretty. The green above the beach is the perfect location for a picnic, without the annoyance of getting sand in your sandwiches and you can even walk to Walton if you would like as they really are so close. 

They have some lovely little cafes and a yummy sweet shop too if you get a bit peckish. 

Aldeburgh - Now Aldeburgh has a lot of history for me. My grandma lived very nearby when I was younger so I am lucky to have some lovely childhood memories there. It is a gorgeous little town full of pretty shops and boutiques. They also have the best fish and chip shop too!

We decided to visit Aldeburgh for Mother's Day with my mum her partner and my brother. A proper little family day. 

The beach is all stones so although it may not be ideal for making a sandcastle, it makes for a lovely walk and great pictures. Oh and if like some your are good at skimming stones on the sea, your afternoon is sorted.

We wandered through the streets of Aldeburgh, taking in all the gorgeous little places and just enjoying the view. I took an abundance of pictures and managed to spend some quality time with my family, this doesn't happen very often so it was lovely to catch up. 

On the drive back we took a little pit stop at the gorgeous Snape Maltings shopping village and tea room. It has a beautiful selection of gift and home shops perfect for a little nosey and some interior inspiration if you need some. 

Southwold - A long bank holiday meant I had to visit somewhere new and I am so glad I did. Southwold is beautiful! A gorgeous little town, a stunning beach with the best beach huts and to top it off I have never seen so many gorgeous dogs and puppies wandering around. 

We went to a cute cafe called No.Fifty one for lunch which was super yummy and took a wander around the lovely shops. I made sure to buy some Adnams beer for my boyfriend as Southwold is famous for it and it's his favourite. 

If you don't mind going that little bit further, I couldn't recommend Southwold enough. I will definitely be returning in the summer and taking my boyfriend as he will love it too. 

My three current favourite seaside towns that you should take a trip to! Especially as the weather is getting warmer. I hope you enjoyed this little post and let me know if you take a trip to any of them, or even if you know of another lovely beach town. After all i'm always on the hunt for somewhere new to visit. 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

A Short and Sweet Guide to Amsterdam - Amy Rowley Travel

Now this may be a little late, but I still wanted to write about this beautiful city and some of my must see and dos should you ever visit. About three weeks ago I visited Amsterdam with a group of friends for a fantastic weekend of food, exploring and way too much drinking. Nevertheless I came away from the weekend with smiles all round and another of my must see cities ticked off my list.

 So I thought I would do a similar post to my Bruges blog post (read it here) where I talk through some of my favourite parts of the trip and what I would recommend to you, if like me you are eager to see Amsterdam in all its glory. So here are my 4 must sees and dos for the city of dam!

1. First things first walk out of the train station and head to the first cafe you see that serves, crepes, churros, waffles or simply anything sweet. Choose whatever takes your fancy and indulge...start Amsterdam with pure yumminess and satisfaction, ready for exploring and walking as I can tell you now there will be a lot of it. I couldn't have just one option whilst on my trip, so after trying churros, I went back for more with a crepe. Both topped with nutella and strawberries of course and they didn't disappoint. 

While on the subject off food, make sure you have a portion of chips with chip sauce, I missed out on this and its still bugs me to this day, but my friend assures me they are fantastic. 

2. Visit the Red Light District and take it all in. It may seem like a silly recommendation, but its probably one of the most weird yet fascinating things i've seen in my entire life. Its such a normal day to day occurence for so many people living in Amsterdam, that what in my head should seem wrong, was actually rather interesting. Obviously its best to go at night for the full experience. 

One bar recommendation has to be Cafe Remember, I had one of the best nights in this Coyte Ugly inspired bar, dancing and drinking like crazy nutters with friends. If you fancy a fun casual night out, then give it a whirl and let your hair down. 

3. Take an afternoon, to wonder round the back streets and the cute and fancy boutiques. We spent a good few hours on the Sunday exploring these little boutiques and doing a spot of shopping and it was the best way to end the trip. This area of the city was in my opinion the prettiest, of what I saw anyway and not something to be missed. 

There are a variety of shops too, plenty of affordable high street prices and then the more high end and designer items. One of my favourite boutiques was called Wind, I purchased a gorgeous rose gold watch for 19 euros and it was full of cute little gifts, jewellery and clothing items. 

4. We visited many museums whilst in Amsterdam, the Van Gogh museum, the Sex museum, but my favourite had to be the Prostitution museum. You may find this a bit odd but it was just so interesting to learn about the life that so many women choose to live. The reasons behind it, how the system is controlled out there and how that for many choosing to visit a prostitute its simply for companionship.

I definitely think its worth a visit, for me travelling with a group of girls we all found the information interesting to say the least. 

So here are my 4 favourite places to see and things to eat that I did whilst in Amsterdam for a weekend of fun. I hope you enjoyed my little insight and a few of my pretty snaps from this beautiful yet intriguing city and I also hope this gives you a little bit of inspo should you be thinking of booking a trip or even already have one booked. 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

September round up

It's been one of those days today where I just haven't wanted to leave the sofa or do anything much at all. We all have those days I guess, they don't do me much justice though and that's why I'm writing this post to go live tomorrow morning so at least I've done one productive thing today (apart from eating a huge share bag of maltesers...yes all to myself.) 

This month really has been a right mixture for me, and a proper little confusing one too. The weather hasn't helped and it just seems to not be able to make up its mind on if it's Autumn or not. Personally I am ready and raring to go. I'm waiting to get Autumn in full swing, cable knit jumpers and hot chocolates at the ready. But still The weather isn't sure and keeps springing us right back into the summer heat. There has been so many good things come out of the month though so I thought I would share with you the couple of things I've been loving this month. 

Fashion - let's start with the juicy details on all the fashion bits I've been loving this month. This month brought us an endless supply of fashion and trend inspiration with London fashion week and New York fashion week in full swing. This meant even more constant inspo pictures on Instagram wanting me to spend my pennies on all things pretty. The first thing I've indulged in has been my love for all things embroidery and it starts with what Rhys calls my biker jeans! In no way do they resemble biker jeans but hey ho that's boys and fashion for you. These were first posted in my 'that Gucci loafer post' which I will link for you here. These along with my other favourite the loafers themselves have been non stop all I want to wear for the past two weeks! And what's better they both go with everything I pair them with. You know you have yourself a winner when you constantly reach for them in your wardrobe. Anyway they have been my main favourite fashion items of the month but I have also been loving the look of yellow gold jewellery. 

This all started with a necklace I bought from accessorize and ever since I've just wanted to add more and more yellow gold to my jewellery box. I just think it looks really classy and great with black which is what I tend to wear everyday for work and more and more in the winter months. What's great about the accessorize necklace and the 'z' range in particular is its affordable but still gold plated and good quality. Perfect for when you want to add some change into your wardrobe. 

Beauty- Now beauty has been a pretty much no go subject this month I haven't wanted to try anything new and whatever I've seemed to try hasn't been working. And this is mainly down to my blooming skin. I suffer quite badly from eczema and it hasn't been my friend this month. There has been one thing I've been enjoying though and that's the collection 2000 eye shadow palettes in the rosey pink tones.  Trying to make more of a statement on my eyes takes any attention away from my skin or that's been the plan anyway. These little beauty's are great, super cheap and affordable and the pigmentation on the shadows is insane. I've had quite a few compliments on my eye shadow this month so it must be doing the trick.

Random - This month has been pretty active and jam packed when it comes to trips here, there and everywhere. Obviously my main favourite part of the month had to be mine and Rhys trip to Bruges in Belgium. I wont go on about it and sound like a broken record so if you want to read a little more about our trip and some fun things we did then head on over to my blog post, link here. 

The other main thing i have enjoyed this month has been spending some time at my old home with my family. For any of you that don't know i moved out with my boyfriend about 6 months ago and its probably one of the biggest things I've ever done in my life so far, well grown up things anyway. So its nice to go back home for the weekend or when i have time off work to see them. They don't live to far away, but i don't drive so i like to make it a proper day or two when i do get the chance. One of my weekends was spent just having a really chilled day or two with my mum, her boyfriend, my brother and my super adorable cat Fred. Fred is my world just so you know ( a little black cat full of character and everyone's favourite little being.) But anyway i think its important to spend time with your loved ones even if you do move a little further away. 

One last thing i have been loving and i just had to mention, has to be Wednesday night TV. I am in no way a TV lover at the best of times, definitely a Netflix, movie, or YouTube gal. However the combination of both the Great British bake off and Our girl, on a Wednesday evening has really been something that I've been looking forward to each week. If you don't watch either of these then what are you doing with your Wednesday nights?! Sit yourself in front of BBC1 for two hours from 8pm and you won't come away disappointed. 

So there you have it. On to October another jam packed month i'm sure. What have you loved this month and like me are you excited for it to get a little bit colder? 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

A little break in bruges, Five must do's and some tips and tricks along the way

It was that time of year again, a week off with no plans just empty days that needed filling. Me and Rhys like getting time off in September, the summer is still lingering and school years have started, meaning better prices for our purses and quieter cities, restaurants and just generally everything. Last year we went to Rhodes in Greece, but this year i decided i wanted a little exploring break, no bikinis no sun cream, just great scenery, great company and a little bit of history. When we found our deal on Secret escapes, we decided Bruges, in Belgium looked like a great place to go exploring. For any of you that don't know, secret escapes is a great website with great deals from full on holidays, city breaks or even just a night in hotel, all with a discount, no matter how small, every little helps as Tesco say.  So we packed our little suitcases and bundled into the car on Monday, heading straight for the euro tunnel. We had such a lovely couple of days and instead of just telling you about it, i thought i would make it a little more informative by telling you 5 musts when in the city and some little tips in case you wish to explore the city yourself. Obviously all filled out with copious amount of pictures, taken by one snap happy tourist (Moi).

1. First thing that's a must and pretty much a given wherever you go, is simply to just explore and go wild. There are so many little cute streets and monuments, hidden in every corner of the city. Perfect for any budding photographers or just wannabes like myself *chuckles*. You can rent a bike and cycle around the city, take a horse and carriage ride, yep that's a thing, and although it is expensive at 50 euro a pop, you can get 4 of you in so once this price is divided it doesn't seem so bad. Or like us you can keep it simple, old fashioned and of course free and explore the city by foot. We did so much walking on our trip, which was great for me as walking is one of my favourite things to do and even better we were spoilt by the weather so it meant we got to soak up the last of the lingering summer weather that seems to be about at the moment. I think its good to get lost (we did plenty of times) and just have fun with it, sometimes not having a plan or a route to stick to, just works.

 

2. The next thing you must do, is take a boat trip along the canal. The canal is quite a big part to Bruges, which is why it is often referred to as the Venice of the north. It quite reminds me of Cambridge, with the bikes everywhere and the canal running through the city, so if you have ever been you will know what i'm going on about. Anyway, you can pick the boats up from several spots along the canal, they are about 8 Euro per person and last approximately 35 minutes. Its a great way to give your little legs a rest, well in my case anyway, and to sit back and relax while taking in the scenery. Our tour guide, also provided us with little fun facts about the city and the houses and buildings we passed, which was quite interesting and fun. Again get your camera out and take some snaps, as you get some great views.

3. The third thing, is quite simply to eat a waffle. As simple as it is, you won't regret it and its just a must have while in Belgium, after all they are famous for there waffles, chocolate and fries, what a perfect combination. You can pick one up at any cafe, or restaurant. In my opinion its better to take one away as its quite a bit cheaper and more enjoyable, balancing on the little paper plate while trying not to spill it everywhere *chuckles*. Rhys is in no way a sweet person, pancakes and waffles are always a no go, however even he delved in and he wasn't complaining. I had mine with cappuccino flavoured ice cream, Rhys stuck with traditional vanilla, but if you prefer a fruit topping, or whipped cream and chocolate sauce, lets put it this way the possibilities are endless.

4. The fourth Must do is to head up the Belfort in the market square and be prepared for some views. For any of you that don't enjoy heights this isn't for you, but if you like them then this is perfect. It is 366 steps up to the top of the tower, a little climb and quite steep too but well worth it. I would recommend shoes with a good grip as the steps were a little slippery and maybe don't wear a skirt like silly old me, where anyone behind you has a glorious sight as you climb on up. Once at the top you can look out onto the entire city and if you wait for it to hit half past or on the hour the bells will ring and its quite something. It's just quite an enjoyable experience and well worth the climb.

5. The fifth and final must do is to head to a museum of your choice and just have a laugh. There are plenty to choose from, either a fries museum, a history museum, even a diamond museum. Or as we chose, typically,  the chocolate museum. Its rather small and dated, but interesting and funny nonetheless and its always fun to learn things you never knew. If i went again i would probably head to the history museum just to learn a little more about the history of the city and the culture surrounding it.

So those were my five must do's while in Bruges, now for a couple of tips when staying there or visiting the city. My most recommended tip when staying in Bruges is to head to your local supermarket and stock up on drinks and snacks. We found out very quickly that all the drinks and food can be ridiculously priced. We had two sandwiches and two drinks in one place and the bill came to 37 Euros! Yes really! The drinks are all at least 3 euro even for water and the sizes you are given are tiny. When taking your boyfriend that needs constant supply of food and drink, the trip can get very spendy very quickly. We also found the selection of food wasn't great either, a lot of fish and mussels and if that's not something your fond of the menus can get very tiring easily. The rather large selection of  Italian restaurants hanging around seemed to be our saving grace.

My next tip is to take some comfy shoes and be prepared to walk. The city is full of windy cobbled streets, quite uneven and everything is quite widely spread, so after walking from place to place you would have already walked a couple of miles, just on one outing. It is definitely not a heels place and its very casual as well so you don't need to look flash while exploring which is always a bonus. It definitely seemed to be very much a daytime place, the evenings were very quiet and its not from what we saw a crazy night out. However if you were to go on a weekend....well who knows!

My last tip is if you have a working car, and like me your not a huge fan of flying if you don't have to. Just use the euro tunnel. I was a bit skeptical at first, Rhys and i drove around on our last trip and that was a nightmare at times, but honestly with this drive you really can't go wrong. It is literally one straight road from Calais in France, to Belgium Bruges, with only 10 minutes of roads after this leading you into the city. For once i wasn't feeling like i wanted to close my eyes and pray, but enjoy what was around me *laughs*. 

Anyway so there you have it. A little insight into my trip away this week, some must do's and a few little tips just in case. We honestly had a lovely time and it was just what we needed. I feel we saw as much as we wanted to in three days, but maybe one day i would go back for the Christmas markets as i have heard they are wonderful. Hope you enjoyed reading about my little break in Bruges and have all had a lovely weekend. 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x