Is there anything better than a spa day to kick off your birthday celebrations?
The Little Retreat in Nottinghamshire is a haven of serenity where one breathes a sigh of relief the moment they are welcomed inside. The staff were absolutely wonderful and I’m so glad I found them! I’m based in Nottingham so am always looking for instagrammable places in my area.
My friends and I had two 25-minute treatments each. I chose an Indian head massage and a back, neck and shoulder massage, which I can only assume is what being in Heaven feels like.
After our treatments, we drank prosecco and had afternoon tea in the Little Retreat’s lounge area. It was beautifully set up and so, so tasty!
Back at home in the evening, I set up a French-inspired (sort of) buffet laden with camembert, brie, grapes, strawberries and other delights. The rest of the evening was less elegant as we do like a game of beer pong! There is definitely a video circulating somewhere of me doing a questionable dance to ‘Say No to This’ from Hamilton but I think it’s best we pretend that doesn’t exist.
A walk is one of my preferred hangover cures so the next day Jack and I headed to Naturescapes Wildflower Farm, a beautiful area that is free to enter and has some truly gorgeous spots. It's still quite early so not much has flowered yet but it's a lovely walk nonetheless.
You know how much I love a midi dress! For a walk in the wildflowers I always feel like I should wear something floaty and romantic so I chose my beloved white Silkfred dress. When I bought it I actually imagined wearing it in Italy but I've worn it so much in the English countryside that it has a very different feel for me now (though I will still wear it in Italy one day!).
I accessorised with my tan slides from Dune (amazing dupes for the Hermes Oran sandals) and a green quilted bag from Shein. I love crossbodies, you can stuff so much inside without feeling overladen by a big bag.
I got some beautiful roses from my mother-in-law, my favourite flowers. So classic!
I wanted to wear something new for my birthday! I never got around to buying a pretty floral dress for the occasion but I did have another white dress that I hadn't taken the tags off yet. This midi shirt dress is from H&M and I spent aaaaaaages steaming it beforehand - but you can't even tell! It got so creased so quickly.
Jack and I had a calm, budget-friendly day together, taking a picnic to some nearby lakes in the morning. The idea was for a French theme but we ate so much food at the buffet at the weekend that it was more of an English mish-mash! We had pork pie, sandwiches from the farm shop and crisps, but I did add a Parisian touch with some macarons.
Then we headed to the cinema to watch Doctor Strange before having a lovely jubbly takeaway in the evening.
I don't feel 31 but I definitely would have partied a lot harder in my twenties! I don't miss it though and highly recommend waking up the next day with no hangover!
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