12 best bits of 2012

I'm feeling nostalgic, so I thought I'd write a post about the 12 things I enjoyed most in 2012. Unfortunately I haven't got photographs to go with all these events, as I really didn't take enough photos last year. Apart from when I went to Florida, where I took over a thousand photos. It just had to be done... see item 5. Anyway, here are my best bits of 2012! I've written them in chronological order, because that's just the kind of thing I do.

1. New Year's Day
I'm not usually a fan of new year, but last New Year's Day was really lovely. I'd hosted a party at my house the night before which was actually a bit stressful, so it was nice to be able to relax the day after (once we'd finished tidying). Five of us went into town and did some shopping, then went to the cinema to see Hugo. I'd definitely recommend this film if you haven't seen it, it's only £5 at the moment. We then went back to my house, put our pyjamas on and watched some TV. It might not sound like the most exciting day, but it was nice and relaxing... even if it did rain a lot.

2. Matthew's first birthday
It was my nephew's first birthday last January, so we all travelled to Southampton for a little party. He opened all his presents and mostly got excited about paper and boxes, then we went to the Harvester for lunch. I absolutely love the Harvester, so it was an excellent choice. I bought Matthew a very cute teddy from the Bear Factory, and he had loads of clothes, toys, puzzles and other things babies are fond of from other people. Seeing his lovely smile all day put everyone else in a good mood, so it was a cheery day all round.

3. England 12 Wales 19

Winning the Grand Slam was obviously going to be included in my 'best bits of 2012', but my favourite game from last year's campaign was England v Wales. My boyfriend and I watched the game in The Rummer Tavern in Cardiff city centre, and the atmosphere was brilliant. The pub was full of a mixture of Welsh and English fans and there were no idiots in there, which is always nice. I was being pessimistic towards the end as I thought the game would end in a draw or that we'd lose at the last minute, then Scott Williams made everyone's day (well, every Welsh person's day) by scoring a try with 5 minutes left on the clock. I jumped up and down, everyone else jumped up and down, drinks were spilt, people's toes got stood on, but no one cared because WE BEAT ENGLAND. This win clinched our 20th Triple Crown and made me a very happy bunny. 

4. Cocktail night

A group of us from work went for cocktails in Ten Feet Tall one Friday night last March and had a hilarious night. We must have sampled every cocktail on the menu between us and managed to collectively spend £180. There were 9 of us, so that's not as extravagant as it sounds. The cocktails were 'buy one get one free' though, so we must have drunk an awful lot between us. My stomach muscles were genuinely hurting from laughing so hard, and Montgomery Clift got mentioned a lot. You had to be there to know why that was so funny. Work nights out are always brilliant!

5. Florida

I went to Florida with my boyfriend in April last year, and it was AMAZING. I have quite honestly never been anywhere like it. We stayed in Disney's Coronado Springs, and went to ten theme parks altogether over the two weeks (Six Disney World parks, two Universal parks, Sea World and Busch Gardens). It might sound cheesy, but it really is a magical place. I truly felt as if I was in a lovely childlike bubble for the whole fortnight. We ate in some amazing restaurants and saw three spectacular night shows, as well as a few parades and animal shows. I can't describe it all as I'll be here for ever and I won't do it justice, but it really was the best holiday I've ever had. You're never too grown up for this kind of holiday! Oh, and I ate loads but didn't put on weight because we did so much walking. Win win!

6. My birthday

I had a lovely birthday weekend last year, and my birthday actually fell on a bank holiday thanks to the Queen's Jubilee. Thanks, Queenie. My three friends came to stay for the weekend, and we ate lots of food and wore house trousers a lot. Standard. We went to Red Hot World Buffet and Nando's (not on the same night, we're not that bad), and ate a lot of Rocky Road and Strawberry Cheesecake (thanks Liz and Neil!). I spent my actual birthday with Neil and we went to Caffe Nero, shopping, cinema and Balti Cuisine. The food theme continues, obviously. So a tremendous weekend/day was had by all! 

7. Week in West Wales, with exciting news!

I always spend a week in my parents' house in West Wales at the end of August, and last year was no exception. It's a chance to relax, spend time with my parents, go for nice walks in the countryside and catch up with old friends. It also provides an opportunity to go to the best Home Bargains store I've ever been to in my life. Seriously, it's huge. Last year's visit to West Wales was made especially exciting by the fact that one of my best friends told me she was expecting a baby while we were out having the traditional Indian meal we always have when I go back home. This obviously made me very excited and made my trip home an even nicer occasion. 

8. New flat

I moved to my new flat last August. It's the first time I've lived by myself, and I'm really enjoying it. I'd been house sharing for 8 years, and I think you just get to the point where you want your own space. It's a lovely flat in a convenient area, and I have a designated parking space for the first time ever. Goodbye, parking permits! I think the kitchen is my favourite room... obviously this photo was taken before I'd moved in properly, it's a bit fuller than that now. It's still that clean though, I'm a clean freak.  

9. Edinburgh

Neil and I went to Edinburgh twice last year. It's such a vibrant city with so much to see, I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. I've now been five times, and counting. We ate a lot of food (obviously), saw all the landmarks and had some lovely scenic walks. The October trip was probably my favourite, mostly because we found Greyfriars Bobby's statue which I hadn't seen for years. I love Greyfriars Bobby. I'm pretty sure we'll visit Edinburgh again in the near future as it's a nice place to go for a few days or even a long weekend. Let me know if you need any hotel or restaurant recommendations!

10. Work Christmas lunch 

We all went out to lunch as an organisation just before Christmas to the Promised Land on Windsor Place. I'd finished work for Christmas the day before, so it was a great way to spend my first day of annual leave. I particularly enjoyed the scotch eggs at the buffet... I think I ate about four. After lunch, three of us went to the cinema to see Nativity 2. Brilliant film, just as good as the first film in my opinion. I then finished my Christmas shopping in town, then went home to wrap Christmas presents and to watch Home Alone. Perfect Christmassy day!

11. Fake Christmas 

As I always spend Christmas at home with my parents, Neil and I had our own 'fake Christmas' the weekend before actual Christmas. This is not to be confused with the other Fake Christmas, which took place after actual Christmas, just to confuse you. Neil bought me some fantastic presents including an iPod Nano, a giant Pluto, Disney DVDs and a starry dressing gown. We had Domino's pizza, spent some time in Penarth and in town, and just generally felt all Christmassy. Fake Christmasses are the way forward!

12. Christmas 

I could never write a blog post about my favourite events of 2012 without including actual Christmas. I love Christmas more than any normal person should, and it is without a doubt my favourite time of the year. I enjoy the whole build up to it, and feel like a big child throughout the whole thing. I also get to eat a lot, which seems to be a constant theme throughout my blog... hmm. My brother and I still get up early on Christmas Day to open our stockings, and still get just as excited as we did when we were little when we see all the presents under the tree. I had a Kindle for Christmas from my parents, so this actually made my day and ensured that I read loads over the Christmas break. My sister, brother in law and nephew came to stay on Christmas Day, so we were all together for most of the big day. Matthew understood a bit more this year, and it was so nice to see him getting excited about all his presents and eating his own little Christmas dinner. We watched loads of Christmas films together, and I can confirm that Matthew's favourite was Ratatouille. I LOVE CHRISTMAS. 

So there you have it, my best bits of 2012! To conclude... I ate a lot.