7 things to do during the Easter holidays. And more importantly... what to wear

Easter is finally here! Now comes the task of deciding what to do on these glorious days off from work. And more importantly, what to wear (always a quandary!) So with today's post comes an Easter post with a difference. Instead of overloading you with Easter eggs and Easter gift guides, I'll be sharing ideas of things to do during the Easter break and styling an outfit for each occasion. Be sure to let me know your favourite look!

Spring time walks
Whether by the sea or in the woods, it's the perfect time of year for a walk. It's milder out, and the sky is gradually looking cheerier and less pissed off. It's this time of year that nature's prettiest buds and blooms are begging to be photographed. It's still a little bit damp underfoot given recent weather, so a good pair of boots is a must. As is a rucksack and a cosy knit. If you're less about nature and are in London this Easter, why not try a city walking tour? Some are guided and you'll need to pay for, otherwise you can find plenty of free walks and maps for them on the web. There are so many to choose from including themed ones from the likes of Harry Potter, Jack the Ripper and so on.

Boots   //   White rucksack   // Ring    //   Roll neck jumper   // Jeans

Day trip
Be it a museum, art gallery or zoo, why not be a tourist for the day? If you're in London over Easter, catch the new Lands of the Lions exhibit at London Zoo which will transport you from London to India's Gir like that. Or if you have children or younger family members to entertain, why not try the Where's Wally experience at the Shard? Fashionistas will love the Vogue exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. For days like these, wear light layers with a light cover-up - because rain is always sadly a possibility! - and shoes that won't rip your feet to shreds in the first ten minutes!

Light blue coat //  Marble watch //  Blue jeans // Necklace // White rucksack //  White sneakers // White sweater

Brunch with the girls
I love going for brunch on my days off. During the week I have a rushed bowl of cereal before work and never really get to sit down and enjoy what I'm eating. So going out for breakfast / brunch is always some what of a treat for me. The Breakfast Club is a popular choice, but if you can't face the queues why not try Bill's or Duck and Waffle? Wear wardrobe staples in neutrals and tans with pops of colour here and there, dressed up with a pair of heels. Heels or wedges will take you from casual to chic in less than 60 seconds. A trench coat at this time of year always ticks all the right boxes too. Think small ish bag. You won't need to carry much - just a phone to Instagram that avocado toast, right?

Tan shoes //  Rib camel top //  Red clutch // Denim skirt

Picnic
Weather permitting of course! Bring your finest picnic blanket, fancy patterned cups, plates and napkins and maybe a thermos of soup / hot chocolate / both should there be a chill in the air. I just love this half moon picnic hamper set (below) - so unusually shaped, but in that white aesthetic that all us bloggers have come to love. Currently 50% off in the sale, it's a Spring must have. And now get ready for an abnormally wide image.... #LucyFail

Black jeans //  Striped bardot top // Straw bag  // Floral napkins //  Picnic basket

Yellow napkins //  Gold napkins // Shoes  // Colour glasses

Shopping
Because stepping into Spring requires a new wardrobe right? A rookie mistake I make every time I go shopping is taking too thick a jumper or too bulky a coat which then I have to cart around with me. So wear a thinner jacket like a blazer or a leather jacket. I like to wear ankle boots when I'm out shopping - I don't mind wearing heels as I'm losing stamina in my old age and not at the shops for hours on end like I used to be. So heels are now doable. But if you tend to spend most of the day at the shops and / or tire of heeled boots easily, why not opt for some white sneakers? (see "day trip")

Blue jeans // White lace blouse // Yellow bag  // Tan leather jacket // Ankle boots // Sunglasses

Cinema
I know that you can go to the cinema any time and that it's hardly Easter specific, but it's worth noting that some pretty epic films have been released lately - Batman v Superman is this Easter's must see! Cinema temperatures are always so unpredictable and can go from being toasty as to who-the-fuck-turned-on-the-aircon? So I always like to bring something cosy with me like a blanket cape or a scarf. A fluffy faux fur jacket will work equally well here.

Knee high boots //  Black faux fur coat //  Grey jeans // Paisley top // Cream faux fur coat

Easter baking, games & crafts
Baking being something I'm statistically very likely to be doing this weekend! Why not invite a friend over and make some Easter treats? Pinterest is full of inspiring Easter arts, crafts and bakes. And why not dig out family favourites like card games and board games? Always good for a giggle! When it comes to baking and crafting, opt for casual items of clothing that don't have fussy washing instructions - you don't want to be getting your dry clean only items ruined! This dungaree playsuit fits the bill perfectly. As good as it looks with a white tee underneath, I really like how dungarees look with printed blouses and shirts. I especially love this powder blue kitty blouse.

Cat print shirt //  Dungaree jumpsuit //  UNO // Kerplunk  //  Copper recipe stand // Marble cake stand

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I think my favourite outfit has to be "brunch with the girls" - although "cinema" and "shopping" are close contenders! I am heavily coveting the white backpack. tan heels, camel top, denim skirt, pale blue jeans, yellow bag, lace top, everything from the "cinema" look, the dungarees, the cat shirt... who I am kidding?! I want and love them all! <3

Which look is your favourite?

#15 Life as we know it

This weekend has been a bit of a novelty. Because for once, I didn't have any plans whatsoever. But that's ok. I told myself I'd get myself organised and tidy my room, but that didn't go well. Particularly when I was surprised by the arrival of  my sister who had come back from uni for the Easter holidays and I was so massively happy and distracted, tidying suddenly seemed like a really boring idea. We unanimously decided it was one of those weekends that we didn't fancy stepping outside for. It was grey and murky outside, and we're not about that life. So instead we thought what better excuse to sit around watching Disney films? Watching Disney films in your twenties is hilarious. Let's just say, when no longer equipped with a young and innocent child's mind, some lines in Disney films are pretty damn filthy (watch Bedknobs and Broomsticks for the best line ever from one of the children, Paul!). But that aside, it was nice to have a break away from my phone and computer for a change. I also delved into my adult colouring book to continue one of the patterns I'd started over Christmas.

Late afternoon we tucked into hot cross buns, getting into the Easter spirit a whole week early. Normally I don't eat hot cross buns (I like raisins / sultanas / currants but can't stand traditional hot cross buns for some weird reason!), however last year Aldi stocked these beautiful varieties of hot cross buns that even I ate. So we were pretty delighted to discover them in Aldi again this year. Instead of the traditional raisins / sultanas / currants, these contain chocolate and toffee, and cranberry and orange. When placed under the grill, they let off the most delicious aroma in the kitchen. The cranberry and orange one actually smells kind of festive, and although it's clearly not Christmas, Easter is approaching - so in this instance, it's just a different sort of festive for a different public holiday! 

They taste so special and luxurious. In fact, if I was presented these in a blind taste challenge with other hot cross buns from the high street, I would have thought these were from one of the more upmarket supermarkets and that these would cost a pretty penny. But no. A four pack of either of these will set you back a mere... 99p.

Aldi chocolate and toffee hot cross buns - 99p

Aldi cranberry and orange hot cross buns - 99p

Food photography requires discipline and restraint. Particularly when lovely warm hot cross buns are sitting right in front of you, and taunting you. I have neither discipline or self restraint. Hence why I had to get a cheeky bite before I could continue. Oops. But worth it.

Tomorrow morning we're planning a brunch extraordinaire of avocado toast which makes me all kinds of happy. As does managing to find frozen pre-peeled avocados in Tesco, which'll take out the fuss of avocado prep tomorrow morning. We literally just have to leave to defrost overnight and ta da... Other than that, I'm tempted to head back to Aldi and pick up more hot cross buns for Easter weekend. They are seriously that good.

What have you been to up this weekend? 

This post is not a sponsorship, and has been written of my own accord. Love of Aldi's hot cross buns all my own!

7 Easter craft ideas for kids (and big kids!)

Easter and chocolate. A partnership that has been going strong since the 19th century. They go hand-in-hand together, like salt and pepper or bread and butter. As appreciative as I am to still receive Easter eggs, the excitement of receiving an Easter egg - and chocolate in general - is kind of lost on me now. Maybe I've just hit that age. Earlier this week I found lots of inspiring Easter gift and craft ideas on Pinterest - perfect if you have children and want ideas for the up-and-coming bank holiday weekend. But equally inspiring if, like me, you don't have children yet. Has Easter become monotonous? It doesn't have to be...

How cute are these jam jar vases?
Fill them with Easter treats, bright cereals and sweets

Candy carrots are easy to make - just place orange sweets into an icing bag 

Rabbit food! Fill with dried snacks like cereal, pretzels and mini biscuits

Carrot play dough! I'm in my 20's and I'm still excited by Play Dough!

Egg shell candles in egg cups

A packet of Forget-Me-Not seeds is a cute gift idea

As is home made carrot cake in a jar with a home made gift tag and twine:

All the above pinned from Pinterest

There is now even a market for pets. With safe Easter treats for dogs that aren't chocolate:

Pets at Home - £1.75                                                    Pets at home - £5

In recent years advent calendars have evolved to variations without chocolate as discussed here and here. So maybe it will only be time until Easter eggs follow suit. Because if faced with a choice between an Easter egg filled with sweets or an Easter egg filled with beauty treats, I know which one I would choose. Especially if there was a speckled egg effect nail polish inside. Because nothing says Easter like having your nails resemble Cadbury's mini eggs!

What would be hiding inside your ideal Easter egg?