Hayley Lately // December 2018

Welcome back to Hayley Lately. Each month, this is where I chat about my life and what I’ve been up to in Melbourne. Keep reading to discover the book I couldn’t put down, my new favourite show and the best Melbourne eats.

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LIFE LATELY

December was a great month around here, because CHRISTMAS. I was also very happy to put the stress of November behind me. I basically watched a Hallmark movie a day, between working full-time and having some fun. We organised a work Christmas party, which turned into a very fun night. We had drinks in the park, dinner at Fitzroy Social and karaoke afterwards. I also made time to do my Christmas shopping in the city and to see all of the free Christmas festivities. I loved the Gingerbread Village and the Town Hall decorations in particular.

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I flew home on the 19th for 10 days and finally got to meet my beautiful niece, Matilda. She’s nearly six months and a total cutie pie ❤️ My visit has included both fun and relaxation, with family time, a Christmas lights tour and some shopping of course. Santa was very nice to me this year as well, as I got a new suitcase! I also scored a diary,  perfume, clothing, membership to my rugby team and the cutest luggage tag EVER.

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For NYE, I’m staying in and watching movies because I have work the next day!

READING LATELY

I’ve powered through some books this December. Seven, in fact. First up was This is How it Always Is. My friend loaned me this book and although it took me awhile to get into it, I loved the story line. Next was The Light We Lost, a romance novel set in both the past and present. Then I read two Christmas-themed books: Starry Night (total cliche), Snowy Nights at Castle Court (a very quick read) and Let it Snow, which is a set of three interconnecting stories written by three great YA novels.

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Next was One Day in December, which I devoured on my flight to Townsville. Such a delightful read. I was hooked from the first page basically. I then devoured Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating. What a fast-paced, fun and romantic book.

BLOGGING LATELY

I was a bit slack with my blog posts this month. But I did eventually publish my weekend guide to Budapest and my year in review post. I talk about my travels of 2019, as well as my favourite books, blog posts and more.

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EATING LATELY

I had a couple of fun outings in Melbourne this month. Firstly I met up with my friend for brunch at Egglab in Fitzroy. It’s a great reasonably-priced breakfast spot. We then walked down to Piccolina for gelato. What a photogenic spot. I recommend the honeycomb flavour, with some nutella topping 🤤 I will also have to go back to Fitzroy Social when I’m slightly more sober, because the space was very cool. Finally, I caught up with another friend for lunch at Bowery to Williamsburg. My Philly Cheesesteak was good, but a tad expensive I think. That’s Melbourne for you, I guess!

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WATCHING LATELY

Well, I watched too many movies this month. But it’s safe to say I’m addicted to Christmas movies. The more cliche, the better I say! Two of my favourites were The Christmas Contract, because it was a One Tree Hill reunion, and Christmas Around the Corner. 

January is going to be a busy month, as I’m adding work at the Australian Open to my roster of other jobs!

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