Aspiring Kennedy

My Notting Hill: Daylesford Organic

Daylesford Organic is another repeat offender

that frequents my instagrams.

It's literally a 2 minute walk from my house

and it's such a great place to meet up with friends,

as it offers great food

for pretty much every time of the day.

Plus, the coffee isn't any more expensive

than I would pay at Starbucks,

so it's perfect for a quick catch up.

The food, that's grown & raised, on their

organic farm in Gloucestershire,

is another story.

It's pricey,

but it's healthy

and the quality is hard to beat.

You get what you pay for.

And what you're paying for

is freaking delicious.

I love their pearl barley risotto,

their raw slaw salad,

and most every one of their quiches.

Also, their bakewell tart

is what made first love bakewell tarts.

It marries almonds, cake & jam

together just right...

And if you're fancy

and like almond, soy, etc

in your coffee....

they've got you covered.

Oh, and of course-

there's a cute market

to bring home any jams, juices, farm fresh eggs

or high quality cuts of meat

that you may so desire.

Add Daylesford Organic

to your Notting Hill bucket list.

And who knows,

you might see a celeb or two

while you're there. :)

Daylesford Organic

208-211 Westbourne Grove

Notting Hill W11 2RH

***

Take a peek at my other favorite places

to go & eat in Notting Hill here.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Style Me (Mini): Little Picks with Big Appeal.

While I was pregnant with two girls,
I only ever bought one of anything.

For some reason,
the idea of matching wasn't my thing.

I went more for "coordinated."

With everything that happened,
it ended up that Viola has a ton of clothes...
and, fortunately, we didn't have a ton of duplicates
to have to ~~cry over~~ deal with.

I like to think
that Viola is honoring her sissy
by wearing them well.

Tyler & I always say
that we honestly don't know
if our hearts could have taken
looking at double this cuteness everyday.

Can you even imagine?

I do all the time...

________

And now to downshift from the emotional to the everyday

so quickly you may get whiplash

- because that's what grieving actually feels like-

here are some awesome baby clothes.

Like, really really awesome things

that I would love to scoop up for Viola

to wear this fall.

I can just tell that autumn & a spring in Paris

are going to look good on her.

Hopefully, her mom remembers to keep it fresh, too.

To A Tea: BRGR.Co (Say What?)

Tea?

At a burger joint?

Indeed.

Sometimes, my friends,

you gotta shake things up.

And speaking of shakes,

this tea included a mini shake...

so I had no choice but to try it immediately.

BRGR.Co

is a cute place in Soho

that has often intrigued me,

but I'd typically always been heading to another room

when I saw it,

so never had a good excuse to try it out.

Fortunately, my friend Grace

forwarded me an email about their

version of "Afternoon Tea."

After reading of sliders (chicken, lobster & cheeseburgers!),

mini pots of fries,

cheesecake, donuts, the aforementioned miniature vanilla shake,

iced tea (because what "tea" would be complete without it)

and a glass of prosecco

all for £17,

I realized this was my moment to check it out.

So off we went.

The staff was so friendly

and sat us 30 minutes before our reservation.

Food came out quickly

and was super good.

I was a big fan of the sliders, the fries, the donut, the tea...

well, I guess we could say

I pretty much liked everything.

Viola even had her first high chair experience...

giving her convenient access to swiping at food.

Obviously, I watched her grab at the cheesecake and fries
with true motherly pride.

So yeah, add this place to your list.

Whether it's for the "afternoon tea"
or just for a good bite
while your strolling Soho or shopping on Oxford Street.

It's a good one.

And the regular menu looks pretty awesome, too.

Check it out!

***

Not your cup of tea?

Check out some of my other favorite places for tea here.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Fall Travel Advice- Going Once, Going Twice...

A recent travel consult in Dallas over some of Breadwinner's Coconut Pie

Hey People!

Just a quick update-

I have a few slots left for September travel consults.

These are becoming one of my favorite things,

but my time is limited...

If you have a trip approaching,

book a session now!

Whether you want to talk big picture

(where to go & how long to stay?),

need advice on how to get from country to country

(train? car? plane?),

or need help creating a tailored daily itinerary,

I got you covered.

We can either skype through the options

or meet over coffee (if you're in London).

But don't wait too long!

My time is limited

now that the semester has started,

so I would recommend booking now

before spaces are gone.

Your friendly travel freak,

Lauren

Pack Your Bags: Icelandic Super Jeeps

We are back in Reykjavic

after several days out on the road.

Literally, we slept out in a hut last night

after spending the past two days crawling around

the mountains of Iceland in these bad boys.

Icelandic SuperJeeps

are the biggest cars you have ever seen.

Like monster trucks, but bigger, and practical.

(Not just for rolling over other cars? Why is that?)

Though you spend most of your time

going up the steepest inclines you've never imagined

on snowy volcanos and summits,

you also get to go to some rugged non-snow destinations, too.

Like Haifoss- which means the "high waterfall."

My breath was taken away

when I walked around the edge

to reveal the canyon below.

Literally, I got so excited

I started yelling at Tyler

and running around the edge

like a yellow lab upon finding

a squirrel sneaking under the fence.

If you come to Iceland,

check out getting a super jeep.

We take one up Hekla (the snoozing volcano)

and out to Landmannalaugur

for a night at the hut.

We use Iceland Explorers to book our trips

and they do an amazing job!

*Note: You can drive many places by yourself in Iceland,

however- to reach some places (Landmannalaugur & Thorsmock),

you'll need professional drivers

on professional vehicles!

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Iceland Gets Cozy (ASOS Edition)

In a perfect world,

each trip we went on

would allow for me to

buy a fitting wardrobe

with the perfect outfits

to compliment our changing settings.

I'd be wearing chambray & Lanvin in Paris.

You could find me in Missoni & leather strappy sandals in Como.

Spain would warrant unlimited Massimo Dutti & cool wayfarers.

But that's not the world I live in...

because if it were,

Tyler & I would have raided the ASOS site

before leaving for Iceland.

They just do Scandinavian really well...

and, oh yeah, affordably.

Oh well.

Who could complain with a view like this?

Not this (hand-me down wearing) girl.

*image via aspiring kennedy 2012

Pack Your Bags: Iceland's Blue Lagoon

I think that long before I knew anything

about Iceland's glaciers or waterfalls,

I wanted to go there

just so that I could go to

the Blue Lagoon.

I think I had seen a travel documentary that went there

and then it was in American Way magazine during a long flight...

I can't really remember what made it such a prominently placed item

on my "In My Wildest Dreams" travel list,

but it was sitting pretty high up there.

(Probably somewhere in between

above-water hut in Bora Boar & elephant riding in Thailand.)

Last year, when my boss

came up with the brilliant addition

of an Icelandic safari to our UK semester,

I was instantly sold.

After exploring this quirky little island, Iceland

-which is spelled "Island" by it's natives-

I've come to appreciate so much more

than just the initial allure of the milky mineral bath....

But let's be real:

I'm still completely obsessed with it.

Viola looks ridiculous in this pic... but it was either this one, closed eyes or a spit bubble.

IcelandAir operates transatlantic flights through Keflavic,

which happens to be about 20 minutes from the lagoon...

and apparently, these flights can sometimes be less expensive

than direct fares from other airlines.

So what am I saying?

Make it happen, people.

Visiting the lagoon is an amazing experience

that you should add to your travel bucket list.

I'd even say it was once in a lifetime...

but I'm going back later this week,

so that kind of ruins it, right?

A few things to know:

Taxis from Keflavic to the Lagoon are about 7,000 ISK

(which, these days is about $55-60 USD)...

I would try and cram as many bodies as you can in a cab.

Or you can book one of these daytrips

(either from Reykjavic or Keflavik)

for a really affordable price

from a company like Reykjavic Excursions.

(Note: fare included return bus ticket & admission!)

There are a few admission options upon check in.

There's the STANDARD EXPERIENCE,

which allows for a locker, no towel, no robe... not much of anything else.

There's the COMFORT EXPERIENCE,

which allows for a locker, towel, robe, drink at the swim up bar, etc.

There's the PREMIUM EXPERIENCE

giving you all the previously stated good plus slippers, a meal at the restaurant, &

line skipping (there's never been one when I've been, but I've only been in Sep & Oct).

And then, of course, there is the LUXURY EXPERIENCE

which gives you all the trimmings

plus access to their Exclusive Lounge with private showers & sunchairs.

Okay, so those are the options...

but here's what we did:

Got the Standard Experience and then added on the robe & towels a la carte.

That way, we weren't paying for the drinks, the 5 EURO gift card to the gift shop

and other small stuff that I didn't really want.

Granted, we still got drinks in the lagoon...

how could we resist?

But, still... got save those bucks (err... Krona) where you can.

You'll have lockers to store all your goodies and

a wristband that you can charge whatever you purchase on.

Next time we go, I'm bringing

a plastic shopping bag with handles

to hang up my camera & phone in

when we are outside.

It's so misty

and the only place to cover your phone/camera

is by covering it with your towel

on the wet ground...

thus, soaking your towel.

Small things make a big difference, people.

Don't miss the giant crates of mineral mud mask (free!)

that you can cake on your face

as you swan around the lagoon

allowing you to resemble a swamp-like alien.

It's all part of the experience.

There's also a sauna & steam room

(and a locker room full of naked Icelandic women)

to complete the spa experience.

Grab a coffee and head up to the relaxation room after you are done.

It's a good place to cool down and unwind before heading out.

I'm pretty sure instinct will guide you

through the rest of it.

It's pretty amazing.

Have a smoothie from the bar

for me when you go!

Have you been? What am I forgetting to tell you?

What was your favorite part of visiting the Blue Lagoon?

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

On The Road Again: ICELAND (& some tears).

Today's the day.

We are off to Iceland!

Last year,

we touched down

in a crazy place we had never visited,

with a group of 20 people

to lead around a place we'd never been...

...and with the new knowledge

that we had a belly full of babies.

To say we felt a little uneasy is an understatement,

but it was also an incredibly exciting time for us.

We felt like we were on top of the world.

I thought I looked so pregnant here. Ha! 16 weeks pregnant.

This year, we're walking back to the same starting point,

-maybe limping a little, if I'm honest.

It's really hard for Tyler & I to revisit the places and times

that we associate with the hopes & excitement we had

for having two babies.

I can't really explain it...

but in those moments when you remember what happened

-that you had a child that you loved and that she died-

it feels like getting the wind knocked out of you.

It feels so terrible and so sad.

You just can't even believe that something so bad actually happened...

and after a few minutes,

you somehow refocus to whatever was in front of you

recompose yourself,

and wipe off the streams of mascara

that have dried to whatever is that you were holding- baby included.

I guess the good news is:

there could be worse places & jobs to do

when you're feeling low.

We'll take a trip to Iceland as a win

in the midst of this season of heartache...

And I can guarantee that Viola

will be having the time of her life.

{Thank you, God, for giving her to us.}

So that's a rare, candid peek
at where we are
and how we are coping.

We feel undeservingly fortunate
and hopeful of the joy in the life surrounding us
as we muddle through a period of heavy grief.