This trip was supported by Stansted Airport, the Moxy and the Pod hotels. Whilst I was required to write a blog post of my experience, all views are my own. Affiliate links have been used when linking to clothing and some travel info.
Affordable Manhattan
I flew to New York City with a group of internet peeps including Fashion and travel blogger Kavita, Vlogger Emily Canham and money blogger Charlotte of Lotty Earns. Our mission? To holiday as affordably as possible without compromising having a good time. Our trip started at London Stansted airport where you can treat yourself to loads of complimentary treatments like hand massages at Jo Malone and beauty treatments at Charlotte Tilbury plus a welcome cocktail and shopping at Oasis, Ted Baker and Next.
Once on the other side, our itinerary took us to central Manhattan for a day and then to Brooklyn for another before heading back. Here’s what we got up to!
![[gifted] 📝 I’ve finally had a minute to indulge in some very special stationery which my talented amiga @livpurvis designed for @papier. 💌 It’s got her hand-drawn illustrations on, my very own name on it AND there are STICKERS! (Aka the most important form of paper-based good). I do recommend these as excellent gifts for people you appreciate, so do go forth and explore the capsule collection over on the Papier webby. 📖📮[#smallmomentsofcalm#theslowdowncollective#dailydoseofpaper#onthetable#stationeryaddict#papier#papierxlivpurvis]](http://scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c0.180.1440.1440a/s640x640/72341196_954552194929583_3106885036047712211_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=111&oh=af168d88381f86fd50781c9105d5b5a4&oe=5E6B0218 "[gifted] 📝 I’ve finally had a minute to indulge in some very special stationery which my talented amiga @livpurvis designed for @papier. 💌 It’s got her hand-drawn illustrations on, my very own name on it AND there are STICKERS! (Aka the most important form of paper-based good). I do recommend these as excellent gifts for people you appreciate, so do go forth and explore the capsule collection over on the Papier webby. 📖📮[#smallmomentsofcalm#theslowdowncollective#dailydoseofpaper#onthetable#stationeryaddict#papier#papierxlivpurvis]")
![Doing my best to keep the sun shining (in clothing form) ☀️ I’ve been running a little hashtag inspired by @iamkristabel this year: #stscolourblocking (short for ‘shinythoughts styles’) to document all of my colour-pop outfits. 🌈 I started it so that you can get outfit-inspired and also to see how I’m re-wearing my wardrobe as part of a semi-conscious effort to buy fewer new clothes this year. 🛍 Anyone doing the same? Why not start your own style hashtags? [#shpbrights#howihue#rewear#liveconsciously#discoverunder20k#allypally#dresscolourfully]](http://scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c0.180.1440.1440a/s640x640/74704983_966632790372470_709924615006407189_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=102&oh=2b0a15f5095c17e11a5245aa7220fe31&oe=5E8485C2 "Doing my best to keep the sun shining (in clothing form) ☀️ I’ve been running a little hashtag inspired by @iamkristabel this year: #stscolourblocking (short for ‘shinythoughts styles’) to document all of my colour-pop outfits. 🌈 I started it so that you can get outfit-inspired and also to see how I’m re-wearing my wardrobe as part of a semi-conscious effort to buy fewer new clothes this year. 🛍 Anyone doing the same? Why not start your own style hashtags? [#shpbrights#howihue#rewear#liveconsciously#discoverunder20k#allypally#dresscolourfully]")
![Finally got the ‘cardigan-as-jumper’ memo and now I have 20% more jumper options in my wardrobe 💁🏻♀️ It took me a long time to be convinced by the solo cardi (I always assumed the knitwear-straight-over-bra situation wasn’t conducive to good temperature control, but as long as I’ve got natural fibres, I’m doing ok. 🤞🏼 Am I the last person around to give this a go? 😅 (FYI I owe the inspo to @loveclothblog and @sarahsactualwardrobe, thanks girls ✌🏼) [#stsanimalprint#shpanimal#currentlywearing#autumnstyle#howihue]](http://scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c0.180.1440.1440a/s640x640/73470472_3254931311214547_3046890328605393273_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=107&oh=19efec28fae6cbc056e010667d6b9c3c&oe=5E52426A "Finally got the ‘cardigan-as-jumper’ memo and now I have 20% more jumper options in my wardrobe 💁🏻♀️ It took me a long time to be convinced by the solo cardi (I always assumed the knitwear-straight-over-bra situation wasn’t conducive to good temperature control, but as long as I’ve got natural fibres, I’m doing ok. 🤞🏼 Am I the last person around to give this a go? 😅 (FYI I owe the inspo to @loveclothblog and @sarahsactualwardrobe, thanks girls ✌🏼) [#stsanimalprint#shpanimal#currentlywearing#autumnstyle#howihue]")
![Remember, remember, the fifth of November. Bonfire, tractors and pork. (Well, that’s my version anyway). 🔥🧔🏻🧨🥁🍻🕯👩🏻🌾🚜🍂🌿🐖 Bonfire night is a big deal where I’m from, so each year I get on the train back to my village to join the villagers in their 160-year old celebrations. Here’s the deal:
1 - They prep months ahead. Doreen here goes around picking up everyone’s garden waste which the ‘bonfire boys’ then craft into the famous Christmas pudding-shaped heap. 🚜🍂🌿
2 - There’s the ‘guy’, a huge chicken wire and papier maché sculpture which gets paraded around the whole village flanked by a band and followed by hundreds of people carrying flaming torches. (See it in my story!) At the end he gets hoisted up to the top to see his fate and those who still have flames burning get to light the fire with their torches. 🔥🔥🧔🏻🔥🔥 3 - The fireworks are always fantastic and use the same technology as the London NYE ones.🧨
4 - My favourite new tradition is the hog roast. The village butchers spit roast a local pig all day then auction it off at night. It’s all about strategy and trying to get a cut for under £35. 🐖💪🏼 See it all in my story. Do you go to bonfire night? Do you have any crazy local traditions? [#bonfirenight#fireworksnight#fifthnovember#guyfalkes#weekendscollected]](http://scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c0.180.1440.1440a/s640x640/73301845_523961781791234_3926435289017903775_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=102&oh=6be582cc4bf08e4b5dedc9f612a5ca76&oe=5E66178B "Remember, remember, the fifth of November. Bonfire, tractors and pork. (Well, that’s my version anyway). 🔥🧔🏻🧨🥁🍻🕯👩🏻🌾🚜🍂🌿🐖 Bonfire night is a big deal where I’m from, so each year I get on the train back to my village to join the villagers in their 160-year old celebrations. Here’s the deal:
1 - They prep months ahead. Doreen here goes around picking up everyone’s garden waste which the ‘bonfire boys’ then craft into the famous Christmas pudding-shaped heap. 🚜🍂🌿
2 - There’s the ‘guy’, a huge chicken wire and papier maché sculpture which gets paraded around the whole village flanked by a band and followed by hundreds of people carrying flaming torches. (See it in my story!) At the end he gets hoisted up to the top to see his fate and those who still have flames burning get to light the fire with their torches. 🔥🔥🧔🏻🔥🔥 3 - The fireworks are always fantastic and use the same technology as the London NYE ones.🧨
4 - My favourite new tradition is the hog roast. The village butchers spit roast a local pig all day then auction it off at night. It’s all about strategy and trying to get a cut for under £35. 🐖💪🏼 See it all in my story. Do you go to bonfire night? Do you have any crazy local traditions? [#bonfirenight#fireworksnight#fifthnovember#guyfalkes#weekendscollected]")
![In the same camp as going to the gym at 7am 🏋🏻♀️ and doing a 10-step skin care routine before breakfast, I am not a ‘pre-work’ person. 🙅🏻♀️ Never understood it. More energy? How about sleeping? 😴 I am the girl who does her make up on the tube and wakes up 15 mins before she leaves the house. 💁🏻♀️ It’s safe to say I have never shot an Instagram post before pulling out my Boden pass. But this morning, @sarahlouisebrand got me up, out, snapping and posing before my first cuppa. Somehow I’m still awake at 8pm and I do feel a sense of achievement 💪🏼. I might not be doing this every Wednesday (soz Sarah), but maybe I’ll set my alarm 15 mins early tomorrow... ⏰ [#Bodenbyme#stschecks#stsspots#powersuit#discoverunder20k#gramminginlondon#upandautumn#lifelivedbeautifully#currentlywearing#womenwithstyle]](http://scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c0.179.1440.1440a/s640x640/73201510_3035153126513928_7449786390245986761_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=100&oh=78cabc381a81d7638643451f3e419920&oe=5E66978C "In the same camp as going to the gym at 7am 🏋🏻♀️ and doing a 10-step skin care routine before breakfast, I am not a ‘pre-work’ person. 🙅🏻♀️ Never understood it. More energy? How about sleeping? 😴 I am the girl who does her make up on the tube and wakes up 15 mins before she leaves the house. 💁🏻♀️ It’s safe to say I have never shot an Instagram post before pulling out my Boden pass. But this morning, @sarahlouisebrand got me up, out, snapping and posing before my first cuppa. Somehow I’m still awake at 8pm and I do feel a sense of achievement 💪🏼. I might not be doing this every Wednesday (soz Sarah), but maybe I’ll set my alarm 15 mins early tomorrow... ⏰ [#Bodenbyme#stschecks#stsspots#powersuit#discoverunder20k#gramminginlondon#upandautumn#lifelivedbeautifully#currentlywearing#womenwithstyle]")
![Up until this Sunday I was close to unfollowing anyone on my feed who pronounced that October was their favourite month or that they ‘couldn’t wait for this time of year’. 🤯🤬 Quite frankly, it was crap. When I took this photo, I was literally living in a cloud. ☁️☁️☁️ If I wasn’t in a colourful office all day I literally don’t think I’d be able to so much as make myself a cup of tea in this depressing climate. But then that crisp sunny Sunday came around and I thought that I might at least be able to tolerate it. 😒 If I make a special effort to keep the colourful styling up, I might just make it through! If you’re an Autumn lover, please can you help me enjoy this time of year? 🍂🍁 [Look shot for @britstitchuk but I liked it so I posted it 💁🏻♀️ #upandautumn#stscolourblocking#stsspots]](http://scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c0.179.1440.1440a/s640x640/71555196_176422713481079_5927395549415788229_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=111&oh=0e17c81ca2c905ce4cb7fd04c5c0735b&oe=5E8C9C15 "Up until this Sunday I was close to unfollowing anyone on my feed who pronounced that October was their favourite month or that they ‘couldn’t wait for this time of year’. 🤯🤬 Quite frankly, it was crap. When I took this photo, I was literally living in a cloud. ☁️☁️☁️ If I wasn’t in a colourful office all day I literally don’t think I’d be able to so much as make myself a cup of tea in this depressing climate. But then that crisp sunny Sunday came around and I thought that I might at least be able to tolerate it. 😒 If I make a special effort to keep the colourful styling up, I might just make it through! If you’re an Autumn lover, please can you help me enjoy this time of year? 🍂🍁 [Look shot for @britstitchuk but I liked it so I posted it 💁🏻♀️ #upandautumn#stscolourblocking#stsspots]")