There is something about autumn that makes me wildly overestimate how much free time I have.

One minute I'm enjoying the last bits of summer and the next I'm mentally planning woodland walks, cosy pub lunches, pumpkin picking, craft workshops, entire days dedicated to reading and approximately seventeen different autumnal baking projects.

Do I have the time to do all of these things?

Absolutely not.

Am I going to attempt it anyway?

Obviously.

So, with that in mind, I've put together my slightly unrealistic autumn bucket list - a collection of things I'd love to do this autumn, ranging from genuinely achievable to I'm not entirely sure when I'm supposed to fit this in, but let's not worry about that right now.

Go on a Proper Autumn Walk

Not just walking around the block in a coat and calling it an autumn walk.

I'm talking crunchy leaves, ridiculously pretty trees, a woodland path, a slight chill in the air and the sort of scenery that makes you want to stop every five minutes to take another photograph.

I want one of those proper autumn walks where you come home with leaves stuck to your shoes and feel like you've actually made the most of the season.

Go Pumpkin Picking

I have reached the point in adulthood where buying a pumpkin from the supermarket no longer feels sufficient.

I want the full experience.

A pumpkin patch. Wellies. A slightly ridiculous number of photographs. Me carefully selecting the perfect pumpkin as though I'm choosing a new family member.

Will I then take it home and spend far too long deciding where to put it?

Almost certainly.

Find a Proper Cosy Pub

Autumn is essentially just an excuse to find pubs with fires.

I want somewhere with low ceilings, cosy corners, a roaring fire and a menu full of things that involve gravy, pastry or both.

Ideally somewhere that feels like the sort of place you could happily lose an entire afternoon.

Have a Full Reading Day

A whole day where the only real objective is to read.

No errands. No jobs around the house. No feeling guilty about sitting down.

Just a good book, snacks and somewhere comfortable enough that getting up becomes increasingly unnecessary.

This is probably the most realistic item on this entire list.

Do an Autumn Craft Workshop

I would quite like to emerge from autumn with something I have made myself.

A wreath. A candle. A piece of pottery. Something vaguely seasonal that I can proudly display at home while conveniently ignoring all evidence of how much assistance I probably received.

I'm particularly drawn to anything involving candles, pottery painting or making something that makes the house look like I've got my life together.

Channel My Inner Mary Berry

This one feels particularly appropriate after someone at work recently managed to spell my name Molly Berry instead of Bury (buh-ree).

Honestly, I couldn't even be offended.

If anything, it felt like fate.

So this autumn I think I need to fully embrace my inner OG MB and do some proper baking.

I'm talking something warm and autumnal that makes the entire house smell incredible. Apple crumble, cinnamon rolls, a loaf cake, something involving caramel - I'm not fussy.

I don't necessarily need to become the next Mary Berry.

I would, however, like to reach the stage where someone takes one bite of whatever I've made and says something along the lines of, “Molly, that's absolutely lovely.”

Ideally while I stand there pretending I haven't been waiting for them to say it.

Have a Proper Autumn Film Night

Not simply putting something on television while scrolling on our phones.

I'm talking full commitment.

Pyjamas. Snacks. Lights off. Phones abandoned.

And preferably something that feels appropriately autumnal.

The kind of evening where you realise you've been sitting in exactly the same position for four hours and decide that moving would be unnecessary.

Go to a Bonfire Night

I want the bonfire, the fireworks, the inevitable smell of smoke on my clothes afterwards and something warming to eat while standing around pretending I'm not freezing.

Preferably with a good view of the fireworks and enough layers on that I don't spend the entire evening questioning my life choices.

It's one of those very English autumn traditions that I always think I should make more effort to actually go to.

So this year, I'm adding it to the list.

Make the House Feel Like Autumn

This is less about completely redecorating the house and more about leaning into the season.

A few autumnal bits.

Cosy blankets.

Candles.

Warm lighting.

Maybe some little seasonal touches around the kitchen and living room.

Basically, I want to walk through the front door and immediately think:

Yep. Autumn lives here now.

And Finally… Start Getting Excited for Christmas

I'm not saying I'm going full Christmas in October.

I'm simply saying that by the end of autumn, I would like to be emotionally prepared.

Maybe a little Christmas shopping.

Maybe a festive workshop.

Maybe a few ideas for decorations.

Maybe quietly listening to one Christmas song when nobody is around to judge me.

Autumn is allowed to have its moment first, obviously.

But we all know where we're heading.

And that's that...

So that's my slightly unrealistic autumn bucket list.

Some of these will absolutely happen.

Some will probably get postponed because it's raining.

Some will be replaced by sitting on the sofa in pyjamas watching television.

And at least one will remain on this list until next autumn.

But honestly, that's half the fun.

I don't think a bucket list has to be a list of things you must accomplish. Sometimes it's just a list of things you want to make time for - little things that make an ordinary season feel a bit more special.

And if I manage even half of these before winter arrives, I'll consider it a success.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Molly "Berry" has some baking to do.

Molly

If there’s one restaurant we can guarantee we’ll eat at when we’re in Mojácar, it’s Balti Towers 2. We’ve been coming here for years, we always order far too much food, and somehow those onion bhajis still manage to be one of the highlights every single time. This holiday alone, we went three times.

We do actually try plenty of other restaurants while we’re here, but Balti Towers 2 has become a bit of a holiday tradition for us. We have a fairly standard order by now, starting with the onion bhajis, which are genuinely in my top three bhajis I’ve ever eaten. They’re crispy, full of onion and just bloody delicious.

We also always get the poppadoms, mainly because the onion pickle and mint raita that come with them are SO good. The onion pickle in particular is one of those things where I could quite happily eat far more of it than is socially acceptable.

For the main event, we usually share the vegetable passanda, garlic rice and garlic naan. The naan is slightly different to your usual fluffy UK naan - it’s somewhere between a naan and a roti, which I actually really like. It’s thinner, a little chewier and perfect for scooping up the passanda.

The vegetable passanda is creamy and mild, with plenty of flavour without being particularly spicy. We did switch things up this time and went for onion rice instead of our usual garlic rice, and it was a very good decision.

It’s not the fanciest restaurant in Mojácar, nor does it need to be. It’s good, unfussy Indian food, the portions are generous and there’s something very satisfying about sitting down with a table full of poppadoms, bhajis, naan and curry when you’re on holiday.

And if you’re going to order one thing, make it the onion bhajis. I’m clearly very passionate about them.

Molly

There’s something about starting an MC romance series that makes you think “I’ll just see what the first book is like” and then suddenly you’re several books deep and completely invested in a fictional motorcycle club.

The Kings Reapers MC series by Nicola Jane was exactly that for me. It’s gritty, dramatic, spicy and, at times, had me questioning the life choices of pretty much every character involved.

But apparently that is exactly what I wanted to read.

So, what’s it about?

The series follows the Kings Reapers, a London based motorcycle club, with each book focusing on different members and their relationships.

There’s plenty going on alongside the romances, with the books bringing in storylines around the club, family, revenge, violence, trauma and some fairly questionable decisions along the way.

I really liked that the books are all connected, too. Characters from previous books continue to appear throughout the series, so you get to know the wider club rather than simply moving on to a completely new cast every time.

And there’s definitely an overarching storyline running through the series, so it’s worth reading them in order rather than jumping around.

Tropes & spice

We’ve got:

• Motorcycle club romance

• Possessive/protective men

• Found family

• Alpha males

• Forced proximity

• Enemies and complicated relationships

• Plenty of drama

• A LOT of spice

The spice definitely gets a thumbs up from me, but I also liked that there was plenty happening outside of the relationships. There’s enough of an actual storyline to keep you reading for more than just the romance.

Chains’ book was definitely my favourite of the series. I found myself much more invested in his story and relationship, and he was probably the character I connected with the most.

Riggs, on the other hand...

I know there’s an underlying story there, and I completely understood that there was more to his character than what initially meets the eye, but I just didn’t really like him. From Chains' book onwards, he came across as a bit trash to me, and unfortunately knowing there was more going on underneath didn't completely change my opinion.

Sometimes a character can have a reason for behaving the way they do and you can still think they're a bit of a dick!

Would I recommend?

Yes!

If you enjoy MC romances, this series has pretty much everything you’d expect. There’s drama, danger, plenty of chemistry, questionable men, strong women and the whole found family aspect that makes these types of series so addictive.

I also really enjoyed getting to know the different members of the Kings Reapers as the series went on. Some characters definitely grabbed my attention more than others, but I think that’s part of the fun of reading a longer interconnected series.

There are some darker storylines throughout, including violence and trauma, so definitely check the content warnings if those are things you prefer to avoid.

Final thoughts

The Kings Reapers MC series was a really easy series to binge, and definitely one that kept me reaching for the next book.

Was every character my cup of tea? Absolutely not.

Did I occasionally want to scream at my Kindle because of the decisions being made? Also yes.

But I was invested, and that's ultimately what I want from a series like this.

Overall, if you like your romances with a healthy dose of drama, dangerous men, found family and plenty of spice, I think you’ll probably enjoy the Kings Reapers.

How to read

The Kings Reapers MC series by Nicola Jane is available to read on Kindle and in paperback.

Molly

Well, that's us done with camping for another year.

Four trips, countless bags crammed into the car, a tent that somehow takes up an entire postcode and enough outdoor meals to make me question why I ever eat indoors.

2026 has been a pretty good year for camping. We didn't manage loads of trips, but the four we did have gave us plenty of sunshine, questionable weather, good food, new places and the usual camping admin that makes you wonder whether it's actually a relaxing hobby.

We also upgraded the tent this year, swapping our old setup for the Vango Savannah 600XL, which gave us considerably more space to spread out. Although, somehow, we still managed to fill every available inch of it.

There have been sunny days, questionable weather, campsite breakfasts, evening drinks, walks, plenty of food and the inevitable moments of wondering why we willingly sleep on an air mattress when there's a perfectly good bed waiting for us at home.

But that's the thing I love about camping. Even with the faff of packing the car, putting the tent up and remembering approximately 47 different things you apparently need to take with you, there's something about getting away for a few days and spending so much time outside that makes it completely worth it.

So after four trips and one final summer of muddy shoes, campsite showers and trying to remember where we put the mallet, I think it's time to call it.

Camping content is officially taking a little winter break.

I'll be back with more camping trips, campsite finds, tent adventures and probably a few more things I absolutely don't need but will convince myself I do in spring 2027.

Until then, the tent is going into hibernation, the camping boxes are going back into storage and I'll inevitably be thinking about where we should go next.

See you in spring, campers. 

Molly

If you're looking for somewhere a little bit different from the usual restaurants along Mojácar Playa, Torre Bahia Lounge is definitely one to add to your list. We actually went twice during our holiday, which probably tells you everything you need to know!

Torre Bahia has a lovely setting and feels a little more polished than some of the restaurants along the main strip, without being overly formal or feeling like you're trying too hard. It's somewhere you can make a bit more of an occasion of dinner, whilst still being very much in holiday mode.

On our first visit, we started with the Thai Beef Salad and Focaccia, followed by the Pea and Asparagus Risotto for me and the TBL Steak and Red Wine Pie for Matt.

The Thai Beef Salad was packed with flavour, with marinated fillet steak, mixed leaves, fresh herbs, chillies, spring onions and Thai dressing. It was a great start to the meal, whilst the focaccia was perfect for sharing.

The Pea and Asparagus Risotto was my favourite main of the two visits. With Parmesan shavings, lemon zest and mint oil, it was full of flavour without being overly heavy, and the fresh flavours worked really well together.

Matt went for the TBL Steak and Red Wine Pie, served with rosemary, seasonal vegetables and his choice of buttered mash or triple-cooked chips. At €18, it was also one of the better-value mains on the menu and was a proper comfort-food choice. Unsurprisingly, it was Matt's favourite main of the two visits.

  

Clearly, we enjoyed ourselves because we went back for a second visit.

This time we started with the Garlic and Chilli Prawns on toast with chorizo, baby spinach, spring onions and herb oil, alongside the Burrata with heritage tomatoes, tomato gel, dressed leaves, rocket and basil pesto.

The Garlic and Chilli Prawns were our favourite starter. The combination of the prawns, chorizo, garlic and chilli was so good, and the toast was perfect for soaking up all the flavours. The burrata was a lovely contrast - fresh, light and beautifully presented.

For mains, I went for the 28 Day Aged Fillet Steak, with Parma ham, black garlic emulsion, vegetables and triple-cooked chips, whilst Matt chose the Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine, served with tabbouleh and a chickpea and Mediterranean vegetable casserole.

The steak was beautifully cooked and a really good dish, although the risotto from our first visit remained my favourite. Matt enjoyed the lamb shank, but his vote for favourite main still went to the pie.

  

Matt also managed to fit in dessert on one of our visits, ordering the Biscoff and Caramel Cheesecake. It's cheesecake mousse with an intense Lotus Biscoff flavour, a crunchy Biscoff and butter cookie base and salted toffee caramel. He was very happy with his decision.

One thing worth mentioning if you're planning a visit is the Menu del Día, which is available on weekdays. We didn't actually have it ourselves, but at the price and with the quality of the food on offer, it looks like particularly good value if you want to experience Torre Bahia without spending as much as you might on the à la carte menu.

Torre Bahia is definitely on the pricier side for Mojácar, but honestly, I didn't think either of our meals were expensive for what we got. They were more than we'd paid at some of the cheaper restaurants we'd visited, but both were absolutely worth the money. And when you compare the quality and portions to what you'd pay for a similar restaurant in the UK, they actually felt very reasonable.

The service was friendly and attentive on both visits, and we never felt rushed. The whole atmosphere was relaxed and made it easy to sit and enjoy dinner rather than feeling like we'd been squeezed in and needed to clear the table.

Would I recommend? Absolutely. We clearly enjoyed it enough to go twice, and I think that says more than anything else I could write.

If you're staying in Mojácar and fancy somewhere that feels a little more special than your average holiday restaurant, Torre Bahia Lounge is definitely worth adding to your list. The food is good, the portions are generous, the prices are reasonable for the standard, and there was nothing we ate that left us disappointed.

Would we go back? Clearly. We already did twice.

Molly