Category: lifestyle

This or That: Books Edition!

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I found this great tag over on Jenny in Neverland’s blog and thought it would be something fun to try! So, let’s give it a go.

Audiobook or textbook?

I love having a physical book in my hands as much as possible, that said, I absolutely love listening to audiobooks on the go, especially autobiographies.

Paperback or hardback?

I’m a huge fan of paperback books, but, I fully appreciate a nice hardback.

Fiction or Non-Fiction?

It definitely depends on my mood. Sometimes I like reading about real lives and people but at other times I want an escape so I read fiction.

Harry Potter or Twilight?

I’m a die-hard Harry Potter nerd I love everything about the Wizarding World (I’ve even subscribed to the Loot Crate). That said, I did have a Twilight phase in my teens and loved the books (the films, not so much).

Bookshop or online?

You can’t beat a good bookshop trip, can you? If I ever won the lottery I’d head straight to Waterstones Picadilly and go absolutely mad.

Standalone or trilogy?

Standalone, I’m not that keen on trilogies.

Sweet and short or heavy and long?

Sweet and shot, definitely.

Cosy read or reading in the sun?

Cosy reading every time, blankets or a duvet, comfy clothes. Bliss.

Hot chocolate or coffee?

Hot Chocolate om nom nom.

 

What do you think? Let me know below or do your own post!

Book Review: The Sun and Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur

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‘never feel guilty for starting again’

In an incredible second collection, Rupi Kaur releases the raw emotion of a modern young woman. From the break down of a relationship to the relationship she shares with her mother, to finding love again when she wasn’t looking for it. Once again, my heart was flung into my mouth reading this and with good reason.

Sometimes a book falls into your hands when you’re in desparate need of it, for me, this was The Sun and Her Flowers. I’ve been a Rupi Kaur fan since reading her first collection Milk and Honey, which spoke to me as a young woman. So, of course I picked up her second collection and devoured it in 24 hours.

When reading Kaur you need to know she is brutally honest. She’s honest about her body, her mind, her sense of self and being a woman. She reflects on the good and bad around her without holding back, because you know that she has held back for so long. There is anger, there is pain and reflection on suffering that has been endured but the poems that describe them are crafted so beautifully that you feel every emotion without sinking into darkenss yourself.

While I’ve already touched upon it the most magnificent part, for me, was the poems Kaur wrote about her mother. She talks about the sacrifices and struggles her mother had to overcome so that Kaur and her siblings could achieve. She wonders what her mothers life would have been like should she have been free to make her descisions. It’s a wonderful insight into the relationship she shares with her mother.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Kaur collection without the accompanying illustrations. There isn’t a fear of showing womens bodies as they are in captivating illustrations. These seem to bring the poems to life at certain points and allow you to visualise the poems themselves.

I gave this collection five stars. This is an absolutely breathtaking collection and something I’m sure I’m going to read again and again. I, personally, found it to be an incredibly empowering collection. I’m sure that Kaur will go far, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

 

A Magical Unboxing!

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With Halloween mere weeks away it was time for a magical unboxing! As many of my regular readers know I love a good unboxing and I’ve used Lootcrate in the past. So I finally caved and ordered their Wizarding World crate as a little treat for myself! This crate comes twice a month, making it a little more affordable for us Brits. This crates theme is ‘Magical Must Haves’ Let’s dive in!

 

House Scarf 

One of the great things about the Wizarding World crate is that they ask for your Hogwarts House, I’ve always felt and known in my heart I’m a Gryffindor. This is such a well-made scarf, it’s really thick and has me wishing for chilly mornings so that I can show my house pride. Go, go, Gryffindor!

 

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Honeydukes Sweet Shaped Rubbers

Now, I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed that these weren’t sweet treats initially, because who doesn’t love a Honeydukes treat?! That said these are incredible, they are so well made and well crafted. The Chocolate Frog, Jelly Slug, Sugar Candy Skull and Cauldron Cake. They’re so lovely I almost don’t want to use them and keep them on my bookcase.

 

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Harry Potter’s Wand Pen 

I’m so in love with this pen! I think after the Scarf this is my favourite thing in the crate. It’s well weighted and so well crafted. I’m absolutely in love with it.

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MACUSA Desk Supply Set 

The good thing about the Wizarding World crate is that it includes both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts merch. This is a desk set including a list pad, sticky notes, clips and a folder. It was absolutely huge too! Good shout Lootcrate team!

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Horcrux  Locket Pin 

These are now a collection and I’m so sad I’ve missed previous crates! This is really beautiful and of good quality.

 

That’s it! If you’re interested in ordering your own crate the link is here. This post is not sponsored (I wish!) I just really wanted to share with you this new subscription I’ve become a part of!

 

 

September Favourites!

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I don’t quite know how it’s October tomorrow. This month I’ve had a very quiet one, Ali went off on tour on the 3rd, so I’ve spent a lot of time chilling at home and reading. So, this might not be the busiest favourites month but here they are!

Birthday! 

This month I turned 23! I went out a few days before with a few of my closest friends for dinner and drinks (more than a few drinks) before spending the actual day with my family and having the surprise of a Bose speaker delivered from Ali!

Books 

When it’s just me I read a lot. And I mean a lot a lot. I’ve read 8 books this month, around 2 a week! This month I’ve started getting back into reading fiction slowly. There were some really great reads and some I felt were a little disappointing. Making Faces and Fully Functioning Human  were two of my favourites and reviews this month!

 

General

And down to my general choices. I’ve spent the month trying to meet up with friends or seeing family, so that I don’t spend all my time alone! This included friends from my time at uni, my godchildren and family. It’s also been a good month for deliveries including a haul from Typo and my Ginny Weasley Barnes and Noble exclusive Pop Vinyl, as well as my first Wizard World Loot Crate! I think the best part has to have been getting a visit from Ali, even if it was only for 28 hours  and baking for the guys on tour.

My Favourite Posts: 

Long Distance Love

23 Things I’ve Learned in 23 Years 

How Is My Mental Health Right Now?

Goodbye 22 – Looking Back on a Weird Year

Feminist Friday: 10 Things You Can Still Do & Still Be A Feminist 

Using Food as a Crutch

 

Book Review: Making Faces – Amy Harmon

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In the small town of Hannah Lake, everyone knows everyone, but they certainly know wrestling star Ambrose Young, devastatingly beautiful, kind, on the road to a college scholarship and stardom. Fern Taylor, on the other hand, is the local pastor’s daughter, used to melting into the background aiding her cousin, Bailey. On the 11th September 2001, everything changes. As the town watches, horrified as a plane crashes close to home, five boys decide to fight for their country, one comes home. Could anything be beautiful again?

Oh my goodness, what a novel. What a novel. It’s been quite a while since I fell in love with a good work of fiction and Amy Harmon has produced something that will be hard to beat. A novel that focuses on love, loss, sacrifice, friendship and beauty I very nearly cried at multiple points. I didn’t know when the novel was set and by coincidence, I started reading on the anniversary of 9/11, which just made it hit harder. To think and imagine how it impacted young adults at the time and those who came home from war a shell of the person they were before.

I really felt connected to all of the characters. Fern was a brilliant character, I cared about her because she wasn’t a perfect girl. There’s definitely an ugly duckling vibe to her, but she doesn’t seem to feel sorry for herself constantly she gets on with it and just accepts who she is. I think, however, my favourite character of the entire novel is Bailey I like his wit, his outlook and just the optimism he has. I loved the relationship between Fern and Bailey too, there was genuine love and friendship it went much deeper than just being cousins.

The subject matter is incredibly tough and the way that Harmon has managed to weave in hope and a heartfelt message of beauty coming from within was wonderful. This is definitely going to be on my recommendation list. I also want to get my hands on more of Harmon’s novels. I gave this a very rare 5 stars. This is a truly wonderful book, Harmon makes you think about these characters and issues for days after. I was absolutely in love throughout, even though it made me want to sob. I’d recommend it to everyone!

 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this Advance Reader Copy.

Long Distance Love: 28 Hours, 22 Days.

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I haven’t seen my boyfriend in 22 days, 3 weeks and a day. Now, I know there are people who go without seeing their partners for even longer than that! That said, this is our first go at having a long distance relationship while Ali’s away touring with Rip It Up as a Sound Engineer. So when on the first day he told me he would have one day to come home I booked it off immediately, he was mine for a matter of hours.

So, I did what any girlfriend would do, I got up and went to get him in the pouring rain at 3.30 in the morning. I couldn’t stop smiling from the second I got in my car to when I fell asleep an hour later. The best part? We spent most of the day doing nothing. We slept until 11am, cuddled together. We got up and had breakfast, watched Rick and Morty, sat together. I baked while he used his computer. We napped together.

We had 28 hours to make up for 22 days of each others company. I know for a fact I am way more soppy and sentimental about all this, he will admit that. Ali is a lot more chilled and laid back than I am, he always has been. Do I get insecure? Yes. Do I miss him like crazy? Of course. We spoke about this, I told him how I was dealing with it better than I thought, he told me that he was so busy all day he didn’t have much time to think about missing home.

It’s something I didn’t expect us to be doing so soon but if yesterday made anything clear to me, it’s that we’re very much in love. Despite the fact we can only really FaceTime once a week, we can text, call and just know the other one is there. I didn’t think this experience would make me love him more, somehow it has. Wow, how soppy is that. We need to get back to our mocking of each other soon!

I guess I’m writing because if you’d told me 5 years ago we’d be making this work while he was away on for chunks of the year I wouldn’t have believed you. I would have screamed and kicked and said we wouldn’t do that, we couldn’t. The thing is we’ve grown together and as Ali said to me, I’m not 16 anymore, I have my job, my friends, my own life and hobbies at 16 he was absolutely everything to me. Don’t get me wrong he’s still my best friend and my world but he needs to do his thing, I need to do mine.

All in all, I miss him while I write this but when I dropped him off at 7.30 this morning I didn’t cry, I smiled cause I just felt pretty lucky. Those 28 hours will do for now, I am looking forward to getting him home for a bit longer than that though!

Vogue’s 73 Questions Tag

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1. What’s your favourite movie?Love Actually, so many great people in it. 

Love Actually, so many great people in it.
2. Favorite movie in the past five years?

That’s so hard! Star Wars, The Force Awakens

3. Favorite Hitchcock film?

Haven’t watched enough to have a favourite
4. A book you plan on reading?

What happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
5. A book that you read in school that positively shaped you?

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee, made me think about race issues.
6. Favorite TV show that’s currently on?

None, Game of Thrones is over.
7. On a scale of one to ten how excited are you about life right now?

About a 7, could be more exciting!
8. iPhone or Android?

iPhone, always.
9. Twitter or Instagram?

Twitter.
10. Who should EVERYONE be following right now?

Me 😛
11. What’s your favourite food?

Pasta, all the pasta.
12. Least favourite food?

Watermelon. Gross beyond gross.
13. What do you love on your pizza?

Meat, lots of meat! Or different cheeses.
14. Favorite drink?

Coke
15. Favorite dessert?

Chocolate Sundae with warm Brownie chunks!
16. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Milk chocolate on its own, Dark chocolate if there’s flavourings in it.
17. Coffee or tea?

Tea, always.
18. What’s the hardest part about being a mum?

I’m not a Mum! Well only to a Hamster.
19. What’s your favourite band?

Paramore.
20. Favorite solo artist?

Ohh that’s tough right now it’s Ed Sheeran
21. Favorite song?

Changes week to week!
22. If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be?

Either Hayley Williams or Lady Gaga
23. If you could master one instrument, what would it be?

Guitar
24. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?

I have two but I think my third will be on my shoulder.
25. To be or not to be?

To be
26. Dogs or cats?

Dogs
27. Bird-watching or whale-watching?

Bird-watching
28. Best gift you’ve ever received?

Handmade Harry Potter gifts
29. Best gift you’ve ever given?

Tickets to shows.
30. Last gift you gave a friend?

Chocolate 🙂
31. What’s your favourite board game?

Monopoly
32. What’s your favourite country to visit?

Hmm probably Greece.
33. What’s the last country you visited?

Majorca
34. What country do you wish to visit?

I want to go back to Italy!
35. What’s your favourite colour?

Baby Blue
36. Least favourite colour?

There’s very few I don’t like.
37. Diamonds or pearls?

Diamonds are a girls best friend
38. Heels or flats?

Flats.
39. Pilates or yoga?

Yoga?
40. Jogging or swimming?

Swimming every time.
41. Best way to de-stress?

A long, Lush bath.
42. If you had one superpower, what would it be?

Mind Reading
43. What’s the weirdest word in the English language?

I have no idea.
44. What’s your favourite flower?

Roses
45. When was the last time you cried?

A few days ago, Chronic Pain sucks
46. Do you like your handwriting?

When I have time to write nicely
47. Do you bake?

I do indeed!
48. What is your least favourite thing about yourself?

The amount I over think
49. What is your most favourite thing about yourself?

My perseverance.
50. Who do you miss most?

Ali.
51. What are you listening to right now?

Netflix, The People vs OJ Simpson
52. Favorite smell?

Chocolate
53. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

My Mum
54. Who was the last person you sent a text to?

Ali
55. A sport you wish you could play?

Football.
56. Hair color?

Redhead
57. Eye colour?

Blue
58. Scary film or happy endings?

Happy Endings
59. Favorite season?

Autumn 🙂
60. Three people alive or dead that you would like to have dinner with?

Sylvia Plath

Ellen Degeneres

J.K Rowling
61. Hugs or kisses?

Hugs
62. Rolling Stones or the Beatles?

The Beatles
63. Where were you born?

Basingstoke
64. What is the farthest you have been from home?

America
65. Sweet or savoury?

Sweet
66. Lipstick or lip gloss?

Lipstick
67. What book have you read again and again?

Nineteen Minutes – Jodi Picoult
68. Favorite bedtime story?

None!
69. What would be the title of your autobiography?

Just Keep Going
70. Favorite sound?

Happy Hamster Noises
71. Favorite animal?

Dwarf Hamster
72. Who is your girl crush?

I have many
73. Last photograph you took?

Stuff I’m selling online

23 Things I’ve Learned in 23 Years

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Yesterday I turned 23! I’m determined to make this a good year for me and already have some really exciting things planned but it made me think, what have I learned in the past 23 years on this planet? Well, here it goes…

You know your body better than anyone

There have been so many times that I’ve felt something wasn’t right and after being persistent with my doctors or consultants have been proven right. Listen to your own body and don’t be embarrassed to get a second or even third opinion.

You’re allowed to change your mind

I’ve changed my mind on so many things. It’s all part of growing up, adapting and changing. This isn’t always a bad thing! In so many situations you can and will change your mind.

Feminism is incredible 

Just like I said above changing your mind is allowed, I completely changed my mind on Feminism as I got more educated. It’s such a brilliant thing promoting equality, which is why I started my ‘Feminist Friday‘ series.

Everyone makes mistakes 

And that’s ok! It’s definitely a part of growing up. I am still a perfectionist and really struggle when I make mistakes so I have to remember this, almost on a daily basis.

Not everyone is meant to be in your life forever 

This was so hard but I’m a firm believer in this. Some people are meant to be around for a reason and then go.

Fun is what you make of it 

Sometimes I just like grabbing some dinner on a Friday night, others I like going out for a drink, others I like getting an early night. Fun is different for every person! Own it 🙂

Should is a shitty word 

I HATE the word ‘should’. Why is it even a thing! It just stresses us out, no, no, no, no.

 But No is a great one 

I’m still not great at using the word ‘no’ but it’s a powerful one and one to learn how to use.

Me time is so important

It’s not selfish. We all need some time to ourselves and that’s good for you! Personally, I like to curl up and read, write, watch YouTube whatever I feel like!

No one has the right to make you unhappy 

No one at all, whether that be family, friends, partners, colleagues. I spent too long letting other people impact my happiness, no more.

Mental Health is as important as physical health! 

Repeat, repeat, repeat!

If you don’t ask you don’t get

The worst someone can say is no.

How you see yourself isn’t always how others see you 

I’m not always the nicest to myself, think about the way your friends and those who love you see you. Trust me.

A good book is priceless  

Very few things are better.

Sleep is important, not overrated  

It’s so important to get enough sleep. For me if I don’t get enough sleep I feel really poorly. So, to all who tell me sleep is for the weak, I’ll be in my Harry Potter PJs, snuggled up under the duvet.

A few good friends are worth more than  loads of acquaintances

I used to want to be part of a huge friendship group, then I realised I didn’t really want or need to be. What I did want was to have friends who knew and loved me.

Saving money is important but so is treating yourself sometimes 

I saved constantly through uni and was obsessed with saving. It was also driving around in a car from 1996 that I thought would go on forever. Thankfully my family convinced me that maybe it was time to let go and use my savings to buy another car…

The voices in your head don’t always tell the truth 

They can be your worst enemy, don’t listen to it.

Let go of the rigid life plan 

I had a plan, I had a perfectionist plan. I was going to graduate uni with a first, come out and get a good job, save for a house, get married, have children. Then life happened. I broke my spine and that changed everything. I lost my job, that changed everything. I got a job I loved, everything changed again. I’ve let go of a rigid plan and have goals instead.

Find exercise you love, you’ll thank yourself later 

I was always adamant that I hated exercise. I hated PE at school and thought I’d never like exercise. Then I found horse riding and I fell in love with it. Now, post injury,  I quite like the gym.

It’s ok not to be ok 

I will keep saying this until I’m blue in the face, I even wrote a whole blog about it. You can read it here.

There is nothing wrong with a good night in! 

I go ‘out out’ once a month. I save money and get to stay in my PJs, what’s not to love here?

No one really knows what they’re doing

This is the most important lesson. Everyone is winging it, absolutely winging it.

 

Goodbye 22 – Looking Back on a Weird Year

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As I write this it’s my last day of being 22 and in the words of Hayley Williams of Paramore ’22 is like the worst idea that I have ever had’, I’m not sad to be turning 23, not at all. I’m pretty happy that I’m walking away from a very, very weird year.

There’ve been so many ups and downs to this year, going to see Britney (a dream since I was a little kid) and spending quality time with my Mum was a great way to start 22 but then I lost my hamster, Noodle a few days later. That set the tone for the rest of the year I think.

I had three jobs, in a year which makes me CRINGE so much! The first had to let go of the marketing department (they were a startup and the money needed to go elsewhere), the second I was incredibly unhappy and being let go was one of the best things that could have happened to me, the third was a temp job for 3 months which made me get enough to gain the confidence I needed to get the role I’m in now, which I love.

Ali and I have had a big year too, we moved into our first flat dealing with everything ourselves, we lost two of our beautiful hamsters, Hamski and Noodle and ended up getting our third, Wickett. We’ve both dealt with making big career decisions and have spent a fair amount of time apart.

So, I guess in this big ramble I’m calling a post I’ll say that 22 was really, really, tough. There was a lot of stress, pain and growing up but coming into 23 I feel like I’m going to have a good year, I’ve gotten through a lot and I just want to get the next part started.

Book Review: Fully Functioning Human (Almost) – Melanie Murphy

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‘I’m just a girl who’s sort of stumbling through life, learning that we all have our own roads to walk – but that it’s still valuable, and rather lovely, to hear about other people’s journeys…’ 

Well, well, well, where do I start when I’m talking about this wonderful book and it’s even more wonderful author. If you didn’t know, Melanie is a Youtuber and a damn good one at that talking about life and sexuality, body positivity, Game of Thrones. So when I heard she was releasing a book I was all over this.

This book covers so much in a mere 300 hundred pages but the best part is that it feels like she’s chatting to you. This is totally in Melanie’s voice and it helps because it’s like a friend is talking to you and chatting about life, the good and the bad.

The book is divided into sections Media and My Mind, Food & Body, Beauty & Confidence, Sex & Sexuality, Love & Happiness. You can tell that in each of the chapters Melanie has poured her heart and soul into each page, without it being soppy.

While of course it has Melanie’s signature positive outlook, something which she credits partially to the Law of Attraction ( I LOVED this) but it doesn’t hide the darkness and I think that’s what I loved most, the openness. All of her struggles and flaws are laid out, to make you feel like we’re all going through the same thing. She talks about her struggles with Eating Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, Acne and also about deeply personal things such as her miscarriage.

I felt there was a perfect balance within the book of the silliness I love Melanie’s channel for and the openness. I didn’t it would impact me as much as it did, but thanks to Melanie I confronted one of my own personal issues, emotional eating  and now I’m taking steps to not use it as a crutch.

This is an incredible book, whether or not you watch Melanie I would recommend this to any young adult who wants to feel like they’re not the only one struggling along. I would also recommend catching up with her Youtube channel . I gave this four stars ****, Melanie is a brilliant writer and I can’t wait to see what she does next.