30 Days of Smiles

I'm not the most optimistic of people. I always find things to moan and complain about and will generally see the negative in everything. There are so many things about life that I do love and so many things throughout the day that do make me happy but they are normally overshadowed by the vast amount of things that have irritated me during the day. Since I have become trapped in the daily '9-5' slog of the 'real world' I find it increasingly hard to appreciate the positives of my daily life.
SO...I decided that for one whole month I would keep a daily note of one thing that made me happy or simply made me smile, even if it was for a moment.

My Fitness Goal: Week Two

This week I am completely disappointed but not because I let myself down. After last week, I was completely determined to eat well and lose weight. I stocked the fridge up with salad, vegetables and fruit and filled the freezer with fresh meat and fish.

GlossyBox #1

Today I received my first ever GlossyBox. Most people in the blogging world know about GlossyBox but, just in case you haven't heard of it, GlossyBox is a monthly subscription beauty box. For just £10 (plus p&p) a month you will receive direct to your door a box with five beauty product samples (sometimes full sized). As far as I know, each box is themed and when you sign up you fill out a beauty profile where you can select your skin type, foundation colour etc etc to help the guys at GlossyBox personalise your box. You also get asked your preferences about the type of products you want to receive. 

We Bought a Zoo: Benjamin Mee

Blurb


In June 2004 journalist Benjamin Mee was living a peaceful existence in the south of France. Benjamin, his wife Katherine and their two young children Ella and Milo had just made the final commitment to their new life by selling their home in London and buying two stone barns set amidst the beautiful landscape of Lanquedoc. All this was about to change though, when Benjamin decided to buy a decrepit zoo in Dartmoor ...

Benjamin's story is a remarkable tale about anxious wolves, awkward creditors, escaping big cats, the power of family and the triumph of hope over tragedy

The Time of my Life

This afternoon I was queuing in  WHSmith and I spotted a Cecila Ahern book called The Time of my Life. Most people will have heard of Cecelia Ahern because of the 2008 hit film PS. I Love You starring Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank. She has also written a whole range of really amazing and inspiring books. I love her books.....they are always easy reads yet funny, beautifully written and thought provoking. I didn't buy the book because I have a fair few things I need to read first but I read the blurb and the last line really struck a chord with me.....

My Fitness Goal: Week One

I am ashamed to say that this week was not as successful as I had intended. I am weak and didn't really try that hard! At the weekend, I ate a considerable amount of 'bad foods' and told myself that my healthy eating would start on Monday as it is at work that I struggle most with healthy eating. There was NO exercise. 

Goodnight Sweetheart

Goodnight Sweetheart aired six series in the Uk between 1993 and 1999. For those of you who don't know, it follows the life of Gary Sparrow who, although born into present day society, has the unusual ability to travel back in time to war torn London in the 1940's, where he begins to lead a second life.

Dotty Dreaming

I don't think I have ever mentioned my obsession with polka dots. I love all things polka dot and have done for many years. I love polka dot shoes, clothes, hair bands, house accessories, bags.....big dots, small dots, multicoloured dots....anything with spots!

Crafty Creatives

Whilst mindlessly browsing the web today I came across Crafty Creatives . They are the Uk's first subscription box for arts and crafts. Although I am completely rubbish at anything hair and beauty related, I am aware of the current craze for beauty boxes. Crafty Creatives  is taking this to the next level and, for £10 a month, bringing us themed craft boxes directly to our door. 

Caves of wonder

Being a history geek I automatically take an interest in all things vintage. Not the fake fashionable vintage but actual old things and the best place to find old things is charity shops. I haven't scoured charity shops for quite a while because a) I haven't had the money (it adds up) and b) I haven't stayed in a house long enough to fill with my own stuff.

My Fitness Goals

I'm no fitness freak...I've never been to the gym and I've never needed to. I genuinely love healthy foods but I'm not so good at being a healthy eater. I LOVE food. All kinds of food. I am a cake monster and, when sitting at my desk, I eat out of boredom. I have never really weighed myself because I think it is unhealthy to worry about your weight and watch how it fluctuates, it can become obsessive and for that reason alone, I have always relied on how well my clothes fit as an indicator of my weight.

Before I go to Sleep: S.J. Watson

Before I go to Sleep: S. J. Watson

Blurb

 Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight.

And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

The Autobiography of Jack the Ripper - James Carnac

The Autobiography of Jack the Ripper - James Carnac

Blurb

This memoir was recently discovered and appears to have been written in the 1920s by somone who asserts that he was Jack the Ripper.

This person is James Carnac, this memoir written shortly before his death is an account of his entire life, including a few short months in 1888 when he became the murderer known to posterity as Jack the Ripper.

This book introduces a new suspect for the infamous murders in Whitechapel in 1888. There is information in this book that does not appear to be derived from contemporary newspapers or any other publications and the descriptions of Tottenham in the 1870s, the visits to performances of Jekyll and Hyde, the intricate geography of Whitechapel in 1888 are written with pin-point accuracy. There is also a credible motive given for James becoming the murderer Jack and also a reason for the end of the murders. Given the fact that the author also appear to have knowledge about aspects of the case not in the public arena at the time it could be that this actuallyis the autobiography of Jack the Ripper.

Snow Falling on Cedars: David Guterson

Snow Falling on Cedars: David Guterson


Blurb
In 1954 a fisherman is found dead in the nets of his boat, and a local Japanese-American man is charged with his murder. In the course of his trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than one man's guilt. For on San Piedro, memories grow as thickly as cedar trees and the fields of ripe strawberries - memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and a Japanese girl; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbours watched.




Snow Falling On Cedars can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.

Download Festival 2012

This year I will be attending Download Festival. Download is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, Castle Donington.

I have never been to a festival before simply because they represent my idea of hell. It's not the camping that's the problem. Bizarrely, I don't have an issue with sleeping in a tent and living in my own dirt for a few days. I actually quite enjoy it. Going back to basics is quite refreshing....as long as you can brush your teeth!!!

Ed's Easy Diner

On Saturday we went to Ed's Easy Diner in Lakeside shopping centre. We went up to food court looking for KFC and Burger King and were pleasantly surprised to see this relatively new addition....a retro American Diner.

10 things I wish I could tell my teenage self!

I might only be 23 but I have learnt a lot since leaving school. I'm not naive enough to believe that I have learnt everything there is to know. In fact, I'm 100% certain that in ten years time there will be a bunch of things that I wish I had known throughout my twenties.

A Lost Generation

It is undeniable that we are living in a technological society. It might be a wild and inaccurate statistic but I would be inclined to say that

Book Reviews

As I've said previously, I initially wanted to start a blog where I could review books. I thought that having a space to document my thoughts, ideas and reactions to the books I read would encourage me to read more thoroughly, read more genres and add a purpose to my reading.