This month has been a bit all over the place as I have been travelling for some of it and also I have been really busy with work so I don’t have too many favourites for this month but there are a few that I have on my list π
Fate Season 2: I absolutely LOVED the first season of this show when it was released last year so I have been waiting for this second season since then and it was so worth the wait!!! I absolutely loved the addition of Flora to this season and this is the perfect start to my spooky Halloween watching π
She-Hulk- I have been a big Tatiana Maslany fan since watching Orphan Black so when I found out that she was joining the MCU I was very excited and during the show I have absolutely loved it π I really enjoy the little asides to the camera and also am very excited to see what happens if/when DareDevil makes an appearance!
Carrie Soto is Back by TJR- I was already a big Taylor Jenkins Reid fan so was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this book but when it actually arrived it was so much better than I thought! The moment I shut the book I wanted to start it again from the beginning and I have written more about it in my recent post about the fifth part of my goodreads challenge π
Married at First Sight- I recently started watching Married at First Sight with my family as we were scrolling through trying to find a show to watch all together and we thought this show would be a good pick as it would be easy watching however we absolutely loved it and I’m hooked! Its so interesting seeing how all of the different couples interact with each other and also watching them learn to compromise and find out about this stranger that they married! I would highly recommend for any fans of reality TV π
Let me know in the comments what you have been loving this month π
My 2024 Goodreads challenge is to read 25 books so just over 2 books a month. I lowered my reading goal for this year because although I did complete my reading goal last year my college and work are getting busier this year so I donβt want to pressure myself to read loads of books as well. For the last few years I’ve written posts about the books that I’ve read with a rating and a bit of a review/summary which I’ve always really loved to do and Iβm going to continue to do that in 2024 π So far I have exceeded my reading goal and Iβve currently read 10 books so far in the last 3 and a half months.
The Housemaids Secret by Frieda McFadden- 9/10: Once I had finished my unit 2 mock I then decided to start reading the second book in the Housemaid series and I’m so glad that I did because I absolutely loved it! I was anticipating that it would be a disappointment after I loved the first book so much but it was actually really good π
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn- 8/10: I have been slowly but surely working my way through the Bridgeton series and usually read one after most murder mystery/thriller book and this one is the story of Francesca Bridgeton and Michael Stirling. The pining in this book is next level as Michael has been pining for Francesca for years! He is her late husbands cousin and they end up falling in love a few years after her 1st husband passes away.
White Noise by Mercedes Mercier- 8/10: This was actually Hannah’s book club pick and I really enjoyed it π Some of the twists and turns were slightly predictable but overall it was really fun π There were a few red herrings and twists that I didn’t see coming and there is actually a sequel which I have added to my TBR.
Verity by Colleen Hoover- 8/10: I read this book a few weeks ago and I’m actually still not sure how I feel about it! There were a lot of twists and turns and I was absolutely hooked from about 20% through right to the end but it was very weird! It was as if there were two books in one which was very interesting!
Its in His Kiss by Julia Quinn- 8/10: This is the story of Gareth St Clair and Hyacinth Bridgeton who compete to look for some of Gareths family jewels. Gareth is also the grandson of Lady Danbury which adds a really interesting dynamic to the story. Their relationship is a lot of fun and I love the added jewel heist and Hyacinths independent adventurous spirit is so much fun π
Let me know in the comments what you have been reading recently π
Part of my 2024 New Years Resolutions was to do monthly goal updates to keep myself accountable and to break down some of my goals a bit so that I can hopefully complete all of my goals this year so I am going to pick at least 5 mini goals each month to break down some of my goals such as decluttering my bedroom and to help myself with some of the more consistent goals such as try and have a veggie day every week. Next month there will be updates from this month and new goals for May etc. I can’t believe that we’re already in April- the year is going so fast!!
March Update:
Go to a show in London- On the 23rd of March my Mum and I went to see a show called Hadestown. I have been following the show for a while so as soon as it got announced that it was coming to the West End I asked my Mum to book us tickets π I have actually written a blog post about the show which can be found here. My two favorite characters were Hermes and Peresephone.
Go to a concert in London- I actually went to three concerts in March! I saw Renee Rapp twice- once during her tour and then an acoustic set as well. She has such an amazing voice and it was my 1st time seeing her live as well. I also saw Holly Humberstone who was also very talented and it was a really fun show π
Celebrate Mothers day- I was actually working on Mothers day which was such a shame but we still had a lovely evening, I gave my Mum her presents and we had a nice dinner. I also received some lush bath bombs from Maya :p
Pass my Unit 2 exam- I had my Unit 2 exam on the 7th of March and it was really hard but I did actually manage to pass with a good mark so I was very happy π My next college exam isn’t until June so I now have a bit of a break which is really nice π
Have a facial- On the 18th of March I had a validation facial at Lush. I had a validation facial a few years ago and then received a voucher for my birthday last year π I had originally booked it in February but it got rescheduled. It was such a nice facial and experience and I would definitely recommend it π
Celebrate Easter- I was actually working on Good Friday and Easter Monday but spent the Saturday and Sunday at home chilling with Maya and taking her for a nice walk, went to the spa and did some shopping π Maya had a lovely walk on Easter Sunday and received an easter bunny toy π My Mum always buys the family Easter eggs and this year was no exception and I received a mini eggs one this year π
Declutter my DVDs and CDs- I did actually declutter my DVDs this month and sold quite a few of them on Music Magpie but I unfortunately didn’t manage to declutter my CDS. I did do some other decluttering around my room and used up and cleared some of my make-up and skincare.
Make a monthly playlist- I have actually made a monthly playlist the past few months and did make one this month as well π This months playlist consists mostly of the new songs from Olivia Rodrigo, some songs from Hadestown and Beyonces new country album and the new song from Sabrina Carpenter and Girl in Red.
April Mini Goals π
Read the new Holly Jackson book and the new Emily Henry book
Listen to Taylor Swifts new album
Watch my friend run the marathon and celebrate with her afterwards
Go to the Harry Potter Studios
Finish 3 more beauty products
Catch up on college notes
Let me know if you have any ideas for some goals I should have for next month π
I went to see Hadestown the musical with my Mum last weekend and I absolutely loved it! It was such a clever musical and I loved the characters of Hermes and Persephone. Something that I used to do is write a blog post about some of my favourite songs and lyrics whenever I went to see a new musical so I thought that I would bring that back with this musical π
Favourite songs:
Road to Hell
Come Home with Me
Wedding Song
Way Down Hadestown
When the chips are down
Wait for Me
Flowers
Promises
Wait for me (Reprise)
Favourite lyrics/Quotes
See, Orpheus was a poor boy But he had a gift to give: He could make you see how the world could be, In spite of the way that it is
Cuz here’s the thing, to know how it ends and still begin to sing, as if it might turn out this time. I learned that from a friend of mine
No the dog you really gotta dread is the one that howls inside your head, itβs him whose howling drives men mad and a mind to its undoing
Say that youβll hold me forever, Say that the wind wonβt change on us
Don’t promise me fair sky above. Don’t promise me kind road below. Just walk beside me love, anyway the wind blows
If no one takes too much, there will always be enough
I’m coming, Wait for me, I hear the walls repeating, The falling of our feet and it sounds like drumming and we are not alone. I hear the rocks and stones echoing our song. I’m coming.
Once upon a time there was a railway line
A song so beautiful it brings the world back into tune. Back into Time. And all the flowers will bloom.
Way Way down Hadestown, Way down under the ground.
To the world we dream about, and the one we live in now.
Let me know if you have any suggestions for my next theatre trip and if you have seen Hadestown what you thought and your favourite song π
Part of my 2024 New Years Resolutions was to do monthly goal updates to keep myself accountable and to break down some of my goals a bit so that I can hopefully complete all of my goals this year so I am going to pick at least 5 mini goals each month to break down some of my goals such as decluttering my bedroom and to help myself with some of the more consistent goals such as try and have a veggie day every week. Next month there will be updates from this month and new goals for April etc. I can’t believe that we’re already at the 3rd month!
February Update:
Celebrate Maya’s birthday- Mayas birthday is on the 2nd of February which is so much fun and I always try and pull out all of the stops for her birthday π I was unfortunately working this year but we had a lovely evening opening presents, going for an evening walk and playing with her new toys and giving her her treats π
Pass my Unit 2 Mock- On the 22.2.24 I had my Unit 2 mock exam and I would have passed that exam with 87% and I was so proud of myself! I had been revising non-stop the two days before the exam as I had a Spa weekend the few days before so I wanted to make sure that I left myself enough time to revise.
SPA weekend- I went on a Spa weekend with my Mum which was so much fun π We got to the Spa on the Sunday and then left on the Monday which was so lovely π We spent the time chilling by the pool, in the jacuzzi + sauna, eating good food + reading books π It was such a lovely day and a half of chill time and just what I needed π
Celebrate Valentines day- On valentines day I spent the day chilling at home doing college work and then in the evening I gave Maya her new valentines toy and we had the M&S valentines dine in which was absolutely delicious π
Watch a movie from my 2024 Movie Bucket List- I actually watched 2 movies from my movies to watch list which was Wonka and Wish which I absolutely loved π It was so much fun watching these movies as I had been wanting to watch them for a while so have been waiting for a) a few days off and b) for the movies to come onto Sky Movies.
Go to a concert- I went to a Dylan concert on the 15.2.24 which was so much fun and I absolutely loved it! I’ve seen Dylan a few times before and I absolutely loved it π I love concerts and I generally end up going with my friend Hannah which is who I went to Dylan with π It was at the Eventim Apollo which is a venue that I really like π
Continue cooking a veggie meal once a week and do at least two veggie days this month π I have continued with my cooking 2-3 meals a week which I actually really enjoy doing π I have tried to be very aware of the meals that I’m picking and making sure that I pick at least one veggie meal but also making sure that I am trying to pick health conscious meals as well π
Finish 3 beauty products- I have a goal of finishing 24 beauty products this year and I have actually finished 6 already so far this year π I always get given so many beauty products for birthdays and Christmas so I am wanting to work my way through my stash because I am trying to be more minimalist at the moment π
Declutter my make-up- I haven’t managed to fully declutter my make-up but I have started decluttering and am about halfway through π My aunt bought me some make-up organisation for Christmas this year so I’m slowly sorting and moving my make-up into that organisation π
March 2024 Mini Goals:
Go to a show in London
Go to a concert in London
Celebrate Mothers day
Pass my Unit 2 exam
Have a facial
Celebrate Easter
Declutter my DVDs and CDs
Make a monthly playlist
Let me know in the comments what you have been up to in February π
My 2024 Goodreads challenge is to read 25 books so just over 2 books a month. I lowered my reading goal for this year because although I did complete my reading goal last year my college and work are getting busier this year so I donβt want to pressure myself to read loads of books as well. For the last few years I’ve written posts about the books that I’ve read with a rating and a bit of a review/summary which I’ve always really loved to do and Iβm going to continue to do that in 2024 π So far I have exceeded my reading goal and Iβve currently read 5 books so far in the last 2 months.
1. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan- 7/10: I LOVED the return of Percy in this book and the introduction of the Roman Camp Jupiter was really fun π I did really like the new characters of Frank and Hazel as well and their character growth throughout the book. I was so excited at the end of this book that the two camps were going to come together and intrigued to see how that was going to go.
2. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan- 8/10: Both camps coming together for the first time was epic and I loved seeing the interactions between the characters who had never met before as well especially Percy and Jason. I canβt believe that Rick would leave us on that cliffhanger as well!
3. House of Hades by Rick Riordan- 9/10: This was my favourite book of the series by far! All of the characters went on such individual journeys and really found themselves in this book. I loved the chapters with Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus but the character development of Nico and his friendship with Jason I really loved.
4. Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan- 6/10: I did really enjoy this book but I feel like it definitely wasnβt my favourite. I felt like the build up to the big battle from the last 5 books didnβt lead up to expectations. I feel like the battle was a bit rushed and felt slightly underwhelming. That being said I did still like this book and I loved the series as a whole π
5. The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden- 9/10: I read this book whilst at the Spa weekend with my Mum and OMG I could not put this book down. I think her style of writing plus the short chapters meant that I would say oh just one more chapter far too many times π€£ I started and finished it within about 2 days as I started it on the Saturday evening and finished it by Monday lunchtime. I loved all of the twists and turns and would recommend it highly if you like quick, easy to read thrillers.
Let me know in the comments what you have been reading so far this year π
Part of my 2024 New Years Resolutions was to do monthly goal updates to keep myself accountable and to break down some of my goals a bit so that I can hopefully complete all of my goals this year so I am going to pick at least 5 mini goals each month to break down some of my goals such as decluttering my bedroom and to help myself with some of the more consistent goals such as try and have a veggie day every week. Next month there will be updates from this month and new goals for February etc. β
January Update:
Pack away my Christmas presents- As part of my New Years Resolutions I wanted to sort through my bedroom and belongings and become a) more environmentally friendly + minimalistic and also be more organised π Part of this was putting my Christmas decor away so that it was organised and not just shoving it away in random cupboards π
Pack away my Christmas decor- All of the Christmas decor in our house goes in the loft within a few days after New Years I managed to get all of my decor packed away and ready to go up in the loft for next year π I had quite a few boxes as you can see but I have actually organised my boxes slightly better this time round π
Cook twice a week with at least one veggie option- Most weeks since Christmas I have cooked three times a week and always at least one veggie option sometimes two π I have included a few pictures of some of my meals as well π As my family gets Hello Fresh on a weekly basis it always works really well as it means that we don’t have to do too much pre-planning and most if not all of the meals are guaranteed to be tasty π
Watch The Ballad of Songbirds + Snakes- I actually ended up watching this with my Mum on New Years Day in the evening and I absolutely loved it! I loved being re-immersed into the Hunger Games world and love Lucy Gray as a character π I definitely feel that the movie did the book justice as well which is very rare with book to movie adaptions.
Catch up on college notes and reach 30% on my NPL- I am actually up to date with my college notes so far from this year and so far have passed all of my in-college assessments with good grades π As I write this I am at 31% of my NPL which is precisely where I wanted to be π My next goal for my NPL is 50% by the end of June so am currently ploughing along with that as well π
Finish writing up blog posts linked to my 2023 New Years Resolutions (final good-reads challenge and 2023 resolutions recap).
Celebrate Hannah and Birundas birthdays :)- Two of my best friends birthdays are in January which means that obviously I end up taking them both out to celebrate which is always so lovely π First was my friend Birundas birthday and we went out for dinner to Pizza Express + then to see Six the musical which was so much fun π For my friend Hannahs birthday it was me and one of my other best friends Anna organizing the day and we ended up going bowling at Lane 7 in Victoria and then out for dinner to the IVY which was lovely :)β
February 2024 Mini Goals:
Celebrate Maya’s birthday
Pass my Unit 2 Mock
SPA weekend
Celebrate Valentines day
Watch a movie from my 2024 Movie Bucket List
Go to a concert
Finish 3 beauty products
Declutter my make-up
Continue cooking a veggie meal once a week and do at least two veggie days this month π
Let me know in the comments what your goals are for February 2024 π
I am a big reader and my books have now spread from my bookshelf into two book carts and because of this I have since tried to keep the books that I have read on my bookshelf and then the two book-carts contain my TBR. Its been a while since I’ve done a shelfie the original that I found that gave me the idea was this one and thought it was amazing so thought I would give it a go π
This is my sixth Book Shelfie (my first one can be found here) so I figured I would start on the back of my third shelf π
Is there any reason for this shelf to be organised the way it is or is it purely random? My bookshelves are pretty random but I do try and put series/books by the same author together :)βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββTell us a story about one of the books on this shelf that is special to you? My copy of Malibu Rising is actually from a charity shop by the beach and I read it the first weekend after purchase π Which book from this shelf would you ditch and why? I think I would probably ditch either The Lucky escape or Pretty Guilty Women. Which book from this shelf would you save in an emergency?βProbably my Taylor Jenkins Reid books or my Beth O’Leary books Which book has been on this shelf for the longest time? The Sun is also a Star- This book has been on my shelf for quite a few years as I remember reading it while at sixth form! Which book is the newest addition to this shelf? The Wake Up Call by Beth O’Leary as it was only released a few months ago π Which book from this shelf are you most excited to read/reread? If I had to pick a book to re-read from this shelf I would probably pick either The Couple by Helly Acton , Carrie Soto is back by Taylor Jenkins Reid or Red White + Royal Blue π Are there any objects on this shelf apart from books, tell us the story behind it? The only object on this shelf now is my Tangled Funko Pop which I absolutely LOVE! It depicts one of my favorite scenes from a Disney Movie π What does this shelf tell us about you as a reader? I think this shelf shows that I am a lover of Rom-Coms and fiction.
Let me know in the comments if you have read any of the books from this shelf π
My 2023 Goodreads challenge was to read 50 books which I actually managed to achieve!! For the last few years I’ve written posts about the books that I’ve read with a rating and a bit of a review/summary which I’ve always really loved to do and I continued to do that in 2023 π
An Island Wedding – Jenny Colgan: 4/5: This book has been sat on my TBR list for a while so I finally got around to reading it near the end of the year and I did really enjoy it π I love Jenny Colgans writing and this book was a lot of fun π Its actually the end part of a series which I didn’t realize until I finished it so you can definitely pick up the series wherever and understand it π
Resting scrooge face- Meghan Quinn: 4/5: This was a perfect novella for a) trying to complete my goodreads goal and b) getting into the festive spirit π itβs a very fun story about an ex couple who have both fallen out of love with Christmas but through writing letters to each other under aliases without being aware they find the magic of Christmas again.
Galatea- Madeline Miller: 4/5: A re-imagining of the story of Galatea and Pygmalion an Ancient Greek myth about a beautiful statue coming to life. It flips the story on its head and is a very interesting take on the story.
Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery- Jenny Colgan: 4/5: As previously mentioned I do love Jenny Colgans writing so I was very excited to read this story of hers as I have loved the Beach Street Bakery series π this was probably my least favourite from the series but it did make me feel Christmassy π
The Lost Hero- Rick Riordan: 5/5: With the new Percy Jackson tv series I have been wanting to get back into the Demigod series as have read all of the Percy Jackson books to date but havenβt ventured into the other sections of the Demigod universe. I really loved the 1st book from the Heroes of Olympus series and the new characters are really interesting so Iβm excited to read the rest of the series π
Let me know in the comments what books you have read recently π
I always like to go back to my previous years resolutions and recap whether I did manage to achieve those goals/resolutions or not. I think I actually did pretty well with my resolutions for 2023 π My original post with my resolutions can be found here.
Starting with things I completed:
Read 30 books in the year- I actually managed to read 50 books this year which I’m so proud of myself for! I’ve been on a few spa weekends and also went to Greece so I read a few books there chilling in the pool π Some of my favorite books from this year include the Heartstopper series, Red White and Royal Blue, The Ballad of Songbirds + Snakes, Lessons in Chemistry, Happy Place, Five Survive + A Man called Otto.
2. Go to 5 theatre shows- I have seen so many shows this year and actually quite a few that I had never seen before! I started the year by going to Mamma Mia with my friend Birunda π The went to quite a few shows with my mum including Once the Musical Concert, Bonnie + Clyde, Newsies + Oklahoma. We took my Nan and Grandad to see The Buddy Holly Show which was amazing and went with my Mum and one of her friends to Cabaret, The Time Travellers wife + Backstairs Billy and went with my Aunt and Cousin to Hamilton.
3. Reach 500 on my Bucket List- I actually reached this whilst in Santorini on holiday as it was the first time I’d been to Greece π I am currently at 509 things as of the 1st of January 2024 which is really cool π
4. Do something nice for Maya once a week- I absolutely love this resolution which is why I make it every year! Its something that I love doing and as I work full time and have other things it means that I spend time with Maya as much as possible π
5. Make monthly playlists: I had so much fun with this resolution this year! Itβs the first year that I have made this resolution and it really encouraged me to listen to new music and everytime I go to one of those playlists it transports me back to that point in the year. Thereβs been such good music releases this year as well π
6. Reach 50,000 views on this blog- I actually reached 50000 views a little while ago and am currently at just over 51,000 views which is pretty cool π Thank you so much to anyone that has ever read my stuff, liked, commented or followed it honestly means so much β€
7. Cook something once a week- Apart from when I have been away on holiday I have cooked at least once usually twice to three times a week which I have absolutely loved π Something I started incorporating about halfway through the year as well was to cook at least one vegetarian meal per week which meant that I was cooking lots of things that I hadn’t cooked before which is really fun π
8. Post on Instagram twice a week- I have had such a lot of fun with both Mayas and my own Instagrams this year π Trying to find different things to post and inspiration is always really fun π I always find the most inspiration on holiday/when travelling π
9. Travel somewhere- I have been to a few places in the UK this year that I’ve never been including Dover + Bath and also went to Greece for the first time!! I went to Athens for a few days and then got the boat over to Santorini π
10. Marvel have had an amazing year this year with some really cool projects including Secret Invasion on Disney +, Ant Man and the Wasp Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, The Marvels. I think my favorite Marvel project from 2023 has to be Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3- I laughed many times but also cried and I felt like it really finished the Guardians story perfectly π
11. Save Money- I definitely did manage to save some money in 2023 with a monthly set amount moving to my savings and then some extras as well.
12. Complete my assignments for college and be on track- So far in 2023 I have had my first major exam and then also my 4000 word assignment was due in November and I passed both of these with flying colours π I am so proud of the work I’ve been putting in throughout 2023 in order to achieve this and am also working well through my practical log and am on track for this as well π
13. Spa Day- I actually had a few Spa Days throughout 2023 including a Spa weekend in Dover and some random facials and spa days sprinkled throughout including Lush and Elemis π
14. Grow Something- I always love growing different things so this summer I decided to grow some tomatoes which I have done previously but it was so much fun π I feel like I grew way too many and I don’t think stuff grew this well this summer as it rained so much!
15. Buy myself a new laptop for my new role at work π I am actually writing this post on my new laptop and it came in so useful when I was writing my assignment as well!
Not completed but not a complete fail π
Post on my blog once a week- I posted on my blog 33 times last year so although I didn’t actually post once a week I’m counting this not a complete fail as I feel that I did post quite regularly π
De-clutter and organise- 1 part of my room a month- I have actually been pretty good with decluttering my bedroom- many boxes of stuff have gone to the charity shop, a few bin bags of stuff and I have bought some organisation things to tidy my room with as well including another book cart + some boxes for under my bed and there is some other bits that have gone up in my room as well but its not anywhere near done yet!
3. 2000 followers on my blog- I am currently at 1700+ followers but although I didn’t reach my goal of 2000 followers I am still so proud of everything I’ve posted this year and am so grateful for everyone who follows me on here π
Completely failed:
1. Get to 75 on my 101 things to do list
2. Write down one thing Iβm grateful for per week
3. Develop a good skincare routine
4. Get back into Yoga/a workout routine
5. 365 project
Let me know in the comments what your 2023 resolutions were and if you managed to stick to them π Also let me know how you’re getting on with your 2024 resolutions π
Part of my 2024 New Years Resolutions was to do monthly goal updates to keep myself accountable and to break down some of my goals a bit so that I can hopefully complete all of my goals this year so I am going to pick 5 mini goals each month to break down some of my goals such as decluttering my bedroom and to help myself with some of the more consistent goals such as try and have a veggie day every week. Next month there will be updates from this month and new goals for February etc.
Pack away my Christmas presents
Pack away my Christmas decor
Cook twice a week with at least one veggie option
Watch The Ballad of Songbirds + Snakes
Catch up on college notes and reach 30% on my NPL
Finish writing up blog posts linked to my 2023 New Years Resolutions (final good-reads challenge and 2023 resolutions recap)
Celebrate Hannah and Birundas birthdays π
Things booked for this month:
Seeing Six the Musical
Spa day in London and Lush facial
Let me know in the comments what your goals are for January 2024 π