My life is changing UPDATED: Part 1

A little over a month ago I wrote a blog post about the fact that my life is changing quite a bit at the moment- I have started a college course and changed my job role at work so a lot of professional changes and also I am trying to make some personal ones as well 😊 in this post which can be found here I also write some goals which I’ll update on in this post and make some new ones as well ❤️

1. Update my room slightly and do some organisation 😊: I have managed to do a little bit of this recently actually! I have updated my wall of photos and also added some new organisation decor as well. I still feel like I have some way to go to make my room exactly how I’d like it but it’s a good start.

2. Continue cooking weekly for the family 😊: I have been doing this for a while now however in the last month I have been trying new recipies! As a family we are all trying to eat a little bit better so we’ve introduced a rule of at least one vegetarian meal per week which has been really fun 😊

3. Spend time with Maya and take her somewhere nice 😊: This past month I have really made an effort to spend time with Maya and it has honestly been so much fun!! She tried her first puppuchino, we’ve taken her to the seaside twice and I’ve taken her for some lovely walks! This is definitely a goal that I want to move into next month as well.

4. Get my college notes up to date 😊- I started college at the end of April and it’s been pretty cool so far! I’m actually up to date with my notes amazingly as work have been really good at giving me study time and also I have tried my best to spend time studying in my free time as well. I’m currently working my way through Unit 1 at college leading towards an exam in October.

5. Read 2 books- I actually managed to read 5 books this month which was so cool and probably had something to do with me spending 2 weekends at the beach 😊

Over all I think I’ve had a pretty successful month working on my goals so I’m hoping to continue on that trajectory into next month 😊

Next month I have three pretty cool events planned with friends and family and then I’ll also have some personal goals as well which I’m going to list below 😊

• Start running again- run at least 4 times this month.
• Continue cooking at least one vegetarian dish per week
• Stay on top of my college notes and start working on my NPL
• Spend time with Maya and take her for nice walks
• Continue project bedroom make-over/declutter
• Message/see friends I haven’t seen in a while

Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions of goals or self improvement challenges I should undertake 😊

xxxxxxxxxx

Goodreads Challenge 2023: Part 3

This year my Goodreads challenge is to read 50 books which seems like a lot but I have managed to do it before in 2018 and 2019 so I’m hoping I can do it again and am so far on track! So far this year I’ve managed to read 18 books and 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 so I thought I would do that again this year 🙂

Summer at Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan- 4/5: I have read the first and last of the Beach Street bakery books as I accidentally read them out of order however I do really enjoy them! They are such a fun, chill read and perfect for sitting in the sun with a drink especially as this one is set over a summer 😊

Romancing Mr Bridgeton by Julia Quinn- 4/5: This is the fourth book of the Bridgeton series however it is set to be the third series of the TV show and follows the romance between Penelope and Colin Bridgeton. It also *spoiler alert* includes the subplot of everyone finding out the Penelope is Lady Whistledown! I did really enjoy this book however I don’t think it’s my favourite of the Bridgeton series so far 😊

The Set Up by Lizzy Dent- 4.5/5: This book I actually bought from Waterstones while browsing because I really enjoyed her first book The Summer Job so wanted to see what her second book was like and it did not disappoint 😊 What I love about the book is that although the romance is the main focus it’s also about self acceptance and learning to love urself. I also loved the plot surrounding the lido as well!

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty- 3.5/5: I did really enjoy this book as I really love Liane Moriarty books however I think this is my least favourite of her books so far as I feel like it was a big lead up to a reveal which fell a bit flat.

The Happy Place by Emily Henry- 5/5: I really like Emily Henrys books and I think this one might be my second favourite! I absolutely loved the friendships in the book and I’m a fan of moving through time within a book as well 😊 I do love a romance book and I feel like this one also dealt with a lot of bigger themes as well and it actually felt like the romance wasn’t the main focus of the book which I liked.

Under one roof by Ali Hazelwood- 4/5: This is the first of the Stemnist novellas by Ali Hazelwood and I really liked it 😊 I think this was my favourite of the three novellas as you could really see the relationship develop and it is the first time we meet the three female protagonists and are introduced to their friendship.

Let me know in the comments what you have been reading lately 😊

xxxxxxxxxx

Theatre programmes Pt 5 😊

I absolutely love musical theatre and always buy a programme whenever I go so I thought I would update my last four Theatre Programme collections with the shows that I have seen since as I have been lucky enough to see quite a few 😊

1. This is my programme from when my Mum and I went to see Madame Butterfly at the Royal Opera House which was so good 😊 Madame Butterfly is opera that Miss Saigon is based on which is why my Mum really wanted to go and see it ❤️

2. This is my programme from when I went to see Choir of Man with my Mum and her friend Sandy 😊 it was such a cool show and I loved the audience participation and interactivity however I’m so glad that I was not called up onto the stage! Favourite song: Escape (the pina colada song). Any celebrities in the show? Not that I know of.

3. This is my programme from when I went to MusicalCon which was so amazing! This was the first year that MusicalCon ran and it was so much fun 😊 I would highly recommend going if you are a big Musical fan and it had performances, meet and greets and a huge merch area as well 😊

4. This is my programme from when I went to Once the musical Concert with my Mum which was so so good 😊 it was only on for one day at the Palladium and I thoroughly enjoyed it ❤️ I’ve never seen the show of Once but had heard some of the music before so was intrigued. The staged concert version of the show was really cool as there was still some dialogue and staging but it was a very stripped back version of the show. Favourite song: My favourite song was Falling Slowly. Any celebrities in the show? Carrie Hope Fletcher and Jamie Muscato played the main two characters

5. This is my programme from when I went to see Bonnie and Clyde with my Mum- I really wanted to see this show since seeing them perform at West End Live 2022 so when they announced that they were coming back to the West End after an extended break I was so excited! It’s such a good show with amazing music and very cool set design 😊 Favourite song: The World Will Remember Us. Any Celebrities in the show? Jordan Luke Cage was playing Clyde and also Jodie Steele was in the show as well.

6. This is my programme from when my Mum and I went to see Newsies which is a musical based on the Disney movie 😊 I also managed to grab one of the newspaper clippings from the show as well which is so cool! There are a few opportunities throughout the show to pick these up and they’re a really nice keepsake. The dancing in this show was absolutely incredible!! Favourite song? I think my favourite song is either King of New York or The World Will Know. Any celebrities in the show? Not that I know of.

Let me know in the comments if you have seen any of these shows ❤️

xxxxxxxxxx

Bucket List 451 to 475 :)

451: See Madame Butterfly (27.9.22)

452. Do an Escape Room (8.10.22)

453. See The Choir of Man (12.10.22)

454. See Aine Deane (20.10.22)

455. Go to MusicalCon (22.10.22)

456. Go to Oistins (29.10.22)

457. Walk along Sandy Lane beach (31.10.22)

458. Go to Cherry Tree Hill (1.11.22)

459. Go to Bathsheba (1.11.22)

460. Go to Huntes Garden (1.11.22)

461. Go on a Catamaran (2.11.22)

462. Go to Harrisons Cave (4.11.22)

463. See Lauren Spencer Smith (8.11.22)

464. See Holly Humberstone (1.12.22)

465. Go Curling (28.1.23)

466. Go to the Fawlty Towers Dining Experience (5.3.23)

467. Once the Musical the Concert (12.3.23)

468. See Dover Castle (16.3.23)

469. See the White Cliffs of Dover (17.3.23)

470. See Bonnie and Clyde (23.3.23)

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

471. Go to Mamma Mia the Party (26.3.23)

472. See Newsies (29.3.23)

473. Organise a Hen Do (31.3.23)

474. See the Royal Crescent (1.4.23)

475. Go to the Jane Austen Centre (1.4.23)

Let me know in the comments what is on your bucket list ❤️

xxxxxxxxxx

Goodreads Challenge 2023: Part 2 :)

This year my Goodreads challenge is to read 50 books which seems like a lot but I have managed to do it before in 2018 and 2019 so I’m hoping I can do it again and am so far on track! So far this year I’ve managed to read 12 books and 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 so I thought I would do that again this year 🙂

Highway Blue by Ailsa McFarlane- 3/5: Described as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde this short story follows a couple on the run for just over 180 pages so it’s a great book if you’re looking for a quick, interesting story with a bit of a mystery.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott- 3.5/5: After seeing clips from the movie of this book on TikTok I found the book in the works and it was really good 😊 It reminded me of The Fault in Our Stars which I really enjoyed when I read it quite a few years ago. Be warned that you will probably cry at one point reading this book but it is a cute romance.

Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan- 4/5: I had downloaded this book onto my kindle AGES ago and never got round to reading it but after borrowing the 4th book in the series from my friend without realising and really enjoying it I then rediscovered the series on my kindle and wanted to start the story from the beginning 🙂 This book is really charming and is the perfect holiday rom-com 🙂 Whilst reading this book you will crave fish and chips, cakes and bread so be warned and have a snack ready 🙂 You will also want to move to Mount Polbearne and adopt a puffin 😛

The Humans by Matt Haig- 4/5: My Mum read this book while we were in Barbados and I would often hear her giggling to herself whilst reading so while writing myself a tbr list for this year I added this book also because I have enjoyed all of the Matt Haig books that I had read previously 🙂 This book is typical Matt Haig in that you will laugh and cry within the span of 5 minutes and it really makes you think as well 🙂

A Man called Ove by Fredrick Backman- 4.5/5: This was another book that was on my Mums kindle that I had been wanting to read off her recommendation so when I borrowed it to read The Humans I then read this one and I was not disappointed 🙂 This is another book that will have you laughing one minute and nearly crying in the next but is so worth it 🙂 It has also been made into a film that I’m very excited to watch although I do think it will be very emotional!

An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn- 4/5: I have read the first two Bridgeton books and really enjoyed them so have been waiting to read the next one in the series but have been ushered along by the fact that the new TV series is hopefully coming out soon! Although the TV series is skipping this book and moving onto Colin and Penelopes story I really wanted to read the series in order so this was the next in like which is the story of Benedict and Sophie. Its a Cinderella type story with a class division trope however I will give an SA theme warning for near the start of the book.

Let me know in the comments what books you’ve been read so far this year

xxxxxxxxxx

Amazon and Charity Shop Book Haul :)

On the 20th of February my Nan and I went shopping in a few local Charity shops which was so so much fun 🙂 I ended up buying about 10 books that day with a mix of murder mystery and rom coms! I always love shopping in charity shops for books because often you can find really good books and I love the idea of giving them a second life and they are also a lot cheaper than buying them firsthand.

These were all of my murder mystery books that I found in the charity shops and I’m so excited! I love a murder mystery and these are the ones that caught my attention 😊 I already have the 1st book in the Rivers of London series which is followed by Moon ofer Soho ❤️ The holiday, The Other woman and One Perfect Morning all reminded me of Liane Moriarty books

These are all of the Ron-Com books that I found whilst in the charity chops- I have always been fascinated with the Northern Lights so thought it would be really interesting to read a book around that theme 😊 Lessons in Chemistry I have heard a lot about so had to pick it up when I spotted it ❤️

These are all of the books that I ordered from Amazon as they have all been on my list of books to buy for a while so ended up doing a big book haul on my kindle and also physical books as well ❤️

Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these books 😊

xxxxxxxxxx

Theatre Programmes Pt 4 😊

I absolutely love Musicals and concerts and always buy a programme whenever I go so I thought I would update my last three Theatre Programme collections with the shows and concerts that I have seen since as I have been lucky enough to see quite a few 😊

1. This is my programme from when I went to see Little Mix during their Confetti tour and was actually at their 2nd to last night of tour at the o2 in London ❤️ I went with my friend Hannah and it was so so good 😊

2. This is my programme from when I went to West End Live with my Mum at Trafalgar square 😊 This was my 4th time going to West End Live and I always love it and use it as a way to decide what shows to see that year.

3. This is my programme from when I went to see Frozen with my Mum as part of my 25th birthday celebrations. It’s such a good show with amazing costumes and set and the cast was incredible 😊 My favourite song: I think my favourite song would have to be Monster or What do you know about love 😊 Any celebrities in the cast. The show had Samantha Barks playing Elsa who had such a fantastic voice and also Oliver Ormson as Hans.

4. This is my programme from Ed Sheehan’s Mathematics tour which was another part of my 25th birthday celebrations. He played lots of his popular songs and everyone was up and dancing and singing along 😊 His two support acts were Dylan and Maisie Peters who are two artists that I also love.

5. This is my programme from when I went to see Moulin Rouge with my Mum and her friend Ellie- the show is so so good! The set is so cool and feels interactive as there is a pre-show and so you feel like you immediately walk into Paris 😊 Favourite song: I think my favourite song was the Elephant Love Medley. Any celebrities in the cast? Not that I know of.

6. This is my programme from when my Mum and I went to see The Lion King which was so good! I saw this show back when I was like 11 years old so it was so nice to see it again 😊 Favourite song: I think my favourite song is He lives in you Any celebrities in the show? Not that I know of.

Let me know in the comments if you have any theatre programmes 😊

xxxxxxxxxx

New Year’s resolutions 2022 recap 😊

I realise this post is a little but late however I always take a little break from blogging in January but still wanted to look back at my 2022 resolutions and share my progress with you guys 🙂 I always love writing New Years Resolutions/goals and try and work through them throughout the year but sometimes it doesn’t work out however I did manage to finish some of my New Years Resolutions last year 😊

1. Read 2 books a month: I actually managed to read 42 books last year instead of 24 so managed to majorly surpass my goal which is pretty cool 😊 I have actually upped my reading goal to 50 books for the coming year 🙂 Some of my favourite books that I read last year include: Carrie Soto is back, Where the Crawdads Sing, Book Lovers and With This Kiss.

2,3 and 4. 2000 followers on my blog, 50,000 views and post 6 times a month: These ones I didn’t actually complete because I have been back at my full time job this year which has taken up a lot of my time but I’m hoping to reach them pretty soon and have included them in my 2023 resolutions 🙂 Thank you to everyone that follows, likes or reads one of my posts 🙂

5, 6+7: Have a pamper evening once a week, drink 2000ml of water per day and make more time for self care: This past year I have been for a few spa days with my Mum which were all so lovely and then have really tried to work on my skincare routine and also drinking more water which I think has gone pretty well 🙂

8. Post on Instagram more: I have actually posted on Instagram lots this past year as I was also posting regularly on Mayas Instagram as well which was a lot of fun 😊

9. Do something nice for Maya once a week: I actually surpassed this goal and I spent a lot of time with Maya in the past year through taking her to our caravan by the beach quite a few times and celebrating birthdays and Christmas and taking her to Brighton as well 😊

10. Cook something once a week: I definitely cooked more than once a week because throughout this year we have received Hello Fresh parcels which include 3 different meals to cook which has been so much fun and is my responsibility in the house so I am cooking about 3 times a week 😊 let me know in the comments if you guys are interested in my sharing some of my favourite hello fresh recipies.

11. Reach 450 on my bucket list: I actually managed this pretty easily due to travelling a few times this past year and going to lots of concerts and theatre shows which has been so much fun 😊

12. Go to 5 theatre shows: I actually went to a lot of theatre shows this past year…… ooops! I went to both MusicalCon and West End Live but also to 14 individual shows which included: Frozen, Lion King, &Juliet, Choir of Man, Bring It On, Hex, Jersey Boys, Tina, Drifters Girl, Les Mis, Moulin Rouge and a few more 😊

13. Write a letter to my 30 year old self: I actually did this just after my 25 birthday which was a lot of fun!! I think in maybe 2 years time I might look back at this post and see how my life has panned out compared to the post and see what has changed 😊 I always find these letters to future selves so interesting 😊

14. Dye my hair: I started 2022 with blonde hair and ended it with Red hair but in between I actually had a bit of a mix of the two which was a lot of fun 😊 in March I dyed my hair the mix of red and blonde and then in December I dyed my hair fully red ❤️

15. 365 project: I actually completed my 365 project which I found so much fun 😊 It gave me such a good excuse to make memories and document them and take more photos 😊

16. Travel somewhere: I actually travelled to a few places this past year including: Brussels + Bruges, Barbados, Edinburgh and Oxford 😊 I’d only ever been to Oxford before so it was amazing to explore the other new places and I had some absolutely amazing experiences 😊

16. Make Monthly Playlists: I actually really really enjoyed doing this! I managed to make a playlist of at least ten songs from each month of the year which was so fun and a great way to remember the year 😊

17. Watch all of the Marvel Projects released in 2022: I am a big Marvel nerd so I always watch all of the new releases which last year included: MoonKnight, Ms Marvel and She Hulk on Disney+ and then Thor Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness and Black Panther Wakanda Forever 😊 I think my favourite of this list were She Hulk, MoonKnight and Doctor Strange Multiverse of madness 😊

There are also a few more resolutions that I have worked towards that aren’t included in this list which are: Save Money and Declutter and organise my room 🙂 Another resolutions that I had was to reach 75 things on my 1001 things list however I haven’t actually updated that list in a while so there may be some stuff that I have completed but just haven’t written down. The final resolution on my list was to do some sort of workout twice a week but I will admit to failing miserably at it.

I have written down all of my resolutions for 2023 and have been slowly but surely working my way through them so far 🙂

Let me know in the comments what your resolutions are for this year 🙂

xxxxxxxxxx

New Years Resolutions for 2023 :)

1. Read 30 books in the year
2. Post on my blog once a week
3. Go to 5 Theatre shows
4. Reach 500 on my bucket list
5. Do something nice for Maya once a week
6. De-clutter and organise- 1 part of my room a month
7. 365 project
8. Make monthly playlists
9. Reach 50,000 views
10. Cook something once a week
11. Post on Instagram twice a week
12. Travel Somewhere
13. Watch all of the Marvel projects in 2023
14. 2000 followers on my blog
15. Save Money
16. Complete my assignments for college and be on track
17. Get back into Yoga/a workout routine
18. Spa Day!!
19. Develop a good skincare routine
20. Get to 75 on my 101 things to do
21. Write down one thing I’m grateful for every week
22. Grow Something
23. Buy myself a new laptop for my new role at work 🙂

Let me know in the comments what your New Years resolutions are 🙂

xxxxxxxxxx

GoodReads Challenge 2022 Part 7 :)

My goal for 2022 was to read 24 books this year which correlates to 2 books a month however I actually ended up reading 42 books by the end of the year which is absolutely incredible and I’m shocked and pleased by how many books I have actually managed to read!

The Lido by Libby Page- 9/10: I read this book whilst on holiday in Barbados and I absolutely loved it 🙂 This is the second book by Libby Page that I have read and I really enjoy her books 🙂 This book definitely tugged on my heartstrings and it was really funny reading a book about a pool whilst sitting in front of the pool 🙂 The two main characters are so cool and I love their friendship and all of the other side characters as well 🙂

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – 8/10: This is the second book in the Inheritance Games trilogy and I think this was my least favourite of the three books however I did still really enjoy it 🙂 This book I also read while in Barbados and it was the last book I read whilst on holiday 🙂

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes- 9/10: I read this book on the flight back from Barbados and in the two days after I got back and i absolutely loved it 🙂 I think this book might have been one of my favourites of the three books HOWEVER I do feel like you really had to concentrate as there were several storylines converging at once.

Beach Read by Emily Henry- 8/10: This is the third book that I’ve read by Emily Henry and I feel like its actually my least favourite of all of her books so far but I did still enjoy it 🙂 There were some components that I wasn’t too fond of but overall its a very cute romance book and I also love the literary work element to her books 🙂

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone- 8/10: I really like the few Julie Murphy books that I have read so far so I was excited to see that she was writing a Christmas book. Pre-warning this book is Spicy so definitely not for everyone but it was good and there were definitely some cute parts 😊

Just for December by Laura Jane Williams- 9/10: I have read a few of Laura Jane Williams books and I absolutely love them 😊 they are always very cute Rom-coms and the added element of Christmas makes for an amazing book 😊 I also love an enemies to lovers trope.

Let me know in the comments what books you have been reading recently 🙂