Book Review August 2020! Love Me Not by M.J. Arlidge

Hello and welcome! Today I am writing another book review. This is my third one I have completed as I wrote two a couple of weeks ago, on this site: Summer 2020 Book review – Thursdays in the park

And one on my other blog site Everyone Can Build a Castle, https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com/2020/07/18/sell-or-to-be-sold-by-grant-cardone/

The book I am reviewing today is called Love Me Not by M.J.Arlidge, and is about a teenage girl called Daisy who goes on the rampage, killing all the people that she felt let have her down in her life.

It takes Helen who is a Police Officer a lot of time to find the person who was killing people like Sonia, a guy who happened to be the killer’s father and her so-called boyfriend Jason Swift.

It was so easy to read and not a lot of chapter per page per and was easy to keep track of the story and very gripping. I think I can see this being made into a TV series as was a really good book.

If I had to rate it I would give it 5 stars without a shadow of doubt, and would like to read more of the author’s books written, as this one was a hit.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

My 10 favourite things

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Hello and welcome to my new Everyday Living blog. In this post I am sharing My 10 Favourite things:

  1. Notebooks, and in fact as I wanted to make myself feel better as I had a bit of a scare on Monday bought a new one from Paperchase, which is my favourite store and love it. Check out my parenting blog where I share my story about what happened on Monday whilst taking my son out for the day. https://theparentingadventurestipsandtricks.wordpress.com/2020/08/04/when-kids-run-off-and-children-go-missing/   

 

I love a notebook because there are so many lovely ones out there          along with different planners, to the point that I could buy a new            one everyday if I could.

2. My daily habits of self care, having breakfast and a cup of tea                   before I begin my day. I can’t start without these things and look             forward to them.

3. Reading my book in the park. I have recently got back into                         reading a book again, as I will often read loads and then take a                 break, so I am glad to be back into it again, as so far I have read               some really good books and looking forward to reading more.                 Check out my last book review I did.

Summer 2020 Book review – Thursdays in the park

4. Walking along the river. I love doing this especially during the                 summer and will walk many places like my newly discovered                   route, the Wandle River in Wimbledon, Kingston to Richmond and         up London, and around Barnes and Mortlake

5. Watching Youtube. I shared last week in many of my blogs I write           about which channels I liked to watch, and I watch Youtube more           than TV now and wouldn’t go a day without it.

https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com/2020/07/29/some-youtube-favourites-i-like-to-watch-for-inspiration-and-growth/

https://newsletterthoughtsandadvicefortheweek.blogspot.com/2020/07/why-i-love-youtube.html

6. Taking my son to different places and parks, for a walk and play,            and getting a load of fresh air seems to suit both of us, and breaks          up the day when we do.

7. Using stickers in my planners and watching planner videos on                Youtube. Jazzing up my planners really helps me to look at them              and check them for things I need to do and any special days and              events coming up.

Above are some new ones I ordered from Amazon and is mainly where I go to order stickers for my planners aswell as Etsy.

8. Writing in my journals, it just helps clear the mind and gain                     perspective of things that have happened or what I am wishing               for and wanting to do in my life.

All my journals I am using so far,  and each one is for a different purpose, achievement bullet journal, Writing journal,  my everythings journal (where I share my most secretive thoughts about things happening in my life), my happy journal where I write down all the good things that I want to remember, fitness journal, my weekly wellness journal and my gratitude journal.

9. Exercising. I like it when I can work out indoors and go for long               walks. Training indoors has been tricky with my son being on                   school holidays but I still try to fit it in where possible.

10. Watching Would I like to you, a UK game show where they have       to tell tales and each team has to guess if they are telling the truth           or a lie. Very funny show and I love it.

So they are my 10 favourite things. Please tell me what your 10 favourite things are. You can leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

Happy days and Mondays

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Hello again, it is Monday and time for all systems go again.

The summer holidays doesn’t have to feel like a chore but to be enjoyed and embraced by everyone, and that means some good days out and activities that everyone can enjoy.

Please check out my parenting blog I wrote about,

Games and toys that kids love to play with

The summer holidays doesn’t have to be about the kids, but time for yourself too, and if you are like me get some free time, then use this time to have some days out just for yourself.

Sadly I was due to see Aerosmith this year but of course due to COVID it has been cancelled but why not sit out in the garden playing some tunes and have people round for a BBQ, of course following the social distancing rules.

Set up a time to zoom your friends and family with a drink of some kind catching up with each other.

I like to spend time walking and reading my book in one of my local parks. On Saturday I had a day just enjoying my time indoors because often when I go out I end up spending money which I didn’t want to do this weekend, so just took it easy.

Why not if you like me don’t always get to watch any TV, have a day catching up, and schedule it like you would when planning physical activities and errands. I think having that time to yourself to be so important and something you should make time for.

If you like cooking then why not make yourself your favourite meal that you don’t always get to do during the time when you have to take care of everyone else.

Take yourself off to the seaside and have a paddle and an ice cream that you can eat without your child wanting some aswell as their own ice cream.

Spend time in the garden, if you have one, doing a grown up puzzle or at the moment I have gotten back into doing wordsearches or playing Solitaire on my phone.

Walk along the river and have a picnic with friends or go for a pub lunch again or grab a quick drink whilst looking out to the sea.

If you are not confident about going aboard just yet due to the pandemic, then there are still plenty of things to do in the UK and still enjoy the sunshine, like sitting in a park or hanging out by the river.
I find when I am near water I feel very calm and at peace with myself.

So lets enjoy the summer and feel blessed when we have happy days and mondays, rather than dreading them.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

 

I love days indoors/how to chill out

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So yesterday I decided to have a day indoors and I loved it, because I got to catch up on some TV including watching the FA Cup final, and had a lie in which is very rare since becoming a parent and most mornings have to get up early to entertain my 6 year old son, so yesterday morning was a blessing.

I find when I do go out I end up spending money and just wanted a break from having to go out and do errands, and got to put them aside to catch up on bits indoors.

I think it is important to have days of not necessarily doing to do lists and be free to do whatever I want, as it helps me make the most of my time and just chill.

We can so often get bogged down with having to wash clothes, wash up and have to rush a cup of tea or coffee. It’s so lovely to have that time to just take it easy.

I love days indoors because that is when I can listen to music whilst working on the computer and rest for a bit longer in bed if I want to. I find when it is too hot I can’t relax outside because I can get very hot and bothered and so its nice to be in a cool room away from the heat and do whatever I choose.

Now I have most weekends to myself I appreciate my free time more and knowing how to chill out for once is great for catching up on TV, read a book or watch some Youtube without interruption from my little dude wanting some attention.

As a mum it is so important to make time for yourself as being a mum can be a struggle on some days and you just want to be able to sit back and have a bath without your name “mum” being called from the otherside of the door.

Time is precious and lets face it are we really going to be remembered for washing clothes early in the morning without a cup of coffee first or doing a speed clean around the house? Not really, life is about living and that is exactly what I intend to do and have that lovely time to myself.

So lets enjoy our weekend before it is all go again on Monday.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

Keep safe this summer

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Hello and welcome to a new blog on Carries Everyday Living.

In this post I am sharing some tips on how to keep safe this summer.

  1. The most obvious one, keep a mask with you as you now have to wear them in shops and is compulsory, and make sure you sanitise your hands before and after being in a store, and clean baskets or trolleys before using them
  2. Have kids wearing clear and bright clothing. I have added this tip to some of my posts on my parenting blog, and is a great way to keep tabs of your kids when in a park or a holiday resort and there are now smartwatches for kids and then you download an APP and gives maps and picture of your child and where they are
  3. All belongings should not be put in a back pocket or an unzipped pocket, because of pick pockets hanging around, especially in places like towns of shops as unfortunately that’s where they are likely to be and I have had this happen to me once when a bag I had was not closed properly
  4. Don’t carry too much cash with you but have your cards with you sealed from temptation, and there are now those who can scan your bag with a device and still hack into your personal details. So my tip is to put it into a separate card holder at the bottom of the bag so it will be difficult from those who hack into peoples details from doing so and there are card holders which I like hard cases and can stop this scanning of your details from happening
  5. Where sunscreen as even when it is windy can be deceiving and where you are most likely to get burned and please especially make sure your kids are covered as they can burn quite easily and become too hot, so have them wear hats and plenty of suncream and if a baby or toddler try keeping them in the shade a much as possible
  6. If you are into exercise and want to exercise outdoors or at home then have windows open with plenty of air and drink plenty of water and try exercising in cooler times of the day, so mainly in the mornings where it can be a lot cooler and if running in the heat put vaseline on your feet as this can help prevent blisters. Try to avoid just wearing your trainers with no socks as they can easily rub, so if possible please where running socks to stop any blisters from occurring with your trainers
  7. Avoid bouncy castles as I know they are fun but can burst in the heat and this happened a few summers ago and killed a little girl who was on the bouncy castle at the time. If you have bouncy castle then where possible have it in the shade rather than where it is can attract the sunlight and is a lot safer to use
  8. Glass tables. We had one of these tables and was okay because where it was situated it could be quite shady, however in coming across a headline about these tables being recalled, some people who bought these types of tables the glass broke because of the heat of the sun and because when glass gets too hot can break, and this happened in our kitchen once when a glass tumbler was on the draining board, and because it was in a place direct in the sun got too hot and smashed.
  9. Pets. Avoid taking them out in the daytime when the ground can be really hot and cause their paws from being sore if walking on really hot ground. Never leave pets in a car locked with no air as they can die when it too much hot, and the same with kids, never leave a child or pet in a very hot car as it can be fatal if you do and can take minutes if not careful for them to overheat
  10. Make sure kids are wearing shoes and not barefeet when walking on concrete if on holiday or in parks as the ground can be very hot and they can burn their feet. If in sand it is ok usually but not on hard services like concrete.

When on holiday remember to keep following the social distancing rules when out and about and to wash your hands throughout the day to keep you and everyone safe.

I wish you have very happy Saturday, and I will post on this site again tomorrow, so many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

Visiting Whipsnade Zoo

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Hello and welcome to another Everyday living post and today I am sharing our trip (my mum,  my son and relatives and I) trip to Whipsnade Zoo, in Dunstable.

This was my very first trip to this zoo, before it has either been Chessington Zoo, London Zoo and Battersea Park zoo, so this was all new to me in visiting this zoo in Dunstable.

Now you didn’t need to wear masks when walking around the zoo, but when it came to seeing the bear, wild boars, tigers and penguins you did have to queue up practicing social distancing to see these, but it still was a brilliant place to visit.

Seeing the elephants was amazing, and we got to see them quite close up. My niece who didn’t think that elephants were real was utterly amazed and made her day, as she got to see a real elephant, and not just one of them, there was about 6 altogether, 2 young elephants and 4 adult elephants.

Now it is quite spread out and so if you like walking then you will love it as it covers a few yards, but you do have the option to drive around the zoo if you aren’t able to walk very far.

They also had giraffes, tigers, a sea lion, little monkeys and animals called Wolverines and they did have a aquarium, but because we didn’t get to do the aquarium or the butterflies till later in our trip, these areas were closed.

We did have to pre-book and you did have to select a time slot, and to visit the gift shop afterwards you had to queue up keeping your distance and then wear mask once you were in there.

When seeing the penguins as you walked up to it, you got to see a fantastic view of the countryside and I couldn’t help but take a picture.

So if you do want to visit then I would recommend it and if want to walk around it make sure you a wearing comfortable non smart footwear as some areas can be quite muddy and mucky along the way.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

The Clothes I love wearing this year

Hello and welcome to my new blog post on Carries Everyday Living. So today I am sharing the clothes I love wearing this year as there are items that I wear a lot of, and so thought I share them with you.

The first item is this top I am wearing today that has leopards on it and is so nice to wear and loose for this time of the year that I have not stopped wearing it, and is one of my favourite pieces that I slip on and feel stylish and comfortable in at the same time.

I rarely where plain tops only a few, so when I buy a top it mostly has to be with a print on it.

It was purchased from Sainsburys and was about £14.00.

I tend to where it with black trousers, which I always think is a staple piece of clothing to have, or leggings.

I do have a considerable amount of pairs, and stock up on leggings whenever I see them on sale.

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The other top I like is this black top that my mum bought me, again I think it was from Sainsbury’s and has elephants and zebras on it. Animals seem to be my theme this year, not planned but I do like these prints and love these sorts of clothes as they hide away my unfavourite area, which is my stomach.

I do own some dresses too, and I have these ones below.  The dress on the left was purchased from Sainsbury’s again and the other one is from New Look.

Sainsbury’s and new look have a great selection and I have been buying a lot more items from Sainsburys since these items were purchased, because they are low in price and so easy and stylish to wear.

I like clothes that have no awkward zips or straps.

Living in a room now as I am living with my mum I don’t have much space, so I only have a few items that I can mix and match and more or less where in every season.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

Summer 2020 Book review – Thursdays in the park

Hello and welcome. It has been a while since I had read a book, as quite often I will read a lot and then spend sometime taking a break between reading books, and I do spend a lot of my time listening to audiobooks now.

Anyway I fancied ready a new novel and discovered this book from a local charity shop and is called “Thursdays in the park”, by Hilary Boyd which is about a lady called Jeanie who turns 60 years old, but starts to fall for a guy she meets in the park, whilst taking her granddaughter Ellie to the park, but she is married to a guy name George, and starts to feel that her marriage is no longer the same as it used to be, and she can’t help but feel guilty after she finds out that her husband, George had been abused as a kid and has a bit of a breakdown.

It was a good story but I wasn’t convinced by the dialogue of the main characters niece who is 2 years old, but was easy to read and had a good story line to it.

I would give the book 8 out of 10.

If you have read this book too and you would like to tell me what you thought of the book then please leave a comment below or if you have any books you would like to recommend to me, then all is welcome.

Anyway going to get on with reading my next book and I will be back with another blog on this site as of tomorrow.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

Visiting the Seaside

Yesterday was our (my son, my mum and I) first trip to the seaside for this year and we still followed the social distancing rules, but got to spend sometime on the beach in Selsey.

Selsey is a lovely little place and has a park nearby for the kids to play and a cafe that sells hot food, ice cream and hot drinks.

There is a town aswell with many little shops and cafes, and many holiday homes and bungalows.

Not far from there you can take short trip to Chichester, Bognor Regis and the other way is towards Portsmouth and further on Southampton.

If you would like to go to somewhere where it is quiet and not that many people then Selsey is a great place to visit and there are few pubs nearby should you want a drink in a seaside town.

There are car parks around which the one we parked at on Friday was a pay and display car park.

We sat by the river whilst my son had a paddle in the sea, and had a picnic and it was just so nice to be near the sea again, as I find it so tranquil and peaceful, that I could have sat there all day.

There are a lot of places that are great to visit such as Arundel and the Arundel Castle, Worthing, littlehampton, Poole and Bournemouth which is a long stretch of beach.

So if you are looking for a place to go then why not take a trip to Selsey and the other places listed as do make a great weekend away or in our case a great day out.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

Third day of the summer holidays

Hello and it is the third day of the Summer holidays and already I am feeling the fatigue that comes with them, trying to do a lot of things whilst entertaining my 6 year old son.

If you are heading up to London, then just to let you all know that some of the attractions, like the London Eye, London Dungeons, the Sealife London Aquarium and the Shrek Adventure are not open yet, and if you need the toilet on your visit to London, via Westminster or London Waterloo then use the ones in the station, as they seem to be the only ones available.

The restaurants along the Southbank in London are open, aswell as many of the bars, and the book stalls under Waterloo Bridge.

The Festival Hall didn’t open until 1pm, and many of the restaurants next to the Festival hall were all closed.

If you are looking to do a boat trip along the river thames up near Westminster to see the many sights then the London City Cruses were on, but all the others were not.

We walked all the way up to Southwark bridge and back, and even though there was little going on this year so far, it was still great to walk along and be by the river.

I will post more of my Summer Holidays experiences as they continue on.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X