Bookish Experience Ideas

 

Reading doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. In my opinion, there are lots of ways to connect with people through the love of books. Here are some of the ideas I have collected…

Support Independent Bookshops

If you are lucky enough to live near one, you could make it a weekly thing and some have cafes. You could also try visiting bookshops on holiday, which I have done in the past.

Buddy Reading

I didn’t even know buddy reading was a thing until I started watching booktube videos. For those of you who don’t know what it is, you pick a book to read at the same time as a friend and share your thoughts as you go along.

Ask for Book Recommendations

You could do this in a library or a bookshop for the experience factor, but online you could try asking your favourite YouTuber or blogger.

Visit Beautiful Libraries

Libraries can be very architecturally beautiful and some are even famous. This could be something you could try to incorporate into a holiday or daytrip. 

Blind Date with a Book

If you are unsure of what this is, you can find pictures on Pinterest, but the idea is to gift wrap a book with some key facts about it on the front. You could make these yourself as a gift or sell them, otherwise search eBay/Etsy for yourself. I’ve already shared my experience here.

Read a Book Aloud

This could be to a younger family member, a spouse or you could volunteer to read to folk in an old people’s home.

Donate used Books to a Charity of your Choice

So, there are two steps to this, the first being to go through your books and decide which ones you don’t want to keep. Then, you can choose where to donate. Maybe you live near some charity shops or you could have a stall at a church fair and donate the profits to a charity that means something to you.

Join a Book Club

This could be face to face or online. I’ve never done this because of my specific tastes but I like the idea of it.

Go to a Book Signing

I feel this would be a cool one to do. They often advertise these events in bookshops, libraries, etc.

Go on a Charity Shop Book Crawl

I have done this in the past and it’s pretty fun going to different charity shops. You’d be surprised about the things people donate; I have picked up some incredible book bargains.

Make your own Bookmarks

I’ve already done this, but I like to be more creative each time. You can use old greetings cards, or paint/collage.

Visit a Library Book Sale

I’ve never been to one of these but would like to try. They sound interesting and I’ve heard books are sold very cheaply.

Let me know which of these you have tried or would like to try!

Do you have any of your own ideas that I have missed? :-) Xx

The Sitting Room Café Review and Tour

Today I’m going to be sharing with you a café located in Saltburn which I visited with my parents at the end of last year. It was a bit of a spur of the moment thing as another café we tried was closed. The feel of The Sitting Room café is definitely trendy, while my parents weren’t sure it was there scene, I personally really enjoyed the visit.

I’ve been a couple of times now and the tea selection is extremely good. On the day I visited with my folks, I had an earl grey tea and shared some buttered toast with my Mum. Both were really tasty, and the presentation of the food and drink was lovely. They had some cakes available which looked promising but I’ve been avoiding any sugary things.

I think this café would appeal to bloggers because it’s a very photogenic place. The cakes tend to vary depending on when you go and their drinks list is impressive. They also open in the evenings if you ever fancy going for a cocktail. The menu is a little pricier but the service is friendly. I would recommend you give the place a try.

Does this café look like a place you would want to try?

What do you normally order when visiting a cafe? :-) Xx

Festive Outing to Star Buds Café & Garden Centre

Hope you are all doing well. Today I wanted to share a family outing. A while back I did a series from our visits to Star Buds Cafe, it’s been sometime, but the day before December we went for a brew and a look at what was on offer in the garden centre. We didn’t plan it but that day they were preparing the Christmas trees ready to be sold. It was actually really interesting observing them, and I got some candid photos with my camera.

We relaxed in the café for a bit and the atmosphere was lovely. I had a freshly made blueberry scone, which was still hot from the oven, and it tasted so good. My Dad always orders a latte, and I was curious to try one for myself, I went for decaffe. It had quite a sophisticated taste and I enjoyed it. Garden centres can be a really good place to go this time of year – we might revisit before Christmas!

Do you like visiting garden centres or cafes?

What are your plans over the festive season? :-) Xx

The Smeltery Restaurant at Mima Review

Following my previous post I wanted to share with you my thoughts on The Smeltery, a stylish restaurant part of the Mima gallery in Middlesbrough providing wholesome food and a great atmosphere. My friend and I were visiting the art exhibitions and we stopped for a bite to eat, I was really excited to try this eatery as I’ve seen some positive reviews on it.

We both had a chick pea, potato and greens salad, which I found unusual and very appetising. I’ve never really had anything like that before so it made a lovely change. The prices were fairly reasonable and the décor was on trend and arty. Overall I would love to go again, particularly to try other things on the menu, they seemed to have some interesting options that I imagine change quite regularly.

I give the restaurant 5/5 stars and would recommend you give it a go if you are in the area. It makes a great afternoon particularly if you check out the Mima art gallery as well which is free. Click here for the official restaurant website and here for the Mima website.

Does this look like a place you would like to visit for a meal?

Have you been anywhere interesting lately? I would love to know! :-) Xx

Review and Tour of Middlesbrough Mima Art Gallery

The Mima, short for Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art is a large art gallery in Middlesbrough centre square. I went with my friend before Christmas, to view the latest exhibitions and have lunch in their restaurant. I enjoy visiting it when I can, and I had a lovely afternoon with my friend. I’ve been a visitor to the Mima for a while now, I used to pop-in more regularly when I was at the local University. It’s probably one of my favourite galleries in the area, the exhibitions are always changing, so you can expect to see new things quite frequently.

The one we saw was full of colour, striking imagery and cheerful pottery. The exhibition spaces are very spacious, and there are many floors with different things being shown. They often have classes, workshops and the occasional craft fair too. I would recommend you visit if you are in the area, it is free entry throughout and there is a restaurant called The Smeltery as you walk in. I will be doing a review of that soon. More info on Mima here.

Do you like to visit art galleries? 

Have you heard of the Mima before? :-) Xx