My Christmas Gift Wrapping 2019

I’ve done this post every year for a couple of years now. With sustainability becoming so important, I wanted to aim to be a bit more caring to the environment. I decided I wanted to give recyclable brown wrapping paper a go. It took me a while to find some, but I spotted these in Sainsbury’s for a good price. I bought my Mum some similar from B&M so it’s just a matter of testing the quality from different shops.

I wanted to add a bit of style into my wrapping, these patterned papers I found around Christmas last year, and thought they would look nice against a plain brown paper. I noticed a good deal on some glitter washi tape in B&M, and thought they would make things very jazzy. Gift bags are eco-friendly because they can be used over and over, and these three from Wilko are lovely.

What are your gift wrapping ideas for this year?

Let me know if you have any eco-friendly wrapping tips for me! :-) Xx

What I Bought:

Sainsbury's

Recyclable brown paper 5m £1.00 (x 2)

Home Bargains

Polka dot design brown paper 3m gift wrap £0.99

Glitter stars design brown paper 3m gift wrap £0.99

Glitter tree design brown paper 3m gift wrap £0.99

Wilkinsons

(3 for 2 offer)

Luxe sparkle gift bag medium £1.00 

Luxe sparkle gift bag large £1.50 

Midwinter gift bag large £1.50

B&M

Glitter rainbow washi tape pack £1.99

Recent Reads Reviewed #19

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin - 5/5

The story of Sarah, the characters she meets while in Paris and the bookshop swap between her and Sophie really drew me in. There was a real emphasis on the beauty of literature and books throughout, and some really lovely poetic verses. I’ve never been to Paris but from the descriptions of the city in this, I felt like I was there for myself. A rollercoaster of tense, romantic and sugary sweet moments; I thoroughly enjoyed this addictive, escapist read.

Dressage (Usborne Riding School) by Gill Harvey - 5/5

I noticed this book on a shelf at the library and on the whim of enjoying horse riding in the past I decided to pick it up. I used to go horse riding a few years back, I did a bit of trekking on the local beach in a group as well as a few private lessons to improve my skills. I’ve not had dressage training but I was quite inquisitive to learn a bit about it.

This book was a perfect introduction and I surprised myself with how much I learnt. The book covers key terms, tricks and tips as well as diagrams and photos to explain. When I watch dressage on the TV, I feel like I would now have more insight into the sport. Overall it was a very interesting and inspiring read that I would recommend!

The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts - 5/5

The story focuses on Ambrose the cat, who is in danger of losing his ninth and final life, makes a deal with his creator. Ambrose meets his new owner Zach and encourages a romance with pet store assistant Merilee, as a couple they are lovely and together Ambrose hopes for a happy ninth life as a family.

The chapters from the cat’s point of view were really good fun, and it made me want a cat of my own. The concept of this book, and the way the author wrote about cats worked well. I couldn’t fault the story in any way, it was a lovely, warm hearted Christmas read.

The Oxford Treasury of Christmas Poems by Michael Harrison - 3/5

I was looking for some light reading to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas and I was successful with this collection of poems. Aimed at children but also appropriate for adults, they cover the religious side of Christmas with some traditional poems as well some more festive and seasonal.

The quality of poems varied a little, I think maybe some were written by children but I found many had a lovely sentiment to them. My favourites were the classics such as The Twelve Days of Christmas which brought back childhood memories of singing. I give this book 3/5 because while I enjoyed reading it, some poems were better than others.

An English Boy in New York by T.S. Easton - 5/5

This was one of my favourite and most memorable reads of 2018. It’s actually the second book in the series, and although I’ve not read the first book, it can be read as a standalone. We follow Ben who has been invited to New York for a knitting convention. He absolutely loves knitting, and is excited to take along his girlfriend for a trip of a lifetime. Unfortunately she pulls out, and he ends up taking his unreliable friend, Gex. I found this book highly inventive, original and laugh out loud funny. I intend to lend out the first book from the library, Boys Don’t Knit sometime soon.

Thrifty Ways For Modern Days by Martin Lewis - 5/5

This was a very insightful book full of tips to help readers become thriftier in every aspect of their lives. My favourite chapters include growing your own, clothing, gifts, and Christmas. I came away inspired to be inventive with living better for less. I might reread this one sometime soon, as I’ve been getting more into sustainability since I first read it.

There's Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber - 4/5

Every year around December time, the past couple of years I’ve read a Debbie Macomber book. All her books are pure escapism and I have a soft spot for the Christmas themed ones. There are two stories in this collection, which were both enjoyable reads. In the first story we follow journalist, Emma who is assigned to interview the finalists in a Christmas cake contest. Along the way she meets pilot, Oliver who gives her a ride to her destination in a helicopter. The romance is fun and flirty, and I would recommend it. The second story was much shorter and was about a touching Christmas miracle which I found quite sweet.

Do you like Christmas fiction too?

Which of these reads interested you the most? :-) Xx

Collective Winter Haul

Hope you are all doing well. Today’s post is quite exciting, as I have a collective haul of some cosy bits I’ve been accumulating over the autumn months ready for a cold winter.

I’ve already started wearing the cosy slippers, and I can say they are one of the most comfy pairs I’ve ever owned. It was a bit of a splurge because I don’t normally spend that much money of slippers, but I’m hoping they will last me a bit longer. I managed to pick up another pair of pyjama bottoms, I was so short of them earlier in the year, as all my current pairs were falling apart. These ones are quite festive!

I was delighted with these Poundland cosy socks, the quality is excellent, and adore the ombre and glitter designs. If you are looking for thermal socks, B&M have some beautiful pairs, and they are literally so so soft and warm. I got some new toiletries too, which I will be doing reviews of at some point.

What I Bought:

M&S

Super cosy slippers £17.50

Brushed cotton checked pyjama bottoms £15

B&M

Bright coloured thermal socks 3pk £4.00

Poundland

Ombre and glitter cosy socks 2pk £2.00

Co-op

Co-op cruelty-free shampoo £1.95

Co-op cruelty-free conditioner £1.95

Home Bargains

Imperial Leather cosmic unicorn bubble bath £0.89

Imperial Leather cosmic unicorn shower gel £0.85

Have I given you any Christmas gift ideas?

Do you have a favourite item from this post? :-) Xx

Winter Baking: Special Baked Granola

Hope you are all well. Today I’m back with a simple, delicious recipe that’s perfect for this time of year. It’s a recipe I’ve adapted slightly from one I found in my Easy, Peasy Sweetie Pie baking book by Mary Contini.

The original recipe is called crunchy munchies, with includes rolled oats, desiccated coconut, nuts, seeds, sultanas, sunflower oil and honey. I added all of these except the honey, and felt it was not necessarily needed if you didn’t have it in the cupboard, or wanted something less sweet. I added a few choc chips instead.

Basically mix all the ingredients together in a bowl except the sultanas, and then spread the mixture evenly onto a lined baking tray and place in a preheated oven. Add the sultanas afterwards, and voila!

We had this with yogurt, which worked nicely. It can also be used as a crumble topping, which I’m keen to try as I think the desiccated coconut would add something different to the taste. It keeps well in an airtight container, so you can have a bit at a time too.

A copy of the recipe is here, if you want to know the specifics for making it yourself. You can also buy the Easy, Peasy Sweetie Pie baking book here.

Have you been baking recently?

Is this a recipe you might like to try for yourself? :-) Xx

Photo Diary | Autumnal Day Out

Hope you are all well. Recently my family and I went to a local museum called Kirkleatham for a morning out. They do all sorts of events, exhibitions and so on throughout the year but we tend to go when it’s quiet, often this time of year or even later. When we got there we were struck by the beautiful colourful, fallen leaves everywhere. It was really scenic, and autumnal; I spent a good while just walking around with my camera. I hope you like my photos from the day. They have a lovely café too, which we visited and a review will up quite soon if you are interested.

Have you been enjoying the autumn scenery near you?

What are your favourite places to visit this time of year? :-) Xx

Photo Diary P2 | Helmsley, North Yorkshire Holiday

Today I’m back with part two of my holiday photo diary. View part one here. In part one I chatted about the things we did on holiday such as going to the national centre for birds of prey. In this post I have a few photos I took of the birds of prey, as well as general arty shots back at the cottage and some ethereal plant shots from the forest which we visited most days.

While at the bird of prey centre, we decided to sign up for the demonstration where we were shown what the birds were like close up, we got to see them fly and how they were trained for the demos. My brother and dad particularly enjoyed this aspect.

In the cottage grounds, there was quite a bit to explore, for example the owner kept horses. There was an old telephone box just next to the cottage, which I found interesting, and I took a few photos of that. I hope you enjoyed this series.

Do you take lots of photographs on holiday too?

Does the national bird of prey centre seem like somewhere you might like to visit? :-) Xx

Recent Reads Reviewed #18

The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas by Carole Matthews - 4/5

This book is perfect to devour over the festive season! The writing was wonderful, and the author really captured the ups and downs of friendship and romance. There were parts of the book that showed some grit and others which were warm and fuzzy so it was unpredictable in that sense.

My few reservations were there were too many characters to keep track of and I felt the number of pages could have been condensed a little too. I’ve never read anything by this author before, although this is actually the third book in a series and therefore I missed a few minor plot elements.

Children played a big part in the story, and this aspect was done in an endearing way. I could see this book being popular with young Mum’s as the family themes throughout were done well. Despite imperfections, I enjoyed this book very much.

The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson - 5/5

Jacqueline Wilson, is an acclaimed British children’s author, and has always been one of my favourites. We follow Andy, a girl who is struggling with her parents’ divorce, and the disruption with living one week with her Mum’s new family, and one week with her Dad’s. The author really captures family dynamics in a realistic way. After rereading a childhood favourite, I found the story just as moving all these years later. Would recommend this book to all.

Trouble According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney - 3/5

Recently, I’ve been interested in reading books about animals, both fiction and non-fiction. I kept a few hamsters as a child; so the cover of this book intrigued me to pick it up. We follow Humphrey, the friendly hamster, who while has a big heart, gets himself into a pickle sometimes. This series I imagine would be great for children, and there’s a strong moral message in this particular book. I did find myself bored with it dragging in places, but otherwise, it was quite readable.

Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson - 5/5

I had so much fun reading this book, and I resonated with Becca’s point of view. The humour was absolutely excellent, really quirky and witty, I had a big smile plastered across my face while reading her jokes. The author touched on some really important subjects too such as mental health, and the difficulties of losing a family member in a very considered way. I thought the story would be fluffy chick lit, but this book was so much more than that. It’s about hope, redemption and the importance of family. This book truly captured my heart.

The Heir by Kiera Cass (The Selection #4) - 4/5

I completed The Selection series earlier this year, and this is the second to last book in the trilogy. While I have been thoroughly enjoying reading The Selection, I felt the last two books didn’t quite live up to the first three.

We follow America, in the first few books, as she enters a competition to become a princess in a dystopian world. I would most definitely recommend the series, and you can buy the complete set discounted in The Works if you are interested.

Paper Girls (Paper Girls #1) by Brian K. Vaughan - 5/5

The Paper Girls series has ignited my passion for graphic novels and the first episode did not disappoint. The vivid, ombre colour palette, and graphic illustrations are simply superb. The story of a dystopian world offers lots of twists and turns. A read I can’t recommend enough.

Dewey: The True Story of a World Famous Library Cat by Vicki Myron - 5/5

I picked this up thinking it would be one of those ‘filler’ type books for me. You know the one in between more intense, exciting reads where you want something a bit light-weight. Going into this with those expectations, I soon realised, this was an incredible, engaging and emotional read about a stray cat who found a new home in a library.

The relationship between Vicki, the cat owner and Dewey the cat touched my heart. The love for Dewey, at the library, was beautifully written. I’m definitely an animal person, and this is one of my all-time favourite animal themed reads. Maybe one of my top reads from 2019.

Have you read any festive reads recently?

Do you enjoy animal related books too? :-) Xx