Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag 2018

Hi everyone! There are a few book tags that I have been wanting to do, so here is the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag!

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2018: 

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, an amazing read and I ended up reading the trilogy really quickly altogether!

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2018:

I haven’t actually read very many sequels this year but I did enjoy Death Note Black Edition Volume 4, it made me want to read the next book straight away which is always a good sign!

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to:

It’s not actually out yet but I really want to read Vengeful by V. E. Schwab, the sequel to Vicious. Vicious left on an interesting

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

The same answer as above.

5. Biggest disappointment:
Bookish Boyfriends. The concept was really interesting but I didn’t like how it was written.

6. Biggest surprise:

I was actually surprised with how much I have enjoyed contemporary romances, including The Dating Debate and The Rules of Rebellion.

Blog/Life Update

Hi everyone! I feel like I have a lot to tell you about so I wanted to do an update post!

Book Reveals

So for the past few weeks I have been sharing book reveals for upcoming books or re-releases and although I love supporting authors, I have decided to stop doing these. They take up a lot of time and I want to dedicate more time to my creative writing.

Creative Writing

I have wanted to be an author for a long time. I have tried finishing a book before and have yet to accomplish that but I want to keep trying! I was posting chapters on Wattpad but I decided to come off of there because I didn’t want to be thinking about how many views I was getting instead of the love for my story and working on finishing and improving it. I would also like to write more poems and short stories. I was trying to work out where to publish these and I think that I will submit to magazines and writing competitions but also post some of my work on my blog. I have a few creative writing books that I am working through at the moment (see my Instagram for the picture!). For a long time my writing motivation and inspiration disappeared and I feel that it is now starting to come back. I am hoping to stop it going away again! If you have any advice on how to prevent this let me know! I think that doing little writing exercises often might help.

Blog Posts

I haven’t been finishing many books lately but I recently had my birthday and I got some new books! I really want to get back into reading and posting book reviews because I love it so much. I am aiming to get into a routine which implements regular reading because I have been spending a lot of time on my blog and social media. I also want to post some small creative writing pieces and then just anything that I want to write about, such as mental health and writing.

Routine

I have an idea of a routine which includes working on my blog, writing, reading and then also playing games and possibly creating crafts and art. I have tried many different art forms in the past so I can never decide what to do! What kind of arts or crafts do you like?

I hope that you are all well and that you continue to enjoy my blog. Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter, as well as Instagram too.

Your Mind Is A Muscle, So Create That Mental Strength Inside!

We all wish that from time to time we didn't have so much stress and anxiety

in our lives, that it could all just go away so we can finally relax. But instead, let's view it from another perspective. Instead of wishing this stress and anxiety would go away, can you think of how you can better cope with it? This is all about developing mental strength, rather than wishing everything away, which is a negative mindset. Developing mental strength is something we should all do, no matter how strong or weak we perceive ourselves to be. But how can you give your brain a workout needed to build this mental muscle?

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Our comfort zone is that invisible barrier we hold between ourselves and the world. Getting out of this is something we all fear, but by gradually stepping outside of it, and feeling a sense of discomfort, we can get the sense that we've achieved something, as it's something we are afraid of. By doing one thing every day that makes you feel uncomfortable, or it's something you find immensely difficult, the feeling of self-satisfaction is unlike any other.

Change Your Perspective

We could easily play the victim in life. A negative mindset is a death sentence for a lot of us. We can let people push us over constantly in life, which means we constantly get injured, either physically or mentally, and we view this as the norm. Instead, we could get help after an injury, or we could look for the reasons why we view things the way we do. A negative mindset isn't something that can be changed overnight, but with the determination to change your interior monologue from self-effacing, or self-damaging comments, to more positive ones, the benefit can be felt in every aspect of your life.

Make Things Easier For You

It's not about overcoming every single obstacle if you want to be a success in life. You can change your surroundings so they benefit you better. For example, if you are prone to indulging in junk food, which in turn, has an effect on your health, simply remove the junk food from the cupboards! It's not just about working hard, it's about working smart. And by providing these little bits of help along the way, it is keeping you on track, and if this means reducing temptation, this isn't cheating! You wouldn't hang around with people in life who are bad for you, and it's exactly the same process when understanding what's good for your day to day living.

Building this mental strength requires determination, focus, and a desire to succeed. As a result, it's something that takes a lot of energy to maintain. But by working out your brain as you would work out your muscles, you develop resilience, and an ability to tackle the problem better next time. Your mind is like a muscle, and if you want it to function optimally, you have to put some stress on it.


This is a collaborative post and it may contain some affiliate links

Wicked Uncle Big Kidz Range Review

Wicked Uncle are an established company of children’s presents who have recently introduced a new range for adults. I was fortunate enough to receive some products from Wicked Uncle’s new big kidz range. These include items varying from lighting, games and useful gifts. I ordered two products:

Sun Jar

This is a solar light in a jar. I placed it on the window sill and it charged up during the day and then produced a lovely glowing purple light in the dark. It uses a rechargeable battery which came with the light.

Emoji Light Box

This is a little display that comes with emojis and letters. I am using it for photos for my blog and Instagram and to display quotes. It uses 6 AA batteries which you need to supply. It can stand up or be laid down for photos. I found this light box to be the perfect size for me; there is enough room to insert a few words in letters or a few sentences in emojis and it is compact enough to not take up too much space in your office or room.







Wicked Uncle really excelled with their customer service, they were friendly, informative and fast throughout. I received the delivery quickly and the products were amazing. I have really enjoyed using them so far. I would definitely recommend Wicked Uncle’s big kidz range.


Did you know Wicked Uncle also has a USA website? Click here to find out more.

*These products were sent to me in exchange for an honest review

bakerdays Personalised Birthday Cake Review

I recently had a birthday and bakerdays were lovely enough to send me a personalised birthday cake! They offer a range of flavours and I asked for chocolate chip. 

The cake came in time for my birthday in a small box that can fit through some letterboxes. When I opened the box, I was greeted by a beautiful tin. This cake is the small version and it is big enough for a couple of people.