The Blogger Recognition Award

Hey guys! So I recently got nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by Emma www.believeinbumble.co.uk and Heather mamabefrugal.blogspot.com. So here's my advice and nominees!

Rules

• Write a post showcasing your award
• Give a brief story about how your blog began
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
• Thank whoever nominated you and include a link to their blog
• Nominate fifteen bloggers

How My Blog Began

My blog began after I was put on garden leave from my first job. I used to blog write for a digital marketing agency and I really loved it so once I was jobless, I decided to start up my own blog and this is where I am now! I love my blog and it keeps me sane; if I didn't have it I don't know where I'd be right now. I've made so many friends and found so many new authors.

My Advice

It's about quality not quantity. Write your heart out, spill it all over the internet but don't write posts for the sake of having something on your blog. I messed up and wrote posts that weren't showcasing my skills; I now write quality content when I can about books, interviews and lifestyle. I don't want to churn things out just to have a weekly post up. Make sure you're writing from the heart. If you're in it for the followers and likes, then blogging isn't for you.

Share share share. Make sure you make friends in the blogging community and take part in following other people's blogs and getting to know them. You'll soon build up a network of authors/friends/contacts and they may even help you in the future. I was asked by Alex Owumi if I would participate in a blog tour for his book and I said yes. That post got me more views than any other and I frequently talk to Alex and even wrote a blog post for him. This year, I'm taking on another book tour with him. Contacts are important and not just for views but for friendships too.

Thank you to Emma and Heather once again for nominating me. Here are my nominees:

@AlexOwumi

@hamster_says

@hhniwidamber

@LavraxB

@ejaleigh

@justmominit

@nicoleeblogs

@peachpaaige

@britonabudget1

@medbus97

@BooksNest

@thepatchworkfox

@ruthinrevolt

@RootsWingsBlog

@sophisobel_

So there you go! See you next time, love, Vee x

Poetry Review: An Unapologetic Expression

Hey everyone! I hope you're having a great weekend, whatever you're up to. This week's blog post is a poetry review of TL Rodger's collection, An Unapologetic Expression. I was asked by Rodger's to review the book and as I love reading new poetry, I gladly agreed!

Review

The book is split into six chapters and all the poems are very inspiring and mindful. The author's goal is to inspire others to follow their dreams, no matter what their background is. The chapters include poems about identity, love, death and everything in between. There are even ones about parents and how you don't have to be like them, you can follow your own path, your own destiny.

The book is very short so it's a quick but powerful read. I really enjoyed the poems about following your dreams because I've been re-evaluating my life decisions and what I should do. The poems make me want to do something, be someone. And that's what all great poetry should do. No matter how long a book is or how short the poems are, if the author is passionate about what they write, then the words have the ability to empower the reader.

I recommend this collection to anyone who loves inspiring poetry that includes poems about identity, mindfulness and nature.

If you would like to purchase An Unapologetic Expression, then you can find it on Amazon or Payhip.

If you would like to follow TL Rodgers on social media, here are the usernames:

Tumblr and Instagram: @simplywoke

If you or someone you know has a poetry collection to review, please email me at: greenv745@gmail.com to inquire. Until next time, love Vee x

Poetry Review: 27, With A White Lighter

Happy Hump Day! This post is a review on Jennifer Juan's fifth poetry collection, 27, With a White Lighter.

The collection will be available on 3rd December 2018 and I was asked to review an ARC copy of the collection. Read on to see what my opinion is!

About

Jennifer Juan returns to share her early onset midlife crisis with her fifth major poetry collection, 27, With a White Lighter. A reflection of her life so far, and what the future holds. In her darkest volume yet, Juan muses over romance, the meaning of life,drug culture, sexuality, Brexit and so much more.

Review

I was a little confused about what some of these poems were inferring, but one of my favourites from the collection was Rollercoaster. It's about being at a fairground at night with her partner and wanting everything and everyone to fall away so she could spend time alone with him, forever.

I thought that the use of metaphors were very unique and effective and some of the language was particularly interesting. One of the weirdest poems involved a talking cat going on Spain's Got Talent. It was quite funny.

I thought that these poems were well thought out and are relatable to a lot of people going through heartbreak or uneasiness about the future. Mixed with photos of Jennifer and her partner, this will make an eye catching paperback. One thing that draws me to poetry books are illustrations and pictures.

If you like political poems about Brexit and stories of heartbreak, then this is the book for you. It's fairly quick to read as well. I hope everyone buying this book in December will enjoy it!

Until next time, love Vee x

10 Ways to Save Money on Your Holiday

Hey guys! So this week's post is a guest post from my wonderful partner, Oliver. He's been on many holidays with his parents and plans all of our holidays together, including our two trips to New York. Here are his top 10 Ways to Save Money on Your Holiday.

1. Be Realistic

The first thing to do before booking any trip is to be realistic about the amount of money you can afford to spend and your preferred destination. While you cannot afford to go from Europe to America for a holiday from under £300 that could be more than enough to go somewhere remotely closer.

2. Package vs DIY Holidays

Package holidays are where you go to a company or a comparison site and you pick the flights and the hotel through them. Whereas DIY holidays are where you book everything yourself such as the flights, holidays and transfers.

Depending on where you are going either of them could be the best choice. If you are going to a holiday destination such as the Caribbean. Whereas a package holiday could end up costing you a lot more when it comes to visiting a major city such as NY, London or Paris so in that case the DIY option is better.

3. Price Comparison sites

Price comparison sites are a great way to save money as long as you set the right filters. All of the sites can offer better deals depending on where/when and your choice of holiday. My favorite is JetCost which most of the time comes up with the best deals for flights and Hotels.com for the hotel. However, different people have different preferences; my tip is to check out several different ones as well as going straight to the airline/hotel and seeing whether you are getting the best price.

4. Money vs Time

This one is quite important if you are travelling longer distances. If you are travelling ultra long such as London to Sydney then you are going to have no choice but to get connecting flights. However, if you are flying from London to New York there are several ways to go that can be varying prices as well as times. It might cost a lot more to go direct than it will be to stop. You have to weigh up whether it is better to go cheaper and spend less time in your destination or spend a little more and spend more time.

5. The Tuesday Rule

A known fact in the airline industry is that it is always cheaper to book holidays on a Tuesday than on any other day of the week. This is because the weekends are when everyone is able to sit round and talk about it with their families so the price is always the most expensive as well as a Monday because everyone has the weekend hangover and a case of the Monday blues. Therefore, if you do go to book a holiday the best time to do it is on a Tuesday as the airlines start their deals on Tuesdays.

6. Convenience vs Price

When booking a hotel how close it is to the tourist attraction or city it is the more expensive it is going to be. You are paying for the convenience of not having to travel to it. Sometimes it can be more expensive to travel into the city so make sure to do your research. If the hotel offers a free shuttle bus or there is public transportation then you may be better to stay slightly further out and then travel in.

7. Attractions

When you go on holiday everyone wants to see attractions, whether it be museums, art galleries or a theme park. The best thing to do is to do some research to see whether there might be a city pass or if you pay for them in advance or paying for two at the same time can sometimes save you some money.

8. Free Attractions

Before you go make sure you check out some blogs from people who have gone as well as looking at places such as TripAdvisor to check out whether there are any attractions that are completely free. These could be filming locations from one of your favorite TV shows to places that appeared in adverts or just a local park. My favorite free attractions are the owl cafe (Friends building) and the High Line which is an old train line in NYC.

9. Dining

One of my top tips is to check out the local supermarkets and shopping malls that are just outside of the city because you will pay an awful lot less for a fizzy drink than you would if you bought it in the city. You can also pick up some cheap souvenirs for your family and chocolate for yourself in the room.

10. Research

My top tip is do some research months before you want to book a holiday. I have a spreadsheet which has the places I want to go to and then check the prices month from month to see when the cheapest time to book is as well as the cheapest time to go. Then when you have the money to go on a trip you can look at your work and see what you can afford and the best time to go.

Before you set off make sure you have planned and know where everything is so that when you arrive at your destination you aren't blind struck by the location and don't go spending money on taxis you can't afford. This will save you time, money and you will be able to get more out of the location and actually enjoy your holiday and relax.

I hope these tips are helpful to you! Let us know some of your money saving tips. Until next time, love Vee x

A Trip To London And Its Bookstores

Hey guys! So the other week Oliver and I had an impromptu trip to London to see Surrey Scorchers play basketball. We thought we would make the most of the game and go to London for the day.

I wanted to go to a few bookshops I'd wanted to go to for a while and I finally did it! I even beat my anxiety and went in to these stores/boats.

Gay's The Word

The first place I wanted to go was Gay's The Word which is situated near St Pancras Station. It's a sweet bookshop with lovely owners and some great books. There are even postcards and a mural of pins displayed on the wall. There's plenty of books on gay topics such as comics, poetry, history and fiction.

Word On The Water

Word On The Water is also situated near St Pancreas and we had a lovely walk along the river to the boat. It's a cosy little bookshop with kid's books, adult's and even a comfy arm chair to take photos on. It was really busy with people outside pricing books and browsing. It's a great place to find a bargain and take some beautiful pictures.

Notting Hill

I've never been to Notting Hill and I wanted to see the market and take photos of the pretty houses (which is hard to do, I realise now). I also wanted to stand in front of Hugh Grant's door in Notting Hill, the film. There were loads of people invading houses and people's privacy by climbing on their walls to get a photo for Instagram.

We walked through the market, which was heaving, and there were tons of different stalls, from churros (which we had to have), antiques and clothing. It was busy and bustling which I loved and I took some lovely pictures.

Crystal Palace

After a busy day exploring, we headed off to basketball on the train to Crystal Palace. Oliver saw online that there was a Dinosaur Park next to the station and the stadium which was really strange. There were just huge dinosaur statues in a really run down park. (We also nearly got attacked by a squirrel.) It was pretty unique to see but I wouldn't want to see them in the dark!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope I've given you some ideas on where to go in London! Until next time, love Vee x

Book Review: Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

Hey guys! So a little while ago Siobhan Curham kindly sent me her latest release, Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow to review. I was immensely excited and I've been really slow on my reading lately (even more so recently) but this book has managed to get me through a slump.

Blurb

Fourteen year-old Stevie lives in Lewes with her beloved vinyl collection, her mum...and her mum's depression. When Stevie's mum's disability benefits are cut, Stevie and her mum are plunged into a life of poverty. But irrepressible Stevie is determined not to be beaten and takes inspiration from the lyrics of her father's 1980s record collection and dreams of a life as a musician. The she meets Hafiz, a talented footballer and a Syrian refugee. Hafiz's parents gave him their life savings to buy Hafiz a safe passage to Europe; his journey has been anything but easy. Then he meets Stevie...

As Stevie and Hafiz's friendship grows, they encourage each other to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.

Review

I was really excited about starting this book as I love to read new authors' work. I didn't expect the story to grip me the way it did but it was so moving. I felt like I was transported into Stevie and Hafiz's world and it reminded me of the Jacqueline Wilson books I used to read.

Stevie and Hafiz's relationship is something to admire; they are both from extremely different backgrounds but both have their best interests at heart. This isn't a book about the guy getting the girl, but about the strength friendship gives you.

This story is so important for people to read because Hafiz is a refugee and the video he makes for assembly is actually moving. It's so realistic and Curham outlines the heartbreak that can come from being a refugee. She writes so eloquently about the crisis and details everything from the papers that Hafiz needed to get into the UK, to the journey he took and the sights he saw on the way. It was heartbreaking to read but sends a really important message to those who don't know about the crisis.

It's also an important read to those who know someone with depression or want to know more about it; Stevie's mum is anxious and has depression which is hard on her and Stevie. The fact that she can't work and is relying on benefits is a true crisis here in Britain. There are too many people who have mental health problems who don't receive help and have their benefits cut.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the journey that both Hafiz and Stevie go on. Stevie's struggles with poverty and Hafiz's problems with bullying both highlight current problems and I think this book is a must read for anyone wanting to know more about these issues. The characters were so lovable and I really rooted for all of them.

I can't wait to read more of Curham's work and I'm so glad books like this exist.

Until next time, love, Vee x

Autumn Date Night Ideas

Hey guys! Since it's autumn, I wanted to publish as many autumn posts as possible because it's my favourite season. If you're struggling for date night ideas or just general activities to take part in, this is the post for you!

Autumn Date Ideas

• Go pumpkin/apple picking
• Carve pumpkins and make funny or spooky faces
• Make a list of horror movies you want to watch and check them off as you go
• Go trick or treating together
• Have a spooky party
• Make Halloween costumes together
• Make sugar cookies
• Create a new hot chocolate recipe 
• Have a bonfire and make smores
• Make a fort with blankets and eat popcorn
• Learn a new recipe together that has pumpkin in
• Make cinnamon roles together
• Go for a walk in the woods and jump in the leaf piles
• Buy a DIY candle making kit and make cinnamon/orange spiced candles
• Go to a harvest festival together
• Visit a haunted house/location
• Bake a pumpkin pie together
• Read spooky stories to each other
• Watch that new crime show on Netflix
• Collect acorns/conkers together and get crafty 
• Make caramel apples
• Go stargazing together and take a blanket and some snacks
• Go on a haunted tour of your city
• Go to a fairground
• Go to your local pottery shop and do some DIY painting
• Have a picnic in the woods
• Go away for the weekend to a log cabin and get away from your phone
• Take up a new hobby/class together
• Make a fall wreath together
• Have a look locally and see if there are any harvest/Halloween events going on in your area

I hope this list has given you some ideas! Let me know some of your autumn date night ideas in the comments. Until next time, love Vee x