The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey - BOOK REVIEW

Star rating: 5/5 stars

Despite having a massive TBR pile and an equally massive TBR pile for my degree, nothing was taking my fancy so when I was scrolling through twitter looking for inspiration and I saw a post from the lovely Josie Jaffrey looking for book reviewers to review her latest book 'The Gilded King.' Thinking I had nothing to lose and being drawn in by the gorgeous cover I contacted Jodie who generously sent out a review copy. 

As soon as the book arrived I just knew I was going to love it, the blurb (in the last city on earth, death is just a step into the trees) got me right away and I couldn't wait to get stuck right in. Let me tell you it didn't disappoint and from the first chapter I couldn't put it down. The story follows Julia's life in (unknowingly to her) sheltered 'blue' and Cameron's journey into the 'red.' The story is the most delicious mix of dystopian literature with fairytale and folklore that kept me gripped and guessing what was coming next. 

One of the most surprising things about this book was that it made me realise how traditional mainstream YA can be. I read a lot (I mean a lot) and this is the first book I've read with a gay character who has a key role in the storyline with a romantic interest. It saddened me that I was actually surprised when this character turned out to be gay. Maybe if more literature didn't marginalise LGBQT characters it would become less of a surprise and more common place.

If you like adventure, fairy tales and romance I highly recommend you get this book! Josie I can't wait to find out what happens next!

A whole new world by Liz Braswell - BOOK REVIEW

Star rating: 4/5 stars

As an avid bookworm and Disney lover, I was excited and slightly disappointed in myself that I hadn't heard of the Disney twisted tales series. So when I found 'A whole new world' on the shelves whilst doing my local supermarket shop I had to treat myself, knowing that I had a holiday coming up where I might actually get a chance to read something not on my degree book list.

I was slightly apprehensive at the thought of someone retelling my favourite stories but didn't want to miss out. I was not disappointed! Although the story begins with the same beginning as the film it soon branches off to its 'twisted' tale. The story follows Aladdin and what happens when he enters the tiger cave to retrieve the lamp for Jafar. In the film Aladdin keeps the lamp and the genie for himself whereas (SPOILER ALERT) in the book, Jafar gets the lamp for himself and Aladdin is left in the tiger cave after the entrance has closed. The story itself is great for any big Disney fan as it gives you an insight into Aladdin and Jasmine's home life and history. You find out more about the street rats that Aladdin grows up with and why they're in the situation they are in.

Overall the book is exciting and fast-paced. With something for action lovers as well as romance lovers. With lots of nods to the original, the genie will remind you fondly of Robin Williams. If you're a true Disney fan you'll probably have seen Aladdin 2: Return of Jafar, this has a lot of similarities, but this is for a more mature audience with a lot of relatable moments to today's politics! 

Highly recommend for any fan of fairy tales and magic!

Birth story #1

In celebration of my eldest's 5th birthday I thought I'd share my first birth story! :)

On the 11th August at 9 days overdue and 2 unsuccessful sweeps later; my husband and I and our friends decided to take the dogs and go over to a local country park for a picnic. I was uncomfortable and fed up at the idea of a c-section and quite frankly thought that she was never going to vacate on her own. Our friends who came for the picnic were also expecting but were due two weeks after us and at this point I was sure their baby would arrive before Miss H made her appearance. 

It was a lovely sunny day so we'd taken our beach tent to sit under and as we were packing up I bent down to pack up the tent when I got my first contraction (OUCH) thinking that it was just a stomach ache from the food I carried on and didn't say anything. I had another two pains walking back to the car and still ignored it. Anyone whose been in labour will understand this, but I actually thought that I just needed the toilet. I waddled over to the toilets before getting in the car to go home. Waved goodbye to our friends, got in the car and told hubby that my contractions had started but was okay. At this point I was in denial! 

We got home, called the hospital who informed us as a first time mum it would be a while. Their words were "put a film on, maybe titanic". Safe to say I lasted half an hour before we were back on the phone to the hospital who agreed for us to come up and have a look at me. At this point I was having contractions every 5 minutes but the hospital were still very unconcerned but still agreed to look at me. The midwife took one look at me and grabbed a wheelchair and took me straight into a delivery room. I was 10cm dilated and her head was in the birth canal! 

I was so lucky the midwife that looked after me seemed to understand straight away that I didn't want any fuss and I wanted to do as much as possible on my own. By this point it was getting dark and I was able to get into the birth pool with the lights out and just relax (as much as I could anyway). I remember clearly asking for drugs so many times and being told that it was too late for anything apart from gas and air, which I loved it was so relaxing and after 20 minutes of pushing my beautiful baby girl was born! 

My midwife was very no nonsense and as we were in such a rush to get to the hospital and they were so convinced they would be sending me back home, we hadn't brought any of our bags up so she sent hubby back to the car to get them; then gave me baby and started stitching me up! Honestly the stitches were the worst thing about giving birth. I'm there lying on the bed clutching baby in one arm and the gas and air in the other! By the time hubby got back (because obviously he'd been calling everyone we knew haha) stitches were done and I was showered and dressed like nothing had happened! 

I love reading birth stories, so thought I'd share mine! x

Obstacles #blurtselfcareathon Day Two

Blog Day 2 - Obstacles
What do you consider obstacles and how do you get over them?

My biggest obstacle I have to overcome is procrastination! 

With work, being a mum and studying for my degree I have so much to do I really can't afford to procrastinate, so I am trying to proactively! I've realised that most of my procrastination is related to social media; I seem to scroll for no particular reason, so I've started removing my phone when I have things I need to get done and will limit myself to 5/10 minutes as a reward for hard work. 

Here's my top tips I've found to over obstacles!

• Identify what your obstacle is... whether that is procrastination like me, confidence or lack of time. Knowing your problem is half the battle.
• Make a plan... pick 3 things that you can do to combat your problem.
• Tell someone! It doesn't have to be in person, you can post on social media if that makes you feel better but once you put it out there you're accountable for your goal!
• Reward yourself! It's not going to happen overnight but reward yourself when you've achieved a few baby steps! It's more likely to keep you motivated! 

Sorry this post is a few days late! I was probably busy procrastinating! 

Vicky 

It takes a village (10 things about me) #blurtselfcareaton Day One

As the saying goes 'it takes a village' but what happens when that village is just not there?

We are all living busy and complicated lives and while the majority of us have friends and family we can reach out to. They are living busy and complicated lives too so what happens when your village is 'busy'?

In the absence of 'village' help I've been realising more and more recently how important self-care is. Inspired by The Blurt Foundation's (find them on twitter here) Self Care-athon, I thought I would join in with a blog a day!

Day One: 10 Things About Me
1. My worst habit is procrastination. Something I am really trying to tackle this year!

2. I had singing lessons and studied Musical Theatre from the ages of 11-20; and I miss it so much! Although these skills do come in useful when asked to sing a Disney song by my girls a hundred times a day. 

3. I am a potter head! Meaning I love Harry Potter. Check out my previous blog post, where I completed the Harry Potter challenge. I even have a massive collection of Harry Potter memorabilia in my parents loft, one day when I have a mansion hopefully I'll have somewhere to display it. 

4. I have two beautiful little girls, who are definitely by biggest achievements to date. 

5. I love to write stories and one day I hope to be a published author. 

6. I'm also studying for my English degree and work as a tutor. 

7. I love period dramas and get serious wardrobe envy. Reign and The Tudors are my absolute favourites!

8. I am far too trusting of people.

9. I can never say no to people and always have way too much on my plate. You know what they say if you want something done ask a busy person to do it!

10. Christmas is my favourite time of year. I love the whole holiday; the lead-up, the busyness, the shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, Christmas films. 

Please check out the blurt foundation and the amazing work they do!
Vicky x

Harry Potter blog challenge

Harry Potter Blog Challenge

Everyone that knows me knows that I am a big potterhead. I've loved Harry Potter from the first book, through the films and beyond. I devoured the new book (script of the stage play) in just 2 and a half hours; how grateful was I that day that both babies decided to take an extra long nap that day! One happy mummy! 

So a few people have tagged me in the Harry Potter blog challenge so I decided to have a go! Rather than do one a week, I'm just going to tackle it all in one post!

1. What is your favourite book? My favourite of all the series has to be Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Mainly because of the Triwizard Tournament. It's also the book where everything changes and becomes that bit darker. I was lucky and was one of the generation that were able to grow up with Harry and the books; so as I was getting older so were the characters in the books and this book was a turning point where the books became a bit more adult themed. 
2. If you could take any class they offer at Hogwarts, what would it be? Divination - who wouldn't love to read prophecies and see what the future holds.
3. What's your quidditch position? Seeker. 
4. Favourite Harry Potter pick-up line? My name might not be Luna, but I still know how to Lovegood!
5. What's your wand made of? What's its core? Birch wand with phoenix feather core.
6. Favourite movie? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2.
7. You've graduated Hogwarts and passed your NEWTS, now what? Professor at Hogwarts!
8. Severus Snape - good guy who did bad or bad guy who did good? Good guy who did bad.
9. Favourite defence against the dark arts teacher? Remus Lupin.
10. If you had the choice, which hallow would you choose? Invisibility cloak. 
11. What would you see in the mirror of Erised? My family in front of our own house, we've always wanted.
12. Favourite line/passage? I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed, or worse expelled.
13. Which Hogwarts house do you belong to? Gryffindor.
14. What would you do if you had an invisibility cloak? Go everywhere I'm not supposed to be.
15. Have you ever named a pet after something Harry Potter related? Always my tamagotchis, when I was younger.
16. Favourite fan art/fan fiction? I've never seen or read any.
17. Who's your quidditch team? Never decided.
18. You're an animagus - what animal would you be and why? A dragon.
19. What shape does your patronus take? Bloodhound.
20. One piece of Harry Potter merchandise you have/want? Hermione's time turner. I have one but god would I love one that actually worked!
21. Favourite Harry Potter character? Nymphadora Tonks.
22. It's the second task of the Triwizard tournament, who do you rescue? My daughters.
23. How would a boggart appear to you? A needle.
24. Favourite Harry Potter related song? Has to be the theme song. 
25. If you could have one thing from the Harry Potter world what would it be and why? Can I say Hogwarts? haha. 

Let me know if you decide to join in, so I can see your answers!

Vicky x

A-Z of babies...

Miss C - 2016

A - Amazing, let's start off with a good one because let's face it babies are amazing!

B – Baby blues, normally hit you on day 3 and you’ll cry at everything the good bad and the ugly. Don’t worry it passes! 

C – Cuddles, oh god the baby cuddles! Make the most of them because it won’t be long until they’re a wriggly 6 month old who won’t sit still for more than 5 mins.

D – Daddy, no matter how much is snoring during night feeds annoys you bare with him he’s your team mate and you need him. 

E – Eyes, most babies have blue eyes when they’re born. I was constantly checking all the time to see if they were changing. 

F – Feeding, ALL THE TIME. 

G – Grandparents, if they visit take the moment to pee uninterrupted or take a shower, maybe even a nap if you’re really lucky! 

H – Hair, that beautiful first baby hair. Most baby hair falls out and grows back sometimes a different colour. Or if yours are anything like mine it won’t fall out and they’ll have a mop! 

I – Immunisations, as horrible as it is to see your baby have their first imms with lots of cuddles they’ll never remember! 

J – Jaundice, most babies suffer with jaundice a few days after birth. Nothing a bit of sunlight normally should fix. 

K – Kisses, smother them in baby kisses but only mummy and daddy. Everyone else has germs! Haha. 

L – Little, little everything. 

M – Mummy knows best, need I say more? 

N – Nails, don’t cut them, you will cut the baby, baby will cry then you will cry. Especially if it’s on day 3. 

O – Outfits, save your money. Unless it’s for a special occasion those cute little outfits are never worn and baby’s love their babygrows. 

P – Pillow, a nursing pillow is the best investment I ever made. Even if you’re not nursing they are so comfortable for feeding and naps. 

Q – Questions, there are so many questions the books don’t cover. You will be googling, probably while sleep deprived and up at 3am.

R – Responsibility, so much responsibility bringing the baby home. You almost looked at the midwife like she was crazy when she said you could go home. 

S – Sick, so much baby sick. 

T – Toilet, never going to the toilet alone seemed like such a luxury. 

U – Ups and Downs, it really is a roller coaster. Some days you will feel like super mum others you’ll stay in your pyjamas and eat biscuits. 

V – Visitors, those lovely visitors that bring lovely little presents for the baby and sometimes for you. Just make sure you say no if you’ve had a bad night and that they make their own tea and coffee! 

W – Wind, nothing more grouchy than a windy baby. 

X – Expect the unexpected, (I know not technically an X) babies are pros at knowing when your comfortable. Whether that be drinking a cup of coffee or in a nap routine and will change it up just to mess with you. Don’t get comfortable! 

Y – Yellow, supposedly a neutral colour, if you dress a boy in yellow they’ll think it’s a girl if you dress a girl in yellow they’ll think it’s a boy. 

Z – Zzzzzzz’s, it will feel like you’ll never sleep again but you will. Maybe. 

I hope you found it funny and I’ve had a few requests for different A-Z’s if there’s any you’d like to see comment below and let me know! 

V x

Looking for the good...

Post from this time last year...
I like to think of myself as a pretty positive person. If something is going wrong I always try to look for a positive outcome but sometimes if you’re having a really crappy day it can feel like an impossible task.

Last week was half term for my eldest so with a whole week free I decided to tackle a trip I have been dreading, taking a 3 year old & 1 year old on the train to London on my own. Now don’t get me wrong I love London in fact pre-kids I would have been up there every other week just for fun but now the thought of attempting it with the two of them just filled me with dread.

So armed with a rucksack, kids bag, C in the buggy and H clinging to my hand we set off. Now to be fair I know C2C have got a lot of flack for upgrading their trains and taking away quite a lot of seats, but wow there was so much space! Plenty of room for us to sit and have the buggy with us in the designated area but also quick and easy to get on and off. Great start!

Now this is where it gets interesting. Granted the underground is predominantly underground (as you would expect) it is not buggy friendly at all. A quick look at the tube map just sums up how little stations are actually equipped with lifts! So I was faced with the fun task of either carrying baby in one arm and buggy in the other whilst trying to supervise H (my three year old) on the mammoth steps or bumping the buggy down the stairs (praying she didn’t get whiplash) and again trying to make sure H didn’t fall and break her neck.

Standing at Tower Hill realising my day was going to be more like a body builders workout, I needn’t have worried a kind guy immediately asked if he could help with the buggy. This was not a one-off, I was on and off the underground all day and not once was I left to tackle the stairs on my own. I never had to ask anyone for help; every single time someone offered within seconds of seeing me struggling. I had a young girl holding H’s hand down some slippery stairs to make sure she didn’t fall, people offering her a seat on a busy tube so she didn’t fall over whilst it was moving and people making sure I could get both the buggy and her off safely.

Anyway the point to this long story is in this world it can be so easy to overlook the small acts of good people do but those small things can mean the world. All those people that took a minute out of their day probably didn’t even give it a second thought but to me it meant the world and made such a difference to my day!

We had a fantastic day and the girl’s got to spend some quality time with their godmother. In this hard world when you feel down always look for the good. Always look for the people helping and if there is none maybe that person can be you? It can make all the difference.

V xx