PRETTY YOUNG THING : books

LIFESTYLE: THE BOOK PEOPLE

25 July 2018

Amelia recently received some lovely new books from The Book People, Amelia has loads of books and she loves playing with books but we also read books before she goes to bed. I love having a big selection of books as reading them gets a little repetitive and I like having so many to choose from.

The Book People have a really good selection of books and a lovely selection of baby books,* we recently picked out a few books for Amelia from their handpicked range. The Petite Boutique Collection is lovely, inside you get 2 books, one of which comes with a Nursery rhymes cd, a pram book and a growth chart. It all comes inside a lovely tote bag. I love the style of the books, they look fab and Amelia really likes the Peekaboo book, she loves looking in the little mirror. The colours are really nice and the stories are really easy to read. The RRP is over £20 but head over to The Book People and get it for less than a tenner!

We also picked out the Baby Touch Hello Baby book by Ladybird. This is a touchy- feel book which Amelia is a little young for but she loves the colours of the book. It's light so it's easy for her to hold. I can't wait for her to notice the different textures in the book. It's such a lovely book for £2.99, it's such a bargain.

We also have the 35th Anniversary edition of Oh Dear by Rod Campbell the author of Dear Zoo. It's a lovely story. It's a lift-the-flap book. The illustrations are lovely, it's such a nice book.

The Book People have a lovely selection of baby books, they are so affordable and really competitive prices. The handpicked range is lovely and all of the books sound amazing. They have some really good offers on and the website is so easy to use. They have lots of information about the books! you can search by age, format, price or offers. I will definitely be ordering some books from The Book People as I think the books are such great prices and they have such a good range to choose from.

* The books were sent to use from The Book People, I have not been paid for this blog post.

LIFESTYLE: WHY I LOVE E BOOKS

14 July 2018

I've had my Kindle for years and years and it's one of the best things i've ever bought. I love reading and can read a book really fast. I'm a lover of a good thriller, I love abit romance and a happy ending. Some of my favourite books include The Girl on the Train, The Fifty Shades series, I like Sophie Kinsella books and Cecelia Ahearn.

What I love most about my Kindle is that I can keep downloading books and they are all there waiting to be read. I don't have to worry about bringing a particular book out with me or worry about how i'm going to fit those books in my bag/suitcase. I find E Books easier to read than books especially on my Kindle, it's just so easy to use. I have read E Books on my iPad too but prefer my Kindle.

Although I do love a good paperback I tend to buy Ebooks as i'm more likely to read it as i'll often have my kindle in my bag but popping a book in my bag isn't something i'll think about. I've got a new job so will be commuting, i'm so excited to read some books on my journey. I think that all authors should create Ebooks as I think i'm not alone and that people love how easy it is to download a book and read it right away. I think E Books are great for lots of other businesses too not just Authors, you can easily make an Ebook on Designrr.io They have a huge range of templates to help you create the perfect book.

I haven't read any books in a while as I don't really find the time to read now i've had Amelia but as I mentioned above i've got a new job and will be commuting so i'm going to try and read more on the train and on my break at work as reading is something I really love to do but just don't really have time to do. Send over any book recommendations, I tend to look on Amazon and WHSmith in the Ebook charts to get some ideas of books to buy or sometimes i'll ask over on twitter for recommendations.

*sponsored post

LIFESTYLE: HOW TO DESTRESS BEFORE BED

24 October 2016

I've been having alot of trouble sleeping recently. I'm struggling to switch off as I tend to worry about things whilst i'm trying to get to sleep. I'm trying really hard to switch off and not think about things to help get a better sleep. Here's a few tips and tricks to help you de-stress before bed.

1. Have a relaxing bath! I love soaking in a nice warm bath with a Lush bath bomb* to chill out before going to bed. I light some candles and just relax, sometimes i'll watch youtube videos as well. I'm loving all the new Lush Christmas products, check them out in my recent Lush Solihull tour blog post

2. No Phones! One of my biggest struggles is sitting on my phone for hours! I'll constantly refresh instagram and twitter and sit there for along long time just scrolling! The light from your phone actually prevents your brain from producing Melatonin which is a hormone that tells our bodies its nighttime.

3. Light a candle on the evening. This Neom Tranquility Candle * that I got from Amara is lovely! The Lavender, Sweet Basil and Jasmine are a perfect combination for that perfect sleep. They relax you and calm you for a better sleep.

4. Sleep Spray, The This Works, Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is lovely. So many people rave about it! I've been using it for a little while and i'm still struggling to sleep but I think I'm thinking about too much. It does however relax me and make me feel calm.

5. That skincare routine! There's lots of lovely products that you can use on your skin that work through the night. These usually have lavender and jasmine in which calm your skin but also smell amazing and can create a better nights sleep. The Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate* is great it has that Lavender essential oil inside which soothes irritated skin and smells lovely.

6. Read a book, I find that reading a book before bed helps me sleep. I feel I worry less about whats going on in the real world because i'm reading about something else, reading makes me feel less stressed and allows me to switch off and relax before bed.

What are your tips for De-stressing before bed? I think i've got so much going on right now because i'm still struggling to get to sleep so if you have any remedies or methods let me know.

* This post contains pr samples. I have not been paid for this blog post.

LIFESTYLE: HOUSEWARMING GIFT IDEAS

26 July 2016

Recently we've have quite a few friends that have been moving house and having babies and I feel like i've been buying lots of gifts this month. I wasn't sure what to buy our friends who were moving house, so I thought i'd put together a little gift ideas post to help anyone else in a similar situation. Our friends were not moving into their first home, they have lived together for a while so they had most things like appliances etc and I wasn't sure what they needed etc so I thought i'd pick up a few home bits and they loved it. I got a little basket from Primark and filled it with some cute bits like a candle and a sweet little sign for there new home. I forgot to photograph the actual basket but i've put together a few cute bits and pieces here so i'll go through and share some of my ideas.

A basket - I love this wicker basket, my mom actually got me this for one of my birthdays and she had filled it with beauty bits. It's been used for so many things and now it lives in my towel cupboard. You can get a cheap little basket from most home stores, I recently got one from my local b&m bargains for about £5. You could even use a plastic or wire alternative.

In my friends basket I got a little blanket from Primark which cost me £3.50, it was a gorgeous bright blue colour and had a nice geometric print on. I think these blankets are so handy, you can chuck it on when you watching a film and it gets cold or they are perfect for a picnic in the summer etc They have so many colours and prints that there's something for everyone.

Next up everyone loves a candle, this blue one is from Primark and is one of my favourite colours which is why I picked one up. I have quite the collection of candles around our apartment. They are an easy way to make a home feel cosy and you can get some really amazing scents. I would recommend TK Maxx for Candles as you can get some designer brands at great prices and really impress your friends.

I popped a cute little handwash into the basket too as sometimes it's the little things that count. Our friends new house has THREE bathrooms so they will need to pick up some extra bathroom essentials so little things like handwash and toothbrush holders start to add up when you have three bathrooms to stock up. I love this new scent from Carex, it smells like Lovehearts and smells so good!

Cookbooks! Our friends have loads of cookbooks but they are a great housewarming gift especially if your friends are keen cooks or have moved into a house with a much bigger kitchen. I love my Deliciously Ella Cookbook and I have a few baking ones too!!

A cute little art print or quote can be a very loving and thoughtful gift. You can order printable artwork from Etsy and they are really affordable, you can pop it into an ikea frame for a really lovely gift. Primark had some cute hanging plaques and quotes too which are lovely. I love my 'Don't be a prick' print by Ella Masters, it was one of the first home things I bought for our flat.

I picked up this cute Aloe Vera plant in Tesco the other day, usually I buy people flowers when they move into a new house but a plant is going to last them longer and something like a Cactus or Succulent is easy to keep and you can put it in any room, I love having green plants in the Kitchen.

Tea Towels! Another random gift but you can get some lovely tea towels right now, Primark always have some really cute afforable ones! My favourite place again is TK Maxx, My popcorn ones are actually Kate Spade and I picked them up last year in TK Maxx and they didn't cost that much. Cath Kidston is another great place for kitchen essentials like oven mitts and aprons.