Author: xomello

I am a 31 year old woman who appreciates the simple things in life. I am fairly new to blogging but intend to totally get into this over the course of the next year. I have a little girl called Sienna Mae who is my absolute world. We chose her middle name after my mother’s initials because unfortunately my mother never got to meet my little girl so we thought that would be a nice way to honour her memory. I also have a little Jack Russell Terrier called Jack (I know, how original!) that I absolutely love him to bits. So expect to see loads from them :) Hope you enjoy our adventures :)

Book Review – The Plus One Pact by Portia Mackintosh

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www.audible.co.uk/pd

I absolutely loved this book. It’s funny, relatable and feel good.

I love the character of Cara, nerdy but cool and very single. She has tried the whole dating app thing which has produced a number of undesirable characters. Then just as she is about to give up she meets Millsy in a bar. From here, her whole life changes. Millsy picks her up out of her mundane life and shows her all the things she could be doing. Essentially they become each others plus one to all up and coming events over the summer.

After Clara having a makeover (courtesy of Millsy’s connections) she feels like a whole new woman. More confident, outgoing and daring.

It’s a very will they won’t they situation as Clara clears fancies the pants off Millsy but also doesn’t know if it’s reciprocated and is petrified of ruining their friendship.

Without spoiling the ending I will leave it at all’s well that ends well.

This is probably the best story I have ready in a while. Literally made me laugh out loud at times.

I rate this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review – The Secret to Happiness by Jessica Redland

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www.audible.co.uk/pd

I liked this story especially the friendship element of it and they way that all three women have their own stuff going on and despite the fact that their friendship is very new they make time for each other. I must say that this is a bit of a man bashing story. Whilst I know there are men out there who don’t know how to treat a woman if it kills them this really does shine a magnifying glass up to this. I spend most of this book raging at the mens actions and decisions.

It’s lovely that all 3 women have found someone better suited to them by the end and despite the distance between them they all remain good friends.

I would rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you read this book? If so I would love your thoughts on it.

🍁 Hello Autumn 🍂

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It’s that time of year again where we bid a reluctant farewell to summer and welcome the warm cosy embrace of autumn. Last night we had thunder storms which meant it got dark real early. I’m not normally a fan of the long nights but I’ve changed the batteries in my candles and string lights. I lit every candle in the house and actually found time to sit and chill on the sofa with Sienna for an hour or so before bed. I must say after weeks on end of sitting in the garden all night it was really nice. I really was in my happy place.

Hallway sign updated – Autumn Vibes

Autumn to me is staying in, lighting candles, watching a series on Netflix and enjoying some family time!

Every year autumn is fast becoming by favourite season. I love the opportunity it brings to bust out your cost sweaters, scarves, hats and gloves.

The shops are full of Halloween deco’s already and I think we will be adding some new stuff to the decorations we already have. I hope to get some bits before the end of this month so that we can decorate from the beginning of October.

I will keep you posted on our shopping extravaganza once we have been.

Hope you are all staying safe. Here’s to enjoying some quality family time and cosy nights!

P.s. I also updated my chalk board sign and just want to add it to this post.

Hello Pumpkin 🎃

Book review – The Secrets of Ivy Garden by Catherine Furguson

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www.audible.co.uk/pd

This was a nice story. Although a little sad at times with reference to the death of Holly’s parent followed by the death of her grand mother Ivy.

Holly, totally alone in the world and deciding to fix up and sell up her grandmothers cottage doesn’t have it easy when she finds that the cottage had flooded and garden which was much loved by her grandmother has been destroyed by recent storms doesn’t let these set backs phase her and gets stuck in wholeheartedly. Following the discovery of her grandmothers diary and the revelation that the man she had always thought was her grandfather discovers that Ivy actually had a secret lover who was in fact her mothers biological father. This sets Holly on a path to discover who the mysterious B is.

Assisted by a friend she begins her search one person at a time. She makes friends with local shop owners daughter who soon discovers Holly grave fear of the wide open countryside which is a natural reaction to the circumstances surrounding her parents death.

Following the first unconventional meeting between Holly and Ben there are feelings that they both share but as with all great love stories this takes time for it to become apparent to each other.

This story has a lovely happy ending where Holly finds that she is no longer alone in the world but she in fact has a whole family that she didn’t know anything about before going to Appleton and with her new relationship with Ben just getting started she has found that the countryside is no longer something to be feared but I may well be a place to call home.

To sum up I would rate this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If your looking for a lighthearted read this is the one for you.

Happy reading everyone!

National Dog Day!

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Happy National Dog Day to all my animal loving friends! Whether your the four legged variety or two I hope your all enjoying the day!

Owning a dog is a the creation of a bond like no other! They are fiercely loyal, great company, and top laughs with their cheeky naughty antics!

I’ve recently taken on Jack’s sister Gypsy after their mother passed from old age! As she craves company it seemed only right to bring her home with me! She has taken to like at our house perfectly.

Gypsy Lou

Although I will admit Jack was a nightmare in the beginning. From being King of the house for so long to having to company 24/7 and having to share food, water and cuddles he had finally adjusted really well.

Because they were both entire when we brought her up with us we had to get one of them neutered because incest is not a good thing for matter what species you are! Gypsy drew the short straw and had to face the knife. She was an absolute trooper about it all and was back to her self within a couple of days!

This was Jack and Gypsy snuggling in her recovery suit shortly after her surgery ❤️

On the topic of National Dog Day I thought this would be a good opportunity to list the benefits of having a four legged member of the family!

  • They keep you fit – walking you furry friend is the best kind of exercise! They get you out and about in places you may not normally venture.
  • You will never be lonely – they are the constant companion who will listen to your every thought without passing judgement! There’s no feeling in the world like coming home to someone who is always happy to see you!
  • They lower your stress levels – stroking a dog has been proven to lower stress levels. It’s also been proven that dog owners have lower blood pressure levels than those who don’t own a pet.
  • They can help you make friends – people are more likely to stop and chat with you if you have a pet making it the perfect opportunity to make new friends.
  • They can improve your immune system – because they bring all sorts of germs into the house they can help you build up immunity to thinks you wouldn’t normally come into contact with.
  • They make you feel safe – even if your home alone, having a pet with you gives the company that one craves and makes you feel safer than if you were home alone! Unless you have a dog like Jack who barks at absolutely everything which makes you wonder if people are roaming around your garden in the dark 😂

All in all, owning a dog is the best thing in the world! my dogs are crazy and weird but I wouldn’t change them for the world!

Tonie Box Discount

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Get £15 off your Toniebox! Join over 3 million families who use their Toniebox to bring music, stories and magic into everyday life. We love it in our house and I know you will too, Happy Listening! Head to tonies.com to redeem my code: rff-v64-fry-ce4

Sienna Loves her Tonie box and listens to it every night! It’s the only way that we could get her to go to bed and stay there. Since having our Tonie box bed time has become a breeze! There are so many Tonie’s available there will always be something new for your little one to discover when visiting the toy store!

Head over to Tonie’s website and save yourself £15 off the price of a new Tonie box with this code!

You’ll thank me when you’ve done your first drama free bedtime! 😘

Book Review – The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

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www.audible.co.uk/pd

I loved this story. High flying lawyer turned housekeeper, Samantha is absolutely useless at the everyday tasks. It makes you wonder if there are people in this world who really are that useless!

She turns it around and learns the skills needed to pull off her bluff all whilst finding love. This book is really heartwarming in the sense that thinking that she had lost everything showed her what she had really been missing all along. I am a big fan of the slower pace of life so this book was like an idilic little day dream!

I rate this book 5 stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy reading everyone!

Book Review – The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

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Book Review – The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

A lovely story with a heartwarming theme. Very family orientated. It teaches you that things are not always what they seem. Once you’ve flown the proverbial nest you can’t assume that what you see on the surface of your family’s ways and actions are always true.

I loved Effie and the way she had developed throughout the story. She has learned some truths about herself whilst being in hidden attendance to the party which I feel helps her to develop as a person.

Moral of the story. There is always more going on under the surface than meets the eye.

Happy reading everyone!

Milly Johnson – A summer Fling – Book Review

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I’m listening to A Summer Fling by Milly Johnson, narrated by Colleen Prendergast on my Audible app. Try Audible and get it here: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd?asin=1398507849&source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=rate_review

Happy reading!