31.12.08

Bring on 2009!!!


I am so excited that it is the last day of 2008- I will be very glad to see the back of this year and I am really looking forward to seeing what 2009 will bring! Mr S and I were just going to stop in for New Year but his parents have asked us to go over to theirs for dinner so that is what we shall be doing! I hope that you all have a very Happy New Year's Eve and that 2009 is a good year all round. I have decided on my final list of New Year's Resolutions and they are as follows:
  1. Make a start on the book- I think I have it all worked out in my head now so it is time to get it down on paper. I am going to try and be quite disciplined about it and write everyday.
  2. Try and swear less (very un-ladylike).
  3. Drink less diet coke.
  4. Take part in a charity run/walk.
  5. Eat more vegetables and fruit and just green things in general.
  6. To try and learn to handle stressful situations more (This is more for Mr S' benefit).
I shall let you know how I am getting on in the New Year!!

29.12.08

Make that 39!!!


I have just finished The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison which my lovely sister bought me for Christmas! So that brings my total of books read in 2008 to 39. I have really enjoyed this book, I think it has only taken me two days to read it! It follows Emily, Sandie and Grazia through the world of secret shopping. All three women are very different characters that you warm to instantly. I think that Harrison has pitched this book so well. There are so many shopping experiences that the reader can identify with; the bitchy shop assistants; the hot and uncomfortable changing rooms and the excitement of buying something that we want but don't necessarily need. The story has a really good pace and keeps you interested right to the very end.

Books Read in 2008

I have only managed to read 38 books this year but I think that I only really got into my reading stride around June time so I hope to at least double this figure in 2009. I have definitely re-discovered my love of reading this year- it is one of the few things that really helps me to relax and switch off so I shall be doing more of that next year! Here are the books that I did manage to read:

  1. The Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White.
  2. The girls by Lori Lansen (One of my favourites in 2008).
  3. First Lady by Michael Dobbs.
  4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Brilliant).
  5. Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer (I want to read more of her books in the new year).
  6. Then we Came to the End by Joshua Ferris (Least favourite book of 2008).
  7. Facing the Light by Adele Geras (Swapped this and LOVED it).
  8. Restoring Grace by Katie Fforde.
  9. The Savage Garden by Mark Mills.
  10. Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier (I am hoping to work my way through the ones I haven't read of hers in 2009).
  11. Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale.
  12. Affinity by Sarah Waters.
  13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (One I think I will re-read many times!).
  14. 31 Dream Street by Lisa Jewell (Another favourite of 2008 and everyone I know who has read it loved it too).
  15. The Mitfords: Letters between Sisters edited by Charlotte Moseley (I love anything to do with the Mitford Sisters and this was so well put together).
  16. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith (I love this series of books).
  17. No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay (This is the best thriller that I read this year)
  18. Pillow Talk by Freya North.
  19. Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde.
  20. Thanks for the Memories by Cecilia Ahern.
  21. Re-read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling.
  22. Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman.
  23. Re-read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.
  24. A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans.
  25. Re-read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban by J.K. Rowling.
  26. Re-read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.
  27. The Murder Room by P.D. James.
  28. If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern.
  29. The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton.
  30. Dreams that Glitter by Girls Aloud.
  31. Re-read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.
  32. Things I Want my Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble.
  33. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R.L. Stevenson.
  34. Picking up the Pieces by Paul Britton.
  35. Re-read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling.
  36. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell.
  37. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (I think this may be my favorite book of the year- very glad that I discovered this series)
  38. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.

27.12.08

I love Books!!!



I hope that you all had a brilliant Christmas! Apart from coming down with a cold and sore throat, mine has been lovely! I had lots of lovely new books! Mr S bought me The Gate of Air by James Buchan; I have never read any of his books before and it is a ghost story so I am looking forward to getting stuck into that. My lovely sister bought me The Favoured Child by Phillipa Gregory who I love and The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison. She also bought me the Postsecret book by Frank Warren which is fascinating and I will be blogging more about that and I also had The Shopaholic's Guide to Buying Online 2008 which I am sure will come in useful. It does not end there though- I also received A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson just before Christmas and I also ordered the final two books in the Twilight saga so I shall be very busy reading at the moment!

22.12.08

It's Christmas Week!


Christmas seems to have come round so quickly! It was lovely to have a bit of a lie in this morning and then we got up and took Alfie for a walk, it's so quiet round here, very nice! I have spent the morning making mince pies but not as many as I would have liked as my flour supplies have been mysteriously depleted (our sometimes lodger made a cake last week!) so only enough for the one batch; I will have to get supplies tomorrow.
I have been having many an idea for my writing recently and I think that I now have a brief outline to get stuck into- I just want to spend some time working on the characters before I set pen to paper. I am very excited though; feel like it has taken a while but my ideas seem to have come together so fingers crossed!

20.12.08

Music to my ears!

This is going to sound really bizarre but I feel like I have just remembered how much I love music! I used to listen to music ALL the time and I just kind of stopped taking a real interest in it. I think this is partly due to moving in with Mr S, he does not stop me from listening to music before you worry but I think that I just tended to listen to what he put on. I have listened to so much music today and it has really done me good to play the songs that have real meaning to me; those songs that bring back memories or trigger an emotion. I think that it could really help with my writing as well so I think that one of my new year's resolutions is going to be to keep up my interest and make sure I listen to more of what I like! My other resolutions so far are:

  • Stop drinking as much diet coke
  • Take part in a charity walk/run (run may be being a bit optimistic!)
  • Lose some weight
  • Eat more fruit and vegetables (I don't really eat any at the moment)
  • Train Alfie to sit and come (this should be interesting)
  • Sleep more

19.12.08

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer


WOW! This is one of the best books that I have ever read! I was intrigued by all the hype surrounding this young adult book about vampires so I decided to investigate and I simply fell in love with it. I was totally drawn in and could not put this book down. Bella Swan moves to the small town of Forks and meets Edward Cullen (a 107 year old vampire in the bodily form on a 17 year old), they fall in love with each other and this book follows the difficulties in their relationship and the obstacles that they have to overcome; the main one being that Edward has to stop himself from eating Bella.
For me it is the characters that made this book so special to me; Meyer is totally driven by them. She describes how they look, walk, think, the music they like, the way they smell, the way the light falls on their skin; the tiniest movements they make. Due to all of this you are led to care about the characters deeply and obviously this makes you want to keep reading in order to find out what happens. It does help that the character of Edward Cullen is so mesmerising; honestly I am 26 but I have felt like a 15 year old girl with a crush when reading this. For me he is like the Maxim de Winter of the vampire world; he totally loves Bella with everything that he has yet he is so frightened of hurting her or putting her at risk. There is an element of Romeo and Juliet about this; they are very much star-crossed lovers and their love is so, so intense.
There is not one aspect of this book that I did not enjoy and I will be reading the others in the series. I know that people have knocked Meyer's writing but in no way is it awful; for me she is a totally character driven author and I love that type of writing. Twilight is a love story at the end of the day with a massive twist but it is the twist that makes the story so intense and the characters so complex. I completely loved this book and I know that I will be reading it again in the future.

18.12.08

Do you not question?


Do you not question,
Why you are the only one at her side?
Does it ever cross your mind,
That she may have something to hide?

Our voices are clearly nothing,
They fall on deaf ears.
It is as though nothing can reach you,
Nothing can make you see,
Especially not our tears.

My head is full of questions,
Every single day.
Do you just not let yourself hear them?
And hope they will go away?

I no longer look at you,
And see the figure I should.
I don't think we will ever reconcile,
I no longer believe I could.

Booking Through Thursday: Generosity


It's Booking Through Thursday time again!

Do you give books as gifts?

The answer to this would be yes! Mr S and I argue though whether you should only give hardbacks as presents but I myself prefer paperbacks anyway so we disagree about this!

To everyone? Or only to select people?

I've never really thought about this until today but I would probably only buy books as gifts for 4 people and they would be myself; my fiance Mr S; my lovely sister and one of my best friends. I think that I have a good idea of what they like to read so I usually feel quite confident that I would be able to choose a book for them that they enjoy. Also other than you kind people on here, they are the main people who I discuss books with and we often ask each other what we are reading and if it's any good!

How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?

It is definitely my favourite type of present! Partly because I love books so to be bought new ones is always a good thing but also because it is nice to think that someone has taken the time to think about what you would enjoy reading as it is a very personal gift.

Happy BTT everyone, I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and receive the odd book or two under the tree!

17.12.08

The Tower of Treats!!


Well I had a lovely evening last night- my two best friends came over and we had a little Christmas meal! I made a chicken, mushroom and leek pie in filo pastry that I had never made before but it turned out well and everyone cleared their plates! I felt really bad though as the idea of the Christmas meal was that we wouldn't buy presents but my one friend bought us a really lovely bottle of wine and my other friend got us The Tower of Treats! It is one of the nicest presents that I have ever been bought. It is 5 gift boxes which I am sure I will find uses for afterwards; the first one is filled with strawberry bonbons; the second with clotted cream fudge; the third with toffees; the fourth with oat and cranberry cookies and the fifth with an Italian lemon panettone! So many boxes of delights to enjoy over Christmas!!
Tonight is my works Christmas meal which I am really looking forward to; there are 5 of us going for a Chinese and I have been told that there is a chocolate fountain with an endless supply of marshmallows so I will be very, very happy!!!

16.12.08

Good vs Bad

Hmm I am copying my lovely sister's blog here but it got me thinking so here we go; a list of the good and the bad in my life at the moment!



GOOD



  • It is nearly Christmas and I am really looking forward to the break; I have felt much more festive this year!
  • My sister is settled in a lovely new house just in time to celebrate Christmas with her lovely husband and the pooches.
  • I have read loads of good books this year and have rediscovered how reading is one of the few ways that I actually manage to relax.
  • I (and Mr S) have clearly seen who our true friends are this year and there have been a few surprises but it's good to know isn't it?
  • Our sometimes lodger has left his Wii and I am hoping he will not be back for it before Christmas so I can get lots of Mario Kart practice in!
  • There are mince pies in the cupboard and snowballs in the fridge.
  • Mr S and I love Alfie to bits and he makes us smile everyday even when he has done a wee in my office!
  • Mr S and I are due to be married in 2009 and I am so excited to be his wife- we have our ups and downs like everyone but I wouldn't be me without him.
BAD

  • My lovely sister is very stressed about work and I wish she would let me help more- something I hope she lets me do in the New Year.
  • Mr S has exams straight after Christmas so he doesn't really get a proper break this year and he puts himself under too much pressure.
  • It still hurts everyday but I am getting much better at hiding it.
  • I need to put a lid on the temper that has developed from nowhere.
  • I am addicted to diet coke.
  • There are some devious people out there who should know better by now.


Tuesday Catch Up

I started reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight last night and was hooked instantly- read the first 5 chapters and then Mr S made me go to bed! I really wanted to see what all the hype was about and so far I have not been disappointed!
I am not sleeping well again at the moment; I seem to get 2 weeks of sleeping normally and then 4-6 weeks of hardly sleeping! I just can't seem to switch off and then when I do finally sleep I have really bizarre dreams which then wake me up and we start all over again!!

We went into town after work last night and it was really busy with people getting their last bits and bobs! We went to get a couple of Christmas presents and I also got some shoes with a voucher that I had for my Birthday; I was pleased to find some high shoes that I could walk in and even more pleased when I got to the till and they were half-price!

Tonight I have my two best friends coming over for dinner, as everyone is a bit strapped for cash this Christmas we decided to have a Christmas meal together instead so I am really looking forward to that as I don't get to see them enough!

15.12.08

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell


Faceless Killers is the first book in the Inspector Wallander series by Henning Mankell. It is like no other crime novel that I have read. It is set in Sweden and this is integral to the book; Mankell is describing the deterioration of the Swedish culture throughout his story. Wallander is shocked at the violent murders that have taken place; in many other crime novels these would have seemed expected and run-of-the-mill almost.

Wallander as a character is a brilliant creation. In many ways he is the stereo-typical overweight, divorced police inspector. However, he is much more complex than that; you feel that his career has taken over his life yet he is still struggling to decide what life is all about and what he wants out of it. You get a real sense that he is not a detective that merely wants a result; he wants to try and understand why these brutal crimes are committed.

I will definitely read the other books in the series, Mankell really draws you in but the book is so much more than a mere page-turner.

13.12.08

It does not look nice outside!

I am up bright and early this morning; we still have to get up to let Alfie out for the toilet as he's still too small to last too long! Having fewer accidents though! So I am sitting in the kitchen on the lap top and the weather outside the window is horrible! The wind is howling and the rain is really heavy; the kind of weather that just makes you want to stop in all day! Unfortunately I have promised Mr S that I will take him out for breakfast this morning and we need to pop and get a couple of Christmas presents; so unfotunately we will have to go out in the rain!

Our area is really winding down for Christmas; there are a lot of students where we live, with the odd young couple and then people that have lived here forever. I love this time of year as all the students start packing up and going home for 4 weeks and it becomes lovely and quiet! On the whole it is not to bad living in an area like this but I do really love it when they all go home for a few weeks!
I have started Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell and it is really good; it is the first book in the Detective Wallander series and I am gripped already. I have been watching the new tv series with Kenneth Brannagh playing Wallander and that led me to investigate the books. I have to say that the series is really good but the books are much better; you get a much better sense of Wallander's character which you can't get from an hour long programme.

12.12.08

Friday Fill-ins


Ooooh this is my first Friday Fill-in, I enjoyed it!


1. Friends are the family that you choose for yourself.

2. Good health; it's something that you should really look after and strive for.

3. I'm ready for Christmas, very predictable I know but I am really excited this year!.

4. Roast Chicken is one of my favorite perfumes or aftershaves or smells.

5. The oldest ornament I have is probably the angel on my Christmas tree, we don't really have ornaments otherwise.

6. Take some advocat, lemondade and lime, mix it all together and you have a wonderfully festive drink called a Snowball!.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a nice, long bath, tomorrow my plans include brunch with my lovely fiance and Sunday, I want to clean the house! (Well I don't want to but it has to be done!)

11.12.08

Have you ever lied about reading a book?


The BBC homepage has an interesting article today explaining how many people lie about the books that they have read. I don't think that I have ever done this; if I haven't read a book then I will just say, I think that I would be too worried that someone would start asking questions about it! This same poll said that most women thought that men should have read Shakespeare or Nelson Mandela's biography. Shakespeare I can understand as I am a BIG fan and undoubtedly Mandela's biography is a very important book but I would not be disappointed that a man I liked had not read it! I think that this is sometimes what puts people off reading; there can be a certain amount of snobbery! I am really lucky in that I have been able to study English Literature at degree level so have been introduced to many different authors and types of literature. However, I would never look down my nose on somebody who has never ready any Austen or Eliot. I think that people should read whatever they like, the important thing is that they enjoy what they read; it doesn't matter what others think!

Booking Through Thursday: Time is of the Essence


1. Do you get to read as much as you WANT to read?
(I’m guessing #1 is an easy question for everyone?)

The easy answer is NO! I would quite happily sit and read all day but obviously have to work and do other things like actually talk to people! I have stepped up my reading this past year though- I tend to take my book with me everywhere I go so if I have a spare 10 minutes then I can have a quick read! I'm really looking forward to Christmas and having time off so I can sit and read all day if I wish!
2. If you had (magically) more time to read–what would you read? Something educational? Classic? Comfort Reading? Escapism? Magazines?

I would just read the kinds of books I do now which is a real mixture of classics, drama, chicklit, children's books, the list is endless! Magically having more time to read would be great, it would also be the perfect excuse to buy more books!

10.12.08

Christmas Celebrations!


I had such a lovely evening last night, we had 4 of our friends (they are doing medicine with Mr S) over for a pre-christmas dinner! They are really lovely ladies who literally live over the wall in our back garden! Out of all the people who have become friends from Mr S' course they are the ones who have made me feel the most welcome and included! So we put the Christmas tunes on and lit the fire and had a little Christmas meal complete with crackers and it was really good, really put me in the mood for Christmas! They and Mr S are feeling a bit sad about Christmas this year as they won't get to celebrate much due to having a huge exam the week after so it was nice for everyone to relax a bit last night and take their minds off it!



I have been whizzing through re-reading Harry Potter- this is the one that I have enjoyed the most second time round. I think that I am probably reading it really quickly becuase as I mentioned earlier I have some new books that I want to read as well!

9.12.08

A Confession

I have a confession to make, I have a library fine! For £15.48! I am really embarrassed about this; it is from when we lived in the centre of town- I completely forgot to take some books back and then Mr S dropped them back for me. I didn't realise that I had a fine until I logged into my library account on-line last night. My plan was to join the lovely old library that is literally at the top of my road- really lucky to have one so close but now I am embarrassed that they will think I am a nightmare borrower as the first time I go on I will have to pay this big fine! Mr S said that I am being silly and I should just go in! I know that he is right and it would be great to be able to borrow books again and I would have no reason not to return them on time so I shall have just have to face the music. Maybe I could take them some mince pies!

8.12.08

Looking forward to 2009!


It is not nice to say but I will be glad to see the back of 2008! The latter part of this year has been pretty horrible for me and therefore has also put those around me under strain. It is not nice being made to question everything that you have done or said or to look back on your past and see things in a very different light. I have come to realise that some people are just not right and it is pointless trying to understand or analyse their behaviour; that is just allowing them to infringe even more on your life and it is a waste of time anyway. This year has shown to me more than ever the important people that are in my life; Mr S, my lovely sister and her husband have been fantastic and I couldn't have asked for any more from any of them. It is times spent with them that makes me think that the only thing to do is to get on with it; that is the best type of revenge to have. While we are all together, taking part in each others lives we are not the ones missing out and we are not the ones that have stopped that from happening.

So here's to 2009- there is a lot going on next year and a lot to look forward. My sister and her husband will be all settled in their beautiful new house which they really deserve. We have some new ideas for the business and hopefully will have some new contacts to make in the new year. Mr S will be embarking on the scary but exciting part of his degree which will mean he will be working in hospital nearly everyday. I know that he is a little frightened about this but I think he will love it and show everyone what he is made of. 2009 is also the year that we had planned to get married and I think this will still happen; I want it to, we just need to decide when and where.

5.12.08

Nearly the Weekend!

Ah it is nearly the weekend! I am really excited as have a very lovely weekend planned. After work Mr S and I are going back to Birmingham to have some dinner with his Mum and Dad and stay the night so that will be good. In the morning we are going to take Alfie for a BIG walk in Sutton Park which I think he will love; it is a massive park and one of the things that we really miss about Birmingham. Then we are going over to see my sister's lovely new house and have some lunch. I am really excited for my sister and her lovely husband as they have been looking for a new house for ages and they have found somewhere really good. Lots of room, still in the country and it has a dishwasher which is what my sister is most excited about!!
We will be coming back on Saturday night and I am hoping to persuade Mr S to get the Christmas decorations out of the loft so that I can put our tree up and then I am going to finish my Christmas shopping in town on Sunday, perfect!
I am re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the moment, only started it last night but I have really enjoyed re-reading them so far as I know that I definitely rushed them the first time just so I could find out what happened! I have bought a few books this week, on Tuesday I got Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell after watching the new Kenneth Brannagh series Wallander on television. I had never heard of these books but they are supposed to be excellent so I thought it best to start at the beginning! I also bought Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; yes I know that I am 26 but I wanted to see what all the hype was about so it has been added to my to read pile!

4.12.08

Booking Through Thursday- Favourites


1. Do you have a favorite author?
I haven't been able to pick just one but have managed to narrow it down to two and they are Jane Austen and Daphne Du Maurier. I love them both!


2. Have you read everything he or she has written?

I believe that I have read everything by Jane Austen as also did several of her novels during my degree. I am slowly working my way through Daphne Du Maurier- I am stopping myself from reading them one after the other as I really look forward to starting a new one!

3. Did you LIKE everything?
Hmmmm I have loved all of Daphne Du Mauriers book so far and Rebecca is the best book that I have ever read. The only Jane Austen book that I haven't really enjoyed was Mansfield Park and I think that it is mainly becuase I did it for English Literature A-level and we really pulled it apart. I should probably try reading it again just for enjoyment rather than trying to pass an exam on it!


4. How about a least favorite author?

I don't think that I can pick one, I have come across several authors whose books just haven't been right for me but nobody stands out in particular.

5. An author you wanted to like, but didn’t?

This has to be Charles Dickens for me but I haven't given up hope yet. I really wanted to like him and tried reading Hard Times and I just really didn't enjoy it. Maybe that just wasn't the right book of his for me- there are plenty of others to choose from!

3.12.08

Feeling Festive!

Ooooooooh I am feeling really festive today! I am wearing a red jumper (which Mr S says makes me look like the lady off the 80's Connect 4 box) and I have just had a mince pie for my breakfast! Ho Ho Ho!

Picking Up the Pieces by Paul Britton


Paul Britton is one of the UK's top forensic psychologists; he has been credited as the inspiration behind the top TV series Cracker. I read his last book The Jigsaw Man after it was recommended by our sometimes lodger. I thought it was brilliant and could not put it down so I was chuffed to find out that he had written a follow up. The Jigsaw Man looked at many of the high profile cases that Britton has worked on such as the Fred and Rosemary West Murders but Picking Up the Pieces focuses more on his everyday clinical work. So I have to say that I probably didn't find it as gripping as the first book but it was still enlightening. I felt that he is trying to stress that the clinical work is of great importance as if he is able to help people at an early stage then he may be able to prevent them from becoming a Fred West type of figure.

I am very interested in psychology in general so this book definitely appealed to me on that level but I think that it would be enjoyed by many people as it really is an interesting look at human nature and makes you think about what leads people to take the actions that they do.

2.12.08

Shocking!

How good was Spooks this evening!! I felt like the new series wasn't as good as the previous one but after watching this episode I am hooked again! Connie, the innocent looking, old lady was the mole, a really scary mole with a razor blade in her bra! Loved it, who knew she could be that ruthless, however, I have to say that Ben, the other MI5 agent that she killed was a little bit stupid. He clearly had missed one of the training sessions; he has just been informed that she is the mole yet he happily turns his back to her! Ah well!

1.12.08

Smelly!


Mr S and I had a really productive weekend, we went Christmas shopping and it is the first time that I have enjoyed it for ages! I usually hate Christmas shopping but we didn't rush about like we usually end up doing, so we were able to have a good look and pick some lovely gifts for people. We also treated ourselves to two Lilyflame candles; my lovely sister introduced us to these and I think that they are some of the best that you can buy- you only need them on for a little while and the smell really fills the house. We bought one called Snowfall which I love and one called Sweet Dreams which we have never had before but it smells so lovely! Anway after having one of these on Mr S and I were talking about how important smell is and how comforting some smells can be to different people and it made me think about what my favourite smells are:



  • Roast Chicken- this has to be at the top of my list, the smell of it cooking in the oven just makes me think of lazy sundays spent at home just chilling out- probably in my pyjamas! It is a really homely smell- mmmmmm!

  • Blown out Birthday candles- this may just be me so I apologise if this seems a strange one! I don't know what it is but I love the smell of Birthday candles when they have just been blown out- you don't really get the same smell from anything else!

  • Real fire- I think when you go into a house or a restaurant etc and they have a real wood burning fire on the go, it is really welcoming! We have a real fire at home and Mr S' parents give us loads of logs from the fruit trees that they had to have chopped down in their garden- they give off a really lovely smell when they burn and it goes all through the house.

  • Coffee- I love the smell of coffee yet I rarely drink it- I am very much a tea person. It is such a rich smell though; I love going into Starbucks especially at this time of year for one of their Gingerbread lattes.

I could list so many more, most of them are embarrassingly food related. Christmas is one of those time of the year that has lots of nice smells related to it; the turkey cooking in the oven; the satsumas we put in stockings, the mince pies baking and the mulled wine filling our glasses!

All change here!

I have made the decision to stop doing written reviews on here for a little while. I shall keep this page open but for the time being I sha...