Well hello to you my reader chums! I've been reading many good books lately and one of them is The Family Upstairs. This book was honestly incredible and addictive, to say the least, and I couldn't put it down. 

Here are my thoughts on the book...

Plotline

The book is based around a house, located in Chelsea, London. A baby is found alive and healthy in the cot but 3 dead bodies are also discovered downstairs with a note. The bodies have been left for several days and nobody knows what's happened and who has been looking after the baby. It's a mystery in the vacant, huge house.

Characters and relationships

This book is complex, twisty and a page-turner, and the characters go hand in hand with that. The story is told from three different perspectives, by Lucy, Henry, and Libby, and how their lives overlap. The way it's written really shows off the characters and the descriptions are impeccable; so raw and honest.

I found myself really liking both Lucy and Libby and their honesty towards their life, whilst Henry had a strange appeal about him, but it's interesting to see the story unfold from all their perspectives. The relationships which I found were so important was Lucy and her kids, Henry and Phin, and Libby with her work colleague Dido. I learnt a lot about Lucy's character from how she was with her kids; a caring mother who is trying to do anything to get them back to London, her home. Henry and Phin had an odd relationship, and the way the book unfolds, I understood why they were this way. Libby is a free spirit and like any young 20-something year old who I related to page after page.

There are plenty of different characters in the book and significant ones at that, especially those who live in the house and finding out what really went on (no spoilers here.)

Overall thoughts on the book

I cannot rave about this book enough. From the first page, I was hooked into reading what happened and what went on, and what the big mystery was. The way the book is divided into three different perspectives helps build the suspense and feeds into each other, as I made my way through the book.

The plot twists are what really intrigued me the most in this book. As things began to play out, a twist would come out of nowhere and I was gobsmacked by a lot of them. I can't really get over how addictive the read was and how clever the chapters intertwined, and how the characters life's linked in, in more ways than one.

Beautifully complex and crazily twisty, the book is something I would recommend to any reader. It surprised me at every chapter and there were so many elements included in the story that I couldn't put it down.

Ending

After an intense read, I wasn't too sure how the ending would play out. However, it seemed to be incredibly satisfying how things fell into place, and I felt really content as I read the last page. I'm not going to give anything away, but what I will say, that the ending was pretty light and a complete contrast to the complexity most of the novel had.

I hope you enjoyed this book review. What are you currently reading?

Thank you for reading <3

Well hello to you my reader chums! Travel insurance is something that's so important for any trip you're going on and a step I always make sure I do when booking a holiday. Unfortunately, you never know what can happen when you're away from home and that's why it's good to have cover behind you to help you out. At the minute, travel isn’t at the forefront of our minds with everything going on. However, hopefully soon, we’re able to jet set abroad and travel insurance is one of those steps you should take. 

I didn't know much about travel insurance until I started working in it and now my whole world has opened up to what I'm actually buying into. Whether this is your first time buying travel insurance or you'd like to know what to look out for, here is how to choose your travel insurance.

Look out for what you're covered for

The problem with travel insurance is not actually knowing what you're covered for and this is down to what is stated in your policy wordings document. Travel insurance is mainly there to help you out with any medical emergencies abroad or costs in that area, and everything else is dependant on the policy you choose.

There are hundreds of travel insurance providers out there so it can be hard to know what to pick and what provider is better to the next. However, the main thing to do is read through the policy wordings and see what level of cover they offer for what you want to be covered for. Whether it's flight delays, cancellations, coming home early, baggage protection, losing your possessions or if you abandon your travel plans. There are lots of different circumstances which can happen when you're abroad and it's important to think about that and buy a high level of cover to ensure you're protected.

Another thing to keep in mind is the excess. If you, unfortunately, have to put through a claim as something has happened, then whatever you're claiming for, the excess will need to be deducted off it. If you don't want a high excess, make sure you look out for that when purchasing the policy in the first instance.

The price

A lot of people when it comes to travel insurance decide to buy the cheapest travel insurance they can come across, however, the cheaper the cover, the less you will be covered for. If you purely only want it as a medical emergency type of cover and have a limited amount of cover then pick the cheapest option. However, it's more worthwhile in investing a little bit more money in better cover to give you the reassurance that you'll be covered for more scenarios on your travels.

Extensions 

When it comes to travel insurance, we assume that the policy should cover everything including things like gadget cover, however, it's not often the case. If you want specific cover such as gadgets, winter sports, festivals or anything you don't think will be on a regular policy, you may need to buy an extension - or look into the existing policy you're purchasing.

The length of a policy

There are different types of policies you can purchase including a single trip, multi-trip/annual or long term cover. A single trip is for one trip and can be up to a certain amount of days depending on the policy you go for. A multi-trip/annual you take out on a yearly basis and it'll cover you for more than one trip you take throughout the year. Long term cover is for those backpacking style trips where you're away for a few months or more and dependant on your policy the cover can be up to 2 years or more.

The countries you're travelling to

When you're buying your policy, you'll have to choose the cover on where you going. This can be worldwide, it can just be Europe or excluding different continents. The more places you'll get cover for, the more your price will increase.

Talk to your provider

If you're unsure about what to purchase or what you need to be covered for, then the best thing to do would be to ring up your travel insurance provider and see what they recommend for your trip - as they'll explain what the policy wordings mean.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Have you got a travel insurance cover?

Thank you for reading <3

Well hello to you my reader chums! The age of 24 sounds so adult and if I'm honest, I don't feel like a 24-year-old, or in a way, feel like what 12-year-old me imagined a 24-year-old to be. But, I'm exactly what 16-year-old me imagined me to be: happy and content with the skin I'm in, and my life as a whole.

I've done a lot of growing mentally and emotionally from where I was in my teens, and I've learnt a lot of life lessons along the way.

Here are 24 lessons I've learnt in 24 years...

I hope you enjoyed this post. What life lessons are your favourite?

Thank you for reading <3

Well hello to you my reader chums! These past few months I've been reading a lot more and I love the fact that I've able to have the time to rekindle one of my favourite things. A book I've recently finished is Where the Crawdads Sing, a beautiful fiction recommended by many, which I absolutely adored.

Here are my overall thoughts on the book...

Plotline

The book follows the story of the 'Marsh Girl.' Set in Barkley Cove, a quiet town in North Carolina, rumors have circulated for years about the 'Marsh Girl'. In 1969, when the town's star player, Chase Andrews is found dead, all the locals suspect Kya Clark, the 'Marsh Girl.' However, what many of the local folk don't know about Kya is she's a sweet and intelligent girl, who for years had survived a life alone in the marsh, finding friends in nature. The young Kya comes to an age where she yearns to be loved and after two young men from the town are intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya is opened up to a new world and the unthinkable happens.

Characters and relationships

Characters and relationships are incredibly important in this novel as the plot is really focused on the fact of Kya being abandoned and living on her own in the marsh, in isolation for most of her young life.

Her family plays an important role at the beginning of the novel but their effects of what they did leaving her, run throughout the plot. She has an unfortunate relationship with her family, living in an abusive household, cut off from the outside world, and eventually, they left her at such a delicate age. Kya befriends the locals Jumpin and Mabel who help her through every stage of her life, and their relationship warms my heart as they become her new family.

The two big characters are Kya's love interests as from how they pan out, she learns a lot about herself and what love really is, and what heartbreak feels like. They help shape Kya and it shows her growth as a person, in a beautiful way. Jodie, her brother plays a huge part in shaping the story and their bond is something that isn't affected, even as time goes on and their lives drift apart.

Relationships really are key in this novel as there is a huge focus on Kya being alone and learning to live a life of her and her swamp, that the bond with different people teaches her things in more ways than one.

Overall thoughts on the book

Overall, this book warmed my heart in a lot of different ways. It has the combination of a romance theme, a murder mystery, and a coming-of-age narrative. It's beautifully written and the descriptions of what goes on make the reader fall in love with nature in a way that Kya sees it.

I loved how the book goes back and forth to the past and present and fits the plotline in nicely with what's going on to give the reader a deeper understanding of the characters, and their backstory.

My favourite thing about the book is Kya and how the author writes it, as an outsider looking in. But with so much depth, description, and love as every word seem to have poured out from her soul. It made me realise what's important in life and has an underlying message about the simplicity of life itself. It certainly took my breath away and I would recommend it to everyone.

The ending

The book in itself has a few different themes running through it which go together hand in hand, and the ending kind of raps that all up in a painfully, beautiful way. I don't know how to describe it other than to say it was wholesome and fulfilling.

I hope you enjoyed this book review. What are you currently reading?

Thank you for reading <3

Well hello to you my reader chums!

Confidence comes from within and isn’t something that can grow overnight (as much as we all want it to). It takes hard work, perseverance, and believing in yourself that you can do it and you are worthy, worthy of being happy within yourself.

I’d like to point out before you read this guide that these tips are something I’ve worked on for the most part of 6 years. 18 year old me didn’t have any ounce of self/body confidence about who I was and generally, I hated every bit of myself, and would constantly compare to those around me. But over time and practicing all these methods below, I’ve learned to accept who I am, love my flaws, and become a self-assured individual that knows my worth.

And, you can do that too. I have faith in you!

Surrounding yourself with people who get you

Confidence is about how you feel inside but that can also fall into how you interact with others, and their view of you plays a huge part in this.

Not everyone you meet in life will be your best friend or even want to be your friend and it’s about learning and accepting this - accepting that it’s not because of you. There’s nothing wrong with you, they’re just not your kind of person. When you find people who are right for you, you’ll feel comfortable and the confidence will naturally pull through within yourself.

This also goes hand in hand with saying goodbye to any toxic presence in your life, whether that’s a family member or friend. If they’re putting you down in anyway, it can knock your confidence and make you feel low in yourself. It may sound obvious, but surrounding yourself with the people who boost you up rather than pick on every little thing you do, can really change how you view yourself - and you’ll soon realise that these people want to hang out with you for a reason: you’re beautiful and wonderful in every way. I cannot stress this enough that the right people will love you for you.

Learning to accept who you are

As I said confidence comes from within and the BIGGEST part of tackling that is by fully accepting who you are. This is the hardest step as a lot of us have insecurities, some more than others and that’s okay. But, it’s about embracing those insecurities and rocking them.

Make a list of firstly what you would consider your ‘flaws’ and why you consider them to be your flaws. Read them through and then, rip the piece of paper up/burn it/chuck it away - and that way, you’re releasing all the bad thoughts about yourself but also accepting they’re part of who you are. It’s about physically chucking away the negative energy in your mind. Then, on the flipside, make a list of all your favourite qualities and what you like about yourself, and keep those words to hand. Read them every day and when you’re feeling low, remind yourself of these good qualities and learn to focus on them, rather than the piece of paper you threw away.

If you find yourself thinking about your flaws and how they limit you in anyway, instead of thinking about them in a negative mindset, try and focus on them in a positive light. For instance, ‘I lash out when I’m angry and that’s why people think I’m difficult.’ Instead of thinking people hate you for that, turn it on it’s head and think ‘I’m angry because I’m passionate and care about something deeply and that’s why I lash out.’ By slowly turning the negative thoughts into something positive, you’ll train your mind to think this way. And, ultimately come to terms with the fact you’re not perfect, and it’s okay not to be perfect. Nobody is perfect (as Hannah Montana famously said), we’re all individuals trying to figure out life in our own way.

Accepting yourself is something that will boost your confidence in so many ways. Once you’re at a level where you’re certain about who you are, you’ll find you’re able to speak your mind, wear what you want, and in a way, live freely in every part of your life. 

Comfort zones

The phrase ‘life begins at the end of your comfort zone’ speaks volumes, especially when it comes to confidence. For a lot of people, we don’t try new things whether that’s going for a job, wearing a new outfit, going on that date, or flying somewhere different because of our confidence - or low self-esteem. We stay in what we know as it’s easier, safer and you think you can’t really get hurt if you stay there.

However, this is limited and isn’t the way to live your life in any aspect, and stepping out of your comfort zone can bring a world of opportunity.

There was a point in my life that I couldn’t even leave my front door on my own in fear of the outside world, go on a night out, get on public transport by myself or even speak in a job interview. My confidence was too low to interact on my own without a family member or friend with me at any given time. But that period in my life seems worlds away now as I took the plunge of stepping out of my comfort zone, slowly but surely - and my confidence grew in time. 

I’m not saying to take a huge plunge but bit by bit you can get there with something your confidence is holding you back from. Have a think about what you’re least confident about and the ways you can gradually get there. 

For example, if you really struggle with socialising and speaking out in groups, take the baby steps and get to a point where you feel able to fully immerse yourself in a social situation. Start by accepting invitations to social gatherings, bringing someone or something along as a ‘safety blanket’ to turn to if you’re not feeling confident. Then, see if you’re able to increase the number of people you can see, bit by bit without your safety blanket. Push yourself slowly and in a way, force yourself into that situation. Pushing yourself is the first step of growth in your confidence. This mindset can be applied to any scenario. Like with healing, take a day at a time, and eventually, you’ll find your feet.

Learning your worth comes from you

We often find we need people’s validation to know that we’re worthy and that simply isn’t true. Your worth comes from you and goes hand in hand with accepting who you are, and what you’re all about.

To find your worth, you need to stop only thinking you’re good enough when someone compliments you for something. It’s about finding that worth within yourself, which can come with time after accepting yourself.

When people have low confidence or self-esteem, they simply accept the love they think they deserve and try their best to help aid everyone else’s happiness instead of their own. However, your happiness and confidence is the number 1 priority in every way. Once you’re able to love yourself, you can pour so much love into other people and into the world - and you’ll find, when sharing that love, your confidence will naturally come with it.

Stop comparing yourself

Comparing yourself to another person is natural for every human on this earth - you’re not alone in thinking that. But, what’s not normal or healthy is comparing yourself to the point that you’re hating on yourself or building on that low self-esteem.

When you’re scrolling through Instagram or social media in general (as these days, it’s the place many of us will compare to others), there are a few things that should flicker through your mind instead of comparing yourself to that image. One: what you see online isn’t real (repeat it for the people in the back.) Photos online are often altered, staged, and only show one part of someone’s life, not the hardship they’re also going through. Again, nobody has a perfect life and that pretty person isn’t better than you. Two: Admiration. When you’re admiring someone’s photo, share the love with them and try to avoid thinking about what they have and you don’t. It’s about switching your perspective on things and spreading the love - this will help you feel better within yourself. Three: YOU ARE YOUR OWN PERSON. I can’t stress this point enough. Unfortunately, how our mind works is that we’re always going to think someone is better than us. But what you should be focusing on is that you’re you and people love you for that. YOU DON’T NEED TO BE ANYONE ELSE.

Bumps in the road are okay

Like with any healing process or growth in some way, setbacks are okay in your road to being your most confident self. It’s important to realise that confidence does come with time and experiences, and you’ll learn from that and build from it too. 

If you’re having a day when the world comes crumbling down and all your hard work from the effort you put in to being more confident has faded - that is okay. Because you can and you will jump back; you were strong enough to get to that point in your journey that you can get there again. Have patience with yourself and always, always congratulate yourself for the milestones you reach in being more self-confident. Once you see progress, it can really help boost you to work harder. You’ll be loving yourself in no time which is exactly what you deserve.

Letting go

One of the biggest things I’ve learned in life lately which I’ve applied to pretty much everything is the power of letting go - and the effect it can have on your mindset.

Letting go of negative thoughts and how they attach to your low self-confidence is so important. Once you remove the negative mindset from every part of you and your life, then the pathway will open up for you - and you’ll feel free when it comes to any opportunity, and find happiness within yourself. 

Confidence is a process but with the right mindset and courage, you can get to a point where you love yourself for who you are, and show that self-love with the world. Have patience and be kind to yourself. You’re only human and perfectly imperfect.

I hope you enjoyed this guide. What tips do you have for boosting your confidence?

Thank you for reading <3

Well hello to you my reader chums! Lockdown means I'm finally delving into my to be read pile and one of the books on it was 'A Nice Cup of Tea' which I received as a present. It's not my usual read as I would describe it as a holiday or lighthearted type of book, however, I did really enjoy it and it changed things up.

Here are my overall thoughts on the book:

Plotline

The book is about 5 ex-pats, Theresa, Sally, Carol, Ben and William who have moved to the South of France for different reasons and purchase a restaurant together. However, after a terrorist attack, the tourism scene has decreased and they find themselves struggling with keeping the restaurant La Mosaique afloat. There is also trouble in paradise when Theresa's grandaughter goes missing and Sally bumps into a couple from her old acting days. Through the novel, you learn all about each character's lives, how their stories intertwine and exactly what it takes to save the restaurant in the sunny Bellevue-sur-Mer.

Characters and relationships

The characters really made this book as the description of each of them, their thoughts, and what they were getting up to were incredibly detailed which I loved. Theresa was the main character of the plotline I would say and the chef at the restaurant. She's loved by her many friends that she shares the restaurant with and is the closest to Sally. Their bond is typical of an older friendship and they have each other's back through everything. However, with Theresa, everyone would do anything with her and her family to ensure they are safe. Sally was more of a fiery and independent character with a glamorous past life of acting which pulls through nicely in the plotline. Carol was a funny character and made me laughed at how she went about her day and interacted with the other characters.

Their bond together was a joy to read and really showed the honesty of what it is like to run a business with a few other friends.

Thoughts on book

To keep it simple, I really enjoyed this book. From chapter to chapter, and as the ball got rolling with the story, more things began to occur which added depth to the plotline. It has a lighthearted vibe with the description of the South of France and the fun everyone got up there. However, there was also a bit of drama with Theresa's family, what was going on with Sally, and the pressure of losing the restaurant. All the book themes went hand in hand with each other and it was written nicely to follow along with the plot. I also loved that each chapter had a recipe at the beginning! It got me wanting to cook as I read.

Ending

The ending of this book was perfect for closure and it brought all the ideas in the book together and how those storylines overlapped. It was happy, lighthearted, and heartwarming. This book is the perfect holiday or relaxing read!

I hope you enjoyed this book review. What books would you recommend?

Thank you for reading <3

Well hello to you my reader chums! Going through a breakup is never easy and something I've had to experience lately. When it first happened, I wasn't sure how to feel, what to do, and genuinely, how to cope with it. If you're in a similar boat to me and recently gone through her breakup, here are some tips on how to deal with a breakup - and what I've done to get through it.

Allow yourself to feel all the emotions

When I first broke up with my ex, I felt a lot of pressure to get over and move on with my life quickly but that's not how it works, nor is there any expectation to do so. There is a process you'll go through when you break up with someone and it's important to feel all the emotions. 

If you feel sad, let yourself cry and be sad, it's okay. If you feel angry, channel that anger and allow yourself that. If you feel happy one day, celebrate that but don't beat yourself up if the next day you feel sad again. Your emotions will come in waves and it's okay to deal with that. Breaking up with someone is similar to a grieving process as they were a huge part of your life for a significant period of time and suddenly, that's taken away, and the attachment which comes with that. Feel everything and do what you have to do to ensure you're going through the emotions. Hang with friends, cry at sad films, write everything down on a piece of paper, and rip it up. Simply, let all your emotions out.

Be reassured that everyone's healing process is different

Everyone has a different relationship with their ex and a reason they broke up, which can be different from what you went through - and that's so important. Each and every breakup is different, and each and every healing process is different - and you shouldn't compare yours. There is no certain time that you should take to get over your ex, it could take weeks, it could take months or years, and that's okay. You're allowed to take the time to process what happened and heal.

Healing isn't linear

Something I've learned dealing with a breakup and my mental health journey in general is that healing isn't a linear process. It has it's ups and downs, and sometimes you'll think you're taking two steps back rather than two steps forward. Those step backs are totally normal and there is no reason to beat yourself up if you've had no progress. Time really is the biggest healer and one day, you'll feel like yourself once more  - trust the process.

Surround yourself with your support network

When dealing with a breakup, it's an incredibly hard time and something that helped me through was my family, friends, and work colleagues. Surround yourself with the people who will boost you up, make you smile and reassure you it's all going to be okay. Make fun plans with your friends and try and fill your schedule up with different things to keep your mind occupied.

Try and focus on yourself

Everyone talks about those post-breakup 'glow ups' and to be honest, they are a thing. It's your time to fully focus on yourself, get back into your old hobbies, and do what's right for you. Whether that's making plans with your friends, joining a club, or getting a new hairdo; try and do the things which will make you happy, for being you.

Cut communication with your ex

The breakup could have ended in a good or bad way but something I would recommend in any case is to cut communication from your ex completely. This will help you process the breakup on your own without relying on their validation and also help you move away from them - and stand on your own two feet. It ended for a reason and you need to accept that. Cutting communication will really help you heal easier.

Practice self-love

Self-love is one of the most important things for you, your mental health, and building up your self-confidence again after a breakup. This means doing what makes you happy, taking a day as it comes, and putting no pressure on yourself. Be your own hype gal and surround yourself with positivity.

Know things will get easier

Probably one of the most cliche things to say, but I know that things will get easier for you. It may not seem like it now and your heart feels incredibly broken, but over time, that pain will get lesser and lesser, and you'll be back to beautiful you in no time. Be patient, stay positive, and know things will be okay soon. You've got this.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you have any more breakup tips?

Thank you for reading <3