Amazon Archives - Journeys Are My Diary

Disneybounding for Guys

August 27, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

A little while ago I wrote a blog post about Disney Bounding. It really only covered ideas for girls so I figured I would do something similar for guys too. As I mentioned before, Disney bounding is a really simple concept and is so easy to do, with just regular high street clothing. I’ve put together a couple of ideas, to show you what I mean.

Prince Eric Disneybound

This outfit idea above is Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. It’s put together with really simple items like a white shirt and blue jeans (these are from Stand-out.net) and a red belt. Instead of a white shirt you could also use a t-shirt instead.

Fix It Felix Disneybounding

This next idea is for anyone not fancying being a prince! Fix-it Felix from Wreck-It Ralph is another really easy Disneybound to tryout. This flat-lay includes a denim shirt from River Island and jeans from Boohoo.com – other items such as the belt, boots and cap are also commonly found.

Gaston Disneybound

Last but not least, an idea for those guys who prefer to be the villains. A simple polo shirt (Sports Direct) with a jumper over the top (Amazon), will give the look of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Couple that with a pair of black jeans (Superdry) and some brown boots and you’re done. To be fair these boots are costume rather than every day, but they could easily be replaced with a more everyday pair!

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April 10, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

My first picture this week is of Lily. On Sunday we received an Amazon delivery with some things she’d spent her birthday money on. She was so excited, especially as Megan had upset her the day before by refusing to play with her and I had offered an hour or so on Sunday to play instead. Lily and I were watching OUAT when the dolls arrived and Lily unpacked them all and faced them towards the iPad to watch with us!

On Sunday we also went out swimming. It was something I had promised to do during Easter and with decorating and illness, we just never got around to it. So on our last day together, we headed out to swimming and as an extra treat I bought the girls lunch at the cafe there too. Megan had a cheese, tuna and mayo panini and for the first time, managed it all!

Florida 2015 (2 weeks to go) The Shopping

March 18, 2015 by Bel 2 Comments

Today is 2 weeks to go till our holiday and I seriously can’t believe it. This week in my Florida series I’m covering the shopping – which I believe falls into two categories; Clothes and “Stuff”. I’m sure the two categories speak for themselves, but I really couldn’t think of a better name than “stuff”. It’s basically just all the other things you need for a holiday, that aren’t clothes! Within those two categories, there are of course two more – things you need… and things you want.

Many weeks ago, the girls and I made lists of what we’d want to pack – regardless of what we actually had. We included all the clothes items we could think of – and then all the other STUFF! From that moment onwards, we began to shop. I’ve been picking up bits here and there, while the girls did one main shop in Meadowhall. We’ve picked up incidentals as we’ve gone along and now I think we have pretty much everything we need.

Megan’s Shopping

Above you can see the items that Megan got in her Meadowhall shopping haul. The hat is in replacement of a typical sun hat, there are of course sunglasses, shoes and a cardigan. All of these are really accessories and that’s basically because for Christmas I bought both girls 10 dresses and have since made them 2-3 more. One thing they definitely didn’t need was main clothes, so these were the extras. That said, I’ve bought them some pjs, swimming costumes, the odd t-shirt and skirt etc. On top of that she has had a Travel Diary, an autograph book, as well as some other things I can’t think of off the top of my head.

Lily’s Shopping

Again, above is Lily’s shopping haul from Meadowhall. A lot like Megan, she has just the extras, because she had all the dresses she needed as a Christmas present. Also I forgot to mention before, but they both also got their suitcases for Christmas, which meant they were pretty much all set. Other than the clothes she got from Meadowhall, we’ve also picked up a travel diary and autograph book for Lily. She’s also had a new rucksack to use as a flight bag. Of course there are a few other bits and pieces too, but again I can’t think of them off hand.

Chris’ Shopping

On Friday, it’s Chris’ birthday. He wasn’t really sure what he wanted for his birthday presents and so in the end I took him shopping for a few bits and pieces he needed. Anyone who knows Chris, will know he’s very much a black clothes type of person, meaning he doesn’t have an awful lot that’s suitable for a sunny holiday. He also wears a lot of jeans, combat trousers and long sleeved t-shirts. This obviously wouldn’t do! Though the picture above is terrible, I bought him some new swimming shorts and five new t-shirts. I also bought a whole heap of trainer socks. After that I ordered the odd thing here and there, including another t-shirt and some cut-off combat shorts. Finally I spotted a hat I thought he would like in Tesco and this has become his sun hat.

There are a few other bits that Chris has wanted, one of which was an iPad mini. He sold his full size iPad and bought a Mini instead – he’s really pleased with that decision. For his birthday I’ve also bought him a couple of other bits, like a new swimming towel and a bag to use on the flight. I don’t have a picture of these though as they’re hidden away, waiting for Friday.

My Shopping

My main shop was definitely a parcel that was long awaited from Hot Topic. I treated myself to a Harry Potter dress and five Disney dresses. That said, after trying them on, I decided to get rid of both the Princess Quotes dress and also the Harry Potter one, as they just didn’t suit me. However I’m really happy with my remaining four dresses, one of which you may have seen in my Disney Outfit of the Day post, on Sunday.

As well as the Hot Topic haul, I picked up a few other bits and pieces as I went along. There are the two dresses above, as well as a couple of other dresses from Ebay. I also got a few t-shirts, a pair of shorts and a cardigan. I also picked up a couple of pairs of shoes.

Most recently, I got a £70 Amazon voucher and I’ve put it towards “stuff” for the holiday. I bought a charger case for my phone, a backpack for my laptop and the parks, and finally some Disney fashion books for the girls (because they love the one Amy bought them on her last visit).

I’m sure there are a few other bits here and there that I’ve forgotten to mention, but these are the main things we’ve bought for our holiday. We’re almost ready to go. Next week I will be sharing our packing with you all, where you’re see the final stage of our holiday planning – with one week left to go!

Ozeri Soft Touch Electric Pepper Mill and Grinder*

January 10, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

I have always wanted an electric grinder and so when I was asked if I wanted to review one, I jumped at the chance! Ozeri is a brand I am very familiar with now and also a make I trust. I wasn’t at all surprised when a very stylish black pepper mill, arrived at my door.

The Ozeri Savore Soft Touch Electric Mill and Grinder* is really a very sturdy yet great looking pepper mill. It’s simple to use, with a twist lock and an easy insertion of both batteries and peppercorns. If I had to pick a downside (though it really isn’t much of one) I’d say that 6 AAA batteries was quite a lot – and sadly, unlike some of the other Ozeri batteries – it doesn’t come supplied with them! That said, its a minor grumble and overall I absolutely adore the blender.

I can honestly say I have used this product almost every day since getting it. The one touch button at the top is just so simple and easy to use. The grinder isn’t even that noisy, despite being electric. I haven’t had a single problem with it and I really am pleased I got it. Now I just need to get myself a salt grinder to go with it!

Book Review – The Parent Agency

November 15, 2014 by Bel Leave a Comment

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of “The Parent Agency” by David Baddiel (hence the cover and graphics) and while I read it quite a while ago, its unfortunately taken me ages to get around to writing about it!

Now published, the cover looks more like this:

It is available from Amazon and at the time of publishing this post, costs just £6! The Parent Agency. This book is by David Baddiel, as I mentioned. He’s published three other books for adults, but this is his first for kids.

As I’m obviously not a kid myself, its hard to judge it completely. I found the book pretty funny and the story line was actually really good. There were times when I found some of the language and expressions a bit tiresome and repetitive, but I’m sure that’s not something that most people would notice, especially kids.

Barry Bennett hates being called Barry. In fact it’s number 2 on the list of things he blames his parents for, along with 1) ‘being boring’ and 3) ‘always being tired’.
But there is a world, not far from this one, where parents don’t have children. That’s far too random for something so big and important. In this world, children are allowed to choose their parents.
For Barry Bennett, this world seems like a dream come true. Only things turn out to be not quite that simple…

The start seemed a little slow getting going, but then once it did, I found it more enjoyable. It’s an easy read and I actually completed it in one day – a train journey to and from London in fact. The storyline IS predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. In fact, at the end, I still got a little choked up – perhaps because I am a parent. I do think its something that Megan would enjoy reading (she’s 9, nearly 10) but I’m not so sure about Lily at only 6. I also think that perhaps its a little more geared to boys, though I’m sure girls would like it too. I’m definitely glad I got to read it and would happily recommend it to others.

Book Review – Insurgent

October 28, 2014 by Bel 1 Comment

Usually I try to do a book review as a “no spoilers”, however as this book is the second in a trilogy, I feel like spoilers, certainly to the first book, are quite likely. Therefore if you have not read Divergent, please do not read this book review of Insurgent.

I have done bad things. I can’t take them back, and they are part of who I am.

Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.

Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever… because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of this trilogy – Divergent. I was under the impression it was similar to Hunger Games so that was my initial appeal in reading. Not long after I read the book, the movie came out and Nat and I went to see Divergent the Movie. This was great too. I immediately went out and bought myself a copy of Insurgent but what with one thing or another, I didn’t get around to reading it for ages. In the end it got to September before I finally picked it up and while I was a little slow to get into it, once I did, I was finished pretty quick.

The book picks up from almost exactly where Divergent leaves off. You follow both Tris and Tobias as the aftermath of the Dauntless attack takes its toll. As I said before, I try to write these reviews without spoilers so I don’t really want to get into plot too much. Instead I will say that while not as good as the first book, Insurgent has a good pace and is interesting enough to get you hooked into the storyline and continue to read. That said, Tris annoys me considerably in this book. Not only that, but her relationship with Tobias frustrates me incredibly. While the plot and story are interesting, though at times I did skim read a page or too, the most dragging part of the story is really the relationship between Tris and Tobias. On many occasions I can’t really understand why they are both acting the way that they do and not only that, I often wanted to bash their heads together.

Overall it was a good book and where I’d give Divergent a 5 star rating, Insurgent would really only warrant a 4. There are some great parts, a lot of suspense etc but really its the main couple’s relationship that lets down this book for me. I’ll definitely still watch the movie when it comes out but fingers crossed its a little better than the book. However, with that said, Insurgent definitely leaves you wanting more. The very day I finished reading Insurgent I ordered Allegiant online. Sadly I have a couple of other books to read first but I am dying to know what happens – despite being told its not a great ending. I’ll let you know what I think, as soon as I get around to reading it!

Book Review – The Fault In Our Stars

August 6, 2014 by Bel 3 Comments

The Fault in Our Stars

“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once.”
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

As is often the way for me, I’d seen and heard of this book for a while, but until I saw it was becoming a film, it really held no interest for me. However, I often think, that if a book is being made into a movie – someone, somewhere, thinks its awesome. That’s one of the reasons I read “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Divergent“. Admittedly, it doesn’t always mean the book is good – it certainly doesn’t mean that the movie is either. But it piques my interest at least, and that’s exactly what happened with “The Fault in Our Stars”.

The same as every book I review, I don’t want to give too much away and I certainly don’t want to spoil it for anyone else. However I do want to start off by saying, I loved this book and I did, despite knowing it was going to be sad from the get go, sob right through the second half of it. Even though it took me a little while to get going – sometimes its hard to settle into a book, only reading a few pages at a time – once I properly got going, it was a definite page turner. I’d idled over it for maybe a week, on and off, but when I finally had time to sit and read it solidly, that’s exactly what I did. In fact, the kids will tell you I barely moved from the sofa for about 4 hours, crying through most of that.

As you would expect, with the subject matter being cancer, the book is not supposed to be especially cheerful. However its really well written, easy to read and like I said before, a real page turner. Though I felt like I knew what the plot would be from the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised to find plot twists that I didn’t expect. This definitely added to the sadness of the book though. There were also moments in the book, when I wondered (and worried) that the plot would be left on a bit of a cliffhanger, a little like Hazel’s favourite book. I’m glad to say it wasn’t though and while saddened, I was content with the ending.

If you haven’t read this book and have been considering it, I definitely recommend you do. Even if you hadn’t considered it, you should. Now I’m going to have to watch the movie and see how it compares, though in my past experiences, especially with “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” the movie wasn’t a patch on the book!

My Birthday Part 1 – The Day Itself and Gifts

June 3, 2014 by Bel 3 Comments

As I’m sure you know (I’ve mentioned it enough times!) my birthday was last week. At the age of 35 though, birthdays really aren’t that big of a deal any more. However loved ones always seem to manage to make it special and I enjoyed my day.

In the morning I was woken by the girls – with 2 cards and a Disney Traditions ornament wrapped in beautiful travel paper.

After that, we got up and got breakfast. Chris surprised me with a card and gift, despite the fact I thought he hadn’t got me anything (he had promised to take me shopping instead!)

We had no plans for the morning, so I just let everyone do their own thing, rather than worry about completely trying to fill the day. The girls played on their computer, I started planing my brother’s murder mystery party and Chris sat next to me playing on his iPad. Nat sent me a funny e-card which had me in stitches because she’d accidentally sent a Father’s Day card, but it was soon followed with an actual e-birthday card. My sister emailed me over an Amazon gift voucher and when the post arrived, there was also a card from my parents-in-law and a £25 M&S voucher.

We had a snack lunch and then headed out in the car. We were originally going to head to Torksey Carboot Sale but sadly with the rain we soon ditched that idea. Instead we called into Party Planet for Chris to pick up some costume bits for my murder mystery party on Saturday. Making ourselves a little late, we rushed to park and headed to the Odeon. We were booked in for 14.40 showing of Maleficent and with popcorn in hand, we all enjoyed our movie (thanks to Orange Wednesday too!)

After the movie, we needed to put more money on the car parking (I didn’t have enough change before and the card machine wasn’t working!). We had a quick wander around town, put another ticket on the car and then headed into ASK where we were having dinner.

My mum and my brother joined us for dinner and we all had a lovely time. We shared a cheesy garlic bread to begin with, then each had pizza or pasta. Despite the fact my mum had already bought me my Stan Lee photo op ticket for London Film and Comic Con, she also bought me a couple of extra bits too which was really sweet. My brother not only forgot my card, but also asked me to buy my own present (what a difference between the two!). However my brother paid me back and his gift was a ticket to a Game of Thrones screening with cast panel at London Film and Comic Con.

Once everyone had finished dinner, we popped to Sainsburys and I treated myself to a book. We’d seen the trailer for “The Fault in Our Stars” in the cinema so I decided I’d like to read the book first. After that we headed home though and Nat called around to spent the evening with me. She treated me to Lush and Nail Polish bits, before finally surprising me with the Rainbow Roses that have been on my Wish List for over a year.

Not only did Nat (and her family) get me these beautiful gifts, she also bought me an individual cupcake! Nat was making my birthday cake, but not until the weekend when we had the party, so this was to suffice in the meantime.

As well as all these great gifts on the day, I also got a few more at other times. Before my birthday even happened, I got a bread shaped Lumiere and Mrs Potts, along with a box of Lush from work.

The day after my birthday, I got a surprise Lush parcel in the post, from Chris’ sister, Nikki.

Amy also arrived for a few days and brought with her gifts from Disneyland Paris, plus some new beauty buys to try out!

When we went to Harry Potter Studio on Friday, I was also spoilt by Chris and Amy. I’d been wanting to replace a Pygmy Puff keyring that I’d bought last time and had lost when my car was stolen, but sadly they don’t sell them any more. Instead I was surprised by a mug from Chris and a Deathly Hallows keyring (another keyring I lost when my keys were stolen) from Amy!

On the day of my party, I got a bottle of wine, shopping bag and some Lush from Chris (another Chris) and his family, MORE Lush and some Disney Villain Pop Characters that featured on my Wish List, from Jon, and two more Disney Traditions ornaments from Adam!

Even though this is a huge list of gifts, I feel like I might have missed something! I really hope not as I was so grateful for everything I got! I had a lovely birthday and as always it reminded me just how fab my family and friends are!

Book Review – Divergent

March 25, 2014 by Bel 4 Comments

Divergent – by Veronica Roth

Sixteen-year-old Tris is forced to make a terrible choice. In a divided society where everyone must conform, Tris does not fit.

So she ventures out alone, determined to discover where she truly belongs. Shocked by her brutal new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her.

The hardest choice lies ahead.

I have heard both bad and good reviews of this book, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you, especially with the release of the movie very close.

Last year when Nat and I went to see Hunger Games – Catching Fire, we saw a trailer for the Divergent movie. We had never even heard of the book before but the movie was eye-catching and since it was sold as similar to Hunger Games, it definitely piqued our interest. Nat’s birthday was only a few days after we saw the trailer and so I bought her book 1 & 2 in the trilogy (Divergent and Insurgent). I left the third book (Allegiant) for the time being, as it was only available in Hardback and I knew she would like a matching set.

Nat read them pretty much straight away and from what I can gather, thoroughly enjoyed them. I wasn’t finding much time to read around then but when she offered me them in February, I jumped at the chance to borrow them. Luckily Nat brought Divergent round just as I was ready to start a new book and so my March book has been Divergent.

For those people who say its a poor version of Hunger Games, I think they’re wrong. I do however think its very unfortunately for the author, that this book came quite so close on the heels of Hunger Games. While on the one hand I’m sure that is actually what helped her get a movie deal, on the other hand a lot of comparisons will go on. I’m not going to lie either, I would pick Hunger Games to read over Divergent, any time.

That said, Divergent IS a good book in my opinion and I did thoroughly enjoy it. Other than the book blurb, there isn’t really much I can tell you about the plot that won’t spoil the storyline for you. The theme is dystopia and the main character is female (I guess that’s where the Hunger Games comparisons come in). Also like HG, the books are part of a trilogy and are being made into a movie. For me, the book was an easy read, enjoyable and with enough interest that came me going back to pick up the book. In fact towards the end I definitely had far more trouble putting the book down. On top of that there were even several parts of the book that made me cry and by the end I definitely wanted to read the next book. So much so in fact, that as I don’t know when I’ll see Nat again to borrow book 2, I picked up Insurgent from Tesco last Saturday.

I intend to lend the books to my mum as she enjoyed Hunger Games and I think she’ll like this too. I also have tickets for Nat and I to see Divergent at the movies on 1st April, so I’ll let you know what I think.

Reed by Allison Saltz is my next book. Its not actually available till April 18th but I’ve been given an advance copy to review. I look forward to letting you all know what its like! After that, I’m sure to be moving on to both Insurgent and Allegiant in order to finish the trilogy.

Book Review – Love You More

March 11, 2014 by Bel 1 Comment

Love You More – by Lisa Gardner

WHO DO YOU LOVE?
A split-second decision and Brian Darby lies dead. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defence and for Boston detective D.D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?
As D.D.’s homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic state-wide search for a missing child, she must move quickly in order to learn all of Tessa’s secrets and understand what has happened to the little girl.
But for Tessa, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with no one to trust and nowhere to turn, as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training to do what has to be done. All that matters is her child and no one could love her more…

Two women. With one question…
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO SAVE YOUR CHILD?

As I finished January’s book really early, I started on “I Heart New York” around the middle of that month. However even by the end of the month, I was still struggling with it. So, on the 2nd February I decided to start on another book, “Love You More” by Lisa Gardner.

I really loved this book and it was very different to “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”. This was a sort of crime thriller, but a mild one. The book flicks between two storytellers – Detective D.D. Warren and Police Trooper Tessa Leoni. At first you begin the story quite confused (which is deliberate) and as the plot unravels, it both answers questions and adds more. However by about midway through the book, you’re starting to understand the bigger picture. The story builds and builds until it reaches its climax and ultimately the book is a very satisfying read.

I have never read anything by Lisa Gardner before and actually only picked up this book because it was a cheap Kindle read around the time I bought by kindle. However its taken me until now to actually read it and I’m so glad that I did.

Detective D.D. is apparently the main character in a series of books written by Lisa Gardner. I believe they are all stand alone books, though I haven’t read any others. I have to admit that after reading “Love You More”, I would definitely be tempted to pick up another of her books. However for now I’m starting with Divergent, as that is my March book.