(Mini) Book Review: Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan

(Mini) Book Review: Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan

Monday 16 July 2018

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I own a lot of books. Most of these books I’ve read already but needless to say there are a large amount of books that I have had on my reading list for quite a while, and I just haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. I’m sure I will read them at some point but you need to be in the mood for certain books, you know what I mean? So as I was browsing my TBR pile a few days ago, I realised that I wasn’t in the mood to read any of them, which was problematic considering how I’m supposed to be saving my money at the moment. I sent a tweet around asking for recommendations and quickly received quite a few. One of the books recommended was Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan, and by God I am glad I was. I quickly bought a copy of it for Kindle (currently priced at 99p) and settled myself down to get stuck into it.

The story follows Emily, a lonely and isolated woman who is clearly incredibly damaged from previous experiences. It’s written from her point of view and you are really able to get inside her head and understand how much turmoil she has suffered from in the past. You are able to feel the pain that she is going through and understand the craziness behind her extreme actions. We meet Emily on the day of a horrendous accident, where a woman pushing her baby son is involved in a hit and run. Emily, reminded of her past, is sure that it was her who was being targeted and becomes overwhelmed with guilt, holding herself entirely responsible for the young woman’s death. She quickly envelops herself into the life of this young woman, taking on her vacant job at the dentist and befriending her grief stricken husband, all the while convinced that whoever killed Rose will soon come back for her. Emily is the ideal protagonist in this psychological thriller: she is both paranoid and intriguing and you continually question whether she’s imagining everything or not. 

Time and time again I witter on about how much I love psychological thrillers and this one was no exception to that rule. There is something so fulfilling about delving into a book that sends you on a whirlwind of questioning and doubt. As satisfying as I find it when I do guess who the perpetrator is, there’s nothing more satisfying than coming to the end of the book completely dumbfounded as to how it played out- good psychological writing allows you to be pulled into the novel, doubting every line of action and every character without question. The characterisation in Her Name Was Rose is fantastic – the characters and both endearing and likeable and you find yourselves getting completely absorbed within their tale. The book was a pretty quick read- the prose is simple and easy to get through, with the right amount of suspense to keep you hooked and not so much that you’re struggling to keep up with the plot. 

4/5

Fashion: Giving off those Clueless Vibes (and staying cool in this heatwave)

Fashion: Giving off those Clueless Vibes (and staying cool in this heatwave)

Saturday 7 July 2018

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As a nearly 25-year-old female, the chick-flick is something that has played an integral part of my upbringing. It’s fair to say that of all the chick flicks I have seen in my lifetime – and trust me, I’ve watched a lot of them – that Clueless, staring the beautifully amazing Alicia Silverstone, is up there with one of the best. As a reader, I’m naturally a big fan of Jane Austen and Emma, the book that Cluelessis loosely based on, is one of my favourite tales of misdemeanour and scheming. 

I must admit, I feel like an absolute nineties queen in this gorgeous bodycon dress. The last few months have involved me really coming to terms with my body image and I’ve been trying to push myself out of my monochrome comfort zone and wear clothes that are a little more ‘out there’ and show off my personality a little bit more than my usual attire. It also happens to be an absolute steal on I Saw It First – currently selling for £10. 

This dress is definitely outside of that comfort zone but I have to say, I absolutely love it. The yellow and black checked pattern is absolutely gorgeous and the whole outfit comes together when paired with some black heeled boots. I feel as though I’m really giving off that Clueless vibe but because of the cotton material and the length of the dress, I’m also able to stay nice and cool in this crazy British weather that we’re having at the moment. Tartan styled clothes really seem to be in at the moment so maybe for once I’m keeping up with the trends here! I must admit that I would be a little bit nervous to wear this one out and about during the day but I can see myself wearing this on a night out with a pair of heels and a curly blow and rocking the night away. 

How do you feel about the checked trend? In? Out? Shake it all about? Let me know in the comments. 

Food: McDonald's (Table) Service with a Smile

Food: McDonald's (Table) Service with a Smile

Tuesday 3 July 2018

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Last week, I had a particularly long, tiring day at work. As a teacher, days are very regularly long and tiring but the reward that comes with it is more than enough to get me through. Every so often, I need a little something more than that feeling of accomplishment and generally speaking, that little bit something more comes in the form of a McDonald’s double cheeseburger. We’ve all been there. The dread of arriving into a packed restaurant, with nowhere to sit and the added stress of having to wait for your order number to be called – the likelihood of you hearing your order number being called over the sound of the child wailing next to you looking less and less likely by the second. 

McDonald’s have only gone and alleviated this stress, and they’ve done so in an innovative way. 

Table service is something that McDonald’s has been doing for quite a while now- Rich and I experienced it first hand around six months ago for the first time, in a McDonald’s Restaurant in Haydock and we were both impressed on how quick and easy the system was to use. The McDonald’s team in Wallasey, along with a number of other restaurants nationwide,have taken the service that one step further, incorporating technology with this already well-established concept to make customer service even more commendable. 

And the best thing about this? Absolutely nothing else in the ordering process has been changed, ensuring that it is still as easy to order your meal and have it personally delivered to your table than it is to collect it yourself from collection counters. 

A step-by-step, fool proof guide to table service. (If this dummy can manage it, so can you!)

Enter your favourite McDonald’s restaurant and head on over to to a self-service kiosk. 

At this point, you need to decide whether you’re going to eat in or takeaway. Presumably if you’re reading this guide, you’re all about eating in so go ahead and click that option. 

Now, previously when I’ve made the decision to stay and eat in a McDonalds restaurant, you’re asked to select a zone where you’ll go and sit after making your order. Staff will then find you within this zone and deliver your food. 

Here’s the interesting part: this is no longer an essential piece of information because McDonald’s have blown things out of the water and have inserted innovating technology into specially designed plastic table numbers. Inside the stylish table setting is a small tracker which allows customers to move freely around the restaurant without having to specify exactly where they were sitting. This all sounds far too good to be true, right? Wrong. The only piece of information you have to share with the crew members, via the ordering kiosk, is the number printed on the table setting. Enter that number onscreen when the kiosk requires and Bob’s your uncle! Done. 

The rest of the process is as easy as 1, 2, 3. 

Pick out your usual order (or be adventurous and have a look at the restaurant’s specials if you’re feeling like a bit of a change!) The self-service kiosks are easy to use, have settings to make them accessible if you have additional needs and make the entire ordering process that little bit less stressful. 

Pay for your order at the kiosk using your debit card or Apple pay. 

Whizz off to find somewhere to sit and wait for your food to follow you! 

It really is that easy. The tracker within the device notifies staff of any movement meaning that if you’re joined by a group of friends shortly after ordering and have to find a new, more sizeable table to sit on, then there is no risk of your food not being delivered to you promptly. Crew members who deliver your food do so with a smile – allowing for that little social interaction that is otherwise cut out when ordering traditionally on the kiosks – and they are quick to offer you condiments, straws and napkins upon delivery of your food. 

I can already see the benefits of this kind of technology. I imagine that this would be an ideal scenario for parents with small children – a quick order made at a kiosk by one member of the party would make the process much more prompt and much less stressful as a result. 

It’s fair to say that McDonald’s have done it again and changed customer outlook on stressful ordering systems. The entire process is quick and easy, ignites customer-crew interactions and is a hassle-free way of enjoying a delicious meal in a friendly environment. I cannot see what is next in store for McDonald’s – I hope I’ll be invited along for the ride!

Packing it all in: travelling hand-luggage only.

Packing it all in: travelling hand-luggage only.

Sunday 1 July 2018

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Travelling is the done thing nowadays: everyone seems to be doing it. Flights, for the most part, are more than reasonably priced and enough planning ahead can get you abroad and exploring for very little cost. It’s only when you start adding on additional costs, like choosing your seat on the plane, breakfast at the hotel and that dreaded additional luggage charge when things start to get a little bit more expensive.

It is more than possible to travel abroad for both short trips and longer trips alike, you just need to be savvy about your packing and ensure that you’re only packing the essentials. Over the years, I’ve found that I’ve seriously over-packed and only worn half of the clothes in my suitcase – let’s be realistic, you don’t need 20 different outfits and 10 bikinis for 7 days in the sun! That’s without even mentioning the shoes… 

Pack strategically

Packing is probably one of the only stressful things about going away: ‘have I forgotten something?’ being the question on everyone’s lips upon arrival at the airport. Chances are, yes, you have but as long as it’s not your passport, your boarding pass or your wallet then you’ll be absolutely fine and nothing bad will come of it. Make a checklist of everything you need to pack and cross it off the list as and when you put it into your case to completely eliminate the risk of you forgetting something important! Pack a rucksack or bag that can be easily flattened – I find that my Fjallraven Kankenbackpack is perfect for travelling as when it’s empty it flattens down and takes up absolutely no space in my hand luggage and it’s roomy enough to store all of my handbag essentials, sunglasses, a book, my camera, a large bottle of water and a light jacket. I also pack a small Kate Spade cross body clutch for evenings. 

Buy toiletries when you get there

The temptation to stock up on those tiny little bottles of shower gel and shampoo before you go – not only are they a complete waste of money, they use up some of your limited liquid allowance, allowance you should be using on sun cream and makeup (if you wear it!) Believe it or not, supermarkets in Spain stock shampoo and shower gel just like they do over here in the UK and they’re not that expensive. Save your money in the UK and buy these items when you arrive. You can then just throw them away when you’re leaving, saving the hassle of having to cart them all back home. 

Plan your outfits 

One of the most exciting things about waiting to go away is checking the weather forecast for the time you’re being to be there and bragging shamelessly about just how hot it’s going to be. With this in mind, it’s easy to plan ahead and think about the type of clothes that you’re going to need to wear. Despite what you might think, if you’re going away for a week then you don’t need to pack your entire wardrobe. Think about what you’ll be doing whilst you’re there – if you’re planning on spending the entire holiday by the pool, then you’ll only need 3 or 4 bikinis and some loose dresses to throw over the top and then full outfits for the evening. If you’re more of a touristic type of holiday goer then pack loose and light clothes, the odd bikini and your evening outfits. Pack shoes that can be worn with a number of different outfits and shorts that can be worn with multiple blouses. Generally there is no weight limit across airlines for hand luggage, so as long as it fits in the correct-sized case and you can lift it easily into the overhead compartment, there’s absolutely no reason to worry about bringing additional luggage with you. 

To summarise, hints and tips:

-              Check the maximum hand-luggage dimensions of your specified airline. 

-              Think ahead about what you want to be wearing, based on your activities.

-              Make a list! Pack only what you need to take with you!!!! 

Travelling light is so much easier than it used to be and it seriously saves you money in the long run. Do you have any hints or tips for travelling lightly? Let me know in the comments and share your wisdom!