Friday 24 November 2017

Gift Guide For: Your Organised Friend (or your friend who needs organising!)*


It's that time of year again! Even if you haven't quite got the tree up yet, it's time to start thinking about what you're going to be giving your friends and family this festive season. Although it's a controversial one, Black Friday is a great time to snag a bargain and get your shopping done before the festivities truly begin. So I'm here today with the first of my targeted Christmas gift guides!

I've worked with Venom Communications to gather the perfect selection of gifts from their Happy Jackson range for the person in your life who loves to stay organised (or the one who seriously needs to get organised!). Happy Jackson are a brand I already know, love and use myself so I can confirm that these gifts will put a smile on any organisation-lovers face! 

Venom Communications are currently offering 25% off EVERYTHING with code 'GOGOGO', until Monday at 23:59 - so grab a bargain whilst you can!


Power Bank

Where on earth would we be without portable phone chargers? I can't tell you how many times these have saved me, I think they're honestly worth their weight in gold. This one not only has a super cute design but it's lightweight and easy to fit in your pocket. This is perfect for the sibling who's glued to their phone or the friend who's always on the go!

Memory Stick

Even some of the most organised people I know still haven't adhered to golden rule of life: BACK UP YOUR STUFF. I've witnessed more than one meltdown as essays, music libraries and even precious memories have disappeared in an instant due to a technical malfunction. Make sure that never happens to your loved ones with this colourful USB stick

As an extra special gift, why not load it up with some of your photos together, favourite videos or songs before you give it to them? I've done this in the past and it means that not only are you gifting something useful but it's filled with special memories too.




Earphones with Carry Case

What is more frustrating than digging in your bag for half a train journey to find your earphones, only to spend the other half untangling them? These adorable earphones come with a ridiculously convenient pouch and make a great gift for just about anyone.



Spare Cables

Is your friend truly organised if they don't have an array of spare cables neatly filed away for times of need? Brighten up their collection with these cute stripy ones, they also make the perfect stocking stuffer for people who are always losing theirs!

Bluetooth Speaker

Now this ones less organisation-specific and more just for fun, but how cute is this little bluetooth speaker? Perfect for blasting those Christmas tunes, it's portability will see you right through to picnics in the summer.

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If you fancy grabbing one of these super cute Happy Jackson items, then don't forget to use code 'GOGOGO' at checkout for 25% off everything until Monday 27th at 23:59!

Happy shopping!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

*This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Venom Communications. All words and images are 100% honest and entirely my own. 

Friday 10 November 2017

26 things about turning 26




Today is my birthday! I've turned 26 and lately I've been noticing things that have changed since I've been hurtling unsteadily into my late twenties and I thought I'd share some of them today. Please tell me that you relate to at least some of them...

01. My alcohol tolerance is almost zero.

02. I know people who have bought a house.

03. I'm now wondering if I should be thinking about buying a house (like I could ever afford to).

04. I like white wine, and can pick out a semi-decent bottle, but red wine still eludes me.

05. Getting the weekly shop for less than £30 is an art form.

06. I don't want to have a baby but I sure do watch a lot of baby/pregnancy hauls/diaries on YouTube.

07. I definitely feel the effects of eating too much sugar/not eating enough vegetables.

08. I'm actually starting to find it easier to get up in the morning, and not need a nap later in the day. 

09. I sometimes worry about how I'll survive when I retire (pension? What's one of those?)

10. But then I remember I probably won't ever get to retire and that's slightly terrifying but mostly okay!

11. I have managed to keep several plants alive for more than a few months.

12. I know how to correctly fold a fitted sheet to maximise storage space.

13. I know how to correctly fold socks to maximise storage space.

14. I fold my socks.

15. Exercise isn't the absolute *worst* thing in the world.

16. It's actually pretty great and makes me feel strong and good.

17. I really should stretch more though, things ache more than they used to.

18. I can count the number of proper nights out I've been on this year on one hand, and that's super okay with me.

19. Getting home later than 11pm just sounds like a nightmare.

20. I have a bedtime routine.

21. It involves a microwaveable wheat bag.

22. I finally like  coffee and drink it on a regular basis. Milky and weak with a sweetener please, I'm not *that* grown up.

23. Spots are definitely not just a teenage concern. I'm now officially in my late twenties, why am I still getting spots?!

24. This year I started properly making art again and it's been the most wonderful thing ever. 

25. I've come to terms with the fact that it's pretty normal to not have found what you want to do with your career by your mid-twenties.

26. Heck, I probably won't figure it out until my mid-thirties, and that's okay.

Thursday 2 November 2017

Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller


Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Published by Rock the Boat, Oneworld

Release date: 31st October 2017
Source: Rock the Boat, hardback proof copy.


The company says Otherworld is amazing—like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive—that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true.

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.

And it’s about to change humanity forever.

Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could have seen it coming.

I'm so excited to be today's stop on the blog tour for the brand spanking new YA sci-fi: Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller! I was so happy to receive Otherworld from the lovely folks at Rock the Boat because it looks to be one of the most exciting releases of 2017. I've got an exclusive extract for you today, so get ready to enter Otherworld...

--

Otherworld extract

There are guys online who swear it was heaven. They still sit around like a
bunch of old geezers, swapping tales of epic storms, monstrous beasts and grisly
battles. Talk to any gamer in their twenties and at some point they’ll say:
“You’re too young to get it. You never saw Otherworld.”

Now keep in mind, most of these idiots never experienced the original
Otherworld either. Even at the height of its popularity, it never had more than a
handful of subscribers. It wasn’t until years after the publisher pulled the plug
that it became known in geek lore as the greatest game of all time.

I always thought that was bullshit. I don’t anymore.

It took a twentysomething tech billionaire named Milo Yolkin to drag the game
back from the dead. Today at noon, his company released an early-access
version of Otherworld 2.0. Two thousand lucky gamers were chosen to test it,
and somehow I’m one of them. The original Otherworld players were all dorks
like me, but as far as I can tell, this new group of players has little in common
aside from deep pockets. The app itself is free—you just have to buy the
exclusive new headset that goes with the game. Only a couple thousand have
been made, and each one costs over two grand.

I have no clue what the old Otherworld looked like on a PC monitor when it
came out over a decade ago. But I gotta admit— when I downloaded the new
app and I put on the headset, I wasn’t expecting graphics this good. I know
everything is CGI, but my eyes are completely convinced that it’s real. I’ve got
a plastic brick strapped to my face, there’s sweat trickling out of my haptic
gloves, and I’d rather die than be seen in the dainty booties I’m wearing. Back
in the real world, my body is blind, deaf and helpless. I’ve been in Otherworld
for over seventeen hours now, and there is no way in hell that I’m leaving.

Of course, this world has been trying to kill me from the very first second I set
out to explore. I’ve encountered some truly insane shit so far—an avalanche,
lighting strikes, quicksand and some kind of mutated polar bear that I managed
to butcher and eat using nothing but a dagger and my two bare hands. Still,
nothing compares to what I’ve just found.

--

Right? RIGHT?! This book will suck you in and won't let you go until you've turned the last page. Otherworld is out now.

Thank you so much to Rock the Boat and Nina Douglas for inviting me to take part in this blog tour. Don't forget to check out the other stops!



Links to books in this post are affiliate links, which just means that if you want to purchase them, it supports the running of this blog - with no extra cost to you! If you want to buy any other books, please consider using my Wordery link - thanks lovelies!

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