Quick note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links; if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.
Please show my September 2022 advertisers some love, by commenting, sharing their posts, and interacting with one another. I regularly post on Twitter about the blogging community and how it is great to be part of such a supportive group of people.
Look out for updates on these bloggers and their amazing work, throughout the month on Twitter.
Time to check out the advertisers
Lady Boss Nomad
A little bit about the blog
Having owned a successful service-based bookkeeping business and started as a small business owner. I’m an intelligent savvy business owner with a creative edge. I can help you with your product creation through launch, list building and marketing your new products. If you’re service-based I can help you set up systems to attract the right clients.
Please also check out:
‘DFY Social media kits’ – this kit includes 90 inspirational social media quotes for Instagram Twitter and Facebook for businesses to use as their own. At a special price of $5.00.
We are The Grumpy Olive, a team of three sisters blogging from London. On our blog, we write about all the things we love and including food, coffee, beauty and books among many things. You can expect to find easy but tasty recipes, the latest in books and also some talk on beauty and travel because we may fancy that here and there. But most of all, The Grumpy Olive is a little corner of the internet where everything is just fun, new and upbeat – just what the doctor ordered!
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Selecting the gold package for £6.50 means you get a custom link in my sidebar, as well as your logo. You ALSO get your own dedicated advertisers’ post! AND four blog posts promoted throughout the month!
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I am offering a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for the remainder of 2022. Book three months on the silver package for £10.00, instead of £12.00. (this applies to existing bookings and new ones, and you can select any of the remaining months of the year as three months!)
Because I am excited by stories and books again, it was time to dedicate a space on my blog to all things books! Reading is currently helping me mentally. And I wanted to share this passion, in the hope, it might help other people out there.
You can check out Book Corner because it’s where you will hear about my latest book reviews, what I am currently excited about reading, and any stories that literally knocked my socks off.
Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and thinkwould be useful for you.
A much-needed break to help me mentally
If you follow me on Twitter, you will know I am taking a two-week break from blogging in September. Whilst writing and being creative is my passion, I have worked non-stop on this little passion project since July 2021. It’s time to refresh and return better than ever. Because I have so many exciting things in the pipeline.
Follow me on Goodreads to hear about my reading progress. Whilst I am not sure I will achieve my target for 2022, I hope to make some reading progress during my two-week blogging break. I can’t wait to get lost in these stories and restore my mental well-being.
I’m going all out & saying this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. The pace, the writing, is outstanding. I couldn’t wait to keep turning pages and it’s renewed my eagerness to get through my TBR list!
Absolutely amazing! Gripping right from the very beginning. Strong characters and the second half of the book had me constantly turning the pages. I loved the characters and got to know them all very well. Would love to see this as a fil…
Books transporting us to a new destination
I have been struggling recently, with physical illness, and being run down. This means I’ve taken a hit emotionally and mentally. I am finding that reading allows me to switch off and recover, which I am thankful for. I often read books to get transported to the destination the book is set in. Lately, I need something to bring me out of the fog and reading is helping me mentally.
Let’s dive into my current reading list
As any book lover will experience, there were many titles on my list to choose from. I managed to narrow it down into a manageable reading list. And put them in an order I was happy with.
Mental Health books currently helping me mentally
It is important to me, to read about mental health, as well as write about it on this blog.
I recently visited the Bradford Literature Festival recently and attend a talk by Horatio Clare, discussing Heavy Light. Reading about mental illness from the perspective of the person is something very interesting to me. As such, I am so eager to read this title. It just had to come top of the pile.
I haven’t finished this book yet. But I can say, it is so well written. And I relate to so much of the content. Whilst I haven’t experienced psychosis, I have experienced seeing a situation from a completely different perspective because of my anxiety and depression. During my pregnancy and stay in the hospital, my and my hubby’s accounts of what took place are so different. It’s like talking to people who were in hospitals at opposite ends of the country. Therefore, I can relate to some of what Horatio and his partner experienced. It is a helpful insight into mental illness, and the lack of support for individuals who are unwell. Also a heartbreaking insight into what their families go through.
“The words with which a breakdown is treated are all medicalised – illness, treatment, nurse, doctor, meds – but the mechanism of treatment belongs to retribution: incarnation, surveillance, behaviour monitoring, parole. For crimes against normality, we get a label and a chemical life sentence. I hate this mechanism. I refuse to believe in it.” ― Horatio Clare, Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing
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The Power Of Letters
If you follow my blog, you will know a letter I wrote was published in an anthology. The proceeds of the book went to the Prince’s Trust and the letters are designed to give the youth of today hope that things can get better. I was honoured to be part of this project.
I can’t wait to read the other amazing letters featured. However, with how I have been feeling recently, I think waiting for a little would be better for me mentally.
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This was a recommendation I picked up and I am so excited to see what it is all about. I feel like this book will contribute to helping me mentally. And will also tie in with the work I am doing in my hypnotherapy course, which helps me to understand how the brain works.
More about the book – From Amazon
The Psychopath Inside, tells the fascinating story of Fallon’s reaction to the discovery that he has the brain of a psychopath. While researching serial murderers, he uncovered a distinct neurological pattern in their brain scans that helped explain their cold and violent behaviour. A few months later he learned that he was descended from a family with a long line of murderers which confirmed that Fallon’s own brain pattern wasn’t a fluke.
As a scientist convinced that humans are shaped by their genetics, Fallon set out to reconcile the truth about his brain with everything he knew about the mind, behaviour, and the influence of nature vs. nurture on our personalities. How could he, a successful scientist and a happy family man with no history of violence, be a psychopath? How much did his biology influence his behaviour? Was he capable of some of the gruesome atrocities perpetrated by the serial killers he had studied?
Combining his personal experience with scientific analysis, Fallon shares his journey and the discoveries that ultimately led him to understand that, despite everything, science can teach us, humans are even more complex than we can imagine.
I know this title is part of a series. But having read the reviews, I have decided to read this one as a stand-alone book. We all have different preferences when reading and personally, I want titles which have great reviews, otherwise, I simply won’t finish them. This book sounds like the best one in the series. Obviously, I can’t pass judgment until I’ve read it. Sign up to be alerted each time a blog post is released, and you can catch up with the review when I finish it.
Getting lost in a book is helping me mentally. I love nothing more than a thriller, or crime drama. Therefore, naturally, it is the type of book I love reading.
A bit more information (courtesy of Wob)
Dark secrets, a devastating mystery and the games people play: the gripping new novel from the bestselling author of The House We Grew Up In and The Third Wife.
You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses.
You’ve known your neighbours for years and you trust them. Implicitly.
You think your children are safe.
But are they really?
Midsummer night: a thirteen-year-old girl is found unconscious in a dark corner of the garden square. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?
Utterly believable characters, a gripping story and a dark secret buried at its core: this is Lisa Jewell at her heart-stopping best.
I have decided to add this to my list, but whether I read it or not will be very much based on how I like the other one in the series. I realise it sounds a bit quirky to read the titles in this order, but I love doing things my own way and this feels right. If I like the first title, it will be like watching the series and then the prequel.
This is another title, which is technically a series, but can be treated as a stand-alone book. I can’t wait to read this one. I love high-quality writing. And the reviews suggest I won’t be disappointed with this one.
A Thousand Moons skips forward a few years from Days Without End and although it’s in effect a sequel, the novel stands alone, wasting no time with backstory as it launches into its typically rollicking tale.
Even when you come out of bloodshed and disaster in the end you have got to learn to live.
Winona is a young Lakota orphan adopted by former soldiers Thomas McNulty and John Cole. Living with Thomas and John on the farm they work in 1870s Tennessee, she is educated and loved, forging a life for herself beyond the violence and dispossession of her past. But the fragile harmony of her unlikely family unit, in the aftermath of the Civil War, is soon threatened by a further traumatic event, one which Winona struggles to confront, let alone understand.
Told in Sebastian Barry’s rare and masterly prose, A Thousand Moons is a powerful, moving study of one woman’s journey, her determination to write her own future, and the enduring human capacity for love. (courtesy of Amazon).
‘Nobody writes like, nobody takes lyrical risks like, nobody pushes the language, and the heart, and the two together, quite like Sebastian Barry does.’ ALI SMITH
My hubby has been nagging me for years to get the full Harry Potter series and read it. He is aware I love the description and imagination in a book, much more than in a film. Up to now, I have been reluctant. But I will be giving this a go and see what happens. And whether I then want to read the rest of the books. Stay tuned on the blog and also on Twitter.
Final thoughts
I have so many titles on my bookshelf and I intend to continue my reading journey, with another Goodreads challenge in 2023. Stay tuned to the blog, on Book Corner for more of my current reading lists.
“Yes, your transformation will be hard. Yes, you will feel frightened, messed up and knocked down. Yes, you’ll want to stop. Yes, it’s the best work you’ll ever do.”
Robin Sharma
AD / PR – please note – the sessions have been gifted in exchange for my honest thoughts about the process
My recent struggles
I haven’t had a great time over the last few weeks. We’ve had yet another sickness bug in the house. On top of this, I’ve felt burnout, stress and depression. Whilst I am now starting to look back on the situation with hindsight, a few weeks back I was in the midst of serious brain fog. And I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Negative thoughts started creeping back in and I was in self-destruct mode for a short time. I am currently in the midst of transformation and didn’t expect a setback.
Self-care requires constant maintenance
It’s a great reminder that I will never really be free of anxiety or stress. None of us will. And the vital part is self-maintenance. Like physical self-care, mental well-being is something we must stay on top of.
Transformation isn’t sweet and bright. It’s a dark and murky, painful pushing. An unravelling of the untruths you’ve carried in your body. A practice in facing your own created demons. A complete uprooting, before becoming.
Victoria Erickson
The techniques I am learning
The techniques I am learning in my solution-focused hypnotherapy course, centre around emptying your stress bucket regularly. I’ve experienced the catastrophic implications of not doing this. And I intend to never return to that place again.
Recognising the self-destruct feeling
Lately, I was feeling, reckless, and rebellious and was starting to pay attention to the negative thoughts inside my head. Now this phase has mostly passed, I am able to look back with logic and say my relationships weren’t the greatest. In our house, there was no priority on genuine communication, which eventually has consequences. This, coupled with stress, burnout and physical illness, isn’t a good combination.
I felt like you might just before something great happens. Ever felt totally anxious or flat before an exam, driving test, or a change of some kind? I feel like these growing pains are a sign, that change is happening. And I have to ride it out and continue.
How is my hypnotherapy course going?
I am now halfway through my hypnotherapy sessions. During the trance parts we are initiating change directly with my subconscious mind, therefore I don’t consciously know some of these changes are happening. As quite a controlling person, it’s an adjustment period for me.
Transformation is difficult for a reason
If the transformation was easy, we would all just say one positive sentence to ourselves and that would be the end of it. How dangerous would this be for anyone susceptible to negative thinking though? it could easily go the other way. We have to work hard to implement lasting change.
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.
I took part in the blogtober challenge last year. It was an extremely busy month, but I also managed to release a lot of blog posts, which massively helped my engagement.
In October 2021, my blog was only three months old and therefore I was still in the growing phase.
The post will outline how the challenge can help you engage more with other bloggers. Therefore increasing page views and how many people view your writing.
Halloween is my favourite time of year and I secretly spend the summer waiting for a scary Halloween party and some spooky fun!
What is blogtober challenge?
Blogtober is an annual event held every October. It involves posting one blog per day, every day of the month. Because I was brand new to blogging when the blogtober challenge came up last year, I only made it part way through. However, I was proud of the progress I made.
As you can see from the archive on my website –
October 2021 is still the month in which I released the most blog posts. And I managed to release some pretty important content:
it is completely up to you whether to have a Halloween-related theme or use this month to talk about a range of subjects on your blog. You will see from the posts above, I did a bit of both. It was also Mental Health Awareness Week, which I believe is a great time to raise awareness of the issues I discuss on my blog.
How to get involved
You can get involved by searching the blogtober hashtag on Twitter. If you are part of the blogging community, get involved with fellow bloggers. You could participate in a blogging tag, and nominate other bloggers to join in. It really is a fun month and I cannot wait for it to come around again.
If you follow my blog, you will know I cannot resist a self-care treat from The Body Shop. Well, I have an extraordinary surprise to share with you today! Launching – 21 August 2022. TOMORROW!
20% off discount code MCA20 until the end of the year (Including Advent Calendars)
Body Shop Advent Calendar
For those of you saying it’s too early to think about an advent calendar, it isn’t. I am secretly really excited about autumn, Halloween and the countdown to Christmas. I am also mindful that I need to spend money wisely this year, maybe make some savings where I can, and definitely start buying some gifts earlier than usual. Just this morning, my little one had a huge smile on her face when we told her Santa is busy sorting out presents. I asked her what she wanted and the magic in her eyes made me emotional.
What a deal
The product I have to recommend to you today, allows you to receive £159.00 worth of products for a price tag of £95.00. It’s a great way to stock up on your essentials, treat someone you love, or treat yourself. We all deserve it!
Making a saving of at least £34.50 is great in my book – because I am always looking at ways of cutting costs.
Here to help you buff, slather and moisturise head-to-toe, our Big Advent Calendar is packed with 25 surprises, including some full-sized favourites. Unwind with our bestselling Face Masks, refresh with our zesty Shower Gels and nourish with our indulgent Body Butters made with Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana.
Contributing to great causes
With every Box of Wonders, you’ll also find little facts about our Community Fair Trade partners or an act of kindness, so you can share some wonder and joy with your friends, family and community. You can even reuse the pop-ups as gift tags, and the drawers are great for storing crafts and other little bits and bobs, long after Christmas.
And remember, this Advent calendar doesn’t just bring you and the people you love, happiness, it also supports our global partners in Ghana with fair and regular income opportunities and access to healthcare and education projects. So far over 600 women across 11 villages have seen improvements in their lives.
My personal favourites
I couldn’t let you go without including a full rundown of the contents and the all-important size guide – Length 31cm x Depth 22cm x Height 17 cm Weight 2.8 kg.
I am so excited to go through this list:
Shea Hand Balm 30ml
Avocado Lip Care Stick 4.2g
Strawberry Shower Gel 60ml
Camomile Muslin Cloth
Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter 20ml
Aloe Calm Hydration Sheet Mask 18ml
British Rose Shower Scrub 50ml
Bath Lily Large Ramie Gift
Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask 15ml
Shea Intense Repair Shampoo 250ml
Avocado Shower Cream 60ml
Mango Body Butter 50ml
Almond Milk Shower Cream 60ml
Tie Front Headband
Nicaraguan Coffee Intense Awakening Mask 15ml
Almond Milk Soap 100g
Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel 60ml
Vitamin C Glow Sheet Mask 18ml
Avocado Body scrub 50ml
British Rose Shower Gel 60ml
British Rose Hand Cream 30ml
Vitamin E Quench Sheet Mask 18ml
Shea Body Butter 50ml
Himalayan Charcoal Skin Clarifying Night Peel 30ml
Breathe Massage Melt 75ml
I am so happy to see the good old Strawberry Shower Gel included. Since reviewing a recent bundle from The Body Shop, I am also in love with the Almond Milk products and love the sound of the Almond body scrub.
Final thoughts
I need to toddle off and send this post to everyone who knows and loves me, in the hope someone purchases it for Christmas for me. Sending this thought out into the universe in the hope it manifests.
Will you be buying this?
Which are your favourite products? I would love some recommendations from you on my next purchases from The Body Shop.
PR Products – these gel wax melts were kindly gifted in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own and I would never recommend something I wouldn’t purchase myself
I was thrilled when Village Wax Melts agreed to send me their new gel wax melts to try. I hadn’t heard of this latest trend, but I am always hunting for melts packed full of fragrance.
I frequently talk on the blog about using self-care purchases to improve my mental health. Going through a mental breakdown highlighted how much I need this daily self-care. Buying a candle or wax melt and burner, is now on my weekly shopping list. Whilst I am working from home, it brightens my day. And depending on the fragrance, it can also calm stressful moments. What a revelation to try out a gel wax melt. I was also kindly gifted some other products, which I will discuss throughout this post.
I was so excited to try these and they did not disappoint. Before trying out this new product, I previously had to put my used burners in the freezer to remove the leftover wax. You don’t have to do this with the gel. It just peels out after use.
They are also more highly scented and you can smell the fragrance as soon as you open the tub. I wanted to take some great photos and videos for the blog, but I was genuinely mesmerised by how it melts. And I found myself sitting there are ages watching the process. Doing this is calming in itself. Definitely, something I would purchase in future, instead of the usual wax melts.
Wax melt selection
Village Wax Melts also kindly sent me a range of normal wax melts to try. I loved the shape and the fragrances. I will be honest and say I was previously put off buying scents which mimic perfumes and aftershave. But I have to say that the savage (wax melt and gel wax melt) was so refreshing. I am sure we all wear perfume for a night out. But having that same smell burning in your home makes you feel fresh. Like you’re on holiday, in a busy bar, living life. The scent isn’t as overpowering as someone wearing it, but it’s lovely to brush past as you walk to the kitchen. I am now sold on perfume and aftershave-related scents and love also loved the Aliens scent they included for me. Scents which transport you to another familiar situation, are excellent.
The scent I loved the most
Out of the wax melts I was sent, my favourite one has to be Aperol Nights. Because I love them so much, I have nearly used them all. I suppose we all have different tastes, but this one is my go-to and I will be ordering it again.
20% off discount code MCA20 until the end of the year (Including Advent Calendars)
If you follow my blog, you will know I love The Body Shop. Since being a teenager and buying animal-shaped soaps on my trips to the nearest town centre with friends. I’ve loved the scents and the ethos behind the company.
In recent years, I now require high-quality products. It’s all about taking care of my skin and having a little self-care and indulgence in my life. As a busy mum, lack of sleep sometimes means bad skin, dark circles and all the other wonderful downsides of motherhood. A rescue plan to make me look and feel better is required.
I was overjoyed when The Body Shop sent me a package full of their best sellers to review
I’ve been looking for a product to even my skin tone and I am so impressed with the results after using this scrub. It’s my go-to product now. And I’ve already ordered more. As a busy mum, having an even skin tone and refreshed look means less maintenance. Given that I quickly rub concealer on my face, in the car before the nursery drop. Anything that avoids this extra task, I will pay good money for.
Over the summer, it is nicer to have no make-up on your face. These days it just sweats off me anyway. This charcoal mask is a weekly treat I can use to enable me to have a fresh face for summer outings.
I must admit, I love the fruity body butter from The Body Shop. But they do tend to be a little thicker in consistency. This one is my new favourite. Simply because it’s so light on your skin and totally refreshing for summer. I can imagine taking it on holiday abroad with me and feeling extra moisturised after a day in the sun.
We’ve all heard of this one. I would say it’s one of the most iconic Body Shop products. I’ve wanted to try it for a while and my hubby is in need of some because he works outside in all weather conditions.
The texture is lovely and it smells amazing. You can literally feel it immediately helping your skin. And I love that feeling.
This isn’t a product I would normally choose. I have dry, frizzy and unmanageable hair. However, the smell and the texture are so refreshing. And I actually really love using it now. It makes me feel cleaner than using my previous shampoo. Unlike other shampoos, you use a very tiny amount, which means it goes further than other products I’ve used in the past.
Discount code
If you would like to purchase any of these items, I have a discount code for you to use…
20% off discount code MCA20 until the end of the year (Including Advent Calendars)
I feel privileged to introduce you to my August 2022 advertisers
It’s now time for me to share other people’s wonderful blogs. Please go and show my August 2022 advertisers some love, by commenting, sharing their posts, and interacting with one another. I regularly post on Twitter about the blogging community and how it is great to be part of such a supportive group of people.
Look out for updates throughout the month on Twitter.
This month I have a returning blogger and someone completely new. I can’t wait to share the details with you!
Time to check out the advertisers
Lady Boss Nomad
A little bit about the blog
Having owned a successful service-based bookkeeping business and starting as a small business owner. I’m an intelligent savvy business owner with a creative edge. I can help you with your product creation through launch, list building and marketing your new products. If you’re service-based I can help you set up systems to attract the right clients.
Please also check out Amber’s other blog.
Blog posts you should check out
Please also check out her ‘DFY Social media kits’ – this kit includes 90 inspirational social media quotes for Instagram Twitter and Facebook for businesses to use as their own. At a special price of $5.00.
Hello, I’m Kelly, owner of The Kelly Diane Report. I started my blog as a way to document my life and the things I enjoy. You will find lots of tips, hacks and product reviews as well as so much more. I hope I can inspire you to try new things and enjoy the life you have.
I am taking bookings for the rest of 2022 and you can find more details here.
Did you know?
Selecting the gold package for £6.50 means you get a custom link in my sidebar, as well as your logo. You ALSO get your own dedicated advertisers post! AND four blog posts promoted throughout the month!
Want a special offer?
I am offering a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for the remainder of 2022. Book three months on the silver package for £10.00, instead of £12.00. (this applies to existing bookings and new ones, and you can select any of the remaining months of the year as three months!)
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