Review: In The Book

24th April 2019

[Ad: post contains gifted item]

I’m always looking for unique gift ideas and was recently stumped when it came to finding something to get Bob for our second anniversary (where has that time gone?). So, it was important the gift was something sensible and useful, not more money to be wasted at sites such as WizardSlots.
In the end I lucked out as I was contacted by In The Book to see if I was interested in reviewing one of their products just as I was beginning to think I’d never find a cool enough gift.
Ok, so technically as this was a gift to me, it wasn’t quite a gift to Bob, but it was a great opportunity and the resulting product blew us both away.

In The Book are book specialists who take well loved stories; be it a childhood favourite or a classic work of fiction and give it a personalised touch. What better gift to give than make someone a part of their favourite book? I was given something very much like this when I was a small child and it remains one of my favourite possessions to this day.

When it came to picking out a product to review I actually skipped past the story books and straight to the newspaper style pictorial books. Bob and I both share a love of wartime history, especially World War 2 and The Battle of Britain, so this beautifully bound Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Pictorial Edition Newspaper Book, £79.99 was an obvious choice.

You may balk a little at the price tag, I did at first, but the second this book arrived and I presented it to Bob we could see why it was priced this way. This is a work of art and beautifully presented. It really does make for a special gift and we immediately spent a good couple of hours exploring the pages.

The pages of this book are crammed full of actual newspaper articles from 1940 onwards. It’s not the kind of book you can sit and devour in one sitting and this will provide us entertainment, and enlightenment for ages.

In The Book has many of these newspaper style books covering all interests, as well as classic novels, children’s favourites and some very tongue in cheek humour titles. I cannot recommend this company enough for gift ideas for book lovers and for those eager to learn. These will make for true keepsake gifts that will be treasured for years to come.

What title would you most like to see yourself transported in to?

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Working with Henryka Jewellery

22nd April 2019

This post contains gifted items.

If you’ve seen my Instagram lately then you’ll have seen that I have been working as a brand ambassador with the wonderful Henryka Jewellery. This has been an absolute honour for me as I’ve long admired the brand and the gorgeous pieces that they sell.

Henryka is a British Brand inspired by nature. Each piece is unique and is made from sterling silver and a wide array of natural gemstones; from their signature amber through to turquoise, amethyst and rose quartz. I was given the chance to pick out some pieces from the range to share across my instagram, but I’m so in love with them I wanted to pop them up on the blog as well.

It’s going to be no great surprise to anyone that I managed to find a cat themed piece of jewellery to add to my collection. This sterling silver miniature cat necklace may be dainty but it’s earned me several compliments whenever I wear it. I’ve got it on a 16” chain, but it also comes in 18”-22” (prices starting at £20).

I fell in love with this silver and blue lace agate ring the second I saw it. It’s an absolutely stunning piece that has found itself a new place as my favourite every day ring. I’ve never seen blue lace agate before and it’s just so pretty. This ring is £45 and worth every penny.

I used to own so many pairs of stud earrings, but discovered a few months ago that they have been misplaced somewhere along the way. Since then I have been searching high and low for replacements with very little success. That was until I was given the chance to work with Henryka and found these silver star burst studs. I absolutely adore these earrings and I haven’t taken them out since they have arrived. Henryka have a huge array of stud earrings on their website, all around the £20 mark and I have several more pairs of studs on my wish list…as well as somewhere safe to store them!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my picks. If I’ve tempted you by any of these pieces or anything else on the website catches your eye then Henryka are offering my readers a generous 15% off their orders when they use the code DAISY15 at the checkout. Let me know if you treat yourself, I’d love to see your haul.

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3 steps to taking your career in a new direction*

19th April 2019

Making the decision to take your career in a new direction can be a daunting prospect. Fortunately, there are certain steps you can take that will help make the process that little bit easier. If you’ve decided it’s time to make a change, but you need extra confidence to commit to overhauling your career, you can start by asking yourself the following questions; Why exactly are you looking for a change? What other occupations are you considering exploring? Will you need any additional skills or training to get there? Once you’ve got your answers, you’re ready to start taking the steps to starting your new career.

Sell your skills

Whether you’re looking to transfer to a new department or keen to overhaul your work life entirely, you need to work out where your strengths and transferrable skills lie. This is what you can offer your new employer. You also need to asses your values, key personality traits and interests so that potential employers can get the best idea of who you are and where you might fit in their existing team. At this point, it’s vital to be honest with yourself and acknowledge that while you may have the drive to succeed on your new career path, you might not stand out to employers on paper just yet. That’s where the Bologna Business School can help. With over 40 courses aimed at inspiring both personal and professional development, there’s never been a better time to study. With a BBS Master in Data Science, for example, you’ll not only learn how to manage big business data, but how to apply innovative analysis methodologies that will give you the expertise to apply tactical or strategic decision making to resolve company issues.

Do your research

If you’re not entirely sure where you want to go next then this step is vital. Doing research is key to working out exactly where you want to be and will save you the hassle of taking the wrong career path yet again. A great place to start is by making a list of possible careers you’d consider exploring. Write down which aspects of each you find appealing and any areas you’re not sure would be a good fit for you. This will help you to narrow it down to just a handful of options ready for you to give some serious thought to. Key things to look over at this point are salary ranges and training as these may require a compromise or more energy and time that you’re willing to commit to the cause.

Outline a goal

Once you’ve decided where it is you want to be, it’s time to set yourself a goal. What steps will you have to take to land that dream job? Is there a timeframe within which you’d like to be settled in your ideal role? Write yourself a career action plan including any training or time you’ll need to build up the desired skills for your chosen occupation. Stick to your devised plan and you’ll be back on the right career path in no time.

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The Spring Degustabox (March 2019)*

07th April 2019

[post contains gifted product]

It feels like an absolute eternity ago that the March Degustabox* arrived. It’s been a crazy few weeks between my dodgy back, a week of technical issues with the blog and then a feline medical emergency, but finally here we are! I’m absolutely exhausted from a frantic weekend so I’ll just jump on it and keep it fairly brief.

The March edition of the Degustabox had an excellent array of snacks within. I really enjoyed the Chum Fruit Bites, they were probably my personal product of the month. They are made with 100% fruit, are suitable for vegans and full of fibre. The Apple ones were especially delicious and I’m trying to find a local shop where I can get my hands on more.
Another favourite was the Green & Black’s bars, I love these single serving bars; the praline was the winner for me but both were super good. I’d happily buy any of these products again- I probably wouldn’t choose the passion fruit from Willie’s Cacao personally, but there are many other delicious flavours in the range.

The Red Red Super Stew was a great little product- ideal for work lunch one day. Just add boiling water to get a really yummy stew made with natural and plant based ingredients- a little pricey at £2.99 each but good to have on hand and perfect for a chilly day.

Costa is the only chain coffee shop in my town and where I tend to head when I want something quick on the run. I’m trying to save money at the moment so being able to make a familiar blend at home to take with me is a real plus, and gives me a precious few extra minutes at home vs. being stood in a queue.

Bob and I are condiment hoarders and love any excuse to add to our collection. This little jar of relish (a gift with the box) is really good on burgers!

The drink selection this month was strong. I loved the Moose Juice energy drink. It’s zero sugar and has no aspartame either. It’s tastier than red bull and something I would hands down pick up again.
The Jubel Alpine beer cut with peach isn’t my kind of thing but Bob said it goes down nicely. It’s a vegan friendly beverage too…always good to know!
We haven’t tried the Weetabix drink yet but I like the concept of the ultimate portable breakfast.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments.
If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.
On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £5.00 off of your first box (making it just £7.99!) by entering the code 6HZJ8 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

Sorry it’s a much shorter and less involved roundup than usual. Hopefully next month will be less dramatic and I’ll have a bit more capability to string together some sentences!

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The Bristol Bag*

06th April 2019

[post contains gifted item]

Having lived (admittedly just outside) in Bristol for almost 32 years, I have a lot of love for my buzzing, creative and quirky city. I also love supporting both local and less local small business, so when I was contacted about Paper Bag Co, a company based in Wiltshire who specialise in eco friendly bags, who in collaboration with Overt Design in Bradford-on-Avon have released a range of local, eco-friendly bags I was keen to get on board.

Dress: Monki at ASOS (bargain!) | Tee: Topshop | Bag gifted

A quick diversion away from the bag to say what a bargain this dress was- £8 in the ASOS sale and still available in many sizes. I’d had my eye on this for full price so happily broke my shopping ban to make the purchase!

Back to the bag though, how stunning is that design? It’s the most perfect size for daily use. I can carry all of my work paraphernalia around with me, and it holds a heck of a lot of shopping- I’ve not purchased a single plastic bag on my weekend grocery shops since it arrived which is nothing short of a miracle.