Five Random Facts About Me

Although I’ve had my blog for over 2 years, I've felt like I disappearing in the middle of such amazing blogs and felt a bit lost, however after having a slight break I now feel ready to get back into it and really focus on my content.
As I have had a slight break and also now really wanting to get into the world that is blogging, I thought I’d share a few random facts about me!

1. Francis is actually my middle name and yes it is spelt the boy’s way!
   I have pretty much gone through life saying this sentence after I tell someone my middle name as I also have to spell it out to people!
   
   
2. I am a short arse! I stand at a very proud (and short) 4ft11. My height really use to bother me and I always dreamt of having lovely long legs but over the years, apart from really not giving a damn what others think, I’ve accepted my height because really there’s nothing I can do about it!
   
   
3. I love Reality TV – I can HEAR the eye rolls Haha!
   When it comes to Reality TV I watch pretty much everything, Geordie Shore, Jersey Shore, Anything Kardashian's, Total Bella's, All variations of Teen Mom, Catfish, Celeb Jungle....you get the gist!! I could literally just watch said shows all day....and I know I'm not the only one!
   
   
4. I have a fear of falling.
   By this I don’t mean falling over on the floor after a few Pornstar Martinis on a Friday night! I hate flying and elevators for this reason.
   I have this fear that the plane is actually going to drop out of the sky or an elevator is just going to drop to the ground, yes it's as horrendous to feel like this as it is to read.
   
   5. Now including Disney on here wouldn't be a random fact because all you have to do is look at my Twitter and Instagram to see how much I love it! However I do also love Horror films. I have watched so many Horror films it's crazy, my favourite being Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the original and also the remake. Along with my love for Horror films I also love Halloween! My ultimate dream would be to visit Salem, Massachusetts in October (not necessarily on Halloween because I can imagine it's crazy busy!)
   
   So there you have it, 5 very random facts about me! If you have also created a similar post, let me know in the comments below.
   
   Maxine x

Money Saving Tips

This is quite a long post so grab a cuppa and get comfy!

Now I’m no ‘expert’ but in the last 5 years we have done some serious saving! We’ve saved for a house deposit and also a wedding…so I thought I’d share some of the tips that seem to have helped us as I know in this day and age it seems impossible to save for house deposits especially but don’t give up!
Also these are just a few tips and ideas, there are so many so maybe I'll follow up with more in the near future.

Set a (realistic) amountWhether you’re saving for a big event such as a house deposit or a wedding or you are just saving to pay any credit card bills, maybe that nice holiday you keep pricing up? It’s always best to set a realistic amount you can save weekly/monthly.
To get an idea of how much you think you could save, take into account all of the things you have come out of your account i.e. phone bills, gym membership, Netflix, Spotify etc etc.
Then look at the figure you are left with, also remember you still want to ‘live’ a little so you don’t want to put the whole lot into savings and end up with nothing.
So maybe start by putting half into a savings account and see how you get on.
Now talking about savings accounts, there are so many! If I’m completely honest I just opened an online savers on the Lloyds mobile banking app as it’s so easy to transfer money to and from, now I know this isn’t beneficial in the way that I’m not making a lot if anything on interest but for me I just wanted somewhere I can separate my savings.
If this is something you are wanting to look into I’d recommend looking on Money Supermarket as this is the money man Martin Lewis’ website and he’s brilliant at things like this!

Memberships/Subscriptions – do you need them?Everyone has at least one direct debit, whether it be for the mortgage, car finance, phone contract etc however most of us are guilty of having those direct debits to things that we really don’t need!
If you have these whether it be gym membership or Netflix, think to yourself, do you need them? Now I can hear people gasping at the suggestion to get rid of their Netflix subscription but if it’s something you only watch every now and then is it really worth paying for? When was the last time you went to the gym? Or used that music app?
If you have a service you are paying for but you really don’t use, it might be time to cancel! If you have doubts and think ‘Yes but I think I’ll use it in 5 months time’ well that’s fine there’s nothing to stop you from signing back up but just think of the money you could save over the month and year – it all helps!

Change (the money kind!)
By this I don’t mean you need to change personally! What I am referring to are those pennies which sit in your purse/wallet until the end of time.
Start collecting those in a tin or money pot. We have a Celebrations tin (no chocolates in there obvs!) and we collect 1p’s, 2p’s and 5p’s. Anytime we have change we just throw it in the tin and at the end of the month we s

This is quite a long post so grab a cuppa and get comfy!

Now I’m no ‘expert’ but in the last 5 years we have done some serious saving! We’ve saved for a house deposit and also a wedding…so I thought I’d share some of the tips that seem to have helped us as I know in this day and age it seems impossible to save for house deposits especially but don’t give up!
Also these are just a few tips and ideas, there are so many so maybe I'll follow up with more in the near future.

Set a (realistic) amountWhether you’re saving for a big event such as a house deposit or a wedding or you are just saving to pay any credit card bills, maybe that nice holiday you keep pricing up? It’s always best to set a realistic amount you can save weekly/monthly.
To get an idea of how much you think you could save, take into account all of the things you have come out of your account i.e. phone bills, gym membership, Netflix, Spotify etc etc.
Then look at the figure you are left with, also remember you still want to ‘live’ a little so you don’t want to put the whole lot into savings and end up with nothing.
So maybe start by putting half into a savings account and see how you get on.
Now talking about savings accounts, there are so many! If I’m completely honest I just opened an online savers on the Lloyds mobile banking app as it’s so easy to transfer money to and from, now I know this isn’t beneficial in the way that I’m not making a lot if anything on interest but for me I just wanted somewhere I can separate my savings.
If this is something you are wanting to look into I’d recommend looking on Money Supermarket as this is the money man Martin Lewis’ website and he’s brilliant at things like this!

Memberships/Subscriptions – do you need them?Everyone has at least one direct debit, whether it be for the mortgage, car finance, phone contract etc however most of us are guilty of having those direct debits to things that we really don’t need!
If you have these whether it be gym membership or Netflix, think to yourself, do you need them? Now I can hear people gasping at the suggestion to get rid of their Netflix subscription but if it’s something you only watch every now and then is it really worth paying for? When was the last time you went to the gym? Or used that music app?
If you have a service you are paying for but you really don’t use, it might be time to cancel! If you have doubts and think ‘Yes but I think I’ll use it in 5 months time’ well that’s fine there’s nothing to stop you from signing back up but just think of the money you could save over the month and year – it all helps!

Change (the money kind!)
By this I don’t mean you need to change personally! What I am referring to are those pennies which sit in your purse/wallet until the end of time.
Start collecting those in a tin or money pot. We have a Celebrations tin (no chocolates in there obvs!) and we collect 1p’s, 2p’s and 5p’s. Anytime we have change we just throw it in the tin and at the end of the month we sort it into those plastic money bags (you can get these from the bank)
You’ll be surprised how much you’ll end up with over a few months. Also if you let people know you are saving those you tend to find people are happy to get rid of loose change and will throw it your way! Start this and see how much you have after 6 months, then go and take to the bank and bank the cash! It’s such an easy way to save just that little extra.

Anything and Everything elseDo you go out a lot? And by out I don’t necessarily mean ‘out out’ but just an odd Costa trip here and a cheeky Nando’s there…? (I’ve never been to Nando’s so not sure I’m qualified to use that phrase!) It might be worth planning to only have say 2 days a month where you do these sort of things, you’d be amazed how much you save! This does come back to the part above where I mentioned you obviously don’t want to give up absolutely everything and be miserable but just cutting out a couple of lunch dates will help.
The same for Takeaways, these all add up so maybe start having them as a once a month treat? You could always make it fun and make your own takeaways, there are loads of recipes on the internet for home-made Kebabs, Chinese, Pizza’s.

Whether you are saving for a house deposit or that dream holiday I hope these tips have been of help! If you have any more tips to save money share them in the comments below to help others even more.

Let me know if you are using any of these saving tips and if it’s helping.

Maxine x

Plans and Goals for 2018

A VERY Belated Happy New Year Everyone!

I am so excited for this year! I just feel like it’s going to be a good one.
The main reason obviously being because I get married in 2 months – AHHHH! But also I just have a good feeling about it!
I feel like there’s so much going on and when speaking to a few other people it’s the same for them too.

So apart from the big day and then 2 weeks in Disney World for our Honeymoon which I am just as excited about (obvs!)

I’m also going to the Tale as Old as Time afternoon tea in June at the Kensington Hotel, I have had this booked for way over a year so looking forward to this of course!

Something I am definitely going to do this year is go to more shows, both musicals and concerts.
Nottingham has a beautiful theatre and amazing shows so I want to take advantage of this and go as many times as I can. I'd also like to visit other cities theatres and halls to see shows.

We are decorating our living room – complete change!
It hasn’t been done since we moved in what with said wedding getting booked so I can’t wait to get it done – Pinterest addict here!!
We then plan to do the rest of the house through the year, I’m looking forward to seeing how it all looks after the revamp. I'll be posting progress photos over on Instagram so make sure you're following to see the before and afters. (Instagram - maxinefrancis89)

I also have a few goals this year, one being to read 50 books (EEEK!) and the other is to watch all of the TV series I have on my list which I want to see….there is a lot!! Wish me luck!

Blog goals are something I've set this year too, I'll list these below for you to see and if you can help me reach these that'd be so amazing!
These are goals I hope to achieve by the end of the year and yes I know numbers aren't everything but let's face it, to have people follow you knowing they've chosen to look at your content is a good feeling!

Twitter followers – 5,000
Instagram followers – 2,000
Total blog views – 50,000

I'd also love to meet bloggers this year and attend more meet ups and events.

So it’s safe to say I have a pretty big year ahead and I’m so excited!

Do you have any big plans this year? Maybe you’re getting married too?!

Maxine x

A VERY Belated Happy New Year Everyone!

I am so excited for this year! I just feel like it’s going to be a good one.
The main reason obviously being because I get married in 2 months – AHHHH! But also I just have a good feeling about it!
I feel like there’s so much going on and when speaking to a few other people it’s the same for them too.

So apart from the big day and then 2 weeks in Disney World for our Honeymoon which I am just as excited about (obvs!)

I’m also going to the Tale as Old as Time afternoon tea in June at the Kensington Hotel, I have had this booked for way over a year so looking forward to this of course!

Something I am definitely going to do this year is go to more shows, both musicals and concerts.
Nottingham has a beautiful theatre and amazing shows so I want to take advantage of this and go as many times as I can. I'd also like to visit other cities theatres and halls to see shows.

We are decorating our living room – complete change!
It hasn’t been done since we moved in what with said wedding getting booked so I can’t wait to get it done – Pinterest addict here!!
We then plan to do the rest of the house through the year, I’m looking forward to seeing how it all looks after the revamp. I'll be posting progress photos over on Instagram so make sure you're following to see the before and afters. (Instagram - maxinefrancis89)

I also have a few goals this year, one being to read 50 books (EEEK!) and the other is to watch all of the TV series I have on my list which I want to see….there is a lot!! Wish me luck!

Blog goals are something I've set this year too, I'll list these below for you to see and if you can help me reach these that'd be so amazing!
These are goals I hope to achieve by the end of the year and yes I know numbers aren't everything but let's face it, to have people follow you knowing they've chosen to look at your content is a good feeling!

Twitter followers – 5,000
Instagram followers – 2,000
Total blog views – 50,000

I'd also love to meet bloggers this year and attend more meet ups and events.

So it’s safe to say I have a pretty big year ahead and I’m so excited!

Do you have any big plans this year? Maybe you’re getting married too?!

Maxine x


(The amazing diary in my photo is from B&M!)  

Revolucion De Cuba Nottingham - Bottomless Brunch Review

I was recently invited to try out the new Bottomless Brunch at Revolucion De Cuba in Nottingham. I have loved Rev De Cuba since it opened a couple of years ago and literally from when it opened as I happened to be out on a Christmas meal when we came across opening night!
It’s always a great atmosphere, whether you’re going during the day for food and a few cocktails or if you are there during the evening on a night out (out).

The Bottomless Brunch, which I have to say is the best idea ever, is Saturday's and Sunday's until 2pm and is £25 per person and for this you choose one of the meals off of the Brunch menu and you then have unlimited prosecco, Mahou beer is also an option (If you're not a fan of prosecco or cocktails) and various selected cocktails for the two hour slot of the brunch.

I have been to Rev De Cuba Nottingham a few times both during the day and at night, the service is always brilliant. We arrived for our booking and as soon as we were seated the prosecco was being poured…my kind of service!
It was also really nice to meet Ashley the Sales Manager who came over to discuss the brunch and also introduce himself.

After looking at the menu and changing my mind numerous times because everything sounded so good, I finally decided on the Cubano Benedict. Richard (the Fiancé) went for the Full Grilled Breakfast.

The Cubano Benedict was amazing and something I would definitely have again. It was sourdough toast topped with roast pork, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce with crispy patatas on the side - YUM!
The Full Grilled Breakfast, which I had slight food envy when it arrived, consisted of streaky bacon, smoked sausage, tomato, mushroom, fried egg and toast.
All of the choices sounded amazing so we'll definitely be going back.   

As well as the prosecco I also decided to have one of the selected cocktails…why not?!
Mojito’s are included in the brunch and they also have different flavours, Raspberry, Strawberry and Passionfruit.
Now, being a huge fan of Pornstar Martini’s I had to go with the Passionfruit.
I can confirm this was a good choice! It was really refreshing and full of flavour.

So if you are planning a catch up or just somewhere for nice food and drinks with friends or family I would highly recommend the Bottomless Brunch at Revolucion De Cuba Nottingham.

I am not sure if this is something available at all Revolucion De Cuba's so it's definitely worth checking with your closest restaurant.

I'd also like to give a mention to our waitress Betty who was lovely and really looked after us....she also kept the prosecco topped up!

Maxine x 

Leatherface - Film Review

I love horror films, especially the classics such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13^th etc. So when I saw they were releasing another Texas Chainsaw Massacre I couldn’t wait!
Although Leatherface isn’t a sequel or a remake, it’s actually a prequel based on him growing up and how he became the serial killer we know him as.

I’m just going to start by saying I thought it was brilliant! I read a few reviews which didn’t rate it as highly but I thought there was just the right amount of gore and suspense required to make a good horror film. The whole cast, which includes Stephen Dorf and Lili Taylor, were great, each character was played really well and kept the suspense going right until the very end.

If you're a fan of the classics I'd definitely recommend.

So a brief description of the film….Four teens escape a mental asylum taking a nurse who they have kidnapped with them. They embark on a murderous road trip with the Sherriff of the town pursuing them along the way. One of the teens in particular is a disturbed youngster and the events that take place during the rampage mould him into the infamous serial killer we know him to be today, Leatherface.

Let me know if you have seen this film and your thoughts.
Also with Halloween just around the corner, which films do you like to watch around this spooky holiday?

Maxine x

(I do not own the image used in this blog post, no copyright intended) 

Wedding Post #2 Saying Yes To The Dress!

Of course we all know your wedding day is about the commitment between you and your soon to be husband/wife but we also know another huge thing about the day is THE DRESS!

The wedding dress is the first thing you think of when planning your big day (I'm not speaking for everyone but it's got to be 99%!)
Those memories you have of being a little girl and pretending to be wearing a wedding dress is finally happening, you probably already know the style, colour, shape you want to go for.
It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, decision and purchase you'll make. Not just because of the price but it's something you will always remember wearing and be reminded of wearing when you look back at your happy day.

Wedding dress shopping for me was exciting but also quite overwhelming.
I tried on so many styles and if there's one thing I have noticed from shopping for myself and also speaking to others, it's that the style you think you're going to like and will suit you the most isn't what you end up falling in love with!

I wanted to share with you some tips and things to think about when picking your dream dress to help you also have that amazing experience and hopefully not be too overwhelming!

Budget

The main thing you need to consider when you start looking for your dress is the budget.
You need to be realistic and also remember just because it's £10,000 doesn't mean it's the best and most expensive looking!
The dress I chose was the least expensive of the ones I tried on and it actually looks more expensive than some of the ones which were nearly £1,000 more!
(Once the wedding has taken place, I'll post photo's and reveal the price!)
When discussing your budget also take into consideration any alterations which may be required, depending on the alterations these can be anything between £50 - £300 (possibly more) so if you have a budget of say £2000 and the dress you fall in love with is £2100 you may think it's only £100 more but you may require £200 of alterations.
It really is a personal choice and how much you are wanting to spend, as I say just because someone has spent £10,000 doesn't mean it's the best dress!

Style/Shape
Princess? Fishtail? A-Line? Short?
There are so many styles and shapes of dresses. You probably already know which style you are wanting to go for whether it be the big Princess ballgown or a simple fitted A Line dress.
If I had any tips I would suggest you also try other styles, even the ones you thought you wouldn't like or you thought wouldn't suit you. You might be surprised and end up falling in love with one you wouldn't in a million years think you would!
Make the most of your appointment and remember you're the bride to be and also the customer so any dress you see try it, see what it's like and if you don't like it you just move on to the next one.

Colour
Now you are probably thinking 'Why are you even talking about the colour? White obviously!'
Yes, most brides will choose either White or Ivory.
However, it's becoming quite popular to go for a different colour. Brides are now steering towards the 'non traditional' aspect (myself included!) and not choosing the white or ivory dresses.
The most popular colour when not choosing white/ivory is blush!
Blush is a lovely subtle romantic colour which is fast becoming a popular choice amongst bride to be's.
When shopping for a dress I also saw red, ice blue, peach, gold and quite a few others.
So if you are wanting to choose another colour, don't worry there are quite a few options out there!
Also if you find a dress you like and it's white/ivory in the shop, ask the bridal consultant whether it does come in any other colour, you will more than likely find they have the white/ivory in for trying on but it does come in different colours.

EntourageIf you are currently planning your big day you more than likely have seen the popular TV show 'Say Yes To The Dress' (I love it!) and you see them take about 600 people with them and surprise surprise they don't impress everyone!
Keep your group small when going to try on dresses, only take the people who's opinions matter and not just because Auntie Joyce will be so upset if you don't take her with you.
At the end of the day the final decision is yours but it's always nice to have someone with you who can let you know whether they are blown away or doesn't think it's the right style.
People have different opinions and so if you take too many people you'll never please everyone and therefore you'll never make a decision. Remember -  IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU!!

Finally....

The last things I can think are, don't rush into a decision and don't feel pressured into making a quick decision. 

You are in control, if you aren't sure then you can have time to think. Whether that be popping for a quick coffee to discuss the dresses you've tried or even leaving it a week or two and then returning.
I had been to two different bridal shops in one day and after 3 hours of trying dresses I just felt defeated, I had tried on pretty much every style and shape. I decided to come away and go back the following week, this helped so much! As I realised there were two dresses I really liked and going back to just try those two on again was so much easier than trying and comparing to around 30 others!


If you are currently planning your wedding, Congratulations!
I hope some or all of the above help to make your wedding dress shopping a little less overwhelming.

Let me know in the comments below if your wedding is coming up.

                                                                           Maxine x 

Wedding Post #1 - Everything About The Big Day So Far...

When I came back to blogging I knew I wanted to do Wedding posts!
Not just to share with everyone our big day but also to look back on in years to come at the highs and lows of planning your big day.
In the posts I want to share my plans, well maybe not EVERYTHING but as much as possible and also post any tips I can to help plan your special day.

So this first post I'm just going to through what we have planned so far.

The Date

Our big day is going to be Saturday 5th May 2018 (8 months to go!)

Venue

We are having our whole day in one venue! This is something we definitely wanted to do to save having multiple trips and just for ease.
Our venue is a very nice Doubletree by Hilton hotel, it has a separate ceremony room and we have gone for the biggest room for the Wedding Breakfast (first meal as a married couple) and evening reception.
We have someone coming to decorate the rooms for us, this post will be going up after the wedding with details of who is doing this for us and also a review with lots of photos!

Dress
I'm obviously not going to go into too much detail with this one but I ordered my dress last November! I will definitely be doing a post on wedding dress shopping, I found it extremely overwhelming and I can imagine I'm not the only Bride to Be who has felt this.
My fitting is January....I know!! Flipping January, straight after Christmas! To be honest I was going to be having a no crap eating Christmas this year anyway but this just makes me not want to eat junk at all over the festive period....I just keep reminding myself 'It's only this Christmas!' Needless to say I will still be having the odd tipple.
I have to say a special thank you here (I'll obviously also be doing something more nearer the time) to my lovely mum who is buying my wedding dress, I didn't know this until I said 'Yes to the dress' !

Photographer

After looking online and going to wedding fayres we finally decided on a photographer who we think is going to brill, this will be another post after the wedding of the photographer, a review and photos.

Cake

It's obviously way too early to have a cake yet but we already know what we're having....cupcakes!
I just thought cakes are not cheap and I've been to so many weddings and they have the cake cut up for people to take and it hardly gets touched!

So we're having cupcakes made by my lovely mother in law to be who is fab at baking and then we're going to have cupcake boxes made so everyone can take them home.

Suits & Rings

We are hiring suits and these are going to be a light grey colour - love it!

I've never seen Richard in a suit (and we've been together 11 and a half years! so I'm not going with him for the fitting as I want to save this for the day. The rings are the next thing on the list to get, we've seen a few we like when walking past jewelers but need to go in and have a proper look and try on. 

Transport

I searched and searched on the internet for a wedding car, now my absolute dream wedding car would be the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 'Eleanor' I did actually find someone who has this as a chauffeur car however at around £300-£400 an hour I wasn't prepared to spend that much! Especially as it's only the one trip and it's only approx. 20 minutes!

Therefore I found a local wedding car hire company who has done me a fantastic deal, it's one guy who only has the one car so for no extra cost he's picking up my mum and the bridesmaids and taken them to the venue first at no extra cost.

I think for now I'm going to leave the post here, don't worry I'll be covering everything in posts every other Wednesday (as much as I can!) leading up to the big day including our Disneymoon and also the Hen Weekend!!

Don't forget to follow me over on Twitter and Instagram.

If you have your big day planned and coming up let me know in the comments.

Also if you are also posting about your wedding and sharing tips, let me know and I'll check it out!

Maxine x

I'm Back!

Well hellooooo there! I am back!
This feels kinda surreal writing a post and exciting too! I've had somewhat of a break from the 'blog scene' and I'm back and ready to take my blog to the next level.

I wanted my first post to let you know why I stepped away and what has made me come back.
So, when I look at the time I started blogging I can see where it went wrong! If you look at my first posts you'll see I had intentions of being a beauty blogger and I was going to write about new products and reviews, however when I really think about it, I'm not a beauty blogger and I felt like I was being false. Although I do wear make up, I don't have a make up routine and wear highlighters and contour, I literally wear a foundation and mascara when I'm going to work and when going out I'll use my Urban Decay Smokey Palette (That I DO obsess over!) and I have 'nicer' products but still nothing that requires technique! (I do wish I could make my make up look as flawless as those who are amazing with the skills!) I know beauty doesn't just cover make up so don't get me wrong I may from to time feature a product whether it be a new mascara or body lotion or a face cream etc but as the main point of my blog I started in the complete wrong direction and I don't mind being honest about it, I think it was mainly because there is a lot of amazing beauty bloggers and so I thought maybe that's what people prefer when reading blogs. However in the time I haven't been posting I've still been reading different blogs and different styles and it hit me that actually your blog is YOUR blog, it doesn't matter if the most popular ones are beauty inspired it's about YOU.
Which brings me to why I wanted to give it another go and this time I'm really determind to have a blog that I'm proud of and can look at and be like 'Yep, that's me'
So as I say yes I may include a few posts of beauty products but my main style of blog I will have is a Lifestyle, as the name tells you I am a chatterbox! So the idea of having more chatty posts is something I look forward to.
Also I love movies and mainly horror! Therefore I'm currently thinking of ways I can incorporate this into my blog, I think the main thing will be maybe reviews of horror movies I watch, whether it be new releases or something I come across on Netflix etc
To be honest I am a huge movie fan in general.
One of my main loves that I am hoping to include is Disney - yes I see you rolling your eyes and thinking 'Really?! but Disney is for kids!' Bish, I am going to Disney World next year for my Honeymoon!
This also brings to me another topic I will be featuring and that's Wedding's! I am marrying my best friend May 2018 and I couldn't be more excited! So I'll be posting an update of our plans and also any tips I can share to help other future brides! (This one I really look forward to)
I'm also hoping to do a few travel style posts, mainly things to do in Nottingham and places to visit especially the Christmas Market!
I just have so much planned and I look forward to sharing it with you.


So yeah, without making this post too long I just wanted to give an idea of where I am hoping my blog to go and see what happens! I'm very excited but also a little nervous, I know there are a lot of amazing bloggers out there and I am a tiny little fish in a great big blogging ocean but I'm excited to get back into the scene properly and meet more lovely people. I have to say that's another reason I wanted to get back into blogging - the lovely people you get to meet.


I'd just like to say a huge thank you to Amy (AlohaAmy) for making my blog header, it's absolutely amazing and I love it!
Go give Amy a follow on Twitter @alohaamyg and check out her amazing blog www.alohaamy.co.uk

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@Chatterboxmax) and Instagram (maxinefrancis89) although to be honest I think people are a bit fed of Instagram at the moment, including me! But I still post on there and I'm using the Instastories more now too.

Come say Hi over on Twitter or leave a comment below.
I'm also on Bloglovin' so give that button to the right a click to make sure you see when I next post.

Maxine x

April Book Review: The Reflections of Snow White - David Meredith

 

 

The story starts on the Eve Princess Raven's Wedding - Snow White's daughter - it's going to be a joyous occasion with the Princess marrying Prince Edel from the next Kingdom. Snow White has everything, a beautiful castle, a loving daughter - but there's one thing missing - her Prince Charming.

Whilst the castle is being set for the Wedding, Snow White ventures to a part of the castle she hasn't been to for a while. During this time she comes across the Enchanted Mirror.
The Mirror shows her that she's able to get through the grieving of losing Charming by revisiting her younger years and when she first met her Charming.
But can Snow White trust a mirror that once served her infamous evil Step Mother?


I was very kindly sent a copy of this book by the Author, David Meredith.
I'd describe the book as an adult fairytale and by that I mean it's a lot darker and more serious than the well known fairytale classic.
It's a book I enjoyed very much and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a fantasy romance novel.

You can purchase The Reflections of Snow White on Amazon

Maxine x 

March Book Review: The Teacher - Katerina Diamond

'A Lesson you'll never forget'

 

 

 

The summary of this book says 'Not for the faint hearted' and it definitely doesn't exaggerate.
It isn't your standard explicit, obscene graphic content, it goes a little further than that which is why it's a definite page turner.
The main story is the mystery killer who targets a headmaster of a school but at first it's thought to be suicide. It then comes to light sadistic acts had taken part in the past and someone wants revenge. People who were involved are targeted one by one and murdered in quite gory and painstaking ways.
We also get to know other characters who are involved, such as the detectives who are trying to track down the killer and also the 'victims' families.

The story skips between different characters involvements and also goes to the past to unravel the story of the acts which took place.

If I'm being honest it did take me a couple of chapters to get into the book and warm to the characters as they also have their own personal issues but as soon as I was hooked I couldn't stop reading.

 

The characters I felt kept the book interesting and compelling are the two disastrous put together detectives DS Miles and DS Grey. They could actually have their own book with their own life stories!

This is the first book from Katerina Diamond and I really enjoyed it.

You can buy your copy of The Teacher on Amazon in paperback and Kindle edition here.

 

If you have read this book, let me know what you thought.

Make sure to follow Katerina on Twitter - @TheVenomousPen

 

 

 

Maxine x 

 



The 90s Tag!

 

 

I was tagged by the lovely Danielle from Underland to Wonderland to feature a 90s Tag!
I love that I grew up in the 90s (I was born in 1989),it was such a brilliant decade to have a childhood. So many iconic things from the 90s - movies, clothes, music, games.

1. Favourite Disney Film?
Beauty and The Beast of course!

2. Favourite Music Artist?
Ah there were so many! I loved the boybands - Backstreet Boys / NSync / 911 and of course the best girl group ever - Spice Girls!

3. Favourite Game? (Board game / School game)
I loved playing Payday with my younger sister, we'd sit and play for hours.
School games...Hand clapping games or 'What time is it Mr Wolf?'

 

4. Favourite Sweets?
Where do I start?! Gobstoppers, Ring Pop, Chewits, Cola Cubes, Double Dip, Flumps, Flying Saucers, so many!

5. Favourite McDonald's Happy Meal Toy?
I can't actually remember any of them!

 

6. Favourite Book?
Harry Potter obviously but I love reading so there were so many!

7. Favourite Clothing Store?
Tammy Girl and MK One! (Memories of 90s fashion)

8. Favourite TV Show?
The 90s definitely had the best TV Shows! Kenan & Kel, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Sister Sister, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Moesha, Playdays, Zzzap!, Art Attack, Are You Afraid of The Dark? Hey Arnold, Rugrats....loadssss!

9. What Show Would You Watch After School?

See above! LOL


10. What Was Your Favourite 90s Game Show?

The Crystal Maze, Fort Boyard, Fun House!

11. Did You Own a Virtual Pet?
Tamagotchi :)

12. Favourite Video Game and System To Play On?
My first game console was SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) so obviously Mario Brothers (Original!) but for the most of the 90s I had a PlayStation One and loved Crash Bandicoot and Driver.

13. Weirdest Fashion Trend?
The whole of the 90s was pretty much a weird fashion trend haha! but saying that it's all coming back into fashion now.

14. Favourite Toys?
Barbie's obviously! but 90s toys - Polly Pocket - I actually can't think of any others!

15. Favourite Nickelodeon Show?
I think I covered this on favourite tv show!






I tag my younger sister Ellie who's over at Ellie Kathleen.
plus anyone else who'd like to share their 90s memories!

I hope you've enjoyed this post, thank you Danielle for tagging me I really enjoyed reminiscing on the 90s!

Maxine x  



10 Lovely Touches For Your Office/Home Desk

Whether you have an office desk at a company you work for or work from home it's always nice to add those touches which don't keep reminding you that you are yet to win the lottery so you don't have to work at all and can just sit on a beach with a cocktail...maybe one day!
There are some really nice things you can buy for your desk and I have to admit I have a little obsession when it comes to browsing the web for stationary items. With the majority of people likely to read this being fellow bloggers who will more than likely have their own desk I wanted to share some of these with you :)

 

 

Paperchase Black Bird Metal Desk Box - £10 (currently on sale)
Wilko Glitter Gel Pens - £1.25 pack of 5
Radley A5 Notebook - £12

Pink Post It Notes - £6.09
Paperchase Rose Gold Paperclips - £2.50 pack of 200
Light Blue Pen/Pencil Holder - £2.50
Paperchase Rose Gold Stapler - £25
Paperchase Rose Gold Hole Punch - £29
Minnie Mouse Pencil Set - £4.95
Minnie Mouse Journal - £14.95

Let me know if you'll be purchasing any of these lovely items or which are your favourite.

Maxine x

Prices correct at time of posting. 



My Favourite Disney Vloggers

Whether you know me personally or follow me on Twitter or Instagram you will know my love for everything Disney.
I pretty much eat, sleep and breath Disney (other fanatics out there will understand)
My ultimate dream came true when myself and my Fiancé went to Disney World for two weeks May 2012 - way too long ago!
We loved it that much we're planning to go back next year for hopefully our Disneymoon (that is obviously a Honeymoon at Disney)

Whilst waiting for this to happen there's nothing I love more than watching Disney vlogs and seeing other people's happiness at 'The happiest place on Earth'.

As I've watched pretty much all of the following people's vlogs and actually built a friendship and spoken to most of them on social media - mainly Twitter - I knew I wanted to post their channels on my blog so everyone can share the happiness :-)


Please go check out their channels and subscribe :-)
Their channel names below are linked to their YouTube.

 

Get Binky
Hakz
Krispy Smore
Nadolny Nearly In Focus
Spoonful Of Sugar
That Sounds Fun
Tom and Sophie
Will and Lelly
Ellie Steadman
See Ya Reel Soon
Natalie and Jamie
Molly Buck
Disney at Heart
Lil Miss Chickas
The Disney Double Dose
The Tim Tracker
Happiest Vlogs on Earth

Ears 2 You

 

 



Make sure to also follow them on Twitter, you'll find their Twitter details in the 'About Me' page on their channels.

 

If there are any Disney vlog channels you are subscribed to which aren't featured above, let me know in the comments below as I'm always looking out for more channels to subscribe to!

 

 

See Ya Real Soon!

Maxine x 

 



February Book Review: Trust In Me - Sophie McKenzie

Julia has always been the friend that Livy turns to when life is difficult, they've always told each other everything....or so Livy thought.
But when Julia is found dead in her home, Livy cannot accept that her best friend chose to end her own life. Doubt sets in straight away and Livy sets out to prove that Julia was in fact murdered. Little does she realise that digging into her best friends private life will cause her to question everything she thought she knew about Julia and the truth that Livy discovers can tear her own life apart.

 

 

 

 

Trust In Me is the first book by Sophie McKenzie I have read and I loved it, I was totally absorbed and never wanted to stop reading every page was exciting and I always wanted to know what happened next. This genre of book is definitely my favourite, always leaving you guessing until you reach the end and this one was probably the most shocking twist. Sometimes you read books and maybe half way through you have guessed what's going to happen but I definitely didn't see what was coming with this one, every time I thought I had sussed it something else happened that I wasn't expecting!

I really enjoyed the characters and although you never really meet Julia because it starts with her being found in her home you feel her presence in the book which is really clever.

 

I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone, even if you're not a thriller/mystery novel reader I can guarantee you'd enjoy the suspense of every page.

 

I'll also be checking out Sophie McKenzie's other books, if they are anything like this than they are bound to be brilliant.

 

Have you read this book? I'd love to know what you thought.

Maybe you're going to purchase this book based on this review? Let me know!

 

 

You can purchase this book on Amazon or at other leading book stores.
It's also available to download to your kindle.

Check out Sophie McKenzie on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sophiemckenzieauthor) or follow her over on Twitter (@sophiemckenzie_ )

 

Maxine x 



Radisson Blu Edwardian New Providence Wharf

For Christmas I bought my Fiancé tickets to see David Haye at the O2 Arena in London. We hadn't been to the O2 before and so I wanted to make a weekend of it and book a hotel to stay the night.
I searched on the internet for hotels near the arena and came across Radisson Blu Edwardian which is just across the river from the O2 - perfect!
I actually booked through LateRooms.com as it was a lot cheaper, because of the location you can imagine it's in the higher price range.
After happily booking I wanted to look at a possible upgrade and maybe added extras to the room so I gave the hotel a call direct.
I spoke to the lovely Cleo who I informed the night was a Christmas present but it was also our 10th anniversary last month upon doing this Cleo confirmed they could add rose petals on the bed and a swan towel origami which I was really pleased about, I then asked about upgrades and after discussing options I upgraded to a river view room - I was not expecting the view we had!

When we arrived at the hotel we were really impressed with the location, I can imagine in the Summer sitting by the river with a cocktail is even better!.
The reception was lovely and the staff are all very friendly. What's even better is there is a sweet cart you can help yourself to!

After checking in very swiftly we made our way to our room, I was very excited to see what the upgrade had to offer and wasn't expecting to how amazing it was when I opened the door....

The view of the O2 arena from our window was amazing, we were both totally blown away. The rose petals and swan origami towels on the bed was a lovely touch and they had also put chocolate covered strawberries (definitely a winner with me) and a lovely card on the side for us.
They really made it feel that extra bit special.

The bathroom was also very impressive and with a great view, although if you do happen to stay here please remember it's not privacy glass if you do take a bath!
One thing I didn't do was take a photo of the shower which was one of those with the giant flat shower heads and was amazing!

The view of the O2 was even more breathtaking at night when it's all lit up and reflecting over the Thames.

We also had breakfast which was lovely, it was a buffet breakfast although if you wanted to you could fill out the breakfast card in your room to order room service for the morning.
Typically I didn't take photos (I was too excited to get tucked in) but I had pancakes with maple syrup, strawberries and bacon which was delicious. There was also full English breakfast, meats, cereals, A la carte menu to order things like eggs benedict, pancakes etc.

Overall I'd highly recommend anyone to stay here whether it be for an event at the O2 or a romantic getaway.
We will definitely be returning and I look forward to it already.

If you'd like to book a night you can check out their website here.

Maxine x

Don't forget to follow my blog on Bloglovin'

Valentine's Date Night

I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day as I don't think people should just use that day to tell each other they love them, it should be said all year round :)
But that said we do still get each other a card and go for a nice meal - any excuse to get dressed up!

I've browsed the net for hours looking for outfits which are somewhat related to Valentine's Day and below are my top picks.

 

 

1. Boohoo Mini Bodycon Lips Dress - £10

2. Pandora Heart Ring - £55

3. Ann Summers Pink/Black Teddy- £25

4. Boohoo Love Heart Earrings - £4

5. Boohoo Pink Glitter Heart Clasp Clutch bag - £14

6. Topshop Fluffy Sandals - £50

7. Boohoo Slinky Red Lace Night Dress - £10

8. Pandora Heart Charm - £25

9. Dorothy Perkins Pink Bardot Dress - £55

10. Charlotte Olympia Suede Heart Shoes - £445

 

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Maxine x 

January Book Review - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Each month I'm going to do a book review, I absolutely love reading and getting lost in a book, falling in love with the characters and story.

This month I decided to choose a book genre that I don't usually read as I'm more of a Crime, Mystery, Murder Detective book fan.
So choosing Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell was totally out of my comfort zone when it comes to reading.

However, I'm so glad I did choose it as I loved it from the first page to the last.

Eleanor & Park is about two teenagers who meet on the school bus, Eleanor is the new (awkward) girl at school and Park is the slightly popular half korean boy.
It's a book which will remind you of those awkward times at school when you had your first crush and possible love. Both characters have a lot going on in their complicated family lives which brings them closer together.

What I loved the most about the book is how real it seemed, there were no far fetched romantic events, in fact the two characters are like chalk and cheese which makes them perfect for each other. What happens in both of their lives is something that has/will be happening in many peoples lives that you can actually relate to the characters and that's what made me fall in love with them even more.

With the book being set in the 80's there aren't any smartphones or laptops they communicate via landline, mix tapes and conversations face to face which is quite refreshing to read.

I'd recommend Eleanor & Park to everyone, even if like me you're not a fan of romance books and would prefer a good murder mystery, because you can relate to the characters and it's very realistic it makes it a book for pretty much everyone to read.
I'll definitely be checking out Rainbow Rowell's other books.

I'm looking forward to my next book review for February, make sure to follow me on Bloglovin' so you don't miss it and if there's a book you'd recommend I read and review please let me know :)

Maxine x 

January Fitness Diary - Week Four

So this is my final post of the 'My Fitness Plan' series. I'd recommend anyone doing this, whether it be on a blog or just in a diary. It gives you the chance to keep a track of what you're eating and see if there are any improvements you can make.

I'd also highly recommend downloading the 'Youfood' app, it's basically like Instagram but just for food. So it's great to also use that to keep track of meals and you can get some great recipe ideas from other people. It's clever in the way that because you're sharing your meals you want them to look good and not post anything unhealthy so it makes you want to eat better foods to show it off!

Monday 25th January

Breakfast - Porridge Oats with semi skimmed milk and a sliced banana

Lunch - Mediterranean flavoured tuna on wholemeal bread, Dairylea dunkers and a toffee flavoured muller light yogurt

Dinner - Chinese style rice with tandoori salmon

Snacks - Banana and 2 Satsumas
Water - 0 glasses of water but two cups of green tea with lemon


Tuesday 26th January

Breakfast - Porridge oats with semi skimmed milk and a sliced banana with almonds

Lunch - Spicy Mexican rice, Melon pieces, Banana and custard muller light yogurt and diarylea dunkers

Dinner - Chicken en croute with vegetables

Snacks - 2 Satsumas and a banana
Water - 2 cups of green tea with lemon

Exercise - surprisingly I did do a bit of a exercise and it was a 15 minute HIT workout.

Wednesday 27th January

Breakfast - Porridge with semi skimmed milk and blueberries

Lunch - Chicken rice, dairylea dunkers and crabsticks

Dinner - Spaghetti Bolognese

Snacks - Banana and 2 Satsumas
Water - 1 cup of green tea with lemon

Thursday 28th January

Breakfast - Two Weetabix with semi skimmed milk

Lunch - Mexican flavoured tuna on wholemeal bread

Dinner - Stuffed peppers with tempura bassa fish and pasta

Snacks - half a slice of pork pie, fruit pot

Friday 29th January

Breakfast - Two Weetabix with semi skimmed milk

Lunch - Mexican flavoured tuna on wholemeal bread

Dinner - Southern Fried Chicken and Chips

Snacks - Banana and 2 satsumas

Saturday 30th January

Breakfast - Vegetarian sausage sandwich with ketchup

Lunch - packet of mini cheddars (not the healthiest or best lunch!)

Dinner - Salmon with soy and ginger sauce and supernoodles

Snacks - no fruit today :(

Sunday 31st January

I'm so annoyed I forgot to take photos on this day and can't remember what I had :(


I think from doing this diary I've learnt that I definitely need to do more exercise, I'm thinking of joining back at the gym and do a few classes as I did enjoy it before.

Let me know if you have been keeping a fitness diary and how you're getting on.

Maxine x

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin'