Sharing a Secret: #Blogtober Day 4

This is a tricky one since any deep, dark personal secrets (which I don't think I have any of??) aren't likely to be things I'll post about on my blog for the world wide web to read, but anything smaller (like, I hate ketchup) is super boring. 

So here's a not-very-well-kept secret that I don't really talk about because reasons. 

I had ME/CFS as a teenager, and it affected me up into my early 20s and I still suffer some of the after-effects now. It affected my energy levels, my concentration, caused depression/IBS/muscle aches/hot and cold flashes and the two I still struggle with most: migraines and anxiety. I don't like to talk about it much, and am probably still in a bit of denial, because I feel like it wasn't as hard for me as it was for others, so I shouldn't complain. And I have a high level of guilt over it as well, because it caused my parents to worry a lot.

Ridiculous, no? I spend so much of my time telling other people their feelings are valid, but don't listen to my own advice. Do as I say, not as I do...

So that's it. Short post, and I'm likely to write more about this as time goes by, but right now at least it's up on the blog and you know! 

I'm Sorry, How Much?! #Blogtober Day 3

I suppose I should preface this by saying I will NEVER win the lottery, because I don't play. I'm the girl who has some moral issues with the lottery (but that's another story), so I don't buy tickets, but still enjoy answering the age-old question of what I would do if I suddenly came into squillions. 

Here's a list:

• Move house. I love the village I live in, and the nearby villages, so I'd move to a bigger place with a bigger garden but nothing too extravagant. A library would be nice though...
• Travel, and see the world. See all the places on my bucket list: Cambodia, Peru, South Africa, Alaska, Japan, Nepal, Iceland...the list is endless. I'd love to stay in cool, off-the-grid places and experience as much as possible.
• Take my family on holiday. My parents love going to different places in Europe, and enjoy staying in pretty nice hotels, so some sort of luxury trip round Europe would be an ideal way for us to spend some quality time together and relax. 
• Visit some of the nicest restaurants around. I love good food and drink, as I mentioned in my Day 1 post, so eating at some of the best restaurants in the UK would be amazing. 
• Set up a foundation, and donate a lot to various charities. I support quite a few charities already, ranging from mental health to conservation to war victim support, so to do more for these amazing causes would be something I would give a LOT of money to. 
• Buy a farm/barn conversion and set up my own animal rescue. 

I say I'd still keep my job, but if I had the opportunity to run my own animal sanctuary and do more for charity I would absolutely do that. 

Like the t-shirt says, I just want to drink coffee, take naps, and save the world, and if winning the lottery will help then I'll start buying those tickets!

Way Back When: #Blogtober Day 2

OK so I normally don't have many photos as me as a kidlet to hand, since they aren't scanned or uploaded onto my home PCs, but since I've been planning my 30th party with one of my oldest friends, I happen to have this little gem to hand:

Me on the left, white t-shirt and cute smile. Awww, I was adorable. What happened?! Jen is next to me, in the blue, and we're having a party on Saturday to celebrate us both leaving our 20s and entering our 30s in the next month. ARGH. Where has the last decade gone?!

October Book Recommendations

I don't think a day went by last month when I didn't pick up a book or two, or didn't have Audible playing in the background. Audible has to be one of my favourite things ever, and I don't think I could live without it. (Exaggeration? Maybe, maybe not.) If you don't already know what it is, basically it's an app you download to your phone/tablet that enables you to listen to audiobooks whenever and wherever. Life-changing, for those of us who have long commutes, spend hours cooking in the kitchen, or want a distraction other than music while out running.

I went on a MAJOR Blake Crouch spree this month, after seeing Dark Matter featured on the Instagram accounts of a few book bloggers, and bought it on a whim. I love the way his books flow, every chapter is incredibly gripping and I honestly feel like a huge Wayward Pines hole has opened up in my life now that I've finished that trilogy.

If you're looking for something good to get you through the dark, chilly Octoer evenings here are my recommendations:

• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
• Pines by Blake Crouch
• Wayward by Blake Crouch
• The Last Town by Blake Crouch
• The Martian by Andy Weir
• The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

I also re-read a couple of chick-lit (I loathe that phrase) books for some light relief:

• Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella and Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella. The two latest instalments in the life of Becky Bloomwood, one of my favourite characters. Fun, easy reading.
• Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend by Jenny Colgan. Not great, but not terrible. Riches-to-rags story, worth a flick through but I wouldn't rush out and buy it. 

Currently reading:

• Run by Blake Crouch
• Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
• The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Whatever will I do when I run out Blake Crouch? Be asking you all for recommendations I imagine!

Me, Myself and I: #Blogtober Day 1

Officially kicking off #blogtober16 by being late with my first two posts, as I was far too busy gallivanting around in rainy North Wales with no wifi to log on and update. Sorry bloggers.

Day 1: Who Are You?

If you're a regular to my blog you know me pretty well already, so I could be really lazy and link a few older posts, but that would be too easy for me, too boring for you, and not really in the #blogtober16 spirit.

So, who am I? Jeez, getting up close and personal already, are we? That's a complex question. Here are the basics:

I'm Louise, I live in North Yorkshire in the UK (the BEST county, no arguing), and I'll be 30 in 6 weeks. Mum to Cocker Spaniel Logan, who keeps me laughing most days, and witchy black cat Mickey, who just wants to be cuddled from dawn til dusk. I have a BA in Business with Marketing, and have had a few different jobs over the years, including fashion retail, recruitment and tour guide at a science museum, before finding my calling in the veterinary world. I currently work as a practice manager for four rural practices in the Yorkshire Dales, and every day is different. I've been with James for just over six years, and we're planning a wedding for next September (my to-do list keeps getting longer), which both of us are unimaginably excited for. We love to spend our time and money on trips away and good food and drink. 

I'm a passionate yogi and spend a lot of time and energy on my physical and mental health. Healthy body, healthy mind and all that. I'm also a keen runner, having only really started running this summer, and have a 10k coming up in a month, a sprint triathlon in April, and a half-marathon in spring. Aiming for the London marathon in 2018, and I'd love to do one of those wild ultra-marathons, but who knows? I'm a tad injury-prone, having recovered from two broken wrists in two years (cycling accident then snowboarding accident 18 months later), but it hasn't really stopped me from wanting to push my limits.

I have strong social, political and economic opinions, am a passionate feminist and socialist, and giant bookworm. Coffee-drinker, animal-lover, and bloody good cook.

I love summer more than anything, but as the nights draw in and Halloween approaches, I start to get excited for my favourite time of the whole year: CHRISTMAS! Nothing can beat mulled wine, wrapping presents next to a twinkling tree, going out for drinks wrapped in scarves and mittens, and spending time with family and friends. And, obviously, the constant supply of food and wine.

That's enough out of me. Happy Monday!

September Book Recommendations

September already? My, my, where is the year going?!

I get asked this question a lot: what are you reading right now? Can you recommend any good books? And the answers are always: 'I'm reading about four different things' and 'Of course I can!' So if you're looking for something to get stuck into this September, here are my recommendations:

When I discover a new author that I really like, I tend to go on a bit of a spree with their books, so you may see a theme here...

• I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. 'In a split second, Jenna Gray's world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh.' Beautifully descriptive work, with a huge twist which grabs your attention and doesn't let go.
• I See You by Clare Mackintosh. 'You do the same thing every day. You know exactly where you're going. You're not alone.' My favourite of the two Mackintosh books, but only just. This one I found particularly haunting, days after finishing it. 
• Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson. 'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning.' I read this in two days while on the beach in Sardinia, so that shows how gripping this novel truly is.  
• Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty. 'Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?' This has to be my favourite book in a while. Addictive, perfectly-paced, and well-built characters you can't help but grow to love. 
• What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. 'Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. Or so she thinks...' Funny, sad, heart-warming and the type of book that wrings wry smiles from anyone reading it. 
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. You'll have heard of this one, I'm sure. I found this a particularly chilling, gripping read and struggled to put it down. 

As for what I'm reading right now...

• The Natural Way of Things, by Charlotte Wood - recommended to me by my lovely friend Giselle, this book is haunting and so well-written I can't put it down. 
• The Husband's Secret, by Lianne Moriarty - continuing my Moriarty love-affair. I've got this on Audible to listen to on my morning/evening commutes. 
• Come Away With Me, by Karma Brown - a wonderful debut novel about finding yourself after a tragic loss. Goodreads.com calls it 'a luminous celebration of the strength of the human spirit' and so far, I have to agree.

Life Renovation

Most people don't wake up one morning and decide to place their physical and mental health at the top of their to-do list. Normally some form of catalyst occurs that kicks people into a new health regime which becomes a way of life. 

Sometimes it's trauma: recovering from an injury or illness, or focusing energy into something new after an emotional break-up, loss, or other life incident. Sometimes it's a positive motivation: a holiday coming up, a milestone birthday, a wedding, maybe all three. Or for some people, it's looking down at the scales or into the mirror and seeing someone they don't recognise. 

As much as I dislike the #sweatingforthewedding hashtag, I have to be honest and say that our September wedding next year is a big motivator for me to get up off my butt, stop watching Sherlock reruns, and do something productive. I was going to yoga twice a week, going for the odd jog, and that was about it.