Looking Back on July 2016

Yay, July is just about over. I really did not get on well mentally with July as I wanted, with having 5 weekends and not spending as much time with my boyfriend as I had in May & June I really struggled with feeling lonely, anxiety and paranoia. I saw him the first weekend and as this post goes live I’ll be in the Peak District celebrating his birthday with a weekend break together. I just may be in the private hot tub. I got so used to seeing him all the time that it was a definite shock to the system this month. But hopefully June will be better.

Other things that happened, we paid off our holiday to Walt Disney World in October! This was huge because it’s the first time I’ve ever booked a package holiday. Usually I just buy things as I can afford them but this time it required a lot of saving but I know it’ll be worth it with the dining plan and amazing hotel we’re staying in. Little Miss finished pre-school for ever, we made it to the beach a couple of times and my dad had his first barbecue of the year. Pokemon Go has been a thing and I’m completely addicted even though it kills my battery! It was also my sister’s birthday meaning cake and Chinese take out. And finally, my friend Saoirse came to stay with us for a whole week. We did so much exploring of the North East, a lot of walking and eating out (just to counter balance each other) and had a day out in York with my parents.

Because I’ve felt like I’ve had so little to do, I’ve blogged nearly every day this month and because of the amazing weather i’ve been out practising with my camera, I do really think it shows. My blog is looking great and I’ve had some great opportunities for reviews which have benefit Little Miss more than anyone have. Have you entered our Disney on Ice presents Frozen competition yet? You could win two tickets to a performance in Newcastle!

And finally, here’s a round up of some of my favourite posts from the last month.

As far as life updates went in July, I gave you all a long awaited updated on Elsa Arya, my Blue Point Ragdoll cat, she just turned two at the end of the month but we won’t be celebrating until November. I also managed to remember to do my Mid Year Round Up post that I missed in 2015. It a life update post more than a post round up like my monthly editions. It was really satisfying to do, it definitely looks like 2016 is shaping up to be a great year! Lets hope it continues. Finally, I sat down and spilled about how it feels to be Dating After Domestic Abuse. It was a post that’s been on my mind since before my relationship officially started and it felt so much better to get everything I’ve been feeling and thinking out into the open.

July really hasn’t been the month for travel posts, but I did fit in two. The first of which was about our visit to Barter Books in Alnwick. I haven’t really ever explored the county I currently called home so it was so nice to do some real exploring this month and Barter Books has been on my list of places to visit for a while. My photos really don’t do it justice! I also reviewed the Port Orleans French Quarter Resort at Walt Disney World, which is in fact my favourite hotel on property. Again my photos don’t do it justice because it’s so beautiful (but then where in Walt Disney World isn’t?) but if you’re thinking about where to stay on site, you should give it a read!

In hindsight, July has been the month of reviews! As I mentioned above Little Miss has really came off best with blog collaborations this month which has been lovely. First we had another My Geek Box Kids to review, she got more things she really loved which is always a positive, this included something else My Little Pony which is always a winner! Then we reviewed a LittleLife Nemo Swim Bag which was perfect for our trips to the beach this month. We were already a huge fan of LittleLife products but this swim bag was perfect for the next step, no more wrist strap for mummy! I also reviewed our beautiful Disney Inspired Collars from Fairytale Collars that I had made for our trip to Disneyland Paris back in April but only just got around to reviewing. Finally we got the chance to review the brand new Cheerz Photo Album which I filled with some beautiful memories from our trip to Walt Disney World in March, I think since it arrived Little Miss has showed it to everyone who has walked through front door!

We’ve had a couple of parenting posts, although I’m fairly sure there will be a lot more in August as we get Little Miss ready to start primary school! However the first of July’s posts was all about Little Miss Last Day at Pre-school before she heads off to primary school in September. It was a very emotional day but I know she’s ready for the next step and I’m looking forward to blogging about her journey. We also took part in the I’m Hungry by Jorge Martin Blog Tour! This was definitely one of the most exciting things that we took part in this month. For the release of I’m Hungry, myself and four other bloggers went head to head creating delicious veggie meals & snacks for our own little dragons. Not only did Little Miss love the book but she loved creating our dish which was pea and feta potato cakes. The review and recipe are both on the blog