Tag: bookstagram

Christmas gift guide- personalised hooray heroes books.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in books, family life, Home Stuff, Mental health

Disclaimer- this is a gifted item sent for this post.

As you have seen before I was previously sent a book for Father’s Day for Elijah too give you his dad as a present! We absolutely loved this book so when they asked us to try another we couldn’t say no! With Christmas coming up and my dads birthday I thought this would be the perfect time to order for my dad something from Elijah they can read together!

So making the book is quick and easy you can customise everything about the characters to freckles and hair styles! You put your family’s names in and have chance to dedicate a page to them too! The personalisation is lovely and makes it a truly unique gift. As well as personalising it you can choose what stories you have in the book too!

Elijah already loves it and says he can’t wait to wrap up for grandads birthday as he’s starting to understand birthdays more. He knows that it is Elijah and grandad on the front too! My dad is quite young so it’s great that he is still able to look his age in the book too which I find is a issue when buying personalised gifts for a grandparent.

These books are fantastic quality and made to last for years! I am excited to give him a great keep sake he can have for years to come and store away for memories as Elijah gets older. Maybe he will give back to Elijah when he is older too!

They sell plenty of different stories and personalised bits so make the perfect place for presents for parent, grandparents or even themselves! Go check them out at

https://hoorayheroes.co.uk or https://hoorayheroes.com

Thanks for reading! Charlie-Jane!

Yoto player review

by Charlie-Jane, posted in family life, lifestyle, parenting

Before i start this post i want to apologise for being so quiet recently. Ive had a bit of a rough patch with regards to my mental health which has in turn caused a bit of laxness on my blog posts. But anyway i’m back now and i’m going to kick off with a review of the YOTO player. DISCLAIMER: I WAS GIFTED THIS FOR A REVIEW.

So first of all i just want to say are all opinions are my own and have not been exaggerated. So with that being said this little player is one of the best items we have ever had for Elijah’s bedroom and sleep routine. So first of all i will explain what the yoto player is. Basically it is a speaker that also works as a night light, reads stories, plays sleep sounds/white noise and even has a radio station and clock. It really does a lot and it is something i would recommend to anyone.

First of all the player is so easy to work. It took little time to set up and after showing my two year old how to use it he can change the story, chapter/sleep sound and knows how to use the radio and turn the volume up or down. We where sent a variety of books to try which Elijah has thoroughly loved. Elijahs favourite story however has been the Gruffalo. Elijah loves choosing his story and getting into bed. He also loves the responsibility of doing it himself and having the choice what he hears. The cards come in holders with stickers to hang to wall damage free too!

I love that the speaker is portable, once it is charged you can take it around the house with you. This means Elijah can listen to stories downstairs without the need for a plug. My favourite feature is that the speaker has a clock on it with day time and nighttime to teach your child not only the time but when they should be in bed.

The best thing about this is that i am often tired after a long day and once we’ve read a story to get to sleep i cannot be bothered to read more. This means we are able to select a story and make it part of our routine. Normally its the Gruffallo or the dinosaur that pooped range. I like that the stories have music and also icons appear on the speaker to show the story or chapter.

Once it is time to sleep i put the sleepy sounds card in and he requests a white noise sound out of the many available. Before Elijah would chat to himself for half hour or more a night before falling to sleep but now he just relaxes and nods off within minutes. We also took it to a grandparents when he stayed and they where amazed at the difference in his sleep too. I have also noticed he sleeps longer when the sounds play too. In the morning we take out the card as part of the routine and start our day.

We are absolutely in love with our yoto player and we are so very thank full we got to review. When elijah allows me to choose a different book i am so ordering some more for him to try, Also the gruffalo plays in my head after i’ve left the room now!

You can order a yoto player here with 10 pounds off – https://yoto.referralcandy.com/TX2DF6Z/rewards

You can also checkout their instagram here- http://www.instagram.com/yotoplay

(if you order i may get some store credit for more books )

Thanks for reading! Charlie x

Reading eggs collaboration

by Charlie-Jane, posted in books, family life, parenting, Uncategorized

Reading is so important and with so little resources readily available at the moment such as bookshops and libraries it’s hard to think of new ways to both entertain and educate your child. Elijah has always been interested in learning through play. He’s always loved stories and learning activities and without access to shops to find more we have had to adapt. We where very lucky when the people at reading eggs asked us to collaborate with them gifting us a chance to trial their reading app.

This app enables your child to not only learn to read, but also to write and puzzle solve. There are so many varied activities for many different ages from two upwards. Elijah loves that the app is interactive. He likes to be able to touch the screen on an app and also to be able to hear an activities noise too. The apps are super colourful and age appropriate.Elijah is enjoying identifying the alphabet that bit more better and learning about words. We are currently trying the handwriting app and he seems to be getting the hang of it. He doesn’t get bored of it like most apps trying to close it and move on but stays engaged and completes each activity before wanting to move on to the next. This is something that i’ve really enjoyed about this app because anything that can keep a child’s focus is amazing in my eyes.

My favourite thing about this app is that it talks your child through the activity as well as praising their good work. The app is available on many platforms and app stores but we love using it on the chromebook because of the bigger screen and not having to hold the tablet. We will certainly be using this app for years to come and it is a app that he will grow with. The app is also perfect for homeschooling too!

If you would like to try this app for month free please use my link here https://readingeggs.co.uk/hazelwoods

You can also check out their Instagram too at https://www.instagram.com/readingeggs/

As always stay safe, Charlie x

Book club: Kindle reads- March 2020

by Charlie-Jane, posted in books, lifestyle, Uncategorized

So i did a little poll on my Instagram to see if people wanted to see more of my book reviews and what i have been reading each month. Surprisingly a lot of people asked me to do it so here i am. So welcome to my first book club! I will be doing a read along to The Rumour by Lesley Kara if you want to grab a copy and read along with me… So far i’m at chapter two if you’re reading this and want to chat about it going through the book together. But for now here’s some Kindle books I’ve brought on deal for a pound or so in a quick sale (always keep your eyes peeled for deals on the kindle store! This month i haven’t read to many books but here’s some of my favourites i have read recently.

The man who didn’t call by Rosie Walsh. Currently 1:99 on the kindle store.This book is about a woman (Sarah) who falls in love in a short amount of time and she thinks shes found the one after recently splitting from her husband of many years . Then the next day he disappears of the face of the earth. Voicemails left and no response…. It’s interesting to see peoples developments in the book and learn about the characters in depth. It does leave you wondering what has happened and where is Eddie? The first half takes a lot to get through, it is a bit all over the place and goes on for too long but the second half is when you get into the book so to say. I’d rate this 3 stars i am unsure whether i liked it or not. It was in some places boring but other points quite gripping.

The Lido by Libby Page. Currently 4:99 on the kindle store. Well what can i say about this book? Other then it’s one of the greatest books i have ever read! I really had low expectations of this book as it really isn’t my normal read but i saw someone was reading it so i thought i’d try it too and it was on deal at the time. The book follows several characters and their relationship to the lido that is at threat of being closed down by the council to build new flats. I fell in love with every character and getting to know them as if they where old friends or even me. The history of Rosemary who is one of the oldest users of the pool in her 80’s going swimming everyday since she was tiny and even in the war. I also love learning about Kate who is desperately lonely and depressed and how she comes out of her shell making friends with rosemary. You get to know how places can form attachments because of the memories that happen there. Beautifully written and at sometimes heartbreaking it is the ultimate feel good book i couldn’t put down. A must read and 5 stars for sure!

Half a world away by Mike Gayle. Currently 4:99 on the kindle store. If you want a book that’s going to take your heart throw it against the floor and stomp on it and cause a full on ugly cry this book is for you! A brother and sister separated by adoption and the foster care system find each other again after many years later. The book follows Kerry a single mum struggling to make ends meet or searches for her brother to reconnect after missing him and searching for years. Noah who is a very well off and happily adopted finds his sister after she tracks him down and leaves him questioning who he really is. The book really shows how different classes do not matter when family is involved. I won’t say much more as there is some BIG BIG twists and turns in this book which will leave you sobbing your heart out and falling in love, 6 stars out of five wouldn’t be enough..

The tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. Currently 2:85 on the kindle store. This story follows Lale a Jewish man who is forced to work at Auschwitz. It shows his story and is based on true events that happened in Auschwitz. The book shows the horrible treatment of the Jewish people by the SS and the barbaric living conditions. It’s a truly heartbreaking read one that made me truly grateful for the life i live and thankful. If you’re into history and war related thing like me this is as close to the truth of what happened as you can get while relating to a character and his struggle. This is based on a true story. I won’t divulge to much but this a must read it’s a five star from me.I have the sequel Cilkas journey in my library to read soon!

The chain by Adrian McKinty . Currently 0.99 on Kindle store. The book is about children that are kidnapped and their parents have to choose whether to kidnap someone else’s child to save their child or their child will be murdered if they break the chain. Really thrilling and gets you hooked from the start. Peoples decisions will surprise you! 4 out of five stars!

So there you have my kindle reads for march look out for my April book club coming at the end of April! Stay safe, keep reading!

A book everyone should read

by Charlie-Jane, posted in books, Mental health

A book I’ve seen a few times in the book stores but always forgot to buy is The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse. This is a beautifully illustrated and written book for all ages. For people going through a rough patch, for children learning that they are enough and they’re feelings are valid this simple little book may just be one of the best books I’ve read. It’s short and sweet and only takes about ten minutes to read so perfect for children too. I brought this book in the mindset of reading it to my little boy as he gets older and when he is older giving it to his children. It’s so simple and perfect and really is a beautiful read and really made me feel happier reading it.

I resonated with the book a lot and a few of the quotes I will keep in mind for the future when I have certain feelings experienced in the book. I want my son to be raised in a world knowing that feelings mater and are normal and that he is enough and he cannot base his feelings on others or rush through life without living in the slow lane. So get the book, borrow the book, download the book and read it. Read it to yourself, to your children or to your family or friends. The perfect mental health booster and feel good book.

Joining the library.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Growing up I loved trips to the library to get a new book and was always so eager to go. I remember running with my books into the door and how much I loved scanning and stamping them in and out. It wasn’t just about getting a new book but also being able to go somewhere and see what I wanted. Since being a adult I don’t think I’ve gone to the library since I was around 13 years ago which is now almost 12 years ago. Scary!

One thing I’ve always enjoyed is reading and it gives me joy knowing I’ve been passing that onto Elijah. Elijah loves reading and we have 100s (not a exaggeration his books shelf is full to the brim and he has a book box full that’s overflowing and around 45 books on a shelf). I’ve come to think it’s wasteful to have so many books and we should start donating some we don’t read and going to the library instead. Obviously if he really likes a book I’ll probably still buy it but I’m trying not to be so wasteful:

We signed Elijah up and he absolutely loved it. He ran over grabbing all the books he could read and played in the kids section. He did colouring and played with the toys. We choose some books and I got them out and we brought them home. Did you know you can get up to 20 books at one time for three weeks? That’s a lot of books and a lot of time. It’s also completely free and better for the environment. What a great way to have a trip out the house and also learn while we do it! Visiting the library also keeps them too and it’s such a great part of the community, they also do classes and activities regularly for all the family.