It's safe to say that I am not a reading kind of gal, as I seem to instantly gravitate towards easy reads with a reality style approach or a more tips/self help kind of books, which you know each to their own and as I approach the dreaded age of 25 it's become very apparent that i'm all about getting my life in order (or at least from the books i've recently been reading).

One book that I have been absolutely raving about these past few months, of which I already mentioned in my recent post and that is of course Gracie Francesca or Grace F Victory (however you know her by) book No Filter (£10.49) which I kind of ordered on a whim as I didn't expect it to be a read i'd love or get into but I just couldn't put this down. Essentially this book is a tell all book about her life up until this point now and everything she has through in life from being raised pretty much by her mother, to her eating disorders and so much more, and I related to her on so many levels in this book but I also learnt a lot about things i've never gone through and it completely opened my eyes up to how different everyones childhood/past can be. The main message that i've taken away from this book, is learning how to love yourself and understanding you are enough as you are without thinking you have to change the way you act or your appearance just to please other people. It's also amazing to see the journey she has gone on, and out of all of the bloggers that have released a book it's definitely a read I would highly recommend!

Another book of which i'm probably half way through but one that I already would recommend to anyone is The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving A F*ck (£9.09) and let me tell you this book does exactly that! I love a book that is just straight up and real, and this book is just that and it's exactly what i've needed recently. I'm definitely one of those people that cares way too much about what other people think and I often beat myself up about what someones opinion may be of me and this book has really helped me think 'you know what, f*ck what everyone thinks' and it's the boost that i've needed! Definite must read if you're similar to me, or your feeling a bit stressed as it instantly just changes your entire mind set.

Finally we have Arden Rose's book Almost Adulting (£7.69) which as the name suggests is a book all about adulting, or trying to adult at least. I'm sure i'm not alone in saying that at 24 I thought i'd have grasped this adult life but let's face it, I don't think I ever will (lol). I decided to order this book purely on the basis that it is labelled 'all you need to know to get it together (sort of)' of which I could really do some help with and again this book just helps you open your mind, and actually understand how exactly we all somehow survive in this big world, but one step at a time. She covers all sorts of topics from friends to relationships and how to actually communicate with people face to face, and not just through a phone. Again if you're like me and love a good self help but easy read, and could do with a bit of a kick up the bum then this is a definite read you could do with.

What books are you currently reading?

Of an evening recently i've been trying to wind down in a different way and not just by scrolling through social media until I decide to go to sleep, so some of these lifestyle favourites are because of that, because i've been switching things up a bit and i've already started to see the benefits in doing so.

One thing i've wanted to do for a while now is to start reading more, especially of an evening after a long day at work as I often just want to switch off for an hour or two. One book i've been absolutely loving is Grace Victory's book No Filter (£7.49), which is essentially a tell all about her life but through her experiences, traumas, relationships.. you name it, it's probably in this book and it's been an amazing read for me. I've learnt a lot from it in terms of mental health but also in terms of loving you for who you are, which I think in this day and age is such a hard thing to do. I'm around two thirds through this book, so I can't give a full review on it but i'd definitely recommend picking it up to anyone. Whilst i've been reading of an evening i've also been working my way through my candle stash, especially as the evenings are getting colder and darker. A firm favourite of mine at the moment is the Yankee Vanilla Cupcake Candle (£19.99), of which a few years back I would of never liked, but with getting older you notice your taste changes and this is just enough sickly sweet for me.

Continuing with taste changing, my actual taste has changed in terms of foods and drinks over the past year or so, and I find myself drinking different beverages when i'm celebrating or just going out with the girls. My current drink of choice is prosecco because it's half the calories of a glass of wine, and let's be honest, i'll take that any day. However sometimes I do like to mix it by adding a liqueur to add some flavour to what can sometimes be a boring glass of prosecco. The Cranes Cranberry & Blood Orange Liqueur* (£15) has been a go to recently for me, as it adds a lovely sweetness to a glass of prosecco, and it tastes absolutely beautiful which for some who don't like prosecco, this could be an easier way to drink it. You can also be a bit more daring and whip up a cocktail with this liqueur, as the team at Cranes have added a few cocktail recipes to the packaging to help inspire you during your next drinking session. 

Another drink i'm beginning to explore is gin, now I hate gin but it is a drink I want to get into essentially again because of the calories, and I find cocktails and fizzy drinks to be so bloating which is rather uncomfortable on a night of dancing. Similarly to the previous drink, for me it's finding what I can add to it in order to make it drinkable and thats where the Luscombe Tonics* come in. Luscombe are a drinks company based down in Devon who specialise in a numerous amount of drinks, and having added tonics to their range I was intrigued to see what these were all about. With having three flavours in the range, classic tonic, elderflower and grapefruit, they give a variety of different flavours to try to spruce up any gin based drink. Personally my favourite has go to be the elderflower tonic, as i've always been a big fan of elderflower and I find mixing with gin to just be a match made in drinks heaven!

Lastly we have a bit of a random lifestyle favourite, but I knew i'd probably get a few questions on it so I thought i'd mention it. Whilst in London last week I found myself browsing in Topshop and found this beautiful Skinny Dip Tap Dat Card Holder (£10) and I just couldn't leave the store without it! I love the embroidery detail to it, and because I am as basic as basic comes I just loved the slogan to it!

What lifestyle bits have you been loving recently?