The last time we were at the supermarket, I felt like I wanted to buy a body spray.
There were no product testers, so I didn’t as I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. I chose the Sweet Poppy Body Spray some days later after finding a review online in which the scent was described as floral, fruity and woody. I decided to buy it. It costs 3 euros for 200ml.
I like to celebrate awareness of different day, medical conditions and people. I found out earlier in the week that this week (6-12 May) is Nurses’ Week in the US
Here’s more about that:
https://nursejournal.org/articles/what-is-nurses-week/
I was born in the UK and it’s Nurse’s Day today. Find out more.
I want to say thank you to all the nurses who helped me in my life. The NICU nurses who helped me come into the world with my twin sister although that happened way too soon.
The nurses and nurses’ assistants who have cared for me during hospital stays after my shunt surgeries when I needed help with positioning, comfort, and alternative nutrition methods via IV and nasogastric tube.
Those who helped, and help, me get vaccinated throughout my life. Nurses who comfort and reassure me during medical tests. Thanks for your encouraging words and for making me smile.
Thanks for your quick action when I suddenly felt dizzy or started to get unresponsive because of tiredness or seizures. Thank you for keeping me safe.
Thanks to the specialist continence nurses who helped me get the right products, and for your advice on this sensitive subject.
Thank you to the nurses who helped with other hospital stays in my life, including the ER nurses during a recent hospital stay.
Thank you to all the nurses I’ve ever met for what you’ve done for me, whether it’s positioning me, feeding and dressing me. Thank you for giving me time to talk to you and for listening to what I have to say. Thanks for just being there and for your kind words.
Nurses are essential to healthcare everywhere.
The packaging is plastic and is the color of coconuts: a white pot with the product name and a photo of coconuts. The lid is brown.
My first impressions were that the product is well packaged: the pot opens and closes securely and the cream is protected by aluminium film, which also helps to keep the product fresh.
The cream itself is thick, like most body creams are. It has a standard smell of coconuts that many coconut-scented products have. It doesn’t drip when applied and I was surprised by, and happy with how quickly it is absorbed by the skin.
The drawback is that you only get 200ml, which doesn’t last long. This body cream lasted me around three weeks. It cost 1.49€.
The most recent additions to my makeup collection are all from the Deliplus makeup and beauty brand from Mercadona, a Spanish supermarket.
I always need foundation. Mine last me a long time and I only buy one tube at a time so the product doesn’t dry out or become infected with bacteria if it gets old. I am careful like that with all liquid makeup products: foundation, mascara and liquid eyeliner. The liquid foundation I currently have is Primark PS…Foundation in the shade Vanilla which I love. However, with the warmer weather coming. I prefer compact foundations since the coverage is lighter, but still buildable.
I picked the Compact Base in 01 Beige.
I’ve never bought anything from the brand in terms of makeup before and had no idea what the colors would be like as there were no testers. This is a compact foundation with a cream texture. It applies easily, evenly and naturally. It has SPF 25 and 11 grams of product which is a good amount. It costs 5.50€. You can build the coverage up and you don’t need much. There are 4 shades but it turns out that shade 1, Beige, is perfect for me. I am very pleased about that.
The other shades are 02, Pink Beige, O3 Golden Beige, and 04, Dark Beige.
The packaging is robust and a square compact with a gold-bronze lid and a black base. There’s a shicker with the shade number on the lid. It comes with a black foundation sponge.
Verdict: 5/5
Metal Eyeshadow in 19 (pale gold).
This is the only shade in the “Metal” finish. It’s a metallic pale gold and has a good pigment when used as a swatch on the hand. It’s a pretty color on the eyelid and is a powder eyeshadow that applies well. You don’t need much for the color to show up (1-2 swipes depending on how vivid you want it to be).
Verdict: 4/5. This wasn’t as metallic as I’d hoped it would be. It’s a pretty standard pale gold. Kiko Water Eyeshadows in the shades Copper and Bronze , which I have, are way more metallic.
Satin Eyeshadow in 09 (pale beige pink).
This is one of a few “Satin” finish shades. As I thought, the Satin shade at Mercadona is the equivalent to a “Shimmer” shade at Sephora. This shade immediately reminds me of the High Pigment Eyeshadow in the shade 04, Vintage Rose by Kiko, which I have and love.
This is a unique shade, between a beige and a pale pink. Both my husband and I find it hard to describe. It’s pigmented and applies well. I think I prefer this shade as it’s unique.
Verdict: 5/5
Both eyeshadow shades cost 3.50€ and are good for natural looks (especially a summer look). They are wearable shades. The packaging with the square eyeshadow shape reminds me of Kiko’s Smart Eyeshadows. There’s an added bonus with the Mercadona ones: the sleek black packaging of each shadow with the name of the eyeshadow finish (Metallic or Satin from what I bought, but there are a few matte shades too). They each come with a mirror. Each is sealed with a sticker.
I’m really pleased with my makeup and how comfotable it is to wear. It’s all good quality. Each product is carefully, thoughtfully presented and the sticker seal makes hygeine a priority.
Each shadow has a number and not a name. I would have liked it to have had a name, too, but not all products from all brands do. The number was too small for me to see, but my husband picked the products out.
This weekend, I took part in the readalong for One Long Weekend by Shari Low. I’d already listened to much of the book, but I had some chapters left. I managed to answer all the questions.
There were 2 book club questions every day. Here are the questions with my answers:
My answer: Yes, I could really empathise with Val that losing the rings were like losing part of the people she cared about. It shocked me when they were lost. The scene was so well done. I felt immediate empathy. I feel this way about my wedding ring, my engagement ring, and certain necklaces as well as my grandparents’ wedding photo. It would be terrible if I lost them.
My answer: I cannot choose just one. I found all their stories moving.
My answer: They all stand out to me as all the characters have different lives and life experiences. I wouldn’t have done anything differently as each character had to make the best decions for themselves as the story went on.
My answer: I think Alice and Rory would have both found it hard. It’s difficult to know what to say. I was wondering if they’d ever see each other again. I didn’t understand her decision or agree.
My answer: All of them They’re all so well written and complex as well as true to life. Shari is a master at writing meaningful issues in relationships
Val is a recurring character in many of Shari’s books. Shari has said that Val was inspired by her late grandmothers, and writing Val is the author’s way of honouring those women and the others of that generation. Which of the characters would you like to see again in a future novel and why?
My answer: Yes, I could really empathise with Val that losing the rings were like losing part of the people she cared about. It shocked me when they were lost. The scene was so well done. I felt immediate empathy.
About the Book:
Bruce and Karen Gowen are facing a retirement that neither one wants. Bruce can’t imagine life without employment. Karen wants change, adventure, a chance to spread her wings and fly away after thirty years of raising their large family.
Their opportunity comes in a way they can both support: helping their daughter and son-in-law with a hotel project in Panajachel, Guatemala.
Never ones to do anything half way, the Gowens sell everything, including one of their businesses. What they can’t sell, they give away. With their worldly possessions down to two checked bags and two carry-ons each, they fly one way to Guatemala City. Then on to Panajachel, a tourist town on scenic Lake Atitlan, in the southern highlands of Guatemala.
Here they begin their new life, a time filled with incredible experiences, tough challenges, and unexpected adventure in one of the most beautiful settings on earth. A place where the Maya culture permeates the land. A land and people that will transform anyone fortunate enough to encounter the magic of these hills in Guatemala.
· Publisher : WiDo Publishing (January 18, 2024)
· Language : English
· Paperback : 306 pages
· ISBN-10 : 1947966685
· ISBN-13 : 978-1947966680
We Burned Our Boats is now available to purchase in print and as an e-book at Amazon.com. Add it to your GoodReads reading listing as well.
About the Author ;
Born and raised in central Illinois, Karen Jones Gowen attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She transferred to Brigham Young University, where she met her husband Bruce, and there graduated with a degree in English and American Literature.
Karen and Bruce have lived in Utah, Illinois, California and Washington, currently residing in Panajachel, Guatemala. They are the parents of ten children. Not surprisingly, family relationships are a recurring theme in Gowen’s writing.
Karen Jones Gowen can be found online:
https://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/karen.gowen.1
My Review:
I found the title of the book was mysterious and I wanted to know more. The synopsis made the book sound like it was full of exciting experiences. I was intrigued so and happy when I got an eARC. I’ve never been any area of Central, or South, America. I’m passionate about hispanic culture and fluent in Spanish.
We Burned Our Boats is told openly and honestly. It’s immediately visual and immersive, and I felt as if Brain and Karen Gowan had invited me along for the journey. I really liked them and their family members. I was happy that they decided to put their family first and go on an adventure.
We Burned Our Boats is truly a testament to what turned out to be an unforgettable experience and to Karen, Brian and their family and the people they met along the way. It shows what can happen if you take a chance to make a change.
We Burnned Our Boats is an excellently written memoir that I will not forget.
Thanks to Karen and Bruce Gowan and their family. Thanks to Karen Gowan, WIdO Publishing, and Women on Wriiting for my eARC in exchange for an honest and. voluntary review.
5 stars but it deserves more.
This week, I was searching through the makeup section online at a supermarket and found these which I was interested in. I decided to check if they were in stock the next time we were at the supermarket and they were.
Compact Powder Foundation in 01 Beige
Metal Eyeshadow in 19 (pale gold)
Satin Eyeshadow in 09 (pale beige pink)
All from Deliplus (the own brand makeup and beauty line by Mercadona). The compact powder foundation cost 5.50€ and the eyeshadows cost 3.50€ each.
About the Book:
Mix together a group of mature students:
A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.
Add in:
A handsome host
Season with:
A celebrity chef
Bring to the boil:
At a luxurious cookery school in France!
Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan.
Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.
But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?
Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!
About the Author:
Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her books.
The French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth novel. Previously, The Cruise, described as: ‘Girl power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.
She likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship guests.
Books by Caroline James:
Boomerville at Ballymegille
Contact Caroline:
Twitter: @CarolineJames12
Facebook: Caroline James Author
Insta: Caroline James Author
Where to Buy:
About the Book:
A mother and daughter lost in the woods must overcome their worst fears to find their way back. A father going through a divorce witnesses a seemingly impossible motorcycle accident, which forces him to question the truth of his own perceptions. A little boy with a terrible secret routinely steals away at night to meet a girl beneath a willow tree—only to discover she has a secret of her own.
What Was Never There is a collection of short stories with the common theme of memory, or rather, the way memory haunts us.
Includes Pushcart Prize nominated stories “We Never Get to Talk Anymore” and “The Dinosaur Graveyard” and the award-winning “Windows,” selected for Best Microfiction 2023.
About the Author:
Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and What Was Never There. Her stories and essays have been widely published and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best of the Net, and her short story, “Windows,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and two children.
Where to Buy:
Amazon Kindle:
Amazon Paperback:
Website: https://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emarianaranjo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199240146-what-was-never-there
My Review:
What Was Never There got me interested just from the title. The premise is gripping.
I wanted to find out more. It sounded so mysterious. The first story was just perfect to start the book off and left me feeling warm, fuzzy and satisfied. I eagerly progressed through the book and enjoyed it so much.
What Was Never There is such a well-written, carefully thought out book, and with it being short stories, I was able to dip in and out of it to enjoy each standout and original story.
Every story says “magic, mystery and intrigue” to me, and together, all the stories make a completely unique collection I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Elizabeth Maria Naranjo has a writing style that’s easy and comforting. What was Never There was the perfect introduction to her books for me, and I am definitely going to search for more books.
Thanks to Elizabeth Maria Naranjo and WiDo Publishing as well as Women On Writng for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
5 stars
About the Book:
Personal shopper Annie Valentine is back! Older and bolder!
Fashion guru Annie is struggling to cope with her hectic life. With the demands of two older children, plus four-year-old twins, her marriage to Ed is in a romance-free rut and she’s clinging by a couture thread to her job as the nation’s favourite fashion fixer.
And where is Svetlana, her multi-millionaire friend, when Annie needs her? Busy with an expensive mid-life crisis, that’s where!
When Ed gets the chance to teach in Paris, Annie thinks time apart could be the answer. Wrong!
In Paris, Ed transforms into a debonair silver fox, attracting the attentions of stylish siren Sylvie.
Annie can’t lose her man or the job she loves, so bundling her bags, her babies and a reluctant Svetlana onto the Eurostar, she sets off to the rescue. But can the City of Love deliver the ooh la la that her marriage, and her fashion series, so desperately needs?
Another brilliant laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!
About the Author:
Carmen Reid is the bestselling author of numerous woman’s fiction titles including the Personal Shopper series starring Annie Valentine. After taking a break from writing she is back, introducing her hallmark feisty women characters to a new generation of readers. She lives in Glasgow with her husband and children.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmenreidwrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thiscarmenreid
Instagram; Carmen Reid (@carmenreidwrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/CarmenReidNews
Bookbub profile: Carmen Reid Books – BookBub
Where to Buy:
https://mybook.to/AnnieinParisSocial
My Review:
I love shopping, fashion and beauty and I loved The Personal Shopper, the other book in the Annie Valentine series I’ve reviewed. This time, Annie is in Paris, The sights and sounds of the French capital are so wonderfully created. The chapters are brimming with a love of fashion and new opportunities as she searches for ideas. The twins were so cute and she has a difficult family dynamic. Her life is interesting and realistic. And what’s going on with her husband Ed? Can Annie make amends with Svetlana?
Annie in Paris is fast-paced, passionate and fun. Carmen Reid always makes her books quirky and something I loved about Annie in Paris were the references to Chanel, a complete style icon for me, and the chapter titles in English and French with words relating to fashion, beauty or French life, The insights and tips for French life, fashion and beauty were such a great addition to an already wonderful plot.
I finished this in an evening and it was so good I immediately felt sad when it was over and I wanted to start again. A must for fashion and beauty addicts everywhere!
Carmen Reid’s books are all winners for me, but none more than the Annie Valentine series. Annie is a complete heroine.
Thanks to Carmen Reid, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
5 stars but it deserves many more.
Just Katherine 
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