THE TIPS I SWEAR BY FOR SELF-LOVE | BEAUTY + LIFESTYLE

Hello everyone! It can be so easy at times to completely focus all of your time and energy on other people and other things, things that aren't you or necessarily for you. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would do something a little different, by different i mean i thought i would share with you some of the tips i swear by for self-love. Self-care/self-love is so important for any human being for so many reasons but mainly for your frame of mind, especially if you tend to be an over-thinker (which was totally me) until i discovered so many ways to not only switch off but also on how to be so much more relaxed and be a lot less anxious about anything and everything. I don't think anyone with anxiety will ever be fully cured and i honestly think everyone has it and deals with it differently but at the end of the day we can't let it beat us or define us as people...

1. take a break from the internet (mainly social-media)

2. go for a walk (this helps to not only get exercise but also clears your head)

3. listen to your favourite music/songs

4. have a netflix/movie/tv show day now and again

5. light/buy your favourite scent of candle (this helps to feel calm)

6. take a bath with a bath bomb or aromatherapy oils

7. get a diffuser with a relaxing oil scent

8. read a book of your favourite genre or re-read a favourite book

9. treat yourself to a few new things (either makeup, clothes or accessories)

10. cook or bake your favourite meal/food

11. set yourself a routine, allowing time everyday for yourself

12. dress for you and only you

13. don't let people dictate to you or walk all over you

14. get yourself or give yourself a mani/pedi

15. do a face mask

16. get at least 8 hours of sleep a night

17. drink plenty of fluids

18. but limit your intake of caffeine

19. invest in a calming scented body lotion (i use the lush sleepy lotion before bed)

20. tidy room/house = tidy mind

21. don't take things to heart or take things too serious when there is no need

22. wear as much or as little makeup as you like

23. eating healthy 6 out of 7 days a week (always allow yourself that one treat or day)

24. read/learn what other people find useful when it comes to self-love tips

25. always believe that you are good enough!

xo.

BOOKS I WANT TO READ THIS WINTER

Hello everyone! So at the beginning of 2017, i set myself a goal to actually read more books that i would usually do and it is safe to say i have read my fair share of books this year. I have also written a few posts this year talking about all things books, which i will link at the end of this post if you want to catch up. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would do an updated "books i want to read" but talking about the ones i want to read this coming winter, which is probably the best time to read a good romance book, especially snuggled up in bed with a hot chocolate, tea or a cheeky glass of wine or two.

1. darker (fifty shades darker) by EL James

Of course i was going to kick things off with the book, which i literally can't wait to get stuck into when it is released on the 28th of this month. If you are familiar with the Fifty Shades trilogy books/films by the amazing EL James (if not where have you been since 2012) then you will know that she already released grey which was the first book told from Christians point of view. Now she is releasing the second book from his point of view, i really enjoyed this because obviously usually with a book you only get one persons perspective of things and you don't know exactly what is going on in the second persons head but with this book you can! 

2. the trouble with mistletoe by Jill Shalvis
If you read my kindle books i have been reading in june/july post, then you will probably know that i mentioned a book by Sylvia Day that was being turned into a movie (on passionflix). That being said this particular book by Jill Shalvis is being released as a movie next month i believe, so i wouldn't mind reading the book before seeing the movie. I have never really read many Christmas themed novels, so i think that would be something different and i have also never read anything from this particular author either.

3. covent garden in the snow by Jules Wake
Sticking with the Christmas novel theme, this particular book actually caught my eye whilst browsing on amazon as it came up as the top best selling new release. I think this book would be good to read when you are wanting something a little more light-hearted, as well as probably another way to get you into the Christmas spirit.

4. wicked dirty and wicked torture by J Kenner
Another book from the kindle books i have been reading in june/july post, which was the first book in this series (which are stand alone stories) called wicked grind and i really enjoyed it, as it was such a different kind of read for me in the style it was written. That being said i really want to read the next two books in the series, wicked dirty which was released a couple of months ago and wicked torture which was released this week. If you have read my previous book related posts, then you will already know i am a fan of Julie Kenner's stark series.

5. misadventures of a city girl by Meredith Wild and Chelle Bliss
This series of books is definitely ones that are to be read, when you have some time to spare as there is going to be a total of 13 books and 7 of them have already been released. That being said i have a feeling they are all going to be good reads especially the ones co-written by Meredith Wild, as i loved her hacker series books.

6. the bridge series by Meredith Wild
Sticking with Meredith Wild books, i really want to give this particular series a read by her also even though it has been out for a while now. Unlike the hacker series of books, i believe these 3 books are all different stories but are based around different brothers who have the surname Bridge. If you have never read the hacker series, i highly recommend that you do, as i loved every single instalment of the 5 book series.

7. it started with a swipe by Shelly Smith
This is another book that i first spotted on the new-release section on amazon and as soon as i read the title/about the book, i was sold because of how relatable this book seems to be to current day dating/trying to date and i find stories like that hilarious. I have a feeling it is going to be a quick yet enjoyable read, as it is only 160 pages.

8. with this man (this man book 4) by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Technically this book isn't a winter read, as it isn't released until the end of March next year but i couldn't not mention it as i am so excited for this read. The this man series by Jodi Ellen Malpas is probably my favourite series of books i have ever read, as i mean lets face it if you are familiar with the stories then you will know Jesse is pretty much the definition of the word Alpha male! Even though this book seems like it has a tragic accident in the story, i am really excited for a whole book from Jesse's point of view, rather than what we are used to which is from Ava's perspective.

Catch up on my other "book related" posts here:
books i want to read in 2017 #1
books i want to read in 2017 #2
kindle books i have been reading in june/july

xo.

KINDLE BOOKS I HAVE BEEN READING IN JUNE/JULY

Hello everyone! Cast your minds back to a couple of posts i have done so far this year, as part of one of my new years resolutions and that was to read more. The particular posts i am talking about are the books i want to read in 2017 part one and part two, where i talked about what was on my to-read list. That being said towards the end of June i was challenged to see how many books i could read on my kindle between June/July and then share my thoughts afterwards. Amazon also have this super cool feature called kindle first, where you can choose a book from a list emailed to you once you have signed up (for free) and then you can choose a book to read before it is released for only 99p or free if you are a prime member.

1. all i am (drew's story) by jodi ellen malpas (click for summary)

If you are familiar with Jodi Ellen Malpas's ever so talked about This Man book trilogy, all about the ultimate definition of an alpha male Jesse Ward then you will probably be familiar with a character in the books called Drew (who is one of Jesse's good friends). This novella was gripping in so many ways, as you got to know more/things you didn't fully know about Drew, check in what Jesse and Ava are up to and also have a sneak peek at The Forbidden, which is coming next week (i am so excited). Over all of course i am going to give this book a 5 out of 5, i just wish it was a little longer/i wouldn't say no to more from Drew.

2. the pact by karina halle (click for summary)

So once i was done with the All I Am novella, i was searching through the top reviews of the romance section and this particular stand alone book from an author called Karina Halle, who i hadn't any knowledge of until then had so many top star reviews and it was at the time on free download, so i thought i would give it a try. If i am being completely honest i found it really hard to get into as i wasn't gripped from the start, that being said i don't know if that was because the book before was so gripping. Long story short i abandoned the book and searched for something else, that being said i will probably at some point revisit it and see if i can get into it.

3. afterburn & aftershock by sylvia day (click for summary)

I have mentioned in previous book posts about how much i loved the Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day, yet i hadn't ever read/heard of this particular book until i saw on social-media that it was being turned into a movie. That being said i had to give it a read before seeing the movie, so that is just what i did and i am so glad that i did because this book was another gripping one for me. This book was about never mixing business with pleasure, re-kindling something that was so intense a couple of years before and a man of mystery. Overall i would give this book a 4.5 out of 5, yet again i wish it was just a little longer or a continued story in another book.

4. wicked grind by j kenner (click for summary)

I am a huge fan of J Kenner's Stark Series books, in fact i love them that much i have read them twice so next i decided to give her latest book called Wicked Grind a go. This is a series of three books Wicked Grind, Wicked Dirty and Wicked Torture yet they are based around different characters but all three worlds are linked in some way (including the Stark connection). Wicked Grind was a different kind of read, as it wasn't written from one perspective so the story allowed you inside more than one characters head and as the two main characters had a relationship in the past, it went back into the past to set up the story to come. Overall i would give this book a 4.5 out of 5, and i can't wait to read the other two when they are released later in the year.

5. gabriel's inferno by sylvain reynard (click for summary)

Once i had finished Wicked Grind i was stuck on what to read next, so my friend was going through a list of books and this one popped up in conversation (apparently it was super popular following fifty shades) and i had heard a little bit about it. That being said i decided to give it a try, as it was on kindle offer so i had nothing to lose really and all i can really say is oh my oh my, i was hooked from the start. This series of books at the beginning did has a very "fifty shades vibe" about it, except swap the billionaire business man for a still rich but intense/mysterious college professor. This book also is set up so you can see more than one characters perspective, you find yourself learning about Italian literature and it is true what everyone says...in your head Gabriel is 100% David Gandy.  

6. gabriel's rapture by sylvain reynard (click for summary)

All i am going to say first of all is i am beyond happy that this is a trilogy story, so once i was done with Gabriel's Inferno i moved straight onto Gabriel's Rapture and the story became so much more intense, as their secret student/professor "affair" is threatened by several people inside their worlds, along side seeing if Gabriel will fight for Julia and all of their past issues in and outside of their relationship. This triolgy of books are around 150/200 pages longer than some novels but i am happy with that and i almost finished with this one and ready to start the third and final instalment. So far from the two books i will without doubt give them a 5 out of 5, living, breathing, obsessed! I am also hoping i can finish Gabriel's Redemption before The Forbidden lands in my hands.

I would love to know if there are any great kindle books you have been reading recently or in the past and loved, if so tweet me @iamkatiee_ as i would love to talk to you all!

♥

BOOKS I WANT TO READ IN 2017 #2

Hello everyone! Cast your minds back to the beginning of the year, when i first mentioned how i was making it my mission to read more books this year and i shared the books i want to read in 2017 #1 in a post. So six months has past since that post and i am so impressed with myself, as i have read more than the ones i originally shared. Now i have a bunch of new/already existing books i want to read as well.

1. all i am (drew's story) by jodi ellen malpas

Back in part one of the books i want to read in 2017, i mentioned how Jodi Ellen Malpas is probably one of my favourite authors ever and i have complete binge read her books more than once. The first trilogy of books by her i read was the This Man series about the ultimate alpha male that is Jesse Ward. That being said next month she is releasing a new book called All I Am (Drew's Story) and Drew is one of the characters from the This Man series, i am super excited to read his story and get to know him from his perspective. This book i believe is currently only available for Kindle and is set to be released on June 18th.

2. the forbidden by jodi ellen malpas

I actually mentioned this book back in the first part to this post and i honestly feel like i pre-ordered it so long ago, it needs to be August already so i can read it. Just like the book before this is another new book by Jodi Ellen Malpas, but this time it is all new characters and most important an all new alpha male to fall in love with. This book is going to be available on Kindle, as well as Paperback and is set to be released August 8th. 

3. afterburn & aftershock by sylvia day

If you are familiar with the famous crossfire novels by Sylvia Day, then you could of possibly already read this book. I absolutely adored the crossfire novels, yet i didn't even know this book existed until recently when i discovered it is being turned into a movie. So i definitely want to read the book before seeing the movie, who else loves doing that? This book was first released in 2014 and is available on Kindle and Paperback. 

4. into the water by paula hawkins

So i only recently read the girl on the train which was another book on my to read list in part one and i really quite enjoyed it. As you can probably tell i am usually a romance or comedy kind of girl when it comes to book genres but i don't mind a thriller, from time to time. That being said this really makes me want to read Into The Water, which is the newest book by the author of The Girl on the Train. This book was released May 2nd and is available on Kindle, Paperback and Hardback. 

5. the endless autumn by annabelle knight

The last two books are actually recommendations to read by a fellow alpha male fan and when i searched for this book on amazon, i discovered it is actually a number one best seller book so that must be a good thing right? I am definitely looking forward to picking this one up and giving it a go. This book was released March 31st and is available on Kindle, as well as Paperback.  

6. the rule book & the rule maker by jennifer blackwood

Finally we have the last book on the list, well technically it is two books because it is a two book series (so far) and the other books also from recommendation. I have never heard of this author until i decided to look up the story line/reviews online and there was so many really good reviews about it, so i definitely want to give them a go at some point, possible after everything else. These books were released May 9th 2016 and January 16th 2017, both are available on Kindle and Paperback.

♥