Our First Seaside Break & Bear's First Holiday! - Whitby & More

I'm not quite sure how it's already been over a week since we got home from our little weekend break and Bear's first holiday. It's always the way isn't it, you wait for something for months and then it's over in the blink of an eye. Though to some it may have just been a seaside break (I think sometimes people think if you don't go abroad, it's a bit weird but soz there are so many places I want to see in the UK) for us, it was so special so I wanted to share some of it on my blog to be able to look back on one day.

We started our holiday in Whitby which is somewhere I'd not been in years and years. I still remember so clearly staying there with school one time but since then it's not somewhere we've never really got chance to go to together. After lots and lots of research, I found a lovely little holiday park at Saltwick Bay, pet friendly too, so that's where we stayed and it was brilliant. We got checked in early, they had provided toys, treats and more for Bear, we were literally right next to their own beach, and the shops were so handy. The ice cream there was heavenly. Within an hour of getting there we were down on the beach, the steps will haunt me forever but Bear had the absolute time of his life. I honestly don't think he's ever been so happy, running on the beach for the first time with us and his two uncles who he just adores.

After a chilled evening on the Friday and of course the first lot of fish and chips, Saturday was packed full and it was George and I's 8th anniversary that day too so such a perfect way to celebrate. We started out at Whitby Abbey, another bonus to the holiday park we chose, this was literally just down the road so we got to see it all the time. The weather was perfect each day we were there but on the Saturday especially, we had blue skies so everything just looked even better. We found the 199 steps, Bear tried his first pup friendly ice cream which he wolfed down, there were so many quirky shops and cafes one after the other, and we got the most delicious cakes from Sherlock's which was a place I'd spotted online and was desperate to visit.

After seeing so much of Whitby, on the Sunday we decided to venture out to Scarborough for the day. I think I might have been there when I was very young but it was my first time there as an adult and it was gorgeous. We started out at Goathland Station which you might recognise from the Harry Potter films. It was so strange being there after seeing it so many times on the TV, and now I'm just desperate for a Harry Potter day one weekend. We also found places from Heartbeat!

That afternoon Bear had his first proper taste of being off lead on the beach, which was a little risky! He had so much fun, he even tried to run off. He's SO fast despite his little legs but luckily he didn't get too far. It just makes me so happy to watch all of the videos back and look at the photos of him as he really was just in his element. After the most delicious ice cream, we headed to Peasholm Park which was so beautiful. It's an oriental themed park which is just gorgeous to walk around. 

Our final day after checking out was spent in Bridlington. I've been so many times in the past and I have such lovely memories of Bouncer running along the beach and sitting on the land train so to be back with Bear was so special. I know it's soppy but I felt like it was sort of a way of connecting them as they never met and it was nice to recreate those memories with Bear and do these things again with my own little family. He loved the land train, the wind was blowing in his hair and he was looking fabulous! He got to try some chips aswell, went in the sea and got so much attention from people. I want to go back for the day with him already because it's just so nice there in the Summer.

After such a nice day in Bridlington we headed home, and now we're back I'm just so sad it's over. We got to see so much in our 4 days, it was some much needed quality time together and Bear really did have the time of his life. I'm already planning where we can go next year!

Have you been to any of the places I've mentioned? Let me know if you have any recommendations of UK breaks for us!

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Gone by Leona Deakin Book Review*

You know when you finish a book and just can't stop thinking about it for hours afterwards? Well Gone by Leona Deakin did that to me! In fact I'm still going over it all in my head and I couldn't wait to share my thoughts with you.

'Four strangers are missing. Left at their last-known locations are birthday cards that read: YOUR GIFT IS THE GAME. DARE TO PLAY? The police aren't worried - it's just a game. But the families are frantic. As psychologist and private detective Dr Augusta Bloom delves into the lives of the missing people, she finds something binds them all. And that something makes them very dangerous indeed. As more disappearances are reported and new birthday cards uncovered, Dr Bloom races to unravel the mystery and find the missing people. But what if, this time, they are the ones she should fear?'

My review

OMG. What do I even say about this book that can do it any justice? I love a thriller, it's a genre I've reviewed many times before on my blog but anything with a psychological element too and I am in so when I read the synopsis of Gone I knew it would be one for me. It's taken a missing person story and flipped it completely.

From the beginning I was captivated by the story and the characters. I was intrigued by Dr Augusta Bloom who despite seeming a little closed off at first, clearly had more about her than just her job and I also loved her friendship with colleague Marcus who almost seemed like the complete opposite to her. I warmed to them both quite quickly. Early on we are also introduced to a young girl called Seraphine who has been involved in a suspicious attack at her school. Augusta is the one to try and figure out Seraphine's involvement and question if there's more to her than she's letting on. This is sort of an underlying story throughout that at times was a little easy to forget about but it gets very interesting towards the end as things start to tie together!

Now onto the game itself which is what starts this whole thing going. What would you do if you received a dare on your birthday? It genuinely makes you question how you would react in that situation and makes you think about your own traits and what sort of person you are. It's so cleverly written and I just love how Leona has taken something that has been written about so many times before and completely switched it up. Despite having lots of characters involved and obviously lots of psychological chat which could have easily been too confusing, it actually flowed incredibly well and I was honestly addicted to it. I got vibes of the film Nerve throughout because of the game and then nearer the end it had a touch of Killing Eve about it which makes for an interesting but brilliant mix!

For a debut novel I think Leona Deakin has proved she's a force to be reckoned with. It's full of suspense, mysterious from the very start and she made me doubt every single character at one point! It touches on some really interesting topics like the impact of technology and social media too which gave me something to think about. I think it's easy to forget sometimes what we put out there can be found by anyone!

Gone has an excellent premise which has been executed extremely well, it's like nothing I've ever read before. I really hope this is the start of a series with characters Augusta, Marcus and Seraphine, I don't want their stories to be over just yet.

Book reviews - Messy Wonderful Us by Catherine Isaac // Do Not Disturb by Claire Douglas

*I was provided with a copy for the purpose of this review. Gone is released in October if you want to pre-order!

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My Honest Opinion On Each Musical I've Seen

I've been lucky enough to see quite a few different musicals over the last few years after completely falling in love with all things theatre in 2016. From Wicked which was the first show, to Waitress being the latest, each musical has been varied but each so special in their own way. Though I've reviewed each one on my blog I've been wanting to do something like this for a while where I sort of go through a few thoughts I've had about each show since. Sometimes I find months on, I'll completely re-think some things or a certain song will become a new favourite after hearing it live, so whilst this might be something most people aren't interested in, I'm gonna talk about it anyway.

Kinky Boots

I've kind of put all of the shows in to an order of my favourite but really it's so hard to decide! I think Kinky Boots will always, always be at the top though. We saw this twice, and I would honestly see this on every trip to London if it hadn't closed because it's one I would just never get bored of. It's just one of those shows I feel so passionate about, every time I hear the songs or I see something online (it's currently touring so try and catch it if you get chance!) I just remember why I loved it so much in the first place. I've lost count the amount of times I've listened to the cast recording, re-read my reviews and thought back to seeing the show. It just makes me unbearably happy. I'm already waiting for the day it returns to the West End.

Come From Away

This is a very, very close second to Kinky Boots, because I can't even tell you all the emotions it makes you feel throughout. You wouldn't think a show about the stranded planes and people during the week of 9/11 could be uplifting but Come From Away is the most beautiful piece of theatre. It's heartwrenching at times, I pretty much cried from the start, but it's also incredibly heartwarming and it shows just how good people can be sometimes. I left the show wanting to be a better person and like I mentioned in my review, a show that makes you feel like that, is a special one. The music is just everything in this too, from the very first beat in Welcome To The Rock, which genuinely makes you feel like you're part of this new family, to the last note in the finale, which makes you jump to your feet. I have to see this again one day, it deserves a long run at the Phoenix Theatre.

Waitress

This musical really surprised me actually. I'd loved the Waitress soundtrack for a good year or so, which meant I was so excited when it was announced that it was transferring to London, but then there were a few casting decisions which seemed a little odd and there was a lot of negative attention on social media. Because of this I kind of went into it not knowing what to expect. Of course I wanted to love it, but it's hard not to feel a little unsure when there has been so much negative stuff said. Luckily it was everything I hoped it would be and more! I actually think people have been very unfair towards the show and whilst behind the scenes it all seems a bit of a mess, what you get on stage is amazing. What we saw was a fun show that will having you laughing til it hurts, but then ready to burst into tears at other times, mainly due to Katharine McPhee's powerful portrayal of Jenna. Given Katharine isn't a huge name over in the UK, I did think it was a strange casting choice at first but she completely proved me wrong and won me over. I now feel so lucky that I got to see her in her first West End show. Her voice is just heavenly! It's another show I hope, despite everything, will have a long life over here. I need to time to go back again!

Hamilton

This was a real 'pinch me' moment. Though the Hamilton soundtrack took a few listens for me to really start to get my head around the story, once I got it, I was fully invested and it was like a dream of mine to see the show. Luckily we managed to get tickets for our 1st wedding anniversary in December and to be honest I struggle to see what will beat that for the next few years. We wanted to do something special and this was it. The whole thing just felt like a real moment that I know I'll remember. We had the most amazing seats, we had the full cast on who were all out of this world, especially Sifiso Mazibuko whose portrayal of Aaron Burr will stay with me for a long time, and the emotion that I felt was just on another level. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried and cried towards the end, as did many other people around me, and though other shows have of course made me emotional (I just have a lot of feelings okay), this really was something else. I feel so lucky that we got to see this at all, yet alone on such a special day. I don't think it's one we'll rush to see again just because I honestly don't think that performance can be topped and I want to remember that for a little while longer.

Wicked

I feel bad that this show has kind of slid to the bottom of the list but that's not because it was bad or anything like that. In fact because it was the first musical I ever saw I think it will always be special but since then we've just seen others that I've loved for different reasons or have moved me more. It will always mean a lot to me because it was the show that really sparked something in me and made me realise what an amazing world the theatre one is and honestly, I don't know what I'd do without it now. We had such a fab cast both times we saw the show and the second time was Rachel Tucker's last show so the atmosphere was nothing like I'd experienced before at the time. It's another show like Hamilton that I don't think I'd want to see again just yet unless the queen herself Rachel decides to return, the way she played Elphaba - I just can't imagine enjoying it as much with anyone else in the role.

Heathers

The atmosphere in the theatre for Heathers was actually insane. Some of the audiences we've been part of for shows like Kinky Boots and Wicked have been up there but the night we saw Heathers, the fan girls were out in full force. I have still never seen a show like it in that regard. This was another show like Hamilton that I genuinely never thought we'd get to see. It was all of a sudden over in the UK and then in the West End and all so quickly so it's only by chance that we had a last minute trip to London in October and ended up getting to see it. It was a great show, we got see Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica who really surprised me and it was actually a lot more fun than I was expecting. Looking back now, it is quite teen and compared to some other musicals, just because of the set and a few other things, it maybe did feel a little amateur but I'm certainly not complaining that I got to see it. Just probably not one I'd be straight away booking tickets to if it ever comes back.

I feel so lucky to have seen the amount of shows we have over the last few years and hopefully they'll be many more to come. Some I'd love to re-visit and some brand new that I hear are on their way over to the West End! I'd love to know what the best musical is you've ever seen? Have you seen any of these too?

Similar - My Top 10 Hamilton Songs After Seeing The Show // My Ultimate Musical Playlist

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5 Things I've Learnt About Getting A Puppy

Just in case you didn't know, because I've definitely not mentioned it enough on my blog or Instagram...George and I got a puppy in April! It was something we had planned for, for what felt like forever and he really has become our whole world, I can't remember life without him, but that's not to say the last few months haven't been without their difficulties. Whilst I knew having a puppy wouldn't be easy, I don't think even I, someone who is completely dog obsessed, realised just how much of a shock to the system it would be. So I've been wanting to highlight just some of the ways in which our life has changed since bringing Bear home, and pass on a few tips.

You think you're prepared...you're not

Honestly the amount of lists I had for weeks before we brought Bear home was insane. I tried to keep track of everything so once we picked him up we could start things off as smoothly as possible. And to some extent that did happen. We made sure we had things like his crate, bed, blankets, toys (you need an endless supply, they get bored quick!) food etc. We got all of the basics we thought we needed and that was all well and good, but once they're home, none of that stuff is really the priority. Well it is, but there's so much more too. I remember the second day just being so overwhelmed, like I just needed to go and sit in the bedroom and have a cry because I was just a huge ball of emotion! Of course the majority of that was pure happiness, this was something I had longed for so I can't even put into words what it felt like to have this little pup relying on me, but on the other hand, that's a lot of pressure! All of a sudden it hit me that he was ours and whilst we thought we knew everything we could, had researched as much as possible, and bought everything we thought we needed, it's a different thing entirely when they're actually home and they're yours and it's all on you now. I honestly don't think you can ever be fully prepared for how much your life is going to change.

Training takes longer than you realise

Not that I expected training to be a walk in the park, but wow it's a struggle. Bear has got some things straight away, he is such an intelligent little thing but there are also quite a few things which we are still trying to overcome, and it's been quite stressful at times! I think it's so important to remember that each dog is different and they all learn at their own speed. That's something I need to remind myself of more often. You google things and feel down because some peoples dogs have got everything at such a young age but then there are others who take years, so it's all just trial and error and doing your best. So far Bear has totally smashed it with learning to sit, lie down, come, and stay. We've figured out a routine that works well for him with his food, toilet training is finally getting there and he's pretty settled in his crate now (some nights he still cries but if you knew him, you'd also know he's a bit of a drama queen at times) and most nights are absolutely fine. But there are things we're still working on and I feel like we might be for a while. There's just no way of predicting these things and how long they'll take.

You'll worry more than you expected

I'm a worrier anyway so I fully expected to worry a ridiculous amount about Bear, but honestly some days you just can't stop! When he was first home, he was so tiny and I worried over every single thing. I was scared when he tried to get up on the sofas because I didn't want him to hurt his legs, I would be scared to go to sleep in case he was lonely or in case his cries were because of something else, I get worried when he doesn't want to eat his food because it makes me panic that he's ill, when really he's probably just being fussy and holding out for some chicken. And then when he was ill recently, I might have looked calm, but inside I was a mess. He's our baby, I can't help but want to look after him 24/7.

Everything requires planning

Even just a simple drive to the shops now takes so much planning - has he eaten yet, when did he last eat, will he need a walk first, what if he needs the toilet, how long will be we be. We knew we couldn't be spontaneous once we had a dog, but literally every little outing has to be considered and planned to within an inch of its life. Obviously I wouldn't change Bear for the world but I do sometimes miss that freedom of just being able to have a night out to the cinema, or to go for a meal, or even to just have a bath without making sure George can keep him occupied! We do sort of know now roughly how long we can be out for and feel comfortable about it, and I'm sure as he gets older that will increase and things will become a bit easier. When we've been feeling in need of some time together or just a few hours out of the house, we just adapt it now and go somewhere that we can enjoy with Bear too. Though we might not be able to sit in a restaurant for hours at a time, we've been having date nights in or going for lunch somewhere dog friendly, and I'm sure they'll be many days out with him in Summer to the beach. Things just generally need more thinking about beforehand.

You'll love them more than you ever thought you could

I always knew I would adore any dogs we had but I feel like my heart could burst with pride every single time I look at Bear. I know he's not a child and some people might have the 'he's just a dog' attitude but to us, he's our family now and I feel like he's filled something that I didn't even know was missing. Some days are hard and of course there's been times where I've thought what the hell did we let ourselves in for, but the overriding feeling all the time is just pure love and happiness. No matter how testing he might be sometimes, no matter how hard some days have been, the good times always outweigh any of the bad and I'm just so excited to see him grow and for us to experience this whole new thing together. 

So that's 5 things I've learnt since getting a puppy! It's definitely been an extremely challenging time but also the happiest for us, so if you're thinking about it, do it! It will change your life in every way possible but make it at the same time.

Similar post - Bear update #1 - puppy classes, all the emotions and more

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