NEW ADULT BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ

I've been an avid reader since I was a kid, there's just something about the way a book can draw you into it's world, make you connect with the characters and their lives and emotions and have you laughing, crying and reeling with every word. While I don't read as often as I used to or would like to, the growing popularity of the 'new adult' genre - which is perfect for people like myself who are in their 20's and not quite ready for classic adult novels, but have outgrown YA - has been refreshing and exciting, and has really caught my attention and made me want to read more again!

I made a resolution to myself earlier this year to start reading more, and while I didn't quite keep that resolution at first, a recent work injury that's had me holed up recovering at home was the perfect opportunity to finally get to all the books I've been wanting to read! And believe me when I tell you, you NEED to check these out (if you haven't already). 

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

While Colleen Hoover has been trending for a while now (and yes, I did end up reading her bestseller 'It Ends With Us'), I'd been umm'ing and ahh'ing about grabbing one of her novels - that is, until I saw Ugly Love. I didn't even check out any reviews or anything, I was drawn to the cover, picked it up to read the blurb, and I was sold. I don't know about you, but I love a brooding, mysterious, sexy male lead, and Miles was definitely all that! The secrecy of Tate and Miles' non-relationship and all the back and forth and indecisiveness was frustrating but exciting, and there were definitely some great saucy scenes thrown in there *wink*. This book was honestly amazing, and it's up their as one of my all-time favourite reads! 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

I actually read this book maybe a year or two ago now for the first time, and I fell in love. Yeah, it's a little (okay, very) cheesy, but it was such a cute story with so much tension between Lucy and Joshua - which always makes for a great romance novel, in my opinion! The little games they would play, the bickering, the competition, the way they so clearly liked each other despite acting like they hated each other - I'd be constantly thinking to myself 'JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY'! Overall, a great read - and while there's mixed opinions on the movie (and it definitely differs a lot from the book, which was of course better), I'd say it's also worth a watch!

Confess by Colleen Hoover

This was my second Colleen Hoover read (I'd gone to buy It Ends With Us but it was sold out, and I needed another fix - this one stood out)! I feel like this one is super underrated compared to her other novels, because it's honestly one of my favourites! It's got tragedy, romance, drama, mystery - as well as a major element of domestic abuse so be warned if that may trigger you - but it was just such a well-written book with an interesting storyline, loveable main characters, and I loved the ending so much! This one's definitely worth reading, trust me!

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

The bestselling novel that people can't stop talking about - I'll admit, it caught my attention, but I didn't buy into the hype until I'd finished Ugly Love and was like, 'okay, that was amazing, I need more of this author'! And she delivered! While it still doesn't compare to Ugly Love (imho), I can certainly understand the hype! I couldn't put this book down, I was so invested in Lily's story, her past, her and Ryle's relationship, and learning more about Atlas and their story along the way. There's definitely romance in this book but I'd say it's more heavily about domestic violence - so a trigger warning to readers who may not be up for that! I actually had to put the book down after a certain part towards the end as it was too much for me, but I skipped ahead (bad reader habit, I know) and will definitely be sure to finish it before the release of 'It Starts With Us' later this month. While it's an emotional AF read, I definitely recommend checking this one out!

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

An office romance between a well-loved, intelligent assistant and her (beautiful) bastard of a boss? It's a classic storyline, albeit cheesy as hell - but that's why I love it! Chloe and Bennett have that lust/hate, push/pull tension going on from the start, and while there isn't really much going on outside of their office antics and hot hookups, this one's definitely very steamy and x-rated, which is part of what makes it a great guilty pleasure kind of read! Plus, it's just the first in a series of steamy romance novels from the author!

xx Chontelle Louise

Moving Out for the First Time

 

Moving out of home for the first time is both an exciting and nerve-inducing part of life. There's no correct time or way to do it - but when you do, it's an amazing experience that'll give you an overwhelming feeling of achievement and independence.

I recently moved out for the first time with one of my best friends and her partner, and I've really been loving it. I've always been pretty independent so it's been great for me, but having a friend around has also meant it still feels like home and I've always got someone to hang out with in down time - which we've had a fair bit of lately with the whole Queensland lockdown we've just had. 

Sure, you'll have your challenges - missing home, adapting to new routines and motivating yourself to do things for yourself, bills, and working out how to live with people with different habits to your own for those of you who are sharing - but it's honestly all worth it in the end!

Here's some of my favourite things about moving out of home:

The Sense of Independence

As I mentioned, moving out of home gives you a real sense of independence. You're out on your own (even with housemates), you buy your own groceries, plan your own meals, can set things up to reflect your personality, can have who you want over when you want - there's a real freedom to it. 

Having Your Own Space

Living at home with family, boundaries are definitely a little more lax. Especially for me as someone quite private and independent, I feel more comfortable having more personal space and boundaries. Of course the boundaries are still a little less strict as I'm with a good friend, but I feel like I can have a private conversation, not be walked in on, or be questioned on what I'm doing so much. There's nothing wrong with that of course but for me personally it just gets a bit frustrating.

Valuing Your Family Time More

Going off the previous point, not having family on top of you all the time and being in each others space not only means you're going to be less frustrated with one another, but you're going to value and better enjoy the time you do spend with your family.

Open Communication

While this isn't present in all share households, it should be and enhances the whole experience. At home, even if you're paying rent, you've still got that parent and child dynamic going on. Out of home, you're all equals which means you all get to have your say in day to day life. It's great to be able to openly communicate your boundaries, expectations and interests for the household, and to work together to create a place that's comfortable and homely for everyone.

xx Chontelle

Turning 25 - The Quarter Life Crisis

 

Yep, you've heard about it, some of you may be experiencing it with me, some of you already have, and some of you still have a way to go before it hits you. It's often joked about, 'you're only turning 25, you're still so young there's nothing to be worried about'. And sure, that's true, but it sure doesn't feel that way. 

In my last month of being 24, I find myself stressing and worrying and overthinking about my life so far, my future, what I have and haven't achieved, what I should've by now, and comparing myself to everyone else. I'll be straight up with you - teenage me had two ideas of what life would be like at this age. The first, I didn't even know if I'd make it. The second, stable and successful in a career, graduated uni, proper relationship, my own place, the works.

Instead, I'm still confused about what I'm doing with my life, where I'm going with my future, how I'm gonna get there, never had a relationship, still working towards my degree, and living at home. I've had my setbacks, my anxiety was so bad I was scared of leaving the house or even ordering food myself for a few years, and while that's definitely improved my anxiety still takes a massive toll on me. I struggle with trusting people which effects my relationships, and I have a tendency to procrastinate and self-sabotage.

But it's not all bad. I've found looking back on the positive steps and progress I've made really helps me to see that it's important not to get caught up in an imaginary timeline on your life. Everyone does things at their own pace, when it's right for them. I've started to become more confident in myself. I got over my fear of driving last year and finally got my license and my first car. I got out of my comfort zone and started getting out more and made some amazing friends and memories. I'm no longer as anxious about talking to strangers or doing things by myself. I've got a good, stable job that I enjoy and I'm looking at moving out soon. And I'll finally have my degree at the end of the year. I have an idea of what I want to do with my life, and while I may not have achieved all of this by the time I wanted, I've done it nonetheless.

I guess the point of this post is really that while reaching my quarter century is honestly terrifying to me, I've got to look at the positives and realise how far I've come. Turning 25 is scary, but it's also exciting. And it's true, I am still young and I have so much time to achieve the things I want to achieve. Instead of stressing and freaking out about it, I need to relax and appreciate where I'm at now and look forward to the future and all it's got in store for me!

xx Chontelle

Eat Street Markets | VLOG & Photos

Took a quick OOTD outside the markets - watch my vlog below for outfit details!

Literally perfection, the Potato Slinky. Heaven for a potato-anything lover like myself.

Gaytime Cronut - the outside pastry and topping was delicious, but unfortunately the inside was mostly gooey dough :( 

Over the weekend mum and I finally had the chance to check out Brisbane's popular Eat Street Markets. I'd been wanting to go for a pretty long time now, because well, I love food, and food markets, and food!

It was a pretty fun evening out and there was so much nice food to choose from. Of course I couldn't try it all, but I'm already planning to head back in the future to try some more!

I filmed some snippets from the night and put together a vlog for your to check out, so be sure to watch it if you'd like to see more about the markets!

x Chontelle

5 Great TV Shows to Binge Watch on Netflix | Winter 2016

Pictures are not my own (well, obviously haha)!

It's June, and officially Winter here in Australia. I've just finished my final assignments and exams for the uni semester, and schools are also coming (or already have, I'm not quite sure anymore!) to an end for the winter holidays.

With all this free time after a long semester of eat. sleep. study. repeat. it's no surprise I'm ready to sit down and indulge myself in some binge-watching of TV shows on Netflix while complaining about how 'it's too cold' (only to wish it was this cold again come summer).

To help you out with your Netflix playlist over the holidays, I've put together a list of my top 5 great TV shows to binge watch. If you like a bit of sci-fi, fantasy, action and drama like I do, then you're bound to enjoy these!

1. Doctor Who: To all the whovians out there - don't go crazy, but until a couple of weeks ago, I had never watched Doctor Who before! Okay, actually there was one time mum was switching the channels on TV a few years ago and left the end of an episode on because a movie was coming on next, so I saw a bit of the 10th Doctor, Rose and Dalek action but I had no idea what it was all about and never saw it again - until recently!

This show is seriously good, and seriously addictive. The truth is, I've always been a bit of a sci-fi nerd (read - a lot, Harry Potter was and still is my favourite thing ever). But for some reason, I never bought into the hype about this show, which I feel totally stupid for now but hey, it just means there's 8 seasons of it (well, on Netflix, apparently there's actually 9 but Netflix is a bit slow) for me to binge watch and I've accepted that challenge! I'd definitely recommend checking this show out, or if you've already seen it all, you'll know it's the perfect show to watch again these holidays!


Watch this if you like... Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, The Avengers, basically anything sci-fi and mystery related!


2. Torchwood: A spin-off of Doctor Who, after the second season I began watching this show as per the timeline of events that brought Jack to Torchwood Three. I love this show almost as much as Doctor Who, and I like that it's got a bit of a different feel. It's a bit more 'mature' than Doctor Who and is best suited to a young adult and older audience, for example the content is a bit darker, there seems to be more anti-Alien death, and of course (as you'll notice in the very first episode), there is a fair bit of sex featured which is something Doctor Who does not entertain. It feels like you're watching the 'Buffy' of the Doctor Who world, and with interesting storylines and some great acting, is perfect to binge watch this winter!

Watch this if you like... Doctor Who (It's a spin-off of Doctor Who so this one's kind of obvious!), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed.


3. Pretty Little Liars: Chances are you'll have seen this one already, but it's just so good! Not to mention that re-watching the series will shed a whole new light on the storyline and you'll start to see all of the 'A' clues that you weren't able to put together the first time round. And honestly, all that drama and mystery makes for an incredibly seductive and addictive night in!

Watch this if you like... Gossip Girl, The Lying Game.


4. Shadow Hunters: The TV Series based off of the book series of the same name, and so much better than the film adaption (sorry Lily Collins, you're amazing but that film was awful)! Once again, the sci-fi nerd inside of me has made an appearance. This show is another classic teen sci-fi/drama filled with lots of action, secrets, and a romance or two that'll have you shouting at the TV (or computer screen) for the characters to get together already! I'm keenly awaiting the next season!

Watch this if you like... Doctor Who, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, or the Shadow Hunters book series of course!


5. Orphan Black: A series about clones, science and genetics with a whole lot of danger and action - this show is seriously addictive and unique in comparison to many of the current shows on offer! Just when you think one problem is solved, another presents itself and the cycle of drama spins around and around again! Not to mention, there are some seriously attractive males gracing the screen of this show! Check it out - seriously!

Watch this if you like... Limitless, Law & Order, CSI, The Tomorrow People.


I'd also like to give a special mention to London Spy, Jessica Jones, Shameless and Skins. All great shows that are definitely worth checking out!

Anyway, I hope this post has been helpful and you've been able to discover something new to binge watch while you curl up in bed these winter holidays!

Have you seen any of these shows already, and if so, do you love them? Also, leave me a comment letting me know any of your recommendations because at this rate, I'll have a good 3 to 4 weeks of holidays left once I've finished binge watching all of these!

x Chontelle

My Experience with Flower Haul

I love flowers, and let's be honest, doesn't every girl? So when the lovely Ellie - owner of Flower Haul - got back to me saying she'd love to send me some flowers*, it's safe to say I was a little (read: very) excited!

Flower Haul is a Burleigh Heads, QLD based company that offers market direct flowers delivered free to your door (or someone elses, of course) on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. You basically subscribe to receive flowers on whichever basis suits you - but don't worry, because they're totally flexible and you can cancel and restart your subscription again at any time! Prices start at just $39, which is a pretty great deal if you ask me.

So let me tell you about my experience with Flower Haul! The flowers were picked on Wednesday morning and arrived on my doorstep at around 2pm the same day by courier. They come packaged in a simple cardboard box with the company name on them. I was super excited when I saw the box outside, and rushed out to pick it up and bring them out back and open them!

The real excitement comes once you open up that box and see what's inside. The flowers are packaged beautifully, wrapped in brown paper with a Flower Haul sticker, and tied with rope to the box for stability. Really great effort on Flower Haul's behalf to ensure that your flowers will arrive in perfect condition!

Something I love about Flower Haul is that you can choose to receive a specific type or style of flowers, or opt for a 'Surprise' bunch! When Ellie asked me if I had a preference with the flowers, I simply said that I love white, and next thing I received this gorgeous bunch of freshly picked-that-day white chrysanthemums*!

At the moment, Flower Haul delivers within South-East Queensland around the Brisbane, Gold Coast, Tweed Head and Sunshine Coast areas, however they're always adding new delivery areas to the mix!

If you're interested in checking out Flower Haul and even ordering some beautiful, fresh flowers for yourself (or a special someone) then I'd highly recommend them - I even have a special discount code for you to use to receive 10% off on your first order (you're welcome;) ), it's CL10. Just enter it at the checkout to receive your discount!

xx Chontelle