Hide and seek by M J Arlidge

Hide and seek by Mj Arlidge is about a cop who is currently in prison awaiting trial for the murder of three people. She aims to be on her best behaviour and avoid conflict with other inmates and to make it her trail. This become increasingly difficult as murders begin to happen, and the saying curiosity killed that cat comes to mind. She can’t keep herself away from being a cop and what to find out what happens. 

The book is slow to get into at the beginning and I personally found it a little difficult to follow. The book is written in third person, each chapter being 3-4 pages and each chapter flicking from character to character. Once you’ve got a quarter the way through the book, you feel that you almost know everyone but you really don’t know any of them until the end.

The details of the murders are chilling and again very unexpected. When I read books I like to imagine how they would pan out in a movie and it would defiantly be a 18+ movie.

This is a great book if you like guess the murderer type books. It will keep you wondering through out, plenty of cliff hangers. You find yourself going about your daily life and trying to clue together who you think the murdere is. I had around four suspects in my own head, and it wasn’t any of them. 

Defiantly reccomend. 

Bucket list

As many of you will know by now, I love a bucket list. I have managed to tick a few more things off in Thailand. Thailand also inspired me to add a few knew things. I’ve also added into the to do list countries I’ve been too; I’ve currently been to 12 countries and can’t wait to add more. 

Meet an elephant in the wild

Go to Disney land

Visit Lapland ✔️

Kayak ✔️ – Kayak on the sea in Koh Phanang 

Go on a ghost walk / hunt 

Spain ✔️

Complete a half marathon 

Egypt ✔️

Hug a panda bear 

Go on a ski holiday 

Morocco ✔️

Gibbrolata ✔️

Ride hot air balloon 

Grenada ✔️

Fly a kite ✔️

Hold a monkey ✔️

Stand under a waterfall ✔️

Write letter to my future self

France ✔️

Be sent flowers at work

Gran Caneria ✔️

Greece ✔️

Amsterdam ✔️

Volunteer at a soup kitchen 

Belgium ✔️

Bring food to the homeless 

Cyprus ✔️

Have a price of writting published 
Try acupuncture 

Have my palm read 

Go to a murder mystery night 

Go to a casino ✔️

Go to bingo✔️

Go to a fashion show

Have a make up lesson ✔️

Go wine tasting ✔️

Take a cookery class 

Fly in a helicopter 

Spin records like a dj ✔️

Be a member of a tv Audience 

Sleep in a castle 

Visit a Buddhist temple✔️

Visit the Pyramids 

Go to Octoberfest 

Go to Dublin 

Floating lanterns on a beach 

Sit on a jury 

Be taken to Paris 

Visit the Dead Sea 

Feed a exotic animal
Try a watersport ✔️

wall of China 

Go island hopping ✔️

Go on a moped ✔️

Go to a full moon party 

Achieve somthing for make a wish 

Drive a sega way 

Go to Pompey 

Go glamping 

Go on for dinner or the River Thames 
Amsterdam✔️
Hawaii 
Visit a factory✔️

Win something amazing 
Added to the list on 19/01/2017

Visit Australia 

Go snorkelling 

Visit America 

Travel around Asia 

Parasailing 

Go to a floating market 

Visit Fiji 

See a koala 

Watch football in a different country 

Go to a Christmas market

Go zip wiring 

Visit Singapore 

Visit Vietnam 

Go to Harry Potter world 

Stay in a group hostel 

Do a fun run for charity 

Save £10,000

 

Emotional goodbye to Thailand, my paradise

Due to sad family news, we have had to cut our trip early. We booked flight for 2 days after to return home. 
As we were in Koh Phanang, we had a lots of traveling to do as we needed to fly from Bangkok. We started journey, at 5pm. All of our bags packed, wearing our airport clothes. I’ve updated my airport trousers to super comfy elephant trousers and strap top. A taxi picked us up and took us to the pier. 
The ferry to Koh Samui to big Buddha pier, took only half an hour. I started to feel sad that this was our last boat journey. I found the boat journeys, super relaxing sitting on the top deck sitting with my legs over the edge. One of my favourite journeys, was seeing dolphins swimming from Ao nang to Koh Samui.
From Big Buddha, we got a mini bus to the Airport for 100 Baht per person. 
Koh Samui airport was busy, their seems be only one airline that flys from there. The queues took forever. Once checked in, we had a look around the airport, it was so laid back that it didn’t feel like an airport. 
We waited for an hour before Boarding our flight which was slightly delayed. The flight took a hour and half to Bangkok. The flight where around £100 each, but you where served a little food which was great. 
Once at Bangkok airport, we checked in. I got emotional being at Bangkok airport, as this is where our beautiful journey began over 6 and half weeks ago. We arrived curious of what to expect on our trip, and wondering how to get a taxi and how much to pay. I got emotional and actually cried a little realising our journey was over. Tony cuddled me and said it’s not over, it’s just beginning because now we know we want to see more of the world. 
It took a hour and flurry five minutes in Emirates check in queue and when we got to the desk they told us we might not have a ticket as they where over booked ( although we had already paid £1500 for our flight) after another half hour wait they managed to sort our flight out. After, immigration checks to leave the country we had to run to our gate as we were now very late despite arriving 3 and half hours before our flight. As we arrived at the gate, it was literally about to close and we were the last few people on the flight. 
The first half of our flight was to Dubai and took around 6 hours and 10 mins. As this was a 2am flight, I managed to sleep for a few hours.
Once arrived in Dubai airport we had a two hour wait. Tony, wanted a McDonald’s in Bangkok but due to the chaos we didn’t have them to get one. As soon as we got to Dubai he was searching for McDonald’s. 
Dubai airport was HUGE. We took a elevator to the top floor, then a five minute walk to the train. We got of the train at the next stop. Then another elevator and then a 5 min walk to our gate. Disappointed to discover, we did not have seats together but I luckily managed to swap with the girl next to me. 

Every time, I’ve been to Dubai I always get “randomly” checked. When you get randomly checked, you have to go into a private room. The first time I was patt searched everywhere, and I mean everywhere. The second time I was drug swabbed under arms, in between boobs, hands, feet and my shoes and phone where also swabbed and I had to wait for the results. Great, that they are so strict on security and questionable to why I look so dodgy haha. 
I am currently on the plan from Dubai to London, Gatwick. We still have around 4 and half hours to go. I’m currently watching ghost busters 2 with a cup of tea. I have to say, it’s the first proper brew I have had in six and half weeks. 
I am a little more excited to go home now, see my family, have a bubble bath, have a good cuppa and a nandos. I’m sad as my journey was cut short but I need to go home and be with my family.
I have so many more dreams of place I want to visit. I am satisfied that we covered everything south that we wanted to cover, my highlight where swimming in waterfalls, Kayaking on the sea, water parks, drunken nights on the beach and meeting new people.
My current journey is over but it is to be continued.

Koh Phanang

We spent another 3 days in Koh Samui, before getting the half hour ferry over to Koh phanang. The entire boat journey you could see Koh Samui and Koh Phanang. 
Once arrive in Koh Phanang it advised us that it was a 15 min walk, through the main road. I realised the pier was on the same beach as our hotel, we walked agog the beach for 5 mins and reached our hotel.
We stayed at Coral Bungalows, for 480 Baht we got a bungalow with Aircon and fans. The room has a double bed and a single bed. The bathroom was your typical wet room. The room was fairly dark and looked slightly like prison but it was super cheap and super basic. The great part about our hotel was that it was right on the beach and had a swimming pool overlooking the sea. Our room happened to be the last room, and overlooked the sea, we had some fun days sitting on the balcony playing cards and watching the sea.
We had a mixture of drinking night / hangover days, adventure days and relaxing days. 
My favourite adventure day, was when we hired a moped and drove around for 5/6 hours. We drove to a Chinese temple, where I lit a incense stick to purify surroundings. After this we drove to a waterfall, were we walked for 400 m UPHILL, to the top of the waterfall where we went for a swim. We then drove to sun set beach, for a spot of lunch at My friend restaurant.  

Another day, we went to the water park that was a little walk from coral Bungalows beach. The slip n slide, scared the living day life out of me but my boyfriend went on it at least 15 times. They also did inflatable challenge on the sea, bungee jumps and Zorbing. My favourite part was hiring Kayaks and kayaking out into the sea, was beautiful. 650 baht was a 4 day pass and included use of everything. 

We had a drunken night ( by accident) we had to large changes during happy hour and got talking to an American couple and guy from Hawai without realising we drunk 4/5 large beers and we’re feeling a little drunk. 
Another night was a pool party night and I had 4 buckets of Samsung and coke oops. The party was okay, but had more of a chilled vibe. We drunkly walk to 7/11 at 2am to get ourselves some cheese toasties. 

The rest of the days we spent, walking to the beach, looking at the shops, and swimming in the pool. Koh Phanang is beautiful and such a mixture of things to do. We went post full moon party and stayed here around black moon party. 

Oh, and the sunsets. Every night we watched the sunset and I feel every night it got more and more beautiful. 

Defiantly recommend. 

Shine

Today’s daily promt is the word shine. Whilst, to me the word shine may be positive to other it may not. 

Some people may struggle to shine, or they my feel of they shine as much as they want to they may be judged my others. 

The words shine, is to show everything, to beam and give it your all. To make a door handle shiny, you have to add polish and give it a load of elbow grease.

For us to personally shine to out full potential. We have to strip back to basics and give it everything we have. 

In order to shine at work, you have to break the job down in to smaller bites and master each individual part, so that the total part shines. 

To be best we can be as a person, we have to get rid of any fake aspects on the surface and work hard with what we have naturally. 

Why do we want to shine? Because the heart automatically loves shiny things. It’s get all of our senses excited, to our eyes eye candy and to our brains a puzzle of why it is shiny. 

What will I miss.. hmmm

Less then 24 hours until my flight to Thailand. Today, I am appreciating the small things I will miss for 3 months. 

My make up, I am taking minimal make up. This means no fake lashes, no fake tan and no powdered eyebrows. I am unsure how I will cope with this! I have BB cream, concealer and I may take a mascara for full moon party’s ect. 

My house coat ( or dressing gown as most people call it) I love nothing more then waking up and putting on my coat fluffy house coat. I love coming home from a stressful day at work, and getting into pjs and my fluffy house coat. Maybe I will be too warm in Thailand, to miss it.

Toast and tea! My friends who are travelling tell me breakfast is pad Thai, lunch is pad Thai, dinner pad Thai! I don’t think I’ll be eating toast. As for tea, apparently it’s rare to find and when you do find it, it dosent taste the same.

Today I am wearing my jeans, full face of make up, straightened hair Michael Korrs watch and it will be the last day wearing all of this for 3 months!! 

I am very excited, I actually feel a little sickly as I have mixed emotions of excitement and feeling nervous.

I have a family carvery today and my best friends are also coming and then spending time with Tony’s family after.

After that I will try and sleep but I feel that I may me slightly to excited ooops. 

Food bank

My Dad is chairman of a Food bank based in Hangleton. Every year I attempt to raise money, at Christmas time to dontate to the charity. 

I head most days from my dad about horrible situations people have been left in that leaves then without enough money to purchase dinner for them and there family. The little things we take for grant age like bread and tea bags are out of reach of people that could live on the same road as us. Food banks in general, are amazing charities that organisations as big as supermarkets and as small as someone clearing out their cupboard can donate too.

The first year I raised money by organising a office cake sale which raise just under £100. All the Your Move staff got involved by baking there own cakes and mince pies. We invited clients into our office for cake and coffee, as well as visiting all other local offices with the remaining cakes. 

The Christmas just gone, we came up with a new idea. We decided to organise a reverse advent calendar. Instead of opening a chocolate advent calendar, everyday and receive chocolate, we did the opposite. We would open a box that we made, and put something inside. 

Donations ranged from teabags to baby food. I asked my Dad what they needed he most and at the time they really needed baby stuff. Not only did the staff at Your Move donate daily, we had donations from clients, friends and contractors. Our Valuation Managers mother dontates £25, and with that we went and bought lots of baby food, baby wipes, dummies.  

The box was collected a few days before Christmas and we were overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that was collected. It was so rewarding donating that amount of stuff just before Christmas. Knowing that we made a difference to lots of families, so refreshing. 

I will continue to raise money for food banks, as I feel so passionate about what they do for local community’s. 

If you are looking for a New Years resolution this year, I challenge you to speak to your local food bank and see what you can do to help because I guarantee you it will be rewarding.

Love 

Dominique Lennon 

What I learnt in 2016

As 2016 draws to a end, I’ve taken the time to reflect on what I have learnt. The year has been full of many ups and downs. I’m excited to for 2017, with all the new things I have learnt. 

Focous on you, yourself and I

You are the only person that you have to spend your life with, every second and every breath. If you have ever watched black mirror (first series) it shows a girl living inside of her own brain and she had to control her life with a control panel. The truth is, that’s what life is about you are in control of the panel. If your not happy, then change. 

Avoid processed food, healthy food can be fun

Courtesy of Joe wicks AKA the body coach, I have learnt that processed food is a no no. If you do not know what all the ingredients are on the packet don’t eat it. I’ve also learnt that you can eat burger and chips on a diet but you make the burgers yourself from lean turkey meat and your fries are sweet potato. Eating healthy dosent have to be boring!
You can do what you want no commitment

The start of this year I moved back home with parents and I was going to save to buy a house. Avoiding going out, so I could save became boring and I realise my heart wasn’t 100% in it. Living at home, working full time with no commitments e.g. Children, meant the world is my oyster. With this in mind I decided to save to go traveling next year ! Super excited 

Going to the gym early morning is actually easy and refreshing 

Okay, so I thought it was something I couldn’t do. After going a few times, I found it easier to go early morning before work then I did going to the gym on my way home. I actually, feel very refreshed after a morning gym session and am ready to conquer the day! 

Work with higher authority rather then being scared of them 
I used to be scared of anyone in a higher position then me. My big boses would come in, and I would say hi and avoid any further conversations. This year I learnt I am more knowledgable then I know and instead of avoiding them, I should take time to talk to them and I learnt a lot. I am now at a point of my life, that when I have a good idea I have enough confidence to put it forward to someone higher and the results have paid off.

Stop being mean to my hair no more bleach 
Looking at photos from last year to now, I’ve gone from bleach blonde hair to ombré. My hair was like straw and when I would brush my hair, it would malt everywhere. Planning to go traveling helped me realise I can’t have hair like straw out there and needs to be manageable. I went ombré and had the brown matching my roots. I stopped bleaching my hair and instead had the end toned every couple of months. My hair is so much more healthy, I don’t panic about getting my roots done and I’m not worried about it when I go traveling next year. I used to straighten my hair everyday and now I only straighten or curl my hair at weekend IF I’m going out.

Granny pants are not the end of the world

This year I’ve been in and out of hospital and nothing makes me feel better then getting into bed in my granny pants with an oversized tshirt. They are much better for us girlies and when you go to the gym FYI thongs are bad for you.

Time out = mental health 

This reflects on all of the above but the main thing is balence. Yes it’s good to push yourself at work, yes push yourself st the gym, yes have a social life and see your family. Also yes, to taking a couple of hours or a Sunday out of all of the above and taking time for you. Have a bubble bath, light some candels and read a book ( hide your phone) get into some pjs paint your nails and watch a Disney film. Honestly, you will thank me. You cannot push yourself in anything, if your mental health is not okay, your brain won’t cope or fulfil its full capacity. 

Sober times with friends 

As great it is to have a good drunken night out, I’ve realised this year how important it is to do sober things with your friends. Example, on Monday night we have girls night with my besties, we cook dinner together, get in house coats ( dressing gowns) and watch Tv / do nails ect. I also have a friend ( Rosie) that I meet once a month and we go for coffee, or lunch at pompokos. It’s so important to spend this sober time with your friends. It’s allows times for bonding and time to talk properly. 

2016 has taught me a lot about myself, my true friends and family. It’s given me confidence at work, about my weight. It’s shown me I can I get through some of my worse times. I cannot wait for 2017, with everything I have learnt!