Personal Planner Giveaway

I've mentioned that I recently attended Brit Mums Live with several hundred other bloggers.

I stuck my iPad in my purse, thinking that I would use it to take notes.

(I'm a blogger now, I have to pretend like I know how to use the latest technology.)

 But when we sat down for the opening session,

there was a lovely spiral notebook in front of me with a Uniball pen!

Forget the iPad, I'd much rather make notes by hand.

Plus, have you ever tried to doodle on an iPad note page?  Not fun.

The notebook with the wonderful ruled pages was a gift from Personal Planner.

And attached to the notebook was a gift certificate for a personalized planner.

I couldn't wait to get home and order it.

Again, I realize that I should probably be using my phone or computer as my planner, but I still keep my calendar/diary manually.  I'm a sucker for a pretty spiral book and a brightly colored gel pen.

As soon as I got home, I went online and ordered myself a blog planner

and a personal travel calendar.

Everything was customizable from the cover, to the colors, start date,

planner pages and much more.  

There are four sizes to chose from and I even used my own photos as the cover art.

Easy ordering, quick confirmation email and a week later

my planners arrived.

I couldn't be happier with them, so I emailed Personal Planner 
and asked if they would be nice enough to sponsor a giveaway.

They quickly responded that they would be happy to share the love.

So here is your chance to win your very own personal planner.  

And don't worry, they ship all over so this is open internationally.

(See official rules.)

Good luck and happy planning!!!

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*I received a complimentary notebook and planner as a delegate at Brit Mums Live.
Personal Planner is sponsoring this giveaway.  All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Taste of London 2013

*I received two complimentary tickets to the Taste of London for the purposes of review.

 It's hard to believe that I've been in London for over a year now.

I'm now attending some events for the 2nd year in a row.  Case in point is Taste of London.

Last year I attended with my then new friend Sarah, who is now a dear friend. 

We were just getting to know each other.  While we were at the food festival,

I received a call from Matt saying that he had got the job!  I was so thrilled.

I burst into tears and started squeaking.   I was certain Sarah was going to think I was nuts,

but she just laughed and gave me a big hug.

Then we headed over to one of the tents for a champagne toast to celebrate.

At that moment, I knew that everything was going to be fine.

I knew that Matt and I were going to be able to build a really good life here in England.

So, I couldn't wait to go the the Taste of London again this year.

This was the 10th Anniversary year for the Taste and it's London's biggest outdoor food festival. 

This is a wonderland for foodies.  Four days of eating, drinking, entertainment and education.

Some of London's hottest restaurants set up booths offering a signature festival menu with tapas size dishes.

Exhibitors from all over the world gather here to share their products with over 50,000 visitors.

You can sign up for a Masterclass or a BBQ Experience and much more.

This year, Gina went along with me to the Taste of London at Regent's Park.

It was raining a bit when we stepped out of the tube station, but it soon stopped

and didn't start again until we were safely home.

We spent all afternoon walking around, sampling food and sipping cocktails.

Pulled pork from two of the featured restaurants was a definite highlight.

We also stopped for a class on how to make the perfect Italian aperitif.

   

I also had another celebrity sighting.  I walked right by Kate Hudson and Matt Bellamy.

It was so surreal.  I was three feet from her, but became completely tongue tied.

She looked so normal, just strolling around.  No entourage or security.

I rushed over to tell Gina.  "Ohmygod! I just saw Kate Hudson.  That's her right there in the peach glasses."

We stalked followed them for a bit trying to get a better view.  Gina never got a straight shot of her face and I don't think she really believed me.  "Yeah right, Selena.  I believe you."

But later she Googled and found a photo to confirm the chick in the peach sunglasses was truly Kate Hudson.  (Gina's promised never to doubt me again, which is probably not a good thing.  I don't have the best eyesight.)

 

 

 

We each purchased £20 worth of Crowns which are the official currency of the event.

£1 gets you two crowns and most of the dishes are about 8-10 crowns (£4-5).

You can purchase them when you buy your tickets in advance

or there are plenty of chances to purchase them at the event.

Some of the exhibitors will also accept cash.

Just don't buy too many as you can't cash them back in if you don't use them.

There are two sessions each day (except Sunday) and your ticket will get you into one of those sessions.

The sessions are from noon to 4pm and 5:30pm to 9:30pm.

There is only one session on Sunday from noon to 5pm.

There is plenty to see and do, so be sure to get there on time to take advantage of the full four hours. 

 

 For 2013, the standard ticket price was £28 at the door and £25.80 in advance which gets you access to the festival and features.  Last year, Matt and I purchased VIP tickets which included fast track entry, access to a VIP Lounge, a glass of champagne and a Taste of London Recipe Book.  The VIP tickets were £70 this year.  

So be sure to save the dates for next year's Taste of London  June 19-22.

For the latest information, sign up for their newsletter or follow them on Twitter.

And don't forget the Taste of Christmas November 21-24, 2013.

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  *I received two complimentary tickets to the Taste of London for the purposes of review.
All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


You can find this review and many others in my
London Attraction Guide.

The HMS Belfast

*I received two complimentary tickets to the HMS Belfast for the purposes of review.  

The next stop on our London Summer Explore was the

HMS Belfast.

The HMS Belfast is a Royal Navy light cruiser that is permanently moored

in the Thames and open to the public as a museum.

(You can see her in all of her glory from The View from the Shard.)

She was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1939 and retired from service in 1963

after serving all over the world. 

There are nine decks to explore on the ship and be prepared

to do a lot of climbing and squeezing into tight spaces.

These ladders can be a little tricky.  Face the ladder and go slow and you'll be fine.

My favorite part was touring the living quarters, where the crew lived, ate, slept and worked for months on end.  When I saw the first mannequin I thought "Oh, dear."
Sometimes mannequins are done so poorly that they really distract me from an attraction.
Picture the plastic mannequins from a recently closed department store
set up awkwardly and missing a few fingers or a chipped nose. 

But that is not the case on the HMS Belfast at all.
They are so well done, with realism and a sense of humor.
They completely add to the experience.
There is even one guy after a shower, wrapped in a towel and doing his hair in a mirror.
You'll have to go yourself to see him as my picture didn't turn out.  Sorry.

The ship was just a floating city and there was everything that the men needed while away, 
kitchen, hospital, store, laundry, post office... and the dreaded dentist.

  

The 950 sailors received a daily ration of rum or grog. They could purchase soda, beer, tobacco and chocolate at the ship store.  They slept in hammocks hanging side by side in tight quarters.  It was the most comfortable way to sleep on the ship.  As the boat tossed and turned, the hammock would hang level and they slept like babies.

  

It really was just like stepping back in time.

They've done a fantastic job of showing life on board a war ship.

It is definitely worth a visit and good value for money. 

Planning your visit:

The ship is Open Daily except for December 24, 25 and 26.

November to February - 10am to 5pm (last admission 4pm)

March to October - 10am to 6pm (last admission 5pm)

Adults Price is £14.50.

Children under 16 are free and must be accompanied by an adult.

Senior, Student and Disabled price is £11.60.

You can purchase tickets on-site or in advance online.

Be sure to grab the free audioguide which lasts about 90 minutes.

There are in available in several languages and there is even a family audioguide.

There is a cafe and shop on site.

The closest tube stations are London Bridge and Tower Hill.

Be sure to check online before you go as sometimes they are closed for special events.

It looks like summer has finally arrived in London and 

we are enjoying this wonderful weather.

Today is Canada Day and I'm off to Trafalgar Square to celebrate with some Canadian friends.

You can also find me out on the internet in a few interviews.

This one with 1st Contact and this one with Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal.

Pop on over and leave a comment to let me know what you think.

And best news of all,  Jessica is coming for a visit in September!  It's official.

I so cannot wait to see that child of mine!!!

I hope you have a wonderful week!!

Have you visited the HMS Belfast?  What did you think?

What other London Attractions should I check out during our London Summer Explore?

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 *I received two complimentary tickets to the HMS Belfast for the purposes of review.
All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


You can find this review and many others in my
London Attraction Guide.