The Joy Of Book Kits

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to promote any products, just sharing my latest little book finds x

Hi Honeys
I hope you're staying warm in this chill, the sun is shining beautifully outside but oh my it's cold! Again (what? again Rosie? sheesh...) I'll say that some people are just made to hibernate and I happen to be one of them! Spring can't get here quick enough for me, seriously.

Moans... er.. concerns about the chilly weather aside (hee hee :) I'm actually feeling quite chuffed today.  I've spent the past couple of weeks feeling quite dreadful, just constantly drained, completely without energy.  My Dr called me to tell me my latest bloods showed my iron levels were even lower than they normally are (and that's usually on the low side.) My get up and go had got up and gone :/

As it always does though, it (eventually) passes and I think <touch wood> I might be on the mend.  I feel better today than I have for a while so hopefully...

You might have noticed that I adore books just a little bit :) So, any day with new books in it is a day to celebrate.. or at least to sit on the sofa with our furbaby Jade and grin a lot :)  I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of Christmas really, I might like it more if it were in Summer and we could celebrate out in the garden with the roses :)

What? So, I'm odd (I like to think in a nice way mind) you hadn't noticed by now? :)  I don't dislike Christmas it's more to do with the cold and the general horribleness of the weather, it's winter I have a problem with.  There are elements of Christmas I do kinda like, like the availability everywhere of candy canes... which are beyond fabulous stirred through hot chocolate! Yummmm!! :)

The other thing I love, love, love about this time of year is that book kits start to appear.  Book kits, those wonderful little sets, perfect as gifts or for book loving folk like me who like a little fun with their reading, are essentially a book packaged with complimenting accessories designed to help the reader make use of the book or just to tie in with the subject matter.

While grocery shopping in our local Asda/Walmart around a week ago I found two such kits and they instantly made their way into our trolley :)  I'm still grinning just looking at them sitting by me while I type this post :) So, without further ado then here they are honeys...

The Beatles: The Definitive Guide To The Fab Four  

I love the Beatles!  I was born too late! 

This book kit or gift set is packaged inside a very cool tin with an embossed lid.  The same illustration appears all around the sides of the tin and inside is a 224 page paperback book and four beautiful silicone coasters in the design of Beatles singles.

The book is unlikely to share anything fans didn't already know, although I enjoyed reading it, but what makes the book worth having for me are the photographs.  Separated into 21 chapters, beginning with chapter one: the early years through to the last chapter which looks at the bands legacy, the photos are just stunning and a joy to have.  The times and lives of the Fab Four are captured like tiny precious time bubbles. It must have been fun to have lived through the sixties with such changes in the world. Like I said honeys I was born too late.

The coasters are the real prize in this excellent little set though and are, in my humble opinion, far too nice to ever consider sitting a cup on!  As you can see from the image above they really are beautiful and are mini versions of (left to right, top to bottom) Hey Jude (purple label) All You Need Is Love (red label)  Yesterday (blue label) Yellow Submarine (green label.)

The coasters/singles are made from a rubbery silicone material and simply far, far too beautiful to use!  As I said I found this set in our local Asda/Walmart and it cost the princely sum of £4.  I've managed to find it online at Amazon although it says there that the set includes four badges, possibly an earlier edition? The copyright inside this version reads 2015.  If like me you adore the Beatles this set is definitely worth looking out for honeys.

Biscuits for Your Dog

The second book kit I bought this week was a little gift for our furbaby Jade :)  Of course Jade won't be the one reading it, although she is a very smart dog and if any dog could learn to read it would be Jade :)



This fabulous and fun book is chock full of recipes for your faithful friend and I'm so looking forward to trying the recipes with Jade as my co-chef, and taster, of course :) Two adorable cookie cutters, in the shape of a dog and a bone, complete this fun kit.

I had expected the book to contain a handful of basic recipes so I was delighted to find there are man more! It's split into five chapters.  The chapters are:

1. Meaty Treats:  this chapter includes goodies such as the recipe for turkey cheeseburgers, bacon bites, bacon & carrot rissoles and beef & vegetable meatballs! 
2. Healthy Biscuits: includes recipes for multi-seed bone bites, carrot muffins and carob dipped apricots.
3. Special Snacks: this chapter includes yummy treats to reward your furbaby for being your best friend and includes bacon & peanut butter bars, sweet potato & honey treats and maple syrup muffins.
4. Fruity Chews: The book says these recipes are a great way to include fruit in your dogs diet but I didn't know dogs needed fruit? I may have to do some research but recipes do include pear & cheese biscuits, banana & honey muffins (whose recipe is scarily similar to my banana muffin recipe here) and apple & wheatgerm muffins.
5. Tasty Shapes: These treats are all shaped using, I'm assuming, additional cookie cutters, but since two cutters are supplied with the set you could just use these and still have smiley treats for your furbaby. Recipes include peanut butter collie cookies, sun dried tomato & parmesan biscuits, salmon cat chomps and cheesy dog straws. 

These are just a few examples of the many recipes in this wonderful little book. Each recipe is illustrated with full colour (and adorable) furbaby images as well as photos of the completed treat. The book promises that the recipes are very healthy but I'm mindful that with ingredients such as cheese and honey that care would have to be taken not to over indulge our babies and make them over weight.

I'm also going to do some research before trying any of the recipes which include garlic since I'd read some time ago that this could be toxic to dogs.  I'll ask Jade's lovely vet when we see her next month for Jade's yearly inoculation booster and will report back.

Both of these sets are published by a company called Igloo Books in case you'd like to try to find your own copies honeys.  You can find Igloo's website here and I managed to find copies on Amazon too.  Have you read any good books lately?

Well dear ones I have to dash and get ready for work.  A busy weekend lies ahead but I'll be back again on Monday with a post on Hubby & I's attempt at making Ikea Lemon Muffins :)  Till then honeys, have a fabulous weekend, stay warm & safe, smile lots and hug even more :)
Huggles always xx