Candyfloss & Dreams

Author: Kat Candyfloss

Revisiting Forks: Midnight Sun Book Review

Midnight Sun is the latest book in the Twilight saga, 15 years after the first publication and almost eight years since Breaking Dawn Part 2 graced the silver screen. It’s a big book at 750 pages which tells the original story in the original timeline from Edward’s point of view. Years ago I read the leaked copy and was always curious to finish reading it. At the age of 31, about 12 years after reading Twilight for the first time I am looking on this world with fresh eyes and for the most part, I didn’t enjoy what I read. I purchased my copy from Amazon and there is an affiliate link at the end of the post if you’d like to buy and read for yourself.

A Basic Synopis of Midnight Sun

In Midnight Sun: New girl turns up at Forks High School, Edward things she is average, then in Biology her blood scent hits him so hard he decides he needs to run away but because he can’t read her mind he becomes infactuated with her, sort of stalks her and watches her sleep at night. Then nothing happens until page 650 where she is hunted by James who is ripped apart in less than a paragraph and more dialogue happens for the next hundred pages. Basically, I was not impressed with this book. I think I’ve over generously rated it 3 stars, but actually, officially, I’m going to downgrade that to 2.5 stars because it’s just not very good. In fact its one of the rare occasions I’d say the films are better because they’re over quicker and at least something happens.

My Review of Midnight Sun – May contain spoilers

So firstly, I was pretty excited to read this because I did really enjoy Twilight as a teen. Also, I’d recently read the 10 year anniversary gender bend version, Life & Death which had an alternate ending and that was pretty cool although still problematic as we all know this is. My biggest issue now though is that nothing happens in this book. I do not understand how it’s double the size of the first book give or take 50 pages or so. There is no need for Edwards inner monologue to be so much bigger when mostly that chatter is full of inner turmoil.

The book has a more mature tone to it which I enjoyed and reflected better writing and Edward being 104. It was interesting to see Bella in a different way rather than the self concious girl that can’t believe the good looking guy wants to get to know her. The hint dropping of Hades & Persephone and the fact this book takes place in the Spring gave some cool vibes. I also really liked getting to know Esme more as I feel she is massively overlooked in the original books with her compassion and kindness. That was constantly pouring out of her with her inner conversations with Edward. Also, still not a fan of Rosalie, but at least she comes across as a ‘proper’ vampire in her aggression and obnoxious distain for humans fueled by her never ending jealousy of what was stolen from her.

I wanted to like this book and enjoy revisiting this world, but the slow pacing almost made it unbearable towards the end.

Other than that, this book is boring. At first I was really getting into it but at 400 pages, the end of the original book, and only just half way through I was getting a bit impatient to finish. Maybe I’d spent too long in the world of Forks by reading the other book first, I started reading the same conversations, the same dialogue again. It got tideous. Honestly, the amount of conversation in this book is so long and so unnesscary. There are pages and pages and pages of the same conversaion over and over which got so tiresome. I honestly had to keep putting this book down to yawn, stretch and get out of the monotomy of it.

Pin this – Midnight Sun Book Review

The book is problematic in how it talks about relationships. Of course 19 year old me was here for that trashy romance and inhaled the original Twilight books within weeks of each other, but now, with my life experience I can no longer look on this book with romantic notion but instead feel unsure and creeped out a bit. I’ve read of people talking about Bella and Edwards relationship being their one true pairing and it’s just…not.

So is Midnight Sun worth reading? Well that depends. It’s the same story and I learned nothing new about Edward’s character that you don’t find out in later books. If you’re a fan of the series I’m not going to disuade you and if you’ve not read it then I’d just stick with the shorter Bella version personally.

All The Other Issues I had before and Now with Midnight Sun

Basically I hate how Vampires are in this book, it’s stupid. I know it’s fantasy and I know my preference is for high fantasy in an epic, glorious world rather than a small town in a forest but sparkly vampires still just sounds strange. I also hate this idea of vampire venon. This recreation of Vampires was just so unneccesary and was just needed to alter to the ending Meyer wanted to try and build a super long series about a girl wanting to be turned into a vampire and her boyfriend saying no. I don’t like how they’re portrayed as essentially gargoyles to be honest. It’s just weird.

Also, nothing happens in this book. The fact that the scene where they kill James is like, 4 sentances long, is so pointless. It’s just proof that Meyer can not write action scenes even 15 years later. I hate to feel like I’m author bashing but really when you analyse the plot it’s just girl meets boy, filler dialogue of every day lives, a car chase and then they’re at prom. I didn’t need the long winded description of exactly how Alice faked the accident, I didn’t need to read word for word Edward watching the tape where you already know what has happened. I didn’t need the massively descriptive feel sorry for me backstory of Edward gone rogue. There were too many boring details that just didn’t need to be there.

I feel sad to be writing such a negative review because I wanted to enjoy this book but I got so frustrated with wanting to hurry to finish it that it’s tarnished how I feel about the series. I’ve basically paid £11 for a book to change a series I loved as a teenager and that is annoying. If you want to do the same and buy the book here’s an affiliate link below for amazon because I might as well get something out of it…

One of my goals for 2020 is to read 52 books or around one a week. Some might be new, some are ones I’ve had for a while or been meaning to read, some I haven’t quite finished yet and some will be recommendations from others. You can see all the books I’ve read so far on my Good Reads 2020 Reading Challenge.

August 7, 2020
Why Should Life Insurance be a Family Priority?

This is a collaborative post.

Have you thought about life insurance? I know I have been but maybe it’s down to all the annoying calls I get from various companies. However, having a background in insurance it is something I’ve thought about a lot. I’ve also been thinking about it recently seeing family and friends have to sell all their assets to be able to afford care in their elderly years leaving nothing for their children and family to cover financial security or help with funeral costs. It really got me thinking.

If, when you’re older, you have to sell your house and use pretty much all of your savings for a care home or independent carers, what is the point of buying a home. I know, as a granddaughter, for example, or a daughter, I would rather see my parents life as long as they can as comfortable as they can. But as a parent, the thought of leaving my own children, grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren with nothing makes me feel a little bereft. Is life insurance the way to ensure some form of inheritence rather than physical assets and savings? Well, not really, but it can really help with some of the bigger financial costs that happen when you die such as mortgage repyaments and funeral costs. This helps take the burden away from children who have to make those hard decisions.

I know we all hope to live long healthy lives, passing peacefully in our sleep with the knowledge we have loved ones but the reality is so different with an increasingly older population that require some healthcare and looking after in their later years. I’ve seen this strip people of their life savings and the sadness it brings them knowing that what they hoped to leave behind they now can’t. It’s hard to find a balance and now exactly where you stand and what you should or shouldn’t do to help ease some of the stresses from those you leave behind.

However, its worth considering if you need life insurance. Can you afford it firstly? I’m not sure I could right now and Adam’s job currently offers a death in service benefit which, as sad as it is to think of, would help provide financial security for myself and our children. Life assurance, as it’s often called as an employee benefit, could also render life insurance policies as void, depending on the times and conditions. So you need to know all the facts about any policy and be asking the right questions before you sign up. Also, if you’re renting rather than owning a home then again it might not be a neccessary option for you as usually life insurance is used to pay things off and cover things like funeral costs or mortgage payments.

It seems the best times to get life insurance is if you buy a home with young children which isn’t something every couple can afford right now, especially where I live. This then helps provide financial security if anything where to happen to you whilst your children were growing up. However, looking at it I’m not sure it would be very beneficial after the mortgage was paid and a home was owned outright unless the policy explicity allows a pay out to beneficiaries to do with as they please after funeral costs are met. It is a topic that needs to be thoroughly researched and worked out. Right now, for us, it’s not a priority or a need and we have no reason or the financial ability to buy a house right now so life insurance isn’t going to be something we buy especially with a death in service benefit from Adam’s work place. But I would consider a form of health plan or accident plan which would provide a payout for myself or my next of kin should I have a severe accident. Personal accident plans are another way of protecting yourself and can be paid out alongside life insurance and a death in service benefit because they are very specific, but again, something you need to check with the terms and conditions of the policy.

Have you taken out life insurance? What was the deciding factor for you?

August 6, 2020
Creative Wooden Flooring In A Small Room

This is a collaborative post.

Our entrance hall is really tiny but I love that it’s a bit of seperation from the front door to the rest of the flat. Usually its a bit of a mix of shoes and coats but I’m trying to tidy it up a bit and I’ve been thinking of creative ways to change the space. Wooden flooring seems like the most logial idea. It’s a small rectangle space so I think measuring and laying the flooring would be pretty easy and it could actually transform it a little. Wooden flooring makes sense because its where we take of our shoes and I want an area that will be nice and easy to keep clean and tidy.

Another small space I have been thinking of transforming is our large walk in cupboard which I think could be turned into a mini office area for me. That of course would involve a lot of sorting out and decluttering but it could actually work really well. As this room is off the hallway and close to the entrance hall of the flat it would make sense to get wooden flooring to transform the entire hall and cupboard space. I would love to have ones that look like old shabby floorboards. I think its a look I’ve always loved and wanted to bring into my home a bit more.

Transforming small spaces can be really fun, with new flooring, a lick of paint and a good clean up you can make it look really lovely. Our entrance hall needs a bit of work with some new coat pegs and a more sturdy shoe rack. We could do with adding a lamp shade as well to be honest. I’d really like a kallax unit with boxes to put shoes away in as some of our older pairs look a bit tatty and I think using better storage could make this area look so much tidier than the plastic one we currently have.

Do you have much wooden flooring in your home?

August 5, 2020
Easy Upgrades For Every Room

This is a collaborative post

Image credit Pexels

You all know the feeling when you want to spruce up your home, but you’re not quite sure how to go about it. This feeling is multiplied when it’s applied to every room in your house. Perhaps you’re feeling the itch to give your home a makeover, but you’re not sure where to start. Perhaps you have a tight budget, and whilst you’d like to redo every room in your house, it won’t quite stretch that far. You have a choice between focusing on one room or spreading out your efforts to upgrade every area by just a touch. Well, if you choose to go down this road, there are some simple upgrades you can use for each room to get maximum results with minimum effort.

Bedroom

The best way to completely change your bedroom without breaking a sweat (or the bank) is by new soft furnishings. If you can upgrade your sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases to a stylish new option, you’ll be well on the way to feeling like you’re living in a brand new space. When purchasing new bedsheets, consider colour and material so you make sure you’re really treating yourself.

Kitchen

If you’re anything like most people, you’ll be constantly on the hunt for ways to find more space in your kitchen. Whether it’s more room to work on the counter or easier organisation in your cupboards, having a neatly arranged kitchen is half the battle. Rather than settle for cheap plastic shelves, investing in iron storage solutions is the best way to upgrade your kitchen without resorting to a complete do-over. By using high-quality metal fixtures, you can solve your storage problems whilst adding a touch of style at the same time.

Bathroom

Believe it or not, bathrooms are a wonderful place to start cultivating a collection of house plants that will make your neighbour’s garden feel inadequate. The damp conditions of a bathroom are absolutely perfect for plants such as ferns, which will thrive with almost no watering at all in such a location. You might not immediately think of the bathroom as a place to keep plants, but you’ll never look back. They add colour and life, and fill the air with oxygen, leaving you feeling refreshed, and just as fresh as if you’d had a whole new system installed.

Living Room

In order to spruce up this area of your house, you don’t need to buy anything, or even to add anything in particular. Instead, why not try breathing fresh life into the room simply by rearranging it. Moving sofas and other furniture items around can make you look at a space in a whole new way, and see all the possibilities that you’ve been missing up until now.

Study

If you’re lucky enough to have a separate study room in your house, it’s important that you don’t let it become a stuffy, neglected area. After all, this is where you want to be able to focus and be at your most productive! To help inspire your work, why not invest in a work of art or a painting you love, to brighten up the walls and give you something to gaze at whilst you cook up your latest plans. It doesn’t need a full makeover, just a bit of colour and interest.

July 21, 2020
Lockdown Staycation at Ruda Holiday Park, Croyde Bay – Review
Are you planning on a family holiday with parkdean resorts at Ruda holiday park? Here is everything you need to know before you go.A pardean holiday review of our recent staycation to Ruda, Croyde Bay during the Coronavirus pandemic. Reviewing the caravan and park facilities currently open with Covid-19 secure regulations.
Ruda Holiday Park Review

We paid £560 for a four night break in a 2 bed Mortehoe caravan at Ruda, (you can find a caravan tour below), in Croyde Bay, Devon, for 2 adults and 2 children. This included hiring a high chair and swimming pool tickets. I am hoping to get a refund for as the swimming pool was closed during our visit. This was booked for early July 2020; a week after holiday parks were allowed to open during the coronavirus pandemic. Below you will find a review of our experience at Ruda as frequent ParkDean Resorts holiday goers. I have also detailed how we found the covid regulations in place during our stay.

Ruda Holiday park is owned by Park Dean Resorts and has a mix of static caravans, lodges and a huge pitching for toring and camping with communal washing facilities, electrical hook up points and entertainment passes. The site is pet friendly, including having dog friendly caravans on site so you can bring your four legged friends too. Ruda holiday park has free on site wifi, with the option to pay for an upgrade on when in your caravan should there be a rainy day or you fancy watching Netflix in the evening – providing you bring a laptop or tablet with you!

Staying at Ruda Holiday Park, Croyde Bay, North Devon

We originally booked our trip to Devon last August before COVID-19 even entered our thoughts and loved the look of Ruda Caravan Park after searching for campsites in North Devon. We have stayed with ParkDean resorts many times with our last holiday with them being on the Isle of Wight at Thorness Bay campsite. Obviously, because of Coronavirus we were umming and ahhing about going but as holiday parks opened up the week before we were due to travel we were unable to cancel. This meant no refund. We also wanted to get out of our flat for a bit as not having access to a garden was starting to get tough.

The early morning mist coming down from the hills on Ruda caravan park in North Devon

We selected Ruda holiday park because it looked great. I loved the look of the water park and it was close to a beach. It also has other facilities such as soft play and plenty of choices for food onsite. I can’t say it wasn’t disappointing that the swimming pool and soft play areas were closed during our break. I understand why and we did not let that stop us having a great time. With swimming pools set to open in the coming weeks hopefully, Ruda holiday park soft play area will open again soon too. In the meantime though there are two play parks at each end of Ruda Holiday Park and a gorgeous local sandy surfing beach.

Ruda Holiday Park children’s playground with Croyde Bay in the background at the other side of the caravan park.

Ruda Holiday Park Accomodation

For our ParkDean holiday 2020 we booked an extra long, extra wide two bedroom Mortehoe Caravan which sleeps up to six people. Everything you need is included in the accomodation at Ruda including bed linen. Although we did have to request that these were changed when we arrived due to them smelling of vomit. Sadly, changing the sheets did not really do anything and it may be a cleaning product they are using. We sprayed our sheets with our own perfume and bought some fabreeze from a tesco in Barnstaple to freshen it up. Opening the windows really helps too.

Our living space during our time at ruda holiday park

The Mortehoe caravan is a great size for a family of four and there is plenty of room in the master bedroom, which included an ensuite, for a travel cot. You can lay down the second single bed mattress on the floor in the master bedroom room for a toddler to sleep on. Our toddler is little so a travel cot is ideal but we do not have one. You can hire these when booking. We did hire a high chair for him but didn’t order in a travel cot as we weren’t sure on the size of the main bedroom. The kitchen is fully equipped including a full size fridge and freezer. Seating is comfortable and we found it easy to cook our meals.

Ruda Holiday Park Coronavirus Regulations

Here are what’s changed at Ruda Holiday Park during the Coronavirus pandemic
- You will Check in online. The day before you arrive you will get your caravan number and location alongside a park map so you can familiarise yourself with how to get to your accomodation. When you arrive at Ruda Holiday Park someone will ask your name and accomodation number, give you directions and inform you if there is a red sign you can not enter and need to go to the overflow carpark to wait, if there is a green sign you are free to enter the caravan.
- One way systems in the main venue and limited people in shops and takeaways.
- Spacing out tables and chairs in resturaunts.
- A call and collect menu from the Coast resturaunt. The menu has starters, mains, desserts, snacks, alcoholic and soft drinks for you to call through, collect in around thirty minutes and eat back in your accomodation. The food is packed in takeaway boxes. It’s an excellent option and one we used on our first night. There is also a fish and chips takeaway and pizzas available to take away too.
- Keys and information inside the caravan when you arrive
- Virtual entertainment only – no disco, tabletop entertainment packs etc and various kids clubs which you must book in advance. Some are paid for.
Ruda Holiday Park Site Map

Ruda Holiday Park map

Restaurants at Ruda, Croyde Bay

Onsite at Ruda Holiday Park you will find the Coast resturant adjacent to the showbar and lounge as well as a fish and chips takeaway and an Italian which closes at 9pm. The food provided is varied and there are kids meals options available which is really handy. We tried the fish and chips takeaway one evening which was really nice and affordable. We also used the call and collect from the Coast restaurant which had loads of choices including alcohol. We tried the premixed cocktails alongside our baguettes and loaded chips as well as two delicious puddings. It was a great option for our first night onsite as we didn’t go food shopping until the next day.

There is a small Nisa shop on site too for essentials and sweets although it’s quite expensive but has lots of options should you forget anything or fancy cooking when you arrive. It’s also got some great sausages for breakfast if you fancy something hot before you start exploring the local area.

Our Holiday in North Devon

I’ve put together a little holiday vlog sharing some of the times we did on our trip to Ruda Holiday Park and other activities we did including visiting The Big Sheep & Exmoor Zoo which are both around 40 minutes away. We also did our food shopping at the Tesco Extra in Barnstaple but there is a smaller Tesco at Brauton around five miles or so away.

Spending a few hours down at the beach was really nice on the Thursday. From our caravan it was about a five or ten minute walk down to the beach which has lifeguards, a surf school, an ice cream shop and open toilets. Croyde Bay is a really beautiful beach and we saw some pretty awesome waves whilst there.

Felix enjoying a sandy ice cream at Croyde Bay, the beach closed to Ruda holiday park

I was surprised with Evie who has never really swam in the sea but she dove in and had loads of fun playing and building sandcastles. It was so nice just to let her play after so many weeks of being stuck inside. The beach alongside the park allowed her to play properly. It was nice and quiet and the park equipment was really spread out too so there was lots of space for families.

Evie after jumping through the waves at Croyde Bay at Ruda Holiday Park in North Devon

Should You Have A Staycation During Pandemic?

Ultimately, this is up to you. My advice would be to take masks, hand soap and hand gel. Practise good hygiene and stick to big open spaces. A staycation holiday during the coronavirus pandemic will not be the same as the holiday you are used to having. It will have more structure and regulations which you might find hard to deal with if you want to relax.

We feel we had a positive experience at Ruda holiday park and the staff worked really hard to keep everyone safe. I regularly saw cleaning and they had a track and trace system in place for everyone entering the main entertainment complex alongside the one way systems. Everyone was polite and friendly, helpful and whilst we didn’t get to use all of the facilities we came home feeling good.

A staycation is a great way to have a holiday as if you do feel unwell you can easily get tested locally and you can come home. Having self contained accomoation made me feel better too. Most importantly my kids still got their summer holiday. A chance to play at the beach, in the park and just let off a bit of steam. If you’re cautious and responsible, I don’t see why you wouldn’t have a nice holiday at Ruda holiday park.

If yuo found this helpful wh not check out our other ParkDean Resorts reviews.
Thorness Bay, Isle of Wight
Mullion, Cornwall
Landguard, Isle of Wight
July 18, 2020