Silent Sunday

The Holiday Bid Game

Dear Reader, 

Many of us (me included) want to travel or even have a holiday every now and then, but unfortunately due to money circumstances this isn't always possible. However, today's post is about The Holiday Bid Game which provides you with the opportunity to win a holiday or other lovely gifts with the lowest unique bid! This website is great for students (although we often love travelling we rarely have the money to do so) and anyone who likes holidays for that matter. 

Often sites that promote winning a holiday are not very trust worthy and the 'winner' can be exploited and be ripped off, but this company could not be anymore different. My sister is the commercial director for The Holiday Bid Game (some of you may recognise her in reference to her Plutonium Sox blog which I sometimes talk about, she is after all the one who got me into blogging) so I can confirm this site is more than genuine and the previous winners can do the same! 

How to play: 

For a chance to win a holiday you have to bid on one of the holidays up for grabs on the site. Bid packs start as low as £5, and you can get 6 bids for this price. You then have to make an attempt at the lowest unique bid for this auction. When the auction closes, if your bid is the lowest unique one then you win the holiday. Previous winners have won trips to Thailand (for 93p) and France (for 16p). Current auctions on the site include a week for two in the South of France, and a week in New Quay for SEVEN of your friends/family, how cool would that be as a post exam treat?

South of France for two?

Cottage in New Quay for seven?

What's brilliant about this company is that 10% of any profits that they make go to Maternity Worldwide, this is one of my favourite charities. Maternity Worldwide work hard to save lives in childbirth in parts of the world where dying in giving birth and pregnancy is likely but can be easily prevented. The Holiday Bid Game also run charity auctions where all the profits go to Maternity Worldwide and are currently running a recipe book auction. 

And it's not just holidays! There are currently some mini auctions on some lovely handmade products made by Meebee Designs, who has created exclusive beautiful handcrafted luggage tags and a passport covers which can be won in the mini auctions. And with a maximum of 50 bids allowed on the small auctions,  the odd of winning are ever in your favour! 

So good luck and remember you've got to be in it to win it!

Yours, 

Emma Dilemma 

P.S. Quote of the day- " Not all dreamers are winners, but all winners are dreamers."

- Mark Gorman 

Silent Sunday

A letter from Emma about: Reading the Classics

Dear Reader, 

This post is about two 'great' books I picked up from my local charity shop this week. In general I  spend a lot of time travelling whether its to work, university or the long, long journey home,

 however I've noticed that I'm not doing anything productive with this time... It's time to change that! So I thought I'd start making my way through the classics, there are so many books which I haven't read and I thought this would be a productive way to spend my time travelling. 

I went into Books For Amnesty, many of you I'm sure are aware of Amnesty International's charitable work, however what I wasn't aware of was their extensive collection second hand books which they sell in Books For Amnesty. Their stock just as good if not better than most commercial book stores. 

Here are my two buys:

The staff were really helpful and said that the other classic books that I was looking for will more than likely come into stock in the next few months and to return then. Each book cost me £2 and my favourite part is that all the money goes to charity. 

I think that the Charles Dickens book is particularly beautiful and I know that I would not have got an edition like this if I brought one brand new. I also think that this shop is brilliant if you are not too sure what book you want to read next, as then you can just let the fate of the stock decided for you. 

Yours, 

Emma Dilemma

P.S. Quote of the day- "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." 

- George R.R. Martin

A letter from Emma about: A Year of No Resolutions

Dear Reader, 

This year I have decided not to make any new years resolutions. Not because I won't keep to them but because I  believe that you have any opportunity for change throughout the year and this should not be exclusive to the start of January. 

As many of you may know I really like quotes, so this year instead of resolutions  I have written a collection of my favourite quotes, which I hope will inspire me for the new year a head: 

"Ah yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. "

- The Lion King

"Worry is a misuse of imagination."

- Dan Zadra 

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling,

but in rising every time we fall.”

- Nelson Mandela 

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

- Dalai Lama 

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." 

- Oscar Wilde 

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

- Abraham Lincoln 

"The first recipe for happiness is : avoid too lengthy meditation on the past." 

- Andre Maurois 

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

― Mae West

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness 

was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I 

wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I 

didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t 

understand life.”

- John Lennon 

I have just noticed that lots of the quotes are about happiness, and I guess that what it's all about really: so have a 'happy' new year. 

I would love to know of your new years resolutions or any of your favourite quotes? 

Yours, 

Emma Dilemma

P.S. Quote of the day- all the above. 

A letter from Emma about: Cake

Dear Reader,

Today's post is about one of my favourite things in the world: cake. But also about the dilemma of sending Christmas gifts to family and friends who live far away. Since starting Uni I have moved far away from home and also most of my friends have done the same, which means that often gifts have to be posted. We all know sending gifts can be difficult, not only it is hard to get companies that deliver on time and but it's also difficult to find a thoughtful gift without it costing lots of money.
Baker Days offer a great solution to this problem, they deliver letter box sized personal cakes. This week they sent me a lovely Christmas themed cake to review:

 

I really like the sprout cake because its a bit different, and what's more traditional than sprouts at Christmas (even if you're not a fan)! Baker Days have lots of different Christmas designs to choose from,  and you can also add personalised messages and even photo's to the cakes.  You can even choose the sponge type ranging from chocolate to gluten free cake. The cakes are delivered in a compact box, accompanied with a Christmas cracker and party hat, and they taste pretty good too. The box is also small enough to be delivered through the letter box, so none of those dreaded red slips!

Although this is a Christmas themed cake Baker Days also cater for other occasions and with lots of my friends turning 21 this year I shall be ordering from them, I just think its a nice way to say happy birthday. You also don't have to worry about whether or not they'll like the gift because, let's face it everyone loves cake.

You really can have your cake and eat it too! Sorry, I couldn't resit. 

Yours, 

Emma Dilemma

P.S. Quote of the day- "Let them eat cake."
- Marie Antoinette

A letter from Emma about: Bunny Slippers

Dear Reader, 

Today's post is all about slippers, well to be specific bunny slippers. The lovely people from Jolly Bunny sent me some bunny slippers to review. I love products which are unique and original so I was very excited when they arrived: 

Heating is very expensive and with the cold weather upon us slippers are a great way to keep warm as well as prolonging turning the heating on. When I moved into my student flat last year for the first time ever I lived in a house with floorboards and tiles, whilst this is great for me as I am prone to spilling drinks, I definitely missed the warmth that carpet gave my feet. Immediately I invested in slippers (for the first time ever) and I felt so much warmer. I don't know about you but when my feet are cold, my whole body is cold too! Which is why these slippers from Jolly Bunny are so great, because they keep my feet super toasty. I also like the humour element of them and love the little rabbit's tale. When my niece comes to visit next week I am pretty sure she is going to love them too. 

Yours, 

Emma Dilemma 

P.S. Quote of the day - "It's easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world." 

- Al Franken